WD | Chapter 1.6

Even when he first encountered the unexpected bouquet, he felt happy, but now that excitement was even more heightened. Knowing it wasn’t a gift with special meaning, he was still grateful for the gesture of congratulating him on his graduation.

Even though he knew it wasn’t a very mature action, Seo-on expressed his emotions with a broad smile. Cha Dokwon seemed surprised at how pleased he was, but Seo-on enjoyed his happiness regardless.

“We should probably get going.”

The dinner wasn’t too long or too short. It was long for people meeting for only the third time, but short because they hadn’t discussed everything they needed to.

Cha Dokwon seemed to be contemplating the same thing, wondering what to do.

“Executive Director.”

Since it seemed like there was still time, Seo-on called out to Cha Dokwon.

“I graduated today, right?”

Cha Dokwon waited in his seat, as if telling him to continue.

“So, could you buy me a drink?”

His brow furrowed slightly, and Seo-on smiled, his eyes crinkling.

“Do you know how to drink?”

“I learned from my family at the New Year.”

In truth, it was a bit of a stretch to say he learned.

Seo-on, who had boldly tried the golden liquid, scrunched his face at the bitter taste spreading down his throat and put the glass down. He had occasionally tried low-alcohol wine or champagne since entering high school, so he had challenged himself with whiskey to celebrate becoming an adult, but it was hardly drinkable.

In the end, Seo-on sipped on canned beer from the fridge, leaving behind the laughter of his family.

Beer isn’t tasty either.

Muttering in a sulky tone, his sister, sitting next to him, teased him, saying, “Really? Should I have bought peach-flavored alcohol instead? Our Seo-on is still a baby,” and playfully pinched his cheek.

Given the circumstances, it was a bit of a stretch to say he learned. However, since his parents had taught him about drinking etiquette, he figured it was close enough to count as learning.

Trying to prove his innocence, he looked at the man with a gentle expression, and Cha Dokwon gave him a knowing look. Perhaps due to his melanism, his eyes, particularly dark, reminded Seo-on of glistening obsidian.

“Alright.”

After a few seconds, the scrutinizing gaze seemed to pass, and Cha Dokwon stood up, nodding toward the door.

“Let’s go, then.”

No matter how he thought about it, this didn’t seem like alcohol…

Seo-on eyed the tall glass filled with a refreshing green hue of lime and mint with a skeptical expression. Despite boldly asking for a drink, Seo-on and Dokwon ended up at a cocktail bar, making his worries about drinking whiskey seem unfounded.

Having only tried wine or champagne at home, he had no experience with cocktails. He honestly admitted it was his first time with cocktails, and the man ordered for him, but no matter how he tasted it, it didn’t seem like alcohol. He knew cocktails were made with syrup, fruit, or fruit juice, so they were supposed to be sweet, but he couldn’t detect any of the typical alcohol bite.

In short, it felt like drinking carbonated water with added sweetness.

“Executive Director. I’ve been thinking, but this doesn’t seem like alcohol.”

“What kind of alcohol would a kid drink?”

Seeing the amused face, Seo-on realized the cocktail in front of him was a non-alcoholic one. The bartender had recited a familiar name, so he assumed it was that drink, but it seemed they also served non-alcoholic versions.

Do they usually sell non-alcoholic drinks at places like this?

It was his first time at a cocktail bar, but it didn’t seem like many places operated this way. The place Seo-on was in wasn’t an open hall but a room enclosed on all sides, so it seemed like they could easily create a menu that wasn’t available. However, it didn’t seem like the man had ordered something off-menu, given the brief conversation with the bartender.

“I’m not a kid. I’m an adult now.”

“I thought your birthday hadn’t passed yet.”

He didn’t seem keen on buying alcohol, but he also didn’t want to part ways without discussing what they needed to, so he had deliberately chosen such a place. Seo-on understood his intentions, but being treated like a kid was a bit much. They were getting married, not just acquaintances…

Seo-on pouted. It wasn’t a gesture one would make in front of an adult who wasn’t family or friends, but the habit he had with them slipped out without him realizing it. As soon as he realized it, Seo-on quickly composed his expression.

“What you’re drinking is also alcohol. It’s a mocktail.”

Perhaps interpreting his pout as a sign of being tricked, Dokwon added.

Seo-on mulled over the word mocktail. It was a term he hadn’t heard before, but the English word “mock” came to mind, allowing him to deduce its meaning. Since the adjective “fake” was attached to the cocktail, it must refer to a non-alcoholic cocktail.

“I can drink alcohol too…”

Seo-on absentmindedly stirred his straw. Since it was a drink the Executive Director had thoughtfully chosen for him, he planned to finish it out of gratitude. However, compared to the drink across from him, it seemed more like a child’s beverage, which subtly bothered him.

Seo-on’s glass, filled with lime and mint, contrasted with Cha Dokwon’s martini glass. Moreover, his glass contained only a small amount of alcohol with a single olive.

Comparing himself to the man over a mere cocktail was absurd, but the fact that the cocktail made him seem childish somehow didn’t sit well with him.

Even if the Executive Director calls me a kid…

His sister, who was closer in age, also called him a baby, so being called a kid was mild.

“If you finish it, I’ll buy you something else.”

Seo-on perked up.

“Can I drink something with alcohol?”

“Do as you like. I didn’t think you’d be so disappointed.”

“I wasn’t that disappointed.”

I’ll drink the same thing as the Executive Director. Seo-on resolved internally and, as if he hadn’t been sulking, sipped the drink that was closer to a beverage than alcohol through a straw. It still felt like drinking carbonated water with a strong lime scent.

“Let’s talk about the marriage. Is there any clause you want to add to the prenuptial agreement?”

“Hmm…”

I didn’t expect him to ask so directly.

Seo-on hesitated over whether to bring up the conversation he had with Hyesung.

The prenuptial agreement would essentially be a contract between CH and Yoon’s family, not between Cha Dokwon and himself, so the detailed clauses would be decided through mutual agreement between the companies. His father’s suggestion to discuss it further tomorrow was for that reason.

If they added any minor clauses after today’s conversation with Cha Dokwon, the contract with those clauses would be used for formal discussions.

‘It’s a bit ambiguous to put it in the contract…’

He wasn’t sure how to phrase it. A platonic sex life but no other partners?

When he discussed it with Hyesung, it seemed like a given clause, but now he worried it might be a bothersome clause for Cha Dokwon.

“Before that, I have a question.”

Perhaps sensing that Seo-on had a different reason for hesitating, Dokwon skillfully shifted the conversation. Seo-on watched the man while sipping the tangy cocktail.

“Marriage. Is it okay to proceed?”

“I’m not sure what you mean exactly…”

The date was already set, so it was a bit late to back out.

It was a bit late, but there was still an opportunity.

Seo-on, about to continue, paused at the sudden thought.

“If you have someone else you’re seeing…”

“I don’t mind proceeding as is. I don’t have anyone else.”

Cha Dokwon raised an eyebrow slightly, as if surprised by the mention of someone else.

“I’m just asking if it’s okay with you, Yoon Seo-on, to proceed with the marriage.”

“I’m okay with it.”

Seo-on answered without hesitation.

“I didn’t expect to get married so soon, but I thought I’d do it eventually when the time came.”

The same was true for Yoon Young-oh and Yoon Ji-oh. No one expected the youngest, Seo-on, to get married before them, even though their partners were already decided.

“I thought my parents would introduce me to someone suitable, so I wasn’t worried. But when I heard it was the Executive Director, I thought it was actually a good thing.”

“From your perspective, wouldn’t someone my age seem like an uncle? Plus, I’m a man.”

“I never really thought of you as an uncle… And you’re an anomaly too, Executive Director.”

Cha Dokwon showed an expression of interest for the first time.

“Of course, I know you’re a different kind of anomaly, but maybe because I’m an anomaly, I thought it would be nice if my future spouse was an anomaly too. So when I heard about you, I thought it was actually a good thing.”

It wasn’t that he accepted the marriage with Cha Dokwon hoping for a shared understanding as anomalies. He didn’t expect such understanding, knowing the man was called an anomaly for different reasons.

However, Seo-on had often thought it would be nice if his future spouse was an anomaly like him. It was a small but significant wish that came true, so the thirteen-year age difference and the fact that they were the same gender weren’t obstacles. For Seo-on, the fact that his arranged marriage partner was an anomaly, defying the odds, was more than enough to outweigh everything else.

“What about you, Executive Director?”

Seo-on returned the question to Dokwon, subtly hinting at his family’s atmosphere.

“As you know, there’s no such thing as divorce in our family. Even though I was born a dog, I’m still a wolf. The family atmosphere is more important than the species you’re born into…”

Since the other person was a jaguar, not a fellow wolf, there might come a day when the prenuptial agreement’s effectiveness would be tested. However, Seo-on had no intention of easily breaking the marriage. Therefore, it was important to address related issues before the marriage.

“We’ll definitely have a prenuptial agreement, but I’m telling you that I don’t plan to let the contents of that agreement be read in court. So I’m asking if you’re okay with maintaining the marriage with me, Executive Director.”

“As I said earlier, I don’t mind.”

Contrary to his expectation of seeing signs of hesitation, the man smoothly responded.

“I don’t plan to meet anyone else behind your back after marrying you.”

How can he be so sure? Seo-on wondered, and the man tapped the base of his cocktail glass with his index finger.

“As you know, our marriage is a kind of business.”

Seo-on nodded in agreement, even with a straw in his mouth.

“It’s something that has to be done eventually, and if it’s going to be done, it’s better to avoid troublesome things.”

“Troublesome things?”

“Like pregnancy.”

“Oh.”

Seo-on immediately understood what he meant. Is he not the type to have sex just to satisfy sexual desire?