Chapter 89: You Don’t Remember?

As if he knew everything in Chaewon’s heart, Su-ha answered words that hadn’t even been spoken and strode out of the guiding room.

When they opened the door and stepped outside, Ye-seon, who was still in the training room, looked startled at the sight of them.

The cleanup was the management team’s job, but it seemed he had been waiting for Su-ha and Chaewon. Ye-seon’s widened eyes soon curved with a smile.

“Chaewon, are you okay?”

“Yes. I’m fine, but… Su-ha was just too worried…”

Chaewon’s face flushed slightly as he answered. Being a grown man and still held like a child in front of others was embarrassing. Su-ha, however, continued in a calm voice as if it didn’t bother him at all.

“It was only a temporary guiding measure, so he’s still experiencing severe dizziness. We plan to return to the dorm and finish the guiding there.”

“Hmm, should I bring a wheelchair?”

“I can just walk-!”

Even though he already knew the answer, Ye-seon made the suggestion, oddly wanting to tease the two of them. Chaewon stubbornly tried to respond, though it wouldn’t work anyway. But before he could even finish, Su-ha replied without the slightest embarrassment.

“No. I’ll just take him quickly. Let’s talk about training tomorrow.”

“Alright. Oh, and stop by the infirmary and treat the cuts on your hand.”

Chaewon looked down at his hands, wondering what that meant. Just as Ye-seon said, there were small cuts on the tips of a few fingers, dried blood crusted over them.

He didn’t even remember getting hurt, nor had he felt any pain. Su-ha, however, seemed to have known already, nodding lightly.

“We’ll be going.”

“Yeah. Chaewon, you did really well today. You worked hard. Get plenty of rest, and we’ll talk tomorrow.”

“…Yes. Thank you.”

At Ye-seon’s praise, Chaewon’s cheeks flushed again, this time for a different reason. His heart pounded just like when Su-ha had praised him earlier.

He had felt heavy-hearted, thinking he’d failed because he couldn’t hold out until the end, but hearing Su-ha and Ye-seon say that still felt comforting.

Still, it was hard to fully enjoy the praise while being held in someone’s arms. When his eyes met Eunho’s behind Ye-seon, who was organizing materials, Chaewon grew even more embarrassed and looked up at Su-ha pleadingly.

“Su-ha, please put me down. I’ll walk… and if I get too dizzy or tired, I’ll tell you. Okay?”

“…”

“I really will. If it’s hard, I’ll tell you.”

Su-ha pressed his lips into a straight line. Ye-seon knew exactly what that expression meant, he was very displeased.

“If you feel even a little dizzy while walking, tell me immediately.”

“Yes. I will.”

Worried Su-ha might actually carry him all the way back to the dorm, Chaewon nodded earnestly. Su-ha let out a small sigh before carefully setting him down.

He wanted to ignore Chaewon’s insistence that he was fine and just carry him anyway, but he couldn’t act on his own when Chaewon had said it so clearly.

“Are you okay?”

Even after putting him down, Su-ha bent slightly to meet his eyes, asking with concern. The warmth from Su-ha’s hand resting lightly on his shoulder seeped through. Touched by that delicate kindness, Chaewon smiled softly and nodded.

“I’m really okay. Really. If I’m not, I’ll tell you. Then you can carry me.”

Then you can carry me.

At those words, Su-ha was momentarily speechless. Ye-seon, listening nearby, was just as stunned. If it had been intentional, it was brilliant; if not, it was a terrible habit of phrasing.

Su-ha barely concealed his fluster and began carefully supporting Chaewon, one arm around his shoulders.

“Team Leader Woo, Eunho, and everyone from the management team, thank you for your hard work.”

“You did great too, Chaewon! Get lots of rest!”

Even in that moment, Chaewon didn’t forget to greet everyone. Eunho smiled brightly at him.

“Team Leader Joo had something to do and left earlier. I’ll pass along your thanks.”

It was Ye-seon who answered when Chaewon looked around for Gi-yoon.

“Ah, okay. Please tell him I said he worked very hard, and that I’ll personally thank him soon. And everyone, thank you so much.”

Chaewon bowed again. Even staff members who had never had a private conversation with him smiled back, bowing or telling him to take care.

Those small words of kindness warmed his heart. Without thinking, Chaewon turned to look at Su-ha. There was no particular intention, he simply wanted to share the happiness he felt in that moment, and naturally his gaze sought Su-ha.

At close distance, their eyes met.

Chaewon didn’t say anything, but Su-ha felt he understood what was in Chaewon’s heart.

Chaewon, who had once seemed to give up on all natural desires in life and rarely showed emotional waves, was slowly accepting this world. Seeing him begin to feel and rejoice in others’ kindness and affection, just a little, was unbearably lovable.

“You did really well today.”

Su-ha said it once more, even if Chaewon still couldn’t fully accept the words. Until the day Chaewon could genuinely receive and acknowledge them without awkwardness, Su-ha wanted to keep repeating them.

It was what Chaewon needed.

****

“Does it hurt?”

After gently seating Chaewon on the bed, Su-ha held both of his hands and carefully examined the tips. The ticklish sensation made Chaewon shrink his shoulders slightly.

“No. It doesn’t hurt at all. The wounds are already healed.”

On their way back to the dorm, they had stopped by the infirmary. Thanks to Ye-seon’s earlier measures, Chaewon was able to receive treatment immediately from a healer-type Esper.

Chaewon had felt apologetic, thinking the small cuts didn’t warrant such treatment, but the healer had laughed and said he was glad to meet the most famous Esper in the center these days.

Chaewon had taken it as a considerate joke meant to ease him and smiled back. But Su-ha was certain the words had been sincere.

He didn’t think it was necessary, yet he couldn’t help feeling irritated at how the healer kept touching Chaewon’s hands under the excuse of checking them. Of course, that was something only Su-ha knew.

“Last time you had burns, and today cuts… I’m more worried the side effects will get worse.”

“Mm…”

Su-ha’s expression was so serious that Chaewon couldn’t bring himself to say he was fine.

To be honest, Chaewon thought this was better than fainting.

The injuries weren’t fatal. The Esper he fought before had been around B-rank, and though Giyoon was S-rank, he hadn’t used his power fully today.

In harsher battles ahead, the wounds might be worse, but as long as they weren’t crippling, Chaewon felt he could endure them and keep fighting. Compared to dizziness or losing consciousness entirely, this seemed like a better side effect.

But he couldn’t say that aloud. The look on Su-ha’s face as he examined his healed fingertips seemed far more pained. For someone like Chaewon, who had grown used to enduring pain alone, it was unfamiliar. No one had been by his side when he’d suffered far worse.

“We’ll think of countermeasures gradually. For now, let’s resume the guiding.”

“Yes.”

Before Chaewon could sink deeper into his thoughts, Su-ha spoke. Even on the way back from the infirmary, Su-ha had continued brief guiding sessions, worried Chaewon’s condition might worsen, but those had only been emergency measures.

Su-ha straightened Chaewon on the bed and pulled the blanket up to his thighs. Then, as if struck by a thought, he paused. The air in the room shifted. When Chaewon looked at him curiously, Su-ha rose from the chair and sat on the edge of the bed, speaking carefully.

“Chaewon, you may not remember… but during the last battle, and today as well, we performed mucous membrane contact guiding.”

“Mucous membrane contact…”

Chaewon unconsciously repeated the unfamiliar term before trailing off. Of course, he knew what it meant.

Only then did he recall how, before fully regaining his senses today, he had been desperately clinging to someone. Though he remembered nothing of the first battle, once today’s memory surfaced, scenes that had seemed shrouded in fog began gradually coming back.

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