Chapter 67
Chapter 67
The Best Gift
Kim I-jun checked his watch and shot up. It was about time for Raul’s parents to get off work.
“I’ll go get his parents.”
“I-jun, I’ll go with you.”
Jin Su-ho followed Kim I-jun.
Yu Yeon-seo gently let go of Raul’s hand and headed somewhere. Everyone was so worried about the child that they paid no mind to where he was going.
“How’s the child?!”
Producer Lee burst through the door. He had brought the medical team accompanying the production crew, as well as a doctor from the local hospital. The cast members tactfully made way.
The two medical professionals examined the child and let out a small sigh. Their expressions were grim.
“His condition is serious... They say he can’t be treated here.”
“Then what do we do?”
“He needs to be taken to a larger hospital, but there isn’t one on this island. They say he has to go to the mainland.”
The local guide, who was interpreting, wiped away his sweat in distress. The last ferry had already left, but they couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.
While the medical team administered first aid, Yu Yeon-seo, who had gone upstairs, pushed through the crowd surrounding the child and approached the guide.
“Where’s an open space around here?”
“An open space?”
“Somewhere wide, like a field.”
Yu Yeon-seo’s question was abrupt, likely due to the chaotic situation, but the guide, vaguely guessing its meaning, widened his eyes.
“I know a suitable place.”
“How long does it take to get there?”
“It’s a bit far. About a ten-minute drive...”
“Let’s head there now.”
Just then, Kim I-jun and Jin Su-ho returned to the guest house with Raul’s parents, whom they had found on their way home from work. Hearing that their son was sick, they rushed over, teary-eyed, and approached the child.
Yu Yeon-seo spoke directly to the parents.
“Carry the child and follow me.”
“What?”
“There’s no time. We’re going to the hospital.”
The parents looked at his determined face. Since Yu Yeon-seo was the one the child trusted most, there was no need to hesitate. Raul’s father carefully picked up his son and followed him.
A quick-witted staff member was already starting a van. Yu Yeon-seo helped the child and his parents inside first, then looked back.
“I’ll ride ahead with the guide and one of the medics.”
“We’ll follow right behind you!”
Producer Lee and the others got into another car. It’s not like they can help by crowding around... but as long as they don’t block the road, it’s fine.
“Go straight and then take a right.”
The staff member nodded at the guide’s direction. His driving wasn’t bad, but Yu Yeon-seo felt a pang of regret for not bringing Lee Tae-gyeom. He’s an excellent driver... He pulled up a map on his phone and handed it to the person in the passenger seat.
“Pin the location on the map.”
“Just a moment... I think it’s here.”
“Are you sure?”
“...I’m sure. That’s it.”
The guide hesitated for a moment but then gave a look full of conviction. It was a plot of land that had been cleared for development, but the project had fallen through. Since it wasn’t fenced off, the local kids used it as a soccer field.
“I’ve sent the location. Please confirm.”
(Yes, confirmed.)
Yu Yeon-seo immediately sent the location and called Im Seung-hyeon. The line was still open, and he could faintly hear Im Seung-hyeon making another call.
“Are you far?”
“Well...”
Of all times, it was festival season, so the streets were crowded and the traffic was jammed. Hearing Raul’s pained groans, Yu Yeon-seo grew anxious.
“I’ll go tell them to move.”
“Wait!”
The guide stopped Yu Yeon-seo as he was about to get out. Ahead, someone on a scooter was weaving through the cars, asking drivers and pedestrians crossing the street to make way.
“Hey!”
“Yoon-jeong?”
Not just Lee Yun-jeong, but Park Seung-hwan also appeared, asking drivers in the opposite lane for their cooperation. It seemed they had borrowed the scooters from a local.
Whether their frantic gestures worked or not, cars began to pull over one by one. The guide opened his window and gave a thumbs-up to the drivers who had moved.
“We’re here!”
“Let’s stop here.”
Yu Yeon-seo turned to the back seat to check on Raul.
“How is Raul?”
“He... his fever is too high.”
He clicked his tongue and looked at his watch. They were late because of the traffic; it should be arriving any moment... He got out of the car and scanned the sky. Choi Jun-yeong, who had gotten out of the car behind them, muttered to himself, still not understanding.
“But why did we come here?”
“Shh!”
Park Seung-hwan put a finger to his lips. It was faint, but that sound...
“...That’s a helicopter, right?”
“Step back.”
His expression brightening, Yu Yeon-seo waved the others back and gestured for Raul’s parents to come out.
A helicopter slowly landed in the center of the open field. The roar of the propellers assaulted their ears, and the wind kicked up dust and dirt, but no one minded.
The helicopter door opened, and someone inside gestured for them to approach. Yu Yeon-seo, Jin Su-ho, and Kim I-jun shielded Raul’s parents, protecting the child in their arms.
“I’ll go with them.”
“Wait.”
As the guide who had followed them was about to board the helicopter, Yu Yeon-seo took all the cash from his wallet and pressed it into the guide’s hand. It was money he still had because Producer Lee had caught him trying to use his own funds and told him not to.
“Take this, just in case. It should be more than enough.”
“...Thank you.”
The guide watched Yu Yeon-seo’s retreating figure with a look of renewed awe.
The helicopter, carrying those headed for the hospital, lifted into the air and disappeared into the distance.
“...He’ll be okay, right?”
“He should be.”
I’ve done all I can. Yu Yeon-seo let out a long, exhausted sigh. His shoulders were tense from the stress.
“By the way, that helicopter... you called it, didn’t you, Yeon-seo?”
In response to Park Seung-hwan’s question, Yu Yeon-seo silently shook his phone.
“Wow...”
Everyone stared, mouths agape. To be able to summon a helicopter to a small island village with infrequent ferry service... Then again, he wasn’t just anyone; he was the third-generation heir of Juseong Group. He certainly had the means to dispatch a helicopter to a remote area. It was a stark reminder of the gap between their worlds, defined by Yu Yeon-seo’s background.
Producer Lee slung an arm around the staff member who had driven Yu Yeon-seo’s van and whispered.
“Did you get it on camera?”
“Yes. The battery on the camera we installed earlier was still running.”
“Good job.”
He encouraged the staff member, then turned to the cast, who were all disheveled from the helicopter’s downdraft.
“Everyone, I know it’s heartbreaking that the child is sick... but you all gave it your all, so tomorrow, I’m lifting the budget restrictions. Let’s have a party.”
“Really?”
“Yes, and I’m sure we’ll hear good news by tomorrow.”
“I hope so.”
The cast members got back into the cars, their faces visibly brighter.
Back at the guest house, Yu Yeon-seo got out of the car. He gave a quick thumbs-up to the villagers who had gathered nearby due to the commotion, then collapsed onto the sofa. His body went limp as if from exhaustion.
“Wow, now that the tension’s gone, I’m drained.”
“Me too.”
Everyone seemed to feel the same as Yu Yeon-seo, sprawling out on the floor.
“We’re back.”
Park Seung-hwan and Lee Yun-jeong, who had taken the scooters, arrived at the guest house a little later.
“By the way, how did you think of using scooters?”
Lee Yun-jeong and Park Seung-hwan grinned at Yu Yeon-seo’s question.
Lee Yun-jeong had remembered that traffic would be bad at this hour and borrowed one from a local. Park Seung-hwan, following her lead, borrowed one too.
“I had a license for filming... but I wasn’t that good a rider. But you can do anything when you’re pushed to it. Right, Uncle?”
“You never know what life will throw at you.”
Park Seung-hwan was usually passive when it came to language barriers. There were times when he wouldn’t even come out of the kitchen to greet guests, waiting for the younger cast members to arrive, even if he was the only one there.
But earlier, he had been yelling at the top of his lungs for drivers to move their cars aside. In Korean, of course. He was relieved that the drivers had seemed to understand and turned their steering wheels.
“I’m hungry. Let’s make dinner.”
“Should we have a drink?”
“On a day like today, we definitely should.”
They were all anxious since there was still no news about Raul, but they held onto the hope that since they’d sent him off in a helicopter, things would turn out well.
With many hands helping, dinner preparations were finished quickly. The six cast members gathered around one table to eat. Yu Yeon-seo thought that eating together like this wasn’t so bad, compared to eating alone.
“Whose phone is vibrating?”
“Mine.”
Yu Yeon-seo read the message from Im Seung-hyeon and smiled faintly.
“It says Raul is okay.”
“What? Really?”
Just then, Producer Lee entered the guest house, shouting loudly, having apparently just received a call from the guide who went with them.
“Everyone! The kid’s okay!”
“We just heard.”
“What?”
As Producer Lee stared blankly, Yu Yeon-seo silently shook his phone.
“Did the guide contact you first, Yeon-seo?”
“There are ways.”
Yu Yeon-seo replied, shaking his head. Producer Lee let out a hollow laugh.
“I don’t know the details. What did the guide say?”
“He said if they’d been any later, it would have been a disaster, but thankfully, they arrived just in time. The surgery went well too.”
“It did?”
It must have been serious if he needed surgery. Everyone waited for Producer Lee to elaborate.
“Anyway, it seems he’ll recover well, so there are no issues... but by the time Raul is discharged, we’ll already be back in Korea.”
That’s a bit of a shame. Yu Yeon-seo tilted the beer glass to his lips. Everyone looked disappointed at the news that they wouldn’t be able to say goodbye.
“By the way, the hospital’s response was apparently incredibly fast. The guide was amazed, saying he’s lived here his whole life and has never seen things handled so quickly...”
“Don’t tell me...”
Producer Lee trailed off, and everyone turned to look at Yu Yeon-seo. He gave them a deliberately meaningful smile. I don’t know the details, but Im Seung-hyeon must have handled it.
‘I should give him a bonus when I get back.’
Setting down his glass, he gazed into the distance. He didn’t see the phantom today.
The commotion passed, and the guest house operated as usual. The only difference was that the merchants at the market were now trying to give them things at a huge discount, or for free.
The news that an outsider had summoned a helicopter for Raul had already spread like wildfire throughout the small island village.
“This makes lifting the budget restriction pointless.”
“I know, right?”
Despite his words, Producer Lee was busy capturing the heartwarming and moving scenes on camera. The merchants were kind, and the cast returned to the guest house with their hands full.
Time passed, and the day for their return to Korea arrived. Waking up early, the cast packed their bags and boarded the car, silently gazing out the window, taking in the village scenery one last time. They weren’t sleepy from waking up early; they were just sad to leave.
“It’s a shame we couldn’t say a final goodbye to Raul.”
“It can’t be helped.”
Yu Yeon-seo replied to Lee Yun-jeong’s comment while looking out the window, seemingly unfazed. As long as the kid is safe, that’s all that matters.
“Check your luggage. Make sure you haven’t left anything behind.”
“I think we have everything.”
At the dock, the cast members were helping the production crew with the luggage when they turned their heads at a sound from behind.
“Wait!”
It was Raul’s mother.
“What are you doing here?”
“My husband is taking care of him at the hospital. I... thank you so much.”
She said she had been waiting at the dock, worried she might miss them. She took each of their hands, thanking them repeatedly. She held onto Yu Yeon-seo’s hand for quite a while, knowing he was the one who had called the helicopter.
“How can I ever... ever repay you...”
“As I said before, there’s no need for repayment.”
“Please, at least take this.”
Yu Yeon-seo unfolded the paper she held out. It was a child’s drawing of him and Raul sitting side by side, eating ice cream. Above the picture, written in crooked, uneven Korean, were the words, ‘Thank you’.
He should have been resting instead of drawing this... As Yu Yeon-seo stared silently at the drawing, Raul’s mother beamed.
“Please come back again. Come see a healthy Raul. Our family will be sure to treat you to a proper meal.”
Long after the ferry leaving the island had become a dot on the horizon, Raul’s mother remained, gazing out at the sea.
“The best gift.”
On the ferry, Jin Su-ho, who was looking at the drawing over Yu Yeon-seo’s shoulder, said softly.
“Well... I suppose it is.”
Yu Yeon-seo carefully folded the drawing and tucked it into his pocket.