translation by mourningmoor
As soon as we returned to Korea, we were given two days of rest.
The reason it’s called “rest” and not “vacation” is because a ban on personal schedules had been imposed.
PD Pyo assigned personal managers to the five of us and took us to the hospital.
“Get checked from head to toe, and each of you will receive a bottle of good supplements.”
Then he stared intently at me and Roa.
“Especially you two. Roa, your knees. Ichan, a full-body check-up.”
It seemed he was curious about Roa’s knees and my physical condition after being struck by lightning and falling into a sinkhole.
“The director of this hospital is a friend of mine, so do as you’re told, understood?”
It was the same doctor who had come to the company to dress my shoulder when I was injured in a lighting accident before.
After laying down the law, PD Pyo left, and we remained at the hospital to begin the check-up, starting with height and weight measurements.
Primitive. So primitive.
This is something a healer could finish with just one glance. But here, they’re drawing blood, taking pictures, and even sticking a tube down my throat.
Still, if I’m starting to feel a sense of familiarity with this primitiveness, I guess I’ve truly become a part of this world.
While I was lost in these thoughts, a nurse shook me.
“Kang Ichan-ssi? You can get up now.”
It seemed the check-up was already over.
Rubbing my eyes, I got up from the bed and slipped my feet into the slippers.
“You might feel a little dizzy, so be careful. Once you go out, head to the waiting room on the right, and we’ll bring you some porridge.”
“Yes, thank you.”
After undergoing the most primitive check-up of my life, which included having a tube stuck down my throat for the first time, I headed to the waiting room. Inside, the other members who had finished their check-ups before me were sitting in a row.
They looked somewhat cute, all wearing the same light blue gowns.
I wonder if I look just the same to others.
“Hyungnim. Come quickly. The porridge is here.”
Roa gestured to an empty seat and smiled brightly.
It’s funny. Why does this bring me such relief?
Ever since meeting Bartholomeus, that crazy old man, my emotions have been all over the place.
Part of it was also because it was the first time I’d used my full power since arriving in this world. That overwhelming feeling seemed to amplify the bitterness.
The night I shattered Bartholomeus’s barrier, I returned to the dorm, spent a little time with the members, and then flew straight to Tahiti to meet Natalie Grace.
Bartholomeus’s wife. Or rather, the vessel containing the soul of his wife.
There was something I needed to confirm with her.
[Natalie Grace. What’s the name of the other woman inside you?]
Even though I had completely removed the magic circle, the irregularity in her soul’s resonance was because her soul was intertwined with several others.
[Ah, should I say there are other women?]
Natalie Grace wasn’t surprised that I knew this fact. She didn’t even ask how I knew.
She simply answered calmly, “My name is Baek Soonhee.”
She sadly told me that the four women inside her all desired freedom and still desperately wanted it.
[What would happen if I removed all the souls inside your body? Leaving only you. Wouldn’t that be better for you too? Less troublesome.]
Natalie Grace, no, Baek Soonhee, refused.
[Removing them means killing them. I don’t want that. We’ve relied on each other and endured all these years. If you’re going to kill, kill us all together.]
Killing souls. That’s something I, as a mage of light, should never do.
So, I proposed.
[Then let’s just separate them. You said there are four, right? I’ll create four soul vessels for them.]
[Soul vessels?]
[They’ll temporarily hold the souls. You’ll be able to move between them freely.]
[Why should we do that?]
[Let me peek into your heart a little. It’s hard to explain.]
In the end, I infused Natalie Grace’s diamond necklace with purified magical energy. It had to be pure since it would hold human souls.
After emptying Natalie Grace’s body, I faced Baek Soonhee, the only woman left, and peered into her heart for a long time.
As I left, I said one last thing.
[Thank you for staying quiet. As a reward, I’ll bring your son next time I come.]
[My son? How do you… know about him?]
[Because I’m the one keeping him?]
Returning, my thoughts became even more complicated.
The members are the cure for this tangled mess in my head. They’re the only ones who give me a sense of stability.
Sitting with the members and finishing a bowl of porridge, I smiled faintly and spoke up.
“Do you all want to go to the bank together?”
* * *
It started when we left the U.S. The members’ thoughts all converged on one thing: the bank.
What exactly do they want to do at the bank?
After finishing our porridge, we were caught by the nurses again and given supplements.
By the time we left the hospital, it was 2 p.m.
With our managers trailing 5 meters behind, we walked to a nearby bank.
We each took a number and sat down, and of course, all eyes were on us.
The Filaments were fine since the “pretend not to know us” campaign was in place, but it was the non-fans who were particularly curious.
“Young man. That, what’s it called… that…”
An elderly woman pointed at Jaewon with her index finger and spoke up. Jaewon opened his mouth.
“Jungle?”
“Yes. That’s right. Jungle.”
The grandmother smiled brightly and continued.
“You’re the pot guy, right? The one who dances well.”
At that, Jaewon pouted.
“The pot guy is that hyung over there. I’m the leaf guy, okay? The leaf guy who sings well.”
The grandmother, momentarily flustered, glanced at Roa and then burst into laughter.
“Oh my. I’m sorry. I got confused. The leaf guy is this one, right?”
Laughing and even clapping her hands, the grandmother held out her bankbook.
Jaewon looked at her in surprise, and the grandmother smiled awkwardly, adding playfully.
“I don’t have paper… so could you sign here?”
In the end, Jaewon laughed too. Siu, Roa, and even Hanjoon burst out laughing.
After signing for her one by one, the people who had been sneaking glances at us from the side slowly started to gather.
Kim Chanyeong clicked his tongue and approached.
“You can’t do this here. The kids are here to take care of their bank business too.”
Even celebrities need to handle their bank business, right?
Kim Chanyeong scolded the gathering crowd.
Then, a neatly dressed bank employee hurried over.
“LIT… right?”
Hanjoon, sitting at the front, nodded.
The employee, delighted, bowed and pointed to the VIP room.
“Oh my, why are you waiting here? Please come this way.”
Gesturing for us to follow, he led us into the VIP room.
Soon, various snacks and drinks were laid out on the table.
Hando Bank is our primary bank, and given the enormous amount of money from this settlement, we’re probably VIPs, or even VVIPs.
At this level, the branch manager might show up.
No sooner had I thought that than the employee who had been bowing earlier returned with a slightly older woman.
She wore a gray suit, neat hair, and makeup. Confidence radiated from her face.
Definitely the branch manager.
“Hello. I’m Ahn Misook, the branch manager of Hando Bank’s Sageori branch.”
She handed out business cards and flashed a professional smile.
“It’s an honor to meet you all in person.”
Ha, this ahjumma. If she keeps this up, the kids will sign up for every product out of sheer embarrassment.
“You’re all so handsome. Yoon Siu-ssi, you’re even more impressive in person.”
As expected, our visual center Yoon Siu.
But the kid just blushed and lowered his gaze, unsure of what to do.
“Ichan-ssi, you’re so handsome too. Hanjoon-ssi as well. How do you all shine so brightly?”
The branch manager spent a long time praising our looks and popularity.
Judging by her expression, half of it was business, and half was genuine.
If we play our cards right, we can give the members, who know nothing about the world, a solid financial education.
And so, Branch Manager Ahn Misook’s sales pitch lasted for about an hour and a half.
By the time we left the bank, everyone had a clear sense of how wealthy they were.
Following the branch manager’s advice, we diversified our money and made investments. Though the members were overwhelmed by the sales pitch, they seemed to have a clear sense of values.
“I don’t want to waste money.”
Jaewon was the first to bring it up.
Roa immediately agreed.
“Me too. Drinking, partying. I don’t want to spend money and time like that. I want to save diligently, grow my money, and spend it meaningfully.”
Siu also nodded.
“Right. The branch manager said it earlier. It’s more important how you spend your money than how much you save.”
Good kids.
“Then, how about we do this?”
At my words, the members perked up their ears and gathered around.
“You all have at least 100 million won in your accounts, right?”
The kids all nodded in unison.
Earlier at the bank, we tied up our money in various ways, leaving only a certain amount in our accounts for spending. That amount was well over 100 million won for each of us.
“Let’s spend half of the 100 million meaningfully and use the other half for other forms of investment. How about that?”
Before I could finish, the members were already nodding in agreement.
“Great. Then let’s start with investments.”
I immediately took the kids to an art gallery that was hosting an exhibition.
There, I activated my “Aesthetic Eye.”
The Aesthetic Eye is a magic that not only maximizes the artistic sensitivity within me but also allows me to understand the artistic value of this world through the flow of mana.
After pinpointing exactly five artworks, I told the kids to each buy one.
“They’ll double in value by this time next year.”
I told them not to fight over them since the works by the same artist would have similar value, and then I walked back to the exhibition hall I had passed earlier.
There was a painting that caught my eye.
A gloomy lake under two moons.
Standing in front of the painting, I furrowed my brow and read the description.
“Title: Two Moons. Artist: B.K? ‘Bartholomeus Catraev,’ huh? He’s really being blatant about it.”
That’s when it happened. A chilly breeze and a surge of magical energy brushed past me.