RACA 110

“Excuse me, Mr. Pyo. I completely understand how you feel. But our company also has managers, and it’s against custom to assign a separate manager…”

Jaebeom calmly accepted President Kim’s cautious remark without batting an eyelid.

“Customs are, as the name suggests, just additional rules added to the job. The important thing is whether someone can take proper care of Eunsol. If that can’t be guaranteed, what’s the point of customs?”

Indeed, it wasn’t as if there had never been cases where a manager came with a valuable star. However, President Kim was asking for a concession because they were doing their best but were short on manpower.

‘Who on earth would assign a separate manager to a rookie with no experience?’

President Kim gritted his teeth, knowing full well that he was being criticized for his past interest in Eunsol.

Eunsol looked back and forth between the two of them, then gently patted Jaebeom’s hand.

“Jaebeom-ssi, thank you for thinking of me. The company will find someone suitable. Since I’m not starting a project right away, so it’ll be fine if they manage me along with another actors.”

Eunsol knew this well. Jaebeom wasn’t being unreasonable. He had been in the entertainment industry for a long time, so he had dealt with many managers, and his distrust was bound to run deep.

“I know.”

Jaebeom replied softly.

“But this person will be responsible for you. If he can’t focus on you, it’s better if I assign one myself. That way, I can put my mind at ease.”

“Of course. I understand. But I’m the one working here from now on. It’s best if there aren’t any problems with other people.”

“Who’s going to say anything?”

At Jaebeom’s grumbling, Eunsol offered a smile and tried to reassure him again.

“Trust me. If the company introduces me to someone good, I’ll try to get along with them. If things get tough, I can just ask for help then.”

Jaebeom sighed at the affectionate yet firm gaze he received. With Eunsol saying things like that, he couldn’t just push through with his demands. He still wasn’t entirely convinced to use the manager the company had assigned him.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you. I just want you to focus on your own work.”

Eunsol shook his head, watching Jaebeom stubbornly keep his mouth shut. Yet, he couldn’t stop him any longer. It wasn’t simply a manager issue; it felt like an alpha instinct to protect what was his.

President Kim leaned in, arms awkwardly crossed.

“Well, well. If CEO Pyo says so, I don’t really have a reason to refuse. Customs can change, but… What would other actors think? A rookie with a dedicated manager? Would that be viewed favorably?”

“It’s simple.”

Jaebeom’s expression changed completely, and he replied nonchalantly, as if he’d been waiting for it.

“Just say Eunsol is special.”

“…What?”

“He’s a rookie, but the company values him so highly that they’re putting in extra care. That’s all you have to say.”

President Kim’s lips trembled at such a shameless and simple answer. Eunsol sighed, unable to bring himself to intervene.

A strange tension hung over the quiet office.

“Haha, right. Well, that’s right. He’s a rookie, but he’s a rising star! Well, it would be nice for the company to have someone like that, right? Haha…”

President Kim finally surrendered, forcing a smile. Eunsol’s heart felt heavy.

‘Will I be able to safely pursue my acting career here?’

He was worried because he thought there wouldn’t be any benefit to signing a contract like this. Regardless, Jaebeom finally seemed satisfied and nodded with a smile.

“Thank you for understanding. Then I’ll arrange for Eunsol’s manager myself.”

That smug grin made President Kim’s face twitch. He barely managed to bow his head to the two.

“I’ll be counting on you, Eunsol-ssi.”

“…I’ll be in your care as well.”

Eunsol bowed politely, feeling apologetic. President Kim could finally breathe a sigh of relief after seeing Jaebeom’s spouse treating him with courtesy.

‘I won’t have to deal with Pyo Jaebeom again anyway. I’ll just make sure to keep that omega safe!’

Jaebeom looked at President Kim, who was comforting himself with such a meaningful thought, and led Eunsol out of the president’s office.

•••

After they arrived at the parking lot and got into his car, the first thing Jaebeom did was open the home cam app on his phone. The screen immediately showed the twins lying side by side in bed.

“Beomwoo and Eunwoo. They’re behaving without crying.”

“That’s right.”

As he said, the babies’ faces were completely free of tears, as if they were playing with each other, their hands twiddling.

“They’re so well-behaved.”

Eunsol, who had been smiling happily, quickly looked at the driver seat and asked.

“By the way, what about the manager? You know, Jaebeom-ssi, if you treat things like that at work, bad rumors will start spreading.”

The entertainment world was one where smoke appeared even without fire. That’s why rookies need to be especially careful. Having a dedicated manager can only lead to strange rumors.

“I told you before. You just need to position yourself as a special rookie from the start.”

Jaebeom, despite knowing Eunsol’s concerns, spoke nonchalantly.

“What I want is to act. Wouldn’t that kind of label just make me look like an actor relying on connections?”

“Aren’t you underestimating yourself?”

“Underestimating?”

Eunsol tilted his head, wondering what on earth that had to do with making him a special rookie.

“You’re a precious dominant omega.”

“You’re planning to reveal my secondary gender publicly?”

“Yeah. And also who’s behind you.”

Eunsol’s mouth fell open as the words became increasingly exaggerated the more he listened. Isn’t that just giving those who like to gossip an excuse to do something?

“People do that when someone they consider inferior is doing well, or when someone in a similar situation starts to look better than them.”

What kind of thing is he trying to say this time? Eunsol’s eyes lit up with suspicion.

“But if you openly emphasize your secondary gender and your impressive family background like me from the beginning, people won’t be able to say anything.”

Eunsol knew that Jaebeom had revealed he was a dominant alpha when he debuted as a child actor. However, even his fans had never heard of his family, so it sounded forced.

“Jaebeom-ssi, you didn’t do that, though. You were recognized from the start for your acting, even though you were new. The public remembered you because you were good.”

What mattered wasn’t the reveal, but that Jaebeom’s performance had been impressive enough for everyone to admire it. Eunsol, who had been working in bit parts and often heard critics complaining about his acting, had actually vowed to himself that he would act naturally enough to avoid criticism, even as a rookie.

“I hope you don’t experience any inconvenience or injustice while you’re active.”

“What does that have to do with anything…”

Eunsol grumbled, then paused.

“They weren’t criticizing you because you were bad at acting. They did it because you were easy to look down on.”

Why did he always have to say things so bluntly?

“That’s why you need to emphasize even more how special you are. Don’t tell me you’re lacking confidence?”

“I can do it just fine.”

He retorted angrily, but when he saw Jaebeom’s lips twitching, he realized he was deliberately provoking him.

“See? Lee Eunsol, you’ll do great. Use your dominant trait, and Chairman Jang and I, as your weapons. Be confident and do whatever you want.”

“What’s that supposed to mean…”

Eunsol spoke in a deflated tone, admitting defeat. How could he refuse when Jaebeom highly valued his abilities and offered to help him? Then, suddenly, he realized the strange meaning behind Jaebeom’s words and tilted his head in confusion.

“Wait a minute. Chairman Jang? You’re saying you’re going to use him?”

“Yeah. He told me to.”

Eunsol was dumbfounded by his confident response, and laughed.

“When on earth did you talk about that with the Chairman?”

“Before this company was founded.”

“I see…”

Eunsol muttered briefly and lowered his gaze. The sudden revelation left his heart in disarray. At the same time, he felt both grateful and embarrassed that Jaebeom and Chairman Jang were actively involved in his work.

“Chairman Jang is the majority shareholder of this company. So he can use his power wherever he need to.”

“Are you the one who told him?”

“As I said before, he asked me to.”

Eunsol gave him a suspicious look, but Jaebeom pretended to focus on driving. Then, suddenly, he raised a hand and stroked the back of Eunsol’s head.

“What is it?”

Why does he keep treating him like a child? Jaebeom, sensing Eunsol’s discontented gaze, locked eyes with his.

The gentle curve of Jaebeom’s lips tickled Eunsol’s lips, and he quickly turned his head away.

It didn’t matter if he did or not, Jaebeom’s hand wouldn’t let go of his touch on his hair. Of course, that didn’t mean he disliked it.

“I’ll say it again, I want you to focus solely on your acting career.”

The words he spoke were firm.

“I wish I could be your manager and keep you safe, but…”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Right, so just make sure I can stop worrying.”

“But why did you get the Chairman involved?”

“He’s a more solid point of reference to people than I am. You’re Chairman Jang’s dominant omega son-in-law.”

Eunsol’s jaw dropped.

“Are you saying we should reveal everything?”

It was obvious how the rumor would spread if he did. But Jaebeom remained calm.

“People never touch someone who’s far above them. So we’ll make it clear they can’t.”

Eunsol sighed. Ultimately, Jaebeom was saying he’d use anything to protect him.

“Okay. I’ll do whatever I want. But I’d like that rumor only be known to people who already know.”

A small smile played on Jaebeom’s face as he watched his omega obediently nod. He hadn’t said it yet, but he had already hired a manager. He’d already notified the company, so all he had to do was contact them.

“While we’re on the subject, I’ve also arranged a road manager.”

“A road manager?”

He was already surprised to learn there were two managers, but what followed left him speechless.

“Yeah. Since safety management is also necessary, I thought it needed to be more specialized, so I asked Bulgom to do it.”

“No, what about the company…”

Bulgom returned to his original job after Jaebeom and Eunsol got married and hired a live-in helper.

It was a shame, considering how much they had grown fond of him, but Eunsol hadn’t expected a reunion like this, so it was absurd.

“Don’t tell me he volunteered too?”

Jaebeom just laughed at Eunsol’s words. He must have really intended to do that.

“Ha…”

In the end, everything went Jaebeom’s way again. Still, deep down, he knew that all this hardship was ultimately for his own good and the twin’s.