It cant be.

There was no way Sungyoons heart would not be beating right now. If his heart wasnt beating, how was he alive?

Sungyoon tried to come up with another explanation.

Maybe my heart is beating very slowly?

If that was true, it made sense as to why he couldnt hear his heart beating.

Whew~!

Sungyoon let out a big sigh. It felt as if his heart was turning black, and he wanted to shout at the top of his lung. It was said that misfortune tends to come all at once.

I didnt want that to happen to my body.

It wasnt an exaggeration to say that the heart was the engine of a humans body. If his heart was weak, he wanted his body to be strong at the very least. However, his body had also considerably weakened than how it was before, and he thought his body would deteriorate even further now. It was a fatal blow to Sungyoon since he had to make his living with his body.

He was hemorrhaging money, yet his inflow of money was drying up. It felt as if he was drowning in quicksand.

Knock! Knock!

Someone knocked at his door. It seemed either a doctor or a nurse had come.

I cant run away anymore.

Yes. Please come in.

Sungyoon frowned as he raised his voice a little bit towards the person who had knocked on the door.

Woosh!

The door opened, and a group of people filed in. They were all wearing the white coat worn by doctors. He was a bit suspicious of doctors, but the ones in front of him all looked intelligent.

You are awake.

The oldest one among them stepped forward. It seemed he was the doctor in charge of his care. Everyone else looked quite young, so they might be interns learning under this man.

My name is Kim Leemin. I am in charge of taking care of you, Mr. Sungyoon.

my name is Woo Sung Yoon.

The two of them greeted each other. Since Leemin already knew Sungyoons name, it seemed the hospital already had his info. They had probably tried to contact his next of kin, so it made sense.

Leemin observed Sungyoon for a brief moment.

He is a somber person and seems weak at heart.

This was his first impression of Sungyoon. He looked handsome, but he didnt seem to be outgoing.

Hows my body?

Sungyoon sounded a bit desperate as he asked the question. He had already given up on the idea of running away from the hospital. There was no point in running away as the hospital already had a good amount of information in regard to him.

Im already being sued, because of my debt.

He already had half given up on paying back his debt. Since things had turned out like this, he wanted to know what was wrong with his heart.

However, Sungyoon had been worried for nothing. Leemin let out a broad smile as he reassured Sungyoon.

Did you think you had a fatal disease? No, your body is healthy. In fact, your body might be several times healthier than a normal person.

what?

Recently, his heart had been continuously causing him pain, and in the end, he had fallen unconscious and had to be transported to the hospital. What the hell was this guy talking about? Sungyoon was full of questions. He asked with a bit of hope in his voice.

My heart was causing pain. I even fell unconscious, so I came here. However, you are telling me that I am healthy. I dont know what you are trying to say.

He sounded flustered, yet his voice was a bit accusatory too. But Leemin didnt look offended at all. He had been a doctor for a very long time. He wouldnt have lasted so long as a doctor if he could not cope with such a degree of push back from his patient.

Did you perhaps check your pulse?

Yes. I couldnt feel my pulse. I think my heart is beating too slowly.

If he was obese, he might have blamed his fat for not being able to feel his pulse. However, Sungyoon was skinny and couldnt use that excuse.

That is understandable.

Leemin grabbed Sungyoons arm and placed his fingers on Sungyoons wrist. As expected, he didnt feel any pulse. He knew what to expect, yet as a doctor, it was an amazing phenomenon to witness.

Your heart no longer beats, Mr. Woo Sungyoon.

can you repeat that again?

Sungyoon turned his dumbfounded gaze on Leemin.

I said your heart has stopped beating.

You arent making any sense.

Sungyoon thought Leemin was playing a prank, or maybe he was a terrible doctor. However, he didnt get angry. He was just sad at his own situation where someone had the audacity to play such a prank on him. However, neither was Leemin a terrible doctor, and nor did he have any plans to make fun of Sungyoon.

Do you know what a Connector is?

Connector?

Sungyoon sounded a bit uncertain, so he repeated Leemins words. He was startled into touching his chest again, but it was still quiet.

If this doctor was right, his heart wasnt beating right now. It wasnt beating, but it didnt mean his heart wasnt doing its job. His heart was performing its duty to its fullest.

My heart became a Gate?

Ah, you already know about it. Thatll make this conversation go fast.

Leemin sounded delighted.

Yes, it is as youve said. Your heart has been replaced by what is referred to as the Moons Heart. Your heart wont beat now, but itll continue to do its original job. Itll also take on the functions that come with being a Moons Heart.

Leemin let out a bright smile as he spoke those words.

Congratulations, Mr. Sungyoon. Youve become a 1st Gen Connector.

Those words signaled the beginning of a new life for Sungyoon.

Sungyoon was trembling a little bit. In other words, his life would get better. Of course, he couldnt compare himself to the 2nd and 3rd Gen Connectors, but at the very least, hell be able to pay off his debt. Moreover, he would have enough money to be able to live with Shinhae.

However, it didnt feel real at all. It was like someone was congratulating him on winning the lottery when he never bought a ticket in the first place.

It seems you are having a hard time getting excited by this news. I understand. I heard it is like this for some people. Still, youve just awakened to being a Connector. You are healthy, but I would like to run more tests. Please consider staying at the hospital a little bit longer.

Im sorry, but I cant stay in this hospital any longer. I dont have any money.

Sungyoon spoke calmly. He was broke as he could get. His pride was useless, and he wasnt embarrassed when he admitted his lack of funds. However, he did feel sorry about it.

Dont worry about it. The government fully funds the tests that occur when a new Connector is found. However, youll have to pay if you come here next time.

Is that so?

Fortunate.

That was the first thought he had. He was happy that his hospital fee would be free. This made him happier than the fact that his heart was healthy and that he was a Connector.

It seems he is really short on money.

Leemin had observed Sungyoon for a short time. In the few words they exchanged with each other, Leemin knew that Sungyoon had low self-esteem and he was in a state of unhappiness. He wondered if poverty had caused this mindset.

It is none of my business.

He lived the life of a doctor. Moreover, he worked at a large general hospital and had met all kinds of people during his career. If he worried about the emotional wellbeing of all his patients, his mind and body wouldnt have lasted this long. In his eyes, a patient was merely a patient.

Please rest for the day.

Leemin uttered these words and exited the hospital room.

Tuhl-suhk!

Sungyoon fell back into the bed. The inside of his head was a mess. Too many events had occurred all at once.

Still, this isnt the worst-case scenario.

In fact, this situation was really good for him in many ways. He had assumed his heart problem was a symptom of a disease, but that wasnt the case. Moreover, he had been given a lifeline. It shone a ray of light into his dark future.

However, he wasnt as happy as he thought he would be. He didnt have the energy to be happy.

Lets sleep for now.

He decided to rest for now. When he closed his eyes, he could feel himself starting to fall asleep.

Still, I can rest without worry now.

He still had the worry about his massive debt, but the fear of dying at any moment had dissipated. This single development allowed Sungyoon to sleep comfortably.

Soon, Sungyoon fell asleep.

Was it a hallucination? The only sound within the room was the hum of the refrigerator. There were no other sounds. Not even Sungyoons breathing

* * *

Sungyoon was able to rest to his hearts content after he was hospitalized. It had been a long time since he had been presented with such an opportunity. He had been mindful of his money, so he had been eating ramen every day. Now he was eating nutritious hospital food. He was able to eat three meals a day. Before, when cold winds blew, he didnt dare turn on the heater, because he was worried about the heating bill. Now he could turn on the heater to his hearts content. Even if it was a little cold, he could turn it on.

It had been a while since Sungyoon was able to live decently.

It was time for his tests today, so he walked out into the corridor with his hospital gown on. He suddenly felt a lot of gazes on him. He turned his head, and several nurses quickly turned their heads away. He could hear them quietly scream out Kyaa! Kyaa! to each other.

Sungyoon walked further down the corridor to stand in front of a large mirror. He once again became surprised when he saw his own reflection in the mirror.

I know this is real, but....

Sungyoon once again looked over his face. He wasnt a young man, so some might say it was kind of weird for him to look at his own appearance like this. However, it all made sense if one saw the face reflected in the mirror. It was that surprising. The person would retract such a statement.

Until not too long ago, he had deep-set eyes and gaunt cheeks. He had a skinny body. There were traces of his handsome self left, but he looked like an ahjussi in his late 30s. That Sungyoon no longer existed.

The face reflected in the mirror was someone that had lived a good life. His skin was smooth, and there was a healthy color to his face. It was the face of a handsome man. The wrinkles caused by age and hardship were all gone. In terms of outer appearance, Sungyoon looked to be in his mid-20s or early-30s. He looked to be in the prime of his life, and this rejuvenation process was still in progress.

If someone that knew Sungyoon saw him right now, that person would have argued that Sungyoon had gotten botox and plastic surgery. However, no knife had touched Sungyoons face. He could swear as god as his witness. It was a natural process that had occurred in the past couple of days.

Ive heard about this, but it is amazing to experience it.

He once again looked over his face. His age, frequent alcohol use, and hardship had made his skin look rough, but now, his skin had returned to its former state unlike the bumpy appearance resembling the surface of the Moon that it had been before. His skin might be better than his skin in his early 20s.

It was most definitely a positive development. Many people wanted to return to being young, and they would be jealous of him.

But even though the fact that he looked like a younger version of himself made him very curious, he didnt feel any other emotions. In truth, he wasnt really fond of it.

It doesnt matter since Im not going to pick up women anymore.

He no longer cared about the gazes of others, and he also had no plans on dating any more women. He had met a bomb named Miyun. One was enough for a lifetime. He could no longer trust the members of the opposite sex.

Sungyoon once again started walking down the hospitals corridor, and he arrived at his destination.

It was where Leemin was conducting his tests. Sungyoon lightly knocked on the door.

Knock! Knock!

Please come in.

He could hear Leemins voice on the other side and opened the door.

When he entered, he saw Leemin. There was also a female nurse standing near him.

Welcome, Mr. Sungyoon.

Leemin greeted Sungyoon. The nurse guided Sungyoon towards the chair in front of Leemin.

Sungyoon took the invitation and sat on the chair.