Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 352

353. Father and Son

“……!”

The father, having arrived in front of Gong Sae-chan’s apartment, abruptly stopped the car, taken aback by the scene unfolding before him.

“Isn’t that… isn’t that Sae-chan’s?”

*Thud.*

The father got out of the car and approached the truck parked in front of the apartment, calling out to the people there.

“Excuse me?”

“Sorry. We just parked here for a moment to load the motorcycles onto the truck, which blocked the road. We’re finished now, so we’ll move it quickly.”

Two motorcycles were being loaded onto the one-ton truck that was blocking the apartment alley.

Gong Sae-chan’s father knew those motorcycles belonged to his son without needing to be told.

“No, it’s not that. It’s about those motorcycles. I think they’re my son’s… Isn’t the owner of the motorcycles Gong Sae-chan?”

“Well, we only received a call from the motorcycle shop owner to move them to the store, so we don’t know about that.”

“Mister?”

Just as he was wondering what was going on, he heard a young man calling from behind.

“Hello.”

The young man who called Gong Sae-chan’s father was his son’s close friend, who had been at the house on the day of the accident.

“Oh, Geun-ho. What brings you here?”

“Just a moment. Driver, here are the keys. Please take good care of them until you get to the shop.”

“I’ll drive carefully, so don’t worry.”

“Thank you. Goodbye.”

“Geun-ho, what’s going on here?”

The father asked his son’s friend after the truck left the alley.

“First, park the car in the parking lot, and I’ll explain it to you.”

After parking the car, the father headed to his son’s apartment with his son’s friend.

“You must have been very surprised because of Sae-chan, right?”

“You can say that again. The whole family was in an uproar. Fortunately, we found a good doctor, and the surgery went well.”

“That’s good. As you saw earlier, all the motorcycles are Sae-chan’s.”

“I came because of the motorcycles… Where are those motorcycles going? Did Sae-chan ask you to move them somewhere else?”

“It’s not that. Did you come to get rid of the motorcycles?”

“Yes. I came to either smash them or sell them off.”

“If that’s the case, you’re already one step late.”

“One step late…?”

“The motorcycles are all sold.”

“What?!”

“The truck you saw downstairs was taking them to the motorcycle shop. Sae-chan called me earlier.”

A few hours earlier, Gong Sae-chan, using his sister’s phone, had called his friend and asked him to sell his motorcycles.

He had painstakingly tuned each one with parts he wanted whenever he had money, cherishing them, and now he was asking his friend to sell them directly.

His friend, knowing how much affection Gong Sae-chan had for his motorcycles, was quite surprised by the request.

“So, our Sae-chan directly asked you to sell the motorcycles?”

“Yes, he even cried while talking to me. I’ve never seen Sae-chan cry since elementary school. Well, I didn’t see it, but I heard it, and it wasn’t a playful cry, but a real one. I was so surprised.”

“Why is he crying? We, the parents, are the ones who really want to cry…”

“He also said that he felt like he had been living too thoughtlessly.”

Gong Sae-chan had never really paid attention to or taken to heart the family’s warnings not to ride motorcycles.

He thought he wouldn’t be riding them for life, and since he wouldn’t be able to ride them when he got older, he should enjoy them while he was young.

So, he thought his parents’ nagging was natural and just pretended to listen at the time, just going through the motions.

But after the surgery, hearing Tae-kyung’s words in the recovery room, many thoughts kept swirling in his head.

He had never seriously thought about his motorcycle riding, but this time it was different.

It might have been because he heard such things immediately after waking up from anesthesia after a major surgery, but more than anything, he was affected by the doctor who operated on him speaking so seriously.

He realized how much worry and concern his selfish actions, thinking only of his own pleasure, had caused his parents.

Also, he realized that his father’s words and actions, which were so harsh about motorcycles, were all because of him.

More than anything, he felt worse when he saw his father being silent.

He would have felt more comfortable if his father had been angry and nagging like before.

He worried that his father might completely give up on him, and he felt that his father was truly disappointed.

Gong Sae-chan had a phrase he repeated like a parrot every time he had an accident.

‘I’m sorry. I won’t ride motorcycles again.’

‘This is really the last time.’

Looking back, it was strange that his parents hadn’t been disappointed until now.

As he continued to think about these things, he was able to find an answer himself.

He had to stop riding motorcycles. He decided to cherish himself, as Tae-kyung had seriously advised.

He still had many things he wanted to do and achieve, so it was right to stop doing dangerous things.

It took Gong Sae-chan time to realize this obvious fact.

So, he contacted his friend and asked him to sell his motorcycles.

He wanted to promise himself and change, not just to show his parents.

The motorcycles were so well-maintained that they were sold for a good price to the shop owner he had been dealing with.

“Sae-chan is sorry to his parents. He said he was especially sorry to you.”

“To me?”

“Yes, he said he was really sorry that you seemed really disappointed.”

“I don’t know if he’s just being like this for a little while.”

“No, sir. This time it’s real. You may see Sae-chan and me as just young kids, but we change once we make up our minds. Sae-chan has been like that since he was young. Once he decides to do something, he always does it no matter what. So, please, just let go of your anger.”

“Geez!”

The father, who had been listening to his son’s friend, burst out laughing without realizing it.

“Geun-ho, you seem more like an adult. You’re better than me. Your parents must not worry about you?”

“Yes, they do.”

“I wish our Sae-chan would be like you.”

“Oh, sir, what are you saying? My mom tells me to be half as good as Sae-chan – to be a little more sociable and flexible.”

“Is that so? Parents always say that because they want their children to be better. Especially, they only see the good points in other people’s children.”

“I think so. Oh, right! The money from selling the motorcycles will be deposited into your account.”

“Into my account? Why?”

“I don’t know about that.”

“Anyway, Geun-ho, thank you for helping me even though you must be busy.”

“You’re welcome. I’m going to see Sae-chan tomorrow.”

“I’ll buy you a delicious meal when Sae-chan is discharged.”

“Yes, I’ll be waiting. Goodbye, sir.”

“Okay. See you again.”

The father, having parted with his son’s friend, returned to the hospital.

After parking the car in the parking lot, he trudged up the stairs to the hospital room where Gong Sae-chan was hospitalized.

“Honey, you’re here?”

“Yeah. Have you had lunch?”

The father glanced at his son’s face and then spoke to his wife.

“What time is it? It’s not time for lunch yet.”

“Where’s Sae-yoon?”

“She went home. I need to go to the bank, and you came just in time. Can you watch Sae-chan?”

The quick-witted wife thought that her husband had something to say to their son and deliberately made way.

“Give him anything he needs.”

“Okay.”

*Swish.*

After his wife left the hospital room, the father sat on the makeshift bed, drawing the curtains between the side of the bed and the open space.

“Father, aren’t you uncomfortable sitting there?”

“I’m not uncomfortable. Are you feeling okay?”

“Yes. The director [head doctor] came during rounds earlier and said that there are no blood clots and my veins are fine. But he said we need to keep a close eye on it for a few more days.”

“I heard it from your mother. I was asking if you’re not in pain besides that.”

“Compared to the pain when I got hurt, it’s nothing now. Um, Father…”

As an awkward silence stretched between the father and son, Gong Sae-chan called out to his father in a slightly serious voice.

“Why?”

“I’m sorry. I think I’ve been living too selfishly. I didn’t know that Mom and Dad were having such a hard time because of me.”

Gong Sae-chan honestly revealed his feelings to his father.

“I’m sorry for taking a leave of absence from school without consulting you and for starting the broadcasting work. And most of all, I’m most sorry for breaking my last promise with you and getting into an accident again while riding a motorcycle. I didn’t know you were even having nightmares.”

Gong Sae-chan learned through his sister in the early morning that his father had not been sleeping well and had been suffering from nightmares every time he had an accident.

The person who was actually in the accident was sleeping and living well without any problems, but his father was suffering more, which weighed heavily on his heart.

“I know you don’t trust my words because I’ve kept breaking promises and disappointing you. But Father! I’ve really made up my mind this time. So, please trust your son just once. Trust me one last time, even if it’s just for the sake of it. I’m really sorry, Father.”

“You rascal! Is that what you were trying to say with such a serious atmosphere?”

The father tried to ease the tension by looking at his son, who was speaking with a very nervous face.

“Sae-chan…”

“Yes, Father.”

“Father is disappointed in you, but I haven’t given up on you. You rascal, what parent gives up on their child? Isn’t that right?”

The father could tell that his son’s determination to change was genuine, not just empty words.

“Parents believe even if their children lie again. They believe and believe again because they are their children. The reason Father was angry was because you rode a motorcycle again this time, ran a red light, and got hurt more seriously than I thought. Father really hates you riding motorcycles. I hope you don’t do anything dangerous anymore.”

“Yes, I won’t ride them again.”

“Can I believe those words?”

“Of course. I’ll show you a changed 모습 [mosup – Korean word for ‘image’ or ‘appearance’] from now on.”

“Okay. He’s my son, so I have to believe him. If parents don’t believe their children, who will? Honestly, Father was a little surprised when I saw you selling the motorcycles, thinking you had changed your mind. How did you even think of selling them?”

“There’s no point in keeping them if I’m not going to ride them anymore. And when the motorcycle money comes in, use it with Mom. Eat something delicious.”

“That’s okay. I don’t need to receive an allowance from my son yet. Use that money when you 복학 [bokhak – returning to school after a leave of absence].”

“Father, then instead, let’s go on a trip somewhere nearby after I get discharged.”

“Okay, let’s do that. Let’s go when your body is completely healed. Now, don’t think about anything and focus on recovering.”

“Yes, I will. Um, Father?”

Gong Sae-chan called out to his father, who was getting up to go to the bathroom.

“Why? Do you need something?”

“No, it’s not that. I have something I really need to tell you…”

“What is it? Did you cause another accident?”

“It’s not that, I… I love you, Father.”

Gong Sae-chan said quickly, as if he were embarrassed. It was the first time he had told his father he loved him since graduating from elementary school.

“You rascal! You’re embarrassed. Me too, you rascal. I love you too.”

Gong Sae-chan watched his father pat his head and leave the hospital room, feeling as if he had lifted a weight off his heart, and smiled.