Runaway Secretary - Chapter 44

CHAPTER 44

Yeonseo rolled on the large bed and opened her eyes. She got up from the bed, following the sounds that were not too far away.

“Ugh…”

A familiar dull pain struck her whole body. She stumbled out of the bedroom, groaning like a sick man and into the living room.

Taeheon was shoving his arms into his jacket, his face clean of last night’s passion.

She wondered where he got the other suit from aside from what he wore yesterday, but decided not to ask. The closet in the officetel was already full of Yeonseo’s share of new clothes, so it wouldn’t be strange if he had one or two more.

“Are you leaving?”

Yeonseo asked as she leaned against the wall.

Her white legs stretched out beneath a T-shirt that barely covered her hips, covered in mottled colours. Taeheon’s gaze was dry, without heat.

Checking his digital watch, he looked busy.

“Are you free this evening? I was thinking of visiting my grandmother.”

“Visiting… your grandmother? You’re visiting?”

Her tired face turned pale.

“If you’re free, would you like to come with me?”

“Yes, I’d love to.”

Taeheon approached her. Yeonseo softly grabbed the end of his jacket.

“Are you sure I can come?”

“Yeah. I’m ordering you a meal, so eat and get some more sleep.”

“I need to go out. I’m going to the hospital and then have lunch with a friend.”

“A friend?”

“Hyeonho. He’s not my friend, more like a childhood friend. I tried to buy lunch yesterday, but I was drunk and couldn’t pay, remember? Hyeonho helped a lot during the funeral.”

“So?”

“We’re meeting for lunch.”

“Why go to the hospital now if we’ll be going there later to visit? Don’t waste your energy.”

“I know. It’s not efficient, but it puts my mind at ease.”

“If you know that, why don’t you follow through?”

Taeheon’s indifference had been accumulating. She didn’t want him to go away suddenly, so she continued to hold onto the end of his jacket.

She would feel lonely if he left. She knew that kindness didn’t suit a man like him, but maybe she could complain a little about the disappointment she had accumulated during his business trip.

Maybe she could mention that a daily phone call just to check in wasn’t enough, even if he found it bothersome.

“I don’t know how much of an efficient person you are, but I’m not, and I feel better when I go to the hospital.”

“Then, you’ll still be just waiting outside of Grandma’s room, squeezing your heart out? Is that it?”

“Don’t be sarcastic.”

Yeonseo pursed her lips and remained silent.

“We were up all night f*cking, and you can’t even keep your eyes open. You need to get in shape, so when the time comes to meet my grandma, you’ll be in good shape.”

Yeonseo sighed.

He was right about everything.

“Yeah. You’re never wrong, Sir.”

“Have breakfast in half an hour. Secretary Kim Hyunyoung will bring it, and after that, you can rest.”

Taeheon said as he turned around and checked his watch as if wrapping up. He still had a somewhat cold demeanor, which bothered Yeonseo.

Yeonseo ran over and tightly embraced Taeheon from behind.

“Don’t you need to rest too, Sir?”

She mumbled into Taeheon’s back, her face buried in the scent of a good-smelling, fresh, and masculine man, which made her heart flutter.

“I’ve already rest a little.”

 Taeheon replied, unwrapping Yeonseo’s arms from his waist as he turned around. His intense gaze briefly met hers.

“What should I do with you?”

“Please treat me kindly. Don’t be too mean.”

Yeonseo frowned slightly. She didn’t want to be too arrogant and pushy, but she calculated that it was okay to be a bit more relaxed within certain boundaries.

“You have to crawl up a bit.”

He sighed deeply and lightly kissed Yeonseo’s lips. She knew Taeheon needed to leave, but she’d have to settle for a kiss.

“Take care at work.”

“Of course.”

Taeheon replied stiffly and turned away. The door closed with a bang, and the door lock clicked.

Yeonseo touched her lips, where the teasing kiss had landed. It wasn’t an intense kiss that delved into her tongue, but it still made her heart race.

This is more dangerous.

She thought, curling her fists to calm her nerves.

*

Taeheon was right, she was in no condition to go out. Yeonseo didn’t wake up until the afternoon.

2 o’clock?

After checking the time, she quickly got up.

She had made plans to meet Hyeonho for lunch today, but there hadn’t been any missed calls so far. She pressed the call button, and Hyeonho answered with a voice that sounded like he was dying.

• .. I don’t think I can go out today.

“You sound weird ……. do you have a cold?”

• I don’t know. But my whole body hurts. I think I have a fever.

“Have you taken any medicine? Have you checked your temperature?”

–              No, I can’t even move a finger. I was filming at the swimming pool yesterday. Maybe it’s because of that…”

His breathing didn’t sound good. Hyeonho’s condition seemed serious.

“Are you at home? I’ll come over right away.”

Yeonseo quickly put on some clothes and rushed to Hyeonho’s house. After calling his manager, she brought him to a nearby hospital when Hyeonho’s temperature had risen to almost 40 degrees.

He was diagnosed with acute tonsillitis and was told that his condition was serious and he needed to be hospitalized. After admitting Hyeonho to a private room, his manager, who was out of town, arrived.

It was already evening. While his fever had somewhat subsided, Hyeonho was still suffering from muscle aches and a sore throat. Yeonseo left after promising to come back in the late evening.

She had to put Hyeonho behind for now because she would visit Mrs. Kang at the other hospital. She hadn’t seen her since her surgery, so she couldn’t give up the visit.

Yeonseo arrived in the corridor in front of the intensive care unit at Shinju Hospital, glancing at her phone. She wondered when Taeheon would arrive. She thought she should call him ahead of time, but as she was about to do so, he appeared.

Taeheon was with his secretary. Yeonseo exchanged a silent nod with the secretary.

The secretary also nodded in response. Taeheon’s gaze briefly met Yeonseo’s before moving away.

“Let’s go in.”

After getting dressed in a visiting attire, they entered the neurology intensive care unit. Mrs. Kang, who had undergone brain surgery, had bandages wrapped around her head.

She was connected to a respirator and other devices, and she lay there serenely, as if embarking on a long journey.

Yeonseo heard that she hadn’t regained consciousness yet. Still, she believed that Mrs. Kang would eventually come back.

But seeing her in this state made Yeonseo uncertain, because it looked like Mrs. Kang was heading on the border between life and death.

Yeonseo hesitated and tried to move closer to Mrs. Kang, but her feet wouldn’t budge.

It was Taeheon’s hand that pushed her forward, as if to reassure her that it was okay.

“Mrs. Kang.”

Gathering her courage, Yeonseo reached out and gently held Mrs. Kang’s cold hand. She had so much she wanted to say, but it felt like her tongue was tied, leaving her speechless.

“Grandma, there are many people waiting for you.”

Then she heard Taeheon’s voice, his usual gruff tone.

“You need to get up, Han Yeonseo is here. She sits in the hospital every day and is so stubborn, you should get up and say something.”

His nonchalance made it seem as if like it would awaken Mrs. Kang, but his nonchalance was comforting.

Swallowing hard, Yeonseo leaned in close to Mrs Kang’s ear and whispered.

“Grandma, it’s me, Yeonseo.”

Her lips quivered with tears.

“I’ve missed you so much.”

Mrs. Kang had always wanted Yeonseo to call her ‘Grandmother’ but she had always suppressed her desire to call her that, fearing it might be too presumptuous when their not even blood related.

Yeonseo’s voice wavered, and tears welled up in her eyes.

“…I love you.”

Yeonseo didn’t say things like “get well soon” or “wake up” because she was afraid those words might be harmful to Mrs. Kang. Instead, she expressed her longing.

She had seen many patients writhing in agony worse than death, wishing they could end their lives, so she couldn’t tell Mrs Kang to get well, to endure the pain of burning limbs to return to the edge of life.

She wanted to express her deep affection for Mrs. Kang, who had embraced her warmly. She wanted to convey her gratitude to her, who had a strong character and a straightforward personality.

“Thank you so much, Grandma.”

Instead of apologizing for the burden she had become, Yeonseo chose to express her gratitude.

The short visit time came to an end. Since it was a separate visit time arranged by Taeheon, Yeonseo couldn’t insist on staying longer. As she walked back down the corridor to the intensive care unit, it felt even more desolate than before.

“She couldn’t have chemotherapy and had to go straight into surgery. The tumor was quite large, and it’s on the side of her brain responsible for movement, so the prognosis isn’t good.”

Yeonseo nodded in response to Taeheon’s explanation. It was something she knew roughly from what Yoonhae and the others had said.

“Even if she wakes up, there may be complications.”

“Okay. Thank you so much for today.”

“You should go now.”

“Okay.”

Yeonseo nodded weakly. She needed to go to Hyeonho now.

At that moment, there was commotion at the end of the corridor. Someone was walking this way.

“Taeheon, what brings you here at this hour? It’s not even visiting hours.”

It was Song Hyun. She was walking towards them with two people in tow. Song Hyun’s gaze, which had been focused on Taeheon, shifted to Yeonseo and she raised her brows.

“The caregiver lady is still here. It’s been a while since Seungbin left, so why aren’t you with him?”

Not knowing what to say at a time like this, Yeonseo looked at Taeheon questioningly.

“What are you doing here at this hour, Aunt?”

“I came to see the doctor in charge and decided to wait since it’s almost visiting hours. By the way, Taeheon, are you seeing her?”

Song Hyun quickly lost interest in Yeonseo and continued her conversation with Taeheon.

People like Song Hyun considered employees as nothing more than dust or air, or perhaps tools. So, Yeonseo being Taeheon’s girlfriend was something she couldn’t even imagine.

Yeonseo remembered Song Hyun’s gaze when it was mentioned that she was Seungbin’s fiancee, it was rather uncomfortable.

“Why? Do you have your own list of potential marriage partners for me, as well?”

“Can I recommend someone? You know her Taeheon, she’s Congressman Kim’s daughter…….”

It was a painful feeling to have to hear the details of the other party’s background when considering them as a potential spouse for Taeheon. It was even more heartbreaking with Taeheon silently listening to it all.

Yeonseo realized she liked Taeheon more than she thought.

With that realization, she swallowed a sigh.