Chapter- 07
Dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, the eldest son, who had driven over to his parents’ house early in the morning after finishing his preparations for work, was, without a doubt, a son who was difficult for Buhyeon to deal with.
He had always been exceptionally gifted since he was young—too gifted, really—and had long been the family’s pride.
So when that son suddenly declared he would never marry, the shock had been beyond words.
No matter how many times she asked why he insisted on staying single, he refused to explain. Jungwook, the second son, seemed to know the reason but, for some reason, kept his mouth shut as well.
Why did these boys hide so much from their own mother…?
But earlier, when she had secretly pressed her ear to the door to eavesdrop, she began to suspect that the young woman wasn’t just a team member, as her son claimed.
There’s something strange about that girl… Why is it that both my sons seem to know her so well?
She was tempted to have someone look into it, but knowing her eldest’s cold and meticulous nature, there was nothing to do but wait until he chose to tell her himself.
Recently, Buhyeon had become obsessed with what she called her “Operation: Get My Two Sons Married Before It’s Too Late.”
Since the eldest had not only avoided women all his life but had now gone as far as to declare himself single by choice, she had pinned her hopes on the younger one—thinking that if he married first, perhaps the eldest might change his mind.
That was why she had arranged a blind date for Jungwook.
After all, the one destined to inherit the JK Group’s management after her husband, Hwechan, was the eldest son, Taewook.
Currently serving as the head of the Management Support Department, Taewook was expected to rise rapidly to the position of Executive Director before long—a true rising star.
Though JK was a mid-sized company, it possessed strong brand power and long-term growth potential—an impressive, promising enterprise.
That was why both Hwechan and Buhyeon firmly believed that, for their dependable eldest to focus fully on the company, he needed a wife who could support him from behind the scenes.
And since multiple other companies had started sending formal marriage proposals for him, the couple’s impatience had only grown.
But when their son flatly refused and threatened never to marry, it had been deeply distressing.
Now, sensing that her son might be protecting this “team member” of his, Buhyeon’s curiosity about Seola had grown uncontrollably.
Lost in thought, she finally began walking down the stairs to the first floor.
Leaving Seola in the guest room, Taewook strode down the hallway.
He had told her he would wait by the staircase, so he was heading that way—when he suddenly spotted an unexpected figure leaning against the wall at the top of the stairs.
It was Jungwook, arms crossed, staring straight at him.
Taewook lifted his wrist, checked the time, then lowered his arm again. The weight of his silver metal watch pressed reassuringly against his skin.
There was still plenty of time before work, so he stopped in front of his brother.
Jungwook tilted his chin toward the guest room and spoke.
“Who is she? That woman.”
He meant Seola.
Taewook tilted his head slightly and looked at his brother with a blank expression.
“Do you need to know?”
“Don’t I have the right to? I’m the one who carried her here last night. If it weren’t for me, who knows what kind of trouble she might’ve gotten into lying drunk on the street. Don’t you think that earns me at least a little right to know?”
A soft, mocking sound escaped Jungwook’s lips—half laugh, half sigh.
That look on his brother’s face always irritated Taewook.
Same height, same features, even their hairstyles were nearly identical—it was like staring into a mirror.
Two men who looked exactly alike; no wonder she had mistaken one for the other.
With a small breath through his nose, Taewook decided to explain who Seola was.
“She’s a member of my team. And—someone I’m keeping an eye on.”
He made it clear: that woman was special to him.
Deliberately, intentionally, he made sure his brother understood.
“Oh… really? You are watching over her? Now that’s surprising.”
Jungwook’s eyes widened slightly in genuine astonishment.
“First time since Mijin, right? So… almost ten years since you last showed interest in a woman?”
His tone brimmed with curiosity, his eyes glinting like someone watching a drama unfold.
Taewook didn’t rise to the bait. Instead, he took one step closer and spoke bluntly.
“You. What did you do to Kim Seola last night?”
“What do you mean, what did I do? Think I gave her a drink or something?”
“Didn’t you?”
That frigid glare—the one Taewook used when pressing someone hard—was enough to make most people flinch. Sometimes even Jungwook did.
But this time, he looked genuinely offended.
“No. I’m not even close enough with her to drink together yet.”
Jungwook raised both hands in mock surrender.
“I really did just run into her by chance. No joke, seriously.”
While Taewook approached everything with solemn gravity, his brother lived in constant jest—floating along, never taking anything seriously, chasing amusement like a carefree drifter.
It was pathetic.
So Taewook decided not to ask further. Talking to this brother of his was usually a waste of breath.
But there was one thing he had to set straight.
“Yesterday, when Seola tried to kiss you—she mistook you for me. So forget it ever happened. I’ll make sure she doesn’t mix us up again.”
“Ah… that’s too bad,” Jungwook drawled, dragging his thumb across his lower lip with a smirk.
“Even if it was a mistake, I wouldn’t have minded. I’m a pretty forgiving guy, you know.”
His tone dripped with playful regret—he knew exactly how to provoke his brother.
Taewook’s eyes narrowed, the anger rising behind them like a blade being drawn. His patience was wearing thin.
But Seola was in the guest room getting ready to leave, and she could come out at any moment.
Now wasn’t the time for a fight. Not here.
His priority was to get her out of the house before she grew more uncomfortable—or before anyone, especially Jungwook, caused more trouble.
Glancing once toward the closed guest room door, Taewook turned back to his brother with a steely gaze.
“Answer me properly. Why did you bring Kim Seola here? To this house?”
“You didn’t answer your phone,” Jungwook shot back. “What was I supposed to do?”
He lifted his hands in an exaggerated shrug.
“So your solution was to bring a drunk woman here—to the family home—where our parents are? So they could see and start asking questions? Was that your plan, to screw me over?”
At that, Jungwook chuckled softly, curling his lips.
“Oh—would you have preferred I took her to a motel instead? Maybe I should’ve enjoyed that thrilling morning-after feeling, you know? Been a while since I had that.”
Taewook’s expression turned to stone.
If Seola were brought here, their parents would undoubtedly start asking about her.
If she had to be brought anywhere, I should’ve been the one to do it.
Bringing a woman he cared about—drunk and vulnerable—was clearly a provocation.
He’d thought Jungwook had done it just to make him uncomfortable.
But hearing his reasoning, maybe it had been the best option available.
After all, Jungwook, the free-spirited one, was perfectly capable of taking a woman to a motel for a one-night stand.
“There was a company ID in her bag,” Jungwook added with a grin. “Turns out she works for Dad’s company—in your team. So I didn’t touch her. That was the only reason. Otherwise, I’d have already eaten her up. Rawr.”
He raised his hands like tiger claws and gave a teasing wink.
“…You’re insane.”
“Come on, takes one to know one. You’re the crazy one, not me.”
Jungwook poked his brother’s chest playfully, still grinning. He knew exactly how to provoke him.
“Your temper’s your problem, hyung. You should loosen up, be more like me. That’s why Mijin ran off, isn’t it? She saw that anger and got scared.”
In an instant, the light in Taewook’s eyes went from cold to deadly.
