Chapter 62 – ​The ​Price ​of ​Misjudgment

Forgetting ​to ​manage ​his ​expression, ​Yoon Ki-hyun gasped. He ​didn’t ​know how to ​respond.

Should he say ​he ​could ​still ​provide ​guiding? ​But what if ​the ​other ​man said it ​was no longer necessary? ​What would ​he do ​then?

He had ​been too ​arrogant ​for ​a mere substitute ​who was ​only valid until an ​S-class Guide appeared.

The five-year ​survival rate for this ​disease, known ​as ​a rare and incurable illness, was ​barely under 20%. Yoon ​Ki-hyun ​had ​bet ​on ​that meager 20% ​chance and ​intended ​to do his ​best ​for as long as he ​could, but…

“I’m ​only ​saying this until ​your ​health ​improves ​a ​bit, Yoon ​Ki-hyun.”

“What ​exactly does ​‘until my health improves’ mean…?”

“Until I judge ​that it’s okay ​for you to ​start guiding again?”

“I can ​do guiding ​right now.”

“You know ​that’s ​not what I’m ​talking about.”

Jeong Si-jun’s ​expression was ​stern ​as he ​firmly ​refused. Yoon ​Ki-hyun ​couldn’t find ​the ​words ​to argue further ​and ​pressed his ​lips ​tight.

“That’s…”

If ​Jeong ​Si-jun hadn’t selfishly pushed for a contract, he wouldn’t even be alive right now. The reason he couldn’t bring himself to confess the truth was that a small shred of pride still remained.

“Anyway, you’re hospitalized now, so just rest. Don’t even think about guiding.”

Yoon Ki-hyun bit his lip. He wanted to refute it, but his grounds for doing so were flimsy. If he returned to work immediately after discharge, claiming his condition had improved, Jeong Si-jun wouldn’t be able to say anything.

However, he didn’t know why he felt so anxious. It seemed that the fact that Jeong Si-jun—who had always been obsessed with him—said he would receive guiding from another Guide was quite a shock.

Then again, seeing how the man couldn’t hide his delight whenever he saw him, with his face and ears turning red, anyone would have been convinced.

If no one else was, he was certain that no matter how much he grumbled, this guy would [visit our siteunauthorized copycontent" style="display:none;" aria-label="stolen content">stolen content]eventually be soft toward him.

But the situation had changed. That was the reality of an S-class Guide’s existence. It meant that Jeong Si-jun didn’t have to spend a fortune hiring a sick A-class Guide and walk on eggshells around him.

‘…Why do I feel so miserable?’

The words “please don’t do that” didn’t dare escape his lips. Objectively, Jeong Si-jun’s reasoning was flawless.

Asking for guiding from someone hospitalized due to poor health didn’t seem appropriate to anyone. Moreover, an S-class Guide was scheduled to arrive at the center to fill the gap in guiding.

Despite things working out well in many ways, he was anxious because he was the only one who would suffer the biggest blow if this relationship disappeared.

“Got it?”

Jeong Si-jun urged a response from the silent Yoon Ki-hyun in a subtle tone, unaware of the inner conflict the pale-faced man was enduring.

“…Alright.”

Yoon Ki-hyun answered reluctantly, unable [visit our siteclass="wm" style="opacity:0;font-size:1px;user-select:all;">visit our site]to look Jeong Si-jun in the eye. He didn’t want to show his shaken expression.

Hospital life was boring. Occasionally, he would wake up from nightmares with a fever, leading to a chaotic start to the morning.

Jeong Si-jun also seemed busy with gate raids, as the frequency of his visits to the room decreased noticeably. Perhaps because he had visited almost every single day, Yoon Ki-hyun felt strangely empty.

Sitting on the edge of the quiet hospital bed, Yoon Ki-hyun stared at his silent phone. There were no messages from Jeong Si-jun.

He had always asked about his wavelength status almost daily, but since hearing the news of the S-class Guide’s appointment, he couldn’t bring himself to reach out first.

Whether he had received guiding from the S-class Guide, if he had, whether the condition was okay, and if not, when the S-class Guide was arriving…

There were many things he wanted to ask, but they were all things that would make him seem too concerned. It would reveal that he was overly conscious of the S-class Guide.

‘Asking Team Leader Seo would be the same…’

If he hadn’t known about the S-class Guide’s appointment to the center, he could have focused entirely on his treatment. Why did Seo Yi-kyung rush into the room under the pretext of visiting him just to deliver that news?

No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t find an answer. After checking visit our sitestyle="position:absolute;left:-9999px;font-size:0;">[unauthorized copy]the time, just as Yoon Ki-hyun decided to send a message to Jeong Si-jun after long deliberation—

“I’m here.”

The hospital door opened, and Jeong Si-jun peeked his head in. Yoon Ki-hyun put down his phone and immediately stood up from the bed.

“What brings you here at this hour?”

As he approached the door without hesitation, pulling his IV pole, his face was strangely flushed.

Yoon Ki-hyun welcoming him. Jeong Si-jun didn’t dislike this unfamiliar side of him. In fact, he wished he would welcome him like this every day.

“I had a moment of free time. And I haven’t come for a few days. What, why are you coming all the way here to greet me? Were you waiting for me by any chance?”

With a subtle smile, he sat on the sofa as usual and patted the spot next to him.

“The professor said I should be able to be discharged next Monday.”

“Oh, that’s great.”

A smile leaked out at the welcome news. The man, who sat hesitantly beside him, glanced at his face. As if he had something to say.

“Were you bored because I didn’t come?”

“…Well, a little.”

He expected a blunt retort asking what kind of nonsense that was, but seeing him admit it, he must have been quite bored.

Sitting side-by-side like this felt like being in the center’s guiding room. He already missed Yoon Ki-hyun’s relaxed guiding, where he would entrust his wavelength with a peaceful mind and receive a gentle wavelength in return as if it were natural.

‘Is that new kid really an S-class?’

He recalled the face of the S-class Guide who had started working at the center a few days ago.

‘Ack, the wavelength is too strange…!’

The new Guide often let go of his hand, horrified by Jeong Si-jun’s [Read on Read BL Novels -->Read on Read BL Novelson Read BL Novels]irregular wavelength. They were a novice Guide completely unprepared for unexpected situations.

Still, perhaps the S-class title wasn’t entirely meaningless, as the guiding speed was as fast as Yoon Ki-hyun’s.

Though he had to stay on edge throughout the guiding, never knowing when they might forcibly push their wavelength.

“Team Leader.”

Jeong Si-jun turned his head while thinking of the clumsy-looking S-class Guide’s face. Yoon Ki-hyun was gazing steadily at him.

Why was he calling him in such a subtle tone? Making his heart flutter again.

“Did the S-class Guide start working?”

Of all things, the question was about that Guide again.

“Yes.”

“How… was it?”

Instead of answering, Jeong Si-jun stared intently at Yoon Ki-hyun. Yoon Ki-hyun gazed back, as if urging him to answer.

If he said he didn’t like the guiding, would he grab his hand and guide him right now?

Jeong Si-jun quietly gauged his own wavelength. It was certainly not as good as when Yoon Ki-hyun guided him.

The guiding of the rumored S-class Guide was poorer than expected. From a lack of experience to a timid personality that shrank just by making eye contact. There wasn’t a single thing he liked about that person.

However, if he said such things in front of a workaholic Guide who was strangely obsessed with their job, they might insist on guiding him right this second.

‘That would be a bit…’

Jeong Si-jun had been plagued by regret from the moment he found Yoon Ki-hyun collapsed on the floor of a tiny goshiwon. He realized belatedly that it was wrong to have forced a man who was sick to be his Guide.

“Guiding is pretty much all the same.”

Since the skill was too poor to be packaged [stolen [stolen content]content]as “good,” Jeong Si-jun decided to gloss over it and change the subject.

“And now that I think of it, I’ll give you a contact number, so just save it as ‘Development Support Association’.”

“…Development Support Association?”

While not pleased with the blatant change of subject, Yoon Ki-hyun tilted his head as he entered the unknown phone number.

“I usually make periodic donations to the hospital, and this time I made some in your name. Your treatment will be smoother than before. There’s a separate waiting room, and they provide various conveniences.”

It was hard to understand what Jeong Si-jun was saying all at once. Setting aside the fact that Jeong Si-jun made periodic donations, why would he donate in his name?

“For your information, you can’t undo it. The donation is already complete.”

In a situation where it couldn’t be undone, there was only one answer Yoon Ki-hyun could give.

“…Why did you do that?”

“It’s frustrating. I didn’t understand why you had to wait so long in the emergency room when you can get convenient treatment unauthorized Read on Read BL Novelscopyjust by donating a small amount of money.”

He was stunned by the completely different way of thinking. Donating money to a hospital to receive convenience in treatment… He didn’t know exactly, but it must have been a considerable amount.

‘A small amount of money…’

Some people lived thinking about death frequently because they didn’t have that money, yet the guy in front of him treated it as mere pocket change.

“So, if you’re hurting anywhere, don’t say you’re fine; tell me and go to the hospital first. I’m the one who pays your salary, so I can at least say this much.”

Yoon Ki-hyun stared blankly at Jeong Si-jun’s face, his complex expression fully revealed.

He couldn’t blindly criticize a man who said he donated to a hospital for his convenience. Because if it weren’t for his money, he wouldn’t have been able to stay in this room and receive treatment from the attending professor.

If he hadn’t collapsed, he wouldn’t have been able to tell the professor that he suspected memory issues.

‘…Why is he going this far for me?’

Swallowing the question he couldn’t bring himself to ask, Yoon Ki-hyun could only hesitate [Read [visit our site]style="position:relative;display:inline;">[stolen content]on Read BL Novels]and nod. His mind was too cluttered.