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As Hye-joo’s frail eyelids trembled, her weak heart causing concern, Joo-eun reached out in panic.
“Mom!”
Staggering under the weight of Hye-joo, who was about to collapse, Joo-eun wavered—but Minhyuk swiftly caught Hye-joo firmly.
“Are you alright?”
Even as Hye-joo’s limp body leaned heavily on him, her gaze remained sharp and accusatory toward Minhyuk.
“Ha… This can’t be true. Tell me it’s not true. Just when I thought I could forget, that woman who haunted my nightmares like a curse… Please tell me you’re not her son! Please…”
Her desperate expression left Minhyuk unable to respond.
He could only bow his head once more.
“…I’m sorry.”
“Ughhh…”
Finally, with all strength leaving her body, Hye-joo collapsed onto the ground.
Pulled down by her mother’s weight, Joo-eun fell beside her and shook her urgently.
“Mom! Mom, wake up!”
“Let’s get her to the hospital first.”
Without waiting for an answer, Minhyuk sprinted to the car and started the engine.
The loud roar of the ignition cut through the silence, jolting Hye-joo back to partial consciousness.
With half-closed eyes, she stared at Minhyuk sitting in the driver’s seat.
“Ha… Because of those people, our family ended up buried in debt. Your father drank himself to death because of them… You two… absolutely not…”
Even as she drifted in and out of consciousness, she kept repeating the same words: It can’t happen.
“Mom. Stop. I understand. Let’s just hurry to the hospital.”
“My chest… My chest feels so tight…”
Joo-eun tried desperately to stay calm, knowing her own agitation might worsen her mother’s condition.
The harder she tried, the more her teary eyes quivered sorrowfully.
Minhyuk, who had already started the car, rushed over and lifted Hye-joo effortlessly into his arms.
Watching her mother, who had felt so heavy to support alone, rise as lightly as a doll left Joo-eun momentarily stunned. Shaking her head to snap out of it, she hurried to open the rear door.
Minhyuk carefully placed Hye-joo on the backseat.
As her semi-conscious body began to slump sideways, Joo-eun quickly climbed in to steady her.
“Put on your seatbelt. I’ll drive fast.”
Before closing the door, Minhyuk looked down at her and spoke softly.
Joo-eun nodded silently.
Their gazes locked briefly.
Leaving behind countless unspoken words, Minhyuk swiftly returned to the driver’s seat and sped off into the dark, empty road.
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By the time dawn began to break, the harrowing hours had finally calmed.
In the midst of fully occupied rooms, there was one VIP suite—more like a hotel room than a hospital ward—where Hye-joo now lay resting. Joo-eun sat vigil by her side.
Behind her, Minhyuk stood guard.
“Get some rest. You look like you might collapse too.”
At his soft voice, Joo-eun’s gaze, which had been fixed on Hye-joo, slowly shifted to the side.
“I’m fine. I’ll take care of Mom.”
She lowered her head slightly.
“Thank you for arranging the hospital room. I’ll pay you back for everything, even if it takes time.”
“Didn’t you say you wanted to help her?”
“I don’t think I can accept that help anymore.”
Her trembling voice made Minhyuk’s chest ache.
It felt as though the small opening she had once given him had now closed completely.
The truth he had vowed to uncover, no matter the cost, had indeed cost him everything. The overwhelming sorrow of losing her entirely weighed heavily on him.
“…Alright.”
He clenched his fists tightly, enduring the pain.
“You should go. If Mom wakes up and sees you, she might collapse again.”
“I’ve already arranged everything with the doctor regarding her surgery. Don’t worry about the costs—just focus on the procedure.”
Joo-eun understood what he meant: proceed with the surgery without worrying about money.
“Yes. I’ll pay you back as soon as I can…”
“I said I understand. You’ll pay me back. So stop talking about it.”
Though he harbored no intention of accepting even a single won, he wanted to agree to whatever she wished.
If it gave her peace of mind, he would accept anything—even being pushed away.
It was a bitter reality, but reality nonetheless.
“I’ve arranged for a caregiver. They’ll be here soon. When they arrive, get some rest and take a leave from work.”
“Yes.”
“Then, see you later at the office.”
“Yes…”
Minhyuk turned reluctantly, taking one last glance at her.
“Will you… never look at me again?”
“We’ll see each other at the office. Be careful on your way.”
Her refusal to even meet his gaze tore at his heart.
“Alright. See you at the office.”
With a deep sigh, he forced himself to leave, consoling himself with the thought that at least they’d still see each other at work.
As the hospital door closed, Joo-eun, who had been biting her lip to hold back tears, finally let them fall.
Her shoulders shook violently as she bowed her head.
The sound of her sobs caused Hye-joo’s closed eyes to tremble faintly.
“Mom… Are you awake?”
Joo-eun sprang up and moved closer to her mother.
Hye-joo slowly opened her heavy eyelids and mumbled something while staring at the ceiling.
“What? Mom, what did you say?”
“That man… It can’t be…”
That phrase again.
Joo-eun shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes.
“I understand. It won’t happen. I won’t see him. Let’s focus on getting you better, okay?”
“Absolutely not…”
“Mom, please…”
Whether Hye-joo heard her desperate plea or not, she continued muttering the same words: It can’t be.
Her voice carried the weight of unresolved resentment.
Understanding her pain, Joo-eun could only grip her mother’s hands tightly.
Just then, the hospital door opened, and a nurse approached quickly.
“The patient is awake? Let me check the vitals.”
“Thank you for your help.”
The nurse checked the machines and IV connected to Hye-joo, while Joo-eun watched anxiously from the side.
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Se-young had always been grateful to the friend who, upon hearing her father had collapsed, immediately urged her to return to Seoul without a second’s hesitation.
So when she heard that Joo-eun’s mother had collapsed, she abandoned her company dinner and rushed over.
Seeing her friend’s face when she arrived, she realized how dire the situation must have been.
Joo-eun’s eyes were so swollen from crying that they barely opened, and her trembling body looked ready to collapse at any moment.
Unable to bear watching her like this, Se-young forcibly dragged Joo-eun out of the room.
Thinking she needed to at least get some food into her friend, she brought her down to the hospital cafeteria.
But instead of eating, Joo-eun sat there like she was holding a memorial service.
“Song Joo-eun. Snap out of it and eat something.”
Unable to watch any longer, Se-young scooped a large spoonful of rice and held it out to her.
“…Okay.”
Joo-eun mechanically stuffed the spoon into her mouth without tasting it.
Watching her chew rice without any side dishes, Se-young snorted.
“If you collapse, we’ll just need another caregiver. Aren’t you the one who said you’d pay everything back? What happens if the bill keeps growing—when will you ever pay it all off?”
Only then did Joo-eun’s hazy gaze refocus.
“You’re right… I need to eat. I can’t collapse.”
Se-young’s intuition had been correct—mentioning money was the only way to bring her back to her senses.
As Joo-eun began forcing herself to eat, Se-young sighed deeply.
“Ha… Why does life have to be like this at such a young age? Other kids are out hunting for trendy restaurants to take pretty pictures for social media. Meanwhile, you and I are just trying to survive.”
“It’s delicious… If you haven’t eaten either, why don’t you order something? I’ll treat you—it’s on me.”
“No thanks. How could I eat in front of someone who looks like they’re dying?”
“Do I really look that bad?”
“Yes. Very much so. What’s going on? Your mom collapsing isn’t a new thing, but seeing you cry like this means something’s different. Is she really that sick?”
“No… She just needs a simple surgery again, and she’ll get better.”
“That’s good to hear. But why do you look like you’re attending a funeral?”
Joo-eun, who had been aimlessly stirring her soup with the tip of her spoon, finally spoke.
“It’s… Director Minhyuk. That person…”
What did she mean, that person ?
Se-young raised an eyebrow, then snorted.
“Pfft. I thought it was something else. I already know. Jung Minhyuk is the chairman’s son of DK Group. My dad found out and told me. Seriously, how could he hide that? I feel betrayed.”
To think that Minhyuk was famous enough for Se-young’s father to recognize him.
Realizing how unreachable he seemed, Joo-eun chuckled bitterly.
“No, it’s not that.”
“There’s more?”
“The woman who attempted suicide at our pension… She’s Director Minhyuk’s mother.”
Se-young’s eyes widened in shock.
“What?!”
“You’re shocked, and you didn’t even know her personally. Imagine how Mom feels… She collapsed the moment she heard.”
“What the…! Wait, why would you even tell her something like that?”
“If I had known it was such a big deal, I would’ve waited to tell her elsewhere… I didn’t think she’d overhear.”
“Ha… Did Jung Minhyuk approach you because he knew you were the daughter of that pension owner?”
“What approach? You’re the one who dropped the swimsuit.”
“Oh, right.”
“Se-young… I think I really liked him.”
Joo-eun’s voice trembled faintly.
“Of course you did. How could you not know that?”
“Yes… I was stupid not to realize. Even now, I miss him so much… He’s blaming himself for something that’s not his fault, and I want to hold him close. I’m such a terrible daughter. Truly awful…”
Her eyes reddened once again.
They hadn’t dried all day.
Se-young ran her fingers through her hair and exhaled deeply.
“Ha… Love and hate don’t just switch on and off like cutting vegetables. You’ll need time to process this. So for now, eat. Eat and endure this difficult time bit by bit.”
Se-young scooped another large spoonful of rice and added some side dishes on top.
Tears dripped from Joo-eun’s eyes as she stared at the bowl of rice.
“…Okay.”
Taking a big bite, she chewed slowly, her sorrowful smile breaking Se-young’s heart.
Se-young watched her with a look of pity, wishing she could ease her friend’s pain somehow.
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