DOTH Volume 1 Chapter 3.6

“…?”

Without realizing the content of the glass, Jung Heeyeon took a sip of water and immediately frowned. The water tasted strange. He stared intently at the clear liquid in the glass, which was shaped like a wine glass. While the water appeared transparent, he noticed small bubbles upon closer inspection.

“Director.”

“Yeah?”

“This tastes weird.”

Director Yeon chuckled softly and asked the waiter to replace the sparkling water with still water. When the waiter brought the new glass, Jung Heeyeon tilted it ever so slightly, just enough to wet his lips. Only after confirming that it was normal water, familiar to him, did he take a gulp.

“You really are a baby. You can’t even drink sparkling water.”

“What’s sparkling water?”

“What you just drank earlier.”

So that was sparkling water. Jung Heeyeon frowned slightly. Was that what cola would taste like without the syrup? He couldn’t understand why anyone would drink sparkling water when plain water and sodas were already available.

“I guess our Heeyeon won’t be much of a drinker, either.”

Jung Heeyeon wiggled his fingers on the glass, staring silently at the Alpha seated across from him. Director Yeon knew this habit of his well. Whenever Jung Heeyeon wanted to say something but couldn’t, he would fidget with his fingers like this.

“Why? Were you told that omegas aren’t supposed to drink alcohol?”

“Yes.”

Jung Heeyeon’s reply was predictable. Director Yeon’s lips curled up on one side, forming an ambiguous smile that could have been either amused or mocking.

“Heeyeon.”

The man tilted his head, and his long fingers, resting on his propped-up elbow, brushed against his hair. It was almost touching the scar near his eye, the proximity precariously close.

“Yes?”

“You can do whatever you want.”

Jung Heeyeon had spent his life hearing more about what he couldn’t do than what he could.

“Then… can I drink alcohol?”

“Want to drink now?”

“I shouldn’t drink now, though…?”

Jung Heeyeon’s eyes widened slightly in surprise, the subtle change causing Director Yeon’s lips to curve softly. This time, it was a completely genuine smile.

“It’s illegal for a nineteen year old to drink.”

“Alright. You can drink when you’re an adult.”

Alcohol, cigarettes—Director Yeon planned to let Jung Heeyeon do whatever he wanted. He intended to ruin the carefully managed omega who had been trained solely for bearing children. Not Jung Heeyeon as an individual, but the omega raised by Chairman Jung.

Now that Jung Heeyeon belonged to Director Yeon, he was no longer a product to be sold. He was just Jung Heeyeon—free to do whatever he wanted.

“Here is your steak.”

The waiter placed the dish neatly on the table, maintaining a polite posture. Jung Heeyeon’s curious gaze fell on the steak set before him.

“This sauce is made by reducing wine…”

As the waiter explained, Jung Heeyeon listened, glancing between the food and the restaurant’s interior.

While this wasn’t his first time eating out, it was his first experience in such a refined setting. He had thought Christmas was a day for Santa Claus to bring gifts to children, but there were only adults in the restaurant. Each was dressed beautifully, eating with poised manners.

“Please enjoy your meal.”

Leaving a friendly smile, the waiter departed after finishing his explanation of the dish.

“Eat plenty, Heeyeon.”

“Thank you for the meal.”

Jung Heeyeon picked up his knife and began cutting the steak. The meat sliced easily, but the pieces he cut were jagged and uneven. Watching the messy cuts, Director Yeon took Jung Heeyeon’s plate.

“You can’t eat undercooked meat, can you?”

The steak on Director Yeon’s plate was already neatly sliced. It would have been easier to pass the pre-cut pieces to Jung Heeyeon, but his steak was visibly rare. Considering that the omega couldn’t eat meat unless it was fully cooked, it made more sense to take the plate and cut it for him as he was doing now.

“Meat is meant to be eaten cooked…”

“Mm-hmm. Babies should eat theirs fully cooked.”

“I can do it myself.”

“Our Heeyeon isn’t very good with his hands, though.”

Director Yeon moved his knife with practiced ease, slicing the tender steak into small, perfectly bite-sized pieces for Jung Heeyeon’s mouth.

“Thank you.”

As the plate was returned to him, Jung Heeyeon picked up a fork, speared a piece of steak, and brought it to his lips. The steak disappeared between his lips, melting softly on his tongue as soon as it touched. Jung Heeyeon carefully avoided the pieces covered in sauce, opting for the plain ones, and busily chewed, his cheeks moving diligently.

“Is it good?”

“Yes.”

Despite his words, the way he was selectively eating seemed suspicious.

“Heeyeon.”

“Yes?”

“Why are you picking out the pieces?”

Jung Heeyeon blinked slowly at Director Yeon’s question, wearing an expression that suggested he couldn’t understand why such a thing was being asked.

“Since I’m only nineteen…”

The incomprehensible response left Director Yeon staring at him intently, waiting for an explanation.

“I can’t drink alcohol.”

“Alcohol?”

Director Yeon’s eyes flicked to the table, scanning for any sign of alcohol. Since he had driven here himself, he didn’t order any.

“The sauce was made with wine.”

The unexpected reply made Director Yeon laugh aloud.

“Ah, that’s why you didn’t eat with the sauce?”

“Yes. Wine is alcohol, so I can’t drink it…”

“The alcohol evaporates when it’s cooked. It’s fine. You can eat it.”

“Ah… Is it really okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, I see. Thank you for the meal.”

Without any sign of embarrassment, Jung Heeyeon gave a faint smile and began eating the steak pieces covered in sauce. His flushed lips moved energetically as he chewed.

Resting his chin on his hand, Director Yeon watched him intently. Though the dinner was meant to both enjoy the Christmas atmosphere and make their appearance in public, it was turning out to be unexpectedly enjoyable.

The massive, glittering Christmas tree nearby seemed to captivate Jung Heeyeon completely. His lips parted in awe, and his eyes were fixed on the towering display. The tree in the department store earlier had been beautiful, but it couldn’t compare to this one, which stood outside. Its star-topped peak was so high that one had to tilt their head all the way back to see it.

“Heeyeon.”

Director Yeon called out to him, wanting to reclaim the attention stolen by something as trivial as a tree. It struck him how much Jung Heeyeon seemed to love pretty, sparkly things.

“Yes?”

Obediently, Jung Heeyeon turned his head in response. His pale cheeks were tinged with red more than usual, likely from the colder snowy weather, and the tip of his smoothly curved nose had turned slightly pink.

“Is there a Christmas present you’d like to receive?”

Director Yeon gently pulled Jung Heeyeon closer to him as he asked the question.

“I’ve already received a lot of gifts… I’m good.”

Despite not having opened any of the presents yet, Jung Heeyeon immediately declined. His face, devoid of any trace of greed, was as clear and pure as ever.

“Ah, Director.”

Jung Heeyeon tilted his head slightly upward, calling for Director Yeon.

Their eyes met almost instantly, as Director Yeon had been watching him closely.

The black sky, the crisp chill in the air, and the scent of winter wind seemed to harmonize too well with the Alpha standing behind him.

Forgetting what he had wanted to say, Jung Heeyeon simply gazed at the man who was looking down at him. The sharp, cold face softened languidly with a slight curve of his eyes. That fleeting transformation made Jung Heeyeon’s fingertips tremble ever so slightly.

“Yeah, Heeyeon?”

Director Yeon’s hand came up to cup both Jung Heeyeon’s cheek and jaw at once. Slowly, the hand brought his head toward the man.

A strange sensation brushed against the area between Jung Heeyeon’s cheek and the corner of his lips.

The contact was as light as a feather and just as cold. It melted away almost instantly upon touching his warm skin.

“Oh…”

Reflexively, Jung Heeyeon tilted his head back toward the sky. White snowflakes drifted softly, landing on his body, his hair, and his face. The other people who had been admiring the Christmas tree now turned their attention to the snow falling around them, gazing upward.

“It’s snowing.”

The words left Jung Heeyeon’s lips in a murmur. The snowflakes falling through the dark night looked like cotton blossoms. The one that landed on his lashes was as cold and soft as the one that had touched the corner of his lips just moments before.

“Is it beautiful?”

“Yes.”

Jung Heeyeon stared at the sky for a long while before straightening his posture, his neck aching from being tilted back for so long. Finally, he turned toward Director Yeon.

“This is the first time I’ve ever touched snow.”

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