‘Ugh…’
It felt like my brain had been shattered to pieces. The pain was incomparable to a hangover headache—tremendous agony—yet not even a groan could escape.
I wanted to open my eyes, but I didn’t have the strength to lift my eyelids. This was my body, yet I couldn’t move it at all.
‘I have to at least open my eyes.’
The fact that I could feel such tremendous pain meant I hadn’t died, which was fortunate. Cha Jaehyun said that if he died in his body, I would be finished too. As my consciousness returned to some degree, my head hurt like it would split, but relief washed over me instead.
“The patient seems to be regaining consciousness.”
I could hear the surroundings becoming noisy. I felt warm body heat from the direction of my hand. Someone seemed to be holding my hand.
“When we arrived at the scene, there was excessive bleeding and shock symptoms, so we were concerned about serious head trauma, but fortunately…”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“It seems the falling object grazed and hit him. The scalp was torn and the bleeding was quite substantial, but fortunately there was no major impact to the skull. If it had hit even slightly to the side, there would have been a high possibility of a skull fracture. It’s truly fortunate the surgery ended well.”
I still couldn’t open my eyes, yet beside me a doctor was saying terrifying things in a calm tone. Thinking that I really could have died made my body tremble.
“The patient is trembling—is that okay?”
Someone holding my hand urgently asked the doctor. I felt the blanket that had been covering up to my chest rise to the end of my neck.
‘I can see.’
Faint light entered between my eyes. With the will to open my eyes, I laboriously lifted my eyelids. To think one eyelid could feel this heavy—I would absolutely never get caught up in such an absurd accident again.
“You’ve been through a lot. You heard what the doctor just said, right? If you rest well, you’ll be fine. Let’s sleep more.”
When I opened my eyes, I saw Seo Hanryul firmly holding my hand. Whether he hadn’t washed his face or his face was swollen, his condition was very poor.
So that pretty face can be ruined to that extent. I felt like laughing, but my face hurt so I couldn’t move my facial muscles.
Don’t tell me his face became like that because of me. I wanted to say something to the guy tightly holding my hand, but my mouth wouldn’t open.
“Please leave now.”
“…Yes.”
I thought only Seo Hanryul was there, but looking carefully, Cha Taehan was standing behind him. As soon as he spoke, Seo Hanryul went outside.
‘Don’t go.’
My mind was hazy and I didn’t want to be alone in the hospital room with Cha Taehan. I tried to hold onto Seo Hanryul with the voice of my heart, but he immediately left at Cha Taehan’s single command. Seo Hanryul, who wouldn’t listen to my words but readily listened to Cha Taehan’s, felt cruel.
Cha Taehan sat in front of me. I should greet him, but my mouth wouldn’t move.
“Ugh…”
“I don’t know what you want to say, but it would be better to open your mouth later.”
Cha Taehan took out his handkerchief and wiped my forehead. It was a gentle attitude so unbelievable for something he would do. Coming all the way here to wipe my forehead—did surviving near-death make him more generous?
‘Let’s think about it later.’
Since my forehead hurt so much, I decided to quietly accept his kindness.
“Cha Jaehyun!”
My eyes were gradually closing again when I heard a resounding angry shout. The Chairman, who was extremely angry, burst through the hospital room door. Looking at his flushed red face, he must have been very angry.
“You damn brat, I thought you’d been quiet lately. Where did you cause another accident and come back with your head cracked open!”
I wanted to say I was sorry for causing a commotion, but my mouth still wouldn’t open. Where was the person who made me like this, that not even their nose could be seen?
“For the time being, don’t even mention America or being a manager in front of me. For now, just stay at home! Don’t even think about doing anything.”
As the loud voice continued, the inside of my head began ringing and the pain that had quieted down even a little started returning. My head hurt so my expression naturally frowned. I shouldn’t let the Chairman catch this expression.
“He hasn’t been awake long. The doctor also said absolute rest is necessary. I understand Father’s feelings too, but please go outside for a moment and calm down.”
Cha Taehan was now driving out Cha Taesan. Was this a situation that made sense?
“Are you taking that troublemaker’s side? Do as you please.”
Cha Taesan glared at Cha Taehan once as if dumbfounded, then left. Unable to grasp what was happening, I looked at Cha Taehan with blank eyes.
“What are you looking at? Father is right. When you recover, you’d better be ready to be scolded.”
Unlike his cold eyes, he continued wiping my forehead and with one hand was holding the blanket so it wouldn’t fall down.
“You need to change clothes too. You’re soaked in sweat.”
He even checked the state of the clothes I was wearing and gently arranged the bedding. His gruff voice and affectionate touch were like a strange discord.
* * *
When did I fall asleep? When I opened my eyes, Cha Taehan was nowhere to be seen. It seemed like I had closed my eyes for just a moment, but quite some time seemed to have passed. A spacious, quiet single room. I couldn’t hear sounds from outside well, so it was difficult to grasp the flow of time.
‘What?’
Lee Dojun was sleeping with his head down next to me. Sleeping so peacefully in front of someone whose head was cracked open. I wanted to get up right away and shout that someone so shameless must have it easy in life, but my body was still heavy as a thousand pounds.
“Uh…”
Finally, it seemed a voice would come out.
“…Lee Dojun.”
I barely called his name in a voice like an ant crawling in, but surprisingly, he opened his eyes. If he woke up at this level of sound, it seemed like he hadn’t been sleeping in the first place.
“Did you sleep well? This seems to be the first time you’ve called my name.”
“Is that… what you should… be saying right now?”
My voice was hoarse and didn’t come out well.
“Don’t get angry. You won’t get better.”
Lee Dojun placed his finger on my lips and prevented me from opening my mouth.
“Mmph… wha’ are yuu doin’…”
My words came out garbled because of that bastard’s actions. Damn bastard, what are you doing to a patient?
“So you’re Yuseong’s renowned eccentric?”
“Hello, Chairman.”
“I heard a lot about you from Chairman Lee. …I didn’t come to see you to exchange pleasantries. You know that well.”
I was thinking I wished someone would come and help me, when the Chairman burst through the door again. That detestable Lee Dojun quickly removed his hand and stood up to greet the Chairman.
“This is clearly an industrial accident. It would be good not to think about shirking responsibility. And make that bastard quit what he’s doing immediately.”
“I apologize, Chairman. I will take full responsibility for everything.”
Someone’s head has already been cracked—what kind of responsibility is he going to take? I’m even seeing Lee Dojun bowing his head in front of others—staying in the hospital room for long shows me all kinds of sights.
“You’d better not forget those words. I’ll see you separately later. Cha Jaehyun, you’re the same. Quit what you’re doing immediately. If you keep wandering around doing foolish things without coming to your senses, know that you’ll be kicked out of the house.”
The Chairman seemed angrier than when he slapped my cheek last time. Just this alone showed how much the Chairman hated incidents and accidents.
Lee Dojun, confirming the Chairman had left, approached my side again.
“…Please leave.”
“I refuse.”
“You said you’d take responsibility earlier.”
“Yes.”
“Then take responsibility.”
Though my throat hurt, I stubbornly put strength into my vocal cords and continued speaking.
“Of course, I’ll take responsibility for anything. What wouldn’t I do for my lifesaver?”
“I want nothing. Just stop this ridiculous act.”
“Ah, that seems difficult.”
With his own mouth he called me his lifesaver, then without a moment’s hesitation flatly refused my request. When he apologized with a sincere attitude in front of the Chairman, I thought he had at least a minimum of conscience.
“Don’t you think it’s contradictory even from your perspective to treat your lifesaver as a toy?”
“My thinking has changed now. Let’s put aside such ridiculous words as ‘toy.'”
“How very grateful.”
Lee Dojun’s hand swept across my face. It was still a light attitude as if treating a toy. Why did I help this bastard?
Looking at the way he was looking at me, he seemed more insane than before. The situation was flowing in a worse direction. Whoever it was, I wished someone would kick this crazy bastard out.
“Remove that hand.”
“Ah, the smart secretary has arrived.”
“I have something to say to the Young Master, so please step aside for a moment. I’m asking you.”
Han Woojin entered the room. I wished he would stop paying attention, but it seemed too many people were visiting the hospital room. Lee Dojun had no intention of hiding his relationship with Han Woojin, as he openly called him secretary.
As soon as he heard his words, Lee Dojun obediently left the room. He was absolutely not the type to listen to others, yet he left like that at a single word—it was a moment when it became certain there was something between the two.
