The Last Lesson
A hospital in Busan.
Deep into the night, when most patients were asleep.
Beep, beep, beep—
Ma Deok-su lay in a VIP room, a breathing mask strapped to his face.
He still hadn't regained consciousness.
There was no telling if he ever would.
And surprisingly, sitting by his side were Geum Seong-muk and Noah.
Scrape, scrape—
Swish—
Noah twirled a paring knife with dazzling flair, peeling an apple. Soon, it transformed into an adorable rabbit shape.
No simple day's practice could produce such skill. Seong-muk asked in amazement,
"What? Where'd you learn something like that?"
"Hehe, our family has a lot of folks who're real pros with knives!"
The suspiciously expert knife work came from hands-on lessons with active yakuza. Seong-muk thought it a blessing she had such a kind heart.
"Anyway, thanks for coming with me, Noah."
"Hehe, no biggie! It's only natural."
After training ended, Noah had quietly tagged along to the hospital with Seong-muk.
If he'd come alone, guilt would have eaten him alive, but her positive energy kept negative thoughts at bay.
"Grandpa's not doing well, is he?"
"That obvious, huh?"
"I could just tell something was off with you, oppa."
"Man, I thought I hid it pretty good…."
Seong-muk sighed.
Noah gently took his hand.
"He'll be okay. I mean it."
"………."
Yesterday, he'd suppressed his own feelings to comfort his teammates. Now, Noah was the one offering sincere solace.
Feeling a deep comfort from her words, Seong-muk let out a soft chuckle.
"Thanks. Really."
"Oppa……."
Noah's cheeks flushed pink.
She quickly averted her gaze.
"……."
"……."
A strange tension filled the hospital room.
It was the first time such an atmosphere had passed between them since their days in England.
They inched subtly closer.
And then—
"Well, well, what a damn fine mess you've stirred up. A real shitshow."
"…………!?!"
Seong-muk and Noah jumped in shock.
Turning, they saw Ma Deok-su—fully awake—arms crossed, staring them down.
"G-Grandpa! Since when?!"
"You young punks know how to flirt, but keep it moderate, damn it. Tsk tsk, I just tried to catch some shut-eye, and here you are doing shit no one should see in front of an old man."
Ma Deok-su clicked his tongue at Seong-muk.
But astonishingly, he flashed Noah a bright smile unlike any Seong-muk had ever seen.
"Oho, so you're that Takahina Noah I've heard about. Cute, sharp as a tack, and full of talent, they say?"
"Whoa, really?! That's an honor!!"
Noah's eyes sparkled.
Who knew Ma Deok-su had this side? Seong-muk was utterly dumbfounded.
"What the hell, Grandpa? How do you remember her name so well?"
Ma Deok-su could barely get his players' names right. He snapped back as if it were nonsense.
"What kinda bullshit is that? That's basic. Basic."
"???"
Seong-muk was floored by the tooth-rottingly sweet vibe.
Ignoring him, Ma Deok-su flung off the blanket covering his lower half.
"This is stifling. Time to get some air."
"Grandpa, what the hell? No way, absolutely not."
"Tch, didn't the doc tell ya? I'm a goner soon."
"!!"
"I'm dying anyway, so I'll spend my last days my way. Come on, follow me, you rascal."
"……."
Was this really okay? Seong-muk hesitated, then nodded and helped with the escape.
"I'll detach 'em carefully, nice and easy."
"Hmph, do as you like."
Noah soothed Ma Deok-su, gently removing the devices instead of yanking them off. The gruff old man turned surprisingly compliant for the cute girl young enough to be his granddaughter.
The vital monitor beeped wildly, but flipping the power killed the noise.
"Hold on tight—you just woke up."
"Tch, got it."
Seong-muk supported Ma Deok-su, while Noah scouted ahead.
She astutely picked paths avoiding the night-shift nurses.
"This way—no one's around!"
Somehow avoiding everyone, the trio made it outside.
Noah spotted what looked like an outdoor rest area and found a suitable bench. They all sat.
"……."
"……."
A brief silence fell.
Ma Deok-su broke it first.
"How long did the doc give me?"
"…."
"Spit it out—I'm prepared."
"A week. About a week."
Noah's eyes went wide.
She hadn't imagined it was that short.
But Ma Deok-su's reaction was even more shocking.
"Quack doctor. Doubt I'll last half that."
"!"
Ma Deok-su bluntly admitted his condition was worse than thought.
At this point, Seong-muk had a burning question.
"Grandpa, why didn't you get treatment? You knew something was wrong."
"It's a long story. Wanna hear it?"
"Yeah, tell me."
Ma Deok-su gathered his thoughts and began his life story.
"I grew up rough. Barely ate, delivered papers to support the family. But I was the best in the neighborhood at chucking things, so I got to play baseball my fill."
"Hit twenty, got drafted by the Busan Cups. Played pro for about twenty-three years after. Guess how much I made?"
"Hmm, a hundred billion?"
"A legend like you? Maybe two hundred billion!"
In an era without mega-salaries, adjusted for inflation, Seong-muk and Noah lowballed it. Ma Deok-su shook his head firmly.
"Wrong. Around four hundred billion. In today's market, I'd be in that 1 Trillion Won Club too."
"………!!"
Four hundred billion. An insane sum, especially inflation-adjusted. Seong-muk gained new respect.
"Earned a fortune, but I wasn't one for luxury. Honor and achievement mattered more. Wanted my kids to be the same."
"Wait, don't tell me…?"
"Yeah. Didn't leave 'em a dime. Donated it all to charity. No warning."
"Ah…."
"Figured it was my money, my call. Thought they'd grow independent and get it eventually."
"But hearts don't bend that easy. They all resented me deep down."
"Ugh."
It sounded materialistic, but Seong-muk figured he'd be pissed too if his parents donated everything without a penny left.
He got both sides.
"Wife and I patched things up before she passed. But when my kids hit crises needing help, I had nothing left to give."
"That rift deepened over repeats. They cut ties, never visited. My own damn arrogant folly."
"………."
"Always regretted it. Should've talked more. So when my health tanked, I was numb. No one to miss this old husk, so why not fade out? Skipped treatment at the right time."
Ma Deok-su had endured profound loneliness for years.
One day, half-dead inside, shuffling through days like a zombie, someone showed up.
"Then you came to the Deoks u Pitching Field. Half a wreck, couldn't even throw a straight fastball."
"Grandpa…."
"After meeting you, shit hit the fan. Stuff I never dreamed at my age."
"Made me think—maybe I should've gotten treated. Could stick around a bit longer…."
"……."
Noah sniffled, nose running.
Ma Deok-su chuckled at her.
He turned to Seong-muk, hand outstretched.
"Got a baseball?"
"Uh? Yeah, in the bag."
"Hand it over."
"Now?"
Wondering why, Seong-muk pulled one out anyway. Ma Deok-su bounced it in his palm.
"Remember asking what one thing you wanted to learn from me?"
"…Yeah."
Ma Deok-su gripped the bench and shakily stood.
Seong-muk and Noah lunged to help, but he waved them off fiercely, rising on his own.
Whoosh!
The wind blew.
Under the bright full moon, Ma Deok-su stood tall.
His eyes burned with unprecedented seriousness as he faced Seong-muk.
"This is the last lesson. You ready?"
"………."
Something surged in Seong-muk's chest.
Afraid his emotions might crack, he clenched his teeth.
"Yes. I'm ready."
Seong-muk nodded and stood opposite him.
Under the full moon illuminating the night, Ma Deok-su's final lesson began.