DOTH Volume 3 Chapter 9.3

“Then, can we walk in the direction of the office? That way, I can still see Director Yeon off.”

“You really want to go with me?”

Director Yeon’s voice was laced with quiet amusement.

“Yes. I can both walk Sulgi and make sure you aren’t lonely on his way back, Director.”

“Of course. We can go that way.”

At Kim Jiwon’s positive response, Jung Heeyeon turned on his heel to head back toward the company. As he walked alongside Director Yeon, Sulgi trotted along at his side with a jaunty bounce.

Watching the little dog’s tail wagging briskly ahead of him, they arrived at the front of the company in no time. Director Yeon gently tapped Jung Heeyeon’s cheek.

“We’re here. Play with the dog as much as you want before coming in.”

“Yes. Oh, Director.”

“Yeah.”

“I want to say goodbye.”

Understanding the meaning behind it immediately, Director Yeon let the corner of his lips curl up as he leaned down slightly. A soft pair of lips soon pressed against his cheek, accompanied by a gentle smack.

“I will be off now. Director, you should go inside quickly—Secretary Kim Chulwoo is probably waiting.”

Director Yeon lightly tapped Jung Heeyeon’s pale cheek once more before finally turning toward the building. Jung Heeyeon watched until his figure disappeared completely, then turned back to Kim Jiwon. Kim Jiwon, meanwhile, looked like he had just witnessed something utterly unspeakable, his face twisted in disbelief. As Jung Heeyeon approached, Kim Jiwon flinched and quickly averted his gaze.

What was up with the doctor? Jung Heeyeon was curious, but asking might be rude, so he held back.

“Aha.. haha… I’ve always felt this before, but Director Yeon is really gentle with you, Heeyeon-ssi. Ahem. Shall we get going?”

“Yes. Are you sure this direction is okay? If you were planning to go a different way, we can turn back.”

Jung Heeyeon asked hesitantly, clearly feeling bad about making them adjust their route towards the office. The gentle and innocent tone made Kim Jiwon’s eyes widen briefly before he burst into laughter. It was clear as day why Director Yeon was always so protective of Jung Heeyeon.

“It’s fine. A walk is a walk, no matter where we go, he likes it. Oh, do you want to hold the leash?”

“No, I’m scared I might drop it. I’ll just walk together beside him.”

“Alright, sounds good.”

Kim Jiwon started strolling at a leisurely pace. It wasn’t just Director Yeon who felt the need to look over Jung Heeyeon. Kim Jiwon himself often found himself treating the young omega like a child. At his age, a freshly turned twenty-year-old omega naturally seemed as if they had been born yesterday. But even so, it wasn’t just his age that stirred that kind of affection.

It must be his personality. Kim Jiwon rolled the thought around on his tongue. Jung Heeyeon had an extremely limited social circle, lacked experience with the outside world, and was inherently gentle. He exuded a kind of innocence that made people want to keep him protected. It was no wonder that the alphas in Jiwoo couldn’t help but treat him like he was something small and precious.

In an office where foul language flew like second nature, he stood out with that gentle face and all those pretty words. It was impossible not to adore him. The rough men around him, hardened by their upbringings, seemed to treasure him even more because of it. After all, people were naturally drawn to what they themselves lacked.

Even the number of bodyguards assigned to Jung Heeyeon reflected this. The alphas were originally placed there by Director Yeon to guard against Chairman Jung’s potential actions, yet many had volunteered for the job. It seemed they saw Jung Heeyeon as a younger brother or even a nephew.

“Doctor Kim Jiwon, Sulgi looks so excited.”

“Dogs love going on walks. Are you sure you don’t want to hold the leash? He’s well-behaved in his walks.”

“But what if I drop it? I might lose him.”

“That won’t happen. He responds well to commands, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

Kim Jiwon subtly held out the leash again. Jung Heeyeon stared at it for a moment before hesitantly reaching out. As soon as he gripped the handle, he could feel Sulgi tugging slightly. The force wasn’t as strong as he had feared, it seemed he wouldn’t lose his hold on it.

“How is it? It’s manageable, right?”

“Yeah. I’ll hold on tight and not lose it.”

“Haha, alright. There’s a shop that sells homemade dog treats along the way. Let’s stop by and get him a snack.”

“Yes.”

As Kim Jiwon walked alongside Jung Heeyeon, his thoughts drifted to the man who was likely meeting his guest by now. Well, that man would handle it just fine.

—

With a cold expression, the man lowered his gaze to the floor. As soon as the elevator doors slid open, he slowly lifted his head. Between the parting metal doors, Kim Chulwoo’s figure came into view. Judging by the way he was standing, he had been waiting in front of the elevators for the man to arrive.

“You’re quite composed considering Chairman Jung actually came here himself, I thought you would flip the place upside down.”

“We’ve been working on this plan, I wouldn’t just easily throw it away now.”

Kim Chulwoo, picking up on the faint amusement in the man’s voice, responded in a slightly disgruntled tone. Director Yeon, still carrying traces of a smirk, resumed walking forward. The tailored suit wrapped around his body shifted with his movements, stretching taut over firm muscles.

“I’ve to say it’s an impressive move from his side. I thought he would be too afraid of the fighting dogs and stay low.”

“Guess when one is old enough to drop dead, their brain starts to go haywire.”

“There’s no way Sunha would have cut him off… Get in contact with Managing Director Kang Seoui. Tell him to keep an eye on President Kang’s movements and report back.”

“Understood.”

Chairman Jung’s visit had been unexpected. What the hell was that old bastard thinking, crawling all the way here? As Director Yeon walked at a leisurely pace, he considered the strategies in the old man’s mind. Was Chairman Jung here to make his stance clear? Or had he come to propose a deal before things escalated? Either way, he had no thoughts of playing into his tactics. 

“Bring something to drink.”

“Are you going to be able to swallow anything in front of that bastard?”

Kim Chulwoo openly grimaced, as if recalling an unpleasant memory.

“As if.”

Director Yeon grinned, baring his teeth. For someone who had just cracked a tasteless joke, his smile was anything but friendly.

“But still, shouldn’t we show proper hospitality for our guest?”

With that, the man reached out and pushed open the door to the director room. His tone carried a trace of dry sarcasm.

The first thing that greeted him upon stepping inside was the graying head of an old man. It was the back of someone who had once filled his childhood with violence and abuse. But Director Yeon’s face showed no trace of fear or discomfort.

“It’s been a while, Chairman Jung.”

Chairman Jung turned to face the younger man seated across from him.

“Indeed.”

The old man’s voice cracked out with that sharp, gravelly tone older people seemed to possess. It had been a while, he said. They weren’t in such a relationship for a familiar greeting, but it wasn’t entirely wrong, either. After all, it had been well over fifteen years since he had  sold off the young alpha standing before him.

And just as expected, the fighting dog he’d raised with quite the effort had grown into something impressive. The old man’s cloudy eyes swept over Director Yeon from head to toe. Broad shoulders, thick defined chest muscles that even a tailored suit couldn’t fully hide, long legs supporting a powerful frame—his physique was strikingly well-balanced, rare even among alphas. He should have sold that man for a higher price. A useless thought crossed the chairman’s mind.

“I…”

Before he could finish, the younger alpha’s voice cut in. Chairman Jung finally took in Director Yeon’s face fully. His lips were curled lazily into a smirk, but his sharp, upturned eyes held nothing but boredom. A stark contrast to the stiff, uneasy expressions of other alphas when faced with Chairman Jung. 

“I don’t think I’m in any position to be judged by you, right, Chairman?”

Instead of responding, Chairman Jung remained silent, his expression unreadable. The fist resting on his thigh clenched of its own accord.

That dismissive tone, tossed out like a joke, it all conveyed one thing.

Disregard. The kind of disregard born from viewing someone as insignificant, not even worth paying attention to—like brushing off a worthless insect.

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