Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 236

Episode 236. The Best Revenge

That afternoon, Choi Tae-shik, after reporting the incident to the military police, headed straight to our hospital after work.

It was to deliver the news to Kim Seong-hoon.

“How’s your body?”

“Thanks to your concern, Captain, I’m steadily improving.”

“You got the call from the unit earlier, right?”

“Yes, I did.”

After the disciplinary committee concluded, Kim Seong-hoon received a call from the unit and heard about the results.

“The two have been handed over to the military police.”

In fact, after hearing the news that the disciplinary committee would be held, he was inwardly wondering if the outcome would be favorable.

Of course, he hoped and wished for a fair outcome for what they had done wrong. He wanted a harsher punishment than military correctional education, but he knew that things in the military often deviated from expectations, so it might not happen.

And if the desired result didn’t come out, he was thinking of hiring a military law specialist.

But he heard that Go Cheol-soo and Park Byeong-deok were handed over to the military police and would be on trial. Kim Seong-hoon and his family were relieved that the desired result had come out.

Of course, it would take a long time for the investigation process and trial results, but it was fortunate that the military did not simply overlook this issue.

“I heard the news. I heard that you put in a lot of effort, Captain. Thank you for your concern.”

“Don’t mention it. I just did what I had to do. More importantly, Kim Seong-hoon?”

“Private Kim Seong-hoon.”

“Are you really going to be okay?”

“Yes, Captain. I’m fine.”

“I’m just worried that you might be pushing yourself too hard. Are you really okay?”

Since earlier, Captain Choi Tae-shik had been wearing a slightly more worried expression than when he first entered the hospital room.

The reason was that Choi Tae-shik didn’t come to the hospital alone.

He came to the hospital with Go Cheol-soo and Park Byeong-deok. Currently, the two in question were waiting in the car in the parking lot with someone from the unit.

After the disciplinary committee, the battalion commander spoke with Kim Seong-hoon and his parents in turn.

At that time, the family conveyed specific details about the resolution of the incident, and Kim Seong-hoon also shared what he wanted.

‘I want an apology.’

What Kim Seong-hoon wanted was an apology.

At first, the family asked why he would receive an apology from those bad guys and told him not to do it.

They said to just let them be judged by the law and see the results. But Kim Seong-hoon, the victim, was firm in his will.

‘Seong-hoon, why bother seeing those guys?’

‘Yeah, they’re weird, crazy guys who made you suffer and hurt you, so why? Don’t do it. Just let it go. Okay?’

‘I don’t want to just let it go like this.’

Kim Seong-hoon conveyed his thoughts to his family, who were all against it.

‘Apart from being judged by the law, I don’t want to lose to those two.’

That’s exactly what it was. Everyone in the unit, Captain Choi Tae-shik, and his family asked why he was trying to see the perpetrators, Go Cheol-soo and Park Byeong-deok. They asked why he would face people who had given him difficult memories.

But Kim Seong-hoon’s thoughts were different. He wanted to receive an apology from them.

Of course, there was a higher probability that the apology would be a formality rather than coming from the heart.

Still, he wanted to receive it.

He wanted to receive the apology of ‘I’m sorry’ from those monstrous Go Cheol-soo and Park Byeong-deok.

And he wanted to say it.

That what they did was wrong. That they shouldn’t do that to anyone. He wanted to tell them to be punished for what they did wrong.

Only then could he resolve the resentment in his heart, and it wouldn’t remain as a trauma in his life.

He didn’t want to hide or leave it as something to be forgotten in his memory. He wanted to face it head-on and break it.

He wanted to let the changed him now tell the him who was struggling at that time that this was nothing.

Kim Seong-hoon didn’t make this decision lightly.

While lying in the hospital room, he endlessly pondered how he could shake off this incident and live confidently in the future. This was the conclusion he came to after countless 고민 [agonizing thoughts].

It wasn’t a moment’s recklessness or an emotion that surged from anger.

The conclusion was the apology of Go Cheol-soo and Park Byeong-deok. It was a decision made so carefully.

“Kim Seong-hoon, are you really okay?”

“Of course. I know very well that you’re saying this because you’re worried about me, Captain. But Captain? I’ve come to the conclusion that I need to face those two in order to move forward, so I made this decision after careful consideration.”

“Okay, I understand. I’ll tell them to come up now.”

“Yes.”

Clang-

After a while, about 5 minutes later, Go Cheol-soo and Park Byeong-deok entered the hospital room.

Captain Choi Tae-shik was also there to prepare for any possible situation.

“Go Cheol-soo, Park Byeong-deok?”

“P, Private Go Cheol-soo.”

“Private, P, Park Byeong-deok.”

The two looked like cows being dragged to a slaughterhouse. Their bodies were limp, and their heads were down.

Knowing that they would be dragged to the military police tomorrow, they seemed to be half out of their minds.

“You two, don’t you have anything to say to Private Kim Seong-hoon?”

“Y, yes, we do.”

“Don’t stutter and speak properly.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“S, Seong-hoon, I’m sorry.”

“Me too, I’m really s…”

“Why did you do that?”

Kim Seong-hoon cut off their words when Go Cheol-soo and Park Byeong-deok were carefully delivering their apologies in a hesitant manner.

“Did I do something wrong to Private Go Cheol-soo and Private Park Byeong-deok, or did I ever fail to do what you asked me to do properly?”

“N, no. It’s not like that.”

“Seong-hoon, you never did anything wrong with what we asked you to do.”

“Then, why did you do that to me!”

“J, just…”

“I’m sorry…”

“I’m really sorry. It wasn’t for any other reason.”

“Sorry? Is that all you have to say if you’re sorry? Huh? Did you just bully me for no reason? Is that it?”

“…….”

“I even thought about dying because of you. You gnawed at me, and my body and mind collapsed. But just because? For no reason? You guys are trash!”

“I’m sorry! Sob! I’m really sorry.”

Go Cheol-soo and Park Byeong-deok slowly shed tears.

While coming from the unit to the hospital, they heard everything about how hard Kim Seong-hoon had it and in what condition he arrived at the hospital and underwent surgery.

But in reality, it didn’t really hit them.

The bigger worry was being dragged to the military police tomorrow than Kim Seong-hoon’s condition.

But when they actually saw Kim Seong-hoon’s condition with their own eyes, they felt sorry because they were also human.

The words that he was in critical condition in the intensive care unit and had a close call with death and underwent surgery suddenly felt real.

Kim Seong-hoon, whom they had seen in a few days, was very haggard. Perhaps because they saw it with their own eyes, it suddenly felt like everything was their fault.

‘Are you guys human! How can you do that to fellow soldiers? Huh!’

‘You’ll be struck by lightning!!’

The voices they heard from Kim Seong-hoon’s parents and family in front of the hospital room and the eyes that glared fiercely as if they would hit them right away came to mind again.

“I’m sorry, Seong-hoon, I’m really sorry. At first, it was just a joke without any emotion. You were so nice that you didn’t say you didn’t like it, so it was fun, so the joke got more and more severe. I’m sorry.”

“I’m really sorry. I have nothing to say even if I had ten mouths.”

“It’s so easy for you to say you’re sorry. Are you really sorry?”

Kim Seong-hoon looked down at the two men who were bowing their heads and kneeling down to apologize.

The two men, who had been so scared and trembling until now, were no longer there. Especially since the two men, who didn’t seem to have a drop of blood to shed even if you stabbed them, were even shedding tears, it was ridiculous.

The two monsters who seemed like giant giants were no longer visible.

They were also just the same people in the end. Just ordinary people.

“S, Seong-hoon… I’m shameless, but please forgive me.”

“I’m sorry. We’re sorry.”

“No, I’m not going to forgive you, Go Cheol-soo and Park Byeong-deok, so easily. I’m definitely going to take revenge on the two of you.”

“…….”

“……!”

Go Cheol-soo and Park Byeong-deok flinched and were surprised when they heard the word revenge. Moreover, from the moment they entered the hospital room, the figure of Kim Seong-hoon, who had been suppressed by their energy, was no longer there.

It felt strange to hear the person who was always kind and naive, who they thought couldn’t do anything, say that he would take revenge in a voice full of strength.

But the two were shocked as if they had been hit in the head with a blunt weapon when they heard Kim Seong-hoon’s words that followed right after.

“I’m going to live well, as if to show you two. I’m going to live really happily. You told me, right? That I’m a loser who can’t do anything! You’re wrong. The real losers are you, Go Cheol-soo and Park Byeong-deok.

While you’re going through a long trial and in jail, I’m going to bravely receive the rest of my military service. And I’m going to graduate 멋지게 [splendidly] and go to a good job different from you and live 멋지게 [splendidly].

I’m going to live so hard that you’ll be haunted by guilt while thinking about me for the rest of your life, and you’ll regret that if we hadn’t bullied Kim Seong-hoon at that time, we wouldn’t be in prison in this state.

Because that’s the best revenge I can do.”

“Sob! Sniff!”

“I was wrong. Please forgive me!”

The two, who now realized the reality in front of them, shed more tears than before and repeated their belated apologies.

They desperately felt how much their lives had fallen into the gutter because of what they had done for fun.

“Because of you, I’m going to cherish people more and live righteously in the future. I’m going to be happier with that heart that wanted to die.”

“I’m really… sorry.”

“Then, Private Go Cheol-soo and Private Park Byeong-deok. It was a short time, but I learned a lot from living in the military together. Loyalty! Goodbye.”

“S, Seong-hoon?”

“Kim Seong-hoon? Can’t you forgive us?”

“Captain, I’ve said everything I wanted to say.”

“Okay, take the two of you and quickly return to the unit.”

“Yes, Captain. I understand.”

Clang-

Go Cheol-soo and Park Byeong-deok were dragged out of the hospital room with a pathetic appearance until the end.

“Are you okay?”

Choi Tae-shik stroked Kim Seong-hoon’s shoulder, who was slightly emotional, and asked.

“I’m fine, Captain. To be honest, I feel relieved.”

That’s exactly what it was. After saying everything he wanted to say to Go Cheol-soo and Park Byeong-deok, it felt like his 속이 뻥 뚫린 것만 같았다 [his chest felt wide open].

The stuffy head that had been blocked all along became cool, and it felt 홀가분했다 [lighthearted] as if something that had been weighing down his heart had disappeared.

“I thought I couldn’t be proud of those two. I really wanted to create this 자리 [setting]. Thank you for understanding.”

“What understanding. Your heart is the most important thing. Kim Seong-hoon?”

“Private Kim Seong-hoon!”

“You were really 멋있었다 [cool; awesome]. I was able to feel a lot of things as an officer while you were talking earlier, Seong-hoon. You did a great job.”

“Thank you.”

“Can I ask you one favor?”

“Please tell me anything.”

“It won’t be easy, but I hope you’ll think about your future rather than being tied to the past. Like you said earlier, Seong-hoon, be happy. Because that’s the best revenge. You know what I mean, right?”

“I know it well. Captain. And I will live like that.”

Kim Seong-hoon answered with a bright smile.

“Okay, I believe you’ll do well. Take care of yourself and see you again.”

“Loyalty!”

Choi Tae-shik received Kim Seong-hoon’s vigorous greeting and left the hospital room.

The sound of the friendly conversation between Kim Seong-hoon and his family, which was heard from the hospital room, echoed pleasantly in the hallway.

Kim Seong-hoon wisely overcame what could have been a major trauma for the rest of his life.

Choi Tae-shik thought that he should pay continuous attention to the unit members in the hope that another Kim Seong-hoon would not come out as a result of this incident.