Chapter 37 – Magic Boy (15)
Flash!
My heavy, iron-like eyelids lightened and opened simultaneously.
“Ah…!”
The white hospital ceiling came into view.
The same sight I saw just before entering Choi Kang-min’s dream.
Beep, beep, beep…
The sound of a medical device monitoring my pulse echoed, and my skin was covered with suction-cup-like sensors.
‘They didn’t dissect me while I was out, did they…?’
That’s how suspicious my condition looked.
Click!
“You’re awake!”
How did she know I’d woken up?
Dr. Seo Hye-joo rushed into the room before the automatic hospital door fully opened.
“Hyung~!”
[TL Note: Changing Bro to Hyung. Used as a polite form of address or term of endearment for a boy or man’s elder brother or older male friend.]
Behind her was Choi Kang-hoon.
I was glad to see them, but,
“What about Choi Kang-min?”
If I was the only one who came back from the dream, it’d be pointless. I needed to confirm that first.
“He opened his eyes! My goodness! A patient who didn’t budge for seven years, finally! His health is very poor, so he can’t speak, but he’s alive now.”
“That’s a relief.”
A relief that the treatment fee I was promised for Choi Kang-min didn’t vanish!
Tap, tap…
As I tried to sit up, the suction cups stuck to my body got in the way.
“Wait a moment. I’ll remove them.”
“I’ll do it myself.”
“You can, but if any get damaged, the repair costs…”
“Remove them!”
I waited patiently as Dr. Seo carefully detached all the medical devices from my body.
“I’ll leave the IV in. Compared to Choi Kang-min, your condition is mild, but you’re still quite drained. Plus, this is very expensive fluid.”
“You’re not charging me, right?”
“Of course not.”
Pop, pop, pop…
With Dr. Seo’s help, the suction cups were quickly removed, and I headed to the bed where Choi Kang-min lay.
“Hyung-nim, it’s me, Kang-hoon. Do you recognize me?”
Choi Kang-hoon was already holding his half-brother’s bony hand, engaged in conversation.
A heartwarming scene of brotherly love!
‘If only his true feelings matched…’
The fact that they were the complete opposite was mind-boggling.
“…”
In response to his half-brother’s affectionate question, Choi Kang-min blinked, radiating shock.
Of course he was shocked.
The seven years Choi Kang-min lost.
During that time, Choi Kang-hoon had grown from a boy teased for being girly into a handsome man popular with girls.
Meanwhile,
“Patient Choi Kang-min, nice to meet you. I’m Dr. Seo Hye-joo, your attending physician for the past seven years. This is a VIP room at Elmolance Hospital. I’m glad you’ve woken up safely, but your condition is far from stable.”
“…”
Listening to his doctor, Choi Kang-min could only roll his eyes, unable to do much else.
Or perhaps he slightly furrowed his brow, as if in pain?
“Mr. Kang Moon-soo.”
“Yes.”
“I have many questions, but the patient comes first. Please wait outside. You too, Mr. Choi Kang-hoon. I’ll send someone to guide you.”
“Yes.”
In a hospital, the doctor’s word is law!
We left the room without protest to avoid being a nuisance, and soon after, a swarm of doctors and nurses entered.
“Moon-soo hyung.”
“Don’t thank me. I’m getting paid for this.”
“Still, thank you. You almost got in danger because of my stubbornness.”
“Forget it. I promised to help.”
I slightly regretted it now, but when I impulsively made that promise, I meant it.
A rundown single room in an old commercial building.
My embarrassing home.
I went to great lengths to keep it hidden. Checking for friends spying before entering was routine.
I even prepared over ten excuses and scenarios to claim it wasn’t my place if someone found out.
A secret I desperately wanted to keep.
‘What a life…’
When I revealed it to Choi Kang-hoon just before moving, I thought he’d mock me. For a rich young master like him, the idea of someone living in such a place must’ve been a cultural shock.
But this guy reacted the opposite way.
He was surprised, but it was an admiring kind of surprise, not sarcasm.
I felt the same at first. I doubted I could live in a place like that—a former storage room—and then, at some point, I grew used to it and was proud yet surprised at myself.
So,
“You promised, but putting your life at risk—”
“Enough! It’s over! I chose and decided this.”
“Still…”
“Kang-hoon, you’ve heard it, right? A man doesn’t go back on his word. A true man doesn’t break a promise just because it’s tough.”
“Oh! Right!”
The moment I mentioned ‘true man,’ a universal cure for Choi Kang-hoon, the conversation wrapped up neatly.
Of course,
‘A promise? Money’s the real deal!’
My true feelings were different.
If they hadn’t offered an astronomical sum I couldn’t earn in five years of part-time work, it would’ve taken me much longer to decide.
“By the way, Kang-hoon.”
“Yeah, ask me anything!”
“What’s today’s date?”
“April 25.”
“Really? I woke up faster than expected.”
Thanks to Kang-hoon finding me early.
If I’d known it would turn out like this, I wouldn’t have needed Vice Director Seo’s funds or the long vacation I begged the swim coach for.
And that’s not all.
Aside from Uncle’s video, the other materials and plans I prepared didn’t even get a chance to start.
‘That wizard… because of the witch.’
There’s no solid proof, but I’m certain that witch entered Choi Kang-min’s dream like me and did something.
She knew exactly where Choi Kang-min, who moves at the speed of light, was and his every move.
Almost as if she was controlling him…
“…Oh! Right!”
“What?”
“Paper! I need paper and a pen! No time to waste!”
“I’ve got a pen…”
Choi Kang-hoon pulled out a gleaming gold fountain pen from his pocket.
It’s not real gold, is it?
Scolding myself for such a silly thought,
“Lend it to me!”
“Sure.”
Borrowing the fountain pen, I grabbed a sheet from a stack of questionnaires on the hospital corridor wall.
“Ugh…”
It would’ve been better if the back was blank, but I had no choice now.
Scribble—
I began drawing the chemical formula I memorized for eight hours in the dream.
The birth and death of a planet.
I expressed the formula in that sequence.
Manifestation, synthesis, fission, circulation, harmony…
Memorizing that jargon-filled formula wholesale wasn’t easy, and even a small mistake would render it useless, requiring verification from scratch.
“Hyung?”
“…”
I was so focused I couldn’t respond to Choi Kang-hoon peering over my shoulder.
‘This is bad.’
Anyone who’s dreamed knows the feeling.
The dream, vivid upon waking, fades quickly after washing your face.
I was no exception.
The chemical formula I memorized for eight hours was starting to blur, like fog settling in.
Scribble—Stop.
“Done!”
So overjoyed, I forgot I was in a hospital and let out a cheer.
The completed chemical formula.
If asked to draw it again, I’d never manage—it was that close.
“Hyung, what’s that formula?”
“The dream of life extension.”
“Probiotics?”
“No idea. I haven’t seen the results of this formula.”
Exactly.
Back then, I couldn’t have imagined.
***
The news that the eldest son of one of the nation’s top chaebol families had awakened spread quickly through various media outlets.
‘The heir of a major conglomerate woke up after seven years.’
A brief mention with a five-second photo of him lying in bed, and that was it.
“Feels good.”
As someone directly involved, I couldn’t help but feel proud.
Especially with my now-plump bank account!
Lying on my bed in the Sports University dorm, counting the zeros in my balance had become a hobby.
“Ehehe…”
No matter how many times I looked, it never got old.
What should I do with this money?
All sorts of possibilities flooded my mind, and for the first time in ages, I could envision an optimistic future.
‘Add a loan to this, maybe open a convenience store in the countryside… No, with my credit rating, that’s a pipe dream.’
Buying luxury goods or dining at a fancy restaurant like Parnaru wasn’t even a consideration.
The conclusion?
“…Save it.”
I learned in school that before the job revolution, when P’s aptitude tests reshaped society for efficiency, regular people dabbled in stocks.
But now, it’s the exclusive domain of those with the ‘investor’ aptitude!
If a civilian jumps into the stock market?
Genius investors leave no room for profit—day trading guarantees losses or, at best, breaking even.
That’s common sense.
So, instead of investing directly, countless people entrust their money to stock investment firms, hoping for modest returns slightly better than bank interest.
As for me?
‘I’ll spend it right away.’
My plan is to save a bit more and start a fail-proof business.
Thanks to my part-time job experience, running a convenience store is my top candidate!
…There’s no second option.
“Hm. To save money, maybe I should look for a pool cleaning gig…”
Ding-dong♪
Lying on my bed, sketching out my future, I got up at the sound of the dorm room’s doorbell.
“Who’s—”
“Hyung! It’s me!”
“Kang-hoon?”
“Yeah! I came with Hyung-nim!”
“…Alright.”
With Choi Kang-min?
I wasn’t thrilled, but I couldn’t turn away guests who’d come all this way, so I unlocked the door.
Creak—
At the cautiously opened door stood Choi Kang-min in a wheelchair, pushed by Choi Kang-hoon.
They looked like affectionate brothers.
But they weren’t alone.
“Mr. Kang Moon-soo, have you been well?”
Behind them was Dr. Seo Hye-joo, carrying medical equipment for emergencies.
Proof that Choi Kang-min’s condition was still poor.
Yet, I couldn’t fathom why he’d come to see me.
“You pushed yourself. You could’ve just called me to the hospital…”
Given the hefty treatment fee I received, I was willing to provide that level of after-service.
Choi Kang-hoon, pushing his half-brother’s wheelchair into the room, answered.
“Dad said it’d be rude to summon a lifesaver like a servant.”
“I see.”
Uncle was unexpectedly stubborn about these things.
“Hyung-nim wanted it too.”
“…”
Choi Kang-min looked straight at me, as if agreeing.
“Hyung-nim’s airways are damaged from asthma, so he can’t speak yet. But he prepared a handwritten letter.”
“Really?”
It was true.
Tucked between the wheelchair’s handle and Choi Kang-min’s right arm was a folded piece of paper.
“It took Hyung-nim three hours to write.”
“…”
Choi Kang-min slightly raised his arm, as if urging me to take the letter.
I quickly grabbed it before it fell.
Then I unfolded it immediately.
‘Three hours for this…?’
The letter was much shorter than I expected.
“I saw it, so I’m certain. You could become the world’s greatest lawyer. Please use that talent to protect my brother. I’m begging you.”
Lawyer.
A future I’d never considered.
But Choi Kang-min’s earnest gaze made it impossible to brush off.
“I’m currently a swimmer. I’ll think about it later.”
“…”
Satisfied with my response, Choi Kang-min closed his eyes calmly.
“Mr. Choi Kang-hoon, please take your brother to the parking lot first. I’ll follow shortly,” Dr. Seo, who’d been silent, said, taking the lead.
“Why? Can’t I hear this?”
“…It’s business-related.”
“Let me in on it!”
Choi Kang-hoon’s eyes sparkled with curiosity and anticipation.
Dr. Seo pointed to the letter with a troubled expression.
“It’s sensitive business.”
“Oh…”
Accepting this business would mean I couldn’t become the lawyer Choi Kang-min suggested.
Both I and Choi Kang-hoon understood immediately.
“Dr. Seo, I’ll listen and decide. The choice is entirely mine.”
I still had the chemical formula from the future in my possession.
“…Mr. Kang Moon-soo, I have a proposal too.”
“Business?”
“Yes. Would you like to partner with me?”
“What?”
First a lawyer, now a doctor?
The absurd proposals just kept coming.