The Sacred Manager Life - Chapter 64
Min Ah-young’s small room door was slightly ajar.
It seemed like she left it open on purpose, leaving a trace for me to follow.
Walking down the cliffside path, I found Min Ah-young sitting on the rock from yesterday.
Her vacant stare at the ocean looked like a painting.
If only Leviathan wasn’t poking its head out of the water every now and then.
‘That thing sticks its head out whenever it sees a person. Is it really just a playful beast?’
[You’re someone who can see the light of grace. It’s sensitive to that energy.]
She must’ve seen Leviathan, but there was no reaction.
Is her vision really that bad?
“You’re here?”
“Yeah.”
I sat next to her and silently gazed at the sea.
Surprisingly, Leviathan didn’t mess around with its tentacles this time.
Maybe it was being considerate since there was someone else nearby.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Go ahead.”
“I heard from PD Shin this morning. He said you found out about my situation yesterday.”
“Yeah, that you’ve been struggling with depression…”
“And you said you’d help me after hearing that.”
“Yes, I did.”
“Why…did you do that?”
“You mean why I decided to help you?”
“Yeah. You and I have no relationship. I’m not even a celebrity under Red Blossom, the group you manage. There’s nothing in it for you. I didn’t promise you anything in return either.”
“Breathe while you talk.”
“It’s just weird to me. Why would you ‘just’ help me like that?”
I’ve heard this countless times before.
Cha So-yeon, Yeoreum, even the department head—they all said the same thing.
Why do people find selfless kindness so strange?
“When I first met the Red Blossom kids, Sera said something. That it wasn’t their fault things went wrong, so why didn’t anyone acknowledge their efforts or give them a chance? That it was unfair.”
That was the only resentment they ever showed me.
“Hearing that made me want to give them that chance. Funny, right? A mere manager thinking like that, not some company executive.”
“…….”
“But the ‘chance’ I wanted to give… wasn’t anything grand. I just started filling in what they lacked, giving up things I had if I thought they deserved it. That’s how it began.”
“And then?”
“It grew. Their dorm improved, the group expanded, the AR team started helping, composers joined. Now they’re even talking about a comeback. Would they be here if I hadn’t thought about giving them a chance?”
“…….”
“In a way, it’s a miracle. But miracles like that don’t happen unless someone acts. After their second album flopped, the kids hit rock bottom mentally, so I pulled them up. They didn’t have the strength to do it themselves.”
I felt her gaze, so I turned to look.
Her dark eyes held a strange intensity.
“Yeoreum asked me why I helped her too. Just like you did. My answer’s the same. Because you’re someone who can shine—no, who’s already shining—and it hurts to see you not realizing it. So as someone who does, I want to help.”
“That interview… you meant every word.”
“Why would I lie about something like that?”
“No, it’s about the… light.”
“Light?”
Min Ah-young’s eyes widened as she pointed behind me.
“It’s glowing even brighter than before. Like… a halo or something. It feels wrong to doubt it. Ugh, I—I’ll believe you. Joo-won… you don’t lie.”
It seemed like even things I hadn’t said were reaching her.
[She’s human, so confusion is inevitable… but thankfully, she’s letting go of her doubts. There’s still a tough shell left, but the relationship has definitely improved.]
Just like with PD Shin, the grace of providence was responding properly.
“I want to apologize again for yesterday… when I lashed out. When I get anxious, sharp words just come out without me realizing.”
Given that it escalated into a seizure, her anxiety symptoms must’ve flared up.
“I told PD Shin not to worry and that I’m fine. It’s true that I’m better than when I was struggling the most, but the aftereffects keep coming back periodically. They say most people experience side effects when stopping medication.”
The most common side effects after stopping antidepressants are headaches, insomnia, and anxiety.
Min Ah-young suffered from insomnia and sudden bouts of anxiety.
“The insomnia has improved a lot, but the abrupt anxiety attacks still hit hard. It feels like the whole world hates me… Things that never bothered me before suddenly become unbearable… The people around me scare me, just because.”
“That’s why you couldn’t act.”
“No. Those symptoms came after I couldn’t act anymore. The acting… it was….”
She shut her mouth.
Probably something she didn’t want to say or wasn’t ready to talk about.
The ‘reason’ she hadn’t even told PD Shin.
I quietly sat beside her and looked at the sea again.
Forcing someone to speak when they don’t want to isn’t a good choice.
“Can I ask one more thing?”
“Sure.”
“When you said you’d help me… it wasn’t just about listening or encouraging me, was it?”
“Well, no, but how’d you know?”
“You didn’t just help Red Blossom with words either. You gave them everything they needed directly. That’s what helping means to you, right?”
Her ability to infer from context was impressive.
“You said if people can see your light, they have a special connection with you, right? So, doesn’t that mean you can use special methods? Just talking isn’t special.”
“What ‘special method’ are you imagining?”
“Hmm… like superpowers?”
“Huh?”
“You’re already not normal if your body glows. Can’t you use some incredible ability, like a superhero in a movie?”
“You’ve got quite the imagination.”
“Actors are naturally imaginative.”
‘At this point, maybe I can tell her about the grace?’
[Since she shares a connection with you, she won’t reject the idea of grace. But her mind isn’t fully stable yet, so be careful.]
‘If it’s really her eyes, should I fix them? Showing her directly would be best.’
[Not now.]
‘Is it an illness that even the grace of healing can’t fix?’
[That’s not it—it’s that she lacks faith. That team leader only saved his family after seeing faith, remember? Even if you sincerely want to heal her, the grace won’t respond without her belief in being healed.]
‘What a hassle.’
[It’s a rule set by God. Humans have societal norms, right? Think of it like that.]
‘So why does an omnipotent God need something like norms?’
[Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. The grace of healing isn’t visible. But she has to hope for it. For it to become ‘real,’ faith is necessary.]
‘Why the sermon all of a sudden?’
[That’s God’s explanation. Anyway, we’ll help when the time comes, so focus on talking to her for now.]
“Your imagination wasn’t far off. The one who gave me this light also gave me abilities.”
“You… received that light?”
“Yeah. I was told to use it to help others.”
“Who… is that person?”
“They said they were God, but I don’t know much beyond that.”
“God….”
Her reaction was similar to Cha So-yeon’s.
Do imaginative people usually believe in this stuff more easily?
Her face was full of curiosity.
She seemed to be figuring out what to ask first.
“What kind of abilities? Like miracles from scriptures?”
“I don’t know everything, but yeah, similar. Enhanced strength, altering things, crossing unreachable places, and also…”
It felt like the right time to lightly probe.
“…healing illnesses. For example… your eyes?”
“Ah.”
Her mouth fell open in shock before freezing completely.
Her face clearly asked, How did you know?
‘Good timing, right?’
[Not really.]
‘What do you—’
I was wrong.
Min Ah-young’s pupils dilated violently as her body trembled.
The same seizure symptoms from yesterday.
“Ah, no… No one, no one was supposed to know… Wh-what do I do? You know. You know my eyes are failing! Aaah!”
The fear of her weakness being exposed must’ve overwhelmed her.
Her face twisted grotesquely as she kicked her legs.
She clawed at her arms while screaming, drawing blood under her nails.
[This isn’t good. Levi!]
‘Levi?’
Ooooooooh~
Cutting through its mournful cry, Leviathan breached the surface.
It nearly leaped out of the water before gaping its maw toward us.
A violent gust of wind sucked everything around us—including us—into its mouth.
“Nooo! What if it eats uuuuus!”
Min Ah-young and I were swallowed whole by Leviathan.
When I opened my eyes, I expected to see the belly of a whale—but instead, an endless expanse of greenery stretched before me.
A massive tree stood atop a gently sloping hill.
‘What is this?’
I stood and looked around.
Nothing but trees, flowers, and lush vegetation—a scenery found nowhere in the real world.
It felt like stepping into a fantasy setting straight out of a movie.
Beside me, Min Ah-young slept peacefully.
The claw marks on her arms had vanished.
‘Where are we?’
I tried calling out to the divine spirit, but there was no response.
This had never happened before.
As I floundered, a voice sounded behind me.
“Long time no see.”