“When did you get here?”
“Just now.”
“Did you take care of everything at work?”
Rubbing his sleep-heavy eyelids with the back of his hand, Heemin peered up at him. Iheon, who had been scrutinizing him with a careful, unreadable gaze, suddenly smirked.
“Even after everything, you’re still the same.”
Heemin wasn’t foolish enough to say he wasn’t afraid. But the truth was, Iheon’s actions had left him more confused than terrified.
After all, a mere kiss wasn’t the end of the world.
Besides, he was the one who had initiated it.
Locking eyes with Iheon, Heemin spoke lightly.
“I’m hungry, Hyung.”
All he’d had was a few bites of snacks. If he was going to build up his tolerance to Alpha pheromones, he needed to get stronger first.
And to do that, he needed to eat.
“Get up.”
Iheon’s command was curt, expression as indifferent as ever.
Heemin hesitated for a moment before trying to stand up.
But the moment he moved, his vision spun wildly.
He groaned and sank back down onto the bed, clutching his head.
God, this body is pathetic.
“Tsk...”
Realizing that Heemin hadn’t followed, Iheon re-entered the room.
“Didn’t you just say you were hungry? What are you doing?”
“...I got dizzy.”
Iheon’s brows furrowed.
“I’ll help you up. Grab my arm.”
“It’s fine. If I wait a little, I’ll feel better...”
“What, you don’t even want to touch me now?”
Iheon’s expression darkened, a dangerous edge creeping into his voice.
That wasn’t what Heemin had meant at all.
But it was clear Iheon had taken it personally.
With a small sigh, Heemin reached out.
“Then hold my hand, like you did this morning.”
His hands were always warm, no matter how cold the rest of him seemed.
Warm enough that letting go felt almost regretful.
“Here.”
Heemin extended his arm without hesitation.
Iheon hesitated only for a fraction of a second before silently taking his hand, his grip firm as he pulled Heemin to his feet.
“I didn’t ask just because I had no other choice,” Heemin added.
He tightened his grip slightly, wanting Iheon to understand.
Iheon’s expression twisted. “You’re trying to fool me again?”
This guy seriously doesn’t know how to take someone at their word.
Heemin exhaled sharply, shaking his head.
Instead of begging him to believe him, like he had in the office earlier, he simply muttered,
“Think whatever you want, you stubborn old man.”
“...What? Old man?”
Iheon’s thick brows twitched, his forehead creasing in annoyance.
His expression was comically sour.
“You’re thirty. That makes you an old man.”
“So are you.”
“Nope. I’m twenty-nine. Jealous?”
“...This little—”
Iheon scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief.
If they hadn’t been holding hands, Heemin was fairly certain he would’ve gotten smacked.
Ignoring Iheon’s displeasure, he strolled casually into the living room.
“Are we having a party today?”
The dining table was packed with food.
It was nothing like the usual single-serving portions Ms. Ahn typically prepared for meals.
Instead, the table was completely overloaded—enough to make the legs groan under the weight.
Heemin blinked, puzzled.
A celebration for our first kiss?
Samgyetang, grilled eel, deodeok root, seasoned bracken, soy-marinated abalone, and octopus sashimi—
Every single dish was known for its stamina-boosting effects.
A recovery feast.
So he poisons me, then gives me medicine after?
If it were Seo Heemin, he would have flipped the table over in fury, shouting about how insulting it was.
But Heemin?
He just smirked.
Fine. If this is how you want to play it, let’s see who lasts longer, Cha Iheon.
Unlike Seo Heemin, Heemin wasn’t the type to turn down a free meal—especially when it was a table full of stamina-boosting food. If anything, this was perfect timing.
For all the cruelty and possessiveness Iheon displayed, when it came to food, he was surprisingly considerate.
Not once since Heemin had come here had Iheon forced him to eat the same plain diet of greens and chicken breast that he himself consumed.
Instead, he had ensured that every meal was prepared with high-quality ingredients.
And when Heemin wanted pizza? He let him order as much as he wanted.
It didn’t matter how much he despised Seo Heemin—Iheon never neglected his meals.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
Which meant that after hearing from Dr. Hwang, he had undoubtedly ordered these dishes specifically for Heemin’s recovery.
“Thank you for the meal!”
Without hesitation, Heemin grabbed his utensils and sat down.
He hesitated for a moment, unsure where to start, when Iheon picked up a piece of eel, its glossy surface coated in rich sauce, and placed it on Heemin’s plate.
“So, does this mean you finally believe me?”
“No. I don’t.”
“Then why serve me food? You’re going to make me think you care.”
“Because you’re at least trying.”
Iheon’s voice was laced with sarcasm.
Even now, he clearly believed Heemin was just pretending to be twenty-one.
Yet despite his sharp words, his expression was calmer than before.
The rage he had shown that morning was nowhere to be seen.
Popping the piece of eel into his mouth, Heemin lifted his gaze, slowly taking in the man seated across from him.
Broad chest. Strong shoulders. Sharp jawline. Defined lips.
Even his skin, which should have been exhausted from stress, looked smooth and healthy.
Maybe because he had finally let out some of his pent-up pheromones.
Today, for some reason—he looked even more attractive than usual.
“Why are you staring at me like that?”
“I was just thinking... even for an old man, you’re ridiculously good-looking.”
Iheon’s chopsticks froze midair.
His brow twitched slightly, clearly displeased with the old man comment.
“And your face looks even better than usual today. You're a mass murderer, all right—an absolute squid slayer.”
Iheon’s frown deepened, as if the word murderer had struck a nerve.
But after a moment, he simply exhaled, shoving a bite of grilled deodeok into his mouth.
He clearly had no intention of talking about his recovered state.
“Hyung.”
“What now?”
“Can I start using the gym from tomorrow?”
Iheon’s mansion had an entire gym equipped with high-end fitness machines.
Heemin had no experience with that kind of workout—his only exercise had been playing around on park equipment back in his old world.
But it was time to start somewhere.
Even if all he did was walk on the treadmill, it was a start.
“...You? Exercise?”
Iheon looked at him like he had just declared he was going to climb Mount Everest barefoot.
Given that Seo Heemin had never shown any interest in physical activity, it was no surprise.
Iheon’s words from earlier echoed in his head—“I won’t be fooled twice.”
It was clear that from now on, everything Heemin did would be met with suspicion.
Winning his trust again wasn’t going to be easy.
Letting out a small sigh, Heemin muttered, “I just don’t want to keep passing out all the time.”
Of course, what he really wanted to say was, I need to build up the stamina to have healthy sex with you.
But there were some things even he couldn’t say out loud.
Iheon didn’t respond immediately.
Instead, he stared at Heemin, as if searching for the real meaning behind his words.
Just as he was about to speak, his phone rang.
“Eat.”
Checking the caller ID, he immediately stood up and walked away.
A work-related call, no doubt.
Now left alone, Heemin idly poked at his food.
He hadn’t heard what Iheon had been about to say.
It felt like it had been important.
Resting his chin on his hand, he decided to wait for him to come back.
“Schedule the executive meeting for 8 AM. At 10, I have the management team meeting. Lunch with Chairman Yoon of Wooshin Construction—make a reservation. And for dinner, finalize the deal we postponed last time. Set up the meeting.”
When Iheon finally returned, he was still talking on the phone with Secretary Jung.
The postponed deal...
That had to be the fifty-billion-won transaction.
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As Heemin mulled over it, another thought popped into his head.
“Then who’s taking me to the hospital tomorrow?”
His appointment was at 9 AM.
With meetings at 8 and 10, that meant he wasn’t planning to go with him this time.
Sure enough, after hanging up the call, Iheon replied indifferently, “No one. I canceled the appointment.”
Heemin blinked.
“Canceled? Why?”
“Because it’s a waste of time.”
Iheon’s voice was calm, but his words were razor-sharp.
“You and that doctor were lying about the whole dissociative identity disorder thing, weren’t you? I’m not wasting my time on something so obvious.”
His tone was flat, matter-of-fact.
Picking up his utensils, he added, “If you really want treatment for your nightmares, I’ll bring in a different psychiatrist. That should be enough, right?”
“No. I don’t want anyone else. I want Dr. Eun-kyung.”
“If you’re really a separate person from Seo Heemin, then there’s no reason for you to insist on her, is there?”
Iheon’s eyes were cold, unmoving.
He wasn’t wrong.
But Heemin needed to keep seeing Dr. Eun-kyung.
She wasn’t just any psychiatrist—she was someone who had known Seo Heemin personally.
She might have answers.
There were gaps in the novel’s narrative, details that had never been explored.
Dr. Eun-kyung could fill in those missing pieces.
If he lost her, he lost a valuable source of information.
There was no way in hell he was letting that happen.