DOTH Volume 1 Chapter 1.8

It was after they had just finished the simple breakfast.

 

“Heeyeon.”

 

“Yes?”

 

Director Yeon called his name in that familiar gentle voice. Jung Heeyeon took the teacup he offered. Unlike the man’s cup, which smelled of coffee, Heeyeon’s cup had a fragrant aroma. Curious, he raised the cup to his nose to take a whiff. The man sitting across from him chuckled quietly. After confirming the slightly bitter scent, Heeyeon looked at him, and Director Yeon leaned in close, speaking in a low voice with a kind expression.

 

“I’m going to use you.”

 

It was the gentlest threat Jung Heeyeon had ever heard.

 

“Yes.”

 

Even with the word ‘use’, Jung Heeyeon only nodded lightly and brought the warm teacup to his lips, not forgetting to answer politely. Lowering his gaze slightly, he noticed the green liquid. Thinking it might be hot, he carefully pressed his lips to the cup and slowly tilted it. The warm liquid touched his lips, passed over his tongue, and went down smoothly. It tasted like mildly bitter green tea.

 

Focused on drinking the tea, he didn’t notice Director Yeon’s eyebrow lift slightly.

 

“You’re supposed to say no.”

 

As if he had never worn a puzzled expression, Director Yeon gave a faint smile and tapped his foot lightly. It wasn’t the kind of advice one would expect from someone who had openly declared their intent to exploit him.

 

“Pardon? But… why?”

 

Jung Heeyeon asked, his eyes widening a bit. The change in his expression made Director Yeon, who had been drinking coffee, stare intently at him. It was the first time he’d seen any other expression on Heeyeon’s face; he’d always kept a neutral look, even when he was in the container or when he was called a baby.

 

While he had smiled faintly earlier when expressing gratitude for responding that they were near the sea, that smile had been habitual. Now, however, his expression was filled deeply with genuine emotion for the first time.  His already compliant eyes grew even larger, taking on a soft, round shape.

 

“You asked why?”

 

“I was taught that an Omega is meant to be used by an Alpha…”

 

At Jung Heeyeon’s response, Director Yeon let out a low sigh and set his coffee cup down on the table. The clinking sound of glass meeting glass rang out a bit harshly.

 

“Who told you that?”

 

“The butler did.”

 

“Was he the bastard who hit you?”

 

The man scanned the fair skin peeking out from the other’s pajamas. Under the blatant scrutiny, Jung Heeyeon lowered his head to look at the spot where Director Yeon’s eyes had settled. It was an ordinary button-up pajama top, but it was slightly oversized, leaving his collarbones partially visible. A faint blue mark stood out.

 

“Oh… this is just because I was punished for doing something wrong…”

 

Jung Heeyeon adjusted his pajamas, embarrassed at having the bruise seen. For some reason, he felt oddly embarrassed that the man noticed this trace of violence. It had never bothered him when Lee Yootae or the others saw it, but the thought of Director Yeon seeing it made him feel a sense of shame.

 

It was as if a secret he should never have revealed had been exposed.

 

“For doing something wrong?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Director Yeon glanced briefly at the bruise on Jung Heeyeon’s wrist. When he raised his arm to hide the bruise near his collarbone, the sleeve of his pajamas slid down, exposing his wrist. Jung Heeyeon didn’t seem to notice, as he was still gripping the front of his pajamas close to his chest.

 

“Hmmm, is that so?”

 

He, too, had once lived thinking everything was his fault. Director Yeon, suppressing the faint anger he hadn’t felt in a long while, asked in a calm tone.

 

“So that butler taught you that? Or did Chairman Jung tell him to?”

 

“Do you know the chairman?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Ah…”

 

“I know him well.”

 

Director Yeon smiled gently as he looked at Jung Heeyeon. 

 

He had wondered if Jung Heeyeon would look different in the morning light, but it was clear now that Jung Heeyeon had nothing in common with Chairman Jung. It was hard to believe that such a gentle, innocent boy came from that disgusting man. Maybe he resembled his father, the chairman’s now-deceased son, more than the chairman himself.

 

If this Omega had resembled Chairman Jung, would he have treated him with the same feigned kindness as now? Realizing this was a pointless thought, Director Yeon brushed it aside. In any case, Jung Heeyeon was a victim.

 

“Heeyeon.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“There’s no such thing… as an Omega being meant to be used by an Alpha.”

 

Hearing this for the first time, Jung Heeyeon blinked, his fingers gripping his teacup tightly, causing his pinkish nails to turn white.

 

“We’re just the same kind of human. Who’s to use whom?”

 

Jung Heeyeon stared at Director Yeon, so focused that he didn’t even notice the tension in his hands.

 

The man who clarified that Alphas and Omegas were equal was leaning one elbow on the armrest of the sofa. His head was tilted, with long fingers resting against his temple. Though he looked languid and relaxed, his expression was unbreakably firm.

 

“Then… Why did you say that to me?” 

 

Jung Heeyeon asked, his voice genuinely confused. His question held not the slightest suspicion or resentment toward Alphas, only pure curiosity.

 

Omegas and Alphas were the same kind of people? It reminded him of Lee Yootae’s voice, always instructing him to give Alphas whatever they wanted, and that using or exploiting weren’t words meant for Omegas. Director Yeon’s correction made him question what he had learned all his life.

 

“Oh, our Heeyeon is too young of a baby to understand these words fully.”

 

Director Yeon recalled that Heeyeon would interpret each word only in its most literal sense, not realizing it could mean something else entirely.

 

“Should I call it a deal instead?”

 

“A deal?”

 

“Because I need you.”

 

At the words “I need you,” Jung Heeyeon nodded quietly. He was used to hearing that Alphas needed Omegas. Realizing he’d tensed up, he felt the tightness in his hands slowly release at the familiar words. Jung Heeyeon stared down at the teacup he was holding. It was still warm. His pale fingernails gradually returned to a healthy pink.

 

“Since it’s a deal, I’ll give you what you want when we’re done.”

 

Jung Heeyeon raised his head slowly at this, and after hesitating something for a moment, murmured in a small voice.

 

“But I don’t want anything…”

 

“You don’t want anything?”

 

Director Yeon straightened up and asked. Despite having lived a confined life, it was hard to believe that a human could have no desires at all. Even the smallest wish would do. His plan to use Jung Heeyeon to bring Chairman Jung down hadn’t changed, and once things were over, he intended to give Jung Heeyeon a fitting reward.

 

“Um…” 

 

Jung Heeyeon cautiously began, as if something had finally come to mind.

 

“Oh. Chairman Jung said that I absolutely have to get pregnant someday…”

 

Hearing that, the Alpha’s otherwise composed face cracked slightly. Director Yeon grimaced at the thought of Chairman Jung. It seemed he still hadn’t given up the habit of selling off Omegas for the purpose of pregnancy. He knew the chairman was trying to auction Jung Heeyeon off to an Alpha, but hearing it directly from the omega’s mouth twisted his insides.

 

Sitting across from him, Jung Heeyeon spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world. In an instant, Director Yeon’s mood soured. A faint sense of sympathy or kinship for Jung Heeyeon stirred within him. However, instead of revealing his feelings, he spoke softly to soothe Jung Heeyeon.

 

“Heeyeon.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“That sounds more like something Chairman Jung wants, not something you want.”

 

Jung Heeyeon fell silent at the clear distinction of perspective. Until now, he had believed that whatever the chairman wanted was also what he himself should want—he had been taught as much. The more he spoke with Director Yeon, the more lost he felt.

 

Director Yeon waited patiently for Jung Heeyeon to speak again.

 

“Do I have to… have something I want? I’m not sure.”

 

“If you don’t have desires.”

 

At Director Yeon’s low voice, Jung Heeyeon looked at him. The man’s expression was as relaxed as ever, with a lazy gaze and curved lips that seemed nonchalant.

 

“Life will start to feel pretty dull.”

 

Yet his face held an inexplicable weariness, as if his life had lost its joy.

 

Jung Heeyeon leaned his forehead against the window, taking in the view of Seoul. The large river and blue sky seemed to merge in color, almost as if it were a single sky, if not for the long bridge and tall buildings dividing them. 

 

It wasn’t as strikingly beautiful as the glittering lights of the cityscape he’d seen last night, but as someone stepping outside the walls for the first time, the scenery from such a high view was fascinating.

 

Director Yeon had gone out, saying he had some business to attend to.

 

“Something I want…”

 

Jung Heeyeon murmured in a quiet, sigh-like voice. The words the man had spoken continued to drift through his mind—the claim that Omegas weren’t meant to be used by Alphas, that they’re just the same as any other human, the suggestion to consider it a deal.

 

“This is difficult.”

 

Everything felt difficult to understand.

 

It wasn’t that he didn’t understand what the man was saying, but the emotions that surfaced were confusing.

 

With just a few simple words, Director Yeon had negated everything Jung Heeyeon had learned throughout his life, as if all his teachings were wrong. Yet part of him found it odd that he was so shaken by those few words.

 

These were the words of a man he had met less than a day ago. Logically, it made more sense to trust the words of the butler who had been with him for so long, rather than this man’s. Even so, his mind kept spiraling into confusion. Perhaps it was the frowning expression Director Yeon made, as if he’d heard something absurd, that strongly planted the thought that the man’s words might actually be true.

 

“Haah.”

 

Would he have been this bewildered if someone else had told him the same thing? Resting his forehead against the glass, Jung Heeyeon shook his head slightly. This was still a difficult problem.

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