The cold stethoscope touched my chest. The attending physician’s expression twisted strangely as he listened intently to the pounding of my heart. Seeing that, Han Jae-hoon’s face also contorted with growing seriousness.
“What’s wrong? Did you find something concerning?”
Unable to hold back, Han Jae-hoon asked, but the physician shot him a look, signaling for silence. While the butler tried to calm Han Jae-hoon’s unease, the physician refocused on my heartbeat.
“It seems like manifestation pain…”
He murmured under his breath, just loud enough for only me to hear. He shifted the stethoscope’s position and quickly masked any concern, acting as if nothing was amiss. Still, that unfamiliar term lingered deep in my mind.
“Everything seems fine.”
The moment the diagnosis was given, Han Jae-hoon let out a deep sigh of relief. Whether from exhaustion or overwhelming relief, his legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the floor. The butler, along with the nearby attendants, all turned pale at the sight.
“Are you all right, Section Chief?”
“I’m fine. I just lost my strength for a moment.”
Though he tried to reassure everyone, a faint smile had clearly formed on his lips. He had been through so much exhaustion and stress, but at least it seemed like he had passed the worst of it.
With the butler’s support, Han Jae-hoon stood up and approached me. The physician stepped aside, allowing him to take his place. Sitting beside me, he gently patted my head.
“It’s a relief, Baby.”
His cheeks had hollowed from how many meals he had missed while I was unconscious. The dark circles under his eyes had deepened, showing he hadn’t slept properly either.
Lowering my gaze, I looked at his other empty hand. The gun he had been holding when he entered the room was gone, put away somewhere unseen.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“The party… I ruined it.”
“Don’t say that. It’s fine.”
Even if he said that, I knew it must have caused him a lot of trouble. I was well aware of how much effort Han Jae-hoon had put into this party, which only made me feel even guiltier. Unintentionally, I had made everyone’s hard work go to waste.
With the announcement of the next Section Chief now derailed, handling the aftermath would be a headache. Han Jae-hoon would no doubt still want to appoint me as his successor, but after this incident, people were bound to question my health.
Considering how I’d been unconscious for a full week, this was the perfect opportunity for the argument: Can we really entrust this district to someone who might collapse at any moment?
“Section Chief.”
The attending physician, who had been speaking quietly with the butler, called out to Han Jae-hoon. Annoyed at having his time with his son interrupted, Han Jae-hoon frowned and turned to the two of them.
“Speak.”
“Well, here might not be the best place…”
The physician glanced at me briefly, signaling that they should step outside. Han Jae-hoon let out a deep sigh before patting my head and heading toward them. After the three of them left the room, Vin, who had been waiting outside, stepped in.
“Seo-yul hyung, are you okay?”
Vin’s face was filled with worry, having not been able to hear anything while waiting outside. I assured him that I was fine now, but he still didn’t believe me and reached out, pressing his hand against my forehead.
The lingering fever, which had left my body colder than most, had completely disappeared. Thanks to that, my breathing, which had felt slightly constrained, suddenly felt much lighter. Only after confirming I had no fever did Vin’s tense expression finally relax.
“I’m not in pain anymore, so don’t worry.”
Vin let out a long sigh and sat down on the bed. Carefully, he leaned in and rested his head on my lap. His long eyelashes fluttered slightly as he looked up at me, his face visibly worn out.
“Did you not get any sleep?”
“No, I slept well.”
I narrowed my eyes at the obvious lie, and only then did he admit the truth—he hadn’t been sleeping properly. Gently, I rubbed the dark circles under his eyes. His beautiful red eyes curved into a soft smile at my touch.
I lifted my head and looked at the tightly closed door. The three of them were still talking outside. Han Jae-hoon, unable to suppress his anger, was shouting. The butler was trying to calm him down, and the physician’s voice sounded troubled as he struggled to respond.
And amidst all of that, one word stood out clearly.
Manifestation pain…
The same term the physician had muttered unconsciously earlier kept appearing in their conversation. Every time the physician said it, Han Jae-hoon would explode in anger, and the butler would desperately try to hold him back.
Just what exactly is manifestation pain for them to be reacting this way?
“Vin.”
“Yeah?”
“Later, can you help me sneak past Father and the butler—”
The loud conversation suddenly stopped. At the sound of the doorknob turning, I swallowed the rest of my sentence, and Vin quickly sat up from his reclined position.
The door swung open, and Han Jae-hoon entered, his expression forcibly controlled, followed closely by the butler, who looked visibly uncomfortable. The physician was nowhere to be seen.
“Baby, are you hungry?”
Han Jae-hoon asked, deliberately shifting his serious expression. I shook my head. It wasn’t just that I wasn’t hungry—after lying in bed for so long, I doubted I could keep anything down at the moment.
As Han Jae-hoon approached, Vin moved aside. He smoothed out the wrinkled blanket and sat down beside me, then, as if it had become a habit, reached out to check my forehead.
“Even if you don’t have an appetite, shouldn’t you try eating something?”
“Then, not now—I’ll eat in the evening.”
“Alright, that sounds good. I’ll have them prepare porridge in advance.”
The hand that had been lightly stroking my hair pulled away. As Han Jae-hoon turned around, the waiting butler stepped forward. The faint smile that had been lingering on Han Jae-hoon’s lips faded as he spoke to him.
“Butler, could you leave us for a moment?”
“Yes, Section Chief.”
The butler responded without hesitation, then turned to Vin, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. Vin, reluctant to leave, was nudged toward the door. Despite his resistance, the butler eventually managed to push him out of the room and stepped out himself.
Click. The sound of the door shutting filled the silence. Han Jae-hoon, who had remained quiet until then, slowly took my hand. A faint tremor ran through his fingers, traveling up from where our hands met.
“Baby.”
His tightly sealed lips finally parted. Though he forced a smile, his unfocused eyes betrayed the emotions he couldn’t hide.
He looked deeply confused. And sorrowful.
“Shall we go somewhere for a while?”
I widened my eyes in surprise. Before I could respond, Han Jae-hoon quickly added that it was just a simple trip. That I didn’t need to overthink it, just prepare for it comfortably. But his expression was anything but at ease.
The more I thought about it, the stranger it seemed. There was no way Han Jae-hoon didn’t know about my condition. Yet, this proposal came out of nowhere. It wasn’t like him at all—he usually treated me with extreme caution.
“Let’s visit District 1.”
“…All of a sudden?”
Han Jae-hoon nodded.
He hated going to District 1 unless absolutely necessary. It wasn’t just because of his relationship with Luis Shining. The place itself held no pleasant memories for him.
Yet now, he suddenly wanted to take a trip there?
That was when I became certain—he was hiding something.
“Do we have to go?”
“No, Baby, we must go. We have to.”
He kept repeating that we had to go, without giving me a proper reason. Watching him, a single word circled my mind over and over until I finally said it out loud.
“Is it because of manifestation pain?”
As soon as I spoke, I carefully observed his reaction. I had a strong suspicion that what the physician had murmured earlier was the cause behind this sudden trip. And my guess was dead on.
“Did the physician tell you?”
His dark eyes wavered uncontrollably, unable to conceal his turmoil. The trembling in his hands worsened, far more intense than before. I had never seen Han Jae-hoon this shaken.
Not wanting to push him too far, I averted my gaze and pretended I had overheard their conversation through the door. As if blaming himself for being careless, he let go of my hand with a sigh, looking defeated.
“Father, please… just tell me.”
“What do you want me to say?”
“What exactly is manifestation pain?”
It was frustrating. No one was explaining anything. It was always like this—they acted as if they would tell me everything, yet when it came to the truly important matters, they kept them hidden.
I knew Han Jae-hoon was doing this for my sake. It was just in his nature. But I wished he would understand how much it ate away at me. Maybe he had forgotten because he always called me Baby, but I was already eighteen. A full-grown adult.
“Father.”
“Wait. Just give me a moment.”
He raised a hand and rubbed his face roughly, stopping me from pressing further. After a short silence, he let out a deep sigh and slowly lowered his hand from his face.
“Baby, why did you hide the fact that you had a fever?”
“…What?”
“I heard you were secretly taking fever reducers.”
How did he know? I had never told anyone. My eyes flickered away, unable to meet his gaze.
“Why didn’t you say anything sooner?”
Because it was just a habit—my fevers would spike every now and then, and I didn’t want to make anyone worry. The medicine always worked quickly, and nothing serious ever happened. This time was just… different.
“I just didn’t want to trouble you…”
“Don’t ever do that again. If you’re in pain, you need to tell me!”
Han Jae-hoon suddenly roared.
His deep voice, heavy with emotion, pounded against my chest. I couldn’t even muster an apology. His face, twisted in anguish, carried an expression I had never seen before—pure despair.
