Love Born of Pity Chapter 65

He wiped Kwon Jiho’s face with the crumpled and tangled duvet from their struggle, which wasn’t even much of a fight, and waited for his swollen erection to subside.

How did it come to this. Do Yeonjae roughly wiped his face as if washing it dry.

“Fuck…”

No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t find the cause of their ruined relationship within himself.

♬⋆.˚

When Kwon Jiho woke up, there was no one in the bedroom. Because the blinds were drawn, he couldn’t see outside to tell if it was day or night. Rubbing his aching stomach, Kwon Jiho curled up into a ball and lay still for a long time, only blinking his eyes. What day is it today? It seemed like quite a while had passed since he was discharged, but he couldn’t know for sure.

Ever since the day he returned home, his sanity had been crumbling by the moment. Even when the sun set outside the window, he couldn’t tell if it was sunset or sunrise. His waking hours were irregular, and in Do Yeonjae’s house where the clocks had disappeared, he didn’t even know the days were passing. He couldn’t even be sure if a day was passing at all. It felt like he was trapped in a time that didn’t flow.

The academy… what happened to it? Is someone else running it? He thought he had asked that a few times, but Do Yeonjae had countered by asking why he was curious about it. A similar answer came back when he asked about Kwon Heeyeon.

‘You’re really asking because you’re curious, right?’

On some days, he was met with sharp criticism, asking if his concern for his sister was genuine. As even short conversations were laced with daggers, he became less talkative.

Unable to take the pheromone supplements he had left at the academy, his right ear and eye lost their function due to the pheromones that washed over him like a tidal wave from time to time. One side had gone numb, but since there was nothing he particularly wanted to see or hear, Kwon Jiho didn’t think of it as serious.

After a while, Kwon Jiho stood up and headed for the bathroom. Each time he moved, the fluid that had pooled inside flowed out, soaking his thighs. The thought of what he would do if he got pregnant again flashed through his mind, but it didn’t lead to any serious contemplation. Because even if he had a child, it didn’t seem like Do Yeonjae would let him give birth.

He tried to wash himself thoroughly under the pouring water, but it hurt so much that he just stood there. Watching the semen flow down his thighs and into the drain, he was seized by the thought of wanting to die right then and there.

The thought of being sorry for leaving Kwon Heeyeon alone in the end was fleeting. His own reality was bleak and hopeless. Kwon Jiho slowly moved his gaze. He scanned his surroundings, unconsciously looking for something sharp. There wasn’t anything particularly sharp, but it wouldn’t be impossible to make a weapon if he wanted to.

“Heuu, heup…”

The pouring water hid his crying face. He rubbed his eyes and squeezed out what little strength he had to wash himself thoroughly.

Kwon Jiho, who came out a long while later, dried his wet body and put on a new gown. The closets were all locked, so he couldn’t even take out a single piece of underwear on his own.

The man who had been taking care of the house’s cleanliness and Kwon Jiho’s meals for a while now had been trying to be friendly. His name was… Hwang Gicheol, was it? When he first met Kwon Jiho, he told him his name and age and said he could call him whatever he felt comfortable with. Ahjussi was fine, and even “excuse me” was fine. But Kwon Jiho couldn’t bring himself to call him by any name.

“You’re awake? I’ll prepare your meal right away. Just a moment.”

Hwang Gicheol smiled brightly upon seeing Kwon Jiho. His words, telling him he woke up earlier than yesterday, floated in the air and then scattered.

“…Hello.”

Kwon Jiho bowed his head awkwardly and moved his feet. He sat on the floor instead of the sofa and looked out the window. The sky was black because of the rain that had been falling since who knows when. What time is it? He hoped it wasn’t night.

“Mr. Jiho? Mr. Jiho!”

At the loud voice from behind him, Kwon Jiho jumped in surprise and turned his head. Hwang Gicheol was already out in the living room, as if the food was ready.

“Let’s eat.”

“…Ah. I…”

“Yes, was there something you wanted to eat?”

The voice, asking something as he wiped his wet hands on his apron, was all muffled as it entered Kwon Jiho’s ears. It would have been better if he couldn’t hear at all, but the muffled sound interfered with the hearing in his left ear, which was still relatively fine. So he never knew what was being said.

Kwon Jiho’s gaze fell on Hwang Gicheol’s lips, but he couldn’t understand just from the shape of them opening and closing.

“Mr. Jiho?”

“…I was just wondering what time it was. It’s just… dark.”

“It’s not late. Come on. The food will get cold.”

He had never learned to lip-read, so even when he looked closely at the shape of his mouth, he couldn’t tell what he was saying, but he could tell that he wasn’t telling him the time. At Hwang Gicheol’s desperate call, Kwon Jiho finally got up and slowly crossed the living room.

“The weather’s chilly, so I made mostly warm dishes.”

“…Thank you for the meal.”

“Eat a lot, a lot.”

Kwon Jiho glanced down, still looking at the smiling face. Instead of picking up his utensils, he fidgeted with the sash of his gown and briefly wondered if this pathetic state of his didn’t seem strange to Hwang Gicheol.

“Should I make you something else?”

“…”

“Mr. Jiho?”

“…Yes? Ah, thank you for the meal.”

In truth, he didn’t feel like eating anything. Nevertheless, he picked up a spoon and forced himself to shovel rice into his mouth. A few days ago, he had refused to eat the meal Hwang Gicheol had painstakingly prepared and gone to his room, only to be caught by Do Yeonjae who had come home right on time and dragged out.

That day, Kwon Jiho was forced to eat in front of Hwang Gicheol, and then threw it all up on the floor. He couldn’t show such a sight twice.

“Take your time, okay? You have to eat before the CEO comes…”

“Ah…”

“Should I make fried rice? My daughter loves it too.”

“…Thank you for the meal.”

Hwang Gicheol found it strange that Kwon Jiho kept saying the same thing over and over, but since this was a house with many strange aspects, he let it go without much thought. He was just worried that his eating speed was too slow. Because if Do Yeonjae came home while he was eating, he would force him to eat again.

“Should I make it into porridge?”

“…”

“Mr. Jiho.”

“…Ah, it’s delicious. Everything is delicious.”

Kwon Jiho was anxious because he couldn’t understand why Hwang Gicheol was standing guard by his side. He usually left him alone, but why today… Had Do Yeonjae ordered him to? He was saying something, but he couldn’t understand, which made him feel even more agitated.

“I’ll eat and clean up. You can go about your business.”

“No, that’s my job too. If you need anything while you eat, just call me.”

Finally, Hwang Gicheol left. The tension in his stiffly raised shoulders eased. Feeling a little more comfortable, Kwon Jiho, who had only been eating soup and rice, occasionally picked at the side dishes as well. Nevertheless, his eating speed was excessively slow.

At the same time, Do Yeonjae had left work as soon as he saw that Kwon Jiho was awake and was on his way home. Even in the moving car, he kept a tablet in his hand and didn’t let go. He zoomed in on the swollen cheek, confirmed the bluish bruise, and frowned.

“Step on it.”

“Yes, CEO.”

Watching Kwon Jiho chew his food at a frustratingly slow pace, Do Yeonjae rummaged through his jacket pocket. He put a prescribed Dominant Alpha contraceptive pill in his mouth and swallowed it with water.

The plan had been to implant an Omega contraceptive chip in Kwon Jiho, but since he didn’t want to take him even a single step outside the house, he had no choice. The side effects of the contraceptive pill caused headaches, making him more irritable than usual. Kwon Jiho was bearing the brunt of that anger.

“Get rid of Kwon Jiho’s piano academy.”

“…What should I do with the pianos?”

“Just move the one in the hall to the house and dispose of the rest as you see fit.”

“…With all due respect, he will be very upset. Is it okay not to tell him?”

Chief Kim also knew that Kwon Jiho had a special affection for the piano academy. When he recorded the CCTV footage on behalf of Do Yeonjae, Kwon Jiho was always smiling on the screen. Do Yeonjae probably never did, but he himself sometimes eased his guilt by eavesdropping on the conversations between the children and Kwon Jiho. Thinking that it was a relief that Kwon Jiho wasn’t only unhappy.

“He probably expected it to some extent anyway.”

“…Ah.”

“Does Kwon Jiho look stupid enough not to notice something like that in your eyes, Chief Kim?”

“I’m sorry.”

Do Yeonjae, who was pressing his temples due to a persistent headache, showed his displeasure. Chief Kim, his mouth shut, focused on driving. It wasn’t rush hour, so the roads were empty, but the visibility was poor due to the rain that had been pouring since the day before yesterday. Nevertheless, he had no choice but to speed up as he was being pestered to go faster.

As soon as he parked under the high wall, Do Yeonjae shot out of the car. He waved off Chief Kim, who was approaching with an open umbrella, and quickly passed through the main gate. He ran up the stairs in one go, crossed the yard, and as soon as he opened the front door, he heard a small commotion.

As he put on his slippers and went inside, he listened more closely and realized it was Hwang Gicheol’s pleading voice, begging him to eat a little more. Kwon Jiho was quiet, and he was the only one making a fuss. When Do Yeonjae appeared in the dining room after passing through the hallway, Hwang Gicheol, as if startled, straightened up his bent-over body.