I nodded my head to indicate that I knew.
“In situations where pheromones are unstable due to imprinting, they react especially sensitively to pheromones of people other than the imprinted partner. Because of this problem, it’s been quite a while since he’s gone to crowded places.”
“Since when has it been like this?”
“It’s been roughly 3 years.”
“3 years… that long….”
“In the early stages, the symptoms weren’t as clear as they are now, so it was judged as a training issue or temporary deterioration of condition. However, as the symptoms have gradually become clearer recently, we received an opinion that it might be imprinting symptoms.”
It’s been 3 years… I swallowed my shock while chewing over the man’s words inwardly.
It was definitely imprinted on the day I last went to watch a match. It was clearly my fault. Kwon Yujin had been suffering from this problem for 3 years while I didn’t know anything until now.
Even though there were quite big competitions during that time, Kwon Yujin had continuously maintained first place in his main events. Although I didn’t know in detail what specific things happened to him, it was clear that he must have struggled quite a bit to maintain his position.
“Thinking about the crime committed by your biological father Hyun Taesoo, a situation like the current one shouldn’t happen, but.”
“……”
“As a result, for the athlete’s health and future records, we hope Mr. Hyun Taeyoung will cooperate.”
With those words, the man took out papers from his briefcase. I could see “Contract” written on the very first page.
“Compensation will be paid according to the conditions presented by Mr. Hyun Taeyoung. However, you must strictly comply with the confidentiality clause so that this matter does not leak outside. Considering the high level of external interest in the athlete, health-related issues correspond to strictly confidential matters. Please carefully review the contract first….”
I slowly flipped through the contract the man gave me and checked the contents. Although some legal terms were difficult, since I often had to look at contracts at work sites too, there was no difficulty understanding the key clauses.
According to the contract, I had an obligation to cooperate with Kwon Yujin’s imprinting treatment process for the next 6 months, and had to regularly spend time with him at least once a week. Additionally, a clause was specified that considerable penalty fees would be imposed if I failed to fulfill contractual obligations or disclosed related contents to third parties.
“I’ll do it.”
After flipping to the last page, I signed the contract without hesitation. It was decided from the moment I saw Kwon Yujin standing in front of our house door. I didn’t want him to be unhappy because of me anymore.
“You’re here?”
Kwon Yujin arrived at the hospital not long after the conversation with the man called chief secretary ended. Like I did, Kwon Yujin subsequently received a pheromone compatibility test. They said it was a procedure to finally confirm the imprinting.
I didn’t take my eyes off Kwon Yujin, who entered the hospital and underwent the examination, for even a moment. I observed without missing a series of actions like him blinking his eyes, sighing, conversing with medical staff, or stroking his neck.
And unlike me doing that, Kwon Yujin treated me as if I didn’t exist. Since coming here, he didn’t give me a single glance. He pretended not to hear even when I spoke to him first.
It didn’t matter. Because Kwon Yujin’s condition didn’t look bad, I was sufficiently satisfied just being able to observe him up close.
The examination ended in a somewhat frozen atmosphere. The result was finalized as positive without change. On my side, there was no particular reaction to Kwon Yujin’s alpha pheromones, but only Kwon Yujin felt stability and thirst for my omega pheromones.
Because of that, nothing was prescribed separately for me, but quite a lot of medicine was prescribed for Kwon Yujin.
When we came out of the examination room together, the chief secretary who had been waiting in the hallway approached.
“Are you finished?”
The man who was cold to me acted very politely and respectfully to Kwon Yujin.
“Yes, we’re finished.”
“Will you move directly to the swimming pool?”
Kwon Yujin shook his head and stared at me.
“Since we came all the way to the hospital, stop by the dermatology department too.”
“I don’t want to.”
I answered firmly and glanced at him cautiously. I put a little distance between us in case he tried to forcibly grab me or take off my mask again.
Fortunately, Kwon Yujin didn’t insist further, so an awkward situation didn’t occur.
“What are you doing now? They said to stick together for several hours each time we meet.”
I asked Kwon Yujin, who was checking the time with an indifferent face. Strictly speaking, today the time Kwon Yujin and I stuck together didn’t even reach 30 minutes. That was contrary to both the doctor’s advice and what was written in the contract.
“Well.”
“Want to eat?”
Of course, I wouldn’t eat and would just watch Kwon Yujin eat.
“Fine.”
Kwon Yujin, who I naturally thought would refuse or be disgusted, readily accepted my suggestion.
“Athlete-nim.”
That’s when it was. The chief secretary, who had been checking his phone, suddenly approached.
He whispered something quietly in Kwon Yujin’s ear. Kwon Yujin, who had been just quietly listening, nodded his head.
“Something came up today, so I have to go first.”
“Why? Is it urgent?”
“If you’re hungry, eat alone. There’s a restaurant nearby.”
“Ah.”
I wasn’t hungry though. My shoulders drooped with regret. If I watched him eating, I could examine up close how fine the pinky finger that had been broken before was, and in many ways it would have been easy to observe Kwon Yujin.
Kwon Yujin, who was about to turn around with the man, stopped as if he remembered something. Then he took out a card from his pocket and held it out to me.
“Use this.”
I stared at it fixedly, then quickly received it in case Kwon Yujin would take it back.
“Okay.”
Then the expression of the man watching me became distorted. The color of disgust was evident in the pupils fixed on me.
Anyway, I didn’t care and put the card in my pocket. So that even if Kwon Yujin changed his mind, he couldn’t snatch it away.
Soon after, the two people left the hospital, and only then did I take out the card again to examine it.
Kwon Yujin’s name was written in English on the matte black card. Giving me a credit card must mean he trusts me, right? Because he wouldn’t entrust such an important thing to someone he only hates.
My mood improved a little because it seemed Kwon Yujin didn’t perceive me as just a bad person. Though it was still regrettable that I couldn’t watch him eat.
I recalled how the child used to eat in front of me long ago. My head is bad, so normally even things from a few days ago quickly feel hazy, but strangely, everything about Kwon Yujin was vivid. It was stored densely in my head as if it happened yesterday.
And I intended to never forget those times. Even if Kwon Yujin had already forgotten everything.
***
My eyes opened early in the morning. When I checked my phone, it was 5 minutes before the alarm would ring. I always set an alarm in preparation for any situation, but I always woke up a little earlier than that.
Before going out, I showered and came out to immediately apply lotion to my face. Taking meticulous care. Since I hate looking at my face, there was no mirror at the bathroom sink.
Before leaving the house wearing work clothes, I checked whether my appearance was neat in the only mirror at the entrance. I always had to be careful not to leave traces of lotion or toothpaste. Once I put on my mask and hat, preparations for going out were complete.
On my way out, I stopped by the bank and withdrew money. After putting a thick bundle of cash in an envelope, I headed to the neighborhood where I lived with Father when I was young.
The neighborhood was still the same. The shabby scenery was no different from before.
Although banners were hung here and there asking if there was news of redevelopment, nothing seemed to have progressed yet.
There was a small tea room about 15 minutes away from my old house. After I went in first and sat down, someone approached after a few minutes.
“Taeyoung hyung. Long time no see.”
Noh Seungmin. This guy was from this same neighborhood as me.
“Have you been well?”
I stood up and greeted him warmly. The tattoo connecting from the back of his hand to his arm seemed darker than before. Maybe there was a newly added design.
Noh Seungmin sat in the seat across from me and answered.
“I’m always the same.”
“Is there any news?”
“Hyung doesn’t seem happy to see me. Let’s have a proper greeting, a proper greeting.”
Like Father did in the past, he was doing work similar to a thug. He lent money at high interest, and often did detective agency work digging into people’s backgrounds.
“One hot milk coffee here please.”
Noh Seungmin familiarly ordered a menu item from the clerk. I silently fiddled with the coffee cup placed in front of me. Although I ordered out of courtesy, I hadn’t taken a single sip because I had to take off my mask to eat or drink anything.
