PO 39

It was Woojeong’s first time seeing the scenery of dusk at the Snow Reflection Residence. He opened the window and leaned on the sill, and he gazed at the garden dyed red with the glow of sunset for a long time.

The quiet scenery seen from Woojeong’s own room was nice, but the garden of the Snow Reflection Residence was so magnificent it couldn’t even be compared.

Above the garden where many shades of green blended together, sunlight shone softly, and the wind that blew through the flowers in full bloom carried a pleasant fragrance.

When the trees outside the window swayed in the wind, clear birdsong was also heard. The view made him relaxed, it felt like he had stepped into a small park.

Woojeong reached out his hand into the air to feel the warm breeze, and his eyes stopped on the bracelet around his wrist.

When he undressed to wash, he had noticed the bracelet. It wasn’t hard to guess who had put it on him. He didn’t know for what reason it was given, but for now it seemed fine to keep wearing it.

As Woojeong fiddled with the small bell hanging from the end of the bracelet, he heard the sound of the front door opening.

Han Jaegang, dressed in a suit and holding a shopping bag, stepped inside.

“You’re here.”

Woojeong greeted him with a face mixed with happiness and awkwardness. Han Jaegang only gave him a glance, then he walked straight to the sofa.

He took out the items from the shopping bag one by one and placed them on the arranged table. After he emptied the bag and set it aside, he tapped lightly on the seat next to him.

Understanding that it meant to come closer, Woojeong approached and sat. Han Jaegang opened the lids of the luxurious containers placed in order. It was a plentiful meal with rice, soup, side dishes, and even braised short ribs and grilled fish.

He placed a spoon beside the colorful fruit dessert, telling him to eat quickly.

“You said you hadn’t eaten anything. Weren’t you hungry?”

It wasn’t that he had deliberately skipped meals. His whole body had just felt dull. After sleeping for a long time, he didn’t feel like sleeping again, and he didn’t even feel the thought that he wanted to eat.

Woojeong lingered in Han Jaegang’s space and only waited for him to return. Fortunately, Han Jaegang came back before worry and anxiety completely swallowed Woojeong.

“Eat.”

“Aren’t you eating, Executive Director?”

“Don’t mind me, just eat.”

Eating alone with someone beside him wasn’t comfortable. He couldn’t even taste the food properly, as if his senses truly had dulled. But Woojeong tried hard to eat, thinking of his effort in preparing it for him.

As he ate uncomfortably, Woojeong reached for his cup, since he always drank a lot of water when eating, but then he stopped. Han Jaegang, reclining on the sofa, was stroking Woojeong’s nape slowly with his thumb.

The skin under his clothes was a mess with marks. Countless bruises, faint and dark, spread evenly from the nape to his shoulders, chest, waist, and the insides of his thighs.

“How’s your body?”

“I’m fine.”

“Is the heat calmed down now?”

Whenever his heat passed with suppressants, he usually suffered a high fever for days. But now, except for his body feeling languid, there was no other discomfort. For some reason, that made him feel embarrassed.

“…I don’t really know either.”

“Last night your condition was severe. You almost went into pheromone shock.”

“Pheromone shock?”

It was the first time he had heard those words. When he asked what they meant, Han Jaegang explained calmly.

“Right. Because of the medicine you took, the numbers went up too high.”

“But that was the new suppressant I got from the pheromone center. My brother went and got it himself…”

“I checked directly with the doctor who prescribed the medicine. The sky-blue pills in the bottle weren’t suppressants the doctor prescribed, they were crudely made pheromone stimulants. Do you understand better if I explain that it’s a drug often used for bad purposes because its effect is fast and strong?”

At that moment, the image of Lee Doyoung handing him the pill bottle and telling him to take the sky-blue pills first came to mind.

“So that means Lee Doyoung gave you this medicine knowing exactly what would happen. Why would he go this far?”

In distress, Woojeong let the chopsticks he held drop weakly.

“That’s why yesterday, except for me holding you, there was no other way.”

“……”

“I was swept up by your pheromones too, so I can’t say I didn’t have other feelings.”

He stroked Woojeong’s cheek lightly with the back of his hand, he put his hand into the inner pocket of his jacket. Then he placed a small box he took out in front of Woojeong.

“It’ll be better if you take this.”

Woojeong picked up the box he set down and examined it. After confirming that it was an emergency contraceptive, he nodded and held the box tightly in his hand.

He wanted to thank him for considering even the things Woojeong hadn’t thought of since the start of his heat cycle, but Han Jaegang left as if he had finished saying all he needed to.

•••

At early dawn, Woojeong opened the bedroom door quietly.

Though the day hadn’t yet fully broken, the sofa where Han Jaegang had slept was empty. Only the folded blanket and pillow remained as proof that he had been there.

Thinking he might be somewhere in the house, Woojeong went out to the living room, but the surroundings were silent without a trace of presence.

Disheartened, Woojeong sat quietly on the sofa. When Woojeong said he would sleep there, Han Jaegang had refused, saying he couldn’t treat a guest like that, and sent him to the bedroom.

Woojeong felt restless for driving out the homeowner and taking his bed. Because he had tossed until late and fallen asleep, he must not have even noticed when Han Jaegang prepared for work and left.

Today there was no note stuck to the phone. Woojeong stared silently at the phone screen that showed no notification, then he opened the keypad.

It was already the second day he hadn’t gone home. Han Jaegang told him not to worry, but Woojeong couldn’t let it pass so simply.

By now, except for Madam Kwak who would be preparing breakfast, everyone would still be in deep sleep.

So would it be alright if he made a short call to Madam Kwak to ask what the atmosphere at home was like?

With the home number typed on the keypad, Woojeong bit his nails for a long time before he carefully pressed the call button.

-Hello.

After several rings, he heard Madam Kwak’s familiar voice. Relieved, Woojeong held the phone close to his ear.

“It’s Woojeong.”

-Oh? Oh my! What happened? You didn’t come home and didn’t say anything, do you know how worried I was something happened. Are you alright?

“Yes. Something came up. …The elders must be really angry, right?”

-There was an uproar. But what in the world happened…

Madam Kwak’s fussing voice suddenly cut off. As if she had covered the receiver, no sound came.

“Hello?”

-Lee Woojeong. Where are you now?”

The sudden cold voice made Woojeong swallow his startled breath. He hadn’t expected Kang Eonju to be awake at this hour.

As he wavered, thinking of just hanging up without answering, she continued speaking.

-How could you stay out all night without a word, do you know how worried Mom was? Why are you doing something you never did before. I heard you didn’t even go to the gallery?

Woojeong had expected her to shout in anger, but she sounded concerned. Feeling something was strange, Woojeong found himself making excuses without thinking.

“I’m sorry. I was going to contact you…”

-As long as nothing happened and you’re safe, that’s enough. That’s not the important thing right now. You have to come home right away. Dad collapsed and he’s been admitted to the hospital.

“What? Dad? Why all of a sudden?” Woojeong raised his voice in surprise.

-You know, right? Dad has high blood pressure. Because of you, we had a bit of an argument, and then suddenly he lost consciousness and collapsed. We’ll talk later, for now just come home quickly.

“I’ll go right now.”

When the call ended, Woojeong hurried to change clothes. He folded the clothes he had borrowed from Han Jaegang, then he stood blankly while trying to catch his breath. He was so shocked by the words that his father had collapsed that he couldn’t think straight.

Woojeong put on his outer clothes, took only his phone, and stepped out the door. Maybe because it was too early, there wasn’t a single person outside the building. Slipping quietly out of the Snow Reflection Residence, Woojeong caught a taxi by the roadside.

Inside the taxi heading home, Woojeong fidgeted restlessly alone and turned on his phone. He tried to call Han Jaegang, but then he stopped. There had to be some reason he had gone to work so early.

Woojeong didn’t wanting to disturb him, so he opened the message window but couldn’t type out what he needed to say. He wavered between writing that he was going home or that he had already gone home, and he kept typing a few words and erasing them.

After agonizing, he barely finished a sentence and sent it to him.

[I’m going home because something happened at my house. I’ll contact you again.] 07:02 AM