#81
“Hey! I told you smoking is prohibited! What do you think you’re doing right now?”
Facing the angry male nurse, Shin Taeon stood crookedly with a cigarette in his mouth. Smoke was curling up from the white tip of the cigarette that had just been lit.
“Come on, I’m just going to smoke one and go back in. Besides, there are no other inpatients on this third floor besides me, right?”
The male nurse’s face crumpled even more at Shin Taeon’s arrogant attitude.
“Ha! This really won’t do.”
The male nurse grabbed Shin Taeon’s wrist that was holding the cigarette. He seemed ready to subdue him by force. But Shin Taeon didn’t fall into a defensive position and instead grabbed the male nurse’s wrist and twisted it hard.
“Ugh…”
The male nurse let out a helpless groan. And Shin Taeon immediately threw his cigarette into the hallway. Then he shoved the male nurse away like he was throwing him aside. No matter how well-built the male nurse was, he was a Beta, and it was too much for him to subdue Shin Taeon, who was an Extremely Dominant Alpha.
“Fucking annoying…”
Spitting out curses as he returned to his hospital room, Shin Taeon dusted off his hands. Then he looked at his index and middle fingers wrapped in bandages. Those were the fingers that had been broken by the man who seemed to be Eun Sajun’s subordinate when he was interrogating about Geum Yeojin’s hospital room last time. Even recalling that moment made his anger surge.
“Ha.”
But right now, he was in a position where he could be executed at any moment. Honestly, he didn’t want to die. Since he was already born, he should live until he was sick of living before ending his life. He didn’t want to suffer any loss.
“I can’t die like this.”
He was muttering gloomily with unfocused eyes when suddenly the door burst open. He wondered if the male nurse he had just scuffled with had opened the door in retaliation. But…
“It’s been a while.”
There stood Eun Sajun with his head held sharply high. A neatly tailored suit. Softly curved lips. He exuded an elegance that no one could imagine belonged to someone who enjoyed committing murder.
But Shin Taeon, who knew his true nature better than anyone, instinctively felt a sense of crisis and recoiled. Was it because of tension? His heart beat unpleasantly fast.
Why did he come? Did he come to take my head now? Shin Taeon thought that only fucked-up things were left for him. So dry saliva was automatically swallowed.
One step, two steps. The loafers Eun Sajun wore made sounds as he approached.
“Why are you doing this!”
Shin Taeon, who felt fear strongly, recoiled backward. At the same time, Eun Sajun put his hand into his jacket’s inner pocket and pulled out a pistol. Soon, the gun barrel was fixed on Shin Taeon’s forehead.
“Hiiiik!”
Although Shin Taeon had expected that he would soon meet his end, he hadn’t expected Eun Sajun to appear like this without warning, so he was very flustered.
“Fuck! At least give me time to write a will or something…”
“What are you talking about doing?”
Eun Sajun’s eyebrows twitched.
“I just came here politely to make a request.”
“A request?”
What kind of request is made like this in a lifetime? It was beyond absurd—it was maddening. But in front of the gun barrel, Shin Taeon couldn’t maintain a more rebellious attitude and only his lips moved emptily.
“Yes. It’s something to protect my love, you could say.”
Gradually, Eun Sajun’s eyes filled with hot fervor. It seemed like it would call for a bloody feast.
* * *
“Phew…”
After finishing washing his face, Yeoul came out of the bathroom. When he woke up in the morning, Eun Sajun had left for work or was away from his seat. And his body, which had been covered in bodily fluids from their passionate sex all night, was cleanly taken care of. It seemed he had washed him and even put pajamas on him before leaving.
“Always so caring…”
His heart beat violently with gratitude for him who always took care of him like a baby. But this dreamy feeling was only momentary.
“Yeojin.”
Right now, his precarious younger brother might take some unexpected action. He hurriedly opened the door to check on his brother. When he went down the stairs, bodyguards were standing at the entrance to Yeojin’s room. It was like looking at a high fortress wall.
But when they spotted Yeoul, they naturally bowed silently and stepped aside. Yeoul quietly opened the door. The bedroom was dim, but the sunlight streaming through the curtains was enough to make out the interior.
Yeojin was lying on the bed, fast asleep. Yeoul quietly approached and gently stroked Yeojin’s hair. He could feel warmth as if signaling he was alive.
“Mmm…”
Yeojin exhaled. Yeojin’s fingers, which had been positioned as if hugging his stomach, wriggled. Soon that hand cut through the air and grabbed Yeoul’s hand.
“Hyung… I’m sorry.”
Yeojin muttered meaningfully, then gently released his hand. He made stable breathing sounds again and was immersed in sleep.
Yeoul looked at Yeojin like this with difficulty and left the bedroom.
Was that apology sincere?
It might just be sleep talk, meaningless mumbling, but because it was the words he had so wanted to hear from Yeojin, Yeoul’s heart shook like waves even more.
Then why do you hate me, why do you tell such crude lies… I don’t understand why you make me suffer like this.
“Ha…”
Just as Yeoul let out a heavy sigh, a long shadow fell in front of him.
“Are you awake?”
It was Eun Sajun. He was wearing a neat suit, as if he had been to the company. At the same time, Yeoul felt the hole in his heart created by Yeojin expanding even more. That hole seemed like it would stab, tear open, and gnaw at his chest. Yeoul, who was overcome by overwhelming fear, instinctively threw himself into his arms.
“!”
Eun Sajun showed a momentary look of confusion, but soon embraced Yeoul’s body warmly. And he curved his lips with a sinister smile as if the current Yeoul was very satisfactory. Of course, from the angle, Yeoul couldn’t read his strange expression.
“Why? Did something happen to Geum Yeojin?”
But his voice was filled with concern for Yeoul.
“No. He was sleeping well.”
“I see… That’s a relief.”
Soon Eun Sajun’s eyes were looking beyond Yeoul toward the bedroom door where Yeojin was. His blue eyes were filled with cold energy. Soon Yeoul raised his head to look at Eun Sajun’s face. At the same time, Eun Sajun’s complexion changed as if spring had come from cold winter.
“That’s a relief.”
“Yes…”
“Did you have breakfast?”
“No. Not yet…”
It was because he had looked for Yeojin as soon as he woke up.
“Then, shall we go out for lunch?”
“Ah…”
But his mouth felt full of sand and he wasn’t particularly hungry.
“I’ll eat later.”
“When is later?”
“I’ll see later…”
Actually, he could go without eating all day today. Eun Sajun seemed to have read Yeoul’s condition as he slightly furrowed his brow.
“If baby doesn’t eat, I might starve too.”
“What? No, no! Don’t do that.”
Yeoul was very flustered by his sudden stubbornness. Although he had Intermittent Explosive Disorder, he extremely hated causing harm to others, so he was troubled.
“Are you reluctant to go out because you’re worried about your brother?”
Eun Sajun asked, reading Yeoul’s mood.
“What? Yes…”
Actually, that was part of it. He was anxious that while he was away, he might run away again like yesterday.
“Don’t worry. We’ll just go out for a bit. And I’ve already told the housekeeper to prepare meals for Geum Yeojin when he wakes up.”
“Ah… Yes… I understand.”
Faced with his thorough preparation, Yeoul had no choice but to nod. And his heart fluttered at the sight of him covering for Yeojin despite knowing about his disgraceful behavior.
* * *
Yeoul came out of the mansion with Eun Sajun. The place they arrived at was a brunch cafe.
It boasted cute and pretty interior design as if a space from a fairy tale had been realized. The calm lake view visible through the large windows was very impressive. Perhaps because it was in a remote location, there were no other customers in the cafe besides Yeoul and Eun Sajun.
The combination of sweet egg scramble, finely scored Vienna sausage, fresh salad, and well-baked bread was fantastic. After eating brunch like that, Yeoul drank tea. Eun Sajun sitting across from him had the same tea. His blue gaze was boring into Yeoul’s fingers.
Yeoul tilted his head in puzzlement.
“What’s wrong?”
He wondered if he had done something wrong, making his fingers feel ticklish for no reason. A gentle smile appeared on his face, which had been stiff for a moment.
“You’re not wearing the ring.”
“What? What ring… Ah!”
He remembered the ring he had received at the restaurant they went to for dessert after eating tteok-twi-sun at the market with him last time.
“Ah, that…”
With so many things happening recently, he hadn’t had the presence of mind to wear the ring. Eun Sajun’s face was full of disappointment.
“I gave it to you as a gift because I like you, Yeoul-ssi…”
“I’m sorry. I’ve been distracted with Yeojin’s situation and everything lately.”
“Well, that’s understandable.”
Eun Sajun lightly agreed and then placed the teacup he was holding on its saucer.
“Actually, the reason I came out like this is because I want to clarify our relationship.”
“What?”
What does this mean? Yeoul’s eyes became round.
“I always become insecure in front of baby.”
He showed a dejected expression that didn’t match his broad shoulders.
“So I was afraid that if I showed all of my feelings, baby would feel burdened, which is why I suggested we be lovers just for the duration of the contract. But now I want to be together for more than that.”
“Ah…”
Eun Sajun, who had gotten up from his seat, soon sat next to Yeoul. Then he firmly grasped Yeoul’s hand.
“Will you stay by my side even after giving birth?”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
