231 – TIO Side Story 8

* * *

“….”

Inside the fast-moving car, Jin Seon-yu’s eyes rolled around. After confirming Jin Seok-young turning away through the rearview mirror, Jin Seon-yu hurriedly looked at Kwon Gwi-jun.

Kwon Gwi-jun handed the shopping bags he had been holding in both hands back to Jin Seon-yu.

“Were we dating?”

“Huh? That… that’s. I’ll go explain it to Second Hyung later.”

Rustle, Jin Seon-yu hugged the shopping bags tightly with both arms. He had barely managed to get out. First, after meeting Yi-kyung… he could correct the lie. Still, Jin Seok-young didn’t actually hit him. He’d hear some nagging, but he wouldn’t get beaten.

Jin Seon-yu stole a glance at Kwon Gwi-jun’s profile. Having received Jin Seok-young’s call, Kwon Gwi-jun had tactfully played along with Jin Seon-yu’s words. He had even come to pick him up like this. Thanks to that, he had been able to leave the house with a loud voice.

“Thanks for helping me.”

As Jin Seon-yu muttered, Kwon Gwi-jun stared at him and asked,

“So, where are we going now?”

“Ah, to the hospital to see Yi-kyung…”

“Really?”

“Yeah. These are all things to give to Yi-kyung.”

Jin Seon-yu pointed to the items in his arms. He said this because Kwon Gwi-jun’s gaze was lingering there.

“If you had told me in advance, I would have prepared something too.”

“Huh?”

Jin Seon-yu’s doubt was brief. When the car stopped in front of Haseon Hospital, Jin Seon-yu stepped out of the car with a joyful face. Following him, Kwon Gwi-jun got out from the other side.

“Wait.”

“Why? I think I’ve got everything?”

Jin Seon-yu tilted his head, wondering if he had dropped something in the car. However, instead of answering Jin Seon-yu, Kwon Gwi-jun exchanged words with his secretary.

As the secretary turned and left, Jin Seon-yu looked puzzled.

“Are you going to see the baby too?”

“….”

Kwon Gwi-jun felt no need to answer at first, but eventually opened his mouth.

“Since I’m already here.”

“Right? If the baby looks like Yi-kyung, don’t you think the baby will be pretty? I told Hyung let’s go see the baby, but Second Hyung was like, why should he have to go see the baby!”

“….”

“How can someone not want to see Yi-kyung’s child? I just can’t understand it.”

While Jin Seon-yu rambled, Kwon Gwi-jun’s secretary returned after buying a fruit basket. Since it was bought hastily around the hospital for a visit, there weren’t many suitable gifts.

As the secretary approached, Kwon Gwi-jun stepped forward. Jin Seon-yu continued to walk into Haseon Hospital, speaking passionately about how pretty and cute Seo Yi-kyung’s baby would be.

As they headed toward the elevator, Kwon Gwi-jun spoke as if he had suddenly remembered.

“You know the room number, right?”

“Huh? Room number? I don’t know it?”

The innocent Jin Seon-yu was looking at Kwon Gwi-jun with eyes that truly knew nothing. So Kwon Gwi-jun asked,

“Then how did you know to come here? Didn’t you contact him and come?”

“Because he was treated here when he was hurt last time. I just assumed it would be the same this time.”

Kwon Gwi-jun looked at his secretary as if giving up on asking further. The secretary hurried off somewhere again.

And at the secretary’s returning words, the shopping bags in Jin Seon-yu’s hands dropped to the floor with a thud.

“Yi-kyung isn’t at the hospital?”

Jin Seon-yu turned to look at Kwon Gwi-jun, his lips parting in bewilderment.

“Then where is Yi-kyung right now?”

“….”

Kwon Gwi-jun picked up the shopping bags from the floor. Jin Seon-yu visit stolen contentour site[Read on Read BL Novels]>fiddled with his phone and sent a message to Seo Yi-kyung.

“Let’s go back to the car first.”

Despite it being morning, there were many people coming and going in the hospital. They couldn’t just keep standing there.

“I thought I’d be able to meet him if I came to the hospital.”

Having exited the hospital again, Jin Seon-yu got into the car and stared at the phone screen. Seo Yi-kyung hadn’t even checked his message. The several messages above it were all the same. Because of this, Jin Seon-yu became even more worried about Seo Yi-kyung.

“Is he very sick?”

The face of Jin Seon-yu, who had been excited at the thought of meeting Seo Yi-kyung until a moment ago, sank rapidly.

“Gi-jun, haven’t you heard anything?”

As Jin Seon-yu turned his head, his gaze entangled with Kwon Gwi-jun’s in mid-air. He could feel that the gaze alone was telling him he lacked tact again.

Then again, it would be useless to ask Kwon Gwi-jun. While Jin Seon-yu was worried and curious about the well-being of Seo Yi-kyung, not everyone would be. Moreover, the two of them didn’t have much in the way of a connection.

“Ah, sorry. I just didn’t have anyone to ask. My brothers don’t tell me anything.”

“Let’s just go eat lunch first.”

“I don’t feel like eating at all right now.”

Jin Seon-yu didn’t feel like eating anything. As he looked down at his phone with gloomy eyes, Kwon Gwi-jun spoke.

“You told your brother you were having lunch with me.”

“Yeah. Why?”

“If it’s found out that it was a lie, you won’t be able to come out to see Mr. Seo Yi-kyung next time, will you?”

Jin Seon-yu had no choice but to nod.

He needed to make the lie a reality. After all, Jin Seok-young had started using his head. Seeing Jin Seok-young call Kwon Gwi-jun right in front of him, Jin Seon-yu realized that he would no longer unconditionally believe his words.

* * *

“…You’re not eating?”

Jin Seon-yu was holding the fork and knife and had sliced the meat, but he wasn’t eating it.

“Eat.”

Reluctantly, Jin Seon-yu put a piece of meat in his mouth and chewed.

“It does taste good.”

Tactlessly, the food tasted great.

“I should come back here with Yi-kyung next time.”

As he looked around, it became clear that Kwon Gwi-jun hadn’t just taken him to a nearby restaurant for a light meal, but to a place that felt like a proper date spot.

“What I said last time.”

“Yeah. What was that?”

Jin Seon-yu answered half-heartedly, his gaze still drifting elsewhere.

“That I’m the only person who can handle your hyungs.”

“Huh?”

Only then did Jin Seon-yu turn his head to look straight ahead.

“So…”

Kwon Gwi-jun seemed to weigh his words for a moment, then decided to stop beating around the bush.

“Date me.”

“…?”

Jin Seon-yu lowered his fork. Was he suggesting they act as if they were dating—just as they had turned the fake lunch appointment into a reality—to provide an excuse for Jin Seok-young?

“Ah! Is it because you’re worried you’ll get beaten up by Taewon-hyung?”

“Sigh, why do you think I’m eating lunch here right now?”

“Huh? Because it’s lunchtime. I have some intuition, you know.”

Kwon Gwi-jun firmly cut off Jin Seon-yu just as he was about to become triumphant.

“No.”

“No?”

If Kwon Gwi-jun spoke in riddles, the completely clueless Jin Seon-yu would never understand his feelings.

Taking Jin Seon-yu’s call in the middle of a busy schedule, coming to pick him up, suddenly having lunch or going to see paintings and listening to stories about Seo Yi-kyung.

He didn’t do those things for just anyone.

“It’s because I like you.”

Jin Seon-yu’s eyes widened. The fork he was holding clattered to the table.

“What?”

* * *

Tossing and turning, Seo Yi-kyung woke up and looked around groggily. The scent of disinfectant, which was always the first thing he smelled upon opening his eyes, was gone. He stared blankly at the familiar scenery of the room before slowly pushing himself up.

“It’s hot…”

Leaning his back against the headboard, Seo Yi-kyung grabbed the chest of his pajama shirt and fluttered it to create a breeze. The temperature in the room was relatively high. Beads of sweat rolled down his slender neck. Similarly, the shirt touching his fingertips felt damp.

Han Seung-jae had decided it was better for Seo Yi-kyung to go home—where there were many visit our sitepeople [unauthorized copy]to attend to him—rather than lying in a hospital, and had thus discharged him.

Seo Yi-kyung hadn’t said a word about Han Seung-jae’s decision.

Once he had made a decision, it was practically final. Han Seung-jae wasn’t the type of person to listen even if someone voiced a different opinion.

And he felt he vaguely understood why Han Seung-jae had made that decision. Perhaps it was because Han Seung-jae was at the hospital. Because of that, people who wanted to see him visited incessantly, and some even tried to offer their congratulations to Seo Yi-kyung just to make their presence known to Han Seung-jae.

Despite that, Han Seung-jae didn’t let anyone meet Seo Yi-kyung. He even sent back Butler Choi, who had come to visit on behalf of his mother from the main house, right outside the hospital room.