Chapter 29
I no longer wanted to get involved in Choi Kang-min's problems. But money! And money! And more money...! In a capitalist society, you need money to survive, and to make money, you have to be willing to do things you hate.
'Guess this means I'm finally growing up...'
I set aside my naive thoughts of just freeloading off free meals, leaned forward slightly, and adopted a serious demeanor for the conversation.
"I'll take all this money."
"Excellent!"
Choi Kang-min's treatment fee was an amount I couldn't save even after ten years of part-time work. How could I turn that down? I'm the kind of guy who never lets go of an opportunity once he grabs it.
"Hmm~"
Seo Hye-ju's expression was profoundly meaningful as she smiled at me with her eyes. The implication was probably, "He's weak to money." No need to be embarrassed. It's only natural in a capitalist society.
"Seems that way. Ah! If you want, Kang Moon-soo, I can draw up a contract."
"No need. I trust you, Section Chief Seo Hye-ju."
The 'Seo Hye-ju Director' I'd seen in the dream was someone trustworthy.
'She had plenty of chances to harm me.'
If Elmolrans Hospital had bad intentions, they could've locked me up during the detailed exams and subjected me to horrific human experiments. Dissection, torture, drugging... But she prioritized my human rights over satisfying her curiosity.
"Thanks for thinking well of me."
"But on one condition."
"What is it?"
"From now on, you have to listen seriously to everything I say—no dismissing it as jokes or bragging."
"That's not a tough condition. Listening intently to patients is one of a doctor's virtues."
"Aha!"
But a serious listening attitude doesn't measure true belief.
'In that case...'
Right now, I was invited to what I assumed was Seo Hye-ju's private research lab. Certificates, medals, trophies... It was similar to the office of 'Vice Director Seo Hye-ju' from the dream, but there was one key difference.
"You don't keep jellyfish here."
Was it because I pinpointed jellyfish out of all those plants and animals? Seo Hye-ju's face stiffened rigidly.
"...Are you referring to Toritopriss Nutriculla?"
"Don't know the scientific name. Something about a protective jellyfish..."
"Small Protective Tower Jellyfish."
"Ah! That's it. That was the name."
"Amazing. How do you know about the jellyfish I'm researching as a little hobby?"
"I saw it in a dream."
"You don't mean you saw me raising it in a dream?"
"Yes."
"Impossible! Dreams are reconstructed from a person's memories and knowledge. No one who knows I'm researching Toritopriss Nutriculla even exists among people you know. So how..."
"Want to hear more?"
"Absolutely! You know how to steer a conversation to your advantage, Kang Moon-soo. You'd do great in business."
"Is that a compliment?"
"Higher praise than that."
"Thank you."
I'd laid the perfect bait she couldn't disbelieve, and the conversation flowed smoothly from there.
* * *
"So, a surreal ability—meaning superpowers—exist in the world where patient Choi Kang-min is trapped."
"Yes."
"Sounds a lot like the popular virtual reality game addictions these days. The difference is he won't wake up from any external shock."
"And that's a huge difference."
You can just unplug the VR device's power cord and end a game instantly.
"Even setting aside Choi Kang-min's case, this is fascinating. I want to experience that dream myself! Kang Moon-soo, has Earth advanced technologically much in 13 years?"
"Eh, cars still ran on wheels 13 years from now."
"Either a limitation of the dream or no visible progress."
Seo Hye-ju gave a wry smile, looking deeply disappointed.
"Ah! Section Chief, you looked pretty much the same in the future. You hadn't aged a bit."
"That's the most hopeful news I've heard yet!"
"Really?"
Choi Kang-min's life had already been pushed to the back burner.
"I just needed a way to wake the patient, but I've got some unexpected bonuses."
"Didn't feel like I helped much..."
"For a woman, looks are as important as life. Knowing my appearance is guaranteed for at least the next 13 years? Priceless—you can't buy that info."
"Aha!"
In the light atmosphere, we chatted about all sorts of things. When we'd run out of topics,
"Shall we wrap this up?"
"Sure." Back to the sidelined Choi Kang-min issue.
"Patient Choi Kang-min has been in a coma for about seven years—correction, in deep sleep. Meanwhile, 20 years have passed in his dream. Right?"
"Yes. Seems about three times faster than reality."
Song Seon-yeong's dream worked the same way—suicide sent her back in time. We'd spent ages together while I learned swimming from her, but only ten days had passed in reality.
"Unbelievable. Doctors struggled for seven years to wake him, but the patient is so immersed in his hero fantasy that he has no intention of waking up..."
"Hm? Hold on!"
"What?"
"No intention of waking up?"
It felt like a hammer to the back of my head.
'That's right! Exactly!'
A blind spot I'd known but overlooked the whole time.
"Isn't that the situation? Like a kid refusing to leave a store without buying a toy on display—the patient brainwashes himself that transforming into a magic boy is real, not a dream."
"Spot on."
That was Choi Kang-min exactly. He denied reality, rejected my existence claiming it was all a dream. He tried silencing me by killing me.
'Crazy bastard.'
He didn't just take my life easily—he tormented me while demanding I admit the dream was reality. But I denied it to the very end.
"Just my theory, but if Choi Kang-min admits it's a dream, he'll wake up. Before it's too late."
"Probably."
I agreed with Seo Hye-ju's speculation. Same thought? No, this was certainty.
* * *
"Athlete Kang Moon-soo, your recovery is incredibly fast... Natural talent?"
"Hard work."
Seo Hye-ju wanted to verify the treatment method right away, but I firmly refused. Reason? I only had time on weekends! On weekdays that weren't holidays, I had to head to the Sports University swimming pool and get face time with Coach.
"Hm. I've trained plenty of athletes—hard work alone doesn't cut it. If it did, we wouldn't blindly trust P's Aptitude Test."
"Fair point."
The swimming coach had sworn to keep formal speech and distance for at least a year. But it crumbled in just two weeks!
"My eye doesn't lie. Your times are improving every day!"
"Thanks to you believing in me and guiding me so well, Coach."
"Haha! I did believe, but that 'guiding well' bit is obvious flattery. Not that I hate it."
Indeed, my swim times were shaving off seconds daily. 2:32, 2:29, 2:26... Borrowing the coach's slightly exaggerated words, a miraculous growth rate possible only for the top 0.2% of geniuses with swimming aptitude!
It felt like she was egging me on to get cocky, but then...
"Your aptitude is really shaman?"
Every time she asked, her sincerity confused me.
"It really is. I even showed you the Aptitude Test results because you kept doubting."
"Man, it's wild. How does a shaman outswim actual swimmers?"
"Take it up with P."
"Haha! Not telling you to complain to the developers. Means you're doing amazingly well."
"Yes, ma'am."
I found it just as astonishing as she did.
'Does this even make sense?'
Before learning from Song Seon-yeong in the dream, I could barely doggy paddle. Sure, no prior intent or chance to learn swimming, but even accounting for that, my lung capacity had noticeably improved since meeting her. And this was stone-cold reality, not a dream! Had to accept it.
"Ah! And Kang Moon-soo. Tomorrow's an important match, so conserve your energy."
"Match? Suddenly?"
"I kinda provoked another coach. Haha!"
"Pardon?"
What the hell is this woman saying?!
"Bear with me. New semester starts soon, so I pushed a bit."
"Why?"
"For you."
"For me?"
"You know your dorm is a two-person room, right?"
"Yes."
So what?
"After orientation, you'll share with a freshman."
"Makes sense."
"Don't wanna be alone?"
"...Does that connect to tomorrow's match?"
"Oho, quick on the uptake! Yup. Win, and the other team's athlete shares with a freshman instead. Good news, right?"
"Not at all!"
"Why not?"
"Lose, and my pride's wrecked. Win, and they hate me."
No matter how I spun it, only grim futures ahead.
"It's fine."
"It's not!"
"Win, and I'll buy meat."
"Make it beef."
"Whoa, bold! Fine. Three servings of top-grade flower sirloin that melts in your mouth! Deal?"
"Deal."
Something else I didn't know was riding on tomorrow's match, but for now, focus on upgrading my living situation!
* * *
A beauty utterly out of place in the rundown commercial building had been pacing the hallway for three hours straight.
"......"
"......"
Her rare allure stopped passersby in their tracks. Men especially couldn't tear their eyes from her jeans-clad legs...
'Whoa, who's that?'
'Body's insane!'
'She's gorgeous...'
Her noticeably long legs had them drooling as they gawked. Whatever.
"When the hell is he coming?! Quitting his part-time job too...!"
The girl ignored all the stares, stewing in irritation.
"Um..."
"So rude! Making me wait!"
"Miss?"
"Just you wait. I'll nag him all night!"
"Excuse m—"
"Know me? Don't talk to me unless you're Kang Moon-soo."
"S-Sorry! Didn't know you had a boyfriend!"
The brave young man who'd approached her out of infatuation fled like his life depended on it. Whatever.
"He's not off meeting some other girl, is he?!"
She fanned her suspicions and anger about the absent boy. Then,
"Pretty miss."
The real estate lady who'd heard the buzz approached.
"......"
Not even a glance. Treated like air! Still, the battle-hardened agent tried again.
"Waiting for someone?"
"......"
"House hunting?"
"...What're you talking about?"
The girl finally reacted to being ignored like thin air.
"What else? Place is vacant."
"Wait! Hold on! Vacant?!"
"Yup."
"Since when?!"
"Maybe... a fortnight?"
"Know the guy who lived here—the boy?"
"Kang Moon-soo?"
"Yes! That's him!"
"Of course I know that diligent kid. I hooked him up with this single room."
"What happened to him?"
"Up and vanished like the wind!"
The real estate lady's crisp line made her explode with rage.
'Said he had no plans to move...!'
Liar.
"...Where'd he go?"
"Beats me. So, miss, what's your relation to the kid?"
"Why ask?"
"Heh heh! We agents share info. Might know where he moved..."
"Girlfriend."
"Oh my!"
"He's the one and only guy for me in this world."
Song Seon-yeong left her name and contact with the agent and departed.