#133
“Well… That’s good then. By the way.”
Im Hoyoung cleared his throat. If Idam, the pregnant woman, hadn’t been present, he might have cursed, but he barely held back. He put on his doctor’s expression again and looked at Idam’s pheromone gland test results, his expression becoming a bit heavy.
“You’re entering the second trimester now, but your pheromone gland activity is still slow.”
“Yes. My pheromones haven’t started yet.”
Idam touched the nape of his neck. He was worried about his quiet pheromone gland. They had said it was an early pregnancy symptom, and now he was entering the second trimester, so why was it like this? Taemin liked his pheromone scent too, and he was afraid it might harm the baby.
“Still, looking at today’s pheromone gland test results, it’s become more fluid compared to when you were in Cheongdo. It might return to normal soon, so don’t worry.”
Im Hoyoung defended the gloomy Idam.
“Is there any danger to the mother if the pheromones disappear?”
Taemin asked, holding Idam’s hand tightly as if trying to reassure him. Im Hoyoung shook his head.
“It’s not related. It’s just that Taemin might miss it.”
“Oh no! Am I causing harm to the CEO because of me?”
Idam’s eyes widened, feeling his heart shrink.
“Ah, absolutely not.”
Im Hoyoung waved his hands as if to say not to worry.
“Taemin has fully recovered from his aversion, right? It doesn’t matter.”
“Huh? You know I’ve fully recovered from my aversion?”
“I heard the employees gossiping about it in Jihwado. Why are people there so loose-lipped?”
Im Hoyoung clicked his tongue while adjusting his glasses. At the same time, Taemin’s eyes sharpened like an axe blade.
“Which employee was running their mouth?”
“Why, are you going to kill them if you find out?”
“I should crush them so they can’t use their…no, never mind.”
Taemin started speaking with a grim face but changed his words when he became aware of Idam. He felt like he was saying something harsh even though it wasn’t enough to just hear and see good things. He immediately stroked Idam’s head gently.
“Don’t worry. I don’t miss anything without your pheromones. Your body scent is enough.”
Taemin treated Im Hoyoung like an invisible person once again. Then he put his mouth on Idam’s nape and sucked.
“Oh!”
Surprised, Idam pushed Taemin away and glanced at Im Hoyoung. Im Hoyoung’s expression was even more sour, and he frowned as if he had seen something he shouldn’t have.
“Why, should I prepare an empty room for you? Want to do it there?”
“Oh, really?”
Taemin seemed ready to accept Im Hoyoung’s offer, but Idam quickly waved both hands.
“No, no! I’m sorry. It’s fine.”
“Well, I guess it’s not mannerly to do it in the hospital.”
Taemin suddenly changed his attitude as if possessed by a gentleman alpha. He seemed to want to avoid making Idam uncomfortable as much as possible.
“Ji Taemin, you’re not dry heaving anymore?”
Huh? Idam faced Taemin, wondering what this was about.
“Ah, it’s fine now. It all got better after meeting Idam.”
To be precise, it was also because of the sandwich Idam made.
“CEO, were you very unwell while I was away?”
He knew Taemin looked more haggard than before, but he wondered if his condition had been worse than he thought.
“A little. It wasn’t serious.”
“Yes. Taemin’s condition is normal now. Don’t worry too much.”
Only after Im Hoyoung added his words did Idam feel relieved.
The two soon left the hospital room. Idam moved on his own this time as he had brought crutches. The corridor was empty and quiet, so Taemin matched his pace to Idam’s slow steps with a relaxed gesture.
“Don’t worry too much about your pheromones, Idam. The pheromone gland will definitely return. It just takes a little time.”
“Do you really think so?”
Idam felt like he was walking a precarious tightrope.
“Yes. They say that pregnant extreme heat omegas like you are in what’s called a ‘pupa’ state.”
“A pupa?”
“Yes, you’re going through preparations to become more perfect right now. When this period passes and you emerge, you’ll have beautiful wings.”
Of course, Idam wouldn’t actually grow fairy-tale-like wings.
“When that moment comes, you’ll be able to live proudly. Above all, I can already feel your wings fluttering.”
Although he couldn’t understand exactly what it meant, it felt like he had gained hope. And it seemed like he could see a white butterfly outside the window.
At this moment, Taemin’s phone vibrated. At first, he looked at the phone with an annoyed expression, but his face hardened in an instant.
It was a call from his father, Ji Hyeongman. Secretary Kang, who was in the parking lot, was also approaching.
“Idam, I’m going to take this call for a moment. Go to the parking lot with Secretary Kang.”
“Okay, I understand.”
Idam nodded.
* * *
Taemin entered a quiet corridor. After looking around, he saw an empty hospital room, went inside, locked the door, and answered the phone.
“Hello, Father. It’s been a while. How are you?”
He looked like the world’s most filial son while having put his own father in a mental hospital.
[Just the same. Where are you now?]
“I met Im Hoyoung. I came with Idam to hear the test results. The baby is healthy, he says.”
[Hah… You’re so brazen now.]
“Of course. Have I done anything wrong?”
[Have you seen Grandfather?]
“Yes, he came to visit last week.”
[What did you tell Grandfather?]
“I told him that I’m taking Idam as my bride.”
[What!]
Hyeongman’s voice was full of shock, while Taemin was calm to the point of being full of confidence.
[You! Why did you do such a reckless thing? Don’t you know what kind of person your grandfather is?]
“I know all too well.”
[Ever since I loved Rin… that is, your mother, I couldn’t understand how my father could treat extreme heat omegas like that. So I hid the fact that your aversion was cured and my injury from your grandfather, afraid you might get hurt too.]
“Then why did you try to kill Idam when you came to Jihwado?”
At Taemin’s chilling question, Hyeongman was silent for a moment as if his throat was choked.
“Why aren’t you saying anything more? Tell me. Why did you do that?”
[Did Director Park spill?]
Taemin’s blue eyes grew even darker at Hyeongman’s question.
“Yes. He told me everything.”
[That bastard! Why is his mouth so loose!]
At Hyeongman’s sharp voice, Taemin brushed up his bangs. He also shook his head as if it was beyond help.
“Actually, I’ve never spoken with Director Park.”
[What?]
“It was just a question I asked on the off chance, but you fell for it right away?”
[Hah…]
Hyeongman let out a deep sigh at Taemin’s leading question.
“Well. It’s not that shocking because there’s nothing left to be disappointed about.”
[Taemin… I just wanted you not to suffer the same pain as me because of that omega Yeo Idam.]
“And you do the same thing as Grandfather?”
Taemin’s eyes were sharper than ice.
[I judged that if your feelings for Yeo Idam deepened, it would be more painful when you parted. So I wanted to nip it in the bud before that. It was so hard for me after forgetting Rin… But my thoughts for you ended up hurting you instead. I’m a wretch.]
“…”
[After learning the real secret of Rin’s death, I realized that I’m no different from your grandfather in the end, and I’m reflecting on it. I’m sorry, Taemin.]
There was a choke in Hyeongman’s voice. He seemed to be reminiscing about Rin, who had gone to heaven. Taemin didn’t want to hear any more and ended the call. His head hurt.
The reason for facing this situation was because he had touched a spider that shouldn’t have been mated with in the first place. The vine of pain created by greed that went against nature’s providence was more painful than he thought. Taemin left the empty hospital room with a bitter feeling and arrived at the underground parking lot. At the same time, his brow furrowed.
“What’s this?”
* * *
Idam took the elevator with Secretary Kang after passing through the corridor. Secretary Kang pressed the button for the third basement floor like a wooden doll.
Huh?
Idam was puzzled. He remembered parking on the second basement floor when they arrived at the hospital earlier, wondering if they had moved the car in the meantime. Moreover, Secretary Kang’s complexion continued to look unwell.
“Um, Secretary Kang. Did something happen today?”
Idam asked carefully, feeling uneasy.
“What? No… It’s nothing.”
He denied it, but his lips were trembling. Idam, who was even more worried about him, was also confused. At this moment, his phone started ringing. The caller was Taemin.
“Huh?”
He was puzzled why Taemin would call again when they were about to meet anyway. As he was about to answer the call, the elevator arrived at its destination and the doors opened. Idam came out with Secretary Kang. In the meantime, Taemin’s call had been disconnected. Idam thought about calling back but decided against it, thinking it might be unnecessary, and followed Secretary Kang who was walking ahead. The underground parking lot was completely empty without any other cars.
What appeared before his eyes was not Taemin’s usual car, but a brand new white sedan. It felt very out of place.
Something felt off.
“I’m sorry, Madam.”
Secretary Kang spoke with a pale face. At the same time, the back door of the sedan opened.
“It’s been a while, Yeo Idam.”
Ji Taehwa, Taemin’s grandfather, was there. A fishy smell emanated from his wrinkled face. At the same time, Idam’s heart sank. Why was he here? Meanwhile, Secretary Kang left the underground parking lot and ran off somewhere. It was utterly cowardly.
“I have an urgent place to go with you, will you get in?”
“…”
Idam swallowed hard. He wanted to refuse, but this was a person he couldn’t refuse, and there was a man who looked like Ji Taehwa’s bodyguard blocking his retreat behind him, so he had no choice.
* * *
“I… I’m dead.”
Secretary Kang, sitting on a bench outside the hospital, groaned while holding his head. He looked like he might burst into tears at any moment.
“I’m a bad person.”
But he had no choice but to sacrifice Idam.
Earlier, while waiting in the car when Taemin and Idam went to see Rickdi, someone approached. At first, he didn’t think much of it, thinking it was Taemin, but then Ji Taehwa grabbed his neck.
‘What are you doing here?’
He asked fiercely and threw Secretary Kang to the ground. Despite Secretary Kang being quite large and well-built, Ji Taehwa’s strength was so strong that he crumbled like a piece of paper.
‘Ha… ha… How… did you… come here?’
‘You don’t need to know that. What are Taemin and that tool doing now?’
His expression, referring to Idam as a mere tool, was monstrous.
‘They… went… to visit… a patient.’
‘Bring that tool to me right now.’
‘What? Why?’
‘Why? To return this messed-up situation back to normal.’
‘That… that’s not possible.’
Feeling ominous, he tried to protect Idam as much as possible. Ji Taehwa’s eyes grew colder.
‘Secretary Kang, your parents run a restaurant in Seoul, right?’
‘…’
‘Do you want to see that restaurant go under in just one day?’
‘What?’
Secretary Kang’s pupils shook at Ji Taehwa’s inhuman threat.
‘So listen to me while I’m asking nicely.’
Meanwhile, Ji Taehwa gulped down bottled water.
‘Ah, I don’t know why I’m so thirsty.’
It was strange that he was looking for water when it wasn’t even hot, but that wasn’t important right now.
For Secretary Kang, who had seen Idam struggle by Taemin’s side, it was too pitiful and sad, but his family came first. Especially since his father had attempted suicide after repeated business failures and had just started this restaurant. Now that they were finally settling in and paying off debts, living like normal people, he couldn’t let it fail here.
He also felt the power of blood ties. It gave him chills that Taemin often made threats, and Ji Taehwa was doing the exact same thing.
So Secretary Kang had no choice but to bring Idam to Ji Taehwa.
“Hah…”
Moreover, he felt even more desperate thinking about how Taemin would react when he found out about this.
What’s more, Ji Taehwa had been curious about Taemin’s schedule today, and Secretary Kang had no choice but to tell him everything. He felt like nothing had gone right since being attacked by Rickdi.
However, he didn’t want Idam to fall into hell like this, so he had to let Taemin know. He called Taemin. It felt like he was walking to his own execution.
I’m dead.
The same thought kept running through his mind as he made the call.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
