RACA 33

“Think about it. Where would a pregnant omega go with nothing to his name and no one to care for him?”

“Huh?”

This is just playing the victim to prick people’s consciences, right? But somehow, it doesn’t even feel infuriating, just baffling.

“So?”

“With someone providing three meals a day in such a nice house, and a doctor on standby at all times, why would I leave?”

Eunsol articulated his reasons for staying, even folding his fingers to emphasize his points.

“Besides, I’m officially employed here, right?”

“You are?”

Pyo Jaebeom chuckled softly, raising an eyebrow. Eunsol flushed at the look.

“We signed a contract! You agreed to pay me 3 million won a month!”

“Right. That pay seems way better than mine. Maybe I should renegotiate my contract too?”

His finger stroked his chin as he spoke, looking so sly that Eunsol rolled his eyes before quickly asking,

“You wouldn’t actually stop paying me, would you?”

Come to think of it, he didn’t even have a bank account. Now, even cleaning and meals weren’t his responsibility, Bulgom handled those.

In a way, it felt like he’d been derelict in his duties.

“You know what’s most important at a bank?”

Why wasn’t he answering his question? He was about to frown, but his next words smoothed his expression back into place.

” I’m not petty enough to steal your money.”

“Oh…”

Jaebeom looked down at Eunsol’s eyes, sparkling brightly once more, then pulled his phone from his pocket. He tapped the keypad absentmindedly.

Wondering what he was doing, he watched quietly. Then he thrust the screen toward Eunsol.

“Enter your account number.”

“Huh?”

“Since you clearly don’t trust me, I’ll transfer it right now.”

Eunsol snatched the phone at his words. He happily selected his bank and paused just as he was about to enter his account number.

He’d momentarily forgotten. There was no way his account could be here.

“I don’t have a bank account…”

“What? You’re already blacklisted at your age?”

Jaebeom chuckled mockingly. Eunsol couldn’t miss the teasing in his tone.

“No, it’s not that! I just didn’t know how!”

“What exactly didn’t you know?”

“Well, it’s just that…”

How could he explain that he didn’t know his account number because he isn’t from here? Frustrated, Eunsol pounded his chest with his fist, then flinched.

“Ah, sorry. Startled you?”

He quickly rubbed his stomach apologetically. Jaebeom, watching the absurd scene, asked again.

“Can’t you say because you secretly stashed assets in the account?”

“It’s not like that. There’s a reason I can’t talk about it, so please open one for me, CEO.”

Just like he’d asked for his phone moments ago, Eunsol demanded confidently.

“You’re a bank CEO, so opening an account should be easy, right?”

Of course, opening an account wasn’t difficult. In fact, they had decent savings and deposit products, and business had been quite profitable lately. But regardless, this little omega giving him that look, demanding immediate action, was ridiculous.

Meow!

What was even funnier was his cat was meowing to cheer him on.

“This is hilarious.”

Jaebeom chuckled and nodded readily.

“Well, if that’s what the customer wants, then so be it. I’ll bring it tomorrow.”

Where on earth did that thing come from? It felt like a little joy had finally entered his otherwise dull life.

After receiving Jaebeom’s permission, Eunsol confidently opened his laptop and scanned the currently streaming movies. His eyes lit up.

“This looks good?”

The genre was romance. Essentially, it was an Alpha and Omega love story with a guaranteed level of appeal. But if that were the only reason, Eunsol wouldn’t have been this excited.

‘If it’s about another soul inhabiting the Alpha protagonist’s body, doesn’t that resemble our current situation?’

Judging by the synopsis alone, it was hard to infer the exact details. But it seemed a decent choice for subtly hinting at their current predicament to Pyo Jaebeom while watching the movie.

“Oh?”

After checking the booking page and confirming ample seats remained, Eunsol abruptly stood up and left the study.

Wondering where Pyo Jaebeom might be, he passed through the kitchen and stepped into the living room, immediately spotting him. He was seated on the living room sofa.

Standing before him, hands behind his back, was Kwak Sang. Both men’s gazes naturally fell upon Eunsol, who appeared with an excited expression.

“Um, excuse me…”

Startled by the sudden attention, Eunsol hesitated before speaking. Jaebeom gestured with his chin toward the sofa opposite him.

“Stop standing there and come sit over here.”

Eunsol hesitantly walked over and perched on the sofa, glancing nervously between them. The atmosphere didn’t seem hostile, but having all eyes on his felt awkward. He’d rather be with Bulgom he’d been hanging out with daily lately than Kwak Sang.

‘This guy just feels strangely uncomfortable.’

Come to think of it, Kwak Sang looked familiar. He was the one walking alongside Pyo Jaebeom in Eunsol’s filming scene.

Thud.

As he scanned the room, something landed in front of him.

“What’s this?”

“A bankbook. Check it yourself.”

“Huh?”

“See the money deposited.”

Eunsol, who had asked the question expecting it to be a joke, snatched the passbook at those words. Opening it, he saw clean paper befitting a newly issued passbook. Printed on it was the number 3, followed by six consecutive zeros.

“Oh…”

He flipped back to check the account holder’s name. It was definitely his. He turned the page again and stared at the printed amount.

It wasn’t a dream, the money had genuinely come to him. Moreover, though they’d said it was a portion, the full amount had been deposited.

“It’s stamped for the contracted amount, right?”

“Yes, thank you!”

His immediate, heartfelt thanks made Pyo Jaebeom’s lips stretch into a long smile.

“Do you trust us now, customer?”

At his playful remark, Eunsol glanced at Kwak Sang before nodding. Pyo Jaebeom, amused that he was concerned about his subordinate rather than him, snorted and gestured with his chin.

“Go ahead.”

“Yes, CEO.”

Kwak Sang replied, shooting Eunsol a pointed look. Thinking he might have something to say, Eunsol met his gaze.

But instead of speaking, the man furrowed his brows bowed his head in a nod and walked straight toward the entrance.

‘What was that?’

Why did he leave with that unsettling look? It just makes him feel weird. Unconsciously following his retreating figure with his eyes, Eunsol looked at Pyo Jaebeom.

“ What? Did you have something to say to Kwak Sang-ah?”

“Huh? No?”

He seemed like he wanted to say something over there, but then he just disappeared.

“But why did you stare at him so persistently? Like a puppy whose treat got snatched away.”

Eunsol got angry and shouted at Pyo Jaebeom, who teased him like that whenever he got the chance.

“When did I do that?”

“Just now.”

“I didn’t.”

Pyo Jaebeom’s smirk was infuriatingly smug. Eunsol gritted his teeth in protest, then released them and got to the point.

“Are you busy right now?”

“Why? Did you decide what to watch on our date?”

His playful gaze made Eunsol stammer nervously.

“It’s not a date! It’s prenatal education! Anyway! I found a movie starting in an hour and was wondering if we could go see it.”

“You’re surprisingly proactive.”

“I always am.”

He prided himself on his drive and endurance, especially when pursuing something he’d set his mind to. That was why he’d managed to hang on in the entertainment industry, even without landing any decent roles.

“Yeah, I like that about you. But Eunsol.”

“Yes?”

“Why did you lie to me?”

Pyo Jaebeom crossed his legs casually, his movements appearing effortlessly light. But the gaze he fixed on Eunsol was piercing.

“You shouted you were twenty-seven when you were drunk. You emphasized it so much my ears are still ringing.”

Caught off guard by the question, Eunsol blinked rapidly. His pupils fluttered open and shut several times, appearing innocent. His face was blank, as if he had no memory of what he’d said.

“Um… me?”

Even when he looked at him with a completely bewildered expression, nothing changed. His persistent gaze felt burdensome, so Eunsol avoided his eyes and racked his brain for memories.

‘Could it be true? Did I really say that?’

There was a reason for it…

“So you served in the military because you’re a Beta? Let’s say that’s true. But why did you lie about your age?”

“Haha… well…”

What on earth had he said to Pyo Jaebeom when drunk? No matter how hard he racked his brain, nothing came to mind.

Getting drunk and acting like a fool was embarrassing, but the bigger problem was that he couldn’t even begin to guess why he’d said those things.

“How did that come out? Huh? It didn’t seem like you were just trying to hide your age, did it?”

Pyo Jaebeom looked relaxed, arms crossed. But an inexplicable pressure made Eunsol avert his gaze.

‘Alcohol is the enemy.’

Why did he just keep sipping whatever was offered? The drink was tasty, but that wasn’t enough!

‘Wait a minute…’

After grumbling to himself for a while, Eunsol suddenly realized this might actually be an opportunity.