Chapter 67
“Specifically, what kind of symptoms was he suffering from?”
I leaned my upper body forward and whispered softly, putting my mouth close to the Doctor's face.
It was a asure to lower my voice so that the organization mbers working in the restaurant couldn't hear.
Even though it might have been burdenso to have a face so close, the Doctor unexpectedly maintained her distance from calmly.
“Well~ what should I do? Should I tell you or not?”
“I thought treating you was the price for telling .”
“Fufu, but I'm the one holding the handle of the knife.”
“I feel like you're being particularly selfish today.”
“Oops, which mouth is saying those selfish words? You're the one who made like this. Are you planning to pretend that you didn't stir up selfishly every ti?”
While we were bickering, an organization mber brought fried chicken served in a basket-shaped bowl.
The kick was that French fries were mixed in between the chicken pieces.
Since the organization mber stayed close while serving, the conversation between the two of us was briefly interrupted.
After the organization mber withdrew, the Doctor quickly picked up two legs.
“Try asking more politely. Otherwise, I'll eat both legs by myself?”
I ended up bursting into laughter instinctively at the cute threat.
A woman whose default was snapping and glaring was shaking her body left and right while holding two chicken legs in both hands.
If this situation were being aired as a drama, the viewers would have thought it was brand chicken PPL.
I moved the neck bone part to my front plate, and said as I took a bite like I was tearing at back ribs.
“I can see why the nurses don't want to have company dinners with you.”
“Hey, are you hitting with facts suddenly in the middle of a joke? My feelings are getting hurt.”
“Eat as you please. I'm not the type to be particularly fastidious about the parts.”
“Are you the type who doesn't care about taste or anything as long as you can eat?”
“One serving to be full. Isn't that what a al is originally all about?”
“So you're not the type to dabble in this and that. Hmm~ I see.”
Weren't we talking about eating styles?
I felt like sothing was slightly off, but I dismissed it as a fignt of my imagination.
Despite it being a strange conversation, the Doctor's mood seed to have improved significantly.
The Doctor ate one chicken leg in the blink of an eye and placed the remaining one on my front plate.
Then, she said while munching on the pickled radish aggressively.
“There wasn't just one or two diseases he was suffering from, starting with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. He was in a constant state of anxiety because he had alcohol addiction and self-harm tendencies.”
Of course, it was a story about April.
It felt strange to ntion alcohol addiction while sipping beer.
I finally understood the violent words and actions April showed during the ga.
“So they kept such a person as a dealer.”
“Do you think there's a normal person among those involved in this crazy ga? Everyone is in this position because they have circumstances, whatever they may be. Whether it's a player or an organization mber.”
It was a valid point.
No matter which part it was, they were staying ‘voluntarily’ in this blood-soaked environnt because they had broken parts.
Does that an the Doctor is too?
I wanted to hear the story, but since the relationship I had built delicately so far could collapse in one blow, I decided not to rush.
As if she intended to get foam on her philtrum properly today, the Doctor boldly ordered more beer.
“Another glass of beer here!”
As declared before drinking, the second and third rounds continued at the sa spot.
After finishing the chicken, trivial conversations beca the main focus.
Most of it was about hobbies.
My hobby was watching movies or dramas, and the Doctor's was watching summaries of movies, dramas, and ani.
My density was higher, but the Doctor had more work, so the conversation flowed in a way that supplented each other's lacking parts.
This work was like this, that work was like that...... Conversations without substance that would be forgotten as soon as this session ended were exchanged.
When ti passed and it was almost closing ti for the restaurant, we paid and left.
While walking with a staggering gait, the Doctor suddenly asked .
“Hey, about what you said earlier, that soone swapped the contents of the dicine bottle.”
I covered the Doctor's mouth with my hand and looked around.
“I suddenly wondered what you were saying...... speak in a lower voice. It's also good not to bring it up at all.”
The Doctor shook off my hand irritably and then ramd my chest with her forehead.
“I...... hiccup, I've been thinking about it? It seems there's soone among the dealers who likes you.”
“Doctor, let's talk again tomorrow. You're very drunk right now.”
“Ah~ shut up. I told you to listen to until the end. Why would they have swapped the dicine? They swapped it because they wanted you to win. Clearly, there's soone among the dealers who likes you~.”
The Doctor poked my cheek aggressively with her index finger raised.
Like a carnivore checking the at quality of its prey before eating.
“It's a woman, right? There are only two female dealers, May or August. One of the two is the culprit~.”
It was a relief that there were no people around.
Since there was no one listening, there was no way for the higher-ups to take issue with the Doctor's remarks.
Thanks to that, I also felt relieved and had the room to reflect on the Doctor's remarks.
‘Swapping because of favor...... That can't be. Soone is trying to use my fake traitor plan against . Is it a third force that is neither on my side nor on the organization's side? Things are turning out interestingly.’
The mont I was enjoying the mysterious atmosphere while pushing up the corners of my mouth was only brief.
Suddenly, the Doctor leaned her forehead on my shoulder.
Just as I was about to ask if she was okay, an unpleasant sound flowed out of the Doctor's mouth.
“Blegh~.”
Oh boy.
***
Inside the consultation room,
Today as well, the sunlight outside the window heartlessly announced noon.
Since the whole day was a rest period, it was a leisurely ti with not a single person visiting.
In contrast, the Doctor's mind was as complicated as a busy ti.
Thud.
Bumping her forehead on the desk, the Doctor squird her body like a caterpillar.
Yesterday's film was slowly replaying in her head.
The bubbles of regret rising like carbonation wrapped around her whole body.
“Haaaaaaaaa.”
Exhaling, and wanting to tear out her hair, it was all because of embarrassnt.
She wasn't the type to bla others for her drinking habits,
But still, yesterday was really too much.
“No matter how much stress has built up, whining after drinking is just not right. Why did you do that, Jung So-dam.”
Even though she brushed her teeth violently in the morning, the sour sll still seed to remain in her mouth.
If it were that man, Lee Ju-seong, she knew that he wouldn't be offended but would rather make it sothing to tease her about.
She knew he wouldn't hate her for just(?) that much, but personally, she wasn't pleased that a dark history had been created.
The crack created in her ntality would surely tornt her whenever she rembered it for at least a week.
Vomiting was also a problem, but she couldn't co to her senses because the words she said right before vomiting kept floating in her head.
“Clearly, there's soone among the dealers who likes you~...... My foot. Why did I say such nonsense? At this rate, that guy will jo... jo... jo...”
She didn't know in detail what was happening among the current dealers.
Although the Doctor's status within this facility was as good as a dealer's, the dealers, who were strictly Silver rank, were higher in rank.
There was no way a re Bronze would know the internal affairs of the Silvers.
Still, she knew that a being as significant as a dealer wouldn't have interfered in the ga for a light reason.
“There's no way. No. Absolutely not.”
While she was struggling to recover her ntality.
The sound of a knock ca from beyond the consultation room door.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Who is it?
There were no dical appointnts at this ti.
Would it be Lee Ju-seong again?
Rather, it's good.
If we share a frivolous conversation, yesterday's embarrassnt will be diluted a bit.
The Doctor was certain it was Lee Ju-seong, so she used the comfortable way of speaking she only used when dealing with Lee Ju-seong.
“You can co in if you promise not to talk nonsense.”
She wouldn't not do it, but she snapped in a formal, sharp tone.
Because that was our own routine.
However, the visitor who actually ca was not Lee Ju-seong.
The door opened, and a tall woman in a silver mask, neatly dressed in a suit, ca inside.
It was August.
“Doctor, could you spare a mont?”
The Doctor blinked her eyes in bewildernt.
“O-August? I'm sorry. I wasn't saying that to you, August. I just mistook you for soone else.”
She couldn't say she was on close terms with August even as a lie.
The slender proportions that the Doctor didn't have, the noble atmosphere that made it difficult to speak, and the attitude of refusing to beco close to anyone made her a presence that was always difficult to deal with.
At least that's how the Doctor felt.
August closed the door without a word and walked in quietly.
Then, she stopped for a mont in the middle of the consultation room and asked with her head slightly tilted.
“Doctor, by any chance, can you tell how to get close to Lee Ju-seong?”
Because it was such an unexpected business, she almost stood up by hitting the desk with both hands.
The remaining hangover vanished instantly.
Her heart beat fast.
It felt as if yesterday's drunken remarks had finally pierced her ears in reality.
‘Why? What is a being as significant as a dealer trying to do by getting close to a player? Exactly how am I supposed to take this situation?’
She felt dizzy because it exceeded the amount she could understand.
She tried to speak, but the voice wouldn't co out as if there was a traffic jam near her Adam's apple.
In the end, it was August who broke the silence.
“I know it's a strange question. But you contact Lee Ju-seong frequently, Doctor. I ca because I wanted to get help if I could get even a little bit of information.”
August bowed her waist politely toward the Doctor.
That bowing of the head had no pretense, no authority, and no face.
What kind of emotion was it? Interest? Obsession? Or really, favor?
The Doctor slowly leaned her back against the chair's backrest and stroked her mask with her fingertips.
“Before I answer, can I hear the reason?”
“I can only say that it's because of a mission for now.”
“Since it's a Silver rank mission, I, a Bronze, should follow the orders.”
“I would like you to speak honestly without being bound by rank. I can't explain in detail, but the current situation is very complicated.”
It was a mont of hesitation.
Even if that man, Lee Ju-seong, was entangled with a dealer and suffered a rough ti, there was no damage to the Doctor at all.
She just had to say what she knew as it was.
His hobbies, speech habits, preferred approach, and so on.......
There was a lot of information useful for August.
However, why was it?
The words that actually popped out of her mouth were the exact opposite of what she thought, that it didn't matter what happened to Lee Ju-seong.
“Don't approach him hastily, just leave him to co to you first. He's a character who is basically wary of people who approach him first.”
“Is there no effective advice in a situation where I must approach him first?”
“Then the key would be not to give him a reason to misunderstand. It's good to make it clear that you have no personal interest and that you're approaching him because you have business with the player as a dealer. After that, simply having a cup of coffee and checking the progress would be the only way I can recomnd.”
All the thods she told August were actions that drew a sharp line between the two, rather than getting close to Lee Ju-seong.
August took the Doctor's advice sincerely and expressed her gratitude.
“Clear expression of position and keeping distance...... I see. I'm glad I asked you, Doctor. Thank you for the advice.”
It was August who withdrew from the consultation room, being truly grateful.
The Doctor, left alone, bumped her forehead on the desk with a thud.
Earlier it was because of the hangover, but now it was because of guilt.
To lay out advice that would prevent them from getting close on purpose.
At this rate, it seems like I interfered because I didn't want Lee Ju-seong to get close to another woman.
Self-reproach flowed out spontaneously along with the sound of a sigh.
“What am I really doing? How foolish.”
While leisurely ti still passed, the Doctor's groaning was nothing more than a very relaxed worry that was only painful for herself.
***
Inside the control room.
The fluorescent lights on the ceiling flickered softly with a brightness lowered on purpose, and only one largest main monitor was turned on.
On the main monitor, the playback scenes of the Round 5 ga, which had already ended, were flowing out.
Only one person stayed in the room, January alone.
January sipped a mouthful of amber-colored liquor in the crystal glass in his hand while leaning his body on the leather sofa languidly.
“April's one-sided defeat. August was right. It would be dangerous to rashly conclude that a dealer wins against a player and set up a plan.”
I learned one thing from this incident.
It is natural for a dealer to win against a player.
However, it is not natural for a dealer to win against Lee Ju-seong.
I had just learned a new equation that would be used within the Money Ga from now on.
When you give a wrong answer, you should write down an incorrect answer note.
In this case, the incorrect answer note was the recorded video containing the contents of Round 5.
He was in the middle of watching the battle of ‘Lee Ju-seong vs. April’ more than ten tis already.
While watching Lee Ju-seong's behavioral patterns in the video closely, January suddenly operated the remote control to pause the video.
“Found it. His weakness. Why didn't I notice it until now.”
January's gaze was fixed on the person on the screen with a montum that seed to pierce through.
In the paused video, Park So-yul was being reflected on that screen.
She was the very person who was providing the abilities that beca the starting point for all the offensive and defensive patterns Lee Ju-seong had shown so far.
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