M 110

Oh Seon-ran moved the books scattered on the bed to the nightstand so Sehwa could lie down comfortably. Sehwa bowed his head and just kept touching the spine of a book aimlessly.

“Is there anything you want me to buy? Anything you want to eat?”

Sehwa just shook his head lightly at Oh Seon-ran’s kind question. Even with the same expressionless face, the temperature was different from when he looked at Ki Tae-jeong.

Ki Tae-jeong felt like he was burning up inside. On the day Oh Seon-ran suddenly came to the department store, Sehwa had been overjoyed to see him from afar. He kept opening and closing his mouth as if trying to call him, and when he approached and held his hand tightly, he kept glancing at him with a face full of affection.

But… that same Sehwa was now looking at him like a stranger. Now he was putting up his defenses against him, just as he had been wary of Oh Seon-ran that day.

“Let’s go out.”

Oh Seon-ran left the room briskly after carefully tucking Sehwa in. Ki Tae-jeong stared at Sehwa, who was just nervously watching him, before moving his feet. The worry on his face wasn’t for him. He was undoubtedly anxious about what he might do to Major General Oh Seon-ran?.

“You…”

As soon as the hospital room door closed, Major General Oh Seon-ran? took a deep breath with his hands on his hips. He kept muttering “you, Ki Tae-jeong” several times before suddenly throwing a punch.

With a sharp friction sound like hitting a wet towel, Ki Tae-jeong’s head snapped to the side. As expected of a major general, Oh Seon-ran knew how to deliver an effective beating.

Ki Tae-jeong straightened his posture, rolling his tongue inside his cheek. It was an unpleasant feeling, as he hadn’t been hit by anyone since his commissioning, but he thought it might not be so bad if Sehwa showed concern upon seeing the mark left behind.

After that, Oh Seon-ran aimed his punches and kicks only at areas that wouldn’t show marks, like his stomach or shins. The increasing intensity suggested that his defiant attitude, as if daring him to do more, was contributing to his irritation.

“Even if I tell you to take the treatment and come back, I don’t think you’d listen… I’m stopping here because Sehwa would be surprised if you suddenly appeared with a swollen face.”

Breathing heavily as if throwing a tantrum, Oh Seon-ran wiped his dry face.

“So, this is the result of relentlessly chasing down and keeping by your side someone who ran away because it was so hard? Is this all?”

He was gritting his teeth so hard that the grinding sound could be heard from here. Yet he was keeping his voice low, afraid his words might leak through the door.

“How dare you, to whose child, whose child…!”

Oh Seon-ran’s jaw trembled as he spoke.

Whose child? Ki Tae-jeong narrowed his eyes in confusion. He wasn’t at all surprised that Oh Seon-ran had immediately raised his hand. But this… was a bit strange. For an attitude towards a friend’s son… isn’t it too passionate?

“Major General Oh Seon-ran?.”

“…”

“That person who gave birth to Lee Sehwa… was it really an acquaintance of yours, Major General Oh Seon-ran??”

“…What?”

Oh Seon-ran seemed at a loss for words for a moment, his lips pursed, before quickly freezing his expression. He seemed to have realized that his attitude was suspiciously passionate.

“…You don’t need to know.”

Aha. 

On the contrary, that denial convinced Ki Tae-jeong that there was a hidden story. It seemed the relationship between the person who gave birth to Sehwa and Major General Oh Seon-ran? was not ordinary.

“Surely you’re not planning to claim parental rights even in this situation?”

“Do I need to claim rights that naturally belong to me?”

“You,”

“Sehwa is struggling now, but he’ll be alright with time. If I continue…” Ki Tae-jeong trailed off for a moment, then quickly straightened his posture as if it was nothing. “If I continue to stay by his side, the time will come when he understands and accepts.”

“Huh, haha… Did Sehwa say that? That he wants you by his side even in this situation? That he wants that?”

Major General Oh Seon-ran? just let out a hollow laugh as if he couldn’t believe it.

He wanted to answer yes, but… in truth, Ki Tae-jeong wasn’t quite confident. Sehwa doesn’t even look at him the same way anymore… Is it okay to answer on his behalf, assuming he feels the same?

“Do you know why I don’t ask Sehwa anything? Do you understand why I’m not explaining what it means for him to become my adopted child, what he can enjoy from now on, the scale of assets that have already been transferred to Sehwa… Do you know why I’m not talking about these things?”

“That’s…”

“It’s because Sehwa is very sick. Not just his body, but his heart.” Oh Seon-ran chuckled as if it was ridiculous that he had to explain even this. Then, gritting his teeth hard again, he spoke softly but clearly, “Sehwa has lived his whole life as if he was cast out into harsh places. Even now, he’s just a young child of 21. What do you think was going through Sehwa’s mind as he struggled to endure in that house?”

“Sehwa was already on the verge of collapse even before meeting you,” Oh Seon-ran lamented. “You… probably don’t know what kind of look Sehwa has in his eyes when he sees you.”

“…”

“Do you think that child who liked only you so much, who probably saw you as the only joy in his harsh life, could be in his right mind after experiencing this? The only reason he hasn’t gone crazy now is because of the baby. He’s not enduring because what happened is bearable, but because he can’t break down here for the sake of the child, he’s barely breathing!”

Ki Tae-jeong didn’t respond to the deliberate barrage of criticism.

…He wasn’t unaware of that. It would have been better if everything had come out from the beginning. The mindset of ‘I should trust and give my heart’ would have changed to a resignation of ‘Even if I can’t trust, I should give my heart’… When incidents that were thought to be all resolved kept bursting out, he probably wanted to let go. That’s why he was turning away from him with blank eyes, his mouth tightly shut. However….

“I also hope you win this trial. I’m trying in my own way behind the scenes. I want to pin everything Sehwa did in the past on Lieutenant Kim, and for Sehwa to live normally from now on. Forgetting all about the past, like other 21-year-olds. Truly normal.”

“…”

“And that past, of course, includes you.”

Oh Seon-ran spoke coldly, saying there was only one reason he wasn’t immediately filing a lawsuit to relinquish parental rights. His words implied that once the trial was settled and enough time had passed, he wouldn’t hesitate to sue.

“I’m holding back because if I go after you now, it might give Kim So-wi’s side something to exploit in the trial. So if you care about Sehwa at all, you’ll step aside on your own.”

“…”

“The second trial is in two weeks, right? I’ll try to persuade Sehwa to complete the video testimony. That’s for his own good too. In return, please let Sehwa go so he can live peacefully afterwards.”

‘Let him go?’

‘If I just let him go, Sehwa can live quietly from now on?’

Ki Tae-jeong’s rapidly blinking eyes suddenly hardened.

“Why should I let go of Lee Sehwa?”

He’s just opened his eyes and is finally looking at him. He’s not responding, but he’s breathing. That’s enough, isn’t it? As long as he’s alive, it’s not too late, right?

“You really…!”

“I’ll take good care of Sehwa so you don’t have to worry, Brigadier General. And the child too, of course.”

‘If I stay by his side and keep telling him I’m sorry, if I reassure him…’ 

That’s what 20-year-old Lee Sehwa had said. It’s only been a year, so hiS values probably haven’t changed much. So there’s still hope. The frayed parts can be mended.

…That’s what he wanted to believe.

“Brigadier General Ki Tae-jeong, you really… think like a soldier. Even at a time like this.”

First occupy the high ground, plant the flag of victory, then plan for later.

Believing that if he win, it doesn’t matter if the process left everything in ruins.

Thinking it’s generous to call the opponent to the negotiation table and present conditions.

Never even considering unconditional acceptance or sacrifice for victory…

“I’ve wasted time giving advice to someone who won’t listen.”

Oh Seon-ran shook his head as if he no longer wanted to exchange words. Then he slowly walked towards the hospital room.

He tried to compose his face into the kind expression from earlier, massaging his tightened jaw. After several attempts, he finally seemed unable to suppress his surging emotions. He suddenly clutched his forehead and hung his head. The shoulders of the tall, robust old soldier, whose appearance belied his true age, shook violently.

“Why… why did you have to take after him in that too…”

It was a quiet yet imposing cry that made even Ki Tae-jeong and the surrounding security personnel step back. The name Major General Oh Seon-ran? kept muttering between sobs sounded like someone else’s.

Though he couldn’t make it out clearly, it definitely wasn’t Sehwa’s name. Could he be calling out to Sehwa’s father, who was said to have died? Ki Tae-jeong couldn’t guess the details at the moment, but somehow it felt that way.

After staying hunched over with his hands on his knees for a while, Major General Oh Seon-ran? slowly raised his head. He looked up at the ceiling for as long as he had cried, trying to compose himself. He cleared his throat repeatedly as if trying to gather his thoughts.

“…Well, it seems you don’t even know what you’ve lost… But you’ll understand someday.”

“…”

“The things you’ve said in front of me, you’ll regret them to your bones one day… No, by then it’ll be too late anyway, so what’s the use in saying more?”

Oh Seon-ran left Ki Tae-jeong standing there and opened the door. His voice calling “Sehwa” affectionately had no trace of tears, sounding no different from usual.

Ki Tae-jeong stood rooted to the spot, watching the door slowly close. The light spilling out from the hospital room traced a curved line on the floor before disappearing like a mirage. Though it was midday, the corridor where Ki Tae-jeong stood alone was quiet and dim.