No matter how pretty the face, in the end he was still a man. He couldn’t compare to a woman.
‘If he’s a Dominant Alpha, it’s natural he’d be attracted to women… But it’s not like I’m an amazing beauty like Taeseo or Mina……’
Unless he was a considerably rude person, he probably wouldn’t reject him right away, but he had a feeling it would just end with eating a meal.
‘We’ll just be wasting each other’s time……’
He closed the messenger app and finished reading the article he’d been reading on the subway. It was about how Lee Seohee was currently performing well both with his team and individually, and how they could aim for the championship this season.
After reading the article, Hyowoo quietly stared at the man in the photo.
Lee Seohee, a member of L Group known as a reclusive business family, was famous for not appearing on broadcasts. He only responded to interviews in writing to one or two media outlets he was friendly with, and that was all.
Thanks to that, his personal life was hardly known. There had never been even one of those common dating rumors or scandals, and the stories occasionally posted on the internet were only heartwarming tales told by those who had happened to encounter him.
‘Third-generation chaebol. A star player counted among the best in the Premier League. A handsome face and tall height, plus excellent character on top of that. He’s so amazing it seems like a lie……’
Lee Seohee. He was a person brilliant from birth.
A love story between a chaebol heir and a woman from an ordinary family. His parents, who overcame family opposition and reached marriage, were just like protagonists from a movie.
Moreover, though she wasn’t a chaebol family daughter, his mother was a human rights activist selected as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. She was lawyer Kang Hyeonju, a Korean-British woman.
Even though female alphas have difficulty getting pregnant without in vitro fertilization, his mother conceived Lee Seohee just one year after marriage without any procedures. At that time, natural pregnancy between alphas was virtually impossible, so the news of his birth was even reported in the news.
Befitting a Dominant Alpha, his mind was also brilliant. Though he gave up university to pursue professional player activities, he was an honor student who was accepted to England’s most prestigious university based on grades, not athletic special admission. If he hadn’t chosen soccer and had gone to university, he would surely be holding an important position within the group as heir by now.
Regardless of birth or family background, he became a world star entirely through his own effort and power.
And was he perhaps a bit wealthy?
He started his professional career at the young age of 18, and was currently a star player proudly ranked 3rd in league salary. Though the wealth and honor he gained as a player were tremendous, with just the company shares he received as inheritance from his grandfather, the company founder, he ranked within the top 5 of Korea’s stock rich list under age 40 every year.
‘If he inherits L Group later, his wealth then will really be beyond imagination……’
His head suddenly felt dizzy.
‘Wait… What kind of absurd overconfidence made me sit here?’
Hyowoo finally realized reality.
Unless he was crazy, what was he thinking coming to meet such an amazing man? Moreover, having a meal alone with an alpha in an enclosed space like this. Belated regret rushed in.
‘Sh-should I go home even now……?’
Taeseo might cut ties with him. But it was so burdensome he couldn’t even breathe properly.
It was when he was restlessly picking up and putting down his cell phone repeatedly.
Knock knock, the sound of knocking was heard.
‘Ah, it’s still only 12:40. Don’t tell me already?’
At the sound of the door handle turning, Hyowoo reflexively stood up from his seat.
“Excuse me. Your party has arrived.”
The door opened, and the tall man standing behind the manager approached Hyowoo with a bright smile.
“I’m sorry. Did you wait long?”
It was an ideal voice with warmth melted into a pleasant mid-low tone. To him who apologized for being late and making him wait even though he wasn’t late, Hyowoo urgently shook his head saying no.
“N-no…… There’s still time left until the appointment. I arrived too early……”
The first impression of Lee Seohee in person was ‘big.’
He knew his height was 197cm, but as expected of an athlete, his body was also big.
His expectations were beautifully betrayed. He was 180 degrees different from the appearance seen at the airport this morning. He was dressed in full formality, wearing a well-fitted luxury suit complete with necktie and vest.
Thanks to his solid physique built through exercise and balanced body, he was someone who would look good even dressed in a rice sack, but his current appearance was perfect as if it had gone through a fashion stylist’s touch.
However, even his tall height and sweet voice, wonderful physique and sophisticated outfit were nothing compared to his face.
‘H-how… can someone… be this handsome?’
Even the most cutting-edge lenses were inadequate to capture his real appearance. He was a person several times more handsome than photos or screens.
Eyes, nose, mouth—there was nothing to find fault with. Even the expression ‘sculptural beauty’ was insufficient. No, such perfect beauty would be at a level unreachable even if dozens of genius sculptors were brought together.
Really, enough to make one exclaim in admiration.
Excessively so.
Impossibly handsome.
As if bewitched by his unrealistic beauty, Hyowoo stared at that face in a daze.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Lee Seohee.”
A few seconds later, only after he extended his hand could Hyowoo finally come to his senses.
“Ah… I’m, I’m sorry. I spaced out without realizing… I’m Ji Hyowoo.”
After hurriedly finishing his self-introduction, he looked at his hand.
He knew handshakes were done when meeting for work, but do they normally do this on blind dates too? Or in foreign countries, do they offer handshakes to people they meet for the first time?
‘This person has lived in England since he was 11, so maybe it’s just a normal greeting……’
In any case, he had to shake hands. Only then would the greeting stage be finished and they could sit down.
Having committed the rudeness of staring directly at someone’s face with them standing in front of him, he couldn’t commit any more rude actions.
‘So… I just need to take this person’s hand……’
However, Hyowoo couldn’t even dare to extend his hand.
For the past few years, he’d deliberately avoided crowded places in case he might even brush against an alpha. Even in lecture halls, he only sought out the most unpopular seats, the corner back seats where no one sat.
Until just last year, he would be startled and shrink back just from Taeseo sitting slightly close to him. That’s how terribly much Hyowoo disliked alphas.
But shake hands with an alpha he was meeting for the first time? Just imagining their skin touching gave him goosebumps as if bugs were crawling all over his body.
The fear from memories he’d forcibly suppressed just moments ago spread out slowly like smoke seeping through a small gap. He was afraid that the moment he touched him, the sensations from that day would come back.
His heart beat irregularly. Cold sweat flowed, and his shoulders began to tremble faintly.
He’d been okay for a while. He’d gotten better and even reduced his medication. Why, of all times, was this happening today?
‘H-how long am I going to stay like this? Everyone is just waiting for me……’
What rudeness is this? He pressed himself, saying he was causing trouble not only to Lee Seohee but also to the restaurant staff.
It’s just one handshake. It’s not like he has to keep holding hands, just lightly. Just hold lightly for a moment and let go right away.
‘It’s okay… Nothing will happen… So hurry……’
Even knowing that nothing bad would happen, Hyowoo froze in place, unable to do anything.
His breath caught. It felt like he would be consumed by that day’s nightmare at this rate.
‘Someone please… help me……’
It was just as his consciousness was gradually fading and he seemed about to collapse on the floor.
“Hyowoo-ssi.”
A warm voice called his name.
Then something like a miracle happened. As if Lee Seohee’s voice was a spell to break a curse, the fear that had been strangling his entire body vanished in an instant.
Barely coming to his senses, he raised his head. When their eyes met, he smiled gently and quietly withdrew the hand that had been offering a handshake.
“Instead of standing like this, shall we sit?”
Though it was an embarrassing and unpleasant situation, he recommended they sit down with a gentle smile.
‘What… is going on……?’
Sitting in his seat, Hyowoo fell into confusion.
Once he fell into a panic state, he usually couldn’t feel any emotion other than fear. Normally, it wouldn’t have been strange to faint in this situation, but now he was calm as if nothing had happened.
While the unexplainable situation was bewildering, uncontrollable self-loathing came over him.
‘To show such a state just because of a handshake… Pathetic……’
