Dirty Switch

Seo Baekhan held his silence for a moment, as if carefully selecting his next words. The cameras kept flashing relentlessly, capturing his expression as though he were steeling his resolve. All the effort Kang Bunam had poured into summoning this crowd of reporters had already long since lost its relevance.
"If my actions today cause public disturbance, I will, of course, take full responsibility and resign from my position as Director of Jejungwon. However, I don’t believe that will be necessary. Joo Taehyun is a complete victim in this case, and I possess all the evidence to prove it."
"Director Seo, what you just said feels rather irresponsible. You admit that the complaint can’t be submitted, yet you’ve publicly named the Crown Prince. Are you saying you’ll only step down if something goes wrong later?"
"Exactly! Is it acceptable for a public official to exploit the Crown Prince’s name like this?"
There it was. The outraged voices were, unsurprisingly, coming from reporters affiliated with media outlets known to have ties to the Crown Prince. Seo Baekhan dropped the polite curve of his mouth, letting his expression harden into a flat line, and met their gazes coldly.
"I’ve fulfilled my duties as Director of Jejungwon with sincerity. Ours is the only agency that passes annual audits without a single point of criticism. I believe Reporter Shin Dong-oh of Hwangjin Daily knows that well."
"You know that’s not what I meant!"
"No, I was responding directly to Reporter Shin’s question. If I’ve served with such diligence, why should I step down? Especially when I’m the victim here."
"That’s obviously—!"
"Obviously? I fail to understand your meaning. Are you scolding me for not resigning even as I ‘dare’ to go against the Crown Prince?"
Baekhan’s sharp retort cut to the bone. Was a public servant supposed to quit their job simply because they sought justice for a wrong done to them?
The reporter’s face twisted uncomfortably at the pointed reply.
And since Baekhan had clearly named both the media outlet and the reporter, everyone watching was probably already typing them into search bars. Hwangjin Daily’s alignment with the pro-Crown Prince faction was common knowledge among the public. If they pushed harder now, they might inadvertently implicate the Crown Prince himself. They’d back off—at least for the time being. How long that would last was anyone’s guess.
"That guy’s just putting on a show!"
Of course, there’s always one exception.
Kang Bunam burst into frame, panting, having waited for his chance to jump in. Oblivious to why the other reporters had gone quiet, he eagerly blurted out things that only made him look worse.
"I mean, whatever Kim Seungjun might’ve done, it’s not like he was lying about everything, right? That dirty, what was it, Switch? Didn’t Taehyun actually take that stuff?!"
"I never even mentioned Mr. A’s real name. But it seems President Kang knows exactly who he is?"
Realizing his slip, Kang Bunam pursed his lips like a coward. But it was too late. Too many cameras were already broadcasting live.
"Reporters! Don’t fall for this bastard Seo Baekhan’s nonsense! He waited until I showed up—he’s not even a lawyer, and he brought the complaint himself! It’s all for show—"
"Joo Taehyun is my spouse. Is there a reason I shouldn’t be the one standing here? Taehyun suffered that humiliation just because he loved me."
"And you think that excuses this?!"
It was then that police officers arrived, likely sent from the adjacent building, pushing through the reporters and approaching Seo Baekhan.
"This seems to be escalating. We need to get the situation under control."
"Everyone, step back! Let’s maintain order!"
The idiotic Kang Bunam started shrieking, asking if they were here to arrest him, but nobody was listening.

"Director Seo, we heard you had business with the department?"
"Yes. I only came to submit a complaint and head back."
The officers explained they’d come purely for safety. They cleared a path, telling him to continue his business.
Apparently, no one had given them direct orders—they must’ve seen the live stream and rushed over.
"Then I’ll be on my way. Sorry for the sudden appearance and the rambling. Thank you for listening."
He flicked his gaze toward Choi Yeonjun, who had been standing quietly at a distance, motioning for him to follow inside.
Kang Bunam kept flailing, hurling insults at Baekhan and Taehyun, but he had already become background noise.
"Seo Baekhan, what the hell are you doing…"
As soon as they stepped inside, Choi Yeonjun ran a hand through his hair in visible agony.
"Why the hell would you drag the Crown Prince into this? What are you gonna do now?!"
"Exactly. Maybe I should beg His Highness Yi Hwang for mercy?"
"The way your damn mouth runs, I guess rock bottom’s still a long way off, huh."
Yeonjun muttered under his breath, casting his eyes downward to avoid the looks of curious onlookers—until his frustration exploded and he whipped his head up.
"Listen. If you ever say again that you don’t like Joo Taehyun, I’ll fucking kill you. Got it?"
"Haha."
"You’re laughing?! This is funny to you?"
Maybe it wasn’t a time to laugh.
But the high from his first-ever act of rebellion lingered unexpectedly, and Baekhan couldn’t stop smiling.
***
The moment the elevator doors opened, Taehyun’s pheromones hit him full force. Was something wrong? Perplexed, Seo Baekhan opened the hospital room door—and immediately understood.
"Taehyun."
Joo Taehyun, visibly flushed, was pacing the room in circles. His scent clung to the air like cologne, woodsy and wild, trailing with his every restless step.
"Feeling cooped up? Want to go for a walk—"
Before Baekhan could finish, Taehyun lunged at him. He must’ve meant to shove hard, but given his weakened state, it didn’t hurt at all.
"You even pulled out your IV."
Baekhan gently caught his wobbling frame, guiding him carefully back toward the bed.
"You saw the news, didn’t you?"
Taehyun seemed to pause for breath, but then, as if his mind snapped all over again, he grabbed a cup from the side table and flung it at Baekhan.
"What the hell are you doing?!"
Thankfully it wasn’t glass, so it didn’t break—but Baekhan ended up soaked.
It was strange to see Taehyun so completely unhinged. And yet, if he was expressing his emotions like this—even in such a messy way—maybe that was a good sign. If Baekhan could think that, he really must have lost it.
"What exactly… are you trying to do?"
Taehyun was panting, his words chopped up by ragged breaths and surging fury. His cheeks were red, and his voice kept breaking from the heat of it all.
"Kang Bunam was about to pull some disgusting stunt again. I couldn’t let him."
"People like him have always said shit. And now you’re dragging in the Crown Prince?! What, you’re going to dignify every insult with a full-blown war?"
Maybe getting this reaction was better than silence. But as Baekhan indulged that thought, the gravity of the situation finally hit him.
Taehyun wasn’t just venting. He was genuinely, furiously angry with him. More than ever before.
Before coming here, Baekhan had spoken with Joo Kyunghan. It wasn’t without risk, but Kyunghan had said it would do more good than harm—and had even looked pleased for once.
Baekhan had been sure Taehyun would be moved, too. Even if not as visibly pleased as Kyunghan, surely he’d feel something. See that Baekhan had done this for him. Maybe even start to see him in a new light.
After all, Taehyun understood him better than his assistants or closest friends ever could. He’d figured Taehyun would be shocked in a good way.
And when that moment came, Baekhan had planned to tell the truth. Everything.
He still didn’t fully understand his own emotions. Maybe he didn’t want to admit he’d lost control. But he knew now—this wasn’t just about the bond or their secondary genders. It wasn’t just because of the imprint.
He would’ve asked Taehyun for time, to explain it all, to be honest about how he felt and what he wanted going forward.
He’d imagined Taehyun would eventually understand. Maybe even be moved.
"I finally thought things were quieting down… but now I have to explain it all again…"
But there was no hope of that now. Taehyun was nearly as distraught as he had been the day he collapsed, sobbing in their bedroom. It was a wonder he wasn’t unconscious already.
"On top of being pregnant, now I have to tell people I lost the baby, too. Of course Kim Seungjun or the Crown Prince—or whoever—will use that first to tear me apart—"
"I’ll handle it. You don’t have to worry about anything."
So that was what he’d been afraid of.
But Seo Baekhan had no intention of letting Taehyun go through that alone. He really did mean to take care of it himself.
"I’ve already contacted the international medical community. There are more than enough people willing to testify on your behalf, so—"
"…Seo Baekhan."
Taehyun slowly ran a hand down his face. Tears spilled from where his fingers brushed his cheeks.
"I'm not doing this to clear my name. I'm not scared of what people will think of me."
"…"
"I just… I don’t want people talking about that baby again. The baby who stayed in me for maybe a month, who’s already buried. What did that child do to deserve being chewed up by people’s mouths like this?"
"Joo Tae…hyun, I—"
"Maybe it had to come out eventually. But ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) did it have to be now? That baby—our baby—barely in the ground, and already you’ve dragged it back into the fire."