Close Enough to Be Claimed

“Even if your mouth is crooked, you should still speak properly.”

With a chilling voice, Woo Jaeyoung strode into the hospital room.

“After Gamja hyung, what is it this time—‘my Young hyung’? If even a stray dog was born before you, would you call it hyung too?”

His voice was terrifying, but it was all bark.

I didn’t know what our relationship used to be like, but the Woo Jaeyoung I had seen since waking up wasn’t someone who treated me carelessly.

So I confidently stepped in front of Mo-young, spreading my arms with a surprising amount of dignity.

“Hurry up and apologize. You hit Young hyung.”

That frail body.

That pretty face.

Why would anyone hit someone who looked so pure and pitiful just by existing?

“That bastard got hit by me? Why not say he did something worth getting hit for?”

I flared up and shot back.

“What do you mean ‘deserved it’? There’s no such thing. Violence is wrong.”

“You think that kind of logic works on a gangster…?”

Woo Jaeyoung let out a deep sigh, set down the dumplings he had brought, and crooked his finger at Mo-young.

“Come out, Mo-young. I told you to talk, not to annoy the kid.”

“Sowon. The gangster boss is bullying me.”

Mo-young, clearly enjoying the situation, stuck out his tongue from behind me in a teasing way.

Honestly, the way he openly showed his dislike for Woo Jaeyoung was kind of cute.

Woo Jaeyoung looked like he wanted to punch him right then and there, but since I was blocking him, he seemed to be holding back his boiling temper.

He definitely didn’t have what you’d call a good personality, but strangely enough, he was soft when it came to me.

“Fine. I won’t hit him unless I have to. So…”

He pressed a hand to his forehead and started to say something, but when he looked at me, his brows furrowed.

He stopped mid-sentence and scanned my face carefully before clicking his tongue.

It sounded like a few curses got crushed between his teeth.

In an instant, he stepped closer, placing one knee on the bed and leaning down slightly.

“I knew it.”

The hand that touched my forehead felt cool, and it was nice.

When his fingers slid down to my cheek, I instinctively tilted my head and leaned into his palm.

“What the hell was that doctor doing, not even checking your temperature?”

Mo-young answered, looking slightly flustered.

“He came by about an hour ago, but Sowon seemed uncomfortable, so we put it off. You were coming back soon anyway…”

“Then you should’ve checked it yourself. His condition keeps fluctuating—he catches a fever at the slightest thing… Right. f*ck. I didn’t tell you that.”

He shrugged off his coat roughly and dropped into the chair.

“Gamja, take Mo-young home. Do whatever with the food I brought. And grab some porridge on the way back.”

Even though I only had a mild fever, my appetite hadn’t gone anywhere.

I was about to say I could still eat dumplings, but before I could, everything he brought was already sent out of the room.

As I slowly lay back down amid the mess, I realized he had been right.

I hadn’t noticed while talking all day with Mo-young, but my condition really was terrible.

Maybe it was because I skipped a nap, or because the window had been open too long…

“Was I always this weak?”

I asked, my voice a bit drained.

He smirked slightly.

“You were fragile.”

“……”

“But not this bad. That damn son of a—… never mind.”

He moved around busily, closing the window and refilling the humidifier, then suddenly snapped in irritation as if anger surged up—but quickly suppressed it, probably worried I might get scared.

‘I’m not that easily scared, though.’

I watched him sit by my bedside, lifting a spoonful of porridge toward me, and quietly accepted it without protest.

“It’s fine. You’re much better than before. Your bones have healed a lot, and your left leg will need rehab for a while. Your head needs regular checkups too. Don’t overthink it—just do what they tell you.”

He didn’t go into detail, probably trying to spare me from shock.

And honestly, it sounded like things I wouldn’t understand anyway, so I didn’t ask.

I could eat on my own, but since taking care of me seemed to put him at ease, I just accepted it quietly, and his expression softened.

“When can I leave the hospital?”

“Still a bit left. Once this gets better.”

The hand not holding the spoon lightly tapped the back of my neck.

“That alone could shave off a week.”

“If I could recover through sheer willpower, I’d already be fine.”

“I know you’re sick of the hospital. Here.”

“Ah.”

The cooled vegetable porridge slipped into my mouth.

I smacked my lips and pointed at the bowl.

“Mix the tuna properly too.”

“What—…”

He grumbled, but still mixed it thoroughly like I asked.

“Since you’re making me do extra work, finish the whole bowl.”

“Give me the spoon. I’ll eat it myself.”

“……”

“You said it’s a hassle.”

“You never listen, do you, Yoo Sowon. Just eat as much as you can.”

After that, I kept eating quietly, then glanced at him.

His hands were rough and solid, shaped by a lifetime of hard work.

Scars—some deep, some faint—marked his knuckles and fingers.

Not just his hands, but even his forearms…

“Hyung.”

I asked suddenly, staring at his profile.

“How did you get this?”

“What? Oh.”

The scar near his left jaw was covered with pale new skin, like it had been there for years.

But it looked severe enough that it clearly hadn’t been a minor injury.

He touched his chin casually.

“Got it the day the Seoul branch split. Some damn old man set it up on purpose, and I didn’t realize. Didn’t stitch it in time, so it looks worse than it is.”

Even a paper cut stings, so there was no way that was nothing.

I asked, a little stunned,

“Do you have more scars like this?”

When I shook my head to say I didn’t want more food, he pulled the spoon back and let out a low laugh.

“Curious?”

His blunt fingers moved to the buttons of his shirt.

The way he lowered his gaze and smiled lazily made him look like a well-fed predator.

I swallowed dryly without realizing it.

“If you’re curious, I can show you.”

My face flushed instantly.

“No! I’m not curious! I don’t want to see! Keep your clothes on!”

“What’s wrong? It’s not like we haven’t seen everything before.”

“I don’t remember any of that?!”

“Just because you forgot doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. You think we just looked? It’s not like a stork dropped a baby into a basket—you and I—”

“Not curious!”

Why is he telling me this when I don’t even remember?!

I shouted and covered his mouth, and he laughed under my hand.

The warmth of his breath tickled my palm.

Feeling strangely unsettled by the warmth sinking into my skin, I quickly pulled my hand away.

“You looked like you were having fun.”

“What?”

Then I remembered earlier, standing up to him over Mo-young.

Even though I knew it wouldn’t work, it had actually been kind of fun.

When I nodded with a small smile, he roughly ruffled my hair.

“I’ll call him again, so hang out depending on how you feel.”

“Okay.”

“Don’t open all the windows. And check your temperature at least twice a day.”

“You’re overprotective…”

“Look at yourself. How am I not supposed to worry?”

“…I’m sick of the hospital.”

“I know. Just hang in there a bit longer. Once you’re discharged…”

He hesitated, then added quietly,

“If you want, I can find you another place to stay, but…”

“……”

“I haven’t cleared out my place yet.”

For some reason, it sounded exactly like he was asking me to stay with him.

The days passed quietly.

Clumsy as I still was, I could now walk without a wheelchair.

My leg, which had been left broken for too long, would never be perfect, but just being able to stand on my own two feet made me happy.

My stamina was still poor, and I tired easily, but at least the sudden fevers and headaches had lessened.

On warm afternoons, I took walks.

I ate snacks Gamja brought me and chatted idly with Mo-young.

I even became familiar enough with the other guards to exchange greetings.

No matter how busy he was, Woo Jaeyoung visited every two days without fail.

Sometimes, he even slept on the cramped cot.

I used the phone he bought me to tell him what I wanted to eat, and I got used to waiting to have dinner with him.

And then one day, at the start of summer—

“You can be discharged now. Let’s just observe for about three more days.”

At Dr. Jang’s words, I forgot all my awkwardness with him and smiled brightly.

“Really?”

Unlike me and Gamja, who were practically glowing, Woo Jaeyoung looked skeptical.

“You sure it’s okay? If you’re just trying to free up a bed, I won’t let it slide.”

“…I say this every time, hyung-nim. Even if we clear a VIP room, it stays empty.”

“What about the fact he still can’t smell anything?”

He had a point.

My damaged pheromone gland showed no signs of recovery.

I couldn’t smell alphas, and my own pheromones weren’t being released at all.

My heat cycle didn’t come either, and the random fevers and chills were said to be from pheromones building up inside me.

“Ah, about that.”

Jang Hanseon shrugged and gestured toward the door.

Another doctor entered just then and bowed politely.

The hormone specialist glanced at how Woo Jaeyoung had his arm wrapped protectively around my shoulders but continued calmly.

“After discharge, you’ll need to visit twice a month. The medication that promotes pheromone activity should be taken once a day. It’s a type of hormone drug, so timing isn’t critical, but it’s better to take it consistently.”

“Can he take it on an empty stomach?”

“It’s fine in general, but if his body is weak, it may cause some discomfort. On some days, it might even trigger a fever. You mentioned there’s no imprinting…”

The doctor’s gaze shifted toward Woo Jaeyoung.

There was a hint of hesitation, unsure of his role.

“But if there’s an alpha he has frequently been with, it would help for him to stay within that person’s environment.

This isn’t something that resolves in a day or two, so it would be best if his partner continues to stay by his side.”

I froze, mouth slightly open.

What? Partner?

Even after the doctor left, I sat there blankly.

Meanwhile, Woo Jaeyoung was grinning.

“Well, that’s what they said, honey.”

“Wait—”

“For your health, running away again isn’t an option, right? Darling. I won’t let it slide twice.”

“No!”

My face turned bright red as I shouted.

“Who are you calling honey?!”

“Should I let some other bastard call you that instead? I can’t stand that.”

His voice, low and rough, sounded much closer than I expected.

Startled, I turned my head—

“……”

And found Woo Jaeyoung right in front of me, close enough that our lips could almost touch.