Chapter 56
The three women hurried into the hospital emergency room. On the way in, Jeongyeon called Director Gu Changshin.
“We’re in the ER lobby. Where should we go?”
Her voice trembled, her face pale, as if she might faint.
Just then, the ER doors opened and Director Gu walked out.
“Director.”
“Ah… oh… uh…”
He seemed startled to see her together with two other women.
“Is Seonghun okay? Is he badly hurt? Where is he?”
Before Jeongyeon could ask, Aunt Yaein rushed forward.
Even in her anxious state, Jeongyeon quickly introduced the others to avoid more awkwardness.
“This is Seonghun’s mother. And my mom.”
Her voice was as cold as if she might collapse.
“Ah, yes, hello. I’m Gu Changshin. I work with Seonghun on set. Actually… he’s not badly hurt.”
“Really? How badly then? Why didn’t he call? He didn’t even answer the phone—”
Yaein pressed him, and sweat poured down the director’s face.
“Ah, he left his phone on set. The manager went back to get it. Honestly, it’s nothing serious, you didn’t all need to rush here…”
“Where is my son? I need to see him now.”
“Well… only one guardian can go in. But Seonghun… he asked for Jeongyeon.”
Aunt Yaein’s eyes widened.
“He asked… for Jeongyeon?”
“I’ll explain everything later. For now, Jeongyeon, please go inside.”
He handed her the visitor pass. But as soon as she took a step, her legs gave out and she dropped down.
Everyone rushed to her. Tears spilled from her eyes.
She suddenly remembered her father’s face that day at the hospital.
What if this time it was the same? What if behind that curtain lay another unbearable tragedy?
Could she endure it?
Her mom spoke gently:
“Jeongyeon, are you okay?”
But her own safety didn’t matter. She had to know about Seonghun.
“T-Tell me… is he really okay? Is it really nothing serious?”
Her choked voice surprised them—it was too raw, too deep, more than just a friend’s concern.
Director Gu helped her up and urged her forward.
“Go inside, Jeongyeon. Last bed at the end of the hallway.”
She staggered down the corridor. The doors shut, cutting off the voices behind her.
Last bed. At the end. She repeated it to herself as she walked toward the curtained space.
Her chest swelled with dread. Doctors and nurses rushed around, patients groaned—it made her memories from before even sharper.
She pushed the curtain open slowly.
“Haa…”
A sigh of relief escaped.
Seonghun sat on the bed, buttoning his white shirt.
Hearing her, he looked up.
Seeing his unharmed face, her legs gave way again and she collapsed to the floor. Startled, Seonghun grabbed her shoulders, pulling her up.
“Jeongyeon, are you okay? What’s wrong?”
All her fears, all her anxiety, crumbled the moment she saw his safe face.
“Gam Jeongyeon?”
“…I’m annoyed.”
“Huh? Did Changshin say something strange? He was supposed to just call you in.”
It wasn’t Seonghun’s plan, but Director Gu’s white lie. She guessed what had happened. But anger wasn’t what she felt.
“I’m just… so annoyed.”
“…?”
“Because you’re safe. Because you’re not hurt.”
“So what? Should I have passed out, to satisfy you?”
Even his teasing couldn’t stop her honesty.
“Because you didn’t die… I feel like I can live. If you had been lying here unconscious, I wouldn’t have let it go.”
“Threatening a patient?”
“I was terrified… afraid you’d leave me, before I could tell you how I feel… afraid I’d lose you forever.”
Tears blurred her vision.
Seonghun, flustered, quickly wiped them away.
“It’s just a torn shoulder. I’m not dying.”
He tried to comfort her, but his words only sparked more worry.
“Your shoulder? Torn? Let me see.”
His shirt was barely buttoned. She saw glimpses of his chest, his muscles.
She reached to open his shirt wider, but his big hands caught both her wrists.
His grip was firm but hot, like shackles. She couldn’t move.
“What are you doing?” he asked with a sly grin.
Her heart raced. Why did his grip, his smirk, strip her bare inside?
“Don’t worry. You’ll see it eventually. But first—let’s put out this fire.”
“…What fire?”
His lips came down and brushed hers—soft, fleeting, like a breeze.
He chuckled.
“The fire’s only burning hotter now. What should I do?”
Still gripping her wrists, he leaned back onto the bed. She followed without thinking.
“Jeongyeon, bold move—on a hospital bed? I don’t mind.”
She reached for his collar, grabbed it tightly.
“Take it off.”
“Hah, you’re making me nervous.”
But she pulled his shirt off his shoulders, revealing his upper body.
She ignored the sight of his strong frame, focusing on his shoulder—covered by a gauze pad the size of her palm.
“You got stitches?”
The faint lines of thread were visible beneath the gauze.
He kept smiling, eyes teasing.
“Jeongyeon, if I say it hurts badly… will you comfort me?”
“You seem fine to me.”
“Still. You’re making that face—because of me.”
