To Byul (Omegaverse)-Chapter 123: My father was never a father figure that I could look up to

Chapter 123: My father was never a father figure that I could look up to

"Are you okay?" Woo-bin asked.

The sudden change in atmosphere with him was very noticeable, and he could tell something was up. Who sent him a message?

"I’m... Not fine." Yun-tae answered honestly. "But I will be, so please don’t mind me."

"Is it a stalker?" Woo-bin asked. "Don’t hide it if someone’s threatening you. I can help you, kid."

Yun-tae shook his head.

"No, it’s not a stalker." He answered, gripping his phone tight. He hadn’t even looked at the content of the message but he was already shaking just from knowing who it was.

"Then, do you have no plans on telling me who it is? I thought we were close enough to not keep secrets," Woo-bin said, causing Yun-tae to pause his lips. "Ouch, that breaks my heart, kid."

"It’s nothing that serious," Yun-tae answered. "It’s just... My father."

Woo-bin went silent. Ah, family issue?

Come to think of it, he had never heard Yun-tae talk about his family. Not his parents and not siblings either, if he had any.

He was almost only concerned with Chin-hwa and he brought up their friends once or twice. So, this meant he was on bad terms with his parents or maybe he just ran away from home and was scared of being caught.

"Tough relationship, huh?" Woo-bin said. "I remember when I had to run from my own father and things got messy later." He added and Yun-tae looked up at him, surprised. There was something like that? "And because I ran instead of taking care of the issue," he gripped his fist tight, his eyes growing cold and hard. "... My Hae-won suffered for it."

Yun-Tae did not understand what he was saying because he didn’t know of this part of their lives. But to think that running away came back to threaten their happiness.

Just who was his father anyway?

He noticed that none of their kids took after his last name. ’Seo’ was Woo-bin’s last name and yet not one of their three kids had it in their names.

The relationship with his family must’ve been very dire for that to happen.

He wanted to know the details. He was curious, but he felt he shouldn’t ask for tales that could reopen healed wounds.

"If you’re having a problem with your father, don’t just run away and keep it to yourself. The sooner you fix it, the better it is for everyone." Woo-bin said. "And if you can’t handle it by yourself, make sure to reach out to the people around you for help. You’re not alone."

Yun-tae’s eyes began to tear up again.

"Kid, what are you crying once again?" Woo-bin asked, finally taking out his prized handkerchief and handing it to him. "Here,"

Yun-tae took it and wiped his tears.

He was crying because the words of this man made him feel so relieved and happy. These were advice that he had never gotten from anyone before. Mostly because he always kept his problem a secret and paraded like someone who had no worries.

But now that it was out, a hand had been stretched towards him. A hand ready to help him. He felt so glad at heart that he just couldn’t hold in his tears anymore.

"My father was never a father figure that I could look up to," Yun-tae said, his eyes fixed on the table. "He didn’t really care about me or anything that had to do with me. If anything, he probably wanted to pretend that I didn’t exist and throw out all his responsibilities. He probably blamed me for my mother leaving even though I was just two years old then." He sniffed. "When he remarried, the same thing happened, and my stepmom, who used to take care of me, became hostile. She couldn’t handle my father’s drinking rage and left after four years. I was just 6 then."

He paused, trying to calm his beating heart, which made talking unbearable for him.

"My father had a very huge inferiority complex to Alphas, and I think it stemmed from my birth mother leaving. She was an Omega so she probably left him for an Alpha, and ever since then, he’s been unstable." He brushed his hair back and exhaled. "That’s why I was very thankful that I did not, through any mistake, become an Alpha. If I had been then my life might’ve been over," he forced out a laugh even though what he said was far from funny. "But it did not make things better that I was an Omega either. He kept saying I was the kind of person who would drive Alpha’s mad in the future. Very hurtful words," his eyes teared up again. "The abuse and curses remained for as long as I can remember but the messed up part of it is that I never hated my father for any of the things he did or said. I never reported him either, but I had thoughts of running or just disappearing without a trace, and I wondered if he would even care. I never hated my father but I never loved him either. It was a very difficult relationship we had there. A relationship where I felt like an invincible wall being hit repeatedly just because the other person couldn’t see me."

The tears rolled down his eyes again and this time, he did not try to clean it. His heart was hurting. The thought of all that he had to go through while living in that house... All the feelings that were suppressed in his heart... They were ganging up on him and making it hard for him to control his tears.

"I left home after gaining admission. My father was getting married again too, but I didn’t even want to go to the wedding. I only pity the woman he got married to and hoped she would not gain a scar from getting together with my father." He finally cleaned his tears. "Ahjussi, this is the first time I’m opening up to anyone. You really got me out of my shell."

He still did not raise his head and instead, stared at his fingers that were hot from all the rubbing he had been doing.

"Ahjussi, do you know, when you called me a kid and acted just as you would with Chin-Hwa, my heart was filled with so much joy? I was happy and comforted. I never got to be a kid growing up and always hid in my own house, so with wide and warm open arms ready to embrace me, it felt like the world was finally opening a bright Chapter for me after all that darkness. I was finally experiencing what it’s like to... Have a father."

The loud crashing of breaking glass shocked Yun-tae, and he raised his head right away to find Woo-bin with a serious, darkened expression, and the glass of water he had ordered shattered on the floor.

What just happened?

They were supposed to stay quietly in that corner so people wouldn’t recognize Woo-bin and jeopardize their ’mission,’ so why did he shatter the glass?

"Sorry, kid. I just felt I needed to let out my anger somehow," Woo-bin said and then shoved his fingers through his hair, brushing his hair back and showing the visible veins that had crawled up his neck and his chin, as well as his forehead.

He looked very pissed.

"I just can’t find a place on this earth where such a son of a bitch can contain. To think such a person was your father, even a trashcan is too cozy to throw him into, so let’s dig a pit and fill it with vipers."

Yun-tae was stunned, staring at him speechlessly.

Even when the waiter came forward, asking what had happened and Woo-bin gave a flimsy excuse like he fell it by accident, Yun-tae’s eyes were still fixed on Woo-bin.

So, he was angry on his behalf?

Knowing this, he felt even more relieved and his heart sweetened. He was going to put his father in a pit and fill it with vipers. As scary as that sounded, Yun-tae could not help but smile at his words, though they probably wouldn’t go through with that idea.

"Jeez, to think there were still bastards that acted like that towards their kids," Woo-bin exclaimed after the waiter left. "I look at you and can’t even get over the fact that you’re just as adorable as my baby, but to think someone would look at you and hiss at your face, cuss you, and even..." He gritted his teeth. "You’ve suffered a lot, kid. You shouldn’t suffer any more than this so ignore that bastard and continue living your life."

Yun-tae suddenly chuckled, and then his chuckle turned into full-blown laughter.

Woo-bin was not even concerned that he was using such foul words in front of a kid. He must’ve been that pissed.

"Thank you, Ahjussi." Yun-tae said, putting his phone on the table. "But don’t worry, I’m all grown up now. And if it’s something I can’t handle, I will--"

"Call the number in the card," Woo-bin interrupted him.

"Huh?"

"If it’s something you can’t handle, then call the number in the card I gave you."