* * *
Seven years ago, when I was a second-year high school student, I moved residences at my doctor’s suggestion.
‘Student Gunho. The cycle for picking up your medication is getting shorter and shorter.’
‘Haha, even though I deliberately came to a regular high school, there are quite a few Alphas and Omegas.’
‘I asked you to avoid contact as much as possible, didn’t I? And you’re continuing to take it at home as well?’
‘Since my parents are there, I have no choice……’
‘If you were born in XX, you’ll be an adult soon, right?’
‘Pardon? Yes.’
‘It would be better for you to live independently.’
Independence. My thoughts stopped for a moment.
Leaving home to live alone. It was something I’d thought about fleetingly at least once after manifesting as an Alpha.
My position as an adopted child, my constitution with pheromone allergies.
From the moment I had these two factors, I’d always felt like someone was pushing my back, telling me to leave home.
‘What independence for a minor! It’s dangerous! Dad is absolutely against it!’
‘Mom is worried too, but Gunho’s constitution is also a problem…… I’ll respect our son’s opinion. What do you want to do, Gunho?’
Of course, my kind adoptive parents asked for my opinion first.
It was around this time that people related to the Group started coming around.
‘You’re that adopted child?’
Despite Chairman Baek Ildo’s strict punishment, some boldly began to come all the way to the neighborhood where my family lived.
At this rate, it was only a matter of time before it reached my adoptive parents’ ears. I didn’t want to burden them with another worry.
So I left the main house where I’d lived for 17 years.
‘It’s quiet……’
The new home was excellent, as my adoptive parents had put their heart and soul into preparing it.
The interior was decorated with white and wood-tone furniture, and the refrigerator was full of side dishes made with my adoptive father’s clumsy skills.
It was a warm space where I could feel their hearts.
But it was empty.
I couldn’t shake that impression as I looked around the apartment filled only with silence.
I’d already lived alone for a long time in my previous life. This silence should be familiar, so why was my heart unsettled……
I turned on the TV, which I don’t normally watch much, to fill the silence.
About a month later, the doorbell rang.
‘I want to live at hyung’s house too.’
‘What?’
Baek Seolheon, who was a fifth-year elementary school student, had come dragging a travel trunk as big as himself.
‘I’m worried about you living alone, hyung.’
‘I’m more worried about an elementary school student running away from home……’
Of course, my adoptive parents hadn’t given permission.
When the two of them came to the apartment in a fury, Baek Seolheon, who had never thrown a tantrum before, stubbornly held his ground. After several days of back-and-forth, my adoptive parents eventually gave up.
There was also the judgment that I could take responsibility well as a guardian, but it also helped that my house’s location overlapped with the elite school district Seolheon attended, greatly shortening his commute time.
In the end, on the condition that we be periodically inspected by our adoptive parents on whether we were eating properly and living cleanly, Baek Seolheon came to live with me.
Separately from that, I was bothered by this situation itself where Baek Seolheon was separated from his parents because of me.
Wasn’t this exactly like…… the path of ‘Baek Gunho’ who separated his younger brother from their parents?
‘No. Let’s not worry. Baek Seolheon will manifest as an Alpha anyway, right? I can just send him back home around that time.’
Since he’s a younger brother who worries about his older brother’s health more than their parents, he won’t be stubborn about it when the time comes.
And exactly half a year later, Baek Seolheon received a Beta result and stayed put for over 6 years.
“Seolheon, are you…… planning to live here even after you graduate from school?”
“Yeah.”
Then Baek Seolheon lowered his head slightly and said quietly.
“Is that not okay?”
His expression still hadn’t changed, but I was concerned about his slightly lowered voice and shoulders that had dropped about 2cm.
For a moment, I saw the phantom of a puppy with ears pulled back and tail drooping.
“There’s no reason…… it wouldn’t be okay. Do as you like.”
“Give it to me if you’re done.”
Baek Seolheon took the empty water glass from me with a perfectly fine face, as if asking when he’d been sullen.
“Hyung. Where did you go today?”
“It’s nothing much. Just meeting an acquaintance.”
“You met an Alpha, didn’t you?”
Hup.
For a moment my hand trembled, but I immediately smiled with my eyes as if nothing was wrong.
“……An Alpha? Why would you think that?”
“At this time every day, you come back with a tired face and look for medicine first. Seeing you even wearing a suit, which is rare, I guess it must be someone high up.”
Are you a detective?
“Who is it?”
“I told you it’s nothing much.”
“Who is it? I’m curious.”
I still hadn’t brought up the topic of Chairman Baek Ildo in front of Baek Seolheon.
I maintained my smile with difficulty and shrugged my shoulders.
“There is someone. You know, just like, a graduate school professor or something.”
“Hyung, are you going to graduate school?”
“Haha. I might go, or I might not? Anyway, I’m tired so I need to lie down.”
Intending to hastily end the conversation, I trailed off and flopped down on the sofa.
When I turned on the TV, the news anchor’s voice echoed through the living room.
Along with news that harmful bacteria had been detected in a large quantity of frozen food supplied by W Food, audio recordings containing the CEO’s abusive language and curses followed.
‘W Food…… so that’s the one.’
Recalling the woman I’d encountered just a few hours ago made my head ache slightly.
If Baek Seolheon stepped forward in Group affairs, the troublesome attention pouring on me would completely die down too……
However, that gaze full of hostility would be directed at Baek Seolheon instead.
“Oh, it’s cold.”
Suddenly a cool sensation spread across my forehead. The pleasant coolness, not too cold, seemed to make my headache dissipate.
When I turned my head to look at the ceiling, I saw Baek Seolheon’s face.
“Are you very tired?”
“……”
“If you’re struggling, go in and sleep.”
Baek Seolheon, who had sat by my head at some point, was pressing a green carbonated water bottle against my forehead.
Baek Seolheon’s face filling my entire view…… for some reason I found it difficult to look at him directly, so I turned my head back to the TV.
The news was showing footage of W Food’s CEO at a press conference.
“Seolheon.”
“Yeah.”
“Like how I decided your middle school and high school…… if I told you to go to Hanguk University, would you go?”
“Yeah.”
“If I chose your major too, would you go there?”
“Yeah.”
As always, Baek Seolheon nodded easily at my words.
“……Your career path too?”
The content of the original novel suddenly came to mind.
I don’t remember the plot clearly, but I do remember that after all kinds of hardships, Baek Wooheon barely regained the position within the Group that Baek Gunho had taken from him. However, the fierce negative battle with Baek Gunho ultimately left him with all kinds of infamy and bad reviews, and he had to bear heavy responsibilities and unjust criticism alone.
‘Later, after Baek Gunho completely fell, it seemed like he went from success to success without much trouble……’
So I resolved.
I would not covet as ‘Baek Gunho’ what Baek Seolheon should have originally had, and would pass it on to him intact.
I’d believed for a long time that this was my role.
“Even things like your job, is it okay if I arbitrarily choose for you?”
So I was planning to send Baek Seolheon to Chairman Baek Ildo soon.
Even if I had to accompany him as Baek Seolheon requested.
If it’s Baek Seolheon, he would surely perform that role splendidly wherever he rose to a position of responsibility.
“Yeah. I’ll go wherever you tell me to go, hyung.”
Baek Seolheon nodded.
This is truly amazing. To think that the man who was like a crazed sex fiend in the novel has evolved so splendidly into such an obedient puppy……
Praising the results of my past education, I reached out and roughly tousled Baek Seolheon’s hair.
“Haha. It’s like you’d die if I told you to die.”
“I would.”
“……What?”
But at the answer that followed, my hand naturally stopped.
Below the thoroughly disheveled hair, dark navy blue eyes looked straight down at my face.
“If you tell me to, hyung, I’ll do anything.”
Suddenly Baek Seolheon grabbed my shoulders as if trapping me.
The ceiling light was blocked and a shadow fell over my upper body.
“Because everything you say, hyung, is right.”
And he lowered his head even more, bringing his face close to mine.
His eyes, sunken darker than usual because the light didn’t reach them, got closer and closer.
“Seolheon……”
When Baek Seolheon got close enough that I could feel his breath on my skin.
I flicked my finger against Baek Seolheon’s forehead just like that.
“……!”
Baek Seolheon rubbed his reddened forehead and backed away.
I took that opportunity to sit up, then scolded Baek Seolheon.
“You shouldn’t say things like that carelessly.”
“It hurts……”
“As if I would ever tell you to die.”
Baek Seolheon said nothing and just rubbed his forehead with his eyes wide open.
‘Did I raise him to be too dependent?’
A younger brother who listens well to his older brother is good. But I didn’t want him to be so obedient that he’d make such extreme statements.
“Baek Seolheon. Don’t ever say something like that again, even as a joke.”
“……”
“Got it?”
“Yeah.”
……What exactly is he hiding behind that stiff expressionless face?
It’s already been 18 years that I’ve been with Baek Seolheon. I can now easily distinguish the faint emotions that appear on his emotionless face, but it’s still difficult to see into his heart.
At times like this, I felt a strange wall and my regret only grew.
Is it because this is my first time properly belonging to a family? I still don’t understand the distance between siblings well.
Just then, my phone in my pocket vibrated with a notification sound.
Looking at the screen, there were several messages from an unknown number.
[Sender: 010-XXXX-XXXX]
[Hey]
[Fuck]
[If you block me again I’ll kill you]
“What is it?”
“Just spam.”
At Baek Seolheon’s question, I lightly blocked the number and stretched.
“It’s already dinner time. Is there anything you want to eat?”
“I’m not hungry.”
“You’re an exam student, you need to eat well. What would be good? Should I order sashimi?”
It was just as I was opening the delivery app.
Bam!
“Gunho-hyung! I’m here! Seolheon! I brought chicken!”
Suddenly the front door opened and some flashy blond-haired young man appeared.
“Huh? What’s with the atmosphere? It’s kind of gloomy? Did something happen?”
Hanguk University Physical Education Department, first year.
191cm. Dominant Alpha. Mixed race.
Lee Haram, who lives alone 4 minutes away on foot, smiled brightly.
“When you’re gloomy, it’s chicken time!”
“You eat it yourself.”
Baek Seolheon slammed the door shut at the speed of light.
