Rock Bottom
The crack of the bat—! A bright, cheerful sound rang out. Fueled by the roar of the crowd, the baseball shot forward and dropped dead center in the outfield stands. The man who caught the home run ball was a young adult. He gladly handed it over to a small child who was sniffling because he hadn’t been able to catch it himself. It was a heartwarming sight. Applause burst from the spectators.
The Doctor, watching from the upper seats, smiled softly and turned to me. “What do you think?”
“It’s heartwarming.”
“Right? Humans are creatures full of complex emotions. With so many different tendencies, living tangled up with one another naturally leads to all sorts of things.”
“What exactly are you trying to say?”
“I’m telling you not to look at the world with such a sullen glare. Besides, that’s not who you are. You’ve always been wise, kind, and impressive. I think you’re just under a bit of stress and feeling irritable right now.”
I said nothing. Instead, I placed a hand on the Doctor’s shoulder and pulled her into my arms. Taking that as encouragement, she continued.
“That grandfather who took our picture in front of the art museum was a good man too. He showed us genuine kindness with no strings attached, and thanks to him, we were able to end up like this.”
Not quite. The photo had simply been a trigger. Even without it, you would have come to me.
“Do you really believe that?”
“I do.”
“Why are you being so cheeky today? You’re making me want to pin you down right here.”
“…. Should we just watch the game…?”
“Sure.”
We were currently on a trip to the United States. After booking a hotel, we had come to watch a home game for an MLB team based in San Francisco. The stadium overlooked the sea. Wind blowing in from the bay tossed the Doctor’s short hair, giving her an almost mystical air.
A short while later, the massive screen beside the scoreboard captured her image. It showed her hugging me—my face still sour after the home run—and cheering wildly. This was already the third time. She was probably trending online by now as the beautiful female spectator.
I shoved a hot dog into my mouth, chewed quickly, and swallowed. “Shall we head back?”
“Already? It’s only the seventh inning.”
“The outcome’s already decided. It’s 8-0. A comeback is impossible.”
“Don’t say that. Let’s watch together… They say baseball really begins in the bottom of the ninth with two outs. As long as the ball is round, you never truly know what will happen.”
“You seem to be in an unusually good mood today. Fine, then.”
“Of course I’m in a good mood… Being here with you like this, without a single worry.”
You’ll have plenty to worry about soon enough. Many things were going to happen during the rest of this trip—and long after it ended.
There are days when bad luck clings to you like a curse. Days when nothing goes right and fortune turns its back. For me… no, for the Doctor, today was one of those days.
After the game ended and we were driving out of the parking lot, we got into a minor fender-bender. The bumper was only slightly dented. Under normal circumstances, I would have simply called insurance or waved it off as fine. But the Doctor was furious.
“No! It’s obvious you were the one who pulled out first, so you should be apologizing. Why are you acting like we’re the ones at fault?”
The other driver’s attitude was unbearably rude. The middle-aged white man with a sour face merely shrugged, completely unfazed by her scolding.
“That’s ridiculous. I was trying to pull out first. You people cut me off, so it’s your fault.”
“What… Are you saying you got your pride hurt and hit us on purpose? Are you joking?!”
“On purpose? No. This wouldn’t have happened if you had just yielded.”
They say the world is full of lunatics, and this man was a perfect example. The Doctor let out a stunned, hollow laugh.
“This is unbelievable. Are you out of your—mmph!”
I had been listening quietly. Now I covered the Doctor’s mouth. Turning to the middle-aged man, I said, “The bumper looks fine. It’s barely dented, so let’s drop the argument here.”
“Sounds like you’re saying you’ll just let it go… Am I right?”
“Yes. That’s exactly it.”
“Not calling the police or insurance?”
“We’re in a hurry.”
“Suit yourself. You’re a reasonable young man.”
I stopped the Doctor, who looked ready to explode again, and practically shoved her into the passenger seat. Then I climbed behind the wheel and started the engine.
“Jihyeok! If we don’t call the police now, we’re going to get screwed when we return the rental car. Why—”
“You don’t engage with crazy people. Especially not American crazy people. Best to just avoid them. You should know that better than anyone, sis.”
Guns were common here, and major incidents happened from time to time. Avoiding conflict was the smart move. Truthfully, even if we had fought longer—even if it had escalated right to the edge of violence—that middle-aged man couldn’t have done anything to us.
Why? Because that middle-aged man was Marcela. To be exact, Marcela in disguise.
“Th-that may be true… but it’s still so unfair… It really pisses me off.”
She had spent all this time talking about tendencies and claiming I was just momentarily irritated while pretending to be generous. Yet the moment it happened to her, she flew into a rage. The queen of hypocrisy. As expected, she and I were perfectly matched.
“Just endure it.”
“This isn’t something you can just brush off…”
“Sis.”
At my low, heavy tone, the Doctor quickly corrected herself.
“Ah, I understand… I’ll endure it…”
The Doctor’s streak of bad luck didn’t end there. When we returned to the hotel, the laundry had stains on it. Although we had paid for three nights, the bill only showed two, so they demanded extra charges. While drinking at the bar, the moment I stepped away to the restroom, a man approached her with terrible pickup lines.
Marcela had disguised herself as different people to cause each incident. Well, the last guy who hit on her hadn’t been her, at least.
One day. Two days. Three days. Over those three days, the Doctor experienced a series of tiny, insignificant events that, when piled on top of one another, were more than enough to breed irritation.
Even so, she tried to remain composed. She did get quite angry, though.
My original plan had been to season her with these small incidents, wait until she was properly marinated, then deliver one massive blow. I had intended to repeat the process over the long term, slowly eroding her mind.
But I had underestimated the Doctor’s mental fortitude and mature sense of values. Yes, her values were gradually shifting to align with mine, but they had not yet fully done so. In this situation, such pathetic tricks were useless. They might have some effect eventually, but it would take an absurd amount of time before she became meaningfully broken.
Is a more drastic measure necessary?
Perhaps I should abandon the seasoning entirely and simply detonate one massive event after another. Yes, that would be better. Overwhelming her with huge waves seemed far more effective.
I lay on the bed, gazing at the San Francisco sky through the wide window. When the Doctor—dressed only in her underwear—brought over a bottle of water, I sat up.
“What were you thinking about?”
I took the bottle and answered, “Nothing much. Just that checking out is going to be a huge pain.”
“Really? Then should we stay longer? There are still so many places we haven’t visited… Let’s stay a bit more before moving on.”
“I thought you hated staying here.”
“That’s true. These days it feels like anyone and everyone is opening a ‘hotel.’”
“You seem pretty upset.”
“When the staff can’t even manage basic service and they’re everywhere… Wouldn’t you be angry? It really feels like I’ve been cursed with terrible luck.”
How did you figure it out? And it wasn’t just any curse—it was the purest, most supreme kind of curse. Pure evil itself.
I chuckled, gulped down the water, then tossed the uncapped bottle onto the floor. It hit with a loud splash, soaking the carpet.
The Doctor jumped in surprise and scolded me. “You’re not a child. What are you doing?”
“Just a bit of petty revenge. By the way, you look good with the weight loss.”
I poked her stomach with my finger. A faint smile touched her lips.
“Really?”
“Yeah. The contacts are fine, but glasses suit you much better, sis.”
“I’m wearing them right now.”
“I meant don’t wear them when we go out.”
“That’s my choice…”
Before she could finish, I grabbed her arm and pinned her beneath me.
“Why do you keep talking back lately? Do you want to be punished?”
“…..”
The Doctor gave me a seductive smile. Her eyes were already beginning to glaze with ecstasy. She radiated a clear challenge: Go ahead and try.
Then I would give her exactly what she wanted.
That dawn. After three intense rounds of sex that left the Doctor completely spent, I slipped out of the hotel while she slept soundly. I found a secluded spot and sent a signal to the secret base. A portal opened silently, and Marcela—disguised as Kim Minji—stepped out.
“Demon King, you called for me?”
“Yes. You worked hard these past three days tormenting the Doctor.”
“Th-thank you…”
Marcela’s breathing grew hot almost instantly. The girl reacted this way to even the smallest praise. It wasn’t a bad thing. Every time she got like this, it made me want to embrace her immediately. I felt the same urge now, but more important matters came first. I had to restrain myself.
The Doctor was a light sleeper. I needed to issue Marcela her orders before she woke up and came looking for me.
“Marcela.”
“Yes… Demon King…”
“I have a task for you. It’s very simple.”
“Yes! Just give me the order!”
Her attitude flipped instantly to one of burning enthusiasm. Finding it adorable, I let out a small laugh and said, “Within today, secretly insert a piece of information into the World Coalition database. Make sure the Doctor will be able to find it.”
“What kind of information…?”
“Information that future scientific technology is being leaked somewhere in the United States and being turned into weapons. When the saber-toothed tiger appeared at Mount Fuji before, one of the cluster bombs Leona used failed to detonate. Japanese yakuza picked it up, tried to research it, but couldn’t analyze it, so they sold it to a major American criminal organization… Something like that. Flesh it out a bit.”
“Ah… I understand. You will need evidence as well, correct?”
“Exactly.”
“I will prepare everything and contact you.”
The Doctor had been checking World Coalition news every morning lately. She wanted to offer help if any incidents occurred. Since she wasn’t going to the laboratory, this was how she eased her troubled mind. She focused mainly on major pieces of information. I intended to use that habit to create a situation similar to what had happened in Syria.
It would be similar, but not identical. And there was one decisive difference.
“Also, I will need to unseal the magi I had contained for now.”
“Pardon…? Why…? What if Adeline notices?”
“The events that will unfold from now on will be far too dangerous for a human body. Besides, Adele is currently in Uijeongbu. As long as I don’t use too much power, the problem you’re worried about won’t occur.”
Marcela’s expression turned worried. She fidgeted anxiously before speaking. “Dangerous, you say? If there is a target that needs to be eliminated, please allow me to—”
“This is something I must do myself. It is necessary to make the Doctor turn her back on humanity completely.”
“Ah… If that is the case, then it cannot be helped… But could you at least give me a small hint about your plan? I need to prepare as well…”
“I intend to go to prison.”
Marcela’s large eyes widened to twice their normal size. “Whaaat…!? P-prison…?”
“Yes.”
In a place where the dregs of society gathered, I too would become one of those dregs.
Doctor… this is your fault. Because you remain so steadfast, I have no choice but to fall first and then drag you down with me.
Starting today, you will experience one enormous catastrophe after another.
I will fall as a fake. So fall for real.
I gave a bright smile to Marcela, who stood there with her mouth hanging open, and thought to myself, Let’s see whether your righteous values can remain unshaken even after this.