A9 3

From some point on, Suho had started acting that way. Whatever it was, he kept everything bottled up inside, pushing himself as if he might collapse at any moment, yet he always brushed off any helping hand offered to him. He stood upright, but there was something precarious about him. One way or another, it was clear that Suho had changed, though the reason remained a mystery.

Lost in thought, Suhyeon clamped his mouth shut. Suho, feeling unsettled by the idea that he might be the cause, let out a long sigh and spoke softly.

“…It’s just nerves, that’s all.”

Fortunately, Suho’s soft voice seemed to comfort Suhyeon, and the corners of his lips lifted.

“What’s this? You actually get nervous?”

“What, you think I’m not human or something? It’s normal for a person to be nervous before something important.”

“Enough, just drive now, will you?” Suho smacked Suhyeon’s thigh with a loud slap, telling him to stop talking nonsense. Suhyeon snorted, saying how it didn’t even tickle. That earned him another slap, a display of the kind of brotherly affection the two of them shared.

Perhaps it was due to Suho’s poor complexion, Suhyeon drove faster than usual. Thanks to that, they arrived at the test center early and parked the car somewhere nearby. With a bit of time to spare, they pulled out Suho’s mistake notebook¹A study notebook where students record their mistakes along with correct answers and explanations, used to review weak areas and avoid repeating errors. for a final review. Around the time they turned to the third page—

“Ah, hold on. I’ve got a call.”

Suhyeon put down the notebook and pulled his phone out of the inner pocket of his jacket. Suho glanced at the phone and gave a small nod.

“Yes, this is Im Suhyeon. …Sorry? Where did you say you were?”

Suhyeon frowned slightly as he spoke on the phone. Meanwhile, Suho, unconcerned, picked up the notebook and calmly continued reviewing it. Then Suhyeon suddenly waved a hand over the pages to get Suho’s attention. When Suho looked up, wondering what was going on, he saw an awkward expression on Suhyeon’s face.

“Hey, Im Suho.”

“What?”

“She’s… here right now.”

“Who is?”

“Your future mother-in-law.”

“…?”

What could this mean now?

“Chairwoman Son Hyunju of the Goun Foundation. She’s apparently standing at the main gate waiting for you. From what I caught, she’s even holding lunch boxes in both hands… Says she brought them for you.”

“…Fuck.”

At this point, he was seriously starting to think he had the ghost of a student who died during the Suneung clinging to him.

* * *

In the world of chaebols, where arranged marriages were common and often formed for mutual benefit, as long as there were no major character flaws, such matches were simply part of business. Hyunju, who now stood in front of Suho, was no exception. With a gentle face that masked the cunning of a hundred coiled serpents, she was the second daughter of the renowned entertainment company “BN.ent.”

Because most of the company’s shares were held by the eldest son, Hyunju had naturally been offered up as a pawn in corporate marriage negotiations. Still, she ended up having a rather satisfactory married life. Though she had her own share of struggles in the beginning, she eventually realized how much she could gain through the marriage. In the end, she rose to become the Lady of the Goun Group and the chairwoman of the Goun Foundation, which could be seen as a blessing in disguise.

Perhaps because of this background, she felt a certain kinship with Suho. The fact that both of them were Omegas born into elite Alpha families likely added to that sense of connection. Although Suho was only her family on paper, she took meticulous care of him, trying early on to assimilate him as part of the Goun Group. Even though she could have managed his every move from a distance, she still chose to come in person like this, showing her concern to make sure Suho wouldn’t end up as lost as she once was.

A person who was thoroughly calculating, yet endlessly gentle within the boundaries of those she called “my people.” That was Son Hyunju, Chairwoman of the Goun Foundation and Minhyuk’s mother.

“They said there would be a cold wave on the day of the exam, but the weather turned out to be milder than expected. Don’t you think so, Suho-ya?”

Hyunju offered Suho the lunch box in her hands with a warm smile. Even without checking, it was obvious at a glance that it had been prepared with the finest ingredients and top-tier staff. Forcing a polite smile, Suho lifted the corners of his mouth.

“Yes, Chairwoman. I was quite worried myself, so I’m glad…”

“There you go again, calling me Chairwoman. That makes me feel disappointed.”

“…Ah.”

“Suho-ya. What did I tell you to call me at our last meal together?”

“…Yes, Eomeoni.”

Eomeoni²The formal Korean word for “mother” and is used in respectful situations.. As ridiculous as it sounded. “Chairwoman Son” was too stiff, and “Mother” felt too burdensome, so they had settled on this compromise for the time being. As a result, Suho now had three different “mothers” in his life, and he let out an awkward laugh while grumbling inwardly.

What was her real intention, showing up like this on the morning of the most nerve-wracking exam of the year? Around them, he could already hear murmurs and the click of camera shutters. At this rate, pictures would be on social media in under five minutes. Reporters would grab the photos like gold and start spreading them everywhere. Maybe that was exactly what she had intended. She’d staged a scene of herself handing over a lunch box to appear down-to-earth while simultaneously asserting her influence to anyone keeping an eye on Suho.

Suho held the lunch box close to his chest, bowing and thanking her repeatedly. Whatever the case, he couldn’t afford to make an enemy of such a powerful figure. If Minhyuk were to break off the engagement later, what if she decided to hold a grudge and block Suho’s future just out of spite? Until he had enough strength to stand on his own, he had no choice but to lie low and go along obediently. Just like always, even if it meant pretending to be the ideal child.

Perhaps she sensed what he was really feeling, because the warmth in Hyunju’s eyes turned subtly inquisitive.

“I must’ve startled you, showing up so suddenly without notice, right? I’m sorry. You must be nervous already, and here I am showing up uninvited… But since the in-laws are overseas right now, I thought no one would be around to look after you on such an important day… So I just came without saying anything. You’re not… uncomfortable or anything, are you?”

“Of course not. I’m really grateful you came and even brought me a lunch box.”

Suho shook his head in response to her words. Inwardly, Suho muttered with relief, At least she knows.

Once he finished speaking, Suho quietly closed his mouth again and wore a calm smile. With someone like her, who could’ve easily swallowed a hundred snakes whole³Extremely shrewd., even small expressions had to be carefully managed. Thankfully, his answer seemed to pass, as the inquisitive look faded from Hyunju’s gaze.

“I appreciate you saying that. So, were you able to wrap up your studies well?”

“Yes, I worked hard.”

“That’s good. You’re good at everything, so I’m sure you’ll get great results.”

She gave Suho a light pat on the shoulder, trying to encourage him in her own way. Then, returning to her usual cheerful demeanor, she opened her mouth as if determined to say everything she had been holding back.

“By the way, how are things with Minhyuk these days? You haven’t been fighting or anything, have you?”

“We’re doing fine, as always.”

“Well then, if possible, come by the house more often. I’ve been a little sad that you haven’t been showing your face much lately, Suho. Hmm? Even at the last charity event, you two…”

Hyunju kept talking incessantly, saying she had met her match. In the novel, she was never portrayed as this talkative, but maybe she simply felt more at ease around him, as her words showed no signs of stopping.

Most of it was empty talk. She was elaborately repeating the same thing: get along well with Minhyuk. But if you looked deeper, what she was really saying was, ‘You are going to be the future lady of the Goun Group⁴The Korean text uses the word “안주인” (anjuin), which literally means the lady of the house or the mistress of the household. In this context, it isn’t meant to describe Suho’s gender, but rather his future social role within the prestigious Goun Group..’ There wasn’t much substance beyond that, so Suho let it go in one ear and out the other.

“Yes, I will,” he said, nodding repeatedly. He had done it so many times by now that his head was bobbing on its own, like the frog-shaped air freshener on Suhyeon’s dashboard.

Would this ever end? What was the point of all this in front of the test center? He wished to review his mistake notebook right now. Instead, he already felt mentally and physically exhausted, as if he had finished the last subject of the day.

Responding with a half-hearted “Ah, I see,” Suho stared blankly toward the front gate of the testing center.

Just when the conversation had reached the point of revisiting last year’s charity event—

Tap.

A hand landed gently on Suho’s shoulder. Then came the heavy woody scent brushing past his nose. He didn’t need to turn around to know whose large hand this was.

“What are you doing, not going in?”

That familiar low voice reached his ears. It was, as expected, Kang Minhyuk.

Now faced with yet another person he didn’t want to deal with, Suho clenched his jaw ever so slightly, trying not to show it. For the briefest moment, he even considered bowing his head in greeting and bolting, but of course, he didn’t have the guts for that.

Hyunju, who must have known he was coming all along, greeted him nonchalantly.

“Oh, you’re here?”

Then she tilted her head and let out a disapproving hum, clearly not pleased.

“You’re a bit late. I told you to come early.”

In response, Minhyuk withdrew his hand from Suho’s shoulder and answered.

“I had something I needed to review one last time.”

“But you shouldn’t have kept Suho waiting, especially on an important day like today.”

“Right now, it seems Eomeoni is holding him up, making Im Suho uncomfortable right before the important exam.”

The words came in a flat tone from Minhyuk, whose face showed no expression. Suho, who had instinctively tensed at those words, clicked his tongue quietly and let out a long breath. That rude way of speaking—maybe it really was just part of the family. If he could talk like that to his own mother, what could a stranger like Suho expect? Honestly, it was surprising the guy hadn’t cursed yet.

Hyunju let out a hollow laugh, clearly exasperated.

“Goodness, listen to him. Suho-ya, can you believe the way he talks to his mother? If only he could be… No, if he could be even half as affectionate as you. How can someone resemble their father so completely, even in things like this?”

Like many parents with cold, stoic sons, Hyunju pouted with clear discontent.

At that very moment—click. A camera shutter went off. The murmurs that followed came as if on cue. Surrounding aides didn’t bother to intervene. Once again, Suho wondered if this entire interaction had been meticulously orchestrated. He figured by the end of the first subject, the headlines would already be up on the financial news: Chairwoman Son Hyunju of the Goun Foundation shows a heartwarming family moment at the exam center…

• 1
  A study notebook where students record their mistakes along with correct answers and explanations, used to review weak areas and avoid repeating errors.
• 2
  The formal Korean word for “mother” and is used in respectful situations.
• 3
  Extremely shrewd.
• 4
  The Korean text uses the word “안주인” (anjuin), which literally means the lady of the house or the mistress of the household. In this context, it isn’t meant to describe Suho’s gender, but rather his future social role within the prestigious Goun Group.