"You could secretly manifest in this mansion. What do you think Father would do if you became an Omega? Wouldn't he do as you wish and call you 'my son'?"
"...Father?"
This was a bit tempting. It would be easier to live being loved by Han Dongshik than being hated.
As I was about to be completely swayed by the sweet suggestion in his soft voice, a question suddenly popped up. I could tell from our conversation so far that Han Jinheon wanted me to manifest as an Omega. But overall, there was one thing that bothered me.
"Why do you want me to become an Omega, hyung?"
I couldn't just ignore it.
I didn't know if he had asked the real Han Sol to become an Omega or if they had had this kind of conversation. But this was my first time, so I had to ask. I needed to know why he wanted me to become an Omega.
Did he perhaps want me to be forgiven by Father?
"You're asking why I want you to become an Omega?"
Han Jinheon slowly moved away from me, stroked his chin, and hummed. I had expected him to tell me the reason right away, but he kept his lips sealed and thought about it, which made me feel strangely anxious.
Was he about to tell me? His gaze, heavier than before, turned to me. I opened my ears to his words, and a nonchalant voice, devoid of any emotion, came out.
"Hyung feels sorry for you."
"Huh...? Sorry for me?"
"Yeah, I pity you."
His gentle voice flowed in without any embellishment, simply expressing sympathy.
I had heard all sorts of shocking things while living with Han Jinheon, but this was the first time he had looked at me with pity. To think that the second lead saw his own brother that way.
I was dumbfounded, but it wasn't exactly shocking. Though it felt like my small heart, despite not being shocked at all, was wrapped in rope, tied to a rock, and dropped into a bottomless lake. It kept falling deeper, yet no bottom appeared, leaving him constantly tingling.
If he hated me, I would hate him back. If he was resentful, so was I. But pity? Feeling sorry and pitiful?
It's not that he wants me to be forgiven by Father, but just simply... pity and feeling sorry?
What kind of... dirty feeling was this?
'Hyung feels sorry for you. I pity you.'
The same words kept repeating in my head.
I was so dazed that I couldn't think straight. I just blinked slowly, saying, "Ah..."
It wasn't that I wasn't shocked, I guess I was. Even though that feeling wasn't even directed at the real 'me.'
"That just makes me want to do it less…"
“Han Sol.”
Han Jinheon called my name, raising one eyebrow sharply. I tried to ignore it and corrected my posture but ended up showing my defiance plainly. I rebelled by saying something insincere.
“I’ve decided… I’m going back to America.”
Running away from the airport back then wasn't the best idea. For me, as a transmigrator, it was a choice made to change the future of Han Sol, who was now me, but no matter how I look at it, it was a misjudgment.
Perhaps the plot had to proceed as it should. Well, isn't death also about timing? If he went to America now, he might not die. If he was lucky, he might even save his life. Then, he could just live there for a while and come back to Korea.
With that positive thought process, I picked up my plane ticket to America and stood up. Just as I was about to go up to my room, my body tilted because of the long leg that stretched out in front of me.
“Ah!”
I fell onto the carpet and looked up at Han Jinheon with a surprised expression. I glared at him, wondering what kind of childish behavior this was, but his gaze was so intimidating that I quickly backed down in less than five seconds.
At times like this, I admired Han Sol. How on earth did he manage to live while throwing tantrums at Han Jinheon? How did he have the courage to keep provoking such a sharp-eyed man?
"You're trying to run away to America, but what about your English? Who doesn't know that you're planning to meet guys as soon as you get to America?"
"That guy thing... Can't you think of anything but guys when you look at me?! Can you please stop talking about that?!"
I was so embarrassed every time I heard it. That guy thing!
My face flushed red no matter how many times I heard it, but the speaker was calm. Rather, he looked at me strangely and simply replied, "So what?"
I glared at Han Jinheon with narrowed eyes and then jumped up.
"Fine! Okay! If you want me to meet guys so badly, then I'll just go and meet them right away! I'll show you!"
I didn't mean it. It was just a rash action fueled by anger.
Han Jinheon calmly watched me stomp around, then smirked. His voice, slipping from his lips, was quite cold. It didn't feel at all like someone who pitied me or felt sorry for me.
"Which bastard are you going to meet? There's probably no one left who'd want to meet you now."
"Why, why not? There must be someone somewhere…? Yes! There must be someone in America! So I have to go!"
Han Jinheon looked displeased and then covered his mouth with both hands. I frowned at his dry, insincere laughter.
"You need to become an Omega to keep you from running wild like a dog. If you understand how scary pheromones are, you won’t even think about doing filthy things.”
“Ah, that’s not going to happen… I’m going to America, remember?”
“You’re not going. Do you want me to watch you go there and make a mess? Hyung content with you staying in Korea.”
So far, I was trapped in this house, unable to run wild or cause trouble. I didn’t even want to, but I never had the chance to try.
Just as I was about to open my mouth to say something out of frustration, Han Jinheon cut me off with a genuinely troubled expression.
“I get that you don’t want to be an Omega right now. I really do. But even so, don’t you think you should at least try?”
"What am I supposed to try here..."
"Don't go looking for some random guy because you're lonely, and don't go showing off that ass of yours carelessly. Just stay quietly in this house."
"......"
"One more thing. Just bear with it, even if you feel wronged. Never thought I’d live to see the day I’d be in charge of keeping my younger brother's hole in check.”
Hole in check. There’s officially nothing more shocking or outrageous left to hear.
Han Jinheon asked me if I understood, knowing that I had a good sense of things, I decided not to resist any further and nodded firmly so that there would be no misunderstanding.
"Hyung will take these."
Han Jinheon took the things that Chairman Han had sent. When I looked at it, I realized that I had no choice. That man had already decided that I had to become an Omega and was pressuring me.
***
Inside the Chairman's office, located at the very top of the HANQ Group building, it was dazzlingly bright and warm from the sunlight pouring in through the vast space, which felt unnecessarily large.
A middle-aged man with gray hair slicked back without leaving a single strand was sitting comfortably on the reception sofa, watching the young man across from him. The young man, who seemed not at all uncomfortable with the situation, was the proud pillar and beloved son who would take over the HANQ Group.
Two cups of warm tea sat on the table where the secretary had just been. Han Jinheon placed the items he brought between the teacups. He could have dealt with them himself instead of returning them, but bringing them meant he intended to discuss them.
Chairman Han, frowning, questioned his motive for bringing them back.
"Did the second one tell you to bring them?"
"I brought them on my own. I wanted to return them."
Han Jinheon, answering indifferently, recalled when he took these items.
Just this morning, Han Sol had been staring intently at the US flight ticket on the bedside table, wrestling with his conflict alone. Conflict or not, he was bound to stay in Korea anyway, or at least in that mansion. When Jinheon told him to stop his pointless scheming and get out of the room, Han Sol’s face turned bright red as he left. The cause of the blush, however, was Han Jinheon's half-naked state rather than the airline ticket.
Han Dongsik looked at Han Jinheon with slightly fierce eyes and retorted.
"This was given to the second one, not given to you to take care of on your own, but you brought it back?"
"Yes. Even if you send it again, I'll be the one to take care of it, so please don't repeat the same thing."
"Why are you taking care of it? The second one should be the one to take care of it. Why are you involved in that thing's affairs..."
Han Jinheon, who was drinking from a teacup that was ridiculously small compared to his hand, twitched his eyebrows. He was displeased. The taste of the tea that moistened his mouth was quite bad, but it was also because he knew who the 'thing' that his father in front of him was referring to.
Han Dongshik deliberately excluded the name when calling Han Sol. Second, younger brother, or a demonstrative pronoun such as 'that thing.' He would mix in titles when talking about Han Sol to a third party like Han Jinheon, but in front of Han Sol, only demonstrative pronouns existed.
For Han Jinheon, who was used to calling Han Sol by his two-character name including his surname, the title of 'that thing' didn't sit right and felt annoying and childish every time he heard it. It was as if he was showing that he had no affection in this way.
Han Jinheon's values were that if someone was born and raised in this world and had a name, they should be called by their name to show respect. It was the same even for someone he hated terribly.
Han Dongshik loosened his tie and asked. He wanted to know the reason for his son's actions.
"Tell your father honestly. Have you decided to protect that thing from me?"
"Me, protect Han Sol?"
Han Jinheon looked straight at Han Dongshik and subtly emphasized Han Sol's name before secretly snorting. Even he felt that he was being childish. Then he quietly hummed.
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