The Best, or the Worst - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The story had begun about a month ago—back in November, when the wind first started to carry a sharp chill.

After finishing his class, Ji Hyou headed straight to the convenience store located in the basement of the music department. Although there was a café in his own faculty building, the convenience store at the music school offered far more seating, both inside and out. Especially during these late afternoon hours, it was almost always half-empty—a perfect place to kill time before his next lecture.

The moment he stepped inside, he went straight for the refrigerator, grabbed a can of coffee and a triangle kimbap, and paid quickly before searching for a seat.

As expected, most of the tables were empty except for one or two. He took a seat at a quiet table tucked in the corner, pulled out his CPA exam workbook from his bag, and flipped it open.

“Where did I stop yesterday…?”

Passing the Certified Public Accountant exam before graduation—that was Hyou’s goal. Since last year, his entire life had revolved around studying. Except for sleeping, he barely allowed himself a break.

“I have to pass before I graduate. Only then will Mom and Dad finally be able to relax…”

It was grueling work—there was too much to memorize, too many formulas to keep straight. There were days when he wanted to scream in frustration. But whenever that feeling crept up, he reminded himself: Just a little longer. Hold on just a little longer.

He began reviewing the questions he had gotten wrong the night before, carefully rewriting his corrections into a separate notebook. Most students these days preferred laptops or tablets, but Hyou liked the tactile feel of pen against paper. The soft scratch-scratch of the pen was oddly soothing in the quiet space.

He was so absorbed that he forgot he’d even been hungry. That was when—scrrrt—someone pulled out the chair across from him and sat down.

“There are so many empty seats… why here of all places?”

Annoyed, he lifted his head—only to find a familiar face staring back.

“Are you busy on the twentieth of next month?”

Without so much as a greeting, the woman dove straight into her question. It was Lee Taeseo, one of the very few people at school Hyou could actually talk comfortably with.

At 182 centimeters, she had the kind of tall, willowy build models would envy. Her long, straight hair framed sharp, well-defined features—a classic beauty admired by many, though her cold aura and blunt tongue tended to keep most people at a respectful distance.

“Even if we’re close, greetings still exist, you know? ‘Hi, how’ve you been?’ That sort of thing.”

Unlike Hyou, who majored in Accounting, Taeseo was studying Anthropology. Since entering their third year, their schedules had rarely overlapped. And with Hyou missing classes the previous week due to illness, it had been nearly ten days since they last met.

“What’s there to catch up on? I’m fine as always. Anyway—answer the question. Do you have plans that day?”

“Plans? What plans? What else do I even do besides this?”

Hyou gestured at the workbook in front of him, exasperated. With break approaching, he had no real plans beyond more studying.

“Then can you spare two or three hours that day?”

“Why?”

“Wanna go on a blind date?”

For a moment, Hyou’s entire body went still.

His secondary gender was Omega. And when someone asked him to go on a blind date, it almost always meant one thing: an Alpha would be waiting on the other end.

That was the problem—Hyou despised Alphas.

Not all of them, of course. His father, his older sister, and his twin brother were all Alphas—and so was Taeseo. He had no issue with family or longtime friends. But meeting a new Alpha—especially a male Alpha—was a completely different matter. It made his skin crawl. He avoided such encounters whenever possible.

A blind date with one? The mere thought was nauseating.

Perhaps his unease was obvious, because Taeseo quickly added an explanation.

“I know you’re uncomfortable with Alphas. And I know you hate blind dates. But this one’s… kind of hard to refuse.”

Her voice softened, careful and coaxing, as she went on. “It’s just a meal. You wouldn’t have to stay long.”

What kind of person could make even Taeseo sound this cautious?

Since it was her asking, Hyou decided to at least hear her out.

“…Who is it?”

“My cousin. He’s thirty-two.”

“Thirty-two?”

Though Hyou was older than most of his classmates, having entered university two years late, a nine-year age gap was still substantial. He didn’t think dating someone older was inherently wrong—but if this cousin was the type who only sought out younger partners, then he wasn’t interested.

When his face betrayed his skepticism, Taeseo quickly waved her hand.

“No, no—it’s not like that. He’s not the type who goes after younger people.”

Then why? Was her cousin simply looking for someone from a good school? Someone who looked respectable on paper?

Whatever the reason, Hyou saw no need to accept.

“There are plenty of pretty girls in your department. Or handsome Omega guys, too.”

“He asked specifically for you.”

“…What?”

“How does your cousin even know I exist?”

Hyou had never met anyone from her family, let alone this cousin. There was no reason the man should even know his name.

“Remember when we all went out for drinks before Dongho left to study abroad?”

“Yeah.”

“He saw a photo from that night. Asked me to introduce you.”

A photo? So he’d seen Hyou’s face—and liked it?

Among Omegas, beauty was hardly rare, but Hyou’s looks stood out even among the stunning. His neat, delicate features and calm demeanor made him easily noticeable. Still, Taeseo was surrounded by people far more glamorous than him.

“Wait, wasn’t Mina there that day? Are you sure he didn’t mean her?”

Lee Mina, often called the most beautiful girl on campus.

“No, I’m sure. It was you. Who else wore glasses and sat next to me?”

There was no mistaking it. He really had meant Hyou.

“So, of all people, he wants to meet a male Omega?”

Hyou couldn’t begin to understand the man’s taste—or logic.

“Your cousin’s got… peculiar preferences.”

“He’s been asking since summer,” she admitted, sighing. “I kept saying no, because I knew you wouldn’t like it. But he wouldn’t let it go. Eventually, I just—felt bad turning him down again.”

The longer she spoke, the stranger the situation sounded.

“He’s never shown interest in anyone before. Never asked me for help like this, either.”

She smiled faintly, her voice softening with fondness. “He’s like a real older brother to me. So please—unless it’s really unbearable—could you meet him just once? Just once?”

Hyou’s immediate instinct was to refuse. He hated blind dates—and Alphas even more so. But knowing Taeseo, she wouldn’t have asked lightly.

“He’s a good person. And kind.”

It was rare for Taeseo to ask for anything. Hearing such words from her, someone who prided herself on self-reliance, made his resolve falter.

“…If it’s just one meal…”

After a long moment of hesitation, he nodded. If it was someone she trusted, then it couldn’t be too bad.

“Really? Thank you!”

Her relieved smile made him feel oddly self-conscious.

“So, what does he do?”

He wasn’t particularly curious, but it seemed polite to ask about the person he’d soon be meeting.

“He’s an athlete.”

“An athlete?”

“Yeah.”

“What sport?”

“Soccer.”

Unlike his brother, who was obsessed with baseball, Hyou barely followed soccer. He knew the basics but couldn’t name a single player outside the national team.

“I don’t really know much about soccer. Is that okay?”

“That’s fine. You’d recognize him anyway.”

“…He’s famous?”

“Pretty famous.”

Famous enough for even me to know him? Hyou tilted his head in thought. There weren’t that many Korean players in their thirties who were household names.

Then Taeseo said it—so casually that it took him a second to process.

“Lee Seohee.”

“…What?”

“My cousin’s name is Lee Seohee.”

There was only one Lee Seohee that name could possibly refer to.

“You mean… the FCC forward in the English Premier League?”

“Yeah.”

Hyou stared at her, stunned.

Lee Seohee wasn’t just any soccer player.

He was ranked third in annual salary across the Premier League, a star forward for FCC, the team with the most championship titles in the last twenty years. The first East Asian to be named Premier League Player of the Year, PFA Player of the Year, a World Cup champion, and an Olympic gold medalist. His career was nothing short of legendary.

But that wasn’t even his most remarkable title.

“You mean that Lee Seohee—the son of L Group’s Chairman Lee Jinhyuk?”

“That’s right.”

L Group—the number-one conglomerate in Korea, ranked among the top twenty corporations worldwide. And Lee Seohee, its only heir.

A man born with a diamond spoon in his mouth, whose success couldn’t be explained by privilege alone—because he’d proven himself, becoming a global sports star on his own merit. Towering in height, impossibly handsome, and to top it off, a dominant Alpha born from two Alphas. A living unicorn. Perfection made flesh.

She’s telling me this man wants to meet me? No, not even that—he asked to be introduced to me?

Why? For what reason?

What could possibly make someone like him—the world’s most untouchable man—
want to meet someone like me?