By Zephyria 
While handing over the car for valet parking and tidying his clothes, Hui-won let out a nervous breath.
Why was he so jittery over something like this?
After deciding to attend the gathering, he had memorized everything from the personal details of the <Hyangyeonhoe> members to the professional titles of their spouses. He only hoped that he wouldn’t make any mistakes.
As he opened the glass doors and stepped inside, the sensory interior of the gallery filled his vision. The air touching his skin was so crisp and pleasant that it was evident how meticulously the place was maintained.
“Welcome to Silentium.”
At the employee’s cheerful greeting, Hui-won approached cautiously.
“I heard there is a Hyangyeonhoe meeting here today.”
“Ah, yes! I will guide you. Please come this way.”
Following the employee’s lead, he ascended to the third floor of the gallery. From the dazzling sunlight to the forest of trees visible beyond the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the building itself felt like a work of art. Hui-won secretly marveled at the CEO’s exceptional aesthetic sense as he walked.
Knock, knock. The employee knocked on his behalf and swung open the double doors. The moment he stepped inside, ten pairs of eyes converged on him at once.
He thought he had arrived on time, but contrary to his expectations, he was the last to appear, causing Hui-won to instinctively straighten his posture.
Mrs. Choi, who had given him the invitation, welcomed him with the skillful poise of someone presiding over the gathering.
“Welcome. I was just wondering when you would arrive.”
Her somewhat exaggerated and elegant voice tickled the ears of the listener. Hui-won greeted her politely and then whispered softly.
“Did I perhaps mistake the time?”
“No. Everyone just happened to arrive early today. This way, quickly.”
Mrs. Choi led him with quick steps. She then stood him in the center of the vast hall and urged him to introduce himself.
Though momentarily flustered by the awkward situation, Hui-won proceeded with his introduction smoothly.
“It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Kim Hui-won. I am thirty-two years old and currently work in the secretary’s office at Apex. I have been married for about a year and a half.”
As he finished his introduction, a faint sound of applause echoed. Despite there being ten people, the welcome was meager.
“Everyone, please feel free to chat. He is a member who has joined after a long time, so please take good care of him.”
Mrs. Choi gave Hui-won a subtle push, throwing him into the crowd. To survive in this jungle, Hui-won instinctively scanned his surroundings. The majority of the group were women, with ages ranging from their twenties to their forties.
If anyone asked what an Omega looked like, he wanted to show them this scene. Every single one of them boasted a beautiful appearance. Hui-won, being a head taller than the rest, stood out inevitably as he towered over them.
Fortunately, there was one other male Omega present besides himself. A man who looked quite young at a glance had a blank expression and was practically hiding in a corner. He seemed to be overwhelmed by the presence of the madams.
Hui-won greeted the members of Hyangyeonhoe one by one. Contrary to the sharp glares he first received, the reactions became favorable once they faced him.
Was it just favor? Quite a few of them were even releasing pheromones toward him. He wondered why they were doing this…
“Oh my. Goodness, you are just too handsome. How tall are you?”
“I am 180 centimeters.”
“That is exactly my preferred height! My husband is too tall, so we don’t quite match.”
What was he supposed to do with that information?
“Could you give me your contact information? I’d like to get closer to you while we’re at it.”
The madams were clingy to an uncomfortable degree. Refusing them was a task in itself. However, Hui-won handled it skillfully. With several years of experience as a secretary, this level of control was no problem.
He spoke in roundabout terms so as not to offend them, adding a polite tone and well-mannered demeanor.
The madams actually liked the flattering words. The harmonious atmosphere continued without interruption.
After finishing the general introductions, Hui-won approached the one person he hadn’t exchanged a single glance with. It was the male Omega who had been drifting on the outskirts of the group.
“Hello. You are Yoo Jae-hee, correct? It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Ah… hello.”
Unlike the other madams, who were overjoyed when their names were called and acknowledged, Yoo Jae-hee looked slightly frightened.
Had he said he was twenty-three? Seeing him up close, he was a total baby. His face was fair, and he still had a hint of peach fuzz.
“Um… I don’t usually attend these meetings, but I came because I wanted to meet Hui-won nim.”
The fragile voice was barely audible. To ensure he didn’t miss the words, Hui-won leaned forward slightly to meet his eyes.
“I see.”
“Yes, my uncle… I mean, CEO Seo dislikes it. He says the people here are too aggressive and tactless… and that I’ll be corrupted if I meet them.”
Despite the fragile voice, Yoo Jae-hee spoke quite boldly. Hui-won had to bite his lip hard to keep from laughing.
“But when he heard Hui-won nim was coming, he gave me permission.”
For a moment, Hui-won thought of Yoo Jae-hee’s spouse. Ah… that scary-looking man.
He had met CEO Seo a few times at major events. Like Kwon Young-je, he was a Dominant Alpha and a highly skilled businessman who had started with a startup and now led the largest ICT company in the country.
He believed the man was nearing forty. Wow… he married a child like this? Isn’t that a total theft?
Hui-won looked down at Yoo Jae-hee’s petite frame with pity. The more he looked at Yoo Jae-hee, who was like a rabbit or a small animal, the more he felt the urge to take care of him. He was the textbook definition of an Omega.
“I’m not that special. Thank you for the kind words.”
“I’m serious, I really want to be friends.”
Yoo Jae-hee subtly grabbed the sleeve of Hui-won’s suit jacket. He looked up at Hui-won earnestly with eyes as clear as glass beads.
“I want to meet you separately later… could you give me your contact information?”
Ah, I have to give it. What are you doing, Kim Hui-won? Get your wallet out right now.
Faced with Yoo Jae-hee’s gaze—which felt like it could extract both his liver and gallbladder—Hui-won moved briskly. He took a business card from the inner pocket of his jacket and secretly slipped it into Yoo Jae-hee’s sleeve, meticulously checking the surroundings to see if anyone was watching.
“Please contact me whenever it’s convenient for you.”
At that, the face of the baby, who had been timid and shrinking the whole time, instantly brightened. He couldn’t hide his joy at having achieved his goal for the day.
“…….”
Hui-won’s lips curled up in a smile as well. Seeing that look made CEO Seo seem even more despicable. That man really has no conscience.
Once the introductions were roughly finished, they decided to have a tea time. Name cards were placed at each seat on a long table. Hui-won searched for his spot. He ended up sitting far away from Yoo Jae-hee. It was a shame, as he had been feeling a subtle sense of kinship as fellow male Omegas.
Yoo Jae-hee, sitting at the end of the table, was sending Hui-won a sympathetic look. The reason was that the people occupying the space around Hui-won were all burdensome figures. To his left, right, and front, high-pressure madams were stationed.
Usually, the newcomer is assigned a secluded seat. How did I end up as the target of the “mean girls”?
Hui-won felt a great sense of responsibility in that moment. He pressed his back firmly against the chair and squared his shoulders. He had too much experience to be pushed around by their momentum. Compared to Madam Im, the madams around him were merely a single flower.
“The atmosphere has brightened up now that a new person has joined.”
The Omegas’ tea time was elegant even to a casual observer. Every time they drank tea, they held their pinky fingers straight up.
Hui-won barely managed to grip the handle of the teacup, which was too small to even fit an index finger comfortably. Both the luxurious teacup and the fragrant scent of the tea were nothing but uncomfortable.
“Shall we slowly begin?”
Mrs. Choi, who was presiding over the meeting, opened the conversation with refinement.
“I am thinking of making a donation in the name of Hyangyeonhoe. And we can put out an article to match. I’m considering places like children’s hospitals or orphanages; what does everyone think?”
It was a plausible suggestion. Madams practicing noblesse oblige. It was perfect for enhancing the prestige of their spouses.
Since most shared similar thoughts, the reactions were predominantly favorable. Just then, Yoo Jae-hee, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, timidly raised his hand.
“Since we’re doing it… wouldn’t volunteer work be better?”
For a moment, the madams paused as if by agreement. Then, as if breaking the frozen air, bursts of laughter erupted simultaneously.
“Oh my, how could we volunteer? We can just solve it with money.”
“You want us to go and change babies’ diapers? I even had a nanny raise my own child.”
“Did Yoo Jae-hee say he worked part-time at a cafe before marriage? Someone used to menial labor might think that way. But we aren’t like that; no one here has ever gotten a drop of water on their fingertips.”
They even brought up Yoo Jae-hee’s past. They poured out insults in a sophisticated language, suggesting that because he was only a high school graduate, his perspective was narrow and that he was far too ignorant about the upper class. They were essentially saying he was of a different grade than them.
Hui-won listened in silence and rubbed his brow. He could roughly gauge the level of Hyangyeonhoe through just a brief exchange.
He was used to the “young lady” style of speech, but the exclusionary manner of belittling others to elevate oneself made him uncomfortable.
“These days, the social atmosphere has changed a lot, so superficial sponsorships that just hand over a bit of money tend to invite backlash instead.”
“…….”
“I completely agree with Yoo Jae-hee’s opinion. It seems he has an awakened consciousness, being a young person. Why don’t the rest of you take this opportunity to broaden your thinking?”
The atmosphere froze instantly. Hui-won realized instinctively. He had already made a complete mess of things.