By Zephyria 
“Both of you are adults, so from now on, it would be good to resolve any conflicts with words.”
After scolding the perpetrators who couldn’t speak even though they had mouths, Yeom Cheon-ho looked again at the ankle that was swelling in real time.
“It seems like at least a sprain, so I think you should go to the hospital.”
“Haa…”
Lee Yeon-rok sighed. He looked like he had kicked it so hard that even he didn’t look good. He tried to get up from his seat with a groan, but Yeom Cheon-ho stopped him before he could.
“Just stay still.”
Then he immediately put his arms under his back and legs and lifted him up. Even though he had experienced it once before, Lee Yeon-rok was surprised and grabbed Yeom Cheon-ho’s collar. Moon Kyeon-woo’s gaze, who was watching the scene, wasn’t good, but he soon hid it thoroughly and suggested,
“Yeah, Yeon-rok. If you’re hurt like that, it’s best not to use your leg as much as possible.”
“No, but…”
“Mr. Gyun-woo is right. It’s swollen like this.”
Yeom Cheon-ho, ignoring Lee Yeon-rok’s request, answered indifferently and turned his body. He wiggled his body back and forth to get down, but Yeom Cheon-ho’s arms didn’t budge. Eventually, Lee Yeon-rok gave up and covered his face with his hands.
“This is really embarrassing…”
“It’ll be less embarrassing than last time, though.”
Last time? Choi Hwan frowned and muttered. Anyway, as the person who had hurt him, he couldn’t just stay still, so he tried to follow Lee Yeon-rok. When Moon Kyeon-woo followed too, Lee Yeon-rok screamed inwardly and stopped them. He didn’t want to drag three people along just because he had a sprained ankle. He was a person with social face too.
“Just stay home, you two! Please!”
As Yeom Cheon-ho left with Lee Yeon-rok to the hospital, the two of them were left alone. Park Yeo-sa, who had been watching all this commotion, clicked her tongue and cleaned up the spilled green tea and hodu gwaja. Moon Kyeon-woo, who was looking at the front door with a cold face, turned his head to Choi Hwan. Choi Hwan, who was already in a bad mood, started a fight without hesitation.
“What are you looking at?”
“Your funny appearance?”
Choi Hwan was about to get angry, but he held back. In fact, even when they were dating, Moon Kyeon-woo wasn’t a very good match for him. He interfered with everything and often had aspects that made people flinch. He was endlessly kind, but his attitude was somehow unsettling. The position dispute was just an excuse to break up.
Yeom Cheon-ho, who felt like a wall was always between them while they were dating, was one thing, but Choi Hwan just found it creepy that his attitude completely changed as soon as they broke up.
“You seemed to be testing the waters with Yeom Cheon-ho, and now you’re hitting on Lee Yeon-rok?”
“Hitting on him? Oh, well… If it looks like that, then I guess it is.”
After nonchalantly agreeing, Moon Kyeon-woo turned and pointed at Choi Hwan.
“What about you?”
“What about me!”
“You’re hitting on him too.”
Choi Hwan was speechless and suddenly got angry. It was the reaction that someone who had been hit where it hurts usually showed.
“What are you talking about? What am I, who am I hitting on? We’re just… just friends. We’re strengthening our friendship!”
“Yeah, you keep being friends. I’d be grateful if you did.”
“What? What does that mean!”
Choi Hwan questioned, but Moon Kyeon-woo blatantly sneered and left as if he had no more business. Only Choi Hwan, who was left there, got red in the face, alternating between getting angry and being anxious.
“…Aish!”
After frustratingly messing up his hair, he let out a deep sigh. Choi Hwan, with a worried face, bit his lip and took out his phone.
The third hospital visit this year alone. The orthopedic doctor who had treated his arm last time gave him a diagnosis with sympathy.
“Patient, it’s a bruise and a sprain.”
While receiving treatment gloomily, he checked his phone, which had been vibrating continuously since earlier, and saw that Choi Hwan had sent a series of texts.
[Are you okay?????]
[Tell me as soon as you get a diagnosis]
[It really wasn’t intentional]
[Should I buy you another car?]
[When are you coming home?I have to go to my schedule now, but show me your injury later. Lee Yeon-rok snorted and sent only one word, “ㅇ.”” After finishing the treatment, he kept some distance from Yeom Cheon-ho even while limping. He didn’t want to be carried again. He even got crutches as if to show off. As he came out of the doctor’s office, Kim Jeong-seong glanced at his watch repeatedly and said carefully,
“Mr. Yeom Cheon-ho, it’s difficult to postpone the schedule any further…”
“Um, I understand.”
Lee Yeon-rok, who had been using crutches skillfully because he had been in debt to them several times in the past, was surprised and asked,
“Weren’t you off work?”
“There are documents that need to be moved directly for security reasons, so I came home for a while because of that.”
Come to think of it, Kim Jeong-seong had been going back and forth to the study during the commotion earlier. Lee Yeon-rok felt grateful for his actions of taking the time out of his busy schedule to take care of him.
“You don’t have to take care of me like this if you’re busy.”
“Didn’t I tell you? You’re precious to me, Mr. Yeon-rok.”
Lee Yeon-rok, his cheeks slightly flushed, subtly examined the other person’s expression. Since the last time they kissed, Yeom Cheon-ho’s attitude hadn’t changed much. He was always kind and friendly, but that was it. Lee Yeon-rok was surprised at himself for feeling disappointed about that.
Disappointment? It was as if he was expecting some special treatment from Yeom Cheon-ho. As if, as if… he had some kind of feelings for him.
“Then please go now.”
Lee Yeon-rok urged, biting the inside of his mouth once to come to his senses. Yeom Cheon-ho, who rubbed his eyes as if tired, sighed softly for a moment.
“I don’t feel good about leaving a hurt person behind. If there’s anything else that’s uncomfortable, be sure to tell me right away.”
“Yes, I will. But…”
“Yes?”
“CEO, please take a break from work too. You really look tired.”
Since meeting Yeom Cheon-ho, he had never seen him when he wasn’t overworked. Lee Yeon-rok held his hand tightly, wanting to give him energy. The vitality returned to his face, which had been shadowed by fatigue.
“I feel energized thanks to your concern. I understand. I’ll take it easy.”
No matter how he looked at it, it didn’t seem like he would take it easy… Lee Yeon-rok watched Yeom Cheon-ho and Kim Jeong-seong leave with concern. Lee Yeon-rok was lingering at the hospital entrance with Park Chung-seong, waiting for Jeong Bo-eun to bring the car.
“It’s rude to say this, but it seems like the young master is very unlucky.”
“I think so too…”
They were having a somewhat sad conversation when Lee Yeon-rok made a sound of “Huh?” Park Chung-seong reacted sensitively.
“What’s wrong?”
“No, I think I saw a familiar face.”
It wasn’t certain, but it looked like the man who had been hit by Lee Yeon-rok’s golf ball when he went to play screen golf before. Lee Yeon-rok’s eyes sharpened.
In fact, he had been suspecting that man ever since he heard the story of Yeom Cheon-ho’s childhood. Considering that he had suspiciously disappeared right away, no matter how he thought about it, it seemed like he was one of Yeom Cheon-ryul’s people. If that was the case, he couldn’t just overlook it. Lee Yeon-rok had a very bad personal feeling about Yeom Cheon-ryul. He was a clear enemy because he had harmed not only Yeom Cheon-ho but also Moon Kyeon-woo.
“A familiar face, you say?”
“Just a moment…”
Lee Yeon-rok tried not to lose sight of the other person with his eyes and moved quickly, holding Park Chung-seong. The man was walking while talking to some doctor. Lee Yeon-rok, who was close to the corner, looked around. He tried to listen to the conversation, but it was too far away. In the meantime, the other person finished the conversation and disappeared somewhere.
“Ah…!”
Was that man really the one? He thought he remembered people’s faces well, but Lee Yeon-rok chased after the doctor who was left alone, unsure because it was too far away. Only Park Chung-seong was puzzled and asked Lee Yeon-rok.
“Young master, who are you looking for?”
“That’s…”
Yeon-rok pondered. He wasn’t even sure, and he wondered if he was just creating unnecessary work for Yeom Cheon-ho, who was already severely overworked. Just as he was about to give up and turn around, Yeon-rok strode forward. It just so happened that there was a vending machine in the direction the doctor was heading. Yeon-rok quickly walked ahead, pretending to choose a drink while checking the doctor’s face and name tag.
Internal Medicine Kim Seo-won
Still, just in case, Yeon-rok firmly memorized the doctor’s face and name before saying to Park Chung-seong,
“No, it’s nothing. I guess I was mistaken. I’ll wait for Boeun Hyung. Let’s go quickly.”