Chapter 173 – Companion for Life

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“Thank you, if you have any problems, please contact me right away.”

Leaving behind the respectful greetings of the wedding ring shop staff, the doctor came out and looked up at the sky.
It was fine weather. Just enough to make you feel better.
But I also secretly missed rainy days.
Because he was given the feeling of watering his dry feelings.
Of course, only if Jihyeok is by his side. I hated rainy days without him.

The doctor, who had a drowsy expression for a moment, opened the ring box he had received from the shop.
A pair of well-cut diamond rings hanging from prongs in the middle of a thin band.
It’s perfectly designed just the way you want it.
Thinking that it was too expensive, the doctor got into the car.
Then, I turned on the locator to see where Jihyeok was.

‘Uijeongbu Cathedral…?’

Jihyeok is a non-religious, but suddenly a church?
The doctor, who tilted his head, soon remembered that Adele was a saint.
The immature girl must have whined to Ji-hyeok to go to church.
The doctor, who started the car while thinking about that, suddenly felt this kind of worry.

‘Tracker… What to do…’

The doctor was well aware of how dangerous he was.
A tracker that Jihyeok secretly installed.
Right now, it’s okay not to be caught, but if Ji-hyeok did find out, the relationship they had built up until now could have collapsed at once.

The other day, when Ji-hyuk took drugs at Chae Bo-young’s recommendation, he had visited him with a tracker.
At that time, Ji-hyeok was not in a hurry and did not even think to find out how the doctor himself came, and since then, he was not curious, so he passed it over.
That’s really fortunate, but I can’t guarantee that the next time will be the same.
Slowly, anxiety begins to rise.

Ugh-!

The doctor, who was immersed in thought, heard a vibration and a knock came, and his face brightened.

[Did you take your medicine this morning?]

Jihyeok’s talk. He must have been worried about himself while he was with Adele.
The doctor, who was so happy to do so, hurriedly sent a reply.

[You ate and showed me right in front of me while you were brushing your teeth. You complimented me for being good to me with sleepy eyes… Don’t you remember?]

[Right, it was. There was no rush. Sorry.]

[It’s okay. Where are you?]

[Cathedral. Adele wants you to bring her.]

Dr. Han, relieved by Ji-hyeok who told the truth, teased him.

[Did you teach me how to take a taxi?]

[Yes. I was disappointed that it was easy. I’ll contact you before I go back, so make a reservation for a movie. Anything that noona wants to see.]

[I see. I love you.]

[I love you too.]

Overjoyed by his last call, the doctor put his phone in the cup holder and started the engine.
Yeah… Let’s remove the tracker if we see an opportunity.
Thinking so, the doctor stopped by the lab without returning home immediately.

[Biometric authentication has been completed.]

Pushik-!

The door with the jamming effect opened left and right, and the doctor who entered the laboratory was about to come out with a box made of non-combustible material, and took a peek at the situation board.
The Evilian explorers installed all over the world were working well.

“Ha…”

The doctor let out a long sigh and for some reason sat down in front of the dashboard and blew through his mouth.
The dust accumulated on the keyboard is blown away, and it is sucked into the working ventilation fan.
After roughly tidying up the place, the doctor stared at his monitor for a while without saying anything.

‘…..’

It’s complicated and subtle emotions.
These were all things that could be called Edward’s legacy.
A place built in support of his will.
If you ask if you want to run more, the answer leans towards ‘no’.
It wasn’t worth it. It takes a lot of money, and it takes a lot of hard work…

The World Union was also a problem.
Originally, he had a sense of mission to save the world with them and tried to build a strong bond for a long time, but his thoughts changed after Ji-hyeok was falsely accused and went to prison.
There are too many rotten people in the world, and the powerful are corrupt.
Even in the World Union, there were many people who secretly stabbed the research lab with back money and asked them to take care of their country.
Because of that, Sehwa also suffered greatly…
I hated helping them for free.

But even though the sense of duty was gone, the sense of responsibility remained.
The responsibility of taking care of the Beast Slayers.
And Ji-hyeok and herself were the only ones who could take care of the girls who had the conviction to save the world.

“After…”

The doctor, who had a headache, closed his eyes tightly.
I just want to live my whole life on a remote island with Ji-hyeok without thinking about anything.

‘Shall I sleep for a bit…’

I should. Sleep is the best when your head is complicated.
I have to close my eyes for about an hour and go back.
The doctor rose from his seat and trudged toward his break room.
Shaking off her covers, she turned on her classics, set her alarm, and lay down on the bed, closing her eyes.

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“…. Me…”

A friendly voice that comes from your ears.
The first thing the doctor saw when he opened his messy eyes while tossing and turning in the bed was Ji-hyeok looking down at him with a gentle expression.
I could feel his warm hands digging between the bed and my back.
With a pleasant smile, the doctor raised his upper body thanks to Jihyeok’s support.
Then he rubbed her eyes and asked.

“When did you come…?”

“Five hours ago.”

The doctor was surprised to hear the shocking words.

“All, five hours…? What time is it now?”

“It’s almost nine o’clock at night. He chewed and was not even at home, so I came to see him just in case… He was sleeping.”

“Nine o’clock? I should have woken you up as soon as I arrived… I need to book a movie…”

“I was sleeping so hard I didn’t want to wake him up. Why did you come to the lab?”

“I needed a box to put that… Photo in and burn it… But when I came and looked at the status board, I thought a lot and even got tired…”

Jihyeok shook his head and sat on the bed.
The doctor felt like being sucked into those black eyes with a slight brown tint.
Very attractive eyes. Her face quickly turned red.
Jihyeok, fed up with the doctor’s reaction, says:

“You seem to have a lot of trouble? Can we talk?”

The doctor saw Jihyeok fiddling with his ear lobe, and her heart pounded.
Why is she doing this?… This is enough to get used to, but just looking at Ji-hyeok, her heart changes like a girl facing her first love.
Shaking her body, she opened her mouth.

“It’s just… This is a facility built for my husband’s will… So I suddenly got annoyed.”

“Is it annoying?”

“It’s really complicated. I don’t know what to do. Running it as it is will cost you a lot of money… But if you quit, Saehwa and other beast slayers will be caught…”

“Okay? Then change your mindset.”

“Are you changing your mindset?”

“I wonder if you can think of it as following my will. I like running this place.”

“Ah…”

It felt like the fog in her head was clearing.
If Jihyeok liked this place… Then there was no need to worry.
It was enough to think of running a laboratory for his beloved Ji-hyeok.
The doctor suddenly shook his head.

“I will.”

Until now, because of her ex-husband’s will, she has fulfilled her responsibilities as a person in charge.
But not now. This is Jihyeok’s laboratory.
From now on, let Ji-hyeok run the lab as he pleases, and he only has to follow his will.

“You look good. Is it resolved?”

Jihyeok’s question with a bewildered expression.
The doctor gave a small laugh and agreed.

“It’s settled.”

“Good luck then. Now let’s get ready to go back. Late.”

“Yes. But I haven’t disposed of my belongings yet… I’ve been sleeping…”

“Put it off until tomorrow. You don’t have to do it today.”

“As you said to do it today…”

“Now, you are telling me to do it tomorrow.”

Jihyeok speaks with a smile.
The doctor smiled involuntarily.
I used to play with these words often with Edward, but not as well as now.
It’s to the point of deep concern about why he loved such a boring person.

“Okay. I’ll do it tomorrow. Oh wait…”

The doctor, who got out of bed and left Jihyeok, rummaged through his handbag and took out his ring box.
Approaching Jihyeok, she opened her box and showed her the ring she had found.

“What do you think?”

“It is pretty.”

“Can I put it in now?”

“Now? Aren’t things a bit boring?”

“I think it’s just the right situation.”

“Okay? Then…”

Jihyeok, who was silent at the end of his words, held out his left hand.
The doctor swallowed his trembling heart and took out a large ring.
Then, he put the ring on the long ring finger on top of Jihyeok’s wide palm and pushed it very slowly.
A ring that fits right in the middle of the third bar.
The size fit perfectly.

As if this situation was awkward, Jihyeok avoided his gaze and scratched his head.
Even so, he must have liked the glance at the ring.
Thinking that it was worthwhile to choose a design after careful consideration, the doctor held out his left hand and asked.

“Can you join me too?”

“Ah, yes.”

Jihyeok picked up the ring with a careful hand as if handling something really precious.
Then she put her ring on her, staring the doctor into her eyes.

‘Ah…!’

At this time, she felt that Jihyeok and she had become one.
In the lab, which now belongs to Ji-hyeok, she puts on a ring that swears love with him.
Thinking so made the tip of her nose grow cold.
The doctor, who swallowed her tears and closed her eyes, spoke in a weeping tone.

“Thank you…”

“Thank you too.”

The momentheheard Ji-hyeok’s gentle response, the doctor embraced him.
Jihyeok’s soft hand touched her head as he rubbed his cheek against her wide, hard chest.
Her feelings of love exploded, and now, she thought that time would stop like this.

She confessed her sincerity towards her Jihyeok.

“I will love only you forever…”

And Jihyeok… Said something the doctor wanted to hear.

“I love you, Jenny.”

The momentheheard that nickname, the doctor couldn’t hold back his tears.
The name he wanted to hear from Jihyeok’s mouth.
It was so overwhelming to do it on this special day.

“I’ll call you this sometimes.”

Jihyeok’s next words.
The doctor didn’t answer and just nodded in Jihyeok’s arms.
I want to obey him. I want to do whatever he wants.
This feeling ate into the mind of the doctor.

Even though we hadn’t met in a while, people who devoted their bodies and souls to the other person, and completely fell in love with them, gave up money, fame, as well as their liver and gallbladder, from time to time appearing in the news.
I couldn’t understand those people before, but now I can understand them.
All of them are addicted to the love they have been dreaming of… The love given by the perfect reason inside and outside.
And now he was just like them.
The relationship with her ex-husband feels like a toddler. To that extent, Jihyeok was the perfect man for the doctor himself.

When the first monster appeared, it was a godsend to save Ji-hyeok from being crushed by the rubble of a building and take him to the laboratory.
It was fortunate that I had chosen him as my assistant, that I developed a special feeling for him, and that I now love him so much.
Otherwise he would never have found his true self.

The doctor who had been hugged by Jihyeok for a while removed his face.
Then Jihyeok wiped the doctor’s eyes and asked.

“Are you hungry? Shall we go out to eat?”

“Yes…”

The answer of the doctor who bit his hand with his eyes down.
Jihyeok, who let out a low laugh, asks again.

“What do you want to eat?”

“Anything…”

“Anything? Speak properly before eating tteokbokki and tempura at a street food stall.”

“I like that too…”

Jihyeok let out an absurd laugh.
But the doctor was sincere.
With him, I liked everything, whether it was the tteokbokki from the food stall or the tteokbokki that fell on the dirt floor.