“Doctoooor!”
He called out joyfully and sprang up, scurrying over like a puppy that had spotted its owner coming to greet him. A smile spread across Yeojin’s lips too.
Such a big guy being cute. His physical development was so good that he was more than a span taller than Yeojin, but his behavior was as innocent as a child’s.
“Did you have a good day today? Did you eat your meals properly?”
“Yes! Today they served bulgogi that I like, so I ate all my rice.”
“Good job.”
When he patted his head and praised him, Haeju showed his teeth and laughed hehehe.
The quarantine building’s facilities were terrible, but the meals that came out were still fairly decent. But even this was a result that Yeojin had obtained by staging a homeless protest in front of Director Im Suhyang’s house and arguing fiercely.
“People, you see. When they’re hungry, they become violent. If you don’t feed the quarantined people properly and they become violent, who will suffer more! Will it be my headache or your headache, Director?”
Yeojin had argued passionately with Director Im, who was irritated, asking what kind of crazy thing this was. After thinking it over, she must have thought there was some logic to Yeojin’s words. After two days of homeless protest, the quarantine building’s meal menu changed dramatically. Director Im was someone who wanted to protect her position more than anyone. She was also someone who least wanted problems to occur at the quarantine center.
“Doctor. What’s that?”
Haeju asked, glancing at the box in Yeojin’s hand.
“Cake. Today’s your birthday.”
“Is it?”
Since he’d lost his memories, there was no way he’d remember his own birthday. Yeojin smiled and grabbed Seo Haeju’s arm to pull him along.
“Let’s go to your room. I bought a strawberry cake. This place’s cake is really delicious.”
“Really?”
“I bought a present too.”
“What is it? What is it?”
“I’ll show you when we get to your room.”
Seo Haeju was excited. He was like this because he didn’t know what decision he had to make once his birthday passed and he became a legal adult. Heavy guilt made Yeojin’s insides feel heavy, but on the outside he tried to smile and led Haeju to his room.
The two entered Room 13, where Seo Haeju had been living for several months, and sat facing each other at the round table. Since quarantined people couldn’t bring in any personal belongings, the room was not just empty but desolate. Yeojin took out the cake he’d bought during lunch break, stuck candles in it, and lit them.
Haeju’s face shone brightly as he looked at the candles. When Yeojin sang the birthday song and clapped, Seo Haeju blew out the candles with a whoosh.
“Happy birthday, Haeju.”
He also set off the party popper he’d received when buying the cake. Seo Haeju smiled brightly. It was a smile that made even the viewer feel good whenever he saw it. Yeojin took out a small box from his chest and held it out. Haeju quickly received it and unwrapped it, and the corners of his lips curled up to his ears.
“I thought you’d need a wristwatch.”
Yeojin reached out, took the wristwatch from the box, and wrapped it around Haeju’s wrist. On the inside of Haeju’s right wrist was a thick scar. It was clearly a mark of self-harm. In fact, he’d also bought the watch for him to cover up this scar.
“Do you like it?”
When he asked after putting on the watch, Haeju smiled and nodded his head vigorously.
“Yes. I love it.”
“It’s not expensive. I’ll buy you a better one later, Doctor will.”
“No no, I really like it. It’s really cool.”
The kid grinned and raised his hand to view the watch from various angles. It was fortunate that he was so happy with it.
“I like Doctor the best. You’re the best.”
Seo Haeju smiled broadly as if he had the whole world. Could he be that happy? Even though it was a lonely birthday party with no one to congratulate him except Yeojin, Seo Haeju looked very happy. He was so purely happy like a child that he couldn’t bring himself to say it.
You’ve become an adult starting today so you need to choose what to do from now on, after today you and I will part ways—he couldn’t say this.
The kid who had been isolated without a word among the quarantined people chattered endlessly in front of Min Yeojin without pause.
Lack of speech and emotional expression. Unsociable, introverted personality. An introverted type whose abilities as well as emotions are not expressed outwardly. Among Zero Grade quarantined individuals, this type has a very high possibility of their abilities suddenly exploding at some moment. Caution required.
Unlike the warnings written in Seo Haeju’s records, Haeju was an utterly cheerful boy in front of Yeojin. It was a side only Yeojin could see. It was natural for a boy who had been in a major accident and was classified as a Transcendent overnight and confined to a quarantine facility to trust and follow the adult who had first reached out to him.
Seo Haeju chattered endlessly with his lips covered in whipped cream. But Yeojin felt uneasy inside. One corner of his heart kept stinging.
“Um, Haeju.”
After much deliberation, when he called his name, Seo Haeju opened his eyes wide and answered, “Yes?” When Yeojin hesitated, unable to bring himself to speak, Haeju scooped up cake and held it in front of Yeojin’s mouth.
“Why aren’t you eating, Doctor? It’s super super delicious.”
He had no choice but to open his mouth a little and receive the cake. Seokhyeon also used to make Yeojin taste things like this whenever there was something delicious. The savory whipped cream and fluffy bread melted smoothly in his mouth. The strawberry pulp that he chewed was also fresh and sweet.
“It’s delicious, right?”
“Yeah. It’s even more delicious because Haeju gave it to me.”
Haeju’s mouth curled up as if it would tear. He bashfully blushed and laughed hehehe, then scooped up another bite of cake and fed it to Yeojin. Yeojin received another bite and said now Doctor will eat, picking up the fork.
“Haeju, what do you want for your birthday next year? I’ll buy you anything.”
In the end, that’s what came out of his mouth. He didn’t want to disappoint the child immersed in happiness at this moment. He wanted to let him stay immersed in happiness for even a little longer.
“What I want?”
“Yeah. What do you want?”
Seo Haeju looked straight at Yeojin with his jet-black eyes and licked his cream-covered lips.
“You, Doctor.”
Yeojin was momentarily flustered by the unexpected answer.
“Huh? Me? Don’t you want something other than that? You’re an adult now, so I can buy you a car. Doctor has a lot of money saved up.”
Haeju didn’t have a driver’s license yet so it would be difficult, but he said it anyway.
“I don’t want anything. I don’t need anything.”
“Don’t say that.”
“Really. You just need to keep staying by my side, Doctor. I really only need you, Doctor.”
Haeju spoke shyly and smiled bashfully. Yeojin was at a loss for words. He had to think about how to answer without disappointing this child.
He wasn’t Seo Haeju’s guardian, and after today passed they would have to part ways. In the end, he had no choice but to tell him that story.
“Um, Haeju. Actually, after today passes, you…”
“I only have you, Doctor. I like you.”
Seo Haeju, who interrupted Yeojin’s words and spouted his own, was strangely unfamiliar today. Seo Haeju’s pupils directed at Yeojin were excessively clear and jet-black, to the point of being burdensome. With a face completely drained of laughter and eyes that felt masculine, Yeojin was bewildered. It didn’t seem like the usual Seo Haeju.
Yeojin hid his bewilderment and opened his mouth, trying to smile.
“Haeju. I like you too. But we can’t keep being together like this.”
“Does your heart beat fast when you think of me too, Doctor? Like that?”
Another comment came out that left him speechless. Yeojin was filled with bewilderment and just gaped.
“Wh-what?”
“Me, you see. When I think of you, Doctor, my heart beats fast and I can’t breathe and I lose my mind and feel like I’m going crazy.”
Seo Haeju panted with a flushed face. He looked like he didn’t know what to do from excitement.
As if in agony, Haeju twisted his legs together and bit down on his lips, making groaning sounds. Tears welled up in Haeju’s black eyes. Starting from his eyes, his white, fair face turned rosy.
Yeojin couldn’t take his eyes off that beautiful face. He was captured and unable to move by the glossy, raven-feather-like pupils directed at him.
It wasn’t just his imagination—it really seemed like something invisible was binding Yeojin’s entire body.
“You said you like me, Doctor.”
“Haeju.”
Seo Haeju slowly reached out his hand and stood up. Clatter—the sound of the chair moving and the fork he was holding falling rang like tinnitus. He wanted to avoid it, but his body wouldn’t move. As if bound by invisible strings, he had to remain seated in the chair, unable to move, and watch Haeju’s large hand approaching.
Seo Haeju’s hand touched Yeojin’s cheek. The unfamiliar sensation of the hand touching his skin made Yeojin flinch.
“Doctor.”
“Haeju.”
Pathetically, his voice was trembling. The hand that had been caressing Yeojin’s trembling cheek slowly slid down, traced his nape and collarbone, passed over his chest, and came down lower and lower. Yeojin used all his strength to move his body and grabbed Seo Haeju’s wrist.
“Seo Haeju.”
He gripped the kid’s wrist and called his name in a stern voice. Looking straight at Seo Haeju’s smooth face and jet-black pupils, he barely managed to open his mouth.
“Stop playing around. Doctor’s going to get angry.”
While his feelings of caring for and liking Seo Haeju remained, he couldn’t accept even the young guy’s naughty pranks. Seo Haeju’s red lips, smeared with white whipped cream, curled up. Between his lips, his even white teeth were revealed.
