Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 142

Fifth Vital Sign – Episode 142

Episode 142. What to do. What are we going to do.

A convenience store in Yeoul-dong –

A customer picked out a few items and headed to the checkout counter.

“I’d like to pay.”

“…….”

“Excuse me…….”

“Honey, ring them up.”

“Oh my!”

At her husband’s words, the wife, who was at the register, was surprised and realized a customer had arrived.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I’ll ring you up. That’s 6,300 won in total. Do you have a discount card?”

“No. Just charge it.”

“Payment complete. Please remove your card. Do you need a receipt?”

“No, thank you. Goodbye.”

“Goodbye.”

“Is something wrong?”

Lee Yong-hyun, who was organizing the goods, asked his wife.

His wife, who was usually more proactive with customers than anyone else, seemed lost in thought since morning. It was already the third time today.

“What could be wrong?”

“If you’re tired, go into the storage room and rest for a bit.”

“I’m not tired. The part-timer will be here soon, and I’ll go home. I’m fine.”

She told her husband that nothing was wrong, but Go Sun-ae had a concern. It was about her daughter, Lee Seung-hee.

‘Mom, when Oppa [older brother/boyfriend] comes home for dinner, we’re going to talk about marriage. What do you think of Oppa as your son-in-law? Dad is very opposed, so could you please put in a good word for me?’

Her daughter was thinking of marrying Do Seung-won, whom she was dating, and was asking her to persuade her husband, who was against it.

In fact, Go Sun-ae had never shown it to her daughter, but she hadn’t made up her mind yet.

She didn’t express her opposition as clearly as her husband, but it wasn’t easy to readily agree either.

Looking at Do Seung-won as a person, there was nothing to criticize.

Seeing how much he cherished and loved her only daughter from the side, she was even pleased as a mother. But when she thought about his job, she couldn’t help but feel *dapdap* [a Korean word for feeling stifled or frustrated].

‘I should talk about it seriously when I get home.’

Go Sun-ae, who had been *gomin* [a Korean word for pondering or agonizing], thought that she should talk to her family when Do Seung-won came home in a few days.

“By the way, where did you go earlier?”

“I just went to the Kims’ next door.”

“I don’t know what side dishes to make.”

“What side dishes? There’s *cheonggukjang* [fermented soybean stew] left over from breakfast. Just make that for dinner. What are you trying to make again?”

“You’re something else. Who said anything about making food for us? I’m talking about food for our guest.”

“Guest? Who’s coming over for dinner?”

“What are you talking about? Seung-hee’s boyfriend. He’s supposed to come over for dinner in a few days.”

Lee Yong-hyun, upon hearing Go Sun-ae’s words, seemed lost in thought for a moment before calling out to his wife.

“Honey? He’s not coming.”

“What’s not coming?”

“Do Seung-won, that guy, he’s not coming to our house for dinner.”

“Why? Did something happen? Did Seung-hee say something?”

“No, it’s not that. I told him myself. I actually met him earlier. I went to the fire station and told him to seriously reconsider marrying Seung-hee.”

“Honey!”

“I told him I was against the marriage.”

“Does Seung-hee know?”

“She doesn’t know. I just decided on my own and went to see him, so how would she know?”

“Still, you shouldn’t have gone to his workplace without discussing it with Seung-hee.”

Go Sun-ae couldn’t hide her bewilderment at the news.

“He’s a firefighter. How could you go to someone who goes in and out of burning fire scenes and say something like that? It’s unsettling. Seung-hee is already worried every time he goes out on a call. Why did you do that?”

“I thought it was right to talk to him before he came home.”

“Are you going to oppose it to the end?”

“Then are you in favor of it?”

“I honestly don’t know. He’s such a good person, has a great personality, and loves our daughter so much. I don’t know if it’s right to oppose it because of his job.”

“What are you talking about? Who doesn’t know that? I’m not doing this because I like it. I’m going to tell Seung-hee clearly later…….”

“Hello.”

Just as the couple’s serious conversation was reaching its peak, a customer entered the convenience store.

“Hyung, Hyung-soo [terms for ‘older brother’ and ‘older brother’s wife,’ used as friendly terms of address]. I’m here.”

“Welcome.”

The person who greeted the two with a happy face was the owner of the restaurant next to the convenience store.

The convenience store and the restaurant had opened around the same time, and the couples were close.

“You’re a bit late today.”

The restaurant owner always came to the convenience store to get coffee before switching shifts with his wife for the evening business.

“Oh, don’t even mention it. There was an accident, and the road was completely blocked.”

“Why? Was there another accident somewhere?”

“At the intersection behind that big mart. There was a fire at oo University near there.”

“What! oo University?”

The university the restaurant owner mentioned was the school where their daughter worked. The couple had no idea about the accident until now.

“Yes. I heard there was an explosion in the building where they do research… Anyway, even traffic police came out to direct traffic.”

The couple’s hearts pounded the moment they heard the restaurant owner’s story. Come to think of it, they were even more worried because they hadn’t heard from their daughter today.

Go Sun-ae and Lee Yong-hyun picked up their phones at the same time without saying a word.

“Hello?”

-Mom.

Their daughter’s voice came from Go Sun-ae’s phone.

“Seung-hee, are you okay? I heard there was an accident at the school? Where are you now? Really? That’s a relief. Okay.”

“What did she say?”

“Seung-hee is okay. She said she just got home.”

Go Sun-ae, who had spoken with her daughter, sighed in relief and brushed her startled heart.

“What’s wrong with you two?”

“Our daughter works at that university. Thankfully, she says she’s okay.”

“Really? That’s a relief.”

After that, Lee Yong-hyun and Go Sun-ae went straight home as soon as the part-timer arrived.

* * *

“Seung-hee? Seung-hee?”

“Are you really okay…….”

The couple, who had rushed over in a hurry as soon as they parked, ran into Lee Seung-hee, who came out of her room with a large bag.

“I’m okay. There was a fire in our building, but I was outside on business at that time.”

“But Seung-hee, where are you going?”

“Why did you pack so much?”

“I have something to tell Mom and Dad. Please sit down here.”

“What’s wrong? Is something wrong?”

Go Sun-ae and Lee Yong-hyun could tell that their daughter was different from usual.

“What is it? Tell us quickly.”

The couple sat on the sofa with slightly nervous expressions.

“Did something bad happen at work?”

“I need to go to the hospital.”

“Hospital?”

“Why the hospital all of a sudden? Are you sick somewhere?”

“Mom, Dad. Did you hear about the accident today?”

“Yes, we heard from the restaurant owner next door before we came home.”

“There was an explosion and fire in the process of disposing of waste in the laboratory. Several fire stations nearby responded, and Yeoul Fire Station, where Seung-won works, also dispatched. Seung-won was checking the scene, thinking I might be inside, when a secondary explosion occurred, and he was injured.”

“How much? How badly is he hurt?”

“That’s… His right leg below the knee is gone. So he had an amputation at the hospital, and I’ve been at the hospital until now.”

“……!”

The couple was momentarily speechless at the shocking news. And Lee Yong-hyun, who had met Do Seung-won today, was even more shocked than his wife.

“I know Dad is against our marriage because of Seung-won’s job. Dad? I really love him. When we first met, I said we met on a blind date, but actually, Seung-won saved me from a fire in an officetel [a building with both office and residential units] building, and that’s how we became connected. Then and now, Seung-won is someone who jumps in without hesitation to save me.”

Tears were already welling up in Lee Seung-hee’s eyes as she calmly persuaded the two.

“He’s the only person in this world who loves me like my parents do. It’s not a decision I made rashly because I felt sorry for him for saving me. It’s a decision I’ve been thinking about carefully for a long time. Only his appearance has changed a little. Seung-won is still the same to me. Now I want to be his strength. Please let me walk with him. I want to marry Seung-won.”

“Seung-hee…….”

Tears were also flowing in Go Sun-ae’s eyes as she looked at her daughter.

“I’m sorry for bringing up a marriage story that should be blessed and hurting your feelings. I’m really sorry for disappointing Mom and Dad.”

“Seung-hee… Oh, my daughter. I feel so sorry for you…….”

Go Sun-ae walked across to Lee Seung-hee, hugged her, and shed tears.

“I feel so bad for you and Seung-won. What are we going to do about this… Sob!”

Go Sun-ae, who had heard her daughter’s story of calmly confessing her feelings, accepted the fact that the two could not break up.

She also felt sorry and grateful to Do Seung-won, who had saved her daughter’s life twice.

“Why did this have to happen…….”

However, her heart ached at the situation where her only daughter could not start as normally as other couples.

No matter how much they made up their minds and became each other’s strength, tears did not stop at the thought that the reality the two would face in the future would not be warm.

“Sob! No, Mom… I’m okay. I’ll be okay.”

Lee Seung-hee, who had been holding back her emotions, also began to cry in her mother’s arms.

Lee Seung-hee, who was always strong in front of Do Seung-won and even in the operating room where the loud noise was heard, was actually having a hard time.

The heart she had been holding on to tightly was loosening because of her mother, who was comforting her in her warm arms.

The two mothers and daughters hugged each other and wiped away tears for a long time.

While his wife and daughter were crying, Lee Yong-hyun did not move from his seat like a stone statue.

He did not get angry at Lee Seung-hee, who had asked for marriage, nor did he assert his own opinion.

He was just staring at the family photo hanging behind the crying mother and daughter with a complex expression as if many thoughts coexisted.

His gaze, which had been looking at his daughter’s face smiling in the family photo, slowly turned to the small frame on the shelf next to him.

‘Why did you put up a picture of you with that guy?’

‘It’s because our Seung-hee looks pretty. Seeing her happy face makes me feel good too.’

‘Anyone would think you’re married.’

‘It’s just a picture. You’re too sensitive.’

He had expressed his discomfort to his wife for putting up a picture of her with Do Seung-won. But now that he saw it, his daughter’s expression in the family photo and his daughter’s expression in the photo with Do Seung-won were the same.

Both were smiling lovingly with very happy faces.

“Mom, I’m going. Dad, I’ll go now.”

Lee Seung-hee, who had been crying for a long time, composed herself and hurried to prepare to leave.

“Take this with you.”

Go Sun-ae, who had hurriedly come out of the kitchen, handed a shopping bag to Lee Seung-hee, who was walking to the front door.

“What is this?”

“You haven’t had dinner yet, have you? Sandwiches and side dishes for you to eat. Hospital food is originally not good. I packed some side dishes from home in a hurry.”

“It’s okay. The food there is good. It’s better than most restaurants.”

“Still. You’re going to eat with him too. Take it, okay?”

“Okay. Thank you, Mom.”

“Honey, please take Seung-hee to the hospital.”

Go Sun-ae said to Lee Yong-hyun, who was still sitting on the sofa without saying anything.

“No, Mom and Dad have been working too. Dad, I’m okay…….”

Suddenly, Lee Yong-hyun jumped up from his seat, took the luggage in Lee Seung-hee’s hand, grabbed the car keys, and left the house.

“Come out.”

Click-

“I’ll call you, Mom.”

“Okay. Dad will be very upset. Even if he says something on the way, just listen quietly, okay?”

“I know. What can I say? I’ll go now.”

Lee Seung-hee said goodbye to her mother and headed to the hospital in Lee Yong-hyun’s car.

Lee Seung-hee thought her dad would definitely say something on the way, but contrary to expectations, Lee Yong-hyun didn’t say anything.

The two arrived at the hospital without saying a word.

“Thank you, Dad. I’ll go now.”

Click-

Even after Lee Seung-hee got out of the car, his car did not move from in front of the hospital.

He turned off the engine and was lost in thought for a while before starting the engine again. Then he made a U-turn, parked his car in the hospital parking lot, and entered the hospital.

“Welcome. Are you here for a consultation?”

“Excuse me. Is it possible to see the director here?”

Lee Yong-hyun approached the receptionist and asked.

‘Did the surgery go well?’

‘Yes. The director took good care of it.’

He remembered Lee Seung-hee’s words to his wife a little while ago and looked for Tae-kyung.

“Yes, it’s possible. Would you like to see the director?”

“Yes.”

“If this is your first time, please write your name and date of birth here and sit down for a moment.”

Lee Yong-hyun, who had completed the *jeopsu* [registration], sat on a chair and waited for his turn.