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Set’s blood tests, pheromone tests, and even psychiatric evaluations were all completed. Thanks to the obstetrics and gynecology department being part of this specialized genetics hospital, things went much more smoothly.
Due to Dr. Nam’s consideration, Set and Yeon Ji-ho didn’t need to be separated during the examinations. Ji-ho was fine, but Set struggled when they tried to separate, so they had no choice but to undergo the tests together.
At home, Set seemed somewhat used to being apart, but in this unfamiliar place, his fear of separation increased. Ji-ho, who had never been apart from him until now, felt conflicted as he realized this for the first time.
“Ah, you two, you’re here?”
As they returned to the consultation room after the tests, Dr. Nam, who had been looking at the computer screen, greeted them. Thanks to them being the only patients in the entire hospital, the results seemed to have come out quickly. Dr. Nam first invited them to sit down.
“This might be a long conversation. Would you like some coffee?”
“Pardon?”
“Warm tea instead.”
“Oh my, coffee isn’t good for a pregnant person. I forgot about that.”
Dr. Nam laughed, turned around, and handed them two cups of warm tea. Ji-ho held the paper cup placed in front of him, warming his cold hands for a moment.
“First… let’s start with this. Do you two believe in God?”
At the mention of “God” from Dr. Nam’s mouth, Ji-ho’s fingers stopped moving, and Set’s expression hardened. However, Dr. Nam, seemingly unaware of their subtle reactions, continued to speak.
“Ah, I’m not asking about your religious values. It’s just that the conception of a life seems truly like fate, that’s why I mentioned it.”
Ji-ho worried that Dr. Nam might think God had intervened in his fate once again, but fortunately, Dr. Nam clarified first. As Dr. Nam laughed heartily, the other two also seemed to relax their tense expressions.
“May I call you Set? The timing of Set’s manifestation is quite remarkable. It seems he manifested just before the child was conceived.”
“…Just before?”
“Yes. That’s why I asked if you believed in God. It’s not an exaggeration to say that it’s as if… God manifested him to give you this child, the timing was so perfect.”
At those words, Set once again moved some of the pheromones circulating in his body. Immediately, Ji-ho’s shoulders next to him flinched. As their eyes met briefly, Dr. Nam secretly smiled and said,
“Based on Set’s pheromone test results, he appears to be a dominant alpha. It must be confusing, having lived as a beta all your life, but you’ll need to be careful with pheromone control from now on. Ji-ho, you should assist him well. Ji-ho, you manifested quite early, didn’t you?”
“Ah, yes. Around thirteen… years old.”
“It must have been difficult.”
Discrimination against omegas had only recently begun to decrease. Dr. Nam, having worked as a genetics specialist for a long time, knew the long history well and sent a sympathetic look.
As Ji-ho smiled and shook his head, Dr. Nam clicked his mouse once. Set’s chart disappeared, and Ji-ho’s appeared.
“Now, shall we move on to talking about the fetus?”
“Doctor, what about the imprinting?”
Alarmed by the signs that they were about to move straight to discussing the fetus, Ji-ho hastily asked. Dr. Nam then slapped his knee and spoke.
“Ah, the imprinting. Right. That was the reason for today’s examination. To cut to the chase, you two have a mutual imprinting.”
“…What? But Set said he didn’t feel any pain…”
“Ah, yes. That’s why another hospital recommended an imprinting test, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Let’s start with this story first.”
Dr. Nam’s mouse moved busily. After reading one of the test results, he showed a serious expression for the first time.
“I’m afraid Set is suspected of having acquired pain asymbolia. The cause seems to be psychological factors.”
“…Acquired pain asymbolia?”
“Ji-ho, have you heard of PTSD?”
PTSD, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Ji-ho had heard the term several times in the media. However, it was also a word he hadn’t had the chance to take seriously in his ordinary life.
The moment Ji-ho heard the word PTSD from Dr. Nam’s mouth, he unconsciously opened his mouth. He couldn’t help it. He could guess why Set’s pain asymbolia had occurred.
“According to the psychiatric examination results, Set is in a state of severe trauma regarding his past. Ah, there’s no need to discuss that here and now. If necessary, I can recommend a hospital where you can receive psychiatric counseling.”
It seemed that although Set had undergone a psychiatric examination, the results were derived through consultation with another doctor. Ji-ho just nodded to Dr. Nam, who offered to recommend a hospital, and asked something else.
“Acquired pain asymbolia… Does that mean he can’t feel pain?”
“That’s not it. He can definitely feel pain. It’s not congenital, after all. Right, Set?”
Set slowly nodded. If he couldn’t feel pain, he wouldn’t have been able to participate in combat. The battlefield was a place where one could easily die on the spot if they fought without realizing they were injured.
“But he tends to disregard pain. Here, this item. To the question ‘When do you usually feel pain?’, he answered ‘Never’.”
After saying that, Dr. Nam added a small groan, “Hmm.” He continued,
“Moreover, to the question ‘Have you ever tried to harm yourself when seeing sharp objects?’, he answered ‘Even if stabbed by it, I won’t die’.”
“…”
“Ordinary people would usually answer ‘Never’ or ‘Sometimes’.”
Ji-ho was momentarily speechless at Set’s test answers. In a way, it was an obvious story.
He was a person who had lived his entire life enduring war, combat, and abuse, and had harmed countless others. It would be more unreasonable to say that such a person had no mental defects.
Suddenly, he remembered the scene from the other day when Set tried to put his hand in the gas flame at Ji-ho’s house because Ji-ho wasn’t by his side. It wasn’t just because Set was anxious about Ji-ho not being around, but it was also due to Set’s mental issues.
Ji-ho’s face fell heavily. It wasn’t so much worry about the future, but rather sadness and pity for Set, who had lived such a difficult life.
‘I don’t remember well what pain was anymore.’
The words Set had once said to him when he was worried about imprinting flashed through his mind. A single tear unconsciously rolled down Ji-ho’s cheek as he blankly stared at the desk in the consultation room.
“…Ahem.”
Dr. Nam, observing Ji-ho’s expression, quietly picked up the tissue box in front of him and held it out to Set. Set silently pulled out a few sheets and gently wiped Ji-ho’s wet cheeks.
“Don’t worry too much. It’s acquired and psychological, so it can certainly be cured. Ji-ho, the fetus can sense it when the carrier cries. Okay?”
Ji-ho slowly nodded at Dr. Nam’s kind voice, soothing him like a neighborhood grandfather.
“Anyway, it seems there was a misunderstanding about the imprinting due to Set’s pain asymbolia. Set must have definitely felt it. You know the symptoms that commonly occur when separated from an imprinted partner, right? Simply put, headaches, chills, fever, and in more severe cases, insomnia or complications can occur.”
“Then… what about me?”
“Ah, Ji-ho’s morning sickness and pheromone issues were also symptoms that occurred when separated from the imprinted partner. You were away from your mate at the time, weren’t you?”
Morning sickness and pheromone symptoms. Both were pains that Ji-ho had acutely felt while Set was away, so it made sense.
Listening to Dr. Nam’s words, Ji-ho wondered why he had ever doubted his imprinting with Set. There had been so much evidence of their imprinting.
“The timing of the imprinting… let’s see, it seems it hasn’t been a year yet. Hmm, is it around the same time the child was conceived?”
At those words, Ji-ho began to recall the past. Had Set ever bitten his neck?
“I’m sure he never bit the back of my neck…”
“The back of your neck? I did bite it.”
“What?! When?!”
“…When you briefly lost consciousness. You fainted in my arms because you were too exhausted…”
“Wait, wait, wait a minute.”
Ji-ho hastily covered Set’s mouth. He lowered his voice, glancing at Dr. Nam, and whispered in Set’s ear.
“You say you bit it? Then why didn’t you tell me?”
“…Was I not supposed to bite?”
“Well! Between people with secondary sex characteristics, biting the back of the neck is an imprinting courtship behavior…”
Only then did Ji-ho realize the serious error in his words. At that time, Set didn’t even know he had manifested. How could someone like that know how significant biting the back of the neck was between people with secondary sex characteristics?
“…”
“Haha, it seems the misunderstanding has been cleared up between you two.”
Ji-ho’s expression crumpled indescribably. He realized that he had never once asked Set if he had bitten the back of his neck. He had completely forgotten that Set had bitten all over his body.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
Well, i do remember set biting jiho’s nape though..haha 😅