Baek Seolheon still doesn’t know.
The fact that I’m his adopted older brother.
One day, a neighbor smiled and spoke to Seolheon and me.
‘Your younger brother looks just like your mom, but you don’t, hyung? You don’t have any of your dad’s face either. Did they pick you up from under a bridge or something?’
For a greeting, the joke went too far.
Still, knowing there was no malice, just as I was about to laugh it off with a joke, Baek Seolheon intercepted the answer first.
‘Hyung also resembles mom, that’s why he’s tall. And I don’t have dad’s face either.’
……That’s when I was certain. That Baek Seolheon still thinks of me as his biological older brother.
There were various corners where Baek Seolheon could have doubts about my origins.
For instance, Baek Seolheon’s school recommended by Chairman Baek Ildo. Being prestigious, there must have been many opportunities to interact with various chaebol family heirs.
So I thought Baek Seolheon would naturally come across gossip about the Baek family…… but surprisingly, he didn’t.
Was Chairman Baek Ildo’s threat effective, or was it because of the atmosphere within the Group that considered my very existence a disgrace or blemish?
Either way, it was fortunate.
My position in the Baekil main family. And the fact that we’re family, but not family……
At least I wanted him to hear that fact from my and my adoptive parents’ mouths, not from others.
But as I put it off again and again, Baek Seolheon had already turned 18.
My adoptive parents had looked for opportunities several times, but I canceled right before each time.
[All this time…… you pretended to be my real brother, you deceived me……?]
It was because of a certain line that came to mind along with a headache.
[Even saying it was for me, was it all…… an act? Was it a lie?]
It must have been around the time when Baek Wooheon in the novel entered his 20s and his conflict with Baek Gunho was intensifying.
That’s when Baek Wooheon learned.
[For over 20 years…… it must have been fun.]
That he’d been played by Baek Gunho’s tricks all along,
That they were strangers with no blood relation.
And that more than anyone else, Baek Gunho hated him.
[Die……]
With this, Baek Wooheon became free.
He could resent Baek Gunho to his heart’s content, rage, and pour out killing intent.
[Please die, Baek Gunho!]
I am not that ‘Baek Gunho.’
I realized many times while looking at Lee Haram and Baek Seolheon that the events in the novel couldn’t be replayed.
……But Baek Wooheon’s anguished lines keep flickering in my head.
Because of that, what should have been a simple confession has been dragged out like this.
I can’t let Baek Seolheon live disconnected from the Group forever.
If he faces people from the main family, it’ll reach his ears whether he likes it or not.
So after being discharged, I barely resolved myself.
At least once Seolheon gets into university, once this important period in his life passes like now……
I’ll tell him the truth then.
Because I didn’t want to negatively affect my younger brother’s future because of me, even a little.
“Hey, you really don’t know? That hyung is an orphan bastard? What should we do about this?”
But,
That bastard.
“From what I hear, you two are even closer than real brothers.”
“……”
“If I interfere while you’re working so hard on the construction, won’t you feel really fucking bad?”
“……Seolheon. He’s at an important time right now. Don’t mess with him.”
“Oh, nice method acting? Like you’re really a good hyung worried about his younger brother. Did you cook the old man like this too? Impressive.”
Do you know how it feels to see a jerk who doesn’t listen to others at all?
It makes me want to fucking beat him up.
“With that level of acting skill, how about becoming an actor at Baekil Entertainment? I’ll sponsor you. Hahahaha!”
But I endured it with superhuman strength. Tendons stood out on the back of my clenched fist.
“Anyway. If you don’t want to see me siding with Baek Seolheon, figure it out yourself. Understand?”
In a way, Baek Jeongwoo matched the psychology of ‘Baek Gunho’ in the novel to a creepy degree.
If it were that ‘Baek Gunho,’ he would have shaken hands. Isn’t he a villain at just the right level for Baek Jeongwoo?
……But that’s not me!
“Haah. Why are you really doing this? The Chairman, and you.”
“Hey, why are you getting out again?”
“I’m not running away. I’m just frustrated.”
When I opened the car door and got out, my breathing finally cleared.
The air in the underground parking lot full of murky dust and humidity was much more refreshing than inside the car full of pheromones like animal smell.
My head finally started working.
Even if Baek Jeongwoo’s motive for approaching me 10 years ago was simple curiosity, the situation is different now.
From what I’ve heard through my adoptive mother, Driver Park, and Baek Ildo, the next CEO position is almost certain. It’s Baek Ilguk, Chairman Baek Ildo’s eldest son and Vice Chairman of Baekil Electronics.
But there’s constant turmoil within the Group over the position right after that. It’s because Baek Ilguk has no children.
So Baek Jeongwoo wants me on his side right now. It’s groundwork for getting his hands on the Group CEO position.
Looking at how ambition is dripping from his eyes like that, he must be the type who won’t be satisfied unless he gets what he wants by any means necessary. Moreover, he’s an idiot who thinks only what he thinks is right, and he’s like a bomb where it’s difficult to predict what stupid thing he’ll commit.
‘Trash tier……’
My judgment was quick.
“Wouldn’t my side be more comfortable than Baek Seolheon, who has the solid connection of being your adoptive mother’s son?”
“Huh?”
“As a chess piece to use appropriately and then discard.”
……Let’s just play along.
“What should I do to satisfy you so you’ll stop?”
Just until this winter when Baek Seolheon finishes his college entrance exams,
Just until I tell him the truth, let’s pretend to get along appropriately.
“Baek Jeongwoo-ssi.”
“……Now you’re finally talking sense.”
So that stupid bugs won’t swarm my younger brother in the meantime.
* * *
“You know, Baek Seolheon.”
Song Changu stopped walking.
Today too, the hallway was noisy with talk about Baek Seolheon without fail.
“Is he really direct lineage of Baekil Group?”
“Since the CEO of Baekil Pharmaceuticals is his mother, it must be true, right? Many people saw her in person at the entrance ceremony back then.”
“But…… the kids in Class 5 act familiar with Seolheon saying they’re close to Baekil Group people. But the fact that Seolheon doesn’t even know those relatives’ names is kind of strange.”
“Ah! Isn’t it because of that thing with him? Beta!”
“Gasp, is there still Alpha preference ideology these days? That exists?”
“Amazing. So is he like a tragic illegitimate child cast out from the family?”
“Right, he’s the Duke of the North! He looks like it too!”
“What are you saying? Have you seen the Duke of the North smile? He’s more like a warm supporting male lead.”
The girls giggled as they passed by.
Song Changu recalled something from recently.
‘That person who made Baek Seolheon smile…… who was it?’
He couldn’t see well from far away, but it was certain that the person in the car was a young man with black hair.
Family? But he looked too young to be parents, and if he were an older brother, he’d never heard of Baek Seolheon having siblings in the past three years. It was because Baek Seolheon never talked about personal things at all.
‘Then was he a chauffeur? Ah, I’m curious!’
Just who is it that makes that Baek Seolheon truly smile!
He’d been tormented by curiosity for days, to the point he couldn’t study properly.
‘Should I just ask him directly?’
Just then, Baek Seolheon was walking from the end of the hallway. He wasn’t alone.
Flashily dressed Class 5 students were following Baek Seolheon around, chatting amongst themselves. Even among the students dressed in dizzyingly diverse ways, the neat Baek Seolheon alone shone.
“Hey, are you really not coming?”
“Are you going to ignore our sincerity, Baek Seolheon!”
“If you keep doing this, I’ll drag you there by force? I’m serious?”
The tone was rough, but the attitude wasn’t threatening.
Rather, it felt like they were clinging to Baek Seolheon to a degree that seemed pathetic.
“Why should I go?”
Baek Seolheon, who had kept his mouth shut the whole time, turned to look at the students and smiled.
Unlike his friendly face, his voice felt a bit cold.
The Class 5 students judged on their own that ‘he’s finally interested!’ and excitedly chattered.
“Well, fuck, it’s because you’re so fucking handsome!”
“Do you even know the rumor’s already spread everywhere? That there’s a crazy handsome guy at Hanguk High who rivals Cheon Eunwook, everyone who needs to know knows.”
“Besides, you, aren’t you upset about this?”
Baek Seolheon stopped walking and looked toward the male student who made the last remark.
“Baekil Group! You’ve never seen your family members even once! All kinds of hyungs and noonas come to our parties, you know? You should do self-PR at such official occasions so the Group won’t look down on you for being a Beta!”
“I roughly understand what you’re saying. But I don’t really want to care about that side, and I’m not interested.”
As Baek Seolheon continued speaking, the corners of his eyes folded into arcs.
“I told you before that I don’t really want to hear about the Group, didn’t I? Geunhyuk.”
The air in the hallway froze for a moment.
Baek Seolheon’s face was friendly as always, but the warning contained within was resolute.
It was a clear expression of intent that even the most oblivious person could immediately recognize.
“Uh, huh? Did you? Hahaha……”
“Class is starting soon. See you next time.”
Only after Baek Seolheon entered Class 1 did the Class 5 students who had been standing there like stone statues start moving.
They grumbled as they passed Song Changu.
“……Fucking bastard, we praise him a bit and he thinks he’s really something. Fucking Beta bastard.”
“Is this where you use the phrase ‘looks are worth it’? We got totally played, Bang Geunhyuk.”
“Fuck off. I’ll drag that bastard there no matter what.”
The male student named Bang Geunhyuk pulled out his phone from his chest and started a call with someone.
“Oh, yes! Jeongwoo-hyung! Fuck, I feel like I could sweet-talk him just a bit more……”
Only after the Class 5 students disappeared from the hallway could Song Changu finally breathe.
And he carefully stepped toward Class 1 where Baek Seolheon had entered.
Befitting a class gathered by grades, the inside was quiet with only students studying on their own.
Only Baek Seolheon alone was staring blankly out the window without even opening a book.
“Seolheon. You had a hard day again today. Haha……”
Baek Seolheon didn’t answer.
Wondering if he hadn’t heard, Song Changu went a little closer and waved his hand.
“Seolheon?”
“……Ah, class president. What?”
A smile appeared on Seolheon’s expressionless face.
To Song Changu, it looked like putting on a mask in a play.
Ever since seeing that bright smile recently, Song Changu couldn’t shake the impression that all of Baek Seolheon’s expressions were artificial.
So his curiosity grew even more.
Song Changu threw out a question.
“You got in a car and went home first before. Was that your driver? You two seemed to get along really well.”
“……”
“Ah, or is it family……?”
And he immediately regretted it.
Baek Seolheon was looking at him with his chin propped up.
It was the same gentle smile as usual.
But his eyes weren’t.
“……Family? That person?”
Below his heavily furrowed brows, his navy blue eyes were darkly sunken.
Perhaps because of that, the smile looked twisted.
Was it a sneer?
Contempt? Displeasure?
……Perhaps, hatred?
Song Changu couldn’t dare guess what emotion was contained within.
“No. Neither.”
However, it absolutely wasn’t an emotion to hold toward someone who had made him smile so much.
