YHP 35

“Oh…”

Jeong-in was genuinely flustered. He was annoyed, but he didn’t really mean to go this far.

“Are you hurt?”

Ho-jin checked on Jeong-in first, without showing any sign of displeasure. He carefully checked to see if any hot porridge had splashed on him or if he had been hit by any shards. Only after thoroughly checking even under the blanket did he bend down and start cleaning up the broken bowl.

There was no time to offer an apology. He cleaned up the mess in the blink of an eye and went back to the kitchen. He took out the clean cutting board and knife and started preparing the basic ingredients again. The sound of chopping filled the air, followed by the gas stove being turned on. Soon, the same porridge as before was ready.

He stared blankly at the water glass filled to the brim. Jeong-in moved his lips, feeling sorry. He wanted to say something, but he felt so pathetic for having overturned the meal that had been prepared with such care that he couldn’t bring himself to speak.

“It’s still hot, so eat slowly.”

He forced a spoon into Jeong-in’s hand. When Jeong-in still didn’t move, he placed his hand over Jeong-in’s and began stirring the porridge.

A swirling pattern formed where the spoon had passed. Jeong-in reluctantly took a spoonful of porridge and put it in his mouth.

“…Mmm.”

It was so delicious that he completely forgot that his lip was split.

He knew he shouldn’t be doing this in this situation, but despite feeling sorry, it was honestly too delicious. He glanced at Ho-jin and then began to eat the porridge in earnest.

At first glance, it looked like ordinary rice porridge, but it was well-seasoned without being bland, and the thick slices of abalone gave it a great texture. The delicate aroma of thinly sliced ginseng was, without a doubt, exquisite.

As the warm energy seeped into his swollen throat, he felt a little better. And while he was eating, Ho-jin stayed far enough away so as not to be a burden, and only approached to take the bowl away when Jeong-in put down the spoon.

“Yoo Ho-jin.”

Jeong-in lowered his head and apologized belatedly.

“…I’m sorry.”

He meant it sincerely.

And at those words, Ho-jin smiled silently.

“Don’t worry about it. I know you didn’t do it on purpose.”

Then, a new plate was placed on the tray. A scoop of cold ice cream was in it. Ho-jin took out a sparklingly clean teaspoon and, just like before, placed it in Jeong-in’s hand.

“Eat.”

He said that and handed him water and pills as well.

“Your throat is very swollen, so eat the ice cream first. All the medicine is from the hospital that specializes in Inhyongjil. A fever reducer that can be taken with suppressants, headache medicine… and this is an antibiotic.”

Jeong-in glanced at the fingers pointing at each item and stirred the ice cream.

When he cut the ice cream, which had vanilla bean specks, in half, a small honeycomb appeared, and he couldn’t figure out how it had been put in there. He pressed down on it hard with the teaspoon. With a crisp sensation, the honeycomb crumbled and golden honey poured out. It was a combination that went perfectly with the plain ice cream. The balance of flavors was so good that the plate was empty in an instant.

“Would you like another scoop? I made quite a bit, just in case.”

He even made this himself?

“…No, it’s okay.”

He barely regained his senses and shook his head. With Jeong-in swallowing the pills, Ho-jin started doing the dishes. After drying the sparklingly clean dishes and wiping down the sink, he rummaged through his bag and approached Jeong-in with some cream.

“Now, I’ll give you a massage. Can I roll up your sleeves for a moment?”

He was about to offer his arm without thinking, but he felt a strange sensation, as if the situation was progressing too smoothly.

“It’s okay.”

Jeong-in hid back under the blanket.

“I’m really sorry for overturning the meal you worked so hard to prepare. But being sorry is one thing, and this kind of thing…”

I never allowed it? I never permitted it? I don’t like it, so don’t do it?

He stopped speaking for a moment because he couldn’t think of any words that would be appropriate to follow. But Ho-jin knelt down by the bed as if it were natural.

“Your muscles are very tense, so I need to loosen them up a little. You might be sore tomorrow.”

“……”

He was right. After going through a severe heat cycle, he would often suffer for a few extra days from muscle pain caused by tensing his entire body. When he was young, his family would insist on him getting a massage, but when he lived abroad, no one would touch him, so he would usually just suffer through it alone.

Jeong-in recalled the memory of getting a massage a long time ago. It was not long after he had quit exercising, and he still had some muscle mass, so it must have been more effective, but he seemed to feel a little better after getting a massage. Of course, he didn’t know if an athlete, rather than a professional masseuse, could do this properly.

While he was thinking that, Ho-jin was already rolling up Jeong-in’s sleeves with a smooth, natural motion. He wiped his skin with a warm towel and frowned when he saw the scratches from the farming equipment.

“It’s still a little red.”

The cream spread on his arm had a sweet freesia scent.

As he quietly received the touch that gently loosened and pressed down on the muscles, he felt both refreshed and indescribably uncomfortable. Jeong-in stared blankly at the wallpaper. If he were paying a fair price for this, he could receive it without much awkwardness, but he didn’t know what to do with someone else who was doing this for him without him having done anything in return.

“…Um.”

Ho-jin suddenly called out to Jeong-in.

“Who is this Hyojin person?”

“Hyojin?”

It was a name he had never heard before.

“You called the wrong number for me, didn’t you? It sounded like you were originally trying to call that person…”

“Ah, him?”

Jeong-in recalled the time when his heat cycle had started. He quickly realized who he was talking about.

“He’s an old friend.”

He was too lazy to correct the wrong name, so he glossed over it. After all, Cho Hyo-jun and Yoo Ho-jin didn’t know each other, so what did it matter what his name was?

“…Where is that person now?”

“How would I know?”

Hyo-jun and Jeong-in were practically brothers. And as with most siblings, they had absolutely no interest in each other’s lives.

Of course, since they were an alpha and an omega, and if it worked out, it would create an external link between TH and Seyoung Financial Group, the adults—especially Hyun-wook—would sometimes jokingly talk about marriage, but every time, Jeong-in would retort by asking Hyun-wook if he could marry Jeong-hoon. Then, he would treat Jeong-in like the most unfilial person in the world, with a face as if he had swallowed a rotten rag, and that was exactly the extent of Hyo-jun and Jeong-in’s relationship.

“Besides that person, don’t you have any other close alphas…?”

“I have one more, but he’s far away.”

“Where is he?”

Elizabeth May Robinson. She was one of the friends he had made in Australia. She was the one who taught Jeong-in how to sail a yacht, when all he could do at the sea was drown himself as a form of self-harm.

“Well… he was in Bali until last week, but I don’t know now.”

“Have those two been with you for a long time, Hyung?”

Jeong-in nodded. He had known Hyo-jun his whole life, and he was still in contact with Beth. Of course, it had taken quite a bit of time to become close to her as well. If he had to say, Ho-jin was the first alpha he had become close to in such a short period of time. In fact, even if he expanded the scope to include people who weren’t Inhyongjil, it was an unbelievably quick friendship.

Thinking that far, he felt really strange. He was clearly unpleasant just talking to him at first, but when he came to his senses, this alpha had somehow gotten too close. Jeong-in glanced at Ho-jin. His eyes, which always seemed to smile in a crescent shape, were drooping sadly for some reason.

“…I see.”

He finally let go of Jeong-in’s arm.

“I thought your shoulders and legs might be uncomfortable, so I’ll just do this much today.”

His retreating figure looked a little dejected. Feeling uneasy for no reason, Jeong-in suddenly asked.

“But when did you get here?”

“Since last night.”

It seemed he had stayed up all night here.

“What about training? Don’t you have something to do in the morning?”

“I didn’t go today.”

Jeong-in was a little surprised by Yoo Ho-jin’s words.

“Is that okay?”

“I wonder.”

He leaned against the sink, seemingly lost in thought, then looked at Jeong-in and smiled.

“I’ve never done it before, so I don’t really know. But I don’t think it’ll matter too much for just one day, will it?”

Jeong-in felt the headache that had barely subsided returning, so he touched his forehead. Ho-jin, who had already gathered all the dishes, slung his bag over his shoulder.

“I’m really going now. I’ll be back tonight, but if you need anything in the meantime, just call.”

“Yoo Ho-jin.”

He had no choice but to stop him.

“Don’t come tonight.”

“Why?”

Ho-jin would probably go to work out again today. Staying up all night, finishing training, and then coming all the way to Wirye with that body just to bring him food seemed like too much. But if he said that directly, judging from past experience, Ho-jin would lightly ignore him and bring food anyway.

He needed a different reason. Jeong-in quickly racked his brains. As always, the easiest thing to do was to make up an excuse about having other plans.

“I have someone to meet. I’m eating out for dinner too.”

Ho-jin stared at him silently. Jeong-in’s heart shrank, fearing he’d been caught, and he clenched his fists tightly under the blanket. But the question that came back contained an unexpected name.

“Hyo-jin?”

In truth, he didn’t have the slightest interest in what that person was doing or where, but he nodded anyway.

“Yeah. So don’t come.”

“Okay. I understand.”

Ho-jin surprisingly backed down without a fuss.

The door closed, and Jeong-in was alone again. He let out a deep sigh.

His face contorted from the pain of his split lip, but his physical condition wasn’t bad. No, it was strangely fine.

“…What is this?”

It was as if his heat cycle had ended completely in just one day.