Jaehyun, who arrived at the parking lot a step later than Ganghyuk, discovered Ian hanging limply. A flash of bewilderment crossed his pitch-black eyes.
“Contact Director Kim. Tell him I’m bringing a patient to the hospital now.”
Instead of clearing up Jaehyun’s confusion, Ganghyuk only gave instructions. After he got into the back seat first, Jaehyun, who had collected himself, quickly sat in the driver’s seat.
Then, after sending a text message to Director Kim, he immediately entered the hospital address into the navigation.
The road at dawn was submerged in a faint blue light like fog. Except for those burning through the night, it was a time when everyone else would be asleep for tomorrow.
Jaehyun increased his speed, overtaking taxis operating even late at night. This was because every time the streetlights gently illuminated the inside of the car, Ian’s pale complexion was revealed.
While thinking there was no way Ganghyuk had made him like this, his mouth went dry from the just-in-case thought.
Sexual pheromones vibrated in the car enough to make it obvious what the two had been doing before coming down. An omega wrapped in Ganghyuk’s pheromones. If he told Sucheol, who was on a business trip in the provinces, curses would fly first.
Screech.
The car carrying the three people stopped in front of a general hospital on the outskirts of Seoul. Despite it being dawn, many floors of the 10-story building had lights on.
An elderly doctor who had been waiting in front of the main entrance spotted Jaehyun getting out of the car and approached. Despite the late hour, his graying hair swept back from his forehead was neat.
“Director-nim, I’m sorry for the late hour.”
“What. I’m doing this for money. Since you called me out at dawn, I came out expecting you’d give me a separate bonus.”
When Jaehyun bowed his head, Director Kim only patted Jaehyun’s shoulder. His benevolent expression cracked when Ganghyuk got out of the car holding some man in his arms.
Director Kim had worked under Ganghyuk for as long as Jaehyun. He prided himself on knowing quite a bit about Ganghyuk, but the scene he was facing now was completely unfamiliar.
“He complained of chest pain and then fainted. I’d like you to look at what the problem is.”
Whether others were flustered or not, Ganghyuk was only interested in Ian’s condition. Even after fainting, perhaps still feeling pain, Ian was groaning and frowning.
“Come this way.”
Director Kim guided Ganghyuk inside the hospital. People going back and forth to the emergency room paused when they saw the conspicuous Ganghyuk, then quickly turned their heads at Director Kim’s signal.
Ganghyuk, who had laid Ian down on an emergency room bed, looked around. Since his underwear was soaked with semen, Ian was wearing only a slip.
Ganghyuk brought a blanket and covered below Ian’s waist. Director Kim, who was calling a nurse to give necessary instructions, glanced at both Ganghyuk and Ian’s faces at the curiosity-provoking situation.
“Do you know the patient’s name and resident registration number?”
After Director Kim discovered the scar on Ian’s chest, he asked Ganghyuk. Judging by its location, there was a high possibility he’d had heart surgery. If so, it would be good to check previous medical records.
“His name is Yeon Ian, he’s twenty years old. I don’t know his resident registration number.”
Ganghyuk, who had his arms crossed, opened his mouth. If he wanted to, finding out Ian’s resident registration number would be easy, but this was all he knew right now.
“Then I’ll proceed with the examination first.”
Before the examination, Director Kim opened Ian’s eyelid and shone a penlight at his pupil. Seeing the pupil rapidly contract and return to normal, it wasn’t a critically urgent situation.
While Ian was being examined, Ganghyuk watched Ian’s face with an inscrutable expression. Jaehyun also held his breath while observing Ganghyuk and Ian.
It wasn’t unfamiliar to see Ganghyuk showing compassion to someone. Both himself, Sucheol, and Director Kim who was now personally examining Ian.
Everyone by Ganghyuk’s side were all people whose lives had been saved once, relying on Ganghyuk’s sympathy.
But he thought the feelings Ganghyuk was showing toward Ian seemed somehow a bit different.
That made sense, because Ian couldn’t give Ganghyuk any help. Most of those working under Ganghyuk were recessive alphas. Those who used their heads like Jaehyun were few, and most, like Sucheol, mainly used their bodies.
Occasionally there were betas mixed in, but there were no omegas at all. And to say Ganghyuk had fallen for the omega at the club auction at first sight didn’t fit since he had encountered Ian at the funeral home.
Jaehyun knew almost nothing about Yeon Cheolho. He only knew he was someone connected to Ganghyuk’s past that he didn’t know about.
Ian was Yeon Cheolho’s grandson. It seemed he’d saved him from the club due to their past connection, but carrying Ian, who was intoxicated by drugs, in his arms and entering a hotel room, and bringing him directly to the hospital too.
Thinking of Ganghyuk’s usual behavior, it was all unfamiliar actions, so unnecessary curiosity kept trying to arise. Just as he was wondering whether he should investigate Ian’s background without Ganghyuk knowing, the examination finished.
Ganghyuk admitted Ian to a private room. He was also the one who personally changed him from the slip that was no different from a scrap of fabric into a patient gown. Sitting in a chair, he quietly watched his face, which had become much more comfortable than before coming to the hospital.
Shortly after, Director Kim came to the hospital room holding a chart. After greeting Ganghyuk, he approached and carefully examined the test results once more. Having finished his diagnosis, he met Ganghyuk’s eyes.
“It looks like he had heart surgery in the past. Looking at the test results, there’s no major problem. His hemoglobin levels are lower than normal, and it appears he collapsed from atrial fibrillation. The condition isn’t serious, so he’ll be fine with medication. I’ll take measures immediately.”
“Heart surgery?”
“Yes. I need to check past medical records to be sure.”
Recalling the past, Ganghyuk’s brow furrowed minutely. The face of a pale and particularly timid kid passed through his mind.
Even when he saw him at the funeral home, Ian had been living normally. Why had such a kid suddenly appeared at the club, and moreover, in an omega auction?
“Jaehyun-ah.”
“Yes, Executive Director-nim.”
Ganghyuk, who had called Jaehyun, gave instructions. It was to investigate Ian’s background. Since it was something he’d been curious about anyway, Jaehyun quickly nodded.
Even after sending out Director Kim and Jaehyun, Ganghyuk kept his position. Before he knew it, dawn was rising outside the window. Ganghyuk’s fingertips stroked Ian’s gaunt cheek. Though faint, a pale yellow bruise remained. His stomach was also full of traces of violence.
Not much time had passed since the funeral ended, yet a dominant omega who had appeared as goods at a club auction with empty eyes.
With just the protective shield called Yeon Cheolho gone, the kid’s life was rolling much more violently than an ordinary person’s.
“It would be the same by my side. What should I do about this.”
The reason Ganghyuk hadn’t sought out Yeon Cheolho and Ian until now was because he knew that being connected to him would only make their lives harder.
Since they weren’t people who belonged to this world anyway, forcibly dragging people who were living well into the world he was in would be too cruel.
But Ian had rolled into Ganghyuk’s hands on his own. His face, sleeping with a peaceful expression without knowing what would unfold from now on, looked so young that it felt strange.
With his chin resting on his palm, Ganghyuk gazed at Ian’s sleeping face until the sun completely rose. He had a premonition that his boring life would become more colorful.
ლ
Blink blink.
Ian, who had woken from sleep, looked up at the unfamiliar ceiling with a dazed face. Every time he closed and opened his eyes, the things that had happened before he lost consciousness came to mind without order.
Unconsciously raising his hand, he touched his cheek. From the stinging feeling, it was reality, not a dream.
Where was this? And where was that man?
The pure white ceiling was clean without a single stain. Judging from the faint smell of disinfectant and the IV line connected to his arm, this place seemed to be a hospital after all.
However, it was quite different from the hospital image Ian knew. It wasn’t his first time being hospitalized in a hospital, but it was unfamiliar not to have other beds on either side.
From a bed too spacious to call a hospital bed to the humidifier on the nightstand, the table and sofa visible beyond the bed, and even the large wall-mounted TV.
The hospital room that looked like a decent studio apartment was even much larger than Ian’s room. His eyes, still not fully clear of drowsiness, rolled around the hospital room.
