Kim Sun-il’s younger sister was named Kim Yu-jin.
Life confined to a hospital room was far more boring than one could imagine.
She needed a way to pass the time, and the girl would occasionally reminisce about the distant past. The scenes that came to mind were mostly of the playground.
It was before their mother had abandoned the siblings.
Swings, slides, seesaws… a space filled with all kinds of playground equipment.
The children who came out every day were always the same. After a few days, they would naturally form groups to play together, like some kind of club.
“Let me play too!”
The child’s desire, awkward in pronunciation, was thus.
But who would let her join?
Yu-jin was still too young compared to the other children.
There was no one who wanted to take care of a baby at a playground. When the children played all day until they were exhausted, it was obvious that Yu-jin would only cramp their style and be bothersome.
“Me too… me too….”
For how many days had she whined like that?
“Ah, just go away!”
Eventually, Yu-jin was pushed over and fell.
Though it was undoubtedly a painful memory, Yu-jin was also curious about it.
The reason why the memory that followed was hazy. Later, it seemed like her brother had taken her hand and led her away after discovering the truth.
What had he said? What expression had he worn?
…She couldn’t quite remember.
—
As the premiere of Special Mobile Unit 808 Episode 1 approached,
Yu-jin’s hospital ward was unusually familial.
“Yu-jin! Yu-jin looks so cute today!”
“Yu-jin, would you like to have lunch together later?”
The ward might as well have been called a hotel for patients.
The prices were beyond what a typical household could afford, so the number of people was small, and there was no one particularly difficult. Also, to everyone who was bored, Yu-jin provided some much-needed company and was naturally well-liked.
“Yu-jin, come visit our room if you have time.”
“Do you want some fruit? I received a lot this time.”
One day, Yu-jin began grabbing onto the sleeves of people, having something she desperately wanted to say.
“After dinner, let’s gather and watch TV together!”
“Of course we’ll watch it since it’s Yu-jin’s request.”
“Exactly what time should we arrive?”
“Right, didn’t you mention your brother would also appear in this?”
No one refused.
Yu-jin’s behavior was usually exemplary, and no one was unaware that she was Kim Sun-il’s younger sister. Besides, it would alleviate the boredom of their hospital stay if they watched some drama.
That was why everyone gathered in the spacious lounge.
“What kind of drama is this?”
“Special Mobile Unit… The name sounds difficult to me.”
“I’m not even interested in dramas. I’m here for Yu-jin.”
The atmosphere was more about Yu-jin than watching the drama. That was how it was before the start of Special Mobile Unit 808 Episode 1.
“There! There’s Yu-jin’s brother, Sun-il!”
“Gee, the siblings are shining together!”
Watching the drama was mainly an excuse to have fun with Yu-jin, and when Sun-il occasionally appeared, they would greet him enthusiastically.
That’s how it was at the beginning of Episode 1.
“…”
But by Episode 2 on Thursday after the viewing had finished,
[Special Mobile Unit 808]
[Next week’s Episode 3 continues…]
The lounge atmosphere had greatly changed.
“…It’s surprisingly interesting.”
“My daughters at home are already going crazy over this. Two handsome men appearing has them all flustered.”
“So this is why everyone talks about dramas.”
“I’m starting to look forward to it. I wonder what happens next.”
The people who gathered in the lounge began voluntarily congregating from some point onward. While they still took care of Yu-jin, they were fully absorbed in the drama’s content.
“Hey! Inspector Lee Ga-ram was a traitor?”
“Wow, the interrogation scene is intense. Can we even watch this in a hospital?”
“Is he really crazy or is this just great acting…?”
Yu-jin slowly lost the ability to speak.
Though Special Mobile Unit 808 had two protagonists, it was different for the girl. Kim Yu-han was the sole protagonist.
The interest in Lee Kang-cheol was clearly lower.
“Here we go again with Kim Yu-han.”
“I like how he acts so crazily.”
“You’re right. It’s unpredictable.”
Mentions of Kim Sun-il noticeably decreased, and even those who preferred to lie around started gathering in the lounge, all drawn by Kim Yu-han.
“…”
The girl suddenly remembered the promises her brother had made.
The things he told her he did best, the words that everyone would come to visit, the assurance that this role would be different. Now, upon reflection, none of it seemed to have been kept, enough to make her heart ache.
Moreover, the most important part.
“…Brother, you haven’t changed.”
Kim Sun-il didn’t look happy at all.
“Our daughter works in entertainment journalism, and she complains that she has no time to rest lately because of Kim Yu-han these days.”
“Haha! The fictional character is causing real people problems.”
“I got a call from my son today. For some reason, he called me to say he wanted to dye his hair…”
From some point, the girl stopped heading to the lounge.
“Yu-jin! It’s about to start!”
“Are you not going to watch today?”
Occasionally, someone would come looking for her, but she refused to leave.
She didn’t want to go out. She didn’t want to watch.
Even when sleep wouldn’t come, she would forcibly make herself rest, and sometimes she suffered from fevers without any clear cause. She skipped meals as well. It was okay. She no longer had much motivation.
It felt like the stone in her heart was growing larger.
Her brother hadn’t been happy either, and this was all because of Yu-jin.
The day when the snow fell and he had to face it alone, perhaps things would have turned out differently if Yu-jin hadn’t been crying for attention. Maybe her brother would have been happier. And he would have done better too.
At least that’s what the girl thought.
…
…
…
…
…
And now.
On the way to the hospital ward, Kim Sun-il explained the entire situation to the three members of Mystic.
After finishing his story, he let out a deep sigh.
“…As always, she’s holed up inside her room.”
“So, your younger sister watched up to Episode 6 and was greatly disappointed, right? She’s experiencing a lot of self-blame as well?”
“That’s correct.”
Kim Sun-il quietly nodded in response to Seo Yeon-joo’s words.
“It didn’t help to tell her not to blame herself.”
“Did you ask her to wait until Episode 8?”
“I did. But it seems she no longer trusts my words. Have you heard the story of the Boy Who Cried Wolf?”
“Of course.”
“My situation is similar. I’ve told countless lies to comfort my younger sister, saying that I’m happy, and it’s come to this. I can’t blame anyone. It’s my karma.”
Sua, Yeon-joo, and Kim I-seo all nodded in unison. It was understandable why the younger sister could no longer trust Sun-il’s words.
Moreover, the twist in Episode 8 was something no viewer would likely predict. It was strange to hope for anything good under these circumstances.
But an unexpected development occurred. The entire production team of Special Mobile Unit 808 had arrived.
Kim Sun-il spoke.
“To be honest, I still can’t believe it. I’m shaking.”
“Why?”
“In all my years of filming, nothing like this has ever happened. I never even expected it. Usually, as soon as filming wraps up, everyone goes their separate ways.”
As he spoke, Sun-il’s gaze turned towards Sua. Sua was the one who had come up with the idea and executed it.
Sua struggled to define these kind-hearted endeavors. She only had one wish.
Sua said,
“Everyone aside from me is dressed in character, but I’m not sure if they’ll be welcomed. I just hope your younger sister will like it.”
“She’ll definitely be happy.”
On the other hand, Seo Yeon-joo, dressed in uniform, said,
“We should take her out soon. It starts in 5 minutes, right?”
It wasn’t a lie.
The banner for Special Mobile Unit 808 was already displayed in the top-right corner, and the advertisements were rolling, indicating the broadcast would begin in at least 10 minutes.
The current task of the costumed actors was simple: to console the greatly disappointed younger sister and take her outside. Just before knocking on the door, Seo Yeon-joo asked once more,
“Are we really going alone?”
“Yep.”
“Wouldn’t it be better if you, as her brother, came in together? Even if she’s full of misunderstandings?”
Kim Sun-il hesitated for a moment before answering,
“…That’s true. But I still don’t feel like I have the right to do that.”
His face was calm, but his voice carried a faint sadness.
—
Good fortune smiled on them.
The younger sister came out.
She showed interest in the costumed actors. Upon reflection, it wasn’t surprising. Why wouldn’t anyone be interested when the world of TV unfolded right before their eyes?
Yeon-joo took Yu-jin’s hand and led her outside.
A PD picked up the girl and seated her in a chair resembling a throne.
Immediately afterward, a barrage of gifts followed.
“…”
Yu-jin was dazed like a baby chick venturing into the world for the first time. She occasionally glanced sideways at Kim Sun-il.
Even though Kim Sun-il avoided meeting those eyes, Sua thought this was enough. At this moment, it was certain that Yu-jin had at least made up her mind to watch Episode 8.
