By Zephyria At the sound of the door opening with a click, Yu-jin reflexively turned around. The doctor, who quietly closed the door and raised his head, flinched in surprise when he met Yu-jin’s eyes.
“Um, what’s Winston’s condition?”
Yu-jin asked immediately, not giving him a chance to escape. He had been waiting outside so as not to disturb the doctor while he was examining him, but he had no patience left. The doctor was flustered at Yu-jin’s hasty question, then avoided his gaze and answered.
“It’s best to hear that directly from Mr. Campbell… because it’s private.”
The last words were somehow irritating. Yu-jin frowned and asked in a slow tone.
“Are you saying I don’t have the right to know?”
“Ah, no, that’s not what I meant.”
The doctor, who had hurriedly denied it, sighed and then opened his mouth.
“This is a chronic disease anyway, so he’ll never get better than he is now. His current condition is much better than expected… At first, everyone said that it was a miracle that he was even alive, and that he wouldn’t change much in the future. So, the fact that he got out of bed and can do everyday things is amazing.”
“So, all you have to do is control the pain, right? Isn’t that right?”
“That’s not easy.”
The doctor confessed with a serious face.
“He can’t have any more surgeries. His physical strength is a problem, but his body is already a mess… If he has surgery again, the worst situation will really happen. It’s best to just endure as much as possible in his current condition and maintain it so that it doesn’t get worse.”
“For the rest of his life?”
Yu-jin barely suppressed his voice, which was rising without him realizing it.
“He has to suffer from pain every time the weather is bad for the rest of his life? Until he dies?”
“It won’t be every time the weather is bad.”
“Then…….”
Yu-jin had some hope at the doctor’s words, but he still added with a dark face.
“He often gets sick even when the weather is good…….”
Yu-jin had nothing to say and closed his mouth. Was he making a joke in this situation? He was dumbfounded, but there was no sign of a joke on the doctor’s face. He thought that he was trying to correct him in his own way, so this time he felt empty. The doctor added positive words as if trying to encourage him.
“He’s gotten this much better thanks to his constitution. If he were a normal person, he wouldn’t have been able to endure it and would have died a long time ago.”
Then, could that constitution make him even better than he is now? Yu-jin had hope again, but the doctor didn’t tell him that far. Instead, he gave realistic advice.
“We’re testing various drugs, so if there’s one that works well, we can try to focus our efforts on that… Don’t worry too much.”
He should have felt a little relieved at those words, but he didn’t. Rather, Yu-jin was bothered by the word ‘testing’.
“What do you mean by testing drugs? Clinical trials?”
It was a stage that all the drugs in the world went through. It was nothing particularly strange, but it bothered him for some reason. At Yu-jin’s question, the doctor nodded.
“It can’t be helped, this is a special case, so it’s unavoidable, but in other words, it’s like testing it directly, so it’s better to find a more suitable drug.”
With those words, Yu-jin could no longer deny his speculation.
“Testing it directly? Without any data?”
The doctor closed his mouth in a flash. He realized that he had misunderstood Yu-jin’s words and had accidentally revealed a secret, but it was already too late. He lowered his head and reluctantly opened his mouth.“Originally, extreme alphas often have these kinds of conditions due to their traits. Most don’t need medication, so there’s no reason to develop any… Even if you tried to develop a drug tailored to a specific case, who would agree to clinical trials? Because of that, extreme alphas have no choice but to become the subjects of their own experiments. So, a drug that worked for one person might not work for another, and that happens often. Even if they have the same traits, their constitutions will be different….”
It was ironic in a way that arrogant people who held the world in their hands had to use their own bodies as lab rats. They had risen to the top because their traits made them different from ordinary people, but that very differentiation sometimes forced them to risk their lives.
The doctor, noticing Yu-jin’s silence, cautiously spoke up.
“For now, he’s stable. He’s regained consciousness, so you don’t need to worry. Then…”
He hurried away as if fleeing. Yu-jin watched him go, then turned his gaze to the direction the doctor had come from. Beyond the closed door, all was quiet. Yu-jin stood there for a while before slowly moving his feet. Even after hearing that Winston had regained consciousness, he couldn’t bring himself to knock and gently opened the door.
The thick door of the old mansion retreated with a heavy sound. Yu-jin tensed, hunching his shoulders as he stepped inside.
A faint, sweet scent permeated the room. It was Winston’s pheromone. He took a step at a time, approaching the bed, and stopped slowly when he reached his destination.
Winston was still lying down with his eyes closed. He might have fallen asleep again. Yu-jin silently gazed at his unusually pale face.
How long has it been since I looked at his face like this?
He couldn’t quite remember. All he could recall were memories of fighting whenever their eyes met. There was a time when he constantly craved to kiss that face, but now…
It was then that he felt a faint ache in a corner of his heart. Winston’s eyebrows twitched, and he slowly lifted his eyelids. Yu-jin instinctively held his breath, waiting for his reaction. He blinked a couple of times, turned his gaze to Yu-jin, and then stopped. Yu-jin silently watched as the dazed purple eyes gradually focused. And for a while, they just stared at each other without a word.
“…How’s your body?”
Yu-jin was the first to speak. Startled by the cracked sound of his voice, he quickly cleared his throat and closed his mouth. Winston, who had been silent until then, finally spoke.
“Good, I’m okay.”
He said something similar to what he had said before, but it was clear that he had regained consciousness. Yu-jin wondered if he had overheard what he had said earlier, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask. Instead, Yu-jin said something else.
“I heard from the doctor. He said it’ll be hard for you to get any better than this…”
“They say it’s a miracle as it is.”
Winston chuckled briefly, then added self-deprecatingly.
“You can laugh, it’s my punishment for abandoning you.”
“I don’t think that…”
Yu-jin denied, flustered, but Winston said nonchalantly.
“It’s okay, I think so too.”
Yu-jin had nothing more to say and closed his mouth. An awkward silence fell again. Unable to bear the silence, Yu-jin quickly thought of a topic and spoke.
“Still, isn’t there a chance something might come up? Medicine keeps getting better…”
“Yu-jin.”
“Yeah.”
As soon as he answered, Winston gave a wry smile and said.
“You don’t have to comfort me.”
Yu-jin was speechless again. But this time, before he could try to find a topic, Winston spoke first.
“I’m fine now, so go see Angie. It was her first day at kindergarten today, so she’ll have a lot to say.”
“Should I bring her to this room? So you can listen too.”
“Thanks for the offer, but I’ll pass.”
Winston gently declined the rare offer. Without looking at the bewildered Yu-jin, he closed his eyes and said.
“You should leave too. If you keep staying here, I’ll keep expecting things.”
Expecting what? Yu-jin wasn’t so clueless that he had to ask. Even though he knew he should leave, Yu-jin asked one more time.
“Okay, I’ll leave… Is there anything you need?”
“No.”
This time, Winston answered firmly.
“I want to rest now.”
In the end, Yu-jin mumbled a farewell and fled from the room. The last thing he saw of Winston through the closing door was him lying still in bed, not moving an inch.
As if he were dead.
* * *
What does it matter? We’re going to end up apart anyway.
That night, Yu-jin lay alone in bed, lost in thought. Winston would be asleep in another room. But Yu-jin couldn’t fall asleep easily.
Wait, what happens if I don’t follow the will?
Winston doesn’t know that he’s actually pregnant. What will happen if I keep my mouth shut and let time pass, and then fill the year? Fortunately, Omegas don’t show when they’re pregnant, so I can hide it until the birth, and the will’s effect will end before then, so there’s nothing to worry about, but what will Winston actually do?
Will he really lose everything?
No, there’s no way. Yu-jin shook his head. But he couldn’t stop the thoughts that kept coming. The contents of the will are clear. He married me in the first place because there was no other way. He said he definitely needed a child…
If that’s really the case, then Winston…
The answer was already there. He would lose everything. It was practically a known outcome, but he still didn’t believe it. Until now.
But for some reason, it felt like a very real reality. Maybe, no, definitely that’s what will happen. The Campbell family will be over.
The moment he thought that far, Yu-jin jumped up and sat up in bed. He’ll lose Delights, he’ll lose everything.
Really?
His heart pounded and his palms were clammy. He stared into the darkness and barely managed to think.
What on earth is Winston thinking?