Chapter 51: Stay By My Side

As So-won gradually grew weary from the continuous guiding, his eyes fell on the machine next to the bed.

It was the same graph he had seen during the mid-check.

The line on the screen was slowly dropping, indicating that Tae-woo’s readings were improving.

It seemed like his condition was getting better, but why hadn’t Tae-woo regained consciousness yet?

So-won turned, intending to ask if the sedative they’d given him could have been wrong—but there was no one there.

The isolation room was completely empty.

He paused for a moment, startled, but quickly calmed down.

It seemed they had cleared the room so he could guide comfortably—and it was probably the attending doctor’s consideration.

Then, he felt a faint movement from the hand gripping Tae-woo’s arm.

So-won leaned closer, and slowly, Tae-woo’s eyes fluttered open.

“Tae-woo!”

“S-So-won…?”

So-won, who had been wearing a worried frown the entire time, finally brightened and called to him.

Tae-woo weakly tried to reach his throbbing head, only to realize he was restrained and couldn’t move properly.

So-won noticed it too, leaping to his feet in a rush.

“Wait!

I’ll go ask them to release you!”

“…So-won…”

Tae-woo quietly called his name.

So-won froze.

“Wait… stay by my side.”

Hesitant, So-won quietly sat back down beside him.

He tried not to show it, but he was flustered.

Tae-woo had never said anything like that before, and So-won didn’t know how to respond.

Gently, So-won brushed Tae-woo’s cheek.

The taut muscles seemed slightly relaxed compared to before, as if the pain had eased a little.

“Does it… hurt a lot?”

“It doesn’t hurt when you’re beside me,” Tae-woo said, closing his eyes again.

So-won had a thousand questions and things he wanted to ask, but noticing the faint exhaustion etched across Tae-woo’s face, he remained silent.

Instead, he leaned down and kissed him.

Tae-woo’s lips felt soft against his; he briefly opened his eyes at the touch, then closed them again.

“Mm…”

Unlike the guiding kisses he had given while Tae-woo was unconscious, this one was gentle.

Their lips met, and it warmed them both inside.

Their breaths mingled, a subtle exchange of energies flowing softly between them.

So-won lingered, pressing their lips together, then let their tongues meet.

A wave of heat, indistinct yet powerful, flowed between them.

“Mm… haa…”

A moan escaped So-won’s throat.

Breathing felt awkward, and his movements became increasingly clumsy with urgency.

Yet the warmth and the soft brushing of their lips were comforting.

“Ah!”

When So-won lightly bit Tae-woo’s lips, Tae-woo twisted and entwined his tongue fiercely with his.

Startled by the sudden intensity, So-won’s closed eyes trembled, and he tilted his head back slightly.

Tae-woo’s hand twitched.

The longer the guiding lasted, the more he wanted to deepen the kiss with So-won.

The same intense thirst So-won had felt during their first guiding session returned with a vengeance.

It wasn’t enough.

He needed more.

More, more.

Tae-woo lifted his hand to pull So-won’s head closer.

Crack!

But something caught, accompanied by an odd noise.

Their lips separated, and both of them looked down.

The device restraining Tae-woo had broken, dangling loosely.

“Oh.”

Their eyes met, and So-won couldn’t help but laugh.

***

The attending doctor, watching So-won guide, checked the readings on the energy machine.

Not rapidly, but steadily, the numbers were improving.

At this rate, Tae-woo would regain full consciousness within an hour.

And it would be better for him to open his eyes not amidst chaos, but with So-won alone beside him.

“W-w-we’ll step out for a moment,” the doctor said.

Tae-woo lay in a dreadful state while So-won guided desperately beside him.

Anyone seeing this for the first time would have been horrified.

The doctor, familiar with this, calmly led the others out of the isolation room.

With a heavy thud, the isolation room door closed.

Silence fell.

The doctor checked the tablet in his hand and nodded.

Since the energy readings were being transmitted in real time, they could wait outside and enter when Tae-woo regained consciousness to release the restraints.

“Uh…”

A staff member called the doctor, who had been monitoring the stabilizing readings.

The doctor looked up, and the staff wore a slightly uneasy expression.

“Should we… turn off the isolation room CCTV?”

“Oh…”

The doctor’s brow furrowed deeply.

Even he had to seriously consider this.

For a long moment, the two of them conferred in silence.

***

When the attending doctor finally entered the isolation room, he checked Tae-woo’s condition.

He had planned to enter as Tae-woo regained consciousness but had been slightly delayed.

The energy readings on the tablet were stabilizing more rapidly, and he had to discuss with the staff whether they really should turn off the CCTV.

Thankfully, So-won had peeked out and informed him that Tae-woo was awake, letting the doctor enter with relief.

“At this rate, he won’t go berserk—even if he loses control over the strength, nothing will break.

You can release him now.”

The doctor glanced at the broken restraint and made the call.

The Espers finally removed the devices holding Tae-woo.

As he slowly rose, several guiding machines fell from his body, revealing his condition.

The Espers instinctively frowned and stepped back.

“Tae-woo, are you okay to stand?”

So-won asked with concern.

He could still see the veins pulsing.

The dark, swollen vessels hadn’t fully settled, so another round of guiding might be necessary.

But Tae-woo casually removed the remaining devices from his body.

“Yes.

I’m fine.”

With all the cumbersome wires gone, Tae-woo’s state was severe.

His veins, blackened and swollen, had overtaken his skin, making it hard to see his natural complexion.

Seeing the large pulsating area near his heart, So-won’s expression grew even more worried.

“It’s better if we move to another room first.”

So-won considered for a moment, then nodded.

He wanted to guide Tae-woo a little longer, but the isolation room was freezing.

Outside, the heat hadn’t fully receded, but inside it felt like winter had arrived alone.

A chill swept over him, making him shiver.

He hadn’t noticed it while guiding Tae-woo, but Tae-woo’s skin had turned icy cold.

A staff member who had stepped out returned with Tae-woo’s clothes in hand.

They hesitated upon seeing him, then handed the clothes to So-won, who gave them to Tae-woo.

Next, the attending doctor approached So-won with something.

“So-won, take this.”

“What is this?”

“It’s an emergency call device.

Tae-woo’s condition has stabilized, so nothing should go wrong—but if anything happens, press the button.”

So-won hesitated.

Would armed Espers rush in like last time if he pressed it?

The doctor noticed and asked, “Is there a problem?”

So-won shook his head and reluctantly took it.

He had no intention of using it unless Tae-woo’s condition truly worsened.

While So-won spoke with the doctor, Tae-woo, now fully dressed, approached.

The blackened veins under his eyes and the pulsating veins on his hands still showed his current condition.

Driving home in this state would be impossible.

“Tae-woo, let’s rest in the private room first.”

So-won spoke before Tae-woo could suggest going home.

Overwhelmed, he simply nodded.

As they moved to the private room, a staff member stopped So-won.

“We’ve temporarily blocked the elevator on this floor so you can move comfortably.”

So-won was slightly surprised but nodded.

Given Tae-woo’s visible worsening condition, it was a relief they wouldn’t run into anyone on the way.

After a final farewell to the doctor, he headed to the private room with peace of mind.

Upon entering, the room felt stuffy despite only a few days of vacancy.

So-won seated Tae-woo on the bed and quickly opened the window.

Cool night air swept in, refreshing his chest.

So-won stood by the window, gazing out at the road.

The rush hour had passed, but cars were still moving busily.

He realized he’d been lost in thought, and the weight of a gaze beside him brought him back.

Now was definitely not the time to leisurely admire the night view.