Chapter 25: You, Sleeping While Holding My Hand Tightly

Jin-wook thought he had been complacent while looking at her held in his arms.

She was still so fragile.

Thinking that he shouldn't lose her here, yet also thinking he should just talk it out later—he blamed himself for that mindset.

"Guekk, guekk..."

Yoon Seok-chan.

The trash who tried to rape Hwang Eun-ha in the past, providing the cause for her to become twisted until now.

But he was thoroughly broken.

There was no need to think deeply about who did it.

The victim, who was almost thoroughly humiliated and defiled by him in the past, was now unconscious in the arms of his older brother, Jung Jin-seong.

"Jin-wook-ah."

"...Yeah."

"Let's go to the Hunter Hospital first. When she wakes up, we don't know what she might smash."

Jin-wook nodded at his brother's words.

Because an S-Class Hunter who cannot control their ability is like an uncontrollable bomb.

"Ah."

The first thing that came out upon opening my eyes was a sigh at seeing an unfamiliar ceiling.

Is this a hospital?

How much time has passed?

Amidst the myriad thoughts rushing into my head.

Remembering everything I did after losing my reason, I let out a small sigh.

'Seems like a Hunter Hospital, but I don't feel any mana...'

The place where Hunters are usually transported when they lose consciousness or their reason.

The Korea Hunter Hospital.

The patients coming here were usually those with severe injuries that were hard to heal even with Healer Hunters.

If it was a wound even Healer Hunters couldn't handle, the Hunter would likely have lost consciousness in a terrible situation.

Before realizing the situation had changed, their self-defense instincts often caused them to smash up their surroundings upon waking.

So, the government deliberately spent a fortune to install Mana Disruption Devices—more powerful than standard mana control devices—all over the hospital.

Designating it as a Hunter-exclusive hospital, they created a facility that ensures the safety of the medical staff by preventing Hunters from using their abilities.

Of course, even so, strong Hunters often broke through the disruption devices and fired off their abilities anyway.

"Excuse me, guards. I'm fine, so you can go now."

Seeing the hospital guards conscious of me, I spoke to them. The two guards said, "Then please rest easy," and quietly left the hospital room.

The moment I tried to sit up, I felt someone holding my hand and lowered my gaze.

I saw Jin-wook sleeping face down on the bed, holding my hand tightly with one hand.

And looking at Jin-wook like that, I suddenly felt a sense of peace and thought it was strange.

If I were truly the me consumed by past memories, I might have blown this hospital away the moment I woke up.

Furthermore, meeting Yoon Seok-chan would have amplified that trauma, swallowing me whole.

It was strange.

If there is a single reason why I became 'strange' like this...

It must be because of you, who is sleeping while holding my hand tightly.

"Jin-wook-ah."

The period of 5 years was longer than I thought.

To the point where I, who used to be sick and tired of romantic feelings, am thinking, 'If it's him, maybe it's okay.'

"Sleeping?"

Did he stay up all night worried about me?

My face was about to turn red, but seeing Jin-wook caring for me like this made my heart ache again.

No matter how precious a friend I am, is it worth giving himself up like that?

"No. Just sleep."

The sudden kiss.

Was it because I poured out my suppressed wounds toward Yoon Seok-chan?

Or was it because I was unknowingly regretting overlaying Jin-wook onto that memory?

'...It wasn't bad, actually.'

Excluding the suppressed memories of the past, for some reason, Jin-wook's kiss didn't feel bad.

It was just that he kissed me suddenly back then, and the accompanying trauma pressured me too much.

Actually, I knew.

Since that day, after being held in Jin-wook's arms in a drunken state.

That the relationship between him and me had subtly changed.

Maybe that kiss was a destined sequence.

If I started to appear as a woman in Jin-wook's eyes due to the events of that day...

Like it or not, since Jin-wook is a man, there will surely come a moment when he cannot hold back his desires.

'Sigh, you human. It's fortunate it was me; if it were another girl, you'd be hearing the sound of handcuffs (clink-clink) right away.'

Thinking useless thoughts and smirking, suddenly a thought occurred to me.

Come to think of it, isn't this bastard a bit dangerous?

Back then, I seduced him while drunk, but still, we're friends and he couldn't hold back that one thing.

And last time, he suddenly accelerated and flustered me.

Maybe my... chastity is in danger? Wait, never mind.

My chastity was already taken by this bastard.

Ah, thinking about that makes me pissed off all of a sudden.

'Just take a hit.'

If it weren't for this bastard, I'd still be a virgin.

We wouldn't have this changed relationship, we'd be getting along well as friends, and this wouldn't have happened here.

Anger rose from inside, so I aimed my finger right at his forehead.

Just in case our Jin-wook's head might crack, I controlled my strength as much as possible and flicked him gently.

Thwack!

"Kuaaack!"

...Of course, even if I control my strength, my origin is S-Class.

From the perspective of the sleeping Jin-wook, it must be like suffering a sudden disaster.

"Wh-Wh...at? Uh? Eun-ha?"

"Why."

"You, you woke up?"

"Yeah."

What.

Why is this bastard like this?

Come to think of it, I couldn't check the time.

Don't tell me I've been asleep for a tremendously long time?

"Thank god. I thought you wouldn't wake up."

"Wh-What. How long did I sleep?"

"A day."

What?

"How long?"

"I said you were asleep for a day."

"Ah, I was asleep for a day."

Saying that, I reached out to Jin-wook.

I rarely waved my hand to use telekinesis even when fighting, but...

"E-Excuse me, Eun-ha?"

"For a very long time... I mean, I. Was. Asleep. For. A. Day."

Jin-wook, you finally achieved that achievement.

How strong would Hwang Eun-ha be if she even used her hands to wield telekinesis?

I think there were some people secretly curious about that. It might not be bad to find out on this occasion.

"S-Sorry—Uwaaaaaack!"

"Eat this, you son of a bitch!"

Jin-wook, who underwent centrifugal separation in mid-air, retched and sprawled out on the guardian's bed.

I, who was really shocked thinking I slept for at least a year, huffed while looking at him sprawled out.

Lying on the bed, I spoke quietly.

"Jin-wook-ah."

"Why."

"But you know too. I... am a person who can't do things like love with anyone."

"...Yeah."

Seeing Jin-wook's answer come a bit late, a corner of my heart stung painfully.

Now, to him, I must look like a woman, not a friend.

But I wasn't ready yet.

Even if I try to cover my wounds with you.

Even though such a long time has passed, it still didn't work.

"But."

"Yeah."

"Well, somewhere more than friends but less than lovers might be okay..."

Lying face down on the bed, peeking only my head out and looking down at Jin-wook, I said that.

Suddenly, he sat up abruptly, grabbed my shoulders, and laid me down properly.

Wondering what he was trying to do, I stayed still. He covered me with the blanket and started staring at me silently.

"Jin-wook-ah."

"Yeah."

"What are you thinking?"

At his gaze staring intently at me, for some reason, I started to feel shy.

No, I know I'm pretty.

But staring like that makes me embarrass...

"I was wondering what exactly a relationship 'more than friends, less than lovers' is."

.......

Right.

Since you're human too, there must be times when you lose your mind.

I sighed softly and used telekinesis to pull his body, which had moved away, right in front of me.

Instantly lifted from the floor, he made a flustered expression, "Uh, uh?"

"W-Wait. Put this down."

"Shall I teach you?"

"Wh-What?"

Keeping him floating in the air, I slowly drew him toward me.

Extending both arms, I carefully embraced his head, and at the same time, I kissed Jin-wook, who was floating in the air, first.

After parting lips, looking at him with a blank expression, I grinned.

"What a relationship 'more than friends, less than lovers' is."

"...You."

"Why, don't like it? But if it's not me, you won't be able to have this kind of experience."

Perhaps forgetting that he was currently floating in the air.

Wearing a dumbfounded and hollow expression, he started pondering whether to affirm or deny this.

"What woman could lift a man into the air without lifting a finger and play pranks like this?"

Jin-wook-ah, isn't it really comfortable floating in the air like that?

You don't seem to know, but this is incredibly difficult.

Kids who use telekinesis by borrowing other mana can absolutely never do this stunt.

They are busy training to grab and swing things roughly.

"Don't you think?"

"It is a fascinating experience, honestly."

"Right? And this is possible too."

"What? W-Wait. Where are you right now..."

With both arms under the pillow.

I smiled amusedly watching Jin-wook's face, which was flustered and turning red.

It wouldn't show, but Jin-wook, turning red and blue from the sensation felt down there, pleaded to me, "S-Stop!"

"Shall we stop here?"

"F-Fuck, you crazy bitch. Even so, doing that with telekinesis there is..."

"Hmm, I think it's a good technique for a woman to secretly relieve herself (or make someone relieve themselves) without getting caught when needed, no?"

"Seriously, there's no other crazy person like you."

"I was never in my right mind originally. How likely is it that a female ex-S-Class Hunter with the memories of a man would have a sane mind?"

When I asked in a playful voice, Jin-wook shook his head left and right and sighed.

And in a house living with a man.

Living while walking around in just a camisole without a bra.

This is the Hwang Eun-ha you chose, Jung Jin-wook.

Endure it with grit (evil).

"Someone is coming."

Pranks end here.

Hearing faint footsteps and voices from outside, I covered myself with the blanket again and lay down properly.

First off, it's not my parents.

It's a woman's voice. Is the nurse coming to check if I woke up?

"Hunter-nim, are you awake?"

And the one who revealed herself along with the nurse was...

Yu Ha-young, accompanied by a prosecutor.

Why are you popping out of there?