Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 447

Episode 448. Does This Go on the Bill?

Just as Lee Seol-rae had been flustered, Choi Mona was equally taken aback. She was momentarily speechless at the child’s unexpected response.

Since it wasn’t exactly wrong, she pondered for a moment on how to respond and found an answer.

“Ah, right. You’re right, but I’m asking because you’ve been coming to the hospital frequently lately, as your doctor. I’m your *danggdang* [primary] doctor right now. And it’s natural for a doctor to ask and be curious about a patient’s injuries.”

It was the perfect answer as a doctor. Choi Mona thought to herself that there couldn’t be a more definitive answer.

“I’m uncoordinated, but I want to exercise, so I’m struggling on my own.”

The child seemed to understand Choi Mona’s words and continued speaking at length, unlike before.

“So, I get injured often. Is this the answer you wanted?”

“Really? I see. So, what kind of exercise is it that you want to do, despite being uncoordinated?”

“……”

“Hey? Don’t look at me like that. I explained it earlier. Doctors are curious about patients who are in pain.”

“Really?”

Lee Seol-rae asked, widening her eyes behind her glasses.

“What?”

“I was wondering if you’re curious about all the other patients who come here and ask them questions like this.”

“Of course. How can a doctor treat a patient by just looking at their injuries or pain without saying anything? Don’t you think? You need to communicate to provide treatment. It’s like that here, though I don’t know about other places.”

That was accurate.

I couldn’t guarantee that every hospital and every doctor in the country was like that, but our hospital certainly was.

My mentor, Tae-kyung, was that kind of person and that kind of doctor, so I couldn’t help but learn from him, and Choi Mona had no choice but to be the same.

“Can you tell me what kind of exercise you’re doing now?”

“……Figure.”

“What?”

“Figure skating.”

Figure skating is a sport where you perform various movements on the ice to music.

I expected an answer that anyone could think of when it comes to exercise, but Choi Mona was slightly taken aback by the unexpected sport.

“You do figure skating?”

“Yes. Is that all?”

“Yeah. Well, for now.”

Since the wound wasn’t deep, the disinfection and treatment were quickly finished. Lee Seol-rae put on her *beoseun* [removed] school uniform top and got off the bed.

And as she was about to say goodbye, Choi Mona stopped her.

“Goodbye…….”

“Wait a minute!”

“Isn’t the disinfection finished?”

“That’s right, but wait a second.”

*Chwareuk-* [Sound of rustling]

Choi Mona quickly went outside the curtain for a very brief moment and returned quickly. Because of that, Lee Seol-rae missed her chance to leave.

“Can I see your hand?”

“My hand? Why?”

“Why, you ask. Just give it to me.”

Choi Mona pulled Lee Seol-rae’s right hand, which was hesitating, and placed something on her palm.

“What is this?”

“To put it simply, it’s like a disinfecting bandage.”

It was a bandage with medicine applied to it that would help the injured area heal faster.

Choi Mona had brought an extra bandage that she had put on Lee Seol-rae’s arm.

“It’s the same as the one I put on your arm where you treated the wound. Replace it with this new one around tomorrow evening. It’s waterproof, so you don’t have to take it off when you shower.”

“But does this also go on the bill?”

“No. Just take it, since I’m giving it to you.”

“Why? Why are you just giving it to me?”

“Because you keep getting hurt while exercising. So you don’t get hurt.”

“……Yes. Thank you.”

As always, Lee Seol-rae bowed slightly in a perfunctory manner and got off the bed.

“She exercises?”

She was a child with a strange feeling. Choi Mona muttered softly, watching the child’s retreating figure.

“No…… She doesn’t seem like someone who exercises. Or does she? I don’t know.”

Choi Mona, who was wavering alone while watching Lee Seol-rae leaving the emergency room, headed to the next patient with an inexplicable frustrated expression.

“Choi *ssaem* [teacher/term of respect for professionals]? Bed 15?”

“Yes, I’m going now.”

* * *

A swarm of high school students pouring out of the *hagwon* [private academy] district.

“Shall we go eat *yeopdduk* [spicy rice cakes]?”

“Oh! Good idea. Let’s just get the *oban ddeokman* [a specific serving size of rice cakes]. How about it?”

“With extra cheese. Deal!”

Behind the children deciding on a late-night snack menu to fill their hungry stomachs from studying, Lee Seol-rae was seen.

Among the children heading home in groups of three or five, the children heading to restaurants, and the children heading to cars where their parents were waiting, Lee Seol-rae was walking alone.

Her eyes were fixed on the memo pad summarizing what she had studied at the *hagwon* today.

As the numerous groups gradually dwindled and the *hagwon* district street was coming to an end, the child’s head, which seemed like she wouldn’t hear anything, turned to face forward.

“Seol-rae~??”

That’s because she saw a woman calling her name from the front. She was also calling her in a very affectionate voice.

“Lee Seol-rae~~!”

The woman was just laughing *heoheosilssil* [giggling foolishly], as if she was so happy about something.

“Seol-rae? Are you done now?”

“Why are you here?”

“Why, you ask. A mother comes when her only daughter comes home late from *hagwon*……!”

“…!”

The woman, who looked like she realized something after the word ‘mother’ came out, covered her mouth with her hand and looked apologetic.

Lee Seol-rae, who was next to her, glared at the woman.

“Mother? Who? Are you my mother?”

“Sorry. I was too busy today, so my *juchaekmajeun* [meddlesome/nosy] mouth just moved on its own. I’m sorry.”

“And why do you keep coming to pick me up? I told you not to do this, didn’t I?”

“Oh my! I didn’t come to pick you up. I came out because I had something urgent to buy, and I saw you walking over there, so I called you because I was happy.”

The woman who was shamelessly lying is Kim Ha-seon, Lee Seol-rae’s *saeeomma* [stepmother].

Kim Ha-seon remarried Seol-rae’s father, Lee Jae-cheon, a year ago.

Lee Jae-cheon had been raising his daughter alone after divorcing his wife five years ago, and two years ago, he happened to meet Kim Ha-seon at a gathering.

Kim Ha-seon, who had married early and had a 20-year-old son, had lost her husband in an accident.

The two became close and *chinhaejigo* [friendly] because they had the same *cheochi* [situation] and shared concerns about raising children. They continued to meet and eventually tied the knot.

They had been *gomin* [worrying] for a long time about whether it was right to remarry because of the children, but they decided to solidify their hearts for a happy family.

Kim Ha-seon’s son blessed his mother’s new beginning more than anyone else and was friendly, approaching his new father and newly *saenggin* [created/newly acquired] younger sister first.

Kim Ha-seon was also doing her best for her newly *saenggin* family and children.

However, Lee Seol-rae, who had always thought that her *chin eomma* [biological mother] would return someday and the whole family would live together, couldn’t easily accept the new family.

She was especially *ppiddak* [sullen/resentful] to Kim Ha-seon, her *saeeomma* who had taken her mother’s place.

No matter how much her father explained the situation and talked to her before and after the marriage, Lee Seol-rae refused to listen to anyone.

She just thought that her mother couldn’t return because of that woman and didn’t *injeong* [acknowledge] Kim Ha-seon.

“Seol-rae, aren’t you hungry? Do you want to eat *tteokbokki* [spicy rice cakes]?”

“……”

“You don’t want that? Then, what? Chicken? Pizza?”

“……”

Even though Lee Seol-rae never opened her mouth despite several questions, Kim Ha-seon didn’t mind at all.

Rather, she wanted a daughter, so she found Seol-rae pretty and lovely.

She never had any *seoun* [hurt/bitter] or *sogi sanghal* [upset] thoughts about the *kkachil* [prickly/grumpy] and perhaps *muryehan* [rude] attitude of the child.

She was trying to *chinhaejiryeogo* [become closer] in any way possible, wondering if the child’s heart was hurt because of her.

Even if she were in the child’s position, she didn’t think this situation would be easily *bada deuryeojiji* [accepted].

She just thought the child was *yeppeotda* [pretty].

“Isn’t your bag heavy? I’m strong, should I hold it for you? I *chedae* [physical education college] came out of *chedae*, so I’m super strong.”

“I don’t want to.”

Lee Seol-rae didn’t even glance at Kim Ha-seon until she entered the house.

“Our daughter is home?”

“Seol-rae? Your dad bought chicken, let’s eat together.”

As she opened the front door and entered, her father and *oppa* [older brother] were sitting at the table eating chicken and greeted the two.

“You come quickly too.”

“I’ll wash my hands first.”

“Our daughter doesn’t want to eat chicken?”

“I don’t want to.”

“I’ll cut some fruit for you.”

“……”

“You don’t want that? Then I’ll bring you something else…….”

*Kwang-* [Sound of door slamming]

Before Kim Ha-seon could finish speaking, the door closed helplessly, replacing her answer.

“Seol-rae, you! I told you not to close the door like that, didn’t I? If you keep doing that, I’ll get angry too. Uh!”

“You too! Stop it. What are you getting angry about over closing one door.”

As her husband, Lee Jae-cheon, raised his voice towards his daughter’s tightly closed room, Kim Ha-seon *jinjeongsikyeotda* [calmed him down] while waving her hand.

“That girl is closing the door on purpose.”

“What do you mean on purpose? And she’s already tired from studying until late at night and just came in, so why do you have to be like that? I’m tired when I work late at the *jangsa* [business] and you’re tired when you come home from working *yageun* [overtime], right?”

“Geez! I can’t even say anything to my daughter because of you.”

Lee Jae-cheon felt sorry and grateful as he watched Kim Ha-seon actively *ongho* [defend] his daughter, and sat down with an embarrassed expression.

At that time, when the voices of the family’s conversation were heard from the living room, Lee Seol-rae, who had closed the door and entered the room, lay down on the bed without even changing her clothes.

“Ha! I hate it!”

Lee Seol-rae got up with a sigh that seemed to *kkeojil* [extinguish] the bed mattress, wondering what she hated so much.

She roughly took off her clothes and sat at her desk to organize her bag.

Textbooks and workbooks came out one by one from her bag, and she saw doodles drawn haphazardly on the covers.

“Childish!”

Some of them were so *minmanghago* [embarrassing] and *jageukjeogin* [provocative] that they made her frown, but Lee Seol-rae erased them with a thick magic marker as if nothing was wrong.

*Tak-* [Sound of placing something down]

Then, she took the empty bag and took it to the window, and when she shook the bag, dirt poured out from inside.

“Why do you keep doing this? It’s annoying.”

Lee Seol-rae, who had shaken out all the dirt in the bag, put the bag down on the floor as if she was annoyed with the current situation. Then, she moved her gaze to a small *aekja* [frame] on the shelf.

The photo showed a young Lee Seol-rae wearing a pretty figure skating uniform, holding flowers and smiling with her mother.

Lee Seol-rae, who was standing still and *gyesok* [continuously] looking at the photo, picked up her cell phone and called her mother.

-The person you are calling is currently unable to answer the phone due to circumstances. Please call again.

She expected to hear her mother’s voice, but all she heard was a recorded mechanical sound.

Eventually, Lee Seol-rae left a text message for her mother.

-Mom, it’s me, Seol-rae. Are you doing well? Are you busy? I can’t get through. Call me when you see this message.

‘It’s late, so she won’t answer. I’ll try again during the day.’

Lee Seol-rae, who sent the text message, sat at her desk, thinking that her mother couldn’t be reached because it was late.

As she was about to study and opened her book, she heard the affectionate voices of her father and *saeeomma* from beyond the door.

“Shall we have a beer?”

“What beer are you talking about when you have to go to work tomorrow?”

“I’ll just have one drink.”