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Secretary Nam Dongkwon loosened his tie as soon as he turned the corner after leaving the conference room.
“Haah.”
It was an ordinary executive meeting, but since he attended in place of Taebeom, it had been like sitting on pins and needles the whole time. Unlike the gate site where the chaos had subsided, the leadership remained tense.
There were two reasons: the absence of Grand Guild Master Taebeom and the collapse of the Seowol Guild, which had caused havoc.
Everyone was on edge as the leaders of high-ranking guilds, who had been central pillars of the center, were vacant. Especially after the incident caused by the Seowol Guild became known, the anger of beastkin reached its peak.
How much must they have looked down on beastkin to do such a thing? To dare attack the Baekya Guild led by the Grand Guild Master and kidnap their dedicated guide. It was behavior that no normal mindset would ever undertake.
This incident led to further strengthening of laws for the protection of beastkin rights. For this purpose, Dongkwon had discussed with Baekya Guild members and decided to make this issue public.
The Seowol Guild had completely fallen, and all remaining guild members could not escape punishment. Even now, criticism against the Seowol Guild continued unabated in news and internet articles.
Dongkwon would sometimes read these articles to soothe his mind and body whenever fatigue overwhelmed him. The comments these days were so scathing. While it felt satisfying, it sometimes hurt his eyes too.
In any case, they got what they deserved. You horrible beastkin-hating group. You’ll be punished even after death.
Gritting his teeth, Dongkwon had just entered the elevator when a call came in. It was from the guide ward.
* * *
The secretary, who had rushed with all his might, flung open the hospital room door.
“Guide!”
Tears hanging from his reddened eyes were ready to fall. In fact, he had already cried a little on the way.
“Are you awake?!”
Strangely, no one answered his booming voice. The secretary’s excited expression quickly changed to confusion.
“What are you doing there…?”
The secretary tilted his head and looked at those standing against the wall. Geonho, Jihan, and Seojun were all pressed tightly against the hospital room wall.
When he turned his eyes to the bed, he couldn’t see Siwoo properly because of the doctor and nurse’s bodies blocking the view. The secretary immediately rushed to the bed.
“He’s awake, right?”
“Ah, Secretary. Don’t come any closer.”
Siwoo’s attending physician saw the secretary and stretched out his arm. He drew a line, indicating not to come beyond that point.
“No, why…”
The puzzled secretary was suddenly startled. A small white face popped out from between the doctor and nurse.
“Guide!”
Siwoo, who had thrust his face out, squirming between two arms, was struggling. There was a cat muzzle on his face.
Mmm…!
The secretary, shocked by Siwoo’s desperate look asking for help, immediately tried to embrace him. This time, Jihan stopped him with his artificial hand.
“He keeps trying to guide, so he’s been banned from contact.”
Jihan finally explained the situation.
“Banned from contact?”
“Yes, he shouldn’t have contact with espers for the time being. Even radiant guiding is dangerous in his current state.”
The doctor also issued a proper warning.
As soon as Siwoo opened his eyes, he tried to guide. The moment he saw Geonho’s tired wavelength and the thinned Jihan and the youngest, he reflexively sent out energy.
He coughed at the same time, and the hearts of the three espers sank at that sight.
Jihan immediately pressed the nurse call button, Geonho loudly called for a doctor, and Seojun ran to fetch one himself.
Looking at the chaotic scene, Siwoo struggled to get up and tried to get down from the bed.
[No!]
To think he would try to jump with his ailing body. Jihan, alarmed, shouted out unlike himself. Geonho simply sat down.
After that, the doctor came, and Siwoo was forbidden from guiding. Naturally, Siwoo didn’t accept this docilely.
[Nyaaaak!]
He had to be muzzled because he was crying as if spewing all kinds of curses. With his mouth blocked, Siwoo shook his body wildly, looking for a chance to escape from the doctor and nurse.
Eventually, the doctor had to pick up a syringe. There was a need to give a sedative to the highly excited Siwoo.
But the moment he raised the syringe, the sharp needle bent. Geonho had used telekinesis.
The bewildered attending physician looked troubled. Fortunately, there was no need to get a new syringe. As soon as he saw the pointed needle, Siwoo became obedient.
Mmm…
Instead, he made a pitiful sound and looked at his espers. His moist blue eyes were desperately seeking help.
Jihan unconsciously stopped Geonho, who was trying to approach Siwoo. Seojun completely turned to face the wall. If he kept looking, he felt like he would just hug Siwoo right away.
“Hold on, Geonho. Don’t.”
“I know.”
Geonho shook off Jihan’s hand and looked down at Siwoo, whose eyes were filling with tears. The pitifully contorted eyes clung to Geonho, who had the weakest heart.
Mmm, mmm.
He scratched at the muzzle, showing Geonho his discomfort. Geonho clutched his chest and let out a heavy sigh. It seemed like Geonho might burst into tears first.
“I’m sorry, Han Siwoo.”
Along with Geonho’s sincere apology, the nurse laid Siwoo down. The sobbing Siwoo couldn’t refuse the nurse’s touch, who possessed a syringe.
“If you guide, you’ll get an injection.”
The doctor, who had realized Siwoo’s weakness, solemnly pointed to a new syringe. It wasn’t just a warning but sincere. Siwoo needed rest now.
A long breath flowed from his nose, smaller than a fingernail. Siwoo, who exhaled a deep sigh through his nose, looked up at his espers again.
After briefly looking at each of them from a distance, his pitiful drooping eyes gradually began to curve upward.
Ah, he’s angry.
The espers’ Adam’s apples moved together as they recognized Siwoo’s fierce glare. The secretary also swallowed, gulping, and watched Siwoo’s expression.
Anyway, it’s fortunate. Now that the guide had awakened, only the leader’s consciousness returning remained.
After huffing for a long time, Siwoo finally gave up guiding.
Only after Siwoo had completely withdrawn his energy did the espers begin to move a little. The secretary returned to work with a face that couldn’t bear to leave, as he had remaining schedules.
“Guide, would you like some water?”
Jihan was the first to speak, looking at Siwoo lying weakly. Geonho, who had been prowling around the bed, bit his lip, feeling frustrated that Jihan had beaten him to it. Only Seojun was still stuck to the wall.
“You must be thirsty. Drink water first.”
“Yes, drink.”
Geonho snatched the cup Jihan was holding with his telekinesis. Siwoo, glaring at the cup with transparent water rippling inside, completely hid under the pillow.
His angry tail beat the blanket repeatedly.
Jihan massaged his nape and slowly backed away. It seemed like unnecessarily stimulating Siwoo would cause him more stress.
Siwoo still couldn’t return to human form. The attending physician said it was evidence that his recovery was still incomplete, and thus he should be prevented from using his strength even more.
Siwoo, who had hidden even his tail under the pillow, suddenly showed himself. He raised his head and suddenly looked around the hospital room. As if searching for someone.
“Let’s drink water.”
Geonho approached Siwoo and held the water cup himself.
“I’ll drink too.”
First taking a sip of water, he went to the headboard and sat down on the floor with a thud.
Raising his upper body to meet Siwoo’s eyes, his expression was exceptionally calm. Since it was an expression he rarely made, he looked even more like the leader.
Mmm…
Siwoo wriggled and moved closer to Geonho.
His body, which had done a lot of guiding in a short period, struggled even to walk properly. Due to his injuries, his legs easily lost strength.
Although he had SS-class guiding skills, his body was still that of a novice. It wasn’t a body that could handle his abilities.
A body that hadn’t eaten well since childhood and hadn’t consumed enough nutrients didn’t easily become healthy. Muscle didn’t attach well, and no matter how much he ate, his weight remained the same. It was because his body remembered the deficiency.
Siwoo collapsed in front of Geonho and met his eyes.
His mouth, blocked by the muzzle, moved slightly. Geonho knew better than anyone how stifling that device was.
“You won’t guide, right?”
Siwoo nodded. At the same time, with a click sound, the muzzle was released.
“Drink slowly.”
Siwoo slowly lapped up the lukewarm water. While drinking little by little, he steadily gazed at his espers.
And, as if looking for someone who wasn’t there, he meowed softly. His round eyes quickly welled up with moisture.
“Let’s eat first. We’re all hungry.”
Geonho passed the water cup to Jihan and wiped Siwoo’s mouth with the edge of the blanket.
“Let’s eat together, and take medicine too.”
Geonho, who had wrapped Siwoo in the blanket, held the even lighter body in his arms.
“And then let’s go see my brother.”
Siwoo, blinking his eyes, nodded his head even more vigorously. After moistening his throat a bit more, he nuzzled his face against the left side of Geonho’s chest.
The healthy beating of Geonho’s heart soothed Siwoo’s anxiety. Jihan’s gentle smile and the sight of the youngest whose wounds had all healed also brought great relief.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
