GTLTGIDES chapter 43

* * *

In the silence, a strange look passed between them, and then Elliott turned back to me with a soft smile on his lips.

“The biggest reason is to share some good news.”

“Good… news?”

Oh.

It’s not “bad news,” but “good news,” and yet my body tensed up.

If Elliott says he’s bringing good news, there’s only one thing I can hope for.

I clenched my fists. Please, please…

Elliott’s fingertips brushed my tense cheek, as if to calm me.

“Yes. I came to tell you that Huimang’s treatment support project has been approved.”

“R-really? Is it true?”

“Yes. Why would I lie about something like this?”

“Ha….”

I covered my mouth with both hands.

Elliott is such a good man.

The fact that he went out of his way to suggest I apply for the project must have meant that the chances of success were significantly higher than the chances of failure.

Even knowing this, I had somewhat given up on the idea of Huimang being selected for the project.

Because Huimang is a child who, in the original story “The Genius Guide’s Melancholy” dies before the main plot even begins.

Probably even earlier than Yang Heewoon.

I thought that maybe other developments could change because I inhabited Yang Heewoon’s body, but this was a matter of life and death.

I lacked confidence.

There’s even a movie where fate inevitably claims a life, even if you’re lucky enough to escape death once.

‘Can I dare to hope for now?’

Can I hope that even if this body dies, Yang Heewoon’s—my—Huimang will survive?

I barely managed to speak, holding back the rising tears.

“What do I do… I’m so happy….”

“That’s strange. Why are you crying when I just gave you good news? Actually, the results came out while you were in coma. So, I went ahead and took care of everything, and now they’re doing the final check-up before intensive treatment. You can’t visit during the restricted period, but as soon as it’s lifted, we’ll go see him.”

“Yes! Let’s go together!”

“Of course.”

Elliott smiled as he played with my hair.

“Oh, by the way, I thought you might want to see her, so I took some pictures when I went to the hospital earlier. Do you want to see them?”

“Yes, I want to see them!”

“Okay. Here you go.”

Elliott pulled out a stack of photos from his bag and handed them to me.

I was quite surprised at how heavy they felt as soon as I took them.

‘It’s not just a few….’

There were so many of them.

But more impressive than the number of photos was their content.

Every single one of these countless photos featured Huimang as the star, and every single one captured the child’s loveliness.

The more I looked at the photos, the more I was filled with admiration.

“She’s so adorable….”

“Right? I took all of them myself. A good model makes taking pictures so enjoyable.”

Elliott’s voice was excited as he boasted, even blushing at my compliment.

‘Elliott, you’re such a doting parent….’

Elliott said it was because of the “good model,” but that wasn’t the case.

Not that Huimang isn’t beautiful. Huimang is indeed a beautiful child.

However, Huimang had only just passed the “evaluation” for intensive treatment.

The treatment hadn’t started yet. The child was still spending most of the day asleep in an incubator.

She barely moved and rarely opened her eyes.

Even if you took pictures, they’d all look the same except for the angle, so there’s no way she could be considered a “good model.”

But strangely, despite the large number of photos Elliott gave me, none of them felt repetitive.

These were photos that could only be taken by someone who genuinely loved the child, with affection overflowing.

‘…Honestly, I think Elliott loves Huimang more than I do.’

Even now, he was smiling as he looked at the photos I had just put down, his face warm enough to make anyone’s heart feel cozy.

I felt ashamed of myself, knowing that I only had the inherited affection and sense of responsibility from Yang Heewoon’s memories.

Elliot has always come across as prickly and prideful, often leading others to misunderstand him as being dismissive.

But those who get close enough soon realize that he’s actually a very kind person who enjoys helping others.

In fact, in the original story, he was the one who helped the most people who were struggling or hurt.

Although his true nature became apparent only in the latter half of the story, it doesn’t seem like there’s much difference between that Elliot and the one now.

Is loving Huimang having a positive effect on Elliot?

“Baby?”

As I smiled warmly at a photo of Huimang and Elliot, Eunsoo peeked over at me.

“Yeah, a baby. Want to see the photo, too?”

Eunsoo stared quietly at the picture of Huimang I handed over.

After a moment, his blue eyes met mine again.

“Whose baby is it?”

No sooner had he asked than Elliot pulled me close and rested his head against mine.

“He’s ‘our’ child.”

“…?”

Eunsoo looked at me, expecting an explanation. he seemed almost anxious.

“Well, she’s a child I adopted. Her name is Huimang, Yang Huimang. I’m her legal guardian, and Elliot is her sponsor. So, I’m her dad, and Elliot is also her dad.”

“Oh….”

Eunsoo seemed to understand and lost interest again, perhaps feeling relieved.

“She’s in the hospital right now because She’s sick, but with the new treatment She’s getting, he might recover. She’s like a younger sibling to you, so you should be kind to her, okay?”

“I don’t mind being nice to her, but… how old is she?”

“She’s two. Cute, right?”

“How can someone 17 years younger than me be my sibling? She’s more like my child. I want to be her dad, too.”

Oh no. What did my child just say?

He wants to be the father of another child?

Of course, if I die and he ends up with Elliot, he’ll naturally take on a parental role. But right now, it’s too early for that.

Being a parent is no easy task. At Eunsoo’s age, he should focus on himself.

‘I didn’t expect Eunsoo to be interested in Huimang.’

Honestly, I thought he’d find even the idea of being an “older sibling” annoying.

At this stage, Ye Eunsoo was all about himself and wasn’t interested in much else.

Especially a young child, who needs constant attention and care—that’s exactly the kind of thing Eunsoo would typically find bothersome.

Is this change due to my influence?

While I’m glad for the positive change, it’s still too early for Eunsoo to think about being a “dad.”

As I was pondering how to gently dissuade his without making his feel bad, Elliot beat me to it.

“What good is being 19 physically? If you’re not mature enough mentally, you don’t qualify as a dad.”

“You don’t seem very mature yourself.”

“…Are you done talking?”

Elliot’s voice rose a notch, clearly annoyed.

The air instantly turned cold, sending chills down my spine.

‘What should I do…?’

The atmosphere was tense.

Elliot and Ye Eunsoo’s clashes over pride are no joke.

In “The Genius Guide’s Melancholy” they used to argue intensely like this, but then they’d make up after some physical intimacy. But since that’s not possible now, I’m at a loss for what to do.

‘It’s not healthy to rely on physical intimacy to make up….’

It’s better to maintain relationships through words, understanding, and compromise. It’s not good to let a fleeting moment of pleasure smooth over conflicts so casually.

I wish I could teach them how to communicate and reconcile in a healthy way before I die, but how?

After some thought, I could only come up with one idea.

“Ow…”

I clutched my chest and groaned.

“Mister!”

“Are you okay? Where does it hurt?”

They were both alarmed, probably because I had just been discharged.

Seeing their pale faces as they anxiously checked on me filled me with both gratitude and guilt for deceiving them.

“My heart hurts.”

But I couldn’t stop now.

I purposely made a sniffing sound.

I wasn’t confident in my acting skills, but it wasn’t completely insincere, so it wasn’t a terrible performance.