“But why is the contract termination day the same as the memorial service day? Wouldn’t there be opportunities anytime after the termination?”
“If I were in the Center Director’s position, I think by the time he directly mentioned revenge to you, hyung, the situation was already urgent. The contract needs to be terminated before he can catch Joo Seolhyeon, and since you have that authority, he planned to directly involve you.”
“……”
“The conclusion is, even though you said you wouldn’t participate in the revenge, you’re still moving according to the Center Director’s scenario, and I wanted to tell you that Joo Seolhyeon will be in danger starting tomorrow.”
I wanted to dismiss Woo Jeonghyun’s assumptions as far-fetched, but when I pieced together the information I’d given him, everything matched his words.
‘It was the past Joo Seolhyeon who caused my death, so is it necessary to be so harsh to the present Joo Seolhyeon?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘It would be fortunate if Jeonghyun’s words turn out to be just worries, but what if he really dies because of me?’
‘I don’t know.’
Even after asking myself these questions, the answer remained the same.
Woo Jeonghyun stared at me in my confused state for a moment, then stood up from the bench.
“No need to think too deeply about it. If you want to terminate the contract, do it, and if you don’t want to see Joo Seolhyeon die, then save him.”
“How can I save him when I don’t even know when or where he’ll be attacked?”
“True, that’s a point.”
My fist clenched momentarily at Jeonghyun’s irresponsible words, but I relaxed my hand when he added:
“But wouldn’t it be okay to follow him for just one day? If you’re really concerned, tail Joo Seolhyeon after terminating the contract tomorrow. If the day ends without incident, great, but if Joo Seolhyeon gets attacked by some thug as we expect, you can save him.”
“Do I look like someone with enough free time to follow Joo Seolhyeon around?”
“I’m just saying it’s an option. You’re being prickly today, hyung.”
Wondering if he was trying to pick a fight, I narrowed my eyes, but Jeonghyun took out his phone and pretended to check the time to avoid me.
“Oh? My bus is coming. Hyung, I’m going first. Thanks for bringing me. Get home safely!”
Having apparently checked the bus schedule on his phone, Jeonghyun said his piece and disappeared like lightning.
I came out to see him off, but it felt exactly like I’d been stood up.
Even after Jeonghyun left, I sat on the bench for dozens of minutes, deep in thought.
‘I really don’t know.’
But without reaching a conclusion, I trudged back home.
After arriving home, showering, and changing into pajamas, I checked the clock. I needed to go to Jeong Seyeon’s room as he requested, but it was a bit early to sleep. His instruction to come before sleeping was too vague, so I wasn’t sure if I should go now or wait a bit longer. Eventually, I left my room and went downstairs.
I didn’t encounter anyone on the way. Standing in front of Jeong Seyeon’s door, I took a deep breath and raised my hand.
Knock knock.
After knocking, the door opened shortly. I inhaled slightly at the sight of Jeong Seyeon’s face. He seemed to have just showered, as the hair covering his forehead was slightly wet, and his cheeks were flushed. His already remarkable appearance now looked deadly attractive.
“Come in.”
I was blankly appreciating his appearance when his curt voice startled me back to reality, and I lowered my gaze.
“Excuse me.”
My shoulders tensed with nervousness as it was my first time entering his room.
“You can sit here.”
I sat down where he pointed and awkwardly looked around. There was just one bed, one wardrobe, and the chair I was sitting on. While I was fidgeting with my hands and blankly staring at the barren walls, Jeong Seyeon sat on the bed. With only one chair, I understood, but the atmosphere became strange.
“The reason I asked for your help is because of this.”
Jeong Seyeon said just that, then took off his clothes.
In an instant, his t-shirt rolled up, revealing his bare body. I was startled, opening my eyes wide, then furrowing my brows at the bruises and abrasions on his body. Even at a glance, these were wounds from the last day or two. As I was carefully examining whether there were any severe lacerations, Jeong Seyeon took out disinfectant and patches from the nightstand next to his bed.
“I would like your help with the wounds on my back.”
His front was relatively better. His back was so severely torn and bruised that it looked like a tattered tiger tattoo. There were no signs of stitches, but seeing the painfully open wounds, I wondered if mere disinfection would be enough.
“I think you should go to the hospital.”
Looking at his miserable condition, as if he’d barely escaped death, I was worried about bone or organ damage.
“It’s not that serious,” he shook his head.
“It looks too severe to say that…”
“It’s really fine.”
I also got injured sometimes when carrying out missions in dungeons. But I’d never been hurt badly enough to need surgery. In my case, I had to pay more attention to the risk of going berserk rather than physical wounds, so injuries often took a backseat.
Looking at Jeong Seyeon’s broad back, I bit my lip in distress.
“Alright. Then I’ll apply the medicine. Would you like to sit up on the bed?”
At first I was going to tell him to lie down, but remembering that he had wounds on his front too, though less severe than his back, I tried to make him comfortable. I pulled the chair close to the bed and examined his wounds. They looked even more painful up close, and I focused on applying the medicine with a serious expression. Jeong Seyeon asked:
“Did your brother get home well?”
“Yes, he did.”
I didn’t know if I had received a message from Jeonghyun saying he had arrived because I hadn’t checked my phone since getting home. But since I had seen him off, I assumed he got home fine. Then it suddenly occurred to me that he had prepared dinner with such a battered body.
“Did you prepare all that dinner with your body in this condition?”
Jeong Seyeon’s body flinched at my raised voice.
“That hurt just now.”
I must have unconsciously applied pressure. I quickly removed my hand from the wound.
“I’m sorry. Did it hurt a lot?”
“You must have eaten a lot at dinner. You seem quite energetic.”
This time I was the one who flinched at his words. I felt a bit embarrassed for complaining after eating so well. Imagining him sweating in the kitchen for hours in this condition made my heart ache.
“Don’t overdo it next time. When you’re hurt, you need to rest to recover quickly. Take care of yourself first.”
I couldn’t help but say something. Knowing him, he would do the same thing again if a similar situation arose.
“And you did the right thing by asking for help tonight. It would be better to go to the hospital, but I can help with this much, so in the future, if you get hurt, you must tell at least me, okay?”
I tried to persuade Jeong Seyeon, mixing some sweet-talk with the stern advice.
I wanted to say that he would be in trouble if he came back injured without my knowledge, but I swallowed those words for fear of seeming too possessive, especially since guiding wasn’t his only job.
“If that’s what Jeongjae wants, I’ll do so.”
Why does he have to speak so beautifully?
It felt like Jeong Seyeon was indulging my childish demands, making my face flush hot. Fortunately, he had his back to me and couldn’t see my face. Afterwards, I kept quiet and focused on treating his wounds, and his back was soon covered with patches and medicine. I sighed in relief and straightened my back.
“I’m done with your back.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“I’ll apply medicine to your front too.”
I climbed onto the bed, holding Jeong Seyeon’s shoulder as he tried to get up. Then, sitting face-to-face with him, I was about to touch his wounds when his arm caught my hand.
“It’s fine. I can do it myself.”
“I know. But I want to help.”
At my words, his eyes darkened. At the same time, his hand holding my arm slipped away.
“Alright.”
My joy at his acceptance was short-lived as my shoulders twitched at his next words.
“Do you not need Guiding tonight?”
I hadn’t told Yang Garam and Do Wonjin not to come, but they might have come and left after seeing I wasn’t in my room. Of course, knowing them, they might also wait, but I couldn’t be sure.
As I hesitated to answer, Jeong Seyeon lowered his head and whispered in my ear.
“I want to help too.”
Though he was just repeating what I had said earlier, his deeply low voice sent chills through me and heat rushed to my face. Swallowing the saliva pooled in my mouth, I opened my lips.
“I do need it.”
I spoke in a shrinking voice, looking at his face that was close enough for a kiss at any moment.
“But your treatment comes first.”
I carefully pushed his face, which had no injuries compared to his body, with my palm that wasn’t holding the medicine. He obediently backed away. I felt a momentary relief as if I had just pulled my head out of a predator’s jaws.
“I understand. Let’s finish the treatment quickly.”
His expression wasn’t much different from before, but he seemed more relaxed. And he looked very pleased. Although I had voluntarily said I needed Guiding, as I applied medicine to more areas of his wounds, my body began to tense for what was to come. It was nothing special, something I always received, but my heart was unusually clamorous.
‘Is it because it’s been a while since I received Guiding from him?’
It had only been a few days, hardly long enough to be this nervous. Then I remembered that our matching rate wasn’t the same as before.
‘My matching rate with him was 74%, I think.’
I carefully applied medicine while examining Jeong Seyeon’s face. He had his eyes closed, perhaps trying to endure the pain. Come to think of it, I had told Yang Garam and Do Wonjin about the change in matching rates, but Jeong Seyeon probably didn’t know. And this was something I should tell him before receiving Guiding.
“Seyeon hyung.”
At my call, his long eyelashes parted, and his black pupils looked at me. I was wholly reflected in his eyes. I parted my lips, intending to talk about the changed matching rate and the imprinting.
“Um, I have something to tell you.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
