Happy Endings
Chaerin glanced at the back seat, her younger brother Jaehyeong on her mind as she fidgeted restlessly. She was torn between calling him and telling him to come to the hospital.
"...I'm still thinking about it. Giving him hope only to take it away again..."
Her voice trembled more and more, eventually trailing off without finishing. But the meaning was clear enough.
Just as night falls right after bright daylight, sometimes hope becomes fuel that makes despair even greater.
"....."
Karen drove in silence, staring straight ahead. After living for so many years, he knew there were rarely any words others could offer in times like these.
While gently stroking Samsaek and gazing out the window, Chaerin repeatedly raised her finger to her brother's number on her watch, only to lower it again and again.
'It would be easier to just fight monsters.'
After thinking for a long time, Chaerin's arm fell limply onto the seat.
"...Maybe I shouldn't do it."
"Yeah."
Chaerin felt her heart calm a little upon hearing that man's voice.
'Amazing, really.'
It was nothing special—just a calm reply. Nothing more.
I don't know what makes it different from other people, but simply being in the same space with him feels comforting.
Even though his appearance is similar to mine, having lived in another world for a long time, maybe that's why.
'He's like a big old tree.'
"Thank you for the ride. The call came so suddenly."
"I wanted to drive anyway. I was looking forward to trying Seoul's roads a bit."
Luckily, I hadn't drunk today. After the call, Chaerin's mind was suddenly clear, but her body was still swaying.
Chaerin had already drunk too much to drive, and her mind was too urgent to wait for a taxi.
"We're here. This is it?"
[Ashin Hospital]
Luckily, since it was deep at night, the road to Seoul wasn't too congested.
"Go to the other side instead."
But Chaerin pointed to the building next to the one marked on the navigation.
"No signboard?"
"It's a hidden ward. Only people with a certain status can enter."
Although Chaerin spoke modestly, it was a place that even ordinary people who could be hospitalized there didn't know about. There was even a secret passage connecting the hospital main building and the basement.
"Verified."
The security check was done by an awakened person instead of a regular guard, who briefly closed their eyes and confirmed there was no abnormality with their ability, then quickly passed through.
Upon arrival, Chaerin rushed to her brother's hospital room with quick steps, and Karen followed behind.
'No separate hotel here.'
Hospitals are usually bustling with patients and medical staff, but here it was quiet except for the essential personnel.
The rooms were single rooms only, and because the people with sensitive status were many, they were filled only with carefully selected individuals.
[Lee Jaehyeong]
"Jaehyeong-ah... Are you awake?"
When Karen arrived behind Chaerin, she was holding the hand of a man who looked like a high school student, calling his name with a voice mixed with tears.
'This is the first time I've seen her like this.'
She was always confident and self-assured wherever she went, but in front of her brother, she was just a big sister.
"Jaehyeong-ah?"
As expected from the phone call, the man's eyes, called Jaehyeong, were wide open. He blinked, and his nose flared when he breathed. But...
Chaerin bent down and brought her face right in front of her brother's face... but the brother's eyes, which should have welcomed his sister, were not looking at her.
"Lee Jaehyeong patient guardian?"
At that moment, the doctor entered the room and called Chaerin.
"I told you on the phone... It's not that he's conscious. His cerebral cortex is still not activated. Just some unconscious actions, what we call involuntary movements."
"Then..."
"With the technology we have, there's nothing we can do. However, there's only one way..."
"I know that too. Don't talk about it."
"...Understood. It's really unfortunate."
The warmth felt from her brother's hand was warm, but they were breathing the same air. What was wrong?
"What if he's an S-rank hunter? Can't even cure his own brother."
Chaerin felt a sense of powerlessness spreading through her whole body. There was nothing special about becoming a hunter. She just wanted to treat her brother and move him to a good place.
"Then..."
The doctor bowed his head to Chaerin and quietly left the room, and Karen just quietly watched from the corner.
Clang, not long after the doctor left, the door opened and a man with a visitor badge entered the room.
[Musashi Guild]
"Lee Chaerin Hunter."
"I told you that."
Chaerin looked at the man and said in a cold voice, but the man bowed respectfully and continued.
"You should think about your brother. For now, step out for a moment and talk."
"Hah..."
But when her brother came up, Chaerin couldn't help but let go of his hand and stood up to go out to the corridor.
"What is it?"
"If you come to our Musashi Guild, we'll provide a Mandrake root that can treat your brother. As you know, it's really precious."
'Ho... Do you know the treatment even on Earth?'
Although she had gone out to the corridor, the door was slightly open, so their conversation was audible.
"Lee Chaerin Hunter also knows, right? The only way to treat your brother is that."
In modern medicine, humans diagnosed as vegetative states are said to have 'lost their soul' in the other world. The Mandrake is a medicine that can call back the soul of such a human.
"Why not mention the fact that even if you use the Mandrake, the treatment probability is only 10%?"
"0% becomes 10%. Moreover, if you come to our guild and perform well, the Mandrake provided will increase."
"...Hoo, if my brother wakes up and finds out that I entered the guild over there, he'll close his eyes again. Stop it."
Chaerin wanted to beat and kick the guy out right away, but since it was a hospital and the only solution was monopolized by the guild, she couldn't do it.
"Understood. But please remember that our guild's door is always open."
"..."
She wanted to say that she would never do that right away, but seeing her brother awake, there was a moment of hesitation.
"Hey. You rat."
"What?"
The man, stunned by the sudden torrent of abuse, looked at Karen blankly. Who is this guy?
"You... said that to me just now?"
"Then is there another squeaking rat that eats other people's misfortune besides you?"
The man flushed and bit his lip. He wanted to smash the guy in front of him right away, but he was in front of Lee Chaerin Hunter.
"Who are you? I'm from the Musashi Guild..."
"I'm fine. Go in."
Chaerin looked at Karen worriedly and said. It was really appreciated that he stepped in, but getting involved with these guys would be troublesome.
"The Mandrake treatment probability is 10%?"
"Yes. It's only possible because it's our Musashi Guild..."
"You're both trash. No manners, no skill."
"...You're very rude."
"Rude is for people. Samsaek."
Samsaek, who had been hiding invisibly from people's eyes in the hospital, transformed into a size like a tiger and appeared right behind the man.
"Hah? What?"
When the rough beast's breathing sound came from behind where no one was, the man jumped back in shock.
"Garbage is rolling around in the hospital. Where did you dump it?"
"Got it."
"U... aaaaaah"
When Samsaek bit the man's nape and disappeared, Chaerin showed a triumphant expression. But soon she said to Karen worriedly.
"I'll somehow deal with them so they can't retaliate."
"It's okay. But how come you're so popular? How did you come to visit so often?"
"Hah..."
Chaerin slumped into the chair next to the bed and covered her face with both hands.
She didn't cry.
Since her brother became like this, she had promised Jeonghyeon that she would only cry when her brother woke up, out of joy.
"...Sorry, showing you such a pathetic sight."
Chaerin, who had forgotten about Karen for a moment, said with embarrassment. Too many situations had passed in a short time, and she hadn't been able to pay attention to Karen.
"I came from the Musashi Guild. It's the only place that has a herb that might be able to treat my brother. Shall we go out for a moment?"
Chaerin looked back at Jaehyeong with a wistful gaze and changed her steps.
Karen and Chaerin picked up drinks from the hospital cafe on the first floor and sat on the bench outside.
"Mandrake..."
"You know?"
"I know well."
Mandrake, the number one contributor to reviving Karen's kingdom when he was in Belial. How did he do it with just one herb?
"Simple. It's very good for vitality and skin beauty."
"Kku-ing? Humans..."
"Have you gone and come back already?"
Samsaek suddenly appeared from behind with a pitiful expression.
"You got rid of it well?"
"I showed you a fun place and left you. But do humans like that?"
"Yeah, humans are like that."
"I thought Mandrake was only effective for treating vegetative states. It had such effects too?"
Chaerin gave the snacks from her pocket to Samsaek and stroked him while saying.
"You have to eat a lot to know. Here, it seems to be extremely rare."
Yeah, if I hadn't made Mandrake fertilizer, Belial would have been the same. Even there, they sold only to upper nobles and royalty.
"But our Samsaek has gained some weight."
Chaerin's heart, which had been gloomy and surprised, slowly calmed as she stroked the fluffy Samsaek.
"So, is the only way to get Mandrake at the Musashi Guild?"
"Yes. The alliance only comes out from one gate, but since that guild monopolizes it, there's no way. Because we can't even enter the gate."
"You too?"
That was surprising. An S-rank hunter?
"It's possible to some extent... but there are a lot of connected guys."
"What about the Musashi Guild?"
Earlier, the guild seemed to have no manners, but it was related to her brother's life.
"My brother's dream was to be a righteous hunter."
[Sister! Look at the hunters saving the citizens]
Before becoming like this, when her brother was a middle school student, he always admired hunters. He said he would become like that too.
Chaerin was also the reason she responded to the union's call when she became S-rank and took on tasks that other hunters avoided.
"Actually, if it's a union call, everyone hates it. They don't go much."
If you don't respond to the call, it's the death penalty, but... can they punish it? At best, it's a fine penalty for show.
"But I don't want to become a sister who is ashamed in front of my brother."
Maybe if the sister did something, he wouldn't be happy even if he woke up, or he wouldn't feel proud when he woke up.
"The Musashi Guild is a dirty place ranked high in the union."
Although not the top guild, the rumors that spread in the industry are more than that. There are rumors of violence, loans, and even human trafficking.
Chaerin had ignored it so far. But...
"Honestly, it shook me."
Chaerin's voice, which was always lively in front of Karen, was powerless.
"Did you forget what I said earlier?"
"Huh?"
Chaerin looked up at Karen. What was this man going to say now?
"On the day we first met, what I said."
"?"
"I said my laughter is expensive, and if you want something, I'll give you anything."
"Puhup, even if it's just words, thank you."
Chaerin thought Karen was comforting her and smiled unconsciously. There was such a side to him too.
"Want me to help?"
"Eh?"
"Say one word."
But Karen's expression was never joking.
"But... how?"
"I have a secret too."
'What? I thought he was a D-rank awakened?'
Even so, even if it's baseless trust, somehow I felt like I could rely on this man. Even if not, even if impossible, somehow I wanted to rely on him.
Chaerin said while unconsciously holding Karen's hand.
"Help me."
"Yeah. I like when dramas have happy endings."
"?"
Chaerin thought Karen was really an unpredictable person, like she had thought earlier.
"Kku-ing, but the master is human, right?"
"Then I'm human."
"Then does the master eat Mandrake too?"
"....."
"Tsk tsk, humans..."
When Karen didn't answer, Samsaek clicked his tongue at Karen. Who would have thought he'd hear such words from this guy.
It's not because of that. Really.
By the way, it is said that a loud roar of a deer was heard all night from the top of Seoul's Namsan Tower.
"Kwaaaaa! Save me!"
A deer that speaks human language, I guess the world has changed a lot these days.