Chapter 78
Before I could even gather my wits and get up, teachers came pouring out of the nearest staff room. A few of them gasped when they saw the collapsed entrance to the chemistry lab. One teacher, scanning the area, spotted us and rushed over.
“What the hell happened here?! Are you badly hurt? Are you conscious?”
“Yes, I’m fine, but he—”
Yu Hyunjae’s face was twisted in pain, unable to even relax his frown. I babbled incoherently. We were here, and then there was this weird sound, like a ticking clock, and it got louder and louder, and then— The teachers listening to me tried to calm me down as they helped me up.
“Can you walk?”
“Yes, I can walk, but Hyunjae—”
Yu Hyunjae slowly got to his feet. He looked like he was in pain, but he could still move on his own.
“How could this even…”
“Who would set something like this up in a place like this…”
I glanced at my phone, lying discarded far away. Not a single reply. But this was clearly Han Jaemin’s doing. As expected, my father couldn’t be a perfect shield. No, the equation was flawed from the start.
***
“Are you feeling calmer now?”
The security officer and our homeroom teacher cautiously asked us. Hyunjae and I lay side by side, looking up at the teacher.
“Yes. I’m fine. Thank you.”
“The police are outside. They’d like to ask you a few questions—would that be okay?”
I nodded. Since my injuries were relatively minor compared to Hyunjae’s, I answered most of the police’s questions. There wasn’t much I could say. We’d skipped class and gone to the chemistry lab together. Someone locked the door from the outside. The moment we flipped the light switch, we heard a mechanical ticking sound, and then it exploded. The teacher’s face twisted slightly at the mention of skipping class, but he let it slide.
“But why the chemistry lab? It’s two floors down. You could’ve gone to another building or somewhere closer, like the music room.”
“……Does there need to be a reason? It just happened.”
I emphasized it again.
“It just happened.”
Yu Hyunjae looked at me. I wondered how I must have looked, lying so effortlessly, but I didn’t turn to meet his gaze. There weren’t any follow-up questions, but the police didn’t seem to find us particularly credible witnesses.
“Do you have any enemies? Anyone who might hold a grudge against you?”
“My dad is the Director of the Security Bureau in the Combat Division.”
“Ah.”
The officer’s face fell. I was used to this kind of reaction from adults, so I calmly accepted his flustered apology.
“Oh, I had no idea. My apologies.”
“No need to apologize. It’s only natural you wouldn’t know. Because of my father’s position, I’ve actually gone through things like this quite often. No one specific comes to mind.”
“Thank you for your cooperation.”
The officer scribbled something in his notebook and gave Hyunjae and me a slight bow. Only after the exchange of pleasantries did Hyunjae and I finally have the hospital room to ourselves. This, too, was probably thanks to my father’s influence.
“Chanhee, are you okay?”
“Worry about yourself.”
“That was really dangerous.”
“I barely got hurt.”
Yu Hyunjae looked down at the bandages wrapped around his body and chuckled awkwardly.
“It was Han Jaemin, right?”
There was no doubt it was Han Jaemin. I didn’t even need to guess why he’d done this. It was a warning. A kind of warning. He probably didn’t think this “accident” would actually threaten my life. Instead of delivering his message with words, Han Jaemin had chosen violence to make his point: Respond to my contact.
“Chanhee, don’t even think about doing anything stupid.”
“What? Like going to see Han Jaemin?”
Yu Hyunjae nodded. I forced a big laugh.
“Am I an idiot? If I go now, I’m as good as dead.”
“There are things worse than death.”
“What’s worse than dying?”
“You don’t even fear death.”
Sharp. He remembers every word I’ve ever said, no matter how offhand. I blinked, feigning indifference.
“Death is still the scariest thing.”
“Right. So don’t you dare go to Han Jaemin.”
“……Got it.”
“Promise me.”
“I said I got it.”
“……If you do go, at least take me with you.”
“You think I’d actually go?”
“Just extrapolating from your past behavior.”
I smirked and lay back down.
My father arrived not long after, with Kim Guhyeon and Jeon Jeongwoo in tow. He’d brought his whole left and right arms with him. I greeted them with a casual, You’re here, as I faced my father’s expressionless face.
“That bastard’s son. To go as far as targeting the school.”
“Do you think Han Jaemin would spare the school just because we’re students?”
“You should’ve had proper security.”
“Security?”
My father glanced at me but didn’t answer. Had he actually assigned someone to watch me at school? I let out a hollow laugh and ran a hand through my hair. I was thoroughly sick of this life where I was being watched from all sides. I didn’t even bother asking my father for details about the surveillance.
“Have you been in contact with him?”
“No. Not at all.”
My father turned to leave the hospital room after my concise answer. I stopped the three of them.
“Father, Hyunjae saved my life.”
My father paused but didn’t turn around.
“So?”
“He risked his life to save your son.”
“…….”
“Isn’t it strange that you, as his parents, don’t even thank him?”
Jeon Jeongwoo was the first to turn and look at me. His face was still cold, but he couldn’t hide his surprise.
“……Right.”
After a long silence, my father finally spoke.
“Thank you, Hyunjae. I’m glad you’re safe, too.”
At my father’s words, Hyunjae looked even more surprised and nodded.
“No, it’s fine. I’m okay.”
“I’ll make sure the study abroad arrangements are handled with extra care.”
“……Thank you.”
“Chanhee, once you’re discharged, go to the National Mana Research Institute. I’ll have a car ready for you.”
My father left without waiting for a reply. I thought I heard a quiet curse, but I ignored it and turned to Hyunjae with a refreshed expression.
“Did you hear that? My father actually said something like that.”
“Yeah… it’s kind of surprising.”
“But don’t you dare forgive him.”
“Huh?”
“Never forgive him. Not ever.”
I lay back down in bed. Yu Hyunjae looked down at me without saying a word. His expression was unreadable. Eventually, the doctor came to check on me, and until then, we didn’t say another word.
***
“Mentally unstable states do indeed disrupt mana.”
Jeon Jeongwoo kept his eyes fixed on my chart as he continued.
“Are you anxious?”
“No.”
“Your biometric responses don’t lie, so let’s verify that.”
“If you were going to check my biometrics, why ask?”
“Because it’s the human thing to do.”
Jeon Jeongwoo, with his utterly inhuman face, talking about being human, was like an android. If androids ever became a reality, they’d definitely look and act like him.
“You’re still the same. Unmixable.”
“Even if you pour soapy water in?”
“All words are theoretical. Application is different.”
“I bet you love having a perfect test subject like me fall into your lap for free.”
“Indeed. You’re quite lucky.”
“Lucky to be here instead of Hansung Hospital?”
“Hansung Hospital is part of a corporate organization, so its research and treatment goals differ from this national facility.”
“I see.”
I docilely accepted the needle piercing my vein. The bruises from the IV hadn’t even faded before they were pricked again, and again. Some days, they injected red liquid; other days, clear; sometimes yellow. And I reacted differently to each—sometimes no reaction at all, like the first time, sometimes vomiting blood the next day, or throwing up mid-IV.
“Was the friend who was with you during the incident Yu Hyunjae?”
“Yes. You even know his name.”
“Of course. The Director mentioned him often.”
“My father?”
“Yes. For work purposes, of course.”
I had no idea why Hyunjae would be mentioned for work, but I didn’t press further.
“You two seem close.”
“We grew up together since we were kids.”
“From what I know, the reason you ended up living together wasn’t exactly heartwarming.”
“What’s your angle?”
Jeon Jeongwoo shrugged.
“Just curiosity about a well-known issue.”
“You mean how my brother died because of him?”
“Yes.”
He didn’t mince words. I let out a hollow laugh. My voice was as natural as if I were talking about the weather.
“That’s all bullshit.”
“Pardon?”
“Bullshit. My brother died because of me.”
“……That’s new information.”
“Of course. Why else do you think Hyunjae lives with us and is even going abroad to study?”
Jeon Jeongwoo was silent for a moment. Then he closed my chart and checked the IV drip rate.
“It seems all kindness in this world does come with a price.”
“You, of all people, should know that.”
“I’m more human than you think.”
“Really? That’s even more surprising.”
“Because I’m human, I know these things.”
“Like what my father would do to you if I didn’t survive, for example.”
Jeon Jeongwoo looked at me with a faintly intrigued expression.
“Do you think you won’t survive?”
“Who knows? I don’t.”
“You will.”
“Wow, you’re so sure.”
“Of course. I don’t fail.”
Whatever it was, he seemed confident he’d be handsomely rewarded. My father had the power to give most officials everything they wanted. Jeon Jeongwoo must have ambitions in that direction. I closed my eyes, my interest waning.
“I sleep well. I’m just tired.”
“I’ll come back when the IV is done.”
I didn’t reply, just gestured for him to leave. Even with my rude dismissal, Jeon Jeongwoo left without a word. As the IV drip slowly emptied, I lay awake, lost in complicated thoughts, unable to sleep a wink.
