By Zephyria 
The time had come when Yeon-rok could no longer avoid the three of them. As Yeom Cheon-ho had previously suggested, it was the time for their once-a-week group dinner.
While he sat down first, agonizing over the situation, the three of them appeared and filled the table. Somehow, everyone had managed to attend. Moon Gyeon-woo and Choi Hwan looked as though they were displeased with everyone except Yeon-rok. Yeom Cheon-ho’s expression seemed similar to his usual self, but that didn’t mean his gaze toward the other two was particularly warm. It was simply a face of chilling rationality.
Yeon-rok looked at the formal dinner prepared by Mrs. Park, neatly laid out before him, and thought.
‘I hope I don’t have to live in such a murderous atmosphere for the rest of my life…’
A lull would come eventually, right? Surely? While Yeon-rok desperately tried to imagine a “family of four” who got along like friendly roommates, Yeom Cheon-ho broke the silence.
“Yeon-rok-ssi, is your muscle pain alright?”
“Yes, I’m fine now!”
“My enthusiasm was a bit excessive. Next time, I will coach you with a much lower intensity.”
I’d actually be fine without the coaching… Despite thinking this, Yeon-rok nodded. Moon Gyeon-woo, who was picking at his food even more than usual, spoke up.
“Was the muscle pain that bad? Then come to me next time. I’ll give you a massage.”
Choi Hwan, who had been staring enviously at others’ food all day, didn’t want to be left out and opened his mouth.
“Want me to introduce you to a trainer I know? That Hyung is really funny and teaches exercise well.”
Yeon-rok suddenly recalled the time when Yeom Cheon-ho used to speak to all three of them equally. Now that the three of them were only speaking to Yeon-rok, he wondered if this could be called a complete reversal of fortunes. However, because the atmosphere was so cold, he didn’t feel particularly happy.
“No, I’m planning to take it easy with exercise for a while…”
He vaguely brushed off the topic of exercise. Then, a sudden silence fell. Choi Hwan looked sullen, Moon Gyeon-woo was quieter than usual, and Yeom Cheon-ho was not a man of many words to begin with. Eating while hearing nothing but the clinking of cutlery made him feel like he might get indigestion. Yeon-rok cleared his throat.
“Um, I’ve given it some thought.”
Everyone’s gaze turned toward Yeon-rok. Under those burdensome stares, Yeon-rok steadfastly continued.
“Things have been a bit chaotic lately, right? So, how about we set specific days of the week to take turns having contact? Wouldn’t that reduce unnecessary friction?”
It was an idea he had come up with after much deliberation, feeling that things couldn’t go on like this. He hoped that since everyone would get an equal opportunity, the dissatisfaction would decrease. Yeom Cheon-ho gave a mysterious smile while elegantly cutting his food. Moon Gyeon-woo stopped his picking with the chopsticks entirely. Choi Hwan, looking regretfully at his already empty plate, asked.
“Then the numbers don’t add up, do they? If one person has contact for two days, there’s one day left. Who gets that?”
“I do. I need a day to spend by myself.”
When Yeon-rok spoke with a serious face, Choi Hwan pouted. Resting his chin on his hand, he pondered which day would be best before shaking his head.
“I can’t pick a fixed day. My schedule is too irregular. I’ll just pick my days, and the two of you can split the remaining ones.”
It seemed he agreed with the plan for now, but there was a problem. Moon Gyeon-woo, placing his utensils down on a plate he had barely touched, spoke.
“I work on weekdays, so I’d prefer the weekend.”
“If we’re arguing that, I also work on weekdays. It would be unfair for one person to monopolize the weekend.”
“I’d prefer the weekend too, if possible.”
Indeed. Even setting aside the fact that all three were greedy for the weekend, Choi Hwan, whose schedule was irregular due to the nature of his job, was the problem.
“How about we draw lots?”
Yeon-rok suggested cautiously. That seemed like the fairest way. However, none of the three looked particularly satisfied. Choi Hwan grumbled.
“What if the day is set but my schedule is packed that day? I’d just be doing a favor for someone else. I don’t like fixed days.”
He understood Choi Hwan’s feelings, but if they didn’t have fixed days, it felt like they would fight every single week when deciding the schedule. Did one person really need to have contact two days a week? Should he just shorten it to one day for a more flexible contact system?
However, Moon Gyeon-woo had been unusually quiet for a while. It was strange that a man who would have already criticized him, asking “Does everyone have to cater to your convenience?” was keeping his mouth shut.
“Gyeon-woo Hyung?”
When Moon Gyeon-woo finally looked back, he didn’t look well. Looking closer, his complexion was pale, and he was breaking out in a cold sweat. His hand was clutching his solar plexus. Yeon-rok asked worriedly.
“Hyung, are you okay?”
“No, I’ll just… head out…”
As Moon Gyeon-woo tried to stand up, he staggered. He let out a ragged breath and then suddenly covered his mouth with a gagging sound. He turned his head to the side and retched, vomiting something out. It was a clot of blood. Choi Hwan froze in place, shocked.
“H-Hyung, you just… coughed up blood…”
Yeon-rok was also horrified, his hands trembling. However, the man himself, acting like a doctor, calmly pressed his own abdomen and groaned.
“I think it’s a perforation due to a gastric ulcer. This is an emergency… so I need to go to the hospital… right now, ugh.”
Before he could even finish those words, Yeom Cheon-ho sprang from his seat and immediately called the security team.
“Have the car ready immediately. There is an emergency patient; we need to go to the nearest emergency room.”
As if in extreme pain, Moon Gyeon-woo pressed his forehead hard against the dining table. What was a perforation due to a gastric ulcer? Based on the context, it sounded like a hole had formed in his stomach. Yeon-rok, on the verge of tears, grabbed his hand tightly.
“I told you to stop drinking so much coffee!”
“I’ve always had stress-induced gastritis…”
Moon Gyeon-woo made an excuse in a dying voice. His hand was as cold as ice. When Yeom Cheon-ho approached to help him up, he ruthlessly pushed him away even in that state. Suppressing the urge to smack him, Yeon-rok supported Moon Gyeon-woo and led him to the front door. A security guard was waiting with the car door open and the engine running.
Yeom Cheon-ho took the passenger seat, and Yeon-rok climbed in the back, holding Moon Gyeon-woo’s hand. The car sped away. Yeon-rok asked while rubbing Moon Gyeon-woo’s hand.
“Aren’t we going to Hwamyeong Hospital?”
“Their facilities are good, but it takes some time to get there. In cases like this, it’s right to go to the nearest hospital.”
Fortunately, the rush hour traffic had subsided, so they were able to drive straight to the hospital. After informing the emergency room that they had a patient suspected of gastric perforation, he was taken immediately to the examination room. Moon Gyeon-woo underwent an abdominal CT, X-ray, and a gastroscopy. While he waited anxiously, the doctor arrived with the results.
“Hmm… I heard the patient vomited blood.”
“Yes, about this much.”
Worried, Yeon-rok curled one hand to roughly indicate the amount. Moon Gyeon-woo lay on the emergency room bed, pale and bloodless like a dead person.
“For now, the CT and X-ray do not show any severe findings that require immediate surgery. However, a deep ulcer was found in the antrum of the stomach during the endoscopy. There is no active bleeding at the moment, but it would be best for him to be admitted.”
Yeon-rok breathed a sigh of relief at the news that it wasn’t serious enough for surgery. Following the doctor’s advice, Moon Gyeon-woo decided to stay in the emergency room for the night.
However, by principle, only one guardian was allowed in the emergency room. Thus, Yeon-rok, as the name partner, decided to stay by his side. If there were no major issues tonight, he was scheduled to be moved to Hwamyeong Hospital tomorrow. Since it was very late, Yeom Cheon-ho decided to head home first.
“Then Yeon-rok-ssi, I’ll leave him in your hands.”
“Yes, please go ahead. You have to go to work tomorrow too.”
In truth, he wondered how many hours of sleep Yeom Cheon-ho would even get if he went home now. After Yeom Cheon-ho left, Yeon-rok stayed by his side, holding Moon Gyeon-woo’s hand tightly. He seemed a bit more comfortable than before, perhaps because of the IV drip. After texting Choi Hwan about Moon Gyeon-woo’s condition, Yeon-rok asked worriedly.
“How do you feel now?”
“Much better.”
There was little strength in the voice that spoke. To Yeon-rok, it seemed that while the coffee was a factor, the biggest causes were his lifestyle habits, the recent conflicts, and the stress from his own temperament.
“No coffee for a while. It’s forbidden.”
Perhaps because he was relieved, fatigue gradually washed over him. It was well past the time Yeon-rok should have been asleep. Even at this late hour, patients continued to flood into the emergency room. He was also somewhat worried about the security guard who would be spending the night waiting in the hospital parking lot. Thinking it would be better than just holding hands, he was kissing Moon Gyeon-woo’s hand to maintain contact when…
“Moon Gyeon-woo?”
Startled, Yeon-rok quickly pulled his lips away. An unfamiliar doctor who had suddenly appeared pretended not to see the action and greeted Moon Gyeon-woo.
“Hello. I’m Park Jae-woo, Moon Gyeon-woo Seonbae’s…”