Chapter 87 – ​The ​Price ​of ​Misjudgment

The ​world ​is ​uncertain, ​but ​if you live and ​adapt ​somehow, there is ​always at least ​one ​thing ​you ​can ​be ​sure of. For ​Yoon ​Ki-hyun, ​that was his ​intuition.

It wasn’t that he ​blindly trusted ​formless emotions. ​He had ​simply accepted ​that ​its ​success rate was ​too high ​to ignore.

Strangely, he could ​feel Jeong Si-jun. Just ​as one feels a ​gaze, it ​was ​as if every sense in his ​body was screaming that ​Jeong ​Si-jun ​was ​there, ​beyond the gate ​that had ​been ​tediously silent.

As he ​ran ​frantically and arrived, a bizarre ​sound leaked ​out ​from beyond the ​form ​of ​the ​gate.

Screeeech…….

It ​sounded like ​a ​bird screaming, ​or like a piece of metal scraping ​against something. This ​grotesque sound was ​the unique sonic boom ​that occurred ​when a human ​emerged ​from a gate.

“…….”

“…….”

The ​moment someone stepped ​out unauthorized [unauthorized copy]copyvisit our siteEND: unauthorized copy -->from ​beyond ​the gate ​felt ​like an ​eternity.

When ​two people ​finally ​appeared, ​one was barely ​supporting ​another who ​was ​drenched ​in ​blood. Even that seemed to be a struggle, as he kept hoisting up the body that threatened to collapse onto the ground.

‘I can’t see his face clearly….’

Because the head was slumped, he couldn’t tell who it was. As Yoon Ki-hyun hesitated, the Esper providing support gave a definitive answer.

“It is Team Leader Jeong Si-jun.”

In that instant, the tension snapped.

‘He was alive.’

Yoon Ki-hyun felt a wave of relief and his fingers twitched. Since the condition looked severe even to the naked eye, he figured it was right for him to step back. He was just about to create some distance to make room for the medical staff.

“The wavelength, ugh, it’s not good, so….”

The Esper, who had been barely holding on, let out a groan and collapsed to the ground along with Jeong Si-jun.

“……!”

Yoon Ki-hyun hurriedly knelt down to check his condition. After carefully turning over the man whose face was buried in the dirt, he could finally see his face.

Though soaked in blood, the cleanly extended brow bone, the high bridge of the nose, and the mouth with its slightly curled, obnoxious corners were definitely the face of the man he had been waiting for.

Even before he could carefully touch the face drenched in thick blood and filth, a shiver ran through his entire body. Just by getting closer, he could tell the state of the wavelength being emitted was abnormal.

If there was any silver lining, it was that there were no signs of a pre-outbreak. However, there was no guarantee of what would happen if guiding didn’t start immediately.

Given the state of things, it would be difficult for the medical staff to begin proper treatment even if they approached. He tightened his trembling hands.

‘I have to start guiding first.’

The professor’s advice that he shouldn’t guide had long since vanished from his mind.

During the time Jeong Si-jun didn’t return, he had been plagued by terrible guilt. His mind was already consumed by the regret that he had driven the man into a death trap.

Yoon Ki-hyun carefully held the blood-stained face. Then, without hesitation, he pulled the wavelength toward him. Only then did the death-like Jeong Si-jun let out a pained groan.

“Kh-ugh….”

Whether his internal organs were damaged, blood finally surged back up. Panting, Yoon Ki-hyun adjusted his position to ensure Jeong Si-jun’s airway wasn’t blocked as he vomited blood onto the ground, and calmly continued the guiding.

“……ugh.”

Jeong Si-jun’s eyelids, which had been closed the entire time, flickered slowly. He had barely regained consciousness, but the excruciating pain made it feel like he was on the brink of death. Not to mention, his throat felt scorched, as if he had coughed up his heart or lungs.

Despite the mind-numbing pain, surprisingly, his breathing became easier every time the wavelength circulated.

Even though his body, which was little more than a rag, continued to spit out blood, the person stubbornly holding his cheek did not stop the guiding. He didn’t even need to deduce who the other person was.

The owner of the soft, warm hands cradling his face could only be Yoon Ki-hyun.

‘Why are his hands shaking?’

He couldn’t tell if he was scared because of his state or if he was struggling. He was simply stubbornly repeating the process of pulling the wavelength, purifying it, and returning it.

Unable to support himself, Jeong Si-jun lay on the ground and blinked. His pitch-black vision was gradually brightening.

How much time had passed?

Beyond the dark void, the face of a man with the light behind him began to reveal itself. A beauty, draped in the scattering evening glow like a veil, was frowning deeply.

‘……Why is he angry again?’

Though his focus was blurred from exhaustion, Yoon Ki-hyun clearly had an angry expression.

Perhaps he was angry because he was faced with a situation where he had to guide despite having a body that couldn’t.

If he had known this would happen, he should have done a background check sooner. Jeong Si-jun chewed on his regret.

Due to the accumulation of misunderstandings and his own terrible tactlessness, he had been excessively walking on eggshells around Yoon Ki-hyun since their reunion.

In truth, it was already overwhelming just to scheme various ways to win his favor. Since the other man loathed everything he did, just thinking about what kind of trick to play next made his head spin.

Furthermore, he thought that digging too deeply into the health condition, which Yoon Ki-hyun was sensitive about, would have the opposite effect.

Seeing the defensive attitude Yoon Ki-hyun maintained whenever he asked about his physical state, he couldn’t persistently pry.

He understood to some extent why he was sensitive about health, as there had [visit [visit our site]our siteRead on Read BL Novelsstyle="font-size:0;position:absolute;left:-9999px;">]been a long-term patient in his family. That was why he had actually tried to be more indifferent.

But if he had known beforehand, he wouldn’t have committed such foolish acts repeatedly.

Jeong Si-jun still wanted to take back the many slips of the tongue he had made to Yoon Ki-hyun.

Perhaps that was why, when he was left alone inside the gate, it weighed on his mind that he had left Yoon Ki-hyun alone outside. Even as he stoically accepted his own death, he was busy worrying about Yoon Ki-hyun.

By now, he should have been discharged from the hospital; what would Yoon Ki-hyun be doing? Perhaps he’d be sitting in a small room, occasionally looking up news related to the gate if he felt bothered.

And if he died like this, Yoon Ki-hyun might take the opportunity to leave with a relieved face.

He imagined many scenarios, but he could hardly imagine Yoon Ki-hyun worrying about him.

‘Fuck, Yoon Ki-hyun worrying about me? As if.’

Perhaps he wouldn’t have even left a message saying he arrived home. Yoon Ki-hyun found those things more tedious than expected.

Trivial small talk, personal messages starting with insignificant topics, even useless skinship.

Moreover, since the man was only aiming for the termination of their contract, there was a high possibility stolen contentstolen content -->stolen contenthe wouldn’t even spare him a glance, seeing this as the perfect opportunity.

But when he actually emerged from the gate, Yoon Ki-hyun was waiting. And with a very angry expression.

While feeling certain that he would faint soon, he saw Yoon Ki-hyun’s sneakers stained with the blood he had vomited.

He felt like he had seen a similar sight before. He couldn’t remember exactly when.

‘I should wipe it off….’

Jeong Si-jun tried to reach out but hesitated. His own hands, covered in wounds, were not clean enough to wipe away that blood.

Watching Jeong Si-jun’s gesture, Yoon Ki-hyun blinked.

The hesitating hand seemed to be reaching for his sneakers, ridiculously enough. In that moment, a forgotten memory resurfaced.

It was when he met Jeong Si-jun again in the city he had visited after deciding to commit suicide. Yoon Ki-hyun had asked while softly returning the wavelength.

“There’s something I’ve been really curious about for a long time.”

To a casual listener, the voice sounded calm. But only Jeong Si-jun, who was in contact with Yoon [stolen content[visit our site]style="font-size:0;position:absolu[visit our site]te;left:-9999px;">]Ki-hyun, could feel the subtle change.

Yoon Ki-hyun seemed to be anxious. Perhaps he was distressed, or perhaps he was angry.

He didn’t have the strength to answer, but he had to. The stubborn Yoon Ki-hyun hated it when someone younger than him acted out or behaved arrogantly.

“……Yes.”

“Don’t you know you’ll die if you don’t receive guiding?”

At the familiar question, Jeong Si-jun blinked slowly. He wondered where he had heard it before, and realized it was the exact same question as back then.

The moment he realized this, a weak laugh leaked out.

What is Yoon Ki-hyun thinking right now? With what thought is he sitting here, stubbornly guiding his wavelength?

After being momentarily lost in thought, Jeong Si-jun slowly parted his lips.

“I know. Who wouldn’t know that?”

“Then why did you go in?”

At the abrupt question, Jeong Si-jun only blinked.

Since when did he care, after being the one to send him into the gate?

Just as Jeong Si-jun was about to protest out of a sense of unfairness, Yoon Ki-hyun muttered as if grinding his teeth.

“I know you did a one-sided imprinting on me.”

For a moment, it felt as if his breath stopped.

Yoon Ki-hyun’s voice was trembling slightly. It was an interrogating tone, but it wasn’t an interrogation. He was worrying. And about none other than himself.

“……I can’t even give you proper guiding anymore.”

“……Hyung.”

“Why the hell did you crawl into the gate, why on earth. You crazy bastard.”

Water droplets fell onto a cheek covered in dried blood. stolen stolen contentcontentJeong Si-jun could only part his lips, unable to even breathe.

Right now, Yoon Ki-hyun was crying.