I Possessed a Terminally Ill Omega - Episode 213
I Possessed a Terminally Ill Omega – Episode 213
“…”
Seo I-Kyung’s fingertips under the table twitched. He felt Han Seung-jae’s sharp eyes carefully caressing his eyes, sweeping down his cheeks, and moving lower. Without avoiding the suspicious gaze that seemed to be searching for something, Seo I-Kyung said:
“You said you didn’t want tea, so I thought you might want to drink alcohol, that’s why I brought it.”
Hadn’t Han Seung-jae drunk tea with Seo I-Kyung before, as if accommodating him? Although Seo I-Kyung couldn’t drink alcohol together because he was pregnant, Han Seung-jae wasn’t originally someone who thought and acted considerately about others’ physical conditions. If Han Seung-jae hadn’t wanted to, he wouldn’t have drunk tea or alcohol together.
Yet he had drunk tea together several times, as if accommodating Seo I-Kyung. So Seo I-Kyung thought that on a day like today, Han Seung-jae might want to drink alcohol. He just wanted to talk while having something Han Seung-jae liked, just as he had done with Jin Seon-yoo.
“That’s all.”
There was no other intention, and even if Seo I-Kyung tried to deceive Han Seung-jae, he would be found out anyway.
He had realized this after trying several times, getting physical wounds and experiencing pain that was etched into his bones. And now, with only a few days left until the cast on his left hand would be removed, he couldn’t make the same mistake. He judged it better to just be honest about his feelings.
Just as Han Seung-jae was about to bring the glass to his lips, Seo I-Kyung said softly:
“Next time, let’s go eat together.”
Han Seung-jae, who had understood, lowered the crystal glass. Seo I-Kyung, who had been continuing to speak, bit the soft flesh inside his mouth. Han Seung-jae was quietly listening, so his mood wasn’t conveyed. Seo I-Kyung glanced down at the table. Then he moved his lips:
“If you have time.”
While Seo I-Kyung spent his days painting in the studio or organizing the newly furnished baby room on the second floor and had relatively more time, Han Seung-jae didn’t. He felt he hadn’t been considerate enough. So he meant that if Han Seung-jae had time, Seo I-Kyung would like to do that.
Han Seung-jae asked indifferently:
“Did you like the food?”
He raised the crystal glass he had lowered. His cold gaze touched Seo I-Kyung as he nodded.
***
Early morning.
“Ugh.”
Jin Seon-yoo groaned, holding his head. He barely raised his upper body, sat on the edge of the bed with difficulty, looked around his familiar room, and suddenly shouted as if remembering something:
“Seo I-Kyung.”
But there was no answer. Jin Seon-yoo felt around the bed for his phone. In his splitting headache, fragmented memories of Seo I-Kyung appeared.
It seemed Seo I-Kyung had desperately tried to wake him several times, and he vaguely recalled Jin Seok-young’s angry voice pounding in his ears.
Jin Seon-yoo got up, searching for his phone that was nowhere to be seen. Then he heard the vibration of the phone from under his feet. He rummaged through the pocket of his coat lying on the floor.
Jin Seon-yoo took out the phone and put it to his ear. Hearing Gwon Gi-jun’s voice, Jin Seon-yoo mumbled in a hoarse voice:
“I-Kyung didn’t take it.”
Jin Seon-yoo’s bloodshot eyes looked down. There lay a crumpled shopping bag. Seo I-Kyung had refused to accept it, saying there was nothing to apologize for to Gwon Gi-jun. But it was unclear why it was so crumpled now. It even seemed to have been stepped on.
But Seo I-Kyung wouldn’t have done this. Jin Seon-yoo recalled Jin Seok-young’s voice continuing like background noise the day before. Without needing to ask or confirm directly, it was something Jin Seok-young would likely have done.
Just as he had treated Jin Seon-yoo like a piece of luggage, he probably did the same with this.
[I bet he only offered once.]
“Isn’t it more problematic to keep insisting when someone says no?”
Jin Seon-yoo raised his voice, thinking Gwon Gi-jun was about to say he lacked tact again. Nevertheless, Gwon Gi-jun said something completely different:
[But why does your voice sound so down?]
That was because he had just woken up after drinking, so no matter how much he raised his voice, it came out cracked.
“Something happened.”
[Why, did something happen because of your brothers again?]
“I don’t know. Why does the back of my head hurt so much? I think my younger brother hit me.”
Jin Seon-yoo rubbed the back of his neck. Other places hurt too. It seemed like Jin Seok-young had come into this room, put him on the bed, and then kicked him.
“Call me when you arrive. I’ll come down.”
Jin Seon-yoo said this to Gwon Gi-jun, who was coming to get the item Seo I-Kyung hadn’t accepted, and ended the call. Afterwards, Jin Seon-yoo checked the message from Seo I-Kyung.
There was a message asking, ‘Are you okay?’
Jin Seon-yoo quickly made a sad face and moved his fingers on the screen.
[Sorry about yesterday, did you get home safely?]
But no matter how long he waited, there was no reply from Seo I-Kyung. Jin Seon-yoo took a shower to clear his head first. Then he called Seo I-Kyung, but again there was no response.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
When Jin Seon-yoo opened the door, an assistant informed him that Gwon Gi-jun had arrived downstairs. Jin Seon-yoo picked up the crumpled shopping bag from under the bed.
Just as Jin Seon-yoo was coming down the stairs, he saw that Gwon Gi-jun wasn’t alone on the first floor. Jin Seok-young was sitting across from him.
“Brother, didn’t you go to work?”
Jin Seok-young, sitting on the sofa, turned his head sharply and widened his eyes.
“It’s Saturday today. Where’s your mind wandering?”
Jin Seok-young clicked his tongue and furrowed his brow, about to launch into a lecture. Jin Seon-yoo ignored him and held out the shopping bag to Gwon Gi-jun.
“Here, take it.”
Jin Seok-young stared at this scene, then got up and started walking leisurely, looking for Jin Tae-won who wasn’t even in the house.
As Gwon Gi-jun took the seemingly stepped-on shopping bag, Jin Seon-yoo bluntly said:
“My younger brother made it like that.”
Of course, Jin Seon-yoo hadn’t seen it happen. But among the three people who had handled the shopping bag – Seo I-Kyung, Jin Seon-yoo, and Jin Seok-young – only one person could have made it end up in this state. There was no need to see it with his own eyes. It was definitely Jin Seok-young.
“I’m 100% sure.”
At Jin Seon-yoo’s firm tone, Gwon Gi-jun gripped the shopping bag. Then, from a short distance away, Jin Seok-young’s voice was heard:
“Aren’t you two eating lunch?”
Jin Seon-yoo looked in that direction and answered:
“I’m good.”
As he said this, Jin Seon-yoo rubbed his stomach. His stomach felt sour, and he didn’t feel like eating anything. Similarly, Gwon Gi-jun looked in the same direction and murmured:
“I have a prior engagement.”
“Is that so? That’s really too bad. Have a meal before you go.”
It was unclear what exactly was too bad. Jin Seon-yoo didn’t have the energy to look into such details. He turned his head and looked with pitying eyes at Gwon Gi-jun, who had to work even on a day like this. He had stopped by to pick up the item personally while out on field work in the area.
As Gwon Gi-jun turned, he said so that only Jin Seon-yoo could hear:
“I’m the only one who can handle your brothers.”
Jin Seon-yoo stared at Gwon Gi-jun’s back as he headed for the door. As he left, Jin Seok-young, who had been watching with eagle eyes, approached and abruptly asked:
“What did he just say?”
“He didn’t say anything.”
“The Department Head Gwon said something. His mouth moved like this, like this?”
It was almost unbearable to watch him gaping like a fish pulled out of water. Jin Seon-yoo wanted to throw him back into the water.
“You saw wrong, brother.”
Jin Seon-yoo squinted. He held his throbbing head and went up the stairs. He couldn’t understand what Gwon Gi-jun’s words meant. And why his heart was pounding so hard.
It seemed the alcohol hadn’t worn off completely yet.
***
The attending physician slowly removed the cast on Seo I-Kyung’s left hand. Seo I-Kyung pulled his arm inward and gently touched his wrist.
“How is it? Does it hurt?”
The attending physician said this while glancing at Han Seung-jae, who was sitting next to Seo I-Kyung on the bed. Seo I-Kyung answered with a more relaxed face:
“Not at all.”
Rather, his arm felt lighter after removing the cast that had been heavy for so long. Seo I-Kyung smiled softly as he looked at his hand moving as he wished.
“It doesn’t hurt at all.”
Suddenly, the smile on Seo I-Kyung’s lips faded sharply. He realized he had forgotten that Han Seung-jae was there. However, the attending physician drew Han Seung-jae’s cold gaze.
“Could you unbutton your shirt a bit now?”