I Thought It Was a Healing Farming Game Chapter 2

My earliest memories always began in a small coastal village.

Mornings when I woke up nestled in my mother’s arms, bathed in dazzling sunlight.

The salty scent of the sea drifted over me whenever I took a walk along the shore in front of our house.

On sunny days, I’d lie in a hammock and take afternoon naps, and on nights when we lit a campfire, I’d sit beside my father as he played the guitar and sing along with him.

Back then, I thought my life would always be this happy and dazzling.

That was until my parents died in a sudden accident.

“How could you leave this little one behind? Oh, you poor thing… Come with Grandma, sweetheart.”

Before my young mind could even begin to understand what was happening, my paternal grandmother took me in, and I moved to Korea, my father’s homeland.

It would have been a lie to say I wasn’t sad, but I wasn’t lonely because I had a grandmother who cherished me.

A year passed, then another, and just as I was gradually adjusting to life in an unfamiliar place—

“Cough!”

Blood suddenly spilled from my mouth.

It happened the year I turned sixteen. A rare disease struck me without any warning.

And now, at last, I am nineteen years old.

Rustle—.

When I drew back the curtains surrounding my bed, the hospital room came into view, filled with the pungent smell of disinfectant.

I was still in the hospital.

Outside the window, the sky was still pitch-black in the early morning.

Out of habit, I picked up the tablet I’d left beside my bed.

4 New Notifications

When I turned on the screen, I saw a notification badge above the cute game icon.

Loading……

5:10 AM

It was still early morning in the village, just as it was in the real world.

I moved my character to make the bed, then headed straight outside to take a walk around the village in the game.

Before long, I spotted a ladder leaning against a tree.

The boy who was harvesting fruit up above noticed my character, hopped down from the ladder, and threw his arms around me in a tight hug.

Hello, Miel! You’re up early again today, huh? I’m happy to see you.

A smile spread across my face as I watched the villager circle around my character, greeting me enthusiastically.

A dialogue box appeared right afterward.

-> 2. Want to go see the sunrise over the sea?

As soon as I selected the option, my character went pattering off with the boy to see the sea.

“That’s so cute……!”

Since I was physically unable to go outside, I was satisfying my longing through the game instead.

While I was engrossed in playing, the curtains around my hospital bed were drawn back.

“Miss Yumiel?”

A familiar-looking nurse called out to me.

“You’re up early. Let me check your blood pressure.”

“Oh. Yes!”

As the nurse took out her equipment, she glanced at the tablet in my hands.

“Playing that game again? It must be fun.”

“It’s so, so fun! When I’m not in pain, I can play it all day!”

I spoke excitedly, and the nurse smiled at me.

“That’s a relief. You were always like that, but it’s nice to see you looking even brighter now.”

The tablet had been provided by the hospital. When I started spending longer and longer periods lying in bed, unable to go outside, the nurse had arranged for me to have one.

“Thank you. I’ve been making good use of it.”

After I started playing the games installed on the tablet, I gradually regained some of the liveliness I’d lost in my daily life.

The game I’d recently become obsessed with was a cozy farming game set in a small island village.

It was just the right game for someone like me, who missed her hometown.

“I’ve already decorated my house quite a bit! Look at this. Once I became friends with the villagers, they started visiting me on their own and even giving me presents. Seeing them every day makes me grow attached to them, you know? It’s just a game, but somehow…”

I was chattering away excitedly when the nurse suddenly took my hand.

“Miss Miel.”

I could feel her hand trembling slightly as it covered the back of mine.

“There’s something I need to tell you.”

When I saw the nurse’s serious expression, my mind went blank.

I knew better than anyone that my physical condition had been getting worse with each passing year.

So I’d thought countless times that a day like this might come eventually, but…

“Ah… Um, I…”

“You can undergo surgery.”

Just as I was struggling to respond calmly, the answer I received was the complete opposite of what I’d expected.

“……What?”

I stared at her blankly and asked again.

The nurse tightened her grip on my hand.

“You can get better.”

What the nurse told me as I sat there, half-dazed, was truly shocking.

A research team had recently discovered the cause of my rare disease and developed a new surgical method.

The method had been recognized as safe, and they’d decided to prioritize surgery for critically ill patients.

My heart pounded violently as I listened to her explanation. I asked in a trembling voice,

“Then… does that mean I can live?”

The nurse squeezed my hand again and nodded.

“Of course. They’ll conduct a response test first, and then the surgery will take place the day after tomorrow. The hospital director even rearranged the schedule to perform the operation personally.”

“I-I want to tell my grandmother.”

“Wait a moment!”

She stopped me just as I reached for my phone.

The nurse quickly continued, looking troubled.

“The news hasn’t been announced to the media yet, so we can’t let it leak outside. We’ll explain everything to your grandmother separately.”

I nodded, trying to calm my excitement.

I was so happy that I didn’t even care about the pain that made my whole body feel as though I’d been beaten black and blue.

“Ah, but what about the hospital bills? How much will the surgery cost…?”

Until now, I’d been hospitalized at a reduced cost in exchange for participating in various examinations and experiments as a test subject for a rare disease.

But surgery was a different matter.

Grandma probably doesn’t have much money.

The thought of her borrowing money from all sorts of places to pay for my treatment weighed heavily on my heart.

“Don’t worry about that. The research organization is providing a substantial amount of funding for the surgery. The hospital is also… considering covering the entire remaining cost.”

“Really? What a relief… Thank you. Thank you so much.”

The moment I felt relieved, tears came pouring out before I could stop them.

“Please don’t cry, Miss Miel.”

“The truth is… the truth is, I’d secretly wondered if I’d ever get better. I was afraid I’d spend the rest of my life being sick like this… and that I’d never be able to go home again…”

My words kept breaking apart because of my tears.

As if to comfort me, the nurse reached out and pulled me into her arms.

“The surgery… will go well. I’m sure of it. But once you get healthy, you might never come back here again, and I’ll miss you. What am I going to do…?”

Thump, thump, thump.

It was hard to tell whether the rapid pounding of a heart belonged to me or the nurse.

I wiped my tears, looked up at her, and smiled.

“Just because I leave the hospital doesn’t mean we can’t see each other again! I’ll definitely come visit you.”

After seeing each other for the past several years, I’d grown quite attached to the nurse, too.

I deliberately swallowed my sobs and tried to smile brightly. She smiled back at me.

By then, the corners of her eyes had turned red as well.

“You really mean that, right? It’s a promise.”

“Yes!”

I hooked my little finger around hers and nodded firmly.

Just knowing that there were people who cared about me so much made me feel that I was truly blessed.

Time passed quickly, and the morning of my surgery finally arrived.

“Oh, my goodness, sweetheart. My precious baby. Don’t be scared. Just go in there and have a good surgery, okay?”

My grandmother stayed by my side the entire time I was being wheeled toward the operating room.

“Of course, Grandma. I’ll definitely get better, so don’t worry.”

“Yes. You have to. Oh, heavens. Thank you. The heavens must have heard my prayers…”

I gave my grandmother a bright smile before entering the operating room.

As soon as I stepped inside, a chilling cold enveloped my entire body.

Then the doctor came in, and a bright light suddenly switched on above my head.

“We’ll be administering the anesthesia soon. Don’t be too nervous. Just breathe slowly.”

“Yes……”

“What would you like to do once the surgery is over?”

The doctor’s voice was professional yet soothing, helping to ease my tension.

I slowly inhaled and closed my eyes.

“Like I used to…”

The more I imagined it, the more a smile spread across my face.

Once I was healthy again, just like before, I’d wander around and take walks, help out with the farm work, eat delicious food…

“I want to run around the countryside, work, and enjoy my everyday life.”

“Is that so?”

The doctor spoke casually while putting on a pair of medical gloves.

“That’s good. That’s exactly what’s going to happen.”

A faint hint of laughter crept into the doctor’s voice as they spoke to me.