Chapter 58: The Family Secret

“I don’t really remember the exact date…”

But the idea still felt absurd. Maybe he could have believed it back when he knew nothing about Chae Woo-seok, but after everything he had experienced with him, Woo-seok and a serial killer simply did not seem like a fitting combination.

Sure, the man was a reckless bastard, but killing people was a completely different matter.

The more time he spent with Woo-seok, the more his suspicions melted away like snow.

Though there were still a few unanswered questions.

“Anyway, be careful when you go out too, brother-in-law. You never know what might happen.”

Ha-jin said he understood, but honestly, he wasn’t that scared.

His world had changed. The chances of him ending up in a dangerous situation were practically nonexistent. The places he went were extremely limited, and every one of them had security that was second to none.

The estate where he spent most evenings was no exception.

“By the way, thanks for earlier. For standing up for our Yeol.”

“So his name is Yeol. I didn’t even know.”

“Siyeol. Cute, isn’t he? I feel bad that he’s suffering because he got the wrong parents.”

A deep sigh escaped Chae Jun-seok.

And understandably so.

Even Jun-seok was paying the price for marrying against his family’s wishes. He already seemed barely capable of protecting Tae Seol, who had become the family’s public enemy. How could he possibly shield his son as well?

“So… get angry sometimes, okay? You’re family. What are they going to do, throw you out?”

“Haha. You’re really strong, brother-in-law. I’ve never met an omega like you before. Most people who enter this family are too intimidated to even speak properly. You should’ve seen everyone’s faces after you left earlier.”

Jun-seok turned fully toward Ha-jin, praising his performance with a bright smile.

He said it had been a long time since he’d felt so relieved.

Receiving compliments from someone other than Woo-seok felt oddly embarrassing.

“Ha… I’m really jealous of that bastard Woo-seok. Even today.”

“Y-you’re saying strange things. You’re the one who married despite your parents’ objections. Compared to that, I’m…”

Something about Jun-seok’s words bothered Ha-jin.

Taken at face value, it was just a compliment.

But one word kept catching on him.

Even today.

‘Even today…’

And the way Jun-seok said it sounded completely sincere.

For some reason, it stuck in his mind.

“What are you doing here?”

An irritated voice suddenly cut into their conversation.

Looking up, Ha-jin saw a man rapidly closing the distance between them.

Chae Woo-seok.

Maybe it was because they had just been talking about him, but the closer Woo-seok got, the more aggressive he looked.

Enough to make Ha-jin reconsider his earlier conclusion that the man could never be a serial killer.

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you. Why are you hanging around in a place like this?”

Without slowing down, Woo-seok grabbed Ha-jin by the wrist and hauled him to his feet.

Before he knew it, Ha-jin was walking wherever Woo-seok pulled him.

“I just came out for some air…”

Had something happened while he was gone?

After all, he had completely ruined dinner.

Maybe someone had started giving Woo-seok trouble over it.

“I thought I told you not to show your face anywhere near us.”

“This is the road to my house.”

“If you want to keep protecting that shack you call a home, learn to stay quiet.”

‘A shack?’

Jun-seok’s house was hardly a shack.

Sure, it was smaller than the main residence or Woo-seok’s house, but by Ha-jin’s standards it was more than impressive.

Then again, that wasn’t really the point.

These two growled at each other every time they met.

Woo-seok became sharper than usual, and Junseok was the same.

How could brothers have such a terrible relationship?

“See you again, brother-in-law.”

“Ah… yes. Good night, hyung.”

Jun-seok’s voice softened immediately when addressing Ha-jin.

Ha-jin tried to return the greeting, but Woo-seok yanked him away before he could even turn around.

“Don’t call him hyung. You’re not related to him by blood, so what exactly makes him your brother? And what do you mean ‘see you again’? If I catch you hanging around that bastard one more time, you’re really going to get it.”

“H-hanging around? What are you talking about?”

“Oh yeah? You looked ready to climb into his lap.”

The complaints poured out nonstop.

Not quite as hostile as when he spoke to Jun-seok, but he wasn’t bothering to hide his irritation.

Every accusation was complete nonsense.

‘What a childish idiot.’

“Tsk.”

“Anyway… there’s something I wanted to ask.”

“What?”

“Can you maybe… stop being angry first? You’re making it hard to talk.”

“Haa… Fine. Go ahead.”

At least he listened.

The moment Ha-jin told him to calm down, Woo-seok released a long sigh and spoke in a noticeably softer tone.

‘Right.’

‘There was no way a guy like this could be a serial killer.’

‘…Although, maybe it was possible?’

‘His explosive temper, his crooked personality, his ridiculous strength and stamina…’

‘No.’

‘No way.’

‘There’s no way, right, Woo-seok…?’

Shaking off the absurd thought, Ha-jin decided to ask what had really been bothering him.

“So… you should tell me the family secret now, shouldn’t you? No matter how I look at it, this isn’t a normal family.”

“Hmm… I guess it’s gotten to the point where there’s no hiding it anymore.”

He had suspected as much for a while.

And judging by Woo-seok’s response, there really was something going on.

Perhaps it wasn’t the sort of thing to discuss outside, because Woo-seok quickened his pace slightly, still gripping Ha-jin’s wrist.

Once they got home, Ha-jin headed straight for the shower.

He desperately needed one.

Before dinner, Woo-seok’s so-called “treatment”, which had mostly been an excuse to tease him, had left him feeling unpleasantly sticky.

He had cleaned himself up afterward, but it wasn’t the same as properly washing.

Standing beneath warm water for a long time finally cleared his head.

After drying his hair and stepping out, he found cans of beer and something unexpected waiting on the table beside the bed.

“Huh? What’s this?”

“I went through all the trouble of preparing food, and meanwhile you’re off cheating on me with that piece of trash?”

“C-cheating? Are you insane? He’s your brother! That’s completely messed up!”

The mere thought sent chills down his spine.

Even if his marriage to Woo-seok wasn’t exactly born of love, he was still married.

Having an affair with his husband’s brother?

Absolutely not.

What on earth was going on inside that head of his?

“Why’s your face so red? What were you imagining?”

Could it be…?

Was he the jealous type?

People always said alphas were ridiculously possessive.

That they treated their omegas like personal property.

It was part of why omega rights were so awful.

But that should only apply to their own omega.

So why was Woo-seok acting like this?

“You’re pairing people up in the most ridiculous ways possible. Do you seriously hate your brother that much?”

Right.

No way it was jealousy.

He probably just hated Jun-seok that much.

“Forget him. Eat.”

As though he didn’t want to discuss Jun-seok any further, Woo-seok ended the conversation himself.

Then he shoved something across the table.

Something familiar, yet completely unexpected.

“How did you get this…?”

“I figured you’d like it. Cheap taste.”

“Right. Sorry for having cheap taste.”

It was fried chicken.

A brand-name chicken place he would never have expected to see in this house.

The rich smell of oil and the glossy coating of sauce made his stomach growl instantly.

The annoying thing was that Woo-seok could do something genuinely thoughtful like this, then ruin it immediately by opening his mouth.

Getting fried chicken delivered all the way out here couldn’t have been easy.

At Woo-seok’s urging, Ha-jin grabbed a drumstick with his bare hand.

It was still slightly warm.

Which meant Woo-seok had probably spent quite a while searching for him.

The realization made him feel unexpectedly guilty.

If Woo-seok had said something beforehand, Ha-jin wouldn’t have wasted time chatting with Jun-seok.

He would’ve finished his shower faster, too.

“Drink the beer.”

“Ahh…”

Now he finally felt alive.

The food in this house was always expensive and delicious, but sometimes he craved something like this.

The crispy coating.

The juicy meat soaked with seasoning.

Just taking a bite felt like stress melting away.

And whenever the richness became too much, a sip of beer balanced everything perfectly.

He couldn’t ask for more.

“You must’ve grown up poor. I’ve never seen anyone attack chicken like that.”

“You saw my house before. It wasn’t that bad…”

“That hovel?”

“…Yeah. I was really poor.”

Ha-jin hated talking about his past.

He had intended to brush the subject aside, but there was no point.

By Woo-seok’s standards, no matter what kind of life Ha-jin had lived, it probably counted as poverty.

Whether that was comforting or insulting, he wasn’t sure.

“Anyway… why exactly is your relationship with your brother so bad? The more I think about it, the stranger it seems.”

It wasn’t just Woo-seok and Jae-yi.

Ah-seong was the same.

That man always sided with Woo-seok no matter what.

Even Jae-yi, despite being scolded constantly, was clearly loved.

Even as a recessive omega.

But Jun-seok was different.

He wasn’t dominant, but he wasn’t recessive either, just an ordinary alpha.

Yet the way they treated him over a single marriage made no sense.

It was excessive.

“He’s my half-brother.”

“Oh.”

That one sentence explained everything.

Every lingering question vanished instantly.

“So Chairman Chae had him with someone outside the marriage…?”

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