Instead of properly making counterarguments or expressing their grievances, the researchers cleared their throats and calmed their excitement.
“Now stop paying attention to Seo Jiwoo. What about the rest of those bastards?”
Besides Seo Jiwoo, Lee Hyeonseok had secretly recruited participants to change their traits from beta to omega. Since he had told his family it was trait research, it was only natural that if there was only Jiwoo, all attention would be focused on Jiwoo’s side. With the intention of cutting off interest in Seo Jiwoo as is and continuing the experiment with the remaining personnel, when the easy-going Lee Hyeonseok asked about the condition of the other participants, Cha Minjae spoke as if embarrassed.
“The thing is, it seems difficult unless they’re trait holders with strong pheromones. Looking at the current progress, it seems only about four out of fifteen people will undergo trait change.”
“Who exactly.”
“Lee Juwon-ssi, whom the CEO is concerned about, seems like he’ll manifest as an omega. And aside from Jeong Seonghyeon-ssi, Kim Hyeona-ssi, and Choi Minseo-ssi, it would be better to fold on the others.”
“Lee Juwon….”
Cha Minjae answered using the expression “manifest” rather than “trait change.” Whether Lee Hyeonseok cared or not, he furrowed one eyebrow and muttered Lee Juwon’s name with displeasure. He didn’t want to get involved with Lee Juwon, but it was too wasteful to give up so easily on an experimental subject confirmed to change into an omega. With the recruited participants being uncertain whether they would change or not, if only Seo Jiwoo changed, Jiwoo would have to bear the burden of all future research.
Lee Hyeonseok, unable to hide his extremely disagreeable expression, proposed to Han Taeseok that he participate, asking if he didn’t want to manifest Lee Juwon as an omega. Fortunately, Han Taeseok was simpler than Cheon Jaekyung, and since there was a situation in the original work where transformation occurred through pheromones, even while feeling reluctant, he eagerly took the offer. Right away, Han Taeseok proposed cohabitation to Lee Juwon using Lee Hyeonseok as an excuse and followed what Lee Hyeonseok told him to do.
It was in some ways natural that Cheon Jaekyung, who learned of this, came at Lee Hyeonseok again. Lee Hyeonseok chose appeasement instead of completely suppressing him. To Cheon Jaekyung, who had become someone cut off from his family after becoming sexually dysfunctional, he wagged his tongue saying that on the premise of quickly ending the legal battle, he would let him stay by Lee Juwon’s side in addition to the treatment he had been providing.
Although Cheon Jaekyung was the second son, he had a future of becoming the successor by pushing aside the eldest, but now it was after he had lost everything. For him, there was no method other than taking Lee Hyeonseok’s hand. Lee Hyeonseok deceived Han Taeseok saying “Cheon Jaekyung is necessary to manifest Lee Juwon,” and Han Taeseok stupidly believed it, resulting in the three of them living together.
Lee Hyeonseok, judging that since they were main characters in the novel, there was a high possibility they would be involved with him in the future, found them irritating. Moreover, it would have been quite troublesome if the three people were separate, but putting the three under one roof made surveillance very convenient. He was even starting to think that strangely, the characters’ personalities had become more emotional than in the original work.
“But, CEO…”
“What.”
“There seems to be another person who will manifest…”
“You said four people. Can’t you count?”
“I’m sorry. It’s just that it’s subtle…”
When Ji Seonghoon hesitated and acted frustratingly, Lee Hyeonseok frowned and slowly approached. The surroundings froze in the suddenly menacing atmosphere. Even releasing threatening pheromones made it suffocating. Ji Seonghoon, who was close by, lost strength in his legs and ended up sitting down right there. When Lee Hyeonseok kicked the sitting Ji Seonghoon’s solar plexus with his shoe, he collapsed with a gagging sound.
“If it’s subtle, what the fuck do you want me to do about it? Why do you think I give you a research lab and money—to figure out how to handle that. Are you saying that your fancy head isn’t working so you want me to crack your skull open? Should I crack it? I’m fucking good at cracking skulls. I was always good at it, but after experiencing it, I think I’ll be even better at it, so just say the word.”
The researchers had long known that Lee Hyeonseok’s personality was originally nasty, but even taking that into account, today was too nasty. It was practically at the level of a sudden outburst. However, for Lee Hyeonseok, it was justified—he had just left his omega Seo Jiwoo at home after finishing his heat period and was anxious, when Ji Seonghoon was hesitating and blocking his way. For an alpha with a mate, this was no different from begging to be beaten. Naturally, kicking Ji Seonghoon wasn’t enough for Lee Hyeonseok, so he lifted his foot to stomp on the fallen Ji Seonghoon’s head. At that moment, a researcher at the very back quickly opened his mouth.
“It’s not that participant—it seems like a collaborator will manifest!”
“Collaborator?”
Although it was research conducted without the beta even knowing about the experiment’s existence in order for an alpha to change a beta into an omega, they called the betas participants and the alphas collaborators. Anyway, the researcher’s words succeeded in stopping Lee Hyeonseok’s movement, as Hyeonseok put his leg back down and asked back. The researcher quickly provided an answer, lest he incur Lee Hyeonseok’s wrath again.
“It’s Cheon Jaekyung-ssi.”
“…Say it properly.”
“Cheon Jaekyung-ssi is showing signs of manifesting as an omega.”
The researcher answered Lee Hyeonseok’s question once more accurately. Lee Hyeonseok, rarely, was at a loss for words.
“Cheon Jaekyung.”
After hearing that Cheon Jaekyung, whom he hadn’t thought about at all, was showing signs of manifesting as an omega, Lee Hyeonseok was momentarily at a loss for words, then told them to proceed with that research secretly and left the center.
“I’m sorry, young master. It took longer than expected.”
“It’s fine.”
As he left the center, Lee Hyeonseok’s secretary Cha Minjae, who had just been sent on an errand, bowed slightly to him and apologized. When Lee Hyeonseok, who would normally have said something, got in the car without a word, Secretary Cha was puzzled but got in the driver’s seat.
“As you instructed, I’ve identified all the omegas and alphas near the new residence you’ll be moving into.”
“I see.”
Lee Hyeonseok had instructed Secretary Cha to find a house with good security for Seo Jiwoo, who would become an omega and be in danger, and at the same time to remove all omegas and alphas. This was because he couldn’t have dangerous alphas, of course, as well as omegas acting like they were dying, near Seo Jiwoo.
His mood, which hadn’t been very good, became quite better when he thought about the house he would newly share with Seo Jiwoo. Just as Lee Hyeonseok was raising one corner of his mouth and beginning pleasant imaginings, Secretary Cha opened his mouth.
“Young master. When should I schedule the counseling?”
“What counseling.”
“For Jiwoo-nim. Didn’t he manifest as an omega?”
“Why.”
When Lee Hyeonseok frowned slightly and asked at Secretary Cha’s out-of-the-blue question, Secretary Cha answered as if it were obvious. However, Lee Hyeonseok still didn’t understand even at Secretary Cha’s answer and asked back. Secretary Cha, who had been looking into hospitals and counselors in advance thinking Lee Hyeonseok would instruct him first, asked just in case he might be rebuked by Lee Hyeonseok later, but never in his dreams did he expect the question “Why?” to come out.
“…People who manifest as alphas are three out of ten, but nine out of ten people who manifest as omegas have depression, self-harm, or make extreme attempts, they say. Just in case, wouldn’t it be necessary for Seo Jiwoo-nim as well?”
Secretary Cha couldn’t understand the fact that Lee Hyeonseok, sitting as the CEO of the Trait Research Center, didn’t know statistics that would come up with just a little searching. At the same time, he sighed at the newly pitiful reality.
Unlike alphas, among people who manifested as omegas, cases of becoming shut-in loners were relatively good. With uncontrollable physical conditions and unwanted pregnancies causing depression, self-harm was basic and suicide attempts were frequent. Stories of people going completely insane eventually came out occasionally. The one person left out of nine was either someone who loved themselves—being frivolous about sex to the point of debauchery—or someone with a screw loose somewhere.
However, from Secretary Cha’s perspective, Seo Jiwoo was a normal person even if slightly off-point, and not someone sexually frivolous either, so thinking he would at minimum become a shut-in loner, he naturally thought counseling should be scheduled. In reality, the difference between humans who received counseling and those who didn’t was tremendous. As a joke, one of the professions whose workload increased with the discovery of new traits was said to be morticians or counselors.
Secretary Cha carefully stated his opinion while gauging Lee Hyeonseok’s mood, but Hyeonseok still looked at him through the rearview mirror with an evasive attitude. In the car where silence had settled for a while, Lee Hyeonseok’s snickering sound echoed.
“What’s the point of saying it, it’ll only make him feel bad.”
Then he calmly spat out words Secretary Cha hadn’t thought of at all. Secretary Cha felt like he understood Lee Hyeonseok’s words, yet found them difficult to understand. Indeed, it would be difficult to tell others about things one finds embarrassing or shameful even to oneself.
“Still, it would be better to receive…”
Secretary Cha carefully recommended again since statistically, results showed that people who went to psychiatry and met with counselors became mentally better, but the words that came out of Lee Hyeonseok’s mouth were nothing short of insane.
“And he looks cute when he’s scared, so why bother.”
“……”
Secretary Cha was even curious about how crazy Lee Hyeonseok was about Seo Jiwoo that the word “cute” could come out even after experiencing things like having his head cracked, a body part broken, and though he didn’t know it, almost having his life ended due to allergies. It was so unbelievable that he had even once thought perhaps he had actually made him an omega to secretly take revenge. That would have been more convincing. But what if that wasn’t it and his boss simply didn’t have a normal view of romance?
Suddenly, Secretary Cha was truly grateful that Seo Jiwoo was obedient to Lee Hyeonseok. Though there was a slight discrepancy in calling Seo Jiwoo’s behavior obedient, if he had been openly rebellious, as Jiwoo said, things might have gotten more tangled by touching his boss’s temper, so he could only be grateful.
It was also true. If Seo Jiwoo had come out openly rebellious, given Lee Hyeonseok’s disposition, he would have already broken his limbs and played with him as a toy at his own whim, so in fact, obtaining at least peace above the surface was thanks to Seo Jiwoo’s judgment.
Of course, below the surface, things Seo Jiwoo couldn’t think of were happening, so while Cha Minjae wasn’t without pity for Seo Jiwoo, as someone who knew well the disposition of the person he served, he kept his mouth tightly shut.
