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“Say that again.”
Dojun couldn’t control his blurring vision. A massive shockwave, like a drum beating in his ears, reverberated through him. His head involuntarily throbbed as if it would split open. The pain, starting in his heart, spread to his limbs, constricting Dojun’s breathing.
“Haejoo Noona is pregnant right now!”
“Haejoo... she’s really carrying my child?”
“Yes. She suffered so much because of it, even on Jeju Island.”
“Phew.”
“Her filming schedule was so packed that she only got to the hospital today. Noona did nothing wrong.”
As Hyunseong said, Haejoo had done nothing wrong. Yet, why was he so angry? She must have been struggling... she must have wanted to lean on someone more than ever! Yet, Haejoo never complained. He assumed it was because she still didn’t know how to share her pain.
“Where are you now, Hyunseong?”
“In front of our agency. It’s chaos here too because Noona disappeared.”
The current situation was beyond Haejoo’s breaking point. She was like someone lost alone in a massive, lightless cave. He had to find Haejoo quickly. Before she gave up on everything herself, just like on the rooftop railing years ago.
“Did you call her?”
“Noona’s phone and bag are here.”
He couldn’t even contact Haejoo. Dojun violently clenched his fist and slammed it on the steering wheel.
“I don’t know where she went. Haa, naughty Noona...”
He had watched Haejoo’s loneliness more closely than anyone. Recently, she had been happy, getting closer to Dojun. Hyunseong’s eyes welled up.
“I’ll come to you. Get Haejoo’s phone and bag ready for me.”
“Understood. Please hurry.”
As Dojun left the company, GN Entertainment also went into emergency mode. With Haejoo’s disappearance, Jinhan was at a loss.
“Where on earth did she go?”
He had been so agitated by this incident that he had treated Haejoo emotionally. Instead of comforting her, who must have been struggling more than anyone... Regret filled him. Personal feelings for Haejoo mixed with resentment, welling up inside him.
“Director, we need to issue a rebuttal article right away. What should we do?”
Haejoo had stopped writing about her past relationship with Dojun. No, Jinhan had stopped her. He had decided it would be better to hold a press conference and be interviewed in front of reporters. Looking back now, it was a unilateral decision that didn’t consider Haejoo.
“How much did Haejoo write?”
“She wrote about CEO Park Dojun saving her from the rooftop railing. She stopped there.”
Team Leader Oh, in charge of the media response team, just kept glancing at Jinhan. Currently, the agency was only refuting the errors in Choi Inho’s article.
“Team Leader Oh, what do you think we should do?”
“I think it’s better to combine forces with CEO Park Dojun.”
“Damn it.”
“Whatever we do now will only be half-hearted.”
Dojun knew things about Haejoo that Jinhan didn’t. Even that wounded Jinhan’s pride.
“How’s public opinion?”
“Still the same.”
“Let’s think about this for a moment.”
Jinhan left his office. His head spun, and he involuntarily swayed, putting a hand on the wall for support.
“I did something idiotic.”
This morning, when Haejoo arrived, Jinhan had intentionally spoken in an agitated manner, explicitly digging into Dojun’s faults. If that rumor hadn’t spread, Jinhan would have slowly approached Haejoo. The sense of loss, having his destined future stolen, made him push even harder.
“Haejoo didn’t look well.”
Jinhan had already realized why Detective Kim had only now informed him of the investigation results. Compared to the scale of the incident, two major figures, Jinhan and Dojun, were involved, causing an excessive uproar. Dojun was recently gaining attention as a young, internationally recognized CEO. Jinhan, on the other hand, had the behemoth company GN backing him. No matter what investigation results came out, there would inevitably be public dissatisfaction from the parties involved. For the police, that alone would be a huge burden.
“Of all people, Choi Inho... damn bastard.”
Detective Kim could have gone to Dojun for questioning but deliberately didn’t. Instead, he only informed Jinhan of the expected outcomes. Yet, he couldn’t simply cover up the case, so it was highly likely he leaked it to the media to gain something. In the end, he was played by the police. And Haejoo, innocent, suffered the greatest harm.
“The scenario that will unfold is obvious.”
The police and the media joined hands. Knowing this, Jinhan feigned ignorance and scheduled a meeting. He was waiting for public opinion to ignite appropriately. Even now, for Jinhan, Dojun was someone he couldn’t allow Haejoo to be with. The process of their marriage registration itself was shady. The fact that he was a loan shark’s son was also utterly despicable. This kind of man should never be Haejoo’s husband.
“I’m tired of it.”
But he never dreamed Choi Inho would go this far. He surmised that Choi Inho likely harbored ill will during the process of Dojun acquiring the black box footage. Choi Inho’s actions were clearly aimed at Dojun, no matter who looked at them. Jinhan, who tried to get a piece of the pie in that gap, had come to an irreversible point. Since it had come to this, there was no choice but to go all in.
“No other choice.”
Just then, Hyunseong, who had been searching for Haejoo, came up. Jinhan, his expression carefully wiped clean, asked about Haejoo’s whereabouts.
“Is Haejoo still not here?”
“No. She doesn’t seem to be nearby.”
“You mean she left her phone too?”
“Yes, she doesn’t seem to have gone home, so I’ll look for her more.”
“How?”
“But we can’t just stay put, can we?”
Hyunseong held out a car key. It was the key to the van Haejoo drove.
“Why this?”
“I’ll drive my car. The van is too conspicuous.”
“Is there anywhere Haejoo might be?”
“I’ll try going to places Noona used to frequent. I’ll contact you later.”
Hyunseong came out with Haejoo’s bag from the reception room. He was conscious of Jinhan’s gaze following him but didn’t look back. He also grabbed Haejoo’s suitcase, which was waiting on the first floor, and ran to Dojun’s car, which was parked across the main road.
“CEO!”
“Ah, Hyunseong.”
“This is Noona’s suitcase, and here’s her phone. Do you know anywhere Noona might go?”
“Well, nothing comes to mind right now.”
“I’ll look around too, so please contact me if you find Noona.”
“Hyunseong!”
“Yes?”
Dojun called out to Hyunseong, who was hurriedly pulling away. Dojun looked down at his youthful face.
“You must be tired after coming from Jeju Island today. You should rest at home.”
“How can I?”
“From now on, I’ll take care of it. Thank you for being by Haejoo’s side.”
“No problem.”
Hyunseong opened his wallet and pulled out a business card. It was the business card of Hyunwoo, his elder brother, who ran an obstetrics and gynecology clinic.
“This is the hospital Haejoo Noona went to today.”
“Really?”
“I told my brother, so if anything happens, you can contact him.”
“I will.”
“Please find Noona.”
“Yes.”
Hyunseong bowed his head and turned away. Dojun returned to his car, loaded Haejoo’s suitcase into the trunk, and sighed. Then he looked at Haejoo’s bag, which was on the passenger seat. He pulled out a stiff, unused notebook from the bag.
“Maternity notebook?”
He opened Haejoo’s maternity notebook. Inside was an ultrasound photo of the fetus taken today. His heart plummeted. Although he didn’t know much, he instinctively recognized the small, bean-shaped entity inside the circle as a baby.
“My god...”
A child had been conceived between Dojun and Haejoo. He wondered if he had ever seen such a small, beautiful life. He involuntarily smiled, then choked up. The corners of his eyes tingled, and finally, they became bloodshot.
“Haejoo.”
Dojun fully felt Haejoo’s emotions, having to confirm the baby’s existence alone. It was obvious how lonely and difficult it must have been for her. He embraced Haejoo because he loved her. She was the most delicate person, but he believed she would endure well.
Just when he was feeling utterly down, a memory suddenly flashed through his mind.
“Ah! Hotel...”
Dojun had told Haejoo to go to the Rejin Hotel. If his guess was correct, there was a high possibility Haejoo was at the Rejin Hotel now. He desperately hoped so and started the car. He was on the verge of losing his grip on reason. He needed to calm down, but after confirming the baby’s existence, he wasn’t thinking straight.
“Faster, faster!”
But the timing was the problem. He kept hitting red lights, and the car repeatedly stopped and started. Dojun, anxious, constantly rubbed his flushed face. He wanted to ignore all the signals and just drive. He had to meet Haejoo and their baby, who must be suffering in pain, as soon as possible.
“Argh!”
In frustration, he rolled down the car window and screamed. All the muscles in his body tightened, constricting his heart so fiercely it felt like it would burst.
After driving for a long time, he arrived at the Rejin Hotel. Dojun entrusted his car to the hotel staff and scanned the spacious lobby. Sweating profusely, he approached the front desk.
“Did actress Lee Haejoo come here?”
“I’m sorry, but we cannot disclose guest information.”
“I am Haejoo’s husband.”
Just then, the room manager was at the desk. Seeing Dojun panting and asking, he stepped forward on behalf of the staff.
“You’re CEO Park Dojun, aren’t you?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Normally, it’s against policy to reveal guest information.”
“But!”
“...Please go this way.”
The room manager wrote down the room number where Haejoo might be on a memo pad. Dojun confirmed it and nodded his thanks.
________________________________________
Haejoo was disoriented in the taxi. She barely knew what she was saying and just wanted to lie down anywhere. She had no more strength to endure. The scornful gazes and criticisms were poison, consuming her soul.
“Ma’am, are you alright?”
The taxi driver, concerned about Haejoo’s condition, asked while looking in the rearview mirror. Her once beautiful face, now devoid of life, barely opened her mouth.
“Yes.”
“Shouldn’t you go to the hospital? You look very ill.”
“Please go to the Rejin Hotel.”
She belatedly realized she had left her bag behind. She rummaged through her jacket pocket and fortunately found some cash. The blurred cityscape outside the car window shimmered. Gradually, the light faded, and soon Haejoo’s vision closed to black. Some time later, the taxi driver shook her awake, and she barely opened her eyes.
“We’re at the Rejin Hotel!”
“Thank you. Keep the change.”
She paid the taxi fare and entered the hotel with her head bowed low. She approached the desk with a trembling heart, and the staff who recognized Haejoo exchanged glances.
“A room, please.”
“Do you have a preferred room?”
“I’d like the highest floor in this hotel.”
“Yes, customer. We happen to have one room available on the top floor.”
Haejoo vaguely heard the room information, took the card key, and turned away. People were either bewildered or whispering to each other at Haejoo’s appearance. Yet, she paid them no mind. For now, it was a relief that she hadn’t collapsed.
“I want to rest.”
She finally entered the room. Haejoo lay on the bed and fell asleep as soon as her eyes closed. She drifted off instantly, and the situation of falling from the rooftop railing as a child came back to her.
‘Hey! Snap out of it!’
Dojun, with short hair, appeared in Haejoo’s vision. Like someone who had escaped from hell, he called out to Haejoo with more desperation than anyone.
‘I’ll save you. Never... never die.’
He embraced Haejoo’s frail body. His arms around her back were tightly wrapped, as if he would never let go. Dojun hadn’t changed, then or now. He still loved Haejoo, and his heart, intensely set in place, pounded wildly. It was a memory she thought she had surely lost. But at this moment, it miraculously appeared vividly before Haejoo’s eyes.
“Dojun!”
Haejoo woke up and bolted upright. Her throat was parched, so she searched for water, swallowed it, and gasped for breath. Only then did the surrounding scenery come into view. The world was the same, but she alone had changed so wretchedly.
“It was a dream.”
The image of Dojun in her dream was so vivid. He felt so close, as if she could reach out and touch him, intensifying her sense of loss. Just as Haejoo turned away weakly. Someone outside rang the bell and then knocked on the door.
“Haejoo! Lee Haejoo!”
It was Dojun’s voice. Haejoo’s heart, which had been slowing down as if it was a miracle she was still alive, began to pound terrifyingly. The dawn of the day her father died had been just like this. It was a night when even the moon was hidden by clouds. Haejoo, then 7 years old, had woken up to her father’s voice calling her.
‘Dad?’
In the lit living room, her father lay collapsed. His pupils, already dilated, couldn’t see Haejoo no matter how much she tried to wake him. Had her living father called her? Or was it her father visiting her in a dream?
“Haa.”
There was still one regret she carried. If only she had woken up a little earlier after hearing her father’s voice... Even as a 7-year-old child, she blamed herself for her father’s death.
Outside the door, Dojun’s voice called for Haejoo. His voice was still as passionate and unchanged as it had been on the rooftop railing. Haejoo’s heart was already running far ahead towards him. But her weary steps, tired from reality, were slow.
“Dojun...”
She hated Dojun. Resentment piled up, making this situation an unsolvable problem, and she was only confused. What irritated her was that even in this moment, she desperately wanted to see him. Thinking she was pathetic, her barely moving steps stopped. Then Dojun pleaded, as if praying.
“I’ll protect you. You and our baby...”
Suddenly, as if possessed, Haejoo rushed to the door. She grasped the locked doorknob and forced it open.
Before she could even call Dojun’s name, the outside air and his familiar scent enveloped Haejoo.
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