Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 224

224. Escape from Hell

“Why? You don’t want to go to the infirmary?”

“No, sir.”

Kim Seong-hoon dragged his aching body up from his seat.

“Alright, our number 444 squid gets on the starting line. Commence!”

“……”

“Commence!”

With no response, Go Cheol-soo raised his voice once more.

“Co, commence!”

Kim Seong-hoon walked to the far end opposite the doorway and stood at attention.

“Alright! We’re starting the game now. The game is very simple. We’re going to play ‘Red Light, Green Light.’ Our number 444 squid can go to the infirmary by hitting the back of the tagger, which is me, during the game. It’s a very simple game.”

“Wow, Seong-hoon will be gone in no time. Cheol-soo, isn’t it too easy?”

Park Byung-deok, sitting with his arms crossed, shook his head with a disappointed expression.

“If the rules are too simple, the game will be a bit boring, don’t you think?”

“That’s why I made one more rule.”

The two were starting a ridiculous game, leaving Kim Seong-hoon standing there with a stomach ache.

“It’s no fun if we just do it normally, so we’ll play the game hopping on one leg. How about that? Wouldn’t that be less boring?”

“Is he crazy? Anyway, you’re definitely out of your mind. But I admit, it’s hilariously fun.”

He was a devil.

In Kim Seong-hoon’s eyes, those two were nothing more and nothing less than devils themselves.

Every time moments like this came around several times a day, the thought of killing those two, especially Go Cheol-soo, would cross his mind.

Even when he was wearing a school uniform and attending school, he was introverted and small, and there were a few instances of bullying. Of course, it was hard then too, but not to this extent.

Every time the devilish Go Cheol-soo’s bullying started, Kim Seong-hoon even asked himself what deadly sin he had committed.

No matter how much he asked, there was no reason. He just hoped and hoped to escape from this wretched, hellish reality.

“444?”

“Private! Kim Seong-hoon.”

“Ah, so boring. You idiot, you’re supposed to say your number, not your rank and name. Is your brain filled with udon noodles [thick wheat flour noodles]?”

“444? Are you ready?”

“444, ready.”

Kim Seong-hoon lifted one leg slightly and took a stance. He was dying to finish the game quickly and go to the infirmary.

His stomach ache had lessened a bit from before, but he still felt like he needed to take medicine.

“Starting now. Red Light, Green Light. Oho!”

At the sound signaling the start of the game, Kim Seong-hoon lifted one leg and struggled to move forward before stopping.

“Oh! This bastard is good.”

“Again, Red Light, Green Light.”

At the sound signaling the start again, Kim Jeong-hoon focused and moved forward.

It had been a long time since he had stopped thinking of himself as pathetic.

It might have been just a fun playtime for those two devils, but for Kim Jeong-hoon, it was a game he approached with a combative attitude every moment.

If something happened during the game that displeased the two, it was obvious that the time would be delayed along with even more terrible consequences.

“What is it? Is it because this bastard has been playing games with us so much that he’s become a master?”

“That’s right. Crazy! He’s really become a pro. Good! Let’s go one more time. Red Liiiiiiiiight, Green Light, maybe it bloomed, maybe it didn’t, but it bloomed.”

Even amidst the bizarre game commands, Kim Seong-hoon gritted his teeth and endured, arriving right behind Go Cheol-soo.

“Ah! No fun. Ah, damn it, Kim Seong-hoon?”

“Private, Kim Seong-hoon.”

“Have you played this game once or twice?”

Go Cheol-soo, who was displeased with Kim Seong-hoon’s good performance in the game, picked a fight as usual.

“You should do it moderately and with some sense.”

As he said that, he flicked Kim Seong-hoon’s nipples and tapped his cheeks, engaging in humiliating behavior along with a sense of insult.

“Huh? Aren’t you going to answer?”

“Private Kim Seong-hoon! I’m sorry.”

“If you’re sorry, you shouldn’t do it like this.”

“Hey! Cheol-soo, stop it. It’s almost time for people to come. Just let him go. Still, he did pretty well hopping on one foot. He was pathetic but did well.”

“I guess so. If the squad leader sees, he’ll nag again for no reason. Alright. Go and come back.”

“Thank you. Private Kim Seong-hoon, I’ll go to the infirmary and come back.”

Click-

Kim Seong-hoon greeted the two crazy seniors and quickly headed to the infirmary.

“Where does it hurt?”

“My stomach hurts.”

“Hmm……”

The expression of the military doctor examining Kim Seong-hoon was not very bright. Or rather, to be precise, he seemed annoyed.

It was because Kim Seong-hoon had come in just as he was about to leave work, so he was just planning to give him some medicine quickly and send him away.

“Let’s see. Looking at you, you’ve come several times with abdominal pain, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“How is it now? Does it still hurt now?”

“It’s not severely painful, but I actually have a bit of a strange issue.”

His stomach ache had subsided, but there was another problem.

“What is it? Tell me.”

After hesitating for a moment, Kim Seong-hoon spoke to the military doctor, who still seemed annoyed.

“My stomach hurts, but I haven’t been able to defecate.”

“Ha! Hey, Private?”

“Private, Kim Seong-hoon!”

“It’s okay if you can’t defecate. There are many people who haven’t been able to defecate for several days due to constipation. I’ll prescribe some medicine, so take it for now. It’s not a deadly disease, so don’t make such a serious face. Get your medicine and go.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Kim Seong-hoon didn’t know how it was for other soldiers, but it wasn’t easy for him to come to the infirmary. But today, as expected, the military doctor, who seemed annoyed, finished the examination roughly.

In the end, he had to leave the infirmary without a clear solution to his painful symptoms.

The next day, evening-

“Ah, damn it. Where did it go?”

“What is it? Isn’t everything in your personal locker?”

Go Cheol-soo was urgently looking for something in his personal locker.

“My earphones are gone. My girlfriend bought them for me.”

“You don’t have a girlfriend.”

“Ex-girlfriend.”

“Crazy bastard.”

“Hey, Seong-hoon?”

“Private! Kim Seong-hoon.”

Go Cheol-soo, who had been looking for his earphones here and there for a while, called Kim Seong-hoon, who was still not feeling well and was quietly in his seat.

“Hey, haven’t you seen my earphones?”

“I haven’t seen them.”

“Weren’t they in my pocket before I did laundry?”

“I checked everything, but they weren’t there.”

“Really? That’s strange……”

Go Cheol-soo, showing an uneasy look, checked his clothes in the area where the laundry was hung. Then, after a while, he approached Kim Seong-hoon and opened his fist.

“Hey! What is this?”

“……!”

Kim Seong-hoon, flustered, looked at the earphones Go Cheol-soo showed him and couldn’t speak for a moment.

It was because he had clearly checked when he turned the laundry a little while ago. It wasn’t a lie, he checked several times and there was nothing.

Kim Seong-hoon guessed that Go Cheol-soo was trying to pick a fight with him on purpose.

“Hey, you bastard. I’m asking what this is?”

“It’s earphones.”

“Who doesn’t know it’s earphones? You said you checked. They’re all broken.”

“I definitely checked. I checked accurately several times.”

“Then where did this come from?”

“I, I don’t know.”

“Ha! Look at this bastard.”

It was natural that Kim Seong-hoon didn’t know.

It was because Go Cheol-soo had secretly put the broken earphones in the finished laundry pocket.

“Oh my! Our private has completely lost his mind?”

Park Byung-deok, who had been quietly watching until now, chimed in from the side, making it even more difficult.

“Hey, this is what my girlfriend bought for me, what are you going to do?”

“Cheol-soo, that’s a bit much. You said she’s your ex-girlfriend.”

“She’s still my current girlfriend in my heart. We never broke up.”

“You’re bullshitting.”

“Hey! Kim Seong-hoon?”

“Private. Kim Seong-hoon.”

“You’re going on new recruit vacation tomorrow, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I’ll tell you a special way to be forgiven. Go and buy this as a new model when you come back from vacation.”

“……”

From the beginning, Go Cheol-soo had intended to put in the broken earphones and tell Kim Seong-hoon to buy them.

“Why? No answer? Hey!”

“I, I’ll buy them.”

“Are you annoyed? Are you annoyed?”

“No, sir. I’ll buy them.”

Kim Seong-hoon knew that there was no one who would believe him even if he insisted on his innocence here. So he just quickly gave the answer that Go Cheol-soo wanted.

“Okay. Since you said you’ll buy them, I’ll accept that heart. Thank you, Seong-hoon.”

“No, sir.”

With the earphone incident settled for the time being, another tiring day was passing.

Some time later-

While the soldiers in the living quarters were all having video calls with their families on their phones, Kim Seong-hoon was also having a video call with his family.

-Our son, are you doing well?

“Yeah, Mom. I’m doing well.”

-Is it because I haven’t seen you in a few days, but your face looks a bit haggard.

Kim Seong-hoon, who had small wounds on his face due to Go Cheol-soo’s bullying, had deliberately made various excuses and hadn’t had video calls.

It was because he didn’t want to worry his family for no reason.

But today, he had to see his family’s faces no matter what.

-Our son, is it hard for you?

-Mom, me too. It’s your big sister, Dongsaeng [term of endearment for a younger sibling or friend]. Our brother is cool.

-Dad is here too. I miss our youngest.

Behind Lee Ae-sook, who was wiping away tears while stroking the video call screen, her family gathered one by one.

His mother, who had given him unconditional love throughout his life.

His father, who was taciturn but always gave him great support.

Even his three precious older sisters, who always believed in their younger brother.

Kim Seong-hoon looked at each and every face of his entire family, imprinting them in his eyes.

-Seong-hoon, are you not hurting anywhere?

“Of course. Mom, I’m okay.”

-We’ll be able to see our son’s face soon, right?

“Yes, I’m going on vacation tomorrow, so you can see me.”

-Dongsaeng, you don’t know how much Mom cleans your room every day because she misses you.

-Why are you telling him that? Our son, Mom, Dad, and your sisters are always cheering you on. Son, I love you.”

“Me too. I’ll hang up now.”

Kim Seong-hoon, overwhelmed by the word ‘I love you’ filled with his mother Lee Ae-sook’s sincerity, hurriedly hung up the phone.

He felt like tears would pour out if he saw his beloved family any longer.

Several hours later-

Late at night when everyone had gone to bed. Kim Seong-hoon, who had been deliberately keeping his eyes closed, opened his eyes and quietly got up from his seat.

After telling the soldier on guard duty outside that his destination was the restroom, he quietly moved his steps.

Click-

Kim Seong-hoon, who had entered the innermost stall of the restroom, quietly locked the door.

Then, he took out the paper and pen he had hidden in his underwear, knelt on the floor, and began to write something on the toilet.

-Will-

To my beloved father, mother, and sisters. I sincerely apologize for my incompetent son making this choice.

Thinking of my family, who have always given me excessive love to my lacking son, I have been gritting my teeth and enduring until now, but now I don’t even have the strength to do so.

Surprisingly, what Kim Seong-hoon was writing was a will.

He, who had been unwell for nearly two weeks, was mentally exhausted from prolonged bullying.

Although the military is a place that everyone born as a man in Korea has to go to, he had never imagined that he would spend such a hellish life.

He had thought countless times about enduring until he was discharged with all his might and had always made up his mind, but now he had reached his limit.

He wanted to end all this with death.

He only felt that there was no other answer than that path.

Thick tears falling from Kim Seong-hoon’s eyes dripped onto the paper.

After writing down all the bullying he had suffered from Go Cheol-soo and Park Byung-deok, he wrote the closing words.

-I hope that my decision will not cause my family to suffer, and I ask for attention so that these evils will not be carried out again in military injustice.

‘Father, Mother! I’m sorry.’

Kim Seong-hoon, who was calling out to his parents in his heart, took out the razor he had hidden in his clothes.

A decision filled his pitiful eyes as he stared intently at the sharp razor blade separated from the razor, and at the very moment the blade touched his left wrist,

Knock knock-

Suddenly, a knock sounded loudly. Kim Seong-hoon, who had been concentrating, had not heard the footsteps.

Knock knock-

“Who’s inside? Hey!”

The owner of the thick voice was Captain Choi Tae-shik, who was on duty today.