Love Born of Pity Chapter 101

“I don’t know how to bring this up… I heard you went through something heartbreaking. If I had known back then, I would have made sure you got proper care… I’m so sorry to Mr. Jiho that our family found out so late.”

Jang Hyunsu’s expression was downcast as he looked at Kwon Jiho. According to what he’d heard from Do Seungtae, the young omega sitting before him had actually been a beta. How difficult must it have been for him, having gone through a pregnancy and a miscarriage before he could even adapt to his change in secondary gender.

Just thinking about it made his heart ache. And yet, he felt sorry for the man who didn’t show a single sign of hardship or distress. He looked even sadder, silently enduring it without blaming anyone.

“…I didn’t know. By the time I found out, it was already in the past, so… I tried not to think about it. I’m… trying to forget.”

“I’m sorry. For making you go through that alone. It probably… won’t be okay for a long time. It will hurt every time you think about it… and it will be agonizing. So, on days like that, don’t hold it in. Talk to me, at least. I don’t know if it will help, but still… it’s too painful to suffer alone.”

At the gentle, heartfelt concern, Kwon Jiho’s eyes reddened.

He had thought that incident was a wound he would have to carry alone for the rest of his life. He blamed only himself, thinking it was largely his own fault for not knowing, and he didn’t resent anyone. If only I had been more careful, something like that wouldn’t have happened. Or at least, if I had told someone beforehand, it wouldn’t have turned out that way. Such what-ifs slowly ate away at him.

But he couldn’t turn back time, and regret always came too late. He had to hide even those feelings when he was with Do Yeonjae. Because he wouldn’t receive any comfort.

“I… thought I would be okay.”

Feelings he had kept tightly hidden flowed out from between his slightly parted lips. The lips that had just begun to regain their color trembled and then turned down at the corners. His large eyes blinked slowly. The tears that had welled up fell, plop, plop.

Kwon Jiho cried quietly, without even a sob. Jang Hyunsu, who had been patting his shoulder, carefully pulled the thin body into an embrace. Recalling that he was suffering from pheromone side effects, he made sure not to let a single wisp of his own escape.

In fact, he had started the conversation intending to ask if he was willing to see Do Yeonjae, but it still didn’t seem like the right time. He didn’t even want to bring it up. He was his son, but he was furious with him. That damn bastard.

♬⋆.˚

At the same time, Do Yeonjae was handling his backlog of work, drinking only ice water to deal with the constant waves of nausea. After a series of meetings that had started in the morning, he even gagged at the smell of the lunch box Chief Kim had brought.

“Ha, fuck.”

Every smell had begun to bother him. He felt his stomach turn at the smell of the leather sofa, which he’d never noticed before, and even at the faint scent of the air freshener used throughout the company. The office was filled with a chill because the windows had been left open. Along with the nausea he’d felt since waking up, a headache began to set in.

Do Yeonjae pressed his temples and tapped at his tablet. But every now and then, his gaze would land on his silent phone. Why hasn’t he contacted me?

There was still no reply to the message he’d sent the moment he woke up. He had sent several more, but it was the same. Should I try calling? He grabbed his phone as soon as the thought crossed his mind. He found the familiar number, swiped the green button, and put the phone to his ear, only to hear a recorded message saying the phone was turned off.

“…Why.”

What is this, what’s the reason? He was flustered by the sudden loss of contact with the person who had been confirming Kwon Jiho’s well-being for him until just last night. He instinctively pressed the call button a few more times, but the voice that came through was always the same.

A slowly spreading anxiety swallowed Do Yeonjae before he knew it. His heart pounded. A tremor that started at his fingertips spread throughout his body. He obsessively searched for and dialed the number, then snapped to his senses at the sound of a sudden knock.

It was Chief Kim. He entered with a placid expression, noticed Do Yeonjae slumped in his chair as if he’d been crumpled into it, and quickly approached.

“Are you all right, sir? If you’re feeling unwell anywhere, please let me know.”

Do Yeonjae was currently suppressing his rut with inhibitors, so he was twice as sensitive as usual. His irritation rarely subsided, so all the employees in the secretary’s office were walking on eggshells. On top of that, he was suffering from indigestion for some reason and wasn’t eating properly.

“…My stomach has been bothering me a lot lately.”

Do Yeonjae straightened his disheveled posture. He lowered his hand to hide the trembling and asked why he had come in. Chief Kim let out an “Ah” and held out a file. He had been distracted for too long by the man’s face, which grew more haggard by the day.

“I’ve found Kwon Yoon Taek’s childbirth records.”

Do Yeonjae flipped through the documents he was handed, his brow furrowing slightly. Of course. I knew it. A dry laugh kept escaping him at the thought.

“The timing matches Kwon Heeyeon’s birth registration.”

“Yes, it seems your prediction was correct, Director.”

It was the moment the hypothesis was proven to be true—that he had left his daughter with his brother as if to dump her on him, and had hovered around as an uncle instead of a father, coddling only Kwon Heeyeon. Then again, it might have been unavoidable. A child born to an omega alone cannot have their birth registered.

Whatever the detailed circumstances were, the one he had irresponsibly passed on was raised without discrimination by Kwon Jiho’s mother and Kwon Yoon Taek’s older brother and remarried husband. After 18 years like that, on the day Kwon Jiho, who had shown musical talent, was heading to the airport to study abroad in Germany, his brother and sister-in-law died in a car accident, and his biological daughter fell into a coma.

“The shameless thing was that he dumped all the responsibility on Kwon Jiho and then just up and left. He didn’t want to blame himself, so he threw his young nephew’s life into the gutter.”

Pressing the corners of his eyes, Do Yeonjae continued.

“He was still consistently checking on Kwon Heeyeon’s condition all that time. Did he not feel sorry for Kwon Jiho struggling to get by? I did.”

“…”

“And then he tore Kwon Jiho to shreds by asking him, ‘Why are you the only one alive,’ is that it?”

It was a picture that was vividly clear even without hearing it from Kwon Yoon Taek directly. That’s just what a vulgar and stupid person would do; there was no way it would defy expectations.

“I need to go see him. To give him back the debt he dumped on Jiho. But more importantly, is Chief Kim able to check what Kwon Jiho is doing right now?”

Chief Kim’s serious expression brightened a little. It was because he had been asked a question he could answer without hesitation.

“Ah, yes. I received a report that he had persimmons and strawberries this morning. The chairman was apparently very pleased.”

“He ate?”

“Yes, they said he ate a lot.”

He had heard that less than three days after he moved into the main house, his morning sickness had gotten severe again. The doctor had been visiting for over a week because of it, but it seemed he had finally managed to get something down today.

“That’s a relief.”

“…Should I get a photo? I think it might be possible if it’s taken secretly.”

Do Yeonjae felt the anxiety that had spread like fog due to the lack of contact lift in an instant. Still, he was relieved that he was doing well.

“I would be grateful if you did. Contact Team Leader Kang, who’s with Kwon Yoon Taek. Tell him I’ll be coming to see him around tomorrow.”

“Yes, I will prepare for it.”

“You said the chairman is in a good mood, right?”

“Yes, that’s what I was told in the report.”

At Chief Kim’s answer, Do Yeonjae showed a hint of hesitation before getting up from his seat. As he put on the thin cashmere coat he had taken off and made to leave, Chief Kim stopped him, looking puzzled.

“…Director?”

“Cancel my afternoon schedule and rearrange my appointments. I’m going to the main house.”

“S-so suddenly? Last time, the chairman also—”

“You said he’s in a good mood. On a day like this, he’ll probably let it slide if I sneak in.”

Do Yeonjae shrugged. In response to the words, “Surely he won’t turn me away at the door again this time,” Chief Kim couldn’t bring himself to say that he thought he probably would. A bit of color returned to his pale face. Even though the chances of him meeting Kwon Jiho were high, his face was full of life, as if he had already made an appointment.

“Shall I give you a ride?”

“No, there’s no need.”

Do Yeonjae walked past the baffled-looking Chief Kim and grabbed the office doorknob. Acting as if he were about to leave at any moment, he stopped and turned back around as if he had something more to say.

“That, the scent.”

“Yes?”

“Fabric softener, is that what it’s called?”

“Ah, yes. That’s correct.”

Chief Kim nodded. Perfume was too strong, and it felt awkward to use nothing at all, so it was a product he had used consistently since joining the company. He particularly liked it because the scent was subtle and not overpowering.

“Let’s not use it for the time being.”

“…Excuse me?”

“It’s bothersome.”

“Ah, ah. Yes.”

He couldn’t even ask why, and simply agreed. After Do Yeonjae left, Chief Kim stood there dazedly for a moment, then scratched the back of his head and left the office. He really was as fickle as boiling porridge, he thought.

Do Yeonjae left the company in his personal car and headed straight for the main house. He didn’t know how many times he had come to a place he visited maybe once a month. Although he had been turned away each time without being able to pass the main gate, this time he felt like he would be able to get inside.

The fingers gripping the steering wheel tapped lightly on its surface. He planned to first check on Kwon Jiho’s condition and then see what the place he was staying in was like. He had been receiving daily reports that he was doing well through Jang Hyunsu and the eyes and ears planted at the main house, but it could be different from reality. The thought of seeing him soon made his mood float up like a balloon.

Absurdly, for the entire drive, he never once imagined that he might not be able to meet Kwon Jiho.