Chapter 26 : The Following Gaze (2)

As Minseong left, Hyunwoo climbed back onto the bed.

“You don’t have to be wary of Minseong.”

“I can’t trust him.”

“Hmm…”

‘His distrust of people has grown stronger…’

Hyunwoo had always been a person who wasn’t interested in others. But this incident had made him not just uninterested, but outright hostile. Saying “it’s okay” wouldn’t fix it right away. It would have to be gradually resolved over time.

As Jisung stroked his head, Hyunwoo, as if by habit, started to wrap his arms around his waist but stopped. He glanced at the wound on his side and then sat down next to Jisung. Then he leaned his head on Jisung’s shoulder.

“Aren’t you hungry?”

“Are you hungry?”

Sunwoo shook his head at Yuaan’s question.

“No, I’m just a little peckish.”

“Shall we have hot dogs?”

“That sounds good.”

Yuaan looked pleased as Sunwoo nodded.

“What do you guys want to eat?”

“Hot dogs for me too. Lots of sugar.”

“I’ll have the same as Hyung.”

“Okay, then I’ll be back.”

“Yeah, be careful on your way back.”

Sunwoo, who had taken their orders, left the hospital room with Yuaan. The room, now with only the two of them, was quiet. The place that was always bustling suddenly felt spacious. Jisung turned his head slightly and looked at Hyunwoo. At the sight of him with his head leaned and his eyes closed, Jisung asked in a small voice.

“Are you sleeping?”

At that, Hyunwoo’s eyelids slowly lifted. “I’m not sleeping.” Hyunwoo smiled, his lips curving into a crescent.

“You’ve been sleeping a lot lately. Yuaan too. Are you tired?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“Honestly.”

“A little? It’s not something to worry about.”

Hyunwoo replied with a shy smile to the worried Jisung.

“If you’re tired, don’t push yourself and rest. We don’t have any missions anyway, so opportunities like this are rare. We should enjoy it to the fullest while we can.”

Jisung smiled with a playful expression. At that, Hyunwoo’s eyes widened. He brought his face close to Jisung. Startled, Jisung leaned his upper body back and asked.

“Suddenly, why?”

“I’ve never seen that expression on your face before.”

Jisung blinked rapidly at the eyes staring at him.

“Wh-what expression?”

“Uh… like a mischievous kid?”

“Did I make that face?”

“Yes.”

As Hyunwoo nodded, Jisung awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. ‘I don’t even know what my own face looks like…’ He touched his cheeks with both hands. At that, Hyunwoo let out a small laugh.

“What are you laughing at?”

“Because you’re cute, Hyung.”

Jisung, flustered, moved his lips at Hyunwoo’s reply.

“You say things like that so easily.”

“Hmm?”

“…Never mind.”

Jisung awkwardly fanned himself with his hand. The weather was hot, probably because it was summer now.

“Hyung.”

“Hmm?”

At that moment, Hyunwoo’s face came close to Jisung’s. Startled, Jisung’s eyes widened. Their eyes met. ‘Ah, his eyes are pretty.’ As he was unconsciously thinking that, Hyunwoo’s forehead touched his.

“Hyung, do you have a fever?”

“Huh?”

“Your face is red. And…”

Hyunwoo brought his hand to Jisung’s chest.

Thump, thump, thump.

He could feel the rapid beating of his heart. Hyunwoo, who was listening to the sound, frowned.

“Your heart is beating too fast… Ah, it got faster.”

Hyunwoo looked up at Jisung. He had a worried expression on his face.

“Hyung, are you okay? Should I call a doctor? Wait a moment.”

“Ah, no, wait…!”

Jisung quickly stopped Hyunwoo who was about to press the call bell. Jisung squeezed his eyes shut at Hyunwoo’s flustered expression. ‘So embarrassing…’

“Hyung?”

At the worried voice, Jisung awkwardly cleared his throat and looked at him. The eyes staring at him reminded him of Puss in Boots.

“This is nothing…”

“Hyung, your face is red and your heart is beating abnormally fast.”

“No, this is, I mean… It’s because you suddenly brought your face close and I was surprised!”

Hyunwoo blinked blankly at Jisung’s reply.

“Surprised?”

“Yes!”

“Your face is red too.”

Jisung shouted at Hyunwoo who was asking with a tilted head.

“I always get a red face when I’m surprised!”

“Hyung, you’re not usually like this.”

“…You’re not doing this on purpose, are you?”

“What?”

Jisung bit his lip hard at Hyunwoo’s puzzled expression. He desperately wished for someone, anyone, to end this situation quickly.

‘Sunwoo, Yuaan, when are you coming back!’

Jisung covered his face with the back of his hand and turned his head. Hyunwoo’s eyes gradually widened as he stared at his face, which was red all the way to the tips of his ears.

“Ah, did your heart flutter?”

At his question, as he brought his face close to his, Jisung’s face instantly turned red. At that, a smile formed on Hyunwoo’s lips.

“Correct?”
“No!”

Jisung slapped Hyunwoo’s face with a loud smack. “Ouch~” Hyunwoo made a pained face, touching his forehead and nose.

“Don’t lie. It didn’t hurt at all! My palm stings more.”
“Ah, it’s true. It turned red.”

Hyunwoo stared at Jisung’s reddened palm. At that, Jisung, who had been watching him with a puzzled expression, was horrified by the soft and hot sensation he felt on his palm and pulled his hand away.

“What are you doing, you little rascal!”

Thwack!

Jisung hit Hyunwoo on the top of his head with his fist. A rather strong impact sound was heard.

“This one actually hurt a little.”
“Really, what are you doing?!”
“I remember reading that putting saliva on a wound helps it heal.”
“Disinfect the wound! Saliva can cause bacterial infection, so absolutely not, got it?!”

Hyunwoo smiled faintly and nodded at Jisung’s question. Then he leaned his head on Jisung’s shoulder.

“You really like my face, Hyung.”

Jisung couldn’t find any words to refute and bit his lip hard. At that, Hyunwoo peeked up at Jisung.

“Is that correct too?”

Jisung sighed deeply and nodded.

“Yeah, correct. For your information, it’s not just me, most people would like it.”
“I don’t care about other people. If you like it, that’s all that matters.”

Hyunwoo crinkled his eyes as he said that. Jisung, who had been staring at him as if mesmerized, covered his mouth with his hand. He had thought it was nice to be treated specially by Hyunwoo. He was embarrassed to think that he wanted to be treated specially like this, only by him. ‘I was just a person who happened to have a compatible wavelength with Hyunwoo.’

“Hyung?”
“Huh?”
“What’s wrong? You don’t look good. Your heartbeat too.”
“Stop listening to my heartbeat.”

Jisung lightly flicked Hyunwoo on the forehead, not too hard. Hyunwoo, who had been touching his forehead, then grabbed Jisung’s wrist and brought his face close to his. Hyunwoo’s eyes narrowed at Jisung’s averted gaze.

“Is it because your wound hurts?”
“No, that’s not it. It’s just nothing. This time it’s really nothing.”
“What is nothing.”

The grip on his wrist tightened. At that, Jisung sighed softly.

“It’s really nothing. It’s just… if I’m not a Guide anymore, will you ignore me?”
“Hyung, are you going to quit being a Guide?”

Jisung waved both hands and denied it at Hyunwoo’s shocked expression.

“No, that’s not it! I became your Guide because our wavelengths happened to match. That’s why you like me. But, what if, just in case, our wavelengths get messed up, of course that won’t happen. But still, what if something like that happens and we have no relationship anymore, will I be abandoned?”

Hyunwoo, who had been listening to Jisung’s words quietly, blinked blankly. He mulled over what he had heard and then frowned and shouted.

“Of course not!”
“Ah, you scared me.”
“The trigger was definitely the Guide, but now, I like you because you’re my Guide! Because it’s you, because the person named Lee Jisung became my Guide, that’s why I like it!”
“Uh, uh… calm down first.”
“Will you abandon me if I’m not an Esper?!”
“No, why would you say something like that?”
“It’s the same as what you said! Whether you’re a Guide or not, I just like you!”

Hyunwoo finished his words and looked at Jisung with a pouty expression. The feeling of being hurt that he didn’t even know his true feelings was clearly conveyed. At his pouting dumpling-like face, Jisung couldn’t help but laugh. At that, Hyunwoo’s expression became even more sullen.

‘Ah, he’s so cute.’

Jisung tried hard to hold back the laughter that was about to burst out.

“Can we come in now?”
“Ah, you scared me!”

Jisung looked at the two people who were already standing at the door of the hospital room. “When did you get here?” Sunwoo blinked silently at the flustered Jisung. At that considerate silence, Jisung nodded.

“We need these kinds of procedures too.”
“It’s embarrassing.”
“It’s okay. Everyone is like that.”