After X-rays and a quick round of tests, Lee Hajin sat side by side with his father on the chairs outside the examination room.
Neither Hajin nor his father said a word.
They sat in quiet silence, waiting — and then, after who knew how long.
"Patient Lee Jaean, please come in."
At the nurse's voice calling his father's name, Hajin supported his father and walked into the examination room.
The doctor greeted them warmly.
"Welcome. Patient Lee Jaean, how long have you had this cough?"
"About half a year."
"Half a year...?"
The doctor reviewed the chart as he spoke.
"We'll need the detailed test results before I can say anything definitive, but what I can tell you for certain is this: if you'd continued ignoring this, it could've become very serious."
At the doctor's words, his father squeezed his eyes shut. Hajin's hands began to tremble.
"If he gets treatment, will he be okay?"
"I can't say for sure yet, but he needs to be admitted first."
"......Understood."
"If you step outside, you'll be guided through the admission process. What I can tell you right now is......"
The doctor checked the chart once more, then offered a slight smile.
"It's not too late."
"......Thank you."
"It's fortunate, really. That you came in when you did."
At the doctor's words, Hajin thought for a moment, then spoke.
"I happened to receive a consultation from a gifted shaman, and he told me to take my father to the hospital."
"If that's true, then perhaps a deity used that person's voice to give you and your father a chance."
At the doctor's philosophical reflection, Hajin and his father bowed their heads and left the examination room.
"Patient Lee Jaean and his guardian, please take a seat over there. We'll help you with the admission process."
"Yes."
Hajin settled his father into a chair, then pulled his phone from his pocket and opened the Jjiriri app.
He went into Kim Jinwoo's stream and opened the donation window, typing in a number.
"This is all I can give right now, but once I get hired, I'll repay today's kindness."
His fingers still trembled, but he hit confirm.
"Patient Lee Jaean and guardian, this way please."
"Yes."
Hajin pocketed his phone and followed the nurse alongside his father to complete the admission process.
With steps lighter than they'd been in a very long time.
***
"Phew, I'm glad I could help before it was too late. Alright, one last session and I'll wrap up today's stream."
― Me! Me! I want one!
― What? I've been waiting in line since forever
― That's right, they've been waiting the longest
― They said they'd hold their breath until their turn — looks like they're still alive?
― What are you talking about? They died ages ago
― KYAAAAAH!! A ghost!!!!
Let me see.
I scanned through the viewer list again.
Countless scenes flickered past, and then.
I stopped on a nickname and looked closer — it appeared to be a high school classroom.
A student?
Sitting by the window seat, staring at a phone.
The rest of the students were chatting noisily with friends, so it seemed to be break time. On the student's desk sat a test paper.
A score was written in red pen — 23 points.
......Not great at studying, huh?
"Alright, WholePizza? Come into Daincode, please."
Seven minutes left in the break period?
That should be enough.
Click.
A youthful voice came through.
"Hello."
"How'd you do on the math test?"
"Wow, you really are the real deal......"
"You didn't score so well."
"Y-you don't have to say that part......"
He trailed off, embarrassed, but at least I didn't mention the actual score.
"Pretty upset, huh?"
"It's whatever."
The moment he said "whatever" and I looked more closely at the student —
For the first time, I saw not the present or the future, but the past.
The student studying past midnight in a study room, preparing for the exam.
'Has the power gotten stronger?'
Now I can see the past too.
Could it be that the more I use it, the stronger it gets?
If not, it didn't make sense.
......Focus for now.
"You pulled all-nighters at the study room, worked so hard, and the results didn't come — that's what's weighing on you, right?"
"It's just......"
He said "just," but his voice was anything but.
This time I looked into the student's future — through time that flickered past rapidly, the student was still in the study room.
Effort without end. And the result?
On the next test, the score was different.
67 points.
And after that, more effort — until finally, a 97.
From 23 to 97, raised through pure effort alone.
But the student didn't know this future, so of course he was anxious.
Wasn't it the role of a shaman to ease that anxiety?
......Or was it?
"Don't give up. Even if I told you to, I know you wouldn't."
"How did you......"
"And don't worry too much. You're just getting started."
"Could I ask you one thing, then?"
"Of course. Ask away."
The student paused for a beat before speaking.
"My effort isn't going to waste, is it?"
"No. Hajin, right now you're a flower bud that's formed but hasn't bloomed yet."
"Excuse me...?"
"Just because you can't see the results right now doesn't mean the effort has vanished."
A flower needs time to take root and raise its stem before it can bloom.
"Right now, you're deep underground where nobody can see, diligently spreading your roots."
On the surface, it might look like nothing's changing — but in truth, you've already finished the most important preparation.
"If you believe in yourself just a little more and keep trying, one day a beautiful flower you never expected will bloom."
― Jinwoo, were you a humanities student?
― The way he talks is totally humanities
― No wonder he's broke
― Ha! Thinking humanities students can't make money is a misconception
― Yeah, I'm humanities too, and I make your monthly salary in a year
― That means you can't make money though?
At my words, Hajin was looking at me with skeptical eyes, so that's enough encouragement.
Now it was time to tell him which direction to walk.
"Go back to the fundamentals. Close the workbooks and start with the textbook."
"The textbook?"
"Yes. Right now, you're only solving problems, right?"
"That's right."
"Without the foundation, no amount of problem-solving will raise your score. Lock down the concepts with the textbook first. Even if it's boring."
His skeptical expression shifted to something a little more reassured.
"It'll really go up?"
"Absolutely. Because I've seen it. And you're only in your first year of high school, so it's not too late."
"You really do know everything......"
"When studying gets hard, come watch my stream. I'll cheer you on."
― Lol, never misses a chance to plug the stream
― Hajin, hang in there!!!!!
― Show them the pride of a science student!!!!!
― She said he's a humanities student~
"Thank you."
Click.
The sound of Hajin leaving, and I looked at the chat.
That's when a donation popped up.
― Anonymous donated 1,000 won! ―
[Jinwoo, you use formal speech even with students?]
"Me?"
― Anonymous donated 1,000 won! ―
[Yeah, the student's younger than you]
At the viewer's comment, I thought for a moment.
The reason I always use polite speech.
It was because of the orphanage director.
Our director, who always spoke politely even to little children.
At first it seemed strange to me, but how should I put it?
It felt less like an adult talking to a child, and more like one person respecting another as an equal.
"The director used to say: whether it's an adult or a child, being spoken to rudely by a stranger feels equally bad. She said people only open their hearts when they feel respected."
― That's why our Jinwoo turned out so well raised!
― Huh? Jinwoo grew up in an orphanage?
― Yeah, he said he doesn't have parents
― Boo, trash — throwing insults about family
― When did I!?
"That's not the point right now, everyone."
― ??????????????????
― They're literally throwing family insults right there
― When did I!?
― Boo, trash — apologize to Jinwoo
― Shove your head in a public bath and hold your breath for thirteen hours
― Isn't that just telling them to die?
"No, no — what's important right now is that the live viewer count just broke 200!"
[Viewers: 201]
The first time in one year of streaming.
On a historic day like this, I can't just leave, right?
My condition had improved since earlier — I could probably handle one or two more.
"Alright, one more session! The person who's been waiting — EggGoesInNeoguri! Come on in!"
― Look at that nickname
― That's insane
― Not in their right mind
― Lottery first-prize winner or something?
― Don't play with food
― EggGoesInNeoguri donated 10,000 won! ―
[Coming in now, just a sec!]
"Take your time."
That's when it happened.
― PackOfRamen donated 100,000 won! ―
[Took my father to the hospital. Thank you, sir. I'll leave another update when the test results come in.]
"PackOfRamen! Thank you for the 100,000-won donation! And that's great to hear."
Simultaneously with my thanks, I used my ability — and saw Lee Hajin and his father going through the admission process at the hospital.
......So I can do this now too?
At this rate, I'm curious about the limits of my ability.
― Thank god
― PackOfRamen's dad, please get well soon
― Jinwoo, well done
― ㅠㅠㅠㅠ What a relief
The chat turned into a sea of tears — the emotional sensitivity was no joke.
"Everyone, please don't cry. The stream has to go on."
― Anonymous donated 1,000 won! ―
[Jinwoo, are you like a total T?]
"What does that mean?"
― Our Jinwoo doesn't know current memes
― How is that a current meme? Everyone knows it
― HOW DARE YOU DISRESPECT SOMEONE IN THEIR TWENTIES!!!
― I'm in my twenties too and that's embarrassing
― A streamer who doesn't know this stuff?
― You have no talent
"Then I'll end today's stream here."
― Anonymous donated 1,000 won! ―
[No no no, you ARE talented, please stream more]
― Execute everyone who said he has no talent!!!
― Purge about 200 of them!!!
― Then there'd be no viewers left
― Did a viewer just talk back?
The chat was scrolling so fast I could barely read it — is this what they call "establishing discipline"?
Never thought I'd live to see the day I'd be putting my viewers in line...... I really have made it.
"Alright, alright. Everyone calm down. I'll keep going."
Where was I?
Oh, right.
"EggGoesInNeoguri, are you almost ready?"
The moment I said that — click! A viewer entered Daincode.
"Sorry, this is my first time using Daincode so it took a moment."
"No problem."
The voice was low and thick. As the scene unfolded before my eyes — fifties, maybe?
He was lying on a sofa in an apartment living room, staring blankly at the TV. But something was off.
An incongruous feeling, I'd call it.
Starting from the front door, unopened delivery boxes were stacked high, and the living room table was buried under a pile of shopping receipts.
"You've got a lot of packages."
"How did you... no, you really are the real deal."
"Looks like you've been buying a lot from home shopping channels."
Let me see — so what's the problem?
......This IS the problem, isn't it?
"Sigh, that's right. This is the problem. I keep buying things without even realizing it, and I don't know if it's a sickness or what."
― Home shopping addiction
― My mom used to do that too ㅠㅠ
― Isn't that bipolar disorder?
― If there's compulsive spending and excessive confidence, could be
Bipolar disorder?
I looked into his future, and the instant I did, I was struck speechless.
"Mr. Han Munsu. Please listen very carefully to what I'm about to say."
At the tension in my voice, he answered with a trembling voice of his own.
"Why, what is it...?"
"If things continue like this, something very bad could happen."