[Everyday V13]

[Date: April 28, 2021]

[Fortune of the Day: The last chance to clear up long-standing misunderstandings. Miss this moment, and you'll regret it for the rest of your life.]

Since today's fortune hadn't disappeared, I immediately asked Han Dae-Man, whom I was carrying on my back.

"Mr. Han, why were you trying to meet a reporter today?"

From my back, Han Dae-Man spoke. "A few days ago, Noh Tae-Soo brought up the match-fixing incident from nine years ago. He said he knew I took money back then, and threatened me. He said that if Dong-Hae and I didn't want to die, I should give false testimony about you again this time."

"False testimony?"

"He told me to testify that you took money from gamblers and took part in match-fixing. He said they already had fake evidence prepared, and if I just said that much, he'd give me 500 million won."

I hadn't personally received any money back then, but the orphanage had always received anonymous cash donations. It seemed like they were planning to pin it on that. Still, something didn't make sense.

"If it comes out that the national team selection was rigged, Noh Tae-Soo will be in trouble too. NK Construction will also take a hit."

Han Dae-Man shook his head. "They're more meticulous than you'd think. The false testimony they wanted wasn't about that incident. It was about the high school tournament final a month before the match-fixing case."

A month before the match-fixing incident nine years ago, I had entered the high school boxing tournament in Gyeonggi to maintain my condition. But in the finals, I lost due to a blatantly biased decision. Still, with the national team selection coming up, I couldn't protest. If I did, I would be suspended and wouldn't be able to compete in the selection.

"So I tried to expose the match-fixing incident from nine years ago—the root of everything. If the truth from back then comes out, you won't be held back by it ever again."

Han Dae-Man had been planning to reveal everything for my sake. However, there was still a problem.

"Then what about Dong-Hae hyung? If that gets exposed, he'll be put in a difficult position too."

Han Dae-Man burst into laughter. "I'll just take all the blame. I'll say Dong-Hae didn't know anything, that I took the money and passed it to him. At my age, I've got no reputation left to tarnish and nothing's going to change for me anyway."

My chest tightened. For the sake of a student who had left him under a misunderstanding, and for a son who had cut ties with him, Han Dae-Man had been willing to sell the only thing he had left, which was his honor as a coach.

"But I misjudged things. I called the reporter to prepare for the exposé, but who knew he'd run his mouth like that."

He said the reporter claimed it was a big story and suggested they talk elsewhere, and he never expected to be dragged out to a mountain like this.

"Then at least tell me the reporter's name."

"The reporter is Seo Dong-Man from Entertainment All Times."

'Seo Dong-Man. That piece of trash is involved in this too. Well, it's not exactly surprising.'

"I'll handle this myself, so don't ever think about exposing it again."

"Alright."

I already knew about the corruption tied to NK Construction and reporter Seo Dong-Man, so dealing with them wouldn't be difficult. However, today's fortune still hadn't disappeared. I didn't know why, but I was worried about Han Dae-Man's condition, so I couldn't stay here any longer.

At that moment, Team Lead Oh Cheol-Min pointed at a van.

"Assistant Manager Cha will drive you. I'll finish up here and then take Noh Tae-Soo and Kim In-Cheol to the hospital."

I nodded and got into the van right away.

***

Click.

As soon as I sat Han Dae-Man in the back seat and fastened his seatbelt, the car quickly took off.

Vroom.

I sat beside Han Dae-Man and held his hand tightly.

Rattle. Rattle.

As the car shook heavily on the way down Chilsasan, I wrapped my arms around him to steady him.

Then Han Dae-Man spoke again. "Yoon-Ho, you need to be careful of those bastards."

"I know."

"No. You don't know how vicious they are. Nine years ago... there was another reason I gave you the order to fix that match."

"You said it was because Dong-Hae hyung took the money and you had no choice."

"No. Even if it meant cutting ties with Dong-Hae that day, I was going to protect you. Once you get involved in match-fixing, scum like Noh Tae-Soo and his father would hold that over you for the rest of your life."

'Then why did he tell me not to go for a KO and instead fight passively, taking part in the fix?'

At that moment, Han Dae-Man spoke with a regretful expression. "Whether President Noh Sang-Jin knew me well or didn't trust Dong-Hae... right before your match, he sent someone again to warn me. He said if you knocked Tae-Soo out, they'd send people after the match to crush your hands..."

"No way... is that why you told me not to go for a KO and to let it go to a decision?"

"Yes. To protect you, I gave you an unjust order. I always believed the only way to change your life was through becoming a national representative, but... that's still better than living the rest of your life crippled with ruined hands."

Succeeding in boxing was incredibly difficult. Even becoming a pro and winning an Asian championship wouldn't guarantee real money. That was why Han Dae-Man always told me to aim to be a medalist. If I won a medal, I would receive a pension. And later, if I followed the coaching path and joined a corporate team, I would at least secure a stable life.

Back then, I had been too young to understand why my coach gave me such an unfair order right before the Asian Games national team selection. But now, I realized that someone like him must have had a reason. It wasn't to ruin me, but to protect me.

At that moment, my chest tightened and I struggled to breathe. Han Dae-Man had endured everything in silence, taking all the blame upon himself for my sake. He feared that if I found out the truth as a young boy, I wouldn't be able to hold back, would confront them, and end up crippled. Only then did the saying about a teacher's grace being as vast as the heavens truly sink in.

"Mr. Han... I was foolish. I didn't understand your intentions..."

Han Dae-Man gently patted my back. "No. You were young. And if I had handled things more firmly back then, maybe they wouldn't have dared touch you so carelessly. I was inexperienced. Because you met a foolish coach like me, a good athlete gave up boxing... that's my regret. I'm the one who's sorry, Yoon-Ho."

I shook my head firmly. A mere high school boxing coach going up against a chaebol was impossible.

"No, Mr. Han. Like you saw today, even the reporters were all in on it. Because you endured back then, I was able to stay unharmed and whole until now."

"You really... think that?"

"Yes!"

With his swollen face, Han Dae-Man lifted the corners of his lips and smiled brightly. "Thank you. Now I can finally hold my head high in front of my student. Hahaha."

A tear rolled down from the corner of Han Dae-Man's eye. And I too felt tears streaming down both sides of mine.

'Mr. Han. The resentment and pain of the past nine years... I'll repay it all. And from now on, I'll make sure you live well.'

I was detemined to crush NK Construction completely.

Just then, my phone vibrated and Everyday sent a notification.

Buzz.

[Notification: Fortune of the Day has been updated.]

Now that all the misunderstandings had finally been cleared, it seemed Everyday had updated my fortune. Holding back my anticipation, I checked my phone.

[Everyday V13]

[Date: April 28, 2021]

[Fortune of the Day: Miss this moment, and you'll regret it for the rest of your life.

(Deleted fortune: The last chance to clear up long-standing misunderstandings. Miss this moment, and you'll regret it for the rest of your life.)]

The misunderstanding had definitely been cleared up.

'Then why is there still something to regret?'

It was currently 11:00 p.m. There was still a full hour left before the day ended, so I couldn't figure out what else was still waiting for me.

Screech.

At that moment, the car stopped in front of the emergency room at Woojung Hospital in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province.

"We're here."

At the same time, the rear door of the van opened.

Rattle.

Doctors in gowns were setting a wheeled stretcher beside the ambulance.

"Let's get him in for a CT scan right away."

I still didn't know why today's fortune hadn't disappeared, but to make sure there would be nothing left to regret, I spoke to the doctors again.

"Please examine his face carefully. He was hit by a boxer."

The doctor nodded. "We already heard from Team Lead Oh. The hospital director and our top staff will examine him thoroughly, so please don't worry."

After giving a quick bow, the doctors transferred Han Dae-Man onto the orange stretcher.

"Emergency patient coming through!"

Then they all rushed past the emergency room and toward the CT room.

I ran beside them and spoke to Han Dae-Man. "Mr. Han, I'll call your wife and Dong-Hae hyung too."

Han Dae-Man pressed his lips together.

"Mr. Han, please. What if those bastards do something to Dong-Hae hyung too? So let me call him, alright? Can I do that?"

Before Han Dae-Man could give me a proper answer, we reached the door to the CT room.

Rattle.

The moment the door opened, he spoke hesitantly. "Alright..."

At least he had given permission.

"Thank you!"

With an awkward look on his face, Han Dae-Man went into the CT room.

I immediately turned to one of the doctors standing nearby and asked, "How long will it take?"

"If we're only doing a facial CT, five minutes at most. The scans will be reviewed right away, and the professor is already on standby, so even if it takes a little longer, you'll have the results within twenty to thirty minutes. He's being treated as a special VIP, so please don't worry."

"Please take good care of him."

"Yes. We'll do our best. Once the scan is done, we'll also arrange a full checkup schedule, so try not to worry too much. Though if there are fractures or anything like that, the detailed examination may have to be delayed, so we'd appreciate your understanding."

"Thank you."

Doctors normally didn't explain things in this much detail, but perhaps they had received separate instructions, because he went over everything carefully.

I was anxious, but there was something I needed to do first. First, the calls. I called Eun Ye-Jin first.

"Ma'am, we're at Woojung Hospital. Could you come to the hospital?"

-Why the hospital?

"Ah, Mr. Han took a small fall and got hurt. He says he's fine, but I brought him here anyway, so please don't be too alarmed."

-He's not... badly hurt, is he?

"No. Please don't worry, and I'll send someone for you. So take your time, alright?"

-Alright. I will.

"Good."

Eun Ye-Jin was alone at home, and with her weak heart, I couldn't risk alarming her. I figured I could explain everything calmly once we met, so I had no choice but to lie for now.

"And could you give me Dong-Hae hyung's number and Dong-Mi noona's as well?"

As if she had memorized her children's numbers, Eun Ye-Jin recited them.

-I actually text them sometimes behind my husband's back, so I know their numbers.

"That's fine, ma'am. I'll send someone right away."

After ending the call, I first contacted Oh Cheol-Min and asked him to bring Eun Ye-Jin to the hospital. Then I called Han Dong-Hae using the number Eun Ye-Jin gave me. After a few rings, he picked up.

-Who... is this?

"Hyung. It's me, Yoon-Ho."

Silence fell immediately.

"It's been a while. Have you been well?"

His voice came out subdued, weighed down by guilt.

-Well... I've been getting by. Ah, and I saw you've been doing well. You've been on TV a lot. Congratulations.

Han Dong-Hae, who used to give me gifts and treat me like a younger brother, wasn't a bad person. Things had just gone wrong.

"Dong-Hae hyung, I'm okay now, so you don't have to feel uncomfortable about the past anymore. I want to see you and noona. Can you come to Gwangju?"

Han Dong-Hae hesitated.

-I want to see you too, but... it's pretty late...

He still sounded burdened by what happened back then. So this time, I decided to be honest with him.

"Hyung. Mr. Han was beaten by Noh Tae-Soo and is in the hospital right now."

At that moment, Han Dong-Hae's voice turned sharp.

-What? Why?

"That bastard Noh Tae-Soo threatened him. He told him to give false testimony using what happened nine years ago as leverage. When Mr. Han refused, he punched him and even held a knife to his throat. His face is badly beaten right now."

Then, Han Dong-Hae's furious voice burst through the phone.

-That son of a bitch... did that to Father?

"Yeah. Anyway, we're at Woojung Hospital, and he's getting examined right now. I already told Mrs. Eun in a way that wouldn't alarm her, so don't call her and worry her. Come here with Dong-Mi noona. Call me when you're nearby."

-How's Father? Is he okay? He wasn't stabbed or anything... right?

"No, he's not that bad. I got there in time. Just hurry and come."

-Okay. I'll grab Dong-Mi and head out right now.

"Yeah."

The call ended in a rush. After hanging up, I anxiously waited for the CT results.

***

While waiting in the emergency room after the CT scan, Eun Ye-Jin arrived. Keeping my composure, I explained everything that had happened to Han Dae-Man. Her face turned pale when she heard what Noh Tae-Soo had done. However, since Han Dae-Man was conscious, she soon calmed down.

Lying on the bed, Han Dae-Man spoke awkwardly. "I'm sorry... dear."

At his apology, something he had never done in his life, Eun Ye-Jin simply nodded. "Take better care of yourself. You're not young anymore."

"Ahem. Alright. I will."

Then, Han Dae-Man quietly reached out and held Eun Ye-Jin's hand. I had never once seen the two of them hold hands before, and it caught me off guard.

"W-What are you doing...?"

As Eun Ye-Jin grew flustered, Han Dae-Man smiled through his swollen face. "Yoon-Ho has come back, and I've put down the weight on my heart... so I figured it's time I treated you better now. Hahaha."

Eun Ye-Jin clicked her tongue as her eyes welled up with tears. "You must really be happy now that your youngest is back. You've completely changed."

I watched them with a warm smile.

Then Doctor Oh Chil-Seok and the doctors approached. "There's no issue on the CT. As expected from someone who's exercised for so long, his bones are very strong."

Eun Ye-Jin let out a sigh of relief. "Oh my... thank you, sir."

Holding her hand, Han Dae-Man smiled. "Thank you, sir."

Oh Chil-Seok smiled back. "It's nothing. Once the swelling goes down, you should come back for a full checkup."

Just then, Han Dae-Man flinched, his expression turning uneasy. "I don't think I need a full checkup... And if it's alright... could I just be discharged?"

Even now, with me back, Han Dae-Man was instinctively worrying about hospital bills. For some reason, that stung.

At that moment, Oh Chil-Seok caught on and gestured toward me. "I hear your student here is a successful young millionaire. Why worry about money?"

Oh Chil-Seok had perceptively voiced what I was thinking.

I nodded. "Mr. Han, I'll take care of everything now, so please don't worry. I have plenty of money. And please think about Mrs. Eun too. If you leave like this, how worried would she be?"

Han Dae-Man scratched his head. "You really are something... Come to think of it, it's been a while since I've heard you nag like this."

Out of all his students, I was the only one who used to nag him like that.

Eun Ye-Jin chuckled, amused by how Han Dae-Man gave in so easily. "You can't say no to Yoon-Ho, can you?"

"Ahem. It's not that..."

But despite the warm atmosphere, my concern hadn't gone away. The time was now 11:40 p.m. And Everyday's fortune still hadn't disappeared.

[Everyday V13]

[Date: April 28, 2021]

[Fortune of the Day: Miss this moment, and you'll regret it for the rest of your life.]

'What am I supposed to do about this?'

Just as I was wondering what could possibly happen, something that had once happened to one of my actors before my regression suddenly flashed through my mind.

"Mr. Oh! Please run an MRI on his head right now."

Oh Chil-Seok asked, "An MRI? Why...?"

"If it's a subarachnoid hemorrhage that's had some time pass, it won't show up on a CT scan."

A subarachnoid hemorrhag occurred when an artery on the surface of the brain was damaged. If it went unnoticed and the person collapsed, it could lead to death. More importantly, while it could appear on a CT right after bleeding occurred, after some time passed, it may only be detectable through an MRI which made it easy to miss. Before my regression, one of my actors had nearly died because of it.

At that moment, Oh Chil-Seok's expression hardened as he turned to Han Dae-Man. "Mr. Han Dae-Man. Aside from today, have you had any severe headaches in the past few days?"

Han Dae-Man nodded. "Yes. About three or four days ago, while I was at the gym, I did feel a sharp headache..."

Oh Chil-Seok's face darkened. "I think Mr. Jung is right. Let's get an MRI immediately." He turned and shouted urgently. "Prepare the MRI."

At that moment, my phone buzzed.

Buzz.

[Notification: Fortune of the Day has been updated.]

At last, the fortune was changing. With a sense of urgency, I checked my phone. And on Everyday, a new fortune appeared that made my chest swell.

[Everyday V13]

[Date: April 28, 2021]

[Fortune of the Day: A scattered family will come together. When the family is at peace, all affairs prosper.

(Deleted fortune: Miss this moment, and you'll regret it for the rest of your life.)]

The moment I saw that the previous fortune had finally been removed, I almost wanted to shout in triumph. However, one phrase in the new fortune made my heart race even more.

'Family...?'