TG Ch 6 Part 4

Yoo Seunghwa observed the scene from across the lake.

Jeong Taeyul stubbornly refused to let go of Sijin, even as the situation was being cleared and the area became crowded with people. Sijin, his face flushed with embarrassment, was being treated while still in Jeong Taeyul’s arms. Jeong Taeyul, unfazed, even discussed the situation with another team captain while holding him. 

‘Possessive,’ Yoo Seunghwa, observing the scene, made a quick assessment.

She lowered her miniature, high-tech telescope. The scene across the lake was now obscured by a flurry of moving shadows. Her face, as cold and impassive as ever, remained unchanged as she observed the scene. 

‘Tesoro…’

A flicker of emotion crossed her face as she glanced at the ring in her hand. Her brow furrowed slightly. 

The platinum ring, dangling from a necklace chain, was an old design. It had a small initial engraved on the inside. But Yoo Seunghwa didn’t care about the design or its value. 

It was useless now. It wasn’t the Tesoro she was looking for.

‘What kind of jewel is Tesoro…?’

She tossed the ring aside without a second thought. It would eventually find its way back to Dr. Baek, passed from one Center guard to another. 

Turning away, Yoo Seunghwa left the rooftop. She descended the long staircase, heading down to the basement. Only then did she pull out a small tablet – a communication device not issued by the Center. 

She typed a short message. Today’s events had yielded a promising result.

[Imprinting experiment. High probability of success.]

Jeong Taeyul had managed to find Baek Sijin despite his malfunctioning location tracker. It was a significant discovery.

There was no reply. She hadn’t expected one anyway. She waited until the screen went dark.

Her own reflection, unusually melancholic, stared back at her.

‘Jeong Taeyul…’

She saw a flicker of Jeong Taeyul in her own expression.

The look on his face when he found Baek Sijin, the way he held him – it was filled with a desperate longing. Just like her.

But in the end, Jeong Taeyul had smiled, a look of relief on his face as he held the now calm Sijin in his arms. 

Would she ever experience that? 

She placed her hand on her chest. When she closed her eyes, she could feel her imprinted Guide’s energy. The presence within her heart had become as vital as her own heart. That was the nature of imprinting.

‘Poor lab rat.’

For the first time, she felt a pang of sympathy for Jeong Taeyul.

If he was truly a successful subject of the imprinting experiment, he would be haunted by the same fear as her – the fear of losing his imprinted partner.

The mere thought filled her with a bone-deep sadness and a terror that threatened to consume her. 

And it was that fear that drove her. She put away the tablet and walked out of the basement. There was much to be done.

***

“Um… You can put me down now.”

“…..”

“Jeong Taeyul?”

Ignoring him, Jeong Taeyul strode towards the exit. 

An ambulance with the Center’s logo was waiting outside. He carefully placed Sijin on the back seat, finally releasing him from his embrace.

“Feeling better?”

Jeong Taeyul examined Sijin, who looked disheveled. His clothes, usually neat and tidy, were covered in dirt. His hair was a mess, and his eyes, still filled with fear, followed Jeong Taeyul’s every move. 

Jeong Taeyul gently brushed his hair back. Sijin, his voice steadier now, said, “Y-Yes… Thank you.” 

Hearing his response, Jeong Taeyul reached for the medical kit stored in the ambulance. Sijin leaned back instinctively, his cheek brushing against Jeong Taeyul’s hair. A clean, soapy scent wafted from Sijin. He wanted to bury his face in his hair, but Jeong Taeyul, as if accustomed to resisting such urges, simply retrieved the kit and knelt before him.

He examined Sijin’s knee, the spot Sijin had been staring at worriedly. There was a small tear in the fabric of his black cotton pants.

“I’m going to cut your pants.”

“Oh… okay.”

With Sijin’s permission, Jeong Taeyul used medical scissors to cut away the torn fabric. The wound beneath was raw, the skin scraped and bloody.

Jeong Taeyul frowned and grabbed the antiseptic.

“Why didn’t you say you were hurt?”

“It’s just a scrape…”

Jeong Taeyul sighed, his gaze fixed on Sijin, who quickly added, “…It’s not a big deal. O-Ouch.”

Sijin winced as he dabbed the antiseptic on the wound. Jeong Taeyul tried to be as gentle as possible.

He wasn’t usually concerned about injuries. After all, injuries were a common occurrence at the F12 Center. Jeong Taeyul was often criticized by his team members for his callous attitude. He’d even knocked Ham Geonwu unconscious when he’d been whining after breaking his arm (the medics had thanked him for it). But seeing Sijin’s pale skin scraped and raw made him feel a pang of guilt. It was his fault for being late.

Then, he heard a gentle voice. 

“Guide Jeong Taeyul…” 

“Yes.”

“How are you feeling?” 

“Ah, so now you’re worried about me?”

He asked with a smirk. It was typical of Sijin to go from being terrified to worrying about others.

Sijin averted his gaze, looking deflated despite not being scolded. Jeong Taeyul, seeing his reaction, decided not to tell him about his own injuries. He didn’t want him to worry.

“You’ve been in bad shape lately. You even had to take tranquilizers… Eut!”

Ignoring Sijin’s concerns, Jeong Taeyul lifted Sijin’s pant leg. As he suspected, his ankle was swollen near the bone. He frowned and said sharply, “If you worry about me again, I’m locking you up in the infirmary.”

“…I’m an examiner. It’s my job to be concerned…”

Sijin muttered, his voice low (he’d been doing that a lot lately). Jeong Taeyul grabbed an ice pack and placed it on his ankle. He always neglected his own health. This was why Jeong Taeyul couldn’t take his eyes off him.

Jeong Taeyul knew these weren’t serious injuries. He was lucky to escape with just a few scrapes and a sprained ankle after being chased by a monster.

“You’re being hospitalized today.”

But Jeong Taeyul wasn’t letting him off the hook so easily. If Sijin cared about himself even a little, he wouldn’t be in this state. Sijin looked surprised, then forced a smile. “I don’t need to be hospitalized. I’m not that hurt…”

“…..”

Just exaggerate a little. That’s what Jeong Taeyul wanted to say. 

Instead of responding, he asked quietly, “Do you think you can sleep at the Center tonight?”

“…..”

Sijin hesitated. They both knew, as professionals, that it was best to distance a victim from the scene of a traumatic event.

Finally, Sijin placed his hand on Jeong Taeyul’s arm. Jeong Taeyul looked down at his hand, pale and delicate. He always had to fight the urge to touch him.

“Guide Jeong Taeyul.”

“Yes.”

“Am I… going alone?”

“…No.”

Relief flooded Sijin’s eyes. Seeing his expression, Jeong Taeyul bit his lip, suppressing a smile.

Jeong Taeyul hated questions with obvious answers, but Baek Sijin was an exception. He was like a puppy, all wide eyes and innocent questions. He tried to resist the comparison – Ham Geonwu’s nickname was too fitting – but he couldn’t help it. And the thought of someone so precious being chased by a monster made him sick to his stomach. The ache in his heart was worse than the pain in his self-inflicted arm.

Then, Sijin said, “Then assign one of your team members to me.”

“…..”

“You need to go to the examination room and rest. I’ll ask another examiner to treat your wounds.”

His workaholic tendencies were starting to get on his nerves.

But Jeong Taeyul knew how to handle him. He grinned, feigning agreement. Sijin, however, seemed suspicious, his eyes narrowed.

Ignoring him, Jeong Taeyul scooped him up in his arms. He was always surprised by how light and frail Sijin was.

One of the other Alpha Team members hopped into the ambulance. It pulled away from the scene. Sijin’s eyes widened in alarm.

“W-Wait! Stop the car! Jeong Taeyul, get out!”

“Dr. Baek, don’t you know?”

Jeong Taeyul gently pushed Sijin back onto the seat, a smooth smile on his face.

“At a scene of an incident, my authority is absolute.”

At the scene of an incident, the highest-ranking combat officer had full authority, including decisions regarding the safety of any civilians present. Sijin, remembering this, muttered, “You… you little punk…”

“Yes. And you’re being hospitalized.”

Ignoring Sijin’s protests, Jeong Taeyul took him to a nearby hospital.

He listened to the report from his subordinate as he handled the paperwork. Sijin kept nagging him, telling him he should be resting, but his voice… fuck, his voice was so… nice. He simply let him rant. He liked that Sijin cared enough to nag him. It was far better than him asking for Ham Geonwu or being intimidated by him.

Jeong Taeyul felt a surge of triumph, a petty sense of victory. He had craved this kind of attention for far too long.

***