036 – Who Receives the Golden Apple #3
I did not use a social networking service like StarGram.
I used to when I was doing well, but later I shut it down.
Still, I knew very well that having a lot of followers on StarGram could lead to impressive opportunities─ after all, they call them influencers.
With just one post, I could create a huge impact─!
Advertisements would start pouring in!
Superstar Haildo.
Three million followers.
As I felt good about that thought, Seo Ye-rim spoke in a subtle voice.
“How about it? Good, right? You know that not just anyone gets the chance to do an advertisement with me, right? I’m the woman who sold out all the original production of water purifiers. If I push you, you can really become a star!”
I couldn’t help but be intrigued by Seo Ye-rim’s words.
The overwhelming power gained from such a massive follower count and the wealth that would come from it.
Could there be a better offer than this?
If I were simply a greedy person, I might have handed the apple over to Seo Ye-rim right away.
But this apple wasn’t a product to be sold for money.
It was merely a gift I wanted to give.
And since I wanted to give it first to the person who needed it the most, I had to listen to what others had to say─ just as I thought this, Yu Ara raised her hand.
“Senior! You know, don’t you? Riding on someone else’s coattails isn’t permanent! If the followers aren’t earned through your own abilities, you’re bound to fall off quickly!”
That was a valid point.
I knew a few people who shot up quickly by leeching off successful individuals.
In the Awakened parties, there were plenty of those.
People who would throw a lot of money at B-Ranks or C-Ranks and ride the mission bus from E-Ranks or D-Ranks.
Even if they conveniently increased their experience and mana capacity, usually, they fell into slumps due to a lack of foundational skill.
Even if Seo Ye-rim pushed me and I became a star, if you asked whether it was because I was truly special, the answer would have been no.
Yu Ara quickly added,
“The glory should be made with one’s own hands. I can analyze your career path better than anyone else. You know my precognitive skill, right?”
“I know it well.”
“With this skill, I can provide consulting on the skills and tactics you could develop and enhance! Isn’t that amazing?”
Skill consulting.
Yu Ara’s precognitive abilities showed remarkable results not just in combat but also in non-combat situations.
I understood that it was also possible to thoroughly grasp others’ strengths and weaknesses, reinforcing the strengths and compensating for the weaknesses.
Yu Ara had advised Kim Yu-mi, who was once a C-Rank: “Yu-mi, you’re better suited for a bow than a close-range weapon like a spear,” and it was already a well-known story that Kim Yu-mi had climbed from a C-Rank slump to an A-Rank by taking that advice.
Would she give me such consulting too?
As an Awakened, such opportunities were truly rare.
“Tsk—.”
Seo Ye-rim clicked her tongue.
Compared to that, Yu Ara seemed to have become more confident than before.
Soon, Seo Ye-rim asked.
“Hey, Yu Ara. What do you need that apple for? You don’t even need it, right?”
“What do you mean? I’m a doctor. If I get the apple, I’ll use it as research material to cure diseases like mana sickness. I might save an incredible person!”
That was indeed a noble intention.
Would it be better to give the apple to Yu Ara then─ I thought as my eyes turned to the only remaining Lee Jin-A.
The fact that Lee Jin-A had come here meant that, after all, she needed this golden apple.
It would be good to first ask why she needed it.
“Jin-A, you need the apple too, right?”
I asked.
Lee Jin-A frowned and clicked her tongue.
“I can’t do anything that amazing. What I can do is just help Haildo get along with whoever he likes.”
Help someone to be with the person they like?
How on earth would that be possible?
I was far too curious.
And I suddenly realized that I didn’t know about Lee Jin-A’s ‘specialty’ as an Awakened.
It seemed that Seo Ye-rim was equally surprised.
“You can help someone get along with the person they like? How is that possible? What are you going to do? Hire a private detective to follow them?”
“Why would I waste money on something like that? I have the power to be sensitively aware of changes in other people’s emotions. That’s my trait.”
Being able to catch changes in other people’s emotions?
That was a fascinating ability.
However, Lee Jin-A frowned and quickly turned her head away.
“It’s not a very helpful ability in Awakened work, except for service jobs. But if there’s someone whose intentions you’re curious about or someone whose feelings you want to probe, just let me know.”
Sure enough.
As I was absorbing this information, Lee Jin-A spoke again.
“My sister suffers from mana sickness. She has been sick for a long time, and I’ve tried everything and given her all sorts of health remedies, but nothing worked. I thought perhaps the golden apple could help her.”
An ill sister.
Was she talking about the woman who extorted me?
Hearing that she had been suffering from mana sickness for a long time was new information to me.
However, it seemed like various conclusions had been reached.
The meaningful first harvest apple.
Could there be anything more significant than using it to save someone who is sick?
As I thought about this, Yu Ara said,
“It would be better to give the apple to Jin-A.”
Did that mean Yu Ara was giving up on the apple?
Soon, Lee Jin-A raised an eyebrow.
“Are you planning to give up the apple? What are you scheming?”
“You said you were sensitive to emotions, right? Then you know I have no schemes. It’s just that we should help each other.”
Sliding.
Lee Jin-A slowly opened her weary eyes.
Was she examining Yu Ara’s emotions and sincerity?
When Lee Jin-A remained silent, Yu Ara opened her mouth first.
“Also, if your sister has mana sickness, may I take a look? I want to see if it really has any effect when consumed. It’s a story that could be helpful to me as well.”
Sure enough.
Yu Ara was indeed smart.
To do that much was commendable for a doctor.
“I want the apple, but I don’t need it urgently. The apple will eventually ripen again, and I think it’s fine for me to receive it later.”
Moreover, showing such selflessness to help cure a patient was commendable.
Then all that was left was Seo Ye-rim?
Soon, Seo Ye-rim said.
“Honestly, I didn’t need it urgently either. I was more surprised by Jin-A. You have a unique ability. It’s a kind of ‘special type’ like Yu Ara, right? It’s not a common type.”
Seo Ye-rim seemed to take an interest in Jin-A’s ability.
In this way, the owner of the golden apple became Lee Jin-A.
It feels strange to see her with her brightly dyed blonde hair holding the golden apple.
“This is the golden apple─.”
Lee Jin-A’s eyes glistened as she looked at the fruit in her hand.
The resplendent golden fruit sparkled even more in Lee Jin-A’s grasp.
# # #
On the way home.
As Seo Ye-rim put on her shoes, she playfully said to me.
“Do you have someone you like? Did you give the golden apple because you can connect Jin-A with whoever she likes?”
“What are you talking about? She has a sick sister. Wouldn’t it be a wonderful thing if the apple could help her?”
It had merely gone to someone who needed it.
But to be honest, I was also somewhat interested in the reward that Jin-A had mentioned.
“I actually wondered what the feelings of a certain person were.”
“What…!? Who is it…!”
Seo Ye-rim froze mid-step while wearing her shoes.
Yu Ara, who had been discussing Jin-A and the illness, also halted.
I went outside to ask Jin-A, who was in the truck.
“Jin-A, could you tell me what emotions you’re feeling right now and what words you’d say? It shouldn’t take long.”
“What─. It’s not a difficult task.”
Jin-A responded lazily.
Soon, Yu Ara, who was sitting in the passenger seat of the truck, appeared to be more flustered.
“Senior! Are you really going to illegally pry into someone’s heart? That’s a pretty sensitive issue for special-type sensitives like me and Jin-A…!”
That was true.
It appeared that those with sensing abilities didn’t like to reveal their skills.
For example, if there was a guy who could see through all lies.
Everyone would feel a bit uneasy approaching such a person.
Jin-A must have felt the same pressure, which was why she had been hiding her abilities until now.
Of course, there was no need for such concerns regarding me.
“It’s okay. I’m not going to use it on people. Hey, Kkungkkungi!”
━Kkungkkungi…!
I called Kkungkkungi.
Racing over from the yard, Kkungkkungi climbed onto my knee and shoulder.
I lifted the little guy onto my palm and petted him vigorously while asking.
“Jin-A, you were able to get along with Kkungkkungi because of that special ability, right?”
Kkungkkungi was quite fond of Jin-A.
This was because whenever Jin-A scratched Kkungkkungi’s neck and back or when he got hungry, she would always give him treats.
I thought it could solely be due to Jin-A being fond of cute squirrels.
What if Jin-A could also respond to the emotions of animals?
“Can you understand what Kkungkkungi is trying to say just by hearing his barking?”
Communication with animals.
That was a power I truly desired as someone living with Ahn Ahn and Kkungkkungi.
With a swift motion, I deliberately rubbed Kkungkkungi’s fur against the grain.
Kkungkkungi growled and furiously stirred up his fur for a moment.
━Grrrr…!
Kkungkkungi growled like thunder as if to express his displeasure at being petted the wrong way.
Watching this, I asked Lee Jin-A.
“Right now! Can you tell me what Kkungkkungi is thinking?”
“I can’t know his thoughts. I only feel his emotions. Kkungkkungi is currently unhappy. He doesn’t like his fur being stroked backward.”
“Just as I thought!”
Lee Jin-A’s ability was real.
I wanted to understand the hearts of animals, and here was the close answer.
Indeed, people should live while helping one another.
# # #
“Ugh! It’s terrible! Hey, Jin-A! What are you feeding me? Ugh, ugh, ahh-!”
The golden apple.
Lee Sun-A, who ate it, was shaking as if she were about to have a seizure.
For a moment, I tensed up, thinking she might be poisoned, but Yu Ara’s expression was calm.
“It seems like it tastes horrifically bad, but the effect seems wonderful. I can feel the mana being stored inside in a healthy way. Complete recovery? We’ll have to observe the progress further, but it truly has an effect!”
Yu Ara thought this was an astonishing event.
Mana sickness.
It was one of the diseases that the fractures had brought about and continued to cause pain to many people around the world.
It was being cured thanks to the apple that Haildo had brought.
How many lives would this save?
‘Senior, you are truly amazing!’
Yu Ara felt happy as if she had done it herself.
Now, on the way home.
Lee Jin-A had brought the doctor, Yu Ara, to the truck for her sister’s examination.
“Thanks for checking up on my sister. Are you planning to put this incident on my tab?”
In the returning truck.
Lee Jin-A questioned Yu Ara with an uninterested tone.
Yu Ara casually replied while looking at her phone.
“I told you, let’s just help each other out. Helping your sister with mana sickness seems like a good opportunity for me as well.”
“You know you’re a special-type sensing ability user, too. So you must know that most lies won’t work on me.”
Though saying this, it was a bit difficult for Lee Jin-A to grasp Yu Ara’s intentions.
It felt as though a massive curtain had been drawn over her emotions.
I often experienced these feelings when witnessing those trained to control their emotions, and Yu Ara was just like that.
Finally, having tucked her phone neatly into her handbag, Yu Ara spoke.
“Jin-A, you know, just as you can explore me, I can do the opposite too, right? I know it too. Jin-A, saying you first met Senior at the fractures is a lie, right? It’s not just that you’re from the same neighborhood.”
“……”
“Well, I’m not a detective or a police officer, so I’m not planning to say anything about it. I have a lot of things I hide from others as well. But if that unspoken ‘secret’ puts Senior in danger—”
Yu Ara buried the latter part of her sentence in a chilling silence.
The sensing ability users knew very well that sometimes hidden things could reveal more than openly discussing them.
‘This kid must have understood that well.’
Yu Ara felt good, thinking she had chastised the girl who had tried to unwrap that packaging on her own. Now she would have to coax this ruffian girl and use her like her own Cupid─.
While thinking this, Lee Jin-A manipulated the phone she was using for navigation.
“What are you doing?”
“You’re right. Honestly, hiding things was never my style. Sure, let’s disclose the truth.”
Bzzz-.
The vehicle’s speakers rang with a loud signal tone for a moment.
When someone picked up the phone saying “Hello─,” Lee Jin-A spoke.
“Haildo, this is Lee Jin-A. Are you free tomorrow? My dad wants to have dinner with you. Actually, there’s something I haven’t told you until now. I’ll tell you everything tomorrow.”
Tack-.
Having ended the call, Lee Jin-A said.
“I feel relieved now. Thanks to you. I guess listening to older seniors is sometimes worth it.”
“Huh?”
Yu Ara now precisely understood the substance of the déjà vu she had been feeling since meeting Lee Jin-A.
It was that the synergy between her and this yellow-haired ruffian was the worst!
