#056
“Haejun is sick? What’s wrong with him?”
Hearing he was sick suddenly made my heart sink.
He always seemed so healthy, I couldn’t understand why he would be sick. Feeling a bit upset, I sighed and asked the housekeeper.
“He says he has a fever. When I peeked through the door crack, his face was bright red. I’m going to buy some porridge.”
“Do you have the front door card? I want to go check on him.”
“That’s a bit…”
I asked the housekeeper even though I thought it wouldn’t work, but she shook her head reluctantly.
Fair enough, I was grateful she had told me this much. If something happened to Shin Haejun or the house, the housekeeper would be blamed, so I understood why she wouldn’t give me the card.
“Well, how about if I help carry your bags and we go shopping together?”
“You must be really worried about the young master. Alright then.”
Perhaps because I had briefly shown her the chat with Shin Haejun’s affectionate side, the housekeeper didn’t refuse this proposal.
I headed to the nearby mart with the housekeeper.
After buying everything needed and entering Shin Haejun’s house, it felt extremely quiet. Thinking that Shin Haejun must be groaning somewhere in this house made me feel a bit upset.
‘Why is he suffering alone like this, so pathetically?’
Imagining Kim Sehyun taking care of him made my blood boil, but then thinking of him suffering alone in his room also irritated me.
“The young master’s room is that way.”
The housekeeper pointed to a door. It was in the same position as the room I use as a bedroom. It must be the largest room, so he probably uses it alone.
I approached Shin Haejun’s room, leaving the housekeeper who went to the kitchen to make porridge. As said, the closer I got, the more I could hear faint labored breathing.
When I quietly opened the door, I saw Shin Haejun curled up small on the large bed.
‘Why are you like this, making me upset.’
I was about to close the door slightly, intending to approach and stroke his head, when Shin Haejun suddenly shouted in a sharp voice.
“I said don’t let anyone in!”
It was a sharp voice as if he was angry, but it was definitely weaker than usual. Sensing something was off when I didn’t move and stayed still, Shin Haejun slightly raised his head.
He was indeed covered in cold sweat. His face was also very flushed, as if he had a fever.
“Lee… Jaeha?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
“Why are you… Wait, I shouted…!”
“Should I leave?”
I asked with a slight smile. However, contrary to my words, I approached closer to the bed. I had no intention of leaving even if he told me to.
Seen up close, Shin Haejun’s usually piercing eyes were quite clouded, perhaps due to the fever. He looked so unwell that I wondered if he would even remember our conversation after he recovered.
“Are you in a lot of pain? Why are you sick?”
I looked at Shin Haejun’s roughened face and gently brushed aside the hair scattered on his forehead. His hair was damp with sweat.
“I’m sweating a lot…”
When I looked at the sweat on my hand, he turned his gaze away with a slightly embarrassed expression. It’s because he’s sick, why is he bothered by such things? Of course, if I were Shin Haejun, I would probably feel the same.
“Here, apple juice.”
When I held out a bottle of apple juice bought from a nearby café, Shin Haejun looked at me with grateful eyes.
“You like the ones sold at cafés, right?”
“You remembered?”
“Shouldn’t I?”
I smiled with my eyes and placed it in Shin Haejun’s hand.
“Hey, you’re really hot!”
I was startled as soon as our hands touched. Shin Haejun’s entire body was like a fireball. Worried, I looked around and realized there was nothing to bring down his fever.
It seemed I would have to go out and ask the housekeeper for a wet towel.
As I moved to leave, Shin Haejun suddenly grabbed my wrist tightly. My wrist felt like it was burned.
“Where are you going? Don’t leave, okay?”
Shin Haejun’s voice sounded very fragile. You wouldn’t think a man much bigger than me, built like a mountain, could sound fragile… but today’s Shin Haejun seemed somewhat precarious.
“Is it because we fought yesterday? Don’t be like that…”
Shin Haejun whispered in a sad voice. Seeing this reaction, it seemed wrong to talk about the new team today. I couldn’t make a sick person feel more uneasy.
“No, I’m just going to get a wet towel.”
“Wet towel? It’s been ages since I heard that. First time since I was seven.”
Shin Haejun muttered quietly.
It seemed he really hadn’t had a fever in a long time. It’s good that he’s been healthy in the meantime, but why did he have to get sick now…
I sighed and patted his chest gently.
“Why did you get sick? It’s upsetting.”
Then Shin Haejun pulled my hand and rubbed it against his cheek.
“I’m sick.”
“I can see that clearly enough.”
“Why is your hand… so cold?”
“What are you talking about? You’re the one with a fever. You’re like boiling lava.”
At my words, his face hardened. He looked at his own hands here and there while breathing roughly. Then suddenly, he gritted his teeth and pushed my hand away. Or rather, it was more like gently tossing it into the air.
“Get out.”
“What?”
I didn’t understand why his attitude suddenly changed. I examined Shin Haejun’s face, bewildered.
‘He’s not angry…’
Why does he look scared?
I didn’t know why, but seeing him trembling as if holding back something very frightening made me feel strange.
“What’s wrong, hm?”
“Get out! I said get out!”
“Are you angry at me now?”
I stood with my arms crossed and calmly asked Shin Haejun. Then Shin Haejun, who had been shouting as if he’d lost his mind, flinched for a moment.
Honestly, I didn’t feel bad about Shin Haejun shouting. It’s not an appropriate comparison for Shin Haejun, but he looked like a Chihuahua barking loudly after seeing something scary.
Shin Haejun was a person with power more frightening than not just a small dog, but even predators like wolves or lions, but it seemed that even he inevitably becomes weak when sick.
I silently looked down at Shin Haejun with my arms crossed, without replying. I could see him deflating in real-time.
“I’m not angry… you really can’t be next to me.”
“Why?”
“Days when I have a fever are ominous…”
“Ominous?”
“What if you get crushed…?”
Shin Haejun curled his body into a ball with a frown. He turned his back as if avoiding me.
“I’m sorry… really come back later. Right now, I can’t control my power…”
His back trembled slightly as if holding something back. His voice was weak too.
‘He can’t control his power so I might get crushed?’
I suddenly remembered that one of Shin Haejun’s abilities was gravity-related. Could it be that he’s afraid his power might get out of control and crush me?
I couldn’t know if it was because he was sick or because he hadn’t received enough quality guiding… but at least it was clear enough that Shin Haejun was genuinely scared.
How can I reassure him? A sick person shouldn’t be under such stress.
Ding!
While I was pondering, suddenly my phone notification rang. I flinched in surprise for a moment, but Shin Haejun, perhaps due to his high fever, didn’t seem to hear it and remained lying stiffly.
‘What is it?’
Is there any reason for Nine to appear suddenly? I didn’t understand, but I took out my phone to check anyway.
: *Skilled Guide*
Quest Rank: Sub
My mercenary is sick and won’t listen! At times like this, you need to show them who’s boss with guiding and make them unable to even squeak! The illness will be cured with mercenary rest, so it’s killing two birds with one stone☆
TIP: Quest abandonment is possible. In this case, the result will differ depending on acceptance or abandonment.
Reward: ???
A sudden sub-quest?
I looked at my phone in surprise, but the quest window still showed “sub”.
The quest system in Limitless Nine is divided into main quests and sub-quests, but since coming to this world, not once had a sub-quest appeared.
I was used to receiving only one quest at a time, but now there were two quests listed: the main quest “Form My Team” and the sub-quest “Do Guiding”.
‘Quest abandonment is possible?’
Moreover, the statement that “the result will differ” like some kind of branching point also bothered me a bit.
It seemed to mean that if I don’t guide Shin Haejun now, some kind of consequence might occur.
“This won’t do. Let’s guide.”
“Don’t touch me!”
When I reached out my hand and spoke, Shin Haejun shouted sharply. He seemed to be reacting sharply to all stimuli around him, having lost his reason.
“It’s okay, I can help you. You said you can’t control your power! If I do even a little guiding, it might get better!”
Normally, it would be wrong to interfere with an esper who has a pair, but like the first time I guided Shin Haejun, this was an emergency.
Shin Haejun’s face was getting redder and redder, now almost turning black.
‘Whatever it is, it’s clearly not normal.’
I bit my lip and forcibly climbed onto the bed, snatching Shin Haejun’s hand. Shin Haejun tried to push me away with tremendous force, but I couldn’t let go either.
‘If something big happens to you like this…’
I would blame myself terribly. I clung to Shin Haejun’s hand blindly.
After that, when I pressed mercenary rest, I could feel Shin Haejun’s insides twisted and swollen, like a blazing star.
‘What… is this? Why did it become like this?’
It was something I had never seen when guiding Shin Haejun and Hyun Dowoon. I couldn’t understand how it had gotten to this state, why Kim Sehyun hadn’t done anything when he could have guided at home.
I instinctively realized. This was what the expression in the guide book meant.
‘At this rate, he’ll go berserk!’
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
