ALL NOVEL Chapter 41
The reason I’m hospitalized isn’t a big deal, surprisingly.
It’s just a bruise on my side.
Though it hasn’t affected my organs, they say I still need treatment.
Not working has been quite nice, though.
“…Are you serious?”
At my words, Jang Chae Yeon nods, holding the blanket tightly in her arms.
“I mean it.”
“Then please leave.”
I pointed toward the door with my finger, but Jang Chae Yeon shook her head with an even more expressionless face.
“I don’t want to.”
“No, how did you even get in here?”
Surely, no one aside from guardians is allowed in.
With a proud expression, Jang Chae Yeon pointed to the name tag hanging on her chest.
For a moment, my gaze shifted away from the name tag to the enormous something behind it, but I desperately redirected my eyes back to the name tag.
[Guardian - Jang Chae Yeon]
“I’m the guardian.”
“…”
I stared at Jang Chae Yeon, who was also looking at me intently, seemingly unwilling to break our gaze.
“…Shall we go outside and talk?”
At my suggestion, she nodded and lifted the IV line.
“Isn’t it hard to walk?”
“What’s hard about it? Just a little pain in the side.”
With a concerned look, she lifted her head to check my face.
“If it hurts, tell me.”
“It’s not hard to say. But there’s nothing you can do, right?”
“…Don’t break my heart.”
She looked at me, slightly raising her eyes.
The sunlight illuminated her eyelashes, and every time she looked up at me, her white hair brushed against my face, tickling me.
“…I’m sorry.”
“I’ll forgive you.”
I really didn’t want to admit it, but I succumbed to her beauty.
What could I do when she gazed at me with a face that seemed to carry all the world’s sorrow? I should just apologize.
“Is there anything you want to eat?”
“Why? Are you going to make it for me?”
“……..If you want.”
After a long silence, Jang Chae Yeon opened her mouth, squeezing out the words.
“It might take some time…”
“Let’s keep that thought.”
Is it possible for a person to do everything well? Cooking might not be her strong suit.
As we stepped out of the patient room, we walked slowly.
Saying nothing, Jang Chae Yeon merely walked in step with me.
It was the same last time; she doesn’t bother to force conversation when we walk together.
At first, it felt uncomfortable, but after experiencing it a few times, it began to make sense.
Could this not be her way of showing intimacy?
Didn’t someone say that a person who is comfortable in silence might be closer than one who makes small talk?
“…”
“…”
She remained silent and just stared ahead blankly as we rode the elevator down.
I could occasionally feel people glancing at her.
There was no avoiding it. Honestly, everyone in the Human Resources Team had their own distinctive beauty.
Ignoring their gazes, when the elevator reached the first floor, she gently grabbed my arm and asked.
“…Aren’t your parents coming?”
“Oh, you mean my parents.”
“I guess it’s because they don’t know I work at the Management Agency.”
“…Yeah, I suppose so.”
My parents just think their son is earning a lot of money working for a good public company, pushed to the limit of his strength.
It’s not wrong that it’s a public company for humanity and that I earn a lot of money, but still.
“Isn’t it frustrating?”
“What do you mean?”
As we walked through the first-floor corridor, Jang Chae Yeon looked at me.
“Just… you can’t tell family.”
“There are many things in the world that are better left unknown.”
Recent events I’ve experienced over the past month serve as a prime example of that.
“Are you here because of your family?”
“What do you mean?”
“Are you stuck in the Management Agency because you have to support your family?”
“Oh.”
Why am I in the Management Agency, anyway?
“That’s a good question.”
While having lots of money would certainly be nice, I’m living quite comfortably already, and I don’t really feel financially constrained.
“…If given the chance, would you quit?”
Jang Chae Yeon was staring at me intensely.
“Um…”
Quitting, huh.
I pulled out the manual from my pocket, and Jang Chae Yeon leaned in to read it with me.
[Manual for Office Staff]
[P – Resignation]
1. Resignation is categorized into involuntary and voluntary.
2. Involuntary resignation is a process that occurs due to severe damage to the Management Agency or misuse of containment objects.
3. Don’t forget that the death benefit will not go to the survivors in the case of involuntary resignation.
4. Voluntary resignation will proceed after the Human Resources Team and related departments review the documents and reasons, under the premise that it is deemed appropriate.
5. If you choose to resign voluntarily, the retirement and bonuses will be paid into your account.
6. However, to prevent information leakage, memory erasure and the implantation of new memories will occur. In case of side effects, the Management Agency will take responsibility and amend your memory.
7. Please note that the individuals you knew at the Management Agency will also be replaced with other memories.
“…”
It’s a fascinating story, but even after everything I’ve experienced, the thought of resignation never crossed my mind.
‘If I can, help others.’
Perhaps it’s because the girl’s words keep resonating in my head, or maybe I’ve simply lost the sense of urgency. I can’t tell.
Jang Chae Yeon continues to stare at me, and after her blue eyes got closer to mine, she whispered in my ear.
“If you resign… even if I look like someone else, I’ll still find you. So, don’t worry.”
“That’s a kind thing to say.”
“You can forget me. …I’ll be by your side until you remember.”
How can this girl say such things so calmly?
“I’ll try to do that if I can.”
I snapped the manual shut with a thud, replying to Jang Chae Yeon’s words.
“But either way, don’t worry. I don’t plan to resign just yet.”
“Just yet?”
“Well, you know… um, if I get really hurt or reach retirement age, or if I can’t stand my job anymore, then maybe I’ll quit.”
“…”
Jang Chae Yeon wore a lonely expression.
Seeing her like that suddenly piqued my curiosity, and I unintentionally asked her a question.
“Why are you in the Management Agency, Chae Yeon?”
“…You mean me?”
She hesitated before speaking.
“…I left something I can’t forget behind.”
“Something you can’t forget?”
“Um…”
Is she struggling to find the right words? She frowned and pursed her lips repeatedly.
“…Sorry. It’s hard to explain.”
“It’s okay.”
Since I haven’t told her everything either, wanting to know it all would be unfair trade.
“…If I get my thoughts organized, I’ll tell you. I promise. It’s not that I don’t want to talk.”
“Yeah, I believe you.”
Maybe she’s feeling anxious, her gaze darting about nervously.
“Are you feeling okay? Should we go inside and rest?”
“…Will I really sleep well?”
“Yeah.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to.”
She leaned closer, looking up at me.
A scent of flowers wafted through the air.
“You’re too close.”
“I know.”
“And the important thing is not that…”
“Your parents can’t come, right?”
“…”
Her gaze fell to the floor and then returned to my face.
“You must be lonely.”
“I’m too old to feel lonely just because I’m sleeping alone in a hospital, Chae Yeon.”
“We’re only two years apart.”
“You know I’m the older one, right?”
At my words, the corners of Jang Chae Yeon’s mouth curled into a smile.
“Call me ‘oppa’?”
“Stop dodging the subject and hurry back.”
Jang Chae Yeon shook her head and stood there like she was nailed to the spot.
“I’m not going unless I’m forcibly moved.”
This girl is very stubborn…
A sigh escaped me.
The most frustrating part is that when I sigh, Jang Chae Yeon, who watches me closely, just won’t budge, making my heart soften.
“I’m only going to rest for a moment.”
“…Okay.”
Her voice, after hearing my consent, fluttered up and then settled down again.
The time that followed was really uneventful.
We ate the terrible hospital food, exchanged meaningless conversation with Jang Chae Yeon, and most of the time, we simply spent time in silence, sometimes watching TV or looking out the window, while not feeling uncomfortable at all.
One remarkable point was that it wasn’t until bedtime that she finally unfurled the blanket and got ready to recline on the sofa bed.
“Should I turn off the lights?”
“Are you going to sleep right away?”
“I can sleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.”
“I’ll keep an eye on you.”
“…Actually, it’s not just my head; I need a little time.”
She claimed that as an excuse and lay down.
With a soft sound, the blanket slipped, and she turned her body toward me.
A few strands of her hair fell over her face.
“I’ll turn off the lights.”
“I—”
Before I could finish my sentence, she snapped her fingers, and the lights went out.
“…Telekinesis.”
I couldn’t see her face clearly in the dark, but I was certain she had an air of smugness.
“Go to sleep quickly.”
“But you said you’ll sleep once I fall asleep.”
“I won’t sleep until you’re out.”
“Are you confident?”
“Let me remind you, I used to be on the Isolation Team.”
“…”
“…”
“…So, sleeping now?”
“Seriously.”
Her uncertain voice made me uncontrollably chuckle.
“You’re worried after saying you were going to wait for my sleep?”
“I was concerned because it was so quiet.”
“Then sleep already.”
“…Sorry.”
At her slightly defeated voice, I finally conceded again.
“It’s okay. Just sleep quickly.”
“Yeah.”
“…By the way, what about the other two?”
“Yu Da On and …that one?”
What kind of situation must Jang Chae Yeon and Song Ah Rin be in that they don’t even refer to each other by name?
“Yeah, Da On and A-Rin.”
“We took turns visiting.”
“How did you decide the order?”
“We played rock-paper-scissors.”
With a completely expressionless face, Jang Chae Yeon held up two fingers to show me.
How primitive.
“Go on and sleep.”
“I’ll try my best.”
“…You’ve had a hard time.”
Did she pick up on my wandering thoughts? Jang Chae Yeon spoke in a gentle voice.
“You’ve worked hard. …Now sleep.”
“…Yes.”
Eventually, I also yielded to her soft voice and closed my eyes, falling asleep more quickly than I had expected.
Considering I was sleeping on an uncomfortable hospital bed, I surprisingly fell asleep quite well.
*
Am I asleep?
Watching him breathe deeply, Jang Chae Yeon carefully sat up.
“…”
There were memories she didn’t want to share with anyone else between her and him.
What might have been a second for others felt like months for them.
Cautiously approaching so as not to wake him, she brushed aside his hair.
Though they had been together for a long time inside the Cube, ironically, sleep was impossible in there, making it her first time seeing him asleep.
Honestly, upon coming here, she wanted to see him asleep, even if she had to make an effort.
“…You look so peaceful.”
Unlike the confident face he always shows, or the thoughtful face she’s seen, this was a face she wanted to see.
As she endlessly tidied his hair, she muttered softly.
“Rest well.”
For a long time, she gazed at his sleeping face, beaming with a bright, gentle smile.
*
It felt like a long-awaited deep sleep.
In contrast, Jang Chae Yeon seemed to have trouble sleeping, yawning continuously but wearing a satisfied expression like never before.
“Did you not sleep well?”
“No, I really slept well.”
She replied with a gentle smile and, still yawning, left the patient room.
It seemed like she didn’t sleep at all.
A few days later, after Jang Chae Yeon left,
“Hello!”
“I was wondering why Da On hadn’t come; I was thinking about it.”
“Oh! Were you waiting for me?”
I couldn’t help but sigh upon seeing Yu Da On appear, brightly smiling while wearing a name tag that said [Guardian] around her neck.
Thus, the hospital visit chaos came to an end.