#63
The sky was very overcast, covered with dark clouds. Rain was drizzling down and cherry blossom petals were falling gracefully. Yeoul stared blankly at those flowers.
The school uniform he was wearing was stained with blood drops. This seemed like he had returned to that day long ago when Yeoul had attacked Park Hyeonjin, saying he would save Yeojin.
Someone’s shadow fell over him. Yeoul’s gaze naturally reached there. A man in military uniform was standing there.
Broad shoulders and tall stature, intense dignity radiating from him. He seemed familiar somehow.
‘What is this feeling?’
The man’s voice was full of questions. Gradually, his shadowed face began to become visible.
Huh? It was Eun Sajun.
Startled, Yeoul almost fell backwards. In his hands were two bright red apples. He fiddled with those apples and soon took a bite from each. Then he offered the apples with teeth marks carved like imprints to Yeoul.
‘Yeoul-ssi, you eat too.’
‘Me… me too?’
‘Yes. Go ahead.’
Telling him to eat the apples he had been eating – what kind of proposal was this? It was absurd, but the bright red apples were very shiny and looked high in sugar content. Suddenly thirsty, Yeoul took and ate that apple. The crisp sweetness delighted his mouth. He had never had such an apple in his life. It was very amazing and happy.
Yeoul greedily stuffed the apple into his mouth.
After eating for a while, he wondered why he was eating apples here and felt absurd. When he suddenly looked at the sky, it had been raining just moments ago, but suddenly it was full of bright sunlight. It was so dazzling it hurt his eyes.
His heart raced as if he would disappear from this world.
* * *
“Mmm…”
When he opened his eyes, a familiar ceiling came into view. It was the ceiling of the mansion’s bedroom that he hadn’t seen in a long time. He realized he had moved here from the reception room where he had been talking with Eun Sajun earlier. And he frantically felt around the sheets.
“Where’s the apple… Ah…”
Only then did Yeoul realize he had been dreaming. Moreover, it wasn’t even the season for cherry blossoms to bloom yet.
“What…?”
Why had that day’s events appeared in a dream? Moreover, it was truly shocking that the man in military uniform he had encountered at that time appeared as Eun Sajun. And to think he ate the apple that he had been eating… Looking at it connected like this, there was no dream more nonsensical than this.
“Ridiculous.”
Muttering, Yeoul soon raised his upper body. His body was definitely lighter than before. But his lower abdomen kept churning strangely and felt odd. Something had definitely changed in his body…
“Ha, should I go to the hospital?”
His feelings were complicated. No matter how he thought about it, it seemed like a serious illness, which was scary, but he couldn’t keep covering it up like this. He should go to the hospital… But more than that, he was anxious about Yeojin’s whereabouts now, and Eun Sajun’s proposal to date him made his head even more complicated.
Yeoul stared at his face reflected in the mirror hanging on the wall. Common brown hair and eyes, nose, mouth, pale skin. He couldn’t see anything pretty about any of it. It wasn’t like he was tall or well-built like Eun Sajun either. And his personality wasn’t good either…
Why on earth was he acting like this? It was bewildering. First of all, it was true that he had deceived him, and there were damages to pay, so he had to follow his wishes, but he wondered if this was right. Rather, it felt strange, as if he had put a crown on his head that he shouldn’t have. Most of all, he wasn’t in a position to refuse, which made it even more so.
“My head hurts.”
Ever since getting to know Eun Sajun, he felt like he had entered an uncontrollable whirlpool, spinning round and round.
“Haah… How did I end up like this?”
Yeoul grabbed his head with both hands and writhed.
“What are you doing?”
At the sudden voice, Yeoul’s eyes widened. When he turned his head, Eun Sajun was standing there with an absurd expression.
“What… what, when did you come?”
He was even more flustered since he hadn’t felt any sign of him entering at all.
“I just came in. What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell again? Does your head hurt?”
Eun Sajun immediately approached and touched and felt Yeoul’s face.
“No. I’m fine.”
Yeoul shook his head. He who had been examining Yeoul with a serious face nodded with relief.
“It seems so. That’s a relief. Actually, I found your brother.”
“What? Yeojin? Really?”
Yeoul’s pupils dilated.
“Yes, through Shin Taeon we found out which hospital your brother is at.”
“Ah… Ah.”
Yeoul’s eyes shook rapidly. To think he had found his brother, another version of himself, was moving.
“That’s… that’s a relief… Where is he now? How is the kid? Is he hurt anywhere?”
Before he knew it, Yeoul’s eyes had become moist.
“Yes, he’s in the reception room now.”
“I want to see him right away.”
Yeoul hurriedly got up from his seat. Suddenly, severe dizziness hit him.
“Whoa…?”
Losing his balance, he unconsciously grabbed Eun Sajun’s forearm.
“Are you okay? Are you feeling very unwell?”
“Haah… Yes, yes… I’m fine. I… I want to see him quickly.”
“Okay, okay. I understand. Calm down.”
Eun Sajun firmly held the excited Yeoul’s hand.
* * *
Yeoul entered the reception room in a very tense state. In the living room was his one and only brother with the same face as his. Yeoul felt like his heart would burst.
“Yeojin!”
“Hyung!”
Yeojin jumped up from his seat. Yeoul quickly approached and embraced Yeojin. He could feel his brother’s warmth, body temperature, and body completely. His heart pounded.
“It’s really Yeojin, right?”
“Yeah. It’s me.”
“It is, it is… You’ve been through a lot.”
Yeoul didn’t know what to do while holding his brother fully in his arms. Yeojin’s face was touching Yeoul’s shoulder, and beyond that, Eun Sajun was watching Yeoul. With Yeoul in the middle, intense sparks flew between the two men’s eyes.
But Yeoul didn’t feel that emotional current at all and was simply happy that Yeojin had returned to his arms.
“Where have you been all this time? Are you hurt anywhere?”
Yeoul released his tight embrace of Yeojin and examined him from head to toe. Visually, he didn’t seem to have any major problems.
“Yeah, I’m not. I was staying at a university hospital.”
“How’s your leg? Is it all better?”
“Yeah…”
Yeojin moved his leg this way and that.
“Don’t worry. I’m fine.”
“That’s a relief.”
Yeoul was relieved.
“First, let’s sit down and talk.”
Eun Sajun gently grabbed Yeoul’s shoulder. At the same time, Yeojin’s eyes turned coldly toward Eun Sajun. But Yeoul, who knew nothing, just took Yeojin and went to the sofa.
“I’m really glad hyung is safe too.”
Yeojin looked at Yeoul with relief.
“Yeah. Thanks to CEO Eun Sajun, I’ve been doing well.”
He didn’t say this because Eun Sajun was present. It was all sincere. Although there had been consecutive situations where his blood ran dry from meeting Shin Taeon while avoiding his eyes, in the end, thanks to Eun Sajun, he had dirtied his hands less in subduing Shin Taeon and could see Yeojin like this. Yeoul felt his heart warming toward Eun Sajun again.
“And now CEO Eun Sajun knows everything about how we got involved with Shin Taeon.”
“Yeah. I heard too.”
“I see… First, I think I can resolve the debt we owe to Shin Taeon.”
“What, really? How?”
“Well…”
Although he hadn’t clearly answered Eun Sajun’s proposal to date, he had no choice but to accept becoming lovers. But he couldn’t bring himself to tell Yeojin this fact.
“I had some business to negotiate with CEO Eun.”
“Really?”
Yeojin seemed curious, but when his eyes met Eun Sajun’s, he immediately kept quiet.
“So Yeojin, you should recover your body and then return to daily life. Go to university and do that.”
“Yeah… I understand.”
“That’s a relief. Really such a relief.”
Yeoul firmly held Yeojin’s hand. Right now, this moment felt like a dream. His one and only alter ego. That’s why he was an even more precious existence. But this emotion was brief, as Yeoul gradually felt his body getting hotter.
“Haah, haah…”
It was as if a snake heated by fire was coiling around and pulling him. Yeoul was going crazy.
“Hyung? What’s wrong?”
Yeojin also seemed to sense that Yeoul was in an unusual state and hurriedly supported him. At the same time, Eun Sajun also rushed out quickly.
“Yeoul, are you okay?”
“I’m fine…”
Yeoul soon lost consciousness. He really thought something seriously wrong had happened to his body.
* * *
When Yeoul opened his eyes again, the familiar bedroom ceiling greeted him, and before his eyes were Eun Sajun and Kang Hyeok. For some reason, Yeojin was nowhere to be seen.
“You’re awake. Are you okay?”
“Yes… Yes… Haah… What about… Yeojin?”
“Your brother is currently on a call outside.”
“Ah… Yes…”
Yeoul was relieved. But once again his stomach became hot and he wrapped both hands around his abdomen. Why was this happening?
“Be careful.”
Kang Hyeok also became anxious as Yeoul swayed back and forth like this.
“Um… But… I…”
Just when he thought he had overcome a big mountain by finding Yeojin and subduing Shin Taeon, now something seemed wrong with his body, making his heart heavy.
“Do I have a terminal illness?”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
“No… it’s strange… Doctor, please tell me… Do I… have a terminal illness?”
Kang Hyeok looked flustered and his pupils shook.
“It’s not that. You’re pregnant.”
“What?”
Yeoul, who had been feeling sorrowful, widened his eyes. Pregnant… What was he talking about now?
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
