Park Hae-jun wiped the sweat from his forehead as he boarded the bus. Trot music was playing on the bus, and all the passengers were elderly men and women. It seemed he was the only one in a hurry.
When the bus arrived at the busy district, it was 7:37 PM.
‘This is driving me crazy.’ Park Hae-jun hurried to the taxi stand. Fortunately, he was able to get a taxi right away.
8:05 PM. Park Hae-jun arrived at the bus stop where he had caught the bus to Seoul.
8:09 PM. Park Hae-jun got off halfway up the mountain path leading to the safe house. The taxi driver refused to go any further, saying it would be difficult to turn the car around if they went deeper.
Park Hae-jun ran toward the safe house. He felt like a parent returning home after leaving a child alone. While traveling in the car, he kept imagining Lee A-gon playing with fire and setting the house ablaze, or cutting himself on broken glass and dying from blood loss. Even though Lee A-gon had never shown any interest in fire.
Park Hae-jun covered the distance that had taken nearly an hour going downhill in just 33 minutes going uphill. Upon arriving at the safe house, he frantically tried to unlock the door but dropped the keys. Cursing himself, he opened the front door and froze at the scene before him.
Lee A-gon wasn’t playing with fire. He hadn’t cut his hands on glass.
It was worse. Lee A-gon was lying in the middle of the living room, foaming at the mouth and convulsing. Next to him was a bag with white powder residue.
“Lee A-gon!”
Park Hae-jun ran over without even properly taking off his shoes. He rubbed Lee A-gon’s face, whose eyes had rolled back, with trembling hands, then suddenly lifted his head. It occurred to him that he needed to call an ambulance.
Park Hae-jun looked for his phone. It was already ringing, and Secretary Yang’s name was on the screen.
—Mr. Park Hae-jun? Why aren’t you answering the phone? I was worried something happened, so I contacted your cell phone.
“Secretary. Lee A-gon.”
Park Hae-jun spoke with a trembling voice.
“Lee A-gon must have taken drugs. I took my eyes off him for a moment, and later I found that he’d taken drugs. I have no idea where he got them from.”
—….
“This is not the time. Now, now I need to call 119. I’ll hang up and call 119.”
—Mr. Park Hae-jun, wait. Don’t hang up my call, keep holding it.
“Secretary, didn’t you hear what I said? Lee A-gon has collapsed and is foaming at the mouth. He could die.”
As soon as he said the words “could die,” he felt truly afraid.
The drug bag was completely empty. Surely he hadn’t consumed everything in it? Where did he get the drugs? The door was definitely locked. Lee A-gon couldn’t have left the house. Even if he had gone out, where in this rural village could he have obtained drugs?
—He won’t die, so please calm down.
Secretary Yang was composed. Park Hae-jun lost the will to continue the conversation and was about to hang up.
That’s when Secretary Yang spoke.
—What will you explain to the doctor? That he took drugs? And what will you say after reporting to the police? He can’t be treated. He can’t be detained. Because this person is an awakened one. Will you ask them to send him to the military instead? Is that what you’ll say?
“But right now!”
—This has happened numerous times before. You’ve already seen what condition Lee A-gon was in. I’m saying this based on experience of having cared for Lee A-gon’s condition multiple times.
“…”
—He won’t die.
Secretary Yang spoke firmly but in a somewhat softened tone.
—He absolutely won’t die, so don’t worry. I’ll send a doctor to make a house call, but you must not call 119. If you do, he’ll be taken to the military. That would actually be killing him.
Park Hae-jun’s eyes darted back and forth. He understood not wanting to go to the military, but why would that be killing Iagon?
“But he’s really in a lot of pain.”
While the call continued, Lee A-gon’s limbs twisted more and more. Foam kept coming from his mouth.
“You’re saying that because you can’t see the situation right now. He’s really in a lot of pain. He has a high fever, he can hardly breathe, and he’s foaming at the mouth.”
—….
“There’s nothing I can do for him. I need to call 119 quickly.”
—No. There is something Mr. Park Park Hae-jun can do. Something only you can do.
“What is it?”
—Assistance.
Park Hae-jun covered the receiver and cursed. His breathing remained unsteady for a while.
“Now, in a situation where someone is dying, you’re telling me to provide assistance? Are you in your right mind?”
—119 is not an option. That would reveal that Lee A-gon is an ability user, and all the responsibility would fall on you, Mr. Park Hae-jun.
“Ability user or whatever, he’s going to die!”
—As I’ve repeatedly said, he won’t die.
‘How can someone be so cold?’ Park Hae-jun now confused whether he was the abnormal one or Secretary Yang was.
—If you’re that worried, at least provide assistance. That’s the only thing you can do anyway.
The call ended before Park Hae-jun could stop it. Park Hae-jun put down his phone as if slamming it.
From behind came a sound like a mouse gnawing on something. It was the sound of Lee A-gon scratching the floor with his fingernails, unable to bear the pain.
Park Hae-jun barely managed to steady his roughening breath and turned around. It was terrifyingly scary, making his scalp crawl, but from now on, he had to save Lee A-gon alone.
Park Hae-jun approached Lee A-gon, who was twisting his entire body with the whites of his eyes showing, and crouched down. Then he placed his trembling fingers on Lee A-gon’s pale face.
Of all days, Lee A-gon had discovered drugs today. If he hadn’t left the house, he could have prevented this, but Lee A-gon had found and inhaled the drugs during the time he was away.
“I’ll save you.”
Park Hae-jun felt guilt and responsibility toward Lee A-gon. He firmly grasped Lee A-gon’s hand.
“I’ll do something, Lee A-gon.”
Lee A-gon’s body repeatedly became frightening hot, then cooled slightly, then heated up again. When first measured, his temperature was 38 degrees, and shortly after, 39 degrees. Not much later, it hit 40 degrees.
Park Hae-jun brought ice packs and placed them all over Lee A-gon’s body. When he checked the temperature again a moment later, it registered 41.2 degrees.
Park Hae-jun couldn’t believe it. The thermometer’s scale went up to 42 degrees. Surely it wouldn’t rise to 42 degrees? Yes, it can’t possibly reach 42 degrees. He wiped his forehead with trembling hands. Cold sweat seeped out like water.
The next time he put the thermometer in, the number shown was 42 degrees. It had finally hit 42.
“Lee A-gon?”
With trembling hands, Park Hae-jun touched Lee A-gon’s forehead. Instantly, Park Hae- jun’s hand also became hot. The temperature was even continuing to rise. The thermometer only displayed up to 42 degrees. Surely it wasn’t rising beyond that?
Park Hae-jun ran downstairs and retrieved a thermometer that had been sleeping in a kitchen drawer. It was designed to measure temperature when cooking, but since no one had cooked in this house, it had never been used.
‘That’s impossible.’
A person’s temperature cannot rise above 42 degrees. The feeling that Lee A-gon was constantly getting hotter must be his imagination. Park Hae-jun wiped the end of the thermometer with the hem of his shirt and then placed it in Lee A-gon’s armpit. The digital thermometer’s numbers climbed. 15 degrees. 23 degrees. 31 degrees. 40 degrees.
41 degrees.
42 degrees.
43 degrees.
44 degrees.
45…
Thud. Park Hae-jun threw the thermometer at the wall. The plastic corner broke with a thin sound.
‘It must be broken. Or it’s giving incorrect readings because it’s not meant for body temperature.’
Park Hae-jun grabbed Lee A-gon’s arm, grunting with effort as he dragged him to the bathroom, put him in the bathtub, and turned on the cold water.
“Lee A-gon. Please come to your senses.”
His vision blurred, and Park Hae-jun wiped his eyes. He was crying out of fear that Lee A-gon might die.
The reason thermometers only go up to 42 degrees is because there’s no need to measure beyond that. Above 42 degrees, protein denaturation occurs in the human body. Like egg whites cooking, cells become cooked.
‘So how are you still alive?’
Park Hae-jun shook his head, trembling. No. The thermometer must be wrong. How could a cooking thermometer accurately measure human body temperature? He was right to throw that thing away.
After dousing him with cold water, Lee A-gon’s temperature went down. Park Hae-jun dragged him back and laid him on the bed. He changed him into fresh pajamas and covered him with the warmest blanket he could find, and Lee A-gon began to groan in earnest.
Ugh– Lee A-gon flailed his hands in the air. His mouth moved as if he wanted to say something. Countless times, Park Hae-jun caught and pressed down his hands as they pounded his chest and tried to tear at his skin.
Bang bang, his legs hit the mattress. His eyes, open toward the ceiling, were filled with terror. What was he seeing now?
Lee A-gon’s sweat got on Park Hae-jun, and Park Hae-jun’s sweat dripped onto Lee A-gon. When he wailed, Park Hae-jun wanted to wail too. Park Hae-jun pinned down the body of the one trying to harm himself. There was nothing he could do. For a person suffering this much, what he could do was…
–If you’re that worried, at least provide assistance. That’s the only thing you can do anyway.
Park Hae-jun ran his hands up Lee A-gon’s upper body, which was in agony. He held the hot, tear-streaked cheeks with both hands and forcibly pressed his lips against them. It was the first time their lips met, but neither Park Hae-jun nor Lee A-gon knew this fact.
“Ahh.”
Through trembling lips, Park Hae-jun inserted his tongue. He forcibly held Lee A-gon’s cheeks as he threw his head back and continued to insert his tongue.
Lee A-gon’s mouth was so hot that Park Hae-jun’s tongue felt cold in comparison. Park Hae-jun ceaselessly licked Lee A-gon’s tongue with his own. Like a low-intelligence animal licking an injured member of its species, he was simply licking Lee A-gon. That was all he could do. But it was also something only he could do.
‘I’ll save you.’
Park Hae-jun muttered. Tears seeped between their lips. They were Lee A-gon’s tears. He was crying continuously.
‘I’ll save you. I’ll save you, so please…’
Tears also flowed from Park Hae-jun’s eyes. His tears ran down his cheeks and flowed into Lee A-gon’s lips.