M 108

That wasn’t a question. It was a certainty borrowing the form of a question.

“…”

A sizzling gaze swept over him from head to toe. The man’s persistent stare that had been wandering all over Sehwa’s body stopped near his tightly closed lips.

“…Ah!”

In the blink of an eye, his body was lifted. Ki Tae-jeong picked him up and turned back down the long corridor. Cries that couldn’t become proper language, screams… such unseemly things flowed out. It had been difficult to even make his throat vibrate on his own, but it was absurdly easy now that Ki Tae-jeong’s hands were on him.

“Uh, uuh…!”

Sehwa struggled, not knowing what to do. 

‘Put me down, I want to see Saessak, I don’t want to go back with you.’ 

Even though he scratched at the man’s arms and kicked with all his might, the large hands supporting his back and behind his knees didn’t budge at all. As if his earlier resistance had been mere child’s play. Or as if he no longer intended to tolerate it.

“You’ll naturally find out after the examination.”

“…”

“Whether you were keeping your mouth shut because you didn’t want to exchange words with me, or…”

‘Or what? Are you going to bring hospital staff and point guns at me this time?’ 

Sehwa frowned with all his heart. Even if he glared with tears in his eyes, it probably wouldn’t be threatening at all, but this was the only defiance he could manage right now.

Ki Tae-jeong also looked down at him with a cold expression. It was a gaze that seemed ready to suck, lick, chew, and swallow him. His demeanor was still impressive. His jawline had become much sharper than before he collapsed, and his eyes had deepened. A slight melancholy mixed with irritation made him look even more like a painting. Not a person, but a painting…

After staring at Sehwa for a long time, Ki Tae-jeong bit his lower lip hard and raised his head. Then he ordered again, almost threateningly, “Get examined.” He was clenching his teeth so hard that with each syllable he pronounced, his tongue seemed about to break as it pushed against his teeth.

Sehwa, who had been struggling, soon went limp from exhaustion. But even if he closed his eyes to block his view, the afterimage of Ki Tae-jeong didn’t disappear. Rather, his body heat and scent became more vivid, which was only distressing.

***

“Why aren’t you taking your medicine?”

“…”

“Who said you had to eat? Just take the medicine if you want to get better.”

Ki Tae-jeong held out a medicine packet containing a few pills right in front of his face, and Sehwa stubbornly looked away. The floor was covered with crumpled black patches, piled up like snow.

The test results weren’t bad. Although his physical strength had decreased and his bodily functions had generally slowed down, everything was said to be normal. There were no problems with his brain or vocal cords.

Lieutenant Na and the medical staff pondered for a long time before reaching the trivial conclusion that it seemed he had temporarily lost his ability to speak due to psychological reasons. They said it was similar to how he couldn’t properly use his right leg, which wasn’t even in pain, as soon as his memories returned.

In fact, when Lieutenant Na pressed various parts of his tongue with a thin metal rod, the soft flesh moved flexibly following the stimulation. The feeling that his tongue root had hardened was purely his own imagination.

Anyway, they said all they could do for now was to keep observing, and the same vitamins and mild nerve stabilizers were prescribed as before.

Last night, he had taken whatever was given to him. He still had no appetite. But he decided to take any medicine or injection if it could make his body better. Because he wanted to call out to Saessak. He wanted to see the child recognize his voice and move happily. However,

“Lee Sehwa.”

When he took that medicine, he fell into a defenseless sleep. He slept soundly, completely unaware that Ki Tae-jeong had lain down beside him, embracing him with his eyes closed.

Above all, he disliked feeling dazed. He had thought about going to see Saessak as soon as he woke up, but his body wouldn’t move easily. Regardless of his will, he just wanted to stay lying down, spread out like a broken car.

As time passed, his mind would soon become noisy. Memories that had been cut off rolled around like pebbles, making all sorts of racket. He… didn’t like that. He didn’t want to try to organize anything, didn’t want to understand anything. Nothing else mattered. He just wanted to look at the child all day long.

“Then write.” Ki Tae-jeong held out his palm. “You know how to write, don’t you?”

“…”

“Write down why you don’t want to take the medicine. I’ll talk to Lieutenant Na about changing the prescription.”

Sehwa bowed his head deeply. He wasn’t trying to deliberately frustrate him. Anyway, Ki Tae-jeong wasn’t the type to move according to his intentions, nor was he someone who would be hurt by such trivial matters. He was just… tired. Being swayed by Ki Tae-jeong’s will, him trying to connect as before as if nothing had happened… it was all too much for his current self.

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“…”

“I don’t want to shout, or scold, or threaten you.”

“…”

“Take the medicine. Don’t make me make an exception to my decision.”

Ki Tae-jeong took out a new patch and wrapped it around his wrist again. Then he tied a complex knot so that he couldn’t undo it on his own. It was exactly the same shape as when he had tied a string around his glans, saying he was granting him permission to go out.

Sehwa just bit his lips. Apart from falling asleep easily, he didn’t think the medicine would be of much help in his recovery. They said there was nothing wrong with his body right now, so what use would medicine be? If he could regain his voice whether Ki Tae-jeong embraced him while sleeping or held him during sex, it wouldn’t matter, but that wasn’t the case. This kind of coercion was only increasing his stress.

“Excuse me.”

Just as the tiresome argument was about to repeat, the attending manager knocked on the hospital room door. Ki Tae-jeong told them to come in with a slightly tired voice.

“I came to ask if you’d be interested in moving to a recovery room that has just become available.”

“Recovery room?”

“Yes, while it’s not quite hotel level, it’s well-furnished and often used by those needing recuperation. It’s in the adjacent building directly connected to the main building, so it’s also convenient for emergency patient transfers.”

As soon as he heard the location, Ki Tae-jeong clicked his tongue softly. He seemed about to refuse, until the manager added that it was frequently used by postpartum women for recovery.

“…What specifically is good about it?”

“Considering those who feel stressed just by staying in a hospital room, the recovery rooms are designed to resemble everyday living spaces as much as possible. We also provide customized services for the patient, from massages and light exercise coaching to cultural lectures that can prevent depression.”

“When you say adjacent building… do you mean the annex?”

“Yes, specifically Building A. The first to seventh floors are composed of amenities, so frequent customers often say it’s more like a giant mall or resort than a hospital.”

“Even if it’s next door, isn’t it dangerous if something happens? It’s the kind of situation where even a second’s delay could be critical.”

“Of course, professional medical staff are also stationed in the annex. There haven’t been any medical accidents due to emergencies since its opening, so you can rest assured.”

After briefly stroking his chin, Ki Tae-jeong nodded shortly. The manager politely held out a tablet, and he signed it perfunctorily.

“I’ve just sent a simple guide to the information you’ve registered, Brigadier General. Please check it.”

The face of his wristwatch flickered and a hologram appeared. Ki Tae-jeong flipped through the documents with an expressionless face, lingering on certain parts for quite a while. And so, without regard for Sehwa’s opinion, the decision to move rooms was made.

“Then I’ll prepare right away.”

“Special exhibition for postpartum patients? What’s this?”

Ki Tae-jeong tapped on the hologram screen.

“Ah, we’re holding a small event in the 5th floor banquet hall of the annex for patients who still find it difficult to go out. You can conveniently shop for baby clothes and various tools, and it’s one of our most popular services as we also prepare sections where patients and guardians can get various childcare information.”

At those words, Sehwa’s head snapped up. He wasn’t interested in shopping or anything like that. But he was a bit curious about the “various information.” Perhaps reading positive curiosity in Sehwa’s blank stare, the manager kindly elaborated.

“Things like how to deal with sudden illnesses in babies just out of incubators, or lectures on care for the emotional stability of mother and child… we’re really providing information on everything you might want to know about newborns.”

Sehwa unconsciously half-rose from his seat. He wasn’t hoping for any high-end information shared only among the upper class. Even something very minor and ordinary would be enough. He was already severely lacking in relevant common knowledge, having been busy rejecting and pushing away the child initially.

From now on, he would have to care for and raise Saessak alone. So while he didn’t care about other things, he really wanted to know things like how to deal with a sick child.

“When can we go to this special exhibition?”

“You can use it right away without any separate procedures, Brigadier General. Just go to the 5th floor of the annex and scan your officer ID card. You can also enter using the barcode registered on your watch.”

‘Ah, officer-only…’ Sehwa lowered his eyes dejectedly. It’s a place only Ki Tae-jeong can go to.

Well, of course. It was ridiculous to think that he, a commoner, could use such a customized service provided by a 5-star hospital on his own. The fact that he could receive surgery at this excellent hospital, that Saessak was receiving utmost care in the incubator room… it was all possible only because of Ki Tae-jeong’s orders.

“Are you planning to visit now?”

“Hmm.”

Ki Tae-jeong glanced at Sehwa with just his eyes. The smile that briefly touched his lips was so faint it would be hard for most to notice. Of course, the manager didn’t miss the signal sent by a key client.

“I’ll let the staff know that the Brigadier General and his wife will be visiting.”

The manager bowed respectfully, saying they would move them to the recovery room after their visit.

“…”

Sehwa looked at the small mountain of discarded patches at his feet, perhaps exaggerating a bit. If he had known this would happen, he should have just taken the medicine as given. Of course he wanted to go… but it was a place he couldn’t even enter without Ki Tae-jeong. He didn’t think he would readily take him along.

‘What should I do?’ 

His temperature suddenly spiked. Disorganized memories unfolded chaotically. The experiences up until he collapsed and the fragmented pieces after he lost his memory meshed together messily, making him dizzy.

But no matter how much he racked his brain, He had no cards to play with Ki Tae-jeong. He was a man who could casually say he’d leave the child in the 4th Ring and let him live miserably like this. What interest would he have in an event prepared solely for postpartum women and children?

“Do you want to go? To that special exhibition or whatever it is.”

But surprisingly, Ki Tae-jeong showed a positive attitude. Sehwa blinked in bewilderment, then slowly nodded. Was there room for negotiation?

“You know what you need to do now, right?”

‘What… should I do? What do I need to do?’

Sehwa just crumpled the ends of his wide sleeves before finally thinking of something Ki Tae-jeong might like. 

‘Maybe if I… do it with my mouth.’

For a moment, something hot welled up behind his eyelids, and Sehwa blinked rapidly while looking at the floor. 

‘Seeing as he’s telling me to figure it out myself, he must be wanting… that. Like we used to do in the House…’

“…Lee Sehwa?”

After hesitating for a moment, Sehwa seemed to make up his mind and slowly knelt on the floor. Then he crawled slowly towards the man standing a few steps away. He tried to act as if it was nothing. It was humiliating, but hE thought there was nothing he couldn’t do. After all, he was the one who had said he could use his body as he pleased once the child was safely born…

As he reached out his trembling hand between Ki Tae-jeong’s legs, he took a deep breath. 

‘It’s nothing. This is something we did every day, so there’s nothing to be afraid of…’

“Lee Sehwa!” Belatedly realizing the meaning of his clumsy gesture, Ki Tae-jeong exclaimed in alarm and grabbed Sehwa, “What do you think you’re doing!”

Sehwa tilted his head, looking at the man who had managed to swallow his curses. Ki Tae-jeong wanted compensation, and all he had to offer him was his body. Even in his jumbled memories, the sex he had shared with Ki Tae-jeong was vivid. It was also the only thing he had ever praised him for.

‘But why is he angry? You like sex, don’t you… Even to the point of recording videos and still keeping them.’

“I didn’t mean it like that… Ha.”

Moreover, surprisingly, the man with his brows deeply furrowed looked a bit… pained.

“That’s enough, just take the medicine.”

“…”

“I meant to take the medicine without being stubborn. … Not that I wanted you to suck my cock.”

Sehwa pulled his chin back with a skeptical look. Is that all? He could just force the medicine into his mouth right now if he wanted. It wouldn’t be that difficult for him. But he’d take him to the special exhibition if he took it himself? Why?

“I…”

Just as Ki Tae-jeong was about to say something with a somewhat bitter expression, his watch suddenly blared with an alarm. Even to Sehwa, who didn’t know much about military systems, it seemed to indicate an urgent situation.

– Brigadier General.

The person who sent the alarm was Lieutenant Park, who seemed even more urgent than Sehwa had thought.

“What is it?”

– Are you in the hospital room by any chance?

“I said, what is it.”

– Uh… General Oh Seon-ran has just arrived at the hospital.