There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)
Chapter 671: Side Story 3. Stellar Blossom - 6

Chapter 671: Side Story 3. Stellar Blossom - 6

When blood was dripping off Han Joon’s nose, they were so stunned that no one could do or say anything. Even when the man’s body started to tilt back, the world seemed to come to a standstill, as if everyone was paralyzed.

It was when the glass hit the floor and shattered did Bassena was able to move and react. "Joon!" he shot toward the falling man and caught Han Joon before the body hit the floor.

The shattered glass and Bassena’s shout informed Zein and Shin, who were a bit away to feed the twins, that something happened. "Wha--hyung?" the healer turned around and the first thing he saw was a collapsed Han Joon in Bassena’s arms. "Hyung!"

Shoving the bowl of fruits into Zein’s hand, he ran toward his collapsed brother. He could see his brother’s empty-looking eyes when he was running, opened stiffly just like the rest of his body.

"Hyung--what happened?" he asked around in panic while sending waves and waves of healing mana. The empty dark eyes blinked and the rigid body finally flinched--but with it, came a caugh and a spurt of blood.

"No, no--what happened? What happened?!" tears were streaming down the healer’s cheeks as he tried to fix his brother, but he could feel that his healing wave did nothing. "I...I can’t heal him!"

"Then it’s not an injury," Bassena remarked swiftly before turning toward the house staff. "Please prepare the car."

"Y-yes, Sir!"

Bassena looked at Han Joon, who seemed to be having trouble breathing. The hazy black eyes kept searching for his darling, but Radia was standing still, as frozen as Joon had a moment ago. Eyes shaking and lips trembling as the blood seemed to leave his face.

Bassena had only seen that expression once before: right after Radia sliced Joon’s neck in the past.

Oh. This is bad.

"Rei, go to Zein," Bassena took a deep breath and decided he had to be the one to do it, since Zein had to take care of the twins. "Radia, we’ll go to the hospital now."

There was no answer, and Bassena understood why--but he couldn’t let the summoner drown now.

"Radia!"

Radia flinched and finally spoke in a small voice. "...yeah," he clenched his hands and started to move. "Yeah, okay."

Han Shin turned to look for his wife, who had yet to go to Zein. "Noona--"

"Go, it’s okay," Reina wiped the healer’s cheek with her handkerchief while nodding. "I’ll..."

She looked at Zein, who calmly replied while hugging the twins. "We’ll go later with another car."

"Y-yeah...okay..." Han Shin clutched the handkerchief and quickly got up. "Thank you..."

Zein watched Bassena carry Joon, who had fallen unconscious, while Radia and Han Shin followed, clearly in a mess and out of their mind. The shift that happened in just a few minutes was shocking, even for him. He was glad that Bassena could at least maintain a clear mind, because Radia definitely couldn’t--much less Han Shin.

And Bassena would understand, as someone who couldn’t do anything but panic when Zein gave birth. He’d go himself to make sure someone kept Radia and Shin in check, but he had someone he needed to calm first.

"Ssh...it’s okay, Kar, it’s okay..." Zein rubbed the older twin’s back, who was as shocked as everyone when he saw his Uncle Joon fall and started sobbing right after. The child who rarely cried was now wailing so sorrowfully, and it made Asa confused and cry too. "Don’t worry, Uncle Joon will be alright."

Yeah. For some reason, he did not worry about Han Joon. It was actually Radia who Zein was worried about.

* * *

"Shin, baby!"

"Oh, noona..." Han Shin stood up when he saw Reina walking through the hospital alley, and tears dripped from his eyes again when she hugged him.

Zein glanced at the closed examination door which told him the doctors hadn’t been able to do anything. It didn’t seem any surgery was necessary since they were still in the VIP’s intensive care unit, but Zein had no idea whether it was a good thing or something catastrophic.

"Hey, how is he?" he asked Bassena, who was leaning against the wall.

They were all still in the casual clothes of the house party, and during the two hours Zein needed to come, the only change they did was put on a jacket. The butler packed some change of clothes for them, but Zein didn’t think anyone was in their right mind to do anything.

Bassena tilted his head when he saw Zein was alone. "What about the twins?"

"I asked the brigade to watch them," Zein shrugged. That was also why he needed time to follow them to the hospital with Reina. "They were sleeping deeply after crying hard--especially Kar."

"Yeah..."

Bassena took a deep breath, and Zein could hear how shaky it was. Compared to Radia and Shin, Bassena did not have familial ties with Joon; but that didn’t mean he wasn’t shaken up by what happened. Joon was his idol, after all--and it never changed.

Zein let out a sigh and rubbed his husband’s back. "What about them?"

He pointed at Shin and Radia with his chin. "Well, as you can see," Bassena sighed.

At least Shin had Reina now, but Radia still looked out of it. His emotional pillar was broken, and it was as if he had forgotten how to navigate without it again, even though he had managed to do so for thirteen years.

"The doctors are still trying to figure out what happened. We’re waiting for his physician right now," Bassena continues.

Zein frowned. "Why is the doctor not here?"

"Paid vacation," Bassena smiled bitterly. The timing was such a shit for them. It was the doctor’s first vacation in the last five years, so they couldn’t even fault him. "The hospital had a hard time reaching his location, so we sent people to fetch him in an aircraft."

"Oh," Zein understood now why it took so long to figure out anything. He looked at the seating area and sighed. "I’ll go talk to Radia."

"Yeah, you should," Bassena nodded. If there was anyone cool-headed and authoritative enough to talk to Radia, it would be Zein.

Zein patted his esper’s cheek lightly before walking over to the summoner, who was still staring blankly at the closed door. For some reason, there was more tension in the room than if someone were in surgery. But then again, there was usually an approximate time within surgery. Not this.

"Hey," Zein let himself sit beside Radia. The summoner didn’t say anything, but he also didn’t tell Zein to get away. His eyes were just fixed on the door while flashing repeatedly, as if his mind kept on repeating something over and over again.

Some memories. Some clues. Knowing Radia, Zein knew the man would think about all of the possibilities about why this was happening.

Leaning forward, Zein started to think back himself. From the expression that Radia made, it was clear that the summoner was shocked. As in he had no idea. Like an accident that happened without any warning.

On the other hand, he remembered how Joon was really calm. It could be because he couldn’t do anything and was losing consciousness, but...no--he was still too calm about the whole thing.

"...he never told you, did he?" Zein decided to follow his instinct.

"No," this time, Radia finally spoke. The crimson eyes were focusing back. "I don’t know there’s..."

Radia paused, recalling everything again. Every small movement; every word that ever left Joon’s mouth; everything that might seem to be unsubstantial.

"No--I should have known," Radia muttered. "He said...he was going to an alternative treatment."

Zein raised his brows in surprise. "Was he sick?"

"No--" Radia pressed his lips, and then changed his mind. "I mean...it was for his temperature--or so he said. But I guess..." his jaw started to tremble again. "I guess he really is sick."

He gripped the armrest tightly. His mind was so cluttered with all kinds of emotions. Worry? Of course, he was worried. He was terrified. So terrified the whole world seemed to be bathed in nothing but red and black. Whether it was at the pool or during the journey to the hospital, the memory of blood flowing from Joon’s nose and mouth kept repeating in his mind.

Even now. Even when he hadn’t even touched Joon after, it felt as if his hands were smeared in blood.

Why? What happened? And also...why did Joon never tell him?

Joon always said he was fine after every check-up--and he did look fine, so much so that Radia did not question it further, and felt like he would disrespect his husband if he probed anymore. Was he blinded by Joon’s words and false reassurance?

In his defense, Han Joon did look like an epitome of health. Nothing seemed to be wrong about his body, except for his temperature.

Or perhaps...Joon also didn’t know he was sick? That was unlikely though, unless someone suddenly put poison in that drink. But those doctors already ruled out poison too...

Radia bit his lips. He didn’t like this. He didn’t like the answer that came from his running thought. Because at the end of it all, the conclusion was one he hated the most; that Joon knew he was ill and decided to hide it. From Radia. From his own husband.

And it only made everything even more painful than what already transpired.

Radia gritted his teeth. No--he shouldn’t. He shouldn’t think about anything else but Joon’s health now. He could get angry and everything once his husband was cured of whatever it was ailing him.

When he saw the shift in Radia’s gaze, Zein patted his knees. "Let’s just wait for the doctor’s--ah."

The door to the VIP’s intensive care unit opened, and someone walked inside wearing casual clothes under a white coat.

Finally, Han Joon’s physician had arrived.