Chapter 124
There was something else I couldn’t do as I wished. I wanted to let them know I was fine, even with a gesture, but I couldn’t move my fingers at will.
Meanwhile, the commotion grew louder. An intense light flashed across my pupils, a blood pressure monitor was wrapped around my arm, and only after going through various examination processes, just like that time before, was I able to face the doctor again. Only then was the oxygen mask covering my face removed.
“How are you feeling?” “I’m… fine.”
The weak, cracked voice coming from my dry vocal cords felt unfamiliar. After clearing my throat, which succeeded with less strength than usual, I opened my mouth again.
“What day is it today?” “It’s the 25th. …Guide, you’ve woken up after almost a month.” “Wow, really?”
That was shocking news, to learn so much time had passed. From what I’d heard from Gi-jun, the recovery period for dual awakened individuals who experienced overdrives varied from person to person. Only one person had taken more than a month to wake up, and I never thought I’d be in that category.
Am I complaining? Absolutely not. Whether it took one month or two, I was just grateful to regain consciousness and see the light of day again.
Next, I mentioned the name of the person I’d been most worried about.
“What about Ji-hyeok?” “From what I know, he visited without fail on every day off. I’ve let him know, so he should be here soon.”
I had meant to ask if anything had happened to him or if he was injured while I was unconscious, but the doctor seemed to interpret it differently.
Of course, that answer made my nose sting with emotion. I wanted to wipe under my nose, but it was frustrating that I still couldn’t muster the strength.
“Today…”
Before I could finish my sentence, there was a loud crashing sound from the door, and then Song Ji-hyeok appeared.
“Senior Su-hyeon!”
Shouting my name, he ran over and embraced me tightly. The doctor beside me exclaimed in alarm and tried to restrain Song Ji-hyeok.
“You shouldn’t hug so forcefully, Esper.”
Hearing those words, Song Ji-hyeok quickly pulled back. Gripping the side rail of the bed tightly, he asked me urgently:
“Are you okay? Do you recognize who I am?”
Waking up safely and facing Song Ji-hyeok again—that was what I had desperately wished for when I decided to trigger an overdrive for reawakening. I was deeply moved that my wish had come true, and at the same time, I couldn’t help but smile. The way Song Ji-hyeok was acting now was exactly how I had acted when I collapsed from guiding aftereffects and woke up before. I was certain that if he let go of the side rail he was holding, it would be severely dented.
It was the perfect chance to surprise him with the same question he was asking, but I couldn’t bring myself to joke around. Looking at him gazing at me with desperate eyes as if I were the only person in the world, I slightly moved my lips.
“Of course I know you. You’re Song Ji-hyeok, my pair Esper.”
I felt pathetic that my body still wouldn’t move as I wanted. Otherwise, I would have held his hand tightly.
He briefly looked away and swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing visibly. Then, looking back at me, he showed me a smile I hadn’t seen in a very long time.
“Is that all?” “Huh?” “What you said at the end of the letter.”
The end of the letter? Is he talking about the letter I wrote him?
I could easily recall the content. Wanting to convey my sincerity as much as possible, I had rewritten it several times, pressing each character firmly with all my heart.
A faint smile appeared on my lips as well. I remembered what I had written after ‘From’.
It was embarrassing to say it with the doctor present, but for the sake of the guy who had come to see me every day while I was unconscious, I decided to momentarily steel myself.
“You’re my pair Esper and my boyfriend, Song Ji-hyeok. Right?” “Yes. But the order is wrong.” “The order is wrong?” “Boyfriend and pair Esper. Being your boyfriend is more important.”
I could see him scratching his cheek awkwardly, seemingly embarrassed himself. Thanks to that, the exposed side rail was, as expected, terribly dented. Seeing that, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
‘The facility management team will be crying again.’
Though my body still felt heavy as lead, my heart felt warm and full, as if it could soar to the sky. Eventually, I quietly told him one of the things I had wanted to say when I saw Song Ji-hyeok again.
“Thanks to you, I made it back safely.”
Thank you for waiting for me.
Despite fully regaining consciousness and clear cognition, my physical recovery was somewhat slower. It was because almost all bodily functions had been halted for over a month.
From the day I was able to eat regular meals, progressing step by step, I began rehabilitation exercises within reasonable limits. The customized rehabilitation program meticulously prepared by the doctor was remarkably effective. For the first few days, I couldn’t avoid using a wheelchair, but now I had no problem walking short distances on my own two feet.
Even during this period, Song Ji-hyeok came and went from the hospital room as if it were his own home whenever he didn’t have raid schedules. He didn’t just come to see my face; he actively helped with muscle stretching and massage necessary for rehabilitation.
Seeing Song Ji-hyeok steadfastly by my side, I felt anew that “this guy has matured.” When we first met, he was so direct and spoke so bluntly that it was somewhat disconcerting… As we grew closer, he showed surprisingly cute sides and sometimes whined, but since I collapsed and woke up, he had become notably more mature.
A clear example was his reaction when I occasionally teased him about his embarrassing past. If it had been before we started dating, he would have gotten upset or tried to play it off, but now he coolly responded with, “Yes, that happened. How embarrassing.” All while fiddling with my hands or busy trying to feed me something under the pretext of nutritional supplementation.
Mental stability definitely seemed to affect the physical body as well. As a result of focusing on recovery with positive thoughts, I was grateful to receive “no abnormalities” in both the detailed physical examination and the guiding side effects test I took soon after.
There was only one test remaining. On the morning before my discharge, as I sat on the edge of the bed in my patient gown, the door opened after a knock. Song Ji-hyeok entered and naturally gave me a bird kiss, slightly lifting my chin.
“I’m here.” “Welcome.”
Song Ji-hyeok was in combat attire. It was because he had to leave for the field immediately after the test.
His face filled my eyes. Unlike his properly bulked-up body, his face was still youthful and lean, but today his jawline looked particularly sharp. Unlike me, who spent my time eating, sleeping, and relaxing except during rehabilitation, Song Ji-hyeok continued to run dungeons intensely.
Knowing this fact, I felt sorry every time I saw his face, but now there wasn’t much time left for that. The last remaining test before discharge was the matching rate retest with Song Ji-hyeok.
[Guide Lee Su-hyeon, please come to the matching rate test room by 10 AM today.]
I received the same notification text today that I had received the day before yesterday and yesterday. Seeing Song Ji-hyeok’s device go off at the same time, it seemed he had received the same message.
“Test notification?” “Yes.”
There was less than 30 minutes left until the scheduled time. Since there was no need to go too early, I looked at Song Ji-hyeok again and asked:
“How’s your condition these days? …Are you still getting guided by Guide Ham Seo-ryul?”
I asked cautiously, feeling a bit awkward, but Song Ji-hyeok immediately frowned and denied it.
“No. I cut off contact with that person the day you mentioned their name.”
His straightforward eyes met mine, as if to say he wasn’t lying. In contrast, I found it difficult to meet his gaze directly. I had heard that his matching rate with that person was quite good, and the reason he had cut ties so decisively, albeit belatedly, was probably because of me.
Misinterpreting my stiffened expression of guilt, Song Ji-hyeok hastily added a few more words.
“Really. After that, I got help from guides in our team, and I never went all the way with anyone. Please believe me.”
“Oh, of course I believe you. If I don’t believe you, who would I believe?”
I forced a smile and playfully poked his cheek with my finger. As soon as I withdrew my hand, Song Ji-hyeok grasped it and gently massaged it here and there.
“It feels good to be trusted.”
It seemed so just from looking at his face. This was also one of the changes that had emerged recently; since hearing the news that there was nothing wrong with my body, Song Ji-hyeok occasionally showed relaxed and comfortable expressions.
Thirty minutes isn’t that short a time, but it flew by quickly with Song Ji-hyeok. Seeing that there were only a few minutes left until 10 o’clock, I got up saying, “Let’s head down now.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
