Ding. The cheerful sound awakened Seo Baek-han from his reverie.
As he stepped into the elevator, Seo Baek-han gazed down at his feet.
He felt as if Joo Tae-hyun’s Pheromone, invisible to the eye, was trailing after him like a puppy. Even though he knew that couldn’t be the case.
The scent of water-soaked wood, the smell of grass…
Although not as intense as when facing an Omega in Heat, it was certain that Joo Tae-hyun’s unfamiliar Pheromone was nudging something within him.
But was this really okay? It seemed the more they mingled, the more hypersensitive he became to the unfamiliar scent.
Seo Baek-han tapped the toe of his shoe against the floor, a futile attempt to shake off Joo Tae-hyun’s scent that seemed to cling to his ankle.
* * *
DH Group Public Relations: “Will Take Strong Action Against Rumors Regarding Joo Tae-hyun’s Dirty Switch”
Early this morning, a post alleging that Joo Tae-hyun (husband of Seo Baek-han, director of Royal Hospital, and son-in-law of Assemblyman Seo Hong-gyu), the youngest son of DH Group Chairman Joo Il-wook, had taken a ‘Dirty Switch’ during his studies in the United States, sparked a major controversy on online communities and social media.
However, many pointed out that the photos presented as evidence were insufficient to prove Joo’s Dirty Switch use, and that the simultaneous upload of identical posts across various online communities was suspicious.
In response, DH Group’s public relations department stated this morning, “The rumors circulating on social media regarding Joo Tae-hyun’s Dirty Switch use are false, and we will take strong action against the spread of false information and defamation without any compromise or leniency.”
They added, “Joo Tae-hyun has consistently volunteered with various organizations, including the Guardian Lion, since childhood, and submits documents to these organizations annually proving that he is in good health, including drug reaction tests, to maintain his membership.”
Since each organization requires different document formats, this effectively cross-verified that there were no issues with Joo Tae-hyun’s drug test results from multiple sources.
Assemblyman Seo Hong-gyu’s office also unusually raised its voice, stating, “We will take legal action without leniency.”
The post has since been deleted.
“Well, that’s resolved nicely.”
Seo Baek-han placed the printout on the table, shrugging as if to ask what the problem was.
Assemblyman Seo took a deep breath as if about to shout, then shook his head, deciding against it. He also rapidly puffed out his lips like a horse.
“Apparently, Kim Seung-jun, the guy you humiliated at the Taeja Scholarship Foundation back in the day, is holding a grudge and stirring things up.”
Assemblyman Seo sullenly handed his son the top file from a mountain of documents.
What era is this? The urge to scoff at receiving a printed report, one page at a time, welled up in Seo Baek-han’s throat, but he silently accepted the stack of documents, not wanting to prolong his one-on-one time with his father by starting an unnecessary argument.
“You’re showing an unusually deep interest in something without any real evidence. Unlike you, Father.”
Even as a joke, Assemblyman Seo couldn’t be called a good father-in-law. The same went for the rest of his family.
Seo Baek-han’s blood relatives were utterly indifferent to Joo Tae-hyun. Not that they hated or tormented him; they simply lived like strangers, as they had before the marriage.
The people who hadn’t even offered a simple greeting to Joo Tae-hyun on his first day in Pyeongyang wouldn’t suddenly want to share a meal with him.
As far as Seo Baek-han knew, his family and Joo Tae-hyun had never even had a private phone call. If they needed his opinion, they would use a secretary or butler to relay the message rather than speaking to him directly.
To his parents, Joo Tae-hyun, or rather, DH Group, was merely a contractual partner and strategic ally.
So, for a while after the marriage, Joo Tae-hyun had been at a loss. He had timidly asked several times if he really didn’t need to visit his parents.
‘Hyung, is Assemblyman Seo very busy these days?’
‘Father? Is something wrong?’
‘No, well, I was wondering if we could have dinner together next week… It’s almost his birthday.’
‘Ah. Our family doesn’t usually celebrate birthdays, so don’t worry about it.’
‘Yes? But still…’
‘Really. Birthdays, holidays, Parents’ Day—don’t worry about any of that. From now on, you can just live however you want, thinking you don’t have in-laws. Isn’t that easier and better?’
Yet now, his father, a politician who usually ignored all sorts of nonsense, was harping on a rumor without any solid evidence. It was strange.
“You know the direct and collateral lines of DH Group don’t get along, right? And that the collateral line is burning with ambition to snatch shares from the direct line.”
There was no time to question the sudden change of topic. His father, stroking his chin and lost in thought, wore the face of Seo Hong-gyu, the seasoned politician, not the distant family member.
“I heard the collateral line is particularly worked up about this issue. That’s why DH’s PR department subtly mentioned other organizations when they announced their position, calling it a rumor… Well, I could accept that much.”
Assemblyman Seo frowned, finding it particularly bothersome that the originator of this incident was Kim Seung-jun.
“An executive from Taeja who grinds his teeth at Shifters, and who also holds a grudge against you for humiliating him, is stirring things up without any real evidence… I think there’s more to it than meets the eye.”
“Get to the point. I have an appointment.”
“I’ll have to arrange another meeting with your father-in-law soon. If Tae-hyun ends up holding you back because of this issue, we might have to rewrite the marriage contract.”
There was no need to hear more. Knowing his father would only say things to upset him, Seo Baek-han stood up without even opening the file he had been handed.
“I’m leaving.”
“Baek-han, my son.”
Assemblyman Seo gazed at his grown son with a lenient gaze, as if he were a naive child.
“Didn’t I tell you to practice suppressing your emotions, especially when it comes to the future of those close to you, whether family or friends?”
Though he didn’t want to admit it, the face of his father, who was pulling up the corners of his mouth and looking up at him, was a mirror image of his own. No, it would be more accurate to say that he had tried to resemble him.
“And if you didn’t want to hear my nagging, you should have taken care of small fry like Kim Seung-jun on your own. You’re over thirty, and you can’t even handle something like this properly, forcing the assemblyman’s office and the PR department to get involved.”
Assemblyman Seo Hong-gyu couldn’t be called a good father, even as a joke. His actions as a politician were also completely different from what Seo Baek-han aspired to.
However, he had effortlessly endured the weight of a great family he had been born into, and he had thoroughly separated public and private matters to build a solid image that he wanted to project externally.
Seo Baek-han acknowledged that much, and it was the only thing he wanted to emulate from him.
“Arrange a meeting with Chairman Joo. If I step in directly, the atmosphere will inevitably become tense. First, we need to have a light conversation.”
“Father, no, Assemblyman Seo. I think you’re mistaken. I’m the captain and helmsman of this contract. I’ll handle it myself.”
Seo Baek-han tilted his upper body slightly, maintaining a smooth smile as he met his father’s eyes.
“I think I’ve repeatedly told you since I was young not to think about using your son for business.”
“Seo Baek-han.”
“Don’t think about interfering in my affairs. You know how messily I can make a scene if I set my mind to it, don’t you?”
Seo Baek-han smiled sweetly, stood up, put his hands in his pockets, and whistled as he left the assemblyman’s office.
“Ah, right.”
Grasping the doorknob, he turned back to Assemblyman Seo as if he had just remembered something.
“Since you said I don’t have the ability to handle things, would you mind helping me out a little more? I had some rather loud sex with Tae-hyun at the Grand Pyeongyang Hotel a few days ago, without any Switch, of course.”
“Wh-what?”
“I was hoping you could use your influence to keep the rumors from spreading too much. Well, I wouldn’t mind the reputation of being sexually potent.”
As soon as he closed the door, there was a loud noise. It sounded like he had thrown a stack of documents to the side.
“What a stubborn old man.”
Seo Baek-han decided to stop trying to dig up Joo Tae-hyun’s whereabouts through Secretary Nam. Although he was now confident that both Butler Hwang and Secretary Nam were his people, there was no harm in being cautious. Until now, he could excuse himself by saying that he was merely cross-checking after being threatened by Kim Seung-jun.
So, what should he do from now on…? Should he ask Choi Yeon-jun? No, it might be better to call Cheon Seung-pil and ask him directly.
As he left the assemblyman’s office building in a swaggering manner, his pocket vibrated with a long ring. Seo Baek-han smiled crookedly as he checked the name on the screen.
“…He can’t help but be a nobleman.”
It was Joo Tae-hyun.
─ Hyung, it’s me.
“Are you just waking up? You’re late.”
─ Yes. I was, uh, resting… But, ahem, why tonight?
“Hmm? It’s Friday, isn’t it?”
─ Y-yes, it is. But why?
“Why? We agreed to go on a date every Friday night, didn’t we?”