Chapter 4 Part 2

“I’m sorry.”

Minjoo informed her boss over the phone of her decision to resign. She had already mentioned before that a replacement should be found, but this time she made it clear that she wouldn’t be coming in at all. The boss yelled.

– “Cha Minjoo, who the hell is that guy? What’s your relationship? Are you getting married or something? Does he think he can threaten people at my business and get away with it?”

“…I’m sorry. I was planning to stay until you found a replacement, but it seems like it’s taking too long. It’s better for me to quit than to be a burden.”

– “How can you just quit like this? I was planning to pay you your overdue wages.”

“You don’t have to pay me.”

– “What? Cha Minjoo, do you have a lot of money or something? Didn’t you say you needed money?”

“Yes.”

– “Then?”

“…I need a lot of it.”

The person who can give the most money is telling me not to work.

Minjoo ended the call with formal goodbyes. She sighed as she sat on the hospital bench. It wasn’t long before Hyekyung appeared.

“What’s going on?”

Hyekyung immediately started questioning her. Minjoo calmly explained the situation, including the peculiar contract she had made. Hyekyung remained silent as she listened.

“Is Park Gihyun coming?”

“Where?”

“Here. To pick you up.”

“…Why?”

Hyekyung abruptly stood up. Minjoo hurried to follow but couldn’t keep up with Hyekyung’s aggressive pace.

“Hyekyung, wait a moment!”

“I need to see him because I’m so frustrated.”

Despite Minjoo’s attempts to stop her, Hyekyung marched toward the entrance. As soon as she saw Gihyun’s distinctive car, she shook off Minjoo and walked determinedly towards him. Gihyun also got out of the car.

“Park Gihyun, have you lost your mind?”

Hyekyung launched a preemptive strike as soon as she stood in front of him.

“Isn’t this guy all good looking but rotten inside? Or is he just plain stupid? What do you want from Minjoo?”

“Didn’t Cha Minjoo tell you?”

“You did. I heard everything. You said you wanted a child, right? So, an impregnation contract?”

“……”

“Fine. Everyone has a contract or two in their lives. Employment contracts, insurance contracts, lease contracts… it’s all contracts. Park Gihyun, you’ve made some contracts in business, haven’t you? Why did you button this one so wrong?”

“……”

“You want to be with Minjoo? Marriage is a contract too. You should’ve proposed marriage instead! Properly win her heart!”

At the word ‘marriage,’ Minjoo, who was about to intervene, froze solid. Hyekyung continued to lash out at Gihyun, who remained silent.

“Say you’re sorry. Say there’s no one like her. Say you’ll live humbly for the rest of your life if she gives you another chance. That should come first. Did you think you could just replace the years Minjoo painstakingly built up with money? Isn’t that a thief’s mentality?”

“Nam Hyekyung, you’ve chosen the wrong career path.”

“What?”

“You should’ve started a consulting company instead of being a nurse. I’ll invest, so start one now.”

“You idiot…”

Hyekyung grabbed Gihyun by the collar. Despite having to reach up due to their height difference, her eyes blazed fiercely.

“There are things money can’t fix. You think money can solve everything? Rich people always think like that. But there are no business deals in front of money.”

“……”

“If it weren’t for the money, Minjoo wouldn’t be with you. But what if she said she didn’t need money or anything else? No, with all that money, start by treating Minjoo.”

“Hyekyung!”

“If you want a child, deal with her depression first! Prevent her from getting postpartum depression and ending her life!”

“Why are you doing this, Nam Hyekyung!”

Gihyun’s brows furrowed for the first time as he stared at Hyekyung’s outburst. He looked at Minjoo with a puzzled expression. Minjoo tried to shake Hyekyung off, but Hyekyung didn’t stop.

“Minjoo, I’m sorry. I’m going to say something harsh. Can I go further? Why did you get depressed in the first place?”

“Nam Hyekyung!”

“Can you really say Park Gihyun isn’t the cause? Not even a bit?” 

Listening to their argument, Minjoo nearly fainted. As she collapsed, Gihyun rushed to catch her. Seeing this, Hyekyung also turned pale and tried to help support Minjoo. 

“Let go.”

“I’m a nurse. You let go.”

“I said, let go!”

Gihyun shouted while cradling Minjoo in his arms. Despite losing consciousness, Minjoo could still hear them.

“Shall we resume the hearing? You should go first. You left Minjoo saying you had to take care of Kang Yoonjung.”

“……”

“It’s time for the kid to start school, right? Aren’t you already a father? Or did you get divorced?”

“No kids.”

“Why? Did they die?”

“There was never one in the first place.”

Hyekyung was momentarily speechless. Even in her dazed state, Minjoo’s fingers trembled.

“Oh, really? So the kid was just an excuse, and you just liked Kang Yoonjung. Then why are you looking for Minjoo now?”

“I don’t think that’s something I need to answer to you.”

“Then say it in front of Minjoo.”

Unable to hear any more, Minjoo went limp. She felt Gihyun carrying her as he ran into the hospital, but then she lost consciousness.

***

Minjoo opened her eyes. After blinking a few times, she realized she was in a bed. An IV needle was inserted into her arm. Beside her, Gihyun sat with a serious expression. As Minjoo stirred, he immediately stood and approached her.

“How did you live your life to end up with malnutrition?”

He scolded her but then closed his mouth. He pulled the blanket up over her and sat down again. Minjoo remained silent, feeling drained.

“Depression.”

It was Gihyun who broke the silence once again.

“Was it not your mother, but you?”

“…….”

“Or both of you?”

“Just me.”

“…Why did you get depression?”

Until now, they had not had a deep conversation. In a relationship bound by a contract, conversations seemed like a luxury. However, Gihyun’s cautious tone allowed her to finally share her internal struggles.

“My father passed away. Then my brother committed suicide. My mother developed complications from diabetes.”

Minjoo spoke calmly, but it seemed her heart had weakened enough to indulge in self-pity. She paused with a sigh.

“…That’s why.”

“Nam Hye-kyung said it was because of me.”

“It wasn’t that significant.”

“…….”

“…Not eventually.”

Gihyun bit his lower lip at Minjoo’s words, which were his best attempt at evasion. His eyes wandered, looking reddened. Just when it seemed he was about to lose composure, he struggled to regain his calm.

“The medicine you mentioned, it wasn’t for your skin but antidepressants?”

He recalled her earlier words and pressed her.

“I don’t take them anymore.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“…Because it doesn’t concern you.”

“How can it not concern me?”

“Does anything change if I have depression?”

Minjoo remembered Gihyun asking if depression was hereditary. Was he afraid their child might also suffer from depression?

“…Should I pay the penalty?”

She hadn’t expected any particular response when she said it. But for the first time, Gihyun’s face crumbled completely, though he remained silent. He just looked at Minjoo, his lips moving slightly but no words coming out.

An agreement to conceive, cohabitation, pretending to be his fiancée. She had done everything Gihyun wanted, so why did he look so devastated? If there was no child with Yoonjung from the start, what was the real reason he had broken up with her?

What did Park Gihyun truly want from Cha Minjoo?

There were many unanswered questions, but Minjoo didn’t try to initiate a conversation. To her, misunderstandings were only worth resolving if there was a desire to continue the relationship.

***

Ever since the day they visited the emergency room, Gihyun had stayed home, closely monitoring Minjoo. Even when she was sleeping, he would come into the bedroom to check on her and then leave. Most of his work was handled from home through his computer or phone, and when he had to leave, he would call in the housekeeper. It felt like living with a ticking time bomb. The atmosphere remained tense.

One day, Gihyun scolded the housekeeper harshly.

“I told you not to leave her alone.”

“I was just taking out the garbage.”

“That could have waited.”

“Sir, she’s not a child. Minjoo can be alone for a moment without any trouble….”

“Do I need to remind you why I pay you extra? Don’t ever take your eyes off her when I’m not here.”

Minjoo realized that this change in Gihyun’s behavior was because of her. Her suspicions became more concrete when she tried to open a window for fresh air. Gihyun would rush over from the other end of the living room to stop her, showing an extreme fear of her potentially falling.

Despite Gihyun’s irritability, it was the sudden decision to quit her job that plunged Minjoo into a deep depression. From that point on, she started sleeping excessively.

“Let’s go out.”

It was a sudden suggestion from Gihyun while Minjoo was having breakfast.

“Is there somewhere you want to go?”

“Where are we going?”

“Anywhere. An amusement park, a shop, wherever.”

“Why?”

“You’re sleeping all the time. You should get some fresh air.”

Minjoo couldn’t think of anywhere she wanted to go. Then she remembered a place she and her mother used to love visiting when she was a child.

“The beach.”

She regretted it as soon as she said it. The winter beach would be cold and desolate. But Gihyun didn’t question her choice.

As usual, they took Gihyun’s car, setting out on a trip that seemed ill-suited for the season. They stopped at a department store halfway to buy a down jacket for Minjoo, ensuring she was warm before continuing to their true destination.

It was a weekday morning, and they chose a spot not too far from Seoul, so they arrived at the beach quickly. At first, Minjoo stood there blankly, then she slowly walked towards the sea. She stood in the middle of the sandy shore, facing the wind. Being in nature made her feel suddenly detached from reality.

Gihyun came back with two cups of coffee from somewhere. Minjoo held hers, using it as a hand warmer.

“How do you feel?”

“Good.”

The sea was so dark it looked almost black. It was a landscape that could make anyone feel gloomy just by looking at it. Gihyun eyed Minjoo skeptically.

“Why do you like the sea?”

It was a question about her preference. Minjoo didn’t think deeply about it. Immersed in the emotions the place evoked, she confided in Gihyun, who was the most uncomfortable presence.

“When I was young, we often came to the sea. My grandmother’s house was near the beach. I caught snails, played in the sand with my brother. When I got swept away by the waves, my dad would save me. I cried when saltwater got in my eyes.”

“Those don’t sound like good memories.”

“But it was fun. I stayed in the water until my hands were all wrinkled. My back got so sunburned I could barely sleep. It was burning hot.”

“We should have come in the summer.”

“No, I like winter too. Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean it’s not the sea.”

Happiness was fleeting, and unhappiness was ongoing, yet Minjoo smiled faintly. She thought that if it weren’t for those short memories, she wouldn’t have survived until now. She just wanted to come back to the sea with her mother.