Chapter 47: The switch buried inside turned on

“If I were you, I wouldn’t put this up for auction.”

“…Why not?”

Truthfully, I didn’t need to ask.

It’s an item that could save someone or completely change their life.

I just needed an expert’s confirmation.

“It’s not something you can put a price on, is it? Rather than selling it to a stranger for a big profit… I’d keep it and use it myself.”

The appraiser gave a meaningful smile, lightly rolling the stem of the Awakening Ginseng with his fingertip.

“Instead of chasing immediate gain… there’s a way to benefit more, for longer, isn’t there? Well, you’d know better than I, Healer-nim.”

A way to benefit more, for longer.

No matter how I thought about it, only one thing came to mind.

“Of course, it’s just my personal opinion, so you don’t have to take it seriously. I’m just saying that’s what I’d do.”

I nodded quietly.

So that’s the path I need to take.

The unease weighing on my heart began to lift.

“Thanks to you, I’m certain now. Thank you.”

With a deep bow, I left the Awakener Administration.

In the end, it’s not about the money.

Lately, news of variant gates popping up came almost daily.

Awakeners hailed as top-rankers vanished overnight.

People interviewed one day appeared in memorial videos the next.

A single variant gate opening in the city center could swallow hundreds of lives in an instant.

…In a world like this, living like an isolated island might be like putting a noose around my own neck.

“…”

If I went home now, my head would be filled with complicated thoughts.

So, to clear my mind and check on the kids—

I decided to visit the Sprout Guild for the first time in a while.

“Unnie! Why haven’t you come by in so long!”

“You didn’t even answer our calls!! We missed you so much!”

As soon as I opened the door, the Sprout Guild members rushed over, grabbing my arms and hugging me tightly.

“Long time no see, everyone. Been doing okay?”

“Of course! Now that we all have our own rooms, we don’t even fight anymore!”

“Well, except maybe yesterday when I fought with Chae-eun over shower order?”

“Unnie, did you know? We got new guild members…! Hehe.”

Their voices overlapped, spilling updates, making my head spin.

But it was nice, leaving no room for complicated thoughts.

“Green Unnie! Wanna see my room!?”

A kid hanging onto my arm dragged me off and flung open a door.

The room was filled with cute trinkets on a small desk.

“Decorating my own room was my lifelong dream… Thanks to you, unnie, it came true! Oh, and I’ve been bowing toward you every day! Did you feel my energy!?”

Her face, brimming with happiness, sparkled.

She was so adorable, I couldn’t help but pat her head.

Then—

“What!? Gil So-eun! Why’re you hogging unnie’s love!?”

“I didn’t ask for pats! Unnie just did it!”

“Unnie! Check out my room too! And pat me!”

The other kids started yelling, jealous.

At their prime shouting age, their voices made my head ring.

“Let’s show unnie the training room!”

After bickering, the kids’ eyes lit up at the mention of the “training room,” and they grabbed my arms, pulling me along.

“Unnie, you know our training room got way better, right?”

“It’s not the same old training room!”

The old Sprout Guild training room was a training room in name only—more like a storage closet.

The floor mats were torn, the corner dummy was covered in dust and mold, enduring the passage of time.

The space was so cramped, even warming up felt difficult.

How’s it changed?

Stepping into the new training room, I was greeted by a completely different world.

Fresh mats lined the floor, and the walls were equipped with the latest training gear.

The expanded space was big enough for warm-ups and for several people to move around at once.

In the distance, I spotted the Sprout Guild Leader, Choi Hanul.

He was demonstrating moves with full effort alongside some unfamiliar kids.

Noticing me, he stopped, eyes widening, and ran over.

“Green-nim! What brings you here without notice?”

“Just… missed the kids, so I stopped by.”

At my reply, Choi Hanul sighed with a regretful expression.

“If you’d told me, I’d have rushed out to buy groceries… I don’t have much to offer today.”

“It’s fine! I’m leaving soon anyway.”

I’d come unannounced on purpose, knowing he’d go overboard with preparations otherwise.

I didn’t want to be treated—I just wanted to see the kids doing well.

“Then…”

As I started to say I was heading home—

“Oh, right! I bought meat yesterday!”

As if remembering something, Choi Hanul clapped his hands.

“Green-nim, you haven’t eaten yet, right? Hang on! Let’s see… what else do we have…”

“Unnie! Eat with us!”

“Our guild leader’s cooking is amazing!”

“Yayyy! Eating with unnie!”

Before I knew it, I was seated at the dining table, awkwardly glancing around with my hands on my knees.

Clink—

Bubble, bubble—

From the kitchen came the sound of a pot lid clattering and an appetizing aroma.

The kids started guessing the menu with playful voices.

“It’s… lobster butter grill today!”

“Idiot, anyone can smell it’s meat.”

“Then… Hanwoo grade 2++!!”

“I vote for pineapple pizza…!”

Listening to them, it felt less like guessing and more like listing what they wanted to eat.

I stared blankly, idly rolling a water glass with my finger.

Grrr—

…I am hungry.

Soon, steaming dishes began appearing on the large dining table.

“Guild Leader, today I…”

Choi Hanul and the kids exchanged stories about their day, laughing warmly.

Small mishaps during training.

School exam stories.

Plans for the next gate expedition.

The topics flowed endlessly.

They threw questions my way too, but caught in a strange emotion, I gave half-hearted replies, counting rice grains.

…Have I ever eaten at a table like this?

Maybe the first and last time was sharing rice cakes with neighbors.

Even then, it wasn’t a meal—just forcing down food to ease a tense atmosphere.

I don’t think I’ve ever eaten while sharing daily life like this.

Is this what eating with family every day feels like?

I hadn’t realized before.

Eating alone felt like normal life.

I thought I was a steel-hearted person, far from loneliness.

“So-eun, no picky eating. You have to eat mushrooms.”

“I hate the slimy texture…!”

“Green Unnie! Try this too. I made cucumber pickles!”

Sitting among people caring for and laughing with each other, my heart felt strangely warm.

Maybe, after living in loneliness for so long, I’d grown too used to it.

After the meal, while helping clean up, Choi Hanul spoke to me.

“Green-nim, do you have plans next?”

“No? Not really…”

“Then want to join us for some volunteer work?”

The unexpected suggestion made my eyes widen.

“As you know, thanks to the Lumina Bells you’ve distributed, our guild’s value has risen a lot. We can even afford new members…”

Come to think of it, I saw unfamiliar kids in the training room earlier.

“But instead of just filling spots, I thought it’d be better to nurture kids who need help. So we’ve been taking in kids from the center whenever there’s room.”

He added with a warm smile.

“Today’s the day we pick up new members, so we’re heading to the center after eating… Honestly, the kids there are huge fans of yours. They’d be thrilled if you came. Haha.”

“The kids are my fans…?”

“Well, they seem to have a fantasy about healers. They think casting pretty magic and healing people is super cool…”

His words made me glance at my palm.

The healing skill I used without much thought must look like “pretty magic” to kids who don’t know better.

A smile spread across my face.

“If you’ll take me, I’d love to go.”

He burst into laughter and stood up.

“Great. It’s gonna be a riot!”

When Choi Hanul opened the door to the protection center, a cozy atmosphere and faint soap scent wafted out.

“Welcome, Hanul-nim!”

A director with short hair, comfy tracksuits, and gentle crow’s feet around her eyes greeted us warmly.

“Hello, Director-nim! Guess who I brought today—!”

“Who did you bring…?”

The director glanced at me, unable to hide her surprise, clasping her hands.

“How is Healer-nim here in person…?”

Trailing off, she hurriedly stepped aside.

“Come in! Let me get you some tea… No, wait, I should introduce the kids first.”

Feeling awkward under her warm welcome, I took off my shoes and stepped inside.

At that moment, the kids in the living room looked up.

Sparkling eyes turned toward me.

“Wow! It’s the healer unnie from TV!”

“Hi, unnie!”

“Wooow! Magic unnie!”

A small hand tugged at my hem, while another kid peered curiously at my palm.

“Can you show us that pretty magic, the glowing one, just once?”

“I wanna see the magic coming from your hand!!”

Giving in to their pleas, I raised my palm slightly.

Glow—

A warm light bloomed, and the kids gasped, “Waaa—!”

“It’s really glowing from her hand!”

“Can I touch it?”

“I wanna touch it too!”

I shaped the light into a small butterfly.

As the glowing butterfly fluttered up, the kids chased it, laughing and running around the living room.

Then, the director quietly approached and spoke softly.

“These kids lost their guardians suddenly due to a runaway gate. This place helps them become independent.”

Her words hit me hard.

The dangers of gates didn’t just affect awakeners.

They took families, leaving kids like these alone—a fact that sank in painfully.

If I’d worked harder in gates…

Could some of these kids still be living normal days with their parents?

Was it okay to dream of holing up at home, avoiding gates because monsters scared me, because I hated fighting?

“…”

Honestly, I still hate going into gates.

But I can’t turn my back on the reality in front of me.

…Yeah.

There’s only one path forward.

As I quietly resolved myself—

Among the kids chasing the butterfly with bright smiles, one sitting in a corner, staring blankly, caught my eye.

Following my gaze, the director sighed lightly.

“That kid came in a week ago. The shock of losing their family was so great… they haven’t said a word since arriving, and we’re really worried.”

Worn clothes, expressionless face, empty eyes.

It was like seeing my childhood self.

After a moment’s hesitation, I cautiously approached.

“Hi?”

No response.

The kid kept staring into the void with unfocused eyes.

“Do you like butterflies?”

I tried again, but only silence answered.

What topic would work?

What do kids like?

…What did I like as a kid?

Then, a memory flashed—of envying a friend who bragged about a birthday party at a burger place.

I whispered, so only the kid could hear.

“Wanna sneak out and get burgers?”

For the first time, their eyes turned toward me.

“…Um…”

After hesitating, glancing at me nervously, they moved their lips.

Finally, they spoke cautiously.

“Can we… get fries too?”

Their words made my heart sink with a thud.

At the same time—

Click—

I heard a switch flip inside me.