# Chapter 100
“Driver, do you think I can make the 4 o’clock train? Please help me catch it.”
“The 4 o’clock train is cutting it really close… Let’s try. I’ve been a taxi driver in Busan for 30 years.”
“Thank you. I really need to catch that 4 o’clock train. My friend might die.”
Though he knew rationally that catching the 4 o’clock train was impossible, he had no choice but to trust in the reputation of Busan taxi drivers. Tae Igyeol wouldn’t die just from a broken arm, but Mo Eunje’s psychological state was as anxious as if Tae Igyeol were on the brink of death. If he was lucky enough to catch the 4 o’clock train, he would arrive in Seoul around 6:40 PM, and after that, he could take a taxi straight to the hospital. That’s why he had booked a ticket for the 4 o’clock train.
“Hajun, I think I can get to the hospital around 7 if I go as fast as possible.”
– 7? I need to leave by 5:30. I agreed to try being an advertising model, and it’s my first shoot, so I’d rather not skip it. But Igyeol injured his right arm of all places, so he can’t do anything by himself.
The information that Ban Hajun had accepted an offer to be an advertising model and would be doing his first shoot went in one ear and out the other for Mo Eunje. All that registered in his mind was that Tae Igyeol had injured his right arm of all places and couldn’t do anything by himself.
“I’ll call Auntie and Uncle. Since it’s Saturday, Uncle should be able to go right away.”
– That’s… Tae Igyeol said absolutely not to contact his family…
“You just pretend you don’t know. I’ll handle it. Anyway, thanks for taking care of him. And thanks for letting me know.”
– Hey, why are you saying such things between friends? It’s only natural. Get here safely, and I’ll see you at the hospital tomorrow.
After hanging up, he grabbed the handle above the door. He felt like he might vomit from extreme anxiety and motion sickness, but he held it in. His whole body was trembling as if he were having chills, and he felt very cold.
True to his 30 years of experience as a Busan taxi driver, the driver dropped Mo Eunje off at the train station 5 minutes before the train’s departure, and Mo Eunje, running like a madman, barely managed to board the 4 o’clock train just before the doors closed. Only after finding his seat and sitting down did he notice that he was drenched in sweat.
Feeling that he couldn’t speak properly to adults in his unstable state, he took about 20 minutes to calm himself down while looking out the window. Then he called Tae Hyunseok and calmly explained the general situation, providing the hospital and room information. He thought Song Yeonhwa wouldn’t be home because she was so busy, especially with a big project she had taken on in June, but as she happened to be with Tae Hyunseok—despite being someone who worked even on Saturdays—there was no need to contact her separately. He hung up, somewhat relieved after hearing they would leave for the hospital immediately.
As soon as he hung up, Mo Yeongwoo called him. Looking at the time, he saw it was already 3 minutes past 4:30 PM, when they were supposed to meet in front of the hotel building. He took a deep breath and answered the phone.
“Oh, Dad.”
– Son, where are you? Mom and I arrived 10 minutes ago.
“Igyeol is hurt.”
– Where, and how badly? He’s okay, right?
“I don’t know either. His arm is broken and he’s been hospitalized. They say he was in severe pain, so they gave him painkillers and he fell asleep. That’s why I’m on the train to Seoul now.”
Tears suddenly fell in torrents. He felt like it was his fault Tae Igyeol got hurt because he had come to Busan. If they had been together at home, Tae Igyeol wouldn’t have gone out to play basketball, and even if the same incident had occurred while playing basketball, if he had been there, Tae Igyeol wouldn’t have resorted to using his fists. He was worried about the injury, worried about Tae Igyeol being involved in a violent incident—all he had were worries.
Mo Eunje couldn’t control the tears that poured out and cried quietly for a long time.
&&
When he went up to the 19th floor VIP hospital room that Ban Hajun had told him about, he saw a security guard. The hospital was thorough about protecting patients’ privacy, so security guards were stationed. Mo Eunje was able to complete his registration as a caregiver and enter the 19th floor only after calling Song Yeonhwa and going through an identity verification process.
The room where Tae Igyeol was hospitalized had a separate reception area and caregiver’s bedroom. Judging from Song Yeonhwa’s expression, which wasn’t too serious, Tae Igyeol’s condition didn’t seem as bad as he had feared.
“Where’s Igyeol?”
“He woke up briefly when we arrived, but he said the pain was severe, so we gave him painkillers and sleeping pills. If you go in now, he’ll probably be asleep.”
Mo Eunje, who was about to open the sliding door of the hospital room, stopped. If he was asleep, there was no need to wake him up. Roughly tousling his hair, he sat down with Song Yeonhwa on the sofa in the reception area.
“Did you meet the doctor? What did they say about Igyeol’s condition?”
“Why did you scare your aunt by saying his arm was broken? It’s just a ligament strain. He’ll be frustrated that he can’t exercise for a while, but it’s better than having a fracture that needs surgery.”
“If it’s just a ligament strain, does that mean he doesn’t need surgery? Can it heal naturally?”
“They’ll need to monitor it, but they say it’s not severe. They said he might experience a lot of stress due to increased pain when sleeping, but that’s only in the worst-case scenario.”
“Hah… I was so shocked, I thought my heart would burst.”
This was all because Ban Hajun had made a fuss about Tae Igyeol’s arm being broken. Although he was still concerned even if it was just a ligament strain, the tension suddenly eased at hearing it wasn’t serious enough to require surgery, bringing him considerable relief. It wasn’t a ligament rupture but just a mild inflammation, so they would need to be careful in daily life from now on.
“Do you know how shocked I was when I heard from your uncle? You know your uncle’s personality, right? As soon as he hung up with you, he started making such a commotion, saying Igyeol’s arm was broken and needed immediate surgery. It was so nerve-wracking with him constantly talking like that while I was driving.”
He could picture Song Yeonhwa driving toward the hospital with a stern face and Tae Hyunseok sitting in the passenger seat, unable to stay still, voicing all sorts of negative thoughts. Tae Hyunseok must have been told to be quiet because he was making Song Yeonhwa anxious.
“Where’s Uncle?”
“There were some legal matters to handle. He went out briefly to meet with a lawyer.”
He recalled hearing that they needed to sort out who would pay the hospital bills. Although the other party had caused an accident during basketball, Tae Igyeol had used violence, so the situation didn’t seem favorable.
“They say the other guy had a bloody nose and lost a tooth.”
“His nasal bone was also collapsed.”
“What should we do?”
“I’m not going to let that bastard get away with this. Your friend Hajun got all the dashcam footage from nearby cars, and it shows that bastard running at Igyeol like a madman and pushing him while he was in mid-jump. If Igyeol hadn’t blocked his head with his arm, he could have hit the metal hoop with his head instead of his arm.”
“That’s insane…”
He was so outraged and angry that he was at a loss for words. While the footage would make things clearer, even though Tae Igyeol had a uniquely strong physique and was large, anyone becomes defenseless during a jump, so running at him and pushing at that moment could only be understood as an intentional foul with malicious intent.
Since it was a betting basketball game, he surmised that the basket must have been crucial for deciding the win. When gathering people on the spot for basketball, they usually met those who demonstrated a gentlemanly sporting spirit and fair play, but occasionally they encountered rough and vile thugs. It was horrifying just to imagine what might have happened if Tae Igyeol hadn’t been quick enough to block his head with his arm.
“Shouldn’t we report this to the police?”
“Your uncle was fuming as he went to report it first and then meet with the lawyer. My heart was pounding so hard watching the video that my limbs were trembling. That friend Hajun did a great job. I was so grateful…”
“He’s amazing too. If it were me, I wouldn’t have thought to get dashcam footage from nearby cars because I’d be too flustered.”
“Igyeol apparently told him to. When the ambulance arrived, he said he would go to the hospital first, and before the cars left, he told him to get all the dashcam footage. Who did he take after to be so ruthless?”
“He really is ruthless. To think of that even while in such pain…”
Even his final handling of the situation was typical of Tae Igyeol. He wouldn’t create situations where he would lose out, even if he were dying from pain. Moreover, since the other guy had been physical with Ban Hajun throughout the basketball game, he might have been planning this.
“Auntie and Uncle should go home first. Go eat dinner and rest. Auntie’s face looks half-gone from shock.”
“You must be more tired, coming straight from Busan. But why does your face actually look half-gone too? Did something happen?”
He wasn’t sure how many times he had heard similar remarks lately. Now that he had confirmed Tae Igyeol’s exact condition and felt relieved, the tension had eased, giving him some composure. Mo Eunje laughed good-naturedly, stroking his cheek.
“I’ve been on a diet. What do you think? Don’t I look more handsome?”
“Handsome? Your face has shrunk to the size of my fist, which only makes you look pitiful.”
“Anyway, I’ll stay at the hospital, so go home. Auntie, you work even on weekends. Hajun and Minho said they’d come tomorrow, so we’ll take turns staying. That will be more comfortable for Igyeol too.”
“When Igyeol woke up earlier, he asked why your aunt and uncle came. Then he growled at that friend Hajun, asking why he contacted us when he told him not to. Though he’s my son, I felt hurt.”
“He just doesn’t want to worry you and Uncle. You know that even though Igyeol doesn’t express it well, he has a warm heart.”
Mo Eunje pulled one arm back and hugged Song Yeonhwa’s shoulders as if giving her a side hug, comforting her. Honestly, rather than staying alone, it would be less awkward if Song Yeonhwa and Tae Hyunseok were there when Tae Igyeol woke up, but seeing how shocked Song Yeonhwa looked, it seemed better to send her home.
“I’m leaving my son in your care. Your aunt is always sorry and grateful.”
“You’re saying strange things again. I’m the one living off your son, aren’t I? When I was sick, Igyeol took care of everything and nursed me with utmost care. If I have any conscience, I should repay that. And of all people, Eunje happens to have the best conscience, doesn’t he?”
“My only regret in this life is that I can’t bring you in as my son-in-law. You know that, right?”
Since both he and Tae Igyeol were men, it was a realistic and natural statement, and he had heard similar words from Han Seola, but he still had no immunity to it. His heart ached so much that his breathing became labored. It was as if Song Yeonhwa had firmly pressed her hand on a bruise in his heart, making it throb and sting.
“I’ll definitely be your son-in-law in the next life, Auntie. So please give birth to Igyeol…”
The same as now.
“As a beautiful and kind daughter.”
“Then your aunt would have no regrets.”
He forcibly got Song Yeonhwa, who didn’t want to leave until the end, to stand up and escorted her to the elevator with a forced smile. Song Yeonhwa said she would come in the morning tomorrow to take turns, and with those final words, she moved her feet, which didn’t want to leave.
Though he didn’t know yet how long Tae Igyeol would need to stay in the hospital, Mo Eunje planned to go home to shower and gather necessary things after switching with Song Yeonhwa tomorrow morning. Since both Ban Hajun and Gye Minho were night owls and would come in the afternoon after sleeping in, it would be good to leave the morning care to Song Yeonhwa.
Mo Eunje returned to the reception area and quietly opened the door to the hospital room. He could finally face the person he had been wanting to see all this time but had to refrain from seeing. Tae Igyeol was sleeping peacefully with his eyes closed. His right arm was in a cast, and there was an IV needle in the back of his left hand.
Sitting in the caregiver’s chair, he examined him meticulously. Apart from the cast on his right arm, there were no visible injuries elsewhere. The back of his left hand, which must have made contact with the other person’s face, also looked fine.
However, his face had become quite gaunt, which maximized Mo Eunje’s sympathy. Mo Eunje carefully reached out and caressed Tae Igyeol’s cheek. His characteristic coolness had a temperature different from the normal body temperature.
“Igyeol, don’t be in pain…”
His affectionate voice was deeply emotional. Suddenly, he felt pain near his solar plexus. Now he could fully understand why Tae Igyeol had repeated these words when he had been sick in bed. Mo Eunje felt helpless and didn’t know what to do, thinking that there was nothing he could do for Tae Igyeol even though he was lying there in pain.
