Arrange Marriage | JC

Chapter 18. Intentions & Impressions

Soonyoung stared at the birds chirping, his teeth sinking into his lower lip. It had been almost ten days since he'd been holed up in this clinic, with a doctor who just didn't know when to shut the hell up.

He needed to run a background check on the guy, but he wasn't fully healed yet, and he couldn't risk going back. Mingyu must've caught wind of him being alive by now if they hadn't recovered his body.

"Come on, Lily, you have to eat this..." Soonyoung's gaze shifted towards the voice. The doctor, Jihoon, was in his usual attire, hair tied back, trying to coax his pet dog into eating. "You'll get sick if you don't..." Jihoon mumbled. Soonyoung vaguely remembered the doctor's name.

"See? Good girl..." Jihoon patted the dog's head, and Soonyoung's brows furrowed. A praise just for eating? He didn't get praise even if he took down an entire operation. Was it normal to praise someone for such trivial things?

"Good morning," Jihoon greeted him with a smile. Soonyoung looked away, earning a sigh from the doctor. Jihoon seemed used to Soonyoung's "I'm a cold-hearted bastard" act by now.

"Come on, we need to get your X-ray done and a blood test," Jihoon said, grabbing some equipment. Soonyoung got up without a word, his expression blank but his mind filled with dark thoughts.

Soonyoung followed Jihoon, his steps silent and predatory, like a panther stalking its prey. The clinic's sterile white walls and the faint smell of antiseptic did nothing to lighten his mood. He couldn’t wait to get out of this place and back to where he belonged, in the shadows, dealing with people who had more bite than bark.

Jihoon led him into a small room, its centerpiece a large, intimidating X-ray machine. “Take off your shirt and stand here,” Jihoon instructed, his voice calm but firm.

Soonyoung did as he was told, not out of obedience but because it was easier to comply than to argue. He didn't trust doctors, but he trusted his own instincts. Right now, they told him to play along.

As the machine buzzed and clicked, Jihoon’s dog, Lily, trotted in and sat by the door, watching them with curious eyes. “You know,” Jihoon said as he adjusted the settings on the machine, “animals can sense emotions. Lily always knows when someone’s in pain or scared.”

Soonyoung snorted. “What a useful skill. Maybe she should take over your job.”

Jihoon chuckled, a soft sound that irritated Soonyoung for reasons he couldn't quite name. “She probably could, with enough training. But I think I'll stick to being the doctor, if that's alright with you.”

The X-ray finished, Jihoon motioned for Soonyoung to sit down. “We’ll need to do a blood test now. Roll up your sleeve.” As Jihoon prepared the needle, Soonyoung watched him with a mix of boredom and disdain. He didn't flinch when the needle pierced his skin. Pain was an old friend.

“So,” Jihoon began, his tone conversational, “what did you do to end up here, hiding from the world? You don’t strike me as the type who gets into accidents easily.”

Soonyoung’s eyes narrowed. “That’s none of your business, doc.”

Jihoon met his gaze evenly, no sign of intimidation in his calm eyes. “Fair enough. But just so you know, I’m not here to pry. I’m here to help. Whether you want it or not.”