Episode: 24
This must be what a living Buddha is like.
"In the end, I get to work with a team leader who suits me better."
"......"
"And, you know, I don't think he was entirely wrong. Looking at it objectively, I can see how someone might think that way! Hehe. Lastly, thank you so much, Team Leader, for getting angry on my behalf. That was really cool of you."
As I watched Gil Min-seo bow deeply, I felt something warm and fuzzy rising from within my heart.
She's like a light.
Even if an asteroid were to suddenly fall and destroy the earth…
Ah.
She might just brush it off positively, saying that it could instantly cleanse the earth of the pests ruining it.
"Min-seo."
"Yes?"
"No matter what, remember this: I am your number one fan."
"Of course! Oh! In that case, can I make one rude request to my first fan, the team leader?"
"Anything."
At this moment, Min-seo was so adorable that I wanted to offer her my heart if she asked.
Even her request was charming.
"Team Leader sounds too distant. Can I call you Team Leader Oppa instead?"
My heart hurts.
Is it okay for someone to be this lovable?
"Of course, go ahead. Call me whatever you want, Oppa or even Unnie, whatever."
"I might end up causing a lot of trouble in the future. I'm like a ticking time bomb. But I want to be a little selfish. It's a life you only live once, and it might be a short one, but I want to try the things I want to try."
"You can do it. I'll help you."
"Thank you! Now, let's plan how to convince my parents… Ugh!"
For the first time, her bright smile broke.
What replaced it was a pained grimace.
She was sweating profusely, clutching her chest, and trembling as if she couldn't even breathe properly.
So, the problem really is with her heart.
"S-sorry. I just need a little rest. Just a moment, Team Leader Oppa."
"No. Remember, I said that even if others can't do it, I can."
I didn't say anything to Nobel.
I just quietly extended my hand as if we were in sync.
And then, without any hesitation—
Plop!
[Elixir (Replica)]
-Description: A replica of the elixir known as the panacea or the tears of God. While it has a much lesser effect than the original, it still provides the same effect for a week.
Nobel placed the item in my hand as if he had been waiting for this moment.
Indeed.
This is an extraordinary act that only I can show.
A miracle that only someone chosen by a God, or a godlike AI, can perform.
"It's nothing suspicious. Just trust me and take it."
As someone who has been in and out of hospitals due to a terminal condition, she must have been told countless times by her doctor to be careful with what she consumes.
Naturally, it would be normal to hesitate or show suspicion.
However—
"It might sound strange, but if someone else had given this to me, I would have hesitated. But since it's from Team Leader Oppa, I trust you. Hehe."
With trembling hands, Gil Min-seo immediately took the elixir.
"Gulp. Ahhh, this tastes just like strawberries! It's delicious. And... Huh?"
Minseo's face, already filled with energy, started to brighten even more, with a look of astonishment spreading like paint on a canvas.
"......It doesn't hurt. Usually, it only gets better with really strong medication from the hospital, but this… it's a miracle. It's a miracle, Oppa."
"The miracle is you. But I'm sorry to say, that elixir is one of a kind, and its effect only lasts for a week. To stay healthy after that, you'll need to do something with me."
"I'll do anything! If I can be healthy, I'll do whatever it takes. This is amazing! What is this? Waaah!"
She was practically bouncing.
Like an impala bursting out of its enclosure for the first time, or a fish flopping around energetically.
"Ah, what should I do? Now that I know about this, I can't go back to how things were. I’ll become a bad person."
I smiled as I gently patted her head a couple of times.
"From what I've seen, you need to fall a little. Otherwise, you're the kind of person who'd say thank you if someone kidnapped you."
"No way that could happen!"
"This will make convincing your parents easier. You like dancing, right?"
"Yes!"
I pulled out my phone and said,
"Let's record a video. And then, take your parents on a short trip for two or three days, even if it's just a quick getaway."
"Is that okay?"
"Yeah. Since I'm not sure if the effect will actually last a full week, I wouldn't recommend a long trip, but two or three days should be fine."
"Ah."
I thought she only knew how to smile.
But I was wrong.
"Thank you… I'm sorry, thank you, Oppa. Thank you so much. My mom and dad… they’ve had such a hard time because of me. Sniff."
Gil Min-seo was human too.
A person.
A person who could cry tears of joy.
"So, what dance do you want to do?"
"I haven’t actually tried any dances yet, but there is one I really want to show my parents. Could you start by asking me a question for it, Team Leader?"
"What question?"
"Who made our Min-seo so pretty?"
"Ah."
I understood instantly.
[Recording starts.]
I gave the same response as Gil Min-seo.
"My mama~♬"
In the video, Gil Min-seo was already smiling a happy smile that would capture the hearts of many people.
* * *
Three days passed by in the blink of an eye.
"You know that snack shop up ahead? They’re reopening for business today."
"That really surprised me. When they suddenly closed, I thought we were hit with an unexpected holiday season or something."
"Their daughter had heart problems, but recently she got better, so they quickly went on a trip. You wouldn't believe the positive energy their employee has. Who would have thought they were carrying such a burden?"
I overheard this while drinking coffee.
And then, when I got to the office...
[The Freshest Abalone in the World 1KG]
[ALL Vitamins/Top-Grade Vitamins]
[First-Class++ Korean Beef Full Set]
I thought these were gifts prepared for a big corporate chairman or something.
If Gil Min-seo and her parents hadn't been standing in front of the gifts, I never would have guessed they were for me.
All three of them had swollen, red eyes, like they'd been crying for two days straight.
"Hello, Team Leader. I'm Min-seo’s father."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Team Leader Kim Hyun-woo."
"First, let me express my gratitude!"
Thud-!
I didn't realize he meant it literally when he said he'd express his gratitude.
The sound was so loud from him bowing in the reception room that Yoon Won-seok, who was passing by, peeked in to see what was happening.
When our eyes met, he scurried off while pretending to be startled, saying, "Oh my!" under his breath.
Great, now this will be all over the office in no time.
"It was truly a miraculous experience that we can't even begin to put into words. Honestly, these gifts don't even come close to expressing our gratitude."
"Yes…"
"Even if we gave you everything we own, it wouldn't be enough. Honestly, we'd give you all our possessions if we could."
Wow. This man is something else.
Now I understand a bit more about how Gil Min-seo turned out the way she did.
She inherited half of this man's genes.
Combine that with her mother's, and you get a child like her.
"To be honest, I was initially against this. I thought maybe she was just feeling better. But Min-seo kept insisting that to truly get better, she needs to trust and follow you, Team Leader. And more than anything, our daughter said she’s determined to achieve her dream of becoming an idol."
Her mother wiped her eyes and nodded in agreement.
"That's right. Since she was a little girl, she's loved watching celebrities and idols on TV. Because of her poor health, she’s never had the chance to try anything like that. Even if it doesn’t work out, we won’t blame you, Team Leader."
"I won't pry into the details. We're just overwhelmed by the miracle happening before our eyes. It's like a mirage. If we dig too deep and it disappears, that would be even more heartbreaking. We'll just trust you."
Even though they said that, I knew it must have taken a long process to reach this point.
I could also guess how strongly Gil Min-seo must have pushed during most of that process.
No parent can win against their child.
Especially not a parent with a terminally ill daughter asking for a favor.
"I promise you won't be disappointed. Min-seo will become not only healthy but also the most famous person in the world. She’ll bring happiness to everyone."
"Please take good care of our daughter."
"Leave her in my hands."
Anyone would think we were arranging a wedding.
And honestly, they wouldn't be far off.
Whatever it takes to bring Gil Min-seo into the world…
In the end, I’d have to have sex with her.
And I wanted to be with her, too.
"Please visit our snack shop anytime. We'll serve you the best food with the utmost care."
"My kids already told me your tteokbokki is delicious. Since Min-seo will be staying with us, we'll probably visit often, if you don't mind."
"Mind? I’d love nothing more than to get hired as the chef at Min-seo’s place and cook for her every day... Aack!"
Her mom grabbed his hair, tugging hard as if she were about to pull it out.
"Stop being ridiculous! That's enough, honey."
"Honestly! My parents are still in their prime, I swear."
The family laughed together.
It’s draining.
When Min-seo is alone, she spreads happiness.
But when the whole family is together, they drain me of energy instead.
"Whew!"
I carried the hefty gifts and moved to the dorm with Min-seo.
Today was Hee-ju and Da-young's day off, so they should be resting at the dorm.
It was the perfect time for introductions.
"Even if you get better, you'll still need to visit the hospital regularly, just in case."
"Yes, I’ll do that."
"The kids here are a bit unique, so try to be understanding if there’s any trouble."
"That’s actually great! It's all part of the process of becoming close."
Most people might worry about that, but with Gil Min-seo, I didn’t feel concerned at all.
Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep.
After I gave her the front door code and we stepped inside, the first person we saw, as usual, was Eun Hee-ju in the living room.
"Oh."
She paused for a moment, seeing both me and Gil Min-seo.
"Welcome, Team Manager."
"Oh, you're here?"
Da-young also came out and noticed Gil Min-seo.
"Wow, you're really quick at adding new girls."
"You're going to give people the wrong idea. She's a new member, 'a member'."
I was a bit worried that Hee-ju might act territorial and clash with Gil Min-seo, but instead...
"Wow! Who is this? She's so cute! Adorable! 'Smooch, smooch'."
"Team Manager, what should I do in situations like this?"
On the contrary, Eun Hee-ju was so taken with Gil Min-seo that she couldn’t do anything else.
Is this the difference in their levels?
"I'm Gil Min-seo, 22 years old! To show my gratitude, I'll give you a full 180-degree bow!"
"Min-seo has some heart issues and other health problems, so I hope you two can take good care of her."
"You're bringing in someone with heart problems? Are you out of your mind?"
Lee Da-young looked at me in shock.
At that, Min-seo, who had been clinging to Hee-ju, moved over to Da-young.
"Aww, unnie, don’t be like that. I wanted to do this. I'm more worried that I'll be a burden to you and this adorable Hee-ju. I'm sorry if I die in the middle of everything!"
"Alright, calm down. What if your heart gives out?"
"Then I'll just die."
"Hey! This girl has no filter! You can't go around saying stuff like that. Do you want me to curse you out?"
"If it’s you cursing at me, I think I’d actually enjoy it. Hehe."
Now Da-young was looking at me with the same bewildered expression as Hee-ju earlier.
"What should I do in situations like this?"
What do you mean, what should you do?
You just have to accept it and adapt, girls.
"Uh, Min-seo, can I talk to you for a moment?"
"Yes, oppa!"
Huh?
Was it my imagination?
["What?"]
'It seemed like Hee-ju flinched just now.'
["Who knows?"]
But when I looked back, Hee-ju was just looking at me with her usual expression.
"Uh, Team Manager."
"Yes?"
Maybe it wasn’t my imagination after all.
"Would it be alright if I go practice?"
I gave her my usual response.
"I'll come get you later. Don’t push yourself too hard."
Hee-ju nodded and looked at Da-young.
"Okay. I'll do that. Da-young unnie, you should come with me. Unless you want to be the first one cut for being the oldest."
"What the heck! You brat!"
The two of them bickered as they headed out of the dorm and back to the company.
It was the perfect timing.
"Min-seo, don't take this the wrong way, but hear me out."
"Yes. I'd believe anything you say, oppa, even if you told me you could turn beans into bricks."
"Could you believe it if I told you that to get better, you need to have regular sex with me?"
"Uh..."
For the first time, Min-seo made a sound of surprise.
But it was only for a moment.
"That sounds great!"
Eun Hee-ju, Lee Da-young, and now even Gil Min-seo...
My girls were impossible to predict.
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