Chapter Text
🦌🦦🍒🍊🐢
Almost two weeks had passed since Seungcheol arrived on the island. Every morning at 8:00 AM, Hansol woke up early to help his cousin with his daily necessities, making sure he was comfortable. Even though his body was still healing, Seungcheol stayed busy. He spent hours on his phone, attending important business calls, handling work through Minjae, and keeping track of the police search for his stepbrother. Meanwhile, Jisoo was dividing his time between the daycare, the new play school construction, and showing love and care to his Omega.
At the breakfast table, Jisoo looked over at the alpha in the wheelchair. "Cheol, today we have to visit the hospital to check your arms and legs. I think the doctor will finally remove your cast."
Hansol let out a loud sigh of relief. "Thank goodness."
Seungkwan smiled, setting down a plate. "No, thank Dr. Min."
Hansol nodded in agreement.
Chan looked up from his food, turning to Jisoo with wide eyes. "Then he can play games with two hands, right?"
Jisoo shot him a sharp glare, making Chan quickly shut his mouth.
Seungkwan paused, looking between Jisoo and Seungcheol. "Wait... is he going to keep staying here after the cast is off?"
"I will leave soon," Seungcheol said quietly, looking down at his lap.
Jisoo’s brow furrowed into a deep frown. "Not until you get fully good."
"I have so much work to do, Shua," Seungcheol explained, his voice rough. "I can't just keep on staying here forever."
Jisoo gave a cold nod, turning his back to walk into the kitchen. "Okay. Do whatever you want. It's upon you, who cares."
Seeing Jisoo's typical stubborn attitude, Hansol secretly gave a quick thumbs-up to Seungcheol under the table, making the older alpha glare him.
-- 🐯🍚
Meanwhile, at the Lee family household, Mrs. Lee was busy organizing some papers at the dining table. She turned to her husband with an excited smile. "Honey, can we hold the marriage by this month's end?"
Mr. Lee looked up from his newspaper, frowning slightly. "Isn't that way too rushed? We have to wait and ask our son first. We can't just decide something like this by ourselves."
Mrs. Lee laughed, waving her hand dismissively. "Oh, you don't know what happened that night. Jihoon was drunk, and Hoshi was taking care of him in his room. They looked so sweet together. I actually walked in at the completely wrong timing! Before Jihoon gets pregnant, we absolutely have to do the wedding."
"But honey," Mr. Lee sighed, shaking his head. "Hoshi or Jihoon need to propose first, and they need to decide the date together. We can't force them into this."
"Yeah, I know that," Mrs. Lee pouted. "I just hope Jihoon understands and makes it easier for me."
Up on the staircase, Jihoon was standing quietly, having overheard the entire conversation. “What the fuck,” he thought to himself, his face burning with embarrassment. He slowly turned around and returned to the quiet privacy of his bedroom.
He sat on the edge of the mattress, thinking about Hoshi's words from the backyard. Hoshi had explicitly told him that he wanted to stop the fake boyfriend play because he didn't want it to lead to a real wedding. But he was still trying to help. Jihoon remembered how the alpha had threatened him, saying that if he fell for him in reality, he would never leave him alone. “Creep,” Jihoon murmured to himself, but a strange warmth settled in his chest.
He fell back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. He pulled out his phone, scrolled to Hoshi's contact, and dialed the number.
"Hi," Jihoon said flatly when the line connected.
"Jihoon-ah, I miss you so much," Hoshi’s cheerful voice instantly boomed through the speaker.
Jihoon bit his inner cheek, a small, genuine smile forming on his lips despite himself. "Stop it, Hoshi, or I will literally kill you."
Hoshi chuckled softly on the other end. "I told you already, if you enter my heart, I will lock you up forever. What should I do now?"
"Don't worry," Jihoon retorted, his tone playful. "I have a spare key. I will just go by myself."
He could hear Hoshi laughing out loud through the line. "Why did you call me now anyway, boss?" Hoshi asked, calming down.
Jihoon's smile faded a bit, replaced by a sigh. "My mother is already worrying about our marriage. She wants it by the end of the month."
"So?"
"So..." Jihoon trailed off, not knowing what to say.
"No way, my dear Jihoon," Hoshi teased, his voice dropping into a dramatic register. "Just tell me 'I love you' right now, and I will come running over there with a real ring."
Jihoon smiled widely, rolling his eyes. "Fuck off."
"Mmm, it seems like I still need to impress you a lot more," Hoshi mused.
"Yeah. Work hard."
"Sure. When are you coming to the house?" Hoshi asked.
"I don't know yet. I have some paperwork here that I need to complete first."
"You don't need your favorite assistant to help you?"
Jihoon chuckled softly, his heart doing a small flip. "If you keep your mouth shut, you are always welcome here."
"Sure, I will be there soon," Hoshi promised.
The line went dead with a click. Jihoon lowered the phone, a bright, beautiful smile completely covering his face. He had to admit, there was a strange, undeniable charm to that hamster. “Fucking hamster,” Jihoon whispered into the quiet room, resting a hand over his chest. “You are really making my heart go bad.”
------------------- 🍒⚔️
Seungcheol was in his guest room, adjusting his left hand on his lap as his phone began to ring. He slid the screen to answer the incoming call from Dr. Seokmin and put it on speaker.
"Hi! How are you? I hope you are smiling and healthy today," Seokmin’s cheerful voice came through the line.
Seungcheol shook his head slightly, staring at his cast. "Yeah, doctor, I feel okay now. But I am just scared that I will bring—"
"Bring happiness to your place?" Seokmin interrupted with a chuckle.
"Allow me to complete my sentence," Seungcheol muttered.
"Go ahead," the doctor replied, calming down.
"I am scared that something bad will happen to them because of me," Seungcheol confessed, his voice dropping into a low register.
"Well, it seems like anywhere you are is dangerous to survive lately," Seokmin noted practically. "So I just want to know, how do you honestly feel being around them right now?"
"Of course I feel happy," Seungcheol murmured, looking toward the bedroom door. "But I don't want to get attached to them again, so I am maintaining a distance."
"Man, if I were an omega, I would just marry you right now," Seokmin joked over the phone.
Seungcheol let out a low laugh, his jaw tight. "You don't know when I will change back into a monster."
"I can handle you easily, Mr. Choi. So your ex-lovers are not scared of you?"
"First, I thought Hanie would be completely scared of me," Seungcheol admitted softly. "But seeing me trapped in this wheelchair, he just pities me now."
Seokmin let out a quiet chuckle. "Yeah..."
"Don't laugh, Dr. Lee," Seungcheol sighed, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Seokmin kept a small grin in his tone. "So, who is helping you with the basic things? Like taking a bath and changing your clothes, huh?"
"Are you really a doctor? Why are you teasing me like this?" Seungcheol whined, his cheeks turning a bit pink. "I would be dying of shame if Shua or Hanie had to help me change my clothes or take a bath. My cousin Hansol is helping me with everything."
"So, are you going to leave them the moment you get good?"
Seungcheol stayed completely silent for a moment.
"Tell me honestly, Mr. Choi. I will help you make a good decision," Seokmin urged gently.
"Honestly... to be perfectly honest with you, I don't want to leave," Seungcheol confessed, his voice turning raw and emotional. "I love it here. I am eating meals with a room full of people. The dining table is always full, and the house here is so noisy. It feels so full just to see so many people around. And Hanie... he helps me to eat. He sits near me casually at the table. Every day, he falls asleep on the couch after an hour, and I sneak a chance to touch his belly. The baby... my baby... I can feel it clearly. He moves around inside. It honestly seems like he is giving me a high-five against my palm. I love it so much. I don't ever want to wake up from this beautiful dream."
"Man..." Seokmin sighed softly on the other end. "So you are forcing yourself to run away again. Earlier, when you were still in Seoul, you explicitly told me you would move on."
"Yeah, I told you I would move on because I don't want to disturb their lives," Seungcheol muttered, clenching his right fist. "I am going to do the exact same thing now. I am going to leave the moment the casts are removed from my limbs."
"And then you will come back here, and your menace of a family will just try to kill you all over again," Seokmin pointed out flatly.
"It is all because of you!" Seungcheol barked back defensively.
"What did I even do wrong?!"
"You explicitly told me to be kind to everyone in my life!" Seungcheol hissed, his temper flaring for a second. "So I followed your advice, and that motherfucker of a stepbrother drugged my coffee and tried to blow me up!"
"Gosh, Mr. Choi, are you stupid?!" Seokmin scolded, losing his professional tone for a fraction of a second. "I told you to be kind to everyone, yes. But when you clearly know that your enemies or untrustworthy people are standing near you, you still need to be aware! That is just basic common sense! Did your mother not teach you that?"
"No, my mother didn't teach me," Seungcheol stated flatly, his voice turning ice cold. "She was never existing to me. I don't have—"
Seokmin's breath caught, instantly realizing he had crossed a painful boundary. "Sorry, Mr. Choi... I just... I was... I..."
"Its fine now you know how i am doing.. then bye" Seungcheol cut him off quietly.
"No, wait! Don't hang up yet," Seokmin rushed out. "I want to talk to you. You are saying that you are happy to be in Jeju and still now your two lovers didn't harsh on you and taking care of you seems like they don't hate you so.."
"So?"
"So take your chance again Mr.Choi."
"What the fuck?!" Seungcheol gasped. "You told me to move on before!"
"Yes, I told you that when you thought they didn't want you near, and when you told me they were scared on you," Seokmin explained rapidly, his tone turning highly analytical. "But look at the reality now. Joshua, right? He brought you all the way to Jeju, to his own home, because he didn't want to leave you alone in that hospital. He might have saved your life out of basic kindness, but why did he have to take you to Jeju? He clearly knows that his Omega, your ex, is pregnant and doesn't want you near, but he took you anyway."
"Because he pity on me," Seungcheol muttered hollowly.
"Mr. Choi, no, it is not just that. He might pity your injuries, but he knows how wealthy you are. You could have easily arranged a secure, private place on your own in Seoul with full security. But he didn't want you to be completely alone in that city. That is the exact reason why he brought you to his house."
"I think it's just because he didn't trust my corporate employees after the betrayal," Seungcheol countered, looking down.
"But that is absolutely not his job to fix, Mr. Choi! That is what I am trying to tell you," Seokmin pressed firmly. "He brought you here, which means he doesn't hate you, nor does he love you yet. If you think your happiness is there, and if you really can control your anger now, you can take a step forward and get another chance."
"But I can't take advantage of his basic kindness," Seungcheol whispered.
"Look at you, you have truly changed, Mr. Choi," Seokmin noted with a soft smile. "You are not the same selfish person you told me about in your past stories. Just approach them again slowly. If they reject you, you can always come back to Seoul, but at least you will leave knowing that they are good. What will you do if any of your ex-lovers happen to have feelings on you again?"
"No way. They don't have any after what I did to them," Seungcheol stated with absolute, unyielding certainty.
"But who knows? Just clear the air when you reach back to Seoul."
"Yeah, got it."
"Ok, Mr. Choi. Is there anything else you want to talk about right now, or should I call you tomorrow for another session?"
"For now, no. I'm good," Seungcheol said.
"Okay. Take care," Seokmin said, and the call ended with a soft click.
Seungcheol ended the call with his left hand, letting out a long breath. But the exact fraction of a second he turned his wheelchair around toward the door, his eyes instantly widened. His heart stopped completely.
Standing right inside the doorway, holding a fresh set of clothes, was the person who had been listening to the conversation.
"What... what are you doing here?" Seungcheol stammered, his face turning pale in a second. "When did you come?"
---------- 🍒🦦🦌🐯🐢🍊😇
Chan stood frozen in the doorway, awkwardly gripping the bundle of new clothes. He stammered nervously, "No... hyung, Jisoo hyung sent me here to give the washed clothes of yours."
Seungcheol's left hand tightly held his phone against his lap. He stared at the younger boy with a very serious expression. "Wait... till how much did you hear?"
Chan gulped heavily, looking down at his feet. "You won't beat me, right?"
"I'm not in the position to do that, Chan," Seungcheol muttered, gesturing faintly to his heavy casts and wheelchair.
Chan let out a nervous laugh, trying to ease the tension. "Right, you can't even chase me, haha!"
Seungcheol did not laugh. He kept glaring at Chan, expecting a real answer.
Chan scratched the back of his neck and sighed. "Uhh... I was... I came when you said something bad will happen because of you."
"It was the starting conversation," Seungcheol's voice dropped. "So you were there all the time."
"I'm sorry," Chan said quickly, raising his hands. "I promise I won't tell this to any of them."
Seungcheol nodded his head slowly, accepting the promise.
Chan leaned against the doorframe, his tone turning surprisingly thoughtful. "But really, hyung... do what your heart says. If that doesn't cause any harm to anyone, you can do it. Confess your feelings to Jisoo hyung and Jeonghan hyung. Be a part of our family. Don't go back to Seoul."
Seungcheol gave a faint, flat smile and nodded. He did not say anything out loud.
"No, seriously, I will help you, don't worry," Chan encouraged him with a bright grin. "And Jisoo hyung asked you to come out for lunch now."
Seungcheol nodded again. Chan stepped into the room, took hold of the handles, and carefully pushed the wheelchair out into the dining room. He settled Seungcheol right by the table and sat down in the chair next to him.
Hoshi was already sitting at the corner of the dining table, a completely idiotic smile plastered across his face.
Chan looked at him and frowned. "What is that smile for?"
"I went to see Jihoon," Hoshi bragged happily, leaning over the table. "And I told him I like him. He said 'I'm likeable, so everyone likes me. Better luck next time, Rat!'"
Chan let out a dull scoff. "Man, he literally rejected you."
"No, he was just teasing me," Hoshi argued, waving his fork. "I can clearly see it in his eyes. I was right there."
"Whoever is speaking to you, their eyes will naturally reflect your own image," Chan shot back smoothly.
"You don't understand true love," Hoshi huffed, turning away.
Seungcheol let out a quiet sniff, his nose twitching from the delicious smell of the lunch dishes. Hoshi immediately noticed him.
"Finally, I get some time to speak with you, man," Hoshi complained, pointing an accusing finger at the alpha. "Your bodyguard... that fucking bastard just throwed me like a stone that night! You know, I just left him alone because he happens to have my darling's name. Or else, I would have broken his jaw on the porch. You know I'm a black belt in Taekwondo."
"He also knows that," Seungcheol replied flatly.
"I'm in the 4th level!" Hoshi added proudly, puffing out his chest.
"He is in the 5th level," Seungcheol countered calmly. "And he knows other martial arts like karate, kung fu, kickboxing—"
Hoshi quickly raised his hands to cut him off, his face falling. "Enough. I get it."
Seungcheol smiled softly. He looked up and saw Hansol coming down the stairs from the first floor. Hansol was holding Seungkwan's hand tightly, giving him a mischievous wink with every single step they took down the stairs. They walked over and sat down directly opposite them. Seungcheol just smiled, feeling a deep warmth from the lively house.
A moment later, Jeonghan walked into the room from the backyard garden and sat down in his usual spot right next to Seungcheol. Over the past two weeks, it had become a normal routine for Jeonghan to sit next to the alpha and help him sort out his dishes. Jisoo had felt a bit jealous at first, but later on, he didn't mind it anymore. Sometimes, Jisoo would even sit next to Seungcheol himself and help him handle the food spoon.
Today, Jisoo took his seat directly opposite Jeonghan.
As the meal began, Jisoo stretched his legs out under the table, intentionally tangling them with Jeonghan’s. Jeonghan’s eyes widened slightly, a beautiful smile breaking across his lips as he lowered his head to hide his blush. Jisoo kept teasing him, sliding his feet further inside the cuffs of Jeonghan's loose pants. Jeonghan shot him a cute, warning glare across the table, but Jisoo just winked back playfully.
Jeonghan shook his head with a soft chuckle. He looked over at the alpha, who was quietly eating his food with his left hand. Jeonghan reached out with his chopsticks, picked up a piece of meat from the center plate, and gently placed it into Seungcheol’s spoon.
Jisoo cleared his throat, breaking the quietness. "Baby, I'm taking Cheol to the hospital tonight for his check-up. Do you wanna come along?"
"I'm feeling a bit tired today. No, I won't come," Jeonghan replied softly.
"And he says he is going to leave the house once the cast is removed," Jisoo added flatly.
Jeonghan’s head snapped around in a single second. He turned toward Seungcheol, his eyes looking desperate and deeply hurt by the sudden news.
Sensing the heavy drop in the room, Chan quickly disrupted the silence. "Hyung! Hyung, I wanna come!"
Jisoo looked at him, his brow furrowing. "Why you?"
"I'm bored. I just wanna come along," Chan insisted. Under the table, Chan reached his hand out, placed it onto Seungcheol’s thigh, and gave it a reassuring, friendly pat.
Seungcheol kept eating, but a bit of white soup cream accidentally smudged near his lower lip. Without a single second thought, Jeonghan reached his hand out, smoothly wiped the cream away with his index finger, and casually went right back to eating his own food.
The entire dining table instantly froze dead in their tracks. Everyone stopped chewing, their eyes fixed on the couple in absolute shock. The only person who didn't notice the tension was Hoshi, who was still happily munching on his side dishes.
Hansol cleared his throat awkwardly, breaking the freezing silence. "Hyung... he still has one perfectly good hand. He can wipe his own lips easily."
Jeonghan’s face flushed a deep shade of crimson as he realized what he had just done without thinking.
Chan quickly spoke up to defend him, waving his chopsticks. "But look at him, he was actively holding a spoon with his left hand! It would be very hard for him to wipe it."
Seungkwan shot Hansol a knowing look and countered Chan, "He could just put his spoon down on the table for a second and wipe it off himself."
"He might not have seen his own lips," Chan argued back aggressively, determined to help his new chess partner. "And if he dropped his spoon trying to do too many things, he would have to pick up all the egg and meat from the bowl again. It would be entirely too hard for him."
Embarrassed by the back-and-forth chatter, Jeonghan just turned his face toward Jisoo, his eyes pleading for comfort.
Jisoo looked back at his Omega, his expression calm and understanding as he assured him softly, "I understand, baby. No worry."
Chan leaned closer to the wheelchair, giving a sly wink to Seungcheol as he muttered quietly near his ear, "I will take care of the situation, don't worry."
Seungcheol just let out a quiet, grateful smile, keeping his head down as he continued eating his lunch in the warm comfort of the house.
------------ 🦌😇🍒🦦
Jisoo was in their ground-floor bedroom getting ready to head back to the daycare. Jeonghan was lying down on the mattress, watching him adjust his collar.
"Jisoo... is Seungcheol really leaving after the casts are removed?" Jeonghan asked softly.
Jisoo let out a quiet sigh. "Yeah, baby. I told him to stay, but... pride. He still thinks about his pride and wants to go soon. Who cares anyway."
"But that Seungri is still not arrested," Jeonghan murmured, his hand moving protectively over his stomach. "I'm scared."
"Baby, he can protect himself."
"But he... he couldn't protect himself last time," Jeonghan countered, his eyes full of worry. "How can he do it now?"
Jisoo stopped what he was doing and looked at his Omega. "You don't want him to leave?"
"No, it's not like that," Jeonghan muttered, looking down.
"Baby, be honest with me."
Jeonghan bit his lower lip, leaning back against the pillows. "Jisoo... I don't know. I am not sure. It's just... I want him to be safe and assured."
Jisoo let out a long sigh, walking over to the side of the bed. "So you think this house is his safe place?" He chuckled softly, though his expression remained serious. "We are actually the ones in danger because he is here under our roof."
Jeonghan lowered his head, keeping quiet because he knew the statement was true.
Jisoo crawled onto the bed and sat down right next to him, his voice softening. "Baby, I can't force him to stay. If he insists on leaving, I can't do anything about it."
"I understand, baby," Jeonghan whispered.
"He came here as a guest, and he will leave us as a guest. No hard feelings for us," Jisoo stated flatly. Jeonghan nodded his head slowly.
Jisoo checked his watch. "I will go to the daycare now and get a quick look at the play school construction. I will be back by the evening, around 5:00 or 6:00 PM, and then I will take him straight to the hospital for the appointment, okay?"
Jeonghan nodded. "Okay."
"Take care, baby," Jisoo said. He leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to Jeonghan's forehead before turning on his heel.
Jisoo walked out of the room and left the house, his shoes clicking against the pavement. In the morning, he had angrily told the alpha 'who cares' when Seungcheol mentioned leaving. But now, walking down the street, his heart felt incredibly heavy. “How will he even survive out there on his own?” Jisoo thought. He didn't want to care about him, but low-key, his heart kept wondering what the meaning of this entire mess was. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and continued walking through the quiet neighborhood streets.
Back inside the living hall, Jeonghan came out of the bedroom and sat down on the couch. Seungcheol was sitting in his wheelchair, focused on typing something onto his phone with his working hand. Suddenly, a loud scream broke the silence.
"Ahhhhh! No!" Seungcheol groaned.
Chan beamed happily from the couch, throwing his hands up. "Heyy! I won!"
Jeonghan just sat back, quietly staring at the back of their heads.
"I am doing this with only one hand," Seungcheol argued defensively, rolling his eyes at the screen. "I still got 6 points. You played with two hands and got only 8 points."
"It doesn't matter," Chan grinned widely, looking completely proud. "The one who won is the king."
Seungcheol rolled his eyes again, letting out a tired sigh. Jeonghan just shook his head at their bickering, reached into his basket, and picked up his knitting needles to start sewing the baby sweater again.
"Hyung, let's do another one!" Chan demanded, tapping his screen.
"No, brat. You cheat," Seungcheol scoffed.
"Come on! I will be easy on you this time, I promise."
Seungcheol turned his face away. "God, so rude."
The hours passed quickly, and by 4:00 PM, Jisoo walked back through the front door. He skidded to a halt just outside the living hall entrance, watching the quiet scene.
Chan was completely asleep, sprawled out over the entire length of the sectional couch. Nearby in the armchair, Jeonghan had also fallen fast asleep. He was still holding his knitting needles, his head thrown back against the cushion as he let out soft, rhythmic snores.
Jisoo smiled warmly at the sight. But just as he was about to take a step forward into the room, he noticed Seungcheol moving. The alpha was carefully steering his wheelchair with his left hand, rolling quietly toward the sleeping Omega.
Jisoo’s eyes frowned deeply. He took a quick step back into the shadow of the doorway, staying hidden as he watched the scene with absolute focus.
Seungcheol rolled right up to the side of the armchair. Moving with extreme care, he slowly removed the knitting needles and yarn from Jeonghan's relaxed hands and kept them aside on the table. Then, breathing softly, he slowly placed his left palm directly onto Jeonghan's stomach.
"Baby... how are you?" Seungcheol whispered in a low, trembling voice.
Under his hand, he felt a distinct, sudden kick. Seungcheol let out a wet chuckle, his face softening. "Did you miss me? I love you so much."
A single tear escaped his lashes, and soon, Seungcheol was silently crying right there by the chair. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, his shoulders shaking as fresh tears fell heavily down his cheeks. "I have to talk to you like a secret diary... but please forgive your dad. You will, right? You will be just like Jeonghan... sweet, kind, and lovable. I'm so sorry I won't be able to stay with you. Shua will take care of you. He will love you so much."
Seungcheol rapidly wiped his wet face with his sleeve, but the fresh tears kept falling. He placed his hand back over the bump, trying to calm his breathing. "Do you like me?"
The baby moved again, pushing right against his palm. Seungcheol smiled beautifully through his tears. "I love you too. I wonder how you look... do you want to be pretty or handsome? Pretty?"
The baby didn't move at all.
"Handsome?" Seungcheol asked softly. The baby instantly gave a strong kick.
Seungcheol chuckled quietly under his breath. "Ooh, handsome? But both your fathers are so pretty, Hanie and Shua. So you will definitely be pretty like them too."
He lifted his left hand, pressed a soft, lingering kiss against his own inner palm, and then carefully placed that exact spot right back down onto Jeonghan's stomach, giving an indirect kiss to the baby. "Sleep well."
He then reached over to the couch, smoothly snatched the blanket away from a fast-asleep Chan, and draped it carefully over Jeonghan’s frame, tucking him in securely to keep the evening chill away.
Hiding in the corridor, Jisoo slowly walked back out toward the foyer, his mind completely blown to pieces. He didn't know what to do. “What the fuck was Seungcheol whispering to Jeonghan's stomach?” he thought, his chest tight.
But he had seen him crying so miserably. He was actively talking with the baby. Jisoo lowered his eyes, a strange wave of profound sympathy hitting his mind against his will. “Doesn't he deserve to feel this? Am I making a sin by keeping him away?” Jisoo thought, before shaking his head. “No. He chose this path! He left Jeonghan miserable in Seoul... But... he has clearly changed now.... So? That doesn't mean what he did in the past was correct!.... But he asked for forgiveness, and he promised he would never do the same thing again...”
Jisoo let out a long, heavy sigh, his mind and his heart doing a massive war inside his head. He shook his head to clear the frustration. “Whatever. Whatever Jeonghan says and feels, I will follow that.”
Steeling his expression, Jisoo finally walked out into the open living hall, pretending he had just arrived. Seungcheol was already back in his corner, working on his laptop using only his left hand.
Jisoo cleared his throat. "Huh... do you want any snacks or anything to drink before we go?"
Seungcheol looked up and offered a warm, genuine smile. "No, it's fine. Thank you, Shua." He then turned his face right back to his laptop screen.
Jisoo stood there for a second, narrowing his eyes into a sharp glare at the back of the alpha's head. He mocked him silently, moving his lips to mouth the words with a dramatic twist: “nO iTs FiNe, ThAnK yOuUu~ hmm.”
He mumbled an annoyed breath under his breath and marched straight into the kitchen to grab a glass of water before the hospital trip.
-------------- 🦌🦦🍒
Inside the clean examination room of the Jeju hospital, the doctor moved carefully, using the medical tool to slice through the heavy plaster. He slowly removed the cast from Seungcheol's right hand and left leg, setting the white pieces aside. He gently lifted the alpha's arm a few inches. "Did you get any pain?"
Seungcheol shook his head slowly, moving his fingers bit by bit. "No, I just feel numb."
"He is okay now," the doctor explained, checking the skin. "We have to start the rehabilitation process soon. After a month of exercises, he will feel completely okay."
Jisoo stepped closer to the table, his voice flat. "He is okay to travel right now, right doctor?"
"Of course he is," the doctor nodded.
Chan immediately jumped into the conversation, waving his hands. "No, but he can be alone right, doctor?"
"Uhh... yes, he can be," the doctor replied, looking a bit confused.
"But think about it, doctor," Chan pressed, leaning forward on his knees. "Alone... alone... ALONE..."
The doctor blinked, tapping his pen. "Well, it might be a little difficult at first without assistance."
Jisoo crossed his arms. "He can easily hire servants to manage him."
"Yeah, then he will be perfectly okay," the doctor agreed, nodding.
Chan shook his head aggressively. "Doctor, think about his mental health!"
Jisoo shot a sharp, warning glare at the younger boy, his jaw tight. The doctor frowned, looking back and forth between Jisoo and Chan two times, trying to understand the sudden argument. "I think the patient needs to decide for himself. If he is fine being alone, he can go."
"He told me this morning that he wants to leave," Jisoo stated plainly.
"But I don't want him to leave, hyung!" Chan argued back.
"We can't decide that, Chan," Jisoo's voice dropped into a stern register. "He needs to decide."
Sitting in the chair, Seungcheol stared at his newly freed left leg before mumbling quietly, "I also don't want to leave."
Jisoo's eyes narrowed instantly, a spark of absolute irritation hitting his face. "Mr. Choi Seungcheol. You don't have amnesia, right? Just this morning, you explicitly said, 'I can't just keep on staying here forever.'"
Seungcheol looked up, meeting the Beta's sharp gaze with a vulnerable look. "Not forever... but I can stay for some more days, right?"
Jisoo turned his face away toward the wall, letting out an annoyed breath.
"Yeah, exactly! He needs to get fully well, so he has to stay here with us," Chan added, nodding.
Jisoo stood straight up, placing both of his hands firmly on his hips as he stared at the alpha. "Did you pay him, Cheol? Did you pay Chan to speak for you like a lawyer?"
Seungcheol's eyes turned wide in surprise, and he rapidly shook his head side to side. "No!"
Chan's face instantly lit up. "Wait... I can get a payment for doing this?" He whirled around to face the wheelchair. "Hyung, will you give me some money?"
Seungcheol nodded his head automatically, then suddenly realized what he was doing and shook his head rapidly. "No! Shua, I swear, I didn't ask him to say anything at all!"
Chan turned back to Jisoo, shrugging his shoulders. "Yeah, Shua hyung. I'm just saying what my heart says."
Jisoo's expression turned ice cold. He stepped closer to Chan, his tone unyielding. "Don't call me Shua."
Chan blinked. "He calls you that."
"Only he can call me that, not you," Jisoo barked out. Without saying another single word, he spun on his heel and marched right out of the examination room, slamming the door shut.
The moment the door clicked closed, Chan turned to the alpha and gave him a triumphant thumbs-up. "Hyung, look! It worked!"
Seungcheol let out a heavy sigh, rubbing his temple with his working hand. "No, it didn't. I know him. There will be a massive, big volcano waiting for us at home tonight."
"Don't worry, we can deal with it together," Chan dismissed easily. He stood up and bended his body across the desk toward the physician. "Thanks, doctor."
The doctor just gave a slow nod. "No worry."
Chan kept his voice low, leaning closer. "Can you do me a small favor?"
"What favor?" the doctor frowned.
"If someone from my family comes by later... you know them, right? Jisoo hyung, Jeonghan hyung, Seungkwan, Hansol, Jihoon, Hosh... ahh, not Hoshi, he never cares. If any of them ask you about his condition, please tell them that Seungcheol has severe depression and that he should absolutely not live alone."
The doctor’s brow furrowed in disapproval. "I should not tell lies to a patient's family."
"Your single lie will help add a new, happy member to our household," Chan pleaded, putting on his most innocent face. "Please, doctor."
The doctor fell into a heavy, silent thought for a few seconds before letting out a defeated sigh. "Ok... but I can't keep on lying if they bring an official specialist."
"Yeah, yeah! Only this one time is enough, thanks doctor!" Chan cheered.
He moved around the table, grabbed the rubber handles of Seungcheol’s wheelchair, and pushed him straight out into the main hospital lobby.
After a few minutes of searching the corridors, they found Jisoo walking toward them from the pharmacy counter, carrying a heavy box of medical supplies along with a pair of armpit crutches. He stopped in front of them, his expression flat. "I bought all the required medicine and rehabilitation equipment. Come on, let's go back to the house."
Seungcheol looked at the crutches and murmured softly, "Thanks, Shua."
"You better explain everything to me clearly the moment we go home," Jisoo replied coldly, turning around to lead the way to the parking lot.
"Sure, I will," Seungcheol said.
Sitting next in the car, Chan raised his hands near his own neck, mimicking a choking motion while mouthing the words: 'You are gonna die tonight.'
Seungcheol just smirked softly, feeling a strange sense of comfort as the car doors locked.
---------------- 🍒🦌
The moment the car tires ground to a halt on the gravel driveway of the Jeju house, Jisoo killed the engine. He did not say a single word. He stepped out of the vehicle, marched around to the trunk, and pulled out the wheelchair. Moving with a sharp, rigid energy, he helped Seungcheol transfer into the seat, grabbed the rubber handles, and pushed him straight through the front door.
He didn't stop in the living hall. He rolled Seungcheol directly into the ground-floor guest room, stepped inside, and slammed the door shut, locking it with a sharp click.
Jisoo turned around, his chest heaving as his jaw clenched with an unyielding anger. "What the hell is this, Seungcheol?!"
Seungcheol blinked, his eyes wide and dazed as he looked up from his seat. "What?"
"Don't you dare give me that innocent look," Jisoo barked out, his voice dropping into a dangerous, low register. "In the morning, you explicitly said you couldn't stay here forever. But the moment we reached the hospital, you suddenly insisted on staying. What exactly is your plan here?"
"Nothing, Shua... I just..." Seungcheol stammered, his throat dry.
"You just what?!" Jisoo interrupted sharply, stepping into his personal space. "Did you suddenly get your brain back, or... do you want Jeonghan back in your life? Or is it because you want the baby?!"
Seungcheol just stared back at him, his large frame completely frozen as the accusations hit his chest. He didn't deny it, and he didn't fight back.
Jisoo's fists clenched tightly at his sides, the fear of losing his Omega clouding his mind completely. "I told you right from the start that I took you into this house as a past friend. I explicitly warned you that you should not take advantage of my basic kindness. But what on earth are you doing now? Do you honestly think this is fair to us? Don't make me regret saving your life from that burning penthouse, Seungcheol!"
The harsh words echoed off the bedroom walls, cutting deep. In a single fraction of a second, a quiet tear slipped down from Seungcheol’s eyes, tracking over his pale cheek. He gave a slow, defeated nod, his spirit thoroughly crushed. He reached down with his working left hand, gripped the wheel, and slowly turned his wheelchair away toward the dark bedside table.
"I... I got it..." Seungcheol whispered, his voice stuttering heavily, the syllables choking up in his throat so badly that the words barely came out clearly. "I... I will leave tomorrow morning."
The exact second the promise left the alpha's mouth, Jisoo’s heart broke into pieces. A sudden wave of intense regret flooded his chest. He looked at the alpha's slumped, trembling shoulders and realized he didn't mean any of those cruel words. They had just slipped out of his mind in a moment of pure panic, born entirely from his deep, lingering fear that Seungcheol's presence would somehow make him lose Jeonghan’s love. But the damage was already done.
-------
Meanwhile, back in the dark, cold streets of Seoul, the shadows were moving.
Choi Seungri was standing rigidly in the alleyway right across from the main towering headquarters of the Choi Corporation. He kept his hoodie pulled low until a middle-aged manager in a suit finally came walking down the glass steps to the parking lot. Seungri stepped out of the dark, blocking his path.
The manager gasped, his eyes widening in pure horror. "God! Why on earth are you here?! If any of Seungcheol members find out you are lurking around this office, that's completely the end of my job!"
"I just need some quick cash," Seungri demanded coldly, extending his hand. "Give me some money right now."
"For what?! Why do you need money?!" the manager hissed, looking around frantically for security.
"I have to go to the Maldives immediately."
"What the fuck?!" the manager yelled out in an intense whisper. "This is absolutely not the time for a vacation! The police are hunting you!"
"No, you idiot!" Seungri growled, his face twisting into a dangerous, dark glint. "My fucking stepbrother is hiding out over there!"
The manager frowned deeply, looking thoroughly confused. "Who? My boss? Are you serious?"
"Why? What is it? Tell me!"
"No... it's just... I accidentally overheard a private conversation from his personal secretary, Minjae," the manager confessed, lowering his voice to a flat whisper. "He stated that he just sent all the corporate files and the boss's personal laptop down to Jeju."
"What?!" Seungri’s eyes narrowed into a furious register as his brain calculated the puzzle. "Jeju?!"
"Yes."
"Fucking brat lied to my face over the phone!" Seungri roared, his teeth gritting so hard his jaw ached. "I will find that little shit and kill him too!"
"Whatever you plan to do, just take this cash and leave right now! Don't involve me in your mess anymore!" the manager panicked, shoving a thick envelope of money into his hand. "I don't have any more for you. Go!"
"I want another help," Seungri barked, grabbing the manager's arm before he could twist away.
"What is it?!" the man whined, trembling in fear.
"I want the exact Jeju address."
The manager shook his head rapidly. "You know it's very hard for me to find that! I don't have access to those files!"
"Just check with the front desk or the shipping logs," Seungri hissed, tightening his grip until the man winced. "Do something. Ask anyone to know the delivery address. Go inside and find it."
The manager swallowed hard, looking toward the glass doors. "Fine, fine! I will check the logs and send it through your phone. Just let go of me and go away right now!"
Seungri released him with a rough push. The manager scrambled back inside the building while Seungri stepped back into the shadows of the alleyway to wait.
After a few tense hours, the dark night silence was broken by a sharp buzz. Seungri pulled his phone from his hoodie pocket. The screen lit up with a new text message containing the exact address note of the Jeju house.
Seungri gritted his teeth, a ruthless, murderous smile breaking across his features as he stared at the digits. “Fucking Seungcheol,” he whispered into the night air, his eyes flashing with danger. “You are dead tomorrow.”