The Weight of Ordinary Life 3
School let out at last, the time we'd all been waiting for, and we burst out of the gates together. But unlike usual, we headed for the bus stop. It was the fork where I went one way toward home and Jong-hyuk and Kyung-soo went another toward the hospital. Swallowing my regrets, I said goodbye and started home.
What should Joo-shin have for lunch... maybe some intestines?
The unusual silence made me awkwardly scratch my head as I took a slightly different route than normal.
The outlet wasn't crowded, being a weekday afternoon. I headed to the mart floor, filled a basket with unfamiliar hands, and went straight to the checkout. As I left the mart with my bag of goods,
"Joo-in?"
I hadn't expected to run into someone I knew in the mart corner, so I turned around with a startled look.
"You..."
"I went by your class, but you weren't there... Then I got chewed out by that damn teacher and couldn't stick around... You okay?"
"Ah... thanks for worrying. Jong-hyuk and Kyung-soo told me you stopped by."
Ji-hye didn't look like a middle schooler. Dressed in easy-work overalls with a big fluorescent vest over them...
Does she work here? She's still a minor.
"What, the outfit weird? I'm used to it—more comfy than a uniform. Uniforms aren't too tight on you?"
"They're made kinda small, so yeah, uncomfortable."
"Still better than ours. Girl uniforms are too thin for summer... and winter...?"
Mid-conversation, she looked at me, grinned awkwardly, then dragged me out of the outlet to a quiet side path where no one passed.
"That lady was about to eat me alive."
"Lady?"
"One of the aunties I work with. Hates my guts for some reason. No idea why."
"You been working here long?"
"Mm... about a year?"
So right after her dad died?
"They hire minors?"
"Loves it. Same work as that auntie, but half the pay."
"What? Then somewhere else..."
"Other places make you do sketchy stuff or stiff you on wages. This outlet shop at least pays up regularly, even if it's peanuts."
I felt absurd, but couldn't shake the shock from the gap between her school self and this one.
"That's... too much."
"Unfair shit happens everywhere. That's why I..."
She stared right into my eyes with a bright smile, and I unwittingly looked away, up at the sky. Clear and blue, but the chill wind cooled my heated skin.
Hurt by my dodge, she pouted, then rushed off after handing me something.
"Can't stay out too long or she'll nitpick again. Take this."
"This is..."
By the time I looked up from the item, only her back was visible as she dashed into the mart.
A phone strap?
Cell phones were still newish, so mine had nothing on the loop.
She noticed that?
It was a skillfully braided tassel on a clear string.
I got home somehow in a daze, mechanically doing what needed doing. Wash, chop, oil the pan, stir-fry...
"Hyung... hyung... it's burning, you okay?"
The onions for Joo-shin's lunch had caramelized almost to liquid.
Ah...
I pivoted as if planned, turning it into curry.
"Hyung, this curry's killer. That's what happens if you fry onions that long?"
"Onions get sweeter the longer you cook 'em."
"But you said fried rice?"
"You hate curry?"
"Nah, love it. But you seem spaced out."
"Huh?"
"Your phone's been buzzing like crazy over there, but you haven't checked once."
"What?"
I shoved the lunch dishes into the sink mid-cleanup, fumbling for my phone.
Jong-hyuk?
"Yeah, what's... up?"
"Dude, why no reply?"
"Sorry, making lunch for my brother..."
"Sigh..."
"What? Something at the hospital? You guys eat?"
"We got here, but..."
"Hm?"
Jong-hyuk was talking when Kyung-soo grabbed the phone.
"Visiting denied."
"What?"
Clattering sounds, then Jong-hyuk again.
"That's why we're calling from lunch near the hospital. Here..."
"Get to the hospital now."
"What?"
Sudden Kyung-soo voice, telling me to come—couldn't hide my confusion.
After Jong-hyuk's calm-down words, he took the phone back.
"Kyung-soo's worked up. We're at the burger joint by the hospital entrance. You know it?"
"Yeah, that one? But..."
I watched Joo-shin snag the ice cream I'd bought from the fridge, trying to continue.
"Worried about Joo-shin? Leave him with Mom. She's home now."
"Didn't she say she's busy? Because of our request?"
"Still at the office? Couldn't find space, so Dad's old office. She can watch him a bit."
He hung after saying his piece, leaving me with the dial tone in stunned silence.
Acts all secretive about the phone in front of me and Kyung-soo...
····
At the hospital entrance, no need to hit the burger spot—Jong-hyuk and Kyung-soo spotted me, grabbed hold, and marched me inside like prisoners.
The nurse clutching her head at our sight screamed trouble, but Kyung-soo spoke first.
"We wanna visit the In-ha patient."
"As I said, the patient refuses all visits."
"Why."
"Like I explained..."
"This kid's nephew to a doctor here."
"Pardon?"
Shock crossed our faces and hers—I tamped my rising anger, headlocked Kyung-soo from behind, whispering low.
"We'll talk later. Yeah?"
To the flustered nurse:
"My uncle's a doctor here, sure, but we're not forcing a visit. My friend's hot-headed—what's the refusal reason? Health? Or patient's choice?"
"The... patient refuses. For non-family, if they say no, we can't do anything."
Her troubled look seemed genuine. I apologized, pulled away, and shot Jong-hyuk and Kyung-soo cold stares.
"What's going on?"
"Kyung-soo's been reckless, but it's not nothing."
Jong-hyuk jumped in first.
"···?"
"Nurse explained at first, we got it, figured lunch then home. But we poked around outside."
"I wanted warm rice, he kept pushing burgers."
I eyed Jong-hyuk at Kyung-soo's words; he looked away.
"Mom bans fast food, so he jumps at chances."
"I prefer warm rice."
"Arguing at the restaurant door, two big guys passed."
"Blocked the door, so we dodged—overheard them."
"Cops."
"Cops?"
"Talking as they passed: came for In-ha."
"Not quite—said she's detained, case wrapping quick."
"So Kyung-soo's worried."
"About what?"
"You really don't get it?"
At Jong-hyuk's sharp glare, Kyung-soo fidgeted, looked away, then continued.
"Heard 'detain the suspect,' got worried if she's getting proper treatment..."
"Dramas ruin people."
"Huh?"
"That beating scene? Top ratings—you haven't seen it?"
"TV's old, screen fuzzy—Mom says I can't watch."
"Thought you were my mom."
"Anyway, no beatings in hospitals, but wanted to check she's safe from afar."
"Sigh... seriously... Called me 'cause Uncle's a doc here?"
Their blind faith it'd fix everything with a snap summon was ridiculous yet amusing.
"Dude, why the grin."
Expecting anger, they blinked at my smile. I left them, called my uncle.
The mess made no logical sense, but friends relying on me? Couldn't help laughing.
"Joo-in? Calling often—love it. Haha."
Sorry to his cheerful laugh, I cut to it.
"Uncle, one favor?"
Hard asking again after his quiet helps on my burdens, but couldn't ignore friends now.
"Don't tell me... the In-ha patient?"
"Ugh... you knew?"
"Nurse called. Friends visiting repeatedly today."
"Sorry. No visit, but can we confirm she's okay?"
"If she refuses, even I can't. But..."
"But?"
Tense wait—he laughed, told me to come.
"Uncle says come to the hospital?"
"Visit okay?"
"Nah, probably not..."
"Huh?"
"No visit if patient refuses."
"Then why come?"
"Dunno."
Drained by their jabs, I trudged back into the hospital.