Chapter 14: Anyone with Eyes Could Tell

“Careful, careful…!”

Go Ha-jin felt sweat bead at the nape of his neck.

He moved one step at a time, every motion cautious.

“What are you making such a fuss about?”

“This isn’t a fuss, okay? Do you know how much this painting is worth…?”

Not long after the auction ended, Ha-jin was escorted to another room.

In a luxurious, sealed-off chamber, he had to sign a strictly confidential contract that would never be made public and pay the full amount on the spot.

While he was panicking over how on earth he was supposed to come up with 15 billion won, a message arrived from Chae Woo-seok, saying the money had already been transferred.

Half in disbelief, Ha-jin relayed this to the auction club staff, only to have the overseas deposit confirmed almost instantly.

“At the end of the day, it’s still just a painting.”

After that, they brought the painting home and put it in an empty room.

Ha-jin asked if it shouldn’t be stored in a safe somewhere, but Woo-seok didn’t seem particularly interested.

“But why were you crying in there?”

“W-Who was crying?”

“You were bawling your eyes out at the auction.”

Since Woo-seok couldn’t enter with him, Ha-jin had worn a wireless mic to relay the situation in real time.

“I was just… acting a little, okay?”

That was a lie.

Even now, as he finished unwrapping the elaborate packaging and looked at the painting hanging on the wall, Ha-jin felt the same emotion surge up as when he’d first faced it at the auction.

Just as Woo-seok said, it was merely an expensive, rare painting, but it carried a strange resonance.

Something that made emotion well up deep in his chest.

“This one hit me pretty hard too. I didn’t think I’d end up spending 15 billion on something like that.”

“Where did that money even come from?”

“Secret. It’s not clean money.”

Of course it wasn’t.

That was the biggest weakness of Korean conglomerates.

They lived with glass wallets the whole world could see, and liquid cash was harder to move around than one might think.

That was why they were obsessed with stashing assets under borrowed names in tax havens.

“And your father?”

“…Not sure. But I think he took the bait.”

“Really? I thought it’d take a few more moves.”

Ha-jin was fairly certain.

The brief look Lee Ah-seong had given him at the auction was different in texture from all the ones before.

That middle-aged man with the unusually cold impression had smiled, a fake smile, perhaps, but one that nonetheless carried interest.

“Just wait. He’ll move first.”

Unlike before, when Ah-seong’s true intentions had been hard to read, Ha-jin spoke now with confidence.

Life experience told him the other party was already hooked.

“Trust me. I’m pretty sure they’re scrambling over there trying to find me right now.”

Right on cue, Ha-jin’s phone buzzed with a long vibration.

The caller was the gallery director he’d gotten to know during the last painting deal.

Ha-jin pressed the side button firmly and turned the phone off.

“You’re not answering?”

“I should raise my price a bit now. The target is the mighty SHS Group, after all. Gotta keep Father’s dignity intact, right?”

“…Father?”

“What, should I call him ‘sir’? Or Mr. Lee Ah-seong?”

“Want to die?”

That was human nature.

Even something you hadn’t cared about much started to look more appealing when everyone wanted it.

Of course you’d look twice at something once you’d seen it once.

Ha-jin still wasn’t convinced Woo-seok would really marry him, but the role he was playing now was surprisingly fun.

It looked a lot like the life he’d always wanted.

****

“I thought I told you to stop.”

Chae Woo-seok didn’t bother hiding his irritation.

From the receiver came reasons that even Woo-seok found fairly reasonable, which only made it more annoying that everything the guy said was technically correct.

“So you’re saying you’re going on a blind date with the eldest son of the Seyang Group.”

“There’s no alpha better than him, you know?”

He knew.

The man, three or four years older than Woo-seok, was someone he recognized.

Close enough to call an acquaintance.

Which meant he also knew exactly how filthy his private life was.

The man had a nasty drinking habit and equally trashy tastes in omegas, regularly dragging five or six of them into a hotel room for the night.

Still, in terms of family background, there was no better match.

Judging by the market cap of the main affiliate alone, they ranked a step above SHS Group.

Just rumors that they were meeting with marriage in mind would be enough to stir up attention.

Given the circumstances, it was a perfect blind date.

Which made it hard to oppose outright.

“Haah… Where are you meeting?”

When he heard it was a hotel lounge under the Seyang Group, Woo-seok frowned.

Out of all the restaurants and cafés available, why that hotel of all places?

“Just hang up for now.”

Ending the call irritably, Woo-seok tapped his fingers against the desk in a steady rhythm.

He understood, rationally, that this was the best way to raise Ha-jin’s value.

But for some reason, he didn’t like it.

He tried to justify it by telling himself it was because the other guy was such a piece of trash, but the irritation only continued to swell.

“Dad, it’s me.”

That irritation drove him to make a call he really didn’t want to make.

It seemed like he’d need to move up the schedule, even if it meant forcing things a bit.

****

“Well, this is a surprise. My son asking his dad out to eat.”

Lee Ah-seong was in such a good mood he felt like he could fly.

The break in his monotonous days, where yesterday was like today and tomorrow would be the same, was a welcome disruption.

It might have looked like nothing more than an ordinary meal out, but to Ah-seong, it wasn’t.

“It’s been a while.”

His pride and joy, the son he cherished more than anything else in his turbulent life.

Any time spent with his son, Chae Wooseok, was special.

It didn’t even have to be a meal.

Anything involving his son made him happy.

“Our son is always so busy.”

“You too, Dad.”

Ah-seong knew better than anyone why his son was busy.

He couldn’t be unaware of Woo-seok’s habit of meeting countless omegas and coming home only in the morning, reeking of alcohol.

But so what?

An unmarried alpha could have a little fun.

No matter what Woo-seok did, to Ah-seong, he was still his beloved son.

He didn’t care how the rest of the world saw him.

“I told Father too. You can relax and enjoy your meal today.”

“Good. Let’s do that.”

Dad, Lee Ah-seong.

Father, Chae Il-joo.

That was how Woo-seok addressed the two men.

And amusingly enough, even now, whenever Ah-seong went out at night, he still had to report his whereabouts to his husband, Chae Il-joo.

The fact that his beautiful son had taken care of that annoying task made him all the more pleased.

“But why here of all places…?”

Ah-seong voiced his mild confusion.

With Woo-seok, he wouldn’t have complained even if they’d eaten at a run-down noodle shop.

So why, out of countless restaurants, a Seyang Group hotel?

“There was an incident here recently. Apparently the vacancy rate shot over seventy percent. It’s a shame, right? We should help where we can.”

Quick-witted as he was, Ah-seong understood at once.

A few days ago, a drug scandal involving several celebrities had broken out at this hotel, complete with prostitution, drawing massive media attention.

Thinking back on it still made Ah-seong’s neck go cold.

His first worry upon hearing the news had been whether Woo-seok was involved.

Given Woo-seok’s usual behavior, it hadn’t been an unreasonable fear.

The fact that he hadn’t been implicated left Ah-seong nothing but relief.

“Our son is so thoughtful.”

Even this kind of mischievousness looked adorable to Ah-seong.

Honestly, even if Woo-seok had been involved, it wouldn’t have mattered to him.

The friend who suggested it would’ve been at fault, not Woo-seok.

“Shall we order?”

“Sure- Oh? Wait.”

Ah-seong felt so good he could’ve chewed on rocks and still smiled.

That was when a familiar face caught his eye.

An omega he’d been rather interested in lately, one he’d had trouble getting in touch with.

Go Ha-jin.

“That… Isn’t that Han Seok-jun?”

At Ah-seong’s question, Woo-seok turned slightly and scanned the distant table.

“It is. Looks like Han Seok-jun. Should we… move seats?”

On the surface, Seyang Group and SHS appeared close, but in reality they regarded each other as rivals.

Ha-jin meeting the eldest son of that family…

Ah-seong’s instincts sounded the alarm.

At this rate, he might lose a desirable asset to the Seyang family.

“No. Let’s go say hello, son.”

“…Say hello?”

“We haven’t done anything wrong. Why would we run?”

Straightening his clothes, Ah-seong gently pulled on Woo-seok’s arm.

With the world’s most perfect jewel by his side, his confidence surged.

His dominant alpha son, taller and more imposing than most, was immensely reassuring.

With an unhurried stride, they crossed the hall toward Han Seok-jun and Go Ha-jin’s table.

“Seok-jun. It’s been a while.”

Ah-seong spoke first.

“Oh…? Hello, Chairman.”

Startled, Han Seok-jun quickly put on a mask-like smile.

“Chairman, my foot. Just call me Uncle. We’re practically family.”

“Ah, yes. Woo-seok’s here too? Out for a meal?”

“Long time no see, hyung.”

Woo-seok greeted him briefly, then swept his gaze over Ha-jin.

Thankfully, there didn’t seem to be any immediate problem.

That was when Ah-seong looped his arm through Woo-seok’s and turned toward Ha-jin.

“We’re meeting again, Ha-jin, aren’t we?”

“Hello, sir…”

Ha-jin looked unmistakably flustered.

When his eyes briefly met Woo-seok’s, they were full of questions, what is this supposed to be?

Woo-seok read the look and ignored it.

“You two know each other?”

“Ah, we-”

“Yes. We know each other quite well.”

Before Ha-jin could answer, Ah-seong cut in.

In truth, they weren’t close at all, but now wasn’t the time to retreat.

He maintained a calm exterior, though inwardly he recognized this as a dangerous situation.

“This is my son. First time meeting him, right?”

Ah-seong introduced Woo-seok proudly.

Honestly, he was relieved it was Han Seok-jun.

Seeing them side by side made the difference obvious.

Whether it was secondary gender or not, Woo-seok’s build alone was outstanding, and even facially, the comparison felt unfair.

If that was obvious to him, what about Ha-jin?

“Ah, yes… Hello.”

Watching Ha-jin greet them with reddened ears, Ah-seong felt certain.

This omega didn’t dislike his son.

No, any omega in the world would feel the same.

Once someone had laid eyes on Woo-seok, the Han Seok-jun in front of them would hardly even register as an alpha anymore.

It was the instinct of an omega who’d lived a long life.

“Let’s have a meal together tomorrow, Ha-jin.”

Ah-seong slipped his business card into Ha-jin’s hand and left without hesitation.

There was no need to linger.

Anyone with eyes could see which alpha was superior.

And that alpha was his son.