However, they didn’t know then that the massive sponsorship would be bait to mortgage his life.
Even now, thinking about that time made him let out a hollow laugh. There’s no such thing as a free lunch in life, so what made him accept the money that man offered so fearlessly? In those days when he knew nothing, his parents enrolled Wookyung in a good university for judo as President Park wanted.
He’d never had any intention of being an athlete from the start. Coaching or teaching others suited Wookyung’s aptitude better. From the beginning, Wookyung expressed his intention not to continue as an athlete, and President Park said he could do as he pleased. He only made the proposal to double major in security studies. Wookyung obediently followed his words.
And as soon as he smoothly graduated from university, President Park brought him into his organization.
Wookyung was stunned when he belatedly realized that his organization ‘Daneum’ was an illegal loan company and organized crime group disguised as a financial loan company. He wanted to escape but there was no way. The sponsorship he’d received was money that had allowed him to study comfortably for four years. Not only that, it was also money that had brought emotional comfort and material stability to his mother and father.
He wanted to escape from the organization, get a job elsewhere, and pay back the money, but it was useless. President Park, who had been a generous sponsor until then, turned frighteningly hostile the moment he heard Wookyung’s intention. And he presented the contract that Wookyung and his family had signed when they initially received the sponsorship. It stated that he would actively help President Park Youngchul’s business in the future, and if he violated that clause, all the amounts sponsored until now would be billed.
Since he was told to double major in security studies, he’d somewhat anticipated that he would be taken as a bodyguard. Though it was regrettable not to achieve his dream of being a coach, he hadn’t thought President Park would sponsor him without wanting anything. The complacency that he’d gone to a good university for judo thanks to him and that even graduation and employment would be resolved thanks to him soon transformed into despair and rushed at Wookyung.
It was agonizing. Though Wookyung and his family had never lived more virtuously than others, they’d never lived doing bad things to others either.
‘Oh my, Wookyung, that we… sold you off to… those kinds of people…’
His mother took to her sickbed from the shock that they’d sent their eldest son to such thugs. She pounded the ground in regret, saying they’d sold him off with eyes blinded by the sponsorship money. His mother, whose health had been weak originally, suffered from that shock for several years before leaving the world. The family that had been poor but harmonious was shattered like that.
That’s how Wookyung came to protect President Park Youngchul. And in the year he turned twenty-eight, he killed him with his own hands.
The reason he accepted Lim Moojin’s proposal, who was Daneum’s executive director at the time, to strike down President Park and join hands together wasn’t merely because he coveted the executive director position he’d promised to give after the deed.
It was because he could no longer watch the person he loved being abused by President Park Youngchul.
*
The first day he’d had a long conversation with Ido, that day too, as usual, the child had been tormented by President Park all night. As always, listening to the messy sounds broadcast live all night long through just one door, Wookyung sat down in front of the door with a grimace.
Anyway, the old man has good stamina. Listening to Ido’s voice sobbing and wailing, Wookyung sighed. It would be a bit less shitty from a listening standpoint if they were at least enjoying it together, but listening every night to a situation where anyone could tell only one side was unilaterally having fun wasn’t very comfortable for Wookyung either.
When it became around 2 AM like that, the old man finally tired himself out and fell asleep. Since he couldn’t escape from President Park’s bed before he woke up, Ido seemed to have fallen asleep in that room as well. Looking at the surroundings shrouded in darkness, Wookyung was tormented by the urge to smoke a cigarette. However, knowing well President Park’s personality of pathologically hating anyone other than him guarding his door during the night, Wookyung obediently kept his post.
The sky gradually turned white and darkness retreated. When dawn broke grayishly, there was a presence from inside the room. At the coughing sound bursting out loudly with a kheuhm, Wookyung knocked on the door.
-Come in.
‘President, did you sleep well?’
Opening the door and entering, he bowed in greeting. President Park in silk pajamas sat up and yawned languidly. He arrogantly gestured with his chin toward Ido who was squirming to sit up beside him, and looked in very good condition, perhaps because he’d sucked up a young person’s vitality all night long.
‘Take this out.’
‘Understood.’
Though they were both alphas, and moreover Wookyung was a dominant alpha, the reason President Park could entrust his own omega without worry was partly due to trust in Wookyung, but also because it was a body he embraced every night anyway, so he would know if another’s scent got on it. Within this organization, no one existed who would dare touch his possession.
Even while looking at the completely naked omega’s body, Wookyung lifted Ido up with an indifferent expression. As if embarrassed by the body still bearing traces of messy intercourse, Ido obediently nestled into his embrace while lowering his gaze and turning away from him.
Between the buttocks he was supporting, squishy fluid leaked and wet Wookyung’s sleeve. Wookyung grimaced inwardly as much as possible but didn’t show it in front of President Park. Even with the body of an adult man lifted in his arms, Wookyung calmly bent his waist and greeted him.
‘Then I’ll be going.’
After putting down the omega tormented by him all night in the bathroom and switching with other security team members, today’s work would be over. Blinking his tired eyes hard, Wookyung headed to the bathroom. Thinking that somehow the body he lifted every day seemed to be getting lighter.
‘Wash up.’
Arriving at the bathroom, Wookyung put Ido down in the bathtub in the corner and turned on the water. He could see the dry thighs trembling violently. Just as he was about to leave while deliberately averting his gaze from there, a feeble force pulled at his sleeve.
‘…What is it?’
‘Team Leader…’
It was the first time Ido called him. At the unexpected title, Wookyung blinked for a moment. It seemed he’d picked up the title the security team members used to call him from listening nearby. The corners of Wookyung’s mouth traced a slight arc. There wasn’t anything appropriate to correct him with another title, so he decided to leave it as is.
‘What.’
‘…I’m… sorry, but…’
He hesitated for a long while. When Wookyung raised his eyebrows and waited for him without saying anything, Ido barely moved his lips. However, because his voice couldn’t be heard well over the sound of hot water gushing out, Wookyung brought his ear close to Ido’s lips and asked again.
‘What did you say?’
‘…I’m… so hungry.’
Saying that, he lowered his eyes. This time he’d clearly heard properly, but unable to understand, Wookyung blinked. He couldn’t understand the intention behind saying such a thing. The company cafeteria was open now, and he could just go downstairs and eat.
‘You can just go downstairs and eat, can’t you?’
‘Well…’
Ido mumbled his words again. At this point, he became curious about why this child brought this up. Wookyung silently looked down at him quietly. Though it was a dry gaze, Ido, who quickly became intimidated, hurriedly lowered his eyes.
‘…N-no, never mind.’
‘What is it? There must be a reason you brought it up. Finish it.’
‘You must be tired from staying up all night… it’s just… strangely, when I see you, Team Leader… somehow my heart… feels at ease.’
Looking at his rambling face, Wookyung somehow felt like hearing this child’s words to the end. It was the first time someone said they felt at ease looking at him. Wookyung had a threatening build befitting a dominant alpha, and contrary to his temperament, his impression wasn’t exactly a face that put people at ease either.
‘So. You said I make you comfortable. Then speak comfortably.’
‘Well…’
After mumbling, Ido squeezed his eyes shut and barely forced out the words.
‘Bean sprout soup! …I… want to eat that. With you, Team Leader… together…’
‘……’
‘……’
‘…I’m sorry…’
Perhaps finding it absurd even to himself, he reddened from the tips of his earlobes. The redness gradually spread to the nape of his neck. Lowering his flushing face, Ido covered his face with both hands.
‘…I must be crazy. I’m sorry. Just… please pretend you didn’t hear that.’
Suddenly he recalled the conversation he’d had with team members while putting this child into President Park’s room last night. The voices of the guys chattering that a 24-hour bean sprout soup restaurant had opened across from the Daneum building and it was really delicious were vivid. Even while being obediently led by their hands into President Park’s room, he must have heard that from the side and thought he wanted to eat bean sprout soup from then on. At the obviously readable thought process, Wookyung unknowingly smiled with a pfft.
‘Alright.’
‘…Pardon?’
‘I said alright. Wash up and come out. Let’s go out to eat breakfast together.’
His innocent eyes widened. His red lips moved as if truly surprised, but he couldn’t say anything more. Then gradually a smile spread across his pale face.
‘Yes…! I’ll wash up quickly and come out! Please wait just a bit!’
Could he be that excited? Wookyung twisted the corners of his mouth and smiled a little. Even as he left the bathroom without answering, he couldn’t erase the smile on his face.
He had no appetite whatsoever. His body exhausted all night only wanted sleep. If he ate and went straight to sleep he’d feel uncomfortable, so he almost never ate breakfast before sleeping. However, strangely, he thought he wanted to eat together what that child said he wanted to eat.
