Dawn was painting the eastern sea in shades of grey and blue.
Seo Seung-hyun boarded the limousine waiting for him in a corner of the harbor. The waiting Jang Young-hee silently handed him a handkerchief. Seo Seung-hyun took it and roughly wiped the bloodstains from his nose and cheeks.
“Report.”
He commanded, handing the bloodied handkerchief back to Jang Young-hee. Jang Young-hee took it calmly, storing it away, and replied.
“We’ve already dealt with the prosecution side. Director Moon has agreed under the condition of handing over the documents.”
“Ha, Director Moon must not be very pleased.”
“…It was for the Gyeongup Industries documents that she went to Magnolia Island at dawn, only to lose everything in sight.”
“Well, thanks to that.”
Seo Seung-hyun curled his lips up into a pleased smile.
“It works out for me, and Director Moon gets to clean out those guys with the documents. Having the documents makes a witness redundant, doesn’t it?”
“They must have agreed to this knowing that.”
“Director Moon is no fool.”
Seo Seung-hyun shrugged.
“Will you be heading to your Seongsu-dong residence?”
At Jang Young-hee’s question, Seo Seung-hyun paused before answering, sniffing his sleeve lightly. The smells of blood, gunpowder, steel, nicotine, and tar, the residues of murder and toxins, were all mingled into his skin and clothing. His brow furrowed slightly.
“No. I need to shower and change my clothes first.”
He added after a moment.
“It’s really time to quit smoking, I guess.”
Jang Young-hee, unfazed, instructed the driver to change the destination. The driver promptly altered the route from the Seongsu-dong residence to a luxury hotel in Gangnam.
The presidential suite at the luxury hotel, often used by Seo Seung-hyun, was usually kept available for him.
This early morning was no exception.
The head of hotel guest services greeted Seo Seung-hyun with impeccable hair and makeup, showing no sign of disarray.
Seo Seung-hyun, without much emotion, walked into the five-room suite, shedding his attire piece by piece.
He ripped off his tie, complete with its tie pin, unbuttoned his vest that tightly hugged his torso, and quickly stripped off his shirt.
Wrapped in the aura of blood, gunpowder, nicotine, and the scent of murder and poison, the alpha quickly became bare, striding on bare feet across the marble-tiled bathroom floor.
After washing away all filth and grime under the shower, Seo Seung-hyun emerged to find everything prepared for him, including fresh underwear and shoes. He stood in front of the full-length mirror, gradually wrapping himself in the trappings of civilization once more. With a few strokes of the comb through his precisely trimmed hair, the alpha returned to the civilized world.
Seo Seung-hyun left the hotel without hesitation.
The hotel staff, who had been on high alert for the sudden visit of a VIP, breathed a sigh of relief internally. The manager saw him off, but Seo Seung-hyun did not respond.
The driver, having received his instructions, was already waiting in front of the hotel lobby.
The early morning Seoul skyscrapers were tinged with a pale reddish hue.
Dawn gradually enveloped the sky in a milky light.
The penthouse was tranquil.
Passing through the entrance without a sound, Seo Seung-hyun’s gaze fell upon the figure sitting silently at the far end of the living room.
A figure waiting for something, having done nothing but wait.
Seo Seung-hyun stopped in the middle of the living room.
He no longer wanted to see that back.
And just as he thought this, as if by some trick, Lee Young-jin turned around.
Beneath heavy eyelids, wet eyes immediately sought out Seo Seung-hyun. He stared back intently. The once rigid Lee Young-jin stumbled to his feet, his knees wobbling, his slender chest heaving. Instead of helping him up, Seo Seung-hyun smiled and opened his arms wide.
Lee Young-jin rushed into them.
His arms clung desperately to Seo Seung-hyun’s body.
“CEO Seo, I, I…”
His dark eyes were moist, as if about to spill tears at any moment. Those shimmering eyes looked up at Seo Seung-hyun.
“I have something to say…”
Seo Seung-hyun had already been informed that yesterday Lee Young-jin had visited five different pharmacies in turn, purchasing something specific. Therefore, he naturally knew what Lee Young-jin was about to say.
There was no need to let Lee Young-jin speak first, so Seo Seung-hyun quickly took the initiative.
“Shall we start with a meal first? It’s hard to move on a full stomach.”
Lee Young-jin looked up at Seo Seung-hyun, his mouth and eyes wide open in surprise. Slowly, a gleam began to form in those eyes, about to spill over the large irises. Just before the tears began to flow, Lee Young-jin gathered all his strength and hugged Seo Seung-hyun tightly. His ten fingers explored Seo Seung-hyun’s shoulders, and his tear-soaked cheek brushed against Seo Seung-hyun’s neck. Seo Seung-hyun easily embraced the weight of that blind faith and devotion. Lee Young-jin’s head jerked up. Panting, he caressed Seo Seung-hyun’s neck and the back of his head with both hands. Seo Seung-hyun waited until Lee Young-jin kissed him first. The wait was not long.
The probability of a mutant hybrid being born among millions, and an even lower chance of such mutants meeting each other, leading to an even more minuscule probability of their offspring being viable.
Seo Seung-hyun stopped calculating the odds in his head.
Discussing a probability converging on zero is pointless.
What else could explain this but a miracle?
Just as the first alpha and omega diverged from Homo sapiens.
Ultimately, the origin of species is love.
[Considering the sterility of the mutant hybrids of homostylous and heterostylous plants and their mutant offspring, it is highly probable that some unknown union determines the degree of fertility in the first hybridization and the fertility of the subsequent generations.
…
The vitality and fertility of all living beings are enhanced by slight changes in environmental conditions. The hybridization within the same variety, or between certain varieties, increases their fertility, and their offspring are clearly larger and more vigorous.]
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