Chapter 9 – Children Met in the Forest (3)

“You must be hungry! I was just about to make breakfast. Have a spoonful with us. I boiled the kimchi stew that you like, Doctor.”

‘It is true that I like kimchi stew, but……’

“Grandmother, do you know me?”

Kim Ji-hyuk asked in curiosity.

“Where is there anyone in our neighborhood who doesn’t know you, Doctor? Stop saying silly things, and wash your hands quickly.”

The grandmother nudged Kim Ji-hyuk toward the bucket filled with water.

“Ah, yes.”

A moment later, Kim Ji-hyuk sat on the veranda in a daze.

“Breakfast is all ready. There isn’t much prepared, but please enjoy it.”

The simple meal the grandmother brought on a small table: pure barley rice, fresh chili peppers, carrots, lettuce, and various other vegetables, savory steamed soybean paste, and sour-looking aged kimchi stew.

Growl-.

Just looking at it, it was an appetizing, wonderful spread.

Although he was hungry, this was not a situation where he could just blindly eat the food.

Besides, didn’t they say the grandmother has dementia?

“Grandmother! It seems you are mistaking me for someone else, I am……”

It was at that very moment.

“Auntie! I’m here! Oh, the doctor is here too!”

A man opened the iron gate and walked in with a greeting.

“Is that you, Man-sik?”

At that, Shin Jeong-eun welcomed him warmly.

‘She seems to know that person well too.’

“Yes. Hello.”

Kim Ji-hyuk nodded awkwardly.

Since he received a greeting first, Kim Ji-hyuk couldn’t just ignore it.

“Man-sik, do you want to have a bite too? The doctor is just about to eat.”

“Is that so? Then shall I join? Doctor, would that be alright?”

“Yes. Go ahead.”

The man’s name was Park Man-sik.

The man sat beside him with a good-natured smile and cheeky familiarity. Judging by the man’s behavior, he seemed to have some level of friendship with Kim Ji-hyuk.

“Seeing that you came together, you must have reconciled with Ji-hyuk?”

“Of course!”

“Good. Friends shouldn’t fight. Get along well.”

“Yes!”

“Right. Then you eat too. You have to eat a hearty breakfast to go to school and study hard!”

“Yes!”

Like that, Mi-seon’s grandmother went into the kitchen to scoop rice.

‘Fight? What is the grandmother talking about right now? Besides, school for a fully grown adult?’

“Did you fight with him?”

“Doctor, just eat. I told you, didn’t I, that Mi-seon’s grandmother has dementia.”

The quick-witted Shin Jeong-eun winked one eye.

“Ah… I see.”

“Yes. Sometimes she has lucid moments, but right now she seems to have gone back twenty years. In her eyes, Man-sik and I must look like elementary school students. Oh! Man-sik and I are elementary school classmates!”

“Ah, I see! Anyway, if her state is like that, there’s no point in talking to her. What should we do?”

“As you can see, even if her mind were clear, they aren’t in a financial position to afford it anyway. I think it would be better if I act as the guardian.”

“Will you be okay with that?”

“Of course. When Man-sik and I were young, we both owed a lot to Grandmother. It is only natural to do this. Don’t worry about it.”

Shin Jeong-eun smiled slightly.

“I see. By the way, if you don’t mind me asking, what about the grandmother’s children……”

Kim Ji-hyuk asked quietly, reading the room.

“Yes. Originally, Mi-seon’s grandmother had a son and a daughter. About the same age as Mi-seon and Min-jun. They were our friends too.”

Shin Jeong-eun’s face grew slightly serious.

“And?”

“They went missing after being swept away by a storm while playing at the sea. When someone is fated to die, all kinds of things happen, I guess. Because a storm that wasn’t even in the forecast rushed in.”

“Ah……”

“Mmh, the village fishermen went out on boats to search and found them, but it was already too late.”

“Such a thing happened.”

“Yes. The villagers tried desperately with all their might to save them, but it was already past the point of help.”

“…… silence/dots

As if it was a memory she did not want to recall, Shin Jeong-eun’s forehead creased deeply.

But the story continued.

“After that, Mi-seon’s grandmother lived in a half-dazed state, neither dead nor alive, and not long after the war broke out, someone left Mi-seon and Min-jun in front of her house. They abandoned the children. They probably thought the kids would starve to death if they carried them around in the middle of the chaos… Voluntarily or involuntarily, there were many children like this.”

“I see.”

“Thinking this was also heaven’s will, Mi-seon’s grandmother took them in and raised them until now. Since she had no one else to lean on, she attached her heart to the children and raised them devotedly despite the poverty, but not long ago, she came down with dementia like this. Heaven is so indifferent.”

Hmph, Shin Jeong-eun let out a deep sigh.

“So, does the grandmother think Mi-seon and Min-jun are her own son and daughter?”

“Yes. Until recently, when she had occasional lucid moments, she recognized them properly, but now even that is……”

It was at that very moment.

“Doctor! Does the food not suit your taste?”

Mi-seon’s grandmother approached holding a bowl of warm scorched-rice water.

“Ah, no. I’m enjoying it.”

“Is it because the side dishes are poor?”

Seeing the still full dishes and rice bowl, Mi-seon’s grandmother wore a worried expression.

“No! It is truly delicious.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

“I’m glad. Eat heartily since you have to see patients all day.”

“Yes.”

“By the way, it’s about time for Deok-bae to go to school, why isn’t he getting up? Doctor, I put the scorched-rice water here, so take your time. I will go wake our boy.”

“Ah, yes.”

As Mi-seon’s grandmother went over to the opposite room like that,

“If it is Deok-bae?”

“Yes. The name of the deceased son of Mi-seon’s grandmother is Deok-bae.”

Shin Jeong-eun nodded.

It was right then.

“Aigoo! Deok-bae! Where did that girl Deok-ja go?”

The voice of Mi-seon’s grandmother, who went to wake her grandson, was heard.

“Grandma! Deok-ja went to school early today because she’s on duty!”

Since Min-jun knew the grandmother’s state well, he seemed to make a suitable excuse.

“Really? I guess I forgot. Did she pack her lunchbox??”

“Yeah. Don’t worry. Deok-ja must have taken care of it herself.”

“Is that so? My mind is back and forth these days.”

Like that, Mi-seon’s grandmother’s world remained stuck twenty years ago.

A moment later.

Having finished breakfast, Kim Ji-hyuk bowed.

“Grandm… No, ma’am, I ate well.”

“Are you finished?”

“Yes. I ate very well. I will head to the hospital now.”

“Doctor! Just a moment!”

At that, Mi-seon’s grandmother looked around warily and pulled Kim Ji-hyuk’s arm to a secluded corner.

“Pardon? What is it?”

“You must never go to Fairy Rock.”

Mi-seon’s grandmother said, lowering her voice as much as possible.

‘Fairy Rock??’

“…… silence/dots

Kim Ji-hyuk was startled at the grandmother’s unexpected words.

“1961! The rain will probably pour down in torrents that day, but you must absolutely, absolutely never climb Fairy Rock!”

‘What on earth is going on? If it is a rainy day in 1961… Isn’t that the date of Kim Ji-hyuk’s death recorded in Grandfather’s diary? Yet this grandmother is saying the exact same thing!’

The grandmother spoke in a clear, articulate tone.

The grandmother’s mind looked so clear that it was hard to tell she was a dementia patient.

‘Exactly what is going on here?’

Kim Ji-hyuk’s mind became complicated.

But one certain fact.

May 16, 1961, a rainy day, and Fairy Rock!

All of this was definitely closely linked to the fate of Kim Ji-hyuk—that is, my fate.

A moment later.

“Man-sik, come to the hospital later to handle Mi-seon’s matters. I will head back first with the doctor.”

“Okay. See you at the hospital later.”

“Senior! May I ask you just one thing?”

Kim Ji-hyuk asked as they walked out of Mi-seon’s grandmother’s house, returning to the hospital.

“Yes? What is it?”

“By any chance, do you know Fairy Rock?”

“…… silence/dots

Shin Jeong-eun flinched at the mention of Fairy Rock.

“Why?”

“I know of it. But why do you ask?”

“Yes. Just now, the grandmother told me never to go to Fairy Rock.”

“The grandmother did?”

“Yes. She said so.”

“It is nothing major. If you go out to the beach over there, there is a large rock called Fairy Rock. Since it’s unique, people occasionally climbed it and fell. Even though it looks like nothing special, it is extremely slippery and dangerous. So, she meant it as a warning… At any rate, you must never go there either, Doctor. It is dangerous.”

Rambling.

The feeling that she was glossing it over was strong. As if there was something to hide.

‘Why would a grandmother with dementia bother? But at that moment, it was hard to view her as a dementia patient at all.’

“Mmh, I see. By the way, is the grandmother really suffering from dementia? Has she been diagnosed?”

“Everyone said so.”

“Then you mean she hasn’t been formally diagnosed?”

“That’s true, but… generally.”

“Yes. Understood. I will examine the grandmother myself later.”

“Okay.”

“Let’s return to the hospital first.”

Like that, Kim Ji-hyuk and Shin Jeong-eun returned to the UN Field Hospital together.

* * *

That evening at the lodgings.

After finishing all consultations, Kim Ji-hyuk checked Mi-seon’s condition in the ward and came up to the lodgings.

“Ji-hyuk, why can’t you sleep like that?”

As Kim Ji-hyuk tossed and turned, Kim Yun-seok asked in concern.

“Nothing. It’s nothing.”

“Tomorrow is the day we go to the Geoje Island POW Camp for medical service. You’d better sleep early. The professors went ahead and are working hard, so we must depart early in the morning too.”

The professors of the hospital had left first on a two-day schedule for the treatment of prisoners at the Geoje POW camp.

Kim Ji-hyuk, along with Kim Yun-seok and a few residents, had remained behind to care for the hospital’s patients.

“Okay.”

Toss and turn.

However, Kim Ji-hyuk could not fall asleep easily due to the day’s events.

“What is it? Is something worrying you?”

At that, Kim Yun-seok could not tolerate it any longer, kicked off the bedding, and sat up.

“Well, it’s……”

“Tell me. You’ve been strange since you returned from visiting Mi-seon’s grandmother today. You even made a mistake when giving an enema to patient Steven, didn’t you? A guy who was usually so meticulous and good at it?”

“Mmh, okay, I’ll tell you. By any chance, have you heard of Fairy Rock?”

Finally, Kim Ji-hyuk opened his mouth.

“Fairy Rock? Did you hear the rumors by any chance?”

“Yeah. Just. Well. I heard it in passing, they were talking about Fairy Rock.”

“Mmh, that’s where people died!”

“People died?”

“Yeah! I heard several people died there?”

“Why? Why did they die? Tell me quickly!”

Gulp. Kim Ji-hyuk urged Kim Yun-seok as if nervous.