Repayment - Hospitalization Day 4
Day 4 of hospitalization. Thursday. I was lying in my hospital room as usual. Around my bed were vibrant bouquets of flowers. Nam Da-eun had brought them. Not content with visiting every day since visits were allowed, she'd even hauled in a bunch today.
"This one was the cheapest with the most flowers."
The bouquet she handed me was a bunch of baby's breath.
"...Uh, thanks."
I didn't need her to be so thrifty about it. Still, thanks to her, the room felt a lot brighter. There were rose baskets and baby's breath bouquets everywhere.
"Where'd you get all this money from?"
Nam Da-eun wasn't exactly rolling in cash, yet she'd bought a ton of flowers.
"Scarlett gave it to me. She kept insisting it was fine, so I had no choice."
"Hmm..."
Well, Scarlett probably figured the kid didn't have much and wanted to help. Scarlett really was a good person.
"Anyway, thanks. The room's way brighter now."
I'd be heading out again soon anyway, but getting a gift still put me in a good mood.
"Alright, I'll head out. Take care."
Nam Da-eun always left quickly once she saw I was okay. Of course, I was grateful just for her coming.
"So you like this kind of stuff, huh."
Licking her lips as she eyed the rose basket and baby's breath bouquet Nam Da-eun had left behind. She didn't seem the type for a flowery image, but liking flowers was pretty unique.
I glanced at the flowers, then checked my smartwatch.
It was a message from Ellis last night. Yeah, about time she showed up. We'd signed that mana massage contract, but I'd only done it once. The contract was for me to come when she called, so it wasn't really my fault.
Knock knock.
"Patient Lee Ho-yeon? A woman named Ellis is here to see you."
"Yes. Send her up."
No sooner had Nam Da-eun left than Ellis arrived. Finally. Wonder what she wants to talk about.
I stretched a bit while waiting for her to come up.
*
"...She actually came."
Ellis took a deep breath in front of Lee Ho-yeon's hospital room door. She'd never once gone to visit someone first in her life, and now here she was visiting a man.
"It's because of the contract. Yeah. The contract."
The mana massage contract with Lee Ho-yeon. She'd given him top-tier masseuse treatment, so the signing bonus alone had cost a fortune. But with Sebas Chan tracking her every move 24/7, there'd been no chance to meet. Now that Sebas was on vacation, she needed a massage, but damn hospitalization made it impossible.
'Should I just tell Dad?'
A mana massage meant baring herself to a young man. If her father found out, the guild would explode. That's why she hadn't said anything... but if this kept up, she might have to.
Anyway, priority one was treatment. Nothing mattered more than that.
'I'll think about it a bit more.'
Ellis shook her head to clear the stray thoughts and knocked on the door.
Knock knock.
"Come in."
Opening the door revealed a bed surrounded by vibrant flowers. And in the midst of them, Lee Ho-yeon.
"...It's been a while."
Surrounded by flowers, he looked like an angel descended from another world. Seeing him after so long felt strangely unfamiliar.
"Yeah. Thanks for visiting."
"No big deal. I'm here for the contract anyway. Sorry to bring up business while you're hospitalized."
Ellis set the fruit basket she'd brought as a gift on the table and sat in the chair. The bed where Lee Ho-yeon lay—it was familiar, even though she'd never seen it in person. She'd watched it plenty in Scarlett's videos.
Gulp.
Ellis swallowed. Seeing the bed she'd always masturbated to at night made her body heat up for some reason.
"I was waiting for your next call, but with my situation..."
Lee Ho-yeon lifted his arm slightly. The loose patient gown hanging off him spoke volumes about his condition.
"Heard you can't use mana at all. That true?"
"Yeah. Even massages are tough."
"Recovery estimate?"
"Uh... not sure? Probably around a week."
Lee Ho-yeon looked at his arm. His condition was definitely better than day one. At this rate, full recovery in about a week.
"A week..."
But Ellis only had a week too. If he wasn't recovered by then, it'd be another indefinite wait.
'Can't let that happen.'
She realized it from talking to him. She couldn't wait any longer. Her nights were already filled with more masturbation time. All because of him. One mana massage, and this pent-up frustration would melt away. His touch during the massage had given her thrills and pleasure no solo session could match, and she still couldn't forget the sensation.
"...Got it. I'll contact you once you're recovered."
It wouldn't end with just one massage, and she couldn't keep waiting for Sebas's off days forever.
'Right... this is medical treatment.'
Ellis decided she'd summon Lee Ho-yeon home as soon as Sebas's vacation ended. She had to introduce the mana masseuse she'd personally scouted.
*
After finishing her talk with Lee Ho-yeon, Ellis left the room.
'But what do I even say?'
Dragging in the cadet whose background check she'd ordered as her "masseuse"—how awkward would that be? Pondering how to convince Sebas, she reached the hospital lobby. It had a cafe, toast shop, and various other stores. That's when she spotted a familiar face at the flower shop.
'...Nam Da-eun?'
Nam Da-eun was holding a bouquet, chatting with the owner. Roses and baby's breath. The owner's exasperated expression suggested she'd been pretty picky.
'Hold on—roses and baby's breath...'
Exactly the flowers in Lee Ho-yeon's room. Was she taking them to him? Ellis watched Nam Da-eun, then slowly approached.
Nam Da-eun had always been top priority for recruitment among the first-years—even before Lee Ho-yeon appeared. Grades and pride had made it tough to approach until now, but thanks to him, her mana disorder treatment had hope. And without obsessing over scores, Ellis felt more at ease.
'The contract's solid, but... I've never talked to her myself.'
The talk was that Nam Da-eun's ties to Buyer Guild were ironclad. Every guild that tried to poach her had failed. But approaching her cost nothing, and you couldn't know without trying.
Ahem.
Clearing her throat, Ellis walked up and spoke amiably. She always gave her all in official matters.
"Da-eun. Buying flowers?"
*
Meanwhile, Nam Da-eun had spotted the flower shop on her way out after visiting Lee Ho-yeon. She went in to find the best value flowers—for ones he'd like. She didn't know much besides swords.
As she compared prices, a very cute voice came from behind.
"Da-eun. Buying flowers?"
Turning, she saw Ellis smiling brightly at her.
"Yeah. Looking at flowers."
Nam Da-eun answered, unsure why she was talking to her. It had been ages since she'd chatted with another female cadet. While Da-hee was captured, she'd avoided conversations on purpose, so aside from Lee Ho-yeon, she hadn't talked to many cadets.
"What are you worrying about? I know a bit about flowers—want help?"
"This one's 2,500 won per stem, that one's 2,450, but this has bigger flowers, so I'm torn."
Ellis was momentarily speechless. Nam Da-eun's way of thinking about flowers was worlds apart from hers.
"...Usually, you look at color harmony for bouquets, not price per stem?"
"Oh. Didn't know."
Ellis squinted slightly at Nam Da-eun nodding like she'd learned something profound.
'She's quirky.'
She'd only planned to pitch recruitment, but now she was curious if those were really Nam Da-eun's flowers in his room.
"Did you leave the bouquet in Lee Ho-yeon's room?"
"Yeah."
"Ah... You into him or something?"
Ellis's intel showed no romantic link between Lee Ho-yeon and Nam Da-eun. But delivering flowers meant multiple visits. Not just friends—did he plan to add another girl here?
"No. Just expressing thanks."
"...Right? Just checking. As a fellow woman, advice: keep your distance from Lee Ho-yeon. That guy's a total player with wom—never mind."
Ellis blinked at Nam Da-eun's blank stare, hoping she wouldn't fall for his charms. Too many women around him would be inconvenient later.
'...Why would it bother me?'
She didn't know why, but it felt necessary.
"You two seem close."
Nam Da-eun ignored the warning. Whatever his relationships, he was her benefactor.
"I-I'm tied to him through business, no choice...! Oh, right. Interested in Iris Guild?"
Caught off-guard by Nam Da-eun's response, Ellis remembered her goal: recruitment.
"Hmm..."
Nam Da-eun trailed off. Honestly, no interest in guilds. Bad memories with Buyer Guild, and right now, she just wanted to do something for Lee Ho-yeon.
"I'll think about it."
Still, it was her first long chat with a female friend—she didn't want to end it negatively. A milestone for Nam Da-eun.
"Good thinking. Here's my number—call anytime."
"Thanks."
For the first time, a girlfriend's number appeared on Nam Da-eun's smartwatch. She didn't show it, but she was thrilled.
"Well... Sigh... Last thing: stay away from Lee Ho-yeon."
As she turned to leave, something tugged at Ellis's chest again. Nam Da-eun standing there blankly with her bouquet looked ready to trot off to him.
'Can't let that happen. No way...'
Ellis glanced around, leaned in, and whispered in Nam Da-eun's ear.
"Lee Ho-yeon's a huge womanizer. Rumors say he's hooked up with tons of girls. That's what you gotta watch for in a guy. Got it?"
Ellis left the flower shop after that.
"Why'd I do that... High..."
Instant regret. Meddling in others' business wasn't her style.
Ellis pondered why all the way home. But no answer came—she didn't yet know what that feeling was.
Left behind at the flower shop, Nam Da-eun stood pondering after Ellis left.
'Lee Ho-yeon likes women. And he has lots of relationships with them.'
Having lots of relationships with women could mean he likes forming them.
'He likes forming relationships with women.'
Nam Da-eun looked down at her chest. Not huge, but big enough to get in the way when swinging a sword.
'I'm a woman.'
[Lee Ho-yeon likes forming relationships with women.]
[I am a woman.]
= [Lee Ho-yeon will like forming a relationship with me.]
"...So repaying him that way works too."
Nam Da-eun nodded, eyeing her body.