I let out a sigh at the unexpected situation.
‘Can I contract with someone who’s hospitalized?’
My answer was no.
I had already completed two contracts, so I wasn’t in urgent need of a Guide, and I didn’t have the perverse taste to receive guiding from someone who was sick. But without knowing why it happened or how severely he was injured, I couldn’t coldly reject someone who had suddenly met with an accident, so I asked Jo Hail.
“He’s currently hospitalized?”
—Yes.
“Could I know which hospital and room number? I think I need to talk to him in person.”
—Ah, K Hospital, Room 505. Are you going now?
“That’s what I’m thinking.”
—Then I’ll contact Mr. Do Wonjin in advance, and I’ll also bring the contract documents and meet you there.
For a moment, dinner crossed my mind, but I didn’t have the composure to calmly eat after hearing that a Guide who was supposed to contract with me had been in an accident. It was much better to quickly check on his condition and finalize the contract matter.
I left the center and immediately caught a taxi. Fortunately, K Hospital wasn’t far from the center, so I was able to arrive at the hospital room where Do Wonjin was supposedly admitted faster than expected.
‘Do Wonjin. Age 22. An A-class Guide.’
I raised my hand to knock while mentally rehearsing what to say when I met him.
“Ah, you shouldn’t do that here.”
Just before knocking, a woman’s startled voice reached my ears. Espers have more developed senses compared to ordinary people and can catch even the faintest sounds. Moreover, I was S-class. There’s no way I could have misheard.
I double-checked the room number and name on the side of the door. It clearly said it was a private room, and the name read “Do Wonjin (22).”
But why was I hearing a woman’s voice?
“It’s fine. It’s a private room, what does it matter?”
“But…”
“Your words and body don’t match?”
“What if the nurse comes?”
“She already came and left.”
As I focused on my hearing, the sounds from inside became even clearer. The conversation between what seemed to be a couple, followed by intimate sounds. I clutched my forehead. I could feel my ears and the back of my neck getting hot all over.
‘I thought he was dying since they said he was hospitalized.’
I glanced sideways at the name “Do Wonjin” inserted beside the door. Unlike me, who had never dated even at this age, he was the same age as me but was skillfully leading a woman. That was evident just from the fact that I no longer heard the woman’s voice of refusal. It wasn’t the skill of someone who had done this just once or twice.
‘I guess it’s fortunate I noticed before opening the door.’
If I hadn’t heard the woman’s voice just before opening the door, I would have witnessed an intense kissing scene with my own eyes, and amidst all this, the thought that I had avoided that was a huge relief. I disliked the feeling of being an unwelcome intruder during their good time, and I was too embarrassed myself.
‘If I had known this would happen, I should have saved the taxi fare and used that money to eat out with Jeonghyun.’
Since it’s never too late for regrets, I quickly pushed away the rising feelings of disappointment. I was about to contact my brother to invite him for dinner, when I remembered the official who said he would bring the contract to the hospital. In this situation, it made more sense to contact the official first rather than Woo Jeonghyun, to tell him there was no need to bring the contract. I took out my phone and called the official.
Slide.
—Hello?
Along with the sound of the sliding door opening, the official’s voice came through the receiver. The official called my name again, but I couldn’t say anything. It was because of the man who appeared beyond the door that had opened without warning. From the top that made it unclear whether he was dressed or undressed, to the man’s askew posture, there were too many things that caught my eye. I unconsciously raised my head and was completely caught by the gaze that was looking back at me.
“You didn’t come in, so I came to get you.”
“……”
“Come in. You’re the S-class Esper, Woo Jeongjae, right?”
His face was unnaturally composed, considering I knew he had just been enjoying time with his lover. I reflexively took a step back and stuffed the phone I was holding into my pocket.
‘What was I going to say when we first met?’
My mind went blank, and nothing came to mind. He silently observed my behavior for a moment before abruptly thrusting his face close to mine.
“Hey.”
“Huh.”
Startled by the face thrust right in front of me, I quickly pulled my head back and lost my balance. Do Wonjin briefly clicked his tongue and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me into his embrace. The faint scent of his body suddenly enveloped me, and in an instant, I crossed the threshold of the hospital room and fell into his arms.
Momentarily unable to collect my thoughts from the shock of having my face pressed against the man’s bare chest, I tried to push him away when someone rushed past me like an arrow. Soon after, a sound of “thud” was heard. I knew without looking. This was the sound of a door closing.
‘Of all the timings.’
The someone who brushed past me was his lover who had just been engaged in affectionate acts with Do Wonjin. It should have been me, not her, who needed to tactfully leave, but she had made the first move. And she had even closed the door I needed to exit through. In an instant, only Do Wonjin and I remained in the hospital room.
“You’re really tense.”
At his amused voice, I came to my senses and pushed him away with a deeply furrowed brow.
Upon escaping his embrace, I saw his disheveled bed sheets. Naturally, the content I had eavesdropped on earlier came to mind, causing my face to heat up. During my one-sided love for Joo Seolhyeon, I had purely dedicated my body and heart entirely to him. Others might say it was just a kiss, but to me, even that was an excessively significant stimulation.
“I won’t eat you.”
Do Wonjin said, lightly patting my stiff shoulders as if telling me to relax.
“You came for the contract, right?”
He already knew why I had come.
His first words to me had been about “coming to get me.” If I had thought about it a little, I would have noticed something was strange, but I was too flustered earlier to think that far. I frowned at the scenario piecing together in my head.
‘If he knew I was coming, he should have shown some restraint. Is he a person or a beast?’
Do Wonjin led me, lost in thought, to the sofa, and I plopped down on it while glaring at him.
It wasn’t a simple coincidence or accident. He had deliberately fooled around with his girlfriend even though he knew I was coming.
“……”
If my personality had been just a bit worse, I might have cursed right in Do Wonjin’s face.
“What, got something to say?”
As if detecting my thoughts, Do Wonjin thrust his face close to mine. I recoiled in horror and pulled my head back to avoid his face. But I hadn’t anticipated that there was a wall behind the sofa.
“Ugh.”
With a thud, my head rang. My brow automatically furrowed, and Do Wonjin’s hand entered the small space between the back of my head and the wall.
“What are you doing, by yourself?”
Do Wonjin gently caressed the back of my head and burst into laughter as if finding it ridiculous. I was already irritated from hitting my head against the wall, and seeing the very person who had caused it laughing his head off made the back of my neck stiffen. And in the midst of all this, he was guiding me.
Guides only serve to release an Esper’s energy and stabilize their wavelengths; they aren’t responsible for physical healing of the Esper. No matter how much he caressed the back of my head, it wouldn’t make the pain go away. This was him mocking me right now.
“Your jokes are too much.”
“I’m not mocking you, though?”
With my head already caught, the distance was unnecessarily close. Meanwhile, his breath felt so clear right in front of me that every hair on my body stood on end. I found it uncomfortable to breathe, but Do Wonjin seemed completely unfazed, which was enough to annoy me.
“Just keep some distance, please.”
I pushed his shoulder, and he removed his hand from the back of my head, shrugging. It was a gesture that seemed to suggest he was harmless and I was being oversensitive. I confronted him without relaxing my gaze.
“I came here to contract, not to watch your love games. Please maintain a minimum of courtesy.”
I had no intention of making an issue of it if he just acknowledged his mistake about the discomfort I felt. But Do Wonjin seemed to misunderstand my question.
“Love games? What, were you listening to everything outside?”
“……”
“Why were you listening? Are you a pervert?”
I was so dumbfounded by his ability to instantly make someone look like a fool that I couldn’t speak. I could tell from Do Wonjin’s sparkling eyes that he was enjoying my reaction, but I simply couldn’t maintain my composure. When Do Wonjin sat down right next to me, I finally jumped up from my seat to avoid him.
“You’re the pervert.”
I responded reflexively out of anger, then realized my mistake. I had reacted too emotionally.
“Are you angry? Now you’re speaking informally.”
When I couldn’t continue speaking as he had hit the mark, Do Wonjin rested one arm on the sofa, propped his chin, and looked me up and down. When his gaze finally landed on my face, my face grew hot. The corners of Do Wonjin’s mouth curved upward.
“You’re acting really cute.”
My face hardened at his words. It was because I belatedly realized I had completely fallen into his pace, seeing his deepened smile.
A sigh escaped me involuntarily. From the beginning, I shouldn’t have brought up this topic; I should have started with the contract discussion.
“I came here for the contract. If you keep saying unnecessary things, I’ll leave.”
They say kind words bring kind responses, so I decided not to be polite either.
At my firm attitude, Do Wonjin’s face took on a troubled expression.
“You really are quite angry. Alright, I was wrong. Just sit down for now.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
