The volunteer group, 〈Haechi〉, spearheaded by Second Prince Yi Rok, now Prince Hwakin, and Seo Baek-han, had been widely loved by the public since its inception.
It was inevitable, considering that only descendants of independence activists could even join. Even after becoming a full member, anyone who didn’t contribute to the public good was invariably removed from the roster. Being a full member of 〈Haechi〉 was tantamount to a certificate of diligent participation in various campaigns and volunteer activities.
Thanks to this, prominent families, regardless of political or business circles, spared no effort to ensure their children could associate with 〈Haechi〉 members. For the next generation, who needed to make their names known, there was no more attractive means than 〈Haechi〉.
The giant corporation, DH Group, was no exception, though they were of a different caliber than the riffraff, given their full membership status.
A full member and high-value donor of 〈Haechi〉, of a similar age, and both male Alphas.
Due to these common denominators, Seo Baek-han and Joo Tae-hyun were often mentioned together.
However, that didn’t mean the two were particularly close.
They were in a relationship where they exchanged greetings just enough to avoid mutual annoyance.
They would describe each other to others as someone they knew, but not quite a friend, a superficial relationship where honestly, deleting his name from their contacts wouldn’t cause any inconvenience in their lives.
For Seo Baek-han, Joo Tae-hyun was just that kind of existence.
‘Ah. I see.’
But Joo Tae-hyun liked him. No, liked him in the past.
It was unexpected, but that was the extent of his reaction. He didn’t even care whether the kid’s feelings were in the past or present tense. The confession of a callow youth who would look better in a school uniform than a tailcoat didn’t resonate much with Seo Baek-han. Seo Baek-han was so used to receiving admiring glances from others that he was immune to them.
Someone he barely knew suddenly saying they liked him? He’d experienced it countless times since he was young. Because he had often experienced similar things unintentionally, Seo Baek-han knew why people confessed their feelings to him in the past tense.
When they secretly wished for mutual feelings while desperately trying to convince themselves that they had no expectations.
At such times, people would utter lines similar to the confession Joo Tae-hyun had made back then, wear a similar expression to Joo Tae-hyun’s, and glance at him.
This wasn’t a matter of Seo Baek-han’s keen nature. They all came with the same, cookie-cutter repertoire, making it impossible to pretend not to know.
I like you, I used to like you… There were already five people who had said that to him and run away today alone. No, now that Joo Tae-hyun was included, it was six.
It was getting tiresome.
It wasn’t that Seo Baek-han disliked Joo Tae-hyun for making an unexpected confession, nor did he suddenly find him amusing or easy to handle. He was simply bored because the same predictable situation was repeating itself.
Rather, Seo Baek-han had a fairly good impression of ‘Joo Tae-hyun, the youngest son of DH Group.’ Considering how notoriously overprotective the elders of that family were of their youngest, and yet he hadn’t caused any significant scandals, Joo Tae-hyun was doing a good job of conducting himself.
Someone who knew how to handle his reputation in his situation.
Even if he had no personal interest, Seo Baek-han always held such people in high regard. Moreover, Joo Tae-hyun was much younger, so he might be a promising talent.
‘Tae-hyun, how old are you again?’
As he asked, he remembered the adults trying to persuade the kid about Boarding School and Liberal Arts earlier. They had said he was only seventeen and praised him.
‘Seventeen…’
Seo Baek-han repeated Joo Tae-hyun’s age to himself and chuckled involuntarily.
He probably wouldn’t be close to Joo Tae-hyun in the future, but that didn’t mean he needed to become awkward with him. Well, that kind of calculation was becoming ridiculous.
The unwanted yearning of others was still annoying, but he didn’t want to be serious with someone seven years younger than him.
‘Seventeen…’
Joo Tae-hyun’s shoulders slumped more and more each time Seo Baek-han mentioned his age.
Now, Joo Tae-hyun couldn’t even lift his head properly and was barely fixing his gaze on Seo Baek-han’s chest.
‘Do I really have to answer right now?’
‘Yes?’
Joo Tae-hyun’s head, which had been sinking endlessly, snapped up. It was as if ink had been poured into his eyes. The color was so deep, yet strangely hazy, that Joo Tae-hyun’s eyes reflected none of the dazzling lights, remaining in their own unique hue. If one had to categorize it, he had a glamorous and pretty appearance, but Joo Tae-hyun rarely received such compliments, probably because of his melancholic eyes and mouth.
‘No, it’s not that… Absolutely not.’
Seeing Joo Tae-hyun’s wide eyes and shaking head made him laugh involuntarily. He realized that he could be flustered too. Seeing Joo Tae-hyun’s age-appropriate side for the first time, Seo Baek-han’s desire to act out of spite, as he usually did, faded slightly.
‘I’m leaving the country soon, I’m going to study abroad. I won’t be coming back to Korea for a while, so I just wanted to tell you once before I left.’
‘Okay. Anyway, thanks for thinking well of me, Tae-hyun.’
Seo Baek-han smiled faintly, only lifting the corners of his lips. He knew that people were mesmerized when he made this expression, and Joo Tae-hyun was no exception. As expected, there was no easier way to end an unpleasant situation.
‘Was it London where you’re going to study abroad? Study hard.’
It seemed like this was the first time he had seen Joo Tae-hyun this close, and standing under the chandelier, he could see the soft down on his cheeks. He felt a little sorry for being annoyed just a moment ago, thinking, ‘Even you, Joo Tae-hyun,’ because he was just a kid.
‘Contact me when you come back to Korea. I’ll buy you something delicious.’
As he offered a moderately affable but empty consolation, Joo Tae-hyun inhaled sharply. It seemed he had finally realized that his confession hadn’t been taken seriously. He wasn’t completely clueless, but he didn’t seem used to being rejected. Well, having grown up being loved at home, there might not have been anyone who had clearly drawn a line with Joo Tae-hyun until now.
‘…Yes.’
Joo Tae-hyun, who had lingered with his mouth agape several times, as if he still had regrets despite Seo Baek-han’s roundabout rejection, soon put on his characteristic indifferent expression and gave a stiff greeting.
‘Then… Happy New Year, hyung.’
‘Yeah, you too.’
It was fortunate that he didn’t seem like the type to become troublesome out of hurt pride.
‘Study hard.’
Seo Baek-han ruffled Joo Tae-hyun’s hair and turned away without hesitation. He pretended not to notice the lukewarm gaze that lingered on the back of his head for quite a while.
The first extremely private conversation he had ever had with the gloomy-looking kid ended like that.
“I’m sorry, hyung.”
“Hmm.”
Seo Baek-han, who had been retracing Joo Tae-hyun’s young face from three years ago, made a sound in his throat for no reason and woke up from his reverie.
“It’s just that it’s an important topic… I’m a little nervous.”
Seventeen-year-old Joo Tae-hyun clearly looked like he was wearing whatever the adults had recommended. But now, he seemed to have grown enough that the coats and jackets he had chosen to his liking didn’t look out of place. He had not only grown taller but had also bulked up compared to his gaunt former self, and he was no longer as downy as he used to be.
Of course, he hadn’t completely shed his youthful air.
“It’s okay, just say it as you sort it out in your head. I just need to leave here by 6:40.”
“Still, I know you’re busy, hyung…”
“Tae-hyun.”
Seo Baek-han glanced at his wristwatch and picked up the book on the table. It was the National Museum of Korea’s special exhibition Illustrated Book, which he had been looking at to check while Joo Tae-hyun was a little late.
“There are still 53 minutes left.”
Opening the folded page, Seo Baek-han glanced at the staff member waiting in the distance. He shook his head slightly at the staff member who was about to approach him and gestured towards the water glass. The staff member, who had worked at the 〈Haechi〉 lounge for quite some time, would have understood what he meant with a simple signal.
“I am busy, but I said I would come because I could make time for this much today.”
“…….”
“If it’s such a difficult topic that it’s hard for you to open your mouth, it’s better for me if you organize your thoughts and tell me.”
“Excuse me. Is there anything else you need?”
“No, thank you.”
The staff member, who had intervened at the right time as instructed, placed a glass of water in front of Joo Tae-hyun, and Seo Baek-han thanked him on his behalf.
“I’ve set this time aside entirely for you, so it’s your freedom to use it however you want. There’s no need to feel sorry.”
“…….”
“But if you waste this time being sorry, then you’ll really have to be very sorry to me.”
“…Yes. I understand what you’re saying.”
“Okay, let’s talk again when you’ve sorted out your thoughts.”
Seo Baek-han leaned back on the sofa in a rather relaxed posture and turned his gaze to the Illustrated Book.
Surely he wasn’t going to say something like he still liked him and now that he was twenty, he should accept him…
He hoped it wasn’t that. If a guy who knew the weight of his name better than anyone else called him out under the pretext of family matters and then rehashed his confession, Seo Baek-han would be greatly disappointed in Joo Tae-hyun this time. Regardless of Joo Tae-hyun’s background, he would never want to associate with him again.