By Zephyria 
In-ho knew why Haon was upset. In fact, he had known even before they got into the car. He knew Haon had been conscious of the young couple sitting next to him in the audience. He had seen Haon glance at the woman’s belly just before the intermission of the performance ended.
Because of that, In-ho didn’t ask why Haon was crying while rubbing his flat stomach. Being more perceptive than anyone, In-ho grasped his inner thoughts through Haon’s gaze and subtle changes in expression alone.
“It’s hot, isn’t it?”
Once Haon’s ragged breathing subsided, In-ho, holding him in his arms, patted his damp back. Drenched in sweat, Haon nodded and rubbed his cheek against In-ho’s chest.
He seemed sufficiently calmed now. Fortunately, the tears stopped quickly.
In-ho completely stripped off Haon’s knit sweater and used it as a towel. After spreading his thighs to wipe away the semen mixed with sweat, he covered him with a cardigan instead. It was then that Haon asked an unexpected question.
“Is there something you want to say…?”
In-ho, who had been silently zipping up Haon’s pants, gave a smile with his eyes.
“Do I look like it?”
Haon hesitated for a moment before nodding. He didn’t know why he felt that way. He just felt, for some reason, that In-ho had something to tell him.
“If you do, please tell me.”
Slowly reaching out, Haon straightened In-ho’s wrinkled collar. In-ho’s lips parted, but he only gave a light bite to Haon’s flushed cheek.
“I’ll go out and buy some water.”
It seemed that wasn’t what he wanted to say, but Haon let it slide for now. He felt thirsty because he had let all his strength go.
“Let’s go together.”
“I’ll be right back. Haon, stay inside.”
In-ho moved Haon to the passenger seat. Haon chuckled softly as he watched In-ho even fasten the seatbelt to ensure he wouldn’t come out. He didn’t dislike being treated like a child.
“You can’t come out alone. Got it?”
“Yes.”
Haon gripped the seatbelt tightly to reassure him. In truth, although he had said he’d go along, he didn’t even have the strength to walk properly.
Left alone, Haon stared blankly at In-ho’s receding figure. Since there were no convenience stores in sight, it seemed it would take a little while.
While fiddling with the seatbelt against his chest, his gaze suddenly fell on the center console.
Did he take the condoms out from there? With that thought, he traced the smooth surface with his fingertips. Out of curiosity, while touching the exterior of the console box, he accidentally pressed the button—click. He wondered how many condoms were in there.
However, he flinched at how quickly the lid opened. Blinking his wide eyes, Haon shifted his position to the side. Since the interior of the car was dark, he had to lean forward to see the contents of the console box clearly.
As Haon leaned over, his eyes slowly scanned the interior. The first thing that caught his eye was the box of condoms.
“…….”
Just as Haon was about to pick up the small rectangular box, he froze with his mouth slightly open. It was because he saw numerous pill bottles.
Unlike the clean exterior of the console box, which didn’t have a single speck of dust, the inside was a cluttered mess of disorganized items.
Plastic pill bottles, condoms, crumpled tissues, and things like business cards were all haphazardly mixed together. The things that filled Haon’s vision the most were the pill bottles.
His lips trembling, Haon picked up one of the bottles. It was very light. He shook it slightly, but there was no sound. He picked up another bottle, but it was also empty. Because the labels were in English, he couldn’t tell what kind of medicine they were.
So many pills… just how long has he been taking them?
Haon had never seen In-ho take medicine. He hadn’t even seen him take nutritional supplements. To Haon, In-ho seemed like the healthiest person in the world. He never dreamed that In-ho was taking this many medications.
He knew In-ho had trouble falling asleep, but he thought it wasn’t to the point of causing major problems in his daily life. In fact, In-ho never looked tired or exhausted. In front of Haon, he was always bright and composed.
In his panicked state, images of the time he had spent with In-ho flashed quickly through Haon’s mind. No matter how much he chewed over his memories, he couldn’t recall a single moment where In-ho seemed to be struggling. He resented his own dull nature.
While he was looking at the pills scattered in the console box, the driver’s side door opened. In-ho had returned sooner than expected.
In his hand, he held two bottles of water and a bag containing green ice cream. Haon greeted In-ho with a blank expression.
“Do you want some ice cream?”
In-ho, shifting his gaze away from the open console box, shook the green bag. It was the melon-flavored ice cream that Haon had enjoyed before.
He first opened the cap of a water bottle and handed it to Haon. When Haon didn’t take it, he lightly pressed the cool bottle against Haon’s reddened eyes.
“These are just things I’ve accumulated from a long time ago,” he said lightly. He claimed they had just piled up because he hadn’t thrown them away.
“What kind of medicine is it…?”
“Headache medicine. Some digestive aids, and this one is a suppressant.”
In-ho shook a bottle that was half-full of pills. Despite the heavy rattling sound of the pills, Haon’s expression didn’t soften. Although they were common over-the-counter medicines, he was still worried.
“Do you take medicine often?”
“No, they just piled up because I don’t organize this area.”
Repeating a similar explanation, In-ho wore a gentle smile. He treated Haon with a bright face, insisting there was nothing to be serious about.
“Hurry and drink some water. Eat some ice cream, too.”
While Haon quenched his thirst, In-ho took a bite of the ice cream. Then, he grabbed Haon’s chin, turned his face, and pressed their lips together.
He passed the ice cream he hadn’t swallowed into Haon’s mouth. A cold, sweet sensation spread through Haon’s narrow mouth. As the sweetness entered, Haon’s startled heart began to settle slightly.
“There’s something I want to tell you, Haon.”
In-ho continued the conversation while continuing to feed Haon ice cream. It seemed he was finally answering Haon’s earlier question.
Haon listened intently, swallowing the cold ice cream. He was curious about what In-ho had been contemplating saying.
“This Friday—”
The moment In-ho opened his mouth, a phone vibration rang out. It was coming from Haon’s phone.
“W-wait a second.”
Flustered by the vibration in his pants pocket, Haon hurriedly pulled out his phone. In-ho told him to take his time.
“Uh… it’s an unknown number….”
It was a call from a number not saved in his contacts. Since they were in the middle of a conversation, he was about to decline the call, but In-ho suddenly snatched the phone away.
“Have you received a call from this number before?”
Haon shook his head. It was a number he had never seen.
“Ignore it if you get a call from an unknown number.”
In-ho pressed decline and blocked the number. After seemingly checking the call logs, he handed the phone back to Haon, mindful of his reaction.
“Just let me know if it happens.”
His expression was cautious as he asked if Haon could do that. Haon naturally replied that he would. It wasn’t a difficult request. Right now, he was more concerned about the story In-ho was about to tell than the phone call.
“Please continue what you were saying.”
Since he had never seen In-ho hesitate to speak, he wanted to hear it even more.
“A close older sister of mine is an OB-GYN. She’s an Omega specialist.”
In-ho leaned his arm on the steering wheel and slowly continued.
“Would you like to meet her this Friday?”
He suggested that Haon get a pheromone test along with a simple check-up.
“You usually get a health check-up once a year anyway. It won’t take long. I’ll be right there with you.”
In-ho added detailed explanations, which was unlike him. Finally, observing Haon’s expression, he added one last thing.
“If it makes you uncomfortable, you don’t have to go. Please answer honestly.”
His attitude was cautious to a point that felt almost excessive, even though he was simply suggesting a visit to the hospital for a check-up.
“I’ll go.”
Haon answered instantly without hesitation, pulling In-ho’s hand toward him and gripping it.
“I’ll get all the tests done.”
He put strength into their interlaced fingers. Haon looked In-ho straight in the eye and set one condition.
“In exchange, you must tell me if you ever feel sick, In-ho.”
He told him to let him know whenever he felt unwell or tired.
“Because… I’m your boyfriend. You shouldn’t hide it when you’re hurting.”
Having spoken carefully, Haon wore a very serious expression.
“Promise.”
With a determined gaze, he bound In-ho to the promise and squeezed their firmly joined hands.
“Of course. Don’t worry.”
And so, he secured the promise.