He’d known from the beginning that Daehoon wasn’t particularly interested in women. At first, he thought it was simply because he was too busy. But Daehoon constantly broke pairs even in the UK, and didn’t seem to meet anyone privately either. He didn’t even seem to have those common one-night stands.
At first, the feeling stemmed from wanting to get great-grandchildren from Daehoon, but seeing what his grandson was doing, this seemed to go beyond the issue of meeting or not meeting women—wasn’t there something wrong with this bastard Ha Daehoon?
Did he have no emotions? Could he not develop feelings for anyone? Thinking such thoughts, he became suddenly afraid. Isn’t this guy a sociopath or something? Or was there something wrong with his body? At this point, Chairman Ha found himself thinking he just wanted his cherished grandson to live like a person, normally.
“How can you not even date past thirty, tsk. Is that living like a person? A person should communicate with someone, share hearts.”
“I’m seeing someone these days. That’s why I broke the pair.”
At Daehoon’s words, Chairman Ha’s eyes widened. Daehoon calmly met his grandfather’s gaze.
In truth, Daehoon was closer to being bisexual rather than gay. Moreover, he had one-night stand partners and bars he frequented. However, the reason his grandfather didn’t know was because Daehoon would slip extra money to the people surveilling him and have them match his story. So all the reports about Daehoon that reached his grandfather—especially anything about meeting someone—were all lies.
The reason Daehoon falsified reports was because he had no intention of dating anyone. If his grandfather knew he was having even casual encounters, he would definitely make things troublesome. It was right to put up an iron wall and block everything from the start. Since there were no reports whatsoever, it was natural for Chairman Ha to worry that his grandson was an emotionless sociopath.
“Are you really seeing someone?”
“Yes. What would I gain from lying to you, Grandfather?”
Of course, it was a lie.
“Bring them over sometime.”
Daehoon’s face scrunched up sharply.
“What are you saying, Grandfather? I said I’m seeing someone, not that I’m getting married. Or do you want me to marry a man? Are you even going to hold a wedding ceremony for me?”
Chairman Ha’s brow furrowed. But soon Chairman Ha cleared his throat with a “hmm” and said:
“Did I say I was going to eat you alive? If you don’t bring them, I’ll assume it’s a lie and set up matchmaking meetings every month, so keep that in mind. Now get up.”
Chairman Ha rose briskly from his seat and leisurely left the restaurant.
Daehoon smiled bitterly. This was getting troublesome.
Daehoon sat a little longer, then stood up wanting to smoke. His head ached. His grandfather was determined not to believe his grandson was gay unless he saw it with his own eyes. And he’d probably set up those unbearable matchmaking meetings every month. Should he have just gone with being a sociopath? Then he’d probably be thrown into a psychiatric hospital.
It was when Daehoon was about to leave the restaurant. From somewhere, an all too familiar voice could be heard.
“No, according to the rumors going around, well, there’s talk that Director Ha is impotent. And the thing is, that story has credibility because otherwise, why would all his pairs with Espers that everyone wants to date keep breaking up? Right? Maybe he can’t do physical contact so the guiding doesn’t work either?”
What is this yapping little puppy saying right now? Daehoon stood behind and stared at Ilkyung intently.
“Or maybe it’s the complete opposite—he’s a playboy?”
He was sitting there spreading his wings of imagination all by himself. Looking at that round back of his head, Daehoon chuckled. Then suddenly a good idea came to mind. Yeah, I’ve decided on you.
“Should I let you know? Whether I’m a playboy or impotent?”
Woo Ilkyung’s face turned pale white as he whipped his head around.
“Hieok!”
Ilkyung quickly covered his mouth. Though that wouldn’t let him take back the words he’d already spat out.
Daehoon put on a good-natured face and smiled. Then he asked for understanding from the people sitting with Woo Ilkyung.
“I’m sorry. I interrupted while you were eating.”
“Oh, no. It’s fine.”
Daehoon whispered quietly to Ilkyung.
“Assistant Manager Woo, if you want to know, come to my office as soon as you get to work tomorrow. Make sure you come. I’ll let you know. Excuse me. Then.”
Daehoon turned around with light steps. A smile naturally hung on the corners of his mouth.
* * *
Ilkyung despaired the moment he opened his eyes in the morning. Because despite chugging that much wine, his memory was perfectly intact. If he couldn’t remember, he could at least play dumb and deny everything, but this was remembered in such detail that he couldn’t pretend not to know.
“Haa, I’m really going crazy.”
Minkyung entered Ilkyung’s room as he clutched his head in despair.
“Drink this.”
What Minkyung held out was honey water. Ilkyung downed the honey water in one gulp like someone who found an oasis in the desert. As his stomach warmed up, he finally felt like he was coming to his senses.
“That’s why, why do you always drink so much when you can’t even win?”
“Did I make some other mistake yesterday?”
“What bigger mistake could there be than badmouthing someone right in front of them?”
Ilkyung flopped down on the bed. Even while being so on edge with Ha Daehoon, there had never been a time he didn’t want to go to work, but today he felt like urgently requesting a day off.
Just then, as if someone was watching, his phone vibrated briefly. Ilkyung picked up his phone without thinking, then threw it away.
“Ahhh! Ahhh! Die! Die!”
Like a crazy person, Ilkyung flailed about while lying down. Minkyung watched her younger sibling’s antics and shook her head.
“Huuung, Noona. Can’t you go instead of me? I went to that matchmaking meeting in your place that time. Huh?”
Ilkyung sat up abruptly, grabbed his noona’s waist, hugged her, and started whining. Minkyung looked down at her younger sibling quietly. Then she gently stroked his curly brown hair.
“Would that work, youngest? Go and say you’re sorry. And wrap it up quickly.”
Whether it was because there were so many ability users affiliated there, or because he’d been abroad the whole time before coming, it seemed Director Ha Daehoon didn’t know that the younger sibling of Woo Minkyung, who he’d met for a matchmaking meeting, was Woo Ilkyung. No, it was clear he didn’t know that the Esper Woo Minkyung now at the same Center was that third daughter of the Woo family who was supposed to meet him for a matchmaking that day. Otherwise, how could he not know when they’re at the same Center?
Though to be fair, it was the same for Ilkyung and Minkyung, so they couldn’t say much. Ilkyung and Minkyung also had no interest whatsoever in what Ha Daehoon did or what he looked like until they went to the matchmaking meeting. All they knew until meeting Daehoon at the hotel was just the title of being Hasin Group’s grandson.
In any case, both Ilkyung and Minkyung just considered it fortunate that Daehoon still didn’t know about their relationship and didn’t really pay attention to it. Because the moment he knew, it would become a headache. What if Daehoon asked why the face of that Woo Minkyung-ssi he met back then and the Woo Minkyung-ssi at the Center now were different? And what if that somehow reached their mother’s ears?
“That can’t happen!”
They absolutely had to avoid getting caught about the matchmaking, the Woo family, and their relationship and identities. That’s why yesterday at that gathering, not a single one of them revealed that they were Ilkyung’s noonas.
“Noona, what do I do, huh? What should I do?”
Like a puppy that needs to pee, anxiously whining and fretting, Minkyung looked at such a younger sibling with a pitying expression.
* * *
Arriving at the company parking lot, Ilkyung looked at the massive building and sighed.
“That damn alcohol.”
“Who’s the damn one? Don’t tell me it’s me?”
“Hieek!”
Ilkyung was so startled he nearly collapsed on the spot.
“Why are you so surprised?”
Daehoon chuckled and added one more thing as he passed by Ilkyung.
“Don’t think about avoiding it and come to my office as soon as you clock in. I’ll tell Team Leader Park, so don’t worry.”
Ilkyung clenched his fists and trembled. He wanted to get back in the red sports car he got from his noona and drive back home. But Ha Daehoon wasn’t someone who would let that slide. Daehoon walked a few steps, turned around, and stared intently.
“Aren’t you answering?”
As those black eyes stared at him piercingly, unable to withstand that atmosphere, Ilkyung shouted back.
“I said I got it! Go, go!”
“Alright, then let’s meet upstairs.”
