The Sacred Manager Life - Chapter 13

“……”

“It’s just like you said. I’m at the hospital. How did you know three days ago that I would be here?”

“I’m on my way.”

Baek Hakyung felt like he needed to meet him.

He gave him the hospital’s name.

“Oseong Hospital, right? I’ll call when I arrive. Come down then.”

He had never mentioned the hospital at work.

A chill ran down Baek Hakyung’s spine.

*

While waiting for the ICU visiting hours, he sat in the lounge.

There, he heard the exact condition of Baek Hakyung’s wife and daughter.

“They can keep her on life support, but even with a ventilator and dialysis, two weeks is the most they can do. The hospital is just waiting for my decision.”

“As for my daughter… her spinal cord was damaged. They say if rehabilitation goes well, she might be able to walk with assistance. But I don’t know if that’s true or if they’re just trying to comfort me.”

His bloodshot eyes blinked slowly, exhaustion weighing on him.

At work, he was always overflowing with confidence.

But now, he looked like he might collapse at any moment.

“Tell me. How the hell did you know?”

Even in this hopeless situation, he was still curious.

Or maybe, deep down, he was desperately hoping my words about helping weren’t just empty promises.

“You won’t believe me even if I tell you.”

“Tell me anyway. And… about what you said before… about helping…”

His voice trailed off.

He must have felt like a drowning man clutching at straws, but the situation was just too grim.

Even the doctors had given up—what could a mere manager possibly do?

Hearing the words brain death and paralysis had honestly shaken me.

Especially brain death—it was practically the same as being declared dead.

I had fixed machines before, but I had never healed a person.

[The gift of healing allows the lame to walk, the blind to see, and even the dead to rise from their graves. You have this gift—so what’s there to worry about?]

“So I just need to place my hand on them, like when I fixed the audio system?”

[That’s how the healing works, but there’s something you need to do first.]

“What is it?”

As I listened to the spirit’s explanation, I frowned.

This was starting to sound a lot like some cult leader nonsense.

*

Baek Hakyung anxiously waited for my answer.

“I’ll tell you after I heal your wife and daughter.”

His eyes widened, and he swallowed hard.

“Y-You mean… you can really do it? My wife’s brain is dead. My daughter’s legs won’t move.”

His eyes gleamed with desperation, like a child clutching a toy at the checkout counter, refusing to let go.

“If you’re messing with me… I won’t forgive you. I might even kill you!”

“Keep your voice down. We’re in a hospital.”

People around us shot us strange looks, so I gave him a warning.

“But before that, I need to confirm something.”

“W-What is it?”

“Your faith.”

“My… faith?”

“Yes. I need you to show me how much you believe in me.”

“I don’t get it. How am I supposed to show that?”

“You have to believe that your wife and daughter can be healed. Right now, it’s a hopeless situation, isn’t it? But even in this situation, you need to have faith. Even the smallest grain of faith can bring about a miracle.”

He gave me a look that practically screamed, What kind of nonsense is this?

I had the same reaction when the spirit first explained it to me, so I couldn’t blame him.

“If I just believe… if I really, truly believe… then Yoori can be saved?”

“Yes. But right now, I don’t feel any faith from you at all. You’re speaking desperately, but deep down, all you’re thinking is This is impossible, this makes no sense. You’re filled with nothing but doubt. And with that kind of mindset, a miracle won’t happen.”

As visiting hours began, people around us stood up one by one.

I got up as well and said to Baek Hakyung,

“Let’s go inside. I’ll ask you again in front of your wife. That time, you need to show me your faith.”

*****

ICU.

The air in the ICU was thick with the shadow of death.

A ventilator, tangled tubes, and a lifeless woman lying on the bed.

There was no sign of life in Baek Hakyung’s wife.

If she were to wake up here, even an atheist would drop to their knees and worship God.

“I can feel something flowing through me.”

[Your ability is reacting to the situation and your determination. You’ve never noticed this feeling before, right? That’s because you’re finally getting used to your gift.]

So this was what the spirit meant by “getting used to it.”

I wasn’t the only one who noticed the change.

Baek Hakyung’s wrinkled face stiffened with fear.

“It’s just like last time. You… what the hell are you…?”

He stopped himself, as if he was about to say something harsh.

I could feel his fear, but there was still no faith in him.

Baek Team Leader still doesn’t believe.

He’s full of doubt.

What the hell is he doing?

Why did I even bring him here?

How can you revive someone who’s brain-dead?

No matter how desperate I am, this is ridiculous.

Should I just leave now?

His thoughts were a constant cycle of disbelief.

Even the spirit seemed frustrated, letting out a sigh.

[Humans really won’t believe unless they see it with their own eyes. Open your hand.]

Like this?

As I opened my right hand, sparks erupted from my palm.

The scattered flames gathered into a single point, then flared up in a brilliant white glow.

Light streaked out in all directions, enveloping my hand.

It was burning… yet I felt no heat.

What the hell is this?

[It’s just a meaningless performance. Think of it as a movie special effect. Humans always need something like this to believe in miracles.]

When I turned to look at Baek Team Leader, his face was frozen in sheer horror.

“W-What… what is that…? T-This is… impossible…”

Seeing his reaction, a perfect line popped into my head.

“This is the Flame of Life. Do you believe now? If you don’t, I won’t be able to save your wife.”

[Not bad. Didn’t you say you couldn’t act?]

This isn’t even acting.

I’m just lowering my voice and acting serious.

But it worked.

Baek Team Leader collapsed.

He clung to my pants and bowed his head.

He gripped so tightly that the fabric dug into my skin.

“I-I believe! Master! I believe! Please, save Yoori! I can’t live without her! Please, I’m begging you, Master, save her!”

This once strong and confident man was now sobbing at my feet.

And just like that, I became a Master.

[Humans only believe what they see. This level of faith should be enough.]

Even as I turned my palm over, the flames remained.

I placed my hand on his wife’s forehead.

A wave of darkness surged forward, swallowing everything around me.

*

Inside the Darkness.

It was pitch-black.

Where… am I?

[Inside this woman’s consciousness. Her life is fading, leaving only darkness.]

As I walked forward, I saw a faint light in the distance.

Under the light, someone was crying out into the void.

“Minji’s dad! Minji!”

It was Baek Team Leader’s wife.

I stepped closer and placed my hand on her head.

Like water draining from a sink, the darkness was sucked away.

In its place, radiant light began to fill the space.

A moment later, the light faded, and I was back in the ICU.

Baek Team Leader was still clinging to my leg, sobbing.

I called out to him.

“Team Leader.”

“Huh? Y-Yes?”

His tear-streaked face lifted.

“Stand up and hold your wife’s hand.”

He blinked, confused.

“She’s awake. She should see you first. Hurry.”

Ah.

He scrambled to his feet and rushed to her bedside.

She slowly opened her eyes and looked at him.

Through the oxygen mask, I saw a faint smile.

“Agh… Huuuh… Y-Yoori… Yoori!”

Baek Team Leader burst into tears, burying his face in her side.

She’s still a critical patient—should he really be doing that?

I heard commotion in the hallway.

Someone must have heard his cries.

With Baek Team Leader too caught up in his emotions, I took the chance to slip out of the ICU.

The moment I distanced myself from the patient, the energy inside me vanished.

[As long as his faith doesn’t waver, you can summon it again anytime. Don’t worry.]

The spirit reassured me, as if reading my thoughts.

I waited in the lounge until Baek Team Leader came running in, breathless.

Then, right in front of me.

He dropped to his knees and bowed deeply.

Ah… here we go.

“Thank you… thank you so much… I have committed a grave sin by not recognizing you, Master!”

Somehow, I had officially become his Master.

If he starts calling me this at work, I’m screwed.

I quickly pulled him up.

“There’s still something we need to do first. Your daughter isn’t healed yet.”

Ah.

“Do you believe that I can heal her too?”

He nodded so vigorously his head might have flown off.

Tears and snot flew everywhere—it was disgusting.

“Yes! Master! I believe! Of course, I do! Who else but you could save my Minji?”

His eyes had a wild, almost fanatical gleam.

This was the look of a full-fledged devotee.

Using the chaos in the ICU as cover, we headed to his daughter’s hospital room.

A young girl, probably just starting elementary school, was peacefully asleep.

Thank God she doesn’t look like her dad.

Alright, show me the flames again.

Make them even flashier than before.

[You’re really getting into this, aren’t you?]

Go big or go home.

And just like that, the second flame show began.

*

The Hospital in Chaos.

If Baek Team Leader’s reaction was bad, the hospital’s was even worse.

A brain-dead patient woke up.

A paralyzed girl walked.

Every doctor in the hospital gathered, desperately trying to find an explanation.

Did they misdiagnose?

Was there a mistake in the surgery?

How did this happen?

Of course, they wouldn’t find an answer—but they had to come up with something to save face.

But honestly, my problem was more urgent.

Ever since witnessing two miracles, Baek Team Leader refused to leave my side.

Wherever I went, he followed.

Whenever I sat down, he knelt in front of me.

If this kept up, I was screwed.

“Team Leader.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Listen to me carefully from now on.”