Chapter 64
As we entered Jincheol's hospital room, his mother greeted us warmly. She was peeling fruit and feeding it to him. With both arms in casts, Jincheol couldn't even pick up a fork by himself.
We handed her the beverage set we'd brought and sat down on the caregiver's chairs.
"Hello."
Jincheol glanced at us, gave a slight nod by way of greeting, then awkwardly looked away. He must have been embarrassed—crying and spilling his guts to these strangers about things he couldn't even tell his own mother.
"Has Jincheol been doing okay? How's the pain?"
"I'm fine. Can't move much yet, though."
"That's a relief. What have you been up to lately?"
"Just watching movies and stuff. The teacher hasn't brought the study materials yet, so even if I wanted to study, there's nothing to do."
Jincheol nodded toward the TV in the corner of the room.
"Study? What study? Days off from school are for playing."
Kang Minjae said with a grin, and Jincheol cracked a faint smile in response.
"I'm going to be a senior soon. Can I still get into a good college without studying like this?"
"Of course. Absolutely."
"Have you ever gone that long without studying, sir?"
"Yeah. I slacked off all through my junior year. Partied every day."
"Where'd you go to school?"
"Uh, well... Seoul National University."
Jincheol let out a disbelieving chuckle.
"Come on. You're totally lying, mister."
"Okay, fine—I took a gap year."
Kang Minjae whispered conspiratorially, and Jincheol finally relaxed his furrowed brow, breaking into a childlike grin.
As we chatted and laughed, it was suddenly six o'clock—the time the homeroom teacher was due to arrive. Jincheol's mother grew visibly anxious. Even though we'd warned her they probably wouldn't have anything meaningful to report, she still clung to a sliver of hope.
"Kang, go wait in the car."
"Huh? Why?"
I needed to use my ability on the teacher to gauge if there was anyone who could help, but having Kang eavesdrop on the whole conversation would be a problem. She'd just play dumb and insist there was no way to infer anything from that alone.
"You wanna be office furniture?"
"No, sir. I'm going."
The good news was, I could control Kang with a single phrase now. Without protest, he bolted out of the room.
The noisy one gone, the room fell quiet in an instant.
"……."
I was racking my brain for a new topic when Jincheol spoke first.
"Can I ask where you went to school, mister?"
"Seoul National University."
Jincheol sighed and asked,
"Did you take a gap year too?"
"No. Straight in."
"That other guy's way too optimistic. What do you think? I've gotta lie here for two months—can I really get into a good college?"
It had been seventeen years since I'd prepped for college by my current age's reckoning—or twenty-seven by my memories. I had no idea what entrance exams were like these days, but my advice would depend on his current grades anyway.
Still, there was something I could say regardless.
"It might sound like adult nonsense right now, but if I tell you... Your mom might not like it."
I glanced at her, and Jincheol laughed.
"What is it?"
"College isn't as crucial to life as you think. What matters is living like a decent human being."
"That's straight out of a moral textbook."
"But it's true. I used to be a prosecutor, so I've met all kinds. Going to a top school doesn't guarantee success, and flunking out doesn't doom you. I just don't want you stressing over college right now."
His mother jumped in, flustered by the question.
"Jincheol, don't worry about grades. Focus on recovering first, okay?"
"How can I not? I might miss midterms altogether. No cram school either. You always said I have to go to a good college, Mom. Honestly, even while getting beat up, I studied hard thinking I'd get into a better school than those bastards, make more money, and get revenge...".
She tried to smooth things over, but Jincheol turned away from her and asked me,
"That Lee Hyeokmin guy's never lost top rank. I'm already two months behind. Would I feel like that lawyer uncle—guts twisting if he goes to a good school and makes it big?"
"Who knows. Kang gave up fighting back then, but you didn't. If Lee Hyeokmin pays for what he did, you won't be left agonizing over it."
Lee Hyeokmin was the ringleader of excessive school violence. A proper punishment meant expulsion, and his father should lose his superintendent post too.
I wasn't sure if Jincheol would feel vindicated watching that, but his revenge couldn't hinge on it. The law wasn't a tool for personal vengeance.
"If college still worries you, you'll be out before senior year. Start grinding then."
"Won't it be too late? Cram school teachers say junior year matters more than senior."
"Does that even make sense? How could junior year trump senior?"
"True... but I'm still worried."
Hmm. My little pep talk hadn't landed well.
A knock echoed from the door.
"Teacher must be here."
No sooner had his mother spoken than the homeroom teacher entered, file in one hand and a fruit basket in the other.
"Hello, ma'am. Jincheol, how have you been?"
"Hello."
Jincheol dipped his head politely.
The teacher handed the basket to his mother, then eyed me with an uncomfortable expression.
"Jin's uncle is here too, I see."
"Yes. Came to check on him, and here we are meeting again."
"Ah, yes."
She gave an awkward smile and sat by Jincheol's side. He wiped the brightness from his face and stared at her.
"Jincheol, feeling any better?"
She fussed over his body with feigned concern.
Jincheol turned his head toward the window and said nothing.
"……."
As silence stretched, she faltered, then started babbling alone.
"Must've been a shock, huh? After taking you to the ER that day, I wanted to visit again but worried it'd bother you."
His mother let out an incredulous scoff. The teacher blinked in surprise but ignored it, placing the file on his blanket.
"These are the study handouts from each subject for the past week. And midterms are coming up... Guess we have to talk exams, right?"
"……."
Jincheol, who'd been fretting over grades moments ago, stayed mute, face blank, eyes averted.
"By school rules, medical absences get 80% of your final exam score applied to midterms."
Jincheol's shoulders twitched slightly. No matter what I said about college not defining life, as a Korean high schooler—especially in this education-obsessed area—he had every reason to worry.
"And your classmates want to visit. That okay?"
His face drained of color in an instant.
"Which classmates?"
His voice trembled at the thought of facing them.
"Everyone. They're all worried about you. Me too."
Jincheol snorted.
"Who? Who's worried about me?"
"Jincheol."
"Who's worried? No one was. When I fell from that classroom window, not one person... Forget it. I don't need it. You go too, teacher. Just email the handouts from now on. Don't come."
He rolled over, yanking the blanket over his head.
The flustered teacher glanced at his mother, who was far from calm herself.
"I'll speak with you outside, teacher. Let's step out for a moment."
Talking with his mother present would've escalated fast. She followed me out to the lounge.
"Teacher, last time at school, the principal said he'd have the kids write anonymous accounts of the incident."
"Yes. I was going to mention that today, but Jincheol's mom seemed really upset...".
She spoke softly. Her mother's attitude was understandable—the teacher seemed more focused on placating the family than resolving the issue.
"Tell me. What were the results?"
"Well, we did everything we could. Pulled aside kids who usually got along with Jincheol for details, used that anonymous method too."
"Yes."
"......But all the classmates said it was just roughhousing—someone's indoor shoes flew off, Jincheol grabbed them, and fell. Not one wrote anything else."