Affinity

Chapter 16

They stayed up on the road until the wee hours of the morning. Do-yoon fell asleep from crying too much. His eyes were swollen. Yet Joon-Ho rubbed Do-yoon’s right cheek with his right thumb while his left hand gripped the steering wheel. He didn’t look pleased at all. 

He rang up Dr. Shin, who was disturbed from his cozy sleep with a naked omega beside him. 

“Lee Joon-Ho, don’t you know my working hours start at 8:00 am?” Dr. Shin sounded annoyed. But his eyes went wide when Joon-Ho said, “There’s no need for that therapist to come tomorrow. I’ll ask Park Beom to pay him in full and return his belongings to his apartment address.” 

“Wait a minute, Lee Joon-Ho, what are you talking about?” Dr. Shin panicked and felt worried. 

“Just like I said, I don’t need that fucking therapy. I can walk.” Joon-Ho hung up the phone, threw it in the back seat, turned on the engine, and drove back to the villa.

What the heck was going on? Dr. Shin looked baffled. I'd better call Im Hyun later. What did that punk do this time? 

Joon-Ho parked the car facing the house. Do-yoon was still sleeping when he saw Song standing ahead of the open garage. Song couldn’t see who was inside the tinted black car. But when Joon-Ho got out of the car, his eyes went wide. Sir Lee? He swallowed through his throat. When did he start walking? 

Joon-Ho didn’t mind him and opened the right front seat door. And Song again looked stunned. Do-yoon? How? He said, “Sir Lee,” he stuttered. He carried Do-yoon in his arms. He said, “Keep quiet or you’ll wake him up.” 

Song looked concerned. What is going on? He limped as he followed. 

“Open the door, Song,” said Joon-Ho. 

“Ah, yes, Sir,” he opened the main door, and Yu-Na happened to come down from the stairs, holding the basket of dirty linens. Her eyes widened in disbelief. 

She approached them and said, “Good Morning, Sir Lee,” but Joon-Ho looked exhausted. His sweat trickled on his temples as his brow narrowed. 

Yu-Na exchanged glances with Song as if she wondered how Joon-Ho could walk and why he was carrying Do-yoon. 

He strolled toward the elevator. He said, “Press the button,” staring at Do-yoon’s breathing in silence. 

“Ah, yes,” Song, limp, pressed the button to open the elevator and followed Joon-Ho behind. And Yu-Na was making a lip sync. “What the hell is going on? Why is Do-yoon with him? Yah, Yah! Song nim.”

While in the elevator, he said, “When Do-yoon wakes up later, tell him to come see me in the office.”

Song looked nervous and concerned. He replied, “Yes, Sir Lee.” He bent his head down. Then, his eyeballs moved to the right. He could sense that Joon-Ho kept staring at Do-yoon, who stood behind him. 

He laid Do-yoon on his bed and fixed the blanket for him. He was soundly asleep. 

They left the room, and Song said, “Sir, you should probably rest too.” 

“I have no time to rest,” Joon-Ho said, and Song looked worried. “Ask Yu-Na and the rest to tidy Im Hyun’s room and put all his belongings in the box. Park Beom will come and pick it up later.” 

Song's eyes were shocked. He just…bobbed his head and said, “Yes, Sir,” but in his mind, I don’t know how he found them? Is Im Hyun not coming back to do the therapy? I want to know what happened, but it’s not my place to ask. 

Meanwhile, Tae-sung looked high and intoxicated in his villa with two exhausted omegas, male and female, with whom he spent his rut. He was sitting on the floor, back leaning against the edge of the bed, and looking up at the ceiling. 

He looked unfocused, while his legs lay flat on the polished floor. The room was dim. There were syringes, used condoms, and empty bottles of wine scattered on the bed and floor and residues dried on the surface. 

Da-won came in, and the suffocating smell was heated with salty, musky, sweet pheromones, and the sharp bite of drugs welcomed him. It was overwhelming. 

It was hard for him to breathe as he looked nauseous. He covered his nose with his left arm.

Tae-sung's sleepless eyes glistened ferociously. He asked, “Did you find my Do-yoon ssi?” His voice sounded hoarse.

Da-won gulped. I'd better be careful what I say to him. How many of my underlings did he kill just by looking for the person who didn’t want to be found? I need to ask Hyung’s help if this keeps going. He said, “We’ve put a tail on Do-yoon’s parents and the housekeeper's house.” 

Tae-sung looked livid at Da-won and said, “So… you still haven’t found him.” He stood up, bare naked and held his forehead. He wobbled, approaching Da-won. “A week ago, my Do-yoon ssi turned 18, yet…you haven’t found a single strand of his hair.” His eyes widened, unhinged.

Da-won swallowed hard, his throat tightened as nerves took hold. But he took the courage to snap his senses back to reality. “Tae-sung, there are a lot of omegas who are more capable than he! I can find you more if that’s what you want.” He exclaimed while his hands trembled in fear. He added, “Why are you so obsessed with him?!” 

Tae-sung's menacing stare brought chills to his spine. He said, “Obsessed?” He stiffened, biting down hard on his teeth. “You don’t know anything about me or Do-yoon ssi. So don’t roll your fucking dirty tongue telling what’s best for me. You know…nothing.” 

Da-won clenched his right fist. You don’t even know what you’re doing. Then he scratched his head to change the deadly air around them. He said, “Ugh, whatever!” he turned around, looked sideways to his left and sneered at Tae-sung. “You better pull yourself together, your half-brother was starting to walk again.” 

Tae-sung’s eyes dilated with shock. A pang of hatred grew inside him as he gritted his teeth. 

Da-won slammed the door. He took a deep breath from his pounding chest and whined in his mind. Fucking lunatic. I don’t know why I stuck myself with someone as deranged as him. Tsk. He took out his phone and rang his other brother as he walked in the corridor to visit the debtor’s residence with his remaining underlings. 

The birds chirped as they nudged their heads to one another, joyfully. 

Do-yoon’s eyes jolted from his sleep as he sprang from his bed. He was panting with cold sweat on his forehead. He was having a nightmare. He panicked and removed the blanket as his heart palpitated rapidly. 

There was no shackle on his feet. He held his chest as it tightened. It’s just a dream. It’s just a dream. He huffed and gulped and breathed through his lungs. What time is it?  

Yu-Na’s phone was beside his left bedside table. He grabbed and unlocked it. It was 10:00 a.m., and his eyes went wide. I’m late for work. He got out of bed in a rush and went to the bathroom. 

At the same time, Joon-Ho was sitting on his chair without the wheelchair, while Park Beom's eyes looked surprised. 

“Sir, when did you start walking?” He asked in a polite tone. 

Joon-Ho furrowed his brow, holding a pen, reading the report and said, “You don’t need to know. I want you to take Mr Im Hyun’s belongings back to his apartment and pay him in full.” 

Park Beom was speechless. Thinking about it, he asked me about the therapist's whereabouts. I don’t exactly know what happened. But, if it means he could walk again, it must have something to do with that impaired omega. But how? 

Joon-Ho’s nonchalant face looked at him and said, “Please keep this matter a secret from my father.” 

Park Beom sighed and asked, “But are you planning to return to Gangnam anytime soon, Sir?”

Joon-Ho stood and faced the open sliding door, looking at the garden as the curtain danced from the cold gust of wind. He thought, The weather looks lovely today. It would be nice to have a stroll down by the river. His mind lingered with Do-yoon. Is he awake by now? He then faced Park Beom and said, “It’s not the right time to return to Gangnam. I have a few things to do first. Just do what you normally do when you report to my father.” 

“I’ll do that then,” said Park Beom. Then he sensed Joon-Ho’s unstable pheromone. He said, “Sir, have you taken your inhibitors?” 

“I already did. Why are you asking?” Joon-Ho’s gaze glistened to his left. But Park Beom averted his glance at the outside sliding door and saw Do-yoon conversing with Song. Joon-Ho noticed his strange expression and shifted his eyes right outside the garden. “You can leave now, Park Beom. Don’t forget what I told you to do.” He diverted his attention. 

“Ah, yes, Sir,” Park Beom felt the intimidating pheromone of him. Should I call Dr. Shin? It seems Sir Lee’s is about to go into a rut soon. 

When Park Beom left, Joon-Ho looked back at the garden, and Do-yoon was gone. Where could he be? Then a knock came through his door. It creaked open. It was Do-yoon. 

He felt a jittery warmth bubble inside him. Do-yoon came inside and looked hesitant. He said, “Ah, U-uncle Song t-told me that you’re l-looking for me?” He looked ashamed of what had happened last night. He fidgeted with his fingers at the end of his blue shirt. I couldn’t believe Joon-Ho nim could now walk. Is he still mad at me? He bent his head down as he closed his eyes. 

“Have a seat, Do-yoon,” said Joon-Ho with his unfazed gaze. 

“Huh?” Do-yoon's eyes were astounded. He felt his insides twist with nervousness. “Ah, yes,” He went to the couch and sat, feeling anxious. 

Joon-Ho took something out of a gift bag. He strolled and sat beside Do-yoon to his left, whose eyes grew wide at his sudden movement. He said, “Gift me your hand.” 

Huh? Do-yoon looked at him with a surprised stare. But Joon-Ho scoffed, calmly and said, “I’m not going to bite, Do-yoon ssi.” He locked eyes with him and added, “Can you please give me your hand?” He opened his right palm toward him. 

The air around them was calm and gentle. 

Do-yoon gave his left arm to him. What is he going to do? A swarm of nerves danced in his belly. Joon-Ho opened the watch gift box and put the branded wrist watch made of a black leather strap onto his left wrist. 

Do-yoon’s eyes widened. Speechless. Joon-Ho said, “It’s my birthday present for you,” while he put the straps around his wrist. “So you don’t need to keep running around the house to look at the clock.” Then, he looked at Do-yoon warmly and said, “You’ve done well, Do-yoon.” He smiled. 

Do-yoon’s eyes were teary as he held on to the watch. He took his pad and pen and wrote. 

He showed it to him.

“It’s my first time receiving a lovely gift. Thank you. I’ll wear them anywhere I go, Joon-Ho nim.” 

With his seraphic smile toward him. 

Joon-Ho felt a sudden tingling sensation down his spine. The lub-dub sound in his heart sounded like he was ready to open up with Do-yoon. His lips curled into a grin at him. He said, “Stay here from now on, Do-yoon ssi.” 

Do-yoon’s eyes stretched in astonishment. His teary eyes shimmered with joy. Without hesitation, he hugged Joon-Ho to his heart's content. 

And Joon-Ho’s eyes were taken by surprise as his heartbeat raced.