“There will be no exceptions.”
Kim Haewon concluded definitively. I just nodded. That would be the case. Since I wasn’t some particularly special person or anything. I had thought so, and he had simply answered exactly that way.
‘Even so, isn’t that answer too quick? Without even hesitating?’
Anyway, what a bastard. He acted all special with talk about pair guides and whatnot, but at times like this he was sharp as a blade. Though that was typical of Kim Haewon.
“Do you think I’m heartless?”
“Huh? No?”
For a moment I opened my eyes wide and blinked like someone whose thoughts had been caught. I had only said it in my mind, but I wondered if I had unknowingly blurted it out. Kim Haewon didn’t particularly care about my expression and continued speaking.
“There are no exceptions to principles. For anyone. However, if that person is Guide Park Garam, I will make every effort to ensure you don’t get hurt.”
“……”
“No matter what situation arises, I will make sure you never experience something like this again.”
Kim Haewon spoke resolutely, as if making a promise. It seemed like he was promising me, and it also seemed like he was promising himself. It appeared this incident had quite shocked Kim Haewon. With an awkward feeling, I scratched my neck and continued speaking.
“Well, thank you for at least saying that.”
“It’s not empty words.”
“I know. I also know you’re not the type to say such things.”
The Kim Haewon I had observed until now was someone who couldn’t say such things even if made to. No, who wouldn’t say them. Because he would think there was no need to. It was probably sincere. Still, since I was his first pair guide, he must think of me as somewhat special. Though it was difficult to fully understand his complicated feelings, at least it was comfortable in that there was no falsehood.
Especially compared to the currently serialized novel. In that novel, all of Kim Haewon’s feelings were being interpreted based on romantic interest in me. Using that as reference made it difficult to judge what to believe and what not to believe. It was better to just trust his actions.
“I need to go now.”
“Are you going straight to Shanghai?”
“Yes.”
“You’re not moving alone, right?”
“About three SS-class espers will move together. I understand Esper Emily Ruler from Hawaii and Esper Gabriel Arenas from Spain are scheduled to depart.”
I just nodded. It was a major operation with three SS-class espers moving. Each country’s management bureau was probably in an emergency state. Especially China’s management bureau would be operating in almost emergency mode. They might even try to uproot Pamundong at this opportunity. Since Interpol was also keeping watch, and they were involved in various international crimes.
I thought that one side might be pleased they could use SS-class espers for such purposes. I offered Kim Haewon one of the vitamin drinks on the side table. Kim Haewon waved his hand, so I just drank it myself. The sweet yet sour taste tickled my tongue pleasantly.
“Ooh, delicious. But it seems guides aren’t going along?”
“……”
Kim Haewon avoided my gaze without speaking. I noticed something strange. I put down the vitamin drink bottle I was drinking from. I stretched my head forward and sent him a suspicious look, but Kim Haewon pretended not to know. I narrowed my eyes and continued speaking.
“Why are you suddenly silent? Don’t tell me the other espers are bringing guides?”
“……”
“No way, don’t tell me you didn’t tell me that fact and were going to go alone?”
It seemed correct. Kim Haewon continued speaking with a somewhat shameless expression. He probably tried to show a resolute expression, but since his lie had been caught, it just looked shameless.
“Guide Park Garam is currently injured. You only just came out of intensive care.”
“So you were going to stuff me in a white box again. And I’d be sleeping unknowingly and transferred straight to a plane.”
“That won’t happen.”
“How do you know? It’s not like Esper Kim Haewon knows everything that will happen.”
Kim Haewon firmly closed his mouth. It was something he couldn’t be certain about. When the Chicago gate burst, it wasn’t him who prepared the white box and transported me.
It was strange. Even though it wasn’t written in the novel, I had a feeling. I felt like I would end up going to Pamundong in Shanghai, whether I traveled with Kim Haewon or not. That somehow I would set foot where they were. It felt like I couldn’t escape that development. If so, it was better to choose the safest method.
“Let’s go together.”
“No.”
As soon as I spoke, Kim Haewon flatly refused.
“Why not?”
“It’s dangerous.”
Perhaps thinking that wouldn’t be persuasive enough, Kim Haewon immediately began adding more.
“From the Chicago gate, to the Four Directions gate, to the Jeong Sanghyeop esper incident, suspicious movements have been detected in all of them.”
“So all the more reason you shouldn’t leave me alone, right?”
“……”
“Ah, well. Should I ask Nam Ihyeon-ssi to guard me again?”
When Nam Ihyeon’s name came up, Kim Haewon’s brow furrowed.
“Why is Esper Nam Ihyeon’s name coming up here?”
“If you don’t have teeth, use your gums. With Esper Kim Haewon gone too, what if someone comes to stab me again?”
“I’ve put in a request for security with the management bureau. Hospital security will be strengthened too.”
“So it’s not that I got attacked because there was no security before and hospital security was a mess? You were being fairly careful even then.”
Kim Haewon sighed. Since I was questioning him point by point, it seemed sighs were welling up. He looked at his watch and then stared at me again. The 10 minutes he mentioned had already passed.
“Let’s do it this way. I’ll request that you accompany us to Shanghai. However, you cannot move to Pamundong. No individual actions either. You must unconditionally stay at Shanghai headquarters.”
“I wouldn’t do it even if you told me to. Am I crazy?”
“If something happens to me, regardless of the situation on site, you must return home immediately.”
“Of course. I’d have to run away in a hurry.”
“Can’t you do something about that mouth?”
“What’s wrong with my mouth?”
When I deliberately pursed my lips and puckered them like a fish, Kim Haewon turned his head. He picked up his phone to make a call but stopped and looked at me, speaking resolutely.
“And I’m warning you, it would be best not to bring up Esper Nam Ihyeon in front of me again.”
“Yes……”
Were they on very bad terms? Since he warned me so coldly and frighteningly, I even forgot about being cheeky. When I answered in a proper posture, Kim Haewon turned around again. He made a call somewhere.
“Yes, this is Kim Haewon. There’s been a change to the flight schedule.”
I couldn’t hear the conversation content. Kim Haewon took a step away from me.
“Yes, I’m requesting to add personnel.”
“Yess!”
When I shouted loudly, Kim Haewon looked at me and brought his finger to his lips telling me to be quiet. I made an okay sign with my fingers saying I understood. He continued the call as if nothing had happened.
“I’ll check and send the necessary additional equipment accordingly. Yes. The companion is Guide Park Garam from Guide Department 1. I ask for approval as quickly as possible. Yes. Thank you.”
After hanging up, he extended his hand to me. Not knowing what he meant, I couldn’t do anything. Kim Haewon grabbed my hand and spoke. As his large hand grabbed my arm, my body bolted up from the bed.
“Are you planning to go in a hospital gown? We need to go prepare.”
“Ah, yes!”
I got up awkwardly and looked at Kim Haewon, then slipped my hand out.
“Um, I need to remove the IV first……”
I smiled awkwardly and pressed the nurse call button. Kim Haewon watched me like that and spoke coldly.
“If you feel even slightly unwell in Shanghai, I’ll send you right back.”
“Aw, don’t worry about it.”
I quickly joked around and patted Kim Haewon’s shoulder, but Kim Haewon had no reaction. In the moment of brief silence, a nurse came and sorted out the IV line. After several tens of minutes, I also received the mission uniform Kim Haewon was wearing. It was the first time I’d worn such clothes since becoming a guide.
When I came out from behind the partition after changing clothes, Kim Haewon approached and fixed the buttons I had done wrong.
“This vest needs to be tightly fitted to your body. That’s how it functions properly.”
“Ack!”
When Kim Haewon pulled the vest tight, the wound on my abdomen was pressed. Enough to make me cry out involuntarily.
“……”
“The wound hasn’t healed yet, you know? What do you think I am, Kim Haewon-ssi? My recovery is slower.”
Kim Haewon loosened the vest he had tightened slightly, and I gently breathed while moving my body this way and that. I liked the light weight and soft fit.
“It looks really heavy but it’s totally light!”
“Stay still. Guide Park Garam needs more protection.”
“Isn’t it perfect right now?”
“It’ll be perfect for dying.”
Kim Haewon insisted on putting on a thick protective coat, a watch with GPS and various functions, a helmet, and more. It felt exactly like being a child riding a bicycle for the first time. But I couldn’t say I wasn’t weak either. My body became heavier.
“Won’t I be too sluggish like this and die without even dodging attacks?”
“Don’t try to dodge or fight back in the first place.”
“What? So you’re just telling me to die?”
“Everything will be dealt with before that.”
Kim Haewon took out a small gun he was carrying on his thigh, checked it, and handed it to me. I thought he was going to give me at least some offensive capability. When I quickly reached out my hand, Kim Haewon pulled the gun back and said.
“Use this only if you happen to get separated from the group. You must unconditionally shoot straight up high.”
“It’s not for attacking?”
Kim Haewon looked at me with an expression like ‘Do you think I’d give you something like that?’ I smiled awkwardly and asked for the gun.
“I’m joking, joking.”
“From now on, joking is prohibited.”
“Why is everything I say prohibited?”
“If you don’t like it, stay in the hospital room.”
“Ah, who said I didn’t like it?”
I took the gun from his hand and looked it over this way and that. Kim Haewon grabbed the hospital room door and continued speaking.
“From the moment we leave this door, try not to get separated from me.”
“Yes, I’ll stick right to you.”
I smacked Kim Haewon’s broad back with both palms with a ‘thwack.’
“Stick!”
Kim Haewon glanced back slightly. It seemed like he smiled very faintly. Of course, he turned his head too quickly to see properly.
