March Novel (Completed) - Chapter 108

It wasn’t a question. It was a certainty disguised as a question.

“……”

A scorching gaze swept over him from head to toe. The man’s persistent gaze, which had been roaming Sehwa’s entire body, stopped around his tightly closed lips.

“…Ah!”

In the blink of an eye, his body was lifted. Gi Taejeong picked him up and walked back down the long corridor. Screams, cries… such vulgar sounds that weren’t proper language flowed out. It was difficult for him to even make a sound in his throat by himself, but it was absurd how easy it was when Gi Taejeong’s hand touched him.

“Ugh, ughh…!”

Sehwa thrashed helplessly. Put me down, I want to see Bud, I don’t want to go back with you. Even when he scratched the man’s arm and struggled with all his might, the large hands supporting his back and behind his knees didn’t budge. It was as if his previous pushing had been mere child’s play, or as if he no longer intended to be lenient.

“You’ll naturally find out after the examination.”

“……”

“Whether you were silent because you didn’t want to talk to me, or…”

Or what. This time, are you bringing hospital staff and pointing a gun at me? Sehwa frowned with all his heart. Even if he glared with tears welling up, it wouldn’t be threatening at all, but this was the only resistance he could offer now.

Gi Taejeong also hardened his face and looked down at him. His gaze was like one that would suck, lick, chew, and swallow. His demeanor was still splendid. His jawline was much sharper than what Sehwa had seen before he collapsed, and his eyes were deeper. A slight melancholy mixed with a nervous feeling made him look even more like a painting. Not a person, but a painting…

After staring at Sehwa for a long time, Gi Taejeong bit his lower lip hard and lifted his head. Then he commanded again, almost threateningly, “Get examined.” He was clenching his teeth so hard that with each syllable he uttered, his tongue pushed against his teeth, as if it would break off.

Sehwa, who had been struggling, eventually weakened and slumped. But even when he closed his eyes to block his vision, Gi Taejeong’s afterimage didn’t disappear. Instead, his body heat and scent became clearer, only tormenting him.

“Why aren’t you taking your medicine?”

“……”

“Who told you to force yourself to eat? I told you to just take your medicine if you want to get better.”

Gi Taejeong thrust a packet of pills in front of his nose, and Sehwa stubbornly turned away. On the floor, crumpled black patches were piled up like snow.

The test results were not bad. His physical functions were generally dulled due to fatigue, but everything was normal. There were no problems with his brain or vocal cords.

Lieutenant Na and the medical staff pondered for a long time, then came to the trivial conclusion that he had temporarily lost his voice due to psychological reasons. It was similar to the principle of not being able to properly use his right leg, which didn’t hurt, as soon as his memory returned.

Indeed, when Lieutenant Na pressed various parts of his tongue with a thin metal rod, the soft flesh moved flexibly with the stimulation. His feeling that his tongue was stiff was purely his own imagination.

Anyway, they said they had no choice but to observe him for the time being, and the same nutritional supplements and mild sedatives were prescribed as before.

Last night, he ate whatever was given to him. He still had no appetite. But he decided he wouldn’t refuse medicine or injections if it could make him better. Because he wanted to call Bud. He wanted to see the child recognize his voice and move happily. But,

“Lee Sehwa.”

When he took that medicine, he fell into a defenseless sleep. He slept soundly, completely unaware that Gi Taejeong had lain beside him, hugged him, and closed his eyes.

Most of all, he hated the feeling of being dazed. He had thought he would go see Bud as soon as he woke up, but his body wouldn’t move. He just wanted to lie there, slumped like a broken car, regardless of his will.

Then his mind quickly became noisy. Broken memories rolled around like pebbles, making all sorts of commotion. He hated that. He didn’t want to try to organize or understand anything. Nothing else mattered. He just wanted to look at the child all day long.

“Then write.”

Gi Taejeong held out his palm.

“You know how to write.”

“……”

“Write down why you don’t want to take the medicine. I’ll talk to Lieutenant Na and see if we can change the prescription.”

Sehwa lowered his head deeply. He wasn’t trying to deliberately annoy him. Gi Taejeong wasn’t someone who would move according to his intentions anyway, nor was he someone who would be hurt by such trivial matters. He was just… tired. Being swayed by Gi Taejeong’s will, and trying to connect with him as before, as if what had happened was nothing… It was too much for him now.

“…I don’t want to hurt you.”

“……”

“I don’t want to yell, or intimidate, or threaten.”

“……”

“Take your medicine. Don’t make me make an exception to my decision.”

Gi Taejeong took out a new patch and wrapped it around his wrist again. Then he tied a complicated knot so it couldn’t be easily undone. It was the same shape as when he had tied a string around his glans, pretending to allow him to go out before.

Sehwa just bit his lip. Regardless of falling asleep, that medicine didn’t seem like it would help his recovery much. He had no physical problems right now, so what was the point of medicine? It wouldn’t matter if Gi Taejeong slept hugging him or held him for sex if he could regain his voice, but that wasn’t the case, was it? This kind of coercion only increased his stress.

“Excuse me.”

Just as the tiresome struggle was about to repeat itself, the assigned manager knocked on the hospital room door. Gi Taejeong, his voice a little tired, told him to come in.

“It’s about a vacancy in the recovery room. I was wondering if you’d be willing to move there.”

“Recovery room?”

“Yes, it’s not quite hotel level, but it’s well-decorated, and those who need recuperation often use it. It’s in the adjacent building, directly connected to the main building, so patient transfer in emergencies is also convenient.”

As soon as he heard the location, Gi Taejeong clicked his tongue. He seemed about to refuse. Until the manager added that it was often used by mothers for postpartum care.

“…What specifically makes it good?”

“Considering those who feel stressed simply by staying in a hospital room, the recovery room is decorated to feel as much like a living space as possible. Additionally, we provide customized services for mothers, including massages, light exercise coaching, and even cultural lectures to prevent depression.”

“Adjacent building… Are you talking about the annex?”

“Yes, specifically Building A. The first to seventh floors consist of convenience facilities, and frequent guests often describe it as a huge mall or resort rather than a hospital.”

“Even if it’s an adjacent building, isn’t it dangerous if something happens? Even a second’s delay could lead to something bad.”

“Of course, there are also professional medical staff stationed in the annex. There have been no medical accidents due to emergencies since its opening, so you can rest assured.”

Gi Taejeong stroked his chin for a moment, then gave a short nod. The manager politely held out a tablet, and he signed it indifferently.

“We’ve just sent a simple guide to the information you registered, Brigadier General. Please check it.”

The face of his wrist watch flickered, and a hologram appeared. Gi Taejeong looked through the documents with an expressionless face, and at one point, he lingered on a certain section for quite a while. Just like that, the decision to move rooms was made, regardless of Sehwa’s wishes.

“Then I’ll prepare immediately.”

“Special exhibition for mothers? What’s this?”

Gi Taejeong tapped the hologram screen.

“Ah, for mothers who still find it difficult to go out, we are holding a small event in the banquet hall on the 5th floor of the annex. You can conveniently shop for baby clothes and various tools, and we also provide a section where mothers and guardians can obtain diverse parenting information, making it one of our highly preferred services.”

At those words, Sehwa’s head snapped up. He wasn’t interested in shopping. However, the “diverse information” piqued his curiosity a little. Perhaps reading positive curiosity in Sehwa’s blank stare, the manager kindly elaborated.

“How to deal with a baby suddenly getting sick after leaving the incubator, care lectures for the emotional stability of the mother and child… we provide everything you could possibly want to know about newborns.”

Sehwa involuntarily stood up slightly. He didn’t expect high-class information shared only among the elite. Even something trivial and ordinary would be enough. He had been busy rejecting and pushing away the child initially, so his related knowledge was extremely lacking.

From now on, he had to take care of and raise Bud alone. So, if nothing else, he definitely wanted to know how to deal with the child when he got sick.

“When can I go? That special exhibition.”

“Brigadier General, you can use it immediately without any special procedures. You just need to go to the 5th floor of the annex and scan your officer ID card. You can also enter with the barcode registered on your watch.”

Ah, officer use… Sehwa looked down glumly. Only Gi Taejeong… could go there.

Indeed. It was ridiculous for him, a lower-class person, to think of using a customized service provided by a 5-star hospital alone. The fact that he could have surgery at this excellent hospital, and that Bud received such meticulous care in the incubator nursery… all of it was possible only because of Gi Taejeong’s instructions.

“Are you planning to visit now?”

“Hmm.”

Gi Taejeong merely flicked his eyes to look at Sehwa. The faint smile that briefly touched his lips was so subtle it was almost impossible to notice. Of course, the manager didn’t miss the signal from a key client.

“I’ll inform the person in charge that the Brigadier General and his spouse will be visiting.”

The manager bowed respectfully, saying they would escort them to the recovery room after their visit.

“……”

Sehwa looked at the unusable patches that formed a small mountain at his feet, exaggerating a little. If he had known this, he would have taken the medicine as given. Of course, he wanted to go… but it was a place he couldn’t even enter without Gi Taejeong… He didn’t think Gi Taejeong would willingly take him.

What should he do? His temperature suddenly shot up. Disorganized memories unfolded chaotically. The events he experienced just before collapsing and the fragmented pieces after losing his memory were badly intertwined, making him constantly dizzy.

But no matter how much he rummaged through his mind, he had no cards to play against Gi Taejeong. This was the man who had casually said he would throw the child into Ward 4 and make him live a miserable life like himself. What interest would he have in an event prepared solely for mothers and children?

“Do you want to go? That special exhibition or whatever it is.”

But surprisingly, Gi Taejeong showed a positive attitude. Sehwa blinked in bewilderment, then slowly nodded. Was there room for negotiation?

“You know what you need to do now, don’t you?”

What… should I do? What do I need to do?

Sehwa crumpled the wide cuff of his sleeve, then with difficulty, recalled something Gi Taejeong might like. Perhaps… he should do it with his mouth.

Suddenly, a hot sensation surged behind his eyelids, and Sehwa looked at the floor, blinking rapidly. If he was telling him to figure it out himself, then he must want that… just like back at the house.

“…Lee Sehwa?”

Sehwa hesitated for a moment, then as if making a decision, slowly knelt on the floor. And he slowly crawled towards the man standing a few steps away. He tried to act nonchalant. It was miserable, but he thought he could do it. After all, he was the one who had said he could use his body however he wanted once the child was safely born…

He stretched out a trembling hand between Gi Taejeong’s legs and filled his lungs with air. It was nothing. He had done this every day with this person, so there was nothing to be afraid of…

“Lee Sehwa!”

Gi Taejeong, belatedly realizing the meaning of his clumsy movements, grabbed Sehwa in shock.

“What are you doing?!”

Sehwa tilted his head, looking at the man who had managed to swallow his curse. Gi Taejeong wanted payment, and his body was the only thing he could take from him. Even in his crushed memories, the sex he had with Gi Taejeong was vivid. It was also the only thing he had ever praised him for.

But why was he angry? He liked sex, didn’t he…? Enough to record it and still keep it.

“I didn’t mean it that way… Ha.”

Moreover, to his dismay, the man, whose brow was deeply furrowed, looked a little… pained.

“…That’s enough, take your medicine.”

“……”

“I meant for you to take your medicine, not be stubborn. …Not for you to suck my dick.”

Sehwa pulled his chin back with a skeptical look. Was that all? He could just shove the medicine into his mouth right now. It wouldn’t be difficult for him. But if he took it himself, he would take him to the special exhibition? Why?

“I…”

Just as Gi Taejeong was about to say something with a somewhat pained expression, the watch he was wearing loudly rang an alarm. Even to Sehwa, who didn’t know the military system well, it seemed to indicate an emergency.

• Brigadier General.

The person who sent the alarm was Second Lieutenant Park, who looked even more urgent than Sehwa had imagined.

“Why.”

• Are you in the room, sir?

“So, why.”

• That… General Oh Seonran just arrived at the hospital.