《When Your Pain Becomes Mine》 Chapter 1 Episode 1. Come Here ¡°Wait until I contact you.¡± A downpour of winter rain. His unconcerned voice came through the winter rain and rang in Sun¡¯s ears. Sun stopped and couldn¡¯t answer, as if she was in shock. ¡®Tuduk tuduk.¡¯ A man holding an umbrella leaned forward; the cold rain hit her cheeks strongly. ¡°Wait.¡± Sun was anxious about what he was saying, thinking that it might be hard to hear. Why did he feel so bad suddenly? Sun recalled everything that happened today hastily, but she couldn¡¯t see any reason for this. ¡°Gyeonhui¡­ What did I do wrong?¡± He had no answer like he always did. Sun saw his expressionless face through the heavy rain. She couldn¡¯t figure anything out from his dark eyes. He didn¡¯t tell her anything, not one reason. She felt pain in her heart as if it was burning. She couldn¡¯t even catch her breath. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± Her voice was weighed down by the rain and came out weakly. He calmly looked at her with one of his hands in his pocket. ¡°It¡¯s my fault, Gyeonhui. Please forgive me.¡± ¡°What did you do wrong?¡± His smile over the cold rain came into Sun¡¯s eyes. It was sneer. It was a savage¡¯s smile after a successful hunt. ¡°¡­ Please?¡± Sun lifted her face up and looked at him. His dark eyes were so mysterious. His white skin, like a child¡¯s, was gorgeous. It was enough to imagine having a family with him. However, he was spitting mean, his words were sharper than daggers. ¡°You don¡¯t even know what you¡¯ve done wrong. Why do you apologize?¡± For his thoughtless response, her hand began to tremble as she touched her flower bracelet. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you shaking because you think you are going to be abandoned?¡± He lowered his head and whispered to her ear. ¡°Listen. You come to me when I say come, and wag your tail when I command, like a puppy.¡± The bracelet was cut off after hearing this. The flower that she had been boasting until now, fell down in dirty, muddy water. He looked at her face as if he was studying her. ¡®Now, cry. It¡¯s time for you to cry.¡¯ It seemed his eyes were asking her to cry. He knew exactly about Sun more than anyone. Sun turned away suddenly to avoid showing him her eyes welling up with tears. She bit the bottom of her lips to hold the tears. If she showed her tears, he would talk to her less because of it. Bzzzz, his cell phone rang. ¡°Chaegyeong, I¡¯m fine to talk.¡± His voice faded away as he left talking on the phone slowly. Boom! The sound of a door shutting was heard. It was him getting in the car. She wanted to run at him and stop him, yet she couldn¡¯t. If she did anything that would make him feel bad, she wouldn¡¯t know how long she would have to wait for him until he¡¯d call her again. Brrrr. The sound of car engine starting echoed out. It was him getting ready to leave. Woowoowoong. The sound of his engine soon followed after. It was him leaving. Shoaaaa. It was only her and the strong rain left on the road. She looked down at the flower in the mud. After she squatted, she spread out her hand to scoop it out of the mud. It was herself that was screwed up. She felt the last of her prince was disappearing. ¡°Hu¡­ Hu¡­k..¡± Her tears burst. The white cloud of her breath spread into the air following her sobs like a shadow. With intolerable pain, she grabbed the red scarf. It was the first and last gift from him. ¡°Geeeeeeek, Kwang!¡± At the moment, a loud thundering noise was heard with a sudden stop. Freaked out, she stood up and turned herself around. It was coming from the same direction that Gyeonhui just went. ¡°Gyeon¡­ Gyeonhui?¡± Her eyes were unstable and trembling. *** ¡°I¡¯m from Consensio.¡± An unfriendly face with a sunken voice. He was extraordinarily handsome, but gave off an aura of sullen darkness. It was how she remembered Gyeonhui¡¯s first impression. ¡°Hello, my name is Cheonsun, the designer of this project. Great to work with you.¡± She held out her hand with a smile, but she just put her eyes on the documents. She was embarrassed as she wiggled her fingers. She suddenly thought about the rumors of him. ¡®He doesn¡¯t tell anyone about his name or his job position. I think he is an assistant manager.¡¯ ¡®He doesn¡¯t allow any mistakes, even if they are minor. He drags it out until the end.¡¯ ¡®The manager got so tired of him doing this. He is so fussy.¡¯ Gyeonhui was an unwelcoming person in this company because he always pursued perfection. That was why Sun was able to get a promotion as a project leader. ¡°Can you do this?¡± This guy, without even an introduction, asked her without explanation. ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking you if you can do this well.¡± He proceeded to interlock his fingers with no expediency in his face and asked her directly. Sun refused to yield because of his arrogant and rude behavior. ¡°Can I show you with the results?¡± Gyeonhui laughed out loud at her after he saw her talking through her teeth angrily. She felt bad about his rude behavior, but was mesmerized by his interlocked fingers. She thought his fingers were so pretty for a man. *** ¡°Emergency!¡± The urgent voice spread in the emergency room. After that, Sun, with an ambulance worker following close, trailed a rolling stretcher into the emergency room. Gyeonhui was unconscious and his hand was limp, falling over the stretcher. Sun held his bloody hands tightly. ¡°Gyeon¡­ Gyeonhui. Please wake up. Please.¡± She was close to crying and continuously called out to him, but he didn¡¯t answer. ¡°We will take over him for now.¡± A nurse and an employee of the hospital came to her and took him away. After Sun sent the stretcher with him to them, she became so dizzy. The shock of the accident was compounded by the pain from her period. She looked down at her hands covered with blood. She had to do everything she could to save him when the car crashed. Her hands got ripped open by the broken glass, and her blood was all over both of them, but the only thing she cared about was him. Moreover, Gyeonhui¡¯s status was more important than her painful injuries. ¡°What¡¯s going on with him?¡± A doctor on duty rushed to him and asked while he was checking Gyeonhui¡¯s eyes. ¡°It was a car accident. The car hydroplaned out of control on the rain soaked road, and then hit one of the trees along the side. He is bleeding from his stomach.¡± The doctor rapidly checked the injury after he heard the ambulance worker. ¡°Are you his family?¡± ¡°What? Yes.¡± Sun, who was slow to respond because of the shock, struggled to answer. ¡°What¡¯s his blood type?¡± The doctor asked her while his eyes were fixed on the chart. ¡°You mean blood, blood type?¡± It was such a common question in the hospital, yet Sun¡¯s head was totally blank. She has been with him for 3 years; she didn¡¯t even know what his blood type was. Gyeonhui also never told her, but It was a shock for her that she didn¡¯t know it. ¡°Do you not know?¡± The doctor moved his eyes to her and asked again. She slowly nodded her head while she bit the bottom of her lips hard. ¡°We have to give him a transfusion¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t difficult to diagnose his blood type, but time couldn¡¯t be wasted. Gyeonhui¡¯s face was turning white because of his copious bleeding. ¡°Hey, here it is. This is his blood identification tag.¡± At that moment, the ambulance worker brought the keychain that was in Gyeonhui¡¯s pocket. On the set of keys was a metal blood identification tag hanging. ¡°It¡¯s RH-AB!¡± The ambulance worker, who acknowledged the tag, shouted, ¡°¡­ RH-AB??¡± Sun, who just heard the blood type, opened her eyes big. ¡°Nurse Hwang! Prepare 8 packs of RH-AB now!¡± Along with the doctor¡¯s order, the nurse Hwang rapidly checked the inventory of blood packs. ¡°Doctor, we don¡¯t have enough blood packs of RH-AB now. We used everything for the other operation this morning¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± The doctor¡¯s face hardened. ¡°Request more blood from the blood bank. Hurry up! We don¡¯t have much time!¡± Nurse Hwang rapidly went out of the emergency room after she got the doctor¡¯s order. ¡°Doctor.¡± At the time, Sun called the doctor. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I can give him blood.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°My blood type is also RH-AB.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Sun was able to understand his intention for questioning. If she was his family, she would¡¯ve known Gyeonhui¡¯s blood type. This relationship is paradoxically close and distant at the same time. These two people didn¡¯t even know their blood type. It was also hard to believe that these two people were both among the small 3 percent who have the RH-AB blood type in Korea. ¡°¡­ Yes, I¡¯m sure.¡± She handed out her blood donor card which she always carried with her in her purse to the doctor. ¡°That¡¯s fortunate. Let¡¯s get started. To the operation room please.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The nurses who heard the doctor carried Gyeonhui over to the operation room. ¡°You don¡¯t have any symptoms of dizziness, do you?¡± Another nurse came to her to check if she was well enough to give the blood to him. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine.¡± She recalled that she gave blood a month ago, but she had no choice. She had to lie. Her eyes were only on Gyeonhui who was being moved away to the operation room. *** The operation room was so frigid that she immediately had goosebumps on her skin. ¡°It¡¯s going to sting.¡± The nurse thrusted a thick injection needle into her arm as soon as she said it. Sun closed her eyes tightly because of the pain. Even though she donated her blood regularly, this time, it was more painful. ¡°It works better if you repeatedly close and open your fist.¡± After she listened to the nurse, she bared down on the pain and flexed her fist harder. Her red blood was going through the tube and then going inside of him. Sun turned her face and looked at him. His face turned more pale. ¡°We have the same blood type¡­.¡± She finally knew his blood type. Today¡­ ¡°What have we done?¡± She felt as she did three years ago when her crush started¡ªit was true love. Sun who was looking at him vacantly, started asking, ¡°¡­Is this man going to be okay?¡± ¡°Yes. The injury is serious, but his intestines are fine. The injured area looks clean.¡± The doctor answered. ¡°That¡¯s fortunate.¡± Sun had a sad smile on her face and looked at him calmly. She didn¡¯t really exist in his life. She had been enduring this idea for a long time, but it was time to accept it. She did everything she could do for him. She loved him with everything she had. Her tears fell down from her face. Sun closed her eyes while she bit her trembling lips. ¡°Are you okay?¡± The nurse noticed that Sun was getting pale and asked. ¡°¡­ Yes. I¡¯m alright.¡± Her dizziness was getting worse, but she clenched her fist harder. Whenever she did that, the crushed flower leaves from her bracelet fell down between her fingers. *** ¡°Um.¡± A dry voice came out from Gyeonhui who was lying on the sickbed. ¡°A-Are you awake?¡± His assistant, Ojae Kwon, who was sitting next to him, made a great fuss that caused him to wake up. ¡°¡­ What happened?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you remember? You had a big car accident. You have been unconscious for 3 days.¡± ¡°Accident? Ah¡­¡± He recalled the moment that the car slid on the wet and slippery road and crashed on the street tree. When Gyeonhui saw the wrinkles on the sheet, he reached out his hand to stretch them. Ojae Kwon shook his head as if he was really tired of Gyeonhui. ¡°You need to see a counselor. That¡¯s a serious disease.¡± ¡°¡­ Whatever it is, it has to work on the right spot.¡± ¡°You¡¯re obsessive-compulsive. I heard it from TV. It happens when you are anxious.¡± Gyeonhui stared at Ojae Kwon. ¡°I¡¯m just saying it because I worry about you.¡± Ojae rapidly shut his mouth and felt sheepish. Gyeonhui was so displeased, and then started asking, ¡°What happened to taking over the Funny Box?¡± ¡°Is that what you want to know first after you almost got killed? ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat it again.¡± ¡°Hum. Hum. I will report it to the president of Consensio. The taking over of the project was¡­¡± Ojae took a pause and smiled at him. He continued the presentation, ¡°Things went well. We can now advance the offline business too.¡± Gyeonhui, who heard Ojae, didn¡¯t say anything and clenched his fist quietly. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s just the start.¡± Gyeonhui¡¯s company was already the top in his industry. But he thought he still had a long way to go. Gyeonhui¡¯s eyes glared when he thought about his mother, Mrs. Sukjin Shin. ¡°Anyways, the girl saved your life.¡± Gyeonhui knitted his eyebrows after he heard Ojae. It meant that he needed to explain more about her. ¡°It was Cheonsun. She took you to the hospital and gave you the blood, too.¡± ¡°Transfusion?¡± Gyeonhui, who knew how rare his blood type was, asked Ojae again. ¡°Luckily, she had the same blood type as you. Isn¡¯t it a miracle? Don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Ah¡­.¡± Surely, Gyeonhui had a big surgery after the car accident. Sun must have taken care of the serious blood loss situation. ¡°¡­ I can¡¯t believe she gave her blood.¡± Gyeonhui smiled and reached out his hand to Ojae. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Give me my cell phone¡± ¡°Phone? Why?¡± ¡°Anybody who shows me loyalty should get compensation.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ojae couldn¡¯t understand him, but he handed Gyeonhui¡¯s phone to him. Gyeonhui made a phone call with the number he saved under ¡°Girl #16¡± in his address list. He had been seeing sixteen girls¡­ Chapter 2 Gyeonhui had a smug smile on his face with a pillow under his head and arm. But on the phone, he heard a stranger¡¯s voice; it wasn¡¯t Sun¡¯s. ¡°The number you have dialled can¡¯t be reached. At the tone, please leave a ¡­¡± Gyeonhui knitted his eyebrows as he confirmed the number on the phone again. He never memorized her phone number, but it was definitely saved as ¡°Girl #16 in the phone. Because he didn¡¯t punch the number himself, the call should¡¯ve gone through. He made the call again, but it was the same. ¡°How dare you not answer my call?¡± He was so irritated that she didn¡¯t answer his call when he was trying to contact her in a generous mood. At this time, Gyeonhui found the red scarf next to him. ¡°Why is this here?¡± ¡°It was right next to your head when you were in the intensive care unit.¡± Gyeonhui reached his hand out to pick it up instead of responding to Ojae. The scarf was old and threadbare. It was the first and last gift from Gyeonhui to Sun. It was the most precious thing to her, so she wouldn¡¯t have forgotten to take it. But she left it here. Gyeonhui was able to figure out the meaning of why the scarf was left here. ¡°She desperately struggles. Ha.¡± He smirked and threw the scarf out in the trash can. ¡°I¡¯ll show her what happens to a dog who gets out of the house.¡± His eyes icily sank down. At that moment, Gyeonhui squeezed his stomach, twisted his waist and moaned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you have pain at the incision?¡± Ojae was worried about him and asked. ¡°To say the pain is because of the surgery, something is strange¡­¡± Gyeonhui couldn¡¯t ¡®explain this strange and smitten pain. The bearable pain was getting worse and worse and now, he couldn¡¯t even take a breath. ¡°What do you mean, something¡¯s strange?¡± ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t even know. Wup.¡± He experienced a miserable pain he had never felt before. Gyeonhui¡¯s face started turning pale. ¡°Um¡­¡± The feeling that there was someone¡¯s pain added to his own body. Gyeonhui tried to bear the pain by clenching his teeth, but he soon started losing consciousness. While he struggled in pain, a red spot on his chest appeared through his patient gown. ¡°Gyeonhui? Gyeonhui!¡± Ojae, who saw Gyeonhui¡¯s face turn completely pale, called to him hurriedly. Gyeonhui was so sweaty and wasn¡¯t able to wake up. ¡°N-Nurse!! Nurse! He¡¯s dying! Nurse!¡± Ojae¡¯s voice was slowly fading away as it reached the hallway. It was from that day the strange pain came to him¡­ Episode 2. The Broken Glass In the Kiz Fan office. The crunching sound of a pencil whenever it passed on the canvas was so great. Sun, who was drawing a cute bear doll, put down the pencil for a second and knitted her eyebrows. ¡°¡­The medicine might not be working¡­¡± She talked to herself while she was rubbing her low stomach that still had leftover pain from her period. At the moment, a cup of heated milk was set on the table for her. ¡°Drink it. You will feel better.¡± Eunyoung, who was Sun¡¯s friend and the president of the Kiz Fan, said to her chicly. ¡°Thank you, observant girl.¡± Sun smiled and held the cup with her two hands. ¡°¡­ I know it¡¯s difficult for you, but It¡¯s a good decision.¡± Sun had a bitter smile on her face and nodded her head slowly. ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate, though. He is a charming prince.¡± Ari, a friend of Sun, thought contrary and interposed. ¡°A prince? No, he is a prince with a patient gown. Do you not remember what he has done to Sun?¡± ¡°You, you¡¯re right.¡± Ari lowered her shoulders after hearing the anger in Eunyoung¡¯s voice. Sun, who was listening quietly, took a sip of milk. After the sweet and warm milk went into her body, she felt the pain calm down. ¡°What¡¯s this? Did you add some honey? This is great. It tastes so good.¡± Eunyoung shook her head because she caught Sun¡¯s intention of overreacting. Eunyoung felt sorry for Sun. ¡°Oh my, I totally forgot that I have a meeting with Mr. Choi today.¡± Sun grabbed her bag and stood up from her seat. ¡°Be careful. You know he is a mean guy.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m now the leader of my team.¡± ¡°Yes I know. I myself got you promoted because we only have two employees¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Sun said goodbye and went out of the office. Eunyoung and Ari moved toward the window and watched Sun walking away. ¡°¡­ Is she going to be okay?¡± Ari said it out of sympathy. ¡°No, she isn¡¯t. She just pretends she¡¯s okay.¡± Eunyoung looked at Sun¡¯s back again. ¡°Are you a jar of Kimchi? Why does everything have to be pushed to the bottom?¡± Eunyoung let out a big sigh. *** The Funny Box store in Nonhyeon sold fancy stuff and various characters¡¯ goods were displayed. Sun, who held two bear dolls in her hands, followed Mr. Choi who was in his late 40¡¯s. ¡°Mr. Choi, this is our new product from Kiz Fan, this one¡¯s name is Bizo. It has a concept of a lover but chic.¡± Mr. Choi didn¡¯t give her any attention while organizing the inventory. ¡°I picked you up on the way. Now you are mine¡± Sun acted like a voice actor to draw his attention, but he pushed her away as if she were a pain in his butt. ¡°I said go away. I¡¯m busy.¡± Sun might have felt bad, but she smiled at him again and said, ¡°Mr. Choi, you promised me that you are going to give me a chance to present my product. Please take one moment and look at it.¡± Sun forced him to hold the dolls in his hand. ¡°A lover? Sh*t.¡± Mr. Choi put the doll away on the display as he had no interest in it. Because of his careless act, the other products fell down to the floor with her doll. ¡°What the hell is this! What am I supposed to with all these sh*t!¡± He made the mess and got angry at her. ¡°I will clean this up.¡± Sun started displaying the products from the floor without looking displeased. ¡°What a nuisance.¡± Mr. Choi shook his head and moved to the side. Sun stopped displaying for a second because of what he said, but finished displaying as if she were all okay. After she picked up her doll with dirt on it, she looked at it out of sympathy. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I made you have a bad day.¡± Sun beat the dust off the doll¡¯s face. ¡®Bzzz.¡¯ Mr. Choi¡¯s phone rang. He looked around to make sure no one was there and answered the phone very cautiously. ¡°Yes, It¡¯s me. I¡¯m still working. Travel? Yeah, sure I¡¯m searching for it. Sure.¡± Mr. Choi glanced at her once, moved away from her more and continued talking on the phone. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll see you later. Ha.¡± Mr. Choi had a big sigh and it seemed that he had an unresolved issue. ¡°Mr. Choi, it¡¯s all done.¡± Sun came to him and smiled at him brightly. He looked at his phone and looked at her again. He rolled his eyes quickly. ¡°Um. Hum. Hey Miss Cheon.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Do you have any place to travel?¡± ¡°A place to travel?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes a place where women love to go.¡± *** ¡°I¡¯m 100 percent sure that he is having an affair.¡± Ari said with confidence. ¡°Maybe he is trying to travel with his wife.¡± Sun answered Ari while she was searching places for Mr. Choi. ¡°Why does he ask you if he is going with his wife?¡± ¡°Maybe he is having a hard time to plan it.¡± ¡°Why do you not understand. He is cheating on his wife. I¡¯m sure of it.¡± Ari even tapped her chest as she said, ¡°If you are going to interrupt me, just go home. I¡¯m so busy here. He said he needs it by tomorrow.¡± ¡°All right. I¡¯m going home.¡± Ari stomped out of the office while pouting her lips. ¡°Now it¡¯s quiet.¡± Sun smiled and moved her eyes to the computer monitor. ¡°A place where women like¡­¡± She silently thought for a while and recalled Hokkaido in Japan she went to in the past. It was a beautiful place with a great view of Dosu Lake where she enjoyed bathing in the hot spring. ¡°It was so great¡­¡± When she recalled the feeling she had there, she recalled Gyeonhui¡¯s face as well. Because it was the first and last trip with him. Sun shook her head strongly to take the memory away from her. After she smacked her cheeks a couple of times, she was finally able to get back to work. *** The next day, afternoon. The Kiz Fan office. ¡®Kung¡¯. The office door was opened with a heavy sound. Sun, who was working alone, was surprised and looked at the door. Mr. Choi came into the office. He was so angry and went straight to Sun¡¯s desk. He threw the itinerary down on her desk, red faced and breathing heavily. ¡°Hey, did you do this to mess with me?¡± ¡°What? What are you talking about?¡± Her eyes widened from embarrassment as she stood up from her seat. ¡°This place. Why did you recommend this place to me? ¡°Because you said you wanted a place where women would like to¡­¡± ¡°There is an active volcano! Did you know that!¡± ¡°Yes, there is. But it¡¯s safe. Volcanoes are different than earthquakes. You¡¯ll have a fair warning before it happens.¡± ¡°Ha, it¡¯s bad enough with the radioactivity and what? Active volcano? After I showed her this, you can¡¯t imagine how much she yelled at me¡­¡± Mr. Choi seemed embarrassed and didn¡¯t finish what he was saying. ¡°Forget it. Now I know how you think. Hum!¡± ¡°M-Mr. Choi!¡± Sun grabbed his arm and stopped him. ¡°I will find another place again for you. Please give me one more chance.¡± ¡°Ha.¡± Mr. Choi took a deep breath, knitted his eyebrows and said, ¡°Can you do better this time?¡± ¡°Yes, trust me¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let this go because I¡¯m a good person. Do what you¡¯re supposed to do, young girl.¡± As if he waited for her to stop him, he clicked his tongue, turned and went outside. ¡°Hu¡­¡± It seemed like a big storm had just passed. Sun slumped down on her seat and sighed. After she shut her eyes and caught her breath, she turned the monitor on and started searching for places to go again. ¡°Europe¡­ United States¡­ Canada¡­Ha.¡± While she was searching with a heavy feeling, the great view of Santiago caught her eyes. ¡°The Santiago walking trail¡­ should I send him away here?¡± She laughed at her own joke, but she couldn¡¯t take her eyes off of it. *** A university hospital with a reception room for VIPs. A reporter was trying to check over the questions for the interview and then looked at the other side of the room. ¡°Is there any special reason that you are taking over the fashion publications aggressively, including the Funny Box?¡± Gyeonhui, who dressed up in a luxury suit, started answering with a relaxed smile. ¡°We are trying to expand to the offline market and at the same time, combining the high-value culture contents business, too. It¡¯s necessary to be a global group as part of the top companies in the nation.¡± The reporter nodded, looked at his notes and then asked, ¡°A global group. You¡¯ve tried to expand the business to America, but the actual occupation rate is less than 1 percent. Furthermore, the W department store is expanding their business on logistics online and chasing you. Some within the business say that your business is in a crisis. Do you have any idea how to overcome the difficulties?¡± ¡°Sure. I always make the right preparation for the next steps.¡± ¡°So then the next step means M&A?¡± It looked like the reporter already knew something more. Gyeonhui didn¡¯t feel comfortable, but he didn¡¯t reveal it. ¡°Yes the shipping¡­¡± Gyeonhui, who was answering him, felt a big pain and knitted his eyebrows. The reporter caught the situation quickly and looked at Gyeonhui¡¯s face. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m looking for a company that has a great distribution network to ship.¡± Gyeonhui finished the interview smiling as if nothing had happened. The reporter, who was looking at him, closed his notes and stood up from his seat. ¡°Thank you so much for your time today. Lastly, can I ask about your business plans in the near future?¡± ¡°Becoming the top company worldwide.¡± It was a simple answer filled with confidence. The reporter turned the voice recorder off. ¡°Interviews with Mr. Woo are always stimulating. Thank you again for allowing the interview with us.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± While Gyeonhui was answering him, he clenched his fist to bear the pain. ¡°But, are you okay? You changed the place for the interview with such short notice.¡± The reporter touched his glasses and scanned Gyeonhui¡¯s body with sharp eyes. ¡°No, I just had my regular check up on the same day as the interview. As you know, I¡¯m very busy. I appreciate you understanding the circumstances.¡± ¡°Okay, I was worried you might have some health issues. Chairman Youngtaek Woo has been absent for a long time¡­¡± The reporter tried to check on Gyeonhui¡¯s grandfather who was also the chairman of the group. There was no official announcement from the company, but rumors regarding Chairman Woo was beginning to ring true, evident of his long-term absence. Chapter 3 ¡°He¡¯s as healthy as I am. Thank you for worrying about him.¡± The reporter giggled at Gyeonhui¡¯s confident response and nodded his head. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to interview the president of Consencio. I hope your yearly physical goes well.¡± The reporter left the room after Gyeonhui¡¯s impudent smiles. ¡°Woop.¡± As soon as he heard the door was shut, Gyeounhui grabbed his stomach and started moaning. ¡°Gyeounhui, are you okay?¡± His assistant Ojae ran into the reception room and looked at him. After Gyeounhui took his jacket off, his back was so sweaty, and his wound was slightly bleeding. ¡°The anesthesia wears off faster than I thought.¡± After he took off his shirt, he was so exhausted that he just leaned on the couch. ¡°I told you we should postpone the interview. Why do you overdo it so much?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you lower your voice? Do you want everyone to know that I¡¯m injured?¡± Ojae covered his mouth quickly after Gyeounhui¡¯s words. The health condition of elite families could have an impact on the stock market. ¡°Hu¡­¡± ¡°By the way, what is this? It looks like a tattoo,¡± Ojae said as he looked at the red spot on Gyeonhui¡¯s chest. It looked like a flower with five petals or a starfish at a glance. ¡°I said I don¡¯t know.¡± Gyeonhui knitted his eyebrows, his voice filled with annoyance. It was neither a scar after the surgery nor a tattoo. It appeared on his chest on the day of the accident. When he recalled that day, he recalled her, too. Gyeonhui looked at his phone. There had been no calls or texts from her for days. ¡°Ha.¡± Gyeonhui, all alone, tilted his head and sighed toward the ceiling. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m so irritated.¡± He couldn¡¯t bear the frustration, so he picked up his phone. ¡°Hu¡­¡± Sun came back to her office and deeply sighed in her seat. ¡°How did it go? Did Mr. Choi like it?¡± Ari, with an anxious face, came to her and asked. ¡°Yes. Fortunately, I think he originally wanted to go to Europe.¡± Sun answered Ari with an exhausted tone of voice. ¡°You did great, though.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. Please don¡¯t tell Eunyoung about this.¡± ¡°There is no secret here.¡± At this time, Eunyoung¡¯s voice was heard from behind them. ¡°Hey, you are here.¡± Sun awkwardly smiled and looked at Eunyoung. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to allow Mr. Choi to overuse his power on you?¡± ¡°I just helped him.¡± ¡°Bullsh*t.¡± ¡°Anyways things went well.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± As Eunyoung began to speak, her cell phone rang. ¡°I need you to talk with me later, okay? Hello?¡± Eunyoung walked out with her phone to her ear. ¡°Hu¡­¡± Sun smoothed her shirt and sat in her seat. She blankly looked at her desk, the rejected itinerary of Doya lake coming into her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s come back later.¡± She recalled his unconcerned voice and how he looked overall. She shook her head because of these clear memories of him. At this moment, her cell phone rang. ¡°Gyeonhui.¡± Her face was hardened after she saw the name on the phone. Does she still want to listen to his voice? Her fingertips trembled as it moved toward the button to answer. ¡°Can I forget him¡­¡± When she tried to push the green button to answer unwittingly, Eunyoung came to her. ¡°Who is it? Why do you not answer?¡± Eunyoung¡¯s face was also hardened after she saw the name on the phone. Sun didn¡¯t say anything and blankly looked at her black laptop monitor. As she touched the mouse by mistake, the monitor that was in sleep mode, turned on brightly. A long, seemingly endless, brown clay road cut through a grass field. There were people walking with backpacks. The view of Santiago came into her eyes. She was lost in thought for a while before she flipped the phone slowly over and put it on the desk. ¡°¡­ Eunyoung.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to leave.¡± Eunyoung was surprised at her words. ¡°I have a place where I would like to go, no¡­ where I have to go.¡± Sun moved her eyes to the monitor again. The people were walking somewhere with backpacks. Sun was already following them in her mind. Episode 3. I know you¡¯re not okay 10 days later. The VIP room in the hospital. ¡°Consencio? The Amazon of Korea?¡± Gyeonhui, who was reading his interview online with his phone, knitted his eyebrows. ¡°Wow, now the Consencio is big enough to be compared with Amazon in the USA!¡± ¡°Do you like this?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it something good?¡± His assistant Ojae was embarrassed because of Gyeonhui¡¯s cold voice. ¡°I have come along to be a unique business model. But this¡­ this is like I¡¯m an imitator.¡± Gyeonhui had a very serious face because he didn¡¯t like this at all. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary to think that way¡­¡± ¡°Is this an interview that the marketing team confirmed?¡± ¡°Whoever it was, fire the person who allowed this interview to be online.¡± ¡°What? It¡¯s too dramatic to fire someone because of this¡­¡± ¡°You want to lose your job instead?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll fire him. Not me.¡± Ojae answered very quickly, as if he dropped his tail down. ¡°This unqualified scumbags¡­¡± Gyeonhui pushed the home button on his phone to get out of the online news, and his eyes moved to the recent call list on his phone. There were still no calls for him at all. ¡°Ha.¡± Ojae lifted his head slightly after he heard Gyeonhui¡¯s sigh. ¡°Still no message from her?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve blocked her.¡± Gyeonhui lied to him and put the phone down carelessly. ¡°Would you like me to find her?¡± ¡°Why would we find a girl who walked away on her own free will? Do you have nothing better to do?¡± ¡°I mean, I thought you were waiting for her.¡± ¡°Who is waiting for her? How about the president of D&BM, did you find him?¡± ¡°Not yet¡­¡± ¡°Get out of here and find him.¡± His assistant got so nervous that he quickly left without answering him properly. ¡°Hurumph.¡± When Gyeonhui sighed, Ojae came back into the room again. ¡°What now?¡± ¡°Madam Shin would like to see you in 30 minutes.¡± ¡°What?¡± Madam Sukjin Shin,his mother, was the vice president of the Lasung Group. ¡°Why did you tell me that now!¡± ¡°I-I only received the call just now.¡± Ojae quickly disappeared to avoid more trouble. ¡°Huuu.¡± Gyeonhui closed his eyes and calmed himself down. Nobody could stop her from coming here if she wanted to. After he organized what to do, he started taking off his patient gown. *** A luxury Korean restaurant. Gyeonhui and Madam Shin were the only two inside. Only the sound of chopsticks could be heard. Madam Shin was a woman in her early 60s. She broke the silence, and said, ¡°The W department store looks pretty serious. People have gathered to work for him.¡± Because of chairman Byeongtaeck Woo¡¯s sickness, things were like a time from Chinese history. People were obsessed to gobble up the company, and Gyeonhui was one of them. However, he was the youngest among the presidents¡ªhe had insufficient power, but had strong enemies. The president of the W department store, Mr. Chunduck Choi, was the strongest. Madam Shin slightly smiled at him and asked, ¡°By the way, how are you feeling?¡± ¡°Finally, you ask about me.¡± ¡°I heard you¡¯ve broken up with her.¡± ¡°You know this conversation between you and I is really odd.¡± There was no change to her face even after hearing Gyeonhui¡¯s mean answers. ¡°You¡¯re acting so insensitively, so I can assume that you are okay. I don¡¯t want to ask further. It¡¯s a waste of time.¡± ¡°The real waste of time is that we are meeting here.¡± ¡°Your marriage with Chaekyeong has been discussed already, so take care of it.¡± Madam Shin continued as if she didn¡¯t care what Gyeonhui said. ¡°By whom?¡± ¡°The parents had the discussion already. Chaekyeong will also come back to Korea as soon as she finishes her degree.¡± ¡®Tak¡¯. Gyeonhui put his chopsticks down on the table with a loud noise. ¡°Mrs. Vice President, I¡¯ll take care of my marriage.¡± Even though she was his mother, it was a long time ago since he called her mom. ¡°When you become powerful, you can be on your own.¡± Madam Shin took a sip of water and spoke these words to him. ¡°You are just a president of one of our affiliates.¡± He couldn¡¯t read any emotion from her voice. It was like throwing a stone down a black hole. That¡¯s how he felt whenever he talked with her. ¡°I¡¯m not ready to have a family yet. I don¡¯t want to make the mistake of abandoning my own child. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a mistake. It was a necessity.¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple considering it¡¯s an excuse.¡± Gyeonhui¡¯s eyes calmed down. ¡°Because it¡¯s not an excuse. It¡¯s a fact. That¡¯s why it¡¯s simple¡± Gyeonhui laughed at her response and poured water in his cup. ¡°I have to leave. I¡¯m sorry that I can¡¯t listen to you anymore.¡± ¡°I was about to leave too.¡± Madam stood up from her seat and wiped her mouth with her napkin as if nothing had happened. ¡°You¡¯re going to see the news online soon.¡± As her footsteps went far off in the distance, his serious face was hardened. Gyeonhui, who wasn¡¯t moving at all, suddenly threw the glass of water at the wall. Pieces of glass spread everywhere. *** Packing her stuff, Sun looked at the picture of her family. It was her high school graduation day. Holding flowers with her father, Sun looked so happy. She had a bitter smile, but soon she felt soreness in her right wrist and massaged it with her left hand. Since the car accident 10 days ago, she felt the soreness once in a while without knowing the reason. ¡°Hurumph.¡± Sun was packing the photo album and then reached her hand out to take down a cup from the top shelf. But at the moment, she felt the soreness in her wrist and dropped the cup. ¡°Oh my!¡± The cup fell down to the floor and broke. Sun reached her hand to pick up the pieces of the broken glasses. ¡°Gyeonhui, you don¡¯t like to take pictures. So let¡¯s do a caricature at least.¡± One day in the year they started dating, she bought a cup with their faces on it after begging him to get it. She looked at their broken caricatured faces. At that moment, Ari came in through the front door. ¡°What are you doing? Are you done packing?¡± ¡°Watch out. A cup is broken.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. It¡¯s okay to put my shoes on and walk around.¡± ¡°Right.¡± She started packing in the morning, so she was almost done. ¡°By the way, why did you not pack the TV?¡± ¡°The big furniture will be moved by the movers.¡± ¡°Right, your wrists aren¡¯t very strong. Eunyoung will be late. Would you like to watch TV?¡± Ari slumped down on the couch. Ari was switching the channels before stopping midway. It was a program talking about gossip among rich families. ¡°There is a rumor of marriage between the Lasung Group and the Woomyeong Group. Is it true?¡± Sun¡¯s hand stopped when she heard the reporter on the TV. ¡°It seems to be true according to the stock market. There is an ongoing marriage discussion between the grandson of the founder of the Lasung Group, Youngtaek Woo, Gyeonhui Woo, and the only daughter of the Woomyeong Group¡¯s founder, Jin. Especially the illness of the founder of the Lasung Group, Youngtaek Woo could spur on their marriage before his final day.¡± ¡°Hum. Hum.¡± Ari made fake coughs and quickly turned off the TV. But it was too late. It was after Sun heard everything from the TV. ¡°Don¡¯t they have any feelings? It¡¯s only been a few days since you broke up.¡± Ari couldn¡¯t hide the embarrassment as she looked at Sun. ¡°¡­ Hey. Are you okay?¡± ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s go shopping. I have things to buy.¡± Sun stood up and went outside as if nothing had happened. ¡°Aww¡­¡± Ari stamped her feet, not knowing what to do. She threw the remote control at the couch and followed Sun. *** The presidents¡¯ room of Consencio. Gyeonhui was patting his nameplate on his desk as he slowly walked toward the window. The office located on the 24th floor was only for the president of the company. The Dosan-main street came into view over the entire glass wall. He recalled the effort and time he had spent to come all the way up here. But he still had a long way to go. There were certain things that he could have only after achieving his goal. Everything, save one, went well; the way he expected. ¡°Cheonsun¡­¡± His face was hardened after he looked at his phone. She still hadn¡¯t called him. ¡°This plant needs some water.¡± The assistant Ojae spoke while he was looking at the coffee plant. Suddenly, Gyeonhui turned around to the plant, and he looked at it quietly. It was a gift that Sun gave him a long time ago. ¡°Let it die.¡± ¡°What? Ah¡­ okay.¡± Ojae put the water cup down as he said it. ¡°Buzz.¡± At that moment, Ojae¡¯s phone rang. Chapter 4 ¡°Hello?¡± His assistant answered the call while nervously covering the phone with his hand. ¡°What? Are you sure?¡± He bursted out in surprise. ¡°All right. Okay.¡± ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°Actually, I was looking for her for you.¡± ¡°You have wasted your time.¡± Gyeonhui furrowed his eyebrows at the thought. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But there is something that you have to know.¡± Ojae stammered and stopped. A strange nervousness wrapped around Gyeonhui¡¯s body. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Ojae looked at Gyeonhui who was asking with a serious, low voice persuading Ojae to talk. ¡°She has put her house for sale.¡± ¡°For sale?¡± Gyeonhui¡¯s eyebrows furrowed again in thought. *** In front of the Incheon National Airport gate. Sun was carrying the luggage then stopped. Eunyoung and Ari also stopped along with her. ¡°How far in will you follow me? It¡¯s fine!¡± Sun, said smiling as if there were no problem. ¡°You¡¯re coming back. Aren¡¯t you?¡± Ari¡¯s eyes were tearing up. ¡°Absolutely.¡± Sun patted the back of her head caringly. ¡°But why Spain?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°You said you are going to go to France and Spain. Do you want to find your lost passion? Ari asked her curiously. ¡°Because¡­¡± ¡°Why do you keep stalling her so long with your questions?¡± Eunyoung jumped into the conversation. ¡°Take as much time as you want. We¡¯ll leave your desk empty until you come back. Restore yourself. Get your focus back. Got it?¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Sun appreciated Eunyoung not asking any questions, even though, she must have had a lot of questions. ¡°Go inside. You have to at least stop at the duty free shop to truly feel that you¡¯re on vacation.¡± ¡°I will. Go home safely both of you.¡± Sun smiled at them and turned away from them. ¡°Ouch!¡± Suddenly, Sun hit her knee on her own luggage, and stumbled. ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± Ari shouted with concerned eyes. ¡°Yes! I¡¯m all right!¡± Sun answered pretending to be ok and walked toward the security gate. ¡°Oh my¡­¡± ¡°I know that you¡¯re not okay.¡± Eunyoung watched Sun for a while out of sympathy. *** ¡°Arghh¡­.¡± Gyeonhui grimaced at his knee while he was touching it. He couldn¡¯t take his mind off his knee. The pain in his knee felt as if he just hit something with it. The stranger thing was he had never hit anything with his knee. ¡°Something is wrong these days¡­.¡± These days, he was bothered so much by sudden unexplainable pain. He didn¡¯t care much about it, but this time, he felt the pain when he had not done anything. It was so strange. ¡°Is this from the accident?¡± More exactly, the pain had been happening since the car accident. ¡°Hmm.¡± Gyeonhui sighed, and looked up at the building where Sun used to live. ¡°Her house has been on the market for sale.¡± His assistant¡¯s report was something he never expected. Gyeonhui went up to the second floor, and stood in front of her door. He put the key in the key hole, and turned it. With a clunk, the key worked as he opened the door. The house was empty, lonely without her. Gyeonhui¡¯s face was hardened, and he came into the house with his shoes on. ¡°Arghhh¡­.¡± Gyeonhui was so irritated, and let out a long sigh while he put his two hands into the pockets of his pants. ¡°Who are you?¡± At that moment, an old lady¡¯s voice was heard. When he turned around, the old lady was looking at him. Only her face appeared to be floating as she looked through the door. ¡°Are you the new neighbor who is moving in? ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m just here to see a person who used to live here.¡± ¡°So, you know Sun?¡± ¡°Yeah, sort of.¡± Gyeonhui tried not to talk with her, and was about to leave. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear that she is going abroad?¡± After the lady¡¯s words, Gyeonhui stopped in his tracks. ¡°Going abroad?¡± Gyeonhui asked her again as if he couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Well, she said it¡¯s somewhere in Europe. When you get old like me, it¡¯s hard to remember things.¡± The old lady returned her place with a smile. The wind from the door sounded cold and uninviting. Geonghui¡¯s winter coat rustled in the wind. ¡°Europe?¡± Gyeonhui muttered to himself while he was knitting his eyebrows. He turned his head, and looked at the mirror above the shoe rack. He saw his own face hardened looking back at him. Gyeonhui threw the key that he was holding at the mirror. The mirror broke into pieces with sharp clinking sound. Glaring into the broken mirror, he swiftly turned away. The glass crunched and crackled as he moved away. *** ¡°Be safe. Take care and remember your purse too.¡± After Sun sat on the window side, she saw a text from Ari. She thought Ari was acting a bit out of place treating her like a little girl. ¡°She thinks that she is older than me.¡± But Sun still texted her back saying ¡°I will¡±. ¡°You¡¯ve come a long way. The airplane will be taking off soon.¡± The announcement came from the speaker. ¡°I¡¯m taking off now. I¡¯ll see you after I come back.¡± After Sun texted Ari for the last time, she tried to turn off her phone. The phone app ¡°Photo genic¡± caught her eyes. She hesitated, but opened the app. She saw a well-organized folder with pictures in order by date. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that there are no pictures of us together.¡± Gyeonhui didn¡¯t want to be seen out in public, so she couldn¡¯t take a picture together with him ever. Only the red scarf proves their three-year relationship. She closed her eyes, and turned off her phone. She decided not to turn it on until she came back to Korea. No, until she totally forgets about him. ¡®Vroommm¡¯ The airplane got on the runway, and started speeding up to take off. ¡°Hurumph.¡± She sighed in relief. After a while, the airplane took off safely. She looked out of the window as the evening was setting in over the airport. It was a goodbye to everything for a while. Sun shook her head and removed a travel magazine from her bag. The unpaved road cutting through the grass field. The endless line of people walking on their pilgrimage. ¡°Santiago¡­¡± The 800 kilometer road beginning in France and ending in Santiago Spain. That was the purpose of this trip. ¡°After I lost your mom, I walked tirelessly. I needed to live again.¡± That was what she was told by her father when he was alive. After Sun gave up on Gyeonhui, she felt the fire burning inside her was extinguished. Her heart, without him, was wrapped in icy coldness unable to feel the slightest change. The pain of separation was excruciating because her love was so strong. Now she has to walk alone to live without him. This trip will be the first step to stand alone. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Everything will be alright after I come back.¡± Sun moved her eyes from the window to the front. She no longer needs to look back, only forward. Episode 4. Maybe. A month later. ¡°You said I just need to do nothing. Right?¡± Gyeonhui confirmed it again with the doctor. ¡°Yes. You just need to stay calm, and watch. That¡¯s all you need to do.¡± His psychotherapist Joe glanced at the table. ¡°Hum.¡± When Gyeonhui moved his eyes to the table, he saw the haphazard puzzle pieces. His expressionless face started to harden, and his fingertips were trembling as time went on. He wanted to put the puzzles together right away, but he clenched his two fists strongly to bare the stress. Soon he picked up a piece of the puzzle and started putting them together in a panic. The puzzle was put together in an instant. Gyeonhui was relieved after the puzzle was completed. ¡°arghhh..¡± He let out after he put the puzzle together. ¡°Your symptoms of obsessive compulsion are very strong and serious. Doctor Jo said as he put two wooden star pieces crooked on the table. ¡°Why is it so wrong to pursue perfection?¡± Gyeonhui disagreed with him as he matched up the wooden pieces. ¡°Pursuit of perfection is not always bad, but if we don¡¯t understand the cause it could lead to a bigger problem in your mind. ¡°Do you mean that I have some problem?¡± ¡°We need to focus more on the cause rather than you. Can we talk about your childhood? What kind of parents were they?¡± ¡°My father passed away when I was young and my mother is the vice president of the Lasung group. ¡°Um. Not the occupation. Can you tell me more about how she is? ¡°¡­She is a good person.¡± After he said that last, he confirmed the time. ¡°I have a conference, so let¡¯s finish it here.¡± Gyeonhui said it lastly and left the counseling room. *** He got on the car annoyed. ¡°Oh, you came out early.¡± Ojae, who was waiting for him in the car, asked. ¡°Change the counselor. No, subtract the consultation schedule itself.¡± He frowned, seemingly unpleasant. ¡°Why? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do that, why don¡¯t you just try a little more? You can fix it.¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°Look at your head.¡± ¡°My head?¡± Ojae examined Gyeonhui¡¯s hair style through the room mirror. ¡°You¡¯re left-to-right, or you can¡¯t stand it. But you can be better if you look at your head as if it¡¯s not five-five.¡± ¡°¡­ You want your fingers to be folded into five folds?¡± ¡°Oh, no.¡± Gyeonhui looked at Ojae again, seemingly disgusted. ¡°Cheonsun, did you find her?¡± ¡°Well, no. I¡¯m still working on it.¡± When Ojae was asked by Gyeonhui, Ojae spoke with a grin. ¡°You¡¯d rather carry a recorder. It¡¯s annoying to say the same thing every time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°Ha.¡± Gyeonhui sighed and looked at the sky. A month after her disappearance, Gyeonhui tried to find her, but he couldn¡¯t find any trace of her, as if she were a non-existent person. ¡°¡­ Turn the car.¡± ¡°Eh? Where¡­¡± ¡°Where do you think we should go? You can¡¯t be straight, so I have to step up.¡± It was only then that Ojae, who realized where he wanted to go, turned the handle. *** ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t know.¡± Eun-young spoke nervously. It was because of the man sitting across. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense that you don¡¯t know.¡± It was him with the cold-settled voice. He looked for her every day, but he couldn¡¯t find even her shadow. In the end, he couldn¡¯t resist the frustration, and he had no choice but to come to her job. ¡°I can¡¯t even contact her because she is off her phone.¡± ¡°So where is she now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve said it many times.¡± Eun-young who was frustrated, let a long sigh out. Eunyoung¡¯s reaction was displeased. He had to say a lot of things, so he had to waste his time. ¡®It¡¯s all because of Sun.¡¯ The malaise soon led to him anger. ¡°¡­ All right.¡± With his nod, he suddenly rose from his seat. Eunyoung looked at him with a slight nervous gaze as his sudden change in attitude. ¡°I¡¯ll help you to remember.¡± He pulled out his phone and called somewhere. ¡°Hey Ojae. Do you know a company called Kids Fan?¡± -Kids fans? Oh, It¡¯s a company that has recently started their business with us. ¡°How much have you purchased in from them?¡± Gyeonhui deliberately looked straight into Eunyoung¡¯s eyes and continued the call. -Well. I don¡¯t know the exact quantity. For what? You want to find out? ¡°No, I don¡¯t have to. Return all the full amount.¡± -What? ¡°I said, get rid of everything that came from them¡± After completing the instructions, Gyeonhui hung up the phone and looked at Eunyoung. ¡°Oh, Mr. Woo¡­¡± Eunyoung, who noticed his intentions, bit her lower lip. ¡°Will this help you to remember?¡± He smiled and asked again. ¡°I¡¯m strictly in a contract, can you do it? If I respond you legally¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I want. There are lawyers around me who play and eat with billions.¡± Knowing that his words were true, Eun-young¡¯s face was hardened. ¡°Well, choose. Otherwise, you¡¯re screwed.¡± He asked, even if it was a good-looking tone. ¡°Ha¡­ boss.¡± Ari watched from the side, looking at Eun-young with frightened eyes. Supplying to Consencio was a life-and-death project. Although they had been delivered to several small retail stores, the volume itself had been incomparable. If the contract with Consencio was cancelled, the blow could make the company¡¯s existence difficult. ¡°It¡¯s might be hard to answer for you right now, because of your shallow friendship. Make your decision. Discuss with Sun too, but just one thing.¡± He rose from his seat and continued. ¡°I¡¯m not patient, remember.¡± After speaking, Gyeonhui left the office. Iron slugs. When she heard the door closing, the terrified Ari rushed. ¡°¡­ What about now? Are we screwed?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll stop it somehow.¡± Chapter 5 A single-family house with a large garden. When he returned home, he petted a nasty-looking Pit Bull Terrier with his gloves on. Terry, the dog, which had been raised for about four years, was named after a species called the Pit Bull Terrier. ¡°Where the hell are you?¡± He furrowed his eyebrows and murmured to himself. He had a lot of experience with women, so he could imagine the thoughts inside Sun¡¯s head at once. He could read her feelings in her eyes as he tried to get angry at her. ¡°Please don¡¯t leave me. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± In her eyes, he could see the frustration that she could not live without him. Thus, it didn¡¯t make any sense. At first, he thought that she would last for less than a week. He was sure that she would return with frightened eyes and asked for forgiveness, as she always did, but a month had passed already. Besides, her phone was off, and he couldn¡¯t even figure out where she was. At this time, the dog on the leash kept barking that he wanted to run. He deliberately let him off the leash. Then, with permission, the dog began to run around the garden. After looking at the dog for a while, Gyeonhui turned and stepped to the other side on purpose. The dog then dragged his leash and quickly returned to him. It bowed his head and began rubbing its nose on his feet. She had to be this way as well. No, it had always been¡­ ¡°Why the hell won¡¯t you return?¡± His annoyance erupted. ¡°No, what happened? If you¡¯re dead¡­¡± He didn¡¯t even think that she was not coming back. Thus, he felt that there might have been an accident. ¡°Ruff! Ruff!¡± Then the dog, feeling a strange sense of somebody¡¯s presence, barked. It was Ojae, his assistant. ¡°Terry, keep quiet.¡± He was a breed used in dogfighting because of their aggressive tendencies, but he tailed off upon hearing Gyeonhui¡¯s words. ¡°Oh my. I can¡¯t get used to your dog even after seeing him for years.¡± Ojae stood in a state of fright. ¡°What happened?¡± Gyeonhui asked Ojae with a hint of nervousness. ¡°It was confirmed that she has been in France and then went to Spain, but after that¡­¡± ¡°Spain? Are you sure she was not in some kind of accident?¡± He reiterated with an outraged look. ¡°What do you mean by accident?¡± ¡°Never mind.¡± Gyeonhui sighed for a long time to calm himself down. It was funny that he was worried about her getting in any accidents, and because of that, he grew angrier. ¡°Find her right away.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to do¡­¡± ¡°Find her. No matter how much you spend and whatever you use. Find her and bring her before me. Got it?¡± ¡°I will.¡± Gyeonhui was an obsessive person, knowing this, Ojae was compelled to obey him even more as this obsessiveness grew more intense. ¡°And the woman named Eunyoung keep checking. If Sun returns, she¡¯ll go to her first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ojae nodded as he wrote his instructions in his notebook. ¡°What are you doing? Go now¡­ Ugh!¡± At that time, Gyeonhui¡¯s eyebrows were furrowed because of sudden abdominal pain. ¡°Hey, are you okay? Are you sick?¡± Ojae, who confirmed Gyeonhui¡¯s pale complexion, asked. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. Never mind¡­. Go ahead and find¡­¡± Although Gyeonhui told him to leave, the pain that he had already felt in the morning was spreading beyond just abdominal pain. The strain was now reaching to his waist. Maybe it was because Gyeonhui was concerned, but the dizziness that came suddenly added to it. ¡°¡­Ugh.¡± He fell into a cold sweat while enduring the unbearable pain, and he could feel his sweat dripping from his forehead. *** The Los Arcos in France¡­ It had been a month since she left for Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in southern France. The other pilgrims would make it in a few days, but Sun took almost a month. She thought she could just walk, but the complexity in her mind made it hard to take the steps. It was a journey that she wanted to do, so she could forget about Gyeonhui. However, the more she tried to forget, the clearer his face came to her mind. It was ironic. ¡°Hu¡­¡± Sun struggled with exhaustion, and her menstrual cramps compounded her difficulty. The colossal octagonal tower was looking down on her with high spirits. ¡°This is the Cathedral of Santa Maria.¡± It was also recommended in the brochure for one to see how the Romanesque style was changed to Baroque. Romanesque was not very impressive to her. The only memorable attributes it had were the arched windows and the baroque symmetry. She visited this place because of something else. ¡°There¡¯s an entrance.¡± Sun passed through a dark brown wooden door and entered the cathedral. The traditional interior welcomed her, but Sun only looked for a staircase leading up to the tower. Luckily, she followed a few pilgrims and found a stone staircase beside her. ¡°Ha¡­¡± One foot in front of the other, she walked up the stairs without falling. ¡°Everything is meaningless.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t live without him.¡± ¡°What does it mean to live in this world without him?¡± The voice from within her shouted constantly. She wanted to go back to that man right now. She wanted to apologize to him, and she wanted to hang on to him. Eventually, her pace halted. She couldn¡¯t move. She was like a broken doll with missing spring. ¡°¡­ I thought it would be okay.¡± How many times had she repeated this? Unbearable loneliness pressed upon her shoulders. ¡°Be quiet.¡± ¡°I can¡­ I can beat this.¡± She tried to calm her inner voice with endless devotion, but she was weak. At the moment, tears poured out of her eyes. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Then, on the other side, she heard the voice of a stranger. A little surprised, Sun quickly turned her head to hide her tears. ¡°Eh? Are you Korean?¡± The man from the other side asked in a friendly tone. Astonished by his familiar native language, Sun looked up at him. It was a man with a fresh, clean face and a soft smile. ¡°Are you okay?¡± His voice was melodious, and his gaze was tender. He was the first person to see her, but Sun remembered his first impression just like that. 5. That Day ¡°Oh, yes.¡± Sun turned and wiped away tears with her forearms. The man who watched her briefly pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket, handing it out to her. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Sun shook her head, but the man held a handkerchief in her hand without saying a word. ¡°¡­ Thank you.¡± Sun, who quickly wiped away tears, returned the handkerchief. ¡°There. I¡¯m leaving before things get more awkward.¡± The man smiled at her and walked down the stairs past Sun. ¡°Oh, wait.¡± He turned back and approached Sun again as if something had come to mind. ¡°This is a gift.¡± The man held a small stone in Sun¡¯s hand. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go up. You¡¯ll feel a little relieved there.¡± The man smiled warmly again and descended the stairs. As the footsteps faded, the staircase quickly relaxed once more. She looked at the rock in her hand. It was just a small stone that one would commonly see on the road. ¡®What does this mean?¡¯ She shook her head and didn¡¯t realize the meaning of the stone. However, the unexpected encounter made her feel a little relieved. ¡°Ha¡­¡± She slowly and loudly sighed. Once she took a deep breath, she felt a little calmer. ¡°¡­ Okay. I¡¯ve come a long way to get here, so I¡¯ll go up.¡± Sun began to climb the stairs again. She climbed the silent staircase that seemed never-ending. *** She managed to climb the tower, which was higher than what she thought, a long time later. ¡°Ha¡­¡± Sun, who was breathing up to her chin, raised her head and looked out over the landscape. The scenery of the secluded countryside was a magnificent sight to see. The brochure said that it is the tallest tower with a panoramic view of the road to Santiago. She walked every day, but she didn¡¯t even know where she was going, so she wanted to come up and see it once. She turned her head and looked back. The countryside she had walked to was longspun. She remembered the pilgrim¡¯s accommodation, the restaurants that she had been going to eat for a few days, and the pilgrims she encountered as she came and went. Sun turned again and looked ahead. There was an endless path before her that she needed to traverse. The curvy road was no longer visible as it crossed a gentle hill. She could not predict what way she would have, who she would meet, and where she would stay. She came to this high tower, but nothing changed. ¡°¡­ Was this all worthless?¡± Sun sighed with bitterness. At that time, she dropped the stone that she was holding in her hand. ¡°No! No way!¡± She quickly chased the rock. The rolling stone, fortunately, stopped in front of the stairs. ¡°Ha.¡± Sun sighed with relief and reached out her hand to pick it up. ¡°What?¡± Then she noticed the words written on the other side of the stone. In crude letters, a few words were written on the stone, ¡°Go. You can.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± She then realized why the man had given her this stone. Sun, who had been lost in thought for a moment, closed her eyes. ¡°Go. You can¡­¡± IT was just a simple sentence in only three words. However, it was more comforting than anything she had seen. At the same time, it was her goal and reason for her visit to Santiago. ¡°Let¡¯s go up. I¡¯m going to feel a little relieved.¡± She heaved, along with encouragement from this stranger. However, she managed to climb to the top without giving up on his support. If she had given up at that time, she would never see the scenery before her. She raised her eyes again and looked over the hill. She didn¡¯t know what was waiting for her. However, all she had to do now was to take a step. It was maybe afterward when she felt fear and suffered from unbearable loneliness. ¡°Maybe¡­¡± She didn¡¯t know if she could become a little stronger if she crossed that hill. She couldn¡¯t do it now, but she could do it then. Sun, who was still looking at the rocks, nodded slowly. With the stone in her pocket, she once again descended the stairs. *** Two months later, at the Consencio building located on Dosan main street. The lobby was so spacious that one couldn¡¯t see it at first sight. It was no surprise considering that it was the headquarters of Consencio, a top online retail company. At that time, the crowded lobby began to squirm upon someone¡¯s appearance. It was a man with dark black hair and dark-squealed eyes, Woo, Gyeonhui, the CEO of Consencio. ¡°Wow, how is he so sexy?¡± ¡°That¡¯s crazy.¡± The skimpy suit and slim tie caught people¡¯s attention at once. As he stepped forward, the other men made their way over, and the women did not block his way, sending only envious glances. However, he ignored the attention of many people and headed straight to the private elevator. Then, after that, his assistant Ojae chased him. When he left the elevator and arrived at the office, he sat on a leather sofa. His gaze turned to a small pot at the window. Three years ago, it was a gift from Sun when she first came to his home. ¡°I grew it with the coffee seeds my dad left behind. The flowers are so beautiful, and I hope they grow well.¡± However, there was still no flowers blooming in the coffee tree. ¡°Ha.¡± With a sigh of relief, he poured water into the cup and approached the potted plant. Nervously watering the pots, he looked at Ojae and said. ¡°You still haven¡¯t found her?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I used all my connections to notify me as soon as she arrives here in Korea.¡± After Ojae told this to him, Gyeounhui¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°I¡¯m tired of your excuses.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Ojae bowed his head as if he had nothing to say. He also hired his people around Sun¡¯s company, but he couldn¡¯t find her whereabouts anywhere. ¡°I¡¯m done. Stop everything.¡± Gyeounhui said in a cold, calm voice. ¡°What? No, wait a minute. I¡¯ll find her. I¡¯ll do whatever I can, just give me a little more time. You know, I need to get married soon, and I need a house. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Ojae begged him while holding Gyeonhui¡¯s hand. However, Gyeonhui looked annoyed and said to let go of his hand. ¡°Not you, I mean stop looking for her!¡± ¡°¡­ What?¡± ¡°I said, stop looking for her.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I thought you were firing me. Feww¡­¡± Ojae, who understood his words, breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll stop it right away. I can do that in less than ten times if you want! Hahaha.¡± Chapter 6 Ojae¡¯s laughter echoed through the office, but Gyeonhui¡¯s face was still sinking. For three months, thoughts about her didn¡¯t go away. It seemed as if he was going crazy with a mixture of annoyance, anxiety, nostalgia, and anger. ¡°¡­ After all, you¡¯re the same. It just took a little longer this time.¡± He bit his lower lip and muttered to himself. *** Near Santiago Compostela. The dirt was wet because of the rain at the night before. ¡°Hu. Let¡¯s keep the pace up.¡± She relied on a wooden stick to assert herself. The knee pads wrapped around her ankles, and long rods were her pilgrimage companions for three months. She noticed that a large arrow came into view in the middle of the road. It was an arrow made out of stones from the pilgrims who first passed by. When she looked around, she saw these arrows all around. She¡¯d never get lost. ¡®It¡¯s amazing.¡¯ In retrospect, they were pilgrims who walked this path with numerous difficulties and a lot of distress. At least once in their lives, they were lost. Here, they were the stray lambs who chose this place. Nevertheless, since they were lost here, Sun managed to find her way. ¡®Life is ironic.¡¯ Sun walked again with a bitter smile. As she walked a little more, she noticed a charming city full of orange roofs. ¡°Finally¡­ this is the last place.¡± The end of the pilgrimage route was the final stop, Compostela. Sun was delighted as she stepped into the city. It felt like the time was permeated in the stone. Soon after, she noticed the cathedral of Santiago. Unlike the ornate European temples, they looked as rustic as the monasteries. However, in the appearance of the rustic cathedral, the heart of Sun began to be rather peaceful. It wasn¡¯t glamorous, but it was comforting to see the crudeness of the wounds for a while. ¡°Now It¡¯s time to have the last ceremony.¡± She followed the pilgrims into the cathedral. Moments later, thousands of people gathered inside the temple to give a pilgrim mass. The mass began with magnificent music. A piece of music she had never heard, a message from a bride she couldn¡¯t understand. However, she felt relieved upon seeing everyone¡¯s faces. After a long Mass, Sun stepped out of the cathedral. ¡°¡­ Now, it¡¯s the end.¡± At the same time, a strange sense of accomplishment came along with what she had achieved. Then, someone patted her shoulder. Looking back, she realized that it was a foreign grandmother with a small wrinkle. She smiled and patted her shoulders. Her touch seemed to be reaffirming her struggles. Suddenly, tears filled her eyes. Bitter feelings seemed to be pouring from the inside. She turned her back like a habit, but what unfolded before her eyes was the calm face of the pilgrims. Now, she didn¡¯t have to stand. She didn¡¯t have to endure, nor did she have to suffer. ¡°After¡­ Ha¡­¡± With her eyes closed, tears flowed down her cheeks. No one said anything to her, and no one hurt her with their words. They only gave her a few gazes that showed how much they understood her wounds, a warm consolation. While others walked for 40 days, she walked for three months. She didn¡¯t want to walk, so she stayed in the hostel for a few days. Her memories of him visited her, like a fever that she could not break. She often wanted to surrender and return. However, the more she walked, the more she realized that it wasn¡¯t the answer. It was an unknown life, but she had to walk. Instead of knowing and moving forward, she had to learn the answers. Only then could she return. *** ¡°Oh¡­!¡± As he filed paperwork, Gyeonhui frowned his eyebrows because of sudden chest pains. He touched the pained area, but it didn¡¯t get any better. ¡°Why? Are you hurt?¡± Ojae was surprised and asked. ¡°Ha¡­ No, I¡¯m fine. Do I have any schedules after three days?¡± As he massaged his chest, he looked weary and asked, loosening his tie. ¡°You have a meeting with a Chinese company.¡± ¡°Take it out.¡± ¡°What? This is a meeting with Madam Shin, though.¡± She was Madam Sukjin Shin, who was his mother. ¡°Take it out.¡± He spoke in an annoyed tone. Upon hearing his tone, that was more annoyed than usual, Ojae just closed his mouth. However, since he was well aware of the nature of the fiery Mrs. Shin, Ojae could not pass it on. ¡°¡­ Do you have any other obligations?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not in good shape.¡± ¡°Your body? Are there any problems with your heart?¡± Ojae, who had come to think of Gyeonhui a little while ago, asked. ¡°After about three days, I¡¯m seriously going to be sick.¡± ¡°What? What does that mean?¡± ¡°Ha. I can¡¯t explain it, but It happens every month.¡± He replied with annoyance, biting his lips. Pain that¡¯s repeated approximately every month. The feeling of endless sinking, the pain in his chest, was a precursor. ¡°It¡¯s like the aftermath of an accident¡­¡± The pain began three months ago after that accident. In addition to the monthly pain, there were times when he suddenly felt a terrible pain in his limbs. However, Dr. Seo, the primary care physician, only made a diagnosis that the cause was unknown. ¡°Useless.¡± Dr. Seo, one of the best medical doctors in Korea, was the only one who was useless for Gyeonhui. ¡°What are the symptoms?¡± ¡°Would you even know if I tell you?¡± ¡°I need to be aware of any of your symptoms to deal with anything that happens.¡± Gyeonhui ignored Ojae, but he asked him again with a professional tone. ¡°¡­ So, first of all, my stomach hurts.¡± ¡°Stomach? Exactly how? Can¡¯t go to the toilet for three days?¡± ¡°I feel bad, and I don¡¯t want to do anything. I just want to sleep.¡± Gyeonhui stopped for a moment, then he continued to speak, feeling like he was still grasping at a straw. ¡°And the world is spinning as dizziness sets in. I¡¯m bloated, and my belly is sore, and it is spreading to my waist. Then it would happen again, as if my upper and lower bodies were separated¡­ Huh. Just forget it.¡± The more he spoke, the more he felt stupid, and he ended up not talking. ¡°Hm Hm. Hm. I¡¯ve seen these symptoms a lot.¡± ¡°Is there another person who suffers from these symptoms? Who is it? Why is this happening?¡± ¡°Well. It¡¯s¡­ Sarah lately.¡± Sarah was Ojae¡¯s lover. ¡°Sarah? Has she seen a doctor to know the reason?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t possibly feel the same pain.¡± Ojae shook his head dismissively. ¡°Why? What the hell is it?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Are you annoyed by just looking at my face?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little bit like that.¡± ¡°Are you overly sensitive?¡± ¡°Uh, how would you know that?¡± ¡°Ha. It¡¯s really similar¡­ Now, wait a minute. Sick?¡± Ojae stabbed him in the chest with his finger. ¡°Oh! That hurts!! What are you doing!¡± ¡°Oh my god¡­¡± Ojae opened his eyes unbelievably as he watched Gyeonhui¡¯s anger. ¡°It¡¯s going to be released soon. No. No. It can¡¯t be possible¡­¡± ¡°What is it? Do you really know what this is about? After a few days, it begins to flow.¡± ¡°Holy shit.¡± ¡°What the hell?¡± ¡°Sarah feels the same symptoms on that day.¡± ¡°That day? What¡¯s that day?¡± ¡°¡­ Menstruation. Sarah¡¯s symptoms are the same on the day she¡¯s menstruating.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous¡­¡± Gyeonhui seemed shocked by the unexpected words of Ojae, and he could not say anything. 6. Her Pain ¡°What did you just say?¡± Gyeonhui lowered his eyebrows and stared at Ojae. ¡°Sorry, but it¡¯s really the same¡­¡± Ojae responded to him with a crawling voice. ¡°Get out. Get out of my sight. Won¡¯t you get out?!¡± Gyeonhui screamed and picked up the plaque. ¡°I¡¯m leaving now.¡± Ojae quickly got up and exited the office before Gyeonhui got up. Gyeonhui was still angry and thumped the plaque on his desk loudly. ¡°Menstruation? I can¡¯t believe it.¡± He tried to put the plaque back in the right spot again as if a crooked plate was disgusting. Then, he began to feel a strange pain in his belly. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± He wanted to fire his assistant Ojae, but the pain that would come three days from now was more worrying. It had been over three months, but he hadn¡¯t gotten used to it. He was already feeling cold sweat on his forehead because of the terrible pain. *** Three days later, at the arrival hall of Incheon Airport, after exiting the gate, Sun paused to look inside the airport. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time¡­¡± A familiar view. There were Koreans everywhere. It had been three months since she had left Korea and spent time in Spain. ¡°Hey! Sun!¡± Then, a familiar voice called Sun¡¯s name. She turned her head in amazement because no one was supposed to pick her up. ¡°Ari?¡± With an elegant smile, Ari approached her. ¡°I told you not to come.¡± ¡°When did I ever listen to you?¡± Ari¡¯s voice became friendlier when she smiled at Sun¡¯s face. ¡°Can you go out and get around this way during work? Do you have nothing to do at the Company?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The boss allowed me to do this.¡± It had been a long time, but there was no awkwardness in their tit-for-tat conversation. ¡°It seems like it was a great trip. I see your mood looks uplifted.¡± ¡°Yes. Sun nodded slowly and answered. ¡°Did you clear your mind? If you make us worry about you again, I¡¯ll lose it.¡± ¡°Now, you act like you¡¯re the president.¡± ¡°Oh, and your boss said, come to work starting next week.¡± ¡°Next week? You said you are busy?¡± ¡°¡­ There are new circumstances. We need to find a new office.¡± ¡°Why, suddenly?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to know. Anyway, take this.¡± Ari pulled a small package out of her pocket and gave it to her. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You said it¡¯s the day.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Sun looked at the package, and Ari alternately felt impressed. Once she arrived at the airport, she was going to buy medicine. ¡°¡­ Thank you.¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t stand it, then just go to the hospital and get an IV; this is the boss¡¯s message.¡± Sun smiled at Ari, imitating Eunyoung. ¡°Is this all your luggage?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you home. It¡¯s your first time in your new house.¡± ¡°No. I can go alone¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to take you. I¡¯m busy. Hurry up.¡± Ari began to walk, pretending that she didn¡¯t hear Sun. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s still there.¡± Sun, looking at Ari¡¯s back, smiled and mumbled to her. The airport was still crowded with people who had returned after a long trip. Ari¡¯s personality, like her brother, was still there, and she always had a place to go. Perhaps she would still be in the same position, but now she had to be different. ¡°It was a trip to change.¡± She grabbed the luggage handle and once again harden her resolve. *** Black and white, two extreme contrasting colors. The display around the room was filled with various toys and character structures made of blocks. The luxurious wood interior sits without a mixture of original figures, creating a strange texture. In the middle of the room, on a black bed, a white sheet twitched. ¡°Hwuh.¡± With a sigh, Gyeonhui¡¯s face was all squinched after he put his head outside of the blanket. He was suffering from abdominal pain that continued in the morning, enveloping his stomach. Then the door opened, and Ojae entered the room. ¡°Have you eaten anything?¡± ¡°¡­I have no energy to talk. Leave the room.¡± Gyeonhui didn¡¯t even look at Ojae as he spoke. ¡°It¡¯s really the same reaction. It¡¯s the same with Sarah.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you leaving?¡± Gyeonhui really had no power, but the look in his eyes was bitter. ¡°Sarah took medicine when she was sick like you. Give it a try.¡± ¡°What medicine?¡± ¡°¡­ Menstrual cramp medicine.¡± ¡°Get out! Get out!!!¡± Gyeonhui picked up the pillow. Ojae then fled at a faster rate than he had entered. ¡°Ha. You scumbag¡­¡± Gyeonhui felt angry, and the pain was worsening. ¡°I¡¯m going crazy here. It¡¯s real.¡± In unbearable pain, sweat dripped from his forehead. ¡°Menstrual pain medicine?¡± Ojae¡¯s words hovered in Gyeonhui¡¯s mind. In fact, after looking at the various symptoms on the internet, it really resembled menstrual cramps. ¡°But it can¡¯t be a menstrual cycle. Ha.¡± Every morning, he could see that he was a strong man, so it didn¡¯t make sense. ¡°Ugh.¡± Then again, the pain swelled. He felt as if his internal organs were moving about improperly as he moaned in anguish. ¡°Oh¡­¡± As the pain barely subsided, Gyeonhui¡¯s body dropped. ¡°¡­ I can¡¯t live like this.¡± He struggled to make a decision and wake his body up. Inside the opened sheet, a variety of toys were packed. *** ¡°What are your symptoms? Headache?¡± A young pharmacist who was looking at his complexion asked with a twinkle in her eye. ¡®A female pharmacist¡­¡¯ He rushed to find a pharmacy near his home and felt so embarrassed. Chapter 7 ¡°Ha.¡± He sighed. Meanwhile, his abdominal pain and back pain were being pushed to his limits. He didn¡¯t know the cause, and he was sick of not knowing the cause, but wanted something to make it go away. He was unwilling to die, but he was sick enough to die, so it was an unavoidable choice. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s my stomach.¡± It was a word he barely pulled out. ¡°Abdominal pain? Do you have diarrhea? Have you ever had enteritis?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s my stomach¡­¡± He tried several times, but he couldn¡¯t get the word out. ¡°Or did you rush a meal?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it¡­ Ha. Give me medicine when women are sick please.¡± ¡°Pardon? Oh¡­So this is for your girlfriend. Here you go. It¡¯s menstrual medicine.¡± Only women take it. The pharmacist smiled and took out the medicine and gave it to Gyeonhui. ¡°I¡¯m going crazy¡­¡± After he paid for the medicine, Gyeonhui whispered to himself as he left that he was being outrageous. He had never come directly to a pharmacy and he never imagined that the first medicine he would buy would be for menstrual cramps. He struggled to get into the car and he lifted the window all the way up to avoid anyone from seeing him. ¡°Ha¡­ It¡¯s all about living. To live.¡± After a little apprehension, Gyeonhui finally swallowed down the medicine. The menstrual pain he had for the first time crossed over into his throat. ¡°Please work¡­ no, it¡¯d be strange if this medicine actually worked. Ha.¡± In a situation where he could not to do anything, his sense of self-denial only deepened. *** The morning sunlight was coming through the thick windows. The house that had two rooms was big enough for a woman to live alone. As she was ready to go out, she could see the luggage piled up on one side of the living room. ¡°You would have struggled.¡± She remembered the image of Eun-young and Ari, who would have struggled to move their luggage for Sun. ¡°But¡­ Why doesn¡¯t the medicine work?¡± Sun touched her belly in pain and whispered to herself. She had to go see her dad, so she took medicine beforehand, but to no avail. Then she heard the buzzer. ¡°I¡¯m expecting no one to come¡­ Who are you?¡± Sun shouted loudly at the door. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± ¡°Eunyoung?¡± After confirming Eun-young¡¯s voice, Sun unlocked the door and opened it. ¡°What¡¯s going on at this time?¡± ¡°Look at you, I knew you were in pain and weren¡¯t doing anything for it like a fool. You¡¯re disobedient to my orders.¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯ve taken medicine and it¡¯s bearable.¡± ¡°You look like Gollum. Come outside quickly.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You said you¡¯re going to see your father today? If you go there when you don¡¯t feel good, like now, you will fall before you arrive. At least get an IV before you go.¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay¡­¡± Then, with a headache that seemed to break her head, dizziness came. Her stomachache became worse, and the pain tormented her as if it were biting her stomach. Eunyoung looked back at her and said, ¡°Come out quickly.¡± As usual, Eunyoung had already closed the door and walked out. She had known Eunyoung for years, but she still had her own way of dealing with getting help from others. She would have refused, but today she was in a lot of pain. Sun slowly stepped in, followed by Eunyoung. *** ¡°I¡¯m not feeling any better!¡± While waiting for the medicine to kick in, Gyeonhui put the phone to his face and got angry. -I¡¯m so sorry¡­ Beyond the phone, the voice of Ojae was heard. ¡°Forget it. Cut it off.¡± He hung up and clenched his fist with unresolved annoyance. He took the drug a few times yesterday, but it didn¡¯t work at all. The pain was still there, and the irritation was getting even worse. ¡°¡­ It wasn¡¯t it. Yes, I was right. It¡¯s not it. Ha.¡± Fortunately, it was an unfortunate complex situation instead. He sighed for a long time. Then the door opened and Dr. Seo stepped inside. The man in his late 50s, wearing thick horn-rimmed glasses, was Dr. Seo, Jong-chan, one of the country¡¯s top internal medicine specialists. ¡°¡­ Did you get the results?¡± Gyeonhui couldn¡¯t even stretch his hips, and asked with a distorted expression. As Dr. Seo checked the results of his tests, Dr. Seo slowly opened his mouth in embarrassment. ¡°Hmm. In modern medicine¡­¡± ¡°A cause cannot be verified in Modern medicine.¡± Gyeonhui interrupted Dr. Seo¡¯s speaking in an irritating tone. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a pathetic answer coming from the best in Korea?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m a bit embarrassed, too.¡± Dr. Seo nodded sadly and replied. Gyeonhui had been busy visiting the hospital, but his return was just an excuse that had been a long time coming. ¡°Okay.¡± There was nothing new to expect, so Gyeonhui got up and left the doctor¡¯s office. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m so sick, but I can¡¯t believe that there¡¯s nothing wrong with me.¡± His roaring stomach seemed to vomit right away and all his internal organs seemed to be wandering around his abdomen. It was hard to walk properly and he struggled to walk around the wall. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Eunyoung. It¡¯s my fault.¡± Then, around the corner, a familiar voice was heard in his ear. Two women passed in front of him. At that moment, her pale face came into view, as if in slow motion. It was an unforgettable face that Gyeonhui had been searching for three months now. ¡°Cheo, Cheonsun?¡± At one point, Gyeonhui vacantly followed her with only his gaze. However, Sun didn¡¯t see him and they headed toward the obstetrics and gynecology department under the cover of Eun-young. ¡°Outrageous.¡± At one point, Gyeonhui was enraged, but soon his stern face was calmed. He couldn¡¯t find her, but as soon as he gave up on her, she appeared right in front of him. ¡°Well, At least she doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s doing well.¡± Looking at her pale face from a distance, he muttered to himself. Then, Sun plunked down because of the dizziness. Suddenly, Gyeonhui lost his balance too, hitting one knee on the floor. ¡°Ugh.¡± He felt a tremendous pain in his knees as he watched her from afar. Staggering, Gyeonhui barely balanced on a chair next to him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, suddenly my knees¡­¡± He was surprised by the pain and squinched his face forcefully. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Eun-young asked, raising Sun from the floor. ¡°¡­ Yes, I¡¯m okay. It happens all the time.¡± Sun smiled and said, but her complexion was pale. ¡°Let¡¯s get you on an IV quickly.¡± Eunyoung, who had made her way back, stepped forward. Then a little boy running through the hallway of the hospital hit Sun¡¯s leg. ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± At the same time, screams erupted from Sun and Gyeonhui¡¯s mouth. ¡°Well¡­ Are you okay?¡± She looked for the child first, while touching her sore leg. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No. No one was injured.¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± ¡°Good. Go ahead.¡± Sun, frightened, sent the child away with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s so chaotic here. Let¡¯s get in quickly.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Eunyoung led Sun and hurried into the room. Gyeonhui, alone in the hallway, hurried to roll up the bottom of his pants. ¡°What just happened to me?¡± He looked down at his legs unbelievably. Apparently there were no wounds, but one knee and the other shin throbbed. The pain in his leg, had no connection to him. It was incomprehensible. ¡°It was her who had been hit by the child, but why do I¡­¡± It was clear that she had fallen and that she had been hit. But Gyeonhui was also feeling the pain. He looked at his legs, which still remained in pain. ¡°¡­ No way, am I suffering Sun¡¯s pain?¡± His eyes shook violently. 7. Can I Forget The hospital parking lot. The sound of the luxury car being started and turned off repeatedly echoed. ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous¡­ It doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡± Sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, Gyeonhui continued to repeat the same words. ¡°Does it make sense to feel the pain of someone else?¡± He shook his head and started the car. Soon, however, he seemed to be submerged in his mind again and then turned off the start. ¡®It¡¯s was a coincidence, but It was so exquisite.¡¯ The timing was amazing when Sun fell and when she bumped into the child. He looked down at his legs again, his eyebrows. ¡®The pain area is also similar. Haha.¡¯ He took a deep sigh and lifted his head. ¡°No. This cannot be explained by science. It doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± He exhaled for a long time and calmed down. It was a world where anything could happen, He had never heard of feeling the pain of others. From his standpoint, it was more rational not to believe rather than to believe. He started the car again, determined. ¡°Ouch!¡± Then, suddenly, he felt a pain that seemed like a needle sticking in his forearm. ¡°What the hell is this¡­?¡± There were no cuts to his forearm, but he felt stabbed by a needle. He felt pain come again to his stomach. He broke into a cold sweat on his forehead, as he endured the pain with a vicious ness. ¡®No way, this too?¡¯ He wondered if it was related to Sun. ¡°If this is real¡­ Ha.¡± Gyeonhui frowning over his irritating pain, suddenly exhaled a long sigh. He wanted to do it right, if he was going to figure this out. He eventually turned off the engine and got out of the car. *** ¡°This isn¡¯t right.¡± Gyeonhui looked at the door with his arms crossed in front of the obstetrics and gynecology clinic. But it was too late to go back. ¡®¡­ Ok. I¡¯m just going to check.¡¯ He tried to persuade himself to open the door to the obstetrics and gynecology clinic. ¡°Hello? How can I help you?¡± The nurse asked a little surprised, as she saw Gyeonhui. It was a natural reaction for a nurse seeing a young man all alone in obstetrics and gynecology office. ¡°The patient who came a little while ago¡­ I¡¯ve come because of her.¡± It was difficult to explain the situation, so he had to merge his words. ¡°Oh, you are looking for Sun?¡± There was a nuance to the nurse¡¯s tone that she already knew Sun. ¡°¡­ Yes, Cheonsun. That¡¯s right.¡± He nodded with an unsightly expression. ¡°Are you her boyfriend?¡± ¡°¡­ Well, kind of.¡± He should have modified the description to ¡°Broke Up¡±, but he didn¡¯t say it to her. ¡°She is getting an IV. Would you like me to go inside and tell her that you are here?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to, but do you know what¡¯s going on with her?¡± The nurse looked at him again, seemingly in doubt at Gyeonhui¡¯s question. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re worried. She came in because she is on her period. ¡°Oh menstrual pain?¡± ¡°Did you not know? She has serious menstrual cramps.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Is it menstrual cramps?¡± He reiterated her words as if it were outrageous. ¡°You can¡¯t dismiss it. They can almost kill you.¡± The nurse responded to Gyeonhui¡¯s reaction, which seemed to be no big deal. ¡°It¡¯s only menstrual cramps¡­¡± ¡°Well, sometimes it can almost feel like the pain of childbirth?¡± The nurse looked at him and said, ¡°Really? No way.¡± ¡°Sun has one of the most severe cases. I thought she was okay because she hadn¡¯t come in for a few months.¡± The nurse turned her head and turned her gaze toward the door. He could see Sun getting an injection through a small window at the door. ¡°About 28 to 31 days? It¡¯s almost a month cycle, but it¡¯s pretty accurate, so we tried to make everything ready for her.¡± ¡®A month?¡¯ For the first time, Gyeonhui, who had not shown much interest, responded to the familiar numbers for the first time. ¡°Now, wait a minute. Did you say it¡¯s about a month?¡± Surprised by the familiar numbers, He hurried to ask her back. ¡°Yes, why?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s it, wait a minute.¡± He pulled out his phone and confirmed the date. ¡®Today is the 25th¡­ I felt pain on the 23rd of last month, so it¡¯s been about a month. It was similar with Sun¡¯s cycle the nurse confirmed.¡¯ In his mind, he recalled what Ojae said a few days ago. ¡®Menstruation. Your symptoms are the same with Sarah when she¡¯s menstruating.¡¯ He denied this to be true, but the more he learned, the more his symptoms were beginning to look like menstrual cramps. He opened his eyes wide and looked inside the clinic. He could see Sun sleeping and the IV fluid flowing. Her expression softened and her stomach ache sank like a lie. ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous¡­¡± His eyes shook at the unbelievable situation. *** ¡°Hm¡­¡± When she woke up, she exhaled for a long time with a brighter expression on her face. ¡°Do you feel better?¡± The nurse checked the remaining IV fluid and asked. ¡°Yes, I feel much better.¡± Sun raised her body and looked at the nurse as if something had come to mind. ¡°Oh, by the way, was anybody here?¡± ¡°Yes, Yes? Who?¡± The nurse seemed a little perplexed. ¡°Well¡­I heard a familiar voice in my sleep. I might have misheard something. It may have been a dream.¡± Sun said with a smile. ¡°Maybe. Haha. Now you can go home.¡± ¡°Thank you as usual.¡± Then the door opened and Eunyoung came in. ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go home quickly. You have to go home before the sun sets.¡± Eunyoung left the clinic with Sun after helping her get up. ¡®Click.¡¯ ¡°ughh¡­¡± The nurse sighed as the door closed. ¡°I thought I was going to get caught.¡± The nurse put her hand in her pocket with an excited look and pulled out a check. ¡®Can you keep it a secret that I was here?¡¯ It was the money that Gyeonhui gave her to keep everything quiet. ¡°Oh¡­ Oh sure. Anytime, you have my word.¡± The nurse fingered the check she was holding, as if she were excited. Chapter 8 ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m in a hurry.¡± While Eunyoung was driving on the Gyeongin Expressway. She seemed like she wasn¡¯t happy to leave the office for a while because she had work to do. ¡°It¡¯s ok. I can go there alone.¡± Sun blurted out finally sensing Eunyoung was going out of her way despite her concern for work. ¡°I¡¯m going to take you to your father¡¯s place now, so I expect you to work hard when you return. That way, I¡¯ll feel less guilty to your father for making you work so hard.¡± ¡°Why do you do something that you feel guilty about? Just treat me well.¡± ¡°What else can I do better than this?¡± ¡°Chi. You¡¯re right. I¡¯m speechless.¡± Sun turned her head with in a cute manner. Eunyoung began to speak standing to Sun. ¡°Did anybody come to the hospital when we were there?¡± Eunyoung had heard a conversation between Sun and the nurse. ¡°Huh? Oh, I must have heard wrong.¡± ¡°Why? Whose voice was it?¡± ¡°¡­ No, I must have got it wrong.¡± Sun answered with a slightly firm expression. When Eunyoung saw the expression, she asked no more. She knew who Sun meant without having to ask. Eunyoung pulled out her phone as if to change the mood. ¡°Will you listen to some music? You¡¯ve been gone for three months, so you haven¡¯t heard the latest idol songs out now.¡± ¡°¡­Right.¡± Sun smiled and moved her gaze out the window. Eunyoung turned the music on by Bluetooth, after glancing at Sun. Moments later, the car was filled with the latest music. ¡°¡­ Hwahhh.¡± Fortunately, the loud music allowed Sun to hide her sigh. ¡®It can¡¯t be him¡­¡¯ She knew that he would never be there for her. His dimly lit voice must¡¯ve been clearly her illusion. ¡®I thought I¡¯d forgotten him¡­¡¯ She thought she had returned after clearing him from her mind, but she was wrong. From the moment she returned to Korea, his face never left her head. She tried to move her gaze forward. In order not to return, she had to keep moving forward constantly. Then she saw a large shipping truck in her eyes. She noticed the big advertisement on the truck. Consencio conveys happiness. Only the letters Consencio, but it was enough to shake her heart. His face came to her mind. ¡®¡­ Can I really forget about him¡­?¡¯ Is it because of the sorrow and pain that she suppressed in her mind? Suddenly, the area around her stomach became sore. It was a pain that came whenever she tried to not to think about him. ¡®No. You have to forget¡­¡¯ She shook her head vigorously. She could not let her effort be in vain. She clenched her fists as if trying to keep her heart from quivering. *** ¡°Hmm.¡± As he drove with one hand leaning against the windshield, Gyeonhui sighed for a long time. His expression was severely hardened as many thoughts came and went. ¡®So, it was the menstrual cramps when I felt pain?¡¯ It was hard to believe, but the circumstances cannot be coincidental. He looked down at his stomach, as the pain had disappeared. ¡®And I¡¯m not sick when she gets better?¡¯ It was abdominal pain that wasn¡¯t going to get better no matter how many pain killers were taken. However, the pain subsided whenever Sun was put on IV fluids and fell asleep. ¡°What a crazy¡­ Hmmm. No, it can¡¯t be true, it can¡¯t be! No!¡± Annoyed, he unwittingly stepped on the gas pedal. ¡®Buaaang.¡¯ The car started roaring at high speed. ¡°All right. I can pretend I don¡¯t know anything. It might be okay to bear the pain once a month, and I¡¯ll have to put up with it¡­¡± He remembered the pain that had plagued him up to this morning. ¡°But how do I do this? Does this make sense?¡± He poured out his own words like a madman. Meanwhile, the speedometer was pointing at 150 kilometers. The moment he began to breathe heavily and a stabbing pain was felt in his core. ¡®Ugh!¡¯ Surprised by his sudden pain, he stepped on the brakes. ¡®Shhreek!¡¯ His car slid on the road, making a roaring noise. Seeing the oncoming guardrails in that instant, he closed his eyes. ¡®Tong¡¯. Suddenly, his body slammed into the steering wheel at the sudden halt. ¡°ugh. ugh¡­¡± He struggled to breathe and slowly looked up. The car barely stopped right in front of the guardrails. ¡®Pang! Paaaang!¡¯ ¡°Hey! Are you crazy! Die alone if you want to die!¡± Short and long horns were heard followed by a roar. His veins sprang out on his forehead as he struggled to breathe. ¡°Whaa. Whagh.¡± The deeper he breathed in, the more the pain grew. He barely looked up as he exhaled repeatedly, feeling pain different from menstrual cramps. He had undergone eight thorough examinations in three months because of the strange pain. Only today he confirmed that there were no problems with his heart and internal organs. ¡°If so¡­¡± I wonder if this pain is hers. It¡¯s not yet clear, but it was likely. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m going to go crazy.¡± He took out his cell phone and called his assistant Ojae. ¡°Come to the office right now.¡± His face was getting pale in pain that would not easily disappear. ¡°Thank you.¡± In the parking lot of the port, Sun got out of the car and looked at Eunyoung and said. ¡°Thank you. Say hello to him and get inside. You don¡¯t feel good.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll get in touch.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t. I¡¯m busy. See you.¡± Eunyoung waved outside the window and left the parking lot. After Sun looked at the car, she turned her body. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous. Come this way.¡± At that time, she saw a girl and her dad who came to play at the port. The child¡¯s father held his daughter high as she ran toward the water. Sun, who looked at the them with a warm smile, suddenly remembered the old days. *** It was Sun¡¯s high school graduation ceremony day. It was on her way home after she had a pleasant meal with her only family, her dad. ¡°My girl, what do you want for a graduation gift?¡± ¡°I have something in mind, but it won¡¯t be easy to find.¡± ¡°Hey. Just tell me, I will get it for you.¡± ¡°Really? Then I will tell you because I believe you.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Dad smiled and responded. Looking at her dad for a moment, Sun paused for a moment and slowly began to speak. ¡°The gift I want to have is¡­ that you will always be by my side for the rest of my life.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t have you, I¡¯m all alone. So the gift I want to have is that you stay with me, but healthily, and for a long time.¡± Dad smiled as he saw her smile. ¡°How healthy should I be to outlive my daughter?¡± ¡°That¡¯ why I told you that the gift won¡¯t be easy to get. Can you do it for me?¡± ¡°I definitely will. I promise you.¡± Dad answered with confidence, petting Sun¡¯s head. She leaned her head over her dad¡¯s shoulder and smiled. It was such a happy moment, but that happiness disappeared so quickly. Suddenly, a high beam poured over them. Then a large truck was running at them at a terrifying speed. *** ¡®Bang!¡¯ The sound of the door opening and closing roughly was heard. Ojae was waiting in the representatives¡¯ room. He rose to the sound. After a while, a bunch of hard-nosed faces entered to the CEO¡¯s room. ¡°What happened to you? I heard you almost had a car accident. Are you all right? Let¡¯s take a look.¡± Ojae shuddered as he looked at the front and back of Gyeonhui. ¡°Stay still. This is serious.¡± He sat down on the couch, furrowing his eyebrows. The pain around his core calmed down, but the memory was still so clear. ¡°Are you sick again? Did you take the medicine?¡± Ojae asked, looking at Gyeonhui clutching his stomach. ¡°I said be quiet!¡± He cut Ojae¡¯s words off with his serious face. At his reaction, which was several times more sensitive than usual, Ojae carefully examined his mood. Now it was time to wait a while. Since childhood, Ojae had always been with Gyeonhui, so Ojae knew him better than anyone else. Gyeonhui frowned, his eyes closed, as if his thoughts were not well organized. This was an opportunity for Ojae. ¡°¡­ What¡¯s going on?¡± Ojae again asked him cautiously. ¡°Urgha.¡± He sighed with frustration. He felt the pain of Sun and he didn¡¯t know where to start or how to explain them. *** ¡®Krrung.¡¯ In the middle of the ocean, a 55-ton vessel stopped in front of a buoy numbered 17. On weekday afternoons, the only person who visited the sea funeral home was Sun. ¡°You said buoy number 17?¡± The white-haired captain smiled and asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Sun turned her head with an answer and looked at the buoy floating on the sea. She saw the green buoy with the number 17 in white paint. ¡°Let me know when you are done.¡± The white-haired captain smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡± With a light smile, Sun turned her head slowly and looked at the buoy. The buoys were gorgeous green, like emeralds. She recalled her dad, who had struggled all his life for her mother, who had passed away earlier. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s been a long time. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t come here often. Are you doing well?¡± Sun looked at the buoy and talked to him with a calm voice. However, she could only hear the sound of waves hitting the ship, and she could not hear the answer. ¡°I¡¯ve been very good¡­¡± Sun closed her mouth, unable to keep her talking to him. She grabbed her right sore wrist with her left hand. She bit her lower lip and tried to pull herself together. She had a lot to say, but she couldn¡¯t say a word easily as she stood in front of her dad. ¡°I broke up with him. Not over something big. It just happened.¡± Her dad always worried about her, so she tried to assure him. Three months ago today when she broke up with him. She wandered to Santiago to forget him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to tell you all of this when it¡¯s been such a long time since I¡¯ve seen you.¡± As she continued, her tears began to well up. She tried not to cry, but it wasn¡¯t easy. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t cry out there. I¡¯m just so happy to be here, Dad. It¡¯s so wonderful.¡± Sun quickly wiped away tears. Even as an adult, she was still a child in front of her father. ¡°Heh. Still, it¡¯s so good to see my dad. I feel much better now.¡± Sun looked at the buoy with her tearful eyes. ¡°Now, I will try to start over. Clean up this mess and try to get up again. Will you help me?¡± The buoy sloshed back and forth in the soft waves. As if he were nodding his head. She smiled. The sea breeze stroked her hair gently as she did so. *** A half-basement office located in a residential area. Ari, who was in the midst of clearing her packages, looked up at the door. ¡°Wow? Are you alone? How about Sun?¡± Ari looked at Eunyoung, who was alone and asked. I dropped her off in Incheon. Sun said it¡¯s going to take a long time for her.¡± ¡°What about her body? It seems she didn¡¯t look good this morning.¡± ¡°She got an IV and felt much better.¡± Ari nodded in relief as Eunyoung told her. ¡°Oh, Any calls for me?¡± Eunyoung asked, as something seemingly came to mind. ¡°Oh, Mr. Song got in touch with me to meet him at 5 o¡¯clock.¡± ¡°Mr. Song at 5 o¡¯clock. Anything else?¡± Eunyoung, who took notes of her meeting with Mr. Choi, asked again. ¡°No. Are you expecting something?¡± ¡°No. Just because.¡± After stopping for a moment, Eunyoung opened her mouth again with concerned expression. ¡°In the hospital, I think I saw him.¡± ¡°The man? Who¡­?¡± ¡°¡­ Mr. Woo.¡± Eunyoung recalled his face as if she had seen him in the hallway of the hospital. ¡°Oh¡­The CEO of the Consencio?¡± Eunyoung nodded at Ari¡¯s question. ¡°He had been quiet lately¡­Watch your mouth just in case. It¡¯s an absolute secret from her that the business with them has been cancelled.¡± ¡°¡­ Absolutely. It¡¯s not a good thing for her to know either.¡± Eunyoung, after she kept Ari¡¯s mouth shut tight, looked around of the office. Less than half the size of the previous office, there were items lying about haphazard on the stairs. A long sigh leaked from Eunyoung¡¯s mouth. Chapter 9 ¡°Hmm.¡± After hearing the story, Ojae looked at Gyeonhui¡¯s face. ¡°So, you mean, you feel her pain. Is that correct?¡± Ojae asked carefully not to offend him. ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± Gyeonhui seemed frustrated, loosening his tie. ¡°Hmm.¡± With a brief sigh, Ojae looked anxiously at him, and suddenly, he raised his two fingers and asked. ¡°¡­ How many fingers do you see?¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°How many does it look like?¡± ¡°¡­ Two.¡± ¡°How about this?¡± ¡°Four. What the hell are you doing?¡± Gyeonhui couldn¡¯t tell what Ojae was trying to do. Gyeonhui asked him with an unhappy expression. ¡°Do not move.¡± Ojae rose up from his seat and touched Gyeonhui¡¯s forehead. ¡°You don¡¯t have a fever.¡± Gyeonhui finally figured out the situation and struck Ojae¡¯s hand away from his forehead. ¡®Slap!¡¯ The stinging sound and the pain rushed to him all at once. ¡°Ouch¡± Ojae clutched his sore hand and trembled. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that I¡¯m crazy?¡± Gyeonhui looked at him with a stern expression and asked. ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m trying to say, but it really doesn¡¯t make any sense¡­ wow¡­ Put yourself in my position and think. If I said this to you, would you trust me?¡± ¡°¡­ I wouldn¡¯t believe it.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± Ojae smiled brightly. On the contrary, Gyeonhui¡¯s face was serious. ¡°So, according to what you said, I just lied to you point-blank? Is that right?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve wasted my time to listen to this gibberish. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°Oh, no. I didn¡¯t mean to say that¡­ It¡¯s such a mysterious thing¡­¡± ¡°Get out before I kick you out.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to leave?¡± Gyeonhui stared at Ojae as if Gyeonhui had fired a laser at him with his eyes. ¡°Oh, okay, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Ojae quickly grabbed his papers and rose from his seat. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone about this. Got it?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯m a man of a few words. Don¡¯t you worry.¡± Ojae looked fiery with his fists and quickly exited Gyeonhui¡¯s room. *** At the employees-only restroom, Ojae came in and checked all the toilet slots. When he realized that no one was there, he quickly pulled his phone out of his pocket. When he pressed the call button, a picture of Sarah, which had been stored on his phone, appeared on the phone screen. She had an expression that looked a little too greedy with her eye slightly raised. There were a few beeps, and the other party answered the phone. ¡°What?¡± Over the phone, he heard the voice of Sarah, Ojae¡¯s lover. ¡°This is a jackpot case. The jackpot.¡± Ojae spoke in a thoroughly excited voice. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Sarah asked, smugly, seemingly uninterested. ¡°Well, Gyeonhui said, he feels the pain of his broken lover.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Ojae took a deep breath, cleared his mind, and continued to speak. ¡°Do you know Sun? I¡¯m talking about the girl who had been dating him for three years.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah, I remember her. What about her?¡± ¡°Well, Gyeonhui feels her pain.¡± ¡°Pain?¡± Sarah thought that this was absurd. As Ojae peeked at the mirror, he noticed a stray nose hair. ¡°So¡­ Okay. If you pull a nose hair, ouch! You¡­ and I feel the same pain.¡± Ojae was brushing off his nose and could not hear that someone was entering the bathroom. ¡°Really? Does that make sense?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why this is such a big deal. Even if it¡¯s real, it¡¯s a jackpot, and even if it is not, it¡¯s still a jackpot. Gyeonhui had been off lately. Feeling the same pain¡­.¡± ¡°Sharing? So does she feel his pain too? That doesn¡¯t sound great.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I know that he¡¯s being punished. He was always mean to every girl he met. He always put them into a corner. Then, when the girls left because of his behavior, he said, ¡®girls are all the same.''¡± Ojae mimicked Gyeonhui¡¯s voice. ¡°So, is this a real disease?¡± ¡°Huh? I don¡¯t know? Why?¡± ¡°If I get sick, I want you to feel the same thing.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°You should feel the pain that women feel, so you could appreciate what we go through. If you¡¯re sick, ask me to feel the pain too. I have to go. Talk to you later.¡± Sarah ended the conversation with her words abruptly. ¡°What is it?¡± Ojae looked at the phone, seemingly outraged. ¡°By the way, if this is a real disease, what am I supposed to do?¡± At one point, Ojae remembered Sarah suffering from menstrual cramps. Then Ojae remembered touching Gyeonhui¡¯s forehead. ¡°Oh, my hand. No, no way!¡± Ojae began to wash his hands frantically with the liquid soap in the corner. He was still freaking out about it, so he washed his face too. ¡®Bang!¡¯ Then, Ojae heard someone kicking the bathroom door. ¡°Oh, my! Ojae turned his head without opening his eyes properly because of the soap on his face, but Ojae couldn¡¯t see Gyeonhui clearly. Gyeonhui¡¯s eyes were directed at Ojae through the bubbles. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯re a man of few words?¡± Gyeonhui¡¯s voice sank coolly. ¡°Gyeonhui¡­¡± ¡°Did you say Gyeonhui?¡± ¡°No, I mean, Mr. President¡­¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m the CEO, and you are my assistant. The assistant is supposed to listen to their boss.¡± ¡°Sure. Hehehe.¡± ¡°Pack your stuff.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Pack your stuff and get out of my company!¡± Gyeonhui left the bathroom with a cold expression. ¡°Oh, what a big mouth! No way, Mr. President!¡± Ojae hurried to lie after him, failing to clean the bubbles on his face properly. Consencio¡¯s office. Ojae folded his hands politely, and with a nervous face, he looked at Gyeonhui¡¯s expression. ¡°I regret that I haven¡¯t been good enough to fulfill my role as your assistant, and I will try to work harder in the future. Is this your resignation letter?¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s not a resignation, it¡¯s a letter of apology. I¡¯m examining myself a lot. Please forgive me just this once, please?¡± Ojae pathetically rubbed his hands together to evoke as much pity as possible. ¡°You¡¯re useless. You¡¯re not helping me here at all. Moreover, you don¡¯t even trust me.¡± Gyeonhui threw the piece of paper at him and replied disgustedly. ¡°No. I trust you two hundred percent. I mean it.¡± ¡°Oh, is that why you talked about me in that way with Sarah?¡± ¡°Oh, that was just a joke. Hehe. Who would believe your story? Heh.¡± Ojae smiled and tried to change the mood. Still, the cold-hearted expression on Gyeonhui¡¯s face made his nervous laughter disappear. ¡°I really can¡¯t find a reason to have you here in this company.¡± This time, Gyeonhui seemed to have made a firm decision. ¡°Get out before I call security.¡± Gyeonhui moved his gaze to the papers and said this to him without looking at Ojae. ¡°You have a schedule to meet at the stores today. Don¡¯t you think I need to go with you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need you.¡± ¡°¡­ Okay.¡± Ojae opened the door in silence. When Gyeonhui heard the sound of the door closing, Gyeonhui stood up from his seat, frowning. Wearing a jacket to go out, Gyeonhui tapped his back as if he had back pain. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it either.¡± With a long sigh, Gyeonhui walked out of the office with displeasure on his face. *** At a bus stop near the port. ¡°Thank you.¡± Sun sat right in front of the very back seat on the bus. She had to make a long bus trip to get to Seoul. Sun looked relaxed and moved her gaze out the car window. It was dusk over the horizon, all shrouded in red. She tried to plug earphones into her ears, but she heard a young voice. ¡°Here it is, Honey. Put this on.¡± When she turned her head, she noticed a couple preparing to get off the bus. A man who looked like a college student took off his coat and put it over the woman¡¯s shoulder. They naturally held each other¡¯s hands in comfortable silence. As she looked at both of them with a smile, she suddenly remembered the old days. *** Sun scrambled through the meeting room with a nervous face. The dark circles under her eyes had been growing for a long time. When she looked inside on her tiptoes, Gyeonhui was examining the design with no sign of emotion. ¡®Can I show you my results?¡¯ She responded with a thesis, but the process of proving it was not smooth. It was already her thirty-second attempt. ¡°Why did I say that¡­¡± Someone said it was too late for regret. After a moment of contemplation, Sun soon opened the door. After seeing her, Gyeonhui moved his eyes to the design again. It was a short moment, but she could read his eyes flawlessly. Sun shut her mouth and approached him and put the design in front of him. ¡°Her name is Croc.¡± Croc¡¯s eyes were charismatic, but they were somehow cute crocodile dolls. ¡°It¡¯s a crocodile that makes a lion tremble, but he opens his mouth to a little bird to help him. I think that¡¯s going to be the concept for Consencio, which is emerging as a strong leader in the retail industry. Work strongly, but be friendly to customers.¡± Without answering, Gyeonhui examined the character¡¯s appearance and image slowly and meticulously. His sharp eyes scanned the dolls. Sun looked as if she was being tested, swallowing her saliva. ¡°¡­ Not bad.¡± He smiled as he spoke. ¡°Really? Wow¡­! I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so excited.¡± Sun soon closed her mouth, seemingly conscious of Gyeonhui. However, she couldn¡¯t resist the constant bursting of her smile. ¡°What¡¯s so exciting?¡± ¡°You smiled for the first time, so¡­¡± ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t smile.¡± ¡°No? Oh, okay.¡± She really didn¡¯t mean anything special about it, but as the conversation flowed strangely, Sun quickly switched the topic. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t mean much. I¡¯ll bring the modified design back. Sun reached out to pick the design. At that moment, Gyeonhui reached out and covered her hand. She looked up at him with her eyes wide open. He looked at her still and slowly opened his mouth. ¡°Have you eaten anything?¡± She looked at him with surprise since he had never asked such a private question before. ¡°No, not yet¡­¡± ¡°Would you like to eat something? Let¡¯s eat something. Together.¡± His voice, which seemed indifferent and heavy, felt strange. Because of his eyes, Sun had to bow her head down unknowingly. His hands covered her hands. Even at that unrealistic moment, Sun thought his hands were so gorgeous. *** When Sun woke up, the couple had already been dropped off. Sun turned her head with a bitter expression and looked out of the window. ¡°Why do I only remember the good memories of us after we broke up?¡± As she sighed for a long time, Sun¡¯s cell phone rang. It was Ari. ¡°¡­ Why are you calling me when I¡¯m having such a bad day?¡± Sun answered the phone happily. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel good today? Anyway, where are you now? Are you not coming back to Seoul today?¡± Ari¡¯s voice seemed urgent. ¡°No, I think the bus is almost to Seoul. Why? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Today is the day I have to collect the money from Mr. Choi. I totally forgot. Mr. Choi went to another meeting, and I couldn¡¯t get a hold of him. If I don¡¯t go to him on time, He won¡¯t not pay us until next month.¡± Ari spoke as if he was about to cry. Sun, who knows Mr. Choi¡¯s personality better than anyone else, could understand how Ari felt. ¡°What time is the appointment?¡± ¡°Thirty minutes from now.¡± After confirming the time, Sun nodded slowly. ¡°I think I can be there if I rush.¡± ¡°Phew. Thank you. I owe you a big one.¡± ¡°Dducktuisun?¡± The word for a set of rice cake snacks, tempura, and soondae, a Korean sausage. ¡°Is it going to be enough? I¡¯ll also buy you a fish cake too!¡± ¡°Where¡¯s this coming from? That¡¯s great, anyway. I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± When she hung up the phone, Sun smiled and quickened her steps. To stop Mr. Choi, she had to arrive at the store as soon as possible. Chapter 10 At the Funny Box store. ¡°Hey, correct this area again here.¡± Mr. Choi talked to the employees impolitely. ¡°Oh, I see. Are you smiling because you get paid for slacking off? Aren¡¯t you working?¡± In his irritating tone, the staff sighed and moved reluctantly. ¡°Boss, it¡¯s been a long while since I¡¯ve seen you. You look well.¡± Sun greeted Choi cheerfully and approached. However, Mr. Choi pretended he had not seen her, and tried to turn the other way. ¡°Mr. Choi! Mr. Choi! Sun turned several times to chase Mr.Choi. ¡°I really don¡¯t have time today. I¡¯m busy.¡± ¡°Only one minute! I just need to receive payment from you.¡± ¡°Oh, really. I was glad not to see you for a while. Why did you show up again?¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t do that. I heard that my bear dolls had been sold a lot.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not because you did something great here. It¡¯s because my store is located in a great spot in town.¡± Mr. Choi shouted at her in anger. ¡°Oh, yes. No doubt, so I¡¯m asking you to do the same again. Will you keep receiving our product? ¡°Oh, no. No more.¡± ¡°I even planned a trip for you. ¡°I don¡¯t even remember when it was, and are you taking credit yourself now? ¡°It¡¯s not like that. I¡¯m just saying it¡¯s great to help each other. That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°You are crazy.¡± Mr. Choi stopped walking as if he had given up on the efforts of Sun, who never gave up on him and treated him well. ¡°I send you payment because you wear me down. My business isn¡¯t doing great either.¡± Mr. Choi grumbled, pulling out his phone and opening an internet banking app. At that time, an employee rushed to Mr. Choi. ¡°Mr. Choi. The men¡¯s toilet is clogged.¡± ¡°What? I told you don¡¯t put any toilet paper in the toilet, so who put it in again!? We are expecting a special guest today!¡± Annoyed, Mr. Choi turned off the app and rushed to the management office. Sun, who was watching from the side, bit her lower lip. ¡°Now, why don¡¯t these guys ever answer the phone?¡± Sun rarely made him pay her, but the situation was worsening. ¡°Mr. Choi, how about the payment?¡± Sun carefully called Mr. Choi, and he looked at her with annoyance. ¡°Hey, Sun, do you know how to plunge a toilet?¡± Mr.Choi insinuated. ¡°Yes? I¡¯ve done it at home a few times¡­¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s great. Can you solve that for me? A special customer is supposed to come today from our headquarters.¡± Considering what he just said to her, he was asking her to clean the man¡¯s toilet. Sun was panicking and could not answer only to slap her mouth. ¡°If you hate it, then that¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just call a plumber. Oh, what are you doing? Don¡¯t get in the way.¡± Mr. Choi¡¯s expression changed again. ¡°Oh, No. I can do it. I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°No. Forget it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it now. Where¡¯s the restroom?¡± Sun smiled and asked. ¡°Over there behind me.¡± She hurried her steps, fearing that Mr. Choi would change his mind. As she entered the bathroom, Choi looked satisfied as he checked the time on his luxury wristwatch. ¡°But when will he come?¡± Mr. Choi looked at the doorway as if he was waiting for someone. *** ¡°Ugh.¡± Sun pushed down the toilet plunger with disgust. However, rather than going down, only the putrid smell came up. ¡°Ha. The toilet is not flushing; the smell is penetrating.¡± Son tried to hold her breath by blocking her nose with her shirt, but it was no use. ¡°What do I do now?¡± It was an embarrassing situation. ¡°What¡­ what the hell?¡± Some men that came in to use the bathroom screamed upon seeing Sun. It didn¡¯t seem normal for a young woman to fix the men¡¯s restroom. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m plunging the toilet.¡± It was embarrassing, but Son didn¡¯t show it as she spoke. ¡°Oh, the smell.¡± The men were surprised to see a young woman in the men¡¯s bathroom, and they hurried away due to the terrible smell. ¡°Ewww.¡± She rolled up the tissue and blocked her nose, and she couldn¡¯t breathe even for a little bit. ¡°Now, let¡¯s finish it all at once.¡± She seemed determined to pump the plunger into the toilet. ¡®Glug, glug¡¯ The smell rose up as she watched the disgusting heap move about; it was hard to stomach. ¡°Ahhhhhh!.¡± She continued pumping, squeezing to the last of her power. However, it was too complicated, and at that moment, she slipped on the wet tiled floor. ¡°Ugh¡± She was able to turn around but didn¡¯t manage to balance herself and fell forward. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± As she leaned down and let out a sigh of defeat, a strange shadow approached her. Sun thought someone had entered again, so she tried to stand up by pushing her hands on the floor. ¡°Oh my.¡± When she fell, her palms slammed roughly to the floor. ¡°Excuse me. I¡¯m cleaning the bathroom right now, so can you please use it a little later? I¡¯m so sorry.¡± She spoke kindly, but the other party was speechless. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Look at you.¡± The cold tone of that voice cut her words. Upon hearing the familiar voice, she stopped for a moment, slowly looking up. Luxury handmade shoes, luxury suit that wrapped around long legs, neat jacket, and handkerchief. Sun¡¯s careful, upward gaze passed through a sharp jawline to his eyes. ¡°Gyeon¡­ Gyeonhui.¡± When she identified him, her eyes shook violently. He looked at her hand while touching the floor. The rubber gloves she wore to clean the mess were loose. ¡°Excuse me. I¡¯m cleaning the bathroom right now, so can you please use it a little later? I¡¯m so sorry.¡± It was her voice. He knew it without looking at her face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Look at you.¡± The voice was familiar. Sun lifted her head slowly. ¡°Gyeon¡­ Gyeonhui.¡± Her eyes were filled with shock and pain. She quickly rose to the floor along with her hands. The throbbing pain that she felt was passed onto his wrist. ¡°What are you doing?¡± She pretended to be innocent and looked at him. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯d like to ask.¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m helping out Mr. Choi.¡± Sun hid her hands behind him, unable to see him. He looked at her still and slowly opened his mouth. ¡°This suits you.¡± His words struck her chest like a sharp dagger. He knew for sure that his words had hurt her. She left the bathroom. When Mr.Choi saw Gyeonhui from the bathroom, he approached him. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Mr. Woo. The toilet has broken¡­¡± ¡°¡­ She¡­ what is she doing here?¡± He asked in a careless tone. ¡°Oh, she is our supplier, and she begs us to take her products. The toilet broke down, and she said she was going to fix it.¡± Mr. Choi responded by turning his words to his advantage as much as possible. ¡°Shoot.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± Mr.Choi asked, but Gyeonhui had left the store without answering. He couldn¡¯t tell what he would do if he stayed there longer. *** ¡°Huahh¡± Son left alone and sighed for a long time. When she pushed the toilet lever, the water went down smoothly as if it hadn¡¯t been blocked. ¡°¡­ It should have happened a little earlier.¡± Son sat down, muttering bitterly to herself before heading to the sink. She took off her rubber gloves and turned the water on. Her eyes were reflected as she washed her hands. Her eyes were blank with shattered hair. ¡®This suits you.¡¯ His cold voice hovered in her ear. She shut her mouth tight and patted her chest with her hands. Her chest, which seemed to be stuck, hardly settled. Her throat shook and tried to explode, but Sun pressed it down by clenching her teeth. She put her head down and washed her eyes with cold water, trying to keep the inflammation down. *** His car stopped with a roaring noise. His wrists were still throbbing, and he felt pain as if his chest was continually receiving a hit. ¡°Oh, why is this happening again¡­¡± The pain was so disturbing that he scowled. ¡°Is she hurting herself? What¡¯s going on?¡± He got out of his car after mumbling to himself, annoyed. ¡°Huh.¡± He let out a frustrated sigh into the air, but his mood didn¡¯t get any better. Standing back in his car, he noticed the sky lounge restaurant on the other side of the building. A few years ago, it was the restaurant where he went with Sun. Suddenly, he recalled her face while she was looking at him during their whole stay at dinner. *** As she sliced the steak, she looked at his face frequently. ¡°Why do you look at me that way?¡± He asked while he was putting the food in his mouth. ¡°I have a question.¡± ¡°A question?¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know your name, your title, or your age. Amazingly, I¡¯ve worked with you for a few weeks now without knowing anything about you.¡± With Sun¡¯s words, Gyeonhui smiled. ¡°Go ahead. Ask me.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ It might be an intrusion to ask you something like this.¡± Sun spoke cautiously. ¡°What is your exact position at this company?¡± ¡°Position?¡± He looked at her frowning. ¡°Why do you want to know my position?¡± ¡°No, just¡­¡± ¡°You are excused.¡± He put a mouthful of his food in his mouth without answering. It seemed like her questions had offended him somehow as he scowled. ¡°Well, what¡¯s your salary then? In her subsequent questioning, he put down his fork. ¡®This woman is no different than¡­¡¯ Chewing the salad, he quickly started talking with a smile. He thought that it would be better to cut her off and be honest. ¡°My salary is this¡­¡± He tried to say that it was $200,000.00 before he became the president. ¡°Twenty thousand dollars?¡± She opened her eyes with surprise. He calmly looked at her again, scowling. ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous¡­¡± Looking at her disappointed expression, Gyeonhui smiled bitterly. Picking up a napkin, he wiped his mouth. He totally lost his appetite. He tried to put down the napkin and just get up from his seat, but she started speaking once more. ¡°Stop working for that company. Come to our company instead.¡± ¡°Why would I do that?¡± At that moment, Gyeonhui didn¡¯t understand her at all as she looked at her. ¡°I can get you a better salary if you¡¯re getting paid around 20K now. I have the power to do so.¡± He couldn¡¯t say anything as if everything were outrageous. ¡°I know because I have the experience, and I know you¡¯re going to be an impressive businessman. You¡¯re very creative and good at solving problems. You¡¯re also very driven. Well, of course, there¡¯s not enough teamwork, though.¡± Sun smiled and spoke cautiously in order not to offend him. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous to only pay twenty thousand a year for such talent. How can that be? Think about it.¡± ¡°¡­ Is that why you asked my salary?¡± ¡°Oh, yes, I¡¯m sorry for being so direct. However, if you were to take the job, I needed to know your salary. I just can¡¯t do that to a person who gets paid millions. I don¡¯t even get paid that much.¡± She smiled nicely. ¡®This girl¡­ What is it with her?¡¯ She was the type of woman that he had never met in his life. ¡°It¡¯s just a suggestion, think about it.¡± She reached out her white, thin hand, which seemed to break as he held it firmly. He looked at her hand, calmly. *** In front of a convenience store in the neighborhood. Sun looked at her hand and carefully repeated while clenching and opening it. It was throbbing, but luckily, it didn¡¯t hurt much. With the sound of the doorbell, Eunyoung came out of the convenience store. ¡°Let¡¯s take a look.¡± Eunyoung sat and pulled Son¡¯s hand with a happy face. Eunyoung carefully applied the pain-relieving patch that she just bought for Sun to mend her swollen wrist. ¡°So why did you come?¡± ¡°You had a meeting today, and when I don¡¯t have a boss, I¡¯m the boss. ¡°Aww, geez. You know nothing, and you still smile.¡± ¡°So, do you want me to cry then?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather cry, but why do you smile and laugh all the time?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Forget it. If you listened to me, you wouldn¡¯t have gone there.¡± Eunyoung sighed and shook her head. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a big deal.¡± ¡°Cleaning their toilet wasn¡¯t a big deal? What kind of person is he?¡± Sun told the story of what she did in the restroom, except the part about Gyeonhui. Although she hid it from Eunyoung, it¡¯s just a matter of time before it reached Eunyoung¡¯s ears. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since Mr. Choi did something like that to me.¡± Sun pretended to be casual and tried to pick up a can of beer. ¡°Oh¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t hide the pain in her wrist, so Eunyoung opened it for her. ¡°You¡¯re crazy. I¡¯m frustrated because of you.¡± Eunyoung quaffed her canned beer. ¡°Huh? Is there a veterinary clinic that opened recently?¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Over there.¡± Sun saw Eunyoung¡¯s finger and looked out of the building. ¡°Blue Rose Veterinary Hospital?¡± A new veterinary clinic entered the neighborhood a few months ago. Chapter 11 ¡°Is that a good place to start a business?¡± ¡°You worry too much about things, girl.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Eunyoung burst into tears as she watched Sun smiling in vain. ¡°Would you like to drink until we blackout?¡± ¡°Argh. No one waits for me at home; let¡¯s eat like there¡¯s no tomorrow. There¡¯s no turning back.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do this! Cheers!!¡± Sun picked up the beer as she said it. The beer was strong, and the alcohol stung her throat. ¡®This suits you.¡¯ His voice, his tone, his expression, it was all perfectly imprinted on her mind. Today was the night where she wanted to get drunk. Her eyes welled up as she closed them, and the tears were ready to fall. *** The next morning. Ready to go to work, Gyeonhui came down to the living room. Ojae had been waiting in advance and rose from his seat. ¡°You¡¯re awake, Mr. President.¡± Ojae greeted him at a non-threatening angle, but Gyeonhui¡¯s face did not change. ¡°Who are you, and what are you doing here?¡± As if he was an unknown person. ¡°Oh, hey¡­ just let me off the hook, please. I was really wrong.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve done it several times.¡± Gyeonhui looked in the mirror, straightened his clothes, and spoke in a resolute tone. ¡°Only once for the last time, please.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Suddenly, Gyeonhui¡¯s face hardened as he became annoyed. ¡°Oh my¡­¡± He frowned because of the headache he suddenly felt. ¡°¡­ What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ojae, standing in his sight, asked carefully. ¡°Be quiet, my head¡¯s about to break.¡± Gyeonhui pressed his temples with one hand, but the pain wasn¡¯t getting any better. At the same time, his stomach was in pain, and he felt very uncomfortable. ¡°My stomach doesn¡¯t feel good¡­¡± ¡°Your stomach, too?¡± Gyeonhui didn¡¯t answer, and he pressed his head while seated on the bed. ¡°Prepare the car.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I said, prepare the car.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Ojae hurried to the parking lot. Gyeonhui struggled to follow him frowning. *** Dr. Seo¡¯s office. ¡°Hmm.¡± Dr. Seo, who was checking over Gyeonhui, breathed a shallow sigh. ¡°What seems to be the problem?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to know.¡± Gyeonhui answered Dr. Seo¡¯s question while swaying. ¡°I feel squirming and cracking in my head.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± He looked at Dr. Seo nervously. ¡°Is it a serious disease?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­.¡± Dr. Seo paused for a moment and opened his mouth again. ¡°I think this is a hangover.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Yesterday, did you not drink?¡± ¡°Ahhh. I didn¡¯t even take a sip of beer.¡± He responded with a sigh of frustration. ¡°It¡¯s weird. It¡¯s definitely a hangover.¡± ¡°Would I have come to the hospital for a hangover? My time is gold.¡± Dr. Seo shook his head as if he could not find any other cause. ¡°There¡¯s a pain center in the human body. It¡¯s literally a sensory organ that feels pain. This is necessary because we protect ourselves when there is a strong violation entering our body, such as injury or inflammation.¡± Dr. Seo¡¯s explanation sounded like a lecture, and it made Gyeonhui frown. ¡°There are two to four million pain receptors in the body, but the degree in which we feel pain differed from person to person. Some people feel a great deal of pain even in small matters, while others don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Do you mean that I¡¯m exaggerating the pain now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean¡­¡± ¡°Forget it.¡± He rose up from his seat, scowling. ¡°Huh.¡± As he left the room, he huffed in frustration. His head was still splitting, and his stomach was sore and painful. ¡°Hangover? What a quack.¡± He shook his head, but an idea swept his head at one point. ¡°No way¡­ Cheonson?¡± An ominous energy struck his body. In the late afternoon at a residential area. Sun was struggling to hold the snacks in her hand. ¡°Eh.¡± She rubbed her stomach and exhaled for a long time. The day before, a terrible hangover plagued her all day long because of her excessive drinking with Eunyoung. ¡°By the way, it¡¯s somewhere near here¡­¡± She followed the mobile phone navigation guide near the destination and looked around. Then, she noticed a small sign beside the three-story house. ¡®Kids Fan.¡¯ After confirming the familiar sign, Sun rushed to step forward. ¡°Basement?¡± A little surprised, Sun slowly descended the stairs and looked inside. In the small basement office, Eunyoung and Ari were busy cleaning up their packages. ¡°Ta-da! I¡¯m here!¡± Sun shouted with a smile. ¡°Wow! Hey, you!!¡± Ari ran to see Sun, and she grabbed the bag in her hand. The snacks in her hands seemed more welcoming than Sun. ¡°Pan-fried rice cake, and Soondae. What, no fried squid?¡± ¡°Is fried squid more important than me?¡± ¡°No, but fried squid is the best snack. Are you offended?¡± Ari asked in a loving voice. ¡°Go away.¡± Sun pushed Ari away, pretending to be offended. ¡°Why did you come? I told you to return to work next week.¡± Eunyoung looked at her and asked. ¡°I wanted to do something before my skill disappeared.¡± ¡°Do you even have the skills to lose?¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Eunyoung¡¯s joke struck Sun. ¡°Is your stomach okay? I drank a lot yesterday.¡± ¡°I feel like I¡¯m dying. If I drink again in the future, just shoot me.¡± Son shook her head. ¡°Wow! Delicious. The liver always tastes the best.¡± Then Ari started eating the soondae while exclaiming at every piece she put in her mouth. Son smiled since Ari looked so cute, and she turned her attention to Eunyoung. ¡°Hey, have some too.¡± ¡°How about you?¡± ¡°I have this.¡± Son pulled some chocolates and candies out of her pocket. ¡°It¡¯s not over yet?¡± ¡°It¡¯s almost over.¡± ¡°It¡¯s amazing. You usually don¡¯t even eat anything sweet.¡± Eunyoung smiled in shock. ¡°I agree. I don¡¯t know why.¡± Sun said while eating a piece of chocolate. ¡°Go home after you play here today. If you overdo yourself, you¡¯re the only one who loses. Okay?.¡± ¡°Yep!¡± With Son¡¯s over-enthusiastic answer, Eunyoung looked at Ari with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll meet Mr. Choi to come to an agreement. You should go home right away after that. When it¡¯s time, you may both go home, and you, Ari, don¡¯t say anything useless. Okay?¡± ¡°¡­ Okay.¡± Ari answered with a glance at Son¡¯s eyes. Eunyoung said earnestly again and went outside with her coat. When Ari heard the door closing, she looked at Sun. ¡°I didn¡¯t even hear about your travels because I was so busy. Did you clear your mind? Did anything happen?¡± ¡°¡­ Sure thing. Now it¡¯s all sorted out.¡± Sun said, but the afterglow of the moment unwittingly weighed down her heart. ¡°I¡¯m glad. We were worried about you.¡± Unaware of the meaning of the afterglow, Ari put a piece of Soondae in her mouth. ¡°Thank you, and I¡¯m sorry, both of you.¡± ¡°Why do you appreciate and feel sorry for us?¡± ¡°Thank you for worrying about me, and I¡¯m sorry that I made you worry.¡± Ari pouted her lips out at Sun¡¯s warm smile. ¡°Oh, but why did you move out all of a sudden?¡± Sun looked inside of the office and asked. The office was much smaller now than it used to be, and the location had never been worse. ¡°¡­ You don¡¯t need to know, but it happened.¡± ¡°What do you mean that I don¡¯t need to know?¡± ¡°Ha. I can¡¯t tell you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s up? What happened?¡± ¡°Well¡­ the boss told me not to say anything useless. Ha.¡± Ari hesitated to speak, seemingly distressed. When Sun saw Ari¡¯s further hesitation, Sun became anxious. ¡°¡­ What? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Actually¡­¡± Ari bit her lower lip slightly, seemingly determined. ¡°He came here, actually.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°¡­ The Consencio.¡± Ari reluctantly answered. ¡°You mean Gyeonhui came here?¡± Ari nodded slowly, shocked at Sun¡¯s question. Sun¡¯s eyes shook violently. ¡°¡­ Tell me more about it.¡± She asked again with a firm expression. ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t talk about it¡­ but I have to tell you something.¡± Ari opened her mouth slowly but was embarrassed. Sun¡¯s expression gradually darkened as she listened to the story. *** In front of the Consensusio CEO¡¯s Office. ¡°It¡¯s crazy¡­¡± Ojae clutched his head and stood at the door. Ojae was getting more frustrated because he knew Gyeonhui¡¯s stubborn personality could not be beaten once his mind was set. ¡°Isn¡¯t there any way to solve this?¡± Ojae bit his lower lip firmly. While Ojae was thinking, he remembered Sarah¡¯s words. ¡®Share? So the man feels the same pain as the woman? That¡¯s not great.¡¯ ¡®¡­ This is it!¡¯ Ojae perked up. ¡®Knock, knock.¡¯ Ojae knocked, opened the door, and went inside. ¡°What is it?¡± As Gyeonhui checked the documents, he looked up and asked something. ¡°I found the reason why you have to keep me beside you.¡± Ojae cried out in a hurry. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Gyeonhui asked with no expectations. It could be Ojae¡¯s last opportunity to convince Gyeonhui, so he tried to breathe and speak as calmly as possible. ¡°You¡¯re feeling the pain of Sun now.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know the exact range of that pain yet. And your pain may also be felt by herShe might also be feeling your pain.¡± ¡°¡­Maybe¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you need someone to figure it out and verify?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± He looked at Ojae with his arms crossed. ¡°Yes, it might be embarrassing to go out on your own, or find a new assistant because not many people believe in the possibility of sharing someone¡¯s pain.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And if this fact leaks out, then it could be a big blow as the CEO. Wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Ojae, who was pouring out his words like quick-sandpaper, carefully glanced at Gyeonhui. He nodded and slowly cleared up the situation. According to him, he still had some worth. ¡°Good. I¡¯ll take it as an apology.¡± Gyeonhui kept his resignation letter in a drawer, which had become a letter of apology. The drawer was packed with documents and writing supplies as if he played a block-building game. ¡°Ha¡­ thank you. I mean it.¡± Ojae sat on the couch as if he couldn¡¯t walk straight with his legs. ¡°What are you gonna do then?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°You said that you¡¯re going to find the cause of my symptoms?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ but, now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still crying here. I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on with me. Have you changed your mind in the meantime?¡± He opened the drawer again, pulled out the letter, and gestured in an attempt to tear the document with both his hands. ¡°Oh, no. Oh no. Hahaha. I¡¯m leaving now. Hahaha.¡± Ojae quickly rose up and left the CEO¡¯s office. ¡°Ahh.¡± Gyeonhui sighed. Ojae had a point. He felt her pain, but he didn¡¯t know if she felt his pain too. He looked down at his palms. ¡°What the hell is going on in my body, sheesh.¡± His deep sigh swelled again in the air. Then his cell phone, which had been placed on the table, began to ring. It was a cell phone that never rung since no one was in touch with him. He reached out and picked up his phone. The name ¡®woman #16¡¯ in his phone¡¯s contacts appeared on the screen. *** The caf¨¦ in a residential area was still open in the evening. Sun was the only person in the caf¨¦. ¡®¡­ That¡¯s why I used to visit here often.¡¯ Sun smiled bitterly as she glanced through what lied within the caf¨¦. The simple interior was not exceptional, and there were only a few people on the tables. An elderly man was sleeping even though there were guests. There was nothing much to see inside the cafe, but it was a special place for her. It was a special place because she had always been with him. ¡°Ha¡­¡± A long sigh leaked from Sun¡¯s mouth as she gazed at the coffee that had already cooled down. What I had heard from Ari was just as shocking. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that he canceled the acquisition of our business.¡± Entering Consenscio was her biggest hope, and it was the result of her ability as a designer at a small company, Kids Fan. However, because of her, everything had gone down to drain. ¡®Ring, ring.¡¯ The doorbell rang, and the door opened. Then a cold breeze swept through the caf¨¦. Suddenly her mouth dried, and her heart began to run uneasily. ¡®Boom, boom.¡¯ The sound of footsteps approached her. The sound of a long stride struck the floor, and she knew that he had come without even looking up at him. The chilly air swept past her side, and he sat across her. ¡°Yesterday was such a memorable reunion. Wasn¡¯t it?¡± His words reminded her of what happened yesterday, which was something that she would rather forget.¡± ¡°It was unintentional.¡± She tried to speak as calmly as she could. Chapter 12 ¡°Why did you contact me? Do you want to come back?¡± He smiled and asked. ¡°¡­ That¡¯s not why I contacted you.¡± Sun responded in an assertive tone, pretending to be as casual as possible. ¡®I can¡­ I can do this.¡¯ In fact, she had to make numerous commitments to say a word to him. He slowly leaned down and approached her. He reached out, raised her chin a little, and looked into her eyes. She had to divert her gaze and avoid it. She had to take his hand away from her. However, upon feeling his natural touch, she had no choice but to look at him. ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡± He spoke with confidence. ¡°I know when I look at your eyes how anxious you are now. I know everything about you.¡± He spoke as he drew his face closer. His nose was close enough to touch her nose. His slow exhalation tickled her lips. ¡®I hid from him as much as I could¡­¡¯ Sun was dizzy for a moment. His lips approached hers. She had to avoid it, but she closed her eyes unwittingly. ¡°If you want to come back to me, then ask for forgiveness. Who knows, I just might forgive you.¡± That was when she heard his icy voice. She raised her eyes and looked at him. A predator¡¯s smile hung on his face. This smile reminded her of the day she broke up with him three months ago. She recalled his sneers and how his back turned away from her coldly. That was the only time Sun could turn her head away from him. As she turned her head to avoid him, his widened. ¡°Don¡¯t be mistaken, the person I need to see today is the CEO of Consencio, not Gyeonhui Woo.¡± ¡°Mistaken?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard the story. You¡¯ve canceled the business with ¡®Kids Fan.¡± ¡°Kids Fan? Oh¡­ was it ¡®Kids Fan¡¯?¡± It seemed that he hadn¡¯t remembered it at all. Sun felt worse after hearing this. He didn¡¯t even know the name of Sun¡¯s company, despite being his lover for two years. ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s cruel?¡± Sun seemed determined to use the strongest expression she could. ¡°Cruel?¡± He scowled. ¡°I hope that no one else will be harmed because of us, can¡¯t I at least ask that of you?¡± As if she were no longer going back, Sun looked straight into his eyes as she said those words. ¡°Hey, It¡¯s funny.¡± He looked down at her by slightly lifting his chin while slowly opening his mouth. ¡°Who said that they have been harmed because of us.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Hey, Choensun. Do you really think that you are worthy of me?¡± Her eyes shook upon hearing these words. She felt like the castle she had been trying to build up fell apart at once. ¡°Well¡­¡± Sun could not speak easily because of the shock. As he looked at her, he sneered. ¡°If you¡¯re a competitive company, then we¡¯ll run ahead and get you in. I don¡¯t even remember the name of your company. I think the plan of doing business with us had been canceled not because of the two of us but because your company isn¡¯t competitive enough.¡± He looked straight into Sun¡¯s eyes continued. ¡°If it¡¯s not worthy, then it would obviously go down with everyone involved. Just like you.¡± Upon hearing his mean words, her eyes became empty. He opened his mouth while looking down at Sun. ¡°Make no mistake! You¡¯re the one confused.¡± With his last words, Gyeonhui left the caf¨¦. ¡°¡­¡± Shocked Son was still looking at the table, losing focus. ¡®Tuduk, tukdu.¡¯ Raindrops began to hit the windows. *** After leaving the parking lot, Gyeonhui was walking up the steps of the porch with an umbrella. ¡°Mistaken? Cruel? Ha.¡± ¡®How dare you say that to me.¡¯ It was outrageous for him to think about it again. Clearly, he could feel the fear in her shaking eyes. They were the same eyes she had three months ago. Eyes that were afraid of being forsaken. However, her reaction differed this time. If he asked her to wait, she waited, and when he called her to come, she came. However, this time, she didn¡¯t act accordingly. ¡°She¡¯s crazy. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s is.¡± He frowned and stepped forward again. Then, with the sound of thunder, he felt a sudden pain in his chest. ¡°Ugh.¡± In unbearable pain, he dropped his umbrella. ¡®Shuuuu¡¯ The rain then made his body wet. He clutched his chest and breathed painfully. ¡°Ah, argh¡­ What the hell is this.¡± Maybe it¡¯s because of the pain. He had bloodshot eyes because of the pain. ¡®Is it my pain? Or hers.¡¯ He was confused about who was really suffering. ¡°What the hell¡­ What the hell are you doing, Sun? I¡¯m so sick. Agh¡­¡± He was forced to suffer without knowing the reason. *** Sun looked out the window blankly. The rain streamed upon the caf¨¦¡¯s windows. ¡®If it¡¯s not worthy, then it would obviously go down with everyone involved. Just like you.¡¯ His cold voice continued to hover in her ears. ¡®Make no mistake! You¡¯re the one confused.¡± He was right. It was her own delusion. The meaning behind the three years they spent together was only her own delusion. She nodded slowly. She tried to accept the truth many times. However, the pain that spread over her chest consumed her. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Miss. It¡¯s time for us to close.¡± She heard the voice of the friendly caf¨¦ grandfather and looked up at him. How long had it been? When she looked at her watch, it was almost 10 in the evening. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Son hurried while wearing her coat and rose from her seat. It was still raining outside. A reasonably thick rain soaked the street. ¡°It¡¯s me who wants to cry¡­¡± Looking up at the sky, she quickly walked into the middle of the rain. A cold stream of rain had made her head and shoulders wet. The cold rain had cooled her irritated, red eyes. As she walked in the rain, Sun pounded her chest with her fists. Every time she felt her sadness rising, she felt as if someone was squeezing her chest. It was the pain that always came when he hurt her. She punched her chest as she had always done so. She couldn¡¯t even say a word. *** She continued to walk, leading her substantial body in the rain. At the end of the shabby alley, she noticed her multi-family house. ¡°Agh.¡± Exhausted, she slowly stepped into the alleyway. Then, in the shadow of a dark alley, she could hear the cries of a small animal whining. SUn stopped, a little surprised by the strange sound. ¡®Hhhing, hing¡¯ She lowered her head and looked into the shadows, and she noticed a fruit box. The sound of crying was coming out of it. Sun slowly reached out and opened the lid of the box. Inside, a white dog that could fit on her hands trembled, terrified. ¡°Why is there a dog here¡­¡± She looked around, but there was no one about. Inside the box was a piece of rain-soaked paper. She reached her hand out and picked up the paper. ¡®Please somebody take care of it.¡¯ This briefly explained the overall situation. This dog¡¯s owner had abandoned it. Sun squatted and looked at the dog. ¡°¡­Why are you abandoned? You¡¯re so pretty.¡± The dog hid in the corner of the box with terrified eyes. The dog was still searching for someone. ¡°Your owner won¡¯t come, look at this, you¡¯ve been thrown away.¡± She grabbed a piece of paper and showed it to the dog. The dog obviously wouldn¡¯t know how to read, but she was so frustrated. The paper was wet in the rain, which made it almost impossible to read it. ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t think I should leave you here.¡± Son looked around again, but there was no one in the dark alley now that it was so late at night in the rain. She had never raised a pet before, so she didn¡¯t know what to do. Then, she saw a few drops of blood at the spot where the dog was left. The box, while she looked closely at it, was stained with blood. ¡°Hey you, are you injured?¡± Sun was shocked and unwittingly reached her hand out to the dog. The frightened dog barked at her as loudly as he could. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s for your own good, buddy. Just endure it for a second, okay?¡± Sun tried to reach out to him slowly to check the dog¡¯s wounds. The terrified puppy opened his mouth and bit Sun¡¯s finger. The dog¡¯s sudden reaction surprised Sun. However, the bite was not as painful as she had expected. Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked down at her fingers. Clean fingers without a single wound. ¡°Ruff, ruff.¡± The puppy continued barking and biting her fingers, but for her, it felt more like it was tickling her. At one point, when she saw the dog, she recalled her meeting with Gyeonhui. ¡°¡­ Do I look like you?¡± Sun thought that she could forget about him, but she realized that she could never do that. ¡°You can¡¯t even bite it hard¡­ You¡¯re not brave enough to bite.¡± Sun looked at the dog with sympathy. The puppy was just like her, and she was just like the dog. Sun reached out determinedly and stood up with the puppy in the box. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I can¡¯t leave you behind.¡± Her steps began to accelerate. *** At The Blue Rose Veterinary Hospital. Eunwoo, the director of the hospital, looked at a cat, who was recovering. ¡°It¡¯s almost all healed, buddy. I¡¯m glad.¡± Eunwoo smiled happily and stroked the sleeping cat. ¡°If someone looks at you while doing this, then they would think that you¡¯re the owner.¡± At that time, a robust and bossy voice resounded around them. It was the voice of a woman. Surprised, Eunwoo looked back, and he saw a nurse in her early 40s with a big and bountiful appearance. Oh, nurse Ko, have you not left yet?¡± ¡°How does the staff leave the office if the director doesn¡¯t go home?¡± She complained, but sho was smiling as she did so. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s taking so long to take a look at the kids.¡± Eunwoo scratched his head. ¡°That¡¯s great. It¡¯s not so easy to work with enthusiasm like you.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s great because they¡¯re so cute.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been two months since we opened this vet.¡± ¡°Has it already been two months? It went by so fast.¡± It had been two months since he returned to Korea and opened the veterinary hospital. ¡°Did you say that you were in the United States before?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Is this America too?¡± The nurse pointed to a picture of the cathedral on the wall and asked. ¡°It¡¯s Santa Maria in Spain.¡± ¡°Have you been to Spain?¡± ¡°Yes. I stopped by for a short time.¡± Eunwoo smiled, the memories of that time were coming back to his mind. ¡°But what is this? Is it a bird?¡± The nurse pointed to a small dot on the railing of the top tower and asked. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know,¡± he said. Eunwoo, who didn¡¯t notice it when he was taking a picture, shook his head. ¡°Oh, Mrs. Ko, you should go home soon. Your husband would yell at you.¡± ¡°Yelling? No. He would enjoy the time without me. Anyways, I¡¯m leaving now.¡± ¡®Ring, ring¡¯ When the nurse left, the doorbell chimed, and a secluded atmosphere permeated within the hospital. Eunwoo stood in front of the picture again and looked. ¡°What is it?¡± He looked at it, but it was so small that he couldn¡¯t recognize it. Curious, Eunwoo pulled his camera out of his bag and checked the photos he took on the trip. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s somewhere here.¡± After a series of photographs he took on the Basilica of Santa Maria, he finally found the images he had printed out. Eunwoo zoomed in on the camera to check the dot in the picture. As the photo zoomed in, the image gradually grew into a human form. The image, which grew as it approached, soon revealed a woman. ¡°Oh¡­¡± A woman¡¯s face came to his head. ¡®Ring, ring.¡¯ Then, with the loud sound of the door, a woman hurried inside. ¡°Excuse me, are you closed yet?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± When he saw the face of the desperate woman, he could not really say that he was about to close the door. ¡°Great. I¡¯m so glad.¡± The woman¡¯s face was familiar to him. She then placed a box on the medical table. Eunwoo alternately looked between the camera screen and her ¡®Oh¡­ the woman at that time¡­¡¯ Eunwoo quickly noticed that he had seen her at the Church of Santa Maria. However, when he saw that she was in a hurry, he didn¡¯t pretend to know her. ¡°Look at this puppy. I think his legs are injured.¡± Sun said, looking at the dog in the box. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s take a look. What¡¯s your name?¡± Eunwoo looked at the wounded puppy and asked. ¡°¡­Pardon? It¡¯s Cheonson.¡± Sun said her name, hesitantly. ¡°Sun, where are you hurt?¡± Eunwoo looked at the dog¡¯s legs as if he was having a conversation with it. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s my name¡­¡± ¡°Sorry? Oh¡­¡± Chapter 13 These two people who misunderstood each other smiled. ¡°So what¡¯s this puppy¡¯s name?¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not sure yet.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the owner of this puppy¡­ I think somebody has thrown him away.¡± She whispered in his ear that it was abandoned. The dog didn¡¯t understand, but she thought it was the right thing to do. ¡°Oh¡­ I get it.¡± A little surprised, Eun-woo looked at Son and took a look at the dog. ¡°Oh, I think he has been bitten by another dog. The swelling has increased and he is still actively bleeding.¡± Eun-woo, who returned with a serious look, hurried to diagnose the dog¡¯s condition. ¡°Is he going to be ok? Can he get better?¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad there¡¯s no problem with his bones. I think I should treat him right away because there could be a secondary infection.¡± Eun-woo carefully picked up the puppy and tried to move it to the operating room. Son was watching them, and felt sorry for him, unwittingly reached out and grabbed his clothes. A little surprised, Eun-woo turned his head and looked at her. ¡°¡­ By all means, please save him.¡± Desperately, her hands were filled with power as she grabbed his clothes. Eun-woo was still watching her and nodded slowly. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Eun-woo smiled at Son, carefully moved the puppy to the operating room. ¡°oong, oong.¡± The dog cried, terrified and stared at Son. The puppy might know that she was the only one that can be relied on? The dog didn¡¯t take his eyes off on Son until he entered the operating room. ¡°huagh¡± Son looked sad and watched the back of the puppy. A hospital room with devices, air conditioning fans, and oxygen input devices. The dog now was less anxious that it fell into a deep sleep inside the hospital room to recover. Son reached out, but she couldn¡¯t stroke him. ¡°Would you like to see this?¡± At that time, Eun-woo showed her an X-ray picture of the puppy and said, ¡°Fortunately, there are no problems with the joints, bones or the soles of the feet. I¡¯ve looked at blood levels and I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any infection.¡± Eun-woo looked at the photo and continued to explain it kindly, ¡°¡­ Can he walk again?¡± ¡°If he gets the treatment consistently.¡± Son had met Eun-woo for a short time, but she could see that his words were sincere. ¡°Dogs never bite me, just humans.¡± He said this in English with proficient pronunciation. She was a little surprised by the sudden English. ¡°Dogs never bite me, people bite. That¡¯s what Marilyn Monroe said.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°People hurt dogs, but the ones who get abandoned are these dogs. It¡¯s ironic.¡± Son slowly nodded to his bitter tone. She carefully asked again, as if something had come to her mind. ¡°Now, what happens next to this puppy?¡± ¡°First, he will be sent to a dog shelter and in there to wait for a new owner.¡± ¡°Do all the dogs find owners?¡± ¡°No, actually only twenty to thirty percent of the dogs meet their new owners.¡± ¡°¡­ What if this puppy doesn¡¯t meet his new owner?¡± ¡°If he doesn¡¯t meet anyone within ten days¡­¡± Eun-woo seemed sad, and couldn¡¯t¡¯ speak. Even without speaking, Son knew what it meant. ¡°Is he going to die? He did nothing wrong. He¡¯s just been abandoned.¡± The more she poured out her words, the more her emotions grew. Eun-woo looked at her silently. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± It wasn¡¯t something to say to Eun-woo. Son pulled herself together, and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m so grateful to see such affection in a world where everything is so easily dismissed nowadays.¡± He nodded his head looking down at the dog. The dog had just woken up from anesthesia, blinked his eyes and looked up at Son. Son squatted and glanced at the dog. Still terrified with darkened eyes, he seemed like he was having a hard time to breathe in fear. It was like seeing herself in front of him. ¡°Hueww¡± Son exhaled a long sigh. Looking at the dog, her heart started pounding, and her body began to ache. She couldn¡¯t send him away. Son opened her mouth slowly, and decided. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll take him.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± A little surprised, Eun-woo asked again, ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that. I¡¯ll see if I can find out¡­¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t need to.¡± Son looked up at Eun-woo and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take him with me. I want to do that.¡± Her eyes were filled with affectionate determination. Eun-woo, staring at her still, slowly bent his knees and made eye contact with the dog. ¡°Congratulations. You have a new owner.¡± Eun-woo gently stroked the puppy and said, ¡°Wait, I have to give him a name. Do you have any idea?¡± Eun-woo asked. ¡°Hm, the name¡­¡± She was embarrassed because she had never raised an animal before. ¡°Well, what about Labong?¡± Eun-woo, who had been struggling for a while, said, ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Look at this.¡± Eun-woo smiled and pointed to the hallabong fruit box. ¡°Oh¡­ Hallabong.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± Eun-woo scratched his head awkwardly. ¡°I like it, Labong.¡± Son fixed her gaze at Labong, and said with a light smile. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Hey, Labong. Now your name is Labong.¡± Son carefully called the name for the first time. Labong had just woken up from anesthesia, looked up at her, but his name still sounded unfamiliar. ¡°I¡¯m at your service, Labong.¡± Son gently stroked the weary Labong. And Eun-woo smiled and was looking at her with his eyes silently. *** Sitting on his desk in his room, Gyeonhui looked down at his chest with his arms crossed. The intense pain that plagued his chest until a while ago was now a little subdued. ¡°It¡¯s definitely not me¡­¡± He knew that his health was fine because he had of a lot of physical tests. ¡°Well, there¡¯s only then Cheonson¡­ does she have any heart problems?¡± A little while ago, the intensity of the pain seemed impossible without any abnormalities in the heart. ¡°Why? Is there a problem with her heart?¡± Sitting at a side table, Ojae asked as he was cleaning up the paperwork. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to find it out for me.¡± ¡°Right, I¡¯m sorry.¡± With his cold voice, Ojae quickly avoided his gaze. ¡°Let¡¯s go, if she has a heart problem, it means I¡¯m sick too. This is crazy.¡± He didn¡¯t even want to imagine that he could feel the heartache he felt a little while ago. The menstrual pain was already overwhelming him. ¡°Find her house and work.¡± ¡°Now? Didn¡¯t you ask me not to look for her last time?¡± ¡°Find her. Do I have to say it twice to make you understand?¡± ¡°Oh, no. I¡¯m leaving now.¡± Ojae hurried out of the room. ¡°If there¡¯s any problems in her heart. Huha.¡± It was terrible to think about. ¡°I have to do something. Something¡¯s got to give.¡± He frowned and bit his lower lip. *** As she towel-dried her hair, Son looked at the bag on the floor of the living room. ¡®I¡¯ll give you the supplies you need.¡¯ Eun-woo, the director of the animal hospital, packed most of the items for her. A cage, food, and a bowl. Son tried to pay for them, but he refused. ¡®Please take care of him well instead. He¡¯s a puppy with a lot of wounds.¡¯ The doctor only charged payment for the treatment. Son read the business card that she received from the doctor. ¡°He was a very kind person that¡¯s rare.¡± Son suddenly thought about him. He was a gentle and charming man with a warm smile when he smiled. ¡®I think I¡¯ve seen him from somewhere¡­¡¯ She felt like she had seen him somewhere, but she couldn¡¯t remember. ¡°Now is not the best time to think about him.¡± Son moved her gaze and looked at Labong curled up in the cage. It¡¯s been a while since he¡¯s been home with her, but Labong hasn¡¯t stepped out of the cage. Son placed his favorite snacks in a bowl, but he didn¡¯t even touch it with his mouth. ¡°Labong. Let¡¯s eat, just a bite, please?¡± He didn¡¯t know that Labong was his name yet. Labong leaned down and didn¡¯t play with the ball. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s all good to eat. Will you?¡± Son scooped the food on the spoon and gave it to him, but Labong refused to eat it. ¡°Ughhh.¡± As she breathed a heavy sigh, she heard rumbling from her stomach. It was the sound of her stomach when she was giving a good talking to Labong. She had eaten a few chocolates during the day. ¡°¡­ I should heed my own words.¡± Son smiled and sighed, seemingly exhausted. Just as Labong had to heal the wounds, she had a wound that she had to overcome. ¡°¡­ Ok. I should eat well to heal.¡± Determined, Son stood up and headed to the kitchen. She had no desire to eat, but she had to eat to survive and get over it. She took out the porridge she had put in the refrigerator and tried a spoonful. It was porridge. It was not much in it to chew. But oddly, it was not easy to pass down her throat. But she had to eat. So she could endure and overcome all her difficulties. Her throat was dry but Son put it in her mouth. Her eyes were tearing up. She lifted her head and pressed down her tears. She didn¡¯t want to cry anymore, but unlike her heart, tears flowed down on her cheeks. ¡°Oh my. Why am I doing this? Wha.¡± Son wiped away her tears roughly. ¡°¡­ One day, it¡¯s going to end. Ha.¡± With a long sigh, she lifted the spoon again. *** The next morning. As Gyeonhui stepped into the living room, preparing to go to work, he lost his balance and stumbled. It was hot as a fireball when he put his hand on his own forehead. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± He was so healthy that he lived without even knowing the cold, so it was hard to keep his mind off of it. ¡®Bang!¡¯ At that time, he could hear the door closing and the sound of shoes being taken off in a hurry. ¡°Gyeonhui, Gyeonhui!¡± It was Ojae jumped in, calling his name. ¡°Is this your house?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry¡± ¡°Shoes!¡± At his words, Ojae quickly arranged his shoes. While Ojae checked on his shoes several times, Gyoenhui walked out the front door. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong with your face?¡± Asked Ojae, seeing his face with red spots all over it. ¡°It might be a cold.¡± ¡°Cold?¡± ¡°Aw. Get out of the way.¡± Gyeonhui seemed annoyed, as he walked past Ojae and headed outside. ¡°If you¡¯re not in good shape, why don¡¯t you take a day off?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know there¡¯s a shareholders¡¯ meeting tomorrow? Are you not going to prepare for it?¡± ¡°Oh, right. I was worried because I didn¡¯t know that you had a cold.¡± With Ojae¡¯s words, Gyeonhui remembered her. ¡®¡­ No way. Is this from her?¡¯ His suspicions grew increasingly true. He closed his eyes and exhaled. ¡°Where is she now?¡± ¡°Her? I came here to talk about her.¡± ¡°Did you find her?¡± ¡°Of course. Tada.¡± Ojae smiled as he pulled out a note with an address. ¡°I can find anything as long as it¡¯s in Korea¡­¡± Even before Ojae finished, Gyeonhui took the note from him. After confirming the address, Gyeonhui stepped outside without hesitation. ¡°Hey, Gyeonhui! Take me with you!¡± Ojae¡¯s voice was heard from behind, but he didn¡¯t stop. ¡®Brrrr¡¯ After getting into the car, Gyeonhui immediately started on his way. ¡°¡­ She¡¯s so annoying, it never lets up.¡± The fever made his face red, so he pushed on the gas pedal. With the sound of a roaring engine, his car began to race down the road. As Son prepared to go to work, she pulled out a thick sketch notebook from her dusty backpack. The sketch notebook was filled with thoughts and landscape sketches that had been organized as she walked through Santiago. Just as she had not lost her way because of the trail markers of the pilgrims who walked before her, she began drawing the sketches to be an arrow pointing at someone. And there was one more thing. She searched the other pockets and pulled out a small stone. ¡®Go. You can¡¯. It was a precious memory that made her walk again. She told Eun-young that she was creating a new brand that means a new start. Maybe these two little memories might help. She took the notes and rock and rose from her seat. ¡°Well, but why is it so cold?¡± As she was preparing to go to work, she donned her coat on her trembling body. ¡°Is it because it¡¯s raining?¡± She felt like she was getting a cold because of the rain from the night before. ¡®If it gets serious, I¡¯ll just go and see a doctor, and get a flu shot.¡¯ She always got colds so she didn¡¯t care much about it. As she was ready to go to work, she approached the cage. ¡°¡­ Labong. Did you sleep well?¡± She carefully greeted him in the morning, but Labong still didn¡¯t come out from the corner of the cage. ¡°We have to come out now, because we have to disinfect your wounds. Son said in a soothing voice to keep him calm as much as possible. But Labong still looked at her with anxious eyes and was unable to let his guard down. ¡°¡­ You¡¯re deeply wounded.¡± Sadly, Son carefully reached out to Labong. ¡°Grrr, Grrr¡± Labong whined lowly, frightened. ¡°I know it¡¯s scary, but you have to be treated.¡± Son spoke in a calm tone, as if he were a child. Did he hear her talking to him? As he became calm, Son picked him up from the cage. Chapter 14 Eunwoo was caring for the animals, looked out of the window whenever he could. The nurse who was cleaning up the medication asked him curiously, ¡°Are you waiting for someone?¡± ¡°Oh, no, I¡¯m not waiting for anyone.¡± ¡°Then why do you keep looking out the window?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s because the weather is getting better. The air seems cleaner since the rain, heh heh.¡± Eunwoo smiled awkwardly. However, the nurse still looked outside in the direction of Eunwoo¡¯s gaze, as if she were still in doubt. ¡®Ring, ring.¡¯ Then, with the sound of the doorbell, Sun opened the door and entered. ¡°Welcome.¡± The nurse greeted Sun with a warm smile. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Are you here for the first time? Is your pet sick?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Oh, she came in yesterday. I¡¯ll talk to her.¡± Eunwoo quickly intervened. The nurse took a step back as she looked at both Sun and Eunwoo. ¡°Hello Sun, shall we take a look? ¡± Eunwoo looked at Labong, who was in his bag and asked. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m Cheonson¡­ and he¡¯s Labong.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Right. Hahaha. The name is so unique. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Eunwoo smiled awkwardly and examined Labong¡¯s wounds. It didn¡¯t take long to disinfect the wound. ¡°Well, it¡¯s done. The edema has subsided a lot, but it will take a few more days for disinfection. You¡¯ll still need to come in a few more days.¡± Eunwoo had finished the disinfection as he spoke. ¡°¡­ Okay.¡± She answered, but Sun hardly left. ¡°Well, is there anything else I can do for you?¡± Eunwoo first asked if she had something to say. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± After contemplating for a moment, Sun began to speak, ¡°I have to go to work, so can you watch him here while I¡¯m at work?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want him to be alone at home.¡± Sun looked at Labong with sympathy. Eunwoo smiled as he saw her. ¡°Of course. Sometimes we hold the puppies at the veterinary clinic.¡± ¡°Oh, really? I¡¯m glad you do.¡± ¡°Well, you told me your name, yesterday, please leave a contact number here.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°If something happens, I¡¯ll get in touch.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Son left her cell phone number. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him.¡± Although they just became familiar, Sun lingered as she said goodbye to Labong. ¡°Rruf, ruff¡± When she was at home, Labong had never approached her, but he looked at her with terrified eyes. Sun came to him and looked at his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll be coming back soon. I¡¯ll definitely come back. Okay?¡± As Sun stroked him, Labong lowered his head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him. He¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± When they said their goodbyes, Sun finally stepped out of the hospital. ¡°Hah¡­¡± When Sun went out, Eunwoo exhaled a long sigh as if he was nervous. Then, the nurse walked up to him and jabbed him in the side with her elbow. ¡°Since when do we ever watch the puppies for free?¡± ¡°Well.¡± Eunwoo smiled awkwardly, but he couldn¡¯t say anything. ¡°You waited for her, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­ Can you tell?¡± ¡°Absolutely. It¡¯s amazing how beautiful she is. She looks like a nice person.¡± The nurse looked at Sun as she moved away from the window. ¡°Do you think so?¡± Eunwoo¡¯s face had a warm smile on it as he watched Sun depart. ¡°It¡¯s a great time to be in love.¡± The nurse smiled as she avoided walking in his line of sight on purpose. Looking back at her, Eunwoo recalled the memories of the day he saw her at the Church of Santa Maria. She was crying like a child as she stopped on the stone staircase. Even after a few months, he could not forget it easily. ¡°¡­ What¡¯s going on with her?¡± As he whispered to himself, she disappeared down the alley. Eunwoo, who was left alone, squatted and stroked Labong. ¡°By the way, Labong¡­ When will your owner recognize me? Huh?¡± Eunwoo smiled and moved his eyes to the alley where she had disappeared. *** As she walked down the stairs of the office, she was struck by the dizziness she had suddenly felt. ¡°Huh¡­¡± Barely keeping her balance, she breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that she had a severe cold. She should have rested, but she couldn¡¯t. Eunyoung and Ari were already sacrificing themselves for her. She had to do something to help them. ¡°Good morning. Good morning.¡± When she entered the office, she greeted them loudly on purpose. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re here!¡± However, Ari seemed quite embarrassed when she heard her greeting. ¡°What is it? Why do you have such a long face this morning?¡± Sun looked at Ari¡¯s hardened face as she asked in wonder. ¡®Sun, your cell phone¡­¡¯ Ari pointed to her cell phone while mouthing her words in silence. ¡°What?¡± Sun looked in doubt and pulled out the cell phone from her bag. There were ten missed and dozens of hastily cut-off messages. ¡®Where are you?¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t come to the office.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m with the President of Consencio.¡¯ When she saw the message, Sun¡¯s eyes shook. Sun was walking back unknowingly. ¡°Good morning.¡± The man¡¯s low sinking voice was heard from behind. Based on the calm, sexy tone, she could tell who it was without looking. Sun slowly turned. He looked down at her with a condescending air. ¡°¡­ What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Come out.¡± He turned his back on the command. ¡°¡­ No.¡± She barely uttered a word with all her power. When he heard her speak, he slowly turned. His expression was cold. ¡°Come out.¡± ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± ¡°I just need to talk to you. Come out.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to say. Get out.¡± It was hard for her to look at him. Eventually, she turned around. He reached out and grabbed her left wrist. ¡°Let me go¡­¡± ¡°Do what I say!¡± At the same time, Gyeonhui twisted her wrist and pulled it. Her wrist swelled, and she tried to pull it away from him. She knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to resist the power of his grasp, but she had to. However, against her expectations, his hands were loosened too easily. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± He turned towards his left wrist while frowning. A little surprised by the sight of him, Sun stared blankly at him. ¡°¡­ Follow me.¡± This time, he grabbed her arm and began to drag her outside. She couldn¡¯t resist his power, so he pulled her away. ¡°Hey, Sun! Argh. What do I have to do¡­¡± Ari, who was left alone, shuffled her feet with her hands moving wildly. A short time later, Eunyoung had come to work and entered the office. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°What do we do?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Mr. Woo from Consencio dragged her out.¡± ¡°What?¡± Astonished, Eunyoung hurried up the stairs and looked out. However, she could not find them as if they had already left. ¡°Hah.¡± A deep sigh leaked out of Eunyoung¡¯s mouth. *** In Gyoenhui¡¯s car. Sun fixed her gaze outside of the window without speaking from the passenger seat. After seeing Sun, he reached out and grabbed her left wrist. ¡°Ah¡­¡± She moaned low and tried to pull his hand away from her. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°¡­ Confirming.¡± After all, he felt her pain as well, and he pulled out his hand, scowling. Sun¡¯s firm face moved her gaze out of the window again. ¡®I¡¯m sure that I feel her pain.¡¯ He looked at his wrist, squirming. He was the one who grabbed her wrist, but he could feel the pain on his left wrist, where nothing happened to him. Things that were uncertain became clear at once. When he turned his head to her, he saw that Sun was massaging her wrist. Every time she did that, he felt pain in his wrist. ¡®What if she has a heart attack¡­¡¯ It was terrible. He didn¡¯t know what pain would bother him next. ¡°Hah.¡± He suddenly turned the steering wheel. ¡®Eeeek.¡¯ The car made a U-turn with a loud noise. ¡°Why are you doing this? No, where are we going?¡± ¡°To the hospital.¡± He replied with a sinking voice. ¡°¡­ Why?¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t get sick.¡± His unexpected answer opened her eyes widely. At Dr. Seo¡¯s office. Dr. Seo continued to explain while looking at the ultrasound photographs. ¡°The ultrasound test showed that there was nothing wrong with the heart.¡± He frowned at Dr. Seo¡¯s answer. ¡°That can¡¯t be true. I had terrible pain in¡­¡± He responded, recalling the heartache he had felt the day before. ¡°If you want to, we can check it out in more detail, but well, she¡¯s healthy enough.¡± ¡°So what about her head? Sometimes I have dizziness and headaches.¡± ¡°I also had a blood test, but there are no strange signs¡­¡± ¡°Awh. Forget it all.¡± He cut Dr. Seo¡¯s words off. ¡°¡­ Are you done now?¡± Sun, who was sitting silently, rose from her seat at the same time as his words. ¡°Hey, hey!¡± Despite him calling her, she didn¡¯t stop and exited the room. ¡°¡­ This seems familiar¡­.¡± Dr. Seo looked at Sun as she left the room and shook his head. After thinking for a moment, Dr. Seo still didn¡¯t understand and again shook his head. ¡°I must be getting older.¡± Dr. Seo sighed and gave up remembering. Gyeonhui didn¡¯t hear what Dr. Seo was muttering to himself. He looked at Dr. Seo with a desperate expression, ¡°Is there really no abnormality? Are you sure?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no certainty when it comes to medicine. In many cases, anomalies happen.¡± ¡°Is there any other cause besides the heart?¡± ¡°Well, sometimes you have aches over other parts of your body, or muscle problems can cause chest pain. In such cases, we need to do more testing¡­¡± Even before Dr. Seo¡¯s words were out, he hurried from his seat and went outside. He had to do everything he could. ¡°Cheonson, Cheonson!¡± After coming out of the hallway, he hurriedly looked for her. However, he couldn¡¯t find her. She had already disappeared. ¡°Shit.¡± He quickly stepped forward after struggling. The only place she could go to was the Kids Fan Office. *** When she returned to the office, she pretended to act casual. ¡°You should take a break. Otherwise, you¡¯re going to fall down.¡± Ari asked with concern, but Sun shook her head with a smile. ¡°We came in the afternoon today. I¡¯ve been out of work for such a long time that my hands are cramping.¡± ¡°¡­ Alright.¡± Ari came to Eunyoung¡¯s seat without stopping her any further. ¡°Is she okay?¡± In a small voice, Ari asked. ¡°Would you be okay if you would take her place?¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°She wouldn¡¯t speak. How can she begin to handle this? It must have been excruciating for her.¡± Eunyoung sighed sadly. Two whispers came into Sun¡¯s ear as she cut the paper with a box knife. Nevertheless, she pretended that she couldn¡¯t hear them. When somebody asked her what was going on, she felt like tears were pouring out. ¡®Screerk¡¯ She cut her finger on the box knife. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Son frowned and sucked on her fingers, which were covered in blood. ¡®Bang.¡¯ Then she heard the door opening and closing roughly. It was him. As he approached at a sharp pace, he grasped her hand and checked the wound on her finger. ¡°Aha.¡± He checked her throbbing fingers and her wounds. There were no cuts on his hands, but the area where he felt the pain matched. ¡°Come out.¡± He shouted. ¡°Mr. Woo! What are you doing?¡± Eunyoung approached and asked, standing between the two. ¡°You should go back.¡± Eunyoung spoke as calmly as possible. ¡°You still don¡¯t know when to keep your mouth shut, huh?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I see. Stop what you¡¯re doing and go before I call the police.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I know how important you are, but when the police come, you will be sorry.¡± Eunyoung had already lifted her phone and pressed the numbers. Eunyoung¡¯s words were right. If it were up to him as the CEO of Consencio, then it would just be a simple report, but it was clear that it would be more difficult. Nevertheless, he still didn¡¯t move. ¡°I¡¯m really going to call.¡± Eunyoung stated again. ¡°I know it¡¯s going to be troublesome, but this is more urgent.¡± He turned his attention to Sun. ¡°I will take this call¡­¡± Eun-young tried to press the call button. ¡°¡­ Knock it off, Eunyoung.¡± Sun rose from where she was sitting weakly. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be out in a moment. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Since Sun stepped outside, he followed her. Anxious, Eunyoung bit her lower lip. Chapter 15 ¡°Hey, Cheonsun!¡± Gyeonhui called out to her. However, Sun kept on pretending she didn¡¯t hear. ¡°Choensun!¡± Gyeonhui started to reach for her wrist but hesitated. He walked toward her and blocked her. ¡°Do you still have more to say?¡± Sun asked in a sinking voice. ¡°Drive with me one more time.¡± ¡°Where? The hospital? Why should I do that?¡± ¡°There may be some abnormalities elsewhere. Let¡¯s go tomorrow and check it out again.¡± ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± She asked while biting her lower lip slightly. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You never cared if I was sick or not. Why are you doing this now?¡± ¡°So now I¡¯m doing it! Is it bad to be examined?¡± He also raised his voice with being annoyed. ¡°Leave tomorrow, and get checked. Got it?¡± With his coercive words, Sun looked up and stared straight into his eyes. ¡°What are you to me? We¡¯re already¡­ It¡¯s over. Please¡­ please don¡¯t do this to me¡­¡± Sun struggled to hold back the tears welling up her eyes. ¡°Tomorrow. I¡¯m not repeating it.¡± He looked straight down at her and said, ¡®What will I look like to him now?¡¯ She looked up at him, and Labong¡¯s eyes came to mind. Labong¡¯s whimpering came to mind as he barked low in fear. She could no longer be dragged around like this. ¡°Do you still think that I¡¯m your pet?¡± He slowly opened his mouth. ¡°Why? Are you not?¡± ¡°¡­ No, I¡¯m not anymore. ¡°Lies.¡± He said as he approached her. As he walked closer towards her, Sun stepped back. ¡°¡­ I said, I¡¯m not. ¡°So?¡± He laughed again. ¡°Stay there.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Stand still.¡± He looked at her as he approached. She could instinctively recognize the thoughts in his eyes. ¡®¡­ I have to avoid it.¡¯ However, her body did not listen. She looked straight at him, and her head did not move. Meanwhile, he gradually approached. She turned her head with all her might. That was all she could do. He raised her head and made her look at him. Then he approached slower than before. He slowly approached her as If she might suddenly make a break for it. Eventually, she closed her eyes. She was shaking with her eyes closed, like a dog waiting for his punishment. After a while, his lips gently touched her, making her remember his familiar touch. He soon kissed her forcefully. She was paralyzed with doubt. Maybe she had waited, and she looked up unknowingly. At that moment, he moved his head back and looked down at her. ¡°See. I told you.¡± His face showed a confident smile. Sun was shocked and gave no answer. Rather than shame, she was heartbroken because her expectations had fallen once again. ¡°Tell me again that you are not my pet.¡± His voice seemed to break her heart. Sun eventually pushed him away and made a run for it. *** She bumped into people, stumbled over stones, and repeatedly tripped, but Sun did not stop. She walked for what seemed like an eternity. A playground caught her eye. Sun, sitting on a bench with a soulless expression, breathed a long sigh. She walked for a while, but the kiss wouldn¡¯t leave her head. ¡°In the meantime¡­ What did I ever want?¡± She walked through Santiago with a thousand times more determination, but she could not stop him. No, it could not stop her feelings for him. ¡®¡­ You shouldn¡¯t get sick.¡¯ Those were the first words to show that he could not sympathize with her pain. ¡®Has he changed? ¡® It was also true that his words shook her at the moment. However, the shock of the disappointment was even more significant as her expectations were high. He did not change. Nevertheless, she recalled herself looking up at him. ¡°Stupid¡­¡± Her head shouted told her to push him away, but her body was moving toward him regardless of her will. ¡®How much more time is needed¡­ for me to forget him.¡¯ She had no choice but to ask herself the same questions as she did before on her trip. Then, a text arrived on her cell phone. ¡®When are you going to pick up Labong?¡¯ It was the veterinary hospital. She remembered when the puppy was in the hallabong box and got his name Labong. ¡°Ha.¡± A chuckle erupted. Once she started, she erupted in laughter. ¡°Ha ha ha.¡± She wiped the tears off her forearm from her outrage. ¡°Ah.¡± Sun exhaled deeply to calm her heart. After some time, her emotions barely subsided, but she had to go now. That was the best she could do. She headed out slowly toward the veterinary clinic. *** Eunwoo sat at his desk and eagerly wrote something down. ¡°Does this look a little awkward?¡± This time, he turned around a little bit and settled more naturally. ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t even have to sit in a static position.¡± With an awkward smile, Eunwoo looked up and looked out of the window. The darkened street, however, did not show the person he was waiting for. The anxiety-ridden Eunwoo rose from his seat and examined Labong. He followed Labong¡¯s gaze as he leaned down and headed toward the doorway. ¡°Are you waiting for Sun too?¡± Eunwoo stroked Labong with a peculiar smile. ¡°By the way, when do you think our owner will come?¡± The doorbell rang as he complained to himself. Giddy Eunwoo rose and slammed his back against his desk. ¡°Ouch.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± Son asked, surprised. ¡°Oh, yes, of course¡­ well, it hurts.¡± Eunwoo smiled as he struggled with the pain. Sun smiled awkwardly and approached Labong. ¡°Was Labong good today?¡± Sun asked, stroking Labong. ¡°Yes, he was good while I changed his bandages, and he waited for Miss. Sun all day.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, and it seems that he recognizes you when he sees you.¡± Eunwoo¡¯s words brought a slight smile on Sun¡¯s face. She reached out and gently stroked Labong. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Her injured finger was revealed as she petted him. ¡°Are you injured?¡± Eunwoo, who saw her finger, asked. ¡°Well, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s no big deal.¡± Sun quickly hid her hands behind her back, seemingly awkward. ¡°It¡¯s okay. The wound is pretty deep. I¡¯ll take a look.¡± Eunwoo reached out with a sincere expression. ¡°It¡¯s a great place to stay.¡± After refusing several times, Sun reluctantly raised her finger. Eunwoo carefully cleaned her finger as if she were sick. ¡°How did it happen?¡± ¡°At work¡­ It¡¯s was my mistake.¡± ¡°What do you do for a living?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a character designer.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± His natural question was answered without awkwardness. ¡°It looks painful.¡± Eunwoo frowned and asked, looking at Sun¡¯s expression. At that moment, Sun recalled a few years prior. She was enthusiastically making lunches in the morning, and she had accidentally cut her hand. ¡°Why are you injured?¡± Looking at the finger with the band, he asked. ¡°Oh, this. I got up in the morning and made a lunchbox, but it¡¯s okay.¡± It seemed that she didn¡¯t want to worry him. However, his voice sank coldly. ¡°So, you¡¯ve put a band on it on purpose?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Because you have tried to do something since the morning, so you want me to know?¡± She hid her hand behind her back without saying anything. She removed the bandage while her hands were hidden behind her back. She had never once put a bandage in front of anyone before. No, she tried not to let anyone notice her injury. ¡°Well, it¡¯s all done.¡± Eunwoo¡¯s affectionate voice returned her to reality. A cute character bandage was attached to her finger. As she gazed at the bandage, Sun slowly bowed her head. ¡°That¡¯s the only bandage I have.¡± He smiled awkwardly because of its childishness. Nevertheless, Sun still couldn¡¯t lift her head. ¡°¡­ Does it hurt a lot?¡± Eunwoo asked carefully. She shook her head silently. ¡°The wound is pretty serious¡­¡± ¡°¡­ No. I¡¯m really okay.¡± Her voice trembled thinly. ¡°Miss Sun?¡± A little surprised, Eunwoo asked carefully. ¡°Now¡­ I feel like it¡¯s all better. I feel like I¡¯m not really sick at all.¡± Based on her voice, it seemed that she was struggling to act like everything was okay. However, her head was bowed as her tears dripped. Her slender shoulders convulsed slightly. She started to cry. Eunwoo, who was watching with a concerned expression, reached out slowly and caringly patted her shoulder. ¡®Tap, tap.¡¯ ¡®Huk¡­¡¯ She couldn¡¯t hold back her tears. Eunwoo gave her an empathetic look and comforted her with an endless warm touch. Then he spoke in a subdued voice. ¡°Go. You can.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Sun, surprised by the familiar words, stopped crying as she looked up at Eunwoo. Eunwoo looked at her with a consistent smile and said, ¡°Do you remember me now?¡± In the Santa Maria Cathedral, Sun¡¯s memories came to mind. He was the man who put out a handkerchief during her tears of unbearable loneliness, the man who encouraged her to go a little farther when she stopped in front of a real-life challenge. ¡®Once you¡¯re up, don¡¯t stop. You¡¯re going to feel a little revived.¡¯ His kind voice overlapped over Eunwoo. ¡°¡­ Then you¡­¡± Amazed, Sun remembered now. Blinking her eyes without saying anything, she was cute. Eunwoo smiled at her. ¡°I¡¯ve remembered you all at once.¡± ¡°Oh, well¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s rather strange to remember.¡± Eunwoo spoke candidly. It was rather strange to remember their brief encounter in a strange land. Nevertheless, Eunwoo could not forget her face. ¡°In fact, I thought you recognized me too.¡± After contemplating, Sun opened her mouth. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t remember where I saw you clearly.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry.¡± ¡°¡­ Because I got a lot of help from you.¡± ¡°Really? Did you make it to the top?¡± She smiled and nodded upon hearing Eunwoo¡¯s question. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s great.¡± ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for your help. I would definitely surrender.¡± She remembered the moment when she couldn¡¯t even take a step forward. ¡°But you still made it.¡± Eunwoo looked at her with a warm smile. His eyes and his words had the power to encourage people. ¡®¡­ Okay. I made it. I had walked all the way to the end with my legs.¡¯ It¡¯s hard right now, but walking continuously could make a difference. She closed her eyes for a moment and exhaled for a long time. She felt calm. ¡°Now, are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Sun answered; she suddenly caught her eyes as she caught a glimpse of her reflection at the window. Her frantic walk-through, sporadic hair, tears, and pale makeup were smeared on her face. ¡°Here it is.¡± Eunwoo pulled out the tissue beside him and gave it out to her. ¡°¡­ Thank you.¡± She turned around and slightly wiped off her makeup. ¡°Actually, I cry often. You¡¯ve seen it already.¡± She continued to drift away. Eunwoo, who was smiling and watching, opened his mouth. ¡°I know you do. I¡¯ve seen it twice already. Isn¡¯t this a special relationship?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to see anyone crying even if you¡¯ve known someone your whole life.¡± ¡°Are you teasing me now?¡± ¡°Can you tell?¡± Eunwoo smiled and asked. ¡°Ha, yes.¡± Sun smiled outrageously. Her two wet pupils smiled cutely as well. Her white skin turned a bit red since she cried a little while ago. As she laughed, Eunwoo¡¯s face lit up. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you laughing.¡± ¡°Well, can I now take Labong?¡± ¡°Are you running away from here?¡± ¡°Oh, no, I think Labong wants to go home¡­¡± ¡°I think, as a vet, Labong thinks, ¡®what are you two doing here?¡± ¡°Do you think?¡± Sun smiled as if she had relaxed her mind. The smiling Eunwoo hugged Labong in the cage. ¡°Well, here he is.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Sun smiled awkwardly and received the cage from Eunwoo. ¡°I¡¯m really going to go now.¡± Sun departed from him a little awkwardly, and he stepped back. ¡°I really appreciate what you did for me today, and the last time too¡­¡± ¡°Hey, watch out for the door¡­¡± ¡°Ouch!¡± Before Eunwoo could speak, Sun hit the door behind her. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Haha. I¡¯m so embarrassed. I should really go.¡± Sun rushed out of the hospital. Eunwoo watched her cute clumsiness with a smile on his face. After leaving the hospital, Sun took each step carefully to ensure that she wasn¡¯t shaking Labong¡¯s cage. This allowed Eunwoo to watch her leave for quite some time. Chapter 16 When she arrived home, she let out a long sigh. She wasn¡¯t feeling good and cried in the cold air. Her head was getting dizzy. ¡°Huh.¡± The weary Sun first pulled Labong out of the cage. Perched on a warm blanket, Labong still looked at Sun with frightened eyes. ¡°Did you eat enough? Did you sleep well?¡± Labong looked at her still without an answer. ¡°It was an incredibly hard day today. I don¡¯t even know how the day went.¡± Sun continued to complain while giving food to Labong. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Sun picked up the dog food bag and frowned at the pain in her fingers. When she saw her fingertips, she noticed the cute bandage that Eunwoo had attached. ¡°¡­ He¡¯s funny, isn¡¯t he?¡± Sun smiled and lay herself down as she watched Labong. ¡°But¡­ I really appreciate him.¡± Thanks to his help, she was able to walk to the end. However, there was not much that changed in reality. Gyeonhui was still mean, and she was still same the person she always was in front of him. ¡°Why is it so hard¡­¡± She lay on one arm and closed her eyes. Gyeonhui¡¯s encounter, the forced kisses, and the events of the day passed like phantasmagoric lights. Her eyes closed, but his memories did not disappear. ¡°Huaw.¡± A long sigh cut through the air. Then, all of a sudden, her finger felt a tickle. Slowly, she noticed Labong licking her injured finger. ¡°Labong¡­¡± Labong, who had come out of the cage for the first time, licked her wounds. Labong was attentive as he was treating her wounds. Although he was a speechless animal, she could feel that he was attending specifically to her. Labong looked at her for a moment, and then dragging his injured leg, he placed his face on her arm. A small weight was felt on her arm. The feeling of being cozy was more comforting than anything in this world. ¡°¡­ Thank you.¡± Sun smiled and gently stroked the sleeping Labong. *** The next morning, inside Gyeonhui¡¯s car heading to the company. ¡°Hwahh.¡± Gyeonhui was in the back seat exhaling continuously. ¡°You¡¯ve had a cold. Did you take some medicine?¡± Ojae glanced over while driving and asked. ¡°The medicine! Medicine! I¡¯m taking it every day, but I¡¯m not getting any better! Then why do I take the medicine!¡± he replied with anger. He already took the medicine yesterday morning and went to the hospital and got a flu shot. Nevertheless, his body showed no signs of improvement. ¡®It must¡¯ve been her.¡¯ When he recalled, it was always Sun who used to have a cold, not himself. At the same time, he remembered meeting her in the caf¨¦ recently. That day, there was sudden rain, and the traffic was heavy. ¡°I¡¯m sure she was acting pitiful on that day.¡± When she was in shock, she was unable to make any rational judgments. She was a woman who would walk home in the rain. ¡°Hah¡­ seriously.¡± In the end, it was useless for him to take the medicine. ¡°Turn the car around.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Turn the car around!¡± At his command, Ojae turned the steering wheel without knowing the answer. *** ¡®Kids Fan¡¯ Office Entrance. ¡°Well, it¡¯s all set,¡± Eunyoung said as she finished registering the fingerprint reader at the entrance. ¡°It¡¯s cumbersome, but it¡¯s set up to prepare for any hassle.¡± Sun and Ari nodded because they knew what Eunyoung was insinuating. ¡°But do we really need to do this?¡± ¡°Of course. Didn¡¯t you see it yesterday? What if he comes back when you¡¯re alone?¡± Eunyoung once again checked that the fingerprint reader was working well and went inside. Then they heard a knock on the door. The monitor showed Ojae¡¯s face staring back. ¡°Who is it? That guy?¡± Ari asked, in doubt. ¡°Hello. I¡¯m from Consencio. I¡¯m Kwon, Ojae. An assistant. ¡± Ojae introduced himself first, as if he had been asked a question. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Sun remembered Ojae¡¯s face after having seen him a few times. When Sun tried to stand up, Eunyoung blocked her. ¡°Stay still. I¡¯ll fix it.¡± Eunyoung went to the front of the monitor and opened the speakerphone. ¡°How can I help you?¡± ¡°Oh, can I see Sun?¡± ¡°No. She isn¡¯t here.¡± ¡°Oh, is she not here?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then give this to her please.¡± Ojae showed a paper bag in front of the door camera. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Just tell her that Mr. Wu sent me.¡± Ojae went up the stairs after he put the envelope at the door to make sure he had fulfilled his instructions. When the monitor confirmed that Ojae had completelyexited the building, Eunyoung quickly opened the door and brought in the envelope. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Ari asked. ¡°It¡¯s cold medicine?¡± Eun-young looked at Sun, perplexed. ¡°¡­ Cold medicine?¡± Sun was a little surprised and hurried. The bag contained a variety of cold medicines. From general cold medicines to medicines that were limited to hospitals, and there were many different types, too. ¡°You¡¯ve got a cold?¡± ¡°Me? Oh, no.¡± Sun smiled casually. ¡°Why is he doing this, he has never done this before?¡± Eunyoung shook her head and returned to her seat. When Sun returned to her seat, she looked at the medicine and thought about it. Sun lied about her cold because she didn¡¯t want Eunyoung and Ari to worry about her. But she struggled with the cold symptoms that had already started. She had a fever and was dizzy. ¡°How¡­ did he know?¡± She was concerned about his incomprehensible behavior. *** Around lunch time, near the Kids Fan office. ¡°Do you feel better?¡± Ojae was waiting in the car, looking at Gyeonhui lying in the back seat ¡°¡­ Didn¡¯t she take the medicine?¡± Gyeonhui said in a sour voice. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t take it. What if the medicine has something in it?¡± Ojae mumbled to himself, but it was heard by Gyeonhui. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Oh, no. Why didn¡¯t she take it?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Hey! It¡¯s her!¡± Ojae cried out just as he saw Sun coming out. They were going to lunch, and the three of them walked arm in arm with each other. ¡°¡­ What the hell? Why does she look so well?¡± She smiled and walked with everyone. Gyeonhui frowned. ¡°The cold¡­ Isn¡¯t it you who actually have a cold?¡± Ojae asked carefully. ¡°Hah¡­This is crazy.¡± When he saw her, he felt like he had a cold. But he didn¡¯t understand why it didn¡¯t work out when he took the medication and had flu shots. Now, he couldn¡¯t tell if it was his own pain or hers. ¡°¡­ Go. We can¡¯t be late for the general meeting.¡± At Gyeonhui¡¯s command, Ojae had just started up. It was at this moment that Sun walked away from the group and started staggering as if she was dizzy. ¡°Ugh.¡± At the same time, Gyeonhui frowned over his severe dizziness. ¡°¡­ I knew it was her.¡± As he watched her, he realized that this cold was not his. ¡°Hey! Are you okay?¡± Amazed, Ari asked Sun. ¡°Oh¡­ It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m wearing high heels today for the first time in a long while.¡± Sun smiled and pretended to be okay. But he could see the same pain at that moment. The pain was so strong now! ¡°¡­ You¡¯re so sick¡­ but how could you¡­¡± He was so dizzy he could not take even one step forward. His head was hanging because of his soaring fever, and his whole body was powerless. Still, Sun was smiling and pretending to be okay. ¡°¡­ Hey, you guys go and eat.¡± Sun said with a slightly pale face. ¡°What? Suddenly why?¡± ¡°I suddenly would like to go to the bathroom. I have no appetite anyway.¡± ¡°Are you sick?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll just be taking a break.¡± ¡°Hmm. Okay. I¡¯ll buy you something.¡± Eunyoung sent Sun away and entered the restaurant. Sun slowly stepped back into the office, seemingly exhausted. ¡°Hah. How can you stand it?¡± Gyeonhui twisted his lips while staring at Sun in disbelief. ¡°What should we do now? Should we leave?¡± Ojae asked. ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± So they wouldn¡¯t be too late for the general meeting, they had to leave now. Then the world turned upside down from the sudden dizziness in Gyeonhui¡¯s head. ¡°Ugh.¡± He heard a bang as if he had hit something with his head. In the shock of dizziness, he exhaled a gasp for air. ¡°Ah¡­ ahhh. Ah¡­¡± ¡°Why, what¡¯s wrong? Hey, Gyeonhui! Gyeonhui!¡± Surprised, Ojae rushed to ask. ¡°¡­ To her.¡± ¡°To her what?¡± ¡°¡­ Something happened to Sun¡­¡± He struggled to speak and hurried to get out of the car. Soon after, he staggered and began to run toward the office where she had disappeared a short time ago. As he hurried down the stairs, he could see Sun falling with his eyes. ¡°Choensun!¡± He supported her head in a hurry. ¡°Wake up! Choensun!¡± He patted her several times, but she was distracted. Her whole body was as hot as a fireball, and her face was red like a tomato. ¡°No, what¡¯s going on!?¡± Ojae had followed behind and could not keep his mouth shut in amazement. ¡°What are you doing? Go ahead and walk up and start the car. Come on!¡± ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Ojae stepped back and fell over while shouting. But soon he got up again and rushed toward the car. ¡°Cheonsun, Cheonsun!¡± He shouted many times, but her weak body fell limp in his arms. He began to climb the stairs while holding her in his arms. *** The corridor outside the room in the hospital. The anxious Gyeonhui sat in a chair, carrying her and smoothing his crumpled suit. A short time later, the door of the room opened, and as the doctor came out, he rose from his seat. ¡°How is she doing?¡± ¡°There¡¯s an abrasion on her forehead, but it¡¯s not a big concern.¡± He looked at the doctor as he explained. ¡°But why is she unconscious then?¡± ¡°Because she¡¯s sleeping now.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°She has lost her health to a cold. She pushed herself too much. She¡¯ll need to take a break. Well. That¡¯s all.¡± After seeing all the test results, the doctor bowed and walked away to another room. ¡°¡­ She is sleeping.¡± He looked outraged. He looked at Sun through a small window at the door. In her deep sleep, Sun lay down rigid. ¡°By the way, how do you know that she was in danger?¡± Ojae asked, seemingly doubtful. ¡°I told you, I feel her pain.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ It was real.¡± ¡°What? So you didn¡¯t believe me this whole time?¡± ¡°Oh, yes, but it¡¯s so amazing to see it. Wow¡­ I can¡¯t believe this can happen.¡± Ojae scoffed as if he didn¡¯t think this was real. ¡°Hold on. Are you okay?¡± Ojae scanned Gyeonhui and asked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been dead for a while, but now you¡¯re fine?¡± In Ojae¡¯s words, Gyeonhui took a look at his body. The cold symptoms disappeared all over, and the headache that seemed to come on like a jack hammer disappeared as well. ¡°What happened to me?¡± He looked back at the situation while trying to recall. He could feel all her pain until she went down the stairs. ¡°I felt her pain until she lost consciousness.¡± At that moment, his head flashed. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t feel her pain when she loses consciousness¡­¡± He shared all the pain she felt while she was conscious, but when she was unconscious, he felt nothing because she could not feel the pain, either. ¡°It¡¯s really ridiculous.¡± It was hard to believe, but he had to believe it because it was actually what was going on. ¡°Oh, what do we do now?¡± Ojae asked, as if he had forgotten something. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You have a general meeting today.¡± ¡°Ahhh¡­¡± Today was the general meeting day for the first quarter earnings announcement. It was the first general meeting since the inauguration of the CEO. ¡°Should we leave the sick person behind?¡± Ojae carefully asked, looking at Gyeonhui¡¯s eyes. ¡°¡­ Get in touch with ¡®Kids Fans¡¯.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a great solution.¡± Ojae looked him admiringly and immediately pulled out his phone. ¡°Hmm.¡± He looked at Sun through the small window. He didn¡¯t want to leave her alone, but there was no other way. ¡°Oh¡­¡± At that moment, Sun began to feel the cold symptoms and headache again. Until a little while ago, his body was fine, but now, it began to get heavier. ¡°Oh. Now she is waking up¡­¡± He frowned and looked at Sun. Chapter 17 ¡°Uhmm.¡± Inside the room, with a low moan, Sun opened her eyes. ¡°Where am I?¡± ¡°Just lie down. You¡¯re dizzy.¡± Gyeonhui pressed his temple and spoke, outraged. As Sun looked around, she tried to get up as he surprised her. ¡°¡­ Why am I here?¡± ¡°Well, because you suddenly collapsed and Mr. Woo brought you here.¡± Ojae spoke on behalf of Gyeonhui. ¡°Did I fall down? Ah¡­¡± Sun remembered the moment when she was unconscious. She lost her balance because she couldn¡¯t control the sudden dizziness. ¡®That¡¯s what happened. I was unconscious¡­ and Gyeonhui¡­¡¯ After she understood the situation, Sun bit her lower lip. The fact that she had been helped made her feel like a burden. A silence filled the room. Sun bowed her head and was speechless, and he looked at her with a serious face. In the cold atmosphere, Ojae rose from his seat. ¡°Umm, I have to leave because I left some stuff in the car¡­¡± Ojae quickly exited the room. ¡®Chulggok¡¯. When Gyeonhui heard the door closing, he started talking. ¡°You need to rest a little more.¡± When she heard it, she suddenly tried to raise herself with all her might. ¡°Stop. You don¡¯t have enough energy to get up.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m really okay.¡± She stubbornly tried to raise herself. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. I know your head is spinning and you feel like you¡¯re going to die soon.¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s not.¡± ¡°Stop lying to me.¡± ¡°How do you know this?¡± Sun shouted, unable to cope with the accusations. Surprised by the unexpected reaction, he opened his eyes wide and looked at her. She looked straight at him and started talking to him again. ¡°We know nothing about each other. How sick, how sad, or how lonely we are. I don¡¯t know anything. So, don¡¯t pretend to know, it¡¯s painful to hear you.¡± Sun just rose from her seat and tried to leave the room. But her body, which was still not fully recovered, was dizzy again, and she stumbled. Her pain was still conveyed to him. ¡°Stop being stubborn!¡± The intolerable Gyeonhui grabbed her and put her back on the bed. ¡°Let go!¡± She tried to get her hand away from him with all her might. He pressed her hands down and looked straight at her. ¡°Don¡¯t be desperate, the more you do, the more you look pathetic.¡± ¡°¡­ What?¡± ¡°How weak you look when you¡¯re afraid of being abandoned, and you can¡¯t say it hurts?¡± he continued in a cold voice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯re so pathetic, and the more you do, the more I want to trample you just to see how much more pathetic you could be.¡± She could not answer him, but her lips quivered in anger. His horrendous words broke her heart. Suddenly, the power pushing down her hands disappeared. ¡°¡­ Listen to me when I treat you well.¡± He let her hands go. She turned her head so that she wouldn¡¯t have to see him. ¡°Your friends will be coming soon.¡± He left the room at the end of the speech. ¡®Kung.¡¯ After the door was closed roughly, the harsh air slowly subsided. She closed her eyes, biting her lower lip tightly. After a while, her eyelids began to tremble. *** ¡°Hah¡± Inside of the car that had been idling a long time now, Gyeonhui let out a long sigh from his endless dizziness. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°¡­ Shut up.¡± He struggled to say a word, seemingly exhausted. ¡®Ring ring.¡¯ Then, in Ojae¡¯s pocket, a text notification beeped. ¡°Who is it?¡± Ojae¡¯s face darkened as he pulled out his phone thoughtlessly. ¡°This, this is her phone¡­¡± It was Sun¡¯s cell phone, not his own. Ojae forgot to leave it with her while she was being treated. ¡°There¡¯s nothing that you do right.¡± He looked at Ojae and scowled. Ojae noticed and tried to put the phone back in his pocket. ¡°Check it out. Let them know about her if the text is from the Kids Fan store.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ojae quickly checked Sun¡¯s phone, trying not to bother Gyoenhui¡¯s temper. ¡°Huh? Blue Rose Veterinary Hospital Director Eunwoo Park? Does she have a pet?¡± After confirming the message, Ojae asked. ¡°¡­ No.¡± He had never heard of her having a puppy in his memory. A few more pictures of the dog arrived after the message. ¡°What? It¡¯s a puppy. Didn¡¯t you know?¡± ¡°¡­ Give me the phone.¡± When Gyeonhui reached out, Ojae passed the phone over. When Gyeonhui saw Sun¡¯s cell phone, he confirmed the text that just arrived. ¡®Miss Sun, Labong is waiting for you.¡¯ ¡°I think Labong is its name.¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s childish.¡± His eyebrows frowned as if he were dissatisfied. In fact, it was more disturbing than the way the man addressed her in the text. ¡®Miss Sun?¡¯ It was overly familiar considering the message was from the veterinary clinic. ¡®What the hell are you doing?¡¯ In the meantime, he could know everything about her without even trying. She always texted him, everywhere, and she was restless about texting what she ate. He always knew everything about her but never cared. But within a few months, her life became a complete mystery. She raised a puppy and her relationship with the doctor from the vet clinic was getting serious. Suddenly, her private life became his concerns. ¡°Stop the car.¡± ¡®Eeeek¡¯. Ojae pulled over, afraid of Gyeonhui¡¯s words. After he got out of the car for a moment, he looked at Sun¡¯s cell phone. He seemed unwilling to contemplate for a moment, but soon found the veterinary contact in the receiving text and pressed the call button. *** Eunwoo checked his phone, but nothing came. Smiling, Eunwoo looked at Labong and pouted his lips. ¡°Your owner seems busy today.¡± As he reached out and pet him, Labong licked Eunwoo¡¯s hand. ¡°What is it, Labong? What happened yesterday? Why are you so sweet today?¡± Eunwoo continued stroking him with a smile that seemed to make him feel good. But his eyes continued to look at his cell phone. ¡°Don¡¯t just wait. Why don¡¯t you try to give her a call?¡± The nurse watching him asked. ¡°What? Oh, it¡¯s not like that. I¡¯m not in a hurry, so no need¡­¡± Eunwoo shook his head and smiled. ¡°You¡¯ve got cupid¡¯s arrow in your chest. Are you sure it¡¯s not important?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ You¡¯ve hit the target.¡± Eunwoo smiled. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll help you.¡± The nurse tried to find Sun¡¯s number on the list and make a call. ¡°Hey, Mrs. Ko.¡± ¡®Bzzz.¡¯ When Eunwoo tried to stop the mischievous nurse, his phone rang. He quickly checked the number, and it was Labong¡¯s mom. ¡°Well, speak of the devil. Feel free to talk with her.¡± After checking the number, the nurse smiled and stepped away. Eunwoo went outside and smiled at the nurse, then answered the phone. ¡°Amm. Ahem, hello?¡± Eunwoo, who had a raspy voice, answered the phone in a very soft voice possible. But across the other side, no answer was heard. ¡°Hello? Miss Sun?¡± Eunwoo asked once more. ¡°Who are you?¡± A strange man¡¯s voice was heard over the phone. A little surprised, Eunwoo held his phone out for a while and checked the number on the phone. Clearly, the number was hers. ¡°Who is this? This is certainly her phone number¡­¡± ¡°I asked you first.¡± The other party was treating Eunwoo contemptuously. Eunwoo should¡¯ve been offended by the rude tone of the voice, but he still remained calm. ¡°This is a veterinary hospital. I contacted Miss Sun because I have business with her. Excuse me, but what¡¯s your relationship with Miss. Sun?¡± The other party seemed unwilling to answer Eunwoo¡¯s question. Eunwoo¡¯s expression hardened in an ominous of sign. ¡°Who are you? Where¡¯s Sun?¡± ¡°It seems the veterinary clinic is not so busy to take care of someone¡¯s woman.¡± ¡®Someone¡¯s woman?¡¯ Eunwoo¡¯s eyes widened as if he were surprised by the unexpected man¡¯s response. ¡°Can I talk to Miss Sun?¡± Eunwoo was a little surprised, but he immediately calmed down. ¡°Don¡¯t bother about the girl and take care of the animals, would you?¡± His tone seemed outrageous. However, it was still not known who the other party was to Sun. Eunwoo explained again in a calm and friendly tone as much as possible. ¡°I think you¡¯re misunderstanding something, but I¡¯ve got a puppy whose been left behind, so I¡¯ve contacted you.¡± ¡°Then take care of it. Don¡¯t get in touch with her.¡± ¡®Dook.¡¯ The man shouted at Eunwoo and simultaneously hung up the phone. ¡°Hello? Hello?¡± Eunwoo shouted at the phone, but it was too late. He was a very rude person. ¡°Ruff! Ruff!¡± At that point, Labong barked at him, feeling anxious. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s no big deal.¡± Eunwoo gently stroked Labong to calm him. When Labong soon settled down, Eunwoo thought about the call a little while ago. ¡®She¡¯s someone else¡¯s woman¡­¡¯ There was a man Sun was dating. That was something he had not yet known. Because they had met once, and then two or three times because of Labong¡­ ¡°¡­ The more I get to know you, the more I¡¯m curious.¡± Eunwoo smiled and stroked Labong. *** A large meeting room. After arriving before the shareholders, Gyeonhui was confirming the documents. Then the door opened and Ojae came in. ¡°Mrs. Shin¡¯s return to Korea has been delayed, so the general meeting schedule was postponed in the evening.¡± The only person who could change the schedule for the general meeting was Gyeonhui¡¯s mother. As if he were dissatisfied, he frowned and turned his attention to the paperwork again. ¡°Now, let¡¯s check it out first. It¡¯s DNMB¡¯s financial status report.¡± Ojae presented the organization¡¯s documents to Gyeonhui. DNBM was an online retailer that had been emerging in the United States recently. In addition to an online sector, the company was also one of the most coveted companies in the U.S. because of a large distribution area. Recently, due to the appreciated rapid growth, the company was expanding its operations not only in the United States, but also in the United Kingdom and France. ¡°It¡¯s a solid company. It¡¯s not going to be easy to take over.¡± Ojae said, as if he had checked the documents in advance. ¡°It¡¯s not easy, so it¡¯s more attractive. We have to be merged with them to grow aggressively.¡± Gyeonhui scrutinized the report with his cold eyes. DNBM was necessary for Consencio to take control of the corporate governance within the group. ¡°Well, did you get in touch with the CEO?¡± He asked the CEO of DNBM and the head of the board. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that they¡¯re still on vacation.¡± ¡°What kind of the CEO goes on vacation for months?¡± He frowned, seemingly uninterested in understanding why. ¡°I think he had actually given almost all control to the CTO. He only has the CEO position in name.¡± ¡°Well, I have to persuade that person to take over, so find him.¡± ¡°¡­ Okay.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Ojae turned around without even being able to speak his command. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not a detective agent, and you always ask me to find someone. Hah.¡± ¡°What?¡± As Ojae murmured to himself, he felt like he had been caught in Gyeonhui¡¯s ears. ¡°Oh, no. I¡¯m going to make sure that I¡¯ll find him like a detective agent.¡± Ojae hurried cooking up a good reason. Gyeonhui then stretched his finger and pointed to Ojae¡¯s mouth. ¡°If you can¡¯t crack down on that mouth, you¡¯ll probably regret it.¡± Gyeonhui spoke in a cold voice. ¡°¡­ I know.¡± Ojae, feeling the cold atmosphere, swallowed his dry saliva. ¡°And one more thing, find out who the director at the veterinary hospital is.¡± ¡°The director?¡± ¡°Yes the veterinary hospital.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°Give it back to her.¡± Gyeonhui threw her cell phone that was in his pocket. ¡°Oh, okay.¡± He checked the instructions thoroughly and exited the meeting room. ¡°Huh.¡± As Ojae stepped out, Gyeonhui sighed with frustration. ¡®The veterinary clinic must not be busy to have extra time to take care of someone else¡¯s woman.¡¯ He was ashamed of his jealous behavior. ¡°¡­ All due to one text.¡± It was only a text, but the content of the message, which was not a big deal, would not leave his mind. Chapter 18 ¡°It¡¯s Sun!¡± The door of the room opened, and a stunned Eunyoung jumped in. ¡°¡­ You are here!¡± Sun said with a grin. ¡°I heard that you were unconscious? What happened?¡± Eunyoung tried to ask in the calmest tone. ¡°It seems I rolled down the stairs.¡± ¡°It seems? You¡¯re talking like it is someone else¡¯s story. Let me look at you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay, really.¡± Eunyoung breathed a sigh of relief only after looking directly at Sun¡¯s face and head. ¡°Luckily, I didn¡¯t get hurt much.¡± ¡°You said you were okay.¡± She smiled, pretending to be okay. Eunyoung pondered for a moment when she looked at her and then slowly opened her lips. ¡°But¡­ Mr. Woo brought you here?¡± ¡°Oh, yes¡­¡± ¡°Hah. Aren¡¯t you dizzy?¡± ¡°¡­ No, I¡¯m sorry for all this especially since you¡¯re busy.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t be. I¡¯m sorry because I didn¡¯t even know that you were sick.¡± Eunyoung seemed sad as she held Sun¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°But how did you know that I¡¯d be here?¡± ¡°The assistant who gave me a bag of medicine, the man that looks like a squid, he contacted me.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Sun understood at once as Eunyoung likened him to a squid. Then knocking was heard. A short time later, the door opened and Ojae stepped in. ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°The squid came to us when we talked about him.¡± Eunyoung looked at Ojae and said, ¡°What¡¯s up, now?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± Ojae didn¡¯t understand what Eunyoung was saying; he looked behind to see if something was behind him. ¡°What¡¯s going on now?¡± Instead of explaining, Eunyoung asked in a disgusting tone. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m here because of this.¡± Ojae carefully approached Eunyoung and handed back Sun¡¯s phone. ¡°Isn¡¯t this yours?¡± Eun-young asked when she had noticed Sun¡¯s cell phone. ¡°When she collapsed, I accidently took it, so I¡¯m here to give it back. Ahem.¡± Ojae smiled awkwardly. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll leave you alone.¡± Ojae, feeling out of place, tried to leave quickly. ¡°Excuse me.¡± At that time, Eunyoung stopped Ojae in a sharp voice. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Why does Gyeonhui keep ending up with Sun?¡± ¡°Hey Eunyoung¡­¡± In an embarrassing way, Sun tried to stop her. ¡°Stay still. I don¡¯t believe he is being up front with us. Is he?¡± Eunyoung seemed doubtful and once again asked Ojae. ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s hard for me to understand him, either. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Ojae was drenched in cold sweat, pressed by Eunyoung¡¯s bossiness. ¡°Please tell him not to confuse her and to act right.¡± ¡°Certainly, yes, please get some needed rest.¡± Ojae departed politely. ¡°They¡¯re strange people, the CEO and the assistant.¡± Eunyoung crossed her arms and fidgeted her tongue around in her mouth. Sun sighed shallowly and turned the phone on, which was turned off. ¡°What?¡± As she checked her missed calls and messages, she saw a message from the veterinary clinic. ¡®Miss. Sun, Labong is waiting for you.¡¯ She quickly checked the time, and it was already pass dinner time. ¡°Hey, I have to go.¡± ¡°What? What¡¯s going on? They said you have to rest.¡± ¡°I have to pick up Labong.¡± ¡°Labong? Who is that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I¡¯ll explain it later. I¡¯m sorry Eunyoung.¡± Sun got from her bed and hurried out of the room. ¡°Hey, hey! Sun! I¡¯ll take you!¡± Eunyoung urgently called her and followed after. *** General meeting of shareholders. ¡°¡­ Consencio¡¯s operating profit margin slumped down for the first time in the first quarter.¡± There was a rumble after the announcement of the planning team leader. Then a large monitor displayed a line graph showing the steep fall. ¡°Uh oh. This is not good.¡± ¡°There is a problem as I expected.¡± ¡°How important the CEO position really is. Such a punk kid.¡± The shareholders who checked the monitor spoke under their breath. ¡°How are you going to handle this?¡± At that time, one of the shareholders asked for Gyeonhui. ¡°Yes. If you have to say something, go ahead.¡± Angry shareholders complained to him. Gyeonhui rose from his seat as he laid down the fountain pen he was holding in his hand silently. He straightened the slightly crooked fountain pen into place right way, and looked up at the shareholders one by one. ¡°So, are you all telling me that this is my fault?¡± The meeting room rumbled again when Gyeonhui came up with a word. ¡°If not, who is supposed to be responsible for it? The operating profit growth rate that had been continuously increasing slumped as soon as the CEO changed.¡± ¡°Tchick, Tchick. I can¡¯t believe that you are the CEO.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stir up the mud to cloud the issue. This was due to impractical dividends. That¡¯s why we had bad articles about us all over the newspaper, and we had hit a headwind. Who pressured the new CEO to give the profit away to you without giving actual results? Don¡¯t you remember? It was you.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Some of the shareholders felt bad and coughed. ¡°Let¡¯s say it¡¯s our responsibility. So what are you going to do now? If you¡¯re the CEO, you have to have solutions for this.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± After stopping for a moment, Gyeonhui glanced inside the meeting room and caught the attention of the shareholders. ¡°Now, I¡¯ll fill your pockets up.¡± The shareholders rumbled and were surprised over his confident words. ¡°We¡¯re going to make your pockets thick through actual growth, not through impractical dividends. The process we are going through now is necessary for us to improve our current situation which stems from the old ways of doing business. I¡¯ll show you the first results soon, rest easy.¡± He responded with a bold statement before exiting the meeting room. ¡°Full of idiots.¡± He muttered to himself in dissatisfaction. At that time, Madam Shin in high-class attire approached him and asked, ¡°When exactly is your plan going to happen?¡± Her tone was cold, as opposed to her gentle smile. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s the acquisition of DNBM.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s going to be easy. Are you confident?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± he bluntly replied in a clerical tone. ¡°If you don¡¯t make it, it¡¯s going to be a disappointment. I¡¯m worried about this as a parent.¡± He laughed hysterically at Mrs. Shin¡¯s words. ¡°Why? We¡¯re little more than strangers at this point.¡± ¡°Well, there might be some families like that.¡± ¡°You make it sound like we¡¯re not.¡± ¡°You might think that.¡± Mrs. Shin smiled and said, staying calm. ¡°Stop this meaningless conversation.¡± ¡°Yes. Indeed. Chaekyeong will be coming to Korea today.¡± He scowled at Madam Shin¡¯s words. ¡°I really don¡¯t care about her.¡± ¡°She¡¯s going to be your wife. You should care.¡± ¡°Who are you to tell me?¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s just say it¡¯s a parent¡¯s way.¡± ¡°Hah.¡± He laughed out loud, outraged. ¡°Do your best anyway because the miserable moment comes sooner than you think.¡± After speaking, Madam Shin turned and started walking. He bit his lower lip and watched her leave from behind. *** ¡°Huh¡­¡± As he got in the car, he breathed a long sigh toward the ceiling. He tried to cool himself down, but it wasn¡¯t easy. ¡®One day, I¡¯ll make you regret this.¡¯ In his eyes, there was once again fury. With a serious face, he pulled his phone out of his pocket. ¡°Did you find DNBM¡¯s CEO?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve just come back from the hospital after retuning her cell phone.¡± ¡°Did it really take you such a long time?¡± ¡°I did it as fast as I could.¡± ¡°Did you? So you mean you¡¯re not capable even when you work your hardest. I get it.¡± ¡°No, it was because I also was looking for the director of the veterinary hospital.¡± After receiving Ojae¡¯s report, Gyeonhui paused for a moment and recalled a text from the director of the vet clinic. He remembered in every single text that the doctor affectionately called her as Miss Sun. ¡°¡­ Who the hell is this man?¡± ¡°He just returned to Korea from the United States a few months ago and opened the hospital. Sun¡¯s place is near there.¡± Gyeonhui scowled and thought for a moment. ¡°Are you listening?¡± ¡°¡­ Send the address.¡± ¡°What? Oh, okay.¡± After a while, he hung up the phone, and the address arrived as a message. After checking the address, he headed to the parking lot with a serious face. A unique layout for a bar, it had a duplex in the basement. Up front, there were six foot tall shelves with a beautiful display of various whiskies and a long wooden table with crude brick supports. In the middle of the table, Gyeonhui inhaled a series of liquors. Glasses of liquor were emptied quickly. ¡°Auh.¡± With a sigh, he checked the message on his cell phone. It was the address of the veterinary hospital that Ojae gave him. He thought about going there for a while, but he didn¡¯t take action. He thought it was unbecoming of him and wasn¡¯t professional. However, every nerve in his body was on edge thinking about the director without even knowing his face. ¡°Hey. Who is this?¡± At that time, he heard a slender tone of voice. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the CEO of Consencio?¡± He looked back and saw Choi Chunduk, who had cunning eyes fit for a con man but without the intelligence to pull off the job. He was the son of Gyeonhui¡¯s aunt, a relative, but he suffered from an inferiority complex after having stood in Gyeonhui¡¯s shadow so long. He couldn¡¯t match him for ability, appearance, or school performance. ¡°No, why are you drinking so much? Oh, yes. I understand why you feel terrible. I¡¯ve heard your company¡¯s operating profit dropped to the floor? The graph showed it dramatically bent.¡± Chunduk did not hide his opinions. Gyeonhui was already bothered by Sun¡¯s cold symptoms, but now he wanted so badly to swat Chunduk like the irritating fly that he was, but he could only scowl. ¡°So are you excited?¡± Gyeonhui asked without changing his expression. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m excited. Except for the chairman, I¡¯m actually the top man in the group.¡± Chunduk responded aloud, as if he was trying to draw attention from his surroundings. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure the kids who are always second their whole lifetime would so relish to sit in first place at least once, of course, not knowing when they¡¯re going to be pushed away again.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Was it too specific? ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t be a fool. I¡¯m number one and you¡¯re second now.¡± Chunduk struggled to smile nonchalantly. ¡°No. That¡¯s not true. ¡± He shook his head and looked at Chunduk. ¡°You can¡¯t compare the second in the entire school with the first in his class. There¡¯s a qualitative difference.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°Wow!¡± The third generation of rich families, who were watching the two fight, cheered on Gyeonhui¡¯s response. He smiled as he swiped his cup, seemingly not a big deal. Chunduk¡¯s expression became more heated by Gyeonhui¡¯s actions. ¡°I¡¯ll wait till the day you can brag about yourself like that.¡± Chunduk, whose face was swollen, said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t need to see you ever again.¡± ¡°Hah.¡± Chunduk, speechless, stared at Gyeonhui. ¡°That¡¯s my man, Woo, Gyeonhui.¡± Then a clear and ringing woman¡¯s voice echoed through the bar. The woman, with her slightly waved short hair, approached him with a fresh smile. ¡°Chaekyeong? What¡¯s up? When did you come to Korea?¡± Chunduk, who recognized Chaekyeong, opened his eyes wide and asked. ¡°Just now. Hi, Chunduk. Hi, my man.¡± She sat next to Gyeonhui and greeted the two men. ¡°Hah.¡± Gyeonhui sprang up from his seat, seemingly annoyed, without even making eye contact with her. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Any place where you¡¯re not.¡± He walked out of the bar with these last words. ¡°Oh my, how can he be so handsome even when he is angry?¡± she said as she watched his backside. ¡°I¡¯m going after him.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do that. It¡¯s been 10 years since Gyeonhui dumped you.¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s¡­hah. Why do you follow a wanker guy like him?¡± Chunduk asked, seemingly incomprehensible. ¡°He¡¯s handsome, and yes, he¡¯s a wanker, but so cool.¡± Chaekyeong¡¯s face was already smiling. ¡°Hah. Don¡¯t do that. How about dating me? I¡¯ve ranked up to No. 1 recently¡­¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t want you because you¡¯re ugly.¡± ¡°Wait, what?¡± Chaekyeong ignored Chunduk¡¯s question and knocked back the two cups left by Gyeonhui. ¡®Kuuuu.¡¯ She made a bitter face for a moment from the hard liquor. Even doing this was cute for Chunduk, and he swallowed his dry saliva. ¡°Now, why don¡¯t I chase him again?¡± ¡°Chae, Chaekyeong!¡± She hurried chasing Gyeonhui, leaving behind the embarrassed Chunduk. *** ¡°We¡¯re leaving now.¡± On the driver¡¯s word, Gyeonhui, who was sitting in the back seat, nodded silently. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Then, all of a sudden, the door opened and Chaekyeong jumped in the car. Gyeonhui frowned. ¡°What¡¯s this? Get out!¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to. It¡¯s in the same direction anyway. Let me go with you.¡± ¡°How about your car?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been drinking. Are you telling me to drink and drive?¡± ¡°Then take a taxi cab.¡± Despite his cold tone, she was not concerned. ¡°Isn¡¯t it dangerous for a drunk woman to take a taxi cab alone?¡± ¡°Hah.¡± He pressed his temple with his eyes closed as if he were in trouble. ¡°Please, let¡¯s go,¡± Chaekyeong said. ¡°Sir, May I start?¡± The driver asked in embarrassment, knowing not what to do. Chapter 19 Unwilling to talk with her anymore, Gyeonhui nodded in affirmation and quickly turned his gaze out of the window. The driver slowly set out with the group. As the car entered the narrow road, Chaekyeong started speaking again. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯ve broken up with her.¡± ¡®Madam Shin must¡¯ve told her.¡¯ Gyeonhui didn¡¯t even answer. ¡°Was it that day, three months ago? That day you answered the phone with exceptional kindness.¡± She looked at him as if she had already known what was going on with him on that day. He recalled that day. He remembered the cold rain in winter, and Sun¡¯s face wet by the rain. She seemed to burst into tears. ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t say anything useless.¡± ¡°When you are kind, it¡¯s because of her. You want to hurt her. You shouldn¡¯t do that.¡± After a moment¡¯s pause, she started speaking with a smile again. ¡°But it¡¯s actually good. You can use me again that way, you¡¯ll give me another chance.¡± She looked at him with a fresh smile. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just get out?¡± ¡°No.¡± Chaekyeong was calm and composed. ¡°She hasn¡¯t met anyone yet? She was pretty.¡± Gyeonhui scowled at Chaekyeong¡¯s words. The director of the veterinary hospital, who spoke on the phone with Gyeonhui in the afternoon, came to mind. ¡°Is she seeing someone? Then that would be something to celebrate for everyone, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± After Chaekyeong saw his expression, she began to enthusiastically clap her hands together. ¡°Stop the car here for a second please.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± The driver pulled the car off to the side of the road. Then, Chaekyeong feeling that he was going to force her to get out of the car, quickly fastened her seatbelt tightly. ¡°If you¡¯re going to force me to get out of the car, don¡¯t even think about it,¡± she said with a cute smile as if she had already experienced it several times. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to.¡± ¡°Really?¡± She recoiled at his unexpected answer. Instead of answering, Gyeonhui suddenly got out of the car and closed the car door. ¡°Please take her to her destination.¡± ¡°What? Hey! Gyeonhui!¡± She was surprised by his unexpected behavior. She tried to follow him out, but her seatbelt didn¡¯t unhook. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Meanwhile, the car departed, and eventually as she failed to get out, she pushed her face out of the window. ¡°Even if you push me away like this, you know that I¡¯m still going to come back to you again? I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± She smiled brightly and waved her hand. ¡°Argh. You¡¯re such a¡­¡± He shook his head at how annoying she was. As his car moved away, Gyeonhui hailed a taxi cab. He got into the back seat of the taxi that stopped in front of him. ¡°Where would you like to go?¡± When asked by the taxi driver, he took out his phone and showed his text to the driver. ¡°¡­ Please go here.¡± It was the address that Ojae sent. *** ¡°Raise a puppy?¡± Eunyoung was driving and seemed to be in doubt. ¡°Yes.¡± Sun, seated in the passenger seat, nodded and answered. ¡°All of a sudden getting a puppy? You¡¯ve never raised one before.¡± Eunyoung asked again because she knew Sun wasn¡¯t interested in pets. ¡°¡­Well, it just happened anyway.¡± Sun considered for a moment to explain it, but she soon gave up. ¡°But why the veterinary hospital?¡± ¡°¡­He was injured slightly on his leg.¡± ¡°The dog?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± Sun responded with a low voice, seemingly anxious. ¡°Uhhh.¡± Eunyoung breathed a long sigh of concern. ¡°Are you lonely? Would you like me to introduce someone to you?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s not that.¡± ¡°If you get lonely, why don¡¯t you date a man instead getting a puppy.¡± ¡°I said it¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have anyone you are seeing these days?¡± ¡°It¡¯s only been a short while since we broke up.¡± ¡°It has been three months and ten days.¡± ¡°You know better than me?¡± ¡°I do. I know you better than you know yourself, so listen to what I say.¡± Eunyoung continued in a persuading tone. Sun nodded silently, knowing Eunyoung was concerned about her more than anyone else. Meanwhile, Eunyoung¡¯s car reached an alley near Sun¡¯s house. ¡°Hey, let me get out here.¡± ¡°Here?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s hard to turn your car around once you go down the narrow path.¡± ¡°¡­ Okay.¡± When Eunyoung reluctantly pulled her car over, Sun got out of the car. ¡°Hey, Sun.¡± Sun turned her head to Eunyoung. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°¡­ Start a new relationship with someone else and forget about him.¡± Sun smiled bitterly at the suggestion. ¡°Thank you for dropping me off.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Go ahead. You said Bong¡­something is waiting for you.¡± ¡°Yes, see you tomorrow.¡± Sun smiled and said goodbye to Eunyoung. As Eunyoung¡¯s car left, Sun sighed unknowingly. ¡®¡­ How good would it be if it was as easy as it sounds?¡¯ Sun shook her head as if she were trying to shake her depression. Then she took out her phone and checked the time. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m too late.¡± Sun started walking quickly. *** Eunwoo looked out the window with a slightly anxious face. The office should have been closed, yet Sun still hadn¡¯t arrived. ¡°Hmm, something¡¯s going on with her?¡± The call he received during the day continued to be of concern to him. ¡®Ring. Ring.¡¯ When the doorbell rang, Eunwoo quickly raised his head and looked at the doorway. Unfortunately, it was a tall man, not Sun. The man with dark black hair looked straight at Eunwoo and stepped inside. ¡°Welcome.¡± Even the friendliness of Eunwoo¡¯s welcome did not elicit a response from the man. Dust free shoes, perfect suit without wrinkles, and an unflinching cold face. He was a man tailor made to perfection. The man looked inside the clinic and glanced at the puppies in the cages. ¡°I would like to buy a puppy.¡± ¡°Oh, will you adopt one? What kind of puppy do you have in mind?¡± ¡°A small one that¡¯s easy to handle.¡± Eunwoo¡¯s face was instantly curious as he heard the man¡¯s tone. ¡°Oh, sure.¡± Eun-woo responded with a smile, Then Eunwoo slowly looked at the dogs in the cages and began to feel sorry for him. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any dog that suits your interests here at our hospital.¡± The man scowled at Eunwoo¡¯s words. ¡°What are you talking about? What are these dogs then?¡± ¡°At our hospital, the dogs choose their owners,because they have been hurt in the past. But they¡¯re all scared of you. I think you¡¯ve not been chosen by any of them.¡± ¡°Huh!¡± The man smiled indignantly and then stared at Eunwoo. ¡°Now, tell me what brought you here.¡± ¡°What, what are you talking about?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve seen each other. Oh, no. Actually, only your voice is familiar.¡± Eunwoo was able to recognize the man¡¯s voice from the telephone conversation they had earlier that day. ¡°You¡¯re quick-witted.¡± He smiled wryly. They looked at each other silently for a moment. ¡®Ring Ring.¡¯ Then, with the door bells, the eyes of the two men headed to the doorway. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I¡¯m so late.¡± Sun said, breathing heavily as she barged in. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve been busy with a customer anyway.¡± Eunwoo smiled and turned his attention to Gyeonhui. Sun also turned her head naturally, following Eunwoo¡¯s gaze. ¡°Gyeon, Gyeonhui?¡± His unexpected appearance made her freeze immediately. Eunwoo moved his gaze from Gyeonhui and looked at Sun. Gyeonhui shifted his gaze from Sun and looked at Eunwoo. Only the awkward air flowed quietly between all of their eyes. ¡°You two, do you know each other?¡± Eunwoo pretended not to know anything and asked Sun. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± She answered uncontrollably, and she turned her attention to Gyeonhui. She needed a moment to pretend to be as casual as possible. ¡°¡­ I forgot to say thank you. I appreciate that you took me to the hospital.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Gyeonhui seemed to dislike her tone of voice. ¡°You went to the hospital and that¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t get ahold of you? Are you okay now?¡± Eunwoo interrupted their conversation and cut off Gyeonhui. Gyeonhui stared at Eunwoo, frowning in displeasure. ¡°Oh, yeah, it was no big deal. It was just anemia.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯d like to have a meal some other time. I think I¡¯ll have to help this guest.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± Sun had no idea what it meant and stared at Eunwoo. Eunwoo smiled and winked at her. In the meantime, Gyeonhui, who heard the word ¡®Dinner¡¯, scowled. ¡°Can I take Labong now?¡± Sun asked Eunwoo, trying to avoid Gyeonhui¡¯s eyes. ¡°Sure. Labong waited for you all day long.¡± ¡°¡­ Thank you very much.¡± Sun responded with a smile, carefully moving Labong to the dog crate and hanging it on her shoulder. Gyeonhui could not find any signs of pain in her face. However, he could still feel the pain of her throbbing body, as if she had been beaten, and the pounding headache. It was her pain, not his. ¡®How can you pretend to be normal? You¡¯re in such terrible pain¡­¡¯ He couldn¡¯t understand her. No. He was angry. He saw her pretending to be fine in front of Eunwoo. Gyeonhui got mad. ¡°Sun, I need to talk with you.¡± At his call, she unwittingly stopped. After realizing her own actions, she bit her lower lip. ¡°¡­ I have nothing to talk about or discuss with you,¡± Sun could not face his gaze, but she spoke courageously. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later.¡± Sun departed with Eunwoo and walked past Gyeonhui before exiting the hospital. ¡°You¡­ Hey. Cheonsun!¡± Gyeonhui hurried to follow her. Eunwoo then blocked Gyeonhui¡¯s way. ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± Gyeonhui asked, seemingly outraged. ¡°You lied. You said she¡¯s your woman.¡± ¡°¡­ Get out of the way.¡± Gyeonhui spoke in a cold tone, but Eunwoo didn¡¯t move. Rather, Eunwoo looked at Gyeonhui with a relaxed smile. ¡°I think you¡¯re just stalking her.¡± ¡°Stalking?¡± ¡°Yes, it is you alone stalking her.¡± Eunwoo smiled and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s not your business.¡± ¡°I¡¯m making it my business now.¡± Gyeonhui scowled on Eunwoo¡¯s firm eyes. ¡°It would be better for you not to care about it.¡± ¡°It would also be better for you to learn how to speak politely.¡± After Eunwoo finished what he had to say, Eunwoo looked out of the door. Fortunately, Sun had already gone away and wasn¡¯t seen. ¡°Now, please leave. It¡¯s time to close the clinic.¡± Eunwoo said, without forgetting to smile. Gyeonhui walked out with a frown as he passed Eunwoo. ¡°Hold on. Gyeonhui? I think that¡¯s your name.¡± Eunwoo asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary to introduce ourselves to each other.¡± ¡°You have to remember because I don¡¯t know when I¡¯m going to see you again. You know my name, don¡¯t you? I¡¯m Eunwoo Park at Blue Rose Veterinary Hospital. Watching him introducing himself, Gyeonhui looked at Eun-woo and calmly said, ¡°I¡¯m Gyeonhui Woo, the CEO of Consencio.¡± There was a slight change on Eunwoo¡¯s face when Gyeonhui said he was the CEO of Consecio. It was obviously surprising to hear it because he was the CEO of such a large company that everyone knew. ¡®You¡¯re only a veterinary doctor.¡¯ He looked at Eunwoo with a smirk and left through the hospital door. ¡°Huh¡± Eunwoo sighed for a long time as Gyeonhui left. ¡°What an interesting relationship.¡± Eunwoo smiled curiously. *** After she came home, she let a long sigh out. ¡°Why was he there?¡± She couldn¡¯t understand how he ended up at the veterinary hospital. ¡®Kung! Kung! Kung¡¯. Then she heard knocking at her front door. She didn¡¯t expect anyone at this time, so she became anxious. ¡°¡­ Who is it?¡± ¡°Open the door.¡± There was only one person in the world who could say that to her. ¡®¡­ How did he know I was here?¡¯ She bit her lips anxiously. ¡°Wherever you go, you¡¯re still in my palm. Open the door.¡± ¡°¡­No, I don¡¯t want to,¡± Sun replied angrily. ¡°Open it.¡± ¡°I said I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Open, before I knock down this door.¡± ¡°¡­ Please go back, please.¡± ¡°Open. I¡¯m going to just see your face and leave.¡± His calming voice was heard through the door. Just your face, please, just your face. His words reverberated in her ear steadily. ¡®Don¡¯t open it. Absolutely not¡­¡¯ She repeated it several times in her head; Sun¡¯s hand was already on the door. ¡®¡­Okay, because he took me to the hospital today¡­¡¯ Sun eventually persuaded herself to open the door. ¡®Tang. Tang. Tang.¡¯ As soon as the door opened, he pushed her roughly and stepped inside. He pushed her shoulders all the way to the wall. ¡°What? You don¡¯t want to? Go back? When did you ever say that to me? Huh?¡± He asked in an abusing voice. ¡°¡­ Please don¡¯t do this.¡± ¡°What? I haven¡¯t done anything yet. Or is there something you want from me?¡± ¡°¡­ Nothing. That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Liar.¡± He looked at her, full of confidence. She turned her head, but he turned her face again. She tried to push him with her delicate hands, but she was blocked by his hands. He held her two wrists with one hand and lifted them over her head. He looked down at Sun¡¯s eyes and slowly approached. Her eyes were shaking violently. Gyeonhui knew they were representing her mind. ¡°Stop it¡­¡± Her voice was trembling. Chapter 20 A smile came to his face as soon as he confirmed she was confused. He slowly approached her like a predator hunting for food. His lips approached, but she was paralyzed like a mouse in front of a snake. ¡°Ouch!¡± Then, he screamed because of the pain in his toes. ¡°What is this!?¡± Surprised by the pain of being bitten by something, he quickly checked his toes. ¡°Ruff! Ruff!¡± Labong, who had bitten his toes with all his might, barked at him. ¡°Are you kidding me!¡± Gyeonhui stomped his foot loudly to scare him. ¡®Kung!¡¯ ¡®Angg, angg!¡¯ The stunned Labong shuddered. Sun¡¯s eyes shook as she watched the frightened dog, Labong. Labong was advocating on behalf of herself in front of him until a little while ago. ¡°Ruff! Ruff! Grrrrrr! Ruffl! Ruff!¡± But Labong didn¡¯t give up and barked at him. At that moment/ Sun began to feel a small flame inside her chest. ¡°You!¡± He tried to approach Labong annoyed. ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t do it.¡± Sun blocked his path. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I said, don¡¯t do that to Labong.¡± It was a firm and unfamiliar voice. When he saw her eyes, he could see the change. ¡°Go back.¡± He looked at Sun in disbelief. She pushed him out of the door, standing firm. He was pushed out of the door without a response. ¡°I don¡¯t have any spot for you anymore at my place. So go back.¡± ¡°You, Cheonsun¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡®Bang!¡¯ Finally, she closed the door vigorously. ¡°¡­ Huhh.¡± She leaned against the door and took a long breath. Her legs were like jello, and her fingers trembled. ¡°Yip, yip.¡± Labong approached and looked up at Sun. Sun carefully embraced Labong¡¯s legs, careful not to touch his injured leg. ¡°¡­ Thank you, Labong. Thank you.¡± Tears flowed down her cheeks. Labong, still staring, gently licked her cheeks. She hugged Labong while she was biting her lips tightly. His soft hair and little warm body seemed to comfort her mind immediately. *** The next morning. ¡°Hah¡± He opened his eyes and scowled upon a terrible hangover. On the table, bottles of wine from yesterday were empty. ¡®Knock, knock.¡¯ With the knocking, his assistant came in. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up with you drinking that much of alcohol?¡± ¡°¡­ Shut up. My head is killing me.¡± ¡°No matter what Sun does to you, you have to think about your body.¡± ¡°What?¡± Gyeonhui was a little surprised. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember yesterday?¡± ¡°What about yesterday?¡± ¡°You said you were kicked out of her place? You were even bitten by a little puppy. The dog wouldn¡¯t have rabies, would it?¡± ¡°Did I¡­ Did I say that to you? All of it?¡± Gyeonhui clenched his fists in disappointment because he couldn¡¯t forgive himself. ¡°I don¡¯t have any spot for you anymore in my place. So go back. I¡¯ve memorized it all because you said it over and over yesterday.¡± ¡°¡­ Would you shut up?¡± ¡°Hup.¡± Ojae quickly closed his mouth because of Gyeonhui¡¯s cold eyes. ¡°Hah.¡± Again, her words hummed in his ears. ¡°How about your body? Do you feel better?¡± ¡°¡­ The headache is driving me crazy.¡± ¡°How about the cold?¡± ¡°Cold? Ah¡­¡± The hangover was severe, but the cold symptoms had improved a lot. ¡°I¡¯m glad that you took her to the hospital. The flu shot saved you.¡± ¡°Please shut your mouth. Do you want to announce it to the entire world? ¡± ¡°Why? Are you afraid she¡¯s going to get revenge on you?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s a bad person. Why don¡¯t you be honest and ask for help?¡± ¡°Are you crazy? How do I know what she¡¯s going to do?¡± ¡°You should treat people better than that.¡± Ojae pulled his unfiltered thoughts through his mouth again. Gyeonhui looked at Ojae without saying a word for a moment. ¡°Yes, but I have been good to people. Look, you¡¯re still here.¡± Ojae was embarrassed because Gyeonhui was right, so he quickly changed the subject. ¡°I mean, are you not going to do anything to handle it?¡± ¡°What do you want me to do then?¡± ¡°We have to do something. What if something happens to her? A cold had nearly killed her.¡± ¡°¡­ Umm.¡± In Ojae¡¯s words, Gyeonhui remembered the finger pain he had yesterday. He was so sick over a slight cut on his finger. He didn¡¯t even want to imagine her getting in to a car accident. He had a chill down his back. ¡°I have to make sure that she doesn¡¯t get hurt¡­¡± One thing came to his mind after he calmly organized his thoughts. ¡°Do you have a good idea?¡± Instead of answering Ojae¡¯s question, he thought for a moment. ¡®¡­Do I really have to do that to her¡­¡¯ But he shook his head unwillingly. ¡°¡­No, I have to find another way.¡± He spoke with a serious face. ¡°You can¡¯t help it. I¡¯ll think about it.¡± ¡°You?¡± Gyeonhui asked him with no expectation. However, without a suitable alternative, Gyeonhui breathed a long sigh of frustration. *** ¡®Ring Ring.¡¯ Eunwoo was playing with a cat, looked up at the door bell. Eunwoo responded with a smile as Sun awkwardly greeted him. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m so sorry about yesterday.¡± ¡°Yesterday? Oh, it¡¯s not a big deal. Hey, Labong, you¡¯re here!¡± Eunwoo looked at Labong as if nothing had happened. She thanked Eunwoo for his thoughtful behavior and felt a little more relaxed. Eunwoo examined Labong¡¯s leg and looked at her. ¡°Yesterday, I think it¡¯s probably because of the text I sent.¡± ¡°Yes? What was it?¡± ¡°Yesterday I texted you and he called me.¡± ¡®After he saw the text from you?¡¯ Gyeonhui had a strong desire for possession, and he reacted to Eunwoo¡¯s kind text. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Sun understood why he visited the veterinary clinic yesterday. ¡°Well, you have to go to work. I will take care of Labong today.¡± ¡°¡­ Yes, thank you very much.¡± Sun cleared her mind with Eunwoo¡¯s words. She gently stroked Labong and left the hospital. ¡®Why do you do this when it¡¯s too late¡­¡¯ When one question was resolved, another question was raised. A sigh of relief leaked from Sun¡¯s mouth throughout her stride. ¡®Tuduk, tukduk¡¯. Suddenly, it started raining as if the sky had read her mind. ¡°Huh?¡± Sun was surprised; she quickly shunted to the entrance of a nearby building, but that was all she could do. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what to do.¡± She had to hurry up to get to work, but the rain started to pour once again and showed no signs of slowing down. She looked around after she headed out, but she didn¡¯t see any convenience stores where she could buy an umbrella. It was a problem to wait it out, and she had no one to help her. ¡°Aww.¡± Determined to get through the rain, Sun plunged out into it, covering herself with her coat. Water splashed down the steps rushing to the road all-the-while soaking her shoes. In an instant, her coat was wet, and the rain spilled over onto her head. But at some point, she didn¡¯t feel the rain falling on her. As the rain seemed to let up, she lifted her face still covering herself with her coat. There was still heavy rain in the sky. It was only then that Sun noticed a large black umbrella covering her. ¡°It¡¯s a lot of rain.¡± Then, a snob, soft voice, was heard in her ears. She was surprised and turned her head as she saw Eunwoo¡¯s face with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t you need an umbrella?¡± Eunwoo looked at her with more concern. ¡°Oh, Sir?¡± A surprised Sun opened her eyes wide and looked up at Eunwoo. Under one umbrella, two people were gazing at each other, gently embraced by the rain. ¡°I thought I¡¯d catch up to you more quickly, but you¡¯re faster than you look.¡± Eunwoo looked at Sun¡¯s wet head and said that he felt sorry for her. Sun later realized that Eunwoo had hurried over to help her. ¡°Your clothes¡­¡± She noticed Eunwoo¡¯s operating gown was now wet in the rain. The back of his pants were muddied as he ran with his slippers on. ¡°I can change. Take this umbrella with you.¡± Eunwoo gave the umbrella to her without worrying about his appearance. ¡°Well, it¡¯s okay. The bus stop isn¡¯t far away.¡± Sun shook her head and refused to take it. Eunwoo placed his umbrella in her rain-soaked hand. His warmth stayed at her fingertips and then disappeared. ¡°Take it. You¡¯re still fighting off a cold.¡± After he said this, Eunwoo suddenly jumped into the rain. ¡°Hey, Hey Dr. Park!¡± Sun called him hurriedly, but Eunwoo had quickly gone away. Eun-woo stopped for a moment and turned around. He even shook his hand as if to tell her to go ahead. Sun looked away from Eunwoo and turned her gaze to her own hands. His warmth seemed to remain. Awkwardly holding the handle of the umbrella, she looked up once again and looked at Eunwoo¡¯s back. His appearance was getting further away in the rain. *** Upon arriving at the entrance to the office, Sun brushed off the rain from the umbrella. As she carefully descended the wet staircase, she heard Eunyoung¡¯s voice. ¡°Ari, how about this outfit? Doesn¡¯t it look great?¡± Her voice was a little more excited than usual. Sun wanted to know what was going on and went inside. ¡°That looks really sharp.¡± Ari responded like a machine by not looking at it but keeping an eye on her work. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here! I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s so bothersome.¡± Ari responded with a small voice, pouting her lips. ¡°This scarf? Is it a little old-fashioned?¡± Again, Eunyoung asked. ¡°No, it¡¯s not¡­¡± ¡°How about the lipstick¡­¡± ¡°You look great.¡± Ari was already answering the question, not knowing how long this would go on. ¡°What¡¯s going on with her?¡± Sun looked at them both, lowered her voice and asked, ¡°Oh, she has a meeting with Mr. Song today.¡± ¡°Mr. Song?¡± ¡°Yes, from the W department store, the MD manager. The man with bold hair.¡± ¡°But are we going to work with them? Eunyoung said she wasn¡¯t interested in working with them.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what those people think about us, but it¡¯s an opportunity that came along.¡± Sun felt sorry for Ari because she interrupted what she had to say. Gyeonhui said she wasn¡¯t the cause of the acquisition cancellation, but Sun knew that she was partly responsible for it. ¡°Huh? You¡¯re here.¡± Eunyoung greeted her when she saw Sun. It seemed she was only thinking of the meeting today. ¡°Now, let¡¯s check it out again.¡± At Eunyoung¡¯s suggestion, Ari quickly checked her laptop. ¡°We¡¯ve got the laptop and the plan to present. It¡¯s all set!¡± Ari responded like a rapper as if she memorized it all. ¡°It¡¯s good! Let¡¯s fight it together.¡± Eunyoung clapped her hands once,and prepared to go. ¡°Wait a minute, Eunyoung.¡± Sun called Eunyoung who was about to leave. ¡°Yeah, What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to go. You¡¯re still fighting off a cold.¡± ¡°No, I feel much better now. I want to help you with everything.¡± ¡°¡­ Hmm.¡± ¡°Alright. In fact, the Bizo character was also created by you. Why don¡¯t we all go together?¡± Ari next to Sun also chimed in. ¡°Hmm. Alright!¡± Eunyoung left the office first with a smile. Ari exchanged glances with Sun and quickly followed Eunyoung. Sun put her coat on and looked at a small bear doll next to the table. Even though the face was chic, the character was designed with the concept of a sweet lover. ¡°Thank you very much. Bizo.¡± She stroked the doll and mumbled to herself. ¡°Hey, if you¡¯re procrastinating, we¡¯ll just leave without you!¡± Ari¡¯s cry was heard from the stairs. ¡°Let¡¯s go now!¡± Sun answered and hurried out of the office. *** The underground parking lot of the building located in Nonhyun-dong. There was a lot of dampness in the air throughout the afternoon. Lying in the car with his chair leaning back, Gyeonhui frowned as if he wasn¡¯t satisfied with something. ¡®Bzzz.¡¯ When the text arrived, he reluctantly picked up his phone. ¡®Aren¡¯t you coming in? She¡¯s here.¡¯ ¡°Hah.¡± After confirming Ojae¡¯s message, he exhaled a long sigh. After a moment of contemplation, he texted him condescendingly. ¡®Is this what you came up with?¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re going to protect her so she doesn¡¯t get injured anymore? Are there any other ways?¡¯ He was unable to answer him, so he nervously threw his phone to the side. He twisted and turned his body several times not willing to do this, and then finally raised himself He had no other way around it. ¡°Ahh!¡± After getting out of the car, he closed the door loudly, left the parking lot, and headed for the caf¨¦. Wearing sunglasses, he looked just like a celebrity. ¡®Bzzz.¡¯ Then, again, his cell phone rang. ¡°I¡¯m going in!¡± Of course, he thought it was Ojae as he scolded him over the phone. Chapter 21 ¡°Where? Where are you going?¡± Over the phone, Chaekyeong¡¯s voice was heard, not Ojae¡¯s. Gyeonhui was a little surprised and checked the phone number on the screen before sighing deeply. ¡°Hah. Don¡¯t call me.¡± ¡°Have you ever seen me doing what you asked me to do? By the way, where are you now?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to know.¡± He hung up the phone, bothered. Then he got another call, but he turned it on silent. ¡°So many things to take care of at once¡­¡± He was annoyed and began walking. He didn¡¯t go to the front door but instead headed to the back door. He opened the door, looked around, and carefully stepped inside. He looked up and saw Sun and the people from the Kids¡¯ Fans meeting with their customers. ¡°Come here please.¡± In one corner of the caf¨¦, Ojae called him with a small voice. He lowered his upper body and plunked down on a chair. ¡°Really¡­ Are you sure this is the only way?¡± He asked, as if he were dissatisfied. ¡°We have to protect her. There is no better way than following her.¡± Ojae said, eating a piece of chocolate cake. ¡°But it¡¯s¡­ Never mind.¡± He was dissatisfied with his own actions, but there were no other ways around it. ¡°Have some. Aren¡¯t you hungry?¡± Ojae pointed to the coffee and cakes that he ordered. Gyeonhui was still annoyed and stared at Ojae. ¡°Can you please eat it quietly? Wipe your mouth while you¡¯re eating.¡± Ojae inevitably had to give in and eat the cake with his mouth shut. Ojae¡¯s appearance and behaviors made Gyeonhui more annoyed. ¡°¡­ Huwmm.¡± With his arms crossed, he barely endured the anger that was welling up in his mind. He turned his head and saw Sun meeting with her customers through the window. ¡°Don¡¯t you drink coffee?¡± Ojae asked while looking at the coffee in front of Gyeonhui, who had barely spoken. ¡°My stomach doesn¡¯t feel good.¡± ¡°That¡¯s no good. Ah, the hangover. Then I¡¯ll drink your coffee instead.¡± As if Ojae had been waiting eagerly, he took Gyeonhui¡¯s coffee and slurped it loudly. ¡°Arghh¡­¡± He barely fought back the anger. ¡°But does she feel your hangover?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You said, you feel her pain, but does she also feel your pain, too?¡± Gyeonhui remembered the memory of last night. Labong bit his toes hard, but Sun seemed to have no pain. ¡°¡­ No, I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°¡­ Not sure? Would you like to check it out?¡± ¡°How?¡± Gyeonhui wondered and asked in a low voice ¡°Then promise me you won¡¯t get mad.¡± ¡°Mad? Why?¡± ¡°Just promise me anyway. Then I¡¯ll check it out for you.¡± Gyeonhui, who still didn¡¯t understand what Ojae was trying to do, looked at him with a suspicious gaze and then nodded quickly. As soon as Gyeonhui nodded, Ojae then picked up the fork as if he had waited so long to do this and stabbed him in the forearm. ¡°Oh! Oh, Ouch!¡± Gyeonhui distorted his face without even making a loud noise. ¡°¡­ Are you crazy?¡± Struggling with pain, he spoke in a low voice. ¡°Hmm. It seems she does not feel your pain.¡± Ojae said, pretending not to listen to Gyeonhui. He turned his head and looked at the Sun. In her face at the meeting, there was no pain from the fork. ¡°That¡¯s unfair¡­ Huh¡­¡± He still scowled even though the pain had vanished. Ojae glanced at Gyeonhui¡¯s face as if he had deserved the pain, and then he quickly changed his expression. ¡°Did you hurt me on purpose?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? It was definitely only out of necessity. Huh? She is looking at us!¡± Ojae quickly bowed his head and whimpered. As if Gyeonhui was lying on his chair, he leaned back to avoid her gaze. She turned, and fortunately, she didn¡¯t see the two of them. ¡°Oh, seriously.¡± He mumbled to himself in dissatisfaction. No matter how deeply he thought about ways to protect her, following her didn¡¯t seem right. Then a familiar woman entered the caf¨¦ entrance. He blinked his eyes several times and looked at her. ¡°Hey Chaekyeong?¡± He said to himself as if he were surprised by Chakyeong¡¯s unexpected visit to the cafe. However, Gyeonhui soon realized what had just happened and looked at Ojae. ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m really innocent. Just¡­ she asked me where you¡¯d be, so I told her you¡¯re going to be here¡­I really didn¡¯t know she was going to come.¡± ¡°Huh? Hey, Gyeonhui!¡± She looked around the cafe and quickly found him and shouted. Gyeonhui¡¯s name echoed through the caf¨¦. Because of the familiar name, Sun¡¯s gaze eventually turned to Gyeonhui, too. He quickly turned his head and avoided her gaze ¡°Did she see me? Did she?¡± he looked at Ojae sitting on the other side and asked. ¡°Um? I¡¯m not sure if she did¡­¡± Ojae also turned his head, so there was no way to confirm it. Gyeonhui frowned and checked on her through the window where she was. The rest of the people were still there, but only her seat was empty. ¡®Where did she go?¡¯ He looked around the caf¨¦, which was reflected by the windows. Then she could see Sun coming toward him from behind. ¡°This is c¡­ crazy.¡± Cold sweat spilled from Gyeonhui¡¯s¡¯s back. He felt his spine go cold. In a fairly large caf¨¦, a long wooden table sat in the middle of a group from Kids Fans and Mr. Song ¡®Tack, Tack, Tack.¡¯ Mr. Song tapped the table with a fountain pen, frowning. Mr. Song looked through the proposal many times, but his expression did not change. ¡°Mr. Song.¡± A member of staff next to him handed out a note to Mr. Song. After confirming the message, Mr. Song nodded and started talking, ¡°Definitely a weak concept.¡± Mr. Song¡¯s response was certainly more negative than expected. ¡°If you look at it here, it¡¯s a character great enough to draw attention.¡± Eunyoung once again showed the cute animal character in her palm to him, and said. ¡°But the concept of ¡®lover¡¯ is pretty childish. I¡¯d rather see a ¡®healing¡¯ concept than a ¡®lover¡¯.¡± Mr. Song was covering the fountain pen with its cap as if he had already decided. ¡°You don¡¯t have more to show me, do you?¡± No one answered Mr. Song¡¯s question. ¡°If you have a different concept, please send it to me by the weekend. We¡¯re leaving now for other scheduled appointments.¡± Mr. Song¡¯s team rose from their seats. Only three members of Kids Fan were left in the spacious group meeting room. ¡°Oh. It was they who requested the meeting.¡± Ari drank water while fighting down her anger. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s not over yet. Let¡¯s produce something by the end of the weekend.¡± Eunyoung tried to encourage the staff to pretend this didn¡¯t affect them. However, Sun knew that Eunyoung was more frustrated than anyone else. As long as we lost the business with Consencio, we had to make sure that we retained the business with the W department store. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Staying here doesn¡¯t solve anything.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t they at least clear the table? This is outrageous.¡± Ari, clearing the table, complained as her lips were pouting. Sun helped Ari to clean the table as if she felt sorry for the meeting, too. Then she noticed a crumpled note on the table. It was the memo that one of the staff from the W department store gave to Mr. Song in the meeting. The memo contained a shocking comment when Sun opened it without much thought. ¡®Any company that has business with Kids Fan will be excluded from doing business with Consencio.¡¯ The shocking message struck Sun. ¡°Hey, Sun. What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s up?¡± Ari looked up and tried to see the message. ¡°Oh, this is nothing.¡± She hid her hands with the memo behind her back. ¡°What is it?¡± Ari quickly put off her interest and cleaned the remaining drinks from the table. ¡°Huhm¡­¡± A long sigh leaked from Sun¡¯s mouth. It was a moment of realization. She clutched the memo in her hand while silently clenching her teeth. Then, with the appearance of a woman, the caf¨¦ stirred alive. ¡°Heh? Gyeonhui!¡± A familiar stranger¡¯s cry was heard as Sun involuntarily turned her head. As she followed the short-haired woman¡¯s gaze, she was able to see him sitting in the corner of the caf¨¦. He quickly turned his head not to be noticed, but she could still recognize him from behind. ¡°Why is he here?¡± Eunyoung asked, disgusted. But instead of answering, Sun was already stepping toward him. *** ¡®This is crazy¡­¡¯ With nowhere to run away from the corner, Gyeonhui was perplexed, biting his lower lip. Sun¡¯s reflection in the window suddenly approached the front of the table. ¡°Mr. Gyeonhui.¡± As Sun began to speak, Chaekyeong sat next to him. ¡°Hey! Did you wait for me because you missed me so badly?¡± She held his arm tightly and spoke in a cute voice. ¡°Go, go away.¡± He panicked and pushed her away, but it was not easy to remove her hand as it stuck to him like a gum. Sun looked at her doing this silently and then moved her gaze to Gyeonhui. ¡°¡­ I see you often these days.¡± When Sun spoke, he turned his head and looked up at her. ¡°What is this tone of voice? Are you accusing me of following you?¡± He raised his voice to ask if he were guilty. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that, and I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯m not supposed to say such things to you.¡± He glanced at her as if it were uncomfortable to see her. ¡°I have something to say.¡± ¡°Something to say?¡± ¡°¡­ I hope you don¡¯t get involved in my life anymore.¡± Her unbelievable proclamation widened his eyes. Chaekyeong was also curious as she watched them from the side. ¡°¡­ Does this look familiar?¡± Sun dropped the crumpled note she held in front of him, and turned herself around and stepped toward her group. ¡°You, you.¡± He rose from his seat, seemingly angry. Then Chaekyeong blocked his way ¡°What are you doing? Get out of the way.¡± ¡°Just send her away now.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to see my man being swayed. So listen to me for now.¡± He spoke with a serious expression as usual. ¡°Hah¡­.¡± He exhaled with a sigh of frustration. ¡°But what the hell is this?¡± Chaekyeong opened up and read the memo left by Sun. ¡®Any company that has business with Kids Fan will be excluded from doing business with Consencio?¡¯ At the moment, Gyeonhui immediately scowled. At the same time, he understood the meaning of what she had said. ¡°What¡¯s going on¡­¡± Ojae had noticed the situation and expressed himself in disgust. ¡°This is all because of you! Is this the only way? Get out of the way!¡± He pushed Ojae out of the way and left the caf¨¦. After a while, Chaekyeong saw Gyeonhui¡¯s car peeled out from the parking lot loudly. ¡°Hmm, he¡¯s still spectacular.¡± Looking at Gyeonhui¡¯s car, she glanced to the seat where Sun had sat just a bit ago. ¡°Number sixteen is still pretty as well.¡± A curious smile enveloped her face. Chapter 22 Izakaya bar near the office. ¡°Ku¡­¡± Ari sipped a glass of beer at once and roughly dropped the cup on the table. ¡°What a horrible guy. He has already met a new girl.¡± Ari roughly tore the Okonomiyaki Japanese pancake apart that came out as an appetizer, as if her anger wouldn¡¯t go away smoothly. ¡°It¡¯s rather good. Now you¡¯re on your own.¡± Eunyoung looked at Sun¡¯s face. She was just spinning the beer glass in place without saying a word. ¡°Are you not angry? You should have splashed some water at him.¡± ¡°Water can¡¯t solve this.¡± Eunyoung intervened. ¡°Throwing water at him would be a waste. Oh, but he¡¯s just so annoying! Ahh!¡± Ari yelled as if she were upset, even thinking about what happened to them today. ¡°Why does it drive you so crazy? Here¡¯s the person who should feel much worse about what happened.¡± When Eunyoung gestured to tell Ari to be quite, Ari looked at Sun¡¯s face. Sun shrugged as if she were okay and filled her glass with beer solemnly. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry, everybody. It¡¯s all because of me.¡± She smiled and apologized to them. ¡°No, don¡¯t have to. We appreciate that we¡¯ve made it this far because of you. Don¡¯t you agree, Ari?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Upon hearing Eunyoung¡¯s words, Ari agreed quickly. ¡°Would you two like to go to a workshop tomorrow to refresh ourselves?¡± ¡°It¡¯s totally cool. My friend went to Jeongsun and said the accommodation there was really great, but¡­ It¡¯s expensive.¡± Ari looked at Eunyoung and said. ¡°I don¡¯t care. We only go there once in a while. Is there anything special to see in Jeongsun?¡± ¡°Yes. There are railbikes, and also a time capsule park. Let¡¯s go there! Please?¡± Sun¡¯s face sank as Ari recalled the ¡®Time Capsule Park.¡¯ She had been there before with Gyeonhui. ¡®When the flowers bloom on the coffee trees, let¡¯s visit again.¡¯ With her arms crossed, she remembered what she had said to him. ¡°Hey, Sun, what¡¯s on your mind?¡± Eunyoung, who was reading Sun¡¯s face, asked. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m all right.¡± Sun smiled awkwardly and answered. Eunyoung calmly looked at Sun and nodded. ¡°We can figure out the workshop idea later, where should we go for the second round?¡± ¡°How about karaoke?¡± However, Sun shook her head as if she didn¡¯t really want to. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but I have to stop by someplace.¡± ¡°Got a schedule tonight? With whom? A Man?¡± Ari asked Sun some questions like a quick-firing gun. Then Eunyoung eyed Ari to stop her. ¡°If you don¡¯t have any, then that¡¯s fine. I just got curious because she suddenly said that she got a schedule.¡± Ari said while pouting her lips. ¡°Are you going to pick up Labong?¡± Sun nodded upon hearing Eunyoung¡¯s question. ¡°Labong? What is that? Do you have a baby?¡± ¡°You¡¯re crazy.¡± Eunyoung, couldn¡¯t listen to Ari anymore and threw a piece of fried corn snack at her. ¡°Why! What¡¯s up? You have to tell me everything.¡± ¡°Well, forget it. Sun, why don¡¯t you go home.¡± ¡°I will, and I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll get up first.¡± She hurried to pick up her bag and rose from her seat. ¡°Awh¡­¡± However, she stumbled, and her head started to spin because it had been so long since she had a drink. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Ari was surprised and asked. ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯ll leave.¡± Sun tried to pretend that she was okay and hurried out of the bar. ¡°¡­ you poor thing.¡± Eunyoung looked at Sun out of sympathy. *** The Veterinary Hospital. Eunwoo was ready to leave his clinic while checking over his attire several times. ¡°Hmm.¡± His shirt looked trendy with a thin knit, but he wasn¡¯t satisfied. ¡°Ruff! Ruff!¡± Then Labong began to bark towards the entrance. ¡°¡­ Oh, uhh. I¡¯m so sorry. I had a meeting after work.¡± Sun said with a flushed face while struggling. ¡°I was just finished too. I had a lot of surgeries today.¡± Eunwoo lied to her about the surgeries that weren¡¯t even scheduled. ¡°Oh, thanks. I really appreciated this.¡± Sun returned his umbrella that she had borrowed this morning. ¡°It¡¯s okay to return it whenever¡­¡± Eunwoo said once he received the umbrella. ¡°No. It was really useful. Thank you. Then¡­¡± Sun awkwardly said it while trying to lift the cage. However, it wasn¡¯t easy for her to walk because she just ran after drinking. Eunwoo approached and lifted the cage with his other hand. ¡°I guess I¡¯m going to deliver the puppy this time.¡± ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s go.¡± Sun looked at Eun-woo, walking in the lead and couldn¡¯t refuse his favor any longer. She said that she was fine, but it wasn¡¯t easy to keep her body balanced. As Sun followed him, Eun-woo slowed his pace for her. She was concerned that she might be walking awkwardly. She had met him many times before, but it was a different feeling now that she was walking with him. Sun could not resist the awkwardness and broke the silence first. ¡°So, what brought you to Santiago?¡± ¡°Me? Well¡­¡± Eunwoo scowled and thought for a moment. ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to tell me if it¡¯s a bother.¡± ¡°¡­No. It¡¯s okay now.¡± Eunwoo smiled again and slowly started talking. ¡°I was given a blessing, but I couldn¡¯t bear it because It was too big of a burden for me to accept the gift at once.¡± Eunwoo¡¯s face sank a little. It was the first time she had seen this look before. ¡°People stayed away from me, and they all blamed me too. That¡¯s why I walked. I wanted to empty everything from inside of me. Too much is as bad as too little.¡± When he said it, he smiled again as usual. ¡°I see¡­¡± It was a brief moment, but she saw his pain hidden in his smile. ¡°How about you, Sun?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that¡­¡± ¡°Why did you walk?¡± ¡°¡­ Well¡­¡± Sun couldn¡¯t answer. It was a wound that she had never unpacked before. No, it was a wound that she couldn¡¯t express or show to anyone. However, she wondered if she could talk to someone who didn¡¯t know about her. ¡°Humm¡­¡± She tried many times, but she couldn¡¯t keep up. It was a piece of baggage that she had never released, so she didn¡¯t know how to even start talking about it. Eunwoo waited for her without saying a word. He didn¡¯t rush and gave her enough time without questions, so she could talk about herself. ¡°Auhhh¡­¡± She took a deep breath and slowly started talking. ¡°¡­ To forget him.¡± Sun struggled to speak as if she were vomiting the words. ¡®I can¡¯t believe that it is still so hard for you to say this.¡¯ Sun was still suffering from her wounds. Suddenly, she remembered the day she broke up with Gyeonhui. ¡®Wait until I contact you again.¡¯ His words tied her into place like a leash. She could not even rebel like a well-trained dog. ¡°Huh¡­¡± Several months passed, but that day still tormented her as if it were just yesterday. Her feelings started thrashing about because of the old memories that had suddenly come to mind. Her eyes were getting hotter, and she was about to cry. Sun paused for a moment and turned her head to swallow her tears. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± She turned around and spoke powerlessly. Eunwoo had been watching her silently and gently held her hand. He pressed her shoulder and sat on a bench beside the road. Sun, sitting in her seat, lowered her head, fearing that he would catch her sad expression. ¡®Pung.¡¯ She could hear the sound of a large umbrella popping open. Eun-woo held an umbrella in her hand with a smile. The broad umbrella sheltered her body. She could see that all of this was in consideration of her. Sun hid her face in the shade of the umbrella, slowly shaking her head. The tears that she had endured for such a long time flowed silently down her cheeks. When would this feeling stop? Sun was barely holding herself together as she noticed her embarrassing situation. This was already the third time that she cried in front of Eunwoo. Sun quickly wiped tears away and checked her face. Luckily, she hid under the umbrella, but she was so embarrassed. She just wanted to disappear if she could. However, since there was nowhere for her to go, she slowly lowered the umbrella. Eunwoo sat beside her and looked at her as he pulled his earphones. ¡°Do you feel better?¡± Sun slowly nodded upon hearing Eunwoo¡¯s question. ¡°¡­ I am sorry¡­ every time.¡± Sun said, without even correctly facing Eunwoo¡¯s eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize all the time.¡± Eunwoo said with a warm smile. Sun exhaled for a long time, seemingly a little more relaxed after hearing his jokes. Eun-woo looked at her and started talking carefully. ¡°Your story¡­ Is it about the guy from the other day? ¡°Yes? Oh¡­ yes.¡± Maybe she was getting used to it? She could talk about it better than before. ¡°He¡¯s handsome.¡± ¡°¡­It seems like it.¡± ¡°It seemed like he was well-off with a lot of money.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°But I think he¡¯s horribly rude, isn¡¯t he?¡± Sun burst into laughter upon hearing Eunwoo¡¯s words. ¡°I thought so. God is always fair.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°He¡¯s handsome and has a lot of money, so he must have a few flaws to even things out.¡± Eunwoo responded in a playful mood. ¡°It¡¯s true for you too, Mr. Park.¡± ¡°Really? Do I look handsome with a lot of money and a good personality?¡± Sun nodded silently at his question. ¡°I feel good!¡± His overreaction made her smile. ¡°Yap, yap.¡± At that time, Labong was in his cage and began to move about. ¡°Hey, do you want to go out of the cage?¡± Eunwoo carefully pulled Labong out of the cage and placed him on the floor. ¡°Can he walk around?¡± Sun asked with a concerned look. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s okay to walk a little. Light exercise is also good for his recovery.¡± Eunwoo said to Labong while fixing his gaze on him. His warm gaze that looked like that of a baby seemed to melt Sun¡¯s heart. Labong was wandering around excitedly, before returning and hovering around Sun¡¯s feet. When Sun reached out to him, Labong licked her hand. ¡°Labong loves you, Sun.¡± Eunwoo spoke with a smile on his face. Sun nodded and replied, ¡°¡­ Sometimes it¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°What is?¡± ¡°That there is something that loves me like he does.¡± Sun looked at Labong with a smile. ¡°If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the fundamental difference between a dog and a man.¡± A little surprised, Sun looked at him, and Eunwoo continued with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s what Mark Twain said.¡± ¡°Ah¡­.¡± ¡°Labong also knows that you took care of him. These puppies are the only creatures that love people more than themselves in this world.¡± Eunwoo gently stroked Labong¡¯s back. He was still limp, but Labong hovered around her as if he were feeling better. Soon, a relaxed smile appeared on her face. ¡°Huh¡­.¡± She closed her eyes and exhaled. ¡°Thank you so much. You made me feel a lot better¡­¡± ¡°You light up everything around you.¡± ¡°Do I?¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re the one who makes everything brighter.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that is right to say to someone who cried three times already in front of you?¡± Hahaha. You light up the world around you even when you cry.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a little unusual for you to feel better after nursing a crying person?¡± ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right. Hahaha.¡± When Eunwoo smiled broadly, Sun smiled along with him. As the laughter stopped, a moment of silence arose. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s time to go.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll take you home.¡± ¡°¡­ No. I feel much better after crying. I¡¯m sobered up too. I can go by myself. I would be so sorry if I caused you any more trouble.¡± Instead of answering, Eunwoo smiled and nodded slowly. She grabbed Labong and placed him in the cage. ¡°Thank you for everything you did today. Bye.¡± Sun departed away from him and walked with the cage. Eunwoo stood there and watched her walk away. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m handsome¡­¡± Eun-woo smiled while touching his chin with his hand. He stayed there, motionless until she disappeared. Chapter 23 A Bar in Hannam-dong. Gyeonhui looked at his shot glass with a severe-looking face. ¡°Would you like to have another drink?¡± The bartender asked. He tapped on the table silently, and the bartender filled his glass with whiskey again. ¡®¡­ I hope you don¡¯t get involved in my life anymore.¡¯ Her resentful voice hadn¡¯t left his head all day. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be involved with you either. Shit.¡± He emptied the whiskey once and for all. ¡°Hey, stop drinking. You drank a lot yesterday too.¡± Ojae was watching him drink and spoke with a concerned face. ¡°Leave it. This is all because of you.¡± ¡°¡­ I really didn¡¯t know that Chaekyeong would come.¡± ¡°Hah¡­ I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re an assistant. Hah.¡± Gyeonhui exhaled a long sigh of frustration. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± At that time, Gyeonhui felt pain in his chest. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Does your chest hurt?¡± ¡°Get out of the way.¡± Gyeonhui shouted while pushing Ojae. ¡°Ah¡­¡± The pain in his chest continued for a while. It wasn¡¯t the pain from his chest. ¡°I really don¡¯t want to be involved in your life either, but I have to because of this¡­ This pain. Uh¡­¡± He clutched his chest and spoke to himself. However, the pain didn¡¯t seem to be settling down, so Gyeonhui rose from his seat. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll come to give her a visit to quibble over why this happened to me.¡± ¡°What? Hey, settle down. You¡¯re going to regret it tomorrow.¡± ¡°Get out of the way.¡± He pushed Ojae roughly. ¡°Hey, Gyeonhui!¡± Ojae tried to stop him, but he was already leaving the bar. ¡°Aww. Whatever.¡± Soon, Ojae gave up on him and sat back in his chair. ¡°Give me a drink too.¡± When Ojae ordered a whiskey, the bartender quickly filled a glass. ¡°Ku¡­¡± Ojae, having just drunk the glass, scowled. ¡°Oh my. Why does he like to drink such a bitter thing?¡± Ojae was about to get up from his seat, then returned and whispered to the bartender. ¡°Charge it to Mr. Woo¡¯s account.¡± *** In an alley near her place, Sun was ambling while talking on the phone. ¡°Did you really call me because you¡¯re worried that I wouldn¡¯t be able to find my place in my condition?¡± ¡°You suddenly left, how could I not worry about you? Did you pick up Labong too?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going home now.¡± Sun said while looking at Labong in her bag. ¡°By the way, is the doctor interested in you?¡± ¡°What, do you mean Dr. Park?¡± She recalled Eunwoo¡¯s bright smile. ¡®Hahaha. You light up the world around you even when you cry.¡¯ It was such a bright voice, accompanied by a smile. He made people at ease around him. ¡°He¡¯s just a good person.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. Why don¡¯t you date him?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You said he¡¯s a good person, right? Then you should. Please meet a good person this time.¡± ¡°Boss, thank you for worrying about me, but would you leave my private life alone, please?¡± Sun responded with a smile. ¡°Then do it right. Stop making me worry.¡± ¡°Okay, I understand. I¡¯m almost home.¡± ¡°I was going to end the call anyway. I¡¯m just as tired and busy as you.¡± Sun smiled as she watched her phone hang up. Sun put her cell phone in her pocket and felt the small rock in her pocket. It was the stone that Eunwoo had handed over to her in Spain. ¡°¡­ Thank you, Eunwoo. For everything.¡± She held the stone and whispered to herself. ¡°He has done so much for me, so I think I should buy him dinner. What do you think, Labong?¡± While walking with a smile, she arrived in front of her house. Sun slowly went upstairs, and she felt something chilly in the air. She stopped to see a dark silhouette standing there. It was a man in front of her house, waiting for her to come home. ¡®Geyonhui¡­.¡¯ She could see his prominent nose and a clean jawline. Looking at his silhouette alone was enough for them to know that it was really him. It was his face that came to her mind whenever she closed her eyes. ¡°Argh¡­.¡± He came¡­ he was leaning against the wall as if he were intoxicated, and he exhaled a heavy sigh. After a moment of hesitation, Sun turned her body around and quickly stopped. ¡®¡­ I can¡¯t be dragged around like this forever.¡¯ She thought that she had to get stronger. She knew from experience that she could never solve anything just by avoiding it. She pretended to be okay and approached the door. ¡°Get out of the way.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Gyenhui was drunk while struggling to lift his head. ¡°Oh, Cheonsun.¡± He smelt strongly of alcohol. ¡°What are you doing here? I¡¯ve made myself clear. I told you not to get involved in my life.¡± ¡°¡­ I also do not want to do that either.¡± He said the words slowly as if he were exhausted. His words once again struck Sun¡¯s heart. ¡°¡­ That¡¯s great. Then, get out of the way.¡± ¡°¡­ But I can¡¯t do that anymore because you¡¯re sick all the time.¡± ¡°¡­ What do you mean?¡± Sun asked again as if she misheard him, and since it was unbelievable. ¡°¡­ Why are you sick all the time¡­¡± The more she heard his voice, the more her eyes shook. She remembered that he gave her medicine through Ojae. Sun struggled to pretend to be okay and casually started talking again. ¡°¡­ That has nothing to do with you even if I¡¯m sick or not.¡± Drunk, he lost his balance and fell forward. She instinctively reached out and caught him. ¡°Gyeonhui!¡± Sun continued to call his name, but he couldn¡¯t wake quickly. ¡°Aw¡­ Wake up Gyeonhui!¡± She continued calling his name many times, but he couldn¡¯t even open his eyes properly. She couldn¡¯t leave him in the hallway, nor could she get him inside. Actually, she shouldn¡¯t do so. Then, he suddenly embraced her. ¡°Don¡¯t do this, please.¡± She tried to push him away. ¡°¡­ Cheonsun¡­¡± He hugged her and called her in a low voice. Sun was stunned by his voice as if she were paralyzed. ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t get sick.¡± Unexpected words leaked from his mouth. Unbelievably, Sun¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°¡­ If you get sick, I¡¯m sick too.¡± His voice hovered in her ears. His drunken, heavy breath slowly shook her heart. . The next morning, after falling asleep from heavy drinking, he opened his eyes. ¡°Ugh.¡± He had to scowl because of the terrible headache. He thought that he might be killed by excessive drinking. He felt like he was in the air when he stretched his feet out all the way, thinking that he wouldn¡¯t drink ever again. ¡°Huh?¡± He looked up and noticed that his feet were sticking out of a small bed. It was not his room. ¡°Where the hell is this?¡± He looked around. In a small room, he noticed tiny character dolls. Then the door opened, and Sun entered. That was when he realized that he was in her place. ¡°Why am I here¡­¡± After recognizing Sun, he asked, a little surprised. ¡°Why are you asking me? Here.¡± It seemed that she stayed up all night, so she was tired. She gave him a cup of water with an expressionless face. His stomach was soothed by the warm water. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have to go to work. I¡¯ll go out before you.¡± Sun, dressed in a coat, put her hand on the door handle. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± After hearing his word, her hand stopped before she could open the door. However, she quickly calmed down and said, seemingly determined. ¡°There is nothing to eat here. If you¡¯re hungry, then go to the restaurant a few blocks away from here.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go, wait a minute.¡± ¡°¡­ I told you. I have to go to work.¡± Sun left the house after uttering those words. ¡®Bang.¡¯ When he heard the door closing, he scowled. ¡°She is like someone else.¡± Back then, she would request a day off, so she could stay with him. Now, she often ignored him. ¡°Ouw¡­¡± He scowled and closed his eyes because of his hangover. He couldn¡¯t get up because of his massive body. He had to rest a bit more. *** Kids Fan Office. ¡°Eunyoung, what do you think about this? Does this go with the ¡®healing¡¯ concept that Mr. Choi asked?¡± When Sun arrived at the office, she presented the concept that she had planned. A scene of Santiago in watercolors. It looked oriental and authentic at the same time. ¡°When did you do all of this¡­ No, you didn¡¯t stay up all night, did you?¡± Eunyoung asked with anxious eyes. ¡°¡­ Umm? No, I just couldn¡¯t sleep last night.¡± It was true. She couldn¡¯t go to bed because that man was staying with her. ¡°¡­ How about it? Does it look okay?¡± When Sun was about to think about him, she suddenly changed the subject. ¡°¡­ Hmm, give a bit more time to think.¡± Eunyoung seemed a little unhappy with her plan. Sun¡¯s small shoulders sank weakly. ¡°Cheer up. We still have time.¡± Eunyoung patted Sun¡¯s shoulder and returned to her seat. ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± Sun scowled as if she were tired. ¡®¡­ I wonder if he¡¯s gone now?¡¯ It was already past 10 o¡¯clock. When she thought about him, it naturally led her to her memories last night. ¡®¡­ Don¡¯t get sick. If you¡¯re sick, I¡¯m sick too.¡¯ She had never heard of him saying anything like that before. No, it was so unusual for him to say such a thing like he was not the guy Sun had known. ¡°¡­ Go back to work. Work.¡± Sun tried not to think about him and moved her gaze to the monitor. However, her hands stopped on top of the keyboard for a while motionless. Chapter 24 ¡°Um.¡± The sunlight at noon that came through the curtains illuminated Gyeonhui¡¯s face. Then, his cell phone rang at his bedside. It was his assistant Ojae. ¡°¡­ Why?¡± ¡°Where are you? Did you not even come home yesterday?¡± ¡°Should I report it to you?¡± He slowly woke himself up while holding his cell phone in his hand. His body felt much better after the long slumber. ¡°Why are you so mean? I¡¯m just asking because I care about you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± He slowly stepped out of the room. Her studio flat was too small. He noticed the paintings scattered throughout the room. He could see boxes in different places, indicating that she had not unpacked her luggage. ¡°Mrs. Shin has asked to meet you in the afternoon.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m only assuming because of the DNBM acquisition¡­¡± After listening to Ojae, Gyeonhui clenched his teeth tightly. Since the last earnings announcement, there had been an unusual movement among shareholders. If he didn¡¯t show them something right away, they might cause an uproar as a group again. He didn¡¯t want to meet her, but he couldn¡¯t refuse her either. If Mrs. Shin turned against him, then Gyeonhui would be in a highly vulnerable position in the future. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you soon in my office.¡± ¡°Would you like me to pick you up? Where are you now?¡± ¡°Sun¡¯s place.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ojae¡¯s voice popped through the phone. ¡°Then, did you stay with her last night?¡± ¡°¡­ Sort of.¡± He didn¡¯t remember staying with her last night, but he wasn¡¯t wrong either. He turned his face to the puppy, who was growling at him. Labong hid in the cage but showed his teeth to him. ¡°You bit my foot the other day.¡± He stomped his feet and scowled. ¡°What? Did Sun bite your feet?¡± ¡°Hah. Why would she bit me!?¡± He shouted angrily. ¡°Ruff! Ruff!¡± As he approached, Labong remained afraid but kept barking at him while he was stepping back to the corner of the cage. ¡°Stop it. Why would I fight such an animal?¡± He tried to himself around as if he were outraged. ¡°It is good for you, though. I found it hard to learn more about the doctor at the veterinary hospital.¡± ¡°Why are you suddenly talking about him?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, because it looks like you¡¯re seeing her again, so I don¡¯t need to find out about him anymore, right?¡± ¡°Never mind. Just hang up the phone! Please!¡± Gyeohui hung up his phone roughly. ¡°Oh, I hate everything.¡± He scowled as if he were dissatisfied. The director of the veterinary hospital disgusted Gyeonhui whenever he heard his name. ¡°Hmm.¡± After a while, Gyeonhui glanced at the cage containing Labong. Suddenly, a good idea came to his mind, and a smile appeared on his face. *** ¡°What? Is he in your house now?¡± When Ari heard Sun¡¯s story, she couldn¡¯t believe it. However, Ari noticed that something was strange about her, so Sun had to tell her everything after Ari¡¯s persistent questions, ¡°¡­ It just happened somehow.¡± Sun ambiguously tried to explain while answering weakly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you would take care of a personal matter?¡± Eunyoung was still listening to them talk from the side when he spoke. ¡°He was so drunk¡­.¡± ¡°You just had to kick him out. It doesn¡¯t matter even if he freezes to death on the road. It¡¯s over.¡± Eunyoung could not hide her frustration. ¡°Sun is not a person who could do that to a drunken person. Sun already said he was very drunk.¡± Ari stepped out to defend Sun, but Ari¡¯s expression was not happy about it either. ¡°Hey, Sun. Come back to earth. You¡¯ve traveled to put it all together.¡± Ari tried to calm herself down. ¡°¡­ I know.¡± Sun nodded slowly, seemingly agreeing. ¡°Just forget it. It just hurts us the more we talk about him.¡± Eunyoung sighed and turned around. ¡°But who is this Labong? Is it the nickname of your new boyfriend?¡± Ari looked at Eunyoung and asked Sun. ¡°It¡¯s not someone¡¯s nickname. It¡¯s the name of my dog.¡± Sun¡¯s eyes widened from embarrassment and couldn¡¯t say anything because she just recalled that she had left Labong alone at home. ¡°Why? What else is going on? Is there something worse happening?¡± Ari looked more surprised and asked. ¡°I left Labong alone at home. I was supposed to dress his wound¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t take care of him because she had been putting her mind back together since last night. She bit her lower lip, feeling sorry for Labong. ¡°Go home and return quickly. You can¡¯t leave an injured puppy alone at home.¡± Eunyoung said. ¡°Thank you.¡± Sun rose up and frantically ran out of the office. ¡°Hah. What do we have to do with her?¡± Ari sighed out of sympathy. Eunyoung also looked at her back. *** When Sun returned home, she tried to find Labong in a hurry. ¡°Labong! Labong!¡± She realized that Labong¡¯s cage was empty. ¡°¡­ Where did you go, Labong?¡± Sun searched through the whole house in a hurry to find Labong, but the dog was nowhere to be found. She didn¡¯t want to check if Gyeonhui had already returned. Since all her senses were focused on Labong, she didn¡¯t realize that Gyeonhui was gone until just then. ¡°No way, Gyeonhui, did he took Labong with him when he left?¡± She couldn¡¯t have imagined that he would have taken him. However, she thought that Labong had escaped since the door was when Gyeonhui left the place. Sun pulled out her phone and called Gyeonhui. However, even after a few beeps, the man didn¡¯t answer the phone. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Sun was turning red; she bit her lower lip and hung up the phone. It was an ominous sign; she ran out of the house like an insane person. *** Labong, who was in his bag, was still growling at Gyeonhui. ¡°Look at this bastard. Don¡¯t you know that I¡¯m helping you out now?¡± He said as if he were offended. The bandage that covered Labong¡¯s wounds had fallen off overnight, revealing the scar that Gyeonhui saw. That was why Gyeonhui took Labong from her place. ¡®Of course, that¡¯s not the only reason.¡¯ He looked up at the blue rose veterinary hospital sign across the street. With a crooked smile, Gyeonhui walked into the hospital while carrying the bag containing Labong. ¡°Welcome, oh?¡± Eunwoo greeted Gyeonhui with a friendly smile, recognizing Gyeonhui. His eyes widened, seemingly suspicious. ¡°What is going on today?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m here to leave him here.¡± Gyonehui smiled wryly and placed the bag on top of the medical table. ¡°Hey, Labong?¡± Eunwoo looked a little surprised while alternating glances between the two. It was just a moment, but it seemed clear that Eunwoo had many thoughts about Gyeonhui and Sun. Gyeonhui smiled with satisfaction and looked at Eunwoo with his arms crossed. Eunwoo nodded slowly and started checking on Labong¡¯s wounds. ¡°Oh, the bandage has been released.¡± Eunwoo spoke with Labong as if he was really in a conversation with the dog before disinfecting the wound again. ¡°It¡¯s done. You¡¯ve done a good job, Labong.¡± Eun-woo finished off with a bandage, gave him a piece of jerky snack, and stroked him. Then Gyeonhui¡¯s cell phone rang. The name of the person calling him was Number# 16 on his phone¡¯s contacts. Now wasn¡¯t the right time to answer his phone, so he silenced it. ¡°Are you done already? How much is it for the treatment?¡± Gyeonhui pulled his credit card out of his wallet as if he would pay for the treatment. It was a premium black credit card for VIPs that had no limit. Eunwoo was looking at the card, smiled, and started talking. ¡°There¡¯s no reason to charge you for his treatment.¡± ¡°Is it some sort of charity? Do you attract women that way?¡± Gyeonhui asked in a sarcastic tone. ¡°Neither would be worse than being a dog thief.¡± ¡°A dog thief?¡± Gyoenhui scowled. ¡°Did you get permission from Miss Sun to bring Labong here today?¡± Gyeonhui didn¡¯t answer Eunwoo¡¯s question. ¡°Of course not. I know Sun wouldn¡¯t do that to Labong.¡± ¡°You talk as if you know her.¡± ¡°I might know more than you know. There are a lot more important things than time when it comes to knowing someone else.¡± ¡°Hah.¡± Gyeonhui laughed at Eunwoo¡¯s words. ¡°Yes. I brought the dog in because he was injured. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± ¡°You should have gotten permission from her.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t he just needs to get treatment?¡± Gyeonhui asked in a sinking voice. Eunwoo answered by stroking Labong, who was eating his snacks. ¡°Do you even know where this puppy really got injured?¡± ¡°It¡¯s his leg. Anyone could see if they had eyes.¡± However, Eunwoo shook his head slowly. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s his heart.¡± ¡°What?¡± Eunwoo covered Labong¡¯s ears with his hands. Then Eunwoo spoke in a solemn voice. ¡°The biggest wound is in his heart because his owner abandoned him, not because of this small cut.¡± Gyeonhui scowled. ¡°Labong was probably afraid and worried because you¡¯re a stranger, and you were dragging him away. He probably thought that he would be thrown away again. You¡¯ve heard his pain the whole way while you were coming here.¡± Eunwoo¡¯s words reminded him of Labong, who was snarling and growling throughout the whole time. However, Gyeonhui didn¡¯t want to admit it. No, Gyeonhui didn¡¯t like Eunwoo, who had only said the right words. ¡°¡­ Do you also read the animal¡¯s minds? Stop being so pretentious.¡± ¡°Animals are just like humans. A scar lasts longer in their minds than in their bodies.¡± Eunwoo stopped for a moment and looked up at Gyeonhui. ¡°Just like how the scar you gave her continues to last and hurt her.¡± Eunwoo¡¯s words seemed like a raging fire in Gyeonhui¡¯s heart. Eunwoo¡¯s face looked calm, but Gyeonhui unwittingly clenched his fists while looking at it. Gyeonhui glared at Eunwoo and suddenly smiled. ¡°If she¡¯s still sick in her mind, then it¡¯s proof that she hasn¡¯t forgotten about me. It¡¯s not bad news.¡± Gyeonhui stretched out his fists and put them in the pocket of his pants. Eunwoo, who was still staring at him, nodded with a bitter smile. ¡°Now I see why she had broken up with you.¡± Gyeonhui¡¯s face froze. ¡°¡­ I have warned you not to get in my way.¡± ¡°I¡¯m warning you too. Do not hurt her anymore.¡± Eunwoo¡¯s eyes also became severe. ¡°As you said, she hasn¡¯t forgotten you yet, not completely, but understand that she is in the process of forgetting about you.¡± Eunwoo¡¯s words that indicated how Sun was removing Gyeonhui away from her mind had hit him hard. Sun¡¯s gaze recently had grown stronger before, and sometimes, he was surprised by her unimaginably honest words. It was hard to pass on to him that he had already experienced them a few times. ¡°So, I¡¯m going to help her heal the wounds that you gave her.¡± Eunwoo¡¯s composed tone struck Gyeonhui¡¯s nerve. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s funny. I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± However, he tried to turn around with a relaxed smile. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± At that moment, Gyeonhui suddenly buckled his knees and winced. Eunwoo didn¡¯t know what was going on with him as he watched his actions in surprise. ¡°¡­ What the hell are you doing?¡± Gyeonhui sat down and mumbled to himself before standing up again. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll see you again soon.¡± Gyeonhui left the veterinary office after his tirade. He limped like an old man with a sports injury. ¡°Hmm.¡± Eunwoo shook his head before quickly turning his attention from Gyeonhui and picked up his phone. ¡°She¡¯s going to be frantic¡­¡± Eunwoo looked anxiously at Labong and waited for the other party to answer the phone. Chapter 25 In the alleys around her house, Sun was frantically searching for Labong. She scraped her knees when she fell. She was only thinking of finding Labong and didn¡¯t bother to wipe the blood away. ¡°Excuse me, Ma¡¯am¡­¡± Sun called the lady at the grocery market who was displaying their products. ¡°Have you seen a little dog recently? His hair is white, and he injured his left hind leg.¡± Sun described Labong¡¯s appearance repeating it to others more than a dozen times. ¡°I don¡¯t know. There are a lot of dogs passing by here.¡± The lady at the market quickly turned her head, seemingly uninterested. Sun bit her lower lip and searched for him again, wandering through the alleyway. ¡°Labong! Labong!¡± Under cars, in building crevices, on playgrounds, and in parks she searched the whole neighborhood, but she couldn¡¯t find him. ¡°Please, please¡­¡± Sun picked up her phone again and called Gyeonhui, but he still didn¡¯t answer. She wondered if Labong was hit by a car, or if someone had taken him, or if he had been bitten by a big dog. She had a premonition of Labong. ¡°What do I have to do¡­¡± She could not do anything as panic set in. Sun, with injuries on both legs, sat down. She had lost Labong, but there was nothing she could do. A small stone caught her eye, squatting down on her sore legs. It was a common little rock that might be seen on the roadside. Suddenly, in Santiago, the stone she received from Eunwoo came to mind. There was nothing to be solved by sitting down. Sun stood up again determined. She rushed to Eunwoo¡¯s Veterinary Hospital. *** ¡°Hmm, she¡¯s still on the phone.¡± Eunwoo put down his phone with concern. He left a message for her because she was on the phone, but he couldn¡¯t get in touch with her. Then, with the sound of a roar, Sun came into the clinic urgently. ¡°Oh? Miss Sun.¡± ¡°Ugh, Dr. Park, La¡­ Labong.¡± Sun desperate, couldn¡¯t finish what she had to say. Sun sat still and lowered her head then repeated the same words weakly. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ve lost Labong.¡± She thought everything was her fault for leaving Labong alone. It was her fault that she went to work, forgetting the wounded little puppy. ¡°Yip, yip!¡± Then a familiar sound rang in Sun¡¯s ears. As she looked at him slowly in disbelief she could see Labong in Eunwoo¡¯s arms. ¡°La¡­ Labong! Labong!¡± Sun rose up and ran to Labong. Eunwoo carefully handed over Labong, and Sun looked surprised and relieved as she held Labong in her arms. ¡°Why, why is he here?¡± ¡°A man brought him here to me. Gyeonhui.¡± Sun didn¡¯t say anything even after Eunwoo¡¯s told her. ¡°He said, he brought Labong here because his bandage came off.¡± Eunwoo didn¡¯t add anything else. Sun, listening to Eunwoo with an expression of disbelief, quickly turned her gaze to Labong. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Sun apologized to him while she was embracing Labong. Labong licked her cheeks gently as if he understood her. *** After Gyeonhui returned home, he walked through the back yard perplexed. ¡°ruff, ruff.¡± Gyeonhui¡¯s dog, Terry was uncomfortable at the sight of his owner. He was lying flat on the ground and looked at Gyeonhui. ¡°So I¡¯ll help her to heal the wounds she got from you.¡± Eunwoo¡¯s calm but firm tone of voice wasn¡¯t forgotten. ¡°How dare you¡­ Hah.¡± He sighed deeply. ¡°Why do you sigh so much?¡± Ojae came out to the yard and asked, ¡°Ruff! Ruff¡± Terry who was excited, then rushed to Ojae, wagging his tail. Terry rolled over asking for a belly rub. ¡°Hey, look at this guy! Look at you¡­¡± Ojae pat Terry¡¯s belly in a friendly way not like last time. ¡°¡­ What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Huh? What?¡± ¡°Why is this dog acting weird?¡± Gyeonhui asked, seemingly uninterested. Terry had never wagged his tail before at Gyeonhui. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve fed him a few times when you were sick, and that¡¯s all I did.¡± As Ojae got up, Terry wagged his tail and hovered around him. As Gyeonhui watched Terry doing that, his face slowly turned to stone. ¡°¡­ Terry. Terry!¡± Gyeonhui called him again, and Terry turned his head and looked at Gyeonhui. ¡°Come here.¡± Terry heard his voice then walked with his head down, terrified. It was completely different than when Terry ran to Ojae a little while ago. Reluctantly crawling, Terry looked at Ojae. ¡°Hey, Terry! Go and get it!¡± Then, as Ojae threw the ball, Terry rushed after it and returned it to him with the ball. Terry was looking up at him panting with excitement as if Ojae was his owner. ¡°Hey, I think you¡¯re following me more than usual these days.¡± Ojae behaved naively and smiled at Terry. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m going to sell him.¡± Gyeonhui looked at Terry and said in a sinking tone. However, Terry seemed to have lost his attention to Ojae, and he didn¡¯t even listen to Gyeonhui. ¡°Well, you have to leave now, Mrs. Shin doesn¡¯t want you to be late for the meeting.¡± Ojae confirmed the schedule and said. ¡°Hah¡± Gyeonhui sighed in annoyance. Now, Sun, Mrs. Shin, and even his own dog were getting on his nerves. Scowling, he turned his body and headed to the living room. *** There was already darkness outside of the veterinary hospital. While Sun was on the phone, she reached out and stroked Labong. ¡°He took Labong to the hospital.¡± Eunyoung¡¯s voice was heard over the handset. ¡°No. I have to go back to the office.¡± ¡°What about Labong if you come back here, can the clinic hold him for 24-hours there?¡± ¡°No, they won¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Just rest today. You just may have to work harder tomorrow. Got it?¡± Sun didn¡¯t¡¯ answer readily. Sun always felt guilty about how considerate Eunyoung was to her, but she was always grateful. ¡°¡­ Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re my employee. I¡¯m going to use you for the rest of my life.¡± Sun smiled at Eunyoung¡¯s words. ¡°And if you have to leave Labong alone, you should just take him with you to the office.¡± ¡°¡­ Thank you. I really meant it.¡± ¡°Huh? Okay¡­ ¡± ¡°Alright. See you tomorrow.¡± Eunyoung finally hung up the phone. After the call, Sun slowly moved her gaze and looked at Eunwoo. As she prepared to leave, Eunwoo was humming as if he were feeling good. Sun, recalling Eunyoung¡¯s words, nodded as if she had made up her mind. ¡®¡­Right. He¡¯s always been a big help.¡¯ Sun pondered for a moment and carefully called Eunwoo. ¡°Hey¡­ Dr. Park. Eunwoo looked back at Sun after he heard her. ¡°Do you have any free time today?¡± It was quite awkward coming from Sun. ¡°You mean, today?¡± ¡°Yes, I would like to buy you dinner because you¡¯ve helped me a lot recently.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s polite to say no at first, but¡­ actually, that sounds great.¡± Eunwoo continued with a loving smile. ¡°In fact, I was going to ask you to eat out if you didn¡¯t ask. Let¡¯s have dinner together.¡± Eunwoo smiled at Sun. ¡°But wait a minute.¡± Eunwoo led Sun¡¯s hand and made her sit down in a chair. Then he bent down on one knee, and carefully rolled up her pants. ¡°Ah!¡± Sun winced upon the pain because blood from her scraped knees had dried and stuck to her clothing. ¡°¡­ Are you injured?¡± He looked at her wounds that were much worse than he thought. ¡°Oh, yes I¡¯m okay. I fall down a lot.¡± Sun said with a fake smile. However, she couldn¡¯t stop wincing whenever the wound stung as Eunwoo cleaned it. Eunwoo was skillfully disinfected and applied the ointments and bandages to her scraped knees. ¡°You¡¯re all set.¡± ¡°¡­ Thank you.¡± Sun said as she was rolling her pants down while feeling ashamed. Eunwoo, smiling, naturally reached out and grabbed her hand. She felt a swell of warmth with his soft touch. ¡°Oh my!¡± At that moment, Sun tried to stand up but lost her balanced as one of her knees buckled from the pain. Eunwoo quickly reached out and grabbed her and hugged her. Luckily, she didn¡¯t fall, but Sun later realized that she was in his arms. ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Sun was embarrassed and stepped back from him. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± He smiled and looked at her gently. ¡°Now, let¡¯s go eat.¡± Eunwoo led the way smiling as if nothing had happened. Sun paused for a moment but looked at his wide back. The soft, cool white musk scent from his body remained on the tip of her nose. Late at night, on the road to Gangnam. ¡°But what happened yesterday?¡± Ojae was driving, looking back and asked, ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t even worry about it.¡± He replied with an indignant tone implying that he didn¡¯t want to talk about it. ¡°Are you seeing her again?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to worry about it?¡± ¡°If you stayed a night at her place, doesn¡¯t that mean you¡¯re already back together?¡± ¡°Seriously? Shut your mouth!¡± He snapped back unable to bear the anger. Ojae was scared, closed his mouth quickly. But he soon started talking again, seemingly determined. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking a lot, and I don¡¯t think this is the right way to protect her.¡± Gyeonhui then looked at Oaje as if he didn¡¯t know what Ojae was going to say. ¡°We don¡¯t know when she¡¯s going to get hurt or get sick. But it¡¯s inefficient to just leave her like this.¡± ¡°So? Is there any other way?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Ojae confidently said while lifting his chin slightly. Ojae took a moment on purpose before he spoke, but Gyeonhui looked at him with disinterested. ¡°Hmm, how about we put her next to us.¡± Ojae felt the eyes of Gyeonhui hurriedly stir as he stated what was on his mind. ¡°How do we do that?¡± ¡°Make the Kids Fan office move into our building as a business acquisition partner.¡± He looked at him as if he were displeased and said nothing. Chapter 26 ¡°Oh, no, listen to me until the end. It¡¯s impossible to stay with her 24 hours a day. So if we put her in one of our vacant offices, then you can see her right beside you as much as you want while you¡¯re at work. What do you think?¡± Gyeonhui¡¯s face contorted as he thought for a moment. ¡°¡­ Why should I do that?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have any choice here. You need this to protect yourself.¡± At one point, Gyeonhui looked at Ojae, and he turned his head as if he were displeased about the idea, but his plan began to make sense. ¡°Hah¡± ¡°If you mind telling her, then you have to stay still. I¡¯ll talk to her.¡± After a moment of thought, Gyeonhui slowly started speaking with a grimace. ¡°I¡¯m done with all this. Don¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°Hey, but this is the best way we can think of.¡± ¡°I said, don¡¯t do it. I¡¯ve made myself clear.¡± In his cold tone of voice, Ojae kept his mouth shut, with nothing more to say. Meanwhile, Gyeonhui¡¯s car pulled into the parking lot. *** ¡°I didn¡¯t know a place like this existed?¡± The gorgeous atmosphere of the restaurant continued to astonish Sun. The view inside was luxurious, with walls made out of glass to the latest trendy design. The difference from other restaurants was that most customers here were with their pets. Eunwoo nodded with a smile as if he were familiar with the environment. ¡°We have tens of millions of families who have pets in our country now. People will get more used to doing this in the future.¡± ¡°Tens of millions? Wow¡­¡± Sun repeated to herself under her breath the words that Eunwoo said. She knew that a lot of people were raising puppies these days, but she didn¡¯t realize how popular it was. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s still questionable whether the animals were just a pet for them or family.¡± ¡°Is there a difference?¡± Sun asked, curiously. ¡°Yes, a pet is something dependent on me, but treating a dog like a family is all about growing older with them.¡± Sun thought for a moment about what Eunwoo said. ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t think it¡¯s just for dogs.¡± Eunwoo raised his eyes and looked at her. ¡°People also do this too. People want to put someone next to themselves because they need them. It¡¯s sporadic to find a relationship that thinks about growing old in life together.¡± Sun¡¯s voice contained a bitter pain. ¡°In that sense, Labong is more like the companion dog for you. I think that¡¯s what Labong thinks too.¡± Eunwoo looked at Labong, who was licking the soup by the table. ¡°¡­ I just really grateful that he sees me like family.¡± Sun smiled and reached out while gently stroking Labong. Labong seemed to feel at ease once he saw her. He put his head back in the soup. Eunwoo imprinted her smile in his eyes silently. ¡°Now, give me your hand. Right. Hands on me.¡± Then they saw a couple training their dog at a table on the opposite side. Their dog seemed tame and responded quickly to the owner¡¯s instructions. ¡°Bang! Wow, you¡¯re so cute!¡± The couple enjoyed watching the dog pretending to be shot. When Sun¡¯s gaze was fixed on them, Eunwoo started to speak. ¡°If we know some simple ways to train him, Labong can do that too.¡± However, Sun slowly shook her head. ¡°I want Labong to live the way he wants; he shouldn¡¯t have to live his life as someone directs.¡± Sun nodded slowly, reflecting on her own words. ¡°I just want him to be happy.¡± Eunwoo smiled and nodded slowly while listening to her. ¡°Labong is such a lucky dog. He has met a good owner. I mean, a good family.¡± Eunwoo gently stroked Labong¡¯s head and looked up again. ¡°I feel really good today, so I¡¯ll buy you dessert. I know a caf¨¦ with a great atmosphere.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m buying today¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s on me. You can buy me dinner later some other time.¡± Eunwoo smiled like a child. His smile made her feel comfortable, and she had a smile on her face. *** In a Luxurious Japanese restaurant. After opening the door and entering, Gyeonhui glowered. Mrs. Shin and Chaekyeonhg were smiling and sitting in the room. ¡°Gyeonhui!¡± She waved her hand and cried his name, cheerfully. ¡°You¡¯re late.¡± Mrs. Shin¡¯s voice was calm, but it was enough to convey her disappointment in him. ¡°An appointment with such short notice, it¡¯s not easy for me to keep up with my busy schedule.¡± He blamed Mrs. Shin. ¡°Then you should have asked for patience and postponed the appointment. Isn¡¯t it the basics of doing business?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not the one that I can ask for understanding. You¡¯re too stubborn.¡± ¡°Well, then you¡¯ve already failed to be my business partner. He didn¡¯t persuade me nor make me give in.¡± Mrs. Shin said in a cold, sinking tone. He also looked at Mrs. Shin with cold eyes and started to speak. ¡°You¡¯re the same as the vice president. You didn¡¯t persuade me nor give in to me.¡± They spoke with a smile, but the tension in their words guided the conversation. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve all been together. Why don¡¯t we just enjoy dinner with a smile? Gyeonhui? Mrs. Shin? Please?¡± Looking at the pleasant atmosphere, she smiled and spoke to both of them. ¡°We¡¯ll do.¡± Mrs. Shin responded with a gentle smile. Gyeonhui turned his gaze away from her. ¡°Yes, I hope to finalize the DNBM acquisition quickly before the shareholders¡¯ complaints grow.¡± He had already anticipated what she would say, and he had only poured water in his cup without an answer. Mrs. Shin checked the time as if she didn¡¯t care about his rude response. She wiped her mouth with a napkin. ¡°I have to leave now. I have an appointment with President Jin.¡± ¡°Oh, do you have an appointment with my dad today?¡± Her eyes widened like a rabbit. ¡°There¡¯s something I have to discuss between us. You guys discuss your matter as well.¡± Mrs. Shin rose from her seat, spitting out what she had to say. When Mrs. Shin left, he sighed with disgust and tried to get up from his seat. ¡°You¡¯ve just arrived here. Eat something at least before you go.¡± She smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t want to have any stomach problems. I really don¡¯t want to eat anything when I¡¯m uncomfortable.¡± He turned around and tried to get out. ¡°I heard that you¡¯re trying to take over the DNBM.¡± ¡°Can you please not worry about it?¡± He seemed bothered. ¡°Aren¡¯t you looking for the CEO of DNBM?¡± ¡°¡­ I said you have no business in this.¡± ¡°I do since it¡¯s my man¡¯s business.¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me that you¡¯re going to do something for this.¡± He scoffed at her. ¡°Yes. Actually, I can solve it.¡± She spoke with confidence. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I know the name of the guy you¡¯re looking for. His name is Edward. ¡± ¡°¡­ How do you¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m a friend of his. We had seen each other often in the US.¡± She held her chin with both hands and looked up at him with a fresh smile. ¡°How about that? Don¡¯t I look a little more attractive now?¡± It was a charming smile that would steal the heart of any man, but he was only looking down at her with a conflicted expression. *** Late in the evening, as he entered the parking lot, he stopped walking and sighed deeply. As he got into the car, Ojae was sleeping in the driver¡¯s seat. He opened his eyes and looked back. ¡°You¡¯ve come early.¡± His drowsy voice sparked Gyeonhui¡¯s dismay. ¡°Did you know who was going to come to dinner?¡± ¡°Huh? Was Miss Chaekyung there?¡± ¡°¡­ Nevermind.¡± Gyeonhui frowned and stopped Ojae from talking. He would have said that if he had known about Chakyeong in advance, he would have told him. It was clear that Mrs. Shin made this happen. Then, a text message from Chaekyung arrived on his cell phone. ¡°Think about my suggestion.¡± ¡°Hah¡­ It¡¯s really annoying.¡± He leaned nervously back in the seat. The car had already begun to treck down the darkened road. His heart was as dark as the scenery outside the window. Sun was not under his control, and things were twisted in a day. Furthermore, there was such a mess when Chakyeong joined the dinner. ¡°It¡¯s crazy.¡± He closed his eyes, struggling. ¡°What about the Kids Fans? Do you really not want to do that?¡± Ojae had noticed Gyeonhui was in a bad mood and started speaking carefully. ¡°¡­ Didn¡¯t I tell you not to do it?¡± ¡°Yes, but¡­ I think this is the best.¡± ¡°How many times have you screwed up because of your thoughts, huh?¡± Ojae had to shut his mouth because Gyeonhui was right. ¡°Oh, the traffic signal cuts me off so often.¡± When the traffic signal turned red, Ojae fumed at it. He turned his gaze out the window as if he was trying to clear the thoughts in his head and saw the dark scene of the street. Beyond the scene, he saw a caf¨¦ with a wall of glass. He could see a man and a woman familiar to his eyes as he inadvertently shifted his gaze. ¡°Cheonsun?¡± The man and the woman were Sun and Eunwoo. Sun buried herself deep in the chair, smiling comfortably. It was a different smile compared to the tense smile she gave in front of Gyeonhui. Then, Sun accidentally spilled her coffee while she was talking. Momentarily embarrassed, she tried to get up, but Eunwoo signaled her that it was okay. He quickly got up from his seat, took the tissue, and wiped the coffee from her clothes. At that moment, Gyeonhui recalled his past self. In such a situation, Eunwoo differed so much from Gyeonhui. After all, he would have always gotten angry or would look at her with a cold gaze. ¡°She smiles¡­¡± She was talking with Eunwoo while smiling at ease, although she had made a mistake. It was different from the way she felt with Gyeonhui. ¡°Hah¡­¡± He remembered Terry wagging his tail in front of Ojae. He was so sure that she could never leave him. He couldn¡¯t get a hold of her for more than three months, but until just a few days ago, that idea remained the same. However, for the first time, the thought began to shake. There was a sense of anxiety in him that Eunwoo might take Gyeonhui¡¯s place. He looked at his knees. Luckily, it was cold coffee. Still, the knee was sore. Because of his sore knee, Gyeonhui glowered, but she remained smiling. ¡®Animals are just like people. The scar in their hearts lasts longer than they do in their bodies.¡¯ Eunwoo¡¯s words came to his mind. ¡°¡­ The scar in their hearts lasts longer than they do in their bodies?¡± Gyeonhui, with a severe face, mocked himself. ¡°Huh¡­.¡± Gyeonhui exhaled a deep sigh before speaking to Ojae in a sinking voice. ¡°¡­ Go ahead.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°The Kidz Fan idea that you talked about a while ago. Go ahead.¡± At his sudden change of mind, Ojae looked at him, surprised. However, he could only look at her with his eyes sinking silently. Chapter 27 ¡°The coffee smeared on your pants.¡± Eunwoo looked at her coffee-stained pants and stated. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll wash it out later,¡± she said. The coffee stain was troublesome, but her expression was rather bright. When she was with Eunwoo, she felt relaxed. Although she made a mistake, she was not embarrassed. Instead, she laughed out loud. ¡®Is this how having a good friend feels like?¡¯ It was a different feeling from her friends, Eunyoung, and Ari. ¡°What do you do for a living?¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t know even I told you about it. I¡¯m a character designer, and I mainly work on product development and design.¡± ¡°Really? Can I see some of your works?¡± Eunwoo asked with curious eyes. ¡°Well, wait a minute.¡± After a brief thought, Sun pulled the sketch notes out of her bag. She then showed pictures of cute animal characters. ¡°He¡¯s called Croc. He travels to find crocodiles that have left themselves on the Nile river. It¡¯s my first character.¡± Sun paused for a moment and looked at the painting with reminiscent eyes. ¡°This is Eli; he¡¯s a big elephant. He gets so scared over everything, so he keeps tattooing his body.¡± Sun continued her explanation by showing some pictures of crocodiles, elephants, rabbits, lions, and cat characters. ¡°That¡¯s a good explanation. They seem so real.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because they are a reflection of ourselves. Although they¡¯re just characters, I get the inspiration from around me.¡± Eunwoo nodded at her explanation. ¡°So, where can I buy this?¡± ¡°¡­ You can¡¯t buy it yet because we haven¡¯t made a deal with a retailer at the mall.¡± ¡°Why? They¡¯re so cute, though.¡± ¡°We have some disagreements with our business partners.¡± Sun responded with a bitter smile. ¡°Hmm.¡± Eunwoo sighed shallowly, seemingly incomprehensible. ¡°Huh? Here, I know. It¡¯s from Santiago.¡± Eunwoo looked at the scenery of Santiago, which was painted behind the back of the character. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right.¡± Sun choked up and sighed shallowly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you in trouble?¡± ¡°¡­ I still haven¡¯t had any new concepts for new characters. Our customer wants characters that have a concept of ¡®healing,¡¯ but it¡¯s not easy.¡± Sun responded with an awkward smile. Eunwoo nodded and slowly handed over her notes before her eyes. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been already healed.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°When I look at this picture, it touches my mind, and it heals my heart.¡± Eunwoo spoke calmly as if he were in Santiago at that very moment. ¡°What was this place for you?¡± ¡°You mean, Santiago?¡± Eunwoo nodded and continued. ¡°Like you said, the characters resemble us. If you can see yourself in this picture, wouldn¡¯t it work for anyone else?¡± ¡°Hah¡­¡± Sun calmly recalled the time while nodding upon hearing his words. She was tamed like a dog by someone who told her to wait. Thus, she decided to travel to heal her own wounds for the first time. At that moment, when she wanted to give up, she met Eunwoo miraculously, and he gave the rock to her. Finally, she could complete the journey. Santiago was her past, it also was her present, and it was a journey that has continued through that day. ¡°Huh?¡± Then a story came to her mind. ¡°Well, wait a minute.¡± She suddenly started drawing on her notes using a 2HB pencil. A cute dog began to form behind a dancing pencil. ¡°It¡¯s a concept of a dog with a leg injury, traveling to Santiago.¡± Eunwoo could only keep his eyes on her without speaking. ¡°Oh¡­ So, wait a minute.¡± She needed time to sort out the ideas that sprang up in her head for a while. ¡°So, a dog with a leg was thrown away by its owner.¡± She began sketching the images in her head over her notes. The sound of a rough colored pencil followed the shape of a square. Then, a cute dog character with slightly folded ears was drawn. ¡°But one day, this puppy picks up a magic stone, and he gets a mysterious power.¡± She drew a picture of a dog carrying a stone necklace around his neck like Superman. She then ripped the picture of the dog and placed it on top of the painting of Santiago that she had already sketched. ¡°The power puppy helps his sick and injured friends. They make arrow markers, so they don¡¯t get lost. The arrow is his symbol.¡± ¡°¡­ Well, what do the injured animals mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s us. It¡¯s comforting the exhausted people like us in modern society with his magical power.¡± Eunwoo oversaw her sketch, nodding slowly as if he understood the concept. ¡°And I just need to add a concept to the character that I¡¯ve been thinking about.¡± The characters became humorous when she put bandages on the bear¡¯s ears, on the lion¡¯s nose, and even an eye-patch on the crocodile eyes. ¡°Just like this.¡± After quickly completing the sketch, Sun showed the painting to Eunwoo. ¡°Hmm,¡± he said. Eunwoo looked at her sketches and paintings for a long time. ¡°If I were a businessman, I¡¯d make a deal.¡± ¡°Really? Wow! Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Sun unwittingly shouted but quickly closed her mouth. ¡°But I¡¯m still uncertain. I¡¯d love to see the final proposal by the weekend.¡± Eunwoo said, acting as if he were a businessman. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll definitely meet the deadline.¡± Sun also responded with confidence. After a moment of eye contact, both started laughing out loud. Eunwoo stopped laughing first, raised his hands above his head, and high-fived her. ¡°Congratulations!¡± ¡°No. Thank you, Dr. Park.¡± Sun looked excited. And a warm smile crept onto her face. *** When he returned home, he looked down at his knees with his arms crossed. Still, his bitter knees were throbbing. ¡°¡­ Have you fallen, Sun¡­.¡± He remembered that Sun would trip frequently. Each time she did that, he was impatient with her. He was frustrated and annoyed, and he couldn¡¯t accept the fact that she was injured when she was with him. ¡°She¡¯s bothering me.¡± Even as he tried to hide the thought of her, his throbbing pain kept him from thinking of anything else. He opened his phone and checked the contact list. A missed call from woman #16 caught his eye. After a while, Gyeonhui pressed the call button. ¡°¡­ Hello?¡± A voice that seemed a little surprised over the phone was heard. ¡°Why did you call me?¡± She deliberately asked in a firm tone. ¡°Huh? Oh, because of Labong.¡± ¡°I took him to the hospital.¡± ¡°Yes. I heard.¡± Finally, an awkward silence hung between the two of them. The conversation did not continue when she stopped talking. The distance between them seemed to be as long as the length of their silence. ¡°If you don¡¯t have anything to say, I¡¯ll hang up.¡± Unable to endure the silence, Gyeonhui first tried to hang up the phone. ¡°Hey, Geyonhui.¡± In her desperate voice, Gyeohui listened to her voice on the phone again. ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­ Thank you for taking Labong to the hospital today.¡± ¡°Forget it. I didn¡¯t do it to hear that from you.¡± ¡°Thanks, though.¡± He was still listening as he asked. ¡°By the way, did you hurt your knee?¡± ¡°Huh? Yes. But¡­how did you know that?¡± She seemed doubtful. ¡°Oh, just¡­ I just asked because you get hurt so often. That¡¯s all.¡± An embarrassed Gyeonhui hurried around. ¡°Be careful.¡± ¡°I will¡­¡± The conversation stopped again after the end of Sun¡¯s answer. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve put something on the gas stove.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± He hung up the phone first, unable to overcome the awkwardness. ¡°Good. Good job. Just make her feel that I know her pain too.¡± He sighed with frustration and whispered to himself. But soon, her words lingered in his ears. ¡°¡­ Thank you.¡± It was not a bad feeling. Chapter 28 *** When she came out of the shower, she wrapped her hair with a towel and applied lotion to her face. She looked at her phone with a smile. It was strange that he called first, and it was hard to believe that he actually took Labong to the animal hospital. ¡°Hmm. ¡± As she shook her head, she looked up with a shallow sigh. Looking in the mirror, she saw a small box against the wall. The tail of the crocodile doll was jutting out of the half-opened box. She got up and pulled out the small crocodile doll inside the box. The doll had beaked eyes, but he was a vulnerable and delicate character, unlike his eyes. Before coming to Eunyoung¡¯s company, it was her first character that she created in her first job. The memories were tailed back, and it soon reminded her of him. On the day the project was completed at her work, Sun reached out to Gyeonhui and greeted him. ¡°You¡¯ve struggled for a long time on this project, and you¡¯ve done a great job.¡± She encouraged him to shake hands, but he didn¡¯t hold her hand. ¡°You¡¯re saying it like you¡¯re never going to see me again.¡± ¡°Huh? No, that¡¯s not true.¡± She had no choice but to take her hand back. However, an unexpected word came out of his mouth. ¡°I¡¯d like to see you more often.¡± Suddenly, his words opened her eyes wide. ¡°Gyeonhui Woo. Remember it. That¡¯s my name.¡± He confessed his love to her with his steady eyes. She felt like his dark, black eyes were drawing her closer. Recalling her old memories, she smiled reminiscently. All the memories she had with him while they were together weren¡¯t all painful ones. At least, in the beginning, they made each other smile as she thought about it. ¡°Hah.¡± However, it was a story that had already become her past. She broke up with him, and she had to stand alone. As the memories grew hopeless, Sun shook her head and put the doll back in the box. ¡°This is not the time to do this. I have to think about meetings now.¡± Sun tapped her cheeks and reaffirmed her concept. A magical stone hanging around a cute dog¡¯s neck caught her eyes. She turned her head toward it and pulled the stone from the drawer she had received from Eunwoo. The feeling of the soft rock brought her a hint of comfort despite being cold. ¡°Cheonsun, you can do it.¡± She looked at the rock, and a smile appeared on her face. *** The next morning, Gyeonhui, in a clean suit, arrived at the office, and the female staff politely greeted him. ¡°The CEO of the W. Department Store has been waiting for you.¡± At that moment, Gyeonhui recalled Chunduk¡¯s face. When he opened the office door, Chunduk, who was dressed in a handmade suit, was scanning the insides of the room. It was bad enough to make Gyeonhui scowl because Chunduk had placed the book down on the table with a displeased expression. Gyeonhui deliberately closed the door hard. ¡®Kung.¡¯ Chunduk turned his head on the sound of the door closing. ¡°Hey. Brother.¡± Chunduk, who had noticed him in hindsight, said. ¡°How dare you come in here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to benchmark the business. I wondered how the CEO of Consencio¡¯s office would look.¡± Chunduk scanned the interior of the room again. ¡°Well done. You deserve the title of second place at this company.¡± Chunduk deliberately emphasized the word ¡®second place.¡¯ Chunduk¡¯s suit caught the eyes of Gyeonhui. ¡°Oh? Look at you in that suit. ¡°Oh, I see you understand quality. It¡¯s one of the most elaborate masterpieces ever built by an Italian craftsman.¡± Chunduk shrugged his shoulders and brushed his suit with his hands. ¡°Is it? I thought you had rented it. Hmm. Is it because the person in the suit is shitty?¡± ¡°What¡­ what did you say?¡± Chunduk¡¯s face turned red upon hearing his words. ¡°If you¡¯re done spying on me, why don¡¯t you go back to your room and work harder. In the meantime, while you¡¯re doing that, I¡¯ll continue to be ahead of you as usual.¡± With a relaxed smile, Gyeonhui headed to his seat. At that time, Chunduk could not bear his resentment and opened his mouth. ¡°Your ex has made a proposal to enter into our department store.¡± Chunduk¡¯s words stopped him. ¡°Yeah, no matter how you guys broke up, you¡¯re cold-hearted. You have to at least make sure your ex pays her bills. Isn¡¯t it a true Nobles Oblige?¡± Chunduk¡¯s tone was sarcastic. Gyeonhui¡¯s serious expression slowly turned and looked at Chunduk. Chunduk was relaxed. ¡°It seems you still care for your ex.¡± Chunduk smiled wryly and said. ¡°So, are you accepting her?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know yet. I think it can be changed depending on your actions.¡± Chunduk¡¯s face had a craven smile. Gyeonhui was also smiling as he looked at Chunduk, but Gyeonhui¡¯s eyes sank coldly. ¡°It¡¯s funny.¡± Gyeonhui reached out and picked up a thick book on the table. As he examined the book back and forth, he looked at Chunduk as he weighed it. ¡°You¡­ What are you doing now?¡± Chunduk, who was watching his actions from beginning to end, asked in a slightly frightened tone. Gyeonhui said nothing as he approached Chunduk. Feeling threatened by Gyeonhui¡¯s steps, Chunduk unwittingly stepped back. Chin. However, Chunduk hit the shelves and had nowhere to retreat. ¡°What¡­ what? Are you going to hit me with it?¡± ¡°You said, what am I doing with this?¡± He smiled and suddenly raised the book that he was holding. ¡°Aaaaaak!¡± Chunduk¡¯s screams echoed through the office. A few days later, in the morning at the Kids Fan office. ¡°Hmm.¡± Eunyoung and Ari looked at the proposal seriously. Sitting opposite, Sun seemed a little nervous as she alternated between the two and the proposal. After a long time, there was still no response, so Sun asked carefully. ¡°¡­ How is it?¡± Both of them, who had read the proposal, put the papers down and crossed their arms. Eunyoung and Ari exchanged glances for a moment, again moving their eyes to Sun. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s a big hit.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Upon hearing Eunyoung¡¯s indifferent voice, Sun asked again as if she misunderstood Eunyoung. ¡°What an idea, it¡¯s a jackpot!¡± Ari cried with joy. ¡°Re, really?¡± Sun asked, once again. ¡°It¡¯s neat. The story, the concept, the design.¡± Eunyoung also nodded with a satisfied smile. ¡°It came out really well. This is good enough to make the deal happen.¡± Eunyoung¡¯s face had a hopeful smile. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m so glad.¡± She comfortably lowered her shoulders as if she were relieved. ¡°When did you prepare all of this? Who helped you?¡± Looking back at the proposal, Ari asked. ¡°Of course, I got help.¡± Sun smiled as if she were thinking of someone. ¡°Who was it? If that person is good enough, then don¡¯t we have to recruit him?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, he¡¯s not a person in this industry.¡± ¡°No way, he¡¯s not the director of a veterinary hospital, is he?¡± Sun slowly nodded upon hearing Eunyoung¡¯s question. ¡°The doctor? Who? Who is he? Why is it always me who doesn¡¯t know anything?¡± The two responded slowly as Ari spoke while pouting her lips. ¡°I met him, coincidentally, when traveling.¡± Reluctantly, Sun replied. ¡°Are you still in touch with someone you met coincidentally, and he helped you with the concept too?¡± Ari, who was triggered and full of curiosity, scanned Sun up and down and asked. ¡°Just¡­ I got some help. ¡­¡± Their relationship was still difficult to explain, so Sun had to blur the end of her words. ¡°So they helped you, then we can¡¯t just let it go. Let¡¯s have dinner together on this occasion.¡± ¡°Dinner?¡± Eunyoung¡¯s suggestion struck Sun which prompted her to ask. ¡°Will he be available today?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I¡¯m not really close to him.¡± ¡°Come on. We¡¯re getting to know each other through this opportunity, aren¡¯t we?¡± Eunyoung nodded at Ari¡¯s sharp insight. ¡°But he¡¯s a little busy. Would it be a burden if I suddenly asked? ¡°Did you ask him already?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°How do you know what he thinks? Who knows if he likes meeting with people?¡± ¡°Right. Just try it. If he minds, then we can¡¯t help it.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Okay.¡± The two pushed her, so she responded reluctantly. Holding her cell phone, Sun hesitated for a moment while looking awkwardly at Eunyoung. However, these two seemed to have no intention of backing down. ¡°Hah.¡± Eventually, when she realized that she could not escape, she hesitantly picked up her phone. After a while, when she heard the phone connecting, Sun unwittingly swallowed her dry salvia. . *** ¡°It would be great if you invited me.¡± Eunwoo responded with a bright smile. ¡°Oh, so are you available today?¡± ¡°Yes, but what if your people mind me going there?¡± ¡°No! Please come!¡± Ari¡¯s voice was heard over the phone. ¡°Okay, don¡¯t go away. Then, I¡¯ll get back to you once we¡¯ve decided on a place.¡± ¡°Yes, then I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± Eunwoo looked at his phone with a smile, even after the call was disconnected. ¡°It seems you have good news?¡± The nurse, who was watching him, asked. ¡°Yes. Oh, I¡¯ve been invited to dinner.¡± ¡°What invitation? With the lady last time?¡± Eunwoo nodded slowly at the nurse¡¯s question. ¡°It¡¯s a great time to have a date. It¡¯s finally spring.¡± As he turned his gaze out of the window, the warm spring sunlight came through the window. Labong was also enjoying the spring sunlight as he took a nap. Eunwoo gently stroked Labong, who was asleep. ¡°Spring has really come. I¡¯m overjoyed.¡± He showed a smile resembling the spring sunlight. Chapter 29 ¡°Look! I told you he¡¯d come, right?¡± Ari looked at Sun and shouted. ¡°I think he¡¯s being forced to come to dinner out of obligation.¡± Sun still stated, a little worried. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Why are you worried about a man coming out to dinner. Anyway, I¡¯m glad that you finished the new concept before the deadline.¡± Sun nodded slowly at Ari¡¯s words. The W. Department Store was the only solution for them. However, they felt much more confident than ever before because of the widespread appeal they expected that this concept would create. ¡°Now, stop chatting and get back to work. Let¡¯s make the plan better and clearer.¡± ¡°Get on it!¡± Sun and Ari answered Eunyoung¡¯s words. The mood in the office had not felt this bright in a long time. *** A Brunch caf¨¦ near Dukso. The view of the river from the windows was picturesque. ¡°Hmm.¡± Gyeonhui put down his fork and barely touched the food. ¡°Isn¡¯t it tasty? The chef here is really famous.¡± She began eating a salad on her plate. ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡± She smiled and put a bite of salad in her mouth. Gyeonhui grimaced and pushed the entire plate before her. ¡°Thank you.¡± She started eating the salad as if it were hers. ¡°¡­ What are we doing now?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What does this mean. Us. Doing this.¡± Chaekyeong started talking with a smile like a child when he was displeased by her. ¡°It¡¯s a date for me, but it¡¯s a business meeting for you.¡± He scowled. ¡°I told you if you go on a date with me ten times, I¡¯ll find the CEO of DNBM. Well, the salad is really fresh.¡± ¡°¡­ Are you sure?¡± ¡°Salad? Or CEO?¡± He looked at her as if he was too bothered to even answer. ¡°You¡¯re not funny. Don¡¯t worry. Just focus on our date, okay?¡± She asked with a childlike smile. ¡°Hah. Eat fast. I have to go.¡± He spat out his words and moved his gaze out of the window. Chaekyeong also followed his gaze and looked out of the window filled with spring sunlight. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s good. It really is.¡± He didn¡¯t answer. She smiled and ate much slower than she had been. She lingered on by eating a few bits and pieces to stay with him longer. *** In the evening, the restaurant was full of customers, even at the outdoor tables. Ari looked at Eunwoo, who was grilling the pork belly bit and the lettuce. ¡°¡­ He¡¯s handsome.¡± Sun could hear Ari whispering over the sound of the sizzling pork. Although Sun noticed and stopped Ari, Ari¡¯s eyes turned naturally to Eunwoo¡¯s face. ¡°I think it¡¯s well cooked now.¡± Eunwoo was grilling the meat while speaking affectionately. ¡°I was curious about what kind of people Sun was working with. It¡¯s so nice to meet you all like this.¡± ¡°We¡¯re glad that you¡¯re here. Hehe.¡± Ari responded with an excessive smile. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you helped Sun on the new concept that she was working on. I really appreciate you as the president of this company.¡± Eunyoung said, offering him a drink. ¡°No, all I did was just listen to Sun talking about what she had in mind. All the food looks great.¡± Eunwoo received a drink with a warm smile on his face. ¡°Now, let¡¯s eat.¡± When Eunwoo put the well-cooked meat in front of the people, Ari whispered to Sun. ¡°¡­ Did you say he is a veterinary doctor?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Sun scolded Ari for having a louder voice than she thought. ¡°Hey, I think you¡¯ve found your love. I can see that he likes you.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°Just admit it. I can see it by just looking at him.¡± Ari looked at Eunwoo with a confident gaze. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re Labong.¡± Ari stroked Labong. ¡°I thought this puppy was the new man that Sun was seeing.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Hahaha. That¡¯s possible.¡± When Eunwoo smiled coolly, the atmosphere became more congenial. ¡°But why is his name Labong? Is it French?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Eunwoo paused for a moment and looked at Sun in the eyes. Both of them knew the origin of the name Labong, laughed out loud. ¡°What is it? What¡¯s up? Why are you two only laughing?¡± Ari pouted as if she were jealous. The three people saw her doing it and burst into laughter again. There was a constant smile throughout the dinner. Suddenly, Sun looked at Eunyoung, Ari, and Eunwoo. She felt warm in a relaxed and harmonious atmosphere. They remained happy for a long time. *** He was tired of checking papers in his office until late, and he pressed his eyebrows downward. He suddenly remembered a conversation with Mrs. Shin. ¡®I hope the DNBM acquisition gets finalized soon before the shareholders¡¯ complaints grow.¡¯ He clenched his teeth while he was thinking about Mrs. Shin¡¯s words. ¡®I¡¯ll get it done¡­¡¯ He held his pen in his hand as if he did not forget his determination. ¡°¡­ Is there anything you need?¡± Ojae asked Gyeonhui. ¡°¡­ No.¡± He answered with a sinking voice and focused on the papers again. Suddenly, something seemed to come to mind while staring at Ojae. ¡°Well, what did W. decide to do?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­ I think they¡¯ve decided not to do business with Kidz Fan.¡± ¡°What a simple-minded man.¡± He smiled with satisfaction as he recalled Chunduk. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go ahead with the plan.¡± On Ojae¡¯s words, Gyeonhui nodded instead of answering. He rose from his seat slowly, seemingly tired, and left the president¡¯s room. As he walked around the corner and down the hallway while he stretched his firm shoulders, he noticed a vacant office. After pausing for a moment, he looked at the empty room. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll see you often.¡± He nodded with an awkward smile. *** The next afternoon at the Kids Fan office. Sun and Ari finished their preparation for the meeting while waiting for Eunyoung, ¡°Why is she so late? She¡¯s never late for any appointments.¡± Ari checked the time and asked. ¡°Well¡­¡± Sun had not contacted her and only looked at the doorway, seemingly worried. Feeling the ominous presentiment, Sun held the documents tighter in her hands. Then the door opened, and Eunyoung, who looked exhausted, entered. ¡°Why are you coming in now? What time is the meeting?¡± After seeing Eunyoung, Ari asked like a quick-firing gun ¡°¡­ Meeting¡­¡± Eun-young plunked down on a chair and sighed, but she didn¡¯t answer. ¡°What is it? Why the powerless tone?¡± Ari looked while wondering as she asked. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Eunyoung, breathing a long sigh as she slowly started speaking. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s already been decided.¡± ¡°Decided? What?¡± Ari asked. ¡°They have already chosen another company to enter their building, so we don¡¯t have a chance anymore.¡± Eunyoung buried her face on her desk, frustrated. ¡°Why, suddenly, why? They said at the meeting that they¡¯ll definitely see us again.¡± Ari looked at Sun, fumbling as if she couldn¡¯t believe it. In shock, Sun dropped the plan she was holding. Her pictures were scattered on the floor of the office. ¡®Knock, Knock.¡¯ ¡°Hello.¡± At that moment, with the sound of knocking, he entered the office after greeting them. ¡°What¡¯s going on here? You all look like you¡¯re at a funeral.¡± Ojae jokingly uttered, but the atmosphere became even colder. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like dealing with you right now, so just leave us alone.¡± Ari barely contained her anger and said. ¡°I have to talk with you all.¡± ¡°Hah¡­ then finish it fast.¡± ¡°Hmm. Wait a minute. Miss Hwang, Sun, and you over there. We¡¯ve got all three hither. Here I go.¡± Ojae paused for a moment and slowly started speaking. ¡°We¡¯d like to bring the Kids Fan products to Consencio.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± Ari seemed surprised upon hearing Ojae¡¯s words. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I said. We want you to enter our building at Consencio with the Kids Fan products.¡± ¡°What the¡­ ¡± Eunyoung and Ari didn¡¯t know what was going on and looked at each other. ¡°There are conditions, though. Kids Fans has to move into Consencio¡¯s headquarters.¡± The three looked at each other in amazement. ¡°We¡¯re not going to charge any rent, so you don¡¯t need to worry about that.¡± Ojae spoke in a solemn tone as if it were him who was giving the benefit to them. An immediate notification from Mr. Song, and a proposal for entering Consencio. Sun was listening to everything quietly but felt all the pieces of the puzzle did not match up. ¡°¡­ Was this his idea?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± Ojae asked. Even without answering, Sun was confident. ¡°¡­Eunyoung, I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Sun rose from her seat with a serious face. ¡°Hey, Sun!¡± Eunyoung called her hurriedly, but she had already run out of office. Chapter 30 In the director of Consencio¡¯s room. As he checked the financial statements, he sighed, seemingly frustrated. ¡°If this situation continues¡­¡± Last year¡¯s hasty dividends increased their debt ratio fairly high. Moreover, Chunduk had been snooping around the online distribution department, and that was displeasing for Gyeonhui. ¡°In the end, the only solution is to acquire DNBM.¡± He was frustrated with the CEO of DNBM, who has not shown himself in the industry recently. Gyeonhui repeatedly drew a circle around the words ¡°CEO of DNBM,¡± then roughly put the fountain pen down on the table. ¡®Tuk. Trrr.¡¯ The high-end fountain pen spun around and stopped. Then his cell phone rang. It was his assistant Ojae. ¡°Did you talk to them?¡± Gyeonhui asked because he knew where Ojae had gone. ¡°Well, things are getting a little strange?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Well, Miss Sun suddenly sprang out from her office while listening to me.¡± ¡°Why? Gyeonhui scowled. ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± ¡°You said that you were going to take care of this?¡± ¡°¡­ Sorry.¡± ¡°Where did she go?¡± He barely fought off his anger. ¡°You can¡¯t go in!¡± Then he heard the voice of the security staff through the door. ¡°I just need to talk to him for a second.¡± A familiar voice was heard. ¡°¡­ I think I know where she is.¡± Gyeonhui understood the situation and spoke in a subdued voice. ¡°What? Where is she?¡± ¡°Write an apology letter as soon as you return to the office. Got it?¡± Ojae¡¯s voice was heard, but he hung up on him. He then walked to the entrance and opened the door by himself. Outside the door, he could see her clashing with the security staff. ¡°Mr. President.¡± The security staff recognized him and greeted him with amazement and surprise. ¡°It¡¯s all right. Leave us.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it, you can leave now.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± The security guard turned carefully and returned to his seat. As he watched the staff moving away, he turned and entered his office. With a serious face, she followed him. ¡°What is it?¡± He asked while scowling. ¡°Are you really asking me because you know nothing about what¡¯s going on now?¡± ¡°How do I know if you don¡¯t give me the full story?¡± Hearing his response, she bit her lower lip. ¡°¡­ You did this, right?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The W. Department store canceled the business with us. Did you really not do this? You did the same thing last time too.¡± She spoke in a convincing tone. He looked at her with his eyes sinking, his mouth was closed. He took a few breaths, and time passed before he started speaking again. ¡°¡­ Okay. I did. So what?¡± His eyes were more subdued than before. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Yes. I have ordered the W. Department store to cancel the business with you, and bring your company into Consencio. So what?¡± He scowled and raised his voice. ¡°Gyeonhui¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s your answer? Are you coming in?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want to.¡± She said as if she had decided. ¡°Really? Then we¡¯re all going down together.¡± He looked at her with his arms crossed, as if talking about someone else¡¯s case. ¡°What are you doing? Get out.¡± He looked at her, standing there, not knowing what to do. ¡®We¡¯re going¡­ all together¡­ screwed¡­¡¯ She froze at his shocking words. The Kids Fans wouldn¡¯t even have a chance to revive if their partnership with The W. Department store was canceled. ¡°Did you not say that they are like a family to you?¡± Sun¡¯s eyes trembled at his words. ¡°You said they are, but is this the only thing that you¡¯re going to do for them? That¡¯s ridiculous.¡± Sun closed her eyes upon hearing his words, which struck her like a dagger with her fists tightly clenched. He walked past her and stopped. ¡°I¡¯ll give you one last chance.¡± He turned and continued. ¡°There are only two types of people in the world. A person I want to use, or a person who wants to use me. Think about whether you¡¯re going to use me or you¡¯re going to be worthy of being used.¡± She couldn¡¯t answer his grim words. His words were true and irrefutable. ¡°Did you say they¡¯re precious to you? You have the capability to say anything.¡± He walked out of the office after throwing these words at her. ¡®Bang.¡¯ After a while, it was only her in the silent office. *** ¡°Hah.¡± She exhaled for a long time with a severe face. She looked up, and before she knew it, she had arrived near her office. She couldn¡¯t remember how she left Consencio and returned to the office. It was just unbearable to think that her loved ones were being harmed because of her. Her heart was in pain as if she had sprinkled salt on her wounds, but one thought was apparent throughout her walk. ¡®I can¡¯t make them suffer anymore because of me.¡¯ She slapped her cheek, steadfastly. She looked through the window, checked her face several times, and walked down the stairs with vigorous steps. ¡°Hey! Where did you go? I was worried.¡± Ari looked at her entering the office and asked. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was so upset, so I had to relieve some stress.¡± Sun smiled and said, feeling sorry for her. ¡°What about that man?¡± ¡°Who? Oh, the squid? He left as soon as you did.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all done. Don¡¯t worry about them. I¡¯ll just call the police if they come here again.¡± Eunyoung said. Sun smiled bitterly because she knew Eunyoung always looked out for her. After a moment of contemplation, Sun started speaking as if her thoughts were clear. ¡°Eunyoung. Let¡¯s do this.¡± ¡°Do what? No way¡­ you mean, Consencio?¡± Sun nodded at Eunyoung¡¯s question, which she asked surprisingly. ¡°No matter how I think about it, it¡¯s the best thing for us for now.¡± ¡°Are you crazy? How can I do that to myself?¡± Eunyoung leaped and said, ¡°This is not just all about you. We¡¯ll be fine. What if this office is closed? Where should I go? What about Ari?¡± Sun persuaded Eunyoung with a slightly stronger tone. ¡°No. Stop it.¡± Eunyoung turned away to end the conversation. Sun knew her mind better than anyone else and slowly approached Eunyoung. ¡°Hey¡­¡± Sun hugged her from behind and called her calmly. ¡°If you¡¯re going to say something useless, then go away.¡± Eunyoung tried to release Sun¡¯s hand, but Sun embraced her with more power. ¡°¡­ This is for everyone. Okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do this and increase our strength, and then come out on top proudly. Okay?¡± Sun smiled more brightly, trying to reassure Eunyoung. ¡°Sun¡­¡± Eunyoung called her name unwillingly. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s a bit uncomfortable, but it¡¯s really nothing more than that.¡± She smiled and pretended to be okay. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Eunyoung closed her eyes without answering. Ari, also looked at the two of them with a worried face, not saying anything. ¡°Well, then I¡¯ll assume that it¡¯s been decided.¡± Sun picked up Ojae¡¯s business cards that were lying on the table. She pulled out her phone and dialed the number. Ojae answered the phone after the signal sounded a few times. ¡°It¡¯s Kids Fan. We¡¯ll accept your proposal. Yes, please contact us.¡± Sun talked to him on the phone and hung it up. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± Eunyoung said, without seeing Sun. ¡°No, Don¡¯t be. I should be the one apologizing. All of this happened because of me. We¡¯re going to beat them and come back!¡± Sun tried to brighten up the mood by clapping her hands. ¡°¡­ Well, do you want to have a drink?¡± Sun shook her head at Eunyoung¡¯s suggestion. ¡°I¡¯d rather not drink today, sorry.¡± ¡°Okay. Forget it. I don¡¯t think doing anything in this mood would make us feel any better. Just go home.¡± Eunyoung pushed Sun¡¯s back out of the office. ¡®Bang.¡¯ The door closed, and there was silence on the stairs. The smile disappeared from Sun¡¯s expression, which was awkward anyway. ¡°Hah¡­¡± A deep sigh followed, leaking out of her mouth. *** After leaving the office, Sun walked wherever her feet would take her. Suddenly, the sun went down, and the streets became dark. Time had passed, but her thoughts had become more difficult and complex. ¡®¡­ I can¡¯t get away from him.¡¯ She went on a trip and worked crazily, but it seemed that she was always in the same spot. She was wounded, and the bitterness felt even more awful. Her body and mind were exhausted from constant pain. She just wanted to give up. ¡°¡­ I had tried hard, I tried¡­.¡± She seemed to have done everything she could, but things didn¡¯t get any better. Her life still revolved around Gyeonhui, and his words were still sharper than a dagger. However, she couldn¡¯t abandon the people in Kids Fan. She couldn¡¯t see any more of her loved ones suffer because of her. Instead, she¡¯d prefer that she got sick. That was more bearable. She pretended to be okay in front of people. Still, the pit of her stomach was sore because of their suffering. Sun sat on the bench, seemingly distressed lowering her head. She wanted to dust off her frustration, but she couldn¡¯t say anything to Eunyoung or Ari, and no one came to mind. Looking at her phone list, Sun, without noticing, stopped at Eunwoo¡¯s contact number. She unwittingly pressed the call button. ¡°Huh?¡± At that moment, Sun became alarmed and quickly turned off her phone. ¡°What am I doing¡­¡± Sun exhaled a frustrated sigh. ¡®Tuduk, Tukdu.¡¯ Then it started raining. ¡°What a perfect time¡­¡± She felt like she was getting more miserable as if there couldn¡¯t be anything worse than now. She had to go home before the rain would get stronger. She quickly stepped forward, but accidentally stumbled and sprained her ankle. ¡°Ah¡­¡± The pain felt like a jolt of lightning going piercing her body. Sun clutched her ankle, suffering in pain. Then the rain poured all of its glory all over Sun¡¯s wretched body. Chapter 31 ¡°What? Did I do this to bring her down?¡± When he returned home, he sighed with frustration. He recalled the meeting with Chunduk the day before. ¡°What, what? Are you going to hit me with a book?¡± As Gyeonhui approached, Chunduk asked with cautious eyes. Gyeonhui raised the thick book up without saying a word. ¡°Ahkkkk!¡± Chunduk screamed while blocking his head with both his hands. However, after a while, he noticed that nothing happened, and he opened his eyes. ¡°What are you doing? I was going to put it back on the shelf.¡± Gyeonhui smiled as if he had witnessed something funny and placed the book onto the bookshelf behind Chunduk. Realizing that Gyeonhui had teased him, Chunduk¡¯s mouth remained agape while he was staring at him. ¡°I have to finish our conversation. I thought I could get them into our department store because I felt sorry that you threw her aside, but the team leader came and stopped me. Their products weren¡¯t great, so I told him to stop doing business with them.¡± Chunduk even simulated what he did by throwing a light kick into the air. Gyeonhui immediately scowled. ¡°I know why you broke up with her. She wasn¡¯t worth it.¡± Chunduk seemed to be having fun, and his mouth was twitching like this amused him so. While Gyeonhui watched, he started to spear to Chunduk. ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯ve heard.¡± ¡°What?¡± Chunduk seemed surprised. ¡°I heard that they didn¡¯t want to work with the ¡®parachute-like president who came down from nowhere because there is nowhere for him to go but downward.''¡± Chunduk¡¯s face reddened. He was furious but kept smiling, pretending to be relaxed. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous, I know you¡¯ve just made that up.¡± ¡°Oh, you caught me. Right. That was all me, just my thoughts.¡± Gyeonhui smiled and made Chundeok angrier. ¡°You¡¯re going to fall for the rest of your life as long as I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°You, you bastard¡­¡± Chunduk grabbed Gyeonhui¡¯s collar. Then, Gyeonhui twisted his wrist and pushed him down to the floor as if Geyonhui had set a trap. ¡°Ugh¡­You!¡± Chunduk fell to the floor while shouting at him. ¡°You know it was just self-defense, right?¡± Gyeonhui, with cold eyes, sat in his seat while looking at Chunduk, who had fallen. After a while, Chunduk couldn¡¯t endure his anger anymore and left the office, roughly closing the door. That was it. ¡°Ridiculous.¡± Although Gyeonhui thought about what she told him again, her words were still ridiculous to him. However, he didn¡¯t want to explain the situation. ¡°Ugh.¡± Suddenly, his ankle swelled. At that moment, he dropped the coffee cup he was holding. ¡®Clink¡¯ The coffee cup that fell to the floor scattered everywhere. She came to his mind as he grimaced with unbearable pain. ¡°What the hell is this¡­ again?¡± He struggled with the pain while holding his sprained ankle. It was a pain that taking a few medicines would not heal. This pain in his body was not one that originated on his body. ¡°¡­ Cheonsun.¡± With a flushed face, he struggled to find the cause of the pain. Then, he grabbed his coat and exited the office limping. *** ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to stop.¡± As Sun sat at a convenience store table, she talked to herself while looking at the sky. The rain was getting heavier and soaking the world. Sun took a sip of beer with a bitter expression. ¡°¡­It doesn¡¯t taste good today, nor is it getting me drunk.¡± She had already drunk three cans of beer, but she didn¡¯t get drunk because of her mood. Sun embraced both of her knees and moved her gaze to the street. She was the only one lurking around the darkened streets. The dark streets with orange-colored street lamps were the very symbol of her loneliness itself. Even if it disappeared, the world didn¡¯t seem to care. She felt that the world was only full of unwarranted rain. With the awful loneliness within her, she buried her face between her knees. She was so lonely. She was terribly lonely, but she had no choice but to endure her loneliness. She hugged her knees harder, but her freezing heart didn¡¯t get any better. ¡°Were you looking for me?¡± When that sigh came out, someone jumped into the rain and entered the convenience store¡¯s door, yawning. ¡°Hah¡­ Hah. I found you.¡± She looked up at that person¡¯s voice as he exhaled. ¡°Huh?¡± When Sun identified the familiar face, her eyes opened wide and couldn¡¯t say anything. He was breathing wildly while looking down at her. The rain was ceaseless, but he didn¡¯t even have an umbrella. It seemed like he was wandering in the streets. ¡°Did you find me?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Sun opened her eyes wide as she asked in disbelief. ¡°Were you looking for me?¡± Eunwoo pulled out his phone with a spring-like smile and shook it in front of him. The screen showed a missed call that came from her phone number. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Sun remembered that she briefly pressed the call button. Eunwoo, who had already sat beside her, looked at the table while drying his wet hair. ¡°What is this? You do not even have some snacks to pair with your beer. Wait a minute.¡± Eunwoo stood up again and entered the convenience store. After a while, he returned with a bunch of snacks in his hands. ¡°I¡¯m buying them.¡± Eunwoo sat, picked up a can of beer on the table, and sipped it. ¡°Ku¡­ it¡¯s good.¡± Eunwoo smiled and picked up a can of beer and gave it to Sun. Because of his relaxed smile, a slight smile came to her face too. ¡°Well, Labong is in the clinic. If the rain stops, let¡¯s go pick him up.¡± Upon hearing his words, she nodded and replied. ¡°How was your business meeting? Did it go well?¡± ¡°¡­ No. It didn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°Really? Damn¡­ I guess they just don¡¯t know what looks good.¡± Eunwoo spoke as if he had just heard something ridiculous. ¡°I think there¡¯s already another company that they wanted to do business with. I don¡¯t know the details.¡± She said, without speaking about Gyeonhui. ¡°Those people, they¡¯ll regret it later. I¡¯m sure.¡± Eunwoo responded as if he had also lost the job. ¡°Thank you for comforting me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not comforting you. Sun, the picture was excellent.¡± His mischievous, serious face made her laugh. ¡°Thank you. Thank you for your encouraging words.¡± Eunwoo paused for a moment and looked at her. ¡°You know what? You blink more when you¡¯re feeling good.¡± Eunwoo looked at her with his chin on the table. ¡°Do I? I didn¡¯t know that.¡± Sun looked in the mirror with a pleased expression before looking at his face. ¡°Should I be blinking like this?¡± She blinked her eyes toward Eunwoo for a moment. Eunwoo nodded silently, and she looked back at the window to check her face. ¡°People don¡¯t really know who they are at all. They aren¡¯t aware of how they blink their eyes and how attractive they are.¡± Eunwoo looked at her face that was reflecting in the window and spoke quietly. ¡°What? What did you say?¡± She asked if she had misheard him. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Eunwoo shook his head with a smile. The rain slowly dwindled and soon ceased. ¡°It stopped raining.¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s pick up Labong.¡± Eunwoo rose from his seat with a smile. ¡°Yes.¡± Sun had put her feet to the ground with that answer and winced. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Um, It¡¯s nothing. Let¡¯s go. Go.¡± Sun smiled casually and stepped away. Every step she took was so painful, but she didn¡¯t succumb to her pain. *** Sun and Eunwoo walked past Gyeonhui, who was seated in the back seat of his car. As they passed, he lowered the window and looked at their backs. ¡°Hey, Gyeonhui. Didn¡¯t you say she injured her ankle?¡± Ojae, who was sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, looked at him and asked. ¡°¡­ She¡¯s injured.¡± He could still feel the throbbing pain. ¡°Really? She looks okay, though. No, it looks like she¡¯s limping a little bit¡­¡± Ojae pushed his head out and examined her more closely, but he shook his head as if he wasn¡¯t sure. Sun¡¯s face was full of laughter. Looking at her face, no one could see the pain she was feeling. ¡°So, is she enduring the pain?¡± ¡°¡­ I really don¡¯t understand how she can stand it.¡± Gyeonhui mumbled to himself while he looked at her back as it moved farther away. He thought a lot as he saw her walking casually with her injured ankle. Ojae was still watching Gyeonhui and opened his mouth carefully, ¡°Honestly¡­ It might be too late for me to tell you this, but there¡¯s no one like her these days.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Remember when you were in that accident?¡± Upon hearing Ojae¡¯s words, Gyeonhui remembered the incident when he hit the guardrails. ¡°You were passed out at that time, and she was covered all over with wounds. She pulled you out of the crushed car, and her palms were all torn apart. Her arms were all scratched while doing it too, but she was only thinking of you the whole time.¡± Gyeonhui scowled after hearing this story that he never knew. ¡°I heard this later, but on that day, she wasn¡¯t supposed to give her blood to you at that time because it had only been a few days after she donated her blood. She was also having her period that day. She did it all for you, and she finally collapsed after the blood transfusion.¡± Ojae sighed, seemingly sorry for the memories of that day. ¡°¡­ That day?¡± He couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°The organs in her abdomen scrambled, and her back seemed like it broke, but she donated the blood? Does that really make sense?¡± He scowled as if he had heard something unbelievable. In a stressful situation like that day, Sun suffered all that pain to save him. Ojae nodded as he realized the meaning of Geyonhui¡¯s words. ¡°Love is a wonderful thing because it makes everything possible. I can¡¯t even imagine how much pain she felt¡­ yet she still endured it all.¡± Ojae sighed, seemingly sad with his thoughts. ¡°Why are you telling me this now?¡± ¡°How could I not tell you when you go crazy over the slightest changes that would happen to her? You always go crazy like that.¡± Ojae told him everything that he had been holding back for a long time, even when he wasn¡¯t comfortable doing so. Usually, Gyeonhui¡¯s anger would have struck Ojae now, but the back seat remained quiet today. Ojae snuck a look into the rearview mirror and checked the back. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense¡­¡± Gyeonhui bit his lower lip and looked at her back. Chapter 32 *** Inside his car on the way home. He looked at the Han River and remembered the accident a few days before. It happened a few days before the earnings announcement. ¡®The operating profit has fallen a lot, so the shareholders are restless¡­¡¯ After confirming Ojae¡¯s message, he breathed a long sigh into the air. He had tried all sorts of things, but everything could be blown away at once because of the shareholders¡¯ greed. He closed his eyes to cool his boiling anger and clenched his molars tightly. ¡°Are you okay? Are you feeling anything uncomfortable?¡± He heard a cautious and affectionate voice. When Gyeonhui opened his eyes, she was looking at him with a worried expression. A woman who always looked only at him. She was a woman who almost died because of his words. He wondered if she was the only one who would not leave him in this world. ¡°¡­ Do you want to get married?¡± Suddenly, those words popped out of his mouth. Her eyes widened as if his unexpected confession surprised her. However, her eyes remained calm soon after. ¡°I¡¯m fine. You do whatever you want.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He didn¡¯t like her answer. Her reaction was lukewarm at best. The anger he had against his mother quickly turned toward her. ¡°Huh¡­¡± While recalling the past, he sighed for a long time, seemingly frustrated. She had hoped for marriage more than anyone else, so he proposed. ¡°I¡¯ve even said it to you¡­¡± He did the best he could, so all the blame would land on her. The actions of Sun at the accident still didn¡¯t make sense, but Ojae¡¯s words struck him. ¡°I heard this later, but on that day, she wasn¡¯t supposed to give her blood to you at that time because it had only been a few days after she donated her blood. She was also having her period that day. She did it all for you, and she finally collapsed after the blood transfusion.¡± He didn¡¯t realize that the day when they broke up, she was on her period. It was difficult for him to believe it. ¡®On such a hard day¡­ it¡¯s impossible to do it¡­¡¯ The unquenchable thirst in his mind continued to weigh on him. In the end, he pulled out his phone with his mouth firmly closed. *** Because of her sprained ankle, she waited for Labong while sitting on the couch. ¡°Labong. Your mom is here.¡± Eunwoo pulled Labong out and handed the dog to her. ¡°Did you play well today?¡± Sun stroked Labong. She was glad to see him. Labong was panting as he looked up at her while enjoying her embrace. ¡°Oh, wait a minute. I¡¯ll give you some food and training pads.¡± Eunwoo wanted to take care of everything else, so he went to the back of the warehouse. ¡°Are your legs okay?¡± Sun was left alone and smiled as she examined Labong¡¯s legs. Labong was also excited while running on the couch as he slammed into her. ¡®Udangtangtang.¡¯ Then she heard the sound of things falling from the warehouse. Sun looked at the warehouse while pulling her neck out, a little surprised. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡± When he heard Eunwoo¡¯s voice, Sun burst into laughter. ¡°He¡¯s such a funny guy. Isn¡¯t he?¡± Sun said while looking at Labong. ¡°I don¡¯t know where I place it. Wait a minute.¡± When Eunwoo¡¯s voice returned, Sun leaned back on the couch while holding Labong. ¡°Hua¡­¡± As her body warmed up after holding Labong, she started feeling the effects of the beer. She was nervous all day, so she felt the weight of her tiredness all at once. She dozed off as soon as her body and the air in the room warmed. ¡°I found it. Here it is¡­¡± Eunwoo said after a few minutes while standing there, covered in dust. He looked at her and closed his mouth. ¡°Sun?¡± He called her name, but she wouldn¡¯t budge since she had fallen into such a deep sleep. ¡°Oong. Oong¡± Labong seemed anxious. ¡°Shhh.¡± Eunwoo looked at Labong and placed his finger on Labong¡¯s mouth. ¡°I think she¡¯s exhausted. Why don¡¯t we wait for her a little bit?¡± Labong seemed to understand Eunwoo¡¯s words. He quietly leaned on the sofa and looked at her. Eunwoo stood up and closed the blinds before turning a few lights off for her. In the cozier atmosphere, she fell asleep more deeply. Eunwoo sat on the floor and looked at her eyes while she was sleeping. ¡°You¡¯re beautiful even when you blink your eyes or close them.¡± Eunwoo smiled and looked at her adoringly. ¡®Bzzz.¡¯ Then her cell phone rang. ¡°Umm.¡± Sun shuddered, but she did not wake up since if she was in a deep sleep. As the vibration continued, Eunwoo picked up her phone. The caller was not saved on the phone, so he couldn¡¯t know who was calling her. After a while, the same number started to call her again. It seemed as if the caller was going to keep calling until she answered it. Eunwoo answered the phone instead. ¡°Hello, this is Miss Sun¡¯s cell phone.¡± However, over the other side of the phone, no voice was heard. *** In the car on his way home. Gyeonhui held his phone with a firm expression while sitting in the back seat. ¡°Hello?¡± He could hear a man¡¯s voice, not her over the phone. He scowled slowly. ¡°It¡¯s Miss Sun¡¯s phone. How can I help you?¡± When he heard the voice again, he knew that Eunwoo was the one talking. ¡°¡­ Why are you answering her phone?¡± Gyeonhui¡¯s voice sank even further. ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard your voice before.¡± Eunwoo also seemed to notice that the caller was Gyeonhui. ¡°Put her on the phone.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t get her to do that now.¡± ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t get her. What are you talking about?¡± ¡°She¡¯s sleeping now.¡± Upon hearing Eunwoo¡¯s words, Gyeonhui paused in shock. ¡°What did you just say?¡± Gyeonhui¡¯s face became more serious. ¡°Don¡¯t imagine anything strange. She was just tired and fell asleep.¡± Eun-woo added an explanation to help Gyoenhui understand. However, Gyeonhui¡¯s mood did not change at all. ¡°Wake her up.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to. It looks like she hasn¡¯t taken a break in a while.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel like playing around with you. Wake her up now.¡± ¡°Hey, Mr. Woo,¡± Eunwoo called his name in a more serious tone, unlike anything he had been showing before. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like playing around with you either, at least regarding her.¡± Gyeonhui scowled more upon hearing Eunwoo¡¯s serious tone. ¡°¡­ Where are you?¡± ¡°In my clinic.¡± After confirming the place, Gyeonhui hung up on him. ¡°Turn the car around.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± He asked Ojae, who did not know what was going on. ¡°Turn the car around. Now!¡± In his cold-settled words, Ojae quickly turned the steering wheel. He made a U-turn in a hurry as his car blared. *** Eunwoo smiled upon seeing the disconnected call. ¡°Oh, my!¡± Sun had woken up late and raised herself up with a surprised look on her face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I fell asleep.¡± ¡°You¡¯re tired, so I didn¡¯t wake you up on purpose.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ time has gone by quickly.¡± She confirmed the time and quickly rose from her seat. ¡°Anyway, Labong is all good now.¡± Eunwoo showed Labong¡¯s leg and spoke. ¡°His wound is healed, and I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll need to come here anymore.¡± Eunwoo smiled a little sadly. ¡°Oh¡­ Yes, you¡¯ve been so gracious to us.¡± Somehow, she felt sad again. There was a brief silence between the two of them. Both seemed to be unhappy with the news. ¡°¡­ Take care.¡± Sun departed, bowing at him awkwardly. Eunwoo nodded and said goodbye. She tried to leave the hospital with Labong in her bag. ¡°Miss Sun.¡± She then heard a voice calling her from behind. As she turned around, Eunwoo slowly approached her. ¡°¡­ How about seeing us outside, not in the hospital?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Meet me as a friend. We should chat at a caf¨¦ sometimes, or have dinner together.¡± Eunwoo looked at her with relaxed eyes as he asked. Sun seemed a little surprised, and could not answer him immediately. ¡°If you meet me again outside of the hospital, you can use my name whenever you talk to me, not Dr. Park. It sounds like I¡¯m an old man.¡± Eunwoo¡¯s request made her laugh. After a moment of thought, she nodded slowly. ¡°Sounds great.¡± Maybe it was because of that laugh, but she responded with a relaxed voice. ¡°I¡¯ll get in touch soon.¡± Sun left the hospital upon seeing his smile. When she disappeared around the corner of the street, Eunwoo raised his hand over his left chest that was beating crazily. He was so nervous. ¡°Hum.¡± Eunwoo took a deep breath, turned the light off, and cleaned the office. When he locked the door, he recalled the man that he had forgotten. ¡°Is he really coming?¡± After a while, Eunwoo quickly locked the hospital door and walked into the alley. Chapter 33 When Sun returned home, she pulled Labong from the dog crate and took an ice pack out of the freezer. Her ankle had shaken slightly and was swollen. ¡°Ugh.¡± When she put an ice pack on it, she felt goosebumps all over her body. Soon, however, it felt slightly cold, and the swelling subsided. ¡°Oh, it feels much better.¡± She leaned over the sofa and looked up at the ceiling. ¡®Dr. Park¡­ it sounds like I¡¯m an old man.¡¯ Eunwoo¡¯s sudden words made her burst out laughing. She giggled for a second while recalling Eunwoo¡¯s request. ¡°Call me by name¡­ It¡¯s not difficult.¡± Sun sat upright again, closed her mouth, and grumbled several times. ¡°Eu¡­ Eun¡­ woo¡­ Hah¡­ it¡¯s really more awkward than I thought.¡± Sun shrugged awkwardly. It was not easy for her to call his name since she was so used to calling him Dr. Park. ¡®See you as a friend. Sometime we could chat at the caf¨¦ or eat dinner together.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s good. I think I¡¯ve got a good friend.¡± Eunwoo¡¯s voice came to her mind, and Sun¡¯s face smiled unknowingly. In retrospect, Eunyoung and Ari were the only friends that she could be open with. When her dad passed away, she was afraid to get close to anyone. She was scared that people would leave her as he did. However, she felt something different this time. Invariably, and for a long time after, it seemed that he would be there for her. She looked in the mirror and saw a face full of unforced smiles. ¡°Hmm.¡± She coughed awkwardly and calmed her expression. However, suddenly, like the sun in the morning, a smile returned to her face. *** The next morning, at the Kids Fan office. ¡°Good morning.¡± Sun stepped inside while shouting loudly, pretending to be cheerful. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re here. Ari, let¡¯s put this over there.¡± Eunyoung, who was dressed in a comfortable outfit, handed Ari a file containing the portfolio. ¡°Give it to me. I¡¯ll do it.¡± After laying down the bag, Sun quickly reached out and received the file. ¡°Thank you.¡± Eunyoung smiled and handed her the file. Then, the office phone rang. ¡°Yes, this is Kids Fan. Yes, the event? What? You mean now?¡± Eunyoung looked embarrassed and stayed on the phone as she asked. ¡°No, you said, move into the building right away, so we are packing now¡­ Hah.¡± ¡°Why? What¡¯s going on?¡± Sun felt something unusual and asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. They said they¡¯re going to have an event at the orphanage and would like to use our products at the event. They want us to bring our samples right away.¡± Eunyoung covered the phone with her hands and continued the conversation. ¡°I¡¯ll do it as soon as we move to our office. It¡¯s not that urgent, is it? Hello? Hah.¡± Eunyoung sighed and put down her cellphone. ¡°Consencio?¡± Eunyoung nodded while she took off her gloves upon hearing Sun¡¯s question. ¡°I¡¯ll go; you guys stay here and pack this stuff.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll go.¡± Sun came out. ¡°No. As long as I can, I don¡¯t want you to bump into Mr. Woo.¡± Eunyoung seemed anxious. ¡°No, I have to see him more.¡± Eunyoung stopped and looked at her as if she were surprised by Sun¡¯s words. ¡°So, I become stronger. I need to throw any weakness in me quickly.¡± Sun said while holding a box beside the door. ¡°Give me the key.¡± ¡°Huh? Yes¡­¡± Eunyoung pulled the car keys out of her pocket and gave it to her. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Sun left the office with a smile and a box. ¡°¡­ Doesn¡¯t she look like she¡¯s changed?¡± Ari looked behind Sun and asked. ¡°I think so¡­¡± Eunyoung looked at the doorway of the office while tilting her head. *** Consencio¡¯s Office. Gyeonhui was locked in his thoughts. He sat with a firm expression, and his hands were folded. ¡°How dare you play with me?¡± He had never wholly forgotten what happened last night. The veterinary clinic, where he went dragging his injured ankle, was firmly closed. Besides, he searched for her to find out what had happened. However, Ojae confirmed that she had already arrived at the house. He couldn¡¯t suppress his anger, so he couldn¡¯t sleep at all last night. Then, with the sound of a knock, a female employee entered. ¡°Mr. Woo. Miss Cheonsun has arrived. ¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After receiving the employee¡¯s report, he woke up with a lot of energy in his eyes. As he was about to leave the office, Ojae suddenly jumped into the office hurriedly. ¡°Gyeonhui! Big news here!¡± ¡°Talk to me later. Revenge is at hand now.¡± He tried to get past Ojae. ¡°I¡¯ve found him. The CEO of DNBM.¡± Gyeonhui stopped at Ojae¡¯s urgent answer. ¡°¡­ What?¡± ¡°London. Somebody has seen him in London.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°For now. Would it be better to go and check it out?¡± Hearing Ojae, Gyeonhui was lost deep in thought. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°What? Yourself?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have much time, and it¡¯s easy for me to go and have an agreement on the terms of the acquisition.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m booking the tickets for us then.¡± Ojae lifted his cell phone. ¡°Why is it us?¡± ¡°Huh? That¡¯s, of course¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go by myself. You have to stay and watch her.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°Just send a counsel lawyer to me.¡± Ojae nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°I¡¯ll return after seeing her before I leave.¡± Gyeonhui quickly stepped out of the office. *** In the conference room. As he looked inside the window, he noticed that Sun was displaying samples and products. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± Her ankle was still swollen. Sun carefully massaged her ankles while looking at Gyeonhui through the window but avoided eye contact, pretending not to see him. She had risen again, trying to display something while pretending to be innocent. ¡°It¡¯s crooked.¡± He opened the door and walked in. ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± She reluctantly answered and re-organized the dolls. ¡°Hmm. It was better when you changed it. Switch to the other way.¡± ¡°Hah.¡± She was furious, but she had to endure her anger. ¡°Do it again, the one next to you.¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll bring some stuff.¡± Sun glared at him for a moment and walked toward the parking lot. *** ¡°Hah¡­¡± When she arrived at the parking lot, she struggled to remove a box from the car trunk. ¡°How¡¯s it working here? Isn¡¯t it okay?¡± She could hear his voice over her shoulder. ¡®Bang.¡¯ She dropped the box that she was holding loudly. Gyeonhui looked surprised as he looked at her while scowling. ¡°Is this why you called me? To do this?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make another mistake again. I didn¡¯t call you, I called Kids Fan.¡± ¡°¡­ Okay. I¡¯ve been prepared to do this.¡± She lifted the box again while clenching her teeth. ¡°Ahaaaak!¡± She felt the pain on her sprained ankle that was injured yesterday. She thought it looked a little better after doing the compress, but it became worse because she was carrying heavy boxes. However, she could not pretend to be weak in front of him. She pretended to be casual. ¡°¡­ Put it down.¡± He scowled and told her. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°You¡¯re ankle is injured.¡± ¡°What?¡± She was amazed that he had noticed her injury when she tried to hide it from him. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal.¡± Sun quickly managed her expression and tried to pass him over. ¡°Oh!¡± However, the pain was worse than she had thought, and she lost her balance and stumbled. She almost fell to the floor, but she recovered because Gyeonhui held her firmly in his arms. ¡°So, it¡¯s still no big deal?¡± He pulled her arm while scowling. ¡°Let go of me.¡± ¡°Stay still.¡± He lowered his head, and he saw her reddened and swollen ankle. After a while, he suddenly started carrying her on his back. ¡°Oh my!¡± She was stunned as she shouted. ¡°What are you doing? Let me down!¡± Sun, who was conscious of other people, said urgently. However, he ignored her words while pretending that he had not heard her. He also had no other option since her ankle swelled more every time she took a step. ¡°¡­ Why on earth are you doing this to me?¡± She asked, seemingly incomprehensible. ¡°Please, be honest with me.¡± He paused for a moment to answer her question while trying to calm down. ¡°I already said my reasons. If you¡¯re sick, I¡¯m sick.¡± ¡°¡­ Liar.¡± ¡°Believing it or not is up to you.¡± He stepped forward as he said. ¡°¡­ Let me down.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°I said, let me down.¡± ¡°And I refuse.¡± He had no intention of listening to her. As he tried to step forward, she suddenly pulled out his hair. ¡°Ahaakkk!!¡± Surprised, he stopped. He then released his grip. ¡°What the hell are you doing!¡± He cried as he fixed his messed up hair. ¡°What? If I¡¯m sick, you¡¯re sick? That¡¯s ridiculous.¡± She shook her head and continued. ¡°If you¡¯re just as sick me, then you shouldn¡¯t be doing this. No, you can¡¯t do this to me!¡± She turned and walked away toward the conference room after picking up the box. She didn¡¯t want to show him that she was about to burst into tears. He looked blankly at her unexpected response. Chapter 34 A few days later, in the new Kids Fan Office. The office was filled with a variety of office supplies. ¡°It¡¯s spacious and comfortable. It¡¯s good.¡± Ari seemed satisfied. ¡°Should we have come sooner?¡± ¡°Really? How could you say that now?¡± Eunyoung glanced at Sun and said. ¡°Saying ¡®good¡¯ just means that it is good. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s wrong to say something¡¯s good if, in fact, something really is good.¡± Ari, looking displeased, said while pouting her lips. ¡°By the way, we haven¡¯t seen Mr. Woo these days. Is he around here?¡± Upon hearing Ari¡¯s question, Sun slowly shook her head. After their parking lot rendezvous, she hadn¡¯t seen him for a few days. ¡°Maybe he has been in shock. Is he suffering from a panic attack?¡± Ari, hearing the whole situation from Sun, asked carefully. ¡°Usually, people like him get shocked by little things. I mean, she ripped his hair off after all.¡± ¡°No way¡­¡± Sun remembered the moment she pulled his hair. ¡°The more perfect a person is, the weaker their mentality is.¡± Sun sighed with a firm expression. Every single day, he used to contact her, but he hadn¡¯t called her for a few days. That got on her nerves. ¡®Knock. Knock.¡¯ Then they heard a knock on the office door. ¡°Good morning.¡± Ojae was the one who opened the door and entered. ¡°I¡¯m here to check out the event items that will be included at the orphanage campaign.¡± ¡°Does the assistant manage the event product too?¡± Eunyoung asked, seemingly in doubt. ¡°Most of them are in the MD department or on the planning team, and Kids Fans are in our special care.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Eunyoung nodded. ¡°But, where did he go?¡± Ari interrupted the conversation and asked. ¡°Oh, he has gone somewhere.¡± His trip had to be kept a secret from outsiders, so Ojae also made up a story. ¡°Is there anything wrong with him?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Oh, no. Nothing.¡± Ari smiled awkwardly and turned. ¡°Now, let me see your products.¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± Hearing Ojae, Sun tried to get the newly developed dog character out of the box. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± However, when she hurriedly did it, she cut her finger on the box paper. ¡°Oh, again? Please be careful.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no big deal.¡± She pretended to be okay while biting her hand in her mouth and pulled out a doll and gave it to Ojae. While looking at the dolls, Ojae looked at her wounded finger rather than the dolls. *** A hotel in London. While staying in a suite, Gyeonhui looked out the window with his arms crossed. The gloomy British weather had calmed down. He looked at the cell phone on the table as if he was waiting for a call. However, the phone was quiet and still. ¡°¡­ There¡¯s not even a text.¡± Whether he did something wrong or not, she was always the one who contacted him. This time, however, she had not even given him a text. Then, his cell phone rang. Surprised, he picked up his phone in a hurry. However, it was his assistant Ojae. ¡°¡­ Why?¡± He answered the phone in a weak voice. ¡°Have you not seen the DNBM CEO?¡± ¡°¡­ No. I couldn¡¯t meet him.¡± When Ojae asked him, Gyeonhui responded with a more forceful voice. He had not seen a trace of the CEO of DNBM in the London office. The mayor said that he had stayed here for a while a few months ago, but he doesn¡¯t know where he is now. ¡°Hah¡­¡± He exhaled a frustrated sigh. Failing to produce significant results before the next general meeting of shareholders could be a considerable blow to his position. ¡°When are you going to come back?¡± ¡°I¡¯m coming back right away. I can¡¯t wait for him here forever.¡± He looked at his luggage that was already packed. ¡°Well, the campaign is going well with Kids Fans as you directed. I¡¯ll have to watch it, but the reaction to their products is good so far internally.¡± He looked at the images of the Kids Fan characters that Ojae sent to him. He liked the concept of helping the injured and weary characters with trail markers. ¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s great.¡± ¡°I think the kids will love them. Don¡¯t you think?¡± Hearing Ojae, Gyeonhui recalled her face. He remembered when he saw her in the parking lot; she was in tears. As he tried to hang up the phone, Gyeonhui slowly opened his mouth as if something had come to mind. ¡°Hey¡­.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Has she hurt her hand?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Cheonsun.¡± ¡°¡­ It seems so. Bye.¡± He hung up the phone and smiled bitterly. ¡°I even feel her pain on the other side of the world.¡± A little while ago, he felt pain in his thumb. He could have guessed that it was her because he felt the pain on his clean fingers without any scar. ¡°Why are you getting hurt so often, Sun?¡± He knew that she fell down often, but he didn¡¯t think that she would get hurt so much. Her fingers, toes, knees, and shins were bumped and bruised. No matter how much pain he endured, she would always come to his mind. ¡®If you¡¯re just as sick me, then you shouldn¡¯t be doing this. No, you can¡¯t do this to me!¡± Her words made him scowl. ¡°What the hell do you want me to do then!?¡± At that moment, her face came to his mind, and he cried out in a shaky voice. A hollow cry echoed through the spacious suite. After a while, he was informed that a taxi had arrived from the front desk. *** ¡®Really, maybe it¡¯s because of that¡­¡¯ On the way home, she remained anxious. Sun arrived near her home. She pulled out her phone with conflicting thoughts, but she couldn¡¯t press the call button. When both of them argued, the person who contacted the other first had always been her. Before his release, she had not caught anything in her hands because of her unknown fear of him. Thus, she had to hang on until he told her that he had been released. Then, she could do things for herself. Sun, locked her mind as she slowly shook her head. She didn¡¯t want to repeat that life anymore. An uncomfortable thought kept yelling her to press the call button, but she dropped her phone, seemingly determined. A long sigh erupted out of her; her stomach did not feel well. Then her cell phone rang in her hand. She quickly picked up the phone and checked the caller ID. ¡®I think it¡¯s time to get some snacks for Labong.¡¯ It was a text from Eunwoo. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right.¡± She remembered it until the morning, but she totally forgot about it. As she looked up, she noticed a sign at the veterinary hospital that was still lit up in front of her. *** ¡°How close is she¡­¡± Eunwoo looked out of the hospital and muttered to himself. Then, when he saw her walking from a distance, he quickly sat and pretended to look at the chart. ¡°Ring. Ring. ¡± ¡°Hello, Dr. Park. The sound of the doorbell rang, and he heard her voice. ¡°Yes? You¡¯re here.¡± Eunwoo looked up and greeted her nonchalantly as if he had just noticed her. ¡°The snacks you gave him are almost gone. How did you know that I needed more, though?¡± ¡°The last time I gave you snacks, they weighed 50 grams, so I just figured that you might need it by now.¡± ¡°And¡­ Do you even remember all the purchases of every customer?¡± Eunwoo shrugged mischievously as if it were no big deal. She smiled at him as if she couldn¡¯t stop him from doing it. ¡°Try salmon powder this time. It¡¯s popular because it¡¯s domestic salmon. It¡¯s also hard to find.¡± ¡°What? Are you selling it yourself?¡± ¡°Is it obvious?¡± ¡°Yes, definitely,¡± she said. They laughed at each other. ¡°How much is it?¡± She pulled out her purse with a pleasant smile. Eunwoo interfered. ¡°It¡¯s for dinner when you paid last time.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s a product that you¡¯re supposed to sell. You can¡¯t do this.¡± She quickly checked the price on the wrapper and pulled out the cash. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°No. You have to take the money. Sun denied him several times and put the cash into Eunwoo¡¯s hand. Eunwoo had been reluctantly paid. Looking at Sun, he just thought of a good idea. ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll try this instead.¡± Upon hearing Eunwoo¡¯s words, she looked up at him. ¡°What about having lunch tomorrow? I¡¯ll treat you this time for Eunyoung and Ari too.¡± ¡°¡­ Isn¡¯t it a little far from you?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a pet fair in the Samsung neighborhood. I¡¯m going to take a break in the afternoon.¡± ¡°Pet Fair?¡± ¡°I went there all the time when I was in the US, but this time, the fair¡¯s going to be held in Korea, so I¡¯d like to check it out.¡± ¡°Well, it sounds like it¡¯s going to be fun.¡± ¡°It is. Information about healthcare, food, fashion, beauty¡­ It¡¯s very beneficial. There will be a lot of useful information for Labong too¡­¡± Eunwoo looked at Sun¡¯s face and asked while insinuating. ¡°Oh, but the schedule¡­ wait a minute. Tomorrow is Friday.¡± Sun¡¯s face brightened as she checked her schedule more closely. ¡°I can take a half-day off. There is no special schedule tomorrow.¡± Her answer also brought a smile on Eunwoo¡¯s face. ¡°That¡¯s great. Then we¡¯ll meet you tomorrow at lunchtime.¡± ¡°Great, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± Sun departed with a smile and left the hospital. Eunwoo guided her back with his hands in his coat pocket. ¡°What do I have to wear tomorrow¡­¡± Eunwoo was already struggling with what to wear tomorrow. Chapter 35 *** The next day, at the CEO¡¯s Office in Consencio. He came to the office right from the airport and called Ojae. ¡°Can¡¯t you do things right? I went to the other side of the world. What was this?¡± He was angry in his usual irritated tone. At his appearance, Ojae breathed a somewhat relieved sigh. ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m glad you¡¯re angry.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°When I was talking to you in London, you were supposed to get angry, but it was too good to be true. I thought you had gone crazy because of shock.¡± ¡°Is that what you want?¡± ¡°Oh, no, no.¡± Ojae quickly refused to comment. ¡°It was the information from a few months ago. What happened?¡± ¡°I clearly heard that the CEO of DNBM was getting in touch with a local CEO in London¡­¡± Ojae blurted out his words, seemingly incomprehensible. ¡°Find him as soon as possible. We don¡¯t have much time anymore.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ojae responded clearly and began to check the documents he was carrying. Soon, Ojae¡¯s mouth was dry, and he pulled a lollipop out of his pocket and put it in his mouth. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Huh? This? It¡¯s the documentation that came from the Kids Fan Plan.¡± Ojae answered with a rod of candy in his mouth while holding the paperwork. ¡°Not the paper. What¡¯s that in your mouth?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Ojae thought the candy was disgusting him. He pulled the candy out of his mouth and hid it behind his back. Gyeonhui asked while glancing at him before moving his gaze to the papers, ¡°¡­ you have some more?¡± ¡°What, Candy?¡± Ojae looked at the candy that he was holding and responded. ¡°Yes.¡± Ojae looked incredulous, and pulled out a piece of candy from his pocket then threw it out to Gyeonhui. He put the candy in his mouth without thinking and reviewed the papers. Ojae thought Gyeonhui¡¯s recent behavior was odd. Ojae glanced at him, quizzically. ¡°Why are you glancing at me like that? Is eating candy so weird if I was the one doing it?¡± ¡°Oh, no. Just¡­ You don¡¯t eat sweet stuff.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just really want one right now.¡± With his mouth full, Gyeonhui took the candy that he had eaten from his mouth and looked back at it. ¡°Maybe¡­ You¡­¡± Upon hearing Ojae¡¯s words, he had an exciting thought. ¡°No way¡­¡± Gyeonhui quickly unfolded the calendar on the table to confirm the date. After confirming the date with the candy in his hand, he said, ¡°¡­ It¡¯s a week before she¡­¡± It was about a week before Sun¡¯s monthly period. The pain in his lower back reminded him of it again. ¡°¡­ Crazy.¡± His heart started to get annoyed. He could feel the pain before her period started. ¡°¡­ Where is she?¡± Gyeonhui asked in a sinking voice. ¡°Huh?¡± Ojae did not understand his intentions as he looked at him from far away. ¡°¡­ Where is she now?¡± Gyeonhui¡¯s face was stern like he would go wherever she might be right away. Oaje looked at him and slowly started speaking. ¡°Will you be visiting her? What will you say?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Gyeonhui exhaled a long sigh while scowling. There was nothing that could be changed by going to her and asking questions. Instead, it seems that he was caught up in this situation with her. ¡°Stop being mean to her, try being kind.¡± Gyeonhui looked up at Ojae¡¯s words. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you buy some medicine for her? The other day, when we took her to the hospital, she got an IV, and you felt much better. Take her to the hospital. ¡°Are you crazy? Why would I do that?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re sick. I¡¯m not.¡± Gyeonhui stared at him with a sultry glance. ¡°What I meant was just prepare in advance.¡± Ojae spoke cautiously, seemingly unwilling to provoke Gyeonhui. ¡°Get her medicine and take her to the hospital again? No, I can¡¯t.¡± Gyeonhui shook his head vigorously because he had not yet heard an explanation as to why she was pulling out his hair in the parking lot. ¡°So who would do it? It looks so weird If I do it. She might notice everything.¡± ¡°Oh, really¡­¡± Gyeonhui didn¡¯t know how to deal with his soaring annoyance. ¡°It¡¯s all up to you. I can¡¯t help it, huh?¡± Ojae calmly persuaded him, knowing Gyeonhui¡¯s personality well. ¡°Huh¡­¡± With his eyes closed, Gyeonhui slowly looked up and let out a long sigh. He rose from his seat and walked toward the door. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°You said that I have to do something, right?¡± Gyeonhui responded nervously and went out of the office. ¡®Bang.¡¯ When Ojae heard the door close, a smile crossed his face. ¡°¡­ You guys are so adorable, so sweet.¡± Ojae struggled to resist his own bursting laughter. *** ¡°I¡¯m glad I lowered the unit price a lot, though.¡± Sun visited the subcontractors in the morning and was feeling better on the out-of-work business, so her steps were light. She dropped by the subway station but stopped after she passed the stalls. The chocolate in the black wrapper caught her eyes ¡°I¡¯m suddenly craving for sweets.¡± She checked the date in her head and nodded slowly. ¡®It¡¯s that day again soon¡­¡¯ It was a pain that came every month, but she wasn¡¯t getting used to it. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ll take this.¡± After paying for the chocolate, she unwrapped the chocolate on the spot and placed it in her mouth. The sweet taste spread to the tip of her tongue, and she felt better. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m happy.¡± She walked again with a pleasant smile. Then, a text message arrived on her cell phone. ¡®I¡¯ll be arriving at noon.¡¯ It was Eunwoo. ¡°Oh my! The lunch appointment!¡± She forgot about her appointment with him for a while because of important business meetings. She remembered reminding herself when she went to work in the morning, but she forgot about it because she was preparing for the meeting. Stunned, she quickly checked the time on her cell phone. 20 minutes before 12 o¡¯clock. Luckily, she still had time before lunch. ¡°I¡¯ve still got some time.¡± She rushed to the office. *** Consencio Food Market on the first floor in the basement. ¡°Are you really buying all of this?¡± The food market attendant was surprised as if she had not seen anything like this in her entire life. On the checkout counter, every chocolate that they were selling at the market seemed to be piling up. ¡°Yes, what¡¯s the problem?¡± The attendant shook her head upon seeing Gyeonhui¡¯s scowling. ¡°Wait a minute. I think it will take a while¡­¡± The attendant diligently scanned the barcodes, but it was taking a while to get it done. ¡°Huh? Hello. Mr. President.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± Several employees recognized and greeted him. ¡°Hmm.¡± Awkwardly greeting them with his eyes, Gyeonhui stepped a little back from the checkout counter. ¡°Hah¡­¡± After paying, Gyeonhui sighed when he saw the plastic bags in both his hands. ¡°What am I really doing now?¡± However, there was no other way for him to get a little less sick. ¡°Yes. This is for me.¡± He persuaded himself by recalling what Ojae had said. ¡°Hmm.¡± He covered the bag with his body and waited for the elevator. Then the couple who were sitting in the garden at the center of the hall caught his eye. The female employee pulled out a packed lunch she had hidden, and the male employee opened his eyes wide and couldn¡¯t keep his mouth shut. When the woman showed off her injured hand, the man blew gently on her finger. As he watched, he suddenly remembered one of his old memories. As his expression steadily hardened, the elevator arrived with a sound. With a bitter expression, Gyeonhui got in the elevator. Chapter 36 ¡°Let¡¯s go for lunch!¡± Sun opened the door and went inside while saying in a cool voice. However, the smell of the food stimulated the tip of her nose. ¡°What is this wonderful smell?¡± Sun had asked while sniffing. ¡°You¡¯re here. ¡± Ari sat down with a glass of water in her hands while munching on a Soondae and stir-fried spicy rice cake. ¡°This is¡­ What¡¯s that?¡± Sun opened her eyes in amazement and asked, ¡°I¡¯ve been craving this since last night.¡± While Ari answered, she placed the food in her mouth. ¡°No way! It¡¯s not even lunchtime yet.¡± ¡°When did we ever care about that?¡± Eunyoung also seemed unconcerned. ¡°Are you mad because we ate before you returned to the office? I¡¯ve got yours here. Come on.¡± Ari spoke after she handed a toothpick to Sun. ¡°That¡¯s not it, hah¡­ it¡¯s because Dr. Park will buy us all lunch today.¡± ¡°What? Why are you telling me this now?¡± Ari shouted while putting her chopsticks down on the table loudly. ¡°I forgot to tell you because of the meeting this morning. He said that he¡¯s almost here now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay! I can eat more.¡± Ari smiled, seemingly unconcerned. At that time, Eunyoung pinched Ari¡¯s arm. ¡°Ouch! Why did you pinch me?¡± Eunyoung ignored Ari¡¯s words and started speaking as she gazed at Sun. ¡°I can¡¯t go. You two should just go to lunch together.¡± ¡°Why would I do that? We¡¯ve decided to eat together.¡± Sun said, embarrassed. ¡°So you¡¯re just going to send him back? You should at least have lunch with him.¡± ¡°Hah¡­¡± ¡°Where are you going to eat?¡± Eunyoung asked. ¡°¡­ I haven¡¯t decided yet.¡± ¡°How about a homemade burger restaurant on the first basement floor? The atmosphere there is good, and their food is delicious.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Sun recalled the homemade burger house she had visited last time. ¡°That sounds good.¡± Sun nodded with a smile of relief. At that point, Sun¡¯s cell phone rang, and it was a text message from Eunwoo. ¡°He¡¯s here. I¡¯ll go home after lunch.¡± ¡°Sure. See you tomorrow.¡± When Sun went out, Ari looked at Eunyoung as if she were dissatisfied. ¡°Why did you pinch me?¡± Ari looked at Eunyoung while pouting her lips. ¡°To let them spend some time together.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Ari nodded as if she understood. ¡°That¡¯s why life-experience shouldn¡¯t be ignored.¡± Eunyoung smiled like it was no big deal, and she grabbed her toothbrush before leaving into the hallway. ¡°Hah¡­¡± When Eunyoung left, Ari breathed a deep sigh. ¡°¡­ Why don¡¯t you get a man for yourself then, if you know everything about life?¡± Ari shook her head while moving her tongue about in her mouth. *** The first floor in the basement of Consencio. After arriving before her, Eunwoo straightened his clothes by reflecting his figure on the window of the shop. He looked outstanding while wearing a simple shirt and cardigan. ¡°Did I come too early?¡± Confirming the time, Eunwoo waited for Sun and slowly stepped forward. As one of the top online retailers in the country, there was a long chain of excellent restaurants and shops around. ¡°It¡¯s amazing.¡± There was a particularly large assortment of select shops that displayed their brands on its platform. Eunwoo was looking around and picking up his favorite notes and writing instruments. That was when he found a familiar doll. It was a puppy doll that Sun designed. The cloaked dog was holding his trail markers in his mouth. Eunwoo¡¯s phone rang while he was looking at the doll with a smile. Eunwoo, obviously thought it was from Sun; he smiled and checked who the caller was. ¡°Chakyeong¡­?¡± Eunwoo¡¯s face seemed skeptical to be in contact with this person after such a long time. He was about to pick up his phone and answer, then he heard the voice of Sun from a distance. ¡°Dr. Park!¡± He turned his head, smiling brightly as he saw her running toward him. Smiling, Eunwoo placed his phone in his pocket and waved towards her as she ran. He had a smile on his face. *** Gyeonhui was in the elevator, and he was lost in his old memories. ¡°Gyeonhui!¡± One day in autumn, Sun waved at him with a bright smile. Then she ran and offered him a lunch box that she prepared for him. ¡°Try this.¡± The three-staged, high-stacked lunch box contained grilled short-rib, skewers, and kimbap. It looked too good to simply be eaten away. He could see how much effort she had put into it. When he hesitated to eat without lifting his chopsticks, she picked up a piece of kimbap. ¡°I hope you like it.¡± Her face was full of caution. He was so reluctant to eat it because of his complicated feelings. ¡°Well, open your mouth¡­¡± When Sun repeatedly pushed out the kimbap towards him, Gyeonhui reluctantly tried to open his mouth slightly. At that moment, her fingers let go of the kimbap. His mind sank when he saw her finger that had been cut with a knife. The fact that she was injured was more distressing than her devotion to preparing the lunch box for him. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Sun smiled awkwardly and covered the bandage with her thumb. His mood sank even more. ¡°Are you making a big deal out of this because you were injured in preparing this lunch box for me?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not¡­¡± She hurriedly dropped her hand and accidentally let the kimbap slip away from her hand. The kimbap that fell was literally flipped, spilling all the ingredients onto the floor. ¡®¡­ This is not¡­ what I wanted¡­ to happen¡­¡¯ He just wanted to tell her to be more careful, so she wouldn¡¯t get hurt. However, like the spilled kimbap, he could not change what had already happened. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll clean it right away.¡± She smiled casually and cleared the kimbap that fell to the floor. He could see the scars hidden behind her expression. As she continued, he stomped onto the floor, unable to finish the rest of the meal. ¡®Ring.¡¯ After hearing that the elevator had arrived, he returned to reality at a frightening pace. He shook his head as if he were trying to shed his old memories into pieces. After a few steps, the Kids Fan¡¯s office caught his eye. She should be in there. He paused at the door for a moment and soon swung it open. ¡®Bang.¡¯ Ari opened her eyes wide and rose from her seat, recognizing the serious face that was about to enter. ¡°Oh, Mr. Woo.¡± He didn¡¯t even look at her; he was too occupied in looking for Sun. However, she was nowhere to be seen inside the office. ¡°Where is Cheonsun?¡± ¡°She took a half-day off today.¡± An embarrassed Ari replied. ¡°A half-day off?¡± ¡°She said she¡¯s going to the Pet Fair.¡± He tilted his head upon hearing Ari¡¯s answer. He had never heard of her being interested in it. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s a good thing.¡¯ It was less embarrassing for him to leave the chocolates on her seat rather than to give them to Sun. ¡°Where is her seat?¡± His tone suddenly changed. ¡°It¡¯s in front of you.¡± He checked her seat and dropped the bag he had brought onto it. That large bag occupied the table. ¡°Hmm. Then¡­ Take care.¡± He coughed awkwardly and exited the Kids¡¯ Fan office. ¡°Hah¡­¡± As soon as he came out of the office, he sighed. He felt like a different person because he was acting out of the ordinary. He even felt a sense of shame. He just wanted to get out of this situation quickly. Due to the sudden surge of fatigue in him, he decided to leave work in a hurry and headed to the basement. After getting off the elevator, he noticed a homemade burger house that was crowded for lunch. He had never eaten there before. However, people always crowded it, so the restaurant used to catch his eye once a while. He caught sight of a familiar face as he tried to turn his gaze without much attention. She was smiling while holding a hamburger in a crowded restaurant. ¡®¡­ She looks so peaceful.¡¯ Unlike him, she was laughing; Gyeonhui burst a smirk. Then, as the man who was obscuring his vision passed by, he could see the face of Eunwoo, who sat across her. They were both smiling and chatting while picking up food for each other. His face gradually waned. ¡®¡­ That¡¯s outrageous¡­¡¯ As Gyeonhui looked at them, he turned around and headed to the parking lot, seemingly offended. However, at that moment, something seemed to have come to his mind. ¡°Pet Fair¡­¡± A little while ago, he remembered a conversation he had with Ari. He turned again and looked at the two of them. ¡°No way¡­ a pet fair with him¡­ and taking a half-day off?¡± His face was wrinkled, naturally. Soon after, a hard-headed face began to approach the two of them. Chapter 37 ¡°Are they eating the stir-fried rice cake?¡± Eunwoo asked while cutting the hamburger with a knife. ¡°Yes, I forgot to tell them about lunch today¡­¡± Sun looked at Eunwoo and spoke while feeling sorry for him. ¡°But no matter what, they still should¡¯ve waited for me to take care of business before they started eating¡­ they¡¯re rude.¡± Sun said it while having a bite of the salad in her mouth, like a spoiled princess. Eunwoo couldn¡¯t resist smiling. It was so cute. ¡°What are you laughing about?¡± ¡°You look lively.¡± ¡°Do I?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s great to see.¡± She thought about his words for a moment. You look bright, positive, and energetic. She had heard it from people frequently since childhood, but at some point, it became strange to her. Maybe he felt that her mind sank a little? Eunwoo tasted the hamburger and started speaking, ¡°Wow, it¡¯s delicious.¡± ¡°I know, right? I tried it once and crave it all the time now.¡± She smiled at him quickly. ¡°There are a lot of great restaurants here; there are some fancy stores too.¡± Eunwoo responded with a giggle. ¡°Do you like fancy products, Dr. Park?¡± ¡°Yeah, especially the note pads. I just keep buying one or two of them without using them.¡± ¡°Oh, I do too. Whenever I look at a pretty pen or a notebook, I tend to buy one. I don¡¯t know why.¡± Sun smiled brightly after learning that she had so much in common with him. ¡°That¡¯s why I had to buy them like this.¡± Eunwoo looked up at the shopping bag beside him as he spoke. Inside the shopping bag was full of Kid¡¯s Fan products. ¡°Wow, did you buy all of them? You can buy them with the staff discount if you tell them in advance¡­¡± ¡°No, I have to buy it at full price because I¡¯m not buying it as a friend, but as a consumer. I¡¯m a fan of the designer Cheonsun after all.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ That¡¯s cool.¡± Sun smiled shyly and continued eating her food awkwardly. Eunwoo, who was staring at her smile, started speaking. ¡°I¡¯ll come here often to hang out with you and buy things too.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll treat you next time then. Promise me, okay?¡± Eunwoo nodded with a smile upon hearing Sun¡¯s words. ¡°¡­ Sure. By the way, has he returned?¡± Hearing Eunwoo¡¯s careful question, she slowly shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± She never called or looked for him, so she had no way of knowing about him. ¡°Are you guys talking about me?¡± Then, they heard a familiar voice behind her back. When she quickly turned her head in surprise, she could see that Gyeonhui was standing there with a severe face. ¡°Gyeon¡­ Gyeonhui¡­¡± Sun reflexively called his name. Eunwoo, who looked back, could see his face too. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you guys were so interested in me.¡± Smiling wryly, Gyeonhui looked at Eunwoo. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say interested, but I¡¯m just curious.¡± As he looked at Eunwoo, who answered effortlessly, he scowled slightly. ¡°Are we close enough for you to be curious?¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to know about a friend of my friend.¡± ¡°A friend?¡± ¡°A distant friend is still a friend, isn¡¯t it?¡± Eunwoo, who was establishing himself as Sun¡¯s friend, made Gyeonhui scowl. Gyeonhui saw Sun and moved his gaze to Eunwoo again before opening his mouth to talk. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that you¡¯re her friend too?¡± ¡°Yes, for now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not honest.¡± ¡°I¡¯m honest. It¡¯s just that it would take quite a while for me to tell people what I truly feel sometimes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what a dishonest person is. It becomes untrue if you express your words when it¡¯s already too late, and that means you¡¯re going to deceive other people.¡± Eunwoo was no longer smiling upon hearing his words. Nonetheless, he was still giggling because Sun was holding a napkin on the table tightly in embarrassment ¡°Sun, I¡¯m gonna use the restroom real quick.¡± ¡°Sure¡­ Thank you.¡± She answered weakly, understanding Eunwoo¡¯s consideration. ¡°You don¡¯t need to come back, just go and do your thing.¡± Gyeonhui spoke in a sharp tone. Eunwoo stopped for a moment and whispered to him. ¡°Don¡¯t be mistaken. I¡¯m leaving for a second for her because she already feels so ashamed. I¡¯m considering her, not you. Gyeonhui scowled and stared at Eunwoo. ¡°The more you know, the more you¡¯ll understand that she¡¯s too good to be yours.¡± Eunwoo smiled and went outside. ¡°Hah.¡± Gyeonhui laughed loudly, outraged. As Eunwoo moved away, Sun started talking as she watched Gyeonhui. ¡°¡­ What¡¯s going on?¡± Her cold, sinking voice got on his nerves. ¡°Your products and the shelves in your office were so messy.¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s not a mess. I just checked them a little while ago.¡± ¡°It is.¡± He said again in a sinking voice. ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll tell my people to recheck them.¡± ¡°Do it by yourself. Right now.¡± Sun looked at him still. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to do it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I took a half-day off. Ari will do it just fine.¡± Her tone was straightforward; she was furious. ¡°What makes you so defiant like this? You pulled my hair out.¡± She laughed after hearing Gyeonhui¡¯s words. ¡°You¡¯re laughing?¡± ¡°¡­ Really, was it that painful?¡± ¡°Of course¡­¡± ¡°Are you really trying to make me feel guilty because it was so painful? Seriously?¡± Sun¡¯s voice trembled lightly. He couldn¡¯t speak anymore as if he were surprised. Glaring at him, she slowly opened her mouth, ¡°I hope you get even sicker. I hope you get as sick as I was. If only you could experience half of what I had to go through.¡± She looked embittered and scowled. She struggled to continue talking. ¡°¡­ You can¡¯t say that, no, you shouldn¡¯t.¡± She was staring at him before rising from her seat and leaving for good. ¡°¡­ Hah.¡± Gyeonhui, who looked embarrassed, could only let out a sigh without stopping her. *** ¡°Hmm.¡± Eunwoo waited for her at the entrance with a slightly worrisome look. Eunwoo left the restaurant for her, but his mind was still heavy. Then he could see her coming out with a firm expression. Eunwoo raised his hand slightly to reveal his location. However, she just passed in front of him without seeing him. ¡°¡­ Miss Sun?¡± He called her, but she walked as if she hadn¡¯t heard anything. Eventually, he took a quick step and stopped her by holding her shoulder. ¡°Miss Sun.¡± Eunwoo lowered his head and asked while keeping his gaze at her. ¡°¡­ Oh, Dr. Park.¡± Sun looked like she wasn¡¯t herself at that time based on the look on her face. She looked at Eunwoo and spoke in a small voice. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Eunwoo asked in a concerned voice. ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± Her eyes still had tears on it, but she managed to show a smile. She was obviously crying, but she still tried to laugh. Eunwoo¡¯s heart became more and more heartbroken. Eunwoo grabbed her wrist silently and led her to the parking lot where his car was located. *** On the Do-san main street. Lunchtime had just ended, and the road was full of cars. Eunwoo¡¯s car stood in the left lane, waiting for a traffic signal. As she turned her head to check on the street sign, she looked at Eunwoo again. ¡°Don¡¯t we have to make a right to go to Samsung Station?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Really? But why aren¡¯t we¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to stop by somewhere.¡± When the signal changed, Eunwoo smiled and turned the steering wheel to Olympic Boulevard. Unlike the center of the city, Olympic Boulevard was desolate. As he speeded up, Eunwoo pressed the button on the handle to play music. The sound of the flute continued with a cheerful rhythm, and the voice of the singer rang out. The lyrics started with ¡°Strawberry Sherbet, Yellow Lemonade.¡± It sounded fresh. ¡°Sometimes, I go on a drive to feel better like this.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Sun nodded awkwardly. Eunwoo smiled; he then opened the sunroof as well as the windows in front and in the back. A cold, strong wind swept over her forehead and swung through the car. As he cleaned up his wind-blown head, Sun soon thought of other things and let go of his hand. She felt a little refreshed as she rushed down the streets with exciting music. It was a bit chilly, but that made her feel much better. Her swollen head and heart felt a little calmer due to the cold wind. However, something in her heart still weighed her down heavily. She tried to push her pain back into the depths of her heart once more with her eyes closed. At that time, Eunwoo was still watching her. He raised the volume of the music and yelled, ¡°Waaaa!¡± His sudden actions surprised her a little. ¡°Sometimes, this makes me feel alive. Give it a try.¡± Sun shook her head with an awkward smile. ¡°Give it a try. Come on. Waaaaaa!¡± Eunwoo screamed again with a broad smile. She was smiling so awkward now, but after a moment of contemplation, she reluctantly opened her small mouth. ¡°Wa¡­¡± ¡°Louder!¡± ¡°Waa¡­¡± ¡°Louder!!¡± When she grew brave upon hearing his words, she screamed with great force. ¡°Oh! Oh, my.¡± However, she quickly closed her mouth because her voice was much louder than she thought. Eunwoo reached out and gently grabbed her wrist as she covered her mouth. He smiled and looked at her silently as he waited for what she would do next. ¡®Do it again!¡¯ As she read his eyes, she took a deep breath and yelled again, seemingly determined. She opened her windpipe. Her mind felt like a core being ejected from a fruit press. They looked at each other and laughed together. As if she felt a little better, she stuck her face out of the window and enjoyed the cool breeze. Looking at her, Eunwoo smiled and slowly increased the volume of the music. Chapter 38 *** ¡°I hope you get even sicker. I hope you get as sick as I was. If only you could experience half of what I had to go through. You can¡¯t say that, no, you shouldn¡¯t.¡± When Gyeonhui returned to the office, he scowled and kept thinking about what she said. ¡°¡­ I already feel your pain.¡± He scowled as he touched his stinging chest from a while ago. ¡°Why does your heart hurt again?¡± Ojae asked with a worried expression. ¡°It was her who said mean things to me, but why does she feel the pain? Haa¡­¡± He responded with an irritated tone. ¡°Oh, so are you feeling her pain this time? ¡± He didn¡¯t even answer Ojae¡¯s question. ¡°I guess she has become much stronger than before, though. I didn¡¯t realize she could even say things like that.¡± After hearing Gyeonhui, Ojae nodded with a smile. ¡°Are you proud of her now in front of me?¡± ¡°Oh, no. I can¡¯t mean it.¡± Ojae responded quickly. ¡°No way, had she cursed me?¡± ¡°Cursed? No way.¡± Ojae shook his head, seemingly skeptical. ¡°If we at least knew the cause, we would be able to do something to deal with it.¡± Gyeonhui sighed with frustration. ¡°Hold on¡­¡± After a moment of thought, Gyeonhui opened his eyes wide, realizing something. ¡°Yes. The reason! We have to find the cause!¡± ¡°What suddenly got into you?¡± Ojae asked. ¡°We have to find the reason why I feel her pain. Knowing will lead us to understand how to reverse it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Why didn¡¯t we think about this before?¡± ¡°¡­ Because it was such a ridiculous situation.¡± It wasn¡¯t possible for him to feel her pain, nor for her to lash out against him either. These two unrelated events forced him to continue to act unlike him. ¡°But how would I learn about the cause?¡± Ojae asked in doubt. ¡°I have to do a blood test and a CT scan, or whatever. I will drag her to Dr. Seo if I have to.¡± Ojae nodded, agreeing with Gyeonhui¡¯s thoughts. Gyeonhui rose without hesitation and grabbed his coat. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Ojae looked at him with a surprised look on his face and asked. ¡°The pet fair.¡± ¡°Are you going to go after her?¡± ¡°Hurry up. We don¡¯t have much time.¡± Gyeonhui¡¯s expression showed his determination. ¡°Oh, okay. I¡¯ll get the car ready.¡± Ojae stepped out of the office. Gyeonhui clenched his fist while biting his lower lip. ¡°I¡¯m going to end this ridiculous situation as soon as possible.¡± He then rushed to the parking lot. In front of a caf¨¦ on the side of the Bukhan River. Left in the car alone, Sun closed her eyes. She was lost in her deep thoughts. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Maybe it¡¯s because it has been so long since I have been able to relax. She breathed deeply while raising her stomach as she sighed. A short time later, she heard the car door open, and Eunwoo got in the car. He offered her a warm coffee. ¡°I thought that it has been a while since you¡¯ve had a cold, right?¡± Eunwoo turned on the heated seat and the heater at the same time while he was talking. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. I feel much better now. Thank you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± She burst out a smile upon hearing his mischievous laughter. Eunwoo had fastened his seatbelt, picked up a knee blanket from the back seat, and gave it to her. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not okay. If you get a cold again, you¡¯ll blame me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t blame you.¡± ¡°Do it. Blame me.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°I think sometimes you should blame someone, not yourself.¡± Eunwoo unfolded the blanket and covered her shoulders. Sun looked up at his eyes in amazement. Naturally, his face approached her, and his crisp scent wafted and surrounded her. She leaned over on her seat; she was a bit tense and nervous, but he looked at her calmly and covered her in blankets while smiling with relief. Maybe it¡¯s because of the heater. She looked at her flushed face in the mirror. Her hair was sporadic and tangled up in the wind. ¡°Since when have I looked like this?¡± Sun, who looked surprised, quickly straightened her hair. She was distracted and had no idea about her own condition. ¡°It has been a while. Maybe from the time when we were on Olympic Road?¡± His words meant that she looked messy from the start. ¡°You should have told me¡­¡± She groomed her tangled hair while making a long face. Instead of answering, Eunwoo smiled and started the car. ¡°¡­ Anyways this car is huge, right? How many passengers can we fit in here?¡± Sun looked inside the car and asked. ¡°It¡¯s a seven-seater family van.¡± ¡°Seven passengers? Do you have a lot of people in your family?¡± Eunwoo shook his head slowly. ¡°My parents are in the United States, and I¡¯m the only one in Korea.¡± ¡°Then why do you need such a big car?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve had a dream for a long time. Eunwoo stopped for a moment and started speaking again. ¡°It¡¯s such a big car, so it can fit many people. Whether to a river or a mountain, I like going everywhere with other people. I like being all together as a group. Maybe because I¡¯m an only child¡­¡± ¡°Aha¡­¡± As she looked at him, she suddenly remembered Gyeonhui. There was only room for two people in his sports car, and there was no seat for other people. She had never had a meal with his colleagues while he was in a relationship with him. ¡°Do you like people?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± Eunwoo responded with a warm smile. When she saw his expression, she remembered what Eunwoo had said in the past. ¡®People all went away, and they all blamed me. That¡¯s why I walked. I wanted to empty everything.¡¯ She looked at Eunwoo with a worried face. ¡®He likes people a lot, but I¡¯m sure he¡¯s had hard times¡­¡¯ Behind a bright smile, there seemed to be unspeakable pain lurking within. ¡°In the future, why don¡¯t we go somewhere with Eunyoung and Ari all together?¡± Sun nodded upon hearing Eunwoo¡¯s suggestion. ¡°They¡¯re the type of people who are always willing to join in, so they¡¯ll probably love it.¡± Eunwoo nodded with a pleasant smile. She turned her head and looked at Eunwoo¡¯s profile that reflected in the window. A warm smile overshadowed his pain. ¡®¡­ He must have been so sad¡­¡¯ Each of them struggled to fight their own wounds. Eunwoo was no exception. While she was worried about Eunwoo, Gyeonjui¡¯s face suddenly came to her mind. ¡®¡­ What kind of wounds does he have? She was lost in thought for a moment. However, she quickly moved her gaze out of the window to erase Gyeonhui from her thoughts. *** ¡°What is this?¡± Upon arriving at the Pet Fair, Gyeonhui scowled. More than two thousand square meters of exhibition space was filled with over 400 booths. Also, it looked like there were at least a few thousand visitors there. ¡°Alright, how do we find her in this crowd?¡± ¡°Haa¡­¡± When Ojae asked him, Gyeonhui sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s not do it this way. Let¡¯s call her first.¡± ¡°Call?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just use the orphanage project as an excuse. The briefing is tomorrow, but let¡¯s do that today. Since she¡¯s in charge of this project, knowing what kind of person she is, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll come directly to us. ¡°Why are you talking about this now?¡± ¡°Because¡­ You looked so impatient. Heh, heh¡­¡± Ojae mumbled as if he had left something unsaid. Gyeonhui felt a strange reluctance in him, but he couldn¡¯t afford to worry about it right now. ¡°¡­ Call her right away.¡± ¡°I will.¡± As soon as Gyeonhui approved of his idea, Ojae turned around and called the Kids¡¯ Fan office. After a while, Ojae returned with a cheerful expression. ¡°They¡¯ve been informed.¡± ¡°Good. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Gyeonhui. Wait a minute.¡± Ojae stopped Gyeonhui when he turned around in a hurry. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Actually¡­ Sarah, my girlfriend, raises a cat, so I wanted to get her a cat tower. It¡¯s quite pricey. Can I look around here if they¡¯re selling one of those?¡± Ojae looked at Gyeonhui and asked, apprehensively. ¡°There¡¯s your reason. Is that why you ¡®re hesitating earlier?¡± Gyeonhui asked, noticing the reason for Ojae¡¯s strange behavior. ¡°That¡¯s not¡­ why¡­ since we¡¯re already here¡­ Haha.¡± Ojae felt sheepish and smiled awkwardly. ¡°¡­ Just buy one quickly.¡± Gyeonhui replied while looking at him for a moment as his irritation crept onto his face. With his permission, Ojae looked around at various cat towers in a cat-related booth. Ojae saw a five-story cat tower made out of wood and asked the attendant for a consultation. Ojae was talking with the staff about the cat tower, and his face lit up when he found out that the price was lower than he thought. ¡°Why is he so happy to spend his own money on this?¡± Gyeonhui shook his head because he didn¡¯t understand Ojae. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ve had it delivered to my home.¡± Ojae tried to turn around with a bright smile, but in his eyes, a familiar face appeared. She was a woman who was wearing dark eye makeup, red lipstick, and a revealing blouse. ¡°Sa, Sarah?¡± Ojae looked at Sarah with blank eyes. As Gyeonhui followed his gaze, he saw Sarah, whom he had only seen in a photo. There was another man with a disgruntled face, not Ojae, standing beside her. Furthermore, if one could see the sight of how the two people were holding each other¡¯s arms, one could only assume that they were lovers. Unbelievably, Ojae approached her with a vacant gaze. ¡°Sa, Sarah¡­ What is this¡­¡± Ojae did not even speak properly. ¡°Oh, O¡­ jae?¡± Sarah seemed a little surprised when she saw Ojae, but she soon managed to collect herself. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I¡­ I came here to buy you a gift.¡± Ojae looked at Sarah and the man alternately, still not realizing what was happening. ¡°Who is he?¡± The man scowled as he asked. ¡°¡­ He¡¯s just a friend.¡± Sarah¡¯s response naturally widened Ojae¡¯s eyes. Chapter 39 ¡°Am I¡­ just a friend of yours¡­? Sarah¡­¡± ¡°Ojae, I¡¯ll get in touch with you later.¡± Sarah smiled and led the man¡¯s arm into the crowd. ¡°Sarah! Sarah!¡± Ojae tried to chase her quickly, but he was pushed back by a group of guests crossing between them. After a while, he could no longer find her disappearing into the crowd. He pulled out his phone with his trembling hand and made a call, but he only heard a voice message which said that the phone was turned off. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Ojae dropped onto the floor as his legs began to wobble. ¡°How¡­ How could this happen¡­¡± Ojae looked devastated upon seeing this unbelievable situation. ¡°Let¡¯s go. It doesn¡¯t seem like they¡¯ve met each other once or twice.¡± Gyeonhui tried to raise Ojae¡¯s arm, but he held his ground. ¡°What can you change by doing this? Stand up, let¡¯s go.¡± Ojae stood up and looked at Gyonhui. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ve witnessed a woman who I wanted to marry cheating on me. Don¡¯t you at least have something to say to me?¡± Upon seeing how hurt Ojae was by looking at his eyes, Gyeonhui started speaking in a frustrated way. ¡°Sarah actually isn¡¯t really pretty. You can meet a prettier girl later. Now, are you satisfied?¡± ¡°Is that comforting?¡± Gyeonhui struggled for a moment with Ojae¡¯s resentful eyes. ¡°Yes. This is a good thing, actually. It¡¯s even worse if you¡¯re married to someone like that. So let¡¯s just go now, please.¡± Gyeonhui, who looked frustrated, held Ojae¡¯s arm. However, Ojae pulled his arm away from Gyeonhui¡¯s grip and looked into his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re such a selfish bastard. Now I understand 100% why Sun said those things to you.¡± ¡°Why do you even talk about her here? Why are you even mad at me? Did I tell Sarah to cheat on you?¡± Gyeonhui was also irritated at him. Ojae glared at him and started speaking quietly. ¡°You should know more pain to see how sick you make other people around you feel. You have to be in pain more.¡± Ojae turned his head and went back to leave the fairgrounds. ¡°Hey! Ojae! If you leave now, I¡¯ll fire you right away!¡± Gyeonhui yelled his threats, but Ojae didn¡¯t stop. ¡°Oh, really! What did I do so wrong!? What¡¯s wrong with people?¡± He cried out in annoyance, but no one listened. *** ¡°What is this?¡± Sun looked at a structure that was taller than her by a few inches as she asked. ¡°It¡¯s for cats that love to go high.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± She nodded upon hearing Eunwoo¡¯s explanation. She looked around the place for hours, but Eunwoo wasn¡¯t getting tired. He was so happy to explain everything to her. It helped her gain a lot of knowledge overall, and she managed to distinguish between cat and dog items. ¡°I¡¯m sure Labong will be happy today.¡± Eunwoo looked at the bag in Sun¡¯s hand as he spoke. It was full of snacks and dog toys. ¡°Oh, my. When did I buy so much?¡± She playfully stuck out her tongue. Then her cell phone rang. It was Ari. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Sun, I¡¯m sorry if I bothered you.¡± ¡°Why? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Hah¡­ You know the orphanage campaign.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s tomorrow.¡± ¡°They said that we have to do it today.¡± ¡°Right now? Why?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know. Eunyoung¡¯s going to talk with Mr. Woo, but I thought we should also inform you.¡± Sun¡¯s expression hardened. She was the campaign manager, but Eunyoung wouldn¡¯t contact Sun since she was on vacation. ¡°¡­ Okay. Thank you.¡± A sigh came out of Sun¡¯s mouth when she hung up the phone. Sun no longer wanted to harm Kids¡¯ Fans, so she had a heavy heart. ¡°I think I have to go back to the office. There¡¯s suddenly an issue. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Eunwoo nodded with a smile showing his understanding of her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It was so much fun because of you. ¡± ¡°¡­ I very much enjoyed it too.¡± Sun replied heartily. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll drop you off at your office.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m okay. The subway is faster here. I saw how heavy traffic was on the way here.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll take your bag. I¡¯ll put it in the hospital.¡± Eunwoo said while holding her bag. ¡°Oh, that would be great.¡± ¡°Go ahead. Don¡¯t be late.¡± ¡°¡­ Thank you. I¡¯ll see you later.¡± Sun handed the bag to Eunwoo and turned around to run. Eunwoo looked at her with a smile and moved his gaze to the bag in his hand. It was pretty heavy for a delicate woman like her to carry such a load. ¡°¡­ You should have shown me that it was heavy¡­¡± Eunwoo sighed sadly. *** ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± She said while holding her breath when she arrived at the office. ¡°Huh? Why did you come back? No, did you contact her telepathically?¡± Eunyoung said, quickly figuring out the situation. ¡°No, she should know. She¡¯s in charge.¡± ¡°Really¡­ hah¡­¡± Eunyoung looked displeased. ¡°Ari¡¯s right. Why would I trouble you to do my work? Just give me the documents.¡± Sun reached out and received the briefing material. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s this?¡± Sun asked while looking at the bag on her table. ¡°Mr. Woo came here earlier.¡± ¡°Gyeonhui?¡± Sun looked inside the bag, seemingly a little surprised. The bag was filled with chocolates. ¡°Why does he¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t understand it. He had never given her chocolate even on White Day. ¡°I¡¯m sure he bought them for you.¡± Ari approached and asked. ¡°For me? Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Didn¡¯t he buy them for you because he knew that you¡¯re going to have your period soon?¡± ¡°¡­ He wouldn¡¯t know.¡± Sun shook her head in doubt. ¡°When did he leave?¡± ¡°Well, before 12 o¡¯clock?¡± It happened before they had an argument at the restaurant. He probably saw Sun in the restaurant after he placed the chocolate bag on her table. ¡®Why the hell is he¡­¡¯ Sun was lost in thought upon hearing about his incomprehensible behavior, but she shook her head hard. ¡®I can¡¯t be weak¡­ I need to be stronger.¡¯ Sun took a breath and exhaled. After a while, Sun opened her eyes and looked at Eunyoung before saying, ¡°¡­ I¡¯m going now.¡± After Eunyoung nodded and answered, Sun left the office. Her full stride steadily revealed her determination. ¡°I¡¯m confident that our Kids Fan characters will bring hope for the heartbroken kids.¡± After the briefing, she perked her head up. Gyeonhui and Sun were the only people present in the large meeting room. She didn¡¯t see the assistant Ojae who always stuck to him like chewing gum. ¡°¡­ Great. I like it.¡± After the briefing, Gyeonhui nodded. ¡°Well, then we¡¯ll move to the next step next weekend as scheduled.¡± Sun responded in a clerical tone and began to clean up. Meanwhile, Gyeonhui stood from his spot and approached her. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital with me.¡± ¡°Hospital?¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to have your period soon.¡± ¡°¡­ How do you know that?¡± Sun looked surprised, but she tried to answer with composure as much as possible. ¡®How do I not know? I¡¯m so sick¡­ because of this.¡¯ He swallowed his words without spitting out what lied within his heart. ¡°¡­ Didn¡¯t you say that your pain is pretty severe? We should have it examined this time.¡± Sun thought that maybe he heard it from Eunyoung or Ari. ¡°I don¡¯t have to. My doctors already told me that they can¡¯t find the cause.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not going to an obstetrician. You might have a problem in another part of your body.¡± ¡°Haa¡­¡± Sun sighed and raised her upper body to look at him. ¡°Why do you suddenly care if I¡¯m sick or not?¡± Upon hearing her sharp questioning, Gyeonhui paused for a moment. ¡°That¡¯s because if you¡¯re sick¡­ I¡­¡± She was seriously looking at Gyeonhui¡¯s eyes as he spoke with a resentful tone. At that moment, he sighed and slurred the end of his words. ¡°Why are you suddenly so speechless? Why do you keep doing this to me?¡± Sun looked straight at him as if she would listen to his reasonings no matter what it was. After biting on his lower lip and struggling for a while, he finally started speaking. ¡°¡­ Okay. I¡¯ve heard that you get really sick when you¡¯re on your period. What if there is some problem with the campaign because you¡¯re sick? It¡¯s a loss to our company.¡± He had to create an excuse during this frustrating situation, for it was just a dead-end. However, the lie he spoke popped out of his mouth as if he were ready. ¡°If I get sick and ruin my work, does that mean I can hurt the company?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± He replied abruptly. After hearing the explanation, Sun nodded and understood. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that won¡¯t happen.¡± After confirming Sun¡¯s reaction, He breathed a sigh of relief, believing that she would finally comply with his suggestion. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of my problem.¡± She tried to turn her body after saying her piece. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m telling you this because you¡¯re not really taking care of it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s so bad that everyone around you even knows about it.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± His certain words made her speechless. She used to endure her pain. However, it was true that, in many ways, the people around her had always helped her cope with it. ¡°It¡¯s not something you should care about, though.¡± As she tried to turn away, Gyeonhui grabbed her hand. ¡°No. I do care. Because this could harm me too.¡± ¡°Let me go!¡± She tried to shake off his hand. However, the more she struggled, the harder he grabbed her wrists. ¡°Stop fussing!¡± As Gyeonhui shouted, Sun looked up at him. ¡°¡­ Once you go to the hospital, it¡¯s all over. I won¡¯t bother you anymore.¡± He grabbed her wrist and dragged her out of the office. Chapter 40 A luxury bar in Hannam-dong. ¡°Gimme a drink.¡± Sitting at the bar, Ojae raised his finger. As the bartender filled the glass halfway, Ojae scowled. ¡°Fill it to the top.¡± The bartender reluctantly filled the glass as he requested. ¡°Huh¡­¡± Ojae was only sipping the drink because it was so expensive. ¡®Bzzzz.¡¯ Then, his phone rang on the table. He saw that the caller ID was Gyeonhui, which was saved with the name ¡®Emperor¡¯s Majesty¡¯ in his contacts. ¡°Having yourself a hard time, boy?¡± Ojae turned over his phone. ¡°Really? Ojae, are you really not answering Gyeonhui¡¯s call?¡± Then, he heard a familiar voice behind him. After looking back, Ojae opened his eyes wide, surprised by her familiar face. ¡°Miss Chae¡­ Chaekyeong.¡± Dressed casually in a pale, yellow trench coat and light jeans, she smiled. ¡°Did you guys get into a fight?¡± ¡°¡­ I can¡¯t even imagine it.¡± ¡°Or did Gyeonhui made you feel sorry for him?¡± After a moment of contemplation, Ojae nodded slowly. ¡°I¡¯ve known all his scars, but sometimes, I still feel bad for him. ¡± Ojae smiled bitterly. ¡°So, have you guys been together since you were both young?¡± ¡°Yes, sort of.¡± ¡°How was he then?¡± ¡°Hmm, at first, he would push himself to do everything. Bright and spirited. Then gradually¡­¡± Ojae smiled, but soon his face darkened. As memories of Gyeonhui¡¯s childhood came to his mind, his feelings subsided. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ojae pondered for a moment and slowly shook his head. ¡°You should hear the story from him later since it¡¯s just his own story.¡± A bitter and lying Ojae rose from his seat. ¡°Are you leaving already?¡± ¡°I feel sorry for him after remembering his childhood. I have to go to him and take care of him.¡± Ojae took his credit card out of his wallet and handed it to the bartender. ¡°That¡¯ll be one hundred seventy dollars.¡± ¡°What, what? Hmm.¡± Ojae reluctantly closed his mouth while looking at Chaekyeong. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s crazy expensive.¡± Chakyeong heard him grumble until he exited the bar. She giggled while watching him do so. *** Sun, who was now lying on the medical table, bit her lower lip, seemingly frustrated. She was abruptly taken to the hospital, and she was not comfortable. ¡°Now, how about this part?¡± Dr. Seo pressed her little toe with a wooden instrument. ¡°¡­ It hurts.¡± ¡°Does it? Wait a minute.¡± After seeing her pain, Dr. Seo quickly got up and headed to the next room. He returned a while later and pressed the clavicle area with a wooden instrument. ¡°How about here?¡± ¡°It hurts.¡± ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Again, Dr. Seo headed to the next room. She was suspicious about this situation that had already been repeated dozens of times. ¡°Well, how about now. When Dr. Seo lifted the wooden prod again, she raised her torso. ¡°What are you doing now?¡± ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m examining you?¡± Dr. Seo responded with an awkward smile. ¡°I¡¯m wondering why you are using a wooden acupuncture instrument when you¡¯re not an oriental medical practitioner.¡± ¡°Oh. The reason is simple¡­. to better understand the cause of your pain¡­¡± Dr. Seo slurred the end of his words. When she saw him doing this, she was convinced of her own thoughts. This treatment was not for her menstrual cramps. She didn¡¯t know precisely what Gyeonhui was thinking about, but it wasn¡¯t for herself. ¡°¡­ Please stop the exam.¡± Sun said while lying her feet down at the clinic. ¡°No, no¡­¡± ¡°Please tell him to stop playing with me.¡± Sun finally said and left the clinic. She went out to the hallway, leaned back against the wall, and sighed for a long time. ¡°¡­ Why did I even come here? What the hell is this¡­¡± She was angry at herself for not refusing Gyeonhui¡¯s request. She bit her lip and walked toward the elevator. *** ¡°Did you say she just left?¡± Gyeonhui, who was lying in the next room in the hospital, scowled and stood up. ¡°She hassled me and asked me if I was an oriental medical doctor¡­ I didn¡¯t know what to say to her.¡± Dr. Seo blurted out. ¡°Hah¡­ So what¡¯s the result?¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t think this makes actual sense¡­ but¡­¡± Dr. Seo compared the prescription paper he checked with the paper Gyeonhui had written on. The acupressure spots and their orders were written on the paper with a drawing of a human figure. ¡°I checked 27 times, and all of them matched perfectly between the two of you.¡± All of the pain areas matched, starting from the heel and reaching to the last clavicle. ¡°I already know that. What¡¯s the cause then?¡± Gyeonhui looked frustrated. ¡°Hah¡­ This is such an amazing thing, but in modern medical¡­¡± ¡°Are you repeating that again?¡± He said in a sinking voice while scowling. ¡°In fact, there are a lot of things in the world that cannot be explained by science or medicine. I think this is one of them.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think doctors are supposed to say that to anyone.¡± ¡°Medicine is actually inexplicable. With the same treatment and potency, some patients get better, but some get worse.¡± ¡°What the hell is the bottom line then?¡± He sighed, seemingly frustrated. ¡°When did you say the pain started?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already said that it was after that accident.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so weird.¡± Dr. Seo continued to click on the ballpoint pen while wondering. ¡°What do you think is so strange?¡± ¡°Think about it. If it¡¯s because of the aftereffect of the accident, then it¡¯s understandable that Mr. Woo¡¯s body is sore. However, you¡¯re feeling her pain now, without any connection. I don¡¯t understand this.¡± Dr. Seo scowled and thought. ¡°Dr. Seo. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here to find the cause.¡± He said, even more frustrated than before. ¡°Let¡¯s think about it together to find out what the cause is¡­¡± Gyeonhui then rose from his seat. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Ojae¡­¡± He turned his head out of his habit to find Ojae, but he was nowhere to be found. He thought about it for a moment before he started speaking again. ¡°I would like to ask one more question.¡± Dr. Seo looked up at him. ¡°What am I supposed to say if one of my people has gone through a difficult time?¡± ¡°You mean, you want to comfort your friend?¡± ¡°Yeah, something like that.¡± ¡°Well,¡± he uttered. After a moment of contemplation, Dr. Seo started to speak. ¡°Before you comfort him, you need to know exactly why he¡¯s struggling. You have to listen to him first.¡± ¡°¡­ And then what?¡± ¡°It¡¯s meaningless if you say something too obvious or give unrealistic advice. If you do that, then it¡¯s more like you¡¯re rubbing salt on a wound.¡± Gyeonhui remembered what he said to Ojae. ¡°Yes. This is a good thing, actually. It¡¯s even worse if you¡¯re married to someone like that. So let¡¯s just go now, please.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± A bitter sigh leaked out of his mouth. ¡°Then you¡¯re going to say something that can comfort him like ¡®I fully sympathize with your pain,¡¯ or ¡®I¡¯m thinking of you. I¡¯m always on your side.¡¯ Isn¡¯t it easy?¡± ¡°Did you major in psychology?¡± ¡°Haha. I studied psychology as a minor.¡± Dr. Seo didn¡¯t seem to understand Gyeonhui¡¯s sarcastic tone, so Dr. Seo just gave him a shrug. As he shook his head, he sighed briefly. He could memorize all of it, but he didn¡¯t understand what he really had to do. His expression was darker than it had been before he listened to Dr. Seo¡¯s advice. *** ¡°I have to check the doctor¡¯s license to see if that¡¯s real.¡± When Gyeonhui returned home, he scowled, seemingly frustrated. There was nothing that he found more about the cause, contrary to his expectation that he might find the reason behind their shared pain. Furthermore, the absence of Ojae, who usually did everything for Gyeonhui, was indescribably inconvenient. ¡°I¡¯ll just fire him.¡± He sighed and sighed again while remembering the words that he shouted, which something that he didn¡¯t mean sincerely. When there was no one to talk to about his discomfort, his mood would shift even further. After a while, he quickly picked up his phone and called Ojae. ¡°¡­ What?¡± After a long wait, Ojae responded with a flat tone. ¡°Why? How come you have nothing to say, why? You didn¡¯t even come to work; you haven¡¯t done your job all day long. Do you even realize that you¡¯re in dereliction of your duty? ¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ojae¡¯s confident answer overwhelmed Gyeonhui. ¡°If you don¡¯t have anything to say, then I¡¯ll hang up.¡± ¡®Beep.¡¯ Ojae hung up on him without waiting for Gyeonhui¡¯s answer. ¡°Hello, hello? Ojae!¡± He called Ojae again later, but he could only hear the sound of the disconnection signal on the phone that had already been disconnected. He breathed a long sigh of annoyance and disbelief. After a while, Gyeonhui called Ojae again. ¡°Why?¡± Ojae answered the phone in a deep low tone. Chapter 41 ¡°Do you really want to get fired?¡± ¡°Do whatever you want. I don¡¯t care.¡± His eyes widened upon hearing Ojae¡¯s unexpected response. ¡°Hang up if you have nothing more to say. I may not answer your calls anymore since I¡¯m busy.¡± Ojae spoke like a weak man who had lived all his life and tried to hang up the phone. ¡°Well, wait.¡± Gyeonhui stopped Ojae quickly. ¡°¡­ Well.¡± Gyeonhui struggled to speak many times. ¡°I fully sympathized with your pain¡­ and¡­ I¡¯m thinking of you too, and I¡¯ll always be on your side.¡± It was choppy and sloppy, like reciting words that he had memorized. ¡°¡­ What the hell are you talking about?¡± ¡°You said you need my comfort, so I¡¯m comforting you now.¡± Gyeonhui felt so awkward and shouted, but he heard no response over the phone. ¡®¡­ I¡¯ve done something stupid.¡¯ Gyeonhui closed his eyes, shaming his own behavior. ¡°I think you¡¯re angry at me, not comforting me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m done. Forget it.¡± Gyeonhui hung up on Ojae and threw the phone on the bed. ¡°Really!¡± Unable to withstand the embarrassment, Gyeonhui screamed. ¡®Knock, Knock.¡¯ Then, with a sound of knocking at the door, Ojae entered. ¡°You¡¯ve done something you¡¯ve never done before, so I¡¯ll forgive you this time.¡± Ojae spoke with an expressionless face. ¡°What the hell is this? Were you already here?¡± Gyeonhui looked at him, outraged, and asked. ¡°Why? If you don¡¯t like it, then I can just leave again.¡± Oaje then turned around. ¡°S, stop!¡± Ojae looked back at Gyeonhui¡¯s urgent voice. ¡°I¡¯ll just let it pass this time. If you repeat this sort of behavior, then I will never look for you again¡­¡± Oaje laughed as he watched Gyeonhui, who was still being grumpy at him. Ojae was already smiling as usual, as if he had already forgotten everything. ¡°Hah.¡± Gyeonhui turned his head, outraged. He exhaled a sigh quietly and showed a slight sense of relief in his face. ¡°Well, what happened at the hospital?¡± Ojae asked as if nothing had happened between them. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I couldn¡¯t find the cause; I just checked.¡± He responded as usual. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s just the aftereffects of the accident, then it makes sense if my head or my body hurts, but it¡¯s so strange that I could feel her pain. They¡¯ve asked me if there¡¯s any kind of passageway, but I have no idea what the hell that is.¡± Gyeonhui scowled. ¡°How about her, does she not know yet?¡± He nodded instead of answering. ¡°Hmm¡­ the passageway¡­¡± Ojae thought seriously as if it were his own problem. ¡°The aftereffect of the accident is obvious, in my opinion.¡± He remembered the accident about half a year ago. The strange pain obviously started after that accident. ¡°What the hell is the cause?¡± As Ojae struggled, he shook his head, for he could only wrack his head till it hurt. ¡°Think about it, what happened to me exactly on the day of the accident?¡± Gyeonhui, who was now frustrated, yelled at Ojae. ¡°If it happened the day after the accident, then that¡¯s when Sun took you to the hospital. She gave you some of her blood, and she left as soon as I arrived at the hospital. That could be it. ¡± ¡°Wait, wait. A blood transfusion?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Oaje looked incredulous as he watched how Geyonhui was confirming everything. ¡°¡­ That¡¯s it.¡± He couldn¡¯t keep his mouth shut as if he had realized something. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Blood transfusion¡­.¡± ¡°Blood transfusion?¡± ¡°Yes, I got a blood transfusion from her.¡± ¡°No way¡­.¡± Ojae, understanding Gyeonhui¡¯s thoughts in hindsight, stuttered. ¡°Yes. It was the blood transfusion, the blood transfusion. That¡¯s the link. That was the connection.¡± He repeated the same thing again and again with a shocked look on his face. When Sun returned to her office, she plunked down in a chair, exhausted. ¡°Why did it take so long? Did he mess with you again?¡± Eunyoung asked, not knowing that she had gone to the hospital. ¡°No. The briefing went well, and we decided to go ahead next weekend as scheduled.¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m glad. You¡¯ve done a great job.¡± ¡°No problem,¡± Sun responded with a halfhearted smile. ¡°But what¡¯s wrong? Did Mr. Woo bother you again?¡± ¡°¡­ No, he didn¡¯t. I¡¯m just tired.¡± Sun responded with a smile. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. You¡¯re just getting started on your period.¡± Eunyoung said, confirming the date on the calendar. ¡®It¡¯s so bad that everyone around you knows.¡¯ At one point, she remembered what he had said. ¡°¡­ Eunyoung.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I can take care of it.¡± ¡°I know, but I have a right to worry about you, you know.¡± With Eunyoung¡¯s words, Sun smiled bitterly. ¡°How was the pet fair?¡± Eunyoung asked with a curious expression. ¡°Oh? Well, it was fun.¡± ¡°Why are you skipping over everything? Tell me all the details?¡± Ari, who was beside her, smiled and asked again. ¡°Well¡­ It was a lot of fun.¡± ¡°What the hell¡­.¡± Ari pouted her lips. ¡°Did you not buy anything there?¡± Upon hearing Eunyoung¡¯s question, Sun remembered that Eunwoo was holding her bag for her. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right! Hey Eunyoung, I have to go home first today.¡± ¡°Why so sudden?¡± ¡°I left my bag to Dr. Park.¡± When she hurried out, she noticed that the event items were piled up on one side of the office. ¡°Hey Eunyoung, would you be able to stock all of those documents in your car?¡± It wasn¡¯t a massive amount of paperwork since it was mostly school supplies, but it was too much to load them all in a small car. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s a problem. I¡¯m thinking about renting a minivan.¡± Eunyoung nodded. ¡°Why don¡¯t we ask Dr. Park then?¡± Ari intervened. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I saw Sun leaving. They rode a big van. It¡¯s his car, right?¡± ¡°Huh? Yes¡­¡± Sun nodded upon hearing Ari¡¯s question. Eunyoung exchanged glances with Ari and said, ¡°Do you think we can borrow his car?¡± ¡°How could we use Dr. Park as a driver?¡± She said as if they were saying something ridiculous. ¡°No, we don¡¯t just use him. I¡¯ll have to pay to rent a car anyway, so I¡¯ll just buy us a delicious meal with that money. What do you think?¡± As Ari jumped into the conversation, Eunyoung nodded as if she were on the same team. ¡°Will you be seeing him now? Why don¡¯t you ask him?¡± On Eunyoung¡¯s words, Sun became embarrassed. ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll go first.¡± Sun tried to leave the office with her bag on her shoulder. ¡°Oh, hey Sun, what about that?¡± Ari quickly called her and pointed at Sun¡¯s desk. She turned her head and noticed the bag that Gyeonhui had left behind. A bag that was full of chocolates and various sweets. ¡°¡­ Just leave it there.¡± After a moment of contemplation, Sun turned her head and left the office. *** ¡°Hmm. Because of a blood transfusion, it might be possible.¡± In the late evening at Dr. Seo¡¯s office, the doctor nodded after he listened to Gyonhui. ¡°I¡¯m sure; otherwise, it can¡¯t be explained. Well, it still doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± As if he didn¡¯t like his own senseless words, Gyeonhui scowled. ¡°Luckily, we still have both of your blood samples, so let¡¯s do a test. I¡¯ll contact you as soon as I get some findings.¡± ¡°Thank you very much, and make sure that this matter remains confidential. Got it?¡± Ojae lowered his voice. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about it. As a doctor, I have a duty of confidentiality.¡± Dr. Seo said while winking as if he believed it himself. ¡°Thank you.¡± Ojae confirmed everything in detail and left the office with Gyeonhui. ¡°If they do a blood test, then at least we¡¯ll get something conclusive. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Upon hearing Ojae¡¯s words, Gyeonhui felt a little relaxed. ¡°¡­ Is this what you call ¡®comforting¡¯?¡± ¡°Sure. This is comforting. What you did was just memorizing a few lines.¡± ¡°¡­ I still don¡¯t know what the difference is. It¡¯s hard to understand.¡± He shook his head while scowling. ¡°It isn¡¯t so bad. We¡¯ll do it one step at a time.¡± Ojae smiled and clenched his fists before showing it to him. He laughed in an outraged manner. ¡°Oh, what happened to the orphanage campaign?¡± Ojae asked since he didn¡¯t attend or hear anything about it. ¡°We decided to proceed as planned.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. This time¡­ Do you want to go to the event?¡± When Ojae asked this question to him carefully, he shook his head slowly. ¡°I don¡¯t like it, and I don¡¯t feel good there.¡± ¡°The nun will be so happy to see you after such a long time.¡± ¡°Say hello to her for me.¡± ¡°¡­ I will.¡± Ojae reluctantly nodded. It was difficult for Ojae to talk more because of Gyeonhui¡¯s hardened expression. Chapter 42 *** The Blue Rose Veterinary Clinic sign was turned off. A short time later, the door opened, then Sun and Eunwoo came out into the street. ¡°Am I a little late?¡± Sun looked at Eunwoo apologetically. ¡°I didn¡¯t notice how fast time has passed since I was so preoccupied with work stuff.¡± Eunwoo smiled and said. Sun always loosened herself up every time she saw his caring smile. ¡°Oh, How¡¯s Labong doing?¡± Eunwoo asked. ¡°Well, I am leaving him alone at home for a long time, so I¡¯ll take him to the office instead.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. In fact, puppies get very lonely.¡± She nodded slowly. ¡°I¡¯m always sorry for him. I want to take better care of him, but it¡¯s not an easy job.¡± ¡°Then take him for a walk. It can be frustrating for him if he always stays inside.¡± ¡°I should.¡± She smiled and nodded. Then, with a vibration, a message arrived on her cell phone. ¡°You have to ask Dr. Park about his van.¡± ¡°It¡¯s essential to save the company¡¯s budget.¡± Eunyoung and Ari were sending messages at the same time. ¡°Argh¡­¡± She sighed in embarrassment. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± She reluctantly started speaking again. ¡°¡­ Do you have an appointment next weekend?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t have anything special going on next weekend.¡± Eunwoo looked at her with a curious gaze. ¡°¡­ We¡¯re going to do a voluntary service next weekend, but we have so much stuff to carry¡­¡± Sun mumbled the end of her sentence, without asking him for help. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± She replied, surprised by his sudden answer. ¡°You need my car. I¡¯m fine with that.¡± Eunwoo smiled and replied that it was no big deal. ¡°But if it¡¯s hard, you don¡¯t have to overdo yourself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a weekend, and if you are going to Paju, it¡¯d be great to go on a drive down that way. I¡¯m going with you.¡± ¡°¡­ Thank you.¡± He smiled and nodded upon hearing her cautious words. Sun smiled back at him. *** The next morning in the Kids Fan office. ¡°Yeah! I told you it¡¯s going to work!¡± When Ari heard Sun¡¯s story, Ari cried excitedly. ¡°It worked very well. Labong, do you feel good too?¡± Eunyoung looked at Labong and asked. ¡°Ruff! Ruff!¡± Labong barked while wagging his tail; he looked so excited. ¡°I¡¯m going to pack some lunches for this,¡± Ari said with an excited expression. ¡°Lunchboxes?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an afternoon of campaigning. It¡¯s nice to start early and feel like we¡¯re going on a picnic, you know. Does that sound good?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve said something that I haven¡¯t heard in a long time.¡± Eunyoung also seemed to like it. ¡°How have you guys worked so long without going out to play like this?¡± ¡°I work to play!¡± Sun shook her head as she watched Ari answering with an expression, which indicated that a picnic was an obvious choice. Sun sat down and began to focus again on preparing for the campaign next week. Eunyoung and Ari exchanged glances and looked at Sun again. ¡°Spring will come soon.¡± When Ari shouted, Eunyoung pinched her side. However, Sun was so focused on her work that she didn¡¯t notice them. *** A week later, at the hospital. Early in the morning, Gyeonhui and Ojae visited Dr. Seo¡¯s office. ¡°Hmm. Do we need to come here so early?¡± Ojae asked while yawning from tiredness. ¡°It¡¯s been a week now, but I haven¡¯t received any news yet. I can¡¯t wait any longer.¡± Gyeonhui was scowling seriously. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. The pain is just getting started¡­¡± Gyeonhui checked the date and noticed that it was about to start. ¡°I want to figure out the cause before the pain started.¡± His nerves were already sharper than ever. Then, the door of the clinic opened. Dr. Seo stepped inside. ¡°What happened to the result?¡± Gyeonhui asked, unbearably before Dr. Seo could even sit on the chair. ¡°Hmm. They examined the blood closely, but they couldn¡¯t find anything strange.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± His voice soared sharply. ¡°Hey, Geyonhui, relax.¡± Ojae tried to calm him down. ¡°It took you a week to do only one blood test, and you didn¡¯t find anything?¡± ¡°Now take it easy. It took me a while to do the epidemiological survey.¡± Dr. Seo stopped for a moment and continued. ¡°I found out that Sun had a regular blood transfusion every month, but no one went through the same thing that Mr. Woo experiences. That means only you, Mr. Woo, feels her pain.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± Gyeonhui sighed with frustration. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t find any other cause other than the blood transfusion. ¡°There¡¯s a way to determine if a blood transfusion is a cause, but I¡¯m not certain.¡± Based on Dr. Seo¡¯s voice, he didn¡¯t look quite confident about his idea. ¡°What is it?¡± Gyeonhui asked urgently while grasping at straws. Dr. Seo hesitated for a moment before quickly speaking. ¡°Hmm¡­ we¡¯re going to do a blood transfusion, but conversely.¡± ¡°Conversely?¡± ¡°Basically, giving your blood to her again. Think of it as returning the blood that caused you to share the pain.¡± ¡°Aha¡­¡± Gyeonhui nodded as he understood Dr. Seo¡¯s thought. ¡°But as I said earlier, I¡¯m not sure it will work. In fact, even the cause is unclear.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to try it.¡± He replied at once. ¡°Is this the only thing we can try for now?¡± ¡°It is, but¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡± There was no reason for him to hesitate because the time of suffering was coming, and he was feeling her pain throughout his body. ¡°Hmm, we¡¯re going to need her permission first.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Gyeonhui finally acquired a small chance of getting away from this pain and was excited. ¡°Good. Then, let¡¯s move on. Can you confirm this checklist before the blood transfusion here?¡± Dr. Seo presented a checklist to Gyeonhui. Dr. Seo¡¯s face hardened as he checked the list that Gyeonhui had written. ¡°Is this true?¡± ¡°Sorry? Yes, is there any problem?¡± Upon hearing his question, Dr. Seo went over the checklist once again. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Dr. Seo exhaled a sigh of frustration and took his glasses off. ¡°¡­ You¡¯ve been to London recently.¡± ¡°Yes, I went on a business trip last week.¡± Dr. Seo paused for a moment and started speaking slowly with a firm expression. ¡°Anyone who has been to England cannot have a blood transfusion.¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s ridiculous!¡± He stood up and cried while pounding the table. The glass on the table was pushed to the floor and broke. ¡®Clink.¡¯ With that sound, the glass crashed to the floor. Chapter 43 ¡°Hey, Gyeonhui, chill out. He hasn¡¯t finished talking yet. Let¡¯s listen more, please?¡± Ojae tried to calm Gyeonhui down with a soft tone. ¡°Hah¡­¡± However, Gyeonhui huffed, seemingly unable to calm down. ¡°Go on, please.¡± As Ojae spoke, Dr. Seo slowly began again. ¡°The United Kingdom is an area where Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease or mad cow disease for humans is prevalent, so blood donation is restricted. If you stay for more than three months there, you can¡¯t donate blood forever.¡± ¡°I just stayed for a week.¡± Dr. Seo nodded upon hearing Gyeonhui¡¯s words, who was feeling victimized. ¡°Right. I¡¯m glad you did.¡± ¡°So that means¡­ then it is possible to donate blood?¡± Ojae hurriedly asked. ¡°Theoretically, yes.¡± After hearing Dr. Seo¡¯s answer, Gyeonhui breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°But we have to wait three months for a blood donation because of the possible incubation period just in case.¡± ¡°What¡¯s an incubation period?¡± ¡°To prepare for every situation that something could happen. We have to wait three months to make sure.¡± Dr. Seo didn¡¯t back down because it was also a matter related to the patient¡¯s life directly. Unable to resist his frustration, Gyeonhui rose from his seat and left the office. ¡°Dr. Seo, I¡¯m so sorry. We¡¯ll come back.¡± Ojae departed Dr. Seo¡¯s office and followed Gyeonhui outside. *** Early in the morning at the entrance to Sun¡¯s apartment. Sun had Labong in a carrier bag that was shaped like a spaceship coming out of a building. ¡°Ruff! Ruff!¡± Labong barked excitedly because he hadn¡¯t gone out with her in a long time. ¡°Labong, are you excited? I¡¯ll bring you out more often.¡± Sun said to Labong while feeling sorry for him. She stopped for a moment because of the sudden anemic symptoms she was feeling. ¡°Hah¡­¡± She took medicine at dawn, but it was already wearing off. ¡°¡­ I should go to a hospital and get an IV at least.¡± She didn¡¯t want to ruin the picnic day because of her health. ¡°Yap, yap, yap!¡± At that point, Labong barked toward the car that was parked beside the alleyway. ¡°Shhh. Labong. Be quiet on the street.¡± However, even after hearing her words, Labong still looked so excited and continued barking. At that time, Eunwoo came out of the car that was parked with a portable vacuum. ¡°Huh? Sun?¡± ¡°Dr. Park?¡± They looked at each other and cried out in amazement. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Oh, I was going to clean the car.¡± Eunwoo scratched his head with an awkward smile. ¡°Oh, do you have anything to clean in your car?¡± Sun said while looking inside of the clean car. Eunwoo, who was smiling, approached Labong in her bag. ¡°Someone barked so loudly; I see that it was you. Labong was saying hello to me.¡± Eunwoo said after looking into Labong¡¯s eyes. She watched Labong and Eunwoo and smiled, but she seemed unwell. ¡°How about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to stop by the hospital.¡± Eunwoo looked at her and was surprised by the word hospital. ¡°Well¡­ Oh, designers like us often stay up all night, so it¡¯s common to get an IV in our business. Hahaha.¡± She rushed to speak. Eunwoo nodded, but he couldn¡¯t help worrying about her. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take you.¡± ¡°Oh, no. I¡¯m fine.¡± Sun waved her hands. ¡°You can¡¯t take Labong to the hospital anyway,¡± Eunwoo said. ¡°Hah¡­¡± She was embarrassed and couldn¡¯t speak anymore. She didn¡¯t think far enough ahead to consider Labong. ¡°Please, humor me and let me drive you there.¡± Eunwoo smiled and opened the car door for her. After a while, she reluctantly entered the car. ¡°¡­ Thank you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t say that to your friend.¡± In his relaxed voice, she showed a pale smile on her face. ¡°Seatbelt, please.¡± ¡°Yes? Oh, yes.¡± Eunwoo was waiting for her to fasten her seatbelt before starting the car with a smile. The car started smoothly as soft as his voice. *** In the elevator of the hospital. Gyeonhui, Ojae, and a patient were on board. A short time later, the elevator door opened, and as soon as the patient left, Gyeonhui started speaking. ¡°Everyone else who had her blood is fine! Why the hell is it just happening to me¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s retribution. Karma. Have you ever bothered her?¡± ¡°What did you just say?¡± Ojae kept his mouth shut upon seeing Gyeonhui¡¯s glaring eyes. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Gyeonhui sighed to release a bit of his anger. ¡°Calm down. Relax, relax.¡± Ojae waved his hands up and down. ¡°How dare you tell me to calm down! You¡¯re the one who sent me to England with that crappy information.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I told you that I should go there instead¡­¡± ¡°Is that what you¡¯re telling me now?¡± Gyeonhui said and looked at Ojae with fierce eyes. ¡°¡­ Sorry. It¡¯s all good, though. It¡¯s possible to cure yourself now after three months.¡± ¡°I feel like I¡¯m going to die right now. You say that to me because you don¡¯t feel any of this pain. You don¡¯t¡¯ have to suffer! Ugh¡­¡± At that time, he felt the pain in his stomach and in his back at the same time. He would feel a little better at dawn when Sun took medication, but the pain would start to rush in again. ¡°How can I wait for three months¡­¡± He clutched his stomach with a grimace. *** The parking lot at the hospital. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± She left the car and looked sorry for Eunwoo. ¡°We¡¯ve got some time, so get some rest as much as you need.¡± ¡°Ruff! Ruff!¡± Labong, who was sitting in the passenger seat, barked, agreeing enthusiastically with Eunwoo. After waving to Labong, she turned and got into the elevator. When she disappeared, Eunwoo held Labong in his arms. ¡°We¡¯re going to go for a picnic today. Are you excited too?¡± Labong looked at him, cutely, with his tongue out. ¡°You¡¯re so cute, Labong.¡± Eunwoo stroked Labong¡¯s head. ¡®Bzzz.¡¯ Then, a phone vibrated. ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s not mine.¡± After looking at his cell phone, Eunwoo looked at the spot where the vibration sound originated. It seemed like the vibration was coming from Labong¡¯s stomach. ¡°What?¡± Eunwoo was surprised and listened to the vibration. He smiled after he understood the situation. ¡°Labong, let¡¯s move you for just a moment.¡± When Labong moved from his seat, Eunwoo saw Sun¡¯s cell phone that she had left. ¡®She must be so tired¡­¡¯ Eunwoo didn¡¯t know that she was tired when he saw her outside but concluded that she must have been exhausted since she forgot to take such a valuable item. He saw the caller ID and noticed that it was her co-worker, Ari. After a while, the disconnected phone began to ring again. After a moment, Eunwoo answered her cell phone, thinking that it might be an emergency. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you taking my call? Did you go to hospital? How are your menstrual cramps?¡± Ari¡¯s words spilled over the phone like a rapid-fire gun. ¡°¡­ Hello?? Miss Ari?¡± Eunwoo answered the call carefully. ¡°Huh? Who is this?¡± ¡°Me¡­ It¡¯s Dr. Park at the Blue Rose.¡± ¡°Dr. Park? Are you with her?¡± Ari asked, raising her voice and was a little surprised. ¡°Oh, yes, Sun has just gone up to the hospital. She left her phone behind.¡± ¡°Okay. I called her to ask how her how she was feeling.¡± ¡°She just went up a while ago to get an IV.¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s great. Then please take good care of her. ¡± ¡°Sure. I will take her once she¡¯s done getting the IV.¡± ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll see you soon then.¡± ¡°Bye.¡± After losing in his own thoughts, Eunwoo slowly picked up his cell phone with a worrisome expression. Chapter 44 An hour later, in the hospital parking lot. Sun, with a slightly swollen face, rushed toward the car. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry if it took so long.¡± Sun entered the passenger seat. She seemed so apologetic to Eunwoo. Instead of answering, Eunwoo pulled out a blanket and covered her knees. She felt comfortable with the heated seats that were already on and the warm heater in the car. ¡°It¡¯s warm in here. It feels so good. ¡± She felt that her body was a lot more relaxed after the IV, and the warm temperature in the car helped. ¡°Why don¡¯t we eat something? We¡¯ve got some time before we go. We have to eat enough to get through the day.¡± Eunwoo asked. ¡®Is he a person who eats breakfast every morning?¡¯ After a moment of contemplation, Sun nodded. She had no appetite, but she thought that she owed him breakfast for taking care of her since this morning. ¡°Sure, sounds great.¡± Eunwoo smiled and slowly turned the steering wheel. A short time later, Eunwoo pulled the car over a block away. ¡°Oh, there it is.¡± After Eunwoo checked the sign, he left the car. She then followed him out of the vehicle. She looked up at the sign of the restaurant, and she saw ¡®XX Seaweed.¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s also a specialty store for seaweed soup¡­¡¯ She looked a little surprised and slowly followed him into the restaurant. As she passed through the entrance, she smelled the seaweed soup. When the two of them sat down, a generous looking lady approached. ¡°What can get for you?¡± ¡°An abalone seaweed soup, please.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like the same thing.¡± Eunwoo smiled as she ordered the same meal. ¡°Two abalone seaweed soups, please.¡± Eunwoo checked the menu once again and finished the order. ¡°Do you come here often?¡± She asked, seemingly curious about the place. This was the first time for Sun to come to a seaweed soup specialty store. ¡°Yes, once in a while. I¡¯ll go wash my hands.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Smiling awkwardly, Eunwoo got up from his seat and headed to the bathroom. ¡°It¡¯s amazing.¡± Sun was still looking around the inside of the restaurant. ¡®Bzzz.¡¯ Then, a vibration rang on Eunwoo¡¯s cell phone. She moved her gaze naturally to his phone, and she saw a message which indicated that a payment has been successfully delivered. ¡°What?¡± She quickly turned her head at Eunwoo, who was heading to the bathroom after he paid for the food. ¡°¡­ I have to buy it. I owe him¡­¡± She missed the opportunity and sighed apologetically. Then, the text message disappeared, and she could see the screen that Eunwoo had seen before. It was a post about this seaweed soup specialty store. ¡°Huh?¡± She was so curious about it, but she wasn¡¯t supposed to look at someone else¡¯s cell phone, so she turned her head away. ¡®Bzzz.¡¯ Then, she got a call from Ari. ¡°Hi, Ari.¡± ¡°Hey, are you all right?¡± ¡°Sure, but why do you sound so nervous?¡± ¡°Um, I called you before, and Dr. Park answered your phone.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, I see.¡± She remembered leaving her phone in the car. ¡°Where are you now?¡± ¡°Me? I¡¯m at a restaurant for breakfast, and there¡¯s a specialty restaurant that serves seaweed soup.¡± ¡°Specialty restaurant for Seaweed soup? That sounds great!¡± ¡°Yes! Isn¡¯t it so nice? It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever been here.¡± ¡°No, not the restaurant! I mean, Dr. Park.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Dr. Park was going to answer your phone, so as soon as he answered the phone, I asked if your menstrual cramp pain was okay. After that, Dr. Park took you to the seaweed house. Wow. That¡¯s great!¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t know what you mean.¡± She asked Ari because she couldn¡¯t understand what was happening. ¡°Dr. Park took you to the seaweed soup restaurant for you, girl.¡± Upon hearing Ari¡¯s words, her eyes widened, astonished. Then, she remembered the warm air in the car, and the knee blankets, and heated seats. ¡®So¡­¡¯ She couldn¡¯t keep her mouth shut. ¡°Anyway, enjoy your breakfast. Today could be a very historic day for all of us.¡± Ari hung up the phone with such an excited voice. Sun sat motionless for a while even after she hung up the phone. She always had to hide her worries in front of Gyeonhui. After all, she wasn¡¯t supposed to show her pain. It was her own burden; she had to carry it, but when someone else cared for her, she felt something strange. She started to feel calm, and a soft feeling shimmered in her heart. ¡°Your order¡¯s here.¡± At that time, a server placed the seaweed soup in a large bowl on the table. ¡°Wow, it looks so delicious.¡± When Eunwoo returned from the restroom, he sat with a smile. She didn¡¯t want him to see her facial expression, so she slightly avoided his gaze. She slowly brought the soup to her mouth. The hot seaweed soup smelled of sesame oil and glided warmly down her throat. She felt relaxed and calm. Eunwoo took a spoon and carefully looked at her expression. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s delicious.¡± At that moment, her nose swelled. Aware of her sinking voice, Eunwoo looked at her. She sniffed once and smiled brightly. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s so delicious! It¡¯s the best in the world.¡± The soup and his consideration were so warm. At her quietly trembling voice, Eunwoo watched her and slowly reached out his hand. His large hands wrapped around her left cheek. Her eyes widened as she looked at him. He gently wiped her mouth with his thumb. ¡°¡­ Something was on your face¡­¡± ¡°Oh, okay¡­ Thank you.¡± She was embarrassed about his hands and wiped her mouth. Eunwoo was smiling after seeing her getting shy; he picked up the spoon and started eating the soup again. After wiping her mouth, she slowly glanced at Eunwoo. Was this because the seaweed soup was hot? Her lips, which Eunwoo touched, seemed to have been burning for quite a long time. ¡°I¡¯ll just use the bathroom for a while.¡± She had been locked in thought for a while and suddenly rose from her seat. Eunwoo might have thought that her sudden change in behavior was strange, but she couldn¡¯t care less. After rushing into the bathroom, she stared into the mirror blankly while holding the sink. Eunwoo¡¯s big hand had covered her cheek. She remembered that feeling of warmth. His hand gently swept over her mouth. She could still feel it on her cheeks. That feeling reminded her of one of her old memories. ¡°How come your face looked so small?¡± Gyeonhui said after he turned around to her and covered Sun¡¯s whole face with his hand. He leaned his head forward until it reached Sun¡¯s face as he slowly looked at her. His gaze followed along her thin eyebrows and descended to her lips after passing her sharp nose. His eyes were full of heat. He stroked her red lips with his thumb and repeatedly spread her lips slightly. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s so amazing that you are¡­¡± His voice felt so hot. Soon his feelings became unbearable, and he held her in his arms. He embraced her strongly and sincerely, for he wanted to keep her close. Sun closed her eyes with her arms wrapped around him. She could still feel her touch as he embraced her. However, she had to shake it off now. The harder she shook, the more she found her determination crumbling down. She unbearably wiped her face with cold water while biting her lower lip. She washed her face several times as if to remove away all of his memory, and she looked up again. She wiped the water from her chin with the back of her hand and rubbed her chest. She hoped that this pain would sink quickly as she rubbed more with strength. Chapter 45 *** As Gyeonhui left the hospital, his face looked severely distorted. He struggled with the unbearable pain. Soon, he felt a stuffy pain in his chest, and he sat down on a bench beside the road. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t talk to me.¡± He answered Ojae¡¯s question without hesitation. Ojae had noticed Gyeonhui¡¯s severe condition and started to speak determinedly. ¡°Let¡¯s take a break here.¡± Ojae led Gyeonhui into a nearby caf¨¦. As Gyeonhui sat down, he leaned over the table and grabbed his stomach. A short time later, Ojae brought a drink and sat across the table. ¡°I¡¯ve ordered something warm for you. Take a sip at least.¡± ¡°What good would happen if I drink it? Take it away.¡± Gyeonhui swung his finger, having no power to make any loud noise. Ojae, who was sitting with his mouth closed, looked around. Ojae¡¯s eyes were directed to a space full of young couples, each of them was exchanging their affection. ¡°¡­ Haa¡­¡± Ojae sighed unwittingly. Even his sigh made Gyeonhui irritated, so he scowled. As Gyeonhui looked up and tried to say a word, an email arrived on his cell phone. He wanted to confirm to see if it¡¯s an urgent email, but he found out that it was just a dormancy transition guide email sent from a photo storage website. ¡°What¡¯s this¡­¡± He tried to scroll, thinking that it was useless, but checked the title of the email once again. ¡°Photogenic?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a photo storage website that young couples use a lot these days?¡± Ojae said. ¡°How do you know about this?¡± ¡°How do you think I know? Haa¡­¡± Ojae sighed bitterly. ¡°Hmm.¡± Awkwardly coughing, Gyeonhui moved his gaze back to the email. ¡®Have I ever signed up to this?¡¯ As he shook his head, he remembered the old days that he had forgotten. ¡®The last thing on your mind is photography. I know you don¡¯t want to be photographed, so I¡¯ll just upload the pictures to the archive on the site.¡¯ It was a website that he reluctantly signed up for because of her After a while, he picked his phone up again. He was curious about these photos that he had never seen before. He paused for a moment and pressed the access button on the site. After a brief procedure, he noticed a folder of photos organized by date. She seemed to have sorted out their anniversary in her own way. When he inadvertently clicked on the folder, the familiar pictures of places they had been through unfolded. ¡°Let¡¯s look at them together.¡± Ojae moved to the next seat. ¡°Go away.¡± Gyeonhui pushed Ojae away while scowling, but Ojae returned and sat beside Gyeonhui again. Gyeonhui quickly turned his attention to his phone after, ignoring Ojae. It contained photos of the Hannam-dong caf¨¦, the scenery of the Han River, two cups of coffee, and pictures of her. He could see her face smiling brightly for a long time. ¡°What¡¯s so funny¡­¡± He looked uncomfortable, and he dropped the list of folders all the way down. The long folders contained memories of the two of them. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± At that time, Ojae, who had seen the pictures from the side, cried out in doubt. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Wait¡­¡± Ojae once again looked at the folder list. ¡°Look at this, this.¡± Ojae pointed to the title of the folder one by one. The 2nd anniversary, Gyeonhui¡¯s birthday, Get together after such a long time, and so on. It showed the name of the folder containing their anniversary. ¡°What about it?¡± ¡°Look at the date and the cycle, not the title!¡± ¡°Cycle?¡± He picked up his phone again and checked the folder¡¯s name. The second anniversary was on the 25th, and his birthday was on the 27th of the month before. The folder for the ¡®Get together after such a long time¡¯ was on the 26th of the month before. Most of their anniversary get-together were between 28 and 35-days in cycles, when he reversed the time from the accident since he first began to feel her pain. ¡°It¡¯s all around when she had her period.¡± When he checked the date, his eyes shook. Gyeonhui realized that, amid his ridiculous pain, she still took their anniversaries seriously. However, he had no idea that she was in pain. ¡®We don¡¯t know anything about each other. How sick, how sad, and how lonely I am. You don¡¯t know anything. So, don¡¯t pretend to know everything. I don¡¯t want to hear it.¡¯ Her words came to mind. ¡°¡­ She had loved you for a long time.¡± Upon hearing Ojae¡¯s words, Gyeonhui scowled without saying anything. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Ojae then sighed deeply. ¡°Why are you sighing?¡± Gyeonhui asked in disgust. Ojae then pulled out his phone and shook it. ¡°Sarah¡­ I haven¡¯t received any messages from her. How can she do this to me?¡± Ojae shook his head with a bitter expression. ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡± Gyeonhui was about to say, ¡®You caught her cheating on you. How can she contact you?¡¯ However, Gyeonhui decided not to say anything instead. ¡®How am I supposed to answer in this situation?¡¯ At one point, his thoughts became conflicted. ¡°¡­ Oh, that¡¯s too bad.¡± After a few rounds of contemplation, Gyeonhui spoke awkwardly. Ojae smiled as he watched Gyeonhui. ¡°¡­ For what? What else?¡± Gyeonhui felt so awkward as Ojae asked those words. ¡°It feels like you¡¯ve said a sort of comforting thing to me.¡± ¡°What the hell is ¡®a sort of¡¯?¡± Gyeonhui looked at him, awkwardly, and muttered to himself. ¡°Hah¡­ When I think about Sarah¡­ Yes. Sarah didn¡¯t seem to love me.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it too consequential?¡± Upon hearing the end of his words, Ojae shook his head slowly. ¡°I think love is¡­. It¡¯s a sacrifice, but Sarah never liked that.¡± ¡°Sacrifice? That¡¯s such an old fashioned idea.¡± After listening to Gyeonhui, Ojae paused for a moment before speaking again. ¡°Most people want to find out what they lack when they¡¯re in a relationship. If you don¡¯t have enough money, then you want a person with a lot of money; those who have no power would want someone with power. If you haven¡¯t gotten enough education, then you would want to be with a highly educated person. Still, that¡¯s actually just people taking advantage of each other to fill their own shortcomings.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? It¡¯s all about using others or being used by them. That¡¯s just like between you and me.¡± Gyeonhui replied, recalling his general theory of life. When Ojae looked at him without saying anything, Gyeonhui felt uncomfortable and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it true? You are here because I give you money.¡± ¡°Think back before. From the time we first met.¡± Ojae said. ¡°¡­ That. Hmm.¡± When his old memories came to his mind, he turned to himself because he had nothing to say. ¡°Of course, there are relationships where you use others while they¡¯re using you in return. Maybe most of them do that to each other. However, love doesn¡¯t work that way. Love is a determination to sacrifice yourself and make concessions for the one you love.¡± Ojae paused for a moment before continuing. ¡°I once thought about it. What is a mother¡¯s instinctive love? If you are a woman, of course, are you obviously born with it, right? Is it something that would only manifest when you become a mother? Why did my mom abandoned me then?¡± Gyeonhui was still listening to Ojae¡¯s words to listen to his pain. ¡°But when I thought about the meaning of love again, I realized that it was a decision. I¡¯m going to give everything I have for this child from now on. I¡¯m going to sacrifice myself for you. It¡¯s not just innate. It¡¯s something even greater. It¡¯s the love of a parent.¡± ¡°¡­ So what are you saying?¡± Gyeonhui asked. ¡°Lovers do the same. Without sacrificing for each other, there is only discontent and sadness. They hurt the other to satisfy their own desires, but others would just end up dragging them around.¡± Upon hearing Ojae¡¯s words, Gyeonhui recalled what he had said to Sun. ¡®Wait. Until I get in touch with you again.¡¯ Her empty eyes upon hearing his words came to his mind, and a bitter sigh came out of his mouth when he recalled her face at that time. ¡°In the end, Sarah didn¡¯t love me. She needed me for a while, but she had no intention of sacrificing for me. She left because she met someone who filled her up more.¡± Ojae nodded bitterly. ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s go. There are so many couples here.¡± Ojae, with a look of contemplation, got up first from his seat. Gyeonhui remembered the first time he met Sun. He remembered her smiling as she reached out to him and handed him her hand. She was the first woman who didn¡¯t take advantage of him and the first woman he didn¡¯t¡¯ need to take advantage of in return. Because of it, he looked at her and loved her. He unwittingly approached her first, and he reached his hand out to her first. ¡°Hah¡­¡± But he didn¡¯t know why their relationship ended up ruined like this. At some point, something frustrating bothered him, but he didn¡¯t know what it was. He didn¡¯t know the cause, so he couldn¡¯t even solve it. He clenched his molars with a troubled mind. Chapter 46 *** The parking lot at the Consencio Building. A luxury car slipped into the parking lot. ¡°Hah¡­¡± After feeling a little better, he exhaled for a long time while sitting in the back seat. After parking the car, Ojae looked back and started speaking. ¡°Do you feel better?¡± ¡°¡­ Did she get the IV at the hospital?¡± He whispered to himself after he felt that the pain went away just like last month. ¡°So be more kind to her. There is nothing you can do if she really gets along with Dr. Park. Is that what you want?¡± ¡°Stop saying useless things,¡± Gyeonhui said and scowled. Ojae quickly shut his mouth. ¡°Is the campaign today?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± When Ojae asked about the date of the campaign, Ojae replied. ¡°¡­ Where is she?¡± As Gyeonhui left the car, he looked away and asked. ¡°Well. It¡¯s scheduled this afternoon, so I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll leave late in the morning.¡± Ojae replied as he got out of the car. ¡°Well, who are those people?¡± Gyeonhui looked at the Kids Fans people on one side of the large van. It seemed like they were having so much fun. Their laughter was heard all the way to Gyeonhui¡¯s side. He could then see her coming out with a small box in her hand. Gyeonhui hid behind the car instinctively. ¡°Why are you hiding?¡± Ojae who was hiding without knowing the reason why asked Gyeonhui in a whisper. ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± Gyeonhui scowled at his own behavior, which he could not even understand. ¡°But why do they look so happy? Are they going on a picnic?¡± ¡°It seems so.¡± Gyeonhui said when he saw them loading the car with all the lunch boxes. ¡°Is this the last one?¡± This was when Gyeonhui heard a weighty voice in the parking lot. Eunwoo, who had a large box in his hand, was carrying things to the van with a bright smile. ¡°Really. Are they going with Dr. Park too?¡± Ojae asked in amazement. Gyeonhui scowled, quite surprised. He didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Haa¡­¡± After a sigh of frustration, Gyeonhui slowly stood up. ¡°Oh, have you seen enough?¡± Ojae was quick to ask, but Gyeonhui didn¡¯t answer. Gyeonhui only walked away, keeping his eyes fixed on the two of them. The parking lot in Consencio. Eunyoung confirmed the checklist and packed her bags once again. ¡°This is the last one.¡± Then Eunwoo came out with a large box from the direction of the office. Under his sleeves, which had been slightly rolled up, his arms were draped in bulging muscles and tendons. ¡°We owe you big time again.¡± Eunyoung seemed apologetic for him. ¡°You bought me a great meal last time. I¡¯ll be right back after washing my hands.¡± Eunwoo smiled and spoke as he headed to the bathroom. ¡°Wow¡­ Why the hell am I so excited?¡± Ari said. ¡°Wake up from the dream, girl.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even do anything. Am I Cinderella? Why am I the only one who¡¯s been abused?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. No matter what angle I look at you, you¡¯re not Cinderella. Stop saying useless things, check over the list.¡± Eunyoung threw the checklist to Ari. ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s just so good to see him.¡± Ari smiled while looking at the parking lot where Eunwoo had disappeared. ¡°By the way, when did they get so close?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Eunyoung asked. ¡°Since Sun went to the hospital with him this morning, it seems maybe they are in a special relationship wherein they share everything about each other. You know?¡± Eunyoung side-eyed Ari at her words. ¡°Stop it. Maybe there were some circumstances.¡± ¡°What circumstances? If you¡¯re going to get an IV on your period with him, then that¡¯s it. Those are the circumstances.¡± ¡°Did you check the list?¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing it now. I know you¡¯ve wondered about them too.¡± Ari reluctantly packed her luggage with her lower lip hanging down. ¡°Shhh.¡± Eunyoung saw Sun carrying the box and shut Ari¡¯s mouth quickly. ¡°What are you guys talking about so happily?¡± Sun asked while carrying a box in the trunk. ¡°You don¡¯t need to know,¡± Ari responded childishly. ¡°Huh?¡± Sun looked at Eunyoung, but she just shrugged her shoulders to imply that she didn¡¯t know anything. Meanwhile, Eunwoo came out and loaded a large box into the car. ¡°Is this the last one?¡± Upon hearing Eunwoo¡¯s question, Ari quickly looked at the checklist. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re all loaded up,¡± Ari responded with a big smile as much as she could. ¡°I don¡¯t know why she does that¡­¡± Eunyoung shook her head with her tongue tickling. Ari, who was side-eyeing Eun-young, quickly changed her expression and looked at Sun and Eunwoo. ¡°Alright. Shall we go?¡± At the sound of Ari¡¯s excited voice, people started to get into the car. ¡°Ruff, Ruff!¡± Then Labong began to bark at the back. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Labong? Come on.¡± Sun lifted Labong and held him, but Labong didn¡¯t stop barking. Sun started staring at Labong in doubt and shifted her gaze at the direction where Labong was barking at. There she saw two familiar faces walking toward her. ¡°Oh, my. Mr. Woo?¡± Ari opened her mouth before Sun could. ¡®Tap. Tap.¡¯ The tall Gyeonhui stopped in front of her. He looked around the people in the car and asked in his monotone voice. ¡°Where are you guys going?¡± Sun looked at him for a moment and started speaking with a firm expression. ¡°We have a campaign this afternoon today. Have you forgotten?¡± ¡°No, I know, but it looks like you guys are going on a picnic too.¡± Gyeonhui looked at the lunch boxes in the car and asked again. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s for our company team-building too. Hahaha.¡± Ari interrupted slightly and laughed awkwardly. ¡°Team-building?¡± Gyeonhui scowled because he didn¡¯t like Ari¡¯s answer. Ari lost her nerve and took a step back unknowingly. ¡°Are you going to do this campaign the right was? Do you even realize how important this campaign is?¡± His cold voice pacified the atmosphere. Eunyoung came forward and said, ¡°You¡¯ve left this job to us. We¡¯ll take care of it. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°You make me worry about this. All of you.¡± ¡°Hah¡­ It¡¯s just a small orphanage event. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a big business matter that you have to take care of personally.¡± ¡°Do you not know that this small place is more sensitive to the media? It could turn out worse than not doing the campaign at all; think about the damage. Can you afford it all if something happens?¡± At his words, Eunyoung had no choice but to shut her mouth. Eunyoung wanted to refute it, but it was only a loss for Kids Fans to retort. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to keep an eye on it myself.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± Sun seemed amazed. However, Gyeonhui turned his attention to Ojae as if he didn¡¯t ask for Eunyoung¡¯s opinion. ¡°What do you think about this, Ojae?¡± ¡°Huh? Yes, of course, I think it¡¯s a great idea.¡± Ojae also responded to that unexpected question. His face seemed quite perplexed. ¡°Is there any reason not to do this?¡± ¡°No, but¡­¡± There was no excuse for Kidz Fan, which is a consignment company, to deny Gyeonhui going with them. ¡°¡­ That¡¯s great.¡± Sun answered on behalf of Eunyoung. ¡°That¡¯s the best answer that I¡¯ve heard today.¡± He nodded. ¡°Shall we go?¡± Sun, who no longer wanted to talk with him, said. People then entered the van. Gyeonhui was one step ahead of them in the van. Everyone looked surprised as they gazed at each other¡¯s faces without getting in the car. ¡°What are you doing? Aren¡¯t you getting in the car?¡± Gyeonhui, who was sitting in the back seat, cried out. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Are you going to go in this car?¡± Sun and Eunyoung asked him at the same time. ¡°There¡¯s extra space here. Isn¡¯t it reasonable to go with you to save the cost?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Why? Is there any reason I shouldn¡¯t?¡± Upon hearing his question, Sun could only stare at him while biting her lip. Gyeonhui felt her glare, but he just looked at Ojae without concern. Chapter 47 ¡°What? Aren¡¯t you going to get into the car?¡± ¡°Yes? Oh, yes.¡± Ojae, who looked embarrassed, got into the car reluctantly. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Sun sighed with outrage. When she tried to confront him, Eunwoo grabbed her shoulder. ¡°Just go.¡± ¡°¡­ But¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I think it¡¯s going to be fun.¡± Eunwoo got into the driver¡¯s seat with a relaxed smile. Sun felt so sorry for him and glared at Gyeonhui once again before getting into the passenger seat. Gyeonhui started to speak when he saw Sun getting into the front seat. ¡°Why does Sun sit in the front?¡± Sun fixed her gaze ahead and did not answer. ¡°If you are sitting there to guide him and take care of things, then Ojae will sit there and do the job for you instead. Ojae¡¯s really good at it. Aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Oh, yes. That¡¯s what I do. Hahaha.¡± Ojae tried to get up from his seat. ¡°No, thanks. I just want to get as far away as I can from Mr. Woo.¡± ¡°What?¡± Gyeonhui scowled upon hearing her answer. ¡°Start the car, Dr. Park, please. ¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Gyeonhui tried to get up from his seat in a vain attempt to stop her at all costs. ¡°Stay put.¡± Eunwoo then accelerated the car as soon as he heard Sun. ¡°Ugh!¡± Gyeonhui stood at an unbalanced position and slightly banged the back of his head on the glass before sitting on the back seat again. Gyeonhui sat back on his seat and stared at Eunwoo. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I forgot to tell you to hold on.¡± Eunwoo smiled in the rearview mirror. Gyeonhui then scowled and started speaking. ¡°Stop the car.¡± Eunwoo then swung the car around toward the entrance of the parking lot. Because of that, one of the boxes in the luggage compartment fell onto the back of his head. ¡°Ahaaak!¡± Gyeonhui screamed again in unbearable pain. ¡°Kuk, kuk.¡± ¡°Puh.¡± The sound of laughter burst everywhere within the car. ¡°Hah.¡± Gyeonhui looked ridiculous, so he sat down instead. He couldn¡¯t beat Eunwoo, who had the steering wheel for now. ¡®You wait and see¡­¡¯ Gyeonhui clenched his fists while scowling. *** On the freeway. The white van was speeding as they headed for Paju. Sun and Eunwoo were smiling at each other while they were talking about something fun. ¡°What the hell are you guys talking about? Can you hear them?¡± Gyeonhui looked displeased and asked Ojae. ¡°Huh? What did you say?¡± Ojae replied later as he thought something about it. ¡°¡­ Forget it. Hah¡­¡± Along the way, there was a lot of laughter and conversation in the car. Of course, Gyeonhui was the only exception. He sighed with disgust while turning his head and staring at Sun. When she got the IV in the hospital, his stomach pain had improved, but his back pain was still there. He continued to adjust himself in his seat, but the pain didn¡¯t get any better. ¡°You still smile even when you¡¯re so sick that you feel like you¡¯re going to die soon.¡± He scowled more when he saw her smiling casually. As he sighed, the car entered a secluded parking lot. ¡°Well, we¡¯ve almost arrived at the destination.¡± Upon hearing Eunwoo¡¯s words, people moved their gazes out of the window. ¡°Wow.¡± Still, the yellow grass was beautifully laid out under the blue sky. ¡°Why did we come here?¡± Sun answered upon hearing his complaining question, ¡°We have to eat. Don¡¯t we?¡± She responded with a blunt tone. ¡°Where?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to take a break in the park and eat.¡± Finally, Sun first got out of the car. ¡°Let¡¯s get off. We have to eat too.¡± At Ojae¡¯s words, Gyeonhui reluctantly got out of the car. ¡°Where are we going to eat?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to take a look right now. Wait a moment. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Sun tried to find a place to sit and eat in the park. ¡°Hah¡­¡± His back suddenly hurt. He still had a sore back, but the pain worsened as soon as she ran. ¡°You¡¯re in such trouble.¡± Scowling, Gyeonhui walked toward Sun and held her arm. ¡°What are you doing now?¡± ¡°Stay here.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re sick now.¡± Sun was surprised and looked at him with her eyes wide open. ¡°I¡¯ll go and find a place, so you stay here. Stay still.¡± He slowly stepped forward while scowling. ¡°¡­ Did he eat something wrong?¡± ¡°Why is he suddenly doing that?¡± Eunyoung and Ari, who was around the car, said to each other in amazement. Sun only looked at his back without saying anything. At that point, Eunwoo had been watching this scene and approached Sun. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll go with him.¡± Eunwoo reassured Sun and hurriedly followed him. As Eunwoo moved away, Ari quickly approached beside her. ¡°Those two people, are they going to fight?¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡®fight¡¯?¡± ¡°Did you not see Mr. Woo¡¯s face? He seemed very uncomfortable the whole time on the way here. What if Mr. Woo does something bad to Dr. Park?¡± Upon hearing Ari¡¯s anxious words, Sun felt more frustrated. ¡°Huaghh¡­¡± Sun sighed deeply as she saw the two men moving away. Sun quickly started speaking while looking at Ari with a determined look on her face. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Without Ari asking Sun again, Sun began to run toward the two men. Gyeonhui patted his own back and walked. ¡°Oh. Why is it so painful when she¡¯s resting?¡± Obviously, although Gyeonhui told her to rest, his back was still aching. He couldn¡¯t understand the reason, but still, he patted his back harder and looked around to find a place to sit. ¡°There you go. Let¡¯s go together.¡± Then, behind him, he heard Eunwoo¡¯s voice. Gyeonhui looked back and saw Eunwoo smiling brightly while running toward him. Gyeonhui walked faster, pretending that he hadn¡¯t heard anything. However, Eunwoo ran faster and came right beside Gyeonhui. They began to walk side by side. Gyeonhui was displeased and turned to walk toward the other side of Eunwoo. This time, however, Eunwoo followed him again. ¡°What is it?¡± He stopped walking and scowled. ¡°Let¡¯s find it together,¡± Eunwoo spoke casually and moved his steps forward. ¡°Aren¡¯t you too busy to run your company as the CEO?¡± Eunwoo, still smiling, asked. ¡°I¡¯m very busy.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look busy at all.¡± ¡°I said, I¡¯m busy.¡± Eunwoo smiled. ¡°Why are you laughing at me?¡± ¡°Why have you suddenly changed your behavior?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You know what I mean. You¡¯ve never done this for her before, have you?¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°I can see through her reaction. Her eyes looked so wide. Eunwoo opened his eyes wide to imitate Sun. Gyeonhui stopped again. He turned his head and started speaking while staring at Eunwoo. ¡°Now, are you just provoking me? I can fight you if that¡¯s what you want.¡± Upon hearing his words, Eunwoo shook his head slowly. ¡°Don¡¯t you have confidence?¡± Gyeonhui asked. Eunwoo, still watching, slowly started to speak. ¡°You¡¯re not my opponent.¡± ¡°What? What did you just say?¡± Gyeonhui stared at Eunwoo without concealing his discomfort. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t get me wrong. I mean, I don¡¯t want to fight. I¡¯m not going to argue with anyone, that¡¯s not who I am.¡± After pausing for a moment, Eunwoo turned his head and looked behind Gyeonhui. ¡°I¡¯ll just do my best to get Sun¡¯s heart. That¡¯s the way I fight.¡± Eunwoo¡¯s bold words calmed Gyeonhui¡¯s eyes. At that time, Gyeonhui heard steps from his back like someone rushing at him. Chapter 48 Gyeonhui looked back and could see her running towards him while breathing heavily. ¡°Now I know why my back hurts so bad¡­¡± Gyeonhui approached Sun with an angry face. ¡°I told you to stay still¡­¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± Eunwoo stepped up and examined her. Gyeonhui pushed back and hesitated to move forward towards her. ¡°Sun, you really don¡¯t¡¯ look well.¡± ¡°Oh, no. It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m fine.¡± She smiled at him again. Unlike Gyeonhui, who was angry at her, Eunwoo examined her to see if she was okay. She used to get scared and frustrated in front of Gyeonhui whenever he was mad at her, but now she was smiling at Eunwoo. Gyeonhui, in shock, looked at the two of them without saying anything. ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find the place sooner if all three of us do it together. Hahaha.¡± Sun smiled awkwardly and turned away. ¡°Then, let¡¯s look for the place together.¡± Eunwoo walked away without stopping her anymore. She turned her head from Gyeonhui after looking at him for a moment and followed Eunwoo. ¡°Let me know if you¡¯re feeling anything, okay?¡± ¡°Yes, but I¡¯ll be fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡± The two of them walked in front of Gyeonhui, and he heard their conversation. ¡®Don¡¯t laugh, Sun. I know you can¡¯t even straighten your back because of the pain.¡¯, Gyeonhui could feel her pain more than anyone else, and he clenched his molars tightly. ¡®But why¡­ are you pretending to be okay, why?¡¯ As Gyeonhui looked back at her, a part of his heart had felt touched. At the same time, the photos and folder titles on the photo storage website came to his mind. Their anniversaries mostly fell in her period, but she always smiled like she wasn¡¯t enduring any pain. He sighed for a long time while looking at the sky. Then, because of a sudden pain on his back, his face distorted immediately. ¡°Oh¡­ My back.¡± Gyeonhui looked up and noticed her climbing the small staircases. He slowly began to chase her back with a firm expression. *** A pavilion located in the park. While Ari and Eunyoung were opening the lunch boxes, the others were playing with Labong. ¡°Hey, Labong.¡± As Sun threw the ball far away, Labong ran towards it and returned to her once he got the ball. ¡°Yapyapyap!¡± Labong raised his voice and barked since he was excited about walking for the first time in a while. ¡°I wonder why puppies love to play ball so much?¡± Sun asked curiously. ¡°Because their hunting instincts still remain in their bodies. In fact, rather than the ball, every moving object in itself is more interesting for them. The same goes for biting. Dogs have the habit of hunting and bringing their prey to their home or owner.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Sun nodded. ¡°If you throw a ball, of course, dogs would take it. That¡¯s what they do. No other reasons.¡± Gyeonhui intervened as he listened to them. ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you throw a ball, too, Mr. Woo?¡± Eunwoo smiled and gave the ball to Gyeonhui. Gyeonhui took the ball and threw it away like it was no big deal, but Labong turned his head and was just looking at the ball vacantly. He didn¡¯t chase it at all. ¡°What, what? Why don¡¯t you go and get the ball that I threw?¡± Gyeonhui asked, a little embarrassed. ¡°Well, that¡¯s because, for Labong, Mr. Woo¡¯s rank in the pack is lower than Labong himself.¡± ¡°Oh, so Labong is ignoring him, huh?¡± Ojae, who watching from the side, said tactlessly. Gyeonhui looked at him with sultry eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll go that way to help them out¡­¡± In hindsight, Ojae was aware of Gyeonhui¡¯s eyes and hurried away toward the pavilion. Gyeonhui threw the ball once again while clenching his molars. However, Labong still showed no interest in the ball. ¡°Go get the ball. Get it!¡± Gyeonhui cried several times, but Labong just looked at the ball apathetically and went to Sun shortly. ¡°It¡¯s time to eat, please come!¡± They then heard Ari¡¯s voice from the pavilion. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Dr. Park. Sun turned her body like she had been waiting for it since the very beginning, and Eunwoo followed her. ¡°Haa¡­ Really.¡± He cried out, for he couldn¡¯t contain his anger anymore. He had no choice but to pick up the ball himself. *** The people who sat in the pavilion were eating their lunch. ¡°This is so great, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ojae picked up the fried tofu rice ball and said with admiration. ¡°Do you really want to eat that now?¡± Gyeonhui was still grumpy and asked Ojae. ¡°It¡¯s great that they have to share theirs with us. You have to eat it when you¡¯re given food.¡± Ojae put the rice ball in his mouth without concern. ¡°You don¡¯t care about anything but food, do you?¡± Gyeonhui roughly pounded the chopsticks down. Meanwhile, Ojae moved his hips a few times toward the kids¡¯ fan people. ¡°Did you make this all by yourself?¡± Ojae asked while holding a piece of the rice ball. ¡°No. I bought them from a store.¡± Eunyoung responded carelessly. ¡°That¡¯s a lie. She made them all by herself in the morning.¡± Ari intervened tactlessly. Eunyoung rebuked Ari. She moved her gaze back to the lunch boxes. ¡°Heh Heh. It¡¯s really delicious.¡± Ojae nodded in admiration and looked at Eunyoung¡¯s face. ¡°Really?¡± Gyeonhui noticed the meaning of Ojae¡¯s gaze at her, and Gyeonhui stabbed him with his elbow from the side. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been a while since you broke up. Stop it.¡± ¡°Hmm. I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± Ojae coughed awkwardly and shifted his gaze. However, his gaze continued to turn to Eunyoung. ¡°This rice is really delicious, so of course, it made her look pretty too¡­¡± Ojae put the rice ball in his mouth after looking at it for a long time as if he didn¡¯t want the taste to disappear in his mouth. He chewed them as slowly as he could. Gyeonhui stared Ojae and turned his attention to Sun. ¡°Sun, if you¡¯ve finished eating, shall we go for a walk to digest our food?¡± Eunwoo asked. ¡°Sure, that sounds good.¡± It was outrageous for Gyeonhui to see her accepting it without consideration. ¡®¡­ Is she doing it on purpose? Gyeonhui gritted his teeth while watching her behavior as she showed off to him. ¡°Well, let¡¯s leave if everyone is done eating.¡± Sun and Eunwoo stopped upon hearing Gyeonhui¡¯s word. ¡°Already? We still have some time left.¡± Eunyoung confirmed the time and expressed her displeasure. ¡°We do have time, but we have to go ahead and get ready for the campaign.¡± He looked at Sun and Eunwoo while spitting out his words in disgust. ¡°I¡¯m glad that I tagged along.¡± He turned and went toward the parking lot. Sun sighed at his incomprehensible actions, but Eunwoo smiled like he was amused. ¡°I really would like to smack his face¡­ that jerk¡­ Hah¡­¡± Eunyoung seemed very dissatisfied. Ari was still watching Ojae and thrust Eunyoung¡¯s side using her elbow. ¡°Hey, boss, stop it.¡± Eunyoung looked at Ojae and reluctantly closed her mouth. ¡°No, That¡¯s fine. I even think that often too.¡± Ojae hurriedly organized the lunch boxes that he had eaten with a smile before running toward Gyeonhui. ¡°What the hell is wrong with him too?¡± Eunyoung scowled. ¡°Is he interested in you?¡± ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Ari quickly closed her mouth at Eunyoung¡¯s scolding. Chapter 49 *** ¡®Thum, Thum,¡¯ The car shook once they reached the country road more than Sun had expected. ¡°The roads are rougher than I thought.¡± Eunwoo nodded silently upon hearing Sun¡¯s words. As she watched the endless, unpaved road, Sun looked at Ojae through the rearview mirror. ¡°Ojae, we¡¯re on the right path, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Yes. This will probably be asphalted before the next campaign.¡± Ojae replied. ¡°You¡¯ve been talking with the city hall, haven¡¯t you?¡± Gyeonhui asked. ¡°Yes, They¡¯ve decided to pay the cost that you requested the other day.¡± ¡°Wow. Are you even paving the road?¡± Ari intervened to ask. ¡°Yes. This place is so far from the city, so it was hard to get the city government to pave it. They¡¯ve agreed to my terms on the condition that we pay for the cost, though.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great¡­¡± Sun looked a little surprised, too, and glanced at Gyeonhui in the rearview mirror. Gyeonhui looked out of the window and seemed to be submerged in thought. ¡°Well, We¡¯ve arrived.¡± When Eunwoo finished parking, the people left the car. They saw a small, single-story orphanage building with a little playground for a dozen children there. ¡°I¡¯ll go say hello to her.¡± After adjusting his clothes, Gyeonhui stepped toward the building with a slightly firm expression. ¡°Now, let us carry our boxes, too, okay?¡± On Eunyoung¡¯s words, they began to take the boxes out of the trunk and carry them toward the building. At that time, some of the younger elementary school children rushed to the office. ¡°Uncle!¡± ¡°Great uncle!¡± The children approached with a bright smile and hung on Ojae¡¯s legs. ¡°Hey, guys, it¡¯s heavy.¡± Ojae said, but he looked calm and unbothered. ¡°Get inside quickly; otherwise, you won¡¯t have any gifts.¡± ¡°You¡¯re mean!¡± ¡°Hey, let¡¯s get in quickly.¡± The children returned faster than when they came out while pulling at each other. ¡°Ah, boys.¡± Ojae smiled as he watched the children. ¡°I guess you come here often,¡± Sun asked. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a place with a special story.¡± ¡°A special story?¡± Sun looked at Ojae and carefully asked again. Ojae slowly nodded; after a while, he spoke with a perplexed look. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a special place for Gyeonhui and me. That¡¯s all you need to know for now. I hope Gyeonhui can talk about his story in detail sometime in the future.¡± Unwilling to speak anymore, Ojae quickly stepped forward and headed to the building. Sun had not left the spot for a long time due to unknown anxiety. In front of the director¡¯s room, Gyeonhui looked a little nervous. After a few seconds, he carefully knocked on the door. ¡®Knock. Knock.¡¯ ¡°Please come in.¡± He heard the voice of a gentle middle-aged woman. After adjusting his clothes, he opened the sliding door and stepped inside. An elderly nun who was wearing thick glasses was sewing children¡¯s clothes. ¡°Sister Andrea.¡± She looked up when she heard him. She looked through his glasses and smiled when she noticed him. ¡°Who is this man!?¡± She put down her needle and clothes, walked toward him, and punched his stomach with her fist. ¡°Oop.¡± He moaned upon feeling the unexpected surprise attack. ¡°You troublemaker, it¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°¡­ You¡¯re still here.¡± He replied while touching his stomach. ¡°Oh, Ojae said that you wouldn¡¯t be here because you¡¯re so busy these days.¡± ¡°Things just happened.¡± He tried to avoid answering her with a smile. ¡°But why are you sewing clothes? If you need more kids¡¯ clothes, you should have asked us.¡± Sister Andrea shook her head. ¡°Children need new clothes, but they also need to learn the habit of saving. That way, they can stand up on their own, even if they fall a few times.¡± Gyeonhui smiled after hearing Andrea¡¯s advice that he had heard so many times before. ¡°It reminds me of the old days.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to be an adult, you¡¯re still just a troublemaker in my eyes forever.¡± Andrea said with a smile, and her eyes were deeply wrinkled. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± At that time, he felt pain in his back all of a sudden. He barely moaned, but Andrea looked at him in doubt. ¡°Are you sick?¡± ¡°Oh, no.¡± He smiled and shook his head. He turned his head and looked out the window. He saw that Sun was getting out of the car. He barely endured pain while biting his lower lip. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± Andrea asked. ¡°Yes, everything is okay,¡± he said. ¡°No, something¡¯s going on with you.¡± ¡°No, there isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t deceive the devil.¡± ¡°Are you supposed to say that as a nun?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that.¡± Andrea shrugged, seemingly unconcerned. He smiled outrageously, but his face darkened again. He turned his head, and the calendar caught his eye. It was a painting of Jesus walking over the sea to his disciples. ¡°Sister Andrea¡­ Do you still believe in miracles?¡± ¡°Sure. It¡¯s a miracle that you came here today.¡± Andrea responded with a smile. He smiled with her, but his face gradually subsided soon. He struggled for a moment and slowly started speaking. ¡°If something unbelievable happens to me, Hah¡­. No, never mind.¡± He shook his head, but she smiled and looked at him still. She seemed to be waiting until he could speak for himself. ¡®You haven¡¯t changed a bit.¡¯ She always did this. Andrea had never scolded her children. She was a person who would wait for hours, even days, for him to speak for themselves. After a long period of contemplation, he struggled to speak. ¡°What if something unbelievable happened in my life?¡± ¡°For example?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a good example.¡± Andrea, who was staring at his eyes for a moment, slowly started to speak. ¡°God sometimes does things that make no sense. We call it a miracle or sometimes a curse.¡± ¡®¡­ It¡¯s closer to a curse.¡¯ He thought in his mind and smiled bitterly. ¡°But what matters is not the miracle or the curse. It¡¯s important to think about why it happened.¡± Andrea stopped for a moment and looked at him. ¡°And I believe you will discover that. As always.¡± Andrea smiled warmly as she finished speaking. ¡°We always realize things¡­¡± ¡°After everything has passed by.¡± Gyeonhui finished Andrea¡¯s sentence. ¡°Here you go.¡± Andrea smiled and looked at him. However, he breathed a shallow sigh, seemingly unable to agree with the words. He has had a lot of things going on in his life, but there were some things that he couldn¡¯t understand. ¡®Knock. Knock.¡¯ Then, with the sound of a knock, the door to her room opened. ¡°Hello. Sister Andrea. I¡¯m here again.¡± Ojae greeted and stepped inside. ¡°One guy comes too often, and the other guy doesn¡¯t come often enough. There¡¯s no balance between you guys.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t it better to come too often?¡± Ojae jokingly said while looking at Gyeonhui. ¡°Well, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all ready. Let¡¯s go.¡± Andrea nodded at Ojae¡¯s words. Before leaving, Andrea gently patted Gyeonhui¡¯s shoulders. He was left alone in the room and turned his head to look out the window. While Sun was preparing for the campaign, she remained smiling as if she didn¡¯t have any pain. Sun looked so happy that it was hard to think that she came here for work. ¡°I can¡¯t even understand her¡­¡± He shook his head while rubbing his lower back, which continued to torture him. ¡°Hmm¡­ the cause¡­¡± He mumbled to himself with a firm expression, but no matter how much he thought about it, he could not understand the reason why this was happening to him. With a deep sigh, he slowly left the room. Chapter 50 In the classroom of the fancy wood event. The children¡¯s expressions on the light brown trees looked serious. They were coloring various rough sketches, such as hand mirrors, characters, and key chains. ¡°With a variety of colors, you can make it look better.¡± Sun said while looking at them with a smile as she stroked the children¡¯s heads. Then, the door opened, and Ari came in. ¡°Now, it¡¯s time for an exciting recreation!¡± ¡°Wow!¡± The children looked excited and stood up from their seats. ¡°Now, go to the next classroom.¡± Following Ari¡¯s guidance, the children left the classroom. Only Sun was left in the classroom that was quickly emptied. ¡°Let¡¯s clean up now, shall we?¡± Sun tapped her sore back a few times before starting to clean up. Then, a child returned to the classroom and stood in front of her. ¡°Hey, is there anything you need?¡± Sun asked carefully. The child, who had his head bowed, pointed his finger at the model that Sun had painted herself. ¡°You mean this?¡± The child nodded. After reading the boy¡¯s thoughts, Sun picked up the fancy wood sculpture in the form of a doll. ¡°This doll helps his friends with the power of the magic stone.¡± Sun continued speaking while looking into his eyes. ¡°This arrow is his weapon. How¡¯s that? Can you help your friends like this kid?¡± Sun asked with a smile. Instead of answering, the boy was locked in thought for a long time. ¡°Well¡­ Can he find my mom too?¡± ¡°Huh? That¡¯s¡­¡± His question seemed to have surprised Sun. ¡°No? Is it because my mother abandoned me?¡± ¡°Oh, no. Your mom didn¡¯t abandon you¡­ but¡­¡± ¡°So then, can we find my mom? Can you?¡± The boy looked up at Sun with tears in his eyes. Sun panicked and didn¡¯t know what to tell him. ¡°We can¡¯t find your mom for you.¡± Then she heard a familiar voice in her ears. She saw Gyeonhui standing at the door with a firm expression. The child quickly had a sullen face and sniffed like he was going to cry at any minute. ¡°Gyeonhui, that¡¯s so horrible for him.¡± She tried to stop Gyeonhui. ¡°Maybe not, but I can keep you safe here until you go find your mom.¡± He lowered himself and said after looking into the boy¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s so hard now because you¡¯re too young, but you will find her later. Sister Andrea and I will help you.¡± The child slowly looked up at Gyeonhui upon hearing his words. ¡°And then, you¡¯ll decide if you¡¯re going to find your mom or not.¡± The child, who was standing still, nodded slowly with a determined look on his face. Gyeonhui reached out and patted the boy¡¯s head. Gyeonhui smiled, which was rarely seen. ¡°Thank you for the doll.¡± The uplifted child left Gyeonhui and returned to his seat. When the child left, Gyeonhui stared at Sun. ¡°Crushed hope only makes them live with false expectations. Sympathy only hurts them more.¡± Gyeonhui turned after saying his last words. ¡°Gyeonhui¡­¡± Sun unwittingly called his name, but he didn¡¯t stop and left the classroom. Sun became uncertain and bit her lower lip. ¡®Knock. Knock.¡¯ Sun then heard a knock at the door. Sister Andrea, with her gracious expression, looked at Sun. *** In the Director¡¯s Office. While Andrea was preparing tea, Sun looked around the room. The walls were filled with children¡¯s drawings. While she was looking at these drawings, one of them that was drawn with black crayons caught her eye. Andrea smiled when she poured the herbal tea in the cup by the window. ¡°Were you surprised because of Gyeonhui?¡± ¡°Sorry? Oh, no!¡± Sun slowly shook her head. ¡°He used to be such a sweet guy.¡± Andrea looked out the window and swallowed her bitter words. Sun lifted her eyes and looked back at her. When she sang his name in a friendly way, she knew that Ojae¡¯s words were not wrong when he said that Gyeonhui had a special story here. ¡°Do you personally know Gyeonhui well?¡± Sun asked carefully. ¡°Oh, Gyeonhui must not have spoken to you about us yet?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± Andrea smiled upon hearing Sun¡¯s response; Sun looked a little surprised. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you were in a relationship with him in the past, is that true?¡± Andrea asked in return instead of answering it. Sun was a little surprised and looked at Andrea with unexpectedly. ¡°I heard a little bit about you from Ojae.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± When Sun recalled Ojae¡¯s name, she nodded awkwardly. ¡°Have some tea. It¡¯s going to warm up your throat.¡± Andrea said as she offered Sun the tea. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°We¡¯re ever so grateful. You¡¯ve sacrificed everyone¡¯s weekend for our children. ¡°No, it¡¯s my job.¡± ¡°You seemed to be enjoying the job, aren¡¯t you?¡± Sun smiled awkwardly at Andrea¡¯s words. ¡°These kids are so cute and adorable¡­ and¡­¡± ¡°You feel sorry for them.¡± Sun nodded slowly. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m more careful with these kids. I¡¯m afraid that even my sympathy would hurt them.¡± ¡°You have a similar story like them, don¡¯t you?¡± Sun nodded again after hearing Andrea¡¯s soft voice. ¡°¡­ My parents also passed away when I was a young girl.¡± Sun continued as she recalled her childhood memories. ¡°When my mother passed away for the first time, all my friends were so sorry for me. It was pitiful. But at some point, I knew what it truly meant. It felt like I wasn¡¯t a part of them, and they had an obligation to take care of me. It was like that.¡± Sun still felt the bitterness of it all as she spoke. ¡°I¡¯m sure that became a scar in your mind.¡± Sister Andrea said. Sun nodded slowly. Compassion hurt her so badly, and it made her hide her thoughts more from everyone. ¡°But even my dad¡­ I felt alone in the world when he passed away.¡± Sun¡¯s face was still struggling as she told her about her dad. Reading her wounds, this time, Andrea nodded. After stopping for a moment, Sun remembered the boy she met in the classroom. ¡°But I made the same mistake people did to me. I was just like them to the boy.¡± ¡°Compassion is not a bad thing.¡± Sun looked up after hearing Andrea¡¯s words. ¡°Children need compassion and strict admonition, too, sometimes; they also need some advice. It¡¯s a problem if they have only one of those.¡± Sun nodded at Andrea¡¯s words. ¡°And sometimes they need to have fun.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Sun seemed to be in doubt. ¡°It looks like they want to play. What do you think? Can you play with them?¡± Sun looked out the window after hearing her words. Some of the children were holding the ball and looking inside. ¡°Come out and play with us!¡± As she watched the children shouting like a choir, her face brightly lit up with a smile. She smiled and nodded as she turned her head and looked at Andrea. ¡°Go on.¡± Sun slightly bowed to Andrea as a response and ran out to the playground. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± After Sun left, Andrea breathed a shallow sigh and moved her gaze to one side of the wall. There was a sketchbook of the children¡¯s drawings there. Her gaze was fixed on one of them; it was a drawing painted in a black. *** Standing against the wall of the director¡¯s office, Eunwoo looked at the back of Sun as she walked away down the hallway. Eunwoo came to look for Sun and unintentionally listened to the conversation between Sun and Andrea. ¡°Is this a willful negligence?¡± Eunwoo had to show his presence, but he couldn¡¯t turn his ears off from the conversation that they just had. Eunwoo turned his head and looked at Sun through the window. Sun was already being dragged onto the playground as the children surrounded her. She might be tired, but her face didn¡¯t look exhausted at all. ¡°¡­ She¡¯s pretty. That¡¯s for sure.¡± Eunwoo smiled as he soon began to run towards Sun. There was no further delay in his pace as he ran toward her. Chapter 51 Sun became familiar with the children and was running around the field. ¡°Guys for a moment. Oh my¡­¡± After Sun gave the children the ball, she had already been exhausted and exhaled for a long time. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re overdoing yourself, aren¡¯t you.¡± Ari approached and asked. ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± Sun said but continued to breathe like she was a little overwhelmed. Sun, who was holding her breath, saw Gyeonhui leaning against the building in the distance. ¡®He has a special story.¡¯ ¡®Oh, has Gyeonhui spoken about it yet?¡¯ Ojae and Andrea¡¯s words suddenly came to her mind ¡®What had happened to him¡­¡¯ No one said for sure, but Sun was feeling something odd too. His past, which she did not know at all, gave her mixed feelings. However, Sun shook her head as if trying to refresh her mind. ¡®It¡¯s too late¡­.¡¯ She thought that it was all too late for everything. Then, the children brought the ball back and came to her. ¡°Sister! Play with us!¡± ¡°Huh? Sure¡­¡± Sun looked at the children and reluctantly tried to stand up again. ¡°How about you play with me and stop bothering her.¡± Eunwoo then approached and intercepted the children¡¯s soccer ball. With his incredible dribbling skills, he beat the kids and shot the ball into the soccer goal in the distance. The ball, which had drawn a long parabola, went into the goal as if it had been sucked in. ¡°Wow¡­¡± The boys opened their eyes wide and were amazed. Gyeonhui watched Eunwoo playing and slowly approached them. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. Give me the ball.¡± Gyeonhui received the ball that a child was holding and showed off his skills better than Eunwoo. Gyeonhui shot the ball as hard as Eunwoo did, and kicked it into the goal. ¡°Wow!¡± The children shouted even more after seeing Gyeonhui¡¯s skills. ¡°The kids love to watch them.¡± Sister Andrea said when she approached Sun. ¡°You two people, why don¡¯t you play a game with them?¡± Sister Andrea shouted. When Gyeonhui heard her, he looked at Eunwoo. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°No reason to refuse.¡± Eunwoo responded like he had been waiting for it. He picked up the ball and headed into the middle of the field. Gyeonhui stood on the opposite side of Eunwoo with a resolute expression like he was going out on the battlefield. ¡°Guys. Let¡¯s line up behind the person whose team you want to be on.¡± After hearing Andrea¡¯s words, the children were split in half, and they lined up behind the two men. ¡°This is going to be a totally huge match, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ari watched like she was having so much fun. ¡°What are you doing? You have to go too.¡± Andrea said. ¡°What? Us, too?¡± ¡°Yes. There are no exceptions.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ okay.¡± After hearing Andrea¡¯s words, the Kids Fan employees and Ojae came out to the playground. ¡°Then, I¡¯m going to be on Dr. Park¡¯s side.¡± Eunyoung tried to stand with Eunwoo without thinking. ¡°Hey, boss.¡± Then Ari carefully called Eunyoung and pointed at Gyeonhui, who was glaring at the two of them as if he were shooting a laser through his gaze. ¡°I think we¡¯re going to have to stand with Mr. Woo.¡± ¡°Argh¡­¡± Eunyoung seemed unwilling, but she couldn¡¯t help but think of what would happen after the game. The two of them stood behind Gyeonhui. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ of course with Gyeonhui.¡± Ojae then stood behind Gyeonhui. He looked at Sun, who was left alone with a gratifying expression. ¡°I¡¯m going to¡­¡± Sun seemed to be struggling for a moment, but she soon stood behind Eunwoo. Sun¡¯s decision seemed to have offended Gyeonhui. When Gyeonhui saw that Sun and Eunwoo gave each other a high-five, he furrowed his brow. ¡°Shall we start?¡± Eunwoo asked. ¡°It¡¯s no fun without a bet. What do you think?¡± Gyeonhui furrowed his brow deeper with determination in his eyes while asking. ¡°Well, that sounds good.¡± ¡°If I lose, I¡¯ll buy ten of the latest game consoles for the children.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± The children screamed after hearing Gyeonhui¡¯s suggestion. ¡°Well, then I¡¯ll have a barbecue party for everyone if I lose.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± Again, the children shouted. Surrounded by all the cheering, Gyeonhui and Eunwoo looked at each other. They shot such severe glares toward one another, something that they had never done before. Thus, the battle between two men who didn¡¯t want to lose had just begun. *** The soccer game was practically a fight between the two beasts. Whenever Eunwoo caught the ball, it would burst into the net; no one could block him once he started dribbling. In the end, after playing the first and the second halves, they were already at a 5-to-5 tie. A team only needed to score one goal left to win. ¡°Hah. Hah.¡± With all his energy, Gyeonhui exhaled roughly. He didn¡¯t know how many times he had fallen, had his knee skinned, or a cramp on his thigh struck him. It was the same for Eunwoo, who was playing against him. Watching Gyeonhui quietly, Eunwoo smiled and nodded slowly. ¡°What¡¯s with that smile?¡± Gyeonhui asked; he didn¡¯t like the smile at all. ¡°I like your eyes.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s worth fighting more after seeing it now.¡± Eunwoo was smiling, but his eyes looked fiercer than ever. Gyeonhui looked at them, and he couldn¡¯t stop himself from feeling nervous. ¡°You can do this, Dr. Park!¡± Then, from behind Eunwoo came the sound of Sun¡¯s voice. Gyeonhui clenched his teeth tightly, showing the displeasure he endured after hearing her cheering. Gyeonhui didn¡¯t want to lose. He imposed even higher pressure on himself in his mind. The game had started again and Eunwoo began to dribble skillfully. ¡°Oh.¡± But then, Eunwoo missed the ball because his leg had slipped. ¡°Ha!¡± Gyeonhui quickly intercepted the ball and rushed to the opponent¡¯s goal. The ball was sucked into the goal as he beat the kids and kicked a beautiful shot. ¡°Goal! The game is over!¡± ¡°Wow!¡± By the time Sister Andrea shouted, cheers rang throughout the playground. Gyeonhui looked at Eunwoo with a smile while raising his fist. Gyeonhui tried to see the loser¡¯s face, but Eunwoo¡¯s face was still smiling. ¡®What the hell¡­?¡¯ With an ominous mood, Gyeonhui¡¯s expression sank. ¡°Are you okay, Dr. Park?¡± Sun, who was surprised, approached Eunwoo and asked. Eunwoo collapsed, then looked up at Sun and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry about this.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You did great.¡± Sun reached out and grabbed Eunwoo¡¯s hand and raised him up. ¡°What do we do now? We¡¯ve lost.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll help you. I¡¯m a great cook.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad I¡¯ve lost then.¡± Sun and Eunwoo¡¯s face was bright; they were unlike anyone who had just lost a game. ¡°So should we go and buy some groceries first?¡± ¡°Sounds great.¡± The two smiled and headed to Eunwoo¡¯s car. As Gyeonhui watched the two of them moving away, his face darkened. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯ve won the game.¡± Ojae approached and asked. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s him¡­he did it on purpose.¡± ¡°He did what?¡± ¡°The ball¡­¡± In hindsight, after Gyeonhui read Eunwoo¡¯s body language, he exhaled a long sigh. ¡°You won anyway. You struck a blow to that guy, right?¡± Upon hearing Ojae¡¯s words, Gyeonhui shook his head slowly. ¡°¡­ That wasn¡¯t what I really wanted.¡± Gyeonhui looked at her moving away. His eyes were fixed solely toward her, unlike before. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± Gyeohui felt pain in his knee. He was the only one who was covered in blood. ¡°Why did I run so hard uselessly¡­¡± He was limping while biting his lower lip. Chapter 52 *** In the cafeteria of the orphanage. ¡°Eunyoung will get the meat and the other ingredients for us; what else do we do now?¡± Sun asked after cleaning up the table. ¡°Hmm, I think I just need to start heating up the charcoal now.¡± ¡°Shall we go out together then?¡± ¡°I think you should sit here and get some rest. I can do it alone.¡± Eunwoo spoke in an affectionate tone. ¡°It¡¯s not as easy as you think it is¡­¡± ¡°If I can¡¯t start the charcoal, then I¡¯ll tell you. Come out and help me then.¡± Eunwoo said after letting her fall on a chair. He then grabbed the charcoal and went outside. ¡°Huh¡­¡± Sun, who was now seated, sighed for a long time. She tried not to show that she was already drained. She was in such poor condition and felt over-burdened. Then the door opened, and Ojae hurriedly came in. ¡°Hey Sun, do you know where the first aid kit that you bought is?¡± ¡°There it is.¡± Sun turned her head and pointed into one of the corners. ¡°Thank you.¡± Ojae quickly opened the first aid kit and found something inside. ¡°Is it this? Or is this it?¡± ¡°What are you looking for exactly?¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking for rubbing alcohol and a patch for muscle pain.¡± ¡°Is somebody injured?¡± Sun asked in surprise as she approached Ojae. ¡°Yes, a huge baby was injured.¡± After hearing Ojae¡¯s words, Sun looked at him in doubt. ¡°It¡¯s Gyoenhui. I think he overdid himself.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Sun remembered how Gyeonhui fell and slid during the game. ¡°Is this it?¡± Ojae picked up the wrong medicine while tilting his head. ¡°That¡¯s not it. It¡¯s the one next to you.¡± ¡°This one?¡± Sun approached Ojae, who was picking up the wrong medicine continuously. Sun was going to pick out the patch, disinfectant, and cream up for Ojae, but stopped. After a while, she quickly put the medicine back into the first-aid kit. ¡°Where is he now?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Gyeonhui. Where is he?¡± ¡°¡­ In the classroom next door.¡± Upon hearing Ojae¡¯s words, Sun walked out of the cafeteria while holding the first aid kit without saying anything. ¡°Hah¡­¡± After Sun went out, Ojae breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Gyeonhui should be really grateful that he has an assistant like me.¡± Ojae mumbled to himself and smiled satisfactorily. He then picked up a piece of kimchi on the table. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s so salty.¡± Ojae, who furrowed his face, quickly drank water while swishing it in his mouth and exited the cafeteria. *** ¡°Oh¡­¡± He sat on a low desk and frowned. Because of his muscle pain, it was difficult for him to lift his right leg, and his knees were still bleeding. ¡°Argh¡­¡± Gyeonhui had no one to appreciate him, so he regretted that he ran all over the ground to win the game. Gyeonhui laid on the desk, feeling tired. Suddenly, his conversation with Ojae came to his mind. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯ve won the game.¡± ¡®¡­ That wasn¡¯t what I really wanted.¡¯ Gyeonhui closed his eyes while feeling that winning the game was useless. ¡°What I really wanted¡­¡± No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t figure out what he really wanted. He thought that winning the game was what he wanted, but even though he had won, the emptiness in his mind grew, and a greater sense of loss came to him. ¡°What did I miss¡­¡± He exhaled a sigh of frustration while covering his eyes with his arms. ¡®Drrrr.¡¯ He then heard the classroom door open. *** As Sun entered the classroom, she could see Gyeonhui lying on the desk while covering his eyes with his arms. After pausing for a moment, Sun quickly approached him with a determined expression on her face. With his pants rolled up, his injured sore knees were visible. ¡®Click.¡¯ Sun opened the first aid kit, took out the disinfectant, and started wiping his wounds. ¡°Ouch!¡± With her rough touch, Gyeonhui screamed with his eyes closed. However, she continued to disinfect the scrapes without an ounce of concern. ¡°Hey! What the hell are you doing¡­¡± He looked at her firm face and slurred the end of his sentences quickly. She continued to disinfect without saying anything. ¡°¡­ Where is Ojae?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here because he doesn¡¯t know much about medicine.¡± Sun answered while avoiding his gaze. ¡°What?¡± Gyeonhui asked her again, not understanding what she just said. Since Ojae was young, he had known about medicine deep enough to cure his own wounds. ¡°Hah¡­ Gyeonhui realized afterward what Ojae¡¯s intention was. Meanwhile, Sun disinfected his wounds and applied ointments. ¡°How about muscle pain?¡± When Sun asked him, Gyeonhui pointed to his right thigh. ¡°I can¡¯t do it. Do it yourself.¡± Sun stood up from the ground after giving him the patch. As soon as she tried to open the door and leave, she suddenly stopped. ¡°Gyeonhui.¡± He looked at her. ¡°Did you¡­¡± She kept her mouth shut as she stammered her words. ¡®Were you here when you were young?¡¯ Unable to finish the question, she struggled again. ¡°¡­ Come out after you attach it on your leg. Dinner will be ready soon.¡± Sun came outside the classroom, leaned back on the wall in the hallway, and closed her eyes. ¡®He¡¯s no one to me now.¡¯ Her words could be seen as flimsy sympathy for him, and that could hurt him even more. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Sun exhaled heavily and quickly walked into the hallway, struggling every step of the way. *** ¡®Maybe¡­¡¯ Sun¡¯s voice hovered in Gyeonhui¡¯s head as he laid in the classroom. He had forgotten when she slurred the end of her words at that time. ¡®What were you trying to say?¡¯ He wondered. No, he wanted to hear something. He rose up and walked out into the hallway while limping on his leg. ¡°Sun! Cheonsun!¡± He looked around and called her name, but only his voice echoed in the empty hallway. He didn¡¯t see her even though she was just here a second ago. ¡°Cheonsun!¡± He hurried to find her. When he stepped out of the building, he managed to find her not far away. ¡°Is it right to do it this way?¡± He heard Sun¡¯s voice. ¡°Cheon¡­¡± His voice did not continue until the very end. Beside her, Eunwoo stood with a sweet smile. As Gyeonhui watched the two of them, his eyes shook violently. ¡®¡­ What I really wanted¡­¡¯ Gyeonhui could finally see clearly what he really wanted. ¡°Cheonsun¡­¡± The reason he came here and the reason why he wanted to win the game was all because of her. When he realized his feelings in hindsight, he had sudden anxiety. He feared that he would miss her. He stepped toward them with a firm expression. At that point, he had already forgotten every pain in his muscles. Chapter 53 A vacant lot next to the building. After Eunwoo picked up the torch, he lit a fire on the charcoal. ¡°Open the package and light it up in a circular motion.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± Sun watched Eunwoo with admiration. Eunwoo playfully shrugged and placed a thick piece of pork belly on the grill. ¡°I¡¯ll go and bring people in.¡± Sun turned and went toward the building. She looked at the room where Gyeonhui had been until a while ago. When she saw that the lights were off, she thought that he had already left. Sun sighed unknowingly. ¡°If you¡¯re looking for me, I¡¯m here.¡± With his familiar voice, Sun quickly turned her head. A slightly subdued Gyeonhui was looking at her. ¡°Come for dinner. It¡¯s almost ready.¡± She answered in the lowest tone possible and tried to invite the others. ¡°Wait. I need to talk to you.¡± He called to her. ¡°What were you trying to say in the classroom?¡± ¡°¡­ Nothing.¡± ¡°Tell me. What was it?¡± Sun felt conflicted when he asked her again, but she shook her head to hide her feelings and started to speak. ¡°Did you grew up here?¡± Sun struggled to ask. Gyeonhui furrowed his face upon hearing that unexpected question from her. ¡°For a while. When I was young.¡± When she confirmed this fact with him, Sun¡¯s heart instantly ached. ¡°Is that what you were going to ask me?¡± He asked in disappointment. Sun couldn¡¯t say anything as she bit her lower lip. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s no big deal,¡± Gyeonhui said. ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t care.¡± His eyes shook after hearing her words. ¡°How dare I care for you.¡± She turned her body at the end of the speech, fearing that he would notice her trembling voice. ¡°Hey, Sun!¡± He called her name in hindsight, but she had already gone away. *** Time to eat. Sun put the grilled meat in a bowl with vacant eyes. Eunwoo, who was watching her from a distance, slowly approached. ¡°Wow, the meat¡¯s gone as soon as it¡¯s served on the table, eh?¡± Eunwoo put down an empty plate as he spoke. ¡°What?¡± She asked Eunwoo again since she had not heard anything because her mind was going elsewhere. ¡°The kids eat so well.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad they like it.¡± Sun smiled and put the well-cooked meat back on the empty plate. ¡°Now, I¡¯ll grill them.¡± ¡°No, you have grilled a lot today. I¡¯ll do it. It¡¯s okay.¡± As Sun smiled, Eunwoo slowly nodded and picked up the plate. As Eunwoo moved away, Sun¡¯s expression sank again. She tried not to worry about Gyeonhui, but it wasn¡¯t as easy as she thought. Then the charcoal blared, and the fire sparked on her hands. ¡°Ouch! It¡¯s hot!¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± Eunwoo, who heard Sun¡¯s cries, asked. ¡°Oh! Yeah, I¡¯m okay. I¡¯m wearing gloves.¡± Sun covered her hand, pretending to be okay. ¡°Hey, Sun, we need more meat here!¡± Ari shouted. ¡°I guess we have to get some more meat for them right now.¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± After hearing Sun¡¯s words, Eunwoo reluctantly picked up the plate and headed toward Ari. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± She took off her gloves and checked the wound. Her index finger was burnt and swollen. As she looked around, Gyeonhui and Ojae were caught in her eyes. ¡°Mr. Ojae. Please take over this grill for a second. I¡¯ll be right back after I use the restroom.¡± Sun pushed out the tongs and requested. ¡°Sure? Oh, sure.¡± When Ojae quickly rose up and took over the tongs, Sun promptly headed to the building. As Gyeonhui watched Sun¡¯s back, he held his index finger with a firm face. The pain was quite severe and throbbing. He stood up silently with a shallow sigh. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Ojae asked while holding the tongs in one hand and putting the meat in his mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Gyeonhui followed Sun to the building while limping on one of his legs. *** ¡°Ouch¡­¡± She put her finger under the cold tap water and tried to cool the burn. However, the wound seemed much worse than she thought, and the burning feeling in her fingers felt never-ending. ¡®Drrr.¡¯ The door opened, and she heard someone entering. She looked up. It was Gyeonhui. She slowly turned off the faucet and picked up the plate as if she had used the restroom for something else. After a while, Gyeonhui approached her and handed her a towel. ¡°Hold your finger tight with this towel. It¡¯s going to feel a little better.¡± After hearing his blunt words, Sun unfolded the towel. There was ice that was just pulled out of the freezer wrapped in it. ¡°¡­ Stop. I¡¯m feeling uncomfortable about this.¡± She tried to put the ice down while biting her lips tightly. Gyeonhui grabbed her arm and shoved the ice onto her hands. ¡°Take it.¡± ¡°¡­ No. I don¡¯t want it.¡± ¡°Stop being stubborn!¡± Gyeonhui was so frustrated and raised his voice. Sun looked at the ice and looked up at him again. ¡°Why the hell are you doing this?¡± ¡°Is it wrong to get some ice for you when you get injured?¡± He asked. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s wrong.¡± Sun looked up at him. ¡°Gyeonhui, you¡¯ve never done this before. You once told me that I have to deal with my pain on my own.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡± She turned and tried to leave the room without hearing his answer. ¡°Sun! I¡¯m not finished yet. He grabbed her arm but couldn¡¯t finish what he had to say because her eyes were shaking painfully. She looked at him still and slowly started to speak. ¡°I regret asking if you grew up here.¡± His eyes shook upon hearing her words. ¡°Because I just realized that I really don¡¯t need to hear anything from you anymore.¡± The words she just let out exhaustedly was shocking to Gyeonhui. He couldn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Hey, Sun! Huh?¡± Then Ari stepped in and stopped after seeing Gyeonhui. ¡°¡­ What do you need?¡± Sun asked. ¡°Come out and eat with us¡­¡± Ari responded cautiously as she looked at Sun. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go.¡± Sun looked at Gyeonhui, and she quickly followed Ari. Gyeonhui remained alone, and he seemed to linger there as if he was frozen. *** The orphanage after the darkness set in. A group of people lined up in front of the car after they finished cleaning up. ¡°Thank you so much for what you¡¯ve done today.¡± Andrea looked at the people with a gratifying smile. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. We¡¯d love to come back. It was so rewarding for us too.¡± Eunyoung responded on behalf of everyone. ¡°By the way, where is Mr. Woo?¡± ¡°He left a little while ago; he said that there was something that needed to be taken care of.¡± Andrea smiled after hearing Eunyoung¡¯s question. Sun¡¯s expression darkened when she heard it. ¡°He¡¯s like a hedgehog. Please help him a lot.¡± ¡°Yes, I know. The thorns are a little stingy.¡± When Ari responded with a sarcastic tone, Eunyoung thrust Ari¡¯s side with her elbow. ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡± ¡°No, you didn¡¯t. I know exactly what you mean, that¡¯s why I was telling you about him.¡± People laughed awkwardly as Andrea put in a helping word for Ari. ¡°Oh, Miss Sun,¡± Andrea called Sun separately. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Take this.¡± Andrea put out a sketchbook. ¡°It¡¯s a sketchbook from when Gyeonhui was a kid.¡± Hearing that it was Gyeonhui¡¯s sketchbook, Sun felt surprised and opened her eyes wide. ¡°Why are you giving this to me¡­¡± Sun asked since she was in doubt. ¡°I wanted to have at least one person look at him the right way in this world. His drawings and him.¡± Andrea smiled as she said those words. Sun could no longer refuse and reluctantly accepted it. ¡°Well, We¡¯re all late. Let¡¯s get in the car.¡± Everyone got into the car upon Eunyoung¡¯s hurried request. Sun held up the sketchbook and bowed her head toward Sister Andrea. After a few moments, Sun got in the car and began to leave the orphanage playground. Chapter 54 *** The darkness around the Han River deepened. A taxi cab was on the road. Sitting in the back seat, Gyeonhui looked silently out the window. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Ojae, who sat in the auxiliary seat, sighed too. ¡°Hey Ojae, I¡¯m the one who has to sigh here, but why do you keep sighing too? I feel worse when you do that.¡± Gyeonhui responded with a tone filled with annoyance while struggling with his complicated thoughts. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Hah¡­¡± However, Ojae¡¯s once again heaved a sigh of relief. Gyeonhui quickly turned his head out of the window, seemingly annoyed at Ojae. A while later, Ojae slowly started speaking. ¡°Have you ever thought that you wanted to go back in time?¡± ¡°¡­ Time?¡± Upon hearing Ojae¡¯s words, Gyeonhui remembered hearing the same kind of question sometime in the past. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Gyeonhui pondered for a moment, and he remembered that it was a question that Sun had asked on the day they broke up. ¡®Have you never wanted to go back in time?¡¯ He certainly remembered the question, but he couldn¡¯t remember what he answered. As he tried to remember while furrowing his eyebrows, Ojae started to speak again. ¡°You know that you could go back in time and prevent terrible things from happening, like bad memories that you would want to remove, your pain, or something like that. Have you not wanted to do something like that before?¡± ¡°It sounds like you have, Ojae?¡± Ojae, who was smiling bitterly, slowly nodded and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I want to go back, but I don¡¯t know when to go back, a month from now or from half a year ago? How I could have and when I should have stopped Sarah¡¯s mind from changing¡­ I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t help it.¡± Ojae sighed with a sinking expression. ¡°If I can go back in time¡­¡± Gyeonhui was locked in his thought for a moment. ¡°¡­ I want to go back in time before I met Sun.¡± His cold words shocked Ojae so much to the point that his eyes widened. ¡°¡­ We shouldn¡¯t have met in the first place.¡± Gyeonhui¡¯s face hardened. Ojae, who was looking sad, nodded slowly. ¡°How the hell could these women leave us¡­¡± Gyeonhui was about to get mad at Ojae, but he closed his mouth instead. No matter what excuse he had, the one who had left him was Sun, and he was the abandoned man. He sighed as he furrowed his brows. ¡°¡­ But why did Sarah do it? I had believed that our love was eternal.¡± Gyeonhui looked at Ojae like he was pathetic. ¡°¡­ Snap out of it. There is no love between you and her.¡± ¡°I believed that she was a person I could be with for the rest of my life.¡± ¡°That¡¯s your mistake. You believed in people.¡± Hearing his cynical words, Ojae could not speak further. Inside of the silent taxi, Gyeonhui looked out of the car window. A black wave that was reflecting the light caught his eye. Suddenly, Gyeonhui recalled Sun¡¯s face. He had never thought that she would leave him. It was a conviction from a particular moment, neither love nor faith. However, she left without hesitation. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s my fault that I trusted her.¡± Gyeonhui clenched his molars and mumbled to himself in a low voice. At that time, Gyeonhui¡¯s face distorted because of the pain like it was stabbing his chest with a dagger. ¡°Ugh.¡± He clutched his chest while clenching his teeth. ¡°¡­ Is this¡­?¡± It was a different pain than hers. His eyes shook violently. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Ojae asked with concern as he heard him moan. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s okay now.¡± He pressed on his chest and struggled. ¡°What happened to Sun?¡± Ojae asked carefully since he was conscious of the taxi driver. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it.¡± It was his pain. It differed from hers. In this incomprehensible pain, he breathed a long sigh with a grim expression. In the severe atmosphere, Ojae looked into Gyeonhui¡¯s eyes without speaking any more. ¡®Bzzzz.¡¯ Then, Ojae¡¯s cell phone rang. It was a real estate agent who had exchanged contact info with him when he bought a house. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Yes, It¡¯s Forsythia Real Estate Agency.¡± ¡°Yes, how can I help you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m calling because you are suddenly going to sell the house.¡± ¡°My house?¡± Ojae recalled Sarah¡¯s house. It was a house that he bought with all the money he had collected because he thought it would be his first house. At this point, the taxi was passing near her place in the city. ¡°I¡¯ll get back to you soon.¡± When the phone hung up, Ojae¡¯s expression sank slowly. ¡°What was that?¡± Gyeonhui asked while he was watching Ojae. ¡°Nothing. I think I¡¯ll have to go first. Please pull over the car up here.¡± Hearing Ojae¡¯s request, the taxi driver pulled over on the side of the road. As Gyeonhui looked around, he asked Ojae with doubt. ¡°This is not around your place, though.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I have to go somewhere.¡± Ojae opened the door and got out of the car as he staggered into the alleyway. ¡°What is it?¡± Gyeonhui would have ignored it. However, he suddenly grew anxious after seeing Ojae¡¯s expression when he hung up the phone. It was very different than his usual self. ¡°Oh, jeez. Here.¡± Gyeonhui quickly paid for the cab and left the taxi. ¡°Hey, Ojae!¡± Gyeonhui quickly walked to the alley where Ojae vanished. He walked through an alleyway into a corridor-access to the apartment complex, but he couldn¡¯t find Ojae. ¡°He definitely went this way.¡± Gyeonhui looked around the apartment complex and searched for Ojae. ¡°Wait. This place is¡­¡± Gyeonhui looked at the familiar neighborhood. It was where Ojae once bragged about buying a honeymoon home. ¡°No way¡­¡± ¡°Open the door, Sarah!¡± Then, in the hallway on the second floor, Gyeonhui heard Ojae¡¯s voice while knocking on the door. ¡°Oh¡­ Ojae.¡± His steps had become urgent. *** ¡®Bang! Bang!¡¯ Ojae continued to knock on the door. He looked inside a small window in the hallway and saw the shadows moving inside. It was clear that Sarah was inside. ¡°Sarah. Let¡¯s talk. Okay?¡± He knocked on the door continuously, and then the door finally opened. ¡°What the hell is this?¡± Sarah frowned, seemingly displeased, and asked while looking at Ojae. ¡°No matter how much I try to understand you, I don¡¯t know why the hell¡­¡± Then, a smiling young man who had a snake tattoo that started from his waist to his chest and ended with a wide-opened mouth approached from behind her. ¡°Who is it?¡± The man looked at Sarah and asked. ¡°The guy I saw the other day. He¡¯s been stalking me. I¡¯ll deal with him. Mr. Wuchang, you go in.¡± Sarah responded with an annoyed expression. Ojae couldn¡¯t continue to stay still like he was in shock. ¡°Who the hell are you? Get out of here, right now!¡± Wuchang said with a nasty tone. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to say to you. Sarah, Sarah!¡± ¡°You¡¯re such a little jerk,¡± Wuchang punched Ojae in the face. ¡°Oup.¡± Ojae tumbled down while groaning. ¡°You know that was self-defense, right? Get outta here! I¡¯m asking you gently.¡± Wuchang threatened, but Ojae stumbled and rose again. Ojae looked only at Sarah and said, ¡°¡­ Sarah. Why the hell did you do that? What did I do so wrong¡­?¡± ¡°Look at you. You want to be beaten up more?¡± Wuchang punched Ojae¡¯s face again, as soon as he ended his words. Once again, on the floor of the hallway, Ojae collapsed, and Wuchang approached. ¡°A rat like you must be beaten up. You little jerk!¡± Every time he said a word, He kicked Ojae cruelly. Whenever he kicked Ojae, His body would weakly roll all over the ground. ¡°Stop it.¡± Chapter 55 At that time, Gyeonhui had just arrived and blocked Wuchang¡¯s advances. Gyeonhui¡¯s face hardened when he saw Ojae fallen to the floor. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± ¡°Me? I¡¯m his brother.¡± ¡°What? Is this your boyfriend, you little jerk?¡± Wuchang swung his fists abruptly toward Gyeonhui. ¡®Puck.¡¯ With a dull sound, Gyeonhui took a punch to his face. He slowly licked his mouth and spat on the floor. ¡°Ptuu.¡± His mouth burst with the taste of blood within. He then turned his head and looked at Wuchang. ¡°What¡¯s with that look, huh? What are you going to do about it?¡± The man swung his fist again. This time, however, the results differed. Gyeohui quickly pulled his head back, avoiding the punch before striking Wuchang¡¯s side with his left hand. ¡°Oup.¡± With the pain reaching his intestines, Wuchang bent his upper body as if he were choking. Gyeonhui then swung his right hand at Wuchang¡¯s face. ¡®Udangtangtang.¡¯ The massive-looking Wuchang suffered after going through Gyeonhui¡¯s strike as he crumbled weakly. Gyeonhui adjusted his clothes and looked at him, fallen on the floor. ¡°You do know that this is self-defense, right? You can¡¯t blame me for this.¡± Wuchang could not answer. He could only gasp for air. ¡°If you¡¯re going to sue me, then come visit me with your attorney.¡± Gyeonhui took his business card out of his wallet and dropped it on the man¡¯s face. ¡°Hey, Wuchang!¡± Sarah, who was watching with elation, looked embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m going to call the police! You two are criminals!¡± Sarah cried out to Gyeonhui in a harsh tone. ¡°Call the police? Don¡¯t you have a conscience?¡± Ojae grabbed Gyenhui¡¯s arm as he raised his voice. ¡°¡­ Stop it, please.¡± ¡°Stop what? We have to do something about this¡­¡± Ojae, who was still staring at Sarah, slowly started to speak. ¡°Let¡¯s just forget this. I¡¯m begging you.¡± Ojae turned after saying the end of his words and headed to the stairs. ¡°Hah¡­ really.¡± Gyeonhui sighed with frustration and followed Ojae. ¡°Hey, Wuchang, are you okay?¡± The man had barely caught his breath. He leaned against the wall and grabbed Gyeonhui¡¯s business card that had fallen to the floor. ¡°¡­ Those jerks, I¡¯m not going to let this go.¡± Wuchang clenched his teeth as he watched Gyeonhui and Ojae leaving. *** At a cart bar in a nearby park. ¡°Ku¡­¡± Ojae drank a shot of soju (a Korean distilled spirit made from rice) before yelling aloud. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to go to the hospital?¡± Gyeonhui asked while looking at him with his arms crossed. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I won¡¯t die because of this.¡± ¡°Stop pretending that you¡¯re unhurt.¡± Gyeonhui spoke in disgust, but he filled Ojae¡¯s empty glass with alcohol regardless. As he gazed at Ojae, Gyeonhui shifted his eyes and looked at the dark park. After a moment¡¯s pause, Sun¡¯s words came to his mind again. ¡®I just realized that I really don¡¯t need to hear anything from you anymore.¡¯ Her calm voice hovered in his ears, and it penetrated through his heart again. His core and everything else around his chest felt like it was being crushed with aching pain and stiffness. He felt as if he was clogged up, and his wounds were salted. He clenched his fist on his chest. Ojae turned his head and started asking. ¡°Is it her, again?¡± Gyeonhui shook his head instead of answering. Gyeonhui could see that the pain was his own, not hers. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ Why am I sick?¡± He mumbled to himself like he could not comprehend it. Ojae, who was standing still, started speaking slowly with a low sigh. ¡°Gyeonhui, do I look okay?¡± ¡°Do you really want to ask that with that face?¡± Gyeonhui, still in pain, asked while furrowing his brows. ¡°Tell me then, do I look okay?¡± When asked again, Gyeonhui glanced at him. ¡°Yes, you are still ugly.¡± After hearing his answer, Ojae smiled and started talking weakly. ¡°I¡¯m a mess outside, but it¡¯s worse inside of me. My stomach is sore; I felt like I had been drinking heavily, and my chest hurts like somebody¡¯s squeezing it.¡± Gyeonhui showed a bitter expression as he understood Ojae¡¯s question. ¡°Why do you think that I¡¯m sick?¡± ¡°You¡¯re sick because you¡¯ve had the hell beaten out of you.¡± Ojae slowly shook his head after hearing Gyeonhui¡¯s response and started speaking. ¡°It¡¯s because I loved her. I really loved Sarah more than anything. That¡¯s why I¡¯m so sick.¡± ¡°What is with all this melodrama? Are you already drunk?¡± Feeling the awkward atmosphere, Gyeonhui asked in a dismissive tone. ¡°You do too.¡± Ojae said while looking at Gyeonhui. Gyeonhui furrowed his brows without knowing what Ojae really meant. ¡°You also love Sun, that¡¯s why you¡¯re sick.¡± ¡°¡­ Love?¡± At one point, Gyeonhui shook his head while his eyes were open wide. ¡°If there¡¯s anything like that in the world, then we wouldn¡¯t have gone to the orphanage.¡± His eyes sank coldly. ¡°I know it¡¯s hard to believe, and that hurt you a lot. However¡­¡± Ojae looked at him sympathetically. He then slowly opened his mouth, ¡°Your pain is proof that love actually exists in this world.¡± Ojae spoke with confidence. ¡°Damn. Sarah wouldn¡¯t feel sick about this, though. It¡¯s disgusting.¡± The bitter-looking Ojae gulped down another drink at once. Gyeonhui stood up from his seat with his jaw clenched. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve lost my appetite because of you.¡± Gyeonhui left the car bar right away. The wind, still cool, stroked and passed over his cheeks. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Feeling the pain in his chest, he caught his breath while leaning against one of the cars parked there. He lifted his face and saw his own distorted reflection in the car window. The still throbbing chest pains, endless sinking feelings, and indescribable anxiety were ever-present. His own pain caused it; it was his own condition, not hers. ¡°This is ridiculous¡­¡± Since his complex emotions were all mixed up, his eyes began to shake violently. ¡°Do¡­ I¡­ Do I love Sun¡­?¡± ¡°Get some sleep.¡± Eunwoo looked at Sun while driving. Eunwoo remained ever-considerate, knowing that it was a difficult time for Sun. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s okay.¡± Sun was tired, but she shook her head, smiling. She felt sorry about sitting in the passenger seat and fall asleep beside Eunwoo. Moreover, she felt like it wouldn¡¯t be easy for her to fall asleep anyway. Sun slowly moved her gaze downward and looked at the sketchbook on her lap. ¡°But why did she give it to you knowing that you¡¯re someone who has already broken up with Gyeonhui?¡± Ari, who was sitting in the back seat, asked. ¡°Well¡­¡± There was no way for her to respond because she also had no idea. ¡°Let me see that for a minute.¡± ¡°You mean this?¡± When Sun turned, Ari nodded. Then, before Sun could hand it over, Ari had already reached out and took the sketchbook. ¡°What is this?¡± Confusion crossed over Ari¡¯s face as she continued to leaf through the sketchbook. ¡°Oh my. Look at these drawings. Gyeonhui has been mean since he was a kid.¡± Ari, who was looking at the pictures, clicked her tongue and shook her head. After seeing Ari¡¯s reaction, Sun turned her head as well. She tried not to concern herself over it, but Ari¡¯s response was disturbing. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with it?¡± ¡°Look at this.¡± Ari opened the sketchbook and showed it to Sun. The paper was filled entirely with black crayon. There were no blanks. That page and the page after it, the whole sketchbook was filled in the same way. ¡°Is he retarded?¡± Sun¡¯s mood sank after hearing Ari¡¯s comments. ¡°Hey! Song Ari!¡± Eunyoung, who was glaring at Ari, raised her voice to stop her remark when she noticed the change in Sun¡¯s expression. ¡°Why are you talking to me like that? It¡¯s scary.¡± Ari, who was feeling Eunyoung¡¯s gaze, asked. ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to talk about others like that. No matter who it is.¡± ¡°¡­ Right.¡± Ari responded with a sad, dry answer and closed her mouth. Sun turned her head and looked at the picture. She looked at the black paper; she could hardly tell what was in them. ¡®I wanted to have at least one person look at him the right way in this world. His drawings and him.¡¯ Sister Andrea¡¯s words came to her mind, but she could not understand what it meant. ¡®What did she want me to understand about this black painting?¡¯ She turned her head out of the car window to see the scenery of the night sky, and that view transformed into the dark drawings within her mind. ¡°Hah¡­¡± A long sigh, which showed that she couldn¡¯t subdue her frustration, came out. Chapter 56 *** Silence filled the car as Ari closed her mouth. When they entered Seoul, Ari opened her mouth again. ¡°Are we all going home like this?¡± ¡°What else do you have in mind?¡± ¡°How about going for a drink since we all feel down?¡± ¡°Liquor?¡± Eunyoung asked, furrowing her face. ¡°Eunwoo also helped us a lot today. We owe him; besides, it¡¯s a Sunday tomorrow.¡± After hearing Ari¡¯s words, Eunyoung glanced at Sun to see her reaction. ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± ¡°How about it, Dr. Park?¡± Ari quickly asked Eunwoo when Sun seemed hesitant. ¡°I¡¯d like to.¡± Eunwoo looked in the rearview mirror and replied. ¡°Dr. Park, are you sure? You¡¯ll have to drive home.¡± Sun asked him, seemingly worried. ¡°I¡¯ll call a designated driver.¡± Eunwoo looked at her with a smile on his face, so Sun couldn¡¯t stop him. ¡°Oh yeah! There¡¯s a great place that I know with an outdoor area where you can take Labong.¡± Ari suddenly picked up her phone, excited. ¡°Well, I think we¡¯re going to see each other a lot in the future, so I¡¯m going to create a group chat this time.¡± Ari searched for Sun and Eunyoung in her friend list and invited them first. She then searched for Eunwoo¡¯s name but accidentally sent an invitation message with only the name ¡°woo.¡± ¡°Ta-da! I¡¯ve invited everyone.¡± Ari posted a message in the chat room with her words as if she were providing voice support. ¡®Dingdong.¡¯ Eunyoung¡¯s phone notification sounded like a bell. It also pinged on Sun¡¯s phone as well, causing it to vibrate. ¡°I¡¯m going to be chatting like a storm in the future, so you¡¯d better turn off your notifs.¡± After that, Ari¡¯s first message in the chat room popped up, which said, ¡®It¡¯s our first meeting. How about Soju and spicy chicken feet? I recommend Grandma¡¯s Restaurant.¡¯ ¡°Go ahead and respond to yourself,¡± Eunyoung said while glancing at Ari. ¡°How responsible am I to do everything alone? Eunyoung, you¡¯re blessed to have such a great staff member like me.¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± Eunyoung said in a ridiculing tone. Sun and Eunwoo looked at each other and exchanged smiles. *** After Gyeonhui left the cart bar, he walked toward the road. ¡®You also love Sun, that¡¯s why you¡¯re sick.¡¯ ¡°¡­ It¡¯s ridiculous.¡± He shook his head with his eyes closed over Ojae¡¯s words that continued to linger. He didn¡¯t believe in love anyway, but he never imagined that it would happen to him. Regardless, the pain in his chest was still sore. ¡®Your pain is proof that love actually exists in this world.¡¯ Ojae¡¯s comment came to his mind once again; Gyeonhui patted his chest roughly in frustration. ¡°Hey, Gyeonhui!¡± Ojae called out his name from behind. However, Gyeonhui pretended that he couldn¡¯t hear him and went out near the road. ¡°Taxi! Taxi!¡± He reached toward the taxi cabs that were passing by, but the busy taxis didn¡¯t stop for him. ¡°Hey! Come with me.¡± Ojae, who was tired of following him, breathed heavily. Meanwhile, several taxis passed by, but they didn¡¯t stop for them at all. ¡°Hey, Gyeonhui, why don¡¯t we have just one more drink?¡± Ojae asked with a triumphant smile. ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°¡­ Why?¡± Upon hearing his words, Ojae carefully recoiled. ¡°I¡¯ve stopped drinking.¡± ¡°Since when?¡± ¡°Now.¡± With Gyeonhui¡¯s response, Ojae could not speak anymore. He only felt apologetic as he glanced at him. Then, his phone vibrated. As he took out his phone and checked his message, his expression hardened. A group chat room created by Kids Fans was exploding with texts about having dinner. Ari had mistakenly invited Gyeonhui. ¡°She¡¯s so careless.¡± He tried to press the exit button to leave the chat room without hesitation. However, in his mind, he remembered Sun with Eunwoo. Something clicked in his mind as he remembered them laughing, talking, and staying close together. His imagination spread within his head quickly as if he was crazy, and his whole body was overwhelmed. It didn¡¯t take him long to figure out what this was. He tried to suppress his uncontrollable emotions. ¡°¡­ Is it jealousy?¡± He smiled bitterly after hearing the changes in his emotions, which he couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°What is it?¡± Ojae couldn¡¯t resist his curiosity as he asked. ¡°¡­ Hey, Ojae.¡± Instead of answering, Gyeonhui called Ojae. ¡°What if ¡­ And this is just me speaking hypothetically, but what should I do if I really love her?¡± Ojae looked silently into Gyeonhui¡¯s eyes. Ojae couldn¡¯t feel any sarcasm while looking at his earnest eyes. ¡°Follow your heart.¡± ¡°Follow my heart?¡± ¡°Yes, even if she abandoned you, that¡¯s still the best answer,¡± Ojae responded with a bitter smile. ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to be without her?¡± ¡°Then, you have to catch her.¡± ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is that I don¡¯t want anyone to take her away.¡± ¡°Then, take care of her.¡± After hearing Ojae¡¯s words, Gyeonhui took a deep breath. He nodded slowly, seemingly clearing his thoughts. ¡°Do you want to have another drink?¡± Gyeonhui asked. ¡°Huh? Oh, yes. That suits me.¡± Ojae wondered if Gyeonhui had suddenly changed his mind, but Ojae replied quickly, so he wouldn¡¯t miss the opportunity of another drink. ¡°Good. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Really? You¡¯re the man!¡± Ojae tried to step back to the cart bar. However, instead of following him, Gyeonhui sent a message and didn¡¯t move from where he stood. ¡°What are you doing? Don¡¯t you want to go?¡± Ojae asked in doubt. ¡°We¡¯re going to have a drink at a different place.¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know if you just follow me.¡± He reached out to the oncoming taxi, silently. Just like that, a taxi stopped in front of them. *** Sun sat beneath a shabby sign that read, ¡°Grandma¡¯s Fire Chicken Feet.¡± They were sitting on an outdoor table, so Labong hovered around the chair like he was excited. ¡°Labong, you need to stay calm here.¡± Labong sat with his tongue out as Sun reached out and stroked his head. ¡°It¡¯s so great to see him. Does he really understand what you¡¯re saying?¡± When Eunyoung looked at Labong, Sun smiled. ¡°Grandma, give us chicken feet for three people and some rice balls. I¡¯d like to order some soju too!¡± Ari seemed to be a regular here as she poured out the order without hesitation. Sun, who was stroking Labong, looked around. Although it was late, the shabby dining room still had a lot of guests. ¡°It seems this place is really famous, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Sure. Grandma¡¯s a master of chicken-foot. This place was on air once. Wait a minute.¡± Ari searched the video and photos that appeared on the broadcast on her phone to post it in the chat room. ¡°Oh, the food looks great.¡± Eunyoung said as she saw the photos on the post. ¡°Of course, would I ever take you to a bad place?¡± Eunyoung seethed after hearing Ari¡¯s words, for she was giving herself too much credit. Eunwoo also wondered about the posting because of their reaction, so he looked at his phone. However, there were no messages on his phone. ¡°Ari, I think I wasn¡¯t invited.¡± ¡°What? I don¡¯t think so. Wait a minute.¡± Ari again searched for Eunwoo¡¯s name and invited him. ¡°Can you see it now?¡± At the same time in the chat room, she typed a message, ¡®Can you see it now?¡¯ ¡°Yes, I can see it now.¡± ¡°But why are there five members?¡± Sun asked after confirming the number of people in the chat room. ¡°Did you invite the wrong person?¡± Eunyoung asked, in doubt. ¡°No, I did not. I¡¯ve definitely searched the right names.¡± Ari contemplated the name in the chat room as if to prove her innocence. ¡°Look at this. Sun, Eunyoung, Dr. Park, and¡­¡± She counted four people, and all the names in the group chat should have ended there. Ari opened her eyes unbelievably and confirmed the names once more. ¡°Oh my god!¡± Suddenly Ari covered her mouth with her hands, seemingly surprised. ¡°Why? Who else did you invite?¡± Sun giggled and asked Ari. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Ari¡¯s face turned pale and could not answer, only biting her lip. ¡°Did you invite your ex-boyfriend?¡± Eunyoung said jokingly. ¡°Why? Who is it?¡± Sun asked. Ari looked at Sun with a sad expression and slowly began to tell her, ¡°¡­ I invited Mr. Woo.¡± ¡°What!?¡± A stunned Eunyoung screamed. After all, Sun was surprised to see the list floating in the chat room. There, Gyeonhui¡¯s name was clearly visible. Then, with the sound of a car door opening, a man stepped into the room. Tall, eye-catching, handsome¡­ It was the man they called Mr. Woo, Gyeonhui. Chapter 57 After joining in, Ojae looked through the inside of the restaurant in amazement. ¡°Wow, how did you find this place?¡± Knowing what Gyeonhui usually ate, Ojae asked him surprised. As Gyeonhui walked through the restaurant without answering, he noticed a group of Kids Fans on the other side of the restaurant. He looked at Sun and Eunwoo, who were sitting side by side. ¡®It looks good.¡¯ Unlike his sunken eyes, his shoulders hardened because of his retching emotions. However, he seemingly never showed it. ¡°Huh? The Kids Fan¡¯s president¡¯s here. Did you come here knowing this?¡± Ojae recognized Eunyoung, opened his eyes wide, and asked. Gyeonhui approached the table with his long legs, still not answering. Gyeonhui slowly started talking when he saw Eunyoung turning her head in disgust with Sun¡¯s firm face. ¡°I¡¯ve been invited, but it seems like nobody¡¯s welcoming me.¡± No answer was heard from the table. Gyeonhui turned his attention to Ari. ¡°Was it a mistake?¡± He already knew it already, but he pretended like he didn¡¯t know. ¡°What? Oh, that¡¯s¡­¡± Ari¡¯s embarrassed face grew pale, and she couldn¡¯t even answer properly. Ari looked at Eunyoung like she was asking for help, but Eunyoung, who understood the situation, had no choice but to sigh. ¡°Then, I can sit down.¡± He sat right in front of Sun on purpose. Ojae sat down beside him. ¡°Did you two have some trouble?¡± Eunwoo saw that their faces were slightly swollen and asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. No more questions about us, please.¡± Gyeonhui looked at Sun with his waist firmly raised. ¡°Is your stressful job all done?¡± Gyeonhui nodded slowly after glancing at Eunwoo. ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything keeping you busy?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s a weekend.¡± Eunwoo answered his insignificant questions that he thought might be unpleasant. Sun finally stood up from her seat. The building tension around was so painful for her to bear as they talked. Everyone who was sitting at the table naturally looked at Sun. ¡°Talk to me,¡± Sun said while looking down at Gyeonhui. ¡°I just got here.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see anyone here welcoming you, Gyeonhui. Let¡¯s go out.¡± Ari opened her eyes upon hearing Sun¡¯s straightforward words, and Eunyoung also looked anxious. Sun left her seat without hearing his answer. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for destroying the atmosphere. I¡¯m sorry.¡± After acknowledging Eunyoung and Eunwoo, Sun soon stepped out of the restaurant. ¡°Hmm.¡± Gyeonhui reluctantly rose from his seat with a firm expression. Ojae tried to get up with him, seemingly unhappy. ¡°You stay here, Ojae.¡± Ojae¡¯s face turned bright red, and he sat right back in his seat. A tense-looking Gyeonhui opened the door and stepped out. When Sun looked at him, she quickly walked away like she had been waiting. After watching for a while, Gyeonhui stepped forward and grabbed Sun¡¯s arm. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°As far as I can get from here.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone else to be harmed because of me.¡± ¡°Harmed?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? You being here is already harmful.¡± Her words hurt his heart. He had come here knowing everything, but her direct words were not something pleasant to his ears. Looking at his resentment, he released her arm away from his hand. She then rushed away as if she were fleeing. He followed her with a firm expression. *** The atmosphere of the people who remained sitting on the table was literally like a funeral. ¡°Does he not have common sense? How can he come here?¡± Ari spoke rather loudly like she was so apologetic for the situation. However, she couldn¡¯t possibly change this tense atmosphere with just that alone. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± Ari said with a mournful expression. Eunyoung looked frustrated as she drank some water. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry. Dr. Park. Ari lowered her head and said in a voice filled with nothing but sadness. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Eunwoo tried to comfort Ari, but she was still anxious. His eyes were naturally directed toward the exit where Sun had gone out. ¡°Here¡¯s the food for you.¡± Then, the employee brought the food. The spicy smoked chicken feet were placed on the table. The pleasant, piquant scent filled the air with comfort, but no one was lifting their chopsticks to eat. ¡°Why don¡¯t we enjoy the food?¡± Eunwoo tried to change the mood by filling up everyone¡¯s glasses. Eunyoung reluctantly raised her drink because she didn¡¯t want Eunwoo to be hurt. ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s eat no matter what¡¯s going on.¡± Eunwoo then lifted his glass. Ari noticed and carefully lifted her drink too. ¡°Yes, things have already happened. Let¡¯s just enjoy the drinks.¡± Ojae was watching everything from the side. He raised his voice and lifted the glass too. ¡°What makes you so excited?¡± Eunyoung asked while furrowing her brow. ¡°Me? Oh, I¡¯m not excited.¡± ¡°Your face looks like you were just beaten up somewhere. Maybe you deserved it.¡± Eunyoung mumbled loudly and raised her glass. Ojae then lifted his drink, but Eunwoo was the only person who toasted with him. *** The bar was filled with laughter and chattering from afar. Gyeonhui started to chug a glass of beer at once and roughly laid them on the table. ¡°Here, get me another drink.¡± After placing the order, the owner quickly put another glass with beer and placed it before her. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you liked to drink like this.¡± He said with displeasure. ¡°I always used to love alcohol; you just didn¡¯t know. You have a lot of things you never knew about me.¡± As she tried to pour out her words, she quickly took a deep breath and closed her mouth. ¡°Let¡¯s stop. This is pointless.¡± Let¡¯s stop. Those were always his words. When the words came out of her mouth, Gyeonhui furrowed his brow. ¡°What are you going to stop? I haven¡¯t done anything yet.¡± ¡°¡­ Keep it that way. Just don¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°What!?¡± He frowned and asked her again. Instead of answering, Sun drank again. This time, Gyeonhui reached out and stole the glass away from her. ¡°Give me that.¡± Sun reached out, but he did not give it away. ¡°Stop drinking.¡± ¡°I will drink. Why does it matter to you if I want to drink or not?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because¡­ Hah¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t answer, and he sighed. The relationship between them was tepid, so he couldn¡¯t say what his reasons were. ¡°You¡¯re drinking just to show off to me.¡± ¡°To show off?¡± Sun followed his words and burst into laughter. ¡°Don¡¯t be mistaken.¡± His eyes shook after listening to that tone and nuances that he had heard a lot somewhere. ¡°You¡¯re a guy who doesn¡¯t mean anything to me now. Do you still not know that?¡± She said while pretending to be nonchalant. After looking at her for a while, Gyeonhui nodded to show his understanding. ¡°Sun, are you doing this intentionally?¡± Sun lifted her head after hearing his confident words. ¡°You¡¯re just mocking what I¡¯ve been doing to you. Is this some kind of revenge?¡± ¡°Revenge?¡± Sun sighed before looking back at him. ¡°Can¡¯t I do the same thing that you did to me? I guess you think that I don¡¯t have the right, huh? Gyeonhui needed a moment to understand the meaning of her words. ¡°Do you mean that I¡¯m not as hurt as you are?¡± ¡°You know that better than I.¡± Sun was sure about that. She would always feel the heartbreak that he had given her every time she looked at him. The pain would then spread throughout his heart, not knowing where it had started. ¡®I¡¯m sick too.¡¯ He thought, but he decided not to say it. ¡°I really hope that today is the last time we see each other like this.¡± She struggled to speak. However, it seemed that he didn¡¯t intend to do so. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Gyeonhui!¡± ¡°I need you.¡± Sun looked back at him in amazement after hearing his utterance. ¡°¡­ What did you say?¡± ¡°You heard me. I need you.¡± He stopped for a moment and started speaking again. ¡°I¡¯ve thought a lot about it. I need you still. Let¡¯s start over.¡± ¡®I¡¯ve thought about it a lot.¡¯ ¡®I still need you.¡¯ ¡®Let¡¯s start over.¡¯ He spoke a series of words that he had never spoken in his life. He thought that was enough. However, he noticed that she looked hurt now more than ever once he said those words. ¡°¡­ How dare you say that to me?¡± Her eyes were full of resentment. Her trembling voice pierced his chest. ¡°The last thing I did to you was, yes, it was my mistake. Everyone makes mistakes.¡± ¡®It was a mistake.¡¯ He had never admitted his faults before, but he wanted her back so much that he would do anything. ¡°Let¡¯s do it again. This time it can be different.¡± As she listened, Sun looked at him with sinking eyes. ¡°Do you mean that you will change?¡± ¡°¡­ kind of.¡± He answered with a serious face. Once he began to retreat, he could see that there would be no end to it. ¡°Lies¡­¡± She shook her head with an expression that showed her disbelief. ¡°Isn¡¯t that enough for you?¡± He finally spoke the words he had held back. ¡°What more should I do? Say something! Talk to me!¡± His voice raised unknowingly. Sun looked at him silently and opened her mouth calmly. ¡°¡­ Wait.¡± Gyeonhui furrowed his brow after hearing her sinking voice. ¡°What, what?¡± ¡°If I ask you to come, you¡¯ll come, and If I ask you to go, you¡¯ll just go. Can you do that? Her words struck his back like a sledgehammer. In an unexpected shock, he couldn¡¯t say anything. Chapter 58 ¡°You, you¡­¡± Shocked, Gyeonhui could not speak properly. While she was watching him, she started talking weakly. ¡°¡­ You can¡¯t do that, can you? Look at yourself. You can¡¯t be changed. Sun, with a trace of bitterness on her face, stood up after downing the beer at once. ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡± ¡°You stop right there!¡± He rose up and reached out to catch her. The empty glass on the table fell onto the floor. ¡®Crash.¡¯ The sound of glass cracking pierced his ears sharply. The other people in the bar were surprised and drew attention to the two. Sun looked silently at the broken glass pieces. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s just like us.¡± Her eyes shook. She leaned down and picked up the pieces of broken glass and put them in the trash can. ¡°Hey. Let it be. I¡¯ll clean it up.¡± The owner of the bar quickly brought a broom as he spoke. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about this. How¡¯s your hand?¡± The owner said while looking at Sun¡¯s bloody finger. She might have cut herself on a piece of glass. There was a drop of blood at the end of her thumb. ¡°Oh, yes, I¡¯m fine.¡± She wrapped her finger with a napkin. The owner seemed anxious and quickly cleaned the floor without speaking. ¡°Thank you.¡± Once the floor was cleaned up, Sun once again thanked the owner. As the owner moved away, Sun looked at Gyeonhui¡¯s face. ¡°I want you to remember what I just said.¡± She spoke boldly and turned like she had nothing more to say before exiting the bar. ¡®Ding, dong.¡¯ With the sound of the doorbell, she disappeared. Gyeonhui couldn¡¯t move his body at all. The boisterous and busy area echoed around him, but he held no connection to his surroundings. At that moment, the only thing he wanted was for this to turn into a dream. However, the sharp pain at his fingertips showed that this was real. ¡°Aghh¡­¡± He felt like his whole body was dwindling with each sigh he took. *** Ari carefully placed a piece of spicy chicken in her mouth and started chewing away. ¡°Are you really eating at a time like this?¡± Eunyoung spilled out, seemingly disgusted. ¡°You said that we should eat. I eat because that¡¯s what you said, not because this is really good.¡± Ari continued to chew away. ¡°Yes. Now, you have to have a drink.¡± Ari toasted to Ojae when he picked up a drink. ¡°You guys are disgraceful.¡± Eunyoung shook her head as she inhaled the soju at once. Labong laid flat on the floor while keeping his gaze in the direction of where Sun disappeared. Seemingly unhappy, Eunwoo sat Labong on his lap. ¡°Do you want to see Sun too?¡± Eunwoo stroked Labong¡¯s head, but Labong still didn¡¯t move his gaze. ¡°Nothing¡¯s going to happen, right?¡± Ari asked, seemingly worried about Sun. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have made that mistake if you¡¯re so concerned about Sun that much.¡± ¡°Who would make a mistake like that on purpose? It¡¯s just a mistake.¡± Ari also responded with a sullen face over Eunyoung¡¯s rebuke. Eunwoo, who was watching them, stroked Labong and spoke in a low voice. ¡°Labong, we¡¯re going to have to do something for her.¡± Eunwoo pulled his phone out of his pocket like he had a solution in mind. *** When she came out of the bar, she frantically stepped forward. Once she could no longer see the bar, she had slowed down her steps. It wasn¡¯t easy to step forward with such depression that pushed down her shoulders. Sun leaned against a tree and caught her breathing. ¡®Let¡¯s start over¡­¡¯ She couldn¡¯t believe what he had said. She was surprised, and it hurt her more because it was a word that she had not even hoped to receive. She felt like her heart had fallen apart at once. She shook her head hard to come back to reality. However, the feeling of wanting to collapse was winding her body down uncontrollably. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Her cloudy thoughts came out through her breath as a burst from her mouth. She couldn¡¯t move, for her body and mind were both exhausted. ¡®Bzzz.¡¯ Then her phone vibrated in her pocket. She slowly placed her hand in her pocket and reluctantly checked her phone. It was a text message from Eunwoo, which contained a picture of Labong. He seemed to be lying flat on Enwoo¡¯s lap and was about to cry. ¡®Bzzz.¡¯ Another message then arrived. ¡®When will my owner finally return?¡¯ ¡°Hah¡­¡± A smile burst across Sun¡¯s face as she read the message. Could such a minor thing really save her from all her frustration? That was the only time Sun managed to breathe deeply and exhale. Then, she remembered the people she had forgotten with Labong. She closed her eyes and took a breath. She felt a little better than before. ¡®Yes. I can¡¯t make people that I care for uncomfortable over this.¡¯ She nodded slowly and stepped back to the restaurant where her friends were. *** ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m so late.¡± Sun returned to the group and sat down with a smile. ¡°Ojae? What kind of name is Ojae? That¡¯s so funny. Hahaha.¡± Meanwhile, Ari smiled like she had been drinking quite a bit. ¡°Why are you making fun of someone else¡¯s name?¡± Ojae seemed quite drunk, too, as he slurred his speech. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± The sight of the two of them made Sun look at Eunyoung and asked, a little surprised. Eunyoung shrugged like she had surrendered and sighed. ¡°Oh, what about Mr. Woo?¡± ¡°¡­ He¡¯s gone.¡± Eunyoung looked at her with sympathy after her awkward answer. After reading Eunyoung¡¯s body language, Sun smiled and gazed at the table. ¡°What? Have you already eaten them all?¡± Sun cried as she looked at the food on the plates that had already been ravaged. ¡°Do you want to order more? Excuse me¡­.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡± Eunyoung suddenly blocked Ari¡¯s mouth. ¡°You¡¯d better go home.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not feeling well today. Just go home and get some rest.¡± ¡°No. Tomorrow is a Sunday.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to finish here soon too. We have to send these jerks home.¡± Eunyoung said like she was persuading Sun. ¡°I¡¯ve called a designated driver service, and I¡¯ll take them with me.¡± Eunwoo said as if he had read Eunyoung¡¯s thoughts while watching from the side. ¡°Yes, and your place is in the same direction. Go ahead.¡± ¡°But, I¡¯m really okay¡­¡± As Sun hesitated, Eunyoung pushed her back. When she was pushed out of her seat, she tried to say goodbye to Ari and Ojae. ¡°Just go, they won¡¯t even remember.¡± After Sun confirmed that they were out of it just as Eunyoung said, she nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± Sun reluctantly departed and left with Eunwoo. ¡°Poor thing.¡± Eunyoung watched Sun as she drifted away. ¡°But is your real name really Ojae?¡± A drunk Ari asked again. ¡°I said it is.¡± Eunyoung shook her head after hearing the conversation that had already been repeated many times. ¡°Hahaha. It¡¯s really funny. Don¡¯t your girlfriend mock your name?¡± Ari grabbed her stomach and asked. ¡°¡­ I have no girlfriend.¡± ¡°I thought so.¡± ¡°I had one! I just broke up a few days ago.¡± Ari¡¯s disregard made Ojae flee into a rage. ¡°I thought about marrying her¡­ but she cheated on me.¡± Ojae poured alcohol into his glass with a grave face. ¡°Hahahaha. Did you hear that? His girlfriend cheated on him. Cheating¡­ Haha haha, ha, ha. hmm.¡± Ari smiled and slowly shut her mouth as she understood the words. Although she was drunk, it seemed she could still grasp the situation after a while. The table became calm again. Eunyoung had been tilting her drink silently until then and slowly started speaking. ¡°I¡¯m glad that she didn¡¯t abandon you after marriage, then.¡± ¡°Is that really how you chose to console me?¡± Chapter 59 Ojae seemed offended and asked, raising his voice. ¡°I¡¯m just speaking the truth.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying it like you¡¯ve experienced it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s based on my experience.¡± Eunyoung¡¯s words made Ojae sober up. Ojae knew that Eunyoung was older than him, but he never imagined her being married once, for she was beautiful and had a grand style. ¡°Hey, boss¡­¡± Ari, too, was quite surprised and carefully called out to her. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s all in the past now.¡± Eunyoung smiled casually. Still, she seemed sore and downed three shots of alcohol. ¡°Now, let¡¯s go home.¡± She picked up the bill and headed to the counter. Ojae watched her without saying anything. With a long sigh, his mood sank. At the same time, Eunyoung¡¯s face became entrenched deeply in his mind. *** Eunwoo¡¯s car entered an alleyway near his veterinary hospital. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡± The designated driver said as he finished parking the car. ¡°Thank you. Here you go.¡± Eunwoo paid the money and left the car. Sun, who was in the back seat, also followed while holding Labong. ¡°Thank you.¡± Eunwoo shook his head after hearing Sun¡¯s gratitude. ¡°We would have to pass over your place to come here anyway.¡± As he finished speaking, a moment of silence hung between them. ¡°Well, I¡¯m going home now¡­¡± When Sun tried to speak, Eunwoo began to walk. ¡°I¡¯m going to take a walk. I¡¯ve had too much to eat.¡± Understanding Eunwoo¡¯s consideration of her, Sun nodded slowly. They walked toward a nearby park. It was the park where she walked Labong last time. ¡°The weather has become so warm. It¡¯s not so cold anymore.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Sun responded with an awkward smile. ¡°Is it really spring?¡± She looked around the park in response. The park had begun to shrug off the dark colors of winter. The trees, in turn, began sprouting fresh, new green leaves. She didn¡¯t even know what was going on with the seasons since she had been so busy. Sun sighed with a bitter smile. ¡°You¡¯ve struggled a lot today.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just what I do. It¡¯s my job.¡± ¡°Not about the job¡­¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Sun understood Eunwoo¡¯s words in hindsight and smiled awkwardly. ¡°¡­ That¡¯s okay. I¡¯m used to it.¡± Eunwoo stopped for a moment and started to speak, ¡°You don¡¯t have to always be okay.¡± She stopped to follow him and looked at Eunwoo. ¡°You don¡¯t always have to think about other people. You know, sometimes, you¡¯re not okay, just like today.¡± Sun seemed to be locked in her thoughts for a moment; she was speechless. ¡°When you feel that it¡¯s hard, then just say so. That¡¯s when you seek your friends to help you out.¡± She smiled and looked at him with a half-hearted smile. As she looked up at the night sky, she remembered the old memories pressing firmly together in her mind. Can I really talk about myself to this person? She closed her eyes and sighed for a long time before slowly speaking. She felt like she wanted to confide everything to someone. ¡°¡­ So then, can you listen to me? It¡¯s going to take a while¡­¡± Eunwoo nodded slowly at her. She stood up from her seat and breathed deeply and exhaled for a long time. It seemed difficult for him to tell this story. Eunwoo waited for her silently for a while. After a while, Sun became courageous and started speaking. ¡°On the day of my high school graduation, I was in a car accident on my way home with my dad. We stopped and waited for the stoplight to change on the road, and a big truck came and hit us.¡± Sun still remembered that day very clearly. ¡°Luckily, there was a nearby hospital; we went to the emergency room, and my dad kept asking me. ¡°Are you okay? Is there anywhere you are hurt?¡± Sun stopped for a moment and struggled. ¡°The accident made me so anxious, and I cried because my shoulder was so sore, so I got the treatment first. There was only one doctor¡­¡± Her fist trembled as she held it tightly. ¡°I should have said that I was okay.¡± Tears flowed down her cheek. ¡°¡­ While they were treating me, my dad collapsed in the hallway with no one there to help him. It was a brain hemorrhage. If I had said that I was okay¡­ my dad. My dad could have¡­ She bit her lip without being able to continue what he wanted to say. After hearing her unexpected family history, Eunwoo looked at her with surprise and compassion. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry that I brought this up.¡± She wiped away her tears with her hand and rose from her seat. She smiled awkwardly and looked down at Eunwoo. ¡°I think I should go home. Labong¡¯s also sleeping now.¡± Sun said while looking at Labong sleeping in her bag. ¡°Well¡­¡± As soon as Sun tried to lift the bag, Eunwoo suddenly rose from his seat. He then pulled her hand and held her in his arms. It happened in an instant. Sun was so surprised as he embraced her. She heard his voice running through her mind. ¡°¡­ Sun, it¡¯s not your fault.¡± Her eyes widened a little in surprise. Eunwoo released his hand for a moment and looked at her. There was nothing but pain in her tearful eyes. ¡°That accident, that¡¯s not your fault. It¡¯s no one¡¯s fault. I mean¡­¡± Eunwoo struggled as his heart wept for her. ¡°¡­ Now, I hope you¡¯re really okay.¡± With his heartfelt and comforting words, her tears welled up. She dropped her head, not wanting to show her pain. Eunwoo embraced her with all his might. Their beating hearts embraced each other. ¡®It¡¯s not your fault, Sun. It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay now.¡¯ He constantly tapped her back while holding her in his arms. Early in the morning, Gyeonhui sat at the table while staring blankly out of the window. A short time later, he heard the front door open and close; Ojae slid up beside him and sat down. ¡°¡­ Are you going to eat breakfast?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± The two exchanged mundane small talk and stared blankly out of the window. ¡°Enjoy.¡± A maid said as she set two bowls of P¡¯yongyang cold noodles with a light broth in front of them. It was a special meal that she prepared for Gyeonhui to recover after drinking heavily the day before. ¡°¡­ Ojae, vinegar.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Pass the vinegar.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ojae passed him a bottle of soy sauce without even looking. Gyeonhui poured the soy sauce on his cold noodles as he held his gaze outside the window. ¡°¡­ Oh, let me get some too.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± This time, when Ojae reached out, Gyeonhui returned the soy sauce to him. Ojae poured a lot of soy sauce in his bowl and started speaking again. ¡°Pepper too.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± With a distant expression, Gyeonhui handed over the red pepper flake that was placed beside him. Ojae sprinkled the red pepper flake in the cold noodles and mixed it with chopsticks. ¡°It¡¯s so delicious.¡± Ojae, who was eating the cold noodles, said since his sense of taste was completely numb. ¡°Yes, it is.¡± It was the same for Gyeonhui. ¡°Hah¡­¡± ¡°Hah¡­¡± A sigh coming from each of them exuded at the same time. Chapter 60 *** After the meal, Gyeonhui came out to the garden, sat in his chair, and looked out. It was hard because of Sun¡¯s back pain, but he still focused on his dog, Terry. Terry was still looking at him with raised eyes like he was always afraid of Gyeonhui. After a moment of thought, Gyeonhui pulled out the jerky made of cow liver that he had hidden behind him. Gyeonhui was told that it was Terry¡¯s favorite snack. Terry saw the jerky, instinctively raised his upper body, and responded. The light of hope was in Gyeonhui¡¯s eyes, but Terry soon gave up on him, leaning back and only looking at the jerky with his eyes. ¡°Damn¡­¡± He was frustrated with Terry¡¯s reaction. ¡®Drrrr.¡¯ Then the door opened, and Ojae came out to the garden. ¡°Ruff! Ruff!¡± Terry wagged his tail like he had been waiting for him, and hovered around Ojae. ¡°Hey. Knock it off. Stop tickling me.¡± Ojae stroked Terry¡¯s head as if he didn¡¯t like it. As Gyeonhui watched them, Gyeonhui frowned. ¡°Are you sure this is what Terry likes?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s the one.¡± ¡°But why doesn¡¯t he eat it?¡± ¡°Really? Give me that.¡± Ojae handed over the jerky to Terry. Terry immediately bit the jerky, chewed, and swallowed it. ¡°He loves it, see?¡± ¡°He certainly didn¡¯t eat it a second ago¡­ huh¡­¡± Gyeonhui sighed and frowned. Ojae, understanding the situation, approached him. ¡°So did you think that Terry was going to react differently at once? Think about what you¡¯ve done to him.¡± ¡°What did I do to him!?¡± He yelled and stared at Ojae. Terry, stunned by the yelling, screamed and hid in the corner. ¡°Look at that. You still have to try harder.¡± Ojae ticked his tongue. ¡°What the hell do you want me to do?¡± He yelled. ¡°You can buy a dog with money, but the only thing that makes your dog wag its tail is by loving them.¡± Ojae gently stroked Terry. ¡°What?¡± ¡°They get panicked because you¡¯ve suddenly changed. Everything needs to be adapted slowly with time.¡± ¡°Time to adapt?¡± ¡°Yes. Come and see.¡± Gyeonhui reluctantly approached Ojae. ¡°Now, try again. Try to stroke him like this.¡± Ojae gently stroked Terry¡¯s head. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ve not done this? I¡¯ve tried it already.¡± ¡°I know. Try it again. Slowly, gently, sincerely. Come on.¡± After scowling, Gyeonhui reluctantly reached out after contemplating for a moment. Terry, terrified, procumbent his body to avoid his hand and fell flat. ¡°Huh¡­¡± Gyeonhui barely endured. He took a deep breath and slowly reached out again. After a while, he finally managed to get a rough touch. ¡°Now slowly, gently. Not the way you want, make Terry feel comfortable.¡± Ojae stressed once again. He carefully stroked Terry with all the patience in him. ¡°Right. That¡¯s right.¡± Gyeonhui didn¡¯t like how Ojae was talking to him, but it was time to focus on Terry rather than Ojae. After many minutes of petting the dog, Terry¡¯s sensitive body grew a little softer. Terry carefully reached out his tongue and cautiously licked Gyeonhui¡¯s hand once in a while. ¡°Wow!¡± Surprised, Gyeonhui, widened his eyes and looked at Ojae. Ojae nodded with a smile, seemingly knowing that this would happen. ¡°Now, go and play.¡± When Ojae released Terry¡¯s leash, Terry became excited and ran to the other side of the garden. Gyeonhui looked at his finger that Terry licked just a little while ago and thought. ¡°¡­ Was it too sudden?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ojae had heard Gyeonhui¡¯s words and asked, seemingly in doubt. ¡°¡­ Yesterday, I told her to start all over.¡± ¡°What do you mean to start over? No way, you¡­ to Sun?¡± Ojae eventually understood and seemed surprised. Gyeonhui nodded silently with a firm expression. ¡°¡­ What did she say? It was hard to spit that out with his own mouth, so he bit his lower lip. The response itself already allowed Ojae to understand what was going on. ¡°I¡¯m sure that she would have been surprised. I¡¯m also astonished.¡± ¡°If she asks me to come or go, I have to do what she tells me. She also told me to wait until she calls me again. I¡¯ve given her my whole heart, and this is what she does to me¡­¡± Gyeonhui clenched his molars while he recalled what happened yesterday clearly. ¡°Huh? That¡¯s what you always said.¡± Ojae bluntly responded. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you really remember anything?¡± Ojae seemed somewhat surprised. If I say come or go, you¡¯d better do what I say. He had to obey the orders this time, but it was a familiar pattern of conversation between him and her. ¡°Oh¡­¡± At the same time, he remembered that day he had forgotten. She was looking at him in the cold rain and asked him what she had done wrong with her trembling voice. His vision went blank like he had been hit in the back of his head with a hammer. Those words felt so different when he had said them compared to when he had heard them. ¡°Now¡­ I know what I¡¯ve done¡­¡± He felt bitter and sore, as if his heart burned. He could hear the sound of cracking from his molars. ¡°¡­ What should I do?¡± Ojae looked at him with sympathy after hearing this. ¡°You have to approach her with all your heart. Sincerely, and slowly. Do your best.¡± He held his throbbing thumb with all his strength like he had determined something. *** After not sleeping well, Sun struggled to get back to sleep on the bed. She tried to sleep a little bit more, but she couldn¡¯t because of her back pain. Her abdominal pain would relax to some extent with some medicine, but her back pain was a different problem. ¡°Ah¡­¡± She struggled to get up and headed to the kitchen. Suddenly, when she looked into the mirror in the living room, she noticed her swollen eyes and how terrible they made her look. She was fortunate to be able to rest all day without any appointments. She started boiling water on the gas stove and put three colorful character heating packs in the pot. ¡°Huh¡­¡± She took a few steps, but her eyes were stunned and dizzy. It was so hard for her even to stand, so she quickly returned to bed and fell down. ¡°Arf, arf.¡± Labong squealed under the bed like he knew that she wasn¡¯t feeling well. Sun reached out and placed Labong on the bed. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about me. I¡¯m okay.¡± As Sun stroked Labong, he lay face down on her arm. A warm, small weight was pressed down on her arm. Feeling that she is not alone, she became calm. ¡°¡­ Thank you.¡± She gently stroked Labong and slowly closed her eyes. She fell into a deep sleep. *** Gyeonhui laid on the living room couch and stared at the ceiling blankly. ¡®Sincerely¡­ with all my heart¡­¡¯ It was easy to say, but it was totally up to him to show his sincerity. No matter how much he thought about it, he always treated her with all his heart. Since Gyeonhui thought about her all the time, so he still met her while he was so busy, and he clearly expressed what he liked or disliked. ¡®What the hell is it really, treating someone with all my heart?¡¯ He had a headache. ¡°Huh¡­¡± However, a sigh was slightly popping out of Ojae¡¯s mouth. Gyeonhui looked up and saw Ojae, and Gyeonhui quickly turned his attention to his own thoughts. ¡°Auh¡­¡± Again, Gyeonhui heard a sigh of frustration from Ojae. ¡°What is it?¡± He asked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°No. Nothing.¡± Gyeonhui raised himself up as he watched Ojae mumble the end of his sentence. ¡°Something¡¯s going on with you. Tell me.¡± Maybe it was because they¡¯ve been together since childhood, but they knew each other better than anyone, especially regarding what they had in mind. After a while, Ojae struggled to speak. ¡°Because of Eunyoung¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Kids Fans?¡± Gyeonhui recalled her after a moment and later asked. Instead of answering, Ojae nodded slowly. ¡°What about her?¡± ¡°¡­ She¡¯s got some story.¡± Gyeonhui furrowed his brow since he didn¡¯t know what Ojae was trying to say. After a brief pause, Ojae struggled to speak. ¡°¡­ She¡¯s divorced.¡± Chapter 61 Gyeonhui seemed a little surprised upon hearing Ojae¡¯s words. It was hard to think that she got married because of her appearance and fashion style. ¡°But what does that have to do with you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I mean. I don¡¯t need to care about it, but I want to.¡± ¡°What? Gyeonhui nodded once he understood the situation of Ojae. ¡°You¡¯re so pathetic, bro.¡± ¡°¡­ You too.¡± They looked at each other and nodded slowly. ¡°¡­ But why does my stomach feel so terrible?¡± Gyeonhui frowned while he was grabbing his stomach. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°My throat is dry like I ate something very salty. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not her pain¡­¡± ¡°Really? So am I.¡± Ojae chimed in with Gyeonhui like he was surprised. ¡°Do you really feel the same symptoms?¡± ¡°Yes. Am I feeling your pain now?¡± ¡°It sounds ridiculous.¡± ¡°No, stay still.¡± Ojae quickly approached Gyeonhui and pinched his thighs. ¡°Ouch! What the hell are you doing!¡± Gyeonhui screamed in pain. ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m so glad. No, I don¡¯t feel your pain.¡± Ojae breathed a sigh of relief when he felt no pain on his body. ¡°You little jerk!¡± Suddenly, dizziness came when Gyeonhui became angry. His body staggered with dizziness that was hard to endure. ¡°Cough, Cough¡± At the same time, a sudden urge to cough came expectantly. ¡°Why, what¡¯s wrong? Does your stomach feel that bad?¡± Ojae was embarrassed to see Gyeonhui stumbling. Gyeonhui shook his head hard. His throat was swollen like there was a lump in it. The sudden symptoms came at once. Gyeonhui was able to see where these came from all at once. ¡°It¡¯s her¡­ Cough, cough.¡± He sounded like he had a frog in his throat. ¡°She¡¯s in danger.¡± Gyeonhui staggered to the end and hurried running outside. There were sounds of him hitting here and there on the way out like he was bumping into everything all over the place. ¡°What do you mean that she¡¯s in danger all so suddenly? Hey, Gyeonhui! Gyeonhui!¡± Ojae hurried out of the house to follow Gyeonhui. ¡°Ruff! Ruff!¡± The room was filled with heavy smoke too thick to see through. Labong¡¯s whining could be heard all over the place. Sun fell asleep on the bed and was unable to wake even with Labong¡¯s desperate cries. Labong pulled at her with all his power, but she did not move her body. ¡°Ruff! Ruff!¡± Once again, Labong began to bark. ¡°Argh¡­¡± Sun barely opened her eyes. ¡®Cough, cough.¡¯ As soon as she opened her eyes, she started coughing. ¡°What¡¯s¡­ going on¡­¡± She tried to mumble to herself about what was going on, but her voice didn¡¯t come out. She inhaled a lot of smoke, so she couldn¡¯t breathe properly. ¡®I have to get up.¡¯ After seeing the smoke in the room, she tried to raise herself, but because of the dizziness and the continuing cough, she could not hold her body up. ¡°Ruff! Ruff!¡± Meanwhile, Labong frantically barked at her. ¡®¡­ Rise and shine, Sun.¡¯ Sun remembered a promise in her mind and raised herself with all her might once again. Smoke from the kitchen was filling the whole house. ¡°Labong. Cough. Cough. Come on.¡± Sun struggled to get out of the room while hugging Labong, but as she came out to the living room, thicker smoke came into her lungs through her nose. At one point, she fainted and collapsed. ¡°Oh¡­¡± She finally lost her balance and fell to the floor. ¡°Whine, whine.¡± Labong cried out, licking Sun¡¯s cheek. From the pot on the stove, black smoke continued to spew out. Sun tried to get up again, but all she could do was scratch the floor with her fingers. ¡®Bang, Bang, Bang!¡¯ Then she heard someone knocking on the door. No, she wasn¡¯t even sure of it. It was a distant feeling, like a ringing in a cave due to her struggle. A short time later, she heard the sound of the door opening with rough sounds. ¡°Sun!¡± In a desperate call, she raised her eyes and looked up at the man. ¡°¡­ Dad?¡± She could see her dad¡¯s face that had passed away, in her blurry view. ¡®Finally, I¡¯m dying.¡¯ That was the last scene that she remembered. *** The emergency room in the hospital. Sitting while holding his head, Gyeonhui looked at his hands. His shaking arm tremors did not subside even after clenching his fists. Then the doctor and nurse approached and checked on the unconscious patient. Gyeonhui got up from his seat and approached the doctor. ¡°Is she okay?¡± He asked with a firm expression. ¡°Luckily, she didn¡¯t inhale too much smoke. Don¡¯t worry.¡± He exhaled a sigh of relief at this news. The tremor of his closed fist steadily subsided. ¡°I think you should get some treatment too.¡± The doctor was looking at his right hand. His swollen right hand seemed to be severely injured. He was wounded when he smashed through the door with a fire extinguisher on the stairs. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re not. I¡¯ll be here for her.¡± Ojae said, but Gyeonhui still seemed uneasy to leave her. ¡°Oh, come on.¡± At the end, when Ojae forcibly pushed him forward, Gyeonhui reluctantly started speaking. ¡°Don¡¯t fidget and watch her. Okay?¡± ¡°Okay. I got it.¡± ¡°If there are any problems, contact me immediately.¡± ¡°Okay, I said I got it.¡± After several requests, Gyeonhui finally followed the nurse, but as he walked, he looked back many times, seemingly worried about her. *** A while later, Gyeonhui returned to Ojae with a cast on his hand. ¡°How is she?¡± He was the first to confirm what happened to Sun. ¡°Still sleeping.¡± Ojae responded, looking at her sleeping. After seeing her peaceful face, one might think that what happened today was a lie. ¡°¡­ She¡¯s so careless.¡± Gyeonhui bit his lower lip. ¡°I¡¯m sure she was so confused.¡± Hearing Ojae¡¯s response, Gyeonhui turned his head to her. ¡°She was trying to heat the heating packs for her pain. I¡¯m sure she felt worse yesterday, but she never expressed anything.¡± Ojae looked at her, ticking his tongue. Gyeonhui remembered the back pain that had been persisting since the morning. ¡°Moreover, there was what you said to her yesterday.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Gyeonhui sighed with pain. ¡°If something I said to her bothered her so much, then it means that she still has feelings for me? Why doesn¡¯t she just admit it¡­?¡± ¡°Do you think it¡¯s easy to change someone¡¯s mind? Once you decide to go, you would go no matter what people say. Once she decides to turn her back from you, she would hesitate to go to you, even if everyone said it was the right thing to do. That¡¯s women.¡± Ojae shook his head, clicking his tongue. ¡°You know all about women, yet you screwed up with your woman?¡± Gyeonhui asked Ojae in a sarcastic tone. ¡°Hey! Ease up on salting on my wounds now.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Ojae glared at him with his mouth closed, sulking. When Gyeonhui moved his gaze, he was deeply lost in thought. Looking at her silently for a long time, he finally said, ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°What about her?¡± ¡°She would be more shocked if she finds out that I helped her again.¡± Gyeonhui recalled the last time he took her to the hospital when she rolled down the stairs. Ojae asked no more once he understood Gyeonhui¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Keep the hospital people¡¯s mouths shut, and fix the door to her place. ¡°¡­ Okay.¡± Gyeonhui heard Ojae¡¯s answer, but he could not immediately leave her. After looking at her silently for a long time, he struggled to turn around and left the hospital room. He headed straight to the parking lot and entered the car weakly. ¡°Ah¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°Whine, whine.¡± Surprised by the strange sound, he looked beside him. There was Labong, sitting in the passenger seat, looking nervous. ¡°Oh, there you are.¡± He couldn¡¯t think properly again. He brought him to the hospital because he couldn¡¯t leave him in the smoky house, but he couldn¡¯t put him in the hospital either. Moreover, it made no sense to have Labong hanging around him. Chapter 62 ¡°Hmm¡­what should I do with you, Labong?¡± Gyeonhui had a headache as he furrowed his brow. Suddenly, the smell of dog poop spread all over the car. ¡°¡­ Huh? What the hell is this smell?¡± As he sniffed around in the car, he noticed that a large pile of poop was on one side of the passenger seat. ¡°You, you little¡­¡± He was so embarrassed and didn¡¯t know what to say, but Labong just looked at him with his big eyes, as if he knew nothing about it. *** ¡°Is she still sleeping¡­?¡± When Eunwoo arrived at his animal hospital, he looked at his cell phone that had no response from her and shook his head. He contacted her to give Labong¡¯s leash back, which he forgot to give the day before. However, he could not reach her until after lunch. ¡®Diring.¡¯ Then he heard the sound of a doorbell. ¡°Luckily, it¡¯s open.¡± Eunwoo looked up, naturally hearing a familiar voice. He saw Gyeonhui approaching while holding something in his arms. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to leave him here.¡± Gyeonhui showed Labong in his arms and said. ¡°Labong?¡± Eunwoo asked with a strange expression, looking alternately at Gyeonhui and Labong. ¡°Hmm¡­ Don¡¯t look at me like that. I didn¡¯t steal him this time.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Take him first.¡± Eunwoo accepted Labong when Gyeonhui awkwardly pushed Labong out. ¡°¡­ Do me one more favor if you don¡¯t mind.¡± Eunwoo looked at him again, astonished after hearing the word ¡®favor.¡¯ When Gyeonhui hesitated for a moment like he was reluctant, he started speaking slowly. *** Late afternoon, in the hospital room. ¡°Umm¡­¡± Sun struggled to open her eyes. A strange feeling and the ceiling came to her. ¡°Where am I¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re finally awake.¡± She turned her head to a familiar voice and saw Eunwoo¡¯s face. ¡°What happened to me? I was definitely near a fire¡­¡± ¡°When your neighbor heard Labong barking, they called 911. Luckily, they found you quickly.¡± ¡°Where is Labong then?¡± ¡°He¡¯s in my hospital, and he¡¯s safe.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± Sun sighed with relief and tried to raise her body to sit. ¡°You still need to take it easy.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I leave the hospital now?¡± ¡°Are you already thinking about leaving the hospital?¡± ¡°Because I feel fine.¡± ¡°The doctor advised that you should take a little more rest.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Luckily, it¡¯s Sunday. Get some more rest. I¡¯ll take you home later.¡± Sun nodded slowly after hearing Eunwoo¡¯s loving words. ¡°But how did you know how to come here?¡± When she asked her, Eunwoo looked at her silently. ¡°¡­ Take a break. Now is the time to relax.¡± Eunwoo stood up and left the room, speaking in a calm tone. Sun, looking back at him with a curious expression, shook her head. ¡®¡­ Ok. Let¡¯s take a break.¡¯ She felt that she owed him so much because Eunwoo was taking care of her in the hospital, and she didn¡¯t want to put more pressure on Eunwoo anymore. *** ¡°Ugh. It¡¯s disgusting.¡± Ojae came out of the car with a bag of Labong¡¯s poop and threw it away in the trash. Ojae wasn¡¯t pleased and sprayed a big bottle of air freshener within the car. ¡°You¡¯re so small, but you shit like¡­ wow.¡± Ojae shook his head as he wiped his hands several times with a wet tissue. ¡°Did you get it all?¡± Gyeonhui asked, standing beside the car with his arms crossed. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s done. The dog shits in the car, and I get to clean it off.¡± Ojae said disgustedly. ¡°Did I poop in the car?¡± ¡°Why did you leave the dog in the car then? You were not going to clean the mess anyway.¡± ¡°So? Should I leave the dog outside then? What if someone took it?¡± ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s done.¡± Ojae said, waving his hand as if it was worthless to argue anymore before getting into the car. Gyeonhui, looking at him disgustedly, checked the smell of the vehicle. He also got in the back seat once he confirmed that most of the smell had gone away. ¡®Brrrr.¡¯ As soon as Gyeonhui got into the car, Ojae departed. ¡°By the way, where did the dog go?¡± Ojae asked, seemingly curious. ¡°It has been sent away.¡± ¡°To whom?¡± ¡°To Dr. Park.¡± ¡°What? So, did you ask Dr. Park to take care of the dog and Sun too?¡± Ojae, driving unwittingly, looked back and asked. ¡°What the hell are you doing? Don¡¯t look at me! Watch the road! Just drive!¡± A stunned Gyeonhui yelled at Ojae. ¡°Does it matter now?¡± Ojae unwittingly raised his voice and asked again. ¡°What did you want me to do? I was all messed up because of the damn dog.¡± ¡°I understand, but why did you go to Dr. Park?¡± ¡°¡­ I think he¡¯ll keep it a secret.¡± Gyeonhui didn¡¯t like Eunwoo much, but at least Eunwoo looked like someone who would keep his promise. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re stupid. You¡¯ve just blown a huge opportunity right then.¡± ¡°Opportunity?¡± ¡°Yes. An opportunity that God has given to you!¡± Ojae sighed, looked frustrated, and continued. ¡°What better story is there than being a ¡°lifesaver¡±? You¡¯ve just blown a chance to solve the problem with her at once.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say to approach slowly with all my heart?¡± ¡°That was when you didn¡¯t have an opportunity like this.¡± Gyeonhui was silent for a moment, and he was seemingly reminded of something. He started speaking slowly, so it seemed that his thoughts had cleared up. ¡°¡­ In the morning, on the way to her, I thought that she may have left this world. That she could be¡­¡± Gyeonhui looked down at his two trembling hands. ¡°Maybe it was an opportunity for me like you just said. The Sun I knew wouldn¡¯t have let this just pass. However¡­. I didn¡¯t want to do that.¡± ¡°¡­ Why?¡± As Gyeonhui moved his gaze out of the window, he slowly started speaking again. ¡°It¡¯s kind of like a reward, like how she had moved the Kidz Fan office in our building for her friends. If I tell her that I¡¯m the one who saved her life, then I might have her beside me for a while, but I just realized that I cannot solve the issue between us that way.¡± Hearing Gyeonhui, Ojae opened his eyes wide, astonished. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Gyeonhui, slowly nodding, closed his fists like he had decided something in his mind. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± His right hand with a plaster cast throbbed. The throbbing pain swelled up from his arms all the way up to his chest. The subtle pain that he could hardly feel and the palpitations along with it spread to his chest. Chapter 63 In the late afternoon, Sun had completed the discharge procedure at the hospital and got into Eunwoo¡¯s car. ¡°Are you sure that you¡¯re really okay?¡± Eunwoo, who was in the driver¡¯s seat, checked on her once more. He was still worried about her. ¡°My throat is still dry, but the rest of my body feels just normal. I feel even better because I¡¯ve had plenty of rest.¡± She responded with a bright smile, pretending to be casual. Eunwoo smiled and gently started the car. ¡°Please keep this secret from Ari and Eunyoung.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°We have a crucial meeting tomorrow, and they would stop me from going to the meeting if they knew what happened today.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m a protective-concerned soldier, so I have to be careful.¡± ¡°Hahaha. Where did you learn that from? It¡¯s a term that people use in the army.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ My dad used to say it a lot.¡± At one point, Sun remembered her dad¡¯s face before she lost consciousness. She could see her dad¡¯s face who had passed away, so she thought that she would die. She wondered why she noticed her dad¡¯s face since she had never seen him in a dream just like that moment. Eunwoo looked at her with sympathy. He had heard before that she had lost both her parents. ¡°What kind of person was he?¡± Eunwoo asked her carefully. ¡°¡­ He was so sweet. I was always so careless, so I¡¯d have injuries and accidents a lot. That¡¯s why he joked that I¡¯m a soldier of interest.¡± ¡°He was a good man.¡± She slowly nodded after hearing Eunwoo¡¯s words. After pausing for a moment, Sun showed him a picture of her dad on her phone. ¡°He¡¯s so handsome, isn¡¯t he? My mom told me that she fell in love with him at first sight. Sun speaking bitterly was suddenly reminded of Gyeonhui¡¯s face. Why did his face suddenly come to her mind? She tried to remember the day her place caught on fire but couldn¡¯t find the answer. She had to shed her memory of Gyeonhui, so she shook her head slowly as her mouth closed. However, the more she tried to forget about him, the more his face came to her mind. ¡°Huh¡­¡± A heavy sigh spilled out of her mouth. Eunwoo¡¯s expression was full of sadness as he looked at her. *** When Gyeonhui returned home, he stood in the garden and drank a cup of coffee. ¡°Umm¡­¡± It seemed that Sun was awake because he felt the dryness in his throat again. He coughed a few times, but he knew better than anyone that coughing was useless, and there was no other way. As he sighed, furrowing his brow, he looked at who was Terry sitting on the other side. As he approached Terry carefully, Gyeonhui leaned down and stroked Terry¡¯s head. Still nervous, Terry looked up at him with his tail down. However, he did something that he had never done before, such as sticking his tongue out slightly. Gyeonhui had a slight smile on his face. Then the door opened, Ojae came in. Terry, as always, ran toward Ojae with his tail wagging. ¡°I¡¯m here to report to you.¡± Ojae spoke in a sarcastic tone, seemingly still feeling bad for having to clean up Labong¡¯s crap. ¡°I¡¯m going to go to work tomorrow afternoon because I have a meeting with an animation producer.¡± ¡°A meeting?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going with Kids Fan. I¡¯m going to create an animation with their characters because it garnered some great traction from our customers. I mean, Sir.¡± After realizing his tone, Ojae quickly changed his tone to be more respectful. ¡°You try hard.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I made you clean the dog poop. ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± In saying so, Ojae seemed to have already been released. ¡°So, who¡¯s going with you?¡± ¡°Well. I¡¯ll probably go with Sun because she is the designer.¡± ¡°¡­ Okay.¡± Gyeonhui also wanted to go, but he replied differently. ¡°Or will you go instead of me?¡± At Ojae words, Gyeonhui shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s strange that the president would join a meeting with a designer.¡± ¡°¡­ Right.¡± Ojae nodded, seemingly agreeing with Gyeonhui. Gyeonhui took a deep breath like he was frustrated. Suddenly, he felt that a lot of things around him were becoming inaccessible for some reason. He had done everything his way in the past, but now, he had begun to think about things in more detail. This left him with not many decisions like he could in the past when he would do something in his own way. He had never done that before, and there were so many things to worry about. ¡°What the hell has changed¡­¡± His own behavior had changed seemingly under challenging ways; it was something foreign to him, so he furrowed his brow. Then a message arrived on his cell phone in his pocket. When he checked the caller, it was Eunwoo. ¡®Do me a favor, too, in the future.¡¯ ¡°Sure, no problem.¡± He nodded. ¡®Bzzzz.¡¯ Then another text arrived. ¡®No matter what I ask for.¡¯ Eunwoo¡¯s texts that ensured the fact that he must keep this promise gave him an ominous feeling at the moment. ¡°¡­ It won¡¯t be anything special.¡± As if trying to confide his anxiety, Gyeonhui deliberately mumbled to himself. However, the insecurity that didn¡¯t go away easily stayed by his side for a long time. *** When Sun picked up Labong at the hospital, she stood at the door of her house. ¡®Ding, ding, ding.¡¯ After taking out her phone, Sun pressed the password on the front door while looking at Eunwoo¡¯s text. According to Eunwoo, he had smashed the door to open it, and then he replaced the door. After pushing the unknown four-digit numbers, she entered the house. ¡°Hmm.¡± There was still a smell of light smoke inside, but there was no other trace. The stove was cleaned, and there were no soot stains. ¡°I owe him so much.¡± Sun dropped Labong on the floor and sat on the couch, exhausted. ¡°Ruff! Ruff!¡± When she returned home, Labong wandered around like he was excited to be home again. Sun, who was looking at him still, reached out to Labong. ¡°You saved my life.¡± Sun reached out and stroked Labong. Labong licked her finger with pure eyes. She was playing with Labong for a while, and suddenly remembered the morning of that day. ¡°¡­ Who was it?¡± Sun struggled to remember the face of the man she had seen before she lost her consciousness. ¡®¡­ Was he a paramedic?¡¯ With her thoughts locked in her mind, a text arrived on her cell phone that she had left on the couch. It was Eunwoo. ¡®Did you get in? I forgot to give you Labong¡¯s leash again. Please stop by tomorrow after work.¡¯ She felt like his soft voice was on the voice message machine. ¡°¡­ He¡¯s a very sweet man, isn¡¯t he?¡± Sun said to Labong with a smile. ¡°Ruff! Ruff!¡± Labong barked low as if he were answering. She was smiling and began to text him back after she stroked Labong¡¯s head once. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll stop by tomorrow after work. Thank you.¡± After saying the message several times with her lips, she carefully pressed the button to send. A short time later, a reply came from him. ¡®That¡¯s great. See you tomorrow. I¡¯d like to have dinner together too.¡¯ A smile came to her face as she read Eunwoo¡¯s text. Chapter 64 *** The next morning, in the Kids Fan office. ¡°Are we gonna have the meeting with the animation production company today?¡± While reviewing the schedule, Eunyoung asked Ari. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure that Ojae and Sun met each other by now.¡± Eunyoung looked up at Ari, giggling. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, no. It¡¯s just that the guy¡¯s name and his face match so perfectly.¡± Ari could barely keep herself from smiling. ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to judge people by their name or appearance, you know?¡± Eunyoung said to Ari in a calm tone of voice. ¡°Then how do I judge people? Through what basis?¡± When Ari asked, Eunyoung looked up. ¡°You have to judge people by their behaviors. You can only see what kind of person he or she is by their behaviors. If you are deceived by the appearance, you¡¯re going to be like me.¡± ¡°Oh my. Don¡¯t speak of yourself like that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t judge people thoughtlessly. He didn¡¯t look like he was a bad guy.¡± ¡°¡­ I won¡¯t.¡± Ari replied reluctantly. ¡°Hey, Sun. Sun!¡± Then the door of the office opened, and Ojae jumped into the office. He looked for Sun hurriedly with his face turned pale. ¡°Huh? She said she was going straight to the center. I thought you were supposed to go with her?¡± Ari asked. ¡°Oh, well¡­ answer the phone for me. I have to go to the bathroom now, I have a stomach problem¡­.¡± Ojae rushed out of the office without saying anything after. Ojae looked like he was in a rush to find a bathroom because Ari and Eunyoung saw him running towards the toilet, both hands on his butt. Ari, looking back at him, said, ¡°How am I supposed to judge him with that behavior?¡± ¡°¡­ Huh¡­¡± Eunyoung shook her head and avoided answering. *** ¡°What are you talking about? Are you telling me to go to the meeting instead?¡± While driving, Gyeonhui asked on his Bluetooth earphones. He was holding the steering wheel with his hand that was in a plaster-cast. ¡°I think I¡¯ve got enteritis.¡± ¡°Enteritis?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve drunk alcohol so heavily and so often recently. I¡¯ve already sent a text to Sun, so you need to go as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Are you crazy? Why would I go there?¡± ¡°So what? I can¡¯t even take my butt off the toilet right now.¡± ¡°¡­ Send another person.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no one I can send. You said that I¡¯m in charge of Kids Fan, so no one knows about anything but me.¡± ¡°Oh, what do you want from me!¡± ¡°Just go to the meeting! Oh my¡­ Ugh¡­¡± As Ojae shouted and flexed his muscles, he moaned. ¡°S, stop¡­!¡± As the unfiltered sound continued to show just how terrible his bowel was doing, Gyeonhui furrowed his brow. Quickly, he pulled his car over and sighed for a long time toward the ceiling. No matter how much he struggled, there was no other way. After a long struggle, he started to speak slowly. ¡°¡­ Where is it?¡± A short time later, a text with the address of the animation center came to his cell phone. *** In the center from the entrance, Sun was waiting for Ojae while looking at her reflection in the window. She was wearing a gorgeous black rayon dress with a slightly folded, striped, pointed pattern on her sleeve. Her pale skin contrasted the black color, and the slim design enhanced her body line. Smiling satisfactorily, she checked the time with a digital clock hanging on the wall. ¡°He¡¯s late.¡± The appointment was supposed to start 20 minutes ago. ¡°I forgot my phone on a very important day¡­¡± It was an important meeting, so it took her more time in the morning to prepare. Since it took her so much more time, she was late and forgot her cell phone. She was in a hurry to come to the meeting, and by the time she almost arrived at the center, she realized that she had no phone. ¡®I guess I have to go in alone¡­¡¯ While she was in trouble, a large automatic door opened, and a man of strapping stature came in with the morning sunlight on his back. Since it was such a different silhouette from Ojae, she gazed beyond him, thinking it wasn¡¯t him. However, the man walked toward her with his long legs. As he approached a few steps, Sun finally saw his face. His striking appearance and his familiar air struck Sun. The man who was approaching her was Gyeonhui. With the unexpected encounter, her eyes grew unknowingly. ¡®Hey Gyeonhui, if you continuously avoid my calls, then I¡¯ll cancel the contract with you?¡¯ Gyeonhui had seen the texts from Chaekyeong and frowned. He set his phone to a vibration notification because it was bothersome. ¡°This is crazy. Why are you going nuts too?¡± He sighed, frustrated when he almost arrived near the building. Gyeonhui was forced to come to the center, but he wasn¡¯t ready to see her again yet. However, there were no other ways, so he tried to park his car in the parking lot. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Sir.¡± About to go through the entrance, the parking guard blocked his car. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Still irritated, Gyeonhui asked in a slightly annoyed tone. ¡°Since your car registration numbers end with an odd number, so you can¡¯t park here.¡± ¡°What?¡± He quickly looked out of the window and checked the sign. He noticed the policy of the parking lot. He pulled his car over and wandered around the building, finding a place to park. ¡°No way, there¡¯s not even a paid parking lot?¡± He circled twice around the building, but there was no place to park. It was difficult for him to keep turning the steering wheel because of the plaster-cast. At that time, he noticed a restaurant that had not yet opened. It seemed that they hadn¡¯t opened it even when it was already 10 o¡¯clock in the morning, so it was likely that they¡¯re closed today. ¡°Alright. There¡¯s no other way.¡± He parked his car and hurried to the building. He checked the time and realized that he was already 20 minutes late. ¡°Hmm.¡± He took his breath and slowly entered the building. Not far away, he could see her looking out the entrance to wait for Ojae. ¡°It¡¯s Cheon¡­ Sun?¡± However, he could not take his eyes off of her since she was so stunning in a formal dress for the meeting. Chapter 65 *** ¡®Something¡¯s wrong¡­¡¯ Sun thought while looking at Gyeonhui, who was walking towards her. It was clear that something had happened to Ojae. Otherwise, Gyeonhui wouldn¡¯t have come directly to such a meeting. After a while, he stopped in front of her. ¡°¡­ What happened? Why are you here?¡± ¡°Ojae¡¯s sick. He isn¡¯t feeling well today.¡± Sun bit her lower lip. ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s go in.¡± She wondered if he had read her mind, Gyeonhui spoke bluntly and stepped forward. She turned her head and looked at his back. She saw that his hand had a plaster cast. ¡®How did he get hurt? She took a deep breath to shake off her sudden worry for him that suddenly sprouted. It was essential to attend the meeting anyway, so she followed him to the meeting room. *** ¡°Why was there no call from Sun?¡± When Eunyoung returned to the office after lunch, she looked at her cell phone and said. She had been sending messages to Sun several times since this morning, but Sun hadn¡¯t even read them yet, nor did she answer any calls. ¡°I¡¯m sure that she left her phone again. She does that often.¡± ¡°Scatterbrain.¡± Eunyoung sat down, clicking her tongue. ¡®Knock, knock.¡¯ Then, with the sound of knocking, the door opened, and Ojae entered. He had a hollow face and looked like a walking zombie. ¡°Oh, my. You scared me. I thought you were a zombie.¡± The surprised Ari at the moment pulled herself together. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Oh, did you get in touch with Sun?¡± Ojae asked again after Eunyoung¡¯s question. ¡°What? Didn¡¯t you go with her?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t make it because I¡¯m so sick¡­ so I sent Gyeonhui instead.¡± ¡°What!?¡± Eunyoung cried out frowning. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I had no other choice¡­¡± Ojae felt timid after hearing Eunyoung¡¯s response, and the volume of his voice tapered off. ¡°No, no matter how sick you are, how could you do that when you know everything that has gone on between these two people?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m worried about them right now. It might still be hard for him because he breathed in a lot of smoke yesterday.¡± ¡°What do you mean, breathing smoke?¡± ¡°Oh, no. It¡¯s nothing.¡± Ojae waved his hands like he was embarrassed. ¡°Leave the office now. I don¡¯t want to look at you.¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m so sorry.¡± ¡°Get out. Right now!¡± On Eunyoung¡¯s cry, Ojae left the office without even answering properly. ¡°He plays as he looks.¡± When Ojae went out, Eunyoung couldn¡¯t stand her anger and mumbled to herself. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me not to judge people by their appearance?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Oh, no. Nothing.¡± Ari smiled meanly and turned her head. ¡°Idiot, idiot, you¡¯re such an idiot!¡± Eunyoung¡¯s cry echoed through the whole office many times. *** ¡®Did she used to be that pretty¡­?¡¯ Throughout the meeting, Gyeonhui couldn¡¯t keep his eyes off of her. She usually wears jeans and a shirt. She was just wearing a dress today, but the way she looked seemed completely different. ¡®Did she dress up for this meeting? She looked too dressy for this.¡¯ Sun¡¯s clothes were more like when she was dating Gyeonhui in the past. ¡®¡­ Did she already knew that I was coming instead of Ojae? Did Ojae and her set something up with each other?¡¯ When his endless imagination went back and forth, Gyeonhui felt better and showed a smile on his face. ¡°We will repay you with imaginative and complete work.¡± A center official said after the briefing. ¡°Hmm. We¡¯ll discuss the production costs as soon as the feasibility review of the business is over.¡± He seemed to be uninterested in the contents of the meeting itself that they had spoken while he was organizing the documents. ¡°Sure. Thank you.¡± A center official responded to Gyeonhui¡¯s comments. As he stood up, Sun followed him out of the meeting room. ¡°Hah¡­¡± A long sigh leaked out of her mouth at the moment. She had the incident yesterday, and after a long meeting with a weakened body, she was exhausted. When Gyeonhui noticed her face, he spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll drop you off at your office.¡± ¡°No, thanks. I can go back to the office alone.¡± ¡°Just go with me. I know you¡¯re going to go back to the office anyway.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no reason for me to go with you.¡± ¡°We can talk about today¡¯s meeting on the way, so we don¡¯t need to see each other again? Isn¡¯t that better?¡± Sun glared at him, but she was only walking out of the center like she was uninterested in changing her mind. Over the parking lot, Gyeonhui headed to the restaurant where he had parked his car. However, another car was parked where he parked his car. ¡°This¡­ what happened here?¡± After looking around many times, he was sure that it was definitely this restaurant. He asked the owner who was coming out of the restaurant. ¡°Excuse me. Do you know what happened to the car that was here?¡± ¡°Was it your car? You didn¡¯t answer the calls, so I¡¯ve towed it.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± He quickly pulled out his phone and checked the missed calls. He didn¡¯t know that the phone was ringing because he placed the phone on silent because of Chakyeong. ¡°But how can you¡­¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Then Sun intervened, apologizing to the owner and turned away. ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s grab a taxi.¡± He reluctantly followed her. However, there were not many cars passing by, nor taxis on the streets. ¡°Whenever I need a damn taxi, there isn¡¯t any on the road!¡± He vented his anger on the taxi. ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡± Sun said like it was hard for her to be with him anymore. ¡°How would you go back?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a bus going to the office directly.¡± ¡°A bus?¡± Sun nodded shortly, instead of answering and headed to the bus stop. However, as she took a few steps, she stopped because of the pain in her heel. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± She dropped her head to check the pained area. She realized that her heel was skinned against the dress shoes that she hadn¡¯t worn in a long time. Gyeonhui furrowed his brow as he watched her. It looked so painful to walk so far because her skinned heels were so sore. However, Sun soon stepped forward, pretending to be casual and seemingly unwilling to reveal that she could feel pain through her heels to him. She¡¯d rather walk just fine, but Gyeonhui, following her, limped on his foot. ¡°¡­ Go slowly.¡± He said, following her, but she didn¡¯t slow down. Chapter 66 *** When she finally arrived at the bus stop, she looked back slightly. However, she hadn¡¯t noticed that he had been following her until a while ago. ¡°Where did you go¡­¡± Sun aimlessly looked around to find Gyeonhui, but she soon shook her head slowly, thinking that looking for him was ridiculous. Sun plunked down on the bench and immediately sighed for a long time. She moved her feet slightly, and she soon felt pain not only on her heels but also in her sole and toes. It would have been better to attach a bandage, but she couldn¡¯t even think about getting it because she was rushing in the morning. ¡°Are we taking the bus here?¡± Gyeonhui approached her and asked. She nodded and quickly pulled her feet down under the bench to hide her feet from him. He watched her calmly and suddenly sat beside her. She felt so awkward and moved to the side a little to put a distance between him. He seemed to be struggling for a moment and pulled bandages out of his pocket and gave them to her. Sun¡¯s eyes widened in amazement. She looked at him and the bandages. ¡°Put some bandages on. It looks painful.¡± Sun was so surprised that she could only hold up the bandages and look at him without saying anything. ¡°Put it on. Please listen to me.¡± He suddenly took the bandages from her hand and slumped down with one knee in front of her. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± He tried to remove her shoes from her feet. ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t do it.¡± She tried to pull her feet away, but he did not let go. Eventually, her shoes were peeled off, and her messy feet were revealed. ¡°Hah¡­¡± He bit his lips while frowning. ¡°¡­It looks really painful.¡± Her eyes shook as he said this. The actions that she had never seen from him before had shaken her heart. He seemed unfamiliar with how to use the bandages, and the sticky parts overlapped sloppily. ¡°Why is it doing this?¡± After making a few mistakes, he carefully attached a bandage to her toes. ¡°Does it feel better?¡± He asked, but she couldn¡¯t answer. He tried to rip the other bandages again and put it on the other toe. This time, however, the adhesive part was overlapped again. ¡°¡­ Give it to me. I¡¯ll do it this time.¡± Sun put a bandage on her own wounds instead. As always, she was accustomed to treating her own wounds alone. His touch was obviously burdensome and uncomfortable. However¡­ Her heart continued to waver. She had finished putting the bandages on, but she couldn¡¯t hold her head. ¡°Are you done?¡± He reached out once again to check the wound. Soon, Sun pushed his hand away coldly. ¡°¡­ Act the way you¡¯re used to, not like this. Please.¡± Gyeonhui couldn¡¯t reply to this. ¡°Bus 000 will be arriving soon.¡± Just in time, the bus had arrived at the bus stop with that announcement. She stood up from her seat as soon as it had stopped and rushed to get on the bus. *** When she came home to find her cell phone, she plunked down on the couch weakly. She looked out of the window, and the sun was already setting. ¡®¡­ It looks really painful.¡¯ She looked out the window; his words and expressions did not leave her head alone. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Sun shook her head, so she would stop thinking about him and soon picked up her phone. She checked the missed calls and called the office. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m so sorry. I left my phone at home.¡± ¡°We thought so. By the way, did you go to the meeting with Mr. Wu? Were there any problems with him?¡± Upon hearing Ari¡¯s question, Sun looked down at her toes that were covered with bandages. ¡°¡­ It was all fine.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad, but what happened yesterday?¡± ¡°Yesterday? Oh, nothing, nothing happened. Why?¡± Sun seemed a little surprised. ¡°I heard that you inhaled some smoke? Did you?¡± ¡®Did Dr. Park tell her..?¡¯ Sun shook her head because Eunwoo wouldn¡¯t do that based on how much she knew his personality. ¡°Who said it?¡± ¡°Ojae.¡± ¡°Mr. Kwon?¡± Sun looked surprised and reiterated her words. ¡°He must¡¯ve said something useless again. I thought there was a fire at your place or something. Never mind. Are you coming back to the office?¡± ¡°Huh? Yes, I¡¯m coming in. ¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± ¡®Tuk,¡¯ Sun was lost in her thoughts for a while holding the phone in her hand. Eunwoo might have spoken directly to the Kids fan family, but he wouldn¡¯t have told Ojae anything. ¡°What¡¯s going on¡­¡± Sun went over her memories again and soon realized that something didn¡¯t make sense when her place caught on fire yesterday. She didn¡¯t know anything about what happened yesterday because she was ultimately at her wit¡¯s end, but there were so many strange things about it. It was strange that someone had called the fire department because they only heard Labong¡¯s cry, and it was also odd that Eunwoo was the one who had received a call from someone. Furthermore, she knew that the paramedics wouldn¡¯t fix the broken door for her. Not to mention, at that time, when the door was fastened, Eunwoo was in the hospital with her. Sun had stood up quickly from her seat, opened the door, and went outside. She looked under the new keyhole. There were the contact numbers of the company that installed the new door yesterday. After a while, Sun pulled out her phone and called the company. After a few beeps, their employee answered the call. ¡°Hello, this is Hope Key, how can we help you?¡± ¡°Hi. I¡¯m calling about the new door that was installed yesterday.¡± ¡°Yesterday? Yes, I remember it. Is there any problem with the door?¡± ¡°Oh, no. I just would like to ask you a question.¡± After a moment¡¯s pause, Sun carefully opened her mouth. ¡°Can you tell me who ordered for the repair on my door yesterday?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Wait a minute. We don¡¯t really check our customer¡¯s ID unless we have to open their door and get inside.¡± Sun bit her dry lips and waited for their answer. ¡°Oh, luckily, there¡¯s a name on the cash receipt.¡± ¡°¡­ Who was it?¡± Her tightly clenched fist started to sweat. A short time later, Sun¡¯s eyes widened when she heard the repairman. ¡°Did you just say it was Ojae Kwon¡­?¡± Once she confirmed the familiar name over the phone, her eyes shook violently. Chapter 67 ¡°Why did Ojae¡­¡± She sat motionless for a long time after hanging up the phone. No matter how much she thought about this, she could not understand why Ojae¡¯s name would come out of this. Feeling anxious, Sun struggled to remember the day. When she tried to leave with Labong in her arms, she lost consciousness, and someone¡¯s voice came to her mind. ¡®Cheonsun!¡¯ The man rushed in as he opened the door. He called her name. ¡®He knew my name¡­ Oh. No way¡­¡¯ At that moment, she recalled the day in retrospect. The man¡¯s face, who she thought was her father, clearly had sharp facial features. ¡®Gyeonhui¡­¡¯ Sun was shocked and closed her eyes, biting her lips tightly. Her eyelids trembled as if she were spinning. She grabbed her phone and raised herself. *** ¡°Hmm.¡± Upon returning to his office, Gyeonhui glanced at the Kids Fan¡¯s office through the window. He could see that Eunyoung was making phone calls, and Ari was working on design modifications. ¡°Hasn¡¯t she come here yet?¡± He didn¡¯t understand why she returned to the office later than him when he stopped by the tow yard to get his car back first. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Then he felt pain in his heels that had subsided for a while. It was as if she were walking at high speed; the pain increased frequently. ¡°Did she left to work away from the office again? Really?¡± He frowned upon feeling the revolting pain in his feet and soon opened the door of the Kids Fan¡¯s office. He would make her return home if she was working away from the office. ¡°Oh, hello.¡± Ari stood up and greeted him once she recognized him. ¡°Where is Cheonsun?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡± Ari froze after hearing his cold words and hurriedly rolled her eyes. ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°¡­ She said she¡¯s going to stop by her house for a while because she left her phone at home.¡± ¡°Oh, the cell phone.¡± He nodded, recalling that she had left her cell phone behind. ¡®Is that why she is moving in a hurry?¡¯ He thought and looked at his throbbing heels. ¡°Oh, is there no schedule here after work?¡± ¡°You mean, me?¡± Ari looked surprised while holding her hands on her chest. ¡°You really think that I meant your schedule?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ you mean Sun?¡± Ari, breathing a sigh of relief, replied. ¡°I think she said that she has an appointment today.¡± ¡°An appointment?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know who she is going to meet today.¡± Ari kept her mouth shut as if she couldn¡¯t speak anymore. ¡°¡­ Who is she going to meet?¡± He asked while furrowing his brow. ¡°It¡¯s Dr. Park.¡± Then, Eunyoung¡¯s voice was heard from behind him. He turned his head and saw that Eunyoung had finished a phone call and was walking toward him slowly. ¡°She has a dinner appointment with Dr. Park tonight. So please don¡¯t disturb the two of them, and go back to your office.¡± Her calm tone irritated him as he furrowed his brows. ¡°Disturb? Ha!¡± He laughed with outrage as he glared at Eunyoung. ¡°I won¡¯t disturb them. I¡¯m going to completely stop them.¡± ¡°Hey, Mr. Woo.¡± He could hear Eunyoung¡¯s voice, but he exited the office before they could do anything more. As he walked out roughly to the hallway, he suddenly stopped. ¡°That was the reason that she dressed up so nicely.¡± He furrowed his brow and mumbled to himself. When his expectations of her had collapsed, a greater sense of loss came. With a firm expression, he bit his lips and started walking again. *** ¡°Are you on our side or his side? Stop babbling!¡± Eunyoung looked at Ari in a frustrated way. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I was scared.¡± Ari dropped her eyes, with her mouth shut, as if she had nothing more to say. ¡°Call Sun right away before something could happen to her.¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± Ari lifted her phone while feeling timid. After a few rings, Sun answered the phone. ¡°Hey, I have something to say¡­ Where are you now?¡± Ari¡¯s eyes widened when she heard Sun¡¯s answer. ¡°Hey, Sun! Sun!¡± Ari called her over the phone in a hurry, but Sun had already hung up. ¡°What? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Eunyoung was watching Ari and asked anxiously. ¡°She said that she is almost here¡­ but¡­.¡± ¡°But what?¡± ¡°She said that she¡¯s going to meet Mr. Woo.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I have no idea¡­¡± Ari seemed anxious, too, while biting her lower lip and blurring the end of her words. ¡°¡­ Why are things getting more complicated¡­ This is frustrating¡­¡± Eunyoung sighed with her hands on her back, seemingly outraged. *** ¡°No, I don¡¯t know what you are saying¡­¡± Ojae looked up slowly, stammering in embarrassment. Sun sat on the other side and opened her mouth again with an expressionless face. ¡°Did Gyeonhui come to our house yesterday? Do you know anything?¡± ¡°I know nothing.¡± Ojae turned his head to hide his embarrassed face from her. ¡°¡­ You asked for a cash receipt in your name for the door repair, Ojae.¡± With her confident interrogation, Ojae closed his eyes tightly. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have done it! Why did I do it¡­?¡¯ Ojae regretted it, but he had no more to hide and inevitably spoke up. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Gyeonhui visited your house by coincidence, and he noticed that there was smoke coming out of your house. He injured his hand when he struggled to save you.¡± After hearing Ojae¡¯s reply, she recalled that his hand was in a plaster cast. ¡®As expected¡­¡¯ After understanding the whole situation, Sun closed her eyes and opened them again. ¡°¡­ Why did you deceive me?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡± Ojae could not find the right answer as he stuttered. Then the door opened, and Gyeonhui came in. ¡°I¡¯ll explain.¡± He approached her with a firm expression. ¡°I thought you would hate the fact that I saved you. That¡¯s all.¡± Sun bit her lower lip hearing his response. ¡°¡­ You should have just left me there.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Because I hate it. I really hate it more than anything that it was you who saved me.¡± His eyes shook violently. ¡°¡­ Is it fun to play on my emotions?¡± Her voice trembled. ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°Do you think something has changed because you helped and watched out for me?¡± ¡°Listen to me! Ugh¡­ Gyeonhui tried to stop her, but he took his hand away from her because his injury started to act up again. Sun looked at it and spoke to him with cold eyes. ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t take credit for your rescue. Please.¡± After hearing her words, he froze on the spot. Sun ran out of the office at the end of that sentence. ¡°Wait, Sun!¡± Ojae hurriedly chased after her. There was only silence in the office behind the sound of the door closing. ¡®Don¡¯t take credit for your rescue.¡¯ Sun¡¯s words overlapped with what he said sometime in the past. On the day she was preparing a lunch box for him, she placed a bandage on her finger that was hurt while she was cooking. ¡®Are you showing me that you¡¯re injured because of this?¡¯ This phrase that he said carelessly came to his mind clearly, as if it happened yesterday. He clutched his chest after feeling the advancing pain. He smashed his molars as if showing that he had endured the pain and suddenly ran out of the office. Chapter 68 *** ¡°The number you have dialed is not in service at this time¡­¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Eunwoo hung up his phone and sighed briefly. ¡°Is she not done at work yet?¡± Eunwoo was waiting for Sun on the first floor of the Consencio building. He looked at the entrance and muttered to himself. At that time, he noticed Ari coming through the entrance in a hurry. ¡°Huh? Hey, Ari!¡± Eunwoo gladly called her excitedly, but Ari seemed to be looking for someone else. Eunwoo approached her with wonder, and Ari finally hurried to see him like she just noticed him. ¡°Dr. Park.¡± ¡°Ari, what¡¯s going on?¡± Eunwoo read her expression anxiously and asked. ¡°¡­ Have you seen Sun here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m supposed to see her here, why? What¡¯s going on with her?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± After contemplated many times, but she decided to open her mouth carefully. ¡°I can¡¯t contact her since she said she was going to see Mr. Woo. I don¡¯t know what else is going on¡­¡± Ari spoke with a worried expression while biting her lip. Eunwoo¡¯s face sank seriously when he heard this from Ari. ¡°When was it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been about thirty minutes. I¡¯m sure she hasn¡¯t gone far¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll look for her.¡± Before Ari¡¯s words were even over, Eunwoo moved ahead. ¡°Dr. Park!¡± Ari hurriedly called Eunwoo again, but he was already far away. ¡°Did I say something that I shouldn¡¯t have said again¡­?¡± Ari¡¯s was about to cry as she watched Eunwoo walking away. *** After reaching the exit of the building, Sun walked away. She bled from her heels and bumped into people, but she continued to walk. She was frustrated, and she wanted to escape the space where she was with him quickly. ¡®Why, why¡­?¡¯ The more she pushed him out of her mind, the more struggle and heartache came to her. Misery and relief were intricately mixed together, and her tears quickly filled her eyes. She shook her head and tried to dry her tears, but it wasn¡¯t easy. She wiped away her tears with her hands, but the tears flowed down her cheeks faster than her hands could wipe. She wanted to run away, but she didn¡¯t know where she could escape. A world that had turned cold with her tears. She wiped away the tears with her hands again, and she stumbled into a small jagged stone. ¡°Ahkk!¡± She closed her eyes with silent screams. However, at that moment, someone grabbed her flailing arms and pulled them. Luckily, she didn¡¯t fall, but she was thrown in someone¡¯s arms. When she closed her eyes in amazement, she slowly opened them. His firm chest muscles were taught and firm before her eyes. She looked at the man¡¯s eyes. Her eyes were widened once she recognized his face. ¡°Dr. Park.¡± ¡°¡­ Are you okay?¡± Eunwoo struggled to hold his breath. Where did he come from? His heavy breathing brushed over her skin. ¡°Oh¡­ yes. I¡¯m fine.¡± She seemed awkward and tried to get out of his arms, but Eunwoo braced his arms and embraced her even harder. She was so surprised and opened her eyes wide in his arms. ¡°¡­ I was worried about you. I thought something happened to you.¡± His tender voice sank in her ears. He held her tighter in his arms like he was convincing her that she was safe. Sun¡¯s small body was submerged in his broad chest. It was awkward, but she didn¡¯t hate it. ¡®¡­ It¡¯s warm¡­¡¯ That was the first thing that came to her mind at that moment. The warm and hard embrace of Eunwoo gave her a strange sense of relief. Her beating heart could finally relax in his arms after a day of relentless ups and downs. *** ¡°Hah, Hah.¡± After turning the corner of the building, Gyeonhui took a sharp breath. ¡°Is she an athlete? Why is she so fast?¡± He looked around with a firm expression. That was when he saw a man and a woman embracing under the street light in the distance. Of course, he thought it would not be her, and he tried to turn his head like he was uninterested. However¡­ The silhouette of the woman was somewhat familiar. He turned his head again and looked at the man and the woman. They slowly moved away and looked at each other¡¯s eyes. It unraveled under the streetlight that the woman¡¯s face was, in fact, the woman that he had been looking for all along. The man holding her was Eunwoo. ¡®Khung.¡¯ Something seemed to be trapped on the ground. ¡°¡­ Cheonsun¡­¡± Gyeonhui, with a firm expression, clenched his molars like his lower jaw would be crushed. He started walking towards them fast. A few minutes later. It could have been a few seconds, but Eunwoo¡¯s hard embrace didn¡¯t seem like it would cease any moment. He probably wouldn¡¯t have loosened his grip if she hadn¡¯t said something. ¡°Dr¡­ Dr. Park?¡± When Sun reluctantly called Eunwoo in a low voice, he released her from his arms. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer your phone?¡± ¡°Oh, there were some things that I had to take care of.¡± Sun smiled awkwardly and glossed over her answer. ¡°Did you see Mr. Woo?¡± Sun¡¯s eyes widened after hearing Eunwoo¡¯s question. ¡°I saw Ari.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sun¡¯s expression crumpled in embarrassment. If he had seen Ari, then he already knew the whole situation. ¡°¡­ I just had something to check.¡± Eunwoo¡¯s expression sank this time after hearing her words. With a shallow sigh, Eunwoo raised his head and opened his mouth with a firm expression. ¡°Is there more you need to talk about with Mr. Woo?¡± ¡°¡­ No. I don¡¯t have anything else to say.¡± Sun shook her head and replied. ¡°I think Mr. Woo still has something more to say to you.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± On Eunwoo¡¯s words, she turned her head and followed Eunwoo¡¯s gaze. In the distance, she saw that Gyeonhui was approaching them at a rapid pace with his eyes fumed like a growling ember. ¡°Hah¡­¡± With a slight sigh, Sun¡¯s expression sank. Eunwoo, who was staring at her still, slowly opened his mouth. ¡°Let¡¯s run away.¡± ¡°What?¡± Instead of answering, Eunwoo gently held her hand. She was a little surprised but looked up at him. She soon read his thoughts and slowly nodded. ¡°Run.¡± Eunwoo led her hand with a smile. Chapter 69 *** ¡°What the hell? Are they running away from me?¡± Gyeonhui looked at the two of them as they moved away, and a smile burst over his mouth. Soon, however, his sunken eyes represented his mood in anger. ¡°Cheonsun!¡± Gyeonhui followed them with angry cries. His body, which had been strengthened by his regular exercise, quickly narrowed the gap between him and them. When he almost reached them as he hurried ever faster, the two suddenly turned onto the busy road. ¡°How dare you!¡± As he saw them turn, he continued to run in the same direction. However, when he came onto the big road, he was hit by a large crowd in the street, making it difficult to speed up. ¡°Get out of the way! Get out of the way!!¡± He pushed people away and walked forward rudely. At that moment, he bumped into a part-time student who was handing out flyers on the street. As Gyeonhui¡¯s body staggered, he lost sight of the two of them because of the flyers that spread into the air. ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t you watch where you are going?¡± He was angry and yelled at the boy. After that, he began to run in the same direction where the two of them went. However, as he turned around the corner between the buildings, he could not find them anymore because of the bustling crowd. ¡°¡­ They couldn¡¯t have made it far.¡± He looked around the area quickly with fierce eyes. As he glanced through the crowd, he saw a man and a woman entering an alleyway between two buildings. ¡°I¡¯ve got you.¡± Confident that they were Sun and Eunwoo, he rushed toward them. In the dark alleyway, the man and the woman stopped amid the road to give each other a hug. ¡°Hah.¡± When Gyeonhui watched them, he felt like his blood was rising through his body. He could no longer hold his anger and quickly approached them. He grabbed the man¡¯s shoulder roughly and tried to punch him in the face. ¡°Hey!¡± However, the man who looked back at him with a panicked expression was not Eunwoo. Gyeonhui quickly checked the woman¡¯s face with his eyes wide open, but it was not her either. ¡°Who, who the hell are you guys?¡± Gyeonhui was embarrassed and asked them urgently. ¡°You little jerk, that¡¯s exactly what I have to say! Who the hell are you!¡± The man could not stand his anger and punched him in the face. ¡°Ugh.¡± Because of the unexpected attack, Gyeonhui fell to the ground without avoiding it. ¡°What an idiot! Let¡¯s go, honey.¡± The man spat on the ground, grabbed his girlfriend, and walked out of the alleyway. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± He moaned and slowly raised his body. ¡°Hah¡­ It wasn¡¯t them, though.¡± He breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the man and woman moving away. Soon, however, the annoyance that rushed through him had distorted his face. ¡°Where the hell did they go?¡± Then, his nose started to drip with blood. ¡°What¡­ what is this? Blood?¡± His hands trembled violently. A moment later, his meaningless cry echoed in the dark alley. *** ¡°What horrible luck.¡± A part-time student sat and picked up the flyers with an annoyed lament. ¡°Here, take this too.¡± The lady, who was selling hats at a cart on the street, handed out the flyers that fell on her cart. ¡°Thank you.¡± The part-time student greeted her awkwardly and began handing out flyers to people again. ¡°What a mean guy. He looked just fine, but he was rude to innocent people. I hope karma breaks his nose sometimes as punishment!¡± The lady remembered something. When she returned to her seat, she watched a man and a woman who was standing near and asked them in disgust. ¡°Hey, the two of you there, are you guys buying the hats or not?¡± The two people who were hiding beside the cart slowly turned toward the lady. Eunwoo, who was wearing a baseball cap, carefully looked around the area first. ¡°Is he gone?¡± Then, Sun, who was wearing a fedora, asked Eunwoo while looking around the area. ¡°I think he¡¯s gone.¡± They were still wandering around the area like they were being pursued. ¡°I said, are you going to buy them or not.¡± The lady, who was watching them, asked again, seemingly frustrated. ¡°Oh, yes. Sure.¡± Eunwoo took some cash out of his wallet and handed it out to her. As soon as the lady had the money, she suddenly started to speak with a gentle smile. ¡°They look great on both of you. Have a happy date¡± ¡°Oh, okay. Thank you¡­¡± Sun and Eunwoo laughed awkwardly at each other over the lady¡¯s sudden change of attitude. Eunwoo came out on the road and, once again, checked his surroundings. He then started speaking. ¡°Luckily, we gave our shadow the slip.¡± Sun nodded awkwardly. Eunwoo looked at her, still smiling. ¡°The lady at the cart was right. It¡¯s such a great fit for you.¡± ¡°Oh, my. I wasn¡¯t thinking about it.¡± When Sun realized that she was wearing a fedora, she tried to take off her hat. ¡°Don¡¯t take it off. It¡¯s so cute.¡± ¡°No way. How can I be cute in this hat?¡± ¡°You always look cute in my eyes.¡± Eunwoo looked straight into Sun¡¯s eyes and said. ¡°Stop, don¡¯t kid me.¡± Sun awkwardly avoided his gaze and took off her hat. Eunwoo smiled after seeing her reaction and also took off his hat before opening his mouth. ¡°By the way, what¡¯s going on with Mr. Woo?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sun smiled awkwardly at him, but she couldn¡¯t answer. However, Eunwoo understood the situation as he saw her hesitating to speak. ¡®¡­ I just had something to check.¡¯ Eunwoo¡¯s expression sank when he recalled what she had said. He looked at her for a moment, and slowly opened his mouth. ¡°Why don¡¯t we have a drink?¡± *** ¡°Hah.¡± When he returned to the office, he breathed a long sigh. ¡°Hey, what happened to your face? Where did you get hit?¡± Ojae saw Gyeonhui¡¯s face and asked hurriedly. ¡°Lower your voice. Do you want everyone to know about this?¡± ¡°No, but I¡¯m so worried about you.¡± Ojae quickly lowered his voice and replied. ¡°But, where is Sun?¡± ¡°¡­ She¡¯s gone.¡± ¡°To where?¡± ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! She ran away. What do you want me to do?¡± Ojae noticed Gyeonhui¡¯s feelings and quickly closed his mouth. Ojae had a lot of experience and knew that Gyeonhui would speak if he left him alone. ¡°Hey bro,¡± Not surprisingly, but with a frustrated sigh, Gyeonhui called Ojae again. ¡°Have you not noticed that I¡¯ve changed? Have I really changed a lot recently?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, yes.¡± Ojae responded cautiously. Chapter 70 ¡°What more does she want me to do? This is outrageous.¡± ¡°¡­ For what? What did she say to you?¡± Gyeonhui started to speak with a short sigh of frustration. ¡°She asked me to stop pretending that I have changed because a person who actually changed wouldn¡¯t know that they had changed.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I can¡¯t argue with that.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ojae, who had not seen Gyeonhui¡¯s sharp gaze, continued. ¡°It¡¯s true. A real friendly person doesn¡¯t realize that he is kind to other people. Why? Because they just do what¡¯s natural for them, but a person who knows that he is kind to other people is the one who actually pretends to be kind because he did something that¡¯s not a real part of their personality.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who told me to take care of her!¡± Gyeonhui¡¯s soaring voice astonished Ojae. ¡°¡­ I know. I know.¡± Ojae quickly tried to agree with him. ¡°Ha¡­ Why is it so complicated?¡± ¡°Honestly, you¡¯ve changed a lot. Well, you¡¯re trying to change. That¡¯s clear. She just doesn¡¯t feel what has changed in your actions¡­¡± ¡°Why doesn¡¯t she know? I¡¯ve changed a lot like this¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Because she is afraid.¡± ¡°What is she afraid of?¡± ¡°It¡¯s so scary to get hurt again¡­ for her.¡± Gyeonhui quickly remembered his childhood after hearing Ojae¡¯s comment. The memory of his mother abandoning him at the front door of the orphanage before leaving came to his mind. It hurt him critically as if his head had been crushed. The memory of that day was so vivid to him like it only happened yesterday. ¡°Please. Stop¡­¡± Gyeonhui struggled to speak with his eyes closed. However, without realizing Gyeonhui¡¯s feelings, Ojae continued to speak. ¡°It might take a long time, but try to show her how sincere your actions are.¡± ¡°I said, stop! Get out!¡± Gyeonhui threw a file of paper that was sitting beside him and shouted at him. Ojae exited the office like he was running away, but soon, he came back in, cleaned up the paperwork, and went out again. ¡®Bang.¡¯ When Gyeonhui heard the door closing, the office grew very quiet. ¡®When you¡¯re all grown up, we¡¯ll meet again. You understand, Gyeonhui?¡¯ Mrs. Shin¡¯s voice echoed through his ears. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± His forehead was sweaty, and his chest began to pound as if he had run a hundred meters. He plugged his ears with both his hands while clenching his teeth, highly distressed. *** ¡®Dripping.¡¯ Eunwoo filled up her glass with Soju. She was sitting down blankly and sipped the drink without hesitation. Eunwoo looked at her motionless and filled up her glass again. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask?¡± Eunwoo asked. ¡°¡­ ask what?¡± ¡°I know that I lied to you.¡± At his confession, she paused for a moment and replied, ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sure you did it with a good purpose.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Eunwoo sighed shortly and leaned over the bottle of Soju. ¡°¡­ Mr. Woo asked me to do it.¡± Her eyes widened after hearing that Gyeonhuin had asked him to do such a thing. She couldn¡¯t believe that a man like Gyeonhui could ask someone to do something like that. ¡°I should have refused¡­¡± Eunwoo recalled the day Gyeonhui visited. *** ¡°Where is she?¡± When Eunwoo had seen Labong, he asked, concerned. ¡°Something is going on with her, so she is in the hospital.¡± ¡°In the hospital?¡± Eunwoo seemed surprised. ¡°She inhaled some smoke.¡± ¡°Where is the hospital?¡± ¡°Wait. You can go once you listen to me.¡± Eunwoo hearkened to him at his request. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you where the hospital is, but I would like to ask you a favor.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°I would like her to think that you saved her.¡± ¡°Sorry? What¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°If she knows that I¡¯ve saved her, then it¡¯s going to be hard for her to accept it. She¡¯ll feel better knowing that you saved her. Let¡¯s just put it up that way.¡± ¡°¡­ What does that mean?¡± ¡°I mean nothing. I just think it would be better.¡± ¡°Are you telling me to lie to her now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I said it was a favor. I know you don¡¯t like it, but it¡¯s good for her.¡± Eunwoo grew silent upon hearing Gyeonhui¡¯s suggestion. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who told me to stop hurting her? I¡¯m just trying to do what you told me to do.¡± Eunwoo sat still and looked at Gyeonhui¡¯s face. His firm expression showed his sincerity. ¡°Me telling her that I saved her will be a disadvantage to you.¡± ¡°I thought so too, but sometimes, that isn¡¯t necessarily the case.¡± Gyeonhui recalled the moment when Eunwoo lost the ball on purpose when they played soccer. ¡°Are you going to do this favor for me or not? If you don¡¯t like it, then I¡¯ll just go, but you¡¯ll never know where the hospital is otherwise.¡± Gyeonhui raised his voice like all of this seemed awkward. Eunwoo had thought about it for a moment before nodding slowly. He had realized that he needed to make sure that she was safe. ¡°¡­ Great. I will send you the address.¡± Gyeonhui exited the hospital with a bitter expression. A short time later, a message with the hospital address arrived at his cell phone. *** ¡°Hah¡­¡± After listening to everything that happened from Eunwoo¡¯s point of view, she sighed deeply. The endless questions made her mind even more uncertain. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I lied to you.¡± She slowly shook her head after hearing his apology, ¡°No, you don¡¯t need to be sorry. He¡¯s the one who pushes everyone to get what he wants. I¡¯m sure that you would have been embarrassed too.¡± With her reply, Eunwoo smiled silently. ¡°It wasn¡¯t just that.¡± Eunwoo stopped for a moment and sipped his drink. ¡°I thought it would be a little advantageous for me too. That¡¯s why I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°¡­ What¡¯s advantageous? What do you mean?¡± She blinked and waited for his answer. Eunwoo¡¯s eyes became serious as he watched her. ¡°I think about you. All-day long.¡± His seriousness and his stare filled her eyes. The unshakable frankness in Eunwoo¡¯s eyes instilled a conflict within Sun, making her eyes shake. Eunwoo looked at her silently. Her lips quivered because she couldn¡¯t find the right answer, and her gaze wandered. Her delicate fist that was repeatedly grabbing and shaking nervously caught his eye. Eunwoo, who was smiling wryly, poured alcohol into his glass and said, ¡°So be more careful. You make me worry a lot because you get hurt all the time.¡± Her eyes returned to normal upon hearing his further explanation as if what he just said was a matter of little importance. ¡°Oh, yes¡­ That¡¯s right. I¡¯m a bit careless. My friends, Eunyoung and Ari, also worry about me a lot. Hahaha.¡± Sun¡¯s smile was broader than usual and talked more as if to hide her awkwardness, With her sigh of relief, Eunwoo showed a bitter smile on his face. She gazed at the table, keeping her eyes fixed on the table. She needed time to organize her mind because of her more complicated thoughts. ¡°Oh, my. I totally forgot that I had something to finish today.¡± Sun rose from her seat and said, seemingly in a hurry. ¡°I¡¯ll drive you.¡± Chapter 71 ¡°I will drive you. What if you get hurt again on the way?¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m really fine¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t feel guilty. I¡¯m doing it for myself.¡± She blinked and looked at him, seemingly not understanding what he meant. ¡°It¡¯s my personality that I worry about people. Just like you always say that you¡¯re okay.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± She could no longer refuse him after hearing his heartfelt thoughts. Eunwoo drank the remaining drink and slowly rose from his seat. She, reading his slightly sunken expression, silently followed behind him. *** The next morning, Gangnam Boulevard. Waiting for the traffic signal, Gyeonhui was locked in his thoughts while holding the steering wheel. ¡®Why the hell did I started thinking about that memory all of a sudden?¡¯ Although a day had passed, he still couldn¡¯t find the reason why he had those thoughts in mind. Did he want to shake off his painful memories? He shook his head vigorously, and when the signal changed, he stepped on the gas pedal. The car departed with a heavy roar of the engine and drove through the intersection toward the Consencio building. ¡®Because she is so afraid, she is afraid to get hurt again¡­¡¯ Ojae¡¯s comment quickly and forcefully appeared on Gyeonhui¡¯s memory, overlapping with the few memories he had from twenty years ago. Not only the memories but also the feelings and wounds of that time came back, making him feel like it happened yesterday. ¡°Hah¡­¡± He sighed while resting his head on the one hand, but he could not snap out of his mood. As soon as he turned the steering wheel, he could see that she was arriving to work. ¡®Ereeek.¡¯ He stepped on the brakes and pulled the car over like a natural reflex. With a sigh accompanied by a sinking expression, she passed through the revolving door and entered the building. ¡°What¡¯s so scary, what the hell¡­¡± Gyeonhui watched calmly as his eyes sank. He was briefly locked in his thoughts for a moment and eventually left the car. He started running toward her, feeling frustrated. *** When she got off the elevator, she arrived at the office door. When she saw that the lights were on, she thought that Eunyoung and Ari were already at work. ¡°Hah¡­¡± With a shallow sigh, she opened the office door. Eunyoung and Ari looked at her at the same time. ¡°Can you not sleep because you both are getting old? Why did you come to work so early?¡± Sun asked as if nothing had happened. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Ari approached and asked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Yesterday, you abruptly said that you¡¯re going to Mr. Woo. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I had something to discuss regarding the meeting that we had.¡± Sun smiled awkwardly and made up a story. ¡°¡­ Are you sure?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°What was it about?¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s no big deal.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no big deal, so let¡¯s talk about it,¡± Eunyoung asked, frustrated. ¡°It¡¯s not that serious. Really. I¡¯ll let you know once I organized some stuff about the meeting.¡± ¡°¡­ Sun¡­¡± Ari called Sun without concealing her concerns for her. ¡°Well, didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯re going to go do market research today? I¡¯m going to sort out some meeting materials.¡± ¡°Hey, Sun.¡± Eunyoung watched her, and also called her name. ¡°You don¡¯t need to call my name like that. I won¡¯t forget my name. Why don¡¯t you guys get back to work? It¡¯s better to work when the office is quiet.¡± When she struggled, Eunyoung gave up asking any more. ¡°I got it, but if you have something going on, you have to talk to us, okay?¡± Eunyoung affirmed again. ¡°I will.¡± Sun smiled and pushed Ari and Eunyoung back out of the office. ¡®Bang.¡¯ She closed the door to be alone and exhaled a long sigh. Her expression sank endlessly, and what truly was inside her head was revealed when she was alone. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Her long sigh swelled into the air. *** ¡°What the hell is going on with her?¡± While waiting for the elevator, Ari asked Eunyoung. ¡°She said that she had to discuss something about the meeting.¡± ¡°Do you believe that?¡± ¡°Would you believe it if it were you? I just pretended that I know nothing.¡± Eunyoung was frustrated and raised her voice. ¡°Why are you so mean to me? I¡¯m worried about her too¡­¡± Ari said in a sad, dead tone timidly. ¡°Hah¡­ Should we move out of this building¡­¡± ¡°Move out? You mean this office?¡± Eunyoung nodded slowly as if she were distressed. ¡°What if the business we got in exchange for contracting with Consencio cancels again?¡± ¡°We will figure it out. We¡¯ll manage it somehow.¡± ¡°We are almost bankrupt already. Don¡¯t you remember what happened last time? We¡¯ve lost all of our customers.¡± Hearing Ari, Eunyoung recalled what happened in the past three months. They would seldom find new accounts, and if existing ones stopped doing business with them at once, they would be able to feel the power of Consencio¡¯s retail industry domination. ¡°I¡¯ve never regretted starting a business, but I regret it these days whenever I see Sun struggle all by herself.¡± Eunyoung exhaled a sigh of frustration. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. I don¡¯t know why Mr. Woo is so mean to her, especially since they broke up. Why is he sticking around her like a tick?¡± Ari narrowed her eyes and made a noise. ¡°Ehem.¡± Then they heard someone clearing their throat from behind. ¡°Eek!¡± Ari acted hastily and screamed. When they quickly looked back, they saw Gyeonhui with sinking eyes, not knowing how long he had been standing there. Ari had been gossiping about him until a short time ago and hid behind Eunyoung¡¯s back as if feeling guilty. ¡°He didn¡¯t hear me, did he?¡± When Ari asked in a tiny voice, Eunyoung urged her to be quiet. Eunyoung opened her mouth again while looking at Gyeonhui. ¡°Do you have anything to discuss with us?¡± Eunyoung asked in a hard tone. ¡°Where is Sun?¡± ¡°She hasn¡¯t come to work yet.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen her going into the building a while ago.¡± ¡°Then why are you asking me?¡± ¡°Why are you lying to me?¡± He seemed dissatisfied. ¡°Are you really asking because you don¡¯t know?¡± Eunyoung continued inquiring as Gyeonhui looked at her silently. ¡°You hurt Sun all the time.¡± ¡°You sound like it¡¯s all my fault.¡± Eunyoung¡¯s heart wretched after hearing his word, but she tried to keep her mind calm and opened her mouth again, ¡°She already has a lot of wounds in her mind, so you don¡¯t have to hurt her more. Mr. Woo.¡± ¡°This is none of your business. I will manage this the way I want, so stop caring about what¡¯s happening between us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just your problem. Because of you, Mr. Woo, everyone around you gets hurt.¡± ¡°Hurt?¡± ¡°Kids Fans, Ojae, and Dr. Park¡­¡± Each name made Gyeonhui furrowed his eyebrows. He was lost in thought for a moment and looked back at Eunyoung before asking. ¡°Do you not see that I have changed?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± On his question, Eunyoung furrowed her eyebrows, and that was like a clear answer to him. ¡°I¡¯ve had wasted my time.¡± He passed by the two of them with a firm expression. ¡°Huh, I guess he didn¡¯t hear anything.¡± Ari let out a long sigh as she watched him anxiously. ¡°Change? Him? What does that even mean?¡¯ Eunyoung looked back at him while reflecting on what he had just said. Chapter 72 *** While she was typing on the keyboard, she remembered what Gyeonhui had said from Eunwoo. ¡®If she knows that I¡¯ve saved her, then it¡¯s going to be hard for her to accept it. She¡¯ll feel better knowing that you saved her. Let¡¯s just put it up that way.¡¯ ¡®¡­ What does that mean?¡¯ ¡®I mean nothing. I just think it would be better.¡¯ ¡®Are you telling me to lie to her now?¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s why I said it was a favor. I know you don¡¯t like it, but it¡¯s good for her.¡¯ Gyeonhui never asked a favor from anyone. He used people when they were worthy. Otherwise, he would throw them away. Then he spoke about the word ¡°favor¡± to Eunwoo, who was more dissatisfied than anyone else. What was even stranger were the words he used. ¡®It¡¯s good for her¡­¡¯ She had never heard it from him before while she was in a relationship with him. ¡°Why are you doing this¡­¡± His actions were already beyond her comprehension. He differed so much from what she had known of him over the years. With a sigh, she looked up weakly, and a bag on her desk caught her eyes. It was various chocolates and sweet snacks that he bought for her. She knew that she was done with him, but the bursting hope in her mind had shaken her. No matter how much she tried to deny it, she could not come to terms with her mixed feelings. It was neither easy to go back or move forward without him. She came here all the way with her heart burning in pain, but nothing seemed to change. All she could do was endure in front of these two desperate-sounding options. ¡°Huh¡­¡± With a heavy sigh, Sun shook her head and tried to shake her stressful thoughts, but the emotions that she had once abandoned had stirred up again. ¡°I¡¯m going to drink something.¡± To calm down, she opened the office door to get something to drink. ¡®Bang.¡¯ With the sound of the door opening, she saw Gyeonhui standing at the door. ¡®Gyeonhui.¡¯ Her unprepared face hardened instantly. ¡°¡­ What¡¯s up?¡± She pretended to be as casual as possible and asked. ¡°I still have more to talk with you.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re talking about the meetings, then we¡¯ll send you materials this afternoon.¡± She tried to escape the office, but soon, his rough hands caught her. ¡°Cheonsun. I¡¯m not done talking to you.¡± ¡°¡­ Let go of me.¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t. I won¡¯t.¡± She tried to pull her arm off him, but she could not overpower him. Gyeonhui looked down on her and started speaking slowly, ¡°¡­ You¡¯re right. I was wrong.¡± His unexpected words made her eyes shake. ¡°I thought you would hate it if you found out that I had saved you, so I lied. I had no other motive.¡± He tried to speak as calmly as possible. His every word touched Sun¡¯s mind, but she decided to pretend that she was unaffected. ¡°¡­ It doesn¡¯t matter if you had lied to me or not. It was just an accident that happened to me. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Sun tried to downplay him again. This time, however, he decided to hold her arm fondly. ¡°How can I not care about you? Telling me not to care about you anymore would not stop me!¡± ¡°Then what do you want from me?¡± Her voice began to tremble. ¡°Why did I try to heat up the heating pad that day? Why did I turn the stove on and fell asleep? The same regret still swirls around in my mind even at this moment. It wouldn¡¯t have happened if I was more cautious.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s all my carelessness. It doesn¡¯t matter whether you lied to me or not. I¡¯m the one who caused everything.¡± Sun tried to calm her heart to pass him over. ¡°Cheonsun!¡± His fierce cry stopped her in her tracks. ¡°I¡¯m doing this all for you. Don¡¯t you see? It was my mistake, and I didn¡¯t think deep enough. What more do you want me to do?¡± She was listening intently before she slowly started speaking, ¡°¡­ I¡¯ve never asked you to do more. I¡¯ve asked you not to do anything.¡± ¡°Hah.¡± Gyeonhui became speechless and looked at her again. ¡°Do you really not see anything that has changed in me?¡± He tried to speak in the calmest tone possible. Sun only looked at him silently. He couldn¡¯t stand his frustration, so he picked up the bag of chocolate and said, ¡°Look at this, I even did this for you; it doesn¡¯t make sense that you wouldn¡¯t feel how much I changed!¡± He roughly threw the bag on to the table. The chocolate in the bag then scattered all over the floor. When she gazed at the chocolate, she looked at him again and said, ¡°¡­Do you think everything would be okay just because you¡¯ve changed?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°After hurting me, you said that you¡¯re sorry and feel bad about what you¡¯ve done. I¡¯ve been sick for a long time, and I¡¯ve been in so much pain that I would rather die than to feel more of it. I¡¯m still the same.¡± ¡°That, that¡¯s¡­¡± He seemed shocked and could not say anything. It was the anniversary of her father¡¯s death. When Sun returned home in a black suit, she breathed a heavy sigh. ¡°You¡¯re home. Did everything go well?¡± Ari, who was watching TV, asked. ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± Sun smiled and began to take off her coat. ¡°What is that?¡± Ari asked when she saw a chrysanthemum flower bracelet on her wrist. ¡°That¡¯s what my dad used to make for me.¡± ¡°A bracelet made out of flowers?¡± She nodded slowly upon hearing Ari¡¯s reply. ¡°According to my dad, when I was a kid, I cried a lot on the anniversary of my mom¡¯s death, so my dad used to make it just to comfort me. I was so happy with it at the time.¡± She exhaled a shallow sigh, recalling her memories of that time. ¡°To this very moment, I still make bracelets like this out of habit on the anniversary of my mom and dad¡¯s death. It reminds me of my dad, and I like to think about them while looking at it.¡± It had been a long time, but her family¡¯s death was still fresh in her mind. Ari, who was looking down, quickly started to speak. ¡°Oh, by the way, you have an appointment with Mr. Woo today, don¡¯t you?¡± Ari suddenly thought of what Sun had said. ¡°Yes.¡± Sun nodded with a shy smile. ¡°But why would you suddenly meet him at a restaurant? Mr. Woo has never asked you to see him first.¡± ¡°¡­ No, sometimes he has asked to see me before.¡± ¡°When did he ever do that? Are you talking about things that happened a long time ago?¡± After hearing Ari¡¯s words, Sun started smiling bitterly. ¡°Wait a minute. I wonder if he has prepared something special for you?¡± ¡°Prepared something special? Like what?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯ve been together for over three years. It¡¯s time to talk about it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Marriage.¡± Sun¡¯s eyes widened after hearing Ari talking about ¡®marriage.¡¯ It may have been evident for people who had been seeing each other for years in general, but at least for her, the word was truly unfamiliar. ¡°Maybe he¡¯s prepared something to propose to you?¡± Chapter 73 After hearing Ari¡¯s slightly thrilling words, Sun started to speak with a bitter smile. ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°Have you ever talked about getting married to him?¡± After a moment of pause, Sun nodded slowly. Ari frowned and pouted her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t like anything about him except the fact that he¡¯s handsome and has a lot of money, but that¡¯s all that matters anyway.¡± Ari eventually smiled and said. ¡°But what would you do if he really proposed to you? Will you accept it?¡± ¡°¡­ Well.¡± ¡°Well?¡± Ari looked at her in eager anticipation. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it when he proposed to me.¡± Rising from her seat, Sun smiled. ¡°Are you leaving already?¡± ¡°Yes, there might be traffic.¡± ¡°Right, go then.¡± Ari shook her hand, pretending to be sad. ¡°But that¡¯s a good sign anyway because a cold guy has asked to see you first.¡± Ari smiled. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll get in touch.¡± Sun waved her hand and hurriedly left the caf¨¦. ¡°¡­ Is this a good sign?¡± She asked herself while Ari¡¯s words repeated in her mind. In an excited mood, Sun picked up her phone. When she heard a few beeps, he answered the phone. ¡°Gyeonhui?¡± ¡°Oh, Sun. It¡¯s Ojae Kwon.¡± She heard Ojae¡¯s voice, not Gyeonhui¡¯s, as she had expected to hear over the phone. Her excited voice sank awkwardly. ¡°Hello Ojae, I¡¯m supposed to see him tonight, so I¡¯m calling him.¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s still in a meeting. I¡¯ll tell him that you¡¯ve called.¡± She hung up the phone after hearing his formal tone. ¡°¡­ He must be busy.¡± Sun felt something ominous coming, but she tried to shake it off. *** With his handsome face like a sculpted masterpiece, while wearing his suit, Gyeonhui glanced at the executives with cold eyes. The dozens of them could not even breathe freely as if they were caught in his eyes. ¡°Everyone said that it¡¯s too late.¡± A dense, deep voice echoed through the quiet conference room. ¡°However, I did it. I¡¯ve achieved the goal in three years. We are Number 1 in the domestic retail industry.¡± A small round of applause erupted among the executives. ¡°But it¡¯s just the beginning. Expanding our business online and offline, and expanding it beyond our domestic presence to Asia, the United States, and Europe will be our next goal.¡± The executives could not refute his accomplishments and reluctantly clapped. Ojae Kwon, Gyeonhui¡¯s secretary, clapped harder than anyone else and encouraged people around him. Then, Gyeonhui¡¯s cell phone, which Ojae was holding, rang. ¡°Hello Sun, it¡¯s Ojae Kwon.¡± After checking the caller, Ojae answered the phone and exited the meeting hall. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s still in a meeting. I¡¯ll tell him that you¡¯ve called.¡± After Ojae hung up the phone as he turned around. He then saw that Gyeonhui was standing right in front of him now that the presentation was over. ¡°Oh, you scared me.¡± ¡°Who was it?¡± ¡°It was Sun. You¡¯re going to see her later today, right? ¡°Today? Huh¡­¡± Gyeonhui exhaled a shallow sigh and frowned like he just remembered the appointment. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯re going to go to the logistics center after stopping by the office?¡± Ojae asked since Gyeonhui wouldn¡¯t make it to the appointment if he went to the logistics center in Ansan city. The logistics center was under construction recently. It was a big project that reflected Consencio¡¯s ambition to enter the market in the United States. ¡°Right.¡± ¡°What about her, then?¡± ¡°I have to postpone it.¡± ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll contact the center.¡± Ojae quickly pulled out his phone and tried to call the center. However, when Ojae began to dial the number, a strange feeling came over him. He saw that Gyeonhui staring at him as if he were disgusted. Frozen after seeing his eyes, Ojae looked at him without even making the call. ¡°Why, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know that there will be a presentation about my performance next month? You can¡¯t postpone the appointment with the center.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°I have to postpone the appointment with her.¡± When Gyeonhui said this dismissively, he went out while furrowing his brow. ¡°Huh¡­¡± Ojae followed Gyeonhui after breathing a sigh. *** In front of the venue in Gwanghwamun Gate. People were busy trying to head on their separate ways while adjusting their clothes in the bone-chilling cold. As she waited in front of the staircase, she stuck her head out to find Gyeonhui in the crowd. The time for their appointment had passed for a long time, but she still could not see him. She began to grow a little anxious. When she tried to take out her phone and get in touch with him, she paused for a moment. ¡°He hates it when somebody¡¯s calling him when he is busy¡­¡± She knew that Gyeonhui was extremely reluctant to get in touch with someone when he was working, so she had to put her phone away. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± Then, her stomach started to feel weird. As she counted the dates, she nodded since she had found the reason for her pain. ¡°It¡¯s beginning soon.¡± The suffering that came every month if one was a woman was almost at hand. However, she unwittingly sighed upon feeling the unusual pain. ¡°What happened to him¡­¡± When she confirmed the clock and looked at both sides of the road, she still could not find him. Then, a text arrived on her phone instead of him actually showing up. ¡®Something¡¯s come up. I¡¯ll see you there later today.¡¯ Her anxious hunch was always right. Sun sighed with disappointment without hiding her frustration. In the distance, she saw him on a huge billboard. ¡®A new paradigm in the retail industry, expanding its business beyond East Asia to North America. Consencio stock prices are increasing.¡¯ His glamorous appearance felt as far as the billboard that she was gazing at from a distance. ¡°¡­ I miss him¡­¡± With a bitter smile, Sun turned and stepped into the musical theater. Cold winter rains began to fall on the road. *** ¡®I want to be with you tonight, no matter what.¡¯ After checking Sun¡¯s text message, Gyeonhui shoved his phone in his pocket. After opening the office door, he put his jacket on that was hanging on a hook. When he checked the time, it was already past 10 o¡¯clock. ¡°I¡¯m sure the show is over, so you¡¯re going straight to the restaurant?¡± He nodded after hearing Ojae¡¯s question. ¡°Well, Mrs. Shin asked me to see you tomorrow¡­¡± Ojae looked at Gyeonhui¡¯s eyes and spoke carefully. Not surprisingly, he furrowed his eyebrows. It was his habit whenever he felt frustrated. ¡°Huah¡­¡± As he sighed, he noticed a small coffee tree in a pot. It was a tree that she planted when she first came here three years ago. The tree in the small pot had grown to the top of his knee. ¡®I grew it with the seeds my dad left behind. The flowers are so beautiful, so I hope they will grow well here.¡¯ However, the tree hadn¡¯t bloomed after three years. It was evident that the tree could not bear a fruit because it couldn¡¯t even bloom flowers. ¡°You¡¯ll have to replace the pot. It looks too small for the tree.¡± Ojae followed him later while saying those words. The unresponsive Gyeonhui started speaking as he watched the coffee tree. ¡°Tell me, between fruitless trees and unworthy people, which one of these is the least useful?¡± Ojae thought that he was talking about himself and opened his eyes wide. He couldn¡¯t say anything. ¡°It¡¯s the tree¡­¡± Gyeonhui shook his head slowly after hearing Ojae¡¯s answer. ¡°The answer is both.¡± His cold voice was clearly directed toward someone else. He clenched his molars and quickly turned around and exited the office. Chapter 74 *** ¡°The rain looks like a shower.¡± She was waiting for him while staring at the endless winter rain at the entrance of the restaurant. The chill air and the cold rushed over, so she covered her face with a red scarf. With the soft feeling of the scarf, she smiled and stuck out her head to find him. Then a nice-looking, foreign car stopped in front of her, and she saw Gyeonhui leaving the car. He was tall and handsome, like a marble figure. The eyes of the women coming and going in the parking lot were all looking at him. When he opened his umbrella, he walked and stood in front of her with a heartless expression. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± She smiled as brightly as she could, but he responded with a careless nod. He was a man who would never apologize even when he was late. As if she were familiar with him doing this, Sun could no longer say anything. ¡°I told you not to text when I¡¯m in a meeting.¡± His voice came through the rain. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Sun responded with an awkward smile. He turned his head coldly while looking back at her as if he were feeling guilty. The headlights of the car that was entering the parking lot were then shot at her. ¡®Buaang.¡¯ At one point, she remembered the truck from her past running at her with a loud sound and roar. She froze up, unable to even blink her eyes as if time had stopped entirely. It was one of her conditional reflexes after the accident ten years ago. ¡°Huah¡­¡± When the car had passed, she still couldn¡¯t release her two fists that she was holding tightly. Although it was a brief moment, her hands were wet with cold sweat. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Watching her, he asked carelessly. ¡°Huh? Oh, nothing. Nothing.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± He quickly withdrew his attention from her and tried to take a step. Then, she slowly started speaking. ¡°Hey¡­¡± He turned his head after hearing her words. ¡°Have you ever wanted to go back in time?¡± ¡°Time?¡± He asked her, looking outraged and furrowing his eyebrows. ¡°I guess you have because you¡¯re asking.¡± She nodded slowly after hearing his question. ¡°I want to go back in time from today to ten years ago¡­.¡± ¡°What date was it?¡± ¡°¡­ It was my graduation ceremony in high school.¡± ¡°Graduation day?¡± He looked at her like he couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. Let¡¯s talk about it later. We haven¡¯t seen each other for a long time.¡± She struggled to smile to raise the sunken atmosphere. ¡°Oh, Mr. Woo.¡± Then Sun heard a high-pitched voice of a woman behind her. The woman, who was covered with high-end stuff from her head to toe, approached the two of them in a dazzling step. ¡°I get to see you in this place.¡± While talking to Gyeonhui, the woman continuously scanned Sun. ¡°Your girlfriend?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± Sun¡¯s shoulders flinched after hearing his response. His attitude was always consistently cold to her, but it would still stab her heart like a dagger. ¡°Well, did you get home safely after that night?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± His carelessly answered. At that moment, when Sun heard the conversation between them, she felt like her heart stopped pounding and fell into the ground. ¡®That night¡­ Did you get home safely after that night?¡¯ The woman¡¯s words endlessly echoed in her ear. The combination of words that sounded mysterious and nuanced shook Sun¡¯s heart uneasily. ¡°I will see you later.¡± The woman once again looked at Sun and entered the restaurant. ¡°Let¡¯s go somewhere else.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, sure¡­¡± She followed him, walking away while holding the umbrella. While they were heading to the parking lot, a moment of silence hung between them. She wanted to ask who she was, but she could only glance at him. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Oh, no. Nothing.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when I get a chance.¡± He seemed to have already read her thoughts. After contemplating several times, Sun asked him carefully. ¡°¡­ The woman¡­ who is she?¡± ¡°A woman I met at a bar a few days ago.¡± He responded with no hesitation as if it was nothing. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep with her. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡± She then reacted, somewhat embarrassed, after hearing his overly confident tone. Her eyes blushed, but she quickly lowered her head before he noticed. ¡°Hah¡­¡± She struggled with her wretched feelings, and a shallow sigh of relief came out of her mouth. He heard the sigh, and he looked at her while furrowing his eyebrows. ¡°Say it if you have something to say.¡± She shook her head silently. She felt like she would cry if she started to speak. The silence continued between the two. One could only hear the sound of rain falling under the umbrella. At that moment, he started to speak, ¡°¡­ I¡¯m tired of everything.¡± His sinking words pierced her ears sharply. ¡°Wait until I contact you again.¡± Her eyes shook in shock. *** Back to the present. She took a breath for a moment and struggled to start speaking again. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s all too late for us.¡± Her trembling voice was filled with indescribable sorrow. Did she convey that sadness to him? His eyes shook in shock. ¡°Like I said last time, I¡¯d like to see you only for business in the future.¡± She then walked pass by him at the end of her words and came out into the hallway. ¡°Hey, Cheonsun!¡± She heard his urgent voice, but she did not stop. She pretended to be calm, but her eyes began to swell with tears instantly. She looked up to stop her tears from further pouring, but soon, a different batch of tears filled her eyes once more, so much so that she could not see anything. She rushed into the bathroom, avoiding all the people passing by. She could no longer hear his voice. His face was no longer visible. However, her sadness still flowed endlessly. She washed her hands with cold water to keep her heart calm, but a pain she could not bear began to crush her once more. Chapter 75 In the empty office. Gyeonhui was left alone and frowned, clutching his chest in pain. Her pain was being conveyed, and every single strike hit him hard. ¡°You¡¯re so sick, but why are you pushing me away all the time¡­¡± He came out into the hallway while biting his lower lip, seemingly confounded. ¡®Bzzz.¡¯ Then, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He took out his phone and found out that it was Ojae, but he put it back in his pocket again. He didn¡¯t have anything to say. Her distressed eyes were still etched in his head. ¡°Huh¡­¡± As he walked down the aisle with a firm expression, he stopped after hearing a faint cry. The sound of cries was coming out of the women¡¯s restroom. The crying continued. A faint sobbing would follow whenever she breathed in. It was her. When he heard her cries, he tried to enter the women¡¯s restroom. ¡°Gyeonhui.¡± At that time, he heard Ojae¡¯s voice behind him. After ignoring Ojae, Gyeonhui tried to enter the bathroom again. ¡°Gyeonhui Woo.¡± It was the voice of a middle-aged woman, not Ojae. He slowly turned his head and looked at the owner of the voice. Behind Ojae, Mrs. Shin, with cold-eyes, was looking at him. When he saw Mrs. Shin¡¯s face, his face quickly hardened. He turned his head and looked at Ojae and was asking him what had happened with his eyes. ¡®Your phone. I¡¯ve called you.¡¯ Ojae pointed to his cell phone like he had nothing to do with this situation. Perhaps the previous phone call that Ojae made was to let Gyeonhui know that Mrs. Shin was coming. While Gyeonhui could not resist the discomfort he was feeling, Mrs. Shin asked him. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± She looked at him and the women¡¯s restroom alternately. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± ¡°Hahh¡­¡± Meanwhile, Sun¡¯s cries flowed out of the restroom. Mrs. Shin frowned at Gyeonhui and moved her gaze toward the bathroom. ¡°Hah.¡± In a situation when he could not do anything, Gyeonhui looked at Mrs. Shin, extending his lower lip. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Gyeonhui asked. ¡°The mergers and acquisitions¡­¡± Hearing her response, Gyeonhui furrowed his eyebrows. Gyeonhui was working on the acquisition of DNBM, but it was still unanswered because he couldn¡¯t find the president. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure why things are being delayed, but now I know why.¡± Mrs. Shin glanced at the bathroom as she spoke. ¡°It¡¯s personal.¡± ¡°If personal matters interfere with your work, then you should retrain them.¡± He clenched his molars tightly and could hardly swallow his boiling anger. ¡°We¡¯ll get it done soon.¡± ¡°Two months.¡± With her resolute reply, Gyeonhui¡¯s face hardened. ¡°Finish it before the next shareholders meeting.¡± ¡°Ha.¡± He laughed and seemed indignant. ¡°It¡¯s common sense that everyone knows that it will take at least a half year. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m buying a small store.¡± ¡°Yes, I know. That¡¯s why I¡¯m giving you only two months.¡± Mrs. Shin spoke calmly. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Anyone can do it in half a year, but that also means that you don¡¯t necessarily have to do it.¡± On her cold and clear words, Gyeonhui¡¯s eyes shook. ¡°Prove that you deserve to be here, or that¡¯s going to be your last opportunity.¡± When Mrs. Shin finished her speech, she turned and moved away. ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± Ojae bowed deeply by lowering his upper body in a ninety-degree angle while she was moving away. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Gyeonhui closed his eyes and sighed deeply. The trouble with her, as well as the merger and acquisition with DNB, made his mind more complicated. ¡°What about the CEO of DNBM?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡± Ojae bit his lower lip in embarrassment. When Gyeonhui looked at Ojae, he violently threw his phone against the wall. His cell phone scattered in all directions with a loud noise. ¡®¡­¡¯ Ojae gulped out loud and only glanced back at him, blinking his eyes, not knowing what to do next. Gyeonhui put both hands on the wall and tried to catch his breath to calm down. ¡°Hah¡­Hah¡­¡± In the calm and quiet hallway, they could hear Sun¡¯s wailing again. He was looking at the bathroom, but soon, he turned his head and watched Mrs. Shin moving away from him. He exhaled for a long time, and he closed his eyes in desperate pain. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Ojae looked nervously upon each of Gyeonhui¡¯s behaviors. Gyeonhui finally spoke slowly with a firm expression. ¡°Call Chaekyeong.¡± ¡°¡­ huh?¡± ¡°I said, contact her.¡± ¡°Chaekyeong?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯m on it right away.¡± Ojae didn¡¯t know what was going on, but he hurriedly responded and picked up his phone while walking away from Gyeonhui to call. ¡°Hah¡­¡± With a long sigh toward the ceiling, he stepped forward to leave the restroom. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Then, her crying resounded throughout the hallway again, so he stopped his footsteps. However, he finally and forcefully took a step to move away from the bathroom. His two clenched fists trembled severely out of control. *** ¡°Ha¡­¡± She exhaled a long breath and struggled to calm herself down. She looked in the mirror and hurriedly cleaned her face. ¡°Why am I crying like a fool? It¡¯s all over.¡± She murmured to herself, but whenever she remembered him, her emotions started welling up again. ¡°Stop, stop. Please stop.¡± Sun closed her eyes and tapped on her chest. ¡®Bzzz.¡¯ Then her cell phone rang. She fixed her breathing and checked who was calling her. It was Ari. She quickly cleared her throat and slowly answered the phone. ¡°Hmm, hmm. Hello? What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your voice? Are you crying?¡± Ari noticed her voice right away. ¡°No, what are you talking about? Who¡¯s crying?¡± ¡°Your voice is all sunken.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not. My throat just hurts because of the fine dust in the air.¡± Sun coughed on purpose and tried to change the conversation around. ¡°Where are you now?¡± Ari pretended that she didn¡¯t notice anything and continued asking. ¡°Me? Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking you where you are, and you answered me with a why. Is that right?¡± ¡°I told you that I¡¯ve got a lot of work left. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Come out. I¡¯m here in front of the company.¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you come up?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send you the address of where we are now, so hurry up. Eunyoung is here too.¡± Ari just said what she had to say and hung up the phone. ¡°Hello, hello? Hey, Ari?¡± Sun called Ari again, but she couldn¡¯t hear any answer over the phone that had already been disconnected. Chapter 76 *** Gyeonhui stood in front of his office window and looked down at the building. He saw Sun slowly coming out of the building and walking away. Every step she took, he felt pain in his heel, but what was more unbearable was the pain in his chest. He clutched his chest and exhaled a shallow sigh. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Ojae, who was watching from the side, asked him carefully. ¡°¡­ How about Chakyeong?¡± Gyeonhui chose to ask a question instead of giving an answer. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Why? Can¡¯t you get a hold of her, either?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Ojae hesitated several times and struggled to speak. ¡°She said that if you have something to talk about, come to her yourself¡­¡± An expressionless smile showed up on his face. ¡°I know she isn¡¯t right¡­ I¡¯ll tell her that¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± Ojae seemed surprised. ¡°She¡¯s a person who is still worthy of using. I¡¯ll go because I need her help.¡± ¡°Oh, okay¡­¡± He calmly watched the back of Sun go away. Soon after, she was swallowed up by the trees; he turned his body and exited the office. ¡°What the hell is going on¡­¡± Ojae was left alone in the office, tilting his head sideways seemingly dumbfounded. *** In a bar near Sun¡¯s house. ¡°Hey, here it is! Here!¡± On the voice that was calling her, Sun turned her head and found Ari. Ari and Eunyoung¡¯s face was already blushed, for they were drunk. ¡°Why are you so late?¡± Eunyoung¡¯s posture was poor, and she was also slurring her words as she spoke. ¡°I had to finish up the rest of my work. What¡¯s up? Why are you drinking in the middle of the day?¡± ¡°Time doesn¡¯t matter. Give me another bottle here, please.¡± ¡°¡­ How much has she drunk?¡± Upon hearing her question, Ari began to count her fingers while furrowing her eyebrows. ¡°Four bottles?¡± ¡°Four?¡± Sun seemed to be amazed. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not important how much I have drunk.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s important?¡± ¡°That¡¯s obviously you.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Eunyoung nodded at Sun. Ari had been hesitating for a moment but slowly started speaking, ¡°Eunyoung, our boss says we¡¯re going to move out.¡± ¡°Moving out from where?¡± ¡°¡­ From Consencio.¡± Ari saw Eunyoung¡¯s face and said it carefully. ¡°What?¡± Sun¡¯s eyes widened and looked at Eunyoung. ¡°He abuses you every day, and I can¡¯t let this happen anymore. We¡¯re moving out tomorrow, period, end of story.¡± ¡°Eunyoung¡­¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m your boss and the president of this company. It¡¯s my company, so I¡¯m going to do it my way. Don¡¯t even try to stop me.¡± Her words blended into a sigh that didn¡¯t seem like she had thought about it only once or twice. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m really fine. I mean it. I¡¯m completely done with him, and I¡¯m getting more used to seeing him because I see him so often anyways. I have no feelings for him anymore.¡± Sun tried to stop Eunyoung, but she was only shaking her head while saying no. ¡°Hey!¡± Eunyoung suddenly shouted at Sun. The people in the bar looked at the table that three shouting people in it. ¡°If you¡¯re in pain, just tell people that you¡¯re suffering! Would you magically be fine just because you said you¡¯re okay?¡± ¡°Hey, boss¡­¡± ¡°Let go of me! What¡¯s worse than deceiving others is deceiving yourself, so just stop!¡± Ari tried to stop Eunyoung, but it was beyond her ability. Sun was in shock, and her mouth was closed tight with a severe face. At that time, the server at the bar approached them carefully. ¡°Here are the bottled beers.¡± The server felt an unusual atmosphere and ran away as soon as he dropped the beer bottles on the table. ¡°Do what I say this time. We¡¯re moving out tomorrow.¡± Eunyoung nailed her words again to emphasize her thoughts. At that time, Sun was lost in her thoughts and remembered what Gyeonhui had said before. ¡®You already owe a lot of people.¡¯ ¡°¡­ He isn¡¯t wrong.¡± Sun smiled bitterly and mumbled to herself. ¡°What?¡± Eunyoung asked. She had not heard her properly. Sun picked up a beer bottle silently and started to drink. The beer flowed out of her mouth, but she ended up finishing the whole bottle. ¡°Oh, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Ari called Sun with a worried expression. ¡®Tak.¡¯ Sun planked the bottle down on the table loudly, took a deep breath, and slowly started speaking. ¡°¡­ You¡¯re right. I was never okay.¡± Sun¡¯s words surprised Eunyoung and Ari. ¡°No, actually, I didn¡¯t even know that I was okay or not because I should have always been okay, but¡­¡± She paused for a moment, took a breath, and started speaking again. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that I was going to make it harder for everyone around me. I¡¯m very sorry.¡± ¡°Hey, Sun¡­ Eunyoung doesn¡¯t mean that we are in trouble¡­¡± ¡°I know, but the bottom line is that we¡¯re all suffering in many ways. I¡¯m just trying to say that I just realized that.¡± Sun turned her head and looked at Eunyoung. ¡°I know what you mean, but let¡¯s not move out.¡± ¡°Hey, Sun.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve realized it clearly because of you, Eunyoung. I can¡¯t get any better if I move out of Consencio.¡± ¡°What the hell? Why would you not be okay after avoiding him for a while?¡± ¡°¡­ Because like you just said, I¡¯m avoiding him instead of facing him.¡± Her sincere words made Eunyoung¡¯s eyes shake. ¡°The reason why I always said that I was okay was that I always ran away from trouble. I let troubles go by saying that it was okay so that there was nothing to break or nothing to hurt. However, that was a mistake. In the end, I was never okay, and as a result, I¡¯ve damaged everyone around me and caused all of you to worry about me.¡± After pausing for a moment, Sun started speaking again. ¡°If I leave Consencio, that means that I¡¯m just running away from my troubles again. I want to face them and fight against them, so I could really become okay, so please help me.¡± ¡°¡­ What the hell do you mean you¡¯re going to beat him?¡± Eunyoung, who was listening Sun, entreated her. Sun answered with a bitter smile. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not trying to beat him. I¡¯m trying to beat myself.¡± Upon hearing her answer, Eunyoung looked at her still. Her calm, lying eyes were implying her firm determination. Eunyoung suddenly inhaled the beer. When Eunyoung emptied her drink at once, she started speaking as she looked straight at Sun. ¡°Alright. Do whatever you want. Don¡¯t be defeated in this, got it? Sun smiled and nodded. ¡°Ari. Order three more bottles.¡± ¡°Really? Will you drink more?¡± ¡°Sure. Are you going to end the party like this? We drink today and die together. How about that?¡± ¡°Hey, boss¡­¡± Ari was flummoxed and looked at Sun, asking for help. ¡°I¡¯ll drink to that!¡± As Sun threw a helping word, Ari made a long face. ¡°Give us three more bottles here, please¡­¡± Chapter 77 *** In front of a luxury apartment door. Gyeonhui was standing at the door and pressed the doorbell with a firm expression. ¡°Coming!¡± A short time later, with a singing voice, the door opened. Chaekyeong, dressed in a yoga suit, smiled brightly after confirming Gyeonhui¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯ve come early?¡± Her short and slightly dampened hair looked fine and brim. ¡°Come in.¡± She called him while waving her hand. ¡°I need to talk to you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right; otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have contacted me.¡± She replied like it was apparent. ¡°Then, let¡¯s just do it.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t like that.¡± ¡°What?¡± Gyeonhui¡¯s brows furrowed instantly. ¡°Don¡¯t you need my help? I think I¡¯m worthy enough for you to use. What do you think?¡± He did not deny her words. ¡°Then you also have to show me that you¡¯re worthy of my time too. That¡¯s the way you do business, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­ What do you want?¡± ¡°Come in first. If you don¡¯t want to, then I can¡¯t help.¡± She left the door open and went inside. After a while, he reluctantly stepped inside. ¡°Wait for me here. I¡¯m going to take a quick shower and come out.¡± Having no care of Gyeonhui, who was still standing at the entrance, she took off her yoga suit and headed to the restroom. Her well-shaped body was as great as many celebrities. A body every man would be tempted by, but his expression was more distant. *** Late afternoon. Sun and Ari returned to the office while holding Eunyoung, who was heavily drunk. ¡°Open it up.¡± Sun said while holding Eunyoung, and Ari quickly opened the portable bed. It was a must-have item for designers who work through the night. ¡°Huh¡­¡± Sun laid Eunyoung down on the bed safely and breathed a sigh of relief while wiping the sweat from her forehead. ¡°You¡¯re so stubborn for not wanting to go home.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going home! It¡¯s my company!¡± Eunyoung was very drunk and talked in her sleep. ¡°Yes, yes. Why did you drink so much?¡± Sun shook her head as she spoke. ¡°You encouraged her to drink more!¡± Ari, who was watching Eunyoung, grumbled at Sun while covering Eunyonng with a blanket. ¡°What did I do wrong? It was the two of you who suggested drinking.¡± ¡°Yes, but you were the cause of this, you know.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± She closed her mouth and said nothing. ¡°Hmm. Cheonsun¡­ don¡¯t ever be defeated¡­ Huh? I won¡¯t let it go if you lose¡­¡± ¡°Sure, just sleep tight. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Sun raised her body after comforting Eunyoung like a child. When Sun turned her head, Ari was looking at her with her arms crossed. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ari grabbed her hand and dragged her out into the hallway. *** They sat in the lounge with panoramic views of the city. Ari approached her while trying to clear her head from the alcohol with the cool breeze. ¡°Drink it.¡± Ari said bluntly and handed her a cup of iced coffee. ¡°Thank you, but are you angry at me?¡± Sun asked Ari in doubt. ¡°No, I¡¯m not angry at you. I just want to confirm something.¡± ¡°Confirm what?¡± ¡°¡­ The thing you said, did you really mean it?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to face him.¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not going to fight him back. I want to overcome myself.¡± Ari nodded as she watched Sun quietly. ¡°I agree with you when you¡¯ve decided not to run away.¡± Sun smiled. ¡°¡­ Avoidance is not the answer. You know that didn¡¯t work after your three-month trip, and you¡¯re still struggling within yourself because of him.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡± Sun smiled and asked. ¡°So, just listen to me because I¡¯m honestly worried about you.¡± ¡°¡­ You don¡¯t have to worry. It¡¯s going to be alright.¡± ¡°Have you thought about how to deal with this?¡± ¡°How?¡± Instead of answering, Sun smiled awkwardly. ¡°To clean up your mind about him, you need to do something else. Just deciding things in your mind isn¡¯t going to work.¡± Ari continued on but seemed concerned. ¡°For example, immerse yourself in a new hobby or meditate. Meet someone new. That may also be another way.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll think about it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not kidding. I¡¯m talking to you seriously.¡± ¡°I said I¡¯ll think about it.¡± Ari was struggling for a moment before speaking slowly again, ¡°What about Dr. Park?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°How about dating Dr. Park?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already known that he is definitely interested in you. It¡¯s ridiculous if you don¡¯t know that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°So then what is it like between the two of you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a relationship between a doctor and a pet owner.¡± ¡°You mean Labong is the patient, and you¡¯re the protector?¡± Sun nodded awkwardly. ¡°That¡¯s the shittiest thing I¡¯ve ever heard.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Pull yourself together. All of his expressions pints out to the fact that he¡¯s definitely interested in you.¡± ¡®I keep thinking about you, Sun. All day long.¡¯ Upon hearing Ari¡¯s words, Sun was suddenly reminded of what Eunwoo said yesterday. His firm eyes were still clearly engraved in her memories. ¡°Oh, no. That¡¯s not it.¡± ¡°Hah¡­¡± Ari sighed to show that her continued denial had frustrated her. ¡°Good. Then let¡¯s just assume that he has no feelings about you. However, take this opportunity to meet someone else.¡± ¡°Meet with whom all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Ask people to see if they know someone good, or go to a bar and just grab a man. Mr. Woo is still around you because he knows that you¡¯re still alone. He could think that you¡¯re still alone because you haven¡¯t forgotten him yet. Have you not forgotten him yet?¡± Hearing Ari¡¯s question, Sun paused for a moment and slowly started speaking, ¡°¡­ No. It¡¯s not like that. ¡± ¡°Well, then I¡¯ll introduce someone to you soon. Go out and meet him. Okay?¡± ¡°Ari.¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t care. I¡¯ll schedule a date no matter what.¡± Ari hurriedly left the lounge after saying what she had to say. The cold wind whipped over Sun¡¯s cheeks. *** It was a while later before Chaekyeong returned to the living room. While air-drying her hair, Chaekyeong¡¯s eyes widened in amazement as she saw that Gyeonhui was still waiting for her in the living room. ¡°Didn¡¯t you go? I guess I¡¯m that much worthy of being used.¡± She smiled and sat on the couch. Her sexy and sleek legs were exposed in a white gown. ¡°What do you want?¡± He asked her with a firm expression. ¡°You know what I want. It¡¯s you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know the basics of negotiations?¡± He looked frustrated. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll ask you. What can you give me?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Do you not know the basics of negotiations? What I can give you is the location of the DNBM CEO. What can you give me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t answer at all. Chapter 78 Chaekyeong was as wealthy as Gyeonhui, so he couldn¡¯t use his money to his advantage easily, seeing as she was already born with a high social position. ¡°Look. You have nothing to give to me. Is this negotiation going to work out?¡± She looked at him with a giggle. ¡°Isn¡¯t there seven times left? Having a date with you, that is.¡± ¡°Oh, that suggestion has expired.¡± Her words made his face harden. ¡°I can¡¯t be satisfied enough with the old suggestion anymore. My value has increased since you have become more desperate.¡± ¡°¡­ This is a waste of time.¡± Still watching her, he rose from his seat when she suddenly spoke with a smile. ¡°Gyeonhui.¡± She called him while turning away to leave the apartment. ¡°Seven times. That¡¯s the deal. There¡¯s one more condition as well.¡± He turned his head and looked at her. ¡°I have to decide where and when we should meet, so whenever I call, you just have to come to me. Anytime wherever you are.¡± Gyeonhui furrowed his brow. Glaring at her, he opened the door and walked out of the apartment without saying anything. ¡®Bang!¡¯ After a while, she heard the rough sound of the closing door. She frowned cutely and tilted her head. ¡°Did I push him too much?¡± However, unlike her words, her face seemed more relaxed. Then, the phone on the sofa rang. When she checked the caller, she answered it with a smile. ¡°Yes, Mrs. Shin. I just met him here.¡± She was nodding for a moment and listening to her opponent. She started speaking again. ¡°I think it¡¯s going to come out great. Don¡¯t worry. Yes, I¡¯ll contact you again.¡± When she hung up the phone, she stood up from her seat, stretching her body slowly. ¡°When do I have to call him¡­¡± A smile crept up her face like she was in a win-win situation. *** Late at night in a bar at Hannam-dong. Gyeonhui spun a whiskey glass with a firm expression. Golden whiskey shimmered in the light, creating a beautiful wave in the glass. ¡®I have to decide where and when we should meet, so whenever I call, you just have to come to me. Anytime wherever you are.¡¯ Chaekyeong¡¯s words did not leave his mind. ¡°Such an arrogant¡­¡± As he glared into the air, he inhaled the whiskey at once. The strong liquor went down his throat, but it was not enough to calm his mood. ¡°Relax yourself. It¡¯s just a joke. You know that she is sometimes a little mischievous to you.¡± Ojae, who was sitting next to him, carefully tried to comfort Gyeonhui as if he were dealing with a bomb that might explode soon. ¡°A joke? Since when did I become the punchline of a joke?¡± Gyeonhui seemed to be more annoyed after hearing Ojae¡¯s comment. Ojae was embarrassed and didn¡¯t know what to say to him while biting his lower lip. ¡°How do I have to deal with this¡­¡± Gyeonhui thought about it again while inhaling the whiskey. ¡°¡­ Why don¡¯t you just meet her the way she wants?¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Gyeonhui frowned like he didn¡¯t like Ojae¡¯s words. ¡°You don¡¯t have to marry her, and you just need to see her seven times. Once you find out the DNBM CEO¡¯s location, then you have no more business with her.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me that whenever she calls me, I have to run to her no matter where I am?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Ojae breathed a long sigh, unable to find the right answer, When Ojae contemplated for a while, he asked Gyeonhui again. ¡°What do you want to do with this?¡± ¡°Hah¡­¡± Instead of answering, Gyeonhui sighed a long sigh. Meanwhile, he began to feel a pain in his heels. Looking at his heels, he started speaking with a bitter smile. ¡°Where is she going?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± Ojae asked after hearing his unexpected question. ¡°Is she on her way to have a drink with someone? Is she just going home from work? Is she taking a walk with Dr. Park?¡± He mumbled to himself in a slow tone into the air. Ojae understood his words and looked at him with sympathy. ¡°You¡¯re still feeling her pain.¡± ¡°¡­ Not even missing a minute or a second.¡± Gyeonhui¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°I feel her pain constantly until she falls asleep, so I¡¯m going crazy. She wouldn¡¯t leave my head even for a second.¡± He struggled to say after drinking whiskey to comfort his mind. ¡°¡­ I really can¡¯t find the answer.¡± He had never regretted his own choice before. The reason why he couldn¡¯t deal with this anymore was that he could always find the answer. This time, however, all of his abilities were not working in his favor. ¡°Now, I think that there was no answer from the start.¡± He exhaled a sigh of frustration. Ojae tried to say something to him but didn¡¯t. ¡°Go home. I would like to be alone.¡± Hearing this, Ojae rose from his seat slowly. However, after contemplating for a while, Ojae stopped walking away and turned toward Gyeonhui. ¡°¡­ Maybe you¡¯re right.¡± After hearing Ojae¡¯s voice, Gyeonhui slowly opened his eyes. ¡°She is not the problem, she is just a person. There may be no answer in the first place.¡± ¡°Well, what¡¯s the problem?¡± When Gyeonhui asked while furrowing his eyebrows, Ojae took a moment to breathe. ¡°It¡¯s you.¡± A smile burst out of his face as he slowly rose from his seat. He took a few steps and opened his mouth while staring at Ojae. ¡°I think you¡¯re crazy.¡± His cold and chilling voice crushed Ojae. However, Ojae tried to talk to him in the calmest tone possible. ¡°To be more precise, it could be a problem that¡¯s been hanging around you for a long time.¡± ¡°A problem that¡¯s been around me for a long time?¡± ¡°Yes, your problem.¡± Ojae¡¯s words and eyes were full of confidence. However, after seeing Gyeonhui¡¯s expression, the only thing he could muster was anger and embarrassment that he couldn¡¯t hide. ¡°Explain it to me more.¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll ask you one thing. What do you really want?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡± He looked at Ojae while furrowing his eyebrows. ¡°Answer me, what do you really want?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s Cheonsun.¡± ¡°So, what do you want from her?¡± ¡°Going back to our relationship like before. Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± ¡°Yes. Like before. What does it mean to you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Recalling his old memories, Gyeonhui became speechless. ¡°She waited for you and came to you whenever you wanted because you demanded her to do so. She was always standing by because you made her do so. Is that really a relationship that you want to have again? You also said that you wouldn¡¯t marry her.¡± Gyeonhui¡¯s mouth closed tightly, slightly flinching after hearing Ojae¡¯s words. ¡°If you were her, do you think you would like to go back?¡± Gyeonhui didn¡¯t answer. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. She knows that if she starts seeing you again, then she would just go back to where she was in the past. Why would she do that? Because you haven¡¯t changed, not even a bit. You¡¯re still the same. She certainly knows that too.¡± Gyeonhui remembered the day of the accident. ¡®Wait until I contact you.¡¯ He recalled her instantly sunken face like she just lost her last hope after hearing his words. His eyes started shaking like he had just realized something that he had never thought about before. Gyeonhui rose from his seat like it was unbearable for him to stay. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Ojae asked, seemingly anxious. ¡°¡­ To her, to remove this misunderstanding.¡± At the same time, he was already exiting the bar. Chapter 79 Late at night on the bus. Sun looked at the night view of the city through the window with her sunken eyes. The Gangnam roadside was crowded with lots of people coming and going even late at night. Everyone was moving diligently to somewhere, but it seemed like she was only wandering around to find her own goal. Then, a call came from Ari. ¡°Hey, Ari, what¡¯s up? How¡¯s Eunyoung?¡± Sun asked. ¡°Well, I just dropped her off to her place safely. She is fine, but I think she¡¯ll have a hard time tomorrow because of her hangover.¡± Imagining Eunyoung struggling with a hangover tomorrow made Sun smile a bit. ¡°How about you, Sun?¡± ¡°Me? I¡¯m on my way home by bus now. ¡°Good. Go home and get some rest. By the way, don¡¯t schedule anything tomorrow evening.¡± ¡°Tomorrow evening?¡± ¡°I told you that I¡¯m going to introduce someone I know to you.¡± ¡°Oh, Ari. I¡¯m not ready to do that now.¡± Sun was embarrassed and tried to stop her. ¡°Hey, you promised me. That will happen tomorrow evening! Don¡¯t forget!¡± Ari just hung up the phone after what she had to say. Sun rushed to call her back, but she wasn¡¯t answering the phone on purpose. Sun was frustrated and started typing a text message to say that she was not willing to do it yet. When she was just about to push the send button, she noticed a massive signboard on the building outside the window. ¡®Consencio struggles on merger and acquisition of DNBM.¡¯ She wondered if things were not going well with him. The content of the article seemed quite serious. Sun¡¯s head was suddenly filled with Gyeonhui¡¯s face. There was a particular face that he had when things didn¡¯t go well. She recalled that specific face of his. His frustration was always hidden beneath his poker face and his cold reaction, but she could feel his pain and how much the failure hurt and outraged him. Sun shook her head like she was trying to erase her thoughts about him, but the more she did, the clearer his expression came to her mind. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Sun turned her head with a deep sigh. She had made up her mind many times, but it was not easy to erase him from her thoughts. Suddenly, Ari¡¯s words came to mind. ¡®To clean up your mind about him, you need to do something more. Just deciding in your mind isn¡¯t going to work.¡¯ She had made her mind up more than a thousand times, but she always had failed every time. As a result, she ended up dragged to Consencio without having cleared her mind of him until now. Maybe, as Ari said, she had to do something. She closed her eyes and was lost in thought for a moment. She opened her eyes again, took a deep breath, and erased the text message that she was going to send to Ari. *** Gyeonhui walked out of the building with his heavy steps and headed to the road to grab a taxi cab. ¡®She waited for you and came to you whenever you wanted because you demanded her to do so. She was always standing by because you made her do so. Is that really a relationship that you want to have again? You also said that you wouldn¡¯t marry her.¡¯ While Gyeonhui was walking on the road, Ojae¡¯s words remained in his mind. ¡®Because you¡¯re so afraid of that¡­¡¯ He could finally realize what she was afraid of. The fear that he never could find from her. The old days that he wanted to go back to were just the past that she never wanted to experience again. He finally realized that was why she was desperately pushing him away. ¡°Gyeonhui!¡± At that time, his assistant Ojae hastily followed him and called his name. However, Gyeonhui refused to stop, so Ojae grabbed his arm to stop him. ¡°Calm down.¡± ¡°Let go of me.¡± ¡°What are you going to say to her?¡± ¡°I have to tell her it¡¯s all a misunderstanding!¡± He cried like he couldn¡¯t resist his agitation. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back to that time either, but I am just looking forward to going back to the time when it was relatively less difficult. It¡¯s so frustrating now. You also know that I¡¯m changing a lot.¡± ¡°I know. I know¡­¡± Ojae sighed in frustration. ¡°But why can¡¯t you understand that doing this could hurt her more?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Think of Terry. Even a small animal can¡¯t accept changes all of a sudden. Terry became more afraid of you. Do you think it would be different because she is a person? I totally understand how you feel, but doing this is going to make her mind even more conflicted.¡± Was Gyeonhui listening to Ojae? Gyeonhui was lost in his thoughts with a firm expression. ¡°Why don¡¯t we sit down and think more carefully, huh? She also needs more time too.¡± However, while Ojae was calmly settling him down, Gyeonhui saw a taxi cab that was coming. ¡°¡­ No, If I explain to her properly, she¡¯ll accept me again because that is how she has always done it for me.¡± His eyes showed that he had made up his mind. ¡°Gyeonhui.¡± Ojae called him again, but he shook off Ojae¡¯s hand roughly and got into the taxi. The taxi sprang down the road at high speed. Ojae could only watch as the taxi left him. *** ¡°Hah..¡± As Sun climbed the stairs, she exhaled for a long time and seemed exhausted. When she pulled the key out of her bag and opened the door, she noticed the dark living room. ¡°How was your day, Labong?¡± Sun looked for Labong with an excited face. ¡°Ruff, Ruff!¡± Labong barked, welcoming her. ¡°Hey. Labong.¡± Sun hugged Labong and turned on the light switch with one hand. ¡°Oh my¡­¡± However, she could not keep her mouth shut as soon as she saw what happened to the living room. The trash bin was spilled, and the laundry that had been folded was scattered all over the place. The torn pieces of paper and sketchbooks were spread out in the living room. ¡°La, Labong. Why did you do this?¡± Sun asked while looking at Labong. She was surprised to see a mess that he had made for the first time. Labong avoided her gaze as if he knew what he had done wrong. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Her anxious thoughts for Labong¡¯s well-being was visibly clear on her face. Chapter 80 *** The Blue Rose Veterinary Hospital. When Eunwoo heard about Labong¡¯s behavior from Sun, he started to speak slowly while he looked at Labong, ¡°It seems like Labong is highly stressed because of anxiety.¡± Sun¡¯s eyes widened once she heard Eunwoo words. ¡°Anxiety and stress¡­?¡± Eunwoo nodded and started speaking again. ¡°When dogs are all alone for a long time in a house without their owners, they feel lonely and anxious. It¡¯s the same with human beings. That¡¯s why Labong has done something he had never done before and is acting strangely because he can¡¯t deal with the stress.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Sun looked at Labong as if her heart had broken. ¡°If the owner comes home and yells at their dog when the dog is happy to see them, the relationship between the dog and the owner could grow apart.¡± ¡°Then what should I do better for him?¡± ¡°Try to stay with the dog as long as possible and take a walk every once in a while. The more energy they use, the less they¡¯ll mess around in your home.¡± ¡°As you know, I work until late at night.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay to walk the dogs late at night. A lot of people these days walk their dogs at night.¡± Sun nodded after hearing Eunwoo¡¯s word. When she came home late, she sometimes encountered people who were walking their dogs. ¡°I feel very sorry for him. I think I¡¯ve made him lonely. I didn¡¯t take care of him well enough¡­¡± Sun said while looking at Labong in distress.¡± ¡°Labong gets lonely more because he loves to be with you.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°He is so happy to be with you, that¡¯s why he gets more lonely when he is alone.¡± Sun giggled at Eunwoo¡¯s statement. ¡°I feel a little better after hearing you say that.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say it to comfort you. I said it because it¡¯s true.¡± Sun opened her eyes wide and looked at Eunwoo. ¡°It¡¯s fun to be with you, even I would like to see you more often, and I think about you when I¡¯m alone. Labong probably would feel the same or even more so.¡± She smiled awkwardly when she saw Eunwoo smiling at her. ¡°By the way, have you been to a night market?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the night market? I¡¯ve heard about it once.¡± Sun recalled a few times that she had seen it on social media. ¡°It¡¯s hot these days. There is a lot of food to enjoy. Would you like to go there with me sometime soon?¡± ¡°Sounds good. It¡¯s going to be fun.¡± Sun responded with a smile. ¡°Great. I¡¯ll call you in a few days for an appointment.¡± ¡°Sure. Thank you very much for seeing me today this late at night.¡± ¡°I had a surgery that had finished late anyways. It¡¯s okay.¡± Eunwoo said. ¡°Well, then let me buy you dinner when we go to the night market.¡± ¡°Really? Can I look forward to it?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Great. Go home. You must be tired.¡± ¡°Yes. See you later.¡± Sun smiled and left the hospital while holding Labong in her arms. Eunwoo watched her walking away from his hospital while standing still. He looked at his cell phone that he held in his hand. ¡°Dr. Park, if you¡¯re available tomorrow, can you go to the night market with Sun tomorrow evening¡­¡± It was a text message from Ari. ¡°Hmm¡­ a night market¡­¡± Eunwoo¡¯s face was filled with an excited smile. *** When Sun returned home, she put Labong¡¯s favorite snack in a bowl for him. Labong was excited and ate the entire snack frantically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Labong.¡± Sun apologized while stroking Labong¡¯s head. It kept bothering her to think that she couldn¡¯t take care of Labong. ¡°I¡¯ll come home early and take you for a walk more often. Okay?¡± ¡°Ruff, Ruff!¡± Labong barked pleasantly at her, seemingly understanding what she said. Sun hugged Labong, still feeling sorry for him. ¡°But by the way¡­ when am I going to get this all out¡­¡± Sun sighed as she looked at the living room that was in disarray. She was so shocked by Labong¡¯s strange behavior that she had not yet cleaned it up. ¡°Hmm.¡± She rose and began to clean the living room. She set the trash bin up and place the laundry back in the washing machine. When she took a broom and swept away the pieces of papers, a crumpled sketchbook caught her eye. It was the sketchbook that was given to her from Sister Andrea when she went to the orphanage not long ago. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± When she saw the sketchbook that was crumpled, her mind grew heavy because it wasn¡¯t even hers. After she picked up the sketchbook from the floor, she turned to a page and looked at the pictures one at a time. The drawing that was painted with black crayons made the viewer¡¯s mind heavy. However, the picture on the very first page seemed like it was scratched by something sharp. ¡°What is this?¡± Labong must have scratched it with his claws, and the parts where the black crayon peeled off revealed a red color underneath. As a child, she remembered the scratch class that she had at her school. They painted a canvas with all kinds of colors before covering it in black and scraped it with a sharp tool at the end of the drawing. She carefully scraped the picture with her fingernails. As the black color peeled off, the obscured picture began to be revealed. It wasn¡¯t just a simple pattern, but a person¡¯s face. She was surprised and pulled a coin out of a drawer and started scraping the rest of the picture. ¡°This, this is¡­¡± How long has time passed? The black spots that were peeled off by the coin showed a great picture. It was Gyeonhui when he was a boy while holding his mom¡¯s hand. She remembered the moment she greeted Sister Andrea at the orphanage. ¡°It¡¯s a sketchbook he used to draw when he was a kid.¡± ¡°Why are you giving this to me¡­¡± ¡°I wanted to have at least one person who would look at him right in this world. This picture and Gyeonhui.¡± She then recalled what Ojae had said. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a place with a special story.¡± ¡°A special story?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all I can say. There will be moments in the future where he may talk about his own story in detail.¡± ¡°No way¡­¡± Sun¡¯s expression suddenly darkened. ¡®Kung, Kung, Kung.¡¯ Then, suddenly, she heard someone knocking on the door. She was surprised and looked at the door. ¡°Cheonsun! Open the door!¡± She heard his voice from outside the door. She had only heard him talking about his mother, Mrs. Shin, once. ¡°What kind of person is she, Gyeonhui?¡± Sun asked because she had never met her before. ¡°¡­ The vice president of the company.¡± He responded with a cold tone. ¡°I mean, what kind of person is she, not her position.¡± Gyeonhui¡¯s expression hardened after hearing her question for a second time. Sun had to shut her mouth because she couldn¡¯t comprehend the sudden change in his expression. ¡°¡­ A person who can throw a child away and pick them up again.¡± With his angry expression and words, Sun could no longer ask any other questions. Chapter 81 ¡®Bang, bang, bang, bang!¡¯ Sun came back to reality as the door was knocked on. ¡°Cheonsun! Open the door!¡± His harsh tone called her again and again. Her thoughts were conflicting, so she stopped on the spot without answering or opening the door. ¡°I know you¡¯re inside. Open the door!¡± His angry cries were heard again. Sun unwittingly approached the door and put her hand on the handle of the door. At that moment, she remembered her own determination that she had promised herself. ¡®¡­ I¡¯m not trying to beat him. I¡¯m trying to beat myself.¡¯ She had to overcome her former self, who had been continuously failing to escape him. She had to change herself to ignore the pain and hurt that Gyeonhui had given. She bit her lip tightly and placed her hands on the doorknob. ¡°Hah¡­¡± She heard him sighing outside the door. He no longer knocked on the door, and he did not make angry shouts. After a while, his voice returned and was heard again. ¡°I know you¡¯re there, so listen to me.¡± Sun could tell that Gyeonhui was drunk through his sluggish tone. ¡°I¡¯m here because I want to clear up the misunderstanding that you have about me. I feel like my mind will blow up if I wouldn¡¯t be able to tell you.¡± He held his breath for a long time and slowly started speaking, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want you to come and go because you¡¯re forced. I just want you the way you are.¡± His heartfelt words made her eyes shake. ¡°¡­ So let¡¯s start over.¡± His calm voice came through the door. ¡°Yes. It might be too late, but I don¡¯t want it to be even later. It¡¯s been hard enough to go through the pain.¡± He waited for her like he anticipated for her to answer, but she could not answer. She really wanted to open the door to go out and look into his eyes; however, she stopped herself by biting her lip tightly. ¡°Hah¡± His long sigh was heard again through the door. She even heard when he leaned on the door and raised his body. Then she heard his footsteps as he walked down the stairs weakly. Sun had to sit down when her legs felt weak. With her hands wrapped around her face, she struggled to withstand the pain that spread all over her mind. *** The next morning, when Gyeonhui went to work, he looked out of the window with a firm expression. ¡°It hurt so much, and you didn¡¯t even come to see me till the very end¡­¡± He mumbled while recalling the vivid pain still in his chest. He felt the pain squeezing in his chest, but she didn¡¯t let him come inside. While struggling with a frustrated heart, Ojae stepped in. ¡°Here, the last quarter¡¯s earnings data.¡± Ojae, who had an expressionless face, presented the report to Gyeonhui. After receiving the paperwork, Gyeonhui scanned it a few times and placed the material on the table. ¡°Have you already reviewed it?¡± ¡°¡­ I can¡¯t concentrate.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never been like this before¡­¡± He always used to be clear on his business no matter what his personal issues were. His work and personal matters were always thoroughly separated for him. However, his complicated emotions had interrupted him, so he couldn¡¯t focus on his business at all. He massaged his forehead to do away with the pain. Ojae watched him, pondered for a moment, and started speaking carefully. ¡°Did you see her yesterday?¡± Gyeonhui responded by staying silent. ¡°I told you. You would make her more confused.¡± ¡°It was the best I could do.¡± ¡°It was the best that you wanted to do.¡± ¡°What?¡± He looked at Ojae while furrowing his eyebrows. ¡°Giving an apology to someone means that you¡¯ll wait for the other person to accept you again. If you force her to forgive you because you apologized to her, then that¡¯s not an apology, it¡¯s just another attack.¡± ¡°Are you saying that my actions last night hurt her? All my efforts to resolve the misunderstandings?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± On Ojae¡¯s resolute words, Gyeonhui burst out a smile outrageously. ¡°You said that what I¡¯m feeling for her is love, so I have to do my best and try my best to reach out to her sincerely?¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I was mistaken.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not love. It¡¯s an obsession.¡± Gyeonhui¡¯s face sank immediately. ¡°The choices that you¡¯ve made are ruining you and her. What kind of love ruins both of you?¡± After taking a moment to breathe, Ojae started speaking again. ¡°As your long-time brother who has known you since you were a kid, I¡¯ll just say a word for the first and last time.¡± Gyeonhui looked at him silently while furrowing his brow. ¡°¡­ Let her go.¡± ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°People don¡¯t change easily. She won¡¯t change either. Isn¡¯t that why she is still suffering now?¡± After hearing Ojae¡¯s words, Gyeonhui broke the molars. ¡°You and her look like you are in so much pain. Stop it and let her go.¡± Oaje tried to leave after saying this. ¡°Then how can you explain the pain that I feel coming from her?¡± Ojae stopped after hearing Gyeonhui¡¯s question. ¡°I still feel the pain on my heels because of her, what can you say about it?¡± ¡°Get the blood transfusion again two months later from now. I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s going to work or not.¡± ¡°If? What if that doesn¡¯t work out?¡± ¡°Think about that two months later, not now. That¡¯s reasonable. Isn¡¯t it how you see around things?¡± Gyeonhui became speechless again, but looking at his eyes still, it was clear that he was still unwilling to turn himself down. ¡°Are my feelings obsessive?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± Ojae replied to Gyeonhui¡¯s question. Gyeonhui took a deep breath and slowly started speaking again. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if I¡¯m obsessed with her. I¡¯m going to have her back to my side no matter what it takes because that¡¯s what I want.¡± ¡°Gyeonhui.¡± ¡°Get out.¡± Gyeonhui said while turning his body around to Ojae. Ojae, who was watching him still, sighed like he had given up on Gyeonhui. ¡®Bang.¡¯ After a while, when Gyeonhui heard the door closing, Gyeonhui opened his eyes that were shut for a while. ¡°From now on, I¡¯m going to do it my way.¡± He mumbled to himself with a firm expression. *** In the alleyway, Sun, who was on her way to work, walked blankly while holding Labong. ¡®I¡­ I don¡¯t want you to come and go because you¡¯re forced. I just want you the way you are¡­ So let¡¯s start over.¡¯ His words last night were hardly forgotten. The more she tried to forget, the clearer his voice came to her mind. As she walked, she arrived in front of the veterinary hospital. ¡°Hey, Sun.¡± She just bumped into Eunwoo while carrying a trash bag. ¡°Oh, hello.¡± She greeted him like she was a little surprised. ¡°We don¡¯t get to see each other when we have an appointment, but I think we see each other often coincidentally.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± She smiled awkwardly since she remembered several appointments of theirs that were broken. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not a coincidence today. I¡¯d like to ask you a favor.¡± ¡°A favor?¡± Eunwoo asked her with a puzzled look. Chapter 82 *** In the Consencio building. On Ari¡¯s way to work, she sighed involuntarily. ¡°Huh¡­ I hope nothing happens today¡­¡± She scanned her staff card at the entrance and walked into the building. Someone approached her and blocked her. Ari was already irritated because she had just been on the subway that was packed with people. She opened her eyes and looked at this new opponent. ¡°Hey, who do you think you are¡­¡± Her raising tone of voice began to descend without finishing the question. The man who stood by was Gyeonhui. ¡°Oh, Mr. Woo¡­ Hello, how are you¡­¡± When she recognized him, she at once greeted him with a nervous expression. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say I¡¯m good.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve met a lawyer for defamation of my reputation.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ a lawyer?¡± Ari no longer wanted to continue the conversation with him and tried to wrap it up by repeating his questions. ¡°My lawyers say that I can get a couple thousand dollars from the case if my claim is won in court. It¡¯s not much money for me, but it would be a good lesson for the other side.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ is that right?¡± Ari smiled awkwardly and stared at the floor number on the screen. The elevator is usually fast, but today it felt so slow. ¡°However, what¡¯s making me more irritated is that the person who had insulted me in public behaves normally as if nothing had happened. Can you believe that?¡± ¡°Sorry? Yes, but I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re telling all this to me¡­¡± Ari asked with caution, unaware of what was going on. With a cold smile, Gyeonhui took a step closer to Ari. ¡°Why am I saying this to you? Is it because you think that I¡¯m stalking her?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a little bit muddy and sticky. Like a tick.¡± Ari¡¯s face grew pale when she heard his words. ¡®Oh my. He had heard everything.¡¯ She didn¡¯t know exactly what she was saying yesterday because he didn¡¯t have any reactions, but it seemed like he had heard everything Ari had said about him. Ari felt as if the inside of her head were rapidly fading into white because Gyeonhui was staring at her with sharp and cold eyes. ¡®So, then the person he¡¯s going to sue is me?¡¯ The words he listed, including defamation and thousands of dollars, passed through her mind. ¡°Well, it was just a mistake yesterday¡­¡± ¡°Mistake? You were so sure about what you had said yesterday when I listened to you.¡± Ari remembered her own words and voice then closed her eyes tightly. She started speaking again in a desperate voice because she had to change his mind somehow. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m very sorry. I think I went crazy for a second. Please forgive me this one time, only once.¡± Ari bowed her head and apologized to him, but his eyes were still cold. ¡°Just apologizing to me doesn¡¯t pay off your debt. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I can make this as if it had not happened and drop the case against you obviously only if you can help me. ¡± ¡°What can I do for you?¡± Ari urgently asked. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. You just need to do a favor for me. Can you do that?¡± In his cold voice, Ari¡¯s face suddenly grew pale. Ari could do nothing except nod like prey before a beast in nature. As Gyeonhui looked at her, he clenched his molars with cold eyes. Ari sighed with her arms crossed as she looked at the small box on her desk. It was a box that Gyeonhui handed to her in the morning. ¡®It¡¯s a wristwatch. Give it to Sun and tell her that it¡¯s your gift to her His instructions were simple and clear. ¡®If it¡¯s a gift, can¡¯t you just give it to her yourself?¡¯ ¡®If I give it, she won¡¯t take it.¡¯ ¡®Oh¡­¡¯ Ari nodded as if she understood his words. ¡°But why a wristwatch?¡± Recalling what happened this morning, Ari frowned with her arms crossed. She couldn¡¯t understand how much trouble she was in. ¡°Is there something that you¡¯re worried about?¡± Sun asked when she returned from the bathroom. Ari was surprised by her and quickly hid the box. ¡°Huh? Oh, no. Everything is fine.¡± ¡°Why do you keep sighing and talking to yourself then?¡± ¡°Yes, she looked weird since this morning.¡± Eunyoung said while looking at Ari from the other side of the office. ¡°Be¡­ because one of the important files on my computer has been deleted. That¡¯s all. I¡¯m fine.¡± Ari blamed her laptop and tried to avoid the two of them. ¡°Really?¡± Sun looked at Ari while tapping on the keyboard roughly, and Sun shook her head with doubt. Then, Sun saw a small box that Ari was hiding behind her. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°Huh? What, what?¡± ¡°That. That thing you¡¯re hiding.¡± ¡°Oh, this? This is¡­¡± After a moment of hesitation, Ari quickly closed her eyes and pushed the box out to Sun. ¡°It¡¯s a gift for you.¡± ¡°A gift? For me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s your birthday soon.¡± ¡°Yes, but it is still more than a month from now.¡± ¡°I just wanted to give it to you when I could remember it was your birthday. Why? Don¡¯t you like it?¡± Ari quickly asked again to hide her embarrassment. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, but it¡¯s just a little weird.¡± Sun received the box from Ari. When Sun opened the box, she saw a small wristwatch in the shape of a bracelet. ¡°Wow. It¡¯s so pretty.¡± Sun carefully picked up the watch while admiring it. ¡°What is this?¡± Sun looked at it continuously. ¡°I think it¡¯s a wristwatch.¡± ¡°You think?¡± ¡°I mean, it¡¯s a wristwatch.¡± Realizing that the nuance was strange, Ari quickly corrected her words. ¡°The watch checks your pulse, breathing, the distance of travel, and lets you know your health status.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s great. Thank you. It¡¯s amazing.¡± Sun seemed to like it and immediately wrapped the watch on her wrist. ¡°How much is this? I would like to get one, too.¡± Eunyoung approached and said. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s not expensive.¡± ¡°It looks expensive.¡± ¡°I said it¡¯s not.¡± ¡°Why are you getting so irritated?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not irritated at you. It¡¯s just not expensive.¡± Eunyoung did not ask her more because it seemed uncomfortable for Ari. Sun, who was realizing the tense atmosphere, put her two hands over on Eunyoung and Ari¡¯s shoulders and said, ¡°Now, calm down. As the youngest person in our team, I¡¯ll buy you lunch today!¡± Sun smiled and cried out that she liked the gift so much. ¡°Good. Let¡¯s do some market research on the way to the office after lunch.¡± Eunyoung said. ¡°Good idea! Let¡¯s go, Ari.¡± Sun smiled and left the office first. However, the more Sun looked happy, the more Ari¡¯s face darkened because she felt guilty for Sun. ¡°¡­ Hah¡­¡± Ari stood up from her seat reluctantly with a deep sigh. Chapter 83 *** ¡°Hmm.¡± A low sigh leaked from Gyeonhui¡¯s mouth while he was reviewing the report. On the desk was a lot of data from Consencio¡¯s last quarter¡¯s earnings to this quarter¡¯s expected earnings. The growth trend that was skyrocketing had gradually plateaued. ¡°If this continues¡­¡± It was clear that Mrs. Shin and other shareholders would not stand for this. Many people wanted to bring him down from his position at all costs. Gyeonhui had to do everything he could to acquire the merger and acquisition of DNBM right away. ¡®Knock, knock.¡¯ With the sound of knocking, Ojae entered. ¡°There will be a meeting with the strategic planning team and a drawing event at six o¡¯clock. You will not need to do anything but visit there.¡± Ojae reported Gyeonhui¡¯s schedule today. ¡°¡­ Who will be drawing the entry? Gyeonhui asked, still listening. ¡°Executive Nam is going to do it.¡± After a while, Gyeonhui started speaking. ¡°Are the journalist coming in too?¡± ¡°Yes, the majority of newspapers will come to the event.¡± ¡°Well, then I will do the drawing.¡± ¡°What? By yourself?¡± Since it was something that the president did not have to do, Ojae had no choice but to question it. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of talking going on about the merger and acquisition of DNBM. We need to give the public some positive impression about us.¡± On his calm words, Ojae nodded with a smile. ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll get in touch with Executive Nam.¡± ¡°Okay. You¡¯re dismissed.¡± When Gyeonhui answered, he went back to reviewing the reports again. When Ojae tried to leave the office when a worried expression appeared on his face as he stopped and asked Gyeonhui, ¡°¡­ Have you decided?¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°Her.¡± ¡°I told you that I will take care of it.¡± ¡°Gyeonhui¡­¡± ¡°Do you still have more to report?¡± Hearing his sinking voice, Ojae could not speak further. ¡°¡­ All right. Come to the lobby on the first floor at 8 o¡¯clock.¡± After Ojae reported everything to Gyeonhui, he exited the office with a solemn expression. ¡®Bang.¡¯ ¡°Hah¡­¡± When Gyeonhui heard the door closing, he breathed a long sigh. He turned his head and picked up the tablet PC beside him. He looked at the application screen that was running. The screen was showing Sun¡¯s pulse going back and forth between 80 and 120, and the increasing distance from the building was 120 meters as she moved from it. Also, a lot of data revealing her health condition in detail was shown on complex graphs. ¡°It seems that she had delivered it to Sun properly.¡± He smiled in satisfaction. *** There were a lot of kitchen products on display in the large-scale household goods aisle. After looking at the various products, Sun scrutinized the kitchen products with character designs on them. At that time, Eunyoung came to look around the car supplies. ¡°What do you think? Did you take a look?¡± After hearing Eunyoung¡¯s question, Sun showed the cutting board that she was looking at. It was a cutting board with a well-designed cute character painted on it. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s pretty.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it? I think it¡¯s a great idea to put the character designs on the majority of kitchen products as well as cutting boards and knives. I think it¡¯s also great to incorporate the characters into all this tableware for the kids.¡± ¡°Well, it sounds like a good idea.¡± Eunyoung nodded like she agreed with Sun¡¯s thoughts. As Sun said, the demands for characters in the market had been growing steadily in recent years. ¡°Guess what this is?¡± Sun suddenly pulled out a tool that she was holding. It was a unique shape with a blade in the circular plastic that was shaped in all directions. ¡°It looks like a cutter because I see the blades, but why does it look like this?¡± Eunyoung could not understand the purpose of it from a distance, so she asked Sun. ¡°This is an apple cutter. Put it on an apple and press down on both sides. The part with seeds falls to the middle, but the rest will be divided into eight pieces.¡± ¡°Cool¡­¡± ¡°This is for removing pineapple seeds, and that¡¯s a banana cutter. There is a strawberry seed remover. Aren¡¯t they so cool?¡± ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t know about any of these.¡± Eunyoung looked at the products like they were so novel to her. ¡°I think it would be better to incorporate our characters into products because the characters make them more unique.¡± ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s pick a few and take them.¡± Sun smiled at Eunyoung¡¯s suggestion. ¡°Well, don¡¯t you have to go?¡± Eunyoung asked as she checked the time looking at Sun. ¡°Huh? Why?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have a blind date tonight?¡± ¡°Oh my¡­¡± Ari must have spoken to Eunyoung already. ¡°It¡¯s actually a great idea. If you¡¯re going to clear your mind, it¡¯s better to do it faster. Nothing good comes from hesitation. You saw how it worked with me.¡± ¡°No¡­ you have nothing to do with this¡­¡± ¡°I had been in denial over him for five years, knowing that his care for me had already left. I was in pain for five years. I don¡¯t want you to do that.¡± Sun looked at Eunyoung with a sad face. When Eunyoung felt Sun¡¯s eyes, she smiled bitterly. ¡°By the way, where did Ari go?¡± Eunyoung looked around to find Ari. ¡°Her face looked dark when we had lunch together. I think something¡¯s going on with her.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Sun mumbled the end of her sentence because she also wasn¡¯t sure what was going on with Ari. ¡°Go on, before it¡¯s too late. I will find Ari and take her. See you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Bye.¡± Eunyoung was already moving away to find Ari in the crowd. ¡°Eunyoung¡­¡± Sun always felt so sorry for Eunyoung and was grateful for her because she considered Sun as her own younger sister and took care of Sun all the time. ¡°Ari, Ari!¡± Eunyoung turned her head around to find Ari. While watching Eunyoung, Sun remembered walking on the pilgrimage trail in the past. Eunyoung looked like she was wandering frantically in search of something, but she didn¡¯t know what it was or where it was. Eunyoung was also trying to find something she might not have been able to find. ¡®I had been in denial over him for five years, knowing that his care for me had already left. I was in pain for five years. I don¡¯t want you to do that.¡¯ Her cynical words had implied her regret, but at the same time, it conveyed her care for someone who was more in pain than her. Like a sojourner who had walked on the path before leaving an arrow for other sojourners following behind, Eunyoung¡¯s words were like those arrows for Sun. In retrospect, everyone had been hurt with heartbreak. She was also one of those people. An ordinary person who fell in love with someone ordinary got hurt but fell in love again. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Sun nodded slowly with a long sigh. ¡°¡­ You can do it, Cheonsun.¡± Sun clutched her small fists tightly while closing her lips securely. Chapter 84 *** In the president¡¯s office. The head of the strategic planning team was reporting the presentation to Gyeonhui seriously. ¡°The Lars department store is expanding its online business aggressively, and it¡¯s taking a toll on us. I think we need a long-term plan to expand our business rather than a short-term plan through the merger and acquisition of other companies or expanding the offline business.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Upon listening to the report, Gyeonhui winced due to his sudden chest pain. ¡°¡­ Are you okay?¡± The team leader asked cautiously as he observed Gyeonhui. ¡°Let¡¯s stop for today. You¡¯re dismissed.¡± His grumpy tone persuaded the head of the strategic planning team and the staff to quickly exit the office. A slight groan erupted from his mouth once he heard the sound of the door closing. ¡°Hah¡­¡± He pressed his chest with his hands to check the application on his tablet, but her heart rate was regular. ¡°Is it my pain¡­¡± He began to become accustomed to her pain, so now, it was hard for him to distinguish whose pain it was. He slowly raised his head, enduring the chest pains. The business reports that he had reviewed more than a dozen times had piled up high on his desk. ¡°I can¡¯t believe they have brought all of these alternatives for nothing. Hah¡­¡± The result from hours of meetings with the strategic planning team ends up as ¡®No alternative.¡¯ ¡°Such incompetents.¡± He was annoyed at the moment. An alternative that came from the head of the strategic planning team was the same idea that Gyeonhui had made in the last quarter. They were elite employees from the most famous universities all over the world, but for three months, they had found no alternative. He wanted to dismantle the team, but he remained patient. He could blame the team¡¯s incompetence; however, the situation he was struggling with was also dire for the business. If he couldn¡¯t resolve this trouble, then everything would become the way Mrs. Shin expected. ¡®Prove that you are worthy of being in this position, or this opportunity will be the last one for you.¡¯ He clenched his molars tightly to withstand the growing anger within him. With his eyes closed, he took a deep breath and tried to calm his mood down. ¡®Bzzzz.¡¯ A text message arrived on his cell phone that he had put on the table. ¡®Let¡¯s eat dinner together. I¡¯m almost there.¡¯ The sender of the text was Chaekyeong. He clutched his pencil tightly and smiled like this was outrageous. ¡®Snap.¡¯ The pencil that failed to withstand his power broke in two pieces with a loud sound. After pausing for a moment, he stood up silently and wore his coat. ¡°¡­ I will use you gladly when you are worthy of doing so.¡± He exited the office with a firm expression. *** In the restaurant on the first floor of the Consencio building. ¡°Why does it have to be here¡­¡± Sun, having arrived at the meeting place a little early, sighed and mumbled to herself. Having a blind date itself was a burden for her, but she was more concerned with the fact that the place for the meeting was in the Consencio building. ¡°He must have considered choosing a dinner place that was close to you.¡¯ Eunyoung said it like it was nothing, but Sun was not relieved from her anxieties. ¡°I should have said no to this¡­¡± As her late regret continued, Sun pulled the stone out of her pocket. ¡°You can do it, Cheonsun. You can do it.¡± She repeated the same words, like a spell while rubbing the stone inscribed with ¡®Go. You can.¡¯ Then she accidentally dropped the stone. ¡°No!¡± The stone rolled around and stopped when it hit someone¡¯s shoes. ¡°Where did it go?¡± However, the direction of the stone eluded her, so she bent down under the table to look for it. Then someone slowly approached her and put the stone on the table. ¡°Huh? Thank you very much.¡± When Sun saw the stone, she smiled brightly and tried to say thank you. ¡°Sun?¡± She slowly raised her head after hearing the familiar voice. A tall man who was wearing a nice suit with a gentle smile on his face caught her eye. ¡°Dr. Park?!¡± When she recognized him, she became astonished. Eunwoo¡¯s warm eyes were looking at her with a gentle smile. ¡°Oh, what br¡­ brings you here, Dr. Park?¡± She had done nothing wrong, but she stuttered. Surprised by the unexpected situation, she hurriedly asked him. ¡°I have an appointment here. How about you?¡± His demeanor was normal and natural. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­ I have an appointment too¡­¡± However, her answer was absolutely unnatural. ¡°Meeting your friends here?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ it¡¯s not a friend¡­¡± Sun couldn¡¯t find the right answer as if the inside of her head became utterly blank. Eunwoo looked at her and started speaking with a mischievous smile. ¡°No way, are you on a blind date?¡± ¡°What?¡± She blinked quickly. She tried to find the right answer, but there was nothing in her head, for it had already become blank. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Hah¡­¡± She nodded slowly, for she had given up lying to him. ¡°¡­ Yes, Ari had arranged it for me¡­¡± Sun lowered her head with a sullen expression as if she had been caught stealing. ¡°But why do you have a long face?¡± ¡°It just looks pathetic. I was swayed by my ex-boyfriend until recently, but now, I¡¯m here to meet a new man¡­¡± Sun could not make eye contact with Eunwoo like she felt ashamed of herself. ¡°No, you don¡¯t look pathetic at all.¡± To his tender voice, Sun slowly raised her head. ¡°It¡¯s great that you continue walking forward without giving up on yourself.¡± His heartfelt words came to her softly. She felt warmth in every corner of her heart. ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t kid me.¡± She smiled and quickly changed the subject to Eunwoo. ¡°But what brought you here?¡± She asked curiously. He mischievously furrowed his brow and slowly started speaking, ¡°Well, I actually have a blind date here too.¡± ¡°What? A blind date? You, Dr. Park?¡± Sun asked him again as if none of this made sense. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like me, does it?¡± ¡°I thought you never needed this kind of thing because you¡¯re so¡­ no. Never mind.¡± Sun acted like she didn¡¯t understand him, but she did so because she didn¡¯t want to be rude to him. Eunwoo slowly started speaking with a smile, ¡°The person that I¡¯m interested in isn¡¯t interested in me.¡± Eunwoo said, frowning and wrinkling his nose. ¡°No way, that¡¯s impossible¡­¡± Sun mumbled the end of her response as if it didn¡¯t make sense to her. ¡°When is your appointment?¡± ¡°At seven o¡¯clock.¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Here.¡± ¡°Really? Wow, what a jackpot. It is the same as mine, but don¡¯t you have to find your date?¡± To her question, Eunwoo smiled and drank a sip of water. ¡°I¡¯ve already found her.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Sun looked at him in doubt. Looking at her, Eunwoo slowly started speaking, ¡°Are you, Miss Cheonsun? Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°What? What are you talking about?¡± Sun blinked as if she didn¡¯t understand the situation. Eunwoo looked at her silently while thinking about how cute she was. ¡°¡­ No way¡­¡± A chilly feeling was slowly creeping upon Sun as she carefully looked at Eunwoo. Eunwoo nodded slowly with a light smile. ¡°That¡¯s right. The man you¡¯re supposed to meet today is me.¡± ¡°What!?¡± Sun couldn¡¯t close her mouth like she had not expected this at all. On the contrary, Eunwoo was continually looking at her with earnest eyes. Chapter 85 *** Gyeonhui, with a firm expression, got out of the elevator that was dedicated to the CEO. In the evening, the restaurant on the first floor was crowded with people. ¡°Hey, it is here.¡± He slowly turned his head after hearing the familiar voice, Wearing a fitted dress with short light hair, she waved her hand as she approached him. She was so attractive that the men passing by her glanced back at her, but Gyeonhui¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°Was this what you meant by seeing you anytime and anywhere you wanted?¡± His voice sank heavily. ¡°I¡¯ve come all the way here for my busy man. I¡¯m sorry if you feel bad.¡± Far from how she responded, her expression looked relaxed like she was enjoying the moment. Gyeonhui stepped on like he didn¡¯t want to get into it a debate with her anymore. ¡°What would you like to eat?¡± She quickly caught up to how fast he was walking and asked. ¡°Anything.¡± ¡°How about Mediterranean cuisine?¡± Without answering, he just headed to a Mediterranean restaurant nearby. ¡°Huh?¡± Then, she made a sound like she had found something. He kept walking away like he didn¡¯t want to care, ignoring her. ¡°Isn¡¯t she number sixteen?¡± After hearing her words, he finally stopped. There was only one person in the world who she would call with such a name. He slowly turned his head and looked inside the restaurant, and he saw a familiar face. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s Cheonsun.¡± Surely she was. ¡°It looks like she has a blind date. The man also looks wonderful, but¡­wait a minute¡­.¡± Chaekyeong¡¯s eyes widened in amazement when she saw the man¡¯s face across from Sun. Chaekyeong¡¯s eyes shook slightly after seeing the man¡¯s familiar face. Meanwhile, Gyeonhui was walking towards the two in the restaurant. Looking at Sun and Eunwoo, Gyeonhui walked toward them; Chaekyeong then became so curious. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s going to be so fun.¡± Like she didn¡¯t want to miss what was going to happen, she started walking faster. *** ¡°Then the man Ari was talking about was¡­¡± Sun stuttered like she was so surprised. Instead of answering, Eunwoo smiled and nodded. ¡°Oh no¡­ Ari¡­ Hahahaha.¡± When Sun understood the situation, she looked back at Eunwoo in embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry.¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°I think this is another one of Ari¡¯s pranks. I¡¯ve been struggling a little bit lately, so I¡¯m sure she did this for me, but anyway, I¡¯m very sorry.¡± She thought the meeting with Eunwoo today was Ari¡¯s prank, so she apologized to him. However, Eunwoo looked at her and asked while hiding his bitter smile. ¡°So, how did you feel?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°When I showed up to your table as the man you were supposed to meet. I wondered how you felt about it.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± she said. Thinking about what she felt while ago, Sun slowly started speaking. ¡°I felt so glad.¡± ¡°Glad?¡± Eunwoo looked puzzled and asked. ¡°I was so nervous because I thought that I would be with a stranger. I can still feel my heart trembling.¡± ¡°Does it not tremble when you are usually with me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you always make people feel comfortable.¡± Sun said while smiling and exhaling a sigh. Eunwoo was watching her talking, and he soon laughed out loud. ¡°Why are you laughing? Is there something on my face?¡± Sun asked while touching her own face. ¡°No, you¡¯re fine. You just looked so cute.¡± Eunwoo tried not to laugh and said. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me. What¡¯s that? Why did you laugh?¡± ¡°Hah¡­¡± Eunwoo barely caught his breath and looked back at her. ¡°When you realized that I was the man for the blind date, I thought it would be one of the other reactions that could come out of you. You would either dislike me or like me. I never expected that you would be relieved. That¡¯s why I laughed.¡± ¡°There is no one who wouldn¡¯t like a person like you.¡± She said this very bluntly and genuinely. Eunwoo approached her and then bowed deeply as soon as she said it. Sun was a little surprised and opened her eyes wide as she looked at him. ¡°So, how about you?¡± ¡°What?¡± Sun seemed a little embarrassed. Eunwoo smiled and waited for her answer. ¡°I can¡¯t listen to either of you anymore.¡± Then, behind the two, they heard a man¡¯s cold voice. She quickly turned around after having an ominous feeling, and her expression hardened. ¡°Gyeonhui¡­¡± How long had he been standing there? A serious-looking Gyeonhui looked down at the two. ¡°You did this right here in my building instead of going somewhere else in Seoul to make me feel bad, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s not like that.¡± Her expression and voice sank to the point where she could not see the end. ¡°Why are you doing this in a restaurant in my company then?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just your victim mentality. I had no intention of doing any of this.¡± ¡°What? Victim mentality? Hah!¡± Gyeonhui burst a laugh like what he had heard was something outrageous. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Sun asked as boldly as she possibly could. ¡°This is the building of my company. Isn¡¯t it strange that a dog doctor came all the way here?¡± ¡°He came here because he had an appointment with me. Don¡¯t say it that way.¡± ¡°Hmm, that way¡­¡± She seemed unscathed. Gyeonhui repeated her words like he didn¡¯t like what she just said. His frustration about this situation was conveyed to her through his eyes and his tone. It had been months since they had broken up, but he could still tame her senses. Sun had been biting her lower lip but managed to calm her breathing and slowly started speaking, ¡°If you don¡¯t have anything to say, please leave us alone, because I don¡¯t want to be disturbed.¡± After hearing her brave words, Gyeonhui furrowed his brow. Gyeonhui stared at Sun¡¯s fierce eyes, but she didn¡¯t even make eye contact with him. ¡°Is it jealousy?¡± At that point, Eunwoo, who was watching Gyeonhui and Sun, spoke in a bold tone. ¡°Jealousy?¡± Gyeonhui, with a disgusted face, asked Eunwoo again with furrowed brows. ¡°Is it something like jealousy from her ex-boyfriend?¡± ¡°Ha, jealousy?¡± Gyeonhui laughed outrageously and looked back at Eunwoo. ¡°I think you have no idea what you are doing here. It¡¯s not a great time to be intrusive.¡± ¡°I think It¡¯s you, Mr. Woo, who has been intrusive on us. You are breaking in on us.¡± Gyeonhui frowned after hearing Eunwoo¡¯s blow. When the tension around them was about to explode, Chaekyeong walked toward the table. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time.¡± Chaekyeong greeted Eunwoo and Sun. Unlike her, who was smiling, Sun¡¯s eyes shook violently as she recognized her. ¡®That, that girl¡­¡¯ Sun knew who Chaekyeong was because she often bumped into her when she was dating Gyeonhui. ¡®Hello, Chaekyeong. No, I¡¯m available to talk right now. What¡¯s up?¡¯ Even on the day of the accident, Gyeonhui was on his way to see Chaekyeong. Sun unknowingly bit her lower lip. ¡°How are you number sixteen?¡± Every time she saw Sun, Chaekyeong called her sixteen. It meant that Sun was the 16th woman that Gyeonhui has dated. ¡°Hello, nice to meet you. I think this is the first time I¡¯ve met you. My name is Chaekyeong Jin.¡± Chaekyeong greeted Eunwoo by emphasizing the word ¡®first.¡¯ A bitter smile came up to Eunwoo¡¯s face as he gazed at Chakyeong with a little surprise. ¡°I think there¡¯s a misunderstanding. Gyeonhui is here because he has an appointment with me, just like the two of you.¡± Her voice was calm, but Sun¡¯s emotions slowly churned. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but don¡¯t get me wrong. We¡¯ve broken up, so nothing is going on between us anymore.¡± Sun responded with as much boldness as possible, but she could not wholly conceal her trembling voice. ¡°I¡¯m glad. Enjoy your meal.¡± Chaekyeong greeted the two of them with a charming smile and looked at Gyeonhui. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Gyeonhui.¡± However, Gyeonhui was still looking at Sun. At that point, Eunwoo, who was still watching, reached out and gently held Sun¡¯s hand. ¡°Why don¡¯t we get out of here? I know a better place.¡± Sun looked up at him with her eyes wide in amazement. However, soon, she noticed Eunwoo¡¯s consideration, so she nodded slowly. Gyeonhui held Eunwoo¡¯s arm roughly and stopped him. ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± Gyeonhui struggled to endure his anger. ¡°It¡¯s a great looking place from the outside, but I don¡¯t like the service here. We haven¡¯t had the menu yet, right?¡± ¡°Yes? Oh, yes¡­¡± Eunwoo smiled when he heard Sun¡¯s answer and pushed Gyeonhui¡¯s hand away. Eunwoo held Sun¡¯s hand and walked passed Gyeonhui while exiting the restaurant. Gyeonhui¡¯s expression sank endlessly as he watched them leave. Chakyeong smiled like she was enjoying the situation when she gazed at Eunwoo moving away. ¡°It looks nice from the outside, but it has horrible service. What a perfect metaphor.¡± Gyeonhui walked out of the restaurant silently with a firm expression. Chakyeong soon slowly followed him as well. Chapter 86 *** When Eunwoo¡¯s car left the city, it ran along the Han river road. Sun looked out the window silently and thought about things that just happened. ¡®Chaekyeong Jin¡­¡¯ Chaekyeong was still so pretty, and she was a lady of dazzling beauty. Sun kept thinking that the two of them seemed perfect together. Sun shook her head hard to forget her accelerating imagination regardless of her will. After reading her frustrated expression, Eunwoo pulled the car over in a Han River parking lot. ¡°This place is¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go for a walk.¡± Eunwoo responded with a smile and stepped out of the car before her. Sun, who had a sullen expression, reluctantly unfastened her seatbelt and left the car. As she stepped outside, she noticed the open view of the Han river as she felt a cool breeze. The sight of the lights swirling in the river was enough to draw Sun¡¯s attention. ¡°Isn¡¯t it so pretty?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the way I used to go to work every day¡­ but I didn¡¯t know this place.¡± Sun said while looking at the night view with a comfortable feeling. ¡°There are a lot of beautiful places in Seoul if you look around closely.¡± As she agreed with him, Sun nodded slowly. She was looking at the night view of the serene city, but she remembered the situation a little while ago again. ¡®¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but don¡¯t get me wrong. We¡¯ve broken up.¡¯ She felt ashamed because her voice was trembling uncontrollably when she said it, and she regretted it. ¡°Hah¡­¡± She closed her eyes and slowly started speaking about what she really thought in her mind. ¡°¡­ Why am I so stupid?¡± ¡°Why do you think that?¡± Eunwoo looked at her and asked. ¡°Yesterday, I thought that I could be confident in front of him this morning, no, until I met him.¡± ¡°Do you think you were not?¡± ¡°¡­ You were there with me. My voice was trembling, and I couldn¡¯t look at him in the eye.¡± Sun bit her lower lip with a sigh. ¡°That¡¯s not how it looked like to me¡­¡± Eunwoo, who was still watching her, said in a low voice. ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Oh, no.¡± Eunwoo suddenly adjusted his voice. Sun looked at Eunwoo in doubt. ¡°If you don¡¯t have anything to say, please go away, because I don¡¯t want to be disturbed.¡± Eunwoo jokingly mimicked what she had said to Gyeonhui at the restaurant. ¡°Oh, stop it, please.¡± Sun¡¯s face turned red in embarrassment. ¡°You haven¡¯t said that to anyone before, have you?¡± Eunwoo¡¯s question reminded her of an old memory for a moment. As far as she remembered, she never said so to anyone. Eunwoo smiled when she slowly shook her head. ¡°Look at you. You¡¯ve become stronger, Sun.¡± Hearing this, Sun nodded slowly. ¡°I think I still have a long way to go.¡± Sun looked at the Han river with a bitter smile. Eunwoo, who was looking at her, approached her and stopped. ¡°¡­ Hey, Sun.¡± Sun turned her face upon hearing his soft voice. Looking at her with solemn eyes, Eunwoo pulled her shoulder gently and embraced her. Seeing his natural hug, she stopped with her eyes wide open. Maybe she was amazed. Sun¡¯s heart started beating quickly. Eunwoo¡¯s hard chest covered around her, and his crisp scent hovered over her nose. ¡°Dr. Park¡­¡± Sun felt awkward and carefully called Eunwoo. However, Eunwoo embraced her a little tighter. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll help you to forget him.¡± His voice gently echoed through her ear. His fast heartbeat was conveyed to her chest. In the president¡¯s office. Gyeonhui recalled what happened during the evening while holding a bottle of whiskey. He could hardly forget Sun¡¯s face as she smiled in front of Eunwoo. ¡®Trickling.¡¯ As the golden whiskey filled the glass, he emptied it at once in one gulp as if he were thirsty. ¡°Hah.¡± His face, while exhaling out a shallow sigh of relief, was already turning red. He almost emptied the whole bottle and tried to fill the glass with a bottle of wine again. Then Chaekyeong, who was watching him, took away the bottle from him. ¡°What are you doing?¡± He looked at her with narrowed eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t do this, I¡¯m worried about you.¡± Unlike what she said, her face seemed relaxed. ¡°You¡¯re worried? For me? Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s something so unlike you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s no wonder that a man who I think of as a spouse is like this because of his ex-girlfriend; besides, it¡¯s actually you who did something that isn¡¯t like you.¡± Hearing her point that out, Gyeonhui furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Since when did you ever cry or laugh because of a woman? What the hell happened to you?¡± Gyeonhui could not refute Chaekyeong¡¯s words. When he pulled himself together, things were already out of order, not knowing when the trouble with Sun had happened. ¡°Hah¡­¡± With a deep sigh, Gyeonhui tilted his head back. The intoxication and dizziness overlapped at once. He clutched his head frustratedly and opened his eyes again. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Understand?¡± Gyeonhui furrowed his eyebrows and asked her again. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about your trouble with how things are not going well regarding the merger and acquisition. You might lose your position if you don¡¯t make it happen.¡± ¡°Did Mrs. Shin say that to you, that she is going to kick me out of this company If I can¡¯t do the merger and acquisition?¡± ¡°You know more than me that that¡¯s her. She is great at separating business from her personal matters.¡± He closed his eyes and clenched his molars while making a loud noise. ¡°¡­ I said I can do it.¡± He barely suppressed his anger, and she looked back at him after hearing his words. ¡°I¡¯m going to make it, so go and tell her to oversee it. Got it?¡± His eyes were filled with blazing anger. ¡®Knock, knock.¡¯ Then, with the sound of knocking, Ojae entered. ¡°It¡¯s time to prepare for the event.¡± Ojae didn¡¯t know the situation as he spoke to him. ¡°Drawing? Oh¡­¡± He recalled Ojae¡¯s report that he had forgotten. ¡°I have to go to improve the image of our company.¡± He blinked and tried to get up from his seat, but he stumbled about drunk. ¡°Gyeonhui.¡± Ojae, who was watching him, rushed to hold his arms. ¡°What is it? Are you drunk?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Ha, take a break. I¡¯ll contact Nam, the executive.¡± ¡°Let go of me. I¡¯m not drunk.¡± Gyeonhu shook off Ojae¡¯s arm. ¡°Gyeonhui!¡± ¡°I said I can do it! What¡¯s wrong with all of you with that!?¡± When Gyeonhui yelled at Ojae, he pushed him away and exited the office. ¡°¡­ What¡¯s going on?¡± Ojae was embarrassed and asked Chaekyeong. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± She was only smiling quietly while shaking her head. ¡®Tang, tang, tang.¡¯ Then, they heard something fall in the hallway. Without looking at the situation, Ojae knew what was going on, so he hurried out of the office while biting his lower lip. ¡®Bang.¡¯ When the office door closed, Chaekyeong slowly stepped forward and headed to Gyeonhui¡¯s desk. She slowly grabbed the nameplate that was labeled ¡®Gyeonhui Woo, CEO.¡¯ ¡°Gyeonhui Woo¡­¡± She was looking at the nameplate with affection as if the nameplate were Gyeonhui, and she quickly walked towards the window. She could see the beautiful night view of Seoul underneath the building that stretched out like a black forest. ¡°Should I crack him more?¡± With a giggled smile, she pulled out her phone and started making calls somewhere. Chapter 87 *** ¡®Kung, kung, kung.¡¯ Eunwoo¡¯s uneven heartbeat pounded in Sun¡¯s ear. He embraced her with one hand wrapped around her head. His incredibly soft but robust arm held her, not missing any part of her. She heard the sound of his heartbeat closer, slowly pounding her chest. At the moment, when the strange resonance reached her chest, his phone started vibrating from his pocket. ¡®Bzzz.¡¯ She blinked after pulling herself together. ¡®Bzzz.¡¯ ¡®Bzzz.¡¯ The phone kept vibrating, but Eunwoo didn¡¯t let her go as if he did not hear anything. Eventually, Sun carefully started speaking. ¡°Dr. Park¡­ the phone¡­¡± After hearing Sun¡¯s voice, Eunwoo slowly released his arms, seemingly unhappy. Eunwoo took the phone out of his pocket and checked the caller. He answered the phone with a slightly firm expression. ¡°¡­ Hello? Yes. I¡¯ll call you later.¡± After a concise call, Eunwoo hung up the phone with a shallow sigh. Sun recognized his sinking face and started speaking, ¡°I guess you have to go, right? That¡¯s okay.¡± Eunwoo looked at her silently. Sun was embarrassed at the situation a little while ago with him, so she seemed to be in a hurry to send him off. After reading her thoughts, Eunwoo pondered for a moment and nodded slowly. ¡°¡­ Yes, I¡¯m sorry, I have to go.¡± His face was filled with unhappiness. ¡°I¡¯ll take you home.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t need to. I can go home alone.¡± ¡°You also have to pick up Labong too. It¡¯s the same way regardless.¡± When he smiled and led her, she still watched his back. His broad chest, crisp scent, and warm embrace sequentially emerged. ¡®I¡¯m sure you also know that Dr. Park is interested in you. It¡¯s ridiculous if you have no idea about that.¡¯ Ari¡¯s words came to mind all of a sudden. However, she shook her head hard. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Her heart was beating faster involuntarily as she sighed and stepped forward. *** The hall was already filled with the journalists and participants for the event. Ojae stopped Gyeonhui from trying to step up to the platform with his blinking eyes. ¡°Hey, Gyeonhui. It¡¯s not too late. Let¡¯s leave it to Mr. Nam.¡± ¡°Are you going to make me repeat the same thing again?¡± ¡°You are drunk.¡± His face was blushed, and he smelled like alcohol every time he spoke. ¡°I can do it. Go away.¡± Gyeonhui furrowed his eyebrows and pushed Ojae away. He stepped up to the platform. ¡°Hah. You are so stubborn.¡± Gyeonhui was a person that no one could stop once he started something on his own. Ojae, who was still watching Gyeonhui¡¯s precarious steps, felt like his mind burned crisp into black. However, the water had already spilled, and Ojae still had to lead the event. The only way to end it was to finish it in quick succession before the reporters and journalists caught them. ¡°We¡¯re going to have the raffle now. The CEO of Consencio, Gyeonhui Woo, has attended today¡¯s event especially.¡± People¡¯s attention turned to Gyeonhui after hearing the host¡¯s comment. He smiled and bowed his head slightly to say hello to the audience. However, since he was too drunk, he slightly stumbled, losing his balance at the moment. ¡°What, what was that?¡± ¡°Is he sick?¡± People began to whisper. Luckily, soon Gyeonhui balanced himself. He struggled to adjust but stood straight up. ¡°Why did you come to such a small raffle event today? At that time, one of the reporters asked him an unexpected question that wasn¡¯t on the list. People also looked at him curiously. ¡°I don¡¯t think the size, small or big, is important to the event as long as it¡¯s for our customers. I always wanted to have enough time to face our customers in person like today.¡± He certainly tried to answer clearly with a bold tone. However, it sounded a little different to the audience. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with his accent?¡± ¡°No way, is he drunk?¡± People began to whisper again, and the reporters started taking pictures of him with eyes like a hawk while looking at his every move. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Ojae exhaled a big sigh while closing his eyes tightly. Ojae regretted stopping him. Gyeonhui cautiously blinked his eyes and took a breath to pull himself together. However, because of the increasing tense mood caused by people whispering under the hot light, Gyeonhui¡¯s intoxication began to start rising rapidly. Ojae quickly approached Gyeonhui and helped him to stand straight. ¡°Say something quickly! If you don¡¯t do anything and stand like that, they will think you are drunk.¡± Ojae whispered to him in a hurry. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Gyeonhui tried to calm his mind by catching his breath. As soon as he tried to speak something back to the microphone, his phone started vibrating. It was a warning from the tablet application. He furrowed his eyebrows when he confirmed the data that the application showed. Sun¡¯s heart rate was suddenly going up to 130 to 150. Once it had gone up, it hardly went down. ¡°What the hell is going on¡­¡± As he recalled everything that would make her heartbeat rate raise, he remembered her in Eunwoo¡¯s arms. Her face, who was smiling at him affectionately and looking at him, didn¡¯t leave his mind. Gyeonhui bit his lower lip. ¡°Hey, Gyeonhui, say something!¡± Ojae urgently said while feeling the people¡¯s gaze. ¡°¡­ I have to go.¡± Gyeonhui replied with a firm expression. Ojae looked at him without concealing his displeasure. ¡°What? Where? What are you talking about all of a sudden? ¡°¡­ To her.¡± ¡°Are you insane? If you go away and leave all of this¡­ how are you going to deal with it all tomorrow?¡± Ojae said, seemingly outraged. However, Gyeonhui¡¯s face became even more severe. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but now, there¡¯s only her in my head.¡± He suddenly came down from the platform and started running. ¡°Take a picture!¡± The camera¡¯s flashes started popping once they heard someone¡¯s cry. Not only the reporters but also the public began to take pictures of him running away. ¡°Really, I think he¡¯s drunk.¡± ¡°He¡¯s crazy.¡± The mumbling voices of the people flowed into Ojae¡¯s ear without any filtration. ¡°This is such an exclusive scoop.¡± Unable to bear the people¡¯s conversation, Ojae quickly got up and picked up the microphone. ¡°The CEO has an urgent issue now, so the executive Nam is going to do the drawing for the event.¡± Ojae tried to change the mood by expediting the progress of the event. However, the reporters were already frantic to send the scoop to their own newspaper. ¡°Hah.¡± Ojae breathed a heavy sigh while pressing his forehead hard. Chapter 88 *** Inside the car that was entering the alleyway near Sun¡¯s place. Sun slightly glanced at Eunwoo¡¯s profile as he drove. His face always looked relaxed but seemed a little rigid tonight. ¡°Are you okay, Dr. Park?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, yeah.¡± Eunwoo was lost in thought and nodded with a smile in response. ¡°Why, are you worried about me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Of course¡­ because your face isn¡¯t relaxed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s great to have someone who cares about me.¡± Eunwoo smiled at her, but it felt a little different from usual. Sun could only look at him with an anxious expression. Soon after, the car stopped in front of the animal hospital. ¡°Wait a minute, please.¡± When Eunwoo entered the hospital parking lot, she stepped out of the car with him. A moment later, Eunwoo came out with Labong, and Ari was following him. ¡°Ari?¡± When Sun discovered that Ari was here, she was surprised. She had not seen her all day and had not contacted Sun. Ari, unusually, couldn¡¯t answer and hesitated. ¡°Ari took care of Labong all day today for us.¡± Eunwoo answered instead of Ari to avoid her embarrassment once Eunwoo had determined that the atmosphere had become awkward. ¡°Oh, yes¡­¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to have to clean up before closing the clinic.¡± ¡°Yes, I had a great time today.¡± ¡°I enjoyed it.¡± Eunwoo bid farewell to Sun with a sweet smile and entered the hospital. ¡®Bang.¡¯ ¡°You¡­ come here.¡± As soon as Sun heard the door closing, Sun grabbed Ari¡¯s hand. *** Eunwoo stood by the window and watched her while she was walking away. When Eunwoo saw that Sun holding Ari¡¯s hand and dragging her, Eunwoo smiled at them. ¡®Bzzz,¡¯ The phone in his pocket vibrated. Eunwoo¡¯s expression quickly hardened when he took out his phone from his pocket and checked the message. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Eunwoo had finished the cleanup with a slight sigh and came out of the hospital. When he pulled out his keys and locked the door, the headlights from a car on the other side of the alley shone brightly upon him. Eunwoo looked at the car and was blinded by its light, thus, covering his eyes with his hand. ¡®Boowang.¡¯ Eunwoo saw a red sports car stopped with the sound of a cool engine. A short time later, the car door opened, and a slender calf was revealed. Then, a woman that looked like a model, slowly approached Eunwoo while hiding the headlights with her back. ¡®Tap, tap, tap, tap.¡¯ The sound of high heels echoed through the alleyway and grew closer to Eunwoo. The woman who was approaching him was the lady that Eunwoo had seen at the restaurant in the Consencio building. ¡°Hello. It¡¯s nice to see you again.¡± She smiled at him and greeted Eunwoo. However, Eunwoo only looked at her silently. ¡°Mr. Eunwoo Lee, no, David Lee, the CEO of DNMB.¡± Eunwoo¡¯s expression started sinking as he saw her smiling attractively at him. ¡°David Lee, isn¡¯t it more familiar to call you as Eunwoo?¡± Eunwoo¡¯s eyes sank after hearing her words. ¡°I¡¯ve never dreamed that I¡¯d meet you again there.¡± Chaekyeong¡¯s tone suddenly changed comfortably. ¡°It sounds like you know me.¡± Eunwoo¡¯s sinking words made Chaekyeong smile. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen you. Was the greeting so sad for you?¡± ¡°No way.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you take the phone call? I¡¯ve called you several times.¡± ¡°There was no reason for me to receive it.¡± ¡°Do we have something to talk about over the phone? You and I?¡± ¡°Yes. You just didn¡¯t know that.¡± She was only smiling. ¡°Why did you want to see me?¡± ¡°Is that all you have to say to me after all the time it took to meet each other?¡± ¡°In fact, I have nothing to say to you. I¡¯ve never thought I¡¯d see you again.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so cold. Are you the same man that I¡¯ve known?¡± She continued speaking, seemingly excited. ¡°Is it because of number sixteen?¡± ¡°Number sixteen?¡± ¡°The sixteenth girl in Gyeonhui¡¯s list of exes. I think I¡¯m the fifteenth. It sounds like a bicycle rental service.¡± She smiled like she was dissatisfied with her own words. ¡°¡­You haven¡¯t changed a bit. Your personality, I mean.¡± Eunwoo said it with a bitter expression. ¡°Anyway, the world is run by order of numbers like how high your ranking is at your business, or how much stock percentage you own. Well, that¡¯s how it is.¡± She said while looking at him with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s precisely why you should use the DNBM.¡± Hearing this, Eunwoo furrowed his eyebrows immediately. ¡°You also know that Gyeonhui is interested in merging with DNBM. Honestly, he wants it desperately. Use that against him.¡± ¡°And then what?¡± ¡°If Gyeonhui gives up on number sixteen to merge with DNBM, then I think it will be beneficial for you and me. I guess that¡¯s a ¡®win-win?¡± Eunwoo¡¯s expression sank further, even with her charming smile. ¡°That¡¯s just your way. I¡¯m different from you. I¡¯m going to approach her sincerely. As always.¡± ¡°So, do you want to lose everything? Just as always?¡± Eunwoo¡¯s expression became more severe after seeing Chaekyeong¡¯s hardened expression. ¡®I¡¯m the only daughter of the Jinsung Group. If you¡¯re not the right guy for me, then it doesn¡¯t mean anything to me.¡¯ At that moment, Eunwoo remembered the last words she said in the past. ¡°¡­ You haven¡¯t changed at all.¡± Eunwoo smiled bitterly and spoke in a low voice. ¡°You¡¯re on your own. I¡¯ll live my life my way. One more thing, I hope you don¡¯t call me ever again.¡± When Eunwoo spoke to her coldly, he passed by her. She smiled and watched as he walked away. ¡°That¡¯s funny¡­¡± Unlike her words, Chaekyeong¡¯s eyes were sunken coldly. *** Sun pulled Ari¡¯s wrist and headed to the shop nearby. ¡°Let go of me, what¡¯s going on?¡± Ari sat on the chair while grabbing her own stiff wrist in pain and said with a grumpy voice. ¡°Do you have any idea how embarrassed I was today? How can you call Dr. Park on a blind date?¡± Sun asked with her voice lowered, so she would not wake up Labong, who was asleep in her arms. ¡°I thought about it hundreds of times, but I don¡¯t think anyone is better than him.¡± ¡°Hah. You¡­¡± Sun seemed displeased, and she started speaking again. ¡°By the way, what happened to you all day? You were gone for work, and then you disappeared.¡± ¡°¡­ I took care of Labong all day long for the two of you.¡± ¡°Is that why you left the office without saying anything?¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know. Just forget it.¡± Ari said, feeling frustrated. Sun started speaking again, seemingly anxious about her unusual behaviors. ¡°¡­ By the way, is there something wrong with you?¡± Ari turned her head when she saw the wearable watch on Sun¡¯s wrist. ¡°¡­ No, I¡¯m fine.¡± Ari closed her mouth and avoided Sun¡¯s gaze. Chapter 89 ¡°Hah¡­¡± Sun sighed in frustration. It was clear that something was going on with Ari, but she didn¡¯t seem like she would tell Sun even if she forced her. Sun looked at Ari for a moment and suddenly entered the store. A moment later, Sun came out with two cans of beer and gave one to Ari. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on with you, but I know you¡¯re frustrated.¡± At the same time, Sun began to pick up the beer and started drinking it. As the cold beer went down her throat, she felt a little better. Ari, who was fiddling the cans, looked at Sun and started speaking carefully. ¡°Was it fun with Dr. Park?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± Sun nodded slowly. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry if you were embarrassed, but I wanted you to meet someone like Dr. Park. He¡¯s so sweet and warm; he can also love you a lot.¡± On Ari¡¯s heartfelt words, Sun smiled and was lost in thought. After a moment of silence, Sun slowly started speaking. ¡°Actually, maybe I also wanted to lean on him a little bit.¡± Sun recalled Eunwoo when he embraced her. ¡®¡­ I¡¯ll help you forget him.¡¯ She thought about Eunwoo¡¯s calm voice and the way his heart trembled a bit as it beat. ¡°He is such a cool, sweet, and warm person, as you say. Unlike the other one.¡± Ari exhaled a long sigh as she watched Sun smiling bitterly. ¡°¡­ However, I suddenly thought about whether or not I¡¯m taking advantage of him to forget Gyeonhui. I didn¡¯t want to use anyone else to forget someone. I hated it.¡± ¡°Sun¡­¡± ¡°Thank you for your thoughts about me and your consideration, but now, I really want to overcome the trouble in my mind by myself.¡± ¡°¡­ Hah¡­¡± Ari nodded slowly with a sigh. The wearable watch that Sun was wearing caught Ari¡¯s eyes. Ari looked at Sun and asked slowly, ¡°Wasn¡¯t there anything that happened today?¡± ¡°Anything?¡± ¡°No, I mean, Mr. Woo¡­ I wonder if he had come to bother you again.¡± Hearing Ari, Sun recalled immediately what had happened in the restaurant. However, Sun slowly waved her head. ¡®You really did this right here in my building instead of going somewhere else in Seoul just to make me feel bad? Didn¡¯t you?¡¯ ¡°¡­ Nothing happened today.¡± Ari¡¯s expression sank further as Sun¡¯s response came out with a long sigh. ¡°Hey, Sun¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ari hesitated many times to confess, but she couldn¡¯t say anything. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Sorry for what?¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s just¡­ It¡¯s all my fault.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Sun smiled and asked. Ari was so frustrated and eventually started gulping down the beer all of a sudden. ¡°Pu, puhat.¡± Ari suddenly spewed the beer. ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Sun hurriedly asked Ari. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the beer? It tastes bad.¡± Ari looked at the beer while furrowing her eyebrows. ¡°Is the taste strange?¡± Sun took her beer and sipped Ari¡¯s beer with doubt. ¡°Oops.¡± Sun frowned immediately and spat out the beer. ¡°It¡¯s completely gone bad, right?¡± ¡°Give it to me.¡± Ari was handed the beer again and quickly confirmed the expiration date. ¡°It¡¯s okay this thing will expire after a year¡­ in 2014. No way. It¡¯s already been two years after the expiration date.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know that beer also has an expiration date.¡± Sun seemed surprised to find the expiration date on beer for the first time, confirming the expiration date once again. ¡°Hey, there is nothing that doesn¡¯t have an expiration date in this world,¡± Ari said, seemingly frustrated. For a moment, Sun was lost in thought, and she nodded slowly while smiling bitterly. ¡°¡­ You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°What else are you thinking?¡± When Ari saw Sun¡¯s sunken face, she asked her with an anxious expression. ¡°Nothing. Let¡¯s get up. We have to go home to go to work tomorrow in the early morning.¡± Sun said while struggling to smile. ¡°¡­ Sun.¡± ¡°Come on. If you¡¯re late again tomorrow, I¡¯m sure Eunyoung will kill you.¡± Ari had seen her smiling brightly and reluctantly rose from her seat. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you to the bus stop.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can go home alone.¡± ¡°There are a lot of dark roads here.¡± ¡°I said it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s more dangerous for you than me. You also have to go home soon to put Labong to sleep.¡± Ari glanced at Labong, who was asleep in Sun¡¯s arms. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re all grown up, Ari.¡± She said it like Ari was cute while tangling her hair. ¡°Hey, stop. You¡¯re ruining my hair.¡± ¡°It¡¯s cute even if your hair gets ruined at your age. Go on. Don¡¯t be late tomorrow.¡± Sun turned her body and waved her hand to say goodbye to Ari with a smile. ¡°Hah..¡± Ari stayed in that spot and watched Sun calmly walking away. Her expression sank sharply because of a feeling of guilt. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Sun¡­¡± With her lower lip bitten, Ari breathed a long sigh. *** Sun slowly walked toward the house while holding a sleeping dog. ¡®Bzzzz.¡¯ A message arrived on the phone in her pocket. ¡®Did you get in?¡¯ It was a text from Eunwoo. ¡°He¡¯s such a sweet man.¡± Sun smiled and mumbled to himself. Suddenly, Sun remembered what she did with him at the Han river in the evening His touch, his hard chest, and his crisp scent came to her mind. ¡®¡­ I¡¯ll help you forget him.¡¯ His voice was filled with sincerity. The longer she remembered him, the more conflicted her heart became. However, Sun shook her head hard. ¡°¡­ Hah¡­¡± As she sighed heavily, she noticed a black silhouette in the alley in front of her house. The tall physique. Sun could see who it was just by only looking at his silhouette in the darkness. He also seemed to recognize her; he walked out of the darkness and started walking toward her. She only looked at him with a firm expression. ¡°Why are you coming here so late?¡± He stopped right in front of her and asked. He seemed heavily drunk. ¡°Have you been staying with him until now?¡± Gyeonhui continued while asking after seeing that Sun wouldn¡¯t answer. ¡°¡­ Have you been sleeping with him?¡± His words pierced Sun¡¯s heart like a sharp dagger. Her fingertips started trembling in shock as if she could not breathe. ¡°It¡¯s funny¡­ all of this.¡± Her eyes were filled with anger and pain. ¡°Did you just say that It¡¯s funny?¡± Gyeonhui asked her again while furrowing his eyebrows. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Her voice was slightly trembling with a shallow sigh. When she had calmed herself down a little bit, she started speaking again while looking at him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I haven¡¯t slept with him.¡± Chapter 90 Hearing Sun, Gyeonhui quickly remembered the day when he was in that car accident. ¡®¡­ The lady at the restaurant¡­ Who is she?¡¯ ¡®A woman I met at a bar a few days ago.¡¯ ¡®What¡­?¡¯ He also remembered her outraged expression in response to his imposing tone. ¡®I didn¡¯t sleep with her, so don¡¯t worry.¡¯ He recalled her face at that time and how pained it was. It felt as if the whole world had crashed down once he said that. ¡®¡­ Is that what she felt?¡¯ His knees staggered weakly after he realized precisely what he had done to her. He barely kept standing by leaning against the wall while biting his lower lip. ¡°Get out of the way, please.¡± She said, but he stood stock-still on the spot. As she tried to go around him, he grabbed her and stopped her. ¡°Gyeonhui¡­¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± He said, even before her words ended. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s all my fault.¡± He slowly turned his head and looked at her eyes. ¡°What do you mean it is all your fault?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you imagine bad things.¡± Hearing him, her eyes started shaking. ¡°On the day of the accident, I told you that nothing was going on with Chaekyeong and me, but I made you imagine bad things about her and me because I didn¡¯t explain what I did with her to you. I¡¯ve just realized that it was scarier to imagine things that you don¡¯t know.¡± His voice calmly subsided and flowed to her ears. ¡°¡­ You don¡¯t need to apologize to me. It¡¯s all over.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not over yet. At least not for me.¡± Gyeonhui looked straight at her and said. ¡°I was going crazy while thinking that you were going to be in his arms. I also saw you smiling at someone other than me. It made me crazy.¡± His heartfelt words kept hitting her heart. ¡®¡­ No way.¡¯ Sun bit her lower lip to stop her shaking mind. ¡°No matter what I¡¯ve done with Dr. Park is not of your business anymore. Let me go.¡± She tried to pass by him. ¡°Cheonsun.¡± He then called her name while grabbing her shoulder. He slowly started speaking. ¡°We can¡¯t do it like this¡­¡± Her shoulders trembled thinly after hearing his words. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s over.¡± ¡°¡­ Lie.¡± He said it in pain. ¡°¡­ You still like me.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± She kept her bold expression and responded with a more resolute tone. However, his eyes seemed to know everything. ¡°¡­ Lie.¡± ¡°I said I don¡¯t,¡± Sun yelled at him. However, her eyes were already shaking violently. Gyeonhui clutched his chest tightly while biting his lower lip. The pain in her heart was still being passed on to his heart without missing a beat. He raised his head and looked at her before he slowly started speaking again, ¡°¡­ You still love me.¡± ¡®Kung.¡¯ His words felt like somebody was hammering her chest. Her shaking eyes started tearing up involuntarily. Sun quickly wiped away the tears on her cheeks with her hands. With a short deep breath, she calmed down and started speaking while looking at him. ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± The pain in his chest felt like it was squeezing his heart. Gyeonhui endured his anguish and looked at her again. ¡°Sun¡­¡± ¡°Have you ever had a drink that has exceeded the expiration date?¡± ¡°¡­ What?¡± ¡°It was so terrible, and it also smelled awful.¡± Sun remembered a while ago when she was drinking a can of beer with Ari while gazing into the air. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Gyeonhui was frustrated because he didn¡¯t understand what she was trying to say. ¡°It¡¯s the same as the separation of a man and a woman in a relationship.¡± She looked at him and said, ¡°The separation is also terrible like the beer which has expired. Just like us now.¡± Her words flew at him and pierced his heart like a sharp dagger. He looked at her with shaking eyes without saying anything. ¡°The feeling that you have for me is not love. You just don¡¯t like the fact that I would sleep with someone else because you think that I¡¯m yours. You still think that you own me.¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right. That¡¯s exactly why you asked me if I¡¯ve slept with Dr. Park as soon as you saw me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± He was speechless. ¡°Please don¡¯t apologize. We don¡¯t have to exchange apologies anymore. Sun pushed his hand that was holding her arm at the end of her words. Gyeonhui started speaking in a hurry when he watched her turning against him without any hesitation and walking away from him. ¡°¡­ then how can you explain your tears¡­¡± When she heard his cry, she hesitated. ¡°Why did you cry if you don¡¯t have any feelings for me anymore? I know that you¡¯re crying because you still haven¡¯t forgotten about me yet.¡± Hearing his urgent voice, she slowly turned around, looked at him, and said. ¡°Don¡¯t be mistaken.¡± Her eyes were sunken deeply. ¡°I have no feelings left for you. It¡¯s not your business anymore whether I¡¯m crying or smiling.¡± ¡®Kung.¡¯ Her words struck his heart like a hammer. After looking at him for a moment, Sun quickly turned her body and started walking toward home. She was moving away farther, Gyeonhui tried to reach out and follow her. ¡°Cheon¡­ sun¡­ Oop¡­ ugh¡­¡± However, because of sudden abdominal pain, he grabbed his stomach tightly and had to sit down, unable to call her name. The pain he felt after not breathing properly struck him down. He had no choice but to watch her depart with a distorted expression on his face. *** ¡®Bang.¡¯ ¡°Hah¡­¡± When Sun returned home, she breathed a long sigh as soon as she closed the door. ¡°Arf, arf.¡± Labong looked up at her anxiously. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s all over.¡± Sun smiled weakly and stroked Labong; she was so tired. She sat on the couch and closed her eyes slowly. ¡°It¡¯s all over¡­ but why¡­ is it so painful¡­¡± Her eyelids started quivering. Her tears flowed down from her eyes as she began to cry. She wiped her face with her hand roughly, seemingly disgusted with the tears. ¡°Hah¡­¡± She sighed for a long time, trying to calm her heart, but it wasn¡¯t easy. To take a shower, she stood up from the couch, but the sketchbook that was in the living room came into her eyes. Her eyes, while looking at the sketchbook, shook hard, but she struggled to turn her head from it and headed to the bathroom. After a while, the sharp sound of water was heard from the bathroom. Chapter 91 *** After midnight. When he returned home staggering, Gyeonhui opened the door roughly. Ojae had been waiting for him and rushed towards him. ¡°Where the hell have you been?¡± He waved his hand like he didn¡¯t want to be bothered by Ojae¡¯s questions. ¡®Udang, tang, tang.¡¯ At that moment, Gyeonhui remained unbalanced and collapsed on the porch. ¡°You, why are you doing this?¡± Gyeonhui¡¯s face was pale, and his hair was wet with sweat like he had a fever. Ojae held his arm to support him, but Gyeonhui struck Ojae¡¯s hand away. ¡°¡­ Let go of me.¡± His mouth smelled of whiskey. ¡°Did you drink even more?¡± Ojae looked at him and asked anxiously. ¡°Yes. I drank more. Why?¡± ¡°Why on earth are you doing this? Don¡¯t you know that you¡¯ve screwed everything now? How can you even think of drinking more after all this?¡± ¡°I thought I was going to die if I didn¡¯t drink, so I drank!¡± He leaned back at the door and shouted at Ojae. At the same time, his body slid down the door. ¡°¡­ What had happened?¡± He closed his eyes and said no answer. ¡°Hah. Let¡¯s get inside.¡± Ojae was frustrated but held his arm. ¡°I said, let go of me!¡± He pushed Ojae¡¯s hand away again. ¡°What the hell is going on! This is not like you!¡± Ojae yelled at Gyeonhui, right then, as Gyeonhui uncontrollably recoiled from him. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Gyeonhui sighed with his eyes closed. Ojae sat in front of him, watching Gyeonhi struggling with his own anguish. Ojae sat beside him quietly and waited. A moment had passed, and Gyeonhui slowly started speaking, ¡°¡­ Guess it¡¯s what I said to her¡­¡± Instead of answering, Ojae looked at him still. ¡°I asked her if she has slept with Dr. Park. Hahahahahaha.¡± He suddenly laughed like a madman and stopped just as swiftly. ¡°¡­ that¡¯s terrible.¡± His sunken face was filled with misery. ¡°She said that my feelings about her are not love, and I just didn¡¯t want her to sleep with someone else.¡± He smiled wryly and started speaking again. ¡°¡­ I had nothing to say because she was right. I was going crazy because I was afraid that she would sleep with him¡­¡± He wiped his forehead with one hand and grabbed his hair. ¡°But that wasn¡¯t all¡­ I had something more to say¡­¡± He continued to speak self-mockingly. ¡°¡­ But I couldn¡¯t say anything. I was so miserable.¡± He spoke in a low voice with his head dropped. He wrapped his hands around his head. Ojae looked at him silently. His expression alone conveyed enough of the pain that he was dealing with. ¡°Hah¡­¡± With a long frustrated sigh, Gyeonhui slowly raised himself. ¡°Hey, Gyeonhui¡­¡± Ojae called his name anxiously. However, he went up the stairs staggering as if he had not heard anything. He took one step, then another. It was relatively easy for him to go up these stairs, but not today. When he returned to his room, he placed his face down on his desk without taking off his coat. ¡°Oh¡­¡± The terrible pain constantly bothered him, not knowing whether it was her pain or his own. ¡°I¡¯m being punished¡­¡± He would usually just get up and go to the hospital, but he didn¡¯t want to, this time. ¡°¡­ Cheonsun¡­¡± He struggled to call her name. However, no voice answered. ¡°¡­ I miss you¡­¡± In perfect silence, only his sad voice scattered in the room. He slowly stood up and headed to the dressing room. He put his hand deep between his well-pressed shirts as he struggled to find something. After a while, he pulled out a red scarf. It was a gift that he had given to her, the first and last. It was something she loved most of all. He sat on the floor of the dressing room and looked at the scarf. On the first day she received the gift, he remembered her happy smile with her scarf wrapped around her neck. His face that had a slight smile was quickly distorted by repeated abdominal pains. ¡°Hah¡­¡± He exhaled forcefully and slowly wrapped the scarf around his neck. The fluffy texture wrapped around his neck warmly. It was like he could feel the scent of her body. ¡°Sun¡­¡± He closed his eyes and sang her name again with a distorted expression of pain. His meaningless cry soon became buried in silence. *** The next morning, in front of the Consencio building. As Sun went to work, she paused for a moment and looked up at the building. The skyscraper that was higher than twenty floors was enough to overwhelm her. ¡°¡­ I can do it.¡± She slowly stepped into the building while closing her mouth firmly. She entered the building and passed through the security area and got into the elevator before looking around to find him. However, luckily she didn¡¯t see him. ¡°Hah¡­¡± When she arrived at the office safely, she sighed lightly and entered the office. ¡°Good morning.¡± ¡°Hey, good morning.¡± She greeted Eunyoung and Ari with the brightest tone that she could possibly utter, but their reaction was only awkward. ¡°What is this reaction? What¡¯s going on?¡± At Sun¡¯s question, Ari and Eunyoung exchanged looks and approached her. ¡°Look at this.¡± Eunyoung pushed out her tablet PC to Sun. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Sun¡¯s eyes were immediately shaken as she watched the tablet PC. ¡®The Consencio¡¯s CEO, Gyeonhui Woo, appeared at the raffle event while drunk¡­¡¯ ¡°This¡­ what is this all about?¡± Sun was so embarrassed and looked at Eunyoung. ¡°It was so chaotic yesterday. He was already stumbling when he got to the podium.¡± Eunyoung recalled the scene of the raffle event yesterday. ¡°There was a drawing of business cards, and he started stumbling by the time he went up to the podium to draw the cards for the raffle event. He was so drunk that when he spoke, his tongue was all twisted¡­¡± The more she listened, the more her expression sank. The article showed that it happened after he had seen her in the restaurant. ¡°Did he really drink that much after that and before the event?¡± Sun couldn¡¯t believe a person like Gyeonhui, who absolutely distinguished between business and his personal affairs, could make such a mistake. ¡°What happened between the two of you yesterday?¡± Sun recalled yesterday when Ari asked carefully. She remembered seeing him at the restaurant and near her house last night. ¡°¡­ No, nothing happened.¡± Sun closed her eyes like she was trying to shake off her thoughts. However, both of them could figure out what happened yesterday by looking at Sun¡¯s expression. ¡°Well, the rich people will clean up their own mess with tons of money that they have anyway, so let¡¯s just go back to work.¡± Eunyoung tried to change the subject. ¡°That¡¯s right. Hey boss, what are we going to do with the remaining school supplies? Are we going to supply the discounted price like last time?¡± Ari asked her if she also agreed with Eunyoung. ¡°How much do we have left in our inventory?¡± ¡°Not much. We can donate them to the orphanage where we went with Mr. Woo last time¡­¡± Ari suddenly blurted out her words while realizing that Sun didn¡¯t want to deal with Gyeonhui. Eunyoung had furrowed her eyebrows and tried to stop Ari, but Sun had already heard everything. ¡°¡­ That¡¯s a good idea. It¡¯s also an ambiguous quantity to supply to our customers.¡± Sun answered when she heard Ari. ¡°Okay. Then Ari will take care of it.¡± Eunyoung said while glaring at Ari.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll go,¡± Sun answered. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go. I want to go.¡± Eunyoung and Ari were so astonished by Sun¡¯s sinking voice that they looked at each other without saying anything. Sun watched the news exhaling a slight sigh. Chapter 92 *** In the living room of Gyeonhui¡¯s house, Ojae crumpled the newspaper that he was reading with a sigh. Ojae took out his phone from his pocket and called the media relations team of the company. ¡°What are you doing now? Put the damn articles down immediately! I¡¯ve been asking you since yesterday. What the hell are all of you doing!? Do it now!¡± When Ojae hung up the phone, he breathed a deep sigh. ¡°The vice president is not going to let this go¡­ Hah¡­¡± Ojae closed his eyes since he already got scared by imagining Mrs. Shin. ¡®Bzzz.¡¯ Then, Ojae¡¯s cell phone rang. ¡°Oh, Jesus!¡± Ojae hesitated without identifying the caller immediately. Since he could no longer ignore the phone that was continuously ringing, he carefully checked the caller while holding the phone away as far as he could. ¡°Dr. Seo?¡± The caller was Dr. Seo. Ojae quickly answered the phone with a sigh of relief. ¡°Hello, Dr. Seo. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Ojae, You¡¯re going to have to come to the hospital now.¡± ¡°What? What¡¯s going on all of a sudden?¡± ¡°The chairman Woo is in critical condition now.¡± ¡°Really? The chairman?¡± Hearing Dr. Seo¡¯s words, Ojae¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Okay, we are on the way right now.¡± As soon as he hung up the call, Ojae went upstairs in a hurry. ¡®Kung, kung, kung.¡¯ ¡°Hey, Gyeonhui! Gyeonhui!¡± He hurriedly pounded on the door and called his name, but there was no answer from inside the room. ¡°Gyeonhui! The chairman¡¯s in critical condition. Can you hear me? Gyeonhui!¡± Ojae called his name many times, but Ojae could hear no answers from inside. At that moment, the last word that Gyeonhui said in the previous night went through Ojae¡¯s head. ¡®¡­ I couldn¡¯t say anything to her¡­ It was so miserable¡­¡¯ Gyeonhui never would have said anything like that. Ojae recalled Gyeonhui¡¯s face that was struck like the whole world would crash down. ¡°Gyeonhui! Are you okay? Answer me!¡± Ojae shouted at him while knocking on the door roughly as if he were crushing the door. Still, there was no reaction from inside of the room. Ojae could no longer wait and started kicking the door, but the door wouldn¡¯t budge. Eventually, Ojae ran at the door from a distance and struck the door roughly with his shoulder. ¡®Kung!¡¯ The door opened with a loud thud, and Ojae fell on the floor. His shoulder was hurt, but Ojae rose right away and started looking for Gyeonhui. ¡°Gyeonhui, Gyeonhui!¡± Despite his best efforts, Gyeonhui was nowhere to be seen. Ojae was running around everywhere in the room and found Gyeonhui fallen on the floor of the dressing room. ¡°Gyeonhui!¡± Gyeonhui had fallen without moving an inch as if he was dead. Ojae saw Gyeonhui¡¯s pale face, sweaty hair, and blue lips. When Ojae crawled to approach Gyeonhui, he hurriedly put his own ear near Gyeonhi¡¯s mouth to see if he was breathing. Luckily, he was. ¡°Hey! Wake up! Pull yourself together! Gyeonhui!¡± Ojae roughly shook him to wake him up. However, he couldn¡¯t wake up because he was unconscious. Ojae, with a concerned expression, hurriedly carried him. The outer road in the city of Paju. When Sun carefully entered onto the country road, she checked the navigation once again. ¡°It¡¯s here, right?¡± The road that wasn¡¯t paved last time she was here was newly opened. She checked the navigation once again and slowly turned the steering wheel. When she followed the curvy path, she noticed an orphanage in the distance. After pulling her car over for a moment, Sun turned her head and looked at the sketchbook in the passenger¡¯s seat. The sketchbook was a bit torn because of Labong. She picked up the sketchbook while she was lost in thought, but she pricked her index finger on the binder coil that was sticking out from the sketchbook. ¡°Oh, no¡­¡± The cut was not deep, but she bled a surprising amount. She quickly put her finger in her mouth to stop the bleeding. Her eyes were trembling because of the pain. ¡®Is this the right thing to do? Should I go back before it¡¯s too late¡­¡¯ She knew better than anyone that it would be harder to forget someone when you know more about him. However, she really wanted to know who he truly was having known and loved him for three years. She fought with these two thoughts for a long time, not knowing what the right thing to do was. ¡°¡­ Hah¡­¡± After a while, she exhaled a long sigh and began pushing the accelerator to the floor. *** The VIP facility in the university hospital. ¡°It¡¯s peritonitis.¡± Dr. Seo said after checking Gyeonhui¡¯s medical chart. Ojae was watching him sleep and looked at Dr. Seo in amazement. ¡°Peritonitis? So, did his appendix burst inside of him?¡± Dr. Seo shook his head over Ojae¡¯s question. ¡°It¡¯s not the appendix, it¡¯s the stomach.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a perforation of the stomach. It means there was a hole in the stomach, and the food flowed out. It was infected because of the bacteria that grew from the foreign substance that went into his stomach. It can kill people and put them in shock because of the severe and high fever along with abdominal pain.¡± ¡°His stomach was just fine, and I can¡¯t understand how it happened all of a sudden. When we checked his vitals last time, there was no trace of any of this.¡± ¡°Look at this picture first.¡± Dr. Seo continued his explanation by showing the endoscope picture of Gyeonhui¡¯s stomach. ¡°His stomach wall has a nasty lesion.¡± His stomach in the photo was all inflamed and messed up, just as Dr. Seo said to Ojae. Ojae¡¯s face hardened. ¡°¡­ What¡¯s the cause?¡± ¡°Mainly, it¡¯s stress and alcohol. If his stomach was fine, then how much alcohol was he drinking in the last few weeks?¡± ¡°Hah¡­¡± Ojae exhaled a slight sigh while biting his lower lips. ¡°Did the symptoms start last night?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Ojae replied while recalling what Gyeonhui did last night. ¡°The pain must have been severe¡­ It¡¯s a miracle that he had endured until this morning.¡± Hearing Dr. Seo¡¯s words, Ojae turned his head and looked at Gyeonhui. ¡°Is he fine now?¡± ¡°Yes, the surgery has been done well.¡± ¡°But why can¡¯t he wake up?¡± When Ojae asked this to Dr. Seo, the doctor motioned for Ojae to go out with him and talk outside quietly. Ojae reluctantly followed him out of the hospital room in doubt. When Ojae left the room, Dr. Seo spoke quietly, ¡°He was already awake.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°He woke up a while ago.¡± ¡°¡­ But then why is he not¡­¡± ¡°He probably doesn¡¯t want to wake up now. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on.¡± Ojae looked at Gyeonhui through a small window in the door. Ojae couldn¡¯t understand his mind more than anyone about why he didn¡¯t want to wake up. ¡°Is this about his girlfriend, the girl from last time?¡± Dr. Seo lowered his voice and asked. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Instead of answering, Ojae breathed a heavy sigh. Ojae¡¯s cell phone rang as he watched him with a firm expression. It was Mrs. Shin. ¡°Oh, no¡­¡± Ojae bit his lower lip and mumbled to himself. ¡°Doctor Seo, how is the chairman doing?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m sorry, I lost track of things. He¡¯s stable now.¡± ¡°Is the vice President upstairs?¡± ¡°Sure. She came to the hospital for the first time, and they are still taking care of him. It¡¯s not easy to get a daughter-in-law like her, but he¡¯s so blessed.¡± Dr. Seo said with a gentle smile. However, Ojae started speaking with a firm expression. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll go upstairs to see them for a while, so please take care of him until I return, and please keep it a secret from the vice president. You know?¡± ¡°Well, okay.¡± Following Dr. Seo¡¯s involuntary answer, Ojae began to walk down the aisle in a hurry. Dr. Seo, who was watching at Ojae¡¯s back, slowly turned his head and looked at Gyeonhui through the small window. ¡°It¡¯s all about the woman. By the way, it was¡­¡± Dr. Seo, who was clicking his tongue in sympathy, was lost in thought like something had come to mind suddenly. ¡°That girl¡­ What was her name? Was it Cheonsun?¡± Dr. Seo tried to remember the memories that were wavering like heat in his head. At that time, a memory came to his mind. ¡°¡­ No way¡­ The high school student?¡± Dr. Seo¡¯s eyes widened exceptionally so. Chapter 93 *** After she parked her car, she got out. Sister Andrea was playing with the children at the one corner of the vacant lot and slowly approached when she saw Sun¡¯s car. ¡°Welcome, Miss Sun.¡± Andrea approached Sun with a gentle smile. ¡°You still remember me.¡± ¡°Sure. It¡¯s not a place where a pretty girl often comes.¡± Hearing her, Sun replied with a grin. ¡°My office has contacted you. I¡¯m here to give you this.¡± Sun opened the trunk and picked up a few boxes to put them on the ground. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a lot. Thank you so much.¡± ¡°Please, it¡¯s no trouble. These products will be of no use if we leave them in our stock room anyway. Where would you like me to put them?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t make my guest move boxes. Guys, why don¡¯t you come here and move these things inside?¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Hearing Andrea¡¯s words, the children flocked like sheep. The big boys carried one box each, and two or three little boys that were gathered together started moving other boxes. The boxes disappeared in an instant. ¡°Did you see that? They all contribute in their own way for everyone¡¯s benefit.¡± Andrea also picked up a box and smiled while watching the children carry the boxes. Sun was still looking at her and carefully gave the sketchbook that was on the passenger seat of her car. ¡°I¡¯m here to give this back to you too.¡± Andrea put down the box on the ground that she was carrying and received the sketchbook. When she turned over a page, she saw that one or two pages of the sketchbook were scratched with a sharp tool. Andrea didn¡¯t ask for any explanation from Sun. ¡°My dog scratched some of the drawings.¡± Despite her awkward and lame excuse, Andrea only smiled and nodded. ¡°Well, then take care.¡± Sun departed from her awkwardly and turned her body toward the car. However, she stopped walking within a few steps and struggled. She turned slowly, seemingly determined, and started speaking as she looked at Sister Andrea. ¡°¡­ Sister Andrea.¡± Andrea looked at her silently. After struggling for several seconds, Sun started speaking, ¡°¡­ What happened to him when he was young?¡± Her voice was trembling with an unidentified tension. Andrea nodded slowly while smiling. ¡°Hmm. Do you have a minute? I think it¡¯s going to be a long story.¡± Her voice rang in Sun¡¯s ear quietly. ¡®I should just go back. That¡¯s the right thing to do¡­ However¡­¡¯ Sun closed her eyes tightly and was still confused by the unresolved conflict in her mind. After a while, Sun opened her eyes and slowly nodded to Sister Andrea. *** In the hospital room. Looking up at the ceiling, Gyeonhui turned his head and picked up a red scarf. Feeling the soft texture, he suddenly heard a knock. ¡®Knock, knock.¡¯ He quickly closed his eyes while hiding the scarf inside the sheet. The man who opened the door was Dr. Seo. He stepped inside. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Dr. Seo¡¯s words were heard, but he continued to pretend like he was asleep. ¡°I know you¡¯re up. Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m one of the best doctors in Korea.¡± Hearing Dr. Seo, Gyeonhui slowly opened his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sure that you heard what I said to Ojae a while ago. There was a hole in your stomach. I don¡¯t think this could have happened unless you were trying to drink yourself to death. It seems like you¡¯re under a lot of stress¡­¡± Dr. Seo seemed anxious. He continued talking to him while he was checking Gyeonhui¡¯s IV and vitals. However, Gyeonhui still gave him no answer. ¡°You need to get more rest. I¡¯ll leave you alone.¡± Dr. Seo raised Gyeonhui¡¯s body constrainedly. ¡°¡­ Doctor Seo.¡± Dr. Seo stopped right before he opened the door to leave. He slowly raised his upper body some more and struggled to start speaking. ¡°Is this curable?¡± ¡°There were no complications, and the surgery was done well. Like I said, I¡¯m one of the best doctors in the country ever since¡­¡± ¡°I mean her pain that I feel¡­¡± Gyeonhui continued in a heavily subdued voice. ¡°¡­ I know I should forget about her and let her go, but I keep feeling her pain. I don¡¯t know what she did or how she got sick¡­ because she¡¯s a bit careless ¡­so she gets hurt a lot.¡± ¡°Hmm. If we try the reverse blood transfusion, we might be able to find a solution. Let¡¯s wait a little longer.¡± Hearing Dr. Seo sounding like he was admonishing him was no help to comfort Gyeonhui. He was only touching his index finger, still in pain, with his thumb. Dr. Seo paused as he turned before he left the room. ¡°Hmm.¡± Dr. Seo sighed shallowly after he was lost in thought for a moment; he then turned to Gyeonhui again. ¡°The girl¡­¡± When Dr. Seo talked about her, Gyeonhui finally looked at his face. ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve seen her a long time ago. She was familiar.¡± ¡°¡­ Have you known her?¡± Dr. Seo stopped at the door and continued with a soft tone like he was recalling his old memories. ¡°About a decade ago. She was taken to the hospital due to an accident. I remember it because her blood type was rare, and her name is unique.¡± ¡°¡­ Accident?¡± Dr. Seo¡¯s expression sank deeply as he nodded slowly. *** Ten years ago, in winter, at the university hospital. ¡°Emergency patient!¡± The urgent voice from the emergency medical technician echoed through the whole emergency room. Dr. Seo was in his office at the time. He put down the chart that he was holding and hurried to the entrance to see the patient. A girl in a school uniform was covered in blood and was carried in. ¡°She was in a traffic accident. There is a fracture in her right wrist. There is some bleeding too, but her vitals are stable.¡± Dr. Seo heard the emergency medical technician¡¯s explanation and quickly checked Sun¡¯s body. ¡°Sun! Sun! Are you alright? Wake up! Sun!¡± A man who seemed to be her father in relatively clean clothes called his daughter. ¡°Sir, this wouldn¡¯t help.¡± ¡°S, sir. Please save my daughter. Please, please.¡± The man held Dr. Seo¡¯s hand tightly and cried. ¡°I understand. Please let go for a moment.¡± Dr. Seo calmed the man down and looked at her. ¡°Are you in pain? How about here? Are you okay?¡± Dr. Seo asked while confirming a fracture in her wrist, but the terrified child was still trembling without answering. Her lips turned pale and dry. ¡°Sun, are you okay? Where is the pain? Talk to this doctor.¡± Hearing her father, who was asking her in a desperate voice, she started speaking to him while crying. ¡°Dad¡­ My wrist hurts so much¡­¡± Hearing Sun¡¯s crying voice, her father looked at Dr. Seo with a more desperate expression. ¡°Sir, please take a look at her closely, please.¡± Dr. Seo nodded at him and looked at the nurse. ¡°Please contact Dr. Kim right now.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The nurse answered and picked up the phone at the same time. ¡°Well, we need to go to the operating room now.¡± Dr. Seo, along with the nurses, tried to carry Sun to the operating room. Then the man stopped her suddenly while holding on to the doctor and shouted. ¡°Wait a minute, sir. My daughter has blood type RH-AB.¡± Dr. Seo¡¯s expression hardened after hearing the man¡¯s words. ¡°Do we have any with us?¡± ¡°Yes, there is no problem.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Let¡¯s go.¡± The process was quick, and Sun managed to enter the operating room at the right time. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Dr. Seo breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that she was taken to the operating room. Dr. Seo quickly returned to the emergency room to find her guardian. However, he could not find the man anywhere. ¡°Where did he go?¡± When Dr. Seo was tilting his head in doubt, the emergency medical technician came to him. ¡°You said it was a car accident, but wasn¡¯t there any other person in the car?¡± ¡°The guardian was with her in the car too.¡± ¡°What?¡± At one point, an ominous feeling passed through Dr. Seo¡¯s head. ¡°Why are you telling me just now? Find him right away!¡± The emergency medical technician and the nurses rushed to find the man. After a while¡­ ¡°Sir, sir! Here he is!¡± Dr. Seo heard the urgent voice of the nurses. He began running down the aisle as fast as he could. When he turned around the corner, he entered a dark corridor. He saw a man lying down alone in the hallway of the hospital; there was no one else there with him. Chapter 94 *** ¡°The man was¡­¡± Gyeonhui asked with a firm expression. ¡°He was the father of the girl.¡± Dr. Seo nodded slowly and replied. ¡°¡­ Because of a brain hemorrhage¡­¡± Dr. Seo said while clenching his teeth. ¡°Why did she not say a word to me about it at all?¡± Hearing Dr. Seo, Gyeonhui¡¯s mind grew heavy because of her family history that he had never heard before. It was her wound that he had never heard of in the three years while he was in a relationship with her. ¡°She has visited me many times since then.¡± Gyeonhui looked at Dr. Seo again upon his continued cries. ¡°She asked if she told me that she was okay, her dad would have been able to live¡­¡± Dr. Seo sighed into the air and slowly continued speaking again. ¡°Hah. I explained to her that it is not true, but she wouldn¡¯t believe it. I could never forget her eyes at that time.¡± Dr. Seo¡¯s face was heavily subdued. At that time, Gyeonhui had a memory that was going through his head. ¡°Wait a minute, when was this? The day of the accident?¡± He hurriedly asked. ¡°I don¡¯t remember¡­ I know it was winter.¡± Dr. Seo rummaged through the old medical records that he brought from the lab a while ago. At that time, Gyeonhui remembered the day when he had the accident. ¡®I want to be with you today, no matter what.¡¯ Her text message differed than usual. He suddenly pulled out his phone and checked the date when the text came from her. ¡°February 7th.¡± ¡°February 7th.¡± Gyeonhui and Dr. Seo said the date at the same time. Dr. Seo looked at him in amazement. ¡°How did you know, Gyeonhui¡­¡± ¡°So¡­ that was why she wanted¡­¡± His ominous feeling was never wrong. The day that Gyeonhui was in a car accident was the anniversary of her father¡¯s death. ¡°I did what I did to her¡­ on the day¡­¡± His guilt-filled expression distorted painfully. ¡®Ten years ago, today¡­ I want to go back in time¡­¡¯ ¡®What¡¯s that day? ¡®¡­ On February 7th, my high school graduation ceremony.¡¯ The conversation that he had forgotten came to mind. ¡°Hah¡­¡± The atmosphere was heavily sunken. He didn¡¯t say anything because he was thinking about everything. The first person who broke the silence was Dr. Seo. ¡°I don¡¯t know what went wrong between the two of you, or why you started feeling her pain, but I hope that you can solve the problem with her as soon as possible. This is not advice from a doctor, but a person who has more experience in life. Health can be ruined instantly once your mind is traumatized.¡± Dr. Seo said it with nothing but concern, but Gyeonhui was not listening to him. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Dr. Seo exhaled a slight sigh while shrugging his shoulders. ¡°Anyway, you have to stay in the hospital for a week. If you don¡¯t, the wound could get infected again. This is an instruction as a doctor. Don¡¯t forget.¡± Dr. Seo reminded him several times and exited the room. ¡°How did this happen¡­¡± Gyeonhui was left alone, and his eyes closed in pain. No matter how hard he closed his eyes, he didn¡¯t know how to calm the pain in his mind. He didn¡¯t even know what to do or how to do it. His chest was aching like an active volcano that would explode at once, and his shattered fist was pale, for it had no blood. He raised his body; otherwise, he would go crazy. There was only one person in the world he could share his thoughts with. *** The room of the orphanage¡¯s director. Sister Andrea carefully poured the brewed tea and pushed it out to Sun. ¡°Have some tea.¡± ¡°¡­ Thank you very much.¡± Sun wasn¡¯t moving at all after receiving the cup as if she were frozen. Andrea took a deep breath to savor the tea after lifting the cup. Andrea seemed to have kept her eyes open for a moment while staring outside the window to organize her thoughts. ¡°Where should I start¡­¡± After a while, Andrea nodded slowly. ¡°I¡¯m going to start talking about the first time Gyeonhui came here.¡± Sister Andrea took a sip of tea and continued to speak slowly. ¡°It¡¯s been more than two decades, but it¡¯s still so vivid¡­¡± Maybe it was a bitter memory for her because her expression sank unusually. ¡°It was a cold winter. A little boy came here alone. Children would often come here from other facilities, but it was rare for a child to come alone with his own two feet.¡± ¡°Then the boy you¡¯re talking about is¡­¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°How beautiful his eyes were.¡± Andrea shivered while remembering that time. *** It was a cold winter. Sister Andrea was knitting beside the fireplace when someone knocked on the door of the director¡¯s room. ¡®Knock, knock.¡¯ ¡°Who is it?¡± Andrea, of course, asked gently while thinking that it¡¯s just one of the children. However, a short time later, the door opened, and the child that came in was a boy that she hadn¡¯t seen before. The boy seemed to be about nine years old, with frozen cheeks from the cold. However, his eyes looked stronger than any other adult¡¯s. Andrea was a little surprised but rose from her seat and approached the child. ¡°¡­ How can I help you, child?¡± When Andrea asked him carefully, he replied boldly and confidently. ¡°My mom told me that I have to be here starting today. She said that she will come back to me when I grow up.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ okay, boy.¡± Andrea fully understood the situation after hearing a few of his words and stroked the child¡¯s head in sympathy. He blinked, with his mouth closed like he had determined something in his mind. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Andrea asked him in a soft voice. ¡°It¡¯s Gyeonhui Woo.¡± ¡°Gyeonhui Woo. That¡¯s such a great name.¡± Andrea looked out through the window while stroking the child¡¯s head. A black car was disappearing far away in a field covered in white snow. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± With a heavy sigh, Andrea carefully asked the child, ¡°Do you remember your home number or your mom¡¯s contact information?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡± ¡°¡­ Did your mom ask you to answer like that?¡± After a moment, the child nodded awkwardly, but he struggled to close his small lips to show that he was never going to say anything more. ¡°¡­ Come here and warm your body.¡± Andrea led the cold and frozen child toward the stove. Maybe it was because of the warmth, but his rigidly hardened expression loosened a little. *** ¡°That¡¯s how Gyeonhui came to our orphanage,¡± Andrea said with a sinking expression. Sun¡¯s face had become darker than Andrea¡¯s upon hearing the story that she had never heard before. ¡°He didn¡¯t say anything when I asked him if his family was struggling financially, where his home was, or who his mom was. He only told me that if he goes to college later, his mom will come to find him. I felt so bad for him.¡± ¡°Well¡­ In the end¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Yes, he was abandoned by his own mother.¡± Hearing Andrea¡¯s words, Sun could not keep her mouth shut. *** ¡°Hah.¡± Standing in front of the VIP room, Ojae sighed nervously. After taking a few deep breaths, he carefully knocked on the door. ¡®Knock, knock.¡¯ Mrs. Shin¡¯s voice was heard from inside, ¡°Yes.¡± Although the voice he heard was gentle and soft, Ojae was so nervous and carefully opened the door to step inside. ¡°Come inside.¡± Mrs. Shin said while she was wiping Chairman Woo¡¯s hand with a towel. The Chairman seemed unconscious, relying on an oxygen tank and barely breathing. ¡°How are you, Vice President Shin?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Gyeonhui?¡± Mrs. Shin naturally looked for Gyeonhui. Chapter 95 At that moment, Ojae¡¯s sweat started forming on his forehead. He couldn¡¯t say that Gyeonhui was in the same hospital because of perforation to his stomach. Mrs. Shin was likely to call out Gyonhui and blame him for not taking care of his own health as the CEO of the company should. ¡°¡­¡± When Ojae gulped, he quickly started speaking again. ¡°There was a small issue with him¡­¡± Mrs. Shin saw Ojae and handed him over the newspaper. It was an article about Gyeonhui causing a scandal by drinking alcohol. ¡°I know that there¡¯s an issue with him, but what I asked you is how he¡¯s handling it.¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll take action right away.¡± ¡°Ojae.¡± Her relaxed voice called his name. ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± Nervously, Ojae replied while stuttering. ¡°You haven¡¯t forgotten the reason why I put you as his assistant, right?¡± Her words and eyes suddenly grew cold. Her voice wasn¡¯t loud, nor was she angry, but she had a mysterious power to entrap people. ¡°Sure, I have not forgotten.¡± ¡°Bring me the solution to this issue in the afternoon.¡± ¡°¡­ Yes, Ma¡¯am, Ojae bowed to her and hurriedly turned around to exit the room. However, her words flew into his back as he headed toward the door while breathing a sigh of relief. ¡°How is he feeling? Take care of him too.¡± Her words slapped the back of his head, and Ojae closed his eyes tightly. ¡®She knows everything¡­¡¯ Ojae turned awkwardly and bid farewell to her quickly again before exiting the room. ¡®Bang,¡¯ When the door closed, Mrs. Shin turned her head and looked at Chairman Woo and said, ¡°Father, I was surprised that you had suddenly gone into critical condition.¡± Mrs. Shin spoke in a warm voice. She bowed her head and whispered into Chairman Woo¡¯s ear. ¡°You can¡¯t die yet. You have to wait until I take everything away from you. You have to wait and see it. Do you understand, Father?¡± Her tone was cruelly frozen, unlike her sweet-looking expression. Mrs. Shin sat down again, smiled, and began to carefully wipe the chairman Woo¡¯s hands. *** ¡®He was abandoned¡­ by his own mother¡­¡¯ Hearing this shocking fact from Sister Andrea, Sun didn¡¯t know how to calm his heart down or what to do. Although her mom and dad passed away early, they were her family that loved her more than anyone else in the world. That¡¯s why the loss was even worse, and it was painful up until now. However, it was heartbreaking to know that Gyeonhui lived his life without the comfort of a loving family. ¡°Hah¡­¡± With a slight sigh, Sun tried to fix her complicated mind. There was one thing that didn¡¯t make sense to her. ¡°However¡­ he is the only son of the Lasung group. How did it happen?¡± Andrea nodded slowly like her question made sense. ¡°Before I tell you the reason, there were a few more stories that you need to know.¡± Andrea paused for a moment, and she continued with a calm tone. ¡°Maybe, about two years after he had come here, a woman suddenly came to find him while calling herself his mother. She said that she could stay with him now and took him. I thought everything worked out fine because he could finally live with his mom again. However¡­¡± Sun¡¯s expression darkened at her last words. ¡°He came back here just a week after. He was alone again. He was totally different looking than when he left here.¡± Andrea opened her eyes like she still remembered everything clearly. ¡°Since then, He was all alone. He didn¡¯t hang out with any children other than Ojae. He had covered all the paintings he drew in the past with black crayons.¡± Andrea said while turning over Gyeonhui¡¯s sketchbook sympathetically. ¡°¡­ What had happened to him?¡± ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t learn much more about what exactly happened to him or how much he was hurt. His mouth has been shut since. Just one thing¡­¡± Andrea stopped for a moment and started speaking slowly. ¡°A few days later, his mom returned. I still can¡¯t forget what she said when she took him from here.¡± Andrea started speaking again after a moment of thought, ¡°Useless people are thrown away. If you don¡¯t want to be thrown away, then you¡¯ll become a useful person.¡± Sun¡¯s eyes shook. As soon as Sun heard Andrea, Sun remembered what Gyeonhui had said about his mother. ¡®A person who can throw away her own child or pick him up again.¡¯ Sun still remembered his tone of voice and furious expression at that time clearly. The more Sun knew about him, the more she could not figure out the depth of his wound. Knowing what had happened to him and how he had been hurt made it more difficult. ¡°Hah¡­¡± She sighed profoundly, feeling heavier in her mind. She shook her head to shake off her thoughts about him, but it wasn¡¯t easy. Her heart was tight, and she was nauseated. Her stomach was churning as if she would vomit anytime soon. She suddenly stood up from her seat, unable to stand her frustration. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I have to go back to my office.¡± Andrea nodded slowly. Sun departed from Andrea without even making eye contact and hurriedly left the room. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± A long sigh burst out of Andrea¡¯s mouth. ¡°There is no one without pain¡­¡± Andrea looked out the window and watched Sun¡¯s back as she moved away. Andrea slowly made the sign of the cross and prayed for her fervently. *** In the hospital hallway, Ojae was on the phone while he was walking in a hurry. ¡°I can¡¯t help change the newspaper, but at least, I can take down the article online. Okay. Get it done as soon as possible.¡± After trying several times, he managed to stop a lot of the articles. However, since it had already become a hot issue, there was a limit to how he could rectify it this way. ¡°Hah. This is crazy.¡± After a sigh and a frustrated mind, Ojae stopped in front of Gyeonhui¡¯s room. He needed to discuss something with Gyeonhui. ¡®Knock, knock.¡¯ Ojae carefully knocked on the door and went inside. The bed that Gyeonhui was supposed to be in was empty. ¡°Gyeonhui, Gyeonhui!?¡± Ojae checked the inside of the VIP room, thinking he might be in the restroom, but Ojae couldn¡¯t find him. ¡°Where the hell did he go again!¡± Ojae stomped his foot, worrying about him, but there was one more place that he should check that came to mind. ¡°No way¡­¡± Ojae took out his cell phone, and hurriedly called Sun. Chapter 96 *** In the restroom of the orphanage. ¡°Ugh¡­ ugh¡­¡± She had the dry heaves with nausea, but nothing came out. When she struggled to raise her body, she leaned against the wall, exhausted. Even with her eyes closed, the thoughts about Gyeonhui did not leave her mind. If she left this place, she might feel better, so she tried to get out of the bathroom in a hurry. ¡®Bzzz.¡¯ Then her phone in her pocket vibrated. After checking the caller, Sun hesitated for a moment and answered the phone. ¡°¡­ What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Sun, but are you with Gyeonhui?¡± Ojae asked her urgently without telling her the reason for the call. ¡°No. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m the right person for that matter.¡± She tried to hang up the phone. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± She heard a cry from Ojae, and he sounded desperate to stop her from hanging up the phone. She lifted her phone again. ¡°He had surgery a few days ago, and he isn¡¯t feeling well.¡± ¡°Did you say surgery?¡± Hearing Ojae, she was surprised and asked him again. ¡°It¡¯s a long story, but he was supposed to stay in the hospital for a week to recover. Now, he¡¯s gone from the hospital. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve contacted you. I¡¯m very sorry, but if you see him, please contact me right away. Thank you.¡± Ojae quickly hung up the phone, seemingly trying to contact someone else to find Gyeonhui. ¡°¡­ what does it mean¡­ surgery.¡± Her confused mind grew more disturbed as she tried to make sense of the situation. She shook her head, trying not to think about him anymore. She quickly walked to the parking lot to leave the orphanage. She then saw him standing by her car in the distance. Sun had no choice but to stop when she recognized him at once. He, too, started ambling toward her, seemingly recognizing her as well. Her eye caught his pale face and his bloodshot eyes. The closer he approached, the more hurt she became. He reached out and grabbed her right hand. Gyeonhui asked, indifferently while he was looking at the wounds on her index finger, ¡°Did you get your finger hurt again? Are you going to hurt yourself like this every day?¡± Hearing his ambiguous words, she turned his hand down, not knowing if it was out of his concern for her or irritation at her. ¡°¡­ That¡¯s not something you need to worry about.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just worried¡­¡± Gyeonhui said in an unusually calm voice. His expression and voice were weak. ¡°Why the hell are you doing this to me!?¡± She could not stand the frustration that she¡¯s feeling and shouted at him. Gyeonhui¡¯s eyes were shaken hard after hearing her cry. ¡°¡­ No matter what you had to go through in the past, it doesn¡¯t matter to me anymore. I don¡¯t even want to know. Do you understand?¡± She walked past him after yelling at him. ¡°Okay. I won¡¯t care about you anymore.¡± Then her steps stopped at his voice behind her. ¡°¡­ Like you said, I¡¯m going to stop bothering you.¡± Sun¡¯s eyes shook. When Gyeonhui took a deep breath, she slowly started speaking again. ¡°You¡¯re free to move out of the office building. You will still have the business with us, so don¡¯t worry about that. If you don¡¯t want to see me again, yes, that¡¯s fine too. I¡¯ll never show up in front of you again, so¡­ ¡± He stopped speaking and turned his head to look at her. He calmly started talking again. ¡°One day, stay with me for just one day.¡± His heartfelt confession rang in her ear. Hearing his unexpected confession made her eyes shake hard. These two people seem to have stopped in time. It was her that broke the silence first. ¡°¡­ No, I don¡¯t want it.¡± There were only two syllables that came out of her lips. She refused, but when he looked at her, she looked more hurt. ¡°¡­ Even one day is a burden to me, and I¡¯m afraid.¡± Her trembling voice pierced his heart, so Gyeonhui furrowed his eyebrows. She walked past him after speaking. He couldn¡¯t turn and look at her. It was painful to see his wounds revealed whenever she saw his face. ¡°¡­ Even one day is hard for you.¡± He sighed with his eyes closed. ¡®Brrrrr.¡¯ Then he heard her car¡¯s engine starting from behind him. She was preparing to leave him. ¡®Woowoong.¡¯ Then he heard the loud sound of the engine. She was moving away. ¡®Whirling.¡¯ After leaving, there was only the sound of a strong wind. He lifted his head up and looked at the bright blue sky. ¡°I wish cool rain would fall right now.¡± He couldn¡¯t hide his pained expression under the clear sky. ¡°Why¡­ I¡¯ve realized it now¡­¡± He smiled and mumbled to himself. ¡®Geeeeek!¡¯ Then he heard a sudden stop in the distance. ¡°Cheonsun.¡± Gyeonhui was surprised, and he quickly turned his head to look back. *** On the road, after she made a complete stop with the brakes, she closed her eyes, putting her head on the steering wheel. There was no accident, and that wasn¡¯t why she stopped. She couldn¡¯t breathe properly because of the terrible pain. ¡°Hah¡­¡± She raised her head and leaned back on the seat. Her heart was astringent as if it were rubbed with salt. ¡°Hah¡­¡± She tried to calm her mind by catching her breath, but it wasn¡¯t easy. ¡®Just one day, stay with me¡­¡¯ She couldn¡¯t forget his desperate voice. His pale face was glimmering in her eyes. At that moment, Sun held the steering wheel tightly with both hands, and she was lost in thought about whether or not she should turn the car around. However, she soon shook her head hard. ¡°Hah¡­¡± She took a deep breath and pulled out her phone while biting her lower lip. She struggled for a moment and called Ojae. *** A car that seemed to have nothing to do with him was going away from him. He stood still and watched her leave as he breathed a long sigh. He was relieved that nothing had happened to her, but he was sad that nothing had changed. ¡°Hah¡­¡± He sighed and turned his head to look at Sister Andrea¡¯s room. He wondered what Sun had talked about with Andrea. He took a few huge steps and headed toward the director¡¯s room. ¡®Knock, knock.¡¯ When he arrived at the door of the director¡¯s room, he knocked on the door. Andrea opened the door, and she was so surprised to see him. ¡°There are a lot of unexpected guests coming in today.¡± He smiled weakly while watching her welcome him warmly. ¡°But are you okay? What¡¯s wrong with your face?¡± When she saw his complexion, she asked, worried. ¡°I¡¯ve been fighting with a cold; that¡¯s all.¡± He lied and struggled to sit down. ¡°Hold on. I¡¯m sure I have some medicine somewhere here.¡± Andrea hurriedly tried to find the cold medicine and rummaged through the drawer. ¡°¡­ I saw her here just a while ago.¡± He struggled to speak. Andrea stopped rummaging and slowly looked at him. ¡°Did you tell her anything about me?¡± Looking at him for a moment, Andrea nodded slowly. Chapter 97 ¡°¡­ What did she say about it?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°I know. You don¡¯t need to tell me. I¡¯m sure that she didn¡¯t say anything good about me.¡± ¡°Why do you think so?¡± Her face sank as she asked. He slowly started speaking, seemingly frustrated to talk after he thought about the situation for a moment, ¡°¡­ Because I¡¯ve done nothing good for her.¡± ¡®Wait until I call you again.¡¯ ¡®You were like a little dog that always used to obey my orders.¡¯ He recalled the words that he had said to her in the past. Her shaking eyes, her trembling hands, he remembered all of it. During his self-analysis, Andrea watched him calmly. ¡°I came here because I didn¡¯t know what to do, but as soon as I saw her face, I realized what I have to do¡­¡± He seemed determined while he was clenching his molars and struggling to continue. With his eyes closed, he organized his thoughts and calmly raised his body from his seat. ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡± With a bitter smile, he exited the director¡¯s room. Andrea also breathed a long sigh of sadness. ¡®Ring, ring.¡¯ Then Andrea¡¯s phone rang out loud. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Si¡­ Sister! She heard Ojae¡¯s desperate voice over the phone. ¡°Ojae, what¡¯s going on with you, too?¡± ¡°Is Gyeonhui there?¡± ¡°Yes, he just left the room. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Oh, my. He just had surgery today and was recovering, but he suddenly disappeared.¡± ¡°What surgery?¡± Andrea was surprised and asked him again. ¡®Kung.¡¯ Then she heard something fall in the hallway. Andrea went out to the hallway, dropping the phone. She saw that Gyeonhui fell on the floor in the middle of the hall. ¡°Gyeonhui!¡± She rushed and shouted his name while holding him in her arms, but Gyeonhui was unconscious, and his head only shook weakly. *** ¡®Click, click.¡¯ The sound of the ballpoint pen being pressed repeatedly echoed in the office. It had been a long time since Sun had arrived at the company from the orphanage. She sat in front of the computer, but she couldn¡¯t go back to work again. Ari, who was anxiously watching her, moved a chair and approached Sun. ¡°Did something wrong while you were there at the orphanage? What happened?¡± Ari looked at Sun¡¯s face and asked her carefully. ¡°¡­ No, nothing had happened. I just came right back after delivering the boxes.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Ari no longer asked, but the strange reluctance from Sun was enough to understand the situation. ¡°Oh, did you see Dr. Park¡¯s text?¡± ¡°Dr. Park?¡± Sun took her phone out in the bag and saw the text. There were two missed calls and a message from Eunwoo. Sun didn¡¯t even know that Eunwoo had called her because she was so frustrated with Gyeonhui a while ago. ¡°Don¡¯t you have an appointment with him today?¡± Hearing Ari, Sun was in a hurry to check the schedule. She noticed the note with a circle saying ¡®the night market.¡¯ ¡°Oh¡­¡± It was today that she had promised to go to the night market with him. ¡®Did you forget about our appointment today? I¡¯ll wait for your call.¡¯ His affectionate message made her mind more difficult. *** The living room of Gyeonhui¡¯s house. Ojae was on the phone while walking around in the living room. ¡°Yes, Sister Andrea. He is okay now¡­ Don¡¯t worry about him too much.¡± After Ojae talked with Sister Andrea, he sighed shallowly. Ojae looked at the upper floor, he hurriedly went upstairs. When he entered Gyeonhui¡¯s room, he saw that he was sleeping while Dr. Seo checking his IV. ¡°How is he?¡± ¡°Well, luckily, there¡¯s nothing wrong with him for now. However, he will have to take a break for a while. He still needs absolute stability.¡± Dr. Seo¡¯s anxious words made Ojae more frustrated. ¡°I told him to stay in the hospital, but he wouldn¡¯t listen to me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay if he doesn¡¯t push himself. Don¡¯t be too concerned.¡± Hearing Dr. Seo, Ojae breathed a deep sigh. ¡°Thank you for coming here.¡± ¡°I would obviously come here as his personal doctor. He¡¯ll probably have a difficult time.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m leaving.¡± Dr. Seo said something incomprehensible and quickly left with his medical treatment bag. ¡°¡­ What was that?¡± Ojae tilted his head in doubt. Then, Ojae¡¯s cell phone rang. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Hello, this is a secretary from the vice president¡¯s office. The vice president is asking if you have anything to report to her?¡± ¡°Oh, yes, yes. Can you please tell her that I¡¯m going to report to her soon?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± The female secretary hung up the phone with a clerical tone. ¡°This is crazy¡­ Hah¡­¡± Ojae scratched his head and mumbled to himself, seemingly under stress. Ojae looked at Gyeonhui anxiously for a moment and exited the room. ¡°Ma¡¯am! Ma¡¯am!¡± Gyeonhui heard Ojae¡¯s voice while he was looking for the housekeeper through the door. Ojae¡¯s footsteps sounded like they were going downstairs and farther away. Slowly, Gyeonhui turned his head and looked to the side. He noticed the red scarf on the nightstand table. He reached hard for the red scarf. He continued to reach for his scarf, but he couldn¡¯t reach it. His weary body was not listening to him; he felt like the red scarf was away from him for an eternity. He reached out with all his might while biting his lower lips tightly. However, the red scarf was pushed by his finger and fell to the floor. The scarf went over the other side and was no longer visible. ¡°Hah¡­¡± He clenched his fist and bit his lower lip again. His eyes closed in pain tightly and were trembling quietly. *** ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± After confirming the time, Eunyoung first dusted off her hand and rose from her seat. ¡°I¡¯m staying tonight. I¡¯ve got something left to do with the storyline for the animation production.¡± Ari said, with her eyes fixed on the monitor. ¡°Why are you suddenly staying late? You haven¡¯t done this before in your entire life.¡± Eunyoung asked in doubt. ¡°I¡¯m just doing my job, so we can grow faster to get out of this building. Ari said it in a whisper. Ari then glanced at Sun in sympathy. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you can actually think.¡± ¡°What? Do you think I don¡¯t?¡± Ari pouted her lips. ¡°Because that was very thoughtful, but just go home today.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re staying late, then Sun won¡¯t go home until you leave the office.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°I think she also has an appointment with Dr. Park tonight, so let¡¯s just leave the office soon for her.¡± ¡°¡­ Sure.¡± Ari nodded after realizing what Eunyoung meant. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m going home. Aren¡¯t you going home, Sun?¡± Ari asked aloud intentionally. ¡°What? Yes, I¡¯m going home soon too.¡± Sun checked the clock and said it like she was absent-minded. ¡°Oh my. I have to go.¡± ¡®Bzzz.¡¯ her cell phone rang right at that moment. It was Eunwoo. ¡°Hello, Dr. Park. Yes, I¡¯m sorry. Yes, I¡¯m going down now. Thank you.¡± Sun stood up from her seat in a hurry. ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys going home?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going home now.¡± Eunyoung and Ari answered at the same time while holding their handbags. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll get out first.¡± ¡°See you tomorrow.¡± Ari departed from Sun while exaggeratedly waving her hands. When Sun went out, Ari breathed a long sigh. ¡°My poor sister¡­¡± Ari shook her head and tried to leave the office with her handbag. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Then Eunyoung stopped Ari, who was trying to leave. ¡°Sorry? I¡¯m going home.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you have something to do tonight at the office?¡± Eunyoung put the bag back down and sat down. ¡°No, you told me to go home.¡± ¡°It was before Sun left.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Now, let us focus on working.¡± Eunyoung turned on the monitor again and started working. After Ari understood Eunyoung¡¯s thoughts, she plunked down in her chair with her lips pouting. ¡°¡­ Ch!¡± ¡°You said that we need to grow faster, so we can get out of this building. I just wanted to do that too. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°¡­ Ch¡­¡± Ari turned the monitor back on. Eunyoung smiled while watching Ari over the monitor. Soon, however, Eunyoung sighed sadly as she gazed at the hallway. Chapter 98 *** Sun checked the time with her cell phone when she got off the elevator. She was already ten minutes late to see Eunwoo. ¡°¡­ Oh my. I¡¯m losing my mind¡­¡± Sun started walking fast while blaming herself like she was pathetic and mumbled to herself. ¡°Really? You can¡¯t do this all of a sudden!¡± Then, she heard a familiar voice in her ear. She turned her head and noticed Ojae while talking on the phone. ¡°You know, Gyeonhui just had surgery. If you¡¯re not staying with him in his house, then he will be all alone by himself.¡± Ojae spoke in a low voice, seemingly conscious of his surroundings. However, maybe because of his frustrated tone, his voice caught Sun¡¯s attention. ¡°What? Your kid is sick suddenly? Hah¡­¡± Ojae was so frustrated that he couldn¡¯t say anything more after hearing that the maid¡¯s kid was sick. ¡°¡­ Okay, I understand that you have to go. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help your child.¡± When the phone call ended, Ojae roughly scratched his head and got on the elevator that had just arrived. ¡°Hah¡­¡± When Ojae left, Sun exhaled a long sigh. Gyeonhui¡¯s sick face, the one she saw during the day at the orphanage, came to mind. His pale face would collapse at any moment. She shook her head hard to pull herself together. She looked at the entrance of the building and saw that Eunwoo was waiting for her. She took a deep breath and slowly stepped toward him. Eunwoo was looking for her in the crowd. His gaze was gradually shifting toward her, and she was also trying to raise her hand to greet him. At the time when they would notice each other, two men who were carrying a large mirror blocked the path between them. ¡®Bzzzz.¡¯ At that moment, her cell phone rang. She thought it obviously would be Eunwoo, but her pace slowed down when she checked the caller. Soon, she stopped altogether. She looked at her phone, and her eyes started trembling. ¡®¡­ Gyeonhui¡­¡¯ It was him. ¡°Sun?¡± Eunwoo thought that he had seen someone similar to Sun at the moment. However, when the men who were carrying the large mirror left, her appearance disappeared as well. ¡°¡­ Did I see it wrong?¡± While he was tilting his head, familiar faces came into his eyes. It was Eunyoung and Ari that came out for dinner. ¡°Huh? Dr. Park?¡± Ari noticed him first and approached Eunwoo. ¡°Hello. On your way to dinner?¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯re working late tonight because my boss is mean and evil.¡± Ari said in a low voice while sensing Eunyoung nearby. ¡°I can hear you, Ari.¡± Eunyoung approached Ari and pinched her cheek. ¡°Oh, it hurts!¡± Ari rubbed her blushing cheek and cried out while pouting. ¡°But why are you still here? Didn¡¯t you see Sun? She left the office a while ago to see you.¡± Eunyoung asked, seemingly in doubt. ¡°Really¡­?¡± Eunwoo quickly tried to understand the situation. ¡®Bzzzz.¡¯ Then a message came to his cell phone. It was from Sun. ¡°Is it her?¡± Ari asked. Eunwoo waved his head with an awkward smile when he saw the message. ¡°¡­ No, it¡¯s my friend.¡± ¡°Where did she go then?¡± ¡°Oh, Sun texted me that she wasn¡¯t feeling good today, so we decided to meet next time.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s weird because she was just fine at the office.¡± Ari said in doubt. ¡°Then I have to go for another appointment. I¡¯ll see you all later.¡± ¡°See you later.¡± Ari left him quickly. After departing, Eunwoo slowly exited the building. When Eunwoo came out of the building, he checked the message from Sun again. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can see you tonight. Something urgent came up. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± It seemed that there was something else going on, but the reasons were left out in her text. Knowing her personality and how she couldn¡¯t refuse a favor to someone, Eunwoo had a bitter smile. He also could see how much she had struggled to send the text to him. ¡°Something urgent¡­¡± Eunwoo smiled with a shallow sigh. *** ¡°What did she mean that she¡¯s suddenly sick?¡± Ari asked with a curious expression throughout dinner. ¡°Stop thinking about it and eat your food, so we can go back to the office soon.¡± Eunyoung said while putting a big spoon of rice in her mouth. ¡°Are you not curious, seriously?¡± ¡°Hah¡­¡± ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll eat.¡± Ari pouted and picked up the side dish with her chopsticks. After a moment of silence, Ari started speaking again, seemingly unable to resist her curiosity. ¡°Hey, boss.¡± ¡°What, again?¡± ¡°I think Dr. Park was lying.¡± Eunyoung did not respond to Ari¡¯s question. Eunyoung put her spoon down when she seemingly lost her appetite. ¡°Oh, okay. I¡¯ll keep quiet.¡± Ari looked at her and closed her mouth. ¡°¡­ He lied.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Sun never cancels an appointment because she¡¯s sick.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. She is the type of person who says she¡¯s okay when she¡¯s seriously sick.¡± Ari rolled her eyes when she recalled Eunwoo¡¯s words. ¡°But why did he lie? He has no reason to do so.¡± Ari asked again, curiously. ¡°He was protecting her.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°He couldn¡¯t tell the truth because we both knew that they were going to meet tonight. ¡°Wow¡­ how can he be so thoughtful?¡± Ari looked in the air and mumbled to herself as if she had a crush on him. ¡°So, where did she go?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I just hope it¡¯s not the place that I don¡¯t want her to be.¡± Eunyoung said with a sigh of frustration. ¡°Where is that?¡± Ari asked her again, but Eunyoung only breathed a deep sigh. *** The taxi carrying Sun ran between luxurious houses. When she saw the familiar paths and houses, Sun felt that something in her mind was reeling. After a little further up, she noticed the familiar exterior of the building in front of her. ¡°¡­ Pull the car over here, please.¡± The taxi stopped right in front of the enormous mansion just like she asked. She raised her head and looked at the large wooden gate. It had been a while since she came here, but nothing really changed. ¡°Hah¡­¡± She sighed, unable to walk inside. She came here since her heart led herself, but she didn¡¯t know if this was the right thing to do. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and looked at the list of missed calls. There was a missed call from Gyeonhui. After struggling for a moment, she slowly approached the door. For quite a long time, her finger stayed in the air to push the doorbell. ¡®Dingdong.¡¯ She heard the doorbell. It wasn¡¯t loud. However, there was no reaction from inside. She pushed the bell a few more times, but no one answered. Suddenly, she remembered what Ojae was saying over the phone. ¡®You know, Gyeonhui just had surgery, and if you leave the house now, he is all alone in the house.¡¯ She reached out once again and began to press the password next to the doorbell. ¡®Bip, bip, bip, bip, bip, bip.¡¯ When she pressed six digits, the big door was opened with a loud sound. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s still the same.¡± The door opened, but she couldn¡¯t step inside. ¡°Hah¡­¡± After taking a few deep breaths, she slowly opened the door and went inside. Chapter 99 *** The Vice President¡¯s Office. Ojae carefully presented the report to Mrs. Shin. After receiving the report, Mrs. Shin slowly put her glasses on and started reviewing it. Luckily, due to Ojae¡¯s quick reaction, the majority of articles about Gyeonhui were dropped; he also replaced them with other issues. He had cleaned up relatively everything, but he was still nervous as he stood uneasily before her. There was only the sound of the pages being turned over, and Ojae trying to swallow his dry saliva inside the vice president¡¯s office. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s okay even though it is quite late.¡± Mrs. Shin nodded slowly as she checked the report. Ojae was relieved with a sigh silently. ¡°Oh, how is Gyeonhui doing?¡± ¡°He¡¯s recovering now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that he disappeared from the hospital¡­¡± ¡®How much do you know¡­¡¯ Ojae was terrified while raising goosebumps on his arm. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ he is recovering in his place now.¡± ¡°Home?¡± ¡°Yes, he said that makes him feel more comfortable¡­¡± When Mrs. Shin heard Ojae, she thought for a moment. After a while, she nodded and slowly rose from her seat. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Hearing her, Ojae was so embarrassed that he only blinked his eyes without saying anything. ¡°Sorry, Ma¡¯am, but I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about¡­¡± ¡°My child is sick, so as a mother, I would like to see if he is doing okay.¡± Mrs. Shin spoke in a bold tone, and she exited the vice president¡¯s office before Ojae. ¡°Oh my. This is totally going out of control.¡± Ojae took a deep sigh with his eyes closed tightly. However, he had no time to organize his own thoughts, so he hurried to follow Mrs. Shin. *** After entering the dark living room, Sun slowly looked around. When she reached out and pressed the switch, since she already knew where the lights were, she saw the magnificent view of the living room. The interior was well-maintained, and the paintings on the wall were gorgeous. Nothing had changed much from the last time she visited. She slowly went upstairs and headed to his room. She saw Gyeonhui lying on the bed through the gap of the opened door. As soon as she saw him, she suddenly stopped nervously. However, he was sleeping without moving an inch of his body. When she breathed deeply, she opened the door and slowly went inside. His face was covered in a cold sweat, and he was sleeping with his arm stretched out like he had tried to reach something earlier. ¡°¡­ Gyeonhui¡­¡± She called him carefully, but he did not seem to wake up quickly. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Sun caught her breath and pulled up the duvet to cover him up. His face was still pale, and his forehead was wet with the cold sweat. She looked at him and felt so sorry. She rolled up her sleeves and brought a wet towel from the bathroom. She wiped his sweaty face and neck with the towel and put the towel on his forehead to cool down the fever. She looked still at his face. His haggard face that she had never seen before made her mind feel so heavy. It was like a child¡¯s face if the child were abandoned by his mother. ¡®¡­ Yes, he was abandoned¡­ by his own mother.¡¯ His heart-wrenching story that she had heard from Andrea came to mind. His wound was hidden within his harsh and mean words, which hurt her heart deeply. ¡°Hah¡­¡± She barely calmed her mind, and she slowly wiped the sweat from his neck again. She could see a pattern on his chest through the clothes that had opened. He had never been tattooed before, so Sun carefully opened his clothes and looked at the pattern. White marks that looked like floral patterns or a starfish. It was somehow a familiar and a strange pattern. ¡°This¡­¡± She mumbled to herself. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s a punishment.¡± When he woke up, he said, but his eyes were still closed shut. ¡°The punishment I¡¯ve deserved.¡± Hearing him, Sun took her hands off from him in a hurry. He slowly opened his eyes and started speaking as he looked at her. ¡°¡­ Why did you come here?¡± ¡°You called me.¡± ¡®Oh¡­¡¯ Her answer struck a faint memory in him. He felt like he was making a phone call somewhere, but then he lost consciousness and felt like he was in a dream. ¡°I¡¯ll go home since I see you¡¯re okay.¡± She tried to get up. He reached out and held her hand. ¡°Let me go.¡± ¡°¡­ Stay just a little longer.¡± His voice was so weak because of his sore body. His voice wasn¡¯t imposing and oppressive like usual. She refused his hand, but she could not leave the room. ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t do this.¡± Sun struggled to press down her crying emotions. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry about this¡­¡± His weak and sunken voice was hovering in her ears. She turned her body from him to hide her emotion that was about to burst out in tears. Gyeonhui struggled to raise his upper body and looked at her back. He wanted to hold her delicate shoulders with his arms open. However, he couldn¡¯t do that. He thought his behavior could cause her more pain. He was struggling with himself, clenching his teeth like they like a vice. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Sun sighed when she barely calmed him down. She turned and started speaking with a heavy and sunken expression. ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s stop. Please.¡± Her voice was trembling. Hearing her voice while enduring the pain, his eyes started trembling as well. *** ¡°¡­ We¡¯ve arrived.¡± Ojae parked the car in the parking lot, looked back, and spoke to her cautiously. Mrs. Shin was reviewing the report on her tablet PC and looked out the window through her glasses. ¡°Who¡¯s taking care of him?¡± After Mrs. Shin got out of the car, she looked at the lights on in the living room and asked. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­¡± Ojae hesitated. The only maid that could have stayed with him had left a long time ago because of her son. ¡°I¡¯ll open the door first.¡± Ojae hurried up to the stairs. After she looked around the house, she slowly followed him. ¡°I guess I¡¯m having a terrible day. Nothing goes smoothly today.¡± Ojae had a long face and quickly opened the front door and went inside. ¡°Huh?¡± When he tried to get inside, he inadvertently noticed a pair of unfamiliar shoes. The small and narrow flat shoes that could hardly be said to be the property of a man. He knew who¡¯s shoes they were. There was only one person in his memory who would know the password to this house. ¡®Bang.¡¯ Ojae heard Mrs. Shin opening the door. He hurriedly lifted her shoes and put them in the closet. However, he threw them too hard, and one of the pair fell back to the floor. ¡®Udang, tang, tang.¡¯ He quickly picked up the shoes again and put them in the closet, but his actions were so awkward and noisy. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Mrs. Shin went inside, furrowed her eyebrows, and asked. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Fortunately, Mrs. Shin seemed to have seen nothing. Ojae turned around and breathed a sigh of relief and wiped away the cold sweat on his forehead. Ojae quickly rolled his eyes to find Sun. However, he couldn¡¯t see her anywhere in the living room. ¡®If she isn¡¯t in the living room¡­¡¯ There was only one place for her to be. ¡°Is he on the second floor?¡± Mrs. Shin looked up at the stairs and asked. ¡°Yes.¡± After hearing Ojae¡¯s answer, Mrs. Shin slowly began going upstairs. ¡°Oh, no¡­ this is crazy.¡± Ojae felt like his spine was freezing up, and all the hair on his body raised. If she found out what was going on in his room, Gyeonhui might be in more trouble. Finally, Ojae shouted loudly with his eyes closed. ¡°Gyeonhui! The vice president is here!!!¡± Mrs. Shin stopped walking and turned her gaze to Ojae. In his continuing strange behaviors, Mrs. Shin was disgruntled. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry Ma¡¯am, I was afraid if he would be surprised to see you.¡± Maybe because she sensed something was strange from Ojae¡¯s awkward laughter, Mrs. Shin¡¯s pace increased as she trekked the stairs regardless. Chapter 100 ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s stop here. Please.¡± Her expression seemed bold, but her voice contained unbearable pain. Gyeonhui clenched his teeth increasingly harder, focusing all his strength to his lower jaw. ¡°Sun¡­¡± ¡°Gyeonhui! The vice president is here!!!¡± Then, from downstairs, he heard Ojae¡¯s urgent voice in need. Hearing the word ¡®the vice president,¡¯ Gyeonhui¡¯s face suddenly hardened. Sun also knew about the vice president, so her eyes widened as he looked at him. The sound of Mrs. Shin¡¯s footsteps were getting closer as she approached them. There was only one exit, so she couldn¡¯t escape. Gyeonhui bit his lower lip quietly. If Mrs. Shin found out anything about this situation, he wasn¡¯t sure what she would do to Sun. He was still dizzy, and his body felt heavy, but he struggled to stand up from the bed. ¡°Gyeonhui¡­¡± Looking at his crumpled face because of pain, she worriedly called his name. He quickly looked around the room. The room was spacious, but this open space did not have enough space for one to hide. There was also no place to hide underneath the bed since the bed frame was a robust and stable platform made from one piece of wood. ¡°¡­ Lie down here for now.¡± He looked at her with a gesture to lie down on the bed while lifting up the blanket. After reading his sunken expression, she had no choice but to do what he said. He covered the blanket over her head and quickly made the bed. Luckily, it was a thick winter blanket, so at first glance, it looked like a wrinkle. ¡°Hah¡­¡± He had suddenly become dizzy from his feverish condition, but he blinked and caught his breath to pull himself together. ¡°You look okay.¡± Then, he heard a familiar voice behind him. His face hardened rapidly. He slowly turned and looked at the owner of the voice. Mrs. Shin, who had an expressionless face, was looking at him. ¡°What brought you here?¡± He slowly positioned his body to conceal the area where Sun was hidden. *** ¡°Hmm¡­¡± When Eunwoo returned to the hospital, he was locked in his thoughts while looking at his cell phone. Eunyoung and Ari¡¯s reaction indicated that they did not know what had happened to Sun. ¡°If she kept it a secret even from them¡­¡± He nodded slowly with a shallow sigh. There was only one person she would meet without talking to Eunyoung and Ari. Eunwoo pulled out his phone with his sunken face and looked at Gyeonhui¡¯s phone number on the phone screen. Suddenly, he remembered the conversation he had with Chaekyeong. ¡®You also know that Gyeonhui¡¯s interested in DNBM. Honestly, he wants it desperately. You should use that to your benefit.¡¯ ¡®If I do so?¡¯ ¡®If Gyeonhui gives up on number sixteen, wouldn¡¯t it be good for you and me? Isn¡¯t that called a win-win? ¡®That¡¯s just your way. I¡¯m different than you. I¡¯m going to approach her with all my might, as always.¡¯ ¡®So, you want to lose everything again? As always?¡¯ Her cold, hardened face still lingered in his mind. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Eunwoo leaned back on the chair and sighed deeply while looking at the ceiling. He closed his eyes and tried to think deeply enough, but he shook his head. Looking back at his phone, he called her, not Gyeonhui. *** Gyeonhui looked at Mrs. Shin with his sunken eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t think this is a place where the vice president should come.¡± Despite his cold tone, Mrs. Shin¡¯s expression remained the same. ¡°It is one of my duties to make sure that the heir of the Lasung Group remains healthy.¡± ¡°It sounds like you wouldn¡¯t have come if I wasn¡¯t the successor of the group.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s say that you¡¯re partially right about that.¡± Hearing her reply as if that were obvious, Gyeonhui¡¯s eyes sank darker. ¡°I¡¯ve heard you¡¯ve been drinking heavily recently. Stress is also a cause.¡± ¡°I just didn¡¯t feel good.¡± ¡°It¡¯s also your duty to take care of your own health.¡± Gyoeonhui started speaking slowly while he was looking at her with his eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Did you come here to see me or to rebuke me?¡± ¡°Both.¡± She responded like it was apparent once again. Mrs. Shin walked inside the room slowly and looked around. ¡°I don¡¯t think you drank so much because of the merger with DNBM. Is it because of that girl? Did you say her name is Cheonsun?¡± He sneaked a look toward the bed where she was. Gyeonhui started speaking again with a firm expression. ¡°¡­ It has nothing to do with her.¡± ¡°Yes. I hope so. It¡¯s not going to be good for you or for her if she caused all of this.¡± ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± ¡°No, just advice. Pull yourself together. You¡¯re no longer a child. Stop playing like a boy.¡± Gyeonhui¡¯s eyes started glaring upon her rebuke with a smile. ¡°¡­ You¡¯ve never let me do so anyway.¡± Hearing his angry voice, Mrs. Shin slowly turned her head and looked at him. Mrs. Shin slowly started talking while staring at his eyes. ¡°For the successor of the great Lasung Group, such stupidity is unacceptable.¡± Her cold voice was pierced in his heart like a dagger. ¡°Get some rest. There will be a lot of work to be done to prove your value later.¡± Mrs. Shin tried to turn after the end of her words. ¡®Bzzzz,¡¯ Then they heard the cell phone vibrations somewhere in the room. Mrs. Shin stopped and turned her head again. The sound of vibration was coming from the bed. Reading her gaze toward the bed, Gyeonhui bit his molars tightly. *** Sun in the blanket, couldn¡¯t even breathe properly but was closing her mouth tightly. It seemed like her pounding heart would ring from outside of the sheet. ¡°Get some rest. There will be a lot of work to be done to prove the value of yourself.¡± She also heard Mrs. Shin, and it seemed like the entire thing was about to be done. Sun sighed with relief quietly while thinking it was all over. ¡®Bzzzz.¡¯ Then, the cell phone began vibrating in her pocket. Sun, who had no idea what was happening outside of the blanket, still didn¡¯t move even an inch. In order to answer the phone, she had to move. Mrs. Shin would have caught her if she was still in the room. ¡®Oh, my¡­ please¡­¡¯ She hoped that the caller would hang up with her eyes closed tightly. Fortunately, the sound of the vibration stopped, but at the same time, the door closed with a loud bang. She then heard footsteps coming towards her. ¡®Tamp. Tamp¡¯ The closer footsteps came, the more her heart pounded faster. Her back was sweating, and her lip color had even changed because she bit it so firmly. The footsteps finally stopped right beside her. For a moment, there was nothing but silence ensuing around her. It was only a few seconds, but for her, that short time felt like it lasted forever. Moments later, the person who owned the footsteps reached out and slowly took off the blankets that were covering her. ¡®Oh¡­¡¯ Her body hardened without even opening her eyes because of fear. ¡°¡­ Hey, Sun.¡± Then a familiar voice called her name. Slowly, she opened her eyes and saw Ojae looking down at her. ¡°They¡¯re still downstairs.¡± Ojae lowered his voice. When Sun understood the situation, she exhaled a long breath that she had held. ¡°Stay here for a moment, okay? She nodded slowly, exhausted. Ojae calmed her then and turned to leave the room again. ¡®Bang.¡¯ Because of her nervousness, she had to plunk down on the floor in exhaustion. Chapter 101 *** A little while ago. As soon as the sound of vibration stopped, Gyeonhui turned around and closed the door quickly. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll take you downstairs.¡± He spoke as little as possible, so they would not be heard from inside. ¡°You¡¯re embarrassed.¡± ¡°¡­ Yes, I have been since you came here.¡± Gyeonhui tried to change the subject, but Mrs. Shin smiled like she already knew everything from the beginning. ¡°Is it her?¡± Mrs. Shin¡¯s words shook his eyes. With a smile on her face, Mrs. Shin raised her hand and suddenly slapped his face violently. ¡®Slap!¡¯ With a loud sound, his head swung. Ojae was watching them and couldn¡¯t close his mouth because he was freaked out. ¡°How much more are you going to disappoint me?¡± Hearing her cold words, he slowly turned his head towards her. ¡°Are there even more ways I could disappoint you further?¡± His voice sank coldly. ¡°The W department is trying to pull you down every way that they can, and you¡¯re doing this with the girl right now? If you want to lose everything, now is a great time. Just tell me now. I¡¯ll take everything away from you.¡± Her face was soon hardened, wryly. Glaring at her with anger, Gyeonhui slowly started speaking. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll have the Lasung, including everything you¡¯re grabbing.¡± Mrs. Shin¡¯s eyes shook when she saw the anger in his eyes. ¡°¡­ Okay. I¡¯m glad to hear that.¡± After regaining her relaxed smile, she turned and went down the stairs. When he could no longer see her, he leaned against the wall, exhausted. ¡°¡­ Hah¡­¡± He staggered because of his high fever and dizziness. ¡°Gyeonhui¡­¡± Ojae hurriedly grabbed his arm to hold him. ¡°¡­ Keep quiet.¡± Gyeonhui furrowed his eyebrows and spoke in a low voice. When Ojae closed his mouth, Gyeonhui slowly started speaking again. ¡°Get inside. Take care of her.¡± ¡°¡­ What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Go on.¡± ¡°Hah¡­¡± Because of Gyeonhui¡¯s insistence, Ojae opened the door impulsively. However, Ojae looked back at him several times before finally entering the room with concern. ¡®Bang.¡¯ When Gyeonhui heard the door close, he leaned his head against the wall, exhausted. ¡°Hah¡­¡± He turned his head and looked at the door of the room and exhaled a long sigh of frustration. It was clear that Sun had heard the entire conversation he had with Mrs. Shin. ¡°¡­ It can¡¯t be worse.¡± He struggled to breathe while furrowing his eyebrows because of his surging dizziness. *** ¡®Boowoong.¡¯ Sun heard a car leaving the house through the window. As silence came to the area, Sun took the blanket off and carefully stepped out. A heavy sigh leaked from her mouth. Her heart became heavier amid the ridiculous situation. As she cleared her mind for a moment, she recalled what Mrs. Shin had said to Gyeonhui. ¡®Is this because of the girl? Did you say her name is Cheonsun?¡¯ Her shoulders shrunk when she recalled Mrs. Shin¡¯s cold tone of voice, but what was worse was that Sun was suffering from a guilty conscience. ¡®¡­ Because of me¡­¡¯ She felt that she alone was causing all these problems and making Gyeonehui sick from all the excessive stress involved. In the end, her feelings for him that she hadn¡¯t completely cut made it difficult for everyone. She wanted to flee the place as soon as possible because of her unbearable feeling of guilt. She tried to leave the room with a bag on the floor. Then, a familiar red material caught her eyes. The red-colored image that remained in her head was like an imprint. She slowly turned and looked at the red thing sticking out from beneath the nightstand. She leaned down and picked up the red scarf. The familiar touch and color. ¡°This is¡­¡± It was the gifted scarf that she had received and returned to him. ¡®Bang.¡¯ Then the door opened, and Ojae came in. ¡°She just left. Hah¡­ I thought my heart would fall out.¡± Ojae breathed a sigh of relief and struck his own chest. However, Sun didn¡¯t move even an inch of her body and was still looking at the red scarf. ¡°¡­ Sun?¡± Ojae carefully called her name, wondering what was going on. She slowly turned and showed the scarf to Ojae and asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t he throw this away?¡± Hearing her question, Ojae¡¯s face distorted in embarrassment. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Ojae hesitated for a long time, and he started speaking after he checked the door to see if Gyeonhui was coming. ¡°¡­ In fact, I thought he had thrown it away.¡± Ojae recalled the day when Gyeonhui woke up from his surgery. *** When the pain in his stomach subsided, Gyeonhui looked at the ceiling weakly, lying in his bed in the hospital. He pulled out his phone and called Sun, but she didn¡¯t answer the phone. ¡°Hah¡­¡± He sighed with frustration and turned his head to look at the trash can. The scarf that he just threw away was in the trash can. He frowned and looked at the scarf for a moment and started speaking. ¡°¡­ Give it to me.¡± ¡°Huh? What?¡± Ojae asked because he didn¡¯t understand what Gyeonhui was saying. ¡°That.¡± Ojae moved his gaze to where Gyeonhui was pointing. ¡°This?¡± When Ojae picked up the scarf, Gyeonhui nodded. ¡°Didn¡¯t you throw it away? Why are you taking it all of a sudden?¡± ¡°¡­ Just in case¡­¡± ¡°Just in case of what?¡± ¡°¡­ Why do you have so many questions!? Just do what I say! Ugh¡­¡± Gyeonhui had yelled at Ojae, but he frowned because of the pain after his surgery. ¡°Okay, just relax.¡± Ojae hurriedly gave the scarf to him. Gyeonhui grabbed the scarf by snatching it and put it away under the pillow after crumpling it. Gyeonhui seemed so awkward by doing that, he furrowed his eyebrow and closed his eyes. Ojae waved his head upon seeing his incomprehensible behavior. *** ¡°¡­ He¡¯s kept it since then. I saw it a while ago.¡± Ojae said it sadly. ¡°That¡¯s not the only thing he still has. The coffee tree that you gave him at his office, he still has it in the office¡­ At first, he told me not to water it and let it die. However, he often watered it himself.¡± Ojae recalled roughly how Gyeonhui would water the tree with a cup of water. ¡°Gyeonhui might have¡­¡± Ojae paused for a moment and started speaking again while looking at her. ¡°He might have been waiting for you more than anything¡­¡± Hearing Ojae, Sun closed her eyes quietly. Her eyes were trembling as she felt pain. Chapter 102 ¡°¡­ It¡¯s meaningless. I¡¯ll pretend that I never heard it.¡± Sun said, suppressing her emotions. ¡°Sun¡­..¡± Ojae felt frustrated and tried to speak something more. ¡®Bang.¡¯ Then, with the sound of the door opening, Gyeonhui entered the room. ¡°Gye, Gyeonhui¡­¡± Gyeonhui looked at the two of them alternately when he saw Ojae¡¯s awkward body language. ¡°You didn¡¯t say anything stupid to her, did you?¡± ¡°No, I would never do that, you know me.¡± Ojae responded urgently, looking at Sun. A gaze from Ojae communicated that it was a secret between Ojae and Sun. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve got some work to do. I¡¯ll let you talk.¡± Ojae departed awkwardly and left the room. When Gyeonhui heard the door closing, he slowly turned his head and looked at her. ¡°¡­ Mrs. Shin is gone. You can leave now.¡± He struggled to speak with his pale face, but she only looked at him without moving an inch. His left cheek was swollen and blushed like he had been hit. She unwittingly clenched her hands while holding the scarf. Gyeonhiu soon noticed the red scarf in her hand. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± His face slowly sank. ¡°¡­ Why didn¡¯t you throw it away?¡± Sun asked in a brazen tone. Looking at her scarf, he slowly raised his head and looked at her. ¡°I couldn¡¯t throw it away. I thought that it was you.¡± Hearing him, Sun¡¯s eyes shook, but she soon put her scarf down on the bed. ¡°¡­ Throw it away, please.¡± She walked and tried to pass him after saying the end of her words. ¡°I have just one question.¡± Hearing him, she stopped. He slowly started speaking toward her back as she froze in place. ¡°¡­ On the day of the accident, you said you wanted to be with me.¡± His words instantly made her remember everything about that day. ¡°Did something happen to you on that day?¡± The anniversary of her father¡¯s death, the rain, and the dark, depressing atmosphere surrounded her. When she calmed her mind by closing her eyes, she slowly started speaking again. ¡°¡­ No. Nothing happened.¡± ¡°Lies¡­¡± Her eyes fluttered. ¡°Something is going on with you that day. Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± He cried out, frustrated. Her expression was even more hardened. Sun had never spoken to him about her father. She didn¡¯t know how he found out about her father, but it didn¡¯t matter. Sun slowly turned and looked at him. ¡°¡­ If I were to tell you that, would we have acted differently?¡± Seeing her painful eyes, he could not say anything. ¡°We¡¯re already irremediable. There¡¯s nothing left between us to fix. It¡¯s best to stop here.¡± ¡°Well, then why did you come all the way here? You could have just not come.¡± Hearing him, she stopped. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m regretting it.¡± She hurriedly left the room like she wanted him not to see her shaking eyes. His expression sank heavily as he watched her leave. *** Sun came out of his house like she was running away. She walked down a dark alleyway for a long time, but her steps were frantic. It was only when she arrived under a broken street light that she stopped. ¡°Hah¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t remember how she left the stairs, the gardens in his house, and the alleyways. She leaned back on the street light while hiding in the dark. ¡®I couldn¡¯t throw it away. I thought that it was you.¡¯ She knew that he meant it, so it felt even more painful, and her heart grew heavier. She pounded her chest. ¡°Why is it still painful, why is my heart so painful like a fool¡­ why¡­¡± Under the unbearable pain, she struck her chest continuously. Her chest and her heart were getting more and more bruised. She tried not to cry while biting her lips until she started bleeding. Her breathing started to become unstable like it had lost its own rhythm, and she struggled with it even more. A raindrop began to fall over her head while she was struggling to breathe. *** ¡®Shuaa¡­¡¯ Gyeonhui looked out the window like a statue. After a while, Ojae stepped inside and carefully asked, ¡°¡­ Where is she?¡± Gyeonhui didn¡¯t answer, but when Ojae saw his expression, Ojae understood the situation. In an attempt to shift the awkward atmosphere, Ojae started speaking. ¡°Oh, you have no idea how on edge I was. I came inside here with the vice president, and I saw a pair of girl¡¯s shoes at the entrance. I instinctively knew that they were hers and hid them. It would have been perfect if her phone hadn¡¯t vibrated.¡± Ojae continually talked, but Gyeonhui¡¯s expression seldom unraveled. Ojae asked him with a bitter expression while exhaling a slight sigh. ¡°¡­ But how did Sun come here?¡± Gyeonhui slowly started speaking with a firm expression. ¡°¡­ I called her.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Ojae¡¯s eyes widened in amazement. ¡°I thought it was a dream.¡± He exhaled a shallow sigh while furrowing his eyebrow. ¡°But did she really come here because of your call? Is there any change going on in her mind?¡± ¡°¡­ No, it¡¯s not like that.¡± Gyeonhui shook his head while recalling her heavily sunk eyes. ¡®¡­ If I were to tell you that, would we have acted differently? We¡¯re already irremediable. There¡¯s nothing left between us to fix. It¡¯s best to stop here.¡¯ Gyeonhui could feel that she really meant it. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Then his body stumbled because of sudden dizziness. Gyeonhui exhaled a shallow sigh, but soon, he frowned after feeling the sudden pain ¡°Are you okay?¡± His head was too dizzy for him to hear any of the words that Ojae was urgently asking. Gyeonhui looked even more unstable since he was so tall. He then grabbed his chest. Kung, kung, kung.¡¯ It felt like somebody was hitting his chest with a sledgehammer. The pain was terrible. He could not breathe properly. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s okay if it is just me that¡¯s sick, but why are you in more pain than me¡­¡± He clenched his teeth to endured the terrible pain. His pale face became even paler He barely turned his head and saw the scarf she had left behind. Looking at it for a moment, he reached out and grabbed it. It seemed like he was determined to do something, and he slowly turned around to leave the room. ¡°You have to rest¡­¡± Gyeonhui left the room without answering Ojae. ¡°Gyeonhui!¡± Only Ojae¡¯s urgent voice echoed through the room. Chapter 103 *** The rain began to lighten up, signaling that it may soon stop. Sun struggled to walk through a dark alley, soaked in the rain. Slowly, she looked up and noticed the veterinary hospital that had not yet closed. Her steps were slowing down, but soon they had stopped completely. ¡°Hah¡­¡± She had to stop by to take Labong, but she couldn¡¯t move her feet. She was unsure how to explain why she suddenly canceled her appointment. However, it was not something that she could solve by avoiding it, so she slowly started walking again. As she approached the door, she saw her disheveled self in the window. She quickly tried to wipe the drops of water from her hair and clothes with her hands, but it was worthless. Finally, she just gave up doing so and opened the door carefully to enter. ¡®Ring, ring.¡¯ She saw Eunwoo, taking care of Labong when she came into the hospital. After Eunwoo recognized her, he smiled and rose from his seat. Soon, he opened his eyes wide, astonished that she was soaked from the rain. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± She bowed her head and apologized without making eye contact with him. The dripping rain fell from her hair to the floor. Looking at her pale expression, Eunwoo looked at her silently. ¡°Something happened all of a sudden¡­ I had to go¡­¡± The more she spoke, the more her expression darkened. She shook her head and slowly started speaking again. ¡°No, actually¡­ I met Gyeonhui today.¡± She struggled to speak like it wasn¡¯t easy for her to do so. Eunwoo silently looked at her calmly and waited for her to continue. ¡°¡­ I felt like I had to go to him when I heard that he was so sick, so I canceled the appointment with you to go to him.¡± Sun felt so sorry to even say this to him, so she mumbled the end of her sentence. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry if you felt bad.¡± Looking at her silently, Eunwoo turned and stepped inside of his office. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Sun dropped her head with a heavy expression. A short time later, when Eunwoo returned to her, she noticed that he was holding a large towel in his hand. Eunwoo approached her without a word and dried her hair with a towel. ¡°You¡¯re going to have a cold.¡± Eunwoo wiped her wet hair and said it with a sweet tone. ¡°Dr. Park¡­.¡± Sun raised her head and looked up at him. Eunwoo smiled and nodded as if he was okay. However, she couldn¡¯t face his smile, so she dropped her head again. When he wiped her hair with the warm towel, her mind started wretching again. However, she didn¡¯t want him to see her crying again and quickly lowered her head. Eunwoo looked at her for a moment without saying a word and covered her face with the large towel. Eunwoo continuously dried her hair with a soft touch. *** The rainy alleyways in the dark. Gyeonhui was looking inside the hospital from his car parked on the side of the road. Through the raindrops on the windshield, Gyeonhui could see Eunwoo drying her wet hair. ¡°Hmm, hmm.¡± Watching them in the car, Ojae cleared his throat in embarrassment. ¡°Gyeonhui, why don¡¯t we go home?¡± Ojae was embarrassed and asked. However, Gyeonhui was only watching the two of them silently. Gyeonhui looked at the red scarf in his hand. Ojae was looking at his bitter expression and started speaking in sympathy. ¡°Gyeonhui, don¡¯t be in such a hurry with her. She came to you when you called. There¡¯s still a chance.¡± However, Gyeonhui just shook his head slowly. ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t think I can see that expression from her anymore.¡± Her empty eyes looked calm when she was with him, but he could see that her pain was hidden behind. When Ojae noticed Gyeonhui¡¯s thoughts, he started speaking carefully. ¡°Let¡¯s go back home and take a break. You¡¯re not in good condition right now. Let¡¯s think about this later once you get better.¡± However, Gyeonhui seemed to be already clearing his thoughts with his eyes closed. There was only silence in the car for a while. After a while, Gyeonhui opened his eyes again and slowly started speaking. ¡°¡­ Send them out.¡± ¡°Huh? What?¡± Ojae reiterated Gyeonhui¡¯s question. ¡°The Kids Fan Office, send them out.¡± Ojae¡¯s expression darkened as he spoke again. ¡°¡­ Gyeonhui¡­ I know you¡¯re angry, but don¡¯t do business emotionally.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not angry at anyone.¡± His voice calmly subsided. ¡°Then why are you doing this¡­¡± Ojae asked him again in doubt. ¡°I¡¯m finally letting her go¡­¡± His eyes were empty as he struggled to speak. ¡°I¡¯m glad that we didn¡¯t go to the night market tonight in this weather.¡± Eunwoo smiled and said gladly. However, she was still so sorry for him, so she only nodded without saying anything. ¡°Well, drink some hot tea.¡± Eunwoo was smiling, and he gave her a cup of tea. ¡°It¡¯s a chamomile. It will make your body warm and relaxed.¡± ¡°¡­ Thank you.¡± The scent of the delicate herbal tea relaxed her mind a little. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m very sorry today if you feel bad.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Eunwoo nodded slowly, looking at her while she was apologizing to him. ¡°It was a bit disappointing.¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± She lowered her head and apologized. ¡°But I appreciate you because it was not easy to talk honestly about what you truly think. I feel like I¡¯m getting a little closer to you as a friend, so thank you.¡± Eunwoo looked at her with a light smile. ¡°¡­ Thank you.¡± She struggled to speak with a slightly sunken face. At the moment, she felt a chill because of her wet clothes. Eunwoo saw her and her trembling shoulders. He started speaking again. ¡°I think you should go home quickly, take a shower with warm water, and go to sleep. Otherwise, you¡¯re going to have a cold.¡± Hearing Eunwoo, she nodded and rose from her seat. ¡°Thank you always for what you¡¯ve done for Labong and me.¡± ¡°I feel like we¡¯re not close enough because you keep saying ¡®Thank you.¡¯ Real friends don¡¯t say ¡®thank you¡¯ as much.¡± She smiled at his playful voice. ¡°I¡¯ll go home now.¡± ¡°Be safe. I¡¯ll see you later.¡± Eunwoo smiled and watched her go. Luckily, he could still see her leave since the rain had stopped. ¡°Hah¡­¡± A sigh of relief leaked from his mouth. ¡°¡­ I worry about you. I worry when you get sick or when I don¡¯t see you too.¡± Eunwoo mumbled to himself as he watched her in the distance. A bitter smile came to his face. Chapter 104 *** ¡°¡­ Are you serious? You¡¯re going to let her go?¡± Holding the steering wheel, Ojae carefully asked Gyeonhui once again. He nodded slowly with a firm expression. ¡°I think you should think about it one more time¡­¡± As Ojae was telling Gyeonhui, he saw that Sun was leaving the hospital. ¡°Oh my.¡± Ojae was stunned and leaned down quickly. ¡°It seems like she¡¯s going home.¡± Ojae said while he was stealing a glance at her as if he were a detective in an undercover investigation. Gyeonhui watched her back with sinking eyes without saying anything. ¡°So, what now? Go home?¡± Ojae looked back and asked Gyeonhui again. ¡°¡­ Just a moment.¡± He didn¡¯t take his eyes off her back. He continued watching her back as if he would never see her again. After a while, she was no longer around, but his gaze was still rooted in her. *** When Sun returned home, she took a shower in warm water briefly. Luckily, her body warmed up much more, and she felt a lot better after the shower. She recalled Gyeonhui¡¯s pale face and his dried lips while she was drying her hair with a towel. It reminded her of herself when she was thoroughly mentally hurt after breaking up with him. She remembered herself wandering on the pilgrimage with no purpose or meaning. ¡°¡­ Why¡­¡± It didn¡¯t make sense to her. ¡°¡­ Why is he sick?¡± She was frustrated, but no one answered. She eventually got up from her seat and looked out the window. At that time, she noticed a luxury car parked in the alleyway and was just about to leave. She couldn¡¯t see the license plate, but the exterior of the car was so familiar. She shook her head slowly, not believing that it was him. She shook her head harder, hoping that it wasn¡¯t him. After a while, the car ultimately left the alleyway and was no longer visible. She contemplated, refusing to leave there for a while with a grim expression *** A week later, early in the morning. Sitting in the yard, Gyeonhui put his hand out. Terry soon approached him and licked his hand. He gently stroked Terry¡¯s head and gave him a snack. After Terry ate it voraciously, he looked at Gyeonhui again. It meant that the dog wanted it more. Gyeonhui smiled and gave him the rest of the snacks that he was holding. ¡°Wow, you guys are pretty close now, huh?¡± Ojae said as he approached. ¡°¡­ I guess.¡± ¡°Look. I told you that you just need to approach slowly.¡± Gyeonhui stroked Terry¡¯s head with a bitter smile. ¡°By the way, are we still going to do the plan?¡± ¡°What plan?¡± ¡°Kids Fan. Sending them out of the building.¡± ¡°¡­ Yes. Proceed.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± Despite Ojae¡¯s anxious question, Gyeonhui nodded silently. ¡°Are you going to work today?¡± Ojae sighed and changed the subject. ¡°¡­ Sure. I¡¯m fine now.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to take more rest?¡± Gyeonhui shook his head slowly. ¡°There are a lot of problems to deal with. You can¡¯t handle them all by yourself without me.¡± ¡°You sound like you¡¯ve become somewhat gentle.¡± ¡°Gentle?¡± ¡°The way you spoke to me was like stabbing me with a needle in the tongue, but you¡¯re a little different these days.¡± ¡°Really? Do you want me to stab you again?¡± ¡°Huh, no thanks. Tell me when you¡¯re ready. I¡¯ll pick you up.¡± Gyeonhui nodded slowly. After Ojae left the yard and headed to the parking lot, Gyeonhui looked back at Terry. Unlike in the past, they became closer to each other. He smiled as he stroked Terry¡¯s head. *** The Kids Fan Office. Sun sighed as she checked the emoticon designs. During the whole week, she felt stuffy, and her mind was heavy. ¡°Hah¡­¡± She checked the time by stretching her stiff neck from side to side. It was already 8 a.m. ¡®Bang.¡¯ Then the door opened; Eunyoung and Ari came in. ¡°Really? You¡¯ve come to work so early!¡± Eunyoung asked in amazement. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s wrong with your face? No way, did you stay here all night? Hearing Ari, Sun smiled in response. ¡°Look at this, boss.¡± Sun showed them the new project plan that she had been working hard on throughout the night. Eunyoung quickly looked at the new project anxiously. It was a new project that would have taken at least a few days to create with a new concept of images for animation and emoticons, even character designs. ¡°Did you finish all of this overnight?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a little competent, haha.¡± She was smiling, but her face looked so exhausted. ¡°How many days have you been refusing to sleep?¡± ¡°¡­ No, it¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°No, look at your face. It looks terrible¡­ what¡¯s going on with you these days?¡± Eunyoung said, after looking at her face anxiously. However, Sun smiled bitterly and slowly shook her head. ¡°Hey, Sun, you¡­¡±¡± ¡®Knock, knock.¡¯ As soon as Eunyoung tried to ask Sun again, they heard a knock. Eunyoung had stopped talking and answered the door. ¡°Coming!¡± After a while, Ojae stepped in. Eunyoung¡¯s eyes became spiky since she recognized him. ¡°What¡¯s up, again?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to deliver a simple word to all of you.¡± Ojae started speaking with a firm expression. ¡°¡­ a word?¡± After reading his expression, Eunyoung carefully asked again. Ari was nervous about what he would want from them, so she focused on Ojae¡¯s mouth. ¡°Yes, hmm.¡± Ojae started speaking again with a shallow sigh. ¡°From now on, you can move your office to somewhere else. There will be no penalties or any charges against you afterwards. You are free to go.¡± ¡°You mean, we can move the office?¡± Eunyoung and Ari didn¡¯t know what to say as if they couldn¡¯t believe Ojae¡¯s words. ¡°Yes, absolutely. The department that¡¯s in charge of your office has been officially transferred from me to the project planning team. This is the direction of Gyeonhui Woo, the president of the company.¡± ¡°Why are you doing this all the sudden? I don¡¯t understand¡­¡± Ari sat back and asked carefully. ¡°I¡¯m only in a position to deliver his words. Unfortunately, there is no more that I can tell you.¡± Ojae looked at Eunyoung and exited the office with a shallow sigh. ¡®Bang.¡¯ When the door closed, Ari quickly approached Sun and Eunyoung. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Eunyoung nodded with a sinking expression after hearing Ari¡¯s question with worry. ¡°It¡¯s been weird.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Mr. Woo, he hasn¡¯t come to work for days.¡± Sun¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°Why? What happened to him?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but the reserved seats for Mr. Woo have always been vacant in the conference room.¡± ¡°Is he on a business trip somewhere? Or is he sick?¡± Hearing Ari, Sun¡¯s expression hardened some more. ¡°By the way, why is he doing this all the sudden? I don¡¯t feel good about this¡­¡± Ari unwittingly bit her fingernails. Eunyoung looked at Sun silently. Sun, with a firm expression, certainly had something to do with all of this. ¡°Sun, I need to talk with you for a moment.¡± Eunyoung hurriedly grabbed Sun¡¯s wrist. Chapter 105 *** In the late morning, Gangnam boulevard. ¡°Don¡¯t you have any motion sickness?¡± Ojae asked while looking at the back seat while he was driving the car with Gyeonhui. Gyeonhui didn¡¯t put the paper down from his hands the whole time. ¡°¡­ No, not much.¡± He said he was okay, but he was tired, so he raised his head and looked out the window. In the distance, the Consenscio building caught his eyes. It was a familiar building because he had been the owner of it, but it seemed unfamiliar for no reason today. ¡°I have informed Kidz Fan that they are free to go this morning. I thought they would be so excited, but they weren¡¯t. Their reaction wasn¡¯t what I expected at all.¡± Ojae tried to read Gyeonhui¡¯s mind by looking at his expression. He only moved his gaze back to the paperwork, and he did not respond. Stealing a glance at him through the rearview mirror, Ojae started speaking again anxiously. ¡°But are you going to be okay?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Her, are you really letting her go?¡± ¡°It should be okay.¡± ¡°Can you forget about her.¡± ¡°I have to.¡± ¡°Hah¡­¡± Ojae sighed anxiously and started speaking again. ¡°Do you still feel her pain?¡± ¡°I can handle it.¡± ¡°How about the blood transfusions? You¡¯re going to have it done sometime soon.¡± ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s think about it later.¡± He replied with a sinking voice. ¡°Is this the only way?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± He replied with a firm expression like he was very determined to see this through. ¡°It¡¯s better to get sick alone. I don¡¯t want to hurt her anymore.¡± ¡°Gyeonhui¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve become so gentle these days. Would you like me to go back to the past and be mean to you again?¡± He said, furrowing his eyebrow. Ojae could no longer speak to him, not because he was scared of him, but because he was so sad for him. He could not say any more about his decision because Ojae had known better than anyone how Gyeonhui had spent the time during the week. After a moment of thought, Gyeonhui pulled out his phone and opened the app. The screen that checks her heart rate was updating rapidly. He looked at the app with a firm expression and pressed the screen with his thumb. The app started shaking before it was uninstalled. After a while, he finally pressed the confirm button to uninstall the app. The phone screen was turned off. However, his expression quivered slightly. *** ¡°Hmm¡­ I never thought that Mr. Woo had such a history in the past¡­¡± Ari looked in shock like she couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°If so¡­ does that mean because of this background in the past¡­¡± Eunyoung mumbled to herself. ¡°That still doesn¡¯t excuse what he had done to Sun. No matter how wounded he was, he can¡¯t do that to anyone.¡± Eunyoung also agreed. ¡°Didn¡¯t you have any contact with him ever since?¡± Sun nodded. ¡°I just don¡¯t know why he is sick too. I couldn¡¯t understand. I loved him. I loved him so much, so it makes sense that it hurt. But¡­. why is he sick?¡± Sun said, recalling his pale face. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Eunyoung nodded like she had realized something. ¡°I think¡­ he also loved you.¡± Hearing Eunyoung, Sun shook her head with a bitter smile. ¡°If he truly loved me, he wouldn¡¯t have left me that day.¡± Sun remembered the day he was leaving her while he was talking on the phone with Chaekyeong. ¡°Maybe¡­ He might not have known his own mind at the time.¡± Sun looked at Eunyoung after hearing her words. ¡°Mr. Woo realized it after everything was over, so it¡¯s painful, and it hurts him.¡± Eunyoung responded with a sigh of frustration. ¡°It¡¯s so foolish. Why do men realize after things are over?¡± Eunyoung looked into the air and spoke like she recalled her old memories. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anymore. It¡¯s literally done. Forget about him, and start your new life. Luckily, Mr. Woo also seems to have cleared his mind.¡± Hearing Eunyoung¡¯s anxious words, Sun slowly nodded while smiling bitterly. However, her expression sank again because of her aching heart. ¡®Bzzzz.¡¯ Then Ari¡¯s cell phone vibrated. Ari¡¯s face sank and dimmed immediately when she checked the caller ID. Sun¡¯s expression darkened as well. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Who is it?¡± Eunyoung asked curiously. ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Choi.¡± ¡°What does he need from us?¡± ¡°He is saying to take our products from their inventory. He gets grumpy once in a while.¡± ¡°No, I think he has PMS once a month like women. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t do that to us like clockwork once a month. Give me a look.¡± Eunyoung reached out to Ari¡¯s cell phone, but Sun¡¯s hands were faster. ¡°Hello. Yes, Mr. Choi. No, I¡¯ll get there soon. Yes, I know.¡± Sun quickly finished the call and hung up. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Eunyoung was embarrassed and looked at her. ¡°Go back to the office. I¡¯ll go back after I stop by his store.¡± ¡°Why are you going there?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen Mr. Choi.¡± ¡°No, we don¡¯t know what he is going to do to us.¡± ¡°I think this old man gets grumpy whenever we don¡¯t show up once in a while. I will go and check on him. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± ¡°Hey, Sun!¡± Ari called her in a hurry, but Sun was already exiting the common area. ¡°No, why would she want to go there in this situation?¡± ¡°Hah¡­¡± Eunyoung exhaled a long sigh of frustration. ¡°She¡¯s so sick¡­ it still hurts her.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°You know, sometimes you do worse things to forget something painful¡­¡± Eun-young sighed sadly. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m so sad for her. What can we do to help her?¡± Ari asked dejectedly. ¡°¡­ We should move out of this building as soon as possible. I¡¯ll go to the real estate agency to find a new office.¡± Eunyoung rose from her seat with a sigh. Ari was left alone, and she could not do anything but cry in pain. *** In front of the Funny Box store. With a determined expression, Sun tapped both of her cheeks with a shallow sigh. After a moment of silence, Sun opened the door vigorously and cried out. ¡°Good morning.¡± It was still early, so there were only a few customers, and the store was quiet. Some of the store¡¯s employees recognized her; they smiled and greeted her. After she looked around the store, Sun approached Mr. Choi, who was organizing the frame on the side. ¡°Hello. Mr. Choi.¡± President Choi recognized her and looked down at her and started speaking. ¡°Who is this? I thought you¡¯d no longer have business with us?¡± Hearing the old man¡¯s grumpy words, Sun did not lose her smile. ¡°No, please don¡¯t say that. You¡¯re one of our biggest customers. I¡¯m sorry that I didn¡¯t check on you as often.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m done with you guys. Take your products and get out of here quickly.¡± Mr. Choi turned his body and tried to avoid her. Sun hurriedly chased him and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is there anything I can do to help? Can I help you with the store¡¯s clean up display?¡± ¡°No need.¡± ¡°Please. Let me do it.¡± ¡°I said, just go.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Sun quickly grabbed a frame that Mr. Choi was holding. ¡°Hmm. Hmm.¡± Mr. Choi pretended that he lost, and soon, he left with his hands clasped behind his back. ¡°Huh¡­¡± Sun sighed with relief and began to organize the picture frames. Chapter 106 She had done this for Mr. Choi so often, so she was familiar with the staff. She greeted the store staff occasionally. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t do this.¡± The store staff that was passing by her said feeling sorry for her. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll finish here, so take a break.¡± Sun smiled. She soon started displaying the products from the beginning. The products were already displayed in a perfected angle, so there was nothing to do more, but she still reached her hand out to them again. Sun repeated displaying the products again several times like she needed something to focus her mind rather than displaying them. ¡°Hey, there.¡± After a while, Mr. Choi returned. He cleared his throat a few times like he had something to say to her and started speaking. ¡°Follow me if you really want to help.¡± President Choi turned away, seemingly disgusted while pouting his mouth. She quickly followed him, and he guided her to a large warehouse. ¡°I have some new stuff that¡¯s coming in, so I have to clean this place up. Can you help me with that?¡± It seemed like he was asking her help, but it was actually no different from imperatives. ¡°Sure, of course.¡± ¡°Then start with the stuff on top over there.¡± Mr. Choi patted her shoulder and exited the warehouse. ¡°Hah.¡± Sun looked around the inside of the warehouse and exhaled a shallow sigh. She wondered if she could finish everything in half a day. ¡°It might be better for me.¡± She thought maybe she could forget the thoughts about him if she concentrated on something. Sun rolled up her arm sleeves with a bitter smile. She carefully climbed onto the scaffolding to clean up the stuff on the shelf where he was pointing. As she reached out and picked up the box, the thick layer of dust poured all over her head. ¡°Whup¡­¡± She closed her eyes and held her breath right away, but she touched the box beside her. A box that was precariously shaking fell over on her right shoulder. *** In the parking lot. Gyeonhui didn¡¯t put the papers down from his hand on the way. His eyes stiffened as she felt motion sickness, but he deliberately focused more on the paperwork. Whenever he lost focus for a moment, thoughts about her filled his mind. ¡°Hah¡­¡± A heavy sigh leaked from his mouth. ¡°Ugh.¡± At that time, he felt irritation in his eyes that seemed like something had gotten into them. ¡°Why? Are you still uncomfortable?¡± ¡°¡­ No.¡± Gyeonhui shook his head slowly. He decided that he needed to get himself sorted, but whenever he came here to the building, he was shaken. He was lost in thought for a while and remembered the coffee tree in his office. ¡°¡­ Return the tree in the office to her too.¡± If the scarf that he gave to her was the only recollection he had of her, then the only memory left for him was the coffee tree she left behind. He wanted to keep it, but he thought it was right to give it back. It was a tree with memories of her deceased father, and it was clear to him that it would be more precious for her. ¡°Really? Okay¡­¡± Gyeonhui breathed a long sigh, and his eyes closed with pain. Then, suddenly, his right shoulder began to hurt like he got hit by something. ¡°Ugh.¡± Ojae¡¯s eyes widened as he heard Gyeonhui¡¯s moan. ¡°Why, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°¡­ No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Gyeonhui clutched his shoulder and clenched his teeth tightly. He didn¡¯t say anything, but he knew what was going on. Her pain was being passed on to him. After a while, his throbbing shoulder sank a little. Fortunately, it seemed like it was not a significant injury, but it was enough to recall the memories of her ¡®¡­ Cheonsun¡­¡¯ With a firm expression, Gyeonhui clenched his teeth even more. ¡°¡­ Go up first. I¡¯ll follow you.¡± ¡°¡­ Sure.¡± After reading Gyeonhui¡¯s feelings, Ojae got out of the car and went up to the office. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Gyeonhui leaned over the chair and closed his eyes. However, the more he tried to wrap up this heart, the more her memories revolved around him. *** ¡°Hah.¡± Sun looked through the inside of the warehouse, seemingly proud. The messy warehouse was neatly organized. A short time later, When Mr. Choi returned, he looked inside the warehouse like a supervisor. ¡°It¡¯s clean.¡± Sun said. ¡°Sort of. I don¡¯t like it much.¡± Mr. Choi spoke bluntly, but he could not hide his satisfaction. Sun was smiling but frowned at the sudden pain in her shoulder. It was precisely between the collarbone and shoulder. ¡°Hah¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Mr. Choi looked at her and asked. ¡°Something fell on my shoulder from the shelf while I was cleaning.¡± ¡°What? I told you to clean, not to get injured.¡± Mr. Choi stated, making a fuss about it, unlike his usual way. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡± She said, stretching, and moving her shoulder around while playing off her injury like it was no big deal. Looking at her quietly, Mr. Choi started speaking. ¡°You¡¯re not going to ask for any kind of reimbursement for this injury, are you? Like insurance or payment for treatment.¡± ¡®Oh¡­¡¯ Sun smiled bitterly after she had read Mr. Choi¡¯s thoughts. ¡°No, I won¡¯t. It was my mistake.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯m going to record you, okay?¡± Mr. Choi took the phone out of his pocket and earnestly pressed the recording button. ¡°Now, repeat after me, ¡®I will not file any kind of claim for today, and I¡¯m responsible for any injury¡­¡± Sun struggled to smile, but only followed what he said. *** ¡°After.¡± How long had it been? After barely clearing his mind, Gyeonhui slowly left the car. He tried to focus on the paperwork to forget about her no matter what, but it wasn¡¯t easy. Following a familiar path in the building, he pressed the button and waited for the elevator. A short time later, the elevator door opened with a ringing sound. He tried to get on the elevator with his papers, but he was a little thrown off that someone was already in it. It was a designated elevator only for him, so there was no one to use it other than himself. ¡°Hmm.¡± He coughed and looked at the person in the elevator over the papers he was carrying. At that moment, his stride stopped because a familiar face came to his eyes. It was her, Choensun. He looked around quickly with a firm expression. Only then did he realize that he was standing in front of a regular elevator for the staff. He had passed his own elevator while he was focusing on the papers. Sun, too, seemed surprised and tried to avoid his gaze without saying anything. After a while, the elevator doors slowly began to close. Her face faded away like slow motion. Watching the door close, he suddenly reached out and blocked the elevator door. The door began to open again. He slowly stepped into the elevator that she was in. The sound of his steps coming in was loud. Inside the elevator, where the silence subsided, there was nothing between the two. She did not even move an inch, keeping her gaze fixed in front of her. The elevator slowly started to rise. The first person who started speaking was him. ¡°¡­ Have you heard from Ojae?¡± His voice sank. ¡°¡­ Yes. Thank you.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Thank you¡­¡± He smiled weakly, and bitterly. ¡°There¡¯s no more reason for us to see each other anymore.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± He nodded bitterly. A short time later, the elevator door opened. ¡°Bye.¡± She moved away from him at the end of her sentence. He stopped and watched her leave. Her slender back steadily faded away. As she turned around the corner and disappeared in front of his eyes, his heart started accelerating. He unwittingly reached out his hand to her. He wanted to run and hold on to her, but he was only standing there. ¡°¡­ I have to let her go¡­¡± He seemed to be distressed and mumbled to himself while clenching his molars. His outstretched hand dropped powerlessly. Chapter 107 *** Gyeonhui headed to the CEO¡¯s office with a firm expression. It was just a moment, but seeing her for a second, already shook his heart vigorously. ¡°I¡¯ve tried so hard to forget her, but¡­¡± The effort that he tried during the entire week turned into nothing. ¡°Hah¡­¡± With a long sigh, Gyeonhui opened the door and entered the CEO¡¯s office. ¡°Gyeonhui!¡± As soon as Ojae saw him entering, Ojae cried out. ¡°Can you please be quiet? I have a headache.¡± He said while furrowing his eyebrow in frustration. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, but you have to see this,¡± Ojae continued. Gyeonhui reluctantly approached Ojae. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Look at this flower! A flower bloomed out of the tree.¡± ¡°Flower?¡± Gyeonhui reiterated Ojae¡¯s word without understanding what was happening. ¡°Look at this.¡± Ojae pointed to the tree at the window. He pointed to the coffee tree that Sun gave to Gyeonhui in the past. It was a white coffee tree flower that bloomed splendidly in all directions. ¡°Isn¡¯t it so pretty? I haven¡¯t seen a coffee tree flower before. It¡¯s gorgeous.¡± Ojae smiled with admiration while he looked at the flowers. Just like Ojae said, the tree she left behind had a white flower on it. However, his expression was just hardening even more. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s too late¡­¡± He smiled bitterly and mumbled to himself. ¡°Huh? Doesn¡¯t this look somewhat familiar, though?¡± Ojae said. ¡°Maybe you¡¯ve seen it on TV.¡± ¡°Yeah, maybe¡­ but I¡¯ve never seen a real coffee flower before.¡± It looked like a starfish with long tentacles or a star with long legs and arms. Ojae tilted his head in doubt and smiled after giving up on remembering. However, at that moment, an image came to Gyeonhui¡¯s mind. ¡°No way¡­¡± Gyeonhui¡¯s eyes widened; he couldn¡¯t get the words out properly. ¡°¡­ Why?¡± Ojae asked carefully after looking at Gyeonhui¡¯s serious face. ¡°Hey¡­ Ojae¡­¡± Gyeonhui called Ojae quietly. ¡°Why, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Ojae was frightened unwittingly and slowly stepped back. Gyeonhui began to unbutton his own shirt as he approached Ojae. ¡°You, what the hell are you doing?¡± Ojae¡¯s voice began to become more urgent. At that moment, Gyeonhui opened his shirt wide and showed off his chest to Ojae. ¡°Hey, stop! You¡¯re not my type!¡± Ojae was terrified and cried out with his eyes closed tightly. However, even after a long time, Gyeonhui didn¡¯t move an inch. ¡°Look.¡± Ojae heard his voice. When Gyeonhui asked again, Ojae slightly opened his eyes. Ojae looked at him awkwardly, after confirming Gyeonhui¡¯s muscle and hard chest. ¡°Look at it.¡± ¡°What, what do you want me to look at?¡± ¡°Here!¡± Gyeonhui pointed to his own chest and asked. ¡°Oh, what¡¯s wrong with you, this is so weird¡­¡± Ojae finally looked at his chest without even properly having eye contact with him. Once, twice, and finally, Ojae¡¯s eyes began to grow unbelievably. ¡°Gyeonhui¡­ You, you¡­ That¡¯s¡­¡± Ojae couldn¡¯t speak; he only pointed his finger on Gyeonhui¡¯s chest. ¡°¡­ Is that it?¡± Gyeonhui asked again in a sinking voice. Ojae nodded vigorously as if his spirit left him. Gyeonhui turned his body slowly, and looked in the mirror, firmly clenching his teeth. The red pattern, which occurred on the day of the accident, caught his eyes. He slowly looked at the flowers on the coffee tree alternately and the pattern on his chest. The pattern was just like the flower. His eyes began to shake vigorously. ¡°Wow¡­ I can¡¯t believe it. How can this happen¡­¡± Ojae mumbled to himself with a bewildered expression. Some time had passed, but they both still were in shock. Then, Ojae stood up and tried to get Gyeonhui¡¯s shirt open again. ¡°What are you doing!?¡± ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s see it one more time.¡± ¡°Are you crazy?¡± ¡°Because I can¡¯t believe it. It doesn¡¯t make any sense¡­¡± ¡°Me, feeling her pain, does that make sense?¡± ¡°That, that¡¯s¡­ Hah¡­¡± Ojae sighed in shock. Although Gyeonhui said that, it was also hard for him to believe it. However, glancing back at the tree a few more times, the flowers on the tree and the pattern on his chest really looked very similar. With a firm expression, Gyeonhui recalled the memories of the past. ¡®I¡¯ve raised it with the coffee seeds my dad left behind. My dad said the coffee tree flowers are so beautiful, so I hope they grow well here.¡¯ ¡°She definitely said it was the seed her dad gave to her¡­¡± ¡°Her dad? Is he some kind of a mysterious man, like God?¡± Gyeonhui frowned and stared at him. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m frustrated too, or¡­ can we meet him?¡± Ojae said. Gyeonhui answered while clenching his molars tightly, ¡°¡­ He¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°He¡¯s already passed away.¡± Ojae eyes began to grow. ¡°¡­ Now everything is clear.¡± Ojae said. ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a curse. Curse.¡± Gyeonhui glared at Ojae silently. ¡°You also said it the other day that this is like a curse. Look at the situation. After the accident, she gave you the blood transfusion, and you started feeling her pain since that day. Moreover, the pattern on your chest is just like the flower that she gave to you. However, the one who gave the seed to her is dead. If this isn¡¯t a curse, what is it? How, how¡­¡± Ojae reiterated the same words like he was terrified. ¡°Can¡¯t you be quiet? Are you going to tell everyone about this?! Lower your voice!¡± Hearing Gyeonhui with his sunken voice, Ojae finally kept his mouth shut. ¡°¡­ What are you going to do now? We need to do something.¡± Hearing Ojae¡¯s question, Gyeonhui closed his eyes with a shallow sigh. He didn¡¯t know what exactly happened, but at least he didn¡¯t want to hurt her anymore. Gyeonhui slowly opened his eyes as he touched his own right shoulder. ¡°¡­ Just stay calm for now.¡± ¡°Gyeonhui.¡± ¡°Just do what I say. Nothing has changed. Nothing.¡± Gyeonhui stood up after the end of his words. ¡°Hey! Gyeonhui Woo!¡± Ojae urgently called his name, but he had already left the CEO¡¯s office. ¡°This is crazy¡­¡± Ojae sadly bit his lower lip. Inside the CEO¡¯s office where the silence subsided, Ojae slowly turned his head and looked at the tree by the window. However, Ojae¡¯s expression, while he was looking at the flower, became different than before. He got so scared, and goosebumps raised up all over his arms. ¡°¡­ Oh, It is so chilly here.¡± Feeling cold, Ojae rose from his seat slowly, rubbing his forearms. He carefully opened the door and began to run away as he closed the door roughly. Chapter 108 *** ¡°This is the place. I don¡¯t see any better places than here.¡± An office on the fourth floor in Nonhyun-dong. Eunyoung entered the office, followed by the real estate agent. The office seemed like it had been vacant for a long time, so there were mold stains here and there, and a quirky smell all over the place. ¡°Hmm.¡± Eunyoung furrowed her eyebrows due to the unpleasant smell. ¡°Come over here and look at this, please.¡± After the real estate agent noticed Eunyoung¡¯s displeasure, she quickly led her to the window. ¡°This place has a great view.¡± The agent smiled and quickly opened the blind for her. However, contrary to what the agent said, there was nothing visible because of the tall building in front of the office. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s not this side, it¡¯s over there. Haha.¡± The agent smiled awkwardly and opened the other side of the blind. This time, half of the view was covered in trees, so she could only see half of the road. ¡°What do you think? Do you like it?¡± The agent looked at Eunyoung with a smile as if he thought this place was the one for her. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Eunyoung reluctantly asked. ¡°Hah¡­¡± The broker sighed loudly on purpose. ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s hard to find the office that you¡¯re looking for with the money you have. Few people even know about this place but me. Hmm¡­¡± Eunyoung¡¯s expression hardened because of his distasteful cough. ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone can actually work here. It looks like an old cabin on the mountain.¡± ¡°Did you just say an old cabin on the mountain? Hey, let me help you to realize your situation here. With the money you have, you can¡¯t even afford a small apartment in this area. I think you¡¯re too na?ve. ¡°What, what? What did you just say? Hey, did you just say that I don¡¯t know anything?¡± ¡°Do whatever you want. I don¡¯t care whether or not you have a contract. You¡¯re crazy to look for an office in Gangnam with that kind of money. Good luck with that.¡± The broker left the office and Eunyoung behind alone. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Eunyoung could not say anything in frustration. ¡°Stupid¡­¡± She was trying to chase the agent right away, but at that moment, her cell phone rang. ¡°Who is it at this critical moment?¡± Eunyoung raised her phone and checked the caller. ¡®Bzzzzzzz,¡¯ The caller¡¯s ID was unknown on her phone screen. Eunyoung was still watching her phone and did not return the call, seemingly reluctant about answering it. After a while, the phone became quiet. ¡°Hah¡­¡± After a moment of nervousness, Eunyoung finally exhaled a sigh of relief. ¡®Bzzz.¡¯ Then, a message came with a short vibration on her phone. ¡®It¡¯s a lot too late, but let¡¯s start all over again¡­¡¯ Her eyes wobbled after seeing the unexpected message. With a long sigh, Eunyoung put her phone in her bag and stepped out of the office. *** When Sun tried to open the office door, she hesitated. ¡®There¡¯s no more reason for us to see each other anymore.¡¯ Her own cruel words to him and him nodding with a bitter smile kept coming to her mind. Her eyelids trembled slightly when she closed her eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t have to say it like that to him¡­¡± She had never regretted the words she had spoken to someone. However, she didn¡¯t want people around her to worry about her anymore, so she took a moment to relax. She looked up a few times and opened the door with the most energetic look she could have. ¡°I¡¯m back!¡± ¡°¡­ Hey, you¡¯re here.¡± Hearing Sun¡¯s bright greeting, Eunyoung replied weakly. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Sun asked carefully, feeling an unusual reaction from Eunyoung. ¡°¡­ There is no place for us to move.¡± Ari, who was next to Eunyoung, intervened. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°The office.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Is it because of the money for rent?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the only thing of concern.¡± ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s be quiet. I don¡¯t want to think about it now.¡± Eunyoung, who had a stern look on her face, pushed her forehead with her hands. ¡°Why can¡¯t we just stay here?¡± Ari carefully started speaking. ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s not easy to find a big enough place with air-conditioning and heating. I also like the security system with the card at the entrance.¡± Ari looked at the employee card around her neck and spoke with a sad look. Sun felt so sorry for Ari and Eunyoung as she looked at them. ¡°Please stop saying nonsense, Ari. This decision is on me, okay?¡± Eunyoung said it boldly, but when Sun looked at Eunyoung¡¯s face, Sun knew that Eunyoung didn¡¯t seem to have any alternatives. ¡°If we don¡¯t have any options, then we can go back to the basement office where we used to stay before we moved in here,¡± Sun said. ¡°You mean the humid basement¡­¡± Eunyoung quickly stared at Ari. Eunyoung¡¯s crumpled expression in frustration didn¡¯t seem to get better thereafter. Then, Eunyoung¡¯s cell phone vibrated. Looking at her cell phone without answering the phone, Eunyoung seemed nervous, ¡°Are you not going to take the call?¡± Ari asked, in doubt. ¡°Huh? Oh, yes.¡± However, Eunyoung was only looking at her cell phone, like she was nervous. ¡°Huh¡­¡± Her expression was relieved after she confirmed the caller, but she still had a sense of doubt with her. Ari started to speak as she watched Eunyoung. ¡°What¡¯s so complicated? Who is it?¡± ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just one of my friends.¡± Eunyoung rose from her seat while glancing at Sun. ¡°Hello.¡± Eunyoung quickly left the office while talking on the phone. ¡°Huh? Why does she have to go out to answer the phone?¡± Ari looked at the door while squinching her eyes. ¡°No way¡­. her ex-husband?¡± Ari said, making a fuss about it. Sun approached and knuckled her head. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°If it was him, would she have answered the call?¡± ¡°I guess you¡¯re right, but why does she do things she would never do? I don¡¯t understand.¡± Ari still looked curious while tilting her head. ¡°Me neither¡­¡± Sun was also worried about Eunyoung and looked at the door where Eunyoung had left. ¡°I don¡¯t know. We just have to go back to work. Here it is. The one you¡¯ve asked last time.¡± Ari handed out a box with an apple cutter, a banana cutter, and a pineapple corer. ¡°Thank you.¡± Sun smiled and reached out. Suddenly, however, she had this sudden pain in her shoulder like electricity fled through it, so she dropped the box. ¡°Oops, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Ari thought she had missed the box, so she quickly picked things up from the floor. ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry too.¡± Sun sat and tried to pick things up too, but she felt a twinging pain in her shoulder again. The pain in her stiff shoulder was getting worse than before. However, Sun endured the pain while biting her lower lip tightly. Chapter 109 *** The rooftop of the building. It was a restricted area for people in general, but it was an exception for Gyeonhui. He looked down at the magnificent view of the city silently. He came up, hoping that his frustration would disappear, but his heart was still complicated. He tried to sort out his thoughts with his eyes closed, but he couldn¡¯t escape the thoughts about her. ¡°Hah¡­.¡± A shallow sigh spilled over his lips. He slowly descended the stairs and walked with a blank expression. Some of the staff greeted him, but he could not see them. How long had he been walking¡­ He slowly looked up at the familiar hallway. He walked around without thinking, and soon, he was in front of the Kids Fan office. ¡°What am I doing now¡­¡± He tried to turn away with a bitter smile, thinking this was so ridiculous. Then he suddenly felt a twinging pain in his shoulder. ¡°Hum¡­¡± He clutched his right shoulder, furrowing his brow. It was her pain. He endured the pain while clenching his teeth. After a while, the pain subsided, but his heart that ached before wouldn¡¯t leave him alone. It was okay until this morning, but the pain felt like it was getting worse in the afternoon. He shook his head while biting his lips to overcome the pain. He hurriedly stepped away to distance himself away from her, but his slow pace stopped without going any further. He closed his eyes and breathed a long sigh toward the ceiling. ¡°¡­ Okay. Just look at her for a moment, just for a second.¡± He persuaded himself and slowly headed to the Kiz Fan¡¯s office. He carefully looked inside through a small window at the door. The girl was moving a box to her desk. She seemed to be thinking about a new design by looking at the items she had taken out of the box. She focused on her work by sketching the design, pretending that nothing was hurting. However, in the absence of Ari, she rubbed her shoulders and endured the pain alone. Again, he felt the pain in her shoulders. Looking at her sadly, Gyeonhui unwittingly raised his hand to the doorknob. However, he couldn¡¯t open the door and enter. ¡®We¡¯re already screwed. It can¡¯t be worse than now. It¡¯s right to stop everything here.¡¯ Her eyes that were drenched in pain came to his eyes. His hand that was holding the door was trembling. A moment later, his hand slipped from the doorknob weakly. He turned and leaned back at the door. He was locked in his thoughts for a moment, and he pulled his phone out of his pocket. *** ¡°Hah¡­¡± Sun moved the box and exhaled a shallow sigh. She tried to lift her arm, but she couldn¡¯t raise it above her shoulder because of the twinging pain. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± She furrowed her eyebrows in pain, but she endured it. After the cleanup, she turned her head and looked out the door. She looked at the small window on the door. She saw someone leaning on the door until a moment ago, but there was no one there now. ¡®¡­ Who was it?¡¯ She was lost in thought with a sunken expression. She thought about him, but she shook her head and tried to shake him off her mind. It couldn¡¯t be him, and it should¡¯ve not been him. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ari asked. Sun looked odd because she was staring at the door for a long time blankly. ¡°Oh, no. Nothing.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot of nothing going on today. Eunyoung said that, and now you¡¯re saying it too.¡± Ari looked disgusted and started speaking again while furrowing her brow. ¡°What are you two hiding from me?¡± ¡°I think you should be a writer with your imagination.¡± ¡°Because I feel like I¡¯m the only one who doesn¡¯t know anything about what¡¯s going on around here.¡± Ari pouted her lips. ¡°There is no such thing.¡± Sun calmed Ari and sat on her seat again. However, unwittingly, her gaze turned to the door again. Then she noticed the silhouette that was filling the door through the small window. Someone was approaching with a quick step. ¡®¡­ No way.¡¯ She turned back involuntarily. ¡®Kung, kung, kung.¡¯ Her nervous heart began to run vigorously. ¡®Knock, knock. Then, with the sound of a knock, the door opened. Sun was so nervous and couldn¡¯t move an inch. It seemed like Gyeonhui was going to call her name right away. ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± The man¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°There was a call.¡± However, the voice from behind was unfamiliar. Sun slowly turned and looked at the man. ¡°I came because we had a call about a shoulder injury reported here.¡± ¡°What?¡± In front of her, two 911 emergency medical technicians were standing with a sturdy physique. ¡°A call?¡± Ari asked in amazement. ¡°We have received a report to go to the Kids Fans office. Is this the right place¡­ ¡± The emergency medical technician once again checked the sign on the door as he said. ¡°Hey, did you call them?¡± ¡°¡­ No.¡± Sun and Ari looked at each other in doubt. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry. I think somebody made a crank call.¡± The technicians disbanded and were going to leave the office. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry.¡± She tried to push herself up from the desk. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Her hands were misplaced, and she frowned after feeling the pain in her shoulder. After hearing her, the technicians stopped and asked, ¡°Have you injured your shoulder?¡± ¡°Oh, yes, it hurts a little bit, but it¡¯s not serious enough to call 911.¡± Sun was embarrassed and said with an awkward smile. The technicians looked at each other and approached Sun. ¡°There was a call that there is a person with a shoulder injury here.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Can we take a look?¡± ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m really okay¡­.¡± The technician grabbed Sun¡¯s right arm and carefully tried to lift it. ¡°Ugh.¡± She frowned after feeling the stinging pain. ¡°How did you get hurt?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a box fell on me¡­¡± ¡°A box? What box?¡± Watching Sun, the medical technician asked. ¡°Hmm. It could be a simple bruise¡­ but I suggest you go to see a doctor just in case. It could be a Rotator Cuff Tear or cartilage damage.¡± ¡°Cuff Tear? Cartilage damage?¡± Ari seemed surprised after repeating his words. ¡°Would you like us to escort you to the hospital?¡± ¡°Well¡­ That¡¯s¡­¡± Sun seemed embarrassed and could not speak. ¡°Su-sure, of course. Please take her.¡± Ari spoke out instead. The emergency medical technicians nodded and quickly fixed her arm. ¡°Hah¡­¡± She turned her head and looked out of the door without knowing what was going on. At one point, a black object passed through the front of the window. ¡°Well, wait a minute, please.¡± Sun hurried out to the hallway and looked left and right. There was no one in the long hallway except two female staff approaching. ¡°¡­ I must have seen it wrong¡­¡± As soon as she saw the silhouette, she thought it was him. However, it was just a short moment, so she couldn¡¯t be sure. ¡®I guess I¡¯m seeing things now.¡¯ Her mind and head were filled with thoughts about him all day long. With a bitter smile, she stepped back into the office. Chapter 110 ¡°That¡¯s good. As long as it¡¯s not about the office. Go on.¡± Ojae had the opportunity to talk, but he could not start speaking easily. After a long pause with a firm expression, Ojae finally started speaking. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask you straight away¡­ What exactly is Sun supposed to be? I don¡¯t know who she really is.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I know it sounds strange, but I¡¯m also going crazy because this is the only way I could ask about her,¡± Ojae said, seemingly frustrated. ¡°What do you exactly mean?¡± ¡°Hah¡­Has she ever been possessed by a spirit when she was a kid?¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Or, something like maybe she inherited a special ability from her father¡¯s side that had been handed down from previous generations to her house.¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯ve wasted my time.¡± Eunyoung rose from her seat, seemingly offended. ¡°Well, wait a minute.¡± Ojae hurriedly grabbed her. ¡°Get your hands off of me.¡± ¡°There are situations that I can¡¯t speak of. I know it¡¯s crazy¡­.¡± His expression looked desperate. Eunyoung just tried to go, but his extreme appearance worried her. ¡°What is this situation anyway? Just tell me.¡± ¡°¡­ I just told you that I can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a real prank.¡± Eunyoung turned to leave the bar, refusing his arm. Then, Ojae shouted. ¡°I don¡¯t even know how to handle this! It¡¯s such a mess!¡± His voice attracted the attention of a few people in the bar. She hadn¡¯t really seen him many times, but she was embarrassed because he had never raised his voice like that. ¡°I want to tell you everything. All of it, but I can¡¯t. Why don¡¯t you believe me! Why!¡± Ojae said like he was almost about to cry. Although he was ugly and overly chatty, he wasn¡¯t a liar, so Eunyoung turned herself to him. ¡°Why don¡¯t you yell at me louder, so everyone in the bar can hear you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Ojae finally lowered his voice, covering his mouth. When Eunyoung saw him in frustration, she suddenly remembered Sun¡¯s words. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why he is also sick. I loved him, I really loved him a lot. So I know that I¡¯m sick¡­. but why is he sick too? Eunyoung nodded when she understood how the situation was going. She figured that it was a problem with Gyeonhui. Eunyoung sat down on the seat and waved to the server. ¡°Hey, give me a bottle of soju here.¡± When the server brought her the soju, Eunyoung skillfully opened up the bottle and poured it in the glass. ¡°Is there something going on with Mr. Woo?¡± Her voice seemed confident. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­¡± Ojae was embarrassed and blurred his words. ¡°Is he having a hard time because of Sun?¡± Hearing Eunyoung¡¯s question, Ojae¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I guess he is sick because Sun is sick.¡± Ojae¡¯s eyes grew more extensively, and this time, his jaw dropped too. ¡°¡­ I guess I¡¯m right.¡± Eunyoung sighed with frustration as if she knew everything. ¡°You know, I didn¡¯t say anything. That¡¯s not what I said.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to say it. I know it.¡± ¡°What? how did you know?¡± ¡°How can you not know? Just look at the two of them.¡± ¡°No way¡­ does Sun also know about this?¡± Ojae was so surprised, and asked, stuttering. ¡°¡­ Of course.¡± ¡°Oh my¡­¡± Ojae¡¯s shoulders were sagging. A sigh came out of his mouth as he leaned over his chair. ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t even know that she had known everything¡­ Hah¡­¡± He sighed and suddenly started drinking the cold water as if his throat was burning. He emptied the cup of water at once and looked back at Eunyoung with a firm expression. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything then. Everything.¡± He struggled for a moment and started speaking slowly. ¡°¡­ Please help Gyeonhui. No, Mr. Woo.¡± Hearing Ojae¡¯s unexpected words, Eunyoung furrowed her brow. ¡°What do you mean, help him?¡± Eunyoung looked at him in amazement. Ojae nodded with his mouth closed firmly like he really meant it. Ojae guzzled the glass of beer that he was holding. He emptied another glass of beer again as if his throat was burning hot. ¡°Khu¡­¡± After Ojae wiped the beer flowing down his mouth, he looked at Eunyoung with a firm expression. ¡°In fact, you¡¯re right. Gyeonhui, he is sick when Sun is sick.¡± Eunyoung nodded slowly as if she already knew it. Ojae started speaking again when he saw her still listening to him. ¡°He¡¯s been suffering quite seriously. Hah¡­¡± Ojae sighed as if this were his own problem. ¡°I guess then Mr. Woo truly loved her too.¡± Eunyoung said. ¡°¡­ yes.¡± ¡°Hah¡­ love¡­¡± Eunyoung smiled bitterly and tilted her drink. ¡°Sometimes, love is like a curse.¡± Ojae opened his eyes wide when he heard her saying it bitterly. ¡®She knows everything for sure¡­¡¯ Sighing in frustration, Ojae slowly started speaking, ¡°So, as I said earlier, we need to help Gyoeonhui¡­¡± ¡®Bzzzz.¡¯ Then, Ojae¡¯s cell phone rang. His face hardened when he checked the caller. ¡°Well, wait a minute.¡± Eunyoung nodded like she didn¡¯t care when she watched him leaving the table to answer the phone. Eunyoung picked up her cell phone on the table and looked at the text that came in today. ¡®I know it¡¯s too late, but let¡¯s start it all over again¡­¡¯ She tried to press the button to delete the text, but her trembling hand failed to do it. ¡°Hah¡­¡± She dropped her head and sighed in frustration. Moments later, she looked up, sweeping her hair up. Then she started drinking the liquor on an empty stomach. It seems that the only medicine to treat her congested and frustrated mind was alcohol. *** When Ojae came out of the bar, he checked his surroundings and answered the phone. ¡°Hello, hello?¡± ¡°Where the hell are you?¡± Gyeonhui¡¯s angry voice rang over the phone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was so busy today.¡± ¡°What kind of an assistant gets even busier than the CEO?¡± ¡°Dude, I¡¯ve been busy trying to help you. You know nothing about how hard I¡¯m trying to help you.¡± Ojae seemed frustrated. ¡°What do you mean, help me? Are you doing something useless again?¡± ¡°What? Useless? Haha.¡± Ojae smiled outrageously and started speaking again. ¡°You¡¯re going to be surprised to know what I¡¯ve found out today.¡± ¡°What did you find out? Explain to me straight away. Didn¡¯t you learn the 5Ws and 1H?¡± Hearing Gyeonhui yelling, Ojae felt disgusted and glared at his phone but then started speaking again. ¡°I¡¯m with Eunyoung now.¡± ¡°Miss Eunyoung? Why the hell are you meeting with her?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s not important. Listen. Hmm. Hmm.¡± Ojae cleared his throat a few times and started speaking again. ¡°¡­ Sun also knows that you feel her pain.¡± ¡°¡­ What? Does she know it? How?¡± Gyeonhui didn¡¯t believe it. ¡°I don¡¯t know how she found it out, but according to Eunyoung, Sun knows everything about what¡¯s going on with you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Just say it straight!¡± ¡°It¡¯s real. Eunyoung even asked me first if you¡¯re sick because of Sun.¡± ¡°¡­ So?¡± ¡°So I didn¡¯t do anything but just listen. Then, Eunyoung said, since Sun¡¯s sick, you are sick too. When Eunyoung said it, I realized that she knew everything.¡± Ojae said it as if it were a great discovery. ¡°And then?¡± ¡°So I asked her if Sun knows that too. Then, Eunyoung said yes, and she also said that ¡®love is like a curse sometimes.¡¯ I can¡¯t believe that she already knew everything.¡± Chapter 111 *** ¡°Hah¡­¡± He barely hid at the end of the hallway and exhaled a sigh of relief. She could have caught him had he just looked at her carelessly. He carefully put his head out and looked at the Kids¡¯ Fan office entrance. A short time later, the door opened, and he saw her heading to the elevator, supported by the emergency medical technicians. ¡°Hah¡­¡± He smiled bitterly and watched her leave until she was out of sight. ¡°Can I really forget her¡­¡± He leaned against the wall and mumbled to himself with a sigh. No matter how far away she was from him, her pain always reminded him of her. ¡°Should I go to Santiago too just like she did?¡± Smiling bitterly, he walked towards the CEO¡¯s office weakly. ¡°But, where did this dude go?¡± On the way to his office, he wondered about Ojae¡¯s whereabouts, for he was untraceable all day long. ¡°Is he doing something stupid again somewhere?¡± Suddenly, he felt worried and pulled out his cell phone. *** In the emergency room of the hospital. The doctor was checking the x-ray and said while looking at her, ¡°There is no cartilage damage, no rotator cuff injury. Fortunately, it¡¯s just a simple bruise.¡± ¡°Hah. I¡¯m so glad.¡± Ari was relieved as if it were her injury. ¡°It seems your muscle became a little tight when the box hit it, so give it a heated massage and return to the hospital if the pain worsens. You should be fine soon.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± When Sun departed from the doctor¡¯s office, he explained a little more about the prescription and moved to another patient. Once the doctor walked away, Ari pinched Sun¡¯s arm like she had waited for the moment. ¡°Ouch!¡± ¡°Oh! So you feel pain after all, huh?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re sick, just say that it hurts! Don¡¯t make people around you guess.¡± Sun avoided Ari¡¯s gaze, feeling sorry for her. ¡°I thought it would be okay soon, and honestly, the doctor also said that I¡¯m okay. It¡¯s just a bruise.¡± ¡°Is that why you¡¯ve been carried here to the hospital by the ambulance because it¡¯s just a simple bruise? I¡¯ve done all kinds of extraordinary things all my life, but I¡¯ve never been in an ambulance. Thank you for that.¡± Hearing Ari, Sun was briefly lost in thought. ¡°By the way, who was it?¡± Ari asked. ¡°¡­ What do you mean, who?¡± ¡°The person who called 911.¡± Ari furrowed her brow and thought genuinely. ¡°¡­ I guess somebody made a prank call, and it actually worked out just fine coincidently.¡± ¡°Did it?¡± Whoever it was, the person knew too much about her situation. Looking at Sun with a darkening face, Ari didn¡¯t ask her any further. Ari looked at her phone with a shallow sigh. ¡°But where did the boss go?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you even think of contacting her. I don¡¯t want her to know about this.¡± ¡°Sorry. I¡¯ve already done it.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t listen to you anymore. I don¡¯t want someone to blame me later.¡± Ari crossed her arms and said while pouting her lips. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Sun exhaled a long sigh in frustration. ¡®Bzzzz.¡¯ Then Ari¡¯s cell phone rang. ¡°It¡¯s the boss.¡± Ari quickly glanced at Sun once she read the text from Eunyoung. ¡°Now, what I¡¯m going to tell you is the boss¡¯ instructions, so I want you to listen to it very carefully, okay?¡± Sun smiled weakly. ¡°You¡¯ll go home immediately and relax. That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°No, you know we have to confirm the storylines.¡± Sun was frustrated. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s my job. You, the designer, should go home and relax today.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Just listen to me today. Come on. We need to get your medicine.¡± Ari quickly rose from her seat, seemingly unwilling to wrestle with her anymore. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Sun was left alone and sighed for a long time. She didn¡¯t understand why the more she tried to not worry people around her, the more significant accidents would happen. ¡°Come on, what are you doing?¡± From a distance, Ari called her. ¡°Coming.¡± Sun weakly rose from the bed. *** On Sangsu-dong street. Eunyoung sighed sadly once she sent a message to Ari. ¡°What the hell did Mr. Choi make Sun do at his store?¡± Even thinking of his face made her so upset. ¡°As soon as the situation gets better, you will be the first one cut out from our business, you bastard.¡± Eunyoung bit her lips, furrowing her eyebrow like she was determined. Then, a message came to her cell phone. ¡®Different buyers have already bought the place that you want. I¡¯m sorry.¡¯ It was a text from a real estate agent she had visited a while ago. She had given up on Gangnam and checked a rental she had been before. However, the contract was already assigned to another tenant. She has visited other real estate offices with the money she had, but it seemed to be impossible to find a new office. ¡°I don¡¯t know if things will be better¡­¡± She was exhausted, and her expression sank. ¡°No. I can do this. We¡¯ve made it through worse things than this before.¡± Eunyoung tried to catch her breath to keep her mind calm. Then, her phone rang. ¡°Oh, my. I¡¯m surprised.¡± She carefully checked the caller. It was Ojae. She was breathing a sigh of relief, but soon, her eyebrow furrowed as she saw his name on her phone. ¡°But why the hell does he want to see me now?¡± Eunyoung recalled the phone conversation she had with Ojae a while ago. ¡®I have things that I need to discuss with you.¡¯ His urgent voice didn¡¯t feel like a prank. The shabby bar where she was supposed to meet him began to appear at the end of the alley. *** Ojae was sitting at the innermost area of the bar while drinking a glass of beer. ¡°Khu¡­¡± He winced because of the stinging sensation running down his throat, but he finally emptied the glass. ¡°Hah¡­ Excuse me, one more beer, please.¡± He had already finished the third glass, but Ojae still ordered another beer, feeling that he hadn¡¯t had enough. ¡°Why is she so late?¡± Ojae looked anxious and checked the doorway. He came here five minutes earlier. His eyes showed urgency. ¡°Here it is.¡± After a while, the waiter brought him a glass of beer. Ojae picked it up quickly as if he were thirsty. While drinking the beer, his eyes were continually staring at the door. ¡®Ring, ring.¡¯ Then, with the sound of the doorbells, Eunyoung entered. ¡°Ugh.¡± When Ojae hurried to put the glass down on the table, the beer went down the wrong pipe ¡°Khuk, khuk.¡¯ He raised his hand toward Eunyoung even while coughing. After Eunyoung recognized him, she approached him with a firm expression. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Khuk, khuk. Just a minute.¡± Ojae caught his breath and cleared his throat. ¡°You¡¯re not going to change your mind?¡± ¡°What do you mean to change my mind?¡± ¡°Like, we can¡¯t move out of the building anymore, or you¡¯re going to remove our products or something.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t worry. That won¡¯t happen.¡± Ojae seemed to be in rare form; he was resolute, unlike his usual self. Eunyoung nodded while looking at him with doubt. Chapter 112 Ojae recalled Eunyoung¡¯s dark face as he answered the phone with Gyeonhui. ¡°By the way¡­ Eunyoung also seems to have a history in the past as well. Her face didn¡¯t look good today¡­¡± Ojae breathed a long sigh in sympathy. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Ojae heard Gyeonhui¡¯s deep sigh over the phone. ¡°Are you frustrated? I am too. When I think of Eunyoung¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m going crazy because of you.¡± ¡°Me? Why?¡± ¡°Think carefully about what she said. Are you sure she meant that I feel Sun¡¯s pain?| ¡°Yes, she exactly said that you¡¯re sick because Sun¡¯s is sick.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just what people say in general!¡± Gyeonhui shouted. ¡°¡­ What?!¡± ¡°She just meant that you¡¯re sick because the person you love is sick. That¡¯s all.¡± Ojae¡¯s eyes started shaking. ¡°No¡­ she definitely¡­ said¡­¡± Ojae carefully pondered the conversation that he had with Eunyoung. In many ways, Gyeonhui was right. ¡°Why did I understand it like that?¡± Ojae blurted out the words after he had realized that Eunyoung actually didn¡¯t know anything. ¡°Because people just hear what they want to hear. You didn¡¯t tell her about me feeling Sun¡¯s pain, did you?¡± ¡°Oh, no. Not yet. ¡± ¡°Not yet?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t told her anything, and I won¡¯t.¡± Ojae replied urgently. ¡°Watch your mouth. Please.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Ojae shuddered. ¡°By the way, why did you call?¡± Ojae quickly changed the subject. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Ojae heard Gyeonhui¡¯s long sigh again over the phone. He waited for his words nervously. ¡°¡­ Find out more about Sun¡¯s family.¡± ¡°Her family?¡± ¡°Yes. Specifically, something about her father.¡± ¡°Okay, I got it.¡± ¡°And this is your last warning. Watch your mouth.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Haha.¡± While Ojae was smiling awkwardly, Gyeonhui hung up the phone. Ojae breathed a sigh of relief after he had confirmed that the phone had been hung up. ¡°Agh¡­ It was such a close call.¡± He caught his breath and wiped away his cold sweat. After a moment of thought, he began to head back to the bar. *** ¡°He was gone all day for nothing¡­¡± Gyeonhui was annoyed and frowned after he hung up the phone with Ojae. Moreover, because of his sudden headache, he couldn¡¯t help but show a frown on his face. He hadn¡¯t recovered yet, and he was under stress recently, so he had been given these headaches. After he calmed down a little, he reached out and picked up a thick book on the table. His desk was full of books about coffee and coffee trees, including the book he just picked up. ¡°Around 600 AD, Coffee was found by an Ethiopian shepherd¡­ Shepherds started eating coffee beans when they saw the sheep eating the fruit of the coffee tree and getting excited¡­ The fruit makes you feel better and helps you to wake up. They brewed it into alcohol at first, but they have started drinking it as they do nowadays since the 13th century¡­ Hah¡­¡± As he read the book, he just pushed it away in vexation. He had read and researched dozens of books about coffee, but no one had written anything that tells him that he could feel the pain of someone else. He slowly turned his head and looked at the pots. The flower was spread into five petals as if it were showing itself off. ¡°¡­ What does this flower have to do with the fact that I¡¯m feeling her pain?¡± The strange symptom that he can feel her pain and the peculiar floral pattern that occurred on him the day of the blood transfusion was connected somehow. Also, the flower that bloomed after all of it¡­ All of these abnormalities that were happening made him frown even more. ¡®Bzzzz.¡¯ Then a text came to his cell phone. ¡®Stop by the hospital tomorrow. We need to check your stomach.¡¯ It was a text from Dr. Seo, Gyeonhui¡¯s attending physician. ¡°¡­ My condition isn¡¯t the problem, Doc¡­¡± Gyeonhui sighed in frustration, but suddenly, he opened his eyes wide. ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Dr. Seo might be able to figure out these connections between the abnormalities. He hurried out of the office with his coat. *** Inside the bus on the way home. Sun leaned her head against the window and was looking at the darkened cityscape through the window. With a slight sigh, a text message came on her cell phone. It was Ari. ¡®Don¡¯t even think about holding a pen tonight. Just rest completely.¡¯ ¡°Girl, you¡¯re cold outside but warm inside¡­¡± Sun was smiling weakly and texted her back, saying that she would. When she checked the message that had been sent, she raised her head up and looked out the window. Besides the dark landscape, her sinking face was seen faintly. She remembered what had happened in the hallway today. When she couldn¡¯t find him and tried to get back into the office, there was a conversation between two staff women walking down the aisle. ¡®Wow, isn¡¯t he really handsome?¡¯ ¡®Yeah, I love the way he looks too. He¡¯s so stylish.¡¯ The two women were making a fuss about Gyeonhui as if they had seen celebrities on TV. ¡®I feel so lucky to work on the same floor as him.¡¯ ¡®Hey, don¡¯t be so dramatic.¡¯ ¡®What if I bump into him around the corner, and we fall in love from there. Who knows what¡¯s going to happen with him?¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re dreaming. We have to go back to work. We¡¯re late for a meeting.¡¯ Sun¡¯s expression sank as she remembered how the two female employees were talking about him that way. Gyeonhui was definitely there at some point. She closed her eyes in pain. Her closed eyelids trembled faintly. *** In the bar. When Ojae was back inside of the bar, he sat down, sensing Eunyoung. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I had to take the call.¡± ¡°I understand. That¡¯s the life of work. No holidays, no going home.¡± Eunyoung nodded; she was slightly drunk. Ojae quickly looked at the table. The first bottle of soju was already emptied, and there was a new bottle on the table. ¡°Did you drink the whole bottle alone?¡± Ojae was surprised and asked. ¡°This is nothing. Oh, by the way. What were we talking about exactly?¡± Eunyoung blinked her eyes and asked. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Oh, love is like a curse¡­¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s right.¡± Eunyoung continued talking bitterly. ¡°You love someone, but you have to suffer because of him. The more you like him, the more pain you get. Sometimes you hurt him, but it¡¯s actually me who gets all the pain. If that¡¯s not a curse, then is it?¡± Hearing Eunyoung, Ojae realized that Gyeonhui was right. Chapter 113 ¡°Hwah¡­¡± Ojae breathed a sigh of relief without thinking, but soon, he saw that Eunyoung¡¯s eyes were filled with sadness. Watching her, Ojae¡¯s heart became calm with sympathy. ¡®I¡¯m glad that you broke up with your girlfriend before you married her.¡¯ Ojae recalled what she had said in the past. ¡°¡­ Did you have trouble with the person you met in the past¡­¡± Eunyoung nodded slowly after hearing his question. Her expression seemed bold, but her eyes revealed that she was still recovering from the pain. Ojae wanted to say something comforting for her, but he didn¡¯t know what exactly to say. At that point, Eunyoung¡¯s cell phone vibrated with an unknown number. Eunyoung, with a resolute expression, turned the phone over and put it away. It was a short moment, but Ojae knew what the call meant to her. ¡°Hah¡­¡± She exhaled for a long time and soon started speaking with a bitter smile. ¡°Today, you called me, so this is on you.¡± ¡°Sure¡­¡± ¡°Great. I guess I saved a lot of money tonight.¡± Eunyoung laughed rather loudly and drank the Soju again. Ojae, who had a worried expression of sympathy, was still looking at her cell phone as it was ringing silently. *** ¡°It¡¯s the same pattern¡­¡± Dr. Seo mumbled to himself. ¡°What¡¯s the connection in all of these abnormalities?¡± Dr. Seo heard the story from Gyeohui, but he also couldn¡¯t know what the connection was. Dr. Seo adjusted his glasses and looked alternately at the pattern on his chest and a picture of the coffee tree flowers on his cell phone. ¡°It¡¯s not a dye to use in a tattoo, it¡¯s not a scar either. It¡¯s just a pattern¡­ This is amazing. No, it¡¯s actually unbelievable, isn¡¯t it? Hmm.¡± Dr. Seo smiled uncontrollably. ¡°Have you ever drunk coffee from the fruit of the tree?¡± Gyeonhui shook his head slowly. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± After contemplating for a while, Dr. Seo started speaking again. ¡°For now, the most plausible cause of your symptoms is still the blood transfusion you had from her.¡± Gyeonhui also could not find any other cause, either. Gyeonhui tried to raise himself with a firm expression while buttoning up his shirt again. ¡°Well, wait a minute.¡± Gyeonhui looked up at the doctor in response to his call. ¡°There¡¯s one good piece of news I have for you. I¡¯ve called you because of it.¡± Gyeonhui turned his head after hearing the good news. Dr. Seo spoke in a small voice, conscious of his surroundings. ¡°I think we can do the blood transfusion sooner than we¡¯ve planned.¡± ¡°¡­ I thought that I would still have to wait for a while.¡± Gyeonhui responded. ¡°We did. However, I¡¯ve put my hands on your case. I¡¯ve requested an analysis of your blood.¡± Dr. Seo said, shrugging his shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ll get the results in a few days to know whether or not you can have the blood transfusion.¡± His expression sank contrary to Dr. Seo¡¯s expectations. ¡°¡­ So, I won¡¯t feel her pain anymore.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee that, but it¡¯s more likely.¡± He didn¡¯t say anything for a moment with a dark expression. ¡°¡­ Wasn¡¯t this something you have been waiting for?¡± Dr. Seo asked him in doubt. Gyeonhui couldn¡¯t say anything. He just heard the news that he had waited for a long time, but his heart became more and more empty. ¡°Mr. Woo?¡± Dr. Seo called him again in doubt. ¡°Yes.¡± He was lost in thought, but he immediately answered after snapping out of it. ¡°Are you perhaps changing your mind? Do you now want to have a blood transfusion anymore¡­ or¡­¡± Dr. Seo looked at his face and asked carefully. Gyeonhui shook his head slowly as if he were completely frozen. ¡°¡­ No. Please proceed.¡± Gyeonhui was about to leave the room, but he stopped, and asked, ¡°¡­ When will it be?¡± His voice sank heavily. ¡°Well, if there¡¯s nothing wrong with the result, then it¡¯s going to happen in a week from today or so.¡± After hearing the answer, Gyeonhui slowly nodded and exited the clinic. As he walked down the aisle, his pace slowed down, and he finally stopped. He slowly raised his hand and wrapped his stiff shoulder. It was her pain, and at the same time, it was the only connection he had with her. ¡°Hah¡­¡± He leaned against the wall and exhaled a heavy sigh. ¡°¡­ A week.¡± His clenched fist was trembling softly. *** In the late evening, in the alleyway near Sun¡¯s home. ¡®The number you¡¯ve reached is not available¡­ please leave a message after the tone¡­¡¯ Sun left a voice message with a sad expression. ¡°I don¡¯t know how many years it has been since I have left a voice message, but I¡¯m leaving a voice message for you because I can¡¯t get a hold of you. I don¡¯t know what you have been doing all day long.¡± She sighed for a moment and continued, ¡°I just called you to see if we can have a drink or something. I guess you¡¯re not available today. I will see you tomorrow.¡± After she hung up the phone, Sun sighed. When she saw the medicine for her shoulder in her hand, Gyeonhui¡¯s face came to her mind again. ¡°Oh, please stop¡­¡± She closed her eyes and shook her head to swing her mind off of Gyeonhui. She patted both her cheeks to help pull herself together. ¡°¡­ Sun?¡± Then, behind her back, she heard a familiar voice. ¡°Oh, you surprised me.¡± She turned around and looked behind her quickly. ¡°It¡¯s you, Sun.¡± Eunwoo looked at her with a smile. His forehead was sweaty like he had been walking with Labong. ¡°But why are you tapping your cheeks?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­¡± She recalled what she just did, and she started stuttering in embarrassment. ¡°Somebody said if you tap your cheeks, then you can lose fat on your face. Give it a try, haha¡­¡± Looking awkwardly at her, Eunwoo smiled. ¡°Ruff, Ruff!¡± Luckily, Labong broke the awkward atmosphere between her and Eunwoo. Labong spun around her feet, excited to see her. ¡°We went for a walk. It¡¯s frustrating for Labong to stay inside all day.¡± Eunwoo said while she was stroking Labong¡¯s head. ¡°I was going to do it today¡­ Thank you.¡± She seemed very sorry for him, and her voice tapered off the end of her sentence. Eunwoo looked at her silently and then started speaking anxiously. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Your face looks dark today.¡± ¡°No, nothing happened¡­¡± Sun said, smiling awkwardly. Eun woo was still looking at her complexion and called her name. ¡°¡­ Hey, Sun.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± His voice seemed to be calmed. ¡°I want you to not think about elephants right now.¡± ¡°What? Elephants? I don¡¯t get it, what are you talking about?¡± She asked him again, seemingly in doubt. ¡°Can you just try it?¡± Eunwoo smiled and repeated it. She didn¡¯t know why, but she nodded slowly. ¡°Hmm¡­ sure, it¡¯s not hard to do.¡± She tried not to think of the elephant as if it was nothing complicated. However, it wasn¡¯t as easy as she thought. The elephant, once it made a deep impression on her mind, was more vivid and bright in her mind now with various images. Chapter 114 ¡°What do you think? Can you stop thinking about the elephants?¡± ¡°¡­ Oh, that¡¯s¡­ the more I tried not to think about it, the more they just kept appearing in my head.¡± Sun smiled awkwardly and answered honestly. Eunwoo smiled at her and nodded like he had expected it. ¡°That¡¯s how thought works. It comes back to you stronger the more you try to force it out of you.¡± Sun looked at Eunwoo as he calmly explained to her. ¡°The more difficult the memories you have or the more people you want to forget, the more clearly you think about them.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± It was only then that Sun could see why Eunwoo had talked about an elephant all of a sudden. With a bitter smile, Sun nodded slowly. ¡°¡­ You¡¯re right. Hah¡­¡± She said. Sun exhaled a shallow sigh unwittingly. Eunwoo gave the leash that he was holding to her. ¡°Well, here it is.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Sometimes, it would be more helpful to focus on some other things.¡± Reading his intentions, she slowly nodded. ¡°And Labong needs to walk more because Labong is so energetic.¡± ¡°Ruff, Ruff!¡± Labong barked as if he had answered. Sun looked at him with an apologetic expression. ¡°¡­ Thank you. Always.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got only one friend, you Sun.¡± ¡°I feel sorrier for you,¡± Sun said with an awkward smile. Then, Labong tried to run in excitement. Because of that, Sun¡¯s arm was pulled away from her body since the leash was dragged away. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± She felt a sudden pain in her shoulder and screamed at that moment. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you get hurt?¡± Eunwoo asked, worried. ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s nothing. I was hit by something, but I¡¯m fine.¡± Sun quickly hid her expression of pain and showed him that she could stretch her arms easily. She still had slight pain, but she smiled and tried to relieve his worry. ¡°Ruff, Ruff!¡± Labong continued to bark toward her, seemingly expecting to go for a walk for a long time. ¡°I have to go. I don¡¯t want to wake all my neighbors.¡± She said, smiling awkwardly. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± She turned after she said goodbye to him. Eunwoo stood there and watched her back leave his sight. ¡°Hey, go slowly, Labong.¡± Such a small dog was leading her and almost ran down the alley because of Labong¡¯s quick pace. She could have pulled on the leash to force Labong to walk slowly next to her, but she didn¡¯t do that. How she treated even small animals well was all conveyed to Eunwoo. Eunwoo watched her back with a smile as she went away. ¡°¡­ The more I see you, the more I can¡¯t give you up.¡± Eunwoo exhaled a slight sigh toward the sky, seemingly frustrated. He tapped his cheeks and went into the hospital. *** ¡®Eeerk!¡¯ On a secluded road, Gyeonhui hurriedly pulled over his car after feeling the pain on his shoulder. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± He frowned and massaged his right shoulder with his left hand. He almost let go of the steering wheel when he suddenly felt a soreness, but he was more concerned about what had happened to her. He picked up his phone and looked for his contacts as if he were calling her right away. He saw the number that was stored in his phone as number sixteen. He was only looking at the phone, but he couldn¡¯t make the call. ¡°Hah¡­¡± He was distressed and frustrated, but he could only hold his fists while clenching his teeth. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s right to let her go.¡± It was his determination that made him promise to himself more than a thousand times in the past week. It was the commitment that he had made within his mind every night when he visited her place. However, the more he tried, the more her memory filled up his mind. ¡°¡­ I just have to put up with it for a week. Just a week.¡± He mumbled to himself like he had hypnotized himself. Her pain might have disappeared after a week if he just had the blood transfusion. ¡°If that happens, I will be able to forget¡­ Hah¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t say the last word. He had never acted without knowing the right answer. However, this time, it seemed much more challenging to do the right thing. ¡°What do I have to do¡­¡± He put his head on the steering wheel and sighed deeply. Then, a memory that came to his mind. *** Two years ago, in the living room of Gyeonui¡¯s place. Sun was moving a large pot. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Gyeonhui was dressed in a shirt to go to work as he looked at her and asked. ¡°I¡¯m replacing the pot for this tree.¡± ¡°Replacing?¡± ¡°Yes, the pot looks too small.¡± With a smile on her face, Sun moved the coffee tree from a small flower pot into a bigger one. ¡°Let Ojae do it.¡± ¡°No. I want to do it.¡± She covered the tree with soil very carefully as if she were caring for a child. ¡°Why are you so devoted to the tree?¡± Gyeonhui asked in doubt. ¡°Hmm,¡± she said. She paused for a moment and caught her breath like she remembered her old memory. She then started speaking again, ¡°When I was in my first year of high school, my biology teacher suddenly gave me the beans and said. ¡®The coffee tree is also known as the thousand-day flower because it blooms only once every three years. Maybe by then, you¡¯re going to be a senior in high school. Until then, I hope your life will bloom just as the flowers bloom on this tree¡¯.¡± Sun said, mocking the teacher¡¯s voice. ¡°¡­ You¡¯re silly.¡± Gyeonhui frowned. ¡°I know, but it looked great to me. Since he was the only male teacher in the school, I have raised it carefully since that day. However, no matter how much I cared about other trees, they died without even a single bloom or leaf. You have no idea how much I cried at that time¡­ It was like I was rejected by a boy after I had confessed my love to him.¡± Sun smiled as she recalled herself being silly and childish. ¡°So, I finally gave up on it.¡± ¡°So, do you raise this tree because of the teacher?¡± He asked, seemingly disgusted. ¡°Wait a minute, are you jealous of him?¡± ¡°What? No!¡± ¡°I guess you¡¯re not.¡± She smiled and looked at him. She soon started speaking again with a shallow sigh. ¡°But a while ago, one of my dad¡¯s friends contacted me. He said he cleaned up the farm that my father used to manage. When I asked him about the farm, I still didn¡¯t know about it. My dad secretly raised coffee trees for me. My dad wanted to show his daughter the flowers of the coffee tree.¡± Sun¡¯s eyes were tearing up because of the old memories. ¡°My dad¡¯s friend said that he couldn¡¯t send the whole tree to me, so he only sent the fruit to me because the trees just had come to fruition.¡± ¡°Well, then this is¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Yes¡­ This is my dad¡¯s love for me¡­¡± She smiled bitterly and looked up at him once her face brightened. ¡°And there¡¯s another hidden meaning to it.¡± ¡°Hidden meaning? What¡¯s that?¡± He asked. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know later.¡± ¡°Later?¡± ¡°We¡¯re supposed to go to the city of Jeongsun soon. I¡¯ll tell you when we go there.¡± Sun smiled and held his arm. She leaned her head over his shoulder and started speaking again. ¡°If the story about the coffee tree that my teacher told me is true, then this tree will bloom a flower after a thousand days. I really hope to see and enjoy it with you when the time comes.¡± With a happy smile, she held his hand tightly. Chapter 115 *** Gyeonhui looked at his hand with a firm expression. Sun¡¯s little hand was no longer on his hand. His hand looked so lonely, he clenched his fist while he was staring at it. ¡°¡­ What was the other meaning of the coffee tree?¡± He sighed painfully. He didn¡¯t want to go home like this; he couldn¡¯t go. He felt like he wouldn¡¯t be able to fall asleep because of his thoughts about Sun. Suddenly, he remembered the place he had visited with her. The place filled with the smell of coffee, where they spent a long time together. He slowly turned the steering wheel with a sinking expression. *** ¡°Labong, why don¡¯t we go home?¡± Sun said, hugging Labong, who looked a little tired in the dark alleyway. It had been a long time since Labong went on a long walk, so he soon fell asleep in her arms. ¡°You must¡¯ve been very, very tired.¡± Sun looked at Labong with a smile. There were only a few people on the street, and it was time to go home. Sun walked carefully to not wake Labong up. As she walked around the corner, she noticed a car that had stopped at the end of the alley. When she saw that it was similar to Gyeonhui¡¯s car, she stopped walking. ¡°¡­ Gyeonhui?¡± Over the past few days, he had come to her house every night. His car stopped at the entrance of the alleyway and did not leave until midnight. ¡°Hah¡­¡± She stopped with a sigh. She thought that if she kept walking this way, she would probably encounter him. She turned around and exited the alley with a firm expression. She tried to get away as far as possible from him. However, her heart kept shouting for her to go to him. She forced herself to ignore the inner voice in her mind, with her eyes closed. How long had she been walking? She looked around at the familiar places. ¡°This is the place¡­¡± She was in front of a caf¨¦ that she used to visit frequently. ¡°I used to love to go in there¡­¡± Sun nodded as she remembered the caf¨¦. She didn¡¯t feel like she was going to go to bed early, and actually, she couldn¡¯t go to bed. Thus, she needed a place to sit back and relax for a while. Above all, this place was one of the areas that Gyeonhui would not enter. With a slight sigh, Sun slowly stepped toward the caf¨¦. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since you have come.¡± The elderly owner of the caf¨¦ recognized her as he greeted her with a generous smile. ¡°¡­ There¡¯s a lot of work going on these days.¡± Sun responded with an awkward smile. She was waiting for the owner to ask about Gyeonhui, but he luckily asked no more. ¡°Well, here¡¯s your usual order.¡± With a smile, the owner placed a cup of coffee in a mug on the table. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve ordered a coffee to go.¡± ¡°You were going to leave and drink it because of your dog?¡± ¡°Actually, yes.¡± She smiled awkwardly. ¡°You can stay here inside as long as your dog doesn¡¯t bark.¡± The owner looked at Labong while he was already sleeping. ¡°Thank you.¡± Sun appreciated his offer and replied with a smile. ¡°Everything is still the same here¡­¡± The last time she came with him here was a visit in her memory, so she looked around. The owner who was falling asleep after serving the coffee was still here, and the surrounding was just as silent since there are no other customers around. Suddenly, she remembered the time she had spent here with him. She tried to forget him, but the more she did, his face, his body, his voice would pop to her mind clearly. ¡°Hah¡­¡± She closed her eyes and sighed. She remembered what Eunwoo had said. ¡®That¡¯s how thought works. It comes back to you stronger the more you try to force it out of you. The more difficult the memories you have or the more people you want to forget, the more clearly you think about them.¡¯ She nodded and pulled out a note from her bag. ¡°¡­ Okay. Let¡¯s focus on something else.¡± She hadn¡¯t grabbed a pencil in her hand in a long time but was seemingly determined to do something. *** At the bar. There were several empty bottles on the table. Ojae looked at Eunyoung, filling the soju glass again, silently. ¡®Bzzzz,¡¯ then Eunyoung¡¯s cell phone on the table rang. However, Eunyoung stopped at that moment and refused to even look at the phone. Ojae looked at her and started speaking. ¡°Hey, are you not answering that?¡± Surely she had heard Ojae, but Eunyoung seemed unwilling to answer the phone and just kept filling her glass. ¡°Somebody keeps calling you, take the call!¡± Ojae said again. ¡°No, I¡¯m not taking it because I¡¯m a little busy now.¡± Her pronunciation was all swirled because she had been drinking heavily. ¡°What do you mean, you¡¯re busy?¡± Ojae asked, seemingly incomprehensible. ¡°Are you blind? I¡¯m busy drinking now.¡± Eunyoung opened her bleary eyes and looked at the empty soju bottle. ¡°Huh? It¡¯s already gone. Excuse me!¡± Eunyoung was so drunk, so she could not hold her body up, but she tried to drink more. As the server heard her voice, she approached, but Ojae sent the server away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We¡¯ve had enough.¡± Ojae said while sending the server back. ¡°What? What the hell are you doing?¡± Eunyoung asked while furrowing her brow. ¡°Stop drinking. You¡¯ve already drunk too much.¡± ¡°Hey, I drink to be drunk! Why the hell then do you drink? To pull yourself together?¡± ¡°No, but you¡¯re so drunk, anyways.¡± ¡°Order one more bottle for me. Come on.¡± Eunyoung said it like she was ordering him, but her drunken tone of voice made him question her leadership as usual. ¡°Stop drinking and get up. I¡¯ll take you home.¡± Ojae spoke in a pleading tone. ¡°I said order more.¡± She spoke in an angry, subdued tone. ¡°Hey, Eunyoung.¡± ¡°Just order it!¡± Eunyoung knocked on the table and shouted out loud. Because of that, people in the bar all looked at Eunyoung and Ojae. ¡°Excuse us. We¡¯re so sorry.¡± Ojae seemed embarrassed, apologizing around him and staring at Eunyoung again. ¡°Why the hell are you doing this?¡± Ojae said. ¡°Why are you taking me home? Are you my boyfriend?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just trying to¡­¡± Ojae stuttered in embarrassment. ¡°Then, just drink more and stop saying useless things,¡± Eunyoung repeated like she was belligerently yelling at him. Ojae had no idea what to do with her. He was so embarrassed and looked at her outraged. ¡®Bzzz,¡¯ Then, on the table, her cell phone vibrated. ¡®Unknown number.¡¯ Her face sank immediately as she checked the phone. Surprised by the change in her expression, Ojae looked at her and her cell phone alternately. ¡®Tak!¡¯ She flipped her phone loudly and clutched her head in pain. Then she suddenly got up and opened the store refrigerator by herself and brought more soju to the table. ¡®Trickling.¡¯ She poured the alcohol into a glass, not a shot glass. She then started to gulp it. ¡°Hey, Eunyoung.¡± Ojae tried to stop her, but she refused, and finally emptied the glass that was full of soju. ¡°This is none of your business.¡± She poured more soju again and again. ¡®Bzzzz,¡¯ Meanwhile, her cell phone rang again. She bit her lips tightly and drank again. She didn¡¯t even pause and finished the glass as if it were an anesthetic drug. Watching her, Ojae recalled what she had said in the past. ¡®I¡¯m glad that you broke up with your girlfriend before marrying her.¡¯ She pretended to be calm, but Ojae could feel her pain. Chapter 116 *** In the quiet caf¨¦, only the sound of pencils moving could be heard. ¡°It¡¯s all done!¡± She looked at her paintings like she really was proud of them. She was already doing a few sketches with a model for the sleeping owner and Labong. ¡°¡­ What do I have to draw now?¡± Sun looked around with a shallow sigh. ¡°Huh?¡± Then the rain started to hit the window. It started to sprinkle before turning into a torrential downpour. ¡®Shua¡­¡¯ The heavy rain swept over the world in an instant. ¡°It was raining too back then¡­¡± Sun remembered him. ¡®Do you really think you¡¯re worthy of me?¡¯ His mean and sharp words were still hurting her heart even after so much time had passed. She closed her eyes and tried to force his memory out from her mind. She tried to forget him no matter what, but her mind was already filled with thoughts about him in an instant. No matter how much she tried to focus on other things to distract herself, she was just continuously connected to the memories of him. Sun smiled with a bitter smile. ¡°¡­ Is he gone yet?¡± She looked out the window, mumbling to herself powerlessly. *** In Gyeonhui¡¯s car. He heard the heavy rain. ¡°Hmm.¡± He closed his eyes and thought. ¡®There¡¯s another hidden meaning in the coffee tree flower.¡¯ After that, she spoke the meaning clearly, but Gyeonhui could not remember it at all. ¡°What was it?¡± As he mumbled to himself as he opened his eyes. He became frustrated and thought about having a cup of coffee. ¡®Shua¡­¡¯ He saw the rain shower outside through the car window. He hated getting wet, so he would never go out, but he ended up out of the car with an umbrella. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Soon, the symptoms of his obsessive-compulsive disorder were getting better. ¡°Is it because of her¡­¡± Smiling bitterly, he slowly stepped toward the caf¨¦. Then, his cell phone rang. It was Sister Andrea. After a while, he slowly picked up his phone. ¡°Sister Andrea.¡± ¡°How lucky. Are you not sleeping yet?¡± Andrea asked in her usual bright voice. ¡°I¡¯m still working. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°No, nothing special, just wanted to call you to see if you¡¯re feeling any better.¡± Gyeonhui remembered how he fell on the floor of the orphanage a few days ago. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a big deal, Ojae worried about you a lot.¡± ¡°You know he always exaggerates. It¡¯s really not a big deal. I¡¯m okay now.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯m relieved now after hearing your voice,¡± Andrea spoke in a warm tone. ¡°Then sleep well, and contact me anytime you need help.¡± ¡°¡­ I will.¡± As he tried to hang up the phone, he suddenly remembered what Andrea had said in the past. ¡®God sometimes does things that make no sense. We call that a miracle, or sometimes a curse. However, what matters is not the result of that miracle or curse. It¡¯s important to think about why it happened, the reason.¡¯ ¡°Sister¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°¡­ You¡¯ve said once that God sometimes does ridiculous things, and it¡¯s more important to understand the cause rather than the ability to identify if it is a miracle or a curse.¡± He stopped for a moment, seemingly summing up his thoughts. With a slight sigh, he struggled to start speaking again. ¡°If I am the cause of everything¡­ should I give her up? Is it the right thing to do?¡± A moment of silence fell across the phone. She seemed to be lost in thought, trying to understand his mind and also to give out the wisest advice to him. ¡°¡­ Do you want to give her up?¡±¡± He stopped after hearing her question. He closed his eyes and thought for a moment before struggling to answer. ¡°¡­ I think I have to.¡± Gyeonhui remembered Sun¡¯s struggling face. Her pain then came to his mind. ¡°I¡¯ve asked if you wanted to give her up. Do you really want to do so?¡± He bit his lips. ¡®Dring.¡¯ Then, with the sound of the doorbells, the caf¨¦ door opened. A woman with dark hair and a calm white face came out of the caf¨¦. It was her, Cheonsun. Gyeonhui looked at her, stopping at the unexpected situation. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Sun, unaware of him, avoided him to get out of his way inside. However, he couldn¡¯t move his body even for an inch while he was holding his cell phone. She slowly looked up to observe him as she felt something strange. Her expression was immediately hardened when she realized that it was him. She panicked at that moment, so reflexively, she closed the door. ¡®Kung.¡¯ The door closed with a loud bang. He was still holding her cell phone while looking at her. Sun stood with a firm expression and froze. There was only one transparent glass between him and her. After a while, she seemed determined to reopen the door and step outside. She opened her umbrella and walked past Gyeonhui without saying anything. ¡°Hey, Gyeonhui, are you okay?¡± Not hearing him on the phone for a while, Andrea¡¯s voice was heard over her cell phone. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°¡­No, nothing happened.¡± He took his eyes off of her and mumbled to himself. ¡®Please don¡¯t get hurt anymore because of me¡­¡¯ He closed his eyes and cried it out in his mind, uncontrollably. If she was still sick because of him, he wouldn¡¯t have forgotten her because it meant that he was still in her heart. He raised his hand over the doorknob, but he could not open the door. His distorted expression revealed the pain in his heart. ¡°Hah¡­¡± The unbearable pain leaked from his mouth. She was still sick because of him. ¡®Why are you still sick¡­ you said it¡¯s all over¡­¡¯ He bore the pain with one hand on the wall. Enduring the pain while biting his lips tightly, he felt a feeling of unbearable sorrow. He suddenly turned and looked at her walking away in the rain. He slowly started speaking as he watched her with his unwavering eyes. ¡°¡­ Sister Andrea.¡± He took a moment to breathe and said, ¡°I¡¯m not going to¡­ I don¡¯t want to give up. The cause doesn¡¯t matter anymore. I don¡¯t care why this is happening or why this misfortune has happened to me. All I know is what I¡¯m going to do next. That¡¯s it.¡± He hung up as if he were talking to himself. At once, he started running toward her. *** Her shoulders and trousers were already wet because of the heavy rain. She stepped forward, protecting only Labong in her arms. His sullen face that she just saw came to mind. ¡®Why is his face¡­ why¡­¡¯ Her heart was broken again. Then following her, he stopped and stood in front of her. His body was soaked in the rain because he ran at her without an umbrella. ¡°¡­ Sun.¡± She tried to get out of the way without answering, but he again blocked her. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± Sun said. ¡°¡­ I wanted to see it.¡± Her eyes were shaken. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s over.¡± ¡°I thought it was over too. I thought I¡¯d sorted it out. However, no. I knew that we were not over the moment I saw you.¡± ¡°Gyeonhui¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t live without you.¡± His voice echoed in her ear. She had to turn her body to hide her bottled anger. Watching her, he slowly approached her. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m so sorry that it was already too late when I¡¯ve realized it.¡± Chapter 117 ¡°¡­ We¡¯re done. It¡¯s over like you just said.¡± Her delicate voice was delivered to him through the rain. ¡°¡­ Sun¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already sorted it out. There¡¯s nothing more for us to talk about or to do with you. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Her voice was calm, and her expression seemed bold. However, the pain in her heart was still being passed on to Gyeonhui. He couldn¡¯t say that he was in pain in front of someone sicker than him. He struggled to speak more. ¡°¡­ I know. I didn¡¯t think you would have forgiven me easily.¡± Gyeonhui nodded bitterly. ¡°Give me just a day.¡± ¡°Gyeonhui¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t send you off yet. So help me to finish it.¡± Her eyes shook. ¡°I¡¯m telling you that allow me to let you go. I haven¡¯t thrown you out of my mind yet.¡± His voice echoed in her ear. ¡°It¡¯s only a day.¡± He emphasized once more. She looked at him still, unanswering. ¡°¡­ That¡¯s all I want. He walked through the rain and began to move away. ¡°Gyeonhui¡­¡± She was left alone, and it seemed like her heart was broken as she recalled his name again and again. She wanted to rush and hug him, but she could barely endure her desire. Her body remained underneath the thick clouds motionless, but her eyes followed his back until he disappeared. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Her delicate sigh sprang out from the heavy rain. *** ¡®Bzzzzz.¡¯ Eunyoung¡¯s phone rang again, but she didn¡¯t take it. Ojae was still watching her, and then finally, he started speaking. ¡°¡­ Who is it?¡± Hearing Ojae, Eunyoung smiled but didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Is it your ex-husband?¡± Eunyoung¡¯s expression sank deeper after hearing Ojae¡¯s words. ¡°Do I really have to tell you about my personal life because I work for Consencio, which is such a great company? Oh, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s great. You can just get rid of a company like us whenever you want.¡± Eunyoung nodded with a sarcastic tone. ¡°You know I didn¡¯t mean that,¡± Ojae said. ¡°Then why do you care?¡± Eunyoung looked at him and asked. Ojae grew speechless at that moment and could not speak. ¡°Don¡¯t intrude yourself recklessly into someone¡¯s life. You could get hurt.¡± Eunyoung smiled bitterly and filled her glass. Meanwhile, her cell phone rang again. Ojae reached out with a firm expression and picked up her cell phone. Even before Eunyoung tried to stop him, Ojae answered her phone in an instant. ¡°This is Eunyoung¡¯s phone, who is this?¡± Ojae spoke as boldly as he could. ¡°Eunyoung? Who is this?¡± Ojae heard the man¡¯s voice over the cell phone. ¡°No, I asked you first. Who are you? Why do you keep calling her this late?¡± Ojae said. Eunyoung looked at Ojae without saying anything. ¡°Hey. Who are you!?¡± ¡°Why, why do you keep asking about me? Who the hell are you?¡± Ojae said. ¡°Hah¡­ There¡¯s nothing for us to discuss, so put her on the phone.¡± The man¡¯s voice was delivered outside the cell phone. Eunyoung¡¯s expression sank endlessly. Her sad expression made her gaze droop powerlessly. An unknown feeling like a volcano erupted in Ojae¡¯s mind. ¡°You wanna know who I am? I¡¯m Eunyoung¡¯s boyfriend.¡± His trembling voice echoed loudly inside the bar. Eunyoung looked at him with widened eyes. ¡°There, so don¡¯t ever contact her in the future. It¡¯s disgusting.¡± Ojae finally hung up the phone. Soon after, the phone rang back, but Ojae hung up on it again. ¡°Hah¡­¡± His fingertips trembled, and his lips dried. However, he started speaking after drinking some cold water to hide his nervousness from Eunyoung as much as possible. ¡°If he calls you again, tell me, okay?¡± Eunyoung was watching him calmly but looked at him with her lips tightly pursed. ¡°You don¡¯t think that was very cool, do you?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°It was ridiculous that you were trembling and stuttering like you were scared. I see it.¡± ¡°¡­ I just helped you, Okay? Can¡¯t you be nice to me at least once?¡± Ojae seemed to be sorry. ¡°Then why did you bother with it? I told you that it¡¯s not your business.¡± She responded in an angry voice while looking at him. Ojae was a little surprised but started speaking calmly. ¡°So, do you want me to just leave it like that? I didn¡¯t want to see anyone bothering you anymore.¡± ¡°Just leave it be if you can¡¯t take the responsibility. That¡¯s what you can do to help me.¡± Hearing her cold words, Ojae couldn¡¯t say anything. However, soon, he looked straight at her and started speaking as if he had made up his mind. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not sure what I did wrong, but if I see something like this again, then I¡¯ll jump on it and do exactly what I just did earlier again. Do you understand?¡± Eunyoung¡¯s expression hardened as soon as she heard him. Eunyoung smiled as if she were frustrated, and she mumbled to herself. ¡°You¡¯re the craziest and the stupidest man I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± Ojae didn¡¯t like her words, and he was upset. ¡°What? Did you just say I¡¯m stupid? How can you say¡­¡± Then Eunyoung suddenly reached out and pulled his collar. At her sudden action, Ojae¡¯s eyes widened, and he was astonished. What followed after was not her heavy fists but her moist lips. *** The next morning. Sun woke up from her bed because of a weird feeling of moisture on her lips. ¡°Arf¡­ arf.¡± Labong looked at her and wined. ¡°Hey, Labong.¡± It was Labong who licked her lips. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Breathing a sigh of relief, Sun tied up her hair because of a rushing headache. ¡°Was it a dream?¡± Meeting with him last night was like a distant dream. The sound of rain, his face, and his voice were surreal. However, a message that came on her phone indicated that what happened last night was not a dream. ¡®It¡¯s only one day. Today.¡¯ When she checked the message, she closed her eyes and sighed for a long time. After taking a shower to alleviate her frustration, Sun checked her phone once again while she was getting ready to go to work. He didn¡¯t send any other message. However, she kept checking her phone unwittingly. ¡°¡­ What am I doing?¡± With a bitter smile, Sun tried to pull out a pair of flat shoes from the shelf and wore them. However, after a while, a pair of high-heels caught her eyes instead. It was the heels that she had never worn outside of her last business meeting because they were so uncomfortable to wear. However, she still pulled out the heels and put them down slowly onto the floor. After a while, she put her feet in her heels and looked at her face in the mirror again. ¡°¡­ Because it¡¯s the last time.¡± Chapter 118 After looking at the mirror with sharp eyes, she opened the door and stepped out. ¡®Tap, tap, tap, tap.¡¯ The sound of high heels woke her up early in the morning. She didn¡¯t wear them often because walking with them felt so uncomfortable. As she carefully came down the stairs, she heard a familiar voice. ¡°Good morning.¡± A strapping Gyeonhui was standing at the doorway, waiting for her to greet him back. However, Sun was so embarrassed by him that she missed a step and collapsed. ¡°No, no, no!¡± Her upper body went forward with a scream in an instant. She would have almost rolled down the hill. However, he quickly approached and embraced her. ¡°Hah¡­¡± After heaving a sigh of relief, she realized what had just happened. She panicked and hurriedly raised herself from his arms and pushed him away. ¡°Why are you so skinny? Are you eating properly?¡± He was complaining, but she could see that he was actually worried about her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m eating well.¡± She walked past him and tried to leave the gate. He quickly grabbed her arms and blocked her. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. Get in the car. I¡¯ll drive you to work.¡± ¡°Hey, Gyeonhui.¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s our last day.¡± He said calmly with a sinking expression. His sour face made her speechless. Still watching her silently, he quickly led her to his car parked in front of her house. *** After they passed through the intersection, the Consencio building caught her eyes. There wasn¡¯t a lot of conversation between the two of them until they arrived at Consencio. ¡°Did you see my message?¡± He asked. Instead of answering, Sun nodded slowly. ¡°It¡¯s just a day. That¡¯s it.¡± He spoke in a calm tone like he had promised himself not to overstay his welcome. ¡°I could have given you a day off at work to take a break, but I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want that. So, I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± ¡®I¡¯ll wait.¡¯ His words remained in her heart. Waiting for him was always her job. Now he¡¯s saying that he will wait for her. Her eyes shook. Meanwhile, his car stopped in front of the Consencio building. When she unfastened her seatbelt and tried to get out of the car, he started speaking. ¡°¡­ Can I ask you just one thing?¡± Hearing his voice, she stopped. ¡°You said when you planted those coffee trees that there was a hidden meaning behind it. Can you tell me what it was?¡± His question was simple, but her expression began to get complicated. ¡°¡­ Sorry. I don¡¯t remember either.¡± She left the car after answering as if she were running away from his gaze. He watched her back as she went away from him. ¡°¡­ Another lie.¡± He mumbled to himself in a calm voice. It was just a short moment, but her hardened expression indicated that she still remembered what it was. ¡°What is the hidden meaning¡­¡± His troubled mind reminded him of his old memory in the past. *** It was a trip that they had been waiting for for a long time. Their destination was in such a small city in the countryside called Jeongsun in Gangwon-province, where they had to go deep into the mountain wilderness. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I didn¡¯t know the road would be rugged and bumpy like this¡­¡± After driving more than five kilometers of unpaved mountain trails, Sun said, seemingly sorry to Gyeonhui. While driving for a while, Gyeonhui furrowed his brow and asked her, ¡°Where are we going exactly? For what?¡± The scenery under the mountain was beautiful, but he wondered if he really had to come all the way here. ¡°¡­ I would like to make some special memories.¡± Her expression was clearly full of excitement. ¡°Oh, by the way, how will you water the coffee tree in your office?¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯ve asked Ojae to water it. It¡¯s fine. He¡¯ll take care of it.¡± He responded in a careless tone. She appreciated him for taking care of the tree and carefully held his arm as she leaned her head over his shoulder. Meanwhile, she noticed a sign that read ¡®Jeongsun Time Capsule Park¡¯ in the distance. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡± She excitedly said. ¡°Hah.¡± However, Gyeonhui was already exhausted after driving and pulled the car over with a long sigh. ¡°Just a minute,¡± Sun said. She pulled out a small box in the back seat of the car. After parking, they started climbing a wooden staircase. After a while, the panoramic view of the park unfolded in front of them. ¡°Wow¡­ It¡¯s gorgeous.¡± Admiring the magnificent view, she suddenly headed to the visitor¡¯s office next to the park. Gyeonhui, who was left alone, looked up at a large, tall tree in the center of the park. He noticed a sign that said that it was a place where a famous film was recorded, but he wasn¡¯t really impressed with it. ¡°Gyeonhui.¡± After a while, she returned with a large barrel. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°A time capsule.¡± She smiled like a child and put a small crocodile doll into the barrel. ¡°I just put my stuff in it. What stuff are you going to put in the barrel?¡± She looked at him with excitement, but he only shook his head slowly without saying anything. He didn¡¯t care at all because he thought that he was not this foolish to join in on such childish play. ¡°Chi.¡± Pouting her lips, she put the barrel onto the ground. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± ¡°What did you just put in there?¡± ¡°The hidden meaning that I mentioned last time.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡± She quickly held his arm with a cute expression. With her head resting on his shoulders, she started speaking again. ¡°When the coffee tree flower blooms soon, let¡¯s come back here again.¡± With a happy smile, she held his hand tightly. As she stretched her hand again, she placed a small key in his hand. *** He calmly looked at his hand. A small key that was hanging recklessly in his key holder caught his eyes. ¡°The hidden meaning¡­¡± He wanted to know what it was. He clenched his fists once he was lost in thought for a moment. It was early morning, and he would be able to get back from Jeongsun before she was done at work. With a firm expression, he hurriedly turned the steering wheel. Chapter 119 Having hidden next to the door, Sun reappeared, when she saw his car went away. ¡°Hah¡­¡± A shallow sigh came out from her mouth as she saw his car moving away. ¡°Hey!¡± Then she heard Ari¡¯s voice behind her. ¡°Oh, you scared me,¡± Sun said. ¡°You¡¯ve just got caught. What the heck? What¡¯s going on with him?¡± Ari looked alternately between Sun and Gyeonhui¡¯s car that was driving away in the distance and asked. ¡°What?¡± Sun was embarrassed, and she tried to switch the subject, pretending she didn¡¯t know anything. ¡°I just saw you. Why are you coming to work with him?¡± Ari opened her eyes blearily and asked. Sun didn¡¯t know what to say and just wandered the area. ¡°What¡¯s up? What¡¯s going on in the morning?¡± Eunyoung just came at work and looked at the two of them and asked. Sun thought it was a little strange when she saw that Eunyoung was wearing the same clothes that she wore yesterday, but she couldn¡¯t afford to worry about it now. ¡°Come on, Sun. Quickly.¡± When Ari held Sun¡¯s hand, Eunyoung began to follow the two of them. *** When Gyeonhui tried to get on the highway, he saw the gas light come on, so he quickly turned the steering wheel to stop at the gas station. However, a lot of cars were already waiting to get gas. The line seemed quite long too. ¡°What the hell did he do to forget about filling the gas tank?¡± Gyeonhui mumbled to himself, blaming Ojae for not filling up the gas tank beforehand. It seemed like it would take a long time, so he took out his phone and ran the Photogenic app. There were pictures of her where their memories still remained. Slowly passing through the pictures, his hand stopped in front of a particular image. Sun was smiling brightly, holding a small barrel on the mountain in it. ¡°It was Jeongsun¡­¡± He mumbled to himself while remembering his old memories. It was an unusual park located 850 meters above sea level. He touched the picture on the screen as if he were stroking her cheeks. His eyes were filled with longing for her. He had to find out what the hidden meaning was. If he could figure it out by himself, then he might be able to find the cause of the pattern that appeared on his chest. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Fortunately, he confirmed that the time capsule park in Jeongsun was still in operation. ¡°I¡¯ve got so many things to do¡­¡± Since he had to go to Jeongsun, he needed someone to do his job in Seoul for him. He took out his cell phone and contacted Ojae. However, after several rings, Ojae still didn¡¯t answer the call. ¡°Why has he been missing since yesterday?¡± Gyeonhui furrowed his eyebrows and pressed the call button again. *** ¡®Bzzzzz.¡¯ ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Ojae still was struggling with a hangover and fumbled to find his ringing cell phone. He barely opened his eyes and looked at the screen of his phone. It was already past 10 am in the morning. ¡°Hmm?¡± Unable to believe it, he confirmed the time again while blinking his eyes. Looking back at the clock, he realized that the time hadn¡¯t changed. ¡°What, what?!¡± Ojae panicked and woke up right away in bed. Meanwhile, a phone call was coming from Gyeonhui again. Ojae bit his lower lip, and he carefully answered the phone. ¡°Hello, hello. Gyeonhui.¡± ¡°Just tell me if you want to quit! I¡¯m going to find a new assistant right away.¡± Unsurprisingly, his angry voice rang over the phone. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I think I¡¯ve gone crazy. I didn¡¯t know the time had passed so fast. Since he had no excuse, Ojae closed his eyes, giving up on telling his reasons to Gyeonhui. ¡°Where the hell are you?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m home¡­¡± As he looked around, he noticed some strange stuff around him. The dingy atmosphere with blackout curtains, a large TV, and inexpensive amenities. ¡°Wh¡­ where the hell am I?¡± Everything looked fake, unrealistic. Ojae blinked his eyes and mumbled to himself. Combining all that he had seen, he soon realized that he was in a motel room. ¡°Oh¡­ my¡­¡± ¡°Hey! Where are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m home. Home.¡± Hearing Gyeonhui¡¯s cry, Ojae pulled himself together and hurriedly made up a story. ¡°Go to the company right away. You have a job to do.¡± ¡°Okay, okay.¡± When Ojae hung up the phone, he looked around the room for a while. ¡°What happened to me last night?¡± He frowned with the hangover he got last night, and at the same time, he remembered what had happened yesterday like a flashback in his mind. The short kiss he had with Eunyoung and how he had ended up waking up inside of a motel came to his mind. ¡°No way¡­¡± Ojae couldn¡¯t say anything in shock. *** ¡°So, are you meeting him today?¡± Hearing Ari¡¯s question, Sun slowly started speaking. ¡°¡­ I think so.¡± ¡°Why do you have to meet him? It¡¯s over. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea.¡± Ari said, frustrated. ¡°No. I¡¯ll just have to meet him tonight, and finish our relationship completely.¡± Eunyoung was still listening as she nodded and replied, ¡°Really?¡± Ari looked at Eunyoung like she couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°Actually, from Mr. Woo¡¯s point of view, Sun had just suddenly ceased to exist from his life.¡± ¡°Ceased to exist?¡± ¡°Yes, like dropping off the face of the earth.¡± ¡°Oh, but Mr. Woo deserved it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, but that¡¯s why Mr. Woo and Sun still struggle like this because they both couldn¡¯t keep their minds organized.¡± Hearing Eunyoung¡¯s honest words, Sun exhaled a slight sigh. Sun couldn¡¯t argue with her because she was right about both of them being unable to keep their minds organized. ¡°The worst thing is something ambiguous in a relationship. Make your decision resolutely with that man when you meet him tonight. ¡°Boss, what happened to you?¡± Ari asked, in doubt. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Eunyoung said. ¡°You were just on Mr. Woo¡¯s side. Did he also threaten you?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Oh, no. Nothing.¡± Ari shook her head and closed her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to be on his side, I¡¯m just telling you the truth. Isn¡¯t that also the reason that you¡¯re going to meet him tonight?¡± Hearing Eunyoung¡¯s question, Sun slowly nodded. ¡°Finish your baggage with him completely if that¡¯s your decision. Don¡¯t even let him contact you ever again. Okay?¡± Eunyoung said as if she were talking to herself. ¡°¡­ I got it.¡± Sun nodded with a bitter smile. When Sun¡¯s situation was sorted out, Ari started speaking again. ¡°By the way, why are you wearing the same clothes you wore yesterday?¡± Sun thought the same thing too while looking at Eunyoung¡¯s clothes. ¡°What? Oh, I¡¯ve got two of these. It¡¯s the same thing.¡± ¡°No matter how many of those you have, do you really have to wear it two days in a row? Really?¡± ¡°Well, sometimes, I just do.¡± Eunyoung¡¯s voice faded awkwardly. ¡°I never do that.. Have you, Sun?¡± Sun shook her head slowly after hearing Ari¡¯s question. Ari opened her eyes blearily as she looked at Eunyoung, and asked, ¡°¡­ You didn¡¯t go home yesterday, did you?¡± Chapter 120 ¡°Hmm. Hmm.¡± Instead of answering, Eunyoung gulped cold water in embarrassment. ¡°Moreover, you didn¡¯t get in touch with us all day yesterday, right? Who is it? Is it your new boyfriend or maybe¡­¡± Ari accused, and lashed out at Eunyoung. ¡°Stop it.¡± Eunyoung flicked Ari¡¯s head. ¡°Oh, why did you hit me!?¡± ¡°Keep quiet, kids don¡¯t need to know,¡± Eunyoung said, intimidating Ari. ¡°Chi.¡± Ari glared at Eunyoung as if she were innocent. ¡°Huh? It¡¯s him, the squid assistant.¡± At that time, they saw Ojae entering the lounge. As soon as Eunyoung saw him, she grabbed her bag and quickly rose from her seat. ¡°Just tell him that I¡¯m not here today if he finds me, okay?¡± Eunyoung looked at Ojae furtively and exited the lounge through the back door. ¡°What¡¯s going on with her?¡± Watching Eunyoung walking away, Sun and Ari couldn¡¯t hide their confusion. Meanwhile, Ojae approached them. ¡°Is Eunyoung here at work today?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°There. She went that way.¡± Ari intervened tactlessly. ¡°Oh, great. Thank you very much.¡± After an awkward greeting, Ojae hurriedly went after Eunyoung. Then, Sun and Ari looked at each other curiously. ¡°No¡­ way¡­¡± They said at the same time in unison. *** Ojae lifted his heels and looked inside of the window. Eunyoung was focused on her work in the office. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Ojae sighed deeply while closing his eyes. He didn¡¯t know how to start talking about what happened yesterday, or how to act in her company now. After contemplating for a while, he carefully raised his hand to the doorknob. ¡®Bzzzz.¡¯ At that time, his cell phone rang. It was Gyeonhui. ¡°Hello, hello?¡± Ojae covered his mouth with his hands and spoke in a low voice. ¡°What are you doing? I can¡¯t hear you.¡± ¡°Why? What¡¯s going on?¡± Ojae spoke in a quiet voice, seemingly conscious of what¡¯s happening inside of the Kids Fan office. ¡°Did you see the email that I sent?¡± ¡°Email? Oh, yes. I did.¡± Ojae recalled the list Gyeonhui had sent, saying that ¡®the list¡¯ should be completed today. ¡°You have to get it done today, no matter what. Okay?¡± ¡°Oh, okay. Where are you, anyway?¡± ¡°Jeongsun in Gangwon-province.¡± ¡°Jeongsun? Why?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go ahead and talk later. Don¡¯t mess up anything, okay?¡± Gyeonhui repeated everything to him several times and hung up the phone. ¡°Hum¡­ Jeongsun?¡± Ojae tilted his head in wonder. ¡°That¡¯s not important right now. Hah.¡± Ojae sighed and raised his hand to grip the doorknob. After a moment of contemplation, he quickly opened the door and went inside like he had finally determined something. Eunyoung saw Ojae as she heard the door opening. However, Eunyoung just moved her gaze back to the monitor, refusing to pay attention to him. ¡°Hey, Eunyoung.¡± Ojae called her in a self-conscious tone, but it seemed like she couldn¡¯t hear it. She was just tapping her keyboard away. ¡°Hey, Eunyoung.¡± Ojae called out to her in a louder voice than before. ¡°Hah.¡± She sighed and raised her head. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Hearing Eunyoung, it seemed like she must have heard him when he called out to her the first time. When she asked him, Ojae felt like his head just turned blank instantly. He didn¡¯t know where to begin. ¡°Um¡­ I mean, yesterday¡­¡± Ojae struggled to speak. ¡°So¡­ Last night¡­¡± ¡°Do you remember what happened last night?¡± ¡°¡­ Vaguely.¡± Ojae barely answered. ¡°Hmm. Yes, you¡¯re right. I slept with you.¡± Eunyoung said as if it was not unusual for her. ¡°Umm. What?¡± Surprised Ojae, Eunyoung pretended to be casual. ¡°We were both heavily drunk and insane, just like you now. I barely remember what happened yesterday. Why don¡¯t we just forget it like it never happened.¡± Eunyoung responded in a bossy and bold tone, like a judge making a sentence at the courthouse. ¡°Ha, but¡­ How can we treat it like it didn¡¯t even happen?¡± ¡°So what? What are you going to do? What do you want from me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you just forget about it and be cool? It¡¯s just a one-night thing.¡± Eunyoung tried to get past him as if nothing had happened between them. Then, Ojae grabbed her arm. ¡°¡­ I will take responsibility.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°The responsibility you said last night¡­ I¡¯m going to be responsible for you.¡± Ojae¡¯s voice crawled down onto her angry face. ¡°How dare you¡­¡± She seemed outraged and pushed his arm out of the way. ¡°Mr. Kwon. Are you responsible for me because we slept together just once? What period are you living in?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And I¡¯ve never asked you to take responsibility for me. I don¡¯t like you.¡± Hearing her cold words, Ojae couldn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Don¡¯t even mention this ever to anyone. Do you understand me?¡± She turned her body away and left the office. Ojae was left alone in the office, devastated. He breathed a long sigh of frustration. *** Due to the last-minute construction at the Seoul-Yangyang Expressway, the highway was packed with cars like it was a parking lot. ¡°Hah¡­¡± After barely exiting the highway, Gyeonhui turned the steering wheel toward the capsule park. He went down the curvy road for a long time, but there was no sign of the park. After quite a long time, he noticed the unpaved path that he had seen before. ¡°It¡¯s still there.¡± His car rattled along the unpaved road, which lasted a few more miles. The mountains surrounding the road were lush and green in the aura of spring. He managed to enjoy the energy of spring that he had never felt in Seoul. ¡°¡­ When did this happen?¡± It seemed like one season had passed in an instant. During that time, he had broken up with her, started to feel her pain, and reunited with her. Now, he¡¯s coming all the way out here. The frantic time that had passed went through his mind like a flash. ¡°¡­ Is it really the last¡­ of us?¡± He mumbled bitterly to himself. He didn¡¯t want to think about her, but he still felt her pain throbbing in his chest like her pain had been engraved in his heart. He didn¡¯t want to hurt her anymore. With a slight sigh, his car entered the parking lot of the time capsule park. The park looked tame, and it seemed like he was the only guest in the park this weekday. With a firm expression, he got out of the car and headed to the visitor¡¯s office. In a moment or so, he would know about the hidden meaning she mentioned in the past. Chapter 121 In the afternoon at the caf¨¦ on the first floor of the Consencio building. ¡°Does Eunyoung not want to drink coffee?¡± Sun brought two cups of coffee that Ari asked. Ari nodded slowly, furrowing her eyebrows. ¡°She looked so serious today. Maybe it¡¯s because of Ojae. I don¡¯t know.¡± Sun sat down with a shallow sigh. ¡°Hmm¡­ what¡¯s going on with her¡­¡± Ari repeated, not realizing the situation. ¡°¡­ There are probably some special circumstances that we don¡¯t know about.¡± Sun said like she understood Eunyoung. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure you are having a hard time too.¡± Ari looked at Sun and clicked her tongue. Sun turned her head with a bitter smile and looked out of the window. ¡°I want to know something.¡± Ari said. ¡°¡­ I hear that a lot today.¡± Sun mumbled to herself weakly. ¡°From who else?¡± ¡°¡­ No, nothing. What do you want to know?¡± Sun asked Air, changing the subject quickly. ¡°What part of Mr. Woo did you like?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°For me, the only thing I consider when I look for a man is the appearance. Unconditionally. However, I know that¡¯s not what you would look for¡­¡± Ari looked at her again, seemingly bewildered. ¡°What part of him exactly did you like?¡± Ari looked at Sun and asked carefully. Sun was briefly locked in her thoughts and started speaking with a blank face. ¡°¡­ He looked unhappy.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°He was handsome and pretended to be strong, but somehow, he looked as unhappy as I was.¡± Sun continued, recalling Gyeonhui¡¯s face when she met him for the first time at the meeting. She remembered him yelling, screaming, accusing people, and treating people wrongly as if he were being chased by something. ¡°I just felt he was pretending to be okay like I was, but he was struggling to push the misery out of his way.¡± After pausing for a moment, Sun struggled to speak again. ¡°So I thought maybe he would want at least one person in the world to know the pain that he held in his mind. Just like what I always wanted¡­¡± Hearing Sun¡¯s hard-to-speak words, Ari could no longer say anything. ¡°¡­ but, I was mistaken. I wasn¡¯t even able to handle my own pain.¡± Smiling bitterly, she slowly turned her head and looked out the window. The sunlight of the late afternoon caressed her face. Because of that, her struggling expression unraveled. Whenever she stayed still, her mind would be filled with thoughts about him. To stop herself from doing so, she had to focus on work without thinking. ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s go back to the office.¡± Sun rose from her seat, struggling to hide her sad expression. *** ¡®Geeek.¡¯ Gyeonhui carefully opened the door and entered the information center of the park. There was only one male employee inside of the center. ¡°Hello, welcome.¡± The male employee looked at Gyeonhui and greeted him with an accommodating expression. ¡°I came here to check my time capsule, but I¡¯ve forgotten the exact location of it,¡± Gyeonhui asked with an awkward look. ¡°Oh, okay. Wait a minute. May I have your name¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s Cheonsun.¡± ¡°Cheonsun¡­ Cheonsun¡­¡± The staff repeated her name and searched it through the system. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. There is no capsule under that name in the system.¡± Gyeonhui shook his head in wonder. ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­ Can you confirm it one more time with ¡®Gyeonhui Woo¡¯?¡± He asked again if there was any chance. ¡°Gyeonhui Woo¡­. Oh, yes. Here it is.¡± Hearing the staff, Gyeonhui bitterly smiled. ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± The staff gave him a map and explained the location of the capsule. ¡°Thank you.¡± When Gyeonhui checked the location, he turned and left the information center. In the middle of the large park, there was only one large pine tree standing tall. The pine tree that had seen him three years ago still looked the same. Stroking the pine tree with a bitter smile, he slowly stepped forward and headed to the circular marble area on the floor. On top of the marble that was supposed to be pushed in, there was a small hole where keys could be inserted. When Gyeonhui found the location where the staff directed him, he knelt down and inserted the key into the hole, and slowly turned it clockwise. ¡®Geeek.¡¯ Since it had been there for a long time, the keyhole was so stiff despite his firm grip. After a while, as the lid opened with a loud thud, Gyeonhui carefully pulled out the barrel from inside. Looking at it for a moment, he held up the barrel and headed to the bench next to the pine tree. ¡®When the coffee tree blooms later, let¡¯s come back here again together.¡¯ Suddenly he remembered what she had said in the past. ¡°¡­ I have not kept my promise again.¡± In retrospect, she often used to say, ¡°Together.¡± Sun used to say that she would always be with him when she was eating something delicious, and when she saw something funny, or when she went to a good place. Smiling bitterly, he closed his eyes and exhaled for a long time. After calming down, he slowly opened the lid of the barrel and pulled out the small box she had put in the barrel. He carefully opened the box and saw a small crocodile doll in the barrel. ¡°This is¡­¡± It was a character doll that they designed and made together in the past. With a bitter smile, Gyeonhui looked back into the barrel. ¡°Huh?¡± However, there was nothing inside of the barrel other than the doll. He looked back at the doll while furrowing his eyebrows. ¡°Well, is that it? Is it the hidden meaning?¡± It was a character that they designed and made together, but he didn¡¯t know what it truly meant, or why she had put this in the barrel. He rushed all the way to Gangwon province with a slim chance to find the hidden meaning, but he felt like he just obtained another puzzle to solve. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Looking at the doll, he was outraged and sighed for a long time. When he looked up at the sky, he realized that it was already going to be late in the afternoon soon. With a firm expression, he was forced to return to the parking lot with the doll. To be on time and not late for the dinner appointment with her, he had to diligently return to Seoul now. Chapter 122 *** ¡°Hah¡­¡± Ari sighed loudly as she stepped out of the elevator. ¡°Please don¡¯t ask Eunyoung anything useless, okay?¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a kid? I would never do anything like that.¡± Ari began to walk while pouting. However, she stopped walking when she saw a familiar figure standing and wandering at the entrance to the office. ¡°Huh? No. Isn¡¯t that Ojae?¡± ¡°¡­ I think you¡¯re right.¡± Ojae continued wandering in front of the door, without knowing what to do. ¡°Isn¡¯t he here to meet the boss?¡± Ari lowered her voice and asked Sun. ¡°You go in. Don¡¯t say anything to him.¡± ¡°No, go in with me.¡± ¡°Ari.¡± When Sun called Ari¡¯s name seriously with a low voice, Ari said, ¡°I got it. I¡¯m going in.¡± Ari made loud footsteps on purpose while pouting. ¡°Please get out of the way. I¡¯m going in.¡± Hearing Ari¡¯s offensive words, Ojae quickly stepped back. As Ari entered the office, Sun approached Ojae. ¡°Is there anything I can help you with?¡± ¡°¡­ Do you have a minute?¡± Sun nodded after hearing Ojae¡¯s question. The two moved to one side of the hallway, avoiding the people who were coming and going. After a long while, Ojae finally started speaking like he had finally built up his courage. ¡°Hmm. There is something that I would like to ask you.¡± Hearing the familiar question, Sun smiled bitterly. ¡°¡­ Do you know anything about Eunyoung¡¯s ex-husband?¡± ¡°¡­ Why are you asking about him?¡± ¡°Hah¡­¡± Ojae was so frustrated, and he unbuttoned his shirt. ¡°This is crazy.¡± He sighed and looked back at Sun. ¡°I actually like her. She¡¯s been in my mind.¡± His sudden confession made her eyes widen. She was so surprised. ¡°Oh, I know it¡¯s happening all the sudden. No, but actually it¡¯s not really sudden. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve liked her. I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m talking about now.¡± Ojae blamed himself, knuckling his own head for his unfortunate story. ¡°What happened to you yesterday?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Yesterday¡­¡± After a moment of waiting, Ojae carefully started speaking. ¡°Because her ex-husband kept calling her, it seemed like she did not really feel good about it. That¡¯s all I can tell you for now.¡± Hearing Ojae, Sun nodded. Sun sighed deeply because she knew about Eunyoung¡¯s wounds better than anyone else. ¡°I want to help her¡­ I¡¯m not sure what to do or how to help her¡­ That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking you.¡± He asked Sun with a firm expression as if he were determined. Looking at his face for a moment, she slowly started speaking. ¡°Last time I talked with you at the orphanage, you advised me that it¡¯s better to hear from Gyeonhui about what had happened to him in the past.¡± Ojae remembered what he had said on the day he went to the orphanage with her. ¡°Same to you. I think you should hear it from Eunyoung directly.¡± After hearing Sun, Ojae was discouraged by her face that was basically telling him to stop caring about Eunyoung anymore. ¡°And Eunyoung will overcome the trouble by herself. She¡¯s strong, so you don¡¯t need to worry about her so much.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Okay.¡± He bowed his head and answered weakly. ¡°However, if Eunyoung has someone like you beside her, she might get through the trouble better.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re a good person, but I hope that you will wait for her a little longer because she needs her own time too.¡± Her comforting words brightened Ojae¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re right. I should have waited for her¡­ I was in a hurry. Haha.¡± Ojae smiled awkwardly, scratching the hair on the back of his head. ¡°Thank you, Sun. I feel much better now.¡± ¡°No, I just told you the truth.¡± Sun said with a smile, but behind the smile, Ojae sensed an unknown pain from her. Ojae looked at her and asked carefully. ¡°¡­ Did you decide to meet him today?¡± ¡°¡­¡± She nodded slowly with a slightly firm expression. After a while, Ojae looked at her again, seemingly determined. ¡°Before you meet him tonight, I have something to show you.¡± Ojae¡¯s expression seemed grim. *** Through the hallway, the place where Ojae led her to was Gyeonhui¡¯s office. She had to hesitate to go into his office. ¡°This place is¡­¡± ¡°Oh, he¡¯s not here today. He¡¯s in Ganwon province now.¡± ¡°Gangwon province?¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯s been gone since this morning. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on with him all of a sudden. Come inside, please.¡± Ojae was holding the door for her by standing at the door; Sun reluctantly stepped forward and went inside of the office. ¡®Bang.¡¯ As soon as she entered, Ojae quickly closed the door. Sun slowly looked around his office. His clean and luxurious office was impressive with a contrasting black interior. ¡°This way, please.¡± Ojae guided her toward the window. ¡°This is it. This is what I wanted to show you.¡± Ojae pointed to the pot placed under the window. Following him, Sun also saw the pot. It was a coffee tree that had flowers bursting in bloom. ¡°¡­ This is¡­¡± As soon as she saw the tree, she knew that the coffee tree was the one she planted by herself for him in the past. The flower had never bloomed before but was now bursting in bloom, showing off its own beauty. Suddenly, she remembered a memory that she had already forgotten. No, actually, the memories that she tried not to remember and to push away came back to her mind. ¡®If the coffee tree flower blooms later, let¡¯s come back here together.¡¯ That bright moment and the happy memory with him was tucked into the back of her mind deeply. Sun was lost in thought for a while and started speaking. ¡°Where did Gyeonhui go, exactly?¡± Sun asked again about the place Gyeonhui had gone to. ¡°It was Gangwon-province. I think he said It was something about Jeonsun.¡± Ojae furrowed his eyebrows and answered like he didn¡¯t remember it clearly. ¡°Jeongsun¡­¡± She thought for a moment, repeating the name of the city. She thought that Gyeonhui still might have remembered the promise that they were supposed to revisit the city when the coffee tree flowers bloomed. Sun slowly shook her head. Firstly, she thought that he wasn¡¯t going to remember the promise, and secondly, he shouldn¡¯t have. After catching her breath, she approached the coffee tree. ¡°You finally bloomed, flower¡­¡± She said, covering the flowers with her hands carefully like she hadn¡¯t seen the coffee flower before. ¡°Is this the first time you saw the coffee flowers too?¡± Sun nodded slowly. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve seen it only in a book¡­¡± Chapter 123 When Ojae looked at her face, he slowly started speaking. ¡°This coffee tree has bloomed because Gyeonhui took care of it sincerely. Look at this.¡± Ojae pointed to the nutrients that were stuck in the pot. ¡°At first, he told me to throw it away and even to kill it. However, he doesn¡¯t even allow anyone to touch the pot.¡± She could say nothing. ¡°¡­ Why on earth is he doing this?¡± Sun said. Hearing her, Ojae started speaking slowly with a shallow sigh. ¡°Are you supposed to meet him tonight? Then please ask him why he does things that he has never done before.¡± Hearing Ojae, she felt like her heart was shattered and sore. ¡°JI just have one thing to ask you, Sun. Please don¡¯t look at him the way you thought of him in the past. He has changed; he¡¯s not the same guy you¡¯ve known anymore.¡± She closed her eyes after feeling the pain in her heart. Ojae also looked at her sadly without leaving her. ¡®Bang.¡¯ Then they heard the door opening. ¡°Huh? No one should be coming¡­¡± Ojae panicked and quickly looked back. A short time later, Ojae¡¯s face turned ashen, as soon as the door opened, and he saw the person who came into the office. ¡°Vice President¡­¡± The person who came into the office was Mrs. Shin, Gyeonhui¡¯s mother. Sun was embarrassed and looked at her without saying anything. Mrs. Shin also was looking at Sun silently with sharp eyes. *** ¡°Hah. Why is the traffic so heavy at this time?¡± Gyeonhui looked at the congested road and mumbled to himself in frustration. There was severe congestion on the highway because of the road construction for the Winter Olympics, and the massive car accident involving ten vehicles that crashed. He began to be impatient once he checked the time. He pressed the Bluetooth button and called Ojae. Ojae had always answered the phone before even the beep sounded twice, but this time, he didn¡¯t answer the phone until Gyeonhui heard the voice message prompt. ¡°What the hell is he doing?¡± He hung up the phone while he was furrowing his eyebrows. He exhaled for a long time as the cars on the road completely stopped. Time was running out, and the road conditions were the worst. He alternately looked between the road and his wristwatch; he turned his head and looked at the passenger seat. He saw the crocodile doll, and it seemed to be smiling at him. ¡°What are you laughing at? I¡¯m frustrated here.¡± He pushed the doll with his hands. The doll fell to the bottom of the seat. He turned his head and looked to the front after venting his anger on the doll. However, he leaned back to pick it up and put it back on the seat. He wasn¡¯t happy about it, so he sat it down straight, and even fastened it with the seatbelt as if he were treating it like a person. Looking at the doll satisfactorily, he suddenly burst out laughing in frustration. ¡°¡­ What am I doing now? Hah¡­¡± He sighed for a long time. However, his expression, while looking back at the doll, seemed more comfortable than before. *** As elegant as a chrysanthemum but cold like ice. It was Sun¡¯s first impression of Mrs. Shin when she saw the older lady for the first time. Her cold eyes were exuding insatiable energy. ¡°¡­ Nice to meet you.¡± Sun greeted her with the calmest voice she could muster. ¡°We¡¯ve met before.¡± Mrs. Shin was smiling, but her voice was cold. When Sun looked up again, Mr. Shin turned her attention to Ojae. ¡°It looks like Mr. Woo¡¯s gone again.¡± ¡°He is going to stop by the logistics center in Ansung. Haha¡­¡± Ojae smiled awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯ve come here from the logistic center.¡± Her cold voice made it feel like she knew everything. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Ojae¡¯s face turned pale and could not speak anymore. ¡°Being a CEO doesn¡¯t mean that he can do anything he wants¡­¡± Her words stung. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Shin.¡± You have nothing to apologize for. It¡¯s the irresponsible owner who did the wrong thing. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Mrs. Shin looked at Sun and asked. However, Mrs. Shin soon returned her attention to Ojae like she didn¡¯t expect an answer from Sun at all. ¡°Tell Gyeonhui to come and see me as soon as he comes back if he wants to keep sitting there as the CEO.¡± ¡°I will,¡± Ojae responded hastily. Mrs. Shin shifted her gaze and looked at Sun. It felt like she was a machine scanning Sun, evaluating a product with a cold gaze. It wasn¡¯t the eyes one would use when they looked at a person. Although it only lasted for a brief moment, Mrs. Shin¡¯s eyes were still breathlessly cold. ¡°I¡¯ll see you again.¡± With a brief smile, Mrs. Shin turned and exited the office. ¡®Bang.¡¯ ¡°Hah¡­¡± When Ojae heard the door closing, he exhaled for a long time. ¡°Sun, I¡¯m very sorry. I didn¡¯t expect her¡­¡± Ojae apologized to Sun feeling sorry for her. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll go back to my office then.¡± Sun smiled awkwardly as she left the office with Ojae. Sun noticed the back of Mrs. Shin, walking toward the elevator, far from the hallway. Her body was small, but it looked unshakable, and her perfectly formed back made Sun fully aware of why she was the vice president of the Lasung Group. At the same time, however, she abandoned her own son, Gyeonhui, and picked him up again and raised him to his current position. The indescribable emotions swirled in her mind, and it became more complicated. *** After barely escaping the high traffic area, Gyeonhui breathed a sigh. Hopefully, he could return to the office on time. Then, his cell phone rang. When he checked the caller, he quickly answered the phone with Bluetooth. ¡°What the hell are you doing? Do you have any idea how many times I¡¯ve called you!¡± Gyeonhui shouted as soon as Ojae answered the phone. ¡°There was a situation, so I couldn¡¯t answer your phone call.¡± ¡°What situation?¡± ¡°It was¡­ The vice president was here at your office.¡± Ojae¡¯s voice sank. Gyeonhui exhaled for a long time, breathing heavily, and started speaking again. ¡°¡­ What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t know, she told me that you need to see her as soon as you come back to the office if you want to keep your position¡­¡± Ojae carefully conveyed Mrs. Shin¡¯s words to Gyeonhui. ¡°Hah¡­¡± He exhaled a frustrating sigh. It was clear that she was not satisfied with his absence. Recently, he wasn¡¯t showing her anything productive at his job. He was only disappointing her. ¡°What about Sun? Aren¡¯t you meeting her today?¡± Gyeonhui clenched his molars tightly without answering. He pressed his chest and started speaking again. ¡°Did you do everything that I sent you?¡± ¡°Oh, yes, of course.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Gyeonhui then tried to hang up the phone. ¡°Hey, Gyeonhui.¡± Ojae urgently called him. ¡°What?¡± ¡°What are you going to do now? Are you going to go to the vice president?¡± Gyeonhui thought for a moment and slowly started speaking. ¡°No, I have to do something more important today.¡± When Gyeonhui finished speaking, he hung up the phone. Turning his head and looking at the crocodile doll, he stepped on the accelerator like he had determined something in his mind. Chapter 124 *** ¡®¡­ if he wants to stay in his position. ¡® Mrs. Shin¡¯s voice hovered in Sun¡¯s head. She had heard Mrs. Shin at Gyeonhui¡¯s house last time, but the conversation between the two was not something that anyone would listen to between parents and their children. Sun felt so sorry for how much Gyeonhui had been hurt and suffered from the cold and mean words coming from his own mother. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Sun sighed, feeling sorry for him. However, to cut off the thoughts about him, she began to draw her characters on her tablet, looking back at the monitor. ¡°You¡¯re almost shoving your face into the monitor.¡± Watching Sun next her, Ari said playfully. Sun looked at Ari and smiled weakly. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°¡­ No, nothing.¡± Sun said. ¡°What did Ojae say to you?¡± This time, Sun shook her head too. ¡°Then what¡¯s wrong with your face? It¡¯s been like that all day since you met Ojae.¡± Sun looked at the monitor for a moment and finally started speaking slowly. ¡°¡­ Are all the business conglomerates the same¡­?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Ari curiously asked. ¡°¡­ No, never mind.¡± Sun shook her head. ¡°Oh, come on. Just say it.¡± ¡°Ari Jo!¡± Still listening to the two of them, Eunyoung called Ari¡¯s name. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Stop bothering Sun.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not bothering her¡­. I¡¯m just trying to help her.¡± ¡°Leave her alone. That¡¯s what you can do to help her. Got it?¡± ¡°¡­ Okay.¡± Ari returned to her seat while pouting her lips out. Eunyoung started speaking as she saw Sun. ¡°Don¡¯t you have to leave soon to meet him tonight?¡± Hearing Eunyoung, Sun raised her head and confirmed what time it was. The time of the appointment with him tonight was approaching already. ¡°I didn¡¯t know the time had gone so fast already.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to go if you don¡¯t want to see him.¡± Hearing Eunyoung, Sun slowly shook her head. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s the last time.¡± She said with a bitter smile. Eunyoung was only looking at Sun quietly without saying anything. *** Gyeonhui hurriedly stepped into the office. ¡°You¡¯re here!¡± Ojae stood up and approached him as soon as he saw Gyeonhui. ¡°Where are the clothes?¡± ¡°Here they are.¡± Ojae gave him the shirt and the jacket that was prepared for him before he arrived at the office. ¡°Did you make the reservation?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s done.¡± Hearing Ojae, Gyeonhui took off the shirt that he was wearing. His muscular upper body revealed the floral pattern on his chest. As Gyeonhui looked in the mirror with a firm expression, he quickly wore the new shirt. ¡°I also investigated more about Sun¡¯s father.¡± Ojae also presented him with a report of his investigation throughout the day. Gyeonhui paused for a moment instead of buttoning the shirts and looked at the report slowly. ¡°He was a coffee barista, but it seemed like his business didn¡¯t work out very well. He paid the bills, but that was it. There is one thing you need to see. Look at the bottom of the report.¡± Gyeonhui read down to where Ojae pointed. ¡°He went to Santiago in Chile, and walked there after his wife, Sun¡¯s mother, died.¡± Hearing Ojae, Gyeonhui¡¯s face hardened. ¡°¡­ So?¡± Gyeonhui became overwhelmed after knowing more about Sun¡¯s story that he had never heard before. ¡°Sun was¡­¡± Gyeonhui mumbled to himself with a firm expression. ¡°What?¡± Ojae asked. ¡°The trail in Santiago was where her father walked through to fight the loss of his wife. Sun also had the same determination, just like her father, and went there to break up with me.¡± Speaking to Ojae, Gyeonhui¡¯s face hardened more. ¡°Hah¡­¡± After Gyeonhui sighed, he wore his shirt and the jacket. He looked in the mirror for a moment and asked, ¡°Do I look okay?¡± ¡°Yes. You look great.¡± Ojae was surprised by such a strange question. He hurriedly answered Gyeonhui. ¡°Are you sure I look great?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Even hearing Ojae, Gyeonhui¡¯s expression looked nervous. ¡°But why do you care so much about how you look? You never cared about it before. It¡¯s not like you at all.¡± Ojae couldn¡¯t resist his curiosity and asked him carefully. He looked at himself in the mirror and slowly started speaking. ¡°¡­ Because maybe this is our last time together.¡± In front of the CEO¡¯s private elevator. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Perhaps the thought that this might be their last moment together, shallow sighs constantly leaked out of his mouth. ¡®Dring.¡¯ A short time later, he heard the sound which told him that his private elevator had arrived. When he was about to get on the elevator, a vibration rang on Ojae¡¯s phone next to Gyeonhui. ¡°Dr. Seo?¡± When Ojae confirmed the caller, he was surprised because it was unusual. ¡®I¡¯m sure he contacted us because of the blood transfusion¡­¡¯ Hearing the words¡¯ Dr. Seo¡¯ from Ojae, Gyeonhui¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Hello, Dr. Seo¡­ What? Really?¡± Ojae¡¯s expression, while talking on the phone, distorted. ¡°¡­ Okay, I ¡­I understand.¡± After Ojae hung up the phone with Dr. Seo, his face was entirely distorted. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Gyeonhui felt an ominous energy and asked Ojae. ¡°¡­ The president¡­ your grandpa wants to see you¡­¡± ¡°¡­ What?¡± Gyeonhui frowned as if he had heard it wrong. ¡°You have to go now. The president is looking for you.¡± Hearing Ojae¡¯s words again, Gyeonhui¡¯s eyes started shaking as if he had heard something unbelievable. *** Down a road that was a short distance from the Consencio building. Sitting on a bench and waiting for him, Sun confirmed the time. The appointment time that she was supposed to see him was 10 minutes ago, but she could not see him coming. ¡®Did something happen to him?¡¯ Feeling this unknown sense of anxiety, she kept looking at the road with anxiety. ¡°Hey, hey, Sun!¡± At that time, she heard Ojae rushing from afar. ¡°Huck, Huck.¡± When Ojae stopped right before her, he breathed roughly because he was running at almost deadly speed to get to her. It wasn¡¯t easy for him to catch his breath. ¡°Please, huck, huck, please wait, huck, for him,¡± Ojae said urgently. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Her anxiety strengthened when she saw Ojae instead of Gyeonhui. ¡°The president of the company is looking for Gyeonhui now. Huck, Huck.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°He went to his grandpa, the president.¡± ¡°¡­ His¡­ grandpa?¡± It was information about his family that she had rarely heard from Gyeonhui. Looking at her surprised face, Ojae only nodded slowly because he was so exhausted and had no energy to explain to her. Chapter 125 *** Gyeonhui hurriedly opened the door and entered the room to see Dr. Seo. The doctor saw him and said, ¡°You¡¯ve come sooner than I expected.¡± ¡°What happened to my grandpa?¡± Gyeonhui looked at Dr. Seo and asked, seemingly outraged. It didn¡¯t make any sense to Gyeonhui that the president who was unconscious due to dementia would look for him. ¡°Sometimes, he is unconscious. Come on. We don¡¯t have much time.¡± Dr. Seo pointed to president Woo, who was lying on the bed. Gyeonhui turned and slowly approached the president Woo. He was one of a few family members he had who was still alive, and the owner of one of the largest groups in Korea. In short, the giant that dominated the Republic of Korea¡¯s economy had become a shabby elderly man with dementia. His sick and runty appearance had changed a lot since before the time he was ill. Chairman Woo had not seen much affection from Gyeonhui, but Gyeonhui¡¯s heart was hurt by looking at his own family member dying. ¡°¡­ Chairman¡­¡± Gyeonhui carefully called President Woo. Gyeonhui was more familiar with uttering the president¡¯s title rather than calling him his grandfather. When Chairman Woo heard Gyeonhui¡¯s voice, his eyelids faltered. ¡°Gyeonhui¡­¡± A sputum-filled voice leaked. President Woo flinched his rough hand, but it couldn¡¯t reach Gyeonhui as if his strength had been stricken. Gyeonhui read his intention, and he reached out before gently holding Chairman Woo¡¯s hand. ¡°¡­ Gyeonhui¡­ You¡¯ve all grown up now¡­¡± President Woo struggled to speak, relying on his respirator. ¡°¡­ President.¡± Gyeonhui could not say anything other than that since he knew better than anyone that saying that he would be okay meant nothing anymore to President Woo. ¡°Where is your mom?¡± Chairman Woo looked for Mrs. Shin. Gyeonhui looked at Dr. Seo with a firm expression. ¡°We¡¯ve contacted her¡­ but¡­¡± When Gyeonhui watched Dr. Seo blurt the end of his words, Gyeonhui looked back at Chairman Woo. The chairman looked at him with sympathy, and he struggled to open his mouth. ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t blame your mom.¡± ¡°¡­ Sorry?¡± Gyeonhui couldn¡¯t understand the chairman¡¯s intentions even after hearing his words; Gyeonhui asked him while furrowing his eyebrows. ¡°Everything is my fault, and I deserve this¡­ So Please¡­ don¡¯t blame¡­ your mom¡­¡± Breathing roughly, the chairman¡¯s neck fell weakly. ¡°Dr¡­ Dr. Seo!¡± Gyeonhui panicked and called Dr. Seo in a hurry. Dr. Seo and the nurses rushed to check Chairman Woo¡¯s pupils. When they checked his vitals and heart rate, he started speaking with a sinking expression. ¡°He lost consciousness.¡± Chairman Woo managed to speak at least but fell asleep again, and no one knew when he would awaken. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Gyeonhui exhaled a heavy sigh. Then the door of the room opened, and Mrs. Shin entered. ¡°Has he passed away?¡± As soon as Mrs. Shin saw Dr. Seo, she first asked him if the chairman had passed away. ¡°No, He just lost consciousness again.¡± Dr. Seo answered cautiously. ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡± Her response was filled with relief, but it somehow had a strange feeling. ¡°He should not leave us yet. Dr. Seo, please take care of him more.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Dr. Seo answered with a firm expression. Mrs. Shin quickly turned her head and started speaking to Gyeonhui. ¡°And, can you just leave us here for a moment?¡± Hearing her, Dr. Seo and the nurses left. The only conscious people left in the room were Gyeonhui and Mrs. Shin. When she saw that they were all out, she slowly started speaking. ¡°Has your assistant not delivered my message, or do you not want the position as the CEO of Consencio anymore? Which one is it?.¡± Hearing her cold voice, he felt like she always pierced his heart at every chance she could make. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s not both.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you come to me?¡± She asked again, not knowing the answer. ¡°I have to do something more important rather than to visit you.¡± Hearing his answer, Mrs. Shin smiled. ¡°Because of her?¡± He didn¡¯t answer. Mrs. Shin was still looking at him and started speaking bitterly. ¡°¡­ You¡¯re thoughtless, like a child, same as your father.¡± Her eyes were full of pain, one that Gyeonhui had never seen before. However, her sad eyes did not last long. In an instant, she returned into her own cold-eyed self. ¡°There will be an official meeting with the board of directors soon. I think the position of a CEO doesn¡¯t suit you well.¡± He couldn¡¯t say anything to her. Mrs. Shin was a person who could really fire him with her power. ¡°Get out.¡± Hearing her cold words, Gyeonhui turned and exited the room. When he came out to the hallway, he leaned against the wall. ¡°Do you really not want me to blame her? Hah¡­¡± His face was full of resentment as he sighed. He clenched his fists and raised his head up before breathing for a long time and looking towards the ceiling. After a moment, he quickly turned and stepped out to the hall. He still had to see someone. *** ¡°There is no sign of recovery, but he still has consciousness¡­¡± When Ojae explained what had happened to Gyeonhui, he carefully looked at Sun¡¯s expression. It was the first time she had heard about his father, who passed away, and his grandfather that was in critical condition. ¡®What did we do for three years¡­?¡¯ They didn¡¯t even know each other¡¯s blood type, their family, or their own wounds. She closed her eyes with a heavy heart. Sun was about to stand from her seat because of this unbearable suffering. ¡°Hey, Sun. He¡¯s coming soon. Please wait for him¡­¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry. Mr. Kwon.¡± When Ojae saw her heavy face, he knew that he could no longer stop her. When she was silenced in honor of Gyeonhui¡¯s grandpa, Sun turned and got in a taxi that had just arrived. Ojae had no choice but to look at the taxi that was going away while biting his lower lip. ¡°Hah. Why is he so late?¡± Ojae frowned and scratched his hair vigorously, seemingly outraged. ¡®Geeeek.¡¯ At that time, a car stopped in front of him. It was Gyeonhui. When Gyeonhui got out of the car, he hurriedly approached Ojae. ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°She just took a taxi. Why were you so late?¡± Instead of answering, Gyeonhui quickly got in the car and left. ¡®Buaang.¡¯ With the loud sound of the engine, the car moved away at high speed. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Ojae watched Gyeonhui¡¯s car going away with sympathy. ¡°I hope you find a way with her¡­¡± Standing there for a long time anxiously, Ojae watched the car disappear. Soon when Gyeonhui¡¯s car was not visible anymore, Ojae slowly turned. He looked up and noticed that the Consencio building was still brightly lit. ¡°¡­ Would she still be there?¡± He thought for a moment with a firm expression and started walking to the other side of the building. Chapter 126 *** ¡°Is it already time to go home?¡± Eunyoung said after confirming the time. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s time to go home,¡± Ari said, pouting her lips like she still felt terrible about getting yelled at a while ago. Watching Ari doing so, Eunyoung smiled. She then slowly approached and held her shoulder. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± Ari said. ¡°Because I like you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me. I¡¯m the one who causes trouble all the time.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re not a troublemaker. I¡¯m so happy to have you here.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± Ari complained about it, but she seemed to loosen up a little. Her tone softened a lot more than before. ¡°I¡¯m honestly worried about Sun so much. All I did was just try to help her. I¡¯m not sure why you are always hard on me all the time.¡± ¡°I know. I understand.¡± Eunyoung said while stroking Ari¡¯s head. ¡°But when it comes to someone¡¯s wound, you need to have more patience. If you try to fix it, they get hurt more.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°Just give her some more time and wait for her until she gets over it herself.¡± After a moment of thought, Ari nodded slowly, agreeing with Eunyoung. ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you go home and rest? I still have some work left.¡± ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll go home without refusing your generous suggestion.¡± Ari grabbed her bag quickly and tried to leave the office. ¡°Oh, wait.¡± Ari stopped for a moment at the door and then turned to look at Eunyoung. ¡°In that sense, I hope you can overcome yours too. Quickly. You can do it!¡± Ari clenched her fists cutely and disappeared like she was running away. ¡°You little¡­!¡± Eunyoung smiled and sat down again. ¡°Hah¡­¡± There was no one in the office other than the sound of a ticking clock. Eunyoung felt her mind had emptied at that moment. While smirking, she shook her head and went back to work, looking at the monitor. ¡®Knock. Knock.¡¯ Eunyoung was surprised by the strange knocking sound, so she looked up. The person who came in when the door opened was Ojae. ¡°Hmm. Hmm.¡± He cleared his throat awkwardly. ¡°Are you alone?¡± ¡°Yes, how can I help you?¡± Eunyoung didn¡¯t even look at him and asked him in a blunt tone. ¡°Well, do you have a minute to talk?¡± ¡°No. As you can see, I¡¯m busy.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Ojae nodded, feeling rejected. He paused for a moment, and suddenly, he approached her. ¡°Well, take this. It will warm you up.¡± He put a paper bag on her desk and fled the office. ¡°Hey, hey! Mr. Kwon!¡± She called him when she saw the bag, but Ojae had already left the office. With a slight sigh, Eunyoung looked inside the bag he had left behind. It contained a Korean sausage soup with rice that had just been wrapped to be taken out. ¡°Really? Sundae-kukbob?¡± Eunyoung smiled incredulously. She shook her head and looked back at the door that he had left. ¡°Why are you doing this¡­¡± Looking at the soup for a moment, she sat down, unwrapped the soup, and lifted the spoon. As the hot broth went into her body, her whole body felt warm. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be warm like you said.¡± A slight smile formed on her face eventually. *** When Sun left the taxi, she walked down the alley slowly and weakly. Gyeonhui¡¯s wound was all about him being abandoned by his mother and his troubled relationship with his grandfather and mother. His wounds that she had known about for just over a few days were more awful than the time she had spent during the last three years of their relationship. ¡°Hah¡­¡± She sighed for a long time. Then headlights fell upon her. She looked at the car while covering her eyes. A short time later, the car door opened, and a tall man came down. He slowly approached her. ¡°¡­ Cheonsun.¡± The only man that would know her full name. It was Gyeonhui. She looked up at him silently with a firm expression. ¡°I told you to wait. Why did you leave¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡± Gyeonhui frowned when she interrupted his words. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Waiting for you. I¡¯m tired of doing that. I don¡¯t want to do it anymore!¡± Realizing the true meaning of her words, he clenched his molars. ¡°This is different than before. There was a situation I had to go to¡­ Hah¡­¡± Hearing his own words, which sounded like an excuse, he quickly shut his mouth. ¡°Get in the car. I need to talk with you.¡± He tried to hold her hand, but she refused. ¡°If you want to say something, do it right here.¡± She looked up at him and asked boldly. He struggled to press down the anger in his mind and slowly started to speak again. ¡°Let¡¯s have a cup of coffee. That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Coffee?¡± ¡°Yes. Coffee.¡± ¡°¡­ Do you really want to have coffee in this situation?¡± She said, unable to grasp his logic. He paused for a moment, and he looked at her again. He strengthened the volume of his voice and struggled to speak to her again. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ve been thinking about you.¡± His calm voice was conveyed to her. ¡°Dealing with this breakup was the most challenging thing I have ever done. I miss the times when we had a cup of coffee and talked!¡± Her eyes shook because of the honesty that he conveyed to her without missing anything. He looked at her with his eyes welling up. ¡°I thought drinking a cup of coffee with you felt like a routine. When I spent my time with you, it felt like you depended on me at that time¡­ at least that¡¯s what it felt like to me.¡± He seemed to be lost in his thoughts and blurred the end of his words. He quickly spoke again. ¡°When I broke up with you, everything that we did, all of it turned into nothing.¡± His bitter smile clearly reminded him of his regret. With the feeling of his sinking heart falling endlessly, a burning sensation consumed his chest. ¡°It was so obvious¡­ but¡­¡± His words kept hovering in her ears. There was a particular time in their relationship when meeting, talking, and spending time together was an obvious thing for them to do whenever they meet. Once she woke up, she would check her phone, and the text he had sent the night before always made her heart warm like the bright sunshine in the morning. ¡®Gyeonhui, did you sleep well last night?¡¯ Whenever she asked, his answer would always be the same. ¡®I¡¯m getting ready to go to work.¡¯ Even his careless answers every day still became a happy memory. Listening to his voice every morning was a part of her schedule every day, and it was the few happy moments she would do to start the day. However, the things she had once expected to make her happy would all crumble into dust. Chapter 127 When Sun had decided to break up with Gyeonhui and went to Santiago in Chile, she realized the change resentfully. She grabbed her phone in the morning to text good morning to him, but she had to put it down when she realized that she was in Santiago. It was such a significant change, similar to the strange feeling she had living in a foreign country. The worse thing than the wound that he gave to her was her own miserable mind that still missed him so much. Sun exhaled a long sigh because of the memories that she never wanted to recall again. To calm herself down, she struggled. ¡°Just stay with me for a moment. That¡¯s all I¡¯m asking you. Please.¡± He calmly pleaded with her. Her mind barely calmed down while she started shaking again because of the one word from him. She knew she had to refuse it, but her body was already turning his way. With a firm expression, she went past him and headed toward his car. Gyeonhui stayed there and watched her back as she got into the car. ¡°Hah¡­¡± He clenched his chest with a distorted look on his face. Because of the terrible pain that was conveyed to him, his face hardened. *** Ojae passed the Kiz Fan office, pretending like he was reviewing the documents in his hand. When he snuck a look into the office, he realized that the lights in the office were still open, but the door was shut tightly. Ojae went to the end of the hallway and turned around. He walked towards the Kiz Fan office and passed it again. He had no idea how many times he had repeatedly walked around the office. ¡°Did she eat it?¡± Ojae lifted his heels to look inside the office. ¡®Bang.¡¯ The office door was unexpectedly opened all of a sudden. Ojae was so surprised and froze at that moment without being able to run away. Eunyoung opened the door, came out of the office, and started asking Ojae once she saw him, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I¡­ I was just passing by. Hmm. Hmm.¡± ¡°Okay, then go on.¡± ¡°What? Oh, yes.¡± Ojae tried to walk away when he awkwardly greeted her. However, he turned his body and looked at her again, not wanting to go. ¡°Do you have anything to say to me?¡± Eunyoung said bluntly. ¡°No, I don¡¯t. I¡¯ll see you around.¡± Ojae was embarrassed and said goodbye awkwardly before turning his body around. ¡°Why can¡¯t you just ask her if she enjoyed the soup¡­ you idiot.¡± Ojae stopped walking and blamed himself for not being able to say even a word to her. ¡°Excuse me?¡± Behind him, he heard her voice. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It was great.¡± ¡°Did, did you eat it?¡± ¡°Would you rather see me dump it into the garbage instead?¡± ¡°No, you shouldn¡¯t waste it. Haha..¡± Ojae smiled awkwardly while scratching his hair. ¡°Are you busy?¡± Eunyoung asked him while looking at the documents in his hand. ¡°I suddenly have to do something. Haha.¡± Ojae quickly made up a story and said. ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m sorry. I was about to ask you for a drink if you weren¡¯t busy. Maybe next time. Bye.¡± She turned her body like it didn¡¯t bother her at all. ¡°Wait!¡± Ojae called and stopped her. He approached her quickly. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± ¡°You just said that you¡¯re busy.¡± ¡°I can do this tomorrow. Haha.¡± ¡°Are you sure? Then why did you stay at work so late?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m a person that does things in advance all the time. Hearing him, Eunyoung started speaking again in doubt. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not going to be in trouble with Mr. Woo?¡± ¡°Trouble with him? No, I actually control him when it¡¯s just the two of us. He seems to be strict with me only when there are people around us.¡± Ojae answered, pretending like he was strong. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s true¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t? Why would I lie to you? Hmm. Hmm.¡± ¡°You can always make up false info about someone whenever they aren¡¯t around, you know?¡± Ojae justified his own action and lifted up his chin awkwardly like he did the right thing. ¡°If you say so, then that¡¯s okay. Let¡¯s go.¡± Eunyoung turned and went to the elevator. Ojae was so excited and clenched his two fists before quickly following her. After a moment, the elevator went to its destination, and the two of them got out of the elevator. When he was walking through the lobby with Eunyoung in excitement, a lady had passed by them. He smelt a familiar scent from the lady that was wearing very dark sunglasses. ¡°Hmm?¡± It was the perfume that his ex-girlfriend Sarah used to have. Ojae was surprised and turned his head before looking at the woman. The lady looked very familiar, somehow. She moved far away, and once she turned into a corner, she disappeared. Ojae was lost in thought for a while but soon shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s no way Sarah would come here. I must have seen something wrong.¡± He mumbled to himself with a smirk in disbelief. ¡°Are you coming?¡± ¡°What? Oh, yes. I¡¯m coming.¡± Something felt strange, but he started walking again toward Eunyoung, who was waiting for him. *** The coffee in the cup was already empty for a while now. They could only hear tranquil, soft, flowing music in the caf¨¦ since the two of them were only the ones in the caf¨¦. ¡°¡­ Do you have anything to say?¡± Gyeonhui then broke the silence. Sun¡¯s lips twitched, wanting to say something. She had so much to ask and talk about, but she couldn¡¯t say anything¡ªnot even a word. ¡°¡­ You said you have something to tell me.¡± She said, struggling to let the words flow. ¡°¡­ Yes, that¡¯s true.¡± A bitter smile crept upon his face. Looking at him, Sun started speaking. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you went to Jeongsun.¡± As soon as he heard her, his face hardened. Ojae must have told her everything. Gyeonhui nodded instead of answering. ¡°Why did you go there?¡± Hearing her question, Gyeonhui looked at the bag that was beside him with a firm expression. The doll that he brought from Jeongsun was in the bag, but he didn¡¯t know what to do with it. He was still debating whether to give it back to her or bury it in the capsule again. ¡°¡­ It was just a business trip.¡± He decided to lie to her. Perhaps she believed his lie, for she seemed to be relieved. However, when he saw her face, his face sunk deeper. ¡°If you finished your coffee, then I¡¯ll go home.¡± Sun said. ¡°We¡­ do we really have to break up?¡± His words felt like it was banging her heart with a hammer. ¡°I understand that I¡¯ve done wrong to you, but I¡¯m not sure we have to break up because of that.¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m really tired of listening to that again.¡± Chapter 128 Sun struggled. After calming down and looking at Gyeonhui again, she spoke, ¡°We have to break up precisely because we have no reason to continue it any further.¡± Hearing her cold words, Gyeonhui¡¯s eyes were shaken. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s easy for you.¡± ¡°No, it was never easy.¡± She looked at him with calm eyes. ¡°You have no idea what I was going through while I was walking the trail in Santiago. I wanted to die, but I still hung in there and went through the pain all by myself. I walked all the way until the end with all my might to forget about you. How dare you tell me that it was easy for me. It¡¯s easy for you to tell me to break up and start the relationship again.¡± Hearing her resentful words, Gyeonhui also felt frustrated. ¡°Let¡¯s make one thing clear. Deciding to break up with me was easy for you. I only told you to wait¡­¡± He accidentally said although he didn¡¯t mean it. He shut his mouth quickly, but it was too late. ¡°Haha.¡± She was outraged and burst out with a smile. ¡°You told me to wait until you return to me, but that¡¯s worse than telling me to break up with you. You have no right to accuse me. What you did to me stabbed me and forced me to bear the pain. You waited for me, hoping that I would get impatient and finally tell you to break up before you do so because you don¡¯t want to get the blame.¡± ¡°¡­. That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± ¡°¡­ Maybe you didn¡¯t.¡± She tried to be as calm as possible. After catching her breath, she started speaking again. ¡°No matter what happened, I¡¯m fine now. I¡¯ve forgotten all about you, and I¡¯ll be moving on, so let¡¯s stop this.¡± She grabbed her bags and said, ¡°I appreciate what you did today, and please don¡¯t call me anymore.¡± She stood up from her seat without hearing Gyeonhui¡¯s answer. ¡®Dring.¡¯ She left the cafe with the doorbell sound. He wanted to stop her at that moment, but he couldn¡¯t. ¡°Hah¡­¡± He felt his heart shatter as he struggled to breathe. ¡°Why did I say that to her¡­ aww¡­¡± He terribly regretted what he just told her. However, he couldn¡¯t take it back anymore. He just wished to stop her suffering. He was so frustrated and took out the doll from his bag. The doll that didn¡¯t know anything was smiling at him. It seemed like he could see her smiling face over the doll¡¯s face. He clenched the doll by biting his lower lip painfully. However, at the moment, he heard some strange sounds from somewhere near him. ¡°Ah, ah.¡± Hearing the clearing of his throat, he was surprised and took a look around in the cafe. However, he was the only one there in the cafe. ¡°What was that?¡± It was like a ghost was possessing him. ¡°Ah, ah.¡± He heard the same sound again. This time, he figured out where the sound was coming from. It was from the doll that he was holding in his hand. He looked at the doll quietly. It was a doll that had a recorder on its chest with a button. Since he squeezed it so hard, he must have accidentally activated the recording. ¡°No way¡­¡± Gyeonhui carefully reached out to the doll and pushed the button. ¡°Ah, ah. Hello Gyeonhui, it¡¯s me.¡± The quality of the sound wasn¡¯t excellent, but it was definitely her voice. His face became grave. ¡°When you hear this voice message, I¡¯m sure the coffee flower has bloomed? How much more will we love each other at that time? He recalled her happy face. While he was listening to the voice message and he exhaled a slight sigh while closing his eyes. ¡®Waiting for you felt like you¡¯re stabbing me with a knife and forcing me to bear the pain.¡¯ She only expected love and happiness from him, but what he did in return was something awful. He felt so sorry for her. ¡°Wait, you said, you wanted to know the hidden meaning of the coffee tree? I¡¯ll tell you now why I wanted to see the flower so bad.¡± After pausing a moment, her voice flowed. Gyeonhui paid attention to the voice recording after exhaling a shallow sigh. ¡°The language of the coffee flower is ¡®love even your pain.¡¯ I would like to love you, even your pain, for many years to come.¡± While listening to her voice, his face became even more hardened. ¡°I don¡¯t want to forget my love for you, so I¡¯m putting it into the time capsule. Am I still loving you in the future?¡± He couldn¡¯t answer the question that had just been flung to him. At that moment, he recalled something that Sun had told him in the past. ¡°Was this the reason¡­?¡± He didn¡¯t know what to say; he could only clench his fist. His face distorted because of his memory that came to mind in hindsight. When he raised his head up, he ran out of the cafe. He started running towards her. Last year, winter. ¡°It¡¯s been more than 1,000 days¡­¡± Sun mumbled to herself while looking at the coffee tree for a while. It had been more than 1,000 days, but there was no sign of a blooming flower from the tree at all. ¡°Is the flower really going to bloom? Are you sure? Hearing Gyeonhui¡¯s careless question, she slowly nodded. ¡°I really wanted to see it¡­¡± She had a sullen face as she spoke to him. Gyeonhui did not really care about it much, and he was only looking at the documents in his hand. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the coffee flower has a special meaning to it?¡± After hearing his question, she became excited and approached him quickly with a smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that you still remembered it.¡± ¡°Well, you said it was very important to you,¡± Gyeonhui answered nonchalantly. She then started speaking slowly with a smile on her face. ¡°The language of the coffee flower is to ¡®love even your pain.¡¯ ¡°What kind of meaning is that?¡± ¡°Why? Isn¡¯t that so cool?¡± Gyeonhui only furrowed his eyebrows like he couldn¡¯t understand it. ¡°Like ¡®loving someone forever¡¯ or ¡®loving someone until the day I die,¡¯ I really couldn¡¯t feel anything from them because they sound like something impossible. However, ¡®love even your pain¡¯ sounded like something I can start doing realistically. That¡¯s why I liked it.¡± She wrapped his arm with her arms and looked at him with affection. ¡°¡­ I love you, even your pain. I really mean it.¡± Chapter 129 *** When he came out of the caf¨¦, he looked down at the doll in his hand. ¡®I would like to love you, even your pain.¡¯ Her voice didn¡¯t leave his ear. ¡°She couldn¡¯t have gone far yet¡­¡± He became impatient. ¡°Where did she go?¡± Gyeonhui grew frustrated and mumbled to himself. Because of the words that Sun said to convey her pain, Gyeonhui was still struggling to breathe. However, his head wasn¡¯t filled with the pain that bothered him but his worries about her. ¡°Cheonsun¡­¡± At that moment, he saw her at the end of the road. Without hesitating, he started running toward her. *** ¡°Hmm.¡± Ojae kept looking at his phone like he was worried about something. ¡°Are you expecting a call?¡± Eunyoung glanced at him and asked. ¡°Well¡­¡± After hesitating, he struggled to speak. ¡°Gyeonhui is with her now.¡± Ojae carefully said to Eunyoung with a concerned look on his face. Eunyoung nodded like she was aware of it too. ¡°Did you know that they were going to meet tonight?¡± ¡°I heard from Sun today.¡± ¡°Sun also told you too.¡± ¡°Are you worried about them?¡± ¡°Sure¡­ are you not?¡± ¡°I am too, but not as much as you are.¡± Eunyoung smiled and filled up his glass. Ojae emptied the last of it at once with a shallow sigh. ¡°For me, Gyeonhui is like a brother.¡± ¡°You mean, Mr. Woo?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Ojae said bitterly. ¡°He wasn¡¯t like who he is now when we were young. It¡¯s all because of the wounds in his mind.¡± ¡°How about you, Ojae?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Were you like this when you were young? Do you also worry about someone else more than yourself?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just nosy. I grew up alone, so once I feel a connection with someone, I feel like those people are no longer strangers to me.¡± Ojae scratched his hair awkwardly. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad thing.¡± ¡°Sorry, what¡¯s not bad?¡± ¡°Being nosy. I¡¯ve gotten help from you because you¡¯re nosy.¡± Watching her smiling, Ojae smiled too. Ojae soon became calm and moved his lips like he had questions to ask. When he was lost in thought for a long time, he finally started speaking. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry to ask this, but¡­ did we really have sex that night?¡± ¡°Why do you want to know?¡± ¡°Well, I was blacked out and really don¡¯t remember anything about what happened that night.¡± Ojae struggled to recall the day while furrowing his eyebrows. ¡°Do you feel bad about it because you remember nothing? Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t have any intention of sleeping with you ever again.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡± ¡°Then what? Are you not satisfied? Ojae had to swallow his salvia intensely while looking at Eunyoung¡¯s eyes. ¡°I would understand if you¡¯re not satisfied.¡± Eunyoung giggled and said to him. ¡°Why is that?¡± Hearing Ojae¡¯s earnest voice, she showed a bit of shock and looked at him. ¡°I told you that I won¡¯t sleep with you ever again. I was drunk, and I made a mistake.¡± ¡°M¡­ mistake?¡± ¡°Sure, then did you do it on purpose?¡± ¡°No, absolutely not, just¡­¡± ¡°It was just an accident¡ªjust a happening. So why don¡¯t we forget about it forever, okay?¡± Smiling bitterly, Eunyoung emptied the glass at once and stood from her seat. ¡°I wanted to have a drink with you because I don¡¯t want to cause any misunderstanding. I¡¯ll see you around then.¡± At that moment, Ojae grabbed her hands when she turned her body. Eunyoung was very surprised before looking at him and at her own hands that he was holding. ¡°¡­ Is it wrong to misunderstand? ¡°What?¡± Eunyoung asked him this time. Ojae seemed frustrated and gulped the water beside him. After barely catching his breath, he started speaking again with a firm expression. ¡°I like you.¡± Eunyoung¡¯s eyes shook over his sudden confession. ¡°I¡¯m not doing this because I want to sleep with you again, nor do I think you¡¯re easy to sleep with. I just like you.¡± When he finished his confession, he looked at her face carefully. ¡°So what?¡± Hearing her calm question, Ojae felt a little embarrassed and started speaking again. ¡°So¡­ what I¡¯m trying to say is¡­¡± ¡°You want to be my boyfriend, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Hah¡­ Well¡­ Sort of¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re confessing?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes¡­¡± ¡°Hum¡­¡± With her arms crossed, Eunyoung closed her eyes. When she was finally lost in thought, she opened her eyes again. ¡°I barely know you, so it¡¯s hard to believe you, and your confession felt way too impatient¡­¡± ¡°No, this is not a thing I decided suddenly. I¡¯ve liked you for a long time now¡­¡± Ojae answered in a hurry. Eunyoung crossed her arms again and looked at him. Ojae looked so nervous as he swallowed his saliva. ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t want to start any special relationship with you.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± Ojae couldn¡¯t hide the disappointment on his face. ¡°I would like to be your friend. I always hoped to have a friend like you.¡± ¡°Friend? Haha¡­ that sounds great. Haha¡­ Haha¡­¡± He smiled awkwardly, but his face was filled with disappointment. ¡°I¡¯ll see you around then.¡± After Eunyoung smirked and turned around while Ojae dropped his head. On her way to get out of the bar, Eunyoung turned around and looked at him. ¡°But he sometimes acts like a real man.¡± Eunyoung mumbled to herself and exited the bar soon. *** ¡°Hah, Hah.¡± As soon as she turned the corner of the street, she struggled to breathe while leaning against the wall. It wasn¡¯t exactly because she was out of air; it was just that, somehow, she couldn¡¯t breathe well. She tried to tap her heart with her small fist, but her mind was so hazy that it made her feel like she¡¯s going through some indigestion. It was frustrating. ¡°Cheonsun.¡± She heard a voice that was calling her name from behind her. She stood up immediately without looking at him because she knew it was Gyeonhui. She tried to move a step to stay away from him. ¡°Are you running away from me?¡± Although she heard his voice again, she still hurriedly wanted to walk away. ¡°You said you¡¯re going to love me, even my pain!¡± She stopped when she heard his plea. ¡®I would like to love you, even your pain.¡¯ At that moment, she recalled the moment she confessed to him in the past. ¡°¡­ People say sweet things when they love each other.¡± Her voice was trembling, but she still refused to turn towards him. ¡°No, you¡¯re different than others.¡± He started to speak again while approaching her slowly. ¡°I didn¡¯t believe you when you said it because I didn¡¯t think humans were kind enough to love even someone¡¯s sickness or pain. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t care and had forgotten about it until now.¡± He embraced her from behind. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, but now I know how much you loved me and how happy I am because of you.¡± Hearing the word ¡®happiness¡¯ from him made her eyes shake vigorously. Chapter 130 Chapter 130: Chapter 130. ¡°I know how much you¡¯ve suffered because of my wounds and how much I made you suffer. Now, I know it all.¡± However, after a long time, she didn¡¯t turn around. ¡°Sun¡­¡± He called her name again. She turned and glared at him with resentful anger and then slapped his face. ¡®Slap¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s too late. I told you I¡¯ve already forgotten you!¡± Her shouts echoed all over the street with tears in her eyes. It was so painful as his face reddened, but he furrowed his brow because of the pain in his heart. Sun slapped his face hard, but it was because she was in more excruciating pain. Gyeonhui approached her without saying anything. He reached out and looked at her palm. Her white, trembling hand was swollen and red. ¡°You knew it would hurt you more, why did you do that?¡± He asked with a calm voice. She pushed him away and tried to hide her hand from him. However, Gyeonhui pulled her hand toward him and hugged her. ¡°Let go of me.¡± Hitting his chest hard, she tried to push him away from her. Gyeonhui closed his eyes and held her more deeply. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± His voice flew to her ears. He opened up a little space and looked down at her. ¡°Please give me a chance. Please let me love you and your pain this time.¡± His sincere voice laid down on her heart. At that moment, she felt something that had been suppressed just burst out at all once. A cry burst out from her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry¡­¡± He hugged her while she cried like a child with all his power. He hugged her like he was going to bear all of her pain. You¡¯re after even a dog. How long had time passed? The tears that she couldn¡¯t stand eventually subsided. When she calmed herself down, she pulled herself together and realized her current situation with him. She pushed him away and turned against him. She exhaled a slight sigh, wiping her tears. ¡°I really don¡¯t know what to do¡­¡± Closing her eyes, she mumbled to herself. However, he soon approached her and held her hand instead of answering. ¡°¡­ ow¡­¡± Her trembling hand was in throbbing pain. When he saw his hand, he looked at hers. Her white hand was swollen and red. ¡°Wait for a second.¡± He left her in the park and started walking. Watching her back moving away, she plunked down on the bench. ¡°Hah¡­¡± She dropped her head and sighed for a long time. After a while, she heard him returning to her. He sat beside her and took out an ointment for a bruise from the medicine case. ¡°Give me your hand.¡± He reached out to her. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°Give it to me.¡± He pulled her hand toward him carefully. When he rechecked her hand, he put the medicine on her hand. His soft touch stroked her sensitive hand gently. He anointed the ointment on her skin as softly as he could, but she frowned because of the throbbing pain. ¡°You¡¯ll feel better soon.¡± She glanced at him, putting the medicine on her hand with a firm expression. His face was so severe, and his hand was meticulous and soft. After a moment, her hand started to feel tingly because of the medicine. ¡°How are you feeling now? Feeling better?¡± Hearing his questions, she nodded forcefully. ¡°Please loosen up your face. Somebody would think that I abused you if they saw you.¡± Gyeonhui said it playfully and declared that he was innocent on purpose. When she exhaled a shallow sigh, she saw the doll on the bench. ¡°¡­ Did you go to Jeongsun to get the doll? Gyeonhui slowly nodded. ¡®You told me that you¡¯re going to love me and my pain!¡¯ She recalled what he just said and closed her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you met the vice president today at the company.¡± She felt sorry for him after calling his own mother as the vice president. ¡°¡­ I did.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t she say anything to you?¡± ¡°No¡­ not really.¡± She recalled Mrs. Shin¡¯s cold voice and tone. However, she didn¡¯t tell him that she had met her. She had no idea what was going on with the two of them, but she was still his mother. ¡°I¡¯m sure it must have been nerve-racking.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hah¡­¡± Gyeonhui exhaled a hefty sigh toward the sky. ¡°I think it¡¯s time to talk about sharing our wounds with each other.¡± He said with a sunken voice. ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell me if it¡¯s hard.¡± She said with worry. However, he shook his head slowly. ¡°I want to tell you everything before it¡¯s too late.¡± He caught his breath with a bitter smile and started speaking slowly. ¡°.. when I was young, my dad passed away. With a shallow sigh, his face showed that recalling the memory of his father wasn¡¯t a challenge for him. ¡°The vice president left me behind at the orphanage, telling me that I¡¯ll be able to meet her after I go to college.¡± Gyeonhui smirked with an outraged feeling before continuing to speak. ¡°It was okay until then. Although I was young, I tried to understand her. She was also going through a hard time. However, I found out later that the reason why she did it to me was only for herself. ¡± His face sunk heavily. It was only old memories, but he was still hurt and felt the pain of what happened at that time. ¡°My cousin, whom I had met for the first time, told me that I¡¯m just an offering for the vice president. I didn¡¯t quite understand what that meant at that time, but I found out the meaning in the dictionary later. She was¡­ she sacrificed me, the one who was the only heir to the family to gain the chairman¡¯s money and properties. After that, I realized that I could be abandoned anytime she thought that I was no longer of use. ¡°Gyeonhui¡­¡± Sun looked at him in sympathy. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s all in the past.¡± He smiled, pretending like he was okay. However, she could see the wounds hidden behind his smile. After all, she knew what was going on inside his head more than anyone. ¡°You¡¯re not okay¡­ you¡¯re still hurt.¡± Feeling sad for him, she said, biting her lower lip. ¡°¡­ I can¡¯t hide it from you anymore.¡± He smiled bitterly and started speaking again. ¡°¡­. It was like a battlefield. My family tried to drag each other down and use them as a ladder to move up. It was like the law of the jungle or standing on thin ice. However, I endured. I only wanted to take everything she had and have my revenge. He said, squeezing his fists tightly. Chapter 131 Chapter 131: Chapter 131. ¡°I¡¯ve realized that there are only two types of people in this world. The people that I have to use, and the people that will try to use me. As soon as I realized that, I started to understand people¡¯s behavior. For the vice president, her son was just an object she would use for her benefit.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why¡­¡± Sun recalled what he had said in the past. His mean words that hurt her so badly and became a part of her wounds. They sounded pitiful today. He nodded slowly and started speaking again. ¡°¡­ And then I met you. The person that I don¡¯t need to use, and one who wouldn¡¯t try to use me. You were the first such person in my life.¡± He said this like he still remembered that time clearly. He spoke as he recalled one of his old memories with a slight smile. ¡°When you asked me how much my salary was, it was already over $200,000.¡± ¡°¡­ You said it was two thousand¡­¡± ¡°You jumped to a conclusion. I only said two.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She recalled at that time in hindsight and didn¡¯t say anything after. ¡°It was definitely outrageous, but I actually liked it. It felt like¡­ something¡­ warm.¡± He smirked and continued speaking again as he looked at her. ¡°That¡¯s why I started liking you. When I was with you, I was truly a man, a real person.¡± Hearing him, she lowered her head with a sunken expression. She was able to feel the pain that kept him struggling without missing a thing. ¡°Now, it¡¯s your turn.¡± Looking at her, he said. Sun agonized for a while, but she soon nodded when she determined something. It never was easy for him to talk about his own wounds, so she had to be honest as well. ¡°¡­ My mom died when I was really young.¡± Her voice started trembling while she recalled the unforgotten memory of her mother. ¡°When she passed away, my dad raised me by himself. He was generous and loved me so much.¡± ¡°He wasn¡¯t like me at all.¡± ¡°No, he was the man of my dreams. However, her smiling face became darker slowly. ¡°On the graduation day of my high school, he passed away after a car accident that occurred the same day. We were sent to the hospital, but I cried and screamed in panic, so he lost the peak time for the treatment. He basically died because of me. If I would have said that I¡¯m okay, then he would have lived¡­¡± It seemed like she was still regretting her behavior at the hospital ten years ago. Gyeonhui recalled what Dr. Seo told him about the accident in the past. The wound that she had to deal with at such a young age was still bothering her. He squeezed his fist after feeling her pain that was all conveyed to him. ¡°Since then, I have always said that I¡¯m okay. Although I was troubled, sad, and, lonely, I would still say that I was okay. Whenever I mumbled to myself, at least at that moment, I felt like I really was okay.¡± Only silence laid between the two of them after they confided with each other. Although they partially knew their past, it was different and more painful when they heard each other¡¯s wounds themselves. Gyeonhui was lost in thought for awhile and started speaking slowly. ¡°¡­ We¡¯ve been together for three years, but we actually didn¡¯t know enough about us.¡± ¡°Right. We didn¡¯t even know each other¡¯s blood type. When he heard the word, ¡®blood type,¡¯ he smiled bitterly. ¡°I know it¡¯s too late, but I¡¯m still alive because you saved my life after the car accident.¡± Hearing him, she shook her head slowly. Another silence laid out between them. After looking at her for a moment, he pushed the button on the doll to play the recording. ¡°Gyeonhui¡­¡± ¡°Stop it.¡± When she heard her own voice from the recording, she seemed embarrassed and tried to take the doll from him. However, Gyeonhui hid the doll behind his back and mocked her voice in the recording. ¡°The language of the coffee tree is, ¡®I love you, even your pain.¡¯ I would like to love even your pain for many years to come.¡± ¡°I told you to stop!¡± ¡°In order not to forget this, I¡¯m putting it in a time capsule. Am I still loving you then?¡± What he mocked was her own confession. Hearing him muttering the same question that she said, her face relaxed. ¡°¡­ Honestly, I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not confident¡­¡± She didn¡¯t look at him and struggled to speak. ¡°You don¡¯t need to do anything. It¡¯s my turn to love you.¡± ¡°Gyeonhui¡­¡± Still looking at her, he tried to hug her with his two arms, but she refused. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He was surprised and asked. ¡°I¡¯m not ready for this yet¡­¡± ¡°Sun¡­ Okay. Let¡¯s take some time.¡± ¡°Time?¡± ¡°It could be a rash act to start a relationship right away. We need to take some time to think more about us.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve thought enough so far.¡± ¡°Please¡­¡± Sun looked at him with sincere eyes. When he saw the firm determination on her face, he had to nod. ¡°Can I then meet you?¡± After a while, she nodded slowly. ¡°Can I just hug you?¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re not my boyfriend yet.¡± ¡°Hah¡­¡± Gyeonhui wasn¡¯t satisfied and furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°¡­ Alright. I¡¯ll do it the way you want.¡± Sun was surprised when he readily agreed with her, so she looked at him. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes. I told you that I will wait if you say so.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She recalled what he said to her in the past and nodded. ¡°With one condition.¡± When he paused, he reached out and slowly held her hand. ¡°Let me hold your hand.¡± However, she let his hand go. ¡°I said, no.¡± ¡°You hold your friend¡¯s hand. Even in the Church, people hold hands with each other even if they don¡¯t know about the person beside them.¡± Hearing him whining like a child, she smiled. She felt so awkward, and she took out her phone to confirm the time ¡°Oh no, I have to go.¡± ¡°Why? Do you have a meeting this late at night?¡± ¡°No, I have to go home.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t have to do anything urgent, then let¡¯s stay a little longer together.¡± ¡°Sorry. Labong is waiting for me.¡± ¡°Labong? The dog?¡± ¡°Yes, Labong will be lonely.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re thinking about the dog more than me?¡± ¡°Labong is my family.¡± ¡°Hah¡­ okay. Let¡¯s go home.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you home, so you can see Labong sooner.¡± Pouting his lips, he started walking forward before her.alized that there are only two types of people in this world. The people that I have to use, and the people that will try to use me. As soon as I realized that, I started to understand people¡¯s behavior. For the vice president, her son was just an object she would use for her benefit.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why¡­¡± Sun recalled what he had said in the past. His mean words that hurt her so badly and became a part of her wounds. They sounded pitiful today. He nodded slowly and started speaking again. ¡°¡­ And then I met you. The person that I don¡¯t need to use, and one who wouldn¡¯t try to use me. You were the first such person in my life.¡± He said this like he still remembered that time clearly. He spoke as he recalled one of his old memories with a slight smile. ¡°When you asked me how much my salary was, it was already over $200,000.¡± ¡°¡­ You said it was two thousand¡­¡± ¡°You jumped to a conclusion. I only said two.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She recalled at that time in hindsight and didn¡¯t say anything after. ¡°It was definitely outrageous, but I actually liked it. It felt like¡­ something¡­ warm.¡± He smirked and continued speaking again as he looked at her. ¡°That¡¯s why I started liking you. When I was with you, I was truly a man, a real person.¡± Hearing him, she lowered her head with a sunken expression. She was able to feel the pain that kept him struggling without missing a thing. ¡°Now, it¡¯s your turn.¡± Looking at her, he said. Sun agonized for a while, but she soon nodded when she determined something. It never was easy for him to talk about his own wounds, so she had to be honest as well. ¡°¡­ My mom died when I was really young.¡± Her voice started trembling while she recalled the unforgotten memory of her mother. ¡°When she passed away, my dad raised me by himself. He was generous and loved me so much.¡± ¡°He wasn¡¯t like me at all.¡± ¡°No, he was the man of my dreams. However, her smiling face became darker slowly. ¡°On the graduation day of my high school, he passed away after a car accident that occurred the same day. We were sent to the hospital, but I cried and screamed in panic, so he lost the peak time for the treatment. He basically died because of me. If I would have said that I¡¯m okay, then he would have lived¡­¡± It seemed like she was still regretting her behavior at the hospital ten years ago. Gyeonhui recalled what Dr. Seo told him about the accident in the past. The wound that she had to deal with at such a young age was still bothering her. He squeezed his fist after feeling her pain that was all conveyed to him. ¡°Since then, I have always said that I¡¯m okay. Although I was troubled, sad, and, lonely, I would still say that I was okay. Whenever I mumbled to myself, at least at that moment, I felt like I really was okay.¡± Only silence laid between the two of them after they confided with each other. Although they partially knew their past, it was different and more painful when they heard each other¡¯s wounds themselves. Gyeonhui was lost in thought for awhile and started speaking slowly. ¡°¡­ We¡¯ve been together for three years, but we actually didn¡¯t know enough about us.¡± ¡°Right. We didn¡¯t even know each other¡¯s blood type. When he heard the word, ¡®blood type,¡¯ he smiled bitterly. ¡°I know it¡¯s too late, but I¡¯m still alive because you saved my life after the car accident.¡± Hearing him, she shook her head slowly. Another silence laid out between them. After looking at her for a moment, he pushed the button on the doll to play the recording. ¡°Gyeonhui¡­¡± ¡°Stop it.¡± When she heard her own voice from the recording, she seemed embarrassed and tried to take the doll from him. However, Gyeonhui hid the doll behind his back and mocked her voice in the recording. ¡°The language of the coffee tree is, ¡®I love you, even your pain.¡¯ I would like to love even your pain for many years to come.¡± ¡°I told you to stop!¡± ¡°In order not to forget this, I¡¯m putting it in a time capsule. Am I still loving you then?¡± What he mocked was her own confession. Hearing him muttering the same question that she said, her face relaxed. ¡°¡­ Honestly, I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not confident¡­¡± She didn¡¯t look at him and struggled to speak. ¡°You don¡¯t need to do anything. It¡¯s my turn to love you.¡± ¡°Gyeonhui¡­¡± Still looking at her, he tried to hug her with his two arms, but she refused. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He was surprised and asked. ¡°I¡¯m not ready for this yet¡­¡± ¡°Sun¡­ Okay. Let¡¯s take some time.¡± ¡°Time?¡± ¡°It could be a rash act to start a relationship right away. We need to take some time to think more about us.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve thought enough so far.¡± ¡°Please¡­¡± Sun looked at him with sincere eyes. When he saw the firm determination on her face, he had to nod. ¡°Can I then meet you?¡± After a while, she nodded slowly. ¡°Can I just hug you?¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re not my boyfriend yet.¡± ¡°Hah¡­¡± Gyeonhui wasn¡¯t satisfied and furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°¡­ Alright. I¡¯ll do it the way you want.¡± Sun was surprised when he readily agreed with her, so she looked at him. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes. I told you that I will wait if you say so.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She recalled what he said to her in the past and nodded. ¡°With one condition.¡± When he paused, he reached out and slowly held her hand. ¡°Let me hold your hand.¡± However, she let his hand go. ¡°I said, no.¡± ¡°You hold your friend¡¯s hand. Even in the Church, people hold hands with each other even if they don¡¯t know about the person beside them.¡± Hearing him whining like a child, she smiled. She felt so awkward, and she took out her phone to confirm the time ¡°Oh no, I have to go.¡± ¡°Why? Do you have a meeting this late at night?¡± ¡°No, I have to go home.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t have to do anything urgent, then let¡¯s stay a little longer together.¡± ¡°Sorry. Labong is waiting for me.¡± ¡°Labong? The dog?¡± ¡°Yes, Labong will be lonely.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re thinking about the dog more than me?¡± ¡°Labong is my family.¡± ¡°Hah¡­ okay. Let¡¯s go home.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you home, so you can see Labong sooner.¡± Pouting his lips, he started walking forward before her. Chapter 132 Chapter 132: Chapter 132. She smirked and followed him. While she was walking with him, she continually glanced at his face. The same face that she slapped had reddened. ¡°Is your face okay?¡± ¡°No, it still hurts. It feels like it¡¯s going to be bruised. ¡°Bruised? Let me see.¡± She was surprised and took a look at his face. ¡°It¡¯s too late. You slapped my face with all your power.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I didn¡¯t know it could hurt you like this¡­¡± Sun didn¡¯t know what to do and couldn¡¯t say anything after. ¡°Was it the first time you hit someone?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve never hurt anyone in my life.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ for the first time¡­¡± He instead smiled and looked at her. ¡°Why¡­ why are you smiling?¡± ¡°It means I¡¯m the first person you slapped. I think I like it.¡± ¡°Pervert.¡± ¡°I sometimes want to be a pervert when I¡¯m with you.¡± Gyeonhui looked at her with glaring eyes. ¡°What¡­ what are you talking about.¡± Her face blushed. Watching her being embarrassed, Gyeonhui smirked. ¡°Whenever you hear the word ¡®slap,¡¯ you¡¯ll think of me. I like it because you will always remember me like I¡¯m the person that has a special meaning to you. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous¡­¡± Hearing his calm voice, she raised her head up and saw a familiar man. Eunwoo, in workout clothes, was jogging towards her. ¡°Dr. Park?¡± ¡°Sun?¡± Eunwoo also noticed her and reduced his speed before stopping in front of her. Gyeonhui¡¯s face sunk immediately as he held Sun¡¯s hand tightly. She was surprised by Gyeonhui¡¯s unexpected behavior and looked at him with her eyes growing big. Eventually, Eunwoo also saw the two hands that were holding each other tightly. Excitement Sun slowly pushed him out and took her own hand away from him. ¡°Hi, Dr. Park.¡± Watching Sun smiling, he furrowed his eyebrows and looked at Eunwoo. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Gyeonhui asked. ¡°I was jogging. Are you done at work now?¡± Eunwoo smiled and greeted her. ¡°Yes, I had to do something.¡± Sun smiled awkwardly and answered Eunwoo. ¡°Jogging so late at night? Hmm¡­ that¡¯s strange.¡± Gyeonhui said in a bold tone on purpose. Hearing him, she poked his side with her elbow. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that anything is wrong,¡± Gyeonhui complained with a sullen expression. Watching the two of them, Eunwoo smirked. ¡°I had surgeries today, so I decided to jog at night.¡± ¡°You do you. Don¡¯t interrupt us.¡± Gyeonhui said. ¡°What are you talking about? No, Dr. Park. Don¡¯t listen to him.¡± ¡°What? It¡¯s right; he is interrupting us!¡± ¡°Gyeonhui!¡± Sun said. Sun tried to stop him. While watching the two of them arguing, Eunwoo looked at Sun. ¡°I¡¯m okay. I really don¡¯t care what he says.¡± ¡°What? What?!¡± Gyeonhui was irritated and asked him. ¡°Do you have any plans tomorrow night?¡± Eunwoo asked her as if he had not heard Gyeonhui. ¡°Tomorrow night? No, I¡¯m good. Why?¡± Gyeonhui glared at her while she was talking with Eunwoo without caring about him. ¡°Ari contacted me, and she was asking if I can come to the office tomorrow.¡± ¡°Ari?¡± ¡°Yes, she said it¡¯s about something concerning the new product.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it was about a survey.¡± When Sun understood the situation, she nodded slowly. ¡°When you¡¯re done at work tomorrow, it will be dinner time. Does that work for you? What do you think?¡± Eunwoo said. ¡°Sure, sounds good.¡± She answered. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow. I¡¯ll call you.¡± ¡°Bye.¡± When Eunwoo said goodbye to her, he turned and moved away with light steps. After Eunwoo was gone, Gyeonhui felt very uncomfortable and started asking her some questions. ¡°Why are you having dinner with him?¡± ¡°Are you telling me not to have dinner with him? He¡¯s coming to the office to help us.¡± ¡°He is a vet. What does he have to do with your job? I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ll do it for you.¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Why? Why is he allowed, and I¡¯m not?¡± ¡°Because¡­ never mind.¡± Sun hesitated. ¡°What? Go on. Say it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I should.¡± ¡°Yes, you should. Tell me. Now.¡± Gyeonhui crossed his arms and said with a bold tone of voice. After a while, she exhaled a sigh and started speaking involuntarily. ¡°¡­ People don¡¯t feel comfortable with you.¡± ¡°What? Me? Why?¡± ¡°Because¡­ Think about what you¡¯ve done to the people in the office¡­¡± ¡°Really? I can¡¯t believe this. Wow.¡± ¡°Anyway¡­ I¡¯m going in.¡± Sun quickly turned and went up the stairs. After a moment, he heard her door open and close. He was left alone, so he turned. However, he stopped there and started speaking. ¡°Feel uncomfortable with me? Why? Wow¡­¡± He was resentful and felt like he was wronged, but no one would listen to him. ¡°Hah¡­¡± After sighing for a long time, he turned his body and looked up at her place. Then, a light came on in one of her windows. Gyeonhui saw that she went inside safely. A slight smile appeared on his face without realizing it. ¡°It could have been better if it weren¡¯t for that guy. Damn it.¡± Gyeonhui kicked the cans out hard to the street. ¡®Kang, kang, kang!¡¯ All the dogs in the neighborhood started barking when they heard the sound of cans. ¡°Ruff, ruff, ruff!¡± ¡°Who the hell are you!¡± He heard a mad man¡¯s yelling who woke up because of the barking. Gyeonhui winced and walked fast to get out of the neighborhood. Holding Labong in her arms, she looked down at the street between the curtain. ¡®Kang, kang, kang.¡¯ When she heard the sound of cans, Labong started barking too. ¡°Ruff, Ruff!¡± ¡°Shh¡­ Labong¡± When she calmed Labong, she looked outside through the window again. She saw him leaving the neighborhood quickly. ¡°Kuk.¡± She burst out a smile after seeing him wincing and running away in embarrassment. However, she soon felt anxious. ¡°Arf¡­¡± Labong licked her hand as if Labong could read her mind. She struggled to smile and stroke Labong¡¯s head. However, because of an ominous feeling that wouldn¡¯t go away, it made her mind heavier. The next day, in the morning. Gyeonhui woke up right away as soon as he heard the alarm. When he confirmed the time, he turned the music on with the remote control. His desolated house was soon filled with quiet music. He went toward the shower while whistling a song, seemingly feeling good today. Even in the middle of the shower and after that, his whistling continued. ¡°Are you up already?¡± Ojae came inside and asked him. ¡°Yeah.¡± When he answered shortly, he still continued the whistling. Watching Gyeonhui whistling, Ojae asked him in wonder, ¡°I guess you¡¯re feeling good today? What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Just cuz.¡± Gyeonhui seemed to be feeling great today and even smiled at Ojae when he answered him.ked and followed him. While she was walking with him, she continually glanced at his face. The same face that she slapped had reddened. ¡°Is your face okay?¡± ¡°No, it still hurts. It feels like it¡¯s going to be bruised. ¡°Bruised? Let me see.¡± She was surprised and took a look at his face. ¡°It¡¯s too late. You slapped my face with all your power.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I didn¡¯t know it could hurt you like this¡­¡± Sun didn¡¯t know what to do and couldn¡¯t say anything after. ¡°Was it the first time you hit someone?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve never hurt anyone in my life.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ for the first time¡­¡± He instead smiled and looked at her. ¡°Why¡­ why are you smiling?¡± ¡°It means I¡¯m the first person you slapped. I think I like it.¡± ¡°Pervert.¡± ¡°I sometimes want to be a pervert when I¡¯m with you.¡± Gyeonhui looked at her with glaring eyes. ¡°What¡­ what are you talking about.¡± Her face blushed. Watching her being embarrassed, Gyeonhui smirked. ¡°Whenever you hear the word ¡®slap,¡¯ you¡¯ll think of me. I like it because you will always remember me like I¡¯m the person that has a special meaning to you. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous¡­¡± Hearing his calm voice, she raised her head up and saw a familiar man. Eunwoo, in workout clothes, was jogging towards her. ¡°Dr. Park?¡± ¡°Sun?¡± Eunwoo also noticed her and reduced his speed before stopping in front of her. Gyeonhui¡¯s face sunk immediately as he held Sun¡¯s hand tightly. She was surprised by Gyeonhui¡¯s unexpected behavior and looked at him with her eyes growing big. Eventually, Eunwoo also saw the two hands that were holding each other tightly. Excitement Sun slowly pushed him out and took her own hand away from him. ¡°Hi, Dr. Park.¡± Watching Sun smiling, he furrowed his eyebrows and looked at Eunwoo. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Gyeonhui asked. ¡°I was jogging. Are you done at work now?¡± Eunwoo smiled and greeted her. ¡°Yes, I had to do something.¡± Sun smiled awkwardly and answered Eunwoo. ¡°Jogging so late at night? Hmm¡­ that¡¯s strange.¡± Gyeonhui said in a bold tone on purpose. Hearing him, she poked his side with her elbow. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that anything is wrong,¡± Gyeonhui complained with a sullen expression. Watching the two of them, Eunwoo smirked. ¡°I had surgeries today, so I decided to jog at night.¡± ¡°You do you. Don¡¯t interrupt us.¡± Gyeonhui said. ¡°What are you talking about? No, Dr. Park. Don¡¯t listen to him.¡± ¡°What? It¡¯s right; he is interrupting us!¡± ¡°Gyeonhui!¡± Sun said. Sun tried to stop him. While watching the two of them arguing, Eunwoo looked at Sun. ¡°I¡¯m okay. I really don¡¯t care what he says.¡± ¡°What? What?!¡± Gyeonhui was irritated and asked him. ¡°Do you have any plans tomorrow night?¡± Eunwoo asked her as if he had not heard Gyeonhui. ¡°Tomorrow night? No, I¡¯m good. Why?¡± Gyeonhui glared at her while she was talking with Eunwoo without caring about him. ¡°Ari contacted me, and she was asking if I can come to the office tomorrow.¡± ¡°Ari?¡± ¡°Yes, she said it¡¯s about something concerning the new product.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it was about a survey.¡± When Sun understood the situation, she nodded slowly. ¡°When you¡¯re done at work tomorrow, it will be dinner time. Does that work for you? What do you think?¡± Eunwoo said. ¡°Sure, sounds good.¡± She answered. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow. I¡¯ll call you.¡± ¡°Bye.¡± When Eunwoo said goodbye to her, he turned and moved away with light steps. After Eunwoo was gone, Gyeonhui felt very uncomfortable and started asking her some questions. ¡°Why are you having dinner with him?¡± ¡°Are you telling me not to have dinner with him? He¡¯s coming to the office to help us.¡± ¡°He is a vet. What does he have to do with your job? I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ll do it for you.¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Why? Why is he allowed, and I¡¯m not?¡± ¡°Because¡­ never mind.¡± Sun hesitated. ¡°What? Go on. Say it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I should.¡± ¡°Yes, you should. Tell me. Now.¡± Gyeonhui crossed his arms and said with a bold tone of voice. After a while, she exhaled a sigh and started speaking involuntarily. ¡°¡­ People don¡¯t feel comfortable with you.¡± ¡°What? Me? Why?¡± ¡°Because¡­ Think about what you¡¯ve done to the people in the office¡­¡± ¡°Really? I can¡¯t believe this. Wow.¡± ¡°Anyway¡­ I¡¯m going in.¡± Sun quickly turned and went up the stairs. After a moment, he heard her door open and close. He was left alone, so he turned. However, he stopped there and started speaking. ¡°Feel uncomfortable with me? Why? Wow¡­¡± He was resentful and felt like he was wronged, but no one would listen to him. ¡°Hah¡­¡± After sighing for a long time, he turned his body and looked up at her place. Then, a light came on in one of her windows. Gyeonhui saw that she went inside safely. A slight smile appeared on his face without realizing it. ¡°It could have been better if it weren¡¯t for that guy. Damn it.¡± Gyeonhui kicked the cans out hard to the street. ¡®Kang, kang, kang!¡¯ All the dogs in the neighborhood started barking when they heard the sound of cans. ¡°Ruff, ruff, ruff!¡± ¡°Who the hell are you!¡± He heard a mad man¡¯s yelling who woke up because of the barking. Gyeonhui winced and walked fast to get out of the neighborhood. Holding Labong in her arms, she looked down at the street between the curtain. ¡®Kang, kang, kang.¡¯ When she heard the sound of cans, Labong started barking too. ¡°Ruff, Ruff!¡± ¡°Shh¡­ Labong¡± When she calmed Labong, she looked outside through the window again. She saw him leaving the neighborhood quickly. ¡°Kuk.¡± She burst out a smile after seeing him wincing and running away in embarrassment. However, she soon felt anxious. ¡°Arf¡­¡± Labong licked her hand as if Labong could read her mind. She struggled to smile and stroke Labong¡¯s head. However, because of an ominous feeling that wouldn¡¯t go away, it made her mind heavier. The next day, in the morning. Gyeonhui woke up right away as soon as he heard the alarm. When he confirmed the time, he turned the music on with the remote control. His desolated house was soon filled with quiet music. He went toward the shower while whistling a song, seemingly feeling good today. Even in the middle of the shower and after that, his whistling continued. ¡°Are you up already?¡± Ojae came inside and asked him. ¡°Yeah.¡± When he answered shortly, he still continued the whistling. Watching Gyeonhui whistling, Ojae asked him in wonder, ¡°I guess you¡¯re feeling good today? What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Just cuz.¡± Gyeonhui seemed to be feeling great today and even smiled at Ojae when he answered him. Chapter 133 Gyeohui¡¯s unusual behavior made Ojae more anxious, and Ojae finally noticed the bruise on Gyeonhui¡¯s face. ¡°What happened to your face?¡± ¡°Oh, I was slapped.¡± Gyeonhui answered like he didn¡¯t care, but Ojae panicked. ¡°What? You got hit? By whom?¡± Ojae was outraged and asked him again. Gyeonhui smirked and started speaking slowly. ¡°Cheonsun.¡± ¡°What? Did she slap your face?¡± When Ojae heard the unexpected name, he asked again. However, Ojae soon nodded like he understood why she did what she did to him. ¡°What? Why don¡¯t you ask me why she did it to me?¡± ¡°Hmm, if she slapped you, I think it¡¯s because you deserved it. ¡°What?¡± Gyeonhui glared at Ojae while he was furrowing his eyebrows. ¡°No, I mean¡­ by the way, what happened to you two last night?¡± Ojae quickly changed the subject to avoid more troubles. ¡°Finally, you¡¯re asking me about it,¡± Gyeonhui said while he was buttoning up his shirt. ¡°Are you guys dating again?¡± Gyeonhui shook his head slowly. ¡°Then, what? Did it not go well last night?¡± However, Gyeonhui shook his head this time as well. ¡°Hey, tell me what¡¯s going on here.¡± Gyeonhui was lost in thought for a moment and spoke slowly, ¡°She said she would like to take some time.¡± Gyeonhui said it with a slight smile. ¡°But why are you feeling so great today? It doesn¡¯t mean she would date you again.¡± ¡°¡­ At least I have a chance.¡± Hearing Gyeonhui, Ojae was surprised and looked at Gyeonhui again. However, Gyeonhui put his jacket on, pretending to be casual. ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡± ¡°Wait a minute. I need to use the restroom before we go.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll go alone today.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°See you later.¡± Gyeonhui confirmed the time and quickly left his room. Ojae looked at him through the window in wonder. Watching him jumping down the stairs rhythmically, Ojae shook his head. ¡°You¡­ have a chance¡­?¡± A slight smile came upon Ojae¡¯s firm expression as well. *** When she came out from the restroom with her wet hair wrapped in a towel, she sat on the vanity. She tried to put some toner on her face when she furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± The hand that she used to slap his face still hurt. She recalled what happened last night while she was looking at her own palm. ¡°You¡¯ll feel better soon.¡± His gentle touch sounded while he was spreading the ointment on her hand. She felt his warm hand caress her hand very cautiously. ¡°Hmm, hmm.¡± There was no one looking at her; when she cleared her throat awkwardly, she put on the moisturizer and finished the necessary steps before applying makeup. Her face was reflected in the mirror and looked plain, just as usual. When she looked at her face for a while, she saw the eyeshadows and lipsticks on the corner of the vanity. She barely used them these days, but she reached out to take them involuntarily. *** ¡°This can¡¯t be¡­ true¡­¡± When she confirmed the time and realized that she was late for work, she couldn¡¯t¡¯ shut her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m crazy. Why did I waste time on this makeup stuff?¡± She quickly put a skirt on and wore her shoes on too. Even in this busy moment, she didn¡¯t forget to say goodbye and give a hug to Labong. ¡°Labong, I¡¯ll be back after dinner, okay?¡± Sun kissed Labong multiple times, grabbed her bag, and went outside like she was running away. ¡®Kung, kung, kung, kung.¡¯ Her impatient footsteps woke up all the people in the neighborhood. When she confirmed the time and almost ran down the alley, she heard a familiar voice behind her. ¡°You¡¯re wearing a skirt today?¡± She was surprised and turned to see the person that was talking to her. The person that was looking at her with a smile was Gyeonhui. ¡°Did you wear a skirt because you knew that you¡¯re going to see me today?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not the reason.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll drive you to work.¡± Tapping his car, he smirked. However, she shook her head like she was hesitant when she saw him and his vehicle alternately. ¡°It¡¯s more comfortable to go by subway.¡± ¡°Really? No way. You should try this car and see how comfortable it is.¡± ¡°I can fall asleep in the subway, but I can¡¯t do that in your car.¡± ¡°You can sleep in the car while we¡¯re on the way.¡± ¡°Next to you? No way.¡± Gyeonhui showed a meaningful smile on his face and slowly approached her. ¡°Why? Is it because you¡¯re nervous?¡± ¡°No, because it¡¯s uncomfortable.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been saying that since last night. Are you really uncomfortable with me? ¡°Yes.¡± When she answered, she turned and started walking. Watching her serious face, he knew that he couldn¡¯t ask her anymore. ¡°Hah¡­¡± After agonizing about it for a moment, he squeezed his hair and looked at his own car. He soon started running after her, giving up on his car; he just left it there. ¡°Hey Sun, wait for me!¡± *** At the subway station. The crowd in the morning seemed familiar to Sun, but it wasn¡¯t for Gyeonhui. When she passed the ticket barrier, she intended to walk fast, but she turned and looked back just in case. Fortunately, he was following right behind her. ¡°I¡¯ve got the credit card that also works at the subway. Haha.¡± Gyeonhui showed her his new credit card and smiled. She turned her body without saying anything and went down the stairs. At that moment, she heard the broadcast that was telling people the train was about to arrive soon. After a moment, the door opened, but she didn¡¯t see any seats to sit on since the train was cramped. ¡°Is it supposed to be busy like this in the morning?¡± ¡°Sure. Not everyone goes to work in a car like you.¡± ¡°Hum.¡± Gyeonhui nodded and looked around the subway. ¡°Do we have to stand here like this for an hour?¡± Instead of answering, she nodded. ¡°Hmm.¡± When an empty seat finally appeared, people rushed to the spot. However, Gyeonhui, who moved a step faster than them, blocked the people with his broad back and looked at her. ¡°Sit.¡± She saw him smiling, but instead of sitting, she called a woman struggling to walk toward her. ¡°Have a seat here.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Choensun¡­¡± Gyeonhui was outraged and looked at her. However, she helped the woman to sit on the seat. ¡°Thank you.¡± When the woman sat on the seat, Sun moved away beside the door for the woman to make her comfortable. ¡°She isn¡¯t even a senior citizen. Why?¡± Chapter 134 Gyeohui¡¯s unusual behavior made Ojae more anxious, and Ojae finally noticed the bruise on Gyeonhui¡¯s face. ¡°What happened to your face?¡± ¡°Oh, I was slapped.¡± Gyeonhui answered like he didn¡¯t care, but Ojae panicked. ¡°What? You got hit? By whom?¡± Ojae was outraged and asked him again. Gyeonhui smirked and started speaking slowly. ¡°Cheonsun.¡± ¡°What? Did she slap your face?¡± When Ojae heard the unexpected name, he asked again. However, Ojae soon nodded like he understood why she did what she did to him. ¡°What? Why don¡¯t you ask me why she did it to me?¡± ¡°Hmm, if she slapped you, I think it¡¯s because you deserved it. ¡°What?¡± Gyeonhui glared at Ojae while he was furrowing his eyebrows. ¡°No, I mean¡­ by the way, what happened to you two last night?¡± Ojae quickly changed the subject to avoid more troubles. ¡°Finally, you¡¯re asking me about it,¡± Gyeonhui said while he was buttoning up his shirt. ¡°Are you guys dating again?¡± Gyeonhui shook his head slowly. ¡°Then, what? Did it not go well last night?¡± However, Gyeonhui shook his head this time as well. ¡°Hey, tell me what¡¯s going on here.¡± Gyeonhui was lost in thought for a moment and spoke slowly, ¡°She said she would like to take some time.¡± Gyeonhui said it with a slight smile. ¡°But why are you feeling so great today? It doesn¡¯t mean she would date you again.¡± ¡°¡­ At least I have a chance.¡± Hearing Gyeonhui, Ojae was surprised and looked at Gyeonhui again. However, Gyeonhui put his jacket on, pretending to be casual. ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡± ¡°Wait a minute. I need to use the restroom before we go.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll go alone today.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°See you later.¡± Gyeonhui confirmed the time and quickly left his room. Ojae looked at him through the window in wonder. Watching him jumping down the stairs rhythmically, Ojae shook his head. ¡°You¡­ have a chance¡­?¡± A slight smile came upon Ojae¡¯s firm expression as well. *** When she came out from the restroom with her wet hair wrapped in a towel, she sat on the vanity. She tried to put some toner on her face when she furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± The hand that she used to slap his face still hurt. She recalled what happened last night while she was looking at her own palm. ¡°You¡¯ll feel better soon.¡± His gentle touch sounded while he was spreading the ointment on her hand. She felt his warm hand caress her hand very cautiously. ¡°Hmm, hmm.¡± There was no one looking at her; when she cleared her throat awkwardly, she put on the moisturizer and finished the necessary steps before applying makeup. Her face was reflected in the mirror and looked plain, just as usual. When she looked at her face for a while, she saw the eyeshadows and lipsticks on the corner of the vanity. She barely used them these days, but she reached out to take them involuntarily. *** ¡°This can¡¯t be¡­ true¡­¡± When she confirmed the time and realized that she was late for work, she couldn¡¯t¡¯ shut her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m crazy. Why did I waste time on this makeup stuff?¡± She quickly put a skirt on and wore her shoes on too. Even in this busy moment, she didn¡¯t forget to say goodbye and give a hug to Labong. ¡°Labong, I¡¯ll be back after dinner, okay?¡± Sun kissed Labong multiple times, grabbed her bag, and went outside like she was running away. ¡®Kung, kung, kung, kung.¡¯ Her impatient footsteps woke up all the people in the neighborhood. When she confirmed the time and almost ran down the alley, she heard a familiar voice behind her. ¡°You¡¯re wearing a skirt today?¡± She was surprised and turned to see the person that was talking to her. The person that was looking at her with a smile was Gyeonhui. ¡°Did you wear a skirt because you knew that you¡¯re going to see me today?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not the reason.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll drive you to work.¡± Tapping his car, he smirked. However, she shook her head like she was hesitant when she saw him and his vehicle alternately. ¡°It¡¯s more comfortable to go by subway.¡± ¡°Really? No way. You should try this car and see how comfortable it is.¡± ¡°I can fall asleep in the subway, but I can¡¯t do that in your car.¡± ¡°You can sleep in the car while we¡¯re on the way.¡± ¡°Next to you? No way.¡± Gyeonhui showed a meaningful smile on his face and slowly approached her. ¡°Why? Is it because you¡¯re nervous?¡± ¡°No, because it¡¯s uncomfortable.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been saying that since last night. Are you really uncomfortable with me? ¡°Yes.¡± When she answered, she turned and started walking. Watching her serious face, he knew that he couldn¡¯t ask her anymore. ¡°Hah¡­¡± After agonizing about it for a moment, he squeezed his hair and looked at his own car. He soon started running after her, giving up on his car; he just left it there. ¡°Hey Sun, wait for me!¡± *** At the subway station. The crowd in the morning seemed familiar to Sun, but it wasn¡¯t for Gyeonhui. When she passed the ticket barrier, she intended to walk fast, but she turned and looked back just in case. Fortunately, he was following right behind her. ¡°I¡¯ve got the credit card that also works at the subway. Haha.¡± Gyeonhui showed her his new credit card and smiled. She turned her body without saying anything and went down the stairs. At that moment, she heard the broadcast that was telling people the train was about to arrive soon. After a moment, the door opened, but she didn¡¯t see any seats to sit on since the train was cramped. ¡°Is it supposed to be busy like this in the morning?¡± ¡°Sure. Not everyone goes to work in a car like you.¡± ¡°Hum.¡± Gyeonhui nodded and looked around the subway. ¡°Do we have to stand here like this for an hour?¡± Instead of answering, she nodded. ¡°Hmm.¡± When an empty seat finally appeared, people rushed to the spot. However, Gyeonhui, who moved a step faster than them, blocked the people with his broad back and looked at her. ¡°Sit.¡± She saw him smiling, but instead of sitting, she called a woman struggling to walk toward her. ¡°Have a seat here.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Choensun¡­¡± Gyeonhui was outraged and looked at her in wonder. However, she helped the woman to sit on the seat. ¡°Thank you.¡± When the woman sat on the seat, Sun moved away beside the door for the woman to make her comfortable. ¡°She isn¡¯t even a senior citizen. Why?¡± Chapter 135 ¡°Did you ask for help from Dr. Park regarding the survey?¡± ¡°Yes, how did you know? Did you meet him?¡± ¡°Yes, near my place last night. Coincidently.¡± ¡°In your neighborhood and coincidently?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think about a novel-like plot, please.¡± Sun shook her head, knowing that she couldn¡¯t stop Ari. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to work.¡± While she was waiting for her computer to boot up, she recalled when she was at the subway station. She was on the escalator, and she smelled Gyeonhui¡¯s scent from behind her all of a sudden. She turned the music off and was standing still. ¡°This lady is my girlfriend.¡± She heard his voice because the music wasn¡¯t on. ¡°I can¡¯t stop taking care of you.¡± She heard his voice again. When she recalled his soft voice, a smile spread on her face involuntarily. When she confirmed that her computer was booted up and ready to use, she put her hand on the mouse. For some reason, the mouse felt much lighter than usual. *** In the late afternoon. After he had lunch, he hummed a song while he was watering the coffee tree. The coffee tree flower that was fully bloomed and looked more beautiful than ever. Watching Gyeonhui from the side, Ojae shook his head. ¡°The flower has bloomed, and your face has too. It looks terrific.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± Gyeonhui said. ¡°I love you, even your pain¡­ hah. that¡¯s so sad.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve treated it like a ghost until yesterday.¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯m still scared of it, but this sad event is much scarier. Hah¡­¡± Ojae exhaled a long sigh. Gyeonhui glanced at Ojae while holding a pitcher. ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± Gyeonhui asked. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Hearing Gyeonhui, Ojae was surprised and asked him. Gyeonhui put down the pitcher and sat in front of him. ¡°I know you¡¯re in trouble with Ms. Lee.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± When Gyeonhui asked again, Ojae was almost about to tell him everything, but he didn¡¯t. If he wanted to tell Gyeonhui everything, Ojae had to say to him that he had slept with her too. Ojae had no choice. ¡°I understand. You don¡¯t need to tell me everything.¡± Gyeonhui said, and he had no intention to ask more. ¡°Hah¡­¡± However, Ojae couldn¡¯t¡¯ hold his long sigh of frustration. Still watching Ojae, Gyeonhui started speaking slowly. ¡°¡­ Approach her slowly, but sincerely¡­¡± Hearing something very familiar from Gyeonhui, Ojae looked at him. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what you told me in the past. You can¡¯t scratch your own back.¡± Gyeonhui smiled and said to Ojae. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Burying his body in the chair, Ojae sighed toward the air. ¡°Slowly¡­ Sincerely¡­¡± Ojae knew it well enough, but when he actually had to do it, it wasn¡¯t easy. However, he had no other choice; he knew that more than anyone else. Ojae turned his head and looked at the coffee tree flower. After that, he nodded slowly. Ojae stood straight up from the seat as if he had ascertained something important. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s childish, but I¡¯m going to do my best sincerely.¡± Ojae went out of the office with a firm expression. Gyeonhui smirked when he saw the door closing. *** The flower shop on the first floor of the Consencio building. Ojae looked at the flower basket that was filled with light pink and blue hydrangea. ¡°Is it going to be moved to the Kiz Fan office?¡± The staff of the flower shop confirmed the address again. ¡°Yes.¡± Ojae nodded. ¡°Would you like to leave a note or a memo?¡± ¡°A note? Hmm¡­¡± ¡°Here it is.¡± The staff provided a flower-patterned and small memo card to Ojae. When Ojae agonized for a moment, he hesitated to hold a pen. However, he didn¡¯t know what to write on the card. After being lost in his own thought for a while, Ojae recalled what Gyeonhui said in the office. ¡°I love even your love¡­ It sounds like it¡¯s a copied version of someone else¡¯s words, and saying this to her sounds too impatient.¡± He really had no idea what to write on the card, so he closed his eyes and organized his complicated mind. After struggling for a long time, Ojae finally had realized the closest words to describe his current thoughts about Eunyoung. He slowly, clearly wrote a message. ¡°Here it is.¡± Ojae put the message in the envelope and gave it to the staff. ¡°Please send the flower right at the time she¡¯s done at work.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± After confirming the time again, Ojae left the flower shop. ¡°I hope she likes it¡­¡± Ojae was nervous with a firm expression and soon went toward the elevator. At that moment, Ojae saw Eunwoo getting in the elevator going up. ¡°Dr. Park? Why is he here?¡± Ojae tilted his head in wonder. Ojae took out his phone from his pocket and called Gyeonhui. *** ¡°What? You saw Dr. Park?¡± When Gyeonhui received a call from Ojae, his eyebrows dropped dramatically. However, when he recalled the moment when all three of them met together last night, he nodded. ¡°He¡¯s here to help the Kiz Fan people on some project.¡± Gyeonhui hung up the phone and pretended to be casual. He tried to review the document he was working on, but he couldn¡¯t focus on it anymore. ¡°Why does it have to be him? Hah¡­¡± It bothered him so much, and Gyeonhui finally left the office. When he left the hallway, he met Ari and Eunyoung by chance. As soon as they saw him, they hesitated. ¡°I¡¯m not going to eat you.¡± Hearing Gyeonhui, Eunyoung and Ari approached him involuntarily. ¡°Where is Sun?¡± ¡°In the office.¡± ¡°Alone? I¡¯ve heard Dr. Park is here.¡± Hearing his question, Eunyoung looked at him in wonder. ¡°Yes, he is. He¡¯s come here to help us today.¡± ¡°And you know they are together in the office now, and you still are leaving the office behind them?¡± ¡°Sorry? What?¡± Eunyoung asked him without understanding his question. ¡°According to what you¡¯ve just said, Sun and Dr. Park are in the same closed room. How can you trust him and leave the office while they¡¯re all alone in there? ¡°Dr. Park isn¡¯t a person like you think because he isn¡¯t like you.¡± ¡°What? What?!¡± ¡°Anyways, please don¡¯t interrupt us. We¡¯re very, very busy now.¡± Eunyoung purposely made him irritated and quickly shut the elevator¡¯s door. ¡°Hah¡­¡± When the elevator door closed, he frowned immediately. He was lost in thought for a moment while he was biting his lower lip and started walking toward the Kidz Fan office quickly. Chapter 136 *** In front of the Kidz Fan office. Wandering in front of the office, Gyeonhui peered over the edge while he was trying to look inside. However, because of the closed curtain, he couldn¡¯t see what was going on inside. ¡°What do they do inside with the curtain closed? Hah¡­¡± Gyeonhui was frustrated and mumbled to himself. After he stopped wandering, he confirmed if there was anyone in the hallway. Fortunately, there was no one coming or going. Gyeonhui put his ear to the office door and paid attention to the sound coming out from the inside of the office. As he furrowed his eyebrows while he was focusing on listening to what was happening inside, he could hear two people¡¯s conversation. ¡°It feels better than I expected.¡± ¡°Does it? It¡¯s the first time for me too.¡± She was smiling awkwardly. ¡°Feeling?¡± What does she mean? Do what for the first time?¡± Hearing their conversation, Gyeonhui couldn¡¯t figure out what they were talking about, so he put his ear closer to the door. ¡°Do you want me to do this? I can take it off better.¡± ¡°No, I should do it.¡± ¡°Then I will do it too.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± After a moment, she exclaimed in surprise. Gyeonhui thought he might have misheard something and put his ear on the door again. ¡°How about touching it like this¡­¡± ¡°Do it like this.¡± ¡°I think women will like this a lot. How about you, Sun?¡± ¡°I absolutely like it,¡± Sun answered with a lower voice. The more he heard, the faster his heart was beating. ¡°No¡­ It can¡¯t be true¡­¡± Gyeonhui shook his head; he couldn¡¯t hide his frustration. Their conversation still continued in the office. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s much bigger than I expected.¡± ¡°Hahaha. Mine is a little bigger.¡± Hearing them, Gyeonhui couldn¡¯t wait any longer and opened the office door roughly. ¡°What the hell are you doing here in the middle of the day!¡± Hearing Gyeonhui¡¯s furious cry, Eunwoo and Sun turned and looked at him. However, the office atmosphere differed so much from what Gyeonhui had imagined. Eunwoo and Sun were both putting their clothes on while holding bananas in their hands. At that moment, Gyeonhui still couldn¡¯t understand the situation. ¡°We were testing the new products in the middle of the day. What brought you here?¡± Eunwoo asked. ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s¡­¡± Gyeonhui felt the chill on his backbone. ¡°You definitely said something about touching¡­¡± ¡°You mean, this?¡± Eunwoo showed the strawberries to Gyeonhui. With the new product that was a seed remover, Eunwoo showed off its effectivity to remove the leaves from the strawberries. ¡°Then what you meant when you said something was too big was¡­¡± Without hearing their answers, Gyeonhui could understand what they meant. Gyeonhui saw the banana cutter that Sun was holding in her hand. ¡°Now is your misunderstanding cleared up, Mr. Woo?¡± ¡°I, I didn¡¯t misunderstand anything. Hmm, hmm.¡± Gyeonhui instead yelled at them loudly and shut the door roughly. When he opened the door again, he made an awkward excuse. ¡°It was because of the wind. I didn¡¯t slam the door.¡± Standing in the hallway for a while, he was so embarrassed and felt ashamed. He put his head on the wall and quietly mumbled to himself. ¡°It¡¯s better to just die.¡± His mind was filled with regret and shame, but there was nothing he could change. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him¡­?¡± Sun tilted her head and mumbled to herself. ¡°I think Mr. Woo misunderstood something about what we¡¯re doing.¡± ¡°Misunderstanding?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Hearing Sun¡¯s na?ve questions, Eunwoo hesitated for a moment. ¡°What misunderstanding was it?¡± Not being able to hold her curiosity, Sun asked him again. ¡°¡­ Do I need to fill this form out?¡± Sun tilted her head in wonder and looked at Eunwoo, who tried to change the subject awkwardly. ¡°There was nothing to misunderstand¡­ It¡¯s strange¡­¡± Sun said. Sun tried to recall the conversation she had with Eunwoo a while ago. ¡°Touching the strawberries gently¡­ and the size of the bananas¡­ and taking them off¡­¡± When she reiterated them, she started blurring her words, and soon, she had to stop. When she realized them, her face became flushed immediately. ¡°Now, do you get it?¡± Eunwoo asked. ¡°No, no. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Sun even stuttered in embarrassment and turned her body away from Eunwoo quickly. ¡°What are you doing? Fill out the survey, please.¡± The embarrassed Sun said after she gave Eunwoo the survey form. It was a survey to see people¡¯s favorability of the new products with the new characters. Eunwoo smiled and started filling out the survey slowly. ¡°Please fill it out honestly.¡± ¡°I will.¡± ¡°How was it? Do you think the new character worked great with the product?¡± Eunwoo stopped his writing and looked at her. ¡°I¡¯m writing it down on the form¡­¡± ¡°Oh, right. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Sun awkwardly smiled and glanced at his paper, but Eunwoo didn¡¯t show it to her and hid the paper from her. ¡°Ch¡­¡± Sun pouted and fumbled the product with her new character design applied to it. Eunwoo started speaking when he glanced at the door. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you need to talk too?¡± ¡°Talk to whom?¡± ¡°Mr. Woo.¡± ¡°He¡¯ll be fine. I don¡¯t know why he misunderstood like that.¡± Looking at her, Eunwoo started speaking slowly. ¡°It¡¯s changed a little.¡± ¡°Sorry? What¡¯s changed? Eunwoo tilted his head and moved his gaze to the survey. Watching him focusing on the survey, Sun also couldn¡¯t ask him anymore. After a while, Eunwoo confirmed the survey he had filled out, and he gave it to Sun. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± ¡°Thank you so much.¡± As soon as she received it from Eunwoo, she started reading the survey. IT contained mostly positive feedback and high review scores. ¡°Did you really mean this? Sun carefully asked him. ¡°Absolutely. A lot of moms and children will like your products.¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m relieved.¡± Sun finally smiled brightly, feeling relieved. ¡°Are we all set?¡± ¡°Wait a minute. There are a few more details that I need from you.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it at dinner.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m hungry¡­¡± Eunwoo said while he was putting his hand on his stomach. ¡°Oh, sure. Dinner is on me today. I¡¯ll get you something great for dinner.¡± Sun quickly packed her bag and stood up from her seat. ¡°Can you give me a minute? I need to grab some stuff before we go.¡± Watching Sun packing her bag, Eunwoo also stood up from the seat. ¡°I¡¯ll use the restroom. Take your time.¡± Eunwoo said. ¡°Yes.¡± To give her more time, Eunwoo opened the office door and came out to the hallway. At that moment, Eunwoo saw a dark silhouette hiding at the end of the hall quickly. Eunwoo could tell who it was without going and confirming it himself. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Eunwoo exhaled a slight sigh while he was leaning against the wall. Eunwoo smiled bitterly, but soon, his expression subsided. Chapter 137 *** ¡°What the hell are they doing?¡± Gyeonhui was still wandering in the hallway in frustration and looked at Sun¡¯s office door. At that moment, the office door suddenly opened, and Eunwoo came out of the office. Gyeonhui quickly hid himself in the corner. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± At that moment, Ojae approached and asked him. ¡°Shh.¡± When Gyeonhui put a finger on his lips instead of answering, Ojae looked at where Gyeonhui was looking. Ojae saw Eunwoo standing and leaning against the wall. ¡°Huh? Is he still here? Ugh.¡± Gyeonhui hurriedly blocked Ojae¡¯s mouth and hid behind the vending machine. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± Once Gyeonhui released Ojae¡¯s mouth, Ojae desperately asked. ¡°Shut your mouth, please!¡± Gyeonhui said while he was clenching his teeth. Gyeonhui was still taking a look at Sun¡¯s office. ¡°I, I can¡¯t breathe¡­¡± Ojae¡¯s face reddened, but Gyeonhui didn¡¯t let him go. Soon, Sun came out of the office. When Gyeonhui saw that Eunwoo and Sun got on the elevator, he finally released Ojae. ¡°Kuk, kuk!¡± Ojae coughed hurriedly. ¡°Why were you hiding?¡± ¡°Do you think I wanted to do this?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on, again?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Hah¡­ never mind.¡± When Gyeonhui agonized for a moment, he just decided to shut his mouth. He didn¡¯t want to tell anyone about this even to Ojae. It was such a shameful memory for Gyeonhui that he would remember it another ten years blaming himself every second. ¡°By the way, where have you been all day long?¡± Gyeonhui furrowed his eyebrows and asked Ojae. ¡°I¡­ I had to buy something¡­¡± ¡°Then why is your hand empty?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I didn¡¯t buy mine.¡± Looking at Ojae, who blurred the end of his word, Gyeonhui figured out and no longer asked him. ¡°What are you doing here? Don¡¯t you have something to do?¡± Gyeonhui asked. ¡°Me? Oh, I¡¯m¡­.¡± Ojae blurred the end of his words again and scratched the back of his head. ¡°Wait a minute, are you waiting for Ms. Lee?¡± ¡°What? Hmm¡­ yes.¡± When Ojae involuntarily answered, he avoided Gyeonhui¡¯s eyes in embarrassment. Gyeonhui looked at him in sympathy but soon exhaled a long sigh. ¡°What happened to you and me¡­ why are we doing this¡­ here¡­¡± Gyoenhui shook his head and spoke once he confirmed the time. ¡°I¡¯m leaving the office now.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°The hospital.¡± ¡°Hospital? Are you sick again?¡± Ojae was surprised and asked him. ¡°No, to see the chairman. I would like to see him as much as I can as long as he¡¯s alive. What he told me last time bothers me. I need to see him.¡± Looking at Gyonhui¡¯s firm expression, Ojae nodded slowly. ¡°That¡¯s a great idea. Call me if you need anything.¡± Gyeonhui nodded and got in the designated elevator. When the door closed, the elevator, with a hushed noise, started to descend. At the time, he felt a sudden pain in his wrist. ¡°Ow¡­¡± He carefully tried to stretch his wrist, but the pain didn¡¯t seem like it was going to subside. It was apparent that the pain wasn¡¯t his own. ¡°She lives with all kinds of pain¡­¡± His expression sunk while he was furrowing his eyebrows and mumbling to himself. *** Near Nonhyeon-station. One of Kidz Fan¡¯s customers¡¯ stores. Eunyoung and Ari came out of the building after they greeted the owner of the store, Mr. Joe, who was one of their customers. ¡°Hah¡­ Have we checked out all our customers in Seoul?¡± Hearing Eunyoung¡¯s questions, Ari confirmed the list. ¡°Yes. We¡¯re all done!¡± Ari answered while she was stretching her arms to the sky. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go back to the office and check the numbers of orders and current inventories.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ okay.¡± Ari seemed exhausted and exhaled a long sigh. ¡°You can go home if you¡¯re tired.¡± ¡°Really? Can I?¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯m the boss.¡± ¡°Yeah!!¡± Ari cried in excitement. However, Ari started speaking again as she looked at Eunyoung. Do you have any appointments tonight? If you don¡¯t, there is an excellent restaurant near here. Would you like to go there with me?¡± ¡°I need to go back to the office.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Somebody should check the current inventories.¡± ¡°Then how can I go home when you don¡¯t,¡± Ari asked her resentfully. ¡°I¡¯m fine. You can go home.¡± ¡°Hah¡­¡± When Ari exhaled a long sigh, she involuntarily turned her body toward the subway station. ¡°Why are you going that way?¡± ¡°How do I go home alone when you¡¯re going back to the office? Just tell me to go back to the office together.¡± Ari started walking before her while pouting her lips. Watching Ari looking all cute, Eunyoung smirked and started walking after her. However, Ari suddenly stopped walking when she recalled something important that came to mind. ¡°They are going to be fine, right?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean, Sun. She¡¯ll be with Dr. Park and even Mr. Woo.¡± After Eunyoung sighed a slight sigh, she started speaking. ¡°They have to fight, so they can find the answer.¡± Hearing Eunyoung, Ari looked at her in wonder. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I think you¡¯ve changed somehow.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°In the past, you said that it¡¯s better to avoid trouble. I know that was why you wanted to move the office somewhere.¡± Eunyoung smiled bitterly. ¡°Did I do that?¡± ¡®Bzzzzz.¡¯ At the moment, Eunyoung¡¯s cell phone rang. She was surprised and looked at the phone number for a while, but she answered the phone. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Is this Eunyoung Lee¡¯s phone?¡± ¡°Yes, this is. How can I help you?¡± ¡°There is a flower delivery for you, but there is no one in the office.¡± ¡°Flowers?¡± Eunyoung was confused and asked again in wonder. ¡°Flowers? Isn¡¯t it something Mr. Kwon sent to you?¡± Ari asked her and tried to put her ear on Eunyoung¡¯s phone to listen to the call. Eunyoung tried to push Ari away from the phone, but Ari kept putting her ear to the phone. ¡°Where would you like me to leave them? Inside the office?¡± ¡°Yes, please. That sounds good.¡± After Eunyoung hung up the phone, she tilted her head in wonder. ¡°Hmm¡­ who sent the flowers?¡± ¡°Hey boss, let¡¯s go back to the office quickly.¡± Full of curiosity, Ari rushed Eunyoung. Eunyoung also had to rush because of Ari. *** In the parking lot of the Consencio building. Sun and Eunwoo walked toward where Eunwoo¡¯s car had been parked. ¡°I¡¯ll take you somewhere special tonight.¡± Sun said, exultantly, to Eunwoo. ¡°Can I trust you?¡± Eunwoo said. ¡°Sure.¡± When she confidently answered, she pulled the car door to open it. ¡°Ow¡­¡± However, because of the stinging pain in her wrist, she missed the door handle. Chapter 138 ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Eunwoo, from the opposite side, asked her in wonder. ¡°Um, nothing. I¡¯m fine.¡± Sun said. Sun smiled awkwardly and got in the car after she opened the door with her left hand instead. ¡°Where should we go for dinner?¡± Eunwoo asked with a slight smile on his face. ¡°I¡¯ll enter the address of the restaurant on your navigation for you.¡± Sun reached out her right hand, but she had to take it back immediately because of the throbbing pain in her right wrist. She entered the address on his navigation with her left hand. Because she barely used her left hand for such things, she kept mistyping it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She smiled awkwardly as she touched the navigation screen and finally finished entering it correctly. Eunwoo looked at her anxiously; Sun was only smiling back awkwardly. Sun turned her wrist to stretch it after she hid it from Eunwoo¡¯s sight. However, instead of having the throbbing pain subside, she started feeling it all the way up to her elbow past her wrist. She squeezed and massaged her arm, but the pain wouldn¡¯t go away. Watching her right wrist steadily, Eunwoo reached out his hand to her. ¡°Give me your hand.¡± ¡°No, this is nothing. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Sun awkwardly answered. However, Eunwoo reached out and grabbed her right wrist gently. ¡°Ow!¡± Sun furrowed her eyebrows because of the stinging pain. With a serious face, Eunwoo took hold of her hands and pressed the backs of her hands and fingers together while her wrists flexed with her fingers pointed down. ¡°Hmm..¡± Her fingers and palms started to shut down. ¡°It¡¯s carpal tunnel syndrome,¡± Eunwoo said. ¡°It¡¯s a common disease for designers who use their wrists a lot at work.¡± Sun smiled awkwardly like she already knew about what the pain was. However, because of Eunwoo¡¯s firm expression, Sun had to stop smiling. ¡°Do you happen to know a game called ¡®Gonji ¨C Gonji, Jam- Jam?¡± ¡°Yes, babies play it.¡± Eunwoo nodded. ¡°What does it have to do with my symptoms?¡± ¡°This part is called the Transverse Ligament.¡± Push down here with your index finger.¡± Eunwoo pressed on the middle of her wrist with his index finger and gave her a massage. ¡°After that, like you play the ¡®Jam, Jam,¡¯ repeat this by squeezing it tightly and opening your fists.¡± Eunwoo¡¯s big hand covered Sun¡¯s hands entirely. The soft and warm feeling in his hand was conveyed to her entire hand. ¡°Gonji ¨C gonji, Jam- jam.¡± Eunwoo repeated it again for her like he was treating a child. ¡°Gonji ¨C gonji, Jam- jam.¡± Sun repeated her fist, squeezing while she was mocking Eunwoo. ¡°Wow, it feels like it¡¯s getting better already.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t lie. It doesn¡¯t work that way.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I meant it.¡± Sun smiled awkwardly and tried to take her hand away from Eunwoo, but Eunwoo didn¡¯t let go of her hand. ¡°Dr. Park¡­¡± Sun looked at him. Eunwoo was smiling, but soon his face was turned severe. Looking at her steadily, Eunwoo started speaking slowly. ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t get sick, please.¡± His sincere voice remained melodious till the very end. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to get hurt anymore. Your body or your mind as well.¡± His voice was calm and quiet, but his words were clearly conveyed to her. ¡°Hahahaha! If somebody hears us, they would think I¡¯m really sick. Don¡¯t worry about it. This is nothing, but thank you.¡± Sun took her hand from Eunwoo while she was smiling awkwardly. ¡°I see that your wrist seems okay for now. How about your mind? Is it okay too?¡± ¡°Sorry? I don¡¯t¡­ quite understand what you¡¯re talking about¡­¡± ¡°I know Mr. Woo is still in your mind.¡± Hearing Eunwoo¡¯s unexpected question, her eyes started shaking. However, she started speaking slowly. ¡°How did you know?¡± Eunwoo smiled bitterly and spoke again, ¡°I noticed it when I saw you in the office. You were different than before. You have changed. Hearing Eunwoo, Sun recalled when Gyeonhui had come to the office. Sun remembered when she was embarrassed because of Gyeonhui¡¯s misunderstanding. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Sun seemed to understand how Eunwoo could deduce what was going on between them. ¡°I thought I would be able to forget him, but it¡¯s not easy.¡± She started speaking again after she smiled bitterly. ¡°We¡¯ve decided to take some time for now¡­¡± Looking at Sun, Eunwoo began talking with a smile. ¡°Alright. Then use me from now on.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Like I said, I don¡¯t want you to get hurt, so I would like to help you.¡± She furrowed her eyebrows like she was lost in thought. ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea.¡± Sun said. ¡°It will work best for Mr. Woo.¡± Sun recalled that Gyeonhui was always angry whenever she was with Eunwoo. Gyeonhui was a person who had everything he needed and wanted. Sun never thought that Gyeonhui would be jealous because of something she did. Because of that, Gyeonhui¡¯s behavior was more strange for her, and it became a bigger question to her. ¡°But why does Gyeonhui hate you so much?¡± ¡°Hmm, maybe because he knows my true mind?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°There is something in men that women don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Oh, what¡¯s that?¡± Sun asked him again, seemingly curious. ¡°We¡¯re going to be late for dinner.¡± However, Eunwoo said it savagely and quickly changed the subject. ¡°Please tell me. Why do you have so many secrets today? Seriously?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s a secret, so I can¡¯t tell.¡± ¡°Dr. Park!¡± Even though she called him, Eunwoo only smiled and started the car. She was so curious, so she furrowed her eyebrows, but she couldn¡¯t find out anything more. *** ¡°Why isn¡¯t she coming?¡± Ojae looked at the elevator nervously while he was biting his nails in front of the Kidz Fan office. The time when the flowers were supposed to come had already passed, but he couldn¡¯t see the delivery man. The flower had to be delivered before Eunyoung went home after work. ¡°No way, is it already delivered to her?¡± Not knowing where the flower was delivered, Ojae steadily exhaled a sigh. ¡®Dring.¡¯ At the moment, the elevator opened, and the flower shop staff with the flower left the lift. When Ojae saw the flower in the staff¡¯s hand, he knew that it was hydrangea that he had ordered. ¡°Hah¡­ great.¡± When he confirmed it was the flower he had ordered, he was finally relieved. When the delivery man confirmed the sign in the office, he walked toward the Kidz Fan office. ¡°I really hope that she likes it¡­¡± While he was biting his lower lip, he nervously looked at the delivery man. Chapter 139 *** ¡°Oh, look at this!¡± Ari said, showing the flowers to Eunyoung as she entered the office before her. ¡°Hmm. Look at these roses. He didn¡¯t look like he was romantic.¡± Ari said, smelling the scent of the roses. The flower basket that was filled with red roses seemed very expensive. However, when Eunyoung saw the red roses, the look on her face sunk deeply. ¡°Let me see.¡± Eunyoung snatched the flower basket from Ari like a madwoman. After roughly rummaging through the flowers, she saw the card that was in between the roses. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I¡¯m scared.¡± Ari said, surprised by Eunyoung¡¯s behavior. However, when Eunyoung read the card, her eyes shook vigorously. Ari approached her and stole a look at the card to read it. ¡°For you who used to love roses¡­¡± Ari couldn¡¯t understand what it meant and looked at Eunyoung in wonder. Eunyoung took the flower basket and dumped it in the trash can. Eunyoung still wasn¡¯t satisfied, so she smashed them with a broom. ¡°No¡­ way¡­¡± After Ari realized the situation in hindsight, she couldn¡¯t speak correctly. The flower was from Eunyoung¡¯s ex-husband. ¡®Knock, knock.¡¯ At that time, the office door was opened with a knocking sound. ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯m here to deliver a flower for Eunyoung Lee. Is she here in this office?¡± The delivery man was holding the hydrangea asked. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Eunyoung was outraged and exhaled a long sigh. Eunyoung glared at the flowers and started speaking. ¡°Please take them back. I don¡¯t need them. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± The staff was surprised and asked her again. ¡°I¡¯m Eunyoung Lee, but like I said, I don¡¯t want it, so please take it back.¡± The embarrassed delivery man didn¡¯t know what to do and was only looking at Eunyoung and Ari alternately. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry. We have a situation here. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Ari explained the situation to the delivery man and tried to send him back. The delivery man involuntarily left the office. ¡°Hah¡­¡± When he left, Eunyoung exhaled a long sigh. A deep wound appeared on her face again. ¡°Hey¡­¡± Ari called her anxiously. ¡°¡­ Go home.¡± ¡°What? Oh¡­okay.¡± Hearing Eunyoung¡¯s weak voice, Ari thought it was time to leave her alone, so she carefully left the office. *** ¡°Would she like them?¡± Ojae was still waiting for her to get the flowers that he had sent to her. After a moment, the Kidz Fan office door opened, and the delivery man came out of it. However, he was still holding the flower basket. ¡°What?¡± Ojae looked at the flowers incredulously and stopped the delivery man who was going to the elevator. ¡°Excuse me, but why are you not delivering the flowers and just leaving from there with them?¡± ¡°Are you the one who sent it here?¡± ¡°Yes. It was me. What¡¯s wrong? Why are you coming out with the flowers?¡± ¡°The lady in the office said to take it back. This is ridiculous.¡± ¡°What? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°She wanted me to take it back. She was upset and going crazy about it. I had no choice. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Here it is. If you want to give it to her, do it yourself because I can¡¯t.¡± The staff handed the flowers to Ojae and pushed the button for the elevator. ¡°Hah¡­.¡± Ojae thought that Eunyoung refused him and looked at the flowers resentfully. However, the card that he had put in the flowers wasn¡¯t even opened. ¡°Sorry, but did she read the memo here in the flowers?¡± ¡°No, she didn¡¯t even touch the flower basket.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Ojae realized that Eunyoung refused the flowers, not because she hated Ojae. Ojae was a little relieved, but he still wanted to know what was going on with Eunyoung. At the moment, Ari opened the office door, and she came out of the office. ¡°Hey, Ari, is there something going on with Eunyoung?¡± ¡°Hey, Mr. Kwon, she just received a flower basket from her ex-husband., so¡­¡± Ari was very anxious and bit her lower lip. When Ojae figured out the whole situation, he closed his eyes with a firm expression. After calming himself for a moment, he started walking to the office with the flowers. *** ¡®Knock, knock.¡¯ In the darkened office, the knocking sounds echoed. Eunyoung sat on the desk with her head down, and she didn¡¯t even move her body an inch. After a moment, the office door was carefully opened, and Ojae, with the flowers, came into the office. ¡°Hey, Eunyoung¡­¡± Ojae cautiously called her with a low voice. ¡°Please leave the office. I want to be alone.¡± Eunyoung said without even raising her head up. Ojae couldn¡¯t say anything else and exhaled a long sigh. Ojae saw the flower leaves that were scattered all over the floor and roughly dumped in the trash can. ¡°Hah¡­¡± After catching his breath quickly, he seemed determined about something and approached her. Ojae placed the flowers that he brought for her on her desk. ¡°These are the flowers that I sent to you.¡± Hearing Ojae, Eunyoung raised her head up. It was a beautiful hydrangea, not roses. ¡°¡­ This is my sincere love for you.¡± Ojae took out the memo from the flower and put it in her hand before quickly leaving the office. ¡®Bang¡¯ There was only desolate silence in the office once he left. Eunyoung looked at the card in her hand as if time had stopped entirely for a second. After a moment, she opened the card and read it while exhaling a long sigh. She saw his staggering handwriting written very carefully on the card. ¡°I love, even your pain. I would like to share your wounds.¡± It was the message that conveyed his true feelings for her. Since he knew what her troubles were, it was only he who would have said it to her. Eunyoung burst out a generous smile. ¡°It¡¯s childish¡­¡± However, she soon closed her eyes and bit her lower lip. Her two closed eyes started trembling quietly. ¡°Hah¡­¡± How much time had gone¡­ Eunyoung opened her eyes and picked up her phone, which was placed on the desk. She called the number that had called her a few days ago. She heard a few dial tones. ¡°¡­ I have to face this to find the answer.¡± While Eunyoung was waiting for the call to be answered, she reiterated what she just mumbled to herself like she was reinforcing herself. ¡°Hello?¡± After a moment, she heard a voice over the phone. When she confirmed the man¡¯s voice, she slowly opened her eyes. She started speaking with a sunken voice while looking at the card in her hand. ¡°It¡¯s me¡­¡± Chapter 140 *** In the VIP patient room at the hospital. Gyeonhui looked at Chairman Woo, who was breathing difficulty while unconscious. There was not even a single movement on his body like a dead person. Gyeonhui doubted if the chairman was the same person who talked to him a few days ago. At that moment, the door opened, and Dr. Seo came into the room. ¡°You¡¯re already here.¡± Dr. Seo greeted him. ¡°The Vice President has just left here, so you can relax.¡± Hearing him, Gyeonhui started speaking with a firm expression. ¡°Has he improved?¡± Dr. Seo shook his head in sympathy. ¡°It was a miracle that he woke up a few days ago.¡± Gyeonhui also understood this to be true. The chairman¡¯s brain cells had most likely been damaged irreparably, so it was almost impossible that he could have been conscious. At that moment, Gyeonhui felt a throbbing pain in his wrist again. ¡°Is the pain coming from Ms. Sun?¡± Dr. Seo asked Gyeonhui when he saw him moving his wrist around to loosen it slowly. Gyeonhui nodded. ¡°I think your family has a history of miracles.¡± Hearing Dr. Seo¡¯s bitter words, Gyeonhui also smiled bitterly. ¡°I¡¯ll come again.¡± When Gyeonhui greeted Chairman Woo, he came out of the room. Soon, Dr. Seo also followed Gyeonhui to come out of the room. ¡°Here it is.¡± Dr. Seo handed a document that he was holding to Gyeonhui. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°The test result that I mentioned to you last time.¡± ¡°What?¡± Gyeonhui furrowed his eyebrows and read through the test result. There were a lot of test results that had been tested on his blood type. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°Yes, this is the test result of your blood. You can do the blood transfusion even right now.¡± Dr. Seo said, smiling at Gyeonhui like he was delivering great news to him. However, Gyoeonhui was holding the test result with a severe and dark face. ¡°Ow.¡± At that moment, he felt a throbbing pain in his ankle like it had been hit by something. Gyeonhui had to shout because of the unbearable pain. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Dr. Seo was surprised and implored him. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Gyeonhui put his one arm on the wall and took a look at his ankle. It was just fine. It meant that it was Sun¡¯s pain. It felt like something had just hit it, and the pain continued. ¡°¡­ We can finish that soon.¡± Dr. Seo tapped his shoulder like he was consoling Gyeonhui. Gyeonhui raised his head up slowly with a firm expression and looked at Dr. Seo. ¡°Dr. Seo¡­¡± Dr. Seo nodded as if he understood Gyeonhui¡¯s frustration. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not going to have the blood transfusion.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll make sure you can get it done as soon¡ªWhat?!¡± Dr. Seo asked him again, thinking he might have heard something wrong. ¡°The blood transfusion, I will not have it.¡± However, Gyeonhui repeated the same thing. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about¡­¡± Dr. Seo asked him incredulously. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have to go now.¡± Gyeonhui tore the test results that he was holding in his hand and threw it away in the trash can. ¡°Mr. Woo! Mr. Woo!¡± Following Dr. Seo¡¯s desperate calling, Gyeonhui started running down the hallway. When he pushed the button for the elevator, he took out his phone and called Sun hurriedly. He heard the ringing a few times, but she didn¡¯t answer the phone. He put his cell phone back in his pocket while biting his lower lip in frustration. His nervous heart started beating faster. The elevator that stopped at the lower floor didn¡¯t seem to come up even after a while. ¡°¡­. Wait for me. I will be there for you.¡± He opened the emergency door and started going down the stairs as fast as he could. In the parking lot of a restaurant. After finishing their dinner, they came out of the restaurant. ¡°It was wonderful. I really enjoyed the dinner.¡± Eunwoo said, looking at Sun. ¡°I¡¯m glad that you liked it. I told you to trust me tonight.¡± She confidently said, but actually, it was the first time she had come to this place as well. ¡®Now I know why people talk about this place so much. It was worth it.¡¯ She had picked this place for dinner because this restaurant was one of the hot places on SNS. ¡°Two hundred one¡­ dollars¡­¡± When she confirmed the amount she had paid through the phone, she exhaled a shallow sigh. It was a decent and fancy restaurant that she couldn¡¯t come often, but she really wanted to take Eunwoo here to have a great dinner with him. Eunwoo was a person, and he was meaningful to her. ¡°Did you have to pay a lot?¡± Suddenly, Eunwoo asked her. ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t that expensive. Don¡¯t worry about it. Oh, no!¡± Sun tried to hide her phone from him, but she missed the spot. She clearly saw her phone flying into the air like it was in slow motion. She tried to reach it with her arms to catch the phone, but it danced in the air as if it were teasing her. She still had twenty months left to pay off her new phone that had directly fallen onto the ground. She instinctively reached out her foot to the phone. Fortunately, the phone fell on her foot instead of on the ground, so she could save the phone. ¡°Hew!¡± When she quickly confirmed that the phone was okay, she exhaled a sigh of relief. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Eunwoo entreated her. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s perfectly fine.¡± Sun showed him her phone with only a small scratch, smiling at him. ¡°Not the phone. I meant, are you okay.¡± ¡°Oh, ah¡­¡± When she checked out her ankle later, she smiled awkwardly. She felt a bit of pain in her ankle that was swollen a little. ¡°Let me take a look.¡± Eunwoo lowered his body and tried to take a look at her ankle. ¡°No, I¡¯m really okay.¡± Sun hid her ankle from him, refusing to show it to him. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look good. Come here in this way.¡± Eunwoo held her hand and led her to the terrace of the restaurant. On the terrace, that only had a few people, they were left alone. ¡°Have a seat here.¡± Eunwoo sat her on the bench and looked at her ankle. ¡°What do you feel here?¡± He gently pushed near the swollen area with his hand. ¡°Ow, ouch.¡± A moan instinctively leaked out of her mouth because of the pain. Chapter 141 ¡°I think your bone is okay.¡± Eunwoo seriously took a look at the injury. However, watching him still, Sun burst out a smile. ¡°What are you laughing about suddenly?¡± ¡°I forgot that you¡¯re a doctor.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a veterinary doctor but also a surgeon. We can¡¯t just leave the patient behind, so I need your cooperation here, Ms. Patient.¡± ¡°I will,¡± Sun answered while smiling. Eunwoo double-checked the injured area a few more times and finally nodded. ¡°Like I said, your bone is fine, but you still will need to see your doctor if the pain doesn¡¯t go away.¡± ¡°Sir, yes, sir.¡± ¡°Are you teasing me?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I really appreciate it.¡± Eunwoo smiled too when he looked at Sun while she was smiling. ¡°Did you really have to do that? To save your phone?¡± ¡°Absolutely. It still has a balance to pay off.¡± ¡°You might have to pay more than your phone for your treatment.¡± Hearing Eunwoo, Sun nodded. ¡°I think you¡¯re right. However, whenever something happens like the one on my phone¡­ I just jumped at it. I don¡¯t think about anything at the moment.¡± Hearing Sun steadily, Eunwoo looked at her quietly. ¡°Because that¡¯s who you are.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t calculate what would be better for you or what¡¯s more important for you. You don¡¯t think that you are more precious than something else might be.¡± ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m not¡­¡± Sun said like she was shy, but Eunwoo continued speaking while looking at her. ¡°You don¡¯t look for the reasons, you just keep it and take care of it for no reason because it¡¯s precious for you. That makes you more attractive.¡± When Eunwoo finished speaking, his face became serious. ¡°I think you¡¯re teasing me too much because I paid for dinner.¡± She felt awkward and tried to change the subject. Hearing Sun, Eunwoo smiled bitterly. He tried to speak again like he had determined something important. At that moment, Sun¡¯s phone rang. ¡°Sorry, wait a minute.¡± When she saw her phone screen, she realized that it was Ari. ¡°How can I help you, my lady?¡± Sun playfully answered the phone. ¡°Hey, we¡¯ve got some trouble.¡± However, Ari¡¯s voice was raised up high. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Eunyoung¡¯s ex-husband has sent a flower to her.¡± ¡°What? Her ex-husband?¡± Sun was surprised and stopped walking. After Eunwoo saw Sun¡¯s serious face, he stopped walking as well. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. What a crazy bastard. I guess that guy doesn¡¯t know what shame is.¡± Sun¡¯s face started to sink endlessly. After all, Sun knew more than anyone how much Eunyoung had suffered because of him. ¡°Where is she now?¡± ¡°I saw her at the office last time, but I don¡¯t know where she has gone since. She doesn¡¯t even answer the phone anymore.¡± Sun bit her lower lip quietly. ¡°Okay. I will contact her too.¡± When Sun hung up the phone with Ari, she exhaled a long sigh. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Watching Sun, Eunwoo asked. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Eunwoo saw that Sun was hesitant to speak to him, so he helped her stand up instead of asking her. ¡°Can you walk again? Try to walk slowly.¡± Hearing him, Sun tried to move a step slowly. Fortunately, she could walk, but she still had pain in her ankle. ¡°It looks okay for now. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Sorry? Where?¡± ¡°We need to go to Eunyoung, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Now that she involved Eunwoo because of what she had in mind, she bit her lower lip in sympathy. ¡°Like I said, you care about your people you love without reason. You¡¯re that kind of person. Now, you need to protect Eunyoung.¡± ¡°Dr. Park¡­¡± ¡°I know I look great, but don¡¯t have a crush on me.¡± Hearing his playful joke, Sun burst out a smile. ¡°You¡¯re letting me go to Eunyoung, so I¡¯ll go to her and protect her like you said.¡± ¡°Sure. Go on.¡± Sun said goodbye to him again with a smile and hurriedly left the parking lot. On the way to leave the parking lot, she looked back several times. Eunwoo was smiling at her and waved his hand whenever Sun looked back. When Sun had moved away and was finally gone, Eunwoo slowly put his hand down. ¡°It¡¯s okay to have a crush on me just once¡­¡± Like he wasn¡¯t satisfied, he stayed there and looked at the street while gazing at the place where she had turned to leave. *** In the elevator. The lift only for the higher floors was going up at high speed. However, it felt so slow to Sun. Once the elevator arrived, Sun tried to get out of it even before the door was fully opened. Thus, she hit both her shoulders on the door. ¡°Ouch!¡± It was painful, but Eunyoung was more important to Sun. When she got out of the elevator, she went to the Kidz Fan office. She opened the office door, and Sun saw Eunyoung, who was putting her coat on to leave. When Eunyoung saw Sun thereafter, she started speaking. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Eunyoung asked. ¡°Hey¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you go to dinner with Dr. Park? No¡­ did you leave him in the middle of your dinner with him?¡± Sun hugged her instead of answering. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard everything from Ari.¡± ¡°¡­ Did she already tell you?¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯m fine.¡± Eunyoung said this as if it were nothing. However, Sun still looked at her anxiously. ¡°I wasn¡¯t okay, but now I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Eunyoung nodded instead of answering; she pointed at the hydrangea that was placed on her desk with her head. ¡°Is this the flower he sent to you? He¡¯s really disgusting.¡± Sun roughly shook the flower as if it were Eunyoung¡¯s ex-husband. ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not from him.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s over there.¡± Eunyoung pointed out the trash can with her finger. Sun saw the smashed roses in the trash can. ¡°Then, where did this come from?¡± ¡°From Mr. Kwon.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ my¡­¡± Sun was surprised and quickly put down the flower. However, while Sun was shaking the flower, it was already scattered everywhere. Sun was embarrassed and tried to make it right again, but the more she touched it, the more it ruined the flowers. ¡°Just leave it there. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Eunyoung smirked and nodded. When Sun saw that Eunyoung became much more comfortable, Sun started speaking. ¡°Do you feel better now because of Mr. Kwon?¡± ¡°Partially, yes.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Eunyoung needed some time to organize her complicated mind, so she paused for a moment. ¡°I just called my ex-husband.¡± ¡°What? Did you really?¡± Sun asked her again, incredulously. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you yell at him? He deserves it.¡± ¡°I did.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°I yelled at him and warned him not to call me ever again.¡± The way Eunyoung spoke to Sun was confident. Sun was more surprised after hearing Eunyoung¡¯s unusual tone. Chapter 142 ¡°Really?¡± Looking at Sun, who couldn¡¯t believe what Ojae did, Eunyoung smirked. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do it without the flower from Ojae.¡± Eunyoung showed the card Ojae gave to her, to Sun. ¡®I would love you and share your pain.¡¯ When Sun read the card, her eyes shook. ¡°Mr. Kwon told me that he doesn¡¯t want me to get hurt anymore, but actually, that¡¯s what I always wanted to tell myself.¡± Eunyoung stroked the hydrangea gently as if it were herself. ¡°¡­ That¡¯s why you said I¡¯m only partially right.¡± Eunyoung nodded. Looking at Eunyoung¡¯s calm face, Sun became more comfortable than before. ¡°Mr. Kwon did a great job today.¡± ¡°I think I should reward him.¡± ¡°What?¡± Sun asked her again, but Eunyoung didn¡¯t answer and just picked up her bag. ¡°Are you staying here?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m only here to see you.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯m sorry, but I have to go now.¡± ¡°Where are you going to go?¡± ¡°I need to see him.¡± ¡°Who?¡± Eunyoung winked at Sun instead of answering. ¡°Who is she going to meet? No¡­ no way¡­¡± When Sun figured out Eunyoung¡¯s thoughts, Sun¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What a jackpot¡­¡± Sun couldn¡¯t shut her mouth, but soon she nodded slowly. If it were Ojae, he would be able to love even Eunyoung¡¯s pain. ¡°Sharing someone¡¯s pain together¡­¡± Sun was left alone in the office, and she soon turned all the lights off. She came out of the office after locking the office door. She furrowed her eyebrows because of the pain in her ankle. ¡°Ow¡­¡± Just as Eunwoo told her, her ankle bone was fine, but the pain was getting worse whenever she tried to walk. At that moment, the elevator opened, and Gyeonhui got out of the elevator hurriedly. ¡°Cheonsun! Cheonsun! Are you okay?¡± He cried her name as if she were the only person in this world.¡± ¡°What, what are you doing here? What if somebody sees us?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. Is your ankle okay?¡± ¡°What? How did you know that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I just heard that you were injured.¡± Gyeonhui was embarrassed and just made up a story before looking at her ankle. ¡®Did he hear from Dr. Park?¡¯ She thought it was strange because she knew Gyeonhui would never want to talk with Eunwoo on the phone. However, she forgot the peculiar feeling because of her worsening throbbing pain. ¡°I¡¯m sure it hurts a lot. It looks bad.¡± Gyeonhui made a fuss about her injury, unlike his usual self, and carefully looked at her ankle. Watching him sharing her own pain, she thought it was strange, but at the same time, his actions impressed her. Sun smiled involuntarily. ¡°What? What are you smiling at?¡± ¡°Just because,¡± Sun said, struggling not to smile. ¡°Stop smiling. I was so worried about you. I think we should go and see a doctor.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need to go. It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°How are you so sure? It¡¯s swollen a lot.¡± Gyeonhui said bluntly. Sun looked at him quietly and started speaking. ¡°By the way, would you like to have some coffee with me?¡± ¡°Coffee? Suddenly?¡± Gyeonhui asked again. Sun nodded as an answer. ¡°¡­ Where?¡± ¡°How about my place?¡± Gyeonhui calmly looked at Sun¡¯s face as if he were trying to read her mind. ¡°Call.¡± By the time he answered, he had lifted her onto his back. ¡°Hey! What are you doing? Let go of me!¡± Sun was embarrassed and cried, hitting his back with her hands. ¡°I want to go to your place quickly before you change your mind.¡± She had no idea where he got such strength. However, he started walking while carrying her on his back like he was almost running. While he was carrying her, she calmly put her face on his broad back. ¡°¡­ the person who will share your pain¡­¡± It was such happiness and comfort that she hadn¡¯t felt in a long time. In Gyeonhui¡¯s car. Gyeonhui was driving, but he steadily looked at her. ¡°Stop looking at me, please.¡± ¡°¡­ Sorry. I just can¡¯t believe this.¡± ¡°You mean having some coffee or me asking you to go to my place?¡± ¡°Both.¡± Hearing his honest answer, Sun smirked. ¡°If you regret what you said, tell me. I can forget the whole thing.¡± ¡°Why do you think that I would regret it?¡± She asked. ¡°Just because¡­¡± Gyeonhui couldn¡¯t say anything more. Without hearing him, Sun could read his mind. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ve never thought that we would meet again like this.¡± Sun answered him instead. ¡°I was alone in the office, and coffee came to mind when I saw you. It¡¯s scary to get familiar with something that we used to do together. It was her exact thought. Hearing her steadily, Gyeonhui started to speak. ¡°It¡¯s not something that I wouldn¡¯t want to hear from you. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because it means that you were glad to see me.¡± Hearing Gyeonhui, Sun recalled when she saw him running at her. She was certainly glad to see him. ¡°How are you feeling these days?¡± He asked. ¡°About what?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve started seeing each other again anyway.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t something that she could describe. ¡°¡­ bittersweet¡­¡± It was the closest she could think. ¡°Bittersweet?¡± He asked her again. She nodded. Hearing her reiterating her words, he softly held her hand. Sun quietly looked at her own hand. She piercingly looked at his hand that was covering her small hand entirely. His warm and comforting hands helped her relax. She didn¡¯t want anything at least at that moment. She was absolutely happy. She moved her gaze to the outside of the window. A slight smile appeared on her face. *** Dosan Park. Ojae sat on the bench and exhaled a long sigh steadily. He went into the office to console Eunyoung, but he thought it made her even more complicated. ¡°It¡¯s my true love for you¡­¡± He grabbed his own hair like he was regretting what he had said to her. ¡°I was crazy¡­ She was already stressed out because of her ex-husband¡­¡± However, no matter how much he regretted it, he couldn¡¯t take it back. At that time, his cell phone rang. He thought it would be Gyeonhui and tried to answer the phone. However, when he saw the unexpected name on his cell phone, his eyes widened. It was definitely Eunyoung¡¯s name. He was embarrassed and didn¡¯t know what to do. Instead of answering the phone, Ojae just continued to look at the phone blankly. When he pulled himself together, he quickly put the phone to his ear hurriedly. ¡°Hello, hello?¡± Chapter 143 Ojae tried to answer the phone quickly, but Eunyoung, on the other side of the phone, was already gone. There was only a dial tone that informed him that the phone was disconnected. ¡°This is crazy¡­¡± He became extremely nervous and didn¡¯t know what to do. He steadily paced over the same spot while doing nothing, only holding the phone in his hand. At that moment, his cell phone started ringing again. ¡°Hello, hello, Eunyoung?¡± He answered the phone even before it rang once and hurriedly started speaking. However, he heard nothing over the other side of the phone. ¡°Eun¡­ Eunyoung?¡± When the excitable Ojae asked her again, he heard a shallow sigh after a moment. Even in that short, shallow sigh, he was still so nervous as he put his phone all the way to his ear. ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°Me, me? I¡¯m at Dosan Park.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Eun, Eunyoung?¡± He called her hurriedly, but she already hung up on him. ¡°Why did she ask where I am?¡± Not understanding her thoughts, Ojae mumbled to himself. ¡°Her voice didn¡¯t sound good. Is she angry at me?¡± Ojae wasn¡¯t able to be relieved, so his shoulders dropped endlessly. He was so stressed out as he put his own head between his legs and exhaled sighs continuously. After a moment, somebody sat beside him. The person was breathing roughly like they just ran to get here. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but could you please move and sit on the other bench? I¡¯m so depressed, and I want to be alone. Please.¡± Putting his head down, he asked as politely as he could. After that, the person who sat next to him, fortunately, stood up from the seat without saying anything. ¡°Thanks a lot. I appreciate it.¡± Ojae said, still without looking at the person next to him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was just going to talk with you.¡± At that time, a familiar voice rang on Ojae¡¯s ear. Ojae slowly raised up his head, doubting that it would be her. However, Eunyoung¡¯s face came into his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m leaving because you told me to go.¡± Eunyoung turned her body quickly as if she was upset. ¡°No, no, please. I didn¡¯t know it was you.¡± When he called Eunyoung hurriedly, he saw that she was actually smiling. However, when she turned again toward him, what she showed was her usual stern expression. ¡°How¡­ How did you come here?¡± ¡°By foot.¡± ¡°No¡­ that¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡± ¡°You mean, why did I come here?¡± Eunyoung asked. Ojae slowly nodded. ¡°Hmm..¡± Crossing her arms, Eunyoung sighed and nodded. ¡°As you know, I¡¯ve failed once in my marriage. Just like you saw at the office today, my ex-husband just gave me a flower.¡± Hearing her, Ojae¡¯s face sunk. She was telling him about all of these casually. However, Ojae knew that it was her wound, which was something hard for her to tell someone. ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy to cut him off from my life. I was foolish.¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s not your fault, and you¡¯re not foolish.¡± Still hearing her, Ojae said. ¡°You loved him sincerely; that¡¯s why it¡¯s hard to forget.¡± Ojae encouraged as he spoke. Eunyoung smiled. ¡°However, I finally cut him off completely today because of the flowers you sent. She said while looking at the flower she brought. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Yes. I was able to be brave because of you.¡± Hearing her, he finally exhaled a sigh of relief. ¡°I¡­ I increased the amount of pain you¡¯re already feeling¡­¡± Eunyoung slowly nodded. ¡°I came here to say thank you.¡± He looked at her as she stood up from the bench. ¡°And I look forward to seeing you again.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°You said you¡¯re going to share my pain, right? Were you lying?¡± ¡°No, no. It wasn¡¯t a lie¡­ but¡­¡± ¡°Hah¡­¡± Eunyoung was outraged and exhaled a sigh. ¡°How many hints should I give you? Should I confess to you?¡± She purposely spoke it loudly to let him hear. When he heard her, his eyes shook. ¡°That means¡­¡± ¡°Just forget about it. This is so frustrating.¡± She then tried to leave the bench. ¡°Eun, Eunyoung!!¡± He stood up straight and called her name. ¡°Could you please meet with me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m already seeing you here, and I have so many people that I have to meet in a day.¡± Hearing her blunt voice, Ojae shook his head vigorously. ¡°I mean¡­ what I mean is¡­¡± When he swallowed several times, he finally said to her. ¡°P¡­ please be my girlfriend. ¡°Okay.¡± As soon as she heard him, she answered like she was waiting for it. ¡°Okay. What? What?!¡± Ojae panicked and asked her again. ¡°I just said that I will.¡± ¡°Then it means¡­¡± He asked her again as if he couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°I think I did everything that I need to do, so figure out the rest. Okay?¡± She departed him nicely and moved away. ¡°So¡­ so¡­ Eunyoung just¡­ accepted my¡­ confession?¡± No matter how much he thought about the situation, he knew that it wasn¡¯t a misunderstanding. ¡°Wow¡­ wow¡­ yes¡­ yeah!!!¡± He started yelling out a cheer constantly, and his shouting was conveyed to Eunyoung that was leaving the park. *** ¡°Come in.¡± She said after coming inside of her place. Gyeonhui hesitated a little, but soon took off his shoes and went inside. ¡°Ruff! Ruff!¡± Labong wagged his tail at Sun, but Labong started barking at Gyeonhui when Labong saw him. ¡°Hey, Labong. It¡¯s okay. Shh¡­¡± Holding Labong, Sun tried to calm him down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. I understand.¡± Gyeonhui nodded. Sun took out a coffee bean pack from the kitchen cabinet. ¡°You prefer dripped coffee? Ow¡­¡± When she tried to take out the dripper, she frowned because of the pain. Whenever she moved her foot, it would always hurt badly. ¡°Stay put. I will do it.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re my guest.¡± Gyeonhui held her arms and made her sit on the couch. ¡°Just sit on the couch, or else you will only interrupt me.¡± After standing up from the couch, Gyeonhui started boiling water on the electric water boiler. He took a heating pad from the drawer and put it in the pot to heat it up. After a while, when the heating pad was warm enough, he took it out of the pot and put it on her ankle. ¡°Did you not have any trauma when your place caught fire?¡± ¡°¡­¡± When she remembered the time her place caught on fire, she shook her head. ¡°I barely remember it. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°You need to be more careful. It¡¯s dangerous.¡± Hearing his voice as if he was speaking to a child, Sun smirked. However, she looked at him again like she was wondering. ¡°What?¡± Gyeonhui said. ¡°How did you know that my place caught on fire?¡± Chapter 144 ¡°I knew that your place caught on fire because¡­ I¡¯m, well, a secret telepathic .¡± Gyeonhui quickly made up a story. ¡°Telepathic?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s hard to explain. I just felt something that you were in danger. That¡¯s all. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± She still looked at him and started speaking again. ¡°Something¡¯s strange here..¡± ¡°What, what¡¯s strange¡­?¡± ¡°The reason why you¡¯ve changed like this. You¡¯re now acting like a different person.¡± ¡°So? Is there a problem just because I¡¯ve changed?¡± While she was looking at the embarrassed Gyeonhui, she slowly shook her head. ¡°No. I really appreciate you. No matter what reason you had to change.¡± She approached him and gently hugged him from behind. Her smooth skin and her scent embraced him; his heart started beating faster. Gyeonhui slowly turned his body toward her and covered her face with his two hands. He calmly looked down at her clean face and her red lips. ¡°Thank you, Gyeonhui.¡± Hearing her calm voice, he shook his head. Instead of answering her, he kissed her lips. Her moist lips felt like they weren¡¯t even real. He held her hand and put it on his own heart. His heart was beating crazy fast. ¡°Why is my heart beating so strongly?¡± He asked. ¡°We¡¯ve been apart for such a long time. I think that¡¯s why your heart gets so excited because of just a simple kiss.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re right. You even ran away from me to Santiago in Chile.¡± ¡°¡­ I had no choice at that time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not blaming you.¡± Sun looked up at him with her big eyes in wonder. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. Why didn¡¯t I know how much I love you¡­ at that time¡­ I was foolish.¡± Sun reached out and caressed his cheeks. ¡°What exactly had happened to you¡­? You¡¯re so different..¡± ¡°¡­ I just realized it after I had lost you. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could say such a shady thing to me.¡± She said smirking. ¡°What? Shady? This is why I don¡¯t say things like that¡­¡± ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Hearing her, Gyeonhui stopped speaking. While she was looking up at him, she gently hugged his waist. ¡°I really, really appreciate you, Gyeonhui.¡± She was crying in his chest. Her trembling body was informing him of her tears. ¡°¡­ Why are you crying? Is it because you still hate me?¡± He asked her carefully. ¡°No, I¡¯m crying because I¡¯m so happy¡­ because I can¡¯t believe this¡­¡± Hearing her, he also agreed. He also couldn¡¯t believe that he was hugging her in his arms. The situation didn¡¯t look like it was real. However, only Sun being in Gyeonhui¡¯s arms was telling him that it was genuine. Gyeonhui hugged her even tighter. In this surrealistic situation, only their body temperatures were showing themselves how sincere their love was for each other. Holding her in his arms, he started speaking slowly. ¡°Let¡¯s stay together¡­ tonight.¡± His voice sounded nervous. Sun paused at that moment as if time had stopped entirely, but she soon nodded slowly. Their two hearts started beating vigorously. Holding her in his arm, Gyeonhui laid down on the couch. ¡°Isn¡¯t it too narrow?¡± Sun asked. For the two of them, the couch was pretty small and narrow. However, Gyeonhui shook his head. ¡°I like it because it¡¯s small, so I can look at you closer like this.¡± Smiling at her, he calmly looked into her eyes. She had faced his eyes numerous times, but they were softer and warmer today. ¡°Are we really staying together now?¡± He asked. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Sun said. ¡°Because it feels like I¡¯m in a dream. Staying together like now. I still can¡¯t believe it.¡± He had a slight smile on his face. She also answered him with a bright smile on her face, ¡°This is so great¡­¡± He hugged her again. He hugged her even tighter as if it weren¡¯t enough once he filled up his heart with her. ¡°Am I hugging you too tight?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡± Although she said that she was okay, he loosened his two arms for her. Sun was happy to feel his thoughtfulness for her, and she smiled peacefully. ¡°I wish time could stop forever.¡± It was his sincere wish. ¡®Bzzzz¡¯ At that time, like God was playing with him, Gyeonhui¡¯s cell phone rang. He pretended like he couldn¡¯t hear it because he didn¡¯t want to ruin the peaceful moment with her. However, the vibration didn¡¯t stop. ¡°I think you should take it,¡± Sun asked anxiously. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Gyeonhui forcefully took out his phone from his pocket and confirmed the phone. It was apparently Ojae. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Gyeonhui~ Where are you?¡± Ojae was acting cute, which wouldn¡¯t work on Gyeonhui. ¡°Are you crazy, or are you just drunk? ¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m calling you to have some drinks with you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m busy. I clearly told you that I¡¯m busy now; don¡¯t call me again.¡± When Gyeonhui warned Ojae strongly, he turned off his phone. ¡°The disruptor¡¯s gone.¡± He looked at her again with a smile. However, in that short moment, she fell asleep. ¡°Hah¡­ Sun¡­ really?¡± Gyeonhui called her carefully, incredulously. However, she fell asleep pretty profoundly, and she didn¡¯t seem like she would wake up soon. ¡°This can¡¯t be true¡­ How long had I waited for this moment¡­¡± Gyeonhui reached out and tried to wake her up. However, suddenly her sleeping face came into his eyes. Her peaceful, sleeping face looked like a baby. He also heard her breathing like a baby. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen her sleeping¡­¡± He had no idea how long he hadn¡¯t seen her face. It could have been in a few months or a few years. ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot¡­¡± He gently moved her hair away from her face in sympathy. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± With a slight sigh, she put her face on his chest deeper. It was ticklish; she was so cute. Gyeonhui almost burst out laughing, but he soon shut his mouth to not wake her up. He calmly looked at her sleeping face. ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t ever leave me again¡­¡± Gyeonhui said to her like he was praying to her. He hugged her again like he wasn¡¯t going to lose her ever again. Chapter 145 Chapter 145: Chapter 145. *** The next morning. Gyeonhui returned home before Sun woke up. He took a shower and wore a new shirt. ¡°Where were you last night?¡± At that moment, from behind, Ojae¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°You scared me. Make some noise before you come in.¡± ¡°Answer my question first. Where did you sleep last night?¡± Ojae opened his eyes clearly and looked at him like he already knew everything. Gyeonhui pretended like he didn¡¯t hear him as he put on a jacket. ¡°Where were you? With whom? ¡°Please. Do I really have to report to you?¡± Gyeonhui¡¯s voice raised. ¡°You were with Sun.¡± ¡°Hmm, hmm.¡± Gyeonhui just tried to pass him while clearing his throat. ¡°You look tired like you just worked out.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± Gyeonhui denied it. However, he couldn¡¯t hide his tired face from Ojae. He couldn¡¯t tell Ojae that he stayed up all night watching Sun¡¯s sleeping face. ¡°That¡¯s great. It¡¯s better to just start seeing her again rather than be ambiguous. Gyeonhui glared at Ojae, who was pretending like he knew everything. Ojae couldn¡¯t hide his happy smile from Gyeonhui like he had found some unexpected joy. ¡°Why are you so excited today?¡± Gyeonhui asked. ¡°Me? No, I¡¯m not. Haha.¡± Ojae waved his hands, but he was still smiling. ¡°I think you need to go to the hospital¡­ you¡¯re insane.¡± Gyeonhui said to Ojae while furrowing his eyebrows. ¡°You¡¯re right. I think I¡¯m going crazy too because I¡¯m so excited. Haha¡± ¡°Hah¡­¡± ¡°In fact¡­ no. Nevermind. I can¡¯t tell you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t. Please don¡¯t.¡± Gyeonhui answered bluntly and tried to walk past him. ¡°If you really want to know, then I will generously tell you.¡± ¡°I said I don¡¯t wonder, so don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Actually¡­ I¡­¡± Ojae just told him, ignoring Gyeonhui¡¯s reaction. ¡°I¡¯m seeing Eunyoung.¡± ¡°Why? Is there a problem with Kidz Fan?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant. I¡¯m seeing her as her boyfriend.¡± ¡°What?¡± Gyeonhui was surprised and asked him again. ¡°Since last night. Today is the first day of our relationship. Haha.¡± Ojae couldn¡¯t hold his beaming smile and twisted his whole body. ¡°Hah¡­ that¡¯s strange¡­¡± Gyeonhui shook his head in sympathy and came out to the front yard. At that moment, he saw that his dog Terry was lying down on the corner of the front yard. Gyeonhui slowly approached him with some snacks that he liked. As he stroked Terry¡¯s head slowly and gently, Terry raised his head up toward him. ¡°Hey, buddy.¡± Gyeonhui smirked, stroked Terry¡¯s neck, and gave the snack to him. Terry was excited and started gobbling up the snack. ¡°Oh, you guys look pretty close to each other.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not difficult anymore,¡± Gyeonhui said as if he realized everything. Gyeonhui felt good as he petted Terry again. At that moment, his eyes started suddenly stinging like they were being stabbed by something. ¡°Ow!!¡± Gyeonhui panicked and shouted while closing his eyes. ¡°What, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Ojae panicked, too, and asked him anxiously. Covering his eyes, Gyeonhui furrowed his eyebrows. The sharp pain had subsided, but they were still painful. ¡°What the hell is she doing¡­¡± Gyeonhui said, still feeling the irritation in his eyes. ¡°Is it her pain again?¡± Gyeonhui nodded instead of answering. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s so frustrating¡­¡± While he was shaking his head, he suddenly stood up straight. *** The Kidz Fan office. ¡°Ow!!!¡± Her screaming echoed throughout the entire office. It was from Sun when her eyes were stabbed by a pencil eyeliner while she was putting makeup on. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± Sun moaned while rubbing her stinging eyes. ¡°Do you really like him that much?¡± Watching Sun from the side with her arms crossed, Ari asked. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Sun said. ¡°You¡¯re putting makeup on which you never did before to look good for Gyeonhui. ¡°It¡¯s not for him. I¡¯m not young and pretty anymore, so I¡¯m just trying to look normal.¡± ¡°Did you just realize that overnight?¡± Sun glanced at Ari and looked at the mirror again. ¡°Love is just a miracle. It would make even a bear put makeup on her own face.¡± ¡°I said it¡¯s not for him.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t deny it. Wait a minute.¡± Holding Sun¡¯s cheek, Ari took a look at Sun¡¯s eyes. Her eyes looked pretty bad, and they were inflamed. ¡°You¡¯re doing something you never did before. You don¡¯t even know how to put makeup on properly. Hah¡­.¡± ¡°I saw online how to do it, and it looked so easy¡­¡± Sun mumbled to herself, watching the online clip on her phone. ¡°This is frustrating! Give it to me. I¡¯ll help you.¡± Ari snatched the eyeliner pencil from Sun and started putting an eye line on Sun¡¯s face. Unlike Sun, Ari was very skilled and put a long line around Sun¡¯s eyes. ¡°Wow¡­ you¡¯re really good at this¡­ What¡¯s wrong with me¡­?¡± ¡°You really have to do it often¡­ like me¡­ everyday¡­ hah¡­ never mind.¡± Ari was frustrated. ¡°Do it¡­ how? Like this?¡± Sun asked while mocking Ari¡¯s gesture. ¡°Hah¡­ there is no way I would put makeup on your face everyday¡­ Okay. You need to go somewhere at lunch today. ¡°Where?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know when you get there.¡± ¡®Knock, knock.¡¯ At that moment, the office door opened with the knocking sound, and Gyeonhui came into the office. When he looked around the office, he gladly waved his hand at Sun when he found her. ¡°Good morning.¡± However, he noticed that Eunyoung and Ari were in the same office. ¡°Good morning¡­ Good morning¡­¡± He greeted the two as well and left the office awkwardly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him? I¡¯m scared¡­¡± Ari said, smoothing down her own chest in relief. ¡°What do you mean you¡¯re scared of him? He just came here to say hello.¡± Sun said, not being able to hide her smile. ¡°What¡¯s that? Are you already on his side?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not. It¡¯s not like that.¡± Ari shook her head when she saw Sun¡¯s happy face with a smile. ¡°I have no idea what¡¯s going on between you guys¡­¡± ¡®Knock, knock.¡¯ At that moment, the office door opened again. Ari quickly shut her mouth, thinking it was Gyeonhui again. However, the person who came into the office was not Gyeonhui, it was Ojae. ¡°Hello, Eunyoung. Good morning.¡± Ojae greeted Eunyoung with a bright smile. After that, he greeted Sun and Ari too, but awkwardly. ¡°¡­ Hello, Sun and Ari¡­¡± When he greeted them, he gave two cups of coffee to them too. For the rest, he brought it to Eunyoung himself. ¡°Enjoy the coffee.¡± Ojae smiled faintly and left the office. ¡°What¡¯s going on with him? Coffee in the morning, for us?¡± Ari looked at the coffee, not understanding the situation. ¡°Just appreciate him and enjoy your coffee,¡± Eunyoung said, taking a sip of the coffee. Chapter 146 ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant. I mean, it¡¯s just strange that Mr. Kwon delivered coffee for us that he had never done before¡­ Hold..on. Wait a minute. No way¡­¡± At that moment, Ari saw the coffee cup that Eunyoung was holding. ¡°What? Why is Eunyoung¡¯s coffee bigger than ours?¡± Hearing Ari, Sun also compared her own coffee to the one that Eunyoung had. Eunyoung¡¯s coffee was a larger size, and Sun and Ari¡¯s were both smaller. ¡°Hmm, hmm.¡± Eunyoung turned her head to the other side, awkwardly clearing her throat. ¡°Wait¡­ wait. Something¡¯s strange here¡­¡± Like Ari said, the way Ojae looked at Eunyoung, his behavior, and even the different sizes of the coffee cups, all of them were strange enough for Ari and Sun. ¡°No¡­ way¡­¡± Ari and Sun looked at each other without saying anything. Both of them shook their head at the same time and sipped the coffee that they were holding. ¡°I¡¯m seeing Mr. Kwon.¡± ¡°Puawp!!! What!?¡± Once Ari and Sun heard Eunyoung, both of them spewed the coffee all over the floor at the same time. *** At lunch. After Ari finished lunch, she came down to the basement of the Consencio building. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense¡­¡± Ari mumbled to herself like she still couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°What¡¯s the problem? Mr. Kwon is such a nice person.¡± Sun said. ¡°Did you already know?¡± ¡°Not everything but briefly. I had no idea about Eunyoung¡¯s mind, though. ¡°Wow¡­ this is such a surprise. It was you yesterday, and it¡¯s Eunyoung today.¡± Sun asked Ari again while looking at her with a smile, ¡°By the way, where are we going now?¡± ¡°We¡¯re almost there. It¡¯s there.¡± ¡°There?¡± Sun doubted whether she had seen it right because the place where Ari had pointed to was a dermatologist office. ¡°What¡¯s this place?¡± ¡°People often get tattoos on their eyes a lot these days, so they don¡¯t need to put makeup on in the busy morning.¡± ¡°Tattoo?¡± ¡°The more you take care of yourself, the more women get beautiful.¡± ¡°But¡­ still¡­¡± When Sun heard ¡®tattoo,¡¯ she hesitated. ¡°Just trust me.¡± Ari grabbed Sun¡¯s arm and led her to the place. ¡°W¡­ wait a minute. Just one thing before we go in.¡± Sun said, stopping still at once. ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­ It doesn¡¯t hurt, does it?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­ Does it hurt?¡± ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t. It doesn¡¯t hurt at all.¡± 94. The final blow In Gyeonhui¡¯s office. ¡°You said that we have a forum today?¡± After Gyeonhui confirmed today¡¯s schedule, he asked Ojae. ¡°Yes. The Vice President will also join it.¡± Hearing that the Vice President was going to join it too, his face hardened a little. However, Ojae still looked excited and was texting Eunyoung with a smile on his face. ¡°Do you really like her?¡± Gyeonhui asked. ¡°Yes. I love this.¡± Ojae answered with a naive smile like a child. Watching Ojae, Gyeonhui was outraged. He then looked at the coffee tree. The white coffee flower was still blooming and brightening the office by showing off its own beauty. ¡°I understand¡­¡± Gyeonhui smiled too. Even though he heard that Mrs. Shin would join the forum today, he didn¡¯t really feel bad about it. He knew the reason more than anyone without having someone explaining it. ¡°¡­ Cheonsun¡­¡± He watered the coffee tree slowly while smiling. However, suddenly, he felt stinging around his eyes. ¡°Ouch! Ouch!!!¡± The pain felt like his eyebrows were being pulled out, so he screamed. ¡°What? What now? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It feels like somebody is pulling my eyebrows. Ow! ow!!!¡± After that, he felt pain like his eyes were being scorched by something hot. ¡°What do we have to do? Huh? What!?¡± Ojae panicked and repeated the same things over and over. Gyeonhui panicked too and shouted, covering his eyes with his hands, ¡°Cheonsun! Find where she is! Right now!!!¡± ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Hearing Gyeonhui screaming, Ojae pulled himself together and hurriedly left the office. *** ¡°Ow¡­¡± When the eyeliner tattoo was finished, Sun moaned shallowly. ¡°You said it wouldn¡¯t hurt.¡± ¡°Pretty hurts.¡± Sun felt like Ari had deceived her, so she looked at Ari resentfully, but they had already done the deed. ¡°Look at it.¡± Ari gave Sun a mirror. Sun looked at her eyes that were a little swollen. When she thought about having a tattoo, she thought it would be very dark and noticeable, but it was not the case for her at all; the eyeliner tattoo looked very natural and wasn¡¯t noticeable. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s well done?¡± ¡°The swelling should go away, and the color will become more defined. Until then, we don¡¯t know yet.¡± Sun still looked at the mirror anxiously. ¡°It looks like it¡¯s going to be swollen more.¡± Still feeling the irritation on her eyes, the swelling didn¡¯t seem like it was going to subside. ¡°It will take a couple of days.¡± ¡°What? Hah¡­¡± Sun exhaled a long sigh of frustration. There was no way she could not see Gyeonhui in two days, especially when they worked in the same building. ¡°It¡¯s just two days, and your sixth anniversary will be very comfortable after that.¡± Hearing Ari¡¯s advice, Sun nodded slowly. At that time, Ari said, pointing to the skincare promotion advertisements on the wall. ¡°Hey, while we¡¯re here, let¡¯s get that done too.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t done it before.¡± ¡°This is a great time to do such a thing. It¡¯s cheaper only when we both do it together.¡± ¡°No¡­ it looks like it¡¯s going to hurt a lot.¡± Sun wasn¡¯t willing to do it, so she hesitated. ¡°If it doesn¡¯t hurt, people wouldn¡¯t do it. It will just sting a little, and that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Sun asked her again in doubt. Before Sun changed her mind, Ari quickly shouted at the nurse, ¡°We¡¯re going to do that too.¡± ¡°Both of you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ari even paid the cost with her credit card, so Sun wouldn¡¯t run away while smiling brightly. ¡°Is it really going to be okay?¡± Sun still was anxious and looked at the advertisement on the wall again. On the poster, there were words written like this: ¡°Prepare your Summer! Cleanly! Confidently! Wax!¡± *** In front of the dermatologist office. ¡°Are you sure that she is here, not in an eye doctor¡¯s office?¡± Gyeonhui asked Ojae in doubt. It was definitely near eyes, not on the face or the skin. ¡°Yes. According to Eunyoung, they told her that they would go there.¡± Ojae confirmed the name of the dermatologist¡¯s office again and answered him. ¡°What is she doing here? Why does it hurt so much?¡± Gyeonhui said, rubbing around his painful eyes. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ they¡¯re going to have a tattoo¡­¡± ¡°What? Tattoos? What tattoo?¡± ¡°An eyeliner tattoo¡­¡± ¡°Hah¡­.¡± When Gyeonhui understood the situation, he couldn¡¯t help but shut his mouth. Chapter 147 ¡°These days, young girls like Sun would put tattoos on their lips and eye lines,¡± Ojae explained the situation in detail to make Gyeonhui feel a little better. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Gyeonhui put his two hands on his waist and exhaled a long sigh. He was feeling a little better than before, so the pain was manageable. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Ojae asked. ¡°No, it still hurts.¡± Being able to bear the pain didn¡¯t mean that it didn¡¯t hurt. Moreover, his eyes weren¡¯t the thing that felt a bit sensitive, so it bothered him more. ¡°I guess Sun is trying to be more attractive for you.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°She¡¯s doing this to look good. Guess who she is going to be looking good for?¡± Gyeonhui smirked when he understood Ojae¡¯s intention. ¡°She doesn¡¯t need to do all this.¡± All of a sudden, he wasn¡¯t angry anymore and started smiling like a fool. ¡°It should be done soon,¡± Ojae said while peeking inside. ¡°Why isn¡¯t she coming out?¡± ¡°Is there something more left? Wait here. I¡¯ll go and ask.¡± Ojae opened the door and went inside and started talking to the staff at the front desk. Gyeonhui stayed outside, so he couldn¡¯t hear their conversation. After a moment, Ojae came out with a severe face. ¡°What did she say?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s taking you so long? Just say it.¡± ¡°Well¡­ she said that they still had to do one more thing.¡± ¡°One more left? Huh. Okay. It wouldn¡¯t be more painful than having a tattoo.¡± Feeling better, Gyeonhui said it casually. However, Ojae still couldn¡¯t start speaking with a firm expression. Soon, Gyeonhui also felt something ominous. ¡°Hey¡­ something¡¯s strange here¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ojae was only biting his lips without saying anything. ¡°Is it something more painful than a tattoo?¡± Hearing Gyeonhui, Ojae just nodded quietly. ¡°What the hell is she going to do? Just tell me. Now.¡± Ojae involuntarily said, ¡°¡­ Waxing.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Sun is waxing now¡­¡± ¡°Wa¡­ xing¡­¡± Gyeonhui couldn¡¯t imagine what waxing was. However, after a moment, he felt a burning feeling on one of his legs, and he realized exactly what it was. ¡°Ouch!!!¡± He grabbed his own legs and collapsed on the spot. ¡°Ouch!!!¡± After a moment, he grabbed the other leg too and screamed. His cold shouting echoed throughout the hallway. *** The event hall of the future forum. Famous politicians were having a keynote address while mentioning the fourth industrial revolution. It was meant to be a fancy forum, but it was actually a meeting for connecting the politicians and the business CEOs. If the conference was just a performance for them, the senators and their executive assistants were basically the writers of the show. Mrs. Shin was watching the speeches as if she were enjoying a play that she invested in. ¡°Hello, Aunt,¡± At that moment, Chunduk approached her with a high tone of voice. When she looked at him without saying anything, Chunduk quickly switched the way he addressed her as if she were waiting for it. ¡°The Vice President.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Mr. Choi.¡± When he called her using her official title, she finally answered him. ¡°You look great. I¡¯ve heard your company is doing great?¡± One of the senators who noticed Chunduk greeted him. ¡°Yes, but I still have a long way to go to be as successful as you, Senator Cho. Congratulations on your reelection.¡± Chunduk also greeted the other senators that he had known and sat beside the Vice President. ¡°By the way, isn¡¯t Mr. Woo coming to this forum today? Did he drink a lot again?¡± Thinking it was a joke, a few senators laughed out loud. They all had read the article that criticized Gyeonhui last time, so they knew. Mrs. Shin still had an unchangeable smile on her face and said something to everyone. ¡®Let¡¯s see if she still stays calm this time.¡¯ Chunduk started speaking again. ¡°Or, is he busy because he is dating a pretty girl? I¡¯ve certainly heard that he¡¯s got a girl.¡± All of the senators¡¯ eyes went to Mrs. Shin. No matter how old or young they were, rumors about others always made them curious. ¡°Yes. He¡¯s been seeing Chaekyeong.¡± Holding a cold smile on her face, Mrs. Shin said. ¡°Chaekyeong? That¡¯s not what I¡¯ve heard. I¡¯ve heard that she¡¯s just a normal woman.¡± Hearing Chunduk, the senators looked at Mrs. Shin again. Mrs.Shin looked at Chunduk quietly. ¡°Who is she?¡± ¡°No, please disregard it. I must have heard something wrong.¡± Chunduk stopped talking from there. Chunduk knew that if he threw a topic to them, they would create a whole new story about it. Moreover, the more he spread a bad rumor about Gyeonhui, the better it would be for Chunduk. Although he targeted Gyeonhui¡¯s ability to run the company, his private relationship, or any story about his family, Chunduck was always looking for an edge. Whatever was available for him to use against Gyeonhui, Chunduk had to extract to step over Gyeonhui. When Chunduk became more greedy, he wanted to swing the last punch against Gyeonhui. ¡°However, if that¡¯s the truth, then it¡¯s going to be really fun. Because you, the Vice President¡¯s love story are a legend in this industry. The romance with a prince and a poor girl. I guess Gyeonhui must have been your true son after all. Haha.¡± Hearing him, people looked at Mrs. Shin again. However, Mrs. Shin was still smiling peacefully with a calm face. However, it took two to tango, so when Mrs. Shin totally ignored him, Chunduk didn¡¯t know what else to say. His last punch to finish Gyeonhui turned into nothing; his face immediately hardened. ¡°Anyways, how are we doing these days?¡± To brighten up the mood, Senator Kang asked everyone. He was the sponsor for the forum tonight, and he was in his third term as a senator from Gangnam. He was one of the most influential senators in the party. Smiling faintly, Mrs. Shin started speaking. ¡°Companies are in a tough situation in the aftermath of China.¡± ¡°We¡¯re doing everything we could do to stop them, but since it¡¯s so sensitive¡­ Hmm, hmm..¡± Senator Kang blurred his words in embarrassment. ¡°As you know, because of the law that bans Korean culture in China, the damage has been accumulating. Please remember it.¡± Hearing her explicit request, Senator Kang nodded. ¡°So that a distribution industry like us, Lasung, can stay in business.¡± Hearing Mrs. Shin, Chunduk frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t quite understand that. We, Lasung, will be just fine and stay strong in business.¡± ¡°Oh, will you? That¡¯s not what I¡¯ve heard. I¡¯ve heard that your profit margin has been dramatically dropped since your last sales revenue decreased.¡± ¡°What, what are you talking about?¡± Chunduk¡¯s face froze immediately. Chapter 148 In fact, the Lasung department store¡¯s profits were dramatically dropping sharply in the aftermath of the law that bans Korean culture in China. However, Chunduk was hiding it from the company, and he was also dealing with a lot of other businesses to expand his market shares online. He had bribed a lot of media to release false sales data, but Mrs. Shin seemed to know something. ¡°Don¡¯t go too far with your joke. It comes back to you bigger.¡± Hearing her sarcastic words, Chunduk¡¯s face subdued. She soon moved her gaze to Senator Kang with a smile on her face. ¡°Senator Kang, I have something that I would like to discuss with you about business for the local community.¡± ¡°Sure, sounds good. Would you like to go in?¡± Hearing him, Mrs. Shin and Chunduk stood up from their seat at the same time. However, looking at Chunduk, Senator Kang spoke. ¡°Why don¡¯t you finish your dinner, Mr. Choi?¡± This clearly showed that it wasn¡¯t a game that Chunduk could play. Without hiding the embarrassment from his face, Chunduk sat on the seat again. Chunduk watched her back furiously until he could no longer see her. ¡°As long as the old bitch is in the company, my business won¡¯t go any further. Well, at least it will take much longer.¡± She was the absolute target to be removed for him to conquer the whole group. However, it was never easy, so he couldn¡¯t do anything about her. If he attacked the hive with a poor attempt, the insult that happened today would happen again. ¡°I have to either remove her or Gyeonhui¡­¡± Chunduk¡¯s hand started trembling as he held the fork. ¡°I need a strong punch to swing¡­ the final blow¡­¡± Chunduk frowned like he had a headache. ¡®Bzzzzz.¡¯ At that moment, Chunduk¡¯s phone started to ring. 95. Because You¡¯re already beautiful The dermatology office. ¡°Ow¡­¡± Sun rubbed her legs that were still irritated from the waxing. It didn¡¯t hurt that much, but the feeling of burning still remained. After a moment, Ari also finished waxing and came out. ¡°Ta-da!¡± Ari showed off her silky legs to Sun. ¡°Does it not hurt for you?¡± Sun asked her in wonder. ¡°It does. It hurts a lot, but once you do it, I don¡¯t need to worry about it for a few weeks.¡± Ari said, looking at her legs satisfied. ¡°You want to come again together later?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I can come often¡­¡± ¡°Why, because of the cost? You get a big discount when you come with someone. Look.¡± Ari showed Sun the receipt. Fortunately, it was a lower price than she expected. ¡°Let¡¯s do it again later. Together, okay?¡± When Sun agonized, Ari rushed her. ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Sun involuntarily approved because Ari hung on her like a child. ¡°Yeah!¡± Ari shouted in excitement. ¡°We get more discounts if we bring more people. I think we should bring Eunyoung here too. ¡°If you can, go on.¡± Hearing Ari, Sun smirked and looked at her hairless and silky legs. It was the first time for her; the result was far better than she anticipated. Sun was satisfied. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the office. Eunyoung would get mad if we¡¯re too late.¡± Ari grabbed Sun¡¯s arm and left the dermatology office. ¡°Cheonsun.¡± At that moment, a familiar voice stopped them. Gyeonhui, with a somewhat serious face, was walking toward them. ¡°Gyeonhui?¡± Sun was surprised when she saw him unexpectedly, and she quickly hid her eyes with her hands. Ari also was scared of him, so she hid behind Sun. ¡°What, what are you doing here?¡± ¡°I was just passing by. Why are you hiding your eyes?¡± ¡°No, this is nothing.¡± ¡°Move your hands.¡± He approached her and dropped her hands. He saw her slightly swollen eyes. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ people do this a lot these days¡­ the eyeliner tattoo¡­¡± Although she didn¡¯t do anything wrong, for some reason, she was ashamed and blurred her words. She thought that Gyeonhui would yell at her for doing something stupid. ¡°I, I suggested that she come here. Please don¡¯t blame Sun.¡± Hearing Sun, Ari spoke up to defend her. However, Ari was still scared of Gyeonhui, so as soon as she said it, she went back and hid behind Sun. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything,¡± Gyeonhui said with a calm voice, and he started speaking slowly. ¡°¡­ Did it hurt?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± Hearing his question, that was unlike his usual self, Sun raised her head up and looked at him. He lowered and looked at her eyes carefully. ¡°They¡¯re swollen and red.¡± ¡°The doctor said it will be fine soon. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°How can I not worry? You¡¯re injured.¡± Sun¡¯s eyes became blank. His soft and gentle voice made her mind warm immediately like magic. Her face started to blush. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m really okay.¡± Sun put her face down, feeling shy about her blushed face. Since the atmosphere wasn¡¯t bad, Ari also exhaled a sigh of relief. At that moment, Ojae glanced at Ari¡¯s legs, and he asked. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it hurt?¡± ¡°It stings for a moment. Would you like to do it too?¡± ¡°What? Me?¡± ¡°Why not? Men also do it a lot these days for their beard, hairline, and the hair on their legs. You can basically remove the hair from any part you want to.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Ojae seemed like he was already convinced. ¡°The more people we bring in, the lower the price we¡¯ll pay. Hey, Sun, Mr. Kwon will do it with us. Let¡¯s come back here later with him too.¡± Ari said excitedly ¡°No!¡± Suddenly Gyeonhui shouted. The three of them were surprised and looked at Gyeonhui in wonder. ¡°I mean¡­¡± At that moment, Gyeonhui felt an awkward mood change, so he blurred the end of his words. ¡°Sun, come this way for a second.¡± Gyeonhui quickly grabbed Sun¡¯s hand and stayed a little away from them. When Gyeonhui and Sun had enough distance from Ojae and Ari, Gyeonhui started speaking in a low voice. ¡°Never do this again.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t. Okay?¡± Looking at him disagreeing with the waxing, Sun only looked at him instead of answering. Gyeonhui was frustrated because he couldn¡¯t explain everything to her. ¡°Please. please just listen to me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get it. Why do you not want me to do it again?¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t! Because you¡¯re already so beautiful without this!¡± Because of his shouting, a profound silence hung between them. He frowned because he couldn¡¯t believe that he had literally said such a corny phrase, but on her face, a slight smile appeared. ¡°Anyways, you don¡¯t need to do any of this, so don¡¯t do this anymore. Okay? Promise me.¡± Sun slowly nodded. ¡°I have to go to a forum.¡± Gyeonhui left there as if he were running away. She was still there and looked at herself in the window. Her face blushed, and it made her more attractive. ¡°Did he just say that I¡¯m beautiful¡­¡± Sun started walking, struggling to stop giggling. Chapter 149 *** In the car on the way to the forum. ¡°Because you¡¯re already beautiful,¡± Gyeonhui recalled what he had said to Sun. It was all embarrassing enough to make his own toes curl and cringe. ¡°Hah¡­ I¡¯m definitely insane.¡± When he got in the car, he was still blaming himself. ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ojae asked while he was driving. ¡°You don¡¯t need to know.¡± ¡°Why? Because she is already beautiful?¡± Ojae teased Gyeonhui, and he looked at Ojae furiously. When Ojae noticed Gyeonhui¡¯s eyes, he quickly cleared his throat and stopped giggling. ¡°Don¡¯t take it out on me.¡± ¡°Is that what you want? You know I can.¡± ¡°No, Sir.¡± Ojae quickly changed the subject. ¡°By the way, would you like to wax with me? Ojae asked. ¡°Are you insane?¡± ¡°In fact, I really wanted to wear short pants in the Summer. Maybe I can if I wax my legs.¡± ¡°Hah¡­¡± Gyeonhui started feeling a headache because of the tsunami of waxing. *** ¡°Because you¡¯re already beautiful! Puwap! Hahaha!!¡± Mocking Gyeonhui, Ari burst out laughing. ¡°Did you hear it?¡± Sun asked in embarrassment. ¡°Sure, how can I not hear it? He shouted out loud. However, I would have never thought that he could say such a thing.¡± Ari said this as if she couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°¡­ He¡¯s changed a lot.¡± ¡°You know this means he¡¯s close to death soon.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I mean, he¡¯s just¡­ so different¡­ compared to how he reacted before. Hmm, hmm.¡± Ari quickly patched up her words. However, Sun also had to agree with Ari. The recent change he had shown her was something that she couldn¡¯t possibly imagine until she literally heard him or saw him with her own eyes. Thus, she wondered what exactly had happened to him, and in the meantime, she also got anxious because she didn¡¯t know how he managed to change. However, Sun soon shook her head. ¡°He¡¯s been trying hard, so I also need to do the same thing.¡± She didn¡¯t need to worry about the future that hadn¡¯t even come yet. She thought she only needed to do her best for each other, and that was all she needed to do. ¡®Dring.¡¯ With a sound, the elevator opened. Ari and Sun got on the elevator and pushed the ¡®close¡¯ button. ¡°Wait!¡± At that moment, Sun pushed the ¡®open¡¯ button after she heard a voice in a hurry. A lady that was wearing a luxury hat got into the elevator. The lady in the dress looked proud of her physical appearance. The lady pushed the ¡®Lobby¡¯ button, leaned against the wall, and took out her phone. ¡°I¡¯m in the elevator. I¡¯m almost there. Okay.¡± The lady talked on the phone loudly. Ari frowned as she looked at Sun. After a moment, when the elevator arrived at the lobby, the lady pushed Sun away when she got out of the elevator. When that happened, the lady stepped on Sun¡¯s feet with her high heels. ¡°Ouch!¡± Sun held her ankle while moaning. ¡°Oh, my. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m fine.¡± Although Sun said that she was okay, she looked very uncomfortable while walking. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry.¡± Holding the phone, the lady got out of the elevator. ¡°Who¡¯s that woman?¡± Ari said when she saw the lady leaving the elevator. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Did you see her face? She didn¡¯t even say sorry to you at all.¡± ¡°No way. She has apologized.¡± ¡°Bitch.¡± Ari was annoyed and looked at the woman. The woman was facing her phone towards Sun and still looking at Ari and Sun. When the door was closed, Ari started speaking. ¡°Did you see her? Why was she still looking at us? That¡¯s annoying.¡± ¡°Just stop. It was just an accident.¡± Sun calmed Ari and looked at her ankle. It was the same foot that she fell on when she dropped her phone, so the pain was pretty severe. *** In the parking lot of the building where the forum was being held. When Gyeonhui got out of the car, he adjusted his clothes. It was a meeting that famous politicians and CEOs were supposed to join at once, so Gyeonhui was really nervous. At that moment, Chunduk, who was coming out of the parking lot, saw Gyeonhui and approached him. ¡°Who is this!¡± Gyeohui seemed bothered, so he just tried to pass him by without saying hello to him. ¡°At least say hello to me?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s greet each other. We¡¯re family.¡± ¡°Family?¡± Gyeonhui was outraged and burst out a smirk. ¡°Your mother, your father, and even you, you were the people that claimed that I¡¯m your family?¡± Hearing Gyeonhui¡¯s sharp words, Chuchduk¡¯s face became serious immediately. However, as soon he looked around and became self-conscious, he started pretending that he was relaxed. ¡°Is it obvious? Somebody suddenly showed up and claimed that he is one of us. Who would easily accept you as a family? It looked like you were meshing up with us for money. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Lifting his one eyebrow, Chunduk said. Gyeonhui smirked and looked at him again. ¡°Pulling a stupid trick is what you¡¯re good at. Not me.¡± ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mess with me unless you want to lose what you have now.¡± ¡°What!!!¡± Chunduk became impatient, and his voice raised rapidly. Because of that, he drew some attention from the people around them. ¡°Please. Relax.¡± Watching them from the side, Ojae stopped them. When Chunduk noticed the people, he quickly hid his anger. ¡°Hmm, hmm. I am not upset, so I don¡¯t know what you mean, Mr. Kwon.¡± Chunduk adjusted his clothes, pretending like nothing had happened. ¡°I¡¯m sure you weren¡¯t invited to the inside of the meeting because you¡¯re leaving early.¡± Hearing Gyeonhui, Chunduk¡¯s face wiggled. ¡°That seems right because the meeting is not for small fish.¡± When he said this, he went inside the forum. ¡°Hah¡­¡± When Gyeonhui was gone, Chunduk no longer had a person to argue with him, so he was only looking at Ojae in outrage. ¡°How is he allowed to join the meeting with the Senators?¡± ¡°Because it was the Senators who had called him.¡± Ojae answered him like it was apparent. Hearing Ojae, Chunduk¡¯s face was furiously wiggling. *** When Gyeonhui ignored Chunduk, who was leaving him behind, he went inside of the forum event hall. However, at that moment, his body stumbled. ¡°Ow¡­¡± He moaned and frowned while holding his ankle in pain. ¡°What? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ojae was surprised and came to him. ¡°My ankle¡­ Ow¡­¡± The throbbing pain felt like his ankle was stabbed by something sharp. When he barely endured the pain, he quickly took out his phone and called her. ¡°Hello?¡± Luckily, Sun answered after a few rings. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Me? Yes, I¡¯m fine. What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°No, nothing. I¡¯ll call you later.¡± Gyeonhui knew that Sun wouldn¡¯t tell him her trouble even if she had it. However, when he heard her voice, it sounded like nothing really had happened to her. ¡°Why do I feel so anxious¡­ like something¡¯s going to happen¡­¡± When he hung up the phone with her, his thoughts became heavier because of the unknown, ominous feeling creeping toward his head. However, he calmed himself after catching his breath and walked into the meeting. Chapter 150 *** Some people were watching Gyeonhui limping and going inside the meeting room. It was Chunduk and Woochang. ¡°What do you think?¡± Woochang asked. ¡°Hmm.¡± Chunduk watched the video that Woochang provided. In the video, Sun was suffering after she had been stepped on. Chunduk raised his head up and watched the limping Gyeonhui again. To call this a coincidence would be wrong, the injured area was precisely matched. ¡°There is more.¡± Woochang also showed him a video that was divided into two and explained to him. In the video that showed the date and time, there was Sun when a box fell on her shoulder at a warehouse while Gyeonhui was feeling the pain at the same time but in a different location. ¡°So¡­ what you¡¯re saying is¡­ Gyeonhui feels this girl¡¯s pain?¡± Chunduk asked again. ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe it at the beginning, but it was true.¡± ¡°How did you know my number?¡± ¡°My ex-girlfriend used to meet with his assistant, Ojae Kwon. I saw your number from the phone that he left behind. I¡¯ve also heard that you have some personal issues with him.¡± Woochang smiled meanly. ¡°I thought you would pay a great amount of money for this information; that¡¯s why I came here. I also have some issues with that guy.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Chunuk was lost in thought for a moment. It seemed ridiculous, but it could have been a great cause to use against Gyenhui. However, it was also dangerous for Chuhduk. ¡®¡­ I need to confirm it¡­¡± A few videos weren¡¯t enough to make a decision, and Chunduk wanted to have more explicit evidence. ¡°I¡¯ll call you soon. Assume that we haven¡¯t met today. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Absolutely. I only need to see the money.¡± Woochang didn¡¯t hide his meanness. Chunduk nodded again and walked away from him while taking a look around him. Woochang was left alone, and he still was watching Gyeonhui leaving. Woochang left the building with light steps, whistling a song. 96. She¡¯s working late In the hallway. Gyeonhui was still limping because of the pain in his foot. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Hearing Ojae, Gyeonhui shook his head with a firm expression. ¡°The pain is worse than I thought.¡± ¡°I can ask Eunyoung if something¡¯s happening with Sun if you want.¡± When Gyeonhui thought for a moment, he nodded as an answer. Ojae quickly left the forum to call Eunyoung. Gyeonhui looked down at his foot again. ¡®I wish I could run to you right now¡­¡¯ Senator Kang wasn¡¯t just a politician he was supposed to meet today. Moreover, Gyeonhui was even late for the meeting, so he had to rush. *** In the private meeting of the forum. As Gyeonhui opened the door and went inside, He saw Senator Kang and Mrs. Shin talking. He also saw Chaekyoung beside Mrs. Shin. ¡°You¡¯re late.¡± Hearing Mrs. Shin¡¯s resentful greeting, Gyeonhui only bowed quietly. ¡°Welcome.¡± Senator Kang welcomed him with a bright smile. Chaekyoung smiled at him instead of a greeting. He had to sit beside Chaekyoung, which was the only empty seat to sit in the room. ¡°What a great looking couple.¡± Looking at them, Senator Kang said. Hearing Senator Kang, Mrs. Shin and Chaekyoung only smiled, but Gyeonhui smiled bitterly in this uncomfortable situation. ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve heard that there is great news about both of them?¡± Senator Kang asked Mrs. Shin. ¡°We¡¯ve already discussed marriage, but we also think that we need to respect their own opinions, so we¡¯ll proceed slowly.¡± ¡°How generous you are. That¡¯s so thoughtful.¡± The conversation between the two continued. ¡°We are going to get married at the best time for the family and the two of us. I really appreciate your interest and support.¡± Hearing Chaekyoung¡¯s polite words, Senator Kang smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re so glad to have such a great daughter in law.¡± Hearing Senator Kang, Mrs. Shin smiled gently. At that time, staying calm, Gyeonhui broke the silence and said, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, but I have no intention of getting married yet.¡± ¡°Mr. Woo.¡± Mrs. Shin called him in a low voice. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that there has been a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°Hmm, hmm. I must have misunderstood it. Forgive an old man.¡± Senator said it nicely with a smile, but everyone in that room knew that he got offended. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Senator Kang.¡± Mrs. Shin tried to fix this situation. ¡°Now, why don¡¯t we talk about our business?¡± Senator Kang showed documentation in front of the three. ¡°About the law that has been passed¡­¡± Senator Kang started speaking about his plan with a blunt voice. The peaceful atmosphere immediately turned into a cold and hard business meeting. *** In the parking lot. After the private meeting, Gyeonhui went toward the car with a grim expression. ¡°Mr. Woo.¡± At that moment, he heard a familiar voice behind him. He stopped walking, and Mrs. Shin approached him with the loud knocking of her high heels. ¡°You¡¯re still the same, acting carelessly.¡± Her mean words didn¡¯t hide her anger from Gyeonhui. Her cold and emotionless face was telling him that she was furious at him. However, Gyeonhui looked into her eyes straight and spoke, ¡°I haven¡¯t acted at all carelessly.¡± ¡°I thought I explained it to you enough last time.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never said that I¡¯ll obey your orders.¡± Pausing for a while, Mrs. Shin looked at him steadily. ¡°Is that so?¡± She smirked. It was a smile that would make people highly nervous. ¡°I¡¯m sure the CEO of Consensio must be in a great position because I see you that you¡¯re so confident. However, unfortunately, the owner of Consencio will soon be changed¡­¡± She purposely blurred her words and smiled at him. ¡°Do you think so?¡± Gyeonhui rather asked her back. ¡°The current sales revenue was showing rapid improvement in Consencio. Why does the CEO have to resign when the company is doing well? What¡¯s the reason? Because I simply didn¡¯t listen to you? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s enough to convince the greedy stockholders.¡± Gyeonhui smiled this time. It was true. Consencio¡¯s growth had been steady, but in recent weeks, it had risen up rapidly. Turning the distribution lines toward Southeast Asia and Europe was a significant turning point to avoid the laws banning Korean culture in China. However, Mrs. Shin¡¯s smile didn¡¯t go away. ¡°Anyone can do the same thing you did.¡± Hearing her, Gyeonhui¡¯s face hardened. ¡°I think I have enough reasons to terminate you, including your recent drinking incident. I guess you have a different idea than I.¡± When he recalled the drunken incident, his face sunk deeper. Chapter 151 ¡°You will have to do something only you can. No one else could.¡± If Gyeonhui failed to merge the company with DNBM, he would be laid off. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I can¡¯t give you enough time.¡± However, her face didn¡¯t look sorry at all. When she delivered what she had to say, she quickly turned around and got in the car waiting for her. ¡®Brrrrr.¡¯ When he watched her car going away, his mood sunk. Gyeonhui pretended that he was confident when he talked with her; he was fully aware of how strongly her words would work in the business. He tried to calm down his anger, biting his lower lip. ¡°I guess you¡¯re in trouble.¡± At that moment, Chaekyeong approached him. ¡°¡­ This isn¡¯t your business.¡± ¡°How do I not care about it? My future husband¡¯s involved.¡± Gyeonhui no longer wanted to hear any of this anymore, so he tried to get in the car. ¡°I¡¯ll arrange a meeting.¡± Hearing her unexpected words, Gyeonhui stopped walking. ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll arrange a meeting for you with the CEO of DNBM.¡± When he heard the words ¡®the CEO of DNBM,¡¯ his eyes widened. ¡°We still have many more dates like you promised, but we can do that after the business goes well.¡± After he thought about her suggestion for a moment, he soon shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t need your help.¡± ¡°You need to think clearly.¡± ¡°I am, more than ever.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± She continued, smiling at him. ¡°You need my help more than ever. This is not the time to be stubborn. You could lose everything you have.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Gyeonhui couldn¡¯t say anything. It was true. The more he denied this girl who already knew the situation, the more pathetic he became. Gyeonhui could do nothing but look at her with a severe face. ¡°Don¡¯t have such a grave face. It¡¯s scary. Smile.¡± Chaekyeong said, stroking his face. ¡°The meeting is tomorrow night. I¡¯ll arrange the place and let you know.¡± When she said this, she got in her sports car. With a loud engine sound, her car passed by him. She even rolled down the window and waved at him. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Leaving the parking lot alone, he exhaled a sigh of frustration. *** In the Kidz Fan office. Reviewing the new design, Sun looked at the clock to confirm the time. It was already past six o¡¯clock; it was time to go home. She looked at her phone, but there was no call from Gyeonhui. ¡®Bzzzzz.¡¯ At that time, Eunyoung¡¯s phone rang. ¡°Okay, sounds good.¡± When she hung up the phone, she grabbed her bag and stood up from her seat. ¡°Are you not leaving?¡± ¡°I am.¡± Hearing Eunyoung, Sun answered. ¡°Has he not called you yet?¡± ¡°No, we didn¡¯t plan to meet tonight.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go home.¡± ¡°Great.¡± Ari answered excitedly instead of Sun, and Ari stood up from her seat as if she was waiting for Eunyoung to say it. ¡°Hmm. I still have something to do, so go on.¡± ¡°Hey, come on. We won¡¯t feel comfortable if you stay late.¡± Ari said, looking at Eunyoung to ask for help. Ari was afraid that she had to work late too because of Sun. ¡°The due date is tomorrow, and I haven¡¯t finished it yet because I came back to the office late after lunch. Don¡¯t worry about me. Go home and relax.¡± Sun pushed Eunyoung and Ari away from the office. ¡®Bang.¡¯ When the office door closed, the silence laid down in the office. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Sun returned to her desk after exhaling a shallow sigh; she started reviewing the design again. ¡®Bzzzz.¡¯ At that moment, her phone that was placed on her desk rang. She was excited and picked up the phone immediately, but it was Eunwoo. She wasn¡¯t satisfied, but soon, she answered the phone with a smile. ¡°Hello, Dr. Park. It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Yes, it has. How are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good. What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Are you busy tonight?¡± ¡°Tonight?¡± Sun raised her head up and looked at the office door. Not likely her wish, there was no one coming inside of the office. ¡°¡­ No, I¡¯m busy tonight.¡± ¡°I¡¯m near your office. Would you like to have dinner with me?¡± ¡°Sure, sounds good.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll call you when I arrive at your office.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± When she hung up the phone, she looked at it again. Still, there was no call from Gyeonhui. She smiled bitterly and started rushing to finish the work to leave. *** In the parking lot of the Consencio building. Gyeonhui was still lost in thought. ¡°I¡¯ll arrange a meeting with the CEO of the DNBM.¡± Her words didn¡¯t leave his head. ¡°What¡¯s her plan¡­?¡± Gyeonhui mumbled to himself, irritated. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ojae asked. ¡°I mean, Chaekyeong.¡± ¡°Maybe she just wants to help you?¡± Hearing Ojae¡¯s naive words, Gyeonhui shook his head. It wasn¡¯t like her to help him without asking anything in return. ¡°I can¡¯t reject her help either¡­ Hah¡­¡± He didn¡¯t know what to do, and he felt like he was stuck. To keep his position as the CEO, he had to make the merge successful. At least, he had to make the negotiation to buy some more time for the next move. ¡°Are you going home?¡± ¡°No, to my office.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ojae drove the car into the parking lot and parked the car on the designated parking spot for the CEO. When Ojae finished parking, he carefully looked back and asked. ¡°Is there anything you want me to do?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean, if there¡¯s nothing you need from me, I wonder if I can go home before you.¡± Gyeonhui knew what it meant more than anyone. ¡°No. Just go away.¡± ¡°Why did you say it like that?¡± ¡°Your boss is in trouble, and all you think about in your head is having a date with her.¡± ¡°No, I have just promised to see her tonight¡­¡± ¡°Go. Go!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t go if you say it like that¡­¡± At that moment, a text came again from Eunyoung. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I have to go.¡± Ojae hurriedly got out of the car and tried to run. ¡°Hey! Ojae!¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Do you know where Sun is now?¡± ¡°Sun? Hold on.¡± Ojae quickly texted Eunyoung. ¡°Eunyoung says, Sun¡¯s going to work late at the office tonight.¡± ¡°Is she?¡± ¡°I¡¯m leaving. Don¡¯t call me because I¡¯m off work from now on.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re such a betrayer¡­¡± Gyeonhui exhaled a sigh, biting his lower lip. However, soon a smile appeared on his face. ¡°Alright, spring has sprung, He needs to enjoy it.¡± Gyeonhui understood Ojae because he had watched him struggling for a long time because of his ex-girlfriend Sarah. When he pushed the elevator button, he recalled what Ojae just told him. ¡°Is she working now?¡± He had so much stuff to do, but he also needed to recharge himself. He got on the elevator with a slight smile on his face. Chapter 152 97. It¡¯s only the two of us In the lobby of the Consencio building. ¡°I¡¯ve come here too early,¡± Eunwoo mumbled to himself while looking at his watch. Even at rush hour, the traffic wasn¡¯t heavy, so he had arrived at the building half an hour earlier than he was supposed to. Eunwoo thought about going down to the shop on the basement floor where the Kidz Fan products were displayed, so he started walking toward the elevator. ¡°Huh? Dr. Park?¡± At that time, a familiar voice called him. The person approaching him with a smile was Eunyoung. ¡°Eunyoung, it¡¯s been a long time.¡± Eunwoo greeted Eunyoung with a smile. ¡°Yes, it has. How¡¯s everything?¡± Eunyoung asked. ¡°Great. It¡¯s so good to see you. Are you going home?¡± ¡°Yes, what¡¯s up here?¡± ¡°I have a dinner appointment.¡± ¡°With Sun?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Eunyoung mumbled the end of her sentence. She recalled that Sun said that she still had something more to do, but Eunyoung knew more than anyone that it was just an excuse. However, Eunyoung thought this was something unexpected because she thought Sun would see Gyeonhui, not Eunwoo. ¡°Why isn¡¯t she coming down?¡± ¡°I came half an hour earlier.¡± Eunwoo smiled awkwardly. ¡°Would you like me to call her?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll just wait at the basement floor and check things out there.¡± Eunyoung saw that Eunwoo was trying not to rush Sun. Eunyoung felt sorry for him. ¡®Does he know that Sun started seeing Mr. Woo again?¡¯ Eunyoung looked at him in sympathy because she already knew how Eunwoo thought about Sun. When Eunyoung agonized for a moment, she started speaking. ¡°Dr. Park, did you hear it from Sun?¡± ¡°Hear what?¡± Looking at him questioning her again, Eunyoung organized her mind. However, the sooner he knew, the better for everyone. ¡°I know this is not my business, and telling this to you is a little impudent, but¡­¡± Eunyoung hesitated. It wasn¡¯t as easy as she thought as she actually tried to tell him. ¡°Is it something about Mr. Woo?¡± He might have reread her face, so Eunwoo spoke before her. ¡°Did you already know?¡± Eunyoung was surprised and asked him again. Eunwoo slowly nodded with a smiling face. ¡°Yes, because Sun doesn¡¯t hide it from anyone.¡± ¡°¡­ Are you okay with that?¡± ¡°¡­ Well..¡± Eunwoo answered with a sunken voice. ¡°I¡­ think I made a mistake. Please don¡¯t bother.¡± Eunyoung hurriedly wrapped up her words, feeling sorry for him. She didn¡¯t want to rub salt into a wound. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Eunyoung made him wait for a minute and walked to the security officers. When she talked to them for a while, she came back to him and gave him a visitor¡¯s pass. ¡°Go up to the office.¡± ¡°No, I can wait here.¡± ¡°You said you still have half an hour. Sun will be sorrier if she finds out that you waited for her for so long. You know how she is. Just take it, please.¡± After hesitating for a moment, he took the visitor¡¯s pass she handed. ¡°Just tell her to go out together with you because the task she¡¯s working on isn¡¯t something urgent so that I can also save some extra pay for overtime pay.¡± Hearing her witty words, Eunwoo answered with a smile, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± Eunwoo bowed to her and got on the elevator. When the elevator door closed and he was no longer seen, Eunyoung finally exhaled a long sigh that she was holding for a while. She kept thinking that maybe what Sun really needed was Eunwoo¡¯s warmth. ¡°Sun¡­ have you really made the right decision?¡± Eunyoung shook her head in sympathy. However, it was her life, and she was the one that was responsible for her own life and decision. That was how everyone lived their lives. *** ¡®Whiring.¡¯ The elevator went up fast. Eunwoo was lost in thought while leaning against the wall of the elevator. ¡°¡­ Are you okay with that?¡± ¡°¡­ Well¡­¡± Eunwoo recalled Eunyoung¡¯s eyes in anxiety and his own voice that couldn¡¯t hide his mind from her. Eunwoo placed his head on the wall and closed his eyes. ¡®Dring.¡¯ Meanwhile, the high-speed elevator arrived at the floor where the Kidz Fan office was located. Even after the elevator door opened, Eunwoo still didn¡¯t move even an inch. ¡°Am I really okay¡­¡± Eunwoo asked himself again. Apparently, he couldn¡¯t answer his own question either. He knew that he just had to let her go because he didn¡¯t want to be left as a burden in her mind. However, Eunwoo still missed her so much. He smiled bitterly and pushed the ¡®open¡¯ button. The elevator door started opening slowly¡­ *** ¡°She should be fine¡­¡± Eunyoung looked at the path of the elevator that he just got on anxiously. However, this was an issue that they had to go through. She shook her head as if she was shaking her anxiety away and confirmed the time. ¡°Why is he so late?¡± Eunyoung looked at the main entrance door in the lobby. However, she couldn¡¯t see Ojae waiting for her. ¡°Eunyoung!¡± At that moment, not the main entrance, but from the back door, Ojae¡¯s voice was heard. When she looked back, Ojae was running at her in a nice suit, and his hair was bouncing off his head. ¡°Why, why did you come out so early? Huck, huck.¡± He was breathing heavily but still smiling. When Eunyoung watched him running with all his might to her, she started feeling warm in her mind. However, she also wanted to tease him. ¡°Why are you so late?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I really tried to come early¡­¡± When she looked at the clock, they were three minutes late for the date. ¡°I won¡¯t be late again. I promise.¡± Ojae said as if he was promising those words to himself. ¡®Is he naive¡­ or just simple¡­¡¯ A smile spread out on her face, but she soon hid her smile, lifted her chin up a little, and started speaking. ¡°Then why did you come from the backside of the building and not the main entrance?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯ve come here with Gyeonhui.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ that¡¯s why¡­ you were late..¡± Eunyoung nodded as she understood the reason for his tardiness. ¡°And the traffic was heavy too. It¡¯s not just because of Gyeonhui.¡± Ojae kept making excuses. He didn¡¯t want her to think about Gyeonhui in the wrong way when she already didn¡¯t like him so much. Gyeonhui was a family for Ojae, even if people liked him or not. Looking at Ojae, Eunyoung burst out laughing. ¡®You really care about your people, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I mean¡­¡± ¡°I like it. You must if you think he¡¯s your family.¡± ¡°Do you think so? Haha¡­¡± Ojae smiled awkwardly soon after. Chapter 153 ¡°Is Sun still in the office?¡± ¡°Yes, but she¡¯ll probably go out soon.¡± ¡°To where?¡± Ojae asked anxiously. ¡°She has a dinner appointment with Dr.Park.¡± ¡°The vet? He¡¯s here, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°He just went up a moment ago.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ojae¡¯s voice raised involuntarily. When people around them all looked at Ojae and Eunyoung, Eunyoung asked him, furrowing her eyebrows, ¡°Why are you so surprised?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Looking at Eunyoung as she asked him again, Ojae struggled to speak. ¡°Because¡­ Gyeonhui just went up to see her too.¡± ¡°What¡­ what?!¡± Their faces both became rigid at the same time. *** ¡°Hah¡­¡± When she finished up a draft of the design, she loosened her neck by moving her head in circles. At that moment, she heard a knocking sound. ¡°Who is it?¡± She wondered because no one was supposed to come into the office at night. ¡°Coming.¡± The door opened at the same time she answered. It was Eunwoo. ¡°Hey, Dr. Park.¡± Sun was surprised and stood up from her seat when she saw him. ¡°I saw Eunyoung in the lobby. I told her that I was here earlier, so she gave me this visitor¡¯s pass to go up to the office.¡± Eunwoo shook the pass that Eunyoung gave to him. ¡°You should have called me. I¡¯m sorry for making you wait.¡± Sun quickly started cleaning up her desk. Eunwoo calmly looked at the paintings she was working on after slowly approaching them. There was a character that was helping his friends, holding an arrow. ¡°It¡¯s him again, the same as last time.¡± ¡°You still remember him. Yes, people are very impressed with the character. Thank you. It¡¯s all because of you.¡± Sun told him honestly. The character wouldn¡¯t have been created without Eunwoo¡¯s encouragement. Eunwoo started speaking in a muffled voice to himself after steadily looking at Sun¡¯s drawings. ¡°I wish I had a friend like this character.¡± Hearing his subsided voice, Sun stopped what she was doing and looked at him. ¡°Is everything okay with you?¡± She said in a caring voice. Eunwoo looked at her while smiling bitterly. ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t think I can see you as often from now¡­¡± ¡°Why? Are you going somewhere?¡± ¡°I have some stuff to do. I think I¡¯ll be very busy..¡± ¡°Oh¡­ okay¡­¡± She looked at him, unsatisfied. His eyes were shaken while he was looking at her sincere eyes. ¡°However, I still don¡¯t know if I¡¯ve made the right decision¡­¡± ¡°What decision was it?¡± Hearing her question, he looked at her calmly. As if he wanted to see her face one last time, he gazed upon her. He felt that the time he wastes in blinking his eyes was eating away the precious moments he needed to remember her face. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I have to keep going or not¡­¡± He hesitated to reveal his pure mind to her. However, on the other hand, he might have wanted her to know his mind. When she heard the words that he struggled to speak, Sun¡¯s face became grim too. After agonizing for a moment, she smiled slightly as if she recalled something in her mind. She searched out for her purse and held out her fist while holding something inside. ¡°Take it.¡± Eunwoo hesitated to take what she had in her hand while he looked at her smiling face. When her fist unfolded, he saw a small stone in her hand. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°Yes. At the church in Santiago.¡± Sun said. Sun said while she was smiling at him, recalling the moment they had in Santiago. Eunwoo flipped the stone without saying anything. He saw the phrase. ¡®Go, you can.¡¯ written on it. ¡°Whenever I wanted to give up on everything, this small stone helped me a lot. However, I think you need it more than I do.¡± Eunwoo raised his face and looked at her. Sun started speaking again with a smile. ¡°Keep moving forward. You can make it. Whatever it is. I¡¯ll cheer you on.¡± She cheered him while squeezing her two fists tightly. ¡°¡­ Do you really think so?¡± Eunwoo asked her, looking at the stone in his hand. ¡°Sure.¡± When he heard her answer, his eyes shook vigorously. He slowly stood up from his seat and approached her with his mouth shut tightly like he had finally determined something. He started speaking again while looking at her with his serious eyes. ¡°¡­ Can I really make it?¡± Sun awkwardly nodded while looking at his earnest eyes. She couldn¡¯t say anything. Eunwoo was still looking at her steadily and struggled to speak again. ¡°Sun¡­ I¡¯m¡­¡± ¡®Bzzzz.¡¯ At that moment, Eunwoo¡¯s phone rang. His phone kept ringing in his pocket, but Eunwoo only looked at her. When the awkward silence laid down between them, Sun pointed to his pocket with her hand. ¡°Dr. Park¡­ your phone¡­¡± Eunwoo took out the phone from his pocket while smiling bitterly. When he saw the caller¡¯s name on his phone, his face became more subdued. ¡°Excuse me.¡± He went out of the office while he was answering the phone. ¡®Bang.¡¯ When she heard the door close, she exhaled a shallow sigh. However, his voice and the way he looked at her made it seem like the two of them were still together in the office. *** As he went inside of the restroom, he leaned against the wall and exhaled a long sigh. ¡°I only make her struggle more.¡± He knew that his mind could give her more trouble, so he tried to forget about her no matter what. However, it didn¡¯t work the way he wanted. He thought he was happy enough to stay next to her, but he wasn¡¯t. He wanted to see her, hug her, and be with her. ¡°¡­ Can I really give up on her¡­¡¯ He questioned himself again in pain while biting his lower lip. ¡®Bzzzz.¡¯ At that time, his phone started ringing again. When he saw the caller¡¯s name on the phone screen, his face hardened again. It was Chaekyeong. 98. I¡¯ll protect you from now Still standing in the office, she waited for Eunwoo anxiously. At that time, the office door opened wide with a knocking sound. It was Gyeonhui, not Eunwoo. ¡°Gyeonhui?¡± Sun was surprised and asked him. ¡°What? Why are you so surprised?¡± ¡°I mean¡­ because you came here without telling me.¡± ¡°Are you done?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Have you eaten dinner?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t yet, but I have a dinner appointment¡­¡± At that moment, her phone rang. It was Eunwoo. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I have to go now. Something urgent came up. I¡¯m sorry, Sun.¡± When she saw the message, her face subsided. Eunwoo had never canceled an appointment like this before, she was more worried about him. ¡°¡­ What happened to him?¡± Sun mumbled to herself anxiously when she read the word ¡®urgent¡¯ in his text. Chapter 154 Chapter 154: Chapter 154. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Dr. Park.¡± ¡°What? This late at night? Why?¡± ¡°We were supposed to have dinner tonight, but he just canceled it.¡± ¡°Why do you have to have dinner with him?¡± ¡°Because he helped me a lot, and I¡¯d like to appreciate him.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t have dinner with him anymore. No, never meet him again.¡± ¡°You¡¯re strange. Why are you so mean to Dr. Park?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not being strange. Just don¡¯t.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about it. I don¡¯t think I can see Dr. Park often anyways. He said he¡¯s going to be busy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± ¡°Stop being mean, please.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we go out?¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°To have a date.¡± ¡°Date?¡± ¡°Do you mind?¡± At that moment, the door was roughly opened, and Eunyoung and Ojae came into the office. ¡°Gyeonhui!¡± ¡°Sun!¡± They came into the office while calling Gyeonhui and Sun¡¯s name in a hurry. ¡°Oh my gosh! What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Is it only the two of you?¡± Ojae asked. ¡°Sure, is there another person that should be here?¡± Hearing Gyeonhui, Ojae and Eunyoung looked at each other. ¡°No¡­ not really¡­¡± Ojae and Eunyoung were outraged and didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Alright. Why don¡¯t we have dinner together? We¡¯re all here.¡± Sun said. ¡°To¡­ together? Sun¡­ let¡¯s not¡­ do that¡­¡± ¡°Do you mind?¡± Sun asked Gyeonhui. ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. We should let these two have some time privately¡­¡± ¡°I like the idea,¡± Eunyoung said, cutting off Gyeonhui¡¯s words. Gyeonhui glared at Eunyoung and soon moved his gaze to Ojae. ¡®Say no. Never say yes!¡¯ Gyeonhui sent a signal to Ojae with his eyes outrageously. Ojae nodded at Gyeonhui as if he understood the signal. Gyeonhui exhaled a sigh of relief. ¡°How about you, Mr. Kwon?¡± Sun asked. ¡°I like it if Eunyoung likes it.¡± Hearing Ojae¡¯s unexpected answer, Gyeonhui¡¯s eyes grew big furiously. Gyenhui glared at Ojae, but Ojae was only smiling at Eunyoung foolishly. ¡°Do you not want to go with us?¡± Sun asked. ¡°I like it. Let¡¯s go. Go.¡± Gyeonhui smiled outrageously and struggled to speak while biting his lower lip. ¡°Great. Why don¡¯t we call Ari too since we¡¯re all together!¡± ¡°Sounds great. Let¡¯s go!¡± Sun and Eunyoung were so excited, and they took the lead. Ojae was afraid of trouble later, so he quickly followed them. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Gyeonhui was the only one left exhaling because his plans had been changed abruptly. *** In the Consencio building Lobby. Eunwoo watched the four of them moving away. ¡°Don¡¯t we need to take the car?¡± ¡°Just leave it here. We¡¯re going to have some drinks.¡± ¡°Really? Can I drink some too?¡± Ojae asked. Eunwoo watched Gyeonhui and Ojae arguing, and Eunyoung and Sun who were laughing at them. Compared to them, Eunwoo¡¯s face looked so dark. At that time, Eunwoo¡¯s phone rang again. Since he knew it was Chakyeong, he struggled to answer it. ¡°Are you avoiding my call?¡± Eunwoo didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Hello?¡± Chaekyeong called him again since she heard nothing from him. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Business.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested in it. I have to go.¡± Eunwoo tried to hang up on her. At that moment, Chaekyeong¡¯s voice rang over the phone again. ¡°You¡¯ve heard about Sun and Gyeonhui, haven¡¯t you?¡± Hearing Chaekyeong, Eunwoo hesitated. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t want to send her to Gyeonhui, I have an idea.¡± Eunwoo was lost in thought for a moment with a serious face. ¡°I guess you¡¯re interested now since you didn¡¯t hang up on me.¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s not why.¡± ¡°I know how you play the game, and I know you¡¯re not going to ask me anything. That means I have to show my card first. You still remember my suggestion from last time, right?¡± Eunwoo recalled the conversation he had with Chaekyeong last time she visited him. ¡®You know Gyeonhui is highly interested in merging the DNBM with his company. Actually, he¡¯s desperate. You need to use that for yourself.¡¯ Eunwoo had already known how much Gyeonhui wanted to merge with DNBM through the CTO¡¯s emails. However, it wasn¡¯t how Eunwoo wanted to do this business, so he immediately rejected the business suggestion. Chaekyeong was still suggesting it to Eunwoo. ¡°Are you still not interested in merging with Consencio?¡± Eunwoo couldn¡¯t answer this time. ¡°Just use it against Gyeonhui, and for yourself.¡± ¡°¡­ I already told you that I¡¯m not interested.¡± Eunwoo struggled to answer. Chaekyeong was listening to him quietly for a while, then she finally started speaking. ¡°You¡¯re going to lose everything. Again.¡± Hearing her, Eunwoo clenched his teeth tightly. ¡°Meet me, anyway. I¡¯ll send you the time and place soon.¡± Chaekyeong hung up on him after she said only this. Eunwoo watched Sun going away in the distance while holding his phone in his hand. Her smile that looked so happy made Eunwoo hurt more. Eunwoo looked down at the stone in his hand. ¡°¡­ Go, you can.¡± Eunwoo held the stone tightly. *** The smoked spicy chicken foot restaurant. These five people that hadn¡¯t gathered together in one place in such a long time were just drinking water awkwardly. Gyeonhui was quiet while crossing his arms, looking displeased to be here. Ojae and Ari were uncomfortable because of him. Sun and Eunyoung said something once in a while, but the conversation would die out quickly. ¡°Why don¡¯t we drink something?¡± Ojae started speaking to brighten up the mood. ¡°The dish for drinking hasn¡¯t even come out yet,¡± Gyeonhui said with a grumpy face. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Ojae quickly shut his mouth. When Sun felt the awkward atmosphere again, she started whispering to Gyeonhui. ¡°Can you please stop being grumpy?¡± ¡°What did I do wrong?¡± Gyeonhui asked her again, pretending he knew nothing. ¡°Don¡¯t you see that people are not comfortable here? ¡°They look fine to me,¡± Gyeonhui said, pouting his lips out. ¡°What is it that you don¡¯t like? Because we came here with people?¡± ¡°I wanted to be with you. Just the two of us.¡± Gyeonhui answered like he was waiting to be asked. Sun burst out a laugh at Gyeonhui, who was acting like a child. ¡°Okay. We can meet just the two of us on the weekend.¡± ¡°I¡¯m busy on the weekend.¡± ¡°Then what do you want me to do?¡± ¡°Tomorrow.¡± ¡°Tomorrow? I¡¯m busy tomorrow.¡± ¡°Never mind then.¡± Sun glared at him, acting stubbornly. However, Gyeonhui only lifted his chin up and pretended that he knew nothing about anything. At that time, the owner of the restaurant served the marinated chicken with the spicy sauce foot on the table. ¡°Here are the hot spicy chicken feet. The rice side dish is on me. Enjoy it.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± Everyone was excited except Gyeonhui. When they saw Gyeonui¡¯s grumpy face, they soon shut their mouths. Chapter 155 Chapter 155: Chapter 155. ¡°Kuk, kuk.¡¯ Sitting right in front of Gyeonhui, Ari drank some water, but it went down the wrong pipe because she was walking on eggshells. When Sun saw Ari feeling awkward with Gyeonhui, she couldn¡¯t wait any longer. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Gyeonhui was finally satisfied and loosened up his arms that were crossed. ¡°Okay, the side dish has been served, so I¡¯ll taste it!¡± Gyeonhui picked up a piece of the chicken feet and put it in his mouth. ¡°Umm¡­ um¡­ um!!¡± He made a sound of delight three times in a row. The chicken feet were spicy and well grilled, so it was so tasty with the right amount of smokiness. When Ojae noticed the brightened mood, he started filling up the glasses. ¡°Drinking is the best way to stop the mood from being awkward.¡± After drinking the first and the second glasses of liquor, the atmosphere started to get much better. ¡°I¡¯ve been craving for this,¡± Ojae said, looking at the piece of chicken while he was holding it with his chopsticks. ¡°Do you love it that much?¡± Sun asked later. ¡°We were here last time¡­ Oh, you had to go at that time¡­¡± Eunyoung slightly glared at Gyeonhui. ¡°Hmm, hmm.¡± Gyeonhui became embarrassed and avoided Eunyoung¡¯s eyes, pretending he didn¡¯t know anything. ¡°Eat it as much as you want. This is all on me tonight!¡± ¡°Wow!¡± Hearing Gyeonhui, all of them shouted in excitement. ¡°Two more of this chicken and a steamed egg, please! Some soda to drink too!¡± Ari ordered more food as if she had been waiting to hear it was on someone else¡¯s tab. People burst out laughing as they watched Ari. Sun put a piece of chicken in her mouth while she was relieved in the brightened atmosphere. ¡°Wow¡­¡± It is deliciously amazing. Sun stabbed Gyeonhui, who was seated next to her with her elbow. ¡°I want more.¡± ¡°What?¡± Gyeonhui smiled outrageously. However, he was happy to see Sun while she was enjoying the food with a smile on her face. ¡°Let¡¯s have a more serious date tomorrow.¡± ¡°¡­ Date?¡± ¡°Really? Did you already forget it? You just told me that you were going to¡­¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant¡­ It¡¯s just so¡­ strange.¡± ¡°What¡¯s strange?¡± ¡°Because you had never suggested it to me like that.¡± Gyeonhui had nothing to say to her when he realized what she meant. ¡°I guess I was a bad guy.¡± ¡°No, you were such a mean guy.¡± ¡°No, you were such a poor guy.¡± Ojae and Eunyoung said it almost at the same time. ¡°Wow, were you reading my mind?¡± Ojae and Eunyoung said, holding their hands together. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m still your boss.¡± Even hearing Gyeonhui, Ojae pretended that he heard nothing from him. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that when people fall in love, they will do things that they would never otherwise do, but now I know why people say that.¡± Gyeonhui smiled outrageously and looked at Sun again. Sun was smiling brightly at people, and she looked so happy. That was something Gyeonhui had never seen or known before. It was so strange for him to be here with them. However, he also was delighted that he¡¯d come. *** In the alley near Sun¡¯s place. When they dropped Ari off at her place, Gyeonhui and Sun got out of the taxi and slowly walked along the alley. ¡°Thank you so much for today,¡± Sun said. ¡°Why are you thanking me for?¡± ¡°Just¡­ everything. I know that you don¡¯t like meeting people like what happened tonight.¡± ¡°I thought I didn¡¯t either. However, it doesn¡¯t look like that anymore.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It was fun, and I liked it.¡± Hearing him, Sun¡¯s face brightened. ¡°I also realized that I didn¡¯t really care about you and how much you care about the people around you.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say in the past that I only care for them from the teeth forward?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because¡­ I¡¯m sorry..¡± Gyeonhui apologized to her like he gave up on making excuses, and all of a sudden, Sun stopped walking. ¡°Why?¡± Gyeonhui asked. Sun dropped her hand on his forehead without saying anything. Her head was so warm and soft. ¡°You don¡¯t have a fever.¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ you¡¯re not sick, are you?¡± ¡°What? You think that I¡¯m doing this because I¡¯m sick?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯ve changed so much..¡± Her eyes looked anxious. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m so afraid and confused. I don¡¯t understand how you¡¯ve changed completely into a different person. Is there anything you haven¡¯t told me yet? Please tell me that you¡¯re not going to embarrass me later.¡± Sun implored him. ¡®¡­ I¡¯m feeling your pain¡­¡¯ At that moment, Gyeonhui struggled. He wasn¡¯t sure if he had to tell her everything. However, when she found out everything, he had no idea how she would have acted, so he had to not tell her. Moreover, he didn¡¯t want to lose this happy moment that he had after such a long time. When he organized his mind, he raised up his head and looked at her steadily. ¡°¡­ You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sick.¡± ¡°How?¡± Sun asked him in worry. Sun looked so lovely when she asked him, and he embraced her quietly. ¡°I told you that If you get sick, I¡¯m sick too.¡± ¡°Really¡­ again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s real. I don¡¯t want you to get hurt anymore.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Sun was so happy to be in his arms. ¡®I¡¯m happy enough, and I don¡¯t need anything else anymore.¡¯ Gyeonhui decided to tell her everything. However, now wasn¡¯t the right time. ¡°So, we need to go to the hospital tomorrow.¡± ¡°Hospital? What about our date?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to do both.¡± Feeling his warm eyes looking down at her, she slowly nodded. ¡°I¡¯m happy,¡± Sun said. ¡°This is¡­ happiness.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± Sun looked up at him and asked. ¡°I think this feeling is different from the feeling you get when you achieve something. This is very shallow and faint, but very quiet. It makes me keep thinking about it. I¡¯ve never had this feeling before. It¡¯s really the first time for me to feel it.¡± Sun gently stroked his cheeks in sympathy. Gyeonhui covered her hands with his huge hands and looked into her eyes deeply and quietly. ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s be happy¡­ always¡­ just like now¡­¡± Hearing his sincere words, Sun didn¡¯t know what to say. She was never happier than this moment. She put her face in his chest and nodded because her eyes were going to tear up. Gyeonhui gently stroked her hair with his hand. She was the only one that waited for him even with all the hurt and suffering. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s my turn to keep you happy.¡± He hugged her tighter. It was the happiest moment in his entire life. ¡®Click.¡¯ At that moment, the sound of a camera shutter rang in the dark. Chapter 156 Chapter 156: Chapter 156. You will be punished Gyeonhui quickly looked around the alley. However, he couldn¡¯t see anything in the dark. ¡°What was that?¡± Gyeonhui still looked at the alley nervously. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Sun asked, looking at Gyeonhui, who was only glaring at the alley with a firm expression. ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s nothing.¡± He relieved her anxiety while smiling at her. He wanted to feel this happiness a little longer. Gyeonhui hugged her even tighter. *** At the corner of the alley. Woochang hid in the dark and watched Sun and Gyeonhui moving away. When Woochang thought he wasn¡¯t caught, he finally exhaled a sigh of relief. ¡°Hah¡­¡± However, Woochang soon glared at Sarah furiously. ¡°We almost got caught because of you. Can¡¯t you be more careful!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m sorry..¡± When he raised his hand, Sarah immediately flinched. It seemed like this wasn¡¯t the first time he abused her. ¡°Give it to me.¡± ¡®¡­ Okay.¡± Sarah handed her phone out to him. When he confirmed the pictures and videos that she had been taking, he smiled meanly. ¡°This should be enough.¡± ¡°Do you really think we¡¯re going to make a lot of money with this?¡± ¡°Sure, so don¡¯t screw it up.¡± He was dreaming of a bright future in his eyes. *** Sun¡¯s place. When she got out of the shower, she sat on the vanity and towel-dried her hair. She recalled Gyeonhui when he hugged her in the alley while she was looking in the mirror. It was like there were only two people in the world when he hugged her so tightly into his own chest. She awkwardly cleared her throat quickly after she noticed her own blushing and smiling face. However, she smiled again, involuntarily. ¡°Ruff, ruff!¡± Labong started barking at her. She smiled at Labong and held him and put him on her lap. ¡°I know I look foolish, but I can¡¯t help smiling because I¡¯m so happy,¡± Sun said while stroking Labong. ¡®Bzzzz.¡¯ At that moment, her phone rang. It was Eunyoung. ¡°Hey, Eunyoung.¡± ¡°Did you make it home?¡± ¡°Sure. How about you? Did Mr. Kwon drop you off at your place?¡± ¡°Yes, he did. Are you still with Mr. Woo?¡± ¡°No, why? What¡¯s going on?¡± Hearing Eunyoung¡¯s subdued voice, Sun became anxious. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see Dr. Park at the office?¡± ¡°I did. I heard that you got him a visitor¡¯s pass.¡± ¡°Yes. Didn¡¯t he say anything to you?¡± ¡°We were going to have dinner together, but he said he had to go. Why?¡± ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just worried about him.¡± Hearing Eunyoung, Sun¡¯s face remained subdued. She also recalled Eunwoo¡¯s serious eyes when he was looking at her ¡®¡­ Can I really do that¡­?¡¯ His serious voice was conveying his real thoughts that she hadn¡¯t noticed until now. She could feel his emotion for her that he couldn¡¯t hide. ¡°I know what you mean. I¡¯ll talk to him later.¡¯ ¡°¡­ Okay.¡± Eunyoung answered. When Sun hung up the call with Eunyoung, she exhaled a long sigh. She had to be honest with him because he was one of the people that cared for. When she made a firm decision, she nodded her head slowly. *** In Gyeonhui¡¯s living room. After parking the car, he came into the living room. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here.¡± Ojae came home earlier than Gyeonhui and approached him. Ojae¡¯s face looked so happy as if somebody drew a smile on his face. ¡°I guess you had a great time with her.¡± Hearing Gyeonhui¡¯s playful words, Ojae smiled awkwardly. ¡°Yes, I did.¡± ¡°You¡¯re this in love even though you¡¯re already old.¡± ¡°What do you mean old? I¡¯m not that old yet?¡± ¡°Sure, sure. You¡¯re not.¡± Gyeonhui suddenly stopped when he tried to walk past him. ¡°By the way, send me the second quarter¡¯s sales performance data, please.¡± ¡°Are you not going to bed? It¡¯s late¡­¡± It was already past midnight. ¡°I can¡¯t go to bed. I have to work¡­¡± ¡°Do it tomorrow. It¡¯s too late.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the CEO of Consencio. Having a relationship with Sun is important, but I also have to work harder to keep this position.¡± When Gyeonhui said this, his face looked a little nervous and grim. Mrs. Shin was such a burden for Gyeonhui that he couldn¡¯t just ignore. ¡°Didn¡¯t Chakyeong tell you that she would arrange the meeting for you?¡± Ojae entreated him. ¡°I can¡¯t fully trust her, and it could go wrong. We need to have a plan B.¡± ¡°Plan B?¡± ¡°I need to prove myself to everyone, and the best way to demonstrate our ability is to show a high sales volume. Hearing Gyeonhui, Ojae agreed. ¡°Send it to me right away. I¡¯ll look into it right after showering.¡± ¡°Sir, yes, sir,¡± Ojae answered like his assistant for real. Gyeonhui smirked outrageously, but Gyeonhui, at that moment, recalled the camera shutter sound that he heard in the dark. ¡®Click.¡¯ His face became serious. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Looking at Gyeonhui¡¯s face, Ojae asked. ¡°¡­ Was it the paparazzi?¡± ¡°Paparazzi? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I heard a camera shutter sound near Sun¡¯s place tonight.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ojae¡¯s face became severe too. ¡°I¡¯ll check it out at the PR department now.¡± If this was just the paparazzi in general, Ojae would try to stop them before the pictures got to the press. Especially since amateur paparazzi often asks for money in exchange for the pictures in pretty much the same way, so Ojae knew what to do with them. However, Gyeonhui shook his head ¡°No, just leave it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter even if the picture is released to the public.¡± ¡°What if the vice president finds out¡­¡± Ojae was already panicking as soon as he thought about Mrs. Shin, so he blurred the end of his words. Gyeonhui seemed to have finally made up his mind and started speaking slowly. ¡°I won¡¯t avoid any trouble from now on. I will face them in my own way and my own thoughts, even if I get crushed or collapse.¡± Ojae was surprised and looked at Gyeonhui again. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°You¡­ you¡¯ve changed a lot. Seriously.¡± ¡°What¡¯s changed? I don¡¯t get it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so cool.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always been cool.¡± ¡°No, you were such a basta¡­¡± Ojae soon had to shut his mouth when he noticed Gyeonhui¡¯s furious gaze. However, it was too late. ¡°I let you say such things to me earlier because Sun was with us. Watch your mouth.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not¡­ Gyeonhui..¡± ¡°Come right here!¡± Ojae ran away immediately even before Gyeonhui stood up from his seat. After a moment, Gyeonhui heard the sound of Ojae rolling down the stairs. ¡°Haha, you¡¯ve deserved it.¡± Gyeonhui smiled like he was satisfied and sat on the seat. However, soon his face darkened. He told Ojae his plan for the future with full confidence, but Mrs. Shin wasn¡¯t an easy person to deal with. Moreover, the sound of a camera shutter continuously made him anxious. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± He shook his head and went to the restroom while taking his jacket off. Chapter 157 Chapter 157: Chapter 157. *** The next day. Labong licked Sun¡¯s sleeping face. ¡°Hey, stop it, Labong.¡± Sun said while shifting her body, but Labong didn¡¯t stop licking. Sun finally hugged Labong. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Labong¡­¡± She was still drowsy, but soon, she picked up her phone and confirmed the time. ¡°Hmm¡­ it¡¯s 11 am¡­¡± She just put her phone down. However, she picked it up and confirmed the time again. Her eyes grew big, as if she couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°What!? 11 am!?¡± She only had half an hour left until her meeting with Gyeonhui. ¡°Akkkk!!¡± Sun woke up immediately and jumped in the shower. Her hair was all tangled up around her hairband. ¡°Ow, ow!¡± However, she didn¡¯t have much time, so she took the hairband off forcefully, which pulled out a lot of hair. ¡°Ow¡­¡± It was painful, but she was running out of time, so she jumped in the shower. When she finished showering quickly, she looked at the clock while drying her hair. She only had ten minutes left. ¡°Oh, my gosh..¡± She drank a lot, and she was feeling complicated, so she fell asleep late last night. Her body felt so heavy and tired. When she was about to wear a hoodie, she suddenly recalled what Gyeonhui said last night. ¡°Let¡¯s have a date.¡± When Sun¡¯s face reflected in the mirror, she realized that she didn¡¯t look like she would have a date with a man. She took off the hoodie and took out some dresses from the closet and placed them in front of her body to see which one looked good on her. Among the dresses was a navy colored dress with a llama printed on it that looked best on her. When she put it on quickly, she sat on the vanity. ¡®Bzzzzzz.¡¯ At that moment, her phone started ringing. It was him. ¡°Please, just a moment¡­¡± She knew that she would be late for sure, so she couldn¡¯t take the call. She opened the makeup box because she couldn¡¯t go out and see him without makeup on. *** ¡°Huh? She¡¯s not answering the phone.¡± Gyeonhui put down his phone while he was waiting for her in front of her place. ¡°Ow¡­¡± Gyeonhui stroked the back of his head. It was still painful like he had lost a lot of hair. ¡°Did she wake up late?¡± It seemed like she was still getting ready. Gyeonhui picked up his phone and called her again. However, she was still not answering him. ¡°I¡¯m calling her to tell her that it¡¯s okay to get ready slowly.¡± At that moment, when he looked up at her place, he felt pain in his eyelid this time. It seemed like Sun was curling up her eyelashes, but it was more like she was pulling them off because she wasn¡¯t skilled. ¡°Ouch! Ow!¡± After that, he felt the pain of something sharp poking his eyes, and then something scalding burnt his ears thereafter. ¡°Please¡­ please do it slowly.¡± Gyeonhui was frustrated and picked up his phone again. Fortunately, she answered the phone this time. ¡°Hey, Gyeonhui.¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s me. Take your time. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Are you already here?¡± ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m really okay, so don¡¯t rush and take you time, okay?¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll come out soon.¡± She hurriedly hung up the phone. ¡°I should have told her that I would be late.¡± After that, other pain continued. She knew that he was already waiting for her, so she wouldn¡¯t move slower now. Never. *** Sun looked at herself in the mirror. She felt good about her dress and her makeup that she hadn¡¯t worn in such a long time. ¡°It¡¯s pretty.¡± She smiled like she was satisfied with herself. Although she poked her eyes with a makeup pencil, pulled out her eyelashes, and burnt her ears with the hair iron, she couldn¡¯t remember the pain it caused anymore. She took out a pair of high heels from her shoe closet, and she finally finished the perfect outfit for today. When she double-checked her front and behind, she came out through the door. She descended stairs out to the alley and saw that Gyeonhui was waiting for her while leaning against his car. His approaching face was different than usual. ¡°Why? Do I look strange?¡± ¡°No, you look great.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sun smiled at Gyeonhui, who was almost panicking. She felt like her troubles in the morning turned into nothing just because of one word that Gyeonhui uttered. ¡°Get in the car, please.¡± Gyeonhui gestured towards his car as if a prince were serving a princess. ¡°Is it your horse, prince?¡± Sun said while looking at his car. Gyeonhui started speaking when he realized that she was playing. ¡°Yes, it is, my princess.¡± He answered her while holding the end of her fingers slightly and leading her to his car. Sun followed his lead while lifting her chin up and pretending to be arrogant. ¡°Kuk¡­ kuk¡­¡± ¡°Kuk¡­¡± The two of them almost burst out laughing over their ridiculous playfulness. They barely endured, but when they saw each other, they couldn¡¯t hold it anymore and burst out laughing. ¡°Hahahahahaha!¡± ¡°Hahaha.¡± They looked around quickly because their laughing was much louder than they thought. They got into the car hurriedly when they noticed that no one saw them. Sun started speaking when she got in the passenger seat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to make you wait so long.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll forgive you because you¡¯re so pretty today.¡± Gyeonhui approached her and fastened her seat belt for her while smiling at her. His crisp scent came to her. Before he went back to his seat, he paused and looked at her face quietly. ¡°However, if you feel so sorry for making me wait so long, here is your punishment.¡± As soon as he said this, he gently kissed her forehead. When he moved his lips from her forehead, he smiled and looked at her. She was looking up at his face steadily; she soon covered his face with her two hands. He was a little surprised and looked at her in wonder. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll give you a reward because you¡¯ve saved me.¡± She kissed his lips, closing her eyes. Her sensitive lips conveyed the firm, but soft, feeling of his lips to her. He was a little surprised, but soon, he closed his eyes. It was like time had stopped entirely for a second because of the short but sharp kiss. ¡°Bzzzz.¡¯ At that moment, a text message came to Gyeonhui¡¯s phone. Sun was embarrassed and moved her lips from him. ¡°Hah¡­¡± He was annoyed and frowned. ¡°Who the hell is it?¡± He thought if it was Ojae, and he was already thinking of killing him, and he picked up his phone. However, Gyeonhui¡¯s face hardened immediately as soon as he saw the text. The text was from Chakyeong. ¡°I¡¯ve arranged a meeting. At 7 pm, tonight. At Lasung hotel.¡± Only this short text was enough to make his eyes shake anxiously. Chapter 158 Chapter 158: Chapter 158. The genre is erotic Sun looked at Gyeonhui with a grim expression. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Gyeonhui shook his head while putting his phone in his pocket. ¡°Where would you like to go?¡± He quickly changed the subject. ¡°Hmm. Let¡¯s leave here first. I¡¯ll tell you about the place I would like to go later.¡± She smiled like she already had a place she wanted to go to in her mind. ¡°Is there any specific place you want to go?¡± Hearing his question, she nodded. ¡°There is a movie that I wanted to watch with you.¡± Looking at Sun¡¯s bright smile, Gyeonhui also became much more relaxed. However, he couldn¡¯t help looking at his phone. *** The PR department in Consencio ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that no one has contacted us yet?¡± The embarrassed staff nodded while looking at Ojae, who came to work even on the weekend. ¡°No, sir. There was no contact from anyone.¡± ¡°No contact from magazines or newspaper companies regarding Mr. Woo? ¡°No, sir.¡± ¡°Hmm. Okay. Contact me immediately if anything comes up.¡± Ojae left the PR office when he gave them his business card. ¡°Then¡­ who the hell was it?¡± Gyeonhui wasn¡¯t a TV idol, so no one would take a picture of him. ¡°Did he hear wrong?¡± Ojae exhaled a sigh of frustration because there was no way to find more about the photographer in the dark. Ojae soon recalled his appointment with Eunyoung, so he went down the stairs through the lobby. ¡°Hey, Mr. Kwon.¡± At that moment, Chunduk, who was walking into the lobby, saw Ojae and approached him. ¡°How are you? I haven¡¯t seen you for a while.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It was great that I didn¡¯t need to see you, though.¡± Ojae didn¡¯t like the way Chunduk spoke, but Ojae was still smiling. Revealing his emotion to Chunduk could give him a clue to attack Gyeonhui, and that also could be a fatal defect. ¡°By the way, it seems like Gyeonhui is resting?¡± Chunduk said sarcastically while looking at Ojae, who was alone. Hearing Chunduk¡¯s rudeness, Ojae almost lost his temper, but he had to endure. ¡°Yes, he is. It¡¯s the weekend.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know the CEO could rest on the weekend. How easy it is to be the CEO.¡± Chunduk said while looking at his own people that he brought with him. ¡°Haha, that¡¯s right.¡± The assistants that worked for Chunduk forced to agree with him enthusiastically. Looking at Chunduk steadily, Ojae started speaking. ¡°Because Mr. Woo cares for his employees like family.¡± ¡°What!?¡± Chunduk frowned at Ojae¡¯s answer. ¡°Employees can rest only when the owner does. If Mr.Woo comes to work even on the weekend, his people would be tired too.¡± Ojae said while glancing at the people that came with Chunduk. ¡°Are you talking about me? Chunduk¡¯s face hardened. ¡°No, how could I dare do that to you? You¡¯re the owner of the Lasung Department Store. You would never do such a thing to your people, such as overusing your power to take advantage of your people.¡± Ojae emphasized the word, ¡®overusing your power¡¯ when he spoke to Chunduk. Ojae didn¡¯t say it directly, but Chunduk didn¡¯t let what Ojae was implying fly over his head. Chunduk¡¯s face started to flush, and it looked like it would burst at any minute. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, but I have to go now. I didn¡¯t come here to work, just to find something in the office. It was nice to see you. Bye then.¡± Ojae quickly left Chunduk before he went crazy. ¡°Hah¡­ you little jerk¡­¡± Chunduk exhaled a sigh of anger, and he started yelling at people behind him. ¡°Are you guys tired? Is it because you came to work with me on the weekend?¡± Chunduk vented his anger on his innocent people. ¡°No, sir. We¡¯re not tired at all.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor to work with you, sir.¡± They had to say something they never meant in their mind. It was the only way to survive Chunduk, who had no control over his emotions. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Hearing them, Chunduk was satisfied and smiled. However, he soon glared at Ojae, who was leaving. ¡°I¡¯ll see how long you can brag about yourself in front of me.¡± Chunduk seemed to have determined something, and he took out his phone from his pocket. *** In the alley of a movie theater. ¡°What? What did you do?¡± When Gyeonhui took a call that he got from Ojae, Gyeonhui asked him again incredulously. ¡°Yes, I did. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Ojae said timidly. ¡°What are you sorry for? You¡¯ve got a jab in him. Good job.¡± ¡°No, you never know what he would do. He is such a stingy fellow.¡± ¡°Did you provoke him without thinking about the consequences?¡± ¡°I think I was crazy¡­¡± Gyeonhui smirked while hearing Ojae worry about future affairs. ¡°I also think you¡¯re abnormal these days. You even challenge me too.¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not¡­.¡± Ojae¡¯s voice raised like he was innocent. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± ¡°Really? Are you sure we¡¯re going to be okay?¡± ¡°Stop thinking about it, and get some rest. You said you¡¯re going to have a date with Eunyoung, right?¡± ¡°Okay. By the way, the paparazzi you talked about yesterday, are you sure you heard it? ¡°Why? Isn¡¯t there anyone who¡¯s threatening me with it?¡± ¡°No, none. The newspaper and magazine are all quiet too. I don¡¯t know if you misheard something¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I didn¡¯t see him with my own eyes, and I only heard it¡­¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll let you know if anything comes up.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± When Gyeonhui hung up the phone with Ojae, he recalled what happened last night. However, it was clear that he heard a camera shutter sound. ¡°Was it Mr. Kwon?¡± When Sun came out of the bathroom, she asked him. ¡°Yes, he said that he¡¯s going to have a date with Eunyoung.¡± ¡°Wow, really? It¡¯s going hot for the two of them, too, huh?¡± Hearing her, Gyeonhui looked at her quietly but playfully. ¡°What¡­ what are you doing¡­?¡± ¡°What do you mean, it¡¯s going hot for the two of them too? Does it mean we¡¯re hot here too?¡± ¡°What? no, no¡­¡± When she realized his intention, her face was blushed. ¡°How about becoming even hotter¡­?¡± He slowly approached her. ¡°What¡­ s¡­ stop it¡­¡± Sun said while taking a step back in a low voice. However, he didn¡¯t seem to stop and approached her closer. At that moment, Sun¡¯s back hit the wall. There was no more space for her to retreat or run away from him. He stood right in front of her and lifted her chin with his finger. ¡°Hey, Gyeonhui¡­ people will find us here¡­¡± Sun was so shy and turned her head away from him to avoid his gaze. However, he moved her face back and made her look at him again. ¡°We¡¯re in the movie theater¡­¡± ¡°So what? I¡¯m going to make my own movie, and the genre is erotic. What do you think?¡± He approached her even closer with glaring eyes while looking at her lips. Chapter 159 Chapter 159: Chapter 159. ¡°Hey, Gyeonhui¡­¡± Her voice became even lower as she whispered. He approached her so tightly that he could feel her breathing. However, he stopped for a second and started laughing out loud. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know how to act properly in public.¡± He said while stepping back away from her. ¡°What, what?¡± Sun was embarrassed and punched his chest. ¡°¡­ Really?¡± ¡°¡­ Oh¡­¡± The two of them were surprised as they looked at her fist and his chest at the same time. ¡°I¡¯m sorry; I was so embarrassed¡­¡± The embarrassed Sun hurriedly apologized to him. However, he gently held her hand and put it on his own chest. ¡°You did a good job. Hit me if I do something wrong to you or make you angry, okay?¡± Sun was surprised and looked at him quietly. He started speaking with a grim face. ¡°Stop saying that you¡¯re okay anymore, okay?¡± Hearing his sincere words, Sun nodded carefully. ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± He smiled and led her. His big hands gently held her hand. His firm hand that held hers put her mind more at ease. Her elevated heartbeat started calming down slowly. *** The late afternoon in Blue Rose Veterinary Hospital. ¡°It¡¯s easy for Schofield to have ticks in his ears, so you have to wipe them out often with a cotton ball.¡± Eunwoo explained to the cat¡¯s owner while he was showing the cat¡¯s ear. ¡°Okay¡­ okay¡­¡± However, the owner of the cat already had a crush on him because he was so handsome and kind. She was swooning over his every word. ¡°Like this¡­¡± The owner of the cat wasn¡¯t paying attention to the cat, just Eunwoo. He had to show how to wipe them out to her personally. ¡°Drrr.¡¯ When the cat¡¯s owner left, Eunwoo finally exhaled a sigh of relief. His clinic was busy even on the weekend, but since the weather was getting warmer, there were not a lot of people entering. ¡°Is everyone going out and having fun?¡± The outside view over the window looked so peaceful. People in light clothing were coming and going on the street under the warm, spring sunlight. He smiled bitterly, took out his phone, and looked at the address book. He soon put down his phone with a long sigh when he looked at Sun¡¯s name and her phone number for a long time. ¡°Bzzzzz.¡± At that moment, his phone rang. He was a little surprised and confirmed the caller. However, his face immediately hardened. A phone number that wasn¡¯t saved in his phone, but one he could never forget appeared. It was Chaekyeong. *** When Gyeonhui and Sun watched a movie, they ate dinner later. They finally stopped at the cafe where they used to go often in the past. ¡°I¡¯ll order some coffee.¡± Sun made him sit and stood in front of the cashier. ¡°Two Americanos, please.¡± ¡°The same one but darker?¡± The owner of the cafe said while smiling at her. ¡°Yes, please.¡± She appreciated the owner of the cafe who had always remembered her order. However, she frowned soon after. ¡°Why did I choose this movie¡­ hah¡­¡± Sun blamed herself all day long. After all, she thought the movie would be exciting and romantic; it wasn¡¯t the movie she expected at all. It was a pretty provocative romantic movie. She realized that she was entirely manipulated by the movie poster and the advertisement from the firm distributor. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you like this kind of movie¡­ haha.¡± Gyeonhui teased her whenever there was an erotic scene in the movie. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me before? I¡¯m sure it¡¯s better to feel it rather than just watching it.¡± Hearing his mean joke, her face blushed even more while she was watching the movie. Fortunately, the inside of the movie was dark. Otherwise, Gyeonhui would have teased Sun more. ¡°I¡¯m sure he would tease me for a month about this. Hah¡­¡± She exhaled a long sigh and returned to her seat, expecting his teasing would be for a while. ¡°I¡¯ve ordered your coffee. Americano, right.?¡± Sun said it in a bold tone as if nothing had happened. ¡°Did you? Okay. Thank you.¡± However, unlike what she had expected, he was only looking down at his phone with a subdued expression. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ve just gotten a call.¡± He was lost in thought for a while. It was already past five o¡¯clock in the afternoon. Even after a while, he couldn¡¯t pay attention to the conversation he was having with Sun. He only answered a few times, and he looked like he was thinking about something. ¡°Is it because of the call you got earlier?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look good.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just have something in my mind.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you need to go?¡± ¡°¡­ No, I¡¯m fine.¡± Hearing his hesitating answer, she knew he had to go. ¡°You have to go. I know you have something to deal with.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re not. I can read your face, so don¡¯t lie to me.¡± Sun smiled and started speaking again. ¡°I¡¯m really fine, so don¡¯t worry about me. I can meet you tomorrow, and we have a lot of time next week too.¡± ¡°Sun¡­¡± Gyeonhui struggled and slurred his words. After a moment, he finally nodded. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t be. I¡¯m fine.¡± Although Sun smiled at him, she also couldn¡¯t hide her regret. ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll drive you.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll just walk home. It¡¯s close to here, and I¡¯ll also have to draw some designs here.¡± However, Gyeonhui still hesitated to leave her. ¡°Go on. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Hah¡­ okay. I¡¯ll call you tonight.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sun did let him leave while smiling at him. ¡®Dring.¡¯ As soon as she heard the door open and close, she exhaled a long sigh of frustration. ¡°Here it is, two Americanos.¡± Sun looked at the coffee for a while without saying anything. *** You might be surprised. When Gyeonhui came out of the cafe, he confirmed Chaekyeong¡¯s text again. ¡°Don¡¯t be late. It¡¯s at 7 pm.¡± His face hardened. He had to merge with DNBM as soon as possible. He felt so sorry to Sun, but he had to go at least tonight. He quickly called Ojae. He waited for Ojae to answer the phone for a long time, but no answer arrived. ¡°What the hell is he doing?¡± Gyeonhui became impatient and frowned. At that time, Ojae called him back. ¡°Hello¡± ¡°Why are you not answering the phone?¡± ¡°¡­ me? I¡¯m on a date with Eunyoung.¡± He barely heard Ojae¡¯s voice because of the background noise. ¡°It¡¯s so noisy there. Where are you now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Nevermind. Just come to Lasung Hotel right now.¡± ¡°Now?¡± ¡°Yes. Right now.¡± ¡°Why are we going to Lasung Hotel all of a sudden?¡± ¡°We¡¯re meeting the CEO of DNBM tonight.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯m on my way.¡± Ojae didn¡¯t ask him anymore because he knew what it meant. When Gyeonhui hung up the phone with Ojae, he bit his lower lip tightly. ¡®Please, please understand me tonight.¡¯ Gyeonhui hurriedly got in his car. Chapter 160 Chapter 160: Chapter 160. *** The coin karaoke room. ¡°No way¡­ I have to sing this song¡­!¡± When he came out from the coin karaoke room, he mumbled to himself. After looking inside the room, Ojae saw that Eunyoung was shouting alone. He went inside the room carefully. The song Eunyoung was singing had just ended, and the score was about to come out. ¡°It was one of my favorite songs, where had you gone to?¡± Eunyoung asked him. ¡°Gyeonhui just called me.¡± ¡°A call?¡± ¡°Yes, he said something urgent came up¡­¡± Ojae continuously blurred the end of his words, feeling so sorry for Eunyoung. ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re telling me that you have to go?¡± Hearing Eunyoung¡¯s question, Ojae struggled to nod. When the song that he wanted to sing came on, Eunyoung quickly pushed the stop button. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°You said you have to go. Go then.¡± ¡°¡­ Are you angry?¡± ¡°No, I just feel so offended.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± ¡°Why? It¡¯s not even your fault. Go on. I¡¯m feeling worse.¡± Eunyoung gestured him to leave with her hand. However, Ojae was still there and hesitated to leave. Thus, Eunyoung pushed his back out of the room. Eunyoung pushed the start button again as if nothing had happened. When the lyrics of the song showed up on the screen with a familiar melody, Eunyoung started singing the song. Ojae looked at her from outside of the room through the small window. He lingered there for a long time and left thereafter. When she could no longer see him, she put down the microphone. ¡°I was all dressed up for him. It has been such a long time¡­¡± She smirked, outraged, and left the coin karaoke room. When she left the room empty, the song that Ojae wanted to sing for her started playing on the machine. ¡°You¡¯re much better than who you were in the past.¡± It¡¯s a song entitled ¡®Couple¡¯ by Sechskies. *** Sun was left alone in the cafe. She drank two cups of coffee and left the cafe to go home. The darkened street was even more crowded and filled with young couples. ¡°I thought I would be okay alone, but it¡¯s lonely today¡­¡± She used to arrange work or meetings to fill up her time on the weekend. However, since she started seeing Gyeonhui again, she began to crave the feeling of seeing him, and it rose into something bigger and emptier inside of her. ¡°I miss Labong¡­¡± She smiled bitterly, and walked toward her place. ¡°Labong~¡± Labong jumped on her as soon as she opened the door. ¡°Ruff! Ruff!¡± She rubbed her face on Labong¡¯s soft hair while hugging him. ¡°I missed you so much! Would you like to have a snack?¡± ¡°Ruff! Ruff!¡± Labong was so excited and started barking as if he knew the meaning of ¡®Snack.¡¯ She even saw him wagging his tail. It seemed like he understood it clearly. ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯ll get you some snacks.¡± Sun stood up and opened the drawer. However, there was nothing in the drawer where they were supposed to be. ¡°Oh¡­ no¡­ I¡¯m so sorry, Labong¡­¡± Sun looked at Labong, feeling sorry. Eunwoo always took care of Labong¡¯s snacks for her, so she really didn¡¯t need to think about it much. When she thought about Eunwoo, her mind calmed down. ¡°Labong, would you like to go for a walk and get some snacks?¡± ¡°Ruff! Ruff!¡± She put a leash on Labong and prepared to go out with him. *** The cafe in the Lasung Hotel. Gyeonhui and Ojae were reviewing the documents regarding the merge with DNBM. Ojae asked Gyeonhui to review the documents with a grim face. ¡°Are you sure that it¡¯s today? Is the CEO of DNBM coming in for the meeting?¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know what Chaekyeong is trying to do, but she has no reason to lie to me. Trust her.¡± Gyeonhui enthusiastically reviewed the documents as if he did not want to waste even a small amount of his time to blink. As long as the CEO of DNBM would come to have a meeting with him, Gyeonhui thought that he would make the negotiation successful. This negotiation with DNBM could have a positive effect on Consencio, enough to expand his power over the entire Lasung group. ¡®Bzzzz.¡¯ At that moment, Gyeonhui¡¯s phone rang. He thought it was Chaekyeong and picked up the phone, but his face turned into stone when he saw the caller. On his phone screen, Gyeonhui saw the name ¡°Dog clinic doctor.¡± ¡°Why is this jerk calling me¡­?¡± He answered the phone while furrowing his eyebrows in wonder. ¡°What¡¯s up? I don¡¯t think we¡¯re close enough to call each other on the weekend.¡± Hearing Gyeonhui¡¯s mean words, Eunwoo didn¡¯t answer him. ¡°I think we need to meet.¡± ¡°Why would I do that?¡± ¡°I have something to discuss with you about Sun and business.¡± Hearing Eunwoo, Gyeonhui burst out laughing. ¡°I understand if you¡¯re talking about Sun but business? I have no business to discuss with a dog doctor in such a small town. ¡°I think there is something that I can do to help you.¡± ¡°There is nothing with which you could do to help me. Never.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just my conviction. That¡¯s the face of it.¡± Eunwoo didn¡¯t say anything. Gyeonhui was satisfied and smiled to himself. Eunwoo didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°By the way, stop interfering with Sun. This is a warning.¡± Gyeonhui hung up the phone roughly on Eunwoo. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Gyeonhui exhaled a sigh of relief. ¡°Who are you talking to like that? You sounded very rude.¡± Ojae asked. ¡°You don¡¯t need to know. Give me the last year¡¯s sales revenue from DNBM. ¡°Here it is.¡± Gyeonhui took the documents from Ojae and smiled enthusiastically. ¡°What¡­ business?¡± He shook his head outrageously and started reviewing the papers again. He only had one hour before he finally met the CEO of DNBM. *** In the grocery store. Sun came out of the store when she bought lots of snacks for Labong. ¡°I won¡¯t need to worry about your snacks for a while, Labong.¡± Sun smiled at Labong and held the leash in her hand while juggling the groceries in her other hand. ¡°Arf, arf.¡¯ Labong put his nose in the grocery bag and started drooling. ¡°Do you want it now? Okay. Wait a minute.¡± Sun put down the leash for a moment to take out the snacks from the bag. However, when she opened the snacks, Labong started running away. ¡°La, Labong!!!¡± Sun panicked and hurriedly chased after him. However, Labong crossed the street and quickly avoided the cars on the road while running away. When he passed by a few streets, he suddenly stopped in the middle of an alley. Chapter 161 Chapter 161: Chapter 161. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Labong!?¡± Sun grabbed Labong and hugged him. ¡°Ruff! Ruff!¡± However, Labong was barking continuously, only looking at one side of the alley. She raised her head up and looked around. She soon saw a familiar sign on the street. It was the Blue Rose Veterinary Hospital, Eunwoo¡¯s hospital. She saw Eunwoo through the window, and he was taking care of the injured animals. ¡°Sh¡­¡± Sun quickly tried to turn her body and moved her feet. ¡°Hey, Sun.¡± At that moment, A familiar voice called her name. She was surprised, turned around slowly, and looked at him. Eunwoo was smiling at her. ¡°Why are you just leaving without saying hello?¡± ¡°Sorry. You seemed busy.¡± Sun made up a story, feeling sorry for him. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Eunwoo asked her, looking at the big bag that she was holding. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± She was embarrassed and hid the bag behind her. However, she dropped one of Labong¡¯s snacks that she was holding in her hand by accident. She picked it up quickly, but Eunwoo already saw what it was. ¡°You can buy snacks here, too¡­¡± ¡°Haha, I know. There were some sales going on there. Haha.¡± She smiled awkwardly. Looking at her steadily, Eunwoo started speaking. ¡°Would you like to come in?¡± ¡°¡­ Sure¡­¡± She struggled to answer and went inside the clinic. After a while, he handed out some snacks to Labong. ¡°Here it is. These are Labong¡¯s snacks. They are healthy for Labong because they are organic.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ that¡¯s great. Here they are¡± Sun tried to pay for them with her credit card. Eunwoo smiled bitterly and took the card. ¡°You¡¯re going to be uncomfortable if I don¡¯t take it? Or¡­ are you already uncomfortable?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± ¡°I can see it on your face. It¡¯s telling me that you¡¯re uncomfortable.¡± ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s not¡­¡± She didn¡¯t know how to respond to him at this unexpected meeting. When he made a transaction with her card, he returned it to her. Sun awkwardly took her card, but Eunwoo held the card and didn¡¯t let her take it. Still looking at her eyes quietly, he started speaking with a stern voice. ¡°You¡¯re uncomfortable because you found out how I think of you, right?¡± Hearing his honest questions, she couldn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Honestly, I liked you since I¡¯ve met you for the first time since the moment that I saw you crying.¡± His one phrase sent the two of them to Santiago instantly. She recalled the moment when she was struggling to go up the Santiago church¡¯s stairs. The memory of Eunwoo at that moment was still so clear that when she wanted to give up everything, she would remember the memory of then Eunwoo came and talked to her. Eunwoo started speaking again, looking at the Santiago Church¡¯s picture on the wall. ¡°When you showed up here again like a miracle, I thought God was giving me another opportunity.¡± Eunwoo recalled Sun, who ran into the clinic, holding Labong in her arms on a rainy day. The woman was trying to save Labong while she was soaked in the rain. Silence laid down between the two. ¡°Dr. Park¡­ I¡¯m¡­¡± She called him, but she couldn¡¯t say anything to him. However, Eunwoo was able to read her mind. ¡°I¡¯m just saying it. I wanted to tell you this at least once. Honestly.¡± Eunwoo said, smiling bitterly. When he confirmed the time, he spoke again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I have to go. I have an appointment.¡± Sun struggled and tried to say something, but she could only tell one word to him. ¡°Bye¡­¡± Sun involuntarily bid farewell to him and left the clinic. She looked back several times because she was so sorry for him. Eunwoo only watched her as she departed calmly. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry that my mind is still the same¡­¡± He slowly unfolded his fist and looked down at the stone in his hand. He grabbed the fist tightly again and stood up slowly from his seat. *** In the conference room of the Lasung Hotel. Gyeonhui and Ojae had come earlier and were waiting in the conference room nervously. ¡°What kind of person would he be¡­?¡± Ojae asked in wonder. ¡°I have no idea. I only know that the man is a Korean-American.¡± ¡°Does he know Chaekyeong?¡± Gyeonhui nodded without saying anything. ¡°Who the hell are you¡­¡± Gyeonhui was also wondering. People from Silicon Valley always wanted to prove to themselves that they are different, so they have a lot of interviews and try to get famous. However, the CEO of DNBM was different. ¡®Knock, knock.¡¯ At that moment, Chaekyeong came inside with the sound of knocking. ¡°You¡¯re all here early.¡± ¡°Where is he, the CEO of DNBM?¡± Gyeonhui asked instead of answering her. ¡°Just be patient. We still have some time left.¡± Chaekyeong said while smiling at him. It was about 7 pm. ¡®Knock, knock.¡¯ ¡°He¡¯s here, exactly.¡± Gyeonhui was grumpy and unsatisfied. He looked at Ojae and nodded. When Geyonhui nodded at Ojae nodded with a stern face, Ojae started speaking. ¡°Come in.¡± After a moment, the door opened, and a person came into the room. ¡°You might be a little surprised,¡± Chaekyeong said, enjoying this moment. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± They then heard someone speaking in fluent Korean. Hearing a somewhat familiar voice, Gyeonhui anxiously turned his face to meet the man, and his face finally came into Gyeonhui¡¯s view. ¡°You¡­ you are¡­¡± The man looking at Gyeonhui was the dog doctor, Eunwoo. Then just follow me When Sun came home, she plunked down on the couch. She was so exhausted. Having not gone for a walk with Labong in a long time and carrying the heavy grocery bags made her tired, but it was mainly Eunwoo that caused her so much trouble. ¡°Honestly, I have liked you since I met you the first time since the moment that I saw you crying.¡± While she recalled Eunwoo¡¯s sincere confession again, she just closed her eyes again. She tried to endure the pain by biting her lower lip, but it wasn¡¯t easy. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± Sun mumbled to the air. No one would listen to her, but she felt like she had to do it; otherwise, her mind would burst. At that moment, her cell phone rang, and it was Eunyoung. When she quickly calmed herself down, she caught her breath and answered the phone slowly. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m home.¡± ¡°I knew you would be home.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°The jerk, no, Mr. Woo called Ojae.¡± ¡°It seems something urgent came up. I was with Gyeonhui a while ago, but he¡¯s gone.¡± ¡°Is that why he ruined my weekend too?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re so funny, why are you sorry? It¡¯s not even your fault.¡± Sun smiled awkwardly because Eunyoung was right. Chapter 162 Chapter 162: Chapter 162. ¡°I¡¯m still sorry, though.¡± ¡°Are you? But what¡¯s wrong with your voice?¡± Hearing Sun¡¯s sinking voice, Eunyoung asked her. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. Maybe I¡¯m just not talking properly.¡± Sun struggled to make up a story. ¡°Hey, you said you¡¯re sorry for me?¡± ¡°What? Oh, yes.¡± ¡°Then come out.¡± ¡°What? Now?¡± ¡°Yes, right now. I¡¯m all dressed up today and don¡¯t want to just go home like this. You have to be responsible for me tonight instead of Mr. Woo.¡± ¡°But¡­ not now¡­¡± ¡°You said you¡¯re sorry. Just come out. Let¡¯s have some fun at a fancy place.¡± When Eunyoung hung up the phone with Sun, she texted Sun a picture. It was a picture of a fancy restaurant in a famous hotel. *** Gyeonhui paused for a while and looked at Chaekyeong. When he looked at her, she wasn¡¯t surprised and stayed calm. Indicating he was expected tonight for the meeting. There was only one person who was supposed to be here. ¡°Are you¡­ the CEO of DNBM?¡± ¡°Yes, I am,¡± Eunwoo answered without a smile, not like his usual self. Gyeonhui glared at him. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine how much fun you had while watching me struggle?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to hide it from you.¡± ¡°Why did you hide it from everyone?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t. I just didn¡¯t tell anyone.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the same thing,¡± Gyeonhui said, smiling stiffly. ¡°I really didn¡¯t want to tell anyone.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t? Then why did you change your mind and show up like this?¡± ¡°¡­ Because I have a reason to reveal myself.¡± Eunwoo¡¯s voice sunk deeply. ¡°What was the reason for your call then?¡± ¡°I wanted to talk with you personally about what we truly think in mind before we sit at this table.¡± ¡°Hah.¡± Gyeonhui smiled outrageously. He was still in shock when he realized that Eunwoo was the person that Gyeonhui was looking for. ¡®I had no idea that he was the CEO of DNBM.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t believe it, but it was true. He could be sure because Chaekyeong was only listening to them quietly. ¡°Do you still want to continue this meaningless conversation, or would you like to discuss business?¡± Eunwoo asked. ¡°Sounds great. The business.¡± Gyeonhui sat while biting his lower lip. When the panicked Ojae settled, Eunwoo finally sat on the other side of the table. Eunwoo glanced at the documentation for the merger and looked at Gyeonhui again. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you want to merge my company with yours.¡± ¡°Yes, we do. As you know, our company, Concensio is¡­¡± Ojae stood up and tried to explain to Eunwoo, but Eunwoo raised his hand and stopped Ojae. Eunwoo started speaking when he looked at Gyeonhui quietly. ¡°Why do you want to merge with DNBM?¡± ¡°Because it makes money for my company.¡± ¡°You¡¯re honest.¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m not a liar, unlike some people.¡± Gyeonhui was still glaring at Eunwoo furiously. Eunwoo smiled bitterly and started speaking again. ¡°Let me ask you one more thing. Why do you still want to make more money?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Your company, Consencio, is one of the biggest company¡¯s affiliates in the country. However, why would you want more than what you actually need?¡± Gyeonhui pointed to the ceiling with his index finger and said, ¡°Because I¡¯m pursuing a higher goal.¡± ¡°How far would you want to go?¡± When Gyeonhui paused for a moment, he started speaking again. ¡°The entire Lasung group.¡± It was such a surprising thing to hear. Gyeonhui was only the CEO of one of the affiliates in the Lasung group. Aiming to be the chairman of the group showed that he wanted to declare a coup to the people in the group. However, for Gyeonhui spoke those words, and for Eunwoo, who heard it, both didn¡¯t move. ¡°That¡¯s what I expected,¡± Eunwoo answered like he already knew Gyeonhui¡¯s plan. ¡°Now, why don¡¯t we talk about the business?¡± ¡°We are.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter with my circumstance involving this merger?¡± ¡°Because Sun is involved with you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just confirming how you think of her in your mind.¡± ¡°We¡¯re talking about business, not my personal relationship. Can¡¯t you see the situation straight?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who gets confused between business and your personal life.¡± Gyeonhui shut his mouth tight and glared at him quietly. ¡°What do you mean exactly?¡± ¡°The people who would want to go up endlessly consider everyone as just a tool to achieve their goal and to justify themselves. It seems like they earned everything, but actually, they end up losing everything. I¡¯ve seen a lot of people like you in the past.¡± Eunwoo said while looking at Gyeonhui and Chaekyeong. Chaekyeong smiled bitterly, but Eunwoo continued speaking. ¡°You¡¯re going to end up sacrificing Sun for your own benefit without separating your business and your personal relationship.¡± Eunwoo¡¯s words provoked Gyeonhui intensely, but Gyeonhui calmed down. He knew more than anyone that revealing his emotion at the negotiation would only make him lose a lot of things over the discussion. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, but you¡¯re wrong. I¡¯ll achieve what I planned for, and I won¡¯t sacrifice Sun for my success.¡± Gyeonhui said while glaring at him with sunken eyes. ¡°Because I¡¯ve realized how precious she is to me.¡± Gyeonhui realized that he desperately needed her. However, Eunwoo smirked and nodded. ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll see if that¡¯s true. I just need to confirm it with my own eyes.¡± ¡°Confirm?¡± Gyeonhui asked him again. Eunwoo pushed the documents that were placed in front of him away. The papers that Gyeonhui and Ojae prepared fell down on the floor. ¡°Do you know what you are doing?¡± Ojae stood up from his seat and yelled at Eunwoo. ¡°I¡¯m approving the merger between DNBM and Consencio.¡± Gyeonhui¡¯s eyes widened after hearing Eunwoo¡¯s unexpected answer. ¡°Under one condition.¡± Eunwoo paused for a moment and lowered his body to Gyeonhui. ¡°Finish your relationship with Sun.¡± ¡°Hey!!!¡± Ojae couldn¡¯t hold his anger anymore and shouted at Eunwoo. ¡°¡­. Don¡¯t cross the line if you¡¯re joking.¡± Gyeonhui said while suppressing his anger. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m joking?¡± As soon as Eunwoo said it, he signed the contract that was sitting beside him. He lifted up the contract, shook it, and said ¡°I¡¯ve already signed the contract. If you initiate the condition, I¡¯ll hand this to you.¡± ¡°You little jerk!¡± Gyeonhui couldn¡¯t endure his anger and shouted at him while standing up from his seat. However, Eunwoo looked straight into Gyeonhui¡¯s eyes and continued speaking. ¡°Why? Do you really not want to sacrifice Sun for your success?¡± Gyeonhui couldn¡¯t say anything and only glared at him while biting his teeth tight. ¡°Or do you want the merger for your success but don¡¯t want to take back what you just said?¡± Eunwoo smiled cruelly and looked at Gyeonhui. Gyeonhui had to grab Eunwoo¡¯s shirt. ¡°What do you want from me? Are you giving up hundreds of thousands of dollars for someone¡¯s girl?¡± Gyeonhui couldn¡¯t understand Eunwoo, so he asked. ¡°Sun is more valuable than just money, power, and revenge.¡± Hearing Eunwoo, Gyeonhui¡¯s face hardened. Chapter 163 Chapter 163: Chapter 163. Eunwoo roughly pushed Gyeonhui¡¯s hands away from his neck and adjusted his shirt. ¡°This is my one and only condition. I would like to see it done soon. Good day.¡± Eunwoo nodded and left the conference room. ¡®Bang.¡¯ When Eunwoo left the room, they heard the sound of the door closing. Chaekyeong stood up from her seat. ¡°This is so spectacular and amazing. I hope you make a good decision.¡± Chaekyeong left the room once she tapped Gyeonhui¡¯s shoulders. ¡®Bang!¡¯ Gyeonhui couldn¡¯t hold his anger any longer and hit the table with his fists furiously. Gyeonhui soon followed her. ¡°Gyeonhui¡­¡± Ojae was afraid that Gyeonhui would do something to her, so he quickly went after him too. *** The restaurant in the Lasung Hotel. The luxurious interior had a quiet atmosphere. It was such a gorgeous restaurant, combining cozy lighting with a great night view outside the window. ¡°What do you think? Isn¡¯t it so cool here?¡± Eunyoung said, looking around the restaurant. Sun nodded reluctantly, seemingly awkward in a strange atmosphere. Eunyoung smiled bitterly and cut the steak roughly. ¡°He doesn¡¯t get to eat this great dinner.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°I mean, Ojae. I haven¡¯t had a date in a long time, so I made a reservation at this romantic restaurant to come with him.¡± Eunyoung exhaled a long sigh and put a big piece of steak in her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m lucky today because of him.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re just here instead of Ojae. Mr. Woo ruined everything tonight.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to be here, though.¡± Sun looked around and smiled faintly. Looking at Sun steadily, Eunyoung started speaking, filling up Sun¡¯s wine glass. ¡°Are you okay? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine¡­¡± ¡°Because of Mr. Woo?¡± Sun struggled to smile and shook her head. ¡°Then, because of Dr. Park?¡± Eunyoung revealed Sun¡¯s thoughts. She couldn¡¯t say anything and only bit her lower lip. ¡°Why? What did he say to you?¡± Sun shook her head. ¡°Never mind. He didn¡¯t say anything, but¡­ I¡¯m just sorry for him for no reason. I don¡¯t even know what exactly I¡¯m sorry for.¡± Eunyoung looked at Sun anxiously. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s started again. Saying ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡¯ for everything.¡± Eunyoung gulped the wine at once, and said, ¡°What are you so sorry for? You just live your own life, and he moves on no matter what you did to him. If you have chosen Mr. Woo, that¡¯s it.¡± Sun bit her lips, not answering Eunyoung. ¡°To be honest, you were not dating Dr. Park, so there is nothing for you to feel sorry about. It¡¯s all fine.¡± Eunyoung tapped Sun¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Eat the food, and enjoy the night. Why don¡¯t we go and have a drink after dinner? The bar in this hotel is such a hot place.¡± Sun appreciated how Eunyoung tried to encourage her, but her mind just kept falling down, and her face ended up unenthused. *** When Gyeonhui came out of the conference room, he looked for Chaekyeong. Gyeonhui walked toward her and grabbed her arm when he saw her descending the stairs and walking through the lobby. ¡°Ow.¡± Chaekyeong turned around and frowned over the pain. However, he grabbed her arm even harder. ¡°You knew everything from the beginning and still did this to me intentionally?¡± His face was grave. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The condition that he is asking me, finishing with Sun. Do you really think that makes sense?¡± ¡°Why doesn¡¯t it make sense? You also heard Eunwoo. She is the most important thing to him. More than anything.¡± ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡± ¡°I only arranged the meeting for the two of you. Nothing more. Bye then.¡± Chaekyeong tried to get on the elevator, but at that time, in the distance, she saw the familiar face of a woman. ¡°What do you want from me!?¡± At that moment, Gyeonhui pulled her arm again and yelled at her. She had a meaningful smile on her face and moved her gaze to look at him. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, but I¡¯m so tired because I didn¡¯t sleep well last night.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not done here.¡± ¡°Are you not? Okay, then follow me.¡± She pushed his hand away and got on the elevator. She leaned against the wall in the elevator and looked at him, lifting her chin. Gyeonhui was still glaring at her and finally got on the elevator. When he was on the elevator, She pushed the ¡®close¡¯ button. Sun¡¯s panicked eyes widened and disappeared between the gap of the elevator door. You¡¯re so drunk ¡°What¡­ what the hell is that¡­¡± Eunyoung opened her eyes big in panic and looked at Sun. Sun didn¡¯t say anything and stopped right away as if time had stopped entirely. ¡°No way¡­ Is that what he meant ¡®work¡¯? How about Ojae then?¡± ¡°¡­ There must be something more¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s stop here. Do you still want to have a drink?¡± Sun smiled and kept walking toward the bar. Eunyoung looked around the lobby just in case Ojae was here too. On the way out, Sun found the bar. She stopped and turned to go into the bar with a sigh. As soon as Sun sat on the barstool, she raised her hand for the bartender. The bartender approached her, and Sun started speaking like she was waiting for him. ¡°What¡¯s the strongest drink here?¡± ¡°Gin and Vodka. We have a lot that¡¯s strong.¡± ¡°Vodka, please.¡± Sun ordered the strongest liquid that she knew. As soon as the bartender filled up her glass, Sun emptied it at once. Soon, a burning pain came to her throat. However, Sun pushed the glass to the bartender again. ¡°One more, please.¡± She exhaled a long sigh when she drank four glasses straight. ¡°No way¡­ there must be something that he had to do, so¡­¡± She tried to convince herself, but she didn¡¯t feel any better. It was a hotel, and the place they were going up to was the floor with hotel rooms. Moreover, the woman was Gyeonhui¡¯s ex-girlfriend before Sun. Sun was outraged and drank one more glass. *** ¡°Where did he go?¡± Ojae came down to the lobby and looked for Gyeonhui. However, he couldn¡¯t find Gyeonhui, who had disappeared in an instant. ¡°Excuse me.¡± At that moment, he heard a familiar voice. When Ojae turned around, he managed to see Eunyoung glaring at him with her arms crossed. ¡°Huh? Eunyoung?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Eunyoung Hwang.¡± Eunyoung said with a bold tone. ¡°Why are you¡­ Have you seen Gyeonhui?¡± ¡°I have. He just went up to the hotel room with his ex-girlfriend.¡± ¡°What!?¡± Chapter 164 Chapter 164: Chapter 164. Ojae was surprised and asked her again. Ojae knew that Gyeonhui went after Chaekyeong to argue with her about the situation in the conference room. ¡°Did you leave me because of this?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ that¡¯s¡­¡± Eunyoung was glaring at him furiously. It seemed like she must have misunderstood something. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re misunderstanding something here. That¡¯s¡­ I can¡¯t explain it to you¡­¡± The merger was such a top-secret confidential project, so Ojae couldn¡¯t explain anything to Eunyoung. ¡°Never mind. Maybe it¡¯s a top-secret that Mr. Woo was such a nasty person like I saw tonight here.¡± ¡°No¡­ that¡¯s not¡­ Oh my¡­ this is crazy.¡± Ojae scratched the hair on the back of his head roughly. However, there was no other way to explain the situation to her. ¡°Eunyoung.¡± ¡°What?¡± She was still grumpy. ¡°Do you trust me?¡± ¡°How can I trust you?¡± ¡°Do you not trust me?¡± ¡°This is not about me trusting you or not. I just saw the reality.¡± ¡°That¡¯s your misunderstanding. I can tell you everything about this. I really mean it.¡± Ojae said, tapping his own chest outrageously. ¡°¡­ Okay. I¡¯ll trust you.¡± Eunyoung struggled to answer. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m seeing you because of your mind. If I can¡¯t trust it, I have to break up with you. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡± Ojae still didn¡¯t know what to do after hearing Eunyoung¡¯s ambiguous words. ¡°But you have to tell me everything later.¡± ¡°Sure. Absolutely.¡± ¡°By the way¡­ what were you doing here in the hotel?¡± This time, Ojae asked her in wonder. ¡°Oh, now, you are the one doubting me?¡± ¡°No, no, never.¡± Ojae waved his two hands vigorously. ¡°I came here with Sun after the date was ruined. To feel better.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ so sorry¡­¡± Ojae apologized to her again, feeling like everything was his fault. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡­ Can¡¯t you please stop it?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ sorry¡­ Oh, no.¡± ¡°Never mind. Where has she gone?¡± ¡°Who are you talking about?¡± ¡°I just told you that I came here with Sun.¡± ¡°Is Sun also misunderstanding the situation like you did?¡± ¡°Anybody who saw their boyfriend going up to a room with his ex-girlfriend with their own eyes would think the same.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ but¡­¡± Ojae was embarrassed and bit his lower lip. ¡°Find Sun first.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Ojae and Eunyoung started running around to look for Sun. *** When Chaekyeong got out of the elevator, she went to the suite room. Gyeonhui, with a severe face, followed her. When she put her master key in the door, the door opened. ¡°Come in.¡± She said after she went inside the door first and left the door open. Gyeonhui was about to go inside, but at that moment, he felt a pain burning his throat. It was Sun¡¯s pain. ¡°This is¡­¡± It was the pain when he drank strong liquor. He paused there for a moment and adjusted his neck, feeling all of her pain. ¡°Why did I come here¡­¡± He questioned himself while thinking about Sun. He just needed to break up with her if he wanted the merge or go for her if he wanted her. However, he came all the way up here with Chaekyeong because he was still weighing these two divergent paths. ¡°Hah¡­ I¡¯m still a fool¡­¡± Gyeonhui closed his eyes, biting his teeth. However, he looked much more relaxed than before. ¡°What are you doing there? Are you not coming in?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just talk from here.¡± ¡°I told you I¡¯m tired.¡± Chaekyeong turned around and tried to go inside. However, Gyeonhui started speaking with a firm expression. ¡°Okay, then get some rest.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You said that you¡¯re tired. Go on.¡± He turned away from her. ¡°The merger. Isn¡¯t that what you want?¡± He heard her voice from behind. Gyeonhui turned and looked at her. ¡°If I have to give up on her, I¡¯ll give up the merger.¡± ¡°You¡¯re crazy. Do you even know what that means?¡± Chaekyeong became impatient and asked him again. Gyeonhui slowly nodded. ¡°It means that I could lose everything I have.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re telling me that you¡¯re still okay with it just because of the girl?¡± ¡°She isn¡¯t just a girl to me. It¡¯s Cheonsun, and she is my girl.¡± Hearing him with a smile on his face, Chaekyeong¡¯s face hardened. ¡°I just realized it more clearly than ever, what¡¯s important in my life.¡± Gyeonhui pushed the elevator button. However, the elevator that was on the first floor wouldn¡¯t come up even after minutes. Gyeonhui moved his face and looked at Chaekyeong, who was looking at him blankly. ¡°I really appreciate you today. I¡¯ll buy you dinner later. If you¡¯re not comfortable doing so, I¡¯ll send you a gift card by phone. Bye.¡± He couldn¡¯t wait for the elevator and opened the emergency door. He hurriedly took out his phone and called Sun while he was going down the stairs. *** ¡®Bzzzz.¡¯ Sun¡¯s phone on the table rang. However, instead of answering her phone, she only looked at it quietly. It was Gyeonhui, but she couldn¡¯t answer the phone. Instead of getting angry at him or arguing with him, she was anxious about her relationship. She didn¡¯t want to lose the happiness that she barely had back. Sun squeezed her chest while closing her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m so scared¡­¡± The anxiety that was buried under the happiness that she had with him came out of her mind. Feeling anxious, painful¡­ She felt like hell had started again. Sun bit her teeth tightly and drank the liquor again. She was sure that she was drunk enough because she couldn¡¯t feel the pain in her throat anymore. ¡°I wish this anxiety could also get drunk¡­¡± She drank more, hoping that she could forget her unbearable anxiety along with her pain as well. *** Gyeonhui came down to the lobby while breathing erratically. His whole body was so sweaty because he came down twenty floors without stopping. ¡°Why, why isn¡¯t she answering the phone?¡± Gyeonhui looked at his phone while breathing heavily. On his way down, he called her several times, but she didn¡¯t answer the phone. ¡°Gyeonhui!!!¡± At that time, Ojae and Eunyoung, who found Gyeonhui, came to him. ¡°What happened?¡± Ojae asked. ¡°I was talking with Chaekyeong, but what is Eunyoung doing here?¡± ¡°She came here with Sun.¡± ¡°Sun? Where is she?¡± Gyeonhui asked Ojae impatiently. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ she was just here until a while ago, but I can¡¯t find her anymore,¡± Eunyoung said. ¡°What?¡± Feeling anxious, Gyeonhui frowned. At that moment, Gyeonhui remembered the pain that he had in his throat. ¡°Is there a bar in this building?¡± ¡°Bar? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Where is it!¡± ¡°Over there¡­¡± Ojae pointed to the opposite side of the lobby. Gyeonhui started running to the bar. Chapter 165 Chapter 165: Chapter 165. *** ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Sun was heavily drunk, and she didn¡¯t look like she could keep herself steady at all. ¡°Excuse me, Ma¡¯am. Are you okay?¡± The bartender asked her anxiously. ¡°Sure, I¡¯m okay. Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m fine.¡± When she answered the bartender with a drunken voice while smiling at him, she slowly tried to stand up from her seat. However, her body didn¡¯t move the way she wanted it to, and she staggered immediately. At that moment, somebody showed up and held her arm. ¡°Oh, thank you.¡± Sun didn¡¯t forget to say thank you to the person who helped her even while she was heavily drunk. This man put his hat all the way down to cover his face and quickly dropped a pill in the water glass placed on the bar table. As the pill dissolved instantly, the man gave the water glass to Sun. ¡°Hey, drink some water. Here.¡± ¡°Oh, okay. Thank you.¡± The drunk Sun drank the water without an ounce of suspicion As she gulped the water down while making loud drinking noises, the man smiled cruelly. ¡°You need to be more careful, Sun.¡± Sun quietly raised her face to look up at the man that was calling her name. However, because of the strong liquor or the water that he gave to her, she instantly lost consciousness. ¡°Oh no, my baby is so drunk.¡± The man gently put her arm over his shoulder as if he was taking care of his girlfriend. Because of his natural behavior, people at the bar soon moved their gaze away from him. The smiling man was satisfied and started moving her to exit the bar. *** ¡°Did she just leave here a moment ago?¡± Gyeonhui asked the bartender. ¡°When? Where?¡± ¡°She went out of the bar a moment ago. A man helped her by holding her arms, and they went out together.¡± ¡°A man?¡± Gyeonhui¡¯s face hardened. ¡°Was he tall and handsome?¡± Ojae asked. ¡°He was tall, but he was kind of scary looking.¡± The bartender said, recalling the man¡¯s appearance. ¡°Hah¡­ who the hell is he¡­¡± Eunyoung was so frustrated and looked outside with a long sigh. At that moment, she saw Sun, who was on someone else¡¯s back, being escorted away in the dark. ¡°It¡¯s her! Over there! Look!!!¡± Hearing Eunyoung¡¯s cries, Gyeonhui and Ojae looked outside at the same time. ¡°Cheonsun!!!¡± Gyeonhui shouted her name, hurriedly. However, his voice was blocked by the window, so it couldn¡¯t be heard outside. It only reverberated in the bar loudly. *** ¡°Ugh!¡± The man put Sun in the back seat of the car. When he closed the door, he got in the passenger¡¯s seat. ¡°Go!¡± Hearing his hurried command, the woman in the driver¡¯s seat pushed the accelerator firmly. The car peeled out from the entrance of the hotel with loud, rumbling engine noise. After a moment, the man saw Gyeonhui, Oaje, and Eunyoung, who were hurriedly coming out from the hotel through the side mirror. ¡°Hah! That was so simple!¡± Glancing in the mirror, he smiled, and slowly took his hat off. In the same way, the woman in the driver¡¯s seat also took off her sunglasses and hat. ¡°You¡¯re awesome.¡± Woochang and Sarah looked at each other and celebrated their successful kidnapping with a high-five. ¡°It¡¯s time to call the sugar papa.¡± Woochang took out his phone with a nasty smile. Not you. Your boyfriend. ¡°Stop there!!!¡± Gyeonhui cried, chasing the car. Although he was almost out of breath, he didn¡¯t stop. He chased the car as long as he could. However, the car was way too fast and already turned around a corner in the distance. ¡°Huh, huh.¡± Gyeonhui roughly caught his breath. ¡°What was that?¡± Ojae, who was following after him, asked. Gyeonhui also had no idea. He shook his head. ¡°Is he someone you know?¡± Ojae asked Eunyoung while looking at her. ¡°I only saw a part of his face. I don¡¯t think I know that person.¡± ¡°Who the hell is he¡­?¡± Gyeonhui bit his lower lip. However, he wasn¡¯t relieved at all. *** In the suite room. When Chunduk finished his shower, he came out from the bathroom while covering only the bottom of his body with a towel. As his assistant handed him a can of beer, he drank it as if he was waiting for it and frowned instantly. ¡°Why is it not cold?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Sir.¡± His assistant turned pale and steadily lowered his head. ¡°Bring me another one.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± The assistant quickly went to the refrigerator and handed a cold beer to him again. At that time, the phone that was in the assistant¡¯s pocket rang. ¡°Here it is, Sir.¡± When the assistant confirmed the number that was calling, he gave the phone to Chunduk. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the untraceable phone that you wanted.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Chunduk remembered that he gave an order to get an untraceable phone a while ago. Chunduk answered the phone quietly. There was only one who knew the phone number to call. ¡°I brought the girl.¡± Over the phone, a familiar voice was heard. ¡°Oh, did you?¡± Chunduk nodded with a smile. ¡°Keep her with you for now. I¡¯ll tell you what to do with her soon.¡± ¡°Sure. I want to see it done as soon as possible, so don¡¯t be too late.¡± Woochang hung up the phone even before Chunduk. ¡°This little jerk¡­ how dare¡­¡± Chunduk was upset while looking down at the phone. He soon threw it to his assistant. ¡°How should I use the girl¡­ Hmm¡­¡± Chunduk was lost in thought. ¡®The best way to stop Gyeonhui is to use his girl against him¡­¡¯ Chunduk¡¯s plan was to torture her to make Gyeonhui unable to focus on the business. Chunduk thought if he made Gyeonhui unable to come to work, any conferences, or meetings, the ownership would naturally fall to him in time. ¡°I must be a genius!¡± Chunduk was so happy with his own plan. At that time, the door opened wide, and another one of his assistants came into the room hurriedly. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± When he asked, the assistant came to him with a severe face and whispered into his ear. ¡°What? Did the vice president really do that? Did she really fire Gyeonhui? Are you sure?¡± Looking at Chunduk, the assistant nodded surely. ¡°Did the bastard make a mistake? What¡¯s going on?¡± Chunduk quickly organized his thoughts and figured out how to change his plan against Gyeonhui. At that time, he remembered the board of directors conference that was supposed to be held in two days by the vice president. ¡°Something big is going on here¡­¡± Chapter 166 Chapter 166: Chapter 166. The vice president wasn¡¯t the kind of person who would call a conference without an important reason. When he thought about the situation for a while, he realized that the report from his assistant was true. ¡°If that¡¯s her final decision¡­ it wouldn¡¯t be easy to survive¡­ even for Gyeonhui¡­¡± The vice president was the second most influential person in the entire group after the Chairman, Mr. Woo. Since she had made up her mind to fire Gyeonhui, Gyeonhui¡¯s future was no different than a butterfly hanging in a spider¡¯s web. ¡°What a minute.¡± Chunduk was smiling, but soon, he looked at the untraceable phone in his hand again. ¡°If she¡¯s going to fire Gyeonhui anyways, I don¡¯t need to take any risk at all.¡± Chunduk nodded, and he looked at one of his assistants and said, ¡°You said that this is an untraceable phone?¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± His assistant answered him like a soldier in the army. ¡°Great.¡± Chunduk stood up and went toward the restroom. ¡°I can blow my nose without touching it. I don¡¯t need to go through the hassle.¡± He had a nasty smile on his face and threw the phone in the toilet. Watching Chunduk doing so, one of his assistants was surprised, but he couldn¡¯t stop Chunduk. *** ¡°Sun!¡± Opening the door to her place, hurriedly, Gyeonhui cried. ¡°Ruff! Ruff!¡± However, except for the surprised Labong, there was no one there. ¡°Cheonsun! Cheonsun!¡± He opened every door in her place to find her, but it was worthless. ¡°She isn¡¯t here?¡± Ojae asked, coming in later. However, he was able to see that Sun wasn¡¯t here by looking at Gyeonhui¡¯s serious face. ¡°Why don¡¯t we call the police and report a disappearance?¡± Eunyoung said. ¡°We can¡¯t call them until she¡¯s been missing for more than 24 hours,¡± Ojae said anxiously. Hearing him quietly with a firm expression, Gyeonhui started speaking. ¡°Call the police to report that she¡¯s been kidnapped.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Ojae panicked and asked him again. ¡°You just said that we can¡¯t report a disappearance. Then call the police for kidnapping, so they can start the investigation right away.¡± ¡°Are you sure? You know if we call the police, it will draw people¡¯s attention to our company. The whole country will know about this.¡± ¡°Does it matter? She could be in danger!¡± ¡°Gyeonhui, you¡¯re not thinking clearly. We don¡¯t know what exactly has happened to her. Maybe she went somewhere with her friend.¡± ¡°Eunyoung said that she doesn¡¯t know the person.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll never know. What if Sun just shows up tomorrow? How are you going to deal with the fallout?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to take full responsibility, so just do it!!¡± Gyeonhui cried. Looking at him, he seemed like he wouldn¡¯t change his mind. ¡°Hah¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± Ojae reluctantly went out to call the police. When Ojae left, Gyeonhui looked at his own body. It seemed like she was unconscious because he couldn¡¯t feel any of her pain. ¡°Where are you¡­ Sun¡­¡± Gyeonhui grabbed his chest. *** In a dark warehouse. Sun lost consciousness and was being tied to a chair. Soon she opened her eyes slowly. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Because of a throbbing headache, her face instantly crumpled. A terrible pain, not because of the hangover, came to her, and she felt like the pain would crush her head. She barely opened her eyes again and looked at the surroundings. It looked like an empty warehouse with faint lightings. ¡®Tap, tap, tap, tap.¡¯ At that moment, somebody approached her when she heard the sound of high heels. ¡°Who are you¡­?¡± She started speaking, struggling with the throbbing pain. ¡°Oh, are you already awake?¡± Sarah was surprised and looked at Sun. ¡°Where am I?¡± ¡°Here? Hm¡­ You don¡¯t need to know. You¡¯ll be fine if you just stay calm. Okay?¡± Sun finally realized the situation she was in. ¡°¡­ Why are you doing this to me?¡± Sarah thought for a while and spoke. ¡°Because I need money.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re wrong about me. I don¡¯t have a lot of money.¡± That was a fact. Sun had no reason to be kidnapped because she wasn¡¯t rich, nor was she the daughter of rich people. ¡°I know that. All you have is the down payment for your small place.¡± ¡°Then why¡­¡± ¡°We don¡¯t want you. We want your boyfriend.¡± ¡°What¡­ no¡­ no way¡­¡± Sun panicked and asked her again. ¡°The CEO of Consencio, Mr. Woo, is going to pay us for you.¡± ¡°Shut your mouth!¡± At that time, behind Sun, a man¡¯s loud voice was heard. The man quickly covered Sun¡¯s mouth with a towel. ¡°Ugh, ugh¡­¡± Sun roughly shook her head, but she was tied up, so she couldn¡¯t avoid it. Woochang raised up his head and glared at Sarah furiously. ¡°I mean¡­ that¡¯s not¡­ she just kept asking me questions¡­¡± Sarah quickly shut her mouth, fearing the man. ¡°Did she? Why don¡¯t you just tell her everything about yourself too? Huh?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry. It won¡¯t happen ever again.¡± Dropping her face, Sarah answered with a dragging voice. ¡°Ahh¡­¡± Woochang exhaled a sigh of frustration and took out his phone again to call Chunduk. However, Chunduk didn¡¯t answer the phone. ¡°Somethings¡¯ wrong¡­¡± ¡°Why? Isn¡¯t he answering the phone?¡± Woochang nodded without saying anything. Somebody might have already called the police for now. Woochang knew that somebody would call the police anyway, but he never knew when precisely the cops would come after him. ¡°This isn¡¯t good at all¡­¡± Woochang called Chuhduk again, but he didn¡¯t pick up the phone this time either. Woochang started feeling anxious. ¡°No¡­ no way¡­¡± Although he was already getting nervous, he shook his head. However, he intimately knew that something went wrong. ¡°I can¡¯t wait anymore. I have to see him myself.¡± ¡°What? Are you going to meet Chunduk?¡± Woochang nodded. ¡°Keep your eyes on her, and don¡¯t say anything stupid.¡± Sarah quickly nodded as if she were waiting, not to bother his mood. Still looking down at his phone, Woochang hurriedly left the warehouse. *** Closing his eyes tightly, Gyeonhui didn¡¯t move his body even an inch. After a while, the door opened, and Ojae entered. ¡°I just called the police. They¡¯ll be here soon.¡± Ojae said with a sunken voice. Hearing Ojae, Gyeonhui slowly nodded. However, he frowned after feeling a terrible headache. ¡°Ugh.¡± As soon as Ojae saw Gyeonhui¡¯s crushing face in pain, he quickly came to Gyeonhui. Gyeonhui knew that Sun was still alive because he just felt her pain. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m fine. Fortunately, she seems okay for now.¡± He said that, but his face looked more frustrated and anxious. Chapter 167 Chapter 167: Chapter 167. ¡°Are you still feeling Sun¡¯s pain?¡± Gyeonhui nodded to answer Ojae. ¡°Did you¡­ tell Sun about your situation, that you feel her pain¡­?¡± Gyeonhui, this time, slowly shook his head. ¡°If she knew that, then she could hint us on how to get to her somehow¡­¡± Ojae said so because using Gyenohui to feel Sun¡¯s pain meant that she could lead him to come and save her. ¡°I haven¡¯t because I was afraid¡­¡± Gyeonhui answered with a sunken voice. ¡°What do you mean you were afraid?¡± Gyeonhui only nodded his head. At that moment, Gyeonhui recalled the time when he had a conversation with Sun. ¡®I¡¯m actually a little afraid because I don¡¯t know why you have changed so much like this. Do you have anything that you¡¯re hiding from me? You¡¯re not going to make me embarrassed later, are you?¡± Gyeonhui couldn¡¯t tell everything to her honestly. He was afraid that she would think that this change happened because of his ability to feel her pain, not because he voluntarily thought that he needed to change. ¡°I would tell her everything soon. I would¡­ when things got better¡­¡± Closing his eyes, Gyeonhui exhaled a long sigh of frustration. There was only silence between Gyeonhui and Ojae in the living room. However, the silence didn¡¯t last long enough, and it was soon broken. The local police visited him. *** In the parking lot of the department store. Chunduk was going home after work while humming a song when Woochang suddenly showed up and blocked Chunduk¡¯s way. ¡°You scared me.¡± Chunduk was relieved when he saw that it was Woochang. Chunduk¡¯s assistants soon came and guarded him against Woochang. ¡°Who the hell are you, and what are you doing here?¡± ¡°Get out of the way.¡± Woochang just said one word and approached Chunduk. Then, Chunduk¡¯s assistants started attacking Woochang, but Woochang quickly moved his body and avoided their fists. When Woochang beat them down in an instant, he approached Chunduk again. ¡°Hey, man. Take it easy.¡± Chunduk said with a smile. ¡°Why are you not answering my calls?¡± ¡°What do you mean? What call?¡± Chunduk asked him again as if he knew nothing. ¡°What¡­!?¡± Hearing Chunduk, Woochang frowned. ¡°Do I know you?¡± As soon as Woochang heard Chunduk, Woochang realized the whole situation and that his plan had gone wrong. ¡°You little bastard!¡± ¡°Hey man, I just met you for the first time, be nice.¡± Chunduk moved his body toward the security cameras. ¡°Is this how you want to play this game? You¡¯re in big trouble now.¡± ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about, man. How long are you going to stay here?¡± Chunduk said while pointing behind Woochang. When the security staff saw what was happening in the parking lot through the camera, they came for Woochang. Biting his teeth, Woochang glared at Chunduk furiously. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely see you again.¡± Woochang gave up on Chunduk and started running away to the opposite side of the parking lot. ¡°I¡¯ve seen a lot of people like you, and I¡¯m still here. Haha.¡± Chunduk smirked and adjusted his clothes. ¡°Are you okay, Sir?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m absolutely okay. Sure.¡± ¡°Do you want us to go after him?¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t bother. I¡¯m going to let him live because I¡¯m a generous man.¡± Chunduk smiled satisfied and got in his car. *** ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll start the investigation as soon as possible.¡± The detective who heard everything about Sun from Gyeonhui and Ojae stood up from his seat. ¡°Please find her as soon as possible.¡± At that moment, Gyeonhui frowned over the pain in his wrist. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°My wrist suddenly hurts so much.¡± ¡°Your wrist?¡± Holding his own wrist, Gyeonhui was lost in thought. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s her pain?¡± ¡°Gyeonhui nodded at Ojae without letting the police know about it. ¡°But why is it your wrist¡­?¡± ¡°¡­ I think she has been tied up.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± Gyeonhui nodded with a serious expression. This pain was the only decisive evidence that she was kidnapped. Gyeonhui¡¯s face hardened even more. *** Sun continuously but carefully twisted her tied wrist to loosen it while watching Sarah. Because her two hands were tied up behind her back, it didn¡¯t seem like Sarah noticed what Sun was trying to do. ¡°Ow¡­¡± The more she twisted her wrist, the more the rough strap hurt them, but Sun couldn¡¯t stop. The rope was getting loose, and it seemed like if she pushed it a little more, she might be able to free her wrist from the knot. At that moment, Sun heard the door in the warehouse open. Sun quickly stopped moving her hands. ¡®Kung, kung, kung, kung.¡¯ She heard that a man was approaching her. Her heartbeat was pounding so fast and loud because she felt like he would definitely catch her. ¡°Was everything okay, here?¡± He asked. ¡°Oh, yes. Nothing happened here.¡± Sarah said. Sun thought that he wouldn¡¯t grab him or anything like that, so she exhaled a sigh of relief. However, her struggle came into nothing. ¡°Are you sure nothing has really happened here? Look at this!!!¡± Woochang said, roughly snapping Sun¡¯s wrists and showing them to Sarah. The strap that tied Sun¡¯s wrist was loosened enough for her to take her wrist out of it. Woochang soon tied her wrist with another strap to make sure it was tight enough. A desperate shadow of disappointment appeared on Sun¡¯s face. ¡°Aren¡¯t you doing your job well!? Huh?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± Sarah was sacred, and she answered after standing up right away. ¡°How did it go¡­? Did the deal go well with Chunduk? What did he say?¡± Sarah asked. ¡°The plan went wrong. The bastard¡­ he betrayed me.¡± ¡°What¡­?! Why!?¡± ¡°How should I know that!?¡± Woochang yelled at Sarah violently. ¡°Don¡¯t we need to run away then? I¡¯m scared¡­¡± Sarah was scared in panic and said in a crying voice. However, Woochang looked at Sun without saying anything and slowly started speaking. ¡°I know who to call. We can ask another man.¡± ¡°Another man? Who?¡± ¡°¡­ The CEO of Consencio, Gyeonhui Woo.¡± As soon as Sun heard Gyeonhui¡¯s name, her eyes immediately shook. ¡°And I know exactly how to make him come here quickly. Haha.¡± He smiled nastily and started dragging a metal pipe that was thrown at the corner before approaching Sun. Sun hurriedly tried to back up, but she couldn¡¯t do anything. Soon, Woochang lifted up the metal pipe high. Looking up at him, Sun¡¯s eyes were filled with nothing but fear. Chapter 168 Chapter 168: Chapter 168. You still don¡¯t know? In the living room of Sun¡¯s place. Wandering in the living room while holding his phone in his hand, Gyeonhui raised up his head and looked at the clock. It was already about 1 in the morning. Biting his lower lip, Gyeonhui suddenly wore his jacket. ¡°What? What are you doing?¡± Falling asleep, Ojae was surprised and asked him. ¡°Can you fall asleep in this situation?¡± Gyeonhui said while furrowing his eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I stayed up all night long yesterday¡­¡± Ojae yawned sleepily and looked at Gyeonhui again. ¡°Are you leaving?¡± Ojae asked. ¡°I can¡¯t just stay at home like this.¡± ¡°No¡­ Are you going to go out and find her by yourself?¡± Gyeonhui nodded. ¡°Where to?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I have to do something.¡± ¡°Okay. Let me go with you.¡± ¡°You should stay here.¡± ¡°What do you mean? We need to do this together.¡± ¡°She might come back soon like a miracle as if nothing had happened at all.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Please stay here. You¡¯re the only person I can trust.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Gyeonhui tried to leave, turning his body. ¡°Ugh!!!¡± At that moment, Gyeonhui collapsed while grabbing his shoulders and screaming. ¡®Kung!¡¯ His body collapsed and hit the door with a loud sound. ¡°What¡­ What¡¯s wrong?!!¡± Ojae panicked and hurriedly came to Gyeonhui. Biting his lower lip, Gyeonhui looked at his shoulder in terrible pain. It was similar to when somebody beat him with a stick. ¡°Sun¡­¡± ¡°Is it her pain?¡± Gyeonhui was barely conscious and nodded at Ojae. ¡°Sun¡­ I have to find her soon¡­¡± Biting his teeth tightly, Gyeonhui stood up again. At that moment, his cell phone started to ring. When he saw the numbers on the phone, he saw that it was an unknown number that he hadn¡¯t seen before. It started with number 031, so it looked like a public phone or home phone, not a cell phone. Gyeonhui knew that something went really wrong with Sun and slowly picked up the phone. ¡°Who is this?¡± ¡°Do you remember the pain that you just felt?¡± The man over the phone asked him like he was sure about the pain. Gyeonhui¡¯s face subsided. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to know. Just know that I¡¯m a person who knows your secret.¡± Hearing him say ¡®secret,¡¯ Gyeonhui frowned. The man knew about Gyeonhui¡¯s secret about how he can feel Sun¡¯s pain. ¡°Was it you who kidnapped Sun?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ kidnap¡­? That sounds about right. Anyways, long story short, prepare 10 million in cash.¡± ¡°What? 10 million?¡± Hearing that tremendous amount of money, Ojae¡¯s eyes grew big in panic. ¡°I don¡¯t think that I need to tell you this, but you had better not call the police if you want to see your girl again alive. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s big money for you, so I¡¯m giving you an hour to prepare the cash. I¡¯ll call you after an hour. ¡± ¡°Hello? Hello!?¡± Gyeonhui called him hurriedly, but the phone was already hung up. ¡°Damn it¡­ ah¡­¡± After that, Gyeonhui¡¯s face worsened because of the throbbing pain in his shoulder. ¡°What do we have to do now? Should we call the police again?¡± Gyeonhui saw that Ojae was holding the phone in his hand. Gyeonhui shook his head. ¡°Prepare the cash.¡± ¡°¡­ 10 Million¡­ How¡­?¡± ¡°Do everything you can.¡± Even for a millionaire like Gyeonhui, it wasn¡¯t easy to just have 10 million in cash right away. ¡°I will¡­ however¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t easy to supply 10 million in cash ordinarily; it was hard to do it. He had to suffer a lot of loss. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just have them ready.¡± After reading Ojae¡¯s mind, Gyeonhui answered him in advance. Ojae nodded with a hardened face. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to find her.¡± ¡°How? You said you¡¯re not going to call the police.¡± Ojae asked him in wonder. ¡°¡­ Because we have a clue¡­¡± Gyeonhui looked down at his phone with a serious expression. *** On the freeway. Gyeonhui was driving while holding his own shoulder with a firm expression. ¡°Trade everything you can as soon as possible. Send the stocks and bonds to the brokers. I know I¡¯m losing a lot of money, but just do it. We¡¯re running out of time.¡± When Ojae hung up the phone, he turned his face and looked at Gyeonhui. Gyeonhui nodded and only focused on driving the car. ¡°How¡¯s your shoulder?¡± Hearing Ojae¡¯s question, Gyeonhui looked down at his shoulder. He still had terrible pain in his shoulder, but at the same time, he was relieved because it meant that Sun was still alive. ¡°Who the hell kidnapped her?¡± Ojae asked like he couldn¡¯t understand the reason. ¡°We don¡¯t know. The only thing I know about him is that he knows who I am and what my secret is too.¡± ¡°There¡¯s only three of us.¡± ¡°Yes, you, me, and Dr. Seo.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure Dr. Seo wouldn¡¯t do that, and you¡¯re not the one obviously¡­¡± Ojae raised his face up and felt that Gyeonhui was looking at him quietly. ¡°It¡¯s not¡­ me¡­.never. Do you not trust me?!¡± ¡°I do because I know that you have too much of a big heart to do so.¡± ¡°Right, but I don¡¯t know I like what you just said.¡± Ojae wasn¡¯t satisfied and tilted his head in frustration. ¡°Who did this¡­¡± Gyeonhui was also wondering, but he soon shook his head. What matters now was not who did this. It was how to save her securely. When Gyeonhui took the exit from the interchange, his car soon reached a dark and lonely road. The road looked even darker and dangerous because only a few street lights were on the street. Gyeonhui saw a public phone booth in the distance. ¡°I think¡­ that¡¯s the one¡­¡± Ojae asked nervously while swallowing his saliva. Instead of answering, Gyeonhui nodded. He had asked the telephone company about the location based on the phone number from the man and was finally able to find the location of the public phone booth. ¡°You¡¯re amazing. How did you think of finding the phone booth in such chaos?¡± Hearing Ojae, Gyeonhui was lost in thought. ¡°When I broke up with Sun, I had confirmed every call I had to see if she had called me.¡± ¡°Oh my¡­¡± ¡°I wondered what number she would have used to call me. Whenever I received some strange numbers, I thought it could have been her, so I tracked them down and found out that I could also find the locations of public phone booths.¡± ¡°All of them¡­? You¡¯re¡­ amazing¡­¡± Chapter 169 ¡°I was desperately anxious about being abandoned by her. I couldn¡¯t even believe that Sun had left me either.¡± ¡°But, strictly speaking, she didn¡¯t abandon you, Gyeonhui,¡± Ojae said carefully. ¡°You¡¯re right, but that¡¯s how I felt at that time. I justified what I did and made Sun out as the worst person in my head. I even assumed that Sun was no different than my mom, who left me with unimaginable wounds. That was how I hid my fault from myself.¡± Speaking to Ojae honestly, Gyeonhui smiled bitterly. ¡°But now I know it was all my fault, and how precious she is to me. That¡¯s why I¡¯m so afraid now because I don¡¯t want to lose her ever again.¡± When Gyeonhui answered with a firm expression, he parked the car in the dark where he could see the phone booth. When he turned off the car, it was no longer seen in the dark as if the darkness swallowed it. Gyeonhui looked at his watch to confirm the time. The meeting time demanded was almost 1 am in the morning. ¡°Over¡­ over there.¡± At that time, a man came out from the back of the warehouse and went into the phone booth. After a moment, Gyeonhui¡¯s phone started ringing. Gyeonhui quickly covered his phone so as not to be seen in the phone light from outside the car and answered it. ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still working on it. It¡¯ll take me one more hour.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking me for 10 million in cash. I¡¯m doing everything I can.¡± ¡°¡­ Okay. I¡¯ll call you again after an hour then.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Gyeonhui called him. ¡°Is she¡­ alive?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Then show me the proof that she¡¯s alive.¡± ¡°What? Don¡¯t annoy me.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re asking me for money after you have already killed her, I won¡¯t need to get the money for you. Don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°-Hah¡­ She¡¯s alive. Stop messing around with me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s 10 million. You have to show me that I¡¯m not spending all my money for nothing.¡± The man was quiet for a moment like he was lost in thought. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll send you the proof. You¡¯d better not do anything stupid.¡± The man hung up the phone after that, and he disappeared in the dark. Gyeonhui quickly got out of the car and chased him. However, it wasn¡¯t easy to follow the man under only a few street lights without being seen by him. The man was moving so fast through the narrow paths between the warehouses, so Gyeonhui soon lost him. ¡°Damn it.¡± Gyeonhui frowned and looked around the area. However, Gyeohui couldn¡¯t see any trace of him. It disappeared instantly. ¡°What do we do now?¡± Although Ojae asked him, Gyeonhui couldn¡¯t answer. He really had no idea what to do next. However, at that time, the wearable watch that he gave to Sun in the past crossed his mind. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it!¡± Gyeonhui hurriedly took out his phone. *** In the warehouse. The haggard Sun struggled to raise her face. Holding the metal pipe in her hand, Sarah was nervously watching Sun. ¡°What¡­ what are you looking at¡­?¡± ¡°¡­ Please let me go¡­¡± Sun said in a cracking voice. Sarah agonized for a moment, but she soon shook her head. ¡°Just stay calm, then you¡¯ll be fine¡­¡± When Sarah saw Sun¡¯s chapped lips and swollen arms, she soon shut her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m not going to kill you, so just stay calm. Okay!?¡± To hide her trembling voice, Sarah raised her voice louder. At that time, the door opened, and Woochang came inside. ¡°Y-you¡¯re here.¡± Woochang didn¡¯t answer, roughly took the metal pipe from Sarah, and struck Sun¡¯s thigh with it. Sarah couldn¡¯t watch it, so she quickly turned her face. ¡°Ah!!!!¡± Sun¡¯s head fell while screaming. ¡°I¡¯m sure this will be clear proof.¡± Woochang smiled nastily and handed out the metal pipe to Sarah again. ¡°Hit her every minute.¡± ¡°What? Me?¡± Hearing Sarah, Woochang glared at her furiously. ¡°O¡­ okay.¡± When Sarah answered reluctantly, Woochang soon left the warehouse. ¡°Oh, my gosh¡­¡± Sarah slowly approached the unconscious Sun. While she was hesitating, the minute was already passing. ¡°This is really not what I want to do¡­ I want you to know that¡­¡± The reluctant Sarah struck Sun¡¯s back with the metal pipe. ¡°Ugh!¡± With a dull sound, a moan came out from Sun¡¯s mouth. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, but just hang in there. I really don¡¯t want to do this to you.¡± ¡°Please let me go¡­¡± Sun begged her. However, Sun was still twisting her wrists to untie herself. ¡°The more you hurt, the faster he will come, so just hang in there.¡± Wen Sun heard something she had heard before, Sun stopped her hands and looked at Sarah. ¡°¡­ What do you mean¡­?¡± ¡°You still don¡¯t know? If you get hurt, he gets hurt too!¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± Sun couldn¡¯t understand what Sarah was talking about. Sun had no idea that he felt pain, too, when she got hurt. ¡°This is so frustrating. Your boyfriend feels your pain. Do you understand me? That¡¯s why I¡¯m hitting you like this. If you feel pain, he will, too, so he will be here with money to stop the pain.¡± Sarah repeated, but Sun still couldn¡¯t understand. Sun thought what Sarah had just said was nonsense. However, at that time, something that Gyeonhui had said last night crossed her mind. ¡®If you are sick, I¡¯m sick too.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s true, so I don¡¯t want you to get sick anymore.¡¯ I¡¯ll explain everything ¡°Is that¡­ true?¡± Sun asked her again, incredulously. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just heard that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Who said that¡­?¡± ¡°Ojae.¡± Talking to Sun thoughtlessly, Sarah quickly shut her mouth. ¡°Ojae¡­? Ojae? You mean¡­ Mr. Kwon?¡± It was such a familiar name because Ojae¡¯s name was unique, so she had easily remembered it for a long time. ¡°No¡­ no. You heard nothing from me.¡± Although Sarah said it, quickly waving her hands, it was already after Sun had realized everything. Sun even remembered who Sarah was because she remembered what Ojae said when they were together at the restaurant. ¡°So¡­ are you Ojae¡¯s ex-girlfriend?¡± Sarah panicked and covered her mouth. However, it was too late. ¡°No, no!!!¡± However, Sarah dropped the metal pipe that she was holding when she noticed that Sun identified her precisely. ¡°Please let me go¡­ if you do, I¡¯ll just forget about everything like this never happened. Please¡­¡± Sun calmly tried to convince Sarah. However, Sarah panicked with fear. She continued to run away from Sun. ¡°Please¡­ please¡­¡± Chapter 170 Sun kept calling Sarah, but she was just running away from Sun in fear. ¡°Hey, Woochang! Woochang!¡± Sarah needed to do something different since Sun found out who they were. Sarah hurriedly ran outside of the warehouse to find Woochang. Meanwhile, Sun still tried to untie the strap on her wrist. Now that Sun found out who kidnapped her, they could kill her anytime. Sun had to run away before the man came back. *** Gyeonhui turned on the phone app and checked Sun¡¯s body status. Her heart rate and blood pressure looked normal. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Gyeonhui exhaled a sigh of relief, and he activated the globe button in the menu. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°This is a GPS tracking system installed in this app. I didn¡¯t know that I would use it like this.¡± It was a function in the phone application to collect more detailed information about the wearer, such as their travel distance, the number of steps, and their location. Gyeonhui started searching for the location where the app was indicating with his phone. The app was indicating somewhere near Gyeonhui, Sun must have still worn the watch on her wrist. Gyeonhui quickly started walking toward the location where the app was indicating. The GPS system in the watch was just for exercise, so it didn¡¯t provide her exact location, but it was a big help in this dangerous situation. The GPS indicator was pointing to a warehouse that wasn¡¯t far from Gyeonhui. ¡°It¡¯s one of them,¡± Gyeonhui said, pointing to the three warehouses in the distance. As he carefully tried to move his feet, Gyeonhui suddenly collapsed. ¡°What? What¡¯s wrong? Are you okay?¡± Ojae struggled to help Gyeonhui and asked. ¡°¡­ Bastard¡­¡± Gyeonhui said, holding his throbbing thigh with his hand. Ojae was able to know what was happening to Gyeonhui by only watching Gyeonhui¡¯s face. At that moment, they saw a man coming out of the warehouse with a squeaky sound. It was one of the warehouses in the deepest corner. ¡°Shh!¡± Gyeonhui said, covering his mouth with his finger. When the man moved away from the warehouse, Gyeonhui looked at Ojae. ¡°Go and bring the car here.¡± ¡°We need to go inside together.¡± ¡°We have to get out of here before the man returns, so we should go separately.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± At the same time, Ojae answered. He quickened his pace while bending his body, not to be caught. Gyeonhui turned off his phone and cautiously went toward the warehouse. *** At Chairman Woo¡¯s room in the hospital. Mrs. Shin was wiping the unconscious Chairman¡¯s hand while sitting next to him. ¡®Knock, knock.¡¯ When she heard the knocking, she answered, ¡°Come in.¡± Chaekyeong soon opened the door and went inside the room. ¡°Hello, Mrs. Shin.¡± Chaekyeong greeted her brightly, but somehow, her face didn¡¯t look like her usual self. ¡°You must have heard the news.¡± Mrs. Shin said as if she had just read Chaekyeong¡¯s mind by watching her face in an instant. ¡°Wow. I can¡¯t hide my thoughts from you.¡± ¡°I already made up my mind. Sorry for wasting time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the only reason why I came here, Mrs. Shin.¡± ¡°Then?¡± Mrs. Shin asked her in wonder. ¡°I know it¡¯s imprudent, but I wanted to know if you¡¯re okay. I understand what you¡¯ve done was all for Gyeonhui.¡± Hearing Chaekyeong¡¯s unexpected words, Mrs. Shin smiled bitterly. ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t even know exactly why I¡¯m doing this.¡± Having an unfamiliar smile on her face, Mrs. Shin looked down at Chairman Woo. There was just an old man lying down on the bed unconscious, having lost his brutality. Watching him steadily, Mrs. Shin¡¯s face was stricken with endless sadness. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, but can you please leave us alone?¡± ¡°¡­ Okay.¡± When Chaekyeong bowed to her, she left the room. ¡°How long has this been going on¡­?¡± Feeling hollow, Chaekyeong mumbled to herself. She soon took out her phone to call. She was frustrated and desperately wanted to have a drink with someone. *** At the bar in Hannam. Chaekyeong emptied the cocktail that the bartender offered at once. ¡°Hu¡­¡± Her face was hardened. She was frustrated because of Gyeonhui¡¯s demotion and her inability to deal with her own emotions. ¡°Huh? Chaekyeong?¡± At that moment, Chunduk, with a high-tone of voice, came to her. He had such a strange-looking face even when he was smiling. ¡°Who said I can¡¯t spit on a smiling face¡­?¡± ¡°What? Who¡¯s smiling?¡± Not realizing that she was talking about him, Chuhduk looked around the bar. He looked like he had something to enjoy. ¡®What¡¯s going on? You look excited.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± ¡°No way, is it because of Gyeonhui¡¯s demotion?¡± ¡°You heard it too?¡± Chunduk approached her even closer and lowered his voice. Chaekyeong stepped away from him; he ignored her and continued speaking. ¡°Why don¡¯t you start seeing me now? Gyeonhui¡¯s done. He¡¯s finished!¡± Looking at Chunduk with confidence, Chaekyeong burst out a hearty laugh. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say that you were too ugly before?¡± ¡°Hey, I look just fine, and you shouldn¡¯ judge men on their appearance.¡± ¡°Oh, shouldn¡¯t I? Then how about you?¡± ¡°What about me?¡± ¡°Would you still lech after me if I were not pretty?¡± ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s¡­¡± His face turned red without saying anything. ¡°You¡¯re so ugly¡­ your face¡­ and mind too.¡± Chaekyeong clicked her tongue and stood up from her seat. At that moment, Chunduk roughly grabbed her arm. ¡°Hey! It hurts!¡± Chaekyeong said, but Chunduk still didn¡¯t let her go. ¡°Are you that great?! You¡¯re not even in the top 10 of the business.¡± He meant that Chaekyeong¡¯s company wasn¡¯t in the biggest top 10 companies in the country. Chaekyeong pushed his hand away from her and smirked at him. ¡°That sounds right, so you can stop messing around with people who aren¡¯t rich enough.¡± She said, not hiding her anger at him. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll see how long you guys can look down on me.¡± ¡°Gyeonhui can start again.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about that.¡± Chunduk smiled nastily. He left an aftertaste as if he had something more behind. ¡°I don¡¯t need to tell you anything, because you¡¯re going to find it out soon enough.¡± He glanced at her with a smile and left the bar. ¡°You¡¯re such a jerk.¡± Chaekyeong tried not to think of him. However, his last words made her so anxious and uncomfortable. He wouldn¡¯t talk aloud like that if he hadn¡¯t had something in his hand because he didn¡¯t have a lot of nerve in him. He really bothered her mind. At that moment, she saw Eunwoo coming into the bar. ¡°Why are you so late? I¡¯ve been waiting for you so long¡­¡± Chapter 171 Chaekyeong said, waving her hand at Eunwoo. Eunwoo approached her and said with a subdued voice. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to come out.¡± ¡°Then why did you come out?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t reach out to Sun.¡± ¡°Are you really asking where she is now? To me? Maybe she¡¯s with Gyeonhui.¡± Chaekyeong was unsatisfied and asked him again. ¡°How about Mr. Woo? Can you reach out to him?¡± ¡°Gyeonhui¡­?¡± Chaekyeong was a little surprised and asked him again. After agonizing for a moment, she took out her phone and called Gyeonhui. ¡°The number you¡¯ve dialed is not available¡­¡± His phone was also turned off. ¡°What¡¯s going on? His phone is turned off too.¡± Chakyeong¡¯s face hardened. ¡°How about Mr. Kwon?¡± Hearing Eunwoo, Chaekyeong called Ojae again. Ojae¡¯s phone was off as well. ¡°This is impossible.¡± As an assistant to the CEO, his phone was supposed to be on 24/7. However, Ojae¡¯s phone was turned off, and it meant that something was going on with them. While she was confused, what Chunduk just said a moment ago crossed her mind. ¡°I¡¯ll see how long you¡¯re going to look down on me. I don¡¯t even need to tell you what¡¯s going to happen, because you¡¯ll also know about it soon.¡± She recalled Chunduk¡¯s nasty smile and his high tone of voice. As soon as she realized what Chunduk meant, she had a chill run down her spine immediately. ¡°I think something¡¯s happened to Gyeonhui¡­¡± Eunwoo also looked at her with a firm expression. *** ¡°Damn it, he bothers me crazy!¡± Woochang roughly lifted up the phone after he came into the phone booth. He soon took out his own phone to find Gyeonhui¡¯s phone number and called him. ¡°The number you¡¯ve dialed is not available¡­¡± However, the voice came out before even the dial reached out to him. ¡°Did I push the numbers wrong because I¡¯m so annoyed?¡± Woochang again pushed Gyeonhui¡¯s phone number harder to call. However, it was the same. Gyeonhui¡¯s phone was turned off. ¡°Huh¡­ is he crazy???¡± Woochang was frustrated and mumbled to himself, but soon, he had a chill run down his spine. He definitely had Sun with him, and he knew that Gyeonhui had the same pain when he stroked her. However, Gyeonhui¡¯s phone was still turned off, and it meant that Gyeonhui no longer needed to talk with Woochang. ¡°No way¡­¡± Woochang became anxious and turned his face. Then, the car parked amid the darkness in the distance started, and its headlights beamed right at him. Woochang quickly turned his face to avoid the sharp headlights, but soon he turned his face again toward the car while glaring at it. ¡°That car is¡­¡± Woochang had followed Gyeonhui and Sun numerous times, so he immediately noticed that it was Gyeonhui¡¯s car, and there was no way that such an expensive imported car would be here in the abandoned warehouse area. ¡°Damn it!¡± As soon as he realized his plan went wrong, he started running at the car, dropping the receiver in the phone booth. *** When Gyeonhui came into the warehouse, he cautiously confirmed the surroundings. He had no idea how many people would have been in here, so he needed to be more careful. He went inside, muffling his steps, and quickly looked around the inside. Fortunately, he was able to see the empty warehouse at once. It was only Sun, and a woman standing in front of her. ¡°Woochang! Woochang!!¡± At that moment, the woman suddenly became so scared and soon ran outside of the warehouse. He thought this was the only chance, so he quickly approached Sun. ¡°Gyeon¡­ Gyeonhui¡­¡± Sun said when she noticed him. ¡°Shh!¡± He quickly covered her mouth and untied her. ¡°Are you okay? Are you injured?¡± Sun nodded with a subsided expression. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡± Gyeonhui went out of the warehouse while holding Sun¡¯s hand. If the man were to find out that his phone was turned off, he would come back for Sun. Gyeonhui looked around and moved toward the car. He soon saw his car waiting for him with the headlights on. He waved his hand, but it seemed like Ojae didn¡¯t see him, the car didn¡¯t move even an inch. ¡°You¡¯re no help.¡± Frowning, he started walking faster with Sun. At that moment, Sun, who was high on drugs, collapsed over the waste resource area. ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°Ow¡­¡± At the same time, when Sun hit her knee on the ground, Gyeonhui moaned in pain as well. ¡°Are¡­ are you okay?¡± Gyeonhui helped her stand up, enduring his own pain. Sun looked at Gyeonhui quietly and went to the car along with him. However, Ojae, who was supposed to wait for them in the car, wasn¡¯t there. ¡°Where¡­ where did he go? Did he leave here behind us already?¡± Gyeonhui had no choice, so he put Sun in the passenger seat and sat on the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Hang tight.¡± As soon as he said this to Sun, Gyeonhui pushed down on the accelerator. No matter what, he had to get out of here as soon as possible. However, the more he pushed the pedal, the more pain from her came to him. Gyeonhui frowned over the pain, and Sun looked at him steadily. ¡°It was true.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°¡­ You feel my pain. That¡¯s true.¡± Speaking weakly to Gyeonhui, her voice sounded so sad. As he heard Sun, his eyes shook immediately. ¡®How did she find it out? Did the man tell her about it?¡¯ Lots of thoughts crossed his mind. ¡°I thought you had changed¡­ but¡­¡± His heart felt like it was being torn to shreds while he was looking at Sun¡¯s eyes in sorrow. ¡°I¡¯ll explain everything to you¡­ please¡­¡± At that moment, Woochang, who was hidden in the back seat, stood up and started choking Gyeonhui¡¯s throat. ¡°How dare you run away from me!!!¡± ¡°Ugh!!!¡± Gyeonhui missed the steering wheel while he was being choked by Woochang. His car soon hit one of the warehouse¡¯s walls at high speed. It disappeared ¡®Kung!¡¯ When the car hit the warehouse wall, it finally stopped. Because of the shock of the collision, Sun lost her consciousness instantly. ¡°Sun¡­¡± Gyeonhui struggled to open his eyes and reached his hand out to Sun. At that time, the side door opened, and Woochang dragged Gyeonhui out of the car. ¡°Come out, you son of a bitch!¡± Woochang made him stand and swung his fist at Gyeonhui¡¯s face. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Gyeonhui was knocked down with a painful moan. ¡°You little rat, you can¡¯t run away from me.¡± Chapter 172 The man¡¯s voice was familiar. Gyeonhui¡¯s eyes widened when he saw the man¡¯s face. It was the man who beat up Ojae last time. ¡°You¡­ you are¡­¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. I told you that I¡¯m going to bring you down.¡± Woochang kicked and knocked down Gyeonhui. Gyeonhui tried to avoid the kicking, but he just brutally kept hurting him with his boot. ¡°Hey, stand up! Why don¡¯t you talk shit like you did before, huh!?¡± Whenever he said a word, he kicked Gyeonhui. Gyeonhui rolled over on the ground, screaming in pain. ¡°I love it! Wow!¡± Woochang cried while wiping his sweaty forehead. ¡°Stop¡­ stop it, please¡­¡± Gyeonhui begged him in a raspy voice. ¡°What? What do you mean? I haven¡¯t started anything yet.¡± Woochang started kicking Gyeonhui again. ¡°I said you only needed to give the money to me. It was such a simple thing to do. You¡¯re annoying me like crazy!¡± Curling up his body and enduring the kicking, Gyeonhui hardly looked up at Woochang. His lips were crisp and bloody, and he was utterly exhausted and drained like he didn¡¯t even have the power to move his own finger. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll give you the money as much as you want, so, please¡­ don¡¯t hurt her.¡± When Woochang heard Gyeonhui, he stopped kicking. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t let you leave here alive because you already have seen my face.¡± Woochang picked up a metal pipe and lifted it high to finish Gyeonhui. As he watched Woochang, Gyeonhui¡¯s eyes were filled up with desperate hopelessness. ¡°The money¡¯s all wasted, but I can¡¯t help it. It¡¯s better to kill you here than to rot in jail for the rest of my life.¡± Woochang swung the metal pipe with all his might. On the ground, Gyeonhui couldn¡¯t avoid Woochang¡¯s strike and just closed his eyes tightly. ¡°No!!!¡± However, at that moment, Sun threw her own body in front of Gyeonhui to shield him. ¡®Puck!¡¯ The metal pipe struck her head with a deafening sound. ¡°Sun¡­ Sun!!!!¡± Almost at the same time she was hit, Gyeonhui screamed as well. ¡°What¡­ What the hell was that?¡± Woochang was embarrassed and laid himself open to attack. Gyeonhui grabbed Woochang¡¯s foot and brought him down. The big man fell backward immediately, and Gyeonhui quickly stood up and started beating him. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you!!! Ah!!!¡± Gyeonhui beat him up with all his might. When Woochang was passed out, Gyeonhui hurriedly went to Sun and held her in his arms. ¡°Sun!!! Are you okay?¡± Although Gyeonhui cried, Sun wouldn¡¯t wake up. ¡°Please open your eyes¡­ please!!!¡± His desperate screaming echoed through the air in the dark night. *** In the alley near the warehouse. ¡°Umm¡­¡± Ojae woke up, and he opened his eyes. ¡°Ow¡­¡± The back of his head still was painful since he was walloped by something. ¡°¡­ It was definitely him¡­¡± Ojae recalled Woochang, who struck him with a metal pipe. Ojae quickly stood up. When he left the alley, and came out to the main street, he saw a car that had crashed in the distance. ¡°What¡¯s¡­ .that¡­¡± Ojae¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Please open your eyes¡­ Please!!!¡± At that moment, Ojae heard Gyeonhu¡¯s desperate screaming. *** The emergency room of the hospital in Paju city. ¡°An emergency patient!¡± The nurse¡¯s urgent crying echoed into the emergency room. Gyeonhui, Ojae, and the emergency medical technician also came into the room, pushing the cart. ¡°Sun¡­ please wake up. Please, Sun!!!¡± Gyeonhui kept saying the same thing to Sun while holding her slender hand. ¡°Let me check on her, please.¡± A doctor in a white gown came to her. The doctor skillfully checked on her pupils. ¡°She¡¯s been stuck on the occipital region by a metal pipe.¡± ¡°By a metal pipe!?¡± The doctor was surprised and quickly checked on the back of her head. The wound looked very serious, so the doctor looked at the nurse and started giving her orders. ¡°She¡¯s bleeding a lot. Take a CT scan immediately and get ready for the surgery right now.¡± Gyeonhui panicked when he saw the doctor¡¯s firm expression. ¡°Sir¡­ will she make it? Please tell me that you can save her¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best. Nurse!¡± The doctor gave the nurse a sign with his eyes and checked on Sun again. ¡°Are you a guardian for her?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you know what her blood type is?¡± ¡°Her blood type¡­ Umm¡­¡± Hearing the nurse, Gyeonhui came to his senses right away. ¡°It¡¯s RH-AB. ¡°RH-AB?¡± Hearing Gyeonhui, the nurse was surprised and asked him again. ¡°Yes, is there any problem?¡± Over Gyeonhui¡¯s questions, the doctor and the nurse exchanged a sigh with their eyes. ¡°Do we have enough?¡± The doctor asked. ¡°No, we don¡¯t. Actually we have almost none. Would you like me to check on the other hospital?¡± The doctor shook his head. ¡°No, it will take too long. We need it right now.¡± At that moment, Gyeonhui stopped them. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll provide the blood for her. My blood type is also RH-AB.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Instead of answering the doctor, Gyeonhui showed him his blood identification. When the doctor confirmed it, he nodded like he was relieved. ¡°We need to move faster. Take his blood quickly to make up for it.¡± Hearing the doctor¡¯s order, the nurses started moving fast immediately. ¡°Excuse me, sir.¡± The two nurses took the cart away from Gyeonhui. Gyeonhui¡¯s hand, which was holding Sun¡¯s hand, was forcefully loosened up. His gaze was only on her while she was being delivered to the operation room. *** In front of Gyeonhui¡¯s place. Sitting in the back seat, Eunwoo looked at Chaekyeong, talking with Gyeonhui¡¯s housemaid. After a while, Chaekyeong came back to the car and started speaking. ¡°She said, Gyeonhui left his place in the morning, and hasn¡¯t come back yet.¡± There was no way for Eunwoo to find out where these two people had gone. Eunwoo¡¯s face was more subdued. ¡°I¡¯m sure he is with number sixteen¡­¡± ¡°How long are you going to call her that?¡± ¡°What? You mean, number sixteen?¡± Eunwoo only looked at her without saying anything. ¡°Alright. I won¡¯t call her that anymore. You¡¯re ridiculous.¡± Chaekyeong turned her face against Eunwoo while pouting her lips. Eunwoo took out his phone and called someone. ¡°Who are you calling?¡± ¡°Eunyoung.¡± ¡°Eunyoung? Another girl of yours?¡± ¡°Sun¡¯s colleague.¡± Eunwoo answered with a sigh of frustration. However, Eunyoung was on the phone with someone. Eunwoo put his phone down with a severe face and asked Chaekyeong while looking forward. ¡°Where do you want me to drop you off?¡± ¡°What do you mean, drop me off?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to go to Sun¡¯s place just in case.¡± Chaekyeong looked at him quietly with a straight face. She started speaking slowly with a sour expression. ¡°Do you really have to do that? Are you really serious about her?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Nothing. I just don¡¯t feel great.¡± She paused for a moment, but soon she started speaking again. ¡°I¡¯m going to go with you. Gyeonhui might be there too.¡± Eunwoo started the car without answering. ¡°Did you¡­¡± Chaekyeong spoke again. ¡°Did you look for me like this when I disappeared in the past?¡± ¡°No.¡± Hearing Eunwoo¡¯s bold answer, Chaekyeong smiled bitterly. ¡°¡­This is nothing compared to what I did to find you.¡± Hearing Eunwoo¡¯s unexpected answer, Chaekyeong¡¯s eyes widened. Eunwoo still didn¡¯t look at her and started the car. The awkwardness laid down between the two in the car. At that moment, Chaekyeong¡¯s phone started ringing. When she confirmed the caller, her eyes widened. ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Kwon.¡± Speaking to Eunwoo hurriedly, she quickly took the call. Chapter 173 *** The inside of the operation room was chilled. Gyeonhui, who was lying on the bed for the blood transfer, looked at Sun steadily. Her face looked so cold and as pale as ashes. Gyeonhui reached out his hand to her, but he couldn¡¯t touch her. His hand crossed the air for no purpose, and soon it just dropped. ¡°It¡¯s going to hurt.¡± The nurse put a thick needle in Gyeonhui¡¯s arm. He felt a throbbing pain, but he was only looking at Sun. ¡®What have I done to her¡­¡¯ Gyeonhui questioned himself. The effort that he thought was love for her ended up crushing her down. ¡®Why did I go to the CEO of DNBM behind her back?¡¯ ¡®What if I hadn¡¯t left her, would she have been fine?¡¯ His effort to get revenge had ruined everything that he cared about, including himself. He started regretting endlessly. Gyeonhui held a fist while closing his eyes tightly. He only had one thought in his mind. He had to save her. The only thing that he could do for her now was to clench his fists with all his might. After a while, his blood started flowing in the plastic pipe to go to her. *** ¡°Make yourself comfortable here, please.¡± When the nurse led Gyeonhui into a room, she soon left there. He was lying on the bed, and he soon slowly stood up to sit. Perhaps it was because he had lost a lot of blood for the surgery, he started feeling dizzy. ¡°Mr. Woo!¡± At that moment, the room door opened, and his private doctor, Dr. Seo, came into the room. He must have heard about Gyeonhui from Ojae. ¡°Are you okay? Are you injured?¡± Hearing his rapid-fire questions, Gyeonhui nodded. ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± However, Dr. Seo didn¡¯t look like he was relieved. He checked on Gyeonhui¡¯s pupils and his whole body condition. Gyeonhui¡¯s face was all beat up, but there was no significant injury on his body, so Dr. Seo finally exhaled a sigh of relief. ¡°You were so lucky. I can¡¯t believe she was kidnapped¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± Dr. Seo said while clicking his tongue. ¡°By the way, I heard that you¡¯ve given your blood to her.¡± Hearing Dr. Seo, Gyeonhui nodded again. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Dr. Seo also sighed nervously. Dr. Seo and Gyeonhui didn¡¯t talk much, but both knew what the blood transfer meant to them. ¡°Do you think¡­ I won¡¯t be able to feel her pain anymore?¡± ¡°Well¡­ We have to wait and see¡­¡± Gyeonhui clenched his teeth while closing his eyes tightly. ¡°Wait.¡± Gyeonhui struggled to stand up from the bed. He went into the restroom that was in his room and looked at himself in the mirror. After a moment, he seemed to have made a firm decision. He started unbuttoning his shirt. Soon his hard chest and his silky skinned upper body were revealed. However, looking in the mirror, his face soon hardened. Because the flower pattern that was on his chest was gone entirely. As fast as the design had shown up, it was gone for no reason all of a sudden, and now, there was no trace of it. It completely disappeared. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s gone¡­¡± Gyeonhui bit his lower lip while closing his eyes. He was afraid to not feel her pain anymore. The after-effect In front of the operation room. The operation that had been going on for more than five hours didn¡¯t seem like it would be done soon. Gyeonhui, who had a haggard face, didn¡¯t move his body even an inch from the seat. Dr. Seo quietly gave Ojae a look, and Ojae reluctantly stood up and approached Gyeonhui. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go inside and get some rest? I¡¯ll be here.¡± However, Gyeonhui quietly shook his head. ¡°She¡¯s still in there. How can I rest¡­¡± Since he hadn¡¯t talked for hours, his voice was raspy. ¡°¡­ Mr. Kwon¡­¡± At that moment, there was a voice calling Ojae. Ojae turned around and looked at the person, it was Eunyoung with a severe face. ¡°How¡¯s Sun? She¡¯s okay, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Look at me straight. Is she alright?¡± ¡°The surgery is in progress.¡± ¡°What surgery? How bad did she get hurt?¡± Ojae only closed his eyes and couldn¡¯t say anything to her. Eunyoung panicked and came to Ojae again. She started asking questions. ¡°Please talk to me! Is she okay?!!¡± ¡°She¡¯s hurt a lot.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± Asking questions to Ojae incredulously, Eunyoung went to the seat with Gyeonhui. ¡°What¡¯s going on¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Tell me what happened to her!!!¡± Eunyoung grabbed Gyeonhui by the collar and shook him. The quiet Gyeonhui was only letting her do it to him. ¡°Eunyoung¡­ please calm down. Please.¡± Ojae tried to stop Eunyoung with a crying voice. ¡°How¡­ can these things happen to her¡­¡± Eunyoung started crying while plunking on the floor. ¡°Who the hell did this to Sun¡­ Who made her like this!? Who was it!?¡± Eunyoung cried out to the air without knowing the person who actually did this to Sun. Looking at the panicking Eunyoung, Ojae¡¯s mind wrapped with guilt. ¡®Isn¡¯t it crazy that Gyeonhui feels her pain? Wow.¡¯ Ojae felt like everything that was happening here to everyone was started by his own thoughtless and careless words to Sarah. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m so sorry. It¡¯s all my fault. I told Sarah about the secret¡­¡± Ojae couldn¡¯t speak anymore. Ojae had no idea that the terrible criminals were Sarah and her new boyfriend. However, the worst thing to bear was the fact that he was the leading cause of this problem. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Soon, Eunwoo and Chaekyeong approached Eunyoung too. Eunyoung was still crying without saying anything, and Ojae was also crying while holding Eunyoung. Gyeonhui was putting his head on the wall while closing his eyes. Nobody explained anything to anyone, but Eunwoo was able to know enough about the critical condition that Sun was in. At that moment, the operating room door opened, and the doctor came out. Ojae and Gyeonhui stood up right away when they saw the doctor. ¡°How did it go? How is she?¡± ¡°Was the surgery done well? She will live, right?¡± Gyeonhui asked him hurriedly. ¡°Yes, the surgery was done well, but the wound is much deeper than we expected¡­¡± ¡°So, what does that mean? What does that mean!!!¡± ¡°She could have an after-effect.¡± ¡°What kind of after-effect are you talking about¡­¡± Gyeonhui asked him anxiously. ¡°If she¡¯s lucky, only her wrist will fall asleep once in a while, but if not, the right side of her body could be paralyzed. ¡°What¡­ what?¡± Gyeonhui grabbed the doctor by the collar. ¡°What the hell are you talking about!? You said the surgery was done well!? What do you mean, paralyzed!?¡± ¡°Gyeonhui! Let him go!¡± ¡°Mr. Woo! Relax!!!¡± Watching Gyeonhui next to him, Ojae and Dr. Seo struggled to stop him. ¡°No way¡­ no way¡­¡± Gyeonhui dropped on the ground and couldn¡¯t say anything. Chapter 174 *** A week later. At the Blue Rose Veterinary hospital. Eunwoo was getting ready in a hurry to leave the clinic while talking on the phone. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m about to leave now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stop by in the afternoon. We¡¯re moving out of the office from the Consencio.¡± It was Eunyoung on the phone. ¡°That¡¯s all right. I¡¯ll stay with her. See you then.¡± Eunwoo hung up the phone and put his jacket on. When he finally grabbed the car keys and was ready to leave, Eunwoo saw Labong sitting right in front of the door like a rock. Labong had stayed in the same spot since the day Sun had attacked. ¡°Labong¡­¡± Eunwoo pet Labong¡¯s head in sympathy. ¡°Sun didn¡¯t abandon you. She¡¯s just sick right now.¡± ¡°Ruff! Ruff!¡± As if Labong had understood Eunwoo, he barked, looking up at him. ¡°I¡¯ll go see if she¡¯s doing okay, so wait here. Okay?¡± Eunwoo said, stroking Labong¡¯s head gently. ¡°Ruff, ruff! Ruff, ruff!¡± However, Labong seemingly had something to say to Eunwoo because he kept barking at him. Eunwoo looked at Labong for a moment and started speaking. ¡°¡­ I know. She¡¯ll be fine because she¡¯s much stronger than she lets on.¡± Eunwoo spoke to Labong gently like he was trying to calm Labong down. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± With a firm expression, Eunwoo slowly stood up from the seat and left the clinic. Left alone in the clinic, Labong sat quietly, watching Eunwoo moving away. *** In the hallway out of the patient room. Through the small window on the door, people saw Gyeonhui, who was holding the unconscious Sun¡¯s hand tightly. A few nurses talked in whispers, looking into the room through the door. A nurse came to them and asked about Gyeonhui out of curiosity. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± ¡°You know that big company, Concensio? He¡¯s the CEO of the company. He¡¯s been doing that here for a week.¡± ¡°For a week?¡± One of the nurses nodded. ¡°He just changes his clothes and just sits there. He does nothing except look at her even in the middle of the night.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t the patient in a critical condition? I¡¯ve heard she¡¯s the victim of a kidnapping.¡± ¡°Right. It wouldn¡¯t matter how rich or handsome my boyfriend was if my body were screwed all up like that. I can¡¯t even imagine. No.¡± The nurse shook her head vigorously as if she didn¡¯t even want to imagine it. ¡°Shh!¡± One of the nurses gestured while pointing to someone with her eyes. Ojae, who was wearing a suit, was coming to the room in the distance. As soon as the nurses saw him, they immediately scattered to their posts as if they had said nothing. With a serious face, Ojae watched them scattering. He didn¡¯t hear exactly what they were talking about, but he was able to guess what that would have been. ¡®Knock, knock.¡¯ When Ojae knocked on the door, he went into the room. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Although Ojae said that, Gyeonhui, who was holding Sun¡¯s hand, didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°How¡¯s she doing?¡± Gyeonhui still didn¡¯t answer either. ¡°I¡¯ll join the board meeting today on behalf of you.¡± ¡°¡­ Okay.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be¡­ tough.¡± ¡°Let me know when the final decision is made. I¡¯ll need to remove my stuff from the office.¡± Ojae nodded with a serious expression. ¡®Bang.¡¯ As Gyeonhui heard the door closing, he quietly moved his gaze to Sun again. ¡°Please¡­ open your eyes¡­ just once¡­ please¡­¡± His desperate, weak voice laid down in the room. *** In the board meeting. ¡°I declare that the proposal for the dismissal of Mr. Woo has passed.¡± The shareholders did not respond to the expected results. After confirming the results, the stockholders gave a silent greeting to Mrs. Shin and quietly got up and left the meeting room. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Although the results came out, Mrs. Shin¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t bright at all. She frowned while looking at the empty seat where Gyeonhui was supposed to be. His assistant Kwon was taking the papers for him. ¡°He¡¯s been there for a week?¡± Mrs. Shin asked Ojae, referring to the hospital where Sun was admitted. ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am,¡± Ojae answered quickly. ¡°And now?¡± ¡°He¡¯s heading to the office to clear up.¡± Mrs. Shin paused for a moment and said, ¡°Get him right away. Force him to get here if he doesn¡¯t listen.¡± ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± Her assistant bowed his head robotically and led a few guards out of the conference room. She glanced at Ojae, who was organizing the papers across the conference table. When Ojae met Mrs. Shin¡¯s eyes, he quickly greeted her with a hard look. Mrs. Shin started speaking. ¡°Shall I see you for a minute?¡± *** In the Vice President Shin¡¯s office. On a large TV on the wall of the office, the news of the kidnapping of the third generation son of a rich family resounded. ¡°The suspect who kidnapped the CEO of one of Korea¡¯s biggest companies was arrested.¡± Hearing the anchor¡¯s briefing from the TV, Ojae watched Woochang and Sarah getting out of the van in handcuffs. They put masks with hats on, but Kwon could see the faces of the two of them with one glance. Mrs. Shin turned her attention to Ojae while turning off the TV. ¡°Do you think I hired you next to him for this?¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± The frozen Ojae bowed his head without even making excuses. ¡°I¡¯m tired of hearing that.¡± Kwon¡¯s eyes were shaken after hearing her cold words. ¡°Come in.¡± Then, the door was opened, and a young man in a suit entered. ¡°Greet each other.¡± Ojae was forced to bow his head to the new man, but she didn¡¯t explain who he was, so Ojae looked at her in wonder. ¡°He¡¯s the new assistant who will assist the new representative from today.¡± She spoke with a smile, but Kwon¡¯s face was darker. It was no different from a dismissal notice. ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry over your discharge because I¡¯ve got a position for you¡­ Now, get out.¡± ¡°¡­ Okay¡­¡± Kwon reluctantly replied and left the Vice President¡¯s office. When Gyeonhui was dismissed, Ojae also lost his job as punishment for the trouble. Soon, Ojae hit his own cheeks several times like he was trying to get his mind together. ¡°I should stay strong. Gyeonhui¡¯s gone through a lot harder.¡± Ojae took a deep breath and tried to walk intentionally with confidence. *** In the hallway in front of a patient room. ¡°Okay. Well done.¡± Holding the phone, Gyeonhui answered like he was already expecting the result. He had failed to merge with DNBM, and he was also involved in the kidnapping incident, so his dismissal was something obvious. Mrs. Shin would have stayed calm over Gyeonhui, who didn¡¯t do what he was supposed to do for the company¡¯s success. Chapter 175 ¡°I¡¯ll pack my stuff from the office later today.¡± When Gyeonhui hung up the phone, he leaned against the wall. At that time, Gyeonhui saw Eunwoo getting out of the elevator. Eunwoo also saw him, and he walked straight towards Gyeonhui. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Gyeonhui asked. ¡°I¡¯m here for Sun. How¡¯s she doing?¡± Gyeonhui shook his head instead of answering. ¡°Please give this to her.¡± Eunwoo handed out a small stone to Gyeonhui. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a secret that she and I only know.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ a secret¡­¡± Gyeonhui smiled bitterly because he made him go through all of this without telling Eunwoo. ¡°Are you just leaving like this?¡± Eunwoo slowly nodded. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t want to show anyone that she¡¯s sick. Please also tell her that Labong¡¯s doing well too.¡± After that, Eunwoo left. Gyeonhui looked down at the stone steadily in his hand. ¡°¡­ Go. You can go.¡± With his hardened face, he went into the hospital room. Gyeonhui put the stone in her hand. ¡°The dog doctor was here to see you. He wanted me to give this to you. Labong¡¯s also doing fine.¡± However, Sun didn¡¯t answer. Her pale face looked like she was ultimately a different person. Gyeonhui slowly stroked her face with his trembling hand carefully. ¡°Everyone is doing fine, so, please¡­ please wake up¡­ please.¡± Gyeonhui shoved his face on the bed and burst out crying. At that time, her hand began trembling as she held the stone¡­ Maybe it was luck ¡®Knock, knock.¡¯ Hearing the knocking, Gyeonhui struggled to raise his face up. ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± Ojae said, coming into the room. Gyeonhui quickly wiped his eyes and stood up from the seat. ¡°Watch her for me. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Dropping his face, Gyeonhui quickly left the intensive care unit. When he came out from the room, he leaned against the wall and tried to endure the grief that was coming out from the deep recesses of his mind. ¡°I don¡¯t even deserve to cry. Stop it.¡± However, once the tears began, it could not be stopped. *** When he arrived at the Consencio building, Gyeonhui got on the elevator. After a while, he got out of the elevator and walked toward the Kidz fan office. He saw the sign of the Kidz Fan office on the door. He stopped and opened the office door. The office was empty except the office furniture that was already there before they moved in. It seemed like the Kidz Fan people moved out of the building in a hurry, so the office looked disorganized and haphazard. Gyeonhui looked at the spot where Sun used to work. He recalled Sun¡¯s face with a bright smile. However, it disappeared soon, and the empty office only caught his eyes. It felt like his mind and heart also became emptied entirely. Looking at the office hollowly, Gyeonhui soon walked towards his office. He was putting his stuff in a small box, and a text message came. ¡°I heard that you were laid off. Congratulations that you¡¯re not on my radar anymore.¡± The text was so much like Chaekyeong. Gyeonhui smiled bitterly, turned his face, and looked out the window. The coffee flower on the green coffee tree had fallen. The flower petals that showed off its white beauty fell into the soil and were rotting in black and brown. Gyeonhui reached out and picked up the flower petals. The flower pattern on his chest and the flower that had bloomed on the tree was all gone. There were no coffee flowers left anywhere. He put the fallen flower in the book. It had already started to turn brown; it was still so precious to him. At that time, the office door opened, and the security guards entered all at once. ¡°What?¡± ¡°The Vice President wants to meet with you.¡± ¡°¡­ Tell her that I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sir, but we have to take you to her.¡± The security guards grabbed Gyeonhui¡¯s arms in an instant. ¡°Let go of me! Let me go!!¡± Gyeonhui struggled, but he couldn¡¯t get away from so many of them. *** The doctor came to make rounds while checking on Sun¡¯s pupils. ¡°Why hasn¡¯t she woke up still?¡± Ojae asked. ¡°Well¡­ Her vitals have recovered quite well. Let¡¯s wait and see a little longer.¡± When he said this, the doctor left the room. ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see¡­ I could say that too. Huh!¡± Pouting his mouth out, Ojae exhaled a long sigh. Sun was still unconscious. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡­ Sun¡­ I¡¯m really sorry¡­¡± Closing his eyes tightly, Ojae apologized to her. ¡°I know you can¡¯t hear me, but I¡¯m so sorry. I really am.¡± Holding his two fists tightly, Ojae apologized to her again. However, at that time, one of her hands trembled slightly. Because of that, the small stone that was in her hand fell down on the floor. ¡®Tick.¡¯ ¡°Wow! What was that!?¡± Ojae was surprised at the sound of the stone falling, so he gasped. ¡°Oh my¡­¡± Then Ojae thoughtlessly just picked up the stone from the floor. He tried to put the stone back in her hand, and he suddenly stopped in wonder. ¡°Why did the stone fall on the floor¡­?¡± There was definitely enough space between Sun and him. He had no memory of hitting or shaking anything. His narrowed eyes started looking at Sun¡¯s hand. He then saw Sun¡¯s hand that trembled slightly. ¡°Doc¡­ Doctor! Doctor!!!¡± His eyes widened, and he hurriedly ran out of the room. *** The patient¡¯s room of Chairman Woo. Mrs. Shin looked down at him without saying anything. At that time, the room door opened with a knocking sound. Gyeonhui, who was pushed by the security guards, came into the room. ¡°You screwed everything up over such a worthless girl.¡± Mrs. Shin said, furrowing her eyebrows. ¡°That¡¯s because she¡¯s everything to me,¡± Gyeonhui answered in a bold voice. ¡°Are you still saying that after you¡¯ve lost everything?¡± ¡°As long as I have her, I didn¡¯t lose everything. Mrs. Shin was frustrated and looked at him furiously. ¡°You¡¯re just like your father.¡± He had barely heard about his father, so he frowned in wonder. ¡°He was just like you. He threw everything away because of a girl, and he died from it. No one looked for him, and he suffered until the end of his days.¡± Her eyes were filled up with anger and fury. ¡°You have no idea how terrible his life was. I guess that¡¯s why you¡¯re still acting like a child.¡± ¡°Were you the woman he had chosen?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 176 Hearing Gyeonhui, Mrs. Shin didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Did you regret having him choose you?¡± ¡°I did. I clenched my teeth, watching him die, and I had decided that I would take everything his father had from him.¡± Mrs. Shin turned her face and looked at Chairman Woo as she continued to speak. ¡°I wanted to show him that the money he only cared about more than his own son was worthless.¡± ¡°I also wanted to do that, Mom.¡± Gyeonhui paused for a moment and started speaking again. ¡°I also wanted to take everything you have and prove that it was worthless. However, what was it that you earned from that? You¡¯ve lost my father and even me.¡± Hearing Gyeonhui, Mrs. Shin furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°I was going to give you the Lasung group.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that? Is that a reward?¡± ¡°Because that was only what I could have given you.¡± ¡°No, what I wanted from you was you, not the Lasung group.¡± Hearing the unexpected words from Gyeonhui, Mrs. Shin¡¯s eyes shook. ¡°You¡¯re just like my grandfather.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°He only cared about his money before his son, and you cared more about Lasung rather than yourself. What¡¯s the difference?¡± Her eyes started trembling. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you a question again. Did he regret it? Not you, my father.¡± His question sent her back in time 30 years ago. She recalled his face that always smiled brightly at Gyeonhui and herself, even when they were poor. ¡°My father had never regretted that he chose you. He wouldn¡¯t have chosen you from the beginning if he was going to regret it.¡± Gyeonhui said in a confident voice. ¡°What do you know about him? You don¡¯t even remember him!¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t remember him. However, last time, the Chairman said that my mother didn¡¯t do anything wrong. He said that it was all his fault and that I shouldn¡¯t resent.¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s ridiculous.¡± She responded in disbelief. He paused, then started speaking again. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what he meant exactly at the time, but now I can see it. He knew everything about your thoughts, and what you were going to do to him. However, he still let you have the position you have now because he wanted to be responsible for his fault and to be forgiven by you.¡± She turned her eyes slowly and looked at Chairman Woo. ¡°I just wanted to be responsible for my fault and be forgiven by Sun. That¡¯s all I wanted, and that¡¯s why I have to go.¡± Gyeonhui answered her with a firm expression and turned his body to leave. Mrs. Shin was still watching the Chairman hollowly without saying anything. Gyeonhui paused his stride before he left Chairman Woo¡¯s room. ¡°He is still unconscious, but he might still be able to hear from you. A miracle only happens when it is needed.¡± ¡®Bang.¡¯ Gyeonhui left the room with the sound of the door closing. Mrs. Shin looked down at Chairman Woo quietly. ¡°Did you really know everything? Then what have I done to you until now?¡± Mrs. Shin closed her eyes and couldn¡¯t speak anymore. Her eyes then trembled hard. *** ¡°Hah¡­¡± When Gyeonhui came out of the room, he exhaled a long sigh. He felt that his mother¡¯s life was worthless, for she only spent her time seeking revenge. He also thought that his own life was the same, so he ruined his own life to resent his mother. ¡°I wish I knew it a bit quicker¡­¡± If he gave up on getting revenge for his mother, he didn¡¯t need to take every risk to merge with the DNBM. It meant that Gyeonhui didn¡¯t need to leave Sun on the last day, and she might have been safe now. His regret continuously bothered him. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not too late¡­¡± Gyeonhui struggled to open his eyes. He had lost his company and the CEO position, but he was still okay because he had Sun. The only thing that bothered him was the last words that Sun told him. ¡®I thought you really had changed¡­ I really believed it¡­ but¡­¡¯ He recalled Sun¡¯s eyes that were filled with sorrow. He was lonely and in pain. At that time, his phone rang. It was Ojae. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Gyeonhui, who was suppressing his sad emotion, answered the phone. ¡°Sun¡¯s awake!!¡± Gyeonhui¡¯s eyes widened. He started running, not even answering Ojae. *** ¡°How do you feel? Can you feel any pain?¡± Pushing her right big toe, the doctor asked her. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How about here?¡± ¡°Yes, it hurts.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± The doctor exhaled a sigh of relief while nodding his head. ¡°Is she¡­ is she okay?¡± ¡°Yes, fortunately, her nerves work just fine, but¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± ¡°Can you lift up your right arm?¡± Sun struggled to lift up her right arm. However, her hand was trembling like an epileptic, and she couldn¡¯t clench her fist. ¡°She might need rehabilitation therapy.¡± Hearing the doctor, Ojae bit his lower lip. Watching Sun next to her, Eunyoung also looked at Sun in sympathy. ¡°As long as she¡¯s willing to do the training, she can recover up to 80~90% of the range of motion she normally used, so it¡¯s too early to give up.¡± ¡°¡­ Thank you.¡± Sun said. The doctor lowered his head slightly and left the room. ¡°Sun¡­¡± Eunyoung called her while blurring the end of her words. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Sun said, comforting Eunyoung. ¡°I would like to be alone for a minute¡­¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Eunyoung hurriedly left the room with Ojae. Left alone in the patient room, Sun was lost in thought while looking out through the window. She was able to hear everything that happened to her in a week from Ojae and Eunyoung. She also heard that the criminal had been arrested, but her mind was still perplexed. ¡°Um¡­¡± And she had a terrible headache once in a while. She bit her lips to endure the pain until her lips burst, but it was such a significant pain to bear. ¡®I¡¯m hitting you because your boyfriend feels your pain too. If you¡¯re in pain, he will also be. He will finally bring me the money because the pain will be unbearable.¡¯ Sun couldn¡¯t forget what the woman told her in the warehouse. ¡°¡­ Cheonsun¡­ Don¡¯t get sick. If you do, I get sick too.¡± Gyeonhui¡¯s words, when he was drunk and visited her place in the past, crossed her mind. ¡°I knew nothing¡­ I was deceived¡­¡± She became resentful about herself, who truly believed that Gyeonhui was sincere. At that time, the door opened roughly, and Gyeonhui hurriedly came into the room. ¡°Sun, Sun!!!¡± Gyeonhui came to her and hugged her right away. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m so happy that you¡¯re awake. It¡¯s such a fortune.¡± He said in a crying voice. However, staying calm, she pushed him away. ¡°What¡¯s fortune¡­?¡± Sun asked him with a sunken voice. Gyeonhui was embarrassed and looked at her. ¡°¡­ Sun¡­?¡± Chapter 177 It didn¡¯t hurt me, but I¡¯m still hurt Her eyes were filled up with deep sorrow. ¡°So, you mean you¡¯re glad because you don¡¯t need to deal with my pain anymore?¡± ¡°¡­ What are you talking about¡­?¡± Gyeonhui was embarrassed, so he asked her. ¡°The reason you were pretending to have changed was that you were feeling my pain, and you didn¡¯t want to deal with that.¡± She tried to suppress the sorrow and talked to him calmly. However, because of her unbearable grief, her voice trembled slightly. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that¡­ I had no idea what you were dealing with¡­¡± ¡°Sun, that¡¯s not true. I explained everything to you.¡± ¡°You said you were not hiding anything from me.¡± ¡°Because¡­¡± Gyeonhui tried to explain his mind to her, which was that he was so afraid of losing her. He was going crazy, fearing to lose her. He was going to tell everything to her once he felt better, but everything he had done for her was genuine and sincere. ¡°Isn¡¯t it enough that you were playing with me?¡± Hearing her voice, Gyeonhui¡¯s eyes shook. ¡°Please stop torturing me. Please. Please get out of my sight!!!¡± From her resentful eyes, tears burst forward. At the same time, she also had a terrible headache like her head was going to break. She held her head and started screaming in pain. ¡®Sun, Sun!!!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t come to me! Don¡¯t!!¡± When he tried to approach her, she cried. ¡°Please. Please. don¡¯t come any closer to me.¡± ¡°I never want to see you again. Ever. Please just leave here.¡± Hearing her desperate voice, Gyeonhui¡¯s steps froze. ¡°Ugh! Ugh!!¡± Her screaming burst out again. When Eunyoung and Ojae heard Sun¡¯s screaming, they came into the room. The doctor and nurses also followed them and held Sun¡¯s body. Gyeonhui could only watch her struggle in pain. Her screams, the rumbling of the people in the room, felt like a nightmare. *** At the park outside of the hospital. Gyeonhui was sitting on a bench on a hollow fence. ¡°Here.¡± Ojae handed him a cup of coffee. However, Gyeonhui had no reaction, just like a robot with no battery. ¡°¡­ What about Sun?¡± Gyeonhui asked. ¡°Her pain was quite severe because the anesthesia wore off. She just fell asleep when more anesthetic was given. ¡°¡­ I see..¡± ¡°According to the doctor, it¡¯s possible to freak out like that because of the shock she had gone through, so if she feels better soon¡­ then¡­¡± ¡°¡­ No¡­¡± ¡°What..?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not because of the shock, it¡¯s because I hurt her,¡± Gyeonhui said, clenching his teeth tight. ¡°Because I hurt her so much, that¡¯s why she was desperate. It¡¯s all my fault¡­¡± ¡°But it is true that you¡¯ve changed, and you treated her sincerely¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s only true when she can see and hear my sincere mind¡­ as it is¡­¡± Gyeonhui recalled the conversation he had with Mrs. Shin. ¡®That was the only thing that I could have done for you, and that was what I had in mind.¡¯ ¡®A true mind? Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier? You haven¡¯t said anything, and now you tell me everything you did was for me. Am I still supposed to believe it?¡¯ Recalling this memory, Gyeonhui¡¯s face subsided. ¡°I was just like my mother. For Cheonsun, I¡¯m just like how I view my mother.¡± ¡°Gyeonhui¡­¡± ¡°Go on. Please stay with her, so I feel better because you¡¯re going to protect her instead of me.¡± Ojae thought for a moment, and soon he nodded. Ojae tapped Gyeonhui¡¯s shoulder a couple times before standing up and walking towards the hospital. Left alone in the park, Gyeonhui looked down at his two hands. ¡°The anesthetic was wearing off¡­¡± He recalled the screaming that Sun cried out. However, he couldn¡¯t feel any of her pain. His body could no longer feel her pain, but his mind hurt so badly as if he were out of breath. Closing his eyes tightly, he swallowed his deep sorrow. *** A few months later, in the rehabilitation training center. ¡°Okay, just bend it a little more, slowly, slowly.¡± As the nurse instructed, Sun tried to clench her right hand. Unlike the first time she had hardly had strength in her hand, now she could clench her fist, just holding her hand made her forehead sweat. ¡°Great. You did a great job today. This will be good enough for today. You know how to use the paraffin therapy machine?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sun answered like she was familiar with it. As the nurse instructed, she put her hand in the paraffin therapy machine. When she put her hand in the hot liquid, the white film wrapped her hands. She repeated it three or four times, and her hand turned pale like she was wearing gloves. A moment later, she carefully removed the dried liquid, and she came out of the therapy center. The weather had changed, and it was already midsummer. At that time, a car stopped in front of her. ¡°Hey, Sun, get in.¡± It was Ojae. ¡°Did you come here again? You really don¡¯t need to.¡± ¡°You have to let me do this for you because what happened to you was all my fault,¡± Ojae said. He was still sorry for what she endured. ¡°No, why is it all your fault, it¡¯s really not. Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m really fine.¡± ¡°So, just let me help you until you¡¯re fully recovered, okay? Get in, come on. I¡¯ve turned the air on strong for you.¡± Hearing Ojae, Sun smirked and got in the car. It felt so cool when the air dried off her sweat. Sun quietly looked out of the window. It was all because the memories of him just crossed her mind. ¡°He¡¯s been doing good.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t feel your pain anymore, so don¡¯t worry about him.¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s great to hear.¡± Sun answered with a sunken voice. Ojae slightly glanced at her and carefully started speaking. ¡°But he still hurts. It¡¯s not your pain, but he¡¯s still in pain.¡± Sun¡¯s face subsided. ¡°I know it¡¯s too late to tell you this, but Gyeonhui once told me that he was so afraid that you would leave him again, so he couldn¡¯t tell you anything.¡± Her eyes trembled slightly. ¡°He couldn¡¯t tell you anything, but he was sincere. Please remember that.¡± Sun didn¡¯t say anything and just looked outside of the window. Her eyes started to tear up involuntarily. ¡°The sunlight is pretty hot.¡± Sun blamed the bright sun for her tears. She thought her tears welled up because the sunlight was too bright and shiny.