Walking almost at a run, Yeonwoo tried to recall where the physical therapy room was. After going to the elevator and changing direction, he strode up the emergency staircase. When he arrived at the physical therapy room, his father wasn’t there. Though not visible, Yeonwoo wasn’t anxious. “It’s okay, it’ll be fine.” Muttering the same words as if to reassure himself, Yeonwoo discovered Younghwa in the rooftop garden at the end of the corridor opposite the physical therapy room. He was sitting on a chair in the corner.
With a paper cup held in both hands, he had his eyes closed. Seeing his hunched posture and pale, thin cheeks, Yeonwoo rushed over. The caregiver nearby murmured in surprise:
“Yeonwoo, I didn’t think you’d actually come.”
He hadn’t noticed the caregiver Junseok because he only saw his father. Of course, knowing wouldn’t have changed much. Junseok spoke quietly to Yeonwoo, who was only looking at Younghwa:
“Your father got tired while exercising and is resting for a while. And…”
“…”
“Would you like to talk privately?”
Yeonwoo, who hadn’t even caught his breath, barely managed to nod. Junseok, looking at Yeonwoo with sympathy, said, “Then talk together,” and left them alone.
Even after Junseok left, Yeonwoo couldn’t move for a while. Then, realizing his father might not stay awake for long, he sat down in the seat next to him.
His father was still holding the paper cup with his head bowed.
He doesn’t seem to be sleeping, but does he not know I’m here? I wish he would just move his head a little. I want to see Dad’s face.
After rubbing his sweaty palms on his thighs, Yeonwoo carefully called out, “Dad.” In response, Younghwa’s hands gripping the paper cup gradually tensed, and he painfully moved his trembling lips.
“Yeonwoo.”
At this whisper as faint as a breath, Yeonwoo brought his face closer. Suppressing his excited heart, he waited for his father’s next words. After several hesitations, Younghwa squeezed out his voice:
“…I’m sorry.”
“…”
“Dad is so sorry.”
At this painfully delivered confession, Yeonwoo’s mind went blank.
After blankly staring at the floor for a moment, Yeonwoo blurted out, “Don’t do that.”
“No. Don’t say that. What are you sorry for, Dad?”
“…”
“You have nothing to apologize for. Really, truly…”
His father had even refused surgery that was necessary for his own survival.
But Yeonwoo had insisted, and because of complications after the surgery, his father had suffered even more. All day long he had lain in bed, and only recently had he finally begun to regain his faculties. Probably, each time, he had felt pressure and concern about the astronomical hospital bills being incurred.
Perhaps he thought his father might resent him for pushing ahead despite his objections. That’s why he thought his father hadn’t contacted him once in these past few months…
Now, none of that mattered.
Though his father wasn’t fully recovered, it was good to be able to face him like this again. Feeling only joy at hearing his voice and feeling his warmth, Yeonwoo burrowed into Younghwa’s embrace.
“Dad, Dad…”
If he had been alone today, he would have been depressed the entire time. Having received Younghwa’s call at such a time and now being in his embrace, Yeonwoo couldn’t hold back his tears.
He thought he had toughened up over the past year, but apparently not. Though his father’s condition hadn’t fully improved, being able to converse briefly and be held in his arms like this brought back all the struggles he had endured alone over the past days. Though he couldn’t recall every detail, Yeonwoo tightened his arms around Younghwa’s waist, feeling as if vague, scary, and frightening emotions were pressing down on him like a huge boulder.
Younghwa stared at Yeonwoo blankly before placing his hand on his son’s finely trembling back. With a hand much thinner and plainer than Yeonwoo remembered, he stroked his son’s back and head.
Having contacted Yeonwoo through the caregiver and staying awake the entire time until Yeonwoo arrived, Younghwa fell asleep as if collapsing. He had been awake for almost three hours. They kept saying it was the longest he had stayed awake so far and was a good sign that he would get healthier in the future.
It was partly wishful thinking, but seeing Yeonwoo’s brightened expression and ready smile unlike before, they wanted to repeat the same words over and over. Meanwhile, Junseok, who had been Younghwa’s caregiver for nearly a year, calmly informed Yeonwoo of the reality:
“He might struggle tomorrow because he’s overexerted himself today. But since he seems to have developed a motivation for recovery, he should gradually improve.”
“…”
“You must be overwhelmed coming here so suddenly today. Get some rest.”
Though Yeonwoo nodded at Junseok’s words, he couldn’t take his eyes off his sleeping father.
Most alphas or omegas with pheromone hyperactivity disorder typically lose all their muscle mass and physical strength due to prolonged sleep, suffering from second and third complications before eventually dying. While some people overcame all these challenges, Yeonwoo had been concerned because his father wasn’t particularly healthy, but now he felt somewhat reassured.
The fact that he had contacted Yeonwoo suggested a change of heart. From now on, when he woke up, he would probably exercise more diligently, eat better, and take care of his body.
Initially, when his father was first hospitalized, Yeonwoo had only wished for his quick recovery. At some point, however, he had become preoccupied with just the hospital bills. The enormous monthly treatment costs, plus medication expenses. As the hospital bills accumulated, he felt increasingly indebted to Lee Jonghoon. Perhaps he thought it was money he would eventually have to repay himself.
But now, none of that mattered. Through this brief meeting with Younghwa, Yeonwoo was able to forget all the unpleasant events that had transpired.
Unable to take his eyes off Younghwa, who was still deeply asleep and breathing softly on the hospital bed, Yeonwoo looked up at Junseok.
“I’ll go buy some snacks. What would you like?”
“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me, just take care of yourself, Yeonwoo. You seem thinner than before.”
“It just looks that way. I eat well.”
“…”
But from Junseok’s perspective, Yeonwoo was continuing to lose weight.
Though he had been caring for Younghwa for a year, he couldn’t cross certain established boundaries. Even if he was curious about what Yeonwoo was doing in Seoul alone to earn money for the hospital bills, he couldn’t ask indiscreetly.
Not wanting to spoil Yeonwoo’s mood, which seemed good for once, Junseok mentioned a few snacks that the picky Younghwa did eat: pumpkin taffy, yakgwa (traditional Korean honey cookies), and such. These were familiar foods for Younghwa and Yeonwoo, who had lived in an area with many elderly residents.
Yeonwoo recalled a puffed rice cake machine near the hospital. Dad used to like those things. Saying he would be back soon, Yeonwoo put on his outer garment and hurriedly left the hospital room.
Though he shouldn’t interpret everything positively based on this one encounter, somehow it felt good. Believing that his father’s health would gradually improve from today onward, Yeonwoo’s face brightened like a blooming flower. This appearance, clearly different from before, caught the attention of everyone in the hospital.
After rushing out of the hospital, Yeonwoo lowered his head at the vibration inside his outer garment. Though he thought about ignoring it, with a hopeful feeling, Yeonwoo stopped, took out his phone, and froze at the number displayed on the screen.
“…”
His soaring mood plummeted instantly. Though it was just a matter of mood, not reality, his solar plexus seemed to ache. After hesitating, Yeonwoo answered the call.
[Why did you take so long to answer! Didn’t I tell you to stay alert because you never know when I might call?!]
A familiar scolding.
Followed by a one-sided announcement.
[I don’t have time right now, so listen carefully and remember. Come to Wokyung Hotel at 7 PM this Wednesday evening. Wear the clothes you bought when you went to meet Ho Munbeom, keep your hair neat, and put something on your face. Understood?]
It was a truly unfriendly notification. But Yeonwoo realized what he would be doing at that hotel.
Lee Jonghoon only knew that Yeonwoo had ruined his arranged meeting with Ho Munbeom. So he had arranged another meeting. He would now have a meeting with an alpha other than Ho Munbeom.
[Why aren’t you answering? If you’re late that day, you’re on your own! This is a really important meeting, so for your father’s sake…!]
“I’m at my father’s hospital right now.”
[…What?]
“Dad woke up. Seeing him today, he seems much better. I think he’ll get healthier from now on…”
So he wanted to have a different conversation. If his father’s health improved, there would be no more hospital bills in the future, so couldn’t he stop pushing him into arranged meetings like a product on display? He was about to say that no matter how long it took, he would definitely repay all the money spent on him and his father so far, but what came back was cynicism.
[That disease isn’t something that gets better so easily. Even if it seems better momentarily, stop the treatment and he’ll die right away. I know several people who died from that disease. None survived. So you need to do better, right? Do you even know how much loss I suffered because you messed up the last meeting? So this time, do really well, okay? Then I can also benefit from having a dominant omega son! Right?!]
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
