At the unexpected question, Jung Heeyeon followed his gaze down to see his own hand clutching the edge of Director Yeon’s suit. His fair hand, against the dark suit under the elevator’s bright lights, looked even smaller.
“Ah, I’m sorry.”
Jung Heeyeon quickly released his grip and lowered his head.
“First time riding one?”
“Yes.”
Director Yeon looked Jung Heeyeon over with a curious expression. He knew Chairman Jung had raised him in isolation, but he had thought it was only a figure of speech. Of course, keeping someone hidden indoors is the usual method to keep them away from prying eyes, but…
As he recalled the small, innocent reactions Jung Heeyeon had shown in their short time together, Director Yeon asked in an indifferent tone.
“Have you never been outside?”
“Yes.”
Jung Heeyeon replied softly. Then, Director Yeon extended his hand leisurely and intertwined his fingers with Jung Heeyeon’s, holding the small hand that was dangling by his side. Jung Heeyeon didn’t exactly resist, though his fingers fidgeted slightly. Soon, a quiet but firm voice slipped out from his plump lips.
“I will be fine without you holding my hand…”
The omega had just confirmed that the elevator wasn’t dangerous. The display panel showed they were nearing the number Director Yeon had pressed. He had only instinctively reached out in that moment of unfamiliar feeling of going up, but now, holding hands over something like this seemed strange.
“When a baby rides an elevator, they’re supposed to hold an adult’s hand.”
Jung Heeyeon sensed faintly that Director Yeon was teasing him. Yet, instead of protesting that he wasn’t a baby, he silently looked down at the hand holding his. Except in his distant childhood memories, this was the first time he had held someone’s hand.
The unfamiliar touch with another person made Jung Heeyeon instinctively twitch his fingers slightly, brushing his fingertips against the back of Director Yeon’s hand. It was a large, rough, adult hand, quite different from his own.
– We have reached the floor.
Startled by the sudden mechanical voice, Jung Heeyeon took a step back in surprise. Amused by the unexpected reaction, Director Yeon chuckled and gently pulled the small hand that was still held in his own hand. It was a soft, delicate hand, quite the opposite of his own rough grip.
“There’s a lot to teach you.“
Distracted by the unfamiliar surroundings, Jung Heeyeon didn’t hear the man’s muttering.
When they stepped out of the elevator, they found themselves in an empty hallway. There was a door at the far right, and the opposite side was blocked by a wall. It seemed to be the only door on this floor.
With Jung Heeyeon’s hand in his, Director Yeon approached the door and placed his hand on a pad. With a soft beeping sound, the door opened. Obediently, Jung Heeyeon followed him inside.
The interior was distinctly different from the house he was used to, but it was clearly where this man lived. The lights in the living room were on, and the air inside the house was warm, as if someone had prepared it in advance.
“A baby should get to bed early.”
Director Yeon said, opening a door. Jung Heeyeon stopped in front of it, hesitating instead of stepping inside. As if contemplating something, he moved his lips slightly before finally looking up at Director Yeon.
“…What about you, Director?”
His pale cheeks were flushed pink. After spending the entire day trapped in a cold container, the warmth of the room had brought a slight blush to his face.
“Since you’re a baby, do I need to stay beside you and pat you until you fall asleep?”
Director Yeon teased with mischievousness. His words, almost treating Jung Heeyeon like a newborn, made him frown slightly.
“That’s not what I meant… I mean, if I sleep here, then where will you…?”
“This is the guest room, so don’t worry. There’s a bathroom inside too, you can wash up. I had clothes prepared for you as well.”
With that, Director Yeon turned on the light in the dark room himself and pointed inside with his chin. Following his gesture, Jung Heeyeon turned his gaze and noticed a shopping bag placed near a door that he assumed led to the bathroom.
“Oh, thank you.”
Jung Heeyeon said, carefully taking off his coat and expressing his gratitude. Director Yeon watched the omega’s small, cautious movements, then glanced at the watch on his wrist. It was already nearing dawn.
After checking the time, the man turned to leave. He planned to call Chief Nam first and postpone any further conversation with Jung Heeyeon until tomorrow.
“Heeyeon.”
He suddenly called, as if remembering something. He twisted his upper body slightly and called out slowly to Jung Heeyeon.
“Yes?”
“Goodnight.”
“Oh…”
Director Yeon briefly looked at Heeyeon’s gentle face as he gazed up at him, then closed the door. Silence filled the room immediately.
“Please have a good night.”
Jung Heeyeon replied belatedly, staring at the closed door before walking slowly further into the room.
He stood there and looked around the room for a few minutes, then walked across the room with slow steps. Through the large window, the dazzling night view flooded the darkness. The scenery was so overflowing that it seemed ready to spill at any moment.
“It’s beautiful.”
He murmured softly, pressing both his hands against the window and leaning his forehead against the cool glass.
The scent of the ocean that he experienced for the first time and the face of the alpha who had brought him here floated through his mind.
It seemed like he wouldn’t be able to sleep anytime soon.
As he looked out, the city lights spilled out endlessly into the night.
***
“…Master, Young Master!”
At the rough shaking of his body, the omega addressed as Young Master barely managed to lift his eyelids. Even without checking, he knew who was shaking him awake. There was only one person in thid house surrounded by high walls who would speak to Jung Heeyeon.
Sure enough, when he finally opened his eyes, the man he addressed as “butler” stood right beside his bed.
“Get up, quickly!”
“Ah.”
He could feel the man deliberately gripping his bruised wrist tightly. Enduring the familiar pain, Jung Heeyeon slowly got up.
As he was about to get out of bed, the man who had woken him threw something at him. His movement was careless, almost like tossing trash rather than handing something over carefully.
“Put these on.”
The butler, Lee Yootae, who had raised Jung Heeyeon for nearly 15 years, tossed clothes onto the bed and urgently barked his orders. At the stern command, the Omega, who had just woken up, directed their gaze toward the bed. He had no sleeping habits, thus the neatly arranged blanket was now covered with scattered clothes.
He knew that if he moved slowly, Lee Yootae would take out his frustration on him, but after yesterday’s pheromone injection, it was hard for him to fully gather his senses. He’d only just fallen asleep after struggling with the effects all night.
“What are you doing? Move quickly!”
“Yes, I’ll get dressed now.”
Nodding slightly, Jung Heeyeon unbuttoned his pajamas.
His pale body, exposed under the fabric, was covered in bruises. Some were red, others a bluish shade, those were unmistakable marks of relentless violence.
Yet neither the man who caused the bruises nor the one bearing them showed any reaction, almost like they were used to this. Lee Yootae, as he had for the past 15 years, monitored Jung Heeyeon, while Jung Heeyeon behaved as if that watchful gaze was natural.
As quickly as possible, Jung Heeyeon put on a T-shirt and layered a thick knitwear over it, then changed into pants, finishing with a pair of white socks.
“We’re late. Come on!”
As soon as Heeyeon put on his coat, Lee Yootae grabbed his wrist and pulled him along, not even giving him time to button up.
Holding his bruised wrist carelessly, Lee Yootae started walking briskly toward the door. Jung Heeyeon quietly followed, but he opened his mouth slightly, as if something felt off.
“…I thought I shouldn’t be going outside today.”
He’d just had an injection yesterday. After a pheromone shot, he was supposed to stay in his room for at least a full day or two. This routine had been in place since he was thirteen.
In truth, Jung Heeyeon didn’t even know what the injection was for. The butler, Lee Yootae, called it a pheromone shot, and he simply believed it. According to the beta’s words, omegas needed regular pheromone injections. Once the needle pierced his skin and the drug took effect, his entire body would ache. But Jung Heeyeon could only comply, as he had done his entire life. Refusal wasn’t something he considered.
“Please don’t cause any trouble, just follow me quietly.”
If this was another day, he would have been slapped for talking back to an adult, but today, Lee Yootae seemed strangely different. His face, usually hardened with a mean expression, was pale and urgent, as if he was being chased by something.
The man’s steps were so fast that Jung Heeyeon stumbled several times. Each time, Lee Yootae would pull his arm forward. His arm felt like it would be yanked out of its socket, but Jung Heeyeon tried his best to keep up. Though he didn’t know what was going on, he was sure he must have done something wrong.
As they stepped out into the garden, a cold wind ruffled his hair, and the chill that crept down his neck was just as biting as that wind. Despite the cool weather, beads of sweat were forming on Lee Yootae’s forehead.
Finally, they stopped in front of a shabby car. It was a car that Jung Heeyeon had never seen before, an old vehicle that didn’t match the beautiful garden surrounding it.
Lee Yootae opened the car’s back door and roughly pushed Jung Heeyeon inside, as if he were tossing cargo.
“Am I… getting in the car?”
For the first time, Jung Heeyeon asked a question. He couldn’t recall ever riding in a car before. More accurately, he was someone who wasn’t allowed to leave the house, as stepping outside the confines of the estate was forbidden.
His steps extended only as far as the walls surrounding this property.
When Lee Yootae didn’t respond, Jung Heeyeon fidgeted with his hands and glanced at the front seat, where a stranger sat in the driver’s seat.
Although he rarely interacted with anyone but Lee Yootae, he recognized every employee’s face in the house—and he was sure he’d never seen this one before.
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