Chapter 29: Tethered Hearts

Having finally exposed his anxieties and failings, Seonghye exuded an aura that was far lighter and more refreshed than before. Yunhwan had done nothing more than listen, but seeing the younger man’s brighter expression, he finally understood why people placed such high importance on being a good listener.

However, that tranquility was short-lived. A different kind of commotion soon stirred in the hospital room.

“No.”

Yunhwan shook his head firmly at Seonghye, who was lying on the bed. He had just heard a certain proposal from Seonghye, and upon hearing it, he had immediately scurried to the very edge of the bed.

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”

His back was as straight and unyielding as a wall, and his crossed arms radiated a defensive energy. Seonghye, who had been watching him silently, broke the quiet.

“…Is it really that bad?”

“Is it that bad? …You’re telling a person to lie down and sleep next to someone who just collapsed. And besides, you… well, you’re currently in that state. So, no.”

As Yunhwan’s voice trailed off ambiguously, Seonghye tilted his head.

“What is ‘that state,’ Hyung?”

“…Never mind. Regardless, sleeping together is out of the question.”

It was nearly midnight. It was too late to go home, and since Seonghye needed to be monitored, they had chosen to stay at the hospital. But a problem remained: there was only one room and one bed, leaving Yunhwan with no proper place to sleep.

When Yunhwan finally suggested sleeping in Junseong’s on-call room…

“I’m not being stubborn because I want to. I just can’t leave you in that room that smells like rotting fish,” Seonghye countered.

“…Why would an on-call room smell like that?”

“Have you been there? No, you haven’t.” Seonghye’s voice dropped an octave. “There are no windows, so there’s no ventilation. The smell of ramen and delivery food is baked into the walls. Just standing near it makes me nauseous. You’re going to sleep there? Absolutely not, Hyung.”

“…….”

“Don’t be difficult and just lie down here.”

The whispering voice as he glanced at the space beside him was as soft as a feather, but the reality was far from gentle. Seonghye had all his senses sharpened to break Yunhwan’s resolve; he had no intention of letting Yunhwan sleep in Junseong’s room.

“Hurry.”

The urging voice was subtly sharp. Yunhwan shook his head vigorously again.

“No.”

“I’m going crazy. Is that the only answer you know?”

A hollow laugh escaped Seonghye’s crimson lips. He shook his head at Yunhwan’s uncharacteristically firm attitude and the stubbornness that didn’t hesitate to engage in this tug-of-war.

“Why? Because I’m in my Rut?”

“…….”

“Are you afraid I’ll pounce on you? I suppose I did act like a beast at Seong-pil’s farm.”

Seonghye paused and looked at Yunhwan. Though Yunhwan’s shoulders flinched at the self-deprecating tone, his feet remained planted firmly on the floor.

Staring at those steadfast legs, Seonghye suddenly turned his body. He reached for the small nightstand beside the bed and pulled something out. Yunhwan’s eyes widened when he saw what was in Seonghye’s hand.

It was an IV tube—a clear, flexible hose. Before Yunhwan could guess its purpose, Seonghye tossed it toward the end of the bed where Yunhwan stood.

“Tie me up with that.”

Seonghye’s gaze was calmer and more detached than ever.

“I find myself disgusting right now, so how must you feel? I understand. So, tie me up yourself and keep me here.”

“You…”

“Why? Is it too creepy to tie someone up with a cord?” Seonghye’s eyebrows arched slightly. “An imprinted Alpha is right here, and you’re going to sleep next to some other guy? Truly… you really have a knack for driving a person mad, Hyung.”

With every word, the sentences felt like thorns thrown at Yunhwan’s feet. A heavy silence instantly swirled between them.

After a long moment, Yunhwan finally spoke.

“If you hadn’t been sick today…”

The two feet that had been standing far away began to move slowly, narrowing the gap between them. As Yunhwan drew closer, the hand Seonghye had resting on the mattress twitched involuntarily.

Without a word, Yunhwan picked up the cord and put it back where it belonged. Seeing the tube reminded him of the hemp rope he often handled, but he shook his head to dispel the thought. The past should stay in the past. His resolute nod was firm.

Seonghye, who had been obsessively tracking Yunhwan’s every movement, couldn’t endure it the second Yunhwan sat on the edge of the bed. He reached out and snatched Yunhwan around the waist, pulling him close.

Then, as if justifying his actions, he whispered into Yunhwan’s ear.

“So you don’t fall off.”

The plausible excuse did little to hide the simmering emotions beneath. A beast thirsty for its master’s affection had chosen the path of shamelessness to survive, and the lips that grazed Yunhwan’s ear were unusually hot.

As he finished speaking, his lips slowly moved away. However, the voice Seonghye left behind clung to Yunhwan like downy feathers, causing him to reflexively scratch his ear with his fingertip.

“We should lie down.”

The arms that had pulled him in now focused on getting Yunhwan to lie down. Soon, the blanket was tucked up to Yunhwan’s chest. Then, a hand with long, steady fingers rested on top of him, patting him rhythmically.

The entire process was so fluid it was almost shameless, but once Yunhwan was actually lying down, his body felt heavy and melted with exhaustion.

“…Seonghye.” Yunhwan pressed down on his eyes, heavy with fatigue. “Today…”

Now that his body, once stiff with tension, had relaxed onto the bed, his mind seemed to find some room as well. He continued in a calmer voice.

“If things are as hard as they were today, don’t hold it in. Just tell me.”

The dangerous moment in the greenhouse, and the moment he collapsed coughing up blood at home—Yunhwan knew that while the former was a relief to have endured, the latter proved that endurance wasn’t always the answer.

“Why do you think I’m by your side? It’s because I want you to get better as soon as possible.”

“…….”

“If you’re hurting, you have to say so.”

Yunhwan believed that regardless of how Seonghye acted or which version of him was “real,” the most important thing was not to lose sight of the goal: for Seonghye to return to his old self, free from being tied down to the countryside.

Seonghye stared at him in silence before slowly speaking.

“You must have worried about me a lot.”

Seonghye reached out and brushed Yunhwan’s bangs aside, revealing a forehead damp with sweat.

“I’m sorry for making you worry.”

“Not as much as you suffered… but I was very shocked. You suddenly collapsed and were bleeding. I even thought that maybe we shouldn’t have gone to the farm today.”

Seonghye shook his head firmly. “You did the right thing taking me there. If I hadn’t gone, it would have been just you and Seong-pil.”

“…….”

“I understand how you feel, so close your eyes now.”

Seonghye clicked his tongue softly, noticing how Yunhwan’s cheeks had hollowed out since they first met. He hated seeing how much weight the man had lost, yet a strange flutter of excitement rose in him at the thought of using it as an excuse to feed him well and keep him close.

How much time had passed since Seonghye closed his eyes while patting Yunhwan’s chest?

“Seonghye.”

At the sound of his name, his eyelids snapped open. His dark eyes immediately caught Yunhwan’s profile, and they began to shimmer again.

“When I’m here… does it make your mind feel at ease?”

“Does it make my mind feel at ease?”

“…….”

“Is that even a question?”

Seonghye’s eyebrows shot up fiercely, caught between bewilderment and disbelief. He wondered what Yunhwan had been thinking of his words and actions thus far to ask such a thing.

But when Yunhwan turned his head to meet his gaze, Seonghye’s racing heart miraculously calmed, and the blood that had been thrumming through his veins settled into a steady flow. Because the eyes asking the question were so incredibly clear and pure, his hurt feelings smoothed over like a beach after a wave. Seonghye’s eyelids fluttered shut for a moment as if the tension had suddenly snapped.

How could I get annoyed with a person like this…

When he opened his eyes again, his gaze became entangled with those soft, light-brown eyes. Seonghye’s beautiful face, now wearing a faint smile, captivated Yunhwan’s pupils.

“It’s not just that my mind is at ease…”

I feel like I can only stay alive if you are by my side. Seonghye bit back the emotion that was too overwhelming for words.

Then, his focus shifted. His brow furrowed slightly as he looked at Yunhwan with a trace of suspicion.

“Why are you asking that, Hyung?”

There was a hint of wariness in Seonghye’s voice. The tone demanding to know the intent behind the question was quite dark. Yet, unable to scold the man on mere suspicion, the look he gave Yunhwan remained incredibly cautious.

“…I was thinking, it feels like it’s my fault you’re suffering like this. Of course, the accident that day happened because of my carelessness, but…”

As if he had expected this, Seonghye closed his eyes tight and then opened them.

“…Ha.”

His jaw set in a way that looked almost painful.

“Who made you feel like you had to be so sorry?”

From between his gritted teeth came not annoyance, but a burst of pity, longing, and a regret he couldn’t hide.