Their newlywed home was not in Pyeongchang-dong, the private residence of Chairman Jang Changsik, but in Hannam-dong. The high-end villa overlooking the Han River belonged to Jang Taegun. That had been the agreed-upon arrangement from the start.

‘Where should we have our newlywed home?’

‘Ah… I have an apartment in Nonhyeon—’

‘Fine. Let’s decide that you, Mr. Lee Jaeha, will move into my house.’

He wondered why Taegun had even asked, but at the time, he had simply nodded.

Jaeha didn't care either way. Thinking he would move into the house Taegun originally lived in seemed good in its own way. Moreover, he was so captivated by the very term 'newlywed home' that he found it difficult to think of anything else.

After that, he met Jang Changsik and earned Taegun's displeasure. With the first button of a marriage he had already clung to and pushed through now oddly misaligned, Jaeha found himself somewhat withdrawn.

The personal assets Jaeha had brought as a dowry were absorbed into Janghan Construction through Jang Changsik's hands. Lee Jaeha truly came to Taegun's house with only his usual clothes and belongings, packed simply.

It was about two days after the wedding. Until then, he had been a bit busy, so Jaeha couldn't come to the newlywed home either.

While his secretary, Manager Lim, was bringing Jaeha's belongings to the newlywed home, Jaeha was in his office, working while eating sandwiches for his meals.

Only the next day could Jaeha also return home to that house.

He had thought it was the house Jang Taegun originally lived in, but contrary to his expectations, it was a house devoid of any lived-in feeling. Whether they had brought in new furniture before Jaeha moved in, the house was also spotlessly clean without a speck of dust.

Manager Lim had probably taken care of it, purchasing and sending the furniture Jaeha would use through Jang Taegun's secretarial office, but Jaeha still felt a low regret that he should have taken a look himself.

The newlywed couple used separate rooms without any question of who was first. Since Taegun didn't come home on the day Jaeha moved in, he had no choice but to rely on the help of the person who cleaned the house.

"Hello, Director. I'm Myeongsoon. You can speak comfortably."

"Hello, Mr. Myeongsoon."

He didn't seem like just someone who cleaned. The man who introduced himself as Myeongsoon appeared to be similar in height to Jang Taegun or perhaps a bit taller.

While Jang Taegun's frame was sturdy and his proportions precise, Myeongsoon's had a certain menacing quality, not unlike a villain from a movie.

One cheek bore a long scar that could only be seen as a knife wound running from his cheekbone.

He looked intimidating, but in front of Jaeha, he stood with his shoulders hunched, his large frame seemingly crumpled. It was oddly amusing rather than threatening.

Unconsciously, Jaeha looked up at him, gauging the narrow gap between the ceiling and the top of his head, then averted his gaze, thinking it was rude.

No matter how he looked at it, Myeongsoon didn't seem like just a cleaner. The long scar on the back of his hand and the knife wound on his cheek made him appear even more so.

It was a 'stereotypical feeling' he had never sensed from Taegun. However, his tone toward Jaeha was extremely respectful.

"Hyungnim instructed me to make you comfortable, Director."

"Ah…"

Hearing 'Hyungnim' made it click. He seemed to be Jang Taegun's subordinate.

He'd heard that corporate gangsters still called their direct superiors 'Hyungnim' instead of using official titles, and it seemed true.

It was also intriguing that Taegun was called 'Hyungnim' by such a large man. But then again, if one considered the aura emanating from a person, it seemed Jang Taegun would undoubtedly be superior to Myeongsoon.

Myeongsoon gave off the rough feeling unique to people from the back alleys, which Jaeha hadn't seen in him before, and there was a height difference, but if the two stood side by side, Taegun seemed like he would project a much heavier presence.

While Jaeha was lost in thought, Myeongsoon spoke again.

"Shall I move your luggage?"

"...Which room does Manager Jang use?"

"Hyungnim usually uses the room on the second floor."

"Then... any empty room on the first floor is fine for me."

Myeongsoon, who was lifting Jaeha's luggage, paused briefly, then silently bowed his head. After that, he moved the luggage to an empty room on the first floor and showed Jaeha the simple walk-in closet attached to the room.

"I'll help you organize your clothes."

"...No, it's okay. You can attend to your work, Mr. Myeongsoon."

Jaeha shook his head quickly, almost urgently. The walk-in closet was extremely narrow for Myeongsoon to enter.

It was an adequate size for an ordinary person to use as a dressing room, but being a walk-in closet attached to a bedroom, it would likely be difficult for Myeongsoon, who seemed slightly larger than Taegun.

Myeongsoon hesitated several times. Contrary to his intimidating appearance, he seemed a bit gentle, like his name suggested. From the energy he gave off, he seemed like a beta rather than an alpha, which made his physique even more formidable.

Since physical superiority followed the order of alpha, beta, and omega, even among males, an alpha's bone structure and height were more robust.

Whether alpha or beta, seeing Myeongsoon, who was tall and built like a laborer, folding his clothes with hands like pot lids was far less appealing than doing it himself.

He wasn't particularly skilled at housework, but in his separately lived apartment, he had done the cleaning and laundry himself, fearing someone from Kim Ranhee's side might come if he hired a housekeeper.

He could have his suits sent to the secretarial office for laundering, but he washed and dried his indoor clothes himself, either in the dryer or on the balcony on sunny days.

No matter how he thought about it, the situation of a man who looked like a multiple rocket launcher folding his clothes was endlessly awkward.

While folding clothes, Myeongsoon, who had left the room, knocked on the open door again. He hesitated like someone broaching a difficult topic, then spoke.

Looking at the phone he was holding, it seemed something had come up.

"Um, Director. It seems Hyungnim won't be able to come home today. I have to go too, will you be alright?"

"Of course."

Wondering why he was worried about an adult being alone at home, Jaeha felt a bit awkward upon seeing Myeongsoon's expression.

The question was whether it was okay for a newlywed to be alone. Myeongsoon, who had a sensitive side unlike his appearance, only left after hearing Jaeha's confirmation that it was okay.

That day, Jaeha waited for Taegun. Sorry to the kindly Myeongsoon who had told him not to wait.

As forewarned, and predictably, Taegun did not come home. Jaeha thought it might be like that, but looking at the dawn breaking outside, he dozed off briefly and then woke up.

After that day, Jaeha had to live alone in that house for about a month. Myeongsoon came occasionally, but Jaeha hesitated several times before deciding against asking for news about Taegun.

***

After moving into Taegun's house, Jaeha did not see his face. Following the meeting with Jang Changsik, Taegun had cut off even the few short conversations they had shared before. It seemed he thought things had gone completely awry.

Not knowing where to start fixing things, Jaeha was making his own efforts. One of those efforts was interpreting Taegun not coming home as a form of non-verbal language conveying something.

Jaeha thought Taegun was dissatisfied with him. So, he deliberately avoided appearing before him or contacting him.

The newlywed couple, who hadn't even gone on a honeymoon, were able to see each other's faces about a month later.

"...You're here."

Jaeha, who was sitting on the living room sofa, awkwardly rose to his feet. At the end of the hallway connecting the front door to the living room, Jang Taegun stood silently, looking at Jaeha like that.

Since the marriage, Jaeha had been gradually handing over the work he had also been handling to Lee Jaeho.

Of course, since he was superior and Jaeho was nothing more than an ordinary talent, he had to hand things over one by one, but compared to his previous workload, it was manageable.

His start time for work gradually became later, and his leaving time became earlier. In his spare time, he read books or went to the villa's resident-only gym to exercise.

When Myeongsoon did the grocery shopping, Jaeha would rummage through the items, search for recipes matching the ingredients, and try cooking.

Even when living in the apartment, he had done the housework himself, but for meals, he either had high-end restaurants pack lunches or had separate personnel from the secretarial office dedicated to handling his meals.

But now, since he had arranged for those secretarial staff to naturally transition to Lee Jaeho, he had to take care of his own meals.

Myeongsoon was very good at cooking, but when he held a kitchen knife, it only looked like a dagger, which paradoxically seemed unstable.

'No, Director. Handling tools is my profession.... No, that's not what I meant to say...'

Jaeha had ushered Myeongsoon out of the kitchen as he made excuses, rolling his big eyes, with a request to let him cook himself.

As those days continued for a long time, Jaeha had unknowingly begun to forget lately that he was actually married.

No, his feelings for Taegun hadn't changed, and he hadn't forgotten he was married, but if he had to define it, it was closer to being off his guard.

That's why his mind went blank seeing Taegun standing at the end of the front hallway.

Jaeha stood up so hastily that a book fell from his lap.

Jang Taegun's gaze was intently fixed on Lee Jaeha. Worry suddenly entered Jaeha's mind as he bit his lip.

Was the worry that he had been too comfortable in his house? His inherently relaxed nature, coupled with his top-tier position, gave him an air of acting like the owner wherever he went.

He wouldn't have cared before, but the belated thought occurred that it might give his already-displeased spouse the impression of being somewhat brazen.

However, Jang Taegun just looked at him without saying a word. In the end, it was Jaeha who moved due to the discomfort.

"...Have you had dinner?"

At that, Jang Taegun gave a slight nod, then simply walked past Jaeha toward his room. A faint smell of water, body wash, and shampoo from a niche brand emanated from him.

...Had he stopped by a hotel or something...?

Jaeha suddenly felt his mood sink. Come to think of it, what had happened to Kim Sumin? He hadn't asked if they had broken up.

Given Sumin's personality, he would probably think he was insulted and, out of pride, not appear before either him or Taegun, but one never knew.

Yet, even if Taegun did meet Sumin again, there was nothing Jaeha could do. Jaeha stared blankly in the direction Taegun had gone, then picked up the book with a sigh.

If not Sumin, it could be another omega.

For Taegun, who suddenly found himself married to an alpha, it might have felt much more insulting than marrying a beta woman.

Before the marriage, it seemed Taegun had no one else besides Sumin. He might have enjoyed one-night stands, but there were no omegas he met consistently.

He didn't seem to meet beta women either.

Nevertheless, Jaeha had the useless preconception that Jang Taegun's preference would be for omega women, then omega men, and then beta women.

Because he seemed different from himself, an alpha who had inexplicably come to harbor feelings for another alpha of the same gender. An omega seemed to suit the place beside Taegun better than he, an alpha, did.

But the one who had coveted Taegun and married him was Lee Jaeha. Not some other omega or beta, but himself.

That's when it happened. He thought he had just zoned out briefly, but perhaps considerable time had passed. Taegun came out wearing a thin knit and loungewear pants for home.

His hair was down. Through his damp bangs, Taegun's eyes were staring at Jaeha.

"Ah..."

An unintentionally foolish exclamation escaped. Jaeha bit his lip, bowed his head slightly while still holding the book, and then tried to head to his own room.

That was before Taegun opened his mouth.

"Park Myeongsoon has alopecia."

"...What?"

"Baldness probably isn't your type."

Taegun only said that, then walked past Jaeha toward the study. Soon after, the study light turned on, followed by the sound of the door closing.

Jaeha blinked, thinking about what he had just heard. Park Myeongsoon? Who is Park Myeongsoon, and why is he telling me he has alopecia?

He stood for a long while, thinking about whether there was anyone named Park Myeongsoon among Yushin's business rivals or the heads of construction companies in competition with Janghan.

...Is he telling me to use it as a political weakness? But something like baldness wouldn't be a weakness...?

Then he realized that, though he hadn't heard the surname, the name of Taegun's subordinate who helped with housework was Myeongsoon.

"...Alopecia?"

But what does Mr. Myeongsoon have to do with alopecia? Jaeha was puzzled but didn't have the courage to ask. He couldn't just stand there forever, so Jaeha headed to his room.

Returning to his room, he placed the book on the console, got onto the bed, and pondered for a long while before suddenly realizing something.

"Ah, he's telling me to be considerate because of his alopecia."

He seemed to care quite a bit for his subordinate.

'What's good for alopecia again?'

Neither his maternal nor paternal family had the baldness gene, so Jaeha had never thought about it before. He thought, 'Are black beans good?' as he closed his eyes.

The fact that Taegun was somewhere in this house felt weighty. Jaeha slowly turned his body toward the bedroom door and lay down.

That alone made him feel happy.