101.
He knows better than anyone that this is not a situation to get angry. After all, the person officially beside him right now is merely an unfortunate neighbor named “Won” whom he happened to meet in a foreign country.
The publicly established story was that some employees who had gone with him to track down traces of Ryu Ho-yeon heard about Won’s pitiful circumstances—homeless and wandering without shelter—and felt so sorry for him that they provided stable employment at the corporate level and brought him back to the country together.
That stable employment supposedly provided at the corporate level was, of course, sticking close by Choi Jae-won’s side.
However, while Choi Jae-won was distracted thinking about quickly guiding and returning, he witnessed Ryu Ho-yeon being pushed down by someone else, and his eyes practically rolled back in anger.
“Damn it, how dare you put your filthy hands…”
It was strange for anyone to see Choi Jae-won, who wouldn’t even blink while desperately searching for any trace of Ryu Ho-yeon despite whatever interference, showing such an emotional reaction over something so minor. He shouldn’t get angry. He shouldn’t, but… why was he feeling such rage?
Was it because Ryu Ho-yeon looked too pathetic, falling face-first while clutching his hat tightly with both hands instead of breaking his fall? Or was it because the person who had reduced Ryu Ho-yeon to such a pathetic state had cheerfully called out Choi Jae-won’s name?
Choi Jae-won gritted his teeth and somehow swallowed the surging anger. He couldn’t afford to lose the ideal he had barely grasped by getting caught up in a momentary impulse or passion.
“Song Won-young Esper.”
“Y-yes…”
The voice of someone who must have been treated with reverence since awakening as an A-class Healing Esper was clearly intimidated. Choi Jae-won tried to maintain a cold demeanor as he supported Ryu Ho-yeon’s shoulder, who couldn’t even get up on his own after falling so hard.
He wanted nothing more than to hold him in his arms and make a fuss asking if he was alright, but there were too many watchful eyes around. The moment he acted that way, everyone would immediately notice something strange.
They would wonder who this person was to make Choi Jae-won behave like that. If such questions led to eventually revealing Ryu Ho-yeon’s identity, what then? Choi Jae-won absolutely wanted no part of that.
He would never let Ryu Ho-yeon be taken away from him again by anyone, for any important reason or mission. Never again.
“I’m, uh, fine… You don’t need to be so angry…”
Despite his hands and chin already turning red from hitting the ground, Ryu Ho-yeon still managed to whisper those words. It was probably his attempt to calm Choi Jae-won down, but it had the opposite effect. The anger that he had barely managed to chop up and swallow began rumbling and booming like thunder again.
He prioritized resolving the situation and getting out quickly, so he hastily spoke up.
“If someone the company has agreed to sponsor gets hurt while trying to help with my work, the news headlines tomorrow would be quite pretty, wouldn’t they?”
“Ah!”
It was ridiculous. When he thought the person he pushed down was just an ordinary person, he only stared with wide eyes, not understanding what he had done wrong despite Choi Jae-won’s sharp behavior. But once given this excuse, he suddenly seemed to understand.
While Choi Jae-won wanted Ryu Ho-yeon to appear as worthless as a roadside pebble in everyone else’s eyes, seeing it actually happen made him feel utterly disgusted.
Come to think of it, he was in no position to look down on Song Won-young. The most ridiculous thing was that even while thinking this, he had no intention of returning Ryu Ho-yeon to his former position as “Ryu Ho-yeon,” to that shining place where he received everyone’s respect and affection.
One might call it pure love that rots alone without sunlight, but even he knew his feelings weren’t within the normal range.
He wanted to shove Ryu Ho-yeon into the mud. With no intention of ever rescuing him. He wanted to break him down mercilessly to a desolate, wretched place where no one could ever love him.
Choi Jae-won didn’t want to play the ridiculous role of a prince on a white horse rescuing Ryu Ho-yeon from that mud.
If he could, he wanted to burn himself and be buried in that mud together with Ryu Ho-yeon.
He wanted to be tangled together as a single entity like mud, without any trace of having been two, mixed up in a mess so they would never separate again.
No matter how much they loved each other, no matter how tenderly they cared for each other. As long as they remained two separate beings, there was always the possibility of becoming unable to reach each other again.
Knowing how long and terrible the pain of remaining alone in that void was, Choi Jae-won felt this all the more strongly.
Of course, not every day was as terrible as wanting to die. Some days were quite bearable, and on other days he felt so light that he wondered if he had somehow forgotten.
But that was just a momentary illusion of sensation. Inevitably, the next day, sharp pain would pierce his body and mind into pieces.
This dull discomfort he was feeling now was nothing but child’s play compared to that pain. So Choi Jae-won decided to endure.
No matter how much his heart ached at Ryu Ho-yeon’s wretched appearance. No matter how crushed he felt seeing Ryu Ho-yeon’s pitiful state, which no one but him valued.
“I’m sorry, Guide Choi Jae-won. I didn’t know. I really didn’t know.”
Ryu Ho-yeon, not respected by others, also did not receive proper apologies. Without realizing that his apology was completely misdirected, Song Won-young kept bowing his head.
Perhaps it was an illusion, but Ryu Ho-yeon’s head seemed to droop even more in response. Even though he clearly couldn’t remember what position he had previously held, was his pride already hurt this much?
Choi Jae-won tightly gripped the shoulder he was supporting while making his own assumptions.
All the while not realizing that his own hand was worn down, tattered, and bleeding profusely.
“It would be best if you behaved properly in the future. Whether it’s you, Song Won-young, or anyone else here. Though we probably won’t meet again.”
After finishing his words, he hurriedly moved on, and the people parted like the Red Sea. They had easily read the irritation on Choi Jae-won’s face. Yet among themselves, they kept whispering noisily.
Did you hear they started sponsoring someone over there? I don’t know, but they sometimes select scholarship students and such, maybe it’s something like that? They make a lot of donations too. Ah, that’s just for image laundering purposes. Then this must be the same thing, right? Is that so?
Choi Jae-won hoped those words wouldn’t reach Ryu Ho-yeon’s ears, but well. Words that clearly reached Choi Jae-won’s ears couldn’t possibly miss Ryu Ho-yeon’s.
“…”
“…”
The two continued walking in silence, each for different emotions and reasons.
Suddenly, there was a pattering sound of footsteps from behind.
“Wait a moment, Guide Choi Jae-won! Huff, huff, just a moment!”
It was Ryu Ho-yeon who stopped, not Choi Jae-won. Choi Jae-won’s steps merely halted in response.
“…”
“Huff, huff, huff. Why are you walking so fast? I thought I was going to die trying to catch up!”
It was Song Won-young again. It was absurd how he followed them without being asked and then complained about their pace, but Choi Jae-won still asked what business he had. Even that was reluctant, prompted only by Ryu Ho-yeon nudging his side.
“Ah, well… I was too shocked earlier and just watched, but it didn’t seem right to just let you go like that.”
Whether or not he understood the situation, Song Won-young naively continued with his speech.
“Give me your hand.”
“What?”
“Your hand! Hurry up and give it to me!”
How quickly he had forgotten that just a few minutes ago, Choi Jae-won had bared his teeth at him. He looked not just bright but almost stupid. (At least in Choi Jae-won’s eyes.)
“I’ve been telling you all along. I’ll heal all of Guide Choi Jae-won’s injuries.”
“Sigh…”
“Despite appearances, I’m quite a skilled Healing Esper. You know that.”
Choi Jae-won was about to shake his head and turn away, thinking he was hearing nonsense, but once again Ryu Ho-yeon acted first. He removed Choi Jae-won’s supporting hand from his shoulder and extended it toward Song Won-young.
“Oh, thank you.”
The one who couldn’t even apologize properly now found the right direction for gratitude. Choi Jae-won looked down at Ryu Ho-yeon holding his hand with an ambiguous expression, neither annoyed nor pleased. He couldn’t read what expression might be on the face hidden under the wide-brimmed hat.
Song Won-young closed his eyes and placed his palm over the two intertwined hands. A pale light flashed briefly, and then the wounds were healed as if washed away.
Not just Choi Jae-won’s palms that had been seared by electrical burns, but also Ryu Ho-yeon’s hand, which had been covered in wounds without a single spot unharmed.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
