Chapter 107: Late Spring (2)

The hospital doctor looked at Grandma lying unconscious on the bed and said.

"It's a stroke. If you'd been a little later, it could have been serious. She should stay in the hospital for a while. And..."

The doctor glanced at the children, then whispered carefully in my ear. Hearing the sincere diagnosis results, I nodded slightly.

"...I see. Thank you."

Bow-

I bowed my head to the doctor in gratitude. Fortunately, Grandma seemed to have stabilized.

"It could have been bad if we were a bit later. You did well, Suryeon."

Pat-

Suryeon was the first to find Grandma and calmly explained the situation. It was fair to say she handled it almost perfectly.

As I patted her, Suryeon looked at Grandma and asked.

"What happened to this human called Grandma's brain?"

"Well, to explain it simply, it's like a straw suddenly burst in the middle and water leaked out."

"Hmm, I see."

Suryeon looked curiously at Grandma lying on the hospital bed.

"She must have eaten vegetables with our magic power. Yet the human body still has problems."

"That's right."

"Hmm."

Frown-

Suryeon frowned, seemingly displeased with the situation. I felt the same way as Suryeon.

'They said dragon magic was good for the body... I didn't expect Grandma to have health problems...'

I thought she was healthy because she was always talkative. To suddenly collapse from a brain hemorrhage…

I took out my smartphone and sent a message to Gu Bong-gu, who's closest to Grandma, and sent another message to the Association President.

'He's lived with dragons longer than me. Wouldn't the Association President know about this health issue?'

Click-

About 10 minutes after sending the message to the Association President, he replied to me.

[Pervert Association President (my daughters should ignore if they see this contact)]

[As you said, being close to dragon magic is good for health. If you absorb dragon magic every day like us, your body gets stronger. But if you don't eat it every day, it can't be a cure-all. Especially for the elderly. Growing children and young adults absorb external magic well. But middle-aged and elderly people absorb it slowly. So the effect is weaker. Do you understand? If you're grateful, I'd appreciate it if you sent me some photos of your dragons.]

"This is ridiculous. Why should I send him photos of my daughters?"

Ignoring the last line, I sent a brief thank you message to the Association President.

Still, I was satisfied to learn something I didn't know before.

'People who are already old find it hard to see effects.'

To strengthen the body with dragon magic, you need to be around it for a long time.

It seems not everyone can become like me.

I put the smartphone with the new information in my pocket and looked around. The dragon kids were sitting near Grandma's hospital bed.

"What were you all doing?"

"Just looking at Grandma! The food she made was delicious!"

Sometimes, Grandma would visit our house saying she made too many side dishes. Each time, she'd put basic side dishes like kimchi or namul in the fridge.

'Especially Choryeon enjoyed the namul side dishes.'

Perhaps because of that, Choryeon was holding Mangmung in her arms, looking depressed.

"She should be healthy... Is it inevitable for humans as they age, Father...?"

Dragons go through processes like molting as they age, but humans grow old and slowly die as they age. That difference had to be seen as an inevitable flow of nature.

"Will Father also become like this when you get old... That's sad..."

"Why are you worrying about that, Choryeon? Dad's still in his prime."

You're thinking unnecessary thoughts.

I patted the gloomy Choryeon's head. Choryeon just stared at Grandma's wrinkled hand lying on the hospital bed.

Just then,

"Ugh, ugh..."

"Grandma. Are you awake?"

"Oh my, where am I...?"

Grandma lying on the bed slowly started to regain consciousness. I stopped Grandma from trying to get up and laid her back down on the bed.

"Just lie down and rest. They say you had a brain hemorrhage. You collapsed on the stairs, so we brought you to the hospital."

"Ha, I guess I've really gotten old. Causing trouble with this useless illness."

Grandma laughed dejectedly and lay down comfortably. Then, she slowly turned her head to look at me.

"Thank you for bringing me, you rotten boy who never paid rent. But you've become a decent person, saving me."

"...Why are you bringing up the past with the kids here?"

"To hear such words from your mouth. I've lived long enough to see everything."

Smile-

Grandma smiled weakly. At this sight, the dragon kids spoke up.

"Hmph, Grandma's so weak! Don't tease Dad!"

"I'm curious about the past stories. Tell us more, Grandma."

"Everyone, don't talk to Grandma! She needs to rest!"

The dragon kids each had different reactions. As the atmosphere in the hospital room was getting noisy, I got the kids up from their chairs.

"Alright, everyone go out and wait in the lobby. You can't make a fuss here."

"No! I want to stay here!"

"Be quiet. Go out and behave. You're making Grandma uncomfortable."

I told them to wait in the lobby. Then, I closed the hospital room door. Only then could the room regain some peace.

"Finally, it's quiet."

Sigh-

I let out a breath and sat down next to Grandma again. Then, with a serious face, I asked.

"Grandma."

"What is it, you rotten boy?"

"The cancer. How far has it progressed?"

"...Tsk, the doctor said unnecessary things."

Sigh-

Grandma sighed and spoke in a light tone.

"I don't have much time left. They say my days are numbered."

"...Does Gu Bong-gu know?"

"Vaguely. He only knows there's cancer in my body."

"...What about treatment?"

"I'm not doing it. My body's old enough to go anyway. Dying from old age or cancer is the same."

"..."

With cancer treatment, she could live a bit longer. But Grandma didn't seem to want to end her life in the hospital undergoing treatment.

'Even Gu Bong-gu probably can't persuade her out of this.'

There's no helping Grandma's stubborn personality. No one can dissuade her. Grandma looked at me seriously and said.

"Since it's come to this, I'm preparing to leave. I need to transfer the villa to someone else."

"Don't tell me...?"

"Lee Ha-jun. It's not you."

"...I wasn't expecting it anyway."

Actually, I was hoping a little. But the new owner of the villa is pretty much decided anyway.

"You're planning to give it to Gu Bong-gu, right?"

"Yes, it'll help him run the kindergarten better. But that doesn't mean I'm not giving you anything."

Swish-

Grandma looked me straight in the eyes and said.

"You're lucky because you're raising children, you rotten boy." 

"Why are you cursing again, Grandma?"

"Will you leave District 09 when your kids graduate from kindergarten?"

Leaving District 09.

That's a decided matter. There's no elementary school near District 09, and it's not a good environment for kids to grow up in.

I answered Grandma honestly.

"Yes, we'll leave. I'm saving money for it. That's why things are a bit tight these days."

"Then, live in my house after I'm gone."

"What?"

"The 6th floor combines two studio apartments. It'll be spacious and good to live in until you move."

"Grandma..."

I didn't expect Grandma to look after me like this. I guess it's because I'm raising children.

I felt a bit touched, my eyes getting moist.

"If you weren't raising kids, I wouldn't have given you a bean. I'm giving this because I feel sorry for the children. Got it?"

"...I understand. Thank you, Grandma."

"Yeah, it's the house your Grandpa and I lived in together. Don't wreck it and use it cleanly."

Grandma said this and waved her hand for me to leave.

"Now get out. I want to rest."

Shoo shoo-

Pushed out by Grandma's force, I had no choice but to leave the hospital room. Then I noticed my bare feet, which I hadn't been paying attention to.

"I didn't even realize my slippers came off somewhere."

Maybe that's why. Grandma saw my bare feet. I felt she gave me too generous a gift.

Memories with Grandma flashed through my mind as I headed to the lobby where the kids were.

"...Kids. Let's go home."

The kids looked at me and opened their eyes wide.

"What? Dad's eyes are moist!"

"Hmm, I see salt."

"Oh, did you cry, Father?"

Crying, as if.

I turned my head slightly and said.

"Be quiet and let's go home quickly."

Grandma didn't have much time left, but I hoped she could make good memories in the time she had left.

***

Grandma finished her hospital stay and immediately left for a trip after returning home. When asked where she was going with her poor health, Grandma simply answered.

"I'm going to places I shared with your Grandpa. Take care of the house."

For the sake of memories, Grandma left the house she had lived in her whole life for a long journey. And not long after, news came that Grandma had passed away.

I had to attend Grandma's funeral with the children.

"What's this, Dad? Everyone's wearing really black clothes!"

"Stay still, Hwaryeon. You can't run around here. Absolutely not."

The funeral maintained a serious and solemn atmosphere. Hwaryeon didn't understand the atmosphere at first, but she figured out she needed to be quiet.

Well, what would kids know?

'It would be strange if they did know.'

Suryeon and Choryeon, who were keeping their mouths shut, probably don't understand well either.

They're still young.

And so, Grandma's funeral ended with many people who had received help from her in attendance. Suryeon quietly observed the whole process and spoke softly.

"Dragons build memories in their nests throughout their lives. But humans are different. They leave homes filled with memories to chase memories, and travel to find places. Dad, are all humans like that?"

"Not all. Some people die at home, and some leave for somewhere like Grandma did."

"Hmm, I see."

Suryeon took in the sight of the funeral attendees with serious eyes, and Choryeon mumbled in a slightly tearful voice.

"Father... I hope you live with us for a long time..."

"I told you I'll live long."

Shake shake-

Choryeon shook her head and said sincerely.

"That's not what I mean... I wish you could live forever... Like us dragons..."

"Here we go again."

Sigh-

You're already treating me like I'm going to die soon.

I silently patted Choryeon's head. Then, as we left the funeral hall, I said to the children.

"We need to use the new house cleanly. It's the last thing Grandma left for us."

The children nodded silently in response. The dragons lost a nearby acquaintance just as a new season began.

They don't seem to fully grasp the reality of someone's death yet, but I thought they might understand through their own experiences later.

'I wish they never had to know, if I had my way.'

But they'll understand someday. Because I'll die someday too.

I don't know when I'll die, but I could only pray that they would grow up properly before I do.