Chapter 16: The View from the Third Floor

“He’s not angry or in a bad mood, is he?”

“Not at all. His pheromone levels were stable today, and he actually seemed to be in high spirits.”

Junseong, walking ahead, stopped in front of the white door just as Yunhwan had expected. Before leaving, he asked Yunhwan to keep the conversation light and casual so as not to interfere with the upcoming counseling session.

The milky-white door looked blindingly bright today.

Pushing the sliding door with a palm damp with sweat, Yunhwan stepped into an entirely white space. Standing inside the rectangular room—a place clearly designed for clinical treatment—was a man.

“…Seonghye?”

At Yunhwan’s call, Seonghye, who had been staring out the window, slowly turned around.

“Did the treatment go well?”

Thin eyelids blinked over Seonghye’s dark pupils. Into his silent, deep gaze entered the reflection of Yunhwan—wiping away sweat and offering an awkward smile.

“Junseong said your pheromone levels were good today. You worked hard.”

Seonghye turned back toward the window without a word. It was unclear what he was looking at from three floors up, but his gaze directed outside was remarkably serious and deliberate.

Without taking his eyes off the view below, Seonghye spoke in a slow voice.

“You were at the cafe on the first floor, weren’t you?”

“…Uh, yeah. I’m always there.”

“I know. But why are you sweating so much, Hyung?”

“Well, that’s…”

Because I ran here for you.

Unable to say that, Yunhwan wiped his wet forehead again. Wiping his damp hand on his trousers, he forced an awkward laugh.

“…It’s just the heat. Even stepping outside for a second makes me sweat like this.”

“Hyung.”

‘Hey, Kwon Yunhwan.’

For a moment, two completely different tones using the same voice overlapped in his ears. The honorific ‘Hyung’—which he still couldn’t get used to—and the fierce, savage voice that used to bark his name made the corners of Yunhwan’s mouth tremble slightly. Fortunately, Seonghye’s gaze was still fixed outside, so he didn’t notice.

It had already been a week since their second period of living together began.

In that time, Seonghye had received two imprinting treatments; today was the third. Junseong, who was in charge, said he planned to gradually increase the frequency of the sessions, but Yunhwan’s mind was entirely focused on when the effects of these treatments would finally show.

To break a one-sided imprint, effort was required from both the imprinter and the target.

As a non-holder (Beta), the only effort Yunhwan could make was to stay by Seonghye’s side during the process and live within a close enough distance to keep him from becoming hypersensitive—all while being careful that their proximity didn’t become a different kind of poison to Seonghye.

Tap, tap. Long fingers drummed against the transparent window, drawing Yunhwan’s attention back to him.

“At the cafe… were you alone?”

Yunhwan shook his head.

“Not alone. I was with a younger friend I’m close with.”

“I see.”

Because he couldn’t see Seonghye’s expression as he looked outside, Yunhwan’s voice became even more cautious.

“Um, your counseling is starting soon. Why did you ask for me?”

Seonghye’s head tilted slightly to the side, and a low answer drifted back to Yunhwan. He spoke as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Because I missed you.”

Turning away from the window, Seonghye faced Yunhwan. His lips were curved into a gentle arc, and as his sharp eyes softened into a docile shape, the tension surrounding them dissipated like mist.

“If I’d known you’d run here like this, I would have gone down myself.”

“I told you, it’s hot.”

“From now on, I’ll be the one going down.”

When Yunhwan squinted against the piercing afternoon sun, Seonghye smiled and walked toward him. As Seonghye raised a hand to create a small sunshade over Yunhwan’s eyes, the scent of the body wash they shared drifted from him.

“How about this?”

“…….”

“You looked hot.”

Yunhwan’s pupils wavered slightly at the small shadow cast over his face. Seonghye smiled and lowered his hand. Even so, Yunhwan didn’t have to squint anymore because Seonghye’s large frame was now blocking the harsh sunlight for him.

Feeling an inexplicable embarrassment, Yunhwan rubbed his sweaty palms against his trousers.

“Now that I’ve seen your face, I feel at ease. I’ll go get my counseling now.”

Stepping back, Seonghye smiled softly at him.

In Seonghye’s hands were an air conditioner remote and a small flowerpot. Before Yunhwan could ask what they were for, a voice calling for Seonghye echoed from outside.

Placing the small remote in Yunhwan’s hand, Seonghye smiled.

“I turned on the AC, so it’ll be cool soon. Don’t go far; just rest here comfortably.”

“You… do your best, too.”

“I will.”

Yunhwan wanted to ask why he was taking the green, leafy pot with him, but Seonghye was faster. He briefly squeezed Yunhwan’s damp left hand—firmly but not painfully—and left a final request.

“Don’t go anywhere. Wait for me right here.”

His dark eyes swept over Yunhwan’s face with a smile.

“A flowerpot?”

Junseong tilted his head at the small pot, about the size of a child’s fist. Is it an herb? Or just a nameless weed? As he struggled to identify it due to his lack of botanical knowledge, a look of sheer patheticness was directed his way.

“Let’s just call it grass,” Seonghye said.

“Why? It looks like it would grow well if you just gave it a name.”

Junseong flicked a leaf the size of his thumb, looking at it with a hint of endearment.

Seonghye, who had been sitting with his long legs crossed, unclasped his hands from his lap. With his hands free, he suddenly grabbed the plant by its “hair” and pulled it straight out of the soil. Junseong’s jaw dropped.

“…Hey, that’s an act of violence, you know…?”

“It was already dead.”

Looking closer, he wasn’t wrong. Unlike the healthy-looking leaves, the roots buried beneath the soil were already rotting away.

“Then why show me a dead plant? I’m a doctor. Whether it’s humans, animals, or plants, I prefer things that are breathing. I don’t like things that are rotting.”

“Find me a pot that looks exactly like this. Keep it on the windowsill of the ward until the next treatment.”

Though his face looked annoyed, Seonghye’s touch as he tucked the plant back in was surprisingly careful.

Judging by the fact that it was a plant just beginning to sprout in an ivory pot, Junseong quickly guessed the source. He thought of Yunhwan, who had sprinted to the hospital the moment he heard treatment was over.

Well, he is a farmer, so gifting a ‘companion plant’ isn’t out of character. Shifting his gaze from the pot, Junseong adjusted his posture.

“He probably brought it to fill the empty space for you. He’ll be disappointed if he finds out it kicked the bucket without anyone knowing.”

Junseong began the session by scanning Seonghye’s counseling records on the table.

“Shall we begin? Min Seonghye, how have you been feeling lately? Have you felt particularly irritated or even slightly sensitive?”

“I have. About the sensitivity.”

Junseong asked back, surprised.

“Why? Did something happen? You just saw Mr. Yunhwan.”

Junseong continued while observing Seonghye’s features, which looked more delicate than usual today.

“Yunhwan is by your side wherever you go, so you should be fine.”

Seonghye’s “fatal wounds” always stemmed from or were worsened by Yunhwan. Why would Min Seonghye—a man whose every nerve was focused solely on Yunhwan’s absence—speak of sensitivity today? While Junseong pondered, Seonghye remained silent for a moment before offering an answer a beat late.

“Do you know why I designated the room directly across from the entrance as my ward?”

It was an out-of-the-blue question, but Junseong simply shook his head.

“Because the view outside is good from there.”

“…….”

“I can see the main road below the building, and who goes in and out of the cafe right next door.”

There was a suppressed emotion in Seonghye’s voice, as if he were holding something back. He pressed his index finger firmly against his temple and spat out the words.

“Today… he was in the cafe with some guy I don’t know.”

“…You mean Mr. Yunhwan?”

“It bothers me. The fact that Kwon Yunhwan is with someone other than me.”

So, it’s because Mr. Yunhwan wasn’t alone… Junseong’s hands moved faster as he noted Seonghye’s state.

Over the past week, Seonghye’s imprinting treatment had proceeded without a hitch. Junseong believed this was possible for two main reasons: one, he had told Seonghye the treatment was for pheromone regulation rather than breaking an imprint; and two, Yunhwan was being remarkably cooperative.

The problem was Seonghye.

While the process was smooth, the actual effect of the treatment on Seonghye was significantly lacking.

“Do you still feel anxious and get splitting headaches when Mr. Yunhwan isn’t around?”

The medication Seonghye was receiving twice a week was designed to lower pheromone intensity to a level below average—the optimal state for breaking an imprint.

The issue was that while most Alphas show changes like a decrease in pheromone levels after just one dose, Seonghye—now at his third session—showed almost no difference compared to before the treatment started.

It wasn’t entirely surprising; Seonghye’s pheromone levels had never been stable to begin with. He had been taking regulators even before starting the imprinting treatment, but this current method, which required levels to drop below average, failed to bring about even a minor change in him.