Crazy Rich Asians | ng

십오

Yoongi was sitting quietly, staring out over the Han River when Namjoon arrived. "I am so sorry about everything," was the first thing out of the alpha's mouth as he sat down next to the omega. Yoongi bit his lip slightly as he looked up at him. "What my mother did to you is unforgivable."

"It's not your fault." Yoongi quietly assured him.

"But it is." Namjoon let out a deep sigh. "Ever since I can remember, my family has been my whole life. But I am done making excuses for them. He reached into his pocket and Yoongi's eyes widened, his lips parting in surprise when Namjoon pulled out a sparkling diamond ring. "Mate me." Yoongi's mouth opened wider, but no words came out. "Mate me and we'll start a whole new life together in New York. Just you and me. I will leave all of this behind."

It was everything Yoongi wanted to hear in that moment. It was everything any omega in his situation would want to hear. And yet...Yoongi's answer wasn't the one Namjoon wanted to hear.

Eunjeong entered the small, cozy café and immediately spotted the person who had reached out to her sitting in the very back corner, calmly sipping on an iced americano. "Thanks for meeting me here." Yoongi said politely, gesturing for Eunjeong to sit across from him.

The female omega ordered her own drink, waiting for Yoongi to speak again. When her drink arrived and he still hadn't said anything past his greeting, she turned to him. "I'm assuming you didn't ask me here for a simple cup of coffee."

"I know Namjoon told you the truth about my mom." Yoongi said, tapping his fingers against his cup. "But you didn't like me the second I got here. Maybe before you even met me." He looked directly into Eunjeong's eyes. "Why is that?"

"Because you're not one of us."

Yoongi tilted his head. "Because I'm not rich?" Eunjeong didn't give him a response. "Because I didn't go to some fancy boarding school? Or because I wasn't born into a wealthy family?"

Eunjeong shook her head. "You're a foreigner. American. And all Americans think about is their own happiness."

"Don't you want Namjoon to be happy?" Yoongi retorted.

"It's an illusion." Eunjeong quietly scoffed. "We understand how to build things that last. Something you know nothing about."

Yoongi's jaw clenched the tiniest bit. "You don't know me."

"I know you're not what Namjoon needs." Eunjeong countered.

"Well..." Yoongi gave her a tight smile. "He proposed to me yesterday." Despite the way she tried to keep herself composed, nothing could hide the pure surprise in her eyes at the news. "He said he'd walk away from his family--from you--for good." Yoongi let the older omega sit in an anxiety filled silence for a few seconds before speaking again. "Don't worry, I rejected him."

Eunjeong let out a sigh, but surprisingly enough to Yoongi, it wasn't out of relief. It was in disappointment. "Only a fool folds a winning hand."

"Oh, there is no winning." Yoongi shook his head. "You made sure of that. Because if Namjoon chose me, he would lose his family. And if he chose his family, he might spend the rest of his life resenting you."

The female omega remained quiet for a few seconds. "So, you chose for him." She stated, a tiny smirk appearing on her face as she assumed Yoongi was realizing he wasn't good enough for Namjoon and that he was backing down.

"I didn't say no because I'm scared." Yoongi shattered that fantasy. "Or because I think I'm not good enough. For the first time in my entire life..." He let out a small chuckle. "I know that I am." He started to tear up. "I love Namjoon so much and I don't want him to lose his mom again." He took a deep breath as conflicting emotions flashed across Eunjeong's face. "So, I just wanted you to know that one day, when he mates another lucky omega who is enough for you and you're playing with your grandpups while the cherry blossoms are blooming, and the birds are chirping...that it was because of me." His expression hardened. "A poor, raised by a single mother, low class, immigrant nobody." He stood up and left the café without another word, leaving Eunjeong shocked as she watched him meet up with his mom who had been sitting at the other end of the café.

Seokjin slowly walked into the bedroom where Jihoon was packing his things. "I'm gonna send someone for the rest of my stuff." The alpha informed him. "But I wanna talk to you about my visitation rights with Minsoo."

"Stop talking." Seokjin stated, causing the alpha to furrow his eyebrows in confusion, as the omega had never spoken so authoritatively towards him before. "Don't bother packing your things. You bought this apartment, you keep it. We're leaving."

"What do you mean you're leaving?" Jihoon scoffed. "Where are you gonna go?"

Seokjin chuckled. "I have 14 apartment buildings that I own, so I was thinking maybe one of those. And you'll see Minsoo when it's good for him, not you." He turned to leave the room, but Jihoon grabbed his arm to stop him.

"You know it's not just my fault that things didn't work out."

The omega shook his head as he turned back to his ex-mate. "You're right. I shouldn't have kept things from you. Hidden my shoes, turned down jobs and charity work, all out of worry that I would make you feel inferior to me." Jihoon swallowed thickly as Seokjin's expression hardened a bit. "But the problem with our mating isn't my family's money. It's that you're a coward. You gave up on us. And now I've realized that it's not my job to make you feel like a real alpha. I can't make you something you're not." He ripped his arm out of Jihoon's grip and exited the room.