abcnovels
Vol. 2 Chapter 71: Chapter 71
Vol. 2 Chapter 71: Chapter 71
Vol. 2 Chapter 71: Chapter 71
Translated by Chef
Edited by Chef
Clack clack clack.
The steps walking down the hospital hallway were particularly urgent.
“I’m sorry. Let me through.”
She asked for permission from the patient pushing the IV pole and hurriedly walked across the hallway. When she arrived at the hospital room located at the very back of the 14th floor, she confirmed the patient’s name and opened the room door.
“Mr. Inseop, what happened…?”
As Yoon Ahreum entered the hospital room, she blinked and said, “Oh.” She made direct eye contact with the man sitting in front of the bed.
“What are you doing here?”
Lee Wooyeon asked.
It wasn’t a question asked out of curiosity.
The eyes were like those of a sharp-edged animal wary of an intruder entering its territory. Yoon Ahreum was a little shocked and stuttered.
“Oh, I got a call from the hospital, and when I went to the emergency room, they said it was an intensive care unit, and then they said it wasn’t an intensive care unit. I barely found it.”
Yoon Ahreum, wearing comfortable training clothes without any makeup, then took a deep breath and continued speaking.
“Mr. Inseop, is he okay?”
“It’ll be okay.”
Lee Wooyeon answered firmly, but she could see nervousness in his eyes. Rather than saying that Inseop was okay, it sounded more like a pledge that he must be okay.
“uh….”
It was only then that Yoon Ahreum realized that Lee Wooyeon’s shirt was completely covered in blood.
“Are you hurt somewhere?”
“You don’t have to worry about it.”
Lee Wooyeon responded coldly. It was strange. Among celebrities, there were people who had a big difference between their public image and their private image, but Lee Wooyeon was known for his good manners even among reporters. He wasn’t the type to openly disrespect people like that.
Yoon Ahreum turned her gaze to Inseop, who was lying on the bed.
There’s no way one can feel good in a situation like this.
If she thought? about it, Lee Wooyeon took quite special care of Inseop. Even when she received a call from Inseop early in the morning and rushed to the animal hospital…
As a thought flashed through her mind, Yoon Ahreum frowned, thinking, “No way.”
The occupational disease of misunderstanding trivial things had to be corrected quickly.
“But is it okay for you to stay here now?”
Yoon Ahreum asked cautiously. There was no way Lee Wooyeon would not have known about the article being posted in real time.
“That’s none of your business.”
Lee Wooyeon coldly drew a line.
It was certain. This wasn’t just a matter of mood. It was clear hostility.
Yoon Ahreum managed to suppress the doubts that kept rising and responded as calmly as possible, saying, “I’m sorry for meddling for no reason.”
“Did you come here after receiving a call from someone?”
This time, Lee Wooyeon asked.
“I got a call from the hospital. I guess they called because he still had the guardian number registered as mine from last time.”
“Last time?”
“Yes. The last time he collapsed. I’m worried that he keeps fainting like this.”
When Yoon Ahreum looked at Inseop’s face, which looked much gaunter than before, she felt truly sorry.
“The test results are out…”
Yoon Ahreum turned her head to Lee Wooyeon and closed her mouth. Lee Wooyeon’s face, standing while holding onto the bed’s railing, came into view. A person who was suddenly slapped in the face while walking in the middle of Myeong-dong in broad daylight would not have that look on his face. Yoon Ahreum quickly turned her head to see the unfamiliar face of the man, whose shame, embarrassment, and anger were all mixed together and she didn’t know what to do. She felt like she had caught a glimpse of something she shouldn’t have seen.
Lee Wooyeon barely opened her mouth.
“…When did he collapse?”
“The day we were supposed to give the kids up for adoption, so 10 days ago.”
Yoon Ahreum answered by tracing her memory.
“He said it wasn’t a big deal back then, but…”
Before Yoon Ahreum could finish speaking, she heard a presence in the bed.
“Mr. Inseop. Are you conscious?”
Inseop blinked a few more times in response to Yoon Areum’s question. Then he looked around with a blank expression, found Lee Wooyeon, and muttered.
“Hand..”
“Does your hand hurt? Should I call a doctor? Does it hurt anywhere else?”
Lee Wooyeon asked without even taking a breath. Inseop slowly raised his head and answered.
“… Are you okay?”
At that moment, Lee Wooyeon’s expression became strangely crumpled. Inseop realized what he was asking.
“…I’m okay.”
“Thank goodness.”
It was a voice that seemed almost inaudible. Inseop closed his eyes again. It seemed like he was asleep. Lee Wooyeon sat down in his chair, holding his face with both hands.
“Miss. Ahreum.”
“Yes?”
Yoon Ahreum was surprised and answered. It was the first time her name came out of Lee Wooyeon’s mouth.
“Then were you in the hospital room with him all night?”
“No. I went back because my friend said he was coming.”
“Okay.”
Lee Wooyeon muttered as if lost in thought. Yoon Ahreum, who was watching the scene, took a deep breath as if she had made up her mind and opened her mouth.
“During the day, Mr. Inseop asked about Lee Wooyeon’s article on the phone. It seemed like he was very worried about Lee Wooyeon.”
“Did he say anything else?”
“Yes. He only asked if there were any articles waiting to be reported. It seemed like he already knew the content.”
His voice sounded so bad that she thought Lee Wooyeon had caused a really big accident. As a result, it was Chae Yeonseo who caused the big accident. No, now that Lee Wooyeon suddenly disappeared during the awards ceremony, will this become more of a problem?
Yoon Ahreum glanced at Lee Wooyeon. Lee Wooyeon spoke to Inseop without taking his eyes off him.
“If anything happens, I’ll contact you later. I’ll be here, so you can just head back.”
“Ah, yes… I understand.”
Yoon Ahreum had not yet left. In fact, she didn’t say it out loud, but Lee Wooyeon’s condition didn’t seem to be very good. It wasn’t just a matter of looking in a bad mood.
“Are you okay?”
Yoon Ahreum asked before leaving the door.
“…It’ll be okay.”
Lee Wooyeon seemed so distraught that she couldn’t even tell who the answer was directed at. Yoon Ahreum was about to say something to him, but stopped.
Yoon Ahreum closed the door to the hospital room as quietly as possible and came out.
The blurred focus became increasingly clear. Inseop blinked a few more times.
“Are you awake?”
Inseop slowly turned his head when he heard the man’s voice next to him. It was getting dark outside his window.
“…What time is it now?”
“It’s just past eight o’clock,”
Lee Wooyeon checked his watch and replied.
“Has it been a day?”
.
“I guess so.”
It seemed that only then did Lee Wooyeon realize that a day had passed.
“Are your hands okay?”
Instead of answering, Lee Wooyeon showed his bandaged hand. Inseop realized that Lee Wooyeon was still wearing the blood-stained shirt.
“Have you been here the whole time?”
“Yes”
“…I’m sorry, your hand must be sore.”
Lee Wooyeon looked at Inseop, who was worried about him, with a strange expression. Then he suddenly opened his mouth.
“Yoon Ahreum went.”
“Yoon Ahreum?”
Inseop asked in confusion.
“She said the hospital contacted her because she was registered as a guardian number.”
“… ”
Inseop’s face became clouded with nervousness. Now that he thought about it, when he came to his senses for a moment, he seemed to catch a glimpse of Yoon Ahreum. Hee thought it was a dream.
“Isn’t this the first time you’ve collapsed due to a seizure?”
Inseop hesitated in response to Lee Wooyeon’s question before replying, “I’m sorry.”
“What are you sorry for?”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you.”
Even though Inseop apologized, Lee Wooyeon showed no particular reaction. He just held his hands together and stared at Inseop.
“Mr. Inseop.”
Eventually he broke the silence. Inseop nodded his head a little nervously, as if he had made up his mind.
“Do you like Yoon Ahreum?
“..!”
Inseop quickly lowered his head.
Before he lost his mind, he was angry at Lee Wooyeon’s selfishness and deliberately lied. Right now, he didn’t want to hurt Lee Wooyeon with those words, and he didn’t want to drag Yoon Ahreum into it either.
“You can be honest.”
“No, really. I have nothing to do with Yoon Ahreum. We are just friends.”
“Then am I worse than just a friend?”
Lee Wooyeon laughed bitterly.
“That’s not it…”
Inseop bit his lower lip. He was in a situation where if he didn’t tell the truth, no matter what he said, it would only end up being an excuse.
“On the day that Kang Youngmo came to the office, he came to my house again in the afternoon.”
Lee Wooyeon’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Kang Youngmo went to see you?”
“He came because he was worried about the USB, but there was a little fight.”
He did not say that he had been beaten, but gave a vague account of it. Lee Wooyeon silently listened to Inseop’s story.
“I was not feeling well that day, so I had a seizure. I had made an appointment to go see the cat, and Yoon Ahreum happened to be there and accompanied me to the hospital. That’s all.”
“Is it so? That’s it?”
Lee Wooyeon thought over Inseop’s last words and asked.
“What did you say when he came?
“Yes?”
“Even if you say that’s all about Yoon Ahreum, it’s not with Kang Youngmo. What did he say?
“What did he say? Even after you collapsed, you still kept your mouth shut and didn’t tell me?”
His voice was soft, but he couldn’t hide the anticipation in Lee Wooyeon’s eyes.
“Th, there wasn’t much to say. He was just concerned about what was on the USB. I told him off and sent him back.”
Lee Wooyeon let out a short sigh.
“That bastard must have just been worried and left.”
Lee Wooyeon stood up.
“Where are you going?”
“I don’t think Mr. Inseop wants to tell me, so I’m going to ask the person involved.”
Inseop was even more scared and urgently grabbed the hem of Lee Wooyeon’s clothes.
“Nothing happened. You don’t have to go.”
Lee Wooyeon placed his hand on Inseop’s hand holding him.
“The reason I turned a blind eye to Mr. Inseop’s lies so far is because I thought there must be a good reason.”
It was a calm voice, but the tendons on the back of Lee Wooyeon’s hand as he held Inseop’s hand were bulging. He could see how hard he was trying to not get angry.
“But this is not the case now. Kang Youngmo, how can you let that bastard touch you?”
Lee Wooyeon tried to take Inseop’s hand away.
“No.”
Inseop used his hands to pull Lee Wooyeon’s clothes. His hands were shaking. Lee Wooyeon sighed softly and comforted Inseop.
“You don’t have to be afraid of people like that.”
“…No.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.”
Inseop quickly shook his head. Out of nervousness, he poured out his heart.
“I don’t want Mr. Wooyeon to get involved with that person. It was covered up back then, but if something like that happens again…”
Wooyeon walked on the blurred line between humanity and inhumanity that ordinary people can naturally distinguish. Inseop knows that he is constantly paying attention not to cross the line intentionally. Even if others didn’t know, he knew.
That’s why it’s scary.
The face of the man he saw in the alley that day came to mind. Blood splattered on his pale, clean skin and emotionless eyes looking down at the person he had struck.
Every time Inseop encountered that face that was so far from humanity, it felt like the man he loved would disappear forever.
“I didn’t collapse because of Kang Youngmo. It’s no big deal. The doctor said it was just stress. As long as I don’t get stressed out, nothing will happen. There is nothing wrong anywhere else.”
Inseop urgently explained his situation. He remembered Lee Wooyeon, who said he did not want to be locked up in a mental hospital or prison. The last thing he wanted was to lose everything he had worked hard for due to a single mistake.
“There really isn’t any other reason. I didn’t tell you because I was afraid that the two of you would get involved and cause trouble, or that you would get angry. I’m really fine. I was told that all I had to do was not be stressed. So…”
Inseop was speechless. He met Lee Wooyeon’s eyes looking down at him. Uncontrollable emotions flooded into Lee Wooyeon’s neat eyes. A devastation beyond anger and sadness filled his eyes. .
Lee Wooyeon closed his mouth and swallowed his emotions.
“…It’s not okay at all.”
Lee Wooyeon looked down at his hands and muttered.
“You almost died.”
His lips trembled slightly.
“It might be okay for a normal person, but. Inseop…”
Lee Wooyeon cupped his face. It looked like he was crying, and Inseop’s heart tightened.
“It’s okay now.”
Inseop quickly said that, but Lee Wooyeon showed no particular reaction.
“You said I didn’t understand.”
He asks, rubbing his haggard, dry cheek with his palm.
“Didn’t you say that you didn’t understand that I was dating someone else while leaving you behind and that it was a common occurrence?”
“…”
Inseop couldn’t say anything.
“Isn’t that why you tried to return to the United States?”
Lee Wooyeon demanded an answer again. Inseop lowered his head. He affirmed his question with silence.
“Mr. Inseop is right.”
Lee Wooyeon slowly raised his head.
“You don’t understand. Because I don’t understand you either. Is there a need to risk your life for something so common, just for dating?”
Lee Wooyeon looked at Inseop directly.
“Stop it.”
His resonant voice softly reached the hospital room. Inseop looked at Lee Wooyeon blankly.
He wasn’t angry, sad, or upset. He just calmly said goodbye to Inseop.
“I…”
He was the first to say he couldn’t do it. Knowing that fact, Inseop could neither hold on to Lee Wooyeon nor say otherwise.
“I’ll tell the CEO about the hospital procedures so you don’t have to worry about it. Get all the tests you can.”
“…”
Inseop’s mind turned pale.
“I’ll go first.”
Lee Wooyeon picked up his jacket and stood up. As he was about to open the hospital room door and leave, Inseop inadvertently called him out and stopped him.
“Mr. Wooyeon…!”
Inseop bit his lower lip in shock. He called his name, but couldn’t think of anything to say. He felt like he had been tied up and thrown in the middle of the ocean.
He had to say something. Anything…
“When I was with Inseop, I felt like I was an ordinary person.”
Lee Wooyeon said without turning around. A faint smile was evident in his voice.
“But to Mr. Inseop, the monster was not Kang Youngmo, but me.”
“No. Mr. Wooyeon, I never…”
“Take care of your food and medicine… and rest.”
Lee Wooyeon opened the door and left before Inseop could finish speaking.
The hospital room door was closed. The image of Lee Wooyeon that he had previously seen in his dream overlapped.
Inseop only realized this after looking at the closed door. That it is completely different from a dream. He could wake up then, but he couldn’t now.
It was over.