Dirty Switch

“…Hey, hyung.”
“Huh?”

“I mean… you…”
Joo Taehyun hesitated countless times, unsure how to explain this pounding in his chest to him.
He was jealous of Seo Baekhan.

And at the same time, in comparison, he felt endlessly ashamed of himself.
Seo Baekhan was older than him by quite a bit, but even so, he was still a minor, not even twenty. Yet with such unwavering conviction, he could speak of his beliefs, his aspirations, with a firm expression—it looked incredibly cool. It felt impossible to dismiss his words as the naive idealism of a clueless kid, disconnected from reality. Seo Baekhan was far too serious. There was a distinct hardness and tenacity in him, the kind that came only from someone who had made a promise to himself hundreds, maybe thousands of times. That’s why no one could casually brush off his passion.
There are words that make your heart race just by looking at them, regardless of their actual meaning or usage. Like equator, or Milky Way, or star.

To Joo Taehyun, Seo Baekhan had become just such a presence. …In this short time, he had become that.
Seo Baekhan.
Now, just mouthing his name made Joo Taehyun’s heart pound violently.

Like he was suddenly standing on a burning equator, like he’d fallen headlong into an endless Milky Way, like he was being hit by a sudden downpour of stars.
It happened so suddenly. So completely.
“So, hyung… um… do you want to be a politician?”

For a second, he felt so dizzy he wondered if he might collapse. Joo Taehyun wasn’t even sure if he had managed to say the sentence properly. His heartbeat was so loud, he was worried it might’ve reached Seo Baekhan.
“Well. First, I want to become the Director of Jejungwon. I definitely want to make it to Minister, but I’m not so sure about being a member of the National Assembly. I don’t want to inherit my father’s seat.”
“A Special Assemblyman? Why not?”

“I don’t like things that are obvious or easy.”
“…I see.”
Joo Taehyun had always assumed he would inherit the position passed down by his parents. Like the sun rising in the east, it was something he’d accepted as natural. But apparently, that could also be seen as the obvious, easy path…

“Why? Do I look cool?”
Seo Baekhan shrugged as he said it, like it was something he heard often.
Just a while ago, Seo Baekhan had said that there were people who looked difficult to approach even when they were smiling. He was exactly that type. Even though he smiled easily, he never seemed frivolous. If anything, he came off as serious and deliberate.
His manner of speech was a bit authoritative and somewhat cold at times, which could be puzzling—but even that felt like part of his charm.

Joo Taehyun pressed down the overwhelming fondness welling up toward Seo Baekhan like water bursting through a dam and responded bluntly.
“Most people don’t go around saying that about themselves, do they?”
“I said it so you wouldn’t feel awkward after all that serious talk, hyung’s just breaking the mood.”

He’s right. Certainly, unless he made fun of himself, it didn’t seem like anyone else could.
Joo Taehyun respected his parents the most and liked his brothers and sister.
But if someone asked him what kind of person he wanted to become… he would probably think of this person from now on. Joo Taehyun kept repeating in his mind Seo Baekhan’s unique tone, the rhythm of his breath, the words he often used. Carefully, he picked up every word Seo Baekhan had tossed out and chewed on them like he didn’t want them to ever escape his memory.

“Hm. Making policy… yeah, I guess in the end, that’s politics, right? It’s ultimately what I want to do. But I really, really hate losing. Like, I seriously can’t stand it.”
That… felt obvious. Still, Joo Taehyun didn’t want to add anything carelessly. Because he wanted to look good in front of this person who looked so cool with his clear convictions. He’d even been complimented on his expression management—he didn’t want to suddenly seem like some immature, careless kid now.
And truthfully… he just wanted to hear more of his voice.

“Not that it’s easy with this face, but what if I lose an election? Ugh. Just imagining it makes me feel sick. But on a broader scale, I guess losing one election doesn’t mean total defeat… Still, I really hate it. That’s why I’m still thinking about diving into real politics. There’s plenty of time anyway.”
“Hmm, but… if you lose the election… isn’t that still losing?”
“If you only look at that election, sure. But elections aren’t the whole of politics. And if you think about what will remain on the pages of history, politics isn’t everything either.”

It was a bit abstract, not something that immediately made sense. But Joo Taehyun simply nodded. After all, his main goal was to make a good impression on Seo Baekhan.
But maybe Seo Baekhan hadn’t been hoping for sincere agreement, because he just smiled, a little sheepishly.
“Anyway, I’m going to ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) finish my doctorate, go into Jejungwon, and then think about it step by step. Maybe you—”

“Hey, Seo Baekhan!”
His eldest brother suddenly appeared from behind, greeting Seo Baekhan casually. It looked like he’d just finished greeting the royals and shaking hands with the bureaucrats.
Earlier, when Joo Taehyun had been left alone like a ghost in that space, he’d been endlessly waiting for his brothers to return. But now, for some strange reason, he felt a little disappointed.

Was it because his conversation with Seo Baekhan had left such a deep impression? Just moments ago, it felt like only the two of them had been inside a transparent bubble—and his older brother had just popped it.
“Hello.”
“You were watching over Taehyun by yourself? Must’ve been boring, playing babysitter to a little kid.”

“Taehyun was the one keeping me company. Everyone avoids me ‘cause I’ve got a nasty temper, remember?”
“Haha, listen to this guy talk. Oh, right—our baby bro’s an Alpha too. You’re an Alpha as well, right?”
“Yeah, I heard. Apparently he was really sick when he manifested.”

Seo Baekhan smoothly continued the conversation with the eldest brother. But even so, Joo Taehyun didn’t have a chance to feel left out. Everything they talked about eventually circled back to him.
“I didn’t want to judge who’s good or bad on my own, so I just briefly introduced him to the ones who were chatting comfortably with Kyunghan or Yoonwoo the other day.”
…Wait? But hadn’t he already told him who he liked and didn’t like? For a moment, Joo Taehyun panicked, thinking maybe he’d misremembered—but then he recalled the follow-up. Right. He had added that although he personally felt that way, he wanted Taehyun to think in terms of what was best for their family.

“Ah, good job. Thanks.”
“Taehyun wasn’t uncomfortable either. It was really just a quick round of introductions.”
Even while saying that, Seo Baekhan occasionally made eye contact with Joo Taehyun. Almost like he was seeking his silent approval.

Thanks to that, Joo Taehyun didn’t have to say a word to comfortably stay put—and Joo Gukwon, who hadn’t had a chance in a while to boast about his beloved youngest brother to someone else, felt very pleased.
“Huh? Baby. You were with Baekhan?”
“Hello.”

And then the second eldest brother returned too, fresh from meeting government officials. The space grew even more boisterous.
Joo Taehyun did feel a bit disappointed that he couldn’t continue his idle chat with Seo Baekhan, but as he quietly blended into the crowd of his brothers, he also felt strangely proud. Like he, too, was becoming an adult. It even made him regret not getting more chances to accompany his siblings on their public duties.
“Right. Baekhan, you’re a college student now, aren’t you? Heard you started early… so can you drink now?”

“Even if I’m in college, I’m still a minor. And hyung, I’m graduating this year.”
“What? Graduating? You mean from college?”
“Yes. I’m off to pursue my master’s and PhD next.”

“Wow. Can’t hide those genes, huh? Your grandfather really was something. So, which school?”
“Stanford. I’m going to study genetics more deeply.”
“Stanford? Whoa, we’re definitely putting up banners in Pyongyang for that.”

“Oh, please. With Grandpa and Great-Grandpa’s legacy, I wouldn’t even get noticed unless my grades are exceptional.”
…Wait. Hold on. So this hyung is going to Stanford to study? He didn’t mention that earlier…