[Chapter 2 – Verse 3]Reveal Your Identity!
In this world with Magic Boy, there's a bizarre law.
It's called the Magic Boy Special Act!
Any damage caused by Magic Boy while performing righteous deeds is compensated by the country of the affected region!
…A surreal law.
Even if people die.
Even if buildings collapse.
Even if roads are paralyzed.
Even if jobs are lost.
Magic Boy is deemed completely faultless.
'The intent is good.'
If a hero fighting for justice hesitates due to fear of property damage or casualties, it could lead to even greater disasters.
Hence, the immunity granted.
But there's a huge, fatal flaw.
'Dangerous.'
What if that apostle of justice isn't just?
This world would become a playground for a lawless figure who can kill without punishment.
And it's clear that lawless figure would target me again.
Anyway,
"Ma'am, more please."
"Hoho! You eat a lot, young man."
"Thank you!"
I might die later, but for now, I need to eat to survive, right?
Vice Director Seo Hye-joo, still intrigued by me, recommended I stay at the hospital as a "patient" for a while.
And I jumped at the offer without hesitation.
Why?
'They didn't dissect me, so that's something.'
Blindly trusting that human rights are guaranteed isn't wise.
If Elmolance Hospital, after all those thorough tests, had bad intentions, it would've been a perilous situation.
But since they didn't do anything, I trust them.
That's all… Wow!
'Jackpot! So much beef in the side dishes…!'
The hospital's staff cafeteria was like heaven to me.
All the worries and wariness piled up in my mind vanished. Including my promise with the swim coach.
However,
「Breaking news! An alien spaceship has appeared in the sky!」
「Oh no! The aliens have declared revenge for their leader!」
「Evacuate! The aliens have begun indiscriminate slaughter!」
「Magic Boy has appeared!」
「Viewers, can you see it?! Magic Boy just kicked the spaceship!」
The live broadcasts blaring from large TVs throughout the cafeteria were loud and annoying.
And worse,
"Wooo!"
"It's Magic Boy!"
"Go, Magic Boy…!"
The cheers and shouts from viewers who put down their spoons!
'Ugh! It's so loud I can't eat…!'
Magic Boy, Magic Boy, Magic Boy…
Am I being oversensitive? I might end up with a nervous breakdown.
"Sigh…"
But no matter how frustrating, I have no choice for now.
At Vice Director Seo's suggestion, I'll be staying at Elmolance Hospital for the time being.
'It's unsettling, though.'
As long as I can't escape this world (dream), I can't ignore food and shelter.
The first step.
I have to wait until I'm legally recognized as 'Kang Moon-soo.'
Why?
Because this is a capitalist society! Without money, you can't do anything.
Until I receive compensation from the Magic Boy Special Act, I can't even use public transport freely. Unless I work odd jobs in a dream.
'That's unrealistic too.'
With my ID number canceled, I can't even get a part-time job through legal means.
"Magic Boy~!"
"The best, Magic Boy!"
"He won again…!"
Watching the ecstatic crowd gave me chills.
'This isn't normal.'
If disasters like this happen daily, no city would remain intact.
Yet, people seemed full of dreams and hope.
***
'Hm. I expected more from a futuristic Earth, but it's nothing special.'
There were no flying cars, a staple of sci-fi. Though their designs had changed, they still rolled on wheels.
From Vice Director Seo's words, it sounded like they'd conquered aging, but most people on the streets were wrinkled elderly folks. The aging society was severe.
And,
"For sale! Magic Boy transformation outfits!"
"Magic Boy's magic wand! Buy one, get one free!"
"Handcrafted by the owner! Magic Boy's greatest moments collection!"
"20 years of tradition! Magic Boy kukkuk! No regrets guaranteed!"
The future was saturated with Magic Boy!
A future beyond the imagination of dream-filled kids.
I'd rather pass on this future.
'Should I be glad it's a dream?'
But how to escape this world (dream) was still unknown.
Still, it wasn't my first time in this situation, so I could make guesses.
The center of this world (dream) was Choi Kang-min.
Just as Song Sun-young was the core of her world, here, Magic Boy Choi Kang-min was the protagonist.
The difference?
'Attitude, probably.'
Song Sun-young was kind to me. She saw me as the one and only human, a man.
But Choi Kang-min?
"Kindness, my foot."
Wouldn't he try to kill me if we met? Even if he couldn't outright murder me due to his "justice" mask.
On the other hand, I also thought,
'If I die, will I wake from the dream?'
I didn't want to test it by killing myself, but the fear of death was definitely less intense than in reality.
For now,
"Where to, sir?"
I took a taxi with the pocket money Vice Director Seo gave me.
I could've used cheaper public transport, but I didn't want to get caught in any trouble or incidents.
'If it were up to me…'
I'd want to meet Choi Kang-hoon, who's been in prison for nearly 20 years. But a suspicious guy without an ID would never get a visit approved.
So, my only option was one.
"To Chairman Choi Kang-min's company headquarters, please."
A head-on confrontation.
***
"Wow… Is this for real…?"
A skyscraper so tall I couldn't see the top even craning my neck 90 degrees, hidden by clouds.
According to the chatty taxi driver, it was the world's tallest building.
Beep-
"Huh?"
The moment I stepped through the automatic door like everyone else, an alarm sounded.
"Excuse me, this area is for authorized personnel only."
A man in a black suit and sunglasses, looking like a secret agent, stood like a mannequin by the door and spoke matter-of-factly.
"I'm here to see Chairman Choi Kang-min."
"That's strange. If you had an appointment, you'd have the chairman's business card, which doubles as an entry pass."
"I didn't make an appointment."
"Then please return after making one."
Was this a common occurrence? His tone was calm, without a hint of irritation.
"Can you pass on a message?"
"No."
I hadn't expected much, so I wasn't disappointed.
"Is it okay to wait out here without entering?"
"That's fine. Though the chairman mostly uses a VTOL aircraft, so your chances of seeing him are slim."
"…"
The ultra-rich don't breathe ground-level air, apparently.
"You're blocking the way. Please wait over there."
"…That's a problem."
"If you don't move, I'll have a problem. I'll call the police—"
"I have an appointment with a swim coach who's covering my room and board for a year, two days from now."
"What does that mean…?"
"It means I don't have time to wait idly."
"You can't enter."
Though hidden by dark sunglasses, I felt his glare as I blocked the entrance.
"I'm not entering."
Taking a step back, I took a deep breath and shouted,
"Choi Kang-min Bro! You hear me? Come out now if you don't want regrets! You remember my voice, right? Kang Moon-soo's here!"
"…You can't do that here."
"Ugh?!"
Grip.
The man grabbed my shoulder tightly, speaking with force.
'That hurts!'
It's surprising I didn't wake from the dream despite the pain.
"Choi Kang-min Bro…!"
"Follow me."
He started dragging me by force.
Far away, out of the building.
I could no longer wait at the entrance, but I achieved my goal, so it didn't matter.
"What's that? What's going on?"
"Kang Moon-soo? Someone you know?"
"Who's causing a ruckus…?"
Did I draw the attention of the building's employees?
No.
'He'll come down soon.'
***
This wasn't hope or expectation—it was certainty.
Because he's the great Magic Boy!
A being powerful enough to protect Earth alone wouldn't miss my voice due to soundproof walls or distance.
If he did, his powers must be lackluster…
"Noisy."
"Ch-Chairman?!"
And in just a few seconds, he actually appeared.
Choi Kang-min.
Wearing a white tuxedo with a red rose pinned to his left chest, he sported horn-rimmed glasses.
But he wasn't the boy I saw on the 19th floor of the hospital.
'He's aged.'
Though still youthful for a 20-year future, he could hardly be called a "boy."
"I said it's noisy."
"Sorry, sir! This person was causing a disturbance—"
"Your excuses are noisy."
"…"
With Choi Kang-min's cold words, the man bowed his head and fell silent.
"Bro, it's been a while."
"…Is it really you, Kang Moon-soo?"
"Of course. If you doubt me, I can talk about the times we hung out."
"…"
Instead of a warm welcome, Choi Kang-min narrowed his eyes, scanning me up and down.
"Still don't believe me?"
"…You can't be Kang Moon-soo. Kang Moon-soo died 15 years ago."
"But here I am."
Denying it won't help. The truth is right here!
"No. If you were really Kang Moon-soo, you wouldn't act like this."
"Why not?"
"If you don't know why, you're not Kang Moon-soo."
"Because I'm not angry?"
"…"
Choi Kang-min answered with heavy silence.
Someone capable of infiltrating Elmolance Hospital, packed with surveillance cameras, to assassinate a patient.
Only Magic Boy could do that.
"Bro."
"Reveal your identity."
"What? You still don't believe me?"
"Some villains can shapeshift into others."
"Oh!"
What a troublesome world!
"I don't know who you are, but Magic Boy won't forgive you for insulting the deceased."
"If I were a villain, I'd have exposed your identity first, right?"
"…"
Choi Kang-min, who'd been glaring at me, finally looked away.
With a glance behind him, he flicked his wrist at the man quietly standing by like a backdrop.
A gesture to keep his distance.
Understanding the signal, the man stepped back and blocked passersby from approaching us.
"Magic Boy, protector of Earth, ready to talk now?"
"Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not acknowledging you as Kang Moon-soo. What's your purpose?"
"To wake you up."
"Wake me up? Me?"
"Do you think it's normal for people to fly without wings or thrusters? Never doubted it?"
"If you want to discuss natural science, talk to an expert."
"I'm serious."
"I'm special."
A certain girl who swam like a dolphin said something similar.
Chewing on the memory, I countered.
"It's all a dream."
"First you disguise as Kang Moon-soo, now you're talking about dreams?"
"You're lying in Room 1906 at Elmolance Hospital like a vegetable."
"…"
Did my sincerity get through a bit?
Choi Kang-min, who'd been scoffing, froze with a hardened expression.
"Time seems to move faster here. In reality, it hasn't even been 10 years."
"Nonsense."
"Your doctor said if you don't wake up within 100 days, you'll die from complications. In this world's time, that's about a year—"
"Shut up!"
"…"
"Reveal your identity!"
The same demand, but different.
So I answered differently.
"I'm a shaman."
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TL Note — If You want to read further, you can go to my site "Vritra scans"
And you can read more novels on my site.
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