Chapter 89
Chapter 89. Terminal Diagnosis (14)
Thunk—
Sodam let out a hollow laugh as she saw the dagger embedded in the ice wall—a wall that hadn’t even shown a scratch no matter how much she had scraped it before. If once wasn’t enough, then she’d stab it twice, three times, as many as it took.
Like someone digging with a shovel, she slammed the dagger again and again—thunk, thunk, thunk—and cracks began to appear along the blade marks in the once-impenetrable wall.
Ten times? Twenty times? She lost count. Again and again she stabbed, and by the time her palm was so raw that veins under the torn skin were clearly visible, Sodam still didn’t stop. Finally—
Crack—split—
“Ha… finally…”
A faint wave of heat seeped through the opening that had formed, spreading from the widening cracks.
With a triumphant smile, Sodam clutched the dagger to her chest and threw herself into the gap. The blow of her body slamming into the solid ice wall brought with it a numbing pain. Shards of ice rained down, scraping her head and shoulders. The impact felt like being struck with a hammer, but she gritted her teeth through it.
Covered in shattered ice, she finally stepped through to the other side—only to find that everything was already over.
The dagger slipped from her loosened grip and dropped to the ground with a dull thud. But she had no time to care about that now. At the end of the forest trail, she saw the fallen Pafnir and Juyul standing over it.
Inhaling sharply, Sodam called out with a voice choked in emotion.
“Baek Juyul, you bastard!”
“…Bastard?”
“Yeah, you son of a bitch! How could you—how could you show me something like that?!”
Her once-neat hair was tangled and matted with ice shards. Her pale face was soaked with tears, a complete mess.
From her hands, stained water like blood dripped steadily to the ground. Trembling with each step, she approached Juyul, her eyes bloodshot and locked on his.
“You could’ve dodged. You didn’t have to get hurt. So why—why did you take that hit, you idiot?!”
“So this is what it feels like… to get cursed out for protecting someone.”
“Who the hell asked you to go that far?! What’s the point of those fancy powers of yours?! They’re yours—you could’ve just trusted them and left me be! Even if I died—so what?! It’s not that big a deal!”
She had been yelling so clearly and firmly with every syllable, but suddenly her voice wavered. The surge of emotion choking her throat made it feel like it might tear open.
Juyul’s always-cold hand touched her trembling chin. With just a light sweep of his fingers, she winced—there must’ve been a wound she hadn’t noticed.
“How’d you get scratched here?”
“I got it while breaking that damn wall you made. What, you gonna sue me?”
She swatted his hand away sharply in response to his dry question. Clicking his tongue, Juyul grabbed her hand instead and frowned as he examined it. The palm, swollen and streaked with ruptured veins, made him sigh deeply.
“If you’d just waited, the wall would’ve melted on its own. What were you thinking? It’s going to bruise.”
“What was I thinking?! You’re the one who got yourself hurt and went off chasing that damn thing!”
“And what’s the problem? I’m out here to subjugate monsters. As long as I can move, I’m supposed to do just that. Whether I’m injured or not, it’s part of the job. There’s nothing wrong with that, Guide Maeng Sodam.”
Usually, he was quick to say “my Guide” this and “my Guide” that—so why did it bother her so much now, hearing her full name delivered so coldly?
Her shoulders rose with the swell of her emotions, and Juyul gently stroked her forearm, as if trying to calm her. But it only pushed Sodam over the edge.
“Problem? There’s a ton of problems! At least for me there are! You—you got hurt!”
“….”
“Do you even know how terrified I was, watching that? No, if you did, you wouldn’t be standing there acting so damn shameless. Do you have any idea how much—how much—”
Her furious accusations dissolved into a sob as the tears she had been holding back finally burst free. Juyul’s hand, which had been lingering with nowhere to rest, quickly pulled her into a hug. Even as he slowly patted her back, she didn’t calm down—only cried harder. Her breathing grew more and more ragged, and in the end, Juyul had no choice but to pull away.
Holding her by both shoulders, he looked at her from a short distance—and for a moment, he wondered if this was really the same Maeng Sodam he thought he knew. Her face, flushed deep red, her cheeks wet, her lashes beaded with tears, her lips parted and gasping for breath…
This wasn’t the same person who used to talk about money and contracts, always drawing a clean line.
He had expected her to be shocked—but only because she’d nearly been caught in the line of fire. Yet judging from her words and actions now, the real reason was likely—
“…You were worried about me?”
“Yeah! I was worried, okay?!”
Unlike when he had asked about her wounds, there was something strange in Juyul’s voice now—a tinge of emotion that hadn’t been there before. That clumsy question, laced with a flicker of hope, was enough to make Sodam feel a rush of emotion. He had heard every furious word she’d shouted just now, so he should’ve already known the answer. And yet he wanted her to say it herself, aloud. If that’s what he wanted, she could give it to him as many times as he liked.
With a sharp bite to her lip loud enough to echo, Sodam stared at him with bloodshot eyes and laid bare the deepest part of her heart.
“In this world where I have no family, no friends… the only person I can say I truly know is you, Baek Juyul. You’re the only one. My one and only Esper.”
She tried to calm herself with a deep breath, but the trembling heat in her chest wouldn’t settle. Forcing back her tears, Sodam lightly struck his shoulder. Even as she hit him once, twice, three times with her weakened fists, Juyul didn’t flinch.
Finally, she unclenched her hands, grabbed his collar, and spoke again—her voice hoarse and cracking.
“I told you I’m your Guide. I said I’m yours. So then… you’re mine, too.”
“……”
“If you’re mine, then don’t get hurt, don’t get sick, and act like your usual cocky self—be Baek Juyul, so I don’t have to worry about you.”
Her words were drenched in both possessiveness and concern. Juyul said nothing, as if her words had stunned him into silence. Releasing his collar, Sodam wiped her nose and held out her other hand, lifting her pinky finger in a bold gesture.
“Promise me. Now.”
“…Promise what?”
“That you’ll never make me—your Guide—worry again.”
Compelled by something he couldn’t name, Juyul hooked his pinky with hers. She locked their fingers together and gave them a firm shake, smiling faintly. Her face was still flushed, her cheeks streaked with tears—but to Juyul, for some reason, that smile seemed more beautiful than anything he’d ever seen.
Then, all at once, Sodam swayed and collapsed into him. As if making that promise had drained the last of her strength, she fell weakly into his arms. Juyul clicked his tongue softly as he caught her.
“…You’ve gotten even lighter.”
Sodam had only been apart from him for barely three months. He’d assumed she would’ve taken better care of herself in that time—no Guiding to exhaust her, no Esper to deal with—but she was still terrible at looking after her own health.
Just as Juyul effortlessly scooped her into his arms, the staff member came running up in a panic, wheezing and gasping so hard he couldn’t even swallow properly.
“Ba—Baek Juyul, sir! Hahh, are—are you okay?!”
“……”
“W-why—why aren’t you saying anything?! Is something—hahh—is something wrong?!”
Startled by the icy look in Juyul’s eyes, the staff member quickly adjusted his clothes. But no matter how crisp his suit became or how neatly he straightened his tie, Juyul’s gaze remained as cold as ever. Looking down at him as though he were something utterly insignificant, Juyul spoke in a voice far colder than his abilities.
“There was only one thing I asked of you people. Just one. Protect my Guide.”
“Y-yes, of course. I remember that. Yes.”
“I saw how you abandoned that responsibility and ran. I understand the UK’s position very well now.”
“Wh-what?! But that—th-that really couldn’t be helped…! The Association’s stance isn’t the same as mine! I was just, well, it’s just that…”
Even as a B-class, an Esper was still an Esper—and his panicked breath quickly settled. As he nodded obediently, trying to appease Juyul, his face drained of all color at the mention of “the UK’s position.”
Juyul, shaking his head at the man’s feeble excuses, answered with biting politeness.
“You were just scared for your life. I understand.”
“Whew… y-yes, exactly! I mean, logically, I knew, but actually seeing that kind of attack with my own eyes—my legs gave out, you know? Even though I’m B-class, my power is totally useless. I’m just a desk jockey, really, so it’s just, uh, yeah…”
The staff member’s rigid shoulders finally relaxed a little, and he let out a pitiful laugh as he rattled off his excuses.
Juyul watched him ramble for a moment, then lifted one side of his mouth in a crooked smile—and delivered his verdict with frigid clarity.
“That doesn’t mean I understand why the UK Association would assign someone like you in the first place.”
