Chapter 7
by GideonWhen I opened the hospital room door, Yun-woo greeted me warmly, propped up against the bed.
“Teacher!”
His complexion was definitely better than yesterday.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Yes. How about you, Teacher? Did you struggle with insomnia again?”
Yun-woo studied my face closely and sighed, a sound far too weary for his age.
“Your dark circles are so bad, people would believe you’re a panda’s friend. Why don’t you wear heavier makeup?”
“I know a twenty-five-year-old looks like an old lady to a nineteen-year-old boy, but this isn’t something you can cover with makeup. And you’ll get them too when you turn twenty-five.”
“What? No way.”
“In my experience,” I said, “once you become an adult and start earning money, you start to show the marks.”
“Traces?”
“Yeah. For some people, it’s their face. For others, their hands. I think it shows up in their joints, too—and their personalities. You think herniated discs and anger management issues just happen for no reason?”
Of course, the Sewon Family’s beloved youngest son would be the exception.
“Then I’ll just take the dark circles,” Yun-woo said.
But as always, he defied Hyewan’s expectations.
“If I want to keep working, it’s better not to be in pain. And I hate tormenting others.”
Every time he said things like that, Yun-woo acted as if he didn’t belong to the Sewon Family. It was just Hyewan’s feeling, but it happened too often to be a coincidence. It was enough to make her, who had seen many children of wealthy families, take notice.
“So why are you alone?”
“I have a caregiver. But it’s awkward when they’re around, so I only call them when I need something.”
“What about your mother and grandmother?”
“I don’t know. They said they have somewhere they need to go together.”
“I see. Well, let’s get started on your studies then.”
Even if he seemed fine now, his heart had stopped just yesterday.
Where could a mother and daughter-in-law possibly need to go together, leaving a child like that behind?
Perhaps it was because she wasn’t from a chaebol family, but Hyewan found it hard to understand Yun-woo’s family.
Yun-woo had the will to learn, but his body couldn’t keep up. It was only natural. Anyone in his position would struggle to concentrate.
“I’m sorry.”
She gently comforted the discouraged boy.
“Don’t say that. Just sitting here trying to study is already impressive.”
“My eyes sting too much. And my head hurts.”
“Why? Did you not sleep?”
Yun-woo hesitated at her question. Missing the signal, Hyewan worriedly checked the IV drip he was receiving.
“Isn’t there a sedative in here? That should make you sleepy.”
“…I’ve always had trouble sleeping at home. But if I were alone, I’d try to sleep somehow. Yesterday, though, Mom was here…”
Startled, Hyewan asked, “Did you stay up all night?”
Yun-woo nodded instead of answering.
“If you can’t sleep like that, they can prescribe you sleeping pills. Should I ask them to?”
“No.”
“Huh? Why?”
“…If Grandmother finds out…”
Yun-woo trailed off. But Hyewan understood what he was trying to say. From what she had seen, Chairwoman Kang prioritized her own reputation and the family’s prestige above all else. She wouldn’t want rumors spreading that her grandson was taking sleeping pills.
“Still, let’s get the shot today. I’ll handle the explanation.”
“How?”
“I’ll tell you what to say. Just follow my lead.”
The pain from lack of sleep—the pounding headache, the stinging eyes—was a torment only those who had experienced it could truly understand. It felt like a factory running twenty-four hours a day inside one’s head.
Hyewan pressed the nurse call button. A moment later, there was a knock on the door.
“Patient, are you feeling unwell?”
“Yun-woo says his head hurts a lot right now.”
“Is that so?”
After checking his basic vitals, the nurse called for Dr. Hwang.
“Yun-woo, I heard your head is hurting?”
Yun-woo replied exactly as Hyewan had coached him. “It’s fine when I’m sleeping, but it hurts when I’m awake and trying to do something.”
“The MRI showed no abnormalities…”
Dr. Hwang checked the chart, his expression troubled. Catching Hyewan’s gaze, Yun-woo spoke up.
“Doctor, I think the headache will get better if I just sleep.”
“Alright. You need to be in good condition before you can be discharged. Since a good night’s sleep is the best way to recover, let’s do that for now.”
Hyewan cut in.
“But Doctor, Yun-woo is a minor. Won’t we need a guardian’s consent?”
“I’ll handle that by contacting Chairwoman Kang,” Dr. Hwang replied with a gentle smile, giving the nurse her instructions. “After all, the most important thing for Yun-woo right now is rest.”
“You heard her, Yun-woo. Don’t worry and just get some sleep.”
“Yes, Doctor. Thank you.”
As Yun-woo smiled brightly, Hyewan noticed a shadow in his expression she had never seen before. Her heart grew heavy. After Dr. Hwang left and the nurse went to prepare the medication, Hyewan spoke.
“Yun-woo, can I borrow your phone for a moment?”
“Why?”
“I want to send a message to your older brother.”
Yun-woo handed her his phone. “Should I give you my eldest brother’s number?”
“No, I’ll just use your phone. Go back to resting.”
She didn’t want to give Yundo any more reason to suspect her “deliberate approach.”
“Rest comfortably until the nurse arrives,” she said.
Hyewan stepped out into the hallway and began typing a message without hesitation.
This is Ko Hyewan. I’m contacting you because Yun-woo isn’t doing well. He’s also uncomfortable with the caregiver, and neither the Chairwoman nor the Madam are here. I believe Yun-woo’s health should be the top priority. I was quite surprised that you were asked to come for tutoring today. This might be overstepping, but I think you, Cha Yundo, are the one who needs to take care of Yun-woo. As his brother and as a man, you’re the one who can understand him best.
After hitting send, she went back inside.
If you still don’t come after this, you’re truly a terrible brother.
Chief Lee brought Hyewan’s profile. It detailed everything from her age to her family background. Yundo’s gaze stopped at her maternal grandmother’s occupation.
[ Shaman. ]
The word would have strongly provoked Chairwoman Kang, who was deeply immersed in shamanism.
[ Raised by a single mother. Mother runs a side-dish shop. Graduated from Hankuk University Law School, currently working as a high-paying private tutor to fund her law school studies. Recently broke up with Attorney Kim Jin-myeong from the <Sewon Group> legal team. Kim Jin-myeong’s family interfered with Ko Hyewan’s tutoring, and her mother’s shop has also closed. ]
Yundo recalled his own horribly ugly breakup. Though he had broken off the engagement two years ago due to his fiancée’s fault, his image had still taken a massive hit. Her family had manipulated public opinion, leading people to say, “How bad must the man have been for the woman to act like that?”
The moment those words were uttered, malicious rumors began to snowball. Things Yundo had never done were presented as absolute truth, branding him a man no one would ever want to associate with.
He took legal action against the YouTubers, malicious commenters, and news outlets that had fabricated and spread the rumors. He won the cases, but the victory was ultimately meaningless.
Even two years later, many people still believed the lies his ex-fiancée had spread.
Yundo felt a kinship with Hyewan. It broke his heart that she had to pay such a price for simply loving him.
Just then, the phone he’d tossed on his desk vibrated. It was his private phone, the number known only to his family and a few close acquaintances.
Seeing the message was from Yun-woo, he quickly tapped the notification. But as he read the text, his brow furrowed.
Yundo immediately summoned Chief Lee to the Vice President’s office.
“Yun-woo is alone? How did this happen?”
“What? Let me check right away.”
Chief Lee called Chairwoman Kang’s personal secretary. As he spoke on the phone, he began stealing glances at Yundo. After hanging up, he approached cautiously.
“Um…”
Yundo cut him off.
“Forget it. Don’t tell me—just have the car ready.”
The moment Chief Lee started acting so hesitant, Yundo already knew where his mother and sister had gone.
They must have gone to a shaman again, he thought. They probably wouldn’t even consider rescheduling the appointment, even with the bad luck they’re supposedly trying to ward off.
He could understand Chairwoman Kang’s obsession, but he couldn’t fathom how his mother could leave Yun-woo behind. Shouldn’t taking care of a living child come before tending to a dead one?
0 Comments