Chapter 55
“Please come to Kirim Hospital.”
As soon as Manager Lee finished speaking, Sua grabbed her phone tightly and rushed outside. Nothing else came to her mind. She just knew she had to go to Hyun-oh.
Though she took an umbrella, its weak frame was soon flipped over by the strong wind, rendering it useless. The rain pounded down on Sua’s fragile body.
Sua anxiously stood by the main road, flagging down a taxi.
“Where to, miss? Oh dear, what’s wrong, young lady? Are you okay?”
The taxi driver, who had cheerfully greeted her, quickly realized from Sua’s pale face that this was no ordinary situation. Sua weakly whispered to him.
“Kyrim Hospital, to the emergency room.”
When Sua, drenched in rain, mentioned the emergency room, the driver, sensing that something was wrong, started the car without a word and drove off.
Despite the heavy rain, the taxi sped on without obstruction. Afraid a call might come through, Sua anxiously fiddled with her phone, trying to suppress her anxiety. The driver spoke to Sua.
“Miss, I’m not sure what’s going on, but first, please use those tissues over there to dry yourself off. You might catch a cold.”
“…Thank you.”
Afraid of staining the seats, Sua hastily wiped herself with tissues. But her mind remained numb.
He’s hurt.
Hyun-oh is hurt.
The trembling voice of Manager Lee echoed in her ears repeatedly. Even though it seemed like he was only slightly injured, why was Manager Lee, who was usually calm, so shocked?
Where did the accident happen?
Kyrim Hospital was located in Gyeonggi Province. If it was an accident in Seoul, there was no reason to go there, and PY’s primary doctor was affiliated with Korea University Hospital.
What could it be? What happened?
She chewed on her lips anxiously. Memories of when her father collapsed came vividly to her mind. It had only been a few months.
What if Hyun-oh’s condition is serious? What if it is, then what?
The hurtful words she had said to him when she pushed him away filled her mind. When she couldn’t bear the self-loathing anymore, the taxi arrived at the hospital entrance.
Sua handed the driver some bills and jumped out of the car without waiting for the change.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but I hope everything works out!”
The driver’s shouting passed by Sua, unheard.
She ran through the rain, searching for him.
Only for him.
—
It felt like a recurring nightmare. It was the same scene she had seen a few months ago when her father collapsed. Despite her desperate attempts to find Hyun-oh in the chaotic emergency room, she couldn’t catch any of the busy staff.
An elderly woman pulled Sua aside.
“You’re in a daze. You have to wait for him.”
“…Oh.”
“I come to this hospital regularly because of my headaches, but on rainy days like this, there are many accidents.”
Her heart pounded at the mention of many accidents due to the rain.
“Thank you.”
It seemed difficult to ask the staff about his whereabouts. As she turned her head, looking for someone she knew, she spotted Manager Lee sitting on a chair.
“Manager Lee!”
The head of Manager Lee, who had been in a daze at Sua’s voice, lifted.
“Madam.”
His voice was faint as he whispered. But something seemed off about his appearance. One side of his face was covered in blood.
“Manager Lee, are you okay? Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine, but the Chairman… The Chairman…”
“First, clean the blood off. It might cause trouble.”
Still with dilated pupils, Manager Lee raised his hand to wipe his cheek. Upon seeing the blood, he shook his head.
“No, this is not my blood, it’s the Chairman’s.”
“…Hyun-oh’s blood?”
Everything turned black before her eyes. How badly hurt was he to have so much blood splattered on the person next to him?
The manager began to explain.
They had visited the Gumi factory. Due to heavy rain on the way back, the car skidded. Unfortunately, the Chairman, who was sitting on the left side, suffered serious injuries, while Manager Kim, who was driving, got away with minor injuries. He is currently undergoing examination.
As soon as his explanation ended, screams echoed through the emergency room.
“Manager Lee! What on earth happened! Our Hyun-oh is hurt!”
Mrs. Cha, Hyun-oh’s mother, arrived at the hospital and yelled at Manager Lee. Her voice shook Sua’s mind.
—
“It’s because of you! Sua, it’s because of you. Since you came into our house, nothing good has happened.”
At first, Mrs. Cha’s anger, which had been directed at Manager Lee and Manager Kim, turned towards Sua.
“You said if a woman is wrong, the house will collapse. If something happens to our Hyun-oh, it’s all your fault. Your fault…”
“Madam, please calm down.”
Manager Lee tried to stop Mrs. Cha from hitting Sua with her fists, but Sua couldn’t say anything in defense.
Hyun-oh came down after the examination. Fortunately, there was no damage to his organs, but he had compound fractures, a concussion. Fortunately, there was no brain damage, but he was still unconscious.
In the early hours of the morning.
Manager Lee was admitted, Mrs. Cha went home, and Sua was alone by Hyun-oh’s side. His face, once neat and beautiful, was now marred with wounds. Not only that, but he had more than 20 cm of lacerations (tearing between the skin and mucous membranes) on his arm where he had compound fractures.
Sua sat by his side, still unconscious, staring blankly at his face.
Was it because of her that he got hurt? Though it wasn’t directly her fault, it felt like it was her fault.
She reached out and held his hand, which used to warmly wrap around hers, but now felt cold and lifeless.
Was it because I suggested divorce? Did it make him focus more on work?
Did I not suggest divorce, would this accident not have happened?
No, was all this just because of her selfish desire to be by the side of the man she loved? She desperately wiped his hand in an attempt to bring back some warmth.
But he didn’t regain consciousness. The doctor said he would wake up soon after the examination, but until then, Hyun-oh showed no signs of life.
“If he doesn’t wake up by tomorrow, there is a possibility of brain damage not shown in the test results. If that happens, we’ll have to conduct another detailed examination at the neurology department.”
The doctor’s words about Hyun-oh not waking up during the examination stuck deep in Sua’s heart.
If he doesn’t wake up like this. It’s already a big deal now, but if something bigger happens…
“Hyun-oh…”
Sua’s voice trembled as she spoke.
“Hyun-oh, please wake up.”
Earlier, Sua had been suppressing her grief and shock in front of her mother-in-law and Manager Lee, but now that she was alone with Hyun-oh, tears kept flowing uncontrollably.
“Wake up. You said you wouldn’t see me again, but it shouldn’t be like this…”
Sua grabbed his hand and pressed it against her tear-stained cheek. Tears flowed down her fingers.
Sua had no religion. She didn’t have a clear belief that she didn’t believe in God. However, now that she realized her helplessness, she wanted to hold onto anyone.
God, Buddha, spirits of heaven and earth.
Please, save Hyun-oh.
Many people love him. Many people are counting on him.
Please help him return healthy.
I’m okay even if something goes wrong, so please.
“Please… Please.”
Babbling incoherently, Sua sobbed desperately. The tears didn’t stop.
If he comes out of this unharmed, I’ll do anything.
All she could do was pray.
