* * *
Though they had moved to a different hospital room, his startled body continued to tremble.
Noticing this, Kangwoo remained seated on the sofa, holding him and continuously stroking his back.
His pheromones hovered faintly in the air as if trying to protect Seunghyun.
Barely swallowing the unidentifiable emotions rising in his throat, Seunghyun managed to speak.
“……Thank you.”
“I’m the one who came here uninvited.”
Han Kangwoo shrugged.
Seunghyun had clearly informed him through Manager Kim that he did not want a visit, yet Kangwoo had come anyway.
For Seunghyun, it turned out to be a relief.
“There was no answer, so I was going to leave, but I had a strange feeling.”
For once, his terrifyingly self-centered personality felt like a blessing.
“I’m glad I came.”
Seunghyun lifted his head from Kangwoo’s shoulder and looked at his face.
He, too, looked exhausted, as if he had expended a great deal of mental energy.
Seunghyun raised his hands and firmly pushed him away.
As their bodies separated, the warmth vanished.
Han Kangwoo leaned down to look into Seunghyun’s eyes.
Seunghyun avoided his gaze and murmured softly.
“I’m okay now. You can put me down.”
“…….”
Why isn’t he saying anything?
Just as anxiety began to creep in, Han Kangwoo pulled Seunghyun back into his arms.
“You’re okay, you say—”
“I’ll at least move you to the bed.”
Suddenly, he was lifted again.
The embrace was firm and hot.
He hated to admit it, but the arms felt familiar, as if they had never been apart for a single moment.
He tried his best to ignore the longing disguised as familiarity.
He was anxious because he couldn’t grasp Han Kangwoo’s true goal.
Everyone praised him as a young man of upright character, but Seunghyun knew that his kindness always came with a purpose.
Without showing his inner turmoil, he quietly accepted the man’s touch and told himself: I will never repeat the past. I don’t have the confidence to endure his twisted obsession again.
Han Kangwoo laid Seunghyun on the bed and pulled the crisp, new sheets up to his chin.
Just then, a small vibration rang from his phone.
“Manager Kim says he’s almost here.”
Kangwoo said, waving his phone which showed a message window.
Manager Kim, who arrived shortly after, acted quite busily—bowing repeatedly to Han Kangwoo in gratitude, checking on Seunghyun’s condition, and then leaving again to deal with the sasaeng fan’s handover.
Picking up his crumpled coat, Han Kangwoo approached to say goodbye.
“I originally stopped by because I had something to ask, but it seems today isn’t the right day.”
Seunghyun knew instantly that the “something” was his whereabouts.
To avoid answering, he closed his eyes as if he were exhausted.
Fortunately, Han Kangwoo left without showing further lingering interest.
“I hope for your speedy recovery. I’ll be going now.”
Was it just Seunghyun’s imagination that the smile he wore before leaving seemed suspicious?
Only then did Seunghyun realize that Han Kangwoo hadn’t shown any hostility.
It was a completely different side from the original Han Kangwoo, who was wary of everyone close to Seunghyun.
Was Seunghyun’s disappearance so shocking that he wanted to coax the location out of him at any cost, or was it because the body he inhabited now was an Omega?
Or did he really… recognize Seunghyun, who should no longer exist in anyone’s memories?
He couldn’t tell.
‘I’m going to head to the police station for a bit.’
Manager Kim headed straight to the station with the sasaengs.
And as if they had arrived together, Chiyoon entered the room the moment Han Kangwoo left.
Chiyoon, who had returned not long after leaving, was busy checking on Seunghyun as soon as he arrived.
Almost kneeling to look up at him, Chiyoon noticed Seunghyun’s shoulders were still trembling and gripped them firmly.
“Are you okay?”
Seunghyun nodded, but to Chiyoon’s eyes, he looked anything but stable.
‘He said he was the oldest member of the group along with Joo Seunghyun….’
Chiyoon mimicked a deep breath, gesturing for Seunghyun to follow along.
It seemed the original Joo Seunghyun had relied on him a lot, as seeing him made Seunghyun’s heart—which had been tense from the sasaeng and then on guard against Han Kangwoo—suddenly feel at ease.
“It’s late and it would be too crowded, so only I came.”
Chiyoon stared intently at Seunghyun.
Why?
Was there something on his face?
Seunghyun awkwardly rubbed his cheek.
“…….”
Chiyoon grabbed Seunghyun’s hand and pulled it down.
His face hardened.
“Doesn’t it hurt?”
Ah.
Only then did his cheek begin to throb with pain.
It was the cheek that had been grabbed by the sasaeng fan’s rough hands.
Seunghyun quickly swept the inside of his cheek with his tongue.
It was already swollen tight; it looked like it would leave a mark.
Seunghyun gave a bashful smile.
Chiyoon let out a short sigh and stood up.
Following his tall stature, Seunghyun’s gaze moved upward.
When Chiyoon turned his back, Seunghyun’s body flinched.
“Chiyoon-ah.”
“Yeah.”
He took off his hoodie and beanie in turn and ruffled his hair.
Seunghyun’s hand moved toward him instinctively.
His fingertips barely caught the edge of Chiyoon’s clothes.
“Are you leaving?”
I don’t want to be alone.
When he looked at him with trembling eyes, Chiyoon noticed the gesture, turned his head to meet his eyes, and grinned.
“No. I’m staying the night.”
A small smile formed on Seunghyun’s face in return.
He finally felt relieved.
They say a healthy mind resides in a healthy body.
Was this weak body simply incapable of handling this level of shock?
Joo Seunghyun’s body was still shivering, unable to shake off the earlier trauma.
“Thank you.”
“Didn’t we agree to stop saying thank you for things like this?”
Chiyoon replied playfully, drawing out the end of his words.
He set his bag down and flopped onto the extra bed.
The empty hospital room felt full just by his presence alone.
“You were really scared, weren’t you? Let’s sleep.”
In the darkened room, the sound of rhythmic breathing could be heard.
It was surprisingly comforting to hear someone’s breath so close by.
Seunghyun looked down at Chiyoon, who was curled up on the extra bed with his eyes closed.
He liked his nonchalant attitude.
He knew Chiyoon had been so startled his own hands were shaking, yet he hadn’t shown it to Seunghyun.
Seunghyun finished his short assessment of Chiyoon.
A solid person who stayed by Joo Seunghyun’s side until the end.
How much time had passed while he was watching him?
Chiyoon suddenly snapped his eyes open.
“Ah….”
When Seunghyun let out a small gasp of surprise, Chiyoon sat up groggily, stretched his arms out wide, and yawned.
“Why aren’t you sleeping?”
“I can’t seem to fall asleep.”
His body, which had been overly shocked, was finally starting to ache all over.
Seunghyun groaned as he lay flat on his back.
“And why aren’t you sleeping?”
Cracking his neck, Chiyoon stood up, turned on the light, and leaned in close.
“I came here because of you, so how can I sleep before you do?”
Unlike his blunt voice, his hands were tenderly checking Seunghyun’s body here and there.
Chiyoon furrowed his brows with worry.
“Looks like your muscles are cramped from the shock. How is it when I press here? Does it hurt?”
“Ugh…. I’m okay.”
“‘Okay,’ my foot. If you sleep like this, you’ll be sick tomorrow. Wait a second. I’ll be right back. Don’t worry, I’m coming right back.”
Chiyoon returned very quickly holding a hot water bottle.
As Seunghyun hugged it, warm heat instantly filled his chest.
After handing over the bottle, Chiyoon unhesitatingly grabbed Seunghyun’s feet and began to massage his calves with a strong grip.
“Is that better?”
“Yeah.”
Watching Seunghyun’s expression, Chiyoon muttered softly.
“I didn’t think a sasaeng would break in all the way here.”
“…….”
“I knew those stalker bastards would cause trouble eventually. Fuck, just let them get caught by me.”
* * *
