Chapter 67
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: Events at the Hospital (2)
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"How could this happen? You woke up, but why didn't you contact anyone?"
"That... well, you see."
Whether it was the influence of the possession, or Kang Hyun-sol's original body being an idiot.
Or maybe I was just a genuine moron from the start, who knows.
I couldn't fathom why I kept doing stupid things, knowing full well I'd regret them.
Before diving into the rewards, ignoring SP and all that crap, if I'd just taken that brief moment to reply neatly to everyone's messages, this disaster wouldn't have happened.
I already knew that, so why did I go and do something I'd regret?
Damn if I know.
'What are you saying, Hyun-sol... This isn't the time for soul-searching. Snap out of it.'
The conversation had veered off for a second, but the priority was figuring out how to smoothly gloss over this situation.
I clamped my mouth shut and stared blankly at Amelia's face before slowly, awkwardly lifting the corner of my mouth.
"I only just came to. Right after opening my eyes, I was focused on getting a read on the situation."
"Hmm... Is that so?"
"Yeah, something like that."
Did it work?
Amelia's expression shifted subtly upon hearing my excuse.
She seemed convinced, yet somehow suspicious.
Before any stray thoughts could creep in, I drove the nail home.
"Sorry for worrying you, though. Looks like everyone else was pretty torn up about it too."
"...You're right. It was really upsetting. A guy who was perfectly fine, chatting away until Friday evening,
suddenly getting a message Sunday morning that he's on the brink of death."
"Ahaha... Sorry."
"No, it's okay. You're awake and safe now!"
Amelia, who had been wearing a faintly scary expression just moments ago, broke into a bright smile and sat down on the chair beside the bed.
She pulled an apple from the fruit basket and began peeling it as she asked,
"So, what exactly happened? How did you end up on death's door overnight?"
"Umm... Well, you see."
I hesitated briefly over how much to reveal, but given her position, she'd likely learn everything soon anyway.
So I decided to just tell her the honest truth from the start.
Three minutes later, after hearing everything—from leaving Wol Ha-yeon's family home to encountering the Descent-type Gate on the way,
accidentally conquering the dungeon with Choi Eun-ha and, very accidentally, saving her life—Amelia
fed me a slice of the peeled apple with an utterly inscrutable expression.
"Hmm... This is a real pickle. Things have gotten awfully complicated."
"...? What's complicated?"
"Oh, just some rival talk... No, personal stuff. Don't mind it. Anyway, how's your body feeling?"
"No, it hurts like hell. Can't even twitch."
The piercing wound's effects lingered somewhat, but what tormented me most was the aftermath of mana exhaustion.
Every breath made my heart sink heavily and throb wildly, and every rotation of my mana circle felt like it was scraping at my heart.
'Haa... If I'd known mana exhaustion hurt this bad, I wouldn't have forced that 3rd Circle Holy Magic...'
But if I hadn't inflicted a fatal wound on Arkin Low, it would've taken Choi Eun-ha ages to finish him off.
And I'd have said goodbye to this world right then.
I had no choice but to burn every drop of mana for that Holy Magic, side effects be damned.
"But why'd you suddenly show up at the hospital? It's the dead of night."
In the middle of our chat, I suddenly wondered why Amelia had come visiting at this ungodly hour.
I asked without much thought, but...
Amelia's face turned into that of a child caught red-handed in a huge mistake, and she started avoiding my gaze.
"...? What is it? Why'd you come?"
"W-well, you see~"
"Yeah, what is it."
"W-well..."
Amelia, mid-sentence, blushed crimson and covered her face with both hands.
"I-I wanted Hyun-sol-kun to recover fast, so every day when I had time, I sneaked in avoiding people's eyes and infused holy power..."
"Whoa... damn."
I gaped at Amelia, who rapped out her explanation at machine-gun speed, my mouth half-open in shock.
She desperately tried to hide her embarrassment with her hands, but her ears were already beet red.
"For real? Sneaked in and gave me holy power? So I'd wake up sooner?"
"H-holy power stabilizes life functions by nature... promotes recovery... and..."
"And?"
"......I was worried."
Her last words were so quiet they were almost a whisper.
'Ugh, better stop asking. The mood's getting weird again.'
I cleared my throat awkwardly and lay my head back on the pillow.
"...Got it. Thanks anyway."
"Hehe, you're welcome."
Amelia scooted her chair a bit closer to the bed.
And continued slowly.
"By the way, while Hyun-sol-kun was out cold, a lot happened."
"I'm curious. Tell me."
Amelia began counting off on her fingers.
"First, Sophia."
"......"
"It wasn't her fault at all, but she tormented herself mentally. Felt pathetic for casually messaging you to hang out, oblivious to your crisis..."
"She did nothing wrong—why beat herself up? Got it, I'll contact her first thing tomorrow morning."
"That's a splendid attitude!"
Amelia took a sip of water and continued her explanation.
"Then Yoon Seo-rin."
"Yeah, she sent me a few KakaoTalks too. Surprising, since she always just calls."
"Pfft—! No, ahem. Anyway, she was so worried she picked up Sophia—who'd been nagging her daily to visit—and tossed her right out of the dorm!"
"...? What?"
"Exactly as I said. Grabbed her, threw her out the window, slammed the door, and locked it!"
I inhaled sharply before muttering in a subdued voice.
"Sophia must've been insanely annoying for her to go that far..."
"Right? And Sophia used Float to hang off her own dorm window, whining the whole time."
"Damn... Life's rough..."
Amelia kept going.
"And Yoo Ji-an sunbae~"
"Knew it. Go on."
"Right before coming to the hospital, she hid a bunch of blood-red recovery potions in Hyun-sol-kun's drawer... along with a super suspicious note: 'Caution: Subject may awaken.'"
"Those... still in the drawer?"
"Yep. I tasted one out of curiosity... Strongly recommend against it. Seemed to have some extra weird effects."
"Roger that. Nice one, poison alchemist."
We both nodded in unison.
The room fell quiet for a moment.
In that silence, as I gazed out the window lost in thought, I slowly spoke up again.
"Still... in the end, everyone was really worried about me."
"Yes."
"I... made it back alive."
"That's right."
"Then that's good enough."
Amelia paused a beat, then gently placed her hand on the back of mine.
"Since Hyun-sol-kun survived... made it back safe, no more on that, but this incident was insanely reckless.
Hunters exist to slay monsters and save people, sure... but charging into an obvious death trap without hesitation? You knew that best of all, right?"
"......"
Glancing up, Amelia's expression was worse than I'd expected.
No excuse would help—I knew that—so I just nodded without a word.
"Yeah. I'll be more careful next time. Think it through to the end."
"Yes."
Amelia smiled faintly, head bowed.
That image... lingered deep in my heart, oddly.
As our conversation was wrapping up...
Slide—!
The hospital room door opened again.
"...Kang Hyun-sol? You're awake? But why are you with Amelia in that pose..."
"...Yoon Seo-rin?"
The identity of the late-night visitor was Yoon Seo-rin.
Fruit basket in one arm, expression twice as icy as usual.
'......Wow, check out this timing. Absolute worst.'
Of all moments for her to walk in while Amelia was gripping my hand tight and leaning her face right in.
At this point, I swear the Oath of Indulgence isn't just trying to lift my restraints—
it wants to see me torn limb from limb.
"I'd like an explanation. Why are you two facing each other in such a misunderstanding-prone position?"
Yoon Seo-rin strode over, set the fruit basket on the drawer, then looked down at Amelia with impassive eyes.
Amelia stared at Yoon Seo-rin's face with a peculiar expression for a moment.
Her mind visibly racing with calculations.
And just like that, her expression flipped completely once she'd sorted her thoughts.
Embarrassment vanished, overly sweet kindness gone.
Just her usual friendly mode.
In other words, an utterly unshakable smile naturally formed on her lips.
"No need to misunderstand! Yoon Seo-rin."
Amelia naturally lifted her hand from the back of mine, slowly.
Not hurriedly, but as if tidying up from its original position.
Finally, she scooted her chair back an inch and straightened her posture.
"I just came to check if Hyun-sol-kun was awake. Learned he'd woken moments ago, so I was briefing him on what happened!"
Expression serene. Voice perfectly composed. Smile just right. Tone without a single hitch in her breath.
Her acting was so flawless it was scary.
Yoon Seo-rin fell silent for a moment.
Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
"...Good then."
Her tone was as matter-of-fact as ever, but her wariness shone through plainly.
And her gaze shifted to me.
"Then why no contact? You could've done it the moment you woke."
"Ah, that—"
"He says he only just woke up and his head's still fuzzy."
"Yeah, mana exhaustion's got my head spinning like crazy still."
"Even so..."
Amelia, with the faintest lift of her lips, rested her chin on her apple-peeling hand and said,
"He says the first person he thought to contact right after waking was you, Seo-rin. I'm so jealous."
"Wait, what do you mean...?"
'What the hell? Spreading rumors outta nowhere.'
Yoon Seo-rin's gaze slowly turned to me.
"...Is that true?"
"W-well, could see it that way? I think I had thoughts along those lines..."
"......"
Hearing my wishy-washy answer, she made a faintly troubled face and quietly took a seat in the chair beside Amelia.
She opened the fruit basket and began plucking grapes one by one, as if they'd been washed.
'What? Suddenly plucking grapes?'