By Zephyria 
The door closed, and Han Seung-jae pulled over a new approval folder and opened it. He stopped reading the report and tapped the tip of his pen. When did it start? When did he begin receiving reports on Seo Yi-kyung’s every single move?
Of course, in the beginning, it wasn’t this excessive, nor was it a daily occurrence like some pathological obsession. Han Seung-jae’s eyes deepened as if tracing back his memories.
―I heard your fiancé has been decided?
…Min Ra-hyeon approached the young Han Seung-jae. Being the same age, he was a recessive Omega, and it seemed he had followed his father today as well.
Han Seung-jae, who had been sitting in the living room, closed the book he was reading.
―You must sit quietly.
―Yes.
His father, Min Chae-ho, murmured briefly and followed Butler Choi inside. His face looked a bit more haggard than the last time he had seen him, but Han Seung-jae remained consistently expressionless and indifferent.
Min Ra-hyeon stepped close to Han Seung-jae, who was sitting on the sofa. With a cute appearance and short hair, Min Ra-hyeon rested an arm on his shoulder.
―Aren’t you curious about who told me?
Han Seung-jae pushed his hand away with the book he was holding. He wasn’t curious, and it was obvious who had told him. He must have heard it from Min Chae-ho, his father’s longtime friend. It wasn’t worth answering, nor was it necessary to think about.
Min Chae-ho was a different kind of person from his father. Seeum Global. As the eldest son of an international trade empire, he was a man who had abandoned his family to choose the person he loved. What was the result? Looking at Min Ra-hyeon’s personality—how he didn’t discriminate and got along easily with anyone—it seemed like a harmonious household.
Finding it tedious to deal with him, Han Seung-jae stood up and headed for the stairs to go to his room. Min Ra-hyeon followed closely behind him.
―Ta-da! I took a photo. I staked out the front of the school for a while and finally managed to get one.
Min Ra-hyeon held out his phone. In the eyes of Han Seung-jae, who was climbing the stairs with a book in hand, a young ‘Seo Yi-kyung’ with a pale face appeared. He was walking alone, just having stepped out of the school gates. Having finally caught Han Seung-jae’s attention, Min Ra-hyeon gave a faint smile and swiped through the photos.
―See. I knew you’d be curious.
No matter how many photos he swiped through, ‘Seo Yi-kyung’ was always alone.
* * *
Tap. Having finished his reminiscence, Han Seung-jae placed the signed approval folder in front of him.
Was it from then? He didn’t remember exactly, but it seemed to be around the time Min Ra-hyeon went to study abroad. That was when he began giving direct orders to bring him photos of Seo Yi-kyung.
The engagement had been arranged according to his father’s will. Han Seung-jae had only been told the name ‘Seo Yi-kyung’ and the facts that he was the second son of Woorim Construction and an extreme dominant Omega; he knew nothing more about him. Furthermore, he could not go against his father’s wishes. At the time, Han Seung-jae was only eleven years old. There wasn’t much he could rebel against.
However, he had intended to call off the marriage once ‘Seo Yi-kyung’ turned twenty and reached marriageable age. But when he actually heard from his father that President Seo of Woorim Construction had asked to postpone the wedding, Han Seung-jae felt a strange, alien emotion in a corner of his heart.
―What an ill-mannered household. Once your wedding is over, you must cut ties with that damn family immediately.
President Han, sitting in his office, repeatedly struck the armrest of the sofa. His father was indignant, and his mother watched him with a worried expression. Han Seung-jae, sitting before them, said nothing. Was it because President Seo had already said what he wanted to say? Even now, he couldn’t pinpoint exactly why he had felt that emotion back then.
After that, he married ‘Seo Yi-kyung.’ If he were to look for a reason, the biggest factor was that there was no one else he liked.
Moreover, marriage held no particular meaning for Han Seung-jae. Furthermore, it was hard to find a reason to reject an extreme dominant Omega.
The current ‘Seo Yi-kyung’ was by his side with the same face as the one in the first photo he had seen. However, experiencing him firsthand, many things were different from what Han Seung-jae had heard and been reported.
He thought he would have a softer, more indecisive personality.
But while he seemed mindful of others, he said everything he wanted to say. Until now, there had been no such person around Han Seung-jae. Yet, he never made any requests at all, not even regarding family matters. He acted as if he didn’t need Han Seung-jae’s help in the first place.
These alien emotions were things he had never experienced before. Among the people who might have approached him with confidence but eventually ended up asking for help, pleading, begging, and finally showing a servile side, only Seo Yi-kyung was different.
* * *
“It’s done.”
Seo Yi-kyung looked at the canvas, which captured the view looking down from the hill, with moved eyes.
“There’s still… some left.”
Jin Seon-yu moved the brush in his hand without hesitation. A brush was also held in the hand of Seo Yi-kyung, who stood beside him. He was merely applying the same color to the areas Jin Seon-yu touched, layering it on.
Despite that, there was more paint on Seo Yi-kyung’s hand and dress shirt than on Jin Seon-yu, who had actually painted the piece. Still, Seo Yi-kyung couldn’t take his eyes off the canvas as it gradually neared completion.
“Is it all finished now?”
Jin Seon-yu’s profile was serious, unlike a moment ago.
“Once it dries, it needs to be painted one more time.”
Seo Yi-kyung stared at the tips of Jin Seon-yu’s fingers as he continued to layer the paint.
“This should be enough.”
“I heard you’re in a slump. Isn’t that why you haven’t painted a single thing yourself?”
Seo Yi-kyung’s fingertips faltered. His cheeks, which had been smiling unconsciously, stiffened. It seemed Jin Seon-yu had noticed that he had merely been tinkering with the areas Jin Seon-yu was painting.
“That’s true, but…”
Seo Yi-kyung trailed off. Jin Seon-yu lowered the brush in his hand.
“It’ll take about a week to dry. What do you want to do?”
Seo Yi-kyung blinked.
“What?”
Jin Seon-yu turned his head. The beads of sweat that had been on his forehead were now gone. Even while painting, Jin Seon-yu had occasionally looked around as if on guard.
“We have to finish it. Where should we meet again? Or will you see me here?”
“…I think it would be better if I just did it.”
After thinking for a moment, Seo Yi-kyung shook his head.
Jin Seon-yu dipped the used brush into a jar. While doing so, he took the brush Seo Yi-kyung was holding and washed it as well.
“But I never dreamed I’d meet you here. I guess you were still living here even after getting married.”
At Jin Seon-yu’s words, which sounded somewhat sentimental, Seo Yi-kyung blinked. After cleaning the brush, Jin Seon-yu flicked it and added,
“Meet me here in a week.”
“What?”
“We have to finish the painting.”
Seo Yi-kyung gazed blankly at the painting on the canvas. Jin Seon-yu held out the cleaned brush to Seo Yi-kyung. Accepting it, Seo Yi-kyung replied,
“I’ll handle that.”
Just layering some paint. He felt he could manage that much.
“Looking at you earlier, it seems like you haven’t painted in a long time.”
Jin Seon-yu glanced down at Seo Yi-kyung’s hand. His eyes lingered on the finger wearing a ring.
The fingertips of the hand holding the brush curled. What should I do? Did he notice I’m a different person? Should I have avoided getting help after all? However, he had been consumed by the thought of completing the painting.
Seo Yi-kyung turned his head to stare at the canvas. The skill was several times more magnificent than anything he could have painted himself. If it had been the original ‘Seo Yi-kyung,’ what decision would he have made? He probably wouldn’t have even come here today.
“Thanks for the help. I’ll do the rest.”
“Then, can you lend me some money? I left my wallet behind because I left in a hurry.”
Seo Yi-kyung’s lips parted. He soon turned to look at Butler Do. Since he had even painted the picture for him, wouldn’t that much be okay?
Butler Do stepped closer, took a wallet from his inner pocket, and handed over a few bills. Having received the money, Jin Seon-yu took a phone out of his pocket. He touched the screen out of habit, but as the phone didn’t light up, he lowered it and looked up.
“Give me your phone.”
Seo Yi-kyung handed over the phone he took from his bag. Jin Seon-yu, who Seo Yi-kyung thought would call someone, entered his own number. Then he pressed the call button. However, looking at the dark screen, he returned the phone to Seo Yi-kyung.
“I’ll pay you back next time we meet.”
Seo Yi-kyung hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should say it wasn’t necessary. This was because the money wasn’t his. But before he could add anything, Jin Seon-yu quickly ran back the way he had come.
Next time…
There was no way such a thing would happen. Seo Yi-kyung followed Jin Seon-yu’s receding back with his eyes. Seo Yi-kyung lived about an hour away from here. Moreover, it was a place he had moved to upon marriage. He hadn’t felt the chance or the need to mention that fact. Therefore, it was unlikely they would meet again. Suddenly, Seo Yi-kyung’s eyes shimmered.
Jin Seon-yu. He remembered seeing that name in the original work.
A wedding invitation had been sent to ‘Seo Yi-kyung.’
[You are invited to the wedding of Ham Gyu-ho and Jin Seon-yu.]
Butler Do had asked ‘Seo Yi-kyung,’ who was looking at the invitation from a former classmate, if he would attend. He had smiled and said he would go. After seeking permission from Han Seung-jae, he attended the ceremony with Butler Do, bringing a gift. Amidst the surging crowd, Jin Seon-yu was the most dazzling.
[Gi-jun didn’t attend, huh?]
[More importantly, Seon-yu, I heard you’re pregnant?]
[I heard it was a ‘shotgun’ wedding.]
[They were going to get married anyway. Whether they have the baby before or after the wedding, it doesn’t really matter.]
[No. Look at that bastard Gyu-ho’s face. He was drinking with me until dawn today with an Omega clinging to him. That bastard said he didn’t want to get married.]
The two of them were starkly contrasted.
At the drinking party, Ham Gyu-ho openly told people that Jin Seon-yu was unilaterally following him and that he was bored to death because of it. He told them not to ever get married. Because of this, rumors spread that Jin Seon-yu had gotten pregnant just to capture Ham Gyu-ho’s heart. They constantly belittled Jin Seon-yu.
* * *
“…Are you finished?”
Butler Do approached and looked around. He then called the driver. A moment later, the driver walked quickly up the darkening hill.
He carefully lifted the canvas, which had not yet dried. Butler Do slung the bag containing the art supplies over his shoulder and packed the easel. Seo Yi-kyung grabbed the picnic basket.
Though the scenery was unchanged from when he first arrived, Seo Yi-kyung couldn’t take his eyes off the park landscape filling the canvas.