ACTSV chapter 15

Soohyuk moved the fingers supporting his chin. He tapped his cheek with his index finger and tilted his head.

No matter how he looked at it, Baek Jingyeom was still Baek Jingyeom. It was strangely annoying.

He was curious about what could make Secretary Baek so restless.

Jingyeom stared at Soohyuk, who was looking at him intently. His eyes were a shade of black mixed with a hint of blue, as if reflecting the surrounding objects. It was mesmerizing.

Then, Soohyuk’s words brought Jingyeom back to reality.

“…Why do you care if I live?”

“Exactly. Why did I ask that question? Forget it.”

Soohyuk asked the question and then answered it himself. Jingyeom pouted in frustration. He wished Jinwoo would come quickly.

When they both fell silent, a calm stillness settled in the hospital room.

Jingyeom twisted his aching body this way and that. The itchiness had disappeared, but now his arm, scratched too hard earlier, stung from rubbing against the blanket.

He tried to find a comfortable position, avoiding further pain, and relaxed his body. Then a question came to him, and he spoke to Soohyuk.

“Aren’t you… going?”

“Do you want me to go?”

“That’s not what I meant…”

“Then what did you mean?”

“Huh?”

“What did you mean by that?”

Jingyeom had no hidden meaning. He had genuinely wondered why Soohyuk wasn’t leaving since it was late. He answered without hesitation.

“I just meant it literally. It’s late, so I wondered if you weren’t going to leave.”

Talking too much made his throat sting. He still wasn’t used to his hoarse voice.

‘Come to think of it, my voice is similar to Baek Jingyeom’s.’

It’s rare to be conscious of one’s own voice. They say the voice is one of the last parts of the body to age.

While voices change during puberty, the unique quality of one’s voice remains even as they age. Jingyeom had this realization from an unexpected place.

As he spoke, Jingyeom yawned widely and blinked slowly. Lying down made him sleepy. Despite knowing he shouldn’t fall asleep, his eyelids grew heavier.

Soohyuk watched his half-closed eyes and asked,

“Are you worried about me?”

“…What?”

The conversation was odd. Jingyeom struggled to keep his eyes open, but they only grew heavier.

“Never mind.”

“…”

“Actually, even if I wanted to leave, I can’t.”

“…Why?”

“I need to take Mr. Tak home.”

“Oh…”

Soohyuk revealed that his presence here was not by his own will. He was waiting for Wonbeom, who had gone out with Jinwoo.

Understanding this, Jingyeom didn’t ask further. Actually, with his eyes closed and his mind drifting, he couldn’t have asked even if he wanted to.

Shortly after, Jingyeom fell asleep again.

After finishing their conversation, the three who returned to the hospital room found Soohyuk sitting next to the bed.

Jinwoo twitched his fingers and quickly approached. He had seen Jingyeom awake before he left, but now he was asleep again.

“Why are you here?”

“Is there a reason I shouldn’t be?”

“There’s a wide sofa over there.”

Soohyuk hadn’t done anything, but knowing his personality, Jinwoo felt uneasy. He knew attracting Soohyuk’s interest was never a good thing.

It wasn’t just Director Sun who felt this way. Mr. Tak behind Jinwoo felt the same.

These people weren’t the type to worry about someone collapsing, even if it was someone they knew.

Although he hadn’t noticed earlier due to the confusion, both directors seemed quite shocked when Jingyeom collapsed.

Director Sun, who drove to the hospital, and Mr. Tak, who kept an eye on the back seat while staring straight ahead, were both like that.

Had they triggered a landmine?

Jinwoo thought meeting Mr. Tak was both a blessing and a curse. Thanks to catching his interest, he got a job as a secretary and received help with Jingyeom’s medical bills. But he knew the support wasn’t entirely out of goodwill.

Jinwoo gently brushed Jingyeom’s hair.

‘I shouldn’t get too close…’

It was enough for him to be caught in their trap alone.

As Jinwoo pondered, Hoonil approached him.

“Has he fallen asleep already? It’s only been 10 minutes since we talked.”

Since he had already informed Jinwoo about Jingyeom’s condition, he could pass on the information when Jingyeom woke up.

“Call me if there’s any problem.”

“Okay… sorry.”

“I’m a doctor. I just did my job. He woke up, so you should rest too. You can’t collapse as well.”

“…Okay.”

“Aren’t you guys leaving?”

Hoonil spoke to Soohyuk, who was still sitting in the chair, and Wonbeom, who was standing by the bed. With these large men in suits surrounding the bed, the genre of the scene seemed to change.

“Like this… Jingyeom looks like a frail young master, and you guys look like his bodyguards.”

“Then am I the character who falls in love with the frail young master?”

“No, you’re just a side character. You’ll pine away in unrequited love.”

In response to Soohyuk’s words, Hoonil bluntly replied and turned his head.

From the moment he entered the room, it was clear that Wonbeom’s gaze was fixed on one place.

Hoonil knew that Wonbeom had an interest in Jinwoo. That’s why he was helping with Jingyeom’s medical expenses.

Although he didn’t know what kind of deal was made between them, it wasn’t a bad arrangement from a doctor’s perspective.

Many people couldn’t receive treatment due to lack of funds, especially given the financial situation of Jinwoo and Jingyeom’s family.

Without insurance, the medical bills were substantial. Jinwoo had tried to get insurance when he started earning money, but it was impossible due to Jingyeom’s diagnosed condition.

The biggest problem was the loan shark debt that never seemed to decrease no matter how much they repaid.

Wonbeom knew about this but never mentioned it. He was just observing.

“The protagonist is him.”

At Hoonil’s words, Soohyuk’s gaze turned to Wonbeom.

“People often develop feelings for someone who saves them in a crisis. They can fall in love instantly.”

“Then shouldn’t I be the protagonist? I brought him here.”

“No. You don’t qualify. Actually, neither does he.”

Shaking his head firmly, Hoonil spoke resolutely, his lips curling into a smirk.

“We can’t give our angels to devils like you.”

“…You need to stop reading novels.”

Soohyuk, who had been about to retort, shivered, saying it gave him goosebumps.

Even at that moment, Wonbeom’s gaze didn’t shift. Jinwoo also kept looking at Jingyeom.

Hoonil’s eyes twinkled mischievously. He was the only one in the room not looking at Jingyeom.

What on earth happened to make Wonbeom’s focus change like that? Suddenly intrigued, Hoonil’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.

Even after Hoonil left, there was no conversation. Soohyuk and Wonbeom moved to the sofa. An hour passed in silence before Jinwoo, who had been hanging his head, straightened his back and turned his head.

“…Thank you for today.”

Though his voice was small, it was loud enough for the two of them to hear.

“I’ll hear it directly from the person involved.”

“…”

Soohyuk smiled as he spoke.

Jinwoo wasn’t naïve enough to miss the meaning behind that. It implied he would meet Jingyeom again later.

As the secretary of Mr. Tak, he would inevitably encounter Director Sun. They were in the same company, after all.

But Jingyeom was different. There was no reason for him to get involved with his brother’s boss.

Jinwoo stared expressionlessly at Soohyuk.

“There won’t be a day like today again.”

“You never know.”

“Director Sun.”

Soohyuk shrugged his shoulders at the stern look in Jinwoo’s eyes. There was no way Jinwoo’s gaze could change Soohyuk’s mind.

Only then did Wonbeom, who had been deep in thought, slowly turn his head.

“I’ll hear it separately too.”

“…Director?”

Jinwoo blinked rapidly in confusion as Wonbeom echoed Soohyuk’s sentiment.

It was strange for Wonbeom, who avoided meeting others as much as possible, to come to the house, and even stranger to go out to eat together.

Though he occasionally worked on various things with Wonbeom, it was always just the two of them. Even when Soohyuk tried to join, he rarely allowed it. Jingyeom had tried to intervene a few times, but Wonbeom never permitted it.

The fact that such words came from Wonbeom’s mouth pricked at Jinwoo’s nerves. It felt like a continuous warning of danger.

Jinwoo’s eyes narrowed. Wonbeom, seeing this, pretended not to notice and stood up.

“Shall we go?”

“Yeah.”

Soohyuk pocketed his phone, noticing it had low battery.

“See you tomorrow, Secretary Baek.”

Without waiting for Jinwoo’s reply, Wonbeom opened the hospital room door and paused to look at the bed.

After the two left, silence returned to the hospital room. It was a familiar solitude.

Jingyeom, who should have woken up by now, remained completely still, breathing evenly without any sign of movement.

There was no small movement. Lying straight, his breath was so shallow it seemed almost imperceptible, except for the gentle rise and fall of his chest.

Jinwoo cautiously reached out, grasping the small, pale hand in his own and leaning his forehead against the back of it.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that it was all his fault.

“…I’m sorry, Gyeom.”

His words, which Jingyeom couldn’t hear, dissipated into the air.

In the early dawn, Jingyeom, feeling discomfort in his hand, glanced over. He saw Jinwoo asleep, slumped over the bed. There was a caregiver’s bed across the room, yet he slept uncomfortably here.

Not wanting to wake him, Jingyeom slowly turned his body. Despite his movements, Jinwoo didn’t wake, likely exhausted.

Given the past couple of days, with Jinwoo spending nights in the hospital room and dealing with many concerns, it made sense.

Jingyeom’s expression as he stared at Jinwoo was blank, more asleep than awake.

Reaching out, he gently stroked Jinwoo’s head. He thought it might wake him, but Jinwoo only stirred slightly.

Soon after, Jingyeom fell back asleep.