51
The hospital room was quiet.
It felt like it had been a very long time since they’d been alone together like this. When Jo Junghyun quietly reached out his hand to Ji Seunghyeok, he took it first, interlacing their fingers. Jo Junghyun wanted to be close to Ji Seunghyeok’s body, but he was concerned about not having washed. Although he felt somewhat weak, he wasn’t so bad that he needed support to walk. He thought he could probably take a light shower at this point. If a shower was too much, at least he could wash his face or brush his teeth.
“I’m just going to the bathroom for a moment.”
Just as he was about to get out of bed, someone knocked on the door and simultaneously opened it to enter.
“Taejun hyung?”
“Junghyun-ssi. Are you okay? The CEO told me you’d be out of the treatment room around this time, so I came to visit. I hope I’m not interrupting anything?”
Jeong Taejun entered the hospital room with a smooth smile, holding a bouquet of flowers in his hand.
“I wanted to bring a potted plant, but I was told that wouldn’t be proper as a get-well gift.”
“Ah, no. Thank you.”
But before Jo Junghyun could accept it, Ji Seunghyeok took the bouquet instead. Jeong Taejun acted as if only Jo Junghyun was present.
“My goodness, look how thin your face has become. I wanted to come earlier, but someone kept giving me tasks to do. Sorry for coming late.”
“Oh, no. Thank you for coming to visit when you’re so busy.”
Jeong Taejun smiled and stroked Jo Junghyun’s hair.
“By the way, don’t they offer visitors anything to eat here?”
“I’m sorry. We don’t have anything right now…”
As Jo Junghyun responded in embarrassment, Jeong Taejun waved his hand dismissively.
“I’m not saying that to you, but to CEO Ji over there, so don’t worry about it.”
His tone was entirely casual, but Ji Seunghyeok, who had been listening, raised his eyebrows and then lowered them.
“If you have something to say, say it while I’m here.”
“Ah… Taejun hyung, do you have something to tell me?”
At Ji Seunghyeok’s words, Jo Junghyun finally understood the context and blushed. Jeong Taejun turned to face Ji Seunghyeok and tilted his head at an angle.
“You understand I’m asking you to leave us alone, yet you’re still here. You’ve got quite a personality, haven’t you?”
A smile played on Jeong Taejun’s face. He was grinning as he spoke each word, which made Jo Junghyun feel even more uncomfortable. Ji Seunghyeok glanced at Jo Junghyun and let out an audible sigh.
“If it’s okay with you, I’ll just step out for a moment. There should be a vending machine nearby.”
“Where is a patient going?”
As Jo Junghyun spoke up, unable to contain himself, Ji Seunghyeok stopped him.
“That’s right, Junghyun-ssi. I came to talk with you, so how can you leave? Please leave quickly, won’t you?”
Jeong Taejun, blocking Jo Junghyun, addressed Ji Seunghyeok and waved his hand dismissively.
Ji Seunghyeok eventually left the hospital room, and after confirming the door had closed, Jeong Taejun muttered with a cold expression, “That guy is cursing me with his eyes as he leaves.” Then his expression brightened as he looked at Jo Junghyun.
“How are you feeling? Any dizziness or nausea?”
“I’m fine now. Just feeling a bit weak.”
“It’s fortunate you didn’t go into pheromone shock. After shock hits, it’s really, reaaaaally difficult. The pheromone sedative must have been tough too, but you endured well.”
Jo Junghyun looked cautiously at Jeong Taejun.
It sounded as if Jeong Taejun had experienced this himself. Jo Junghyun wondered if Taejun had gone through something similar, but it wasn’t something he could easily ask about.
“Being an omega really sucks, doesn’t it?”
Jeong Taejun seemed to read Jo Junghyun’s thoughts and made the comment with a smile. Jo Junghyun hesitantly nodded.
He had thought that after experiencing this, he wouldn’t be able to talk to anyone about it, not even Ji Seunghyeok, but unexpectedly, Jeong Taejun appeared. Though they hadn’t explicitly discussed it, just knowing someone else had experienced the same thing was a significant comfort.
Above all, Jeong Taejun’s straightforward attitude made Jo Junghyun feel like what he’d experienced wasn’t such a big deal. That felt most appreciated.
Jo Junghyun sniffled once.
“Ah, your pretty face looks sad now.”
Jeong Taejun handed him a tissue. Feeling a bit embarrassed, Jo Junghyun mumbled in a small voice.
“I’m not pretty.”
“Oh? Is this you asking for more compliments by denying it?”
“No, that’s not it. I really am not, not pretty.”
“Wow… That’s not how you deceive people.”
“No, deceive… That’s not what I mean.”
As Jo Junghyun tried to say something more, he felt like he was sinking deeper into a quagmire. He finally realized that all he could do was express gratitude.
“But it’s not just omegas who experience that.”
“What? …Oh, really?”
“Alphas are actually easier to deal with. If you desperately release your pheromones, they’ll be affected the same way. It’s pheromone shock, not omega shock. The problem is with betas…”
As Jeong Taejun continued speaking, he suddenly closed his mouth and rolled his eyes toward Jo Junghyun. His well-shaped lips moved smoothly in a semicircle.
“Hmm. Anyway, your current physical discomfort will heal quickly. You’re experiencing some dizziness, right? Feeling a bit like motion sickness too.”
Jeong Taejun spoke as if he already knew everything. Feeling there was no point in hiding anything from him, Jo Junghyun simply nodded. Jeong Taejun patted him on the back.
“You’ll be fine soon.”
“You think so?”
“Of course. With time, everything gets better. Really, everything. Though your feelings might be a bit… uncomfortable, of course.”
It was a statement with many implications. Jo Junghyun looked down at the tissue in his hand and nodded.
He wanted to ask if that awful feeling of losing his mind from pheromone stimulation and craving any partner would also fade, but in the end, he couldn’t voice it aloud.
Jeong Taejun gently patted Jo Junghyun’s shoulder.
Drawn in by the softened atmosphere, Jo Junghyun cautiously opened his mouth.
“Taejun hyung. I, um… how much would it cost to investigate something? Like, a private detective agency?”
“Hmm?”
Jeong Taejun’s hand, which had been patting Jo Junghyun’s shoulder, stopped. Jo Junghyun clenched and unclenched his hand holding the tissue as he struggled to continue speaking.
“There’s something I’d like to look into. Adoption records or… um…”
His throat felt dry and clogged. Jo Junghyun bit his lip once, then quickly shook his head.
“It’s nothing.”
Before Jo Junghyun could continue, the door opened and Ji Seunghyeok returned.
“Oh my. You’re back. It’s fortunate that visitors are allowed in private rooms. Well, I’ve seen Junghyun-ssi’s face, so I’ll be going now. Junghyun-ssi, forget the detective agency and ask me. It’s my specialty, and I’m faster and more accurate than those places. I’ll do the first one for free. You know my phone number, right? Call me anytime. It’s also fine to contact me through CEO Ji.”
Jeong Taejun spoke cheerfully and brightly, giving Jo Junghyun no chance to stop him. Jo Junghyun looked at him with a dismayed expression.
Jeong Taejun walked out the door as breezily as he had entered the hospital room. Before completely closing the door, he looked at Jo Junghyun through the gap and lightly waved his hand. Only then did Jo Junghyun realize he had spoken deliberately. But even so, his embarrassment remained unchanged.
Ji Seunghyeok looked at the closed door for a moment before slowly turning to Jo Junghyun.
“A detective agency? Is there something you want to investigate?”
“Ah, I. I-I’m just going to the bathroom for a moment.”
Getting off the bed, Jo Junghyun staggered briefly but was able to make it to the bathroom without much difficulty.
He knew he couldn’t avoid the issue by doing this, but he wanted to buy some time, even just a little. He felt like an animal hiding its head in the grass.
Of course, he had intended to tell Ji Seunghyeok someday. But he wasn’t mentally prepared yet.
He was at a loss for how to deal with the bomb Jeong Taejun had dropped. But on the other hand, he was somewhat grateful that the ice had been broken so abruptly. It’s difficult to initiate a conversation, even if having the conversation itself isn’t as challenging.
Yes, it could be a good thing. It was something he would have to face sooner or later anyway.
After closing the door and sighing deeply, Jo Junghyun looked in the mirror and his eyes widened. More precisely, he was shocked by his reflection in the mirror.
“Heek…?”
His face was a disaster. His mouth fell open in surprise.
It was red and blotchy like autumn leaves. One side of his face was swollen, making it look like a well-kneaded rice cake. He had no idea his face had become so hideous. Well, after being hit like that, it was his mistake not to have expected this.
It was bad enough that he was in pain, but now his appearance was terrible too, doubling his sense of injustice.
Knock, knock.
“Junghyun. Is everything okay?”
Ji Seunghyeok asked in a worried voice from beyond the door.
“Ah, it’s nothing. Um, I’ll brush my teeth and come out.”
Fortunately, there were toiletries, though he wondered if he could properly brush his teeth. Even if washing his face was too much, he desperately wanted to brush his teeth. He squeezed toothpaste onto the toothbrush and carefully started brushing. The long-awaited tooth brushing felt refreshing. Though it hurt a bit when the toothbrush touched his cheeks, it was worth it. After finishing brushing, careful not to touch his cheeks, Jo Junghyun opened the door and went outside.
Ji Seunghyeok was waiting right in front of the door. Jo Junghyun awkwardly turned his head away.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
