Apples, Apologies, and Aftermath

A nurse who happened to walk in just then noticed Garam opening his eyes.

“Sir, you’re awake!”

At her urgent voice, a doctor rushed in shortly afterward.

“Are you alright?”

The doctor looked slightly nervous.

Garam wondered why—until he remembered injuring his ankle at the end.

There was no way they’d have left it untreated, but he still needed to check.

He lifted the blanket to inspect his ankle.

It looked completely normal.

He rotated it a few times—perfectly fine.

“I’m okay.”

“Good. Just to be safe, I examined it myself before having a healer finish the treatment.”

Healers could treat injuries, but they weren’t all-powerful.

If a bone was broken or shattered, it had to be set properly before healing.

Garam’s injury had been one of those cases.

“If anything feels off, please tell us immediately.”

“Yes… But can I be discharged?”

“We recommend staying hospitalized for a bit longer. It must have been a traumatic experience for a non-awakened person.”

A kind doctor.

He cared not only about physical injury but also psychological shock.

‘Is it because he thinks I’m Lee Jaehun’s lover?’

Garam decided to correct that misunderstanding.

“I’m an awakened too.”

“…What?”

The doctor looked him over in surprise.

“I see. I didn’t notice because you don’t have the usual awakened aura.”

“I’m in the production class, maybe that’s why.”

“Ah, that makes sense. In any case, please rest. You may eat whenever you like.”

“Thank you.”

Now that he looked around, the room was quite large.

Probably a special room.

After sending the doctor and nurse out, he searched his memory.

‘He said thank you… at the end.’

Garam grinned to himself.

It was just one word—so why did it make him this excited?

‘And it was over a flowerpot. Calm down, Park Garam.’

He slapped his cheeks with both hands and lay back down.

Just then, there was a light knock.

“Come in.”

The door opened, and Lee Jaehun entered.

As usual, he held the flowerpot in one arm, looking completely natural with it.

Crazy or not, that was the look that suited him best.

Jaehun sat in the chair beside the bed.

Garam noticed something else in his hand—an apple-filled fruit basket.

“Is this a hospital visit?”

When he asked curiously, Jaehun nodded.

“A hospital visit.”

He set the flowerpot beside Garam and began moving a knife.

Slice, slice.

His knife skills were so smooth that it looked like the apple peeled itself.

He peeled it in one long curl, then neatly cut it and placed the pieces on a plate.

“Eat.”

Garam sat up with a pillow behind him and began eating diligently.

Seeing him eat, Jaehun picked up a second apple.

By the time he had peeled about five apples, Garam decided to stop him.

“I’m full.”

“Alright.”

But he still peeled another apple and added it to the growing mountain.

“Eat more once your stomach settles.”

Garam wasn’t sure whether to call that consideration or something else.

Still, he nodded at the absurdly tall pile of apples.

“But… why apples?”

“I heard it’s the essential fruit for hospital visits.”

Whoever told him that was definitely responsible for this apple overload.

“Did you catch all of them?”

“No. But I cut off the arm of the one who attacked you.”

“Well… thanks for that.”

“Don’t mention it. Next time we meet, I’ll kill him.”

Rank 1 himself was vowing murder.

If the villain heard that, he’d probably never sleep again.

‘Good thing I’m not a villain.’

Then Garam suddenly remembered something.

“My crops!”

“Someone else is taking care of them.”

“Isn’t that dangerous if they get discovered?”

“That’s why someone who can know about them is watching them.”

“Deokpal and the uncle?”

Jaehun nodded at Garam’s guess.

“You seem to have grown close to them.”

Garam felt a vague memory stir—he thought he saw Park Deokpal calling his name just before he fainted.

“Did Deokpal come with you when you came to rescue me?”

“Yes.”

“Wow. That idiot.”

The curse slipped out before he could stop it.

A low-rank awakened barging into a villain hideout? What was he thinking?

Sure, Jaehun was with him, but Jaehun wasn’t someone who would bother guaranteeing Deokpal’s safety.

‘Maybe he got attached.’

Maybe that’s why he risked his life to come.

Garam scratched his cheek.

“About this incident… I’m sorry.”

“…What?”

Jaehun apologized—unexpectedly.

“I’ll take greater care to ensure something like this never happens again.”

“How?”

“I’ll assign you a bodyguard.”

“A bodyguard?”

“Yes. Someone who can stall for time if needed. They’ll accompany you at all times.”

“That’s a bit… much.”

“There’s another option.”

“What is it?”

As if waiting for that question, Jaehun took out a small box.

Inside was a single blue earring.

“It’s a location-tracking item. Also has a one-time shield function.”

“Do I have to pierce my ear?”

He didn’t want that.

Sensing his reaction, Jaehun took out another box.

“There’s also a necklace version.”

“I’ll take the necklace.”

“Good. And when you go outside, a bodyguard must accompany you.”

“I’m allowed to go outside?”

“I never said you couldn’t.”

“…Really?!”

Garam was shocked.

He’d just assumed he wasn’t allowed out, so except for dates, he stayed locked in the greenhouse.

Growing crops was fun, but if he had known, he would have gone out sometimes!

“Still, you should avoid going out for now. The villains are agitated.”

“Okay.”

When Garam obediently agreed, Jaehun nodded and stood.

“I’ll go now.”

“Before you go… can you say that again?”

“…Say what?”

“You know what.”

Jaehun looked at him for a moment, then said softly,

“Thank you.”

He picked up the flowerpot and turned away.

“I heard it again.”

Left alone, Garam rubbed at the corners of his mouth, which kept rising.

Around then, another visitor arrived.

“I’m here!”

“You could at least knock.”

“Alright, alright. Knock knock.”

Park Deokpal knocked while half his body was already inside.

Annoying guy.

But impossible to truly hate.

“This is my hospital-visit gift.”

He handed over a small blue apple.

“How did you get this?”

“Who am I? When it comes to connections, I’m Park Deokpal.”

“How long have you even been here to have connections?”

“Duration isn’t important.”

“You always talk big.”

“That’s my specialty. But maybe I shouldn’t have brought an apple? You already have tons.”

He spotted the huge fruit basket.

“Blue apples taste different though.”

Garam tossed the apple back at him.

“Peel it.”

“Yes, sir.”

Deokpal began peeling the apple carefully.

His technique lacked Jaehun’s flair, but watching the long peel fall was fun in its own way.

“Here, eat.”

“You’re giving it to me whole?”

“You’re not that old. Be grateful I peeled it at all.”

“…Whatever.”

Garam was already full from eating tons of apples earlier, but he accepted it.

The blue apple was slightly unripe, giving it a fresh tang and a bit of astringency—pleasant, actually.

“Tasty?”

“Yeah. It’s good.”

“How’s your leg?”

“Of course it’s fine. Do you know where we are?”

This was the best guild in the city.

And Garam was publicly known as the guild master’s lover, so they would’ve treated him with utmost care.

“True.”

Deokpal nodded.

“You came to save me too, right?”

“You remember?”

“Of course. Thanks.”

“No problem. We’re long-standing s*ave buddies, remember?”

“I outrank you. I’m the higher-grade s*ave.”

“s*ave is still s*ave.”

Deokpal pouted like a child.

Seeing a grown man like that was ridiculous.

Garam flicked the apple stem at him.

“Yap!”

He caught it and tossed it into the trash with the peels.

“Well, I saw you’re okay, so I’m leaving.”

“My crops are doing fine, right?”

“They’re doing better than their owner. Don’t worry.”

“Good.”

“Hurry up and recover and come back.”

“I’m already healed.”

It was just the doctor insisting he stay.

“Physical recovery isn’t everything. Anyway, get well!”

“Yeah.”

Garam waved as Deokpal exited the room.