By Zephyria 
“What? Then you brought this for Yi-kyung?”
Only then did Jin Seon-yu’s gaze reach the secretary standing behind Kwon Gwi-jun. Suddenly singled out, the secretary flustered and fumbled.
“These, you see, are for a different recipient.”
The fruit basket and box the secretary was holding had an owner. Kwon Gwi-jun turned his head and stared intently at Jin Seon-yu.
“You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”
“Doing what?”
Jin Seon-yu rolled his eyes.
“Being clueless.”
“Hey!”
Jin Seon-yu’s eyes, which had softened for a moment, sharpened. He glared and grabbed Seo Yi-kyung’s arm.
“Don’t deal with him, Yi-kyung. That bastard has always hated me—never mind. I shouldn’t even bother talking.”
Seo Yi-kyung took a step forward, then glanced back. The secretary, who had approached Kwon Gwi-jun, whispered something. Shall I give this and go buy more? However, Kwon Gwi-jun’s eyes remained fixed on Jin Seon-yu’s back. Eventually, he gave a slight nod toward Seo Yi-kyung and turned away.
Seo Yi-kyung looked at Jin Seon-yu’s bickering face. Clearly, in the original story, Kwon Gwi-jun had feelings for Jin Seon-yu. It seemed this, too, had become a tangled mess because he had intervened.
Seo Yi-kyung raised his hand to touch his forehead. He felt a sudden surge of heat. Should he not have stepped in? If he hadn’t, he would have married Ham Gyu-ho. But if he had, he might have felt guilt. It wasn’t as if he didn’t know; knowing how miserable Jin Seon-yu would be if he married Ham Gyu-ho, how could he have just stood by?
However, Seo Yi-kyung’s stray thoughts about the two men ended quickly.
“Are the results out?”
Entering the hospital room, Jin Seon-yu approached the desk. The doctor, who had been talking with a nurse, pushed forward the envelopes he had placed next to the monitor. Passing the nurse, Seo Yi-kyung took the envelope the doctor handed him.
With a rustle, Jin Seon-yu opened his envelope without hesitation to check the results. In contrast, Seo Yi-kyung looked down at his envelope.
“Normal, normal. Ah, if only I were a bit taller, it would be perfect.”
Ignoring Jin Seon-yu’s chatter beside him, Seo Yi-kyung slowly opened the envelope and looked inside. Unlike Jin Seon-yu’s test results, which spanned several pages, Seo Yi-kyung’s was just a single sheet. He slowly pulled the paper out.
Jin Seon-yu held his results out to the doctor.
“What does this mean?”
He listened to the doctor’s explanation.
Meanwhile, Seo Yi-kyung stared at the test results and unconsciously held his breath. He confirmed his name and quickly shifted his eyes downward. Blood test results.
Seo Yi-kyung lifted the paper as if doubting his eyes.
“……Is that so? I even endured my cravings and stayed fasting for the check-up.”
Jin Seon-yu, who had been listening to the doctor, turned his head. Seo Yi-kyung’s small face was hidden behind the paper. Thus, he couldn’t tell what expression he was making. Jin Seon-yu took a step and called out to him.
“Yi-kyung.”
Seo Yi-kyung didn’t move. Jin Seon-yu reached out and grabbed Seo Yi-kyung’s wrist. Seo Yi-kyung’s white forehead was revealed above the paper. Soon, as his face fully came into view, Seo Yi-kyung looked pale.
“What’s wrong? If you don’t understand, you should ask too.”
Jin Seon-yu grabbed the paper that was fluttering weakly from Seo Yi-kyung’s fingertips. His gaze lingered on one spot.
* * *
“Yi-kyung, get home safely.”
Leaving Seju Hospital, Seo Yi-kyung looked exhausted. At least, that was how it appeared to Butler Do. Jin Seon-yu slowly released Seo Yi-kyung’s arm. As Seo Yi-kyung climbed into the backseat, Jin Seon-yu helped him lean back comfortably.
“It must have been hard; go home and get some deep sleep. Don’t worry too much.”
Watching this, Butler Do still had traces of treatment on his cheek.
“Please drive slowly.”
Jin Seon-yu turned his head from Seo Yi-kyung toward the driver. After giving the instruction, he straightened his posture.
As Jin Seon-yu closed the backseat door, Butler Do bowed and headed to the other side. As he got into the car, he closely examined Seo Yi-kyung’s face. Butler Do had thought he was visiting Jin Seon-yu. But it was to the point where he was confused about who the sick person was. Compared to when he saw him leaving the house in the morning, he had become so pale that the color had vanished from his lips.
“Are you alright, Young Master?”
“Yes, I’m fine,” Seo Yi-kyung replied with his eyes closed.
Because of that, it was difficult for Butler Do to ask further.
* * *
The Ivory Pavilion had a traditional Korean house exterior with red lanterns hanging. The car stopped in front of it, and Jin Seon-yu stepped out. He looked utterly gloomy. He had even made a reservation to eat with Seo Yi-kyung.
Was he more disappointed because the boy wasn’t there? Still, it was understandable. Though he offered words of comfort, Seo Yi-kyung hadn’t said anything. Therefore, Jin Seon-yu couldn’t even bring himself to suggest eating together.
“Let’s go eat together.”
Jin Seon-yu called out to the driver in the car. Eating alone would only make things more miserable. He had reserved two seats anyway.
“You’ve arrived.”
The manager, who had been attending to guests inside, spotted Jin Seon-yu and approached him in one stride. He pointed toward the sky with his palm. There sat an octagonal pavilion where red cloths fluttered like waves.
“Please come up. He has already arrived and is waiting for you.”
“……?”
Jin Seon-yu looked at the manager with bewildered eyes.
“Yi-kyung is?”
No, that couldn’t be. He had clearly put Seo Yi-kyung in the car and watched the car drive away.
The manager, walking ahead up the stairs, looked back. As he turned fully, Kwon Gwi-jun, who was seated inside the octagonal pavilion, locked eyes with Jin Seon-yu.
“You……”
Kwon Gwi-jun’s secretary was standing beside him. Upon spotting Jin Seon-yu, he quickly stepped forward. The manager spoke as he descended the stairs.
“I will have the food prepared and brought up shortly.”
The secretary followed closely behind him.
“Director Kwon, I will wait in the car.”
After finishing the visit to a business client, Kwon Gwi-jun had watched Jin Seon-yu emerge from the car. When Jin Seon-yu put Seo Yi-kyung in the sedan and slumped his shoulders weakly, Kwon Gwi-jun changed his destination from the office he was supposed to return to, to the Ivory Pavilion, which he had heard about in the hospital corridor. Unaware of this, the secretary bowed to Jin Seon-yu and brushed past him.
“……Hah.”
Jin Seon-yu let out a short sigh. Then, he gestured to the driver looking up at him from below.
Step, step. Passing the spot where Kwon Gwi-jun sat, Jin Seon-yu took a seat a short distance away. The driver bowed to Kwon Gwi-jun and then sat opposite Jin Seon-yu.
The driver was restless, unsure of where to look. Soon, as if snapping back to his senses, he tended to the teacup in front of him, filled it with tea, and placed it before Jin Seon-yu. A teacup was already in place before Kwon Gwi-jun.
“Please, make yourself comfortable.”
Jin Seon-yu acted as if Kwon Gwi-jun weren’t there. In truth, he didn’t even have the energy to bicker. He had fasted since the day before for the check-up. He was so hungry it felt as if his stomach was sticking to his back.
A heavy silence filled the pavilion, which could easily seat twenty people.
Tap, tap. The sound of footsteps drew near, and a look of bewilderment crossed the manager’s face as he peeked into the pavilion. Since two seats were reserved, he thought only Kwon Gwi-jun and Jin Seon-yu would be there. But there were now three people sitting in the pavilion.
“Give it to me. I made the reservation first.”
The manager’s steps moved toward Jin Seon-yu. Since it wasn’t a lie, he placed the plate of steak in front of the driver sitting opposite Jin Seon-yu.
Jin Seon-yu gripped his fork and knife. The manager apologized to Kwon Gwi-jun and stated that he would prepare the food again immediately.
The driver swallowed the meat without even chewing.
“Eat slowly.”
Despite Jin Seon-yu’s words, the driver was preoccupied with eating. He shoved the food into his mouth and stood up. At the same time, the manager placed the food in front of Kwon Gwi-jun.
“I am truly sorry for the delay. Please, enjoy your meal.”
With that, the manager descended, taking the empty plate with him. Now, only the two men sitting diagonally from each other remained in the octagonal pavilion.
Jin Seon-yu cut the meat and put it in his mouth. It was a dish he always enjoyed. It would have been nice if Yi-kyung had come. He felt a pang of regret that the only person he was with was Kwon Gwi-jun. Still, it tasted good. Since he hadn’t eaten since yesterday, his mouth moved diligently despite his grumpy face.
Just then, Kwon Gwi-jun stood up. Jin Seon-yu’s gaze shifted unconsciously as he cut his meat. A long silhouette was approaching. Kwon Gwi-jun set his plate down with a thud and sat directly opposite him. Jin Seon-yu’s hand, which had been moving the knife, stopped abruptly.
“Why are you sitting here? There are so many other seats.”
Kwon Gwi-jun met his eyes, leaving his plate aside.
“I don’t know. I just feel like sitting here.”
Jin Seon-yu gripped the knife tightly.
“Don’t pick a fight. And you, the man who’s always ‘busy,’ sure takes his lunch breaks diligently. You’re more free than you look.”
“Just like someone I know. By the way, lunch hour passed a long time ago.”
“That’s because I was getting a check-up. Whatever—just eat.”
Bickering only made him hungrier. Jin Seon-yu decided to ignore Kwon Gwi-jun entirely. What did it matter where he sat?
Though he was Ham Gyu-ho’s friend, the two had completely different personalities. Every time he approached Ham Gyu-ho, he couldn’t forget Kwon Gwi-jun’s sharp gaze.
That terrifying look was surely because he hated him. Just like now.
“I don’t know why you’d want to sit in front of someone you hate to eat.”
“…….”
Kwon Gwi-jun, who hadn’t lost a single word until a moment ago, didn’t respond. Therefore, the best course of action was to stop engaging. Let’s just eat and go back.
However, Kwon Gwi-jun’s next words snatched Jin Seon-yu’s attention once more.
“I don’t hate you.”
* * *
Inside the moving car, Seo Yi-kyung lifted his heavy eyelids. The car had stopped at a red light.
It was a result based on blood tests. So, there was no way it could be wrong.
Seo Yi-kyung quietly steadied his breathing. The voices echoing in his ears made him dizzy.
—Is this certain?
At Jin Seon-yu’s question, Seo Yi-kyung had looked at the doctor with a nervous heart. However, the answer that came back, just as the test results stated, was pregnancy.
—The gestational sac isn’t visible yet. You should be able to confirm it next week, so please come back then with a guardian.
Jin Seon-yu, who was beside Seo Yi-kyung as he lay on the bed exposing his stomach, wore a serious expression. He was the one wearing the patient’s gown, but as the doctor continued to speak, it was the face of Seo Yi-kyung lying on the bed that looked more like a patient’s.
Seo Yi-kyung didn’t remember how he had left the consultation room after that. The doctor’s words simply looped in his ears. That he should come back with a guardian.
Even if he told Han Seung-jae, there was no way he would come, nor would he be pleased. And……
Suddenly, the Myung-jun Financial Group building came into Seo Yi-kyung’s view. The towering building stood out even from a distance. As the car began to move, Seo Yi-kyung leaned forward and spoke with dry lips.
“Please stop the car.”
“What is it? Are you feeling unwell?”
Butler Do asked hurriedly. Seo Yi-kyung’s complexion was already poor. Since leaving the hospital, even his breathing had been uneven. Seo Yi-kyung pointed out the car window with his fingertip.
“Right there.”
Butler Do’s gaze landed on the Myung-jun Financial Group.