Chapter 24
Chapter 24
Is she a living Buddha or what?
"Ultimately, it means I get to work with a Team Leader who I click with better."
"......."
"And. I don't think you said anything wrong, either. Looking at it coldly, I realized, 'Ah, I can see why you'd think that!' Hehe. Lastly, Team Leader-nim, thank you for getting angry on my behalf. You were really cool, and I'm grateful."
Watching Gil Min-seo bow deeply, I felt something ticklish rising from within my heart.
This girl is pure light.
Even if a meteorite suddenly fell to destroy the Earth.
Ah.
'I guess we can instantly purify the bugs ruining the Earth,' she'd probably say, brushing it off positively.
"Min-seo."
"Yes."
"I don't know about anything else, but I'm your number one fan. Remember that."
"Of course! Ah! In that sense, would it be okay if I made a rude request to my number one fan, Team Leader-nim?"
"Anything."
At this moment, Min-seo was so adorable that I felt like I could even rip out my own heart to give to her.
Even that request of hers was adorable.
"Calling you 'Team Leader-nim' feels a bit distant. Please let me call you 'Team Leader Oppa'."
My heart hurts.
Is it okay for a kid to be this adorable?
"Of course you can. Sure. Call me whatever you want. Oppa, Noona, anything."
"I might just be a nuisance from now on. Since I'm a ticking time bomb. But, even though it's shameless, I want to try. You only live once. And my life might not have much time left. I want to do the things I want to do."
"You can do it. I'll help you."
"Thank you! Now, let's plan how to persuade my parents... Ugh!"
Her bright smile shattered for the first time.
What filled its place was a painful distortion.
As if she couldn't even breathe properly, she clutched her chest tightly and trembled, sweat pouring down her pained face.
So, she really did have a heart problem.
"S-sorry. J-just a little rest is fine. Just... a moment, Team Leader Oppa."
"No. I told you. Even if it's impossible for others, it's possible for me."
I didn't say anything to Novel in particular.
It was as if our minds were connected.
I just quietly held out my hand.
And then.
Thud-.
[Elixir (Replica)]
-Content: A replica of the Elixir, also known as a panacea or God's tears. While its effects are significantly weaker than the original, it still provides the same effect for one week.
As if waiting for this moment, Novel placed the desired item on my hand.
Truly.
This is an eccentric feat that only I can display.
A miracle that only someone chosen by God, by the God AI, can show.
"It's nothing suspicious. Just trust me and take it."
Since she's been in and out of the hospital with a terminal condition, there must be many things she can't eat, and she's probably been told by her doctor many times to be careful when eating new things.
Naturally, it was normal for her to show resistance or suspicion.
But.
"I. It might be a bit strange. If someone else had handed it to me, I would have hesitated at least a little. But because it's Team Leader Oppa, I trust you. Hehe."
Gil Min-seo reached out with a trembling hand and immediately drank the Elixir.
"Gulp. Kkeu-. This tastes exactly like strawberries? It's delicious. And. Huh?"
The vitality and surprise spread across Gil Min-seo's face, which was already overflowing with energy, like paint spreading on a canvas.
"......It doesn't hurt. Even at the hospital, I wouldn't be okay unless it was a really strong medicine. A miracle. It's a miracle, Oppa."
"The miracle is you. And I'm sorry, but that medicine is the only one in the world. And the effect only lasts for a week. If you want to stay healthy after that, there's something you need to do with me."
"I'll do anything! If I can get healthy, what wouldn't I do? This is totally awesome! What is this? Kyaaaa!"
She's jumping up and down.
Like an impala that's just jumped out of its enclosure for the first time, or a live fish, she's flopping around.
"Ah. What do I do. If I find out about things like this, I can't go back to how I was before. I'll become a bad person."
I smiled and patted Gil Min-seo's head a couple of times.
"In my opinion, you need to be a little corrupted. Otherwise, you're the type of person who would thank someone even if they kidnapped you."
"Ayy! There's no way that's true!"
"With this, persuading your parents will be easy. You said you like dancing, right?"
"Yes!"
I lifted my phone from my pocket and said.
"Let's record a video. And. Take this opportunity to go on a short trip with your parents, even if it's just for 2 nights and 3 days."
"Is that okay?"
"Yeah. I'm not sure if the effect will really last a full week. So it can't be too long. But 2 nights and 3 days should be fine."
"Ah."
I thought she only knew how to smile.
I was wrong.
"Th-thank... sob, I'm sorry. Oppa, thank you. Thank you so much. My mom, my dad. Because of me. They had such a hard time because of me. Sob."
Gil Min-seo was human, too.
A person.
A human who could shed tears even when she was too happy.
"Is there a dance you want to do?"
"I. Well, I haven't actually moved my body to dance at all yet. But there is a dance I really wanted to record and show my parents. Could we start by having you ask me one question, Team Leader-nim?"
"What is it?"
"Who gave birth to our Min-seo so beautifully?"
"Ah."
I understood immediately.
[Recording starts.]
I gave the same answer as Gil Min-seo.
"Mommy-mommy did~♬"
The Gil Min-seo captured in the video was already wearing a happy smile that would captivate many people's hearts.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
"You know that snack shop in front? They say they're starting business again today."
"I was so surprised. They suddenly closed, so I thought maybe it was some holiday season or something."
"Their daughter had a bad heart, but she's been doing a bit better lately, so they said they went on a quick trip. The employee there has incredible positive energy; who would have known she was carrying such pain?"
This was what I heard while drinking coffee.
And.
When I entered the company.
[The World's Freshest Abalone 1KG]
[ALL Vitamins/Top-tier Vitamins]
[Grade 1++ Hanwoo Full Set]
I thought someone had prepared a gift for a conglomerate chairman or something.
If Gil Min-seo and her parents hadn't been standing in front of it, I would never have thought this was a gift for me.
I don't know what the three family members did during those 2 nights and 3 days.
Their eyes were bloodshot and swollen.
"Hello. Team Leader-nim. I'm Min-seo's father."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Team Leader Kim Hyun-woo."
"First, I'll start by bowing to express my gratitude!"
Thud-!
I didn't know that when he said he'd "bow," he meant he'd literally slam his head down.
We were talking in the guest reception room, and the thud was so loud.
Yoon Won-seok, who was passing by outside, even glanced in.
When he made eye contact with me.
The guy acted like "Oh my" and scurried away.
This is going to spread as a rumor again, fuck.
"It was truly a miraculous time that cannot be expressed in words. Honestly, even this gift is..."
"Yes......"
"It can't even express one ten-millionth of our gratitude. Just. We want to give you all the assets we have."
Wow, damn. This guy is a lunatic.
I think I understand a bit about how Gil Min-seo was born.
Inheriting half of this dad's blood.
And inheriting the mom's blood too... it makes sense that such a child would be born.
"To be honest, at first, I intended to oppose it. I thought, 'Isn't the child just healthy now?' But Min-seo kept saying it over and over. That to be truly healthy, she has to trust and follow the Team Leader-nim. Above all, our child says she really wants to achieve her dream of becoming an idol on her own."
The mother also wiped the corners of her eyes and nodded.
"That's right. You have no idea how much our child loved celebrities and idols while watching TV since she was young. Because I gave birth to her with a weak body, she never got to do anything like that. Even if the result is bad, we will never blame the Team Leader-nim."
"We won't dig too deep. We are just overwhelmed by the miracle happening right in front of our eyes. It's like a mirage. If we dig into it for no reason and it disappears, that would be even sadder. We'll just believe."
Even if they say that.
I know there must have been a very long process before they could say such things.
And I could vaguely guess how strongly Gil Min-seo must have appealed during most of that process.
Is there any parent who can win against their daughter?
Especially when it's a request from a daughter who was diagnosed with a terminal illness and is sick, how could they refuse?
"I will never betray your expectations. Min-seo will become the most famous child in the world while becoming healthy. At the same time, she will deliver happiness to the whole world."
"Please take good care of our daughter."
"Leave it to me."
If someone saw this, they'd think we were holding a wedding.
Well, maybe that's not wrong.
Whatever it takes for Gil Min-seo to give birth.
Ultimately, the only way was to have sex with me.
And I wanted to fuck her, too.
"Whenever you come to our snack shop, we will serve you whatever food you want with the utmost care."
"Actually, my kids also said the tteokbokki there is delicious. She'll be living with Min-seo from now on. It's shameless of me, but I'll visit often."
"Shameless? Nonsense! If I could, I'd get a job as a cook at the dormitory where Min-seo will be staying and just make food for the rest of my life... Gack!"
The mother pulls the father's side hair as if she's going to rip it out.
"You're embarrassing. Embarrassing! Stop it, honey."
"Really! Mom and Dad are still in the prime of their youth."
The family laughing happily.
It's draining.
When Min-seo is alone, she transmits happiness.
But when the family is all together, they drain my energy instead.
"Whew!"
Carrying the incredibly heavy gifts, I moved to the dormitory with Min-seo.
Since today is Hee-ju and Da-young's day off, the kids should be resting at the dormitory too.
It was the perfect timing to introduce her.
"Even if you get healthy. Just in case, you'll still have to go to the hospital regularly."
"Yes. I will."
"The kids are a bit unique. So please understand if there's a little trouble."
"That's actually better! It's all part of the process of getting close, right?"
For other people, I might be worried.
But I'm definitely not worried about Gil Min-seo.
Beep-beep-beep-beep, ding-dong.
After entering the door code and going inside, Eun Hee-ju, who is out in the living room as always, is the first one I see.
"Ah."
Eun Hee-ju, who checked not only me but also Gil Min-seo next to me, hesitated for a moment.
"Welcome. Team Leader Manager-nim."
"Oh. You're here?"
Da-young also comes out and checks Gil Min-seo.
"Wow. You're really fast. Adding new girls."
"If someone heard that, they'd misunderstand. It's a new member. A member."
What I was worried about here was that Hee-ju might clash with Gil Min-seo, like showing territorial behavior.
"Kya! What is this? She's so cute. Adorable. Smooch."
"Team Leader Manager-nim. What should I do in this situation?"
Conversely, Eun Hee-ju is being held by Gil Min-seo and can't do anything.
Is this the difference in grades?
"Gil Min-seo, 22 years old! I'll bow 180 degrees to ask for your favor in the future!"
"Min-seo has a bad heart. She has many painful places in many ways, so you guys take good care of her."
"You brought a kid with a bad heart? Are you crazy?"
Lee Da-young glares at me in surprise.
Then, Min-seo, who was clinging to Eun Hee-ju, moves her spot to Da-young this time.
"Aang, Unni. Don't be like that. I said I wanted to do it more. I'm actually worried that I might be a nuisance to you and cute Hee-ju here. I'm sorry if I die in the middle!"
"Ah. I got it, so calm down. What are you going to do if your heart gets shocked!"
"Then Min-seo will die."
"Hey! This girl really has no filter! You shouldn't say things like that carelessly. Are you dying to get cursed at by me?"
"If it's Unni's cursing, I think I'd be happy to hear it as much as you want. Hehe."
This time, Lee Da-young looks at me with the same expression as Eun Hee-ju.
"What do I do in this situation?"
What do you do?
You guys.
You just accept it and adapt.
"Hmm. Min-seo. Let's talk for a second."
"Ah. Yes. Oppa!"
Huh?
Am I imagining it?
[What is it?]
'It felt like Hee-ju flinched a lot just now.'
[I wonder?]
Looking again.
Eun Hee-ju was just looking at me with the same eyes as usual.
"Um. Team Leader Manager-nim."
"Yeah?"
Maybe it wasn't my imagination.
"Is it okay if I go to practice?"
To that question, I gave the same answer as usual.
"I'll come pick you up later. Don't overdo it."
Hee-ju nods and looks at Lee Da-young.
"Yes. We will. Da-young Unni, you come too. Unless you want to get fired for being the oldest."
"What are you saying! You bitch!"
The two of them bickered, but immediately left the dormitory and headed to the company.
It was perfect timing.
"Min-seo. Don't think it's weird, just listen."
"Yes. If it's Oppa's words, I'd believe you even if you said you were making meju out of red beans."
"Can you believe it if I said, 'To get healthy, you need to have sex with me periodically'?"
"Oh."
For the first time, a sound of bewilderment came from Min-seo's mouth.
However.
That was also just for a moment.
"That's so good!"
Eun Hee-ju. Lee Da-young.
Now with one more added, Gil Min-seo.
Our kids were unpredictable.