FF Chapter 30

Choi Minhyuk entered the study, closed the door, and turned around. He handed the file envelope to Choi Muhyeok, who was putting on a white shirt over loose pants hanging at his hips.

Choi Muhyeok, barely dressed, perched on the edge of the desk and pulled out several sheets of paper. The first page read, “JT Co. Financial Statements and Special Notes from the Last 3 Years.”

“I looked into that company as well while investigating, but there’s nothing suspicious.”

JT’s financial statements for the last three years were flawless. The company had consistently posted profits, with high operating income compared to revenue. Despite expanding its businesses into various fields, all contributed to revenue growth, and the company’s credit rating had improved significantly in the last three years.

Flipping through the documents, Choi Muhyeok nodded, grasping the situation. When he turned a few more pages, he came across information about the family members.

Leaning against a bookshelf with a smirk, hands in his pants pockets, Choi Minhyuk spoke.

“The problem is with Lee Hyunjun. The more I dig, the more of a mess it is.”

He gestured toward the document, indicating for Choi Muhyeok to review Lee Hyunjun’s background.

“He’s already been divorced once. The reason is absurd. Rumor has it that his ex was a dominant omega, but just before the divorce, they were diagnosed with pheromone deficiency…”

“That’s enough.”

“Huh?”

“I already know.”

Choi Minhyuk, who had been rattling off information, was caught off guard by Choi Muhyeok’s abrupt interruption.

“…You know? How?”

Having gone through the entire file, Choi Muhyeok placed the papers on the desk and turned his head. His expression showed no hint of surprise.

“You’ve done all this research, but you didn’t think to look into the ex-spouse?”

“Well, they’re divorced, and it’s over. What’s the point? So I didn’t bother… Should I have?”

That was classic Choi Minhyuk logic—straightforward and simple.

“Forget it. The rest doesn’t matter.”

Seeing how unfazed Choi Muhyeok was, Choi Minhyuk stumbled over his words.

“Huh? Oh, well, anyway. After that, he went to study in the U.S. and remarried the eldest daughter of Assemblyman Seo’s family. But this part is odd…”

Choi Muhyeok, who had been rifling through the documents, looked up.

“What’s odd?”

“Well, they seem like a show-window couple.”

Choi Muhyeok frowned as he listened.

“A show-window?”

“It’s not certain, but they’re definitely not a normal couple.”

“What’s your evidence?”

“I looked into the newlywed omega. Apparently, they rarely stay in the so-called newlywed home and spend most of the week somewhere else. But you know what’s funny? There’s another alpha living there. Not Lee Hyunjun, a completely different alpha.”

Choi Muhyeok’s expression became even more perplexed.

“Are you saying they’ve already started another family?”

“I don’t think it’s that. According to the neighbors, this alpha’s been coming and going for more than a year. So, if you look at the timeline, they met even before Lee Hyunjun.”

It wasn’t uncommon for someone in their position to keep a second family. But for a family of this stature, their private affairs were usually kept tightly under wraps, as these things could seriously affect their corporate image and stock prices.

The fact that such details surfaced with minimal digging suggested that both parties didn’t care much about each other’s private lives.

“So, what you’re saying is that it’s a marriage of convenience?”

Choi Minhyuk pointed at him, indicating he was correct.

“But isn’t it strange? Could the family really be unaware of something this easy to uncover? Especially JT, with all their power?”

Deep in thought, Choi Muhyeok exhaled heavily.

“Or maybe they knew and orchestrated the marriage on purpose.”

“Why?”

Choi Minhyuk raised his voice, clearly confused.

“If the omega really has a hidden lover, both sides might be turning a blind eye and considering the benefits each family gets from the marriage. It could have been a transaction.”

“A transaction?”

“With scandals like these, neither side can enter a proper arranged marriage again, right?”

“Hmm…”

“The Seo family connects them to the political world, and JT provides massive political funds. That sounds like a good deal to me.”

“Oh! That makes sense.”

Finally understanding, Choi Minhyuk let out a sigh of realization. Choi Muhyeok chuckled in disbelief at the end of the conversation. A messier family than ours, huh? There were hardly any well-adjusted families in the chaebol world, but this was the first time he’d encountered one this tangled.

“Tsk, this is getting interesting.”

Choi Minhyuk, finding it amusing, rubbed his lower lip with his finger.

“Should I dig deeper?”

“This is enough.”

After all, from his perspective, this was working to his advantage. A vulnerable opponent was always easier to deal with.

‘Should I target the omega’s alpha entanglements, or should I just crush Lee Hyunjun first?’

If the family was in such a weakened position, even a light intervention wouldn’t cause much trouble. Choi Muhyeok, now in a pleasant mood due to the information Choi Minhyuk had uncovered, pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek.

“And, Hyung, there’s something else I need to tell you….”

Choi Muhyeok’s gaze shifted back to Choi Minhyuk. Looking toward the door of the study, Choi Minhyuk turned his head, puzzled.

“Father asked me to pass along this message: next Monday evening at 6 p.m., at the B1 restaurant of 00 Hotel.”

The time and place felt familiar. It wasn’t hard to figure out what it meant. Here we go again, muttered Choi Muhyeok, shaking his head and sighing.

“Can’t they handle this between themselves? I’m stuck in the middle, and it’s exhausting.”

Seeing this, Choi Minhyuk, clearly feeling awkward, ruffled the back of his hair.

“Yeah, Father too. Isn’t it time he let this go? Why does he keep hanging on…?”

“Watch your mouth, and start acting your age.”

Choi Minhyuk, about to retort, couldn’t hide his disappointment.

“Come on, do you have to say it like that? That stings.”

Feeling genuinely hurt this time, Choi Minhyuk grumbled. Crossing his arms, Choi Muhyeok looked him over.

“Did Father say anything else?”

“…Huh?”

At this offhand question, Choi Minhyuk froze. His eyes darted away immediately, and he avoided eye contact, which made it obvious that there was something he wasn’t saying.

“Well, you know…”

Stammering, Choi Minhyuk hesitated before speaking again.

“Just a hunch, but if this falls apart again, Father might start taking a different approach. From the way he’s talking…”

Choi Muhyeok grasped the situation from Minhyuk’s unusually serious tone.

“It’s about Ji Yeonwoo, isn’t it? Seems like Father knows.”

Choi Muhyeok wasn’t surprised. Ever since Father had confronted him during that recent meeting, asking outright if he was seeing an omega, he had suspected as much. Dealing with Father might be even trickier than Lee Hyunjun. At least with Lee Hyunjun, force was an option, but with Father, the methods were limited.

“He doesn’t seem to know everything, but still… Will you be alright?”

Choi Minhyuk, now aware of Ji Yeonwoo’s involvement, looked uneasy.

“If Father asks me, I can only tell him what I know.”

“I’m not asking you to hide anything.”

Choi Minhyuk, who had been on the verge of saying something, shut his mouth quickly. Choi Muhyeok could see through his hesitation.

“Just report the facts as they are. That’s all you need to do.”

Choi Muhyeok’s response was firm. This was a deeply personal issue that he had to handle on his own.

“So, what about him?”

The sudden question made Choi Muhyeok’s face harden in an instant.

“You know what Father’s like. He won’t leave him alone.”

Choi Muhyeok rose and approached Choi Minhyuk, who was leaning against the bookshelf. Seeing his brother’s stiff expression, Minhyuk realized he had said something wrong and tensed up.

“Minhyuk.”

Towering over him, Choi Muhyeok looked down with cold, sharp eyes.

“Don’t cross the line. You can share information, but I’ll protect my own.”

His voice, now lower and charged with warning, sent a chill through Minhyuk, who swallowed nervously.

“And watch your tone. Don’t be disrespectful.”

“…Alright, I get it. I’m sorry.”

Turning away, Choi Muhyeok straightened Minhyuk’s crooked shirt collar and narrowed his eyes.

“Apologize properly to Ji Yeonwoo on your way out.”

“I was going to.”

Feeling completely overpowered, Choi Minhyuk meekly agreed. With that, Choi Muhyeok stepped aside, allowing Minhyuk to exit the study.

From the kitchen came the rhythmic sound of chopping, and the living room was filled with the delicious smell of soybean paste stew. Naturally, his gaze turned toward the kitchen, where Ji Yeonwoo emerged.

Choi Muhyeok’s eyes widened as he saw him.

Though Ji Yeonwoo was dressed in a t-shirt and shorts, something was off. He was wearing Choi Muhyeok’s clothes, and the t-shirt hung down to almost cover his elbows, while the shorts were cinched tightly around his waist but still drooped dangerously low. Choi Muhyeok had known the clothes would be large, but not to this extent.

Seeing him like this, with his pale forearms exposed, made it look as though even a slight grip would snap his fragile frame.

“Have you finished your conversation?”

While Choi Muhyeok was taking in the sight of him, Ji Yeonwoo approached, looking as though he had lost more weight since the last time.

“Yes. Are you making something?”

“It seemed like it might be a while until breakfast, so I thought… we could eat together.”

Ji Yeonwoo seemed to be inviting him to join for a meal. Realizing this, Choi Muhyeok cut him off before he could finish.

“No. This one will be leaving soon. But before that, he has something to say to you.”

Glancing at Minhyuk, Choi Muhyeok lightly jabbed him in the arm with his fist. “Ow!” Minhyuk stumbled, clutching his arm where he’d been hit. Though it had looked like a casual tap, Muhyeok had actually struck with precision, and Minhyuk had to grit his teeth to endure the pain.

“I was rude earlier. I’m sorry. I apologize.”

Choi Minhyuk apologized rapidly, almost as if he were rapping, despite groaning in pain. The one who was actually flustered by this, however, was Ji Yeonwoo. Maybe it was just a feeling, but after returning from the study, Choi Minhyuk seemed like a completely different person. Could he have been hit in there? There was no way someone could become this calm in such a short time otherwise.

“It’s fine, really. Just don’t do it next time.”

Ji Yeonwoo glanced at Choi Muhyeok, who was standing with his arms crossed. Once Ji Yeonwoo finished speaking, Choi Muhyeok gave a nod to Choi Minhyuk, signaling him to leave. Still rubbing his injured arm, Choi Minhyuk obediently made his way to the front door. As he was putting on his shoes, Choi Muhyeok spoke.

“I’m changing the password.”

Choi Minhyuk grumbled in frustration.

“I’m not going to barge in anymore.”

“One, two…”

Even as Choi Muhyeok calmly counted, he didn’t blink an eye. Understanding what the countdown meant, Choi Minhyuk hurriedly adjusted his shoes and left in a rush.

“That troublemaker,” Choi Muhyeok muttered while watching the door close, letting out a sigh. That guy needed a strong-willed Omega to whip him into shape, but where could he find such an Omega?

More than anything, it was only a matter of time before Chairman Choi learned about Ji Yeonwoo, now that Choi Minhyuk had seen him. This was complicating things. Choi Muhyeok clenched his jaw, his muscles tensing.

As he turned around, stretching his stiff neck, he noticed Ji Yeonwoo still standing there awkwardly in ill-fitting clothes. He approached Ji Yeonwoo, who looked pale and thoughtful, as if he’d been mulling over many things during the night. He wanted to ask, but knowing Choi Minhyuk wouldn’t have given him any straight answers, he didn’t press Ji Yeonwoo either. Besides, Ji Yeonwoo wasn’t the type to easily share his thoughts.

While Choi Muhyeok was contemplating what to say, Ji Yeonwoo spoke first.

“Uh, Muhyeok, can I ask you something?”

The unexpected but pleasant way Ji Yeonwoo addressed him made Choi Muhyeok’s eyes sharpen with focus. Just when he had said he needed time to get used to the new way of addressing him, it already felt natural coming from Ji Yeonwoo’s lips.

“Do you need something?”

The momentary warmth from the familiar tone melted away his earlier frustration.

“Do you have pants smaller than these? I found these to wear, but they’re too big…”

Ji Yeonwoo tugged at the oversized clothes. As he lifted the hem of the T-shirt slightly, his thin waist, barely holding the loose pants, was revealed. Seeing this, Choi Muhyeok let out a small sigh.

He had already been struggling to resist the sight of Ji Yeonwoo in his oversized clothes, and now Ji Yeonwoo was practically asking to be devoured. If anyone was more dangerous than Choi Minhyuk, it might be Choi Muhyeok himself, though it was unclear if Ji Yeonwoo realized that.

Choi Muhyeok moved closer and wrapped his arms around Ji Yeonwoo’s slender waist.

“Unfortunately, those are the smallest pants I have.”

“Oh, I see.”

“If they’re really uncomfortable, there is another solution.”

“Another solution? What is it?”

Ji Yeonwoo looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes. Choi Muhyeok leaned in, bringing his lips close to Ji Yeonwoo’s ear.

“How about just taking them off? The T-shirt is long enough that you probably don’t even need the pants.”

“…!”

“It’s also more to my liking if you don’t wear them.”

“But, I—mmph!”

Ji Yeonwoo, startled and turning to face him, found his lips captured in a sudden kiss. While Ji Yeonwoo was distracted by the kiss, Choi Muhyeok’s hand, which had been resting on his waist, began to slide towards the waistband of his pants.

His thumb slipped under the band and gently tugged downward.

Realizing his pants were being pulled down, Ji Yeonwoo broke away from the kiss in a hurry. Grabbing the hand with the suspicious intent, he met Choi Muhyeok’s gaze, his face filled with embarrassment.

“Wait a second.”

Ji Yeonwoo blushed, desperately holding onto the hand to stop it.

“No matter what, this is….”

The embarrassment was overwhelming, leaving him unable to finish his sentence. Seeing this, Choi Muhyeok clicked his tongue in disappointment.

“…So, I can’t?”

Ji Yeonwoo was the one caught off guard this time. Was he serious? It was the first time Ji Yeonwoo had seen this side of Choi Muhyeok, and it was confusing. He had thought it was all a joke, but why was Choi Muhyeok being so serious? What on earth had happened in the study? If things continued like this, he might fall into Choi Muhyeok’s pace again, so he quickly regained his composure.

“Of course, you can’t.”

Ji Yeonwoo avoided his gaze, speaking quickly, almost like a rapid-fire response. Choi Muhyeok smirked at his flustered reaction.

“Why not? Is it because you’re embarrassed?”

Ji Yeonwoo nodded.

“What’s there to be embarrassed about? We’ve already seen everything.”

Just as Ji Yeonwoo was about to say something, he quickly closed his mouth. His cheeks turned a little red, as if he was imagining something.

“We’ve already seen everything…” Ji Yeonwoo mumbled Choi Muhyeok’s words, his mouth slightly agape like a fish before narrowing his eyes.

“Then you should take off your clothes too, Managing Director. If you do, I’ll do it too.”

“I could, but… why am I back to being ‘Managing Director’ now?”

“If you keep teasing me, I’ll keep calling you Managing Director.”

His usually expressionless face now showed puffed cheeks, full of frustration.

“Oh, so you’re going to play it like this? You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”

“……”

“I know full well you like the new way I’m addressing you.”

Ji Yeonwoo stubbornly kept his lips tightly sealed, as if in protest. Choi Muhyeok let out a small laugh, almost like a deflating balloon.

Using something someone likes as a bargaining chip was a clever idea, but coming from Ji Yeonwoo, it seemed a bit awkward. Besides, even his angry expression was too gentle to have much of an impact.

“Alright, don’t be mad.”

But Choi Muhyeok knew that when kind people get angry, it can be scarier. Deciding it was time to ease up, he reached out to Ji Yeonwoo, who had distanced himself slightly. Grabbing his waist as he tried to retreat, he pulled him back into his arms. Contrary to his expectations, Ji Yeonwoo came along without resistance.

As he wrapped his hands around Ji Yeonwoo’s waist, which felt even slimmer than usual, he gently stroked it and locked eyes with him.

“More than that, aren’t you curious about anything?”

Those large, round eyes, which had been lowered slightly, followed his gaze.

“I can’t answer because I don’t know what you’ve heard.”

Ji Yeonwoo’s dark eyes, which were facing slightly upward, flickered. Without explaining who he had heard from or what he was curious about, it was clear Ji Yeonwoo already understood.

“If there’s anything you’re curious about, just ask. I’ll answer.”