Chapter 270: HE’LL HELP ME
THAT bastard Jeon Hyunsik had actually gone and done it. To think there was someone that insane in this program. He made Park Mirae look like a perfectly normal person in comparison.
Since he was lying in a hospital bed right now, he’d probably been brought here as soon as he passed out. He hoped he’d given them enough to make things difficult for Jeon Hyunsik. He didn’t want to go back to the competition with that guy still around. With Jeon Hyunsik’s high rank, if he wasn’t removed from the show, there was a real chance he’d survive the next elimination.
Then a wave of heat hit him from the inside. His skin still felt warm, but not like it was burning anymore. He’d thought the doctors had already stabilized him. But this rush told him they hadn’t. His stomach cramped, and he felt a strange, hollow ache low in his body. It wasn’t hunger. It was an uncontrolled need. The need was strongest in that one spot between his legs, making him feel like he had to be filled.
Suddenly, something else pushed through the heat. He wanted soft things around him—blankets, clothes, or anything that could hold that specific scent. A scent that made him feel safe and made something low in his stomach stir at the same time. He needed to wrap himself in it, burying his face until the heat and ache faded. His fingers twitched against the sheets, reaching for something that wasn’t there.
As that thought crossed his mind, another wave crashed through him. This time, the groan that escaped his throat was louder than he could hold back.
"Haneul-ah?" a familiar voice he missed so much asked. "Does something hurt? Should I call for a doctor?"
When Eunji stepped into the hospital room, the first thing she saw was Haneul whimpering softly on the bed. She rushed to his side, setting her duffel bag down without even looking where it landed.
Haneul blinked slowly, trying to focus through the blur of tears clouding his vision. His mother’s face came into view, but he couldn’t make sense of it. She was supposed to be at work. How could she be here in Jeju? Maybe he was imagining it. Maybe the heat was messing with his head so much that he’d conjured her face just to feel a little better.
"Mom?" his voice came out rough and cracked. "Is it really you?"
"Oh, my baby," Eunji said softly, cupping her son’s face in her hands. "Where does it hurt?"
The cool touch of his mother’s palms against his skin told him she was real. She was actually here. That was all it took for the tears to spill freely down his cheeks. "M-Mom..."
"Where does it hurt? Do you want me to call a doctor?" Eunji asked, her voice trembling as she looked him over.
Haneul shook his head and pressed his cheek against his mother’s hand. "I-I feel weird," he said, his voice shaking. "There’s... there’s this emptiness inside," he choked out, "and I need it to be filled."
He hadn’t felt this way during his first heat. Back then, he’d been taken to the hospital right away, and whatever symptoms he’d had were handled before they could get bad. He’d learned his lesson and never missed his suppressants after that, making sure he wouldn’t have to go through it again. But now, because of that bastard, he was feeling it all over again. And it was worse this time.
Even though she was a Beta, she understood what her son was craving. And it wasn’t something she could give him. "Haneul, listen," she said, keeping her voice as steady as she could. "There’s a way to make this stop. The doctor can stabilize your pheromones and end the ache. But...but you’ll have to stay here for a week."
Haneul blinked through the tears, his mind struggling to keep up. Even in his current state, he understood what his mother was trying to tell him. Staying here for a week meant The Argo would have to leave without him. And that meant he’d be forced to drop out of the competition. All because of something he hadn’t even done. The thought raised his anger despite the pain.
"N-No... I don’t want to l-leave Boys Odyssey because of th-this," he managed, his voice breaking. He held his mother’s gaze, trying to show her how serious and determined he was. "Isn’t th-there another w-way?"
Eunji stared at her son, taking in the raw determination in his eyes even through the pain. He was suffering, that much was clear. But there was something else there too, a stubborn refusal to give up on what he wanted. It made her chest ache. She still didn’t like the other option. Every part of her wanted to reject it. But seeing him like this, knowing how much this meant to him, she forced herself to speak.
"If an Alpha with a high pheromone match rate to you gives you a temporary mark, it could stabilize your... condition right away." She paused, her voice wavering. "If you’re willing to be... to be marked, then that’s the only other way you can stay in the competition."
Haneul tried to focus on what his mother was saying, but his mind was foggy. The only part that stuck was that someone with a high pheromone match rate could pull him out of this. And there was only one person who came to mind.
"Taeyang..." he mumbled under his breath.
Eunji leaned in closer. "What was that, honey? I didn’t catch it."
"Mom, call Taeyang," Haneul said, his voice gaining a little more strength. "He’ll help me. I know he will."
Eunji was taken aback by how quickly and firmly he said it. His lack of hesitation proved exactly how deep his bond with Jung Taeyang truly was. All those moments she’d seen on the show, they weren’t just editing. If anything, the show had probably downplayed it. She wanted to ask what was really going on between them, but she knew this wasn’t the time.
"Mom, please..." Haneul’s voice cracked, pulling her focus back to him.
"Okay, okay," she said quickly, squeezing his hand. "I’ll go get him. I’ll bring him here."
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