WCK | Chapter 1.3

Marriage was a kind of business. Since his partner was young and of the same gender, they wouldn’t be living together intimately—but they would be cohabiting, and basic manners still applied. Besides, they weren’t even married yet. Business could fall through at any time, so there was no reason to make a poor impression.

He searched for a suitable topic to ease the child’s discomfort, but he hadn’t expected Korea’s most universal subject to so clearly expose the age gap.

What’s the educational curriculum now, anyway?

With no peers around his future spouse’s age, there was no way for him to know.

“Yes. I’m going to be an alumnus with you, Executive Director.”

The word “alumnus” felt distant. The first digits of their student numbers would probably be different.

“When did the results come out?”

“Yesterday.”

“I’m glad it was the result you wanted.”

“Thank you. I did well on the college entrance exam, so I wasn’t too worried, but I was still a bit anxious, just in case.”

Isn’t this a conversation between an uncle and a nephew rather than marriage partners? Cha Dokwon thought so while responding appropriately. Just then, there was a knock, and the tailor entered.

“Long time no see, Executive Director.”

The tailor, who was of a respectable age, turned his gaze to Yoon Seo-on sitting beside him.

“And this is the Executive Director’s fiancé.”

“Ah, hello.”

The tailor chuckled as he looked at Seo-on, who stood up and bowed.

“You’re the youngest son of Chairman Yoon, right?”

“Oh? How did you know?”

“The chairman visits here occasionally. The vice president and director don’t seem to prefer our place, as they’ve only come once.”

“So Dad comes here. I didn’t know.”

The word “Dad” instead of “Father” made Dokwon swallow a sigh as he leaned back on the sofa. The tailor, noticing the awkward atmosphere, tactfully caught Seo-on’s attention.

“Would you like to go first? I know the Executive Director’s taste well, but since I don’t know yours yet, it might take a little time.”

“Ah…”

Seo-on turned around. His face showed concern for the other party’s time, given the mention of it taking time.

“You can go first. It’s good to have someone with you when getting your first suit tailored.”

“Are you not busy, Executive Director?”

“I have time, so take your time.”

“Since you’re an expert, I’m sure whatever you recommend will be fine… I’ll be quick, so please wait a bit.”

“Haha. We have a few designs selected based on what the Executive Director mentioned, so it won’t take long. Could you come this way? The table is low over there, so it’ll be easier to look here.”

“Yes.”

Dokwon watched Seo-on’s back as he followed the tailor’s guidance. Thanks to the sofa placed near the window, Seo-on’s profile was clearly visible from a diagonal angle. No matter how he looked, he couldn’t help but think of him as a child.

He is a child, after all.

Naturally, the moment he first saw the child came to mind. The face, softer and whiter than the white peony he held, was smiling brightly.

“……”

Dokwon lightly tapped his crossed legs only after Seo-on stood up.

Why doesn’t he call off the marriage?

The reason he postponed this schedule repeatedly was purely in hopes that Yoon’s side would call off the marriage. And it was only after seeing Seo-on listening intently to the tailor’s explanation that Cha Dokwon realized he had been doing something unnecessary.

‘Well, considering he knew it was me…’

Whether it was because of the difference in species, the fact that it was a same-sex marriage, or the age difference, if he intended to refuse, he would have done so long ago.

If refusal were possible, it wouldn’t be called an arranged marriage, but everyone knew that the Yoon family cherished their youngest son like a treasure, so if Yoon Seo-on had expressed strong refusal, they would have somehow called off the marriage.

‘That means they have no intention of calling it off.’

The thin, white cheeks, like white petals, twitched following the movement of his lips as he answered.

Dokwon had no intention of treating his future spouse as an ordinary child. Whether he was astute enough to not break off the marriage or simply living without much thought because his entire family doted on him, it was clear that, having been born into a conglomerate family, his mindset was different from that of ordinary high school students.

“Does it look different when you try it on?”

“It does. Just like ready-made clothes look different depending on who wears them.”

“School uniforms all look the same, though…”

“Haha. That’s because hundreds of people wear the same clothes. Office workers would all look the same if they only wore white shirts and black dress pants. But suits and formal wear have different details.”

“Now that you mention it, that makes sense.”

The gentle voice pierced his ears.

The room was by no means small. However, the privately operated space made even small voices distinctly audible. Unlike the tailor’s mature voice, which was tinged with gray hair, the voice brimming with freshness made Yoon Seo-on seem even younger.

‘Especially with such a youthful face.’

Even so, the tailor didn’t seem particularly perturbed by Yoon Seo-on—likely because he’d already been informed that his client would be marrying the youngest son of the Yoon Group. While someone had probably given him a heads-up, it was impossible to ignore the rumors. The reason this quietly arranged marriage had suddenly become the talk of the town was obvious.

Still, no matter how many rumors one heard, vague speculation and confronting reality were two different things. Dokwon easily caught the flicker of surprise in the tailor’s eyes the moment he laid eyes on Seo-on.

This man, who had spent decades dressing the upper crust, was an expert who rarely showed emotion. And when he did, he was a seasoned snake—skilled at concealing any reaction before others could notice.

But Cha Dokwon’s senses were sharper than the tailor’s polished discretion.

He didn’t care how the tailor—who’d been handling his suits for years—chose to evaluate him. But even for Cha Dokwon, this situation was bothersome. He had never imagined that cutting off contact with the Yoon Group—after only being told that his marriage partner would come from their family—would circle back in the form of what could only be seen as a predatory marriage.

Of course, it wasn’t predatory in the literal, modern sense—no one had kidnapped or forcibly taken Yoon Seo-on. But to anyone with a normal perspective, this arrangement would hardly seem any different.

The discomfort Cha Dokwon felt—so unlike him—didn’t come solely from public perception.

It came from the faint trace of a conscience, lingering stubbornly in some quiet corner of his heart.

‘Even from my perspective, it’s not a pleasant sight.’

To walk down the wedding aisle with such a child?

Yoon Seo-on looked like a boy no matter how one viewed him. Although it wasn’t a word to attach to a nineteen-year-old boy, his smiling face evoked the impression of a boy.

He said he was an anomaly.

Knowing the faces of Chairman Yoon, his wife, and the children in charge of management made him seem even younger.

The Yoon family, who inherited the blood of wolves, generally had sharp features. Being wolves, one of the most agile-looking species among canines, it was a natural story due to the species’ characteristics. However, Yoon Seo-on was far from having a sharp atmosphere.

‘Is it because he’s a puppy?’

His round forehead flowed gently into a prominent nose, and his lips—curving softly like the tip of that nose—were all shaped with graceful lines. Unlike Yoon Young-oh or Yoon Ji-oh, whose eyes were a deep brown, Seo-on’s eyes were a light, watery brown, as if diluted with sunlight.

Perhaps that’s why, when trying to find similarities between Seo-on and his siblings, there was little to point out beyond his hair color. Even that differed—closer to a grayish wheat tone than Chairman Yoon’s grayish-black.

It was hard to guess what his true form might be, but the slight wave in his hair hinted that he could be a curly-haired puppy.

“How about this style? It doesn’t look too light and seems to suit wedding attire well.”

“Hmm…”

The eyes fixed on the table slowly slid and turned toward him. Seo-on, who had only shown his profile, turned his head.

Child.

Cha Dokwon slightly raised his eyebrows, questioning the intention of looking at him, while only thinking of him as a child. His cheeks, as thin and soft as the peony he had presented as a gift, looked like those of a child. If one looked closely, his face was so youthful that even the fine hairs and blood vessels on his cheeks seemed visible.

And that innocent face was flushed red, perhaps due to the heater’s warmth.

“Executive Director.”

At that moment, Seo-on approached with the catalog he had been staring at for a while.

“Please take a look. The tailor recommended this style, but I’m not familiar with these things.”

He had no hesitation in asking for help and making requests.

“I was originally going to get my first suit tailored when I entered college…”

Cha Dokwon swallowed another sigh.

“I didn’t expect to get my wedding suit tailored first. Since you said you’d help, I’d like to ask you, Executive Director.”

What am I doing with a kid talking about college entrance?

An unprecedented, inescapable sense of self-reproach welled up to his throat.

🐾🐾🐾

“Yoon Seo-on.”

Seo-on, who was staring at his phone waiting for a message, quickly looked up at the sound of his name. A familiar face standing by the door grinned and walked in. Unlike Seo-on, who wore a coat over his school uniform, the newcomer was dressed in a hoodie and padded jacket.

“Why are you so late?”

“The college entrance exam is over, so what’s the rush?”

Hyesung shrugged his shoulders, pulled out a chair with a squeak, and sat down with one leg folded, facing Seo-on. Without any formal greeting, he turned his head away. Seo-on, who had been staring blankly at his profile, widened his eyes belatedly.

“Did you get your ears pierced?”

“Yeah. Yesterday. It hurt like hell. I can’t even lie on this side for a while.”

There were not one, but three piercings on his ear cartilage.

Hyesung chuckled and turned his head back. Seo-on, who had unconsciously leaned in the direction of his ear, made a face as if he felt the pain himself and cautiously started the conversation.

“Does your grandfather know?”

“I showed him the acceptance letter to Korea University, and he didn’t say much.”

“You really are something…”

Seo-on’s oldest childhood friend, Joo Hyesung, came from a family with a long-standing history in the legal field—especially his grandfather, who had risen to the position of Chief Justice.

The family carried a somewhat conservative atmosphere. Yet Hyesung was like a sharp thorn protruding from that otherwise polished lineage.