#6
Loosening his stiff shoulder from the injection and stepping out onto the balcony to smoke a cigarette, his pocket vibrated.
Did Dr. Jang leave something in the room? Jin Woohyeon muttered to himself as he answered the phone.
– Woohyeon-ah.
He pulled out the phone that had been wedged between his ear and shoulder and checked the screen.
An Lei.
When they broke up half a year ago, he thought those three characters would never appear again. Even though they might run into each other here and there in this small industry, there wouldn’t be any personal entanglements. He definitely thought that.
You never know what will happen in life. Jin Woohyeon thought this as he answered.
“Yeah. Why did you call?”
– The production team contacted me, about that variety show.
“Ah, yeah.”
– They said there were too few items from when you and I were dating… asking if we could somehow gather some more.
“Mm.”
This must be what they requested when he went for the interview. They wanted to borrow couple items, photos they took together, souvenirs, and such to use as broadcast props.
He had sorted through and handed over a few photos, but there were no items.
“There aren’t any.”
The few things there were, he had thrown out the moment their breakup was agreed upon. It was just the right time to pack for moving, so he just had to mix them in with other trash to dispose of them.
He chuckled as he carelessly bit the filter.
“You know I’m not the type to cherish those things, so why ask, hyung?”
If there’s no room in my heart, would a corner of the house be any different?
– …Right. You were like that, indeed.
He found that subtly disappointed psychology interesting. Wasn’t he also contacting because he had nothing to squeeze out and was wondering if there might be something more? Not having anything cherished was the same for both of them, and even if not, they weren’t in a relationship where they could expect things from each other or feel disappointed.
Bluntly speaking, even when they were dating, it wasn’t some love-till-death kind of love.
‘Love-till-death is…’
Hoo, Jin Woohyeon’s gaze flew back into the room as he exhaled cigarette smoke long. To a place a bit farther than before, where someone who had cried until they were completely drained would be lying.
“I’ll look to see if there are any gifts left, but don’t expect much. And I can’t check right now either. Tomorrow maybe?”
– Tomorrow?
“I’m at a hotel. Because of my rut.”
He wouldn’t be bringing in a partner, and there was no law against spending it at home, but Jin Woohyeon always insisted on hotels. He hated having pheromones released without restraint accumulating layer by layer in his house.
– Rut? Ah.
An Lei said in a subtle voice.
– You’re still the same, not keeping anyone by your side during rut.
“I guess so.”
– Oh, someone’s here. I have to hang up. Anyway, contact me if you find anything.
“Yeah.”
After hanging up and entering the room, Jin Woohyeon muttered quietly.
“Still the same…”
What did he say? That I probably won’t change?
‘You’ll never change, Jin Woohyeon.’
Right. I thought I wouldn’t change either.
Slow footsteps headed toward the bedroom. The faint but regular breathing resembled exactly what a deeply sleeping child would let out while breathing heavily.
He had impulsively brought in someone whose name he didn’t even know. He had collapsed, so he did it, he couldn’t ignore it – he had piled on plausible excuses, but he couldn’t deny that it was unusually meddlesome behavior for him.
Since he had fainted, he had no choice but to leave him alone, but what if he had been awake? It probably wouldn’t have flowed into an atmosphere where that thing Jang Hanseon had carelessly left behind was needed, but he probably would have unusually shown curiosity.
What’s your name, how old are you, what do you do, what music do you like, what do you do when you’re bored, and so what was so good about that bastard who made you cry so hard…
“You look cute.”
It was a neat and delicate face. It wasn’t as striking as many celebrities or models, but it had a charm that strangely drew people’s attention the more you looked at it. As if it were kneaded and molded from only white, clear, and fine things.
There was a small mole on the tip of his nose that had turned red from crying so much. After gazing at it for quite a while, Jin Woohyeon slowly lowered his gaze along the stretched nape of his neck.
Overall, he was a bit thin. He wasn’t that short, seeming to easily exceed 170cm when roughly observed, but he was surprised by how light he felt when carried. Blue veins showed through his wrist that stuck out from receiving IV fluids.
“Even his walking was quite unsteady…”
Jin Woohyeon clicked his tongue with a displeased expression. He seemed as thin as those models who nibbled on sweet potatoes saying they couldn’t appear on camera looking bloated.
What would have happened if I hadn’t found you?
Would you have wandered that road dropping tears that no one could wipe away, and wandered more, and after emptying out all your sorrow, would you have trudged back home?
It was truly strange.
Why should it bother him what some person whose name he didn’t even know was crying about on some street for whatever reason?
Why did he think this was better, even though his arm still throbbed from the strong injection?
“Sleep well.”
Jin Woohyeon said in an indifferent tone.
“Don’t dream about that bastard.”
It would be unfair if you cried even in your dreams.
There was no answer from the sleeping person.
The next day arrived like that.
Jin Woohyeon woke up in an unpleasant mood. It was because of the rut cycle he couldn’t get through in just one day. As if the dominant trait was protesting that it couldn’t be solved with just one shot, the unpleasant sensation kept stabbing at all his nerves, and he groaned as he sat up.
“Fucking annoying rut.”
When he wiped his nape and forehead, they were hot. He dry-swallowed the medicine he had left by his bedside and headed to the bathroom.
Only after being under cold water for a long time did the medicine start to take effect. Having thoroughly rinsed away the unpleasant heat sensation and let it flow down to his feet, Jin Woohyeon turned his head to the side and sniffed his shoulder and wrist to check if pheromones were leaking out.
“Is it okay?”
This much should be fine. Thinking that, Jin Woohyeon headed to the largest bedroom in the suite.
He had briefly stopped by at dawn to properly remove and dispose of the IV, and confirmed that he was sleeping soundly. After crying and carrying on like that before falling asleep, he must be quite hungry.
Room service would be fine, or having a proper meal at the restaurant on the first floor would be fine too. Anyway, he should fill his stomach a bit before sending him off. The unusual kindness he had shown, since he had started it, he should see it through to the end…
“…Huh?”
He’s gone.
Jin Woohyeon, who had been sniffing his wrist again, lowered his arm and raised his eyebrow crookedly.
“Huh…”
He disappeared.
“This is a situation I never imagined?”
The omega he had taken care of and comforted had completely vanished.
* * *
I spent a night with an alpha whose name I don’t even know.
“Wow, crazy. Shocking true story.”
I did run away as soon as I came to my senses, but whether I left my wits behind in that luxurious super suite room bedroom, I was still dazed.
“I’m crazy, Yoo Sanho. Really crazy, crazy, crazy…!”
I clutched my head frantically, stretched my cheeks, and even stomped my feet until the pain in my aching ankle made me groan. Anyway, I did all sorts of stupid things while somehow making my way home.
But that didn’t make the fact that I cried my heart out in some unknown man’s arms last night, fainted from alpha pheromones, and on top of that, slept soundly at the hotel until the next morning disappear…
If Gam Seonghan hadn’t called and woken me up, I probably would have stayed there until that man came to wake me up.
– Hey, bastard. Why do you hang up on people?
“Gaaaam…”
– What? Why are you suddenly calling me so tenderly?
“Gam. I’m fucked…”
– What are you talking about? Speak so I can understand.
I trudged along while telling him in order about meeting Lee Chan yesterday, then meeting some man while crying, and staying until the next morning.
I was seriously telling him that I had no memory at all after fainting, and Gam Seonghan was quiet.
“Hey… what should I do?”
– …
“You think it’s really big trouble too, right?”
Then after a few seconds, Gam Seonghan said in an admiring voice.
– Hallelujah. It looks like our Yoo Sanho is getting remarried, Lord. One lost lamb has returned.
“Is this Catholic or crazy…”
– What do you mean fucked? Bluntly speaking, even if you had sex there, who’s going to point fingers at you? Of course I know you couldn’t do that…”
Is that so? Hearing it like this, even if I had done this and that with that man, I hadn’t really wronged anyone in particular. I’m not dating Lee Chan right now anyway.
– Are you hurt anywhere?
“Mm-mm.”
My ankle ached a little, but it was at a level that would heal quickly after going home and applying a warm compress. Other than that, I actually felt more refreshed than yesterday, which was strange.
“I got IV fluids.”
There might be the effect of getting nutritional supplements that made my body feel lighter, but the biggest difference would probably be the weight on my heart.
Yesterday, the feelings that had been precariously piled up seemed to boil over as if they had exceeded a critical point, so I grabbed onto a complete stranger and said anything while making all sorts of scenes.
Maybe that’s why I felt completely relieved inside now.
– You dummy.
Gam Seonghan called me.
– The world won’t collapse just because you live as you please. So just live following your heart a bit.
“…”
– This time with that transfer thing… what was it, anyway with that transfer or whatever bullshit, sort it out cleanly, and you should live doing only what you want to do. Work at the restaurant waiting to open, meet someone who’s crazy about you and have a new romance… sigh.
Whether it was empty, refreshing, or something else… I gently pressed my solar plexus with my palm and answered quietly, “Yeah.”
“I’ll try.”
Maybe it was because I had let go of some of the emotions that had been so overwhelming even when I embraced them with all my strength. Such words came out naturally.
“Later when all the filming is over and I get settled at the restaurant, I’ll invite you.”
– Were you not going to do it otherwise, you heartless bastard? You, huh? Oh my, this snotty kid. You should be filial since you know how much I’ve worried because of you.
“Ahahaha.”
Maybe because I cried so much all at once then, I didn’t cry that much after that. A few days later, I met Lee Chan once more for a cross-editing interview, and I was even able to smile quite composedly then.
And time passed like that…
April.
The long-awaited entry day for ‘Can Love Be Transferred Too?’ had come.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
