# Chapter 81
## Chapter 6. Memory
Because of Domin’s stubbornness, Jeongyun had to stay in the hospital for exactly one week. The doctor said there was nothing wrong anymore and he could be discharged, but Domin insisted that absolute rest was necessary and forcefully extended the hospitalization.
The time spent in the spacious and comfortable private room was extremely monotonous and peaceful. Though all Jeongyun did was eat three good meals a day and occasionally walk along the hospital paths, Domin was always by his side.
“Don’t you have work to do?”
“Why, would you like me to leave quickly?”
When Jeongyun asked out of concern that Domin might be postponing work because of him, Domin responded with a playful smile and that question. Flustered, Jeongyun’s lips trembled before he eventually turned his head away without giving any answer.
“Don’t worry. I took vacation time.”
Only after hearing the word “vacation” could Jeongyun relax. But soon after, Jeongyun asked Domin why he was spending his precious vacation time in a hospital. Once again, Domin asked if Jeongyun wanted him to leave quickly.
Tired of the similarly repeating conversation, Jeongyun picked up his phone. When he unlocked it, the message he had been looking at before turning off the screen last time immediately appeared.
‘He’s not checking it.’
Though Jeongyun had been staying in the private room for more than three days now, there had been no contact from Hwayeon. No matter how busy training was, he should have had time to check his phone, but even the message sent yesterday remained unread.
‘He must need Guiding soon.’
During training, using abilities constantly made Guiding essential. But seeing that Hwayeon hadn’t contacted him, it seemed like he had started receiving Guiding from another Guide.
‘Well, there must be Guides in the Grey team too.’
Jeongyun had always thought it would be good if Hwayeon received Guiding from another Guide besides him, but now that he thought it might be happening, he felt strangely empty.
Still, he wanted to say a proper goodbye before officially ending the Guiding. That was a bit disappointing. They would probably run into each other as neighbors, but their meeting as Guide and Esper was over.
“…Huh?”
Suddenly, the phone slipped away from Jeongyun’s hand. It floated into the air and flew far away where Jeongyun couldn’t reach it.
Domin, folding his finger that had been wiggling, said in a grumpy voice, “Stop looking at your phone and play with me a bit.”
“What should we do?”
“Well…”
Dragging out his words, Domin carefully looked around the spacious hospital room.Â
He had impulsively asked Jeongyun to play with him because he didn’t like Jeongyun only looking at his phone when he was right there, but naturally, being in a hospital room, there was nothing noticeable to do.
‘What could we do?’
Domin’s eyes sparkled as if he had thought of something. He casually got up and approached the window. After slightly checking below and turning around, Domin looked at Jeongyun and grinned.
“Yeo Jeongyun, want to go see the ocean?”
“The ocean?”
The headquarters was in the middle of the city. The ocean was so far away that it would take a full two hours by car to see it. Moreover, Jeongyun was officially hospitalized and couldn’t leave the hospital.
“Answer quickly. Do you want to go see it?”
“How are we going to go see it?”
When Jeongyun asked, Domin responded by throwing the window wide open instead of answering. Cold winter wind rushed into the warm hospital room.Â
Domin took Jeongyun’s coat from the closet and threw it onto the bed.
“Put it on.”
“…Don’t tell me you’re really planning to leave?”
“Don’t worry. If we go through the window, they won’t notice.”
Jeongyun couldn’t help but be surprised at Domin’s words. As he said, leaving through the window would avoid being caught by the nurses outside, but this was fundamentally a matter of conscience.
“Choi Domin. I don’t need to see the ocean, so please close the window— Whoop!”
As Domin wiggled his finger again, the coat lying on the bed floated up and covered Jeongyun’s head.
Domin approached Jeongyun, who had ended up putting on the coat, and said in a kind voice, “Hold on to me tight.”
“Ch-Choi Domin!”
Domin, who had picked up Jeongyun in his arms, headed for the window as expected. Stretching his long legs to step on the windowsill, Domin jumped into the empty air without a moment’s hesitation.
“Hup!”
Jeongyun closed his eyes tightly and hugged Domin firmly. Though he knew Domin’s abilities, this was the 18th floor. It was a height that would scare any ordinary person.
“Yeo Jeongyun, try opening your eyes.”
“No, no… way.”
“Why, are you scared?”
Instead of answering, Jeongyun nodded.
Well, he would certainly be frightened after suddenly jumping from the 18th floor. Domin patted the trembling shoulders and walked lightly through the air.
* * *
Thankfully, the destination of their air walk was a parking lot a little distance from the headquarters. After getting down from Domin’s arms and setting foot on safe ground, Jeongyun almost shed tears of relief.
“What are you doing? Get in quickly.”
Domin said, opening the passenger door of the car. Jeongyun asked if they could go back even now, but Domin pushed him into the car, saying they had come this far so there was no giving up.
The place they arrived at after driving for quite a while in Domin’s car was indeed the ocean. Getting out of the car, Jeongyun looked at the wide-open horizon. Even in this situation, the sunlight sparkling on the seawater was incredibly beautiful.
‘…We really came.’
Since they hadn’t brought a pager, reporting back had been out of the question for a while. At least there wouldn’t be any danger since he was with Domin, but still, the feeling of guilt hadn’t disappeared.
“Shall we go?”
“Where to?”
Jeongyun thought they had fulfilled the purpose by coming to the ocean as mentioned, but it seemed Domin’s final destination wasn’t here. Jeongyun looked at Domin’s hand extended toward him.
“If you suddenly fly into the sky or something—”
“I won’t do that, so don’t worry.”
Domin firmly assured him that it wouldn’t happen, having read Jeongyun’s expression. Trying to put aside his suspicion that wouldn’t easily disappear, Jeongyun took Domin’s hand.
“Shall we walk a bit?”
Jeongyun walked on the beach, holding Domin’s hand. Their footprints were imprinted side by side on the soft sand.
Jeongyun looked at the endless ocean, then at Domin’s back as he walked ahead.
‘I shouldn’t misunderstand.’
But his heart wavered whenever Domin treated him more kindly than necessary. Holding hands first, coming to the ocean together—these were things that only lovers would typically do.
“We’ve arrived.”
Hearing Domin’s words, Jeongyun stopped thinking and looked ahead. In the distance, a villa could be seen. That appeared to be the destination Domin had in mind.
The villa, prettily decorated with white and blue paint, looked old on the outside, but it seemed well-maintained as if someone’s care had continued steadily.
Domin naturally opened the door and entered. Inside the warm and cozy villa, a fireplace was crackling and burning as if it knew they were coming.
“Where is this?”
“A villa my parents left me.”
At Domin’s answer, Jeongyun’s eyes widened. As a fan of Domin, he couldn’t help but know about his parents. It was a story that had been repeated countless times in interviews.
“Sit here.”
Domin sat Jeongyun on the comfortable sofa in front of the fireplace and headed to the kitchen, saying he would bring warm tea. Left alone, Jeongyun slowly looked around the villa.
The villa was filled with small decorative items throughout. These items, which clearly showed the passage of time, seemed to have been brought by Domin’s parents to decorate the villa.
Jeongyun followed a small ceramic figurine on the mantelpiece and discovered frames full of photos on a drawer. Standing up, Jeongyun carefully examined the photos in the frames.
‘…They’re all Choi Domin.’
In the faded photos, a young Domin was smiling brightly. From the time he was a newborn who couldn’t even open his eyes to around three years old when he couldn’t stay still. The place was full of pictures of Domin as a child.
‘He’s cute.’
Seeing the innocent smile of a harmless child, Jeongyun found himself smiling without realizing it. Among all those solo photos of Domin, there was only one picture where the family was photographed together.
“What are you doing there?”
Domin, who had approached without notice, asked as he handed Jeongyun a mug of coffee. Instead of answering, Jeongyun pointed with his fingertip to the photo he had been looking at. Domin’s gaze turned to it.
“You look a lot like them.”
“They are my parents after all.”
Domin, who answered indifferently, took Jeongyun’s hand.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
