“Oh my, it’s awkward when you do this out of the blue.”
“By the way, Dohyuk oppa, who lit the fire earlier?”
Blushing, Jaeein spoke shyly.
“Well, there was no choice but to do it strategically…”
Dohyuk’s last bit of patience snapped at that adorable sight.
Dohyuk reached out and gently wrapped Jaeein’s neck with his hand.
“Then take responsibility for it strategically.”
Her heart pounded at his soft voice.
As Dohyuk applied pressure with his hand, Jaeein’s face gradually came closer.
Thump, thump.
It was the moment when the heartbeats of the two accelerated rapidly.
“Eek!”
An unexpected scream came from outside.
“Hyuna! Snap out of it!”
“Director, Hyuna collapsed!”
Jaeein and Dohyuk’s eyes widened simultaneously.
The next moment, contemplating Jaeein dashed outside, and Dohyuk urgently followed.
The space that was lively with the meeting with Santa a while ago had turned into chaos.
“Director, what’s going on?”
Jaeein ran to Director Kim and asked.
Director Kim was trembling, holding a motionless girl in her arms.
“She was fine until a moment ago… It seems like something happened to Hyuna’s heart suddenly. Si-hwan, did you call 119?”
“Yes, they’ll arrive in 5 minutes.”
At Si-hwan’s words, Director Kim sighed, seeming distressed.
“5 minutes? Oh, what should we do?”
“Director, is something seriously wrong with Hyuna? What should we do about Hyuna?”
Hyunwoo’s eyes turned white, and thick teardrops fell from his eyes.
From the eerily similar faces, it was easy to guess that the collapsed girl was Hyunwoo’s sister.
“It’s okay, Hyunwoo. Hyuna will be fine.”
Even Jaeein’s voice, saying those words, trembled.
She felt the heart-wrenching pain seeing Hyuna lying there, eyes closed like she was dead.
At that moment, Dohyuk rushed over, checked Hyuna’s breathing, and hastily started chest compressions.
“Her breathing is almost gone. First, we need to do CPR.”
“Oh, that, right.”
Only now did the director seem to come to her senses, laying Hyuna on the ground.
Dohyuk started giving breaths and carefully began chest compressions.
Everyone around, with their hearts in their throats, watched the scene.
1 second felt like 1 minute, passing slowly.
After a few minutes, fortunately, color returned to Hyuna’s face.
“Ah, thankfully!”
Sighs of relief could be heard from all around.
Jaeein looked at Dohyuk, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, with wet eyes.
Eventually, the 119 rescue team arrived and swiftly transported Hyuna to a university hospital 30 minutes away.
Finally, Hyuna’s examination was over.
Jaeein and Dohyuk were guarding the peacefully sleeping Hyuna, who was wearing an oxygen respirator.
Director Kim and Si-hwan had to take care of other kids, so the two volunteered for nursing duty.
“That kid was crying and causing a scene, following us. I wonder if he’s calmed down now.”
Dohyuk recalled Hyunwoo, who was following the ambulance, feeling heavy-hearted.
“We informed him that Hyuna has stabilized, so it should be okay. Hyunwoo cares a lot about his sister.”
“He seems like that.”
“Since Hyuna was two years old, they’ve been together in the orphanage. Hyuna had a congenital heart condition and needed surgery. Imagine how tough it was for Hyunwoo to watch it without parents.”
Jaeein’s voice carried a hint of sorrow.
“…It must have been difficult.”
“Thankfully, it’s all over now. I was really nervous earlier, afraid something would go wrong. Thanks to Team Leader, she’s alive. Thank you.”
“It’s just something anyone would do. The kids at the orphanage have a special meaning to Ms. Seo Jaeein, even more so.”
“That’s right. They’re like my younger siblings.”
Jaeein had only explained to Dohyuk, “I’ve been volunteering at the Byeolsarang Orphanage with my mom since I was young.”
It wasn’t her intention to hide the fact that she grew up in an orphanage.
She hesitated only because she didn’t want the pitying looks people often sent her way when talking about the orphanage.
But in this moment,
Jaeein wanted to show Dohyuk her true self.
“Excuse me… Team Leader. I have something to say.”
“What is it?”
After glancing at the IV line, watching the drops of liquid fall one by one, Jaeein calmly spoke.
“Actually… until I was adopted at the age of eight, I grew up in Byeolsarang Orphanage. I was abandoned in front of the orphanage right after I was born.”
“…”
“So when I see the kids, it reminds me of my childhood, and I feel more affectionate towards them. I want to hug them and comfort them.”
Dohyuk was silent for a moment.
Jaeein was suddenly anxious at his silence.
‘Is he going to misunderstand and think I deliberately hid it?’
At that moment,
“Ms. Seo Jaeein.”
Dohyuk looked at Jaeein with gentle eyes and smiled.
“It’s enviable to have many siblings. I was always lonely because I was alone.”
“Team Leader…”
With his warm words, Jaeein’s heart melted like snow under the early spring breeze.
Jaeein couldn’t control her fluttering heart and lowered her head in the early spring breeze.
Tap, tap.
At that moment, a knocking sound was heard, and a doctor entered.
“Guardian, could we have a brief discussion?”
The doctor called the two into the examination room and solemnly began speaking.
“Although stability has been achieved, it seems that heart surgery may be necessary.”
“Surgery?”
The word ‘surgery’ frightened Jaeein instantly.
“As you may know, Hyuna has congenital heart defects, including aortic stenosis and problems in three areas of the heart.”
“She has already undergone surgery twice.”
“The surgery she had ten years ago seemed to be fine until now, but it looks like problems have arisen in blood vessels and valves during her growth process. After reviewing the past medical records and the results of this examination, in my opinion, additional surgery seems necessary.”
“I see. Then when can the surgery be performed?”
The doctor responded with a troubled expression.
“I’m sorry, but it would be better to go to a larger hospital. Because the surgery is very delicate and complicated.”
“Is it that serious?”
“Yes. As soon as possible would be better. I can’t guarantee improvement even with surgery, but it should be better than now.”
Jaeein felt uneasy as the doctor’s expression remained consistently dark.
“Um, how much would the surgery cost?”
“Since it’s a very complicated surgery, it will cost at least fifteen million won.”
“Really?”
Worry crept onto Jaeein’s face.
Knowing the financial situation of the orphanage, which was barely surviving on donations, she had difficulty in raising funds for the two previous surgeries.
‘Where can I suddenly find the surgery cost? Can I get my retirement pay in advance…’
As Jaeein was deeply contemplating, Dohyuk opened the door and came back into the examination room.
Then, he handed his cellphone to the doctor.
“Doctor, excuse me, but could you take a call for a moment?”
“Oh, sure. Hello?”
In an instant, the doctor’s eyes widened at Dohyuk’s phone, which he had hastily handed over.
The Villainous Demon Lord Laid an Egg for Her (Female-Dominated)
Several months after transmigrating into a book, Yu Wu found herself facing the demon lord Li You, who could no longer conceal his dragon horns. With one hand on her aching waist and the other gripping a sharp sword, she stared at him.
The demon lord’s eyes were red with fury:
“This is all your doing! Today, I won’t rest until I kill you!”
Yu Wu rubbed her temples. Putting aside the taboo against bloodshed during pregnancy, wasn’t it this very man who willingly walked into her trap that day?!
Warnings:
- Male pregnancy.
- Height ratios are set to mirror typical male-female height proportions.
- Characters include a foot-loving demon lord and an eldest daughter from an immortal family’s concubine lineage.
