Chapter 33.1
As he climbed into the ambulance, Seonghyun continued to support Sung-wook’s body, despite the lingering pain.
Judging from the lack of further treatment, his condition seemed to be okay.
“Is he okay?”
Feeling more relieved with a definite answer, Seonghyun asked the paramedic, who responded with a slightly tense expression.
“Oh, yes! Thanks to the treatment, he’s in a stable condition now, no difference at all.”
“That’s a relief.”
While heading to the emergency room, the paramedic continued to monitor Sung-wook’s condition and also checked on Seonghyun’s state.
‘So, this person is the healer.’
As someone who saved lives, the paramedic couldn’t help but notice the appearance of a healer.
They were well aware that the healer was a student of the academy and that using their ability meant experiencing the pain in others’ place.
‘If he had fallen from that height, his bones would have shattered all over…’
The pain of broken bones, even the pain of those bones pressing against the organs throughout the body, was something they felt on behalf of others.
How intense was that pain, really?
The paramedic recalled the most severe injuries they had ever experienced.
Was it when they broke their leg while playing around buildings as a child?
Or perhaps when they briefly ended up in the hospital after a traffic accident?
They couldn’t fully comprehend the pain felt by the person who fell from such a height, but one thing was certain: it was a level of pain that was hard to compare.
“Both of you seem to be okay, but it would still be a good idea to get checked out.”
“Thank goodness.”
While checking their conditions and exchanging a brief conversation, the ambulance arrived at the emergency room.
Sung-wook and Seonghyun were promptly examined, and as the paramedic had mentioned earlier, they received the reassuring news that there was nothing wrong.
“There are no injuries, but he probably lost consciousness due to the pain he experienced for the first time. He’ll wake up in a bit.”
“Thank you.”
Seonghyun now sat by Sung-wook’s side with a calm expression.
Seonghyun briefly pondered whether he should inform Sung-wook’s parents, but he didn’t feel confident enough to explain why he got hurt.
“…I’ll just go back.”
Initially, he had planned to stay by Sung-wook’s side until he regained consciousness, but he didn’t want to impose such a burden.
“Excuse me, Hunter.”
“Yes?”
The paramedic who had come with him in the ambulance called out to Seonghyun.
“I found this, and I thought it might belong to you…”
The paramedic handed him a cellphone.
‘Ah, I forgot I dropped it and didn’t pick it up.’
“Thank you very much.”
“Haha, no problem. Are you heading back now?”
“Yeah, I should. I don’t know when he’ll regain consciousness, but there’s no point in staying.”
“Thank you for today… You saved a life.”
The paramedic bowed his head respectfully towards Seonghyun.
Seonghyun was well aware of how significant the responsibility of saving a life was.
After briefly gazing at the hospital building, he turned around and headed back.
A place where nothing was visible.
In the midst of it, Sung-wook, who had fallen alone, tried to look around, but it seemed like not just invisible, but as if nothing existed around him.
Seeing that he didn’t feel any pain in his body, the afterlife…
“Afterlife?”
Sung-wook vividly remembered the situation he was in before coming here.
The moment in the empty classroom at the academy, where he briefly gazed at the darkening sky, and then promptly threw himself towards that sky as if to fly into it.
With his eyes tightly shut, he recalled the immense pain he felt, along with Seonghyun’s voice just before he lost consciousness.
“…”
As he recalled that moment, now the faces of other people came to mind.
Starting from Hwang Eui-hyun, who tormented him and was the reason for all this, to his parents, with whom the conversations had disappeared at some point.
“Now… what will happen…”
He had thought he had let go of a lot and escaped from fear, but now a new fear was creeping in.
“Mom and Dad… they’ll be okay.”
Sung-wook thought he would manage without confidence.
He might fall into sadness for a moment, but emotions were always temporary.
“Temporary…”
As he thought about it, Sung-wook began to wonder if perhaps everything he had experienced was also temporary.
“No, no. I remember everything from the beginning…”
He bit down hard on his lower lip.
All the words he was saying right now were just excuses for having thrown away his own life.
Emotions may be temporary, but the scars left behind by those actions were definitely not.
Even if it heals, it’ll only leave scars.
“Sob…”
He tried to hold it back somehow, but the tears that burst forth couldn’t be easily restrained.
“Why did I… why did I do that?”
Regrets began to flood in.
It seemed like he had made choices led by impulsive judgments, guided by emotions he already knew were temporary.
He wanted to turn back time and undo everything.
Back to before jumping off the empty classroom, back to when he first met Hwang Eui-hyun, back to before entering the academy.
Suddenly, light began to enter his surroundings.
Although he couldn’t see anything, facing the light amidst the distant darkness felt like facing hope.
Gradually, as the light began to engulf the darkness, his surroundings started to come into view.
“A hospital…?”
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