D-1: The Girl Just Wanted to Apologize – Cheolsu Hospitalized?
!..... ! .........
Yujin heard the news right at dawn, just as he was waking up. Yesterday had definitely been a good day. He'd had a fun date with Lime after a long time, and even after getting home, their conversation showed no signs of ending. They'd lain side by side in bed and drifted off, thinking they'd start another pleasant day. That is, until Park Secretary came in and delivered the news.
"Yes, he's currently admitted to a hospital near the academy."
"Hmm, must've gotten into another fight with someone. I even gave him gear so he wouldn't get hurt."
Yujin said it like it was no big deal. No matter how you sliced it, Cheolsu getting hospitalized was familiar territory. The guy got injured every day like some light novel protagonist.
'Probably got dragged into a fight while trying to help someone again.'
That was just Cheolsu's personality. He'd skip the academy for a few days this time too and come back soon enough. Yujin was actually more worried about whether he'd have enough attendance days left.
But today, Park Secretary's expression was off.
"......This time, it's serious."
"Serious?"
"He might die."
Park Secretary said it in his usual dry tone. To him, it was only natural. To him, Cheolsu was just one of the "pawns" Yujin had mentioned. There was a gap between Yujin, who saw Cheolsu as a genuine friend, and Park Secretary, who thought Yujin was just using him. All Park felt was that one of his usable pieces had been lost.
But knowing a bit about Yujin and Cheolsu's relationship, he was careful with his words.
"Die...? Aren't you mistaken or something? Cheolsu's got good grades at the academy, and he's great with a sword."
Yujin asked, still unable to believe it. He slipped into polite speech without realizing, flustered as he was.
Park Secretary didn't point it out and just answered.
"Three deep slash wounds on his body. All fatal. It's a miracle he's still breathing."
Yujin stared blankly for a moment. Honestly, it didn't feel real. He knew better than anyone how strong Cheolsu was. They'd sparred countless times. And that wasn't all. On the island, Cheolsu had taken down dozens of monsters alongside him. He'd sliced through that massive snake's neck in one stroke. Who the hell could have hurt a guy like that?
"What happened?"
"The investigation's still ongoing. We've contacted the hospital in Heukcheon's name, so they'll do everything they can. But they can't guarantee he'll pull through."
The hospital staff were surely pouring all their effort into saving Cheolsu. Even if he lagged behind Yujin, objectively speaking, Cheolsu was an incredible talent. A genius swordsman guaranteed to reach S-rank in the future. The only reason he was being mistreated was Heukcheon's pressure.
If Heukcheon gave the okay, the Hero Association or any guild would shower him with support. But even then, Cheolsu's condition was so dire that the outcome was uncertain.
"Apparently his condition wasn't great to begin with. The doctors pulled an all-nighter to keep him alive, but the rest is up to his will."
".........."
Yujin sat on the edge of the bed without a word. Honestly, it still didn't sink in. Death. In a world full of monsters and villains, it might be everyday stuff. Yujin himself had faced death a few times. The reason it hadn't felt real was because he'd been strong enough to smash through it all.
But now that it was happening to a friend, his head went ice-cold.
"Found the culprit?"
"......Still under investigation."
"That investigation's by regular police, not Heukcheon, right?"
".......Shall I look into it?"
Heukcheon was the top guild with nationwide reach. Their capabilities and connections were beyond imagination. They had deeper ties to the "underworld" than even the Hero Association. The police and crime syndicates were all connected to Heukcheon. If Heukcheon got serious, finding the perp wouldn't be hard.
"No need to overdo it. But look into it as much as you can."
"Understood."
Though he'd said it mildly, to Park Secretary, it was as good as "stake your life on it." And he was confident he could deliver. Unless the culprit wasn't ordinary.
'......Is Young Master Yujin planning to go to war with the executives?'
The culprit who tried to kill Cheolsu. It wasn't hard to infer they were connected to Heukcheon's executives. The anti-Yujin faction saw Cheolsu as a sword Yujin was raising. Precisely because Yujin had steered things that way.
They'd even gathered intel on over ten assassins targeting Cheolsu. They'd hidden well, but tracing them always led back to Heukcheon executives.
'They kept sending mediocre assassins his way, and one finally got lucky?'
Cheolsu had stayed fine because he was strong. He could even match Yujin. Mediocre assassins weren't a threat. But this time, Cheolsu was off his game, and he'd drawn the short straw against a bad matchup.
That was Park Secretary's read on the situation.
'Either way, from Young Master Yujin's 'public' standpoint, he's lost a valuable subordinate he raised. Using this as an excuse to go after the executives would give him justification, benefits, and even praise for caring about his men.'
Did he calculate this far and set the board? Expose Cheolsu to danger on purpose for this?'
Park Secretary felt chills down his spine. It was exactly the kind of ruthless play Heukcheon would respect. Boldly and mercilessly wielding the cards he had. No one else could pull it off.
How far into the future does Kim Yujin see?'
'As expected, only Young Master Yujin is fit to be Heukcheon's heir.'
With that thought, Park Secretary bowed and left the room.
Yujin, sitting still, clenched his fist with a cold expression. Contrary to Park Secretary's misconception, he was burning with a clearer rage than ever.
…*
Younghee opened her eyes to the morning sunlight. She sat up sleepily, rubbing her eyes. Thanks to the class president's advice to eat and sleep well, her body felt much better.
She turned her head to gaze at the sunlit window.
'.......I miss Cheolsu.'
That was her first thought upon waking.
For a while, thinking of Cheolsu had made her head hurt. Sometimes it even brought chills and fear for no reason. That inexplicable state had mostly recovered now.
Now, she just wanted to see his face. To feel reassured by it. Above all, she wanted to tell him she was sorry.
'It was all my fault.'
On the island, she'd spat words that hurt Cheolsu. Insulted him, touched his sore spot, made him angry. Even wished he'd just die.
Why had she said such things? She couldn't understand it herself. It was too extreme to blame uncontrolled emotions.
Sure, she might've been a bit upset that he'd saved the class president first. But there were limits.
'Saying I wished he'd die was too much.'
She'd regretted it hundreds of times in her heart. In dreams, she'd stopped herself from saying it dozens of times. But regretting alone changed nothing. She had to meet Cheolsu, talk it out, and apologize properly.
'Not sure if he'll accept it......'
To Younghee, Cheolsu was more precious than anyone. She didn't want him hurt. She didn't want him fighting Yujin because of her. That's why she'd pretended to hate him with all her might.
But that didn't mean she wanted to hurt him. That would be completely missing the point.
'I should meet him alone and say I'm sorry.'
Honestly, she was scared of how he'd react. But she had to muster her courage now. If she apologized with all her heart, at least he wouldn't blame himself anymore.
Younghee knew Cheolsu better than anyone. He was surely still drowning in guilt over his "mistake." Even though it was all her fault. He was probably making that unbearable pained face, just like her.
She didn't want that for him. For his sake, she had to convey her true feelings now.
'......First, time to wash up.'
Glancing in the mirror, Younghee sighed. Her hair was a mess, skin dry and rough, eyes hollow. She prided herself on her looks, but no guy would stick around seeing her like this. Especially not Cheolsu.
And it had been so long since the island— this couldn't be her reunion look. She'd wash up, do her makeup, wear something nice.
Steeling herself, Younghee grabbed a towel and headed for the bathroom.
That was when—
- Vrrr.
Her smartphone buzzed on the desk. Checking the caller ID, it was the class president.
Come to think of it, the class president had taken care of her until yesterday before leaving. Probably calling out of worry first thing in the morning.
She should thank her too.
Thinking that, Younghee hit accept.
If only she'd made her decision a little sooner— would things have turned out differently? For Younghee, the next few hellish days were about to begin.