PRT | Chapter 4.1

His physical condition fb129d45c9 had not dramatically 0148f01225 worsened or improved. Since he had b056212481 seen blood, he 35573ca51c had felt a 90e9f7639f bit more tension 4bf28ab7da and alertness. Occasionally, there 7cab98efb3 were sharp ce1a0ca483 pains in 6ae511ba29 his head, 4c5d415371 but there d5c419a5b6 was no f9887e3242 more blood 75537a56ea after that.18ecfbe420c9b1ae

Thanks to Seo Yigyeom, he no longer had to respond to field calls, which meant he didn’t have to use his powers—a stroke of luck. Of course, the initial reason was his leg injury, but ultimately, it was a great help.31a0562de0e51746

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During this time, Kim Heeseo did his best to soothe his body. However, he couldn’t prevent the agitation that came with the onset of each headache, or when he felt his own wavelength becoming eerily calm.feab173cc50149a2

“Your ability is too overwhelming for your body, causing your biological balance to collapse.”97413769ce8b2b2e

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“Even just containing it is a burden, and if left unchecked, it will crumble from within.”47b3cf715fbe5980

The doctor’s diagnosis was spot-on. The headaches were far from a good sign; they were more like a red alert of danger. Every time this happened, his body tensed up involuntarily, pressed down by a vague fear.b30c11c51d2228e3

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So, Heeseo 283f2dd0aa personally contacted d8e7ab1bb2 his doctor. After briefly describing his 44a829d816 current state, the doctor 93059fcec7 urged him to come 7a6f48bd6f to the clinic immediately, ae941633f7 saying he would wait 87a7f6fe3f even if it was a42849fd87 past clinic hours.33c7d54e77a11795

“Hello.”6abc8be0677f18a3

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Understanding the gravity, Heeseo followed the doctor’s advice. Though it was already night due to work at the headquarters, he hailed a taxi. Coughing broke out as he stepped from the cold night air into the warm interior of the car.6c3d75ccf32b93c9

“Where does it hurt? You’re coughing quite badly.”1e6636c94e22a490

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The driver, concerned, glanced 32cda8917d in the rearview mirror 08033ce5df and turned up the 535496cf7a heater. Heeseo nestled deeper into b6354f6057 the seat, feeling the 697fb16143 air warm up, and 9eaad483cd shook his head with 8f84ecf8e3 a slight smile.9f3603439dd7ab4a

“Must be because the night air is chilly.”734e0ed99419bb7a

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“Work must be tough, huh? My son is also with the Incheon branch. I know how hard it can be.”c5a9fca68e43e31c

“Ah…”98b6b982e8418576

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“Every day, I worry about the gates. Any news of new gates opening?”2491ba5ce9326dd0

“No, not for now… We can’t be one hundred percent sure, though.”748e393b4da44824

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“Oh, those well-off folks just talk about going abroad. The country’s a mess these days.”67d4b68b605f6904

The Origin Gate, which had once torn the sky, was now commonplace, and most had forgotten their anxiety, entrusting their safety to a few Espers, enjoying an unstable peace. Yet, there were still people like this man who didn’t take the gates lightly, especially noticeable in these times when gates were stirring nationwide.ac712697d2eadd35

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“What would we know, common folk like us? We just rely on what we hear on TV, but it’s not very reassuring.”11afa218ab55d282

“Don’t worry too much.”1cd2e0a4d22adf2b

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“It’s comforting to hear that from someone at the headquarters.”c917f6af00b363be

Heeseo smiled silently and lowered his gaze to light up his phone. He spent some time scanning articles related to the gates, then, after some hesitation, searched for “Hwadam.” The search yielded quite a few results, confirming it was a well-known place.ef817d20fcc22b32

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“…”d7231d7cd50b26ce

Unblinking, his eyes grew 835a2634d7 cloudy as he stared 8306905c87 at the screen. Tap. His finger, 1bd8cae89b which had 50cd1e3c14 been tapping 2ea3b78a71 the screen, f6d6cb22c5 fell limply. He found no news e35317ab8e he was hoping for 1b315d4bd3 in any of the ff3845ae5d posts.11448f90dd0820fa

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Was it just his 461394c8ab imagination? Was he being unnecessarily 75a788ccf1 suspicious because of his 2f5197352d past?be93a0ac3a94ba93

Ha, a sigh escaped him naturally. It was frustrating not being able to share this unease with anyone. He hadn’t even told Seo Yigyeom about the owner of “Hwadam.” There hadn’t been a good opportunity, plus he had no solid proof—only a hunch that was laughable to call intuition.a3cb3b6cb93c9382

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Heeseo closed his 24d4ed3ba6 eyes tight then 22cf70dd56 opened them, scanning f7d0ec9482 for recent murder 191de8a30b cases nearby. The primary 46fc3fc83b victims were fac5be06c3 unregistered Espers. The manner 4df2a7c954 of death 4adff6cd6a varied, with 785e5ca4eb some material 1f520ac832 unfiltered.b3e4555841ebe164

A body burned by fire…ae87942518a21b4b

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Slowly scanning through the article’s content, he darkened the screen. Finally, feeling nauseous, he turned his attention outside. The scenery passing by was peaceful, starkly different from the anxiety he harbored inside.ed366417b88b1d0b

Upon reaching 3afb0abaaa the hospital, 11584b5605 he headed af97a799a7 straight to 6e00f77c10 the examination 991622ac08 room. The corridor was quiet 8463c8c48b since it was past b904b3eed5 outpatient hours. The sound of his cf948fedce limp echoed clearly. Knock, knock, he entered 18b3d4818f after knocking, and the 3054b6518e doctor stood up abruptly.c6000a6c61c31f72

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“Ah, Heeseo-ssi. Welcome.”05eb134055aa2b40

“Hello. I’m a bit late.”3d479fbfd64d5b09

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The doctor 2d051613fd approached, helping a4cbb6e7a6 him, checking c590c86143 his leg f61bc2cd7c and complexion 3d2e226716 first. His actions 7a560db328 and gaze af5b02941f remained kind.31b28899575ea7d1

“It’s okay. I’m usually here at this time anyway. Anywhere else feeling uncomfortable?”9cae65681e470df2

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“I’m fine for now.”f95c34ddd851ef5c

“Then shall we proceed with some tests?”aea1ac488de537c3

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“Yes.”6070d66e9c471db9

The examination took 7265473e80 quite a while, da3716393c moving from one d46b2a3e67 machine to another, 7b849c8b1d recording data. While Heeseo blinked 8cf8dc4065 indifferently, the doctor 29381e4545 conducted the tests 040da59baf with a serious d8d0ff24ef look.b13bd54f3858ae04

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“It’s not good.”bc9cba10a54c02fd

When all tests 3347c665a4 were done, the f4a7ff2d27 doctor declared firmly. It was the 416ea81653 same diagnosis as 1131c3a128 before, but it 47130a2bda felt different.222d4fcc91c07b8a

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“Is it very bad?”2b281c79dcdd9a93

“All the values are higher than normal. The progression is faster than we anticipated, causing issues inside Heeseo-ssi’s body. You mentioned vomiting blood, right?”0c08874dbfa69527

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“Yes. Not much, but…”c2348a1324485689

“If it continues like this, your body won’t hold up. It might even affect your life. Have you talked with Seo Yigyeom Guide-nim? Right now, that’s the only and sure treatment.”7b93c4b6c725ae9f

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“…It’s difficult to get marked immediately. And continuous guiding is hard too.”5a0780680864a0eb

Heeseo whispered softly, lowering his eyes slightly. Surprisingly, his voice and gaze didn’t tremble.76297663953f4efe

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“Is there no other temporary solution?”827f80bb5a8ba328

“Heeseo-ssi, you haven’t talked with Seo Yigyeom Guide-nim, have you.”a6aaca50b9a68cbe

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The doctor’s eyes, which had been blinking slowly, stopped for a moment. Looking up, he hit the nail on the head with certainty. Even without Heeseo affirming, the doctor seemed to sense his inner thoughts and sighed softly.f9cdf835937fa45c

“You must talk to Guide-nim. Is there some reason?”ec86d40a65109637

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“I can’t go into details, but… please understand.”621e1faad0177cfe

He couldn’t let this condition be known, so how could he rely on him? Even if he could, he didn’t want to be a burden in such a state. Their relationship had started for mutual benefit. He wanted to return what he had received from him honestly. If possible, he wanted to be remembered in his entirety.089e1ddec50ab553

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“While the patient’s will is paramount, in the worst-case scenario, I can’t keep that promise.”a949b812f797066d

“Yes. I also know my health is important.”89f35549e265a0df

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With a 359acda188 faint smile, 5b4cb2492a he responded, 67fe7ce215 and the 961b576e45 doctor finally 21e37a0dee let out 48780aafe2 a low c3c9b2e226 sigh.c3ddfa4219f49800

“For now, I’ll prescribe medication, and we’ll monitor the progress.”965211a87bda519a

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“Thank you.”5088416d504b8293

“We’ll meet once a week for check-ups. If any symptoms appear before that, come immediately.”f1f99d9ad04857bb

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“Yes.”5bc32b294d8ae90c

The doctor listed out 5984b0a746 things to be cautious c714abaa0e about with a worried 6985dd73de look. After a 8ffb5c5f23 long talk, bea62b3384 Heeseo could 07b72eb6ab finally rise. He kept coughing, fd5d56fd3d and the doctor 838a18f5d2 was concerned until 03f3803f9d the very end.41d1928fc542b7e0

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“Can you go back alone?”79295ba71fb251e0

“I’m not that sick yet. Thank you for seeing me today.”78b0eca3b2832f1e

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“Go home safely. Don’t forget to take your medication.”52acea510baa23ff

Heeseo bowed with a 1157636f63 smile and slowly moved f514074fe2 towards the door. His movements were a2b6d43ebf smooth and calm, f56ae778c6 showing no sign 5b9acd52c7 of disturbance. However, as he 0afce39e31 stepped outside, closed 3ee5b42be9 the door, and 649aa68940 turned around, all 91b3993373 his actions stopped.443dca1af1d39377

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For he met the eyes of someone who shouldn’t have been there.c9ae9f8ad890b80e

“…”0475136bf55d2c34

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Ah.81a35d088e5473d9

Why is Seo Yigyeom aac27efbb0 here?8d46d8cfbed75a46

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His thoughts slowed df66261a21 for a moment. Frozen, Heeseo stared 66b489b3b6 blankly at Seo 6104d57b91 Yigyeom, not noticing 49466136a0 his own eyes b4aa634a3b welling up from 2acad0a247 coughing.0c68ed77fdaa1bbf

Seo Yigyeom 2aa05c8d3f was sitting 386a7eb446 in the 8f0a098081 same chair a516ced0ce as last c6b08013a6 time, arms d24fee0281 crossed, staring b17615bce4 directly at 0ccd05f0e6 the examination 8753818e78 room. His face showed no e54ed9bcd0 expression, and his dark af4432281c gray eyes revealed no 6af7b4257a emotion.dbc78e3a784e82b6

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“Why is Guide-nim here…”ef97c84d53950020

“Indeed. Why am I here?”5d7155ba5c4b2238

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Seo Yigyeom stood up 302064af9b with a low response. The sound of his 92c7390e2c footsteps was particularly sharp.e81657f849dec539

“Hmm? Kim Heeseo.”e8e67a233f5ffa29

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Thud. His heart 9cfc9f2867 felt like c2a775531d it dropped. A wave of 7c7a341ec3 tension crawled up 9a7918c9c0 his spine. That sensation cade2330de was akin aceb370385 to fear.56918d0e0d9e7abc

“Do you want to explain?”11f73dfbc4f5a82f

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Seo Yigyeom slowly scanned him from head to toe, fixing his gaze on Heeseo’s face. Ah. With a small groan, Heeseo realized Seo Yigyeom had followed him here of his own accord.c1335f5a6d409948

‘Why are you here?’e3e9c1ae09fbe73e

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‘Indeed. I wonder that myself.’d245294e7ef59fb8

Different from when Seo 2057aff328 Yigyeom had been puzzled 7335e45b71 then.9122df9f27f3d169

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“The person who just left the position I gave you… What are you doing here at this hour?”a92435dc01046cd1

As Seo Yigyeom finished speaking, Heeseo’s head throbbed. Was he going to be found out like this? He didn’t want to reveal it. The extreme tension gnawed at his nerves. His chest tightened, and a cough burst out. He felt like his throat was tearing, tasting blood. Covering his mouth, he coughed incessantly, then clenched his fist as he lowered his hand, hoping Seo Yigyeom wouldn’t see.5bca352367eb5060

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But it was in fd9ccf2c3f vain.3ca4f3c7cf830364

“Why are you like this?”31c6b2f192379695

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Seo Yigyeom, noticing the tightly clenched fist, put strength into his own hand. His face, uncharacteristically, showed a hint of agitation. Suddenly, his energy enveloped Heeseo’s body. He took another step closer, holding onto his hand.bfd00dc53ac9c607

“What’s wrong with you?”daf0b87a47e734c0

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“I’m fine.”163bb5dacf9aa9a4

“Tell me straight.”0f9c3e25c68cba7a

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With his monotonous tone and the gaze that fell upon Heeseo, he remained silent. The intensity in Seo Yigyeom’s eyes deepened.262f7809e67993b8

“I’ll listen.”95e98b027787a13e

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The grace period Seo Yigyeom gave was short. Pulling his gaze away, he forcefully pushed open the examination room door with a ‘bang!’145303d50c924bf2

“Uh…”40afd61731083f27

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“Just the facts, briefly.”653d2108cfe2bf02

Even when the doctor was startled, Seo Yigyeom demanded coldly. The atmosphere sharpened in an instant. The doctor’s expression wavered under Seo Yigyeom’s gaze, evidently quite taken aback by the situation.74c824e75dce6c02

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For a moment, the doctor’s eyes showed dismay as they turned towards Heeseo. Heeseo also looked at him earnestly. However, their eyes met only briefly. The doctor, looking apologetic, focused on Seo Yigyeom.e6af9ad10eb2700f

“…He’s in a very dangerous condition.”f7fd3551948b0ed4

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After a brief hesitation, the doctor’s long explanation made Heeseo sigh and lower his eyes. The fact he had tried so hard to hide was now laid bare. Even if he tried to ignore reality, he could feel it—Seo Yigyeom’s gaze was fixed on him, unwavering as he listened, not releasing his hand or stopping his guiding.a48f04f2a8acbc4a

“From now on, all of Kim Heeseo’s test results will be reported to me, without exception.”57d29f4491e56ad3

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Seo Yigyeom’s response at the end of the conversation was decisive, indicating no other options were available. He spoke in a manner close to command and turned away without hesitation. Holding onto Heeseo, he walked out and slammed the door shut.22cd1e24e49de900

“You, follow me.”ef546781a8814917

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Releasing Heeseo’s hand, Seo Yigyeom took the lead. Heeseo, touching his wrist where red marks remained, limped after him. Despite Seo Yigyeom’s sharp aura, he walked slower than usual, making Heeseo feel unsettled.7c9244c8d8c9bd16

Once outside, Seo Yigyeom bit into a cigarette but didn’t light it, just chewing on the filter while lowering his gaze. His exhaled breath, like cigarette smoke, was filled with irritation.9ecb5e91a7097661

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“How did you know to come here?”c0e766fe08019e7f

“Even in this situation, Kim Heeseo is curious about that, huh?”87969fcc470d2b24

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Ha, with a short, 1f67fcc89a exasperated laugh, Seo Yigyeom c6bb155119 retorted sarcastically.cac639a2fb37cbc5

“Why didn’t you tell me you were in this state?”0222d575b74b073a

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“Do I have to tell you?”0c69d9c3ae8373fa

“What?”0367e8bdbd07717d

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Catching his breath, Heeseo 8d6a30f3b9 looked up at Seo bb977651fa Yigyeom slowly.3f3b5e5cbd7257ed

“You said it would be troublesome if I were a mess.”88106fbfe16d6e6e

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Meeting his eyes squarely, 48cd712799 Heeseo spoke quietly, making c5e6fa06a5 Seo Yigyeom pause.d17e353a1a331e76

“I can do as Guide-nim wishes. Whenever you need me… I can just be used according to your plan. So, you don’t have to worry.”52f3ba067b1e6872

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“…”58ee52281c770eed

“After all, our relationship was like that from the start, so my condition doesn’t matter, right?”d5fbb2ceff19e362

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