Ch 19

Ideun placed Ji-an on the mattress, the only spot where one could rest in this space. Then, with one hand, he picked up Bobo, who kept clinging to his feet as if he were a toy. Even though he knew he shouldn’t touch someone else’s belongings, Ideun’s hand reached toward the wardrobe.

Inside were a few pairs of jeans, t-shirts, and hoodies. Everything was neatly arranged, suggesting Ji-an had a tidy personality, and the subtle scent of his fabric softener lingered inside the wardrobe. Ideun checked the fridge, which contained a few bottles of water, some drinks he’d bought, and a few refrigerated ready-to-eat meals. A small sigh escaped him. The lower cabinet was empty, but there were at least a few things in the upper cabinet.

“…Have you even been eating?” 

He saw untouched cold medicine, new and unopened, as well as untouched shelf-stable food. In a space devoid of even ramen, there was something else that caught his eye: an assortment of cat food portioned in various sizes and shapes, a collection of cat food cans, treats, vitamins, and even a still-unopened pair of cat nail scissors. Ideun looked over at Ji-an.

There was a faint rustling sound. Ji-an, who had tossed aside his padded jacket, was lying on his side, back turned, already fast asleep.

Had he ever felt this kind of heartache before? Honestly, the complex emotions and thoughts he was experiencing were so unfamiliar that Ideun couldn’t easily decide what he should do next.

He wanted to take Ji-an out of here.

He would take him to his own home. But then what?

He was already well aware that Ji-an felt uncomfortable around him. Ji-an would start chatting and then fall silent, watching him carefully. He tried to keep his distance and disliked being indebted to anyone, so Ideun couldn’t force him to accept his help.

Slowly, Ideun approached Ji-an and placed the struggling Bobo next to him. He pulled the blanket, which Ji-an had somehow kicked off to the side, over him.

After some hesitation, Ideun decided to keep his distance. The distance Ji-an wanted.

But first, he had to settle things with the old lady… 

At the front door, Ideun put on his shoes and turned off the lights. Trying not to make a sound, he opened the door and stepped outside.

Bang.

He tried to close the door quietly, but his hand slipped, and the old door clattered loudly.

“Tsk…”

Clicking his tongue at his minor mistake, Ideun pressed the elevator button and stared at the floor numbers. If he didn’t, he might end up looking back at the closed door.

Bang, bang, bang.

Out of nowhere, a loud pounding sound echoed from Ji-an’s door, accompanied by sobbing. The sounds came from Ji-an’s place.

“…Open… I want to go out…”

Just open it. Just press the unlock button and turn the handle, and you can come out.

Ideun’s body moved urgently at the sound of Ji-an pounding on the door and crying as if he were trapped. His trembling fingers punched in the six-digit code he’d memorized after hearing it only once. What was happening? Why was this happening? Ji-an had been sleeping peacefully, and there shouldn’t have been any reason for trouble.

Beep, beep, beep.

“Damn it…”

The pounding on the door grew louder, as if he were hitting it with his fists, or maybe even kicking it, and his sobs rose in intensity. Ideun entered the code again, and as soon as he opened the door, something flew into his arms with a thud.

“I don’t…sniff…want this…”

Ideun held Ji-an, who was sobbing and struggling in his arms, and took him back inside. Standing between the closed front door and Ji-an, Ideun stretched out a hand and turned on the light he’d just switched off.

“Seo Ji-an.”

“No… I don’t… want…”

Ji-an, eyes tightly closed, was crying. He struggled as if he wanted to break free, pushing against Ideun as if he were standing on the edge of a cliff.

“Seo Ji-an. Open your eyes. It’s a dream!”

Ji-an’s fist struck Ideun’s jaw, and an awkward kick sent pain jolting through his shin. Wrapping his arms around Ji-an to restrain him, Ideun held him tightly.

“It’s okay. There’s nothing wrong.”

After releasing his intense outpour of emotion for a short time, Ji-an’s fierce resistance dwindled, and his desperate cries gradually faded. He continued trembling sporadically, and his breathing slowly calmed. But it wasn’t that Ji-an was actually calming down or that his emotions had subsided—he was simply exhausted.

“Seo Ji-an…”

In an instant, Ji-an’s body collapsed like a waterlogged doll.

Ideun didn’t even have time to check on the terrified kitten huddled in a corner. He picked up the unconscious Ji-an, placed him in the front passenger seat, and clenched and unclenched his fist to control his own raging emotions.

The nearest ER… Ideun pulled out his phone to search, muttering a harsh curse under his breath.

Korean Hospital…

Ignoring the closest hospital, Ideun drove toward Seoul Hospital, his gaze frequently checking on Ji-an beside him.

He hadn’t even had a chance to wipe the tear-streaked face, and at a stoplight, Ideun draped his own coat over Ji-an, who hadn’t put on his jacket or shoes. He increased the heated seat temperature and turned the heater higher—everything he could do at the moment.

Sitting on the sofa in the dimly lit hospital room, Ideun covered his face with both hands.

“Why didn’t you go to Korean Hospital?” 

“Just give me the status update.”

“If you’re here, your ‘dear granny’ will hear about it soon enough.”

“You’ll take care of that, won’t you?”

“What if I hadn’t been on duty in the ER tonight?”

“Lee Rowoon. Just give me the status update.”

Ideun cut off Rowoon’s drawn-out response sharply.

“He was drunk enough to be considered heavily intoxicated. Basic blood tests indicate malnutrition.”

“He’s had mild fever and cold symptoms for days.”

“The flu’s going around lately. A cold doesn’t go away in a day or two. X-rays show mild signs of pneumonia, but it’s something that can be handled with rest and medication. There was no need to come up to a private room at this hour.”

Though he was listening, Ideun’s eyes remained fixed on Ji-an’s peaceful, sleeping face.

“What’s going on with this kid’s pheromones?”

Rowoon’s voice, which had been calm and professional, suddenly jumped.

“Let’s do a full trait analysis while he’s here. I’ve never seen anything like this.”

“He’s an omega but registered as a beta, right? They say people with extremely recessive traits often adjust their registration to beta in coordination with a doctor.”

Since he wasn’t a beta, details about pheromone levels and numbers didn’t matter. He’d already confirmed with his own body that Ji-an wasn’t a beta.

“As if I’d be bothered by that? I’m not worried about such things; it’s not like a tiny shift from 0.1 to 0.05 changes everything.”

As Rowoon continued speaking, Ideun pressed his fingers against his throbbing temples.

“So, what exactly is the problem?”

“Well, we need to run some tests to be sure, but… it looks like he’s imprinted.”

“What?”

“And… it seems to be a partial imprint.”

Still pressing his temples, Ideun simply stared at Ro-won.

* * *

Feeling refreshed after a long, sound sleep, Ji-an stretched his arms over his head, then suddenly opened his eyes wide, sensing something was different. The first thing he noticed was the lack of a familiar little creature meowing and playfully diving all over his face and body.

Then, he realized his bed was never this soft and warm, and his home didn’t let in this much sunlight.

The surprise at seeing a familiar white ceiling quickly subsided as Ji-an sat up, startled by a sound nearby.

“I didn’t mean to startle you. How are you feeling?”

Ideun, in dress pants and a white shirt with a couple of buttons undone, appeared in his line of vision. He handed him a bottle of water, his sleeves rolled up casually. His hair seemed slightly disheveled. As Ji-an instinctively reached for the bottle, he noticed the mark from an IV on his wrist and closed his eyes briefly.

Waking up in a private room, rather than a shared or single room, felt familiar. Sometimes he was alone, other times Baek Sanghoon was there. In the beginning, Sanghoon used to stand guard, but after he stopped trying to run away or resist, they stopped monitoring him so closely.

But today, it wasn’t Baek Sanghoon; it was Choi Ideun.

The usual aches following an intense encounter were absent, and he felt unusually refreshed.

“Um, I…”

He remembered drinking heavily with friends last night, but he couldn’t figure out why he had woken up in a hospital room with Ideun present. As he opened his mouth to ask, the dryness in his throat made him drink some water first.

“I called last night. They told me you were so drunk you couldn’t stay conscious, so I went to pick you up. You passed out and wouldn’t wake up, so I brought you here.”

Ji-an had felt uneasy when Haneul showed up right when the party was in full swing. And discovering that the CEO of the company he was about to work for was Ideun had made him feel even more uncomfortable. He had ended up drinking all the alcohol Haneul poured him, which must have led to his current state.

But what about Haneul?

Ji-an, rubbing his face, sighed in relief upon confirming that he was at Seoul Hospital and not Korea Hospital.

“Thank you for helping me again, Ajusshi. Did I do anything embarrassing or cause any trouble?”

As Ji-an threw back the blanket and let his legs dangle off the bed, he looked anxiously at Ideun.

“You did.”

“Really? What did I do?”

“It wouldn’t be any fun if I told you, would it? I’m keeping it to myself.”

“Then, nothing really happened.”

“No, you made quite an impression.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you.”

“I know my own drinking habits best. I usually pass out and sleep, and it’s hard to wake up. Even my aunt once thought I’d fainted, but I was just sleeping deeply. What I mean is, you could’ve just taken me home. Anyway, thank you for the help. By the way, where’s Haneul?”

Since Haneul had been drinking with him, Ji-an found it hard to understand why Ideun was the one who had brought him to the hospital instead. Even if someone needed to bring him here, it should have been Haneul, not Ideun. As Ji-an thought this, he let out a quiet sigh upon realizing what must have happened.

His other friends, like Jungwoon, likely went home with their partners or made their way back alone. Haneul, unable to leave him passed out like that, must have looked after him, and Ideun must have helped them both, just like last time.

He owed Haneul another favor. Hopefully, there wouldn’t be any misunderstandings…

“Haneul?”

“Yes.”

“Noh Haneul?”

“Yes. I drank with him yesterday, but please explain things to him, Ajusshi, so he doesn’t misunderstand.”

“What misunderstanding?”

“Honestly, there’s plenty to misunderstand. That time with the ice cream, you took me home that night, too. And on Christmas Eve, you and I ate dinner together. We’re not exactly close, and I’m always on the receiving end of favors. From a lover’s perspective, he’d feel upset. Haneul’s very understanding and kind, but…”

“Lover?”

Ji-an, who had been mumbling excuses, stopped at Ideun’s firm tone and looked up.

“You and Haneul…”

Oh, did I misspeak? They definitely called him his lover, even mentioned marriage. Could this be a secret? Like some plot twist in a novel that can’t be revealed yet? Ah… if only I remembered the story better. Everything’s so jumbled in my head; I can’t keep track of it all.

Noticing Ideun’s gaze, Ji-an slowly lowered his eyes, afraid of inadvertently causing a rift between Ideun and Haneul. A knock broke the tension.

Relieved, Ji-an let out a soft breath as a doctor entered after the knock.

“Mr. Seo Ji-an, you’re awake.”

At the doctor’s words, Ji-an quickly bowed his head in greeting.

“There are a few questions I need to ask and some things to confirm. Is that all right?”

“Yes.”

“These might be sensitive, so if your guardian could…”

The doctor glanced at Ideun, prompting Ji-an to do the same. Seeing Ideun standing firmly, Ji-an replied that it was fine.

“You’re aware you’re registered as a beta with recessive omega traits?”

Ah… so the sensitive issue is about my traits. Ji-an, startled by the doctor’s directness, forced an awkward smile. It felt strange to ask Ideun to step out now, and he didn’t see any reason to keep it secret.

“Yes. I’ve consulted with a doctor and recently had my records updated to beta.”

“Have you encountered an alpha?”

Ji-an, glancing sideways at Ideun, nodded. It was something Ideun already knew.

“Are you aware that your overall health is currently unstable?”

“Yes.”

Since his pheromones were disrupted beyond repair, making him infertile and disqualified as an omega, he had registered as a beta. He was aware that his unstable pheromones could cause health issues.

“And about the imprint?”

“Pardon?”

Nodding along in agreement, Ji-an suddenly looked up at the doctor. The doctor, seemingly unsurprised by his reaction, nodded as if to confirm his suspicions.

“Technically, it’s a partial imprint. Mr. Seo Ji-an, it means you imprinted on the alpha alone.”

“What…”

“As your doctor, I can offer two pieces of advice. First, have that alpha imprint on you as well. That’s the ideal approach. If that’s not possible, then second, ensure you’re frequently exposed to that alpha’s pheromones.”

Are you kidding me with this nonsense? How am I supposed to meet that person again, not knowing their name or whereabouts? And a partial imprint… what does that even…

“Can’t you just break the imprint?”

Ideun, who had been leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, finally spoke.