Dirty Switch

Ding. A cheerful sound pulled Seo Baekhan from his thoughts.
As he stepped into the elevator, he absentmindedly stared at his feet.

It felt as if Taehyun’s invisible pheromones were trailing after him like a puppy. Even though he knew that couldn’t be true.
The scent of water-soaked wood, the smell of grass…
Though not as strong as facing a rutting Omega, Taehyun’s unfamiliar pheromones definitely stirred something inside him.

Still, was this really okay? The more they mixed their bodies, the more sensitively he seemed to react to the strange scent.
Seo Baekhan tapped the tip of his dress shoe lightly against the floor, unconcerned. Even so, it wouldn’t shake off the scent clinging to his ankles like Taehyun’s.
***

DH Group PR Office: “Strong Response to Dirty Switch Rumors Regarding Joo Taehyun”
Early this morning, posts appeared on online communities and social media claiming that Joo Taehyun, youngest son of DH Group Chairman Joo Ilwook (spouse of Jejungwon Director Seo Baekhan, son-in-law of Assemblyman Seo Hongkyu), took the ‘Dirty Switch’ while studying in the US, sparking significant controversy.
However, the photos presented as evidence were deemed insufficient to prove Joo’s use of the Dirty Switch, and many pointed out the suspicious simultaneous appearance of similar posts across multiple online communities.

In response, DH Group’s PR office issued a statement this morning: “The rumors circulating on social media about Joo Taehyun’s use of the Dirty Switch are false. We will respond firmly to any spread of false information and defamation without any settlement or leniency.”
They added, “Joo Taehyun has consistently participated in volunteer activities with various organizations, including Haechi, since childhood, and annually submits documentation proving his health, including drug test results, to maintain his membership.”
Since each organization requires different forms, the drug test results have been cross-verified by multiple places confirming no issues.

Assemblyman Seo Hongkyu also unusually raised his voice, stating, “We will respond legally without leniency.”
The related posts have now been deleted.
“That was handled well.”

Seo Baekhan placed the printed statement on the table and shrugged lightly, as if to say “What’s the problem?”
Assemblyman Seo took a deep breath as if about to shout, then shook his head to stop himself. His lips puffed quickly as if stuttering.
“Kim Seungjun—the guy you embarrassed at the Crown Prince Scholarship Foundation—is apparently holding a grudge and poking around.”

Seo Hongkyu shoved the top document of the piled files irritably toward his son.
Although he was tempted to scoff at the outdated practice of reviewing printed reports one by one, he didn’t want to prolong this pointless quarrel with his father, so Seo Baekhan silently took the file bundle.
“You’re paying unusually close attention to something with no solid evidence. That’s unlike you.”
Assemblyman Seo wasn’t exactly a good father, even jokingly. The rest of the family was the same.

Seo Baekhan’s relatives were indifferent to Joo Taehyun. Not out of hate or harassment, but as if he were a stranger, just like before marriage.
Those relatives wouldn’t have wanted to spend time sharing a meal with Taehyun, not even a casual greeting, on his first day in Pyongyang.
As far as Seo Baekhan knew, neither his family nor Taehyun had ever made private calls. When something needed to be discussed, messages were relayed via secretaries or butlers rather than direct conversation.

To his parents, Taehyun and DH Group were merely contractual counterparts and strategic partners.
So after the marriage, Taehyun was at a loss for a while, nervously asking several times if he really didn’t have to visit the parents.
“Hyung, is Assemblyman Seo really busy these days?”

“Father? What’s going on?”
“No, I thought maybe we could have a meal together next week... since his birthday is soon.”
“Ah. We don’t really celebrate birthdays in our family, so don’t worry about it.”

“Really? But...”
“Seriously. Birthdays, holidays, Parents’ Day—none of that matters. You can live as if you have no in-laws. It’s actually more comfortable that way, isn’t it?”
Yet it was surprising that the father, a politician who usually dismissed all nonsense, was now clinging to a baseless rumor.

“You know the direct and collateral lines of DH Group don’t get along, right? And the collateral line is desperate to take shares from the direct line.”
There was no time to question the sudden topic change. His father rubbed his chin thoughtfully, wearing the face of the seasoned politician Seo Hongkyu, not the distant family man.
“I heard the collateral line is particularly heated over this issue. So DH PR issued a statement calling it a baseless rumor and even slyly mentioned other organizations... I can accept that much.”

Assemblyman Seo frowned at the fact that Kim Seungjun was the one who sparked this incident.
“If it’s a traitor, a Crown Prince faction member grinding his teeth, who was embarrassed by you, going around poking without evidence... I believe there’s more behind this.”
“Please get to the point. I have an appointment.”

“We need to arrange another meeting with your father-in-law soon. If this issue becomes a problem for Taehyun, we might have to rewrite the marriage contract.”
There was nothing more to hear. Knowing his father would only complain, Seo Baekhan stood up without even opening the file.
“I’m leaving.”

“Baekhan, my son.”
Assemblyman Seo looked at his grown son with a tolerant gaze, as if he were still a child.
“Whether family or friends, you learned to suppress your feelings the most with those closest to you, right?”

Though unwilling to admit it, Baekhan’s father’s face looking up at him reminded him of a mirror image. Or rather, Baekhan had tried to become like him.
“Also, if you didn’t want to hear your father’s nagging, you should have handled small pests like Kim Seungjun yourself. You’re over thirty, yet can’t deal with such matters properly, so it ended up dragging in the Assemblyman’s office and PR.”
Assemblyman Seo wasn’t a good father, even as a joke. His political actions were also far from what Baekhan aimed for.

However, Baekhan recognized that enduring the weight of his prestigious family from birth without trouble, strictly separating personal and public affairs, and firmly maintaining his desired public image was something he wanted to emulate.
“Arrange a meeting with Chairman Joo. If I get involved, the atmosphere might get rough. Let’s start with a light discussion.”
“Father, no, Assemblyman Seo, I think you’re mistaken. I’m the captain and helmsman of this contract. If anything needs fixing, I’ll handle it.”

Baekhan gave a smooth smile and slightly bowed, locking eyes with his father.
“I think I’ve told you repeatedly not to use your son for business since I was young.”
“Baekhan.”

“Don’t interfere in my matters. You know how dirty I can get when I want to.”
With a sly smile, Baekhan stood, put his hands in his pockets, whistled, and left the Assemblyman’s office.
“Oh, right.”

Gripping the door handle, he turned back to Seo Hongkyu as if just remembering something.
“Father, could you help a bit more with the son who can’t even handle his own business? A few days ago, Taehyun and I had quite a noisy time at the Grand Pyongyang Hotel. Of course, without any Switch.”
“What?”

“I hope you can keep the rumors from spreading. Well, it wouldn’t be bad for me to be known as exceptional.”
As soon as the door closed, a loud noise followed, probably from throwing a nearby file.
“Such an old-fashioned bastard.”

Seo Baekhan decided to stop trying to dig into Taehyun’s activities through male secretaries. Whether Butler Hwang or the male secretary, he was now sure they were on his side, but it didn’t hurt to be cautious. So far, he could just say he was cross-checking due to Seungjun’s threats, so it was fine.
What should he do next... Ask Choi Yeonjun? No, maybe summon Cheon Seungpil and ask directly.
As he left the Assemblyman’s building in a relaxed manner, his phone vibrated for a long time in his pocket. Seeing the name on the screen, Baekhan smirked.

“...You really can’t be a gentleman.”
It was Joo Taehyun.
— Hyung, it’s me.

“Just woke up? You’re late.”
— Yeah, just resting... but, hmm, why tonight?
“Hmm? It’s Friday.”

— Oh, yeah, that’s right. But why?
“Why? We decided ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ to have dates every Friday evening.”