THIFSGSTW CH 10

Chapter 10: Healing

The cold sensation of the floor touching my bare feet sent a slight shiver through me. I quickly approached Song Ha-gyeon, who seemed to be quietly suppressing his pain.

A deep shadow stretched beneath me as I stood with the moon at my back. Song Ha-gyeon’s neatly tied hair was darkened by the shadow.

‘Left shoulder.’

Judging by his movements, that was where he was injured. Even though I was standing right next to him, silently watching, Song Ha-gyeon still didn’t look my way. He seemed too preoccupied to notice anything else.

I slowly reached out my hand toward him. Didn’t the system say I was a healer? I wasn’t entirely sure how it worked, but I felt like I could heal him.

No—I would heal him. The thought was almost certain.

Just as my hand was about to touch his injured shoulder, a rough grip seized my wrist. Oh. I thought he hadn’t even noticed I was here.

Song Ha-gyeon’s right hand, wrapped around my wrist, was ice-cold. A faint tremor traveled through his fingers and into me. His voice, low and quiet, broke the silence.

“…Don’t touch me.”

……Even if he hated being touched, there was no other choice. The system was still silent, which meant I had to make contact for anything to happen.

I gently twisted my wrist out of his grasp. His hand, which had held me weakly, fell away. For some reason, the sight of his neatly composed fingers slipping down lingered in my mind. 

I leaned down and placed my hand on his back. This should be fine, right? The cool, smooth fabric of his dress shirt pressed against my palm.

Ding.

A familiar sound rang out. A status window immediately popped up.

<The Healer Will Help!> Hero ‘Song Ha-gyeon’

Heal/ Import 

Huh. Why was there an option to import? Obviously, I’d choose healing.

‘Heal.’

The moment I made my choice—

Fwoosh.

A faint blue light wrapped around Song Ha-gyeon’s shoulder. The glow, swirling like tiny fireflies, suddenly rushed toward my chest.

Startled, I took a step back. In front of me, a new quest window appeared.

<The Healer Will Help!>  Healing, Success!

<Hidden Quest!> ‘First Healing!’ Complete!

As a reward, you have gained ‘Heal someone other than the heroes’ (1 time).

A long bar gauge appeared in midair, slowly filling from left to right with a dark, blood-red color.

The color was ominous. It didn’t look like anything good. My brow furrowed slightly.

Just then, a cold hand wrapped around my wrist as if to restrain me.

When I looked down, Song Ha-gyeon was staring up at me in a daze, still kneeling on the floor. His hand, trembling slightly, gripped me firmly, unlike before.

Moonlight spilled from behind me, illuminating his face. The light reflected off his monocle, and his pale violet eyes quivered slightly.

Ah. From his perspective, this must have been incredibly confusing. After all, I hadn’t even introduced myself yet.

“Ha-gyeon hyung.”

As soon as I spoke, I realized—he hadn’t told me his name either. Had I been the only one thinking we were close? A small, embarrassed chuckle slipped out.

“I’m Sun Yi-han.”

I pushed past the awkwardness and continued. Song Ha-gyeon stared at me silently for a moment. My reflection flickered in his slightly subdued, pale violet eyes.

His grip on my wrist tightened just a little. Then, he finally spoke, slowly.

“…I know.”

His voice was firm, but there was a faint tremor in it.

So, he already knew my name. That was a relief. At least I hadn’t been imagining things.

Tick, tock.

The quiet ticking of the clock echoed softly in the still room.

◇

Song Ha-gyeon’s Perspective.

---

This pain is unbearable.

After finishing the investigation with Raen and returning to Redeo, I locked myself in the first-floor research lab. There was never enough time. Before I knew it, night had already fallen. 

I knew that wounds inflicted by monsters didn’t heal easily, but this time was different. The pain was unlike anything I had ever experienced—as if something had rooted itself deep inside me.

The monster’s movement is not predictable anymore, making it harder to respond. Maybe they were evolving. If that was the case, things were going to get much more difficult.

As I organized the investigation records, a sharp ache throbbed in my shoulder again. I unbuttoned my shirt and stood in front of a mirror. The wound was turning black.

‘What… is this?’

This had never happened before. It looked as if my body was being tainted by the monster.

I adjusted my monocle and picked up a pen and notebook with trembling hands. Even in the brief moment I wasn’t looking, the darkened area had spread—slowly, almost imperceptibly.

…How far would it spread? What would happen when it covered my entire body?

No, this wasn’t the time to be shaken. Recording new information was the priority. I quickly began jotting down notes.

Then—

Clatter.

The pen slipped from my fingers and fell to the floor with a quiet thud. I had no strength left in my hands. The pain was getting worse. Cold sweat seeped through my skin.

The painkillers were upstairs. Somewhere in a drawer, maybe. My mind was too foggy to use Summon Magic. My mana reserves weren’t high to begin with, and losing focus now would be dangerous.

Click.

As I opened it, I saw someone sitting on the windowsill, bathed in the blue moonlight.

‘Ah. The newcomer. Sun Yi-han, wasn’t it?’

It seemed we were going to be sharing a room. I gave him a small nod and walked past to search the drawers. I needed to find the painkillers.

But the drawers were filled with too many things. Far too many. Finding a single small bottle among them was almost impossible.

“… Ugh. ”

A deep, searing pain struck again.

‘What should I do?’

No—I knew what I had to do. I needed to observe how the wound was changing and record everything. I lifted a trembling hand to pull up my sleeve, but the pain was unbearable.

Just then, a pale, slender hand reached toward me. The loose fabric of his sleeve fluttered slightly, catching the moonlight. The white cloth seemed to glow faintly, as if absorbing the soft light.

Before I realized it, Sun Yi-han was standing right next to me.

“…Don’t touch me.”

A roll of bandages lay in his blurred vision. It must have fallen out of the drawer earlier while I rummaging through the drawer.

My vision blurred. I had to at least wrap the wound before I lost consciousness. No one could touch it. I reached out with a shaking hand and gripped the bandages tightly.

At that moment, I felt a cautious touch on my back. Even through my clothes, the warmth of his hand was almost searing.

At the same moment, a soft glow bloomed in the corner of my vision. A gentle blue light wrapped around my left shoulder, and slowly—the pain began to fade.

I lifted my head. Standing before me was Sun Yi-han, bathed in moonlight. The round moon shone behind him. His clothes fluttered faintly beneath the pale light, his entire figure looking fragile—as if he might disappear at any moment.

Then, he took a half-step back and swayed slightly, his brows furrowing as if uncomfortable. Something about that unsteady posture made me reach out instinctively. His wrist, thin and rigid beneath my fingers, was too hot.

“Ha-gyeon hyung.”

His voice was soft and steady. He wasn’t forcing his words, yet there was something firm in them. Hearing him call my name felt oddly unfamiliar.

Sun Yi-han hesitated briefly, then smiled faintly. His smile shone brighter than the moon behind him. Yet, for some reason, the gentle curve of his lips held a bittersweet edge.

“I’m Sun Yi-han.”

His voice carried a touch of hesitation.

“…I know.”

There was more I didn’t know than what I did.

The bandages slipped from my grasp, unraveling as they rolled to a stop near Sun Yi-han’s feet.

In the quiet room, only the ticking of the clock remained.

◇

Sun Yi-han’s Perspective.

---

The moon was still bright. It was the middle of the night.

“…Sun Yi-han.”

After calling my name and sitting in silence for a long time, he suddenly stood up and reached out pressing a cool palm against my forehead.

He looked at me closely, lost in thought. Then, as if deciding something, he took my wrist and led me to the bed, guiding me to sit down.

He poured some water from the pitcher on the bedside table and handed it to me. Oh, I had already had some earlier. The glass in my hands was warm. The tea was still at a perfect temperature.

“…You have a fever. Get some rest.”

I shook my head. I was tired of sleeping. It had been so long since I last woke up.

“…Did you eat?”

His voice was quiet and slow. I shook my head again. Song Ha-gyeon studied me for a moment before walking away. He walked toward the drawers and rummaged through them for something.

When he returned, he was holding a small, square piece of paper—a faint shade of lilac.

He approached and leaned down slightly, meeting my gaze. His quiet eyes reflected me within them. For some reason, I thought I could smell fresh grass. His large, careful hands moved toward my face, gently brushing my bangs aside. Then, he pressed the paper against my forehead. It was cool. The faint scent of herbs grew stronger.

He adjusted the pillow behind me, letting me lean against it. Then, in a quiet voice, he asked, 

“…Does your head hurt?”

“No.”

“…Your fever is high. Are you cold?”

“I’m fine. What about you, hyung?”

“…Yeah.”

He answered vaguely, as if it wasn’t something worth discussing.

His gaze swept over me, assessing my condition. Then, he lightly pulled a blanket over my lap.

‘I expected him to ask more questions’

Isn’t there something more important than my condition? Wouldn’t he want to know how I healed him?

Just as that thought crossed my mind, Song Ha-gyeon placed one hand at the back of my head. With the other, he pressed the paper on my forehead more firmly.

“I’ll be back. Rest … You can sleep more. ”

With those parting words, he turned and left. His footsteps were so quiet they barely made a sound. The dim moonlight cast a soft glow on his dark violet hair before he disappeared through the doorway.

He’s leaving? Where?

The question came too late.

He was already gone.