Chapter 8 (Part 2)

As they entered the hospital room, Hyo-young blinked at Seo-hye.

Last night, Seo-hye heard from Do-jin that Hyo-young’s condition wasn’t very good, so she expected to find her asleep when she entered.

However, when Hyo-young greeted Seo-hye with her eyes shaped like crescent moons, she felt so happy that she almost cried.

Seo-hye ran to the bedside and gently hugged her.

“Mom, I’m here.”

At Seo-hye’s affectionate voice, the sound from the respirator became a bit more irregular.

As always, she rubbed her face gently against Hyo-young’s chest, careful not to burden her, and inhaled her mother’s scent.

“Being in your arms, Mom… makes me feel alive…”

“……”

“I missed you so much… I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you…”

Watching her, the brightness in Seo-hye’s eyes, which had been as sunny as a bright day, began to dim with sadness.

Her heart felt like it was tearing apart at the thought that Hyo-young had been endangered and played with by Lee Hwa-woong.

Hyo-young, seemingly aware of what had happened to her, gave Seo-hye a reassuring look.

They had relied on and loved each other since childhood.

So just by looking at her mother’s eyes, Seo-hye could understand.

It’s not your fault. 

That’s what her mother was saying.

Seo-hye couldn’t continue showing a gloomy face in front of her mother, so she forced a smile and stepped back.

“I can see you every day now, Mom. I’m going to live here for a while.”

At that moment, a startled cough was heard from behind.

A brief silence followed, and both Seo-hye and Hyo-young turned their gaze to Do-jin, who was standing behind them.

Do-jin, seemingly embarrassed by the sound he made unintentionally, avoided their gaze.

Seo-hye wrinkled her nose in a playful smile at Do-jin, who was no longer looking at her, and then turned back to her mother.

“Um… I have so much to say, there was something that happened to us, Mom, and it was Mr. Won Do-jin standing back there who helped us.”

Hyo-young looked at Do-jin with even more intensity than when she was looking at Seo-hye.

“Oh, Mom… you might have already seen him yesterday? Grandpa tried to lock you up at Director Park’s house, but Mr. Won Do-jin found you and brought you to this hospital.”

Seo-hye paused for a moment while speaking and glanced at Do-jin.

Do-jin blinked once, as if to cheer her on.

“Remember? The person who was with me when I went to deliver the landscape painting to you last time. He’s really someone we’re grateful for.”

Hyo-young nodded quite vigorously.

“Once your condition improves a bit, you might be able to take off the respirator, right? I’ll tell you everything then. Why grandfather hurriedly moved you, and why Mr. Won Do-jin brought you back.”

Silence followed.

Seo-hye lifted the blanket and held Hyo-young’s hand inside it.

“So let’s get healthy again, Mom.”

Hyo-young nodded.

After that, Seo-hye asked a few more questions, but Hyo-young, whose condition was significantly worse than an average person, soon fell asleep.

Watching Hyo-young for a long time, Seo-hye was startled when she realized it was already past twelve.

She began to sweat at the thought that she had kept Do-jin unnecessarily long.

Seo-hye stood up and took Do-jin, who was sitting on a chair near the entrance, outside.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I momentarily forgot that you have to go back to the company in the afternoon. Please, go quickly.”

Seo-hye hurriedly pushed against his chest, urging him to leave quickly.

However, he didn’t back down at all and instead grabbed her wrist with a frown.

“……Why do you look angry?”

Seo-hye quickly ran through her thoughts and asked again, choosing her words carefully.

“Is it because I didn’t tell Mom everything about Cheongun-dong? I was planning to tell her once her condition improved a bit—”

“Are you really going to leave me alone from today?”

At the unexpected question, Seo-hye’s parted lips froze.

“I can see my mom every day now, I’m planning to live here for a while.”

The thought of staying at the hospital for the time being made Do-jin cough awkwardly.

Seo-hye answered with a firm tone, controlling the twitching corners of her lips.

“I think I should. And I didn’t have a proper place to stay, did I?”

Do-jin looked at her with displeased eyes and whispered softly.

“Alright, then.”

He then checked the time on his watch.

“I’m going now.”

Seo-hye eagerly gestured for him to leave quickly.

As Do-jin was about to turn away, he furrowed his brows and looked at her.

“Why are you trying to send me off like this?”

His words were so low that it was hard to tell if he was talking to himself or asking Seo-hye.

However, not wanting him to misunderstand, Seo-hye quickly replied.

“It’s because I feel like you have been able to properly attend to your work because of me.”

“There’s nothing I haven’t done properly, so let’s not meddle unnecessarily, Ms. Seo-hye.”

Seo-hye squinted one eye, shouting, “What did you say?” in a burst of indignation.

That reaction made her look like a little kitten pouncing, both insignificant and cute.

Do-jin let out a subtle smile and turned around, saying he was really leaving.

Seo-hye quietly watched his back, then slowly raised her hand to wave.

She didn’t forget to warmly bid him farewell in her heart, “Have a safe trip.”

But then, he suddenly turned around.

Seo-hye’s hand hung awkwardly in the air, surprised.

Do-jin’s sharp eyes glanced at her palm and then moved to her face.

“Try to do well in front of others, at least.”

Seo-hye, embarrassed, couldn’t come up with any retort.

“I’ll send Secretary Yoo in the afternoon to bring you a new phone. Just bear with the inconvenience a little longer.”

Seo-hye let out a small gasp.

How could Do-jin be so attentive to the things she didn’t even think of?

“Yes… thank you.”

“If you’re thankful, text me every 10 minutes.”

“…No.”

“Think for 5 seconds before answering from now on. Saying ‘no’ has become a habit, hasn’t it? Hmm?”

“…Have a safe trip.”

After bowing her head in greeting, Seo-hye hurriedly went back into Hyo-young’s hospital room.

She grabbed her pounding heart and tried to calm her quickening breath.

Glancing at the mirror on the wall, she noticed her face was as red as a plum blossom.

She covered her hot cheeks with her hands and lightly tapped her lips, recalling what Do-jin had said earlier.

Why does the word “no” automatically come out whenever he says something embarrassing?

Still, he’s someone she’s grateful to, so she shouldn’t keep saying no.

She tapped her lips a bit harder.

When she turned her head slightly, she met eyes with Hyo-young, who had woken up without her noticing.

“!”

It seemed Hyo-young had seen her come into the room with a red face and hitting her lips.

Hyo-young’s eyes were curved gently, filled with happiness as if she had watched a very enjoyable movie.

Seo-hye wanted to ask if she had heard the conversation with Do-jin from the hallway, but decided not to.

No matter what Hyo-young thought about her relationship with Do-jin, Hyo-young looked happier now than ever before.

If my mom is happy, then my embarrassment is nothing.

Seo-hye approached the bedside again, took her hand, and sat in the caregiver’s chair.

“Oh, by the way, they said they would do a detailed examination again at around two o’clock.”

Hyo-young nodded slightly as if she understood, glancing toward the hospital room door.

Watching her, Seo-hye paused and then asked.

“Are you asking what kind of relationship I have with Won Do-jin?”

When Hyo-young nodded again, Seo-hye withheld her answer and pondered for quite a while.

The time passed so long that Hyo-young shook the hand Seo-hye was holding.

Seo-hye smiled softly, indicating she understood.

“It seems like we have good feelings for each other.”

Hyo-young lifted her free hand and tapped her oxygen mask.

Seo-hye understood immediately and temporarily removed the mask from her mouth.

Having not spoken for so long, her voice barely came out.

“I’m happy.”

Seo-hye, barely hearing the words mixed with a metallic sound, put the oxygen mask back on properly and smiled.

Recalling how Hyo-young had been so disappointed, asking when it would be her turn when Hae-mi announced her marriage, Seo-hye gathered a bit more courage.

No matter what happens later, she wanted to bring joy to her mom, who was struggling day by day.

“We haven’t even decided to date yet, but Won Do-jin keeps asking me to marry him.”

Hyo-young’s breathing became rougher.

“Why not?”

Hyo-young nodded vigorously.

“How old do you think I am? That person looks young, but he’s actually older.”

Hyo-young’s eyes widened.

“He’s seven years older than me.”

Hyo-young smiled and shook her head side to side. It seemed she was implying he didn’t look that age.

“Right? But…”

“…….”

“He’s definitely much more mature than me. Whenever something happens, he appears out of nowhere and solves everything.”

Hyo-young listened to Seo-hye’s words, holding her hand tightly.

Through her grip, it seemed as if she was asking if that was the only reason she liked him, prompting Seo-hye to slowly open her lips again.

“But… more than that… the reason I like him is.”

“……”

“He says he likes me, not my painting skills.”

Her voice trembled greatly at the end.

It seemed she saw a strange sadness pass through Hyo-young’s eyes, but Seo-hye quickly stood up, changing the subject.

“Mom, I didn’t have breakfast. I’ll go grab something simple to eat.”

Although she said it to make Hyo-young happy, it somehow made her feelings for Do-jin even clearer.

Even though she knew there were many troubling factors to being by his side, her feelings kept growing, which frightened her.

Apart from leaving the house in Cheongun-dong and securing her mom’s safety, everything was in the worst situation.

Even yesterday’s engagement article about Hae-mi and Do-jin was probably still on the internet.

Seo-hye paused before leaving the hospital room and looked back at Hyo-young.

She started to regret having excitedly talked about Do-jin to her, as if flipping a switch.