* * *
Taehwan must have noticed something was off.
He stopped midway through filling a cup with water and came over, pressing a hand to my forehead.
“What’s with that face? Are you feeling sick? You don’t have a fever.”
“No, I’m not sick. It’s just… uh…”
The words wouldn’t come out easily.
But if I didn’t say something, things could get worse.
Clenching my fists, I forced myself to admit it.
“…I need to go to the bathroom.”
I barely managed to get the words out, bracing myself for the embarrassment—but Taehwan’s reaction was utterly unimpressed.
His gaze seemed to say, ‘That’s it? That’s what you’re making a fuss about?’
His next words were just as indifferent.
“Just go. You’re wearing diaper anyway.”
Right. I was wearing a diaper.
I had been for 13 years.
For 13 years, everything below my waist had been beyond my control.
Until now, I had never felt particularly ashamed or embarrassed about it.
I had only ever felt sad.
But this time was different.
I could feel my face burning even hotter.
“No! I want to use the bathroom! Taehwan, take me! Hurry!”
I reached out to him, practically begging him to carry me to the restroom.
With no wheelchair and the caregiver already gone for the night, Taehwan was the only one who could help me.
“…Fine, fine, let’s go.”
Finally, Taehwan sighed as if he had no other choice and lifted me up.
As he strode forward, I felt both relieved and unbearably self-conscious.
Clinging to his neck, I mumbled a complaint.
“…Stop patting my butt.”
It’s embarrassing, so I’ll just say what happened in the end.
I couldn’t hold it.
Between the movement and the way Taehwan kept jostling me, I lost control before we even made it to the bathroom.
Since there was no longer any reason to go, Taehwan simply turned around and placed me back on the bed.
The entire way back, I had my face buried in his shoulder, curled up in mortification.
The humiliation was unbearable… but at the same time, I also felt something close to relief.
A strange sense of release, even.
The sensation left my legs trembling.
But the real problem started now.
I had to deal with what I had just done.
“Jehee, I’ll change you.”
“N-no! Taehwan, get out. I’ll do it myself…”
“What are you even saying? Relax your legs.”
“I can do it! Just let me—”
“Jehee. You don’t even know how. Stop making this harder and just let me handle it.”
“I said no! I—”
“Come on. It’s not like this is the first time I’ve done this. Just relax your legs already.”
I kicked my legs in protest, trying to get him to go away, but he easily grabbed my ankle and lifted my lower half off the bed.
What if I leaked?
The fear made me freeze for a moment—just long enough for him to pull down my pants and reach for the adhesive strips on the diaper.
“…Ugh.”
The sound of it being unfastened made me stiffen.
There was no way I could keep fighting this anymore.
At the same time, I couldn’t bring myself to watch what was happening, so I clenched my lips shut and covered my face with both hands.
When Taehwan finished changing my diaper, I quickly pulled the blanket over myself and curled up like a shrimp.
Even though everything was done, I still couldn’t open my eyes.
My face felt like it was on fire.
“…Sorry.”
“What are you apologizing for? It’s a natural bodily function.”
“But… I’m supposed to be able to take care of this myself now.”
“You’ve been paralyzed for 13 years. That’s half your life. You just recovered—if you could handle this alone already, I’d be worried and asking the doctors if something was wrong. This is normal.”
“…Still…”
Back when I couldn’t see and had no feeling in my lower half, all I ever noticed were the occasional rustling sounds.
But now, things were completely different.
I could feel it all—how damp I had gotten, the way he wiped me down, even the new diaper being put on.
And I had seen it all too.
I would have preferred the caregiver to help me instead.
But this was Taehwan.
He was my friend.
And for the first time, that fact hit me hard.
“I’ll work hard so I can go to the bathroom on my own soon. At the very least, I want to be able to clean up after myself…”
“Jehee.”
“…What?”
“Take your hands off your face and look at me.”
He speaks in a firm, deliberate tone, emphasizing every word.
His voice is filled with determination.
Instinctively, I knew.
I was about to get scolded.
It’s unfair.
What did I do wrong to deserve this?
“I don’t want to…”
“Hurry up.”
Taehwan rarely forces me to do anything.
Instead, he’s persistent.
Unlike me, who easily gives up, he always gets what he wants.
And today, once again, I lost to him as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Jehee.”
“…Alright.”
Had I been on the verge of crying without realizing it?
As I hesitantly moved my hand away and opened my eyes, Taehwan gently brushed his thumb across the corner of my eye.
His hand, likely freshly washed, was colder than usual.
But his voice that followed was as warm as the sunlight on a spring day.
“I’ll say it again. Stop thinking you have to do everything on your own and rushing yourself. Take it slow. I’ll keep helping you.”
“No… I’ll do it alone.”
“Until you’re discharged, you’re still a patient. Listen to me.”
When I shook my head in refusal, he lightly flicked my forehead.
And as if he knew I was deliberately avoiding his gaze, he forced me to meet his eyes.
His stare held me captive.
“Jehee. Answer me.”
“…Okay.”
Taehwan wouldn’t back down until I gave in, so I had no choice but to answer.
I hated it.
Why did he keep forcing me?
It made me a little resentful.
“Good. That’s the right decision.”
But when I saw Taehwan’s face after hearing my answer, all my complaints melted away like snow.
‘Oh. So this is how Taehwan smiles.’
His face was so beautiful that if even a shred of resentment had remained in me, I doubted he could have smiled like that.
It made my heart soften just a little.
I reached out and touched his face.
As I traced his features slowly, I was certain—this was the Taehwan I knew, the face engraved into my hands from touching it countless times.
‘So this is what he really looks like.’
I guess my imagination had never been that great.
Not a single one of the countless Taehwans I had pictured in my mind had ever come close to the real one.
He was far beyond what I had imagined—so handsome that I couldn’t even dare to picture it.
Maybe it was because he was the first person I saw when I opened my eyes, like an imprinted duckling, that even my standard of beauty had become him.
I found myself smiling back at him naturally.
In response, his large hand ruffled my hair roughly.
“Go brush your teeth already. Then let’s talk about our house. How should we decorate your room?”
“It’s late. You should go back now. I can do the rest alone.”
“I’m not leaving tonight.”
“…What?”
“I’m staying here. And tomorrow, when the Bureau’s representative comes to see you, I’ll be with you.”
He sounded completely serious.
He took out a change of clothes from his bag and casually stripped off his suit.
Taehwan’s bare body, now exposed, looked like something out of a movie—muscular, not a single part wasted, as if sculpted by the hands of a god.
I could guarantee that if he wore one of those superhero bodysuits, no one would dare to mock him. If anything, they’d be in awe.
I had always known he was tall and broad, and that he felt firm when I touched him, but I hadn’t expected this.
For someone in a non-combat field, his physique was unreal.
My mouth fell open in shock, and I had to consciously remind myself to close it.
Pressing my lips together, I swallowed hard.
According to Taehwan, Awakened individuals—whether in combat roles or not—develop muscle far more easily than ordinary people.
If that’s the case… does that mean I have potential too?
The thought gave me a small thrill.
It wasn’t until his powerful chest muscles were finally covered by his shirt that I found my voice again.
“I can meet them alone.”
“No. The world is a dangerous place. I don’t know what your ability is, but if it’s even remotely useful, scavengers will come swarming.”
“Really…?”
“Yeah. Especially since you’re famous. The moment they hear about the ‘Miracle Child,’ they’ll dig into your past and find out you spent over ten years in the hospital. They’ll try to take advantage of you.”
“Take advantage…?”
“The ones who try to trick you into signing some ridiculous contract full of absurd clauses are the least of your worries. There are those who would rather eliminate a competitor before they fully emerge.”
“That’s ridiculous! Who does that?!”
“It’s not ridiculous. It’s reality.”
His voice was so firm, so unwavering, that for a moment, I was at a loss for words.
* * *
