Mine to Break Chapter 6.2 - Best effort

Was he saying it was a hassle, or just stating a fact? The tone was hard to decipher. Before Yoonjo could react, Sahyeok lightly scooped him up.

“Crying again?”

“Are you really… the boss?”

Sahyeok frowned at the absurd question.

“Really… is it really you?”

“If I’m fake, are you going to jump off or something?”

“I’d rather die.”

Sahyeok, stepping on the carpet, stopped in his tracks.

“…I’d rather just die here.”

Looking quietly at Yoonjo’s raw confession, Sahyeok spoke.

“Song Yoonjo. You said you wanted to be mine.”

“Yes…”

“As you can see, I’m a guy with nothing but knife work in my lineage. My sex is rough, and I only deal with guys who offer their holes whenever I want.”

“Yes…”

“You won’t step a foot outside the house. Debut? Forget that. You’ll be locked up at home, living as a fleshlight.”

Sahyeok’s brow remained furrowed as he looked down at Yoonjo’s tear-soaked face.

“Still want to do it?”

“Yes.”

Yoonjo didn’t hesitate for a moment.

“I want to.”

The tears that had been falling quietly began to pour in clumps.

“I want to…”

Unable to control the rising sobs, Yoonjo answered diligently. Heat rose from his body. Damn it. Muttering a low curse, Sahyeok acknowledged him and gathered Yoonjo closer.

“Stop crying. I don’t want to hear a kid bawling.”

“Sob… Hic… Yes…”

At the useless mix of reply and sobbing, Sahyeok frowned again and stopped walking. Then he turned back the way he came.

“Cover your ears.”

Despite saying that, it was Sahyeok himself who pressed Yoonjo’s head to his chest, covering both ears. At the same moment, “Aaaagh—!” Jung Chankyung’s scream, as his balls were crushed under Sahyeok’s shoe, abruptly stopped. When the scream ceased, Sahyeok released Yoonjo’s ears and strode out of the room.

ᢉ𐭩

Checking a text from his twins, Yoonjo set the phone down. It was a simple check-in message. But lately, those messages had been increasing. The brighter tone showed they were settling in well at their aunt’s, easing his mind.

“Excuse me.”

A nurse entered through the sliding door after a knock, offering a brief greeting.

“You’re awake today?”

“Yes…”

“Your guardian was terribly worried, saying you kept sleeping.”

That couldn’t be true. Still, Yoonjo didn’t voice the thought.

“You’ve recovered a lot, but the professor wants to keep monitoring you.”

“…What’s wrong with me?”

“Oh, the professor will explain the details himself.”

The nurse, smiling lightly and dodging the question, skillfully changed the IV, checked his vitals, and left the room.

Looking down at the IV needle he’d had for two months, Yoonjo turned to the side. From the window, the chirp-chirp of summer sounds drifted in.

As he gazed at the lively yet serene view outside, sleepiness crept up again. Knowing he shouldn’t, Yoonjo buried his face in the pillow and fell asleep.

ᢉ𐭩

Waking to the sound of muffled voices, Yoonjo blinked slowly. Someone was talking in the hospital room’s lounge area. His vision gradually cleared. It was Geum Sahyeok and a doctor. The attending professor, Hwang Cheolmin, who had treated Yoonjo’s wounds and hooked him to an IV at the hotel.

“Boss. I mean, sir. Are you sure about this?”

“Do it. What’s the point of keeping something useless?”

“Still, you should explain it properly to Yoonjo…”

Sensing faint pheromones, Sahyeok raised a finger to silence Cheolmin and stood tall. Noticing Yoonjo had woken, Cheolmin followed Sahyeok, greeting him with an exaggerated smile.

“Slept well, Yoonjo?”

“Yes.”

“I heard there were no incidents last night. You’re recovering well, thankfully.”

“…Last night?”

Puzzled, Yoonjo looked out the window. It was the same scene as before he slept. Midday, the sun blazing, and the chirp-chirp of summer at its peak.

I thought I slept for an hour or two…

“What’s the big deal about sleeping 24 hours? I’ve pulled 48-hour zombie sleeps before.”

Laughing and telling him not to worry, Cheolmin added, “You didn’t toss or turn once and slept soundly, so we didn’t wake you. Sleep’s the best medicine, so more is fine.”

“…Okay.”

“I’ve got rounds to make. Sir, I’ll be waiting.”

Cheolmin waved at Yoonjo and bowed politely to Sahyeok before leaving. The room fell quiet until Yoonjo broke the silence.

“Sir.”

Sahyeok, sitting on the sofa near the bed, loosening his shoulder muscles, glanced over.

“You’re not… doing it today?”

The unspoken subject was sex.

Stopping mid-stretch and leaning back on the sofa with a thud, Geum Sahyeok laughed.

“Two months without getting fucked, and you’re burning up?”

“…Yes.”

It wasn’t an unexpected answer. Yoonjo’s sense of sexual morality was skewed from being used so much, and he wanted to have sex with Sahyeok daily.

“You’re still lying.”

“…….”

“It’s not because you like sex with me. You’re scared I’ll find someone else to screw and ditch you, aren’t you?”

Yoonjo, silenced by Sahyeok’s piercing gaze that forbade lying, lowered his eyes. The clean hospital floor came into view. The VIP room even had marble floors.

“I think I can be discharged.”

Startled by a sigh, Yoonjo cautiously looked at Sahyeok. With legs crossed, Sahyeok tugged at his tie, looking frustrated.

“Don’t whine, Song Yoonjo. Do I have to deal with your tantrums too? I’m busy enough, so don’t be a nuisance.”

“…Okay.”

Fidgeting with his fingers, Yoonjo added softly, “I’m sorry, sir.”

Perhaps tired of hearing the same thing, Sahyeok stood, grabbing his jacket. Yoonjo, startled, raised his head, his red lips trembling.

“Are you leaving?”

Sahyeok, staring as if he’d devour those lips blooming like a flower, gave a wry smile and answered shortly.

“If you want to be discharged, get better fast.”

As Sahyeok left, the room fell silent again. Yoonjo wanted nothing more than to recover quickly. Sahyeok’s cold words were all true, making his urgency grow. Sahyeok, listed as his guardian in the visitor log, came once or twice a week, but it wasn’t enough to ease his anxiety.

“…….”

He’d barely been awake, but sleepiness hit again. Rubbing his eyes, Yoonjo decided he couldn’t keep this up and stepped out of bed. Moving might keep him awake. Though told to avoid strenuous activity, walking the hospital corridor seemed fine. Stepping down, Yoonjo transferred the IV to a pole and put on slippers.

The VIP ward was eerily quiet for a university hospital. Spending over two months in a ward he’d never been in felt deeply uncomfortable. The doctors and nurses always urging him to lie down felt unfair, and his sluggish, sleepy body was frustrating. Above all, being alone was agonizing. Despite sleeping so much that his waking hours were few, those moments were hard for Yoonjo.

Dragging the IV pole, Yoonjo had walked half a lap when the door near the ward’s entrance opened. It was the professor’s office, marked by a nameplate. As he turned to head back, his eyes fixed on something.

A massive man and a doctor in a white coat stepped out of a room. It was Geum Sahyeok, with two doctors: Hwang Cheolmin and an unfamiliar woman. Yoonjo instantly recognized her as an Omega.

The unfamiliar doctor, talking seriously, suddenly burst into laughter. Sahyeok, smiling lightly, pulled a candy from his pocket and tossed it to her. Perhaps in response to Cheolmin’s grumbling, he tossed one to him too.

Yoonjo, staring blankly, turned around. His stomach had been aching slightly, and he was about to head back. Quietly dragging the IV pole, he reached his room and opened the door.

“Ah…”

Before Yoonjo collapsed, Sahyeok, sensing his pheromones, turned. Spotting Yoonjo crumpled, clutching his stomach, Sahyeok moved instantly. Closing the distance in a few strides, his expression hardened. Yoonjo’s hips were wet with blood.

ᢉ𐭩

After a shot and sleeping nearly 48 hours, Yoonjo woke and immediately gauged Sahyeok’s mood. His coldness could make anyone break into a sweat, yet clueless Yoonjo kept apologizing with a pale face.

“Uh… can I speak now?”

Watching Sahyeok—the Geum Sahyeok—suppress his anger over a kid, Cheolmin felt half nervous, half amazed. A man devoted to efficiency and ruthless in cutting ties was acting the opposite with this recessive Omega. Cheolmin wouldn’t have believed Sahyeok visited whenever he had a moment amid the Yongwon chaos if he hadn’t seen it himself.

Sahyeok, glancing at Cheolmin’s subtle interruption, flashed a sharp look but sat on the sofa by the bed, as if to say, “Do what you want.” Yoonjo’s gaze remained fixed on his fingertips. A driver brought in an ultrasound monitor, and a nurse with a chart stood by Cheolmin.

“Yoonjo, could you lie down for a moment?”

“Yes…”

Nodding, Yoonjo lay flat with Cheolmin’s help. Cheolmin lifted his hospital gown to his chest and spread gel widely around his navel. Sensing Yoonjo’s tension, Cheolmin smiled reassuringly, applied the gel carefully, and pressed the ultrasound wand below his navel.

“Here, can you see?”

Sahyeok, seated where the monitor was in full view, showed no reaction, as if he’d expected it after seeing the blood. Only Yoonjo stared wide-eyed at the round, black-and-white sac.

“It’s the amniotic sac.”

“…….”

As if needing time to process, Yoonjo was silent for a while before looking at Sahyeok. Sahyeok’s gaze stayed on the monitor “‘It’s the amniotic sac’ means it’s a baby.” Cheolmin, reading their tense atmosphere, gave a loud cough to draw attention.

“Actually, Yoonjo’s uterus is very unstable, so we were considering removal. That’s what we planned to discuss before deciding on discharge. But today, it looks about nine weeks along. Yes, Yoonjo. You’re pregnant.”

Yoonjo, staring at Sahyeok the whole time, seemed unsure if he’d heard correctly. Cheolmin watched Sahyeok, who gazed indifferently at the sac, with nervous eyes, unsure what cold words might come from that mouth.

“Take it out.”

The room fell silent.

“With the uterus.”

“Boss?”

Like Jaewook, Cheolmin slipped into old habits when startled, looking between Sahyeok and Yoonjo in shock.

“When’s the surgery possible?”

“Boss, are you really doing the surgery? Without even asking Yoonjo’s opinion…”

“Will you keep it?”

Cutting off Cheolmin, Sahyeok asked Yoonjo directly.

“…….”

Yoonjo, staring at Sahyeok with a pale face, moved his dry lips.

“Don’t… keep it?”

“Even if it’s mine, I’d tell you to get rid of it.”

“B-Boss, what are you saying…”

Not Yoonjo but Cheolmin jumped in at Sahyeok’s callous words. But Sahyeok was cold.

“Song Yoonjo. You’ve rolled with plenty of Alphas. Can you be sure the kid in your belly is mine?”

“…….”

Yoonjo, lips parting, stared blankly at Sahyeok before shaking his head.

“No…”

“Hwang Cheolmin, schedule the surgery. As soon as possible.”

“Boss…!”

“The uterus was never there to begin with, so it’s better to remove it now. Unless you want him bedridden forever, cooperate, Hwang Cheolmin.”

“But, Boss, we just confirmed it’s nine weeks… Give Yoonjo some time to think!”

Sahyeok looked at Yoonjo with a blank face. Cheolmin, upset that he’d say such insulting things in front of a pregnant person, ranted excitedly, but Sahyeok’s sharp eyes ignored him.

Sure enough, Yoonjo, fumbling at the mattress edge, jumped out of bed. Forgetting the IV, he tried to run out, but Sahyeok grabbed his arm, pulling the trembling body into his arms.

“Why run when you’ll just get caught? If you have something to say, say it here.”

“…….”

Yoonjo, pale and shaking, looked up at Sahyeok. Holding the unsteady Yoonjo, Sahyeok kicked aside the obstructing monitor.

“Hwang Cheolmin.”

“Yes? Yes… Boss!”

“Out.”

Finally understanding, Cheolmin led the nurse out. Worried about Yoonjo beyond the closing door, he could do no more. Awkwardly consoling the shocked nurse, he left the area.

ᢉ𐭩

Curled up in the corner of the bed, Yoonjo was silent for a long time. Sahyeok, leaning on the sofa, waited through the silence. To those who knew Sahyeok, this was shocking. Quick to judge and short on patience, he didn’t urge Yoonjo once.

Clutching the blanket until it wrinkled, staring at his feet, Yoonjo hesitantly looked at Sahyeok. Meeting those dark eyes, his pale face grew paler. His barely calmed heart stirred. His stomach and chest ached, making it hard to meet Sahyeok’s gaze.

Yoonjo’s fingers bled as he looked away. Fidgeting, he’d scratched himself. Staring blankly at the wound, a large hand reached out.

Yoonjo let his hand be taken, looking at it. No, at Sahyeok’s hand holding his wrist. Just holding his wrist, Sahyeok’s hand covered his own, large, thick, and bronze. The hand, marked with faint scars, was surprisingly soft.

Sitting on the bed’s edge, Sahyeok opened the nightstand drawer for first-aid supplies. The antiseptic swab stung as it touched the peeled nail bed. When Yoonjo flinched, Sahyeok’s eyes flicked to him, pressing the swab firmly. The pressure dulled the pain.

After stopping the bleeding, Sahyeok applied ointment and waited for it to dry. The final bandage was applied with a casual yet meticulous touch. Handling the tiny medical supplies with his large hands, he treated Yoonjo’s wound simply.

“Speak.”

Noticing Yoonjo staring at his bandaged fingers instead of his own, Sahyeok spoke abruptly. Yoonjo’s trembling lips curled inward. Biting them hurt, so he released them, glistening with saliva. Perhaps because of the pregnancy, even that small bit of saliva carried the scent of wild grass. Sahyeok’s gaze, on the small, red lips, moved up the sharp nose to the pale brown eyes.

“If you have something to say, say it.”

“…….”

Used to being coerced, Yoonjo’s lips moved instinctively, but no sound came. Sahyeok didn’t press further, waiting silently. Finally, after several attempts, Yoonjo spoke.

“Candy…”

“…What?”

Sahyeok thought he’d misheard.

Candy, at a time like this?

“Are you nauseous? Want to eat it?”

“No, that’s not it…”

“Then what?”

Hesitating, Yoonjo fidgeted with the bandage’s edge, lowering his gaze.

“Why did you give her the candy…?”

Sahyeok’s brow furrowed. Expecting a plea to keep the baby, he studied Yoonjo, who didn’t seem genuinely curious, just picking at the bandage. It felt like a passive refusal to discuss abortion or hysterectomy. Thinking he’d fix that habit someday, Sahyeok spoke in a tone sharp enough to cut.

“If you’re just going to talk about candy, why try to run?”

“…It wasn’t running…”

At Sahyeok’s scoff, Yoonjo curled his fidgeting fingers and rolled his eyes before speaking.

“If I don’t do the surgery, will you abandon me?”

He hadn’t thought that far. Surgery was a given. But Sahyeok saw no reason to tell the truth.

“Yeah.”

“You didn’t have sex for two months because…”

“Your uterus is weak, and touching you could be dangerous.”

“…Will it be okay after surgery?”

“Better than now.”

“…….”

Yoonjo, staring at his feet with wide eyes, nodded slightly.

“I’ll do it.”

What Sahyeok needed was a fleshlight. Not a half-baked Omega who couldn’t even give birth properly, but a tool to satisfy his desires fully.