Chapter 9: Target — Lee Ah-seong

“Isn’t it wistful?”

Lee Ah-seong had been standing there, utterly absorbed in a single painting, when he suddenly turned at the unexpected voice and looked at the man addressing him.

The man’s face was as clear and pure as his voice, almost crystalline.

His eyes were a bit sharp, but when they softened into a smile, the impression wasn’t bad at all.

“You seem to know your way around paintings.”

“Oh, not at all…! I was just talking about how it feels.”

In truth, Lee Ah-seong had been thinking the same thing.

The wistfulness seeping out of the painting, the sense of time quietly fading away, it had all reached him so strongly that he’d been staring blankly.

Among the countless works on display, this one in particular kept catching his eye.

Perhaps because it felt similar to his own situation.

“Of all Monet’s works, this one’s my favorite. Water Lilies, Setting Sun… it really is wistful.”

Normally, Lee Ah-seong didn’t enjoy chatting with strangers, but the young man chattering beside him wasn’t especially unpleasant to listen to.

Maybe twenty-five or twenty-six years old?

For one of those kids these days who probably didn’t even know the ‘Mo’ in Monet, he seemed surprisingly decent.

“Try taking a step back and looking at it from there. Since it’s an oil painting, it feels different when you view it from a bit of distance.”

He didn’t respond.

Still, curious whether the man was right, Lee Ah-seong stepped back and looked again.

Sure enough, it did seem different from before.

Even from farther away, the image felt clearer somehow.

“There’s a painting called Sunrise over there, too. You should check it out later. If you liked this one, you’ll probably like that as well.”

Even though Lee Ah-seong hadn’t really acknowledged him, the man bowed politely in farewell and walked away.

Only then did Lee Ah-seong let his gaze trace the back of the man’s head as he left.

An omega, most likely.

As a dominant omega himself, there was no way he wouldn’t recognize another omega.

And yet, it felt oddly strange.

He had met countless omegas in the process of trying to marry off his son, but he’d never felt quite like this before.

For someone who attended exhibitions like this, the man probably wasn’t from an ordinary family.

Though the figure had already disappeared, Lee Ah-seong’s eyes lingered, following the trace he’d left behind.

****

“Ha… I almost died holding back from smoking.”

The moment Go Ha-jin left the museum, he climbed into the car and pulled out a cigarette.

But before he could even light it, a siren-like alarm rang from the phone he’d set down in the passenger seat.

Just the ringtone alone soured his mood further.

The caller was a man whose contact had been given a special tone.

“Hello.”

“The job.”

“I handled it, so don’t worry.”

Chae Woo-seok was meticulous, almost frighteningly so.

The marriage plan he’d laid out after meeting Go Ha-jin was detailed to an astonishing degree.

Today had been the first day they put that plan into action.

“Let’s have dinner.”

“Are you asking for my opinion…? Then I’ll just stay home and-”

“See you tonight. Drive my car carefully.”

The call ended with a blunt click.

Go Ha-jin’s composure snapped just as cleanly.

Since he couldn’t very well throw an expensive phone, he crushed the cigarette in his other hand instead, snapping it to pieces, as if it were Chae Woo-seok himself.

“Wow, that f*cking bastard, seriously…”

As he swallowed his anger and started the engine, it purred quietly to life.

The soft sound calmed him a little.

Thinking about that arrogant alpha bastard was enough to make him jolt awake in his sleep from sheer irritation, but the rewards that came with it were far too sweet.

Vrooom.

The car itself was proof.

The man had handed over a vehicle worth at least hundreds of millions, under the pretense of “maintaining appearances.”

To be fair, compared to the rumors Go Ha-jin had spread, the reality had been a bit lacking.

As the sole heir of a real estate tycoon family, always taking taxis did look strange to outsiders.

Every time it came up, Go Ha-jin would say, “My father won’t let me drive…” shamelessly selling off a father who might as well have been dead for all he knew.

But as a condition for accepting that threat-like proposal, Chae Woo-seok had handed over this foreign luxury car the very next day.

The house, too, was the dream, Ritz Forest.

A massive private forest behind it, the Han River flowing lazily in front.

A house worth at least fifty billion.

“Endure it… just endure it…”

That was why Chae Woo-seok’s attitude was something worth tolerating.

Go Ha-jin reminded himself of that constantly.

Yet the moment that bastard opened his mouth, the resolve shattered effortlessly.

He had a talent for earning beatings with his words.

Lately, Go Ha-jin’s secret wish had been to punch that infuriating mouth just once.

While waiting at a red light, the phone vibrated briefly.

It was Mr. Lee, the only underworld contact Go Ha-jin kept.

A fixer, or errand runner, who could solve anything fast.

The only flaw was his outrageously predatory pricing.

—Why are you still in Korea? Didn’t you say the job was finished?

Maybe annoyed that Go Ha-jin had gone silent after giving him a new number, the message came through.

The officetel that had once been his entire fortune had already been sold for next to nothing, and the meager proceeds sat in a secret account.

The message made his insides churn.

He’d lived dozens of lives, acting for what felt like a lifetime.

He’d spent a lot along the way, but in the end, all that remained was the money from selling that one officetel.

The value of nearly thirty years of life, amounting to that.

Honk! Hooonk!

Only after hearing the blaring horns behind him did he realize the light had changed, and he pressed the accelerator.

As he drove, he thought: people always want to sit when they’re standing, and lie down when they’re sitting.

No matter what, he’d have to renegotiate with Chae Woo-seok again tonight.

Maybe… this time, he’d really latched onto something big.

****

“We’ve arrived.”

Chae Woo-seok had sent a car.

He hadn’t even listened when Go Ha-jin said he could drive himself.

The destination was the lounge of the hotel where they’d first met.

But the entrance was different.

Instead of the public space from before, he was guided straight up via a private elevator at the back.

Aside from a single hotel employee, he didn’t encounter anyone until reaching the lounge.

“You’re late.”

Seeing Chae Woo-seok already seated, Go Ha-jin checked his watch.

“There’s still ten minutes left.”

“If you make me wait, you’re late.”

Was that something you learned from childhood, or was he just rotten to the core?

Suppressing his irritation, Go Ha-jin put on a smile like he was working a con and took a seat.

That’s money. That’s a lottery ticket, he tried convincing himself.

“But that watch isn’t fake either, right?”

“It’s not! What do you take me for-!”

Despite his efforts, an angry retort slipped out.

There were limits to looking down on someone.

He wasn’t stupid enough to wear a fake watch while scamming a chaebol.

That was an insult to his professionalism, his habit of preparing every tiny detail in advance to deceive perfectly.

“I’m suspicious by nature.”

Unlike Go Ha-jin, whose face had reddened, Chae Woo-seok smiled lightly and turned to the menu.

For some reason, he seemed genuinely amused.

It almost felt like he was enjoying toying with Go Ha-jin using the knowledge of his true identity.

“Nothing unusual today?”

“…Not really.”

Once again, Chae Woo-seok ordered for both of them.

He’d done well last time, so Go Ha-jin decided to trust him again.

Wine came first, and Chae Woo-seok smoothly steered the conversation back to business.

At the sudden shift in mood, Go Ha-jin glanced around.

As expected, no one else was nearby.

Even the staff waited far off, never approaching.

“He’s not ordinary.”

“He didn’t seem like it.”

The target approached at the museum today had been Chae Woo-seok’s father, more precisely, his omega father, Lee Ah-seong.

True to his reputation for being sharp, he carried an intense presence.

A flawless example of a dominant omega, without a single blemish.

“But will it work…? He didn’t seem interested at all.”

“Isn’t that your specialty? Scamming based on reading people. If you pulled this on me, I’d be pissed.”

This bastard really did belittle other people’s jobs at every opportunity.

And targeting Chae Woo-seok had undoubtedly been the worst mistake of Go Ha-jin’s life.

“Haa… anyway, he’s difficult. Wouldn’t it be easier with the other father?”

“That one’s off-limits.”

“Why?”

“If I say no, it means no.”

Chae Woo-seok’s tone was firm.

There was no room for compromise.

There was a reason, of course, but it wasn’t time to tell Go Ha-jin yet.

“My father has to be the one who likes you.”

“And why is that…?”

Last time, Chae Woo-seok hadn’t explained either.

This time, after taking a sip of wine, he finally spoke, tapping the table slowly, uncharacteristically deliberate.

“That’s the only way we can get married. Both fathers will hate anyone I bring home.”

“…You don’t get along?”

Go Ha-jin couldn’t say it outright, but his first impression of Lee Ah-seong had been: He looks like a real asshole.

Refined manners and posture aside, his face practically screamed it.

And Chae Woo-seok’s behavior didn’t help.

Just today, he’d been photographed entering a hotel with some omega.

The company had denied it, but it was obviously him.

So assuming bad blood in the family didn’t seem far-fetched.

“No. The opposite. They love me too much, that’s the problem.”

“Come on, no way…”

Thinking it was sarcasm, Go Ha-jin laughed and took a drink.

Who could possibly adore such a delinquent of a son?

Even insanity would struggle with that.

When no rebuttal came, Go Ha-jin cautiously lifted his gaze.

“What is that reaction?”

One eyebrow was sharply furrowed.

Chae Woo-seok’s eyes had gone cold and serpentine.

His head tilted, his hand on the table clenched into a fist.

Veins bulged prominently across the back of his unusually large hand, it looked… dangerous.

“Well, I mean… you do tend to have incidents where omegas get attached against their will, and… I guess that’s because you’re handsome… yeah! Of course they’d love a son as outstanding as you! I don’t know what I was saying.”

Thankfully, Go Ha-jin’s survival instinct kicked in first.

He still hadn’t shaken one suspicion, that Chae Woo-seok might be the omega serial killer from the rumors.

The forest in Gyeonggi Province where he’d mentioned the thirteenth victim had hit the news exactly two days later.

Which meant Chae Woo-seok had known before the body was even found.

“…Should I pour more?”

More than anything, he fit the profile.

A dominant alpha who looked capable of killing without blinking, and the background to make it disappear.

In a country as safe as Korea, thirteen omega deaths without a suspect was absurd, unless the culprit was someone from the untouchable elite.

“Enough. Let’s eat. And try not to say whatever comes to mind when we’re out.”

Perfect timing, the food arrived.

Chae Woo-seok laughed it off lightly and picked up his utensils.

Only then did Go Ha-jin feel his tension ease.

“It’s not like I act like this anywhere else. It’s just in front of you.”

“Good. Then only do it in front of me.”

“…What?”

After cutting his steak into bite-sized pieces, Chae Woo-seok slid the plate in front of Go Ha-jin.

“Only when you’re with me.”

He probably meant something else.

Still, Go Ha-jin’s heart skipped violently.

A stupidly handsome man smiling as he cut meat for him, saying that so casually, it would’ve been stranger not to feel shaken.

Heat bloomed through his body in an instant.

Was I always this weak to kindness?