“Why? Did Yichen scold you? Haha, he's always been strict with you. Good, haha,” Haerin kept laughing. Tian felt embarrassed and tried to stop Haerin’s reaction. 

“Ah, Hae— I mean, hyung… please, that’s enough. People are staring…” Tian's face turned red, followed by the tips of his ears. Haerin was still laughing, covering his face with his hand.

“Haha, sorry, hyung got carried away, Tian. Oh, right—Kihyeon, starting today you’ll be working as Tian’s assistant,” said Haerin.

Ugh, damn it. Why did Kihyeon have to be Tian’s assistant? Kihyeon froze like a statue, tightening his grip on the handle of the shoulder bag hanging from his left side. He had hoped that after putting his dark vocational school days behind him, he could finally live without any burdens. He simply nodded, forcing a faint smile.

“Alright then, Tian’s office is on the fifth floor. Good luck, Tian and Kihyeon. I hope your day goes smoothly,” Haerin said encouragingly.

Tian grinned widely, taking a few steps back to walk beside Kihyeon, then wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

“Thank you, Hae— I mean, hyung. We’ll work super hard, promise!” he said enthusiastically.

Tuk, tuk, Kihyeon’s footsteps sounded heavy, as if he were carrying ten stones on his back. 

“Hey, Kihyeon. Let’s have lunch at the restaurant in front later, yeah?” Tian broke the silence between them. Kihyeon’s gaze was empty; he gave no response at all. Tian stopped walking and turned around. Duk! 

“Awh, damn it,” Kihyeon muttered. He had accidentally bumped into Tian, who had come to a sudden stop in front of him. Kihyeon held his forehead like he had just slammed into a wall. Tian curved his lips into a smirk before finally speaking. “Kihyeon, does your forehead hurt? I’ve been working out at the gym to make my chest softer, you know.”

Cklak! The door swung open as Tian entered the room. The air conditioning, which had been running since the hospital opened that morning, made the space feel like a walk-in freezer—for humans. The 4 x 4 meter room was decorated with picture frames, all still empty. Four steps from the door led to a desk with two chairs facing away from the door and one chair facing toward it.