The mansion—grand and cold, was usually drowned in silence. But today, that alone had shattered. Screaming voices tore through the halls, raw and unrestrained, caught somewhere between fury and humiliation. Then came the sharp, unmistakable sound of glass breaking as something was hurled across the room and smashed against the marble floor.
"Aughhhh!!"
The frustrated scream echoed from the living room, bouncing off high ceilings and polished walls.
Min-kyung paced back and forth, her elegant composure stripped away completely. The dignified aura she so carefully maintained in public had crumbled, leaving behind nothing but rage. She pressed a hand to her forehead, breath uneven and nails digging into her skin.
"That little ungrateful boy!" She snarled. "Did he really think he could defy me like that?!"
Her assistant hovered nearby, visibly shaken but trying to maintain calm. "Please, Madame," she pleaded gently. "You mustn't stress yourself too much."
"I don't care!" Min-kyung snapped.
She spun on her heel, marched toward the liquor cabinet, and poured herself a glass of red wine with trembling hands. Lifting it, she took a sharp impatient sip.
"I always knew Soo-hyun was a smart child," she said bitterly. "That's why I did what I had to do. I couldn't afford to waste that kind of potential."
Her fingers curled tightly around the glass.
"But I should've known better that he'd be rebellious," she continued, her voice lowering with venom. "I should've tightened my hold on him while I still could."
Her assistant watched helplessly as Min-kyung stood there for a moment then, without a warning, hurled the wine glass toward the wall. It shattered violently, scattering shards across the floor.
"Madame! Please!" The assistant cried, stepping back and carefully avoiding the broken glass.
Min-kyung turned sharply, eyes blazing. "Ban him! Right now," she demanded.
Then her voice rose again, shrill and unforgiving. "I don't want to see that ungrateful brat! Don't let him pass those gates—do you hear me?!"
She lashed out at anything within reach, knocking over the table, sweeping ornaments onto the floor, sending fragile objects crashing and breaking in her wake.
And then, footsteps came unannounced, echoed calmly through the chaos.
"Don't you think you're a little too old to be throwing tantrums like this..." a familiar voice drawled. "Mother."
Both women froze.
Min-kyung's head snapped toward the entrance.
"Soo-hyun...!" She gasped, eyes widening in disbelief as the very person she'd been screaming about stood before her.
He looked composed and almost bored.
"And you're drinking in broad daylight," he added coolly. "Are you going back to your old habits again?"
Without a word—not even greeting him properly—Min-kyung stormed toward the boy, heels striking the floor sharply.
Slap!
The sound was loud and sharp. Her assistant stood frozen, horrified as Min-kyung's hand followed through with full force. Even Soo-hyun staggered slightly, the sting exploding across his cheek.
Min-kyung's chest heaved, her hand trembling at her side.
"How dare you show yourself here like nothing happened?!" She screamed.
Soo-hyun said nothing. He simply stared at her, eyes dark and unreadable.
"After humiliating me in front of everyone!" She continued. "You embarrassed me by acting like a rebellious teenager, and yet you're brazen enough to enter my house?!"
Her voice cracked with rage. "I don't need you! Don't ever come home! You good-for-nothing, selfish son of a—"
She cut herself off, but the venom remained. "Bitch...!" She mumbled slowly.
Soo-hyun stood still.
Slowly, the corner of his lips curled upward as though mocking her.
"You're right," he said quietly.
Min-kyung faltered.
"I am a son of a bitch," Soo-hyun continued, shifting his weight as he leaned closer. "Maybe that's why I'm thick-skinned. Shameless enough to go against my own controlling and selfish mother... who wants nothing but power and her position!"
His voice sharpened, frustration bleeding through the sarcasm. Min-kyung's expression darkened further.
"You have a lot of nerve saying that to me," she hissed. "I gave you everything that no kid in this world could ever have. And this is how you will repay me?"
She added. "And have you already forgotten how you ruined your sister's engagement party?"
Soo-hyun's eyes flashed. "It was you, mother," he shot back. "You ruined it the moment you told auntie Young-sook that I was engaged to Taehan."
"You lied to these people and you expect me to just sit there and do nothing?!"
Her hand flew up again—but this time, Soo-hyun caught her wrist mid-air.
The impact never came.
"What?" He muttered, grip tightening just enough to stop her. His voice dropped, dangerous and low. "Are you going to deny it again?"
He leaned in, eyes burning. "Did you think doing that and acting this way could make grandfather take your side? That he'd strip me off my position?"
Min-kyung stiffened.
"Well, guess what?" Soo-hyun continued coldly. "He won't. Not now and not ever."
He loosened his grip, but his words cut deeper.
"We're already past that point. None of your charity work or your carefully crafted image will erase your reputation. Not to grandfather at least."
Each word landed like a hammer.
Min-kyung clenched her jaw, teeth grinding together, fury and something dangerously close to fear flashing in her eyes as Soo-hyun straightened his back, stating his now in control of his life.
I will escape your grasp, mother... even if I have to lose everything.
*****
Not long after, Kiyonari straightened where he stood beside the car, hands clasped neatly in front of him as he waited for his boss. The afternoon air felt heavier than usual, thick with unease.
The front door creaked open.
Kiyonari turned just in time to see Soo-hyun step outside. He moved quietly, posture composed as always, but his face told a different story. A vivid redness bloomed across his cheek, unmistakable, screaming of the painful confrontation that had unfolded inside the mansion only minutes ago.
Kiyonari's breath hitched. Once again, the Director had been struck by the head mistress.
He hurried forward before he could stop himself. "Director Je, your face..." His voice wavered, concern slipping through despite his best efforts to remain calm.
Soo-hyun turned his head away sharply, avoiding both Kiyonari's gaze and his reaching hand. "This is nothing," he muttered, tone flat as if pain were an inconvenience rather than something worth acknowledging.
"But sir—"
"We need to leave." Soo-hyun's voice cut in, firm and final as he stepped toward the vehicle.
Kiyonari froze for half a second.
He knew he should stop there and complies. Pretend he hadn't seen anything, but he couldn't do it.
Before Soo-hyun could open the car door, Kiyonari rushed forward and grabbed his arm, gentle but insistent, turning him to face him. "You're not okay," he said sharply, worry bleeding into every syllable.
"..."
Kiyonari's brows drew together, his expression tightening with frustration. The idea that Soo-hyun expected him to ignore this, made his chest ache.
"I'm fine, Mr. Soo," Soo-hyun replied coolly.
"I don't think you need to worry about a little slap."
"I know I shouldn't concern myself with your personal circumstances," Kiyonari snapped back, polite but firm. His voice trembling with restrained emotion. "But I can't just pretend nothing happened."
Soo-hyun shifted his weight, irritation flickering across his face as he listened.
Kiyonari continued, softening slightly. "I just can't leave you like this when you're clearly hurt."
Soo-hyun didn't respond. But his eyes widened just a little.
"As your secretary," Kiyonari added, voice lowering, "it's my responsibility to take care of you. Please... at least let me help you."
Silence followed.
Kiyonari stiffened, realizing only then how desperate he must have sounded. Slowly, he lifted his gaze to gauge Soo-hyun's reaction and froze. The swelling on Soo-hyun's cheek had deepened into a dark bruise. Worse, at the corner of his lips was a thin, almost unnoticeable cut. Blood had begun to trickle down his chin, staining his skin in sharp contrast.
[!!]
Blood?! Kiyonari gasped.
"Director!" He sprang into action, panic seizing him. "Y-You're bleeding! Did the slap cut your lip?!"
He fumbled through his suit jacket and pulled out a handkerchief, pressing it gently against Soo-hyun's chin. His movements were quick but careful, wiping away the blood with practiced tenderness.
"We need to treat this properly," he said breathlessly. "Let's get inside the car first."
He opened the door despite his shaking hands, ushering Soo-hyun inside before following after him.
Soo-hyun remained silent, watching as Kiyonari hovered anxiously, retrieving a small first-aid kit and carefully applying a bandage to the corner of his lips.
He noticed something then.
Kiyonari's hands were trembling not from shock, but from restraint. Trying not to brush his fingers against Soo-hyun's lips.
A faint smile tugged at Soo-hyun's mouth.
Kiyonari blinked, catching the expression. Why is he smiling? He wondered.
Did I do something strange?
"This isn't really the time to be laughing..." Kiyonari muttered under his breath.
Soo-hyun's gaze snapped to him.
Kiyonari flinched, heart skipping, suddenly worried he'd been overheard. "Ah.... um... we should go now," he stammered, voice uncharacteristically nervous as he reached for the driver's seat.
Outside, the car door closed softly. He sighed heavily. "Seriously, what am I doing?" He murmured to himself.
When they arrived, the car slowed to a stop near the curbside. Kiyonari stepped out first, moving around the vehicle to open the door. He stood there a moment longer than necessary, posture attentive, eyes scanning Soo-hyun's face as if silently checking whether he was truly alright.
Soo-hyun stepped out without a word. He didn't look back.
Instead, he walked straight toward the entrance, his pace steady and measured... yet he could feel it. Kiyonari's gaze lingered on him, warm and persistent, following his back as he put distance between them.
Strangely enough, it didn't unsettle him. If anything, it eased something tight in his chest.
There was a fleeting urge, stronger than he wanted to admit—to turned around, and confirm whether Kiyonari was still standing there, watching him.
But something held him in place. Perhaps, hopeful.
Near the entrance, Soo-hyun slowed his steps faltering. He hesitated, then finally came to a stop. Drawing in a quiet breath, he pivoted and turned his head slowly.
The curbside was empty. No familiar figure nor lingering presence.
Kiyonari was already gone.
For a brief second, Soo-hyun simply stood there, staring at the vacant stretch of pavement. A faint, unidentifiable feeling tugged at him—something between disappointment and embarrassment.
He turned back and continued inside.
What was I expecting? He thought bitterly. He was just doing his job.
The realization unsettled him more than it should have.
Why would he assume there was anything more to his actions?
"This is ridiculous..." soo-hyun muttered, scoffing softly under his breath as the doors closed behind him.
*****
The next day, around lunchtime, Kiyonari cautiously informed Soo-hyun that he had found a potential match. The reaction was exactly what he had expected.
Soo-hyun gave him nothing but a cold shoulder, barely sparing him a glance as he continued reviewing documents. Kiyonari knew why, he had crossed a line. From Soo-hyun's perspective, this was disobedience. He hadn't listened, and gone against a direct order.
And Kiyonari knew it.
He had tried to avoid this outcome, and truly considered taking Soo-hyun's suggestion seriously—paying someone discreetly to pose as his fiancé and be done with the whole matchmaking program altogether.
Regardless if it was a dangerous idea.
But Eunji had other plans.
She appeared just before noon, carrying a single, slim folder, nothing like the thick stack of profiles Kiyonari had previously reviewed.
Just one candidate.
Kiyonari immediately refused it. He hesitated the moment Eunji extended the folder toward him, already knowing how badly Soo-hyun wanted nothing to do with the matchmaking program anymore.
"You have to at least convince him, Kihyun-sshi," Eunji insisted, her tone firm but coaxing.
Kiyonari pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily. "Fine," he said at last. "I'll try to talk to the Director."
Eunji smiled—satisfied as though she'd been certain he would give in. And so he did.
Now, the two of them stood inside one of the city's most elite restaurants, the kind that catered exclusively to influential figures and discreet meetings. Soft lighting glowed warmly against polished wood and marble, yet neither of them left particularly at ease.
Confusion hung thick in the air.
Soo-hyun raised an eyebrow, his gaze fixed on the person seated quietly at the table. His eyes assessed the stranger with open scrutiny and judgment flickering behind his composed expression.
After a moment, he pursed his lips.
"Mr. Soo," he said coolly, irritation seeping into his tone. "What is this?"
Behind him, Kiyonari straightened his back, bracing himself as though he's about to face a firing squad. "Well... this is Kang Seung-woo," he answered carefully, then paused. "He's your match today, Director."
The words tasted wrong the moment they left his mouth.
Soo-hyun inhaled sharply. "Mr. Soo," he murmured, low enough that only Kiyonari could hear. "I'm not interested in babysitting."
"Kiyonari swallowed hard. "Sir," he said hurriedly, "I'll be honest with you. I'm certain he's not the Kang Seung-woo you were supposed to meet today."
"Huh?" Soo-hyun stepped back slightly, brows knitting together. "Then who is he?"
They both turned their attention back to the person seated before them. The boy looked far too young.
His features were soft, unformed—barely last adolescence. He wore what was unmistakably a school uniform: a black jacket neatly pressed, a green necktie sitting stiffly against his collar. There was nothing about him that matched the mature and a businessman Alpha described in the documents.
Slowly, the boy lifted his gaze, meeting theirs without fear.
After a brief pause, he spoke.
"My name is Kang Yun-jae," he said calmly, voice steady despite the situation.
Kiyonari's eyes widened. "Kang Yun-jae... are you—"
"No," the boy interrupted gently. "The person you were expecting had to cancel. So, I'm his replacement."
Silence fell. Then realization dawned.
Soo-hyun's expression hardened as the pieces clicked into place. The boy before them was a high school student, and Kang Seung-woo's younger brother.
Soo-hyun let out a quiet scoff, barely masking his disdain. "What is a kid like you doing here?" He asked coolly. "Shouldn't you be in school—actually learning about life?"
His cold gaze swept over Yun-jae, unfiltered and judging.
"And not here pretending to be someone else."
Yun-jae's hands clenched into tight fists on his lap. "I already told you," he shot back, teeth gritted, "Seung-woo can't make it today. That's why I came in his place."
"Well, too bad," Soo-hyun replied without hesitation. "That's not how this works, kid."
Yun-jae scowled, jaw tightening as the atmosphere around the table grew heavy, the tension sharp enough to cut. The warmth of the restaurant seemed to drain away, replaced by an uncomfortable chill.
Before it could escalate further, Kiyonari stepped in.
"Look," he said quickly, attempting to calm the situation, "I think there's been a misunderstanding. What we received was Kang Seung-woo's profile background—he should be here just like what was agreed on. So clearly, something went wrong here."
"No," Yun-jae said firmly, lifting his head. "It's not a mistake."
"Eh.... sorry?" Kiyonari blinked.
Yun-jae let out a frustrated sigh before snapping back. "Listen, mister. I already told you I'm taking over this date. I skipped class just to come here, and now you're gonna waste it by telling me there's a misunderstanding?!"
His voice rose, irritation spilling out before he could stop it.
"Okay. That's enough." Soo-hyun turned on his heel, already done with the conversation.
"Director, where are you going?" Kiyonari asked, startled.
"All of this is so ridiculous..." Soo-hyun muttered under his breath as he headed for the exit.
"Wait, Director!" Kiyonari hurried after him.
Suddenly, the sharp scrape of a chair echoed across the restaurant as Yun-jae sprang to his feet.
"You can't date my hyung!" He shouted. "I won't let you!"
Every conversation in the restaurant fell silent. Heads turned and eyes followed. Confusion mixed with curiosity rippled through the room as attention snapped to Yun-jae's table.
Soo-hyun stopped.
Slowly, he turned around, his gaze locking onto the boy. "And why is that?" He asked, voice cold and utterly sharp.
Yun-jae's eyes welled up, his bravado cracking. He swallowed hard before speaking again. "B-Because... he's already seeing someone."
Kiyonari's eyes widened. "He has a partner?" He murmured.
"They're getting married next week," Yun-jae continued voice trembling. "When I heard about this matchmaking thing, I knew I had to come instead. Seung-woo hyung loves this person so much—and I like them too. I can't let you ruin their relationship."
He stared straight at Soo-hyun, his eyes burning with determination. It was clear that he would do anything to stop this.
Kiyonari parted his lips, troubled. "But that doesn't make sense," he said slowly. "If he's already engaged, why would he still be registered in the program?"
Yun-jae looked away, expression twisting with pain. "That's cause our parents are against their relationship," he admitted. "They think that if they force my brother to marry someone they approve of—he'll come to his senses and leave the person he loves."
The words hung heavy in the air. Soo-hyun said nothing, and didn't question it. He simply turned and walked away.
"Ah.... Director Je!" Kiyonari called, quickly following after him as the boy disappeared from the restaurant, leaving the chaos behind.