Chapter 978: Youth, Once Again! (3)
"Do you... know me?" Kim Hyun-Ja, her hair completely white, blinked rapidly as she trembled.
Seeing the former trot superstar who had once dominated South Korea standing there with one shoe missing and only a thin outer layer on, shivering helplessly, made my chest ache.
Still, I hid my confusion and put on a bright smile. Seo Yeon-Woo's grandmother had suffered from dementia, and I knew that when symptoms appeared, it was best to be as kind and reassuring as possible so the person wouldn't become frightened.
"Yes, ma'am. Of course I know who you are. But let's get you something warmer first, and then we can talk."
She had come out wearing such a thin layer that I hurriedly took off my suit jacket and slowly held it out to her. Kim Hyun-Ja flinched before slipping my jacket over her shoulders. Even then, she continued staring at me with wary eyes.
"How... do you know me?"
"Mrs. Kim Hyun-Ja, you were a trot superstar. Until you retired ten years ago, you practically ruled the entire country."
"Me...?"
"Yes. Don't you remember?"
"Well..."
At that moment, I noticed that the heel of her left sock, exposed because her shoe was missing, was badly worn through. I quickly took out a handkerchief, wrapped it around her foot, and spoke.
"Ma'am, let's go home first."
I was planning to take her to the hospital eventually, but aside from a slight scrape on her heel, I couldn't see any serious injuries. Before anything else, I wanted to reassure the husband who must be undoubtedly searching desperately for her.
Just then, Kim Hyun-Ja widened her eyes. "You know where my house is too?"
"Yes. I do."
She stared at me for a long moment, then shook her head. "No. Just... Please take me to the police station."
Perhaps because the only thing she still remembered was that lost people were supposed to go to the police station, even in this situation, she was asking me to guide her there.
As I wondered whether I should take her there and then come back, a troubling thought crossed my mind. If she had rushed out wearing something that looked like pajamas and had even left without one of her shoes, perhaps something had happened at home.
"Ma'am, did something happen at your house?" I asked.
"I think there was something urgent that made me leave... but I don't remember what it was."
My suspicion had been correct. In that case, I needed to persuade her and get her back to her house, which was only about a hundred meters away. Besides, this alley was so narrow that even a 119 ambulance couldn't enter. Even if I called for help, it would take a long time for an ambulance to arrive.
"Ma'am, I'll take you to your place. The police station is pretty far from here."
"I'm sorry, young man. I can't do that."
I could feel both my own urgency and her lingering fear of letting a stranger near her. I was beginning to wonder if I should simply call the police when a way to lower her guard suddenly came to mind.
I had once seen Seo Yeon-Woo's grandmother regain her focus as if she had returned to her younger days simply by singing trot songs at the welfare center. So, on the off chance it might work, I cleared my throat and began singing one of Kim Hyun-Ja's old signature songs.
『Life keeps turning round and round~
There may be difficult days~
But there are joyful days as well~』
I hummed the lyrics of her hit song, 'Life Goes Round and Round,' which spoke of how all the joys and sorrows of life eventually come full circle.
At that moment, Kim Hyun-Ja, who had been watching me with wary eyes, suddenly joined in, singing alongside me in her rich, soulful voice.
『Round and round it comes again~
Everything depends on how you choose to see it~
......』
As the song continued, her eyes gradually became clearer. The wary expression she had worn while trembling began to fade. Even her hunched back slowly straightened. Before long, she looked like a superstar standing on stage once again, singing proudly and projecting her voice with confidence.
The song flowing from her lips soon revealed the same powerful volume, masterful vocal breaks, and exquisite vibrato that had once defined her career. My heart was pounding as I listened to what felt like a live performance overflowing with energy.
Then voices drifted over from inside the house beyond the wall she was leaning against.
-Eh? What's that sound?
-Who's singing?
-What do you mean singing? Someone's probably driving by with a Kim Hyun-Ja CD playing.
Even though she suffered from dementia, her voice remained every bit as powerful as it had been in her prime. Then, hearing the voice, Kim Hyun-Ja suddenly stopped singing.
A moment later, she blinked several times and stared directly at me. "Chief Jung. You're Chief Jung, aren't you? The Chief Jung from Hoop Entertainment who's always on TV?"
At this rate, I was about to end up asking her the same question she had asked me. "...Do you recognize me?"
"Yes. Oh dear, I'm sorry. I see you on TV so often that I spoke as if I knew you."
I never expected Kim Hyun-Ja to regain her memories this quickly. It made me realize once again just how powerful music could be. Thinking that I should become more actively involved in the Ministry of Culture project, I spoke to her.
"Not at all, ma'am. And please, feel free to speak comfortably."
"How could I do that? Although... How did I end up here...? Ah..." Kim Hyun-Ja paused. "I must've gotten lost, didn't I?"
Kim Hyun-Ja realized that her dementia symptoms had surfaced and gave a bitter smile. Even so, she braced both hands on her knees and rose to her feet.
"Chief Jung, I'm sorry. My husband has a terrible cold, and I was on my way to buy medicine for him when... ah!"
As she stood up, she staggered to the left. She must have twisted her left ankle on the way here. I immediately reached out and supported her.
"Thank you."
"Ma'am, I'll take your husband to the hospital myself. So let's head home right away."
Kim Hyun-Ja hesitated and shook her head. "I'm sorry... but I'm not in a position to do that."
She was saying she couldn't go to the hospital because of money. I wondered how a former superstar had ended up like this, but I pushed my curiosity aside and spoke.
"Please don't worry. I'm in a position to help. Besides, I came here because there's something I'd like to discuss with you. Let's go together."
"You came looking for me?"
"Yes. I'll explain everything at the hospital, so let's hurry. You said your husband is sick."
"Ah... what should I do..." After a moment of deliberation, she nodded. "All right. Then I'll accept your help."
Despite having only one shoe, she started to walk back on her own.
I immediately crouched down in front of her and offered my back. "Climb on, ma'am. And please speak comfortably with me, all right?"
Kim Hyun-Ja was seventy years old this year. The age gap between us was so great that I practically begged her to stop being formal with me. In the end, she reluctantly nodded.
"All right, Chief Jung. Then I'll trouble you."
"Yes, ma'am."
Only then did she climb onto my back. She was so thin that it barely felt like I was carrying anyone at all.
***
Kim Hyun-Ja's house looked at least forty years old. I passed through the wide-open gate and opened the front door on the first floor. The sound of coughing came from the master bedroom.
-Cough... cough...
Still carrying Kim Hyun-Ja on my back, I headed straight inside.
Bang.
As soon as I opened the door, I saw her husband, Lee Taek-Hyun, lying there drenched in cold sweat, muttering weakly. "Honey... I'm fine... don't go out..."
At that moment, Kim Hyun-Ja urgently spoke from my back. "Chief Jung, put me down."
"Yes, ma'am."
I gently lowered Kim Hyun-Ja beside Lee Taek-Hyun. She crawled over and placed a hand on her husband's forehead.
"Honey, I'm sorry it took me so long. I stepped out for a moment and got lost."
Lee Taek-Hyun struggled to open his eyes. "You went out? Then how..."
"This young man is that talent agent from TV. He recognized me and even knew our address, so he brought me home."
At that moment, Kim Hyun-Ja's husband tried to force himself upright. "Thank you..."
I quickly grabbed his arm and helped him sit up. Not because I wanted his gratitude, but because I needed to get him to the hospital.
"It's all right, sir. More importantly, let's get you to the hospital right away. I'll cover all the expenses, so please don't worry about the cost."
I spoke first before he could repeat the same objections Kim Hyun-Ja had made. As expected, he still insisted that it wasn't necessary. I let it go in one ear and out the other before asking a different question.
"Do you happen to have a wheelchair?"
"A wheelchair?"
"Yes. A 119 ambulance can't get in here, so I think it'll be faster if I take you to where my car is parked. If there's a wheelchair you use, I can probably take both of you at the same time."
I was worried about Kim Hyun-Ja's condition, so I couldn't leave either of them behind. If there was no other option, I had already decided I would carry one on my back and the other in my arms.
Just then, Lee Taek-Hyun weakly raised a hand and pointed toward the corner of the room. "We don't have a wheelchair, but there's a tandem bicycle behind the yard. We use it... to take my wife to the hospital..."
"Perfect. Let's use that."
I hurried outside, found the bicycle, and wheeled it through the gate. Then I wrapped Lee Taek-Hyun in his blanket and seated him in the rear seat of the tandem bicycle. After helping Kim Hyun-Ja put her shoe back on, I sat her on the front seat and had her hold onto my shoulders.
Then I began pushing the bicycle toward where my car was parked.
***
In VIP Room No. 2 of Gangnam Seven Stars Hospital, the doctor flipped through a chart and spoke.
"Mr. Lee Taek-Hyun is suffering from a severe cold, but more importantly, he's severely malnourished. He'll need to be admitted so we can provide nutritional support."
I nodded. "I understand."
"And Mrs. Kim Hyun-Ja's ankle sprain isn't serious, but her dementia treatment absolutely needs to resume. The condition has progressed somewhat since treatment was discontinued a year ago, but at this stage, proper medication alone should bring significant improvement. Up until a year ago, she had been responding very well to treatment."
"I'll take full responsibility for all expenses, so please don't worry about the cost and provide the best treatment possible."
"If Mr. Jung is guaranteeing it... then I understand. Oh, and Mrs. Kim Hyun-Ja should remain hospitalized for about three days as well."
"Understood, sir."
The doctor nodded and left the room.
Sitting in a wheelchair with her ankle wrapped in bandages, Kim Hyun-Ja held her husband's hand tightly and spoke with an apologetic expression. "Chief Jung... we'll be fine. Once my husband's fever goes down, we'll head home."
I firmly shook my head. "No. Absolutely not. If you do that, I'm the one who's going to get into serious trouble."
"Who could possibly scold the famous Chief Jung...?"
At that moment, the door to the VIP suite flew open as a group of people rushed inside.
Bang!
Pointing at them, I said to Kim Hyun-Ja, "These people."
Kim Hyun-Ji, who had recently made a comeback after decades away from the spotlight, shouted, "Ma'am!"
The popular trot singer Lee Mal-Soon also shouted, "Mrs. Kim!"
And even President Kang Gam-Chan rushed in and urgently called out, "Noo-nim!"
All of them came rushing in with shocked expressions, calling out to Kim Hyun-Ja.
***
While Lee Taek-Hyun rested in bed receiving an IV drip, I was able to hear the story of Kim Hyun-Ja's past in the small side room attached to the suite. The reason she had retired ten years ago was surprisingly simple.
After spending her entire life singing, she had wanted to rest. And before they grew too old, she wanted to travel the world with her husband. So she entrusted the management of her assets and income to her son and daughter and spent her days traveling with her husband.
Unlike the glamorous image she projected on stage, the two of them lived modestly. Rather than staying in expensive hotels, they often used motels, rented local homes, and enjoyed simple adventures together.
Then, five years ago, everything changed. Their credit cards suddenly stopped working, and they were unable to contact either of their children.
Alarmed, they immediately returned to Korea. When they finally learned what had happened, they discovered that their own son and daughter had joined forces and transferred all of their mother's assets into their own names.
The shock had been devastating. Kim Hyun-Ja said that was when the very earliest symptoms of dementia first began—small lapses in memory that appeared after the betrayal.
Just like that, all contact with their children ceased. Lee Taek-Hyun told her they should simply live as though they no longer had any children at all. After that, they survived by using money Lee Taek-Hyun had kept in a personal safe. That money had covered their living expenses and medical bills until recently.
However, the medical costs for two elderly people had been far greater than expected, and their savings disappeared much faster than they had anticipated. As a result, Kim Hyun-Ja contacted Hanullim Music, her former agency, and accepted an offer to appear in HK Planning's dementia awareness commercial after being told it would pay five million won.
After hearing the full story, Lee Mal-Soon was the first to explode in anger. "Ma'am! If you were having a hard time, why didn't you call me? Why?"
Kim Hyun-Ja murmured, "How could I possibly impose on you like that..."
"What do you mean, impose? Do you have any idea how much you've done for us?"
Kim Hyun-Ji nodded in agreement. "That's right. Ma'am, when I was working as a copy singer, your agency tried to bury my career, but you were the one who stopped them."
Hanullim Music, Kim Hyun-Ja's former agency, had been the number-one company in the trot industry then and remained so even now. Back then, when a copy singer appeared, they had reportedly intended to send people to make sure she could never perform again. Kim Hyun-Ja had personally stepped in and stopped them.
A gentle smile spread across Kim Hyun-Ja's face. "You weren't a copy singer because you wanted to be. Your agency made you do it. Besides, you look much healthier now. That's wonderful. Really wonderful."
Since preparing for her comeback, Kim Hyun-Ji had undergone extensive treatment, and the scars on her skin had faded considerably.
Kim Hyun-Ji nodded repeatedly and continued, "Yes. And... At my age, I'm finally making my official debut with my own song, 'Youth, Once Again!' So they're taking very good care of me."
Kim Hyun-Ja's face brightened instantly. "Really? That's wonderful. Finally, you've been given the chance to show everyone what you can do. Hyun-Ji, congratulations."
Even while struggling herself, she offered heartfelt congratulations.
With gratitude in her eyes, Kim Hyun-Ji replied, "It's all thanks to you looking out for me back then. And I'll be singing on stage with my daughter. The three of us—me, Mal-Soon, and her."
"Your daughter? Ah, that's right. You got married. What should I do... wait a moment..."
At that moment, Kim Hyun-Ja began fumbling through her pockets. Then her hand suddenly stopped. A genuinely apologetic expression crossed her face.
"I'm sorry. Come to think of it, I haven't received the contract payment yet. I'll give your daughter some spending money later..."
The five million won advance was meant to cover her own living expenses, yet she was already thinking about dividing it up and giving part of it away.
Moved by Kim Hyun-Ja's generosity, Kim Hyun-Ji clutched her chest and cried out, "Ma'am! How can you still be worrying about me at a time like this?"
Lee Mal-Soon looked outright furious. "Seriously... you're too much. You're always giving everything away to other people. Even your own children... how could you just endure all of that?"
Kim Hyun-Ja looked at her with a warm, gentle expression. "It's my fault for raising them that way. While I was traveling all over the country performing, I took care of my fans but not my family."
That was absurd. Kim Hyun-Ja had spent her entire life sacrificing sleep, traveling endlessly, and singing to earn money. Thanks to her efforts, her children had lived in luxury.
'What fault could possibly belong to her?'
She might forgive them, but once this matter was settled, I intended to make sure they paid the price for their unfilial actions.
Then Kim Hyun-Ja turned toward me. "And Chief Jung, thank you so much for today. I'll never forget this kindness."
The perfect opportunity had arrived to explain the real reason I had come looking for her. "You really won't forget it?"
"No. I don't know what I can do in my current state, but if you need something, I'll do whatever I can."
"Then may I ask for exactly two things that are within your power?"
Kim Hyun-Ja nodded. "Of course. You helped my husband and you helped me, so it's the least I can do."
"Then first, I want you to cancel the advertising contract you signed with HK Planning."
A startled expression appeared on Kim Hyun-Ja's face. "Cancel it? But if I do that, I won't have money for living expenses. And before that, I don't even have the money to pay the penalty fee."
"I'll pay the penalty myself. Every won of it." I met her eyes and continued. "And as for the commercial, I'll personally find you a different endorsement deal."
"That's not a favor. That's you helping me."
I answered with a grin, "Same thing."
"I'm grateful, but could you at least tell me why you're asking me to cancel the commercial?"
"The truth is, there are serious problems with that advertisement."
I explained that HK Planning intended to use fifty dementia patients as extras without obtaining consent from their guardians instead of hiring reenactment actors. I told her she absolutely could not get involved with something like that.
"Really?" Kim Hyun-Ja stammered in shock.
"Yes, ma'am."
At that moment, Lee Mal-Soon backed me up. "Ma'am, Chief Jung never lies. So don't do that commercial, and don't work anymore. I'll cover all your living expenses and medical bills from now on. I make plenty of money."
Kim Hyun-Ji spoke up as well. "That's right, ma'am. I've made a living and even raised my daughter thanks to your songs. It's my turn to repay you now. I've made my comeback too, so I can help."
Both Lee Mal-Soon and Kim Hyun-Ji offered their support.
However, Kim Hyun-Ja shook her head. "No. It's all right. No matter how difficult my situation is, I can't spend the rest of my life relying on other people. Once my husband recovers, I'll ask Hanullim for some advertising work. That should be enough for us to get by."
Hanullim Music might have been the number-one company in the trot industry, but profit came before everything else there. There was no chance they would properly look after Kim Hyun-Ja suffering from dementia. That meant that the schedule entry in Everyday would probably remain unchanged.
One year from now, it still recorded her death.
[Everyday V13]
[Date: July 7, 2022]
-02:00 p.m.: General Room No. 3, Seven Stars Hospital Funeral Hall, Gangnam. Veteran trot singer Kim Hyun-Ja.
As I stared silently at the schedule entry displayed by Everyday, I realized what I needed to do to erase that entry.
"Ma'am, may I ask my second favor now?"
Kim Hyun-Ja readily agreed and said, "Of course. Go ahead. Anything. You saved me, so what couldn't I do for you?"
I took a deep breath before speaking. "My second request..." I paused briefly. "...is for you to sign an exclusive contract with Hoop Entertainment."
Kim Hyun-Ja's eyes widened. "You want... to sign me? Not just give me a commercial?"
"Yes." I looked directly at her. "I want to bring you back as a singer and put you on stage again!"
My bombshell announcement left everyone staring in shock. No matter how legendary a superstar she had once been, the idea of bringing back a seventy-year-old singer suffering from dementia seemed impossible. At least, that was what everyone else was thinking.
However, I had a way to give back the brilliant youth that had once shone so brightly.