* * *

Unless there was gold dust in the food, there was no way the price could be justified.

Closing the menu without even glancing at the entrées, Junhee felt defeated.

The price was clearly unreasonable to him, yet the restaurant was bustling with patrons.

“What’s wrong? Don’t you like it?”

“…I’ll have whatever you recommend.”

Junhee couldn’t bring himself to order a 30,000-won jjajangmyeon.

Ki Taeryu didn’t question it further, ordering several dishes from the attendant.

‘Dumplings are usually complimentary…’

Junhee sipped tea from a porcelain cup to calm his surprise.

This was why his sense of financial stability kept crumbling after meeting Ki Taeryu.

Soon, the ordered dishes began arriving.

Junhee stared intently at the seafood jjajangmyeon in front of him, but there wasn’t a speck of gold dust.

“Go ahead, eat,” Ki Taeryu prompted.

Junhee finally picked up his chopsticks, struggling to use his left hand because his right hand was injured.

When Ki Taeryu clicked his tongue in disapproval, Junhee thought it was over something trivial.

“If only Assistant Yoo were ambidextrous like me. Even with one hand injured, you’d still be able to eat comfortably.”

What nonsense. Only a cruel person would say that.

‘I should’ve let that teacup shatter on his head…’

In the end, the noodles sat untouched and congealing while tangsuyuk was brought out.

This time, the chef in a pristine white uniform personally introduced the dish, explaining every detail.

“Please enjoy, and let us know if there’s anything we can do to make your experience more comfortable.”

Watching the chef bow as he exited left Junhee with a pang of guilt.

The jjajangmyeon was barely touched, and the tangsuyuk wouldn’t fare much better—not because it tasted bad but because eating it felt like reliving unpleasant memories.

“Why are you picking at your food like a child?”

Ki Taeryu’s criticism was annoying, especially since he wasn’t eating much himself.

He’s probably just showing off, knowing he’s the one paying.

“My stomach’s feeling a bit upset. Please, enjoy your meal, Director.”

“Our Assistant Yoo is always so fragile. You need to eat well and stay healthy if you want to get married and have kids.”

Now, Ki Taeryu was openly hinting at Junhee’s status as an omega.

Junhee set his chopsticks down, deciding it was time to confront him.

“Director, you might joke when it’s just the two of us, but please refrain from making such remarks in front of others.”

“Others? Who?”

For someone so perceptive, Ki Taeryu acted infuriatingly dense when he wanted to.

“…Director Lee or our company staff, for instance.”

“Why should I?”

The cold, calculating gaze in Ki Taeryu’s eyes made Junhee shiver.

“Do you really not know why I’m asking?”

“I’m asking why I should cooperate with you.”

At those words, Junhee lowered his gaze.

He could finally understand why Chairman Ki had thrown his teacup in a fit of rage.

After a moment of silence, Junhee’s response fell from his lips.

“Because I just want to live a normal life.”

For an instant, Ki Taeryu’s pupils wavered. Junhee silently met his gaze, then continued.

“You may not understand this, being an extreme alpha and all, but just the label of a submissive omega can be enough to make life miserable. That’s why I pretended to be a beta, and I’ll keep pretending.”

A life where one’s value is recognized only through others.

A life that requires struggling desperately just to be normal.

A life that nobody needs.

And yet, no one ever acknowledged that he was enduring all of it just to survive.

“If you were offended, I’m sorry.”

The unexpected apology drained the tension from Junhee’s body.

He never thought he’d hear an apology from that mouth.

He’d been about to threaten to quit the company and leave the moment his secret was revealed, regardless of any contracts…

“There was someone who looked at me with the same eyes and spoke similar words as Assistant Yoo Junhee.”

Taeryu stabbed a piece of sweet and sour pork with his knife.

“Ki Taeseong.”

Junhee swallowed hard at the ominous gaze.

The name was familiar, probably because he’d heard it mentioned by several people before.

“You know, the son who went missing? Ki Taeseong.”

“He said he couldn’t get married before his older brother did.”

“They all look the same to me—father, uncle, grandfather… except the older brother.”

Was Ki Taeryu still longing for the older brother who had gone missing years ago?

Was he the black sheep of an otherwise enviable conglomerate family?

Junhee hesitated to say anything, but it quickly became clear that he’d misjudged the situation.

“That bastard looked at me with those same eyes and said those same words right before he ran away.”

A dark shadow filled Taeryu’s eyes as he looked at Junhee.

A chill ran down Junhee’s spine, the hair on his neck standing on end.

“Assistant Yoo Junhee.”

“…Yes?”

“Don’t even think about running away. One person is enough for me to hunt down and kill.”

The knife in Taeryu’s hand was suddenly embedded vertically in the tablecloth.

Screeech—the sound was sharp, as if skin was being sliced, and the blade’s tip was now pointed at Junhee.

“If you think you can handle whatever I do when I find you, then go ahead and try running.”

His tenacious gaze clamped down on Junhee’s pale neck.

The memory of Taeryu’s teeth sinking into him resurfaced, sending a shiver down his spine.

Thoughts of needing to escape and the impossibility of doing so flashed in his mind like a broken traffic light.

---

In the end, the food went untouched and was cleared away with the plates.

Junhee felt a pang of guilt, imagining the chef who had come by earlier might be hurt, but he knew that forcing himself to eat would only result in a stomachache for days.

Just as he thought they were done, dessert arrived.

It was an unexpected dish for a Chinese restaurant.

“I have to finish this to be able to leave, I guess.”

With that thought, Junhee took a bite, and his tongue trembled.

It looked like caramelized sweet potatoes, but it had a peculiar flavor, like a mix of corn and chestnuts.

With another bite, the coating melted away, and a rich sweetness enveloped his taste buds.

Before he knew it, he was reaching for a second piece.

“Looks like you enjoy that.”

“…It’s alright.”

Taeryu’s remark snapped Junhee out of it, and he quickly put down his fork.

“I’m not going to take it from you, so eat as much as you want, Junhee.”

The way he coaxed him, like he was speaking to a child, was sweeter than the dessert and made Junhee’s skin crawl.

Coming from the same mouth that had threatened to kill him if he ran…

Junhee wanted to beg him to stop using his name so casually, but he knew Taeryu would respond with an infuriating, “Why should I?” as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Junhee stabbed the poor dessert repeatedly with his fork.

“When’s the next meeting?”

“Pardon?”

“The omega you’ll introduce me to.”

Junhee finally understood what Taeryu was talking about.

“…I’m carefully selecting the next candidate.”

“That old man has been nagging me endlessly about it.”

Junhee’s shoulders tensed at the thought of Chairman Ki, whose face always reminded him of a goblin.

Hearing the word “daughter-in-law” come from that stone-cold man had made his skin crawl.

“I’ll arrange the next meeting as soon as possible.”

He should have shortlisted five candidates for matching already, but he’d completely forgotten because of that erratic app, Smart Pick.

♥Match_with’s Smart Pick♥

Yoo Junhee<

That phrase popped into his mind, no matter how hard he tried to forget it.

When he shook his head quickly, Taeryu narrowed his eyes.

“Did you hit your head or something?”

“…No, I’m fine.”

At times like this, he needed to keep his wits about him.

But once a thought surfaced, it wouldn’t easily go away.

Especially with Taeryu sitting right in front of him, his ears felt like they were burning.

“You look unwell.”

Taeryu reached out and placed the back of his hand against Junhee’s forehead.

The cool touch was surprisingly soothing, and Junhee’s eyes fluttered shut before he quickly opened them and brushed his hand away.

But it was too late; a crooked smile had already formed on Taeryu’s lips.

“Just up the stairs is a soft bed. Should we head up together?”

“No. I’ll sleep at home.”

Junhee put up a strong front, deflecting Taeryu’s playful tone.

Taeryu clicked his tongue, disappointed, and twirled his knife.

“I don’t understand why you’re being so coy when you’ve already slept here multiple times.”

“Please don’t say that to anyone. I don’t want to be misunderstood.”

“Isn’t the one to blame the person who acted suspiciously in the first place? You did sleep here in another man’s room, after all.”

Stab! Junhee’s fork split the dessert in half.

He wished it were Taeryu’s head instead.

Glaring at the dessert, he polished off every last piece.

While Junhee’s cheeks puffed like little potatoes, a silent gaze lingered on him.

---

Days passed.

Work remained busy, and time slipped by in a rush.

“Alright, I’ll book it for this Saturday. Thank you.”

Junhee leaned back in his chair after arranging a meeting for a client over the phone.

The afternoon felt drowsy, having just passed lunchtime.

“…Why hasn’t he contacted me?”

Since their encounter at the restaurant, Taeryu hadn’t reached out.

It should have been a relief, but it made him uneasy.

Thinking back, he remembered how Taeryu had insisted that he ride in Yeo Daeyoon’s car, even though Junhee wanted to leave alone.

The words Taeryu had said then still echoed in his mind.

* * *