Chapter 8-2

by Han Yong-un · 2026-08-25

Sun-young sat unable to answer, startled by the sound of the clock announcing five o'clock, she stood up.

“Oh dear, I really have to go.”

Then she left the house.

On her way back home, Sun-young was anxious, wondering what had happened to Dae-cheol.

Dae-cheol's time for the injection was three hours later than usual.

He was the type to beg for the injection, pretending to die if he couldn't endure even an hour, let alone three.

Worrying about what might have happened in the meantime, she hurried her steps, her heart racing ahead of her feet.

As she entered the front yard, Sun-young muted her footsteps and listened for any signs from inside the room.

The room was eerily quiet as if dead.

Sun-young's heart sank.

She lightly cleared her throat and stepped onto the floor.

Even then, she was careful not to make any noise.

Still, not even the sound of breathing, which had been so labored before, could be heard from inside the room.

Sun-young grasped the doorknob, holding her breath and straining to listen, but she couldn't bring herself to open it wide.

Yet, the room remained silent.

Sun-young coughed again and quietly opened the door to peek inside.

Dae-cheol lay flat on his back with his arm over his forehead, and there were traces of foam around his mouth.

“Are you sleeping?”

As she said this while entering, Sun-young looked at Dae-cheol, first checking if there were any signs of life.

Dae-cheol did not respond and did not move a hair.

However, it was clear he was breathing, as his mustache twitched slightly.

“Are you sleeping?”

Finally feeling relieved, Sun-young approached closer.

Still, there was no answer.

“Are you sleeping?”

When Sun-young raised her voice and placed her hand under Dae-cheol's nose, the breath was warm.

“Who is it?”

Dae-cheol, barely able to speak, kept his eyes closed and couldn't even move his tongue properly.

He looked like a corpse that had not yet fully lost its breath.

Sun-young quickly brought a syringe from the next room and placed it in front of Dae-cheol.

A little later, Dae-cheol, regaining his strength and opening his eyes, merely turned away, seemingly displeased to see Sun-young.

“Isn't it too late already?”

Sun-young said apologetically, but Dae-cheol did not respond.

“Aren't you hungry?”

“Should I bring something before dinner?”

“What does it matter what a dying man eats?”

Dae-cheol's tone was not gentle.

“I said I would be back shortly, but I took too long. Are you angry?”

“Huh!”

Dae-cheol sighed and sat up.

He rested his head on his hand, closed his eyes, and sat for a while before speaking.

“If I stay here, I’ll die prematurely, so even if I die outside, I need to go somewhere else.”

Then he stood up, put on his overcoat and hat, and staggered out.

Sun-young knew that Dae-cheol was angry because he was worried about how late it was for him to get his shot while she was away.

She was also very distressed, and Dae-cheol's behavior annoyed her, making her think about just leaving him as he was going out.

However, it seemed that he would collapse after just a few steps as he staggered out.

No matter where he went, it seemed he would die within a few days without someone to take care of him.

If that happened, Dae-cheol's death would feel like her own death, and she could not bear to leave him like that.

Of course, it was not out of a wife's heart to serve her husband.

It was even less about hoping for anything in the future, even if it were just a little.

“Look at this. How can you go anywhere like this? Let's go inside.”

As she supported Dae-cheol and entered, Sun-young suddenly shed tears when no one was watching.

People in the city, who continue their complicated lives amidst the polluted air, hazy dust, and smoke, always long for fresh air and clear winds.

When summer comes, that longing intensifies.

Thus, people in Seoul try to find shade under trees or by the water as much as possible to cool off and clear their minds during the summer.

In the various parks of Gyeongseong, all kinds of people gathered to escape the heat.

Among them, there were quite a few who spent the entire summer there.

In terms of facilities, there were still no parks that truly resembled parks in Gyeongseong.

Nevertheless, the place where the most people gathered, with shade, water, and good spots, was Sajik Park.

There, not only were there people coming and going to escape the heat, but there were also many students coming to exercise or play.

There were also cases where people who had been evicted from their rented houses or those who happened to stop by set up mats under the trees and cooked meals, living temporarily.

Moreover, there was a rare sight not often seen elsewhere, as it had become a gathering place for opium addicts.

Among the opium addicts, those without homes or families gathered there because they had nowhere else to go.

There was a reason they chose to gather at Sajik Park, despite the many vacant lands available.

Firstly, it was close to places where drugs were sold, and secondly, there were many houses nearby, making it easy to get food.

Thirdly, it was comfortable to take a nap under the trees, and if the weather turned bad, there was a gate at Sajik to escape the rain and wind.

Among them, the most talked-about person was Sun-young.

Sun-young tried her best to cure Dae-cheol's illness, but there was no hope.

Finally, she had been kicked out of her home and had managed to find a room in a servant's quarters, but the owner disliked Dae-cheol because he was a drug addict and had thrown him out several times.

There were times when she tried to rely on whatever scraps she could find, but it was not uncommon for them to be torn down by the harsh actions of the landowner.

Thus, she experienced the bitter taste of the world that is hard for a person to savor.

There were many times when everything was painful and she felt fed up.

However, for some reason, her determination to save Dae-cheol, who was dying without a place to rely on in this world, remained stronger than a rope and more steadfast than a lifeline until the day her own life ended.

And so, she finally turned her back on everything in this world.

Dae-cheol was in a state where he could hardly breathe, uncertain whether he would die today or tomorrow.

Moreover, he was gradually weakening, his eyesight dimming, and he could not move around freely.

Even so, he was not just eating whatever was given to him, whether it was food or medicine; he kept searching for things he wanted to eat.

He would make a fuss if the time for his injection was even slightly delayed.

Dae-cheol was someone who was pointed at and spat upon by ordinary people.

Sun-young took him to a corner of Sajik Park and settled there.