* * *
“Suhyeon, let’s go to the hospital.”
So, this was why he came.
As soon as morning broke, Yihan strode up to the second floor and approached Suhyeon.
Suhyeon tilted his head.
His older brother looked down at him with a piercingly serious expression.
It seemed Yihan had already heard about Suhyeon’s physical condition while he was asleep.
‘That saves me the trouble of explaining,’ Suhyeon thought blankly, like a lazy cat.
“I’ll head downstairs. Call me when you’re done talking.”
Yihan took that as his cue to leave, claiming he had something to go pick up.
Hajin had been with Suhyeon all night but was currently away at the Association for work.
With a soft thud of the door closing, Yihan and Suhyeon were left alone in the room filled with medical equipment that occasionally emitted soft beeps.
Suhyeon’s pale eyelids blinked over his light brown eyes before looking up.
“Suhyeon.”
Yihan slowly bent one knee to match Suhyeon’s eye level.
“I’m sorry for making you worry.”
Suhyeon offered the apology he hadn’t been able to give during the chaotic situation earlier.
Yihan shook his head.
“It’s enough that you came back safely. I heard you emerged from the German gate. It’s a miracle.”
‘Did I come out of the German gate?’
All Suhyeon remembered was falling into Hajin’s arms and waking up in the hospital shortly after.
“Now, let’s go to the hospital.”
Yihan repeated his initial words smoothly.
As he reached out to gently take Suhyeon’s arm to help him up, Suhyeon’s brow furrowed slightly.
“The hospital?”
Two pairs of brown eyes—identical in shape, differing only in shade—met in the air.
“You have to go, Suhyeon.”
Yihan pressed his thumb against his brow as if exhausted.
He looked like he hadn’t slept at all.
“I heard you’re being treated by Doctor Ryu Yihan under a hospital permit. He’s a famous man, so I don’t doubt his skills, but a hospital is still better.”
Of course, Suhyeon understood the concern. However…
“Is it really necessary?”
Suhyeon asked, sinking back into the plush chair that had been prepared specifically for a patient’s comfort.
It had been a little over fifteen days since he arrived here.
In that half-month, Suhyeon had adapted quite comfortably to this life.
He didn’t know the details, but since Yihan held a medical license and various qualifications, the hospital must have granted official permission.
Receiving consistent treatment from Yihan had also significantly reduced his chest pains.
Putting aside his relationship with the homeowner, there was the advantage of not having to constantly face nurses, doctors, and strangers.
Most importantly, there were no hospitalization fees.
He felt a bit guilty about the free room and board, but Hajin didn’t seem to care at all.
‘Am I being too carefree?’
“Chae Suhyeon.”
At that thought, a low voice made Suhyeon look up.
Yihan’s face had hardened.
“I’m saying this for your own sake. It’s better to go to the hospital.”
“Um, but—”
“You don’t know anything about the Esper Shin Hajin. Even if he’s with the Association, he’s a dangerous man. More importantly, he’s not someone you can trust personally.”
Ah, that’s right.
Suhyeon reminded himself of his brother’s profession.
Unlike Suhyeon, who had been an ordinary person, Yihan had awakened as an Esper—though low-ranked—and followed in their parents’ footsteps to work at the Association.
“Let’s go to the hospital and get treated.”
Suhyeon wrinkled his eyes in discomfort.
Unless Hajin, the owner of the house, kicked him out, he wanted to stay here.
There were no annoying hassles, and it was a comfortable place to lounge around.
“It’s okay, I’ll just stay. It’s not like I’m not getting treatment, and I don’t want to go back to a hospital.”
If trust was the issue, Hajin had handed over a self-destruct device to him when he first brought him here.
But even without that macabre object, Suhyeon didn’t feel like Hajin would particularly harm him.
‘We’ve even become lovers now.’
“I’ll ask Do Yejun to stay with you as well. You’ve contacted him, right? Let’s go to the hospital.”
Suhyeon started to frown at the name mentioned alongside the repeated attempts at persuasion, then paused.
“Who?”
“Esper Do Yejun. Your boyfriend.”
What on earth was he talking about?
Suhyeon felt a wave of headache and fatigue wash over him.
“Hyung, stop.”
Suhyeon rubbed his temples at the throbbing sensation and met Yihan’s eyes.
Yihan was looking at him as if he were a spoiled child.
An irritating exhaustion clouded his mind.
Suhyeon took a deep breath.
“I made the decision. I feel safe, and I even have permission from the hospital.”
“But you—”
“Hyung.”
Suhyeon knew Yihan was being emotional because of the return of a brother he thought was dead, but he pushed him away.
Even though they were the only family left under the sun, there was a clear line between Yihan and Suhyeon.
There was a reason Suhyeon had been surprised when he first saw Yihan.
They didn’t usually interfere with each other.
After their parents died and Yihan started working—around the time Suhyeon was in middle school—they had lived apart.
Suhyeon wasn’t a child who needed constant care.
Yihan hadn’t looked after him either.
Appropriate greetings and appropriate meddling.
That was where their line ended.
“…Alright.”
Recognizing that the chest pain was serious and that Suhyeon had been more patient than usual due to his three-year absence, Yihan hesitated and backed off.
Suhyeon wondered if he had been too blunt, but he was too tired to worry about it.
“…Keep me updated on your progress, and make sure to answer my calls.”
He handed over a brand-new smartphone.
‘I can do this much.’
Suhyeon, letting his sharp nerves soften back to normal, took it readily.
It seemed Yihan had realized his phone was broken.
Watching Suhyeon fiddle with the phone in silence, Yihan spoke up cautiously.
“I also think staying here is—”
“That is not allowed.”
It wasn’t Suhyeon who answered.
Hajin had walked in at some point and was now striding toward them.
Yihan, who had been kneeling on one knee, stood up.
As Hajin stood behind Suhyeon’s chair, a refreshing scent wafted over.
The two men glared at each other over Suhyeon.
It was true that just looking at Hajin made Suhyeon feel good since they had just decided to be lovers, but…
“The only person I allowed to stay in my house is Suhyeon. There is no room for you.”
This situation felt like a bit of déjà vu.
“The fact that I don’t know what’s happening with my brother—”
“Ah, wait, wait!!”
Seeing two giant men about to fight again with Suhyeon caught in the middle, Yihan rushed into the room.
Suhyeon smoothed out his brow again. He had never been so happy to see Yihan.
“You crazy bastards are trying to fight with a patient between you again.”
The two men, who had both snapped their heads toward the doctor with the rough mouth, glanced down at Suhyeon and paused.
But it was only for a moment.
“Hey.”
“Doctor Ryu Yihan, right now—”
“Mr. Yihan, I’ll send you updates on Suhyeon’s condition regularly. Leave your contact info. I’ll send the medical certificates diligently.”
Yihan spoke to Yihan with a heavy sigh.
Yihan started to say something harsh but stopped.
A brief silence fell over the room.
Knowing he was the cause, Suhyeon glanced around awkwardly.
Just as his eyes met Hajin’s, who was watching him…
Knock, knock—
A knock sounded at the open door.
“…Sigh, so you were here.”
A stranger in a gray suit entered the room.
Hajin gestured with his chin arrogantly, as if he had been waiting.
“I’d appreciate it if you took him away quickly.”
The man sighed again and approached Yihan.
“All work has been frozen, Director.”
It seemed the man was here for Yihan.
Suhyeon blinked blankly at the high-ranking title used to address his brother.
‘Well, Yihan always was a hard worker.’
Ian reflexively turned his head, and the man standing before him also turned his gaze toward Suhyeon.
“…Um,”
Suhyeon flinched at the sudden attention.
The man let out another heavy sigh—the face of a truly exhausted office worker.
“Are you Chae Suhyeon?”
“…Ah, yes.”
He was slow to answer because he hadn’t expected the man to speak to him.
Hajin’s gaze turned crooked and annoyed.
Yihan also raised an eyebrow.
‘What is it?’
“I am Pi Hancheol from the Esper & Guide Association. This wasn’t my main purpose, but I’ll handle it while I’m here. I understand that Chae Suhyeon has awakened as a Guide. Is that correct?”
Suhyeon stared at the man who looked weary of society, then nodded quickly.
He felt like it would be bad to keep this man waiting.
“Why?”
Hajin asked sharply, but the man with the zombie-like eyes ignored him completely and handed a business card to Suhyeon.
“As a rule, you are supposed to visit the Association center within a week of awakening to measure your exact rank and receive a separate special identity card.”
“…Oh?”
“I asked Esper Shin Hajin to relay this multiple times, but it seems he didn’t pass it on.”
The man seemed to have no filters left.
Or rather, he looked like his soul had left his body due to extreme fatigue.
“Please visit the Association as soon as possible. I wish you a speedy recovery. Director, we must leave now.”
“But my brother right now—”
“It looks like your brother is alive and well. There’s a doctor here, and it seems your conversation is over. How much more overtime do I have to work?”
“Su-Suhyeon. You have to call me. Mr. Ryu Yihan, you must contact me!!”
And just like that, Yihan was dragged away.
Suhyeon stared blankly at the spot where Yihan and the man had disappeared, then looked down at the business card in his hand. It felt like a storm had just passed through.
‘…Now that I think about it, I didn’t even get to tell him that I broke up with Do Yejun.’
* * *
