The Way to Save the Crazy Returnees Chapter 50 - Yesterday’s Enemy, Today’s Ally (2)

 

AMA Seoul Hospital.

 

I didn’t know why I had such a deep connection with this place.

 

Even in other timelines, I’d found myself coming and going from AMA Seoul Hospital far too often.

 

‘But somehow, this time, it felt like I was visiting even more than before.’

 

Maybe it was just my imagination—but it was hard to dismiss the feeling when my grandfather was currently hospitalized here. He was set to be discharged next week, at least.

 

‘No point dwelling on useless thoughts. Let’s just go in.’

 

With that, I headed toward the emergency ward. Fortunately, it didn’t take long to find Lee Man-deuk.

 

He was in the critical unit—the section reserved for the most severe emergencies.

 

And his condition… was anything but good.

 

His body was wrapped in bandages from head to toe, many of them already soaked through with red. The bleeding hadn’t even stopped yet; nurses were rushing back and forth, trying to replace the dressings as quickly as they could.

 

It hadn’t even been an hour since I’d last seen him. What could have possibly happened in such a short time to leave him like this?

 

“Um…”

 

A familiar voice called out from behind me. I turned and immediately recognized her.

 

“Hello, Deok-soon.”

 

Tears welled up in Lee Deok-soon’s eyes. The next moment, she ran into my arms, trembling.

 

I thought she was about to burst into tears, but instead, she bit her lip hard and held them back. She must’ve been worried about disturbing the other patients.

 

“It’s okay.”

 

Even so—crying here was okay.

 

This was AMA Seoul Hospital’s emergency room, after all—a place where dozens of lives were lost and saved every single day.

 

People cried tears of grief when they lost someone, and tears of joy when they were given another chance. That was the kind of place this was. A few more tears wouldn’t change anything.

 

“No, it’s…”

 

She stifled her sobs, hiccupping quietly. Seeing her like that made my chest ache, so I sat her down on a nearby bench and asked softly,

 

“Where’s Soon-deuk?”

 

“Uh, well…”

 

She hesitated for a moment before answering,

 

“He went out… to borrow money.”

 

“What?”

 

Borrow money? From who?

 

I must have looked shocked, because she lowered her head and muttered,

 

“We have to pay for Oppa’s hospital bills… but we don’t have any money right now.”

 

So Lee Soon-deuk had gone running around, trying desperately to find money for his brother’s treatment.

 

“Can you call Soon-deuk and tell him to come back right now?”

 

“But…”

 

“I’ll take care of the hospital bills.”

 

“No!”

 

Lee Deok-soon waved her hands frantically.

 

“That’s not why I called you, oppa. I… I wanted to ask if you could find the person who did this to my brother. That’s why I called. It’s not because of the bill.”

 

Her voice grew smaller toward the end. She was telling the truth—she just didn’t want me to misunderstand, and that fear was written all over her face.

 

As she lowered her head, looking guilty and apologetic, I spoke gently to reassure her.

 

“Did you report it to the police?”

 

“Yes, but…”

 

Her face twisted in frustration as her voice trembled.

 

“They said there weren’t any CCTVs nearby… so it would be hard to identify who did it.”

 

Hard to investigate, my ass.

 

Sure, the soup kitchen itself didn’t have a CCTV, but the surrounding area was a different story. Cars were parked all over the station, and there were cameras lining the street that led straight to the kitchen.

 

The only reason they said it was difficult to investigate was simple—

 

‘They just didn’t want to bother.’

 

In the end, they’d probably dismiss it as a random mugging—or worse, claim that Lee Man-deuk had hurt himself while under the influence of drugs or something.

 

Think I’m exaggerating?

 

I’ve seen it too many times—365, to be exact.

 

In every single loop, whenever Lee Man-deuk got hurt or caught up in something, the police—knowing about his family situation—would always shrug it off as “nothing serious.”

 

Sometimes, reality is far more absurd than fiction. And this was one of those times.

 

But I wasn’t the type to let things slide.

 

“I’ll handle it.”

 

“But—”

 

“It’s not a big deal for me.”

 

Paying for Lee Man-deuk’s medical bills and finding the bastard who did this—neither was a problem.

 

“So don’t worry. Just call Soon-deuk and stay together.”

 

“What about you, oppa?”

 

“I’ll stay here and keep an eye on Mr. Lee Man-deuk for you two.”

 

Lee Deok-soon tried to argue that she and Soon-deuk should stay instead,

but I cut her off firmly.

 

“Do as I say.”

 

She was far too shaken. Her hands were still trembling.

 

She’d only just started high school—a kid completely overwhelmed by what was happening. Even now, she was holding back her tears so she wouldn’t trouble anyone.

 

I couldn’t imagine how much fear and frustration she was bottling up inside.

 

Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the hall. Lee Soon-deuk came running toward us.

 

“Hyung?”

 

He blinked in surprise when he saw me, clearly wondering why I was there.

 

Instead of answering, I handed him a card.

 

“Go hang out at the café in the basement with Deok-soon for a bit.”

 

“Huh?”

 

He hesitated to take it, confused. I didn’t bother to explain.

 

“I’ll call you when Mr. Lee Man-deuk wakes up.”

 

“But still—”

 

“Soon-deuk.”

 

I pressed the card into his hand and smiled faintly.

 

“Don’t carry such heavy burdens at your age.”

 

Lee Soon-deuk’s eyes wavered slightly. Lee Deok-soon’s eyelids trembled, too. Both were probably thinking of someone who had carried too heavy a burden too young.

 

‘Lee Man-deuk’

 

He’d been left at an orphanage with his younger siblings right when he should’ve been going through adolescence.

 

Their lips quivered before they both bowed deeply to me.

 

“Then, we’ll leave him in your care.”

 

“Thank you so much.”

 

I waved them off, telling them to get some rest. As soon as the kids left the emergency room—

 

“Hello?”

 

I immediately made a call.

 

―Yes, young master.

 

“There’s a patient named Lee Man-deuk who was brought into the AMA Seoul Hospital ER. Check whether a police report’s been filed under that name, and find out which detective is handling it.”

 

―Understood.

 

The moment the call ended, a text came through.

 

[Seo Do-hwan]

Lee Yoo-seong got home safe, lol.

 

It was a message from Seo Do-hwan. The photo showed him and Lee Yoo-seong making peace signs with bright smiles. But despite the caption, “got home safe,” Lee Yoo-seong’s clothes were completely soaked.

 

It must’ve started raining while I was still in the ER. Still, it’s Lee Yoo-seong—he’s not the type to catch a cold over a bit of rain.

 

I dialed Seo Do-hwan.

 

―What’s up?

 

He picked up almost immediately, before the phone could even ring twice.

 

―How’s Man-deuk? Bad?

 

―Man-deuk? You mean Mr. Lee Man-deuk? Why are you asking about him?

 

I could hear Lee Yoo-seong’s curious voice in the background. Seo Do-hwan replied easily.

 

―We ran into each other for a bit earlier

 

But then—

 

―Why?!

 

Lee Yoo-seong suddenly pressed him for details. He must’ve been upset to have been left out while he was still at school. Unaware of that, Seo Do-hwan answered calmly.

 

―We just had something to talk about.

 

―What do you mean, something? I thought you two already cleared everything up! So why did you meet again? Why?!

 

―Ah, damn it, you’re so noisy! Go take a shower already!

 

A loud thud followed by some shuffling came through the receiver, then silence.

 

―Ah, sorry. I had to drag Lee Yoo-seong into the bathroom.

 

Looks like all that candy he’s been chewing really paid off—he’s strong enough to wrestle with Lee Yoo-seong now.

 

―So, how’s Man-deuk?

 

Even though Man-deuk was a year older than us, Seo Do-hwan kept calling him like he was just another friend. I didn’t bother to correct him.

 

“He’s not doing great.”

 

―So, he’s not gonna die, right?

 

“Yeah.”

 

―What a shame.

 

A shame, my foot.

 

If Lee Man-deuk dies, I regress.

 

And I have zero intention of reliving this hell all over again—especially with all these unpredictable variables floating around. Of course, Seo Do-hwan had no idea that I’d regress if he or the other returnees died.

 

Besides, he probably didn’t mean it seriously. It was just one of those throwaway comments people make without thinking. There’s no way he actually wished Lee Man-deuk dead.

 

―So, what did you want to ask me?

 

The sudden question caught me off guard.

 

“Huh?”

 

―You called to ask for a favor, didn’t you?

 

“Well, yeah, but…”

 

How did he know?

 

I frowned slightly, puzzled, and heard him chuckle.

 

―Come on, I’ve met you enough times to know better, boss. You wouldn’t call just to chat about Man-deuk’s condition. You need something from me, right?

 

“Not really… nothing I want, exactly.”

 

―Then you do have a request.

 

Quoting the saying that the one who wants something should speak first, Seo Do-hwan teased lightly and asked,

 

―So, what is it you need from me?

 

With him taking that tone, I had nothing to say back. Rather than wasting time with excuses, I went straight to the point.

 

“Could you head to the free soup kitchen near Seoul Station right now?”

 

―Because of Lee Man-deuk?

 

“Yeah.”

 

―Man, I really don’t feel like moving for that guy.

 

Even as he said that, I could hear the rustle of fabric—him slipping on a jacket. A moment later came the sound of a zipper.

 

―So I just need to go there?

 

“Yeah. Just take a few photos of the scene. There might be a police line set up, so be careful.”

 

―Got it.

 

With that short reply, the call ended. Just before the line cut, I faintly heard him calling out to Lee Yoo-seong—probably planning to bring him along to the soup kitchen. That wasn’t a bad idea; it might help lift the kid’s mood.

 

‘Still… it’s pouring out there.’

 

Would they be all right?

 

I couldn’t help worrying a little. But as if to mock that concern, a message from Seo Do-hwan soon arrived.

 

[Seo Do-hwan]

This place looks kinda weird.

 

No matter how much he and Lee Man-deuk had fought, the soup kitchen itself should’ve been fine. At least, that’s what I thought—until I opened the photos he sent.

 

The building looked like it could collapse at any moment.

 

[Seo Do-hwan]

Boss, can you ask Man-deuk if he fought a bear or something? Lee Yoo-seong says the damage looks like claw marks.

 

Attached was a photo of a wall slashed with three deep, ragged gouges.

 

‘Wait a second.’

 

Had Lee Yoo-seong ever fought a bear before?

 

‘He must’ve said that because he recognized the marks… right?’

 

My confusion lasted only a moment. I began saving each of the photos Seo Do-hwan had sent. Just as he’d said, every single one looked strange—more than strange.

 

‘There’s no way an ordinary person could’ve done this.’

 

At least, not someone physically ordinary like me. Then, one possibility came to mind.

 

‘A monster.’

 

A creature that shouldn’t exist in this world.

 

‘If Lee Man-deuk really fought a monster…’

 

Then how on earth had those things appeared in this world? There hadn’t been a single gate this time, unlike before. And yet, the monster’s corpse had vanished without a trace.

 

Too many questions.

 

The number of unknowns was growing by the second.

 

As the weight of it all sank in, I lifted a hand to my forehead.

 

And then—

 

“…Fuck.”

 

Lee Man-deuk woke up.