The ballroom was bathed in a pale gold glow from the crystal chandeliers a layer of luxury so thin it barely veiled the calculated glances and prying eyes in the air. A string quartet played a repertoire of classics, their rhythm steady and predictable. Everything was elegant, yet static, like a display in a shop window.
Seo Eun Woo stood at the center of the crowd. He did nothing but stand there clean shoulder lines, a slender neck, and a face naturally etched with indifference. It wasn't a coldness that repelled; it was like a snowflake that had no intention of falling for anyone. This kind of detachment, ironically, was more seductive than warmth.
Nearby, three tables of Alphas stole glances at him, each harboring their own schemes and status hierarchies. Omegas watched too, though their eyes held more jealousy and comparison. The Betas, for the most part, were busy weighing the interests and power dynamics behind him.
Beside him stood Jang Dong Hyun, glass in hand, seemingly entertaining an official with a cold but polite demeanor—until his pocket vibrated. The man's eyelid flickered as he glanced at the screen.
The WIY System immediately flashed a notification:
[Source: Side Mission - World Protagonist Omega: Kim Min Kyu]
[Character Profile: Fragile Childhood Friend / Latent Dependent Omega / Original Canon Love Interest]
WIY added a sting: "...And by 'Canon,' it means 'The one who was supposed to sleep with him isn't you.'"
Seo Eun Woo let out a low, breathy chuckle, remaining silent.
Jang Dong Hyun picked up the phone. His fingers trembled slightly not out of fear, but as if he were restraining something, perhaps a hidden tenderness in his voice. He retreated to the balcony at the back of the hall. Through the glass, the light on his white shirt was blindingly bright.
On the other end, the sound of soft, choked breathing was faint, yet it had a way of burrowing into an Alpha's eardrums. "...Hyung... are you there?"
WIY: "Damn, is that voice even legal? Is this the official ABO-world seduction audio?"
Dong Hyun's shoulders dropped a fraction. His Adam's apple bobbed. "Yeah."
"The power... it's out at the office," the voice said, sounding like a whimpering puppy clutching a pillow. "Everyone's gone. There's no one here. I... I don't know what to do..."
WIY's data refreshed instantly:
[Jang Dong Hyun - Affection Level: 25 → 19]
[Reason: Instinctive Alpha Protective Desire]
On the phone, Kim Min Kyu took another breath, shallow and trembling—half-coaxing, half-pleading. "It's so dark... I'm scared of the dark, Hyung..."
WIY's updates went wild:
[Affection Level: 19 → 10 → 0]
[RESET WARNING: Childhood Friend Omega Core Event Triggered — "Fragile Plea for Help"]
[Fluctuating: 0 → 12 → 8 → 15 (Stabilizing)]
Seo Eun Woo sipped his wine slowly, his eyes half-lidded. The liquid slid down the glass slower than his gaze.
WIY was furious: "Host!!! Look at that curve! That's not love; that's a damn stock market crash!"
"It's fine if it drops," Eun Woo murmured.
WIY: "How can you be so calm? This man is still your fiancé!"
"Just a side mission," Eun Woo replied coolly. "No need to get emotional."
Meanwhile, the conversation on the balcony continued. "Can you come? Please... I don't want to be alone..." The words were like fragile glass coated in syrup.
Dong Hyun was silent for three seconds three seconds that felt like a psychological rewiring.
Then, the man whispered, "Okay." Just one word. He turned, swept aside the curtain, and strode through the hall.
He didn't stop. He didn't even look at Eun Woo. He didn't even bother with a polite, "Can you get home on your own?"
WIY flashed a manic message:
[Alpha Target Behavior: Cold Treatment / Priority Shift / Neglecting Fiancé]
[Suggested Response: "Heh." jpg]
Eun Woo didn't "heh." He simply averted his gaze, as if the light in the ballroom was no longer worth his notice. Yet, his silence felt like a high-altitude glass ceiling—the less he asked for, the more precious he seemed.
Consequently, the gazes on him intensified. The atmosphere began to simmer.
WIY collapsed: "Host, do you even understand your market value right now? Just standing there, you're about to trigger an AO Battle Royale!"
At that moment, his stepmother swayed over in her high heels, a thick, socialite smile plastered on her face. "Oh, is Dong Hyun gone? My, I hope he isn't upset with our family?" Her tone was half greeting, half.trampling.
Seo's father followed, exhaustion etched between his brows. "You need to be more patient. Don't give Dong Hyun an attitude. Our family can't rely on anyone else right now. To be able to climb into this marriage..."
He didn't finish with "you should be grateful," but the logic was written in his very bones.
The stepmother smiled tenderly again. "You have to cherish this. There are Omegas who'd kill to marry into that family. Don't always keep such a cold face; men can't stand that."
WIY was ready to smash a glass in her face: "Holy crap, she's talking like you're some cheap commodity!"
A vision frame lit up:
[Original Body Backstory: Long-term bullying by stepmother (7+ years) / Neglect by father]
[Previously suggested to settle family debts with his body]
[Later changed to an arranged marriage with the Jang family]
The corner of Seo Eun Woo's mouth curled slightly not quite a smile. 'Better to marry into power than to just sell myself,' he thought.
WIY went silent for three seconds, then whispered: "I think you're a hundred times more ruthless than the original host."
Just as the stepmother was about to drop another acidic comment, the room suddenly went quiet. It wasn't that people stopped talking; the atmospheric pressure had simply shifted. It was as if someone had silently pulled the gaze of the entire room in one direction.
That's when they noticed Cassian Jang walking over. The man was in a charcoal grey suit. No smile, no words, no rush yet his pace forced the surrounding voices to recede. His Alpha aura wasn't a pheromone crush; it was pure, instinctive power.
He stopped in front of Seo Eun Woo and looked down at him. That one look silenced every Alpha in the vicinity; some Omegas even held their breath.
"Dong Hyun asked me to take you home," Cassian said plainly.
He was tall and composed. The platinum gold light of the chandelier sharpened his features. His eyes looked like blades pulled from the deep sea cold, yet breathtakingly beautiful. Fearing Eun Woo hadn't heard, he repeated: "Dong Hyun sent me for you." His tone was flat, but carried an undeniable weight.
The stepmother blinked, still trying to poke around. "Oh, for Mr. Dong Hyun to just leave like that, it's a bit—"
"Quiet," Seo's father snapped, his face darkening.
"Eun Woo is the Jang family's fiancé now. Don't make things worse."
The air seemed to freeze for half a beat. Cassian's eyes suddenly darkened. It was a restrained, almost dangerous darkness—like a predator forced to stop mid-hunt, yet forever remembering the scent of the prey.
The WIY System was silent for a full three seconds before struggling to speak:
"...Host, I think things are starting to spiral out of control."
Seo Eun Woo didn't reply, giving Cassian a faint look. The way the man draped a coat over his shoulders was so natural, so familiar.as if at some point in time, in another world, they had done this a thousand times before.
They reached the car. As the door opened, Cassian didn't rush him inside. Instead, he looked down, as if scrutinizing something precious. His gaze was so focused that it felt like if he moved an inch closer, he would drown in an unspoken past.
WIY began to wail in his head:
[WARNING! WARNING! Affection Level Anomaly!]
[Cassian Jang: 12 → 18 → 21... Sshhh! It won't stop!]
Even Seo Eun Woo frowned slightly. Finally, Cassian spoke softly. "...Have we met somewhere before?"
WIY: "OH SHT!!! He used the line! HE USED THE LINE!!!"*
Seo Eun Woo was stunned for half a second before his lips curled into a slow, lazy smile. His voice was as light as a kiss on an open flame. "Do all men like to use pick up lines at banquets these days?"
Cassian froze, a flash of an imperceptible smile lighting up his eyes.
The System was spiraling:
"Host, stay calm!! You're sprinting straight into the Main Lead's route!! Dong Hyun is about to be kicked off the planet!!! I'm going crazy!!!"
[System Notification:]
[Main Strategy Mission: Cassian Jang Affection Level: 30]
[Side Mission Progress: 6%]