“Get out.”
Seeing Evan who had stuck right next to him even during the blood test, entered the X-ray room even when taking chest X-rays, and finally followed him all the way into the ultrasound room, Siwoo opened and closed his mouth to convey his intention and waved his hand to indicate he should leave.
He wasn’t a child, yet seeing him follow all the way to where he was exposing his abdomen for an ultrasound made his head throb.
Siwoo, who was in the VIP ward of the hospital run by Evan’s family, didn’t meet any outsiders other than hospital staff while going around for examinations. The hospital staff passing by also showed no interest in them. Siwoo, who was being called here and there for tests, didn’t realize this situation was strange.
He didn’t notice at all that this was Evan’s measure for Siwoo, who was sensitive to people’s gazes toward his private life and the media. Rather, what they were curious about was the background of those who suddenly appeared and controlled the VIP ward.
Siwoo, who didn’t know that Evan was controlling the VIP ward for him, gestured for him to leave quickly and glared at him as he followed closely behind.
“It will be a bit cold.”
Since it was an abdominal ultrasound, naturally his top had to go up a bit and his bottom had to go down a bit. He’d only done so when the doctor approached and asked him to roll up his clothes, so why was he staring like that? Standing crookedly by the door with his arms crossed, Evan’s expression was full of displeasure.
Soon as the transparent gel dropped onto his belly, Siwoo flinched at that strange feeling.
Since it didn’t seem like Evan would leave at this point anyway, Siwoo, who had given up, stared at the monitor the doctor was looking at together. What would he know by looking at it when he was ignorant of medicine, but there was nowhere else appropriate to place his gaze.
“You are an omega, you knew that, right?”
While staring at the monitor, the feeling became strange at the doctor’s words directed at him. I’m a beta. The years lived knowing he was a beta were decades. Since he’d always regressed at twenty-three, he’d never been to the military.
“You can tell I’m an omega from a blood test too, right?”
Suddenly feeling something strange, Siwoo recalled what Fayden had said earlier and asked the doctor a question instead.
“Of course. All done.”
When receiving the new recruit examination, he’d also had a blood test. But he’d clearly received a fit-for-service judgment and had been just days away from enlisting. He’d regressed while just days away from enlistment, and only about five months had passed since then.
But suddenly he’s an omega. Saying the ultrasound examination was finished, the doctor continued saying there were no problems. That all his organs were in their proper places. His head throbbed at the complicated situation. Well, the new recruit examination didn’t include things like abdominal ultrasounds.
Although it was called a thorough examination, the tests didn’t take much time. At the words that all examinations were finished, a smile bloomed on Evan’s face that had been stiff until now.
“I’m hungry.”
Returning to the hospital room, Siwoo put his hand inside his knit and rubbed his belly.
Honestly, he couldn’t believe that 6 days had passed by in such an instant. His head throbbed at Evan’s actions of excessively trying to protect him, wondering what he was so worried about, whether he’d fly away if blown on or burst if squeezed.
He’d just slept excessively and woken up, that’s all.
Aren’t there many people who sleep for over 20 hours straight on weekends?
Although his body was a bit stiff, that was the kind of thing that came from intercourse as Fayden said, and discomfort from lying down too long.
His head was clearer than usual, his mood was good, and his body was lighter than ever.
“What do you want to eat?”
“Something delicious.”
Looking around the unnecessarily spacious and luxurious hospital room, Siwoo peeled off the tape stuck to the back of his hand. It had been put on after removing the IV. Seeing the bruising around the area with traces of where the needle had been inserted, he rubbed it with his other hand and went to the window.
“When are we leaving?”
When no answer came from Evan at his words about wanting to eat something delicious, Siwoo spoke again. His throat was still uncomfortable every time he spoke and mixed with a metallic sound, but it was bearable enough. It wasn’t the first time his voice had gone hoarse, and it would be fine after some time passed.
“Leave where?”
At Evan’s counter-question while fiddling with his phone, Siwoo’s head tilted instead. The examinations were finished and they said it would take a few days to check the results. He wasn’t sick anywhere and there was no reason to stay here. He felt dizzy recalling the various examination fees he’d received here in England, not Korea, where medical insurance didn’t even apply.
This is why people need to have money.
“Anywhere. There’s no reason to stay at the hospital.”
* * *
“Will you really be okay?”
Siwoo, who sighed at Evan asking the same thing several times, instead grabbed his hand and pulled him. As they left the hospital door, Siwoo’s lips curved up at the cold winter wind brushing against his body. And seeing the snow remaining here and there between the hospital’s landscaping, regret washed over him.
Either way, it was this year’s first snow, but he couldn’t see it falling and only saw what had accumulated.
“You worried a lot and paid a lot of attention because of me, so let’s go eat something delicious.”
Although he spoke boldly, Siwoo, who didn’t know where to go to catch a taxi right away, lightly shook Evan’s hand that he was holding. He didn’t know what made him so bold like this. Maybe it was because at least there was no one murmuring or taking out their phones upon seeing them.
Having debuted this year and just barely making their faces known in Korea, with Siwoo and Evan only gradually building recognition in the Asian market, there was no one who would immediately recognize them. They looked again because of their appearance, but that was all for everyone.
“Okay.”
Even after leaving the hospital, Evan’s fingertip, who had been hesitating without readily moving, poked Siwoo’s nose.
Siwoo’s eyes widened, unable to avoid his sudden action. But what followed was a series of surprises.
Unlike him who didn’t know where to go, Evan, who stepped forward first, approached a luxury sedan right in front.
Siwoo, who somehow ended up in the back seat of the sedan full of warmth together, looked at Evan next to him. Leaving the words “just a moment,” he was contacting someone on his phone.
“Where are we going?”
“We have to go somewhere we can eat something delicious and rest well. We also have things to talk about on the way.”
At the words that they had things to talk about, Siwoo’s gaze naturally reached the person driving in front.
“It’s okay. They don’t understand Korean. I mentioned it earlier, but you know what day it is today?”
Having apparently finished handling all urgent contacts, as Evan made eye contact and spoke, Siwoo unknowingly swallowed the saliva pooled in his mouth.
“The 8th.”
While answering Evan’s question, he received the phone Evan gave him. There was no change in Siwoo’s expression as he entered the password of his phone that he hadn’t seen for days.
December 8th. Officially a rest period, so it wasn’t like there was an important schedule, nor was it a date with any particular meaning.
“I checked it. I’m sorry.”
Even if Evan looked, there was nothing special, so Siwoo’s eyes widened as he turned on the messenger app without any comment.
A day he’d completely forgotten came to mind.
December 2nd. That day when the music awards were held was Siwoo’s birthday.
“I tried to handle it, but this isn’t something I can do anything about.”
They’d planned to have a surprise birthday party with the members at the after-party. The after-party would have had cameras too, and that was also a part that would be edited and posted as behind-the-scenes content later. Besides the group live broadcast about the music awards and completion of official activities, Siwoo should have also done a separate personal live broadcast that night. All of that had gotten twisted.
Hastily checking the messenger, it was full of content congratulating him on receiving the Rookie Award and his birthday. They were also looking for him who hadn’t appeared.
“Haah-.”
Siwoo raised both hands and covered his face. He must have been living too out of it.
“How do we handle this?”
“The agency wants to do a personal live broadcast even now. I made excuses to the agency that you were quite sick. Since your condition wasn’t good in the waiting room, they seem to believe it. Since we suddenly disappeared and Chan hyung and Yechan got spotted in Japan, some gossip is coming out. The agency has announced that since the rest period started, everyone is spending personal time.”
“Then I have to do a live broadcast even now. That comes first, where are we going right now?”
Siwoo, who quickly checked the time difference between Korea and England, ran his hand through his hair. First, based on Seoul time, to do it around 10 PM, it would be 1 PM England time.
The current time was 4 PM.
In the end, it seemed he couldn’t do a live broadcast today. Then he’d have to do the live broadcast tomorrow afternoon.
But what should he say when he turns on the live broadcast? Rubbing his forehead in difficulty, Siwoo looked at Evan with eyes asking for help.
“You have to eat something. Since you need to eat liquid food, soup? Porridge?”
Siwoo blankly stared at Evan who, unlike him worrying about the time and content of the live broadcast, was nonchalantly asking what he wanted to eat.
Ah, right. I forgot I was hungry for a moment too. Siwoo, whose mind had become completely tangled up, let out a long sigh. It’s all my fault. Of all times, at that timing. How nice would it have been if manifestation or whatever had appeared just a few hours later?
Should he do the live broadcast tomorrow afternoon, and now contact the agency first?
No. Come to think of it, he hadn’t contacted home after the music awards ended either.
The faces of his parents, who had never seen him receive an award but encouraged him to do what he wanted, saying it was fine as long as he was happy, came to mind.
“I contacted your home.”
Siwoo, who had been holding his phone and wavering unable to decide where to contact first, slowly raised his head at Evan’s voice. You contacted my home? At the same time, Siwoo’s pupils shook anxiously. Since they’re members of the same group, it’s possible to make contact but…….
Evan found it cute how Siwoo made eye contact while frozen in the posture of holding his phone with one hand and running his other hand through his hair, so he ended up bowing his head.
Knowing this was really an action Siwoo would dislike, Evan bowed his head and quickly stole the sweet lips that were slightly parted.
“I didn’t say anything you’d worry about.”
Evan, who whispered in a soft voice, moved his fingertip to check the number displayed on Siwoo’s phone and pressed the call button firmly. After a few ringtones, as the other party’s voice was heard, Evan’s lips moved in an arc.
“Hello, Mother.”
“Oh, yes. Is it Evan?”
Hearing Evan speaking too affectionately and his mother’s voice answering nonchalantly in a bright voice, Siwoo squeezed his eyes shut tightly.
