Chapter 19: You’re Just Like Team Leader Kim

I stealthily turned my head, which had been wedged in the crack of the door.

Not to the side, but straight ahead.

“No discomfort other than your legs, right?”

“Yes.”

Following the doctor’s instructions, Hyung undid the buttons one by one.

The attending physician’s face lit up at Hyung’s swift motion of taking off his patient gown.

“I don’t think we’ll need any additional tests.”

I thought so too.

I had known his hands were all better since he gave me a massage.

Ever since he massaged my back with those big hands….

Snip, snip. The sound of scissors cutting through Hyung’s bandages echoed.

I kept swallowing saliva at the sight of Hyung’s bare skin being slowly revealed.

When Hyung’s chest, obsessed with the bench press, was revealed, my mouth even fell open.

It had been too long.

“You’re really in good shape.”

Even the doctor, who deals with Espers every day, acknowledged it.

His body was bound to be good, since he diligently worked out on top of having an Esper’s body that builds muscle just by breathing.

“Clench your fist. And rotate your arm.”

As he moved his body, the muscles hidden under the loose patient gown became even more prominent.

His moderately tanned skin was clean, with all the burn marks gone.

I leaned my face against the door, wishing the doctor’s hands were mine.

A hot breath escaped me as I recalled the last time I was with Hyung.

“Are you a pervert?”

My shoulders jumped at the voice that suddenly came from behind me.

I hurriedly closed the open gap in the door and looked up at the owner of the voice.

“Why are you peeping? Aren’t you his partner?”

The rude guy from Attack Team 1 had appeared without a sound via teleportation and was treating me like a pervert.

I had no words to retort to the rude guy, who was glaring at me suspiciously with a scowl, so I tried to move first.

Afraid Hyung might hear.

“Follow me for a moment.”

“Where do you think you’re touching me? You peeping Tom.”

Thinking he wouldn’t listen if I just talked, I grabbed his sleeve, and the rude guy showed his disgust.

As if I like grabbing you.

“It’ll just take a moment, so follow me.”

“Are you really that bastard’s dedicated Guide?”

At the rude guy’s loud voice echoing down the hallway, I had no choice but to clasp my hands together as if begging.

“Let’s go talk over there. Please.”

“Why should I? I don’t want to. I didn’t come to see you.”

“I know you came to see Hyung, so just give me one minute.”

I had no confidence I could make the rude guy understand in one minute, but I begged anyway.

If the rude guy went into the room like this, I was worried he would ask Hyung if I was really his partner.

I grew even more anxious, certain that he would even mention that I was peeping at him while he was taking off his clothes.

Thankfully, thanks to the rude guy who became interested in my earnest plea, we moved.

Standing in the hallway, a moderate distance from the room, I looked the rude guy straight in the eye and got right to the point.

“Don’t bring up the partner thing. Chul-soo Hyung doesn’t know we’re imprinted.”

“Why.”

“He can’t take any more shocks right now. They said to be careful of stress.”

The rude guy, who had been glaring at me annoyingly, nodded as if he understood.

“It would be very stressful if you were his partner.”

Relieved by his quick agreement, I glared back at him and asked.

“Why do you keep coming? You don’t even have anything to say.”

It was strange that he had come again after just leaving a fruit basket last time.

He didn’t even seem that close to Hyung.

“I only came once.”

“Why did you come?”

Perhaps because the impression from that one time was so strong, it felt like he had come often.

The rude guy, who had turned his back to me, drew a line, waving his arm as if shooing away a gnat.

“I have no business with you.”

Seeing him stride back to the room, I quickly followed.

I had to almost run to keep up with the rude guy’s fast pace, which reflected his impatient temper.

“Hey, Kim Chul-soo!”

The rude guy, who had roughly thrown open the door, called for Hyung in a loud voice.

Hyung, who was just fastening the last button of his shirt, lifted his head towards the door and then lowered it again.

“What? Did your memory come back?”

The rude guy, as if used to being ignored by Hyung, glanced at me and narrowed his eyes.

I also ignored him, who was being completely disregarded by the young Hyung, and went to the bed.

“Have you been well? Oh, you took off the bandages.”

I pretended to be surprised, trying not to show that I had been peeping.

Hyung’s expression, as he replied that he had just taken them off, was a little strange.

Thinking it was just my guilty conscience, I carefully looked at Hyung’s forehead, which I hadn’t been able to see earlier.

The long tear on his right forehead hadn’t healed yet.

“This part…”

“For some reason, the wound in that area is healing slowly. Please let me know if it opens up or if you feel any pain. And since you were very tired, I’ve put you on an IV drip.”

The attending physician pointed to the IV stand next to the bed, emphasized getting enough rest, and then left with the nurse.

I worriedly looked at the yellow IV bag and the scratch on Hyung’s handsome forehead and straightened his hair.

His hair was messy from just having taken off the bandages.

“I’ll do it.”

“Ah… yes. I’m sorry.”

Without realizing it, I had touched him again without permission.

We had been together for eight years, so my hand kept going out unconsciously.

“Hey, Kim Chul-soo.”

The rude guy, whom I had momentarily forgotten, announced his presence with stomping footsteps.

He looked angry at being treated like he wasn’t there.

“An adult is talking, aren’t you going to answer?”

Had he heard everything, even about Hyung’s mind regressing to seventeen?

Watching the swaggering rude guy with his hands in his pockets suspiciously, I was the first to question his business.

“Why did you come?”

“You stay out of it.”

The rude guy poked my shoulder as I blocked his way.

He had only lightly touched me with the back of his hand, but I was pushed two steps to the side.

In a fit of anger, I got into a stance to push his shoulder in the same way.

Since using both hands wouldn’t make him budge, I was about to just slam my body into him.

“Let’s not fight.”

Hyung, who grabbed my wrist before I could reach the rude guy, sat me down on the bed.

It was so fast that I blinked once, and I was on the bed.

“Stop talking down to me too. I told you I don’t know who you are, mister.”

Hyung, who rarely showed he was in a bad mood, openly sent a cold gaze.

It was new to see this side of him, after only seeing the Hyung who would grin even at people he disliked.

“Who are you calling mister! I’m younger than you!”

“If you’re younger, you should use respectful language. Mister.”

Hyung even frowned at the shouting rude guy and gestured to the door with his chin.

“If you have nothing to say, get out.”

“You think I came just to see your face!”

The rude guy, who grumbled loudly, suddenly stared at the monitor displaying Hyung’s wavelength.

The number, which had already dropped to 49%, had entered a relatively stable orbit.

“Just take one test. It won’t take long.”

“What kind of test?”

I sat right next to Hyung and glared at the rude guy.

A test?

Hyung had already taken all sorts of tests while he was hospitalized.

All Hyung had to do now was rest well until his memory returned.

“A test to pull out memories you don’t have. I can’t go into details.”

At the completely unexpected story, I shot up from my seat.

I thought he had just come to pick a fight, but to think he would say something so important.

I parted my lips, which were frozen in surprise, and took a step towards the rude guy.

“You can bring back memories?”

“I said pull out. Not bring back. It’s just reading a part of them.”

“Is that possible? What kind of test is it?”

The rude guy, who had been replying annoyingly, scratched his white neck and changed the subject.

“It’s not dangerous. It’ll be over in at least an hour.”

“How can we take a test we don’t even know what it is!”

“Who asked you to take it?!”

Following me, whose voice had grown loud in frustration, the rude guy also raised his voice.

Ignoring his loud voice, I shouted for him to reveal what kind of test it was if it wasn’t dangerous.

The rude guy waved his hand at me again and only faced Hyung.

“Send this bastard out. Then I’ll tell you.”

The rude guy pointed at me with his chin, which was as sharp as his eyes, and waited for Hyung’s answer.

I tensed my legs, which were planted on the floor, so as not to be kicked out.

I thought for sure Hyung would tell me to leave without a second thought.

“I don’t want to.”

But Hyung didn’t send me out.

It could have just been an answer refusing the test, but seeing Hyung decide to be with me, the corners of my mouth twitched.

“Just cooperate a little.”

The rude guy, who pressed his furrowed brow, glared with his large eyes.

“If your body is fine, you should be working. You’re the only one resting right now.”

“Hyung is still a patient!”

“Does that look like a patient to you!”

Certainly, from the outside, he looked healthier than anyone.

He was closer to someone who had come to build the hospital rather than a patient.

But that was just his appearance; he still couldn’t leave the bed without a wheelchair.

“Forget it, let’s talk again when Aran-noona comes. Don’t come when Hyung is alone and do this.”

I stood between the rude guy and Hyung and urged him to leave quickly.

Hyung had no memory, and I knew nothing, so we needed Aran-noona, who would be on our side.

Or at least Tae Seung-jun.

“Get out!”

The rude guy didn’t even pretend to listen.

The moment the rude guy, who had been silent for a moment looking at the monitor screen, turned his eyes to Hyung, a scream erupted from my throat.

“Hey!!”

My heart dropped at the rude guy’s fist that suddenly flew towards Hyung’s face.

I tried to push the rude guy’s arm away, throwing my whole body into it, but no matter how much force I used, his sturdy arm was like a wall and didn’t budge.

It was Hyung who pushed his hand away.

Hyung, who had blocked the punch in that short moment, hardened his expression.

It seemed his hand had moved reflexively.

It was a relief that he had only lost his memory.

“Why, why are you hitting a sick person! What the f*ck are you!”

The moment I saw Hyung’s toes twitch ever so slightly, I grabbed the rude guy by the collar.

My emotions welled up at the sight of Hyung’s frustrated face as he failed to move his legs.

The rude guy didn’t care whether I grabbed his collar or not and only watched Hyung.

Worried he might hit Hyung again, I shouted to see if anyone was outside.

Hoping Aran-noona and Tae Seung-jun would hear.

“I’m not hitting him. I was checking.”

“You did hit him!”

“Hey, Team Leader Kim. You say something. You know my hand stopped before it reached your face, right? Ack!”

As he tried to reach for Hyung again, I immediately bared my teeth.

I bit whatever part of him reached my mouth and clung on, ready to tear off his flesh.

Unfortunately, I had bitten his elbow, so my jaw quickly became sore.

“What is this! Are you crazy?!”

The rude guy looked down at me, who was clinging to his arm, with disbelief.

Whether he cursed or not, I bit his arm even harder, until he left on his own.

“Let go, you f*cker!”

The heated rude guy swung his arm as if brushing off dust that had settled on his body and pushed my shoulder.

He had pushed me himself, but as if he thought he had pushed too hard, the rude guy had a flustered expression, and I was thrown far away with a clatter.