There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)-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.

"Hyung, let me do it," Han Shin carefully--ever so carefully--held the edge of his brother’s sleeve. He stepped closer and pressed his forehead on the solid upper arms. "I want...I want to heal you."

Still, there was no answer. The drifting cloud obscured the sunlight and Joon’s expression in the window, and Han Shin had no courage to look closer.

"Please?" his persuasion turned into a plea. "You know, don’t you? I was awakened for you, hyung--to heal your wound."

Han Shin bit his lips as he once again gazed at his brother’s back. He still remembered it vividly, the memory of his awakening. The day he cheerfully barged into Joon’s room and saw his brother’s back covered in blood and bruises, curling and shivering on the floor.

The fear and desperation he felt at that time managed to awaken him. And the same fear and desperation had been haunting him ever since his brother collapsed in the summer.

"What’s the point of me being a healer if I couldn’t do it in the end?"

The sorrowful voice managed to make Joon twitch and finally turned his head. Han Shin did not waste the chance and grabbed his brother’s arm.

"I promise that I’m not being reckless. I’ve thought about it again and again, talking it out with noona and her family," he said earnestly. "I...I want to grow old together with you, hyung."

The sharp black eyes rippled at the weakening voice behind the hopeful request.

"I want Nari to grow up seeing her Uncle."

Han Joon closed his eyes and sighed inwardly. How cunning, bringing his only niece who looked like his only sister like that...

Han Joon sighed, this time audibly. "Let me talk to her first."

Han Shin nodded with a bright smile. "Okay!"

Letting out another sigh, Han Joon entered the bedroom and asked the others to leave him alone with Reina, including his darling. At that time, the twins came to visit and with Asa called out ’Nayi! Nayi!’, Han Shin pushed the bassinet out of the bedroom while laughing, leading everyone to the sitting room.

Tilting her head, Reina watched Han Joon’s slightly darkening face and easily deducted what caused this sudden face-to-face request.

"Did he tell you?" she smiled as Han Joon took a seat beside the bed.

So it was true that they had talked about it, and it seemed like she knew Han Joon wouldn’t easily grant permission. No wonder Han Shin wasn’t even fazed about him talking to Reina.

With a stern gaze, he looked at her. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes," the answer came without hesitation, in a light tone that contrasted with the one Han Joon used. "You know the Tower is not dangerous for healers."

There was a possibility for combat espers to die during the trial; that was because their test consisted of hunting or being hunted. Even supports sometimes met an unfortunate fate, especially those who worked with curses. A healer’s trial, however, was relatively safe--at least physically.

After all, what a healer needed to do was heal. Their trial usually had something to do with healing a large number of people or healing someone with complex injuries. Sometimes, tricky trials like getting out of an illusion or mental attack could come, but it was still relatively tamer than what the other types of espers had to face.

Not to mention, Ophiucus had a soft spot for healers, so their trial was never life-threatening. If they talked to the administration sentinels, they could even negotiate a timer and give up on the trial without repercussion.

But that wasn’t Han Joon’s main concern. He knew Han Shin would come out safely, maybe even successfully. But was he not just asking Shin to be a good father?

What kind of good fathers leave their baby daughter?

The frown was enough to show what Han Joon thought about this whole thing, and Reina couldn’t help but smile, knowing that it was made out of concern for her and her daughter.

"Joon Oppa," she ceased the smile, but still spoke softly. "I don’t want my daughter to be raised by a depressed father."

Han Joon widened his eyes slightly, stunned at the strength behind her voice.

"You know him," she leaned back and gave him a little shrug. "He would keep regretting it if he didn’t go. The result doesn’t really matter."

Whether or not Han Shin managed to clear the trial and became a Saint-class healer did not matter. What mattered was he tried everything he could. That way, no matter what would happen in the future, he would not come to regret it.

Of course, as the one who raised Han Shin, Joon knew it very well. "Haa..."

"I mean...can you blame him?" Reina laughed softly. "His hyung is someone who spent eleven years rescuing his darling."

"I didn’t do it for him to copy me," Han Joon clicked his tongue.

Reina laughed while clapping her hands in amusement. Truly, it was nicer seeing Joon openly express his emotions like this, unlike in the past.

"It’s alright, Oppa," Reina curled her eyes and lips. "I love Shin who loves you very much."

There was a sparkle in her eyes that hid no lies. Joon was also her older brother the moment she got engaged to Han Shin, so of course, she also cared about the man’s wellbeing outside of her husband’s concern.

"And I’m thankful," she leaned forward to the slowly swayed Han Joon. "He ended up the way he is, my lovely baby, because of your care for him. So, we want to help you too," she looked gently at the sharp black eyes. "Can you allow it?"

Han Joon wanted to say no. He wanted Shin to stay with his wife and daughter always. Doing the highest floor was not a matter of a few months--people could even take years. Nari wasn’t even a week old yet, and it didn’t sit well with Joon that his niece would spend her early days without her father.

He even wondered if Shin and Reina truly thought this through when babies changed rapidly every day. Was they really sure Shin could skip all those rapid changes?

In the end, however, he called Shin back after letting out a long, heavy sigh.

"Alright," he raised his hand to his brother’s bright smile. "Don’t go right away; make sure you prepare a lot, and only go after your daughter at least six months old, and make sure to come out before her birthday, whatever the result is."

Finishing the highest floor trial in six months was basically telling him to be faster than Bassena’s first time, but Han Shin returned his brother’s firm gaze with a passionate one.

"Yes, Sir!"