A blink—his eyes closed without warning. It was the reflexive flutter of his eyelids, one that passed before his consciousness could register it.
Click.
In the darkness, he thought he heard the sound of a box opening. Not just any box, but one finely crafted—ornate, maybe carved from wood or forged from gold or platinum, possibly encrusted with gemstones. Then, when Se-min opened his eyes again…
***
Se-min blinked.
Once. Twice. Three times…
He slowly fluttered his lashes, groggily taking in his surroundings. The mattress beneath him felt oddly stiff, and the ceiling’s pattern didn’t match the one in his room.
“Huh?”
Startled, he bolted upright and looked around in confusion. Outside a wide window stretched the daytime skyline of Seoul. The interior was slightly dated, and beyond a partial wall, he could see a TV and a couch.
At first glance, it looked like a hotel. But then, Se-min realized he was dressed in a hospital gown and lying on a mobile hospital bed.
So this is a hospital? But then… why am I here? And why does this place look like a damn luxury suite?
At some point, an IV had been inserted into the back of his left hand. He followed the slow drip of the fluid with his eyes and muttered to himself,
“Was I in a car accident or something?”
There’s no real reason a healthy guy in his twenties would suddenly end up in the hospital—unless something unexpected had happened. But there wasn’t a single bandage on his body. He ran his hands over his scalp just in case, but felt nothing unusual.
And now that he thought about it, if it had been a car accident, he wouldn’t be this intact. Even with painkillers, some part of his body should be aching or broken.
“…Appendicitis?”
He tilted his head, trying to come up with any medical emergency that could’ve landed him here. Maybe his appendix had burst? But if he’d had surgery, something should still hurt.
And seriously—what kind of hospital room was this fancy? It looked like the kind of place where conglomerate CEOs would stay in dramas. The thought made his stomach drop.
“Shit… If this is a private suite, I’m gonna go bankrupt.”
There’s no way in hell he would’ve picked a room like this on his own. Unless—wait. Was this one of those staged admissions to a fancy Korean medicine clinic? Like in those insurance fraud cases where the at-fault driver tries to avoid paying compensation?
A clip from one of those car accident law channels flashed through his mind, and he shook his head to clear it.
He glanced down and saw a logo embroidered onto his gown. Not a Korean medicine clinic.
This was a hospital that specialized in treating Awakened—Espers and Guides.
Wait, does that mean whoever admitted me here… was an Awakened?
“No, no, no…”
Se-min quickly cut off that train of thought. No point jumping to conclusions. If he could just recall his last memory, maybe he could figure out what happened. That thought gave him something to focus on. He sighed quietly and tried to retrace his steps.
So…
Once, twice, three times… His eyelids fluttered again as he frowned. It was like someone had taken a pair of scissors and snipped out a clean section of his memory—leaving only a strange, sterile void behind.
“…What the hell?”
For the first time, the seriousness of the situation hit him. He pushed harder, trying to find anything—anything at all. Thankfully, past the blank white haze, a few fragmented memories started to surface. Like…
He remembered submitting his university leave of absence. But that had been at the end of last year, when the weather was freezing and he’d been wrapped in a padded coat and scarf.
This memory gap—whatever it was—was far too long.
“What is going on…”
He scratched his head in frustration. The clearest memory he had was filing his leave of absence, but there were also vague flashes of daily life—checking his reflection in the mirror, going to the convenience store. Totally mundane, and not even helpful.
And now he was here, in a hospital, with no clue why. Scowling, Se-min let out a soft snort.
“Don’t tell me I’ve got amnesia or something.”
Wakes up one day, stares at an unfamiliar ceiling, doesn’t remember anything… Then some stranger shows up, sobbing, claiming they’re his fiancé and they were supposed to get married…
Se-min let out a laugh. Even in this ridiculous situation, it was so absurd he couldn’t help but chuckle. It sounded like one of those soap opera clichés his late grandmother used to watch religiously. Still caught up in that daydream, he muttered,
“Yeah right… but what if it really is amnesia?”
Okay, maybe the whole surprise-fiancé scenario was a stretch. But something was clearly wrong with his brain. Judging by the situation, this seemed more likely than appendicitis or a car crash.
For someone facing the possibility of amnesia, Se-min was surprisingly calm. Maybe he should call the medical staff. Yeah, that made sense. Ask what happened, get the doctor’s explanation, follow their instructions…
He was still trying to map out a plan when a soft click echoed across the room—the sound of a door opening.
Someone had just entered. He froze up slightly, nerves tensing. The room was so big that he couldn’t see who it was right away. Was it a nurse? A doctor?
He craned his neck, peeking toward the figure walking closer, when—
“…Se-min.”
His name.
And Se-min’s lips parted slowly, helplessly. Who wouldn’t go speechless at the sudden appearance of a man who didn’t even look human?
Pitch-black hair. Snow-white skin. Deep eyes shadowed by soft double eyelids. A sculpted nose. Full, red lips.
His mind—already hollow from that memory void—went completely blank again. All he could do was stare, slack-jawed, stunned.
The man looked like a myth brought to life. His body could’ve been sculpted by ancient gods. Even though he looked a little pale and worn, that only heightened his ethereal beauty.
Se-min gawked, utterly entranced. The man felt like he belonged to another world.
“…Wow.”
The word slipped out unbidden. And as if that were a cue, the gorgeous stranger suddenly rushed toward him.
The closer he got, the more unreal his features became. Se-min’s mouth fell open. He wasn’t the type to swear easily, but in that moment, all he could think was—
Holy shit. He’s fucking hot. Like—angelically pure one second, and seductively demonic the next.
As the man perched on the edge of the bed, looking anxious, Se-min had one more thought:
Jesus fucking Christ.
He’d never seen anyone this handsome before in his life.
Am I really this weak to good looks?
“Are you okay? Are you conscious now? How do you feel? No, wait—shit, I…”
The ridiculously handsome man let out a shaky sigh and ran a hand through his hair. Even that was beautiful. Se-min, stunned, just sat there thinking thoughts he wouldn’t dare say out loud.
And then—he snapped out of it. Wait, why was this guy here? How did he know Se-min’s name? Why was he sitting so casually on his bed?
Come to think of it… didn’t he call me by name just now? And he sat here like he belonged…
Cautiously, Se-min opened his mouth, hesitant. The line sounded like it came straight out of a drama.
“Um… Sorry, but who are you?”
The man’s hand froze in the middle of raking through his hair. His dark eyes, half-shielded by his forearm, locked onto Se-min.
And instinctively, Se-min flinched.
That gaze—sharp, deadly—did not match the angelic face it came from. He quickly looked away.
“…‘Who’?”
The man echoed his words coldly, like he was chewing them up and spitting them back out. His tone had turned dangerous.
Se-min glanced up, wary.
The man slowly lowered his arm. Now fully visible, his face was pale as death.
He scanned Se-min’s face with a conflicted gaze—doubtful, yet desperate. His stare was so intense, it bordered on invasive. Feeling awkward, Se-min shifted his gaze elsewhere.
“…You’re kidding, right? This is a joke, right?”
But then came the sharp question—and Se-min had no choice but to look at him again.
The man’s voice was desperate, but laced with accusation. Se-min’s brow twitched in irritation. It didn’t matter how pretty he was—if a stranger came at you like this, it’d piss anyone off.
A joke? Dude, I don’t even know you.
Se-min jutted out his lower lip, pouting as he shot back,
“Why would I joke with an ahjussi I don’t even know?”
He didn’t seem old enough to be called ahjussi, but Se-min didn’t care. If someone came at him without manners, he wasn’t about to show any either.
The man’s mouth slowly fell open in disbelief.
…Okay, maybe ahjussi was a bit much. Even Se-min had to admit—his temper was already fading thanks to that stupidly perfect face. He was about to switch back to calling him sir when—
“You don’t remember me?”
The man suddenly grabbed his hand. His touch was unexpectedly cold. The intimacy of it sent a jolt through Se-min’s shoulders.
“You don’t remember me—your pair Esper, your fiancé?”
The man’s throat moved in a harsh swallow. It looked like he was either holding back tears or trying to smother anger. But when he spoke, each word came out with deliberate weight.
“You really… don’t remember me?”
Se-min’s eyes went wide like a startled rabbit.
What the actual hell was happening?
Pair Esper? But I’m not even Awakened…
If what this man was saying was true, that meant they were pair partners.
And engaged?!
The ridiculous soap opera setup he’d been joking about just minutes ago was now unfolding right in front of him.
Still blinking in disbelief, Se-min suddenly shouted like he’d been doused in ice water:
“WHAAAT?! You and me?!”
