The World of Contrasts Vol. 2 Chapter 4

At the same time, in Pyeongchang-dong.

“Come over for a bit.”

The voice of Chairman Jang came through the speaker of the phone. Joohee peeled off the facial mask she had just applied and responded briefly that she would. Although they lived in the same house, it had been over ten years since they last shared a bedroom, and eating dinner together rarely happened without prior arrangement.

Today, too, Chairman Jang had eaten dinner outside. The time was now 11:40 PM, close to midnight, but not unusually late.

Chairman Jang, who was always busy with golf trips that were thinly veiled excuses for sexual escapades, occasionally summoned her as his drinking companion when his schedule allowed. Tonight seemed to be one of those occasions. Draping a smooth nightgown over her slip, Joohee headed to the study where he was.

“Ah, you’re here.”

As expected, there was no sign of books in Chairman Jang’s study, only an array of golf clubs and paintings. A simple setup for drinking had been prepared—a bottle of domestic whiskey he favored, an ice bucket, and two glasses sat on the wide table. A stack of cigarette packs, his only preferred snack, was next to them.

“Want one?”

Chairman Jang, puffing on a cigarette, asked Joohee. She shook her head lightly.

“I quit a while ago.”

“And why’s that?”

Joohee answered dryly to her husband’s question.

“Wrinkles show up on my face.”

Joohee, who had given birth to Jaemin at the age of 23, was not yet fifty. However, the hardships she had endured during her years with Chairman Jang made her porcelain-smooth face appear, depending on the light, both like that of someone in her thirties and, at times, someone well over fifty.

At her response, Chairman Jang let out a faint chuckle and poured her a drink, flipping over a glass on the steel tray.

“Joohee.”

“…”

Joohee silently accepted the glass filled to the brim with golden liquor, nearly 250 milliliters, without ice.

“Seeing you here brings back old memories.”

Chairman Jang blinked his wrinkled eyes slowly as he smoked his cigarette.

The gold ring on his thick, hairy finger, adorned with a green emerald, was the same as it had been 23 years ago. Thinking about how that hand had once muffled her screams and violated her body sent chills down Joohee’s flawlessly smooth neck.

“Your boyfriend back then was a beta, wasn’t he?”

The unexpected topic caused a faint tremor in Joohee’s eyelashes. Watching her reaction as though savoring it, Chairman Jang continued.

“You remember, don’t you? How I dealt with him. Beat him to death. How could you forget?”

Joohee slowly shook her head with a faint smile.

“…It’s such a long time ago, the memory’s fuzzy.”

“Joohee, let’s leave together. That’s all it takes.”

This was what Chairman Jang had said openly to her father when he had barged in for debt collection, making it clear he wanted Joohee. That same day, her first love—a campus boyfriend she had planned to run away with—had gone missing, only to later be found as a corpse covered in bruises.

“Well, it was a long time ago.”

For an ordinary person, forgetting such an event would be impossible. That incident had been the turning point when Joohee fully understood what kind of man Chairman Jang was and what the consequences of fleeing from him would be.

Appearing at the airport in place of her boyfriend, Chairman Jang had walked straight up to her, saying, “I let it slide because it was cute this time. But there won’t be a next time. Don’t test my patience.”

“I remember it all…”

Chairman Jang’s half-closed eyes grew sharper as he brought up a distasteful topic.

“The day you and I first made Jaemin. You said things like, ‘What does bloodline matter? It’s disgusting.'”

Joohee resisted the urge to grab a cigarette from the table in front of her, forcing herself to frown slightly instead.

“Me?”

“Yes. When I filled your filthy womb to the brim.”

Though it was a familiar insult, it was something Joohee could never grow used to, even after decades.

“……”

What Chairman Jang did to Joohee back then was rape.

Joohee wondered what would happen if she retorted, telling Chairman Jang that he couldn’t even father a child. Of course, she’d never leave this room alive, but the thought of his face twisting in betrayal sent a thrilling sensation coursing through her body.

How amusing it would be if he found out that his proud Alpha son was actually an Omega—and even more so if he knew who the real father was.

Joohee slowly tilted the glass to her lips, letting the liquid disappear entirely before setting the empty glass back on the table.

“I was immature back then. That was before we had Jaemin, our perfect son.”

Her bare lips curved upward into a serene smile. Watching her unshaken demeanor, Chairman Jang clicked his tongue.

“Joohee, do you know what I liked most about you when I first saw you?”

“I’m not sure, dear.”

“Your spirit.”

Joohee tried to guess why Chairman Jang was suddenly reminiscing about the past, but nothing came to mind.

All she felt was unease.

“Your father was on his knees, my men filled the house, and at just twenty-two, you should’ve been terrified. But you didn’t show it. The way you looked at me, calm and composed—it caught my eye.”

“Why the sudden nostalgia? You’re getting sentimental in your old age.”

Hiding her unease, Joohee picked up the bottle with her manicured hands.

Chairman Jang watched her intently. Her hands, steady as they poured into both their glasses, betrayed no hint of a tremor. Even if she were to light a cigarette, it would be the same. He’d seen countless gangsters unable to even light one properly in his presence, their hands shaking uncontrollably.

He knew well how strong a woman he had married. From the moment he first saw Joohee, he instinctively recognized her as someone of his caliber. No other Alpha woman he had met ever measured up.

“There’s nothing more ignorant than being proud of your ignorance because you’re uneducated.”

When he complimented her for having a “delicious-looking pussy,” her sharp glare told him she was the perfect candidate to bear his child.

If it weren’t for their twenty-year age gap, for Jaemin being used as leverage to keep her under his thumb, and for the constant suppression, Joohee might have risen to a position that threatened his own within the organization.

That was why he could never forgive her.

“Curious why I’m bringing up old stories all of a sudden?”

“……”

“I’m more curious about how you’ll react to what I’m about to say.”

Chairman Jang smiled at her, a beastly grin that bared his fangs. Seeing it, Joohee was certain something was amiss.

“What is it you want to say? Stop dragging it out.”

“Hmm… a secret?”

Joohee had many secrets she had kept from her husband. Regular lovers, offshore slush funds, and properties scattered here and there.

The biggest one, of course, was about their son. But there was no way Chairman Jang could have figured that out. If he had, this meeting wouldn’t be so quiet. After all, he had spoken to Jaemin just days ago without any suspicion.

Lighting another cigarette, Chairman Jang picked up his phone.

“Bring her in.”

What could it be? Suppressing her pounding heart, Joohee strained to maintain her composure.

The study door opened, and a woman entered.

She wore an ill-fitting luxury dress and had dyed hair that seemed out of place. Her heavy makeup couldn’t hide her worn-out appearance, and a vulgar Omega scent clung to her. She was clearly not Chairman Jang’s type.

“P-please, I’m sorry. Spare me, Chairman.”

The woman began to speak in a trembling voice. Chairman Jang, without even glancing at her, kept his eyes fixed on Joohee and asked slowly,

“Do you know her?”

“…What are you trying to do here, dear?”

Joohee frowned. She couldn’t guess his intentions, and the uncertainty made her heart pound unpleasantly.

“Seems like you don’t. Take her away.”

The thug who had brought the woman in dragged her roughly back out of the living room. Along with her screams, the sharp sound of friction followed soon after.

Even without looking, Joohee could tell it was the sound of an Omega being slapped and dragged away. Chairman Jang, meanwhile, placed a new cigarette between his lips and tossed an envelope sitting on the sofa chair toward her.

“Open it.”

Swallowing dryly, Joohee slowly opened the brown envelope. What could possibly be inside? A flood of uneasy thoughts raced through her mind, but what she saw were several photos of a young man she didn’t recognize and a profile detailing his background.

“What is this?”

Relieved that the handsome man in the photos wasn’t one of her younger lovers, Joohee looked back at Chairman Jang. He clicked his tongue and gestured with his head.

“Look closely. Do you know him?”

Joohee turned her gaze back to the documents.

Name: Seol Daeyoung. Age: 23.

She read through the information, which included his height, weight, blood type, and genotype, but the name Seol Daeyoung, an Alpha, didn’t ring any bells. Even if he had lied about his name, a face like his would be impossible to forget.

✽ ✽ ✽

“I don’t know him…”

“Take a good look at the photos.”

The photos, clearly taken with a zoom lens, seemed to have been acquired through hired help. The man’s immense physique stood out even more as he was photographed alongside others. His height and build could easily belong to an athlete, but what drew even more attention was his masculine and striking features.

Joohee swallowed dryly and narrowed her eyes. The sharp contours of his face, the subtle smile on his lips during a conversation, and the depth in his gaze—even in the less-than-clear resolution—had something captivating about them.

The strange thing was that, despite having never seen this man before, there was something oddly…

“Familiar, isn’t it?”

“…”

Chairman Jang spoke as if reading her thoughts. Joohee, still holding the photo, raised her head. Her thick, neatly groomed black eyebrows knit together.

“Who is this?”

Chairman Jang chewed on his cigarette as he stared intently at her. Watching him inhale and exhale smoke, Joohee’s heart inexplicably began to race.

Finally, Chairman Jang spoke in a low but clear voice.

“He’s your son, Joohee.”

Time seemed to stop between them. The only sound was the ticking of the clock on the wall. As hazy smoke swirled like fog in front of her eyes, Joohee let out a short sigh.

“What are you talking about, dear?”

Chairman Jang, watching her furrowed brows, was convinced that this was the first time Joohee had learned of Daeyoung’s existence. Her usually composed eyes now flickered with confusion and shock.

“That Omega woman earlier…”

“…”

“Do you know what she dared to say when she came here without a shred of fear?”

Joohee remained silent, glaring at him. Chairman Jang’s breathing grew increasingly agitated. It wasn’t a good sign, but Joohee couldn’t leave her seat. Her hands, still holding the photo, turned pale from gripping it so tightly.

“She said I have another son.”

“Dear…”

Joohee forced a smile, trying to calm him, but the corners of her mouth trembled. Chairman Jang’s voice suddenly boomed, reverberating through the study like a hammer pounding against her eardrums.

“She claimed there was a mix-up at the hospital! No, she said it was a deliberate swap! Some damn Omega wench had the nerve to switch my son!”

When Chairman Jang first called for the woman, who claimed she had urgent information about his son, he had thought it was just another one of Jaemin’s schemes.

Jaemin’s work wasn’t bad, but his youthful recklessness often led him to take dangerous risks. To avoid complications, Jaemin would occasionally deceive his father.

However, the woman, who had been a nurse at the hospital where Jaemin was born, spewed an outrageous story about a baby swap in the newborn ward. Just as he was about to silence her for good, she uttered a name that even he recognized.

“Are you fine never knowing the whereabouts of your real son, Chairman…? Kkk—”

“Fine, then. What’s my son’s name, huh? Spill it before I kill you.”

“Seol… Seol Dae…”

The strength in Chairman Jang’s hands, which had been choking the woman, weakened. Seol Daeyoung. That cocky kid who had barged into the room when he was with Jaemin—the one he couldn’t take his eyes off—had no business being mentioned here.

“That’s… impossible.”

Joohee, her face pale, finally managed to speak. It was something she could not easily comprehend. She had always believed that Jaemin was the son of herself and the man she had an affair with at the time.

Yet, she couldn’t help but keep glancing at the photos tossed on the table. The face of the young man in the photos seemed familiar because his overwhelming presence, even captured in the images, bore an uncanny resemblance to Chairman Jang.

It was as if the young Chairman Jang stood before her. Even the sheer, intimidating bulk that inspired fear was identical.

“Yeah, it sounds absurd. That Omega wench could just be trying to scam me. So, I looked into it myself.”

Chairman Jang abruptly stood and walked to his mahogany desk. He opened a drawer, pulled out a file, and tossed it roughly at Joohee. His hand was scratched by the wire binding, drawing blood, but that was the least of Joohee’s concerns.

Her trembling hands opened the file, and the moment she confirmed its contents, her heart sank.

It was only natural for her thoughts to drift to the past. Joohee herself had once undergone a similar test.

The document Chairman Jang had thrown at her was a paternity test result based on genetic analysis. The date on the sample sent to Singapore was a month ago, indicating how seriously Chairman Jang had taken this matter.

Why? Since when had Chairman Jang begun doubting Jaemin? That child couldn’t have made such a mistake. Why?

“They found a load of semen-stained garbage at Jaemin’s house and sent it all to the lab. Turns out, there were two contributors. One was our Jaemin, and the other was the guy in the photos.”

“Dear…”

“Yeah, you’re thinking it too. What business would two men have exchanging fluids? It’s not like they were fooling around once or twice.”

“…”

“They were screwing each other.”

Joohee had to bite her trembling lips tightly. The weight of Chairman Jang’s words crashing down on her was unbearable.

“And today, these are the results.”

“…”

The samples collected from Jaemin’s house included not only semen but also hair. Jaemin had long hair, while the other individual did not, making the distinction clear.

“One of them is my son, and the other is not. Just to be sure, I sent yours in too, and it’s a match.”

“…”

Joohee’s face turned completely ashen. Chairman Jang was now stating that she truly had a child with him, and that child had been switched at birth in the hospital.

The man in the photo, Joohee’s biological son, was a dominant Alpha. If the baby hadn’t been switched… did that mean all her efforts up until now had been for nothing?

Her temples throbbed as she felt a wave of self-loathing, like the story of a woman who mistook a fake necklace for a real one and lived a wretched life. It mirrored her own, filling her with unbearable shame.

“Haa…”

Where had it all gone wrong? What opportunity had she missed? Her mind, unable to organize her thoughts, spiraled into chaos as Chairman Jang’s ominous voice continued.

“The real fun part is yet to come.”

Joohee’s hands trembled violently as she gripped her nightgown. It was as if the largest bomb among Chairman Jang’s revelations was ticking down to its detonation.

“When they tested the bloodstained bandages from Jaemin’s house, they also checked the genetic traits…”

Joohee clenched her fists so tightly that the bones in her hand stood out starkly. She felt as though the inevitable moment had finally arrived, but now that it was here, the fear was overwhelming.

“Our Jaemin… turns out he’s an Omega, Joohee.”

Chairman Jang grinned.

“Doesn’t quite match the test results you once showed me, does it?”

Joohee bit her lips tightly. She couldn’t stop her body from trembling uncontrollably. Her autonomic nervous system, now out of control, heightened her fear to an unbearable degree.

“There must be some mistake, dear…!”

The sound of a liquor bottle shattering froze Joohee’s pupils in place. Chairman Jang, his breathing heavy and rough, glared at her with sharp eyes.

“Yeah, a mistake—a colossal one.”

“……”

“Why don’t we have a long talk for the first time in a while, Hee-ya, about what’s really going on?”

Chairman Jang took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves. As he approached, Joohee pulled out the sharp awl she had hidden under her gown.

✽ ✽ ✽

A week later.

Bzzzz-.

Jaemin, sprawled out on the sofa, reached for his phone, which had been vibrating incessantly. The caller was his mother. Should he answer or not? While he hesitated, the call ended.

His mother didn’t call him often, and when she did, it was rarely about anything pleasant—family gatherings, for example.

“……”

Jaemin stared at the missed call notification on his phone before finally sitting up. He tried calling back, but before it could even ring once, an automated message informed him that the call couldn’t be connected.

Was it a mistake?

Remembering that neither of them was particularly eager to hear the other’s voice unless necessary, he felt a bitter taste in his mouth.

Jaemin let out a faint scoff and leaned back against the sofa, lost in thought.

The robotic vacuum cleaner made a soft whirring sound as it bumped against his slipper, then changed direction. The cleaning assistant seemed slightly uneasy about Jaemin being home during its usual cleaning time, but it soon refocused on its task.

He watched with unfocused eyes as the soiled sheets spun in the washing machine and the trash can was emptied.

The sheets had been soaked with semen, and the trash can was likely filled with used condoms and tissues stained with bodily fluids. Anyone who couldn’t guess what had happened in this house would be a fool.

✽ ✽ ✽

“Excuse me.”

“…Yes?”

The woman looked at him with a peculiar upward inflection in her tone. Jaemin stood up, glancing at the foreign helper who smiled awkwardly, then opened his wallet.

“You don’t need to come starting tomorrow. This is for your efforts so far.”

The realization hit him belatedly that he had been too lax. It wasn’t like him to keep the same cleaning staff instead of changing them monthly.

Since manifesting as an Omega, Jaemin’s top priority had been his privacy. He knew better than anyone what could happen if personal information he couldn’t share with anyone leaked out.

Although the helper had submitted a Beta phenotype test result and wouldn’t be able to detect the overwhelming Omega and Alpha pheromones lingering on the things she cleaned, that didn’t mean Jaemin could let his guard down.

How had he let himself get so careless? The answer didn’t require much thought—it was because of Seol Daeyoung, who had barged into Jaemin’s personal space as if it were his own and made himself at home.

“You’re my Omega.”

“Goddamn bastard…”

As Seol Daeyoung’s voice, thick with animalistic panting, echoed in his mind, the pain in Jaemin’s injured hand flared, and a curse slipped out. He passed the now-attentive helper, heading straight for his cigarettes. Lighting one, he exhaled slowly, his thoughts consumed by Daeyoung.

Jaemin had never given him the right to say such things, but he had a vague idea of when Daeyoung’s delusion had begun.

It was the day a few months ago when Daeyoung broke down his door, the day Jaemin nearly disgraced himself in front of his father at a Korean restaurant, the day he was so starved for sex that he recklessly tangled with Daeyoung and blurted out something thoughtless.

“I love you, Daeyoung.”

A meaningless, filthy phrase, spat out like phlegm.

Jaemin took a deep drag from his cigarette. He didn’t need to guess how pathetic he must have looked at that moment. Desperate to be taken, his body burning with need, Jaemin could have said there were two moons in the sky. But Daeyoung’s reaction had been different.

Exhibiting restraint even Jaemin found impressive, Daeyoung had knotted him. He swelled his cock to the point of breaking Jaemin’s belly and poured his seed until it overflowed. The amount of semen Daeyoung released was so excessive that it leaked out of Jaemin for days. If either of them had been in heat, pregnancy would have been inevitable.

“You know I love you too.”

Remembering Daeyoung’s voice made Jaemin’s face flush. He walked to the window, throwing it open wider where the helper had left it slightly ajar for ventilation. The sharp December wind hit his face, bringing a moment of clarity.

Since that day, neither Jaemin nor he had brought up what happened, but it was clear that Daeyoung had become convinced of something back then.

He must have been certain of the feelings Jaemin himself couldn’t admit—the toxic emotions Jaemin had suppressed deep in his chest, only to spit them out thoughtlessly under the guise of a cough.

“Goodbye, Director.”

The helper gave him a final farewell. Jaemin nodded briefly, and she disappeared behind the door.

Had he ever told her his title? The thought crossed his mind, but he assumed she must have seen one of his business cards lying around the house.

His resolve to keep everyone out of his home was reaffirmed. Aside from Seonho, who had been unable to visit since Jaemin started spending more time with Daeyoung, no one was allowed inside. That included Seol Daeyoung.

“Want me to tell you your future? By next year, I’ll destroy your business. You’ll have no choice but to cut ties with those shitty gangster bastards. You’ll be locked up in my house, eating the food I give you, waiting for my touch, getting fucked by me day and night, and by the year after, you’ll be having my child.”

Daeyoung’s chilling words replayed in Jaemin’s mind, squeezing his heart as if someone had grabbed it. It wasn’t a heart attack at his age, so the cause had to be stress.

All this time, Daeyoung had been barging into his house, having sex, ordering takeout, watching borderline pornographic films, and engaging in meaningless routines, all while harboring those monstrous thoughts.

Of course, Jaemin had never thought of Daeyoung as pure-hearted. But hearing his dark intentions laid bare was more shocking than expected.

Destroying Jaemin’s organization and pulling him down meant erasing the very existence of Jang Jaemin from the world.

Hearing his “grand plan” to reduce Jaemin to someone waiting helplessly for an Alpha’s touch left Jaemin feeling as though he were being utterly dismantled.

“Maybe it’s the life you want, too?”

Bullshit. Complete nonsense.

But right after hearing Daeyoung’s words, something inside Jaemin had erupted without warning. Recalling the strange catharsis he felt at that moment made his heart race again.

Jaemin stubbed out his cigarette and leaned his head against the window. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm himself. No one should have the power to destroy the empire he had built with sweat and blood. No one.

Snowflakes were falling from the hazy, windy sky. As he watched the year’s first snowfall drift down eerily, his phone rang. The caller was Seol Daeyoung. It had been a week since he last left Jaemin’s house.

Jaemin’s hand trembled as he held the phone. Just as the ringing seemed about to stop, it started again. Ending his hesitation, Jaemin touched the screen and brought the phone to his ear.

― Still mad?

Daeyoung’s low voice wrapped around his ears. From the sound of the wind, he seemed to be outside. Jaemin swallowed dryly and stiffly opened his mouth.

“What do you want?”

― It’s snowing.

“So what?” Jaemin replied, biting his lip.

― ‘So what?’ What kind of answer is that? It’s snowing, so I thought of you.

Jaemin couldn’t dismiss his teasing words as a joke because he realized Daeyoung had always given meaning to everything he said.

At that moment, Jaemin became fully aware that he was coiled tightly in the grasp of a silent, enormous snake. Seol Daeyoung was someone capable of breaking him entirely and swallowing him whole.

“What does snow have to do with me?”

― No sense of romance.

Jaemin had never been on particularly good terms with Daeyoung. Was that why Daeyoung seemed to take things so lightly? Did he think the conflict between them a week ago was just another unpleasant episode among many?

― Can’t you see my heart, holding back and using snow as an excuse to call you?

The tone, as if they were in a relationship, made Jaemin genuinely angry.

“Hey… you son of a bitch… are you seriously saying this to me right now…?”

― Just let it go.

Daeyoung cut him off mid-sentence. Jaemin’s sharp eyebrows twitched.

“What?”

― I’m saying I was wrong, so let it go. I said something stupid because I was blinded by jealousy.

Listening to Daeyoung’s voice, Jaemin let out a dry laugh. Even when apologizing, his audacity was ingrained in his nature. The sheer absurdity made heat rise to the back of his neck. The cold air seemed to have no effect.

― I’m holding back a lot from storming over to see you. It’s miserable and frustrating jerking off while thinking about you. Don’t you think I deserve some reward for holding out for a whole week?

Jaemin didn’t respond to his words and hung up. Hopeless. Crazy bastard. He pressed his warm forehead with his hand, but his phone rang again almost immediately. Without even checking the caller, Jaemin answered.

“You’re seriously misunderstanding something here.”

He was about to lash out, declaring that he was not and would never be Daeyoung’s Omega, when an unexpected voice came through the phone.

― H-hello? Is this Jang Jaemin’s phone?

Frowning at the unfamiliar voice, Jaemin checked the number.

“It is. Who’s calling?”

― Oh, I’m… Daeyoung’s mother.

It was the call he had been avoiding for a while. Unlike his own mother, who had set his phone number to end with his birth date out of maternal sentiment, Seol Junkyung’s persistent calls finally got through.

Jaemin hesitated for a moment, debating whether to hang up, but decided to ask.

“Yes. What is it?”

He figured it was time to put an end to the annoyance she had been causing.

― Well, um… that is…

The woman, who had been calling intermittently, now seemed flustered that the call had actually connected. Jaemin asked again, his irritation barely concealed.

“Do you have something to say to me? You’ve called several times.”

― …Yes.

“Then go ahead.”

After some hesitation, Seol Junkyung finally spoke.

― If it’s alright, could we meet to talk…?

“I’m a bit busy.”

― Oh…

The silence that followed hinted at his lack of interest, and from the background, Jaemin heard someone calling.

― Seol Junkyung, please come to the consultation room!

Realizing she was at a hospital, Jaemin asked in a flat tone.

“Are you unwell?”

― Could I call you back later? I need to go somewhere right now…

After agreeing, Jaemin ended the call. He sent her the address of a nearby café and suggested meeting in two hours. A little while later, she replied with a message confirming she’d be there.

✽ ✽ ✽

Jaemin considered several reasons why Daeyoung’s mother might want to meet him, but only one came to mind. If she was frequenting the hospital, it likely meant her health was deteriorating, and for someone in dire straits, money was always the most pressing need.

He couldn’t fathom where she got the audacity to contact her son’s “friend” to borrow money, but given Seol Daeyoung’s personality, it wasn’t hard to imagine that shamelessness ran in the family. However, what she probably didn’t know was that Jaemin’s profession wasn’t entirely unrelated to her needs.

Ssssh.

Jaemin rubbed his face under the hot water streaming down. Lending money to people in urgent need was something he’d done countless times before, so it didn’t bother him. Besides, this was a perfect opportunity to sever ties with Seol Daeyoung completely, which made him even less hesitant.

After finishing his shower, Jaemin chose his outfit in the dressing room. A black suit, black coat, shoes, and gloves—his pale face was the only exposed skin visible.

Finally, after grabbing a business card holder from Capital, Jaemin hurried out of the house. He didn’t notice the shadow trailing behind him, too preoccupied with his thoughts.

The idea of using Seol Daeyoung’s mother to hurt Daeyoung weighed heavily on his chest.

But it didn’t matter. This would only further confirm that Daeyoung and he lived in completely different worlds. Daeyoung wasn’t the type to bend for someone else, and neither was Jaemin.

So, this was the most fitting conclusion for them.

Jaemin planned to have Seol Junkyung take out a private loan. And the snowballing interest on the debt would inevitably fall on Seol Daeyoung to repay.

The moment their names were listed as debtors at Capital, their relationship would change drastically. Once company funds were involved, this would no longer be a matter between “friends” but a corporate issue.

Even someone as strong as Seol Daeyoung would be powerless against the loan sharks pressuring Seol Junkyung. And if something were to happen to Jaemin, the only person capable of stopping them, both Daeyoung and Junkyung would likely be ruined.

In the end, Daeyoung would have no choice but to follow Jaemin’s orders, doing whatever he wanted—for the sake of the mother he loved most in the world.

But… what exactly did Jaemin want from Seol Daeyoung? What did he want him to do?

Jaemin frowned, unable to find a satisfactory answer to the question that had crept into his mind. One thing was clear: he needed distance from Daeyoung. If he continued to get caught up in Daeyoung’s pace… he feared that the terrible future Daeyoung had once described might actually come true.

Jaemin and Daeyoung were incompatible. They could never work together. So, it was better to end this messy relationship quickly. If all else failed, Jaemin had even considered the worst possible measure.

During Daeyoung’s rut, he could pair him with an Omega likely to conceive. Knowing Daeyoung’s sense of responsibility, he wouldn’t abandon his child, which would place further constraints on his actions.

Of course, the Omega chosen to stay by Daeyoung’s side would be someone Jaemin personally selected. Preferably, someone loyal to him.

“…”

The snowflakes falling from the sky were getting faster. Jaemin closed the window and caught a glimpse of his reflection. As he finally began to realize what he truly wanted from Daeyoung, a brief, bitter laugh escaped his lips.

Jaemin wanted to watch over Seol Daeyoung. Like a sunflower following the sun. Forever, if possible. While maintaining the distance between the sun and the earth.

It was a pitiful, hopeless dream.

✽ ✽ ✽

Finding Daeyoung’s mother at the café near his home was easy. She was the most out-of-place person there. Jaemin walked past the groups of young patrons gathered to celebrate the first snow and headed straight to the innermost corner, where Junkyung sat.

“You haven’t ordered a drink.”

“Oh, not yet…”

Jaemin frowned slightly, wondering if even the price of coffee was too much for her.

“I’ll order for both of us. Is hot coffee okay?”

Junkyung nodded, and Jaemin headed to the counter. The small menu booklet was written entirely in English. Realizing belatedly that this might have been why she hadn’t ordered, he felt no particular guilt.

He selected the coffee beans and waited near the counter until the drinks were ready. When the coffee was finished, he carried it over himself. Watching him return with the tray, Junkyung looked flustered.

“Please, go ahead.”

Jaemin calmly lifted his cup in front of her as she fidgeted nervously.

“Thank you…”

Today, Junkyung had dressed up as much as she could. She wore light makeup and had wrapped a scarf around her coat, but the thin fabric, unsuited for the season, only made her look even more impoverished.

Recalling Seol Daeyoung in his school uniform jacket even during the coldest winters suddenly soured Jaemin’s mood.

“What is it you wanted to talk to me about?”

He hadn’t intended to sound so curt. Thinking of Daeyoung had unconsciously twisted his tone. Clearing his throat, Jaemin added in a softer voice, “If there’s anything I can help with, I’ll do it. You are my friend’s… mother, after all.”

“Actually… Daeyoung doesn’t know I’m here.”

Of course, he wouldn’t.

That boy adored his mother. Knowing how she might be treated, there was no way Daeyoung would have allowed this meeting. Watching Junkyung’s guilt-ridden expression, Jaemin lifted the corners of his lips slightly.

“I’ll keep it a secret.”

Even after sipping her coffee, Junkyung hesitated several times before finally speaking in a trembling voice.

“I hope you won’t misunderstand what I’m about to say. I don’t… have any intention of getting involved with you, Jaemin… it’s just, I wanted to say this once. I just wanted to let you know I exist.”

It was a somewhat lengthy preamble for someone supposedly here to borrow money. Calculating the timing to hand over his business card, Jaemin observed her.

“Go ahead. Say everything you want to.”

For a moment, he thought he caught a faint whiff of Daeyoung’s alpha pheromones. Was it because she lived with him?

Jaemin wrinkled his nose slightly and wet his lips with the coffee. The rich, tangy aroma of the coffee clung to his senses, and the imagined pheromone scent dissipated quickly. Just his imagination, then.

“These days, we know a lot more about the world we live in, but… twenty years ago, it wasn’t like that. Some people didn’t even know their secondary gender, and because of that, many incidents… happened.”

The emergence of alphas and omegas began around thirty years ago, when population decline became a significant issue. Initially dismissed as mutations, it took less than a decade for their numbers to explode. Research into their traits increased, but so did the side effects.

As Junkyung recounted these dull facts, Jaemin calmly asked, “Is this your story, Ms. Seol Junkyung?”

Her face flushed red above the scarf wrapped around her neck. The scarf likely served to ward off the cold, but it was also a typical omega instinct to protect their neck from potential bonding. Feeling an odd ache at the base of his neck under his black turtleneck, Jaemin tilted his head slightly.

“No, I knew what I was… early on. But I was deceived by someone who exploited that, and… I suffered a lot.”

“I see.”

Jaemin furrowed his brows slightly and clicked his tongue softly. So the gist was that she’d had a hard life because she was an omega. Jaemin felt neither sympathy nor pity and wondered how much longer he’d have to endure this tale of woe as his patience began to wear thin.

“There was someone who helped me back then. A lawyer who worked tirelessly for omega rights…”

Junkyung lowered her voice slightly.

“It was… Congressman Kwon Sangdo.”

Jaemin’s hand, which had been about to set down his coffee cup, paused briefly. His heart gave a sudden, pounding response to the unexpected name that came from Junkyung’s lips.

“And so?”

It was a blind spot concealed by broad-leaved trees, and in the bustling café, there weren’t many people paying attention to them. However, it wasn’t necessarily a matter to raise one’s voice about carelessly.

“We were quite close. For a while.”

“Ah… is that so?”

The boredom from just moments ago completely vanished, and Jaemin felt a rush of dopamine, suppressing the urge to smile broadly as he licked his lips. Junkyung, seemingly feeling stifled, finally untied her scarf, her eyes trembling with unease. Tilting his head slightly, Jaemin spoke as if guessing at the truth that Junkyung couldn’t bring herself to say.

“Hmm… Are you saying that you were currently in a romantic relationship with Congressman Kwon Sangdo?”

✽ ✽ ✽

If that were truly the case, it was an unexpected stroke of luck. In Jaemin’s mind, thoughts of how to exploit this scandal to blackmail Congressman Kwon Sangdo were already forming rapidly. When he recalled the aloof expression of Yoon Jungha during the festival, an inexplicable urge for destruction surged within him even more.

“…If that were the case, I think I would’ve been happy.”

Junkyung hesitated briefly before answering as if talking to herself. Jaemin suppressed his excitement and gently urged her.

“Could you tell me more?”

“…There were many people he helped at the time, not just me. For an alpha to step up so actively in matters involving omegas… it’s not an easy thing to do.”

No. That was something only someone unfamiliar with alphas would say. For a dominant alpha with ambitions like Kwon Sangdo, it was certain that he had used even omegas as tools to achieve his goals.

Having lived 23 years surrounded by alphas his entire life, Jaemin could say this with confidence, but he swallowed dryly and suppressed his true feelings.

“He sounds like a remarkable person. Always has been.”

Junkyung cautiously continued, watching his reaction.

“Maybe that’s why. I… harbored some kind of ridiculous hope. That somehow, with him…”

When Jaemin raised his eyebrows as if prompting her to continue, Junkyung spoke in a small, almost disappearing voice.

“I wanted to create a bond.”

“A bond?”

“A child.”

Junkyung gulped down her cold coffee like water, her expression twisting as if the bitterness overwhelmed her. Watching her, Jaemin felt sweat pooling in his palms. What was this woman saying right now? No way… Could it be that Seol Daeyoung was connected to Congressman Kwon?

If that were true, this was no ordinary scandal—it was an absolute jackpot. His heart pounded as if he’d consumed an overdose of caffeine.

“…But is creating that bond something you can achieve on your own?”

Jaemin’s voice naturally edged with sarcasm. As the story grew more intriguing, the disgust he felt toward Junkyung’s thoughts only intensified.

So, are you saying Seol Daeyoung is Congressman Kwon’s illegitimate child or not?

Suppressing the urge to press her to get to the point, he watched as Junkyung’s trembling hand placed her cup down with a soft clink.

“I went to him during his rut. I knew that an alpha in rut couldn’t reject an omega.”

It was the same plan Jaemin himself had considered just hours earlier. To throw a heat-stricken omega at Seol Daeyoung when he was in rut. Hearing Junkyung say out loud the very idea he’d been contemplating made Jaemin laugh bitterly.

“And?”

“As soon as his rut ended, he got down on his knees and apologized to me. He bowed his head, said it should never have happened, handed me money, and repeatedly urged me to go to the hospital just in case I was pregnant… That’s when I realized.”

Junkyung’s voice was heavy with complex emotions, though devoid of lingering attachment.

“This man doesn’t love me, and he never will.”

“Then, were you pregnant?”

Jaemin didn’t care for this melodramatic tale. What he wanted to know was far more straightforward. Junkyung’s gaze faltered slightly before her soft voice finally broke through.

“I only realized I was pregnant once my belly began to grow.”

Of course. Jaemin didn’t even need to see it to know how desperately she must have wanted to “create a bond” through pregnancy.

“Hmm… Of course, you kept it a secret from Congressman Kwon, didn’t you?”

As Jaemin looked at her, seeking confirmation, Junkyung raised her voice slightly as if to defend herself.

“He wouldn’t answer my calls…! And later, he even changed his phone number.”

“I’m not here to scold you, Madam Jungha.”

Jaemin softened his tone as he looked at her.

“Now, if you really wanted to, it should be entirely possible to get in touch with Congressman Kwon.”

“…I’m afraid to.”

“So, you’re saying Congressman Kwon Sangdo knows nothing about your situation. Is that correct?”

“Even Daeyoung doesn’t know… If he did, he wouldn’t just sit back and do nothing.”

What the hell…!

Jaemin barely managed to keep from breaking into a wide grin. This unexpected windfall from a meeting where he had only intended to borrow some money and dig up dirt on Seol Daeyoung was making his head spin with excitement.

Seol Daeyoung was blood-related to Congressman Kwon Sangdo. And he could use this to blackmail the congressman. This was an opportunity he couldn’t miss. If Chairman Jang knew about this, he’d laugh uproariously in delight.

Of course, Jaemin had to ensure that Chairman Jang never found out. In an age where information is power, there was no reason for him to give the chairman any extra leverage.

Moreover, no one else could know this secret about Seol Daeyoung’s origins—not even Daeyoung himself. Jaemin had no intention of sharing the chance to take control of Daeyoung’s life with anyone else.

As he stared at the first snow falling and swirling outside the window, Jaemin forced his excited voice to remain calm.

“It must have been difficult to tell Daeyoung. Is that why you reached out to me?”

It was understandable why Junkyung hadn’t told her son the truth. If Seol Daeyoung found out, he’d likely drag Kwon Sangdo, the man who had betrayed his mother, straight to hell.

“…Yes.”

Could it be that Junkyung also knew Jaemin was the son of a gang boss? If so, then her reasoning for this meeting made perfect sense.

Junkyung was probably in poor health and needed money. But she must have realized that confronting Kwon Sangdo directly could leave her with nothing, or worse, silenced.

“You don’t need to worry. I’ll help you.”

Dirty work could always be left to those who specialized in it. As Jaemin watched her, he began mentally calculating how much Junkyung might ask for in exchange for giving him this information.

“Of course, you can keep this a secret from Daeyoung, can’t you?”

“…Yes.”

At Jaemin’s question, Junkyung slowly nodded.

“And there’s one more thing I need to say.”

“What is it?”

Junkyung was silent for a moment, and Jaemin, now calm, waited patiently. When she finally spoke, tears glimmered in her eyes, but there was also a hint of resolve.

“Not long after Daeyoung started high school… I found another student ID in his room.”

“…….”

“The name on it was ‘Jang Jaemin’….”

Jaemin’s well-shaped eyebrows drew together slightly. Now that she mentioned it, he vaguely remembered losing his student ID at the school’s store and how inconvenient it had been. Did that bastard Seol Daeyoung not even consider returning something he picked up?

Disregarding the morality of what he was doing, Jaemin twisted his lips.

“When I saw the photo, I was so shocked.”

“Why?”

“Because it felt like I was looking at my younger self.”

Jaemin, who had been responding indifferently, furrowed his brows and stopped speaking. The sound of footsteps and the café music seemed to cut off abruptly in his ears.

“…What did you just say?”

When he finally repeated the question, his tone was sharp.

What the hell was this crazy woman saying now?

“What did you just say, Madam Junkyung?”

As Jaemin scoffed at her, Junkyung took a sharp breath and swallowed dryly.

“I asked Daeyoung. I asked him, ‘Who is this?’ And Daeyoung said… it’s the prince.”

The bridge of Jaemin’s nose turned red.

“And he said the family’s in the mob. Jang Wonjung, Chairman of Jang Hyun Construction.”

“Look, what exactly are you saying right now…?”

“The name of the newborn’s father, the one I switched after giving birth, was Jang Wonjung. I remember it clearly because there was a congratulatory wreath in the hallway.”

Jaemin’s face hardened as he blinked silently, then let out a twisted laugh.

“What the fuck are you saying right now?”

Am I sitting here with some delusional lunatic? Thinking back on everything Junkyung had said, Jaemin’s sharp tone escaped through clenched teeth.

“…Are you mentally ill?”

Tears began streaming down Junkyung’s face as she watched him let out a bitter laugh.

“I was so scared that my child would have to live the same kind of life as me… So I switched him with a rich family’s baby who was born in the same hospital. The mother’s name was Shin Joohee. I… gave some money to the head nurse who worked there.”

At the mention of Joohee’s name, the smile slowly faded from Jaemin’s face. Junkyung, her voice trembling with sobs, continued.

“I was going to abandon the baby I switched… and then leave the hospital and end my life… But… sniff… Daeyoung… sob… that child… grabbed my hand so tightly… and it was so warm… sob… I couldn’t leave him… I just couldn’t… sobs uncontrollably…”

Jaemin stared at Junkyung, who was silently sobbing, her face wet with tears, not even trying to wipe them away. His wide eyes betrayed the chaos in his mind. The heart that had been pounding earlier now felt as if someone had grabbed it and was dragging it to the ground beneath his feet.

“So that’s how I ended up living this way. Leaving Busan, moving to Seoul, thinking I’d never see him again… And then, when Daeyoung was in high school, I never thought I’d cross paths with him like that… Haah…”

Junkyung, as if pleading for forgiveness, bowed her head toward Jaemin, who stood frozen, staring at her like a statue.

“I’m not telling you this because I expect anything now. I’ve even gone near the school before, but I couldn’t bring myself… I had no right to show up after all this time and claim to be his mother. No one knows that better than I do.”

“……”

Unfiltered thoughts raced through Jaemin’s mind, one after another. Junkyung, the delusional woman sitting before him, was spewing nonsense.

This situation was clearly absurd and didn’t make sense. Yet the uneasy feeling rising within him grew larger and larger, as if it had a will of its own.