Chapter 21: The Test That Could Ruin Everything

There was neither laughter nor mockery in it.

At the short line, spoken almost like a quiet recitation, the relaxed confidence that had suggested he held the upper hand drained straight out of Go Ha-jin’s face.

“Are you insane?!”

“Why? Wasn’t that what you wanted, to hear me call you hyung, Ha-jin-hyung?”

“D-don’t ever do that again. …Look, I’ve got goosebumps. Right here.”

It wasn’t a joke.

On the thin arm Go Ha-jin thrust forward, fine bumps rippled up his skin.

Twenty-eight was an age that existed on paper, but it was a title that absolutely did not suit Chae Woo-seok.

A build better described as intimidating, and eyes like a savage wild animal.

Calling someone hyung like that felt unpleasant in a completely different way than when he casually called him “Ha-jin.”

“You’d better get used to honorifics fast. If you call me Mr. Chae Woo-seok in my house, it might actually cause a riot.”

“Then… what am I supposed to call you…?”

With wedding preparations already overwhelming, he hadn’t spared a thought for something as trivial as forms of address.

And if not Mr. Chae Wooseok, then what was he supposed to call him?

“Well. Just know this, my sister-in-law calls my brother yeobo.” (yeobo – a term similar to darling in Korea)

“…W-what…? Y-you-!”

Go Ha-jin couldn’t even bring himself to say it out loud.

Just imagining those two syllables made his face contort.

How was anyone supposed to say something that sticky with a straight face?

“Try it once as practice. My father is pretty sensitive about those kinds of things.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“You’ll regret it. Seriously.”

As if brushing off a chilling memory that had surfaced in his mind, Chae Woo-seok shook his shoulders and head slightly, frowning.

It didn’t look like an act.

Honestly, coming from that stuffy household, it was entirely believable.

“Haa… do people really use that title?”

Clenching his toes to keep himself from laughing, Chae Woo-seok nodded.

Half of it was true, half of it wasn’t.

It was true that his sister-in-law called his brother yeobo, but it was entirely her own choice.

No one had ever forced her.

“This is driving me crazy…”

“That’s why I said you should get used to it. Go on. Practice.”

At last, Go Ha-jin’s internal struggle reached its end.

Right, what did a title even matter?

The marriage itself was fake.

A word was just a word, or so he brainwashed himself into believing.

“…Y-yeo… yeo…”

And yet.

His mouth refused to open properly.

As if the moment he uttered it, their relationship would truly become that.

Up until now, he’d treated the marriage like a construction project.

Deceiving Woo-seok’s parents, deceiving the world, nothing more than a job.

That was why he’d overlooked these trivial details.

Who would have thought something harder than facing Lee Ah-seong existed?

“This is bad. I don’t know who’s supposed to be fooled like this.”

Watching him, Chae Woo-seok finally burst out laughing.

Should he call it innocence?

What was so difficult about a mere title?

It was just a word, say it and be done with it.

He even wondered what it would be like to hear it sincerely, but that would have to wait.

“…I’ll do fine at home, so don’t worry.”

That, too, sounded entertaining.

What kind of expression would his fathers make if they saw Go Ha-jin calling him yeobo?

“Anyway, I don’t have to worry about the money, right?”

“We have money.”

“…I don’t.”

“Of course you don’t. I wasn’t expecting you to.”

Sometimes Go Ha-jin said absurd things with complete sincerity.

Maybe this was his true self, unpainted by lies.

“Then?”

“You know Empress Sojin.”

“You’re selling that…?”

Go Ha-jin ran the numbers instantly.

Empress Sojin, if sold, it would surely fetch at least the price it had gone for at auction.

That was assuming someone existed who could pay such a sum in cash.

“Of course. What good is it just sitting there?”

“…That’s true, but…”

Still, he felt reluctant.

The painting continued to occupy an entire empty room.

Go Ha-jin had placed only a single chair inside and sealed the windows shut, worried about potential damage.

Even though it was already encased in preservation glass, just in case.

Whenever he sat there absentmindedly, staring at it, it felt like swimming alone in the middle of a vast sea.

Or like walking on clouds.

It was the kind of painting that made you feel as though you were experiencing something you’d never done before, which was why he visited that empty room every day.

“What, you want to buy it?”

“I’m not interested either…”

Honestly, saying he didn’t want it at all would have been a lie.

Not because of its hundred-billion price tag, but because his heart was drawn to it for no clear reason.

Maybe it was the story embedded within the painting.

If it had been an anonymous street artist’s imagination, it wouldn’t have hit this hard.

Still, Go Ha-jin knew his place and didn’t reveal that attachment.

“Sell it quickly. You need to bring in 20 billion before the wedding.”

The fathers who had demanded such an amount suddenly felt annoyingly petty.

With all that money, it was almost impressive how they still wanted more.

“That’s my problem. You’ve got a bigger one to worry about.”

“…What…? I’m done preparing.”

“I don’t think so.”

Chae Woo-seok smiled with a thoroughly irritating expression.

“Health checkup tomorrow.”

“…Ah…”

“Don’t forget the trait test is included.”

Right.

The biggest hurdle of all, the trait test conducted alongside the health examination.

“You’re really doing it…?”

“Did you think we wouldn’t?”

Everyone’s ID listed their type.

“…The numbers come out too, right…?”

“What kind of obvious question is that?”

Go Ha-jin’s ID said Omega, but of course it was fake.

He’d taken the test several times before, seven in total.

Twice, he’d been labeled Omega, but even then the levels were so low that further testing had been recommended.

“Haa… I really didn’t want to use this method…”

“Sounds like you’ve got a plan?”

Though deeply irritated, Go Ha-jin seemed to have something to rely on.

Chae Woo-seok also had a solution, risky, but manageable.

For now, he held back.

This con artist, despite appearing unreliable, always delivered more amusement than expected.

“The test is done by someone named Kim Ohyeon, right?”

“Maybe.”

“If you don’t even share information with me, how am I supposed to work? We’re on the same side right now, you know?”

“Oh, right. Yeah, Kim Ohyeon.”

Out of habit, Chae Woo-seok had almost hidden the information, then corrected himself.

“He’s basically our family doctor.”

“Figures. He looked young.”

“His father used to be our doctor, but his health went bad. And most importantly…”

“He’s an Alpha, right?”

Seeing how much Go Ha-jin already knew, Chae Woo-seok let out a dry laugh.

That was how the Chae family was.

Even among doctors, Alphas were always prioritized.

Given that Alphas tended to excel across most fields, it wasn’t incomprehensible, but it was excessive.

“Alpha doctors aren’t common.”

“Sure. Anyway, if it’s him, I can handle it.”

“Handle…?”

“I’m not saying I’ll do anything.”

Go Ha-jin waved his hands and smiled lightly.

While Chae Woo-seok had been raising wedding funds, Go Ha-jin hadn’t been idle.

At the very least, he had the brains to protect his own weaknesses.

“I’m uneasy. Why not solve it with money instead of pulling something unnecessary?”

That was Chae Woos-eok’s method, slipping money under the table and altering the results.

“Money…? That’ll be hard.”

“My father wouldn’t throw money at doctors like that.”

“Think about it. Why do you think that family has served as your household’s doctors for generations?”

Chae Woo-seok revised his assessment of Go Ha-jin.

Just moments ago he’d sounded like an airhead, but when it came to business, his judgment was sharp.

Enough to spark hope that he might exceed expectations even after marriage.

“Just trust me. People like that don’t move for money.”

“Haa… don’t screw this up. If this goes wrong, it’s really over, for you and for me.”

“So… we’re a community now?”

“That’s one way to put it.”

A community… with this con artist?

The thought amused Chae Woo-seok, but he didn’t nitpick.

He’d give him a chance.

If the worst happened, more extreme measures might be necessary.

****

“Father, what brings you all the way out here again…?”

In front of Seyeon University Hospital, two black cars stopped at the lobby.

One had been sent by Chae Woo-seok for Go Ha-jin.

The other carried Chae Woo-seok and Lee Ah-seong.

Caught off guard, Go Ha-jin glanced at Chae Woo-seok, who only frowned slightly, clearly displeased with his father as well.

“What do you mean? If my son, and a boy who might become my son-in-law, are getting tested, of course I’d come.”

A boy who might become my son-in-law.

Saying that right in front of him made the intent obvious.

If there was anything wrong with his health, or if he wasn’t the superior Omega they expected, marriage was off the table.

The message was so blatant even a passing elementary schooler could understand it.

“Thank you for caring so much, Father. After the tests, shall we eat together? I’ve been fasting since yesterday for the checkup, I’m starving.”

Fully aware of the implication, Go Ha-jin smiled brightly and hooked his arm around Chae Woo-seok’s.

Doing exactly what Lee Ah-seong hated most.