Chapter 237

Although Jo Seol-chan’s house is said to be located outside the town, it is actually closer to the inner roads rather than the outskirts. It’s less than 1 km in a straight line from the bus stop, and even following the roads and alleys, it’s less than 2 km. The road conditions aren’t great, but it’s not a long distance.

‘Running is the fastest way.’

It was early in the morning, so the streets were almost empty with hardly any vehicles in sight.

With no obstacles in the way, it felt good to run without any hindrance.

The cold wind made his eyes tear up and his ears sting, but he didn’t care and kept sprinting.

The long coat that reached his knees was cumbersome.

*Thud-.*

He grabbed the front of his coat and pulled it open, causing all the buttons to pop off, allowing the coat to spread open and make it easier to lift his legs.

*Huff huff-.*

Soon, he left the paved road and stepped onto the bare ground. The dampness and cold made his shoes slippery, but his only concern was to keep running without stopping.

The run that hardened Jin Hyuk’s heart and reminded him of the will to live.

And fate.

After passing a few abandoned houses, Jo Seol-chan’s house came into view.

Now, all he had to do was cross the field in front of him.

*Crunch crunch-.*

The frozen ground broke easily, clearing a path.

The gate would probably be locked.

He placed one hand on the chest-high wall and effortlessly leaped over it.

He crossed the small yard and flung open the door.

*Bang-!*

“Seol-chan…! Ugh-!”

He covered his mouth and nose with the sleeve of his coat.

A nauseating stench hit him like a wave, causing a headache.

It was an indescribable foul smell, like the scent of some unknown plant carried by a sudden gust of wind at an unknown time.

***

*Sniff sniff-.*

Han Yu-young, who had been cleaning, doing the dishes, and wiping the fish tank, suddenly caught a whiff of the foul stench and wrinkled her nose.

“Ugh, what’s that smell? Is it our daughter’s bathroom?”

“Yeah-. Ugh-.”

Yoo Jin, who was scared and left the door slightly ajar while doing her business, was the culprit.

Every morning, the daughter, who eats a lot before bed, goes to the bathroom with a puffy face.

After seeing off her son to school and her husband to work, Han Yu-young’s day officially begins.

The first task is to wash her daughter, who woke up early and took care of her business.

“Yoo Jin-, let’s wash your face and brush your teeth.”

“Hehe-. I want to do it by myself-.”

She insists on doing it alone, blocking the bathroom door and putting on a brave face, but her hands aren’t quite skilled yet. Without her mom’s help, she turns into a little monster. She comes out with soap suds in her ears and hair, looking like a disheveled little rascal, but still adorable.

“Now, let’s comb your hair-.”

“I can do it by myself-.”

She probably can.

The problem is that she transforms from a little rascal to just a rascal.

“Ow ow ow-. It hurts-.”

“You need to wash your hair more often so it doesn’t get tangled when you comb it.”

“I washed it yesterday after swimming-.”

“Then why is it so stiff? Did you not use shampoo?”

“Um-, Dad says it’s because I take after Mom and have coarse hair like a dog’s.”

Hmm-.

Unaware of her mom’s narrowing eyes, Yoo Jin happily relayed what she heard. She has no sense of tact but has a good memory, like a diligent messenger.

“Mom is pretty everywhere, but Dad says her hair is thick and coarse like a dog’s-.”

Yoo Jin should know the fate of a messenger with good memory but no tact.

Probably a swift *slash-*.

*Grit-.*

Han Yu-young clenched her teeth.

“Ow ow! Ow ow! It hurts-.”

“Bear it… You’ll become prettier if you endure it.”

So Han Yu-young also swallowed her anger. To maintain her beauty, she mustn’t frown even when she’s angry.

After finishing the furious combing session and tying Yoo Jin’s hair with a cute hair tie, she went to check on her youngest son.

“Oh my, when did you roll over there?”

He must take after his dad with his bad sleeping habits, but why does everyone say he looks like me? Well, I guess it’s because my husband kicks me out of bed twice a day.

She checked if his diaper was too heavy or if he had pooped, then covered him with a blanket so he could sleep comfortably.

“Mom-. The news is sad-.”

Yoo Jin, who was watching the morning news, called out to her mom.

Yoo Jin loves the news, but when something scary or sad comes on, she signals to watch it together.

“The weather warmed up and then got cold again, so the coal briquettes got damp. In Mapo-gu, Yeomni-dong, a single-room house inhaled coal gas, and only the adult man survived…-.”

Yoo Jin couldn’t continue and covered her eyes with the back of her hand.

*Hee-.*

“Oh dear-. Our Yoo Jin…-.”

At times like this, all she can do is comfort her.

It’s heartwarming that the child has a kind heart, but it’s also worrying.

What does a little kid know to feel so sad? When asked why the news was so sad, she gave a surprising answer.

– “If the people living there were our family, it wouldn’t be someone else’s problem.”

When Haengun-i, the bird, hit the clean glass window and fainted, she thought he was dead and cried so hard the house almost shook. How much more would she empathize with the news of someone dying?

So Han Yu-young silently comforted her daughter, hoping she would overcome it on her own.

After a while, Yoo Jin stopped sobbing and looked up at her mom.

“There are no houses in our neighborhood that use coal briquettes anymore, right?”

“Yeah. It’s better now, so we switched to oil boilers.”

Ah-! Han Yu-young’s throat felt a bit sore.

Last night, Jo Seol-chan mentioned that he had come in after changing the coal briquettes, and that comment stuck in her throat like a fishbone.

‘It’s probably nothing.’

*Tap tap-.*

She had been exchanging greetings with Jo Seol-chan’s grandmother, so she dialed the number from memory as smoothly as flowing water.

*Beep beep beep beep beep-.*

Only the busy signal came back, annoyingly.

“Huh? Who is Seol-chan’s grandma talking to this early in the morning?”

Jo Seol-chan should be at school by now, and his grandma should be up.

But since the busy signal is ringing, it seems everything is fine.

*Click-.*

*Ring ring ring ring-.*

As soon as she hung up, the phone rang.

*Clunk!*

“Oh my, Dad!”

– Hahaha! Why are you answering the phone like that?

The lingering doubt disappeared with her husband’s hearty laughter.

“Haha, the phone rang right after I hung up, so I was surprised.”

– Were you talking to your sister this morning?

“No. I called Seol-chan’s house. Because of the unsettling news.”

– I called about that too.

“Huh?”

– Last time I went with you to Seol-chan’s house, it seemed like the house was falling apart. It used to be livable, but it seems like it’s reached its limit. Since one of our employees got married and moved out, there’s a spot open in the company housing. I was thinking of suggesting to the elders that they move there…-.

“Is that okay?”

– Is our opinion important? Seol-chan and the elders have to agree.

Wow, that would be really great.

***

Jin Hyuk, holding his breath, quickly rolled his eyes.

‘What’s going on?’

What’s happening?

He slid in on his knees without even taking off his shoes.

Jo Seol-chan and his grandmother’s faces had turned red, and there was no movement in their chests, as if they weren’t breathing.

‘They’re not breathing.’

He pressed his index and middle fingers to their necks.

The grandmother’s pulse was almost nonexistent, and Jo Seol-chan’s pulse was abnormally fast.

But.

‘Seol-chan’s pulse is slowing down…-.’

While checking the pulse, the grandmother’s condition changed.

Her red face gradually turned pale, as if the color was draining away.

Jo Seol-chan’s redness also faded.

‘I can’t control this situation.’

It was natural since he had never encountered something like this before.

A moment passed where even thinking felt like a luxury.

He quickly pulled out the security phone.

‘Health center director.’

There was a symptom that came to mind, but since it wasn’t clear, a doctor would be better than the fire department.

It was early, but since he had seen the director exercising earlier, he thought he might be reading the newspaper in his office by now.

*Ring ring ring-.*

‘Please pick up.’

*Thump thump thump-.*

His heart matched the rhythm of the longest second of his life.

*Click-.*

– Hello, residents. This is the friendly health center-.

“It’s Jin Hyuk!”

– Oh my! You scared me!

“There’s a smell in the room! A foul stench! Their faces turned red and then pale! It’s my friend’s house!”

The incoherent words made Yoo Jae-woon quickly close his mouth.

It must have been the instinct of a doctor sensing an emergency.

“His grandma and a high school student! They’re lying in the room! Their pulse was abnormally fast but then slowed down-.”

– Are they using coal briquettes for heating?

“Yes.”

– Open the windows! No! Move them outside! Quickly!

He put down the phone and wrapped the grandmother in a blanket to move her to the yard. His ears were perked up. Even while moving the patients, Yoo Jae-woon kept shouting.

– It sounds like poisoning! They need fresh air! Somewhere windy would be better!

Right now, it wasn’t brute strength but his sharp hearing that was helping.

Jin Hyuk listened carefully to Yoo Jae-woon’s advice and moved Jo Seol-chan to the yard as well.

‘There’s no wind.’

The yard was so small that a car couldn’t even enter, likely because of the surrounding walls.

He carried the grandmother, wrapped in a blanket like a cocoon, towards the gate.

*Creak- Bang-!*

The iron gate made a sharp noise as it swung open.

Fortunately, it wasn’t locked, saving time.

After moving Jo Seol-chan outside, he went back inside to grab the phone.

He had been running at full speed and was startled, so his heart was beating too fast, and his breathing was heavy. His head was pounding like a woodpecker was pecking at it, likely due to the gas he had inhaled briefly.

*Huff- Huff-.*

His eardrums reacted strangely, like when relying on a snorkel to breathe underwater.

“Huff-. Are you there?”

– How are they?

“They’re turning pale…-.”

– Hmm…-.

*Thud-.*

Jin Hyuk’s heart sank.

He stopped fanning the patients, wondering if it would help.

Yoo Jae-woon’s reaction wasn’t just a simple sigh. Jin Hyuk got the impression that Yoo Jae-woon was holding back words in an extremely pessimistic situation.

– Hmm…- Any signs of vomiting?

“No.”

– Ah…- What about their pulse?

He checked their carotid arteries again.

“There was one earlier, but now there’s nothing.”

– Oh dear…- Do you know how to perform CPR? Chest compressions.

“Is that enough?”

As he answered, Jin Hyuk’s hand moved to the grandmother’s chest.

He put down the phone and placed his other hand on Jo Seol-chan’s chest.

– That’s all we can rely on right now. Start quickly.

*Push- Push-.*

He pressed as hard as he could on where the heart should be.

*Huff- Huff-.* His breathing grew heavier with each compression.

– I don’t know if you’re listening, but it’s probably acute…-. People who use coal briquettes usually wake up from vomiting and ventilate the room themselves. The fact that they were lying there without doing anything suggests the gas concentration was high…-.

Doctors don’t usually speak with such certainty.

This frustrating way of speaking can sometimes drive people crazy, but the uncertainty also gives hope.

*Huff- Huff-.*

He shook his head vigorously to shake off the ominous thoughts.

– If you know the address, can you tell me? I’ll call the fire department and get an ambulance.

It must be a consideration for the frantic and busy Jin Hyuk.

Unlike the calm Yoo Jae-woon, Jin Hyuk shouted urgently. The desperate sensation in his palm was the reason.

“Not the fire department, call Sein Medical Center! Son Kwang-yeon! VIP code 0003! Tell them it’s for his son! If they don’t believe you, call his dad! Oxygen therapy vehicle! The address is…-.”

Jin Hyuk couldn’t continue.

His body was exhausted from running at full speed, and the nauseating smell twisted his stomach, but he could endure it.

*Gag- Gag-.*

However, he couldn’t swallow the rising frustration.

The frustration at his own incompetence, and the two people who didn’t breathe despite his compressions.

He had already pressed over 300 times at 2 compressions per second.

He stopped pressing, worried that the patients’ bones might break.

His eyes clenched shut, and his mouth twisted unattractively.

“Nooo…-. Seol-chan…-.”

The reason we have two legs…-.

Isn’t for walking or running.

They’re there so we can bury our heads when times are tough.

That’s why knees bend forward. So we can bury our heads.

Like a bird hiding its head under its wing.

I don’t know why I’m thinking this now, but it feels like I had this thought a long time ago.

*Gag- Gag-.*

He collapsed onto the dirt ground, burying his head in his knees, and tears fell heavily.

Like a child who lost their mother, like a puppy left alone hoping someone would notice, he looked around with a tear-streaked face. As if mocking his feelings, the surroundings were silent.

*Sob sob-.*

The conversations of people smoking and chatting on their way to work were drowned out by his sorrowful crying.

Time seemed to have stopped, a silence fitting for a world on the brink of destruction.

The only things proving the world hadn’t stopped were the cold wind biting his tear-streaked face and the distant sound of car horns.

*Sob sob…-.*

The sorrowful sound of pain rising from his gut, unable to fully express itself, made Yoo Jae-woon on the other end of the phone fall silent.

Snowflakes began to fall one by one on Jo Seol-chan’s face.

When he was young, he used to feel sad when snow melted instantly in his palm.

But that was just the natural order of things.

It was proof of life.

*Sob sob…-.*

As if this too was part of nature, the snowflakes that didn’t melt on his friend’s face felt sorrowful.

Then.

The world shook dully, as if hit by a hammer.

【Someone once said, “A person who tries to overcome all hardships alone is less human than one who asks for and accepts help when needed.”】

A surreal pressure pressed down on his heart, like trying to stop a tsunami with his chest.