Chapter 5-2
by Han Yong-un
Dae-cheol stretched out his arm and raised his face.
“But that’s different…”
Soon-young looked at Dae-cheol, who seemed more lively than before, with curiosity,
“But they say it's hard to quit once you're addicted?”
She spoke again with a worried expression.
“It's not that I can't quit. It's easy if I just have the determination,
but people suffer because they lack that determination.
I’m in this state now, so there's nothing I can do,
but if I find a place to sit down anywhere, I can quit right away.”
Dae-cheol, acknowledging the fact that he was unknowingly addicted,
blamed his inability to fix it on his wandering lifestyle.
“So you’re saying that if you find a place to settle down, you can fix it?”
Soon-young asked as if to confirm.
“That's right.”
“Then do you have no fixed place right now?”
“What do you mean by a fixed place?”
“Then where do you sleep?”
“The whole world is my home.
I live using the sky as my blanket and the ground as my bed.
That's why I can't heal my illness and wander around like this.”
Dae-cheol emphasized once again that he couldn't heal because he had no fixed place.
“Oh dear… what should I do? So do you sleep outside?”
Soon-young made a sad expression.
“…….”
Dae-cheol let out a long sigh.
“Then what did you do for dinner? Did you eat?”
Soon-young asked as if she suddenly remembered something she had forgotten.
“Morning or evening, I’ve long forgotten to eat at regular times. I just eat when there’s food, and if there isn’t, I can’t eat.”
Dae-cheol touched his stomach with his hand.
“Are you okay with eating anything?”
“Well, I can’t eat anything if there’s nothing to eat.”
“Oh dear, then you haven't had dinner yet. You should eat something, anything.”
Soon-young got up and went outside.
Dae-cheol sat silently.
After a while, Soon-young came in with food.
“First, since you must be hungry, please eat something.”
She politely offered.
“What a wonderful spread of food is here?”
Dae-cheol swallowed and looked around at the meat soup, jeonyuhwa, and side dishes.
He looked at Soon-young with wide eyes, as if surprised.
“I brought this from a birthday party today. The rice is cold, but please eat.”
Soon-young poured the alcohol she had brought.
“No, I can't drink since I got sick.”
Dae-cheol waved his hand.
“Just a little bit, please.”
Soon-young raised the glass even higher.
“No, I can't even touch it. I'll just eat rice.”
Dae-cheol started to eat all the food and quickly cleared the table.
Watching Dae-cheol eat voraciously, Soon-young sitting there,
vaguely recalled Dae-cheol's energetic and vigorous appearance from the previous day.
However, the fact that he couldn't drink even a single glass of alcohol meant that his illness had worsened.
Also, he had always had a good appetite, but seeing him eat like someone who hadn't eaten for days showed how hungry he was.
A surge of various emotions flooded in.
The person who was so vigorous that it seemed he could cross the West Sea in a single breath when swimming,
how did he end up like this?
The person who used to embrace her all night with strong arms and a warm heart,
how did he come to this state?
Let's think that way; I felt that the world is unreliable and the existence of people is truly insignificant.
Then, suddenly, a feeling of pity moved within me.
Sun-young turned around and wiped her tears.
“Ah, I really enjoyed the meal. If only there was a place to stay and a way to eat, I could cure this illness of mine. It should be possible. It’s not right for a man who has treated such a wife poorly to receive this kind of retribution.”
Dae-cheol sighed as if talking to himself.
Sun-young, who already felt pity and compassion, upon hearing those words, wanted to save that person and cure his illness as much as possible.
The kindness from the previous day was one thing, but seeing the situation right in front of her moved her heart.
It did not arise from a utilitarian desire for any purpose.
It was simply a natural thought.
“Then, if you have a place to stay right now, would you be able to cure your illness?”
Sun-young asked kindly.
“Ah, of course I can cure it. As long as I don’t suffer from the cold and heat, wind and humidity, and can eat some food or drink, I can cure it.”
Dae-cheol replied cheerfully.
“But how long will it take to cure the illness?”
“I can’t say for sure how long it will take, but it should be easy to cure. From what I’ve heard from those who have been cured, some were cured in a month, some in two months, and some in three months; it varies. But it depends on your determination, so if you set your mind to it, you should be able to cure it in no time.”
Dae-cheol showed an attitude of determination.
Hearing those words, Sun-young became worried again.
If it were about a month or two, she could do anything to support Dae-cheol.
But if it were to take a long time, it was a situation that she couldn't help but worry about how to manage.