Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 108

Fifth Vital Sign – Episode 108

Episode 108. Do You Admit the Allegations?

At the same time Sera’s surgery was underway, Jang Deuk-chil was patrolling around the hospital.

“Excuse me, how can I help you?”

Jang Deuk-chil approached a young man who was looking around.

“I’m here for the emergency room. I usually park and enter through the back door, but it’s locked. Is the emergency room closed today?”

“The back door is out of order and locked for replacement due to safety concerns. Please enter through the main entrance.”

“Okay, thank you.”

He said the back door was out of order, but it was actually locked on Tae-kyung’s instructions to prevent suspicious outsiders from entering.

“Agent Jang, no suspicious people, right?”

Chief Choi asked Jang Deuk-chil, who had moved back to the main entrance.

“Yes, I haven’t seen anyone particularly suspicious so far.”

“Okay. Keep up the good work, and let me know immediately if you see anyone who seems even slightly suspicious.”

“Yes, don’t worry.”

“Team Leader?”

The reception staff called out to Chief Choi as he entered the hospital after giving Jang Deuk-chil instructions.

“Did you see this?”

“What? What happened again?”

“It’s not that, but comments about Do Han-yeon’s abuse are starting to appear on the Seri Sera YouTube channel.”

-Don’t be fooled, everyone. That woman is a child abuser.

-That crazy woman is abusing Sera, and it’s a mess right now. I think a video will surface soon, and it’ll be chaos.

“Really? Everyone is keeping quiet. Who wrote that?”

“Who else? The people who came for treatment earlier.”

“Ah! That’s right.”

Hospital staff were refraining from speaking out to be careful, but it wasn’t easy to control the mouths of those who came for treatment.

Especially for those who witnessed Do Han-yeon’s monstrous behavior firsthand, it was natural that no one could stay silent.

“I was wondering when the rumors would start, but this is good.”

“What? But these comments keep getting deleted?”

“Oh! It’s true.”

People in the hospital were unable to contain their anger and were leaving comments, but Do Han-yeon’s editor, unaware of the situation, was deleting and managing them.

“Oh, this won’t do. It needs to rise to the top of the real-time search rankings quickly, and everyone needs to know about that woman’s atrocities. I’m getting so heated.”

“Getting to the top of the real-time search rankings isn’t easy.”

“This is frustrating.”

Chief Choi, who was listening to the staff’s conversation, also looked disappointed.

“Actually, she’s been acting so nice that people won’t believe those comments unless a real video comes out.”

Chief Choi was right.

-People are always jealous when someone is doing well.

-That’s right. How can they call someone who dedicates themselves to children like that an abuser? They must live a very twisted life.

People knew Do Han-yeon as a caring and loving mother who devoted herself to her children. Therefore, they thought even the factual comments were malicious and defended Do Han-yeon instead.

“Ah, if I had known this would happen, I should have taken some pictures with my phone earlier.”

* * *

SBC News Bureau-

“Next!”

In the news bureau conference room, where large slogans of fairness, justice, and truth were hung, a meeting was in full swing ahead of a special report.

“Whose is this fine dust?”

Gu Go-chan, the news bureau team leader, was getting increasingly annoyed with the unproductive meeting.

“It’s mine.”

“Reporter Lee, is this your item?”

“Yes, Team Leader.”

“In-depth analysis of fine dust and health? Hey! You’re bringing this as a special item? Are you kidding me?”

“…….”

“Why! Why don’t you just go to the bathroom and bring a report on how to poop well? Fine dust? Seriously, you’re bringing up an old item again? Huh? Anyone who thinks this item is fresh, stand on your head?”

“…….”

“See! No one? Even elementary school students know that fine dust is bad for you. Sore throat, itchy eyes! Huh! The news has been covering it for ages, and the whole nation knows it.”

“Instead of such a light topic, we could invite experts from pulmonology or otolaryngology [lung and ear, nose, and throat specialists] to delve deeper…….”

“Get out!”

The reporter, who had bravely voiced his opinion, closed his mouth at the sight of Team Leader Gu shouting as if he would kill him.

“In-depth? Do you think people want to hear more about fine dust, which they’ve already heard is bad for them a million times, even with boring experts? Huh!”

“…….”

“Just don’t come to work tomorrow. I don’t know how you became a reporter. Ha! That’s why our news ratings are always in second place.”

Knock-knock-

“Team Leader?”

An employee entered the suffocating conference room, which felt like walking on thin ice.

“What?”

“You keep getting calls, and they say it’s urgent.”

“Tell them I’m in a meeting.”

“I told them you couldn’t take calls because you were in a meeting, but they’ve called 50 times already.”

“50 times! Who is it?”

“It’s Park Jong-soo PD [Production Director] from Neulbo Productions.”

“Park Jong-soo!”

Gu Go-chan made a face as if he had eaten something rotten when Park PD’s name came up.

“That crazy bastard. Tell him I’m dead.”

“He said he has something to report and really wants to talk to you.”

“Report, my foot. What kind of report would an entertainment guy have for the news bureau?”

“He said it’s a scoop?”

“Ah! Enough. I’m already in a bad mood because you guys keep bringing up terrible items, and now this awful guy is stepping in.”

“He said he just sent a video to your phone and asked you to check it.”

Rrrrrrrrrrr

“Video? What kind of crap is that?”

Before the employee could finish speaking, Gu Go-chan reluctantly clicked on the video he had received as his phone rang.

-Punishment? Why should I be punished? I raised them, gave them a place to sleep, fed them, clothed them, and loved them…….

“Oh! This?”

Gu Go-chan, who had been ignoring Park PD as if he were chewing on a squid, changed his expression as soon as he clicked on the video.

“Damn it! Number? Jong-soo’s number is……. Hey, anyone know how to unblock a number?”

“I do.”

“Search for Park Jong-soo, you son of a bitch. Unblock that number.”

“Done.”

“Hello?”

After seeing the video, Gu Go-chan quickly unblocked Park PD’s number and called him.

-Oh, hyung [older brother/term of respect]. Long time no see.

“Cut the greetings. Is this real?”

-Would it be fake? I may be an entertainment PD, but who would joke about something like that?

“Where are you now?”

-Turn around.

Gu Go-chan turned around and saw Park PD waving with the writer outside the conference room.

* * *

“Hey! Do Han-yeon? Are you going to keep quiet like that?”

Detective Kim, who was investigating Do Han-yeon at the police station, was having a hard time.

“…….”

No matter what questions he asked, Do Han-yeon kept her mouth shut and remained silent.

“Are you really going to keep your mouth shut?”

“…….”

“Don’t you want to see your daughter? Your daughter.”

“Daughter? Our Seri?”

Do Han-yeon, who had been silent as if her lips were glued shut, finally reacted with a start at the word ‘daughter.’

Currently, Seri was separated from Do Han-yeon and placed in a child protection center.

“Yes, your daughter!”

“I want to see her. Let me see my daughter.”

“You need to cooperate with the investigation first. So, let’s not waste each other’s time and cooperate with the investigation, okay? Name?”

“Do Han-yeon.”

“Date of birth and age?”

“April x, 198x. 32 years old.”

“Do you admit to the charge of abusing your stepdaughter, Go Se-young?”

Just when it seemed like she was finally going to cooperate with the investigation, a shocking answer came back, hitting Detective Kim in the back of the head.

“Did you see it?”

“Excuse me? What did you say?”

“Did you, police officer, see me abusing Sera?”

Do Han-yeon, who personally demonstrated the truth that people never change easily, brazenly began to deny her charges.

“Can’t parents discipline a child who doesn’t listen? I was just disciplining her because she wasn’t listening.”

“Hey! Didn’t you hear what Se-young said at the hospital earlier? She gave an accurate explanation of how you abused her. What are you trying to get away with!”

“I heard it too. But do you believe everything that little child says?”

Whether there were people around or not, Do Han-yeon acted like an endlessly kind mother everywhere except at home.

Therefore, she was determined to deny everything to the end, convinced that there was no direct evidence of her abuse.

“Sera didn’t like me from the beginning because I’m not her biological mother.”

“Do Han-yeon, this won’t do you any good.”

“Don’t interrogate me like this without evidence. Call my lawyer.”

“Ha!”

Detective Kim was dumbfounded, but this was common.

Even though all the circumstances pointed to the culprit, bad guys always denied it like that if there was no evidence.

In fact, it was true that they could only be punished if there was accurate evidence or a witness who could admit the charges.

“Evidence? Okay, let’s see if you can be so confident when the evidence comes out. We will find that evidence for sure.”

* * *

An ordinary home-

“The apples are so sweet.”

“Right? My sister said the harvest was so good this year that she got a good price.”

“I heard farmers are having a hard time these days, but it’s good that your sister-in-law’s farm is doing well. Buy a lot from her this time.”

“I was planning to. Sang-hee, eat an apple.”

“Yes.”

“Call your brother too.”

“Was Oppa [older brother/term of endearment] home?”

“He’s probably playing games upstairs.”

“Ugh. He’s just been playing games in his room since he got discharged. He should go out. Seriously.”

“Leave him alone. He must have wanted to play so much in the military. He’ll get tired of it eventually.”

Ding-dong-

Amid the family’s everyday conversation, the doorbell rang.

“Who is it? Sang-hee, did you order something?”

“No, I didn’t. Did Oppa order something?”

As the family was wondering, the daughter checked the visitor on the video phone and gave a surprising answer.

“Who is it?”

-It’s the police.

“The police? Dad? Mom? It’s the police.”

“What’s going on?”

-Excuse me, but can I ask you a few questions?

* * *

The family opened the front door after confirming it was the police.

“I’m sorry for coming suddenly. I’m here to ask you about the woman who lives next door.”

“The woman next door? Are you talking about the young kids’ mom?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Are you talking about Seri Sera’s mom? The famous YouTuber?”

“Yes. I was wondering if you had any unique observations or knew anything. Your house is the closest to the house next door, so I came here.”

“Well, they haven’t lived there long, so all we’ve done is say hello.”

“I’m the same as my husband. I just thought the mom was well-dressed and took good care of her kids, and I thought it was amazing that she was doing it all alone since she’s famous. Oh! We exchanged greetings a few times.”

“Why? Is something wrong with that house?”

The curious daughter asked with wide eyes, but the police did not say why.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you that.”

“Then, are there any other unusual things? Any sounds you hear…….”

“Ah! Drumming!”

“Drumming?”

“Yes. My daughter is right. There was a lot of drumming coming from that house. You heard it too, right?”

“That’s right. A loud drumming sound would start around evening and continue until dawn. One day, it was so loud that I almost said something, but I held back.”

“It wasn’t just often, it was almost every day, wasn’t it? I think I heard it every day.”

The drumming that this family was talking about in unison was the drumming sound that was heard while Se-young was being abused.

“Yawn! Who’s here?”

While the police were collecting favorable testimony, the family’s son woke up and came down from the second floor.

“Oppa, were you sleeping until now?”

“Yeah, something like that. But who are you?”

“They’re police officers.”

“Police!”

“They came to ask about the house next door. Sang-hyuk, do you have anything to say about the house next door?”

“Are you really police officers?”

“Yes, we are.”

“Really?”