Chapter 6: A Decisive Farewell

My gaze followed the mellow baritone, landing on Han Jung-woo. Clad in a perfectly tailored three-piece suit, he appeared as flawless as if he had just stepped out of a magazine photoshoot.

Indeed, the actor portraying this role was so utterly perfect in both face and physique that it was difficult to find a single flaw. It was no wonder everyone praised him as an actor who appeared once in a millennium.

“Welcome, Yoo Seo-jin.”

Perhaps it was the faint smile he wore as he looked at me, but for a moment, I mistook him for someone else I knew. I nearly called him by that other name.

Yet, the man before me was Han Jung-woo. If it had been the other person, they would never have looked at me with such cold eyes.

Just as I was Yoo Seo-jin, that person was Han Jung-woo.

‘Don’t get confused.’

Calming my trembling heart, I offered a bright smile, just as the Yoo Seo-jin Han Jung-woo knew would. However, unlike before, I did not approach Han Jung-woo first.

“Hello, Mr. Han Jung-woo.”

Erasing his smile at my slightly belated greeting, he surveyed the distance that still lay between us. Normally, Yoo Seo-jin would have been unable to resist approaching first, so my inaction seemed to genuinely puzzle him.

Since I made no move, he eventually strode forward himself. Due to his significantly taller stature, I had to crane my neck to meet his gaze.

While that alone would have been manageable, the moment he closed the distance, he began to unleash a torrent of violent pheromones.

My vision wavered under the deluge of his scent, which poured over me like a waterfall.

‘Is he trying to suffocate me?’

His calm exterior proved a lie; he was clearly expressing his fury through his pheromones. After all, not only had I arbitrarily released a scandalous article, but I had also ignored his calls, seemingly bruising Han Jung-woo’s pride considerably.

Any other omega would have lost their reason and desperately clung to him under the pheromones of such a dominant Alpha. Yet, I clung desperately to my wavering sanity.

Believing pain might clear my head, I clenched my hands into fists, my nails digging deep into my flesh.

Still, even that felt precarious, so whenever my vision blurred, I bit the tender flesh inside my mouth.

Blood welled up, spreading a metallic taste, but it was preferable to clinging to Han Jung-woo in pathetic supplication.

Even knowing I was barely holding on, Han Jung-woo did not retract his pheromones. Mocking my precarious state, he extended a hand and lightly ruffled my brown-dyed hair.

“Your hair color has changed. A change of heart, perhaps? Or were you trying to impress someone?”

He likely believed even my changed hair color was a ploy to gain his favor. While it was an absurd display of arrogance, given how Yoo Seo-jin had clung to him until now, it was understandable why he might think so.

“Rather than that, I just changed it for a change of pace.”

Still, I felt it best to correct his misconception. After all, I had come here today to sever the terrible entanglement I had with Han Jung-woo.

“A change of pace?”

“Yes, don’t you think it suits me better than expected?”

At my brazen reply, Han Jung-woo let out a disbelieving chuckle. Regardless, I had delivered the truth; whether he chose to believe it was his concern.

“A retraction article was published today. That was your doing, wasn’t it?”

As he began to address the main topic, Han Jung-woo withdrew his pheromones as if they had never been there. Letting out a short breath, I raised a hand to wipe away the beads of sweat on my forehead, then replied nonchalantly.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“I thought you’d drag this out longer.”

Of course, Yoo Hae-jung had wanted to stall for more time, but my persuasion had compelled him to publish the retraction swiftly. However, there was no need to explain such details, so I simply gave Han Jung-woo the pre-determined answer.

“I didn’t feel the need to.”

“You didn’t feel the need?”

“Do I really need to explain that? The article was taken down, just as you wished, wasn’t it?”

From my perspective, I was speaking honestly, yet to Han Jung-woo, it all seemed like a calculated scheme. With each of my replies, tiny cracks appeared on his usually impassive face.

My unexpected answers were clearly unsettling Han Jung-woo. Though the person before him was indeed Yoo Seo-jin, he must have felt as if he were facing someone entirely different.

“Then why did you ask to meet today?”

“Because there’s something I want to tell you.”

The moment my words ended, Han Jung-woo’s lips twisted into a sneer. His dark eyes filled with contempt, mingled with a hint of relief, as if he had expected this all along.

Well, it was the reaction I had anticipated.

“What is it?”

Han Jung-woo asked.

I considered softening the blow and easing into the main topic, but I couldn’t drag it out any longer. Han Jung-woo’s earlier indiscriminate release of pheromones had already pushed me to my limit.

“I won’t appear before you again, Mr. Han Jung-woo.”

Even I knew this wasn’t something Yoo Seo-jin would typically say, but it was the only way to completely sever ties with Han Jung-woo. Of course, Han Jung-woo wouldn’t easily believe my changed demeanor after just a week.

Indeed, who could possibly believe it? That someone, identical to me in appearance, had been possessed overnight.

Even I had taken over a week to accept it.

“I’m sorry, but I know you well. You wouldn’t back down so easily.”

As expected, Han Jung-woo paid no heed to my words. Suppressing the laugh that threatened to escape at his predictable reaction, I met Han Jung-woo’s gaze directly.

Then, with a bright smile, I said,

“Mr. Han Jung-woo, my family is wealthy.”

“…And what does that have to do with anything?”

Han Jung-woo frowned at my abrupt statement. Delaying my answer, I took a step toward him and lightly grasped his loosened tie.

Startled, he nearly stepped back but then froze.

He must have viewed even this as a power play, determined not to yield. It was typical of the proud Han Jung-woo, who had never bowed to anyone in his life.

“I’ve been thinking, my family is wealthy, and I lack nothing. There’s simply no need for me to cling to you, Mr. Han Jung-woo.”

As I said, Yoo Seo-jin was already born with a silver spoon in his mouth, possessing everything. While perhaps lacking in comparison to Han Jung-woo, he was still a scion of a chaebol family with enough assets to live a life of leisure.

Yoo Seo-jin had originally desired Han Jung-woo only to spite Yoo Ju-jin; once that ambition was abandoned, Han Jung-woo held no meaning for the otherwise complete Yoo Seo-jin.

Han Jung-woo, of course, couldn’t know this.

Releasing the tie from my grasp, I took a significant step back from Han Jung-woo. Though it was only a few steps for now, it was time to put a definitive distance between myself and Han Jung-woo.

“So, I’ve decided to take this opportunity to live lavishly and enjoy myself.”

I offered Han Jung-woo a splendid farewell.

****

Contrary to my anxieties, my final encounter with Han Jung-woo was surprisingly ordinary and uneventful. This was likely because ours was not a typical romantic relationship, meaning there were no tangled affairs to resolve or emotional burdens to inflict upon each other.

Han Jung-woo, of course, didn’t fully believe me, but I would simply prove it through my future actions. All I truly needed to do was ensure I never appeared before him again.

‘It’s all over now.’

Han Jung-woo had wanted to end this relationship, which began solely from Yoo Seo-jin’s obsession and lingering attachment, so this decision was beneficial for both of us.

Now, Han Jung-woo could continue his romance with Jung Hee-soo without the interference of an annoying villain, and I, in turn, could simply enjoy Yoo Seo-jin’s life.

Thus, cleanly and perfectly, Han Jung-woo vanished from Yoo Seo-jin’s life.

With the biggest concern, Han Jung-woo, resolved, all that remained was to find a suitable excuse to leave Yoo Seo-jin’s home.

Studying abroad seemed the easiest option, but given Yoo Seo-jin’s personality, a sudden surge of academic zeal was unlikely. Therefore, I needed another reason to convince his parents.

After several sleepless nights pondering this intractable problem, I finally found a suitable excuse to persuade his parents last night.

‘This should do it.’

My phone’s photo album was full of comments from the scandal article. Every single comment was provocative.

I planned to use these to convince Yoo Seo-jin’s parents. I would tell them that since people recognized me everywhere because of the scandal, I wanted to go abroad until the public’s interest subsided.

Only after perfectly rehearsing the lines in my head did I leave the room. Descending the stairs to the first floor, I saw his parents sitting side-by-side, watching TV.

“Dad.”

Calling Yoo Hae-jung by the unfamiliar title, both parents simultaneously turned around. As I walked towards the sofa, I deliberately adopted a serious expression, making it easier to broach the topic.

“Is something wrong?”

Sensing the unusual atmosphere, Yoo Hae-jung asked cautiously. I tried to answer in a bright voice that nothing was wrong, but soon I couldn’t hide the surge of emotion and bowed my head.

Of course, this was all just an act.

“Seo-jin, something is wrong, isn’t it?”

My mother approached and patted my shoulder, asking. I shook my bowed head. However, since I was already showing all the signs, my parents’ worry only deepened.

“Tell me. What on earth happened?”