#86
Feeling a sense of unease, Han Jinheon massaged the space between his brows with a bit of regret.
“Whether you get the shot or not, give me a call when you leave the hospital.”
- Okay. Got it.
As soon as he hung up with Han Sol, he immediately called Kim Yujin.
“Han Sol is on his way. I told him not to go straight to the injection room but to see you first, so check his condition when you meet him.”
- Why? Is something wrong with him?
“I think he’s showing pre-manifestation symptoms. I’d like you to look at him carefully, not just a glance. You have to earn the five billion I gave you.”
- Han Jinheon. When have I ever looked at Han Sol carelessly? I’m looking after him like he’s my own little brother.
“Don’t get any ideas, and don’t say anything unnecessary.”
He added the last part because he recalled what Han Sol had said last night.
‘I heard you were already making an alpha list…’
He wasn't deliberately hiding it. It was partly because there was no one suitable enough that he felt embarrassed to even mention them, and also because he couldn't shake an unidentifiable emotion while looking into this or that guy. One thing was certain: no matter who he looked into, it was bothersome.
And Kim Yujin, unaware of his inner thoughts, had mentioned the alpha list. It wasn't her fault. It was his own fault for not only asking her in the first place if she knew any decent guys but also for not warning her to keep it quiet.
After ending the call with Kim Yujin, he massaged his entire face. Now was the time to shake off idle thoughts and focus on work.
Just as his face, hardened from concentrating on one thing, had turned grim without him realizing, the office door opened and Secretary Song rushed in with an urgent look on his face.
Han Jinheon merely looked at him with displeasure for breaking his concentration without permission. Judging by his urgency, it seemed something had happened, so he waited for him to speak first.
“I’ve just received a report from Secretary Jeong and the surveillance staff. Han Sol-ssi has collapsed at the hospital. Before he could see Dr. Kim Yujin.”
“Han Sol collapsed?”
“Yes. They said he seemed to stumble a few times and then suddenly collapsed. For now, he has been moved to a VIP room on the upper floor of the hospital. Dr. Kim Yujin is also there.”
“I'll hear the rest on the way. Have the car ready.”
Han Jinheon shot up from his chair, grabbed his coat, and started walking, with Secretary Song following closely behind. After contacting the driver, he studied Han Jinheon’s face.
His face was as calm as ever, but his eyes were different. He was uncharacteristically agitated. His Adam's apple bobbed heavily, as if he had swallowed dryly.
Secretary Song recalled Han Sol's appearance from the morning and tilted his head. His complexion had been pale, but he was always a fair-skinned person. He did lack energy, but he had dismissed it as him being tired.
He hadn't tried to pinpoint the reason. He figured he would find out someday, but he hadn't wanted to at that moment.
“Has the time finally come?”
Han Jinheon muttered to himself, touching his forehead with his tattooed fingers. Secretary Song glanced at him before looking ahead, guessing what ‘time’ he meant.
Finally, manifestation.
***
Han Jinheon headed straight for the hospital room where Han Sol had been taken. It was a special suite reserved for the HANQ family. Han Sol was lying pathetically on a bed that occupied a corner of the gloomy room, receiving an IV drip mixed with an antipyretic.
Secretary Jeong, who had been sitting anxiously by his side, staring intently at Han Sol, immediately stood up upon spotting Han Jinheon. His face, which had brightened for a moment as if welcoming a long-awaited guardian, darkened again with guilt.
Secretary Jeong bowed deeply to Han Jinheon, who had approached Han Sol's bedside.
“Executive Director, I apologize. I should have taken better care of Han Sol-ssi…. I wasn’t observant enough.”
“I would have been the same, so you don’t need to blame yourself.”
“B-but still…”
“Looking at Han Sol’s face, there isn’t a single scratch. I presume you supported him well the moment he collapsed. That’s enough, so there’s no need for guilt.”
His tone was dry and seemed indifferent, but he was sincere. He was probably uninjured because Secretary Jeong had acted nimbly. After dryly easing the burden of the timid young secretary in his own way, Han Jinheon gestured with his head toward the door.
“You must have been very startled, so compose yourself and return to the company. Secretary Song is right outside, so if you have anything to report, let him know.”
“Understood. Ah, the doctor explained earlier that besides the high fever, he is fine…. She said she mixed the antipyretic and his usual injection into the IV.”
“I see. You’ve worked hard.”
“Yes. I’m sorry, Executive Director.”
Leaving behind another apology, Secretary Jeong exited the room, the alpha’s gaze briefly following him.
It was pathetic, but it was true. If he hadn't yet heard who Han Sol liked, he didn't know how he would have reacted to Secretary Jeong, one of the candidates. At the very least, he wouldn't have been as cool as he was now. Instead of easing his burden, he would have found something to hold against him and added to it.
He was relieved he hadn't shown such an ugly side, but the sight of Han Sol lying there was far from pleasant. He had seen countless cases of people being sickly and in pain before manifestation, but he had never experienced a case of someone collapsing so suddenly. Han Sol was the first.
'Why, of all things, is he the first for something like this? Is he destined to worry me one way or another?'
Moving from the foot of the bed closer to his face, Han Jinheon carefully examined Han Sol’s face. His complexion, even more haggard than in the morning, bothered him. It hadn't been this bad in the morning. It hadn't been like this yesterday.
'Was he sick this morning, and I was just insensitive?'
'Was his condition bad yesterday too?'
'And without knowing, did I push him too hard?'
Looking down at Han Sol, whose eyelids showed no sign of movement, Han Jinheon cautiously raised his hand. Just as the tips of his long fingers began to caress the hair of the person lying down, he sensed a presence just outside the room.
“Sorry. Am I late?”
The alpha, retracting his hand naturally without a hint of surprise, turned his head to see another alpha, Kim Yujin. Her usually neat hair was disheveled, as if she had come in a hurry.
“I heard you were coming and was going to wait, but I had to stop by the hospital director’s office.”
“Why the director?”
“Because of Han Sol, of course. I told him you, Han Jinheon, would be coming as the guardian and to wait a bit, but what does he do? He contacts Madam Lee Geumyoung.”
“This has become a headache.”
“It’s less of a headache than it could be. He was making a fuss about seeing you too, but I stopped him, saying you wouldn't be in a good mood. I said it would be better for him to just meet me rather than stir up trouble. I think he might have misunderstood you as a poorly socialized alpha, though….”
Han Jinheon merely shrugged at her last comment. Kim Yujin straightened her messy hair and walked over to stand opposite him. Looking at the peacefully resting Han Sol, she added.
“Secretary Jeong was here, did you meet him? I don’t know if you heard from him, but besides a high fever, he’s fine. There are no other abnormalities.”
“I heard. It seems like pre-manifestation symptoms, but is that right? What do you think, Dr. Kim?”
“How would I know? He showed up after collapsing. If you want to know in detail, just wait. We drew blood a little while ago and sent it to the lab. If his omega ratio has reached the right level, then it’s definitely pre-manifestation symptoms.”
“Assuming that’s correct, do people collapse like this?”
“It's rare. You know the average age for manifestation. It’s a time when they’re full of vigor, physically strong, and suffer few minor illnesses. Kids like that stubbornly endure muscle pain and fight through high fevers with grit. On the other hand, Han Sol is….”
Two pairs of eyes fixed on Han Sol.
“He's already very thin. He frequently suffers from minor illnesses like colds. And you said he wasn't feeling well today. Whether it’s pre-manifestation symptoms or not, for now, you can assume he went into shock from the sudden fever. It’s not fatal or serious, so you don’t have to worry so much.”
“How can I not worry? He’s never collapsed before, no matter how tough things got.”
At her words that he should rest easy until the test results came out, or until Han Sol woke up, Han Jinheon nodded stoically and took off his coat. He loosened the tie that had been constricting his neck and sat down on the chair provided for guardians.
“Sit on the sofa.”
“It’s fine. I’ll just get lazy.”
“That’s because it’s too small for a big alpha like you.”
Even though it was sturdily built, the chair looked precarious compared to the physique of a large alpha like Han Jinheon. 'Is he not leaving his side because he’s that worried about Han Sol, even though he pretends not to be?' Kim Yujin, making assumptions as she observed the deep concern on his stoic face, put her hands in her lab coat pockets and spoke.
“You should have taken better care of him while observing his condition. He had a slight fever when he came in before. Did he say he opened a window? He said he felt shivery after being exposed to the cold wind.”
“He had a slight fever?”
“Yeah. I told him to take an antipyretic that day, but I don't know if he did. If the slight fever from back then never went away, it would have been a manifestation fever.”
“……”
“Why are you looking at me like that? Don't tell me you didn't know?”
Absurdly, he hadn't known. There had been a few suspicious moments, but he hadn't noticed at all. He should have paid more attention.
A single twitch of his eyebrow was a sufficient answer. Witnessing it, Kim Yujin didn't chastise him for not knowing, but instead moved on with the comforting sentiment that it could happen, and left the room, saying she would go check if the test results were out.
Left alone, Han Jinheon’s gaze shifted from the door to Han Sol. The body, lying still without change even as the two of them had been talking, and the slowly dripping IV, made him feel strange.
“…He’s had a fever since that day?”
'Yesterday, too?' My greed to know what I didn’t know had blinded me.
The regret of not realizing became a lingering attachment. The alpha replayed every situation from the day Han Sol first smelled his pheromones until now, and then sighed.
All the times he had nagged Han Sol about catching a cold were rendered meaningless at once. When he actually had a fever, he had been stupidly unaware.
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