By Zephyria 
Тhеre was no nееd to ask whiсh parts wеrе nоt visiblе. Аs sоon as thоsе wоrds were sрoken, sevеral аreаs sprаng to mind. Тhе innеr thighs, or pеrhaрs the back—рlaces likе that.
Regardlеss, for thоsе reasons, Woo-уeon attеndеd sсhооl wearing аn ivorу shirt. It wаs smearеd with Dо-hyun’s pheromоnes аnd thе size was fаr tоо lаrgе, but it was wеаrablе enough.
The problеm was that аs soon аs the lecturе endеd, he reсеived a сall from Drivеr Yoоn.
‘Тhe Сhаirman is саlling for уоu.’
Drivеr Yoon аrrivеd to рiсk uр Wоo-yeon with surprising timing. It was as if he had known Woo-yeon would contact him; he was already waiting in front of the main gate with the car parked. Left with no choice, Woo-yeon had to board the limousine while drawing everyone’s attention.
“He could have called me in a more ordinary way…”
He was already attracting enough attention, but now he was the center of it. He didn’t even know how many reporters’ flashes went off while Driver Yoon was opening the car door for him. The most memorable part, however, was the sight of Ga-ram and Seon-kyu staring with wide eyes.
“Whew.”
Taking a deep breath, Woo-yeon touched the area around his neck. Beyond the shirt collar that reached up to his neck, mottled heat flowers had bloomed. They were quite vivid marks, but they likely wouldn’t be seen unless he unbuttoned the shirt.
“Ten minutes…”
Roughly estimating the time, Woo-yeon slowly scanned the office. The classic wooden interior hadn’t changed much from before he went to America. The wall full of plaques and the chandelier. The sofa had been replaced with a different one, but even that wasn’t a significant change.
Then, ten minutes later. As expected, the office door opened. Instead of standing up, Woo-yeon simply turned his head to look. Through the wide-open door, a tall woman with a cold impression walked in.
“….”
She was like a predatory beast. Her sharply cut hair and the perfectly fitted suit reflected her meticulous personality. Even the sound of her heels echoing on the marble felt as if it had been engineered to be precise.
“Chairman, the car is…”
“Wait outside.”
She crossed the office and sat at the desk that bore the nameplate ‘Ji Su-hyang’. A gaze resembling a predatory bird species passed the secretary and landed on Woo-yeon. The secretary bowed as before and stepped out of the room.
“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
A heavy pheromone seeped into the air. She had only spoken a single sentence, but the sense of intimidation was no joke. Reflexively, Woo-yeon straightened his back and looked her straight in the eye.
“…You’re a bit late in contacting me.”
It was the mother he was seeing for the first time in four years. A face that anyone in this country would recognize, and the only person Woo-yeon called ‘Mom’. A typical member of the social elite, where everything was explained by the name ‘Ji Su-hyang’ alone.
“Please speak. You don’t seem to have much time, so I’ll just hear your business and leave.”
Four years was enough time to feel a sense of longing, but Woo-yeon only thought about how uncomfortable this situation was. He was on the guest sofa, and Su-hyang was at her own desk. The void between them was as wide as the physical distance.
“Well… fine. I imagine we are both busy.”
Su-hyang responded nonchalantly and reached for the tablet PC on the desk. It was very like her not to ask tedious questions about his well-being.
“I caught the culprit who posted on the community. He’s twenty and went to the same middle school as you. His name is Lee Yeongbin; I don’t know if you’ve heard of him.”
It was a sudden revelation, but Woo-yeon wasn’t surprised. However, since no one named Lee Yeongbin came to mind, he frowned slightly. Well, in truth, Woo-yeon couldn’t remember the name of any student except for Kang Jun-seong.
“This boy is indeed the one who posted, but it seems he doesn’t attend university. Since there are photos taken in places like lecture halls, there must be another culprit…”
“I know who it is.”
Su-hyang’s gaze turned toward Woo-yeon. Su-hyang, who had pale pigmentation overall, had particularly light-colored pupils. Perhaps that was why, looking at her occasionally gave him goosebumps.
“Before that, there’s something I need to tell you.”
Woo-yeon began slowly, casting his eyes downward.
“The person I’m…”
He wondered for a moment how he should refer to the Teacher. Soon, a very appropriate term slipped out.
“…dating.”
It was a rather cringeworthy pronoun. Su-hyang narrowed her eyes.
“He hit the person who took the photos.”
This had been his purpose for meeting his mother from the start. The moment Do-hyun hit Jun-seong, his cold, calculating mind reached one conclusion: Do-hyun must not be harmed under any circumstances.
“It happened because of me, and he might be sued.”
It was a simple explanation, but in the end, it was a request for her to handle it. His mother, who was brilliant unlike himself, would have understood his meaning immediately.
“…He hit him?”
However, Su-hyang wore a rare expression of bewilderment. She frowned slightly and pressed her lips together. After a brief silence, Su-hyang nodded.
“Yes, I will take care of it.”
Unbeknownst to Su-hyang, Woo-yeon let out a sigh of relief. Even if she said she would ‘take care of it,’ she wouldn’t just let it be. For now, he could breathe a sigh of relief.
“And this.”
Su-hyang pushed the tablet PC toward Woo-yeon. Woo-yeon stood up silently and approached her.
“This is the article to be released within this week. I’ll distribute the same content to the three major news agencies, so take a look.”
On the screen she presented was a neatly organized article. The official position of Selection Group Chairman Ji Su-hyang, and the truth about her son, ‘Seon Woo-yeon’. For the most part, the words did not deviate far from the facts, and Woo-yeon asked in a dry voice.
“If I tell you not to release it, will you bury it?”
“You’re asking something obvious.”
As if it weren’t even worth answering, Su-hyang added.
“You don’t have that authority.”
“…I didn’t know you called me just to show me something like this.”
Disappointment? No, to be precise, it was a sense of loss. Woo-yeon put down the tablet PC and spoke slowly.
“I guess that’s why you didn’t take down the previous article.”
“….”
“Because you’re going to make it public anyway.”
“I can’t hide you forever.”
“You never had any intention of hiding me in the first place.”
The article even contained the fact that Woo-yeon was her biological child and not an illegitimate one. His face wasn’t known yet, but it was only a matter of time before his living space became restricted.
“It’s a way to protect you.”
Su-hyang spoke in a calm voice. She spoke so nonchalantly that she almost seemed cold. Hearing those words, Woo-yeon laughed self-deprecatingly.
“I knew you’d say that.”
There were many things he wanted to say, but he didn’t have the energy to dwell on it further. Others said they felt stability when they sensed a family member’s pheromones, but Woo-yeon only felt endlessly exhausted. No matter when or how he felt them, it felt like he was suffocating.
“I don’t know why you called me when everything is already decided… but next time, have Reporter Yoon deliver things like this. Don’t call me here and there so noisily.”
It was certain that when he went to school tomorrow, he would be at the center of controversy again. Just thinking about being mixed among whispering people made his head throb.
Looking at Woo-yeon, Su-hyang spoke softly.
“If I told you I called you because I wanted to see you…”
Woo-yeon looked up. The gaze that collided in the air felt somehow unpleasant.
“Would you believe it?”
“You’re asking something obvious.”
It was the same phrase Su-hyang had used earlier. Meaning, do you think I would believe that? As if she had expected this, Su-hyang blinked slowly.
“I won’t make this long. Come back to the house.”
“I don’t want to.”
There was no need to hesitate. Along with the refusal, Woo-yeon gave her the reason.
“You promised you wouldn’t do that until I graduate.”
Upon entering university, Woo-yeon had made one promise with Su-hyang: he would receive succession training after graduation, so she must not interfere in any way until he graduated. If not for this promise, Woo-yeon would still be in America.
“I’m not telling you to quit school.”
“I told you I don’t want to.”
“Seon Woo-yeon.”
Woo-yeon flinched and shut his mouth. Su-hyang, who had pale pigmentation overall, had particularly light-colored pupils. Perhaps that was why, looking at her occasionally gave him goosebumps.
Su-hyang spoke stiffly, layering her pheromones low.
“Don’t act like a child. Think of your dignity and position.”
These were words Woo-yeon had heard endlessly since he was very young. He had heard them so often he had memorized them; he couldn’t forget them now.
“Once the article is properly released, it will be difficult to attend school without bodyguards. Do you think you can still stay in that house then?”
“…If you don’t release the article.”
“You know I have no hobby of repeating the same words.”
Her transparent pupils flashed sharply. It was an expression that wouldn’t let a single needle through. As soon as Woo-yeon bit his lip, Su-hyang continued.
“No matter where you move, there is no place as safe as the main house. Take Driver Yoon’s car every morning and evening, and be accompanied by bodyguards during lectures. I’ll be disposing of the house you were living in soon.”
Well, he wouldn’t be able to enter it anyway because of the reporters. Woo-yeon’s eyes widened at the added remark. Su-hyang spoke as if it were nothing.
“Did you think I wouldn’t?”
In truth, he hadn’t thought about it. Because he had been staying at Do-hyun’s house the whole time, Woo-yeon hadn’t even paid attention to what happened to his own home. He had simply vaguely assumed that reporters wouldn’t go that far.
“If you intend to make that child’s house unusable as well, I won’t stop you.”
The calm voice flew like a dagger. Su-hyang looked Woo-yeon up and down and tilted her chin.
“He cannot protect you.”
“….”
“At most, he can let you sleep over for a few days and put a scrap of a shirt on you.”
Yes, there was no way she wouldn’t know. There was no way a dominant type like Su-hyang wouldn’t notice pheromones smeared this thickly. She must have noticed from the start that the shirt belonged to someone else.
“I’m not telling you to break up. I have no intention of forcibly separating you from someone you’ve liked for four years.”
“….”
“However, the situation is—”
“Mom.”
Cutting her off, Woo-yeon stared blankly at Su-hyang. A single question surfaced in his cluttered mind.
“Do you know who I’m seeing?”
For a fleeting moment, bewilderment crossed Su-hyang’s face. It was a very brief change, but Woo-yeon saw it clearly. Her always confident gaze crumbled, and her eyes shifted away into the air.
But before long, Su-hyang answered nonchalantly.
“…I know.”
Speaking slowly, Su-hyang looked back at Woo-yeon. In her clear pupils, the agitation from a moment ago was nowhere to be found. Her calm voice was the same.
“Because pheromones don’t change even after four years.”
It was a reasonable point. In the past, Woo-yeon couldn’t sense pheromones, but Su-hyang would have sensed Do-hyun’s. Therefore, it wasn’t surprising that she recognized it immediately.
“Then, about that.”
However, Woo-yeon did not easily let go of his suspicion. Because that wasn’t the only strange thing.
“How did you know I was staying at that house?”