Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 317

Five Vital Signs – Episode 318

318. That Kid

An elementary school in Seoul. The children were gathered in small groups during their short break.

“Do you guys want to go get hamburgers after school?”

“Sure. I have some time before piano lessons.”

Some children were discussing after-school plans, while others chatted about games.

“Hey! Did you see the new skin that came out yesterday?”

“Yeah, it was so cool, right?”

“I don’t think so. I liked the last one better.”

Other boys at the back of the classroom were also spending their break sharing trivial stories.

“Why do you look like that? Are you feeling sick?”

“No, it’s not that, but I have to go to English class after school, and I didn’t do my homework.”

“Didn’t you say you got scolded by your mom for not doing it last time, too?”

“I got scolded a lot. I forgot because I was playing games yesterday without my parents knowing. Ah! My mom said she’d cancel my soccer if I didn’t do my homework again….”

“You should have just done your homework.”

“Ah! I don’t know. I wish I could live in a world without studying.”

“That’s impossible.”

“Hey! Guys?”

A boy with a mischievous look on his face approached and joined the group of children who were talking about their homework.

“Should I show you something cool?”

“Something cool?”

When the children asked, the boy pointed at someone.

The child he pointed at was a classmate.

While everyone else was gathered with their close friends, a boy smaller than his peers was sitting alone.

The child’s name was Go Seung-woo.

Seung-woo was focused on something, seemingly not embarrassed or uncomfortable about sitting alone without any friends.

“A transfer student?”

“Why him?”

“Hey, it’s been over two months since he transferred. Why are you still calling him a transfer student? His name is Go Seung-woo.”

“But when I saw him last time, it seemed like it would be better not to mess with him….”

“It’s not like that. I found something really cool about Go Seung-woo.”

“Something cool? He’s almost always reading a book. What’s so cool about that?”

“Not that. Anyway, I’ll show you; follow me.”

The boy, who had been promising to show something cool, ended up dragging his friends to Seung-woo.

“Hey! Go Seung-woo?”

“…….”

Even though the boy called him, Seung-woo kept his eyes fixed on the book and didn’t answer.

“Hey, what are you trying to do?”

“Let’s just leave him alone and go.”

“Ah, just stay still for a second. Go Seung-woo, how many kids are in our classroom right now?”

“…….”

“How many are there?”

“…….”

“Hey! Answer when someone asks you. How many kids are there right now?”

“There are currently 27 kids in our classroom.”

At the boy’s continued questions, Seung-woo, who had been absorbed in the book, finally raised his head. Then, he quickly answered and focused on the book again.

“What? Is this what you’re calling cool?”

“I guess so. Is it cool to guess how many people are in our class?”

“Actually, there are only 24 people in our class.”

“No, the current number is 27.”

“What?”

“Look over there. Kim In-soo and Choi Hyun-woo are in the next class, and Yoo In-ji is in class 3, so it’s 27 in total.”

The boy who asked the question explained to his friends that Seung-woo’s answer of 27 was correct.

“That’s right. What is it? Did he just glance and count them all in that short time?”

“No way! He must have looked at it beforehand.”

“He didn’t look at it beforehand.”

“How do you know that?”

“I’ve checked several times, and he tells me right away every time.”

“Really?”

“If you don’t believe me, try it yourselves.”

“Then, I’ll try it once. Seung-woo, how many square panels are on the ceiling in total?”

“…….”

After a moment of silence, Seung-woo raised his head once again, glanced at the ceiling, and immediately said the number of ceiling panels.

“178.5”

“What’s the point five?”

“Isn’t he just saying any number roughly?”

“Wait a minute. I’ll check.”

Watching Seung-woo say the number of ceiling panels in an instant, one of the boys in the group took a picture of the ceiling with his phone and started counting.

“I’ll count this side, so you count the other side.”

“Okay. One, two, three, four…….”

“……Eighty-seven, eighty-eight. Eighty-nine. Eighty-nine on this side. What about you?”

“Me too, eighty-nine, no. There’s also a half piece here, so eighty-nine point five is right.”

“Then eighty-nine plus eighty-nine is…….”

“178, and if you add the half piece, it’s 178.5.”

“Wow!”

The children who didn’t believe Seung-woo’s answer were all amazed after checking it themselves.

“Crazy.”

“Go Seung-woo, you’re really amazing.”

“I know, right? How did you get it right in one go?”

“I can see it.”

“You say it too easily.”

“Hey, what’s even more amazing is that Go Seung-woo knows all the dates if you ask him.”

“What do you mean?”

“Look!”

“Seung-woo, what day of the week is March 5, 2025?”

“March 5, 2025, is Wednesday, and it is also Gyeongchip [the Awakening of Insects, a traditional Korean holiday]. Gyeongchip is also the day when frogs wake up from their sleep, and it is the third of the 24 solar terms, also known as Gyechip.”

“Wow! Crazy.”

“Go Seung-woo, you’re no joke.”

“You even got first place on the math test last time. Are you perhaps a genius?”

“Genius, my foot.”

While the children were admiring Seung-woo’s talent, a bigger boy who had been watching this scene from the front sneered and approached.

That child was the kind of child who is always in the class, acting as the leader because he is bigger than the other children.

“Are all the geniuses dead?”

“I guess so. The transfer student probably just guessed it right.”

The big boy’s friends also chimed in, sneering.

“Why are you suddenly butting in?”

“Who’s butting in? Is the transfer student yours? Are we not allowed to talk to him?”

“No, it’s not that…….”

The children trailed off when the big boy frowned and spoke forcefully.

“Hey?”

“…….”

“Hey! Transfer student, I’ll ask you a question. What day of the week is July 25, 2037?”

“…….”

Even though the big boy asked the question, Seung-woo didn’t answer. Like he did to the children at first, he lowered his head and focused on the book.

“Hey, transfer student, can’t you hear me?”

“…….”

“I asked you what day of the week it is?”

“Hey! Can’t you hear me?”

Clap! Clap!

“…….”

The children who came with him asked again and even clapped in front of Seung-woo’s eyes, but the child’s gaze was still fixed on the book.

Then, the big boy, annoyed, suddenly snatched Seung-woo’s book.

“Hey! Are you ignoring me?”

“……!”

When the book he was concentrating on disappeared from his sight, Seung-woo, surprised, followed the book with his gaze and then raised his head.

“Book! Give me back my book.”

“Who said I wouldn’t give it to you? I’ll give it to you if you answer what I asked.”

“Okay, transfer student, tell me quickly if you want to get your book back.”

“Book! My book.”

“Okay, so what day of the week is July 25, 2037?”

“My book. My book! It’s my book.”

“Tell me quickly. I’ll give it to you then!”

“My book. My book!!!!”

Seung-woo’s reaction, who had been quiet, was getting bigger and bigger as the book he was quietly looking at was taken away.

Nevertheless, the big friend continued to dangle the book, urging him to answer.

“Should I give it to you or not? Hey, slowpoke, tell me quickly.”

“Give me my book!!!”

In that way, the big boy’s one-sided teasing continued, and the children around him didn’t know what to do, but no one stepped forward.

“Give me the book!!”

“……!”

Just as the act of giving the book or not continued,

“Ah!”

Seung-woo stood on tiptoe and snatched one side of the opened book, and at that moment, the boy who was teasing him cut his finger on the book paper.

“It’s my book.”

“Oh! Manwoo. You’re bleeding.”

“What!”

“Are you okay?”

“It’s really bleeding. Ah! Shit.”

The big boy frowned at the blood on his finger and glared at Seung-woo.

“I’m bleeding because of the slowpoke retard. Hey! I’m bleeding because of you, slowpoke. What are you going to do?”

“Don’t you need to go to the infirmary? You keep bleeding?”

“Ah! Really because of a retard……. Hey! What are you going to do about this!”

Thud-

The big boy, angry at the sight of blood, pushed Seung-woo, who was trying to sit on the chair, over.

“Seung-woo, are you okay?”

“Lee Manwoo, why are you pushing the kid?”

“Are you blind? Can’t you see my hand bleeding because of this bastard? If something happens to my hand, will you take responsibility for it?”

The children around him questioned him, but they fell silent, intimidated by the boy’s size.

All the children in the classroom’s attention was focused. But Seung-woo, the person involved, got up from the fall, sat on the chair, and then focused on the book again, quietly muttering to himself.

“Saturday……. July 25, 2037, is Saturday.”

The big boy, who was watching him muttering to himself, spat out curses and then made a phone call.

* * *

OO Planning-

At a company that produces signs and outdoor advertisements, the design team employees were each focused on their work in front of their monitors.

“Did you get approval for the Sky Karaoke design?”

“Yes, sir. I did.”

“Did you get approval for the entire cafe design too?”

“Yes, I sent an email earlier.”

“Okay. Thank you!”

“Sir, can’t we do it after lunch?”

“Is it already lunchtime?”

“Sir, it’s not already; it’s well past 1:30 now.”

The design team employees, facing the deadline, were engrossed in their work, skipping lunchtime.

“Really? Sorry. I was so out of it today that I didn’t even realize time was passing. Everyone, let’s eat.”

“A cold noodle restaurant opened in front of us today. How about cold noodles?”

“Cold noodles are good.”

“I like it too.”

“I’ll treat you today; everyone go out together.”

“Sir? Wow! You’re really the best. Then, can we order charcoal-grilled bulgogi [Korean marinated beef barbecue] too? It’s even more delicious when we eat together.”

“Sure. Everyone is having a hard time with the deadline, so order whatever you want to eat.”

“Sir, is your wallet okay?”

“What’s the problem? Just pay with the company card.”

“You’re so cool! Hooray for the company card.”

“Everyone, let’s go out. Seonmin, aren’t you going? Let’s go eat?”

The boss, who was leaving the office with his employees, said to the female employee at the desk inside.

“Sir, have a good meal. I haven’t gotten approval for the one-shot bar design yet.”

“You still have to eat.”

“No. And I don’t really have an appetite.”

She wasn’t very hungry, but the words that she had no appetite were a lie. Kim Seonmin, who came to work an hour late again today, didn’t have time to eat lunch because of the urgent design work.

“Oh, right! I heard your sibling is sick. Are they okay?”

“Sibling? Oh, yes.”

She flinched for a moment at the word sibling and quickly finished her answer.

“Then should I buy you something when I come back?”

“It’s okay. Everyone, have a good meal.”

“Okay. Oh! And Seonmin, don’t forget to modify the color and specifications at the end and pass it on to the production team as is.”

“Yes, I’ll check it carefully and pass it on. Have a good meal.”

After all the employees left, Kim Seonmin, who was left in the design room, tied her fallen hair back up and stretched simply before sitting at her desk.

Tak- Tak- Taktak-

She straightened her back, held the mouse with one hand, and tapped the keyboard with the other, concentrating on the monitor.

Rrrrrrrrrr

When the cell phone on the desk rang, Kim Seonmin reached out and answered the phone while keeping her eyes fixed on the monitor.

“Hello.”

-Hello. This is Seung-woo’s homeroom teacher.

“Ah! Yes. Hello, teacher.”

Kim Seonmin made a surprised expression, like a cat with its fur standing on end, at the phone call from school.

“Um, teacher, is something wrong with Seung-woo……?”

-Yes. I’m sorry to ask suddenly, but I think his older sister needs to come now.

“Now? Yes, I understand for now.”

After hanging up the phone and quickly finishing her work, Kim Seonmin left the office with her bag 10 minutes later.