DS Ch4

At the edge of his vision, Joo Taehyun’s fingertips could be seen moving busily. The face of the kid, observed with just a glance of the eyes, was ridiculously identical to when they had met on that New Year’s Eve night long ago.

Though it would be hard to find a child raised with as much love in a similar environment, Joo Taehyun looks at him with eyes like those of an abandoned dog that seems to have spent its whole life on the streets. Eyes that are so poignant they momentarily capture even the gaze of someone uninterested.

Thanks to that gaze of Joo Taehyun’s, unchanged from the old days, Seo Baekhan sensed that whatever he intended to say today, his feelings of affection would remain the same as ever.

This wasn’t some unlucky misunderstanding. He had belatedly realized that Joo Taehyun only showed that face in front of him, or more precisely, that he made an effort to produce such an expression. He also learned that Joo Taehyun had pushed himself quite hard the day before his departure – for a study abroad trip he wouldn’t return from until he turned twenty – just to make an appearance at Hatch’s year-end party, in other words, to confess to him.

‘Isn’t the royal family being fucking extra? What’s so special about a scholarship foundation ceremony that they need to summon this many people?’

‘The crown prince insisted on it, said there absolutely had to be more people than at Hatch’s launch event. I saw even the Yoonra Foundation’s grandson come by earlier to make an appearance.’

‘Are they crazy, calling in someone all the way from Washington? What kind of grudge does that guy have against the second prince to pull this shit?’

‘It’s because the second prince is an alpha, you know. Come to think of it, Joo Taehyun didn’t come in? Doesn’t he go to the same school as that Yoonra kid?’

‘Yeah, right? You’d think they’d have insisted Joo Taehyun show his face too, since he’s an alpha.’

Seo Baekhan, who had been half-listening to the gossip of these nobodies, paused for a moment with his glass at his lips. Ah, was Joo Taehyun’s study abroad in Washington, not London?

‘Joo Taehyun once collapsed at the airport after taking the wrong suppressants. Since then, DH absolutely won’t let him attend external events.’

‘Huh? Wasn’t that when he overdid it trying to attend some Christmas party or year-end gathering and collapsed from overwork?’

Ah. Looks like he pushed himself to attend the year-end party before departing. Well… I feel bad, but what can I do about it now?

Seo Baekhan took another drink. He intended to use the excuse of intoxication to escape this uncomfortable situation. If the crown prince himself hadn’t personally contacted him asking him to make an appearance, he wouldn’t have set foot in a place where even these idiots were showing their faces.

‘Bullshit. I heard it directly from His Highness the Crown Prince. A chaebol’s son who developed health issues from taking suppressants? There’s no separate owner risk, that itself is the disaster. Since they can’t let the stock price plummet, of course DH’s PR department made up a different excuse.’

‘Whoa? Guys, this conversation is taking a weird turn?’

Choi Yeonjun, known as Seo Baekhan’s only friend due to sticking together since childhood, tactfully interjected.

‘There are a lot of people coming and going, let’s stop talking about a young friend who isn’t even here-‘

‘Anyway, it’s that damn trait that’s the problem. All the Yeonhwa Palace budget goes under the second prince consort because he became a half-baked omega by taking drugs. Fuck. Why should my tax money go towards making drugs to control those bastards’ heats!’

‘Hey, hey! Kim Seungjun!’

The atmosphere suddenly became awkward. Seo Baekhan, who was still at the table, was also a trait-bearer who had to take suppressants, and an alpha. Therefore, what Kim Seungjun had spouted was not only aimed at people like Joo Taehyun and the second prince consort, but at Seo Baekhan as well.

Of course, Seo Baekhan showed no reaction. Whether it was said intentionally or sincerely, it was none of his business. While it was unpleasant to bring up traits to insult others, feelings like irritation or disappointment were emotions that could only be felt when there was a minimum level of respect for the other party. From the moment he reacted, he would be lowering himself to the same level as that idiot, so why bother?

‘Ah, no, I wasn’t trying to talk about Baekhan… It’s just that Joo, Joo Taehyun is weird! Of course there’s no problem with Baekhan! But Joo Taehyun, that bastard, he’s supposedly an alpha but he’s always following Baekhan around… Unless there’s something wrong with him, it’s impossible-‘

Hmm. Come to think of it, if even guys like this knew about it, Joo Taehyun must have really only had eyes for me…

Seo Baekhan rolled a grape in his mouth, recalling the kid after a long time.

A seventeen-year-old child with a shadowed face who, despite seeing him being called away by others for obvious reasons multiple times, couldn’t say anything until the very end when he finally gathered his courage.

What was Joo Taehyun’s expression like when he turned away that day, Seo Baekhan wondered briefly before suddenly tilting his head in confusion. While he didn’t believe that bastard Kim Seungjun had directly heard from the crown prince, judging by the atmosphere, it seemed Joo Taehyun had been a frequent topic of conversation for some time… Had he just not been paying attention until now? What was there to gossip about that boring guy?

‘Ah, you bastards. You’re ruining the taste of the alcohol. Let’s stop, okay?’

Choi Yeonjun tapped the table lightly with the glass he was holding. It was the quick action of someone who knew well that if things wrapped up here, Seo Baekhan wouldn’t act on his temper.

‘Since we’re on the topic, let me say something too. That bastard Joo Taehyun!’

Kim Seungjun, his eyes half-unfocused as if drunk, slammed his glass down hard. It seemed he was trying to imitate Choi Yeonjun’s action, but being drunk, he couldn’t properly control his strength.

Seo Baekhan turned his gaze slightly askew as he chewed and swallowed the fruit pulp that remained half in his mouth. Normally, he would have stood up and left at this point. But perhaps because Joo Taehyun’s confession was the most unexpected memory among those who had confessed to him. He wanted to know what nonsense these bastards, or more precisely Kim Seungjun, were spreading about Joo Taehyun.

‘Have you heard the rumor that Joo Taehyun isn’t actually an alpha?’

‘Hey, Kim Seungjun… Stop watching those broadcasts where wreckers stir up drama. What half-baked conspiracy theory are you bringing up now?’

‘Why, it’s interesting. I’m curious, so tell me. So why about Joo Taehyun?’

‘Please watch what you say! Don’t you know there are people from DH here too?’

‘Oh, look who’s being all righteous. So what? They’re just chaebols at best, in the end we’re all businessmen, aren’t we? Why should we be mindful of them?’

‘What’s with this guy’s way of talking? Is this the Joseon era or something?’

‘Did I say anything wrong? And since it came up, the reason Joo Taehyun is going after Baekhan is exactly that. Because Baekhan’s family has been producing the three high ministers consistently since the Joseon era.’

Kim Seungjun clicked his tongue as he smoothed down the side of his hair, heavily slicked with pomade. He awkwardly turned his wrist to show off the logo on his gold watch, but it only made his hairstyle messier. As a result, the face of the guy who was already unpleasant to look at became even more vulgar.

Choi Yeonjun, who had been trying to somehow contain Kim Seungjun’s loose lips, also stepped back with his hands lowered slightly as if he couldn’t bear to listen anymore, and whispered softly.

‘Seo Baekhan, I’m pulling out of here. I don’t have the skill to rein in a boor like that.’

‘Who asked you to step in?’

‘Forget it, let’s just get up. People are starting to look this way.’

Seo Baekhan lightly ignored Choi Yeonjun who was nudging him with his elbow.

‘What are you doing? Aren’t you going?’

‘I’m curious to see what other nonsense that bastard is going to spout, so I’ll stay a bit longer.’

It wasn’t a lie that his curiosity was piqued. As far as he knew, Kim Seungjun’s father was the CEO of a small startup. He didn’t want to judge a person’s character by the size of the company they ran. But wouldn’t there be a reason why the crown prince, the most materialistic of materialists, invited a guy like that to the scholarship foundation launch he had been working on for so long?

‘But is Kim Seungjun really connected to the crown prince’s side?’

‘Who knows. Judging by how he keeps bringing up traits and spouting nonsense, he does seem to have been influenced by that side.’

Seo Baekhan closed his eyes tightly as he saw the layers of gold bracelets revealed under the watch Kim Seungjun was wearing. He wanted to observe a bit more, but just looking at something like that made him feel like his eyes were rotting.

‘Sigh. What to do with these bastards who don’t have a single connection. I have a close cousin who knows quite a few people in the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs. And according to him, at last year’s Hatch year-end party, Joo Taehyun-‘

‘Kim Seungjun.’

The timing was good, if that’s the right way to put it. Thanks to Kim Seungjun mentioning Hatch, there was no longer any need to keep watching that trash-like appearance that threatened his mental stability.

Seeing him bring up something that actually happened inside Hatch’s private space, it seems the crown prince’s side did feed that bastard some information.

What could be the reason the crown prince recruited even such a low-class person? Guys like Kim Seungjun are pawns to be used and discarded behind the scenes. Even the crown prince, lacking as he may be, wouldn’t be unaware of this. Yet he even invited such a bastard to the scholarship foundation launch where all sorts of distinguished guests were gathered?

‘Huh? Uh… Baekhan.’

Scholarship foundation, startup, rejection of traits…

Seo Baekhan stood up from his seat, considering the direction indicated by the connection between the crown prince and Kim Seungjun. It seems he’ll need to investigate the financial situation first.

‘Watch what you say. Is badmouthing a kid who isn’t even here with made-up stories because you’re jealous he’s an alpha worth it?’

Some of those who had been carelessly snickering at Kim Seungjun’s vulgar commentary looked at Seo Baekhan with somewhat bewildered expressions.

In the end, they’re all the same bastards. Pretending to try to stop Kim Seungjun on the surface, while enjoying the vulgar commentary through someone else’s mouth – despicable guys. Even now, their curious eyes gleaming amidst their bewilderment was utterly disgusting.