Younger Sister (1)
To O Jangseok, he was the most important person in the world.
He'd fled south with his father during the '6.25 war, and after that, he'd survived bare-knuckled in the barren wasteland that was Korea, clawing his way to where he was now.
The reason he'd made it this far was simple: he'd lived solely for himself.
He'd survived desperately.
Bowing his head to the high-and-mighty was daily routine, and he'd run himself ragged trying to impress the big shots.
It was all for him.
But.
Now they were telling him he had lung cancer.
"Th-that can't be."
No way.
It was just a bit hard climbing stairs.
"Why me!!"
No way.
Just a little cough.
"You goddamn punk who doesn't know shit!! You a doctor!? You a doctor?!"
He forgot all about the doctor standing with the young guy.
All he could see was this punk spouting off that he had cancer on his own authority.
"Just a cough!! A cough with a bit of blood!! Getting out of breath while walking? That's just 'cause I'm getting old!!"
He screamed like a madman.
To avoid those indifferent eyes staring at him.
To dodge the doctor's pitying gaze from behind the punk.
He screamed desperately.
Back home, O Jangseok tossed his jacket aside with a huff.
"Cough! Cough!"
The now-familiar cough came on.
He spat out the phlegm in his mouth and sank into his chair just as the door opened.
"Dad. Your coughing's been way too frequent lately. You should go to the hospital."
"I know my own body better than anyone!! This is the body that survived the '6.25 war!!"
Me, sick?
Lung cancer, no less?
What a joke.
I don't even smoke to stay healthy, so why the hell would I get lung cancer?!
He huffed and eyed his son.
What a weakling.
Noblesse oblige?
The hell's that?
I busted my ass for this—why share it with beggars?
Pay the workers their wages, and that's it.
As long as it doesn't break the law.
"Dad. I booked a hospital appointment."
"You little shit!! Didn't I tell you not to waste money on that crap!? Huh?!"
"It's not expensive, so please just go."
This spineless punk.
How's he gonna survive this harsh world?
About to tell him to cancel and get a refund, O Jangseok's mind flashed back to earlier.
The punk with the doctor.
What he'd said.
Lung cancer.
"...Fine."
In the end, he nodded to his son's persistent urging.
The next day.
After the tests, the doctor said gravely,
"...You have lung cancer."
"...What?"
He couldn't believe it.
Lung cancer.
The doctor's words about the X-ray didn't register.
"Am I... am I gonna die?"
"You need to be hospitalized immediately for chemo. It's pretty advanced, so..."
Hospitalization.
His head spun.
He'd run himself to death until now.
But.
Was this the end?
"Ha. Haha..."
Laughter bubbled up.
His situation was just too ridiculous.
He'd lived so fiercely, and this was it?
Tears burst from the injustice, and he nodded in the end.
Stubbornness, desire, inexplicable rage and longing.
All mixed into his tears and flowed down.
The driving school was under construction when I arrived.
Reinforcing the building that looked ready to collapse any second.
And demolishing the restaurant slated to explode.
The school's changed future was drawing nearer, bit by bit.
"Student... d-driving like this is gonna kill us all..."
The instructor next to me gripped the handle tightly and said.
The S-curve was brutally hard.
How the hell do actual drivers do this?
"Alright, alright. Don't yank the wheel so hard. Yeah, like that."
The instructor was teaching better than expected.
Thanks to him, I nailed the S-curve.
"If you're gonna drive like earlier, you really need a nice car."
"How expensive a car should I get?"
"...I'm kidding, kid. Anyway, good work today. A few more sessions, and you'll pass the practical exam."
After the practical, there's the road test.
But he chuckled, saying another instructor would handle that.
"By the way, the school's changed a lot, huh?"
"Lots of construction going on."
"Yeah. Heard the old director got lung cancer, so his son took over."
The first thing the son did as director was replace the rundown facilities.
We're resting in containers now, but he grinned, saying it's way better than the old building.
"Especially love that they got rid of the cafeteria."
No more crap food, and meals are on us now.
Some bring lunchboxes, others eat out.
Still better than the old cafeteria, he cackled.
"That old geezer changed completely once he got cancer."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Suddenly acting all enlightened, donating and stuff."
He said casually that people change when death's near.
"Whoa, time's up. Park over there."
"Yes, sir."
I parked as the instructor said.
"See ya next time~!"
The instructor waved leisurely as he walked off.
Leaving him behind, I headed to the parking lot.
"Good work, sir."
"Wasn't much."
A big guy with a small scar on his face—intimidating as hell.
My bodyguard, Gwak Cheolhon, leaned against the car, smiling in welcome.
"By the way, Instructor."
"Yes?"
"Once you get your license, what about protection..."
"Nah, I'm not the type to go out much anyway."
Got two sports cars but no license— that's why I'm getting it.
Probably end up a garage queen.
"Gonna have to rely on you more from now on, Cheolhon."
"It's my job, and thanks to you, sir, I got to say proper goodbyes to Grandma. Don't call it a debt."
"Haha."
Gwak Cheolhon's face looked brighter since sending his grandma off well.
"Now you're on your own too, Cheolhon."
"Yes."
"No marriage plans?"
"Well..."
Gwak Cheolhon looked awkward.
He was turning thirty this year.
Marriageable age, sure.
"Doubt I'll have time to meet anyone."
"Hm."
I looked at him.
And smiled.
"You'll meet someone soon. Anyway, let's head home."
"W-wait, sir. For real?"
"Man, I'm hungry."
"Sir!!"
He will.
Probably next week.
But his begging was hilarious, so I kept it secret until we got home.
Today, after a fulfilling Dungeon & Saga session, as I lay in bed.
-Noah.
"Yes."
A message from Han Yuna.
What's up?
-Dad introduced someone.
A client.
Time to get back to work.
"Got it. Where to?"
-I'll come pick you up.
Guess I wait, then.
As I rolled around in bed, she messaged, so I went down.
Han Yuna waited by a domestic midsize sedan.
"Not a party venue today, huh."
"Yes. Let's go."
We drove about thirty minutes after getting in.
We ended up at a plain-looking dakgalbi joint in downtown Seoul at night.
"....?"
I wasn't expecting fancy, but this was from Chairman Han Junho.
Figured it'd be someone high up, not here.
"The person you're meeting today loves dakgalbi."
"Ah."
Can't argue with that.
Following her in, a few people were there.
At one table, Chairman Han Junho and an old man I'd never seen.
"Come on in! Teacher Kang!"
"Long time. Hope you've been well."
"Haha. Well? Busting my ass wiping my worthless son's shit. But thanks to you, Teacher Kang, it's this good, so I'm satisfied."
He cackled and pointed to the seated old man.
"This is Teacher Kim Seokchun. Owe him a ton from back in the day."
He bowed politely to me.
"First time meeting. Kim Seokchun."
"Hello. Kang Noah. Feel free to speak casually."
"Haha. I'll take you up on that."
I shook his grinning hand.
"He's retired now, but made it big in Japan."
"Chairman Han, don't oversell it. Wasn't that huge."
"Didn't you gobble up a whole region? Even the LDP's trying to court you."
"Politics stinks too much of shit. No thanks."
Kim Seokchun brushed it off and offered me a glass.
"You drink well?"
"Decent."
"Then, one shot..."
Soju.
Not my favorite.
"Kuh!!"
"Haha. You don't know booze, huh. Booze is Korean soju."
Just chemical alcohol, right?
But he downed two shots back-to-back before taking a bite of dakgalbi.
"Heard from Chairman Han. You're one hell of a fortune teller?"
"Yes."
"Asked around your staff too— you've done a ton."
"Saw my stream?"
"Mm."
He nodded heavily.
Then stared straight at me.
"I'll ask seriously."
"Cards first."
He took the cards I offered, grinned, and flipped them lightly.
Then asked with a smile,
"What do you think I'll ask?"
"To find your lost younger sister. Separated in the war. Kim Sukyeong."
"....!!!"
His eyes widened.
Chairman Han was shocked.
Han Yuna stayed stoic as always.
"Whoa... True to the hype. S-so? My sister?! Is she safe? Can I, can I meet her?"
The gruff, cool demeanor vanished.
Just a boyish hope for reuniting with long-lost family.
That's why I said,
"Yes."