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< Came Back (1) >
Came Back (1)
“Ugh!”
Park Se-jang tore the blue tape off my mouth.
He looked down at me, gasping for breath, with an indifferent gaze.
“Do you have anything to say?”
“Y-You already took everything, so why, why are you doing this?”
Chun Tae-san, a big shot in Myeongdong.
After my grandmother, who raised me, passed away, he appeared before me as a grandfather I didn’t even know existed.
Since then, I lived the life my grandfather wanted.
But after he passed away, my two greedy maternal uncles, my mother’s brothers, took everything.
Everything, through a collaboration with the ‘Cheongpunghoe.’
“Ha ha, I just do as I’m told. What would a servant like me know?”
“P-Park Se-jang. No, Seong-gi. Please, let me live.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll send you off without any pain.”
Park Se-jang twisted his lips and turned away from my voice, trembling with regret and fear.
He placed a rock on the accelerator and closed the door.
“Goodbye.”
The car, with me inside, began to move slowly down the slope.
“No! Hey! Park Se-jang!”
Tied to the car, I desperately called out to Park Se-jang.
But my voice didn’t reach anyone in the desolate reservoir.
Soon, the car started to pick up speed.
The darkness of the reservoir swallowed my screams.
Splash.
Water gushed into the car like a mad rush.
My vision quickly filled with water, and it started to enter my nose and mouth.
In the fading consciousness, only my grandmother’s face, with whom I lived when I was young, came to mind.
‘Grandma... I’ll come soon, wait for me.’
That was my last memory.
* * *
“Ugh, what’s this?”
I opened my eyes, startled by a sudden strong impact from behind.
Turning my head, I saw a familiar kid grinning and putting his fingers to his lips.
“Hey! Mu-hyuk, can I bum a cigarette?”
I was confused and quickly looked around.
A familiar space surrounded by cement walls.
Noisy voices and boys in school uniforms.
‘Dongsung High School?’
Suddenly, my mind started to race.
‘What? I was clearly in the reservoir with the car, right?’
“M-Mu-hyuk, aren’t you going?”
“Uh, sorry, I can’t wake up. Go by yourself.”
“What? Why are you speaking in Seoul dialect and being so annoying? You’re a weird kid.”
The kid grumbled and left the classroom alone.
I stared at his back, dazed.
Gradually, my sense of reality returned.
On the desk, a book that read ‘1st Grade Korean’ was placed like a pillow.
Looking down at my school uniform, I saw a white name tag.
‘Could it be... Dongsung High School 1st grade? Wait, was it 1990? What’s the date today?’
I tapped the back of the boy in front of me.
He jumped and turned around.
“What’s the date today?”
“Huh?”
“The date today.”
“Oh... wait a moment. It’s September 21st.”
I nodded, and he looked at me with a worried expression before turning back.
It seemed to be the beginning of the second semester.
‘Wait, September 21st?’
I jumped up from my seat.
“Grandma!”
September 21st.
The day my grandmother, who raised me, passed away suddenly from a heart attack.
I rushed out of school and ran to the shabby one-room apartment where I lived with my grandmother.
Opening the door, I saw my grandmother lying on the floor.
“Grandma!”
I fell to my knees and shook her.
But she didn’t respond at all.
“Is anyone there? Help!”
The shabby one-room apartment. As a child, I really hated this place where there was no soundproofing.
But now, I was glad it wasn’t soundproof.
I performed CPR while shouting at the top of my lungs.
At that moment, a man opened the door and came in.
“Why are you making so much noise! What’s going on?”
“Uncle, 119! Please, 119!”
“What? Mu-hyuk, what’s going on?”
“Please...”
The uncle, seeing the situation, ran out in shock.
I continued CPR with a desperate heart.
“Grandma, please... Grandma... don’t die. If I lose you again... no. Grandma! Grandma!”
How much time had passed?
“Huh! Cough, cough...”
My grandmother started to breathe heavily.
I quickly put my fingers to her nose.
Her breathing was faint but definitely there.
“Grandma... don’t die, please.”
I held her hands tightly and waited.
About 15 minutes passed.
The uncle returned with emergency personnel.
I stepped back and watched the rescue team check my grandmother’s condition.
“Mu-hyuk, what’s going on?”
“Uncle, thank you. When I came home, my grandmother had collapsed...”
“Now?”
“I confirmed she’s breathing...”
“Family member?”
The emergency personnel called out, and I quickly approached.
“Did the family member perform CPR?”
“Yes.”
“Thanks to you, your grandmother is alive. We’ll take her to the hospital.”
“Thank you, thank you...”
We arrived at Dongsung University Hospital after a 10-minute ride in the ambulance.
Seeing the doctors swarm around my grandmother, I felt my strength drain from my body.
Then, a nurse approached me.
“Family member? Please go to the administrative office and register.”
“Huh?”
Seeing that I didn’t understand, the nurse explained again.
“Please go to the administrative office, register, and pay.”
“Oh... yes.”
“Please register quickly.”
The nurse said this and immediately returned to the patients.
I understood what she said but stood there, feeling lost.
‘I don’t have any money.’
My childhood was terribly poor.
I really hated being poor. I hated my grandmother and my home.
So I got into trouble with my friends. Every time, my grandmother would come to the police station or school and beg on her hands and knees.
I hated her. No, I resented her.
It was only after my grandmother passed away suddenly that I realized how much I truly loved her.
And I realized how great the unconditional love she gave me was... after I entered society.
Unable to just stand there, I went to the administrative office and registered.
“You are a medical protection recipient. You only need to pay 10,400 won.”
“...I came in a hurry and didn’t bring anything. Can I borrow some coins?”
“Oh...”
The woman, looking at me sympathetically, gave me a few coins.
In front of the payphone at the hospital entrance, I wondered who to call.
‘Who can I ask for help?’
No one came to mind.
After some thought, I looked up the number in the phone book and called the Dongsung High School office.
— This is Dongsung High School, Park Seok-min speaking.
“Teacher, it’s Mu-hyuk.”
— What? Mu-hyuk?
“Yes, teacher.”
— Where are you? You suddenly disappeared.
I explained the situation to him.
— Is that so? Is your grandmother okay?
“Yes, thanks to you. Can you ask Myeong-su to bring some money to the hospital? I came in a hurry and didn’t bring anything...”
— Myeong-su? Got it. How much do you need?
“About 20,000 won? I think Myeong-su will have some money. If he doesn’t, please lend him some. I’m asking you.”
— Got it. I’ll send him right away.
I ended the call and sat on a bench.
Thinking about my grandmother, I hadn’t had time to process what had happened to me.
I tried to calmly analyze the situation.
‘I was clearly dead... Park Se-jang dropped me into the reservoir with the car. Did I come back to 1990? Is this possible?’
Hu Die Zhi Meng (Butterfly Dream).
I was enveloped in confusion, unsure if this was reality or a dream.
But my mind held a clear 30 years of memories, telling me this was definitely not a dream.
“M-Mu-hyuk!”
Familiar voices brought me back to reality.
Myeong-su, panting heavily, ran up and asked,
“Huh. What’s going on?”
“Uh... it’s...”
After hearing the situation, Myeong-su handed me 20,000 won.
“Phew... Is your grandmother okay?”
“Uh, she’s fine for now.”
“Okay, go inside and pay. I’ll wait.”
I returned to the administrative office and paid.
“Thank you.”
I returned the coins I had received from the administrative office staff and went outside.
Myeong-su was waiting for me on the bench.
“Did you pay?”
“Yeah.”
“Let’s go to the emergency room. I want to see your grandmother.”
“Okay.”
When we entered the emergency room, my grandmother was lying on a bed on one side.
I stood there, holding her hand silently.
Myeong-su gently held my shoulder from behind.
After a while, a doctor pulled back the curtain and came in.
“Student.”
“Yes.”
“It seems your grandmother will be fine. She should wake up soon.”
Hearing this, I felt my strength drain, almost collapsing.
“Still, she needs to be admitted to the hospital for proper examination. As a medical protection recipient, the cost won’t be high. But it will still be a few hundred thousand won. Prepare in advance. Her life is not in danger.”
“Thank you, thank you.”
“What did I do? It was all you.”
I bowed 90 degrees as the doctor left with a smile.
Myeong-su, who had been standing silently, suddenly asked,
“Mu-hyuk.”
“Yeah?”
“Do you have any money?”
“...Money?”
“You’ll need a lot of money for admission and tests.”
“I’ll figure it out somehow.”
“I’ll lend you some.”
I shook my head without a word.
“Got it. I’ll handle it.”
“M-Mu-hyuk. It’s your friend, right? I’ll explain the situation to my dad and borrow some. Wait.”
“Got it.”
As I talked with Myeong-su, I realized I was speaking in dialect without thinking.
Myeong-su chuckled.
“You’re right. You’re the Mu-hyuk I know. I thought someone else was imitating you. Got it, you’ll pay me back. Wait.”
He left the emergency room, and I couldn’t stop him.
It was true I had no money.
I couldn’t call my grandfather, as I didn’t even know he existed at this time.
“Ugh...”
Suddenly, a groan came from behind me. I turned to see my grandmother frowning slightly and slowly opening her eyes.
I immediately opened the curtain and shouted,
“Doctor! My grandmother woke up!”
I held her hand tightly as the doctor and nurses rushed over.
“Grandma...”
The doctor opened her eyes and checked her pupils while talking to her.
“Grandma! Can you hear me?”
My grandmother, who had been groaning, moved her lips.
“Where...”
“You’re in the hospital. Do you know where you are?”
“Grandma!”
Hearing my voice, my grandmother slowly turned her head to the side.
“Mu-hyuk... my child.”
“Grandma, do you recognize me?”
“...Of course, I can recognize my child.”
“Grandma...”
Tears streamed down my grandmother’s face, and my eyes were also wet.
“Grandma, your grandson saved you.”
“Huh?”
“You had a heart attack and collapsed, but your grandson performed CPR and saved you. You need to be admitted to the hospital for a while and have some tests done.”
“No...”
Hearing the doctor, my grandmother weakly shook her head.
Holding her hand tightly, I said,
“Grandma! Please be admitted.”
“But...”
“If it’s about money, I’ll handle it. Please, I’m begging you.”
“Mu-hyuk...”
My heart ached as I held her hand firmly.
My grandmother stroked the back of my hand with her other hand.
“Ha ha ha. What a good grandson. You’ll talk with your grandson and then move to a ward. It’s an 8-bed room. As a medical protection recipient, it’s almost free, but a 6-bed room or larger is expensive. Is an 8-bed room okay?”
“Yes.”
The doctor explained the admission process and the tests, but I didn’t really hear it.
After the doctor and nurses left, I met my grandmother’s eyes silently.
“Mu-hyuk.”
“Yeah? What is it, Grandma?”
“School? Have you eaten?”
“Grandma! Is now the time to worry about me?”
“But you need to eat.”
“I’ve eaten, don’t worry. I’m not a child anymore. I can take care of myself. Don’t worry about me, just take care of yourself.”
“...”
At that moment, Myeong-su opened the curtain and came in.
“Oh? Grandma, you’re awake?”
“Myeong-su, school?”
“Ha ha ha. Grandma, you’re always worried about school. Are you okay?”
“I can’t miss school... What happened to bring you here?”
I waved my hand to stop her from getting up.
“I can handle it. I called Myeong-su. I came to the hospital in a hurry and didn’t bring any money. So I borrowed some from Myeong-su.”
“Oh, Myeong-su, I’m so sorry.”
“Grandma, don’t worry. I’m always with Mu-hyuk, eating and going to school together. Just focus on getting better.”
Myeong-su’s words were very comforting.
I stared at him silently, and he cleared his throat and turned his head.
“Mu-hyuk, let’s go outside for a bit.”
“Grandma, I’ll be back with Myeong-su.”
“Okay, okay.”
We sat side by side on a bench outside the hospital.
“I’ve talked to my dad. He’ll lend me 500,000 won. Use it for your grandmother’s hospital bills and to buy some medicine.”
I was so grateful and embarrassed that I couldn’t speak.
Seeing my expression, Myeong-su patted my back.
“Mu-hyuk! Are you ashamed to borrow money from me? Do you think you can’t pay it back?”
“No...”
“Hey, if it wasn’t for you, I would have been killed by those thugs in middle school. Don’t you remember? No one touched me because of you. I came to this high school because of you. Don’t look at me like that.”
“...”
“Got it. I’ll bring the money tomorrow. Use it as you see fit. I’m leaving. See you tomorrow.”
He left the hospital, and I watched his back for a while.
Myeong-su, one of my closest friends.
He grew up comfortably because his father ran a large bar in Nam-dong, Busan, but he was bullied by thugs after entering middle school. After I fought them, we became friends.
But...
After my grandmother passed away, I ignored Myeong-su.
< Came Back (1) > End