Episode 3

“Ah, my head hurts.”

Since the knight dropped him off at school, Tae-seo slowly walked up from the school gate. He didn’t know where to go to attend class right away, but well, he figured he’d find out by wandering around the school like a lost child.

“Oh? Yoon Tae-seo.”

Someone tapped his shoulder, causing Tae-seo to frown even more.

“What.”

“What’s up? It’s your best friend, Han-soo-ji.”

“Ah.”

It was a name he had heard before. He was the only person who treated Tae-seo without any prejudice in the novel. A friend who would tell him it wasn’t his fault even when he was wrong. Thanks to him, Han-soo was the one who first discovered Tae-seo’s death.

Good. While he was being supported by Han-soo, Tae-seo leaned on him.

“Hey, you’re heavy.”

“I’d rather lean on you than you leaning on me; it looks better in the picture.”

“Is that so?”

Han-soo listened to Tae-seo’s words and supported him straightforwardly. Tae-seo, who could now walk without exerting too much effort, smiled satisfactorily.

“Oh? There’s Kang In-hyuk over there.”

Han-soo pointed ahead as  if telling Tae-seo to listen. But Tae-seo didn’t move as he leaned on Han-soo.

“Why does the meerkat who usually observes with his head down look like this today?”

“I have a headache.”

“Did you drink alcohol yesterday?”

“Yeah.”

Tae-seo didn’t even pay attention to Kang In-hyuk passing by; he just rubbed his forehead.

“Why drink alcohol you can’t handle… Well, you went to a party yesterday, right?”

As Han-soo and Tae-seo conversed, Kang In-hyuk, who was passing by, stopped in his tracks and turned to look at them. He thought they would hold him back…

***

The hanok where the chairman of the KH Group lived wasn’t particularly tall, but it had a massive body. It was dignified yet not ostentatious, and though quiet, there were over dozens of people residing there.

Once a month, there was a family gathering under the chairman’s orders. The first to arrive were Kang In-hyuk and his parents.

Kang In-hyuk’s mother, Han Mi-soon, seemed perpetually dissatisfied with being the first to arrive and wait.

“We always come here first and wait. When will we ever get out of this treatment?”

As Han Mi-soon began her lament, she dragged her husband inside.

“To change that, you should get a proper subsidiary… How long will we keep moving around with inferior ones compared to my father?”

“Ahem.”

Kang In-hyuk’s father, Kang Soo-hak, cleared his throat uncomfortably, but Han Mi-soon spoke with blatant disappointment. There had been a recent transfer between subsidiaries, and Kang Soo-hak was now in charge of the food division. Despite KH marts being numerous across the country, Han Mi-soon wasn’t satisfied.

“I really can’t understand why the chairman is acting like this. Even  if he’s the second son, why…”

“Stop it. He must have his reasons.”

“How long do we have to understand and wait for those reasons?”

Han Mi-soon narrowed her eyes sharply.

“Is it because of me handling the mart that he’s like this? It’s all because of In-hyuk.”

In-hyuk, who had been naturally grabbed by the collar, now realized it was his turn and lowered his gaze.

“If you were to take charge of a proper subsidiary, In-hyuk would have a better position. Otherwise, Se-heon might outshine him.”

“That’s up to one’s abilities. Sometimes, positions can shape one’s abilities too.”

Han Mi-soon swallowed her frustration. She didn’t want to belittle her husband, but not being assigned to major subsidiaries was increasingly testing her patience.

“At times like this, it would be better  if In-hyuk were engaged.”

“Why are we talking about engagement here, Mother?”

“That’s right.  If we want to take a better subsidiary than the chairman’s, there’s no other way. As you know, the chairman only focuses on Se-heon. Can’t you do anything about it?”

“You’re being harsh.”

“Am I wrong?”

Han Mi-soon skillfully held her own against the two men without yielding an inch. She seemed determined to vent her frustration.

“One thing you should do now is hold on to Tae-seo.  If you marry Tae-seo, In-hyuk won’t be able to ignore you. There’s no reason for us not to take precedence.”

In-hyuk reluctantly swallowed another topic as he tried to clear his throat. It felt like the saliva wasn’t passing smoothly, just swirling around his throat.

“Sigh, I’ll manage my own affairs.”

In-hyuk sighed, realizing the conversation was ending with talk of his marriage. He pretended to ignore his mother’s nagging as he simply sipped his drink.

“Don’t just think of my words as nagging. Think about it carefully. Do you know how much I’ve been visiting that house to connect you two? They’re even buying overseas properties again this time. They’re planning to build a grand hotel.”

The Se-heon household, almost equivalent to the top in the hotel industry, was tirelessly building hotels overseas, as  if this country wasn’t big enough.

“But that doesn’t mean I’d say such things  if they were only after money. They are upright and noble people. With such parents, Tae-seo’s character is also guaranteed. I’ve seen Tae-seo occasionally, and see how well-behaved and kind he is.”

In-hyuk subtly avoided eye contact while holding his glass. Character? He hadn’t just heard once or twice about kids in tears because of Tae-seo’s bullying. Surely, his mother must have heard such rumors.

“Of course, Tae-seo may seem sensitive at times, but it’s not because of that.”

Because he should manifest as an omega, but he couldn’t. Because he was still a beta. Such trivial reasons couldn’t justify tormenting others.

“Anyway, just focus on Tae-seo. Even  if Tae-seo is currently a beta, how long do you think that will last? Once he manifests, start preparing for the wedding right away.”

“Mom.”

Han Mi-soon, who had been called Mother but returned to being Mom, finally closed her mouth. It was evidence that In-hyuk had reached his limit.

“I’m saying this because I worry about you.  If you want to outshine Se-heon, you must hold on to Tae-seo.”

As Han Mi-soon tried to coax her son and awaited some kind of acknowledgment, the sliding door opened with a thud. Han Mi-soon, who was looking at In-hyuk, was slightly surprised but quickly changed her expression. She imitated a loving mother, as  if asking when Se-heon stumbled and fell.

“Se-heon, you’re here?”

“I’m late.”

“Oh, no, we haven’t been here for long either.”

As Kang Se-heon entered, In-hyuk greeted him warmly, waving his hand.

“Did you come, brother?”

“It’s been a while.”

Se-heon nodded gruffly in response to In-hyuk’s friendly greeting and took his seat. Even that seemed to make Han Mi-soon feel sorry for her son, who seemed to be overshadowed, compared to In-hyuk, who was completely unaffected.

“The new cellphone that came out this time was a success. Releasing it in the U.S. before Korea was a smart move, wasn’t it?”

Although based in Korea, the group launched a completely new line that hadn’t been seen before and gained recognition in the U.S. before being released in Korea.

Not only that, but Kang Se-heon also initiated a large-scale promotion, equivalent to a massive discount, just for one reason: to sell the device on Korean soil. The fact that people could buy a device that had already been proven overseas for almost half the price stirred up national pride.

“I just signed the proposal.”

“We all know it’s not just that.”

In-hyuk seemed to want Kang Se-heon to say more, but he remained silent. As the awkward atmosphere lingered, Han Mi-soon became even more determined to push for Tae-seo’s marriage.

Meanwhile, Kang Se-heon pondered over the conversation he had overheard between his mother and In-hyuk before entering.

‘Tae-seo…’

He had met a boy who also went by the name Tae-seo. He looked roughly the same age as In-hyuk, and they had met at a hotel. However, despite sharing the same name, it was hard to conclude that they were the same person.

Fundamentally, the Tae-seo he met was quite different from the obedient demeanor described by his mother. The child was lively. And  if he and In-hyuk were acquainted, the child must have recognized him. Even  if he pretended not to, there was no way he wouldn’t notice.

Still, there was a chance.

“Are you engaged?”

“Huh? Oh, that’s just what my mom says. We’ve been friends since childhood, so she must like him.”

In-hyuk acted as if it was nothing, but Kang Se-heon had gathered the information he wanted.

“He’s a beta?”

“Yeah. Beta.”

“And he hasn’t manifested recently?”

“I met him again today. Especially if he had manifested due to Tae-seo’s personality, he would have told me right away…”

Kang Se-heon dismissed the hypothesis that the Tae-seo he had met might be the same person mentioned in the conversation about In-hyuk’s engagement.