WCK | Chapter 1.12

Even if they had beast blood, society still had laws and morals. However, in reality, many people held values that transcended legal boundaries, and CH was one of those groups. Moreover, in the world of conglomerates, an illegitimate child wasn’t a significant flaw.

Chairman Cha only had one illegitimate child, Cha Dokwon, and since the child was from a woman he met before marriage, it was morally ambiguous to criticize him.

Jihyuk’s nonchalant reaction was because the society he lived in had such an atmosphere.

“You shouldn’t say that. Because of Cha Dokwon, your share might decrease too.”

“Well…”

Despite Sunghyun’s fiery attitude, Jihyuk only scratched his temple.

Whether Cha Dokwon became the successor or his brother did, his share would remain unchanged. In fact, it might be better if Cha Dokwon became the successor.

The Cha Dokwon Jihyuk knew wasn’t someone who desired anything. He didn’t seem to have ambitions like his brother to become the successor and take over the company. But that didn’t mean Cha Dokwon was easy to deal with.

The fact that he didn’t desire anything meant there was nothing beyond his reach that he needed to covet.

Since there was nothing he wanted, he didn’t move, but Cha Dokwon was not someone who would let others take what was his. Jihyuk was more cautious and wary of Dokwon than his own brother because he had quickly grasped an understanding of Cha Dokwon.

And Cha Dokwon was a man who would show mercy as long as you behaved. So it might be more comfortable for Jihyuk’s peace of mind if Dokwon became the successor.

“That’s true, but you know people don’t care about the fact that he’s an illegitimate child, right? What’s important is that the Executive Director is a variant species.”

“What’s so special about being a variant species? Are we actual beasts? We don’t live in the wild, so what’s the big deal about being a variant species?”

Even as he said that, he was secretly envious…

Jihyuk glanced at the glass of alcohol Sunghyun had placed on the table. Drinking seemed more productive than dealing with his brother’s tantrum, but he had to return to the company to handle his backlog of work, so it was out of the question.

“Things like being a variant species or having dominant genes are all illusions.”

Jihyuk understood Sunghyun’s claim that variant species were an illusion.

Having dominant genes didn’t guarantee someone had a genius-level intellect or superhuman physical abilities. Classifying beasts as dominant or recessive was more about measuring their survival probability in nature and assigning labels accordingly.

Yet people subtly envied dominant genes because humans, after all, were creatures that needed to survive in nature. Having dominant beast genes meant there was a higher probability of being born with a smart mind or exceptional physical abilities akin to beasts.

And Cha Dokwon was a man who, for whatever karmic reason, was born with both.

“Father was blinded by those dominant genes…”

“The Executive Director does resemble him the most.”

At the offhand comment, Sunghyun shot a glare. Perhaps because it was night, his eyes had a peculiar gleam.

Ah, I stepped on a landmine. Jihyuk cleared his throat and subtly averted his gaze. The self-loathing directed at his father was one of the main causes of Sunghyun’s inferiority complex.

Knowing this, Jihyuk still couldn’t help but bring it up, proving that he, too, was a beast at heart. Felines naturally preferred solitary behavior over group consciousness, so provoking his brother might be instinctual.

“If you’re going to talk nonsense, get lost.”

“You called me here.”

Jihyuk asked again about the purpose of the call. He had made time to come, so he needed to know why he was summoned.

“Do you know anything about Yoon Seo-on?”

“Yoon Seo-on? The youngest of Yoon-oh who just married the Executive Director?”

“Yeah. You’re classmates with Yoon Ji-oh, right?”

“Hmm.”

Jihyuk, with his easygoing personality, was friendly with many people. Yoon Ji-oh, being a wolf, had a strong pack mentality and didn’t open up to anyone outside her family, but they weren’t on bad terms.

“I just remember her always looking out for her younger sibling.”

“Is it true she was protective?”

“Would I lie about that?”

“Then why didn’t she stop the marriage?”

Jihyuk was curious about that too.

“Marriage? They must have their reasons.”

When he answered lightly, Sunghyun drank the remaining alcohol and twisted his sharply defined eyes.

Ah, this feels unsettling… Hatred stemming from inferiority often gets redirected at weaker targets rather than the actual subject.

Should I pretend not to know? After a brief internal debate, Jihyuk decided to offer sincere advice.

“Hyung, just in case.”

“What?”

“Don’t mess with the kid, okay?”

Sunghyun frowned as if asking what he was talking about, but Jihyuk felt better having said his piece.

“This is genuine advice for your sake.”

“Huh.”

“Even if Cha Dokwon doesn’t react, Yoon-oh won’t stay quiet.”

To be honest, even if something happened to Yoon Seo-on, Cha Dokwon probably wouldn’t take action. But Yoon Seo-on’s real backing was Yoon-oh, not Cha Dokwon. Jihyuk reminded him of that fact.

“I don’t want to see a dirty mess.”

He thought it might be better to return to the company and bury himself in work.

🐾🐾🐾

“Hiyuu…”

Seo-on let out a sound similar to a whistle as he blinked his eyes open. Despite the unfamiliar surroundings, he didn’t jump up in surprise but instead let out a soft sigh like someone still half-asleep. It took a few seconds for his foggy mind to clear.

Huh? Am I back?

Seo-on belatedly realized he was lying on the new bed in their newlywed home and suddenly extended his arm. Instead of a ring-adorned finger, a white, stubby paw popped out from under the rustling blanket. His neatly trimmed claws and the pink paw pads, half-covered with black pads, came into clear view.

‘I’m still not back.’

Disappointed, Seo-on let out a small whimper and wiggled his legs. Then, with a long yawn that made his bright red tongue stick out past his teeth, he leaned against the bed frame. He looked like a child sitting against a wall.

His last memory was playing excitedly with Cha Dokwon. Of course, it seemed like he was the only one excited, but since he had no clear memory after that, it seemed the man had moved him here while he dozed off. He figured it was also Dokwon who had covered him with the blanket.

“Puu.”

A sigh escaped from between his drooping cheeks, covering his glossy lips.

He never expected to reveal his true form so quickly. It didn’t really matter if others saw his true form, but since it was his spouse, a slight embarrassment crept in.

‘Did I look like a kid?’

It wasn’t entirely unheard of for him to involuntarily revert to his true form. However, after puberty, the frequency of such occurrences decreased exponentially. Usually, it happened due to stress from school or work, meaning it was rare for someone to revert to their true form just because their living environment changed.

But that’s exactly what was happening to him now. It was a phenomenon typical of a seven-year-old child, making it all the more embarrassing.

‘I tried to revert back before the Executive Director got off work…’

The moment he realized he had transformed into his true form floated through his mind.

Seo-on, who had learned to always have breakfast with family, had breakfast with Cha Dokwon and then fell asleep again.

Even though the wedding was just about greeting guests, and most of those guests were his parents’ and siblings’ acquaintances, he found himself exhausted after just one day, constantly feeling sleepy.

It was after a long, sweet nap that he woke up. The realization of his lowered field of vision quickly brought a sense of dismay.

‘I shouldn’t have asked him to play with me.’

Seo-on, who was struggling to revert to his human form, decided to give up neatly. Being born as a variant species, he was naturally clumsy at therianthropy compared to others, so he was used to such situations. At least he hadn’t transformed due to illness or stress, which was a relief. Since he had turned into a puppy because of the change in his living environment, he figured he would naturally regain his human form once he got used to this environment.

The problem was that there was nothing to do when he became a puppy. Seo-on, contemplating whether to contact his brother or sister using his phone, shook his head vigorously. All electronic devices could be recognized even in his true form, so there was no issue in contacting them, but it was Monday, so everyone would be busy.

Moreover, he had transformed into a puppy not at his parents’ house but at his newlywed home. If he informed them of this, they would rush over in surprise, but inviting family without notifying his spouse would be rude.

Contacting the Executive Director was also out of the question, as a video call would only show his puppy form.

Having postponed contacting his family, he truly had nothing to do. Naturally, his eyes fell on the travel suitcase pushed into the corner.

‘I really shouldn’t.’

Despite thinking he should resist, Seo-on jumped off the bed. Moving with a series of soft thuds, he bit the zipper of the suitcase with his teeth and pulled it open with a ziiip. Then, he pulled out a toy from inside with his mouth and started playing with it.

‘This is fun.’

His mouth had been itching to bite something since he was sitting idly, and chewing on the ball made him feel at ease.

Seo-on skillfully held the ball, which seemed to be made of colorful threads, with his thick front paws and moved his head around. The hard ball being chewed between his sharp teeth made him feel as if he could fly with happiness. Even though his large ears drooped down to his face and got squished between his cheeks and the ball, Seo-on didn’t mind and focused solely on chewing the ball.

Since he was the only one at home, playing alone was fine, he rationalized to himself.

When a human reverts to their true form, they become closer to the instincts of the beast whose blood they inherit. This is why a newborn baby is closer to an animal than a human in the literal sense. As they grow older and learn to live with people of other species, they move away from animalistic behavior, but the instincts engraved in their blood never disappear.

Of course, after puberty, they gradually stop exhibiting the characteristic behaviors of baby animals. Just as young puppies play energetically, older dogs become more subdued.

However, humans have a different physical age than animals, so when they revert to their true form, many tend to play according to those instincts. There’s no special reason; it’s just a genetically ingrained instinct, and they pursue the joy because it’s fun.