Beyond The Control

Chapter 39

Afterwards, quite peaceful days continued. The team members were always cheerful, and even without my having to hint, there was an atmosphere of everyone doting on Song Ji-hyeok as the new recruit and youngest member.

I too, as a senior, took good care of Song Ji-hyeok and passed on various know-how. Of course, I also did guiding diligently. While I mostly did membrane guiding, I occasionally put effort into guiding that involved intense skinship, trying to build an increasingly better relationship.

Perhaps because my mind was so elated, an unexpected accident suddenly occurred one day.

After returning home and eating a quick dinner, I lay down and killed time searching internet articles. While the most accurate and fastest information about other guilds and dungeons could be obtained at the guild, lately I often looked at internet articles and video sites too. It was because I occasionally showed Song Ji-hyeok screenshots of articles praising him.

As I was scratching my belly and skimming through various articles, I suddenly realized that today was the day to throw out recyclable trash. I thought about throwing it out next time, but soon overcame my laziness and got up. It was because it had been neglected for quite a while and was in a saturated state.

When I opened the front door, the corridor sensor light turned on. I held two full bags of recyclables in one hand, and hugged boxes that had been piled up even longer with the other hand. The incident happened not long after. As I was going down the stairs without thinking, suddenly I felt like I was stepping on something other than the stairs, and my ankle twisted.

“Ugh!”

Instinctively, I grabbed the right handrail while dropping everything I was holding. Thankfully, this prevented the misfortune of falling forward or rolling down the stairs.

“Ah shit, that scared me.”

A curse I don’t often use came out involuntarily. Wondering what it was, I checked under my foot and saw a fist-sized rock sitting on the stairs.

‘Who left this here?’

I felt angry, but there was an even bigger problem. A throbbing pain was felt centering on my twisted left ankle.

“Ssss…”

Instead of moving forcefully, I slowly sat down on the stairs and checked the condition of my ankle. There didn’t seem to be any major issue right away, but the hot pain persisted. Curses were about to fly out again. I was overwhelmed with anxiety because it was the same side that had been injured twice before.

After sitting like that for a few minutes, I realized I couldn’t stay like this forever and slowly got up, holding onto the handrail again. I barely managed to clean up the scattered things and hopped back into the house, moving only my right foot.

An injury of this level wouldn’t be accepted at an Awakened-exclusive hospital, let alone a regular hospital emergency room. The ankle started to swell slightly. After barely icing it and tossing and turning all night, as soon as dawn broke the next day, I took a half-day off and went to the hospital.

The diagnosed condition was an ankle hairline fracture. I only needed cast treatment without surgery, but the opinion followed that absolute rest was necessary because the ligaments were severely damaged.

A moment later, my appearance leaving the hospital was quite different from when I entered. I left the hospital with difficulty, with my left foot in a cast up to my calf and crutches under both armpits.

Fortunately, or perhaps I should say luckily, taxis were lined up right in front of the entrance, so I got into one of them. Although I don’t usually make unnecessary expenditures, I didn’t dare to attempt going to the subway station or bus stop in this condition.

I felt self-loathing throughout the journey. If I had been injured during combat, I wouldn’t say anything. But for an Esper to get a hairline fracture from slipping while going to throw out recyclables in slippers? It’s too embarrassing to even mention anywhere.

Anger I had momentarily forgotten also welled up. Who on earth left a rock there? I wonder if there are CCTVs on the stairs.

While I was feeling depressed, the taxi arrived in front of the guild building. What greeted me as I got out of the taxi was a dense marble staircase leading to the glass entrance doors. It felt like a dream that just yesterday, on my way home from work, I had been bounding down three or four steps at a time.

‘This is driving me crazy.’

I sighed involuntarily. I adjusted the crutches I was holding clumsily and carefully went up one step at a time. As I entered the office like that, Kim Young-joo let out a shrill sound when she saw me.

“What’s this, you’re injured?”

“Yeah.”

“How did it happen?”

Embarrassed to tell the truth, I gave a vague answer.

“I just twisted it a bit.”

Because Kim Young-joo’s voice was so loud, the gazes of other team members immediately fixed on me. I awkwardly smiled, saying I was fine to each worried team member, and barely made it to my seat. Although I hadn’t walked much in terms of steps, beads of sweat formed on my forehead.

To think I have to live like this for at least 2 weeks. I’m already feeling dizzy at the prospect.

The team leader, who came out of his office, also spotted me and immediately approached.

“You’re here? What did they say at the hospital?”

“They said my ligaments are stretched and I need to be careful for a while.”

“Why did you come here instead of going home? You could have taken sick leave.”

“It’s not like I’m seriously injured, and I should do my work.”

Song Ji-hyeok occupied an overwhelming proportion of that ‘work’. Even now, he comes every day and is eager to take me to dungeons, so I was afraid of the consequences if I was absent without saying anything. Besides, it’s not like I’m injured enough to be hospitalized or need recuperation.

The effect of the painkillers didn’t last long. After about two hours, the pain came back like magic. Ssss, it hurts like hell. It’s almost lunchtime now, but going to the cafeteria is out of the question. With my leg in this state, getting food served is impossible, and honestly, I didn’t want to go down either. As if reading my mind, Kim Young-joo sent me a message.

[What are you going to do for lunch? Want me to buy you a convenience store lunch box or sandwich?]

[That would be super thank you]

[OK received]

Just then, my stomach growled, and hunger intensified. I had skipped breakfast because of the hospital, and I hadn’t even had coffee yet today.

I laughed a little because it was ridiculous. When you’re really sick, you don’t have an appetite. Or is it because the stomach and ankle are far apart?

Thankfully, other team members also worried about my lunch. When I told them Kim Young-joo said she’d buy it, they all nodded and left their seats, and I was suddenly left alone in the office.

The time to enjoy the quietness wasn’t long. Not long after, there was a sound of the entrance door swinging open.

Already back?

I raised my head casually and was surprised. The person who entered the office wasn’t Kim Young-joo, but Song Ji-hyeok.

“Did you already eat lunch?”

“I’m about to eat now.”

Song Ji-hyeok strode towards me. In his hand was a white plastic bag. As he got closer, he paused when he saw my leg in a cast.

“What happened to your leg?”

“…Just, got a little injured.”

This time too, I evaded the question and subtly avoided his gaze. On the other hand, his gaze wouldn’t leave me. I could feel it even though I was avoiding eye contact.

“You were fine when we left work yesterday.”

“…Yeah.”

Because I got injured after leaving work.

Before further questioning could follow, I hurriedly changed the subject.

“What’s that in your hand?”

“Senior Kim Young-joo told me to eat this with you.”

“Did you run into Young-joo?”

“Yes. In the first floor lobby.”

Even without seeing it, I could clearly picture the situation. She must have spotted Song Ji-hyeok going to eat and seized the opportunity to pass on what she bought from the convenience store.

It was obvious she did it with good intentions. More surprising was that Song Ji-hyeok had obediently accepted the plastic bag and come up to the office.

Looking inside the bag, there was clearly a variety of items. Three lunch boxes, sandwiches, hamburgers, milk, and bottled coffee. Thanks to that, the quantity seemed sufficient, but I was worried if it would suit Song Ji-hyeok’s taste.

“You can go out to eat if you want.”

I meant for him to go eat something delicious, but unfortunately, it was misunderstood.

“Are you going to eat all this alone? I didn’t think you were that greedy.”

“No, that’s not it. I just thought it might not suit your taste…”

I was being sincere, but somehow it ended up sounding like an excuse. Before it got more frustrating, I quickly handed one lunch box to Song Ji-hyeok. The lunch box case was warm, as if it had been thoughtfully heated.

Then I opened the lid of my lunch box and scooped up a full spoonful of rice. After also eating a lot of the beef side dish, I asked Song Ji-hyeok.

“Is it edible?”

“Yes. It’s a sodium explosion, which is great. I’d probably float if I got in water.”

Contrary to his grumbling words, Song Ji-hyeok emptied the lunch box at a fast pace. After quickly finishing one box, he rummaged in the plastic bag and took out a sandwich.

“Can I eat this?”

“Would you not eat it if I said no?”

“Are you going to say no?”

His slightly tilted head made me laugh involuntarily. It didn’t seem like a conscious action, so could I think we’ve become closer?

Of course, I didn’t ask out loud and gave the answer Song Ji-hyeok would hope for.

“Of course not. Eat whatever you want.”