Seo-yoon, who feared losing family and friends, muttered softly, revealing vulnerability, unlike when she confronted Kang-hyun.
“For the last time, call me Seo Ji-an. I have something to say before becoming friends with Han Seo-yoon.”
Ha-jun, seeing Seo-yoon seeming slightly relieved, playfully reddened her cheek and even stroked her throat.
Confession was not the first time, but perhaps because she had liked him alone for a long time, her heart fluttered unusually.
“I liked you a lot. Not as a friend, but as a woman.”
“W-What did you say?”
Seo-yoon’s lips, who did not expect his confession at all, opened wide.
“I tried not to confess, but since it turned out like this, let’s go back to being friends. I’ll support whatever choice you make, so if you have a hard time, feel free to contact me as before.”
“Thank you, Ha-jun.”
Seo-yoon, who relaxed her shoulders comfortably, smiled brightly.
“And let’s hug once.”
Seo-yoon first opened her arms and leaned towards Ha-jun.
Ha-jun’s embrace, understanding her completely, became a warm comfort.
Tap, tap, as he gently patted her broad back, a large shadow was cast outside the entrance.
Seo-yoon turned her head away, burying it into Ha-jun’s shoulder, making eye contact with Hyun outside.
Seo-ji-an didn’t know how much contact with others caused anxiety and stimulation for Tae Kang-hyun, but Seo-yoon knew.
Yet she didn’t care.
After a brief hug, Seo-yoon found her place and glanced at the now empty space, then turned her head.
“What should I say to Mom while staying outside?”
“I’m still thinking about it.”
Wanting some time away from her parents to sort out her feelings, but with the promised two weeks ending in a couple of days, she had no excuse to leave her hometown anymore.
She needed a suitable excuse to spend a few days somewhere else.
“How about planning a trip abroad with Seon-kyung for the holidays? Might seem a bit abrupt, though.”
“I haven’t even been on a trip with Mom and Dad…”
“You can do it later.”
Worried that they might not even be able to call them Mom and Dad soon, Seo-yoon’s eyes filled with tears.
If she reclaimed her name as Han Seo-yoon and informed them of Seo-ji-an’s death, she might never see her parents again.
“Ha-jun.”
“Yeah?”
“How about I continue to live as Seo-ji-an?”
“I support your choice. I’ll take back what I said about being friends with Han Seo-yoon. I’ll keep liking you, whatever you decide.”
“What, that…”
Seo-yoon smiled faintly.
Feeling a bit more comfortable as Ha-jun, one of the beings she was worried about straining the relationship, reacted nonchalantly.
Seok-won, who brought the food and clothes that Kang-hyun asked for, entered the hospital lobby and widened his stride when he spotted the familiar In-young.
“Director.”
Seok-won approached Kang-hyun, sitting on a gray chair.
“Director.”
Even calling him right in front of him elicited no response. Seok-won sighed softly and placed the bags full of belongings on an empty chair, then tapped Kang-hyun’s shoulder.
Kang-hyun finally raised his gaze.
“What are you doing here? Have you eaten?”
Seok-won, facing the hollow eyes that seemed to break at any moment, couldn’t hide his awkward feelings and briefly turned his head.
He didn’t witness how Seo-yoon, who regained her memory, was doing, but seeing Kang-hyun, who was halfway out of it, gave him an idea of what to expect.
“There’s a guest inside.”
“Are you going to sleep for a while? Let’s go to the restaurant and have some food.”
Without answering, Kang-hyun’s gaze sank to the floor as he checked the things Seok-won brought.
“Director, please get up for now.”
Seok-won urged Kang-hyun, who was lying there like someone who couldn’t hear anything, and frowned with an embarrassed expression.
Seeing him with a brighter face than ever made it even more bitter for her.
“Hyung.”
Seok-won, holding the bags again, grabbed Kang-hyun’s arm, who showed no sign of movement.
“Hyung!”
“Oh, what did I say?”
A sigh escaped involuntarily.
Kang-hyun, moving his lips slowly, looked as unwell as he did when he first heard the news of Seo-yoon’s death a long time ago.
“Let’s go to the restaurant.”
“I’m done with food.”
Wiping his face with his palm, Kang-hyun, weakly, got up from his seat and took the paper bag from Seok-won’s hand.
“Organize the house in Seongbuk-dong. When Seo-yoon is discharged, go there.”
Whether he would listen to me or not.
Kang-hyun, mumbling weakly, watched Ha-jun briefly from the corridor at the end, going out to the entrance.
Seok-won, who had focused his gaze on the same place as Kang-hyun, turned his head carelessly, then grabbed Kang-hyun’s wrist.
“Director, there’s a wound on the back of your hand…”
“It’s nothing. I squeezed too hard.”
Seok-won’s eyes twisted.
The words of torture were pitiful.
It was heartbreaking to see him, who had barely crawled up after four years, falling again with no way to help.
“Director, will you stay here until Seo-yoon is discharged?”
“That’s right.”
Kang-hyun nodded lightly.
Seo-yoon’s severe headaches seemed to be gradually improving over time.
The frequency of sleep disturbances had decreased, and the amount of food consumed had also increased significantly, but her rejection towards herself remained unchanged.
Seo-yoon said every day that she didn’t want to see her face, but he couldn’t bear to listen to that.
If he turned his back like this, it felt like the end.
“Detective Jang wishes you would visit the prosecutor’s office. Chairman Tae Suk-gyu and others have various matters to discuss.”
“I’ll contact you when Seo-yoon falls asleep.”
“Have your meal. It hasn’t been a month since you had surgery. Don’t forget there’s a possibility of a recurrence. If anything is wrong, get medical attention immediately.”
“Sure.”
What’s the rush when you’re within reach of a fall?
Seok-won watched Kang-hyun hurrying away with a worried look and then turned his body slowly.
After Being Cheated On, She Picked Up a Treasure (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: The husband I married on a whim had been secretly in love with me for a long time.
On the day when Jun Shao finally obtained the imperial decree for her marriage, Lan Qu, the person she had admired for six years, defied the decree and ran away.
Her gentleness and devotion, her promise of a lifetime together, were all disregarded by him. Instead, he dreamed of entering the palace to serve the Emperor’s sister as a sixth-rank attendant.
News of this incident spread throughout the capital, and the alleys in front of and behind the Lan mansion were crowded with people who came to watch the commotion.
Jun Shao should have been embarrassed and angry.
But someone stepped in to protect her dignity.
The figure was in a miserable state, yet still possessed an undeniable elegance and handsomeness.
The young lord struggled to climb the wall of the Lan mansion and shouted to her, “If he won’t marry you, I will!”
So, Jun Shao took advantage of the situation and married the person.
She thought the young lord did it to save the Lan family from the crime of defying the imperial decree, but never imagined that from beginning to end, what he coveted was her.
*
After the wedding, Jun Shao felt like she was living in a dream.
Her Wife-master was as beautiful as a fairy in a painting, skilled in the six arts, well-versed in poetry and literature, capable of being gentle and attentive, and also grand and dignified. Most importantly, she was the only one in his heart and eyes.
Jun Shao didn’t know how Lan Shiwu, as a illegitimate son without a father and blessed with beauty, had managed to preserve his purity, recklessly escape, and use his last ounce of strength to ruin his own reputation, all because of his love for her, just to stand before her.
She could only see him gazing at her with eyes full of love, and when she bestowed a name upon him, his eyes shone like stars.
“You have come to me like a weary bird perching on a branch. I shall call you A Qi.”
