Chapter 10

If a commoner regresses, they become a silver spoon - Chapter 10 (10/405)

"Isn't there a guardian?"

Yunseul's hands were still trembling as she and Maeran arrived at Ilsung Hospital in Gangbuk in an ambulance.

"Um, I'm... "

"Are you the guardian of patient Jang Maeran?"

"Yes... that's right."

"Hmm, there's no adult here today?"

"......"

"Call the student's parents and have them come. The student is too young... and since there's bleeding, they need a simple dressing—"

At that moment, a few men in hastily donned gowns rushed into the room.

"What if we put Lady Jang Maeran in a regular ward!"

"I apologize. It was unexpected—"

"Are you crazy? Move her to a private room immediately!!"

The doctors barked orders without caring about the rising voices.

Yunseul, ignoring the blood from the cuts on her legs and palms, ran after them.

Squeak - Thud

The frail old woman was lying on the hospital bed, breathing softly and her eyes closed.

"Contact the lady's secretary immediately. And move her to a private room."

"Lower your voice..."

A rasping sound came from her tightly closed throat. With her eyes still closed, Maeran managed to speak.

"Lady! I apologize. It's our fault—"

"There's no need to make a fuss... Go out."

"But... "

Maeran's furrowed brows clearly expressed her command, and the doctors, who looked to be of high rank, bowed.

"Grandma... "

"You don't need to make a fuss either."

"......"

"What's so surprising about an old woman on the verge of death?"

There was no trace of regret or longing in Maeran's calm voice. But Yunseul could imagine how often she must have come to the hospital. Only then did her palms start to hurt.

Maeran closed her eyes peacefully, as if she were about to die at any moment.

* * *

"Hamuni, I drew this. Hamuni and me."

"Oh, really? Our puppy~"

"Mother Jang, how are you today? Is there anything uncomfortable?"

"I'm fine because Mr. Kim visits so often."

"Mom~"

"Look at you. Stop it. Stop! You're married and have a child, so you can't cry like this."

Maeran had said not to make a fuss and not to move her to a private room, but she planned to move to a private room the next day because she didn't want to see the families of other patients crowding in.

The patient in the hospital gown was surrounded by visitors, creating a lively atmosphere. She turned her back, but she couldn't block out the affectionate voices that reached her ears.

She didn't like the way several people were huddled around the small bed, the cozy atmosphere, or the flannel-like blanket. Everything irritated Maeran.

Bang!

"I'm here~!"

Just before she was about to move to another room, Yunseul burst in.

"Oh, how nice. Your granddaughter is so diligent and capable."

"Really~. I've never seen a granddaughter who visits every day!"

The comments from the surrounding grandmothers tickled Maeran's heart like a spring breeze.

"Granddaughter, what... "

Maeran, who usually had a poker face, smiled crookedly. Even though Yunseul had said she would revive the family, her innocence as a child who couldn't add or subtract shone through.

She could have said that she would work as a conversation partner from today, but it seemed like Yunseul was really taking care of her as if she were a real granddaughter.

'Perhaps the magpies were very noisy, and they were calling for such a welcome guest.'

The child who had trembled and taken off her thin coat when she collapsed, the child who had hugged her and rubbed her back to try to raise her body temperature, and now the child who came to visit her every day with various excuses.

Because of the snow, because it was too cold, because she sold fish bread near the station, because it was Friday, because she was bored...

Even after the child left, the auxiliary bed still held a warm afterglow.

'Now that I think about it, how long has it been since I talked to someone...'

Maeran gave up trying to gauge it. It had been a very, very long time. This was the first time she had chatted and laughed so happily.

Knock knock

"As you requested, I looked into it."

"Oh, this family has a handsome son too."

"Really, they're having a bumper crop of children~"

When Maeran's secretary handed over a stack of documents, the onlookers around her burst into comments. Suddenly, Maeran realized she didn't mind this lively atmosphere.

Maeran, flipping through the documents with her weak hands, remembered that Yunseul's middle school graduation ceremony was the next day.

"I can't come tomorrow. I have to go to the graduation ceremony... But I'll come again on Saturday."

"Manager Kwon."

"Yes, Chairman."

"Arrange for flowers to be delivered to the school tomorrow morning."

* * *

In her previous life, she didn't attend the middle school graduation ceremony. Everyone knew our family had fallen apart, and that night, I saw my mother crying secretly in the bedroom.

That scene lingered in my memory, tormenting me even after a long time had passed.

'The family is still in the same situation, but this time I have to go.'

I also need to get the yearbook, but... oh, the yearbook at that time was really... a disaster.

The yearbook I received through Na-yeon would have a young me, all dolled up.

'I tried to draw a cute makeup line under my eyes... '

Facing my past mistakes is really difficult. The poorly drawn cute makeup line haunted me.

Buzz - Buzz

Suddenly, Na-yeon's chat list started ringing.

'What is it?'

Stepping into the alma mater, which felt more welcoming and nostalgic after a long time,

"Huh?"

A photo zone with fresh flowers had been set up. Next to it, a small sign read, "Donated by Yoon Seul, 28th Graduating Class."

"Seul, what is all this!!!"

"Um... hello..."

"Who did this? Your dad? Your mom? I took a lot of pictures here~ It's amazing."

Na-yeon, beside me, was making a fuss non-stop.

"Seul, stand here too! Give me your phone."

Na-yeon turned on the camera and shooed people away with her hands.

"Okay, just a moment~ I'll take a picture of the person who donated the photo zone~ Please come here~"

Click

The picture Na-yeon took of me showed me standing awkwardly between the expensive flowers, neither smiling brightly nor expressionless.

* * *

No matter how many times I asked, the answer was the same. My mother said she didn't know.

'A distant relative...?'

No, there was no relative who would give such a gift to a family that had asked for a loan.

Watching the graduation ceremony with a sense of mystery, I saw a few friends crying. Were they sad to leave, or overwhelmed by the new beginning?

Watching the middle school graduation with a 25-year-old heart, it felt endlessly boring.

Checking my ringing phone and turning around, I saw my mother waving with a small bouquet in her hand. The boredom disappeared.

The graduation song echoed through the auditorium.

In the end, I didn't know who had set up the fresh flower photo zone, but I took a friendly picture with my mother in front of it. A few aunts who were at the same event recognized my mother and scratched their hearts.

"Oh, Yoon Seul's mother~ What is all this, it's so beautiful."

"Was it a relative who did this?"

"Um...?"

"Sigh... That person, instead of doing this, should just give a envelope to Yoon Seul's family—"

"Right, it was a good intention, but... "

"...Thank you, take a good picture and go."

"Sure~ Go inside quickly~"

Holding my mother's hand and leaving the school gate, I thought, 'Before our family fell apart, they used to cling to us as sisters and brothers.'

Thud - Thud

That's when it happened. A young man from a black Rolls-Royce in front of the school gate walked up and spoke to me.

"Ms. Yoon Seul, is that correct?"

"Huh...?"

"Why are you looking for our child?"

My mother, who was taller than the man by a head and well-built, quickly hid me behind her as he approached.

"Oh, hello. I'm sorry for the late introduction."

The man in a black suit bowed deeply to my mother.

"I was sent by Lady Jang Maeran... grandmother."

"Grandmother? Who is that, Seul?"

Ah, Grandmother Maeran must be the owner of the restaurant.

The pieces suddenly fell into place in my head about who had set up the photo zone.

"I can't come tomorrow. I have to go to the graduation ceremony... But I'll come again on Saturday."

But did I mention the name of the middle school? How did he know?

The conversations over the past few days were so many that I was confused, but I probably did mention it.

"If you don't have any lunch plans, would you like to join us?"

The man gestured to the open door of the Rolls-Royce and nodded to my mother, who was looking at me.

* * *

A fine dining restaurant located near an art center close to Apgujeong Middle School. A top-notch restaurant praised by the Michelin Guide, known for its hard-to-get reservations.

The two of them entered a Korean restaurant that was said to recreate a king's daily meals with ingredients from the mountains and the sea.

The subtle scent of silverbell flowers and the soft sound of a gayageum under the yellow lighting created a luxurious atmosphere, making Yunseul feel a bit intimidated.

'How long has it been since I've been to a place like this...'

Click

"Ms. Yoon Seul, please follow me inside."

A polite-voiced uniformed staff member led them to a private room. There, a grandmother in a beautiful hanbok was waiting by the door.

"Please sit."

"The course will be prepared shortly."

The staff member left quietly, closing the door. Maeran, who had a calm expression, looked the best she had in a long time.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Jang Maeran."

"Yes... I'm Jeong Hye, Seul's mother... "

Between their greetings, Yunseul got straight to the point, a result of the natural shift in their conversations over the past few days.

"Did you set up the photo zone, Grandmother?"

"Yes."

"Oh... Thank you so much, people really loved it and said it was beautiful."

"Thank you. I took a lot of pictures too."

"It's nothing compared to what you did for me."

Maeran bowed to the wide-eyed mother beside her.

"Thank you. Your daughter saved me."

* * *

While carefully eating the second course, abalone stew, the mother repeated "Oh my" several times.

"Oh my... Are you feeling better now?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

"It's been less than a week since you collapsed, and you're already taking care of Seul's graduation... "

Tears were already streaming down the easily moved mother's eyes. Quietly, I removed the thin kelp from the abalone stew and picked out the abalone to eat.

'Grandmother runs a restaurant, so if she sees I don't eat kelp, will she scold me?'

"I owe you my life, so I should repay you."

"Oh no, it's all fate."

Click

"Excuse me."

A staff member quietly announced their entry and placed a well-grilled sirloin on the table.

"It's served with rice porridge flavored with clam broth and aged for three months with nuruk salt. The nuruk salt is also in the container on the side. And this is the Hanwoo sirloin. If you need more salt, please let us know."

Wishing them a pleasant meal, the staff member left quietly. The smell of the hot, salty steak and the fragrant rice porridge filled the room.

The mother's face lit up in the luxurious atmosphere she hadn't experienced in a long time.

'Maybe I'll suggest we come again when Kiki Guest's salary comes out. With Dad, the three of us... '

After a satisfying meal, a small tangerine jelly and rice sorbet were served as dessert. The grandmother, who had eaten a piece of the tangerine jelly, spoke.

"I heard your husband's business is in a lot of trouble."

The mother's expression suddenly darkened upon hearing this. She put down her knife and took a sip of water with a lemon slice.

'Could she be talking about my promise to revive the family here?'

Trying to send a signal to keep it a secret, I made eye contact with the grandmother, but she only looked at my mother.

"I'm getting older, and I hear things from various sources."

"......"

"By next month, or at the latest, two months, it seems you'll have to move out of that house."

The mother's expression hardened, perhaps not realizing how dire the situation had become.

What I knew was that Dad had been running around, sweating, to reassure Mom, while she had only borrowed money from relatives, not knowing the full extent of the situation until the house went to auction.

Dad's blind consideration to prevent Mom from despairing.

"When a house goes to auction, you don't get its true value."

"......"

The grandmother slowly took the mother's shocked hand.

"Let's repay the favor over a long period."

* * *

"Is this the last box?"

"Yeah. It's fragile, so be careful."

It took more than half a day to unpack the mountain of moving boxes.

As the sun began to set, the branches of a large tree in the garden swayed in the wind outside the window.

Since the move was rushed, there wasn't much to unpack. Valuable electronics and furniture were quickly sold through a real estate agent introduced by the grandmother.

'Back then, we had to sell them in a hurry for less than half their value.'

And Dad.

"Hey! Seul!"

"Hey~"

Dad's face, seen through the video call, was thin but bright. He had taken a job at a factory in a local area, working in shifts and living there, introduced by the grandmother.

'It feels like a dream.'

The most surreal day among the reality that had hit me in a month. Living in someone's house I had just met.

My mother and I were staying in the annex of the grandmother's house, a traditional Korean house.

The grandmother, who sternly said the guest room was small and we should endure any inconvenience, but...

'How can this be small...'

The annex of the Korean house, larger than my original room, made my heart flutter. The warm floor made me feel warm inside.

"Mom, I love this Korean house so much. It feels like we're on a trip, doesn't it, Seul!"

Seeing my mother, who was humming happily while unpacking, made me smile.

Knock knock

"Come out for dinner."

The grandmother's firm voice echoed through the thick wooden door. The warm heat from the floor rushed up as I walked out. It felt cozy.

Thus, with only a few days left before the entrance ceremony, I transferred to a high school near Gyeongbokgung.

'I should enjoy this relaxed life until the entrance ceremony...'

Of course, the status window wouldn't just sit back and watch.

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