By Zephyria 
“Ah, I’m really okay! I think I actually liked it that you spoke informally…”
Yeon-rok waved his hand, insisting he was truly fine. Yeom Cheon-ho, who had been staring at him, gave a thin smile. Yeon-rok reflexively smiled back, but it quickly faded. It was because the other man’s gaze, which had been languid from the sedative, suddenly turned sharp.
“Is that so? If you say so… but you need to be scolded a bit.”
“Pardon…?”
Yeon-rok froze at the unexpected words. Yeom Cheon-ho gestured toward the bump on Yeon-rok’s forehead and spoke slowly.
“How can you be so fearless as to chase after someone without knowing what they might do?”
“Uh, uh…”
“I was appalled when I heard you were hit by a car, but I didn’t know you’d do it again. You really act without any fear.”
Shocked by the sudden scolding, Yeon-rok shrank back. Yeom Cheon-ho stared at him expressionlessly before reaching out. The shocking informal speech ended there. Gently touching the area around the protruding bump, he let out a sigh and scolded him in a low voice.
“Don’t ever do that again. If anything happens next time, make sure to leave it to the bodyguards. That is why I have them assigned to you.”
“Yes…”
Yeon-rok answered despondently. It was true that more than a few times, his body had leaped into action before he could think. However, feeling slightly hurt for some reason, he bit his lip, and Yeom Cheon-ho gently soothed him.
“I’m not saying I’m not grateful. I mean you should cherish your own body. Up until now, things have worked out well by luck, but there’s no guarantee they will continue to do so. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, I’ll be careful.”
Yeon-rok nodded reflectively, then his eyes widened in surprise. Blood had begun to trickle from Yeom Cheon-ho’s nose again. The temperature of the hand they were holding was still low.
“CEO, here.”
Yeon-rok hurriedly found a handkerchief and handed it over. However, whether it was due to stress or the sedative, the nosebleed showed no sign of stopping. His complexion remained poor. Even so, Yeom Cheon-ho spoke only with kindness.
“Thank you. It’s much better having Yeon-rok-ssi by my side.”
But to Yeon-rok, the situation looked truly serious. Just holding hands all night certainly wouldn’t be enough. Yeon-rok fidgeted with his fingers anxiously. When he had collapsed last time, he only recovered after Choi Hwan and Moon Gyeon-woo touched him all night…
‘It’s absolutely not enough.’
Yeom Cheon-ho’s condition was far worse than his own had been back then. Moreover, while he was resting like this, Yeom Cheon-ho’s work would be piling up. Then, he might collapse again someday. Furthermore, Yeom Cheon-ho was someone who faced constant life threats from his father.
‘I think a special measure is needed.’
The biggest problem in the current situation was that the three men were either unwilling or unable to have any contact with anyone other than Yeon-rok. Yeon-rok, the sole object of their contact, only had one body, and because these men were so busy, all three of them were currently suffering from contact deficiency syndrome. That was why Yeon-rok had just accepted it whenever they kissed, despite not being in a dating relationship.
And perhaps today, he might have to do something beyond that. Only after seeing Yeom Cheon-ho’s life threatened before his eyes did Yeon-rok painfully admit that he had to set aside his conventional common sense. He made his decision.
“CEO. The nurse told me to have more sufficient contact.”
“You don’t need to worry too much about that. It might be a bit slow, but I’ll recover eventually just by holding hands.”
Yeom Cheon-ho answered thoughtfully, as if trying not to pressure him, but Yeon-rok quickly shook his head.
“But if the recovery is that slow, wouldn’t that be a very difficult situation for you?”
Unable to deny it, Yeom Cheon-ho gave a bitter smile and fell silent. He was a man so busy that he worked even while hospitalized after collapsing from overwork. He would want to escape the current situation as quickly as possible. Even though he hadn’t brought it up yet, Yeon-rok’s face began to flush, so he took a deep breath.
“If you stay like this, something might go wrong or you might become more endangered. So…”
“Yeon-rok-ssi…”
“How about we do it? More sufficient contact.”
At Yeon-rok’s intrepid proposal, Yeom Cheon-ho groaned. He pondered deeply, stroking his rough stubble. Then, after glancing at the chaotic hospital environment and the loyal bodyguards waiting outside, he finally nodded.
“…I understand. But it would be better to move to a different location.”
Normally, when admitted to a hospital, a patient cannot go out or be discharged at will. However, this did not apply to Yeom Cheon-ho, a name manifestor and a VVIP of the hospital.
The place they headed to was a small hotel just a stone’s throw away. It was a building that looked so ordinary that one wouldn’t even know it was a hotel until Yeom Cheon-ho mentioned it. Yeon-rok only realized it was a hotel after seeing the luxurious interior, which contrasted with the exterior.
Furthermore, entry was only possible by vehicle, and the security check was extremely thorough. Perhaps because the primary clientele were wealthy flower name bearers, it was an extremely private place.
“Welcome, guest. I will guide you both to your room.”
An employee, who had been waiting since the car arrived, greeted them politely. The room was a luxurious space that took up the entire top floor of the building. After noticing the patient clothes Yeom Cheon-ho wore under his outer coat and his pale complexion, the employee asked very politely.
“Would you happen to require any separate medical services?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“I understand. Then please call us at any time if you have any requests.”
After a polite bow, the employee withdrew. Yeon-rok, who had bravely proposed ‘more sufficient contact’ to Yeom Cheon-ho and ended up here, became extremely nervous. It was because the reality suddenly hit him when he saw the queen-sized bed in the room. He looked around hesitantly and spoke awkwardly.
“There was a hotel in a place like this? But does it actually do business?”
“Of course.”
Yeom Cheon-ho explained slowly as he took off the cardigan he had worn over his patient clothes.
“Quite a few flower name bearers visit this place due to contact deficiency. Hospitals are, after all, inappropriate places for sharing intimate contact.”
“T-that’s true.”
“Since medical treatment must be received immediately if anything happens, we established the hotel within a distance where cooperation with the hospital is possible without delay.”
‘I see,’ Yeon-rok thought, simply nodding. Yeom Cheon-ho intentionally moved slower than usual and spoke softly to the tense young man.
“Yeon-rok-ssi, it’s okay to cancel and go back even now. Holding hands is enough for physical recovery.”
“No! I have to do what needs to be done.”
Yeon-rok, firmly determined to make Yeom Cheon-ho better within the day, spoke spiritedly. Yeom Cheon-ho smiled faintly.
“What needs to be done, huh…”
“CEO?”
“It’s nothing. Then shall we wash up first? Based on the layout, there should be another bathroom over there.”
It was just as Yeom Cheon-ho said. Two bathrooms in one room—it was a place designed specifically for ‘that.’ Yeon-rok entered the bathroom pretending to be as natural as possible, but his movements soon became stiff. He flustered while taking off his clothes and almost tripped. His mind was a mess.
‘I should do more intimate contact than just holding hands or kissing… But how far should I go, and what should I do?’
First, he turned on the shower. While soaking himself from head to toe in hot water, Yeon-rok agonized seriously. Throughout the time he spent scrubbing every corner of his body with plenty of bubbles, his brow remained furrowed. Whether it was because all sorts of lewd acts were flashing through his mind or because the water was hot, his cheeks turned bright red in an instant.
After washing for a long while, he finally put on a robe and stepped out hesitantly. Yeom Cheon-ho had come out first and was on the phone.
“…I understand. Proceed as planned. I’ll hang up now.”
As soon as his eyes met Yeon-rok’s, he ended the call. Yeon-rok pulled at the lapels of his robe and gave an awkward smile. Yeom Cheon-ho smiled back and gestured toward the table. A bottle of alcohol and glasses had been placed there, though Yeon-rok didn’t know when they were ordered.
“How about having a little drink to relax?”
“Yes, that sounds good.”
Yeom Cheon-ho poured just enough to fill the bottom of the glass and handed it over. When Yeon-rok took a sip, he found it was a low-alcohol drink. It wasn’t enough to make him drunk, but it was enough to bring about a light sense of euphoria. After two or three sips, it definitely helped, and his tension eased slightly.
Yeon-rok stole a glance at Yeom Cheon-ho. He was also wearing only a robe, but for some reason, his build seemed larger than usual. Even though the other man was intentionally relaxing his body and maintaining a soft demeanor, Yeon-rok felt an implicit sense of intimidation. Yeom Cheon-ho spoke in a considerate voice.
“Shall we go to the bed? If somewhere else is more comfortable, feel free to tell me.”
“The bed is fine.”
Because he was being so considerate, Yeon-rok was able to become a bit more composed.
Yeom Cheon-ho got onto the bed first. Leaning his upper body against the headboard, the gaze with which he watched Yeon-rok was infinitely gentle. Yeon-rok hesitated before sitting down on the edge of the bed. He knew he would have to do something like this eventually, but he was still embarrassed. Seeing the flushed cheeks, Yeom Cheon-ho’s thick eyebrows curved softly.
“Don’t think too strangely of this.”
As if fully understanding the hesitation and shyness of his younger partner, Yeom Cheon-ho first took hold of Yeon-rok’s hand. Even though he was struggling to the point of breaking into a cold sweat, he was enduring it.