episode_0209

Trying to stay calm, I look over Seoyeon’s body lying on the stretcher.

Despite the distressed expression, there are no visible signs of trauma.

but… , the flow of magical power around him is rough and unstable.

As much as the breath you exhale roughly.

With nervous steps, I follow the supervisors and head to the infirmary.

After confirming that the waiting doctor was examining Seoyeon, who was sitting on a pure white bed, I asked a question to one of the supervisors.

“What happened.”

Then the supervisor looks me up and down with suspicious eyes and asks again.

“Do you know the collapsed candidate?”

dad.

It shouldn’t be used anymore… , no, words that cannot be used are scratching in my mouth.

“Whoa.”

After letting it go with one exhaled breath, the relationship that needs to be newly established is spoken.

“We are seniors and juniors from the same university.”

This alone is not enough.

I looked through the album on my smartphone and showed the photo I took with him.

Go for the fourth time, go for the fifth time.

It was a photo taken with my team members at a company dinner held after completing the dungeon raid.

“We worked as members of the same team for a year. “Everyone here took the test together.”

Only then does the supervisor’s suspicious gaze disappear.

“We don’t know the exact circumstances. “The only thing I know is that I collapsed not far from the entrance and suffered for quite a long time.”

“Entrance… “I said.”

Entrance.

It’s just an entrance.

Another supervisor added:

“Cadet Seoyeon Son was in bad condition from the moment she entered the maze.”

At his word, the nerves sharpened and the energy poured out goes to the supervisor.

Surprised, he hesitated, but soon corrected his posture and screamed.

“… Candidate!”

Oh my.

With a short nod, I offer my sincere apology to him.

“sorry. “I couldn’t control my emotions at that moment.”

The anger on the supervisor’s face subsides at the sincere apology.

“I will understand the situation as it is and move on.”

“thank you. however… “I have one question.”

“What is.”

“It was in bad condition from the moment we entered the entrance, so why did we only rescue it now?”

It was a question that sharpened my nerves.

If the condition had been bad from the moment I entered, I should have taken action right away, but what on earth did I do and now a full day has passed… .

“We tried to take action right away, but the candidate refused.”

“ah… .”

The gaze turns to Seo-yeon, whose breathing is gradually stabilizing after the doctor administers an injection.

You were stubborn even when things were bad.

The doctor who finished the examination from behind slowly approaches me with his hands in the pockets of his gown.

“Are you finished talking?”

“Oh, yes.”

The doctor points at me with his chin.

“Are you the guardian?”

“… “For now.”

“Then come this way for a moment.”

Following his hand gesture, he moved to the front of Seoyeon, who was sleeping with a much more relaxed expression.

“hmm… “Once the test results came out.”

The doctor scratches the tip of his nose and slurs his words.

Is there something in it that is difficult to talk about?

“You can tell me, sir.”

The doctor smiles slightly at my firm tone and looks at me and Seoyeon in turn.

“Aha, so you were my boyfriend?”

“that… , hmm.”

I couldn’t bear to deny or affirm it.

I was worried that if I denied it, I wouldn’t hear what happened to her, and if I answered that it was my boyfriend, that was a bit… .

“Haha, are you in a secret relationship? I understand, I understand. Since she is the daughter of a precious family, there must be something like that. Yes?”

The doctor interpreted the vague answer to suit his taste.

“Uh… Of course, yes.”

Let’s leave it at that for now.

“Now enough of the jokes, let me tell you the results… “It’s hyperventilation due to mental shock.”

“Hyperventilation… “What?”

“yes. Something in the exam room touched Seo-yeon Son’s trauma. As a result, I suffered from excessive stress in a short period of time and developed symptoms of hyperventilation.”

All that can be seen in the fourth test room is complete darkness… , ah.

Memories of the past hit my head like a thunderbolt.

“anyway… “My girlfriend’s mental strength is amazing.”

“… … ?”

I suddenly come to my senses at the sudden compliment and look at him.

“Looking at his condition, he must have been suffering from hyperventilation for a very long time. But it seems like he endured this and tried to overcome it somehow… .”

“… … .”

Come to think of it, the supervisor said that things weren’t going well from the moment we entered the maze.

Symptoms probably started to appear at that time.

He must have tried to continue breathing somehow while overcoming the pain and fear of not being able to breathe properly.

I collapsed while trying to force my body to move the bit of breath I had gained in that way.

“Anyway, I gave you a sedative, so you’ll be fine when you take a nap and wake up. “Until then, my boyfriend will take good care of me.”

“… Yes, thank you.”

After the doctor leaves, the sound of light breathing plays over the heavy silence.

I pull up a chair and sit down, looking down at Seoyeon’s sleeping face.

“The dark is still scary.”

I thought I had forgotten everything by now, but no.

When she was young, Seoyeon was very weak.

It’s beyond just being weak, to the point where I think I might actually die if things continue like this.

I have a lot of minor illnesses, my breathing is unstable, and if I eat a little too much, I even vomit… .

At that time, Joohee and I were crazy about one wish: to make Seoyeon healthy.

As a result, Seoyeon had to go into the testing machine every day to find out what the problem was.

Why, you know something like that.

Things like the cylindrical machines used to get MRIs.

Seoyeon hated them so much.

The noise of the machine in the pitch-black darkness makes him feel like a monster is coming to eat him.

Because of this, Seoyeon extremely disliked the dark, or more precisely, being alone in dark spaces.

I wonder if he fell asleep between us every day.

“I thought it would end when I was young… .”

Seoyeon, who became healthy after many twists and turns, seemed to be gradually gaining tolerance for darkness.

After puberty, when I became a middle or high school student, I thought I had completely forgotten all my old memories because I preferred to be alone.

Looks like that wasn’t the case.

“blanket… bar… .”

A faint sound escapes from the mouth of Seoyeon, who was sleeping soundly.

It doesn’t seem like I woke up… , I think it’s sleep talking.

As I listen a little more, familiar words come out.

“dad… .”

“… … .”

I don’t know.

Why is this guy who was reluctant to even eat a meal together now desperately looking for his dad?

Why on earth did you never look at me when I was craving attention so much?

Angry.

and.

“… okay. “Daddy’s here, Seoyeon.”

At the same time, my heart broke.

I thought there would be no more regrets.

What is a father?

One corner of the wall, built with great effort just for one word, easily falls off.

Perhaps he mistook my voice in his sleep for that of his father, but his expression became even more relaxed.

The way he constantly mentioned the name “Dad” in his sleep also changed.

“hand… , please hold me. scared… .”

“okay.”

I gently grab the hand that is squirming under the blanket.

Then, a smile filled with faint but clear emotions appeared on the corner of his mouth.

It was as if he had acquired a powerful power that could defeat anything.

While I was looking at that smile with joy, my emotions suddenly plummeted.

Take out your smartphone with your other hand and make a call.

Another number of hers that even I, my husband, didn’t know about.

After a few beeps, a familiar voice comes through the receiver.

-What happened.

what the.

Where are you talking about phone etiquette and why is the first thing you say is what’s going on?

Is it because the bean pods came off?

I want to find fault with everything from start to finish.

Well, okay.

In that case, I have no choice but to speak directly.

“Seoyeon senior has collapsed.”

-… Where are you now?

“This is the Hunter Association testing center infirmary. I guess I need a guardian… “Would you like to come?”

-I am on a business trip to the United States for a seminar. I’m going right now… , I think it will be difficult.

You have changed so much.

In the past, when it came to my daughter, I was someone who would somehow come back even if I was on the other side of the world.

A sharp voice came out from my sad heart.

“Then let’s leave it like this.”

-Another guardian will be there soon.

“If it were another guardian… “Do you mean Hunter Son Si-woo?”

That’s a bit difficult.

It’s not a time for you or me to run into each other.

-no.

Well, I’m glad.

“Then, I will stay by your side until the guardian who sent you arrives. Oh, and there’s one thing I’d like to ask.”

-ha… , what is it?

“I guess you’ve lost a lot of interest in me? “I think we were supposed to do an experiment, but you didn’t call us.”

I changed my mind.

Until yesterday, when I was intoxicated with my sweet new life, I thought it was enough to know why you changed so much.

I need to know now.

Seoyeon and you too.

I think I will be relieved only if I dig into the details of why it has become so difficult to understand.

To do that, I have no choice but to turn your attention to me in some way.

“If you are looking for a way to uncover secrets through personal experiments, I would like to tell you that your efforts are in vain.”

-… As expected, you are cocky.

“There are a lot of secrets in my body that the Magic Tower Lord would be interested in, so it’s enough to ignore my arrogance.”

For a moment, no words are heard on the other end of the phone.

Was it not that I was cut off, but that I was speechless due to my confidence?

Well, not bad.

“what… , If you need my help at any time, please contact me. “Then I’ll hang up.”

-sleep… .

ah.

I think I was just about to say something last time.

“What do you think?”

If it’s important, he’ll call back.

I put down my smartphone and look down at Seoyeon, who is deep asleep.

The guardian said he would arrive soon, so let’s keep our hands down to avoid any misunderstandings.

“ah… , no… , hand… , give me your hand… .”

Suddenly the guy starts whining.

“… … .”

The 7 years of sexlessness, and the show window couple who went from being a lovebird couple.

If he had whined at me like he does now, I wouldn’t be so lonely.

Grumpiness is growing steadily.

Why don’t you just hold my hand?

Still, I held the hand of the boy who was struggling for warmth.

“… “It’s just today.”

Making the lame excuse that it was just for today.