"First, let me apologize for not coming in person. I tried to clear my schedule to visit, but Geonho insisted I shouldn’t. Still, because this concerns our precious son, I can’t simply let it go, so I’m greeting you by video call at least."
"N-no, not at all! I understand—someone in your position must be extremely busy. Of course it would be hard to come in person."
"Then may I get straight to the point? I have a meeting right after this."
After that, my adoptive mother turned to a nearby staffer and exchanged a few words in fluent English.
Through this whole sequence, everyone gathered in the principal’s office couldn’t even breathe; they only swallowed hard.
Soon Yeonhee Baek dipped her head and continued.
"From what I hear, a young student acted out with a bit of ‘momentary mischief.’ Is that right, Heechan Im?"
"Y-yes..."
"The medicine the student tampered with is directly connected to our precious son’s life. As a parent, I find this truly regrettable."
Because I wanted to keep my constitution a secret, I hadn’t bothered to explain to the teachers what the stolen medicine was.
Hearing only now how important the drug was, the teachers went pale and stared between my face and the phone screen.
Heechan, thinking she was about to defend him, looked up at Yeonhee, eyes shining as he nodded—only to turn to stone at what came next.
"Even if, on our end, we were to make a hundred concessions for the fact he’s a minor and settle, the problem is with our research partner."
"Partner...?"
"The medication Geonho was taking is the fruit of a joint project between our Baekil Pharmaceuticals and BioCrest Corporation through a strategic alliance."
"E-excuse me? Bio... what?"
"Because it’s an unreleased pharmaceutical researched overseas under secrecy, even the slightest leak of information is something they must respond to with utmost sensitivity. So there are many parts we, too, can’t overlook. I hope the principal, the student, and the family can understand that."
The already heavy mood sank even lower.
As the situation grew more serious, color flushed into and drained from Heechan’s face over and over.
"So along with a minimal non-disclosure pledge, we plan to seek a measure equivalent to a restraining order under the special sexual assault statute for reproductive-sex classifications. As parents, and on behalf of Baekil Group, that is the best settlement we can offer."
"W-what...!"
"T-that’s—"
At the name Baekil Group, everyone but me jerked.
A “settlement” delivered with a first-tier chaebol family’s name attached wasn’t really a settlement. It was closer to a warning that they wouldn’t hesitate to file a police complaint and pursue legal action.
No matter how much Heechan apologized, it nailed the coffin shut on any hope of escaping the inevitable.
You’re coming in hard, Mom.
For the record, that wasn’t the scenario I asked for.
I’d told her there was no need for her to step in personally on this.
But she was adamant. She’d even tried to cancel an important meeting with overseas buyers; after hours of persuasion we barely compromised on a video call.
I’d only meant to give them a little scare by letting them hear her voice... I hadn’t expected her to invoke Baekil Group and bring up criminal charges.
She’s always disliked being tied to the main house—will this be okay?
My adoptive mother openly avoided talking about Baekil’s main family.
For someone who shunned contact with any relatives or associates to step forward like this, it had to be...
Because of Seolheon.
Her own child had been hurt; that was decisive.
"If you can’t accept this... we’re sorry as well, but we’ll have no choice but to pursue an industrial-espionage charge against a middle-school boy."
"T-this is too much!"
Heechan, only a ninth-grader, probably didn’t understand half of what she was saying.
Even so, at words like restraining order and charge, he must have lost his nerve; he cried and shouted.
"Geonho! You said it was all just a mistake!"
"..."
"You—you’re using your family’s power to crush a powerless Omega like me... I’ll— I’ll spread it to all the kids—"
"Heechan Im."
I looked at him.
At most a fifteen-year-old boy— to me he was still just a child without sense.
But he was also a child who would soon be an adult.
"You haven’t said you’re sorry even once."
"...!"
"Not to my little brother, and not to me."
You only earn the right to sympathy when you can take responsibility for your actions and apologize.
At least, that’s how I see it.
"I’ll trust your conscience, just this once."
I truly hoped Heechan would live by reason, not by sex drive.
So I smiled.
Since he’d had a crush on me, I hoped at least we could part on a calmer note.
"Make me believe you."
"A—ah... o-okay! I’m sorry!"
His reaction was far stronger than I expected.
"I—I’m sorry for everything! So...!"
He went white as if he’d seen a ghost and shook like crazy.
"Don’t smile with that face. It’s scary...!"
"Uh, okay."
Not knowing why he was that terrified, I could only let my mouth go flat again.
"Geonho, you’re here!"
"Father?"
"I ran the moment I heard! To think something so serious would happen while I was down in the provinces for a bit... do you know how frightened I was?"
I scanned the room and asked my adoptive father,
"Is Seolheon okay?"
"You! Seolheon is a big deal, but so are you!"
Then he suddenly pulled me into a hard hug.
In the last few years I’d caught up to his height and now stood a hand taller. Time really flew.
"It’s really a relief. That it ended well."
"I’m sorry to have worried—"
"Geonho. I’m just so glad you’re safe."
At his wavering voice, his light-brown hair trembled.
Maybe it was the trembling coming through his arms; inside me, too, a small, steady wave seemed to rise and fall.
...He really is a tenderhearted man.
"So, Father. What about Seolheon’s thorough exam?"
"Aside from a mild contusion, he’s perfectly lively. Lively enough to go have ice cream with Dad!"
Just then a voice popped from the bed.
"Hyung... take Dad away. He’s loud."
"My sweet Seolheon! Don’t be shy!"
My adoptive father started ruffling the hair of Seolheon, who sat on the hospital bed.
Watching that shameless doting overlapped with my own behavior the other day, and I felt secondhand embarrassment prickle.
"He didn’t show it even once, but he was hurting, you know? Who does he take after, to be this brave? Ah, the doctor said to keep him admitted just for today, to be safe."
Like a cat, Seolheon slipped neatly out from under Father’s hand.
When he was small, maybe— but now that he was older, there was only one person Baek Seolheon allowed to touch him: me. It made me feel absurdly proud, like I had a cat that only looked my way.
Father, regretting that his son wouldn’t cuddle, suddenly clapped as if remembering something and turned to me.
"You haven’t had dinner yet, have you, Geonho? I’ll go buy some right away. Sushi? Cutlets?"
"Anything’s fine—just some bread from the first floor."
"Great! To celebrate the victory, Dad’s buying the premium sushi set!"
"What we had today wasn’t a trial; it was just a pre-meeting for the school violence committee—"
"Wait just a bit!"
And then he dashed out and slammed the door—bang.
If he’d only keep his mouth shut, he’d be as beautiful as any idol. Is this what they mean by wasting a face?
"Hyung."
My school jacket suddenly felt heavier, and I looked down.
Somehow Seolheon had come close and was giving my hem the lightest tug.
"Was it okay? That guy?"
"He’s transferring out immediately. He won’t be able to do anything bad to you now."
"...Yeah."
I’d expected relief, maybe happiness, but Seolheon only lowered his gaze and said nothing.
Was he still worried? I patted his back.
"It’s over now. You can relax. Nothing else hurts?"
"It doesn’t anymore. I’m okay."
Then, as if asking to be coddled, he naturally burrowed into my arms.
"Hyung. Sorry for making trouble because of me."
"Trouble? Not even a little."
"Hyung’s scent... I like it."
Again with my scent.
I didn’t know why he kept bringing it up, but it was endearing, like a kid who missed his mother’s smell. Even though he was shooting up in height, the way he still wanted to be babied didn’t feel bad at all.
Most boys say it’s gross when their siblings act cute, but I still don’t get why. Just seeing it makes me content and loosens my mouth.
"Hyung, can you sleep here with me until I’m discharged tomorrow?"
"Huh? Father said he’d stay tonight."
"Send Dad home. I want you."
"Haha..."
It was a blessing Father wasn’t here. If he heard that, a week of sulking wouldn’t begin to cover it.
I gave a hollow laugh and gently eased Seolheon back.
Normally I would have hugged this cute cat on the spot and handed him my liver and gallbladder, but right now there was something I had to ask first.
"...Hyung?"
"Seolheon."
Sensing something different, he looked up at me with startled eyes.
Keeping my face set, I asked,
"Why did you take on an errand no one asked you to do?"