—First of all, I sincerely apologize for not being able to visit you in person. I tried to cancel my schedule to come see you, but Gunho adamantly stopped me, so it became difficult. However, since this is a matter concerning my precious son, I couldn’t back down like this, so I’m greeting you through video call at least.
“N-no! Y-you must be very busy with public and private matters, so it must have been difficult to make the trip. I understand.”
—Then may I get straight to the point? I have a meeting scheduled right after this.
Afterward, the adoptive mother said a few words in fluent English to a staff member standing nearby.
During this entire process, everyone gathered in the principal’s office held their breath and swallowed their spit without making a sound.
Soon Baek Yeonhui bowed her head and continued speaking.
—From what I’ve heard, it seems a young student played a bit of a prank due to ‘youthful impetuosity.’ Is that correct, student Im Heechan?
“Y-yes……!”
—The medicine the student tampered with was directly connected to our precious son’s life. As a parent, I’m truly heartbroken about this.
Since I wanted to keep my constitution a secret, I didn’t bother explaining to the teachers about the medicine Im Heechan stole.
The teachers who belatedly learned of the medicine’s importance turned pale and alternately looked at my face and the phone screen.
Im Heechan’s eyes sparkled as he nodded at Baek Yeonhui, who seemed to be defending him, but at her following words, he became a complete stone.
—Even if we make a hundred concessions and can reach a settlement considering he’s a minor, the problem is our research partners.
“Partners……?”
—The medicine Gunho was taking is the fruit of joint research that our Baekil Pharmaceuticals conducted through a strategic partnership with BioCrest Corporation.
“Wh-what? Bio…… what?”
—Since it’s an unlaunched pharmaceutical that was being researched overseas as confidential, we have no choice but to respond sensitively to even the slightest information leak. Therefore, there are many aspects we find difficult to overlook, and I hope the teacher, as well as that student and his family, will understand.
The already heavy atmosphere became even heavier.
As the incident took on an increasingly serious tone, Im Heechan’s face repeatedly turned red then blue.
—So we intend to take measures equivalent to an approach ban under the Gender-Specific Sexual Assault Act along with a minimum confidentiality agreement. That’s the best settlement proposal we can offer as Gunho’s parents and as ‘Baekil Group.’
“What……!”
“Th-that’s!”
When the name Baekil Group came up, everyone except me flinched.
The settlement proposal that came with the name of a first-class chaebol family wasn’t actually a settlement. It was closer to a warning that they would not hesitate to file a police report and take legal action.
No matter how much Im Heechan apologized, it was like driving nails into a coffin, saying this was an inevitable sequence he absolutely couldn’t avoid.
‘Th-that’s coming on strong. Adoptive mother?’
For the record, that’s not a scenario I requested.
I had told her that she didn’t need to step forward personally regarding this incident.
However, my adoptive mother was adamant. After hours of persuading her not to cancel even an important meeting with overseas buyers, I was barely able to compromise on the video call.
I had thought to just let them hear my adoptive mother’s voice a bit to scare them a little…… but I never expected her to mention the name ‘Baekil Group’ and even bring up criminal charges.
‘She seemed to dislike getting involved with the main family, is she okay?’
My adoptive mother had consistently and blatantly avoided talking about the Baekil main family.
For someone who was reluctant to have contact with any relatives or people involved to step forward like this was surely…….
‘Is it because of Seolheon?’
The fact that even her biological child was harmed must have been the deciding factor.
—If it’s hard to accept…… we’re sorry too, but we’ll have no choice but to charge the middle school boy with industrial espionage.
“Th-this is too much!”
Im Heechan, who was only in third year of middle school, probably didn’t understand even half of what my adoptive mother said.
Still, he seemed frightened by words like approach ban and charges, and appealed while crying out and shedding tears.
“Baek Gunho! You said it was all just a mistake!”
“…….”
“You! You’re trying to crush a powerless omega like me using your family connections…… I-I’ll spread rumors to all the ki……!”
“Im Heechan.”
I looked at Im Heechan.
A boy who’s only 15 years old, in my eyes still just an immature child.
But also a child who will soon become an adult.
“You haven’t said you’re sorry even once.”
“……!”
“Not to my little brother, not to me.”
You earn the right to receive sympathy only when you take responsibility for your actions and know how to apologize.
At least that’s what I think.
“I’ll trust your conscience one last time.”
I sincerely hoped Im Heechan would live with reason rather than sexual desire.
So I smiled at him.
Hoping that, as much as he had feelings for me, he could at least feel at ease when parting.
“Let me believe in you.”
“Ah, ah…… O-okay! I’m sorry!”
But somehow his reaction was more intense than expected.
“I-I’m sorry for everything! So……!”
Im Heechan’s face turned deathly pale as if he’d seen a ghost, and he trembled like crazy.
“Don’t smile with that face, it’s scary……!”
“Uh, okay.”
I had no idea why he was that scared, so I had no choice but to lower the corners of my mouth again.
* * *
“Gunho, you’re here!”
“Father?”
“I rushed over as soon as I heard the news! To think such a big thing happened while I went down to the provinces for a bit…… Do you know how shocked I was?!”
I looked around the hospital room and asked my adoptive father.
“Is Seolheon okay?”
“You! Seolheon is a big deal, but you were in big trouble too!”
Then my adoptive father suddenly hugged me tightly.
Over the past few years, I had caught up to my adoptive father’s height and now I was a span taller. It’s nothing new, but time really flew.
“I’m really glad. That it was resolved well.”
“I’m sorry for making you worry…….”
“Gunho. I’m so glad you’re safe.”
At my adoptive father’s sobbing, his light brown hair shook slightly.
Was it because of the trembling transmitted through his embrace? My insides seemed to be churning like gentle waves as well.
……He’s really an emotional person.
“So father. What about Seolheon’s detailed examination results…….”
“Other than minor bruises, he’s perfectly fine. He even ate ice cream deliciously with dad!”
Then Seolheon’s voice suddenly came from the bed.
“Hyung…… Take dad away. He’s noisy.”
“Our cute Seolheon! Don’t be shy!”
My adoptive father started stroking Seolheon, who was sitting on the hospital bed.
That doting behavior overlapped with my appearance from the other day, making me feel secondhand embarrassment for no reason.
“He doesn’t show it even once when he’s in pain! Who did he take after to be so strong! Oh, the doctor said just in case, he should be hospitalized until today.”
Seolheon nimbly avoided father’s touch like a cat.
If it were when he was little, maybe, but now that Baek Seolheon had grown, I was the only one he allowed skinship with, so I felt proud for no reason, like having a cat that only looks at me.
My adoptive father felt regretful that his son wouldn’t obediently be held, but then clapped his hands as if something came to mind and asked me.
“Gunho, you haven’t had dinner yet, right? Dad will buy some right away. Sushi? Pork cutlet?”
“Any bread sold on the first floor is fine.”
“Alright! To celebrate the victory, I’ll treat you to a premium sushi set!”
“What we did today wasn’t a trial, just a pre-meeting for the school violence committee…….”
“Just wait a bit!”
Then he quickly rushed out and slammed the door shut.
If he just kept his mouth shut, he’d be a beauty no less than any idol. Is this what they mean when they say someone wastes their face?
“Hyung.”
Suddenly my uniform jacket felt heavy, so I looked down.
Seolheon, who had approached at some point, was lightly tugging at my clothes.
“Was it okay? That hyung?”
“He says he’s transferring schools right away. He won’t be able to do bad things to Seolheon anymore.”
“……Yeah.”
I expected a reaction like relief or happiness, but Seolheon briefly lowered his gaze and said nothing.
Is he still worried? I patted Seolheon’s back.
“It’s all over now, so rest assured. Nowhere else hurts?”
“It doesn’t hurt anymore. I’m fine.”
Then Seolheon naturally burrowed into my arms like he was acting spoiled.
“Hyung. I’m sorry for being a bother because of me.”
“A bother? It wasn’t bothersome at all.”
“Hyung’s scent…… I like it.”
Then he brought up my body scent again.
I don’t know why he keeps mentioning the smell, but he seemed like a child longing for his mother’s scent, so it was quite cute. Even though he was growing so tall, I didn’t feel bad about him acting spoiled.
Usually, guys say it’s gross when brothers act cute, but I still don’t understand why they say that. Just looking at him makes me feel warm and fuzzy and my lips naturally relax.
“Hyung, can I sleep here with you until I’m discharged tomorrow?”
“Hm? Father said he’s staying overnight today though?”
“Send dad home. I like hyung.”
“Haha…….”
It’s a great relief that my adoptive father isn’t here right now. If he’d heard that, it wouldn’t have ended with just sulking for a week.
I laughed emptily and lightly pushed Baek Seolheon’s shoulder away.
Normally, I would have immediately hugged this cute cat and given him my liver and gall bladder, but right now there was something I needed to ask first.
“……Hyung?”
“Seolheon-ah.”
At my unusual demeanor, Seolheon looked up at me with surprised eyes.
I asked with a hardened expression.
“Why did you go on an errand I didn’t even ask you to do?”
