"Huiyeong suddenly asked something like, 'So if you take medicine, sick people get better?' Fuck... how are we even supposed to answer that?"
Assistant Manager Seong and Assistant Manager Shin looked at each other again, silently moving their lips. He kept telling them to think logically, but the problem was that his questions were so rooted in common sense that they were impossible to answer.
"Hey, kids. You dreaming or something? You sit a guy here with a hole in his stomach and then start spouting this bullshit?"
"I-It's not just any two people. It's an Esper whose wavelength matches a manifested Guide like you, Mr. Huiyeong..."
"No, that's exactly my point. You're saying two people fool around together and somebody gets cured? Then what the hell are all these doctors here for?"
"Huh? No... Guiding values and resonance aren't within a doctor's field...."
"Weren't you just saying that those Esper-whatever-the-hells get sick? That touching them fixes it?"
"If an Esper's Guiding value falls too low, everyday life becomes difficult. And the more they use their abilities, the faster their Guiding value drops...."
"No, you said they die."
"If they enter Berserk, yes. Which is why Guide Yu Huiyeong's help is absolutely essential...."
"Then why don't they go see a doctor instead of having two people rub all over each other?"
"No... Haa...."
Despite the employee sighing deeply, Huiyeong merely tilted his pale face.
"I've heard all kinds of crazy shit today. You're giving me a damn headache, so all of you get out!"
At Huiyeong's shout, the two employees nervously shifted their feet, exchanging helpless looks.
They had absolutely no idea how to deal with someone who possessed zero common knowledge about Espers or Guides—and who clearly had no intention of listening.
The doctor, who had been quietly observing from behind, finally spoke.
"You'll become a national civil servant."
"So?"
"If you join the Center as a Guide."
"So what?"
"They'll provide you with special housing. I've heard the salary is also quite generous."
"So what?"
Huiyeong snapped irritably.
His torn abdomen already hurt enough, and yelling only made the pain worse.
National civil servant...
Hadn't they just heard him say he'd been a gangster?
Besides, money? A house?
After carrying out every filthy, dirty job his organization threw at him, he'd climbed pretty damn high.
What exactly was there to envy?
He had more money than he could spend.
Not just a house—he owned vacation villas too.
Hell, this whole mess had happened while he was relaxing at one of them.
"You won't have to return home."
"Why the hell wouldn't I? You think I don't have a home? I can't go because my stomach's ripped open."
The doctor let out another sigh and roughly flipped through the chart.
It didn't seem like an act.
His identity confusion remained consistent.
He lacked even the most basic common knowledge.
The doctor noted that he'd repeatedly called his name on purpose, only to be met with constant rejection and persistent aggressive behavior.
Just as he decided it wasn't wise to provoke him any further and was about to suggest everyone leave—
Huiyeong caught a glimpse of his own reflection in the glossy phone case of a Center employee who was contacting headquarters.
His expression immediately turned puzzled.
The beautiful face reflected in the phone looked equally confused.
He tilted his head.
The young man in the reflection tilted his head too.
...What the fuck?
Wait a second.
What the hell is that...?
"Miss. Hand me that."
"Huh?"
"Your phone. Give it here."
"I-If you need to contact someone—"
"Jesus fucking Christ. Are you giving it to me or not?"
His delicate face twisted into an angry scowl.
The employee handed over the phone almost hypnotically.
He really was unbelievably beautiful....
"W-Wait!"
The moment Huiyeong used the screen as a mirror and saw his own face, all the color drained from him.
The doctor reacted instantly, trying to snatch it away—
But Huiyeong moved even faster.
His wound hurt badly enough to make anyone cry out, but the mental shock was far greater.
Grinding his teeth together, he ignored the agony, sprang to his feet, and bolted toward the door.
The IV stand crashed to the floor with a tremendous racket.
He violently ripped the tape and IV needle out of his hand without slowing down.
He kept running.
A mirror.
He needed a big mirror.
Logically speaking, a private hospital room obviously had a bathroom.
And a bathroom obviously had a mirror.
But Huiyeong was so overwhelmed that none of that occurred to him.
He simply sprinted down the hallway as fast as he could.
His bare feet slapped sharply against the cold floor.
Behind him, doctors and Center employees immediately gave chase.
It was absolute chaos in the middle of the afternoon.
"Grab him!"
"Stop him!"
Their frantic shouting echoed through the hospital, drawing everyone's attention.
As they ran, the employees couldn't help thinking,
So this is why psychiatric wards have secure isolation rooms....
Even running at full speed, they couldn't catch him.
Huiyeong burst out of the inpatient ward and into the hospital's main building, where the outpatient clinics were located.
The chase escalated.
Security guards were called.
The entire hospital erupted into panic.
Meanwhile, Huiyeong staggered through the building, desperately searching for a mirror.
There were people everywhere.
But somehow, no bathrooms in sight.
"Fuck...."
"Feels like my stomach's splitting open...."
He pressed hard against his aching side as he stumbled.
People around him stopped and stared.
...Damn.
I should've just asked somebody where the mirror was.
I panicked and took off running.
Thinking that, Huiyeong looked around, intending to stop someone and simply ask to be taken to the restroom.
Several people approached.
"Are you okay?"
But the pain had become so intense that answering was difficult.
Still...
Even if I collapse here, it's still a hospital.
Though it's full of quacks....
Just then—
A massive figure walked toward him.
Even accounting for the fact that he was hunched over from the pain in his side...
The man standing before him was absurdly tall.
Huiyeong himself had always been over 180 centimeters.
Yet he had to crane his neck this much?
The guy might actually be over two meters tall.
Without remembering that the reflection he'd just seen belonged to a much younger body, Huiyeong instinctively judged the man's height against his original body.
The man's build was equally imposing.
Towering height.
And then—
Golden eyes looked down at him.
"Hell..."
"Of all people, it's a foreigner."
"I can't speak English."
"Heh...."
"I'm fucked...."
The man effortlessly caught Huiyeong as his body collapsed.
Even through their clothing, an overwhelming surge of Guiding energy washed over him.
The man let out a languid breath.
He buried his nose against Huiyeong's limp white neck.
The instant bare skin touched—
The rich Guiding flooding into him tasted unbelievably sweet.
"Yeah...."
"You really are fucked now...."
Feeling a fullness spreading deep inside his chest, he hugged Huiyeong's limp body even tighter.
Smiling in complete bliss, he slipped his hand beneath the fluttering hospital gown, searching for as much bare skin as possible, gently rubbing Huiyeong's slender back.
Everyone watching froze in horror.
He'd just collapsed.
And this guy was...
Right here.
In the middle of the hospital.
"Mom...."
"Is that man a pervert?"
"Shh. Shh...."
People awkwardly lowered their heads and looked away.
Just then, the hospital security guards finally arrived, surrounding Huiyeong protectively and preparing to attack.
But the man had finally found his Guide.
He had absolutely no intention of letting anyone ruin this moment.
His golden eyes flashed as he prepared to activate his ability—
Then, from somewhere far away—
A desperate scream rang through the lobby.
"Esper! He's an Esper! That's that Guide's Matching Esper!"
"Shinyul! If you cause trouble right now, you won't be allowed to see the Guide for three weeks!"
The shout echoed throughout the hospital lobby.
Everyone immediately relaxed.
Ah.
That explains it.
Everyone knew Espers and Guides had notoriously dramatic relationships.
Public fascination with Esper romance rivaled celebrity gossip.
People followed their love lives more passionately than entertainment news.
The Center employees finally caught up, drenched in sweat.
"N-No, Shinyul! How did you even get here?! We told you to wait at the Center! Guide Yu Huiyeong is having... a bit of a problem right now...."
"So your name's Huiyeong?"
"...It's pretty."
Ignoring the scolding completely, Han Shinyul smiled dreamily.
He pressed his cheek against Huiyeong's soft one and rubbed them together affectionately.
Seeing the blissful curve of his eyes, it was obvious.
He was completely gone.
"God damn it...."
"Who was the idiot that told him a highly compatible Guide had Awakened?"
"We're holding an execution."
"It was the team leader."
"No exceptions."
"We're replacing the team leader."
Under ordinary circumstances, this would've been manageable.
But Guide Yu Huiyeong currently had a slight problem...
No.
A catastrophically enormous problem.
Han Shinyul—
The Center's officially recognized disaster of an Esper—
Had just tasted the Guiding of a Guide with a ninety-five percent Matching rate.
Even within the Center, that compatibility bordered on insanity.
At this point...
Nothing in the world could stop him.
Watching the towering man quietly cradle Huiyeong's unconscious body as though it were the most precious thing in existence, the employees turned toward the breathless doctors who had finally caught up.
"...Doctor."
"Is there any chance you'll tell us the Guide's condition actually isn't that serious?"
"...Maybe give us some hopeful news?"
"......"
There wasn't.
***
Only ten minutes after the great escape attempt, everyone had returned to the room.
Completely exhausted, they leaned against the walls or collapsed across the small sofa.
Among them, the attending surgeon hesitantly looked toward Han Shinyul, who still refused to let go of Huiyeong even after returning to the room.
"Um... I need to examine the patient's wound. Could you please put him down? Also... holding him like that puts pressure on the injury, which isn't good...."
"What?"
"You want to look at his stomach?"
"Another man?"
"...Excuse me?"
The doctor stared blankly.
The two Center employees, who had practically been lying on the floor from exhaustion, instantly sprang upright and smacked Shinyul repeatedly across the back.
"Have you lost your mind?! Huh?! Are you crazy?! Apologize to the doctor!"
"Guides are physically as fragile as ordinary people! Without treatment he'll be in serious danger! Use your brain!"
Knowing the blows didn't hurt him at all, Han Shinyul looked annoyed at the employees repeatedly slapping his back.
But the moment he heard that Huiyeong could be in danger...
He carefully laid the slender body down as gently as though handling fragile glass.
The doctor cautiously lifted Huiyeong's hospital gown to inspect the wound.
Every single time he touched him...
The golden eyes sharpened.
A chill ran down the doctor's spine.
As expected—
The wound had reopened.
Blood had soaked through the thick gauze and stained the hospital gown.
Han Shinyul frowned as though he himself were the one in pain.
He gently stroked Huiyeong's face with heartbreaking tenderness.
Of course—
The instant his hand made contact...
Fresh Guiding surged into him.
"Haa...."
He released a deeply satisfied sigh.
The employees stared at him in disbelief.
Speechless.
Unable to stop him.
All they could do was sigh.
Han Shinyul had been an S-rank Esper since birth, having Awakened before he was even born.
Yet his compatibility with Guides had always been terrible.
Not once in his life had he received proper Guiding.
He had survived solely on Guiding drugs.
For him...
Guiding had always been pain.
Life without Guiding had always been emptiness.
Every Esper deprived of Guiding lived in an incomplete state, forever yearning for the Guide who could finally breathe life into them.
No matter how advanced Guiding drugs became...
They could never erase that fundamental sense of deprivation.
And once an Esper entered Berserk...
Guiding drugs became completely useless.
Only a Guide's Guiding could save them.
Everyone at the Center knew exactly how carefully Han Shinyul had lived.
Despite being an S-rank who constantly shouldered the most dangerous dungeons, he had never been allowed a single mistake.
He had lived a precarious, empty existence.
That was why everyone at the Center tolerated his outrageous behavior.
At least once.
The two employees were no different.
Even though he'd ignored direct orders and somehow found the hospital...
Neither of them could bring themselves to genuinely scold him.
Actually...
More importantly...
How the hell did he even find this place?
"Han Shinyul."
"How'd you know which hospital this was?"
"Haa...."
"Even sleeping, you're beautiful."
"You look like a princess."
"You crazy bastard."
"The hospital's classified information."
"How the hell did you find it?"
"Your voice is pretty too...."
"...Jesus Christ, this fucking lunatic...."