* * *

“Well, if there’s any pain, we could take some X-rays, but it seems unnecessary. You’re healing well. Just remember, since your wrist has been immobilized for so long, you’ll need some rehabilitation. Go to the physical therapy room for a few sessions.”

Junhee nodded, bowing in gratitude.

When he looked up, he noticed a peculiar gleam in Dr. Kim’s eyes.

“Junhee, may I ask you something?”

Dr. Kim’s “quiz questions” were a familiar routine, but something about today felt different.

Junhee swallowed nervously, unsure of what to expect.

“What’s your relationship with Taeryu?”

“I… I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Are you…,” Dr. Kim leaned in, speaking in a softer, almost intimate tone, “being threatened by him? I just can’t understand how someone as decent as you could be spending time with someone like him.”

Dr. Kim’s serious tone made Junhee’s heart skip a beat.

“… Thank you for your concern, but it’s not like that at all.”

He couldn’t call it coercion when he’d willingly agreed to things.

“Oh… that’s a relief. Still, Taeryu might be the rudest person alive, but even he seems to think sometimes. I mean, he’s somehow managed to stay out of jail so far.”

Junhee wasn’t sure if Dr. Kim’s words were praise or insult.

“Does he have some stubborn principles?”

“Principles?”

Junhee asked, bewildered.

How could Dr. Kim think that someone who constantly kissed him without permission and invaded his personal space was “principled”?

“People like him usually go for gambling, drugs, and… well, you know,” Dr. Kim trailed off.

Junhee thought he understood what the unspoken last part was.

If Junhee had gotten a dime for every time Taeryu used that word around him, he’d probably have a small fortune by now.

Despite Taeryu’s constant crude comments, he had yet to act on them.

Even when he’d struggled through that recent… difficult period, he hadn’t tried to relieve it the way the doctor suggested.

Unless he was extremely particular.

“Just so we’re clear, he doesn’t… take drugs or anything like that, right?”

“Huh? Ah, no! Ha, ha…!”

Dr. Kim chuckled as if Junhee had just told a joke, but Junhee was genuinely curious.

Embarrassed, Junhee looked away just as someone knocked on the exam room door.

A nurse peeked in.

“Doctor, you have 17 more patients in line. You are planning on leaving today, right?”

---

In the therapy room, Junhee stared down at the rectangular device filled with warm liquid.

“Put your hand in, hold it for twenty seconds, then remove it. Once it dries, put it back in and repeat this five times,” the therapist instructed.

The translucent green fluid reminded Junhee of a witch’s potion.

When he submerged his hand, a pleasant warmth spread through his wrist, and when he pulled it out, a thin layer formed over his hand like a glove.

‘How fascinating.’

Following the therapist’s instructions, he repeated the process several times.

By the end, his hand was flushed red, like a boiled sweet potato.

As he was wiping away the remaining moisture, someone tapped him on the shoulder.

“Junhee!”

As Junhee glanced back cautiously, his view was suddenly blocked by a takeaway coffee cup.

“I came by to deliver coffee to Mr. Daeheon, but when I heard you were here too, I thought I’d drop by quickly. Lucky you haven’t left yet. Here, this is for you, Junhee.”

“You didn’t have to go out of your way for me, but thank you, Yoonjae.”

Yoonjae smiled brightly and took a seat next to Junhee.

“By the way, Junhee, you’re really diligent. It’s a day off for the office, but you’re still up early.”

“It’s not so much diligence… it’s just hard to find time to go to the hospital otherwise. If Dr. Kim hadn’t contacted me directly, I’d probably still be at home.”

“Oh, I see. The moment you were mentioned, he started saying he owed you a lifetime of gratitude or something. I’m glad you came, or he’d have pestered you until you did.”

Listening to Yoonjae, Junhee felt a bit relieved.

If he had sent the reply he’d written that morning, his ears would’ve been burning for days.

“Oh, Junhee, if you haven’t had lunch yet, want to grab something nearby? Daeheon mentioned he’ll be working late.”

“I appreciate the offer, but I have a few places to stop by.”

“Ah, so you have plans already.”

“No, not really…”

Junhee trailed off, wondering if he should explain it to Yoonjae.

He was planning to stop by the hospital and then head to the department store.

He wanted to check the price of the outfit that Doyoung’s younger sibling had ruined, and to see if it was still being sold.

“Junhee, there it is—that expression.”

“…What?”

“That look that says, ‘I’ve got a lot on my mind, but I can’t tell you.’ If it’s okay, share it. I might be able to help, you know?”

Caught off guard by Yoonjae’s perceptive words, Junhee bit his lip slightly.

“Well… let’s just start with lunch, then.”

“Sounds good.”

Junhee had been confident about hiding his expressions, but somehow more people seemed to be reading him lately.

---

While sipping his drink through a straw, Yoonjae suddenly coughed.

“Wait, you actually did that? You splashed coffee on Moon Doyoung?”

“…Yes.”

Junhee handed him a napkin and nodded.

“Wow, knowing Doyoung’s temper, there’s no way he’d let that slide. That employee must’ve been in trouble, right? Since college, he’s had a reputation for paying back double, no matter who it is.”

“No, fortunately, it didn’t come to that. We ended it with an apology and a promise to replace the outfit he was wearing.”

“Really? Wow… He must’ve held back a lot. Normally, he’d get the same coffee thrown back in the face, grab them by the collar, and hire a top lawyer for a lawsuit.”

Junhee felt a chill run down his spine at Yoonjae’s words.

Because of how warm Yoonjae was with him, Junhee sometimes forgot how infamous Doyoung used to be.

“He probably restrained himself because of you, Junhee. But why is he so soft only toward you? Usually, people act that way when they’re hiding something. Do you have some sort of leverage over him?”

“…No, it’s not like that.”

“Well, if anyone’s vulnerable, it would be you, not the other way around.”

It wasn’t leverage—more like he saw Junhee as a useful connection.

But things had changed drastically since then.

Now, Doyoung had nothing to gain from Junhee.

He couldn’t begin to guess what might happen if Doyoung realized that.

“Anyway, I’m glad it ended without too much fuss. So, you were planning to go to the department store alone?”

Junhee placed his spoon and chopsticks down on his empty plate and nodded.

“Do you know which outfit it was?”

“He actually sent it to me by courier the next day, so I have it with me.”

When he pulled the outfit from a shopping bag, Yoonjae’s eyes widened.

“Oh? This is from the brand sponsored by my mom’s company.”

“Is it… an expensive brand?”

“It’s more of a mass-market brand, so not too pricey. Since it’s a dress, I’d say around two hundred.”

It was impressive that he could estimate the price immediately, considering how many items a brand like that must have.

He’d expected it to cost a few months’ salary, so it was a relief in an unfortunate way.

“Are you really planning to buy a new one to replace it? I might be out of touch with these things, but shouldn’t it be the employee who pays for it, or the company?”

“Yes, normally the company would cover it. If a staff member spills coffee on a customer’s expensive outfit by accident, the company would typically compensate, but… if I report it…”

“Oh, you don’t want the employee to get in trouble, right?”

“…Yes. Since they’re a contract worker, this could affect their evaluation. And if it comes out that they spilled the coffee on purpose, not only would they lose compensation, but they’d likely have to submit a written explanation.”

Remembering the trembling hand holding that white envelope, Junhee felt a pang of sympathy.

“Since the employee did it out of concern for you… even if you didn’t ask for it, it doesn’t sit well, right?”

Exactly, as Yoonjae said.

Things had gotten so bad, they even tried to sell the clothes Junhee had given them.

Since it had already been washed multiple times, they couldn’t return it, and even if they tried giving it back to Junhee, it wouldn’t fit.

Once the contract was over, they wouldn’t wear it again, so they thought it’d be better to just sell it.

“Junhee, instead of handling this alone, come to the store with me.”

“W-with you, Yoonjae?”

“I mentioned earlier, it’s one of my mom’s sponsored brands. If I drop her name, depending on the item, they might offer a big discount. We should start by talking to the manager.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean to bring it up to inconvenience you…”

“Want to see what a real favor is? A favor is if I buy it outright, okay? Right now, I’m just helping a friend out. Getting you a small discount doesn’t cost me anything.”

Junhee couldn’t find a way to counter his reasoning.

“While we’re there, I’ll do a bit of shopping too. You’ll be my shopping buddy, okay? Come on, let’s go! Speed is key in shopping!”

Pushed along by Yoonjae’s energy, Junhee found himself outside the restaurant in no time.

“Driver, to H Department Store, please.”

Before he knew it, he was in the backseat of a cab heading to the department store.

---

“Yes, sir. This item is from this year’s spring collection, but unfortunately, it’s sold out nationwide. It’s unavailable not only in this store but also in other locations.”

One obstacle after another.

Junhee’s shoulders slumped at the unexpected news.

* * *