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The last time they met, Choi Eunseong had been pathetically crying, but now he greeted them with a refreshingly bright smile. Just like the day when Jang Yeonhu had first formally introduced him.
The only difference was that this time, it wasn’t Jang Yeonhu introducing Choi Eunseong to Han Jaekyung, but Han Jaekyung introducing Choi Eunseong to Jang Yeonhu.
“Say hello to each other. You’ve seen each other’s faces before, right? This is Jang Yeonhu, and this is Choi Eunseong.”
He had no intention of introducing them as “this is my lover” or “this is so-and-so.” No matter how shameless and selfish Han Jaekyung had resolved to be, he still couldn’t bring himself to do that when Choi Eunseong and Jang Yeonhu were together in the same place.
Once the outline was drawn, everything proceeded smoothly. That day during lunch, Jang Yeonhu immediately asked Madam Yu if she had plans to hire a temporary household employee, saying he had someone to recommend. When Madam Yu learned that person’s name was Choi Eunseong, she smiled brightly and gave her permission at once. The reason was that keeping Choi Eunseong nearby would be an excellent choice in preparation for Jang Yeonhu’s memory returning.
While Jang Yeonhu was in the midst of rehabilitation therapy, Madam Yu had been too busy to think of it earlier, but seeing Yeonhu bring it up first, she burst into giggles, saying that the two must truly be destined for each other, completely upsetting Jaekyung. Of course, she probably hadn’t intended to, but that’s how it felt to Jaekyung.
“Hello! I’m Choi Eunseong! I heard you’re the one who recommended this job for me. Sorry for the late greeting. If it’s not too presumptuous, may I call you hy… hyung?”
“Of course. I’ll be relying on your help in many ways from now on. I look forward to working with you, Eunseong.”
Where had the person who felt so strangely uncomfortable gone? Jang Yeonhu faced Choi Eunseong as if nothing was wrong. He seemed to have completely forgotten their previous unpleasant encounter, maintaining a smooth and friendly attitude.
“Yes… Yeonhu hyung.”
His thick eyelashes fluttered, and delicate blushes dotted his cheeks. Seeing the two of them calling each other “Eunseong” and “Yeonhu hyung” affectionately like they used to, Han Jaekyung felt like his insides were not just burning but on fire. A desperate intuition rose up that no matter how much he struggled, he couldn’t change the already determined flow of water. The damned fate that ordinary people call destiny.
Even in his own opinion, Han Jaekyung wasn’t the kind of relationship with Jang Yeonhu that could be tied together with romantic words like “fate” or “destiny.” Considering how Yeonhu had continued to use him harshly even after they broke up, “ill-fated relationship” would be more appropriate.
“Well then, Eunseong. Shall we get going?”
“Yes, Attorney. We’ll be back soon.”
Choi Eunseong’s main duty as a temporary employee was to assist with Jang Yeonhu’s rehabilitation and provide dedicated care. Wasn’t it ridiculous? There was already a rehabilitation specialist who was paid hundreds per month to stay at the house, Dr. Park who frequently visited to check his condition, and professional nursing staff recommended by Dr. Park. There was no need to hire additional staff to care for Jang Yeonhu, yet Choi Eunseong was assigned such duties. It was the Chairman’s work, finally fully supporting his grandson’s love life.
Jaekyung just felt wronged. If it was going to be like this anyway, why on earth… why now of all times…
No. He didn’t have the luxury of feeling dejected about such things now. No one knew when Jang Yeonhu’s memory would return. Dr. Park kept repeating “just a few more weeks, just a few more weeks” every time she visited, but what was clear was that it wasn’t permanent damage. It was actually difficult for memories of a specific period to be selectively and permanently erased, and Jang Yeonhu’s current state was closer to a temporary error in the mechanism that recalls past memories.
Jaekyung didn’t have much time left. He was granted only a short time, without knowing exactly how much remained. In other words, if he missed this opportunity, he would have to give up on Jang Yeonhu forever, but…
“Come back quickly, Jang Yeonhu. There’s somewhere I want to go with you.”
“Where? Should I just skip rehabilitation today?”
“You’re getting cocky. Are you going to be like this on Eunseong’s first day?”
“Tch… Fine. Just wait a little. I’ll be back really quick, I promise.”
And Han Jaekyung had no intention whatsoever of giving up Jang Yeonhu so easily.
* * *
You need to be smart, Han Jaekyung. This is truly your last chance. He muttered quietly while looking in the mirror.
Getting permission from the family, who prioritized the wishes of the memory-loss Jang Yeonhu, was simpler than scooping up an already caught fish with a net. The key to success ultimately depended on making Jang Yeonhu choose Han Jaekyung even after recovering all his memories.
Simply getting rid of Choi Eunseong wasn’t enough. Though he didn’t know it himself, Jang Yeonhu was… the kind of guy who had been planning to stage a fake traffic accident with someone meeting the right conditions, all with the goal of getting family approval for Choi Eunseong. If he rashly removed Choi Eunseong, it would likely only increase Yeonhu’s resentment.
So he decided to stake everything on this uncertain time, not knowing how much of it remained. Though uncertain if it was possible, he wanted the thirty-one-year-old Jang Yeonhu, who had gradually grown tired over the past thirteen years, to love Jaekyung again because of the memories of this moment.
There were so many memories to restore. Like the time he slapped a student from another department who had confessed to Jang Yeonhu, after calling him out behind the lecture building without warning. Or the times he would often call Yeonhu away from people just to make him pay the bill and then send him away like training a dog. Or when he stubbornly insisted on going to a restaurant with a long waiting line that couldn’t even be reserved, making Yeonhu stand alone in the scorching sun for a good two or three hours…
“Ha… I’m going crazy. Why did I even do those things?”
Even the incidents he could remember immediately were that many, so other minor incidents would be too numerous to count. As he carefully recalled everything, he became increasingly less confident. It’s rather remarkable that Jang Yeonhu hadn’t given up on Han Jaekyung even until he met Choi Eunseong. It was surprisingly impressive even to himself.
Still, he couldn’t just sit around helplessly. Jaekyung decided to push forward as far as he could, whether it worked or not. The existence of Choi Eunseong, who had suddenly come to live under the same roof, was also one of the main factors making him anxious.
“Jaekyung! Where are you, Han Jaekyung!”
He heard Jang Yeonhu’s voice calling his name loudly from outside the door. It seemed he had rushed to Jaekyung’s room as soon as his rehabilitation program was finished. But Han Jaekyung had been waiting in Jang Yeonhu’s room all along. They had completely missed each other.
“I’m here.”
Jaekyung said as he stood up and opened the door wide. Since the room where Jaekyung was currently staying was directly across from Jang Yeonhu’s room, he could immediately spot Yeonhu anxiously looking around as soon as he opened the door.
“Ah! You were in my room? I should have checked there first.”
He seemed to have come straight without washing. His thin tracksuit and hair were completely soaked with sweat.
Although the internal bleeding in his abdomen and brain damage were the most life-threatening injuries and received the most attention at the time of the accident, in reality, his fractured shoulder blade, stretched elbow ligaments, and torn thigh muscles were all far from ordinary injuries.
The orthopedic surgeon who came for joint consultation said it was incredibly fortunate that his neck wasn’t broken and his spine wasn’t damaged. Jang Yeonhu was continuously dedicated to rehabilitation as much as possible without straining his abdominal surgical site.
“I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be here, so go wash up first. We have somewhere to go.”
“Somewhere to go? Where?”
Since it was so rare for Jaekyung to suggest going somewhere first, Jang Yeonhu asked with round eyes. Without answering, Han Jaekyung just pushed his sweaty back with his fingers. It was a silent pressure to go shower quickly.
As Jang Yeonhu was heading toward the shower room, being pushed by Jaekyung, he suddenly turned around just before entering and planted a quick kiss on Jaekyung’s cheek. Perhaps because he had just come from rehabilitation exercises, his lips felt unusually hot.
“I’ll be out soon, wait here.”
“I’ll be here even if you don’t come out soon. Take your time but hurry up and wash.”
“Han Jaekyung always does whatever he wants.”
“Do you dislike that?”
“No. I love it. I love it the most.”
The aegyo that didn’t match at all with his 190cm large frame didn’t seem awkward when Jang Yeonhu did it. Jaekyung smiled and gently patted his cheek with his fingers. Though he had never said it out loud, being like this really felt like training a large dog.
“If we leave too late, the sun will set. Go in quickly.”
After Jang Yeonhu finally entered the bathroom, the sound of running water could be heard shortly after. Jaekyung hummed a tune and returned to the bed where he had been sitting.
Sitting with his bottom on the soft mattress, if he turned his head slightly, the entrance door to this room was just barely visible in his line of sight. Pretending to stretch, he naturally twisted his waist and peeked through the half-open door.
Choi Eunseong was standing there blankly, holding a tray with drinks in his right hand and massage cream in his other hand.
“…!”
He seemed shocked, his mouth hanging open, perhaps surprised by the intimacy between the two, which was more than he had expected. Both guilt and satisfaction swirled in Jaekyung’s heart simultaneously. Soon after, Jaekyung completely turned his gaze away from Choi Eunseong’s pale face. The guilt was only momentary.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
