Chapter 17
“Why won’t they wake up?!”
A man was tearing at his perfectly innocent hair with both hands, bellowing in frustration. Anyone who knew him normally would’ve doubted it was the same person—he looked that disheveled. And why? Because he was none other than Yuil-am, the self-proclaimed “genius shaman” expert in exorcisms!
“...Sorry. I got worked up thinking about Song Seon-yeong and student Kang Moon-soo, possessed by such a powerful spirit.”
The genius shaman Yuil-am, who’d been dominating public broadcasts and raking in popularity, felt like he was dying inside. Song Seon-yeong. Kang Moon-soo. He’d been fingered as the culprit behind these two high schoolers slipping into comas with no sign of waking. This is insane!
The scene of him tussling with Kang Moon-soo had been captured live on air in full. If that had been it, he could’ve talked his way out with some excuses and let it fizzle. But days passed with no awakening, and the situation snowballed out of control. Song Seon-yeong, who’d already been comatose when he first arrived on the scene, was somehow being pinned on him too... It was enough to drive him mad.
“I understand your frustration, but please keep it down from now on. This is a hospital—even the bathrooms aren’t exempt.”
“Yes, sir.”
He meekly agreed to the doctor’s request, but this was already the third time Yuil-am had raised hell yelling in the hospital. He felt like he was going crazy! If he didn’t scream like this, the stress was too much to stay sane.
“Keep this up, and even as Kang Moon-soo’s sole guardian, we’ll have to ban you from the premises.”
“...I’ll be careful.”
What made him even angrier was Kang Moon-soo’s family situation. No parents! No relatives! Even the homeroom teacher, who barely qualified as a guardian, couldn’t stick around long due to personal issues... Which left Yuil-am stuck at this stifling hospital, swallowing his pride like mustard in tears.
Of all the luck...!
The accident happening mid-live broadcast meant he couldn’t weasel out. Kang Moon-soo’s hospital bills were one thing, but his plummeting reputation and popularity were making him frantic.
“We fully understand your frustration, Yuil-am. We’re doing everything to pinpoint the cause.”
“...Thank you.”
Ha! You understand me? Must be nice raking in cash so carefree! You incompetent hacks!
Exams showed zero issues with Kang Moon-soo’s body—that was the verdict from the doctor and experts right in front of him. Yet here he was, vegetative with no sign of waking! The one small comfort? Song Seon-yeong, collapsed on the school rooftop, showed the exact same symptoms. Without that, he couldn’t have blamed it on a spirit.
Maybe get a lawyer now...
If Kang Moon-soo never woke, assault charges loomed inescapably. Just for giving him a light shove? Thinking back still filled him with righteous fury!
“I need to check on other patients, so I’ll be going.”
“Yes.”
Yuil-am barely registered the doctor leaving. Damn it! I worked my ass off because the Aptitude Test said shaman—and it turns out it was bullshit!
“Oh! Teacher! Teacher! The patient’s awake!”
“What?! Really?!”
“Yes! Kang Moon-soo, who was in a coma, woke up after ten days!”
“Oh! What a miracle...!”
“......”
Their excited chatter echoed even into the bathroom. Yuil-am had no time to snap at them to shut up.
The kid’s awake?
Life sparked in his eyes, half-given-up till now.
“Right! Not the time for this!”
He wanted to rush over and confirm with his own eyes, but Yuil-am grabbed his smartphone first.
Beep beep—
(Yuil-am? What’s—)
“Grab your camera and get to the hospital ASAP! Tease a live broadcast!”
His disciple—calling him by name instead of the respectful “Master” that showed familiarity and awe—kept a deliberate distance. Infuriating, but Yuil-am ignored it. They’d been using each other from the start, after all.
(Huh? But the mood’s not right for broadcasting...)
“The kid woke up!”
(Wh-what?! Is that true?!)
“Of course! Why else would I call? Get here now!”
(Yes, Master!)
Click.
Ending the brief call, Yuil-am fixed his messy hair in the bathroom mirror.
“If I play this right...”
A wicked grin curled his lips as he schemed swiftly.
* * *
“Um... what’s today’s date?”
My parched throat and tongue made my voice come out raspy.
“January 3rd. A bit late, but happy New Year, Kang Moon-soo.”
The nurse brought warm porridge and told me the date.
“January 3rd...”
Time had flown by. The time I’d desperately wished for had passed. No more repeating the same day and situation!
Great, but... All of it was just a dream...?
Thud—like my head had been bashed with a blunt object, my mind reeled in confusion.
The time with Song Seon-yeong, all those memories—they weren’t some supernatural force beyond science, just a dream! When logic and science couldn’t explain it, I should’ve guessed.
No.
Early on, I’d suspected it was a dream. But trapped without waking, I had no choice but to accept it as reality. I’d always harbored doubts. Was it still a dream now? No. Just no. This was reality! Groundless intuition, sure, but lying here in the hospital, I felt a vague certainty that this me was real.
“Eat slowly.”
“Thanks. But what about the hospital bills...”
Far more pressing than the porridge tempting my appetite! I couldn’t eat easily until I knew.
“Don’t worry. As for Kang Moon-soo’s bills—”
Bang!
The room door flew open, and two men barged in.
“Hahaha! Viewers, are you watching? After a long struggle, at last! At last, this genius shaman Yuil-am has exorcised the spirit...!”
One was a shaman.
“This spirit was so strong, I thought it’d be tough... but as expected of my master! A miracle!”
The other was his disciple, camera hoisted on his shoulder.
My face twisted at the rude entrance of someone I never wanted to see again. But then,
“Yuil-am’s covering your bills.”
“...Oh! Yuil-am! So glad to see you again!”
The nurse’s words painted a business smile on my lips.
* * *
I learned from my dad that long hospital stays cost a fortune. Eating, shitting, sleeping... just breathing in the room felt like money pouring out.
“I rushed here the moment I heard student Kang Moon-soo woke. I swear there was no prior coordination for the broadcast. Doctor?”
“Yes, as he says—Kang Moon-soo just woke. He needs rest now, so broadcasting—”
“Thanks for cooperating!”
Yuil-am brushed off the doctor after getting the answer he wanted.
Whoosh~
He dramatically unfurled his taegeuk-patterned fan and grinned at the camera in his signature jovial tone.
“To save student Song Seon-yeong, possessed by a mighty spirit, I enlisted student Kang Moon-soo’s aid.”
“Huh? I didn’t do anything...”
“Of course you wouldn’t know. I guided you to help.”
“......”
Yuil-am cut me off like I should stay quiet. He continued.
“To weaken the spirit devouring Song Seon-yeong, I transferred half its power to Kang Moon-soo.”
“Too bad we didn’t catch Master luring the spirit to Kang Moon-soo on camera!”
His camera-toting disciple chimed in regretfully.
“It’s fine, disciple. Human life comes first.”
“Still, I feel cheated! Thinking of Master taking flak from viewers...”
“Haha! That’s how dangerous it was.”
“I believed in you the whole time, Master. Knew you’d beat the spirit.”
“Naturally! Who am I?”
“Korea’s—no, the world’s greatest shaman, Yuil-am!”
“Your flattery’s improved, disciple.”
“Just speaking the truth!”
“Heh...”
Master and disciple bantered seamlessly. So smooth it was impossible to tell bluff from fact—perfect broadcast flow. It left even me confused.
Is he telling the truth?
Did Yuil-am do something to trap me in that dream? I probed lightly.
“I had a long dream.”
“Oh! Student Kang Moon-soo, care to give a brief rundown?”
“...Sure. It was a dream repeating the same time endlessly.”
I skipped Song Seon-yeong’s part, keeping it very brief. No desire to share our memories with the world.
“Outstanding! You exceeded my expectations!”
“Thank you.”
“No empty words! You were green when we met, but in that short time, you grew into a fine shaman!”
“......”
I couldn’t agree with Yuil-am’s final gold-star praise. Did I do anything in the dream? No. Right up to persuading a suicidal Song Seon-yeong at the very end, I’d just wandered clueless.
“Yuil-am.”
“Call me Master from now on. No need to hold back.”
“That’s...”
I’d been willing to cooperate for the massive bills, but not this. Sensing my reluctance, Yuil-am added,
“Student Kang Moon-soo.”
“Yes.”
“You may not realize it yet, but you possess infinite shamanic talent.”
“Really?”
“P’s Aptitude Test machine has never been wrong once. If that’s not enough, I stake my name on it.”
“......”
I felt his burning desire to take me as a disciple.
“I won’t charge tuition to nurture a promising student like you.”
“......”
“And if you help with jobs like this, I’ll pay handsomely.”
Twitch.
His mention of pay shook me for a second.
“Not a bad deal, right? You’ll be doing work suited to your aptitude.”
“...Could see it that way.”
Work matching my aptitude. Shaman. Exorcising spirits. P’s flawless Aptitude Test said I had the talent.
“Still need to think?”
Whoosh.
Yuil-am extended his right hand like for a handshake.
I replied, “Sorry.”
No strength to run like before, but my firm tone conveyed rejection.
“...May I ask why?”
“Don’t want to go through a dream like that again.”
It felt empty. Knowing all those memories with Song Seon-yeong were fake. Even if we were like castaways forced to fall for each other, my feelings then were real.
“Ah! No worries there. Won’t let it happen again.”
“You say that, but do you know exactly what kind of dream? Ever experienced it yourself?”
“Naturally.”
“Then, what did people look like in the dream?”
“......”
“Don’t tell me you don’t know?”
“......”
For the first time, Yuil-am—who’d been so glib—clamped his mouth shut.
* * *
Thud, thud.
I took a slow walk on the hospital path, doubling as rehab to loosen my stiff muscles.
This is bad.
Discharge tomorrow, and I couldn’t walk without a cane? But no choice. This was the price for rejecting Yuil-am, who’d covered my bills.
My karma, basically.
“Hm?”
“Huh?”
“......”
“......”
Heading back to my room after the stroll, I ran into her.