Time Mansour - Chapter 82
Only Noblemtl
Episode 82: Depending on how you accept it
Unfortunately, time is relative.
sometimes.
It also goes back in time.
Da-eun’s father went back in time to the past.
Da-eun’s father is smiling brightly on the hospital bed.
The smile shatters in the sunlight.
“Dad. Dad. Really. Really. I missed you.”
Da-eun is held in her father’s arms.
Unlike Da-eun’s touching appearance.
Da-eun’s father stares blankly into space.
In a long-term vegetative state, it is rare to wake up with full consciousness.
Even if I just lie around lazy for a few days, I feel nauseous and my mind becomes dazed.
It’s been years. There’s no way someone who’s been lying unconscious in bed for years would be okay.
“Hehe. Heh. Heh.”
Da-eun’s father returns to his childhood.
Instead of Da-eun becoming an adult too early.
Instead.
My father went back to his childhood.
“···”
When my father woke up, I couldn’t bring myself to say congratulations.
Hold the sentence in your mouth and swallow it.
The words traveled down my esophagus and were slowly digested.
Because all I could do now was just sit back and watch.
I looked at Da-eun with my lips tightly shut.
I looked at Da-eun in her father’s arms for a long time.
“Teacher, can I talk to you for a moment?”
Da-eun came to her senses at her mother’s words.
“Yes? Uh. Uh. Okay, I understand.”
He nodded, stammering.
like that.
Leaving Da-eun in the hospital room, Da-eun followed her mother.
I push back the hospital lounge chair and twist the neck of the juice bottle. Crack. The sound is accompanied by the scent of apples.
“It’s level 2.”
Da-eun’s mother spoke calmly.
Da-eun’s mother’s voice disperses in all directions with a sweet fragrance.
So many worries are contained in those small eyes that they cannot handle it and the worries spill out of their eyes.
Eyes that turn red like apples every time you blink.
The emotions I had been holding back flowed down my cheeks.
Maybe that’s why.
The break room smelled like apples.
After shedding tears like apples for a long time.
Have you calmed down a bit?
Da-eun’s mother slowly opened her mouth.
“I heard. Teacher, your older sister was also… sick.”
“Yes… I’ve had an illness since I was little.”
“Then maybe···”
Da-eun’s mother stops talking for a moment.
Swallow with a cry.
I didn’t think he’d speak if I just stayed, so I cautiously opened my mouth first.
“Please tell me. If there is anything I can do to help, I will.”
“My husband… will he be able to live a normal life to some extent?”
A question that was brought up with difficulty.
What should I say in answer?
I kept worrying and worrying in my mind.
You probably don’t want a medical diagnosis.
To begin with, I’m not a doctor.
Just my personal opinion, I think he wants to be comforted.
I had that feeling.
“I don’t know either… but if you get proper treatment… you’ll be able to recover.”
Even though I know it’s not true.
I answered as positively as possible.
“Teacher. How was your older sister?”
“··· My older sister was a first-class person. And she had been like that since she was little.”
“Ah… It must have been hard for you too, teacher.”
I am comforted by the person who should be comforting me.
“Actually… I did think it would be difficult.”
“yes?”
“That’s why I deliberately avoided you. But I still regret that. I regret not spending more time with you… I regret it so much.”
After saying that, he just smiled awkwardly.
This may be off-topic, but
Still, it was my true heart.
I hoped the two of them wouldn’t make the same mistake I did.
Just the fact that I’m with my family.
Because it can become happiness depending on how you accept it.
I realized it too late.
Even now, whenever I hear the word ‘sister’, a part of my heart still hurts so much.
‘Still, I hope those two don’t get sick.’
I hope you don’t live your whole life with regrets like me.
With that thought in mind, I poured the remaining juice into my mouth.
**
On the way home.
I felt uneasy for no reason.
My chest feels so tight.
It seems like the cold lasts longer than expected.
I got off the bus one stop early, pressing my heart with one hand.
After a long time, I went for a walk to the fog park to get some fresh air.
The night sky has already become dark.
The fog in the fog park is not limited to day or night.
I leaned against a bench in the corner to avoid the fog that was chasing me like usual.
I looked up at the sky while hugging the old bench.
Mosquitoes poured down like stars from the night sky.
Wheein. Wheein.
As the mosquitoes flap their wings in chorus.
match.
match.
I sat on the bench like a spectator and applauded continuously.
A never-ending show.
Towards the mosquito that keeps biting me as if it thinks I want an encore.
After hitting your palms like that several times.
Only after I felt a tingling sensation in my hands.
Eventually, I was the first to give up and put my hands down.
While watching the mosquitoes’ concert, I thought of Da-eun’s smile in my heart.
‘Da-eun looked happy.’
Even though he clearly saw that his father was mentally unwell, he showed no sign of disappointment.
I was purely happy that my father, who had been lying down his whole life, was able to wake up.
I hope Da-eun continues to think positively in the future.
Take a deep breath, then exhale slowly.
No matter how many times you breathe in and out.
Strangely, my stuffy chest doesn’t feel relieved.
I continued to feel uncomfortable, as if something was stuck in me.
**
Several days have passed since then.
My chest was still so stuffy and stuffy.
But there was work to be done.
I hurried to the meeting place.
After a long time, Seongtae called all the kids.
Although he didn’t really give a reason.
Everyone knew why.
The meeting place was a practice room.
furthermore.
Because I asked them to bring their instruments.
I’m about to go up the stairs of the practice room building.
Seongtae happened to appear.
After lightly raising my hand and saying hello.
We stood side by side and went up the stairs to the practice room.
As I was climbing the stairs, something suddenly occurred to me and I asked Seongtae.
“Where are you going this time?”
“Children’s ward.”
“University hospital?”
“Oh. Right.”
I stopped walking, turned my head, and looked at Seongtae.
If we were to perform for children, it would be difficult with the songs we have.
I tilt my head as I think about it.
“Are you going to focus on cover songs?”
“That’s right. I’m going to sing a nursery rhyme.”
At those words, I opened my eyes wide and looked at Seongtae.
I always wanted to play only the songs I composed.
In the meantime, did Seongtae have a change of heart?
Why do they want to sing a different song?
‘Well. Anyway, there will be more performances in the future.’
There was a reason why the show wasn’t going well for a while.
Volunteer bands usually perform in places where there are a lot of children or elderly people.
Our band’s music didn’t fit that kind of place.
I opened the door and went into the practice room. I guess we were the first ones. No one had come yet. I put the keyboard on the stand. I was setting up the instruments before the kids came.
suddenly.
“What’s wrong with you?”
Seongtae opened his mouth.
“Why? Is it too obvious?”
“Oh. Your expression is so dark.”
While waiting for the other kids, I told Seongtae about Da-eun.
As soon as I heard that my father had become disabled and woke up.
“Wow… That kid is really….”
Seongtae can’t continue speaking.
Da-eun has been through so many things at a young age.
Even a third party who doesn’t know anything about it would find the situation pitiful.
“I don’t know. I’m just worried that Da-eun might go astray. That’s what I’m most worried about.”
“Hey. You’ve grown up well too. Don’t worry about that.”
I’m saying this because I didn’t grow up well.
All my life I’ve wanted my sister to die.
I hope that Da-eun doesn’t have such thoughts.
After thinking about it that far, I soon turned my head from side to side.
I feel like if I stay still, more useless thoughts will come to mind.
I quietly placed my hands on the keyboard.
I hope that this will ease your heavy heart a little.
**
Long time no see.
I sometimes hit the keyboard whenever I feel depressed.
It seems like the other kids don’t usually play instruments at all.
At first, I struggled for a while to get the feel of it.
After making a few mistakes.
He started playing a performance worthy of the name.
I was practicing without any problems.
“A baby bear appeared in the grass. Uh-huh. Uh-huh···”
Guk-yeong stops singing and puts down the microphone.
And then he looks at us with a dumbfounded expression.
“Kids? Is that right? Is that right? Isn’t that right? Isn’t that a bear?”
“That’s the original lyrics. Don’t be picky and just sing it.”
A state that gets angry over nothing.
Seongtae gestures for me to quickly grab the microphone with an annoyed look on his face.
‘I see something is going on at the grocery store.’
Gukyoung himself wasn’t the kind of person who would be sensitive enough to care about such things. When things don’t go well at work, he gets angry over nothing. So he must be taking out his anger for no reason.
“No. That’s too weird. Think about it from my perspective as the one who’s calling.”
“Okay. Okay, I get it. It’s noisy. Let’s stop practicing here.”
Then, Seongtae also put down his guitar. Seeing that, I also put away my keyboard.
It was just a simple nursery rhyme anyway.
There wasn’t much to practice.
We gathered today to catch some feelings.
To the point where it seemed like even vocalist Kookyoung had a hard time memorizing the lyrics.
It was just a simple melody with a monotonous rhythm repeating.
however.
There was still work to be done.
In fact, there was a more important matter left than practice today.
A performance at a children’s hospital.
When we performed, we all had to put on makeup.
and.
“So the important thing now is not the bear. It’s who will dress up as the winter princess.”
“I can’t. There’s no size that fits.”
“Just take it off. Why are you wearing women’s clothing at this age?”
“No. There are a lot of girls there too.”
Among the prepared outfits.
There was one dress mixed up.
Because he’s a character that girls like.
One of us had to be a fairy tale princess.
“Okay. Let’s have a fair fight.”
“I welcome you. Justice always prevails.”
At Seongtae’s one desperate word.
Everyone prepares to play rock, paper, scissors.
Crossing your wrists foretells the future.
Because Seongtae and Myeonggyu usually play scissors on the first turn.
If I throw a punch, I can knock two people out.
After finishing big data analysis, I put my major to use.
He boldly reached out his hand.
He punched the air.
“Yes!”
“That’s right. It’s definitely going to happen.”
Surprisingly, the result came out in just one game.
Cheers erupted from the other children’s mouths.
Just one person.
Except me.
“Yes. This is correct.”
“Because justice always triumphs.”
“Villain, put on your dress quickly.”
The kids were looking at me and laughing.
I just looked at my fist in vain.
A fist clenched tightly and unable to open.
What have I been clenching my fists so tightly to grasp all my life?
My past life flashes through my mind like a revolving lantern.
like that.
I can’t believe that I have to wear princess makeup.
“Please. Just one more round. Let’s do it again just one more time.”
Let’s try being stubborn once.
Go back in time.
As if I had become a child.
“Kids, please save me. I beg you to save me. I have social standing and dignity. How can I wear a dress?”
Let’s try this ridiculous excuse once.