First Visit to Scott Industries

Even if it was just a courtesy extended to a subordinate, the truth was that I-seo was genuinely grateful. Thanks to Ethan, he could head home early and rest. While there was room to ponder whether he should take this at face value or if there was a deeper implication, he was currently in too good a mood to overanalyze it.

I can think about it deeply starting this evening, I-seo concluded, his steps full of energy.

“I’m heading out, Natalie. See you tomorrow.”

When he explained the situation, Natalie looked envious but waved him off, telling him to have a good trip. Leaving the building, I-seo headed straight for the nearest subway station with a light heart. Although Scott Industries was located some distance from Daimin, the fact that he could go home immediately after finishing this simple task made the commute feel like a pleasant outing.

The Scott Industries building, when he arrived, was even more massive than Daimin’s. If Daimin was a slender tower reaching for the sky, Scott Industries was wide, imposing, and exuded an overwhelming sense of majesty. Seeing it in person for the first time rather than in photos, I-seo felt nearly swallowed by its scale.

To think that the owners of companies like Daimin and Scott Industries were brothers. Wealth was certainly concentrated in the extreme. If they just took 0.1% of their annual revenue and put it in my bank account, I’d be eternally grateful, I-seo thought, fiddling with the USB in his pocket.

As soon as he pushed through the glass doors, he flinched in surprise to see a massive, genuine tree that looked several hundred years old standing right in the lobby. He even paused for a moment to check if he had walked into the wrong building. Realizing it was part of an interior design choice to soften Scott Industries’ cold image, he admired the clever shift in branding.

“Hello. It’s your first time here, isn’t it?”

As he approached the information desk, a man greeted him with a pleasant smile. I-seo felt the man’s gaze linger on his cheek before darting away. He knew the reason for that look all too well; he had felt it until he was sick of it on the subway ride over. Since he understood the reaction, he simply brushed it off.

“Yes. It’s my first time visiting the Scott Industries headquarters. This tree is incredible.”

There must be someone whose entire job is just looking after this tree, he thought. I wonder what their monthly salary is? What kind of certification do you need? Such idle questions flashed through his mind and vanished.

“It is. I think the same thing every morning when I come to work. Now, let’s see, how can I help you?”

“I’m from the CEO’s Secretariat at Daimin.”

“Ah, yes. I heard you were coming. That elevator over there will take you straight to the CEO’s office. It’s on the 5th floor.”

Thanks to the advance notice, the journey to the office was seamless. After thanking the friendly staff member, I-seo walked to the elevator on the right and pressed the button for the 5th floor.

He barely felt the typical lifting sensation of an elevator before he reached his destination. As the doors opened, pleasant classical music drifted out, and he saw someone who appeared to be a secretary look up.

The man, dressed impeccably, hesitated for a moment upon seeing I-seo step out of the elevator. “Oh, I’m sorry,” he apologized first. Knowing exactly why the secretary reacted that way, I-seo spoke up with a good-natured tone.

“It’s alright. Everyone has reacted that way since I got here, so I’m used to it by now.”

The man let out a small, amused laugh. The atmosphere softened instantly. In a pleasant voice, the secretary explained, “The CEO is currently busy with another schedule, so please wait here on the sofa for a moment.”

I-seo was certain this man was a Beta. The entire 5th floor was quiet, as if the silence was a curated part of the space.

However, there was someone else there who had arrived before him.

One look was enough to tell they weren’t an ordinary person. Slender frame, long limbs, and perfectly maintained hair—a dark blonde styled so delicately every strand seemed to have its own place. He was tall enough to be mistaken for an Alpha at a glance.

The blonde man spared I-seo a brief look and let out a light sigh. Soon after, his phone vibrated; he checked the screen and answered the call.

I-seo expected the man to keep it brief since it was so quiet that every word could be overheard, but that was just the limit of I-seo’s own imagination. The man continued his conversation without a care, as if neither I-seo nor the secretary even existed.

“Hm? Oh, I’m at Scott Industries right now. What? No. I told you before. The person I’m seeing is the CEO here. Haha. A threesome? I’ll ask if he’s into that. …Don’t get ahead of yourself, Eric.”

The man seemed to be trying to speak quietly, but in the silence, every syllable of his husky voice was crystal clear. I-seo stole a glance at the secretary to see if such talk was allowed, but the man was staring at his monitor, hands moving as if he heard nothing.

It seemed this was a common occurrence for him. Then again, if I-seo were in the same position, he wouldn’t have had much choice but to maintain that same poker face.

“Of course it’s good. He’s an Extreme Dominant and a chaebol. Everything he enjoys is top-tier. I’ve never met a Dominant with better specs than him. He likes me because I’m not like a typical Omega. He’s a gentleman but incredibly cool. And of course, he’s the best in bed. It’s so big I had a hard time at first, but now I’m not sure anyone else would satisfy me. …Yeah, I’m bragging. Hahaha. You’re jealous? Isn’t this why you called?”

I-seo was the one feeling restless, wondering if it was really okay for him to be listening to this. He kept worrying about what would happen if Alexander walked out. He wondered if Alexander would be offended if he heard this.

To be honest, it would be a lie to say he didn’t feel a prick of instinctive curiosity at the phrase “best in bed.” However, he knew better than to lose his sense of place. He was more concerned that the blonde man’s voice might carry into the CEO’s office.

Of course, Alexander might be the type to brush it off, but that was just a possibility. To ensure his discomfort didn’t show, I-seo adjusted his posture and managed his expression. The ability to pretend you can’t hear even when you can is a necessary skill, after all.

Click. At the sound of the door opening, the blonde man hung up immediately, as if giving his friend a final notice. As he approached, Alexander naturally wrapped an arm around the blonde man’s waist. Alexander’s expression looked slightly relaxed as he gave the man a light kiss on the cheek. Seeing his face turn back to a mask of indifference the moment he spotted I-seo, I-seo felt confirmed in his observation.

Alexander whispered something into the blonde man’s ear and then walked toward I-seo.

“I thought you would be arriving later.”

“I took the subway, so I was free from traffic jams. Here is the USB that the CEO asked me to deliver.”

“Good work.”

“Not at all, sir.”

Finally, I can go home. While screaming with joy inside, I-seo realized Alexander’s gaze had stopped on his face. He trotted out the excuse he had repeated a dozen times already.

“I tripped while getting up from the sofa. The swelling doesn’t seem to want to go down despite the cold compresses.”

“You tripped… you say.”

Alexander repeated the word “tripped” as if weighing it. It sounded like he knew I-seo was making it up, which gave I-seo a guilty start. However, Alexander didn’t press the matter further.

“Well then, I’ll take my leave.”

“Get home safely.”

After speaking in a low, deep voice, Alexander turned back to the blonde man, and I-seo headed for the exit. The distance was exactly the same as when he arrived, but the air felt entirely different now that he was officially off the clock. He moved with the anticipation of finally indulging in some long-awaited relaxation at home.

—Ring, ring!

But his phone rang, stopping him in his tracks. It was Seo Eun-woo. Wondering what was up, he answered.

“Hello?”

—I-seo, where are you right now?

“Huh?”

A bright voice came through the moment he picked up. Eun-woo’s pronunciation was clear and his pitch slightly high, making the words pierce right into his ear.

—I stopped by to see you, but they said you were out on an errand. And they said you were sick! Why didn’t you call me when something like that happened?

“Haha…”

I-seo gave a vague, awkward laugh. He hadn’t really thought about needing to tell anyone he was sick. Especially since Seo Eun-woo wasn’t someone who influenced his work. Furthermore, they weren’t yet close enough to share every little detail of their lives. In fact, I-seo had never really had someone like that in his life.