Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 196

196. If You Keep Your Mouth Shut, No One Will Know

After a moment, as if having made a decision, he abruptly transferred the accident video to his phone, jumped up from his seat, and left the house. He drove out in a hurry and turned off the engine in front of a certain company.

“Haa!”

The man, who had driven quickly to the company from home without thinking, let out a sigh as if the ground would collapse, unable to leave the front of the car.

He thought he could easily enter the company as soon as he turned off the engine, but his legs wouldn’t move as he wished.

-Honest and Righteous Seats-

[This is likely the company’s motto, emphasizing their commitment to quality and safety.]

The man’s gaze turned to the sign with the company’s name and slogan.

The company he arrived at mainly produced children’s car seats and was quite solid in the industry.

“Okay, I’ve come this far, let’s go in.”

The man hesitated for a while, then finally made up his mind and entered the company.

“Oh! Driver Kim?”

A female office worker who recognized him passing through the bustling factory making car seats quickly approached him.

“How have you been?”

“Ah, yes. How have you been?”

“The president and everyone else have been waiting for you, Driver Kim.”

Kim Hyuk-jin, known as Driver Kim at Honest and Righteous Seats, worked as the president’s personal driver at the company.

He wasn’t just a driver but also helped with work when the company was short-handed and assisted with the president’s household chores.

The president thought of Kim Hyuk-jin as more than just an employee and cherished him, and Kim Hyuk-jin also had a good relationship with the president and his family.

“Are you coming back to work for the company?”

“Not yet… I came because I have something to do.”

“I see. But are you sick? You look like you’ve lost weight and your face doesn’t look good.”

“No. I’m fine.”

“Hyung!” [Korean term for older brother or a respected older male friend.]

To Kim Hyuk-jin, who was awkwardly talking to the female employee, a young man ran up with a happy expression and put his hand on his shoulder.

The young man was the president’s youngest son, and he usually followed Kim Hyuk-jin well and was close enough to share personal concerns.

“Hyuk-jin hyung! When did you come?”

Unlike Deputy Oh’s happy expression, Kim Hyuk-jin’s expression was not bright.

“As expected, Deputy Oh is the happiest to see Driver Kim.”

“Of course. I’ve been waiting for you so much.”

“I’ll go into the office. You two talk.”

As the woman left, Deputy Oh seemed to want to talk more with Kim Hyuk-jin.

“I contacted you so many times, weren’t you being too much? I even went to your house a few times, but you weren’t there every time.”

“That’s… something happened. Chul-man, I think I need to see the president.”

“Really? Okay. Then meet Dad and don’t just leave, come see me. Are you coming back to work?”

“I’ll see.”

Kim Hyuk-jin, who did not react much to Deputy Oh, headed straight to the president’s office.

Click-

“Who is it now!”

When Kim Hyuk-jin knocked and entered the president’s office, the president with a gentle impression greeted him with a bright smile.

“Driver Kim? No, Hyuk-jin? You came just in time.”

The president hugged him, patting his back as he bowed.

The president’s bright expression, as if a family member who had left home had returned, and Kim Hyuk-jin’s expression, as if he was about to die, contrasted as the two sat facing each other.

“I heard you were here and I even postponed my meeting.”

“I’m sorry, President.”

“Sorry? Don’t say such things between us. What, do you want some coffee?”

“Ah, no. I’m fine.”

“Hey, why does your face look so bad? Have you been sick somewhere since you haven’t been in contact?”

“No. I’m not sick.”

“But why do you look so weak?”

“I’m fine.”

“Anyway, you suddenly came here today to say you’re coming back to work, right?”

“……”

About a month and a half ago, the president couldn’t get a reason why Kim Hyuk-jin suddenly said he would quit the company.

From before that, he had been worried that something had happened because he was becoming less talkative and a bright person was becoming somewhat dark, but he never spoke.

He just kept repeating that he would quit. The president, who cherished Kim Hyuk-jin a lot, recommended an indefinite leave of absence and had been waiting until now. So he was just happy that he came suddenly without contact.

“Hyuk-jin?”

“…Yes, President.”

“I don’t know if you heard, but I still haven’t hired a new driver.”

“……”

“When are you coming back? Tomorrow is too early, right? Is next week okay?”

“Um, President…”

“Yeah. Sure.”

“I came to tell you something.”

“Okay, tell me anything. If the salary is not enough, I’ll raise it as much as you want.”

Since it wasn’t that kind of problem, Kim Hyuk-jin went straight to the point.

“Did you happen to see the program called ‘After School Exam Time’ yesterday?”

“My wife is a big fan of that program. But why are you suddenly talking about the show?”

The president was puzzled by the sudden and unexpected story about the broadcast.

“Yesterday, a doctor appeared on the show and told a sad story about a patient, and there was a story about a hit-and-run accident.”

“I saw that too. My wife and the employees at work today are all talking about that. I hope the hit-and-run perpetrator, whether it’s a guy or a girl, gets caught soon.”

“President. The reason I suddenly came here today is because of that.”

Kim Hyuk-jin took out the cell phone in his pocket with a heavy expression.

“What are you talking about because of that? Is something really wrong with you?”

Kim Hyuk-jin, who had the video of Cha Dae-han’s traffic accident, was the only witness to the incident. And the reason why he couldn’t report this incident for more than three months was because the hit-and-run driver was the president’s son, Deputy Oh.

Kim Hyuk-jin had a relationship with the president, who had sponsored him since he was from an orphanage.

When the first company he entered closed due to financial difficulties, he was looking for a new job and was offered a driver’s position and started working together.

The president’s family treated Kim Hyuk-jin, who had no family, warmly, and in particular, Oh Chul-man, Deputy Oh, followed Kim Jin-hyuk like a real brother and had a good relationship.

Three months ago, Oh Chul-man, who was usually sociable and bright and worked hard at the company, was having a hard time with his increasingly twisted relationship with his girlfriend.

‘Hyung, I can’t forget Young-yi. I can’t do anything and I just want to die.’

‘Hey! Oh Chul-man! Are you drunk again? Don’t say weird things and stay there, I’ll pick you up. Okay?’

On the day of the accident, Oh Chul-man, who had been having a hard time after being notified of a breakup by his girlfriend whom he had been dating for a long time, drank alcohol and called.

Kim Hyuk-jin, who received the call, arrived at the bar where the two often went. But he happened to see Oh Chul-man driving away in the distance at a high speed.

Worrying that something might happen, an unbelievable sight unfolded before his eyes as he followed behind.

He witnessed a hit-and-run that hit a person and ran away.

‘Chul, Chul-man hit a per… person. Chul-man did…’

Kim Hyuk-jin, who was embarrassed by the unexpected event, parked his car in the distance and froze as he watched the scene.

As soon as he returned home, he thought about reporting it, but he couldn’t bring himself to report it because the faces of the president, who took care of him like family, and Oh Chul-man, who followed him like a brother, kept lingering in front of his eyes.

The day after witnessing the accident, Kim Hyuk-jin received a call from Oh Chul-man, who was absent from work.

‘Hyung? Maybe… maybe. Did you come to the bar to find me yesterday?’

‘Yeah. I went, but I couldn’t see you and you didn’t answer the phone, so I came home.’

‘Then. You didn’t see me?’

‘Yeah. I didn’t see you.’

‘I see. I must have gone first and missed you.’

Oh Chul-man, who left Cha Dae-han on the street, did not come to work for a while after that call.

And every time he saw Oh Chul-man, who came back to work a week later, the accident scene came to his mind and he even had nightmares, so he quit the company after much deliberation.

As time went by, Kim Hyuk-jin, who felt guilty, happened to visit the scene of the accident and saw Lee Soo-jung.

From then on, he could no longer bear the feeling of being a bystander, and so he decided to inform the president after watching the show the day before.

“Would you like to take a look at this?”

Kim Hyuk-jin hesitated, then clicked on the accident video on his cell phone with a trembling voice and handed it forward.

“What kind of video is this? What is this?”

“Please watch it.”

At the continued urging, the president turned his gaze to the video.

The video showed a car driving at a high speed on a quiet road with dark darkness, hitting a person and stopping abruptly.

Screech- Bang-

“Oh, my god, isn’t this a hit-and-run video? But why are you showing me this…? Hyuk-jin! You maybe?”

“No. President. It’s not me. Look closely at the video.”

Kim Hyuk-jin showed the president, who thought he had caused the accident, the enlarged video and made him watch it again.

At that, the president’s gaze turned back to the video.

“Wa, wait a minute!”

Somewhere familiar car and too familiar car number.

“This car, isn’t this Chul, Chul-man’s car? Isn’t this our Chul-man?”

The president was then able to see that the person who caused the accident in the video was his son.

“Yes, President. The hit-and-run driver who appeared on the show yesterday is Chul-man.”

“Oh, my god! How could this happen…”

Kim Hyuk-jin explained the whole story to the president, who was holding his face in pain.

“Ha! How.”

The president couldn’t say anything in the reality that he couldn’t believe even after seeing it. And now, three months ago, he knew why his son had suddenly been absent from work for a while.

He thought it was because he was having a hard time breaking up with his girlfriend, whom he had even thought of marrying, but it was because of the hit-and-run.

“I thought it would be better to show it to the president, so I came after much deliberation.”

“Hyuk, Hyuk-jin! If we just keep this between us… If we just keep our mouths shut, no one will know. Huh?”

“…!”

The president begged Kim Hyuk-jin, reaching out his hand with the feeling that the sky was falling and his heart was breaking.

“I’ll give you all my fortune. Please… He’s my only son.”

“President. You told me when I left the orphanage, right?”

He knew the president’s heart. But Kim Hyuk-jin had to be brave for the sake of the victims’ families who were still suffering from the accident.

“To live honestly and without shame. Then, even if it’s difficult, someone will help. You were the one who told me that. You’re like a father to me. But how can I receive that kind of money?”

“Hyuk-jin… sob! Can’t I say I’m the culprit? I’ll take our Chul-man’s place.”

“……”

Kim Hyuk-jin was in tears and said nothing, but in fact, the president also knew the answer.

“I’m sorry. Hyuk-jin. I’m sorry. You must have had a hard time.”

“No. I’m sorry.”

“What do you have to be sorry about. Ha!”

After calming down for a while, the president apologized to Kim Hyuk-jin and called his son.

Click-

“Did you call me?”

“Chul-man?”

The president got up from his seat, took off his company uniform, and said to his son.

“Yes, Father.”

“We have somewhere to go now, so take off your work clothes too.”

“Where are we going?”

“The police station!”

“…!”

“Did you do the hit-and-run that came out on the show yesterday? Is that right?”

“I, I’m sorry. Father.”

Oh Chul-man could immediately guess what had happened when he saw the word police station and Kim Jin-hyuk, who had suddenly come.

“You can’t put a stake in someone else’s heart and sleep with your legs stretched out. You’ll be punished.”

He was a president who loved his son like his own life. But his love was not so distorted that he only valued his own son, and it was honest.

His heart was about to be torn apart, but he always emphasized living honestly, so he hoped that his son would no longer avoid it.

“Go and ask for forgiveness. And pay the price for your crime. You almost killed someone!”

“Sob!”

Oh Man-chul couldn’t say anything to his father’s words of appeal with tears. Instead, he took off his work clothes while shedding tears.

He, too, had been living in hell every day since the accident.

Even if no one knew, the fact that he had caused the accident did not change. As time went by, he couldn’t stand being disgusted with himself for running away.

‘Let’s turn ourselves in. Let’s not live like this.’

It was a word that he had whispered countless times in his heart, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it. Then, after watching the show yesterday, his heart dropped.

He thought he couldn’t live like this anymore.

He was scared and afraid, but Oh Man-chul thought it was better and left the company after contacting the police with his father.