The man left his phone number, saying to contact him anytime if more hospital fees were needed. I thought I knew who this person was. It must be the person named Jung Siljangi that Jae Ho often talked about.

I quietly stared at the paper, then folded it as if crumpling it and put it in my pocket. Contacting this person is the same as contacting Lee Jae Ho directly. What would I say if the call connected?

After pondering for a moment, I finally lifted my head and greeted my mother.

“It’s been a while, Mom. Sorry I couldn’t come for a while. I’ll chat with you a lot today before I go.”

Mom, who now couldn’t even blink her eyes, showed no reaction. Da Jung continued talking to herself as if she was used to it.

“I… I made up my mind and went on a trip.”

Da Jung held her hand.

“It was my first solo trip. I went to Taean because it reminded me of the sea where we used to pick clams. Do you remember, Mom? There was a day when Elder Brother couldn’t pick any clams, so Dad bought us knife-cut noodles. I went to a place very close to there.”

“……”

“I met a man there……”

Mom doesn’t answer. Cha Myung Sook was declared to be in a vegetative state 5 years ago. She first collapsed from a stroke 8 years ago, and even then, her condition was so poor that communication was difficult.

Two-thirds of her brain cells had died, making it impossible for her to speak, and her entire left side was paralyzed. Still, there was hope then that she would get better.

“About that man, Mom.”

Now, Cha Myung Sook couldn’t even hold on to hope.

“I think his feelings for me are sincere, but he keeps deceiving me.”

Da Jung gave a confused smile.

“And he endlessly makes me miserable… I think he had a hand in this hospital room too. Actually, I shouldn’t accept this much. So I want to return it, but then I’d have to meet him again…”

Da Jung tidied her mother’s blanket.

“I’m sorry. I’m just complaining.”

Da Jung let out a long sigh and brought a wet towel to wipe every nook and cranny of her mother. But her mother was already too clean. She could see how well the caregiver was taking care of her.

Da Jung suddenly looked around the hospital room once more.

A good hospital room, a good caregiver and medical staff.

In any case, there was no doubt that it was the best environment for the patient.

She wanted to just accept it with her eyes closed. Should I reluctantly accept it for Mom’s sake? Da Jung had always felt sorry that she couldn’t take better care of her due to lack of money.

As she kept thinking, she got angry at the man. Why did he arbitrarily provide a good environment and make her have such bad thoughts?

If she hadn’t seen the VIP room in the first place, she wouldn’t have felt greedy. Da Jung felt miserable. It only made her feel the gap between him and herself more acutely.

Get a grip.

“Mom, we still can’t do this. Let’s go back to our original hospital room. I can’t be indebted to that person in any way. I’m really sorry.”

Her eyes trembled.

“I’ll make a lot of money later and move you to a nice place.”

Da Jung stayed for two more hours. At the end, she met with the attending physician to hear about the current condition and asked, with a glimmer of hope, if there was any possibility of improvement in the future. It was a question she always asked every time she came, and the answer was always the same.

“I’m sorry.”

I know. Mom was getting worse and worse.

Da Jung left the hospital room after asking the caregiver for a favor. Then she stopped by the business office to inquire about moving back to a general hospital room, but the procedure was quite complicated.

“We have to refund you first. Give me your account number and I’ll deposit it for you.”

Da Jung didn’t know his account number and couldn’t receive the money in her own account, so she was flustered.

“I’m sorry. Can’t you move us to a general hospital room without refunding?”

In the end, she left the hospital without resolving it. The afternoon was already fading. The chilly air hinted at winter.

Was this his goodwill? Or another trap he had set?

Did he already know that she would have to contact him again to refund her mother’s hospital room? She suddenly felt scared, as if she couldn’t escape from him no matter how much she struggled.

Should I contact him? Or should I remain shameless and pretend not to know until the end?

Just as she was pondering, the phone rang. It was Kyung Jun.

**

“Why isn’t it done yet?”

Facing Jae Ho’s sharp eyes, Jung Siljangi slightly bowed his head in apology.

“I’m sorry. There aren’t many CCTVs near Taean, so it’s taking a long time, and currently, all the important personnel are assigned to Ha Jae Woo’s side.”

“Hah.”

“We’ll finish that side as quickly as possible.”

Jae Ho closed his mouth. None of the tasks Jung Siljangi was doing were unimportant. I know. Tracking Ha Jae Woo. Investigating Lee Jin Woo’s death. They were all things that had to be done.

I know, but…

Nevertheless, it seemed like catching the bastard who approached my woman and pulled this dirty trick would make me feel better. Who, and for what purpose, approached Da Jung in the exact one day I wasn’t in Taean?

The envelope that was cleverly delivered, taking advantage of that one-day gap.

It contained a mix of truth and fiction, making it difficult for the confused Da Jung to discern how much of it was true. Perhaps she might believe it was all true.

The last week in Taean. Da Jung would smile faintly as if she would fly away. Jae Ho, who only belatedly understood the meaning, got angry and hit the wall in the hotel he was left in.

I wanted to create a destined love, but everything was ruined.

What should I do now? I’m trying to find another plausible lie to explain why the pension is in Lee Jae Ho’s name, but nothing suitable comes to mind.

I had no intention of forgiving the culprit either.

“The report on Lee Jin Woo… shall we do it next time?”

“…No. Please continue.”

Jae Ho gestured randomly while inwardly cursing.

Jung Siljangi took out a notebook with a faint smile.

“Mr. Lee Jin Woo was on a business trip to Tongyeong for Tae Myung Heavy Industries. At that time, Tae Myung Heavy Industries had placed material orders without receiving a down payment, resulting in a loss of nearly 50 billion won. He had to leave urgently to deal with that situation.”

“What kind of idiot does that?”

Jung Siljangi gave an awkward smile as if agreeing.

“I know. It’s something that absolutely can’t happen now… But back then, it happened from time to time. Anyway, he left for the business trip in a hurry, but what’s a bit unusual is that he took his personal car instead of the company car, according to the former driver who remembers Mr. Lee Jin Woo’s temperament at the time.”

“Well. Is that a problem? It’s not like there’s only one or two cars.”

“That’s true, but according to the former driver, Mr. Lee Jin Woo strictly distinguished between personal and business cars. He never broke that rule even once. So it’s a day he remembers as being a bit peculiar.”

“Hmm.”

Jae Ho fell into thought for a moment, trying to regain his senses.

“And a few hours later, the accident happened.”

“Yes.”

“Anything else?”

“That’s all for now.”

“Good work. You may go.”

Jung Siljangi didn’t turn around. He just silently stared at Jae Ho, who was irritably flipping through documents. After a long time, Jae Ho, sensing the gaze, lifted his head and looked at Jung Siljangi.

“What? Do you have something else to say?”

“…Honestly, why don’t you tell the truth? To Yoon Da Jung.”

“What?”

“That you, young master, were Kim Sung Hyun, a friend of Yoon Woo Jung in the past.”

Jae Ho crumpled the paper that had things written on it like how he met women every time, and stood up from his seat. His face was distorted to the point where it couldn’t be more so.

“Is that something to say now?”

Jae Ho approached up close and growled.

“How can you, of all people, say that, Elder Brother?”

“There’s no other way to clear up the misunderstanding between you two right now…”

“There is. There definitely is. I’ll find it.”

Jae Ho grabbed Jung Siljangi’s arm and vented his resentment. His shaking eyes looked precarious. Jung Siljangi was reminded of the boy’s eyes when he first met him.

“…What will you find? More lies? If you get caught again, you might never see Da Jung for the rest of your life. Don’t do that. Jae Ho. It’s a dangerous method.”

Jung Siljangi sincerely advised. But the boy was only busy pushing him away.

“Stop. Stop it. Why wouldn’t I be able to see Yoon Da Jung?”

“Lee Jae Ho!”

“Let go! You’re the one who shouldn’t say things like that, Elder Brother. I told you I’d keep her by my side no matter what.”

Jae Ho irritably let go of Jung Siljangi’s arm and left the study. Having not slept since returning from the hotel, his gait was staggering.

**

Sighing, Jae Ho opened his eyes.

‘When did I fall asleep…?’

Rather than sleeping, it was close to fainting. He must have collapsed after enduring without sleep. Jae Ho lowly gazed at the dark surroundings.

The space was completely dark. Even though it was clearly his room, it felt unfamiliar as if it were a completely different space. The pitch-black darkness gathered around Jae Ho as if it were alive, rippling. Large and small forms left murky traces in the space as shadows.

Shadows danced. Sometimes they even took on shapes similar to human figures.

Jae Ho reached out and struggled to turn on the mood light.

He cursed lowly, looking down at his body covered in cold sweat.

Since Da Jung left, Jae Ho’s nights were one of two things. Either he couldn’t sleep, or he had nightmares.

Not wanting to have nightmares, he intentionally avoided sleep. The nights he fell asleep after enduring like that were several times harder than usual.

Clenching his fists tightly, Jae Ho, who was shaking off sleep, lowered his head and spoke in a cracked voice.

“Let me live a little. Woo Jung…”

The hand wiping his face was tragic.

“Please…”

In the end, Jae Ho found his cell phone and called someone.

“Byung Hoon.”

[Elder Brother. What’s the matter at this hour?]

Byung Hoon answered the phone in a sleepy voice. Jae Ho took a deep breath and said briefly.

“Go see Dr. Kim and get me some sleeping pills. And tranquilizers.”

[Now?]

“Yeah. Don’t contact Jung Siljangi.”

[Elder Brother! Don’t tell me you had a dream? Oh no. You can’t do that again. No drugs.]

“Do it.”

**

An hour later, when he opened the front door at the sound of knocking, three men were standing at the door. Kim Byung Hoon, Jung Siljangi, and even Dr. Kim.

Jae Ho glared fiercely at Byung Hoon.

“Kim Byung Hoon. I clearly told you…”

“Scold me! Scold me! I brought them all knowing I’d get scolded! Be grateful I didn’t call Lady Park in Pyeongchang-dong!”

Then he vigorously pushed the door open and strode inside. As soon as he entered, he busily moved around, turning on all the lights here and there. Jae Ho blankly watched him, then sighed and let the other two come inside as well.