"The massive suicide that occurred yesterday has come as a big blow to the credibility of the lovegen app. All the deceased had their phones gathered with the said application on display. The authorities allege the deceased committed suicide together because of the lack of love matching in there, as well as the lack of soulmate compatibility. The Jeon's Labs claimed the massive suicide was an impulsive act due to stress, relationship problems, depressive states..."
Jeongguk was sitting on his chair in the meeting room of the Jeons' Labs, elbows supported while his hands were wrapped together, clenching his knuckles and listening to the reporters talking on one of the most important news channels in Korea. All of his staff members were with him, Namjoon among them.
"The Jeon's Labs CEO, Jeon Jeongguk, has not spoken about this matter yet. Meanwhile, people are gathering to protest against the Lovegen App and its new features..." the image in the background on the news channel showed a bunch of people with facemasks and banners with the logo of the lovegen app and an X sign over.
"Turn it off," Jeongguk said passing a hand through his face and groaning in annoyance. "Fucking shit why is it our fault that a group of people decided to kill themselves?" he muttered while a deep frown adorned his handsome features.
"You don't need to be so foul-mouthed," Eunwoo said shaking his head. "We have to focus on diverting the attention from this horrible event and you need to give an interview asap," the alpha said reading some notes on his clipboard.
Jeongguk was pouting, for a moment resembling his old self. "Hyejin... what about social media?"
"We're getting a lot of hate, but we also have lots of supporters," the black-haired woman said tapping the keyboard of her laptop with her long nails. "Eunwoo is right, with a good distraction the events of this massive suicide will last just three days"
"And what do you guys suggest to distract our users?" Jeongguk asked, the pout and the frown still on his face, his eyes kept focusing on Namjoon who was silently reading on his laptop.
"What about our new campaign with a male omega?" Yongsun said beaming widely, getting excited and taking her huge purse to search for her phone. "I have the perfect candidate for this!"
Jeongguk just rolled his eyes. "Anything that does not involve male omegas?"
"You could lie about your relationship with Joy and feed the reporters the engagement history," Eunwoo said shrugging his shoulders with an amused smirk on his face but Jeongguk scoffed loudly.
"Hyung..." the pure breed alpha turned to face the silent Namjoon.
Namjoon sighed clearing his throat. "We need to do three things for the moment," the alpha said earning the attention of the other four in the meeting room. "First, you need a lawyer. Some mourning families want to sue the Jeons' Labs, I recommend Jung Hoseok... I can contact Yoongi and ask for Hoseok..."
Jeongguk sighed heavily but nodded his head at the end. Well if Namjoon told him to hire a clown Jeongguk would do it, after all, he was Namjoon's biggest fan. "Jimin is also a lawyer..." the younger alpha said.
"Yeah but Jimin only works on medical cases," Namjoon said furrowing his eyebrows. "Perhaps he could make an exception for his bestie, right?"
"Perhaps..." Jeongguk said shaking off his thoughts. "What else?"
"Secondly... I highly recommend doing an honest campaign with all the genotypes together... genotypes and genders. One each... a male omega and a female omega, a male alpha and a female alpha, and a male beta, and a female beta... And from different ethnics too"
"Namjoon you're so smart!" Yongsun said clapping her hands and smiling, showing her dimples and her pudgy cheeks. "No stereotypes on genotypes, how does that sound?"
"Quite good" Namjoon replied offering the girl his dimpled smile. Jeongguk remained silent, not having more choice than to agree. "And finally, diverting the attention from the topic sounds about right, but I don't think announcing a fake engagement would do any good," the grey-haired alpha said while fixing his glasses, eyeing everyone in the meeting room.
Jeongguk nodded his head. "Fine, I'll do the interview... Fuck I need a counselor"
"Min&Ko" Namjoon replied grinning at the younger alpha. "Also, Yongsun and Hyejin... let's start the new campaign as soon as possible, and let's add the new features of the lovegen app, okay?"
Both women nodded their heads. Yongsun especially looked super excited. "I have three contenders already but there's one male omega that caught my attention. He was ethereal! For real... I almost asked him to let me touch his face to be sure he was real" Yongsun said giggling loudly while Jeongguk glared lightly at her.
"Really? Did you tell him about the offer?" Eunwoo asked tilting his head with curiosity.
"Yeah, I gave him my card... and he gave me his number. I may or not have told him that it was a modeling job and not advertising for the lovegen app though..." The blonde woman shrugged.
"Yongsun! That was the main part!" Eunwoo whined shaking his head.
"I know but he wasn't interested at all and I really want him to do the damn campaign!"
"What's so special about that omega?" Jeongguk asked with a grimacing look on his face.
"I know you told me that you didn't want blondes but look at him..." Yongsun said taking her phone. "Don't think I'm a creep but he was so pretty I had to take a picture of him to show you guys" she giggled while Hyejin tapped her head done with her friend.
"I don't care. Do whatever you want. Just show me the people you chose before the shooting starts" Jeongguk stood up and picked his things up. "Now I have lunch to attend," he said waving off the employees and leaving, a strong scent coming from him probably because he was containing his anger.
All Jeongguk wanted to do for the day was to go boxing and release stress. But the world as always was against him. First, he had to deal with the deceased people's families who blamed it on the lovegen app, then have lunch with his precious mother who probably wanted to tattle at him for not speaking to the press as soon as the crisis appeared. And three, he had to pay a visit to Min&Ko to beg his friends for help. Boxing would have to wait.
---------------------------
Jeongguk drove to the restaurant where he was meeting his mother. Dressed in all black and with a facemask to hide from any prying reporter. The alpha couldn't talk to them until a proper speech was done for him. The moment he entered the fancy restaurant he took off his mask and a server immediately guided him to his mother's usual table. To his surprise, Jeon Chie wasn't alone. Joy was sitting with her, looking nervous and suffocated. Jeongguk shook his head, knowing his mother was probably giving the omega a hard time, criticizing her dress or her hair. Yes, at the beginning Jeon Chie approved of the relationship between Jeongguk and Joy. Because it was convenient for their business and the relationship earned a good response from netizens. But now for Jeon Chie, it has become something monotonous. The woman wanted Jeongguk to find a suitable alpha female from a wealthy family to breed pure blood alphas babies with him. And that made Joy not convenient anymore.
When both women saw Jeongguk coming they fixed their positions, Joy looking thankful and Chie smirking proudly.
"Jeongguk" Chie spoke pointing to the seat in front of her. "I've already called my lawyers so they can help you with the massive suicide issue"
"No need Mother," Jeongguk said sitting down as a server handed him the menu. "I have my attorneys"
"What? Jeongguk my lawyer is the best in Seoul" Chie replied already taking her phone to give her attorney contact to her son.
"I said no," Jeongguk said with dominance in his voice, eyes void of emotion and his voice cold as ice. The woman swallowed with a plastic-tight lip smirk. "How are things going with Wang Ruiji?"
"Not so good" Chie answered taking her glass of wine. "He invited me to have dinner with him tomorrow night"
"Good, use your woman charm to lure the man. I need this fucking business before the launch of the new lovegen app" Jeongguk said handing over the menu to another server who took their food request.
"Jeongguk I'm an alpha" Chie spat looking indignantly at her son. "I'm not going to charm a man to get a business deal. That's what omegas are for" she scoffed feeling rather offended.
Jeongguk peered briefly at Joy who was looking down at her plate, trying hard to ignore the offensive remarks from Jeon Chie. That was something Jeongguk didn't like, he didn't appreciate someone who wasn't standing up for their genotype. Asshole or not, Jeongguk respected all genotypes. And that had nothing to do with his issue with male omegas. That was just something related to his broken heart, nothing else.
They waited to get their food served to return to their previous conversation. "Wang has the hots for you, Mother" Jeongguk replied with a teasing smile. "Just go on a fucking date with the man, it won't kill you"
"Don't be disrespectful to your mother..." Joy muttered to the alpha next to her.
Jeongguk frowned glaring at the girl and then back to his mother. "Mother... I need this business deal. The Jeons' Labs is supporting the whole company, so you better do something. Do you understand?"
Jeon Chie didn't respond. Having to let her son take over the company had given the young alpha the power to make decisions and take control over things. She wasn't the boss anymore, at least not in the former Jeon's Tech department now known as Jeon's Labs. And to her demise, that specific department, responsible for the lovegen app, was the one making the most earning of the entire company, with 80% which led the woman to be rather powerless against Jeon Jeongguk.
"Of course" she finally said faking a smile, red lips twitching while she grabbed another glass of wine.
"Why are you here?" this time Jeongguk looked at Joy furrowing his eyebrows. "I thought we were going to see each other tomorrow"
"Your mom invited me over..." the omega said with a small smile, clearly feeling uncomfortable.
"Is something wrong, Jeongguk?" Chie asked with her usual plastic smirk. "You don't look so happy that I invited your girlfriend for lunch," she said, the mocking tone in her voice obvious. Jeongguk knew what Chie was doing, he cocked an eyebrow at his mother and place a cut of his steak on Joy's plate.
The girl blushed muttering "Thank you" and for a moment she thought her knight in shining armor was back, while Chie looked displeased.
Min&Ko was placed on one of those buildings that rent different offices for professionals or small businesses. Jeongguk didn't understand why Yoongi didn't let his father lend him one of his buildings. The omega was always very independent and didn't involve too much in the Min Business, he rather has his own. Jeongguk agreed with that but a little help couldn't hurt. Anyways, the alpha parked his car not so far from the said building, wanting to get over the whole 'blame on the lovegen app for the suicide fiasco' and talk with Yoongi and Jimin.
But the instant he entered the reception of the building to take the elevator, a familiar scent hit his nose giving him a sense of longing. The air of the lobby was perfumed by the lingering smell of cherry blossom with a hint of vanilla and sugar musk. The sweet, savory aroma was soft, fading in the air. But it was driving Jeongguk crazy. The pure-blood alpha knew that scent very well. He used to love that scent. But at that moment it was making his heart beat painfully against his chest. The same heart that was supposed to not beat anymore.
Jeongguk furrowed his eyebrows and recklessly he started to look around the room to see that familiar face, the owner of that intoxicating smell. People started to give him weird looks while he kept pushing them away trying to find him.
"Jeongguk? What the hell are you doing?"
Jeongguk turned around with the same unnerving face, his emotionless eyes showing a hint of panic. He spots Jimin looking up at him with a worried face. Jeongguk was quick to get close to the alpha and his frown deepened when he blatantly sniffed the smaller alpha. "Why do you smell like this?" Jeongguk asked with a low growl in his tone of voice.
Jimin gulped, his eyes big and backing off from the pure-blood alpha. "Like what?" he asked trying to sound as nonchalant as he could. But the pure-blood alpha was glaring at him with those cold and dark eyes. "Jeongguk, It's not-"
"Why do you smell like... like him?" Jeongguk asked again, sounding menacing and rough. Those dark void eyes showed a tinge of pain and anger.
Jimin sighed heavily, there was no point in hiding the truth. Jeongguk would know eventually. "Taehyung is back, Guk" As those words left Jimin's mouth Jeongguk's face turned into something unreadable. "He just left like a min..." Jimin didn't have the chance to end that sentence when Jeongguk had already rushed out of the place in a hurry, following that scent.
Jimin just stood there with a worried face, but he decided to not follow the alpha. Jeongguk and Taehyung needed to resolve their issues by themselves, nonetheless.
Jeongguk stepped out of the building, his eyes scanning his surrounding as he kept trying to pick up the fading scent of cherry blossom and vanilla. But the alpha's sense of smell was weakened because of the cold air of December. And after walking around he gave up, he lost that scent. But why was he following that smell anyways? Jeongguk growled to himself, angry. He should stay away from that scent. He hates cherry blossoms now, he hates vanilla and he hates sugar musk.
The alpha closed his eyes inhaling deeply, trying to get his senses back. But a shot through his heart made him turn his head to the right sight and it really felt like a bullet inside just to see the image of him standing not so far from Jeongguk, standing on pale grass and under a winter tree with only a few lastly leaves clinging on the bare benches.
"Taehyung..."