The Hidden Son

Han Hyunjae had never truly belonged anywhere. As the secret son of the Vice President, he was raised outside the limelight, concealed from the public eye, yet under constant scrutiny from those who knew of his existence. His father, a man of unshakable ambition and discipline, had always expected perfection from him, regardless of his status as an illegitimate child.

Hyunjae's childhood was not one of warmth or understanding but of rigid discipline and high expectations. The family that raised him—his father's trusted relatives—treated him more as an obligation than as a son. They provided him with the best education, the finest tutors, and rigorous training in business, politics, and etiquette, but they offered little in the way of affection. Every action he took was monitored, every mistake magnified, and every success measured against an impossibly high standard.

Despite his efforts, Hyunjae always seemed to fall short in the eyes of his father. No matter how well he performed, he was never the best. There was always someone ahead of him, a shadow he could never outshine—Jung Taewon, his childhood friend and the son of the Vice President's closest ally. Taewon was everything Hyunjae was expected to be: charismatic, effortlessly intelligent, and born into legitimacy.

The comparisons were relentless. In school, Taewon excelled naturally, while Hyunjae had to fight for every achievement. While Hyunjae spent sleepless nights perfecting his studies, mastering skills, and training his body to peak condition, Taewon seemed to breeze through everything with ease. And yet, Taewon was always the one who received the praise, the recognition, and the unwavering support of their elders. Hyunjae, on the other hand, was reminded time and again that he was merely second best.

The weight of these expectations crushed him. There were moments of quiet rebellion—small acts of defiance that no one ever noticed. The moments when he would sneak out at night, standing under the city lights, longing for a world where he could exist as more than just a shadow. The stolen hours where he engaged in underground fights, where no one knew his name, where he could be measured by his own strength rather than his bloodline.

But no matter how hard he tried to carve a space for himself, his father's influence loomed over him.

At sixteen, his father summoned him for a private conversation. It was rare for them to speak alone. Hyunjae had hoped, foolishly, that this might be a moment of recognition. Instead, his father's words cut deeper than any wound.

"You're a disappointment, Hyunjae."

The cold finality in his father's voice sent a chill down his spine. "I've given you every opportunity, and yet you still fall behind. How long will you make me ashamed?"

Hyunjae clenched his fists. He wanted to scream, to demand why he was never enough, but he knew better. Speaking out wouldn't change anything. So, he swallowed his pride, bowed his head, and accepted the weight of his father's expectations once more.

That night, he made a vow. If he could not outshine Taewon through ordinary means, he would find another path. If the world only saw him as second best, he would rewrite the rules entirely.

He was done being overlooked. He would rise, not as his father's hidden son, not as Taewon's lesser rival—but as Han Hyunjae, the man who would surpass them all.

And this time, he would not allow anyone to stand in his way.