YAIMF 36 🍒

Chapter — 36

A First Love Like a Single Ray of Light

“There was an accident where that girl fell off a yacht. They say our young master jumped into the sea without thinking, just to save her. He saved the girl right away, but our young master…”

Haman-daek’s eyes reddened again. She said he was found two days later near a dock along the coast, badly injured in the head.

“I really resented that girl. Our young master already hated the sea with all his heart.”

But to Saena, it sounded different. The sea where his beloved mother had once fallen into—and now the first woman who had shaken his heart had fallen there too. Of course he wouldn’t think of danger and would jump in without hesitation.

“And then she went to America. I resent her so much. Sometimes I even think it’s a good thing the young master doesn’t remember anything.”

There was an unfamiliar anger in Haman-daek’s eyes. Saena quietly looked at the seat where she had been sitting. It felt as if all of his long, painful years were still lingering there, weighing on her heart. Saena tried hard to lighten the mood.

“So… it’s definitely not that department store owner, right?”

She asked Haman-daek just in case. Haman-daek burst out laughing through her tears, then barely caught her breath and said,

“Oh my, that’s the most absurd thing I’ve heard all year.”

Wasn’t it possible, though? Between a man and a woman, who says they can really be just friends? But Haman-daek firmly shook her head, saying that was absolutely impossible.

“I can’t tell you that much. Ask the young master yourself next time.”

Then she added cheerfully,

“And don’t ever tell him I said this. He’d probably shudder at the thought.”

She had once said she’d rather love Yong-sik. What on earth had happened to make her say that? Saena wanted to ask more, but Haman-daek said it was time to move on and stood up.

The warmth she had brought was so comforting that once she left, everything suddenly felt empty. It was like being left alone in the middle of a vast ocean. Needing something to hold onto, Saena reached out over the bed—when she heard the sound of a car from far away. There was only one person who would come to this remote place.

As if possessed, Saena quietly got up and walked to the window. There, in the dark night, a pair of headlights—the only light—were shining straight toward her.

What is he doing?

The car was stopped right in the middle of the vineyard. Saena looked down at the phone clenched in her hand. It was too far and too dark to see clearly, but it felt like he was looking right at her. She wondered why he wasn’t coming closer. She thought he’d pick up right away if she called.

As the ring tone on the line wavered, about to cut off, he finally answered. It was as if he had been waiting for her to speak.

“What are you doing there?”

The words came out curtly. What she really wanted to say was something else, but her feelings were too awkward to put into words, so that was all she could manage.

Listening to Saena, he replied in a low, hoarse voice that it was nothing. At that, countless emotions crossed her mind. Was it because she had just heard about his tragic family history? Or because she now knew how powerful his first love had been? His careless answer hurt her pride, as if it had wounded her directly.

Saena pressed her lips together tightly. She thought about snapping back at him—but she couldn’t. She didn’t want to make things harder for him. Did he know that? He said he had something to think about.

About what?

Whether it was good or bad, couldn’t they share it together? But forcing him to spill what he was holding inside felt too selfish.

Why am I being so childish?

She wondered if she had always been like this. Confused, hurt, and strangely feeling like she came second to him. So she ended the call coldly. She turned off the light—and even drew the curtains shut. She had planned to sleep anyway.

Why did the wide bed feel so enormous tonight? The pure white sheets looked like an endless sea, making her feel as if she were floating alone.

Idiot.

Blaming Ji-woon for no reason, she plopped down onto the bed and slowly lay on her side. As she brushed her hair aside, she caught sight of Ji-woon’s headlights through the thin curtain that barely blocked the darkness outside.

What is he thinking about?

Staring at the unmoving headlights made her feel even more gloomy.

When will his memories come back?

Everything else was stable. A place to wake up to, kind people always by her side, and Han Ji-woon. And yet, why was her heart so restless? As time passed, she kept thinking that things shouldn’t stay like this. She didn’t know exactly why.

When she finally gave up thinking and gently closed her eyes, the headlights slowly began to move. The quiet sound of the car engine melted her anxious heart as if by magic. As though someone were pulling her into a dream, Saena fell asleep in an instant.

The nurse checked the IV with the sedative and turned away. At the soft sound of the curtain sliding shut, Jeong-taek shifted his gaze to Im-jae.

You asked if she was dead.

It had sounded as if he wanted her to be. That couldn’t be right. Im-jae and Saena had known each other for a very long time. Ever since business talks began between their families to support CEO Moon as he jumped into a fiercely competitive market.

Ten whole years.

They met when Saena was eighteen—when she received her first yacht as a gift. And now, of all things, another terrible incident had happened on that very yacht, in the same place. Jeong-taek knew better than anyone how Saena and Im-jae had grown over those long years.

Yes… that can’t be true.

Unlike his greedy father, Im-jae had always been upright and sincere. Jeong-taek could vouch for that.

He never complained, and he always took on the dirty work himself.

In Jeong-taek’s eyes, it felt as if the Im-jae from ten years ago was lying there. He loved sports, had sun-tanned skin, always dressed neatly, was polite to elders, and considerate to those younger than him. Jeong-taek had even thought that if he had a daughter, he’d want someone like Im-jae as a son-in-law.

It made no sense that such a man would wish for Saena’s death.

I must be too obsessed with Saena’s situation lately.

He soothed himself like that, rationalizing again and again that it couldn’t be true. Perhaps this was the only way he could endure something so overwhelming.

We need to find Saena as soon as possible.

Maybe the outcome wouldn’t be what he hoped for. Even so, he had sworn countless times not to collapse, no matter how tragic things became.

What should I say to the CEO when he wakes up?

Because of the harsh chemotherapy, there were many times he lost consciousness. But sometimes, like a miracle, he would wake up briefly. If, in one of those moments, he learned that Saena had fallen from the yacht he gave her—and had been found as a cold corpse…

Jeong-taek shut his eyes tightly, as if he didn’t even want to imagine what would come next. His eyes were closed, but his mind was still tangled. The noisy chaos of the emergency room was oddly comforting.

“When did they move him to this hospital?”

“They didn’t move him. My daughter got burned, so we came to the ER. Do you work at this hospital?”

The woman’s voice was loud and excited, as if she had run into an old acquaintance. Since they would have to move Im-jae to another room—or take him home—once he woke up, Jeong-taek had no choice but to overhear their conversation.

After chatting about everyday life, one of the women suddenly remembered something and began speaking excitedly.

“Oh! Hey, do you remember that?”

“What?”

“You know—that bastard. The couple where the husband said he wanted a divorce, and the wife jumped into the sea and got brought here.”

“Ohhh, that pretty-boy-looking jerk? I felt uneasy about him too. When she came for outpatient treatment, he didn’t come—he showed up with some older woman instead. That son of a bitch.”

“Exactly. The wife doesn’t remember anything, so he probably did whatever he wanted. When the nurse asked if they wanted to file a report, he said no.”

“Scumbag.”

“What’s the use of having money if you get treated like that?”

“But does he really have a lot of money?”

“Oh, you have no idea. The clothes she was wearing were all luxury brands.”

“Come on, these days there are lots of fake luxury items.”

“No, no. Don’t tell anyone this.”

Lowering her voice, the woman warned,

“What is it?”

“The shoes that young wife was wearing? They cost three million won.”

“Shoes? Why would shoes be that expensive?”

“Well, you know how real luxury shoes have serial numbers engraved on the soles? The nurse checked, and it turns out they were a limited edition—only a few pairs even came into the country.”

“What? That kind of thing exists?”

“I know, right? Those common-looking ankle-strap shoes costing three million won…!”

What was he hearing right now?

Jeong-taek moved before he could even think. He pulled the curtain aside. The startled women looked up at him, their faces going pale. Without even giving them time to apologize, he asked,

“Who was that person?”