Repay It Several Times Over
"Hmm hmm hmm~ Hmm hmm hmm~"
Baek Eun-sol hummed cheerfully as she climbed the uphill path to Happiness Nursing Hospital. In the past, she would have trudged up with a deeply furrowed brow and heavy steps. It wasn't that she hated visiting her mom—far from it. It was the things she had to deal with at the hospital that she despised. People who showed up like they were collecting debts, demanding money and throwing tantrums—truly repulsive, horrific leeches, not humans.
But if she avoided the hospital just to dodge those leeches, they might swarm her defenseless mom and do something awful. So Baek Eun-sol had always stormed up the hill in a rage, stomping her feet, panting and gasping for breath.
That used to be the case—but not anymore.
"Hmm hmm hmm~ Hya! The air is soo good!"
She shouted loudly and flashed a big grin. These days, Baek Eun-sol was enjoying life. Her daily routine hadn't changed much since "that incident"—the elevator crash. Home. School. Hospital. Home. School. Hospital. The same endless cycle.
Yet life felt joyful now because, ever since the elevator crash, the leeches who used to hound her and her mom had suddenly stopped coming. She'd wondered what was going on, worried they might be plotting something even worse. Then she heard the rumors through the grapevine and was stunned.
The other leeches had met with accidents too. And not just any mishaps—the kind where even the unluckiest fool falling backward would break their nose. Plenty of cases just like that.
Tripping over their own feet and snapping an arm, slipping on absolutely nothing and slamming their tailbone and pelvis with cracks, or getting bonked on the head by something falling from above.
As if they'd been cursed.
Humans know when they're doing rotten things. When those mishaps kept piling up after their misdeeds, they got spooked, holed up at home, and never showed their faces again. That was the word on the leeches.
So Baek Eun-sol started enjoying life. Sure, she'd lost her kind grandma and dad in a sudden car accident, and her mom was lying in the nursing home in who-knows-what condition... But the fact that those leeches no longer infested the hospital, that she and her mom didn't have to endure their abuse anymore—that alone made life feel worth living.
Her chest didn't feel tight. Her steps weren't heavy.
And on top of that, hope had sprouted.
Hope that her mom, who lay there now, would return to normal someday.
Bin-i unnie's brother was supposed to never wake up from the hospital, but he suddenly did.
So maybe her mom would suddenly get better too. Maybe she'd spring up, hug her tight like before, kiss her cheeks, gaze at her with proud eyes, and say she was the prettiest daughter in the world.
Yeah. That's exactly what'll happen.
Just imagining her healthy mom again made her eyes hot with tears.
Don't cry!
Baek Eun-sol widened her eyes. I can't show Mom my red, puffy eyes again.
She'd inherited her mom's sensitive skin around the eyes. Baek Eun-sol blinked rapidly to dry the tears pooling there, then spotted a familiar face at the hospital entrance and broke into a bright smile.
"Jun-thu oppa!"
"Hey, Eun-sol. Hi."
Oh Hyun-jun scratched his head at Baek Eun-sol's exaggerated delight. He'd grown used to the nickname by now.
She was on the verge of tears again, huh.
He got a reputation for being oblivious, but even he could figure out why she was reacting so dramatically. He'd seen it plenty of times before.
"You here to see your mom too, Jun-thu oppa?"
"Sort of."
"Ah, to see Bin-i unnie too... Hehe. Hehehehehe!"
Oh Hyun-jun's shoulders slumped as Baek Eun-sol covered her mouth with one hand and let out a sly cackle.
She does this every time.
He'd gotten to know Bin-i unnie through their moms bonding. Once he learned she was a streamer, he started watching her broadcasts. Seeing her bright smile on screen, then meeting her in person with the exact same grin, had made his heart race.
But Oh Hyun-jun, sharp enough to ace into a foreign language high school without tutoring, quickly realized it. His pounding heart wasn't first love—it was admiration.
For how she overcame hardships and exhaustion, always broadcasting with a bright face. It was amazing, incredible.
Once he understood his feelings, Oh Hyun-jun became just another boy fan cheering on streamer Coronodon.
"It's not like that."
"Oh yeah?"
"Unnie has something to say about her new content, so I'm here for that."
"New? What? Oh, I watched that hogfish one last time? I even got to eat some sashimi. It was so good! Wow, no wonder people work hard to buy expensive stuff like that."
"Right? You should've come. The spicy stew was amazing too. Especially the hand-pulled noodles, mmm~"
"Ugh, really? Then I could've gone on her stream too, thanks to Bin-i unnie! Who knows! Maybe the day I appeared, entertainment agency scouts would've—"
"Nah, that wouldn't happen."
"What?"
Oh Hyun-jun shook his head firmly, and Baek Eun-sol raised an eyebrow.
"Back in the day, tons of kids followed me around saying I was pretty."
"Kids think everything's pretty when they're little. Water striders, spiderwebs, pebbles."
"Nobody said poop was pretty, though?"
"Why are we talking about poop now..."
"Hmph!"
Oh Hyun-jun chuckled as Baek Eun-sol pretended to pout and whipped her head away.
"Your face looks brighter these days. Suits you."
"You too. You seemed down lately. Whatever it was, looks like it's sorted now?"
"Yeah. Somehow."
Oh Hyun-jun thought back to the incident in the vacant lot and recent school drama. The guys who'd hounded him relentlessly now stayed far away. Sure, they'd mouth insults from a distance, but they didn't touch or threaten him anymore.
Fists are closer than the law—but in this case, both were close. Law via Gak Dusic uncle, fists via Gak Il-sik uncle. They'd get it from both sides.
The only annoyance was the bob-cut girl, probably Il-sik uncle's fan, shooting him shy glances...
"Speaking of streams... Wanna join, Eun-sol?"
"Join what?"
Baek Eun-sol blinked in confusion.
"Unnie's doing a fishing stream this time, but next up is new content: fitness streaming. You huff and puff climbing this hill every time."
"No, it's just the steep incline—"
"That's part of it, but anyway, you need some muscle too."
"Huh?"
"I'm building mine for my parents."
"Your parents?"
"You know, right? They're getting on in years."
"Yeah."
Baek Eun-sol nodded. She'd overheard Bin-i unnie's mom chatting with Jun-thu oppa's mom. They'd married late, given up on kids, then got a lucky charm and had twin blessings late in life. She'd snorted inwardly at the "charm" bit...
"If worst comes to worst, I might have to carry them on my back."
"Worst comes to worst?"
"You know, rushing to the hospital or traveling somewhere with lots of hills."
"Ooh, Jun-thu oppa's such a filial son."
"Unnie's doing it for her brother San's rehab too."
"Ooh~"
"And you should think about when your mom recovers."
"..."
"Unnie said having a patient at home means tons of work. Even with hospital help, caregivers handle a lot directly. You need stamina. Otherwise, the caregiver collapses before the patient. Caring for them matters, but so does self-care. Remember when you lived off convenience store bentos and got stomach issues?"
"..."
"I've heard stories from Mom's side too. Devoted caregivers ignoring their health, dropping dead in the street or ending up critical at the hospital. And 'no filial child after a long illness'? It's not just money—it's exhaustion. Physical stamina and mental resilience."
Oh Hyun-jun tapped his temple with his index finger.
Baek Eun-sol felt a mix of admiration and surprise at his words.
What's this? Different from usual Jun-thu oppa.
He'd always been mature for his age, but today he seemed even more resolute.
Like he's got a firm determination locked in his heart?
She tilted her head, then asked, "So you're getting certifications or something?"
"Yeah, whatever I can at my age. That's why I'm saying you should too."
"Me exercising with unnie and you? Is that okay? We might get hurt messing around without guidance."
"Nah, not just us. A pro will supervise, obviously."
"A pro?"
"Yeah. Unnie's got some contract stuff, so the pro's helping out and coming by..."
"Contract? What contract?"
"Uh, the fishing company—oh, there they are. You watched the hogfish mukbang, right, Eun-sol?"
"Of course! Ah, aaaah! Wait! No way?!"
"Yup, that's her. Perfect timing."
Oh Hyun-jun waved behind him. Baek Eun-sol turned eagerly, then screamed at the sight of the giant man striding toward them with a killer smile.
"Kyaaaaack!"
"Gah, you scared me!"
It was a fangirl shriek of pure joy from a die-hard Physics Fairy fan.
* * *
Aigoo. Thank you. Thank you, mountain spirit...
The death spirit Bae Chun-deok, in his gray suit and clutching his gray fedora, bowed repeatedly before vanishing.
He'd appeared in his kids' dreams, ensured they remembered his words clearly, and given his friend's son a harsh lesson. And I'd gained plenty from this, so like with Jo Mal-ja, I'd provide solid after-service.
「That. No. I think. Not!」
「Then. Better. Idea? None? My. Opinion. Right.」
「One. Wrong. Doesn't mean. Other. Definitely. Right. Thinking. Wrong!」
「Then. Show. Better. Idea!」
Hwa-jeong and Pung-jeong were deep in heated debate. Bigger now, they were sharper, probing each other's views vigorously.
「Wind-like. Pretty. Cool. Refreshing. Good one!」
「Fire-like. Pretty. Hot. Passionate. Good one!」
I let their bickering flow past like background noise and mulled over Pung-jeong's report.
To sum it up verbatim...
The real culprit behind my car accident was someone else. The man blabbed about owner risk and such, so a high-up in that company. The prime suspect: whoever the driver's secretary was handling back then. And that person... lately in the news less of a punk, but still a total punk—that guy's name was...
Ah. Right. Jeong Kyung-rok. Rumors the heir apparent, the eldest son, was in bad shape, so second son Jeong Kyung-rok might take the seat. Investors fretting he'd tank the company based on his track record.
Hm. A guy who might become a conglomerate chairman trying to kill me?
Even so... no real worry or tension.
They struck first with hostility. Repay it several times over—that's all.
I could handle it right now if I wanted.
Still...
My body felt heavy. Very heavy. Drifting as a spirit, then back in flesh, it weighed even more.
To shake it off, I needed a good workout. If only I could get up and walk or run.
It reminded me of my first steps in the Dark Heavenly Realm. When I first wiggled my fingers on my own, I had sobbed messily, overwhelmed with emotion. My first steps? They felt epic. With weak muscles and no balance, I managed three or four before tumbling—but I cried my eyes out in triumph.
I remember Hwa-seonin's hand patting my back, so warm. Later, he said it was relief: Finally, this body's usable.
Haha.
But that kid. When would she emerge from the coffin?
The lid slightly ajar. I knew she was peeking slyly through the gap.
No Black Spirit Jade to keep her in anymore. She could climb out anytime.
Unexpected, but her family begged so earnestly to repay the favor—I'd accept. Hands were short anyway.
I could summon other nature spirits, but raising these refined ones was more efficient.
I slowly raised my right arm.
Yes. Since Heavenly Wood swallowed the Black Spirit Jade, this right arm could move from fingers to wrist, elbow, all the way to shoulder in one go.
No more enduring itches or delegating scratches to spirits. I could do it myself.
Skinny arm, trembling without muscle, but my will moved it. I lifted it shakily to my face and peered at my right palm.
One regret: Heavenly Wood shared just a tiny speck of the Black Spirit Jade's energy, like a kid clutching candy.
Hm. Or maybe not stingy—perhaps purifying it fully first.
Makes sense, given Heavenly Wood's role in the Dark Heavenly Realm.
So, limited resources now. I debated moving legs or arms—chose arms.
Even if legs worked, walking was impossible yet. Better this: control arms freely. Then I could push the wheelchair myself. Well, spirits would push, but still.
Rehab was starting soon, they said. Build muscle, then legs. Then fix the neck stuff. I wanted this nasal tube out.
Ah. Wanted to show Mom and Bin-i my moving arm. Soon.
「Master. What. Do you. Think?」
「Whose. Opinion. Right?」
Hwa-jeong and Pung-jeong asked earnestly.
Hm. Wasn't listening.
【What were you talking about?】
「New. Comrade. Name!」
「New. Comrade. Name!」
They shouted in unison, unleashing energy. Fire and wind merged into a mini whirlwind in the room.
My face warmed.
Whoa.
Hic!
A startled gasp from the coffin. Hwa-jeong and Pung-jeong flinched, retracting their energy. The whirlwind vanished instantly.
【Dunno. Ask her yourself.】
I glanced at the coffin and asked.
【What should we call you?】
No immediate reply. As Hwa-jeong and Pung-jeong hovered near, a tiny voice responded.
I, um, whatever name you want, benefactor, is fine.
【You had a name before.】
Th-that... I can't remember. Mom and Dad can't either. So, please name me. I'd like that.
She answered hesitantly but clearly—mentally sound, no worries there.
Name her? My naming sense was trashed, they'd said.
Bin-i once asked, if we lived in a house and got a dog or cat, what names? I suggested Meng-meng for dog, Nyang-nyang for cat. Got scolded: Then horse is Hee-heeng?
Hee-heeng's fine, though. Intuitive.
Benefactor?
【Names aren't made willy-nilly. Let's think more. You too.】
O-okay...
「Then. We'll. Think. More.」
「Good. Lucky. Name. We'll think.」
Hwa-jeong and Pung-jeong huddled again.
Right. Time for coffin thoughts.
I commanded.
【Amjeong. Come to me.】