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Join the ServerChapter 31
“The symptoms associated with demonic beast poisoning necessitate a hospital stay of at least three to four days for observation. In more severe cases, recovery can extend from a week to even three months.”
“And after all that, will they at least open their eyes right away?”
“We can only hope so. For now, waiting is our sole option. I understand your concern, young one, but every possible measure has already been implemented; attempting anything further would be futile.”
A heated discussion was unfolding at my bedside. Though the voices piercing my ears were familiar, the substance of their conversation was entirely new and bewildering.
‘Where am I?’
If this wasn’t another regression, as had happened before, then I must have survived the training grounds unscathed, and time had simply elapsed.
Even as consciousness slowly began to seep back in, my eyelids felt impossibly heavy, like a thousand-pound weight. A few more exchanges about my condition drifted in and out, followed by the definitive click of a closing door.
Click—
A brief silence was shattered by a clear, resonant voice.
“Class President, don’t fret so much. They’re saying there’s improvement, and thankfully, the emergency treatment was administered swiftly.”
“I should have stayed right by their side. That day, instead of fretting over something like being temporary Class President, I should have just…”
“Hold on, hold on. Stop! How is that your fault? Strictly speaking, the blame lies squarely with that deranged Esper.”
Han Seon-ho’s familiar voice, mingled with the clear, resonant tones that seemed to be soothing him, drifted back and forth. Given the context, it appeared I had been hospitalized.
I yearned to tell those who were fretting over me that I was already conscious, yet I found myself unable to even twitch a finger. My head felt muddled, and my stomach churned, as though my entire body had been thoroughly pummeled. As I struggled in silence, a torrent of conversation raged around me.
“Kang Yun, have you, by any chance, heard any news about that Esper?”
“Haa… It truly isn’t as simple as one might imagine.”
Han Seon-ho’s utterance of the other person’s name confirmed my suspicion: the owner of that clear, resonant voice was Kang Yun. With a low sigh, as if burdened by frustration, Kang Yun continued.
“I raised such a ruckus over this incident that my mother personally intervened, you see? But it appears the Central Center is now preventing the SAA from getting involved.”
“The Central Center?”
“Because he’s an Esper under their jurisdiction. They claim both tracking him down and his subsequent punishment fall under their purview.”
“What in the…”
“It’s utter, infuriating nonsense! After all the chaos he caused on campus, they just say what? ‘Who gave them permission to back off?’”
Was Kang Yun’s mother not a member of the SAA’s board of directors? For the board to step forward and investigate an incident that transpired on campus, only to be obstructed, suggested nothing short of ulterior motives. Kang Yun, too, muttered that the Central Center’s conduct was undeniably suspicious.
“Initially, my mother only intervened because she couldn’t bear my incessant pestering, but now she seems so incensed by those Central bastards that she’s apparently assembled her own investigation team.”
“Is it permissible for a director to take such action?”
“What’s to stop her? There was already palpable tension over those Central bastards arbitrarily altering the campus curriculum, but this incident has truly fanned the flames into a full-blown conflagration.”
Even if the SAA operated as a subsidiary under the Central Center’s management, it remained an educational institution, not a mere corporation. With the Central Center’s increasingly frequent arbitrary changes to class schedules and the assignment of teachers, the SAA had seemingly decided to push back.
“Crucially, both Park Hyeon-seo and Sogum were injured in this incident. And that other fellow, the Esper who subdued the demonic beast, too.”
“Yoon Geon-woo?”
“Right, Yoon Geon-woo. They said he’s a special management target, didn’t they? It makes sense now why the Central Center whisked him away immediately after the incident.”
“He’s S-class, isn’t he? He ranks among the top three Espers nationwide, so of course they took him. He’s not only incredibly rare but also stubbornly refuses guiding.”
“That’s true, but apparently, there’s another reason.”
Kang Yun lowered his voice, leaning in conspiratorially as if about to impart a profound secret.
“My mother mentioned that Yoon Geon-woo is actually at the Central Center…”
Zzzzzing—
Just as Kang Yun prepared to elaborate, a powerful vibrating sound erupted, abruptly cutting off their conversation.
“Class President, I need to take this call for a moment.”
Whether he received unspoken affirmation from Han Seon-ho, Kang Yun’s brisk footsteps quickly receded, suggesting he was hurrying off to attend to something.
“Haa…”
As Kang Yun closed the hospital room door behind him, Han Seon-ho’s profound sigh filled the silence. His long-time roommate, practically family, had been reduced to a living corpse overnight; his distress was only natural.
As if to soothe his troubled mind, Han Seon-ho instinctively brushed back my bangs, which had fallen across my forehead, a gesture born of long habit.
‘How refreshing…’
Han Seon-ho’s touch, as ever, was cool against my skin. Though it lasted but a fleeting moment, less than a minute, it brought a sensation of invigorating relief, as if my throbbing headache had simply evaporated.
While a simple touch to my head hardly constituted a cure, it did grant me the fleeting strength to lift my impossibly heavy eyelids.
“Ugh…”
It took a moment for my blurry vision to clear. Then, I saw Han Seon-ho, his hand pressed to his forehead, his face etched with profound worry.
“Sogum?”
When I let out a low groan, Han Seon-ho, startled, quickly rose and approached. I longed to offer him some reassurance, seeing the distress etched on his face, but my throat felt strangely constricted, rendering speech impossible.
“What’s wrong? Does your throat hurt? Just a moment, I’ll summon the medical staff.”
Despite my inability to utter a single word, Han Seon-ho immediately grasped my unspoken need. As he moved with purpose, Kang Yun, having just concluded his call, opened the hospital room door and stepped inside.
“Class President, my mother just called… Oh, what! Sogum, you’re awake?”
Kang Yun instantly sensed the shift in the room’s atmosphere and sprinted to the bedside where I lay.
“Sogum! Are you truly awake?”
Kang Yun approached me as Han Seon-ho helped me sit up, then held up a few fingers, waving them before my eyes.
“Do you recognize me? Sogum, look here, how many fingers am I holding up?”
“Haa…”
“One? That can’t be right. Look again.”
Kang Yun’s fiery red head bobbed back and forth before my eyes. Ignoring Kang Yun’s agitated movements, Han Seon-ho retrieved a glass of water from the nearby table and helped me take a refreshing sip.
“Kang Yun, settle down. You’re overwhelming them.”
“What, Class President? Are you Sogum’s mother?”
“Stop with the pointless chatter. Just fetch me a wet towel.”
As the summoned medical staff made their way, Han Seon-ho remained diligently at my side, tending to my needs. Kang Yun, too, assisted in my recovery. What true friends they were. A wave of gratitude washed over me, threatening to bring tears to my eyes that day.
****
The day I awoke in the hospital, it wasn’t long before a throng of five or six medical professionals, including an emergency responder who was a healing Esper, converged upon my room. At the time, I couldn’t help but wonder at such a large number of people.
I later learned that the peculiar incident on campus had captured widespread public attention. That explained why such a large contingent of medical staff and emergency responders had arrived en masse to assess my condition.
“Check vitals, and if there are no abnormalities, let’s proceed with a detailed examination. Emergency responders, please conduct separate ability tests afterward.”
Following a cursory check on my hospital bed, I was transferred, still reclined, to the specialized examination center. With the emergency responders and medical staff bustling about, all focused on diagnosing my condition, I had no choice but to comply with their instructions.
As the examination prolonged beyond anticipation, Han Seon-ho and Kang Yun, unable to miss any more classes, were compelled to return to school.
“Sogum, if anything happens, contact me. I’ll come right away. And Park Hyeon-seo regained consciousness the day after the accident and is currently receiving inpatient treatment, so don’t fret too much.”
“Got it, Sogum? Call me.”
Given the distance between the central medical facility where I was hospitalized and the SAA, frequent visits would prove challenging. Resolving to meet after my discharge, Han Seon-ho and Kang Yun imparted a few pieces of information they surmised I’d be curious about before taking their leave.
First, they informed me that Park Hyeon-seo’s condition was stable, largely due to the timely extraction of Ophedian’s venom. Although the wound had gaping severely from overly aggressive treatment, it was merely a superficial injury and posed no significant threat.
Nevertheless, due to his exposure to potent psychic abilities, he had received a doctor’s opinion stating that long-term outpatient care would be required even after his isolation treatment. It was a lengthy, detailed account, but upon learning of his safety, a profound sense of relief finally washed over me.
Furthermore, I was updated on Yoon Geon-woo. He was reportedly undergoing separate ability-related treatment under the Central Center’s care. However, lacking any specific details, I received no further information about his situation.
‘Is Yoon Geon-woo alright?’
I had no way of knowing what turmoil had unfolded after I lost consciousness. Between the matter concerning Esper Jung Eui-chan and the issues related to my regressions, it seemed most prudent to speak directly with Yoon Geon-woo, the individual at the heart of it all.
‘Should I try contacting him first?’
Of course, the thought immediately brought the realization that I didn’t possess Yoon Geon-woo’s contact information. While I could likely obtain it by asking Han Seon-ho or Kang Yun, it was clear he would dislike such an intrusion.
Having concluded that it would be better to speak with him face-to-face later, the most immediate task at hand was, naturally, to objectively grasp the situation.
[SAA NEWS] A-Class Demonic Beast Appears at Shooting Range, 3 Participating Students in Critical Condition
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