* * *
A suffocating silence ensued.
Luxurious traditional Korean full-course dishes, visibly of the highest quality, were neatly laid out on the seemingly expensive mother-of-pearl table, but Juwon felt no appetite at all.
The discomfort filling his chest made it difficult for him to even properly look at the faces of the people seated across from him.
He cleared his throat awkwardly and fidgeted with the teacup.
From the moment he opened the heavy, gold-leaf adorned door and entered this room, his nerves had been on edge.
The expensive incense scent subtly drifting in the room, mixed with the smell of food, made him feel nauseous.
A moment ago, as soon as Juwon’s family was seated, hotel staff dressed in elegant Hanbok entered and quietly began placing the first course, the royal appetizers, on the table.
In the awkward silence, only the small sounds of the staff’s footsteps and the clinking of dishes echoed.
Next to Juwon sat his Beta parents, rigid with tension, clearly unaccustomed to such formal settings.
Their wrinkled hands were neatly folded in their laps, and their backs were rigidly straight, which was heartbreaking to see.
Across from them sat Jiwoon’s parents, wearing overly relaxed and gentle smiles, along with Jiwoon’s older sister and brother, whom Juwon was meeting for the first time today.
They were visibly adorned from head to toe in top-tier luxury brands.
The sparkling watches on their wrists, the rings on their fingers, the subtly shining pearl earrings.
The scent of wealth they wore seemed to make Juwon’s parents feel even more intimidated.
Juwon glanced at Jiwoon, who was sitting quietly next to his own family, looking particularly pale and tense.
Next to his Dominant Alpha sister and Dominant Omega brother, he seemed to have a faint presence, almost like an invisible person.
The confidence and affection he usually showed Juwon were nowhere to be found.
He was clearly unable to assert himself within his own family.
He even looked somewhat intimidated.
Jiwoon’s father was the chairman of a leading pharmaceutical company in the country.
He was known for accumulating vast wealth by monopolizing the secondary gender inhibitor market.
His initial greeting was polite, but the moment they shook hands, the impression he gave was somehow slippery and cold, like a snake, and the subtle presence of a Dominant Alpha instinctively made Juwon tense.
Jiwoon’s mother, sitting next to him, was elegantly beautiful like a painting, but her expression was somehow unreadable, like a mask, giving off a cold atmosphere.
And next to her, the siblings sat side by side.
The eldest, the sister, was a Dominant Alpha, like Juwon.
She maintained an expressionless face throughout, not removing her sharp, assessing gaze from Juwon, as if appraising an object.
The second sibling, the brother, was a beautiful Dominant Omega with a gentle look, similar to Jiwoon.
He, too, wore a cryptic smile, as if he knew everything, making him uncomfortable to look at directly.
He seemed to be enjoying this awkward family meeting like an audience member.
Jiwoon’s father was the first to speak.
He cleared his throat lightly and introduced himself in a low, resonant voice, bowing slightly to Juwon and his parents.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Han Sangjin, Chairman of H Pharmaceuticals.”
Following his introduction, the family members sitting next to him also spoke in turn.
“I am Han Jisu. It’s nice to meet you.”
The expressionless Dominant Alpha, the eldest, introduced herself briefly.
Juwon knew she was also an executive at H Pharmaceuticals.
“Hello, I’m Han Jehoon. I’ve heard a lot about you, CEO Cha.”
The second sibling, Jehoon, spoke with a smile that was still inexplicable.
As a Dominant Omega, he was strikingly beautiful.
However, Jiwoon’s mother remained silent, only smiling like a doll.
She simply nodded slightly.
Her silence seemed to exert an even greater pressure.
At their greetings, Juwon’s parents quickly rose from their seats and bowed almost 90 degrees.
They introduced themselves, stuttering in voices strained with tension.
“Oh my, Chairman! Please speak comfortably! I am Cha Byeongjin, Juwon’s father!”
“I am Kim Younghee, Juwon’s mother. It is an honor to meet you.”
“We… just run a small fruit shop in the neighborhood.”
His father trailed off, showing a slight look of embarrassment.
His mother also maintained a stiff face and only bowed her head.
Juwon felt suffocated by his parents’ behavior and consciously averted his gaze.
“Ah, is that so? I hear running a private business is difficult these days. That’s impressive.”
Chairman Han accepted the comment out of politeness, though seemingly without much interest.
Fortunately, Chairman Han did not inquire further and naturally changed the subject by raising his glass.
His voice was low and gentle, but the content of his words simultaneously gave Juwon a strange sense of displeasure and pressure.
“CEO Cha, and I thank the parents of the in-laws for making this difficult trip today.”
He seemed to be showing respect to Juwon’s parents, but his gaze was fixed on Juwon.
His eyes held the coldness of evaluating a business partner rather than the warmth of welcoming a future son-in-law.
“Frankly, our youngest is still young, and being a ‘recessive’ Omega, we have always worried a lot.
He is inevitably lacking in many ways compared to his Dominant Alpha sister and Dominant Omega brother.
So, as parents, we are so relieved and happy that such an excellent ‘Dominant’ Alpha like CEO Cha cherishes our inadequate child.”
He smiled contentedly, like someone doing a great favor.
Subtle nuances were hidden in his words, suggesting that Juwon’s ‘superior’ secondary gender compensated for Jiwoon’s ‘inadequacy,’ and thus, this engagement was valid.
Juwon felt a sudden surge of displeasure at the way Chairman Han treated people, and even his own son, solely based on secondary gender, but he managed to maintain a neutral expression.
Jiwoon’s father smoothly continued the conversation.
“I hear that CEO Cha founded his company at a very young age and has grown it wonderfully. That’s truly great business acumen. That is why we have high expectations for this investment. I can envision a future where our two companies work together. Of course, that’s based on the premise of the stable relationship of your engagement.”
He brought up the investment, subtly reminding Juwon of the meaning of the engagement—a business deal.
The moment he heard the compliment, Juwon felt a pang in his chest.
He hadn’t done it alone.
Most of CS Design, the company’s beginning and success, were created with Yoonwoo.
His name, his talent, his dedicated effort… all of it was being packaged as solely his own achievement at this table.
He felt disgusted with himself for being praised for something that would have been impossible without Yoonwoo, erasing all traces of him.
But immediately, the image of Yoonwoo at the officetel flashed in his mind.
The cold eyes that looked at him like a bug, the voice filled with contempt.
Yes, Yoonwoo had changed.
‘I shouldn’t regret it. I must be faithful to my current lover, soon to be fiancé, Jiwoon,’ Juwon told himself, trying to cut off thoughts of Yoonwoo and swallowing his bitterness.
He replied dryly.
“You are too generous with your praise.”
When his father praised Juwon, Jiwoon’s pale, tense face finally brightened.
As if waiting for this, he started enthusiastically boasting about Juwon, as if he himself were being complimented.
“Father! It’s not an exaggeration! Hyung is truly amazing! I saw it firsthand—he has a great business sense, and his work process is incredibly solid. Once he gets the investment, he’ll really soar!”
His voice was much more excited than before.
Juwon’s mother also actively agreed with Jiwoon, saying, “Our son is the best.”
“Oh my, Mr. Jiwoon speaks so nicely. Our Juwon was exceptional even as a child. How clever and sharp he was…”
The two seemed to be in perfect harmony, as if they had known each other for a long time.
Madam Kim kept smiling, seeming pleased with her sweet and affectionate Omega future daughter-in-law.
This made Juwon feel even more uncomfortable and embarrassed.
The fact that his own parents were participating in this artificial play made him feel more miserable.
The family meeting thus proceeded in a manner that seemed outwardly cordial but was somehow unnatural.
Juwon suddenly observed Jiwoon’s siblings.
The eldest continued to eat quietly without saying much, occasionally observing him sharply, and the second sibling still had that inexplicable smile on his face.
Juwon felt suffocated.
This awkward and artificial atmosphere, the undeserved compliments he was receiving, the one person who was not present but constantly came to mind, and his own predicament of having to endure all of it.
He wanted to get out of this place for a moment.
“Excuse me. I need to use the restroom briefly.”
Juwon politely asked for permission and got up from his seat.
As he opened the private room door and stepped into the corridor, he finally felt able to breathe.
He leaned against the cold wall for a moment and took a deep breath.
He walked into the restroom and stood in front of the sink.
His reflection in the mirror was unfamiliar even to himself.
His tired complexion, the dark circles under his eyes, the forced business smile.
‘What am I doing right now?’
‘Get a grip, Cha Juwon. This is all for the company. Perhaps… the company, which might be the last connection to Yoonwoo.’
He splashed cold water on his face, urging himself on.
He had to endure somehow.
That’s when it happened. A low voice spoke from behind him.
“CEO Cha. Or should I call you brother-in-law now?”
Juwon was startled and turned around.
Standing near the restroom door, Jiwoon’s brother, still wearing that cryptic smile, was calling out to him.
* * *
