HIF 58

An Important Matter

The Status Window, which had been flickering and appearing unstable earlier, was now floating perfectly intact.

It was even imposing a Penalty. My worry that it might have been broken was completely useless. There was no need for it to assert its existence so vehemently like this.

I hurriedly covered my mouth. I felt blood gushing out. Song Ha-gyun must not see this. I quickly continued speaking.

“No, cough… Hyung, don’t come in…”

I sprang up from my seat. But perhaps because I had just woken up, the strength in my legs gave out immediately. The moment I plopped down onto the floor,

Crash!

The chair I had been sitting on toppled over, making a loud noise. It was a complete mess. I wasn’t accustomed to such sudden situations.

I needed to stay calm. The most important thing right now was not to let him see me like this. Lifting my head, I quickly spoke up.

“Don’t come in, plea…se…”

But the door was already flung wide open.

My reflection, sprawled on the floor, was captured in those pale purple eyes. Situations never went according to my wishes.

‘I wish this were a dream.’

I was embarrassed. But there was no way this was a dream. Song Ha-gyun rushed over to me. The wind rustled with his speed.

“Hyung… Wait, are you oka… gag.”

The taste of blood was metallic. It was hard to string words together with the blood pouring out. But I had to try my best to explain this situation.

“Don’t speak.”

Song Ha-gyun firmly cut off my voice. Then, placing one hand on my back, he continued in a calm voice.

“Spit it out. Don’t hold it in.”

The area of my back where Song Ha-gyun’s hand touched felt hot. A lump of blood poured from my mouth. Ah, when will this stop? The floor was a mess too.

Telling Song Ha-gyun I was okay had to wait until the Penalty was completely over. Now was the time to wait.

Song Ha-gyun sat quietly, stroking my back. The Penalty only stopped after a long while had passed.

“Ha-gyeon hyung, I’m okay now. It stopped.”

I wiped the corner of my mouth with my sleeve. After confirming that my symptom of spitting blood had completely stopped, Song Ha-gyun used Clean magic. Then my body was lifted up.

My body left the cold floor and was placed on the soft bed. The cozy, enveloping blanket was warm.

“Does your stomach… hurt?”

“No. I’m fine.”

Song Ha-gyun, who had been looking down at me, stopped questioning. Then he felt my head and placed his hand on the nape of my neck.

After checking my condition for a long while like that, Song Ha-gyun created three flasks containing liquids of different colors in the air. And he grasped one large, empty flask in his hand.

The three colored liquids repeatedly mixed little by little into the large flask, as if adjusting their proportions. Watching the mixing liquids, Song Ha-gyun held the neck of the flask and slowly turned it.

Over the sound of the liquid sloshing, a slow voice overlapped.

“…You have a slight fever. Since you vomited blood, your body must be unwell too.”

A fever? That can’t be. I brought my hand to my forehead, but it was lukewarm.

Song Ha-gyun grabbed the hand I had brought to my forehead and lowered it. Then, placing the flask in my hand, he opened his mouth.

“…It’s not just your forehead that’s warm.”

What does that mean? After thinking quietly for a moment, I finally understood. He meant my hand was also hot, so I wouldn’t be able to feel it.

But I really shouldn’t have a fever right now. I didn’t feel drowsy either. Body temperature is something felt relatively. It was possible Song Ha-gyun’s hand was on the colder side.

After I drank about three sips of the liquid in the flask, Song Ha-gyun took it back. Song Ha-gyun, who made all the flasks swaying in the air disappear in an instant, opened his mouth.

“Can I… look at your legs?”

“Huh?”

“…You fell.”

I didn’t fall; I just slumped down. But since the chair made a loud noise when it toppled, he might have thought that. It wasn’t something particularly worth hiding, so I nodded.

Song Ha-gyun slowly rolled up my long, hanging clothes. The sound of the hem brushing against itself echoed. My body trembled slightly. Since my legs wouldn’t be exposed while wearing clothes, showing them like this felt a bit awkward.

There were no external injuries. Of course. Naturally, there wouldn’t be any internal injuries either.

Song Ha-gyun carefully pressed my legs here and there. Then, confirming there was nothing wrong, this time he gently grasped my ankle. Within his neat hand, my ankle moved following his slow touch.

“Does it hurt?”

I shook my head. After repeating that for a while, Song Ha-gyun removed his hand and covered my legs with my clothes again.

“…There’s nothing wrong for now. If it hurts later, tell me right away.”

“Yes. Thank you, hyung.”

“Can you sleep?”

“Uh… Yes?”

“…I was worried you might have trouble sleeping because you were startled.”

Song Ha-gyun met my gaze. I wasn’t particularly startled and didn’t have trouble sleeping. But reading something from my expression, Song Ha-gyun quickly created another flask.

This time, a pink, transparent liquid was swirling inside. Song Ha-gyun carefully scooped the liquid into a spoon so it wouldn’t overflow.

The spoon with the sloshing liquid stopped in front of my mouth. I had no choice. Opening my mouth, the honey-sweet liquid swept through and was swallowed.

“What kind of medicine is this?”

“…Something to make you sleepy easily. To relieve tension.”

Song Ha-gyun stroked my back a couple of times, as if helping me swallow the medicine well, then slowly laid me down on the bed. A slow, low voice continued.

“If you take too much, you might build a tolerance.”

Ah, so that’s why he only let me drink a little. Seeing how my body feels a bit sluggish now, it seems it will take quite a while before any tolerance develops.

“…This amount is fine. You’ll get drowsy. Sleep right away.”

Just as my consciousness was gradually fading,

‘Ah, right.’

An important thing I had to say finally came to mind. Important matters always come to mind after lying down. But since Song Ha-gyun was beside me now, I could say it right away. That was fortunate.

Struggling to lift my heavy eyelids, I gathered my senses. I turned to look at Song Ha-gyun.

“Hyung, when we return to Ledeo this time, how long will we rest? Before moving to the next location.”

Song Ha-gyun turned my head to face the ceiling. Soon, a dry towel with a cool sensation covered my eyes. A faint chill cooled my forehead.

I could have slept without this. But since Song Ha-gyun’s voice followed immediately, I didn’t bring it up.

“Why? …Are you very tired?”

“No. That’s not it…”

Of course, I did have some issues with my stamina. The stamina that was hitting rock bottom needed to be addressed, but that wasn’t what I was trying to say now.

“If there’s time, I need to visit the Temple.”

“…Need to visit?”

“Yes. Definitely.”

To visit the Temple, permission must be obtained several weeks in advance. Without permission, even if I went there stubbornly, I wouldn’t be able to enter the Temple building.

“We’ll rest for about a week.”

“Hmm…”

Then the timing was a bit difficult. I had heard that around the time it gets hotter, things would get very busy, and it seems that was true.

I couldn’t give up like this. Should I try visiting the Temple first and at least meet the Teacher? Breaking the established rules would be difficult, but couldn’t I at least make a request once?

As I was thinking that, Song Ha-gyun’s voice continued.

“…It’s not that you want to go, but that you need to go?”

“Yes. There’s something I need to check.”

“Is it important? Because of what you mentioned before, about receiving divine power?”

“It’s similar. It’s an important matter for me. But I know your schedule comes first. I just wanted to know approximately when it might be possible.”

I felt a hand stroking my hair.

“…Okay. Let’s all discuss the schedule together. For now, sleep.”

A cool herbal scent came from the towel covering my eyes. As Song Ha-gyun fell silent, stillness filled the room. Even the air was quiet. Amidst my consciousness gradually sinking into sleep, a thought suddenly surfaced.

“Ha-gyeon hyung… What did you come here for?”

“…Just because.”

And then there was silence for a long while. After that, Song Ha-gyun added in a small voice, wondering if I might have caught a cold.

No wonder the knocking sound was so faint, almost inaudible. If I had been properly asleep in bed, I definitely would have been asleep and heard nothing.

“…Because I was outside for a long time.”

I wouldn’t catch a cold that easily. What does Song Ha-gyun think of me?

I wanted to say that’s impossible, but the words only spun in my head. In my drowsy consciousness, I didn’t even have the strength to move my mouth.

But when is Song Ha-gyun planning to leave? He was still sitting on a chair placed beside my bed.

“Sleep now.”

I vaguely thought I heard such a voice. After that voice, I have no memory.

◇

Seon Yi-han was quietly asleep before Song Ha-gyun.

The dawn was deep. Outside the window, still deep blue flower buds were falling, submerged in darkness.

The room was filled with even breathing sounds. Song Ha-gyun calmly watched the brief peace melting into those steady breathing sounds.

“…Ugh, huu.”

A faint moan broke the stillness. Song Ha-gyun, accustomed, created light around them and wiped the cold sweat beading on Seon Yi-han’s forehead. A burning heat warmed his palm.

Song Ha-gyun, who had pulled back the blanket covering Seon Yi-han, cooled the surrounding air. A cool breeze gently covered the feverish body.

‘Is it a cold? Or is he having a nightmare?’

It was impossible to tell which. Perhaps it was both.

He had anticipated a cold. Given Seon Yi-han’s physical condition, it was extremely natural. He must have overexerted himself all day. He even had a slight fever earlier.

That’s why he gave him medicine, but the fever hadn’t subsided yet. It seemed to be rising instead.

‘If the fever isn’t going down to this extent, it might be because of a nightmare again this time.’

The first time Song Ha-gyun saw Seon Yi-han having a nightmare was around a dawn just like now. Song Ha-gyun still couldn’t forget that day.

That day, Song Ha-gyun left the research lab to get a book and went up to his room. It was completely coincidental. Normally, he would have used Summoning magic.

Why he went to get it himself that day, even Song Ha-gyun didn’t know. Perhaps it was intuition, or perhaps the face of the one who would be asleep suddenly came to mind.

And what Song Ha-gyun faced upon opening the door was Seon Yi-han, buried deep in the blanket, breathing hot breaths and rustling.