By Zephyria 
Finally picking up.
A low, elegant voice murmured softly, as if talking to herself. Haon immediately recognized who had called him. In truth, he had already expected it.
You’re at In-ho’s hospital right now, aren’t you?
Recalling In-ho’s mother, whom he had met only once, he gripped his phone tightly.
“…Yes.”
How did she know? Suppressing the urge to ask, he reached out one arm.
Haon wrapped his hand around In-ho’s, avoiding the IV line. Unlike the heat of the previous night, his hand was cold.
Let’s meet at the cafe on the first floor of the hospital in an hour.
She told him not to tell In-ho, as she wouldn’t take up much of his time. Her tone wasn’t forceful, yet it carried a strange sense of intimidation. Haon took a breath, clutching In-ho’s hand firmly.
“He hasn’t woken up yet.”
Then that’s perfect. Don’t be late.
The call cut off abruptly.
Exhaling the breath he had held, Haon set the phone down. He stared at the blackened screen for a moment before gently pressing his left chest.
“Mr. In-ho.”
He spoke to the sleeping In-ho, slowly rubbing over his pounding heart.
“I’ll be back in a little bit.”
He wrapped both hands around In-ho’s cold hand and blew warm breath onto it. In-ho’s hands and feet had always been on the colder side, but today they felt exceptionally chilly.
“It won’t take long.”
He tried to warm In-ho’s hand with his own lukewarm body heat, but instead, Haon’s hands grew cold as well. Even so, Haon did not let go.
* * *
Haon left exactly at the time Jang Eun-young had specified. He neither lingered nor rushed.
The cafe on the first floor of the main hospital building was open to outsiders. Staring at the cafe sign in the distance, Haon straightened the hands he had been keeping clasped in front of him.
Perhaps because it was dinner time, the area around the cafe was quiet. There were more medical staff stopping by to pick up coffee and snacks for takeout than regular customers.
As a group exited with their takeout cups, the interior of the cafe became more visible. Thanks to that, the woman standing in the center of the cafe wearing a beige dress caught his eye immediately.
The woman settled into her seat, brushing back her voluminous, wavy black hair. Despite wearing clothes in muted tones, she drew the attention of those around her. In that regard, she was similar to In-ho.
Just then, his eyes met with Jang Eun-young, who had just sat down.
Remaining in her seated position, she silently gazed at Haon as he approached from a distance. Haon paused briefly and bowed his head, but she showed no reaction. She simply scanned his thin frame, her pitch-black eyes moving up and down.
“I went ahead and ordered; I hope that’s alright.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Haon sat in the chair and offered a polite word of thanks. Right on cue, Jang Eun-young’s personal secretary brought two mugs of black coffee. It was a drink Haon didn’t usually drink.
“Drink.”
Having already sent the secretary back to the car, Jang Eun-young gestured with her chin. Despite telling him to drink, she didn’t touch her own cup.
Out of politeness, Haon took a sip and quickly set the cup back down. The bitterness lingering in his mouth snapped him awake. It was good that he drank it.
“Haon, do you have any intention of going to college?”
It was a sudden question. Haon, gathering saliva to wash away the bitterness, lowered his hands beneath the table. Feeling that his voice might not come out properly, he simply shook his head.
“Then is there something you want to do? Or rather, something you plan to do?”
It didn’t seem like she intended to criticize, but every word felt like a dagger. Haon clasped his hands on his thighs.
“My hometown is in the countryside, so I plan to help with the farming.”
Seong-gu had always told him that if he had nothing he wanted to do later, they could raise cattle together. Besides that, in a rural area with few people, one could find work in almost anything. It was a small village well-suited for someone without ambition, like Haon. At the very least, he could live without going hungry.
“Then what could I possibly do for you, Haon?”
Jang Eun-young tilted her head slightly, her gaze softening. She watched Haon as if observing an object. It was not the look one gives an equal.
“I wish there was something you wanted.”
“I…”
“That way, I can make my request more comfortably.”
Jang Eun-young cut him off with a smirk.
She scrutinized Haon’s face, which was as white as the wallpaper. Looking closely, she could still see the fine, soft peach fuzz on his skin.
Had he said he was twenty-one? The thought of his raw, youthful age made the corner of her mouth twitch.
“You don’t have to give me anything. I don’t want anything at all.”
Taking a short, deep breath, Haon spoke as calmly as he could.
“I’m sorry, but in the future… I won’t be answering your calls.”
His voice trailed off as he asked her not to contact him anymore. Unable to withstand Jang Eun-young’s sharp gaze, Haon hid his hands under the table again. Though he was trying his best not to tremble, he couldn’t hide his rigid expression.
Crossing her legs, Jang Eun-young curled one side of her lip upward.
“Is that it?”
Her expression was as if she had just watched a child’s talent show.
“If you have any more prepared words, go ahead and say them.”
Haon’s Adam’s apple bobbed heavily as he kept his mouth shut.
Jang Eun-young silently observed Haon’s easy-to-read reactions before seizing control of the conversation. She had yet to state her business.
“There’s no need to break up.”
The voice emanating from her red lips was utterly calm. The hint of a smile in her tone made her seem almost kind at a glance.
“In fact, I’d prefer if you saw each other for as long as possible.”
Jang Eun-young took a palm-sized photograph from her bag and spread it out in front of Haon.
“But don’t make it obvious that you’re clinging to him. He tends to get bored of things easily.”
“This is…”
Haon’s face crumpled instantly upon seeing the photo. Jang Eun-young’s smile deepened at his naive expression, stained with shock.
“You know who this is, right?”
The three photographs showed a man covered in blood. There were photos of a face wrapped in bandages, red gums where teeth had vanished, and a lower body with a urinary catheter.
Haon’s breath stopped as he looked at photos that seemed to belong in a crime movie. This was the first man Haon had seen at the mart. Haon didn’t even know his real name yet.
“This is what In-ho is like.”
“…….”
“If you’re going to keep seeing him, you should know what kind of person he is.”
Jang Eun-young leaned back in her chair, staring at Haon’s pale face.
“Make sure this doesn’t happen again. You know what I mean, right?”
It was a warning to behave himself. In-ho, who had been quiet for a while, had become increasingly violent since meeting Haon. It meant that the presence of this young Omega was having a significant impact on In-ho.
“He’s very sensitive, so don’t provoke him, and don’t think about making a scene by egging him on.”
Putting the photos back into her bag, Jang Eun-young tapped the table lightly. Though she hadn’t yet brought up the most important point, Haon’s eyes had already lost focus.
Haon flinched at the sound echoing from the tips of her long nails and blinked. His long eyelashes fluttered with a beauty that was almost irritating. Jang Eun-young stared intently at the pathetic Omega who had nothing but his face.
“If you think you can’t see him, tell me now.”
His small face shifted horizontally, as if questioning whether he was even listening. Jang Eun-young smiled and lifted her chin.
“For some reason, it seems In-ho has fallen head over heels for you. Though you probably know without me telling you.”
She continued, scanning Haon’s pale face with a downward gaze.
“So, Haon, I want you to persuade our In-ho. To take over the company.”
Haon’s drifting gaze snapped back to Jang Eun-young.
“He has a surprisingly simple side to him, so it shouldn’t be too hard to persuade him.”
She threw out a few words that would be stimulating for In-ho to hear. Haon remained silent, only clenching his fists.
“Don’t overthink it. I’m not telling you not to see him, and it’ll be better for you too, so I ask for your cooperation.”
Jang Eun-young wore a benevolent smile. Her attitude was one of absolute certainty that there was only one possible answer from Haon.
“You can at least do this much. For In-ho’s sake.”
When silence persisted, Jang Eun-young let out a scoff, as if appalled.
“What else could you possibly do for In-ho in the future?”
She leaned her arms on the table. Her jeweled fingertips circled the warm mug.
“Aside from warming his body in bed, you have nothing. Isn’t that right?”
Haon’s pale face flushed. Watching this with amusement, Jang Eun-young tilted her head slightly to the side.
“Right now, In-ho seems like he’d slit his own wrists if you told him to die. What about you, Haon?”
Jang Eun-young asked, sounding genuinely curious.
“Can’t you even help In-ho take over the company?”
She believed this was something he should naturally do. If he wanted to be the partner of her precious son, who would eventually lead the Hansung Group, he ought to cooperate to this extent.
“Give me some good news within the year. I’ll be looking forward to it.”
Unable to tolerate Haon’s stifled attitude, Jang Eun-young stood up first. Before leaving the cafe, she glanced Haon up and down, delivering one final blow.
“And change your clothes. You should be mindful of who’s watching.”
The blood-stained top bothered her. Furthermore, she didn’t like the sight of him walking around in slippers with bare feet.
Feeling her sharp gaze, Haon hid his feet under the chair, as if thinking they wouldn’t be seen that way.
Jang Eun-young was about to leave the cafe when she paused and turned back at a faint voice.
“Mr. In-ho…”
Haon’s voice was strained, his gaze fixed on the table. His bloodless face looked as though he should be the one wearing patient clothes.
Wetting his lips, which still tasted of bitter coffee, Haon looked up.
“Aren’t you curious if he’s alright?”
Haon took in the returned sneer and listened to the clicking sound of her heels fading away. Even after Jang Eun-young left, he remained in his seat for a long time.
The sounds around him felt distant, as if coming from far away. So did the thumping of his own heart.