Chapter 9, Part 2: I Am a Kindergartener (4)

The familiar face turned out to be Seung-woo.

Thanks to this, I was able to immediately understand why Seung-woo's family had come to the used bookstore. They must have come to express their gratitude for what happened earlier in the day.

"Hello."

I bowed deeply to greet Seung-woo's parents.

Seeing this, his father tilted his head in confusion, and I pointed at Seung-woo with my index finger.

"That child is Seung-woo, who was sick today. The person next to him must be Seung-woo's parents."

"Oh... Nice to meet you. I'm Seung-woo's father."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Seung-woo's father."

"Seung-woo, I'm your mother."

While the parents introduced themselves, I made eye contact with Seung-woo.

"Um... Hello."

Seung-woo shyly said and waved his hand. It was a timid greeting, given that he was unexpectedly in someone else's shop.

I also waved and greeted him warmly.

Perhaps feeling more at ease with his parents around, Seung-woo looked much more comfortable than he did at kindergarten, which put my mind at ease.

"Here, please accept this small token."

Seung-woo's father handed me a gift of juice. My father, saying that he didn't expect such a gesture, accepted the juice.

"Isn't it impolite to keep guests standing outside? Belief."

"Yes, Dad."

"I'll prepare some drinks, so please take the guests to the room."

"Yes!"

I led Seung-woo's family to the annex of the bookstore.

With four people sitting in the cramped and shabby room, it felt like the room might burst at any moment.

However, Seung-woo's parents looked around the room with interest, not showing any signs of looking down on the poor and cramped living conditions.

"We've heard a lot about you from the kindergarten teachers. They all said that thanks to you, Seung-woo was saved."

Seung-woo's father said in a deep voice. He was a well-dressed gentleman in a high-quality suit, with a face that exuded wealth and affluence.

I knew that the watch on his wrist was worth several million won.

Seung-woo's mother was equally stylish.

'My parents will probably be like that soon.'

Even seeing Seung-woo's parents, I didn't feel the least bit intimidated. Instead, I was determined to give my own parents a life of luxury, and I felt a burning passion.

"No, I just told the teacher what I knew. The teacher did all the work."

"Good boy. You speak so politely for your age. But tell me..."

"..."

"They say you knew the Heimlich maneuver, which is why the teacher was able to save Seung-woo?"

"That's... right."

"Then you played a big role in saving Seung-woo. You should be proud of yourself."

"Thank you."

I bowed and deliberately made a lisp.

"Hahaha. You're so cute. So cute."

"Belief's parents must be very proud of Belief."

I chuckled inwardly at the laughing Seung-woo's parents.

Inadvertently having a self-awareness from the age of one, I had also learned how to be loved by others.

This skill would be very useful when I went to medical school and worked in a hospital later.

After all, 70% of hospital life is about reading the room and navigating social dynamics.

"By the way, Belief, you're incredibly smart. You even remember the Heimlich maneuver, which is hard to pronounce."

"Right, right. Your mother is a nurse, right?"

"Yes, my mother is a nurse."

I said proudly.

Come to think of it, the fact that my mother was a nurse played a significant role in saving Seung-woo. If she hadn't been a nurse, who would have listened to me?

"And I want to become a great doctor when I grow up."

"Of course you will. You've already saved Seung-woo. I'll support you, so you must become a great doctor."

"I'll support you too."

"Thank you."

Rattle.

Just then, the sliding door opened, and my father appeared.

He placed a tray with drinks and bread on the floor and managed to sit next to me in the narrow space.

"Hahaha. Our living conditions are modest, aren't they?"

"But all I see is a generous heart and a smart, capable son."

"Oh, you flatter me."

"I'm sure you have an idea why I'm here, Mr. Belief. You've heard the story from Belief, right?"

Seung-woo's father began.

From the perspective of a father whose son's life was saved, he summarized the incident and expressed his sincere gratitude.

Although he didn't say it, his pride in me was evident.

I was also proud of saving Seung-woo and being able to show filial piety.

"..."

"..."

After about thirty minutes of conversation about the incident earlier in the day, the topic ran out.

The only connection between the two unfamiliar families was Seung-woo's choking incident.

With that connection severed, a natural silence fell.

"Oh, by the way, I saw a typewriter on the way in. Do you write?"

Seung-woo's father asked, his eyes lighting up.

"I graduated with a degree in Korean literature and am currently writing a novel. I'm like an apprentice writer."

"Is that so? May I ask what genre you write?"

"'The Shadow's Door' is a work that straddles the line between literary and genre fiction. It deals with the Cheonan serial murder case, but why..."

"There's a reason for that."

Seung-woo's father smiled and handed me a business card.

I stretched my neck like a giraffe to peek at the card in my father's hand.

Son Jung-ho, President of Hanssem Publishing.

His appearance was already unusual, but I never expected him to be the president of a publishing company.

If it was Hanssem, it was one of the top ten publishing companies at the moment.

I was greatly surprised by the current situation, but also somewhat convinced.

The kindergarten enrollment rate in the 1980s was around 15%.

So, just by attending kindergarten, one could infer that they belonged to the top 15% in terms of income.

Of course, there were exceptions like my family.

"Wow, you're such an important person?"

My father's pupils dilated as he took the business card.

In contrast, I, a former surgeon, quickly composed myself.

It was nothing compared to the time I had to open the chest of a patient with a ruptured aorta who arrived late to the operating room, with blood gushing out like a fountain.

"There's nothing special about me. I didn't build the publishing company on my own; I inherited it from my father."

"Even so, you must be capable for your father to entrust you with the company."

"Hahaha, you speak well for a writer."

Seung-woo's father took a sip of his drink and continued.

"Anyway, please send us your unfinished manuscript. We'll take responsibility for publishing your first work at our publishing company."

"That's too much trouble..."

"Because of Belief, Seung-woo was saved. Can't you do this much? There's no need to feel burdened. I'm the one who feels regret for not being able to do more."

"I want to see Dad's book too. I want to show it to my friends."

I subtly encouraged my father to publish his book.

This was a golden opportunity.

The unfinished 'The Shadow's Door' had already been recognized for its literary and topical value by my father's classmate.

If it could be properly completed and published, my father could achieve both his dreams and financial success.

I couldn't let him pass up such an opportunity.

"Dad, publish the book~ Publish the book~."

"Can you refuse when Belief wants it so much?"

"Hehe. Well... In that case, I'll have to take you up on your offer."

"Of course."

The moment the verbal agreement was made, I wanted to cheer.

Seung-woo, who was right in front of me, looked as adorable as my own child.

'Is this how fate changes?'

Originally, I wasn't supposed to attend kindergarten.

In my previous life, my mother, who was in a bus accident, took a few years off work, and our family's financial situation deteriorated sharply.

So, there was no way we could afford to send me to kindergarten.

However, my mother fortunately avoided the traffic accident.

So, she has been working steadily as a nurse ever since.

I suddenly started attending kindergarten and saved Seung-woo, who was about to choke to death.

Grateful for this, Seung-woo's father promised to publish my father's book.

By changing my mother's fate, who was supposed to be in a traffic accident, I had inadvertently set off an unexpected chain of events.

Life is so delicate and unpredictable...

'Perhaps this is the power I possess.'

I looked down at my fist, which felt like a ball of cotton.

The memories of my past life.

The experience of being a seasoned thoracic surgeon.

These two were my one-two punch, and this one-two punch was powerful enough to shake the world.

'I think the god of medicine gave me this opportunity to show Jang Tae-sub a lesson and to serve the medical community better.'

"Is the grown-up talk boring?"

Seung-woo's father seemed to misunderstand my deep thoughts as boredom and handed me a thousand won.

He told me to go get some snacks with Seung-woo at a nearby store.

There was no reason to hesitate.

Seung-woo, who seemed to share the same feeling, darted out of the annex like a flying squirrel.

* * *

"Phew, it feels better. The room was hot, right?"

"Uh-huh."

Seung-woo nodded. Now that I looked closely, he was a big kid with clear, delicate eyes.

"Thanks, Belief. You saved me. I was too scared to speak earlier."

"It's okay. I would have done the same for you."

"Really?"

"Of course."

I patted Seung-woo's shoulder affectionately. A bright smile spread across his face.

This was a phrase I often used as a doctor.

More precisely, "I would have done the same for the patient."

This was a magical sentence that could magically build rapport with even a new patient.

If I were you.

If you were me.

Being a surgeon required more than just dexterous hands and perseverance.

Building a solid trust relationship to help patients endure difficult surgeries was just as important.

"What do you want to eat? I'll buy it for you."

"Hmm... Can I have a Canoli ice cream?"

"Let's go."

I found a nearby convenience store.

The scenery and food that only existed in my memories were coming back to life.

'This is how it was.'

The prices of the items displayed in the convenience store were vastly different from when I was an adult in my previous life.

With the thousand won in my hand, I could buy two bowls of jajangmyeon, five bottles of soju, or ten packets of ramen.

"Are you only going to eat Canoli? I'll buy you something else too."

"Then I'll have a cola too."

"Okay."

I bought two Canoli ice creams and a bottle of cola. We sat on the bench in front of the store and started eating.

Feeling my stomach full with these stimulating foods, I felt as happy as if I had the whole world.

Indeed, it seems that desires grow with age.

There was a time when I was this happy with just ice cream and cola.

"Belief, from now on, you can have Ji-won. I like Ji-won, but I'll specially give her to you."

I couldn't help but chuckle at Seung-woo's serious statement.

After all, I was a middle-aged thoracic surgeon, while Seung-woo was a genuine kindergartener.

It was natural that our levels of thinking were different.

"Okay. That's reassuring."

Listening to Seung-woo's bold promise, I looked up at the blue sky.

I imagined the predestined relationships and the unexpected ones like Seung-woo that lay ahead.

If I had been reborn, I could embrace all these relationships.