Chapter 16
Eunsol’s voice brought Hyun-oh back to his senses. Seeing his face pale with shock and fear, he felt as if he had committed a grave mistake.
Hyun-oh had pushed Eunsol away when he tried to grab his arm because he feared he might make an irrevocable mistake if he continued to be in the same space as Eunsol.
He didn’t properly notice Eunsol’s gaze, which looked at him like a lost child as he moved away.
Eunsol’s body collapsed as he desperately watched Hyun-oh leave. His knees, which hit the wet floor hard, stung with pain.
But he didn’t have time to feel the pain. He wanted to follow Hyun-oh, but his resolute attitude as he turned his back made him lose courage.
He was a coward who couldn’t even kiss properly and couldn’t cook.
There wasn’t a single thing he could do to help Hyun-oh.
‘Good-for-nothing.’
He remembered what his father always said to him. Sometimes, he would try to find something he could do out of rebellion against those words.
Someone said that if you don’t give up until you achieve your goal, you can do it. But for Eunsol, effort was as futile as filling a bottomless barrel with water.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t catch up to his brother.
His brother received praise from their parents just by sitting and smiling. Eunsol, however, struggled to get even a smile from them, while his brother obtained it as easily as breathing.
He wanted to build a different relationship with Hyun-oh.
He wanted to be someone who could help him so that he wouldn’t regret choosing him. Learning household chores was an extension of that desire.
‘Omegas are nothing more than beings who serve alphas sexually. Remember, don’t act on useless pride or thoughts.’
It was something his father, who was always strict and cold towards him, had earnestly advised. His father, who was usually unperturbed, showed signs of anxiety, fearing that Eunsol might make a mistake in front of the chairman.
Even though the person had changed, the fact that Eunsol must not be disliked by Hyun-oh remained the same. That’s why Kim Myungjun also shared necessary information with Eunsol so that he wouldn’t be a hindrance to Hyun-oh’s path.
But he had just ruined everything.
Eunsol curled up under the stream of water. Even though warm water was pouring over his body, he felt cold.
His blankly blinking eyes saw water droplets falling onto the wet floor.
He closed his eyes, unable to bear the sight. Instead of the darkened vision, the warmth that had seeped into him vividly came to mind. The warmth turned into a chilly wind, scratching Eunsol’s heart.
The sensation of water dripping on his back and hair also faded away. He missed his biological father, who had given birth to him and passed away early. He was too young, so his memories of him were few.
But sometimes, when Eunsol longed for him, he remembered the gentle touch that caressed his hair and cheeks. Even if it was an imagination born of his longing, Eunsol had lived a life desperate enough to rely on that imagination.
Perhaps love was a privilege that only those who had received it could give to others.
He feared that he might not be able to give love to Hyun-oh because he had no memory of receiving love. The love Eunsol remembered was the warmth he had created with his imagination.
He wanted to go beyond the contract and become a true couple with Hyun-oh. But Eunsol had pushed him away, unable to endure the momentary unfamiliarity, even though Hyun-oh had expressed with his whole body that he wanted Eunsol’s body. His father’s advice was of no use.
Perhaps Hyun-oh should have met an omega who had received a lot of love and grown up, like his brother. Hyun-oh deserved an omega who could skillfully accept him and give him love in return.
He even thought that Hyun-oh might be regretting marrying him by now. Eunsol had nowhere to go if Hyun-oh abandoned him. His father wouldn’t take him back if he was divorced.
Without Hyun-oh, Eunsol would be left alone in this world.
In the situation where he had rejected Hyun-oh and he had left him as he was, Eunsol fell into thoughts like a swamp from which he couldn’t escape alone.
It was wrong from the beginning for him, who wasn’t even welcomed by his family, to take the place by his side.
Even under the warm water, Eunsol’s body grew cold. The shaking of the protruding bones on his back grew stronger as time passed.
Even though his eyes were closed, it felt like his mind was being sucked into a distant void.
His whole body ached from being in the same position for a long time. As he exhaled, hot breath was scattered over his philtrum.
Even the various thoughts tangled in his mind faded away.
“Mr. Lee Eunsol!”
A large voice pierced his ears. That was the last thing Eunsol remembered.
***
“It’s a cold fever. I’ve taken all the necessary measures, so he’ll wake up soon if he just rests.”
“Thank you, Dr. Lee.”
“What’s there to thank. We’re not in a relationship where we need to say such things, are we?”
He was Hyun-oh’s attending physician who had taken care of him since childhood. Their relationship was not just that of an employer and employee. His head, which he hadn’t dyed black, was covered with gray hair.
Dr. Lee, who had organized his medical bag, stood up and faced Hyun-oh. Hyun-oh rarely got sick. He only suffered from severe fevers occasionally before manifesting as an alpha in his adolescence.
It had been a long time since he last saw him, and his face brought back memories. It was nostalgic to see the child who hadn’t even come to his knees grow up and even get married.
“Didn’t you have a wedding ceremony? This old man was preparing a generous gift.”
“I didn’t feel the need.”
Hyun-oh also relaxed somewhat in front of Dr. Lee. His eyebrows, which were usually tightly knit, loosened more than anyone who had observed him for a long time could tell.
“You’ve met a good person.”
Dr. Lee looked down at Eunsol with a satisfied expression. Even though his eyes were closed, he could tell he was a gentle person. As one got older, their eyes naturally became more discerning. Even though they hadn’t had a conversation, he strangely felt a good vibe.
There were many people around Hyun-oh who were only interested in their own gain. Starting with his parents. It meant that there were almost no one who followed and liked him without any ulterior motives.
In a wealthy family, a spouse was akin to a business partner.
But Dr. Lee secretly hoped that Hyun-oh would meet someone who truly loved him and whom he could also love, rather than such a rigid relationship.
He had no children or grandchildren. He didn’t know how Hyun-oh felt about him, but Dr. Lee had a fond affection for Hyun-oh.
“Would you like a cup of tea? I want to have a little conversation that we couldn’t have before. You’re not going to chase this old man away right after finishing your business, are you?”
There was an IV line connected to the back of Eunsol’s hand. It would take about an hour for the IV fluid to finish. Removing the IV needle was also Dr. Lee’s job.
“Come this way.”
Hyun-oh led Dr. Lee out of the bedroom. In the space lit only by indirect lighting, Eunsol lay with his eyes closed, breathing evenly.
Before closing the door, he checked that his complexion was much better than when he first found him in the bathroom.
“What would you like to drink?”
“Anything you have. They say people’s preferences become more fixed as they age, but I’ve become more willing to try new things.”
Hyun-oh looked at the contents inside the cabinet. The only types he drank at home were water and coffee.
In fact, there was no choice. Hyun-oh reluctantly took out a coffee capsule.
The coffee machine was the only tool he used in the kitchen. Hyun-oh operated the machine skillfully.
The fatigue from waking up after a brief sleep had subsided. Although a new fatigue had accumulated from what happened after waking up, it wasn’t to the point of showing it.
Hyun-oh made two cups of coffee, one for Dr. Lee and one for himself, and approached Dr. Lee with the cups.
There was a separate living room, but Dr. Lee took a seat on the sofa in the living room with a view of Seoul’s night view.
“This is the first time I’ve visited since you moved here. The view is excellent.”
With an admiring gaze at the night view, Hyun-oh placed the cup he had prepared in front of him.
“I only have coffee to offer.”
“This is enough.”
Dr. Lee smiled modestly and lifted the coffee cup. A smile naturally formed as the deep aroma wafted to his nose.
“You still like coffee, whether it’s now or back then.”
Hyun-oh had enjoyed coffee even before he became an adult. He remembered the time when he was younger than now.
Others say that Hyun-oh is a cold-blooded person without blood or tears. To some extent, that was true.
He was a person who was strict about letting people into his circle, and as far as Dr. Lee knew, the only person who had entered his circle was Kim Myungjun.
Even that was a hierarchical relationship. Dr. Lee was just a guest standing near the line. Although Hyun-oh was somewhat lenient with him, that was only because Dr. Lee didn’t cross the line.
So, the words he was about to say felt stuck in his throat.
He took a sip of coffee to relax his body. Even though he was older, Dr. Lee sometimes felt an intimidating presence from Hyun-oh.
“I had a spouse once.”
“Did you?”
One of Hyun-oh’s eyebrows rose slightly. Information about Dr. Lee flashed through his mind like a panorama. He had a spouse, but currently, he didn’t.
The reason was bereavement. And the cause of death was…
“It was a relationship from my youth.”
Dr. Lee smiled as he talked about his spouse. To Hyun-oh’s eyes, he looked like someone who was laughing to keep from crying.
“…I was obsessed with work. The moment I realized that person was always looking at my back was… already too late.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
