By Zephyria 
“…I’ll eat on my own.”
Among all the times, mealtime was the most difficult.
It wasn’t that he was nagging uncomfortably about why I wasn’t eating more, but the way he looked at me, as if he were re-examining me, was unsettling.
Ah, is he doing this because he’s still thinking about the orange allergy? I didn’t mean to blame him for that.
Usually, when taking care of a patient, this much is to be expected… Joo Tae-hyun also didn’t have any experience taking care of someone, so he felt a little uneasy but decided to let it go.
Anyway, it’s my fault. I still haven’t broken the habit of assigning meaning to trivial things.
“Ah, I’m going to sue Kim Seung-jun this afternoon.”
Seo Baek-han cleared Joo Tae-hyun’s dishes, handed them to the caregiver waiting outside, and continued speaking nonchalantly.
“I’m going to go and file it myself.”
It was the same ordinary tone he used when asking throughout the meal whether this was to my taste or how that was.
“It’s not a strange picture, is it? A husband filing a complaint on behalf of his spouse.”
…What?
The series of actions of mixing room-temperature water with cold water from the refrigerator and handing it to me were so calm that Joo Tae-hyun, who had been maintaining an indifferent attitude, widened his eyes a beat late.
Seo Baek-han paused, as if anticipating some reaction, whether Joo Tae-hyun would question him in surprise or oppose him outright. As if he was willing to wait until I sorted out my feelings.
Even in the midst of all that, the sight of him taking out the medicine I had to take in 30 minutes and sitting in his chair was utterly unfamiliar.
No, really. What on earth is he doing?
I can understand him making sure I eat and take my medicine regularly. Even someone unskilled in caregiving would know that much.
But Seo Baek-han’s attitude now, trying to gauge my intentions, was hard to understand.
“If there’s anything you’re concerned about, tell me. I’ll explain it.”
When Joo Tae-hyun remained silent, Seo Baek-han added in a soft voice. It seemed he wanted to give me a hint.
But… Am I supposed to have something I’m concerned about? And if I do, will anything change?
Anyway, Seo Baek-han has already decided to proceed with the lawsuit. His tone was a little different than usual, but his attitude of making a decision on his own and then notifying me was no different than before.
“I know it’s sudden. But DH Group can’t take the lead on this issue, so I decided to handle it.”
“Ah, yes.”
“…Don’t you have any questions? It’s really okay, so feel free to speak up. Like if you don’t like this approach.”
“Well. Isn’t it already decided?”
“It’s still in the planning stage. If you’re uncomfortable with it-.”
Seo Baek-han also seemed to feel that his current attitude was a bit awkward, as he cleared his throat a few times before continuing.
“If Tae-hyun, you’re uncomfortable with it, I’ll have to adjust the direction.”
See? It’s just wordplay after all. Adjust the direction? Even if you slightly change the path, the destination won’t change. In the end, he’ll push forward with what he wants to do.
“I haven’t thought of it as uncomfortable, the way Hyung handles things. Not in the past, not now. So do as Hyung pleases.”
There has never been an exception. When Seo Baek-han says something like that, it means he’s determined to get what he wants. Joo Tae-hyun has followed his suggestions to this day.
I’ve never once raised an objection. Seo Baek-han’s handling of things has always been clean. Very occasionally, there were moments when I thought, ‘Isn’t this wrong?’ But I didn’t want to upset him with unnecessary arguments, so I just thought about it for a moment and moved on.
Seo Baek-han was also very pleased with Joo Tae-hyun’s silence and obedience.
“Tae-hyun.”
But why is he acting like there’s room for reconsideration based on my opinion this time?
“Do as you please. It’s not like Hyung really wanted to consult with me about anything anyway.”
It wasn’t that I wasn’t objecting because I wanted to abide by the unwritten rules we’ve maintained as a couple. It’s not like Seo Baek-han is trying to interfere with internal company matters, or taking other measures because he can’t accept the divorce.
Kim Seung-jun’s actions this time must have caused some damage to Seo Baek-han himself, so I don’t want to stop him from stepping in to handle it.
…No. Let’s be honest. Joo Tae-hyun no longer wanted to think hard about anything. Especially if it was related to Seo Baek-han.
It might be an irresponsible attitude, but right now, I didn’t want to think about anything.
“Ah, do you need a power of attorney? You can inquire with the secretary about that.”
Joo Tae-hyun replied indifferently and picked up the book he had been reading before the meal.
〈Exploring Mathematics for Children〉.
‘That’s right, Young Master. I’ve kept the book you used to read every time you came to the hospital for your physical examination.’
‘Aren’t those things I read when I was much younger?’
‘That’s right. The kind of thing Young Master read when you were a little kid. But actually, you thought they were boring even back then, didn’t you? Those books were too easy.’
‘Well, yes….’
‘Haha, look at that. You can’t even deny it. Well, our Young Master was always so smart. Right?’
A book I read when I was a child. I suddenly became curious and asked if I could receive it, but I didn’t expect it to feel this new.
Of course, the content was still boring. But while I was reading the book, I could empty my complicated mind, so I plan to focus on reading children’s books that don’t suit me for the time being.
That’s definitely true.
“…Hyung.”
Does he still have something to say? Unable to withstand the stinging gaze pouring down on the top of my head, Joo Tae-hyun raised his head. He asked with a look as if asking why, and Seo Baek-han shook his head with his mouth tightly shut.
Joo Tae-hyun sighed long through his nose. It wasn’t that I found the quietness awkward or unpleasant when I was with Seo Baek-han. On the contrary, I sometimes felt comfortable. But the silence now was somehow uncomfortable.
“Come to think of it, Hyung, how long is your sick leave for?”
I should have a decent conversation and then tell him I want to rest and send him out.
I was also curious about whether Seo Baek-han would return to work.
He looked so healthy that even Joo Tae-hyun sometimes forgot, but Seo Baek-han had recently been stabbed and even had surgery. He was on sick leave, but was it okay for him to come all the way to Seoul and do this instead of resting?
What’s more, it’s Royal Hospital, not just anywhere. Shouldn’t the head of the hospital be absent from his post so arbitrarily?
“It’s okay.”
“No, I’m not okay.”
He’s never taken a vacation before, so is he trying to take it all at once now? Well, that’s something Seo Baek-han will take care of as always, but I was uncomfortable.
“It doesn’t seem like the pheromone levels change noticeably even if we’re stuck together in the same space for 24 hours, so instead of that, let’s set a date and time.”
“It’s a shame that someone who majored in Formative Studies can only say such ambiguous things, but when you can’t be sure of anything, it’s good to approach it with a conservative attitude.”
“…”
“Sometimes, not getting worse is the best thing.”
So he’s saying don’t complain and stay still?
See, in the end, he’s going to do whatever he wants.
It wasn’t surprising anymore. Rather, I felt like the things I was worried about a little while ago were neatly organized.
Joo Tae-hyun didn’t reply and just flipped through the pages of the book.
It was a scene where the protagonist in the book was explaining what a fraction was to his younger sibling who was in kindergarten.
Hyung, fractions still seem too difficult for me.
No, you can learn it quickly too. It’s really easy!
Joo Tae-hyun idly tapped the illustration of a young child wearing a chick-colored uniform, counting numbers with chubby hands and making a crying face.
If the baby in my womb had been born safely…
If that had happened, would the day have come when I could have put the book in that child’s hand, saying it was a book his dad used to read? Since it was a child born from an anomaly, he would have had to go in and out of the hospital as often as I did when I was young.
I would have worried about explaining things that were so obvious to me in an easy way.
If he wondered how his dad, who is an Alpha, gave birth to him… What would be the right thing to say then? How should I act so that the child wouldn’t get hurt?
Even though I had never seriously made the decision to give birth and raise him. Joo Tae-hyun thought about the child who was gone.
I hadn’t cared until now. Even when I heard that they had pulled out the mass of blood with surgery, I just said, ‘I see.’ Why are these futile imaginations suddenly, constantly flooding in?
Joo Tae-hyun, who was imagining a future that could have been a close reality but could no longer be held, shook his head briefly, recalling the photo he had received last night.
The child’s grave in the photo that his family showed him, saying they had buried him in the family cemetery, was so small that it would be difficult to notice even if you accidentally stepped on it.
Joo Tae-hyun closed his eyes in a daze.
But the empty tombstone, on which not even a name was written, stuck thickly to the inside of Joo Tae-hyun’s eyelids and wouldn’t come off easily.
“Hey. Am I your secretary?”
“Secretary Nam is busy.”
“I’m busy too, you know?”
Seo Baek-han ignored Choi Yeon-jun’s grumbling and checked the documents one last time in the car. Since it would attract too much attention if I showed my face directly, Choi Yeon-jun decided to file the complaint on my behalf.
The reason Seo Baek-han decided to file the complaint directly in Seoul was nothing special. It was to prevent anyone from using this matter in any way.
Whether it was Kim Seung-jun’s family, Taeja behind him, or his father, Assemblyman Seo. Anyone at all.
Once the complaint is filed, it’s impossible to prevent rumors from spreading in some way. However, I didn’t want a strange public opinion to form before the filing, causing the lawsuit itself to lose its power.
My desire to help Joo Tae-hyun is absolutely sincere. He was too precious to be consumed as ‘a child blinded by love’ or ‘a pitiful person pushed by the media and public opinion.’
It wasn’t for nothing that Choi Yeon-jun had been surprised that he was particularly nice to Joo Tae-hyun from a long time ago. Seo Baek-han certainly had a good impression of Joo Tae-hyun from a long time ago.
“…Hey, Baek-han. Do you have something following you? Like paparazzi or something?”
Seo Baek-han, who was about to scold him for talking nonsense, paused for a moment at the sight he saw through the heavily tinted car window.