Dream Breaker

Chapter 20

"Dad?"

"...Kang-hoon. From now on, don't hang out with Kang Moon-soo, no, don't even talk to any shaman at all."

"Dad!"

Swish~

Choi Kang-hoon's father, who had just been reminiscing about the past with warmth, left the living room after unilaterally notifying his son.

'What a bolt from the blue!'

It was just a word that my aptitude was a shaman...

"Moon-soo, hyung..."

"It's alright. It can't be helped."

I shook off Choi Kang-hoon's dissuasion and headed to the elevator.

Then,

"Ahem."

"Sir?"

The man who remembered my childhood blocked my way.

"Don't take it too hard. At least the chairman didn't issue a banishment order, right?"

"Isn't it the same?"

"No, it's different. I've been serving the chairman for a long time, so I know him well. If he really disliked you, he would have given a clear order to kick you out."

"Still..."

"It's not polite to send an invited guest away empty-handed. Please have a meal before you leave."

"...Alright."

I was upset from hearing harsh words all of a sudden, but I couldn't beat my primal instinct for hunger.

So far, I haven't eaten anything except a bowl of noodles given as compensation for coming to the interview at the restaurant.

"Butler, I don't understand why my dad is angry. Did he fight with a shaman?"

"That's correct."

"Really?"

"He really had a fight with a shaman."

"Why on earth..."

"Please sit down first. It's going to be a bit of a long story."

"Okay..."

We moved to a place reminiscent of a restaurant and sat at a long rectangular table decorated with candles.

Tak, tak, tak...

A variety of dishes filled the silver trays.

'Can I pack the leftovers?'

I know it's physically impossible, but I want to store all the remaining dishes in my stomach.

"Don't worry about table manners and just eat comfortably."

"Sir, please speak comfortably."

"Shouldn't I be mindful of the chairman's feelings? This much distance is just right."

"......"

Is this what the last supper feels like? It feels like I've received a farewell gift for someone who's leaving forever.

"Butler, how did my dad and the shaman end up fighting?"

Choi Kang-hoon, who was more shocked than I was, urged for an answer.

"The shaman scammed the chairman."

"What kind of scam?"

"They said if they were given a large sum of money, they could cure the eldest young master."

"Ah!"

The eldest young master.

It must mean Choi Kang-min, the half-brother who has an incurable disease.

"After taking a considerable advance, they failed and blamed the lack of offerings, demanding even more money."

"Ah..."

"Each time, the chairman would chase them away and call for another shaman. He's very tired."

"I see..."

He seems to have relied on the occult because modern medicine couldn't cure him.

There was no result at all.

'Those shamans went too far.'

It's unfair that I'm treated as the same scammer, but I feel better than before.

"Still, my dad went too far! It's not like we didn't know each other!"

"There was a reason for that as well."

"What was it?"

"There was a commonality among the scammers who introduced themselves as shamans."

"What was the commonality?"

I was curious too, listening to their conversation in silence.

'What could be the commonality?'

I couldn't guess.

"There was not a single shaman whose aptitude was actually shamanism."

"......"

It took a few seconds to understand the meaning of those words.

It was that shocking.

"So... not a single shaman had the aptitude to be a shaman?"

"Yes."

The man emphatically denied it again and looked at me.

What is your real aptitude?

It seemed like he was asking that.

* * *

"If I had my resident registration card, I would receive an apology immediately!"

Since the aptitude is displayed next to the name on the resident registration card, that's why you can't get a resident registration card unless you take the P aptitude test.

In other words, you can't deceive your aptitude.

'It's unfair!'

All my classmates know my aptitude test results, but there's no way a large corporation chairman would know such personal information.

But if there's something to gain?

I now know very well why I can't get a job.

"My reputation is a mess!"

Prejudice interfered even when I tried to do something other than being a shaman.

"Hyung, I'm sorry."

"But Kang-hoon."

"Yeah!"

"Why are you following me?"

"I feel sorry!"

"No, I'm fine, so you can go home."

My mood has been completely lifted since I got a free expensive meal.

They even packed the remaining food for me!

If I put it in the freezer, I should be able to last a few days with this.

"I'm sorry, but I can't! I'll help you until you get a job. But how can I help?"

He seems to have followed me without a plan.

'As for a plan...'

I can deceive my aptitude by pretending I haven't received my resident registration card yet and get a disguised job.

A plausible development where I work and gain recognition for my skills, then honestly reveal my aptitude at that time.

However, such a dramatic trick is difficult in reality. Deceiving one's aptitude is a serious crime!

'It's too risky...'

If I deceive my aptitude and make money, I have to spit it all out, and if I can't, I have to serve prison time for that much.

What's the remaining option?

Only a head-on confrontation where I don't deceive my aptitude and gain recognition for my skills from the start!

'What time is it now?'

After checking the time on my smartphone, I decided on the next schedule.

"Kang-hoon."

"Yeah!"

"Can you swim well?"

"Huh?"

We headed to the swimming pool of the College of Physical Education.

To the place where I had the longest memories with Song Seon-young...

* * *

"Moon-soo hyung, people are staring at us."

"Ignore them."

"I want to, but it's been a long time since I've been to a crowded swimming pool, so I'm embarrassed."

"...Kang-hoon, straighten your shoulders and walk confidently like a man."

"Like a man?"

"That's what makes you a man."

"Yeah! I'll try my best!"

Actually, this guy doesn't need to walk confidently.

Choi Kang-hoon, who changed from his regular clothes to a swimsuit, looked good enough to have a photoshoot right away.

The slender figure hidden by the clothes had smooth muscles without a single trace of fat.

And when he got a little wet...

"Oh my!"

"Look at that guy."

"He's so handsome..."

The gazes of the women who saw Choi Kang-hoon didn't seem to fall off.

"Hyung, you're amazing."

"Me? I haven't done anything."

"You're calm even when people stare at you."

"Well..."

It's because I know they're looking at Choi Kang-hoon, not me.

"I'm envious. Moon-soo hyung, you look like a real man."

"Me?"

Is Choi Kang-hoon's aptitude "flatterer" with all his sincerity?

"You look like a starving hyena!"

"Is that a compliment?"

"Yeah!"

He seems to be slightly lacking in tact to be a flatterer.

Anyway,

'Where is the lifeguard... Oh! They're still there, unchanged!'

If it's like the dream, the swimming pool lifeguard is a swimming coach affiliated with this College of Physical Education.

He is looking for promising swimming student prospects and is quite anxious, as if being chased by time.

'It seems to be the same even after two weeks have passed...?'

Then it means there's still a chance for me.

"First of all..."

I checked the swimsuit. I always rented this swimsuit in my dreams, so I thought there would be no difference.

Next is my body.

It's the most worrisome part. Can I swim in the water when it's still uncomfortable for me to walk on flat ground?

I have no choice but to try.

Splish-splash~

After a simple warm-up, I carefully dipped my body into the swimming pool water.

'Memories are popping up.'

I learned step by step from Song Seon-young, starting with basics that seemed suitable for kindergarten children.

"Hyung, did you learn swimming?"

"A little. How about you?"

"Me too, a little. I learned from a national team coach for about five years."

"That, that's great."

'It doesn't seem like just a little...?'

He was in a different dimension compared to me, who only had the knowledge learned in my dreams.

"Oh my... What is this..."

I was tense at the thought of swimming in reality, not in a dream.

Splash splash~

I paddled forward in the water.

'It works!'

And right after that, the thrilling elation that enveloped my whole body!

It was because I confirmed that the swimming I learned from Song Sun-young in my dream also worked in reality.

With newfound confidence, I swam straight across the center of the swimming pool as if to show off to everyone.

Splash splash!

My weakened body from being unconscious hadn't fully recovered yet, so I couldn't speed up as much as I expected.

"Phew!"

My lung capacity for holding my breath wasn't as long as it was in my dream.

'It's okay.'

Isn't this enough for now?

'It wasn't in vain.'

Dreams disappear when you wake up, but the experiences and knowledge from that time became a strength to me in reality.

Swoosh!

"Puhah!"

Choi Kang-hoon looked at me with surprised eyes as I swam back to my starting point.

"Hyung, you're really good!"

"Really?"

"Yeah, you're very fast! Where does that strength come from?"

"It comes from the free meal I got."

Free is always right.

"I ate it too..."

"Kang-hoon."

"Yeah!"

"I'm sorry."

"Huh?"

"Would you like to have a swimming race with me?"

Become my sacrifice!

I feel guilty, but I won't refuse since he said he'd help.

"Okay! But I need to warm up too, so let me go around once."

"Go ahead."

"Hup!"

Choi Kang-hoon, with a serious look in his eyes, kicked off the swimming pool wall and moved forward.

Splash splash!

"...He's fast."

It wasn't a lie that he had learned from a national team coach for five years.

'I might lose...?'

Logically, it was natural for me, who learned from a student prospect rather than a professional coach, to be at a disadvantage. My aptitude isn't even in sports.

If there's hope?

Choi Kang-hoon wasn't as overwhelming as Song Seon-young in my dreams. He was at a level worth trying.

Swoosh!

"Hyung! Hyung! How was it?"

Choi Kang-hoon, who had already gone around once and returned, looked at me like a student expecting praise.

Seeing his even breath, he didn't seem tired at all.

'I'll definitely lose in a 1500m race.'

I'll have to go for a short distance.

"You're really fast. You're good."

It's not just flattery.

"Hehe!"

"Shall we have the race now?"

"Yeah!"

"Wait a moment. I'll find someone to referee."

There was no need to find someone. As expected, the fish that bit the bait was coming towards us.

'He's still the same.'

The eager eyes, hoping to recruit outstanding athletes!

For a coach to succeed?

Teaching well is important, but success and meaningful results come from discovering the best talent among athletes with the same aptitude.

Just because the aptitude is the same doesn't mean the potential and constitution are the same. Identifying the individual capabilities of each athlete is also the coach's ability and role.

"Hello."

"Huh? Hello. What can I do for you?"

I responded to the coach's greeting while pretending to be surprised and innocent.

"Excuse me, but may I ask about your aptitude?"

"My younger brother hasn't taken the aptitude test yet because he's young, and I'm a shaman."

"A shaman...?"

"Yes, a shaman."

"Ah... the one who chases... ghosts?"

"That's right."

"Ah... um... I guess you need to be good at swimming to chase water ghosts living in the water. I understand."

The swimming coach seemed a bit disappointed.

But he didn't give up.

"Could you please referee for us while you're here?"

"Of course. I've been rude enough to ask about your aptitude at our first meeting, so I should at least do that much for you."

Saying that, the swimming coach naturally took out a stopwatch.

This was also as expected.

"Get ready-"

"......"

"......"

Choi Kang-hoon and I stood on the pre-agreed starting line of the swimming pool.

Beep-!

We started at the sound of the swimming coach's whistle.

Splash!

Splash!

* * *

So, what's the result?

After the race was over, the swimming coach disguised as a lifeguard stared at the stopwatch for quite a while.

"...Are you really a shaman?"

And then he asked me with a disbelieving expression.

"Yes, I haven't received my resident registration card yet."

My record was much lower than I expected.

I barely beat Choi Kang-hoon.

But the coach was looking beyond the numbers recorded on the stopwatch.

"If he builds up his muscles... there's a possibility... but time... hmm..."

"......"

I waited for his thoughts to be organized as he muttered to himself.

"Moon-soo hyung?"

"Shh."

"Okay."

Choi Kang-hoon, who felt something, also waited quietly.

Soon after,

"You said you haven't received your resident registration card yet?"

"Yes, I will graduate from high school in February this year."

"You're old enough..."

The coach's intention in asking was obvious, but I pretended not to know.

"But why do you ask?"

"...Actually, I am a swimming coach at this school who trains athletes. What's your name?"

"Kang Moon-soo."

"Mr. Kang Moon-soo."

"Yes."

"Would you like to learn swimming under me for just one year?"

"Hmm..."

'I did it...!'

I succeeded in getting a job as a college student(?)!

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