Dirty Switch

Joo Taehyun’s tone and expression were usually calm, even stoic—but this time, there was something slightly different. A certain confidence unique to spoiled heirs who had never once in their lives been told “no,” no matter what they did.
No, seriously—what the hell made that punk think he could just blurt out he was taking Switch to me? As absurd as it was, for the first time since sitting down with Joo Taehyun, Seo Baekhan felt a genuine urge to keep watching him a little longer. Could this be called curiosity? It was laced with both positive and negative connotations, but perhaps that was accurate.
He’d thought it was just some immature proposal from a boy with more money than sense—but Taehyun had, in his own way, arrived at what he thought was the best possible answer given his circumstances.

“It’s embarrassing, since it’s not even my own merit—I’m just borrowing my family’s power… but, well, you said what you wanted in a marriage partner was strong conditions.”
Tap. Tap, tap. As Seo Baekhan began absentmindedly drumming his index finger against his knee in thought, Taehyun, who had been nervously glancing his way, began shrinking into himself.
“Marrying another male Alpha would make waves, and… I’m also a Haechi member. So if you married me, at the very least, I can guarantee His Highness the Crown Prince would absolutely hate it.”

At that last line, Baekhan almost laughed. A pairing that the Crown Prince would really despise? …That did sound nice, actually.
“…All right, now I get it. When you first said you wanted to marry me, I was seriously pissed. But if that’s your reasoning—okay. I understand the logic now.”
Baekhan slowly ran a dry hand down his face, covering a smile as he prepared to deliver his final verdict.

“But you miscalculated, Taehyun. If that’s your argument, then there’s even less reason for you to be my choice.”
“…What?”
“Conglomerate families who want to align with me? Hate to say it, but I’m sure there are plenty. And some of them could probably offer a female Alpha instead of someone like you.”

“…”
“It might be a smart move for you to pick me, but the same doesn’t apply the other way around.”
Taehyun’s lips parted faintly, as if he hadn’t expected such a clean rebuttal.

“…But, I mean, the others—”
“Sure, other conglomerates might not care as much about trait issues as DH does. But the outcome wouldn’t be all °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° that different.”
“…”

“So to summarize: DH—or more specifically, you—only have one edge. That you’re a Switch user, so you’re more desperate to make this marriage happen than anyone else…”
Baekhan stared directly at him, the corners of his lips curling ever so slightly.
“And why exactly should I marry you for that reason?”
The silence Baekhan conjured stretched through the lounge like fog.

Now that he knew what Taehyun was dealing with, his mood had improved a little. The kid had clearly picked up on his most sensitive issue. That alone meant he wouldn’t push him any further on the proposal. There was no need to completely crush a kid like this…
Still, the fact that Taehyun’s face remained so completely blank was… fascinating. At the same time, Baekhan found himself wanting to see it crumble. To see that calm facade break, tears well up in those big, dumb eyes. No real reason. Just… because Seo Baekhan was a bastard like that.
“…Even so.”

Taehyun’s voice was hoarse, like he’d fallen into a deep spiral of thought. Though his voice had changed, it still carried a timbre that was neither boyish nor fully grown.
“I like the world you want to build, hyung.”
“…The world I want to build?”

“Yes. When I first joined Haechi, you said it was your dream to make a world where no one gets discriminated against for being traited. That whether someone’s a chaebol heir or living on government basic income, everyone should be equal in the face of trait issues.”
As he spoke, Taehyun’s strained fingers finally released the nail bed he’d been tearing apart, and for the first time, his frozen face cracked into a smile. A misshapen, awkward thing, with only the faintest curve at the corners of his eyes and mouth.
“That’s why I liked you…”

For a moment, it was like he was revisiting a dream, recalling some distant time Baekhan couldn’t name. But then he snapped out of it and gave a small shake of the head.
“Ah, sorry. Sorry. I know you’d rather hear about the practical advantages I can offer, not stuff like that. But this is my honest feeling. I didn’t want to rush things with a fake excuse or lie.”
“…Haa.”

Seo Baekhan let out a long sigh through his nose. So the kid really was living in a flower field.
Of course the precious baby of a conglomerate would see the world through rose-colored lenses—Taehyun wasn’t just pure; he was naïve to the point of stupidity.
Sincerity? Dreams? Passion?

You say all that while making a proposal—one of the most important business deals in life?
Baekhan scorned him internally, tearing him to shreds in his mind… and then realized, a beat too late, that he’d relaxed his crossed arms ever so slightly.
He quickly smoothed out his expression again—but the fact that his posture had loosened, even unconsciously, surprised him. Enough that he rubbed at his jaw a few times.

Baekhan hated unexpected developments. But he was quick to accept them—and to acknowledge his own emotional state. That was how he kept himself, and the people around him, in check.
And from that perspective—those ridiculous, idealistic words from earlier had, somehow, scratched at a part of him deeper than any of Taehyun’s cold, calculated arguments.
“I really do want to help you with what you’re trying to achieve.”

Yes, he could meet another chaebol heir with the same specs as Taehyun. But someone as genuinely invested in his goals? Maybe not.
“I won’t bother you anymore. I won’t ask to meet about this again. Just… please look through this.”
Taehyun, his expression now dulled back to its usual gloom, pulled something from the coat draped behind him. It was one of DH Electronics’ newest flagship phones—the ones they were pushing like mad lately.

“I put a few files in there… yeah, tap that folder.”
As Baekhan skimmed over the filenames, his brow gradually tightened.
Detailed corporate information on DH, profiles of key figures and assets, a list of what DH could offer—and what they’d expect in return. PR response templates for marriage-related questions. A comprehensive dossier on Joo Taehyun himself…

No fluff. Just brutally honest, thorough internal records the likes of which had never been released anywhere.
“I just wanted you to at least review it… that’s why I put it together.”
“…Did the adults in your family approve you sharing this with me?”

Baekhan lightly tossed the phone upward, caught it again, and studied Taehyun’s face. With just a few taps, he could send those files to his personal phone—or anywhere else, really. But Taehyun just stood there, staring at him.
It wasn’t trust, exactly. It was more like the boy had never even considered the possibility of someone doing something malicious.
“Well. Not all of them. But… I think it’ll be fine. Probably.”

The way he said that so casually was exhausting. Baekhan couldn’t even bring himself to tease him anymore.
“Then I’ll take my leave. Feel free to go over it at your own pace.”
Having just handed over his biggest vulnerability like it was nothing, Taehyun bowed politely, as if this were a normal goodbye.

“If you contact me, I’ll send someone to retrieve the phone anytime.”
Though he spoke with ease, he was scrambling to gather his things like a panicked five-year-old trying to flee after breaking something. It made it hard for Baekhan to even scold him.
“Well… thank you for making time to meet me today, hyung.”

Wearing the same blank expression as when he’d first greeted him, Taehyun bowed deeply.
Baekhan stared blankly at the phone he’d been handed. He doubted reading those documents would change his mind. This marriage still looked like a deal that only benefited DH.
“Also… thank you for listening. And for not storming out, even if you were angry.”

So he wasn’t completely oblivious. At least he had some awareness of how far out of his depth he was…
Baekhan closed his eyes slowly, then opened them again.
What, was this brat handing over corporate secrets instead of a formal engagement letter and running away?

As ridiculous as it all was, the burning disgust he’d felt when Taehyun first said “marriage” had cooled significantly.
“…Joo Taehyun.”