Alpha Trauma

Description

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Seon Wooyeon was someone who couldn’t stand Alphas, both before and after presenting as an Omega.

The only exception was his private tutor, who happened to be not an Alpha. That’s why Wooyeon couldn’t correct him when he called him by the wrong name; it made his heart flutter too much.

“Yeon-ah.”

“Teacher, are you going to the military?”

Four years after an unrequited first love, Wooyeon enters the same university as his teacher.

Even though he doesn’t recognize him, Wooyeon recognizes him at first sight.

Kim Dohyun.

Those three letters made his heart flutter without reason.

However, he said, “…Are you an Alpha?”

Even though he had denied it before, his first love, the teacher, was actually an Alpha.

If he had known that fact, he might not have liked him.

Now was the time to straighten out the traces of the past.

“I’m Seon Wooyeon. Seon Wooyeon.”

“Wooyeon. Your name is the same as a student I used to tutor.”

Associated Names
One entry per line
알파 트라우마
Related Series
Omega Complex (Shared Universe)
Recommendations
Bottom A, Top O (1)
Totally Marked by an Alpha Who’s Not My Boyfriend (1)
Purple Heart (1)
The Omega Is Pregnant (1)
Recommendation Lists
  1. Omegaverse type shii
  2. Complete Korean novels 1
  3. [KOR]
  4. Stories I Liked (No Green Flags)
  5. Omegaverse (BL)

Latest Release

Date Group Release
09/19/25 Chrysanthemum Garden c118
09/19/25 Chrysanthemum Garden c117
09/19/25 Chrysanthemum Garden c116
09/19/25 Chrysanthemum Garden c115
09/19/25 Chrysanthemum Garden c114
09/18/25 Chrysanthemum Garden c113
09/18/25 Chrysanthemum Garden c112
09/18/25 Chrysanthemum Garden c111
09/18/25 Chrysanthemum Garden c110
09/18/25 Chrysanthemum Garden c109
09/17/25 Chrysanthemum Garden c108
09/17/25 Chrysanthemum Garden c107
09/17/25 Chrysanthemum Garden c106
09/17/25 Chrysanthemum Garden c105
09/17/25 Chrysanthemum Garden c104
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Review
18 Reviews


Twin jades
New Twin jades
May 05, 2026
Status: Completed
I just cannot believe I felt bad for Dohyun in Omega Complex, I am so sorry to all those who think he's a kind hearted honest green flag. Forget the manhwa, with just the novel you can see one is heavily in love with the other meanwhile the other one is like... giving an inch calling it 'love' so imagine the manhwa readers. I usually really love imbalanced dynamics like these like with YUURAM but I really wish Dohyun had more to offer.

The main problem in this story is... more>> MC's mother who is honestly a mentality ill woman mourning her lover. She is the source of Wooyeon's troubles, keeping him locked up from the outside world and hiring spys to watch him and report to her like f*cking cameras. Even going as far as telling Wooyeon herself about Dohyun being her spy, and all fully believing she's doing what's right to protect her son.

Wooyeon, oh my Wooyeon... I don't even know where to begin. He's a soft honest baby bunny surrounded by liars. He has always been true and very honest to everyone. Be it in his affection towards Dohyun or friendship for Danny, and for what? For both to be paid agents sent by his psycho mom to keep tabs on him. I genuinely cannot imagine all my relationships being fake I would collapse.

And then there's Dohyun. He has done his job perfectly alright. But let me tell you something. If you didn't feel his love for Wooyeon in the manhwa you won't in the novel. He's so distant and 'cold' when he is supposed to like Wooyeon in the present timeline (college life of Wooyeon when he's 20), not even letting him hug him or hug his arm for comfort, it's these smallest details that infuriated me and I'm so glad people are also thinking the same reading the manhwa, I can't for the life of me understand Dohyun. He says he liked him since long ago but then reviewing his attitude towards MC... yeah... it was simply not convincing to me. Also what greatly left me unsatisfied was how easy he had it in his redemption arc. Wooyeon was way too lenient on him and everybody else thinks the same. I hoped to see Dohyun suffer and grieve more but Wooyeon likes him too much for his own good for me.

Either way I honestly hoped MC would look for someone new at one point and still do till this day to be honest. I love him so much, hope Dohyun will do better in the future. <<less
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leleix
leleix
Mar 12, 2024
Status: Completed
Rewriting my entire review because holy shi this was not the story I expected.

Retracting my previous statement about Dohyun being green flag (opposite!!!!) Also the bit about this being a story of rebuilding trust and fluffy romance. It turns out the trauma was the relationship they built along the way~

But my main issue is the messed-up pacing. The author dropped the greatest conflict 75% of the way into a story, without any proper buildup, leaving me with major whiplash and an extremely rushed resolution. With an extra 10~20 chapters for... more>> a proper redemption arc this story would've been way more solid, and Dohyun could've been made into a more fully fleshed-out character whose decisions we might better empathize with.

I don't completely hate this story, but I do think readers should know that you're in for some majorly cliche yaoi chaebol drama at the very end. 'Neglected lonely rich boy' backstory was fine as-is, didn't need the convoluted melodrama from controlling mother (who... didn't speak to or meet her son for 4 years? But... also wants to keep him in a bubble, always in sight? The mother's behavior kept contradicting her supposed motivations.)

I also don't think Dohyun's true personality is consistent with what was shown in Omega Complex. Readers had major 2nd ML syndrome because he was such a green flag, not this black-bellied manipulator. Now there are some plot holes in one or both of the stories regarding his actions (the ridi comments are full of complaints about this!) I'm fine with reading about those characters, but don't retcon an existing one to do it.

What follows are huge spoilers for ch74~ending, please consider carefully if you wanna read, proceed at own risk, etc.

Spoiler

Dohyun was initially hired to spy on isolated/bullied 14-year-old Wooyeon, earn his trust, and report back to his mother about what was going on with him. While I do believe this was the story intended from the start, there are major storytelling issues with the way this was (n't) set up...

  • Danny also having been a spy for his mother, and Wooyeon knowing but choosing to stay friends with him anyway, wasn't revealed to readers until the exact same chapter. Wooyeon has way too much narration about his relationship with Danny for that to logically be omitted. This info would've planted the suspicion in our mind... and would've also been in Wooyeon's mind (if not back when he found out Danny, then at the very least once he realized Dohyun lied about being an alpha--which was intentional, turns out!)
  • Dohyun angst/conflict was not shown adequately. A few lines about "I'm not as good as you think, " doesn't work when they're only ever uttered in the context of s*xual tension and the implication is 'alphas are so beastly' (as in every other ABO.) We needed way more indications that he was actively hiding the truth about his background.
  • More childhood backstory needed to be brought up in the beginning or trickled throughout, not dumped at the end. It completely changes the context of Wooyeon's loneliness and neglect as a child, the trauma he is set up to have prior is downright lighthearted compared to, "my mother imprisoned me at home to hide me from the world, every aspect of my life is controlled, I have zero privacy, and have no genuine relationships with anyone I can trust."

ML's POV kind of ruined the story for me. Aside from the deception aspect, Dohyun didn't just recognize/remember him, he knew everything about him and his past, and was playing mind games the entire time. That even the Yeon-a nickname is a contrived manipulation on his part and not a cute misunderstanding is nauseating.

I expected the 'kind persona is an affectation' cliche, but the smug self-satisfaction he gets from Wooyeon's childlike adoration, knowing that this kid is lonely and desperate for affection, is just way more black-bellied than I was prepared for. It recontextualizes all their earlier flirty interactions into being about satisfying his ego instead of actually developing feelings for Wooyeon. It turns out he didn't actually start having feelings for Wooyeon until so much later in the story than I would've guessed. And finding out he was actually getting off on it and encouraging it way back when they were 14-15 and 18-19 makes this feel 100x more groomer-y (NOT helped by how many times in the side stories smut Dohyun describes his body and mannerisms as being childish, I got the ick ngl.)

I can't root for a relationship where the ML was maybe going to deceive him indefinitely if he hadn't been caught? This whole thing would've been so different if at the halfway point, prior to the "I like you" he had confessed. Or before they had s*x. Or instead of rushing to A-mother to ask her not to tell Wooyeon before he did, he could have spent that time telling him.

Even his apologies feel so self-centered, and it's written as if we're supposed to blame the mother for revealing it, when prior to that he had so. many. opportunities. to. I'm pretty sure Wooyeon ended up apologizing more for misunderstanding that he was dating him under her orders and still reporting to her (a reasonable fear!! And what a terrifying one to have!!) than Doyun apologized for the years he actually spent reporting to her and the months since reuniting he spent lying to him.

The forgiveness was so rushed, and came way too soon. It felt like the author wanted to take a shortcut by using the "orphan has trust issues that make him kinda sociopathic" cliche to brush everything off. You'd think for how realistically devastated Wooyeon was shown to be, the author would take more than a couple of days of Dohyun harassing him to cave, but... nope! I would say it feels really inconsistent with how strong-willed Wooyeon has been up until that point, but I guess it is pretty consistent with someone who's been manipulated so heavily by ML since the age of fourteen.

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tl;dr: Spent the first 3/4th loving ML and the last 1/4th hating him. The opposite of every other yaoi, so innovative! Problem is, it's still supposed to be a HEA. Personally I'd recommend waiting for the comic, that artist is amazing and tbh I think she improved Omega Complex from the novel. <<less
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Essence45
Essence45
Jan 07, 2025
Status: Completed
I honestly don't understand the reviews saying Dohyun is a red flag. In my opinion he is still extremely green. He always asks for consent and is very considerate and loving towards MC, and ... more>>
Spoiler

as for him acting as an informant for MC's mom, that was back when they were young, he was hired to do that out of concern for MC being bullied, it was never malicious. And he never did that once they reconnected and he did plan to tell MC the truth, it's just that the mom jumped the gun and spilled the beans first.

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I also thought the pacing was okay, it didn't feel super rushed to me. The big reveal was deliciously dramatic, and the wife-chasing was satisfying. However, once the big conflict was resolved, I sort of lost interest (but I tend to get bored with fluff).

The biggest plot hole, and the main reason why the novel fell kind of flat for me, was
Spoiler

it makes NO sense for a super rich, super powerful parent who supposedly loves her child, to let that child be bullied for 3 years without doing anything about it. I don't know any parent who wouldn't try talking to the parents of the bully to address their behavior, and/or talk to the school to take measures to make it stop. You're telling me MC's mom knew, and instead of doing something about it, all she did was hire a tutor similar in age to MC to give him someone to talk to? That's ridiculous. If she's that powerful, the bullies' parents should be quaking in their boots and slapping their s*upid kids upside the head for messing with the wrong person. And the school should be kissing MC's ass to get more donations. You know, chaebol stuff 😂

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summers.rain
summers.rain
Jul 18, 2024
Status: c76
If you liked Omega Complex and came expecting a story with a "green flag" ML, stop right now.

... more>>
Spoiler

I took the time out of my day to read ahead the korean raws and was so incredibly disappointed and appalled that I just had to write this review. I guess they weren't kidding when they said "Alpha Trauma." Dohyun turns out to be one of his horrible mother's planted aides, someone who knew everything that was happening and lies like nobody else. Even if the author somehow manages to resolve this within the 20-ish chapters left after ch74, I just cannot see their relationship the same way anymore. I ignored their age gap and how young Wooyeon was when they first met because it seemed to be one sided and platonic, at least until Dohyun alludes to him bailing because he was catching feelings or something. But it's so much worse that he just can't be the same character from Omega Complex. If the twist was properly set up earlier, or the synopsis/tags hinted at a darker story, I wouldn't be this upset. He really embodied the stereotypical teacher in this teacher-student relationship. I feel like I've been duped. I've enjoyed more darker stories but not like this.

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In short, don't trust korean bl authors lmao. <<less
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Vansarv
Vansarv
Dec 31, 2024
Status: special side storyc15
This is a long one, and basically my journey as I read through the novel (I initally put it in my List of Novels I've Read, but then thought, "why not put it as a review?").

... more>>
Spoiler

Reached latest chap, chap 68 (11.12.2024)

I'm really enjoying the novel, I don't really care if ML is kinda manipulative and shit, actually, I like that. MC is very cute, he's mostly neutral when interacting with others (so he likes them, can clap back at them), but when he's with ML he melts, it's so cute.

Also liked seeing how ML was teasing MC, with his words and actions that at the starts aren't sincere, but are more true and real (I hope) later on. He acts jealous, and caresses and dotes on MC, which I find cute (too).

Still, I can't wait to see stuff explode in ML's face for a bit. I want to see the extras, or even just ML's POV so bad.

I like how despite being super polite and stuff in Omega Complex (I only read the manhwa), we get to see another side of ML here, a bit meaner we could say?

Anyway, I enjoyed it and I'm waiting for more, whenever that is.

---

Reached special side story chap 15 (30.12.2024)

I actually like this novel, really. I'm glad we got to know more about Dohyun, his past, the trouble he hides, how caring he can be, but also the ugly feelings of inadequacy and jealousy he hides inside. I really liked reading about his sister, Jinah, that shows more of his struggles and past, and also shows how much he actually loves his family (that is, his sister). It was so cute that she had the same habits and gestures as him, because they're siblings :,).

I know people say Wooyeong forgave him too quickly, but I honestly think it's in character. He needed to know that the feelings were real after all, that not everything was because of his mother And he did see that, and that's what allowed him to open up to Dohyun and trust his love, trust that Dohyun will take care of him, that he will be honest.

And the spoils I saw in the reviews when I first read the novel were wrong honestly. I don't think he was so bad, or that he solely blamed Wooyeon's mother, what are they saying??? He's angry with his mother at first, yes, but he also recognises that he should have talked earlier, that he hurt Wooyeong by doing that, and that pains him deeply. So much so that he lowers his guard and shows more of his true self to him. He made a grave mistake, and he paid for it, because he lost Wooyeon's trust. But Wooyeon is such a loving, loyal character, that seeing that Dohyun was honest about his feelings was enough for him to accept him back.

I also don't think Wooyeon's mother is such a badly written character. She doesn't want to be close to Wooyeon because in a way she hates him for taking away her wife. And yet, because of what happened to her wife, she goes way out of the way to keep him "safe", putting him only in danger by not allowing him to explore the world, make his own choices. She also doesn't ever speak to him in a motherly way, showing the care she holds only when speaking to those that spy on Wooyeon for her. She is not a good mother, and I'm happy Wooyeon got to do what he wishes thanks to Dohyun's support.

The relationship between the two MCs is right up my alley. I love how Wooyeon is cute, expressive and so obedient with Dohyun, who indulges and dotes him because he loves to do that (I'm a sucker for the older partner indulging and caring tenderly for the younger one *stares at SVSSS and Paper Plane*). The way Wooyeon throws himself into his arms and nuzzles on his neck and hand, and the way Dohyun hugs and caresses him so caringly and lovingly. The way they slowly stared to understand each other more and more, because they were finally able to communicate without having lies and secrets to hold them back.

They're just so cute, as soon as they get together they're so cute, I'm crying. They're so soft and they make me so soft, I love them. Can't wait for the manhwa to reach the later chaps.

I loved Wooyeon pining after Dohyun, his teacher, his seonbae, his hyung, his everything. And I loved Dohyun slowly but surely loving him too, liking the attention he got from him initally, and yet still caring for him and wanting Wooyeon to have something good, despite the guilt he feels; and in the end the affection he feels for him is wholehearted and centered on Wooyeon instead of his own feeling good about it (doesn't mean he doesn't like the fact that Wooyeon is so into him, or that he doesn't jealous and possessive, but I do think he mostly focuses on what he can do to make Wooyeon feel good).

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So yeah, I still stand by the fact that I like Alpha Trauma more than Omega Complex (which I did like, I'm a sucker for puppy tops and more level-headed (?) bottoms).

I'm gonna wait for the other Special Side Story chapters. <<less
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Yveria
Yveria
Dec 29, 2024
Status: special extra 40
one of the best novel I've read. They love each other soooo muuuch!

... more>>
Spoiler

Dohyun is not really what people say about him. If you really try to read and understand in his pov you won't get really mad at him.

Yes, he did become (spy?) of yeon's mother but after meeting each other a few times he said it himself that he was always looking forward to meet him and he's feeling for him and the guilt is growing that why he left. And even after they meet again, he has a good intention. He didn't become a spy again in college.

Spoiler

but don't worry it has a chasing arc

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Spoiler

Dohyun is a very very jealous person (same with yeon)

but for me, I think Dohyun is green greenflag ml. He only wants the best for yeon even though sometimes he thinks that he wants lock yeon in the house but he always think after that yeon won't bloom staying only at home and he know that yeon won't like it.

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There are many things I really want to spoil on how much I like and think that Dohyun is a greenflag but I don't know how to say it HAHAHSGA

just read the novel it's really worth it, specially the extra and special extra part 😏😏 <<less
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julspls
julspls
Apr 15, 2024
Status: Completed
My Korean is not the best, so I may have missed a few nuances while reading, but overall, I really enjoyed this story and felt like it was more plot-heavy as compared to Omega Complex. A lot of the story picks up in the second half, so I would consider this a relatively slower burn despite Dohyun and Wooyeon flirting around each other since the first few chapters. I'm also a sucker for drama, and the conflict between Dohyun, Wooyeon, and Wooyeon's mother definitely delivers. Although it was a little... more>> cliche, I was unashamedly here for it. And while I overall like the ending and how everything played out, I think the resolution between Dohyun and Wooyeon could have been approached a little differently. There are a few plotholes here and there (which could honestly be because my Korean comprehension isn't 100%) but nothing horrifically glaring, in my opinion. I enjoyed the story and am counting down the days until we get webtoon information (weep). <<less
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namsoomin
namsoomin
Oct 12, 2025
Status: --
I usually don't comment on this site, even though I’ve read so many novels here, but I can’t just leave this gem without saying something. I really don’t understand the 3.4 rating — it’s so unfair. This novel is beautifully written, with a lovely narrative and very lovable characters.

I don’t want to give any spoilers, but please, if you happen to see this comment, trust me: it’s worth giving it a try and judging it for yourself. Don’t let the rating fool you.

There’s no toxic plot or characters; both of... more>> the leads have such heartbreaking pasts. I cried for them and loved them the entire time. I believe I’ve read enough novels on this platform (200+) to be able to tell which ones deserve a chance and which don’t.

I’ve seen many people harshly criticize the seme’s character, saying he’s completely different from how he was in Omega Complex. But to me, his story here makes so much more sense. It might just be a matter of perspective. The best thing you can do is give it a chance and decide for yourself.

I almost missed out on so many amazing novels because of misleading comments.

Also, as a side note, I’ve noticed that Korean novels on this site are rated and judged so harshly. After reading Alpha Trauma, I decided to try others I had skipped because of the low ratings. I honestly don’t get it — I’ve read plenty of Chinese novels that are way worse but have ratings over 4, so :)) <<less
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conccha
conccha
Apr 22, 2025
Status: Completed
I just finished reading the story (tho im just started reading the side story but anyways), I decided to read this because when I stumbled upon the manhwa. Some readers are saying Dohyun being a huge red flag, it left a mark on me, at first I wasn't even planning on reading the novel but you know I have to see it myself because of the accusations of him being a red ass flag

His reasons of lying to Wooyeon really was understandable, as someone who was forced to mature at... more>> a very young age— containing your emotions, feeling like you're owing a debt to someone, finding out that they only used you for their own benefits and faking your expressions and stuff. At the early chapters I did sensed Dohyun being a bastard, he was vague, I couldn't even understand him, but as the story progress, the conflict started— we will be getting a Kim Dohyun POV which we will know his reasons, how he truly felt and how he self-reflect to his doings WHICH I deeply emphasize with him.

The story flow did progress really fast but a reminder that this is just the second couple's story of OMEGA COMPLEX, moreover the story did PROGRESS really freakin' fast but it was detailed, Wooyeon's mother side was also understandable, tho her overprotectiveness is a little bit too much but if my son would be the only
Spoiler
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family I have left then I would protect him with all my might. Tho I still kinda dislike wooyeon's mom lmao

I'm giving this a positive review cuz BRO THIS IS such a good story, what y'all talking about?, anyways I am kinda grateful that I read this and bro Dohyun is a green flag, I would defend him...😩 Im down bad fr <<less
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captainH23
captainH23
Mar 30, 2026
Status: Completed
I'm so conflicted about this one. I was already feeling quite sus about Dohyun especially because the contrast between him being such an open and brazen 2nd ML in Omega Complex to him being lowkey a manipulator through the first half of this one but came around during the middle portion because he does seem to be very genuine otherwise.

But then the plot twist happen

... more>>
Spoiler

Dohyun's POV (which I'm sure is supposed to make the reader symphatize with him) only serve to confirm my suspicions of him as a manipulator because he not only know everything from the start, he also basically played with Wooyeon and used the fact that he knew everything about Wooyeon to basically make Wooyeon chase him when he's the one who left first.

Lowkey the only reason why Dohyun isn't a villain is because Wooyeon's Alpha mother is like. Ten times worse and even more unstable. I don't think its emphasized enough how f*cked up it is that Wooyeon's whole life is so utterly devoid of warmth and genuine human connection that he gave his entire life to the first person that was remotely kind to him to the point that Wooyeon is incapable of even trying to put some distance between them after what should have been a traumatic, life-changing realization/revelation.

And Wooyeon ending up apologizing for very rightfully getting pissed off???? I was so mad

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This could have been a very solid 7-8/10 fluffy, drama-light but still mildly emotional romp like Omega Complex and by all means presents itself as that for 80% of its runtime just to betray the reader in the last 20%. It's one thing to have a lowkey red flag ML, its another thing to potray the ML as a green flag for so much of the story just to sweep the rug in the last part.

And the worst part is I genuinely don't think the author realize just how much darker they have made the whole situation with the plot twists, or if they did, very clumsily tried to patch that up. Like it's a type of plot twist that changed everything about the story and the characters that the fact that its used for a 5-6 chapter long "wife chasing" arc that isn't even that dramatic made me go kinda insane.

TLDR: I hate getting blindsided by an out of nowhere plot twist that f*cks up the characters' setting just for it to not matter <<less
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damnmei
damnmei
Oct 12, 2025
Status: Completed
While not a bad novel by any means, there are a few points to this story that leave it a bit lacking overall. The first point is on the title itself, as the omega protagonist Sun Wooyeon has the most vague and inconsequential dislike of Alphas, and it virtually has no effect on his personality or interactions with others. The only way that it is in any way relevant to the story is how he initially thought that the ML Kim Dohyun was a Beta because he didn't respond when... more>> Wooyeon asked if he was an Alpha, but after finding out that Dohyun was an Alpha after they reunite, he likes Dohyun's pheromones and feels essentially no trauma from the other being an Alpha. I feel like there really could have been so much more development of Wooyeon's feelings towards Alphas, especially given the title, that never got expanded on.

Another is the kind-of wife chasing that happened around the midpoint, when Wooyeon found out some things about Dohyun that led to a breakup. The reasons for the split were well written and I really liked the chapters spent in Dohyun's point of view describing his backstory and own past trauma that led to him making the decisions that he did, but when it came to the actual chasing, it really was over way too quickly for me to feel much about it. Barely two chapters are spent with the two of them in conflict, and I think it's only a week or so chronologically in the story that it takes for Wooyeon to forgive Dohyun and for the two of them to reconcile. Honestly, I don't think Dohyun did anything that wrong to begin with, but having everything get resolved so easily made the build-up feel a bit unsatisfying overall.

The story is definitely strongest when it comes to Dohyun's characterization, and he's genuinely such a likable male lead with very interesting motivations and emotions, but I found it lacking in the plot progression and romance development. I really didn't feel too attached to Wooyeon despite the story mainly being told in his perspective, and the romance felt almost predatory at parts with Dohyun describing Wooyeon as smelling like baby powder in the past, along with a lot of emphasis being placed on their age gap and Wooyeon's youth even into the present day.

The maturity gap between them is also quite large, as Wooyeon is entirely innocent of anything sexual, and in all of their s*x scenes he basically has no idea what is going on and is scared of everything that he's feeling. It's just a bit funny as both of them are in fact inexperienced, but somehow Dohyun knows exactly what to do and just leads Wooyeon along. I do like however that in most of their scenes, Dohyun is very much a service top type, and will always make sure to pleasure his lover first, rarely ever seeking his own release without being asked to by Wooyeon. He is definitely a very doting older top type, which I do like a lot!

The last few chapters are quite boring honestly and I wasn't invested enough to read the side stories. I also didn't realize that Wooyeon's mother was actually his Alpha mother and his birth mother was another woman until basically the end, as wlw couples aren't that common in ABO, but it was a nice touch! Overall it's a pretty average read but I enjoyed it for the most part, despite the translation not being the best too. The manhwa also is a great adaptation, with beautiful character designs and lots of vague yet meaningful glances from the ML that don't get translated as well in the novel from Wooyeon's point of view as he's quite the oblivious MC and doesn't notice the jealousy. <<less
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Lioness18
Lioness18
Aug 07, 2025
Status: Completed
I couldn't figure out how I felt about the couple in this book because most of the book Wooyeon seemed pathetically in love with Dohyun, which made me think their love for each other was imbalanced. Once upon a time ago, Dohyun tutored Wooyeon (16yrs old), but after Wooyeon confessed his feelings, Dohyun rejected him and ghosted him for 4 years. The rejection wasn't wrong considering the 4-yr age difference, and neither was the ghosting because it was supposed to be a clean break, but after being separated for 4yrs,... more>> I didn't expect Wooyeon to quickly fall back into the same habits of following Dohyun around like a puppy dog. Of course, this didn't happen immediately, because Wooyeon initially kept his distance after finding out that Dohyun hid his Alpha status, knowing Wooyeon didn't like Alphas. But then they kept bumping to each other in college and Dohyun kept being kind to him, so in no time, Wooyeon's eyes were following Dohyun everywhere. Wooyeon completely forgot about the 4-yr ghosting and Dohyun's deceit just because Dohyun was kind to him, which is exactly why he fell for Dohyun when he was a teen. To a bullied, neglected teen, kindness is like a cup of water in a desert. In a way, I feel like Wooyeon latched onto Dohyun because he was so lonely as a kid, and for this reason, it seemed like Dohyun always had the upperhand in their relationship. I didn't really like that. My dislike for their relationship increased due to the author's plot twist.

Spoiler

Dohyun was intentionally placed in Wooyeon's life as a spy. He tutored Wooyeon at his mom's request. Dohyun would relay all of their conversations to her. Also, even before Wooyeon confessed his feelings, Dohyun knew Wooyeon was catching feelings. Instead of taking a step back or setting boundaries, he let Wooyeon fall for him, because he liked the feeling of being loved so much.

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I honestly could've done without the plot twist and I would've been fine with a low angst teacherxstudent romance. Including the twist just emphasized the flaws of the characters and in my opinion, the problems caused by the plot twist were resolved way too quickly.

Spoiler

When they briefly broke up, though Wooyeon told Dohyun that they couldn't be together, he didn't make any real effort to cut Dohyun off. He let Dohyun convince him to have lunch. He let Dohyun put his new number into his phone, because Dohyun's old number was known by Wooyeon's mom. He let Dohyun stay near him and pursue him. It didn't even feel like a breakup because if you exclude the physical contact, nothing had really changed between them. Their so-called breakup didn't even last that long.

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For the most part, I think Dohyun's character was manipulative and oftentimes, he took advantage of Wooyeon, who was naive, emotionally immature, and too forgiving. At times, I really didn't like either character, so I think the best thing the author did was give us Dohyun's POV. Knowing how affected he was by Wooyeon definitely helped me support their relationship a little more. For 75% of the book, all you see is a fake, deceitful Dohyun, but towards the end, you see a different, less in control, Dohyun, which was a big improvement. I liked reading about Dohyun intentionally putting himself in Wooyeon's line of sight. I liked seeing the subtle ways he would chase Wooyeon. I liked seeing Doyeon tell Wooyeon he couldn't live without him. I wish we could've seen more of the real, honest Dohyun, but instead, the majority of the book was about Wooyeon being hopelessly in love with Dohyun, no matter what he did wrong. Another thing that helped me support the couple though was finding out Dohyun's backstory. Knowing why he does what he does, helps you understand his actions a bit more.

Spoiler

Dohyun was abandoned as a kid and then adopted so he developed a habit of trying to be perfect and being what the person around him needed him to be. His biggest fear was being abandoned, so he's constantly holding back and bottling up his feelings, which was a constant problem throughout his relationship with Wooyeon. When he realized he was in love with Wooyeon he was afraid of being honest and losing him.

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I do think the author turned things around in the end, because when there were sweet moments, I truly enjoyed reading about the couple. However, in my opinion, the author didn't create the most likable characters, and the author struggled to properly resolve certain things. Nothing was really resolved with Wooyeon and his controlling, but neglectful mom. Also, Woohyeon was constantly distrustful of people around him, for good reason, and yet Wooyeon's friend, Danny, was keeping a secret from him, which Dohyun discovered. It was a minor secret but knowing Wooyeon and Danny's past history of broken trust, it didn't make sense for Danny not to be honest with Wooyeon. Again, this goes back to Wooyeon being too forgiving and surrounding himself with people who simply take advantage of his kindness. Still, I don't think this was a bad book, because it was entertaining. <<less
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rouye_
rouye_
Sep 01, 2025
Status: Completed
This was a bit of a hard read for me. I started with the manhwa and really loved it, so I switched to the novel. I don't really enjoy it that much. The love interest wasn't as bad as people portray him, but he was very confusing. To me, I found the main character really annoying. He was always getting humiliated by the love interest and kept clinging to him to the point it gave me second hand embarrassment. The conflicts were all annoying as well. Just miscommunication dragging on.

I... more>> did enjoy the side characters a lot. Garam was a favorite of mine! It's still a cute novel anyway. I just think it's not my cup of tea because I'm so used to action heavy dead dove instead of fluffy, school life. <<less
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ThatCullenGirl
ThatCullenGi
Jun 07, 2025
Status: v5c5
The story is great and I binge read it to the end on another site, it is one of my all time faves I love Dohyun and Woohyeon so much!!
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fafi1415
fafi1415
Sep 27, 2025
Status: Completed
This is a pretty good read. It has feels, fluff, angst, trauma, and great storytelling. I must thank the translator, they did a really good job, I know that hangul has a lot of nuances, and it's very difficult to properly convey what the original text says without being lost in translation. The translation work was very good, and it conveyed what the author wanted to convey properly. And the sumttt was goood -hehehehe.

... more>>
Spoiler

this work made me think that it's possible to have a realistic relationship based on love when there is a background of filthy rich-political characters in modern times, without all the confusing money marries into money, or childhood fiancé bullshit, even if the power dynamics are vast and different, but I guess what made it simple was that the omega was the one with the stronger dynamic, (makes it seem like a female in real life that has a very strong backing and power structure and the male is the one getting into the relationship, this makes it so where the man is never seen as a gold digger, or otherwise). But the simplicity and rosy colored romance in such life is not always so realistic. Even so, it was quite enjoyable in this ABO dynamic and South Korea cheabol industry.

the ML is very diplomatic and genuine, and he is def not toxic, objectively he is a green flag. I guess many readers see him as a red flag due to the age difference and the empathy that they have towards the MC. Whatever happened that made the readers see him as toxic, I completely blame it on the mother!! He is an orphan, that was old enough to remember his original family, realize the moment that he was left alone that he was abandoned, realized that survival depended on how others see him as favorable, and how he should always leave a good impression on others. Even when he got adopted, he had to play a very thin line not to make his new family ever abandon him or throw him out. And when he witnessed that the whole reason he was chosen was only a means to achieve a goal, he knew that he was just a tool, never really loved or seen as a child. This feeling is quite devastating and lonely, since he was 6-8 yo, when he first was left on the orphanage doors. He needed to learn to survive, learned that he has to be perceptive, pleasing, calculating, always good optics, manipulating, but in all of this made sure that others will never be harmed by his actions, when he is in control, even when it goes out of his control he realizes quickly what he needs to do to fix the situation. He always weighs down his pros and cons in every place and situation that he is in. He knows which people he can push back with, and which he should pull with. ML matured early and developed a very high EQ and IQ, and like what his sister said he learned to be a pushover through trauma, always pleasing others, so that he could not be dispensable. And even then he never treated the MC wrongly or ab*sed him, and when the MC, pushed back and left the ML humbly left the situation for the MC to be in control, and decide how their relationship should go on to.

The MC is very likable, very domestic, very compliant, and powerless, or at least that is what he believes in. But if u realize that the moment he was introduced as, we see him as strong headed, clearheaded, decisive and honest even trained in self defense and combat style. He can read through people immediately, he can gauge the situation, he can tell other people's intentions towards himself. This is due to his background and the trauma of his childhood and lacking of family or human interaction. He was isolated, cutoff from the world, and very easily imprint-able, and to manipulate. He has no idea of familial love or familial worry, he is alone and abandoned (here u can see the similarities between the ML and the MC) whereas the ML, had first years of childhood to build on, the MC had nothing but a strutted facility of staff and personnel, all that approached him were for goals and personal needs. He was cautious, and withdrawn, and yet the simplest acts of kindness shown towards him makes him imprinted on the persona that showed concern for him, which provided the sculpted structure of the ML as his savior and love interest. Which is very contradictory if u think about his later personality, and next relationship with his friend Danny.

even though their first meeting was when the MC was 16 and ML was 20, (the 4 years of age difference that is always repeated), MC being a minor, the ML realized albeit late, that he can't continue to interact with him. The span of their first meeting seemed that it only lasted for a season, it was never clear if it was one or two, but it definitely was not more than 6 month. Here is where u realize that the MC is quite easy to latch on to someone, that he believes has nothing to do with his mother, yet in hindsight when the MC looked back onto it, he realized that the signs were there, he just didn't want to admit it, specifically when at the end of their encounter the ML was not trying to hide it, he was only trying to let him down gently, that them being together is never gonna happen. It was a story where two lost, lonely and abandoned souls met each other, and life put them together as a fit.

the climax of the story which happened nearly at the end, was a punch to the MC, since he started to believe and trust the ML, but as u read along, u start to piece together that he was only trying to be in the now and the high of the relationship, without delving into each others life. Here is where I think that both saw the relationship as something that will come to an end eventually. And when it happened they both realized that they can't live without each other, and this conflict needed to happen since both of them were really guarded and manipulated into the relationship. I think this is where the realistic factors come in, and makes u think of them as human.

I am also intrigued by the communication that happens behind the scenes, that the readers never get to be a part of, where friends come into context, and u see the human dynamics between them, makes u realize that this is NOT only ML and MC world, and that the others are part of the relationship, they push the CP together or incase of the mother away from each other. Yet when they get together the ML pushes the relationship of the MC and his mother towards a positive direction, and the MC helps the ML realize that he can choose to be part of his adoptive family, at least with his sister.

this was a rant, but I just wanted to give a perspective that, even if they hadn't met as a minor and the other barely an adult -Korean age-, that both of them would fall in love with each other. Not necessarily for the ML, cause he never acknowledges love with out an agenda, or a reason that someone would love him. While the MC was just very unguarded towards ML, because ML was the only one that acted out of kindness's towards him. This is where many readers view the toxicity of the relationship, but the time skip served it just right where both of them now are 20 and 24, and can fall in love as two adults. Developing a crush when your 16 on a 20 yo is a cannon event, that all teenagers go through a semblance of. And the fact that the crush lasted for 4 years even when they had no contact whatsoever, is a tell sign that it was a destined/ fated love kinda thing. Besides who wouldn't be able to fall in love with the MC, he is soooo likable, and his personality is straight forward, and he is sooooo pretty. Anyone would want him!!

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anyways I recommend this for the story, the relationship, and the smut especially in the extrassss!!:wink: <<less
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Alycard
Alycard
Jan 21, 2026
Status: Completed
To describe it with one word: BEAUTIFUL.

It was such a beautiful story!

Cliché, yes, but thoroughly enjoyable, I loved it.

... more>> Dohyun's character is so cute, he is a determined boy (he did make mistakes, but let's not talk about them to avoid spoilers). Their romance is super sweet, it filled my soul! Despite all the misunderstandings and all the bad things that happened, their love is beautiful. My heart feels so sweet after reading this novel.

I never came to hate Wooyeon, I could really put myself in his shoes and I had empathy for him, and I love him, I love them both.

Anyway, please read it :) <<less
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princesshao
princesshao
Aug 10, 2025
Status: Completed
As someone who likes reading about conflicts and misunderstandings, I find this story more interesting than Omega Complex, which was so unproblematic and non-toxic it was almost boring lol. I like how layered the personalities and backgrounds of both leads were. The way their relationship evolved, how Doyeon's feelings for Wooyeon developed and how they ended up getting together was great too.

Although I appreciate the special extras, I kind of rolled my eyes at how manufactured the conflict in the second special extra ... more>>
Spoiler

leading up to Dohyeon's proposal was.

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It was a bit unnecessary in my opinion. I still enjoyed it regardless.

I read the readhive translation and although the translation was a bit better than the chrysanthemum garden one (that translation made me quit reading lol it was so confusing), there's still the confusion over pronouns and the genders of the characters -- particularly Garam, Wooyeon's mother, and Doyeon's sister in some parts. Not a complaint really, since the translation is free, but I'm just kinda surprised, because the same translator who handled this also translated another novel I'm reading (Evolution of Species), and that one was translated excellently.

Anyway, good story, definitely worth reading. 4/5 or 8/10 for me. <<less
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yufanpilled
yufanpilled
Aug 08, 2025
Status: Completed
Hi so as a danmei reader I loved this cause the author did a pretty good job on describing their relationship I feel so? And one of the main reason I loved this is because well the character development was done really well, you could clearly see the flaws in each character and how time by time they manage to get rid of it. Well, yes, there was undeniably a few plot holes, but they weren't done hastly nor horribly. Though I do feel like if the conflict was a... more>> bit longer that'd helped the story much more. Honestly speaking I loved the side stories more than the main story itself lol

Spoiler

So as a character, Dohyun feels a bit manipulative? I know his backstory affects him and all that but still... the age gap and the difference in title itself gives him a weird authority so sometimes I just don't get Dohyun.. like for example when he lied to Wooyeon that they've slept together??? I've seen people talking about how he isn't like himself in Omega Complex and I feel like that's the whole point..? Cause the author is doing this on purpose (?) Somewhere in the story it talked about Dohyun being a perfectionist and putting up a facade which I think is perfectly reasonable considering his backstory, and how he is extremely remorseful for what he did to Wooyeon? He goes on blaming and isolating himself because of this so yes he does change as he matures. Though I still don't understand why he did what he did in the beginning like prior to the him exposing Wooyeon. So honestly speaking Dohyun got a great character development towards the end which is the only reason why I'm enjoying this because if he hadn't change then dont even talk about it.. Wooyeon's character on the other hand a bit inconsistent? Yes he's strong-willed and independent at times but when it comes to Dohyun it just flips???? Other than that I'd actually enjoy if there was more scene about Kim Dohyun's family and backstory. Like how Wooyeon is going to be introduced or stuff like thatt..

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all in all though this was a pretty fun read I loved how the author expanded on some relationship aspects like on how they both dealt with jealousy and stuffs hoho that was fun to read about <<less
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