If You Want Me - Episode 103
<Episode 103>
After dropping Seo-won off at his new apartment, Do-gyeom quickly turned the car around and headed home.
After parking the car in the parking lot and getting out, he could see his mother sitting in the tea shop in front of the house through the window.
Mother was elegantly drinking tea and reading a book. It was such a graceful sight that it made me feel like a fool for ruining my dinner with Seo-won and rushing over here.
…It would be nice if she’s doing well. Do-gyeom tried hard to erase his futile feelings and went into the cafe to sit across from her.
“Mother.”
“You’re here?”
As soon as she noticed Do-gyeom, Mother closed the book and greeted him with a bright smile.
It was a nice sight, but Do-gyeom couldn’t smile at all. Rather than smiling along, Do-gyeom sighed and scolded her, telling her not to do this again.
“It’s really troublesome when you do this. I have my own life too.”
“I know, I know. Mom did it because I had an urgent matter.”
“What is it?”
“Let’s go inside the house and talk first. It’s not something to discuss outside.”
Mother said as she put the book in her bag and got up from her seat. It was a gesture to hurry and go inside.
Why is she wasting so much time to talk about something…? Honestly, I’ve been in a bad mood since the date was ruined, so I really wanted to just talk about it here and end it.
However, not only did she say she would wait until I came, but she also told me to come inside the house. I thought that maybe she wanted to discuss a major family matter. Occasionally there were such instances.
Thinking that far, Do-gyeom felt he had no choice and decided to take her inside the house for now.
As soon as she entered the house, Mother naturally sat on the living room sofa. The sofa was wide and there was an empty seat next to her, but Do-gyeom didn’t sit down and stood across from her, asking as if interrogating.
“What’s really going on? Did something happen at home?”
“I heard you’re seeing the housekeeper’s son?”
“…”
Her voice, which sounded as if she had been persisting until now, was dripping with coldness.
I thought something urgent had happened at home and that’s why she came looking for me… I was completely off the mark. She had come to question my relationship with Seo-won. I thought that maybe the reason she stubbornly said she would wait today was because she knew I was on a date.
But the speculation was just speculation. Do-gyeom first responded lightly as if it weren’t a problem.
“You knew we met often, so why are you acting surprised now?”
“You’re not meeting in that sense, are you?”
“…”
Do-gyeom tried to naturally avoid it as if it weren’t true, but as expected, she knew everything.
I knew that if she found out I was seeing Seo-won, it would lead to trouble. I had even talked with Seo-won before about whether our parents would allow it if we got married.
But I didn’t expect the truth to be revealed so quickly.
If it was just a situation of simply having a relationship, I would have denied it, but Do-gyeom was seriously considering marriage with Seo-won. Feeling that he should face it head-on this time without avoiding it, Do-gyeom spoke seriously.
“I think I know what you’re going to say, Mother, so let me speak first. We’re seeing each other seriously and have no intention of breaking up.”
“Do-gyeom. You’re under a big misconception right now. Didn’t I tell you? Dominant alphas aren’t attracted to recessive omegas. You said you knew that too.”
“Then I guess I was abnormal. I’m attracted to Seo-won.”
Do-gyeom answered calmly. If he had heard those words when he wasn’t confident in his feelings, he would have chickened out and backed down. He had also pondered over that issue for a long time and it was hard to admit that he was abnormal. But he couldn’t help it since his heart had already gone to Seo-won.
Moreover, now he even thought, so what if I’m abnormal? It’s just something that goes around among wealthy dominant alphas, and other people don’t care whether I date a recessive or a beta.
In the end, I would only be considered abnormal among them. I didn’t want to be called normal by abnormal people, and in my eyes, it looked stranger to get married just because the families match even without feelings. I should act according to my beliefs.
As Do-gyeom responded with those thoughts, Mother made a pitiful face as if looking at something pathetic. And as if giving sincere advice for my sake, she persuaded me with her eyebrows dropped in a ㄱ shape.
“You’re just temporarily sick right now. It’ll all be resolved once the one-sided imprint is undone.”
“Where did you hear about the one-sided imprint?”
“That, you can find out by looking through hospital medical records, you know?”
“…”
Do-gyeom narrowed his eyes at the suspicious answer. As he had tried before, digging into hospital medical records was difficult. Not only did Mother manage to do that, but the way she spoke also felt strangely suspicious, with her confidence fading.
The only people who know that I imprinted one-sidedly are me, Seo-won, Secretary Bae, and the doctor who made the diagnosis… Do-gyeom looked at her with a doubtful expression after thinking for a moment.
“You didn’t meet Seo-won, did you?”
“No, no. Anyway, it’ll be resolved once the one-sided imprint is undone. I’ll find a hospital that’s good at undoing imprints, so let’s break up. Okay?”
Mother hurriedly denied it, waving her hands, then reached out and grabbed Do-gyeom’s hands. And she naturally changed the subject as if earnestly pleading.
I have a feeling Mother met Seo-won… It was suspicious, but Seo-won hadn’t said anything and it was just a hunch, so I couldn’t push it.
Do-gyeom looked down at her with a cynical gaze, shaking his head slightly with a frown.
“I don’t like Seo-won because of the one-sided imprint. And do you think I haven’t tried to undo the one-sided imprint? Don’t you know that there are huge side effects if you forcibly undo an imprint?”
What other reason would there be for not being able to undo the one-sided imprint while I couldn’t admit that I liked Seo-won? It was because the side effects were enormous.
At worst, the impact was so severe that I would have to give up everything I had enjoyed as a dominant alpha. That’s why the hospital that diagnosed me said there was no choice but to give up.
Do-gyeom drew a line telling her not to think useless thoughts, but she didn’t give up easily.
“That’s why I said I’ll find a good hospital.”
“Mother. Please, don’t deny reality. And leave me alone.”
“You’re the one denying reality. Do you think Father will just stand by and watch if you marry that child? Do you know how precarious the situation is with Chaeyeon already eyeing your position?”
“What do you mean Chaeyeon is eyeing my position?”
“You’re too naive. That kid is also of the same blood, so she’s keeping a keen eye out to see if there’s anything she can get her hands on.”
When Do-gyeom asked with a dumbfounded face, Mother retorted as if asking what he was talking about, with her guard up. She seemed to be concerned that Chaeyeon might inherit some of the assets because she had Father’s blood.
“Chaeyeon isn’t that kind of child. Besides, even if that were the case, she’s a child Father should take responsibility for, so it’s not strange for her to receive something.”
“What? It’s not strange? Even if she’s eyeing your position?”
“What have you been saying…? Are you talking about the department store? If she says she wants that, it might cause some setbacks, but how can you hand over the company to a child with no skills?”
I’m not looking down on Chaeyeon, but I’ve received professional education to become the successor since I was young, and she hasn’t. And while you can’t judge a person by their appearance, Do-gyeom figured out what kind of child Chaeyeon was through a few conversations.
Originally, I was also prejudiced against her just because she was my half-sister, but as she became the department store model, we started talking occasionally and now we could share a drink together when we thought of each other.
Recalling the sincere conversations we had over drinks, Chaeyeon took pride in her job as a celebrity. She was also clearly thinking about her future. I never saw any signs of her viewing me as a rival.
Sometimes blind businessmen hand over the succession to the wrong person, but in those cases, they usually become puppets or walk the path of destruction. I don’t know my father very well, but even if he’s indifferent to family, he’s not the type to let the company go that way. He has great pride in the company he built. And…
“Even if he hands it over to Chaeyeon, I have no intention of giving up Seo-won.”
I know that if I don’t become the successor, my life will completely change.
But Do-gyeom was confident that he could live well anywhere even if he didn’t become the successor, and above all, living without Seo-won felt like hell to him. He knew the feeling of all his efforts so far turning to nothing.
Never again… He didn’t want to go through such a terrible experience. When Do-gyeom spoke, looking Mother straight in the eye, she opened her mouth, moving her lips as if she couldn’t believe it.
“Are you serious?”
“Yes.”
Do-gyeom nodded firmly without a moment’s hesitation.
If I could have Seo-won as my partner, if I could just watch Tteokbokki grow up by my side, I could give up everything.
Even if I lost everything, I loved Seo-won enough not to blame him.
I was confident that I could love Seo-won forever and passionately.