GTLTGIDES chapter 29

Though only half a day had passed, Ye Eunsoo’s world had completely changed.

The convenience store, which had been his refuge, was now marked with police tape.

Officials from the Administration Bureau, dressed in black coats, were coming and going, conducting an investigation inside.

Five Espers with abilities related to lifting restrictions had been dispatched to remove the numerous constraints placed on Ye Eunsoo.

Stepping outside the convenience store, the sunlight was blinding.

Ye Eunsoo sat at the table where Yang Heewoon usually sat and stared at the sky for a long time.

The world was in an uproar.

The A-rank Esper, Jake Powell, from the renowned Powell family, had committed the crime of kidnapping and confining a minor Guide.

People were in shock over the prolonged period of confinement and exploitation that lasted 15 years.

This incident sparked demands for support and management measures for early manifesting children, and Jake Powell and his family faced a torrent of criticism.

There were even controversies that the public was unaware of.

Firstly, the victimized minor was a Guide with a powerful ability unprecedented in Korea.

Secondly, the incident involved a series of events triggered by this minor Guide.

The discovery of the case started with Jake Powell’s berserk incident.

A sudden, almost unprovoked rampage, the cause of which was the boy, the victim of the confinement.

The Guide had an unprecedented ability to rapidly amplify the emotional impurities within Espers.

As the Administration Bureau debated over how to handle the child, who was both an exceptional Guide and a potential threat, Ye Eunsoo remained indifferent to the chaos surrounding him.

“I don’t want to talk.”

Throughout the investigation, Ye Eunsoo repeated this phrase.

He genuinely had nothing to say. He didn’t understand why he was there.

Everything in the world felt burdensome.

The adults were especially annoying with their incessant noise.

“Hey, don’t be like that. Can’t you tell us what happened?”

“We’re not trying to harm you. We’re asking to help you.”

“We’re not expecting anything grand. Even the smallest detail would help.”

“If it’s too hard now, you can take your time.”

Despite the many persuasive attempts, Ye Eunsoo remained expressionless and said,

“I have nothing to say.”

It was the adults who first grew weary of Ye Eunsoo’s consistent attitude.

Eventually, Ye Eunsoo left the investigation room without offering a single helpful word.

Shortly after, he was assigned a room in the Administration Bureau building.

‘This isn’t much different from Jake’s house.’

Clicking his tongue, he thought, pretending to be a hero for rescuing a poor child from hell, but doing the same things.

In fact, the given environment was worse.

The food was terrible, there were watchful eyes, and the bed was uncomfortable.

The room was small, and there were no interesting books.

Bored. He wanted to go back to the convenience store.

‘No…’

…It wouldn’t matter now even if he went there.

“Hey, convenience store.”

Lying on the bed with his eyes closed, he heard a voice calling him.

It was a familiar voice. The same large, red-headed brute.

The voice was full of irritation. Ye Eunsoo thought, while keeping his eyes closed, it’d be nice if he took his annoyance elsewhere.

“Damn it. They said you didn’t say anything during the investigation? Got nothing to say?”

“……”

“At the very least, aren’t you curious about Yang Heewoon? Don’t you want to see him? Aren’t you two acquaintances?”

“……”

“Damn it, talk!”

‘Yang Heewoon’.

Ye Eunsoo opened his eyes. He raised his upper body calmly and asked,

“Is he dead?”

“You bastard. If he was, I’d have killed you.”

“……”

Ye Eunsoo inwardly mocked the man.

Without ‘Special Team A’s Guide,’ if he tried to kill him, it would be the man who ended up dead.

Still, for someone spouting nonsense, the redhead had provided useful information about Yang Heewoon.

Yang Heewoon had been found at the scene of Jake Powell’s rampage, looking almost dead.

Though the redhead had separated them shortly after the incident, Yang Heewoon’s body, which had taken in a massive amount of impurities, was in tatters.

He had been miraculously saved and was still breathing, but he had not regained consciousness.

…They said he might never wake up.

After hearing all this, Ye Eunsoo calmly said,

“Can I see him? I want to see him.”

Barely after he finished speaking, there was a loud bang as the door was kicked, denting it.

Despite his apparent rage, the redhead obediently took Ye Eunsoo out. It was both amusing and stupid.

The distance to the ward wasn’t far. But Ye Eunsoo felt immense stress walking that short distance.

People passing by glanced at him and whispered loudly. It was obvious they were saying unpleasant things.

But the loudest was, of course, the redhead.

“Hey, convenience store.”

They reached the hospital room, but he called him again as he was about to open the door.

The redhead’s eyes were burning like blue flames.

“In hindsight, I get it. He’s kind-hearted, but he wouldn’t grieve so much for a mere convenience store boy. I don’t know what you meant to Yang Heewoon, but you should be sorry. He genuinely cared for you, and now he’s like this because of you.”

Ye Eunsoo didn’t feel it was worth responding. Ignoring him, he opened the hospital room door.

Inside, apart from Yang Heewoon, there were two more men. One with white hair, the other with black.

Judging by their presence, they were likely on par with the redhead.

It was easy to infer they were part of ‘Special Team A.’

“Damn it!”

Upon seeing the unconscious Yang Heewoon, the redhead cursed almost hysterically.

“Damn it. Damn it! Because of that brat….”

“Don’t blame the kid.”

“Damn it. If it weren’t for his nonsense, Jake wouldn’t have gone berserk and Yang Heewoon….”

“The kid’s a victim too. And he’s a minor.”

“I know! But…!”

“If you know, just shut up. Nobody here is happy about this, but we’re all holding it in.”

“…Damn it!”

The redhead stormed out of the room, unable to contain his anger.

Ye Eunsoo understood why he had come to find him.

He couldn’t bear to see the dying Yang Heewoon, so he wanted to do something for him instead.

Just as Ye Eunsoo thought it was quieter without the redhead, a mocking voice spoke.

“Wow… Look at his face. Two people almost died because of him, and he’s so calm.”

“Elliot. You shouldn’t do it either.”

“Are you serious? You’re telling me that? Do you even know what your face looks like right now?”

“…….”

The man with black hair finally withdrew the murderous intent he had been exuding, filling the air.

After taking a breath and seeming to cover his face, he turned around.

“We’ll be outside for a moment.”

“You’re leaving Heewoon and that person alone together? Do you trust that kid?”

“I don’t.”

“Then…….”

“But I think Yang Heewoon would have.”

“……Ha.”

Ye Eunsoo felt the piercing gaze of the silver-haired man as he sighed briefly.

But soon, the sound of their footsteps faded away.

• Click.

The door closed.

“…….”

Up to this moment, Ye Eunsoo had been standing silently in front of the bed, looking down at Yang Heewoon.

This was the first time seeing Yang Heewoon outside of the convenience store, but it wasn’t a welcome sight.

Yang Heewoon now looked like a corpse.

He had never looked particularly healthy, but now his face was completely pale.

Ye Eunsoo checked several times to see if his chest or abdomen was moving, wondering if he was really breathing.

‘……Because of me.’

Yang Heewoon might have died.

Though he was breathing now, he might never open his eyes again.

He closed his eyes and muttered, ruffling his hair.

“I’m so frustrated…….”

He regretted coming.

He wanted to see Yang Heewoon, but not like this, lying there like a corpse.

It was a stark failure. The worst outcome.

The arrogant boy didn’t want to face his miserable failure. So he turned away. He tried to leave the hospital room.

But he didn’t succeed.

A very faint voice was heard.

“Eunsoo……?”

When he turned his head, he saw Yang Heewoon’s lips, pale and colorless, curving into a smile.

“Ah…….”

How long had it been since he last saw Yang Heewoon smile?

Ye Eunsoo knew what that smile meant. Yang Heewoon was welcoming him.

But Ye Eunsoo wasn’t happy to see Yang Heewoon’s smile after such a long time.

How could he be?

He was dying, and it was his own doing.

“I…….”

“I know. Everything. It’s… fine.”

The pronunciation was off.

But Ye Eunsoo understood what was being said.

‘You know? What do you know? That you almost died because of me?’

You don’t know.

If you did, you wouldn’t be smiling like that.

How can you smile at the person who almost killed you?

Ye Eunsoo narrowed his eyes and glared at Yang Heewoon with burning indigo eyes.

Whether Yang Heewoon felt that gaze or not, he opened his mouth again.

“Come, closer….”

Yang Heewoon struggled to blink his eyes.

In that moment, Ye Eunsoo suddenly felt fear. If he delayed even a little, it seemed like Yang Heewoon might close his eyes and never open them again.

He was afraid to approach Yang Heewoon, but he was even more afraid of losing him.

After all, this was the result of his own ‘plan’.

“…….”

When Ye Eunsoo approached the bed, Yang Heewoon had already lost so much strength that he couldn’t open his eyes anymore.

Even without much movement, his breathing was labored, like someone about to take their last breath.

Yet, despite his weakness, Yang Heewoon reached out towards Ye Eunsoo.

Specifically, his fingertips were slightly raised. Ye Eunsoo reflexively, almost by accident, grasped that hand.

It was a cold hand.

It was thin and hard, neither adult-sized nor soft. It felt unsettlingly lifeless, as if the person was about to die.

But as soon as Ye Eunsoo touched that hand, it gripped back with what might have been the maximum strength he could muster.

The face of Yang Heewoon, who looked surprised, was now adorned with a smile of sheer happiness.

And he said:

“Eunsoo, everything, it’s…….”

“…….”

What could be considered fortunate?

He was dying.

He was practically a corpse.

Why was he saying my name and expressing relief?

But from the moment Ye Eunsoo saw Yang Heewoon’s smile, he felt ‘something’ being conveyed from that hand.

‘Warmth.’

Despite Yang Heewoon being cold as a corpse, strangely, holding that hand made Ye Eunsoo’s body flush with warmth.

His heart felt hot.

There was a tingling sensation, like electricity, which turned into an ache. His chest then felt tight.

Ye Eunsoo’s lips and chin trembled.

The trembling chin quickly became damp.

Drops of water clung to his chin and fell.

It was only then that Ye Eunsoo realized he was crying.

He couldn’t stop the tears that filled his chest.

“I’m sorry……. I just, just… I wanted to see you……. That was all…….”

Soon, Yang Heewoon’s hand, like that of a wax figure, lost its strength.

He had lost consciousness again.

But Ye Eunsoo couldn’t let go of that hand.

Holding it tightly with both hands, he cried for a long time, trying to warm the cold hand with his own body heat.

Thus, the 19-year-old Ye Eunsoo learned about love.