HLSEBT - 96

96. Each One’s Circumstances 5

Yoon Taeha was wrapped in the blanket he had tidied up for her. She didn’t seem to have the strength to get up, which meant she must have used telekinesis.

“Yoon Taeha.”

“…”

“I know you’re not sleeping.”

The blanket wriggled slightly.

The foot peeking out from the bed cautiously disappeared. Cheon Geonyoung tried not to sigh. The blanket, now resembling a rugby ball rather than an ammonite, shifted, and a pale hand crept out.

“Guide…”

“I’ll help you if you come out.”

The blanket squirmed defensively, but he remained firm.

Yoon Taeha, with her fever spiking, was in danger. Her body temperature was already abnormally high compared to others. She’d even been jokingly told by Dr. Moon to always carry a thermometer if she didn’t want to lose control during a surge.

Yoon Taeha held a brief protest under the blanket. In the meantime, Cheon Geonyoung prepared three more cold towels. They were neatly rolled and waiting on the bedside table.

“You’re relentless…”

Peeking out from the blanket like a spy, she muttered in resignation, as if she already knew what awaited her.

“You need to compromise.”

“…”

“I’ll guide you. So come out.”

Her thin ankle emerged first, followed by Yoon Taeha’s pale, pained face slowly slipping out from the blanket. Cheon Geonyoung waited until she was halfway out before briskly pulling the blanket away. A wrinkle formed between her brows, like a crumpled shirt.

Yoon Taeha weakly stripped off her shirt on her own. Only a white sleeveless top clung to her upper body, revealing the soft curves of her figure.

Soon, an almost despairingly sweet fragrance began to spread through the air.

Pretend it’s a doll.

A teddy bear or something.

He overlaid the image of the pencil case she always carried onto her.

The woman, half-delirious from pain, collapsed back onto the bed without realizing his intentions. Cheon Geonyoung perched on the edge of the bed.

“I’ll lift you.”

She nodded, her expression sour, as if everything in the world annoyed her.

He gently brushed a few strands of hair off her long eyelashes. Yoon Taeha had always limited physical contact with him to official purposes like teleportation or guiding. Now, however, it seemed she had temporarily let go of all resistance.

Cheon Geonyoung carefully placed a cold towel around her neck and back. The moment the cold towel touched her, she clenched her teeth. He spoke firmly.

“Bear with it.”

Moments later, the towel was warm—so warm it could’ve passed for something microwaved. He pressed a fresh towel against her lower back.

Yoon Taeha stubbornly lay facedown, as if refusing to surrender this territory.

The third towel quickly turned lukewarm. When he picked up the last one, she wiggled her fingers, signaling him to place it on her back.

“Put it here and hold my hand.”

It was time to keep his promise. He spread the towel across her neck and back, then rinsed the lukewarm towel in cold water again.

After neatly placing it back on the table, he returned to his spot. His knuckles were noticeably red.

The fingers gripping the bedsheet twitched, as if urging him to hurry. Placing his hand gently over hers, she eagerly grasped his fingers, like someone finding an oasis in the desert.

Cheon Geonyoung exhaled slowly as he looked down at her, barely able to open her eyes.

Is the fever contagious?

Each breath felt hotter than usual. He shook off distractions and focused step by step.

I hope the pain goes away.

That was the only thought in his mind.

Her shoulders, which had been rising and falling rapidly, gradually returned to their normal rhythm. Her trembling eyelashes began to calm, like someone waking from a long nightmare.

He ran his fingertips through her already tidy hair once more.

“Feeling cooler?”

She nodded in response.

“When did it start hurting?”

“After the walk. In front of the dorm.”

“We should call someone.”

“My phone… it felt heavy.”

She chuckled awkwardly, embarrassed by her own words.

“…Even saying it sounds ridiculous.”

After finishing her sentence, Yoon Taeha tightly gripped his hand for a long while.

This place, far from the dormitory, was quiet. Only their breathing filled the silence for a long stretch of time. During that time, Cheon Geonyoung changed the towels five more times. Yoon Taeha no longer complained about the cold pressing against her neck and back.

“One last time.”

“Can it be just slightly warm this time…?”

“No.”

Her lips pouted, protruding from her cheek pressed against the bed. Seeing her emotional expressions return, it seemed her pain had lessened compared to before.

By the time Cheon Geonyoung’s icy hands had warmed up, Yoon Taeha staggered to her feet.

Cheon Geonyoung briefly debated whether to wrap her in a blanket for his sake or leave her as she was for hers. Before he could decide, Yoon Taeha quietly spoke.

“The guiding is over.”

“Since when?”

“About five minutes ago.”

“Still, keep holding on.”

“I think I’ve received enough. It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

Her still deathly pale face made it hard to believe she was an esper speaking those words.

She looked around groggily, like someone who hadn’t fully woken, and reached toward the shirt he had hung on the coat rack. He noticed she instinctively tried to use telekinesis.

“Where are you going?”

She gave a puzzled look.

“To sleep.”

“What if your fever spikes again?”

“It’ll be fine if I suppress it with guiding.”

Yoon Taeha was opening and closing her fists, checking if her fingers were working properly.

“Sleep here.”

Cheon Geonyoung preempted her. Without waiting for an answer, he stood and rummaged through the closet for the most comfortable clothes he could find. He then placed them, neatly folded, in front of her.

“I’ll work here.”

He pointed to the desk next to the bed. She looked as though she couldn’t have imagined such an offer.

Was it really that shocking?

He knew she had mainly received radial guiding while sharing a room with her guide. She had mentioned it casually once—that she disliked holding hands with her guide as a child, and that habit had hardened into something unpleasant.

If contact-based guiding hadn’t happened, perhaps Yoon Taeha would have lived in the same space as him. It wasn’t something to be surprised about now.

Does she dislike having me in the same room?

It was a plausible but unpleasant assumption.

“Let the guide work while I sleep in the back?”

“That happens sometimes.”

“Are you serious?”

“Do I joke around that much?”

Yoon Taeha examined the clothes, her expression uncertain. Cheon Geonyoung added a new toothbrush and towel on top of the pile.

“Everything you need is in the bathroom.”

“…”

“Hurry and wash up. If we’re staying up all night, I need to change too.”

He gestured toward the bathroom with his chin. Yoon Taeha clutched the clothes and toothbrush to her chest, still looking confused.

Knowing she’d struggle more if he watched, he turned away, pulled out a chair, and sat in front of the desk. He turned on his laptop.

Ten seconds after the computer screen lit up, he heard her quietly rise from the bed and head to the bathroom.

She’s still in pain.

He was certain. Normally, she would have jumped out the window. She hated inconveniencing her guide above all else.

Earlier, Cheon Geonyoung noticed something different about Yoon Taeha’s left hand. Though she had wiped it away, it was clearly dirt. She must have fallen or pressed her hand to the ground because of the pain. She hadn’t moved at all when he cleaned the dirt off with a towel.

Had she been in this much pain every time?

Lost in thought, the letters on the screen began to blur into meaningless shapes.

Drumming his fingers absentmindedly on the desk, he stood up.

First, he boiled some warm water. He took out tea bags of various kinds, emergency medicine provided by the Center, and her favorite candy stick.

The tray prepared on the wooden stand was lined up with items.

As he waited, the bathroom door opened. Humid air and the scent of body wash wafted out. He adjusted the angle of the slightly tilted tray unnecessarily.

Yoon Taeha approached slowly, wearing clothes that didn’t quite fit. Her hair, dried in the bathroom, was fluffy.

Seeing the tray on the bed, she looked surprised.

“…What’s this?”

“A nursing kit.”

At his prepared response, she burst into a soft laugh. The movement made her wince slightly.

“Who taught you this?”

“I’m the founder.”

“So I’m your first customer?”

He nodded. Yoon Taeha weakly perched on the edge of the bed and glanced at the tray beside her. She lightly touched the candy stick with her finger.

“Should I unwrap it for you?”

“I’m not three years old.”

“But you’re in pain.”

She smiled faintly, drained of energy.

“I’m feeling better. Much better than before.”

Her voice was languid. Yoon Taeha silently brought the cup to her lips and took a small sip of water.

Even a sparrow would drink more than that.

Cheon Geonyoung’s face showed slight dissatisfaction. When she tried to clear the tray, he beat her to it. After tidying up the bed, he commanded sharply,

“Lie down.”

Yoon Taeha slowly slipped into the blanket. The blanket rose to match her lying posture. She murmured softly, like a sigh.

“If you take care of me like this, it’ll cause trouble later.”

“I’m scared to death.”

“I’m serious…”

Watching her eyes flutter closed, he sat back down in the chair. He grabbed the mouse. The cursor wandered aimlessly for a moment.

The sound of rustling under the blanket continued for a while before stopping, replaced by the steady rhythm of her breathing.

Whether it was a delayed tropical night or something else, Cheon Geonyoung stayed awake all night with a clear mind.