“What were you thinking?”
“What do you mean?”
“What were you thinking trying to drink that alcohol?”
“Why the alcohol… Ah. Don’t tell me?”
Chaehun frowned, recalling stories that circulated like urban legends. Drugs being slipped into drinks wasn’t even news anymore. But what these so-called VIPs were doing was both childish and vicious.
“Don’t drink just anything in places like this.”
“I didn’t know. Thanks. If it weren’t for you, something terrible could have happened.”
Since he was grateful, Chaehun thanked him first. Without Seunggeon, and if he had taken the drug as it was, he didn’t know what would have happened.
“How did you end up here?”
“My younger brother said he’d treat me, but I got scammed.”
At Seunggeon’s question, Chaehun left out the part about the blind date. Perhaps that’s why Seunggeon didn’t smile. It definitely wasn’t something to smile about.
Chaehun turned the question back to Seunggeon.
“What about you?”
“A relative of mine is doing business, so I showed my face.”
“Really? Sunny is your relative?”
“Don’t ask.”
“Ah, sorry.”
“Before being sorry, familiarize yourself with the contract terms first.”
Chaehun, who momentarily recalled being told not to pry, apologized first. But he felt embarrassed by the following reprimand.
Even though he could have said it nicely, Seunggeon’s tone was cold, and therefore sharp. Having done something wrong first, Chaehun couldn’t say anything and closed his mouth.
In the meantime, the two took the elevator down to the underground parking lot. Watching Seunggeon naturally get into the driver’s seat of a car parked to one side, Chaehun hesitated for a moment. He was surprised that Seunggeon was driving himself, but if he got in like this, the atmosphere seemed like it would become awkward. However, having come this far, it seemed ridiculous to be stubborn, so he got into the passenger seat.
Seunggeon, who grabbed the wheel himself without a driver, smoothly started the car and spoke first.
“What’s your relationship with Park Gwangho?”
“Don’t ask.”
“…?”
“I won’t tell you not to pry. Don’t ask me and figure it out yourself.”
He could feel Seunggeon’s gaze, but Chaehun said whatever came to mind. But at the same time, he felt embarrassed. He had just returned Seunggeon’s words exactly as they were, but having done it, it was utterly childish.
Being on edge and tense wasn’t something he was used to after all.
“Aw. I can’t do this. I’ll just tell you everything. I work with Park Gwangho at the hospital. That crazy bastard, I mean Park Gwangho, is on a 2-year contract, and we don’t get along. Park Gwangho impersonated me and caused trouble, and I had to clean it up. There were other things besides that too. Since the chairman is his backing, I couldn’t do anything and was just enduring it thinking ‘there’s a dog barking somewhere’… But I exploded this time. I was even prepared to write my resignation. Is this business card useful?”
After explaining at length, Chaehun tapped above the inside pocket where he kept the business card and asked. Seunggeon, who had been driving while looking ahead, paused for a beat before answering.
“Park Gwangho is afraid of grandfather. And Sunny and Park Gwangho also don’t get along.”
“Really?”
“My maternal grandfather, Sunny’s grandfather, and Park Gwangho’s maternal grandfather are all brothers.”
“…?!”
“And Park Gwangho’s grandfather is a fairly prestigious businessman, and I heard he’s strict with his grandchildren. If there’s a grandson who doesn’t go to the military, he makes them do social experience as a 2-year contract worker. If they don’t do that, he said he’d drastically reduce their inheritance share. The intent is good, but the effect seems to be lacking.”
It was an unexpected relationship. To put it simply, it meant Seunggeon, Park Gwangho, and Sunny were all second cousins to each other. They were all bloodlines related to Taehwa Group. At times like this, the phrase “birds of a feather” fit well.
“You’re second cousins?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you know Park Gwangho well?”
“No. I’ve only met him a few times. Why?”
“Since you’re his hyung, since you’re around the level of CEO, I was wondering if you could maybe stop that crazy bastard. Since that guy has the chairman and the Administrative Director backing him, if personnel assignments come out strangely… No, just pretend you didn’t hear that. If it really doesn’t work out, I’ll quit. I have the money you gave me, so I can rest while looking for a new job.”
Chaehun, who somehow ended up venting and was about to make an absurd request, quickly recovered what he was saying with an ‘oops’ feeling. Even though Seunggeon was the CEO of Taehwa Group, it was clearly a different family’s matter.
He was deciding that if he quit the hospital, he should go play in Jeju Island for a few days, when suddenly Seunggeon rolled down the car window. Not just the driver’s and passenger’s seats, but even the back seats, all the way down.
“What’s wrong? The wind is cold.”
It was still mid-April and the night wind was cold. The speed wasn’t that fast, but still sharp wind blew in fiercely.
“There’s a smell and my head hurts.”
“What smell? Ah, I spilled beer earlier. I washed it off, but I guess it still smells.”
“Not that.”
“…?”
If it wasn’t the beer smell, he couldn’t guess what it was. Chaehun looked down at his shoes, thinking maybe he stepped on something strange. But Seunggeon clicked his tongue as if dissatisfied.
“The pheromones are all mixed together and smell awful.”
Only then did Chaehun understand what Seunggeon was saying. He didn’t know how many Trait-bearers were at the club, but he had directly made physical contact with Kang Yeonghwan, Park Gwangho, and Sunny. Their scents had probably all rubbed off on him.
Trait-bearers each had their own unique scent. Usually it felt like perfume. But in the case of Alphas, they felt aversion to other Alphas’ scents. Especially if the compatibility didn’t match, it was no different from an awful stench. However, since Chaehun himself was a Beta, he couldn’t tell what smell was coming from his body.
“Sorry, but I can’t tell.”
“Put this on.”
Just then, the car stopped at a signal. Then Seunggeon took off his jacket and gave it to him. Since his head hurt from the smell, Chaehun received the jacket without much comment and covered himself with it.
“Is this okay?”
“A little better.”
“Close the window when it gets better. You must be cold too.”
Because the wind digging into his collar was quite sharp, Chaehun said this while pulling the jacket up to the tip of his nose.
Not long after the window closed, warmth soon circulated. Then a nice scent came from Seunggeon’s jacket. Like men’s cologne, it was the scent of a cool forest. And the fragrance of cold flowers was also mixed in.
“But is that enough?”
“What?”
At the question without context, Chaehun looked at Seunggeon with bewildered eyes.
What does he mean ‘is that enough’?
Instead of answering, Seunggeon stopped the car at a signal and called Park Gwangho. Then, following the call connection tone, Park Gwangho’s voice could be heard through the car speaker connected to the phone.
—Hyung? Is that Seunggeon hyung? Hyung, what’s your relationship with Kang Chaehun? Why did you take that bastard?
Not knowing that bastard was right next to him, Park Gwangho cursed and picked a fight. Chaehun didn’t say anything and just stared at Seunggeon.
He wondered if this was because of his own words about whether he could maybe stop Park Gwangho.
“Park Gwangho. You’re working at Taehwa Hospital right now, right? In General Affairs with Kang Chaehun.”
—What’s that about? Don’t tell me, what did that bastard say?
“You transfer departments. Tell them above to find a suitable place. And take your hands off Kang Chaehun and don’t even think about running into him.”
—Ah, fuck. This is shitty. Who are you to say that? Are you that bastard’s lover or something? Huh?!
Park Gwangho’s language became even more aggressive. And because of the unexpected word, Chaehun frowned and checked Seunggeon’s face once more. Lover was ridiculous. However, at the point where Seunggeon blatantly took Chaehun’s side, he couldn’t deny the relationship.
“I’m Kang Chaehun’s backing.”
—…What?
Chaehun was just as shocked as Park Gwangho, who was dumbfounded. Question marks and exclamation marks about ‘why is he acting like that’ alternately sparkled in his head.
Seunggeon says he’s my backing.
Even though he was staring intently, Seunggeon didn’t even glance this way and started the car again at the signal.
“If you’re curious whose backing is stronger, try it once.”
—Ai… Shit. You think I can’t?! You’re just a figurehead yourself, so what makes you so confident?!
