ACTSV chapter 13

As Jingyeom looked on as if asking what was wrong, Jinwoo gave a faint smile.

“I’ll just take this call. Please, go ahead and eat.”

Jinwoo quickly excused himself and left in a hurry, seeking permission from Jingyeom and the others.

Wonbeom guessed where the call came from based on Jinwoo’s stiff expression. He always made that face when the call came from that person.

Shortly after Jinwoo left, the dessert arrived. It was a small scoop of peach sherbet.

Jingyeom’s eyes sparkled as he looked at the sherbet. Knowing he couldn’t eat much, he picked up a spoon without greed.

As he carefully scooped some into his mouth, the cold sherbet melted gently in his warmth-filled mouth.

Jingyeom’s eyes widened.

The sherbet had a tangy taste, perhaps due to a hint of lemon, and the sweet flavor of peach stood out as the small pieces of fruit hidden inside were chewed.

The finely chopped fruit quickly melted along with the sherbet, sliding down his throat.

Jingyeom involuntarily clenched his fists and shivered from the cold and tartness, then broke into a wide smile. It was so delicious.

As he continued to eat, his cheeks turned a peachy red, and Soohyuk couldn’t help but smile too. He had never seen Jingyeom like this before, and he found himself oddly drawn to the sight.

Had the person changed so much?

Like Jinwoo, Jingyeom had become quite interesting.

Soohyuk pushed the sherbet in front of him toward Jingyeom.

“Eat more.”

“Thank you!”

Then Wonbeom also moved his sherbet in front of Jingyeom.

“Eat.”

“…Thank you.”

Jingyeom, sensing their eyes on him, placed all the sherbet bowls in front of him.

He hoped Jinwoo would come quickly, as the one meant for Jinwoo was melting. Sherbet should be eaten while it’s cold and still has texture.

Even after Jingyeom finished his own sherbet, Jinwoo had not returned. It seemed his call was taking a long time.

Jingyeom pushed the empty bowl aside and pulled a new one in front of him. Before long, he started scratching his arm.

At first, he scratched lightly, but gradually it became more vigorous. The sound of his scratching reached Wonbeom and Soohyuk’s ears.

While frowning and scratching, Jingyeom continued to eat the melting sherbet. Wonbeom’s gaze fell on Jingyeom as he kept scratching. Noticing the red marks and small bumps on Jingyeom’s skin, Wonbeom’s eyes narrowed.

Seeing this, Soohyuk propped his chin up with his hand and asked,

“Do you have an allergy?”

“To me?”

“Ah…Right. You don’t remember. Haven’t you heard anything? You keep scratching.”

Only then did Jingyeom, realizing something was wrong, and stopped scratching. But the itch persisted, and he started scratching again, even harder.

Wonbeom, who had been quietly watching, got up from his seat. Soohyuk and Jingyeom’s eyes followed him.

Wonbeom went over to Jingyeom and grabbed his slender wrist.

“Scratch moderately.”

Startled, Jingyeom looked up at him without saying anything. He wondered why Wonbeom grabbed his wrist instead of just saying it.

Soohyuk’s eyes gleamed with interest as he watched Wonbeom. Though Wonbeom didn’t completely dislike physical contact with others, he usually avoided touching Baek Jingyeom.

Despite the itchiness that Jingyeom couldn’t bear, he couldn’t scratch because his hand was held.

At first, it was just itching, but gradually, it became hard to breathe. As his breathing became more labored, Soohyuk realized the seriousness of the situation and got up to check on Jingyeom.

“Looks like he really has an allergy.”

“Hah… ha…”

His breathing became increasingly difficult. He could feel his throat swelling, making it hard to breathe.

Jingyeom twisted his body, almost as if he were about to suffocate. Wonbeom held him more tightly as he struggled weakly.

“Hurts…!”

“…”

“Ugh…”

Jingyeom’s condition worsened rapidly. His trembling eyelashes and the way his neck bent backward were evident to both of them.

Harsh breaths came and went from his open mouth. His condition was serious. Knowing about his heart condition, they couldn’t just leave him like this.

Soohyuk hurriedly grabbed his car keys and knelt beside Jingyeom.

“I’ll carry him.”

Wonbeom helped lift the convulsing Jingyeom onto Soohyuk’s back. Jingyeom’s constant thrashing made it seem like he might fall off, so Wonbeom pressed his back firmly.

Just as they were about to leave, Jinwoo came in. He had taken a moment to compose himself after finishing his call.

“…Hyung?”

Jinwoo’s eyes wavered anxiously. He rushed over to Jingyeom, who was on Soohyuk’s back.

Seeing the visible signs on Jingyeom’s exposed skin, Jinwoo couldn’t bring himself to touch him and just muttered.

“What are you doing? Move.”

“Why… why is he like this?”

His voice trembled with fear. He had seen Jingyeom in pain before, but this was different.

“I don’t know. It seems to be because of that. Does he have an allergy?”

As Soohyuk moved quickly towards the elevator, Jinwoo, looking like he might cry, supported Jingyeom to keep him from falling and ran alongside them.

“Peach…”

Though his voice was small, Soohyuk heard it clearly.

“You should have told us beforehand so he could be careful!”

“…Did he eat peach?”

Jinwoo’s face contorted with worry.

Jingyeom, who had been on Soohyuk’s back, had already lost his strength. Earlier, he could still move, but now he was just limp. The itchiness, the discomfort, and the fear of possibly dying overwhelmed him.

With Jinwoo’s urgent shout, Jingyeom’s eyes rolled back, and he passed out.

***

Hoonil, who had been notified, was waiting. Knowing about Jingyeom’s peach allergy, he was able to respond quickly. Although undergoing repeated tests wasn’t ideal, they had no choice.

While waiting for the results, Jinwoo couldn’t calm down. Though he knew there was nothing he could do, he couldn’t leave Jingyeom’s side.

Another thick IV needle was inserted into Jingyeom’s arm. With fluids and sedatives administered, the swelling in his throat and the severe skin reaction gradually subsided.

Fortunately, his heart, which they were most worried about, was beating normally. Though his heart rate was slow, it wasn’t to a dangerous extent.

Jinwoo sat weakly beside Jingyeom, who had been moved to a hospital room, gripping his trembling hands tightly.

He had been terrified that something might happen to Jingyeom. Even now, his heart was racing.

After changing him into patient clothes and rolling up the sleeve where the IV was inserted, the visible marks on his skin showed how serious it had been.

The IV needle looked unusually large in Jingyeom’s thin arm.

“Sigh…”

Jinwoo clenched his hands so tightly that the veins on the back of his hands stood out, shaking with worry and fear.

He should have told them about Jingyeom’s heart condition and peach allergy.

Back then, I missed mentioning it because we were talking about something else. I thought I wouldn’t need to worry about the peaches since I would be beside him.

Moreover, although he had an allergy, it wasn’t this severe. He would occasionally get rashes, but they would subside quickly with allergy medication.

While Jinwoo stayed by Jingyeom’s side, there were others who kept him company as well.

Wonbeom and Soohyuk.

Soohyuk even carried Jingyeom to the car and immediately drove to the hospital where Hoonil was.

He had never driven so aggressively, flooring the accelerator and slamming the brakes, in his life.

The roads during rush hour were completely jammed. He somehow squeezed through the cars that didn’t leave even a small gap. It was reckless driving he wouldn’t normally do.

He wasn’t thinking about the possibility of an accident, only about getting to the hospital quickly.

The hospital where Hoonil, who knew Baek Jingyeom’s condition well, worked was not far, so they came here without hesitation.

Jinwoo was on the phone with Hoonil, massaging Jingyeom’s body in the backseat, but Soohyuk couldn’t remember any of it.

Soohyuk nudged Wonbeom with his elbow.

“Your tie is crooked.”

“……”

Wonbeom, who was staring at the bed, moved his hand a few times without even looking at his tie.

Soohyuk smirked at the usually impeccably dressed Wonbeom, who now looked disheveled.

What on earth is it about him? It’s truly ironic how he captivates so many people.

Soohyuk walked to the sofa and plopped down. He was exhausted from the tension. He sank into the backrest and only turned his head.

Jinwoo was hunched over the bed with his hands clasped. He kept trembling, unable to calm down.

Seeing Jinwoo, who usually spoke harshly to Mr. Tak and rarely showed submissiveness, in such a weak state felt strange. His constant fidgeting was annoying.

It wasn’t clear whether it was about Jinwoo or Jingyeom. It was just that whenever he looked at the two brothers, he felt that way.

When Wonbeom sat on the sofa, the only sound in the hospital room was the machines. Occasionally, Jinwoo’s suppressed cry filled the air.

The quiet was broken when Hoonil entered the room. He came because there were things he hadn’t properly explained earlier.

“Jinwoo.”

“……Yes.”

He looked the same as yesterday. After seeing Jinwoo in this weakened state for two days in a row, Hoonil reached out and touched his shoulder.

“His immune system was weak, so the allergic reaction was severe. I was most worried about his heart, but it’s okay. He just needs to rest well.”

“……”

“You look like the patient. Go lie down.”

Jinwoo shook his head. He couldn’t take his eyes off Jingyeom’s pale face.