The Country Life Diary of a Gangster's Secretary - c23

Citrus scent. Hyeseong had never thought about what kind of smell he liked in his life. He didn’t even spray common perfumes, and the ones his aunt or Dohyun bought him as gifts had long become decorations. When he thought he was a beta, he didn’t feel alpha or omega pheromones strongly, so he never even pondered what kind of pheromone scent he preferred.



But Kwon Ihyeok was an exception. The refreshing citrus scent emanating from him. Hyeseong liked that smell, or in other words, that pheromone.



“……”



Yes. This subtle scent lingers even now. Hyeseong slowly opened his heavy-lidded eyes. The touch of someone gently stroking his hair. And the familiar pheromone.



In his barely open view, a familiar person was sitting next to him, talking to someone on the phone.



“…Ahjussi?”



Perhaps it was because he dreamed of his college days when he collapsed and lost consciousness. Hyeseong uttered the title he used to call Ihyeok long ago.



“…I will call you back later.”



Ihyeok ended the call in a low voice that settled like sand in water.



“It’s been a really long time since I heard that title.”



Ihyeok gently raises the corners of his mouth. What is it? I feel like I’ve seen that look somewhere before. Even then, when he lost consciousness like now, it seemed like he vaguely saw Ihyeok’s face. But it wasn’t a complete memory.



“When did you wake up?”



“…Just now. What happened to me?”



“I called you after work, but you didn’t answer. I thought you were deliberately ignoring my call, so I stopped by and you were collapsed on the bed.”



At that, Hyeseong’s eyes flew open wide. Right. That’s what happened. He had collapsed. He was suffering from a headache as a side effect of omega manifestation, got a fever, and immediately lay down on the bed, then lost consciousness like that. Hyeseong swallowed dryly as if suddenly tense.



“Did you by any chance take me to the hospital?”



If so, that would be a disaster. The fever could be seen as a simple cold or flu, but if he went to the hospital and was examined by the professional perspective of medical personnel, they would know it wasn’t.



“……”



Ihyeok stared at Hyeseong without a word. If the doctor had said something like his pheromone gland seems unstable, or that he suddenly got a fever as an omega……



“I was going to, but I didn’t.”



At Ihyeok’s words, Hyeseong let out a deep sigh of relief inwardly.



“You said you wouldn’t go to the hospital even if it killed you, even while unconscious.”



He felt like he should thank his subconscious today. He didn’t even want to imagine what would have happened if he had been taken to the hospital by Ihyeok like that. What did he quit his job and come down here for? He almost got found out in vain.



“There was some opened medicine on the table, so I fed it to you for now. Since your fever wasn’t going down. It’s cold medicine, right?”



“Ah, yes.”



Hyeseong nodded, avoiding Ihyeok’s eyes. Fortunately, he didn’t have a fever now and felt refreshed after sleeping deeply. At least it was a relief that the medicine name wasn’t written on the packet.



“I think I had a cold recently and it suddenly got worse.”



So Hyeseong decided to pretend to be someone with a common cold. He had to. Hyeseong inwardly prayed that Ihyeok wouldn’t ask any more questions and would let it slide.



“Didn’t you say you weren’t sick anywhere?”



“Huh?”



“You said that this morning. That you weren’t sick anywhere.”



“Oh……”



Come to think of it, Ihyeok had suddenly asked him this morning if he was sick anywhere. Of course, he said he was healthy then, not imagining this would happen. Hyeseong fake-coughed, feeling guilty for some reason. 



“It’s not a serious cold or anything.”



He doesn’t really like lying. Strictly speaking, who would like to utter lies? But Hyeseong especially disliked it more. He had an upright and in some ways pure personality, so other than constantly telling his aunt he was okay out of goodwill, he had almost never told a lie in his life.



But lately, he was lying at the level of the boy who cried wolf. When talking to Ihyeok, he had to hide his inner thoughts and say things that weren’t true even more than before.



“Thank you for being by my side. But I’m okay now, so you can go.”



That was one of the reasons why it was awkward to face Ihyeok in this state.



“Your fever.”



Then Ihyeok reached out to touch Hyeseong’s forehead. It was simply an action to check his temperature, but Hyeseong flinched back. He wanted to avoid contact with him as much as possible now that he had even collapsed from manifestation side effects, in case of any unforeseen situations.



“It’s okay.”



“……”



Ihyeok’s hand, having lost its way in the air and drifting alone, fell powerlessly like that. An unknown silence circled again, leaving that ambiguous space between them. In the past, no, even just a few months ago, there was no such awkward silence between the two. It was comfortable even when quietness continued. Why isn’t there such a relationship? Someone you’re comfortable with even together, even without having to chat noisily. That was Cheon Hyeseong and Kwon Ihyeok.



But the awkward silence now was only uncomfortable. Perhaps not only Hyeseong felt that way, or perhaps he felt no need to stay longer, Ihyeok slowly rose from his seat.



“I’m glad then. Rest.”



With those words, Ihyeok left Hyeseong’s room. He didn’t bother to see him out. It would only be uncomfortable anyway even if he followed him out.



“Whew……”



After the sound of the door closing was heard, Hyeseong let out a long sigh. Surely his pheromones didn’t leak out or anything. After moving, he hadn’t taken the pheromone suppressants prescribed by the professor separately. Well, the professor also said it wasn’t time for pheromones to come out like that yet, so he could rest assured.



Hyeseong flopped back down on the bed. He blankly stared at the slightly faded wallpaper on the ceiling for a long time.



Ihyeok’s face and the gentle touch he saw when he woke up vividly replayed in his mind again as he closed his eyes. He had definitely felt relieved. Because Ihyeok was the first person he saw as soon as he opened his eyes.



How can he calm down his heart? They say out of sight, out of mind. Hyeseong moved away from Seoul, leaving Ihyeok’s side, expecting that effect too. But Kwon Ihyeok brazenly ruined his plan.



“Should I move again?”



Of course, that was an impossible story though.





* * *





Thinking it was a mistake to say he was okay, Hyeseong suffered a bit more that night after Ihyeok left. He thought he had fully recovered, but he felt a slight fever and his body heating up a little. Hyeseong cautiously speculated if it was because of Ihyeok’s pheromones, then decided to stop.



Fortunately, he felt a bit better when he woke up in the morning. He was worried Ihyeok might knock on the door asking for breakfast like yesterday, but that didn’t happen. When he peeked outside slightly during commute hours, there was no car in the next-door yard.



After that, Hyeseong ended up calling the hospital after much deliberation.



“I’m Cheon Hyeseong who made a regular checkup appointment in two weeks, but I’d like to move up the appointment a bit.”



And he changed the regular checkup appointment to the next day. Because if situations like this kept occurring, it would probably be difficult to manage daily life.



After safely changing the appointment, he cooked porridge for breakfast. His stomach wasn’t particularly upset, but he had no appetite for some reason. After that, he went back to sleep a bit more. Perhaps because of the medicine, his body felt languid.



Hyeseong opened his eyes again in the late afternoon. After waking and sleeping repeatedly, his mind cleared a little, and he slowly got out of bed and took a shower. His body felt sticky from sweating due to the fever.



He was about to go for a walk to get some air and come to his senses when he suddenly got a call from Park Dohyun. Hyeseong picked up the phone, feeling a slight unease rising. Dohyun was loud, strange, and unique, so you never knew what to expect from him. The complete opposite of himself. And this call would surely not be about anything ordinary either.



– Hyeseong!



“I’m not deaf.”



Dohyun answered the call with a gleeful voice, as if excited.



“Is Boksil doing a bit better? I couldn’t ask then because it was hectic.”



– Yeah! Fortunately, it’s not severe, but they said she needs to be monitored so she’s hospitalized.



“Really? I’m glad it’s at least not serious for now.”



– So I’m on my way now!



“…What?”



As expected. The uneasy gut feeling was never once wrong. Park Dohyun’s excited voice carried over the receiver.



– I’m on my way to your house.



“Hey, wait. You’re coming now? Without a word?”



– Oh, did I not tell you?



Hyeseong held his head. If he had an aptitude for swearing, he would have cursed out his friend more than enough now. 



“Hah… What can I expect from you? Anyway, so where are you?”



He couldn’t just turn him back now that he said he was already on his way. Hyeseong planned to quickly tidy up the house a bit more while he was coming. A friend is still a guest after all.



– I’m almost there. I think I just entered your neighborhood.



“It’s not even surprising anymore.”



Hyeseong shook his head and looked out the window. A loud and flashy red sports car, just like its owner’s personality, was approaching this way.



“I’m hanging up.”



Hyeseong ended the call and went outside. Dohyun smoothly parked the car and got out.



“Hyeseoooooong.”



“What’s with this car again?”



“Oh, isn’t it pretty? I got one. I saw an awesome sports car before and it made me want to buy one too.”



Not knowing whether that “awesome sports car” referred to Ihyeok’s car even in his dreams, Hyeseong looked at Dohyun with a pathetic gaze.



“Anyway, I missed you Hyeseong.”



Saying how bored he was all this time, Dohyun approached Hyeseong with open arms. He would have usually avoided it, but he had no strength in his body today so he decided to just stay still.



But that’s when it happened. A familiar sedan slid in behind the sports car that didn’t fit the countryside yard. Hyeseong turned his head at the appearance of another car, about to push Dohyun away who was hugging him.



The irritated sound of wheels stopped and the person who got out of the car was none other than Ihyeok. Ah, seriously, this isn’t some parking lot. Do they all have to park their cars here? Hyeseong let out a deep sigh.



It was when Hyeseong was thinking of such petty things. Ihyeok slowly approached the two with an expression that showed he was displeased with something, hardening his face.



Towards Hyeseong and Dohyun who were hugging as if they were very close.

This chapter is paid for by Mimzy and Nemuru!