CH 51

After lunch, Han Cha-soo headed to the rooftop with one of the medics. The location was chosen because Ki Tae-yeon had told them to stay away from the water.

“There are more people than I thought.”

“It’s because there are a lot of people from other headquarters. Headquarters 3 and 4 don’t have enough beds, so they often come here.”

A medical staff member named Park Sung-jin was quite the character. He felt a certain intimacy with him because he had seen him from the first day at the medical center.

“Would you like something to eat?”

Park Sung-jin said, pointing to a group of people. He wondered why there were so many people on the roof, but there was a small café off to one side.

Coffee, fresh fruit juices, and herbal teas. It also sold snacks to fill you up. A small sign said there was an employee discount.

‘This place must be doing pretty well.’

Han Cha-soo took a seat at the head of the long queue, thinking to himself, ‘maybe I’ll open a cafe when I leave.’

As he stared at the shrinking queue, Park Sung-jin spoke up with an apologetic face.

“Oh, no coffee for you. You can’t take caffeine because of the antidote.”

“You don’t mind fresh fruit juice?”

“Yes. By the way, do you mind if I stamp my coupon?”

“Go ahead.”

The drinks were bought with Ki Tae-yeon’s card anyway. Park Sung-jin’s eyes sparkled as Han Cha-soo nodded that it was fine.

He looked around to see if he knew anyone else, and then ducked his head.

“Thank you, and… large. I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

Han Cha-soo stared at Park Sung-jin with newfound interest. He wondered why he had to tell him the same story over and over again.

But something was different this time. Park Sung-jin pursed his lips and opened his eyes wide with determination.

“I’m going to get in trouble for saying this… but when you first came in, everyone thought it was half a success just by you breathing.”

“What?”

“You have to keep this a secret, okay?”

“…Okay.”

After receiving his promise, Park Sung-jin snorted and said everything he wanted to say.

When he was pulled out of Baek-dam’s arms, looking like a corpse. How he’d been up all night trying to activate a treatment device that had just finished clinical trials and stem the bleeding.

‘What a mess. ‘

Medical center staff have it tough too. It would be easier for them if he was discharged as soon as possible.

Han Cha-soo felt sorry for them.

‘All I can do now is increase my contact time with Ki Tae-yeon.’

His body was healing itself as the regeneration skill conserved energy, so all he could do was to quickly remove the strange condition of spiritualization.

The problem is that faster removal requires more time in contact with Ki Tae-yeon….

‘If you really need to have skin-to-skin contact, don’t you think there are better ways to build up your stamina and relieve stress than just sitting still and holding hands?’

Han Cha-soo couldn’t let go of his dream of punching him in the face.

‘If I work hard enough, I might be able to ignore that strange tickling sensation.’

The words empowering did not lie, and when his skin touched his, he felt an alien energy. It was a contradictory energy that was both cool and hot.

By analogy… okay. It was like watching the heart of a giant deep-sea fish beat in the depths of the ocean.

The problem was that the energy it emits was as great as the size of the heart. How surprised he was inside when his hands overlapped on the back of his own.

‘It sent chills down my spine.’

In an instant, the coldness, like seawater, swept through his body like a wave. That eerie feeling that washes through his veins, strand by strand…. Just thinking about it makes his skin crawl.

‘I’m having some pretty strange experiences.’

He’s had his nerves washed away by the sin of possessing a villain. No matter how he thought about it, his life had never been so full.

“So when Han Cha-soo woke up, we all almost cried.”

However, he also felt sorry for the people who were whipped by the S-rank to keep the villain alive.

Han Cha-soo was about to say something consoling.

“There’s just something about the thought of saving a… person like you, Han Cha-soo, from a bunch of bad-tempered bureaucrats that makes my heart skip a beat.”

What have I just heard.

Han Cha-soo stopped the hand that had risen to pat him on the shoulder. His grey eyes looked at Park Sung-jin with a serious light in them.

Park Sung-jin had long since fallen into a world of his own.

“Come to think of it, I don’t remember when it was a rewarding moment while working. That’s when I realized. Oh, I was into mannerisms…! Saving lives was such a rewarding and meaningful thing, but I thought I had forgotten about it until now.”

“…….”

I don’t think we need to feel sorry for him. Han Cha-soo congratulated Park Sung-jin for regaining his motivation to work.

In the meantime, the queue had shrunk by half. The menu was getting closer and Han Cha-soo concentrated.

‘I wonder what’s good.’

There were three types of fresh fruit juice: strawberry, banana, and kiwi. Strawberry seemed to be the most popular, judging by the people taking the drinks.

“I’ll have strawberry juice and strawberry banana juice.”

Then, someone order a drink that wasn’t on the menu.

“Strawberry banana?”

Han Cha-soo’s gaze locked on the man in glasses.

And their eyes met. The man’s large black eyes made Han Cha-soo shuddered. He wordlessly bowed his head slightly, and the man smiled and bowed back.

‘He has a nice face.’

He was a gentle-looking man, with dark brown hair and soft eyes. A face with a slightly upturned corner of his mouth that made him seem to smile even when he blinked.

You could say that he exudes goodness just by standing still.

‘Unlike Han Cha-soo.’

Park Sung-jin sneaks up beside him as he stares in envy at his predicament. His curious voice rang in my ears.

“How do you know the professor? Do you already know him?”

“What?”

“You said hello just now.”

“…Is that your professor?”

“Uh, yes.”

Shaking his head, Park Sung-jin continued.

“He’s a professor of psychology who comes to our medical center as an advisor… I thought you said hello.”

“We happened to make eye contact, so I just said hello out of courtesy. More than that, it’s the first time I’ve heard of a psychology professor coming to the medical centre as an advisor.”

“Well, we set up a psychological counselling center a few years ago, and he was one of the first to help us with that.”

The Awakening Management Bureau Medical Centre has its own psychological counselling center.

This was because, unlike the awakened in the guilds, who mostly dealt with monsters, the awakened in the administration often dealt with people.

“I see.”

As he pondered Park Sung-jin’s words, Han Cha-soo felt an epiphany pass through his mind.

The day he woke up in the medical center, hadn’t Jung Yiheon asked me for a consultation? And it wasn’t just that.

‘The day I returned the earrings to Geum Myeong-yeol, the medical staff had also called Jung Yiheon in to talk to me about counselling.’

They were trying to get him to go to the psychological counselling center in the center. Han Cha-soo choked back a laugh.

‘So maybe that professor knows about me too.’

It is clear that Jung Yiheon had a conversation with the medical staff about counselling. It’s quite possible that the professor, the advisor, was part of that conversation.

“Hmm.”

Han Cha-soo turned his head slightly and stole a glance at the man called Professor.

He was sitting on a bench beyond a small fence, accompanied by a group of what appeared to be psychology centre staff.

“Are you going to order?”

“Oh. Sorry.”

He had forgotten that it was his turn. After much deliberation, Han Cha-soo asked the waitress.

“Do you have strawberry banana juice?”

“Yes, what size would you like?”

He pointed to the cups, not hiding his delight.

“You can give me the biggest one.”

He felt a little embarrassed that he was copying a man, but his instincts couldn’t be beat.

And it was an incredibly satisfying choice.

“Here’s your iced Americano with strawberry banana juice and three extra shots. Enjoy!”

“Thank you.”

The moment he took a bite of the juice, he realized why the professor had ordered something that wasn’t even on the menu.

“It’s delicious, isn’t it?”

Han Cha-soo nodded and concentrated on drinking the juice without speaking. How relaxing it was.

“Ah, the weather is nice. We could stay out all day like this… Ugh.”

Park Sung-jin suddenly groaned and twisted around, a red light flickering from the device on his wrist.

Park Sung-jin’s face went blank. He sighed deeply and said,

“My mouth is a circle. Hah… Han Chasoo-ssi, I think I need to go downstairs for a while, what do you want to do?”

“I’ll stay a while longer.”

“Uh, will you be okay by yourself?”

“With so many people, what could possibly go wrong?”

Park Sung-jin didn’t seem reassured.

“Soo-jin will be coming in my place, so if you have any problems while you’re waiting, just call me.”

Park Sung-jin gave him his pager and left. As he walked away, he glanced back to see if he was worried.

“Hmm, I think I’ll have another drink.”

He drank mindlessly and before he knew it, he had emptied the entire liter. Han Cha-soo stared wistfully at the empty cup.

“Hello.”

A soft voice shook the air. Han Cha-soo looked up and blinked.

Chestnut hair, black eyes. A man who looked like a paragon of goodness was smiling at him.