Diamond Dust — Chapter 3

YEEHYEON, LISTEN.

THE TRUTH IS, I'M AN ALPHA.

THAT'S WHY MY PARENTS ARE AGAINST ME BEING WITH YEEHAN.

BECAUSE HE'S A BETA.

AND MY DAD...

...HE MIGHT ACTUALLY TRY TO KILL HIM.

YOU'RE...AN ALPHA?

YEAH. NO ONE KNOWS EXCEPT MY FAMILY AND YEEHAN.

AND NOW, YOU.

ARE YOU SURE IT'S OKAY TO TELL ME?

I'M TELLING YOU BECAUSE YOU'RE YOU.

MY PARENTS WANT ME TO "SETTLE DOWN AND HAVE KIDS" LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.

BUT YOU KNOW HOW IT IS IN A LITTLE PORT TOWN LIKE THIS, WHERE ALMOST EVERYONE IS BETA.

IF YOU’RE A FEMALE ALPHA OR A MALE OMEGA, YOU’RE SEEN AS SOME SORT OF FREAK OF NATURE.

MY ODDS OF HAVING A CHILD ARE BEST WITH AN OMEGA...

...BUT MY PARENTS DON’T LIKE ME BEING WITH ONE, MAN OR WOMAN.

"A MAN GIVING BIRTH? WHAT WOULD PEOPLE SAY?"

GOLDEN ALPHAS ARE KNOWN FOR BEING HIGHLY FERTILE, AND MOST OF THEM ARE RICH.

SO WHAT THEY REALLY WANT IS FOR ME TO MARRY A MALE GOLDEN ALPHA.

BECAUSE ON THE OUTSIDE, THAT LOOKS THE MOST "NORMAL."

BUT A "NORMAL" LIFE WITH ANYONE BUT YEEHAN WOULDN’T MAKE ME HAPPY.

I'M JUST WORRIED YOU'LL GET HURT.

I'M NOT AFRAID OF THAT.

I KNOW. BUT I AM.

LET'S JUST LEAVE THIS PLACE.

THAT DAY...

THOUGHT OF MY FATHER.

LOVE IS A TERRIFYING THING.

IF YOU LOSE IT, IT BREAKS YOU.

THESE TWO LOVE EACH OTHER SO MUCH...

...BUT IF THAT LOVE IS TAKEN FROM THEM...

YOU TWO HAVE TO STAY TOGETHER.

THAT'S THE ONLY WAY YOU'LL BE HAPPY.

SO...

SO...

DON’T WORRY, YEEHYEON.

WE’LL ALWAYS BE TOGETHER.

THEY BECAME MY SHELTER WHEN MY SANDCASTLE CRUMBLED.

WE’RE READY TO RUN, YOU KNOW.

COME WITH US, YEEHYEON!

I WANTED THEM TO BE HAPPY, WITH ALL MY HEART.

PHANTOM...

...MUST HAVE A PRETTY RELAXED DRESS CODE.

AH.

NOT EXACTLY WHAT YOU'D EXPECT FROM ART GALLERY EMPLOYEES, RIGHT?

MOST OF OUR CLIENTS ARE IN FASHION OR ENTERTAINMENT...

SO MR. LIU'S POLICY IS THAT THE STAFF HAVE TO LOOK STYLISH IN ORDER TO APPEAL TO THEM.

A LOT OF CELEBRITIES ARE COMING TODAY, SO ENJOY THE SHOW.

OH...

I DON'T REALLY KEEP UP WITH CELEBRITIES...

BUT IF I SEE SOMEONE I RECOGNIZE, I SHOULD TELL HYUNG AND MORAE NOONA.

I MUST BE OUT OF MY MIND!

I JINXED IT BY SAYING "EVERYTHING IS GOING SMOOTHLY FOR ONCE!"

DIRECTOR HAN, IS SOMETHING WRONG?

I LEFT THE BOOK AT HOME!!

THE ONE PUBLISHED BY THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF MONSIEUR. THEY'RE COMING TODAY.

EVEN IF I SAY I'VE READ IT, IF I DON'T HAVE THE PHYSICAL COPY, THEY'LL REMEMBER IT FOR MONTHS...

I SPENT SO MANY DAYS READING WHENEVER I COULD!

I'LL TAKE A TAXI TO YOUR PLACE AND GET IT!

NO, NO. THE EVENT IS ABOUT TO START. THAT'LL TAKE TOO LONG.

I'LL GO.

IT'S BETTER IF I GO THAN ONE OF YOU...

WHAT IF WE JUST BUY A COPY FROM A NEARBY BOOKSTORE INSTEAD?

YES! THAT WORKS TOO!

OH... THANK YOU.

I'LL BE RIGHT BACK!

IS IT THIS ONE?

I bought it. I'm on my way back now.

THANK GOODNESS. THAT DIDN'T TAKE AS LONG AS I THOUGHT IT WOULD.

THANK YOU.

OH...

THE WEATHER IS SO NICE TODAY, BUT WE'LL BE STUCK INSIDE THE GALLERY...

YOU BETTER BUY ME A REALLY EXPENSIVE MEAL, KUN.

ISN'T THAT MR. LIU?

DO YOU THINK I'M DOING THIS FOR MY SAKE? STOP WHINING.

HELLO...

OH... I DON'T THINK I'VE SEEN HIM BEFORE.

YOUR NEW BOYFRIEND?

YOU STILL HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT MY TYPE, HAVE YOU...?

HE'S A TEMP.

SO NOT A NEW BOYTOY, THEN?

PHANTOM HAS NEVER HIRED A TEMP.

MAYBE I SHOULD TRY WORKING HERE TOO.

IT'S JUST A ONE-DAY THING.

WHAT ARE YOU HOLDING? WANT ME TO CARRY IT FOR YOU?

IT'S JUST A BOOK...

SEE YOU LATER!

VIP INVITATION

phantom

EXHIBITION

MAY

WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT?

YEEHYEON, DO YOU HAVE THE BOOK?

YES!

DIRECTOR HAN, YOU EVEN UNDERLINED PASSAGES?

I KNEW IT, PHANTOM JUST HAS THAT GENUINE FEEL.

THEY DIDN’T NOTICE, RIGHT...?

YOU EVEN HAD TIME TO UNDERLINE SOME OF IT?

I UNDERESTIMATED YOU. I’M IMPRESSED.

MY DAUGHTER JUST GOT A PROMOTION. DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING WE COULD HANG IN HER OFFICE?

MAYBE YOU COULD SUGGEST A PIECE, DIRECTOR HAN.

OH, CONGRATULATIONS! I HAVE A FEW IN MIND, YES. WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE A LOOK?

IT’S KIND OF FUNNY HOW EXCITED THEY GET OVER NOTHING, ISN’T IT?

PARDON...?

THIS INDUSTRY IS JUST LIKE THAT.

OUR JOB MAY OFFICIALLY BE SALES...BUT REALLY, IT'S MORE JUST ABOUT SUCKING UP TO PEOPLE.

SOMETIMES I GET PRETTY JADED...

THE DOMESTIC GALLERY MARKET IS ALREADY SATURATED.

GALLERIES LOOK GLAMOROUS ON THE OUTSIDE, BUT ANYONE WITH MONEY CAN OPEN ONE.

PLENTY OF PEOPLE DO JUST THAT FOR SHOW, AND THEN GO UNDER IN NO TIME.

THE MARKET IS TINY, SO IT'S HARD TO BREAK INTO.

THAT'S WHY OUR CURATOR TARGETED A NICHE.

PEOPLE IN FASHION AND ENTERTAINMENT.

PEOPLE WITH MONEY, BUT NOT MUCH EXPERIENCE BUYING ART.

BY BUILDING A SPACE FOR NETWORKING, HE BROKE INTO THE MARKET.

AND IT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT PEOPLE IN THE INDUSTRY ARE SAYING?

"A BLUE-EYED GOLDEN ALPHA..."

"...WHO BEWITCHES PEOPLE WITH HIS PHEROMONES AND SELLS THEM ART...""

AGH, STOP IT! KEEP IT TOGETHER!

I'LL BE RIGHT BACK. CAN YOU WATCH THE COUNTER?

OH, UH, SURE...!

I ASSUMED EVERYTHING CAME EASY TO HIM...

...BUT HE'S ACTUALLY WORKED REALLY HARD.

A BLUE-EYED GOLDEN ALPHA...

...WHO BEWITCHES PEOPLE WITH HIS PHEROMONES...

WHY DO YOU LOOK SO SCARED?

OH, IT'S NOTHING.

CAN I HELP YOU?

YOU COULD START BY TELLING ME YOUR NAME.