Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I Will Defeat Bad Illnesses

Senior year of high school.

Happy Quokka’s song that I happened to hear soothed my heart exhausted from exam stress.

The realistic lyrics that didn’t just shout hope blindly, the refreshing tone, and the soft-feeling songs were easy on the ears.

Even after succeeding in university entrance I often listened, and when the timing matched I went to see performances.

Today was the first performance since being discharged so I was inwardly excited···.

A cold.

That’s something I can cure.

No.

I’ve only cured one person so far.

I can’t be sure there are no side effects at this stage.

And what am I going to say while approaching.

‘I’ll treat your cold, yes?’

It would be fortunate if I don’t get branded as a cultist or crazy guy.

I scrolled down.

A post about performing at a university festival in ten days caught my eye.

If an indie singer who’s just starting to get famous flakes on a university festival performance due to condition issues, what happens.

“Hmm···.”

While wondering if there’s a good method.

“Hello~. Event in progress~.”

I saw a mascot costume part-timer handing out store flyers.

“Ah.”

That’s it.

***

Summer vacation two years ago.

I had boldly challenged a mascot costume part-time job.

I almost got roasted alive golden brown.

But the strange relief and sense of liberation that no one recognized me gave me the courage to act all cute to people I’d never seen before.

“It’s more crude than I thought?”

I sighed while looking at the ‘Plague Doctor’ costume set that had just arrived.

“No wonder it was cheap.”

The bird-beak mask had pitch-black round fabric stuck on like eyeballs instead of goggles. The inside of the beak was empty, but unexpectedly fixed firmly.

I tried it on once.

I could see beyond the eyeballs like when wearing a mascot costume.

[System]

-‘Plague Doctor Mask’ equip effect: Skill MP cost reduced by 20%

“Crazy?”

It recognizes something made this crudely as equipment?

I took it off in surprise.

[System]

-‘Plague Doctor Mask’ unequipped

When I put it on again, the notice that MP cost decreases by 20% came out again.

Just in case.

I put on the entire set. But the equip effect only appeared for the bird-beak mask alone.

“Then···.”

I changed the clothes to the black shirt, pants, and black coat I originally had.

“This is a bit better. Easier to move too.”

I stood in front of the mirror and checked the appearance.

It looked plausible.

Black shirt with black pants, black coat. On top of that the bird-beak mask, wide-brimmed black hat, black gloves.

With a cross necklace and holding a cane, anyone could see it wasn’t just a simple crazy guy but a plague doctor cosplay.

Even if it looks like a crazy guy, as long as my identity isn’t exposed it’s fine.

“Ah, you startled me. What are you doing, Kang Bong-sik?”

“Knock a little?”

Sister who barged into the room hesitated, then scanned me up and down.

The [Contagious Disease Patient] text that had been above Sister’s head was gone.

She fully recovered without me doing anything.

“Going to some event? Or a part-time?”

I answered roughly because it was annoying.

“Part-time.”

“What kind of part-time?”

“Game promotion.”

“What game?”

Whoosh.

I stylishly spun the cane and pointed it at Sister.

“Don’t ask in detail.”

“This.”

Instead it got snatched and I got hit once.

The next day.

In front of a subway station where a moderate number of people came and went.

“What?”

“Cosplay?”

People glanced at me in the plague doctor outfit as they passed.

I unfolded the sketchbook.

[I will defeat bad illnesses.]

Ten minutes passed.

No one approached.

I folded the sketchbook and walked a bit to the park.

I approached homeless people.

“Ah shit, startled me. I thought you were a grim reaper! Cough, cough.”

I silently unfolded the sketchbook toward the [Contagious Disease Patient] homeless person.

He was someone who had once been taken away by the police for causing a ruckus while drunk. I saw it.

[I will defeat bad illnesses.]

The homeless person revealed yellow teeth and smiled.

“What, bad illness? Not the plague?”

Other homeless people also snickered.

“Are you a doctor?”

I turned to the next page.

[I will pray briefly.]

“You a cult bastard?”

I gently held out my hand.

“You wanna shake hands? Yeah. Here. Try curing, once.”

“Kids these days are really unique.”

[This is a Contagious Disease Patient. Do you wish to treat?]

[(Estimated MP cost 90)]

Huh?

Why is the estimated MP cost 90 this time?

I was momentarily flustered, but I moved my lips small inside the mask.

“Yes.”

······.

“Treat, yes.”

Like when I treated the car thief, a warm-colored heat haze flowed from my hand and was absorbed by the homeless person.

[System]

-Used ‘Plague Treatment’.

-‘Plague Treatment’ proficiency +1

-Experience +28.3%

[MP 28/100]

The experience rose slightly compared to when I treated the car thief with MP 80. The MP cost decreased 20% due to the mask equip effect.

I removed my hand.

“What? It’s over?”

I also learned one fact.

Other people’s eyes cannot see the ‘Plague Treatment’ skill’s heat haze.

If they could see it, I was going to insist it was seeing things from drinking too much.

I bowed and quickly left the spot.

The homeless people laughed behind me.

“I’ve seen all kinds of bland crazy bastards.”

“Hey, man! At least give a thousand won alms before going!”

In a place with no people I took off the mask and hat, and got in the car.

“Phew···.”

Reality hit.

Is this right?

The next day too, I approached a [Contagious Disease Patient] who looked of poor quality.

[System]

-Used ‘Plague Treatment’.

-‘Plague Treatment’ proficiency +1

-Experience +23.3%

[MP 36/100]

The day after that too.

[System]

-Used ‘Plague Treatment’.

-‘Plague Treatment’ proficiency +1

-Experience +23.3%

-Level up!

[MP 105/105]

“Oh.”

Leveling up fully recovered MP.

Max MP also increased by 5.

I quickly left the spot while muttering.

“Status window. ···No, skill window.”

[Kang Bong-sik (Plague Doctor Lv.2) possessed skills]

[Passive Skills]

-Immunity Lv.1

[Active Skills]

-Plague Treatment Lv.1 (4/100)

-Bloodletting Lv.1 (0/100)

Since the experience status isn’t visible it’s frustrating.

Do I have to calculate separately with log records?

While I briefly stopped and looked at the skill window.

Grab.

“······?”

Some young child pulled my coat.

Looking at me with curiosity-filled eyes then whipped their head around.

“Mom! Bird! Crow!”

“Oh my! Hyunjin, come here. You shouldn’t do that to strangers. I’m sorry.”

The child’s mother hurriedly ran over and took care of the child.

The child waved their hand as they got farther.

“Bye crow~.”

I also waved my hand.

Normally in a child’s eyes I would look scary.

Quite brave.

I turned my body again to look for skill experimental subjects.

***

The day of the university festival performance that Happy Quokka is participating in.

Yesterday, excluding the car thief, I checked all the people I had treated so far.

Most were homeless people who don’t stray far from their usual areas so they were easy to find. Except for being drunk, they all looked fine.

In the meantime my level also rose to 4.

Whenever MP recovered I went out and used the skill, so ‘Plague Treatment’ skill proficiency also hit 20. The reduced MP cost from the ‘Plague Doctor Mask’ equip effect helped a lot.

If there hadn’t been appointments in between I could have raised it a bit more.

“There’s still no word of not participating.”

I muttered while checking Happy Quokka’s SNS.

I hope the cold has fully recovered by now.

So far no particular side effects have been discovered, but using it on a precious person still makes me a bit anxious.

“I don’t know. Let’s go see and decide.”

I packed the hat, gloves, and bird-beak mask in the bag.

And a gift.

***

K University in the midst of festival preparations.

Students were decorating booths while listening to performance rehearsal sounds.

“The voice is ruined? Who is it?”

“They said a singer-songwriter. Happy··· what was it.”

“Huh? What’s that person?”

The students’ heads turned to one place.

The long bird-beak mask stood out. The wide-brimmed hat and pitch-black outfit down to the feet were next.

The person holding a black briefcase instead of a cane was heading toward the stage.

“Isn’t that a student from a comics or game club? Seems like they’re cosplaying a plague doctor.”

“That black death doctor? They got dressed early.”

The students soon paid no mind and continued what they were doing. Originally during festivals all sorts of bizarre costumes increase.

Meanwhile, the singer-songwriter Happy Quokka came down from the stage holding back tears.

‘This is an opportunity I worked so hard to get.’

For an indie singer-songwriter to stand on a university festival performance stage was meaningful in itself.

A place where they can showcase their songs to numerous audiences who aren’t fans.

For her it was a dream-like opportunity that came four years after debuting with just one guitar.

‘How hard I worked to get this far, only to have it because of a mere cold.’

Even if criticized for not managing condition properly she had nothing to say. The excuse of not knowing when and from whom she caught it wouldn’t work.

Ten days ago. Even when she had to cancel the scheduled busking performance because the body ache was too severe, she thought she would recover before the university festival performance.

“···Cough.”

But the cough still came out.

The clear tone she was proud of cracked roughly like a metallic sound even if she raised the pitch a little, making the song a complete mess.

‘Should I say I can’t do today’s performance···?’

It’s really sorry to the school side that booked her, but isn’t ruining the festival atmosphere with a messed-up song even more sorry?

Thinking that way her vision blurred with tears.

‘No, pull yourself together. If I cry the throat condition only gets worse. Instead of this, let’s go to the hospital and get an IV at least. There’s still time···.’

Sniff.

Happy Quokka wiped the tears with the back of her hand and raised her head.

She paused.

‘Plague doctor···?’

Among the band for the next rehearsal, staff, and university side people.

A person wearing a bird-beak mask, pitch-black hat, and pitch-black coat was looking at her.

The plague doctor bowed repeatedly to the other people and approached Happy Quokka.

With hesitant steps.

“······?”

He took out a sketchbook from the briefcase and unfolded it.

[Hello, Happy Quokka-nim. I’m a fan.]

Next page.

[Is the cold okay?]

At the words that he was a fan Happy Quokka’s face became tearful again. Because he must have clearly heard the messed-up song she sang a little earlier.

‘Embarrassing···.’

A thoroughly locked and hoarse voice flowed out.

“You came all the way on purpose, I’m sorry···.”

“······.”

The plague doctor looked at her for a moment then turned the sketchbook to the very first page.

[I will defeat bad illnesses.]

“······?”

Happy Quokka sniffled while looking at the mask’s round pitch-black eyeballs.

The plague doctor extended only his index finger and gently held it out.

It was a pose seen a lot somewhere.

‘E.T.? The Creation of Adam?’

Happy Quokka was puzzled but also extended her index finger and touched it to the plague doctor’s index finger.

“······.”

“······.”

1 second.

The plague doctor who muttered something small removed the fingers that had been touching.

He put the sketchbook in the bag, instead handed her a small gift box, and waved while getting farther.

Happy Quokka also waved her hand involuntarily.

‘What···?’

Buzz.

Then the phone rang.

-[Quokka, how’s the throat condition? Okay?]

“No, not yet. I need to go to the hospital···. Huh···? Huh? Ah, ah, ah~?”

Magically the voice returned to original.

Happy Quokka covered her mouth in surprise.

While looking at the plague doctor who started running as if escaping far away.

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