FETCH 68

“Come get some blood drawn before you go. I need to do more analysis because of Han Kang’s condition.”

Leaving behind those unwelcome words, he shook a familiar blood collection kit toward him. It seemed he had sensed something was wrong with Han Kang’s state, seeing Jaechan taking medicine from the lab.

It was only natural to analyze various compatibilities with a Guide when an abnormality occurred in an Esper’s body. However, Jaechan felt a bit hurt, as if they were saying the fact that Han Kang was suddenly running a fever or unexpectedly rampaging was entirely his fault.

The research team leader thrust the blood collection kit at Jaechan as if refusing to consider a rejection. This was despite the fact that he had been told there were no problems with his matching rate or guiding wavelength, and even though he was already undergoing interim checkups once a month and providing his physical data.

This behavior was no different from treating Jaechan as an imperfect test subject.

They wanted to analyze him to see if he had developed a tolerance to the drugs, or if he was no longer able to emit a wavelength without them.

His pride was wounded, but Jaechan couldn’t even show his displeasure. As he simply nodded in agreement, another researcher standing next to the team leader tilted his chin as if telling him to follow.

“Please sit down.”

“Yes.”

Jaechan answered in a blunt tone and settled into the chair. The blood collection room was wearisomely familiar. Even without being told, Jaechan rolled up his sleeves and placed his elbow on the black cushion.

“I’m going to take quite a lot.”

“I guess there’s a lot to look at.”

“Seeing as you’re taking medicine, I suppose Han Kang’s fever isn’t going down with guiding. Naturally, there would be a lot to look at. I have to see why it isn’t working even though the regular checkup results were good.”

“How do you know he has a fever?”

“Esper physical conditions are collected in real-time.”

The other person replied sharply as if asking how he could not know that.

I know. I just asked. No matter how much I focus all my attention on Han Kang, I’ve spent years as a Guide; would I not know that?

The researcher, who had pulled out as many as three syringes with an expressionless face, wrapped a yellow rubber band around Jaechan’s arm. After patting the arm to bring the blood to the surface, he tied it tightly to constrict the veins.

Following that, with a stinging pain, the needle dug beneath the skin. As the piston was pulled back, dark red blood was sucked out.

Jaechan just sat there, watching the transparent tube fill with red blood. The amount of blood drawn from him while working at the Center must be enormous.

During the process—inserting the needle, drawing blood, removing it, and then carelessly rubbing the spot with an alcohol swab—which was repeated three times, Jaechan did not scowl once.

Looking at the blood contained in the transparent tubes, only heavy sighs escaped him. On the inside of his wrist, there were scars from having blood drawn; perhaps because the needles were quite large, once a wound formed, it tended to last a fairly long time.

“Do you have a bandage or something?”

“What bandage?”

The nuance was: how many times have you had blood drawn, yet you’re still looking for a bandage like a rookie?

Jaechan pulled his sleeve all the way down and replied indifferently.

“As you know, the dedicated pairs are now living in one room. If Han Kang sees this, he’ll make a fuss asking what it is, and I won’t have anything to say.”

“Why don’t you just say you had blood drawn to check Han Kang’s condition?”

No matter if he was a Guide who manifested with the Center’s help, he was still the one in charge of Han Kang, the Center’s “Face”; wasn’t this treatment a bit much?

Emotions were bound to surge at a response so heavily laced with an air of annoyance. Jaechan’s expression hardened coldly toward the researcher who was chilly toward him every single time.

“Is a bandage too expensive for you?”

“It’s not that it’s expensive, it’s just that we’re out of the ones we had ready.”

“Then what is that in front of you?”

Who do you take for a blind man?

There was a round hemostatic bandage right there, yet he claimed they were out. In the early days after joining, he would have pretended not to see it out of wounded pride, but Jaechan pointed it out on purpose.

Through living at the Center, he had realized painfully that he had to look out for himself. “The only Guide who can control Han Kang,” and so on. The talk about giving him special treatment had vanished within a day of his joining, and unless Han Kang was looking out for him, he was thoroughly excluded.

It was lucky his teammates were kind; otherwise, life at the Center would not have been easy.

Jaechan shamelessly held out his hand and demanded a bandage. When he flicked his fingertips, the researcher reluctantly peeled a bandage from the dispenser and stuck it carelessly onto his fingertip.

If he was going to give it, he should have stuck it on the wounded area. At any rate, these guys didn’t have a shred of affection.

But he didn’t have enough energy left to nitpick even that. He had to get back to the dorm quickly and give Han Kang the medicine. Jaechan moved the bandage from his fingertip to the inside of his wrist and gave a careless nod.

He knew well that staying face-to-face for long would only sour his mood.

As soon as he arrived at the dorm, Jaechan grabbed some water and pulled down his sleeve again to hide the injection marks. He felt nervous at the thought of having to deceive Han Kang, who was subtly quick-witted.

Taking medicine secretly to avoid him already felt like a daily game of hide-and-seek, and now they had to stay together 24 hours a day. That meant he had to endure the anxiety he used to feel only occasionally as a resident Guide until the Olympics were over.

“Phew…”

After calming himself, Jaechan closed his eyes tight and then opened them. Once he finished his deep breathing, he opened the bedroom door with forced confidence.

“What? Where did he go?”

Since he said he wasn’t feeling well, Jaechan thought he would obviously be in the room, but Han Kang was nowhere to be seen.

Whether the bedding had been brought in during the short interval, white sheets and a cozy-looking blanket were spread neatly on the wide bed. It was the same on the second floor when he looked up.

“Is he washing up?”

I need to give him the medicine quickly.

Jaechan bit his lower lip and looked around. If he were washing, there should be the sound of water, but the room was just silent.

Then…

“Should I take mine first?”

Thinking that now might be the only chance, he was about to move toward the second floor.

“Take what?”

A low voice came from behind him. Startled, Jaechan slowly turned around. Whether he had been in the living room or what, Han Kang was standing outside the door, looking down at him intently.

“Th-this medicine. I thought if you had a cold, I might have caught it too.”

Jaechan hurriedly thrust forward the medicine he had brought from the Research Headquarters. Han Kang’s black pupils rolled as he checked it.

“This is for Espers only.”

“Ah, right.”

“And there’s no way honey wouldn’t know that?”

“I… I got confused for a second.”

Even as he said it, a sense of ruin hit him because it was such a ridiculous excuse. Jaechan forced the corners of his mouth up and laughed awkwardly, “Ahaha.”

He couldn’t describe how sharp the gaze was, as if it were clawing at his face to read his inner thoughts. Knowing that in times like this he had to act natural, Jaechan first handed him the water he was holding.

“Take it. Take it and get some sleep.”

“Just me?”

“Huh?”

“You said you’d take it with me.”

“How can I take something for Espers when I’m a Guide?”

“What about sleep.”

“Huh?”

“Am I sleeping alone?”

“Ah, let’s sleep together.”

Jaechan nodded readily as if he had always intended to sleep together.

Because lunchtime was just approaching, he wasn’t even sleepy, but wouldn’t he be able to buy time to take his medicine if he at least pretended to lie down together?

When Jaechan gave a bright smile, Han Kang finally withdrew his suspicion and took the water. When Jaechan placed a comprehensive cold pill and a fever reducer on his large palm, he swallowed the medicine without any doubt. The Adam’s apple in the middle of his long neck bobbed handsomely.

“There’s a good boy.”

Leaving behind an uncharacteristic compliment, Jaechan led Han Kang straight to the bed. Seeing the cozy blanket, he did want to lie down regardless of whether he was sleepy. As they lay side-by-side as promised, Han Kang naturally entwined Jaechan with his arms and legs.

He felt like his body was being crushed. He had intended to let him sleep and then get up to take his medicine, but forget the medicine. It looked like he was stuck being held while Han Kang took a nap.

“Hey, you’re heavy…”

He tried speaking with an even more suppressed voice, but Han Kang didn’t budge. The long eyelashes at the ends of his gently closed eyelids rested beautifully.

“Are you already asleep?”

“…”

Perhaps it was because he didn’t usually take medicine, but the time it took for the effects to kick in was incredibly short. Han Kang, who had been wide-eyed just a moment ago, was now breathing softly and evenly, seemingly in a deep sleep.

Jaechan carefully felt Han Kang’s forehead. Fortunately, the fever had subsided, and the guiding levels shown on the watch were normal.

He let out a deep sigh and looked up at the ceiling. As he blinked slowly, a sigh leaked from his mouth without him realizing.

“I want to keep being with you…”

Jaechan, voicing the subtle anxiety blooming within, turned his body to lie facing Han Kang. As he dug into the large body, he liked the arms that held him tight as if it were a familiar habit.

“I wish it could be that way.”

After adding the words quietly, he closed his eyes. Since there was no way to escape him anyway, he thought he would look for an opportunity while they ate later.

How much time had passed? Feeling Jaechan’s quiet breathing, Han Kang opened his eyes. The wish whispered softly in his ear was the same as his own, so his voice lingered faintly around his ear.

Of course they shouldn’t be apart; Jeon Jaechan had to guide only him from now on. He didn’t even want to imagine a situation where he went to another Esper or another Guide guided him.

Han Kang’s gaze passed over Jaechan’s pretty face and toward his wrist. It caught his eye even more because he was sleeping with his hands clutched to his chest; looking at his hand with white skin and red joints, only one thing bothered him.

“Sticking something like this on doesn’t mean it’s hidden.”

Han Kang grasped Jaechan’s white wrist. He gently rubbed the bandage covering the injection mark with his thumb. His gaze sank coldly. For some reason, his insides were seething.