Chapter 47
by Gideon“Hyewan, slow down. You’ll hurt yourself if you fall.”
Yundo’s eyes were dark with despair as he fumbled, at a complete loss, over her every word.
“Just come straight here after work starting tomorrow.”
“I’m using up all my annual leave.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Who gives the next owner two whole weeks off?”
“President Kang Deok-ho is doing a great job, so…”
“Exactly. You hate the man. Why are you leaving the company in the hands of someone you despise?”
Hyewan’s voice echoed through the quiet hallway, her tone sharp with frustration.
“Let’s just go inside and talk.”
Yundo opened the hospital room door, letting Hyewan enter first before following her in. As the door clicked shut, it felt as if they were the only two people left in the world.
Leaning heavily on her walker, Hyewan spoke. “If things get any worse between us, we’re breaking up.”
For a moment, Yundo’s heart sank.
“How can you even say that? Who’s breaking up with whom?!” he snapped.
“Do you think any couple wants to break up from the start? We’re only doing this because staying together hurts more,” Hyewan replied.
“Hyewan!”
“To get through this time wisely, we need to comfort ourselves as much as we comfort each other. I can’t even cry because I’m too worried about you, and you’re too worried about me.”
“…”
“I’m not telling you to leave because I hate you. I’m telling you to take some time in your own space to look after yourself. You look more like the patient than I do.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“That’s exactly why I’m telling you to go!”
“I’m sorry… No, I won’t. I won’t say it again.”
“Yundo.”
Hyewan took his hand.
“He was the sunshine for both of us. So why is only Mom getting comforted by our sunshine? What about Dad?”
A surge of heat rose from the depths of Yundo’s chest.
“We’ll get through this. I believe in you, so you just have to believe in me.”
“…Alright.”
Finally, he forced his reluctant feet to turn and headed for the office.
But even there, he couldn’t focus on work.
Yundo’s time had stopped on the day of Hyewan’s accident. The obsessive compulsion to become the owner of Sewon Group, a burden passed down through generations, had vanished. He couldn’t find meaning in anything anymore.
He stared out the large window of the vice president’s office. His time had stopped, but the weather continued to change relentlessly. It had been below freezing since yesterday.
Hyewan’s treatment and rehabilitation would take at least six months.
He hadn’t gone home since the day of the accident. Instead, he stayed at a hotel near the hospital, having his secretary bring him only the essentials. He wanted to be by Hyewan’s side, to share the burden of her grueling rehabilitation. To be honest, he couldn’t bring himself to go back to an apartment where her scent still lingered in the air and her things—the ones he’d bought for Haetsal—were scattered everywhere.
Just then, his phone buzzed. Thinking it was the hospital, he checked the screen, only to see Chairwoman Kang’s name. Yundo’s expression darkened.
A jinx. A scapegoat.
The words circled his mind, driving him mad.
I can’t live like this.
That evening, after barely enduring the day until he could leave work, he went to Hyewan’s hospital room. She was leaning against the pillows, reading a book, and greeted him with a smile.
“You’re here.”
“Was the therapy hard today?”
Hyewan, who had gained weight after her business trip to Dubai, had grown gaunt again.
“It’s hard, but everyone else here is struggling so much more. I’d feel guilty being the only one complaining.”
In the rehabilitation clinic, she saw many patients in far worse condition than her own. Yet, they all fought through their treatment, desperate to return to the lives they’d known before their accidents. Watching them, Hyewan felt a pang of self-reproach. Instead of drowning in despair, she steeled her resolve to endure and overcome.
“I brought tteokbokki.”
“Really?”
A smile touched her pale face. She beamed at the spicy aroma, but then a shadow crossed her features.
“You’re the best, honey. I was actually craving this.”
But she quickly brightened again, as if the shadow had never been there.
He didn’t need her to say it. He knew. He saw how she’d smile, only to catch herself a moment later. She felt guilty for laughing while their child was dead.
He kept his composure as he unpacked the takeout tteokbokki.
“It’s probably gotten a little cold. It’s freezing outside.”
“I know. I opened the window for a second but closed it right away.”
“Eat slowly.”
“But you can’t eat spicy food. You should have bought something for yourself, too.”
“I’ll eat yours.”
Even though they knew Hyewan couldn’t eat much, Madam Park, Jinju-daek, and Min-suk kept bringing her food—dishes meant to strengthen bones and joints. But for Hyewan, even a single bite felt like a struggle. Yundo had stepped in as her knight in shining armor, eating most of it for her, but he insisted she finish the seaweed soup. Even she couldn’t refuse that much.
Eating food she actually liked for the first time in a while made her feel like she was finally coming back to life. It felt like a reward after an exhausting day.
“Hyewan.”
“Yeah?”
When she had eaten a decent amount, Yundo finally spoke.
“We had a good time in Hawaii, didn’t we?”
“Of course it was. It was amazing. Mom and Aunt Gyeong-ae said it was like paradise, and I felt the same way.”
Hawaii had been Hyewan’s first trip abroad, making it a truly special memory. Even though it hadn’t been that long, the trip somehow felt like a lifetime ago.
“What if we did your rehab there?”
“What do you mean?”
“Seoul is just starting to get cold, but it’s warm there. It would be much better for your recovery.”
Hyewan wrinkled her nose, considering his words. “Isn’t this a bit sudden? What about the things I have to do here in Korea?”
“Enroll in law school, then take a leave of absence immediately. Your leg won’t be healed by then anyway.”
“I was thinking the same thing, but what about you? Am I going to Hawaii alone?”
“Of course not. I’m going with you. Whether it’s for a year or two, I want to be by your side until you get better.”
“How can you say that? Don’t worry about me. It’s not like I’m leaving the hospital anyway.”
“I can’t stand it here anymore.”
Yundo’s confession startled Hyewan.
“Just… breathing feels like a struggle.”
“Yundo…”
“I want to start over in the place where I was happiest.”
It was Yundo’s honest wish. After watching him for a moment, Hyewan replied, “Alright. Let’s go.”
As long as they were together, the destination didn’t matter.
With Hyewan’s permission, nothing could stop Yundo now. Although he had only mentioned a temporary stay, he planned to avoid returning to Korea as long as Chairwoman Kang was still alive.
Dong-yeong, who was about to lose his boss, was actually thrilled. He started planning a world tour of his own.
“Finish my plan before you start yours. Find a local hospital first. One with the best rehabilitation facilities.”
“Research is my specialty. Don’t you worry.”
Dong-yeong enthusiastically supported the trip to Hawaii for Yundo and Hyewan’s sake. He threw himself into the preparations with equal passion.
Unaware of Yundo’s resolve, Chairwoman Kang had come to see her trusted Master again today. He had assured her that this incident was a blessing in disguise, halving Yundo’s misfortune.
Thank goodness, she thought. A blessing indeed.
Once more, Chairwoman Kang felt certain her decision had been the right one. She stepped out of the shrine, feeling utterly satisfied, only to find Chief Ma waiting for her, pacing anxiously.
“What’s with you? You’re acting like a dog with a full bladder,” she snapped.
“Chairwoman, it’s an emergency.”
“Why are you making such a fuss? You’re getting on my nerves.”
“The Vice President is leaving for Hawaii.”
“Hawaii? What in the world are you talking about? Why would he go there?”
Chairwoman Kang glared at Chief Ma. “Is this about that girl? Is Yundo trying to flee Korea with her?”
“Yes, Chairwoman. That’s what I believe.”
“Oh, Lord! My brilliant grandson has gone mad over a woman!”
Chairwoman Kang pressed a hand to her forehead.
“Chairwoman, please, let’s get in the car first.”
Chief Ma helped her into the vehicle.
“I knew they said a man would forget his own parents and siblings when he’s madly in love, but I never imagined my own eldest grandson would be the one!” Chairwoman Kang fumed.
“Does this even make sense? What? Taking a girl who’s past her expiration date to Hawaii? He should be focused on assuming the CEO position as soon as possible! How does this make any sense?”
Chief Ma handed her a bottle of water.
“That’s the problem! I was going to give her a generous settlement when we finally get rid of her, as long as he just kept his head down for three years. But to cause such a scene!”
Her fury reaching its peak, Chairwoman Kang Ok-seon slammed the water bottle onto the car floor. Trembling all over, she dialed Yundo’s number.
“Come home. Right now!”
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