Though Lee Jonghoon had been acting as if he would give his all for this, his expression had slightly soured now. Why was he being so particular? His son, who couldn’t even walk due to an accident and whose mind wandered, hardly mattered. If not for the business investment money, he wouldn’t have even cared about this arranged meeting. Thinking that money was the culprit, Lee Jonghoon looked at Yeonwoo.
“Yeonwoo, please tell them straightforwardly and honestly. You’re clean!”
Saying this while shaking Yeonwoo’s shoulders, Lee Jonghoon’s face was full of confidence. He believed that Yeonwoo had never done anything improper. Yeonwoo found this strange. His father didn’t know how he’d grown up, had brought him to Seoul only to practically abandon him, and didn’t know what had happened to him during that time. Yet how could he be so confident?
Not knowing who Yeonwoo had been with, where he’d been, or what he’d done during the past month.
When Yeonwoo continued not answering his questions, Lee Jonghoon’s expression gradually distorted. Sensing something bad, he tightened his grip on Yeonwoo’s shoulders.
“Let’s go outside first. I’m sorry, but I need to have a word with my son…”
“We’re not living together, but we have met.”
At Yeonwoo’s calm response, Lee Jonghoon took a deep breath. His pupils trembled as he half-rose, and Yeonwoo observed the middle-aged couple watching him. Seeing their faces—which had been appraising him so intently—now filled with obvious contempt and disappointment, Yeonwoo spoke as if spitting out words:
“I’ve had sex with that person.”
The voice was quiet but calm and deliberate, impossible to mishear.
Perhaps that’s why.
The room, which had been filled with the conversation of three people, was now wrapped in a suffocating silence.
Though it was an impulsive statement, he didn’t regret it.
From the beginning, they had viewed him as merchandise. He couldn’t just sit and watch as they proceeded with arrangements to use him as they wished, despite it being his own body.
If they needed an Omega without experience, he wasn’t suitable. Because he had had sex with Ho Munbeom. He wasn’t sure if a health examination would reveal his sexual experience, but it might be better to say it from the start rather than have it discovered later.
That’s why he said it, and dealing with the consequences was entirely Yeonwoo’s responsibility.
“You crazy bastard! Your father is on his deathbed, and you’re selling your body everywhere?!!”
The entire drive after leaving the hotel, Lee Jonghoon’s face alternated between red and blue. It was unexpected—Yeonwoo had thought he would immediately explode with rage right there. But his patience didn’t last long. The man, who had been quiet out of concern for others’ eyes, pulled over to a quiet roadside and immediately raised his hand.
As if restraining himself from punching, he struck Yeonwoo’s head several times with his palm. Then, grabbing his collar and shaking him, he unleashed a torrent of mixed curses.
His struck head was stinging, and hearing the curses was agonizing, but not frightening. Yeonwoo waited for Lee Jonghoon’s anger to subside with a calmness that surprised even himself.
But the man, who had held high expectations for this arranged meeting, wasn’t easily appeased.
Finally striking Yeonwoo’s head with his fist, he shouted breathlessly:
“Who is it?! Who did you sleep with?! Is it someone from the supermarket?! Why are you keeping quiet now when you were so talkative earlier! Speak! I said, speak!”
“…”
“Have you forgotten why you’re here? Can you handle your father’s hospital bills alone? Can you take responsibility for hundreds of thousands until the end?!”
“…I don’t like those people.”
“What?”
“I don’t want to be sold to people like that, to a family like that.”
Yeonwoo looked at Lee Jonghoon and spoke with his characteristic precise enunciation.
“If it has to be someone, I prefer Ho Munbeom. Try to arrange another meeting with him.”
“…”
Lee Jonghoon’s face, which had been red as if about to burst, turned pale.
At Yeonwoo’s bold words, he groaned, “Oh my,” and struck his own chest with his fist.
“You crazy bastard, you think you’re something special just because you came to Seoul.”
Then, pushing Yeonwoo’s head forcefully with his finger, he said:
“Hey, get a grip. Do you think a family like that would arrange another meeting with people like us? Not a chance. If you were going to say such things, you should have done well from the start! It’s ruined, all ruined. I was supposed to receive business funding, but it’s all gone now…!”
So he had planned to send his son to another Alpha and receive business funding. Coming from Lee Jonghoon, this wasn’t surprising—he was certainly capable of such things. Yeonwoo just felt that truly, he wasn’t treated as a son at all. He turned his head forward.
“Why did you ruin everything when you just needed to keep your mouth shut and stay still! Even if you had spread your legs for various men, it would have been fine as long as it didn’t show. Why did you say such things?!”
“…”
“Like father, like son. Just like your father, you’re so eager to create a fatherless child that your body is on fire for it. Dirty and filthy things always show somehow. I was doing something useless. I was the fool!”
He couldn’t sit there any longer listening to the filthy words spewing from that man. Unfastening his seatbelt, Yeonwoo glared at Lee Jonghoon as he opened the car door.
“Seongho is trying to take the deposit from where I live—you should worry about that. Make sure you never come near where I live again. You’re scary and I don’t like you.”
“What? Why would Seongho go to you? Where are you going?! Come back here!!”
Yeonwoo got out of the car before Lee Jonghoon’s hand could reach him and slammed the door hard. With the “thunk” sound filling the dark, quiet street, he walked away almost at a run.
Yeonwoo tried to recall memories that might lift his depression. Soon, a scene that made his heart feel warm unfolded before his eyes.
Ho Munbeom in comfortable clothes with his hair naturally down. The meat he grilled. The beautiful sea view from the window of the room upstairs. All memories of kissing him and touching his skin. The entire journey from waking up in the morning, having breakfast together, packing, and returning to Seoul. Each time he recalled one, his heart pounded and his stiff lips relaxed.
Contract relationships might not be so bad after all. Or perhaps it was because his partner was Ho Munbeom. Looking at it closely, he wasn’t losing anything.
As some might say, though he wasn’t worthy of meeting Ho Munbeom, he had gone to nice places with such a person, had meals, and had sex. After a few months like that, he would receive money too. If he just adhered to what was written in the contract, that man would give him money as promised. With that money, he wouldn’t need to be dragged around by Lee Jonghoon. He wouldn’t have to be dragged to ridiculous meetings like that.
“…I’m getting the better deal.”
As if convincing himself that it was more beneficial to him, Yeonwoo roughly wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.
***
In the spacious conference room, a discussion was in full swing.
The project they had poured their heart and soul into for almost half a year was now in its final stages. Throughout the serious meeting, Ho Munbeom, the youngest but sitting in the highest position, showed no change in expression. Looking at his face alone, it was impossible to tell whether they were conducting the meeting properly or not.
Those who had been holding their breath could only exhale when the meeting ended and they went outside. Secretary Kang politely greeted each of the executives who were leaving in a rush, loosening their ties and sighing with relief, before checking inside.
Ho Munbeom was still sitting in his place, checking his tablet PC.
Was there something about the meeting that displeased him? Secretary Kang approached quietly, waiting for Ho Munbeom to notice him first.
“Is the newly constructed resort in Paju still pre-opening?”
“…”
Before answering, Secretary Kang mentally reviewed the question several times.
There was no reason for Ho Munbeom to be concerned with the resort business. Someone else was in charge of that sector. But for the past few days, he had been looking for quiet, private spaces. He could have instructed his secretary to handle it for faster processing, but he didn’t.
Secretary Kang thought he knew why Ho Munbeom was taking on this cumbersome task, but he couldn’t show it. After organizing what he needed to say, Secretary Kang spoke:
“It seems they’re planning to do some more facility maintenance before opening. They want to let famous influencers or celebrities stay first to boost pre-opening publicity.”
“Then can I use it for two days this weekend?”
“…The weekend, sir?”
As explained earlier, they were planning to have celebrities stay first for pre-opening publicity. So there should be bookings for the weekend.
But faced with Ho Munbeom’s steady gaze, Secretary Kang couldn’t say it was difficult. If he couldn’t handle a task of this level, he wouldn’t deserve to carry the business card of Ho Munbeom’s secretary.
“I’ll arrange it. Will you be using it from the morning?”
“Let’s make it from the evening.”
“I’ll convey that to Lee Yeonwoo as well.”
“…”
There was only one reason Ho Munbeom would seek out a private place. Having handled the contact with Lee Yeonwoo directly until now, Secretary Kang mentioned it without thinking, but the returning gaze was cold. Staring intently at Secretary Kang, Ho Munbeom asked casually:
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
