“Graaah!”
The boss let out one final roar as it thrashed, but in the end, it died in Rion’s grasp. He had rushed here without even checking what happened to Lee Yu-won after that avalanche of snow—was he okay?
Rion had used a slightly rougher method than usual to take the boss down, prompting Gwang-hyeon and Min-cheol to click their tongues in disbelief.
“Usually he’s so cautious, like he’s afraid of spilling something around him, but today? Damn, he’s brutal. Oh, right—the Guides… Kang Rion?”
Gwang-hyeon muttered as he clicked his tongue, but Rion wasn’t even listening. He flew straight toward the spot where Yu-won had been just moments ago. That guy might act like the type who’d float with just his snout above water, but Rion couldn’t help worrying.
“Where’s Lee Yu-won?”
“He got caught in the snow pile. I couldn’t see where he ended up…”
Even though Rion had flown back without looking back once, instead of the snarky Yu-won saying, ‘Should a Center’s golden boy really be this bad at multitasking?’, he only found Ye-rin anxiously pacing with no idea what to do.
“……”
Without a word, Rion knelt and began digging through the snow, his expression deadly serious. That tenacious bastard couldn’t have died so easily. There had to be some sign of movement under the snow.
This happened because I wasn’t good enough. Even if it meant getting buried myself, I should’ve evacuated that damn bastard first before taking care of the rest.
As insufferable and irritating as Yu-won was, he was still a teammate. Rion would rather get hurt himself than watch someone else take damage right in front of him.
Why the hell did I just listen to him and leave the snow there? Even if it was Yu-won talking, I shouldn’t have taken his word for it…!
“Calm down. Over here—I can smell him here.”
Gwang-hyeon, having arrived after hearing the situation, pointed to a spot in the snow. A veteran Esper who could transform parts of his body into those of animals, he was especially skilled at close combat and tracking people.
Shhhk—
The snow split like parting waves, and in the middle of it, Yu-won emerged, face frozen pale from the cold. Thankfully, he hadn’t been buried too deep. His face was slightly red from the chill, but otherwise, there didn’t appear to be any visible injuries.
“He’s okay. Looks like he passed out from the shock when the snow hit.”
Ye-rin gave a quick assessment after checking on him. Seeing that annoying face drained of color and lips pressed tight, Rion finally exhaled, frozen in place until then, either from fear or sheer panic.
“You stupid bastard… You’re the one who told me to let it go. Who’s the one always telling me to look after myself?”
Rion slumped down and muttered to himself. People got hurt in Gates all the time, but this was the first time one of his own, a Guide, had taken damage while he walked away without a scratch.
Why did I do that? Seriously, what the hell was I thinking? Rion sat there in a daze, mumbling like someone half out of his mind.
“Snap out of it. You gonna leave a guy who just got buried under a snow pile lying there? The Gate’s probably closed by now, so let’s go. We need to either get him to a hospital or someplace warm, fast.”
“I’ll head out right now.”
Unable to watch any longer, Ye-rin gave Rion a firm pat on the shoulder. That snapped him back, and he shot to his feet. In one swift motion, he picked up the entire team and flew toward the Gate.
“Hey, hey—ugh, I’m getting motion sick. Just a bit slower—”
“Rion, seriously! We’re gonna freeze to death at this rate!”
Though the blizzard had calmed after the boss was taken down, the team, now exposed to the freezing air while flying at high altitudes, were suffering.
They begged Rion to slow down just a little, but he crossed the distance it had taken them days to cover in less than two hours.
“Finally killed the boss and almost died for it…”
“Medical team! Medical team!!”
As soon as they emerged from the Gate, while the rest of the group panted and peeled off their winter clothes, Rion didn’t even think about shedding his coat in the stifling heat. He rushed straight to find the medical team.
“Which way’s the nearest hospital?”
“Um… about 10 minutes that way by car…”
A Center staff member stationed outside the Gate answered in shock. Without waiting for more, Rion shot into the sky in the direction they pointed.
“What the hell? Why is someone dressed like that in the middle of summer…”
“Wait—isn’t that Esper Kang Rion?”
In the sweltering August heat, Rion in his heavy fur coat, dripping sweat like rain, drew every eye in the vicinity.
The moment he stepped into the ER, the murmuring began. Some people even pulled out their phones and started filming.
“I’m an Esper who just came out of a Gate. This person here is the Guide I went in with—he was buried under snow inside the Gate and left like that for a while.”
“Please, lay the patient here.”
Rion placed Yu-won on the ER bed, panting heavily. Why do I feel so exhausted? He wiped the sweat pouring down his face, and that’s when a guardian from the next bed turned to him.
“Um… aren’t you hot?”
Only then did Rion realize he had flown all the way here straight from the Gate without even taking off his clothes. Of course I’m hot—it’s August. What am I, an idiot?
“I wasn’t thinking… Thank you.”
Rion removed the thick coat, hat, and gloves, setting them at the foot of the bed. Thankfully, he’d worn a short-sleeved shirt underneath when he first entered the Gate, so he didn’t hesitate to strip off the outer layers.
“Your clothes are soaked.”
His entire outfit was drenched in sweat from the frantic flight, but there was nothing he could do about it. As he fanned himself with his hands, someone who seemed to recognize him approached.
“Um… are you by any chance… Esper Kang Rion?”
“Oh, yeah. That’s me.”
“I’m a huge fan! Thank you for everything you do!”
A young woman, seemingly another patient’s guardian, practically bounced with excitement.
“I’ve watched every interview you’ve done, and I even got my Esper and Guide values tested right after I turned 20 because I wanted to be like you, but I didn’t qualify… Ah, sorry, that’s not important.”
After rambling for a moment, she pulled something from behind her back and held it out.
“Your clothes looked really soaked… These are some extras I brought for my brother, who’s admitted here. If it’s okay with you, please wear them.”
“Huh? Oh, no, that’s alright—really.”
“It’s no big deal. My brother said it’s fine, too… Just meeting you like this is such a stroke of luck for me. I really want to help, even just a little.”
With eyes sparkling with sincerity, she begged him to accept. In the end, Rion only agreed after promising he’d return the clothes to her at the Center later. He took the offered clothes and headed to the restroom to change.
“God, what do I even do with these soaked clothes? Asking the hospital for a plastic bag would make me look like a total weirdo, wouldn’t it?”
“Ah, are you Mr. Lee Yu-won’s guardian?”
When Rion emerged after changing, Yu-won was already awake and sitting up in bed. Come to think of it, he hadn’t even taken his coat off earlier. Thankfully, the nurse must have helped him change, as he was now in a short-sleeved shirt.
“From what we can tell, he briefly lost consciousness due to shock. There aren’t any major external injuries or immediate concerns. Still, it’d be best to do a thorough exam just in case. Are you feeling any discomfort anywhere?”
“No, I’m fine,” Yu-won said, lips still pale. Honestly, his whole body ached from getting hit with that snow bomb, but it wasn’t unbearable.
The chill that had felt like it pierced down to the bone disappeared the moment he stepped outside the Gate into the summer heat. In fact, the fur coat had made it feel a little too warm.
“Hey, hey! You can’t just fly off like that without saying anything.”
Gwang-hyeon, who’d rushed to the hospital after quickly pulling himself together post-Gate, smacked Rion lightly on the back.
“What’d the doctor say? He okay?”
“They said it was just the shock. He’s getting an IV now, and they told us we can leave once it’s done.”
Yu-won, now sitting properly on the bed, explained.
Thank god. After chatting briefly with the doctor, Gwang-hyeon handed something to Yu-won.
“Change clothes before the IV. I saw Rion bring you here in that fur coat and nearly had a heart attack. You’re 100% catching a cold if you don’t.”
Apparently, he’d thought to bring extra clothes too. Yu-won bowed in thanks and drew the curtain to change.
“I already reported everything to the Center Director. You must’ve been shaken too—go rest. I’ll stay until he finishes the IV.”
“No, I’ll stay. It’s my fault too.”
“How is it your fault? Kim Min-cheol told me. He said he’s the one who told you to drop it and go after the boss.”
“Still…”
As Yu-won got his IV, Rion and Gwang-hyeon stepped out of the ER for a moment to talk. Rion bit down on his lip, head hanging low.
