By Zephyria 
“Refrain from strenuous exercise, and from now on, even if you feel something similar to rut, absolutely do not take suppressants. The injection I gave you earlier also contains suppressant components.”
“Yes, I will.”
Thanks to my family’s consideration and Doctor Woo’s meticulous care, Joo Tae-hyun was doing really well. Whether this could be called ‘well’ was debatable, but it was true that his physical condition had improved compared to when he was in Korea.
“By the way, Doctor, if you keep coming out here because of me… shouldn’t you be heading back to Korea soon?”
“Oh my, what a disheartening thing to say. I even got a legal business visa through the Chairman’s favor, so I plan to do everything I want while I’m here.”
Doctor Woo chuckled innocently, saying it was nice to have no work other than looking after the Young Master. He only said that, but Tae-hyun knew he was catching up on his backlog of work according to Korean time once he returned to the hotel.
Joo Tae-hyun tried to persuade Doctor Woo again but remembered that he was enduring this hardship entirely because of him and swallowed his words. His mind, as much as his body, needed to recover quickly; helping Doctor Woo by being able to return home without any worries would be the way to do it.
“Then I’ll see you in three days.”
Doctor Woo packed up the equipment he had brought and smiled brightly. The daily check-ups he had received multiple times a day had been reduced to once, and now the interval had stretched to three days. His body must truly be getting better.
Joo Tae-hyun saw Doctor Woo off and collapsed onto the sofa. How long had he been like that? Feeling like he might just lie there endlessly, he sprang up from his seat.
What should I do? Should I go for a walk?
Peeking outside through a gap in the blinds, Joo Tae-hyun quickly changed his mind. It was still bright outside. Perhaps because summer was approaching, he could feel that the days had become quite long.
Of course, he knew that no one living here paid him any attention. He also knew there were no reporters following him. He was well aware that even amidst the uproar over the discussion of the Crown Prince’s deposition from the Great Empire, his name was nowhere to be mentioned.
Yet, he couldn’t help but feel on edge, wondering if he might run into people, if they might demand to know what happened to his child.
What should I do? Rubbing the corner of the blinds absently, Joo Tae-hyun finally made up his mind.
Let’s not do anything I don’t feel like doing. This is precious time my family created for me. The fact that the media isn’t mentioning my name is undoubtedly due to my family’s efforts, so I decided not to push myself.
Now that it was dark, he could go outside and run until his legs cramped. He figured he would continue to get better like this, little by little.
Having decided to be thoroughly lazy, Joo Tae-hyun’s steps eventually led him to the study.
There was a time when he found all exercise, except swimming, bothersome and unpleasant. There were times when sweating was simply dreadful, but now it didn’t feel too bad to feel alive and healthy.
In that moment when his heart pounded and only his own ragged breaths echoed in his ears…
…He was realizing these days that there were quite a few things that made Joo Tae-hyun feel alive, even without Seo Baek-han, even without that person.
“Hmm, the presentation the day after tomorrow…”
Of course, some things hadn’t changed.
For instance, the habit of poring over books or papers whenever he felt overwhelmed or down.
Although he had decided to return to his graduate program, adapting wasn’t as easy as he thought due to other researchers who were more overtly displeased than his own professor. They found it galling that he wanted to belong to this lab again after quitting so dramatically, and his sudden appearance had disrupted the invisible hierarchy within the lab, even affecting the order of who could receive support from the professor. He could understand why some students detested him.
Fortunately, there were quite a few people who had thought well of him before, and as they learned that Joo Tae-hyun planned to leave with just his degree this time, they were gradually lowering their guard.
He liked being able to immerse himself in his studies without thinking about anything else. Moreover, the thought that this degree might help him contribute even a little to his family later on invigorated him.
As Joo Tae-hyun was organizing his thesis topic again, with his presentation just two days away, his tablet screen flashed brightly. It was a video call from a research student who had become quite fond of him lately.
─ Hey, Tae-hyun. Are you free for FaceTime right now?
“Liam, you should have asked before making the call.”
He figured Liam probably wanted to turn on the video call and study together, but he intended to refuse because it didn’t suit Tae-hyun’s style.
“Besides, I prefer studying alone.”
However, Liam was persistent, sending messages and calling until he got an answer, so it was more effective to show his face once and clearly state his intentions.
─ Then shall we meet up?
“I dislike that even more.”
─ How about a date instead of studying? I booked a nice restaurant.
“I’m hanging up.”
─ Ah, okay! I won’t mention dates. Let’s just grab a meal.
Liam was similar to Cheon Seung-pil. He seemed slightly smarter than Cheon Seung-pil, but at times he acted even more childish, so if one had to compare, they were much of a muchness.
Still, perhaps because they were both shifters? He was grateful that Liam seemed to understand his physical condition without him having to say anything. Though Liam was an Omega, not an Alpha.
‘Oh, Young Master. Are there any shifters within the lab?’
‘There are, but…’
‘Perhaps it’s because you’ve been exposed to the pheromones of various people, but your condition seems to have improved significantly.’
Doctor Woo, who had started the tests anxiously right after he returned from the lab, exclaimed with delight upon seeing the results.
‘If you’re okay with it, Young Master, you should also attend other school gatherings.’
He said that encountering and interacting with various people within his daily life seemed to be genuinely helpful in re-establishing his pheromone system.
‘Of course, that doesn’t mean you need to force yourself to meet shifters or exclusively seek out their company. For now, just relax and try to gradually blend in with people.’
Joo Tae-hyun wasn’t deliberately getting close to Liam to follow Doctor Woo’s advice. However, he couldn’t bring himself to push Liam away harshly, feeling as though Liam was being used for his recovery without even knowing why. It also reminded him of Cheon Seung-pil when he was younger…
“If you’re just going to talk nonsense, hang up. I’m busy.”
─ Okay, don’t hang up. It’s just that, I heard somewhere a little while ago that we’ll be working on a project together starting next week. With another lab.
He must have overheard it from his mother, the chairman. When it came to school and academic news, Liam was more accurate than anyone else.
“If you mean the shifter policy project, I already know. The professor and Jessie told me.”
─ Hmm, right. That’s correct, but… I thought you might find it a bit awkward.
“Why?”
─ Well… they said someone from Korea would be coming too.