Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 222

222. Crayon, You Son of a B*tch!

Somewhere in a residential area of Seoul…

“In your heart~!”

A middle-aged woman of petite stature was singing while cleaning her room.

Even at a glance, there seemed to be no more dust to be found, but the woman continued to clean, seemingly overjoyed.

“Mom?”

The daughter stood at the door, addressing her mother, who had been cleaning for nearly an hour.

“Stop it. Aren’t you tired?”

“What’s tiring about it? Housework and cleaning are my life’s work.”

“It’s so shiny, even an ant would slip.”

“It has to be. It’s been so long since our Seonghoon came home.”

“Madam Lee, are you that happy that your youngest son is coming home?”

“Of course. Even when Sunmi went to America as an exchange student during her university days, I missed her every day. Is my child eating well? Studying well? Is she having a hard time? It was the same with Seonyeong.”

Lee Ae-suk’s gaze turned to a photo in a frame on the desk as she spoke.

The photo showed her youngest son, Seonghoon, a skinny man with pale skin, wearing glasses and a stiff smile.

Seonghoon, the youngest son in the photo that Lee Ae-suk was looking at with affection, had enlisted in the army a few months ago.

“I missed my daughters so much when they were away from home, but honestly, sending Seonghoon to the army was the most heartbreaking, and the time I missed him the most.”

Lee Ae-suk got married and had three daughters in a row. It wasn’t that she had three daughters just to have a son; she had planned for three because the children were so lovely, and she gained three precious daughters that she wouldn’t trade for the world.

She lived each day with the joy of raising three daughters, even amidst the difficult childcare.

As the first daughter, who used to chatter so prettily, graduated from elementary school and entered middle school, another precious life came into their lives.

She was taken aback by the unexpected pregnancy, but she gave birth to a late child with a grateful heart because it was a precious gift from heaven. That was Seonghoon.

Seonghoon, who grew up receiving the love of his family, entered university and then joined the army.

Before her youngest son went to the army, Lee Ae-suk had often shed tears a month prior.

The reason was her son’s shy personality. Unlike his outgoing and confident sisters, Seonghoon was quite introverted and quiet.

Moreover, he was smaller than other boys his age, so he was bullied during his school days.

For that reason, his family was more worried than Seonghoon himself when he enlisted.

However, the son comforted his worried family and enlisted with a brave face.

Lee Ae-suk, who had been praying for her son’s safety and health every day since he enlisted, was now excited every day, looking forward to her son’s first vacation.

“It feels like just yesterday that I sent him to the army… Sunmi, I still can’t believe that my youngest is coming out on vacation.”

“I know, Mom. I know how you feel.”

The daughter next to her crossed the threshold and sat next to her mother on the bed.

“But Mom, do you know what?”

“What?”

“Seonghoon is a more solid person inside than Mom thinks. His core is so strong.”

“I know. I gave birth to him; why wouldn’t I know? If it’s about my children’s strengths, I could write about them all day long.”

“Mom, really! They say you’re a fool if you brag about your children.”

“Where in this world is there a parent who doesn’t brag about their children? They’re all pretty in their parents’ eyes.”

“Anyway, Seonghoon is doing well, so don’t worry too much. He contacts us often during his free time.”

“Of course. I’m so proud that he’s doing well.”

Lee Ae-suk took her daughter’s hand and smiled contentedly as she looked at her smiling son in the photo.

* * *

A few days later-

Lee Chan-hee, who had come to his senses after the Oh Jae-bal case, was more devoted than ever to seeing patients.

He was paying a lot of attention to Oh Jae-bal, the protagonist of the case, as well as outpatients, emergency room patients, and ward patients, as much as he could.

“Lee, Doctor?”

Tae-kyung called out to Lee Chan-hee, who was busily moving around the emergency room.

“Yes, Doctor.”

“You haven’t had dinner yet, have you?”

“Ah, no.”

Missing dinner while seeing patients in the emergency room was nothing new.

“Go and have dinner quickly.”

“Yes?”

“You haven’t had dinner yet.”

“Ah, yes.”

“I’ll take care of it, so go and eat.”

Tae-kyung prioritized Lee Chan-hee’s dinner before the patients rushed in again.

“No, Doctor. I! Lee Chan-hee doesn’t deserve to eat. I’ll dedicate myself to the patients…”

“Stop talking nonsense and eat better to help the patients. Go quickly!”

“Yes, then I’ll go eat quickly.”

“Eat slowly. You’ll get indigestion.”

Tae-kyung was glad that Lee Chan-hee, who had been so dejected for a while because of the Oh Jae-bal case, seemed to have regained his energy.

Lee Chan-hee, who came out of the emergency room, quickly headed to the staff cafeteria.

“Hey! My friend, Dr. Gaemona? When did you get here?”

“I came straight from the operating room.”

Choi Mona, who was drinking bean sprout soup from a bowl, thought it was fortunate to see Lee Chan-hee’s noticeably changed expression.

“Looking at your face, it seems like you’ve regained some energy.”

“Huh! Energy? Anyone who hears that would think I was dying.”

“Weren’t you? You’ve been acting like a wet puppy for the past few days.”

“Puppy? Well, I do have a cute side? You could say I have the puppy-like face that’s popular these days?”

“Cough!”

Choi Mona almost choked on her bean sprout soup at the ridiculous comment.

“What nonsense are you saying so sincerely!”

“Nonsense, my foot. Today, a patient in the ward told me I looked like actor Choi Woo-shik.”

“Crayon, you son of a b*tch! xxx!”

Choi Mona’s mouth spewed out harsh words without hesitation, unable to bear Lee Chan-hee’s absurd words.

“Lee, Doctor, let’s eat quietly, okay?”

“Ugh! My friend Mona is so scary.”

“Quiet. Oh! The patient in ward 308 called earlier; did you check it?”

“Of course. I’m carrying my notepad again these days.”

“Good attitude. I should carry one too. But what about the doctor?”

“Yeah.”

“He’s a really good person, isn’t he?”

“Our doctor?”

“Yeah.”

The topic of the two people, who were having a casual conversation, naturally led to Tae-kyung.

After the Oh Jae-bal case, Tae-kyung taught not only Lee Chan-hee but also Choi Mona many things.

Of course, the two already knew a lot as doctors, but learning from Tae-kyung, who was experienced and skilled, was different.

Knowing that, the two focused with gratitude whenever there was such an opportunity.

“He’s a good person. Actually, it’s true. We’re not even interns, but who would try to teach us so much like that?”

“That’s right. Actually, the doctor helped me break down my inability to empathize with patients.”

“That’s right. Our Gaemona was once a psychopath.”

Choi Mona, who had not been able to empathize with patients’ pain, was able to change her mindset a lot thanks to Tae-kyung.

“Looking at it, it seems like I’ve always been the problem these days, not you, Choi. I wonder how frustrated the doctor was inside?”

“If you know that, Lee, Doctor, treat him well!”

“I will. Oh, right! Choi Mona, that limited edition gel…”

“Choi, Doctor?”

Just as Lee Chan-hee was about to ask something, nurse Im Jeong-suk urgently called Choi Mona.

“Yes, Doctor. Is it a patient call?”

“No. It’s not that…”

“It’s not that.”

Then, even Ui-jin, who followed, repeated the same words.

“Yes? Then what’s wrong?”

“I mean, I trusted our Choi, Doctor. Isn’t that right, Soo, Doctor?”

“Of course. I trust her. I’ve always trusted her.”

“Hehe!”

Ui-jin and nurse Im Jeong-suk, who were affectionately arm in arm, were smiling as if Choi Mona was cute.

“No, why are you two being so scary?”

“That’s right. Really, why are you doing this?”

Lee Chan-hee, who was filling his hungry stomach next to her, also showed interest in the conversation between the two.

“Choi, Doctor? You were cool.”

“Yes…?”

Moreover, even Tae-kyung, who came to get water, said something incomprehensible and left.

Choi Mona couldn’t understand what was going on at all.

“Um, did I do something wrong?”

“Hmm! No~.”

“Not at all!”

After the two answered in unison, Ui-jin solved Choi Mona’s curiosity.

“Oh! Soo, Doctor, we were so happy that we forgot. Choi, Doctor, go out quickly.”

“Go out?”

“Yeah. Your boyfriend is here.”

“Puhaha!”

At the word ‘boyfriend,’ Lee Chan-hee, who was stuffing pork cutlet into his mouth, reacted in surprise more than Choi Mona, the person involved.

“Boyfriend!! Gaemona, no, our Choi Mona has a boyfriend? Do you have a boyfriend?”

“What are you talking about! Did you two just say that my boyfriend is here?”

Choi Mona shouted at Lee Chan-hee and asked, staring at the two alternately with wide eyes.

“Yeah! He’s really handsome, right? Right, Jeong, Doctor?”

“He’s very tall, too, right?”

“Choi, Doctor, go out quickly.”

“Gaemona, you said you didn’t have a boyfriend?”

Choi Mona didn’t even have a male friend, let alone a boyfriend. If she had to pick one, it was Lee Chan-hee, who was eating in front of her right now.

“…!”

Choi Mona, who was watching Lee Chan-hee spitting out rice grains and passionately explaining, suddenly got up from her seat as if she had remembered something.

Squeak-

“Hey! Gaemona?”

“Why are we so proud that Choi, Doctor, has a boyfriend?”

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s because she’s like a younger sister?”

“That’s right.”

Lee Chan-hee followed Choi Mona, who was leaving the cafeteria, and Ui-jin and nurse Im Jeong-suk watched with satisfaction.

Choi Mona, who hurriedly left the cafeteria, made eye contact with someone in the waiting room on the first floor.

“Ah! You…”

And at that moment, Choi Mona’s facial muscles, which usually had no change in expression, moved rapidly, and just as she was about to say something quickly.

“Yo! My pretty girl!”

The man in the waiting room, who everyone said was her boyfriend, raised his hand and greeted her with cheesy words.

At the sound, the hospital staff looked back and forth between Choi Mona and the man’s face, and Choi Mona, surprised, grabbed the man’s hand and dragged him outside.

“Ha! Are you crazy?”

Choi Mona, who dragged the man to a corner bench in the hospital front yard, complained.

“Why did you suddenly come here?”

“I came because I missed you.”

“Are you crazy?”

The person who brought out all kinds of emotions from Choi Mona, who had no emotional ups and downs, was none other than her older brother.

“Hey, is that what you say to your brother after seeing him in a long time?”

“Who’s the one who suddenly came to my workplace and made a slip of the tongue in front of all the employees…”

“It’s fun.”

“Oh, never mind? Why did you come?”

“I went to our parents’ house yesterday, and Mom told me to give this to you. It’s frozen bone broth.”

“Why bother…”

“What bother. It’s good to see my sister’s face at the same time.”

“What are you talking about? I’m talking about Mom, not you. Oh, but aren’t you busy? Coming all the way to where I work.”

“Don’t you care about your brother? I came nearby.”

Choi Tae-shik, Choi Mona’s older brother, was a captain who graduated from the Korea Military Academy [a prestigious military university in South Korea]. He took time out in the evening to see his sister after work and visited Our Hospital.

“Really? I didn’t know. Is it close?”

“Well, about 40 or 50 minutes from here? If you cross that bridge, it’s Gyeonggi-do [a province surrounding Seoul].”

“That’s a long distance. Okay. Thanks. Goodbye!”

“Hey! What, are you going like this?”

Choi Tae-shik was slightly embarrassed by his sister’s cool greeting.

He was a little sad that his sister was trying to leave without even suggesting a cup of coffee, even though it had been a long time since they had seen each other.

“Let’s have a cup of coffee.”

“I’m busy! I can’t be away. Let’s do it next time.”

“Okay. Do you have money? Should I give you some pocket money?”

“I earn more than you. Buy your girlfriend something. Take care of yourself.”

“Hey! Mona? But is that friend over there your boyfriend?”

Choi Tae-shik pointed to Lee Chan-hee, who was peeking at them from the main gate.

“He’s not. Go quickly.”

“Okay, little sister. Call your brother sometime… Oh! My cell phone?”

“Ugh! You must have left it at the base. I’m leaving.”

“You know me too well.”

Choi Tae-shik left the hospital and headed to the base, watching Choi Mona’s back as she walked away bravely.

Baekseok Unit, on the outskirts of Gyeonggi-do-