CS Chapter 36

Seowoo’s eyes widened in surprise as she spotted Junseo. Throughout the wedding ceremony, she constantly looked around, wondering if her mother or younger brother might have come.

 

However, no matter how hard she looked, she couldn’t find any trace of her family. Just when she had resigned herself to the thought that they really weren’t coming, Junseo suddenly appeared at the reception.

 

“Noona.”

 

As soon as their eyes met, Junseo walked towards her.

 

“Junseo! How…?”

 

Seowoo couldn’t finish her sentence. Junseo, who always wore old, pus-stained t-shirts because he scratched himself so much, was standing before her in a smart suit.

 

Moreover, her brother seemed to have grown taller since the last time she saw him. He had always been small due to his long illness, but the constant, excruciating pain made him hunch over, making him appear even smaller than he actually was.

 

But what on earth had happened? His hunched back was now straight, and his shoulders were broad. Most of all, his confident, uninhibited expression finally made him look like a normal boy his age.

 

“I received the wedding invitation and came without thinking… Is it okay that I came?”

 

“Of course it is, Junseo… Mom… Where’s Mom?”

 

“Mom saw you and went home. She said she was too sorry to face you… But she told me to tell you congratulations on your wedding.”

 

Staring at her brother’s sudden recovery as if it were a miracle, Seowoo almost burst into tears.

 

As a child, Junseo, unlike his introverted and quiet older sister, was a lively and affectionate child. With a fair complexion, considered pretty for a boy, he was a lovable presence, often mistaken for a girl.

 

But after suddenly falling ill, he had completely crumbled, both physically and mentally. The thought that if Junseo hadn’t been sick, he would have been by their family’s side, strong and dependable like he was now, brought a pang of sadness to her heart.

 

“But Junseo… how did you… all of a sudden…? Did the Elder… really heal you with prayer?”

 

Could the miracle that her mother spoke of have actually happened? Even though she knew that the Sky Salvation Church was a cult, seeing Junseo’s miraculous recovery with her own eyes left her utterly confused.

 

Seowoo recalled the scene of the Cheonsin Bosal’s bleeding.

 

If something inexplicable, like what happened then, had truly occurred and healed Junseo… she wouldn’t have any grounds to tell him to stop attending the Sky Salvation Church.

 

She, too, was incredibly exhausted from taking care of her brother for so long, but only Junseo could truly know the pain he had endured. It was something no one around him could ever fully understand.

 

Meanwhile, as if he had known his sister would ask, Junseo grinned, revealing his teeth. He completely omitted the story about the life-giving water Elder Daniel had given him and instead made up a story about miraculously finding a good doctor.

 

“No way, Noona. If prayer could heal people, there wouldn’t be a single sick person in this world. Mom and I… we were just too ignorant. We were tricked by a con man, that’s all.”

 

Junseo emphasized the word “con man.” He even furrowed his brows as if he were truly disgusted.

 

“Th-then how did you…?”

 

“I got a call from the university hospital I used to go to. They said they found a case similar to mine that had improved overseas. Thanks to that person, I received various treatments, and I’m much better now.”

 

Junseo spun his lies effortlessly without batting an eye. Her kind sister believed every word of his fabricated story and finally burst into tears.

 

“That’s such a relief, Junseo. Really…”

 

“Noona… Just forget everything and live comfortably. I’m so sorry. You must have resented me and Mom a lot for the crazy things we did, right?”

 

“Junseo, Junseo…”

 

“I know I can’t be forgiven. It’s just… life was so hard that I leaned on religion. Like I was blinded by something…”

 

“No, no. Junseo, it’s okay. It’s the people who intentionally deceive that are wrong, not those who are deceived.”

 

With that single apology, the resentment of the past melted away. Seowoo involuntarily embraced her brother tightly.

 

“Thank you so much for coming to the wedding, Junseo.”

“Noona, congratulations on your wedding, sincerely.”

“Junseo, wait a moment. Say hello to my husband too. Wait here, okay?”

 

“Go ahead.”

 

Junseo watched his sister’s back as she disappeared into the crowd.

 

“……!”

 

Just then, it was at the very moment. Feeling something amiss in his body, Junseo’s expression hardened. He hurriedly left the reception hall and stumbled towards the men’s restroom.

 

“Damn it, it’s itchy… I’m going crazy.”

 

However, before he could even reach the restroom, he collapsed on the spot. That horrible feeling of spiders crawling all over his body. It was clear that if this continued, he would have a seizure and foam at the mouth.

 

“No, absolutely not…”

 

It hadn’t even been 10 minutes since he’d boasted in front of his sister about being cured. The thought that he absolutely couldn’t let her see him in this weak state made him desperate.

 

Even while his mind was becoming hazy, he looked around, searching for a place to hide. Fortunately, because the reception was in full swing, there weren’t many guests in the lobby.

 

Behind the escalator. Junseo barely managed to spot a sofa tucked away in a corner and hurried towards it. Then he pulled out a tin case hidden inside his suit jacket pocket. Inside was the syringe Elder Daniel had given him.

 

“Elder… I’m sorry to say this, but… the effects of the life-giving water seem to be getting shorter. The symptoms used to improve immediately after drinking the life-giving water… are recurring faster and faster. Is it purely because of my lack of faith?”

 

“Oh, Junseo, my brother. I’ll give you a syringe, so from now on, inject the life-giving water. The efficacy of the life-giving water will be even greater when injected.”

 

“Th-thank you, Elder! How can I ever repay this grace…”

 

“Haha. For all the days to come, always keep the cross in your heart. God will never abandon you, my brother.”

 

Since that day, Junseo had been diligently injecting himself with the life-giving water.

 

As the Elder had said, the effect was indeed significant after he started using the syringe. Therefore, his faith in the Elder had grown stronger day by day. Without a single doubt, the life-giving water flowing through his body might be a drug.

 

He skillfully removed the air from the syringe and filled it with the holy water. There wasn’t a moment of hesitation as he inserted the needle into his arm. He just wanted to escape this terrible pain as quickly as possible.

 

“Ha…”

 

As the drug started to take effect, a sigh of relief escaped Junseo’s lips. Just as he was basking in the feeling of the life-giving water, as if he were in heaven, a sharp voice came from behind him.

 

“Korea is crawling with junkies, isn’t it?”

 

The person who had been watching Junseo inject himself was none other than Shin Haeri. Although she hadn’t received a wedding invitation from Cha Minjun, she had used her father’s connections to show up at the wedding. As if she had truly intended to cause a scene, she was even wearing a pure white dress.

 

She immediately took out her cell phone, as if she couldn’t stand to be near him.

 

“Hello, police? I’d like to report a drug offender.”