DFLT 58

“Weren’t you about to go home?”

Dojin, also finding Heonyoung’s behavior strange, asked. He shrugged and replied.

“Who knows?”

“I thought you were leaving since you grabbed your clothes.”

“I don’t know for sure, but you look awfully disappointed.”

Feeling a certain sting in Heonyoung’s words, Dojin couldn’t retort and averted his gaze, feigning indifference.

Seowon, who had been eavesdropping on their conversation now that he had the composure to look around after checking on Yeonoh’s condition, looked at Heonyoung with a surprised face.

“Oh, by any chance, aren’t you the owner of that Maserati?”

Ha, what is he doing…. At Seowon’s unexpected behavior, Yeonoh let out a sigh and slapped his forehead. If only Ji Seowon’s friendliness were just a little less developed….

As if realizing what he’d just said, Seowon hastily added.

“Ah. But my brother said that person was his boss…?”

“I am the owner of the Maserati, and I am also his boss.”

As he said this, Seo Heonyoung smiled, and it was so chilling it sent a shiver down my spine.

“Ah….”

Only then did Seowon realize his slip of the tongue, and in contrast, the smile completely vanished from his face.

Ha, should I just write my resignation letter…? Suddenly lost in thought, Yeonoh silently covered his face with both palms.

“Ahaha! I think Seowon must have lost his mind after dealing with a lot of difficult customers today!”

Hyeyoon, sensing the rapidly cooling atmosphere, let out a hearty laugh and grabbed Seowon’s clothes to pull him up. The fact that it looked more like she was grabbing him by the scruff of the neck was, in all likelihood, just my imagination.

“My introductions are late. I’m Seo Heonyoung.”

However, Heonyoung, with a completely unconcerned face, offered his hand to Seowon for a handshake first. A flustered Seowon hesitantly took his hand.

“As you’ve heard, the cause is indeed overwork. I had to call him back for something urgent and had him work a bit of overtime. Therefore, the company will be responsible for the related costs and compensation.”

“What? Ah, yes…! Thank you.”

Yeonoh, looking at Seowon’s dazed reply with a pathetic expression, had a question mark pop up above his head. He hadn’t worked overtime, and the direct cause probably wasn’t overwork. Was he doing this because he felt sorry for raising his voice at the end?

“It’s a relief you’re okay, Yeonoh.”

Before his thoughts could get any longer, Dojin spoke to him from a distance. The events from earlier kept coming to mind, and an awkwardness tried to creep in, but he ignored it as much as possible and pulled up the corners of his mouth.

“Thank you, sunbae. For coming so readily even though it’s late.”

“Not at all. There’s nothing to thank me for….”

Even though he tried to act like it was nothing, he still couldn’t hide his awkwardness. He had thought about contacting him after sorting out his thoughts, but he never imagined they would meet like this in less than a few hours. On one hand, he was relieved to see him before Heonyoung left. On the other, while it was a bit uncomfortable to see his face, he also felt a great sense of gratitude that he had rushed over as soon as he heard he was sick.

“Ah, oppa. I brought this for you.”

Hyeyoon took out a paper box and handed it to Yeonoh. It was a set of handmade cookies and baked goods sold at the cafe, something he had only ever drooled over whenever he visited the shop because it was quite expensive. Yeonoh’s face lit up as he fiddled with the box.

“Isn’t this expensive?”

“Not at all! You don’t have any dietary restrictions, right?”

“No. It looks delicious. Thank you…. Can I try one now?”

“Of course!”

Seeing the cookies with nuts and chocolate chips, he suddenly craved something sweet, and Yeonoh picked up a cookie. He quickly devoured the cookie, which hit the spot with its crispy texture and not-too-sweet taste. While he was at it, he thought about trying a financier and was staring at it intently when he felt a stinging on his face. It was because Seo Heonyoung was watching him.

“…Um, would you like one too, Executive Director? The baked goods here are delicious.”

Unlike how he had been staring intently at Yeonoh eating, Seo Heonyoung seemed to have no interest in the cookies at all. Instead, he took the plastic lid of the box in Yeonoh’s other hand. As Yeonoh stared blankly at this bizarre action, he pointed to the round sticker on the cover and asked.

“This isn’t the logo.”

“Pardon?”

Wondering what on earth he was talking about, Yeonoh blinked and searched his memory, soon understanding his meaning.

‘Why is there a dog drawn on here?’

There had been a time before when he had bought him a sandwich and coffee from the cafe. When the sensitive Seo Heonyoung looked displeased at the playfully drawn dog character by Hyeyoon, he had vaguely told him it was the cafe’s logo. Because he was sure he wouldn’t want to hear the trivial story about a friend drawing it for him.

“Ah….”

Hyeyoon had once again drawn a roundish dog character on a white sticker and attached it, but Seo Heonyoung had spotted the real logo with the cafe’s name on it. They say lies come back like a boomerang…. He really couldn’t show any weakness in front of Seo Heonyoung. Yeonoh sighed and tried hard to resist the urge to cover his forehead.

“What are you talking about?”

Dojin, asking what he was talking about, snatched the plastic cover from Heonyoung’s hand to examine it, and spoke not long after.

“Isn’t this Yeonoh?”

“Oh, you’re right, I drew it thinking of Yeonoh oppa!”

Only then did Hyeyoon excitedly chime in, but Seo Heonyoung looked at the sticker with a somewhat skeptical expression and added a comment.

“How is this Ji Yeonoh?”

“How can you not see it? You’re really unobservant.”

“I’m unobservant? Not you, who’s seeing Ji Yeonoh for the first time in seven years, but me, who’s seen him for three years straight?”

“Does it matter how long you’ve seen him? It’s how you’ve seen him that’s the key.”

No, that’s not something to fight about…. Just as Yeonoh was getting anxious at their slightly raised voices, a knock sounded at a good time. The door opened, and Dr. Shim appeared, looking like a savior.

“Ah, quite a crowd has gathered in the meantime.”

Dr. Shim said, holding up a paper in his hand. It seemed to contain the test results, but he didn’t seem to be opening it easily because there were so many people.

“The initial findings are out. By any chance, is the guardian here?”

At Dr. Shim’s question of who the guardian was, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, all three of them—Seo Heonyoung, Kang Dojin, and even Ji Seowon—raised their hands.

“Seowon, go home for now. I’ll call you.”

Did he bring bad news? At Dr. Shim’s face, which looked more solemn than necessary, Yeonoh swallowed a breath suppressed by tension. He didn’t want Seowon to hear the results directly, not knowing what they would be.

“Hyung, I’m family.”

He almost wavered for a moment when Seowon whimpered with a sullen expression, but he quickly composed himself and told him to come again tomorrow, and Hyeyoon took Seowon out.

“What about you two?”

When Dr. Shim asked Heonyoung and Dojin, Seo Heonyoung, with his arms crossed, looked down at Dojin with a resentful gaze.

“I’m the one who brought Ji Yeonoh here. It’s right that I, who knows his condition at the time better, be the guardian.”

With that, he gestured toward the door with his chin. He was telling Dojin to get out.

“What are you talking about? If you, with that expression, say you’re his guardian, Yeonoh will feel so at ease.”

However, Dojin retorted with a snort, countering Heonyoung’s words. Listening to the two of them bickering nonstop since earlier, Yeonoh felt a throbbing headache coming on.

“It’s okay. I can hear it alone.”

“Then would you both please leave?”

Looking at Dr. Shim’s rather stern expression, the two of them finally left the room without another word. As the bustling crowd flowed out like an ebbing tide, Yeonoh swallowed hard in the suddenly quiet hospital room, the tension growing heavier.

“By any chance, do you have any hormone-related illnesses?”

“No. I don’t have any particular illnesses.”

Hormones…. Waiting for Dr. Shim’s next words, Yeonoh fiddled with his thumbs.

“There’s an abnormality in your thyroid hormone levels. With levels like this, you would have felt your physical activity slowing down excessively. That was also why you had hypothermia and bradycardia.”

“Hormones?”

He had never heard of such an abnormal finding in his annual health check-ups. The more he heard, the less he could find a clue, and Yeonoh was tilting his head in confusion.

“Executive Director Seo told me. That you seemed to have mistaken your medication and taken omega suppressants.”

“…Ah.”

So he knew.

“Could you perhaps tell me for what reason you came to take the medicine?”

“……”

Yeonoh hesitated to answer. Wouldn’t he think it strange if he, a beta, said he took omega suppressants? But he soon changed his mind. Right now, his health was more of a problem than his pride.

Yeonoh was the one most curious about whether his current state was because of the suppressants or if there was really a problem with his health.

“I showed a reaction when omega pheromones were measured.”

“What about to alpha pheromones?”

When Yeonoh shook his head, Dr. Shim stroked his chin and let out a small groan.

“Have you ever had a trait gene test?”

“No. I never felt the need, so I always just got the regular tests.”

“How about taking one this time?”

“…By any chance, do you have a suspected diagnosis?”

“I have a suspicion, but it’s such a rare case that it’s premature to make a definite conclusion yet. Let’s just wait for the results first.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“And the effect of the medicine hasn’t completely worn off yet. We’re closely monitoring your vitals, so don’t worry.”

After saying that the test would be conducted and sent to a foreign institution, so the results would take about a week, Dr. Shim opened the door just a crack, then immediately closed it and looked at Yeonoh.

“I’ll tell the two people still waiting outside that it’s just overwork and mild malnutrition.”

“Ah, they’re still outside?”

“It looks like neither of them will move a single step until they hear the results.”