In the hospital cafeteria, a group of nurses gathered and chattered.

“Um So-yeon and the manager have been admitted to the VIP ward. What’s even more surprising is that Tae Seo-jun came with them.”

“Why are they there together?”

“It seems that Tae Seo-jun personally brought Um So-yeon, who almost died at the scene of the fire. What’s even more surprising is that Tae Seo-jun hasn’t gone home and has been guarding the hospital room for two days straight, like escorting Um So-yeon.”

“Oh my, really? Are those two so close?”

“Heh, it’s not just being close! Unless they’re dating, who would act like that in such a space? If they’re not in a romantic relationship, how could they stick together like that in one place?”

During the two days when such stories spread throughout the hospital, So-yeon slept continuously. Although she occasionally coughed due to symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning and asthma, she mostly slept.

So-yeon had survived three near-death experiences in her life. The first was inevitable during childbirth, but the other two were accidents shrouded in mystery.

About a year ago, she almost faced a catastrophe on a movie set when the ceiling collapsed. The day before yesterday, she almost died from suffocation, trapped without any movement, in a room filled with toxic gas. Both of these accidents were unrelated to Yu Jung-hwa.

Knowing this, what So-yeon found harder to endure than the physical pain was the anxiety that this imminent disaster, pointed at her like a knife, was not the end but the beginning. She was uneasy, fearing that Yu Jung-hwa would not stop her evil deeds until she became unhappy in some way.

Whether it was a trauma or temporary anxiety, So-yeon just wanted to sleep without thinking. She wanted to momentarily lean on the comfort that the unconscious mind provided. In doing so, she hoped to alleviate the accumulated fatigue for as long as possible.

It was an evening when the vague darkness crept in.

“So-yeon…”

His smooth voice echoed quietly, his monologue.

“The accident happened because of me… I didn’t know… But still, I can’t let you go. I may be selfish, and you may hate me for it. But I can’t give up on So-yeon…”

“…!”

Slowly waking up from a nap, So-yeon’s eyes blinked.

Wha, what did I just hear…?

Tae Seo-jun knew about Yu Jung-hwa’s actions.

The chest that was surprised by that fact throbbed violently, but what calmed the abnormal heartbeat was the tender and gentle touch that lightly brushed her forehead.

“You woke up now…”

Seo-jun, who felt glad and good just by looking at her eyes, gently swept So-yeon’s disheveled hair back.

“The accident… you know? How…?”

“From Do-soon.”

Ye-do-soon, who showed relatively mild symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning compared to So-yeon, woke up first. Then, she bustled around So-yeon’s hospital room as if the threshold were worn out.
It was heard back then. The fact that Soyeon suffered a lot from all sorts of bad things committed by Yoo Jung-hwa. Seo-jun immediately mobilized his connections proficient in investigations to find out what had happened to Um So-yeon’s safety.

Thus, in the early part of last year, it was confirmed that Yoo Jung-hwa, involved in the set accident, received a non-indictment disposition, and that suspicious conduct continued thereafter.

Even in a corner of the iceberg, if it were to be revealed, how embarrassing would it be?

A wrongly buttoned button.

Perhaps it all started four years ago at the Elstella Hotel bar when Yoo Jung-hwa forcibly inserted Um So-yeon between them.

Seo-jun realized it only now.

That his desires and rash actions had plunged a woman into danger. That he had completely turned that person’s life upside down. That he, who had no idea that Um So-yeon endured Yoo Jung-hwa’s despicable deeds, was a real fool.

So, what words are needed?

Seo-jun felt endlessly sorry. His complex expression conveyed embarrassment, a feeling heavier than that. Soyeon, gazing silently at his face, raised her hand and touched his finely sculpted features with agility.

Soyeon, who had neatly shaved Seo-jun’s jawline, slightly frowned her eyebrows. It was suddenly tingling in a corner of her heart to see his face different from usual.

Although she had only seen his cleanly shaved face, seeing him with a faint trace of stubble on his jawline was somewhat unfamiliar. But even this appearance was an unchanging law, as he was an incredibly handsome man.

“Don’t make that expression. I’m fine.”

Soyeon smiled faintly.

What she couldn’t help enduring, even in the face of life-threatening situations, was above all thinking of the child. If Yoo Jung-hwa were formally prosecuted and the investigation proceeded, the series of events between Taeseo-jun’s past woman and the woman he is currently meeting would be revealed in detail.