Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!
“C-cut ties?”
Cold sweat trickled down my forehead at the story flowing in an unexpected direction.
“Why did that bastard come back to Seoul? He should just stay buried in Spain for life.”
“Um, Seolheon.”
“Shamelessly bragging in front of hyung about becoming an alpha. There’s a limit to being stupid.”
“Now that you mention it, you.”
First, I asked the question I’d been wanting to ask for a while.
“Why do you hate Haram so much? You two used to play together well back in the day.”
“Lee Haram just used me as his toy on his own. I don’t remember playing together.”
“You played taekwondo games together pretty well.”
“You mean when he used me as a punching bag to hit?”
P-punching bag?
Was that… how it was?
“D-didn’t you two ride bikes together too?”
“It was hard cleaning up the mess when he nearly got into a car accident speeding by himself.”
“You two also often played ball together…”
“When he made me stand there like a stone statue and only practiced his dribbling by himself?”
“…”
I just thought the two of them got along well despite their bickering.
Whenever I told them to go play well together with Haram, Seolheon always nodded. …Even though his expression was extremely blank.
“We can’t even communicate. Not with that barbaric, brutish beast-like bastard.”
“Y-you really didn’t get along…”
I thought the fact that he refused to call Lee Haram, who was 3 years older, ‘hyung’ no matter what was because they were close like friends, but now I see he was just ignoring him.
‘Well, their personalities… really don’t match at all.’
Lee Haram took my advice at face value and brought out his bright nature to the point of becoming like a human sun.
He was the complete opposite of Seolheon, who was introverted and calm like the moon floating in a quiet night.
‘Actually, I did hope they wouldn’t get too close… but I didn’t think they’d get along this badly.’
How on earth were those two stuck together like that in the novel? The trigger that made Baek Wooheon obsessed with Lee Haram is truly a mystery.
Did the two of them join forces because Baek Gunho in the novel was such trash? I’ve forgotten almost all the content now, so I have no idea.
Just as I was mulling over questions no one could answer, someone entered the house.
“My sons. Were you looking after the house well?”
“You’re home?”
My adoptive mother, Baek Yeonhui, returned from work.
My adoptive mother smiled with her eyes at Seolheon, who was standing still, and gently stroked his head. While Seolheon easily dodged his father’s touch, he was lenient with his mother. Maybe because she was relatively less bothersome.
“Oh my? Did someone visit the house? There’s an unfamiliar pheromone…”
“Haram came by. He just returned to Korea.”
“My goodness. I heard the news that he became a dominant alpha! I should send him a congratulatory gift sometime. Oh, but are you okay, son? Dominant pheromones are strong!”
“I’m fine after taking medicine.”
When my adoptive mother belatedly checked my complexion, I waved my hand with a smile.
The vivid sensation of Seolheon’s fingers that had gone deep into my throat came back to life, giving me chills, but I smiled without showing it.
“I should ventilate first. Ventilation, ventilation.”
Still, my adoptive mother hurriedly searched for the remote and pressed a button. Then the apartment’s full-length window and terrace window opened, and a cool spring breeze blew in.
As expected of an ultra-luxury apartment. Even after living here for 10 years, the ahead-of-its-time smart IOT system always amazed me.
My adoptive mother, who had put down the remote, glanced at me for a moment and then approached Seolheon and said:
“Seolheon. Your dad says he’s buying cake for snacks at the cafe right now, can you go meet him? It seems like there’s a lot so he doesn’t have enough hands.”
“…”
“Mom is busy right now because she has documents to send to the company immediately, and hyung is having a hard time because of pheromones. You can help, right?”
“…Yes.”
Seolheon showed an annoyed look at the mention of his adoptive father but soon nodded.
It would have been fine for me to go instead, but I stayed still, having noticed my adoptive mother’s intention.
Soon, when only my adoptive mother and I were left in the house, silence fell over the spacious apartment.
After letting out a brief sigh, my adoptive mother sat at the wide table and gestured.
“Gunho. I’m still wondering if I should say this.”
“Please feel comfortable.”
“Since you’re so smart and mature… I think I need to ask for your opinion too.”
My adoptive mother agonized for a while, seemingly troubled, and finally took something out of her handbag.
Two stiff and luxurious white cards.
Simple letters were printed on the cards.
[白 日]
“It’s an invitation from the main family.”
And below that, each name was written.
[白 雪 軒]
[白 健 浩]
Baek Seolheon and my name.
“Actually… they’ve been coming continuously for over 7 years. Every time the Baek family regular gathering is held.”
I picked up the white card and examined it here and there.
[Baekil, Opening Tomorrow with Light.]
Below Baekil Group’s symbol representing the sun, a simple greeting and schedule were written.
“Gunho, you probably already know, but you know Mom doesn’t really like the main family, right?”
Having lived together for years, I knew well how distasteful my adoptive mother found her own family.
I didn’t know the details, but she seemed to be disgusted by the authoritarian and money-worshiping atmosphere prevalent among relatives.
So much so that she wouldn’t even mention the name ‘Baekil’ of the pharmaceutical company she ran in front of Seolheon and me.
That’s why we spent holidays and anniversaries as a family without meeting relatives.
I too never brought up talk about the Baek family in front of my adoptive mother.
And today, my adoptive mother finally opened her mouth first.
“I kept wanting to hide you, Gunho, and Seolheon… but watching your talent, I wondered if I was blocking possibilities just because of my own selfishness. That thought occurred to me.”
My adoptive mother looked straight into my eyes and asked in a low voice.
“Gunho. Do you want to meet the people of the Baekil family?”
This wasn’t simply a matter of meeting or not meeting someone.
Do you want to be recognized as a member of the Baekil chaebol family?
That’s what it was about.
“As you experienced great hardship this time, Gunho, society isn’t unconditionally safe just because you’re an alpha. Especially in your case, Gunho—talented, with looks that anyone would find attractive, raised in an environment a bit better than others… more difficult situations will definitely come in the future.”
I could roughly guess why my adoptive mother’s words were longer than usual.
“So, Mom thinks it’s better for Gunho to have as many weapons as possible to use when you become an adult. I’m a bit worried whether the Baek family can properly create those weapons, but…”
Was I feeling alienated because I’m adopted?
Was she taking away with her own hands the opportunity to succeed on the grand stage of Baekil Group? Those two things were probably weighing on her mind.
“Your special situation too…”
But she didn’t want to involve me with flawed family members either.
Also, she was worried I might receive unfair treatment due to my position as an adopted child.
“So Gunho. You choose freely.”
After those two hearts clashed, she must have finally come to talk to me directly like this.
My adoptive mother asked me with a more serious gaze than ever before.
“Do you want to go to this gathering?”
“No. I don’t want to go.”
“I see… Hm? You won’t go?”
“Yes. What could I even do if I went?”
“Y-you can think about it more and decide, you know?”
If it were the ambitious ‘Baek Gunho,’ he would have said, “I’ll go right away!”
But I, Baek Gunho, am different.
“I just dream of getting a normal job, saving up normally, buying a small building and living out my retirement receiving monthly rent.”
“G-Gunho. Someone like you could dream bigger…”
“No! I know my place well.”
I have no ambition! It’s not a boast, but!
