Dream Breaker - Chapter 84
The head of the family watched silently as Kang Moon-soo, Seo Hye-joo, and the great-granddaughter disappeared outside the main gate.
Creak- Thud.
Finally, after the door closed and some time had passed, the head of the family opened his mouth.
“…Have they left?”
In response to the question, a middle-aged man cautiously answered.
“Yes, they left. They just got out of the shrine.”
“Is there a possibility they caught us?”
“No.”
“Good! Everything went well!”
The head of the family, whose expression was slightly dark yet serious, suddenly disappeared and flopped down in a large chair.
“Honey…”
“Don’t make such a fuss. I thought my back was going to break!”
The head of the family groaned in response to the scolding from the old woman, who rolled her eyes.
And this was just the beginning.
“Everyone, good job.”
“Aunt, aren’t you going to get married?”
“Uncle! Uncle! Play with me!”
The heavy atmosphere, which was quiet enough to hear the sound of breathing, disappeared, and it became lively like a warm and friendly big family.
Swish~
Some people took off the ‘shaman costume’ they wore for the first time in a while, feeling stuffy…
“I can finally breathe!”
Others stretched out their legs and lay down, their legs numb from the unfamiliar sitting position…
“Is your business going well?”
“So-so. How about you?”
They even had small talk on topics completely unrelated to shamans…
Whatever it was, it was clear that the appearance of the family was completely different from what Kang Moon-soo had seen.
“Father.”
“What?”
“Was it necessary to have the busy children act as well? How do you plan to clean up if they get caught later…”
In response to the eldest son’s worried question, the head of the family answered in a firm tone.
“Of course.”
“Is his aptitude that great?”
“Isn’t the aptitude that only one person in the world has great?”
“Even so…”
“Pathetic guy. That’s why your aptitude is a pillar husband.”
“Ah, father…!”
The eldest son’s face turned red at the merciless criticism from his father.
His aptitude is a female counselor.
It is a great job to sympathize with and counsel women who are struggling in society, but what if that counselor is handsome and has a good voice?
The head of the family chuckled.
“I’m kidding.”
“Father…”
“You’ve already done your part by bringing such a wonderful daughter-in-law.”
“…So are you going to have the great-granddaughter do the same thing?”
The eldest son was not pleased.
He agreed that his wife was more than he deserved, but it wasn’t a calculated approach like this.
There was love.
“The same thing?”
“Yes.”
“I just introduced her to a great husband. I slightly induced sympathy for wanting to save her from a suffocating family.”
“You’re a strategist.”
The head of the family’s aptitude is a strategist.
He had a natural talent for deceiving or inducing others.
“Are you teasing me?”
“If that’s how it sounded, then I guess so.”
“Poor daughter-in-law. How did she end up with a guy like this…”
“You’re spitting while lying down.”
The head of the family, who seemed to know everything, changed the subject with an uncomfortable expression.
“Support her fully. You don’t want your pretty and lovely granddaughter to marry a punk like you, do you?”
“I understand…”
The fortune-telling, which boasts a high hit rate even though its aptitude is not ‘shaman’.
Of course, it’s not a coincidence.
Predicting the most likely future by collecting information that the client has hidden or doesn’t know…
It’s probability statistics, mathematics.
“Are you still dissatisfied?”
“……”
“You’re such a conscienceless guy.”
“Huh?”
“I feel sick seeing you pretending to be the only one with a conscience in a family that deceives people with fake fortune-telling as if it’s real.”
“Well, that’s…!”
“No matter how much you fly around in bed, you would never have been able to get married if the family wasn’t well off. Are you trying to deny such a grateful family?”
“I’m sorry. My thoughts were shallow. I am… a pillar husband.”
“If you understand, do it right.”
“Yes.”
The head of the family turned his head without regret from his son, who was immersed in self-pity.
He muttered quietly.
“May the great spirits wrap that child warmly.”
* * *
We moved to Elmorangs Hospital using Seo Hye-joo’s sedan, and we started a full-fledged conversation in her private room and training room.
“Hello. I’ll introduce myself once again.”
Her name is Jeon Ji-eun.
She is a female descendant of a shaman family with a 700-year history, and she is one year older than me.
Recognized for her outstanding beauty and interview skills, she has been active as the representative face of the family since she was 17 years old.
Her self-introduction was roughly like that.
“Kang Moon-soo, Doctor Seo Hye-joo. I look forward to working with you.”
“I’m looking forward to it too.”
“I’ll take good care of you.”
Jeon Ji-eun’s role was to collect the patient’s personal information.
This is because there could be secrets unknown even to their spouse, like Nam Hae-soo.
‘What kind of fortune-telling…’
I felt it ever since I saw the pathetic affectation of the self-proclaimed genius shaman Yoo Il-am, but there was no real shaman.
Even Jeon Ji-eun’s shaman family, which boasts a 700-year history, is nothing more than a probability based on the information they have collected!
However, there was no doubt that it looked like a ‘fortune-telling’ with a high hit rate, regardless of the process.
“Mr. Kang Moon-soo. Please let me know if you have any information you want. The head of the family told me to give you full support.”
“Please feel free to speak. I’m younger.”
“I can’t do that.”
I didn’t back down from her firm attitude either.
“We can’t work together in an uncomfortable relationship.”
“…Alright. In return, Moon-soo, please speak comfortably too.”
“I’ve been working part-time at a convenience store for a long time, so this is more comfortable…”
“……”
“Ahem! I will.”
We also adjusted various other things.
“For smooth communication and cooperation, I’ve arranged accommodation 3 minutes away from Elmorangs Hospital by foot.”
“Gasp! Aren’t the housing prices around here insanely expensive?”
“……”
“…Isn’t it expensive?”
“There’s no need to feel burdened. That’s the family’s intention. Or should we look for a place near the university dormitory?”
“No! This place seems great!”
It would be much more burdensome for her to move to the university dormitory where I usually stay.
Marriage.
A woman from a family who approached me with a purpose I’ve never thought about once, staying nearby every day?
I would like to decline politely.
“From now on, contact me when you go outside the university.”
“Why?”
“Yoo Il-am. Do you remember this man’s name?”
“Why that strange shaman?”
“He’s been making remarks on the air in the nuance of claiming to be your teacher as long as there are no legal issues.”
“Huh?”
What is this about?
“But as the limits of lies are gradually revealed, you’ll need me. So, he’ll approach you soon pretending to be close.”
“It would be better to meet and say I don’t like it…”
“They can edit it.”
“Hmm.”
I hesitated because there was no guarantee that Jeon Ji-eun’s words were true.
“Did you recently beat up Yoo Il-am’s brother, Yoo Il-chung?”
“Ah…”
How great is her information gathering ability?
“Yoo Il-am wrapped up the incident quite plausibly and broadcasted it as a confrontation between brothers and disciples.”
“That son of a bitch- Ahem! Sorry.”
I was so absurd that I inadvertently swore.
“If you don’t believe me, go to Yoo Il-am’s broadcast channel and check it.”
“……”
If she says that much, it must be true.
“And tomorrow, you’re going to compete with Yoo Il-chung’s girlfriend and world number one female Taekwondo athlete, Ko Yoon-kyung, right?”
“How did you know that?”
“It was already heavily promoted on Yoo Il-am’s broadcast channel.”
“……”
I was speechless.
“What Moon-soo needs is a manager who can handle miscellaneous issues on his behalf. Or, as it is now, you’ll be used with your eyes wide open.”
“A manager for me…”
A manager who takes care of auxiliary tasks such as scheduling and contracts.
I thought a manager was still a far-fetched idea for me, who couldn’t participate in athlete activities often due to work issues.
‘Because there’s also Coach [Jang Seon-young].’
Most athletes have a manager who also plays the role of a coach. So I didn’t care, but…
The problem is Yoo Il-am, who shows abnormal interest in me!
I didn’t want to be used by the man who kicked the fainted school girl, Song Seon-young, with his foot.
“What are you going to do?”
“…That manager, it’s not free, right?”
“It’s free for now as a trial.”
“Aha!”
Doctor Seo Hye-joo, who had been quietly listening, sighed deeply.
“Moon-soo, I don’t know how many times I’ve said this, but there’s no such thing as free in this world.”
“There’s a free tasting corner at the department store, isn’t there?”
“That’s also a sales strategy.”
“I’ll fix it gradually.”
I know that my personality is gluttonous, but I can’t help it because I regret and miss it all day long if I give up free things.
Jeon Ji-eun, who thought she had roughly organized it, smiled softly,
Shush-
She took out a stiff contract and placed it on the desk.
“It’s a simple contract. It’s essential for me to handle legal issues on behalf of Moon-soo as his agent.”
“…You’ve been prepared for this development from the beginning.”
“I saw it in the fortune-telling.”
It seemed like I knew how her family could maintain high credibility and reputation as a ‘shaman.’
“Can I take a look at that contract? I don’t doubt it, but it would be difficult if your side monopolized Moon-soo.”
Doctor Seo Hye-joo intervened with a meaningful smile.
“Yes. Please take your time to review it.”
Jeon Ji-eun handed over the contract without any hesitation.
“Um…”
“How is it?”
“It seems like there won’t be any problems. The clause that I can’t sign contracts with other partner companies is quite obvious…”
“Let me see it too.”
“Sure.”
Having experienced it with Coach Jang Seon-young, I carefully reviewed the contract.
‘There are no unfavorable conditions for me, and it doesn’t cost me anything? Great.’
Swoosh-
I signed the contract.
“From now on, when you introduce me, say that I’m your manager.”
“Ji-eun, you’re good at handling things, aren’t you?”
At Doctor Seo Hye-joo’s words, she replied with a business smile.
“It’s all thanks to your favorable view.”
I was only supposed to receive personal information about La Nouvelle’s patients, but I ended up signing a manager contract.
Feeling like I was caught in a multi-level marketing scam?
Since there’s no loss, I don’t really mind, but I couldn’t help feeling uneasy.
“Shall we move on to the main topic?”
“…Yeah.”
“The name of the man the family asked for is Mao Zhai. His aptitude is a pianist. However, he wasted his youth learning traditional martial arts because his family’s wealth was so great that he ignored his aptitude.”
“Traditional martial arts?”
“Ancient Chinese martial arts. Its history is quite long.”
“Is he strong?”
“It has never been used in a world-class fighting match.”
“…I see.”
I think I know why she described it as wasting his youth.
“Mao Zhai is a weirdo, but he has a pretty good reputation. His hobby is collecting ancient Chinese martial arts novels.”
“Wuxia novels?”
“You seem to know it well. Yes, that’s what they’re called.”
Wuxia novels.
Epic tales dealing with love and revenge among martial artists in the ancient Chinese ‘Wulin’.
This was information I hadn’t received from the patient’s family.
“You lied.”
“What do you mean?”
Doctor Seo Hye-joo revealed her discomfort.
“Mao Zhai’s family said he plays the piano as a hobby. And he occasionally plays virtual reality games.”
“Aha!”
Jeon Ji-eun added.
“It’s true that he plays virtual reality games. Since Mao Zhai’s aptitude is a pianist, rough exercises like traditional martial arts didn’t suit him. So he compensated through virtual reality games… But he was born clumsy, so he bought equipment with money to make up for his lack of skill.”
“It’s… kind of pitiful.”
However, thanks to the information Jeon Ji-eun collected, I was able to get a detailed understanding of what kind of person this patient was.
Did she feel that this alone was not enough?
She provided me with even more detailed information.
“Mao Zhai has a favorite wuxia novel. He even uses the protagonist’s name from that novel as his avatar name in the virtual reality game.”
“Ah…”
“The title of that wuxia novel is [Is this Heavenly Demon True?], a lengthy novel with as many as 215 volumes.”
“215 volumes…?”
Is this a true story?
“What are you going to do?”
“…There’s no choice.”
I can’t complain if I want to increase my survival rate even a little.
Moreover,
‘If it’s really a wuxia world…’
There must be a way for me to become stronger in that place.
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