Chapter 19 - Attractive Young Man

After closing my laptop, I stood up from my seat.

“Harper. Let’s go outside and talk. At this rate, more fanfic will be created.”

“What fanfic all of a sudden? Are you talking about idols?”

It’s about us, dude.

I dragged the bewildered Harper outside as if escaping.

* * *

“Wow. The facilities here are better than I thought? It’s small but there’s even a park.”

In the deserted park, spring flowers were in full bloom, filling the air with their fragrance.

Of course, my sense of smell was already paralyzed by the alpha’s heavy scent, so I could only assume there was a flower fragrance.

Harper winked playfully with a mischievous gesture.

“Samuel will be super jealous if he finds out I came to Gabriel’s school, right? Ahaha!”

“I thought you’d go to the international middle school in the next neighborhood.”

“Does Gabriel not like that I’m at the same school as you? Is it because of pheromones after all?”

“As for pheromones, it’s fine as long as I take medicine and keep my distance. I just thought you’d go for the Spanish specialization track.”

“…Forget it. International middle school means paying unnecessarily high fees.”

As the conversation continued, Harper’s voice gradually sank.

“So I just hate it!”

I looked carefully at Harper’s face.

Harper was smiling brightly as usual, but couldn’t hide his wavering eyes.

“Then why are you at Abraham Lincoln Middle School, Gabriel? With your grades, there were lots of places you could go.”

“Similar to you. The tuition is cheap, and it’s close to home.”

“Eh, BK Group acting modest. Besides, Gabriel, you’re super smart. It’s a waste of your brain.”

“Harper.”

I carefully asked Harper again.

“Are you doing okay these days?”

“…Of course I’m okay?”

Harper paused for a moment… and lowered his gaze.

“No. Actually, I’m not okay. As expected, I can’t lie in front of Gabriel.”

“…”

“I became an alpha wanting to be helpful to Gabriel, but instead I’m only making things hard with my pheromones. On top of that, I don’t even know how long I can stay with Gabriel anymore…”

“Harper…”

“Seeing Gabriel’s reaction, you’ve already heard. About my family’s situation.”

Then he tried to smile brightly again.

“…It’s okay! It’ll work out somehow! I don’t know much about company business, but my dads aren’t ordinary people, you know?”

Literally… he tried.

“So everything will be fine!”

I looked at Harper with an expressionless face and thought:

‘No. Things won’t be fine for you…’

…But, I shouldn’t be a wet blanket here. Humanly speaking.

But I know.

Harper’s future is truly pitch black.

This was completely separate from whether Harper was an omega or received William’s obsession or any such issues.

According to the character’s background setting, it was a confirmed future.

First, Harper’s fathers’ company goes bankrupt for some reason.

Second, his fathers wander from country to country trying to pay off debts and die in an accident.

Third, Harper is left alone at a young age shouldering enormous debt and suffering like crazy.

Thus, the tragic male lead Harper would still wander in darkness even after becoming a dominant alpha.

And the root of all evil that provided that darkness was none other than—

[If only BK Group hadn’t kicked out my dad back then… I might not have lost my family first…!]

What’s the point of saying it?

BK Group.

‘Why does this damn memory only come back in bits and pieces right when things are at hand! So fucking frustrating…!’

I cursed inwardly while clutching my head.

Of course, I have absolutely no intention of just sitting back sucking my thumb and watching.

Harper opened up many possibilities for me.

The possibility that Samuel isn’t William.

The possibility that Harper himself isn’t an omega.

The possibility that the world won’t flow according to that novel’s content.

He’s a benefactor who showed me all this.

‘Besides, I spent 9 years gasligh… teaching Harper, so would I let all that hard work go down the drain?’

Since I’ve decided to save the male lead from tragedy anyway,

I feel like I need to see it through to the end to be satisfied!

However, even if I want to save Harper’s family, there are too few clues.

Sometimes scenes from the novel pop up suddenly with headaches, but I couldn’t know the cause and timing of the two people’s deaths.

Perhaps it was a subject that wasn’t even covered in the novel in the first place. It was a smut novel where more than half was just those kinds of scenes…

So there’s only one method left now.

I gripped the white card in my pocket tightly and opened my mouth again.

“Harper. It’ll be fine.”

“…”

“Everything will be fine. For sure.”

“…Yeah! Thanks, Gabriel!”

His green eyes shone clearly. Like dew forming on the tips of his eyelashes, small teardrops sparkled.

…To repay those tears, I steeled my resolve once more.

“I’m leaving first. Go back in.”

“Huh? Are you leaving early, Gabriel?”

“I have an appointment.”

With Harper seeing me off, I left the school through the back gate.

A moment later, a huge mid-size sedan that didn’t match the street scenery appeared.

The darkly tinted vehicle glided over as if it had been waiting and stopped in front of me.

The car door opened, and a young man wearing sunglasses got out.

“Have you arrived, young master?”

* * *

“Driver Paul. I keep telling you.”

“Yes, young master.”

“Don’t call me young master.”

“I apologize. Gabriel.”

My adoptive mother’s chauffeur, commonly known as Driver Paul, bowed his head to me through the rearview mirror.

He was my adoptive mother’s dedicated driver and schedule manager, but sometimes he also helped with my commute to and from school.

I wondered if it was okay for the CEO’s family to use him for personal matters like this, but Driver Paul silently and wordlessly carried out all tasks at my adoptive mother’s orders.

“Is the young young master not joining us today?”

“He’s still young. Mother said she’d tell him separately when he’s a bit older.”

I turned my head away from the gaze felt through the rearview mirror and looked at the Missouri River outside the window.

The Missouri River was still large and gray, no different from my past life.

“Besides, there’s no point in coming to a place like this, he’d just hear a bunch of unnecessary things.”

“…The young master still doesn’t know, does he? That Gabriel isn’t blood-related.”

Driver Paul knew more than I thought.

As my adoptive mother’s most trusted closest aide, he was aware of all sorts of secrets, including my constitution.

“After he grows up a bit more…”

I said while looking up at the white clouds.

“Later, I’m going to tell him myself.”

My younger brother, Samuel, doesn’t yet know that I’m adopted family.

The only ones who know this fact are my adoptive parents, Driver Paul, and Jayden.

The reason Samuel hasn’t noticed so far is probably because my adoptive parents treated me as a real son and cherished me.

So I hope Samuel learns the truth… a bit later.

At least I hope he hears it directly from me or my adoptive parents, not from the BK main family people.

“We’ve arrived.”

Soon the car slowed down.

The place we arrived at was the entrance of some high-end shopping mall.

“Driver Paul. The gathering location isn’t here…”

“The CEO told you to come prepared.”

“Prepared?”

“She said to dress you up properly so you won’t be looked down upon, Gabriel.”

“Dress up?”

Instead of answering, Driver Paul opened the car door.

“Welcome! You must be CEO Bailey’s son, right?”

Then a man and woman greeted me.

One was a beauty shop employee with a neat impression, and the other appeared to be a hair designer, judging by the apron with all sorts of tools stored in it.

“We’ve been waiting after receiving contact from the CEO in advance.”

“Oh my! You look so handsome, you take after your mother! Your skin is flawless without a single blemish! You were born with it, born with it!”

Looking behind the two, I saw signs for a luxury goods section and makeup shop.

Something looks familiar. I think it’s a place that often appears on broadcasts? And it was said to be a regular spot for famous idols and celebrities…

“Come! We don’t have much time, so shall we go right away?”

“What? D-Driver Paul!”

Driver Paul heartlessly returned to the parking lot.

“Get properly dressed up and come. Young master.”

I told you not to call me young master!

* * *

The chandelier on the ceiling shone brilliantly.

On tables placed everywhere, luxurious wines difficult to price were lined up.

A gathering where about a hundred relatives had assembled.

Smiles bloomed on everyone’s faces and the atmosphere was extremely harmonious, but…

“Yasmin, that child isn’t coming again?”

“Hmph. She’s gotten old enough but still has no sense. What is the chairman doing not kicking her out immediately?”

“Well, it works out well for us. It’s a shame about BK Pharmaceutical, but as long as she doesn’t interfere with the main family like this.”

However, the conversation content was completely different.

“What a farce.”

Jefrey, who had been quietly watching that scene, sneered cynically.

Jefrey. Third-year high school student. The eldest son of the group chairman’s third son.

Despite suffering from a hangover, he habitually raised his wine glass and had a server pour him alcohol.

Just as he was opening his phone to check accumulated messages, a middle-aged woman in a dress with red-painted lips approached huffily.

“Jefrey! I told you so many times not to be late! Don’t you know how sensitive that old geezer is about time commitments?”

“Grandfather isn’t here yet. I’m not late.”

Jefrey casually replied to his mother while writing and sending replies to the three omegas he’d spent the night with.

“Anyway, Grandfather doesn’t care whether brats like us are here or not.”

“What do you mean he doesn’t care! Do you want to fall behind the other guys?! I can’t stand seeing my son being disrespected!”

“Ah—! I’m not late, so it’s fine.”

Not interesting.

Boring.

So dull I could die.

Jefrey looked around the hall with indifferent eyes and yawned languidly.

‘Should I just secretly run away?’

The moment he thought that,

A new person appeared in the banquet hall.

An unfamiliar face.

He wasn’t a member of the Bailey family.

‘Who is that?’

Black hair neatly swept back.

Below the hair naturally flowing down over his forehead, hazy gray-white eyes like mist hanging over a riverside.

And a black suit that matched that color terribly well.

He was an attractive young man who naturally made you turn to look.

No, looking at his youthful face, he was closer to a boy than a young man…

“…!”

Jefrey’s heart began to pound.