Flower Fiancé Chapter 73

Listening to the calm explanation of the hospital director, he retraced his thoughts. He remembered the image of Choi Moohyuk driving urgently with him in the passenger seat. It also seemed like Choi Moohyuk had been on the phone with someone while driving. But from the moment they arrived at the hospital, there were more things he did not remember than things he did.

‘I thought it was precarious… but I actually fainted.’

Several things had piled up, making both his body and mind exhausted, but he wondered if it had really been enough to make him faint. Above all, he also felt worried that Choi Moohyuk, who must have witnessed the whole process, would have been very shocked.

“I remember most of it. I think I remember most of it up until I fainted.”

“Then are you feeling any discomfort?”

Ji Yeonwoo lightly shook his head.

“Rather than discomfort, I just have no energy.”

“That is because your strength has declined. You must eat well to recover quickly. There is a limit to recovering with IV fluids, after all.”

The hospital director had the nurse standing behind check his vitals. The nurse approached, checked his blood pressure, pulse, temperature, and so on, and only after reporting that there were no abnormalities did the expressions of those present soften considerably.

“Currently, he only has minor contusions. You may be discharged once the IV fluids are finished. However, since he lost consciousness, we were unable to perform the detailed trait-related examination, so I recommend undergoing the test at a later date. As I also mentioned to the Managing Director, it has been about 4 years since the onset of pheromone deficiency, and if it extends further, you may miss the treatment window.”

“…Yes. Thank you.”

Having exchanged a nod with Ji Yeonwoo, the hospital director gave a bow toward Choi Moohyuk and left the hospital room. The door closed with a small noise—rumble—and only two people, Choi Moohyuk and Ji Yeonwoo, remained in the room. Even then, Choi Moohyuk was still holding onto his hand.

Ji Yeonwoo squeezed Choi Moohyuk’s thick hand, which was clasping his own, with a bit more force. Tension filled Choi Moohyuk’s dark brown eyes as their gazes met.

“Was I… asleep for a long time?”

“You were asleep for nearly two full days.”

“I was asleep for that long?”

Having thought it had only been a few hours at most, hearing that he had been asleep for two days was somewhat surprising.

“Though it’s a relief you’ve woken up, that’s not the issue right now.”

“Was another problem discovered?”

“I’ve felt this since last time—do you not eat properly when you’re alone, Mr. Yeonwoo?”

“Pardon?”

“To exaggerate slightly, they said you were on the verge of malnutrition.”

Only then did he understand why Choi Moohyuk had worn such a shocked and worried expression. If he had heard that someone who looked perfectly fine was actually on the verge of malnutrition, being surprised was only natural.

He had been thinking that he kept losing weight, but he hadn’t known it was that serious. Feeling unnecessarily sorry, Ji Yeonwoo gave a weak smile.

“Well, I’m busy, and when I’m alone, I tend not to take care of my meals.”

Knowing that excuses were useless in this situation, he confessed honestly. As if he had expected as much, creases of anger formed around Choi Moohyuk’s eyes.

“You seem to be quite good at cooking, so why do you do that.”

“During work, I can’t leave the shop to go eat. And if I order food to eat at the shop, the smell lingers…”

“So you starve outright during work?”

“No. That’s not it. I just ate things like sandwiches or snacks. Then I’d come home past 9 p.m., and if I ate and slept at that hour, it would upset my stomach, so I ended up not eating much either.”

“…Were there frequent days like the day I made you pasta, where you starved all day?”

Unable to bring himself to say yes, Ji Yeonwoo finally lowered the corners of his eyes and gave up on making excuses.

“Don’t scold me too much. I’ll eat properly from now on.”

“It’s not scolding…”

Seeing Ji Yeonwoo like that, Choi Moohyuk turned his head toward the empty air and let out a breath—hah. After being lost in thought for a moment, when he faced him again, his expression was somewhat calmer.

“If the situation is like that, I’d like you to close the shop for the time being. Running the shop might give you vitality, Mr. Yeonwoo, but if things continue this way, you might end up in serious trouble.”

“Mr. Moohyuk…”

“Did you say you don’t eat properly when you’re alone? Then let’s be together.”

At the sudden proposal, Ji Yeonwoo blinked in surprise.

“You can’t go back into that apartment anyway, can you. If it really feels burdensome, just do so until your body recovers completely.”

“…”

“As Mr. Yeonwoo heard earlier, you don’t necessarily have to take the detailed trait examination right now. It’s already delayed anyway, and I don’t think there’s any reason to push yourself to take it. I think it would be best to undergo the test after getting sufficient rest. For that to happen, I believe you need someone by your side to look after you. What do you think, Mr. Yeonwoo?”

Choi Moohyuk did not force it. His words were logical from beginning to end, and the reasons leading to that conclusion were also clear. Everything he said was right, so there was no reason to say no. People live together a lot these days too, and if he thought of it as a step toward deepening their relationship, he could also lessen the burden that was rushing in.

“Alright. I’ll do that.”

Only after seeing the affirmation did Choi Moohyuk’s expression soften considerably.

“I’ll have my subordinates pack and bring your things, so don’t worry about it, and let’s go straight to my house once you’re discharged.”

Meeting Choi Moohyuk’s eyes, Ji Yeonwoo nodded with a slight lift at the corners of his lips. Choi Moohyuk immediately called someone.

“Hey, it’s me. Start the discharge process. We’ll leave as soon as the IV is finished. And…”

Watching him give a few instructions to the person on the phone, Ji Yeonwoo propped himself halfway up, pressing his palms against the uncomfortable bed. Seeing this, Choi Moohyuk supported Ji Yeonwoo’s back with his other hand while continuing the call. Seated leaning against the bed, relying on him, Ji Yeonwoo quietly looked at Choi Moohyuk.

Choi Moohyuk, who had been looking elsewhere, felt the gaze and turned his head. While he wrapped up the call, his eyes did not once leave Ji Yeonwoo.

His thoughts multiplied. Here was a person who knew how to deliver everything so logically, yet was saying absolutely nothing about the very thing he was most curious about. He had said he would tell him after all the tests were done, but judging by the current situation, he showed not even a hint of bringing it up unless asked first.

Of course, he knew he was being impatient. Based on his reactions, it was true that he had gone to a matchmaking meeting, and he also thought there must have been a reason he hadn’t mentioned it beforehand.

If it had been a meeting he was forced to attend due to family pressure, then it was clear that he, too, was in a sufficiently distressing situation.

There was plenty of evidence. He went back in his mind to the day he first met Choi Moohyuk. He had come to Flower Fiancé to buy flowers to give to the person he was meeting. Even though he had ended up buying marigolds that didn’t suit the occasion at all, judging by his words that they were meant to hurt, that too must have been an unwanted matchmaking meeting.

And on the day he first let Choi Moohyuk into his home, judging by his attire and behavior that differed from usual, he had guessed there had been a meeting.

He couldn’t know exactly how many more matchmaking meetings he had attended since then. But there had been no major problems in their relationship afterward, and he thought it would remain unchanged going forward.

The problem was not Choi Moohyuk, but Ji Yeonwoo himself, who remained in a state of pheromone deficiency.

The doctor’s words about how his recovery was extremely slow for a dominant omega, and the hospital director’s words that if he missed the treatment window it might be irreversible, crossed his mind.

Ji Yeonwoo, who had been clenching the blanket covering his lower body repeatedly, swallowed dryly—gulp.

“Mr. Moohyuk.”

Tension filled Choi Moohyuk’s dark brown eyes, which had been waiting silently even after he hung up the phone.

“Couldn’t I just take the test now?”

“Now, right this moment?”

“Yes.”

Choi Moohyuk, who had worn a startled expression, spoke firmly.

“No. It’s too much. You know how difficult the trait-related test is. With your body right now, Mr. Yeonwoo, you won’t be able to endure…”

“No, I can do it. I’ll endure it.”

Ji Yeonwoo cut off his words urgently. That figure somehow even looked impatient.