This is the new grim reaper, Seung-Kwan Boo!
12. Past
최승철
"20 years... That's enough time for you to erase the past and succeed, right?"
-----------------
20 years ago, Seungcheol was 5 years old.
승철의 아버지
"No, that kid really...!"
승철의 어머니
"Why again?"
승철의 아버지
"That kid ran off with the money."
승철의 어머니
"Again? I told you not to trust me..."
승철의 아버지
"Ha... Where is Choi Seung-cheol?"
승철의 어머니
"I'm in my room now."
My father took his anger out on me. Whenever he was stressed from being scammed so often, I, an innocent man, would take the fall for him.
From the moment I was born, I grew up bearing the brunt of resentment from my parents. They constantly beat me to death, telling me I shouldn't have been born, that I was destined to be abandoned.
승철의 아버지
"I have to throw that kid away now."
승철의 어머니
"That's why you're just taking my money. It's getting more and more useless as time goes on, right? Just staying in your room."
승철의 아버지
"You useless brat, you should be able to do something at the age of five. I heard Hajun from next door already runs errands. Should I just abandon you at the orphanage?"
승철의 어머니
"There's an orphanage around here. Leave it there and come home."
승철의 아버지
"I don't even want to see that kid. You go."
승철의 어머니
"I'll go tomorrow morning."
승철의 아버지
"okay"
어린 시절의 승철
"Uh, where are you going...?"
승철의 어머니
"Shut up, just follow me."
Seungcheol's mother, who had clearly said she was going to the orphanage, seemed too lazy to go that far, so she entered a dark alley barely lit by a single streetlight. Before she knew it, the alley was filled with Seungcheol's cries, and she frowned as she exited.
승철의 어머니
"I don't know why I have to go there for you, so just stay here."
어린 시절의 승철
"yes yes?"
승철의 어머니
"Don't follow me! Just stay here! It's not my concern whether you live or die, so just stay here and live or die."
어린 시절의 승철
"Oh, Mom...!"
승철의 어머니
"It's so noisy all the way, I'll just quietly turn around."
Seungcheol, exhausted from crying, collapsed to the ground, rubbing his eyes. His bloodshot eyes, reflecting the depth of his tears, revealed his true state of mind. Why, at only five years old, a child who loves to play, must be suffering like this so soon?
황민현
"...are you okay?"
어린 시절의 승철
"yes...?"
황민현
"It seems like you've been here for quite some time. Where is your home?"
어린 시절의 승철
"It was there... Mom told me to give it to you here..."
황민현
"...Ah- I can't go home right now..."
황민현
"Do you want to go to an orphanage? There's someone I know who runs an orphanage."
어린 시절의 승철
"Where is the orphanage...?"
황민현
"It's a place where they take warm care of children who are like friends. Do you want to go?"
어린 시절의 승철
"are you okay...!"
황민현
"Your grandson-"
어린 시절의 승철
"So-on...?"
황민현
"Hand means holding hands, hand!"
어린 시절의 승철
"So-on-"
황민현
"good job"
It was a warmth I'd never felt before. It was a melting sensation, the pain I'd felt in the cold silence vanishing in an instant. At an age when he should have been loved, he'd been abandoned like this, and that made Minhyun want to treat him even better.
황민현
"You're here... Are you okay? Are you doing well?
어린 시절의 승철
"It's warm..."
고아원 원장
"Hey, what's going on? What's the baby?"
황민현
"He was found lying in an alley... It looks like his parents abandoned him."
고아원 원장
"Ah... How did this cute kid end up in that cold alley...!"
황민현
"You know my house won't work, so take care of it instead. I'll come visit often."
고아원 원장
"Of course... buddy, should we wash up first?"
어린 시절의 승철
"yes yes..."
고아원 원장
"Okay, let's go in..."
어린 시절의 승철
"You're washing alone... right?"
고아원 원장
"You want to wash by yourself? Can you wash?"
어린 시절의 승철
"I always wash alone at home...?"
고아원 원장
"Uh, uh... How old are you, my friend?"
어린 시절의 승철
"I'm five years old..."
고아원 원장
"I'll give you some clothes so you can go wash up. Just let me know if you need any help. Okay?
어린 시절의 승철
"yes..."
As soon as Seungcheol entered the bathroom with his clothes, it was the orphanage director who spoke urgently to Minhyun, who was sitting on the chair.
고아원 원장
"Did you hear that? She's five years old. Why is such a young child already living alone?"
고아원 원장
"He's still very young... How could he have been left unattended..."
황민현
"You should fix that too. You cry every time you do something. You get upset instead."
고아원 원장
"No, no matter what..."
황민현
"You're now like that child's mother. You have to become stronger to care for that child."
황민현
"To heal someone's wounds, you must be able to overcome them."
어린 시절의 승철
"Can I... go out?"
고아원 원장
"Hey, buddy. I'm going to be staying here from now on. I'll show you your room. What's your name?"
어린 시절의 승철
"It's Chessun Cheol..."
고아원 원장
"Yeah, Seungcheol, now you have to get along with the kids here?"
어린 시절의 승철
"yes..."
권순영
"Seungcheol hyung!!!"
최승철
"huh?"
이석민
"Come here and look!!!"
최승철
"Okay, I'll go."
이 찬
"Come quickly, hyung! This is so much fun!"
최승철
"What is it?"
최한솔
"This is the new game console my mom bought me. It's really fun. You should try it, hyung."
최승철
"How do I do this? Tell me!"
문준휘
"There's this, you control this..."
Several years had passed since he'd been in the orphanage. He was no longer a helpless brat, deeply wounded by the pain of being abandoned by his parents. He was a regular high school student, living with other children, supporting each other's wounds. Seungcheol had changed noticeably, but he was still the same.
최승철
"mister!!!"
이석민
"Wow, the old man is here!"
최한솔
"Chan-ah! The uncle bought you your favorite tteokbokki!"
이 찬
"Wow!!! Really? Wow!!!"
황민현
"Come slowly or you'll get hurt."
Min-hyun, who has been watching over Seung-cheol since he was young, still goes back and forth to the orphanage and serves as another support for Seung-cheol and the other children.
최승철
"Sir, aren't you busy?"
황민현
"I've just finished all my work, don't worry."
문준휘
"Aren't you tired, sir? You come here every day?"
황민현
"I'm coming to see you guys, so you must be tired. I'll come even if I'm tired."
이 찬
"I'm so touched, sir!"
황민현
"Eat lots of cold food and grow tall-"
이 찬
"Hey, mister!"
황민현
"Would you like some more rice cake?"
이 찬
"...yes!"
권순영
"Ah, Chani is cute!"
최승철
"Well, we were happy until then, because we were no different from any other family."
권순영
"So, what happened next?"
최승철
"Oh, wait a minute."
최승철
"I'm thinking about it"
권순영
"Tch- But you said your brother went to an orphanage?"
최승철
"Yeah, why?"
권순영
"I went to an orphanage too. I'm currently living with the kids from that orphanage. I go see my mom about once every three days."
최승철
"It's different for me. I died in the middle of the process. I don't even know where the orphanage is. I don't even know where the children I was living with are."
권순영
"I think my story and yours are a bit similar! So what's next?"
최승철
"Oh, right. Then I got a call from my father."
최승철
"...uh"
Seungcheol received a call from someone he didn't know. He replied, asking to meet at Carat Cafe at 2:00. Seungcheol, whoever it was, replied honestly, "Who are you?" and waited patiently for a reply.
최승철
"...Uh, should I call the old man about this?"
문준휘
"What is it, hyung?"
최승철
"Someone I don't know contacted me. I'll meet you at Carat Cafe at 2 o'clock."
문준휘
"Who is that person that told you..."
최승철
"So I sent a message asking, 'Who are you?' and he said it was my father."
문준휘
"Brother, something might happen. Call the old man quickly!"
최승철
"Yeah, uh-"
황민현
"I'll hide next to you just in case. Should I report this to the police?"
최승철
"No, we can do it when the situation gets serious."
황민현
"...Okay, go. You can't be late."
Seungcheol entered the cafe with a wary expression, worried that something might happen. But something felt strange. Why wasn't she there? Panicked, Seungcheol looked around, and suddenly a call came from his phone.
승철의 아버지
"Did you really think I'd come? You were stupid then and you are now."
최승철
Where are you?
승철의 아버지
'Let me get to the point first. When you die, I'll invest in that orphanage.'
최승철
'How can I trust you?'
승철의 아버지
"You don't even use the internet? My name is all over the internet right now."
최승철
We can live well without you.
승철의 아버지
"You idiot, if you just die, those kids can live like normal kids. They can be happier than they are now."
최승철
'...lie'
03:24 PM
승철의 아버지
'Choose what you want. If you want to help those kids, leave the cafe by 4 o'clock and cross the traffic light.'
승철의 아버지
'I'll fake a car accident and kill you, and I'll invest in that Sebong orphanage every month. Enough for those kids to brag about how much money they have.'
Seungcheol clenched his fist. His lips, clenched so tightly he felt like they were about to burst, seemed to testify to his anger. "If only I could sacrifice myself, those kids could live happily ever after..."
No, Choi Seung-cheol. Those kids wouldn't want me to die. Suddenly, a tangled mess was throbbing in my head. Min-hyun, worried, tried to approach, but Seung-cheol, seeing this, nodded. It was a sign that he was okay.
04:06 PM
승철의 아버지
'You're making stupid choices all the way through.'
최승철
"...I guess I can go home now."
Seungcheol, clearly exhausted, took a sip of his latte and headed toward Minhyun. Minhyun, in turn, nudged Seungcheol on the back, saying he'd like to stop by the café too. Minhyun smiled faintly as he watched Seungcheol walk to the orphanage, his heart slightly relieved.
권순영
"...So it's over now?"
최승철
"No? It's already halfway through."
권순영
"So? Tell me! We need to finish the story."
최승철
"So, I was crossing the traffic light to go home first. The light was clearly green, but suddenly a car came really fast from far away."
최승철
"...uh"
Something felt off. It was clearly past 4 o'clock, and those people should have already left, but the black van speeding towards Seungcheol was clearly theirs.
최승철
"...as expected"
There was no choice in the first place. They were planning to kill me from the beginning, just in case I got in their way. So, if they came that fast, how could I possibly dodge?
황민현
"Hey Choi Seung-cheol!"
최승철
"Huh? Sir..."
Bang! Seungcheol was thrown far away with a loud noise after being hit by a car. Minhyun, startled, quickly approached Seungcheol, checked on him, and then called 119.
황민현
"Uh, yes... This is the traffic light in front of Carrot Cafe. There's a traffic accident here... A person was hit by a car. It looks like a hit-and-run... Yes, please come quickly."
이 찬
"Seungcheol hyung!!!"
이석민
"Hyung... Seungcheol hyung..."
권순영
"You're not dead yet...? Right? You can live, right?"
문준휘
"Oh really..."
의사
"Actually, the head and abdomen were in a lot of danger, but the surgery was still completed. Still, since the surgery was barely completed, there's a chance of death."
최한솔
"Yes? So, does that mean Seungcheol hyung could die...?"
의사
"Yes... how did you hit the abdomen so hard... there's a good chance you'll die."
이 찬
"No... Right? Our brother can live..."
의사
"He's not dead yet, so please calm down. If he wakes up or something happens, please let me know."
[That night]
beep-
An ear-splitting, unpleasant beep echoed through the ward. Minhyun, who had been sleeping next to him as a guardian, was startled awake by the sound. The ward was pitch-black, and there was nothing visible, but the beep and the screen of the machine monitoring Seungcheol's heart rate were enough to tell him what was happening.
Oh, Seungcheol is dead now.
After realizing he was dead, his emotions were erratic. It was late at night, so Minhyun couldn't even cry loudly. He quietly sobbed, holding his breath as he grabbed Seungcheol's cold hand. Why must this young child face such a painful death so soon?
최승철
"Sir, I'm not dead..."
최승철
"I'm not dead yet... No, I'm not dead... Sir, answer me-"
김종현
"...you must go now"
Seungcheol's cries, unheard by Minhyun, filled the hospital room. Seungcheol, crouching down and calling out for Minhyun, couldn't help but call out Minhyun's name, even though he knew Minhyun couldn't hear him. Because...
최승철
"If you don't call my name, it seems like you're accepting my death too easily."
최승철
"Because of that man, my father, I have to live in this state, in this society."
최승철
"Because what that person wanted was my death."
최승철
"I hated seeing him smile so much because it felt like I was giving him everything he wanted."
권순영
"...It's a sad story."
최승철
"Well, I'm happy now, and now all that's left is to get revenge on that person."
권순영
"How do I get revenge?"
최승철
"I can't do anything because my abilities are so lacking."
권순영
"...then,"
최승철
"So I have to show you."
최승철
"I'm living very well now, away from you. I want to show you that I'm so happy in this moment."
_________________
쿠우쿠
Finally, here's Seungcheol's past story, which took several days and was 5601 characters long...! Seungcheol's past is so sad ㅠㅠㅠ And in the present, Soonyoung and Seungcheol only know that they are from the same orphanage. They still don't remember each other!
쿠우쿠
Well, maybe we'll remember each other in the next episode! (((Spoiler alert. And I have school starting today ㅠㅠㅠ
190819 [Mon] 5781 characters in total including spaces, 12 scenes.