Escape from an Ancient Civilization Ch 179

Chapter 179 Side Story 1

‘Teresi, Teresi!’

‘Guardian, please calm down.’

‘Medeus, I’m fine, so don’t worry too much.’

‘Who are all these people? They keep trying to get close to you.’

‘These people are here to help me. They’re nurses.’

‘Nurses? What’s that?’

‘Doctors. Physicians. Healers.’

‘Guardian, if you keep acting like this, you’ll only cause trouble.’

‘I can’t trust you.’

‘It’s not about trusting us or not.’

‘Ah… Haah…’

‘Hey! Inataek!’

‘Yeah, Jungyeom. Here.’

‘Hey, man. What happened to you? Where have you been all this time…? Hey, what’s wrong with your arm?’

‘Who are you?’

‘And who’s this foreigner?’

‘… Don’t ask anything. Just help me.’

‘You have to explain first if you want help!’

‘Teresi, who’s this guy?’

‘What? You speak Korean really well. I’m Nataek’s friend. And who are you?’

‘Friend? Teresi, is this guy trustworthy?’

‘Te… what? Hey, Nataek. What’s all this about?’

‘Medeus, please calm down and listen to me first.’

‘Nataek. What the hell is this? Huh?’

‘Haah… Jungyeom, hold on a moment.’

‘You should ask what he wants first! Suddenly calling people over!’

It’s chaos… pure chaos…

“Ask one by one…” Nataek mumbled, frowning. The early morning sun poured in through the hospital window. Medeus, who had been bowing his head deeply, suddenly raised it upon hearing Nataek’s groan.

“Teresi, you’re awake?”

Nataek blinked and looked around. The white hospital ceiling and drip of saline were visible. Slowly turning his gaze, he saw Medeus sitting right by his bed. Jungyeom stood by the window.

“You awake?”

Jungyeom approached Nataek.

“I put all your stuff in the cabinet. Check if anything’s missing.”

But after catching a cold glare from Medeus, he flinched and stopped. Jungyeom nodded toward Medeus and said,

“Hey, whoever you are, I think there’s a misunderstanding. Can you tell him I’m not a bad guy? He won’t even let me near you.”

Nataek quietly looked at Medeus and smirked. He’d explained once that Jungyeom was a friend, but Medeus acted like a guard dog, blocking anyone from the unconscious owner.

Though gentle-faced, Medeus looked imposing when frowning. The sight of Jungyeom too scared to approach made Nataek laugh. His laugh soon turned into a faint groan.

“Ugh…”

Nataek frowned, moving his fingers. Jungyeom glanced at the bandage on his arm and sighed.

“Hey. You’re lying about where you’ve been, right?”

He shifted his gaze between Medeus and Nataek.

“It’s true,” Nataek replied without sincerity.

Jungyeom crossed his arms, frowning.

“Don’t lie. Suddenly you call me to look after this foreigner, say you had surgery, and now you’re like this? What happened? Aren’t you going to explain?”

Nataek tried to answer when he noticed Medeus carefully watching his arm. The droopy eyes blurred Jungyeom’s presence like an eraser. Nataek slightly smiled at Medeus.

“I’ll tell you later. Slowly.”

“Honestly, who knows where this guy’s been…”

Jungyeom grumbled, earning a fierce glare from Medeus. He furrowed his brow in frustration and threw his hands up. Jungyeom had packed Nataek’s stuff and stayed with Medeus during his surgery. His speech might be lighthearted, but he wasn’t a bad guy. He felt unfairly treated. Nataek reassured Medeus.

“He’s my childhood best friend. He may look rough, but he’s a good guy and trustworthy because I’ve known him a long time. You don’t have to worry.”

Medeus stared at Jungyeom for a while, then nodded at Nataek.

“…Alright.”

Seeing Medeus ease his guard, Jungyeom gave a stunned sigh. Medeus ignored him completely. Carefully, Medeus ran his fingers over Nataek’s suspended hand.

“Teresi, does it hurt much?”

“It’s bearable. I’ll be okay soon.”

Watching the affectionate two, Jungyeom squinted.

“What are you two doing…?”

He frowned, cracked his neck, then shook his head.

“I’m leaving now.”

Nataek sat up. As he groaned, Medeus quickly supported his back.

“You did well. Thanks.”

“Tell me if you need anything else.”

Jungyeom walked toward the hospital door without hesitation, but Nataek called out.

“Hey, Jungyeom. Don’t tell auntie or granny about me.”

“I won’t. If I do, it’s only trouble for me.”

Nataek smiled in relief. As the door opened, a nurse came in smoothly like a baton pass with Jungyeom. Seeing her, Medeus narrowed his eyes and stood abruptly. From Nataek’s eyes, Medeus’s waist was visible. He looked ready to growl, his hand at one pant leg. That sight made Nataek laugh.

Unconsciously, Medeus had taken a stance as if pulling out a sword. Seeing the traces of the ancient civilization still unremoved, Nataek gently reached out to hold Medeus.

“I feel safe. Really safe.”

Nataek’s hospital room was a single room. Though he hoped for a single room for Medeus’s sake amid the chaos, no other rooms were available. But his considerations for Medeus went beyond just room space.

“Meals have arrived.”

Breakfast was delivered diligently from morning. Nataek pulled out the tabletop with one hand.

Until the day of surgery, he managed meals with bread, potatoes, fruits, and packaged stew provided by Jungyeom. But the food soon ran out. Unable to roam the store with his discomfort, Nataek hastily applied for guardian meals. As a result, two trays were delivered side by side.

“I hope you like the taste.”

As Nataek opened the lid, Medeus held thin metal chopsticks in each hand and concentrated. The thin sticks, too short for skewers, fascinated Medeus. Noticing him, Nataek caught Medeus’s reaction; his serious gaze at the chopsticks caused a light laugh from Nataek.

“These are chopsticks.”

“Chopsticks?”

“Yes. You use them like this.”

Nataek gripped the sticks, spreading and closing the long legs repeatedly. Medeus’s eyes widened.

“That’s a strange skill.”

Medeus tried to hold chopsticks too, but even placing them in hand required great concentration. The chopsticks protruded long on one side upward, the other downward, from Medeus’s large white hands.

Nataek bit his lips, suppressing a smile, then handed a spoon to Medeus.

“Here. Eat with this.”

Grabbing the chopsticks from Medeus, Nataek put the long sticks back on the tray. But Medeus’s expression darkened. Seeing the change, Nataek asked,

“Why?”

“It’s hard to eat with one hand.”

Nataek quietly thought over Medeus’s words and soon understood his feelings. Probably, Medeus wanted to help feed him but was frustrated by the unfamiliar utensils. Nataek smiled and raised his chopsticks.

“These can be used one-handed.”

He gestured to the food urging him to eat, and the meal continued. Nataek ate eagerly to show he wasn’t uncomfortable. Watching Medeus eat, he saw Medeus hesitate, taking a spoonful of rice, and hesitating before dipping sides with the spoon. Nataek asked,

“Does it taste strange?”

“No.”

Holding the spoon, Medeus shook his head.

Although it didn’t seem to be the case…

After one spoonful, Nataek’s rice was scooped low, but Medeus’s had only a small portion missing. Nataek glanced back and forth between his tray and Medeus’s tray, featuring seaweed soup, stir-fried anchovies, fish cake stir-fry, mushroom stir-fry, and kimchi.