Chapter 67

Chapter 4 of Episode 67: One Step Further (2)

Returning home after half a day, Antae-hwan found it incredibly warm and comforting.

His younger sister's extreme attempt.

His unusual anaphylaxis, which he had been completely unaware of throughout his life.

After experiencing a series of soul-shaking events, his home felt even more precious and dear.

'However...'

Antae-hwan glanced at his younger sister, who followed him into the entrance, feeling a mix of emotions.

One of them was relief.

Relief that his sister had not lost her life and had returned home safely.

Just that alone made today a blessed day.

Even now, just thinking about when he encountered his sister on the building rooftop made his legs tremble.

Another emotion rising in his chest.

This emotion was guilt.

No matter how much he tried to justify it, saying that as a first-year medical student, he had a lot to study.

There was no excuse.

Until his sister attempted her extreme action.

He had failed to read any signs.

He had simply assumed that, being a third-year high school student, she must only be under academic stress, and thus ignored her pain.

Antae-hwan had a significant part in his sister's extreme decision.

And there was one more surprising fact.

The person who resolved the movie-like events that his family had experienced today.

That person was none other than Eumyeon.

The one who had noticed his sister's extreme attempt and figured out the location.

The one who identified his condition, which he had thought was just a cold and hives, as food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis and insisted on emergency treatment.

All of this was thanks to Eumyeon.

In a sense, the Antae-hwan family had been saved by Eumyeon.

If he had not known Eumyeon, what kind of day would today have been for him?

Just thinking about it made his spine shiver.

He also resolved to treat Eumyeon well from now on.

Even crows, toads, and frogs repay their debts of gratitude.

He, wearing a human face, could not let today's events pass by lightly.

Antae-hwan decided that he would do everything in his power to help Eumyeon from now on.

Eumyeon had more than enough reason to receive a great favor in return.

"Everyone, rest in the living room. I'll bring some fruit."

As his mother headed to the kitchen, his father, Antae-hwan, and his sister, Ansso-hye, remained in the living room.

It was his sister who broke the brief silence first.

"Brother, are you really okay?"

His sister, who had planned an extreme action, asked him with a worried expression.

His heart warmed instantly.

"Stupid, who's worrying about whom? I thought my heart would stop because of you."

"I didn't go to the hospital like you did."

"More severe... No, forget it. Let's not talk about it."

Antae-hwan swallowed the words and emotions swirling in his mouth.

He didn't want to hurt his sister by spilling them out.

"Did the doctor say anything else while we were at the café?"

His father, who had been silent, changed the subject.

"The allergy resident came down for a moment. After explaining the situation, he suggested it would be good to take an allergy test."

"So?"

"I made an appointment for next week. The test will help us identify the cause of the shock reaction."

"Finally, I can breathe a sigh of relief. It's not just about Sso-hye, but about you too, Tae-hwan."

His father let out a sigh of relief.

Perhaps due to the series of major events, he looked much older after just half a day.

"Let's have a light snack before dinner."

His mother, who had left the kitchen, placed a bowl of fruit on the table.

However, peaches, which Antae-hwan loved the most, were nowhere to be found.

It was a bit disappointing, but he probably wouldn't be able to eat peaches again from now on.

"What did you talk about when you left the emergency room?"

Antae-hwan opened the conversation.

He had heard that while he was lying on the emergency bed, his parents and sister had gone out to talk.

He was curious about what they had discussed.

"Mom apologized to Sso-hye. She was sorry for tearing up her notebook and nagging her to study hard."

"Your father also apologized for not paying enough attention to Sso-hye."

After his mother finished speaking, his sister added a word.

"I also apologized to my parents. I had been bottling up my feelings all this time."

"..."

"I had never even mentioned that I liked drawing."

"That's not your fault. Your mother was so insistent on you getting into a prestigious university. How could you have told her that?"

Seeing his mother defending Sso-hye, Antae-hwan chuckled.

If it were the old mother, she would never have reacted like this, even if she had come back from the dead.

Although a terrible event had occurred, it ultimately did not happen.

Thanks to this, the family was able to acknowledge each other's wounds and embrace them.

The phrase "turning misfortune into fortune" fit perfectly.

After that, the four of them continued to chat.

It was not a superficial conversation where they added brief opinions or emotions while watching the news, but a deep, heartfelt conversation.

Antae-hwan could clearly and vividly feel that the conflicts within the family were being resolved.

All of this was thanks to Eumyeon.

* * *

"Ah, Eumyeon, you're here?"

As I entered the volunteer club room, Antae-hwan, who was sitting on the sofa, spotted me and stood up.

He opened his arms and hugged me enthusiastically.

"Your greeting is unusually aggressive today?"

"It can't be... Thanks to you, my sister and I were saved."

"What did I do? It was just a matter of the right circumstances. By the way, what does 'Eumyeon' mean?"

I asked, putting some distance between us.

"What else could it mean? You're obviously a savior of life. Sit down, I have a lot to talk about."

Sitting next to Antae-hwan on the sofa, I listened to his one-sided story.

It was about the aftermath of the events that happened ten days ago on the weekend.

I was curious about the aftermath, so I perked up my ears.

First, Antae-hwan said that through the allergy test at the allergy clinic, he was diagnosed with food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis.

He had eaten a peach and then used a treadmill, which was a form of exercise stress test.

The exercise stress test is mainly conducted in cardiology.

It involves attaching ECG sensors and running on a treadmill to check the patient's heart condition during exercise.

"It was fine when I was walking, but when I started running to the point of being out of breath, the allergic reaction began."

"..."

"Isn't it ridiculous? I can eat peaches and run until I'm out of breath, but I can't eat peaches and then run until I'm out of breath."

Antae-hwan said with a look of disbelief.

It was understandable, as food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis is extremely rare and sounds absurd.

"Still, it's a relief to know the cause. Now that I know the cause, I can avoid it, right?"

"True. How about Sso-hye?"

I changed the topic to Sso-hye.

Although there was no tutoring last week, I had contacted her personally and heard the news.

Thanks to the family's heart-to-heart talk, their relationship had become even closer.

Sso-hye had been freed from the destiny of entering a prestigious university and was now preparing for art school.

"That's also thanks to you. Sso-hye has been smiling a lot lately. I didn't know she could smile so much."

"That's great. It's a happy ending for the whole family."

"But it might be a sad ending for you."

"Why?"

I was surprised by his response.

I was as happy as the Antae-hwan family.

I had saved Ansso-hye, who had died tragically in my previous life.

I had also identified Antae-hwan's food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis, which I had been unaware of in my previous life.

I had completed my self-imposed mission 200%.

I was overflowing with a sense of accomplishment.

Was this the taste of reincarnation?

"Sso-hye decided not to have tutoring related to her studies anymore. I'm really sorry, but..."

"I thought it was something more serious. It's fine if I can't tutor anymore."

"Still, I'm sorry. I couldn't even last a month."

Antae-hwan took an envelope from the bag he had placed near the sofa and handed it to me.

According to him, the envelope contained three months' worth of tutoring fees.

"My parents also asked me to convey their gratitude. Don't feel obligated, just take it."

"..."

"If you refuse, I'll chase you to hell."

"Then... I'll use it well."

I took the envelope without hesitation.

It was a matter of etiquette not to refuse a heartfelt gift.

"By the way, senior. How is Sso-hye preparing for art school?"

"According to my mother, she plans to attend an art school and get a private tutor. Since it's a bit late to start, they're considering a gap year."

"Can I ask you for one favor?"

I started to make my request.

I had recently been in touch with my elementary school classmate, Kim Yo-han, who suffers from Brugada syndrome.

Kim Yo-han attended a vocational high school but managed his grades well and performed well in the practical exam, getting into the best art school in Korea.

The snot-nosed kid who had given me a bookend as a gift had grown into a fine art student.

However, Kim Yo-han was struggling to find a way to pay the expensive tuition fees for art school.

I thought it would be good to connect Kim Yo-han and Ansso-hye.

Kim Yo-han's tumultuous life story might also be helpful to Ansso-hye.

"Even two or three favors are fine."

"I want to use my connections. Can Sso-hye's art school tutor be my friend?"

I briefly explained who Kim Yo-han was.

After listening to my story, Antae-hwan nodded vigorously.

"Since he's your friend and has the ability, there's no reason to refuse. I think my parents will like it too."

"Can I ask you for this favor?"

"Of course."

Antae-hwan, looking at me with a smile, seemed to be willing to give me everything after the events of last week.

A virtuous cycle of giving and receiving help is exactly this.

If such a virtuous cycle could be established, the world would be a much better place to live...

"Yeumyeon."

Antae-hwan called my name with a serious tone.

"Yes, senior."

"If you ever have any difficult, hard, or painful problems, come to me. I'll do my best to help you within my means."

"..."

"You have the right to do so."

After patting my shoulder lightly, Antae-hwan left the club room, saying he had a class.

Antae-hwan, who would become a seasoned politician in the future, even running for president.

Such a powerful politician was willing to do his best to help me.

His words, like those of a great man, were like an army of a thousand soldiers to me.