* * *
Jinwoo was momentarily speechless, his lips parting but no words coming out.
As Soohyuk had pointed out, Jinwoo was not in a position to make demands.
Even now, instead of questioning Soohyuk, he should be asking for a favor, offering to repay his debt.
Especially since it had been Jingyeom himself who had asked for help, and Soohyuk had willingly agreed to it.
“Damn it!”
Frustration gripped Jinwoo in this miserable situation, where every way forward felt blocked, making his jaw clench so hard that his face trembled.
The bitterness of his predicament left a bad taste in his mouth.
Meanwhile, during the prolonged silence, Soohyuk’s annoyance deepened, his brows furrowing intensely.
Though he had expected Jinwoo to contact him, the reality felt more infuriating than anticipated.
‘What a fool.’
Leaning back in his chair, Soohyuk silently mocked Jinwoo.
Ever since he discovered they weren’t even remotely related by blood, he had decided he no longer needed to care about Jinwoo and had acted accordingly.
‘I’m already holding myself back from taking him away.’
He didn’t want to waste the attention he owed entirely to Jingyeom on anything else.
The temptation to bring Jingyeom home kept gnawing at him.
Wouldn’t it be better to have a dedicated caregiver watch over him one-on-one at home for his continuous rehabilitation, rather than being in a hospital?
Yet he was holding back, respecting Hoonil’s firm stance that Jingyeom shouldn’t be discharged until he had fully recovered.
But when things unfolded this way, it only made him want to act out more.
“If we’re done talking, hang up.”
— …Do you really have to go this far?
“What did I do?”
— The debt. You’re doing all of this because you feel guilty, aren’t you? I can repay it. How could Jingyeom ever manage to pay off that debt?
A smirk twisted Soohyuk’s lips.
He could roughly guess why Jinwoo spoke that way, despite knowing that Soohyuk would never make Jingyeom repay it.
‘Is he that scared I’ll use it to control him?’
Jinwoo feared that Soohyuk might use the debt as an excuse to manipulate Jingyeom or never let him go, keeping him trapped in his orbit.
Noticing this, Soohyuk clicked his tongue in irritation.
‘Might as well crush this now.’
Tired of Jinwoo’s constant interference, Soohyuk decided it was time to make him face reality.
“What can you even do for Jingyeom right now?”
— …
“Besides looking after him, what else? You say you can pay the debt, but Jingyeom hasn’t been working for Secretary Baek while he’s been in the hospital. That job was only possible because of Director Tak’s, no, the President’s, generosity. Surely, you know that better than anyone.”
— …I do.
“Look at the state you’re in. How much do you think the unpaid interest and principal have piled up? Who do you think has been covering that? Do you really think you can breathe easy just because the creditor hasn’t come after you?”
— …
“You can’t handle Baek Jingyeom on your own.”
As those words drove the point home, Jinwoo’s unsteady breathing could be heard.
If they had been talking face to face, his contorted expression would have been visible.
Soohyuk had only said what Jinwoo already knew.
He was painfully aware that he couldn’t have managed without Wonbeom’s support.
If he’d had to cover the surgery costs himself, he might have turned to even more dangerous loan sharks.
— …I haven’t forgotten the President’s generosity. But that has nothing to do with Director Sun.
Jinwoo’s voice wavered as he reminded Soohyuk that this was a matter between him and Wonbeom.
— We’ve done fine until now. You’re the one who’s interfering with our relationship…!”
Overcome with emotion, Jinwoo’s voice grew louder, while Soohyuk remained calm.
“Yes, it has nothing to do with me. But think about it the other way around. This debt issue is between Jingyeom and me, isn’t it?”
— I’m family. It’s not like I’m unrelated.
“Sure, you are. On paper, at least.”
Jinwoo ground his teeth at the added qualifier.
Family was family, but that “on paper” part stung.
— …Still, I’m family.
Soohyuk pondered for a moment.
He had always considered that word “family” to be a shackle holding Jinwoo back from fully connecting with Jingyeom, but now it was starting to irritate him.
‘Should I just get rid of it?’
If Jinwoo were to disappear, it might be hard on Jingyeom at first, but eventually, he’d get over it.
But Soohyuk soon dismissed the thought.
There was no need to create a dangerous secret unnecessarily.
“I get it. But think carefully. Can you really handle the hospital bills and medication costs for Jingyeom without any support?”
— I’ll manage somehow. So please, stay out of our affairs.
Soohyuk heard the childish defiance in Jinwoo’s voice, like a stubborn kid trying to shoulder an impossible burden.
And when that inevitably failed, the one who would suffer the most would be…
‘Jingyeom.’
He didn’t want to see that happen.
“You’re still living in that rooftop room? If you keep staying there, his health might deteriorate again, even after recovering. There’s only so much renovations can fix.”
— …
“Jeong Sanho and Baek Myungjun are both gone. So, hypothetically, if we weren’t around in a similar crisis, do you think you’d handle it all by yourself? Do you think love is enough? Sure, maybe for some, but reality is rarely so kind. Especially not for a patient.”
Mentioning Jingyeom again left Jinwoo speechless.
He knew living in the rooftop room wasn’t ideal for Jingyeom’s health.
It was too hot in summer and too cold in winter.
No matter how much they tried to regulate the temperature, there were limits.
Moreover, it was exhausting to go up and down the hill on foot.
They used to take walks together for exercise, but with this latest incident, Jinwoo couldn’t take Jingyeom far anymore, and it required constant care, something he couldn’t stop thinking about.
So when Soohyuk pointed it out, a heavy weight settled in Jinwoo’s chest.
“I’m not saying I’ll do anything drastic, but if you keep pushing me, who knows what I might do?”
—I’ve always wondered… Do you really care about Jingyeom?
Soohyuk let out a laugh, baffled by the question.
After all this time, after showing it so clearly, being asked now felt ridiculous.
“You haven’t realized? It’s been real for a long time.”
— Why Jingyeom, of all people?
“Do I really have to explain that? Ugh, I’m tired of this conversation. Make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Without waiting for a response, Soohyuk ended the call and covered his eyes with one hand, sighing deeply.
“What am I doing, dealing with a kid…”
The thought that Jinwoo was Jingyeom’s age brought on a sudden sense of futility.
‘A kid, but still a man.’
It was inevitable: if he wanted Jingyeom by his side, Jinwoo had to be the first obstacle to be removed.
The man who had carved Jingyeom into his heart.
‘If this goes on, he might start mistaking pity for love.’
If Jingyeom were living without a care, it wouldn’t be an issue.
But his feelings for Jinwoo seemed deeply rooted.
Though it was a different form of affection, there was no telling when that might change.
That’s what worried Soohyuk.
‘I can’t believe I’m troubled by something like this.’
Soohyuk, who never clung to anyone coming or going, had changed in an instant.
He was most aware of that himself.
That change had made him an entirely different person.
For the first time, he realized waiting for someone else’s reply wasn’t boring at all but rather made him feel an odd, ticklish anticipation.
If the notification disappeared without a reply, his mind spun through countless thoughts.
Wanting to see someone so badly that he’d visit and reach out every single day—these things were all new, and he found them awkward but pleasant.
He never imagined he’d feel this indescribable emotion.
‘…I miss Jingyeom.’
The gloom from earlier, when he’d been buried in despair, lifted just thinking about Jingyeom.
Soohyuk straightened up. To leave work on time, he needed to finish his tasks quickly.
Meanwhile, Jinwoo stared at the darkened phone screen, his eyelids twitching restlessly.
He bit down hard on his lip, drawing drops of blood.
The metallic taste filled his mouth, but he was too preoccupied to notice.
‘Everything he said was true.’
Soohyuk’s words had hit too close to home, making it even more painful.
He wanted to argue, to say he could care for Jingyeom just fine on his own, but reality was harsh, and he knew that better than anyone.
Without Wonbeom’s help, he’d never have managed. He was always conscious of this.
‘…At this rate.’
He was terrified that his relationship with Jingyeom, painstakingly built, might crumble because of Soohyuk.
Yet he couldn’t bear to lose Jingyeom so easily.
‘What should I do…?’
Maybe, as long as he stayed by Jingyeom’s side as a brother, Soohyuk and Wonbeom would leave him be.
Even if he were subtly excluded, they were family after all.
But the thought of baring his whole heart, and the possibility that it might forever ruin their bond, left him breathless.
Jinwoo had always been healthy, rarely getting sick, but now he felt so weak he nearly collapsed, clutching the railing for support.
When he squeezed his eyes shut, Jingyeom’s face came to mind.
‘Gyeom-ah.’
Jingyeom chewed on his thumbnail, a habit he didn’t have, nervously pacing the hospital room.
Jinwoo, who had left with a hardened expression, weighed heavily on his mind.
‘I knew he wouldn’t like it, but… I didn’t think he’d react this badly.’
He never expected a positive response, but he also hadn’t anticipated such silent fury.
He’d left without a word, clutching his phone, looking so angry that Jingyeom couldn’t follow him.
‘Did he go to call Soohyuk hyung…?’
He worried that he might have inadvertently involved Soohyuk too.
* * *
👍
Ohhh nooo
Interesting
gd