“I’m sorry, I meant to just close my eyes for a bit… I’ve been swamped with thesis work lately, day and night. And there were a lot of foundation-related documents to review…”
If he hadn’t been pressing his brow bone as if tired, I might have thought he’d come straight from exercising. At first, I wondered if he was coming down with a cold, but aside from his cheeks being a little flushed, he seemed fine.
Then again, Joo Tae-hyun has traveled between Pyongyang, Seoul, and Washington without ever getting sick. Both he and I fit the stereotype of Alphas having naturally good stamina and physique.
“Excuse me.”
As I’d arranged, the food was served as soon as Joo Tae-hyun arrived in the room. Since only one course menu is offered when booking a private room for dinner, I chose this place to avoid complicated decisions.
“You remember the banquet at Yeonhwa Palace, right?”
“…Yes, um. Next Thursday evening.”
As Joo Tae-hyun requested, we’d have dinner outside once a week, see exhibitions… basically, go on dates of sorts. But I had no intention of wasting time on such meaningless things.
“It’s called a banquet, but it’ll be swarming with people. As it’s an event at Yeonhwa Palace, there will be quite a few Shifters. And given the theme, I heard they’ve put a lot of researchers and hospital staff on the invitation list.”
Joo Tae-hyun nodded, acknowledging that he hadn’t forgotten, but his reaction was slower than usual. He was always a man of few words, but he wasn’t usually this blank and dazed.
“You know Kim Seung-jun? His group is coming too. It seems the Crown Prince insisted on it.”
“Oh, really?”
“It’s one-dimensional, but it works, doesn’t it? Those lowlifes stir up public opinion with their loud chatter. This is the first time I’m attending such a big event since becoming the Royal Hospital Director—”
“Ah, that’s right.”
Seo Baek-han’s hand, holding the cutlery, paused momentarily. Joo Tae-hyun wasn’t even listening to me, just replying absentmindedly. I casually assumed he was just drowsy from his nap, but now that I looked, his face seemed excessively red…
“Let’s go to the hospital.”
Seo Baek-han moistened his lips with water and prepared to leave. I was going to call the driver when we were almost done with the meal, but I’m glad I didn’t touch the alcohol yet.
“Huh? Why all of a sudden…? Ah, don’t tell me it’s because of me—”
“I won’t include today’s meeting in the quarterly report, so let’s go to the hospital first.”
Only then did Joo Tae-hyun shake his head, his eyes finally focusing a bit. Looking now, the kid was holding his fork backward like a backhoe and digging into the appetizer.
“It’s useless to just pile on muscles. Managing your condition is true self-care.”
Even though he heard me pushing back my chair, Joo Tae-hyun stubbornly resisted. It was obvious he had no appetite, but he was stubbornly shoving food into his mouth, like a truly disobedient child.
“Get up.”
Eventually, Seo Baek-han walked around to where Joo Tae-hyun was sitting. He took the cutlery Joo Tae-hyun was using, placed it on the table, and put his hand on his shoulder.
“Stop being stubborn—”
Smack!
Seo Baek-han stared blankly at his hand, which had been pushed away with a heavy, explosive sound, as if he’d been deliberately struck.
“…Ah.”
Before he could even finish the word, Joo Tae-hyun slapped his hand away. Just for putting a hand on his shoulder, hard enough to leave a red mark on his skin.
“…Sorry, I, I’m just.”
Joo Tae-hyun looked dazed, as if he hadn’t intended to push Seo Baek-han away that hard, and then he staggered to his feet. He kept repeating, “I’m just, a little,” so it was clear it wasn’t intentional.
Even though I knew his condition was different from usual, Seo Baek-han was quite taken aback. And realizing that he was flustered made him even more disconcerted.
Did Joo Tae-hyun just push me away?
Did he hit me? Is he rejecting me this vehemently?
For some reason, Seo Baek-han had never considered the possibility that Joo Tae-hyun would rebel against him. Not even after their marriage ended, or after the sticky, unidentifiable feelings Joo Tae-hyun had for him faded. It seems he had unconsciously assumed that Joo Tae-hyun could never defy him.
“…I understand, so let’s go to the hospital first.”
He was annoyed both at himself for being slightly surprised and at Joo Tae-hyun for acting so sharp just because he touched his shoulder, but now wasn’t the time to analyze such things. It was ridiculous to insist on formalities with someone who was sick.
“Not the Royal Hospital, but one I frequent—”
This time, Seo Baek-han grabbed Joo Tae-hyun’s wrist and pulled him closer, preventing him from pushing him away. Suddenly, he was hit with an unfamiliar scent.
This wasn’t perfume. It was a Shifter’s, a fellow Alpha’s, Pheromone.
Joo Tae-hyun’s scent, which I had never even been aware of, the smell of grass on a rainy day, was spreading subtly throughout the private room.
“Joo Tae-hyun. Did you take a Switch?”
“……”
“Not the one you usually take, but the Switch I gave you, right?”
What other reason could there be for his pheromones, which I couldn’t even perceive before, to suddenly become so distinct?
If he was in heat, it could be possible, but Joo Tae-hyun takes his Suppressant religiously, so his cycle couldn’t be off. More than anything, he couldn’t be out like this if he was in heat. Seo Baek-han, who had deliberately adjusted the Suppressant dosage to experience heat when he had girlfriends and partners, could be sure of it.
“There’s a portable testing kit in the car.”
“……”
“If it’s heat caused by the Switch, I don’t plan on going to the hospital either, so let’s test it first.”
Joo Tae-hyun didn’t show any particular reaction, but he didn’t stubbornly refuse like before. Seo Baek-han, still holding Joo Tae-hyun’s wrist, left the private room.
“I’m sorry, but we need to leave now, so please bring the bill.”
“Oh, did you not enjoy the meal?”
“No, it’s just that my spouse’s condition suddenly worsened. He said he felt like he was getting a cold…”
The restaurant manager must have thought Joo Tae-hyun’s condition didn’t look too good either, because she didn’t press further and quickly took the card Seo Baek-han offered.
“We’ll definitely come again next time. I know you barely managed to get us a reservation today, so I’m very sorry.”
“Oh, no, it’s alright. I hope he gets better soon. You made a dinner reservation for your wedding anniversary, right? Congratulations, though it’s late.”
Seo Baek-han gave a polite nod to the manager, who bowed respectfully, asking them to visit again next time.
Since I hadn’t eaten out with Joo Tae-hyun separately around this time, I didn’t expect people to remember our wedding anniversary. I guess there were more people than I thought who commented on our lives. Of course, Joo Tae-hyun, being a foreigner, would have been the main target rather than me…
There weren’t any seriously malicious rumors, but perhaps Joo Tae-hyun was a little stressed.
Seo Baek-han crammed Joo Tae-hyun, who was starting to lose strength, into the back seat and took out the testing kit he had brought from work. It was a portable kit that required both saliva and blood, so he had Joo Tae-hyun bite down on one strip of paper and pricked the tip of his finger with a small needle to draw blood.
Joo Tae-hyun’s body twitched greatly even at this minor act, and each time, his pheromones surged. It wasn’t a scent I particularly disliked, but I wasn’t exactly thrilled to feel pheromones coming from another Alpha.
Why do people like Joo Tae-hyun find this appealing? I could understand liking someone who turned out to be an Alpha, but liking someone because they’re an Alpha was still hard to grasp. Of course, I respect individual preferences, though.
“…Normal.”
It was a portable test, so the accuracy was somewhat lacking, but at least it didn’t show any drug-related reactions. That meant the Switch I chose wasn’t the problem.
There could be several variables, but it seemed likely that it had clashed with the Switch Joo Tae-hyun had been taking. If Joo Tae-hyun had never taken a Switch before, or if he had suddenly taken one after a long break, it would be a serious problem, but that was definitely not the case.
“Were you planning on masturbating alone today? Why did you take a Switch and come out?”
Joo Tae-hyun, as if he didn’t even have the energy to answer, kept his mouth shut like a clam, just panting.
Seo Baek-han sighed deeply and moved to the driver’s seat. What else could I do when the kid was in this state? I had to go home for now.
Joo Tae-hyun didn’t show any particular reaction throughout the drive. However, the pheromones emanating from the back seat were becoming increasingly visible, so it seemed like some action was needed. In any case, it wasn’t good for a Shifter to be spacing out while scattering pheromones.
“Hyung, go up first.”
I was going to contact Joo Tae-hyun’s doctor in Seoul, but it would take time for him to come to Pyongyang. I was going to call the medical staff who treated me in an emergency, but as soon as the car entered the parking lot, Joo Tae-hyun opened his mouth with a cracked, metallic voice.
“I’ll be up in a bit… I’ll go up on my own.”
After parking, Seo Baek-han glanced at Joo Tae-hyun through the rearview mirror. There was a limit to how much I could care for him just because he was sick. I was going to scold him sternly for being so stubborn. But…
The moment his eyes met Joo Tae-hyun’s, who was sweeping back his sweat-soaked bangs, Seo Baek-han felt a strange sensation and only moved his lips.
“…I’ll just, cough, use the guest room for a bit.”
“……”
“I won’t call anyone else… I’ll just, because you wouldn’t like my pheromones, Hyung.”
Joo Tae-hyun’s voice, adding to that, was cut off intermittently, and it wasn’t heard properly, buried in his panting breath.
“…Please.”
Only the small plea he added was clear. At the same time, Joo Tae-hyun’s pheromones intensified. It was an expansion of scent, like a rain-soaked seedling vigorously sprouting, like a small sapling firmly taking root and spreading its branches.
For the first time, Seo Baek-han was speechless in front of Joo Tae-hyun and only nodded briefly.
I was going to watch him go into the guest room, but Joo Tae-hyun hunched over and let out a faint groan, so I left first.
I didn’t want to peek at Joo Tae-hyun in that state, and I shouldn’t. I used to tease him for growing like a bean sprout, but I hadn’t really felt that he had become an adult… I had a vague feeling that after today, it would be difficult to treat Joo Tae-hyun like the twelve-year-old kid he used to be.
“Welcome.”
As I entered the house, the servants, hearing the arrival notification, split in half to greet me. Joo Tae-hyun’s people, of course, were polite to me and did what they were told, but they didn’t approach me more than necessary. The opposite was also true.
“I heard from Secretary Nam that you were planning to dine out with Young Master today.”
Chief Hwang, taking Seo Baek-han’s jacket, asked with a puzzled expression. He was a capable secretary who had worked under my mother for a long time and the head butler of the main family, one of the people Seo Baek-han had been planning to win over for a long time.
“Something came up. Chief, what did you do with the Switch Tae-hyun has been taking?”
“I believe Young Master keeps them separately in his study. He shows them to me before disposing of them, but DH’s Seoul headquarters is in charge of everything from the collection process to the disposal…”
It was as Seo Baek-han knew.
The interior of the house was sharply divided in half, like a tense border zone, and Joo Tae-hyun’s living space was off-limits to Seo Baek-han’s people. They couldn’t even handle trivial laundry like cleaning or towels as they pleased.
Until now, he hadn’t paid much attention to that point because he hadn’t been curious about Joo Tae-hyun’s living space. After all, he was receiving reports on everything he needed to know, and it was being cross-verified…
Come to think of it, what was Joo Tae-hyun’s Switch dosage cycle? Not when he was in the States, but when he was in Korea.
Seo Baek-han began to contemplate a part he had never considered before.