With trembling hands, he dug through his fallen bag to take out his phone and pressed 1.

Rrrrr.

Rrrrr.

Fortunately, Myung-hwon answered the phone shortly after.

-Hello?

“Myung-hwon.”

-Your voice doesn’t sound good?

How does he know he’s sick just from his voice? All strength left his body. Should he leave something like last words? He thought he had more time.

“…I’m not feeling well… Can you take me to the hospital?”

-What hurts?

“Just… my body?”

-I’m already at the hospital. Take a taxi here. I’ll wait.

“Are you sick?”

-No. Not me.

-Lee Ho-yun’s guardian!

He heard Myung-hwon responding to the nurse’s call. Was it fortunate that he didn’t hear it directly from Myung-hwon’s mouth? Or was it unfortunate to learn who Myung-hwon had taken to the hospital?

Instead of hanging up immediately, Myung-hwon asked again in a lowered voice.

-Are you in a lot of pain?

“No… I was just being clingy.”

-Tell me properly.

Would he come if he said he was in a lot of pain? He didn’t want that. It was pathetic. He didn’t want to see him coming not because he loved him more, but because he was in more pain. Though he knew it was worthless pride, that’s just how he felt.

“I’m fine. I’ll hang up.”

His mouth tasted metallic and sour from the blood he’d vomited. He hung up and lay down on the floor.

I’m sick too, I’m in more pain. Myung-hwon. I’m so angry at you but I still want to see you. I learned for the first time that even being jealous takes energy.

He needed to call for help. When the thought finally occurred to him, he couldn’t move a finger.

Ju-eon couldn’t hold onto his fading consciousness. The regular beeping of machines gradually brought his consciousness back from the depths.

‘…It’s the hospital.’

He frowned at the familiar white ceiling. He could tell where he was right away now. Though he knew the place instantly, why he was here didn’t come to mind easily.

Why was I here again?

“Ah.”

Ju-eon’s eyes flew open as the last memory rushed in.

“Ugh.”

He tried to get up quickly but his whole body ached as if he’d been beaten, forcing him to lie back down after only managing to half-rise. His eyes felt dry, so he blinked rapidly while organizing his thoughts.

The last person he’d talked to was Myung-hwon. Attack Team 1’s office was empty as everyone had gone home. Though he’d said it would be difficult to come, he’d asked with a worried voice, suggesting he would come if told things were bad. Had Myung-hwon at the hospital come back to me?

Glancing outside, it was late at night. Fortunately, it seemed not much time had passed. He sighed in relief, thinking he could somehow brush it off to Myung-hwon as nothing serious.

‘What should I say?’

If Myung-hwon had found him, he would have been very shocked – what explanation should he give? Though various thoughts came to mind, none included telling Myung-hwon the truth.

It was when he put his arm over his forehead and closed his eyes.

Click. At the sound of the door opening, he half-raised himself. He hadn’t decided what excuse to give yet.

“Myung-hwon… oh?”

He hastily ran his fingers through his messy hair.

“You’re awake?”

“…Yun-jae.”

The hand smoothing his hair stopped.

“Disappointed it’s me?”

“No. That’s not it, I just didn’t expect you.”

Ju-eon hurriedly shook his head, but Yun-jae said “It’s fine” while pressing the nurse call button and sitting in the chair beside the bed.

“…What about the office? I think I made a huge mess.”

“You’re worried about that at a time like this?”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t you worry about your own body?”

“I’m better than I look.”

Ju-eon said while struggling to raise his arm.

“Sigh. The office has been cleaned already.”

“Sorry for keeping you here so late.”

“You know continuing to work like this is more of a burden, right?”

Though his words were harsh, without speaking this strongly, Ju-eon would clearly keep working until he couldn’t live normally anymore. At Yun-jae’s pointed words, Ju-eon avoided his gaze and mumbled in a small voice.

“…I know. But I’m really still okay.”

He knew he was being stubborn. Though they said he still had time, if he kept collapsing like this, it would greatly affect his daily life. If he fainted in a dungeon, he could cause his team not just inconvenience but life-threatening harm.

‘But there are still so many things I haven’t sorted out…’

Ju-eon clutched the rustling hospital blanket. Yun-jae sighed as if he roughly understood what Ju-eon was thinking.

“You were unconscious for two days.”

“…What?”

“Not hours.”

Ju-eon’s awkward smile froze instantly at the implication that someone who was “still okay” wouldn’t be unconscious for days.

“Ju-eon.”

Yun-jae placed his hand over Ju-eon’s clenched fist.

“Where’s my phone?”

Ju-eon looked around, obviously flustered. Yun-jae watched him for a moment before taking out a phone from his pocket and handing it over.

“Here.”

Ju-eon quickly took back the phone and checked the date. The end of the month had passed. Ju-eon saw the hospital name written on his patient gown and stood up right away. Thinking he should call first, he went to the call history but there were no missed calls. He tried to look more closely but the phone battery died and the screen went black instantly.

“Did you answer any calls on my phone?”

“I paid the hospital bills.”

He was too shocked to even try hiding his dismay. It was something he hadn’t wanted to tell anyone yet.

“Thanks. I’ll transfer the money right away.”

“Since when did you pay Yeo Myung-hwon’s mother’s hospital bills? He makes more money than you. Yeo Myung-hwon.”

A pause.

“…Myung-hwon doesn’t know.”

Instead of explaining, he forced out an answer trying to naturally move past it, but Yun-jae already knew.

“What does Yeo Myung-hwon know?”

“…I didn’t tell him.”

Everything felt distant. He knew Yun-jae wasn’t saying this to mock him.

“Are you two really dating properly? I didn’t know you could hide so much while being together 24 hours a day.”

“……”

“Now isn’t the time for you to be worrying about others.”

Click.

“Patient Woo Ju-eon?”

Fortunately, before he had to answer, a nurse opened the door in response to the call button.

“We’ll increase your prescription but you need to be careful. The progression is faster than expected. It would be better to bring a guardian and be admitted.”

The doctor pushed up his glasses and strongly advised. When Ju-eon replied that he would think about it, the doctor seemed to understand his euphemistic expression and touched his forehead.

“If you won’t be admitted, at least come in once a week.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

After the doctor left following the examination, he changed his clothes. Though they said further hospitalization would be better, he needed to return quickly. He wanted to contact Myung-hwon first by phone, but with no battery he felt anxious. Though there were no missed calls, he was surely worried.

Just as he finished changing, Yun-jae returned. He’d thought he’d left earlier since their last moment had been awkward.

“Sorry. Were you waiting outside? You could have just gone.”

“I’ll take you home. Let’s go.”

“…Thanks.”

**

Returning home, his shoulders relaxed at the familiar scent. He must have been unconsciously tensing up. Yun-jae said he’d taken care of things at work.

He just needed to get past Myung-hwon well. In the past, he would have been caught right away. But now it seemed like he could somehow gloss over it if he handled it well.

He opened the door with an ambiguous expression, unsure whether to be happy or sad about this. Myung-hwon was sitting on the sofa, leaning back. He opened his eyes at Ju-eon’s presence. Ju-eon prayed his voice would come out naturally.

“You’re still up?”

Myung-hwon’s face looked strangely gaunt after not seeing him for days. Ju-eon moved to sit at the edge of the sofa. Myung-hwon examined Ju-eon before speaking.

“I heard you were sick.”

“…It wasn’t serious.”

“You went on a business trip? Urgently?”

At his cracking voice, Ju-eon rambled out the story he’d agreed upon with Yun-jae.

“Um… yeah. Yun-jae said he urgently needed an assistant. I forgot to contact you.”

“Is there anything else you want to tell me?”

“Ah. I’m sorry. I’ll make sure to keep in touch from now on.”

“Was your business trip destination a hospital?”

“…What?”

Ju-eon quickly ran through what Myung-hwon might know with a bewildered face. Then following Myung-hwon’s gaze to the coffee table in front of the sofa, he saw a hospital payment receipt. Not his, but one he’d arranged to be sent to the company address.

Kim Eun-sun. The name was clearly written on the receipt.

“I couldn’t believe it. But when I got a missed call from an unknown number and called back, it was the hospital. They said they contacted me because they couldn’t reach you.”

“Myung-hwon.”

Ju-eon moved closer to Myung-hwon and placed his hand on his thigh. He hadn’t meant to reveal it this way. Myung-hwon brushed away Ju-eon’s pleading touch and stood up.

“They said they contacted the secondary guardian because of unpaid bills, but it was fine now since the payment came through.”

“I’ll explain everything.”

Myung-hwon looked down at Ju-eon with cold eyes.

“You don’t know how shocked I was.”

“I wasn’t going to tell you like this.”

“I told you no. When I said I’d throw everything away so don’t go – why are YOU taking care of the woman who abandoned me! Did you think I’d be grateful?”

Myung-hwon roughly ran his hands through his hair.