Chapter 7-3
by Han Yong-un
Dae-cheol's face turned red and he glared.
“No, stop it. They say it's harmful to your health if your face gets hot from anxiety. Please stop.”
Sun-young went out to the floor and urged Dae-cheol to go back inside. Then she spoke to the man as if pleading.
“If you have something to say to me, say it to me. Why are you telling another adult? That adult has nothing to do with the rent. They are currently ill and receiving treatment, and if you get angry, it could worsen their condition. Please don't say anything to that adult.”
“Then hurry up and bring the money.”
The man frowned as if displeased, thought for a moment, and then spoke as if he were being generous.
“I don't have it right now. I will arrange it quickly, so please understand and go.”
Sun-young spoke softly, worried that Dae-cheol's anxiety might increase.
“No. Give it to me now. Go and arrange to bring it. I will wait here, no matter how many days it takes, I will make sure to get it.”
The man made a worried sound and showed no sign of leaving easily.
Then, as if he couldn't do anything about Sun-young's pleading,
“Then when will you pay?”
he slightly softened his expression.
“In a month, I will pay all that is overdue, so please understand that.”
As soon as Sun-young spoke, the man's expression turned fierce again.
“A month? What is a month? No way. You plan to completely take advantage of someone else's rent.”
“Then please just wait for twenty days.”
“No way. What is twenty days?”
“Then what should I do? I don't have it right now.”
“Looking at how it was said that it would be possible in a month, and now it seems it will be possible in twenty days, it might be doable.”
“Then within a week, I will do whatever it takes to prepare it for you, so keep that in mind. You really don’t understand the situation of those who have nothing, do you?”
“A week?”
The person asked after a while.
“Yes.”
Sun-young seemed to relax a little and replied.
“I will definitely make it happen then.”
“How many days is that in a week? Since today is the eighth day, one day, two days…”
The person counted on their fingers and said.
“It’s the twenty-ninth day.”
Then after a moment, they reiterated.
“So you will definitely pay on the twenty-ninth day?”
“Yes, I will pay on that day.”
“That’s the twenty-ninth in the solar calendar. Don’t try to make excuses about the lunar calendar then.”
“Whether it’s the solar or lunar calendar, isn’t it the same if it’s a week from today?”
“Then I will come again that day, so keep that in mind.”
“Does it matter who comes as long as the money is given?”
“That’s true. But you mean you will pay all the overdue amounts, right?”
“That’s right.”
“If it’s until this month, that’s four months’ worth.”
“Yes.”
Sun-young answered in a very annoyed tone, following what the person said.
“Then let’s see that day. If you can’t pay that day either, this house has to be put up for sale.”
“Yes.”
“Did you answer?”
“Yes.”
“Then go on.”
As she watched the person leave, Sun-young felt both horrified and relieved, as if she were sending away a devil.
“So, how are you feeling? Since you’ve been taking the black medicine, is your vitality recovering?”
Sun-young entered the inner room and observed Dae-cheol’s expression.
“Yeah, I’m getting better. Much better.”
Dae-cheol replied energetically.
“Then let’s gradually work on getting you healthy.”
“But earlier, what kind of guy was that?”
Dae-cheol did not answer the question and made another sound.
“I am the person who came to collect the rent.”
“Well, I understand that, but is there really anyone so unreasonable as to come to collect rent when it’s been three months overdue?”
Dae-cheol became agitated.
“I haven’t been able to pay rent for three months, so how can I say anything good? It’s a big problem. I had to spend the money on medicine, so I should have been able to pay the rent. I said I would pay it in a week, but what can I do? I have no choice but to put the house up for sale; isn’t that a big deal?”
Sun-young spoke with concern.
“Now I don’t even have money to pay for medicine. Until now, I’ve managed to hold on with the little I saved from selling my sewing work for four years, but now that it’s run out, what can I do? So starting today, you need to stop taking the black medicine and reduce the number of injections; you need to get better in a few days. It’s a big problem.”
“So you’re saying that from this month, I can’t take the black medicine?”
“Not just the black medicine, but getting injections is also difficult. I’ll end up on the street, and I won’t even be able to cook; is there anything to say? If there was, would I be trying to save it?”
“The situation is indeed like that. But can you really stop it right away?”
“That’s why I told you before. Let’s gradually reduce it and stop. Now that we’ve come this far, what can we do?”
Sun-young got a bit angry.
“Then let’s try to stop from today.”
Dae-cheol reluctantly agreed.
“Then since you took your medicine today, hold on until dinner. And get an injection once tonight.”
“Then let’s try that. But will it really work from the first day?”
“Then give me the injection medicine.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean? Can't you just keep it? I need to have it to give it to you on time.”
“That's true. Then keep it.”
Dae-cheol reluctantly gave the syringe he had been carrying like a lifeline to Sun-young.
“Honey, honey.”
Dae-cheol called out to Sun-young, who was preparing dinner in the kitchen.
“Yes?”
Sun-young was washing rice, so she couldn't go in right away and only responded.
“Come in here for a moment.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Whatever it is, just come in for a moment.”
“I’m washing rice. I’ll finish washing it and come in.”
“No. Just come in for a moment.”
Dae-cheol's voice was urgent.
“Okay.”
Sun-young left the rice she was washing as it was, shook her hands to dry them, and entered the room.
Worried that something might be wrong, she hurriedly opened the door and stepped inside,
“What’s wrong?”
she asked, observing Dae-cheol's expression.
“Oh, I feel like I'm dying.”
Dae-cheol sat there, grimacing and dripping with mucus, pretending to be dying. It seemed he couldn't even speak properly,
“Oh.”
he only groaned and looked limp.
“What’s wrong?”
Sun-young knelt down, resting her hands on the floor, and looked at Dae-cheol.
“Oh, I feel like I'm dying.”
“Well, why do you feel that way?”