# Chapter 12
“Keuheup…! Kek, kek.”
Water and blood mixed in my mouth, spilling out like a cough. It felt as if hundreds of thorns were piercing me. Kim Haewon reflexively tried to push me away, but I desperately clung to his neck and hurriedly proceeded with the guiding.
I could still feel the killing intent that hadn’t been withdrawn from Kim Haewon’s wavelength. It was a trace of him opening himself to his limits to kill the monster before him. That violent, unrefined energy was attacking not only Kim Haewon himself but me as well.
But I had to penetrate through those thorns and enter inside. I needed to inject guiding energy into the roots where those thorns sprouted. Then everything that had been ferocious would subside at once. All of this happened in a flash. The moment Kim Haewon’s thorns lost their strength, he roughly shoved me away.
Kim Haewon was in a state where he couldn’t control his power, and I was thrown to the corner of the White Box. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, but immediately shouted at me.
“Are you crazy?”
He spoke as if he couldn’t understand me. I wanted to say something back, but I kept coughing. I couldn’t even get up. My breath was short, as if a bone had broken somewhere.
Fortunately, I had found exactly where Kim Haewon’s thorns had grown. I had used up all my guiding energy, and he, who had been crawling on the floor, was now standing.
“Guide Park Garam, Guide Park Garam, are you alright?”
I heard Director Kim Jeongseon’s voice. She had probably contacted me after seeing Kim Haewon’s wavelength settle from outside the White Box. Yet she hadn’t taken any measures when I was groaning or choking in pain.
Guides are always treated like this.
This hadn’t changed even after going from C-class to S-class. I barely managed to turn my body over. I was too exhausted to even move a finger. Sprawled out on my back, I spoke while breathing heavily.
“Guiding… complete.”
My eyes slowly closed. In my closing view, I could see Kim Haewon. He was looking down at me with a confused expression.
If you’ve nearly died and come back to life, you should say ‘thank you.’ Why are you just staring… No manners as usual.
With those thoughts, I completely closed my eyes. I felt the pain that had exceeded my limit rapidly converging to zero. My consciousness faded away.
* * *
When I opened my eyes, I saw the white tiled ceiling that I was sick of seeing. I didn’t know how long I’d been asleep, but my head was throbbing. My mouth was dry, and I wanted to drink water, but I couldn’t move my arms. It felt as if my entire body had been pounded by someone.
“Guide Park Garam, are you conscious?”
I saw a face that had been thrust in front of mine. With bright, round eyes, it was Senior Researcher Lim Seoyeon, who had first transferred me to this hospital room.
“Do you recognize who I am? If you do, blink twice.”
I blinked twice. But my eyelids felt like they weighed a thousand pounds, so it wasn’t as quick as I’d thought. Senior Researcher Lim Seoyeon checked my condition and quickly called the medical team.
I wanted to ask for water, but my voice wouldn’t come out. Suddenly, several doctors and nurses rushed in and checked various places. They asked a lot of questions and changed several IV bags. It was chaotic.
All I wanted was just a glass of water, but no one gave me any. It seemed they had added a sedative to the IV because I soon fell asleep again. Without being able to utter the word ‘water.’
I regained consciousness after sleeping for another three hours straight. My body felt much better, and as soon as I opened my eyes, I clearly said, “Please give me some water.” But as soon as I spoke, my throat felt like it was burning.
Senior Researcher Lim Seoyeon, who was beside me, poured water into my mouth. I drank it gratefully. After confirming that I had regained consciousness, she performed some guiding energy tests and returned to the research department.
The doctor kindly explained, one by one, how serious my condition was. My neck vertebrae had nearly broken, several ribs were fractured, and there was something about bruises and so on—he went on at length. The conclusion was that I needed absolute rest, and I briefly answered that I understood.
I didn’t need such a lengthy explanation; I had no desire to move anyway, given the shockingly intense pain I felt with every movement. I couldn’t even speak. My throat felt like it was burning up.
However, contrary to the doctor’s recommendation, I was unable to get absolute rest.
This was because people visited me every day. The nurse had raised the bed to about 45 degrees and made me receive visitors.
People from the research department came every day to collect data. They attached some strange machine to my arm and stayed for tens of minutes before leaving.
People from the Diplomatic Management Department came to prepare interview materials for external release. But since I couldn’t speak, they just took a few photos and left.
Even the governor of Chicago State came to personally greet me. (Of course, he visited to take photos, so he left after just 10 minutes.)
‘You crazy bastards! I’m a patient who needs absolute rest!’
I wanted to scream, but my voice wouldn’t come out. Today, Director Ham Minho from the Guide Department visited. He appeared carrying a fruit basket, as usual.
“Our Guide Park Garam! Congratulations! How does it feel to achieve your first accomplishment? The whole world is watching!”
Director Ham was so excited that the saying ‘his mouth reached his ears’ seemed accurate. It was understandable, as a significant achievement had come from Guide Department 1, which he managed.
But amidst all that commotion, the most important question was missing. A question about my physical condition. Whether I was okay, how long recovery would take—words that could be said even as lip service. But he seemed to lack even the awareness that he should say such things.
I swallowed my bitterness and smiled awkwardly. I pointed to my throat and made an X sign with my fingers. It meant I couldn’t speak. I could if I tried, but I didn’t want to endure such pain just to have a conversation.
“Ah~ You can’t speak? Right. Right. I heard your neck vertebrae nearly broke? But hey, it’s something that they didn’t break, right? Despite appearances, it seems Esper Kim Haewon is taking care of his pair. Don’t you think?”
Director Ham spouted nonsense. He could say such things because he’d never experienced nearly having his neck broken. Moreover, he didn’t know how painful it was to be thrown by that bastard.
No, come to think of it, why hasn’t that bastard come to visit me?
When I thought about it, my eyes nearly rolled back in indignation. Have you ever seen such a despicable bastard? But when I recalled his final state, it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible. He might be hospitalized somewhere too. As I was trying to organize my thoughts that way, Director Ham Minho’s mouth moved.
“Esper Kim Haewon has already returned to duty. As an SS-class esper, his recovery is remarkably fast. He looked completely fine.”
I glared with indignation, then, realizing my interlocutor was Director Ham, turned my gaze aside. But in my heart, sparks weren’t just flying; now lava was flowing steadily. He’s completely recovered? And yet he doesn’t even show his face in this hospital room? What a goddamn bastard?
“Guide Department 1 has high expectations for you. Get well soon and show us even more impressive activities!”
He laughed generously while slapping my shoulders. I groaned from the pain that felt like my body was resonating.
“Ah! Sorry, sorry. You’re still recovering, right? Ahaha.”
He slowly removed his hand and said he’d be leaving, then took his steps. Seeing him humming, it was clear he had slapped my shoulder on purpose. He must have held a grudge because I had questioned his decision last time.
‘Why are there so many exhausting bastards in life?’
I felt tired just by association. I reached for my phone that had been placed on the bedside table. My phone, which had been drenched along with me, was broken, and Senior Researcher Lim Seoyeon had sent it for repair on my behalf.
And today I received the repaired phone. But I couldn’t check it right away because Director Ham had barged in.
I first accessed the novel application. Upon logging in, accumulated notifications popped up one after another.
[Notification] <I’ve Been Possessed by a Real-Time Serial Novel> Episode 5 has been uploaded.
[Notification] <I’ve Been Possessed by a Real-Time Serial Novel> Episode 6 has been uploaded.
[Notification] <I’ve Been Possessed by a Real-Time Serial Novel> Episode 7 has been uploaded.
While I couldn’t check my phone, three episodes of the novel had been uploaded. I immediately pressed the ‘Library’ button to check the novel. However, the application’s loading was unusually slow today.
‘What’s wrong with this?’
Wondering if the repair was incomplete, I shook the phone. But the phone was fine. I tried closing and reopening the application once more. Still, the novel application was unresponsive.
Nothing was going right. I put down the phone and turned my head. Then my eyes met those of an unfamiliar man. It seemed that damn Director Ham had left the hospital room door open.
The man smiled awkwardly and pushed up his round glasses. Although I had never seen him before, the taut suspenders holding up his wide pants gave me an idea of who he might be. I had read a description of him in the novel. He was another character who suffered terribly alongside Kim Haewon.
“Hello, Guide-nim.”
He entered the hospital room with a kind face. I flipped my phone over. He approached me and handed me the business card he was holding.
It was Hwang Changho, Kim Haewon’s Chief Secretary.
