* * *

I worried that Elliot might be too angry to see me, but fortunately, he was waiting outside the hospital when the taxi arrived.

Though he was dressed more modestly than usual for a hospital setting, his tall figure and strikingly pale features still made him stand out.

I spotted him immediately.

It had been so long since I’d seen him.

“Elliot!”

Despite my lack of pride, I couldn’t help feeling a sense of relief at seeing him.

I hurriedly ran toward him, momentarily forgetting my exhaustion.

But as soon as he saw me, Elliot’s face contorted with anger.

“Why did you come here looking like that?”

“Huh? Oh…”

Following his gaze, I noticed blood staining my pants below the knee.

I vaguely remembered hitting a corner when I fell, but I was in such a rush that I hadn’t checked.

It was pathetic to show up like this after not seeing him for so long.

“Oh… I didn’t mean to… how did it even happen…?”

Damn it.

If I’d known, I would’ve taken the time to clean up, even if it meant being late.

As I struggled to find the words, Elliot’s beautiful face twisted even further in displeasure as he glared at me, striding forward.

I thought he might start scolding me, so I ducked my head, but instead, he picked me up in his arms.

“W-wait, there’s no need for this, I’m not that hurt…!”

“Quiet. Just stay still.”

With his eye-catching looks, Elliot carrying me like this attracted a lot of attention.

I instinctively covered my face, embarrassed, and held my breath as he carried me to a secluded bench shaded by trees, away from prying eyes.

“Stay here and don’t move.”

Elliot helps me sit down carefully before heading to the pharmacy near the hospital to buy medicine.

“Thank you.”

“What are you thanking me for? I’ll do it.”

Elliot speaks brusquely, lowering his head.

He rolls up my pant leg to inspect the wound, then unexpectedly kneels down on the floor.

“Oh.”

I’m startled.

No matter the reason, it’s hard to believe that Elliot, with all his pride, would kneel in front of me.

It’s unthinkable, really.

His expensive coat is even brushing against the floor.

Elliot’s the one kneeling, yet I’m the one who feels restless.

I try to reach out and help him stand up, but he applies the antiseptic to my wound before I can do anything.

“Ouch…”

“Bear with the sting. Luckily, it doesn’t need stitches.”

My body stiffens involuntarily.

The pain is sharp enough to bring tears to my eyes.

Meanwhile, Elliot wipes the blood from my leg with a wet tissue, blowing gently over the wound afterward.

Once I get used to the stinging, I finally open my eyes and immediately find myself staring at Elliot’s face.

His long, silver lashes cast downward as he focuses on my wound, his sharp nose and slightly pursed thin lips.

Elliot looks just as I remember him—delicate, beautiful, and pale.

Of course, it makes sense; it’s only been two months since we were apart.

But for me, lost in a fog of almost comatose days, it feels especially precious.

I’m so glad to see him again.

“…I missed you.”

I don’t really have the right to say that, considering how long I’ve been out of touch.

But it’s the truth.

It’s so bittersweet that I missed seeing his face all this time, lost in endless sleep.

I should’ve tried harder to live, if only to see that beautiful face one more time before dying.

I’m truly grateful to have the chance to see him again before the end.

At my words, Elliot looks up briefly, meeting my eyes before glancing back down at my wound.

He sighs softly, his warm breath brushing against my knee.

“While I couldn’t reach you, it really upset me. I was so angry with you.”

“I’m sorry… I should have checked my device, but I was too careless…”

“But now that I’m actually seeing you and hearing your voice, it just feels nice. I can’t stay mad. I must be a fool. Such a pushover.”

“…”

I don’t know what to say.

It’s frustrating. I hate that Elliot sees himself as a pushover, but I can’t deny I treated him that way.

Yet I’m not in a position to promise I’ll do better.

I’m living on borrowed time, uncertain of how many days I have left.

I’m surviving day by day, sleeping as much as I can.

I lower my head.

“I’m sorry…”

Apologies are all I can offer.

Elliot doesn’t respond to my apology.

Instead, he opens the ointment, applying it with a cotton swab, then speaks in a soft tone.

“Last night, Huimang’s condition wasn’t good.”

Elliot sounds so calm, but the moment I hear his words, a chill runs down my spine.

“…What?”

“Sometimes that happens. Adults’ bodies adjust to the rapid healing speeds that espers boost, but children, with their immature bodies, can’t keep up. Babies especially need careful handling, but people don’t always understand that. Healing-type espers are rare, so no one specializes in treating children exclusively. They use their powers thinking children are like adults and end up making mistakes.”

“Oh… So, what happened to Huimang? Please, don’t tell me…”

“Don’t make that face. He’s fine now. He’s stable. The treatment is almost complete, so there shouldn’t be much to worry about. So, Heewoon.”

After applying the ointment and placing a bandage on my knee, Elliot looks up at me from where he’s still kneeling.

I see myself reflected in his transparent pink eyes.

Meeting his gaze, I feel an odd sensation, like being caught in a field of flowers or falling into a beautiful lake.

His cool hand covers the back of mine.

“Marry me.”

The memory surfaces: the day I met Elliot while I was with Maria, when I felt an inexplicable familiarity in his gaze.

It was the same gaze that Rex had when he confessed his love to me.

A mixture of love, resentment, sorrow, longing, joy, and desire—all tangled together in his eyes.

…Why did I only realize it now?

“Let’s be real fathers together. Huimang will be discharged soon, and I want to make it official before then.”

“…Elliot.”

“I know it’s sudden. I know it’s overwhelming. But think about it. I’ll be good to you. Trust me.”

“I know.”

Elliot is a good person.

I don’t need to trust him; he just is good.

He would surely make a wonderful father for Huimang.

“But…”

“Don’t say it.”

Elliot’s hand presses against my lips, preventing me from speaking.

His eyes are rimmed with red.

He can’t bear to look directly at me and turns his gaze away.

“Don’t say it right now. I can’t handle it.”

“…”

I knew even before he spoke that he was struggling.

I could sense the icy fragments of his emotions pressing against my lips, fragile and brittle.

But precisely because of that, there was something I had to do.

I reached up and gently removed his hand from my mouth.

Fortunately, Elliot didn’t resist.

“Elliot, let me guide you. Just slowly, with our hands if you’d prefer.”

“Not right now.”
…Not completely compliant, it seems.

He must not like the idea of me reading his mind.

Given Elliot’s immense pride, I understand; he wouldn’t want to reveal his heart to me right after proposing, especially when he expects me to decline.

I wouldn’t want that either.

“Then just hold my hand. As a dedicated guide for Special Unit A, I have a duty to guide you. I’ll do it, even if it’s forced.”

“…”

But on this, I couldn’t back down.

Even if he didn’t want to bare his soul, I wanted him to share his burden with me, even if just a little.

I reach out my hand toward Elliot.

He frowns slightly, but then takes my hand.

Unlike Cha Junseong, Elliot can’t perfectly control his emotions.

A small stream of his cool aura flows into me through our joined hands.

‘I think he’s okay for now.’

His emotional load is high enough to need guidance, though not urgently.

I may have spoken firmly, but in this situation, it’s better not to force it.

Pushing him could backfire.

I hold onto his hand tightly.

A slight chill creeps in, but it’s bearable.

---

Covered in bloodstained clothes, I couldn’t exactly go see the child.

Before heading to the hospital, I stop by a nearby clothing store.

Only after I’m dressed neatly in new clothes does Elliot’s tense face finally soften into a smile.

“It suits you.”

“Well, it should. You picked it out.”

As I chuckle, Elliot’s expression shifts slightly, though not displeased.

Even if I hadn’t been covered in blood, I came in such a hurry that I hadn’t dressed properly.

My mismatched outfit was far from stylish, but now, I won’t be embarrassed to show up at the hospital.

* * *