* * *
“I’m sorry for asking you to meet when you must be busy.”
Wookyung had sensed it before—Chairman Choi was quite polite.
From her perspective, it wasn’t unreasonable to summon someone, but she still apologized.
“Not at all, Chairwoman.”
“Thank you for coming so willingly. Let me treat you to this meal.”
“Thank you very much.”
No sooner had they finished speaking than a knock came and the door opened.
An impeccably mannered staff member entered, pushing a trolley.
So she had ordered the food in advance after all.
The dishes were soon laid out on the table—and to Wookyung’s surprise, everything was Korean cuisine.
Not just that—there were also steak, seafood, pasta, and salad.
It looked like she’d had a variety prepared, not knowing what Wookyung might like.
“If there’s anything else you’d like, don’t hesitate to let me know.”
“No, this is more than enough.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear that. Please, go ahead.”
“Thank you for the meal.”
After seeing Chairman Choi pick up her spoon first, Wookyung began eating.
The food was far better than he had expected.
Occasionally, Saheon would cluelessly push grilled fish or namul toward Wookyung, prompting him to shoot a look that clearly said “Don’t do that.”
But it was nothing serious.
“You two look good together.”
So he thought.
Wookyung froze, just as he was about to place a piece of braised short rib in Saheon’s bowl.
Chairman Choi was smiling in satisfaction.
“It’s a relief to see Saheon this happy.”
“Ah…”
Only then did Wookyung realize how shamelessly they’d been acting in front of an elder.
He shot Saheon a quick jab with his foot to say, “This is your fault.”
But Saheon immediately responded—
“…!”
When had he taken off his shoes?
Bare toes slid over Wookyung’s foot, brushing his ankle, his calf, and climbing higher.
His leg twitched in response.
Struggling to maintain composure, he looked to Chairman Choi while shaking his leg as if brushing off dust.
Even without looking, he could hear Saheon’s quiet snicker—proof enough that he was doing it on purpose.
Wookyung, now annoyed, firmly gripped Saheon’s thigh in retaliation.
A hand immediately grabbed his wrist.
“Ah…”
The subtle tickle of fingers against sensitive skin drew a quiet sound from his lips before he could stop himself.
“Goodness, even an old lady like me says the strangest things. But really, you two are lovely to see together—no pressure at all.”
Chairman Choi gave a gentle laugh, mistaking Wookyung’s sigh for mere fluster.
Guilt pricked at his conscience.
‘What am I even doing, acting like this in front of her?’
Wookyung tried to pull his hand away, but the grip only tightened.
Left with no choice, he locked eyes with Saheon and mouthed silently:
“Let go. Now.”
Saheon’s eyes curved sweetly.
“Grandmother.”
“Hm?”
Then he turned to Chairman Choi.
Wookyung prayed his anxiety was unfounded.
Seeming utterly relaxed, Saheon casually said,
“Wookyung told me… he wants to date me with marriage in mind.”
“Oh my. Is that so?”
The first part of her reaction—surprise—was clearly directed at Saheon’s words.
But the follow-up question?
That was aimed at him.
Wookyung’s mouth opened and closed, unable to form a reply.
‘He’s just going to drop that out of nowhere?’
Sure, they had agreed to that, but…
He had meant to tell her eventually—but seeing her face light up like that, he felt pressured to confirm it right away.
“Yes, Chairwoman.”
So in the end, he admitted it obediently.
Her face lit up with a bright, youthful smile.
Seeing her so genuinely happy about her grandson finding someone, Wookyung felt that maybe this wasn’t so bad after all.
He couldn’t help it—it was something that made the person he loved happy, and it made someone important to that person smile too.
“I’m so relieved. Thank you, Mr. Gil Wookyung. You have no idea how happy I am. I feel like this is the reason I came today.”
Chairman Choi beamed with joy, and guilt tugged again at Wookyung’s chest.
He glanced sideways at Saheon.
Their eyes met instantly—he must have been watching the whole time.
Part of him wanted to let Saheon do all the talking, but no.
This was his business.
“So I need to say it myself.”
Wookyung took a deep breath and opened his mouth to speak—only to feel a large, warm hand cover the back of his.
Worse, Saheon pulled his arm and placed it on his thigh.
Only then did Wookyung realize that his hand was still in Saheon’s grasp.
He gave him a sharp look that said let go, but Saheon only smiled softly.
Wookyung had a bad feeling.
“There’s one more thing I’d like to discuss regarding Wookyung.”
“Saheon.”
Sure enough, he brought it up first.
Wookyung called to him quietly—this was supposed to be my moment.
“What is it?”
Perhaps curious about their silent exchange, Chairman Choi asked.
Wookyung, realizing he couldn’t hesitate anymore, cut in before Saheon could say more.
“I haven’t said this until now, but… I’m not a Beta. I’m an Omega.”
As soon as he confessed, the grip on his hand tightened.
The reassuring pressure made him feel oddly safe.
Chairman Choi regarded them both with a thoughtful expression.
“You’re an Omega?”
“Yes.”
“I see.”
Her reaction was far more composed than Wookyung had expected.
He couldn’t help but wonder—is this really okay?
As if sensing his doubt, Chairman Choi smiled kindly.
“Like I said before—I don’t care who Saheon is seeing. As long as he’s happy, that’s all that matters.”
Then she added with a teasing chuckle:
“Of course, if you’ve committed a crime, that might be a problem. Though depending on what it is, I might be able to take care of it.”
“That’s a relief. I haven’t done anything like that.”
Wookyung replied instinctively, then caught himself and quickly shut his mouth.
“Saheon always said you were funny. I see now he was right.”
“Wait, he said that when I wasn’t even there?”
I looked at Saheon with displeasure.
He just gave a sheepish smile as if to apologize, not even bothering to deny it.
Which only confirmed my suspicion—there were probably more things said behind my back that I didn’t know about.
I didn’t even know Saheon had a grandmother.
Just how many people had he discussed me with?
‘Him, and Seogyeong’s dad too…’
It seemed like everyone—on both my side and his—was quietly paving the road, organizing their little territories neatly.
“So, this is the issue you wanted to discuss?”
Really.
Was this something that required consulting with Chairman Choi?
Wookyung quickly turned to the side.
Honestly, from his perspective, this didn’t seem like a problem worth bringing to Chairman Choi.
They had already agreed to handle how to disclose it to the company on their own.
“Mr. Wookyung’s traits have been exposed within the company, which has led to complications. It’s only a matter of time before the rest of the family finds out.”
The unexpected topic made Wookyung realize he had overlooked something.
Come to think of it, Saheon declaring he was getting married wasn’t just personal news—it was a big deal in a powerful conglomerate like HK Group.
‘It’s not just about CEO Choi or Chairman Choi.’
It really seemed like he’d recklessly set things in motion.
‘Seriously, what was I thinking?’
This wasn’t like him.
He wasn’t the type to act on impulse.
But back then, the thought that it’d be better for everyone to know—rather than keep hiding—had overwhelmed everything else.
“Ah, it’s fine. I’ll handle it. It’s not that hard.”
Chairman Choi nodded with an easy smile, seemingly unaware—or perhaps just pretending not to notice—how uncomfortable Wookyung looked.
She too knew all too well the greed and caution that lurked among relatives.
“Since it’s come to this, you should disclose it properly too.”
“You were stopping me before. Changed your mind now?”
“Now that you’ve found someone precious to have by your side, it’s time to handle things differently.”
Chairman Choi’s gaze turned to Wookyung, who still looked lost, unable to follow the flow of the conversation.
Saheon turned too, and gently explained.
“I’ll explain everything later, Mr. Wookyung.”
With that, Wookyung had nothing more to say.
He nodded silently, and Saheon gently patted the back of his hand.
“Then shall we finish our meal?”
“Yes.”
Time passed comfortably in light conversation.
Chairman Choi eventually stood up with a very satisfied smile.
“Let’s meet again soon, Wookyung.”
Even her way of addressing him had become more familiar.
“Yes, Chairman.”
Wookyung responded politely, but Saheon, on the other hand, snapped with clear displeasure.
“There’s nothing to see. You’re making things awkward. Just meet us again when it’s time for the formal meeting between the families.”
That last line made Wookyung flinch.
‘A formal family meeting?’
It was the kind of word that made him realize—he really was dating Saheon with marriage in mind.
* * *
