Chapter 100: Imprinting Out
by GideonOnly then did Jubin realize the horrific thing he had done to Zion.
“It’s not your fault, Zion. Please, look at me.”
Despite Jubin’s pleas, Zion refused to look at him, stubbornly holding his ground. The choice Jubin had made, believing it was for Zion’s own good, had only caused him pain.
He had expected some level of distress, but he never imagined Zion would suffer this much.
“…I did it because I love you. Because I love you so much. I thought if I just endured the side effects myself, it wouldn’t hurt you. I never thought you’d be this devastated…”
At Jubin’s desperate confession, Zion slowly lifted his head.
Seeing Zion’s tear-streaked face, Jubin gently pulled him into an embrace.
“I really wanted to give you everything you ever wanted.”
How can I make you understand? How can I reach you?
“I wanted to see all of you, too. I’ve been rooting for you more than anyone else…”
Should I just keep trying, like you did, until you finally see me?
“…As a fan, this time?”
“No fan would be foolish enough to implant three chips in their body.”
Instead of preparing to be hated or abandoned, I should have been thinking about how to reach him in the first place.
“I love you, Zion.”
This was the first time. The first time he had ever confessed a feeling so close to love to anyone.
“Am I too late?”
His large hand held Jubin’s jaw and the nape of his neck firmly in place.
“I was planning to wait for you my whole life anyway.”
His pheromones, which had felt imperceptible before, now flooded Jubin’s mouth with an unfamiliar intensity.
Ah, this is good.
It was a miracle of satisfaction.
The very fact that you and I are connected like this feels like a dream.
Their tongues tangled wetly, and Zion’s movements were slower and more careful than ever. Even the curtains swaying in the air conditioner’s breeze and the surrounding air seemed to hold their breath for the two of them.
Rattle!
The hospital room door swung open without warning.
“Jubin—!”
The person who had interrupted their kiss was…
“…Ah?”
It was CEO Moon Woo-jin again.
CEO Moon Woo-jin placed the sliced apple, cut into bite-sized pieces, onto a disposable plate. He struggled to find the words.
“They say… fruit is really good for recovery.”
“Ah, yes…”
Jubin had never felt this awkward around CEO Moon Woo-jin before. He wanted to crawl into a hole and hide. Is this what it feels like when your dad catches you with a secret boyfriend?
Zion, on the other hand, seemed completely unfazed. He pulled the small table closer, as if he’d been waiting for this.
“If you’re done slicing, you can give it to me.”
“Huh? Oh, right. Here, take it and eat.”
CEO Moon Woo-jin handed the plate to Zion without hesitation. He set down the paring knife and watched the two of them intently.
Zion speared a piece of apple with a disposable fork and offered it to Jubin.
“Here, say ah.”
Open my mouth in this situation? Jubin gestured with his free arm, a polite but firm refusal.
“I-I’ll eat it myself.”
Watching this, CEO Moon Woo-jin’s eyes welled up with emotion.
“Congratulations, you two.”
Jubin, startled by the sudden tears, dropped the apple he had been about to bite into.
“W-Why are you crying, CEO?”
“I’ve watched you both since you were young,” Moon Woo-jin sniffled. “I’ve always thought you’d make a great acting duo, and you’re just as perfect as a couple!”
This feels weirdly like getting my father’s blessing for my relationship, Jubin thought.
“CEO, really…”
“Thank you, CEO Moon,” Zion replied, picking up the fallen apple and smiling brightly.
I hate to kill the mood, Jubin thought, but…
The terms of his contract with CEO Park Ji-bun flashed through his mind.
No partners. No office romances. Even if you do date, you must get the company’s permission.
Jubin had already violated all three clauses.
He could almost see CEO Park Ji-bun’s menacing face, the one he wore when demanding double the contract fee.
“You of all people should be against this, CEO Moon. If we get caught, we’ll have to pay double the penalty.”
CEO Moon Woo-jin clicked his tongue, lost in thought, before adding, “As expected… Let’s keep this a secret from CEO Park.”
“I’ll handle it if things go south,” Zion said, his tone reassuring.
“Alright, Zion. I’m counting on you. I’m rooting for you two until the very end.” CEO Moon Woo-jin gave a clumsy clap, showing his support.
Jubin’s thoughts turned to Seo-rim, who had been weighing on his mind. “CEO Moon, is Seo-rim awake?”
“I was just about to tell you. He’s fine now.”
Thank goodness. Jubin felt a wave of genuine relief.
“His mother said the first thing he did when he opened his eyes was ask for you,” CEO Moon Woo-jin added with a gentle smile. “He wanted to know if you were okay, Teacher.”
“Don’t blame yourself too much. It’s not your fault Seo-rim got hurt like that, Jubin.”
Jubin decided he would stop looking for the problem within himself.
“…Yes, I will.”
“I spoke with Director Bae, and fortunately, you filmed a lot of your scenes today. You can return once you’ve recovered.”
CEO Moon Woo-jin said he would take the hint and leave now that he had delivered all his messages.
Though Jubin told him he didn’t have to, Zion, who had been listening, jokingly swung the hospital room door wide open and urged him to leave.
“Get home safely, CEO Moon.”
Zion’s greeting was unusually polite today, as if he were addressing his father-in-law.
“Alright, take good care of Jubin. But be careful in public. Don’t get caught.”
“Yes, we will be careful.”
After CEO Moon Woo-jin left, Jubin stared at his bandaged hand and asked.
“Did I… get all the chips out?”
“Yes. The doctor said they all had to be removed. Your pheromone balance is so messed up that you can’t have any new chips implanted until you recover on your own.”
“…Is that so?”
That’s strange, Jubin thought. He could definitely feel Zion’s pheromones, but they were surprisingly tolerable.
His appetite had returned, and more importantly, the nausea was gone. He still felt a lingering dizziness, but it wasn’t unbearable.
Still… he was worried about what came next.
He’s going to be constantly swept away by Zion’s pheromones, impulsively craving them. What is he supposed to do?
“Zion, we need to talk.”
Jubin’s voice dropped lower, heavy with the weight of the difficult conversation he was about to start. Now that they had moved from partners to something more, he knew they had to address this issue head-on.
“Before that, I’ll be right back. I need to go downstairs for a moment.”
Zion slowly rose from his seat, lightly caressing Jubin’s cheek before smiling. “The first floor? Why?”
“They said they don’t serve dinner this late, so I ordered delivery. We can talk while we eat, so I’ll be right back.”
“Okay, be careful.”
After Zion left, Jubin went to the bathroom. Between the IV drip and his bandaged hand, the simple task was a struggle.
By the time he washed his hands and returned, Zion was already setting the food on the small table.
“Huh? You’re back already?”
“It’s ready. Come eat.”
Zion helped him move the IV pole, then fanned his shirt, trying to cool down.
“Did you run?”
“I could hear your stomach growling from here, Sunbae.”
Well, it had been rumbling relentlessly, Jubin thought.
“Sorry.”
“What are you sorry for? Go on, eat.”
He scooped a spoonful of porridge and held it out, gesturing for me to take a bite.
“I can eat it myself.”
“Ah, just take it. You already refused when CEO Moon was here.”
The look in his eyes told me he’d be genuinely hurt if I refused again, so I reluctantly accepted the bite.
I never knew soft-boiled egg porridge could taste this good. It was the most comforting thing I’d eaten in ages.
“This is amazing. I’ll take over from here.”
I practically snatched the spoon from him and stuffed a huge mouthful in, feeling even more satisfied.
Zion watched me, a look of relief finally crossing his face.
“I’m glad you like it. You really haven’t been able to eat anything lately.”
Come to think of it, he’d been constantly offering me food—meals, snacks, you name it—every chance he got.
It wasn’t that he hadn’t tried to feed me all this time. It was just that I hadn’t been able to eat.
“I think the side effects messed with my sense of taste,” Jubin said. “I couldn’t even think straight.”
“My side effects were completely different,” Zion replied. “I never even suspected it.”
“What happened to you?”
“I was losing my mind in a whole different way. I kept seeing things.” Zion pulled up a chair at the dining table and leaned in close. “Like this. I felt like you were right here, right in front of me.”
Jubin leaned back slightly, a nervous smile on his lips. “…That sounds kind of scary.”
“It wasn’t scary. Whether my eyes were open or closed, I just saw you staring at me like this all day long. When you can’t tell if it’s real or a dream, don’t you just go crazy? How could I not?”
He leaned in closer and gave Jubin a light, quick kiss. It was the same casual kiss they always shared, yet Jubin’s face flushed for some reason.
“…Was it really that bad?”
“Of course it was.”
The side effects are so varied, I thought. Though our symptoms differed, we’d both had to endure this—struggling through days where our bodies felt completely wrong. I knew how agonizing that was, and I could only empathize.
“…That must have been so hard for you.”
“Not being able to see you was harder.”
I was the one scrambling to hide from your pheromones, I thought bitterly. And yet you’re telling me that not seeing me was the worst part of all this?
What have I done to you?
I pulled the anxiety I’d buried deep within my heart back to the surface.
“Zion. Don’t be shocked.”
I met his green eyes.
“I… I’ve been imprinted on you.”
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