Phantom Pains and Overbearing Care
Golden shower... no way! ……………
"Feeling a bit calmer now?"
Baek Sehee asked.
"……Yeah, sure."
Moistening my throat had finally let my voice come out. It was pretty hoarse, but at least I could speak.
Baek Sehee nodded.
"Then... I'll explain everything, one step at a time."
"………."
"Yujin's right leg got hit by Kang Haneul's attack. The nerves, blood vessels, and bones were all crushed beyond any hope of recovery."
Beyond recovery. That phrase lodged itself in my brain.
"With your leg destroyed like that, you lost consciousness right away. If you'd been left there, you'd have died from blood loss and shock within five minutes."
Baek Sehee paused for a moment.
"But after we parted ways at the cafe... I felt this inexplicable anxiety. To check on you, I went to the office."
Her hand rose to her chest.
"And there you were, collapsed with your leg shattered. I stopped the bleeding immediately and rushed you to the ER."
"So my leg..."
"...It was either save Yujin's leg or save Yujin's life. The doctors only had those two choices."
Silence.
"They chose your life."
They saved my life instead of my leg. I kept my life but lost my leg.
No leg...?
That thought flooded my mind. A lost leg doesn't come back. Ever. I'd have to use a prosthetic, crutches, or a wheelchair. For the rest of my life.
A tidal wave of despair crashed over me. My breath caught for a moment, making it hard to even inhale.
But at the same time, another thought surfaced.
If it weren't for Baek Sehee...
I'd be dead. Bleeding out on the floor of Kang Haneul's office, unconscious.
"...Thank you. For saving me..."
The words slipped out reflexively. It was a pathetic, desperate survival instinct, even to my own ears. I didn't wail in despair, crumble in defeat, or rage at the absent Kang Haneul. Instead, I thanked the woman right in front of me.
It wasn't because Moon Yujin had some iron will. I just instinctively knew: the only person on my side right now was the one sitting beside me.
As I bowed my head, Baek Sehee smiled warmly.
"It was just the obvious thing to do."
……………
This life is... just pathetic.
It felt hopeless. How was I supposed to live from here? No more manager work. The contract with Kang Haneul...
Ah, Kang Haneul.
Anger surged, but so did fear, crawling up my spine. She'd grabbed me. Told me not to leave. When I tried anyway, she kicked my leg clean off.
What happened to her? What did she think of what she'd done? Did she still want to hurt me?
"Yujin."
Baek Sehee's voice pulled me back.
"This is... well, my private villa. I've had it remodeled to double as a sickroom."
"………?"
"So it's safe. No one can get in. Not even Kang Haneul."
Hearing her name made me flinch involuntarily.
"I'll take care of you. Just focus on recovering, Yujin. No worries."
Take care of me? Baek Sehee? Personally?
"Th-thank you..."
It was all I could say.
Baek Sehee took my hand. It was warm. No—scorching hot, unnaturally so. Like she was burning up with excitement.
She leaned in close and whispered,
"It's okay, Yujin. I'll protect you from now on."
Her ecstatic expression left me nodding blankly.
……………
Three days had passed since I regained consciousness. Baek Sehee's "villa" wasn't a bad place to stay.
It was a cozy standalone house with just the right size: sickroom, living room, kitchen, bathroom. Even a little yard attached.
A villa like this near Seoul... so this is the wealth of a top-tier Awakener from the Association.
I couldn't help but be impressed. The space was roomy enough to feel comfortable. That part was great.
But aside from Baek Sehee, there was no other staff. She said a doctor visited periodically, but I hadn't seen one yet.
Honestly, my condition was a mess. First off, my right leg was gone below the knee. One-legged now, so no more walking normally. I was on a wheelchair.
Crutches were out of the question yet—no strength to hold them.
And then there was the inevitable phantom pain at the amputation site. My missing leg hurt. I knew it made no sense. But it hurt. My ankle throbbed, my toes ached. Except there was nothing there. No scratching, no rubbing. Just endure it.
Baek Sehee had cut back her work to the bare minimum—mostly taking leave—and devoted her time to me. Meals, meds, wound care, wheeling me around. I was truly grateful.
Without her, I wouldn't even be alive right now.
All in all, her villa was livable. But...
There was a problem.
……………
That afternoon, as I sat on the bed staring blankly out the window, a sudden urge hit me.
"S-Sehee."
"Yes, Yujin?"
Baek Sehee, who had been lounging on the living room sofa scrolling a tablet, turned immediately.
"Bathroom..."
Before I finished, she wheeled the chair over.
"Going now?"
"Yeah."
With her help, I shifted from the bed's edge to the chair. She stood behind and pushed.
Every time like this, the absence of my right leg hit home. Balance off, phantom pains stabbing.
...Just bear it.
They said the pain would fade with time. Once the brain adjusted.
We reached the bathroom door.
"Thanks."
I gripped the wheels and rolled forward. Toward the inside.
But Baek Sehee kept pushing from behind. Right into the bathroom.
"S-Sehee?"
"Yes?"
"I can handle it from here..."
"I'll help."
She beamed, shutting down my protest. The wheelchair rolled fully in. She followed.
"Yujin, can you stand?"
"...Yeah."
I gripped the armrests and rose, putting weight on my left leg, steadying against the wall. Balance was tricky without the right.
Baek Sehee supported my waist.
"Slowly, careful."
"Thanks. I'm good now, really."
Her hands withdrew. I leaned on the wall, reaching for my waistband.
Then her hand covered mine.
"I'll get your pants down."
"Wha—!?"
She grabbed the waistband.
"N-no! What are you—wait!"
I yelled reflexively, grabbing her hand.
"Why? You need pants down to go. Oh, right—I'll help aim too?"
"That's not it! I can do it myself!"
"What if you fall?"
"I'm fine! I can do it alone!"
"Balancing is hard. Dangerous."
"I'm fine!"
I desperately held her off. It worked—she stopped.
"Yujin."
Her voice was calm.
"No need to be embarrassed. I'm your caretaker. It's natural."
"Still..."
"It hurts me more if you get hurt."
"That's not—"
"I'm here to care for you. It's natural. Doesn't bother me at all."
This conversation... how to describe it? Talking to her made her seem normal, and me the stubborn weirdo. Her words had overwhelming persuasive power. She positioned herself as the rational, common-sense one, making any opposition seem abnormal.
If I were the original Moon Yujin, I might've gone along. Let her handle balance, aiming, cleanup.
But I'm different. I didn't want help that far.
"Sehee, really... I'm okay."
I met her eyes sincerely, shaking my head.
Silence stretched.
A new expression flickered on her face—different from before. The warmth faded, replaced by something else. Regret? Dissatisfaction? Overall, subtly darker.
But she said nothing.
"Just to the door... that's fine."
I spoke first.
"Drop me at the door, I'll handle the rest."
Her gaze carried a pressure unlike Kang Haneul's—hard to face head-on.
Seconds ticked by before she replied.
"...Okay. Next time, just to the door."
She stepped out.
"Thanks."
"But."
She opened the bathroom door.
"I'll leave the door open."
"Huh?"
"You might fall. I need you in sight to react with telekinesis right away."
"………Ah."
It made sense. I could fall.
But peeing with the door wide open?
"Sehee, that's..."
"No. Your safety comes first."
Her tone was firm. No compromise this time.
No choice. I nodded.
She went out, leaving the door ajar.
I leaned on the wall, positioned at the toilet. She stood with her back turned. At least not watching.
...This is insane.
"Yujin, you okay?"
Her voice came.
"Yeah."
"Nothing uncomfortable?"
"Nope."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Seconds later.
"Not struggling?"
"...I'm fine."
"Don't push yourself."
"Okay."
More silence.
"Yujin?"
"Yes."
"Think you might fall now?"
"No!"
Please stop asking.
I finished as fast as possible. Washed hands, back to the chair via wall.
She wheeled me to the sickroom.
Going to the bathroom shouldn't be this hard.
She tucked me in.
"You did great, Yujin."
"...Thanks."
Baek Sehee smiled. It looked... a bit more satisfied than before.