By Zephyria 
Seo Yi-kyung worried that the doctor might actually be describing the sound of his own heart. It was beating so rapidly that it was becoming embarrassing.
The middle-aged doctor, failing to notice the change in Seo Yi-kyung’s expression, beamed at Han Seung-jae and continued.
“Director Han, congratulations.”
Seo Yi-kyung stared blankly at Han Seung-jae. In stark contrast to the brightly smiling doctor, he didn’t look like someone receiving congratulations at all. Was it because he was hearing a fact he already knew? He didn’t seem happy, yet no displeasure was visible either.
Suddenly, Han Seung-jae, who had been looking at the black-and-white ultrasound screen, turned his head. Seo Yi-kyung shifted his gaze aside to avoid eye contact. The back of the constantly smiling doctor entered his view. Han Seung-jae raised a hand and brushed his eyebrow.
“You will be able to meet the baby next August, in the height of summer.”
As if drawn by the doctor’s words, Han Seung-jae turned his head to look down at him. The doctor seemed desperate to keep the conversation going with Han Seung-jae. Between explanations of the baby’s health on the ultrasound screen, he repeatedly offered his congratulations. Despite this, Seo Yi-kyung’s anxiety did not subside in the slightest.
By summer, Min Ra-hyeon would have returned before then.
Glancing sideways, Seo Yi-kyung examined Han Seung-jae’s face. Standing there in a black coat, Han Seung-jae’s eyes were filled only with coldness. His gaze, which perfectly reflected his emotionless nature, was chilling. And yet, such a man had allowed Min Ra-hyeon to enter his home.
* * *
“President Han must be very happy, right?”
Secretary Park, stationed in the hospital corridor, was practically surrounded by doctors.
“Wouldn’t he be? Getting married in the spring and having a child immediately after—could there be any occasion more auspicious than this?”
Secretary Park remained reserved. They looked at him with eyes hoping he would leak something regarding President Han Yechan’s intentions, but gaining nothing of note, they began chatting among themselves.
“He’s probably pleased.”
“Of course.”
They weren’t ignorant of President Han Yechan’s behavior. It was only because he was a reliable benefactor of Haseon Hospital that they didn’t say it out loud. After all, there was no need to oppose him. Sometimes, it was the better choice to follow the trend—pretending not to see what was visible and not to hear what was audible.
At the sound of the consultation room door opening, everyone looked toward it as if moving with a single mind. Secretary Park stepped forward and draped the coat he was holding over Seo Yi-kyung’s shoulders. Seo Yi-kyung thanked him and carefully slid his arms into the sleeves.
“Director Han, congratulations.”
“You must be truly happy. I visited during the wedding as well; do you remember me?”
Words poured toward Han Seung-jae from all directions. They had been waiting this whole time just to say those things. Then, Han Seung-jae snapped.
“Stop making a scene.”
The doctors pressed their lips together. They exchanged glances. Regardless, Han Seung-jae’s gaze drifted backward. He looked at Seo Yi-kyung, who was fastening his coat and putting the ultrasound photo in his pocket, before stepping forward. Seo Yi-kyung began to walk behind him.
“Oh, Dr. Kang.”
Just then, they acknowledged a doctor in a white gown walking toward them from a distance. He stopped with a dignified air and bowed his waist toward Han Seung-jae.
As Seo Yi-kyung passed by him, he looked at the ID badge hanging around the doctor’s neck. Thoracic Surgery, Kang In-oh. He raised his head. For a moment, Seo Yi-kyung and Kang In-oh’s eyes met. He gave Seo Yi-kyung another slight nod and continued walking.
Seo Yi-kyung turned his head back.
“What brings Dr. Kang here?”
“I have some business.”
As Kang In-oh passed by after his concise reply, they murmured.
“I guess he’s going to meet a surgical patient’s guardian in person again.”
“Is that necessary? He could just tell them to come to the thoracic surgery department.”
“He probably does it because they’re having a baby.”
“Still, he could just have a nurse do it. How old-fashioned.”
When their eyes suddenly tangled with Seo Yi-kyung’s, they scattered with smiles on their lips. Seo Yi-kyung’s head slowly returned forward. He walked hurriedly toward Han Seung-jae, who was approaching the elevator, pulling his open coat closed.
* * *
Inside the fast-moving car, Seo Yi-kyung stared out the window the entire time. Seeing this, Han Seung-jae, who had been looking at a tablet PC, turned his head.
“You don’t look happy.”
Han Seung-jae’s cold face was reflected in the car window. Meeting his eyes, Seo Yi-kyung murmured.
“It’s not the first time I’ve heard the news.”
Hadn’t it already been confirmed at Seju Hospital? Today was merely an extension of that. Therefore, there was no reason to be surprised or happy.
Seo Yi-kyung observed Han Seung-jae’s profile as he lowered the tablet PC and looked at his wristwatch. Much like himself, Han Seung-jae’s face did not look particularly delighted.
Still, there was no need to feel hurt. Similarly, it wasn’t the first time he had heard the news either. Thus, there was no reason to engage in an intense or fussing conversation like the doctors earlier.
Furthermore, those doctors had been more eager in order to gain Han Seung-jae’s favor and interest. Since Han Seung-jae was well aware of that fact, he had likely snapped at them to tell them to stop being noisy.
“Eat dinner first. Don’t wait for me.”
Looking at his watch, Han Seung-jae seemed certain that Seo Yi-kyung would wait for him. Seo Yi-kyung opened his mouth a bit late.
“……I understand.”
The sedan stopped in front of the townhouse located in Seongbuk-dong. With Secretary Park’s help, Seo Yi-kyung stepped out of the car and approached the iron gate. As he pressed the bell and entered, he heard the sound of the car departing behind him.
Entering the garden, Seo Yi-kyung reached back and closed the gate. The metal touching his fingertips was freezing. Seo Yi-kyung extended his fingers and looked at his slightly reddened fingertips.
“Why did I do that earlier?”
Talking to himself, Seo Yi-kyung recalled the moment in the car when Han Seung-jae told him not to wait. Wasn’t he always a busy man? And today, he had intentionally delayed his start time at work just to accompany him to the hospital check-up. Knowing that he was late because he had made time since the morning, why did he feel this way? He couldn’t answer nonchalantly as he once did. He couldn’t definitively say he wouldn’t wait.
“Young Master.”
Unable to wait inside, Butler Do opened the door and came out. Seo Yi-kyung put his cold hands into his coat pockets. The ultrasound photo he had received at the hospital curled against his palm.
“Welcome back. Did the hospital say anything particular?”
Butler Do seemed happy that he was having a child, but at the same time, he seemed more worried because Seo Yi-kyung’s body was weak. Seo Yi-kyung walked toward him.
“Yes, they said the baby is healthy.”
“That is a great relief. I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. But Young Master, why is your complexion…”
“Ah, the wind is just cold.”
Seo Yi-kyung took his hand out of his pocket and touched his face. As soon as they entered the house, Butler Do mentioned that he would bring some warm tea.
Seo Yi-kyung went into the dressing room, took the ultrasound photo out of his coat pocket, and stared at it blankly. Earlier, with Han Seung-jae by his side, he hadn’t even thought to look at it. However, looking at it now didn’t tell him anything more.
Seo Yi-kyung placed the ultrasound photo on the display shelf and took off his coat. Then, he unfastened the watch on his wrist and placed it inside the shelf.
Since it was just a simple examination, there had been no need to dress up this much, but because he was going to the hospital with Han Seung-jae, he had dressed exactly as Butler Do had arranged. In the past, he would have rejected it all as being excessive, but this time, Seo Yi-kyung hadn’t.
Since he would be walking side-by-side with Han Seung-jae, he didn’t want to show an embarrassing appearance in front of people, as he had when he visited the office blindly. But as expected, it felt like a pointless effort. Would Han Seung-jae have thought he was overdressed?
After changing his clothes, Seo Yi-kyung took the ultrasound photo and put it in his back pocket.
“…….”
Click. Seo Yi-kyung left the dressing room.
“Please sit this way.”
Seo Yi-kyung approached Butler Do, who was tilting the teapot. As he sat on the sofa, Seo Yi-kyung’s gaze landed on a plate containing various types of sandwiches and fruits.
Come to think of it, because he had been nervous since the day before, he hadn’t been able to eat breakfast properly. Seo Yi-kyung wasn’t the type of person to be so careless as to eat a lot right before a check-up. As if Butler Do had considered this fact, sandwiches had been added.
“It is very hot. Please drink carefully.”
Pushing the teacup forward, Butler Do looked at Seo Yi-kyung, whose complexion was still poor, and then headed toward the dressing room. He returned with a cardigan and handed it to Seo Yi-kyung.
Seo Yi-kyung took the cardigan, put it on, and meticulously fastened the buttons.
“Butler Do.”
Butler Do turned around following the helper. He didn’t forget to tell Seo Yi-kyung to call him if he needed anything. Seo Yi-kyung lifted the teacup in front of him and blew on it with pursed lips.
White steam drifted aside. With a sunken face, Seo Yi-kyung drank the tea. Perhaps because he drank something warm and wore cozy clothes, the chill was less than before.
Earlier, he had suddenly felt cold. It had been that way since he met Kang In-oh at the hospital.
Thoracic surgery specialist, Kang In-oh.
Clink. Seo Yi-kyung set the teacup down on the saucer.
He had seen that name in the original novel.
Min Ra-hyeon had entered Korea just before his marriage. The partner was the thoracic surgery specialist, Kang In-oh. He was a Dominant Alpha, but Min Ra-hyeon found Kang In-oh—who was so single-minded and focused on one thing to the point of appearing frustrating—unsatisfactory.
When winter comes, Min Ra-hyeon will return too. And he will come to meet Han Seung-jae.
Soon, he will come to this house.