Chapter 121
Chapter 121
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 121
Chapter Title: Surely Not...
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***
The eternity of nearly five hours, a time I had to endure excruciating pain, finally passed.
And after collapsing into sleep.
When I opened my eyes, I had a very strange experience.
“...Night?”
My mind was hazy as I looked at the dark night sky outside the window.
*Swish.*
“Cadet Han Cheon-seong. Are you awake?”
Turning my head at the sound of a curtain being drawn, I saw Adelia with a gentle smile.
“Yes, Instructor Adelia. Do you happen to know what time it is?”
As I blinked and asked, Adelia opened her mouth with a small smile.
“It’s a little past seven in the evening.”
“Have I been asleep for that long?”
“That’s how exhausted your body was. Don’t feel too bad about sleeping for so long, Cadet Han Cheon-seong.”
Even her gentle, placating voice felt unreal.
*I think I fell asleep at dawn.*
...That meant I had slept for at least fourteen or fifteen hours straight.
“You must be very hungry right now, right?”
At her kind question, I found myself nodding my head.
*Grumble.*
A small growl from my stomach confirmed that I was indeed starving.
“...Yes.”
“Then wait just a moment. I’ll have Erpe bring a meal right away.”
As I quietly accepted her consideration, Adelia quickly left, presumably to pass on the message.
Left all alone, I dazedly lifted my arm.
*Swish.*
As I moved my arms and legs to do a simple check of my body, it felt different from yesterday.
Wiggling my fingers, stretching my hand wide—I slowly loosened my stiff body, and the sensation wasn't bad.
‘It’s okay.’
It was safe to say my senses had now completely returned.
Most importantly, the feeling of my body not being my own was gone. Of course, my body still felt incredibly heavy, but just having sensation back filled me with relief.
“...I’m stiff.”
As I lightly stretched, my gaze drifted to the people moving about outside the window.
Through the window, I could see bright lights in another building, signaling the night, and cadets moving around inside.
They all seemed to be moving about cheerfully.
Watching them, I suddenly wondered what day it was.
Wait a minute.
“It’s Saturday today.”
Unbelievably, when I calculated the date, it was Saturday. The weekend.
It still felt like just yesterday that I had encountered Leteia on Wednesday and had the accident. Time had passed in a way that made no sense.
*Click.*
I turned my head at the sound of footsteps, and Adelia was once again pulling back the curtain.
“Erpe will be here with the food shortly, so please wait a little longer.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
“Are your senses clear now?”
“Yes. I can feel everything clearly.”
“It might be hard to bear how heavy your body is for now, but it will be manageable. It won’t be so uncomfortable that it significantly disrupts your daily life.”
I agreed with her words, which seemed to see right through me, yet I suddenly felt disconnected from the world.
‘...It’s already the weekend.’
It felt as if everyone but me had been living in the real world.
*Swish.*
Afterward, Adelia gently sat down beside me, and my gaze naturally went to her.
My eyes first went to her chest, but I immediately looked away and fixed my gaze on her face.
“First, now that you’re conscious again, I should tell you that you’ll probably have to stay in the infirmary until next week.”
“...My body feels heavy, but I think I’ll be back to my usual condition by tomorrow.”
When I carefully countered her statement, Adelia’s gently smiling eyes suddenly hardened.
“I don’t want to say it twice, Cadet Han Cheon-seong. Do I need to tell you again?”
At her uncharacteristically cold tone, I gave an awkward laugh and shook my head.
“No, ma’am.”
“Good. That’s a wise decision. The academy will remain in a state of disarray for a while. We still haven’t found any major clues about the assailant who targeted you. We need to understand the full circumstances of the incident, and starting tomorrow, various people will be coming to see you... so even if you rest until next week, it won’t feel like a proper rest.”
Understanding her explanation, I nodded.
Come to think of it, I also needed to organize my thoughts.
The reality I had faced back then was not something I could hide. I had to tell several people about Leteia.
*Click.*
As the infirmary door opened, Adelia smiled brightly and gently extended her hand.
“Looks like Erpe is here with the food. Let’s eat together.”
“...Yes, Instructor.”
Answering, I carefully took her outstretched hand.
*Rustle.*
As Adelia pulled me up with a bit of force, I was slowly able to get out of the hospital bed.
...Just standing up and placing both feet on the ground felt like a new experience.
*Step.*
I soon left my spot and headed to one side of the infirmary. Erpe was setting up food on a table.
“Cadet Han Cheon-seong, Erpe will be joining us for dinner. Is that okay?”
“Yes. I don’t mind.”
I replied calmly and took a seat at the table.
We sat facing each other in a triangle, and a considerable amount of food was laid out in the center of the table.
It was all very neat, with each of our utensils placed in front of us.
“Well then, I hope you both enjoy your dinner.”
“Thank you for the meal.”
“...You enjoy your meal as well, Instructor.”
As dinner began, I wondered how long it had been since I’d had a proper meal.
Although I had regained consciousness yesterday, I hadn’t been able to eat properly.
It was difficult to move, so I had barely managed to finish a single bowl of soup. But now, seeing a large steak and other meat dishes before me, it was a feast for the eyes.
*Gulp.*
Swallowing my saliva, I brought the meat to my mouth and felt the reality of being alive.
‘This is happiness.’
My heart felt full as I chewed on a large piece of meat.
Happiness wasn't so far away.
Eating delicious food like this and feeling a moment of joy was enough.
Besides, there were no more worries while I ate. In fact, this very moment was happiness.
Since last week, I had been plagued by impatience and pressure every day, so even when I ate, it didn't feel like I was eating. But now, I could feel the juices filling my mouth.
As I began to enjoy the feast with a peaceful mind, a smile escaped my lips.
“Really... Cadet Han Cheon-seong, is it that delicious?”
At Adelia’s unexpected question, I just nodded, since my mouth was full.
*Gulp.*
“Yes. It’s really delicious.”
After swallowing the food and properly conveying my thoughts, Adelia’s eyes curved into a beautiful crescent.
“It’s really nice to see you being so honest. I brought plenty of food, so eat a lot.”
“...Yes. Thank you for the meal.”
As I nodded, I saw that the amount of food on the table was indeed plentiful.
We each took small portions onto our own plates, but it was still more than enough for three people.
As I thought about it, my gaze shifted to the side.
“...”
I took in the woman named Erpe, who was eating silently.
She was Adelia's assistant, but I suddenly realized I had caused her a lot of trouble as well.
“...?”
Perhaps sensing my gaze, she met my eyes for a moment, and I gave an awkward smile before looking away.
...It was an ambiguous situation to express my gratitude, so I hesitated to speak.
“Oh, and Cadet Han Cheon-seong. Cadet Karite stopped by this afternoon.”
“Karite?”
“Yes. She seemed to have brightened up quite a bit after confirming you were okay.”
“That’s a relief.”
I nodded at the good news... and felt the need to meet with Karite again.
‘Probably.’
Starting tomorrow, Karite would undoubtedly be just as busy as I was.
After all, I wasn’t the only one at the scene of the accident.
*Clink.*
*Clink...*
The sound of utensils clashing continued for a while.
The other two finished their meal before long.
As I continued to eat, I could feel their strange gazes on me.
“......”
“......”
*Chomp.*
As I took a bite of meat, my eyes met with the two people staring at me. The woman named Erpe gave me an indifferent look, while Adelia smiled benevolently... and their gazes were both appreciative and embarrassing.
‘It feels a bit awkward to eat more here.’
*Clack.*
So I too put down my knife and fork.
“Are you sure you don’t want to eat more?”
“Yes. I think I’ve had enough.”
“Then, Erpe, you can clear the table now.”
As Erpe began to clean up as if it were routine, I tried to help her.
*Grab.*
...But before I knew it, my hand was caught.
“You don’t have to help.”
“...Still.”
“It’s really fine.”
At her repeated firm refusal, I awkwardly withdrew my hand. After clearing the dishes in one go, Erpe immediately rose from her seat.
*Click. Clack...*
I stared blankly as she walked away, then my gaze naturally turned to Adelia.
“You must be bored, staying in the infirmary all the time, Cadet Han Cheon-seong.”
“I’m not... bored.”
“You don’t have to answer like that. But what to do? Contrary to your thoughts, you won’t have time to be bored. Besides greeting visitors tomorrow, you need to start your rehabilitation therapy right now.”
I blinked at her words.
‘Rehabilitation therapy?’
...I instinctively clenched my hand.
The sensation from my clenched fist was clear.
*Grab.*
Suddenly, Adelia slowly enveloped my clenched fist with her own hand.
“Instructor?”
Startled by her sudden approach, she gently caressed my hand.
“Cadet Han Cheon-seong. Can you still feel this clearly?”
At her words... I focused my senses on her hand, which was blankly caressing mine.
And before long, it felt as if my heart had dropped.
‘What... is happening?’
Contrary to my belief that I had fully regained my senses, the feeling of Adelia's hand gently stroking mine faded in and out.
It was utterly surreal.
“You can’t feel it properly, can you?”
“...No. What on earth is going on?”
As I asked cautiously, Adelia gave a small smile.
“It’s a lingering effect of having your senses blocked, and your body has essentially been completely reconstructed. It’s as if all your nerves were severed and then forcibly healed. Let me ask you something, Cadet Han Cheon-seong. Do you think reconnected nerves can function properly right away?”
“No. I think it would take time for them to function properly.”
“That’s right. In that sense, you also need time. And starting right now, we will begin the rehabilitation therapy to shorten that time.”
I nodded at her simple explanation... my heart greatly relieved.
I had wondered if something was seriously wrong, but that wasn’t the case.
*Stroke.*
My gaze was on Adelia’s hand, which continued to caress mine.
“Then, let’s have you take a light shower. We’ll be going outside right after.”
At her words, I nodded blankly.
Then I tilted my head...
‘Wait a minute.’
Yesterday, I had only managed to wash my face lightly because I couldn’t move properly.
For the past two days.
‘What happened to me?’
Who changed my clothes? Who washed me?
“The towel and underwear are here.”
...Her increasingly specific words made my mind feel like it was floating away.
*Surely not.*