Saehyeon just blinked his eyes blankly. Judging by how he fumbled with his ears several times, he seemed to be doubting his hearing.
“……Shoveling?”
“Insertion.”
But the answer that came back didn’t change. It was natural. No matter how much the hospital seemed related to Gil Taeseo’s ‘work’ and the doctor seemed to have a personal connection with him, there was no need to manipulate the diagnosis in this way.
Faced with a patient repeatedly denying reality, the doctor smiled awkwardly.
“It’s a bit primitive so you’re surprised, right? Issues related to traits and pheromones are originally somewhat like that.”
The alpha partner who contributed to manifestation and pregnancy. And the omega with a shattered pheromone gland who had to receive that favor. What existed between these two was traits and pheromones.
And those pheromones were typically.
“Why are you prying so persistently? Then what else would you use it for when tracking pheromones?”
……Used for such things. Saehyeon flinched and trembled. A remark thrown by Gil Taeseo, who had been watching the situation with arms crossed from the side, struck right at the heart.
Right. It all made sense. After all, omegas and alphas even had heat periods when pheromones and instincts were maximized.
It was just that Saehyeon’s innocent beta-style virgin brain couldn’t accept developments like 19+ adults-only content.
“You even have medical records…… I wonder if you didn’t receive guidance at your previous hospital?”
He did. Or rather, he probably did. He’d just forgotten it all clean.
‘Even so, isn’t this a bit much?’
He thought there would be some separate technical and medical process, like obtaining the partner’s consent, refining pheromones, and injecting them.
“……But, really. Can’t it be done with just medicine? Can’t we at least try?”
“I’m leaving.”
What cut off the reality denial that was about to continue once more was Gil Taeseo. The man who stood up abruptly left only those words and reached out his hand. It was to not forget to take care of the reality denier sitting next to him.
Saehyeon, whose nape and waist were grabbed in an instant and set upright, blinked both eyes. It looked like he was pulling out a country puppy that had fallen into a mud pit or something.
Meeting those bewildered eyes head-on, Kim Yeonsu ultimately couldn’t hold back his laughter.
“Alright. I’ll organize the details and send them to you again. Don’t forget to pick up your medicine on the way out.”
This was the third time Gil Taeseo had asked him about secondary manifestation. Only now did he think that all three times were probably questions about one person.
Seeing the hand that firmly supported him despite having a completely twisted expression, worried he might fall, that thought easily became certainty.
“H-hey, wait!”
The doctor, whose worries only increased every time he saw visiting patients, waved his hand with a light heart for today at least.
It was an excessively cheerful greeting to give in front of a patient reaching out with a half-kidnapped appearance and a guardian acting as if kidnapping him.
‘Is this really how it works, 21st-century modern medicine!’
In a situation where no one stopped it, looking at the closing examination room door, the last cry in silence that Saehyeon could make was only that much.
***
Being pushed back into the car was instantaneous. Inside the car where the warm heater was running full blast, Saehyeon was trembling unlike himself. It was because of anxiety, not cold.
“……As if being poor and sickly wasn’t enough, now I’m terminally ill too?”
At this level, even for a morning drama, it would definitely be criticized for excessive settings.
Saehyeon knew better than anyone that his body’s condition wasn’t good. Every day was like playing a survival game with a health bar that was barely hanging on, so it goes without saying.
But they say humans are animals of adaptation, right? It seemed he’d adapted in his own way. Judging by how he’d been maintaining his pride, saying it was still bearable.
Though that ends today too.
Saehyeon’s hand hesitantly reached to the back of his neck. Below this dry skin would be what he saw earlier. That shabby and grotesque-shaped pheromone gland.
“That tiny thing……”
He couldn’t believe it was driving him this far. That to solve it, he had to beg Gil Taeseo for such things.
“Ngh.”
The endless tunnel digging ended because of a small collision. The small hand sticking out from the seat next to him fumbled and bumped against his trembling leg.
“……”
Saehyeon’s gaze immediately fell to the seat next to him. There, one large bundle of cloth had settled. It was the child lying down covered with a coat.
The child who had been nodding off even while riding in the car was now sound asleep. It made sense since he’d been dragged around frantically since dawn.
‘Like a squirrel.’
Because the coat was so big, the child had only half his face and fluffy hair sticking out. Combined with the small snoring sound going “golong golong,” it was like watching a small animal hibernating covered in leaves. It was a sight that made the corners of his mouth twitch despite his complicated feelings.
When it seemed the child wouldn’t wake up, Saehyeon let out a small sigh of relief. As if it were a natural progression, his gaze moved from the child to the coat, and then to outside the window.
There, the coat’s owner was standing tall like a still life painting.
“Isn’t that bastard even cold?”
Even though the still chilly wind mercilessly shook his crumpled shirt hem and hair, Gil Taeseo didn’t seem to care. His face glaring at the air with a cigarette in his mouth was quite fierce.
Whether on purpose or forgotten, the cigarette wasn’t even lit. His straight lips only chewed on the innocent butt.
An elongated body, dressed in a black shirt. It was an outfit he’d seen before. What was different from usual was the white sneakers worn on those feet.
“……I don’t know, really.”
Seeing the sneakers, honest feelings popped out. The world he faced at 28 was complete chaos. Among them, the foremost was himself for making such a choice, and next could be said to be Gil Taeseo.
Saehyeon, who had been alternately looking at the man and the sneakers for a moment, shook his head. Nothing was more meaningless than trying to gauge a person’s heart. It was a problem with no answer, and even if there could be one, it was useless.
Love, emotions, the past. What’s so important about such things? What could really influence life were other things. For example, money.
‘Right. I can’t die like this.’
Saehyeon reminded himself once more of his initial purpose. To recover his body and regain his memories to put this damned life back on normal track. That was the number one goal established by the Saehyeon who had lost his memory.
For that, he had to use anything. Whether it was Gil Taeseo, or things like his own pride or body.
Saehyeon grabbed the car handle and pulled it open. As he stepped on the gray asphalt resolutely, his vision was suddenly blocked. A man with a large build that seemed like he’d get used to stood blocking the way.
“You must not come out. Please go back in.”
He seemed to think he was going to run away or something. Ridiculous. He wasn’t that kind of personality to begin with, and it wasn’t that kind of situation. Reality denial has its limits—isn’t his life now in critical danger?
“Just let me talk to that son of a, no. Gil Taeseo for a moment, move aside.”
Saehyeon stuck his head in various directions around the man blocking the way. It was for the purpose of seeing the person standing beyond through the gap.
“Let him be.”
That excellent voice flew in before he could see that arrogant face. The body blocking the way soon moved aside. Gil Taeseo was visible through the clearly opened view. The way he tilted his head crookedly to the side was quite delinquent.
“Let’s hear what you have to say.”
Spitting it out in that state, the words naturally converted. If you can’t produce proper words, let’s see what happens.
At the sharp gaze and menacing atmosphere, Saehyeon gulped. Honestly, even he thought what he was about to say wasn’t in his right mind.
But cornered with all other options eliminated, suddenly from within the anxious Saehyeon’s heart, surging emotions raised their head.
‘Doesn’t that bastard have some responsibility too?’
It takes two hands to clap. Unless this side forcibly attacked, both had responsibility. So, both Lee Saehyeon with memories and Gil Taeseo.
He wished he could be excluded since he without memories was wronged. Anyway, since he possessed the same body and fate, there was no choice.
“Hey.”
“Yeah.”
He didn’t know the reason, but the stage was already completely set by Gil Taeseo. This side didn’t need to go on and on with lines like ‘I’m terminally ill so……’
A situation where he just needed to place the spoon on the already prepared table as the final blow. He couldn’t miss this opportunity. Above all, if he missed it, he might scream and die a violent death tomorrow, so he wasn’t in a position to be picky.
Imagining dying like this was so horrifying that goosebumps rose all over his body. It wasn’t even a good death buried in money while enjoying wealth and honor, but to die in such a shabby state? Nonsense.
With the mindset of burning bridges behind him, Saehyeon boldly decided to throw a winning move.
“First, let’s just do it once.”
“……What?”
The name of that strategy was a body blow attack.
“With me, j-just once. Let’s try it!”
Saehyeon, who squeezed his eyes shut, shouted vigorously. It was so resounding that the sound of “let’s do it” echoed several times in the quiet hospital back parking lot.
“……Huh.”
From Gil Taeseo’s mouth, plop. The cigarette that wasn’t even lit and was only white fell to the ground.
