# Chapter 77
Hajin felt his entire body relax with relief even before getting home. Only then did he truly realize how completely he had opened his heart to these people.
‘This feels strange.’
Since his parents passed away, he hadn’t opened his heart to anyone. The environment hadn’t allowed for it either.
He had thought that as long as he could eat well and live well by himself, that was enough…
‘I guess humans really are social animals after all.’
Hajin got off the bed, thinking random thoughts to hide his embarrassment.
“Whoa!”
As soon as his feet touched the ground, Hajin nearly fell over as his legs gave way. Fortunately, those who rushed to him as he staggered managed to catch him, saving him from an ungraceful fall.
“What’s going on?! The results showed nothing was wrong! So why is he like this?”
After confirming that only his stress and tension levels were high with no major issues, Han Seungho shouted in alarm as Hajin failed to control his legs like a newborn fawn.
Baek Jaan, who had darted forward first and picked Hajin up, also didn’t look pleased. Hajin tried to calm the startled group and stopped Cha Jinwoo, who was about to call the medical staff immediately.
“No matter how afraid of hospitals you are, you should still get examined!”
Hajin shot a glance at Han Seungho, who had transformed his desire to go home into an excuse about fearing hospitals.
“That’s not it…”
Everyone focused on what Hajin was about to say. It seemed excessive attention for someone who had merely almost fallen.
Hajin blushed at having to say something embarrassing again and whispered quietly:
“I’m just feeling relieved… that’s why my strength gave out…”
The intensity of their gazes increased. Even with his head bowed low, he could imagine how they were looking at him.
They finally turned away only when Hajin said, “Damn, do I have to chase you all out for you to stop staring?”
“Uh, I won’t look anymore. Not looking, not looking.”
Han Seungho hurriedly fixed his gaze out the window, afraid Hajin might actually chase them out of the hospital room.
That’s when he noticed something. A car stopped in front of the hospital wing, and the Association Chairman got out.
Han Seungho frowned deeply upon seeing the Association Chairman hurriedly waddling forward with his fat body and alerted the others.
“The Association Chairman is coming?”
“The Association Chairman?”
“What’s with ‘Association Chairman’? I guess he heard Hajin hyung returned. That old ghost…”
Lee Doyoon muttered in disapproval after receiving Cha Jinwoo’s response. They all felt similarly.
The Association Chairman had been hesitant during Han Jiwoo’s appearance and even engaged in a tug-of-war when it came to rescuing Hajin. No matter how frantically he came running now, they couldn’t be pleased.
“Should we just leave? I’ll do whatever you want, hyung.”
Baek Jaan asked, looking at Hajin. A bright smile that hadn’t been seen for a long time filled his face, as if just seeing Hajin made him happy. And unusually, Han Seungho chimed in to support his opinion.
“Yeah, let’s just go. Meeting him will only result in him talking about how he tried to save you rather than apologizing. Why bother listening?”
“Though we can’t avoid meeting him entirely, Hajin-ssi’s rest comes first, so there’s no need to meet now.”
Even Cha Jinwoo supported their opinion. Lee Doyoon had been nodding in agreement from the start without needing to be asked.
But Hajin shook his head. He intended to meet the Association Chairman right here.
Alpha Team, who knew how the Chairman had been hedging his bets, was dissatisfied with this decision.
“Why bother meeting him? I wasn’t going to say this now, but as soon as Han Jiwoo became S-rank, the Chairman immediately stopped the investigation and covered for him!”
Alpha Team had continually demanded an investigation of Han Jiwoo, whom they still suspected. However, first with the excuse that rescuing Hajin was the priority, and then claiming Han Jiwoo had become an S-rank, the investigation kept getting postponed.
Each time, the Association Chairman just spoke eloquently about how they had more important things to do.
He had long since lost Alpha Team’s trust.
Only Alpha Team had never given up on Hajin, and they were the ones who ultimately rescued him. And now to see the Chairman come running frantically? They couldn’t even muster a hollow laugh.
“We can still escape if we jump out now. Let’s just go.”
Hajin knew that Han Seungho wasn’t just being petulant based on personal likes and dislikes. He didn’t want Hajin to appear easy to take advantage of.
Despite being openly neglected, meeting the Chairman would make him shrug as if he deserved credit for something he didn’t do, given his personality.
“Thank you for thinking of me.”
Hajin expressed his appreciation and gratitude to Han Seungho, who was angrily fuming on his behalf. He thought it inwardly, knowing Han Seungho would think he was being treated like a child if he showed it outwardly.
“But I’m not meeting him just to be accommodating.”
Alpha Team seemed worried that Hajin would be taken advantage of by the Association Chairman, but Hajin had no intention of letting that happen.
If anything, wouldn’t Hajin, being the victim, be the most angry? He decided to view the Chairman coming on his own accord as an opportunity.
Meanwhile, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed down the corridor, and the hospital room door opened roughly as the Association Chairman appeared.
“Huh, huh, L-Lee Hajin Guide has returned!”
The Association Chairman was dripping with sweat, perhaps from running up the stairs with his heavy body.
Not wiping away the flowing sweat was an act to show how much he worried about and valued Hajin. Unfortunately, it didn’t work on anyone present.
Alpha Team was about to block Hajin, but at his nod, they remained in place, pouting. The Association Chairman was quite pleased with this. He had worried they might raise thorns, but they didn’t seem that foolish.
“Ahem!”
The Association Chairman, who had actually climbed the stairs instead of using the elevator to produce sweat, cleared his dry throat with a fake cough and began.
“I’m truly relieved that you’re safe. Truly relieved…”
As if overcome with emotion, the Association Chairman let his words trail off and then strode toward the bed where Hajin was sitting.
Even then, Alpha Team could only glare from behind, unable to stop him due to Hajin’s signal.
The Association Chairman, seemingly finding it taxing, leaned his flabby buttocks on the bed and grabbed Hajin’s hand. Stroking it endlessly, he said in a moist voice:
“Your hands have become quite rough…”
Hajin looked down at his hands. Unless it was his wrists that had been bound, Hajin’s hands themselves were no different from usual.
He almost burst into laughter. Despite clearly seeing the bandages, the Chairman was touching his irrelevant hand.
‘I don’t think I’ve ever acted like a pushover…’
Hajin gently but firmly extracted his hand from the Association Chairman’s grasp.
“First of all, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you.”
The Association Chairman was displeased with Hajin for not responding to his concerned inquiry, but outwardly maintained his composure.
“Yes… it has been quite a while. I’m sorry. Because of my inadequacy, Guide Lee Hajin had to go through unnecessary hardships…”
The Association Chairman slouched his shoulders and bowed his head, looking extremely apologetic.
As the old man, whose black hair was now outnumbered by white, bowed his head and hunched his shoulders, it amplified the pitiful image.
In normal circumstances, when the Association Chairman went this far, one’s anger would subside. However, the current situation couldn’t be resolved with just a few words and a fabricated expression.
Hajin shook his head at those words. Inwardly, the Association Chairman rejoiced.
No matter how much social experience Hajin had gained, he was still young, and in front of the Association Chairman, he’d be no different from a kid.
However, Hajin’s following words were beyond the Chairman’s expectations.
“No. Who could have predicted that an Association employee would be manipulated and a Guide would sell out another Guide to enemy forces?”
Though he was saying the opposite, every word was poking at the Association’s weaknesses. The Chairman almost lost his composure but managed to endure.
‘Fine. I can handle mere anger.’
The Association Chairman decided to be broad-minded for his future. But Hajin wasn’t finished.
“I also think it’s partly my fault. No matter how safe they said it was, I shouldn’t have truly let my guard down. How can I blame others for what happened because of my carelessness?”
“G-Guide Lee Hajin…!”
This was the moment the Chairman’s trust in Hajin began to crumble. However, he couldn’t refute by asking what Hajin meant. After all, he had failed to prevent it.
He hadn’t known there was a brainwashing ability user in the anti-government forces, nor that Seo Juan was coming in and out, or even that he was making some kind of deal with an Association Guide.
How could he discuss safety in front of Hajin? The Association Chairman finally realized he had been too complacent in coming here.
No words could persuade Hajin now. The Chairman’s face turned pale as he grasped the severity of what he had merely considered a mistake.
‘What if Lee Hajin leaves the Association? What if he takes the Espers with him?’
Before the incident, he could have suppressed such a move. But now, things were different. The Association was in absolute chaos.
They were busy dealing with the aftermath of their internal information being leaked, and the S-rank Espers were on the verge of going berserk due to Han Jiwoo.
With all S-rank Espers immobilized, dungeons that needed handling were neglected, and lower-ranked Espers were overworked.
It was a vicious cycle. In this situation, even if Hajin left with Alpha Team, they couldn’t stop him.
Rather, Espers who realized there was no hope left in the Association might desert as well.
Having quickly reached this conclusion, the Association Chairman immediately got off the bed and knelt.
“Guide Lee Hajin! I, I was wrong… I’ll make sure this never happens again through strict control! And I’ll give you any compensation you want…!”
Alpha Team, who had seen the Association Chairman since they were young, was quite surprised to see him kneel and beg.
This was the man who always held his head high in front of S-rank Espers and treated them as his tools, now kneeling and even shedding tears.
But while they were surprised, they didn’t feel sorry for him. No matter how long they had known him, how close could they be to someone who treated them like that? Why would they pity him?
Besides, no matter who it was, nothing mattered if Hajin was involved.
Hajin was equally surprised.
‘I spoke with the intention of not giving in easily, but what kind of imagination led him to kneel…’
But his heart didn’t soften either. Hajin pulled his hand away from the Association Chairman, who was clutching it like a lifeline.
It wasn’t particularly pleasant to see an old man in despair, so Hajin naturally averted his gaze.
“I’m not sure. Trust can’t be built with just words, can it?”
The Association Chairman brightened at those words and nodded.
“Y-yes! Trust is built over time. So, Guide Lee Hajin, please give me time to rebuild that trust.”
Hajin pretended to think for a moment, stalling for time. The Association Chairman seemed to think Hajin would leave immediately, but Hajin had no intention of leaving.
He had to admit he might be called a pushover. But it wasn’t because he was a pushover or overly sentimental.
It was because of his father, Lee Hoseung. Darkness settled on Hajin’s face as he recalled the person he had momentarily forgotten.
‘I need to find out exactly what happened…’
Hajin needed to know why his father was with the anti-government forces, having faked his death.
For that, he had to remain in the Association, and Hajin decided to gain leverage for easier movement.
The more the Association Chairman watched Hajin’s reactions, the more advantageous it would be. Hajin concealed his true thoughts and spoke.
“For now, I’d like to rest. Having just returned, I’m tired. I’d like to talk about this later.”
“Y-yes! Rest should come first. If you need anything, just tell me anytime.”
Despite Hajin’s dismissal, the Association Chairman retreated, satisfied that Hajin wasn’t leaving immediately and was staying.
Hajin, too, as soon as the Association Chairman left, took the Espers who were clinging to him asking to leave and went straight home.
“Ah, finally back…”
Hajin murmured to himself in the familiar space he hadn’t visited for a long time. Then he looked at the Espers bustling around him.
“Aren’t you hungry?”
“Would you like some porridge? I’m good at cooking.”
Lee Doyoon interjected at Baek Jaan’s words, telling Hajin not to be fooled.
“Baek Jaan hyung’s cooking is ter—I mean, it’s really bad. Don’t be fooled.”
“No, Doyoon. That time, I deliberately made it taste bad because you were being annoying.”
“What?! Hyung, you’re really garbage?!”
As Lee Doyoon was shocked by this newly discovered fact, Cha Jinwoo approached.
“As the kids say, I think you should eat something, but do as you wish, Hajin-ssi.”
Hajin realized anew that it wasn’t the space he missed, but the people by his side. With this realization, fatigue and hunger he hadn’t been aware of surfaced.
As they came simultaneously, Hajin wondered what to do first, but ultimately chose sleep.
After all, he couldn’t be a real child and fall asleep while eating.
“First… I’ll sleep and then eat. I’m tired.”
As he rubbed his eyes, fighting the drowsiness that had begun to pour over him once he acknowledged it, someone swiftly moved Hajin to his room.
His head touched the soft pillow. Despite Hajin’s long absence, not a speck of dust had risen. Hajin felt his chest tighten again for no reason.
Even though he knew someone else had cleaned, he felt good knowing they thought he would definitely return.
‘I should thank them… And the Guiding too…’
There was so much to do. He hadn’t thanked them for coming to get him, and he needed to check if mucous membrane Guiding could eliminate the remaining drugs in their bodies.
The medical staff said it could, but it wasn’t a certainty.
And above all, he hated that Han Jiwoo’s remnants remained in their bodies. Hajin flailed his hands, unable to open his eyes properly, calling for someone nearby.
“What is it? Do you need something?”
It was Lee Doyoon. He was probably the one who had carried and moved Hajin. Hajin called Lee Doyoon with mumbling words.
It was a call to come closer, but Hajin, already half-asleep, couldn’t pronounce properly.
“Hm? What did you say?”
But since Lee Doyoon approached to hear him better, Hajin had achieved his purpose.
Through barely open eyelids, Hajin confirmed Lee Doyoon’s approach and used his last bit of strength to pull the back of his head.
“Uwup…!”
The remaining three people showed displeased reactions, seemingly startled.
“Hyung?!”
“That’s unfair!”
“Hmm.”
Focused on treating at least one person before sleeping, Hajin concentrated on opening his closed mouth.
Lee Doyoon, caught off guard, was surprised, but when Hajin’s lips opened and his tongue touched, he welcomed it eagerly as if he had been waiting.
The initiative was Hajin’s, but the response was all Lee Doyoon. Hajin let him tie his tongue and move it gently, focusing on the Guiding.
“Mmm…”
Lee Doyoon became immersed in the kiss, playing with Hajin’s weakened tongue as he pleased. He hadn’t expected it to happen this way, but it was truly so good it sent shivers down to his fingertips.
The soft tongue seemed like it would never get boring, even if played with all day. Guiding spread wherever their tongues touched, and he kept clinging, not wanting to miss even a little.
‘Ah, this is what I missed…’
Lee Doyoon felt embarrassed that he might cry. That’s how much he had missed Hajin’s Guiding. When he recalled having to receive Han Jiwoo’s Guiding in Hajin’s absence, a surge of sadness welled up.
Cupping Hajin’s face with his large hands, Lee Doyoon tilted his head this way and that to get even closer, licking Hajin’s lips and pulling and biting his tongue.
Obscene sounds echoed from just the kiss.
The others, unable to stop them since Hajin had initiated the contact, could only clench their fists. When Hajin fell asleep and his hand dropped onto the bed, they immediately rushed to separate Lee Doyoon.
“Ah… he could have held on a bit longer.”
Lee Doyoon licked his lips regretfully. Though he had absorbed all the Guiding, licking his lips where Hajin’s warmth remained gave him a sense of fulfillment.
“Enjoying it? Are you enjoying it?”
“Wouldn’t you?”
Han Seungho picked a fight, but Lee Doyoon, whose mood had soared after the kiss with Hajin, grinned and retorted.
It was a battle Han Seungho was bound to lose no matter what.
Glaring at Lee Doyoon while grinding his teeth, Han Seungho soon seemed to recall something and smiled, pulling up the corners of his mouth. It was a smile that would have made Hajin cringe and call him a villain if he had seen it.
“Ah, right. Was this our youngest’s first time? Then it makes sense to be happy.”
Lee Doyoon, who had been humming with satisfaction, became serious at those words.
“What does that mean? Are you saying everyone except me has kissed Hajin hyung?!”
“You’ll wake Hajin-ssi. Be quiet.”
At Cha Jinwoo’s words, Lee Doyoon, who had raised his voice, made an ‘eek’ sound but dutifully lowered his volume.
“Damn, I’m the only first-timer? When did you all…!”
He acted like he was going crazy with indignation, yet managed not to raise his voice. Lee Doyoon’s gaze turned to Cha Jinwoo.
“I understand hyungs, but even Team Leader? Don’t tell me it was when I went on a mission?”
Cha Jinwoo merely shrugged as if he had nothing to hide, but knowing he would have denied it if it weren’t true, Lee Doyoon was fuming inside.
“It’s unfair. That’s so unfair.”
“Come on, what’s unfair? Stop acting like a kid.”
Han Seungho’s lips curled up, seemingly satisfied at having brought down Lee Doyoon’s mood that had soared to the heavens. Knowing exactly what he was thinking, Lee Doyoon glared at him and vowed:
“I’m going to ask Hajin hyung for another one when he wakes up.”
“What? Get out if you’ve recovered.”
“No way. You think I don’t know? I doubt you guys or Team Leader only did it once.”
It was an uncanny intuition. Seeing Han Seungho momentarily unable to deny it, Lee Doyoon got angry saying “I knew it,” but ultimately both were kicked out amicably.
Sensing that they would end up waking Hajin if they continued, Cha Jinwoo took Baek Jaan with him and left Hajin’s room.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
