Golden Time

“Look at him closely again.”

Suhyuk turned his head to the window again.

Did he just become an adult? He looked like he was in his early 20s. Looking around, he curled himself up very much.

“I don’t know who he is.”

Yeah, his face was new to Suhyuk. It’s only natural that his face had been covered by a helmet.

Dongsu tilted his head, asking, “Do you really not recognize him?”

“No, who is he?”

“Have you not seen the son of Daehan Hospital director, Jang Wonjin, before?”

Suhyuk shook his head. Actually there was no chance at all for him to see or meet him.

He was surprised, but did not feel strongly about it.

“Why did he do that?”

When Suhyuk asked, Dongsu fixed his gaze on the window.

“He said it was because he was at a loss of what to do after the accident. You must have heard about the so-called bike gang. They meet like a hobby club and enjoy their motorcycles. While he checked his cellphone for a moment, he said he hit you.”

Dongsu continued. He already investigated all the other motorcycle riders along with Jang.

Jang did not do it on purpose or with any intention. It was just an accidental hit-and-run.

At his explanation, Suhyuk nodded.

Jang, looking around in a frightened mood, seemed even pitiful to him. Maybe because his face looked so childlike.

“What happens to that guy from now on?”

Leaning against the wall, Dongsu replied, “Well, he will be brought to justice...”

Then there was a knocking on the door, and the door opened.

He was detective Lee, working with Dongsu. He gestured over to the window.

“Sir, his lawyer wants to see you.”

“I contacted his guardians at home, then his lawyer came over. What a rich family...”

Dongsu went out with Suhyuk with a light gait.

A man in his late 30s was sitting in the detective department quietly.

“Jang’s lawyer?”

At Dongsu’s voice, he rose from the seat.

“h.e.l.lo, I’m Kim Jinho. Nice to meet you.”

As he showed his name card, Dongsu said, looking at it, “Prosecutor Kim Dongsu.”

“I came here because I heard Mr Jang Wonjin was detained here as a hit-and-run suspect.”

Dongsu nodded, saying, “You’re right.”

The lawyer threw a sharp question, “Is he the real suspect?”

He looked as if he were lodging a protest if the reason for Jang’s detention was not clear enough.

Dongsu smiled leisurely.

“We’ve got CCTV and other evidence on hand. Do you have anything else to ask?”

“I’m requesting an interview with Jang.”

Dongsu grinned, adding, “You know you can’t interview him during interrogation, right? As he is a hit-and-run suspect, I’ll investigate him under arrest for fear of his possible escape.”

The lawyer’s brows trembled a bit.

“Let me wait then.”

“Detective Lee, please serve the lawyer a cup of coffee. I’m afraid he will have to sit through the night here.”

Dongsu approached Suhyuk, putting his hand on his shoulder, and said, “Let’s go out for dinner.”

So, they went out, and the lawyer looking at Dongsu cast his gaze on Suhyuk.

The restaurant they stopped by was a noodle soup house.

Taking out wet towels from the refrigerator, Dongsu washed his hands, saying, “The soup here really tastes good. Granny!”

At his shouting, a granny with gray hair well over 70 years old, approached and said,

“Hey, don’t shout so loud boy! What an ear-deafening noise! You coming here everyday to have noodle soup? Just eat meat today. You have to eat meat if you want to be strong enough to catch criminals, right?”

Dongsu shook his head, and said, “I have to go back after eating quickly, so bring me noodle soup.”

“A pox on you! You have to wait until the noodles are ripe enough.”

Looking at her disappearing into the kitchen, Suhyuk asked him with a perplexed look,

“Foul-mouthed granny?”

Nodding his head, Dongsu was just laughing.

Spicy and delicious noodle soup with clams. Suhyuk said, after emptying even the broth,

“It is really delicious.”

“The meat tastes good too. Next time let’s have it. Please give me the check!”

Rising from the seat, Dongsu presented his credit card.

“Give me cash. You only spent 5,000 won for it.”

Given the delicious taste and the big dish, the price was so cheap. It’s only 2500 won per dish.

“I don’t have cash today. So, please sleep on it today.”

When the granny was about to swear, Suhyuk offered her cash.

“Thanks for the food, granny.”

Looking at Suhyuk, she smiled and said, “Is this unprofessional prosecutor your friend?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t hang around with him frequently. In my eyes, he is not a prosecutor. He’s a thug, a thug.”

“Granny, if you keep saying things like that, I’ll catch you on charges of contempt.”

“How can a vulgar guy threaten me like this? Even the angel of the death has not yet caught me. Do you think you can?”

Suhyuk pulled away Dongsu who kept poking fun at her, and went out the store.

Dongsu grinned gently, saying, “Goodbye now.”

When Dongsu was about to turn back, Suhyuk grabbed him, and said,

“Will he be arrested?”

“A hit-and-run suspect is supposed to get a heavy punishment stipulated under the law on special crimes.”

Suhyuk grinned at his explanation.

“I’ll contact you.”

Saying that, Dongsu moved to the police station.

Suhyuk moved to the bus stop and got on a bus that took him to Daehan Hospital.

He did not feel good even though the hit-and-run suspect was caught.

More so because the suspect was the son of the Daehan Hospital director.

—–

What woke him up was not an alarm sound, but the ringing of his phone.

As soon as he picked up the phone, he heard a woman’s voice.

“Is this intern Lee Suhyuk’s cellphone?”

“Yes, who is it, please?”

It was 6am.

Though spring was around the corner, it was still quite dark outside.

“This is the secretary of director Jang Kitaek at the hospital. The director wants to see you in the morning. Are you available in the morning?”

Suhyuk, who was lying in bed, rose from the bed and sat.

‘Available? If the director wants to see me, who can dare have me put to work?’

“Okay. What time do I need to see him?”

“You can come here by 8:30 in the morning.”

“I’ll see you then.”

Hanging up the phone, Suhyuk lay back on the bed.

It was so obvious what kind of topic Jang was going to bring about.

Suhyuk closed his eyes again.

When he opened the door, a woman secretary in a black suit held up a keyphone.

“Sir, Mr. Lee Suhyuk is here.”

Speaking to him briefly, she said, “You can go in now.”

Bowing to her a bit, he knocked on the door to go in.

A large window inside was showing a great landscape outside, and the s.p.a.ce was twice as large as that of a professor’s office.

“I’m seeing you again. Come on in.”

The director gestured him to sit on the sofa.

“Wait there for a minute.”

“Thanks.”

Mr. Jang leafed through the paper files slowly, and turned his head to him, saying,

“Coffee? Juice? Or any other soft drink you want?”

“I’d rather have water.”

Nodding his head, he conveyed the message to his secretary through the keyphone, and sat on the sofa.

“How was your volunteer activity?”

Suhyuk smiled bitterly in his heart. That’s what he wanted to ask the director about first.

He wanted to argue that it was not a volunteer activity but a photo event.

However, personally he was fully satisfied as he visited the homes of the less fortunate until early in the morning with Binna.

After all, Suhyuk said, “It was good.”

Actually he came back, pleased and satisfied.

“That’s good. Thanks to a talent like you, there was a big article about Daehan Hospital, along with the picture.”

Though the medical staff from other hospitals partic.i.p.ated, only the picture of Daehan medical team was carried with the caption that the shantytown people were greatly satisfied.

Though he did not do anything in particular, it was clear that what he had done was a good thing. After all, the director showed satisfaction with the outcome of the volunteer activity.

The secretary put down water and coffee before they knew it.

Suhyuk raised the cup of water slowly, and Mr. Jang Kitaek sipped his coffee.

“The reason I called you here is...”

When Jang slurred, Suhyuk opened his mouth, “For reasons regarding your son?”

He smiled bitterly, nodding his head.

“Let me tell you frankly. As the hospital director, no as a father, I want to ask a favor of you. Can you let him off this time?”

Suhyuk recalled his son that he had seen in the interrogation room.

Then he opened his mouth again.

“He just became an adult. Isn’t it too cruel to ruin his future?”

Suhyuk showed a contemptuous smile before he knew it.

Does it mean he was a cruel reporter?

Jang did not notice his twisted smile because he was thinking about something else.

None other than prosecutor Kim Dongsu, his friend.

It was no use enticing him in one way or another through a lawyer or his acquaintance.

He even declared a war against the lawyer.

The prosecutor was determined to put him in jail by all means, so even his acquaintances gave up their efforts.

He found out that the prosecutor was notorious as being a terribly obstinate person.

“Can you do anything about him? Let me give you full compensation for your bodily or psychological damages. If you want, let me give you paid holidays. Please save my son this time.”

Looking at his cup of water quietly, Suhyuk did not say anything. That made Jang all the more anxious.

If he says he did not need such compensation, he went as far as to think of making some sort of threat against him in his capacity as the hospital director.

Jang opened his mouth again, thinking his stooping low like that would be his last move.

“Please, Mr. Lee Suhyuk.”

***

When he went out of the director’s office, Suhyuk called someone. It was Dongsu.

“Hey, you are not that busy now seeing as you give me a call like this.”

“Any update about the case?”

“Don’t worry about it. Just work hard and make lots of money.”

“Can the case be cancelled?”

“What the h.e.l.l?”

“What I mean is can I cancel the report?”

“What nonsense! Why are you trying to do this? The suspect hit you and ran away...”

Dongsu kept silent for a moment. Then he said urgently,

“Did the hospital director say something to you? Did he say if you did not cancel it, he would not make you a doctor? Or did he order you to get out of the hospital? What was it?”

Suhyuk grinned bitterly. He blew his top, raising his voice.

Dongsu continued to speak in an excited voice, adding

“How could he make a threat like that? Can I look into that d.a.m.n Daehan Hospital for any possible crimes? As for this case, it cannot be cancelled simply because you cancel the report, because he has some other case pending...”

The more swearing Dongsu threw out, the more Suhyuk, now taking off the cell phone from his ear, grinned, because he could feel the warmth of his heart toward him. He recalled his conversation with the director.

‘Then I have got something to ask for you in return.’

‘What is it?’

‘Please allow me to see the patients.’