The Way of Life for a Terminal S-Class Hunter - C79
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“I still have at most 200 days to live. And you’re saying you’ll die if I die?”
I responded sharply without realizing it.
“You won’t die. Not in 200 days, not even in 10 years.”
Seo-heon asserted, not knowing my thoughts.
“Because I’ll make it so.”
“By what right?”
At that question, Seo-heon looked at me with a confused expression. He seemed to be checking if I had really said what he just heard. I deliberately tried to act cold as I spoke.
“Why are you trying to interfere with everything from how I live to how I die? Don’t tell me this is because you love me too?”
Seo-heon, at a loss for words, rubbed his face several times. Only then did I realize I had responded too aggressively.
“You would have done the same.”
Seo-heon’s words, coming out like a whisper, stabbed at me.
“If I was fighting for my life in the hospital, do you think you would have been any different? You would have tried to save me by any means necessary, regardless of my wishes.”
As Seo-heon said, if he were in a life-threatening situation, I would have tried to save him by any means too.
“At least I wouldn’t have deceived you.”
However, I couldn’t tolerate him acting on his own without asking for my opinion anymore, so I spoke as if venting.
Seo-heon didn’t take his eyes off my face even after hearing such harsh words. Moreover, he kept bringing his hand to my nose as if to confirm I was alive.
“Rest.”
After a long silence, Seo-heon got up from his seat. Judging by the faint vibration I heard, it seemed he had to leave due to a call. Only after the hospital room was empty did I finally let out a big sigh.
However, the time I could be alone was very brief.
***
“Now, try moving your legs.”
As soon as day broke, doctors came in and out of the room several times, telling me to try this and that. Even though I was lying in bed, I could feel myself getting increasingly tired.
“Good work. The test results will be out by tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
Although I wasn’t particularly curious about the results, I nodded in understanding as it wasn’t something to say to the medical staff who were working hard for me.
“Um, since I’m not sick anymore, can I be discharged after seeing the results?”
The doctor looked troubled at my request.
“Your case is very special. Since it’s only been a day since you regained consciousness, I think it’s better to observe your progress for about 3 days.”
It sounded like a reasonable opinion at first glance. However, knowing that Kang Seo-heon’s influence reached this hospital, I wondered if I could trust those words.
“I understand.”
However, I didn’t want to trouble people who were just doing their job, so I didn’t press further.
My body feels creaky all over, probably from lying down for so long.
I wanted to stretch my body. No matter how spacious the hospital room was, there was a limit to how much I could move. But judging by the atmosphere, if I left the room without saying anything, it seemed like it would cause quite a commotion. It was a problem that could be solved by getting permission, but I felt like surveillance personnel would be assigned to follow me.
It’s better to stay in the room than exercise while being monitored.
In the end, I repeated light stretching and sitting idly in the hospital room. Surprisingly, time passed quickly.
Looking at it this way, is there much difference between the dream world and here?
Seo-heon, who I thought would keep watch, hadn’t returned by sunset, as if he had run away.
Unable to bear the boredom, I rummaged through the drawers and found something.
“What’s this?”
It was my cell phone. I thought I had lost it during the dungeon conquest, but someone must have brought it. Excited, I quickly pressed the power button.
“It won’t turn on.”
I wanted to check the news to understand the situation, but the phone, whether broken or discharged, remained unresponsive.
“Haa…”
Feeling dejected, I put the phone on the table and leaned against the bed headboard. Looking at the darkened window, I started to feel sleepy.
It’s strange that I feel sleepy again after sleeping so much. I don’t want to sleep more though.
Knock knock.
Just then, I heard a sound waking me up. Judging by the knocking and waiting quietly, it wasn’t Seo-heon, and from the footsteps, it wasn’t the medical staff who had visited earlier.
Knock knock.
While I was trying to guess who it might be, I heard another knock.
“Come in.”
Thinking they would keep knocking if left alone, I quickly answered, and the door slowly opened. Unexpectedly, the person entering was Lee-han.
“Hyung.”
“Lee-han?”
Seeing him walk in, I quickly sat up from my position leaning on the bed. Lee-han, approaching cautiously, had a gloomy expression on his half-face. I felt guilty as everyone entering the hospital room had an unpleasant expression.
“Why did you come?”
“Of course, I came to see you. Why else would I come?”
Despite looking quite downcast, Lee-han’s tone was sharp. Considering he might be angry if he had heard about the situation, this was relatively mild.
“I’m sorry. Were you very surprised?”
Instead of answering, Lee-han put the large bag he was carrying on the desk with a thud.
“What’s this?”
“It’s porridge. I made it in a hurry, so I can’t guarantee the taste.”
I was so surprised that he had gone to the trouble of making porridge that I couldn’t close my mouth. If it had been when I didn’t know anything, I would have thanked him and eaten it with a light heart. However, knowing that Lee-han had special feelings for me, it was impossible to casually accept this thoughtful food with a smile.
“You didn’t have to do this.”
Lee-han ignored my gentle refusal and unpacked the lunchbox. Seeing that he had brought not only porridge but also various side dishes, I felt even more apologetic.
“Lee-han.”
“Just! Please eat this at least.”
When I called out once more, Lee-han’s voice, which had started loud, gradually became watery towards the end of the sentence. Overwhelmed by his spirit, I unconsciously accepted the spoon he was offering.
“Please.”
“Thank you. I’ll eat it well.”
If I didn’t eat after he said that much, it would be more embarrassing for Lee-han who had brought it.
I lifted the unusually heavy-feeling spoon and put the porridge in my mouth. My mouth felt dry, and the white porridge was close to rice gruel, so I couldn’t taste much. However, after one spoonful, I felt a warm feeling spreading in my stomach. I hadn’t been able to eat much of the hospital food because I disliked the smell, but what Lee-han brought tasted particularly delicious.
After two, three spoonfuls, soon only the sound of the spoon hitting the bowl echoed in the hospital room.
“Lee-han, don’t just stand there, sit down.”
Watching him still standing blankly, I felt like my own legs were hurting.
“I’m sorry.”
Instead of sitting down, Lee-han suddenly said something completely different.
I should be the one apologizing and thanking him.
“What are you saying when you came to visit with food? I’m the one who keeps causing things to be sorry about to you.”
“Hyung… While you were collapsed, I couldn’t do anything. I’m practically alive thanks to you, but when you were in danger, I couldn’t do anything.”
The sentence, thickly coated with guilt, sank heavily to the floor. It was painful even for me to hear.
“Why do you think that way? I just happened to be in the right situation, and you weren’t. I’m the bad one for deceiving you.”
From the beginning, even I had given up on living, so what could Lee-han have done?
“That person did it though.”
That person? Is he talking about Kang Seo-heon?
“Do you know how Kang Seo-heon saved me? What exactly did he do?”
Lee-han seemed to know something for sure, but he kept his mouth shut. Like Seo-heon, it didn’t seem like he would open up easily either.
“If you know something, tell me too.”
I put down my spoon and stared straight at Lee-han. In contrast, Lee-han lowered his gaze.
“I don’t want to say it with my own mouth. I’m not sure if it’s something that should be done.”
Although I wanted to find out what had happened, I didn’t want to torment the sad Lee-han to do so. It was primarily something I could look into myself.
“Then can I ask for one favor?”
“I’ll do anything.”
My request was trivial, despite Lee-han’s grave demeanor.
“Could you bring my laptop from my room? You won’t stop me from looking into it myself, right?”
“I can do that much without you even asking. Finish eating that, and I’ll have someone bring it.”
Lee-han, who had been very tense, spoke as if deflating. I followed Lee-han’s words and ate the porridge again. Not only the porridge but also the small, easily digestible side dishes suited my taste. Each of these thoughtful gestures made me grateful and sorry.
“I’ll go down and get the laptop.”
By the time I had finished all the side dishes and porridge, Lee-han received a call and went downstairs. While he was briefly out, I cleaned up all the food and put it back in the bag. It had been a long time since I felt full.
“Here.”
Lee-han, who quickly returned, handed me a phone charger along with the laptop.
“Your phone seemed to be discharged too, so I bought this as well.”
He must have noticed earlier and bought it, judging by how his gaze briefly touched the phone on the table.