Chapter 29: Omen of Misfortune

“Oppa, oppa. Look at this!”

“…That’s cool. Where did you get it?”

“Mom bought it for me this morning! She said it’s a Christmas present!”

I was hospitalized.

When I regained consciousness after briefly blacking out, all the admission procedures had already been completed, and I was lying on a stiff medical bed.

Considering that I was the Guide of Attack Team 3, I appreciated being given a private room.

But unlike ordinary wards, the atmosphere inside was unbearably bleak.

It wasn’t as though I had family worrying over me.

Or friends.

In the end, I spent nearly half a day lying silently in bed, staring at the ceiling.

The events from two days ago replayed endlessly over the small hole in the ceiling, but I deliberately ignored them and tried to sleep instead.

“Isn’t it really cool?”

At some point in the past, a documentary program I frequently watched had aired a segment about psychological trauma.

A psychology professor specially invited to lecture had stroked his thick white beard and said this:

When the human brain experiences extreme stress, it erases parts of the memory entirely.

By doing so, it restores the body’s damaged rhythm and allows the body to continue functioning properly.

“Suyeon’s lucky. You even got a present, and tonight you’re going out to eat something delicious with your mom.”

That was exactly my current state.

I vaguely remembered what happened last night, but the specific details and conversations I’d shared with others were completely gone.

According to the doctor who came during rounds this morning, part of my memory had temporarily disappeared due to shock, and we should wait a little longer before worrying.

He also added that I didn’t need to force myself to remember.

In fact, perhaps it would be better for my daily life if those memories simply stayed forgotten.

“Yeah. My mom’s usually so busy that I barely get to see her, so I’m really happy we get to spend time together like this.”

“Then I’m happy too, since Suyeon’s happy.”

“…Seriously, your face is pretty, and even the way you talk is pretty too.”

“…I’m pretty?”

Unlike before, when I only traveled back and forth between the hospital and the dormitory for outpatient treatment, this time I planned to clear my entire biweekly schedule and receive long-term treatment properly.

Partly to obtain the medical certificate Team Leader Kim Su-gyeom had requested, and partly to undergo one final detailed examination.

However, my doctor firmly rejected the idea and insisted that all examinations would be postponed indefinitely until my physical and mental condition stabilized.

In other words, I was told to eat properly and take my prescribed medication without skipping.

“Very pretty. Though it’d be nice if you gained a little weight. But these days sickly-looking men are trendy, so it’s fine.”

“…What exactly are you doing?”

The medical center operated by the Center was enormous.

Not only Center employees, but also their direct family members—and even ordinary civilians whose illnesses had worsened—came regularly for treatment.

As a result, there were never enough hospital rooms.

“No, but honestly, it’s such a shame. If only I were a few years older, I would’ve seriously tried to seduce you. But that stupid age gap gets in the way….”

The girl standing before me now, Woo Suyeon, was one such patient.

The Center provided free medical services specifically for socially vulnerable groups, and children like Suyeon were allowed to stay in ordinary wards indefinitely at reduced costs.

“…Cut it out. Do you even realize how old I am saying things like that?”

Half a day after admission, I had become so unbearably bored that I’d started counting the holes in the ceiling when suddenly I heard the door open.

Woo Suyeon, who stayed directly across from my room, had apparently mistaken my room for hers and walked in by accident.

Realizing her mistake, she apologized in a surprisingly clear and composed voice for someone her age and bowed politely.

I awkwardly accepted the apology and scratched the back of my head in embarrassment.

“Love doesn’t care about age, nationality, or gender. You look nice, but you’re surprisingly narrow-minded.”

But contrary to expectations, Suyeon didn’t leave after apologizing.

She stared at my face with the shameless curiosity unique to children before suddenly shouting that she’d found her dream ideal type.

I had no idea why such a young child was staying in a general ward instead of the pediatric ward, and I ended up sweating as I tried to peel Suyeon off after she latched onto my pant leg.

Thankfully, nurses quickly rushed in to stop her.

But despite her appearance, Woo Suyeon was unbelievably stubborn.

“No matter what, kids your age shouldn’t be saying things like that.”

“What’s wrong with my age? Then whose fault is it for looking so heartbreakingly pretty? Making everyone’s heart race and then backing out afterward is way more unfair.”

“…Where did you even learn words like heartbreakingly pretty?”

“From the morning dramas my mom watches.”

Ah.

So this is exactly why people say media ruins children.

After that, Woo Suyeon visited my room every hour, chattering endlessly like a sparrow with her tiny mouth.

At first, I felt awkward around how casually she treated me, but after it repeated a few times, it became strangely pleasant simply because I wasn’t bored anymore.

Whenever the nurses came to replace the IV needle in my arm, they would jokingly ask Suyeon if she’d become close with her new oppa.

And Suyeon would proudly declare that I looked too lonely and bored, so she’d specially decided to keep me company.

“But oppa.”

“What?”

“Who’s staying in that huge room all the way at the end? Since morning, people just keep bringing gifts and visiting nonstop. It’s so loud I can’t even sleep. Honestly, if it were up to me, I would’ve stormed in already. But judging by everything, they must be someone really important.”

“So?”

“What do you mean so? I ran away immediately. If I accidentally upset someone like that, what if my mom’s life gets even harder after all the trouble she’s already gone through raising me alone?”

This kid was surprisingly good at calculating consequences.

The “important person” Suyeon mentioned was probably Choi Siram.

Among all the rooms on this floor, he had been admitted into the most luxurious and heavily guarded VIP suite.

Unlike my room, where not a single visitor or get-well gift appeared, Choi Siram’s room overflowed with gifts sent by politicians, corporate executives, and Center officials.

Even the director of the medical center personally rushed over in slippers to ask whether he felt uncomfortable anywhere or needed any additional care.

I deliberately avoided mentioning that Choi Siram and I had come together.

Not because I worried Suyeon would be surprised, but because I was sick of the pitying looks people gave after comparing our situations.

I was a cowardly adult.

“People like that must be rich too, huh? Well, obviously. Otherwise everyone wouldn’t be fussing over them so much.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

“But it’s okay. I still like you a hundred, no, a thousand times more than people like that.”

The childish sincerity in her words made my chest ache unexpectedly.

People naturally gather around those who benefit them rather than those who might harm them.

And in that sense, Woo Suyeon was the first person who chose me over Choi Siram without hesitation.

Of course, from the perspective of a child too young to understand social power or hierarchy, such a choice was understandable.

Even so, I found myself hoping she would grow up and still make the same choice as an adult.

I was desperate enough to seek confirmation of my own existence even from a child.

“Hup. Alright, I should get going now. The doctor will be here soon. He threatened to give me a gigantic shot if he catches me wandering into other rooms during rounds again.”

“Be careful climbing down. You’ll hurt yourself.”

“…Honestly, the more I think about it, the more I realize I really like gentle people like you. You know that, right?”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

I saw Woo Suyeon off as she jumped down from the bed and waved energetically.

Then, leaning against the doorway, I glanced over my shoulder toward Choi Siram’s room located directly opposite mine.

It had already been half a day since people presumed to be Choi Siram’s parents began rushing in and out after receiving urgent calls.

Meanwhile, every member of the team, including Park Suchang, gathered inside trying to reassure his worried parents.

Park Suchang especially looked so anxious that even watching him made me nervous.

“It’s ridiculous, really.”

The terrorist incident from two days ago had exploded across the news and caused outrage throughout every district.

As expected, the excuse that the terrorists acted out of poverty and oppression earned little sympathy.

Since it was a large-scale crime targeting the upper district and upper-class citizens, the National Security Bureau publicly announced stricter measures to ensure such an incident never happened again.

Naturally, public opinion toward refugees—which had already been poor—became even harsher.

‘…Well, they brought it upon themselves. What can anyone do about it?’

I switched off the television installed in the room and lay back down on the bed.

The news was clearly condemning the terrorists involved in the attack, yet somehow it still felt like I was the one being wounded.

It felt as though the entire world had turned its back on me.

Like wandering endlessly alone through a desert with no destination.

And in place of the tiny universe inside me that had collapsed remained only dry, barren land devoid of even a trace of moisture.

Bang—!

“Hey, refugee.”