PARADOX 28

“The right wrist is completely fractured.”

The doctor at the Center-affiliated hospital explained while pointing at the X-ray.

“And there’s an issue with the left hand as well.”

“With the left hand, you say?”

“It isn’t broken, but the sprain is severe. It must be quite painful; it’s best not to use that hand for a while.”

Surely, the one he had grabbed was the right hand. Gu Jeyi’s questioning gaze turned toward the man sitting beside him.

“…”

Hanseo remained silent. He had an idea why. But regardless of his understanding, he felt it was unfair. It wasn’t like he had hit a boulder; why was the hand of the person who did the hitting the one that got hurt?

Hanseo stared at his own X-ray gloomily. So that was why it hurt so much. He was fine now thanks to the painkillers, but earlier, he had truly felt like grabbing Gu Jeyi by the collar and screaming curses at him. He felt proud of himself for managing to endure it.

“Doctor, what about his foot? Earlier, it seemed like his foot was hurting too.”

Just then, Pyo Myeongho blurted out something nonsensical.

‘A foot, all of a sudden?’ While wondering, a chill suddenly ran down Hanseo’s neck. It was because the curses he had been constantly repeating in his head while coming to the hospital flashed through his mind.

‘Did I say them out loud without realizing it?’

Fortunately, since Hanseo was the only one who knew the truth, a simple additional check-up resulted in a diagnosis that there was nothing wrong with his foot. Thanks to the bruises on his knees and shins from when he fell, Pyo Myeongho let it go without much suspicion.

Gu Jeyi asked the doctor.

“Is there a Healer currently stationed at the hospital?”

A Healer referred to the few Espers who possessed healing abilities. Hanseo’s eyes sparkled with hope. A high-ranking Healer was a miraculous being who could even reattach a severed arm. A broken arm would surely be fixed in an instant.

It was inconvenient to have a broken arm, but more than anything, Hanseo hated being in pain. No one likes being in pain, of course, but for Hanseo, physical pain was also a trigger that brought back bad memories.

However, the doctor shook his head.

“No. As you well know, Esper Gu Jeyi, Healers are very rare and busy people. Even if you make an appointment, there’s no telling how long you’ll have to wait, so it would be better to take the time to heal this normally.”

Perhaps because the person asking was Gu Jeyi, the answer was polite, but in the end, the translated meaning was to give up on the idea of getting help from a precious Healer for something as minor as a broken arm. Hanseo’s heart, which had been swelling with anticipation, deflated like a popped balloon.

Walking out of the hospital with a cast on his right arm, Hanseo’s face was a picture of misery, devoid of its usual bright air. Pyo Myeongho didn’t know what to do at this first-time sight of Hanseo.

“Uh, Hanseo. Are you okay? No, of course you’re not okay.”

“No, I’m fine.”

Hanseo tried his best to control his expression. The arm was already broken anyway. If it couldn’t be undone, it was better to find a way to use it. For example, by triggering Gu Jeyi’s guilt.

“I’m really fine. More than that, I’m just glad Esper Gu Jeyi is safe.”

As Hanseo spoke and gave a faint smile, Gu Jeyi’s black eyes flickered with a strange light for a brief moment.

The awkward silence didn’t last long. Pyo Myeongho, looking back and forth between the two, tilted his head and asked.

“But can I ask one thing?”

“Yes.”

“Are you two going to call each other Mister Yeo Hanseo and Esper Gu Jeyi now that you’re a married couple? Surely you’re not going to do that in front of others too, right?”

Was that a problem? Pyo Myeongho turned his gaze from Hanseo, who was just blinking in confusion, to Gu Jeyi. He let out a sigh as if he wanted them to hear it, his face looking troubled.

“Jeyi, you should pay attention to these things. What are you going to do if a Guide human rights group starts an investigation? Are you going to let everything you’ve achieved so far go down the drain?”

A Guide human rights group. Hanseo suddenly remembered the instructor he had met at the cafe before coming to guide Gu Jeyi. Could that instructor have been a member of such a group?

Considering the questions she had asked, it was a plausible guess.

“I thought it wasn’t particularly a problem.”

“How is it not a problem? Do you think you two look like a couple who dearly cherish and love each other right now?”

“…”

“Jeyi, I’m not asking for some grand performance from you. I’m just saying let’s at least reduce the things that would make others suspicious.”

Hanseo also agreed with Pyo Myeongho’s words. If this title was a problem, it was better to fix it. There was no need to stir up unnecessary trouble.

Hanseo asked on behalf of the silent Gu Jeyi.

“Then what should I call him?”

“You know, those nice words. Like honey or darling.”

‘What?’ A horrified Hanseo widened his eyes and looked at Pyo Myeongho. Gu Jeyi also couldn’t hide his emotions and glared intensely at Pyo Myeongho.

“That kind of joke isn’t funny.”

“It’s not a joke. I’m sincerely recommending it. If you don’t like honey or darling, do something else.”

Pyo Myeongho shrugged.

“Hanseo is a year younger than Jeyi, so it’s fine to just call him hyung, right?”

“…Hyung.”

Hanseo tried his best to hide his reluctant expression. Because it was in the research institute’s records, Hanseo knew his real age.

Hanseo’s age before he died was 30. Even if he didn’t count his past life’s age, the current Hanseo was 25, four years older than Gu Jeyi…

However, since the age of “Yeo Hanseo,” not Baekgu, was indeed 20, it was difficult to say no here.

‘Is it honey/darling, or hyung…’

The decision was swift.

“Then I’ll call you hyung from now on! Jeyi hyung!”

Hanseo shouted with a bright smile that almost made the corners of his mouth twitch. For the sake of the peaceful life ahead of him, he could certainly use a title like this!

“…”

Gu Jeyi stiffened slightly as if he hadn’t expected Hanseo to adopt the title so readily. However, perhaps thinking Pyo Myeongho had a point, he didn’t say much about the title. He likely also thought hyung was much better than honey or darling.

Whether the two were reluctant or not, Pyo Myeongho clapped his hands in delight.

“Well done! Jeyi, you should speak comfortably to Hanseo too. Act like a real married couple.”

“Mister Director, aren’t you busy?”

“I am. That’s why I don’t think I can look after Hanseo anymore. Well, now that Jeyi is back, there won’t be anything for me to do anyway, right?”

“What…”

“Are you going to just wash your hands of this after making Hanseo’s hand like that?”

“…”

Gu Jeyi’s calm gaze turned toward Hanseo before returning to Pyo Myeongho.

“I think it would be better to hire a professional assistant rather than me.”

“That’s not for you to decide. Hanseo should decide.”

Pyo Myeongho winked at Hanseo.

‘Why is he doing that?’

When Hanseo, who didn’t yet know the concept of a wink, just stared at him blankly, Pyo Myeongho let out an embarrassed cough.

“Ahem, what do you think, Hanseo? Until your hand gets better, wouldn’t it be better to have Jeyi look after you nearby than a stranger?”

“…!”

Only then did Hanseo understand Pyo Myeongho’s intention. His eyes went wide, and then he murmured with a shy face.

“If hyung is okay with it, I would like that…”

“See, Jeyi. He says he likes it.”

“…”

“And you, if you’ve just come out of a Gate after abandoning your husband on the first day of your marriage, you should take good care of him. I’ll give you a vacation, so stay together happily, get some Guiding, and come back after dropping it below 50%. Until then, I’m going to block your access to Gates.”

“Mister Director.”

“Then, I’m off! Rest well, Hanseo! If you need anything, work Jeyi hard!”

Pyo Myeongho disappeared quickly without giving Gu Jeyi a chance to speak.

An awkward silence descended once they were left alone.

“Then, shall we go back…”

“Are you really okay with this?”

At Gu Jeyi’s question, Hanseo turned his head.

“I’m the one who made you like that.”

“It’s not like you did it on purpose, so it’s okay!”

Gu Jeyi watched Hanseo silently before giving a warning.

“Next time, don’t approach me when I’m unconscious, even if the Director tells you to. Don’t perform Guiding without permission, either.”

“You said it’s permitted in emergencies. It wasn’t even Contact Guiding. Ah, though we did make contact! That wasn’t my intention, though…”

“…”

When he pointed out specifically that it wasn’t him but Jeyi who grabbed him first while pretending to be flustered, Gu Jeyi’s expression soured. It was satisfying, but there was no need to make a bad impression here.

“If you’re saying that because you feel sorry for me, you don’t have to. Even if I could go back in time, I would make the same choice.”

It was, of course, a blatant lie. If he truly went back in time, he would have ignored Pyo Myeongho’s call.

A low question came from above.

“Why go that far?”

“Because I want hyung to be safe.”

Unlike everything else so far, these words were one hundred percent sincere.

‘Of course you have to be safe. If you, Gu Jeyi, die, my peaceful life flies away too.’

Even if he hadn’t seen the prophecy written in the Book of Prophecy, he would have tried to save Gu Jeyi since he had returned to the past.

The unmeasurable grade Gate that appears five years later and leads the world to ruin, the so-called “Great Calamity.”

Gu Jeyi is the only one who can stop it.

‘Do you think I’m trying to save you because I like you? After you stop the Great Calamity, do whatever you want—whether you drop dead or not.’

Even for his own sake, Hanseo would do his best to ensure Gu Jeyi didn’t die a futile death as he did in his past life. Until then…

“I’ll do my best to help you, hyung!”

Hanseo spoke without a hint of hesitation and smiled brightly.

He thought once again how fortunate it was that mind-reading wasn’t among Gu Jeyi’s abilities.