Chapter 49 – The Price of Misjudgment
He no longer reacted sensitively to Jeong Si-jun’s schemes. Regardless of his ulterior motives, he was grateful for the desire to help, and based on his experience, he found it quite commendable that Si-jun hadn’t brought up money first.
While guiding Jeong Si-jun’s non-critical wavelength, Yoon Ki-hyun let the overly relaxed and peaceful atmosphere drift by.
He didn’t know what the future held, but for now, he just wanted to linger a bit longer. Even if his nonchalant attitude looked to others as if he were giving Jeong Si-jun an opening or testing the waters.
Just as they had been holding hands for so long that the guiding felt meaningless, a ringing bell shattered the peace, echoing through the guiding room. The source of the sound was Jeong Si-jun’s phone.
As Yoon Ki-hyun tactfully ended the guiding and let go of his hand, Jeong Si-jun checked his phone. His brow furrowed deeply, and the color began to drain from his face the moment he answered the call.
“……Huh?”
There was no “Hello” or polite inquiry about what was happening. After listening to the one-sided business delivered by the person on the other end, Jeong Si-jun stood frozen, as if fallen into a state of panic.
—……Get to the hospital right now, you brat!
The call cut off abruptly following a shout that sounded somewhere between a scream and a desperate cry. Sensing something was wrong, Yoon Ki-hyun cautiously spoke up.
“What happened?”
As if only then snapping back to his senses, a vacant-eyed Jeong Si-jun stammered an answer.
“The hospital… I think I have to go to the hospital.”
“Who? You, Team Leader Jeong?”
Since he had no inkling of what was going on, he asked back blankly. Jeong Si-jun shoved his phone into his pocket and grabbed the top he had carelessly cast aside.
“My mother. They said she’s sick. That she’s in critical condition.”
His voice, trembling like a lost child, sounded precarious.
Come to think of it, Si-jun had once mentioned that he had someone around him fighting an illness and [Read on Read BL Novels]Read on Read BL Novels -->that hospital bills were expensive. He had vaguely assumed it was a friend or some other relative, but it had been his mother.
“I have to go. To the hospital. Right now.”
The way he repeated his destination and what he had to do, like a broken machine, was unsettling.
‘I can’t let him go like this.’
Seeing him in such a fluster, worry took precedence. He wanted to drive him instead, but he didn’t have a driver’s license. Then again, taking a taxi together to the hospital seemed not only intrusive but a bit excessive.
“Where’s my phone, damn it.”
Jeong Si-jun was frantically searching for his phone while still holding his top. It meant he was so distraught that he had forgotten he had just shoved it into his pocket.
Fearing that Jeong Si-jun would bolt if he hesitated, Yoon Ki-hyun grabbed his hand first.
“Si-jun.”
At the sound of his name, Jeong Si-jun’s tremors gradually subsided. When Ki-hyun squeezed his hand firmly as if telling him to calm down, only then did Jeong Si-jun let out a sound that was somewhere between a response and a sob.
“……Yes.”
His voice, usually busy chattering, was heavily suppressed.
“Just in case, take a taxi to the hospital. And if I remember correctly, the deputy team leader of Special Team 2 was Esper Kim Cha-min, right?”
For a moment, Jeong Si-jun’s eyebrows twitched. Why was he suddenly asking about the deputy team leader?
A brief question crossed his mind, but the thought didn’t last long. His mind was already consumed by the need to get to the hospital.
As Jeong Si-jun nodded, Yoon Ki-hyun continued his question.
“The deputy team leader knows your center ID and password, right?”
“……Yes. I gave them to him, but why?”
Because he was in a hurry and Ki-hyun was throwing out inexplicable questions, [visit our site]his tone naturally became sharp. He wondered what on earth this man was doing, holding back someone who was currently in a rush.
“I’ll tell the deputy team leader to submit a half-day leave request using your ID. Go now. I’ll clock out on my own when I have time. Your wavelength is fine, too. I had my doubts, but it’s a relief.”
Jeong Si-jun stared blankly down at the white hand slowly releasing his wrist.
He was stunned that Ki-hyun had even checked his wavelength in the meantime. While his own mind had gone blank, leaving him unable to do anything.
Are all older people like this?
Looking into Yoon Ki-hyun’s eyes, who was staring up at him as if the business was concluded, Jeong Si-jun stammered.
“Um, if maybe…….”
There were so many things he wanted to say, but the urgency of getting to the hospital prevented him from continuing. Yoon Ki-hyun, seemingly noticing his state of mind, shook his head.
“If it’s not something urgent, call me when you have a moment at the hospital. Just get there first, quickly.”
The firm words snapped him awake. Yoon Ki-hyun even opened the door and pushed Jeong Si-jun out.
It was a mystery how such strength came from a man who would feel pain just from holding hands if he forgot to control his strength for a moment.
Only after being pushed out of the guiding room did Jeong Si-jun take a small, deep breath. He was finally able to finish a proper sentence.
“I’ll be back.”
Instead of an answer, Yoon Ki-hyun gave a nod. Then, he added a nagging reminder as if to ensure he didn’t forget.
“Take a taxi. Don’t drive. Got it?”
He couldn’t express how grateful he was for the nagging over such a trivial matter.
He must be worried that, in his current state of mind, he might get into an accident if he took the wheel. To think that Yoon Ki-hyun, who had never shown interest in anything he did, would actually worry about him.
Jeong Si-jun nodded in agreement and immediately bolted down the hallway.
He had run down the center hallways like this many times after receiving news from the hospital, but Yoon Ki-hyun was [unauthorized [stolen content][stolen content]copy]the first person to tell him to take a taxi.
After hurriedly climbing into a taxi and shouting the name of the hospital, Jeong Si-jun closed his eyes tightly while watching the scenery pass slowly outside.
If it hadn’t been for Yoon Ki-hyun’s advice, he felt he would have crashed into several cars by now.
It had already been two years since he first heard the cliché phrase to “prepare himself mentally.”
When he first heard those words, it felt as if the world were ending, but since he heard them once every few months, he seemed to be developing a tolerance.
That didn’t mean he didn’t panic when he heard them.
“Fuck, just how many years do they want me to keep doing this goddamn preparing? My mom isn’t the type to lose easily to things like this.”
Arriving at the family lounge where the guardians gathered, Jeong Si-jun kicked the sofa and huffed. Following Yoon Ki-hyun’s advice, he had arrived by taxi, and there were only two of them in the family lounge.
“Hey.”
The second son, Jung Si-taek, who had delivered stolen contentstyle="position:absolute;left:-9999px;font-size:0;">[visit our site]the medical staff’s news to Jeong Si-jun first, and Jeong Si-jun himself.
Their father was in front of their mother’s room. The eldest, Jung Si-ho, was still on an overseas business trip. He had left a message, but it would take some time for him to return to the country.
“Those bastards, how much money have they taken from us, yet they just keep mumbling the same things over and over. Fuck.”
“Jeong Si-jun.”
“What! Doesn’t it piss you off, brother?”
“It does. But what changes if you throw a fit like this? Does Mother suddenly get better and stand up? Or does the illness just vanish instantly?”
Jung Si-taek was leaning obliquely against the wall with his arms crossed. He was dressed in a full three-piece suit, likely having come straight from work. What kind of thug worked while wearing a suit?
“In my opinion, that’s your problem. You have absolutely zero empathy. You’re just analytical, cold, and have no blood or tears.”
“…….”
“Whenever something happens, you act all strict and serious under the guise of analyzing it. Fuck, that’s why your copy">unauthorized copylovers get sick of you and run away. If I were them, I wouldn’t date you either because it’s fucking annoying.”
“Why is that coming up now?”
Jung Si-taek murmured softly. Though he didn’t frown, his glaring eyes were enough to show his displeasure.
Though not an Esper, as the second son who inherited the family’s thug business, his bloodlust was formidable. In fact, it was Jung Si-taek who had properly taught the awakened Esper, Jeong Si-jun, how to use his body.
Since memories of Si-taek’s strict discipline and his profound contribution to his personality since childhood were deeply etched in his mind, Jeong Si-jun let out a small sigh.
“The hospital told me to keep my temper down. Is that how you taught me?”
“Didn’t I tell you to just beat the shit out of anyone who pisses you off?”
It was a headache dealing with a brother who only remembered one thing when taught two. However, Jung Si-taek decided to endure his younger brother’s tantrum and point-by-point rebuttals a bit longer. This was because he knew that such reckless outbursts were simply the boy’s way of expressing anxiety.
“I’ve learned nothing but weird things from you since I was a kid, so it’s already infuriating that I’m starting with a negative score.”
Perched on the armrest of the sofa, Jeong Si-jun ruffled his hair and tilted his head back.
His broad chest swelled greatly before he let out a long sigh. It was a sign that he had entered the stage of moderately composing his emotions.
Jung Si-taek looked at his rude younger brother and asked.
“Who are you starting with a negative score with? That personal Guide you said you hired recently?”
“Are you digging into my background?”
Seeing the reaction be sharper than usual, it seemed there had been no progress with the Guide.
Jung Si-taek looked at his brother with pitying eyes. This pathetic brat…….
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