Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 380

381. The Confrontation of Three People

“I heard they met through a matchmaking service… That’s right! Now that I think about it, my sister asked me if setting up Lee Ji with Cha Tae-cheol was a good idea.”

“A good idea? What do you mean?”

“It was a while ago, but I heard that family had some troubles back then. My sister didn’t know the details, but the rumor in the neighborhood was that Cha Tae-cheol was sick and caused a commotion for a while.”

At that time, Euijin was spending so much time at the hospital that she didn’t know if that had happened.

“I see. Well…”

Taekyung was quite embarrassed by the situation.

In fact, a little while ago, when Euijin said she knew the woman in the photo, he was relieved that meeting her wouldn’t be too difficult. But when he tried to speak, it wasn’t as easy as he thought.

“Euijin? I have something to tell you…”

“Why are you hesitating like this? It’s not like you, Senior.”

“First, sit down here.”

Taekyung pulled out a chair and sat Euijin down, who had been standing, and began to speak.

“Let’s say someone I know is seeing someone and thinking about getting married. But if I accidentally found out that their partner had done something terribly wrong in the past, what would you do, Euijin?”

“The person you know doesn’t know about the other person’s wrongdoing?”

“Yeah. They don’t know.”

“If the wrongdoing is really serious, I think I would tell them.”

“Even if telling them could break up their marriage, you’d still tell them?”

“Is it that serious of a wrongdoing?”

“Yeah. A wrongdoing that’s hard to forgive.”

“Then I’ll tell them. Of course, whether they forgive and accept the other person or break up is up to the person I know to decide, but still, if it’s someone I know, I think I’d feel guilty if I didn’t tell them.”

“Right. That’s right. I think so too.”

“But why are you asking? Now that I think about it, your expression suddenly became serious. Is something really wrong?”

“Euijin, listen carefully to what I’m about to say. Okay?”

“…Yes.”

“You know Yoo Hyuk-jin, the patient on the second floor?”

“Of course. There’s no one on the hospital staff who doesn’t know him.”

“Actually, there was a bit of a problem with that patient earlier.”

“What problem? Is he not doing well? Didn’t they say his spine was okay?”

Euijin assumed that Yoo Hyuk-jin’s problem was health-related.

“No, it’s not that. He caused a small commotion, saying he wanted to die, begging to be killed.”

“Why?”

“It turns out that Yoo Hyuk-jin was imprisoned because his younger sister died tragically, and it was related to that.”

Taekyung calmly told her everything that had happened to Yoo Hyuk-jin’s family.

He had to explain it because Euijin was a senior colleague of the Yerang Corporation’s daughter.

However, he hadn’t mentioned Cha Tae-cheol’s name yet.

“That’s why Yoo Hyuk-jin was imprisoned.”

“Oh my! How could such a thing happen… How could there be such a terrible person.”

Euijin, upon hearing the story, was naturally furious and surprised. Anyone would have reacted the same way.

“I promised to help that patient. The person who made his sister like that announced their marriage, and he wants me to tell that woman everything on his behalf.”

“That Yoo Hyuk-jin must have had a hard time. I think I know why he made that request. That bad guy doesn’t deserve to be happy. How can he ruin a family’s life and live happily by himself? That’s not something a person with a conscience would do. Well, if he had a conscience in the first place, he wouldn’t have done such a thing.”

Euijin, who was as enthusiastic about patients’ affairs as Taekyung, reacted with anger as if it were her own business.

“But, Senior, how are you going to tell that woman?”

“That’s what I’m worried about. Euijin, actually, they’re people you know.”

“What? Someone I know is Yoo Hyuk-jin’s patient…? Wait a minute, Senior!”

Euijin, who had been thinking with a blank face for a moment, finally understood what Taekyung was saying.

“Could it be! Could it be that the man and woman are…”

Her trembling eyes, which had been looking at Taekyung, moved to the article on the monitor.

“Are you talking about Cha Tae-cheol and Lee Ji? Is that it?”

“Yeah. That’s right.”

“Oh, how could this happen…”

“I only found out when you said she was your junior while looking at the article earlier.”

“Ha!”

In this absurd situation, Euijin couldn’t easily speak and only wore a bewildered expression. Taekyung also didn’t say anything for a while, for her sake.

“Senior, but you said earlier that Yoo Hyuk-jin’s sister and my junior look alike? Can I see a picture of his sister?”

“Oh, Mr. Oh sent it earlier. Here.”

Taekyung enlarged the photo on his phone and handed it over. Her gaze went to the phone, then to the monitor, and then back to the phone.

“It’s true…”

Even Euijin could see that the two looked alike. They weren’t exactly alike like twins, but their appearance and the atmosphere felt in the photo were similar.

It was like when you see a complete stranger and say they look like someone you know.

“Euijin, I still think I should tell my junior. What do you think…?”

“Of course!”

Before Taekyung could finish speaking, Euijin said with emphasis.

“We have to tell her. That’s right. I definitely think we should tell her. It’s not a simple matter like secretly taking a wallet that fell on the street or taking something from a store without paying. It’s not just anything, it’s sexual assault that drove someone to death and ruined a family’s life.”

“Are you really okay with it?”

“I’m okay. If we don’t tell her and let them get married, I think I’d feel even more sorry for Lee Ji. Senior said earlier that Yoo Hyuk-jin’s sister didn’t choose to die, but Cha Tae-cheol made her do it. That’s right.”

She was worried about her junior who would find out about this terrible thing, but nevertheless, Euijin thought it was right to tell her the truth.

“And after hearing Senior’s story just now, I don’t think Cha Tae-cheol has lived a normal life like others without any problems. Senior knows very well that people with sexual problems can’t easily break that cycle. I think it’s fortunate that my junior found out about this before the wedding.”

That was true.

If she found out about this after the wedding, it would be even more painful and difficult for her junior.

“Then, Euijin, can you arrange a meeting with that junior?”

“Yes, I’ll contact her and make an appointment.”

Euijin, feeling that there was no need to drag things out, contacted her junior that morning and was able to make an appointment right away.

* * *

The Next Day-

The two headed to a meeting place not far from the hospital.

Since they couldn’t have a conversation that could be overheard in a cafe with an open space, they looked for a cafe with a private room where they could talk separately.

“Welcome.”

“I have a room reservation. The reservation name is Jung Euijin.”

“Confirmed. I’ll show you the way.”

The two entered the reserved room and sat down side by side.

“We’re not too early, are we?”

“No. Lee Ji should be arriving in about 10 minutes. Is this the recorder?”

Euijin asked, looking at the small recorder Taekyung had taken out.

The day before, Oh Chang-gyu, who had been asked by Yoo Hyuk-jin, handed the recorder to Taekyung after coming to work.

Yoo Hyuk-jin, who had his sister’s handwritten diary of that day taken by a detective, didn’t reveal the existence of the recorder.

The recorder containing Cha Tae-cheol and his sister’s voices was more solid evidence than the diary. However, Yoo Hyuk-jin didn’t disclose the recorder, seeing the absurd situation at the time.

And the day before he was caught by the police, he kept the recorder in a personal safe and appointed Oh Chang-gyu as his agent.

Hearing that he was going to meet the daughter of Yerang Corporation, Yoo Hyuk-jin asked Oh Chang-gyu to take the recorder out of the safe.

The reason he gave Taekyung the recorder, which he had been hiding all along, was in case the woman didn’t believe him.

“Have you listened to the recorder, Senior?”

“No. I haven’t listened to it. I hope we don’t have to listen to this recorder today.”

“…Me too.”

The two continued their conversation in a calmer atmosphere than usual, and soon the protagonist of the day arrived.

“Euijin unnie [older sister or close female friend]?”

“Lee Ji?”

“It’s been two months since we met at the engagement party.”

“That’s right. Was it hard to get here?”

“No. I came comfortably by taxi.”

“Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule.”

“Unnie is busier. There’s not much to prepare for the engagement ceremony. Oh! Is this the person unnie is thinking of marrying?”

Go Lee Ji, who had a distinctly different appearance from the calm two, greeted Taekyung happily upon discovering him.

“That’s right. He’s my boyfriend.”

“Hello. My name is Kim Taekyung.”

“Hello. I’m Go Lee Ji. By the way, I know you, Doctor. I saw your interview about the child abuse case before. I thought you were amazing when I watched TV then, but I didn’t know you were Euijin unnie’s boyfriend. You’re very cool, Doctor.”

“You’re too kind. Not at all.”

“Lee Ji, sit down first.”

Honest and bright Go Lee Ji was happy, forgetting to sit down.

“Would you like something to drink?”

“I’ll have apple tea. What would you two like to drink?”

“I’ll go. You stay seated.”

Taekyung got up first when Go Lee Ji tried to get up to order.

“Euijin will have an Americano, right?”

“Yes, Senior.”

As Taekyung left the room to order, Go Lee Ji said in a bright tone.

“Your boyfriend is even more handsome in person, unnie. You two look great together.”

“Yeah. Thank you.”

“You said you two work at the same hospital, right?”

“Yes.”

“He’s my future brother-in-law. I’ve only known him for five minutes, but he seems like a good person.”

“He has a lot to learn from, and he’s warm-hearted. He’s a really good person.”

“Do your aunt and uncle know?”

“I haven’t seen them yet, but I told them, so they know.”

“After I get married, unnie will be next. To be honest, I got a call yesterday and thought about asking your boyfriend to come with you, but I thought it would be rude, so I didn’t. But I thought it was great that you said you were coming together.”

“Well… Lee Ji? How did you meet that person? Through your parents?”

“Yes, well. It’s obvious. Actually, I didn’t have much thought about marriage, but in my family, living alone is not allowed. Adults think they should build a family. So my parents did, and my brother and sister did, so I just went on a blind date.”

“Is he good to you?”

“He’s very good to me. Tae-cheol is more active and sincere with me, so I think my heart opened up a bit after seeing that.”

“Oh, I see.”

“I told my mom that I don’t like him as much as he likes me, but she said that whether it’s a love marriage or a matchmaking, you end up living with affection anyway, and that women should live with men who are good to them so they don’t suffer. I think that’s right.”

Euijin clenched and unclenched her hands, which were clasped under the table, while Taekyung returned with the ordered drinks.

“Hmm. Apple tea is delicious. I saw the cake when I came in, and it looked so delicious.”

“Then would you like to eat it?”

“No. I ordered a dress to wear at the engagement ceremony, but it’s a bit tight, so I’m on a diet. It’ll be fun these days, even though there will be a lot of fighting and fatigue when I start preparing for the wedding in earnest.”

Looking at the happiness on Go Lee Ji’s face, the two were at a loss as to how to bring up the story.

Euijin knew very well that her junior’s happiness would be shattered the moment she brought up the story.

She wondered how to minimize the hurt as much as possible, but she couldn’t find an answer.

After exchanging ordinary conversations with Go Lee Ji for about 10 minutes, Euijin called her junior’s name in a low voice as if she had made up her mind.

“Lee Ji…?”

“Yes, Unnie.”

“The person you’re seeing, do you think you know him well?”