Chapter 2: 2

 

 Three years is short, but also a long time.  Especially for men who'll understand what I mean if they have served in the military. 

How can 21 months feel this long?  I would've never imagined that 21 months would feel longer than the 6 years I spent as a trainee.




 

"Military. . . was not it."




 

I finally understood what Seokhwan hyung meant before we parted at the terminal.

A lot of things have happened over three years.  I helped in my grandma's restaurant and as soon as I became an adult, I enlisted in the military.  I didn't have any money, so I didn't want to spend it on food expenses. 

During that time, I was worrying over my career path.  After going through the frustration of wanting to become an idol that I dreamt about since childhood, I finally decided to change my hopes for the future.

That was to become a composer.

Perhaps I inherited it from my parents since they were musicians, but I had my own musical talent hence why I chose to become a composer to make use of it. 

If you couldn't become an idol, wouldn't it be okay to make music for idols?  I also had these thoughts.  I thought it would be pretty cool as a career path if I started off as a composer then later transitioned into a producer.

And so, I started to prepare for the university entrance exam.

It was because I thought that getting accepted into a good music college was essential to becoming a composer.  Of course, preparing for the university entrance exam wasn't easy being in the military. 

There were many obstacles as well.

For six years I was obsessed with wanting to be an idol that I neglected my studies.  This created a challenge studying for the SAT and GED.  Even so, if it wasn't for the fact that I mastered English and Chinese when I was a trainee, I would still be preparing for the university entrance exam.

I had started studying from scratch for 2 years.  Fortunately, I passed the GED safely and now all that was left was the SAT.

WINTER of 2013.  Today.

Now after 3 years since leaving the company, 21 year old Seon Wooju had been discharged from the military and was a test taker ahead of the university entrance exam. 

Breathe out air in the cold weather.  It was the moment when I knew why there's a saying that it suddenly gets cold every year on the day of the entrance exam.

Brrr, cold.

I was walking down the street browsing the internet with my new smartphone since I got discharged.  It was still early in the morning.  The time of day where the street lamps light's would still be illuminated.

[  WHO ARE THE STAR THAT ARE TAKING THE SAT TODAY?  ]

When I clicked on the article's link in the portal entertainment section, I saw faces that I knew.

TNT HAN TAEHYUN, LA VIE EN ROSE JEON YUBIN, ETC. . .

TJ ENTERTAINMENT would occasionally appear and the faces would be lined up on the screen.  They're all faces that I recognized.  Among them, the one that caught my eyes was TNT's Han Taehyun.

TNT.

After I was dropped and another member was added, TNT debuted right away.  The results were a big success.

It wasn't just any kind of success, but a smashing success.

Not only were they that year's ROOKIE OF THE YEAR, but they also swept away all the awards.  They were changing the game as the greatest rookie idol of all time attached to their name.

To be honest, I didn't know that'll it'll turn out so well. 

Whatever, it has nothing to do with me anyway.

I took a long deep breath and looked at the hill in front of me.  It must be because it snowed yesterday.  The road up the hill to the test site was covered in ice.  How can you go up with this?

After a moment of a mental breakdown, I turn my head to a strange noise.

RATTLE-

It was the sound of the wheels and manhole cover colliding with each other.  A grandpa was struggling to push the rear car up the hill.

Is it because they're the same age, but he seemed to overlap with my grandma in Gunsan.  He was struggling to climb up the hill and it was heartbreaking to see him staggering whenever the wind blew.

Should I help him?

It was early in the morning, so I had plenty of time to check in.  I nodded my head and checked my electronic watch that I've been using since the army.

If possible, he should take the hallway.  Maybe he didn't know.

Maybe an angel in the sky would see me and give me a blessing saying, 'You're a good kid.'

Thinking like that, I smiled cheerfully, "Mister."

". . ."

"Mister"

". . . Are you calling me?", a weak voice responded back.

"Isn't it hard? Even if I'm a little weak, I'll take you to the end of the hill."

"Help me?"

"Yes."

"You look like you have no strength, because you're so skinny."

"Don't worry. Even if I look like this, it's been a while since I was discharged from the military hah. . ."

The moment I grabbed the handle of the rear car and pushed it, I realized that something was wrong.

". . . oh ho?"

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, haha!"

I smiled on the outside, but broke into a cold sweat on the inside of the padded jacket.

Is this actually how much it weights?

It wasn't soon after that I realized two shocking facts.

". . ."

First was that I thought it only contained paper boxes (cardboard boxes), but it turned out that all this time it was filled with lots of junk such as radios and old home appliances.

The second was the muscles in this grandpa's arm who's pushing this rear car.  He was still alive! (Still alive is my translation, but in the raw it goes along the lines that this grandpa is still healthy/strong despite his age, excuse my bad explanation haha)

And also the muscle on his calves that are revealed whenever the pants flap up.

I felt a sense of embarrassment from the fuss that I created when he was clearly able to do it himself.

 

"Student, are you okay?"

​​"It's very heavy. It looked so light."

The grandpa burst out laughing at me.

"Oh my, hey student.  Is there anything that's easy in this world?"

"What you say is correct."

"It's not something anyone can do. You need some know-how." (Basically knowledge)

"How long have you been doing this with the rear car?"

I was out of breath and there was nothing to say.

"I've been doing it all my life."

"Wow, wow. . . you're amazing."

A proud smile appeared on the grandpa's face.

"I sent my son and daughter to college with this... oh my, have you already run out of energy? How is a young person going to be of any use with this?"

When the rear car finally reached the end of the hill, I grabbed my knee.

Wow, this is crazy.

Steam came out from inside the padded jacket and sweat dripped down the sides of my face..

A lesson was learned today.

Never ignore a rear car again.

"Thank you student. I wasn't much of a help, but you have a really kind heart.  You even look pretty. Looks that can kill." (Not literally kill, but like our boi Wooju so handsome/pretty he can make anyone dead with his visuals LOL)

"Yes yes. you've also worked hard too."

"Where are you going to go now, student?"

"To go take an exam at the school up ahead."

"Ah, the entrance exam?"

"Yes."

"Oh my, an examinee helped this old man who was struggling."

I felt the warmth of his hand's holding my hand tightly.

"You've done a good thing, so you'll be blessed."

"Thank you."

It didn't seem like much, but it was worth it.  It seems like I'm doing all kinds of volunteer work.

After exchanging warm words with the elder and bowing my heads to say goodbye, they headed onwards to their path.

After that was the entrance to the exam hall.

But as I massaged my stiff shoulders, I again turned my attention to the strange noise.

VROOM!

It was a car driving from a distance. 

What? Are they crazy?

A white sedan was driving frantically on the side of the road towards the school.  The driver's movements were unusual because he had been drinking and the direction the car was heading was. . .

"Mister!"

In the path of the car that was running furiously, the elder from a while ago was standing by the rear car and was on call with someone.

I cried urgently, "Grandpa!" but there was no response from the party.  He was talking on the phone almost as if yelling because he couldn't hear well.

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Meanwhile, the car was running towards the rear car, and my heart started beating nervously.

'NO!' I had no time to think or do anything.

 

Feeling as if time had stopped, I ran with all my might to grandpa's rear car.

In the meantime, the cars have narrowed the distance in an instant.

"Look- out-!"

When the license plate came close to my eyes, I pushed grandpa away.

Bang!

The car destroyed the rear car in an instant and broke inside the window of the beauty salon.

"Are you o-."

Grandpa who had collapsed on the floor was fortunately safe.

The problem was me.

"Ugh-!"

My feet, which had been running with full power to push away grandpa, were in pain.

Huh? What's this?

Walking on the ice was a problem.  In an instant, my center of gravity shifted onto my back, and my body fell into a temporary state of zero gravity.  It felt like the amusement park's Viking when falling.

Then for a brief moment of time.

Thud-!

My body hit the floor and rolled down the hill.  When I finally stopped spinning, I saw a cow innocently smiling on the sign in front of a BBQ restaurant.

'My head hurts.', and my vision became faint.

'45,000 won for 3 servings of sirloins.' (conversion of about $38 USD)

That was my last memory.




 

*  *  *




 

When I woke up I was in the hospital.

The time was 10 o'clock.

It felt as if the world was collapsing when I heard that the check-in time for the exam had passed already and I couldn't take it anymore.

I wanted to ask a question if God existed.

'What kind of regrets do you have on me?'

It's like this everytime.  If you want your life to go well, it ends up the opposite everytime.

On my seventh birthday, my parents passed away.  When I started practicing piano for a competition, my grandma was diagnosed with cancer.  Just before debut, I was dropped from the debut group.  Now I found and saved someone on the day of the entrance exam, but I couldn't even take it.

Now what do I tell grandma?

It's hard to think when I remember my grandma praying at the Oh Mae's temple saying that her grandson will do well on the entrance exam.

I'll turn this around.

Fortunately, my mentally was able to recover quickly, maybe thanks to the many years of misfortune.

Actually, this time was better.  Other times it was misfortunes without any returns, but this time was worthwhile since I saved a person's life.  It was just a matter of saving lives.

"Cough!"

The elderly man was lying on the bed next to the emergency room, and everytime that he coughed, he seemed to crouch down in pain.  It was because I pushed him and broke his ribs.

I opened my mouth and apologized, "You must be in a lot of pain due to me."

"Ahh, please don't say that."

A middle aged woman, who had a good impression, hit his hand.  Next to her was her husband who nodded.

"If it wasn't for Mr. Seon Wooju, his father wouldn't be lying on this bed." (LMAO, basically saying grandpa would be in heaven instead, be careful grandpa TT)

 

"If you think of it like that, then thank you."

The people who visited the hospital were the grandpa's son and daughter-in-law.  I was thinking that his son looked like a professor when he handed over his business card, but he was a professor at a university hospital.

The grandpa's name was Choi Ikhyun and the son's name was Choi Yongjae.

"Choi is your surname and Ikhyun is your name?"

"Yes, that's my father's name.  Do you have a problem?"

"It's nothing."

I then suddenly remembered learning about the name in an EBS textbook.  The two then seemed to be worried about me.

"How's your body?"

"The doctor says that it's a blessing and that I'll be okay after a day.  I'll be fine."

"How about resting at the hospital?  We haven't properly paid a compensation fee yet, so we'll pay for the hospital fee. . ."

"It's okay. I didn't come here to be compensated."

I waved my hands to those who kept telling me to eat at least one meal.  It was a bit burdensome since I didn't feel like eating with others.

However, when I was about to say goodbye to the son and his wife, grandpa who was lying in bed and playing around grabbed me by the wrist.

"Student. . ."

Perhaps because of the broken rib, the voice was weak and teary.

"I'm sorry."

"What?"

"I've committed a big sin. You had to take that important test, but you had to get caught by an unlucky old man and did what I couldn't do. Really."

"Don't say that."

As if full of guilt, I held my grandfather's hand tightly who was in tears and said as if I was determined to myself,  "I can always take the test again, but it's not the same with a human life."

"Still. . ."

"It's really okay."

When I smiled to reassure him, the elder wiped his tears and his son and wife, who stood next to him, looked at me.

"Then, I'll have a stomach (be hungry) later."

After saying goodbye to those who wanted to have a meal, I sighed as soon as they disappeared from my sight.

Do I really have to study for another year?

When I felt at a loss confirming the re-takers, a TV in the hospital lobby caught my eye.  An action movie was screened on the movies channel. 

It was a movie I had watched in the military. The main character was the best spy in the United States, but the setting had something to do with memory loss.

Currently the scene in the movie was at the beginning.

A police officer points a gun at the main character.  Since the main character has lost his memory, he gently raises both hands in front of the gun and surrenders. 

Soon, the police approached and grabbed his shoulder.

And right at this time, the protagonist who had known how to do martial arts in his body without realizing it, reflexively turns the opponent upside down and fills it up.

". . .Hmm?"

It felt strange to see a familiar movie scene.

No, should I even say sense?

It was not one of the five senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch, but another six senses.  My idea of grasping the strange sensation was cut off by the vibration of my phone.

"Hello."

- Are you Mr. Seung Wooju?

    It was a heavy voice.

"Yes, who is this?"

- Hello, I'm the traffic investigator at Eunpyeong Police Station Jang Kyungil.

"Oh, ok."

- Yes, it's not anything different.  It's just that we have to get a victim's statement this morning due to the traffic accident investigation. Can I know where you are right now?

    When I named the hospital, a bright voice came out from the other side.

- That's great. I'm just in the lobby of the hospital.

"What? I'm in the lobby, too."

- You're the tall guy talking on the phone, right?

"Where are you?"

"I'm right here..."

I felt someone on the left of my shoulder when I heard the voice.

Right then.

My body began to move on its own.

What?

It feels like someone else is controlling me. I grabbed his hand and as if my body was lightning I turned the opponent down onto the floor with a quick turn.

Thud!

Soon there was a silence in the lobby of the hospital.

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