Hospitalization (4)

The next morning.

Liliana and Scarlet had filmed their video the night before and headed straight back. Scarlet claimed she'd installed a camera in my hospital room, but she refused to tell me where—said knowing would only make me self-conscious on camera.

"What is she, a film director?"

She'd said she was bringing Nam Da-eun first thing this morning, so I figured I might as well wait.

The chairman had issued the academy's official statement the night before. He'd laid out hard ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠evidence—the artifacts from the Hall of Fame I'd detonated during the Celestial Tournament, the magic circles used in the terrorist attack, the projected casualties, all of it.

If he had evidence that solid, why the hell hadn't he released it sooner?

Damn old man.

Either way, the people trying to frame me had almost entirely vanished.

Even that ridiculous group calling itself "The Truth Lee Ho-yeon Is Hiding"—or "Ho-Truth," for short—was getting torn apart online.

"Finally, the world is working the way it should."

The bizarre era of snubbing a talent like me from the academy was over at last.

"Yeah, yeah."

Bugs like that would filter themselves out.

Shin-Young Guild still hadn't released an official statement on the controversy, but they couldn't stop the exposés pouring out one after another. With that kindly faced middle-aged man leading the charge, the leaks just kept coming.

Of course a mega-guild like Shin-Young wouldn't collapse from a single hit. Still, the damage would be massive… maybe they'd stay quiet for a while.

All Dr. Kang Hyo-rin has to do is bring back the evidence on the Buyer Guild.

The Buyer Guild would notice Nam Da-hee was missing soon enough. For all I knew, they already had. Kang Hyo-rin had laid down magic circles, but several days had already passed.

I was turning that over in my head, idly scrolling the community boards, when—

Knock knock.

"Cadet Lee Ho-yeon. You have visitors."

The knock cut my thoughts short. My assigned nurse's voice.

"Who is it?"

"Someone named Scout, and two others."

"Ah… yes. Please send them in."

Scout.

I wondered about the name for a second, then realized she'd probably gone with "Scout" so Elise wouldn't catch on.

The other two had to be Nam Da-eun and Nam Da-hee.

I pushed myself up in bed and got ready to receive my guests.

Scarlet, Nam Da-eun, and Nam Da-hee were on their way to the hospital room where Lee Ho-yeon was staying.

"…"

"Nervous?"

After they'd ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠been cleared for the visit, Scarlet spoke up as they rode the elevator, watching Nam Da-eun stay silent the whole way.

"A little."

Nam Da-eun was turning things over in her mind. Why he had helped her. How he could have done it. There was far too much she wanted to ask.

"It's okay, unnie. Oppa's, like, super close friends with you."

"…Yeah. But we have to be quiet in the hospital room."

Nam Da-eun's smartwatch buzzed.

Beep—

Tap.

The Buyer Guild kept calling. She ignored every one of them. Nam Da-hee was right beside her, after all. Lee Ho-yeon—the one who'd rescued her little sister—had told her not to answer, and Nam Da-eun was following that instruction to the letter.

Bzzzt—

Something quivered against Scarlet's chest. Liliana, still in necklace form. She'd been fidgeting ever since they left the dorms, complaining about how stuffy it was.

Scarlet stroked the necklace soothingly with her fingers.

"We're almost there. Just a little longer."

A short while later, they arrived at the room.

"Overly long visits are restricted. Have a lovely time!"

The nurse delivered them to the door and disappeared somewhere down the hall.

Knock knock.

"Ho-yeon-nim. It's me."

Scarlet knocked on behalf of the group.

"Come in."

At the voice from inside, she opened the door and they stepped into the room.

Lee Ho-yeon sat propped against the wall, and the three of them took him in at a glance.

"You came early. Everyone, make yourselves comfortable. I don't have any food, but there's stuff to drink in the fridge—help yourselves."

Ho-yeon spoke as he watched Nam Da-hee and Nam Da-eun look around the room.

"Hello, handsome oppa. I came with unnie."

"Yeah. Hi."

He returned Nam Da-hee's demure greeting, then shifted his gaze to Nam Da-eun.

She was studying his face with her usual blank expression, staring hard.

…What is that look supposed to mean?

With Liliana, he'd spent so much time around her that he could read her intentions from her eyes alone. Nam Da-eun was still a mystery.

For the record, Liliana had already slipped out of necklace form and back into her succubus body, and was currently rummaging through the fridge, debating which drink to grab.

Ah…

That was not a topic I wanted to cover with an audience.

I locked eyes with Scarlet.

"As I mentioned yesterday, I've brought everyo—"

I threw every ounce of willpower I had into my eyes, silently screaming that I wanted a private conversation with Nam Da-eun. Scarlet picked up on it at once.

"Hmm… Nam Da-hee. Liliana-nim. Shall we step outside for a moment?"

"Why?"

"I still need my drink. I want plum juice."

"It'll only be a moment. I'll buy you a drink myself."

Scarlet hustled the two of them out and left us alone.

That's Scarlet for you.

I gave a small nod, then looked at Nam Da-eun.

"So… how are you feeling?"

I opened carefully.

"…That's not something the guy in a hospital bed should be asking."

"Is that so?"

"…"

Nam Da-eun chewed on her lip.

There was so much she wanted to ask. Why he'd saved Da-hee. Whether his body was all right. And why, exactly, he was helping her at all.

But she couldn't get the words out.

Saying them aloud terrified her. Part of her was afraid he'd bind her the way the Buyer Guild had. Part of her was afraid he'd demand something in return for his help.

Of course she knew that wasn't who he was. Lee Ho-yeon wasn't that kind of person.

But Uncle Min-gyu hadn't been that kind of person either—not until the moment he changed.

Nam Da-eun clenched her teeth at how pathetic she was, too scared of a mere possibility to even speak.

"Has the Buyer Guild been contacting you?"

Ho-yeon spoke first.

"Yeah. I'm not answering. You told me not to, so…"

"Good. Those bastards are vicious, so don't take a single call. My people are digging into the Buyer ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Guild's corruption right now. We'll be able to blow it open soon."

"…Why are you helping me?"

At last, Nam Da-eun forced out the question she'd been holding back.

She and Lee Ho-yeon weren't even that close. And yet he ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had moved his entire network for her, poured everything he had into it, and in the end he'd saved Da-hee. Even after that, he hadn't asked for anything—he'd kept helping with the cleanup.

At this point, she was starting to fear what he might demand.

An elephant raised from childhood by a handler never rebels against that handler as an adult, even when the handler is smaller than its own leg. After everything the Buyer Guild had put her through, Nam Da-eun couldn't help but suspect other people.

"I—I don't have anything. Nothing I can give you as repayment. Of course I'll pay this back somehow, but…"

Ho-yeon watched her ramble.

Her shoulders and hands trembled faintly. Tension and fear sat hard in her eyes and mouth.

Freedom must have felt strange after so long without it. How badly had the Buyer Guild tormented her, for her to react like this? It was almost painful to watch.

"There wasn't really any special reason."

"Huh?"

Nam Da-eun's eyes went round.

"I was looking into Shin-Young Guild's back channels and found out about your connection to the Buyer Guild. While I was dealing with the Buyer Guild—since they handle Shin-Young's dirty work—I just happened to pull you out too. So you don't need to worry about it."

"B-but… it's too big a debt not to worry about."

"Then pay it back someday, like you said. You're free now. Live with your sister, do whatever you want—and if you find a way to repay me along the way, go ahead."

Honestly, I didn't need any repayment. I wasn't short on money, and it wasn't like she had useful connections. Feeling grateful was enough. That was all I wanted.

"…"

Nam Da-eun kept her head down, her body shaking.

It still didn't seem real to her.

A moment later, a quiet sniffle escaped her, and she began to cry in silence.

Ho-yeon simply waited until she settled.

"Th-thank you. I'll pay this back somehow… no matter what it takes."

"Yeah. Oh, that reminds me—Da-hee told me something. What was it again? Going to cafés, eating together, watching movies… when exactly did you and I do all that?"

He relayed what Nam Da-hee had told him before the party, word for word. Partly to loosen the stiff atmosphere, he let a faint smile touch his face.

Nam Da-eun's face went bright red, tears still clinging to her eyes.

"…I'm sorry. I ran out of things to tell my sister, so I made it up. Please keep it a secret from Da-hee."

"Ahh… so that's what it was."

I'd thought it was odd. Apparently I was just the only person who came to mind, so she'd used me as the subject of her lies.

"…Sorry. If it bothered you, I should properly apolo—"

"Then how about we start with a café?"

"Huh?"

"We just do everything you said. Then it won't be a lie anymore."

Nam Da-eun was still a fresh twenty-year-old girl. Of course there were plenty of things she wanted to do—hang out with friends, go out, wander around. That was why she'd made up those stories in the first place.

She wiped her tears and smiled—not her usual blank mask, but a bright, open smile.

"…Okay!"

It was even brighter than the smile she wore when she talked to her little sister on the phone.