“Come in.”
As I opened the study door and stepped inside, Han Jae-hoon greeted me warmly. Normally, I would have responded in kind with a bright voice, but today, I couldn’t. I already knew why he had called me, and that alone made my heart feel heavy.
Han Jae-hoon rose from his chair and moved to the sofa beside the study. He gestured for me to come over. Hesitantly, I approached and sat across from him. The plush sofa, which was usually comfortable, felt harder than stone right now.
“Baby, about your eighteenth birthday.”
I hadn’t even finished preparing myself, but Han Jae-hoon didn’t waste any time and went straight to the point. He handed me some documents and began explaining the scale and schedule of the upcoming birthday party. But none of his words registered in my mind.
“This is how we plan to proceed. What do you think?”
“…Huh?”
Before I knew it, Han Jae-hoon had finished speaking. I’d been so lost in thought that I hadn’t heard a single word. As I stared blankly, my eyes wide, Han Jae-hoon let out a deep sigh. He placed the documents on the coffee table and moved to sit beside me.
“Baby, is something on your mind?”
“Just…”
“Tell me. You don’t look too happy right now.”
Han Jae-hoon gently stroked my face. Seeing the concern in his eyes, the words I had been holding back refused to come out.
He urged me to speak, assuring me that it was okay. His unwavering gaze made it seem like he would accept anything I said. And just like that, I caved in. I finally voiced the thoughts I had been keeping to myself.
“My birthday party…”
“Do you want something more?”
“No. It’s not that. I just think… it’s too overwhelming, too big.”
“Of course, it has to be grand! This is a special birthday—you’re becoming an adult!”
See? I knew he’d say that. Han Jae-hoon had been looking forward to my eighteenth birthday more than anyone else. It was the perfect opportunity to introduce me as the next district leader in front of everyone. That’s why I had to say it now.
“I can’t do it.”
“What do you mean?”
I finally blurted it out. My breath trembled as I tried to steady myself. It was just one sentence, yet Han Jae-hoon’s expression had already hardened.
To me, he was always a kind and affectionate father. But I knew all too well how cold and terrifying that face could become when dealing with others. And that knowledge made it even harder to speak.
“Th-There’s something I need to say.”
The sentence formed perfectly in my head, but my stammering lips couldn’t even get half of it out properly. It was driving me crazy.
“T-The next district leader shouldn’t be me, it should be Se-yul—”
Bang!
Han Jae-hoon slammed his palm down on the coffee table, cutting me off just as I was struggling to continue. My heart pounded wildly in shock, filling me with uneasy dread.
“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”
He had chosen to shut his ears to me completely. As he rose from the sofa, I barely managed to grab the hem of his sleeve. Han Jae-hoon turned to me with piercing eyes before letting out a sigh and shaking off my hand.
“I told you before. I won’t listen to this again.”
I had already told him once that I didn’t want to be the next district leader. He had warned me never to bring it up again, and after that, I had no choice but to keep my mouth shut and read the room.
But now, there was no turning back. My eighteenth birthday was less than a month away, and if things continued as planned, I would be forced into becoming the next district leader.
What the hell was I supposed to do? I wasn’t even really Han Seo-yul!
“Go back. I don’t want to hear another word right now.”
“Father, I—”
“Han Seo-yul, I said go back!”
His furious shout made me shut my mouth completely. He returned to his desk and resumed working as if nothing had happened. It was only after standing there for a long while that I finally managed to get up.
“I’m going now, Father.”
He didn’t acknowledge my farewell. It was the first time he had treated me like I didn’t exist, and it felt so unfamiliar that it left me shaken. I hesitated before stepping forward, exchanging a brief glance with the aide standing by the door before leaving the study.
“I’m screwed.”
I hadn’t even gotten the words out properly, and yet his reaction had been that extreme. If Han Jae-hoon was this adamant, there was no way out. I was completely trapped into becoming the next district leader.
Running a hand through my hair in frustration, I trudged toward my room. Maybe it was the stress, but I could feel a fever creeping in. I needed to take some medicine before it got worse. They say misfortunes never come alone, and right now, that saying couldn’t be more true. This was the absolute worst.
“Young Master?”
A passing butler called out to me. When I turned around, he took one look at my pale face and, startled, dropped the laundry basket he was carrying before rushing toward me.
“Young Master, are you feeling unwell? Your complexion is terrible.”
“I’m fine. I’m not sick.”
I pushed away his hands as he tried to examine my face and forced an awkward smile. He still looked unconvinced, but when I insisted I was fine, he hesitated before nodding.
“Please don’t overwork yourself. You have an important event coming up, after all.”
“Yeah… an important event.”
A hollow laugh escaped me. My birthday was less than a month away, and Han Jae-hoon had been firm in his decision. Who could possibly understand how I felt, knowing I was trapped with no way out? I would have to become the next district leader, succeeding Han Jae-hoon, whether I wanted to or not.
“Do you think I’ll be a good district leader, Butler?”
At my sudden question, the butler’s green eyes flickered with surprise. But soon, regaining composure, he smiled gently and took my hand. Five years had passed, and his hands seemed smaller now. No, it was me who had grown.
“You will undoubtedly be an excellent district leader, Young Master.”
“No, Butler. Everyone knows it, don’t they? That Se-yul would be better at it than me.”
There was no way the butler hadn’t heard the murmurs among the mansion staff. That the fragile eldest son, who could collapse at any moment, was an unstable choice. That the second son was far more suited to be the next district leader.
“No. I believe there is no other choice but you, Young Master.”
The butler’s voice was unwavering. Of course, he was Han Jae-hoon’s man through and through. It was only natural that his thoughts would align with his master’s.
‘That was a pointless question.’
Suppressing my frustration, I gently pushed the butler’s hand away. His green eyes wavered noticeably.
“I figured you’d say that, Butler.”
“Young Master….”
“Sorry, I’m just tired. I’ll go rest.”
The butler called after me, but I didn’t respond and simply headed for my room. I didn’t want to hear anything from anyone right now. It would all be the same—everyone telling me I had to be the next district leader as if it were already set in stone.
As soon as I closed the door, my legs gave out, and I sank to the floor. Now that I thought about it, the room was dark. Where was Vin? I didn’t even feel like figuring it out. My head hurt too much.
“Ah, medicine.”
Slowly, I got up and made my way to the drawer. I pulled out a fever reducer and popped it into my mouth. I reached for a water bottle but, feeling too exhausted, I just swallowed the pill dry.
“Ugh, it hurts.”
The pill scraped my throat on the way down, leaving a stinging pain. I should’ve just drank some water. But there was no point regretting it now. I threw myself onto the bed.
Would sleeping make this suffocating feeling go away? Maybe if I just closed my eyes… But instead of finding rest, my mind kept racing. I tossed and turned on the too-large bed, unable to find a comfortable position.
Then, the door opened, and Vin walked in, carrying a neatly folded laundry basket in his arms.
“When did you get here?”
“Just now.”
Vin set down the basket and trotted over to me. He smelled like sunshine-dried laundry and, as always, carried that faint, soothing floral scent.
Perching on the edge of the bed, he leaned in close. I reached out and ran my fingers through his slightly tousled red hair, smoothing it down. He let out a soft, pleased laugh.
“Did your meeting with the district leader go well?”
“Mm… no.”
“Really?”
Vin tilted his head in curiosity. I briefly recounted what had happened in the study. When I told him that Han Jae-hoon had yelled at me, Vin’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“The district leader yelled at you, Seo-yul hyung?”
“Yeah. I was just as surprised.”
Letting out a long sigh, I flopped back onto the bed, hugging a plush pillow and rolling onto my side. Vin, who had been staring at me, cautiously climbed onto the bed.
“Seo-yul hyung.”
His whisper tickled my ear, and when I turned around, Vin was right there behind me. He stole the pillow I was holding and replaced it with himself.
Like a child, he wriggled closer, burrowing into my arms—but he was far too big for that now. I wasn’t sure if it was because my growth had been slow or if Vin’s had been extraordinary, but he had surpassed me in height long ago.
“Hug me.”
I wasn’t sure who was supposed to be hugging who, but I opened my arms anyway and pulled Vin’s head against my chest. His face rested just above my pounding heart.
“Uncomfortable.”
“Really? I’m comfortable.”
Vin looked up at me with a bright smile. The scent surrounding him suddenly intensified, and for a moment, my vision blurred before coming back into focus. Ah, good thing I took my medicine in advance. If I hadn’t, my fever would have spiked again.
“Move back a little.”
“No.”
Vin firmly shook his head and instead pressed himself closer. His arms tightened around my waist, locking me in place. The warmth of his embrace made my body stiffen.
“You know,” Vin murmured, “Seo-yul hyung smells really nice.”
“…Me?”
“Yeah. You smell sweeter than cocoa with marshmallows.”
I frowned. I hated sweet things, yet he claimed I smelled like cocoa. What was that supposed to mean?
I buried my nose against my arm and sniffed, but I couldn’t detect anything.
Maybe he was suffering from withdrawal because he hadn’t had cocoa in a while. I made a mental note to ask the butler to prepare some for him later.
“So now I’m curious,” Vin continued, his voice tinged with mischief. “If I lick you, will you taste like cocoa too?”
