His voice was so loud I thought my eardrums were going to burst with a pop. My ears felt slightly numb, and from his voice that had more depth than I expected, I came to a realization.
What the hell. He’s not a friend but an elder?
With my limited insight, I figured he might be a university senior. There was a possibility he could be a professor, but if that were the case, he wouldn’t have been saved as just ‘Hyungman.’ I smiled shamelessly and offered an apology.
“Ahem, Hyungman hyung? You must have been surprised. I’m sorry. Yesterday I…”
I was about to make an excuse that I had mistaken him for someone with the same name and sent the wrong message, but the shouting continued.
[What, you bastard? Are you really going to come at me like this! Huh?]
I had no choice but to take the call with the volume minimized. What if I end up damaging my hearing at this rate?
“No, Hyungman hyung. When someone’s apologizing, it’s hurtful if you react like that.”
When I didn’t hide my hurt feelings at the bitter words I had to hear right after waking up, there was no answer from the receiver for a while. Just as I was looking at my phone screen wondering if the call had disconnected, I heard laughter that sounded like he’d lost his mind.
[Haha, hahaha, you sly bastard…]
“I’ll call you back later, hyung. I just woke up so I’m too out of it right now.”
[Nam Heejae, you son of a bitch!]
When I tried to vaguely end the call, another cursing festival unfolded.
[Damn bastard. Where did you learn such manners, where!]
Having to endure the shouting without even knowing why made anger slowly rise in me too. But just as I was about to hang up because I didn’t have the energy to argue.
[Did I raise you like that, you bastard? Is there anything your father hasn’t done for you?]
“…What?”
All my drowsiness vanished as I bolted upright.
“Fa-father?”
[Suddenly acting like a stranger, Inseok! Do you hate talking to your father?]
“You’re really my father?”
I was just dazed as if I’d been doused with cold water. So, this person is Nam Heejae’s father and the head of Intol, famous as a pioneer of ESG management and social entrepreneur? Nam Heejae’s father?
“…Hyungman-ssi?”
When I asked again, unable to hide my absurdity, another cold silence descended.
“……”
What crazy bastard in the world saves their father as ‘Hyungman’! Nam Heejae, this bastard is completely insane too. Compared to Baek Sahyun, it wouldn’t even amount to a drop in the bucket, but it was equally ridiculous.
[That’s right! What have you been doing and where have you been running around to avoid your parents’ calls?]
Only then did I notice the pile of missed call notifications stacked at the top of my phone. Come to think of it, for several days after possessing this body, I hadn’t contacted anyone except Baek Sahyun and Chae Eunwoo.
In other words, Nam Heejae had been out of contact with his family for several days. His family must have started worrying, but having lived my entire life as an orphan, I hadn’t thought that far.
Heesu, Heeyeon, Heemin, Heeae.
The sight of four names, presumably Nam Heejae’s older sisters, decorating the missed calls list felt strange. From my perspective of being tied together as family with just Haesu and me, there was no other family this large.
“I-I’m sorry?”
When I answered with a wavering tone, Hyungman-ssi shouted angrily.
[Were you with that bastard Baek Sahyun again?]
“Uh, Sahyun?”
[Stop sticking to him all the time! What are you going to do if you get caught?]
As I was wondering why Nam Heejae’s father would dislike Baek Sahyun, Hyungman-ssi gave a hint as if frustrated. No, he probably just said it without much thought, but I just got a hint from it.
[If it becomes public that you’re a Beta pretending to be an Alpha, forget about saving face for both of us, we’ll just be laughed at. Unlike those Baek family bastards, you’ll constantly be looked down on for not having a Dominant Alpha in the family.]
I opened my mouth in dismay. I realized I had completely pushed it to the back of my mind. Nam Heejae’s fatal weakness. The fact that he wasn’t a real Alpha but a fake Alpha.
Actually, I had been thinking that, but when it became my own problem, I had just brushed it off indifferently. I wasn’t identifying Nam Heejae with myself—honestly, I’d been looking at him somewhat like a stranger.
Wow, then Baek Sahyun… doesn’t he know that Nam Heejae isn’t an Alpha?
Nam Heejae’s father, Mr. Nam Hyungman, spoke in a charismatic voice.
[You need to be especially careful when you’re in front of Baek Sahyun. That bastard has a demon in his eyes. In my experience, getting involved with those Baek family bastards has never led to a good ending.]
“…Is that so?”
Even as the serious advice poured out, my mind was recalling Baek Sahyun from two days ago. I hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but now that things had turned out this way, anxiety crept in.
“There’s no foul smell today…, that’s a relief.”
The guy had muttered in his sleep while wrapping me up tightly in the blanket.
“If there had been, your skin…, would be in big trouble….”
I had thought that psychopathic bastard was just spouting psychopathic nonsense again, but it seemed to have been quite a meaningful remark. Did he figure it all out? He must have, right? It was inevitable since I hadn’t even thought about hiding it…?
I was about to urgently hang up and try to contact Baek Sahyun, but Hyungman-ssi changed the subject.
[You didn’t forget about the yacht party next week, right?]
I had no knowledge of it, but I acted first and thought later.
“Yes yes, of course.”
Right now, my heart was anxious just from thinking about Baek Sahyun. A yacht party is just one of those things, right? The kind of parties that often appear in daily dramas. Gatherings where high-ranking officials and corporate figures come together to build camaraderie.
However, this party seemed particularly important, as Hyungman-ssi’s nagging was relentless.
[Make sure to bring a decent Omega. Was it Sooyoung last time? That girl was nice and polite, she seemed fine.]
I couldn’t bring myself to mention the breaking news that he had probably broken up with that person, and timidly answered with a “Yes.” Then Hyungman-ssi suddenly lowered his decibel level and whispered.
[There will be Alphas swarming everywhere, so watch yourself. Do you have enough pheromone perfume?]
I felt like I’d been hit on the back of the head as my mouth dropped open.
“Pheromone perfume….”
As soon as I muttered those words again, Hyungman-ssi followed quietly.
[Always carry that with you. It will be your lifeline.]
Then click, the call ended.
Right. Pheromone perfume—I remember reading about it in the novel too. Whether in Western or Eastern countries, its sale was illegal, but wealthy families with Beta children were all sneakily avoiding the law to purchase it.
It had the advantage of allowing you to emit whatever pheromones you wanted, whether Alpha or Omega traits, as soon as you sprayed it, but naturally, obtaining such an item wasn’t easy.
How had I managed to get this precious perfume that was no different from a lifeline? Surprisingly, I hadn’t used it even once since possessing this body. I’d been living as an invincible Beta with nothing but the smell of bare skin.
“It would have been better if smart Haesu had possessed this body instead of stupid me.”
No. Then Haesu would have had to be hit by the car, so wasn’t it fortunate that I was the one who went through it? Don’t be discouraged, Jang Woohyun. There’s still a possibility. You’ve only met two people since possessing this body.
…I wanted to rationalize it that way, but failed miserably.
Damn it, fortunate my ass! Of all people, those two are Baek Sahyun and Chae Eunwoo. They’ve manifested as Alpha and Omega respectively, so their noses must be on the level of a dog’s nose.
Actually, Chae Eunwoo wouldn’t care whether I’m a Beta or an Alpha, so there’s no problem there. Even in the original work, Chae Eunwoo liked Nam Heejae regardless of his traits.
So even if my identity were exposed, the risk from Chae Eunwoo wouldn’t be great. Besides, with Nam Heejae’s level of wealth, even if Chae Eunwoo spread rumors, couldn’t it be handled quickly?
Therefore, the problem was none other than Baek Sahyun.
What? No foul smell? That bastard Baek Sahyun… it seems like he noticed that my trait is Beta. Growing anxious, I forgot my resolution from a few minutes ago to make distancing myself from him my top priority and called him.
The ringtone went on for a while, then abruptly cut off.
[The call cannot be connected and will be transferred to voicemail after the beep, and call charges will apply.]
Damn it, damn it! That bastard who usually contacts me like a ghost is cowardly backing out at this important timing. Why?
I anxiously bit my nails and called him again and again, and again. Just like Baek Sahyun had done to me on the first day of possession.
‘Please answer! Answer!’
However, the one who actually made contact wasn’t Baek Sahyun but a different person.
Chae Eunwoo
Hyung! The yacht party is coming up soon, right? Haha
Don’t forget to take me too
“It’s Chae Eunwoo?”
I was dumbfounded looking at the message that arrived from him with a zing. Where did this guy hear about this to contact me? But I chose to accept rather than interrogate.
Because Hyungman-ssi had specifically told me to bring a decent Omega, and the only Omega I knew was Chae Eunwoo.
Yeah, Eunwoo. I don’t know how you found out, but I won’t ask.
Let’s go together for now.
Then Chae Eunwoo immediately sent a lukewarm reply.
Chae Eunwoo
Hyung, you said we’d go together in March… no way;;;
Ah… so it was Nam Heejae who said that. For a brief moment, I felt apologetic for mistaking Chae Eunwoo for a protagonist from various dramas who was aiming for an opportunity to reverse his social status by gathering various information.
Sorry sorry~ I’m getting old so I keep forgetting^^ Sorry ^ㅇ^
I sent a sincere cute emoticon, but Chae Eunwoo was merciless.
Chae Eunwoo
You can’t even remember our promise, I’m really disappointed
I’m upset ㅠ……
Are you really the Heejae hyung I know?
Shocked, I threw my phone far away and escaped back into sleep.
