ETP Ch 83

The fact that he had rushed to his house without even knowing him well, the fact that he had secretly harbored suspicion and cursed Yoohyun greatly, and the fact that he ended up being of no help even after going all the way there, and so on.

The various feelings of guilt within Sungyeon clumped together, turning into teardrops that fell steadily.

Yoohyun seemed considerably flustered by Bokseung’s uncontrollable sobbing after managing to utter only the three characters, ‘Sunbae-nim.’

—Kim Bokseung? What’s wrong? Are you sick? Bokseung?

“Hoo-uh, ugh!”

The more Yoohyun called Bokseung’s name, the more sorrowful Sungyeon felt.

He knew it was an incredibly petty and childish jealousy for a 33-year-old to feel, but he still found the name Bokseung coming out of Yoohyun’s mouth irritating.

Sungyeon cursed the narrow-mindedness of his own heart internally. However, the feelings of disappointment were beyond his control.

It was at times like these that he was thoroughly made to realize that the person Yoohyun liked was Bokseung. That’s why he absolutely could not utter the words ‘I like you’ that were stuck in his throat.

Sungyeon, still sniffing from the lingering sobs, managed to continue speaking. He wasn’t sure if Yoohyun could understand him, as his pronunciation was so garbled.

“S-Sunbae-nim! I’m s-sorry. I didn’t, h-hic, I didn’t mean to, h-hic! I wanted to, h-hic, be of help, hic, I wanted to be!”

—Kugh.

Did he laugh?

When Yoohyun’s low laugh reached his ears, Sungyeon’s eyes widened despite the tears streaming down his face.

I’m apologizing so profusely right now, and he’s laughing?

He stopped sobbing immediately, dumbfounded.

Sungyeon quickly wiped away the tears that soaked Bokseung’s round cheeks. He had cried so much that his cheeks were not just moist, but damp.

—Kim Bokseung.

Perhaps it was just a momentary laugh, as Yoohyun’s voice returned to its usual steady tone as he said Bokseung’s name again. Sungyeon replied with a small, “Yes.”

—You didn’t do anything wrong. You’re crying this much because of that?

“What, what do you mean by that!”

—I’m the one who was wrong. I’m sorry for saying harsh things to you then. Even if I wasn’t in my right mind, I shouldn’t have. Were you very scared?

“I wasn’t scared!”

In fact, he was a little startled and almost peed himself a little, but he was self-brainwashing that he wasn’t scared.

Another brief laugh followed Sungyeon’s reply.

Sungyeon didn’t care about anything else now. It meant that Yoohyun was well enough for them to have a proper conversation like this.

“Th-Then, Sunbae-nim. Are you feeling better now?”

—Ah, yes. I’m fine now.

“That’s a relief!”

—Yeah. I called because I was worried you might be concerned. I’ll see you tomorrow morning. I’ll come pick you up.

“What?”

Yoohyun’s refreshing greeting was followed by Sungyeon’s startled question.

—Isn’t tomorrow the day we have a class together?

“Ah, th-that’s right.”

—Okay. Sleep well, and I’ll see you tomorrow.

“Yes.”

The call ended before Sungyeon could finish his reply. Sungyeon was still holding the phone to his ear with a bewildered look.

“You idiot!”

Why did he naturally assume Yoohyun would come back here?!

Sungyeon lightly tapped his own foolish head. What’s the point of having Bokseung’s brain if the owner is Lee Sungyeon!

Thinking about it, Yoohyun had been away since before the rut began. That meant the time he had to wait to see the perfectly fine Yoohyun had been extended by one more day.

Sungyeon sighed briefly, then quietly got up and headed towards the room Yoohyun used.

Hooob.

He took a deep breath. But he couldn’t feel his pheromones, which should have followed the air. His pheromones were now truly all scattered.

It was his house, his room, yet he couldn’t feel anything!

His eyebrows drooped sadly out of disappointment. It was so regrettable and upsetting.

Sungyeon quickly closed the door to manage his disappointment. Engulfed in regret, Sungyeon was completely unaware of the fact that he instinctively released his own pheromones into Yoohyun’s room while doing so.

🍑‧₊ ⋆˙

If one had to choose the person who had the hardest time during Yoohyun’s rut period, it would naturally be Hwang Yoohyun himself, but his surroundings also suffered considerably.

Firstly, the director and staff of the ‘Ho-Sun Secondary Gender Clinic,’ and secondly, the executive secretaries of Chairman Hwang Jingu and Vice Chairman Hwang Myungjin.

“Hmph, seriously! I’m genuinely not disappointed by this incident!”

The day Yoohyun was brought to the clinic, Chairman Hwang Jingu’s roar echoed loudly throughout the Ho-Sun Secondary Gender Clinic director’s office. The director, who had given the most honored seat to the Chairman and dared not sit, was standing with his head bowed.

“I truly have nothing to say, it is all my fault.”

“No! My grandson being brought in due to pheromone shock! Does that even make sense?!”

“I apologize.”

The director was speechless, even if he had ten mouths. The 73 types of excuses in his mind would clearly be of no help if he uttered them.

How many years had it been since he had observed Chairman Hwang Jingu? He knew from early on that the Chairman cherished his grandson, who strongly resembled him, even more than his own son.

However, the director also knew that the grandson, like his grandfather, was incredibly stubborn. That was why. That’s why he had sent him off with suppressants this time too.

The director had clearly stated that if he relied on suppressants, their effectiveness would diminish, so he should naturally relieve the accumulated pheromones.

Of course, it was Yoohyun who had ignored the doctor’s advice, but it was indeed the director’s fault for not anticipating a shock of this magnitude immediately.

Looking at the director’s face filled with remorse, Chairman Hwang Jingu turned his head. What good would it do to scold him fiercely here? His grandson had already collapsed.

“So, is Yoohyun okay?”

“Yes. Fortunately, we immediately administered medication, and no other shock reactions appeared.”

“No harm to his body?”

“It’s a strong medicine that eliminates pheromones, but it shouldn’t be a major problem given the young master’s constitution. We have also confirmed with Heavent that the medicine is made with natural extracts without side effects.”

The director spoke the words he had practiced repeatedly in his mind. It was a clear answer to what Chairman Hwang Jingu was most curious about.

Upon hearing those words, a wrinkle finally disappeared from Chairman Hwang Jingu’s face.

A little while later, the director, who had managed to appease and send off Chairman Hwang Jingu, collapsed into his chair.

He didn’t know how lucky he was to be a Beta. Since Chairman Hwang Jingu’s visit, the secondary gender staff had not dared to come near. The dominant Alpha’s pheromones were still threatening, even to someone over 70.

However, unfortunately for the director, his suffering did not end with Chairman Hwang Jingu. Soon after, Vice Chairman Hwang Myungjin, who displayed more obvious discomfort, and his wife, Director Lee Joosun, arrived.

The director felt a déjà vu and had to repeat the exact same words he had told Chairman Hwang Jingu. Nevertheless, the couple insisted on a detailed plan to prevent such an incident from happening again.

“The best method is to naturally release the pheromones. If that is done, rut suppressants are not necessary.”

A deep sigh escaped Lee Joosun’s lips upon hearing those words. Hwang Myungjin, who was next to her, felt the same. It seemed like that was the most difficult solution.

Seeing the couple’s gloomy faces, the director casually dropped a hint.

“There is a reason for Young Master Hwang Yoohyun’s rut to have started suddenly this time.”

“What?”

“Of course, I cannot disclose the details as it is confidential patient information. But I urge you to have a thorough discussion with the young master once he wakes up. I beg of you!”

The director wanted to grab onto the couple’s trouser legs. His hope was that the two of them would persuade Hwang Yoohyun to spend his rut without suppressants. No, it was more than that; the director was the person who most strongly desired Yoohyun’s natural pheromone release in the entire world.

Receiving the hint from the director, Vice Chairman Hwang Myungjin and Director Lee Joosun waited for their son to wake up.

Yoohyun woke up after three days spent in the solitary confinement room, injected with sleeping pills, tranquilizers, and rut suppressants. That day, the director silently did a little shoulder dance in his office, alone. The other employees who had been tormented by the owner’s family felt like dancing too.

Yoohyun’s recovery was surprisingly fast, considering the amount of accumulated pheromones that led to shock. Dominant Alphas were indeed dominant. The amount of pheromones he could control on his own, aside from suppressing with medicine, was enormous.

In fact, when Yoohyun opened his eyes after three days, he was in his usual condition.

However, the worry of adults was immense, so he was forced to be hospitalized for three more days before being discharged.

If it had just been his parents insisting that he stay hospitalized longer, he would have naturally ignored it. But his grandfather visited the clinic every day and personally wrung out the staff, so Yoohyun had no choice.

After his discharge, Yoohyun was, naturally, summoned to the family estate.

Yoohyun, upon arriving at the main house, had a fierce expression that clearly conveyed annoyance and frustration, but the other family members simply saw it as a child’s tantrum.

Chairman Hwang Jingu took a sip of tea and then called his grandson’s name.

“Hwang Yoohyun.”

“Yes.”

“From next time, don’t even think about getting through your rut period with suppressants. Either find a partner to spend it with immediately, or if you don’t like that, I will start looking for a marriage prospect for you right away.”

And a statement that no one had expected fell from Chairman Hwang Jingu’s lips.