Chapter 32 - First External Activity (1)
Chapter 32 First External Activity (1)
Soo-yeon noona. A retired A-rank Awakened and a doctor who saves patients with her outstanding healing abilities.
The call with her ended surprisingly plainly.[Don’t feel burdened and just think about it comfortably. For you… Code Blue! I have to go!!]
-Beep.
‘Oh, she’s having a hard time today as well.’
Who is Soo-yeon noona?
As long as you’re alive, she can treat you somehow. She’s a walking severe trauma center.
Isn’t she the last hope for severe trauma patients who can’t be revived with general emergency treatment?
Even I was saved from death thanks to her.
Anyway. The call with the very busy noona couldn’t last long.
I wanted to ask how she’d been doing.
A sigh of regret escaped my lips.
“Haa….”
“Disciple, who was that?”
“……?”
A voice came from beside me.
I quickly turned my gaze.
I met eyes with Master, who was holding a broken plate.
‘Huh. Why did Master break a plate? Well, it doesn’t matter.’
“If I tell you, you’ll be surprised. It was A-rank Awakener Ryu Soo-yeon. I was talking to Soo-yeon noona.”
“Hm, I see. The angel in white.”
Master asked who I was talking to, so I explained.
“Give me a moment.”
“Huh.”
-Snap.
He snatched my phone.
“Soo-yeon noona, huh. You call her quite familiarly.”
“Well, actually, I was seriously injured once. She treated me for free back then.”
“….I see. Noona, huh. I see.”
Master, seemingly displeased, sat across from me, fiddling with my phone.
It felt like a wife blaming her husband for cheating…
Well, that couldn’t be the case now.
He was surely making sure his disciple wasn’t mingling with bad people.
“I know her name well. When I just entered the Pentagon, she was a fourth-year. She was famous as a special student attending both the academy and medical school.”
“Oh, you knew each other…”
“But noona? There’s a 15-year age gap between you two. Quite a familiar term.”
…It wasn’t about manners.
I quickly cleared my throat.
“Ahem. It’s because she treated me so kindly….”
“Stop calling her noona. As my disciple, show proper respect to your elders.”
“……Yes.”
Failed to bluff.
Now I couldn’t call Soo-yeon noona, noona anymore.
I felt a bit sad.
‘Being young is tough… Mentally, she’s my peer.’
“But, does she look like a noona to you?”
“Pardon?”
“The age gap is quite significant, and the term is unexpected. You sounded happy on the phone… Do you love her?”
No time to be sad.
Master started a serious misunderstanding.
I quickly put on a stern face.
“No. Absolutely not.”
‘I’m not Cao Cao; a married woman is out of the question.’
Second-life hypnotist matchmaker.
A man who eats anything well but dislikes leftovers.
Honestly, married women were not my type at all.
It was a selfish desire to want the person I love to be mine alone.
‘Well, it’s selfish to have a harem too.’
“I would never see her romantically or anything like that.”
I declared confidently.
There’s no way. Rest assured- I said.
“That’s a relief, but… that serious?”
“Yes. I can swear on my wrist.”
“How can that be….”
Master’s face darkened.
His lips were pouting.
“Well, with a fifteen-year age gap, it’s understandable not to see her that way. I see….”
“No, it’s not the age gap. She’s a married woman. With a daughter. That’s a bit much.”
“……? Is fifteen years okay?”
“What’s the big deal about an age gap in love? As long as hearts align, that’s all that matters.”
‘It’s a different story if it’s a grandmother like the Chairman.’
“Hm, is that so?”
His mood brightened again.
Well. Master’s 32 now.
Only a three-year difference from Soo-yeon noona, so he must have momentarily seen himself in her.
Thanks to that, Master, feeling better, tapped my phone and handed it back.
“Indeed. What’s important is the heart. I’m glad as your master to see your upright intentions.”
“Thank you….”
“But maintain respect for your elders.”
“……”
The contact saved as ‘Soo-yeon noona’ had been changed to ‘A-rank Awakener Ryu Soo-yeon.’
I felt a bit sad.
* * *
After a brief commotion over the age issue. Anyway.
The topic shifted to why I had the call.
Coincidentally, it connected to what Master and I were talking about.
“They want you to visit the hospital?”
“Yes. From the university hospital Ryu Soo-yeon used to attend. They want to invite me over.”
To summarize the call.
After I treated her daughter Ha-young, she somewhat realized my ability was mental.
So far, she kept it a secret, considering the unspoken rule among Awakeners, ‘no disclosing abilities’…
But I openly revealed my hypnosis ability.
Thanks to that, she comfortably reported it to the university hospital.
That my hypnosis had healed her daughter’s PTSD.
If they cooperated with me, they could reach those whom modern psychiatry couldn’t.
“Is that really possible?”
“For the most part.”
“Hmm. With the external activity restrictions lifted, this is quite a coincidence.”
Especially since yesterday, even cadets’ external activities were unrestricted.
The call was about whether I could spare some time over the weekend to use my hypnosis.
Master’s expression turned serious.
“…But, disciple. This is.”
“Yes. I’d only get complaints in the end.”
My expression wasn’t comfortable either.
As expected by Soo-yeon noona, my hypnosis was omnipotent.
I could treat most mental illnesses.
I didn’t know the principles, but as long as brain cells were somewhat alive, I could manage the mental aspect.
But accepting this…
I’d be called out frequently to treat people.
At first, they’d be grateful, but later they’d complain why I was late.
Then, if I quit midway?
I’d get cursed out.
Accepting Soo-yeon noona’s proposal was ultimately a bad move.
It was like placing the heavy burden of many people’s expectations on my shoulders.
But,
‘Still, ignoring it pricks my conscience. There’s much to gain too.’
Conscience aside, the value gained was enormous.
In my first life, the reason I was cursed to death. The harem.
There were countless people who cursed me and my wives for standing above the law because of power.
I was so tormented that even now, I avoid the internet and DMs as much as possible.
But if I accept noona’s proposal?
I become morally superior.
Even the negative public opinion due to the harem could be somewhat mitigated.
A long contemplation ensued.
“Hmm….”
“If you don’t want to, refuse. The Chairman will help you refuse well.”
“Wait a moment, hmm.”
‘Can this work?’
A way to reap benefits and minimize losses.
Many ideas came to mind…
But I wanted to go for cost-effectiveness.
Dramatic image making.
Minimizing time spent on treatment, etc.
After much contemplation, I shook my head.
“No. I’ll accept it.”
“…Disciple. It’s good to be kind, but Awakeners must.”
“It’s okay. I have a plan.”
“Hm?”
“I’ll tell only you, Master. My plan….”
Then I whispered the plan.
Master’s reaction was to admire with shining eyes.
“Such a method?! My disciple is smart!”
“Haha. Thank you. Then….”
“Accept it. As your master, I permit it.”
A refreshing approval as a bonus.
Thanks to that, I also cheerfully composed a text.
[I’ve thought it over, and it seems okay. I’ll see you tomorrow since it’s the weekend.]
“Soo-yeon noona….”
“I told you not to call her noona.”
“……”
[A-rank Awakener Ryu Soo-yeon.]
I felt sad again.
* * *
The rest of Friday passed ordinarily.
“I must not reveal my identity, so I’ll wait for your return here.”
“What about ‘Heavenly Nectar’?”
“They said it’s a bit difficult to smuggle in unnoticed by the officials. Wait until Sunday.”
Master, due to a promise with the Chairman, remained secluded in my dorm.
“Yu-jin, hello….”
“Oh, Alice. How are you? Just like I said, nothing happened, right?”
“Yes. Surprisingly….”
“But you don’t look well. Did you lose sleep? Did I snore?”
“No, well. I was up all night reading comics….”
Alice, who had made a fuss yesterday about being eaten, eventually compromised on video calling to sleep.
She was too embarrassed to speak properly.
“Nothing happened with that woman, right?”
“Yeah. I mean….”
-Sniff sniff.
“This is just to check if you did anything in your sleep?”
“Oh, okay.”
Other than Shia sniffing me, it was ordinary.
Haru….
“Dad, Haru has a serious problem.”
“Huh? What is it?”
“I have banana milk, but no straw. How should I drink it
?”
“Can’t you just peel it and drink?”
“No. I have to suck it.”
“…? Should I get a straw from the convenience store?”
“No straw. Big problem.”
“……?”
She was seriously worrying over something useless.
Really, such a kid.
Anyway, I played with Haru.
Sparred a bit with Master in the dorm.
Video called Alice to sleep again…
———And so, Saturday.
-Creek.
“A celebrity coming over in just a day.”
“When a pretty woman calls, a man rushes over. It’s common sense, isn’t it?”
“Pft. You’re still the same despite being famous. I expected that.”
“Long time no see, Yu-jin.”The first external activity of the second round began.