Trust and Repayment
After Kim Seon-ha returned from the lobby of Korea University Hospital. That night.
She collapsed onto the floor of her room, hugging her knees to her chest and burying her face as she sobbed quietly. Her smartphone lay beside her, the news anchor's voice leaking out.
The news was abuzz with stories about the mysterious masked man. A guy who cured diseases impossible for modern medicine—not just fatal wounds or cancer. Today's events had made it clear to the entire world.
The masked man can cure any disease. People who witnessed dementia being reversed firsthand had no doubts. And Kim Seon-ha, who had watched from afar, knew it for certain too.
But that's exactly why she sank deeper into despair.
Only three people a day, first-come-first-served...
After seeing the news about the masked man curing three terminal cancer patients, Kim Seon-ha immediately took a day off from work. Clutching that sliver of hope, she headed to the Korea University Hospital lobby. But she wasn't the only desperate one.
The lobby was packed. All those people had gathered hoping for the masked man's miracle. And that crowd would likely persist tomorrow, the day after, and for a year to come. There were just too many incurable diseases in the world, and even more people yearning for a miracle.
When will it be my turn...?
That was the root of her despair. She had a job. She had to go to work, earn a paycheck to live and pay hospital bills. She couldn't camp out in the Korea University Hospital lobby every day for a spot.
She'd found a solution, but it was one she couldn't reach.
It was easier when there was no hope at all...
When there was no answer, she'd just accepted her lot and scraped by. But now that an answer existed, her resolve crumbled. Despair seeped in. The fragile balance she'd maintained teetered. Her situation felt pathetic and worthless, even with a solution in sight.
Like that, Kim Seon-ha dragged her utterly exhausted heart to work as usual.
"This is a major turning point in your life, so think carefully before you answer."
That's when Lee Ji-hoon approached her with those baffling words.
What the hell is he talking about...?
At first, she thought he was just coming on to her like always. Though for some reason, she'd started seeing it as harmless teasing lately. But today, with her exhaustion at its peak, she shrugged him off more sharply than usual.
Yet Lee Ji-hoon persisted.
"Will you trust me? Or not?"
"......"
He demanded a bizarre choice. Trust or not. No explanation, just a straight-up question about faith. Like some cult pitch.
"......Are you messing with me right now?"
"......"
She snapped in disbelief at first. But Lee Ji-hoon just grinned at her.
And in that moment, as irritation boiled over in Kim Seon-ha's mind, his earlier words resurfaced.
"This is a major turning point in your life, so think carefully before you answer."
"......"
A turning point in life. For some reason, those words stuck.
Normally, she'd have slapped his smug face. But...
"......I... trust you."
"What was that?"
Maybe it was all the miracle stories she'd heard lately.
"I'll trust you..."
Tears dripped down. She wanted something to lean on—even if it was a joke, nonsense, anything. A tiny possibility. She was at the point where giving up felt like the only option.
Wiping her tears, Kim Seon-ha answered Lee Ji-hoon's question.
"I'll trust you, Ji-hoon... so do something..."
"......"
To her strained response, Lee Ji-hoon grinned wide and patted her shoulder.
"Good. Then let's go right now."
"......Pardon?"
Go where? Stunned by his inexplicable confidence, Kim Seon-ha just stared up at him blankly.
No matter how you slice it, you just can't beat a pretty girl.
I thought that as I watched Kim Seon-ha plead desperately through her tears. Sure, she usually came off as an annoying bitch, but seeing her delicate beauty all fragile and crying like that... it stirred something in a guy. Plus, I'd kinda owed her one before.
A bit later.
"Ah~, Lee and Kim. Early birds again today?"
The boss arrived at the office.
"Boss, mind if Seon-ha and I step out for some fieldwork?"
"Huh? F-Fieldwork? Suddenly where?"
"Got something urgent to handle. We'll report back. Cool?"
"No...! Lee! You can't just—"
"Cool?"
Clack.
The suddenly compliant boss nodded eagerly when I picked up the keyboard.
"Alright, let's go."
"......"
I grabbed Kim Seon-ha's hand in front of everyone and headed out, then it hit me.
"Oh, right—where we headed?"
"......Pardon?"
I realized I had no idea why she'd gone to Korea University Hospital. All I knew was she wanted a miracle. So I asked her directly.
"Where do you need help?"
"......"
To my question, she stared blankly before nodding grimly.
"The hospital... a hospital."
"Taxi. You know the address?"
"Yes."
After that, we left the office and caught a cab on the main road.
"Seoul Consciousness Rehabilitation Center, please."
The taxi headed there per her instructions. During the ride, Kim Seon-ha kept glancing at me nervously.
"What?"
"...Um."
"Spit it out. It's fine."
Her looks were bugging me, so I asked straight-up. She hesitated, then spoke carefully.
"...I said I trust you. But... what exactly are you planning? You don't even know my situation."
"......"
Yeah, figures. She had no clue I was the masked guy. Made sense—different height, build, everything.
Explaining's easy, but...
I eyed the driver. Not the place for that convo. I was keeping my identity hidden, after all.
"You said you trust me, so trust me to the end."
"Pardon?"
"I'll definitely help you."
"......"
She shot me a wary glare.
"......And if nothing comes of this... and we both get fired?"
"Ah..."
So that's what worried her. I'd just bullied the boss into letting us go. Getting canned wouldn't be a shock.
She'd taken that risk to follow me on faith.
"Haha."
"You think it's funny?"
"Don't worry about it."
I laughed cheerfully, looking at her anxious face.
"If we get fired, I'll take responsibility."
"......"
Damn right. I had the power to handle one woman now. Hell, no reason I couldn't fix her problem anyway.
A bit later.
Screech.
"Here you are."
"Yeah, card."
We got out and arrived at the Seoul Consciousness Rehabilitation Center. Not as big as Korea University Hospital, but still sizable.
I followed her lead inside. She took the elevator like it was routine, found the room effortlessly.
Slide.
Door open.
Beep— Beep— Beep—
Standard four-bed room. Four patients lay there.
But not one was awake.
"This is..."
"Over here."
Kim Seon-ha walked to one bed with a darkened expression.
"......"
"......"
A guy about my age lay there. Maybe even a bit younger.
"My little brother."
"Ah..."
Yeah, they looked alike.
"Is he just sleeping...?"
"......"
"Yeah, didn't think so."
The room's vibe and her face told me everything. Vegetative state. This comatose brother was her desperation.
"It's been seven years like this."
"......"
"At first, we lived on hope he'd wake up. Mom worked, I juggled part-time jobs and caregiving."
I stayed silent, so she unloaded like she'd been holding it in forever. Her eyes reddened.
"Things got a little better once I could work full-time. But... it's still tough. Mom and I can't take breaks, can't save money. Hospital bills are insane."
"......"
"We were hanging on somehow, refusing to give up."
Tears fell again. This was the third time I'd seen her cry. Head down, she whispered through sobs.
"Caught you off guard, huh?"
"...Huh?"
"Me asking for help. Tougher than you thought, right Ji-hoon?"
"Ah..."
"I wouldn't dream of asking for hospital bills. If you help... just check on my brother sometimes..."
So she'd pegged me as someone to ease her burden. No expectation of miracles like the masked man.
"Sorry, Seon-ha."
"......"
"I'm busy too—can't really watch him."
"......Yeah."
She glared, disappointed, betrayed.
I met her eyes and smiled.
"But I'll repay your trust."
"......How?"
"Like this."
Right then, I placed my hand on her brother's chest. She looked puzzled.
Disease Cure Magic
All diseases cured, including coma.
"Wh-what...!?"
Her eyes went wide at the light bursting from my hand.
First time for a veggie, but I fixed dementia too.
Coma counted as a disease, obviously. At this point, nothing was incurable.
"Ji-Ji-hoon...! What is this...!?"
"It'll be quick."
Now she got it, her voice trembling as she spoke.
A moment later.
Fade...
The light died down.
"......"
"......"
We watched his face intently.
"......Huh."
His eyes fluttered open gently.
"Where...?"
"Do-ha—!!"
She lunged.
"Sis...?"
"Hic, ugh..."
"S-Sis... what's wrong?"
"Hngh, waaah...!"
Kim Seon-ha hugged her brother tight and wept endlessly. Probably hadn't properly cried in seven years, just to stay strong. I got it—having scraped by under loan shark hell myself.
Like the day I got the mods, laughing maniacally. All that pent-up grief poured out as she clung to him, sobbing nonstop.