KEG 51

“My leg, my leg hurts so much… it-it hurts…”

The doctor calmly comforted the patient.

“We’re in a doctor car. I’m here to help you.”

“Could you… could you please loosen this a little…? It’s so stifling… I’m so thirsty….”

The patient tried to pull out the IV line. The doctor restrained her by pressing down on her shoulder and pelvis, calming her down. Then, he asked me to moisten a piece of gauze with water and hold it to her mouth.

“Don’t worry. The worst is over.”

“The worst… the worst…? What about my leg…?”

I soaked the gauze and held it to the patient’s mouth. Water from the gauze trickled down the corner of her mouth.

“The treatment was perfect.”

The doctor kept repeating the same things.

The black fluid oozing from her leg emitted a foul odor, and the tools and medications used for treatment lay scattered on the floor.

“I… I was trapped under a car.”

The patient kept moving her wet mouth.

“I remember everything… how… I was lying there.”

The array of machinery inside emitted a cacophony of noise. The medical supplies on the shelves clattered but remained in place inside the slightly shaking vehicle.

“…You see, even en with the world in this state, I did ballet. Even when everyone else was dying, I kept going to the studio and teaching children.”

The patient tried to turn her head to look at her leg. But she lacked even the strength to hold her head up.

The patient’s legs were covered with a blanket, but it lacked volume. It was a miserable sight, even to someone with absolutely no medical knowledge.

“Patient, I’ll cover your eyes.”

The doctor raised his hand and picked up an extra blanket.

It seemed he had decided that, given the situation, calming the patient was a higher priority than confronting reality.

“I… I was prepared for this.”

The doctor’s hand paused briefly at the patient’s words.

“I’ve been thinking for a long time about how I could keep dancing, even if I could no longer dance.”

The doctor car entered the Gyeongbu Expressway. It was less than 30 minutes to our destination, Seoul Sangmo Hospital.

“Doctor.”

The patient called out to the doctor, but he did not answer. That silence was not evasion, but acceptance.

The doctor’s calm eyes looked at the patient.

“I’ve survived as a ballerina in a world like this.”

The dark night sky was gradually getting brighter.

Around the time we passed Pangyo and crossed Dallae-nae Pass.

“I can dance even on one leg.”

The doctor said nothing.

In the distance, Namsan Tower, a landmark of Seoul, came into view.

The dawn of a new day was breaking.

***

“I’m hungry~”

Baek Yejun grumbled as he left the hospital. I also felt hungry now that the tension had eased. I remembered the Princess Chestnut Bread buns I’d picked up earlier and fished them out of my pocket.

“What is this? They are all squashed.”

He’s such a picky eater.

I tapped my forehead and both shoulders in a prayer, then picked one up and bit into it. At that sight, Baek Yejun put his phone back in his pocket and came close to me.

“Aren’t you giving any to me?”

“You said it was squashed.”

“So you’re just going to eat it all yourself? That’s so stingy.”

There was exactly one left in the bag. It was squashed and burst, looking unsightly. I took it out and shoved it into his noisy mouth.

“You’re even feeding me?”

He’s impossible to deal with.

No matter what I did, he interpreted it however he pleased.

It was dog logic, even more powerful than illogicality.

“Give me my 2 billion won.”

“Hmm, okay. But how much rent do I have to pay to live at your place?”

Is this a continuation of the conversation we had on the bus to Haenam?

I guess he’s planning to move in permanently.

He has plenty of money, so why is he acting like this?

“I don’t have that much cash on me.”

Baek Yejun grumbled even before a specific amount had been mentioned. Hearing that, I on my chestnut bread and racked my brain.

Should I tell him the actual rent I’m paying now, or should I inflate the figure to make a little extra each month?

Since he keeps saying that he doesn’t have money, I shouldn’t ask for too much…

“Instead of cash, should I give you a building or some stocks?”

My mouth stopped chewing the bread.

“How about art, jewelry, or mana stones?”

I turned my head with a creaking sound and looked at the madman. He was grinning like an idiot, as if he found something incredibly amusing.

“Shall I hand you a shell company?”

“You had places to go.”

He had more than enough.

More than enough to weather the loss of a measly video channel and a little disciplinary action.

Baek Yejun was a man of wealth beyond my imagination. Even a cursory glance suggested a fortune large enough to support three generations, so why did he pretend to have nowhere to go and leech off me?

“I didn’t lie.”

The jerk chuckled and chewed on the squashed bun. The words “Get the hell out of my house right now” rose to the back of my throat.

But they vanished the moment I saw the matte black card thrust in front of me.

“I’m busy today, so I’ll give you this.”

The guy who handed over the card left while talking to someone on his cell phone, which had been ringing for a while.

I fiddled with the mysterious card. I had no idea how much was on it, and using it recklessly was too risky.

“Maybe I’ll buy a car first.”

But my greed was stronger.

***

My body has been in bad shape lately.

I felt like a clay figurine that had been left to dry for too long. The slightest movement caused wear and tear, and bits of me crumbled away.

Even minor impacts caused cracks, and if I ignored even the tiniest hairline fracture, it would come back to haunt me with serious consequences.

“It must all be your karma.”

When I met Go Seokhee again, she declared that she wouldn’t fix my left shoulder even if the sky fell.

“Seongho-ssi, don’t be upset. Auntie isn’t acting that way for no reason.”

Kim Hwanhee, who was standing nearby, chimed in.

We were currently in the Special Management Division at the district office.

I got caught while visiting to handle the aftermath of the recent doctor car incident.

“I think she’s just saying that you need rest rather than forcing treatment.”

“Oh my~ Hwanhee, how do you manage to make your words sound so sweet~”

Go Seokhee and Kim Hwanhee were relatives.

Go Seokhee was completely smitten by Kim Hwanhee’s polite demeanor. Even now, she was holding his face and kissing him.

Should I have pretended to be polite too?

“If you’re not going to fix it, just tell me to get lost.”

“Look at the way you talk. That’s exactly why you’re no good.”

I shouldn’t dwell on the past.

If she wasn’t going to fix my shoulder, there was no point in seeing her. I should just finish what I have to do today and go home.

“When will the disaster relief funds be deposited?”

If you suffer damage from a monster, you file a claim for compensation, sign a confidentiality agreement, and then receive disaster relief funds. It wasn’t a significant amount, but it was still money.

“Ah, yes. Please fill out this form here.”

I finished filling it out on the touchpad and stood up to leave, but Go Seokhee grabbed me by the back of the neck.

“How can you be so heartless~”

And I was dragged away. Kim Hwanhee tidied up his spot and followed us out.

Even livestock being led to the slaughterhouse were treated more humanely than this.

‎

‎

“Why would you use a card like that at a snack bar?”

I was dragged there against my will, forced to shove food down my throat, and even had to pay the bill. I could have refused, but every time I tried, Go Seokhee used her ability.

She removed the bruises when I sat down and treated the sprains when I ate. She even said she would heal my fractured elbow a little more if I paid the bill.

A healer who blackmailed people with healing?

“You’re right, that’s an unusual card. Is it a credit card?”

“It’s a debit card.”

Lately, whenever I had to pay for something, I used the card Baek ​unauthorized copy​Yejun had given me. He said it was a blank card issued under the name of an overseas subsidiary.

I don’t know how much is on it. I just used it because it worked. If it ran out of money, I would just throw it away.

“Anyway, that was delicious. You’ll be returning to the ward soon, right? I’ll come visit you from time to time.”

Kim Hwanhee planned for the future, saying he would treat me to a meal next time. At that remark, Go Seokhee glared at me.

“Going back~? Do you want to die early?”

“Auntie~ Staff is so scarce in the ward~”

The hospice ward was always short-staffed. Since the work was so grueling, there was always a shortage of people, from simple cleaning staff to specialized personnel.

Because of that, getting hired was easy. But quitting was just as easy.

Crash!

“Thief! Catch the thief!!”

Just then, a commotion erupted from the back of the snack bar. Plastic bowls and stainless stolen content steel cutlery clattered to the floor.

Thud!

“Ah, damn…”

“Ugh…!”

The thief fleeing toward the entrance happened to run into me.

I even stepped aside to avoid getting involved, but he went out of his way to plow right into me. He was not exactly cut out for the big leagues.

“Sorry… I’m sorry…. You are….”

I fell face down on the floor, but the person I bumped into was fine.

What bad luck, a heavily reinforced body.

An Esper.

“Please catch that guy! He ate without paying!”

I wondered what kind of thief he was, but turned out he was a food thief.

“I’m sorry……! I’ll pay you back later… Ugh?!”

I tripped him as he tried to run outside again. As the guy fell face-first onto the floor just like me, I rolled over and straddled his back.

“Let go, let me go…!”

The startled guy struggled. I could feel his solid muscles through my straddle, a body honed by years of training.

Smack!

“Ouch?!”

I pulled a long umbrella from the umbrella stand and whacked him with it. I couldn’t subdue him with my bare hands.

“Why, why are you hitting me…!”

Smack!

“Aaargh! Please spare me!”

“If you don’t want to get hit, just stay still.”

Even while getting beaten, his eyes were fixated on the cast on my shoulder. Was he worried I might get hurt?

This guy’s a pushover.

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”

“Does apologizing make it right?”

“Huh?”

“I’m a patient.”

Looking closely at his confused face, he seemed pretty young.

A pushover, a thief, and a young punk.

“Pay up for damages.”

I was already pissed off about getting ripped off for the meal, and he just happened to cross my path.