Upon arriving at the room entrance with the server’s guidance, Lee Jonghoon touched his tie nervously while taking a deep breath. Then he looked down at Yeonwoo, who had been quietly following behind him.
“Keep your mouth shut and don’t say anything. You probably don’t know how to use cutlery, so don’t touch the food either.”
“…”
“Omegas should eat less and stay thin to be appreciated. If they ask you anything, just say ‘Yes, yes, I understand.’ Got it?”
This wasn’t the kind of conversation to have in front of a room—especially when the server who had guided them was still present.
Though Yeonwoo knew that this person always spoke this way, hearing it alone was different from hearing it when others were present. Feeling a tightness in his chest, Yeonwoo briefly answered “Yes” without even looking at Lee Jonghoon. Disapproving of his attitude, Jonghoon clicked his tongue and made a dismissive gesture toward the server.
The server then knocked on their behalf, opened the door, and briefly announced, “They have arrived.”
“Oh my, sir! I apologize for being late!”
Ignoring whether the server was speaking or not, Jonghoon strode in. In the quiet space, his voice stood out conspicuously. Perhaps to make up for being late or maybe it was just his usual manner, he deliberately walked up to where the people were seated and extended his hand first.
However, the middle-aged couple who had arrived earlier and were waiting merely stared at the outstretched hand without moving. Though this would embarrass most people, Jonghoon calmly withdrew his hand and glanced at Yeonwoo, who was still standing outside the door.
“We’re late because that boy was dragging his feet. I told him to prepare properly in advance. I apologize for my inadequate son.”
So this was how it would be.
Barely suppressing a sigh, Yeonwoo finally entered. Amid Jonghoon’s loud voice continuously emphasizing that he hadn’t deliberately tried to be late, Yeonwoo’s calm voice blended in:
“I apologize for being late. My name is Lee Yeonwoo.”
At that moment, the middle-aged couple’s eyes turned to Yeonwoo.
Yeonwoo felt their gaze scanning him up and down. After completing this brief appraisal, seemingly satisfied, the middle-aged woman pointed to the seat in front of her.
“Don’t just stand there, take a seat.”
At those words, Jonghoon quickly pulled out the chair opposite the middle-aged man and sat down. Then he drank the pre-poured water in one go and exhaled a long sigh.
“I hurried to get here at this time. The traffic was so bad—”
“Let’s stop talking about being late. I don’t want to hear any more about it.”
At the middle-aged man’s comment, Jonghoon’s expression hardened.
Though displeased by having his words cut off, he quickly composed himself and looked at Yeonwoo, who was still standing. With a glare that seemed to ask what he was doing, Yeonwoo moved with heavy steps. As he pulled out a chair to sit down, he realized he hadn’t removed his outer garment. The same was true for Jonghoon.
The middle-aged couple already seated in the room were dressed lightly. They must have removed their outer garments at the entrance. In the space filled with moderate warmth, neither hot nor cold, Yeonwoo felt as if he and Jonghoon were unwelcome guests.
While wiping his forehead with a handkerchief from his pocket, Jonghoon casually asked:
“It seems your son didn’t come with you.”
“He said he was tired, so I told him to stay home. And…”
The woman, drawing out her last words, looked at Yeonwoo again.
“We also wanted to check some things first.”
“…”
She meant she wanted to check if Yeonwoo would be suitable for her son before arranging a meeting.
Though he knew they couldn’t be on equal footing from the start, it was still quite humiliating. Yeonwoo felt this way, but he wasn’t sure about Jonghoon. Just as he was about to raise his head to check Jonghoon’s expression, Jonghoon grabbed Yeonwoo’s shoulder.
“Doesn’t he look much better in person? Plus, he’s a dominant omega. He’ll conceive easily. If your son marries him, you won’t have to worry about grandchildren.”
“…”
Feeling slightly dizzy, Yeonwoo turned his head toward Jonghoon.
The words “Why are you saying such things?” rose to his throat, but he gritted his teeth when he saw that Jonghoon wasn’t even looking at him.
It wasn’t just Jonghoon who wasn’t looking at Yeonwoo. The middle-aged couple sitting opposite also calmly participated in the conversation.
“That’s uncertain. Besides, since my son hasn’t met him directly…”
“Oh, you think they’d want to live together right away just after meeting? I’m not saying this because he’s my child, but doesn’t his face and figure speak for themselves? I know many businessmen in my circle, and the young omegas they keep are not as good as Yeonwoo.”
“…I don’t think we need to talk about omegas that other people keep.”
“I’m just making a point. Your son should have no problems with someone like this. After all, they say a man’s fortune is made if that part works well, even if his body is unwell.”
“…”
“Honestly, I think Yeonwoo is too good for this. I arranged this meeting only because of your situation, sir. Otherwise, Yeonwoo would sell well anywhere. Just with Yeonwoo’s face, I could easily secure tens of billions in business funding.”
After that, Jonghoon mentioned Yeonwoo’s life record from somewhere, stating unnecessarily that his grades were always in the top tier, he had good relationships with peers, and even completed his community service hours.
Despite all that, Yeonwoo was an illegitimate child with only a high school education. Moreover, his father, who should have been his guardian in place of the ill Younghwa, was dragging his child to a place like this. It wasn’t just his imagination that the expressions and gazes of the people sitting opposite grew colder as Jonghoon became more boisterous.
Yeonwoo felt like a fish put up for sale. As if being told, now’s the season, the flesh is fatty and tasty—buy it while it’s at a good price.
Since there was nothing he could do in this situation, he had no choice but to remain silent. However, Yeonwoo imagined himself standing up and leaving abruptly. It didn’t feel as satisfying as he thought. It didn’t seem like it would be cathartic.
Just then, feeling a gaze on his face, Yeonwoo raised his head.
Though he knew the middle-aged woman had been watching him for a while, he had pretended not to notice. When he could no longer avoid it and met her gaze, she spoke:
“He seems fine on the outside, but to be safe, I’d like to request a health examination. We know a good hospital. Could we make an appointment there?”
“Oh, ma’am, why go through such trouble? Our Yeonwoo is, you know, very clean. He’s different from other omegas. He was living in that rural countryside, almost invisibly, and I only found him after he turned twenty…”
“That doesn’t matter. I would demand a health examination for anyone who might become my son’s spouse, regardless of who they are. Although it won’t reveal everything, at least we can know their physical condition.”
Let’s find out where and how much he’s been around.
It seemed to overlap with dialogue from an old drama. At that moment, Yeonwoo couldn’t breathe comfortably.
Since coming to Seoul to meet Ho Munbeom, he had anticipated this situation. That eventually, he would be married off like this, as if being sold. He knew it, but why was it so terrible?
“Lee Yeonwoo.”
At the quiet call, Yeonwoo raised his head. All three adults seated were looking at him.
He didn’t know what conversation they had during his brief lapse into thought, but their faces were extremely serious. Especially sharp was Jonghoon’s gaze touching his profile. Feeling his throat go dry, Yeonwoo straightened his posture and moved his lips to say, “What did you…?”
“I asked if you’ve ever had a boyfriend before.”
“…”
The question itself wasn’t difficult, and he could have answered immediately. Nevertheless, Yeonwoo blankly stared at the middle-aged woman, and a thin wrinkle formed between her brows. Then, the previously quiet Jonghoon intervened:
“Didn’t I tell you? He lived in the countryside and doesn’t know anything about the world. He’s never even held an alpha’s hand, let alone had a boyfriend.”
“That was then, and this is now. I understand he’s been in Seoul for some time. Judging by appearances, I assume you haven’t taken him home to live with you, sir. Is he living alone now?”
Jonghoon had a family, and Yeonwoo couldn’t enter their living space. Therefore, Yeonwoo, who had been living alone since coming to Seoul, answered, “Yes.”
“And you’ve been living alone the whole time, correct? Not cohabiting with another man or alpha?”
“My goodness, I feel offended by such questions. My son…”
“On the surface, he might seem like he doesn’t know anything about the world, but there are so many people who might be doing who knows what behind closed doors. A gynecological examination would reveal the general situation, but if there’s anything that might be problematic, I’d like to know in advance. This is a matter of trust, isn’t it?”
“…”
“He’s an omega who will carry my son’s seed, so checking his private life is fundamental.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
