Hospitalization (5)
Only after Nam Da-eun's reddened eyes had finally calmed down did he call the women waiting outside into the hospital room. Nam Da-hee and Liliana came in with a piece of bread in each of their mouths. It looked like Scarlett had bribed them with snacks.
"Nom nom."
"What were you guys talking about?" Liliana asked me, still munching on her bread.
"Oh, just some nothing stuff. Anyway, looks like you've gotten pretty close with Da-hee, huh?"
They were both happily nibbling away, and it seemed like Liliana and she were hitting it off. Maybe because their mental ages matched up?
"The big sisters have been super nice to me!"
"Mm, good to hear."
Nam Da-hee looked up at me with sparkling eyes. Unlike her sister, this kid had such expressive features.
"Oppa, oppa. What'd you talk about with my unnie?"
"Huh? Oh, just... you know, we hadn't seen each other in a while, so we caught up."
"Da-hee, you can't ask stuff like that."
Nam Da-eun pulled away Nam Da-hee, who had been leaning on my bed with her hand planted there as she peppered me with questions.
"Unnie, unnie. Are you dating Lee Ho-yeon oppa?"
"No...?"
"Why not? You go to cafes together and watch movies—that's totally dating."
"...."
Nam Da-eun rolled her eyes around, at a loss for words. She shot me a pleading look for help, so I chimed in.
"Alright, alright, Da-hee. Have you ever met the Saintess?"
"Huh? The Saintess? Never!"
"I'll introduce you later. She's here in the hospital right now."
"Whoa... Oppa, you're friends with the Saintess too?"
I needed to have Nam Da-hee's body checked out. There was a chance the illness was a complete fabrication... but just in case.
"...Thanks. Good thing, Da-hee. Ho-yeon says he'll help."
"Yeah, I wanna meet the Saintess. Unnie!"
She didn't usually call me Ho-yeon, but with her little sister around, she was playing it friendly. While the Nam sisters comforted each other, I turned to Liliana, who was still eating her bread.
"Liliana. By the way, no reply yet?"
"Huh? What reply?"
"I sent that letter to your mom, remember? No response?"
"Oh... yeah. It's weirdly late this time. Last one came back in a day. Maybe the letter got spilled or something?"
The letter I'd sent asking about the Demon King. It had been quite a while with no reply, which felt off. What if something happened? If her parents were in danger, it'd break my heart too.
"Ho-yeon-nim."
"Yeah?"
As Liliana frowned in thought, Scarlett approached and whispered in my ear.
"Should I send yesterday's video straight to Ellis right away?"
"Ah... yeah. Deliver it immediately."
The video Scarlett had directed yesterday. Ellis might or might not visit, but it was better if she saw it first, just in case.
"Da-eun-ah, can you take Da-hee back to the dorms with you?"
"Huh?"
With Nam Da-hee there, I'd switched to a more casual tone too.
"Doesn't feel right keeping her in my dorm forever, right?"
Sure, with me hospitalized, it'd just be the girls staying together... but I didn't think bunking with Liliana was the best for her emotional development. Plus, it'd get awkward once I was discharged.
"Uh. Um...."
But Nam Da-eun kept agonizing over it strangely. Was this even worth agonizing about?
Current Status: The dorm is way too dirty to bring Da-hee... There's nothing there.
'....'
I had no idea it was that bad for her to hesitate like this. But the "nothing there" part? Totally relatable. She was so broke she couldn't even afford shampoo, so her dorm probably had zero personal items. No way she'd want her little sister in that kind of rundown setup.
"Then how about staying in my dorm till I get discharged? It's all girls anyway. And Liliana seems bummed at the thought of splitting up now that you're close."
"Huh? Oh, yeah, that works."
Liliana nodded at me, bread still in mouth.
"Unnie, I wanna hang out with Liliana unnie too."
"Got it. If that's what you want, Da-hee, then sure."
Good thing Nam Da-hee liked Liliana too. As for the emotional guidance... Scarlett would handle it. Things seemed sorted for now. We chatted idly after that, and before they left, I called in Baek Ayoung.
"This is Ho-yeon's friend's little sister?"
"Yeah. She's had health issues since she was little."
"Aha... Hold on."
A warm light flowed from Baek Ayoung's hand, enveloping Nam Da-hee's body. The girl had her eyes squeezed shut tight, hands clasped on her lap. She'd been bouncing with excitement at meeting the Saintess, but now that the exam started, she was tense. Nam Da-eun watched from the side, lips pressed thin.
I'd sent Liliana and Scarlett outside. Didn't want to overwhelm Baek Ayoung with too many women. Nam Da-eun was family, sure, but a blonde bombshell like Scarlett? Nah.
"Phew...."
A moment later, Baek Ayoung sighed and brushed back her hair.
"How is she...?"
I asked tensely.
"Treatment's done. Looked like severe complications from long-term malnutrition or stress, but I've handled it. Just manage her well from here, and she'll be fine."
Already?
"...?"
"...?"
Nam Da-hee and Nam Da-eun just tilted their heads, not grasping it yet. I quickly clapped and jumped in.
"Whoa, wow. As expected of the Saintess! Heals any disease in seconds flat."
"Huh? No, it wasn't that serious...."
"It is serious! Super serious! Alright, kids, thank her properly. Thank you so much."
I cut her off, bowing deeply.
"Thank you, Saintess!"
"Thank you."
"Uh, yeah, thanks."
The Buyer Guild bastards who faked a major illness to hospitalize her were scum, but no need to tell the sisters that. They were sad enough already.
After seeing Baek Ayoung off, Nam Da-hee and Nam Da-eun said it was time to head back to the dorms.
"We'll get going now."
"Yeah. Be careful. You too, Da-hee, got it?"
"Oppa. Can't unnie stay in the dorm with us too?"
Nam Da-hee grabbed my bed railing, giving me big puppy eyes.
"Da-hee, don't say that. Ho-yeon's gonna feel burdened."
I caught Nam Da-eun's hand as she tried to pull her sister away.
"No, no, it's fine. Stay together. Makes sense wanting more time after so long apart. Chill here till I get out."
Male dorm entry was an issue... but Scarlett would sort it.
"...Thanks. We'll visit again soon."
"Thanks, oppa! Love you!"
"Yeah, yeah. Safe trip."
The Nam sisters left hand in hand. They'd link up with Scarlett waiting outside. With four people vanishing at once, the room suddenly felt empty.
"Haa... What kind of fucking assholes are out there."
The illness tormenting Nam Da-hee wasn't anything major. Baek Ayoung fixed it in a flash, so any decent healer could've done it quick. But they'd deliberately dragged it out.
"Sigh. They're the ones from hell."
I sighed and reached for the banana Scarlett had left. The desk with the banana on it shook suddenly.
Bzzz—
When I came to, I was holding Professor Kang Hyo-lyn's hand instead.
"My, you shouldn't do this with a girlfriend waiting."
Kang Hyo-lyn smirked at me.
"...Can't you just show up normally? And I don't have a girlfriend."
"Where's the fun in that? Didn't even flinch this time, though."
She chuckled playfully, released my hand, and pulled out some documents.
"Buyer Guild corruption files. Investigation complete."
"Whoa."
Falsified ledgers, client lists for their dirty jobs, evidence of drug smuggling, prostitution rings—everything neatly compiled.
"This'll end them the second it drops."
"Right? Want me to leak it? Service on the house."
"Mm... Nah."
Her services were top-notch, but timing the drop was key. Specifically, I wanted to use this for Nam Da-eun's route. She'd ignored their calls, putting pressure on. They'd notice Da-hee missing soon... perfect chance to strike.
"Suit yourself. I'm off then. Job's done—treat me as Professor Kang Hyo-lyn from now on."
"Sure, whatever. But no personal gigs?"
"Hmm. Maybe~?"
Whoosh—
Professor Kang Hyo-lyn got sucked back into the desk and vanished.
"What the hell is with her."
Files were solid, though. Works hard but weird as hell.
Knock knock.
"Yes? Who's there."
"Visitor here. Professor Im Sol—shall I let her in?"
Familiar nurse voice.
"Yes, send her in."
I still had plenty of visits lined up.
*
The day before Lee Ho-yeon started receiving visitors.
Lucy and Lumi, who had stopped by the hospital right after waking from their comas, were turned away by the nurse and left dejectedly.
"Lumi... Ho-yeon'll be okay, right?"
"Ho-yeon-ssi... He'll be fine. Yeah. Definitely."
Lucy and Lumi trudged down the street. They'd skipped class for this visit, so the disappointment hit harder.
"Nothing we can do. Let's hit afternoon class, Lumi."
"Yeah. Okay."
"...Lumi. Is Ho-yeon really dating the infirmary teacher?"
Lucy brought up what she'd been mulling over. He'd denied it before, but the recent CCTV footage showed him throwing himself to save Baek Ayoung—a lover's sacrifice if ever there was one.
"No way. He said he's not."
But Lumi was firm. Normally she'd agree with Lucy, but on Ho-yeon matters, she stuck to her guns.
"Yeah, probably?"
"Yeah. If he says no, it's no."
Even Lumi saying this had a sliver of doubt, though. Sure, exams, festivals, multiple terror attacks—it was understandable. But it still stung. Their meetups had dwindled, secret friend hangs too.
"Lumi! Lunch time!"
"...Yeah."
In the end, Lumi couldn't focus in class and headed back to the dorm.
"What's my problem? Ugh... Should I search something?"
But nothing came to mind to even google.
Then her eyes caught a magazine. One Lucy had left last visit.
The cover screamed: [New Image Makeover to Captivate a Man's Gaze!]
"...."
Lumi started reading. It pushed image changes hard.
"Image makeover...."
But "image" felt too vague for her. She read the examples slowly.
"Clothing style change. Too hard.... Hairstyle change.... Hairstyle change?"
Hair was simple—just hit a salon. Clothes? Sure, buy some, but picking from hundreds that suited her? No confidence. Hair seemed easier.
In the end, Lumi started browsing hairstyles online.