GTLTGIDES chapter 13

“What? Did you really take double payments?”

Indeed, that was the case.

2 million won from Cha Junsung and 2 million won from Elliot. A neat total of 4 million won.

“Wow, this guy is unbelievable. Give it back!”

“Let’s not be so petty.”

“Pe… petty…!”

Indeed, the best way to get Elliot to move was to hurt his pride.

His anger at being asked to give the money back quickly subsided. He didn’t want to look petty over a small amount.

Yet, the feeling of being wronged didn’t fade, and his crumpled face showed no sign of smoothing out.

While Cha Junsung’s frown might be his charm point, Elliot’s smiling face was really beautiful, and he should smile more often.

“Heewoon, why do you work so hard to save money? Being a guide should pay well enough.”

“Hm.”

Indeed, Yang Heewoon actually earned a high salary. He wasn’t just a simple B-grade guide. Yang Heewoon didn’t join the Special A Team just for a simple goal; he aimed for the higher salary.

Even if it didn’t make him gasp in awe, he earned much more than his peers.

“Are you curious?”

He smiled, his eyes narrowing. He gently tugged on Elliot’s sleeve.

“I didn’t bring my car today. If you drive me home, I’ll tell you.”

“Wow, you’re really versatile these days.”

Elliot let out a deep sigh, his silver hair disheveled by his slender fingers.

“Fine. I don’t want to read an article about a guide from the Special A Team collapsing on public transport because of poor health.”

I clenched my fist in victory.

‘Yes! Saved on transport costs.’

The destination I asked Elliot to take me to was not my home but a hospital.

When I told him to go to the hospital, Elliot sarcastically asked if I was finally going to see a doctor, but that wasn’t the case.

I intended to go somewhere other than the examination room.

Elliot looked puzzled when he confirmed the destination.

“…The neonatal unit?”

“Not there, over here. The neonatal intensive care unit.”

Thankfully, visiting hours weren’t over yet. I got permission to enter as a guardian.

Visiting meant watching through a glass wall.

Elliot followed me, looking confused and rubbing his lips with a serious expression.

“Heewoon, aren’t you single?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Then why are we here…?”

“Over there. That little girl. She’s about to turn one soon. Isn’t she cute?”

I pointed to a child while tugging on Elliot’s sleeve.

Even though I knew of the child’s existence from Yang Heewoon’s memories, this was my first time seeing her.

She was so small, like a newborn, even though she was almost one.

Her tiny hands and feet were cute yet pitiful, making my chest ache.

Elliot barely glanced at the child, arms crossed, staring at me instead.

“…Is she your daughter?”

“Yes, she is.”

“…I see.”

Judging by his expression, he seemed confused, thinking, ‘She doesn’t look like you at all’ and ‘Did Yang Heewoon have a scandalous past?’

Before Elliot’s thoughts could wander further, I spoke up.

“My sister from the orphanage died while giving birth. The child’s father is unknown, and my sister had no other family, so I became her guardian by default.”

“I see…”

Elliot nodded, finally understanding.

“So that’s why you were so desperate to earn money for the hospital bills?”

“Yes. They’re really expensive.”

The child’s mother had been someone who struggled to make ends meet daily.

The premature and sickly child had no insurance or inheritance left behind.

Luckily, as a government-employed guide, Yang Heewoon received as much support as possible.

Even so, the hospital bills reached nearly 10 million won a month.

A regular B-grade guide couldn’t cover the child’s medical expenses.

Yang Heewoon’s eyes landed on the Special A Team as a solution.

A team with higher salaries that nobody wanted to join, where even the crumbs from the wealthy members could be gathered.

Yang Heewoon had no choice but to join the Special A Team.

“Hm.”

Elliot, arms crossed, looked at the child again.

I pressed my hand against the glass, near where the child’s tiny hand was visible, as if to let his hold my finger.

“But Heewoon…”

“Yes?”

“If she’s the daughter of your sister from the orphanage, she’s not related to you by blood, right?”

“What does it matter if we’re related by blood?”

Indeed. The child had no blood relation to Yang Heewoon. She was a complete stranger by blood.

“The important thing is that she only has me.”

But to Yang Heewoon, she was everything.

Yang Heewoon was a lonely man.

An orphan with poor social skills, always living in fear. He got lucky and awakened as a guide, but he wasn’t well-educated or skilled otherwise.

No close friends, no life goals, no joys. He lived because he was alive.

Then, one day, a child fell into his arms.

The moment he held that small child, Yang Heewoon thought, ‘Even though I’m useless, I’ll save this child. I’ll make that my proof of living.’

So, he abandoned everything else, even his own life, for the child.

‘The author must be a mental masochist to give such a sad backstory to a mere extra character…’

I don’t know how I ended up transmigrating into Yang Heewoon’s body, but we were similar.

That’s why I could understand him.

The day Yang Heewoon died in the original story was likely not far from the day this child would have died.

Because she was so precious, even as someone who transmigrated to Yang Heewoon’s body, I felt obliged to protect her.

However, Elliot, a pampered young master who was more accustomed to being taken care of than taking care of others, found this story difficult to comprehend. He looked at me with disdain.

“…I don’t understand.”

“You’ll understand one day when you experience deep love, Elliot.”

You will suffer a lot because of Eunsoo, who isn’t related to you by blood.

When you learn to love passionately, you’ll understand.

‘Ah… maybe this is something Eunsoo should handle?’

Their love will go through a lot of trial and error.

Eunsoo, due to his upbringing, is stoic and uninterested in others, while Elliot loves attention and has a strong ego.

Their personality differences will cause a lot of pain.

I need to teach these three how to love as much as possible…

After a brief contemplation, I looked at Elliot and smiled brightly.

“I can teach you too.”

“…What?”

He reacted late, as if buffering. Not like his usual self.

“What are you suddenly talking about? What do you mean by that?”

Elliot hesitated, stepping back a pace from me. A pretty flush of color spread across his pale face.

“It’s quite literally what I meant. Ah.”

Seeing Elliot’s face turn red and thinking how pretty it looked, an incredibly brilliant idea suddenly struck me.

I clapped briefly.

“Elliot, would you like to be a dad?”

“…What?”

“I mean, be the father of that child. You might find your perspective changing once you try it. You might even learn how to love someone completely unrelated to you.”

“What, what, what are you talking about? Why do you keep spewing nonsense? Is it because you’re in pain? Is your head hurting?”

He was flustered. Utterly flustered. It was the first time I’d seen Elliot stutter like that.

I looked up at Elliot as he checked my forehead again, gauging my fever.

I probably still have a fever, but…

“I’m not joking. I’m serious.”

Rex, despite his physical maturity, has a mental age of a child and doesn’t seem capable of caring for one.

Cha Junseong might be able to become a sponsor if pushed, but considering his personality and background, anything beyond that would be difficult.

I can’t leave the child in the care of Eunsoo, who struggles to take care of herself, so there’s only one option left.

Elliot is often a thorn in the side of people with distasteful personalities, but he’s surprisingly cute and soft-hearted. He’s also generous.

Moreover, he’s wealthy, has a good background, is smart, and looks like someone the child wouldn’t be afraid of.

No matter how you look at it, he’s perfect for the role.

Of course, Elliot was still dumbfounded by my outrageous request.

“But you’re the dad. You can do it.”

“So what? Usually, there are two people taking care of the child. I can be a dad, and Elliot can be a dad too. That’s how it works.”

Besides, having two dads is only limited to a maximum of six months anyway. At least until ‘Eunsoo’ comes in.

“I’m going crazy. Do you even know what you’re saying right now?”

Elliot looked at me with exasperated eyes.

“I do know.”

“Are you really sure you know?”

“Shh.”

As soon as my voice grew louder, the nurses’ gazes became piercing.

I’d had enough of their stares.

Visiting hours were almost over, so it’s time to leave.