* * *

Maria’s hardened voice crashed down on me like a massive boulder.

Then came the shocking news that felt like a bolt from the blue.

• Ye Eunsoo was seriously injured. He’s in surgery right now.

At that moment, it felt like my entire world crumbled.

My head rang with a high-pitched noise, and my body grew cold.

“Ah…”

The sound that escaped me was more of a groan than an actual word.

• Do you remember how Eunsoo helped take down an illegal Esper group before? There were remnants of that gang. It seems they harbored resentment over his actions during the arrest, calling it excessive force. They sent him threats and… eventually acted on them. He was stabbed in the abdomen, and it seems the wound is quite deep.

It was about Seo Shinwoo’s gang.

The very thing I had feared had finally come true.

• I’m sorry. I should’ve told you earlier, but I only found out about it recently myself…

Given that I’d quit abruptly, passed on my responsibilities, and immersed myself in two weeks of intensive training, it’s no surprise Maria couldn’t keep tabs on Eunsoo.

She had enough on her plate.

I’d been the one monitoring him closely anyway, so it made sense she had overlooked it.

But still.

‘Lizzie would’ve known.’

Elizabeth Polwel was different.

She always kept a close eye on Eunsoo.

Even without me reporting, she must have received updates through other channels.

Then why hadn’t she told me about Eunsoo’s situation?

Did she think there was no point in informing me?

Or…

My thoughts spiraled.

I wanted to say something to Maria, but my lips quivered uselessly, unable to form any words.

After waiting a moment for my reply, Maria hesitated and spoke again.

• You must have a lot on your mind. I’ll call you again later. I’ll update you if there’s any new information. If you need anything, just leave me a message… Rest for now.

The call ended.

And with it, the phone slipped from my hand.

Just moments ago, I had been firing a heavy anti-kaiju gun, but now even holding a small phone felt like an impossible task.

My legs gave out, and my vision tilted as I collapsed.

“Heewoon! Are you okay? Stay with us!”

“Where’s the nearest hospital?”

“Start the car! Now!”

The commotion around me was filled with the voices of my teammates as I closed my eyes.

---

It turned out to be overwork.

The lingering fatigue from two weeks of intensive training, the exhaustion from navigating unfamiliar sites, the personal training I did to prove myself useful—all of it had built up.

On top of that, the stress from Eunsoo’s horrifying incident had created the worst kind of synergy.

I ended up in the hospital within the local administrative agency.

“Our mercenaries prioritize their physical condition above all else. If you’re not in top form, you can’t save others—or yourself. If you want to keep working in the field, don’t forget this.”

“Yes, I’m sorry for causing trouble…”

When I replied meekly, Jessica gave a small smirk.

She snapped her fingers in front of my face as if to jolt me awake.

“There’s no need to apologize so much. It’s a common mistake for ambitious rookies. You’re far better than someone lazy and complacent. You’re persistent, I’ll give you that. I didn’t expect you to move like that despite overexerting yourself. That’s my oversight.”

“…”

“The hospital bill will be charged to Polwel. It’s an approved expense, so don’t worry about it. For now, just rest. The hospital isn’t far from your lodgings, so call if you need anything.”

“No, you really don’t need to worry about me.”

“This is just taking responsibility for making you collapse. Don’t refuse.”

“…Thank you.”

“Heewoon, if the hospital food is bad, let me know. I’ll bring you something better.”

“Are outside meals allowed?”

“Who cares? Eating bad food isn’t good for your health.”

“Can’t argue with that.”

After seeing off Jessica and the others, who had fussed over me in their own ways, the hospital room fell silent.

Staring blankly at the ceiling, I thought to myself.

‘The medical bills here must be high compared to back home…’

I felt burdened by the debt I owed the team and Polwel once again.

Their real concern was Eunsoo, not me.

Still, the follow-up news said Eunsoo’s surgery went well.

Of course.

He’s our Eunsoo.

A guide, but with a body as resilient as an Esper’s. His recovery abilities are incomparable.

‘Even in the original, he didn’t escape unscathed.’

Fighting kaiju from the gates, subduing illegal Espers—none of it was safe work.

Unlike me, who stayed back and received protection, Eunsoo always stood as an equal with the Espers.

He got hurt often.

But he always pulled through.

There’s no need to panic.

If the situation were truly dire, Elizabeth would’ve intervened already.

She’s far more capable than someone like me.

But… the fact that Eunsoo’s injury was ultimately my fault couldn’t be brushed aside.

“…It’s because of me.”

A bitter smile crept onto my face.

The rushed subjugation of Seo Shinwoo’s gang, Eunsoo’s excessive force during the arrest, the grudges it stirred—all of it stemmed from the snowball I had set rolling.

Closing my eyes, I made up my mind.

“I have to go back.”

I’ve already altered the original story.

The changes have begun, and there’s no going back to how things were.

Let’s admit it. I couldn’t die, and from now on, the world will continue to change because of me.

So, I have to act responsibly.

This time, Eunsoo managed to endure the injuries well.

But if the resulting events from this were to cost Eunsoo his life, I would never be able to forgive myself.

I want to stay by Eunsoo’s side.

Rather than hearing from afar that he’s been hurt, I want to be able to do something—anything—for him.

“I want to see you, Hyung…”

He said it himself, that he wants to see me too.

I lightly brushed my thumb over my other fingers.

My hands had grown rougher over the past few months.

Though, the calluses hadn’t fully formed yet.

If I were to take a break for just a few months, they’d probably go back to being soft again.

“…I wanted to learn just a little more before leaving.”

How to stay vigilant when left alone, or how to handle sudden attacks from monsters—things like that.

If I had just one more month, I could return as someone who would be more helpful.

It was disappointing, but with Eunsoo injured, I couldn’t delay any longer.

I picked up my phone and called Maria.

---

“Ugh, ah…!”

The moment Ye Eunsoo woke up, he let out a groan and shrieked from the terrible pain radiating from his abdomen.

As strong as his body was—capable of detoxifying almost as effectively as an Esper—the effects of the medication wore off quickly.

While antibiotics didn’t work well because of his naturally strong immune system, that wasn’t much of an issue.

What was unbearable was that painkillers didn’t work on him either.

Espers could at least resort to strong narcotic painkillers, but unfortunately, despite his similar physique, Eunsoo was a Guide.

He was such an exceptional case that there weren’t any regulations concerning his condition.

Without official approval, he had no choice but to endure it on his own.

“It hurts… so much…”

He felt like crying.

His life hadn’t been particularly smooth so far, but that was more of a mental struggle.

Physically, he’d lived a pampered life. He grew up as an only son, showered with his parents’ love.

Even during his time in the Polwel mansion, he was spared from hardships.

It wasn’t until he began living with Yang Heewoon in their small house that he started doing housework, either in place of or alongside that careless man.

But that was all within the realm of daily life.

This level of injury and suffering—something so out of the ordinary—was the first since the accident that took his parents.

The pain in his body made him yearn for Heewoon’s embrace.

If Heewoon whispered softly, kissing his cheek and telling him not to hurt, it might ease the pain.

If he could hold that warm body, the suffering would surely feel more bearable.

He placed a hand over his wound and exhaled a shaky breath, murmuring softly.

“…Will he come?”

He’d collapsed, bleeding, in broad daylight, near a bustling street.

No matter how efficient the Esper Management Bureau was, it wouldn’t be easy to cover up an incident of this scale in today’s internet-driven world.

And with the long surgery he underwent, the news must have spread like wildfire.

“‘S-Class Guide Ye Eunsoo Stabbed.’”

Undoubtedly, the foreign press would’ve reported it just as quickly.

After all, just as S-Class Espers were rare, so were S-Class Guides.

If one had to rank them, S-Class Guides were even rarer, making them more precious.

So… Heewoon must know by now that I’ve been hurt, no matter how late.

“If…”

If he knows and still doesn’t come…

Eunsoo stared at the bandages around his abdomen and sighed slowly.

His mind throbbed.

Just imagining Heewoon turning a blind eye to the news of his injury filled him with suffocating discomfort and nausea.

He had to clamp a hand over his mouth and close his eyes to catch his breath.

At that moment, loud footsteps approached, accompanied by a thunderous voice filled with fury.

“Hey, Ye Eunsoo! You crazy bastard!”

* * *