The Way to Save the Crazy Returnees Chapter 79 - Blood Wasn’t Thicker Than Water (2)

 

 

A chill ran down my spine. I realized why—Lee Man-deuk was approaching, not far away.

 

“Mr. Lee Man-deuk.”

 

What should I say? Should I start by apologizing? Even if I did, would he accept it? It might just make things worse…

 

“Where are the kids?”

 

His voice was calm. It seemed Seo Do-hwan had managed to calm him somehow. I had no idea what kind of magic he had used to soothe the mage, but I answered his question first.

 

“Deok-soon and Soon-deuk are in the hospital room.”

 

“So he’s not dead yet, huh?”

 

Lee Man-deuk let out a bitter laugh.

 

“He’s got a stubborn grip on life.”

 

“That’s why he’s still hanging on.”

 

Despite being told his father was nearing death, the old man had clung to life for over a week.

 

“About not telling you earlier…”

 

“It’s fine.”

 

He cut me off.

 

“No matter what you say, CEO Kwak, it’ll just sound like an excuse.”

 

I nodded. Later, then.

 

“Tell me later.”

 

With that, Lee Man-deuk went into the hospital room. For some reason, the way he walked toward his father felt unbearably heavy.

 

***

 

“Lee Deok-soon. Lee Soon-deuk. Step outside for a moment.”

 

The children, guarding their father’s bedside, exchanged uneasy glances. Lee Man-deuk immediately understood what they were worried about—they probably feared he might do the unthinkable: kill their father.

 

“Don’t worry. What you’re afraid of won’t happen. Just go get some air and calm yourselves.”

 

Lee Deok-soon and Lee Soon-deuk hesitated, then nodded.

 

“Oppa, whatever Dad says… don’t take it to heart, okay?”

 

“He’s in a lot of pain, so he might say nonsense. Don’t let it hurt you.”

 

“Promise?”

 

Touched by their concern, Lee Man-deuk gave a small nod. It was clear they had heard some awful things from that man.

 

‘That bastard.’

 

A part of him wanted to end that life right then and there, but he had promised his siblings. Swallowing the rising rage, he took the seat they had vacated.

 

“Hello, Father. It’s been a long time.”

 

“…S-son…”

 

“Yeah. Your son. Your firstborn.”

 

The man, barely breathing, looked like he could die any moment, but he still had enough strength left to respond.

 

“I heard Mom’s also admitted here. Have you seen her?”

 

“Your… mother…?”

 

His lips trembled, then he suddenly shouted.

 

“That— that bitch. That crazy bitch is here? Where?! Where is she?! Where is she?!”

 

His voice, thick with phlegm, was hard to listen to. But Lee Man-deuk showed no emotion, calmly taking in his father’s rage with cold eyes.

 

“Bring her here! Bring her right now, you bastard!”

 

The man grabbed Lee Man-deuk by the collar, screaming at the top of his lungs. He looked like he could die any second, but Lee Man-deuk seemed to hit his biggest nerve.

 

“Ohhh, I get it now,” the man muttered.

 

What kind of misunderstanding could he possibly have?

 

The man, not even worthy of the name “father,” began muttering like a madman.

 

“You little shit… you only cared about that bitch who gave birth to you, huh?”

 

Ha. Lee Man-deuk let out a dry laugh.

 

The man had clearly misunderstood. With bloodshot eyes, he started shouting curses at Lee Man-deuk.

 

“You abandoned your father! You ungrateful bastard! After all I did for you!! And this is how you repay me?!”

 

After all he did?

 

“Did for me? You? When?”

 

Lee Man-deuk tilted his head slightly.

 

“People twist memories to suit themselves, but how do you manage to falsify them this badly?”

 

His face was distorted with controlled anger.

 

Snap.

 

He clicked his fingers.

 

“I’ve got barely any magic left, but I’ll use it—for you. Consider it an honor.”

 

Before them, a holographic screen materialized.

 

“W-what? What are you doing?! What the hell are you trying to pull?!”

 

“Shut up and watch.”

 

Lee Man-deuk spat the words. At the same time, the hologram began playing a video. The person on screen was none other than his father.

 

The man’s eyes went wide at the sight of himself. Lee Man-deuk spoke calmly as the image showed him passed out drunk by a utility pole.

 

“The day I was born, you passed out on the street, soaked in alcohol. You didn’t even hold a first birthday party for me.”

 

The scene changed.

 

“On my first day of elementary school, the only one who came was Grandma. You and your wife acted like I didn’t exist. And the two of you weren’t even on good terms.”

 

No sooner had he said that than—

 

― Aaaargh!

 

A scream rang out, and the scene shifted again.

 

The man’s face went pale. He knew that voice. It was his divorced ex-wife’s. He wanted to believe he’d misheard—but he couldn’t.

 

On the screen, he was yanking her by the hair and beating her.

 

― You fucking bitch! Tell me the truth! You got knocked up by some other bastard, didn’t you?! Who is he?! Who is it, damn it?!

 

― Stop it! Stop it, you bastard!!

 

Lee Man-deuk’s grandmother cried, trying to pull him away.

 

“…It’s been a while since I saw Grandma,” Lee Man-deuk muttered.

 

For a brief moment, longing flickered in his eyes. The man could only stare in shock. Even then, the video kept playing.

 

― You little bastard, this one isn’t even my kid either, is he?! Huh? Tell me the truth! Whose bastard is this fucking kid?!!

 

The man grabbed the child’s hair and shouted in anger.

 

― You bastard! Let go! Let go!! Man-deuk, are you okay?!

 

The child managed to escape and trembled in fear.

 

“That was when I was in fourth grade, right? Yeah… that’s right. You know what that thing on the floor is?”

 

Lee Man-deuk chuckled as he spoke.

 

“It was the notice for the parent observation class.”

 

The man on the screen ripped it to shreds.

 

“The elementary school I attended held a parents’ observation day slightly earlier than others.”

 

But neither parent ever showed up.

 

“And on the last day of being eleven years old…”

 

The scene on the screen shifted.

 

Lee Deok-soon and Lee Soon-deuk.

 

Lee Man-deuk’s little siblings were crying, wrapped in white cloth. The man glared at his newborn children, then turned away.

 

“You never held them. And you never held me either, even though I was your firstborn. So why would you hold them?”

 

With that, the video ended.

 

“Now… say it again.”

 

Lee Man-deuk erased the hologram and looked at the man.

 

“When exactly did you ever take care of me?”

 

The man just trembled. He had nothing to say.

 

“Father… how is it that you still haven’t changed at all?”

 

“M-Man-deuk… Man-deuk.”

 

The man hurriedly called his son’s name, trying to justify himself.

 

“I—I was sick! Look at me now. Do you think this is a life? I wanted to take care of you, raise you myself. That woman didn’t care about you—but I did!”

 

Lee Man-deuk’s lips twisted. Even seeing his son’s distorted face, the man continued to make excuses.

 

“But you know how life is, right?! Things don’t go the way you want! The company collapsed, but I tried to stand back up! I wanted to bring you home and raise you myself! I worked myself to the bone for it! But then—!”

 

Cough!

 

The man suddenly coughed. Once it started, it wouldn’t stop. He clutched his chest, struggling to breathe.

 

“H-Hhk… hhk…”

 

Death was approaching.

 

“Ma… Mandeuk… ah, son…”

 

Desperately, he spoke to his son beside him.

 

“D-Doctor… call a doctor…”

 

Lee Man-deuk knew why. He wanted to cling to life, still unwilling to die.

 

Disgusted, Lee Man-deuk said, “Father… don’t make things harder for everyone. Just die already.”

 

“Hhk… hhk…”

 

“If you still have something to say, I’ll listen.”

 

At his gentle tone, the man’s face twisted with tears.

 

“K-Kill… me… you… son of a bitch…”

 

“Yeah. I heard your last words. And they proved I was right.”

 

People don’t really change. Trash doesn’t change either. Unless someone recycles it.

 

“But it looks like there was no one around to recycle you, Father. Not even Grandma, the woman who gave birth to you, could. If anyone tried, they probably ran away, calling you unusable trash. Right?”

 

“Ugh… ugh…”

 

“But I’m not like them.”

 

Lee Deok-soon and Lee Soon-deuk.

 

His siblings would stop him the moment he went astray and guide him back. And Kwak Yoon-hoo, bound by an oath, would do the same.

 

‘I don’t like it, though.’

 

Thinking of them, Lee Man-deuk smiled.

 

“Since this is the last time, I’ll say it myself.”

 

He bowed his head slightly.

 

“Father.”

 

He gave the man a quiet farewell.

 

“Goodbye.”

 

No sooner had the word left his lips than the man’s heart stopped.

 

Beeeeep—!

 

The machine keeping him alive let out a loud alarm. Lee Man-deuk watched the man grow cold, then turned his head.

 

Through the window, he saw Kwak Yoon-hoo. Beside him were Lee Deok-soon and Lee Soon-deuk, frozen mid-wipe with tears still on their faces. They weren’t the only ones frozen.

 

Lee Yoo-seong—the boy who had grown close to the siblings—stood in the middle, trying to comfort them. When Lee Man-deuk had shown his father’s past, he had stopped time.

 

But Kwak Yoon-hoo’s time hadn’t stopped. The shock on his face made it clear: he had seen everything that happened in the room.

 

Lee Man-deuk silently mouthed a word to him: My mistake.

 

Kwak Yoon-hoo’s expression twisted as he read his lips.

 

***

 

Snap!

 

As soon as Lee Man-deuk clicked his fingers, time began to flow again.

 

Beeeeep—!

 

The children looked up, tears still streaking their faces.

 

“D-Dad?”

 

“Dad!”

 

Lee Deok-soon and Lee Soon-deuk rushed into the room. Lee Man-deuk stepped aside.

 

“I’m not holding a funeral for him. Say your goodbyes properly.”

 

Their faces crumpled with grief. Lee Man-deuk walked past them and left the hospital room, leaving the siblings behind.

 

Lee Yoo-seong slipped into the room after him. He knew better than anyone what it felt like to lose a parent and would be able to comfort the children properly.

 

But Lee Man-deuk—the man who had just walked past—was not the one who could do that.

 

“Mr. Lee Man-deuk.”

 

“Sorry, CEO Kwak. I didn’t realize I’d stopped time for everyone except you. That was completely my mistake.”

 

He had a way with words.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

“Of course. I never expected anything from that man in the first place.”

 

“But still…”

 

“If it really bothers you, pass a message to Seo Do-hwan for me.”

 

Lee Man-deuk glanced at his dead father one last time, lifting the corners of his mouth.

 

“Tell him… the trash stayed trash to the very end.”