Love Born of Pity Chapter 60

He could just say his uncle was bothering him. If he just asked for help, Do Yeonjae could make sure Kwon Yoon Taek would never bother him again.

This foolish and naive thing, with nothing to offer but his face, was still stubbornly clinging to the problems surrounding him.

“Did Kwon Yoon Taek come to see you? Did he come inside?”

“…No, he didn’t come in. Just outside… he saw me from outside and left.”

“Why did he come? There must be a reason.”

Even without hearing it, he could guess it was about money, but Do Yeonjae feigned a gentle voice, as if coaxing a child. He moved his thumb, tracing the blush that spread across the usually peach-colored cheeks. Occasionally, he would lift Kwon Jiho’s chin and softly kiss him. Do Yeonjae already knew that Kwon Jiho had transferred several million won to Kwon Yoon Taek.

“…”

Red lips parted hesitantly, then closed tightly. He was afraid that if he told the truth, Do Yeonjae might harm Kwon Yoon Taek.

“Just… he’s having a hard time.”

“What’s so hard all the time? That bastard who dumped all his debt on his nephew.”

Noticing the cold sweat beading on Kwon Jiho’s forehead, Do Yeonjae took out a handkerchief and wiped his forehead and sticky neck. If he hadn’t gone inside the academy, had something happened to him outside? Do Yeonjae pulled away from Kwon Jiho, his gaze shifting to the CCTV camera in the hallway of the building. He felt the need to review the footage.

“Are you done cleaning up?”

“Yes, I’m done. We can go home now. I want to go home quickly.”

Kwon Jiho, who usually dawdled, not wanting to go home, said he wanted to go home. Should he thank Kwon Yoon Taek for this? Savoring the sweet lingering tone of Kwon Jiho’s voice, Do Yeonjae’s gaze followed his squirrel-like movements.

Kwon Jiho rushed inside the academy to grab his bag. Do Yeonjae frowned, watching his back, wondering why he was bumping into things so much over such a short distance.

“Aren’t you going to turn off the lights? On other days, you’re infuriatingly slow, what’s with you today, Mr. Kwon Jiho?”

At Do Yeonjae’s remark, Kwon Jiho let go of the arm he’d been holding and went back inside. Usually, he would have checked each practice room, looking for anything out of place, even glancing at the cabinets and bookshelves. Today, he just left the cleaning tools scattered on the floor and turned off all the lights.

What really happened? This was unprecedented behavior. He was clinging to him with an earnest gaze, insisting nothing had happened, so should he believe him or press him?

“Really, nothing happened?”

“…Yes. Nothing happened. Quickly…”

It seemed Kwon Jiho wasn’t worried that Kwon Yoon Taek would harm him, but that Do Yeonjae would do something to Kwon Yoon Taek. He was foolishly naive.

Do Yeonjae gently stroked Kwon Jiho’s hair, who seemed to have no intention of confiding in him. He had been keeping his hands off, not wanting to impose, but it was he who felt frustrated.

He decided he needed to have someone tail Kwon Yoon Taek without Kwon Jiho’s knowledge. If he waited passively and something happened, it would be too late. He could manage the aftermath somehow, but it would be fucking annoying.

“Tell me if you need my help. Shall we go?”

“…Yes, yes.”

Do Yeonjae set the security system himself, taking over from Kwon Jiho, who fumbled several times. He pulled the warm body into his arms and inhaled deeply. Like a child with a fever, a sweet scent emanated from him.

“Why, why are you doing that?”

“Are you sure you don’t need to see a doctor?”

“I want to wash up because I feel icky. I’m hot. I’ve been hot.”

He couldn’t tell him right now that his uncle had forced him to take something. If he did, and they went to the hospital and did a blood test, and he found out about his secondary gender change… Just the thought made him feel dreadful.

In the car on the way home, Kwon Jiho clung to Do Yeonjae like a puppy with separation anxiety. Perhaps due to the drug Kwon Yoon Taek had forced him to take, his racing heart wouldn’t calm down. His hands and feet alternated between hot and cold. The thought that his behavior might seem strange to Do Yeonjae crossed his mind, but it was fleeting. He even felt a sense of dread, as if he would die if he separated from him.

Do Yeonjae wasn’t bothered by Kwon Jiho clinging to him. He rather welcomed it. He stroked the warm body and chuckled softly. Did he eat something he shouldn’t have? Why was he acting like this today? At his heat, his sweet scent, and his anxious behavior, Do Yeonjae felt a sense of satiation rather than satisfaction. He was literally full.

Ha, fuck. How was he supposed to be away from him for several days?

“A business trip suddenly came up.”

“A business trip?”

His already large eyes widened in surprise. His light-colored pupils trembled uncontrollably. He slightly distanced himself from where he’d been sitting pressed against Do Yeonjae, and then his expression crumpled as if he were about to cry.

“When are you leaving?”

“Early morning flight tomorrow. It won’t be long. About… three days.”

It was like a bolt from the blue. It felt as if a formless wall had collapsed. Kwon Jiho nodded in acknowledgment, but unable to hide his turbulent emotions, he nibbled on his lip.

He swallowed the words that rose to his throat, lacking the courage to ask him not to go. He lifted his head, following the hand that cupped his cheek, and said, “Have a safe trip,” without even meeting Do Yeonjae’s eyes.

“Wait for me.”

“…Yes.”

Burying himself in Do Yeonjae’s arms as he answered, Kwon Jiho continued to follow him around even after they arrived home. He barely touched his dinner and hovered around Do Yeonjae, who was about to shower, saying he wanted to wash up together.

Do Yeonjae was surprised, but it was a pleasant surprise, not an unpleasant one. He scoffed, asking what was gotten into him, but quickly undressed Kwon Jiho.

The lovemaking, initiated by Kwon Jiho’s provocation in the bathroom, continued in bed. Do Yeonjae embraced the unusually clingy Kwon Jiho more roughly than usual, drenching him with pheromones. At the end of the long, messy sex, he tenderly stroked Kwon Jiho’s tear-stained face, who had lost consciousness.

The already warm body grew even hotter from the knotting. After making him cry like this, he usually developed a fever the next day. He was worried that Kwon Jiho might get sick while he was away.

He had knotted him even when he wasn’t in heat, but today, he maintained the swollen state for an unusually long time. Because he was reluctant to let go of Kwon Jiho, who was clinging to him. Because he was pleased by the way he burrowed into his arms, crying out in pain.

Do Yeonjae knew exactly how soft he was for Kwon Jiho. He knew perfectly well that because he indulged him so much, Kwon Jiho was becoming more and more spoiled, not just during sex but in everyday life as well. The problem was, it was difficult for him to be cold to Kwon Jiho.

“I can’t lock him up and prevent him from going anywhere.”

He couldn’t delay any longer as it was almost time to leave for the airport, so he reluctantly released the soft body, showering him with pheromones once more. It was a protective measure to prevent any alpha or omega from approaching him, even though it was unlikely anyone would. Kwon Jiho’s delicate brow furrowed. Do Yeonjae gently smoothed out the wrinkle with his finger.

Do Yeonjae looked down at Kwon Jiho, who seemed to be enveloped in an invisible, thin veil, with satisfaction, and reached out his hand again. He took Kwon Jiho’s limp hand, nibbled on it, and then found the empty space on his inner wrist and sucked on it.

He didn’t want to go. That was his honest feeling. He wanted to hold Kwon Jiho in his arms and laze around in bed until morning. Just like Kwon Jiho, who was unusually clingy today, Do Yeonjae, too, was unusually reluctant to let him go today. Do Yeonjae sighed repeatedly before finally getting out of bed.

♬⋆.˚

Throughout his journey to the airport and even after boarding the plane, Do Yeonjae kept expressing his concerns about Kwon Jiho to Secretary Kim. It was framed as concern, but in reality, it was surveillance. He instructed Secretary Kim to thoroughly check and protect Kwon Jiho, making sure no one approached him, visited the academy, or bothered him during his commute.

Kwon Jiho was usually unsuspicious and naive, so he was worried about leaving him alone. Even though Kwon Jiho was past the age where he’d worry about him following strangers, such worries still arose. Secretary Kim repeatedly reassured him not to worry too much, explaining that he had arranged manpower along Kwon Jiho’s routes and, as per Do Yeonjae’s instructions, had added a few more guards.

Secretary Kim said he would report Kwon Jiho’s daily routine to Do Yeonjae while he was away. Despite this, Do Yeonjae still felt uneasy, his handsome face etched with worry. He opened his mouth as if to give further instructions, then closed it firmly and closed his eyes.

It was a relief that he had installed CCTV cameras at home. Do Yeonjae, who was always with Kwon Jiho, checked the footage from time to time, footage he hadn’t seen since the installation. He suppressed his rising anger as he watched Kwon Jiho sleeping soundly.

He couldn’t stop thinking about how affectionately clingy Kwon Jiho had been last night. Do Yeonjae, his eyes narrowed in irritation, put down his phone and fixed his gaze on the tablet Secretary Kim handed him. He muttered curses under his breath as he watched yesterday’s Kwon Jiho moving busily on the small screen.

“Secure the CCTV footage from the building hallway and have it ready for me to review after the meeting.”

“Wouldn’t that part be out of view because the door was closed?”

“I can’t see that fucker’s expression clearly. I need to know what his expression was like when he closed the restroom door. Aren’t you curious, Secretary Kim?”

“…Yes, I’m curious too. I’ll secure the footage through the management office as you instructed.”

Do Yeonjae replayed the footage he had watched several times. Kwon Jiho taking Kwon Yoon Taek into the restroom. Kwon Jiho’s frowning face, Kwon Yoon Taek’s fucking smirking face, floated in his mind as if etched there.

Do Yeonjae, who hadn’t taken his eyes off the screen throughout the short flight, finally handed the tablet to Secretary Kim after arriving in Macau. Secretary Kim, carrying a hand-carry suitcase, followed closely and guided him to the hotel. The voice explaining the itinerary briefly flowed into one of Do Yeonjae’s ears. Unfortunately, as soon as it entered, it flowed out the other ear.

His senses were entirely focused on Kwon Jiho’s expressions he had seen on the tablet. His nerves were on edge. Even though he hadn’t slept for a single hour all night, he didn’t feel physically tired. The frown he had been wearing didn’t relax even after arriving at the hotel, or while he briefly washed up and changed his clothes.

He hadn’t thought much of it last night, swept up in the mood, but looking back, it was strange. Kwon Jiho’s hot body temperature and the way he kept asking for physical contact were different than usual. He had simply been pleased, caught up in his own anxious anticipation of the business trip.

What could have happened to make him act that way? Could those bastards have fed him something? Something like an aphrodisiac. Considering how Kwon Jiho, who usually lacked boldness, had been asking for penetration, it was a fairly reasonable suspicion.

It was when Do Yeonjae, feeling uneasy, finished his preparations and went down to the lobby with his secretaries that a pale-faced Secretary Kim approached him hurriedly. The local interpreter and lawyer, looking bewildered, followed behind him.

“You’re just in time. Contact the secretary’s office and tell them to take Kwon Jiho to the hospital right now. I think he ate something yesterday, but I’m not sure what exactly—”

“Well, about that.”

Secretary Kim, who rarely interrupted Do Yeonjae, opened his mouth with an anxious look.

“Sir, so…”

“What is it?”

Secretary Kim was overly tense. He hesitated to report, rubbing his mouth. He flinched at Do Yeonjae’s irritated gaze and hunched his shoulders.

“Secretary Kim, if it’s not about Kwon Jiho, I’ll hear it later.”

“It is related. Could we move somewhere else to discuss this?”

Wondering if it was something others shouldn’t hear, given his serious expression, Do Yeonjae waved his hand towards the people behind him. His secretaries tactfully headed to the designated lounge.

“Mr. Kwon Jiho is currently at the hospital.”

Do Yeonjae frowned at the awkward words. One eyebrow shot up.

“Hospital?”

Do Yeonjae, who had been adjusting his cufflinks and straightening his clothes, looked at Secretary Kim. His sharp gaze, full of questions, stared fiercely at him as if demanding further explanation.

“We’re still confirming what happened, but Mr. Kwon Jiho… has apparently had a miscarriage.”