“How long are you going to say that? Father, Kyung-heon is twenty-seven now. Can’t you tell from the fact that nothing’s happened until now? Give it up already.”
What an awkward situation. It was so clearly audible that it was embarrassing to pretend not to hear.
‘What kind of political marriage is this?’
Young muttered to himself inwardly while awkwardly staring at empty space.
He’d have nothing to say if told he was too complacent, but honestly, he had thought a political marriage wouldn’t be a big deal. He thought that if they just adjusted the conditions well, the rest would be easy. Since the discussion was already finished, he thought things would proceed smoothly as decided.
But what was this—first his own family crying out in desperate opposition, and now even the in-laws’ side was in this state. After experiencing fierce opposition repeatedly, Young felt like following Kyung-heon, who suffered from chronic headaches, and pressing his own forehead.
‘It’s not like I’m trying to achieve the love of the century.’
He had simply accepted a not-bad proposal. Now he was almost getting the illusion of becoming a romanticist trying to achieve great love overcoming hardships and adversity without yielding to opposition from both entire households.
If you want the president position, is it okay to sell off your child? How is this different from the marriage you arranged? You should have been more cautious with Kyung-heon…
The argument between Kyung-heon’s grandfather and father continued endlessly. He hadn’t thought he’d be welcomed from the start, but he hadn’t expected a renowned family to embarrass a guest this much, so it was quite bewildering.
Even though he had quite the stamina for being teased, despised, and scorned for his family business being gangster work. Even the expression he’d forced to look composed was reaching its limits. It felt like the corners of his mouth, tensed to maintain a smile-like-not-smile, would start twitching.
He wanted to relax even for a moment, but even that wasn’t easy. It was because of those who couldn’t help but worry about him trying hard to act carefree.
“It’s not proper etiquette to do this with a guest present—I apologize.”
Joo Seong-jin, who had been sitting on the opposite sofa observing the atmosphere, offered an apology with an elegantly raised mouth corner.
How straight his back was, not leaning against the backrest. Not a single minute wrinkle formed around his neatly fastened buttons. Boasting an impeccably clean appearance from head to toe, he apologized repeatedly to Young, who responded with an awkward smile.
“Please don’t worry too much—it’s a problem that arose from insufficient internal communication.”
The smile he gave saying “Though just these words won’t make you comfortable” was refreshing. At the bearing that exuded refinement from his entire body, Young finally replied aloud.
“It’s fine. Thank you for your concern.”
It was an impression befitting the successor President Joo had been saving. His unhesitant posture, his courteous yet moderately playful attitude that drew favor—it was just like that. Should he say he seemed like a person who was respectable yet had leisure?
Not that he was disappointed or anything. He thought he was someone who practiced manners learned from birth, but he seemed like a better person than that.
Unlike someone else.
Young gave Seong-jin a slight smile and inconspicuously shifted his gaze to the side.
It was because Kyung-heon’s younger brother, sitting next to Seong-jin, was watching this way with a very interested expression. Young accepted that gaze indifferently before soon opening his mouth in a polite manner.
“Um… if it’s not rude, may I use the restroom?”
Having come to this, he wanted to at least wait comfortably for a fight that he didn’t know when would end. So when he asked, Kyung-heon, who had been sitting next to him, turned around. He had been rubbing his temples in the middle of it, as if his head was throbbing again.
The answer was obvious. Young recited his answer inwardly at the same time as Kyung-heon.
‘Ah… yes.’
“Ah… yes.”
Kyung-heon tried to stand up awkwardly from his seat.
“It’s at the end of this hallway.”
It seemed he intended to guide him, but Young declined. He left alone, saying he’d just wash his hands and come back.
After passing through the long hallway, a door located at the end appeared, as Kyung-heon had said. Entering there, a space so large it was impossible to distinguish whether it was a bathroom or a room appeared.
It wasn’t anything to be surprised about. A palace-like house, spacious interior spaces no matter which door you opened. This kind of thing was a familiar environment for Young too.
He didn’t feel any sense of intimidation from the gleaming appearance devoid of any sense of daily life. He familiarly entered inside. Then he sat down with a thud on the frame of the enormous bathtub.
The positional characteristic of being at the end of the hallway, combined with the physical barrier called a door, made it much better. The voice that had filled the entire house as if someone had boiled a train furnace was heard distantly.
Young’s expression, having put down his public shell, was complicated. Though a non-smoker, he looked as if he would pull out and light a cigarette right away. He lengthily licked the inside of his cheek with the tip of his tongue.
‘I’m such a precious son at home.’
The effort of Joo Seong-jin, who had apologized on behalf of the family elders’ discourtesy, was made meaningless. Young’s mood, having encountered opposition again, was a mess. Different from when his own family members had opposed Kyung-heon.
Wondering if it was right to marry while being treated like this, thinking that if they knew this fact, his hyung, noona, and father would all have fits, and weighing again whether it was better to live under his family’s affectionate surveillance, which was occasionally excessive, or a marriage despised by both families. His feelings were complicated in many ways.
The worries that followed one after another began to flow in an increasingly skeptical direction. Just then, a short vibration rang out from his pocket. Young, who had been staring blankly at empty space, immediately took out his cell phone to check.
He hadn’t known because he’d been tense outside the whole time, but several messages had piled up.
Noona
If anything happens, make sure to tell me.
What about the meal? What time do you think it’ll end? Noona will come pick you up.
Eldest Hyung
Did you meet those people? Nothing happened, right? If there is, just send a single dot. Hyung will come right away.
Lee Chan
Hey, if it’s not good, just overturn it and come out. Hyung can just keep you with him for life.
It was contact from his siblings who hoped something would happen so this marriage would definitely fall through even now.
“Hmm.”
A firm resolution rose in Young’s mind, his mouth tightly shut in a straight line.
‘I have to do it. Marriage. I absolutely must do it.’
Young rose from the bathtub, pulling himself together from a heart that had almost wavered weakly. He washed his hands for no reason as he’d told Kyung-heon and left the bathroom.
“Wow…”
Outside the door, he encountered an unexpected person.
“Your spirit is crazy, really.”
It was Kyung-heon’s younger brother, who had been staring this way with interested eyes the entire time sitting on the sofa. From his somewhat sarcastic tone, it was clear he had deliberately followed here.
Young replied calmly.
“What is?”
“As expected, you’re not ordinary.”
When everyone had gathered to exchange greetings, he had shown off being well-raised, but now that only the two of them were facing each other, his true colors seemed to be coming out. Kyung-heon’s younger brother spoke in a rowdy manner—in the tone commonly used by those who have a lot and live as they please.
‘Picking a fight so out of the blue like this?’
Young was flabbergasted but didn’t show it. Then the other side grinned and said.
“You’re not a gangster for nothing, I guess. Most omegas have a hard time when they come to our house, but you show no sign of that at all.”
Joo Won-ho (26 years old, Joo Kyung-heon’s younger brother) pressed the ‘gangster’ button.
If he was going to act this rudely, there was no need to endure it. Right now, only Young and Joo Won-ho were in this place. Unless they shouted loudly like the two elders, what happened now would only be known to the two of them.
Young erased his detached gaze and took on a chilly glare. He also lowered his voice, which had been maintaining moderate courtesy, by one tone.
“I grew up surrounded by gangster alphas, so it’s natural I don’t lose my spirit to this extent.”
Joo Won-ho cheered quietly with an “Ooooh” while frivolously waving his hand at the air. Like the gesture shown when respecting an opponent in a hip-hop battle.
Having heard he was a younger brother but they were consecutive years in age, he didn’t know how they could be so different. While Kyung-heon was a bit simple-minded but had a weighty and courteous attitude, his younger brother was like this neighborhood’s hoodlum with no sense at all.
‘Is he crazy?’
