Vol 5 Ch 21

“Hmm. It’s good.”

‘Yes?’

“Your numbers are better than last time, right? Looks like you’ve been exercising hard.”

The doctor pushed up his glasses and smiled kindly.

Before boarding the plane, Wooyeon called CEO Kim. Irritated at being called early in the morning, CEO  Kim asked why he was calling and being annoying.

Ignoring CEO Kim’s irritation, Wooyeon bluntly asked him to schedule a hospital appointment.

‘What? What hospital? Which one? You didn’t get hurt again, did you?’

‘It’s not me, it’s Inseop.’

‘Ah, the cardiology department? Wasn’t that supposed to be once every two months?’

‘Forget those. Please make the appointment for this afternoon. Include the tests.’

‘Are you treating me like your secretary? If you want an appointment, I’ll…’

‘CEO.’

At Wooyeon’s earnest tone, CEO Kim unexpectedly swallowed hard.

‘I’ll take care of it.’

‘What?’

‘Please. CEO.’

‘Are you seriously asking me…’

Wooyeon hung up. Inseop looked up at him with a worried expression.

‘Don’t worry. The CEO will take care of it.’

Having said that, Wooyeon immediately sent a message to CEO Kim.

[I’ll set your office on fire if you don’t comply.]

Feeling it was a bit lacking, he added one more thing.

[And your house, too.]

Wooyeon captured the plane ticket and sent it. He was considerate enough to book it according to the return time, after all.

Not long after, a message arrived with a hospital appointment time, accompanied by curses. Upon returning to Korea, they immediately went to the hospital. While waiting for the tests, Wooyeon talked about various things with Inseop.

They talked about movies, discussed books they read together, and made pointless jokes.

Inseop finally realized how nervous Wooyeon was. He couldn’t reveal his anxiety, trying to alleviate it instead.

If only he had been healthy like an ordinary person…

When it was time for the appointment, Wooyeon stood close behind Inseop.

“Let’s go together.”

Inseop nodded. The doctor they always saw was sitting there. Sitting on the small chair in front of the desk, Inseop bowed his head like a sinner. Knowing that having an illness isn’t a crime, some days it felt like his fault.

Like today.

Facing the doctor, Inseop felt Wooyeon’s concern and felt his hands and feet grow cold. But the doctor’s words were completely unexpected.

“You just need to manage it like this. I’ve been practicing medicine for a long time, but you’re the first patient I’ve seen manage it so consistently well.”

“Uh… I… a few days ago, when I… the other doctor said…”

Inseop stammered, glancing at Wooyeon.

“The other doctor? Oh, I suddenly had a seminar and went on a business trip, so I asked Dr. Park to take over. Why?”

“The doctor said… um… my numbers, the inflammation numbers are very bad… dangerous.”

He couldn’t bring himself to say that he could die.

“Hmm? Dr. Park said that?”

Inseop replied yes.

“How could the numbers change that much in a few days?”

Wooyeon, who had been silent until then, spoke up.

“No. While there could be some difference, if it changed that much, your body would have reacted. Was there any significant change?”

Inseop quickly shook his head. The doctor checked the medical records and frowned.

“It seems like the charts have been switched with another patient.”

“What?”

“The patient scheduled right before you that day only had tests done and didn’t see the doctor. Later, when they called about the prescription, turns out he was playing games at a PC cafe while waiting. Oh my, I wish all patients managed themselves as well as you do.”

The doctor chuckled as he recounted how many times such incidents had occurred.

“You’re similar in age, so Dr. Park probably got confused.”

“Ah, I see.”

Inseop slowly turned to look beside him at Lee Wooyeon’s face, where a subtly written phrase seemed to be clearly read.

This son of a bitch.

“Dr. Park is fine, just a bit impatient. So… patients were probably quite worried, I apologize.”

The doctor apologized with a kind smile.

“Well, it happens.”

Lee Wooyeon gracefully replied with a smile. But Inseop understood. That smiling face was not really smiling at all.

“But the doctor you saw then, his name was Park…”

“Um, am I okay?”

Inseop cut off Lee Wooyeon’s words abruptly. The smile around Lee Wooyeon’s eyes deepened.

“Yes, you don’t need to worry. Live up to a hundred, as I said.”

“Th-thank you. Then I’ll be…”

Inseop quickly stood up from his seat, attempting to leave. Lee Wooyeon grabbed his arm and gently pulled him back into the chair.

“Any other precautions?”

“No, nothing special. Avoid stress, excessive drinking, smoking. Moderate exercise. Healthy eating habits.”

“Ah, I see. Got it.”

Inseop glanced nervously at Lee Wooyeon.

“Just live like an ordinary person.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Then I’ll see you at your next appointment.”

“Yes!”

Inseop stood up. Lee Wooyeon quickly guided him out of the examination room, afraid he might ask the doctor’s name.

“Haha.”

Lee Wooyeon chuckled softly as they stepped outside the examination room. It sent shivers down Inseop’s spine. In that brief laughter, all of Lee Wooyeon’s emotions were vividly expressed: annoyance, incredulity, disappointment, absurdity… and frustration.

“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t investigate properly and worried you…”

Inseop hastily apologized to Lee Wooyeon.

“Why are you apologizing, Inseop?”

Lee Wooyeon brushed off Inseop’s apology in an affectionate voice. Then, with his hat pulled down low, he spoke in a bitter tone.

“That doctor, parading around with his head and eyes as ornaments, should be the one apologizing, shouldn’t he?”

“Uh…”

Inseop’s face turned pale. Lee Wooyeon laughed dismissively.

“…Just kidding.”

“Not a joke, though.”

Inseop swallowed the words he couldn’t say and grabbed the edge of Lee Wooyeon’s coat.

“Let’s go quickly.”

Even a moment’s delay would have to be taken out of the hospital with Lee Wooyeon.

“I-I need to use the restroom for a moment.”

Inseop shouted, “Will you come with me?” in a loud voice.

“What?”

Wooyeon asked.

Inseop hesitated to go to the restroom with Wooyeon. Whenever Inseop unzipped, Wooyeon would throw a vulgar joke, which was not only embarrassing but he also feared someone might overhear.

“Shall we go together?”

With his hat pulled low, Inseop could see that Lee Wooyeon’s eyes were smiling.

“Well, um, I’ll wait outside,” Inseop replied, avoiding eye contact and following Lee Wooyeon as he confidently walked ahead.

While standing guard outside the restroom, Inseop sent a message to CEO Kim, thanking him for his concern and letting him know that everything turned out fine. Shortly after, a reply came from CEO Kim.

[Oh, I see. I was worried, so I’m glad.]

As Inseop checked the message, another new message popped up.

[Make sure Lee Wooyeon doesn’t create any smoke.]

[I mean, make sure he stays away from lighters.]

It seemed CEO Kim was worried about Lee Wooyeon’s health.

Inseop replied that he understood. Lee Wooyeon emerged from the restroom, drying his hands with a paper towel.

“Are you protecting me?”

“…I was waiting.”

Lee Wooyeon crumpled the paper towel and threw it in the trash before flashing a graceful smile.

“Am I being suspected of finding that doctor and smashing his head with a brick, dragging him to the mountains, tying him up upside down, breaking his neck, cutting off his fingers, and burying him?”

“…,”

Inseop couldn’t find any words in response to such a chillingly specific scenario.

“I don’t do things like that anymore.”

“…,”

So, how long has he been doing such things?

With a slightly melancholic look, Inseop looked at Lee Wooyeon’s broad shoulders as he walked ahead. Lee Wooyeon suddenly turned his head.

“I’ve been thinking.”

“…yes.”

Now it was his turn to lose his temper.

“From now on, we must go for health checkups together.”

“…yes.”

He was prepared for this and expected it.

“Regardless of what happens at the hospital, let’s go together. If you want coffee from the hospital vending machine, call me.”

“…yes.”

It wouldn’t happen, but Inseop nodded obediently.

“And except for meeting family, let’s not be apart for more than 24 hours.”

“Yes. …yes?”

He answered without thinking. Because of his occupation, night shoots were a routine for Lee Wooyeon. He often left home for several days for filming in the provinces.

Inseop hesitated for a moment and then opened his mouth.

“Should I be your manager again?”

Lee Wooyeon, who was walking beside him, suddenly stopped. He stared at Inseop for a long time before bursting into laughter unexpectedly.

“Ahaha.”

It was a laugh as unique as mixing milk with high-end chocolate. Even if he covered his face with a hat, Lee Wooyeon was still Lee Wooyeon. People passing by glanced at them. Inseop looked up at Lee Wooyeon with a nervous heart.

“Hahaha. You’re driving me crazy. Seriously.”

Lee Wooyeon said with laughter full of mischievousness.

“No, I won’t ask you to be my manager. I’ll handle everything myself.”

“…,”

Inseop couldn’t say anything in response to such a concrete statement.

“I guess you thought about it.”

“…yes.”

Now it was his turn to be worried.

“I’m amazed. You really believe that I’ll be troubled. After watching me for a few years, do you want to protect this guy? …Damn, you’re so annoyingly pretty.”

“Really.”

Lee Wooyeon smiled mischievously. He thought about saying he wanted to build a secluded house in the quiet countryside of America, away from home, even for a few hours, and enjoying imprisonment disguised as rural life.

“I don’t think I’m having a hard time at all.”

Inseop pretended not to know and made Lee Wooyeon appear as pitiful as possible.

“It seems like Inseop is having a hard time.”

“No, I’m not. I’m not having a hard time at all.”

“Then do you agree?”

“Well, that’s…”

Once an agreement was made between the two, breaking that term would not be easy. Of course, Inseop was the only one who tried hard to keep promises. Inseop couldn’t respond immediately, so Lee Wooyeon turned his head.

“By the way, why did Park Jongseok do that?”

“Who is Mr. Park Jongseok?”

Inseop’s eyes widened.

“He’s Doctor Park. The one who treated you before.”

“…How did you…?”

“Just now, I briefly checked the hospital staff list. There are two people with the surname Park. Among them, the one who suddenly got a business trip, there’s only one person who can cover for him.”

“…,”

Inseop was terrified at how Wooyeon had managed to find out all this in such a short time.

“Is this the person?”

Wooyeon pulled out his phone and showed Inseop a picture of the medical staff he had found.

“Um, I vaguely remember…”

Inseop muttered, avoiding eye contact. He had expected this and Wooyeon smiled as he put his phone back in his pocket.

“Well, if you don’t remember, I can go ask in person.”

“What?”

Inseop raised his head in shock.

“How can he live with such a head that he can even mistake a patient’s chart? And not feel any discomfort?”

“Please don’t. It was just a mistake…”

“Right. People make mistakes.”

Wooyeon nodded.

“So, I could also mistakenly rear-end Doctor Park’s white sedan.”

“…How did you…?”

Inseop couldn’t continue speaking, realizing Wooyeon had even figured out the color of Doctor Park’s car in that brief moment.

“It’s a joke. I just guessed. White is the most popular color for cars purchased in Korea.”

“…,”

Inseop briefly pondered how he had come to genuinely love such a person.

“Why? Are you afraid I’ll really go see him?”

With a kind tone that could melt anyone’s heart just by making eye contact, the beautiful man asked.

“…Please don’t go.”

Inseop replied quietly but seriously. He couldn’t bring himself to say he didn’t think it was appropriate, out of politeness.

“I’m worried about you, Inseop. So we should stick together.”

The man who had just been looking for a doctor suddenly changed the subject without a care.

“I understand your concerns. I’m really sorry about that part, but 24 hours…”

“24 hours?”

Wooyeon followed up on Inseop’s unfinished sentence.

“…Isn’t that too overprotective?”

Though the words were nice, it meant they had to stay together all the time. Even without that, there were already many things Wooyeon endured for his health, and Inseop didn’t want to add more.

“If I go out while you’re not here and something happens, like rear-ending someone.”

“…”

Please be a bit overprotective of me.

Inseop hesitated to look at Wooyeon for a moment before sighing.

“…Okay.”

“Then let’s discuss the details at home.”

“Alright.”

Inseop nodded, satisfied, and Wooyeon resumed walking.

“Also, I’ll install a location tracking app on your phone.”

“What?”

“If we’re apart and you’re sick and I can’t reach you, what will I do?”

“…I won’t be apart for more than 24 hours…”

“You could get sick at 23 hours and 59 minutes.”

Wooyeon replied with a bright smile. Inseop could tell that Wooyeon wasn’t in a state to have a proper conversation.

“…Alright, I understand.”

Inseop simply nodded. Perhaps he was increasing Wooyeon’s anxiety, so this time it was right to listen to everything he said.

“But do such apps even exist?”

Wooyeon’s eyes widened at Inseop’s question.

“Well, if they don’t, you could pay someone to make one.”

“…”

Perhaps it was already installed.

Inseop fidgeted with his phone in his pocket without saying anything.