Chapter 90
Chapter 90. Possibility
On her day off, Min Yu-ri visited the hospital where her younger sister was admitted.
She took the elevator up and opened the door to the patient room.
There was the white bed, with her sister lying on it, covered by the usual white blanket.
“So-yeon, I’m here.”
Chii—
In the hospital room with a humidifier steaming away.
As always, there was no response.
This was perhaps the hundredth time she had greeted her without an answer.
Min Yu-ri had become accustomed to her one-sided greetings.
Creeeak—
She brought a chair without a backrest and sat down beside the bed.
It was a chair that had been there since she first entered this room.
It had seemed brand new when she first saw it; now it creaked when she sat.
That meant time had passed.
“……?”
Min So-yeon’s gaze turned to a small table in the room.
On the table was something square that she had never seen before.
It was a pack of cotton wet wipes that said it was okay to use for babies.
“Looks like Mom came by.”
There was only one person in the world who would bring such an item to her sister’s single patient room.
Their mother, Min Yu-ri and Min So-yeon’s mother.
She was certain that their mother had come by in the past few days.
The wet wipes showed signs of having been used several times.
Since the patient lay still in bed and could not move, their mother must have used the wipes to clean Min So-yeon’s body.
‘Did she come yesterday?’
Recently, Min Yu-ri had been living a fulfilling life, participating in hunts and activities at the Hero Academy, after moving to a new guild.
Thanks to that, she now visited Min So-yeon’s hospital room every 3 to 4 days, instead of every day like before.
She hadn’t been able to visit the hospital in the past few days, so she assumed their parents must have come by yesterday.
‘No contact either.’
Originally, Min Yu-ri’s parents would contact her whenever they visited the hospital.
However, they no longer made sure to inform her every time they came.
They didn’t want to worry her unnecessarily, knowing their daughter was very busy now.
“Hmm…”
Min Yu-ri couldn’t help but lick her lips while looking at the wet wipes.
Min So-yeon often sweated while sleeping.
If she had her way, she would love to take out the wet wipes and clean her sister’s sweat.
But that was not an option.
‘It’s a pity I can’t touch her.’
The name of the illness that Min So-yeon suffered from was Magic Discoloration Syndrome.
When magic comes into contact, the skin turns black for a certain period of time.
However, if a hero with powerful magic comes into contact with such a patient, the touched area would turn completely black.
‘The shock I felt the first time I saw that.’
When Min Yu-ri had touched So-yeon’s arm without knowing this fact, the area her hand had touched turned black.
Moreover, because she had a naturally high amount of magic, it was far worse than if another hero had touched her.
At that time, she had been seriously worried that her younger sister was in trouble.
While it reverted back to normal after a few minutes.
“Has it been a month since So-yeon’s friends came?”
Min Yu-ri shifted her gaze from the wet wipes to a small frame beside them.
It was a gift from Min So-yeon’s high school friends.
A photo of Min So-yeon in her school uniform alongside other friends, all making V signs with their hands.
As an older sister, she was grateful that even after four years, So-yeon’s friends still remembered her and came to visit.
‘One of them got a job, I heard.’
Among Min So-yeon’s friends, there was even one who graduated after attending a junior college and getting hired.
When that friend became a proper office worker and gifted Min So-yeon with her favorite flowers as a first salary, Min Yu-ri truly felt grateful.
Unfortunately, they couldn’t keep fresh flowers in the hospital room due to the worst-case scenario of them turning into monsters.
“…….”
Thinking of So-yeon’s friends brought a bittersweet feeling to Min Yu-ri.
While day by day her younger sister’s friends matured a bit,
Time had stopped for Min So-yeon lying in bed four years ago.
This made Min Yu-ri incredibly upset.
‘She seems to be getting thinner and thinner.’
Min So-yeon’s arms and legs, deprived of proper food, resembled chopsticks in their thinness.
The plumpness in her cheeks had hollowed out, revealing her bones beneath.
For the time being, she was barely alive, but it was uncertain how long her sister’s body would hold up in this situation.
“……Just wait a little longer.”
Min Yu-ri had given up hunting Giant Cat Monsters, but not on her sister.
Finding a way to wake her sister from her deep slumber was the only thing a family could do for her.
*
At the Hero Academy’s communal training center.
Whoosh!
As Min Yu-ri assumed a stance to draw her arrow, Chilla quickly pulled the shield off his back.
Thanks to the repeated exercise of attack and defense, Chilla was slowly beginning to understand that the purpose of the shield was to “block attacks.”
“Thunk!”
However, there were times when Chilla would sometimes let go of the shield’s handle midway.
Even though the incoming attack should have been easily blocked with the strength he usually showed.
Feeling something odd, Yoo Ji-han carefully observed the situation.
He realized that Chilla was instinctively letting go of his grip as if it were a habit.
“Chilla, you must never let go of the shield.”
“Thunk…”
“Do it like you did at the start.”
Every time Chilla dropped the shield, Yoo Ji-han shook his head sternly and handed it back.
Letting go of the shield might ease his hands for a moment, but he couldn’t protect the companions behind him if he did.
Luckily, it seemed that Chilla had started to comprehend Yoo Ji-han’s intention, as the frequency with which he let go of the shield began to decrease.
“Phew, let’s call it a day.”
After several hours of teaching Chilla how to use the shield and personal training.
Yoo Ji-han, drenched in sweat, announced the end of the training.
“Good job.”
“You did well too, Yu-ri.”
“Everyone, drink some water.”
After training, it was time for tea.
Kim Si-hu approached the two with a large thermos.
It was a concoction of Lucky Whisker and White Umbrella herbal tea.
“Yeah, it’s quite salty and bitter.”
A unique taste that only the members of Yoo Ji-han’s party could drink!
Min Yu-ri, who was experiencing it for the first time, was a bit skeptical.
But she couldn’t deny that the effects began to show the more regularly she consumed it.
Not only did the form of the magic arrow woven from magic become refined,
But using her skills felt much more convenient compared to before.
“Oh, by the way, Yu-ri.”
“Yes?”
“Do you have time tonight?”
“I don’t have any specific plans…”
“Then could you spare some time for me tonight?”
“……?”
GulJam’s schedule was generally like an ordinary company, running from morning until 6 or 7 PM.
In the evenings, they usually spent personal time without interference from one another, so it was unusual for him to ask for time.
“Is that okay?”
“It is, but…”
“It’s just that I have a gift for you.”
“A gift? What is it?”
“Just a small gift. I don’t know if you’ll like it.”
“Can’t you tell me what it is?”
“If I tell you in advance, it won’t be fun.”
“…….”
Out of the blue, Yoo Ji-han said he wanted to give Min Yu-ri a gift.
In that moment, she scrutinized Yoo Ji-han’s face.
He wore a very meaningful smile.
It looked mischievous, as if he had something up his sleeve.
‘What is it? What will he give me?’
Min Yu-ri’s curiosity grew as she sipped her water.
*
As the sun set and darkness enveloped the evening.
Dressed in casual clothes, Min Yu-ri waited for Yoo Ji-han at the café he mentioned.
‘Before heading home, I should visit So-yeon.’
Coincidentally, the café was very close to the hospital where Min So-yeon was.
Perhaps Yoo Ji-han had intentionally chosen this location close to the hospital for their meeting place.
‘A gift…’
What could the gift be?
Had she received a gift from someone else recently?
She shouldn’t get her hopes up too high.
But still, she felt curious.
As she lost herself in various thoughts, time went on.
Ding—
The café’s glass door opened, and Yoo Ji-han walked in.
“Ji-han!”
“Is that the girl?”
“Yep.”
Behind Yoo Ji-han stood a man with dark red hair.
The two approached Min Yu-ri.
Min Yu-ri glanced at the unfamiliar man, asking, “Um, who’s this?”
“He’s a vampire.”
“……?”
Upon hearing Yoo Ji-han’s answer, Min Yu-ri thought of the physical features of a vampire.
Dark red hair, fangs, and pale skin.
“V-vampire!”
Right in front of her.
Surprised, she instinctively moved her hands behind her back.
She was looking for her bow, which she hadn’t brought along.
“There’s no need to be on guard. He’s a friend who’s settled well in Korea.”
“I’m a kind public servant.”
The serious-looking Kazimir held forth an ID badge indicating his affiliation.
Only after confirming he was from the Hero Department could Min Yu-ri relax.
‘A public servant vampire, huh?’
With a sigh, Min Yu-ri glanced at Kazimir, who had introduced himself.
She had seen beastmen and elves a few times, but this was her very first encounter with a vampire.
He was an unfamiliar figure to her.
“I’m sorry for misunderstanding.”
“I’m just glad you realize it.”
“By the way, the gift Ji-han was going to give today is…”
“I asked him to do it.”
Yoo Ji-han gave Min Yu-ri a brief explanation.
Kazimir was a public servant from the Hero Department, conducting research related to blood.
“Apparently, your sister So-yeon’s Magic Discoloration Syndrome is one of his research projects.”
“Wow… you must be really smart.”
“I don’t have just a good head.”
“Excuse me?”
“I have an excellent head.”
“…….”
Min Yu-ri was momentarily speechless at the strong confidence in his words.
From the brief conversation, she gathered a sense of Kazimir’s character.
“So what are you going to give me?”
Yoo Ji-han gestured to Kazimir.
Kazimir took something out of his pocket.
“This is the gift for today.”
It was a transparent bottle containing a white liquid.
It looked like a liquid, but it wasn’t too thin; to Min Yu-ri’s eyes, it resembled lotion.
“What is that?”
“It’s something that was created during the research on Magic Discoloration Syndrome.”
Upon hearing Kazimir’s explanation, Min Yu-ri’s eyes lit up.
Things given by researchers were never ordinary items.
“Does it have some special effect for patients?!”
“No.”
“Then what?”
“Have you ever touched your sister’s body before?”
“If I touch it, her skin will turn black…”
“If you apply this lotion, it won’t be an issue for at least an hour.”
Min Yu-ri’s eyes widened as she stared at the bottle containing the lotion.
Without realizing it, she reached out her hand to take the bottle.
“……?”
But just as their fingers got close while exchanging the bottle,
Kazimir’s eyes twitched slightly.
“What’s wrong?”
“……It’s nothing.”
“Is this lotion really effective?”
“It’s just a prototype, but I guarantee that it works, putting my name on the line.”
“Can I try it right now?!”
“Is it okay to enter the hospital at this hour?”
“No problem.”
Min Yu-ri got up from her seat and led the two toward Min So-yeon’s room.
The single patient room, always open to family and related parties.
“I’ll give it a try.”
Min Yu-ri squeezed a generous amount of lotion into her palm.
She spread it all over her hand, from her fingertips to her wrist, before waiting for it to dry.
“Is this enough?”
“That’s excessive. If you apply it like that, the lotion won’t last.”
“That means it’s okay.”
Kazimir muttered quietly about the overly generous amount she applied.
After confirming, Min Yu-ri slowly moved her hand towards Min So-yeon’s palm.
A tense moment of contact.
Tap.
The tip of Min Yu-ri’s finger gently brushed against So-yeon’s palm.
“……!”
There was no change at the point of contact.
Just as Kazimir said, it really had not changed color.
“Really…”
Finally, Min Yu-ri’s hand began to slowly—gently—stroke her little sister’s palm.
It was the hand of her precious sister, which she hadn’t even thought of touching for nearly four years.
