By Zephyria 
The manager walking ahead looked back to check if Han Seung-jae was following. Han Seung-jae’s face, with its cold eyes, remained devoid of expression. Feeling a chill, the manager hurried his pace as if being pushed.
“This is the place.”
The manager slid the sliding door open. Even without his words, the boisterous noise leaking from beyond the door had already given it away.
The people filling the long table were in the middle of conversations, passing drinks back and forth. Their gazes gathered one by one toward a single point. However, no one acknowledged Han Seung-jae as he stepped inside.
Despite this gathering having continued for several years, Han Seung-jae, who felt not a shred of intimacy, headed toward the seat of honor where Executive Director Jin Tae-won sat. To his left was Jin Seok-young.
The seat opposite was empty, and Executive Director Jin Tae-won, who was smoking, gestured for Han Seung-jae to sit there. He then brought the cigarette to his lips again and scattered white smoke.
An employee, following smoothly behind Han Seung-jae, took his coat. Another employee approached as Han Seung-jae sat down, placing a small glass the size of a finger joint and tilting a ceramic bottle to fill it with liquor.
“I didn’t think you’d come.”
As he spoke, Executive Director Jin Tae-won crushed the cigarette he was smoking into the ashtray.
Han Seung-jae lifted the glass in front of him and drank, his lips fitting perfectly against the rim. The employee behind him immediately refilled the glass.
“You really look like someone who came to collect a debt.”
When Jin Seok-young spoke, Executive Director Jin Tae-won’s sharp gaze pierced him before returning. That alone was enough to make Jin Seok-young turn his head the other way.
“Vice President Seo Dong-hu couldn’t attend because something came up at home.”
Jin Tae-won let the comment slip, recalling that Seo Dong-hu and Han Seung-jae were related by marriage. However, Han Seung-jae wore a look of complete indifference. It seemed he hadn’t even known that Seo Dong-hu was absent from the start.
Just then, Kwon Gwi-jun approached from behind Han Seung-jae. Despite sensing the presence, Han Seung-jae’s arm, holding the glass, did not stop. Kwon Gwi-jun spoke to him as he drank.
“I wanted to apologize for what happened last time. I kept trying to contact you, but you wouldn’t meet me…”
It seemed Secretary Park had blocked the attempts, so no reports had even reached Han Seung-jae. Moreover, even if they had been delivered, Han Seung-jae would have consistently refused to meet Kwon Gwi-jun. Thus, there was no flaw in Secretary Park’s handling of the matter. Rather, it was as if he understood Han Seung-jae’s intentions perfectly.
“I didn’t know such a thing would happen. I’m sorry about then.”
“If you were sorry, you shouldn’t have done it.”
Han Seung-jae’s expression was even more scathing as he replied. Executive Director Jin Tae-won took out another cigarette and lit it.
Unable to watch any longer, Jin Seok-young stood up and wrapped his arm around Kwon Gwi-jun’s shoulder to turn him away. Jin Seok-young himself had an experience of visiting Han Seung-jae’s office in the past, only to stand before the door like a discarded sack of barley, unable to even enter. Since it would likely be the same this time, he couldn’t let Kwon Gwi-jun stand there until the gathering ended.
Jin Seok-young whispered to Kwon Gwi-jun.
“I heard Gyu-ho is leaving the group.”
It was a natural result. Their relationship had already crumbled after the marriage with Jin Seon-yu fell through. Even the families had turned against each other. Thus, Ham Gyu-ho had expressed his intention to no longer attend these gatherings. And above all, that was what Jin Seok-young wanted. He never wanted to see that brat’s face again.
However, since Kwon Gwi-jun and Ham Gyu-ho were friends who always drank together, Jin Seok-young seemed concerned. He looked around as if searching for someone. Where is he? His eyes darted busily among the drinking crowd. It looked as if he were trying to find a drinking buddy for Kwon Gwi-jun.
Han Seung-jae, who had been drinking steadily, set down his glass.
“So, how do you intend to pay me back?”
Han Seung-jae’s voice lacked inflection, but his gaze was meaningful. Executive Director Jin Tae-won, who had been smoking with a composed face until then, met his eyes.
At the same time, Jin Seok-young spoke toward Kwon Gwi-jun.
“There he is. Min Seon-woong.”
Jin Seok-young stared at Min Seon-woong, who was entering through the door. In terms of age, he’s the youngest here. I heard he’s still a college student. Kwon Gwi-jun’s head turned slowly.
As Min Seon-woong drew closer, Executive Director Jin Tae-won pointed at him with the hand holding the cigarette.
“Here he comes.”
Approaching with a bright smile, Min Seon-woong greeted Jin Seok-young and Kwon Gwi-jun politely.
Watching the beaming Min Seon-woong, Han Seung-jae turned his head toward Executive Director Jin Tae-won.
Han Seung-jae hadn’t been expecting monetary compensation. If he had wanted that, there would have been no need to come here. That would have been a complete waste of time for him. Thus, Han Seung-jae hadn’t even considered that Executive Director Jin Tae-won would give him money as compensation. But to think it would be a person. Moreover, it was Min Seon-woong, Min Ra-hyeon’s younger brother.
“He apparently came to see Seok-young, saying he’s well-acquainted with Director Han and desperately wanted to join this group.”
The people gathered here mostly spent their time drinking heavily and talking nonsense about Omegas, but it wasn’t a place just anyone could enter simply because they wanted to.
In other words, Executive Director Jin Tae-won intended to pay his debt by accepting Min Seon-woong into the group.
“Seung-jae Hyung.”
Having finished greeting Jin Seok-young and Kwon Gwi-jun, Min Seon-woong approached in one stride. He sat beside Han Seung-jae and filled his glass, taking the employee’s place.
“Have you been doing well?”
Throughout the time Han Seung-jae had walked in, no one had readily approached him or spoken to him. However, such an expression could not be found on Min Seon-woong, who sat beside him.
Was it because he was young and inexperienced, unaware of Han Seung-jae’s nature? Or was it because he was that close with Han Seung-jae?
“My brother is currently indebted to you, right? I’m trying to persuade my father, but I think it’ll take a bit more time. I’m sorry.”
Han Seung-jae looked at the glass, filled precariously to the brim, and spoke.
“Do you have no grasp of the situation at all?”
“What?”
Min Seon-woong wasn’t the first person to use Han Seung-jae to enter this place. There had been Seo Dong-hu. However, that was a relationship that would eventually become in-laws, and he was a blood brother to Seo Yi-kyung, so even if an exception were made, Min Seon-woong had no such connection. Even if his father, Min Chae-ho, was close with Han Seung-jae’s father, it had nothing to do with Han Seung-jae.
Han Seung-jae’s cold lips parted again.
“What a strange way to pay a debt.”
Min Seon-woong, who had not understood Han Seung-jae’s words at all, had a look of surprise in his eyes.
“Let’s leave. I’ve lost my appetite for the drink.”
Han Seung-jae stood up immediately. He had almost forgotten the fact that there was a debt to be collected. Thus, he had no intention of collecting it now. He stepped away without lingering. Regardless of whether Jin Seok-young frowned or glared, his eyes remained consistently dry. He exited through the door.
“What, he’s leaving already?”
“He must have something urgent.”
Once Han Seung-jae disappeared, comments about him drifted from here and there. Meanwhile, people glanced at Min Seon-woong, who had been sitting next to Han Seung-jae until a moment ago. He’s from Seeum Global. What’s that? I don’t know, you brat. They said it’s some trading company. How should I know?
The words they spat out were more than enough to reach Min Seon-woong. Nevertheless, he maintained a deep smile on his lips and reached forward to fill Executive Director Jin Tae-won’s glass. However, Jin Tae-won waved him off with the hand holding the cigarette.
“I’m fine. The liquor Director Han drinks doesn’t suit my taste. It’s quite potent.”
* * *
As Han Seung-jae opened the sliding door and stepped out, employees passing by brought his coat. Step, step. Outside, snowflakes were already fluttering quite a bit.
As Han Seung-jae appeared at the entrance, Secretary Park stepped out of the sedan. He opened a black umbrella, tilting it, and opened the rear door. A deep shadow fell over Han Seung-jae’s entire body.
Thud. Secretary Park closed the door, immediately folded the umbrella, and took his seat in the driver’s seat.
Han Seung-jae’s cold features were reflected in the glass window.
—Do you know that too? Seung-jae, you resemble your mother a lot.
Han Seung-jae felt as if Seo Yi-kyung’s soft voice was brushing past his ear. And that meant, damn it, that he also resembled his father. That wasn’t something that could be denied, was it? No matter how much Han Seung-jae refused to admit it, he was born and raised between those two.
“Perhaps because he paints, his eye for detail is accurate.”
Furthermore, Han Seung-jae knew his father well. There was no way his father truly didn’t know that Min Chae-ho, whom he had known for a long time, was suffering from management difficulties. Yet, the reason he didn’t step in to help…
It was likely because even if he lent money, there would be no ability to pay it back.
And even Han Seung-jae, who didn’t want to resemble his father, was exactly the same in that regard. He never did anything that involved taking a loss.
On the road where snow was falling late at night, the sedan repeatedly stopped and started. Despite this, Han Seung-jae didn’t work as usual and remained lost in thought. Eventually, the car stopped in front of the townhouse.
Stepping out of the car, Han Seung-jae passed through the iron gate and strolled through the garden. He entered the house, declining to have Secretary Park follow him with the umbrella.
Inside the quiet house, the dim light that had seeped in from the garden lingered. However, Han Seung-jae’s gaze stopped at one place.
He continued walking while staring at the back of the person sitting on the sofa. As he drew closer, his eyes landed on the paint on the collar. There were also traces of oil paint on the shoulder area.
Somehow, it wasn’t an illusion that he felt better than before.
“Have you been painting until now?”
Han Seung-jae spoke while maintaining a distance so as not to startle him as before. At the same time, he fiddled with the wristwatch on his left hand. Just as he was about to check the time, Min Ra-hyeon, who was sitting on the sofa, turned his head back.
“Are you only coming home now?”
Han Seung-jae loosely released the hand that had been touching the watch. Just then, the number on the elevator display changed from 2 to 1, and a clear, crystalline ding echoed. The elevator doors opened, and a long streak of light poured into the living room.
Seo Yi-kyung, stepping out of the elevator, spotted the two of them and came to a sudden halt.