Chapter 6: Unexpected Encounters and Lingering Illness

Chapter 6

“Could you open the door for a moment? I left something behind.”

Realizing I’d forgotten my belongings, I immediately turned back to the Blue Dorm and loitered outside Room 714. And I mean for quite a while.

Of course, I didn’t just stand there idly; I knocked on the door and even called out his name. While I possessed a key, granting me free access, I imagined Yoon Geon-woo’s patience would surely wear thin if I were to barge in uninvited a second time.

Thwack—

Only after a considerable wait, a gap in the door opened carelessly, and my bag was flung out. The problem was, that wasn’t even everything. I called out to him once more, but it was no use.

“Yoon Geon-woo, can’t I just go in and get it myself?”

Feeling the hot air seeping through the door crack just as before, I knew I had to stop calling out to him. If I provoked him any further, his contamination level would surely rise again.

Even so, I reiterated my plea towards the door of Room 714.

“Alright, alright. I’m going, I’m leaving…. But you, absolutely do *not* use your abilities!”

I threatened that if he did, I’d storm right back in, but no sound emerged from within.

Where on earth did that guy get such a temper? Suppressing my tangled nerves, I picked up the discarded bag. Simultaneously, I heard a rattling sound.

‘Oh… no…. Please no.’

It was a dreadful premonition, and sure enough, upon inspecting the bag’s interior, my fears were confirmed.

The small photo frame, the only item I always carried with me, was shattered into countless pieces. Even the few clothes I owned were utterly ruined, embedded with shards of glass.

“…Ugh.”

Perhaps my hasty rummaging had been the cause. A shard of broken glass sliced my fingertip, drawing a bead of blood. My spirits plummeted in the face of such a mess, but thankfully, the photograph inside remained intact.

While I inexplicably resented Yoon Geon-woo, I also desperately wanted to understand why he so vehemently refused guiding.

‘That jerk. After I went out of my way to help him.’

But what could I do? The one who needs something always has to concede. Bearing this negative outcome, I returned and subsequently fell ill for a full four days.

At the time, I thought I was fine, so what could have gone wrong?

Was it because Yoon Geon-woo was an S-class Esper with a high contamination level? Or perhaps my contact guiding through the mouth was clumsy? Or maybe, just maybe, it was because I had forcibly initiated an unconsented guiding session.

‘Could it be all of the above….’

Though my questions remained unanswered, a lingering sense of reluctance prevented me from unpacking my bags even after returning to the Red Dorm, where I originally resided.

In the interim, the fleeting winter break drew to a close.

****

Beep—

37.4℃. The red digits flickered on the digital thermometer.

Good, this is a normal temperature.

“Your fever has almost gone down. How are you feeling otherwise?”

This was the third time in as many days that I had received medication from the SAA infirmary. I promptly answered the school nurse, who inquired about my condition.

Strictly speaking, they weren’t just any school nurse; they were medical personnel specialized in abilities, dispatched from the central office.

“My headache is mostly gone now, but my throat still aches a little.”

“Right, your head… and throat.”

Muttering to themselves, as if my meager answer was sufficient, the school nurse swiftly filled out the chart.

The prescription chart, which automatically registered all monthly physical examination results from the SAA, immediately reflected every detail of my medical history. Consequently, not only my current diagnosis and prescribed medications, but also physical metrics like muscle strength and body water content, were meticulously recorded.

I glanced sideways as the school nurse handed me my portion of the medication.

“I’ll give you three days’ worth of medicine. You should take it three times a day, after meals. The red one here is for drowsiness, so take that in the evening.”

“Thank you…. And… what about my face?”

Upon my inquiry about my face, the school nurse examined my injuries with a worried expression.

When I was thrown by Yoon Geon-woo, I’d essentially ‘face-planted,’ causing the inside of my upper lip to tear and swell from colliding with my teeth. Though he certainly hadn’t intended it, the pain that flared whenever I spoke or ate was an absolute torment.

Moreover, the bruises weren’t limited to my face. For a brief moment, Yoon Geon-woo had gripped me by the collar, leaving behind an unsightly array of reddish-purple marks that traced the imprint of his fingers.

Suffering from a high fever or these minor injuries usually wouldn’t bother me much. However, coupled with my generally poor physical state, they felt disproportionately severe.

“Let’s see. The swelling has mostly subsided, so just keep applying the ointment I prescribed earlier.”

“Thank you.”

As I replied, gently pressing on my injured areas, the school nurse cautiously posed a question.

“Sogum, is someone bullying you, by any chance?”

“Pardon?”

“If it’s difficult to talk about, you can always write it down for me.”

I didn’t need many words to understand the misunderstanding forming in the gentle-faced school nurse’s mind. My injuries were peculiar, and they had likely just reviewed the few lines of personal information in my chart.

I wondered where to even begin clearing up this misconception, but no plausible excuse came to mind.

‘That I forcibly guided an ailing Yoon Geon-woo, only to be choked and thrown out….’

No, that wouldn’t do. Sometimes, silence yields a better outcome. I dismissed the explanation that had sprung to mind and simply shook my head.

“No, it’s nothing like that.”

I tried my best to smile brightly, as if it were nothing, but for some reason, the school nurse’s expression deepened with worry. Fearing I might be detained and interrogated about the past incident, I hastily rose from my seat.

‘From now on… I should only come here when I’m truly sick.’

The nurse advised that my condition would need further monitoring. After bowing in response to their request for me to visit occasionally, I felt a burden lift and finally stood up.

Creak—

Just as I was about to leave, clutching the snacks and prescription the nurse had given me, a student, a head taller than most, opened the infirmary door and stepped inside.

Seeing that his uniform was navy blue, he must have been from the Esper class. Because I was standing by the door, he urgently collided with my shoulder, causing my body, weakened from days of illness, to sway helplessly.

“Ah!”

It was the moment I squeezed my eyes shut, thinking I was about to fall again. With a dry, almost gasping cry, the tall Esper pulled my body towards him. For some reason, he found it amusing and laughed aloud.

“Gotcha.”

When I cautiously squinted my eyes open, I was half-trapped in his embrace. A refreshing, almost breezy scent emanated from him, potent enough to instantly clear my foggy mind.

[Matching Rate 91%]

[Contamination Level 26%]

I was so startled that, before I could even properly look at his face, I inadvertently used a suspicious ability.

A matching rate that felt familiar. And a body scent that I knew.

When I lifted my head to confirm the face of the Esper who held me, a flash of recognition and welcome made me unconsciously murmur his name.

“Jin Ian Esper.”

A-class Esper Jin Ian. Matching rate 91%.

He was the Esper with whom I had formed a temporary pair before my regression. Though it was an encounter that only happened after Yoon Geon-woo had unilaterally terminated our agreement.

‘Wow… he’s just like before.’

Jin Ian’s clear-cut features, light-pigmented hair, and eyes made him strikingly handsome even among other Espers. Of course, his towering height and slightly rebellious demeanor also drew attention.

“Huh? You know me?”

Of course, I knew him. We had a good relationship, too.

However, having returned to the past, I couldn’t speak of a connection that only I remembered, could I? Even if Jin Ian and I had formed a temporary pair and built a cooperative relationship last time, the person before me wouldn’t know me.

“…Your name is written here.”

“Ah, you saw my name tag.”

My mouth felt bitter, but I decided to feign ignorance for now. As I pointed to the three characters of his name on his uniform, Jin Ian nodded in understanding.

‘How long are we going to stay like this?’

As the time spent in Jin Ian’s arms lengthened, I felt the nurse’s gaze piercing the back of my head. Even I had to admit, two dark-haired guys hugging affectionately in front of the infirmary door probably wasn’t a pleasant sight.

I wiggled, signaling him to let me go, but Jin Ian merely looked down at me with a peculiar expression, seemingly with no intention of releasing me.

“Um… I really have to go.”

“Oh? Sorry!”

When I patted his shoulder, he startled and released me. He apologized repeatedly, making me feel even more awkward, so I quickly made my escape.

Returning to my room with my hands full of snacks and the prescription, I found a mountain of luggage that hadn’t been there that morning, now occupying one corner of the room.

Well, the owner was obvious.

Sure enough, with a cheerful hum and a forceful push, the one who emerged from the bathroom opened their arms towards me.

“Your big bro is back, Sogum!”

The winter break had ended, and my Red Dorm roommate, who had been away for a while, had returned.

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