Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 341

342. You’re Really My Sister, Right?

Tae-kyung explained Seung-woo’s condition in detail, including Savant Syndrome [a rare condition where individuals with developmental disorders have exceptional abilities].

“Oh my! Goodness…”

Kim Sun-min, after hearing the entire explanation, was so surprised she didn’t know how to react.

“You didn’t know?”

“No, not at all. I really didn’t know.”

She had just thought his good memory, talent for cubes and puzzles, and memorizing the human body were because he was simply smart. She never imagined he was a genius.

She figured it was because some children with autism have highly developed memory or intellectual abilities.

In fact, Kim Sun-min had similar thoughts when she first started living with Seung-woo.

At that time, she attended a support group for families with autistic children to better understand Seung-woo.

She remembered someone who had raised an autistic child for a long time saying with a smile when Kim Sun-min talked about Seung-woo’s sharp mind.

‘You probably don’t realize it because you’re his sister. Savant Syndrome isn’t that common among autistic children. It’s mostly seen in dramas or movies. My child also has an amazing memory… It’s not that common.’

After hearing that woman’s words, Kim Sun-min thought she had been overthinking things.

Moreover, even though she had been to quite a few counseling and rehabilitation facilities, none of the therapists there had ever mentioned anything like that.

That was because Seung-woo would only look at the books he brought from home and didn’t cooperate well when he went to those facilities.

He seemed to dislike the rigid atmosphere in those confined spaces, so she didn’t force him to go after that.

She always felt sorry for not doing more for him and raising him inadequately, so she found it hard to believe that Seung-woo was a genius.

“You seem very surprised.”

“Yes… I didn’t expect it at all.”

“That can happen.”

Tae-kyung was surprisingly calm at Kim Sun-min’s reaction that she genuinely didn’t know anything.

Some parents of children with Savant Syndrome aren’t fully aware of their child’s specific talents. Also, some gifted people only realize they are gifted when they become adults.

“Doctor, I just had a thought. I wonder if Seung-woo’s grandmother helped him develop his abilities.”

“Do you think his grandmother didn’t know either?”

“She didn’t tell me anything directly, so I don’t know.”

“Was there anything like that in her diary?”

“There are so many volumes of the diary that I haven’t read them all yet.”

Knock-knock-

“Director?”

Nurse Lim Jeong-sook knocked while the two were talking.

“Yes, come in.”

Clang-

“Did a patient arrive?”

“No, it’s not that. It seems like a very important guest is about to arrive. What should we do?”

“A very important guest?”

“Yes, a special guest who wants to see Kim Sun-min.”

“M-Me?”

“Yes.”

Nurse Lim Jeong-sook smiled and continued, seeing Kim Sun-min surprised by the words ‘special guest’.

“Seung-woo is looking for Kim Sun-min.”

“Seung-woo woke up?”

Kim Sun-min jumped up from her seat like a jack-in-the-box at the word ‘Seung-woo’.

The clock showed it was dawn. It was still early, so it wasn’t time for Seung-woo to wake up.

More than anything, she wondered what it meant that he was looking for her when he wouldn’t even know she was here.

“He woke up because he needed to pee and went to the bathroom. But Seung-woo asked if his sister had come.”

A little while ago-

‘Sis…ter. Sis…!’

Seung-woo, who was sleeping in the doctor’s office, opened his eyes while mumbling in his sleep. Then, blinking his still sleepy eyes, he moved his head from side to side and slowly got out of bed.

“Ah! Tidy.”

Seung-woo straightened the crooked pillow on the bed and neatly arranged the blanket as if it were natural.

He had only gotten up for a moment to go to the bathroom because he needed to pee, but this behavior was natural for Seung-woo.

‘Grandma? Why are you so good at tidying up?’

‘Grandma learned this from her parents a long time ago. Tidying up clears your head and makes you feel good when you do other things. That’s why I tidy up.’

He had learned from his grandmother’s lifestyle, with whom he had lived for a long time, so it had become a kind of ingrained habit.

After tidying up the bed, Seung-woo looked at the picture attached to the ice cream refrigerator that Kim Gun-hyung had sent. He looked at the picture of his sister that he had drawn and left the doctor’s office.

Clang-

‘Seung-woo?’

Nurse Lim Jeong-sook, who was coming out of the emergency room, approached with a surprised look when Seung-woo, who should have been sleeping, came out of the doctor’s office.

‘Why did you come out? Are you uncomfortable somewhere?’

‘No. I came out to go to the bathroom. I think I drank too much water yesterday.’

‘I see. Be careful going and coming back.’

‘But nurse, I have a question.’

‘A question? What is it?’

‘You know, did my sister come?’

‘What?’

‘I thought I heard my sister’s voice when I was sleeping earlier. And it felt like my sister was calling me and stroking me… I don’t know if this is a dream or real.’

Seung-woo, who always thought of his sister and missed her, asked after hearing Kim Sun-min’s words in his sleep earlier.

‘Then I’ll ask the director if your sister has come, so why don’t you go to the bathroom first?’

‘Yes, I’ll go to the bathroom.’

If Seung-woo had continued to sleep, there would have been no need to wake him up and tell him that his sister had come. But Lim Jeong-sook couldn’t ignore the child’s words, who was already awake and accurately asking if his sister had come.

“Seung-woo seems to have heard his sister’s voice in his sleep earlier. So I told him to go to the bathroom first. Seung-woo came out of the bathroom. I’ll bring him.”

“…Yes.”

Kim Sun-min nodded and walked towards the slightly open door.

“I don’t know why I’m so nervous.”

Kim Sun-min wrung her hands and fidgeted.

“Doctor, you know, since I started living with Seung-woo, I’ve never been apart from him for this long. So even though it’s only been a few days, it feels like it’s been a long time.”

“That’s because you miss Seung-woo so much.”

“Yes, I really think so.”

“Seung-woo. Can you open the door wide here?”

In the meantime, she heard the sound of Nurse Lim Jeong-sook and Seung-woo coming right behind the door.

“Really? Is my sister really in the office?”

“Yes. She is. Your sister came while you were sleeping earlier. She was waiting for you to wake up.”

“Really?”

“Of course, it’s real.”

“…”

“Why? Aren’t you going to open the door?”

“No. What if my sister… what if my sister isn’t there.”

Despite Lim Jeong-sook’s confident words, Seung-woo hesitated to open the door.

He wondered if he was dreaming, and he was also worried about what would happen if his sister wasn’t there.

“Sister?”

When Nurse Lim Jeong-sook nodded, Seung-woo called Kim Sun-min and opened the door to the office.

“Sister is… !”

“Seung-woo?”

Kim Sun-min, who had been holding back well for the past few days, couldn’t hold back any longer and opened the door wide.

“Sis, Sister~~~~!”

Seung-woo, who saw Kim Sun-min through the quickly opened door, ran the short distance of only a few steps and hugged her tightly.

“Sister… You’re really my sister, right?”

“Yes. I’m your sister.”

Kim Sun-min also hugged her son, whom she had missed so much, with all her body.

“Seung-woo, I’m sorry I came so late…”

“No. It’s okay. I don’t like Mom the Alien that much anymore. I only need my sister.”

“I only need Seung-woo too.”

“Sister, you’re not going anywhere anymore, right?”

“That’s right. I’m going to be with Seung-woo from now on.”

Kim Sun-min and Seung-woo were stuck together like magnets, hugging each other tightly for a while. After that, the two headed to the doctor’s office where Seung-woo had been sleeping.

“Sister? This is my friend Kevin, and here are my new friends Charles and Tony, who Grandpa gave me as a gift.”

Seung-woo, who was excited that Kim Sun-min had returned, talked non-stop about his new friends and how he had been doing.

“And the director gave me this to use when I draw. I drew a lot too. Look? Isn’t it cool?”

“Wow! Our Seung-woo’s drawing skills are the best, as your sister knows. You drew the best. But Seung-woo, aren’t you going to sleep?”

Kim Sun-min asked lovingly, seeing the sleepiness in Seung-woo’s eyes.

“If you don’t sleep now, you’ll be sleepy again during the day, and then you might not be able to sleep at night.”

“What if I wake up and my sister isn’t there?”

Seung-woo had been waiting for Kim Sun-min bravely and maturely, but in the end, he was still a child.

He was a little worried that his sister wouldn’t be there when he fell asleep again and opened his eyes.

“No. I’m going to hug our Seung-woo like this and sleep together. Is that okay now?”

“Yes. It’s okay now.”

Kim Sun-min lay down on the bed with Seung-woo and hugged him so that he wouldn’t be anxious. She stroked his head and back, giving him as much affection as she had missed him.

Before he knew it, Seung-woo’s eyes closed, and he fell asleep in Kim Sun-min’s arms until the moment he fell asleep.

After a few hours, the two woke up.

It wasn’t a comfortable home, and it was an unfamiliar place, but Kim Sun-min was able to wake up feeling refreshed because she was with Seung-woo.

“Did our Seung-woo sleep well?”

“Yes, I slept better because my sister was next to me.”

After waking up, the two ate breakfast prepared by Oh Yeo-sa and the restaurant staff and said goodbye to the hospital staff to meet Kim Gun-hyung.

Kim Gun-hyung, who had been contacted by Tae-kyung earlier, contacted Kim Sun-min and decided to meet the two right away.

Kim Gun-hyung, who has tremendous drive once he makes a decision, thought it was right to meet quickly for Seung-woo’s sake.

“Seung-woo, you have to say goodbye to the teachers.”

“Director, thank you. Thank you for giving me Kevin and for saying so many good things to me. Thank you, nurses. Thank you, restaurant grandmothers? And all the aunts.”

Seung-woo approached everyone he had encountered in the hospital, starting with Tae-kyung, and greeted them one by one.

“Teacher Lee Chan-hee, thank you for playing with me. And…”

Finally, Seung-woo, who gestured to Lee Chan-hee standing in the back, whispered softly in his ear.

“I know you like Teacher Choi Mona. I hope you two are happy.”

While Lee Chan-hee was surprised, Seung-woo returned to Kim Sun-min’s side and held her hand tightly.

“Teacher, Seung-woo and I will go now.”

“Okay. I’ll send the refrigerator with ice cream and the human body model to your house.”

“Yes, I will never forget the grace you have shown Seung-woo and me. I will raise Seung-woo well so that he can become a person who knows how to give like you, teacher. I am truly grateful to everyone.”

“Okay. It was a good time for me and my hospital family to be with Seung-woo. Only good things will happen in the future, so live well.”

“Yes, teacher. I will.”

“And our Seung-woo will live well and come to see the teachers sometimes, right?”

“No. I want to come and play often, not sometimes.”

“Okay. Come and play often.”

“Yes. Sister, is that okay?”

“Of course, it is.”

“Teacher, this is it. It’s a gift.”

Seung-woo handed a small bag to Tae-kyung.

“A gift for the teacher? Thank you.”

“Then goodbye.”

“See you again.”