There was a time when the baby who had been lying on their back was found face down, and that also seemed to be Taesung’s doing. There was even a time when a pillow was placed over the baby’s face. I really don’t know how many times they tried things when we weren’t looking. It’s fortunate we caught them mixing strange medicine into the food at the end, but we can’t continue living with such a horrible child.
No one believed Taesung’s words.
In the end, on the third year after being adopted, Taesung had to return to the orphanage, having reached an age when no one would adopt him.
It wasn’t that he didn’t resent them. But he didn’t hate them enough to harbor a desire for revenge. After all, they had taken him in for two years and at least shown him what parents were like, even though his biological parents had abandoned him. Though it fucking sucked when they parted ways, he didn’t wish for them to die or become disabled—he just cursed that their business would go completely bankrupt, that their precious biological child would only get three meals a day because snacks would be a luxury. That was the extent of his curse.
So he never brought up Yeonggang Steel to anyone. Not until he got caught in that bastard Jang Hyeokjin’s leading interrogation. Right when he first came under Jang Hyeokjin, the man took him to a food cart, ordered chicken feet and poured him soju while thoroughly conducting a background check. So you’re an orphan. Do you know who your biological parents are? You don’t even know that? Didn’t you have any adoption opportunities? You were returned? Yeah, when?
Taesung had recited his tragic personal history without even dreaming that he was handing Jang Hyeokjin a weakness. After that, Taesung became ‘a bastard with absolutely no connections in the world who can’t run away no matter what I do to him’ to Jang Hyeokjin. And now the casual mention of President Han Yongwoo he’d let slip was being put to good use today—he supposed you had to have that kind of memory to be able to run Wonin Construction as president.
“How is our President Han Yongwoo’s health these days?”
At Jang Hyeokjin’s voice, Taesung snapped to attention and poured whiskey down his throat without any snacks. The burning sensation from his chest to his uvula felt exactly like what he was feeling inside right now.
Han Yunseong, who had become dejected from Taesung’s cold treatment, opened his mouth eagerly as if this was the question he’d been waiting for.
“I worry every single day. After being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, he kept insisting he was fine and wouldn’t take his medicine, and now he can’t even walk properly by himself. I’m really frustrated too, you know. My parents had me late, so when I graduated middle school, both of them were already sixty. They said I had to prepare to inherit the business before they retired, so I couldn’t even take a leave of absence, let alone study abroad like everyone else. But now before I even get married, both of them are going to end up in a nursing home…”
The life Taesung had so desperately wanted to enjoy could be unsatisfactory to someone else. While other friends were splurging their parents’ money, going abroad to study and enjoying clubs, Han Yunseong had to go back and forth to factories where molten metal boiled and flatter old business partner presidents.
As soon as Han Yunseong finished speaking, he filled Taesung’s empty glass. His perceptive and ingratiating behavior, unusual for his age, also made Taesung feel uncomfortable.
Han Yunseong must have been their pride and joy. Every time they saw Han Yunseong growing up properly, they must have thought countless times: We did the right thing kicking that kid out back then. Thanks to that, Yunseong is growing up so healthy and well.
If they saw Taesung’s current state, wouldn’t that thought become even more firm?
He grew up to be a complete thug.
If we’d raised him alongside Yunseong, he would’ve devoured his younger brother long ago.
We did the right thing returning him.
I don’t know why he keeps using that name though, it’s unpleasant.
If you got kicked out, you should have the sense to change it.
How unlucky.
“Is the business finished?”
Taesung asked in a sunken voice. Jang Hyeokjin looked at Taesung intently, then shook his head.
“These days it’s not easy to create gatherings like this, so let’s all enjoy it more, shall we?”
Then Jang Hyeokjin pressed the bell and ordered more alcohol and snacks.
“Director Yoon also rubbed her brow as if she wanted to go home soon, but couldn’t stop Jang Hyeokjin.”
The drinking session that no one wanted was growing longer and longer.
“Is it done?”
Jo Seyoung came running over and asked. Jaeha smiled and made a circle with his thumb and index finger.
“Ah fuck, go a little easier. That oppa gives me so much shit.”
“I soothed him well. He should actually be grateful. What, tell him to report to me if he acts up.”
“I guess he can’t do anything when faced with money. But you’re keeping your promise with me, right? You’re really reducing the interest?”
Even if I reduce the interest, next month she’ll contact me asking if she can borrow more money. Jaeha nodded while calculating the assets attached to Jo Seyoung in his head. After subtracting the debts that need to be paid as priority… she was slowly reaching her limit.
What should I do? She’s still useful though.
After finishing work, Jaeha stopped by the bathroom to wash his hands. The memory of touching foreheads with Ju Seonghwan suddenly came to mind, so he squeezed out hand wash and scrubbed his forehead too. The heavy musk scent stabbed at his nose.
Not really my taste.
Jaeha pointlessly sniffed the lingering scent on his hands and scrubbed them squeaky clean under the tap again.
“Teddy finished the job. We just have to pick them up.”
A group of uniformly short men entered the bathroom and flinched for a moment when they saw Jaeha. But when Jaeha didn’t even glance at them, they seemed to think there was no need to be intimidated and lined up in front of the urinals with exaggerated laughing gestures.
“I made a full round and only one got caught. First come, first served.”
“I wonder if there’s anyone who doesn’t take suppressants these days, but at least one comes out each time?”
“Fuck, but I heard it’s a guy with some bulk. That’s probably why he didn’t take the meds properly.”
“I’m dropping out. Omega or not, I’m done with men.”
“Hey, when they go into heat, the pheromones make you hard. Dude, you’re totally showing you’ve never seen an omega.”
“Just because you get hard, you gonna stick it anywhere, you crazy bastard?”
“If you’re hard, you stick it anywhere, you idiot.”
“Trickle, trickle”—the four men finished urinating in a row and giggled as they passed behind Jaeha. Jaeha confirmed the four black heads passing behind his shoulders through the bathroom mirror.
It seemed that an MD named Teddy had been serving drinks laced with heat inducers to customers presumed to be omegas. Usually people who regularly took suppressants weren’t easily affected by inducers, but borrowing their words, omegas who had some bulk and were men tended to be lax about taking medication because they thought they were relatively ‘safe.’
When there was a reaction, it seemed the MD would hand them over to VIP customers to pick up and enjoy.
Jaeha put an electronic cigarette in his mouth. Then he blew smoke at himself making a blank expression in the mirror.
This is all because of Han Taesung. Because I saw that bastard wagging his tail and prancing into Knox.
His mood became unpleasant, as if dozens of centipede legs were creeping up his heart. He thought he’d relieved some of this irritation on Ju Seonghwan, but some trivial bastards had scraped and grated on Jaeha’s nerves again.
The hazy smoke cleared and Jaeha’s figure formed clearly on the mirror again. Jaeha carelessly shoved the electronic cigarette into his pocket while curling up the corners of his mouth in a practiced manner.
Smile.
You have to smile.
When he went down to the first-floor hall, the four acorns were supporting a man who seemed bigger than them. Hyeonwook, why did you drink so much? From the friendly way they were talking, it seemed the MD had thoroughly extracted and passed on his personal information too.
Well, the man didn’t resemble anyone Jaeha knew. His height was above average and his build was ordinary, but perhaps because his shoulders were drooping, his clothes didn’t look good on him at all. Perhaps because of his plump cheeks and gentle eyes, he had a particularly innocent impression.
SPA brand clothes that he’d probably tried his best to dress up in. A face that looked like a college freshman at best, someone who had studied to death and came to a club for the first time. He must have come with someone, but his companions were nowhere to be seen, probably dancing mindlessly.
What shitty luck. Never properly partied before and got caught by fucking bastards.
But his luck was good. Those fucking bastards just happened to scrape on Jaeha’s nerves.
“Honey!”
Jaeha shouted dramatically and ran toward the acorns. Then he pulled the waist of the man they were supporting.
“Honey, how did you get this drunk? I told you not to drink because you can’t handle alcohol.”
The acorn closest to him hesitated and stepped back. But the most talkative acorn poked his friend’s side and frowned.
“Hey, who are you? You’re the bastard who was in the bathroom, right?”
Once you see this face, it’s hard to forget. Jaeha pulled the man reeking of white musk scent tightly into his arms.
“Who the fuck are you guys to cling to our Hyeonwook like lovebugs?”
“Look at this fucking bastard playing tricks. Hey, you’re not with this guy. You heard our conversation and are scheming to steal the omega, aren’t you?”
Jaeha laughed genuinely for once. Ah, this is fun. To hear this kind of thing.
“Me? Playing tricks? Why would I bother? Ah, that’s funny. What, do you not even look in mirrors?”
“Hey!”
“Move aside, fucker. Unless you want to lose your head along with that idiot Teddy or Bear or whatever.”
Acorn #1, who had just drawn people’s attention with his own shout, was the first to slowly slip away to the side. Several people, probably alphas, were murmuring and glancing at the man in Jaeha’s arms.
