"Hmm... I see. This is not the first occasion I've encountered someone with fur allergies, even among practitioners. I know of another person who had the same condition," Doctor Hendrix calmly stated.
"Then--! You know how to cure it, right?" Reika seemed hopeful after hearing Doctor Hendrix's words.
"Nope." That single word shattered all of Reika's hope. "Just let him rest in bed, and the allergic reactions will subside on their own. Being a practitioner, it won't be fatal for him."
Reika felt disheartened. Her idol would have to endure the pain until the allergy subsided.
They moved Shaun to a VIP ward, and Reika stayed there to take care of him. She knew he was all alone, with no one to come and tend to him. It pained her to see her idol in such a state.
Shaun felt weak and cold. His entire body itched, but he lacked the strength to scratch himself.
The last time he had experienced this was when he was ten years old. His mother had gifted him an elemental dog for his birthday, and at first, everything seemed fine.
However, after playing with the dog for an hour, he developed red spots all over his body.
His mother grew concerned and immediately contacted a friend, an elemental healer. After the diagnosis, it was revealed that Sho had a fur allergy.
His mother didn't hesitate and gave the dog up for adoption. Although it pained her greatly, nothing was more important than her son's well-being.
A day had passed, and Reika grew increasingly worried. Shaun's fever had subsided, and the red spots were slowly fading, but he still hadn't woken up.
She repeatedly asked the doctor about his condition, only to receive the same response: "He's fine. It won't be fatal."
She wanted to punch him for his dismissive attitude, but they always crossed paths in public places, and she lacked the courage to confront him. She had to maintain her composure!
As she gently wiped Shau's body with a towel, she noticed that he had awakened.
What an awkward situation!
He had woken up while she was attending to him with the towel.
Luckily, she hadn't mustered the courage to wipe his lower body, or it would have been a complete disaster!
He might have mistaken her, the president of his fan club, for a pervert.
She certainly didn't want that to happen!
"Shaun-kun... Um... I was cleaning you... So that your sweat wouldn't stick to you... He he he," Reika awkwardly explained.
"You're... the president of my fan club, right?" Shaum, feeling dizzy, wasn't entirely certain of his surroundings. "Is this the hospital?"
"Yes, yes, yes... I am the president of your fan club, and you can call me Reika," Reika beamed with happiness that her idol had awakened.
"Reika, I see." Shaun, still weak, drifted back to sleep. Reika's worries diminished; she had witnessed firsthand that he was doing alright.
Meanwhile, as the two of them remained in the hospital room, a person sitting on a bench outside the ward was engrossed in reading the newspaper.
"Boss, Shaun is heavily guarded by those fans! They even stationed two master-level bodyguards at the ward's entrance. We can't get in!" The two individuals were members of the assassin group targeting Shaun.
"Don't worry, I have a plan. Just let me know when that girl leaves the room, and I'll take care of the rest," the leader communicated through a walkie-talkie.
"Understood, boss!" Another assassin arrived and sat two seats away, casually picking up a magazine to read.
"Number 3, wait at least 20 minutes before getting up! We mustn't arouse any suspicion, so act naturally!" The assassins were professionals, meticulously considering every move to maintain their cover and avoid arousing any doubts.
After 10 minutes, the person reading the newspaper stood up and left.
Another individual entered, this time not immediately taking a seat. He was holding a comic book in his hands.
"This comic is hilarious! I'll sit now and enjoy reading it." Another assassin flawlessly acted his part.
"Please lower your volume! I'm reading a magazine," the other assassin replied, maintaining the illusion of being strangers that they do not know each other.
"Okay." However, the other assassin continued making noise as he read the comic.
The first assassin executed another performance worthy of an Oscar.
"I just wanted to read my magazine, but there's someone disturbing!" And with that, he left.
This cycle continued. The bodyguards remained oblivious, believing them to be ordinary bystanders.
The assassins' faces were concealed behind masks, a common sight in hospitals, and thus, it didn't arouse any curiosity or prompt the bodyguards to investigate their identities.
Shaun awoke to a darkened sky. This time, he didn't feel as tired as before and managed to stay awake for longer. He took out the compass hanging from his neck and whispered, "Mom, I miss you."
As he gazed at the compass, he noticed that the arrow was missing. "Did the arrow break? If it did, it should be somewhere nearby."
It puzzled him how the arrow could disappear since the compass had no openings. Even if it had broken, the arrow should still be inside.
Hearing some noises, Reika woke up from the sofa. "ShUn-kun... Are you awake?" Reika asked, stifling a yawn.
"Yes."
"I'm going to call a doctor for a thorough check-up on your condition." She stood up and left the room, but before doing so, she informed Shaun that she would be calling a doctor.
As she exited the room, the assassin stationed outside informed their leader that Reika had finally left the room.
"Just stay there and don't do anything. Act natural," the leader reminded the assassin.
After a few minutes, a doctor approached the room. The bodyguards assumed he was the doctor their young miss had called, so they allowed him to enter.
Upon entering, he asked Shaun some basic questions like "How are you feeling?" and "Do you still feel tired?"
This assassin played his role convincingly, it was no surprise that he became the leader. Even when he was facing his target, he maintained an innocent facade.
"I'm going to administer an injection, alright?" He held Shaun's wrist and prepared to inject him.
"Wait, I don't like injections. Can you give me something I can take orally?" Shaum couldn't tolerate the effects of injected substances.
His mother had told him that his body rejected any foreign substances entering it, except for those that could be consumed. When they discovered his body's condition, his mother advised him to keep it a secret.
"Don't worry, injections don't hurt much," the doctor/assassin tried to persuade him to accept the injection.
"I insist on oral medication," Shaun insisted. As they argued, the assassin grew impatient.
They were just one step away from killing Sho, but now he was hesitating because of a fear of injections?
He forcefully attempted to administer the substance through the injection.
When the injection was successfully given, he rejoiced and prepared to leave.
Shaun, however, felt an excruciating pain throughout his entire body, as if he were on the verge of death.