As expected, reporters were gathered around the office they soon arrived at, visible from afar. However, it wasn’t as many as at the wrap party venue they’d just escaped from, and only five or six people were gathered, looking around and watching whenever someone came and went from the building. Fortunately, the underground parking lot was a place where entry was completely impossible unless you were someone who worked in the building.
“I’ll stop at the elevator entrance in the parking lot, so go straight up to the office.”
“What about you, Section Manager?”
“I’ll follow right after parking. It’ll be fine here.”
Muyoung, who answered by silently nodding instead, turned his body toward the exit. The car, gradually entering the parking lot and slowing down, stopped right in front of the elevator door. As soon as he opened the car door and reached the elevator, Muyoung pressed the button and breathed a sigh of relief as the door opened immediately, stepping inside. The movement speed until reaching the office seemed even slower than usual.
When Muyoung finally arrived at the office, there was no one there. Since they’d said CEO Choi would be there, he thought maybe he should wait a bit and sat on the sofa. He left the phone Section Manager Kim had entrusted to him on the table in front and held his own phone in his hand, which he still didn’t have the courage to turn on. More than anything, he was worried about Dowon. It was also ridiculous that he’d been unable to collect himself this whole time and only started worrying after arriving at the office.
“Muyoung’s here.”
“CEO…”
Just then, CEO Choi approached where Muyoung was sitting. Perhaps there had been a lot to do in the sudden situation, as even the necktie he was wearing was slightly disheveled. His face as he plopped down across from him, waving his hand as if to say it was okay, was full of fatigue.
Muyoung, who had been quietly observing his complexion, bowed his head deeply. He felt that all the things Section Manager Kim and CEO Choi were going through right now were all his fault, and he didn’t have the face to look at them properly.
“Why are you like that? It’s not like you committed a crime.”
“Still… I should have told you in advance.”
“I just got a call from CEO Han, actually.”
“Pardon?”
“He said your phone is off, and if I happen to see you, to please take good care of you. He said he can’t move right away either because people are swarming him from everywhere.”
“Ah… Yes. I’m sorry.”
CEO Choi, saying he’d been away briefly to use the bathroom, continued that he’d sent all the office staff home and unplugged the phone lines because of the suddenly broken articles. He said he didn’t know what the intention was, but there were only a few ways to deal with articles deliberately released, so it would be better to go into hiding completely until things calmed down. Muyoung nodded silently.
“When there’s a case like this, they usually try to probe here and there to confirm the facts. Managers, agency staff, or at the very least, people who appeared in the same drama or on-site personnel.”
“The photo was from yesterday. I told you before that I was going to go to the hospital…”
“That’s why it’s even stranger. How did someone know about and tail you to a hospital appointment that even I or Section Manager Kim didn’t know much about? And without even properly confirming, they wrote a complete movie.”
“Are you saying these articles… were intentional?”
“It’s unsettling, but yes. If there was no intention, there’s no reason to burst out articles like this indiscriminately without confirming with both sides right before the wrap party starts.”
At CEO Choi’s words, spoken with a furrowed brow and mixed feelings, Muyoung leaned back against the backrest. He felt dizzy enough to blur his vision. He couldn’t properly control his emotions jumping around wildly. It felt like his whole body was caught up in a torrent that was hard to endure. Yes, CEO Choi was right. Unless it was a crime or behavior that caused a scandal, it was strange that articles this big had appeared just because two people had been to the hospital.
“Is it possible that the articles won’t become a problem…?”
“It’s both yes and no, it’s ambiguous. If it had been released by a third-rate tabloid or internet newspaper, we could ignore it, but since a major daily newspaper hit it first openly. That’s also probably why the volume of articles increased so quickly.”
As they listened to CEO Choi saying he’d been busy trying to find the cause, Section Manager Kim entered the office.
“Why is it so quiet outside? Did you send everyone away?”
“What am I supposed to tell them to answer the phone calls? First, let’s discuss among ourselves and talk with CEO Han too.”
“True. Oh, earlier you said you’d ask a reporter you know.”
“He knew it broke suddenly too. At most, he got it shared 10 minutes before. Literally, they spread it as soon as it went to the desk.”
As the conversation between CEO Choi and Section Manager Kim went back and forth, Muyoung’s worries grew. Thinking about it, he’d coincidentally caught CEO Choi’s eye and entered this industry, working for a long time. But that didn’t mean he’d become accustomed to work that caught people’s attention. He knew that compared to the time when he was anxious not knowing when or how he might disappear, the current inconvenience was nothing. But he was inevitably disturbed by the successive scandals.
If it was true that the articles had been deliberately released, he wanted to at least know clearly what they wanted from him. He needed to know the intention to at least deal with it appropriately, but right now, it was hard to even grasp the direction. After this matter grew like this, wouldn’t it become irreversible? Wouldn’t everything related to him become a mess? Dark and negative thoughts kept growing in size inside Muyoung.
“Are the articles still the same?”
“…They are.”
Section Manager Kim, who had been looking through his phone screen several times, finally put the device down on the table with a thud. CEO Choi, who had been pondering silently, looked at Muyoung and opened his mouth.
“Since things have come to this. Muyoung, what kind of relationship do you really have with CEO Han?”
“…”
At the question that had finally come, Muyoung closed his eyes for a long moment then opened them. He’d planned to say it when he was ready, but having to do it after things turned out like this made fear come first.
“It’s true that we were just acquaintances… but we only recently decided to try seeing each other seriously.”
“…CEO Han also agreed to do that?”
“To see each other seriously?”
CEO Choi and Section Manager Kim both looked at Muyoung with surprised faces simultaneously. Muyoung was rather more startled by the suddenly raised voices and just blinked.
“No, how on earth did you meet? While we’re at it, tell us properly.”
Section Manager Kim, quite curious, leaned his body forward from his proper sitting position and asked Muyoung. Looking back and forth at the two people focused on him, Muyoung slowly opened his mouth.
“Originally, trait-bearers are managed by government-run institutions. You know this, right?”
“I think I heard someone mention it. You have to report regularly and such.”
“Yes. The institution also periodically requires trait-bearers to do matching. It’s mandatory for alphas and omegas to meet, so if you don’t want to, you just have to report. But I forgot to report, so I went to the matching attendance this time and… I met him there.”
“So you got to know each other there and have been meeting steadily until now?”
Section Manager Kim’s words were slightly different from the facts, but it was difficult for Muyoung to explain everything in detail, so he just nodded. Although both were awkward about the unfamiliar topic, CEO Choi continued speaking, seemingly convinced by Muyoung’s explanation.
“So when you said you decided to see each other seriously, then. That, what is it. You two decided to date?”
“…For now.”
“So that’s why you went to the hospital together?”
“Yes…”
“By any chance, when you suddenly weren’t feeling well, did Dowon do something wrong…”
“N-no. No! That time was just… I was tired, and this time we went together to get tested because of the trait.”
Muyoung, rather startled by CEO Choi’s cautiously asked question with a worried face, shook his head vigorously. Since the time when Muyoung’s health was poor and the time he met Dowon were similar, he seemed to be misunderstanding, so words of defense came out quickly.
There seemed to be no need to bring up the past story with Jinho in front of the two now. He had regained his health and had even been to the hospital with Dowon with the desire to work again… He thought it was absurd that the articles came out and it could be seen negatively. Still, when he said they received it together related to traits, the two seemed to agree that it was so, even though they didn’t know well.
“It might actually be fortunate that people know you as a beta right now.”
“Pardon?”
“Think about it. Even in general entertainment news, if it’s spotted that some chaebol heir and a female celebrity are eating together, they make a fuss about whether they’re dating or when the wedding is, but if it had been revealed that you’re an omega, they would have openly written about marriage, pregnancy and all that, right? Right now, since you’re known as a beta, the articles stop at about the level of a hidden trait-bearer, don’t they? Though they might write even worse things in speculation…”
Muyoung’s face darkened further at CEO Choi’s words, analyzing the situation one by one in a way that could seem quite cold. But that didn’t mean this matter seemed like it would flow positively until it gradually subsided—not at all.
“It’s not just the articles that are the problem, CEO. You’re saying frustrating things. It’s more of a problem because Muyoung is known as a beta. What would Han Dowon lack that he’d go to a hospital to take care of a beta? Then naturally, even in speculation, they’ll imagine even worse things about whether he’s hiding his trait and dating, whether he’s an omega, or whether he’s pregnant.”
“At least it’s not written openly. If it quiets down like this, they’ll all forget about it again.”
“Oh sure, they’ll forget about a scandal that broke with Han Dowon. He’s more famous than most celebrities.”
