“Cheers to our success!” Doha exclaimed, raising the beer bottle he bought for everyone to drink.
The gang had just finished eating their dinner courtesy of Doha, and they were now sprawled on the private beach while gazing up at the stars. Minji was back to her usual cheery self while Eli appeared deep in thought. However, that seemed to be his default nowadays.
Zeno was enjoying the beer while Doha stood to create a fire.
“It’s been a while since I’ve eaten roasted marshmallows,” Minji said, placing some pieces on a stick before handing them to Zeno.
He took it and began roasting quietly. Meanwhile, Maxie was right beside him, munching on some graham cracker dog treats.
It was a serene atmosphere, and for a moment, the group of 25-year-olds felt like they were back to being kids.
However, Zeno’s phone rang, revealing an unknown number. His gaze hardened before a small smirk appeared on his lips.
It seemed she finally took the bait.
“I’ll take this one,” he said to his friends, who were all busy roasting marshmallows on the very aggressive campfire.
He walked a few meters away until he couldn’t be heard by his friends before answering the call.
“…”
“Hello?”
There it was—Raya’s voice.
Zeno made his voice deeper as he answered. “You’ve chosen the Zen life.”
He almost cringed because of his opening line but felt he needed to immerse himself into this again. The role of a game maker.
Raya didn’t respond for a while before she shakily said, “Yes.”
“How may I be of service?”
Again, Raya seemed to ponder upon it a bit before letting out a deep sigh. “I’m sorry,” she muttered.
“This seems like a bad idea. Please forget that I called.”
Zeno’s eyes widened slightly.
“You are at a crossroads,” he said, causing Raya to stop.
“People who avail our services feel like all hope is lost; however, do not worry. We are here to make the impossible possible.”
“I’m assuming this has something to do with your disabled son and bastard husband?”
Raya gasped loudly, and then she began breathing heavily.
“They—they were right,” she whispered. “How do you know?”
Zeno smirked, still fully immersed in his character. “We always know.”
“Anyway, you’ve already plucked enough courage to call us. The question is—do you have more in order to fully change your life?”
“I must be going crazy,” she said on the other line, probably in a state of disbelief.
“Your son’s condition has been getting worse, hasn’t it?” Zeno continued.
This time, Raya remained silent, but her deep breaths could still be heard.
Of course, Zeno knew. The reason why their son was disabled in the first place was because of Victor. He carried a gene similar to Sanjae’s father. That was why Raya was close to Sanjae, too, because their son had the same condition as him. It made her feel that his son wasn’t alone.
So, the moment Sanjae died, a part of her also withered.
“He must be around… eight years old now, I believe,” Zeno continued, remembering the little boy who had the same condition as him. Despite his home situation, he still grew up to be a kind kid.
“Who are you?” Raya asked, her voice filled with both wonder and horror.
“Your biggest hope.”
“I can feel that you’re still hesitant about availing our service,” he continued. “It must seem too good to be true.”
“However, we can do these things because we only help a chosen few.”
“You are one of the chosen ones, so I suggest you grab this opportunity.”
“How much more do you know?” Raya asked, sounding more courageous this time.
“Your son’s medical expenses are shouldered by your husband,” Zeno revealed. “So, no matter how much you want to leave him, you can’t—because he’s the lifeline of your child.”
“And although you work day and night, your husband still makes more money, so it’s a never-ending cycle.
“No matter how much he hurts you. No matter how many times he cheats on you. You will endure it for your child, am I right?”
“You don’t understand,” she muttered. “My son is my everything.”
“I might have loved that bastard at first, but all that love had gone down the drain. All I have left is my son, and I will do anything to make him live to the best of his ability. It’s just that his bastard of a father is even scrimping on what he’s giving us. However, even then, I can’t complain. Because like you said, he’s the only one I can depend on for money.”
“I understand,” Zeno responded. “That’s why I am helping you.”
“We will shoulder all of your son’s medical expenses for an indefinite amount of time. For eternity.”
Raya’s breath hitched. “Along with that, we will also sponsor his special education needs once he gets better enough to leave the hospital.”
“Oh, and if you want, a housing bonus can also be added to this. I’m assuming you still live with your husband, so you might want to leave.”
“Just name the province, and we’ll have it ready for you.”
Again, there was silence on the other line.
“You still don’t believe me?” Zeno asked. Then, he punched in something on his phone.
“Check your bank account,” he said.
There were some clicking noises from the other side before she screamed in shock.
It wasn’t that hard to remember her bank account number.
Zeno had a great memory, and he remembered reciting it to his father whenever he tried to discreetly help their family back then.
“This is…”
“This can cover Hyunwoo’s bills for the next month. This will happen every month if you decide to push through with our service.”
Raya seemed a bit shaken up, but Zeno couldn’t blame her.
This definitely felt like an extra-terrestrial, near-godly experience.
“This must come with a price,” she muttered. “Nothing is ever free in this life.”
Zeno smirked. “I’m glad we’re on the same page.”
“We require a special payment to proceed with this lifelong contract.”
“I don’t have any money.”
“I have plenty of it,” Zeno frankly said. “It’s the last thing I need at the moment.”
“What I want is simple.”
Raya waited patiently.
“Evidence.”
“Evidence?” she clarified.
“You see—what I thrive most out of is granting people what they are due.”
“Justice, if you may call it.”
“And in this pursuit of justice, I need your help.”
“Send me evidence against the person who hurt you the most within a week. After that, it’s a done deal.”