DFLT 2

“Oh no, what a shame.”

Doh Sehyun, with a face devoid of any genuine emotion, let out a sigh of feigned pity before continuing.

“Mr. Yeonoh, how old are you?”

“I’m twenty-seven.”

“Oh, you’re a bit older, then. You should start taking care of yourself. Your liver can go bad quickly. I’ll send you some milk thistle from our company.”

As a managing director, did he not know that not every word that comes out of his mouth qualifies as proper speech? No, he probably knew but pretended otherwise. To someone like him, even basic courtesy might seem like a luxury for a beta employee like Yeonoh.

Fine, do whatever you want. A busy worker ant like Yeonoh had no desire to engage in a power struggle on a Monday morning, so he simply smiled calmly.

“I’m fine. Enjoy your time.”

He meant it as a polite way of saying “have a nice chat,” but perhaps suggesting that an alpha suppressing a rut should “enjoy their time” with an omega in the same room was a bit inappropriate.

“Phew…”

Just as a distasteful, crude scene threatened to pop into his mind, Yeonoh closed the office door and let out a deep breath.

“Another day of securing my paycheck.”

Unrequited love or not, he had to make a living.

Shaking off his thoughts and returning to his desk, Yeonoh noticed several secretaries gathered in small groups, whispering among themselves.

“They say Doh Sehyun is the frontrunner. Apparently, they went to the same private TG elementary, middle, and high school together.”

So that’s why Sehyun called him “hyung” so casually. And that’s why Seo Heonyoung had taken suppressants before meeting him.

“With his family background and being a dominant omega, he’s got it all.”

Even knowing there was no reason to be jealous, Yeonoh couldn’t help but feel his mood hit rock bottom. Seo Heonyoung was the type who wouldn’t bat an eye if Yeonoh quit today and would replace him without a second thought.

Three years ago.

Fidgeting with his tie knot, his face visibly tense, Yeonoh took a deep breath. Today was his first day at TG Group. Assigned to Executive Director Seo Heonyoung’s secretarial office, Yeonoh was so nervous that he arrived earlier than necessary. He was being trained on his duties by his senior, An Minhyeok, while waiting for Heonyoung to arrive.

“Mr. Yeonoh, you’re really something. How did you manage to get assigned to Executive Director Seo Heonyoung’s office in that sea of alphas?”

Yeonoh was a beneficiary of the TG Foundation’s scholarship program, a non-profit affiliate of TG Group. As an academic achiever, he had received tuition support throughout college and managed to secure a spot in the TG Group’s linked recruitment program for top-tier candidates.

Even so, it was said that Heonyoung, due to his alpha traits, preferred to hire other alphas for convenience. In fact, all of Yeonoh’s peers in the recruitment program were alphas. Naturally, alphas often excelled academically, so they were more likely to rank at the top. Among his peers in the program, Yeonoh’s grades were near the bottom. He had barely made the cut.

Because of this, Yeonoh was a bit curious why Heonyoung had chosen a beta like him for the secretarial office when there were so many elite alphas available. Surely, Heonyoung would want to work with the best of the best.

“Executive Director, good morning.”

“Oh, good morning.”

An Minhyeok, who had been explaining tasks from a document file, stood up reflexively to greet Heonyoung as the executive office door opened. Yeonoh, picking up the cue, hesitated beside him and followed suit with a bow.

As he straightened up from his deep bow and finally saw Executive Director Seo Heonyoung’s face, Yeonoh felt as if time had stopped for a moment.

Jet-black hair that seemed infused with midnight and a strikingly pale face. His presence alone exuded a cold aura. Yeonoh had already felt the physical difference between himself and the alphas in the secretarial office, but Seo Heonyoung stood out even among them.

Towering well above Yeonoh’s mid-170s height, he seemed to breathe a different air. His sturdy frame was evident even under a tailored suit. Sharp eyes beneath neatly groomed, thick eyebrows scanned Yeonoh. Though Yeonoh couldn’t sense his pheromones, the aura from his appearance and physique was intimidating enough to feel unapproachable. Yeonoh shrank back instinctively.

Without opening his mouth, Heonyoung was clearly questioning who this unfamiliar person was. An Minhyeok, noticing his curiosity, finally spoke up.

“This is Ji Yeonoh, who started today.”

Heonyoung’s curiosity didn’t seem easily satisfied.

“He’s the first beta secretary in our office, hired through the TG recruitment program.”

“Ah.”

Heonyoung registered the new employee not as Ji Yeonoh but as a beta. Should they engrave “Beta” instead of his name on his employee ID? Yeonoh briefly entertained the absurd thought.

“Mr. Ji Yeonoh, can you drive?”

Skipping any formalities, this was Heonyoung’s first direct question.

Was this a test? If so, Yeonoh wanted to pass. Eager to make a strong impression, he answered loudly.

“Oh, my father was a taxi driver! I’m, uh, I’m really good at driving!”

Having grown up watching his father drive a taxi, it was natural for Yeonoh to become comfortable with driving. He got his license as soon as he was of age and had worked plenty of designated driver gigs, so he answered confidently. But the atmosphere suddenly turned cold.

Oh, was that too much? Yeonoh realized what “wanting to quit on the spot” felt like within an hour of starting his first day. After what felt like an eternity of silence, Heonyoung finally gestured toward Yeonoh with a nod and addressed Secretary Team Leader Kim Jinhwan.

“Give the keys to Secretary Ji.”

“Pardon?”

“Secretary Ji will handle driving from now on.”

With that brief directive, Heonyoung strode into his office.

Caught off guard, Yeonoh’s first task was to drive Heonyoung to a lunch appointment. After receiving the car keys from Team Leader Kim Jinhwan, who had previously handled Heonyoung’s commutes, Yeonoh’s hands trembled like aspen leaves. He even had to mentally psych himself up that driving down Banpo-daero would be fine. Calm down, Ji Yeonoh. You didn’t even shake this much during your college entrance exams.

Yeonoh stole a glance at Heonyoung in the back seat through the rearview mirror. From the moment he arrived at work, Heonyoung had been relentlessly tackling tasks and schedules, and even now, in the moving car, he didn’t take his eyes off his tablet. He seemed like a serious workaholic.

“I heard you were a foundation scholar.”

Perhaps feeling pity for Yeonoh, who was overly tense and hyper-aware, Heonyoung broke the silence first. Did he notice Yeonoh sneaking glances? Startled, Yeonoh snapped his gaze forward and answered energetically.

“Oh, yes, yes! That’s right.”

“Keep up the good work.”

“…Yes, thank you.”

Normally, when people spoke, some degree of emotion would surface. At least, that’s how it had been in Yeonoh’s past relationships. But this man seemed different from anyone he’d known. He was clearly offering encouragement, yet Yeonoh couldn’t quite grasp what emotion lay behind it.

“You can turn off the radio.”

“Oh, yes. Understood.”

As Yeonoh lowered the volume of the classical music playing on the radio, he suddenly realized how small his world had been, like a tiny fishbowl. Having mostly interacted with friends in emotion-driven relationships, Yeonoh felt a strange disconnect the moment he recognized a simple truth: Heonyoung had no need to show him any emotions. This must be what corporate life is like. The reality hit him like a chill against his skin.

Regulating his breathing quietly, he safely arrived at the lunch venue. Thanks to his caution, he avoided any disasters like cursing at reckless drivers or slamming on the brakes. It was a high-end Korean restaurant, and upon mentioning Heonyoung’s name, the staff promptly guided them. For all his nerves, everything had gone surprisingly smoothly.

“Beta secretary, huh? Your instincts have dulled, Seo Heonyoung.”

That is, until he met Heonyoung’s lunch guest, who immediately took a jab at Yeonoh standing behind him. Up until that moment, Yeonoh had started to think that corporate life might be manageable after all.

The person Heonyoung was having lunch with was reportedly the child of a National Assembly member. Clearly an alpha like Heonyoung, he smirked at the sight of Yeonoh’s smaller frame.

Yeonoh’s face flushed. Being mocked wasn’t exactly pleasant, but it wasn’t new. As a beta with a shorter stature, he’d often been teased or picked on for no reason at school. Over time, he’d grown calloused to such criticism and learned to brush it off.

“All the brilliant alphas in Korea get snatched up by your company, and the best you can do for a secretary is a beta?”

But the fact that his boss was being belittled because of him was unbearably humiliating. To mess up his first day and first task like this—how would Heonyoung view him now? So that’s why they traditionally hired only alphas. Unable to show his burning face, Yeonoh lowered his head and bit his lip.

“You’re wrong, Kim Jaemin.”

Defying Yeonoh’s expectations, Heonyoung’s voice came back low and even.

“Me? How so? That guy’s obviously a beta.”

Kim Jaemin’s tone was dripping with irritation as he shot back.

“If you’re right, then Ji Yeonoh isn’t just a beta—he’s a beta who outdid the alphas.”