“No, that can’t be… It can’t be….” Cha Han-gyeom’s eyes were filled with utter confusion, and his voice trembled pitifully.
Seo Won quickly embraced Cha Han-gyeom, who was shivering like a leaf in the cold, his body curled up tightly. “Calm down. What’s wrong? Why are you like this, Cha Han-gyeom?” Seo Won asked, his voice laced with concern.
As Seo Won held the trembling Cha Han-gyeom, he focused on the words spilling from his lips. “The ‘client’… it was definitely you….” Cha Han-gyeom muttered.
‘Client?’ Seo Won was momentarily puzzled, but his confusion was quickly overshadowed by Cha Han-gyeom’s sudden, painful cough.
“Cough! Cough!” Cha Han-gyeom coughed violently, his hands covering his mouth.
Seo Won pulled back slightly to examine Cha Han-gyeom’s face. His complexion was pale, tears streaming down his cheeks, and a thin line of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
“Cha Han-gyeom….!” Seo Won exclaimed in alarm.
Just moments ago, their hearts had been pressed together, sharing warmth in a close embrace. Yet, despite their proximity, Cha Han-gyeom was now seized by a violent coughing fit. His coughs were so intense that it seemed as if he might expel his very insides.
“Cough! Ugh, ah!” Cha Han-gyeom’s coughs showed no sign of abating.
“Cha Han-gyeom! Han-gyeom, why….” Seo Won’s voice was filled with desperation. He couldn’t understand why Cha Han-gyeom was coughing up blood, even though they were so close.
Seo Won held Cha Han-gyeom tightly, disregarding the blood that stained his clothes and skin. With each cough, Cha Han-gyeom’s back heaved, and his body felt cold as ice, sending a chill down Seo Won’s spine.
“Han-gyeom, it’s okay, it’s okay…. Damn it, what do I do….” Seo Won muttered, his voice filled with panic. His heart raced with anxiety, fearing that Cha Han-gyeom might be in serious danger.
“Ugh… ah…” Cha Han-gyeom’s pained moans between coughs tore at Seo Won’s heart.
Seo Won gently stroked Cha Han-gyeom’s hair with a trembling hand, trying to soothe him. “It’s okay. I’m here. Just calm down,” he whispered.
As Seo Won tried to comfort Cha Han-gyeom, a dark aura emanated from his eyes. Despite being in such close contact with an Imprint, Cha Han-gyeom’s condition showed no signs of improvement. It was as if his body was rejecting the ESP that should have naturally flowed into him.
Seo Won wondered if forcing a stronger dose of ESP into Cha Han-gyeom might help, but even as he tried, Cha Han-gyeom’s body remained unresponsive.
Unable to bear the anxiety, Seo Won gently removed Cha Han-gyeom’s hands from his mouth, revealing lips stained with a shocking amount of bright red blood. Cha Han-gyeom’s face was contorted in pain. Without hesitation, Seo Won cupped Cha Han-gyeom’s chin and pressed his lips firmly against his, ignoring the metallic taste of blood. He channeled his ESP through his breath, forcing it into Cha Han-gyeom.
Cha Han-gyeom, already breathless, felt his airway constrict further, but he did not resist. He desperately took in Seo Won’s breath, feeling the resonance of Seo Won’s racing heart spread through his body. The broken pieces inside him began to mend, and the blood that had risen in his throat seemed to dissolve. His body, which had been wracked with pain, quickly stabilized.
Through tear-filled eyes, Cha Han-gyeom looked at Seo Won, who was desperately trying to keep him alive. Seo Won’s blue eyes, darkened with concern, held a profound sadness. Cha Han-gyeom wanted to tell him to stop looking at him that way, as if Seo Won was the one in pain, but the aftermath of the seizure was too much, and he lost consciousness.
***
Cha Han-gyeom was swiftly moved to Seo Won’s mansion. Having lost a significant amount of blood, his complexion was deathly pale, making the blood he had coughed up seem even more vivid.
As Seo Won carefully changed Cha Han-gyeom’s clothes and cleaned his body with a damp towel, Jung Ah-young rushed to summon Director Shin.
“Oh my goodness, what happened here?” Director Shin exclaimed in shock as he entered the room and saw Seo Won covered in Cha Han-gyeom’s blood.
Seo Won, still in his bloodstained clothes from their outing, glared at Director Shin, silencing him with a stern look. He then turned his attention back to Cha Han-gyeom, gently dressing him in clean clothes and tucking him into bed.
Throughout the process, Seo Won remained silent, his eyes filled with concern as he gazed at Cha Han-gyeom. He carefully smoothed Cha Han-gyeom’s disheveled hair with his fingertips and finally spoke in a soft voice.
“I was with him, but the seizure still happened,” Seo Won said, his voice laced with worry.
Director Shin approached cautiously, his face tense as he listened to Seo Won.
“Usually, just being in the same room with him is enough,” Seo Won explained. “Even when he’s not feeling well, a simple embrace is all it takes for him to regain his stability. But today was different.”
Upon closer inspection, Seo Won’s complexion was far from healthy. Although not as pale as Cha Han-gyeom, who looked almost lifeless, Seo Won appeared as if he had gone days without sleep, his face haggard and worn.
“You were with him, and yet the seizure still happened?” Director Shin remarked, puzzled. “That’s strange. The Imprint’s ESP should have been right next to him….”
Director Shin opened his medical bag, preparing to examine Cha Han-gyeom. “Let me take a look,” he said, his brow furrowed in concern.
Seo Won stepped back, letting out a deep sigh as Director Shin began his examination. Although Cha Han-gyeom had lost a significant amount of blood, his physical condition should stabilize, thanks to the Imprint’s ESP restoring his internal organs. However, Seo Won was more concerned about the emotional trauma Cha Han-gyeom might have suffered.
‘Why was he so shocked?’ Seo Won wondered, recalling Cha Han-gyeom’s state just before the seizure. He had seemed deeply disturbed by the timing of when Seo Won learned about the heart.
‘Why does it matter so much? It was just a coincidence that I received the heart of an Esper who had died long ago….’
Seo Won’s thoughts trailed off as a sudden realization struck him. His blue eyes widened briefly before narrowing in suspicion.
“Director Shin,” Seo Won called out, his voice cold and sharp.
Director Shin turned to respond, thinking Seo Won was inquiring about Cha Han-gyeom’s condition. “Yes, fortunately, Cha Han-gyeom’s physical state is….”
But Director Shin’s words caught in his throat as he found himself face-to-face with two transparent ice picks, their tips mere inches from his eyes. The chill emanating from them made his eyes sting.
“You will answer my questions truthfully,” Seo Won commanded, his voice as icy as the weapons he wielded. The room seemed to freeze over, the air thick with menace.
Director Shin felt the chill wrap around his throat like a vice. He couldn’t understand why Seo Won was directing such hostility towards him. He racked his brain but could think of no reason for this sudden aggression.
“I will not take your words at face value,” Seo Won continued, his expression unreadable. “If I sense any deceit….”
Director Shin managed to lift his gaze, meeting Seo Won’s cold, unyielding stare. The sight sent a shiver down his spine.
“I will cut out your tongue while you’re still conscious,” Seo Won finished, his voice laced with a chilling finality.
The threat hung heavy in the air, and Director Shin instinctively understood the gravity of the situation.
The phrase “starting with your tongue” was a clear threat, implying that Director Shin’s tongue would be just the beginning of the dismemberment he would face if he lied. Seo Won was a man capable of such cold and terrifying acts, and Director Shin knew it.
Fearing that even the slightest nod might bring his eyelids into contact with the sharp tips of the ice picks, Director Shin held his breath and replied with a trembling voice, “Y-yes! Yes! Ask me anything! I’ll answer!”
Seo Won’s voice cut through the air like a blade as he demanded, “Was the heart transplanted into me truly prepared by ‘coincidence’?”
“W-what?” Director Shin stammered, caught off guard by the question.
Seo Won rephrased his query, his voice growing colder. “Had that heart been prepared long before, with the intention of transplanting it into me?”
Director Shin hesitated, his eyes wide with shock and fear. Seo Won’s expression darkened, his patience wearing thin.
“I’m asking if you took out Song Yeon-woo’s heart because of me,” Seo Won growled, his voice laced with barely contained fury.
At these words, Director Shin’s face paled, the blood draining from his cheeks as the weight of the question settled over him.
