By Zephyria 
Saturday morning. In-ho stepped onto the treadmill as soon as he opened his eyes. While he usually enjoyed morning workouts, it was rare for him to start running the moment he woke up like this.
He showered with cold water after soaking his entire body in sweat. He loved running until he felt as if his lungs might burst, then showering in water so cold it made his skin sting.
Zzzzz—.
Just as In-ho finished his shower and stepped out, his phone rang with perfect timing. In-ho picked up the phone from the bed, checked the number, and answered.
You called last night. I couldn’t pick up because I was in surgery.
The contact saved as ‘Hyo-jung Noona’ was someone In-ho had known since childhood. Hyo-jung was an OB-GYN specialist working at the largest hospital in Seoul—the one where her father served as the hospital director.
“Noona.”
Though there was no way the sound would leak downstairs, In-ho closed the bedroom door just in case and flopped down into the chair by the window. As he hesitated, resting his legs one by one on the stool, Hyo-jung—whose clicking heels could be heard over the phone—urged him to speak quickly. It seemed she had already headed out for the weekend.
“Is it possible to be unable to eat after a heat cycle? Not just for one day, but for several.”
What?
Startled by the sudden question, Hyo-jung asked him to repeat himself. In-ho repeated his words exactly, without changing a single syllable.
Why? Did they say they can’t eat even if you tell them to?
“Is that a common occurrence?”
Maybe they just don’t want to eat with you.
It was a plausible point, but In-ho shook his head, having personally witnessed the vomiting.
“That’s not it.”
I’m joking. Where in the world would you find an Omega who doesn’t want to eat with you?
“It’s not a common symptom, right?”
In-ho ignored Hyo-jung’s teasing and sought only the answer to his question. Clicking her tongue, Hyo-jung answered immediately, as if used to his manner.
If they have a weak constitution or a naturally low appetite, it can happen for a day, but if it lasts for three or four days, tell them to get a check-up.
She explained that Omegas exhibit a wide variety of symptoms depending on their constitution, so a detailed examination was necessary.
“Would they vomit even if they ate something like porridge?”
To the point of vomiting?
“They ate it and then threw it up.”
The sound of a car engine starting could be heard over the phone. At the same time, Hyo-jung’s voice grew slightly smaller, as if she had switched to speakerphone.
Who is it? Someone I know?
“Porridge should be fine, right?”
Bring them to the hospital. I’ll take a look. Since they’re vomiting even porridge, don’t try to force-feed them.
“Yeah, I’ll bring them in.”
Hyo-jung, who had brought up the subject, was actually the one taken aback by In-ho’s hesitation-free response.
You’re really bringing them? Who is this person that you’re bringing them to the hospital? Are you seeing them seriously? Are you dating?
Her voice grew louder with curiosity as she poured out questions. In-ho ended the call without a goodbye, stating only that he would contact her before coming. Hyo-jung, seemingly accustomed to this, didn’t call back or send an angry text. Instead, she sent a helpful message.
[A thin rice gruel (mieum) should be fine. Tell them to completely cut out alcohol, smoking, and coffee while they can’t eat.]
[Medicine won’t work either.]
“Stating the obvious.”
After reading the texts from Hyo-jung, In-ho didn’t even send a thank-you reply. Instead, he checked his message window to see if Haon had contacted him, but there were no new messages.
Last night, he had kept his phone by his pillow waiting for Haon, but the only contacts he received were from useless people. Because he couldn’t leave it on silent as usual, the loud vibrations made his night’s sleep even more restless.
Still, seeing as there was no contact, he must not be in pain.
Staring at the clear autumn sky with a dry expression, he leaned languidly back in the chair and spent some time. Because he had woken up early, he had already finished exercising and showering, yet it wasn’t even 9 o’clock.
Since it was the weekend, In-ho figured Haon would sleep in, so he decided to kill more time before heading down. Haon had mentioned working at a pub on weekends, so his start time shouldn’t be early.
Shouldn’t he eat something before going to work? At that sudden thought, In-ho frowned and picked up his phone again. His expression was incredibly serious as he searched the internet for ‘how to make mieum.’
“This is easy.”
After skimming through a few recipes, he stood up from the chair. He figured it would be better to make it well in advance. He had nothing else to do anyway.
After switching his phone back to silent mode, he leisurely walked down the stairs. Descending step by step as if counting them, In-ho repeated the thoughts he had been chewing on since last night. The center of those thoughts was, of course, Haon.
How could he get Haon to stay in this house? In-ho had agonized over that until he fell asleep.
“Good morning.”
In-ho, who had been walking while looking at the floor lost in thought, raised his head upon hearing a welcome voice. The corners of his mouth reacted before his eyes even met Haon’s.
“Haon-ssi.”
Haon had also just stepped out of his room. The timing was perfect.
“How is your stomach feeling?”
“It’s okay. I’m fine now.”
Unlike In-ho, who had already showered, Haon looked as if he had just woken up. A face slightly more swollen than yesterday and messy, sticking-out hair signaled that he hadn’t been out of bed for long. While worrying about Haon, In-ho thought to himself that he wanted to see this side of him more often.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Yes, I slept through without waking up once.”
He really looked like it. I’m glad he slept well. After observing Haon’s improved complexion, In-ho was about to ask when his work shift started. But Haon spoke first.
“By any chance, do you drink soy milk?”
In-ho tilted his head at the sudden word and blinked lightly. He wondered if he was still half-asleep, but he answered anyway.
“I drink it occasionally.”
In truth, he didn’t remember ever drinking it, but he said he did. He figured if Haon said he wanted soy milk, he could go out and buy some.
“Then, just a moment.”
However, after finishing his sentence, Haon hurried back into his room. Having been told to wait, In-ho stood in the same spot without moving an inch. Not long after, he was presented with a large box of soy milk.
“I didn’t have anything appropriate to give you.”
Rubbing the back of his neck, Haon’s gaze wandered between the soy milk box and the floor. He acted shy after giving the gift.
Looking at Haon, In-ho took the soy milk box with both hands. He could have easily carried it with one, but he intentionally hugged it close to his chest as if he had received a precious gift.
“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”
It was the most unusual and cheapest gift he had ever received in his life. Nevertheless, In-ho’s expression while holding the soy milk box looked far happier than when he had received a car or a house.
* * *
For lunch, Haon ate a bowl of the mieum the man had made himself and then prepared for work.
He hesitated slightly when the man offered to drive him again, but he didn’t decline. Since the man said he was the type who liked helping others, Haon decided to accept his kindness in moderation. He also wanted to sit in the passenger seat of that car again.
He had intended to leave early before work to look for a house to move into, but because he had taken a nap, he no longer had time to stop by the real estate office. After filling his stomach with warm mieum, he had sat on the bed for a moment and accidentally fallen asleep. It was a very dangerous bed.
“What time do you finish?”
The man asked as he smoothly turned the steering wheel. Haon, who had been looking out the window at the sunny weather, told him it would be very late.
“How late?”
“If there are no customers, I finish at one in the morning, and if it’s busy, it can go until two-thirty.”
On average, he finished work at two in the morning. Since it was mostly a dinner and night business, there were always many customers during Haon’s shift.
“You work that late?”
The man narrowed his eyes as he listened intently to Haon’s slow voice.
“Isn’t that working too long? Do you have any breaks in between?”
“If there are no customers or it’s quiet, I’m mostly just sitting.”
“Then what about dinner?”
When the light turned red, the man looked back at Haon, his expression turning serious again. He truly seemed to value meals. Just like Seong-gu hyung.
“The boss makes it for us. All the employees eat together.”
During the quietest time, they would all gather around a corner table and eat dinner. There were six mouths to feed, but the boss, knowing Haon ate very little, always prepared only five portions.
“I guess you can’t eat it today.”
The man looked sullen, as if his own meal had been stolen. Even though the person who actually couldn’t eat it didn’t mind at all.
“If it gets too hard, come out in the middle. If you contact me, I’ll come immediately.”
Though it was unlikely to happen, Haon simply said he understood. The words ‘I’ll come immediately if you contact me’ sounded nice. It felt strange that someone would say such a thing to him.
“That’s it. One glass of beer.”
The man stopped the car, pointing to a shop sign with a beer glass on it. Since it was still daytime, the area around the commercial buildings where the bars were clustered was quiet.
“Thank you for the ride.”
As Haon unbuckled his seatbelt and bowed his head, something cold lightly touched his forehead. What the man held out was soy milk. The black bean soy milk Haon had gifted him.
“Since you can’t eat dinner, drink this to keep your strength up.”
The man had brought a few soy milks, saying he would keep them in the car to drink. He had handed one of them to Haon. He shook the soy milk carton, urging him to take it quickly.
“I’ll come pick you up around the time you finish.”
“No, you don’t have to do that.”
Receiving the soy milk with both hands, Haon refused firmly this time.
“Don’t worry about me and please go to sleep first.”
“I like driving, and I stay up very late.”
“No, but still….”
As Haon’s voice grew small instantly, the man waved his hand leisurely, telling him to work without overdoing it. In the end, without being able to properly refuse, Haon stepped out of the car. As the situation of relying on him continued, he naturally began to follow the man’s lead.
The man lowered the window and gave Haon one last wave before driving away. Haon stood there blankly until the man’s car disappeared from sight.
“…….”
Looking at the empty street, Haon’s expression was somewhat bittersweet.
“I need to… find a place quickly.”
As much as he was grateful and sorry to the man who tried to accommodate everything for him, he vowed to find a house as soon as possible. He felt he had to leave quickly before he became accustomed to the excessive kindness being bestowed upon him.
If he didn’t steel his heart now, he was certain he would want to lean on the man even more. Haon knew his own fragile heart all too well.
Even on the way here in the car, the thought had crossed his mind: Should I rely on him for just one more week? Shamelessly.