* * *

“There’s still one more chance to meet Taeryu, right?”

Junhee’s mouth parted slightly in surprise.

Doyoung repeated the question, as if seeking confirmation.

“It was originally three times, wasn’t it?”

“Yes? Ah… Yes, that’s correct.”

The secret deal with Doyoung from the start had been simple: arrange three meetings with Ki Taeryu.

The first was at the event.

The second, at Doyoung’s art gallery.

And now, the third and final opportunity remained.

But the problem was that Ki Taeryu had already caught wind of the arrangement, as if he had a sixth sense for such things.

“This time, I’ll treat it as my last chance and go all in. I won’t say one thing and do another. I’ll give it my all, and if it still doesn’t work out, I’ll let go cleanly.”

For that to happen, Junhee also had to pay the price of arranging this last meeting with Ki Taeryu.

And that left an unpleasant taste in his mouth.

Especially since Taeryu had made his disinterest crystal clear after their very first encounter by outright rejecting Moon Doyoung.

The odds of anything happening between the two were practically…

‘♥……-1%’

That app was frighteningly accurate.

It was almost a pity how off-track it had gone since its last update.

“Hmm? You’ll help me, right, Junhee? I’m asking this as a final favor. I know you’ve already helped me a lot, but since you’ve gone this far, can you push a little harder just one more time?”

Junhee’s path forward felt as endless as a winding road through a mountain pass, his legs already heavy as lead.

“Yes, understood. I’ll figure out Director Ki Taeryu’s schedule and try to set a date—”

“Wait, wait. Since it’s the last time, can’t you really put some effort into it?”

“…Sorry?”

“Come on. You know what I mean. At the event, sure, I was late, but that little brat got in the way, and I barely even had a chance to talk to Taeryu. By the way, where were you at that time?”

Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Junhee hesitated before answering.

“I wasn’t anywhere far… I was nearby.”

“See, you were deliberately giving us space, weren’t you? But that kid, being so clueless, kept looking for you, ruining the mood. Ugh, it was annoying. But that’s not important now. Anyway, even the second time, when we had lunch, you were right there with us.”

For some reason, Doyoung seemed to be shifting the blame for him failed attempts to connect with Taeryu onto Junhee, leaving him feeling a bit sour.

“You get what I mean, right, Junhee?”

His lips, now painted a vibrant red, puckered slightly in a pout.

It was different from their original agreement, which had been to simply facilitate the meetings, but Junhee wasn’t surprised.

Doyoung would blame him if things went wrong, and the moment he spotted even the smallest weakness, he’d exploit it to make his life miserable.

There was only one way to deal with someone like him.

“I understand.”

Hand him a piece of candy and keep him as far away as possible.

“You really mean it? Don’t go back on your word, Junhee!”

Doyoung, who had been sulking just moments ago, instantly brightened, his lips curving into a clear smile.

Since the outcome of the third meeting was as obvious as day, Junhee planned to bring things to a close as quickly as possible.

If Doyoung would just delete his membership from the app, at least one of his headaches would be resolved.

And there happened to be the perfect opportunity.

“Mr. Moon Doyoung, you should have already received the invitation, but there’s an upcoming Spring Meeting exclusively for VIP members.”

“What, that group blind date thing? That’s so lame—it’s not even a proper group date. I’ve told you, I’m only interested in spending time one-on-one with Taeryu.”

Doyoung’s tone carried a hint of irritation, but Junhee continued his explanation calmly.

“The event will feature randomly assigned partners, various couple games, and prizes such as meal vouchers and concert tickets for the winning pair. Surprisingly, couples formed at these special events have a higher success rate than those matched one-on-one.”

“…Really?”

Though initially dismissive, Doyoung’s expression betrayed a flicker of interest.

After mulling over Junhee’s words for a moment, he latched onto a potential loophole.

“Hold on. Didn’t you just say it’s random? What if Taeryu gets paired with another omega? What if sparks fly between them?”

“I’m the one overseeing the event. You don’t have to worry about that.”

“What? Are you saying you’d rig it? Junhee, I didn’t think you were that kind of person…”

Doyoung’s indignant reaction, punctuated by a light fist on the table, caught Junhee off guard.

Just as he was about to offer a defense, Doyoung’s expression shifted to one of admiration.

“How can you be so creative? No wonder Director Lee can’t stop singing your praises. You really are amazing. Fine, I’ll leave it all to you, Junhee! I’m counting on you!”

As Doyoung beamed, Junhee sighed inwardly in relief.

He’d been worried she might throw a tantrum and go straight to Director Lee to spill everything.

Either way, the final dice had been cast.

Even if the outcome of this game was as predictable as the sun rising in the east, Doyoung would never realize it.

---

After sharing the event details and plans with Doyoung, Junhee returned to his desk.

The conversation had gone on longer than expected, and by then, the workday was over.

Only the youngest employee and Junhee remained in the office.

“Siwoo, aren’t you heading home?”

“Just finishing this up, then I’ll leave.”

Nodding, Junhee pulled out his phone, pressing the power button a few times.

It remained unresponsive.

“…It’s dead again.”

Since he only charged his phone sporadically, he hadn’t realized how quickly the battery drained when used daily.

Even though he’d fully charged it that morning, it was already dead.

While it wasn’t an issue at the office, thanks to the desk phones and internal messenger system, he decided it might be time to bring his charger to work or invest in a portable battery.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, the junior employee called out.

“Mr. Yoo! Someone’s calling for you. I’ll transfer the call to your extension.”

The phone on Junhee’s desk buzzed briefly. He picked up immediately.

“Yes, this is Assistant Manager Yoo Junhee, Team 4 of Couple…”

-Junhee hyung!

A familiar voice abruptly interrupted his routine greeting.

“…Jin Siwon? Why are you calling me at the office?”

“Hyung, why was your phone turned off? No matter how many times I called, you should have at least picked up… No, wait, that’s not the point right now. I just got a call from Mom, and…”

Listening to Siwon ramble on incoherently, Junhee felt a knot of anxiety tighten in his chest.

Not long ago, when Siwon had called saying he’d gotten into trouble, his voice had been subdued, but it wasn’t as frantic as this.

Whatever it was now, it had to be far more urgent and serious—a creeping dread he couldn’t shake off.

Junhee shifted the receiver closer to his ear and spoke firmly.

“Jin Siwon, calm down and get to the point. What happened?”

“Hyung Junhee… Bodam… Bodam…”

It felt like being on a train with a broken brake system, hurtling towards disaster.

The eerie stillness before the fall.

Then, Siwon’s words, like the final announcement before impact, echoed in Junhee’s ears.

“Bodam’s gone. Disappeared.”

---

“The phone you are trying to reach is turned off. After the beep, you may leave a message…”

Around the time work hours were winding down, Taeryu lowered his phone and tapped the screen idly.

“Avoiding me, huh?”

Not that it would do any good. He muttered under his breath and turned his attention to the monitor.

The display showed CCTV footage—a figure with a black hood pulled low, recording something on their phone. The next file, and the one after that, were much the same.

Every single person had their face obscured by a hat or hood, making identification impossible.

“Baek Seunggyo…”

The materials Secretary Yeo had brought in were exactly as expected.

That man—Junhee’s supposed biological father—was once in a relationship with Baek Seunggyo, a man in his thirties who had long been involved in the nightlife industry.

After dropping out of high school, Seunggyo bounced from job to job in the industry until he met Junhee’s father.

What made it laughable was that the two had started living together during the middle of the father’s divorce proceedings with Junhee’s mother.

Dragging out the divorce, the father eventually succeeded in settling without paying alimony.

But no sooner had he done so than Seunggyo abandoned him.

Left with only loan sharks on his trail, Seunggyo fled.

No one knew where he’d gone or what he was doing now.

Even after that, Seunggyo jumped from one benefactor to another until he eventually caught the eye of Kang Heesung.

“Trash attracts trash, I guess.”

Muttering coldly, Taeryu watched as the monitor dimmed.

---

‘It’s because I ran away, isn’t it? Because I’m a recessive omega, because I just up and fled back then, stealing money while I was at it… That’s probably why Seunggyo…’

As those trembling, guilt-filled eyes replayed in his mind, another face overlapped with them.

Propping his chin on his hand, Taeryu’s gaze grew even frostier.

The way they desperately hid their wounds while hurting themselves with their own thorns—it was all too similar.

Knock knock.

Someone tapped on the door to the Strategy Planning Office.

“Director.”

“Come in.”

At Taeryu’s curt reply, Yeo Daeyoon stepped in.

“There’s something urgent to report.”

“What is it?”

“As per your orders, we’ve been monitoring Yoo Junhee’s commute. Today, he didn’t head home but went straight to Hanbit Orphanage.”

After the launch show, Taeryu had arranged for surveillance, wary of any underhanded moves from Kang Heesung.

“Probably went to see the kids. That’s hardly urgent.”

Relieved it wasn’t something serious, Taeryu felt the tension leave his shoulders.

But the next words out of Yeo Daeyoon’s mouth made him bolt out of the office.

* * *