Chapter 681: Side Story 3. Stellar Blossom - 16
"If I say I’ll go to the Tower, will you get angry again?"
As expected, a frown immediately formed on Han Joon’s forehead. "You’re going to leave your daughter?"
"No--not now, I mean...not right away," Han Shin quickly shook his head while grabbing his hyung’s arms. Really--Han Joon’s angry face was scary, but not because it looked menacing. More than anything, it was because Han Shin felt like he would disappoint his older brother if the ever-patient man got angry. "I have talked about it with noona, and she gave me permission."
There was nothing coming out of the older brother; no answer, no expression. Quietly, the man stepped back and walked to the window, staring at the bustling city and the garden outside.
Han Shin pressed his lips and stared at the quiet back. The solid back that had been shielding him from the bad world. That solid back looked exhausted, and Han Shin desperately wanted to support that shield of his.
He took a deep breath and started his persuading. "Hyung, Zein said we’ll need a high level of healing, didn’t he?"
After much deliberation, they finally told Han Shin about the steps they would take to solve Joon’s problem. Destroying the core, however, was a dangerous step even without the cold energy. It was akin to destroying someone’s heart and severing all the nerves. It would be painful, and the process might damage other organs.
Not to mention, they were looking for an artifact that could eat the cold energy; it would mean turning Joon’s body into a battlefield. Damages would be impossible to avoid, so a rapid and precise healing process that couldn’t be achieved by medical equipment would have to take place.
"Honestly, I can’t trust other people to do it," Han Shin frowned deeply, gripping the edge of his shirt until it wrinkled.
How could he, when he was a healer himself? And he knew he was one of the best, so how could he let others take over? It wasn’t about pride; it was just...Han Shin didn’t think he could face himself if he shirked away from curing his brother. If something went wrong, he would probably blame that healer no matter what.
Wouldn’t it be better to blame himself, then? At least, he wouldn’t be haunted by the thought of not doing his best for his one and only brother.