Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 110

110. Public Enemy

SBC Broadcasting Station –

The main anchor, in the middle of the 9 o’clock news, received a signal from the PD [Producer Director, a common term in Korean broadcasting] and announced the next story.

“Our next story might be a little shocking.

Would you believe that the mother of a famous YouTuber, known as an angel mom, is actually a child abuser?

Are you familiar with the YouTube channel ‘Seri Sera’?

This is the story of Ms. Do, the mother of Seri Sera, a channel that is currently enjoying immense popularity. Reporter Choi Dae-jin will tell us more.”

-This house you are seeing is the ordinary home where the family of Seri Sera, a kids’ channel with 500,000 subscribers, lives.

Ms. Do, who is raising her two young daughters in place of her husband working abroad, has recently earned the nickname ‘Angel Mom.’

This is because she cares for her eldest daughter, Sera, who is always quiet, expressionless, and immersed in books due to her autistic tendencies, with love and devotion. But today, a shocking fact has been revealed.

Sera, the top contributor to the popularity of the Seri Sera channel, was not autistic, quiet, or an emotionless ice princess; she was just an ordinary child of her age. So, who made this young girl like this?

It was Ms. Do, the mother who was endlessly warm and loving to her children.

Ms. Do abused Sera in this basement where not even a sliver of light could enter. She even meticulously played drum sounds while abusing the child, telling her own daughter the absurd story that her sister was sick and living separately.

It is suspected that the abuse started from the time Sera’s father went abroad for work.

How did Ms. Do’s horrific actions, which had deceived the entire nation with near fraudulent behavior, come to light?

The fact that Seyoung was being abused in a hopeless hell was revealed thanks to a doctor at a local hospital, who immediately recognized the distress signal the child sent.

First, let’s watch the video of Ms. Do at the hospital today.

“What, what! Hey! Who do you think you are! Where is mine? Mine!”

“Now it’s your turn to be punished.”

“Punished? Why should I be punished? I raised her, gave her a place to sleep, fed her, clothed her, and loved her……”

“Child abuse! You are a child abuser!”

The video, which the reporter transitioned to, clearly showed Taekyung confronting Do Han-yeon, who looked like a monster.

* * *

The first place to react while the video was playing was, of course, the Seri Sera channel that Do Han-yeon operated.

-Are you guys watching the news right now? This x [Censored swear word] is a complete devil.

-I’m so angry watching it that I wrote a bunch of swear words, but they were immediately filtered and deleted.

-That woman is not even human. Ha! I even sponsored her during the live streams without knowing.

-This is how you leave swear words: 丕xx乙卜人I凹卜乙卜口卜づйんй刀│○ㅑ [Nonsensical characters used to bypass filters].

-You can leave it like this: SIBAL SIBAL SIBAL [Korean swear word, equivalent to “fuck”].

-Looking at it now, Sera was being very cautious. ㅠㅠ [Korean emoticon for crying] Sera, I’m sorry.

-Instead of swearing here, please report this channel. We need to stop that woman from generating revenue.

* * *

“Next, we have an exclusive interview with the victim’s primary care physician.”

Immediately after the hospital video, a fresh interview with Taekyung was aired.

“Hello, Doctor. You were the first to recognize the child’s abuse. Could you briefly explain the situation?”

“Honestly, I couldn’t believe that Sera’s expression was always like that.

Something was different from the patterns seen in autistic children, and above all, I was able to suspect it thanks to the Black Dot Campaign, the distress signal drawn on her hand.”

“So, you recognized the signal and separated Ms. Do from the child.”

“That’s right.”

“You said you were speechless when you confirmed the child’s abuse. What condition was the child in at that time?”

“Not only I but all the medical staff who treated Sera were speechless at the horrific sight. At that time, the child’s condition was……”

Taekyung meticulously listed each and every form of abuse Seyoung had suffered and the scars on her body, accurately conveying the situation at the time of discovery.

“Our production team has heard that the victim is currently undergoing surgery. Was her health problem serious enough to require surgery?”

“Yes, the moment I saw the test results, I thought Ms. Do was the devil herself. Sera, who had appendicitis, had her appendix dissolved due to prolonged neglect from the abuse.”

“That’s really heartbreaking. What is the child’s current health condition?”

“Fortunately, the surgery went well, but she still needs some time to fully recover her health, including from malnutrition.”

“In a way, it seems that you are the one who saved the victim, who was hidden in the midst of splendor. Do you have any final words you would like to say?”

“A child has suffered abuse that is too terrible to even mention.

Due to the abuse, the child had a serious illness that could have been life-threatening if it had been delayed even a little longer. But what’s even more surprising is that Ms. Do, who abused Sera, is currently denying all charges.

Perhaps we missed the distress signals Sera was sending because of the false drama Ms. Do had created.

Sera was saved by Sera herself, not me or anyone else.

Now it’s our turn to be Sera’s strength and help her. As Sera’s primary care physician and as a doctor, I ask you.

Your small amount of attention is desperately needed.

We must let that young child know that this world is warm and full of hope. Please help Sera smile again.

Also, please pay continuous attention to children so that another Sera, a second victim, does not emerge somewhere right now.”

His trembling lips, the way he closed his eyes from time to time to control his emotions, and his face that made you unable to help but focus, along with his perfect speaking skills.

Taekyung’s interview was a great success.

“Thank you for your valuable time. This has been an interview with Kim Taekyung, the victim’s primary care physician.”

The short, barely 10-minute interview was causing a typhoon like a butterfly effect, shaking South Korea.

* * *

At the same time, some were resting after work, some were still working, and some were on public transportation.

“This can’t be happening. How could this happen……”

People were going about their daily lives as usual, but one thing was the same.

Both middle-aged and older people watching the news and young people watching YouTube on their phones and PCs were all watching Do Han-yeon’s atrocities and Taekyung’s interview.

“This person is completely out of their mind.”

“Would someone with a sane mind do something like this? Especially to that young child.”

“Oh my! It’s the end of the world.”

“They should just give her the death penalty.”

“Ha! There’s no separate horror. This is why reality is more hellish.”

Wherever people gathered, it was all about Sera’s story.

“That xxxx [Censored swear word]. This makes no sense.”

“I’m so shocked that my hands are trembling.”

The news was being broadcast on the electronic billboards of Yeouido [Financial district in Seoul], full of buildings, on the TVs in the appliance section of shopping malls, and on the radio in buses.

-Did everyone see the video? I’ve been crying the whole time I was watching it, and even now, I can’t calm down, so I even took a calming pill.

And the community where mothers share childcare information was on the verge of a traffic explosion due to the mothers’ frenzy.

-I’m so grateful and impressed with that doctor.

-Me too. If that doctor hadn’t been there, we would still be fooled by that crazy x [Censored swear word] and wouldn’t have known Sera was sick.

-That doctor is a real doctor. And he also told us about the Black Dot Campaign. He’s a really good person.

-Everyone, instead of doing this, let’s gather our strength so that this incident doesn’t get buried, as the doctor said.

-That’s a good idea.

Men and women of all ages were angry about this incident, but mothers raising children were especially angry.

-Everyone, we are dominating the real-time search rankings right now.

-Tell everyone around you and join us.

[Real-time search terms]

1. Sera, I love you

2. Sera, we will protect you!

3. Black Dot Campaign

4. Sera’s primary care physician

5. Do Han-yeon to prison

6. Do Han-yeon, you vicious woman, 30 years!

7. Kim Taekyung

8. Our hospital

9. oo Police Station location

10. Death penalty

And starting with them, a wave of helping Seyoung began to blow through real-time search terms and social media.

As Taekyung had predicted, the power of the media was truly amazing.

* * *

At that time-

The police station where Do Han-yeon was taken was literally packed.

“Sentence Do Han-yeon, who would make even the devil cry, to death!”

“Death penalty! Death penalty!”

“Immediately punish Do Han-yeon, who is worse than trash!”

“Punish her! Punish her!”

People who had voluntarily gathered after watching the news were holding a protest in front of the police station.

“Instead of doing this, shouldn’t we go inside the police station and say something to that x [Censored swear word]?”

“That’s right. I came all the way here because I was so angry, and I think I’ll only be able to sleep if I curse her out on behalf of Sera.”

The protesters were so frustrated that they looked for ways to get inside the police station.

* * *

“Detective, this seems to be a big deal? Did you see outside?”

“Yeah, the real chaos is happening to us.”

“What do you mean?”

Detective Kim, who had been watching Taekyung’s interview a little while ago, received an urgent call and left the office.

“I’m on my way back from Migeun-dong, Seodaemun-gu [Neighborhood in Seoul].”

“Migeun-dong? The National Police Agency!”

“Yeah, I went and met the Commissioner General.”

“So, you were called out by the Commissioner General earlier?”

“Yeah, he told me to mobilize all personnel to investigate this case thoroughly and quickly and report it.”

“Wow, if the Commissioner General is moving, that says it all.”

“Not only the Commissioner General but also members of the National Assembly are calling. It’s a complete mess.”

“Even members of the National Assembly? That’s amazing.”

“Looking at it, Director Kim is really smart. He deliberately showed his face to the media and completely blocked Do Han-yeon’s escape route. He even tightened her noose.”

“That’s why he’s a doctor.”

Knock knock-

“Hey!”

Detective Kim smirked and sat on the chair at the desk where Do Han-yeon was sitting.

“Ms. Do Han-yeon, can you see how the situation is unfolding?”

“……”

“Oh my. Why are you being a mute again?”

Do Han-yeon’s expression after watching all the videos and interviews at the police station was utterly devastated.

“Oh, right, you asked to call a lawyer? Officer Choi, what happened to the lawyer?”

“The lawyers that Ms. Do Han-yeon mentioned all refused, and even the public defenders jumped up and said they wouldn’t do it.”

“Did you hear that? You’re done now. Done! So, now what you have to do is repent to the child……”

Just as Detective Kim was about to start the investigation with a threat,

Thwack-

“You, you xxxx [Censored swear word]. Just die!”

People who had lied about being delivery workers and entered the building threw eggs at Do Han-yeon’s face.

“Let’s die together today! Here! Ptooey!”

Thwack-

Some people even brought small stones from the police station’s flower bed and threw them, and some spat.

“Excuse me, you can’t come in here.”

“Everyone, calm down.”

“Calm down what! No, if you’re the police, you should protect the victim, so why are you protecting this kind of woman? Huh?”

“No, officers. It’s not protection, it’s an investigation. Investigation. So, everyone, please leave.”

“Hey! Get these people out of here quickly.”

“Do Han-yeon, die. You’re not even worth living!”

Do Han-yeon’s face and body were filled with the smell of spit and eggs, and people’s anger did not subside easily.