The warm sunlight that brings heat always disappears, and the refreshing breeze that leaves its fragrance inevitably fades away as well.
Jinseong had similarly vanished after leaving behind two people.
One was Chaine, lying unconscious, and the other was Lee Jae-soon, who was sprawled atop countless insect corpses, writhing in agony.
Thus, Jinseong disappeared, leaving them behind. As the day broke, they were discovered by a passerby who reported the incident, and both were transported to the hospital.
The two were transferred to the same hospital… or so it seemed…
[ Excuse me. We’ll be moving her to a different hospital, so you should be aware of that. ]
“Um?”
[ Listen, this is not about Chaine being an ordinary patient… I’m referring to Seon-mi, the celebrity. You understand, a celebrity with some recognition. Now, would it not be troublesome to lodge her in a regular ward? Let me ask you, wouldn’t reporters coming in and out, and fans causing disruptions, be inconvenient? ]
“…”
[ Ah, not that I distrust your hospital. I recognize it as a large one, but you see, we have an affiliation with another hospital. It’s where we feel more secure sending her, and there are many benefits for us. Moreover, unless she’s severely injured or critically ill, there’s really no issue, right? ]
“But…”
[ Ah, the examination results confirmed she’s fine, right? Then, moving hospitals poses no problem, does it? Am I wrong about something? ]
“But there could be lingering aftereffects that might appear later, so it would be best to observe her closely in the hospital…”
[ Ah, what I mean to say is, we, as in our company, feel more at ease sending her to our affiliated hospital for observation or examination. I’m not suggesting hasty discharge but rather transferring her to another facility. Why prolong this unnecessarily? The procedure isn’t that complex, so why all the fuss?]
Due to the President’s assertion, they were moved to a different hospital.
The president justified this move by saying that they needed to protect the celebrity from the press and fans, citing the need for a secure hospital. Lacking any grounds for protest, the hospital had no choice but to transfer Chaine to the hospital that the president requested.
Indeed, there was little they could do about it.
Whether discharging Chaine or transferring her to another hospital didn’t change the fact that she would still be hospitalized.
Following the President’s direction, Chaine was sent to an affiliated hospital.
Thus, Chaine, affiliated with the agency, was admitted to the VIP room of the hospital.
Though the VIP room lacked a ‘City View,’ it was far more luxurious than a regular hospital room, deserving the ‘VIP’ title.
There were two plush leather sofas cum beds, and a small kitchenette with a kettle, dishwasher, and sterilizer.
Additionally, there was a microwave oven that could be used as both an air fryer and a conventional oven. There was also an expensive-looking water purifier inside the room.
And that wasn’t all.
There was a large wall-mounted TV on one side, and on the table were a tablet PC and a smartphone, presumably brought by the agency.
For someone like Chaine, who had been treated poorly before, this was an astonishing level of hospitality.
However, there was a reason behind this treatment…
[ Phew, Seon-mi, I sincerely apologize for this. Reflecting now, I thought I was taking good care of you… but, looking back, it’s embarrassing.]
“…”
[ You see, I thought I gave you plenty of attention. With all the good information you’ve provided, how could I not return the favor? Even amidst my busy schedule, I ensured to take care of you. You see, when I scheduled events for you, I could already sense it. Only someone who cared would have planned such artistic timetables. Both you and the other employees should know that. Anybody with a brain and intuition would’ve understood.]
“…”
[ But then, while I was showing this care, something truly alarming came to my ears. Do you know what it was? You do, right? ]
“Yes…”
[ Damn that manager! He deserted the assigned celeb and fled. Even when escaping, he should at least have waited by the car for you… Instead, that lunatic drove all the way back to the company. Can you imagine how shocked I was when I heard that story? How could a manager responsible for a celebrity so irresponsibly abandon them, leaving them as bait for some monster? Honestly, at first, I seriously thought this was some hidden camera prank show.]
“…”
[ But then, it turned out it wasn’t a prank; it was real life. Could you believe that? When I called the hospital and confirmed the facts, I realized this was for real. That incompetent manager had committed atrocious acts! It felt like the moment I realized the truth, my head was struck by a hammer. I’ve never felt so dumbstruck, not even when hit by a baseball bat! ]
“…”
[ Despite showing you so much care and attention… how could that ambitious and seemingly competent individual I chose for the role run away like a coward, leaving everything behind, only to reappear before my face? Damn! ]
“…”
[ I can’t tell you how angry and humiliated I felt after hearing that story. How could I appear so ridiculous, letting someone who I show care for, be abandoned like that? How much of my dignity did he attempt to tarnish with such behavior? Afraid of some lunatic but showing no fear of the company president—tch.]
“…”
[ Anyway, move on. You, Seon-mi, don’t worry about anything and rest. All hospital expenses will be covered by me. And rest assured, I’ll take care of that individual for tarnishing my reputation. I’ve also taken measures through personal connections to prevent any media coverage, so no strange articles will come out. Don’t worry. For the fans… Hmm, let’s say that the agency conducted a full health check-up and share a selfie to the fan café or post it on SNS. You take care of the details, understood? ]
“Yes.”
[ Ah, great answer. That’s the spirit. It’s not enough to just follow what the agency feeds you. Especially you, Seon-mi—you’ve got the right approach. I’m pleased. Ah, and about that lunatic you found lying beside you—turns out he’s a journalist named Lee Jae-soon? I’m familiar with him, too. I’ve heard he’s been acting like a madman lately… We’ll handle everything related to him, so don’t worry. If possible, we’ll bury the story; if not, we’ll spin it positively so your image won’t suffer. Just take this as a vacation and relax. We’ll ensure any connections with him get minimized.]
The president’s motivation for providing such hospitality and care to Chaine was purely for self-respect.
It was to mitigate the anger and embarrassment from his appointed manager’s scandalous behavior and to turn this unfavorable situation into an opportunity. He decided to lavish money on Chaine’s hospitalization as a strategy.
Clearly, this was an effort to cultivate an image of consistently taking care of noticed talents.
However, even if calculated…
Wasn’t this treatment beneficial to Chaine, who could now enjoy her stay in the VIP room?
This wasn’t a bad turn for her.
“Phew…”
Moreover, to prevent her from getting bored during her stay, they even bought her a new tablet PC.
This was undoubtedly considerate treatment.
*
Isn’t it true that if there’s Yang, there must be Yin?
While Chaine was living comfortably, Lee Jae-soon was enduring hardship.
“Ughhhh… Ughhhhh!!!”
Unlike Chaine, who fainted due to shock from a bizarre scene, Lee Jae-soon endured severe wounds before being transported to the hospital. They immediately attempted to transfuse blood into him, but…
As soon as the transfusion acted as if it were a trigger, as soon as his body filled with blood, he let out a blood-curdling scream and began convulsing. His convulsions were so severe that even the male nurses and doctors, who seemed strong, had difficulty subduing him.
After somehow managing to subdue him and conduct tests…
“What’s wrong with this patient’s body?”
“Whoa…”
“This doesn’t look normal. The state of the bones and muscles… could this be some rare disease? We should conduct more tests.”
Lee Jae-soon’s physical condition was far from normal.
Firstly, his bones were riddled with holes—not like osteoporosis but as if someone had pierced them with a needle and left countless punctures.
Moreover, it wasn’t just punctures.
It looked as if someone had gouged them out with an instrument, and there were countless scratch marks, as if something sharp had scraped against them. Even from just an X-ray, the damage was evident, so one could only imagine the actual sight during a physical examination.
Also, the state of his muscles was dire.
“Phew… The ligaments and tendons seem to be stretched beyond their limits… Some are almost torn apart, others completely severed… We can’t even identify parts that have ruptured. What’s going on?”
“Wow, I can’t even estimate how many surgeries this might require.”
It wasn’t merely serious—it was debilitating to witness.
“Perhaps we can connect the severed parts, and for those stretched out… Well, fortuitously, a new injection was recently released, right?”
“Yeah, I’ve heard it’s effective… But isn’t it non-covered by insurance?”
“Ah, that’s right.”
Additionally, despite the existence of a miraculous medication, Lee Jae-soon was unfortunate since the drug wasn’t covered by insurance.
Hospitalization alone was already expensive, and adding new drugs could potentially drain his resources.
“But what’s the big deal? Can’t money be earned?”
“Yes, that’s true.”
“Just consider this. When he came in, his innards were all messed up, his spine twisted, and his body was filled with wounds as if he’d been attacked by cannibalistic insects. He was half-dead, but through rapid regeneration treatment, we managed to save him.”
“That’s right.”
“The rapid regeneration treatment is pricey, but if you consider it as saving a life, it’s reasonable. This new medication would also help him return to work sooner.”
Or maybe he had already lost one pillar.
“Moreover, considering his body’s condition, he might need periodic treatment from the Energy Medicine department for internal injuries… With that in mind, it might be better if he leaves the hospital sooner. The internal injury treatment isn’t cheap, even with insurance. Truly…”
…Perhaps two pillars.
