Three people sat around a large table in the middle of a spacious living room. Cheon Han-jo took the head seat, while Ha-jin sat diagonally to his left. Ha-jin had expected Cheon Tae-seong to sit across from him, but to his surprise, Tae-seong casually plopped down right next to him instead.
At this, Cheon Han-jo’s eyes bulged like a fish’s. His cloudy pupils gleamed with disapproval. The old man made no attempt to hide his displeasure toward Ha-jin.
With no permanent staff in residence, the table looked sparse and bare. Wondering if he should at least offer some warm tea to ease Cheon Han-jo’s obvious discomfort, Ha-jin was just about to rise slightly from his seat when Kim Dae-hong appeared from between two hulking men in black suits, carrying a small tray with drinks for the three of them.
He placed the drinks down quietly and stepped away. As soon as Kim Dae-hong ushered the rest of the security team out of the living room, a heavy silence settled over them.
While Cheon Han-jo sipped his tea, not a single word was exchanged. Just as Ha-jin’s lips began to dry from the tension, Cheon Tae-seong finally broke the silence.
He reached out and firmly grasped Ha-jin’s hand.
“I told you beforehand that I was going to start dating someone because I wanted you to respect that decision.”
Cheon Han-jo let out a dismissive snort.
“So, me visiting my own grandson’s house means I’m not being respectful?”
Tae-seong let out a sigh mixed with a faint smile.
“I know you already knew everything. You probably double-checked my afternoon schedule before even deciding to come.”
Cheon Han-jo cleared his throat dramatically in clear displeasure. Despite his age, his eyes still retained their piercing sharpness. Being on the receiving end of that gaze, Ha-jin felt like needles were crawling beneath his skin.
After glaring at Ha-jin for a long while, Cheon Han-jo turned to Tae-seong and continued.
“This is all your fault. You dropped that bombshell and just walked out. You think I wasn’t burning up inside after that? I waited a long time, you know. After you returned to Korea, you should’ve come to my house first and given me a proper explanation!”
For a split second, Ha-jin was struck by how much Tae-seong resembled his grandfather. He bit his lip tightly to suppress the thought. Tae-seong, catching Ha-jin’s subtle reaction, glanced at him and gave a gentle smile.
“Actually, I just got his permission a moment ago.”
“What?”
“I told you I was going to date him. I never said I was dating him.”
“What kind of wordplay is that?”
“I’ve been chasing him this whole time, and I finally got his ‘yes.’ But now you’re jeopardizing our future. Just look at his face.”
Startled at being suddenly pointed out, Ha-jin’s eyes went wide. His already round eyes grew even bigger, and Tae-seong gently cupped Ha-jin’s cheek, his eyes softening into a fond smile. Cheon Han-jo looked at the two in disbelief, staring back and forth between them.
A sound of disapproval clicked from the old man’s tongue. His face was full of words left unspoken, restrained with visible effort. Ha-jin already knew how cold and calculating Cheon Han-jo could be. Though he hadn’t interacted with him directly in his past life, he’d felt firsthand what it meant to be hunted down and imprisoned by men sent under the old man’s command.
There was no doubt Cheon Han-jo had already conducted a background check down to the last hair on his head. The fact that he had come here in person meant he wanted to see Ha-jin face-to-face. Coming this close to someone he’d had zero connection with before—it was impossible to predict what would happen next. What cause-and-effect this meeting might trigger, and how far the ripples would go, he couldn’t even guess.
Suddenly, Cheon Tae-seong stood up from his seat. Ha-jin’s eyes followed him on instinct, and his gaze tilted all the way up as Tae-seong towered over him.
“If your curiosity’s satisfied, then it’s time for you to leave. I asked you the other day too—no interfering, no meddling.”
Even at his grandson’s warning, Cheon Han-jo’s eyes remained fixed solely on Ha-jin.
“Step aside for a bit. I have something to discuss with my grandson.”
“Ah, yes. Of course.”
The obedient response came out automatically. Ha-jin was acutely aware of how cracked his voice sounded. Rising quickly to his feet, he instinctively bowed deeply to Cheon Han-jo. It was the well-rehearsed motion of someone used to being dismissed.
But just as he turned to go, Tae-seong grabbed Ha-jin’s arm tightly.
“Lee Ha-jin.”
Ha-jin froze and looked into his eyes.
“Remember what I said? You’re the exception.”
“CEO…”
“I told you—even if I tell you to leave, you shouldn’t go.”
Facing his grandfather directly, Tae-seong added firmly:
“If it’s something Ha-jin isn’t allowed to hear, then I don’t want to hear it either. And if it’s something that might hurt him, I hope you won’t say it at all.”
Only then did Cheon Han-jo look up at his grandson with an utterly baffled expression. Wedged between the two, Ha-jin didn’t know where to look. He glanced around nervously, and that’s when his eyes met Kim Dae-hong’s, who had been standing silently at the end of the hallway. Kim Dae-hong grinned and gave Ha-jin a discreet thumbs-up.
Ha-jin nearly burst out laughing at the absurdity of it all. He had to chew the inside of his cheek to stop himself. Seriously, do these people even understand what tension is?
“You really had to pick the exact traits I told you not to inherit.”
Cheon Han-jo muttered with a bitter sigh.
“Well, you’ve dealt with my mother before, so I’m sure you can guess how I’d turn out.”
“Tch. Ungrateful brat. You know all that, and yet you still dig into your grandfather’s wounds.”
“Ha-jin isn’t like that, Grandpa.”
At Tae-seong’s cheeky reply, Cheon Han-jo reached for the back of his neck in exasperation. Different, huh… Cheon Soo-young had said the same thing while trying to convince him back then.
Even as the old man closed his eyes and groaned, Tae-seong didn’t blink an eye. In the end, Cheon Han-jo gave up and rose from his seat. The moment he grabbed his steel cane, the security detail swarmed in to assist him.
Just before stepping out, as if being driven from his own grandson’s home, Cheon Han-jo paused and turned back toward Ha-jin.
He’d lived long enough to trust his instincts when reading people. He tried to recall what he’d felt the first time he met Han Ki-taek—but the feeling he got from this young man in front of him was completely different. Was it simply because this one was an Omega?
Ha-jin was nothing like Han Ki-taek, who had prowled like a vulture, always waiting to devour his daughter. And yet, it was still too early to be certain. With a slow, measured gaze, Cheon Han-jo scanned Ha-jin from head to toe—then, without a word, turned his back and left.
Once the wave of bulky security men receded like the tide, the house felt oddly empty, as if a cold wind had blown through.
As soon as the sound of the front door closing echoed through the space, Cheon Tae-seong turned his head toward Ha-jin. At the same moment, Ha-jin also looked up, their gazes meeting as if by agreement.
Ha-jin blinked in a daze, visibly shaken, then slumped into a seat.
“…That scared me.”
His voice was still trembling. Tae-seong opened a bottle of soda from the table and handed it to him. As Ha-jin carefully took it, he realized for the first time that his hands were shaking.
It was Chairman Cheon who gave the order to have me killed.
Apparently, just seeing his face had triggered a deeper shock than expected. He wanted to tell himself it was all in the past, that things would be different now—but after everything he’d endured, that was easier said than done. Everything that could have happened had already happened in the past year and a half…
And on top of that, the looming knowledge of Cheon Han-jo’s future assassination pressed down on Ha-jin like a weight. It didn’t feel like someone else’s problem anymore. The sense of responsibility was suffocating.
“My grandpa, despite appearances… he’s a softie.”
“…Yeah.”
As Tae-seong whispered this while wrapping an arm around Ha-jin’s shoulders, Ha-jin forced a smile. He couldn’t afford to look like he was genuinely terrified.
“S-So, um… what’s my afternoon schedule again?”
Muttering awkwardly, Ha-jin began patting down his pockets—and immediately felt a wave of despair. He’d left both his phone and his bag in the car, utterly distracted by Tae-seong’s lips and pheromones earlier.
He turned his head to find Tae-seong grinning at him.
“…Why are you smiling like that?”
“Because you’re cute.”
“…”
At a loss for words, Ha-jin stared as Tae-seong slowly moved closer. Shit, this is way too close. His thoughts scattered before they could fully form. Pheromones burst forth, and soft lips pressed against his.
Each time their skin brushed, Ha-jin’s mind blanked out, washed clean of rational thought. Even the lingering fear that clung like sludge in his throat began to melt away.
Tae-seong pressed his large body down against Ha-jin, pinning him deep into the leather couch. With nowhere else to retreat, Ha-jin eventually sank back with a thud—
“CEO! The Chairman left this behind for you!”
The front door burst open, and Kim Dae-hong ran inside.
Ha-jin shoved Tae-seong away with all his strength and tumbled off the couch. He rolled so fast and hard that his knee slammed into the table with a loud crash.
