Chapter 29
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Hospital Visit
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"…They died?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Cause of death unknown. They suddenly rolled their eyes back and died."
"…Details."
After letting go of the woman presumed to be a member of White Space, Junhyeok reverted to being a kind B-rank hunter from Camellia Guild and helped rescue the people.
"We're hunters from Camellia Guild! This area's already safe, so please don't panic and follow us out slowly! Is anyone injured, or did anyone not make it out?"
In truth, most of the problems had already been resolved by the time they emerged.
Junhyeok had simply helped them get out quickly and safely.
But wasn't every little action like this important?
It was cleaner and safer for a trustworthy someone to lead them out than for the victims to wander around and escape on their own.
And Camellia Guild's reputation was more than enough for that role.
After evacuating the people outside, Junhyeok explained the situation to the arriving guards, handed things over, and returned to where he'd left the suspect he'd captured to hand her off.
He didn't mention anything about White Space.
No point telling them—they wouldn't even know what it was, and he had no real intention of opposing them outright anyway.
But…
"He seemed to regain consciousness, then started spouting nonsense."
"Nonsense?"
"Something like, 'Open your eyes. This isn't everything. If you don't want to face the same destruction, you must awaken. We're doing this to help you.' Then he died."
"Heh… Was he insane? But cause of death unknown?"
"Yes. Just a heart attack, apparently."
"Both of them? Does that even make sense?"
"We'd need autopsies to know for sure, but that's what I heard."
It was obviously contrived, but there was nothing to be done about it right now.
Suicide or silencing? Unclear either way.
"Speaking of destruction… Sounds like some cult straight out of a textbook."
"Did they have some religious conviction?"
"Who knows…"
With the presumed suspects dead, it was getting harder to uncover the full story.
From his perspective, it was too large-scale for just two lunatics pulling off a terror attack.
The gas tanks they'd found alone should've poisoned everyone caught in it with magi.
'But no one was poisoned.'
The media probably wouldn't report the full details either.
Just something like, 'Two crazy maniacs committed a terror attack, then killed themselves after capture.' That'd be plenty.
Vague causes and speculation invite backlash, and if something bigger came up later, they could report it then.
They'd aim for the corporate downfall instead—bigger feeding frenzy than dead crazies.
Unless similar incidents repeated a few times.
At least for now.
Junhyeok leaned back in his chair, tapping the armrest with his fingers.
"Well, nothing we can do."
The dead suspects were a done deal, but what really bugged Junhyeok was something else.
The plants filling the massive main hall.
That level of output looked like at least A-rank chlorokinesis—plant manipulation.
'Was she some promising talent another guild was secretly grooming?'
Among the people he'd escorted out, none came to mind.
Instead, he couldn't tear his eyes away from that light-green-haired little girl with the burly guy.
When he looked her way, she timidly glanced around, as if sensing his gaze.
Sure, she had a striking appearance that drew the eye, but beyond that… there was a strange sense of familiarity.
Su-hyeon walked the hospital corridor, unable to hide her anxiety.
"So this is why you asked me to come along? A hospital?"
"…I didn't want to come alone."
Ga-eun walked beside her.
"Ugh."
Ga-eun sighed, and Su-hyeon's body flinched.
"You're shaking like a leaf, and we're not even that close. Was it really necessary for me to come?"
"Still, you got hurt helping me. How could I just sit by?"
"Yeah, yeah. That's you all right. Timid, but stubborn where it counts."
And a bit brazen once you got close.
"I'm older than you, after all."
"Ooh, call me unnie then?"
"…No."
Ga-eun chuckled at that and ruffled Su-hyeon's round head vigorously before walking on.
"But how was he just hanging out like nothing happened with a broken arm? Is he really a robot?"
"I don't know… I only found out after we got out."
Su-hyeon half-agreed with the robot theory about Chan-seong.
Yesterday, he hadn't shown a hint of it, but midway through, his arm had been broken the whole time.
When they got outside and she saw his arm dangling, she'd been shocked.
The guards had come running at her scream.
She'd tried using her ability once more to heal him, but she'd exhausted her power and just got dizzy, so Chan-seong stopped her instead.
"Here it is."
When the two arrived at Chan-seong's room, he was already packing up after discharge procedures.
"Huh? Chan-seong-ssi?"
Su-hyeon asked in surprise.
Chan-seong turned at the voice. His arm looked fine.
"Su-hyeon, Ga-eun-ssi? What brings you both here… You had injuries after all?"
"No, we came to visit you in the hospital."
"Visit me…?"
"Yeah, Su-hyeon begged me to come along. Heh."
"Hm."
"Ah, no."
What was this? The vibe like Ga-eun was proudly showing off a well-behaved kid…?
Ga-eun nudged Su-hyeon with her knee, her face saying to hurry up and praise her.
"I'm truly grateful. First time anyone's visited me in the hospital. Never been admitted before."
He said it with his usual stoic face, making it even more embarrassing.
"Uh… um… How's your arm already healed?"
Su-hyeon forced out words to break the awkward mood.
"Hm. Found out during the exam—I've ranked up to D-grade. Mana recovered, and it healed on its own."
"Whoa…"
"Ooh, congrats! D-rank healer? You're nobility now."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah, just backline support for a big guild pays way better."
"Good to know. I'll think it over."
After that, Ga-eun and Su-hyeon waited for Chan-seong's discharge to finish.
Sitting in the waiting area chairs, yesterday's news played on the TV ahead.
[A terror attack leaking massive magi gas occurred yesterday at Asia's largest monster exhibition in Seoul. Guards responded quickly to minimize damage, but there were still casualties. They arrested two suspects, but both were already dead, hampering the investigation. Citizens criticize the event organizer for safety lapses and demand compensation. The company, known for mid-tier hunter gear and supplier to guards, has apologized and…]
Hearing the news, Ga-eun checked Su-hyeon over worriedly again.
"This is ridiculous… Anyway, you're really okay? Awakeners aren't immune to magi gas poisoning."
"Yeah, Professor said they checked everyone—no one's poisoned."
"Lucky, but weird."
Professor was unhurt and discharged right after waking.
'All good here. Would it have been better if I got admitted for the students' sake? Hohoho.'
She'd called last night, only for that unanswerable joke…
"B-but are you okay? I get me, but Ga-eun, you barely know him… Sorry for dragging you out on a Sunday."
Su-hyeon felt guilty, even though she'd asked.
"Huh? It's fine. Talking to strangers is my job."
"…Social butterfly."
"It's not that big a…"
Su-hyeon had muttered softly, but Ga-eun heard.
Ga-eun had been so straightforward, making Su-hyeon's prior agonizing seem foolish.
Chan-seong's procedures finished soon after.
"Ah, all done?"
"Yes."
"Well, then…"
No more reason to stay, duty done—she hopped off the chair, ready to head home.
Standing up made her eye level even lower than sitting, which felt unfair.
As Su-hyeon stepped forward, Chan-seong approached and looked down at her intently.
"…Something to say?"
"Su-hyeon. I actually have a favor to ask."
"A favor? What is it?"
"My mother's been suffering from an illness."
"Oh… I see… But why me instead of the hospital?"
"Magi poisoning."
"Ah…"
"Is your mother an awakener?"
"No, non-awakener. Never been near a gate, I guarantee it."
"How then…?"
"No idea. Dad handles corpses, but…"
"If he spread magi around that much, everyone around him would've been poisoned to death ages ago."
True enough.
Unlike awakeners with mana to slowly resist magi, non-awakeners had no treatment yet.
"Hospital says maintenance only for now. But with the recovery ability you showed yesterday…"
"…That."
Su-hyeon hesitated.
She might be able to, but what about side effects on people? Unknown.
What if she stepped up and disappointed them?
As she wavered, Chan-seong bowed his head, assuming refusal.
The burly man bowing drew stares.
Even social butterfly Ga-eun panicked.
"Wait, hold on!"
"I'm begging you. Just one try? I'll scrape together money somehow."
"Ah, no. It's not that."
Chan-seong's bowed head trembled faintly.
Her short height let her glimpse it by chance.
Seeing the stone-like man plead like this hardened Su-hyeon's resolve.
Still anxious, but she wanted to help.
"Not sure if I can, but I'll try."
"Really?!"
Chan-seong lifted his head at her words.
"But first."
He tensed slightly again as she added.
"Let's sort out how we address each other first?"
It had bugged her from the start.
Half-informal to older her, but polite to younger Ga-eun?
Ga-eun was half-informal to Su-hyeon, polite to Chan-seong.
Su-hyeon half-informal to Ga-eun, polite to Chan-seong.
What a mess.
Time to straighten out this tangled speech.