By Zephyria 
A sedan came to a stop in front of a townhouse located in Seongbuk-dong. Han Seung-jae stepped out of the car with a cold expression and entered the building.
Jin Seok-young, who followed him out, could only watch as the door slammed shut.
Shortly after, another car approached, and Go Su-hwan scrambled out of it.
“Department Head Jin, did the conversation go well?”
Jin Seok-young gazed at the building surrounded by high walls. From the outside, the interior was completely invisible.
Without Han Seung-jae’s permission, there was no way to forcibly drag Jin Seon-yu out of that fortress-like building.
“Fuck.”
Unable to contain his anger, Jin Seok-young kicked his parked car violently. Inside the car, he had felt a strange sense of pressure from Han Seung-jae. The hierarchy between Alphas had been established in a mere instant. Han Seung-jae’s eyes, devoid of any expression, had pierced through his throat like a sharp blade. It was a feeling he had experienced only when he was with his older brother, Jin Tae-won.
* * *
A teacup and a three-tier dessert tray were placed in front of Seo Yi-kyung, who had taken a seat on a sofa in one side of the living room. Beside him, Jin Seon-yu reached out his hand. He picked up a macaron and took a large bite.
Butler Do tilted the teapot to refill the black tea. The sweet scent of tea quickly spread through the air.
Butler Do carefully observed Seo Yi-kyung’s face. Perhaps because the two had been together in the painting studio all morning, there were traces of paint on his fingertips. Seeing this, Butler Do placed towels in front of the two so they could wipe their hands.
Only then did Seo Yi-kyung seem to realize that there was paint on his fingertips. He rubbed his hands clean. Regardless, Jin Seon-yu was preoccupied with eating macarons with his paint-stained hands.
“Please feel free to talk.”
Butler Do turned away to avoid interrupting. Back when Seo Yi-kyung lived at his family home, he had never brought a single friend over. It might have been because Seo Dong-hu was there. Still, very occasionally, the name Jin Seon-yu had been mentioned.
Seeing Seo Yi-kyung personally invite such a person and spend time with him brought a wave of emotion to Butler Do. Since getting married, he had developed more of his own convictions. As he heard Seo Yi-kyung’s voice behind him, a sense of tenderness welled up in Butler Do’s eyes.
“Yi-kyung, you eat some too. It’s delicious.”
“Yeah, I will.”
The air in the house where their voices drifted was softer and gentler than usual. Because of that, it probably wasn’t just Butler Do’s imagination that Seo Yi-kyung’s face, as he left the painting studio, was brighter than it had been in a long time.
“…But you really must not have painted for a long time. The way you hold the brush and everything.”
Jin Seon-yu spoke while munching on a macaron.
The two had been in the painting studio together in the morning. Watching Jin Seon-yu handle the tools closely, Seo Yi-kyung had followed his lead quite well.
Seo Yi-kyung’s cheeks stiffened, and he hurriedly lifted the black tea in front of him to his lips. As the warm tea touched his lips and flowed down his throat, the warmth brought a sense of composure.
“I painted for a bit, then took a break. I’m trying to start again after getting married…”
Seo Yi-kyung mixed a bit of truth with lies. Perhaps that was why Jin Seon-yu didn’t seem particularly suspicious.
“I see.”
Seo Yi-kyung wanted to steer the conversation away from painting.
“Why don’t you want to go home?”
Jin Seon-yu reached out with his left hand and picked up his teacup. He took a sip and then popped the remaining macaron in his right hand into his mouth.
“It’s not exactly that.”
He set the teacup down and pulled his phone out of his pocket. Jin Seon-yu’s expression was uneasy as he turned on the phone he had kept off for a while.
“I have two older brothers.”
Seo Yi-kyung stared blankly at Jin Seon-yu. He fiddled with the phone as it slowly booted up. Notification sounds rang incessantly. Messages were flooding in without pause.
“My eldest brother told me not to get married.”
“…”
Seo Yi-kyung didn’t understand Jin Seon-yu’s words immediately. As if to resolve Seo Yi-kyung’s confusion, Jin Seon-yu spoke slowly.
Jin Seon-yu and Ham Gyu-ho, who were the same age, had manifested around the same time. Their family backgrounds weren’t significantly different. Because of this, marriage talks had naturally been arranged. However, once they became adults, Jin Tae-won told Jin Seon-yu not to marry. Rather, he said Ham Gyu-ho was not an option.
But Jin Seon-yu had harbored a one-sided love for Ham Gyu-ho for a long time. Wanting to be with him, he had even transferred to the school Ham Gyu-ho attended. Athletic and active, Ham Gyu-ho always had slender Omegas around him. He was kind to Jin Seon-yu as well. In truth, he wasn’t only like that with him. He was kind to all Omegas. It was only natural that Jin Tae-won, the eldest brother, disapproved of the flirtatious Ham Gyu-ho.
That was the reason Jin Tae-won opposed the marriage. Consequently, Jin Seon-yu had run away from home.
Jin Seon-yu swiped the phone screen.
[Please contact me when you see this.]
[Where are you? I will come pick you up right now.]
[Chairman Jin is incredibly worried. This could lead to something serious.]
[Are you hurt anywhere?]
Since he had run away recklessly, it was only natural that such messages lined up. Every single incoming message was signed by Go Su-hwan or Jin Seok-young.
[Where are you?]
[Call me as soon as you see this. Do you not know Tae-won Hyung’s personality?]
As expected, the name ‘Gyu-ho’ was nowhere to be seen.
“My eldest brother tells me to meet someone else… but I still like Gyu-ho. He’s nice to me when we’re alone. It’s fun and enjoyable when I’m with him.”
“…”
“My father says the engagement cannot be broken, but Tae-won Hyung’s word is absolute in our family. If Hyung opposes it until the end, I can’t get married.”
Seo Yi-kyung scratched his forehead. Even as they continued their conversation, messages from Go Su-hwan kept arriving. Then, a long vibration followed.
Buzz— buzz—
Jin Seon-yu gripped the phone tightly. It was a call from Go Su-hwan. Eventually, Jin Seon-yu answered and pressed the phone to his ear.
“How many times do I have to say it? I’m going to marry him even if I die, so stop calling me! If you don’t want to see me dead, tell Tae-won Hyung to give up!”
After saying his piece, Jin Seon-yu hung up immediately.
“…”
Seo Yi-kyung fell into thought for a moment.
In the original story, Jin Seon-yu and Ham Gyu-ho did get married. Specifically, it was due to Jin Seon-yu’s one-sided love. Ham Gyu-ho seemed to have no affection for him whatsoever. Having been joined like that, could Seon-yu truly be happy?
Buzz—
Jin Seon-yu turned off the power to his phone and drank the rest of the black tea in one go.
* * *
“You’ve arrived.”
Butler Do bowed his upper body toward Han Seung-jae as he entered the house. Although it was an earlier return than usual, the butler was neither surprised nor flustered. Butler Do spoke to him.
“They were painting until a moment ago, and now the two of them are together on the living room sofa in front of the studio.”
Han Seung-jae’s steps headed in that direction. From a distance, he could see Seo Yi-kyung and Jin Seon-yu sitting on the sofa, drinking tea and talking.
“I will go and inform him.”
Han Seung-jae stopped Butler Do as he started to move.
“Leave them.”
Though the distance was too great to hear the conversation, Seo Yi-kyung was looking at Jin Seon-yu and speaking. He looked like someone fully enjoying the pleasure of meeting a friend. Perhaps it felt that way because Han Seung-jae had rarely seen him speak at such length.
“Pardon?”
When Butler Do asked for clarification, he spoke with emphasis.
“I said, leave them.”
Han Seung-jae turned back the way he came and walked toward the dressing room. Throughout the time he changed his clothes and moved to the study, Butler Do remained rooted to the spot with a bewildered expression.
* * *
“I’m glad to see you’re doing well.”
Seo Yi-kyung gazed at Jin Seon-yu, reflecting on the meaning of those words. Jin Seon-yu waved his hand lightly.
“No, I mean, seeing the painting studio, you’ve set it up really well. All the tools are expensive ones.”
Seo Yi-kyung didn’t know the value of the tools in the studio. He simply figured the worn-out ones were things ‘Seo Yi-kyung’ had brought from his family home, and the new ones in the studio had been there since he entered this house, so perhaps Han Seung-jae had placed them.
Well, since he wasn’t a man with much free time, he probably delegated it to someone else. Even now, he didn’t arrive until late at night.
“Still, seeing you earlier, I think you could find your touch again if you just practice a bit more.”
“I-I see…”
Seo Yi-kyung forced a smile and gripped the teacup in front of him. As they chatted amiably, he felt a small corner of his heart become a bit more at ease.
Since coming here, there had been almost no one he could talk to comfortably, except for Butler Do.
He was always in a state of tension in front of Han Seung-jae. He remained on high alert until the moment he fell asleep in bed. There was no time to feel a sense of relief.
After talking with Jin Seon-yu for a while, Seo Yi-kyung picked up the empty teapot and stood up to head toward the kitchen. A helper approached and took the teapot from him.
The sound of footsteps echoed behind him, and Butler Do’s voice was heard.
“You didn’t call for me.”
Seo Yi-kyung turned around.
“It’s not even heavy. More importantly, please prepare dinner a bit early today…”
“Are you very hungry?”
At Butler Do’s question, Seo Yi-kyung nodded and replied.
“Seon-yu is.”
“Director Han is currently on the second floor; shall I go and ask him?”
“Seung-jae is?”
He hadn’t even considered that he would be in the house. But why hadn’t he heard any sound? Usually, when he came home, not only did the helpers’ movements change, but Butler Do would immediately come and inform him.
“Yes, he is currently in the study.”
* * *
Having reached the door of the study on the second floor, Seo Yi-kyung looked down at the tray he was holding. Since he couldn’t go empty-handed, he had brought the teapot to maintain appearances. Butler Do would have gone to Seon-yu. After hesitating for a moment, Seo Yi-kyung raised his hand and knocked.
Knock, knock—
His shoulders tensed at the heavy sound of the door. However, there was no response. He tilted his ear slightly and knocked again, but no sound came from inside.
After hesitating for a moment, Seo Yi-kyung reached out and grabbed the doorknob. The cold sensation spread from his fingertips to his palm. He slowly applied pressure and opened the door.
This was Seo Yi-kyung’s first time in the study. This was a place where Han Seung-jae primarily stayed and worked, and Seo Yi-kyung had spent his time on the second floor only in the bedroom.
Compared to the study, the first-floor painting studio where Seo Yi-kyung stayed was modest. It consisted only of art supplies and paintings hanging on the walls. In contrast, the study was sophisticated and modern. In particular, there were many items that looked like luxurious collections, drawing Seo Yi-kyung’s gaze here and there.
Suddenly, his eyes met those of Han Seung-jae, who was perched on the desk. He had been holding the phone to his ear and was now looking at the approaching Seo Yi-kyung while twisting his upper body diagonally.
Seo Yi-kyung’s pace gradually slowed. His legs felt heavy, as if something were wrapped around them. He felt an impulse to turn around and leave right then and there. He had wanted to ask about dinner on behalf of the busy Butler Do, but it seemed he had come at the wrong time.