The emergency medical center, unlike usual, showed no ordinary patients. The medical staff who received contact from the suppression team had left only minimal personnel at the news that a patient at risk of rampage was headed here.
As expected, when Jeong Iro, who was brought in, entered the entrance, the alarm sounded noisily.
“The waves are unstable. Please prepare the pressure reduction room.”
“The rampage alarm went off, is this really okay?”
“Aigo, we should send him to the control room. What do we do bringing him here?”
“An A-rank Esper guaranteed it, so just open the way!”
The reason an Esper who should go to the control room could come to the medical center was because of the testimony of Ryu Jaegeon and Yu Haneul, A-rank ability users who witnessed the scene. In reality, the wave readings were also precarious, but were enough to favor intensive care over the control room.
When the minimal medical staff disappeared into the facility for Jeong Iro’s examination, only three people were left outside.
Han Seoha who had frantically followed crying, Ryu Jaegeon who would take Jeong Iro to the control room if need be, and Yu Haneul who had inadvertently followed along. Yu Haneul rubbed his arms, getting goosebumps from what he’d just experienced.
“What is all this? Jaegeon hyung, let’s get out of here now.”
At Yu Haneul’s grumbling, Han Seoha, who had been staring only at the ‘No Entry Except Authorized Personnel’ sign, turned around as if coming to his senses. As if noticing Yu Haneul’s presence here for the first time, joy filled his tear-drenched face.
“Guide Yu Haneul, please, I beg you.”
“What? Suddenly what?”
“Please guide Esper Jeong Iro.”
At the request made without preamble, Yu Haneul stepped back showing rejection.
“You’re leaving guiding to me?”
“I know it’s a shameless request. But I can’t wake Iro with my guiding. Please… Guide Yu Haneul, you’re A-rank. Please help Iro.”
“Ask another Guide. I have nothing left after guiding Jaegeon hyung all night.”
Han Seoha knelt before Yu Haneul who tried to step back, naturally linking arms with Ryu Jaegeon.
“Wh-what are you doing?”
“Please, even just a little is fine. There are limits to machine guiding. Iro came out as B-rank in a simple measurement, but you saw it. He’s a kid who could even come out as A-rank. It will help you too, Guide Yu Haneul.”
At Han Seoha’s appearance begging to somehow help Jeong Iro, Ryu Jaegeon’s insides boiled. To even kneel for a mere B-rank Esper.
Who the hell does that bastard think he is?
Instead of the sarcasm about to burst out, he grabbed Han Seoha’s arm and lifted him up.
“Don’t overdo it. Even if the waves look a bit unstable, that’s because he clumsily overused his power. Even if it takes some time, he’ll eventually wake up, so why are you begging like this?”
“Jaegeon, can’t you help just once? I’ll repay you somehow. Please, just once.”
Every single word of Han Seoha begging Ryu Jaegeon was irritating, yet the corners of his mouth rose at the words that he’d repay him somehow.
“You say you’ll repay me somehow, knowing what I’ll make you do.”
“Anything. I’ll do everything I can. Please help Iro.”
The more desperate Han Seoha became, the more twisted Ryu Jaegeon’s insides felt. Yet it was hard to pretend not to notice he was drawn to Han Seoha’s clinging eyes.
Did he need to pretend not to notice? Taking Han Seoha away and devouring him like this would be nothing. Yu Haneul keenly noticed Ryu Jaegeon’s hand holding Han Seoha’s arm moving subtly and pulled his arm.
“I said I can’t do it, so what are you two doing?”
Only then did Ryu Jaegeon reluctantly let go of his arm, and Han Seoha swayed greatly as if losing a lifeline. The hand that reflexively tried to reach out again hesitated as the arm caught by Yu Haneul was pulled.
“Ah, really. Focus on me a bit. You’re really going to make me feel bad.”
“I am watching you.”
“I’m tired. I want to change my mood by shopping or something.”
A mood resolved by money, how easy. When he lightly patted the sulking Yu Haneul’s head, he turned around disgusted. Yet still holding Ryu Jaegeon’s arm, the steps following to moderately match felt unusually heavy, leaving Han Seoha behind.
Even after the sound echoing through the corridor disappeared, Han Seoha couldn’t move from that spot. Even if Han Seoha didn’t request it, an A-rank Guide could be called if needed under the medical staff’s judgment. Yet Han Seoha couldn’t erase his anxiety. Jeong Iro’s name mixed in several times with his sobbing breaths.
Though they said minimal personnel were left, the medical staff and officials who couldn’t leave for other work witnessed this scene.
Of course, Han Seoha kept watch in the corridor with no passersby until his legs went numb, keeping this fact in mind. However, what was slightly different from usual was that worry for Jeong Iro began to settle at the end of emotions that were only imitation.
One corner of his heart felt a bit sore, wondering if he’d already become attached.
* * *
Several people passed through the corridor where Han Seoha had collapsed.
B-rank Guides and healers came and went, and the suppression team visited. Even while many medical staff came and went, Han Seoha’s position remained the same. Even when sitting in a waiting room chair, whenever someone went in the direction Jeong Iro had disappeared, he’d follow as if possessed and stand guard in front like a fixture.
It wasn’t only to Ryu Jaegeon, with whom he’d spent a year, that he was blindly devoted. Even if it was a short time, even if temporary, the moment someone became a paired Esper, Han Seoha devoted himself wholeheartedly with all his heart.
Things like snacks or knee blankets piled up one by one next to the chair where such a Han Seoha remained like a fixture.
Even after the dangerous situation was resolved and many people came and went, Han Seoha only looked at the door where Jeong Iro had disappeared, as if unable to hear any sound.
When the number of passersby decreased again and bright lighting illuminated instead of darkness.
Han Seoha raised his head at the large shadow cast over his head. Since everyone considerately pretended not to see Han Seoha, this was the first person to openly stand in front of him all day.
His eyes, swollen from crying so much, wouldn’t open well, and when he opened them narrowly, a cool hand covered them.
“Mr. Seoha.”
“Mr. Baek… Uihyeon.”
“Your voice is all hoarse.”
When a cool water bottle touched his lips, he finally felt his thirst. After swallowing a couple gulps of water that flowed appropriately into his mouth, he vividly felt the inside of his parched throat getting wet.
“Did Esper Jeong Iro cause an accident?”
“No, cough cough!”
Trying to urgently make excuses, the water he was swallowing got caught in his windpipe and coughing burst out. Baek Uihyeon’s action of embracing such a Han Seoha and patting his back was natural.
“Iro, cough, didn’t do it on, cough, purpose…”
“I saw the situation through the report, so there won’t be any misunderstanding. It seems character education is needed for the young Espers.”
“What?”
“You can’t leave here unless you see Esper Jeong Iro, right, Mr. Seoha?”
At Baek Uihyeon’s calm question, Han Seoha reacted with enough momentum to jump up.
“I can see Iro?”
“Of course. It’s possible if accompanied by an A-rank or higher defense-type Esper.”
“Really? Then if it’s Mr. Baek Uihyeon…”
“I don’t have a position because everything is possible for me.”
When a bright light returned to Han Seoha’s face, Baek Uihyeon pressed the cold water bottle against Han Seoha’s cheek again.
“Instead, after you see his face, you have to go with me.”
“Yes, yes. Just let me confirm that Iro is safe.”
Han Seoha’s reaction, ready to do anything, rather made Baek Uihyeon feel bitter. He entered the pressure reduction room while holding Han Seoha.
Only after passing through the heavy door and reconfirming even their identities could Baek Uihyeon and Han Seoha enter inside.
“I… Iro…”
Jeong Iro, who had entered a large machine that looked like a glass tube, seemed comfortable as if asleep. Unstable alarms rang continuously from the monitoring machine, and each time, hands busily added medication or manipulated the machine. To Han Seoha, who could only look without daring to approach closely, Baek Uihyeon suggested.
“Would you like to see him up close?”
“No, no. Right now I’m not any help, so I can’t interfere.”
Han Seoha, who answered calmly enough not to seem like someone who had been trembling in anxiety all day, buried his face in Baek Uihyeon’s embrace.
“Let’s go now. I saw he’s safe, so I’m okay.”
“The dangerous stage has passed, so you can stay longer.”
“No. I’ll only be in the way if I’m here.”
When Baek Uihyeon turned his back, only then did Han Seoha look at Jeong Iro again with eyes dripping with lingering attachment. It was a familiar situation for the busily moving medical staff, but the unusual situation of looking only at a B-rank Esper even while being held by an S-rank Esper quite touched their heartstrings.
* * *
Han Seoha hesitated to let Baek Uihyeon into the temporary quarters without Jeong Iro. At this, Baek Uihyeon tried to head to the guiding room, but after worrying at Han Seoha’s reaction of being uncomfortable unlike usual, he brought him to his personal space.
S-rank Espers didn’t stay in Esper quarters. They had separate personal quarters, but what Baek Uihyeon stayed in was a space provided by the Association. Unlike the Center or quarters, Baek Uihyeon’s personal space located within the Association was actually the safest place in this country, but he never let others into his private space.
This was the first time Baek Uihyeon had brought a Guide here. Usually he headed to Guide quarters or the guiding room, or if not that, a special place the Guide wanted.
Seeing Han Seoha settled in a space that belonged to the Association but was thoroughly for Baek Uihyeon alone, he felt a strange emotion. Han Seoha blankly stared only at the corner, then stood up at Baek Uihyeon’s presence.
“I’m sorry for being late. I’ll start guiding right away.”
Baek Uihyeon felt a bit resentful of Han Seoha, who showed no interest in his personal space.
“I’ll shower and come back.”
“Yes… yes?”
“Today was a very hard day for me. I’ll have to guide for a long time.”
When Han Seoha was flustered at the warning that wasn’t a warning, Baek Uihyeon, who finally found his smile, entered the bathroom as is.
