Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 284

Five Vital Signs – Episode 284

284. Just a Painkiller

“By the way, where do you buy this?”

“At the hospital.”

“The hospital? You buy this at the hospital?”

“Yeah. Did you think you could buy it at the supermarket?”

Of course, he didn’t think he could buy it at the supermarket, but he never expected it to be from a hospital. Until now, Seo Jun-woo thought it was just some unusual candy or stickers bought through overseas direct purchase.

Sometimes, unique foreign foods become popular among children, so he thought it was one of those things.

But buying it from a hospital made him question the candy and stickers.

“We take turns buying them, and you’ll be going to buy them soon, Jun-woo.”

“Me?”

“It’s a kind of initiation ceremony for our club. You just have to go into the hospital and come out, so don’t worry about it yet.”

“Okay. Well… Seung-gyu, just one more question.”

“You can ask me anything you’re curious about.”

“This thing.”

Seo Jun-woo awkwardly held up the bag to eye level. It was the bag containing the candy and stickers that Go Seung-gyu had given him.

“It’s not something bad, is it?”

“Of course not.”

Lee Seon, who was playing games with friends nearby, approached them and said.

“Why would we do it if it was bad? And you said we buy it from the hospital. The hospital is a place that heals sick people, so why would they bring something bad?”

“Seon is right. The hospital is a place that saves people, not kills them. And don’t look at it like that. It’s a painkiller.”

As soon as Go Seung-gyu finished speaking, Seo Jun-woo’s gaze turned to the bag.

“This is a painkiller?”

“Yeah, a painkiller.”

“It’s just a painkiller, so why shouldn’t my parents find out?”

“Jun-woo, have you ever had an energy drink while studying for exams?”

“Yeah, I have.”

Sometimes, students drink a lot of energy drinks or coffee to stay awake when studying late.

“It’s similar to that. Our parents worry that we’ll ruin our health if we eat that kind of stuff when we study. That’s why. It just leads to nagging. Ask me if you have any more questions.”

“No, this is enough.”

Seo Jun-woo couldn’t understand everything Go Seung-gyu said, but he decided to stop asking questions at this point.

His head was too complicated to concentrate on the conversation any longer.

After that, Seo Jun-woo spent time with the kids at the hideout and returned home.

“I’m home.”

“Our son worked hard on his mock exam. If you keep doing this well, you can choose any medical school you want. Right, son?”

“Come on! Don’t put too much pressure on the kid.”

“What pressure? I’m just bragging about how smart our son is.”

“Jun-woo, hang in there until next year, even if it’s tough. Your mom is doing all this for your own good. Your life will be easier once you become a doctor. Professional jobs are the best these days.”

“…Yes, Dad.”

“You’re coming from tutoring with your club members, right? You’re a little later than usual today.”

“Yes. I’ll go in now. I think I need to review the mock exam again.”

“Okay, go in and study. Should I bring you some snacks?”

“I ate tteokbokki [spicy stir-fried rice cakes] earlier.”

Seo Jun-woo finished his conversation with his parents, which started and ended with studying, as usual, and went into his room.

His head was already complicated, but his parents’ usual talk about medical school felt even harder to listen to today.

He was grateful to be born to parents who were wealthier than others, but he didn’t want this kind of life.

Sometimes, he felt like he was living as his parents’ doll, not his own life.

At times like this, the stress he had been suppressing deep inside would slowly rear its head and weigh down on his heart.

Thud-

Seo Jun-woo, who usually washed up as soon as he got home, put down his bag and sat on the desk chair with a tired expression.

His blank gaze at the desk turned to a book he hadn’t seen before.

-How to Become a Good Doctor.

-Making My Child a Doctor.

-The Top Student at a Prestigious University Says: This Is How I Studied and Became the Top Medical Student.

He thought his mom must have put them there again, and sure enough, his mom’s voice was heard from outside the door.

“Jun-woo, I brought you some books to read this time. Read them when you need to clear your head from studying.”

“Ha!”

With a sigh that seemed to make the ground sink, his stress deepened.

He liked studying, but he felt like he was getting more and more tired of studying to go to medical school.

‘Try this when you’re stressed and your chest feels tight. It’ll make you feel better right away.’

Then, he suddenly remembered what Go Seung-gyu and the kids had said at the club hideout earlier.

It was a perfect timing. Seo Jun-woo, who had no way to relieve stress even when he was stressed out, kept hearing the kids’ words in his ears.

‘It’s just a painkiller.’

There were some parts he didn’t understand, but he couldn’t help but be drawn to it because his heart felt heavy.

Rip-

With a headstrong hand, Seo Jun-woo took out the problematic bag from the inside of his bag and placed it on the desk.

“That’s supposed to get rid of stress?”

With that soliloquy, Seo Jun-woo reached out to the bag and took out the candy and stickers inside in one go.

His hand, which was hesitating between the candy and the sticker, turned towards the transparent sticker and was getting closer and closer.

“…!”

But the moment his fingertips touched the sticker, his hand stopped. Seo Jun-woo didn’t move, with his hand outstretched.

Tick-tock-

While the second hand on the wall flowed countless times, Seo Jun-woo stared intently at the candy and stickers, remaining in that state.

After agonizing for nearly an hour, he got up from his seat and threw himself onto the bed.

The Next Day-

“Jun-woo?”

Go Seung-gyu came to Seo Jun-woo, who had finished school and was preparing for class.

“Oh, Seung-gyu.”

“Did you try it?”

“Oh, that? A little?”

Seo Jun-woo said the same thing he had said to Lee Seon, who had asked him the same question as soon as he came to school.

“How was it? Was it okay?”

“Maybe it’s because I didn’t do it the way you told me to and only did it for a little bit? I don’t really know yet.”

“It’s always like that at first. And we’re going to the hospital tonight.”

“The hospital?”

“Yeah. You have to do the initiation ceremony too.”

The word initiation ceremony meant buying candy and stickers.

“But don’t you have English tutoring today? Are you going to skip it again today?”

“No, I asked them to finish an hour early.”

“Okay.”

“Okay, see you later.”

“Seon, about that initiation ceremony, did you do it too?”

After Go Seung-gyu left, Seo Jun-woo approached Lee Seon, who was sitting nearby.

“Yeah, I did it. I just expressed it that way because it was the first time going to the hospital. We keep taking turns buying the candy and stickers.”

“Then, do I go to the hospital alone?”

“No, there’s a guide, so don’t worry.”

Seo Jun-woo kept wondering what the guide Lee Seon was talking about until school was over and tutoring was over.

Several hours later, the children changed into casual clothes after finishing tutoring and took a taxi somewhere.

“Whistle.”

Go Seung-gyu, who got out of the taxi and came to a deserted lot, suddenly whistled. Then, as if waiting, an old man in shabby clothes appeared in front of the children.

“Can you go to the hospital now?”

“Of course. I’ve been waiting for the day you come.”

The old man, who was obviously a homeless person at a glance, was quite friendly to Go Seung-gyu.

“This person will accompany you today.”

“He’s a new face.”

“Since it’s his first time, please do well without making any mistakes.”

“Of course. Just trust me and follow me.”

“Change your clothes with this, and Jun-woo, you go change your clothes too. The bathroom is over there.”

“Who is that old man, and why do I have to change my clothes?”

Seo Jun-woo said, looking at the shopping bag containing the clothes Go Seung-gyu had given him.

“That person is literally a guide.”

Then, Go Seung-gyu’s detailed explanation followed.

Whenever they needed candy and stickers, the children visited the hospital with that old man.

The old man’s role was the patient, and the accompanying person’s role was the grandson.

The old man goes to the hospital emergency room, says he is sick, gets a prescription, and buys painkillers from a nearby pharmacy.

Then, he hands it over to the accompanying child and receives a fee.

Go Seung-gyu thought of homeless people as people who would have no repercussions and would unconditionally follow his words.

Homeless people’s biggest concern was solving the problem of one meal, they desperately missed a glass of alcohol, and they wouldn’t ask questions if it was money.

So, he went to where the homeless people were, directly recruited the most suitable person, and even made a fake ID for them.

“You said it’s a painkiller?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“It’s a painkiller, so why? Why does that old man get a prescription instead of us doing it ourselves?”

“Jun-woo, do you perhaps not want to do it?”

At that moment, Go Seung-gyu’s friendly eyes turned sharp.

“It seems like you don’t want to do it.”

“It’s not that, but I thought it was just a painkiller, but I’m wondering if we have to go this far.”

“Of course. We’re going to do great things.”

“What?!”

“We’re going to be leaders of society, so we shouldn’t leave these records carelessly.”

“…”

“Hey, Jun-woo. I’m kidding. I’m kidding!”

Go Seung-gyu awkwardly laughed and changed his words when he saw Seo Jun-woo’s speechless expression.

“It’s not that, but even if it’s a painkiller, I was worried that you might get tired of going to this hospital and that hospital to get treatment.”

“Seung-gyu is right. There’s no need to leave a medical record.”

“That’s right. Back when stimulants were popular because they helped you concentrate, parents got prescriptions for them instead. You can think of it as similar to that.”

“Just go into the hospital with that old man and see the doctor for a moment and come out. Don’t be too nervous.”

“Ah! Okay. Hey! I’ll just do it.”

Lee Seon, who had been listening to the two people’s conversation from behind, suddenly jumped in as if frustrated.

“It seems like our model student Seo Jun-woo isn’t ready yet. It’s going to be dawn soon. I’ll just go today. You go next time, Jun-woo.”

She spat it out in a sarcastic tone, but in fact, Lee Seon was saying it for Seo Jun-woo’s sake.

She wanted to help because she felt like Jun-woo was hesitating about something.

“I’ll just go today, so you go instead of me next time.”

“No!”

As Lee Seon tried to grab the bag containing the clothes, Seo Jun-woo said firmly and pulled the hand holding the bag back.

“I’ll go.”

“You’re going?”

“Yeah. I’ll go.”

After hesitating for a while, Seo Jun-woo finally decided to go himself.

Go Seung-gyu said that he didn’t have to go if he didn’t want to, but he knew that if he didn’t go here, the children’s attitude towards him would change.

In particular, if they knew he had left the club, no friends would come near him.

He didn’t really want to, but he didn’t want to live his school life without friends.

‘Okay, it’s just a painkiller. There’s no need to be so serious. Let’s go quickly and come back.’

After that, Seo Jun-woo, who had changed his clothes in the bathroom, heard about the hospital he was going to today from Go Seung-gyu.

“Our Hospital, is that the one in Yeoul-dong?”

“Yeoul-dong?”

“Yeah. It’s a 30-minute taxi ride from here. Put the prescription you get from the nearby pharmacy in the hideout and go home. Aren’t you guys going together?”

“Of course not. It’s weird if we all go together. This is the taxi fare, and this is the bag to put the stuff in.”

“What’s going on? Why are you guys talking so much today? I want to go get a drink quickly.”

The homeless old man, who had been waiting on one side, urged as if he was hungry.

“We’re going soon. I think that old man is hungry. Jun-woo, do you have any more questions?”

“No.”

“Okay, good luck. I’ll text you later.”

“Hey, Jun-woo. Should I go with you?”

“Why are you going with him, Lee Seon? Do you like Jun-woo?”

“No, I don’t!”

“It’s okay. See you tomorrow.”

Seo Jun-woo left Lee Seon, who was trying to go with him, behind and headed to Our Hospital with the old man.