Cheon Tae-seong had always summoned a doctor to his home whenever something was wrong with his health. As they walked together, Ha-jin explained the process for someone unfamiliar with the system.
“I’ll get the results from the professor at the outpatient clinic. So the Type 2 Endocrinology Outpatient Clinic is… over there. See the arrow on the sign? The appointment’s at 10, so we’ve got time to take it slow.”
“Yeah? Then how about we grab some coffee?”
“Did you have breakfast? You’re not planning to drink coffee on an empty stomach, are you?”
“I didn’t eat because you weren’t there.”
He said it with a shameless grin, even while lying so blatantly, leaving Ha-jin unsure how to respond. Sensing this, Cheon Tae-seong added with a wounded look,
“I’m serious. I think it’s the pheromone imbalance, but if you’re not around, I can barely eat. I don’t even get hungry, to be honest. The fact that I’m starving now that I’m with you? No way that’s just psychological.”
“Since you’re here, go ahead and book a checkup.”
“If you’d eat with me, there’d be no need for a doctor. I’m perfectly healthy.”
“That’s not the only issue here.”
Ha-jin’s attempt at persuasion was cut short as a café appeared in front of them. Not that continuing would’ve changed anything…
The two stood before the kiosk. Ha-jin selected coffee for himself and a multigrain health shake for Tae-seong, which made the latter burst out laughing.
“Who drinks this stuff? It probably just sits there ‘cause no one buys it, and now I’m the sucker helping them clear it out.”
“My grandmother drinks it.”
“……”
Ha-jin pressed the payment button, and a moment later, Tae-seong was holding a pale brown shake in his hand.
He took a sip through the fat straw—his first time using one—and gulped the drink down. It tasted thick and cloyingly sweet, like sugar mixed with sand. He desperately needed water to wash it down. But in front of him stood Ha-jin, watching expectantly with bright eyes.
“Mm… it’s drinkable. Is this meant to be a meal replacement or something?”
“Meals should be chewed. This has too much sugar—really not ideal.”
“Then why?”
“Better than coffee, isn’t it?”
In other words, there was no real logic—he’d just decided on his own that a sugary sand-water drink was better and bought it for him. And yet he looked so damn confident, his eyes sparkling with conviction. Meanwhile, he shamelessly sipped his own iced coffee without a hint of guilt.
“Well, it’s… good. Want a taste?”
“I already ate.”
“……”
Left without a comeback, Tae-seong chose to just chug the thing. He even considered unscrewing the lid and downing it in one go, but then he noticed Ha-jin glancing around restlessly, the hair on his crown swaying with every subtle move.
“Ha-jin, is Kang Sung-oh an idiot?”
“Huh?”
“He’s spying on us that obviously? So much so that you noticed?”
“I’m pretty observant.”
“Then stay right next to me, since he’s being ridiculously obvious.”
The teasing scold made Ha-jin a bit sheepish. He pulled out his phone to double-check the appointment time, and Tae-seong, who happened to glimpse the screen, asked instinctively,
“Your attending doctor isn’t Professor Joo?”
“Uh… no.”
“Why not? Is he busy?”
“No, it’s fine. Don’t call.”
Ha-jin quickly stopped Tae-seong from pulling out his phone. The Type 2 Endocrinology department was headed by Professor Joo Yoon-seo, and most people would want to be seen by her.
Tae-seong, assuming Ha-jin would feel the same, had immediately gone to call her.
“I’m just going in to hear the results. It’s not even a test or anything…”
Avoiding his gaze, Ha-jin brought his coffee to his lips.
“It’s not like I need treatment or anything.”
“Okay, then.”
Tae-seong agreed easily, but his sharp gaze never left Ha-jin. The muscles in Ha-jin’s face twitched as he tried to maintain a neutral expression. How was he supposed to explain that he’d changed doctors because he felt uncomfortable? He hadn’t even sorted out why he felt uneasy around Joo Yoon-seo. There was no way he could say that to Tae-seong.
“There’s only 20 minutes left until your appointment. We should head to the front and wait.”
Ha-jin awkwardly tucked his phone away and lightly touched Tae-seong’s elbow.
The outpatient ward they were headed to was different from the Omega-specialized inpatient treatment ward Yushin frequented. It wasn’t closed off, and actually had a good number of Alpha patients. Predictably, Tae-seong’s mood soured the moment they stepped inside.
Only Ha-jin noticed the slight twitch in the arm he was holding.
“I can go in alone from here.”
They had just finished checking in when Ha-jin cautiously suggested it. But before Tae-seong could answer, an unfamiliar voice called out from behind them.
“Well, if it isn’t Kim Nalgae.”
Both turned their heads simultaneously. The voice grew more triumphant.
“See? I told you it was him, CEO Kwak!”
The Alpha who had shouted was standing beside Kwak Mari, who looked thoroughly uncomfortable.
It was Choi Chan-hyuk, the same Alpha whose shoulder Ha-jin had once twisted hard enough to fracture his arm.
Ha-jin’s pupils shook violently. Tae-seong, quickly grasping the situation, placed his other hand over Ha-jin’s, still resting on his arm. To onlookers, it might’ve looked like a reassuring gesture, telling him not to be alarmed. In reality, it was to keep Ha-jin from pulling his hand away.
“…CEO? What brings you here?”
Ha-jin smiled awkwardly and looked to Kwak Mari, silently demanding an explanation, all while trying to discreetly free his hand from Tae-seong’s grip.
“Ah. Old client, huh?”
Tae-seong whispered brightly, his voice laced with amusement. Ha-jin, too distracted by Kwak Mari and Choi Chan-hyuk, didn’t notice the expression on Tae-seong’s face and simply nodded.
Kwak Mari gave a brief greeting to Tae-seong, then grabbed Choi Chan-hyuk’s arm and explained to Ha-jin,
“We were here for a contract issue, and he recognized you.”
“Your name’s Ha-jin? So Kim Ha-jin, then? Ha-jin… Kim Ha-jin? Ha! Unbelievable.”
Choi Chan-hyuk kept repeating Ha-jin’s name, his eyes gleaming with malice. Kwak Mari bit her lip. Ha-jin forced a fake smile.
He wasn’t too concerned about his name being exposed. What bothered him was what Kwak Mari had said—that they were at the hospital together over a “contract issue.” That must mean Choi was still receiving physical therapy because of the shoulder Ha-jin had injured, and that he called Kwak Mari every time. She probably kept coming to avoid any nasty rumors.
“Yes, I’m Kim Ha-jin. It’s been a while, sir.”
“And who’s this?”
Ha-jin stepped forward, subtly gesturing toward Tae-seong with a hand. He barely covered half of him, which made Tae-seong’s eyebrow twitch in disbelief.
“He’s my new client.”
“What, already found work again? Even after breaking your client’s arm? Just like that, huh?”
Choi Chan-hyuk stepped closer, squinting as he looked Tae-seong up and down.
“Do you have any idea what kind of person this guy is? He’s dangerous. Twisted my arm like a damn toothpick, injured me, then blamed me and walked away with a massive penalty payout. He’s a con artist! A damn scammer!”
Hrrrk! Choi suddenly sucked up thick phlegm and gathered it in his mouth, ready to spit. But Tae-seong, no longer willing to endure it, unscrewed the lid of the multigrain shake and splashed it right across his face. His movements were so fast that Choi couldn’t even dodge—the entire cup of drink hit him squarely.
“So disgusting. Why the hell would you even bother hocking that up?”
“……”
“……”
“……”
The whole thing happened so fast that even Choi was speechless. The thick brown drink slowly oozed down the deep wrinkles of his face. He’d been about to spit at Ha-jin but was so startled he ended up swallowing his own phlegm.
With everyone’s eyes now locked on the scene, Kwak Mari was at a loss, and Ha-jin had gone pale. But before Choi could even shout, a group of black-clad men emerged from nowhere and grabbed him by all four limbs.
“W-What the hell?! CEO Kwak! Kim Ha-jin! You son of a bitch! What the hell is this?! Let go of me! Don’t you know who I am?!”
In less time than it had taken them to appear, Choi was dragged away, encircled by the black-suited men. Someone must have clamped his mouth shut, because his screams quickly faded.
Kwak Mari gave a half-hearted farewell and rushed after Choi and the black-clad group. Even after they were gone, Ha-jin stood there, mouth agape. Tae-seong had to stick a finger in his mouth and joke that a fly would get in before Ha-jin’s eyes finally turned to him.
He looked up, torn between feeling vindicated and wanting to scold Tae-seong for making cleanup harder for Kwak Mari. And just as he was trying to figure out what to say, Tae-seong reached out and grabbed both his cheeks.
“‘New client,’ huh?”
“Y-Yeah?”
“That’s all I am to you? Sweetheart?”
Tae-seong scrunched his nose, grinning like sunshine.
🤣🤣😭