More Than Coincidence, Fate (2)
A cold wind brushed against his cheek.
Do-hyun, who had secretly slipped out of his hospital room, hurried his steps before anyone could find him. It had happened right after Kaylee got off work.
If there had been watchful eyes on him, he would never have even dreamed of it, but Do-hyun didn’t have a separate nighttime caregiver.
It wasn’t that they hadn’t tried to find one.
After the number of caregivers who had run away as if fleeing for their lives grew too many to count on both hands, they had practically given up. For now, only on the days when his seizures came did Kaylee stay with him until night and take care of him.
On those days, Kaylee always called someone. She lowered her voice as much as she could, but his body, overly sensitive from pain, could hear even small sounds clearly.
The person on the other end was her son, Eric. A boy one year younger than Do-hyun, whining and asking why she wasn’t coming home.
As Do-hyun listened to the gentle voice she used to soothe the child, he thought he wished he could stay sick longer. So that the next day, and the day after that, she wouldn’t go home either.
Then suddenly, he thought he wished she would just leave.
Of course, unlike Do-hyun’s wish, Kaylee stayed until the end and cared for him with all her heart.
After leaving the hospital and heading to the right, a narrow path leading to the park appeared. As he walked along the path between the trees, the park came into view.
The small park near the hospital was a place where patients often took walks, so no one reacted in any special way even after seeing a child in hospital clothes. Do-hyun liked that indifference.
By the time he had walked along the narrow path, his breathing had grown rough. He sat down on a suitable bench and began blankly watching the people passing in front of him.
The faces of a family walking together with warm smiles.
A face twisted in displeasure, as if something wasn’t to their liking.
A face full of exhaustion and fatigue.
The faces of lovers laughing while playfully teasing each other.
At some point, Do-hyun’s face began to change in various ways, following the faces of those he met.
As if changing masks however he pleased, his expression shifted in an instant.
It was a strange sight, the boy’s expression constantly changing, but the streetlight beside the bench was broken, so no one noticed him.
Do-hyun’s ever-changing expression stopped when the phone in his pocket began vibrating.
[Seo Hye-na]
It was a name that had appeared after a long time.
Do-hyun stared blankly at his phone, then pressed the call button before the call could end.
— …Ah. Do-hyun, you picked up.
“Yes.”
A brief silence flowed from the other side of the receiver.
— Right. How are you feeling?
Not long ago, another seizure had come.
This time, the seizure had brought with it a burning pain near his heart. As the pain that had started from his arms and legs gradually moved closer to his heart, Do-hyun vaguely guessed.
Someday, this pain will end too.
Do-hyun said calmly.
“I’m fine.”
— That’s a relief. Are you getting along well with Kaylee?
“Yes.”
— Good. I’m relieved to hear that. I’m glad there’s a good person by your side. Your mom and dad can’t be there with you because we’re so far away.
Do-hyun did not answer.
At Do-hyun’s reaction, words that sounded like an excuse flowed from the other side of the receiver.
— Mom and Dad are also very worried about you, Do-hyun, and we want to be there with you, but you know we can’t help it because of work, right?
Do-hyun neither smiled nor frowned.
“Yes. I know.”
— Right. If anything happens, call….
Her voice blurred slightly at the end, then stopped for a moment before continuing.
— Then Mom has work to do, so I’ll have to go now, Do-hyun.
“Yes.”
— Then… I’ll hang up now. Take care.
With those words, the call ended. Do-hyun slowly lowered the phone he had been holding to his ear.
Then, as if nothing had happened, he shoved it into his pocket, got up from the bench, and continued his walk.
His expressionless face looked the same as usual, but after taking about five steps, Do-hyun suddenly stopped in place.
He no longer felt like taking a walk.
I should just go back.
Do-hyun turned around without hesitation. At that moment, a staggering man entered his sight.
Is he drunk?
Beside the park was a busy street. So once evening came, it was not unusual to see drunk people wandering around the park.
The problem was that he couldn’t take his eyes off this ordinary-looking drunk man. A strange sensation sharply tugged at Do-hyun’s nerves.
Before he even realized it, Do-hyun had moved closer to him. As the man’s appearance became clearer, Do-hyun’s face stiffened slightly.
The movements of the man, whom he had simply assumed to be drunk, were strange.
Do-hyun forgot even the fact that he wasn’t supposed to run and rushed toward him.
“Excuse me…!”
At his urgent shout, the man raised his head.
Do-hyun’s eyes widened.
The man was Asian, just like Do-hyun. On top of that, his face and neck were drenched in sweat, and his complexion was deathly pale.
Anyone could see that he was sick.
Without realizing it, Do-hyun spoke in an anxious tone.
“Are you okay? The hospital is right in front of us. I’ll call someone, so please wait just a little.”
The man did not answer and only stared down at Do-hyun. Just when Do-hyun, suddenly desperate on his own, was about to go call someone, a cracked voice flowed out.
“Don’t call.”
“Yes?”
“Don’t call anyone. People or anything else.”
Do-hyun blinked in confusion.
With a face that looked as if he might collapse at any moment, he was telling him not to call anyone. What was he supposed to do in a situation like this?
He was so flustered that he even forgot he was paying far too much attention to someone else.
“Ugh….”
As Do-hyun stood there helplessly, the man’s pained groan snapped him back to his senses.
“Then I’ll support you, so let’s go to the hospital!”
But the man refused again.
“I’m fine.”
Do-hyun felt frustrated.
Why was he saying he was fine when he was hurting this much?
As Do-hyun’s face hardened seriously, the man laughed with a faint, breathless sound.
Do-hyun was dumbfounded.
“Did you just laugh?”
“No, it’s just that your expression is too serious. Haha, ugh. You’re so tiny, but you’re making such a serious face. It’s funny.”
Do-hyun’s youthful eyes crumpled at once. He was gasping for breath, yet all he had to say was something useless.
What a strange person.
The man laughed once more, as if something was so amusing, then placed his arm around Do-hyun’s shoulder. At the sudden contact, Do-hyun stiffened like stone.
The man casually urged him on.
“What are you doing? You said you’d support me.”
“…Ah, yes. Then to the hospital….”
Do-hyun awkwardly grabbed the man’s arm and tried to move his feet, but the man’s words stopped him.
“No, not the hospital. Ah. That bench over there looks good. Take me there.”
“What about the hospital?”
“I just need to rest for a little.”
It wasn’t a very trustworthy statement.
But since it didn’t seem like the man would break his stubbornness, Do-hyun had no choice but to support him and take him to the bench.
The man looked down at the black crown of Do-hyun’s head as he diligently tried to support him and held back a laugh. Since the difference in their height was so great, it was no different from walking on his own.
Do-hyun, knowing nothing, worked hard to support him with his small body. When the man finally sat down on the bench as if collapsing, Do-hyun let out a sigh of relief.
But that lasted only for a moment.
Once the man sat down on the bench, their eye levels became closer. Because of that, Do-hyun could see his face much more clearly.
Shouldn’t I take him to the hospital even now?
That was how bad the man’s complexion looked.
While Do-hyun was worrying over that, the man patted the seat beside him.
“You sit here too.”
Do-hyun hesitated, then carefully sat down a little distance away from him. Then he glanced at the man with eyes mixed with wariness and concern.
The man, who had the face of a young adult, was difficult to guess the age of. He looked too mature to have just become an adult. But he looked younger than Benjamin or Kaylee.
Even though he knew he should stop staring, it felt unfamiliar to have someone other than a caregiver so close to him, so his gaze kept moving toward him. In the meantime, the eyebrows that had been twisted in pain returned to their originally neat shape.
“Thanks for helping me. I didn’t think I’d see another Asian person here. I’m Jung Hee-sung. What about you?”
Do-hyun was a little surprised by the fact that he was Korean. Just because it was a Korean name didn’t necessarily mean he was Korean, but if he were Korean-American, he would have introduced himself as “Hee-sung Jung,” not “Jung Hee-sung.”
Do-hyun introduced himself in the same way.
“I’m Lee Do-hyun.”
The man, Jung Hee-sung’s eyes widened.
“Korean?”
He seemed unsure.
It was obvious he had thought, just like Do-hyun, that the other might be of Korean descent. Do-hyun answered the man, who seemed confused about his nationality, in Korean.
“I am Korean.”
Strictly speaking, he had dual citizenship.
But Do-hyun left that fact out. It wasn’t exactly a lie, and he simply felt like saying it that way.
The man looked pleased.
“What a coincidence. A little kid I met in the park has the same nationality as me. This is the first time I’ve felt happy hearing Korean.”
Do-hyun also found it strange to speak Korean with someone else. This was the first time he had spoken Korean with anyone other than his parents.
“But why are you here… Ah.”
Jung Hee-sung belatedly noticed Do-hyun’s clothes and trailed off. For a moment, Do-hyun felt regret. He should have worn a coat outside. Then his hospital clothes would have stood out less.
But Do-hyun’s regret quickly evaporated at the man’s words.
“It’s a strange coincidence.”
“Why?”
“I’m a patient at that hospital too.”
He’s a patient at the same hospital?
Do-hyun’s eyes rounded, and he looked him up and down. Then he noticed the hem of the pants sticking out beneath the man’s coat. He hadn’t known because the man was wearing a long coat, but the clothes peeking out beneath it had the same design as Do-hyun’s.
“Why were you hospitalized?”
Do-hyun had never seen this man at the hospital. Of course, it wasn’t as if Do-hyun knew every patient.
But this man… didn’t he stand out? On top of that, in a hospital where Asians were rare, he even had the same nationality. It was more surprising that he had not known about him until now.
“Because of an illness. I have a slightly rare disease. Ah, it’s not contagious.”
Do-hyun asked with a strange expression.
“When were you admitted?”
“Yesterday. I was originally in Korea.”
Do-hyun closed his mouth.
A person suffering from a rare disease, whom Do-hyun, despite being in the hospital for a long time, had never once seen.
This must be the person Benjamin was talking about.
If that was the case, it made sense that Do-hyun had never seen Jung Hee-sung before.
At the same time, his heart dropped.
This man must have come here after finding a treatment method. With hope, because he had heard there was a child suffering from the same disease as him. But if he learned there was no way here either….
As he continued that thought, Do-hyun suddenly realized that he was caring too much about this person.
What’s wrong with me?
Because he looks sick?
Because he has the same illness as me?
With complicated feelings, Do-hyun looked beside him. Then his body stiffened when he saw Jung Hee-sung sitting comfortably next to him.
Since when had he been sitting there so naturally?
Come to think of it, he had spoken with Do-hyun normally. He didn’t show a disgusted expression or fearful eyes… if anything, he looked glad to meet him.
The words came out before his thoughts could catch up.
“Are you not uncomfortable with me?”
Regret came one beat too late.
Do-hyun quickly added more words to cover it up.
“I just meant, if you’re uncomfortable with me sitting beside you, I can move.”
A familiar resignation came over him.
He’ll tell me to move now.
Do-hyun waited for him to ask him to leave. Since it seemed like he had suffered from some sort of attack, he planned to go to the hospital first and find Benjamin.
But the answer that returned broke his expectations.
“Why? Just sit there.”
A careless tone, a careless expression.
Do-hyun carefully studied him to judge the truth. He could not see any sign of lying. But that couldn’t be possible.
“You must feel unpleasant because of me. It’s okay to be honest.”
“Huh?”
Jung Hee-sung looked at Do-hyun with a dumbfounded expression.
“I’m not such trash that I’d hate a little kid who helped me, you know?”
“That’s not the problem.”
“I don’t know what kind of problem it is, but one thing is certain. I don’t dislike you, and I don’t care if you keep sitting there.”
Actually, I’m more surprised….
Jung Hee-sung muttered in a small voice. Do-hyun did not miss those words and immediately caught onto them.
“You’re surprised? By what?”
He replied lightly.
“It’s something kids don’t need to know.”
“I’m not that young….”
Do-hyun’s words stopped.
He felt warm heat on the top of his head.
Do-hyun thought about what had just happened to him. His head was warm, and the man’s hand was resting on top of it. No, it was moving on top of it.
After ruffling Do-hyun’s hair, Jung Hee-sung raised the corners of his mouth and smiled brightly.
“You really are that young.”
Do-hyun stiffened completely and barely managed to blink. Do-hyun knew what this action was. It was patting someone’s head — an intimate action.
No one had ever approached Do-hyun with such intimacy.
Not even his parents.
Suppressing the strange feeling inside him, Do-hyun held his breath. Then the man ruffled his hair once more, as if trying to draw his attention.
“I don’t know what you’re thinking so hard about, but kids shouldn’t be worrying so seriously.”
Do-hyun tried to open his mouth.
He would have, if his phone had not started ringing loudly.
The large, warm hand left his head. Do-hyun stared blankly at the hand moving away. Perhaps his gaze was burdensome, because the man shoved his hand into his pocket and shrugged.
“Aren’t you going to answer?”
Do-hyun snapped back to his senses and took out his phone. As soon as the call connected, a loud voice burst out.
— Do-hyun! Where did you go!
The owner of the sharp voice was a familiar nurse. It seemed she had been making rounds of the rooms and discovered that Do-hyun was not in his.
“I came to the park, Helia.”
— I told you that you can’t go on walks by yourself.
“I’m sorry.”
I was planning to go back without getting caught.
— Haah, seriously…. You said the park, right? Stay still! I’ll go over there.
Helia was a good nurse. Even though she disliked Do-hyun, she did not ignore a patient she had to care for.
“No. I’ll go back right now.”
After barely persuading her by saying he would return quickly, Do-hyun felt a little drained at the thought of being caught by Helia and scolded when he went back.
“You sneaked out?”
“…Yes.”
When he answered hesitantly, the man spoke in a voice filled with laughter.
“Go back quickly before you get scolded even more.”
“What about you?”
His complexion had improved now, but he was someone who had almost collapsed just a little while ago.
Because they had the same illness, Do-hyun knew very well how terrible the sudden pain could be.
Sometimes the pain disappeared in an instant, but there was no guarantee that it would not come again.
At Do-hyun’s question, Jung Hee-sung thought for a moment before saying,
“Should I go back with you, then?”
“Yes.”
At the immediate answer that came as if Do-hyun had been waiting for it, he let out a hollow laugh.
Do-hyun had been worried that he might stubbornly refuse again, but unexpectedly, he nodded readily.
“Fine, then. Let’s go together.”
With a light grunt, he rose from the bench. The man looking back at Do-hyun looked so fine that it was hard to believe he had been sick enough to break out in a cold sweat just moments ago.
Is he really okay now?
Feeling secretly relieved, Do-hyun got down from the bench. Since his feet did not reach the ground, he had to hop down a little. Hearing the low, suppressed laugh from above his head, Do-hyun moved his lips, not knowing how to react, then closed them again.
What if he thinks I ignored him?
A late worry rose in him, but fortunately, the man seemed completely unbothered. On the way back to the hospital, he kept talking to Do-hyun naturally.
It was the first time Do-hyun had ever spoken with someone without any negative emotions between them. Do-hyun helplessly fell into the conversation. Had someone laid clouds over the narrow path? Otherwise, there was no way his feet could feel this light.
Do-hyun’s thoughts changed when they arrived at the hospital.
With a dark expression, Do-hyun thought that someone must have folded the path short.
His steps slowed noticeably as he dragged his feet. He wanted to talk a little more. But it seemed he was the only one who thought that way.
Jung Hee-sung, who had already stepped into the elevator, looked down at Do-hyun.
“What floor are you on?”
Do-hyun lowered his gaze.
Perhaps because he had walked for too long, his stomach felt a little unsettled.
Do-hyun answered slowly.
“The seventh floor.”
“The seventh floor? I’m on the seventh floor too.”
“…Really?”
Do-hyun quietly raised his gaze.
“What room?”
“Room 714. You?”
“Room 703.”
“As if being in the same hospital wasn’t enough, we’re even on the same floor. That’s strange.”
“It is.”
As if his earlier feeling had been an illusion, the nausea disappeared. Do-hyun moved his now much lighter feet and stepped into the elevator. The elevator stopped on the seventh floor.
Do-hyun’s hospital room was before the man’s room. Standing in front of room 703, Do-hyun turned to look at the man waiting for him to go inside.
“Um….”
“Yeah. What is it?”
It was nothing special.
And yet Do-hyun’s throat suddenly clogged.
There was something in that voice that had also been in Kaylee’s voice when she talked to Eric on the phone. It was very faint and unclear, but Do-hyun could notice it. Like an animal living on the roadside noticing even the smallest warmth right away.
Do-hyun swallowed his trembling breath briefly and exhaled as quietly as possible. Then he chose the calmest voice he could manage.
“Can I visit your room tomorrow?”
The man looked at Do-hyun as if he had heard something completely unexpected. Do-hyun’s heart pounded frighteningly hard. Had he said something unnecessary? Had he gotten excited because of a misunderstanding and made things difficult for him?
The man stared at Do-hyun as if he were looking at some rare creature, then suddenly burst into laughter. Do-hyun could not figure out the meaning hidden inside that cheerful sound.
The man told him what it meant.
“Yeah, come visit.”
Do-hyun frowned around his eyes.
He had received the answer he wanted, so why did the inside of his eyes feel hot? Do-hyun put strength into both eyes. If he suddenly cried, the man would be startled.
But there was one strange thing.
Why did the man in front of him also look like he was about to cry?
That can’t be.
Do-hyun forced the thought away.
“But there’s one condition.”
“A condition?”
At those words, tension rose inside him.
A condition?
He could not imagine at all what the man might want from him.
Seeing Do-hyun like that, Jung Hee-sung smiled softly.
“Call me hyung. Don’t say ‘that person’ or ‘you’ so coldly.”
Do-hyun became confused. He knew people used that title in Korea. But as far as Do-hyun knew, hyung was a word used within family relationships.
“But you and I aren’t related by blood.”
“What? Hyung isn’t only used between family members.”
“Then?”
“You can use it between people who are close too… Hm.”
Jung Hee-sung coughed awkwardly a few times with an embarrassed face, then turned his head. The side of his face that was slightly revealed somehow looked bashful.
“If you don’t like it, then don’t come visit.”
Do-hyun blinked.
When Do-hyun only stared at him silently, he grumbled for no reason, asking why he was looking at him like that. His ears were dyed red.
So, if Do-hyun put together the information, the man was embarrassed, and he was acting prickly in order to hide his embarrassment.
After finishing that conclusion, Do-hyun nodded.
“Okay, hyung. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Huh? Uh, yeah.”
If someone felt embarrassed, then rather than pointing it out, pretending not to notice was the correct and mature response. Remembering a line from a general knowledge book he had read one day, Do-hyun entered his hospital room with a proud feeling.
Therefore, he did not know that the man left in the hallway was staring at the firmly closed door with an uneasy expression.
Jung Hee-sung thought,
What was that just now? Why do I feel like something went wrong?
With an unsettled look, he lingered in front of the door. Then suddenly, his gaze touched the letters written on it.
Room 703.
Will he really come?
