Chapter 67: A Meeting You Can’t Walk Away From

“An apology…? You want me to apologize?”

“Yes. Apologize to me.”

“…Ha.”

Hyunwoo let out a laugh, as if the situation was absurd, and stared at Dabin for a moment before silently clicking his tongue.

He already knew Dabin had a bold personality, but he hadn’t expected him to act so openly and recklessly.

Hyunwoo kept letting out short, disbelieving laughs.

“Is something funny about what I said?”

“Yes. It’s amusing.”

Hyunwoo nodded and glanced at his watch.

His meeting time was almost up.

He spoke in a calm tone to the fuming Dabin.

“Then excuse me, I have a meeting.”

“Hey! Joo Hyunwoo!”

“……”

He kept walking, and Dabin shouted in irritation.

Raising his voice in a hotel lobby drew plenty of attention.

Still, since the ruined matchmaking date was technically his fault, Hyunwoo decided to let it slide once.

He turned his head briefly and looked at Dabin with cold eyes before walking again without a word.

“I said wait!”

“……!”

But Dabin, now fully worked up, rushed over and grabbed Hyunwoo’s arm.

Hyunwoo frowned, looking down at the hand gripping him.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“I said apologize before you leave!”

“…Ha.”

Hyunwoo let out a short sigh, calming himself.

Getting angry over something like this was pointless.

“Song Dabin. If I had intended to apologize, I would have done so when the chairman of Ga-ha asked me to.”

“What…?”

“But I didn’t. Because I don’t need to.”

“……!”

He spoke quietly, almost whispering, and Dabin flinched.

Hyunwoo looked straight into his eyes and continued.

“If you were in the wrong, then you would have to apologize. But I don’t need to.”

“W-what did you just say?”

“You still don’t understand the difference?”

“……”

Dabin couldn’t respond.

He understood it—at least vaguely.

Hyunwoo didn’t even bother using pheromones.

He wasn’t angry, and it wasn’t worth exerting effort.

Just holding Dabin in his gaze was enough for Dabin to shrink back and release his arm.

Hyunwoo dusted off the spot Dabin had grabbed.

“Let’s not have something like this happen again.”

“Ugh…”

“And I hope you enjoy your time with your lover.”

Dabin glared angrily, but there was nothing he could do.

The pampered youngest son of Ga-ha.

But how long would that affection last?

Such shallow affection was no different from doting on a pet.

Hyunwoo had never once received anything resembling love from Chairman Moon Sun-hyuk.

But if Ga-ha’s youngest son continued behaving arrogantly toward him, he would not tolerate it.

Mocking the successor of Moon-sung was the same as mocking Moon-sung itself.

Compared to that, the affection Ga-ha’s chairman showed Dabin looked empty and worthless.

“Tch…!”

“……”

Hyunwoo heard the frustrated sound behind him but didn’t bother reacting.

Dabin’s lover was likely going to have a rough night, but that had nothing to do with him.

“You’re late.”

He was simply irritated that he was now late for his meeting.

He’d wasted time for nothing.

Hyunwoo scowled, trying to shake off the unpleasant pheromone residue clinging to him.

People who recklessly release pheromones just because they’re emotional are the worst.

They’re not children.

Even in a contractual relationship, the fact that he had once considered marrying such an omega felt ridiculous.

“…Haa.”

“The blind date you mentioned before. That was the Ga-ha youngest son, wasn’t it?”

“……!”

Hyunwoo froze at the sight of someone suddenly blocking his way.

Kwon Oh.

Of all people to run into here.

This hotel was popular for business meetings, but running into him specifically—today of all days—was almost comedic.

Hyunwoo forced his expression neutral.

“I caught the show a little late that day, so I didn’t know who you were meeting.”

“Why are you—”

“Well, if it was Song Dabin… moderately sly, moderately pretty, decent family.”

“……”

“But his personality is trash.”

Kwon Oh muttered and reached out toward Hyunwoo’s arm—the one Dabin had grabbed.

Hyunwoo slapped his hand away with a hardened expression.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“The pheromone on you was bothering me.”

“It’s not on you, so don’t concern yourself.”

Why was everyone grabbing his arm today?

Dabin being emotional was one thing.

But this guy—this guy was just doing it to irritate him.

Hyunwoo remembered the time he drank alcohol laced with Kwon Oh’s pheromones.

The anger resurged.

“I can’t even be concerned for you, Director Joo?”

“Concern?”

“……”

Hyunwoo let out an amused, incredulous breath.

Kwon Oh’s face stiffened.

Maybe that was too obviously mocking.

Hyunwoo turned his head and cleared his throat lightly.

Normally, he would have brushed off comments like this.

But today, Kwon Oh’s entire atmosphere was… heavy.

His pheromones were unstable.

Was he nearing rut?

Was that why Hyunwoo felt so much more irritated than usual?

If something bothers you, you could just ignore it.

Why come talk to him at all?

Hyunwoo couldn’t understand him.

“I have a meeting. Excuse me.”

“Ah. The meeting.”

“…?”

Kwon Oh didn’t step aside.

Instead, he stepped closer.

Hyunwoo frowned, confused.

And Kwon Oh smiled.

“You can just have that meeting with me.”

“…What?”

That made no sense.

The person he was supposed to meet today had nothing to do with L&S.

How could the counterpart suddenly become Kwon Oh?

“I bought the company yesterday.”

“…Bought what?”

“That company. I bought it.”

“……”

Was this man insane?

Was this a business negotiation or Monopoly?

“So you can just meet with me. Director Joo Hyunwoo.”

“……”

Hyunwoo stared into the half-unhinged look in Kwon Oh’s eyes and involuntarily swallowed.

There are people who will spend hundreds of millions just to inconvenience someone they dislike.

And one of them was sitting right across from him.

Hyunwoo looked at him coldly.

Kwon Oh sipped his coffee and eyed the bulging tumbler in Hyunwoo’s bag.

“What’s with all the tumblers?”

“…Mind your own business.”

“Hmm.”

Kwon Oh clearly found them interesting.

Hyunwoo, however, responded coldly and looked away.

“I didn’t technically buy the company. I made it a subsidiary.”

“…In a field that’s not even your main business? Out of nowhere?”

“Out of nowhere? I’ve been considering it.”

“……”

L&S had never once shown interest in this field.

Because the company he was supposed to meet today was a beer brewery.

Hyunwoo had built a rapport with their representative after ordering beer as gifts for his team.

The feedback was always good.

And now that company… belonged to L&S.

Because this lunatic bought it.

“You like beer that much, Director Cha?”

“I actually prefer other alcohol. But I’m developing an interest.”

“……”

Of course Hyunwoo thought of that drink again.

His headache flared.

This bastard.

Even the way he spoke was infuriating.

Hyunwoo clenched his teeth and forced himself to continue.

“Fine. Have you at least reviewed the deal terms?”

“Hmm…”

“I would like this meeting to end quickly.”

“……”

Kwon Oh had come here for one purpose: to irritate him.

Hyunwoo smiled with effort but glared with his eyes.

“You’re enthusiastic today, Director Joo.”

“The original representative was very passionate.”

He recalled how the original manager had always discussed beer with fiery determination.

Hyunwoo hadn’t minded—sometimes.

In his previous life, that passion eventually paid off.

But now, the way Kwon Oh was staring at him felt… off.

“So that representative—were they an omega, a beta, or an alpha?”

“…What?”

“Which one?”

This man was absolutely out of his mind.

Hyunwoo realized it very clearly.