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Chapter 3
Fortunately, Hayan’s abnormal condition came with a time limit of one month. If he endured until then, it would naturally fade away…
“But people die if they don’t sleep…”
How could anyone be expected to last an entire month without sleep?
After days of dragging himself to work without closing his eyes once, he found himself muttering—half in jest, half in despair—
“Just kill me already…”
He glanced sideways at the woman across from him.
“….”
Lee Cheoeum, the self-proclaimed counselor, kept her mouth shut without even the slightest attempt to lighten the mood.
“Um… could I at least hear an introduction?”
At last, Hayan broke the silence.
“I’m Lee Cheoeum, studying psychology at Gaon University.”
She held out her student ID. The name matched, the face matched.
“You’re a professor?”
“As written. Just an undergrad. Senior year.”
“…Do you have a counseling license?”
“No.”
Gaon University might be prestigious, but a student was still just a student. She couldn’t legally call herself a counselor.
“So you’re not a professional, then…”
“If you think there’s a problem with this session, you’re free to visit the school or even report me. Undergraduates aren’t allowed to run counseling sessions—it’s against the rules.”
“…Huh?”
“You’re suspicious, aren’t you? Wondering if I’m either a quack or a lunatic.”
Do they actually teach mind reading in psychology?
Startled, Hayan flinched. Cheoeum calmly poured hot water into a cup to steep tea.
“Call it bootleg if you want. But not a quack.”
It sounded like one of those paradoxical proverbs—I ate but I didn’t dine.
“If you truly wanted proper counseling, you shouldn’t have come here.”
Her next words cut sharply.
“The world’s gone mad since the Cataclysm, everyone’s got psychological scars, and counseling has become the 21st century’s most competitive red ocean. Shouldn’t you have just Googled the highest-rated clinic and booked an appointment?”
“….”
“You reached out here because you knew ordinary counseling wouldn’t work. Desperate, you grabbed at straws.”
“Well, yes, but—”
“Then swallow your doubts. If the acquaintance who referred you was the type to hook you up with a scammer, they wouldn’t have sent you my way in the first place.”
Brazen words. Yet… not exactly wrong.
Almost against his will, Hayan accepted the peppermint tea she handed him and lifted his eyes to the banner hanging on the wall.
WE CURE MENTAL ILLNESS
…This was way too shady. His trust dropped again.
“Um… just to make sure, this isn’t—”
“Not a cult. Not MLM. Not insurance fraud.”
“Ah.”
“If it ever turns out I’m in one of those, I’ll behead myself and hang my head on the lightning rod at Namsan Tower.”
That extreme?
While Hayan shrank back from her fierce declaration, Cheoeum popped a colorful candy into her mouth.
“Given that you’re clinging to private contacts, this isn’t just some simple disorder.”
Her sharp gaze swept over him.
“Sleep-related, yes? Been about a week since it started.”
Hayan’s eyes widened.
“H-how did you know…?”
“Your face looks like it’s missed exactly one week of sleep.”
Ah.
“Cursed status is probably C-rank or below, isn’t it?”
“Technically D-rank… but how did you—”
“Anything higher and you wouldn’t still be sane.”
“….”
“I once saw someone with a B-rank curse crawl here on all fours, leash held by his friend.”
…She kept nailing it. His trust rose little by little. No wonder fortune-tellers thrived.
“Tell me exactly what your condition is.”
Hayan hesitated, then surrendered to desperation and explained everything.
Cheoeum thought for a moment, then spoke.
“I can’t remove your status.”
As expected…
“But I can make you sleep.”
“…!”
Cheoeum rolled the candy over her tongue as his eyes widened.
“A typhoon cannot shake a mountain. If your mind is stable, the status effect cannot touch you.”
“….”
“No matter what horrors you see, you’ll be able to ignore them and sleep.”
It was strange. Almost entrancing.
“Nothing to lose, right…?”
Her voice rang so cleanly in his ears.
“Tell me,” she said.
“….”
“What is it that makes you unstable?”
Since he was already here… why not try?
And the very next day, Hayan found himself thanking his reckless decision.
“I slept… I actually slept.”
“Huh?”
“Eight hours straight… before the visions even started, my consciousness just faded away. It was so moving I nearly cried…”
“Mr. Hayan, are you sick?”
After that first session, he’d collapsed the moment he got home. His anxious mind had cleared like storm clouds parting.
The first true rest in a week was heavenly.
“I’m truly sorry for doubting you.”
“Sure.”
From that day, the counseling continued.
“I’m not doodling. I’m recording our session using the SOAP method.”
“Ah, of course!”
…Though I can see you sketching penguins in the margins.
To call these meetings “counseling” felt like an insult to psychology.
Still…
“I can sleep. That’s enough.”
Whether she rescued him with a lifeline or a crooked stick, it didn’t matter.
“What are you thinking right now?”
Even though her tone suggested she didn’t actually care, Hayan still answered.
“I’m grateful for your counseling.”
Cheoeum lifted her head. Hayan smiled softly.
“I really thought I was going to die. Not just from lack of sleep… but from reliving my worst moment every night, as if it were happening all over again. I thought I’d go mad. A month felt short in theory, but I wasn’t as strong as I thought.”
Her pale eyes remained as dry as ever, even when he confessed his most harrowing memories.
Eyes that said, I may not empathize, but I’m listening.
Somehow… that gaze had become comforting.
“If it had lasted any longer, I don’t think I could’ve returned to normal even after the curse expired. The only reason I’m this stable now… is because of you.”
Under that gaze, Hayan’s heart always grew calm, as if by magic.
Of course, it was absurd. But in a world where monsters tore through reality itself, one learned to value results over explanations.
“Would it be alright if I continued our sessions even after my condition ends?”
He wanted to preserve this fragile peace.
…Click.
After a pause, Cheoeum popped another candy into her mouth. She always seemed to have one during sessions. Maybe he should bring her some as a gift…
Without knowing his thoughts, she said,
“If you keep working at that company, you’ll definitely need ongoing counseling.”
“…Ugh.”
Most of their sessions consisted of him ranting about his boss.
“Have you considered quitting?”
“I always want to… but my younger sibling works there too, and it’s hard to find better conditions elsewhere.”
Cheoeum had heard enough to know he was basically working under a demon in human form. Even if his insomnia disappeared, he’d still need therapy.
“Let’s set up another appointment. I’ll be busy starting next week.”
“Alright…”
He sighed, pulling out his phone to check his schedule—
Bzzzt.
The device buzzed in his hand. His pupils darted as he read the message.
Suddenly, his face went pale.
“Counselor…”
“Yes?”
“I—I have to go. Right now.”
He shot up before she could answer.
“Sorry! I’ll see you next time—!”
He dashed out the door.
On his abandoned phone, the screen flickered with a notification:
[Burim: The A-rank Trial near Gwanghwamun has been identified as a ‘Net.’ Full summons of the Secretariat required.]
