MPK Ch 19

I don’t dislike the smell of hospitals. The medicinal scent that people usually hate is similar to the smell of patches, something I’ve been around my whole life since I was young.

However, I’ve always hated the quietness.

I never understood why people gave me disapproving looks when I acted cheerfully, even after they’d visited the patient in the room and told them to stay strong. What I needed back then, when I’d lost my dream, wasn’t someone who pitied my injured shoulder, but someone who could take my mind off things. Someone who could tell me interesting stories, or someone so beautiful that I’d forget to even breathe.

Turning my gaze to the dazzling sunlight, I saw Woo Baekyeon asleep. He was leaning against the sofa next to the bed in an uncomfortable position. His usual impeccably neat appearance was nowhere to be seen; his clothes were wrinkled and stained, and his hair was tousled.

But bathed in sunlight, he looked as beautiful as a princess who had fallen asleep after eating a poisoned apple.

There were scratches all over his face and body, probably from the mountain. Thankfully, they seemed to have been treated with ointment, judging by the sheen.

“You’re awake.”

I turned my head towards the voice. Secretary Shin Kanghee was standing by the door.

“Director Woo lost consciousness shortly after bringing Jung Hankyung to the hospital room after his surgery. There’s nothing seriously wrong with him, it’s just exhaustion.”

It was understandable, considering he’d carried me down the mountain while enduring his own pain.

“The recorder you brought was safely retrieved, and Woo Jonghun has been arrested.”

Ah….

‘We did it.’

Ignoring the screaming muscles in my body, I grinned. I might not be able to completely erase the past, but maybe I could erase the pain that was supposed to come in the future. I wanted to shout out loud about the great victory of love, as cheesy as it sounded.

“And the police contacted us again. They want you to come in for questioning regarding the arson.”

“What?!”

“They said the recorder you submitted contains all the evidence of the arson in progress. It’s unfortunate.”

No, wait, that’s…

A new crisis had emerged. I had been basking in the feeling of being a fairytale hero, only to be abruptly dropped back into reality.

“I’m joking. I’ve already taken care of it, so don’t worry. When you’re discharged and back home, you’ll receive a mail notification that the investigation has been closed.”

“Oh my god…, okay…. I thought I was going to jail after finally making it back alive….”

“This time, Director Woo will definitely protect you, Jung Hankyung.”

Wow, those words were incredibly reassuring. I imagined Woo Baekyeon appearing behind me in the interrogation room, where I’d be sobbing, leading a dazzling army of lawyers. Suddenly, all my worries vanished.

“Jung Hankyung, thank you sincerely.”

Secretary Shin bowed deeply to me. I was a little taken aback by the unexpected gratitude.

“Secretary Shin… you seem to care a lot about Baekyeon. More than just a superior.”

She straightened up, a bitter smile on her face.

“Didn’t you think it was strange that the director’s closest aide is a woman more than ten years his senior?”

“Huh?”

“If the Chairman personally assigned a secretary, they should be much older or higher in rank. And if they were raised together with Baekyeon since childhood, they’d usually be the same age. The secretaries you saw when guarding the Junghwa Daily’s children were mostly like that.”

Secretary Shin Kanghee looked to be in her late 30s or early 40s. And Woo Baekyeon is 28 this year. I only now realized that they weren’t a combination I’d often seen in security details.

“Sixteen years ago, there was a new secretary in the secretariat who promptly brought the young master to his uncle when the Chairman’s youngest son said he wanted to play with his nephew.”

“…Ah.”

“An ordinary secretary, hired through open recruitment, became entangled in the heart of Woo Seung’s kidnapping case, a day that would bring lifelong regret.”

Her gaze encompassed both me and Woo Baekyeon.

“Now I can feel a little less guilty.”

Secretary Shin said, “Then please rest,” and left the room.

💍

Shin Kanghee let out a long sigh, her shoulders aching. Yet, she couldn’t erase the smile brought on by the last scene she’d witnessed in the hospital room.

She instructed a waiting secretariat employee outside the room to call a doctor now that the patient was awake. The employee quickly disappeared down the hallway.

Shin Kanghee looked down at her own sharp attire. A secretary hired through open recruitment could never reach the top position in the secretariat. The closest aides to the owner family were mostly not outsiders, but individuals raised within the family for that specific role. Baekyeon, too, would have had three or four such candidates attached to him around middle school if he hadn’t experienced that terrible incident. Instead, Baekyeon gained a secretary whom the Woo Seung Group had to silence, someone with a fierce loyalty born from guilt.

Leaving the hallway, she recalled a memory from a certain day. The memory etched in her mind for so long had been the image of handing the young master’s hand over to his uncle, but today, a different day came to mind.

The moment when Baekyeon, listless like a puppet being dragged by a string, impulsively entered the V Hotel wedding hall during an inspection. That day, Baekyeon had someone’s name, three characters, engraved on the scar on his left hand.

“Secretary Shin Kanghee, Jung Hankyung, Jung Hankyung is….”

Baekyeon first confined Jung Hankyung, the owner of that name, to his office and then opened the door to the emergency conference room. Sitting at the head of the table, Baekyeon wasn’t his usual self, sitting like a doll, observing the situation, and making the judgments Woo Seung had taught him.

“I’m sure I did it. W-what should I do?”

Despite it being a fleeting encounter from over ten years ago, Baekyeon still held admiration, even engraving the name upon their reunion.

Shin Kanghee saw, for the first time in years, Baekyeon acting his age.

“What do you want to do, Director?”

Woo Baekyeon is a fragile yet resilient person. Numerous hardships have shaped him that way. After a brief moment of panic, he regained his composure, though the inexplicable trembling remained.

“…I don’t want to lose Jung Hankyung.”

So she advised him to start with a friendship, but he blurted out marriage instead.

Ultimately, it was Woo Baekyeon’s desperate attempt to find happiness. And finally, his long period of misfortune had come to an end.

‘Maybe I should apply for early retirement.’

She felt the same way.

💍

Secretary Shin Kanghee’s footsteps faded from the hospital room. I asked, towards the gently fluttering eyelids, like blades of grass in the wind, “So, what do you think?”

Woo Baekyeon slowly opened his eyes.

“…You don’t have to think that way at all.”

He pushed himself up from the sofa where he’d been lying.

“The Secretary is also a victim, in a way.”

His pale face came closer to mine. Woo Baekyeon approached the bed and placed his hand on my heavily bandaged leg. I couldn’t feel anything through the thick wrapping, but his touch was as gentle as if there were no bandages at all, as if it were bare skin. A shadow fell over his face as he looked at my injury.

“I’ll compensate you for your leg with money, Jung Hankyung.”

“…….”

“Isn’t this the kind of thing a chaebol husband is supposed to say?”

“I can’t hold you to anything anymore.”

What was he talking about now?

“How can I expect anything more after inflicting this kind of injury on you?”

“You told me not to even dream of divorce. Have you already lost your feelings for me?”

“No!”

Woo Baekyeon, who had sharply lifted his head, quickly bit his lip and lowered it again.

“If you’re okay with it… if you allow it… for the rest of my life, until the day I can no longer walk, I’ll give you my leg.”

“…….”

“…You’re not interested in my wealth, so I have nothing else to offer you, except this.”

Unable to bear it any longer, I pulled Woo Baekyeon’s arm. He almost fell on top of me but managed to steady himself by grabbing the bed.

“Jung Hankyung, that’s dangerous.”

“Hey, Woo Baekyeon.”

“…Yes.”

“Not for the rest of your life, just help me out for a month or two while I can’t move around easily. The cast should be off by then, right?”

“……?”

Long eyelashes blinked in front of me.

While my shoulder was the most serious injury I’d sustained, there wasn’t a single part of my body, from head to toe, that hadn’t been bandaged at some point in my life. Especially my legs; they’d been broken, sprained, and everything in between.

It hurt when I got hit, but while running away, I could roughly gauge the severity of the injury. I understood why Woo Baekyeon was carrying around so much worry, but still…

“It’s different from when a child was hurt by an adult. I’m someone who’s trained, and that person is old now. It’s not a fatal injury.”

“…….”

“I won this much. I saved you from an injury that could have haunted you for life, so what’s a couple of months in a cast?”

I cupped Woo Baekyeon’s cheeks in my hands.

“If you don’t believe me, ask the doctor over there.”

I grinned and pointed towards the door. A beat later, Woo Baekyeon noticed the other person, and another beat after that, he quickly sat up from where he was leaning over me.

“You seem to be doing alright, patient.”

As someone who frequented VIP rooms, the doctor approached as if nothing had happened. Woo Baekyeon turned his reddened face to the side and crossed his arms. Even so, he was listening intently to the doctor’s questions and my subsequent answers.

“Considering you were running around a mountain in this condition, it’s a miracle you didn’t pass out from the pain.”

At that, Woo Baekyeon frowned and tightened his grip on his arms.

“However, the clean break will make it easier to heal.”

At that, he lowered his eyelids and released the tension in his bitten lip.

“For now, let’s keep it in a cast for six weeks and observe the progress.”

“Okay.”

“How long until full recovery?”

Woo Baekyeon, who had been standing stiffly, slipped in a question. The answer that followed seemed to greatly please him.

“You should be able to walk without any problems before summer arrives.”

The doctor neatly examined my leg and left. Woo Baekyeon approached me again and sat down on the edge of the bed. He was looking at his left hand.

“I see.”

“…….”

“I’ve grown up too, haven’t I?”

Woo Baekyeon closed his eyes tightly. Then he looked at my leg again.

“…Does it hurt? The doctor said the anesthetic would wear off soon.”

“Yeah. It doesn’t hurt at all.”

Actually, it throbbed a bit, but I had something more effective than any painkiller, didn’t I? A certain someone who made the pain disappear and prompted me to puff out my chest and pretend I was fine.

“Jung Hankyung, I love you.”

However, my puffed-up bravado deflated under a surprise attack.

“I love you very much.”

“…….”

I pulled the blanket covering my stomach up to my forehead. My uninjured leg fidgeted on the bed.

He said he loved me and then left me alone?

I wouldn’t let him get away with it. I’d show him just how persistent I could be. I was stewing, ready to confront my husband who hadn’t shown his face for hours after I woke up, when the door opened. “Hey, Woo Baekyeon,” the prickly greeting I’d prepared died in my throat.

“Jung Hankyung, let’s go!”

Woo Baekyeon’s expression was unreadable as he blurted out these mysterious words upon entering. I didn’t know what it was about, but… I changed into the casual clothes he handed me (definitely not mine, but they fit perfectly) and was then swept up into his arms and carried to a limousine.

“Hey, Secretary Shin is here. Put me down.”

“The Secretary knows you’re a patient too.”

“That’s not it…, never mind… It’s fine….”

“Put your seatbelt on.”

The car smoothly pulled away. As we left the hospital, the midday cityscape came into view. It hadn’t been a long hospitalization, but the season had shifted slightly. The bare branches were starting to show color, and people’s clothing had become lighter.

“So, where are we going?”

“You’ll see when we get there.”

The director, with his legs crossed haughtily, replied. I was about to ask where exactly that was, but stopped myself. Woo Baekyeon’s lips were twitching. Wherever it was, it didn’t matter. It was a beautiful day, perfect for a date. I needlessly smoothed out my clothes.

However, the place we arrived at was more austere than I’d expected.

“The police station?”

“Yes.”

“…Am I finally going to jail for arson?”

“Don’t say such things. We’ll be out soon.”

Woo Baekyeon rolled down his window halfway.

“What’s going on…?”

Then, I saw someone walking out of the police station and my eyes widened.

It was Woo Jonghun. Although his face was etched with dark fatigue, he was walking out of the police station on his own two feet. A man in a suit followed a step behind.

“What? I thought he was arrested? Why is he coming out?”

“He hired a lawyer right away and postponed the interrogation. Since 48 hours have passed since his arrest, he’s being released pending further investigation.”

No wonder Woo Jonghun’s expression was so light. Woo Baekyeon’s hand covered my fist, which I’d clenched in frustration.

“Just watch.”

Flash!

Camera flashes went off. A swarm of about twenty reporters and journalists suddenly flocked to Woo Jonghun. Behind them, murmurs rose from the crowd as ordinary people raised their smartphones to take pictures.

“Mr. Woo Jonghun, are the allegations of assault against your nephew’s Named partner true?”

“What was the reason for the assault?”

“Do you have anything to say to the victim?”

Woo Jonghun looked back at his lawyer. They exchanged puzzled glances, as if this wasn’t part of their pre-arranged plan, then his lips moved as if to say, ‘Whatever, it doesn’t matter.’

“I am deeply sorry to the victim. When the conflict arose, I became defensive, perhaps because I’m in my 40s and he’s in his 20s. Even though I was afraid of the physical difference, as the adult, I should have been more composed.”

“Wow, that, that…”

“…I heard that Hankyung doesn’t want to settle. I completely understand. I will live with this regret for the rest of my life. I truly hope the wounds I inflicted don’t linger.”

So this was why Woo Baekyeon brought me here, to see the end of this. Yeah, burying him right there on that spot and turning myself in would have been perfect. I couldn’t let him get away with this.

“Why are you making me listen to this crap?”

I wanted to roll up the window to block out the sound and shield my eyes from the haunted look on Woo Baekyeon’s face. But Woo Baekyeon just squeezed my hand again.

“It’s about to begin.”

“Mr. Woo Jonghun.”

Two police officers approached Woo Jonghun as he continued his grandstanding. The moment he turned around, handcuffs were snapped onto his wrists.

“You are under arrest for child abduction, kidnapping, and abuse. You have the right to an attorney, the right to remain silent, and the right to refuse to make any statements that might incriminate you.”

“…What?”

That actually worked?

Woo Jonghun looked bewildered. His changing expression and the handcuffs on his wrists were once again captured by a barrage of camera flashes.

“What…? What’s going on?”

“During the investigation, since you were only questioned about the assault on you, you assumed the Chairman had taken care of the recording. Right now, the investigation into the assault is over, and now a new 48-hour investigation into the kidnapping will begin.”

“…….”

“And right after that, an arrest warrant will be issued for your assault. There’s no way you’re getting out of this.”

I felt a warmth, hotter than usual, radiating from Woo Baekyeon’s hand, which was tightly gripping mine.

“…Did you arrange for all these people to gather in front of the police station?”

“This is just the beginning.”

I used to think Woo Baekyeon was a fundamentally cold person. I’d learned that wasn’t entirely true, but he was generally meticulous, calm, and collected in his judgments.

But today, I saw in Woo Baekyeon the look of an athlete deeply focused right before stepping onto the field.

It seemed that what I was feeling in his hand was that very heat.

After returning from the police station, I was once again carried by Woo Baekyeon back to my hospital bed. A day had passed, and the sunset was painting the sky outside the window. Woo Baekyeon flexed and relaxed his left hand. Then he gazed at my leg, and then at my eyes.

“Jung Hankyung.”

His brown hair, tinged with the sunset, looked like flames.

“I’ve come to love you even more. Thinking about what you’ve done for me, I can’t help it.”

“…….”

“Please stay by my side from now on. I’ll do anything you want. I know you hate hearing this, but it’s the best way I can express myself.”

The look in his eyes made my chest flutter, and tickled my throat as if I’d cough for hours and not be able to stop.

“You’re really going to get yourself into trouble. What if I say I want to play baseball again?”

“I’ll put you on the WS Cheetahs’ first string. Tomorrow, if you want.”

“Oh, sure, then you’ll lose every game and everyone will blame you.”

“I’ll bring in anyone you want to the team and lead them to victory.”

“That’s impossible.”

“It’s not impossible if I use all my assets.”

“Money is one thing, but you’ll get arrested.”

“I’ll pay the fines.”

“What if you become penniless and I still want to play baseball?”

“Then…”

I met his brown eyes.

“I will throw the ball to you.”

“…….”

“And I will go and catch the ball you hit.”

My mouth, which had opened to reply, closed again. Ah, this was no good. I couldn’t bring myself to give a flippant response. No, right now, I couldn’t say anything at all.

Woo Baekyeon’s way of loving remained consistent. He gives everything he has without hesitation, including himself.

My eyes, nose, and shoulders tingled.

“That’s enough. Why don’t you understand?”

After my leg healed, it would be fun to toss a ball around with Woo Baekyeon in a wide-open park.

We could sit together in the stands at a baseball stadium, sipping beer, and when Woo Baekyeon craned his neck to see, I’d provide commentary just for him. And when the game got exciting, I’d unconsciously hug him tight.

Even if I achieved my dream and held the championship trophy, I didn’t think I could be any happier than this.

Unable to resist the overwhelming affection, I hugged Woo Baekyeon tightly. It was a perfect moment. Woo Baekyeon, hugging me back, patted my back and then said, looking off into the distance, “Jung Hankyung, but those words you hate might really be the last for a while.”

“Hmm?”

Woo Baekyeon just smiled, his eyes and nose crinkling, without offering an explanation. His childlike face seemed strangely relieved.

💍

“…Did you see the news? Or perhaps you received the report before the media.”

His grandson’s voice on the other end of the line was impudent. The Chairman felt momentarily transported back in time. Before Baekyeon turned seven, when his parents were still alive, no, even after, when he became his sole guardian, the boy would pout and complain whenever he had a grievance. He knew how to insist he was right with his limited understanding of the world.

That side of him had vanished after the kidnapping at age twelve, after the surgery and rehabilitation, after hearing the court verdict.

He still remembered the moment when the light faded from his eyes as he listened to the secretary’s explanation and looked back at him in disbelief.

“…The trial will involve everything I have.”

Baekyeon’s firm voice broke through his reverie. Woo Seung would be in an uproar for a while. His uncle had harmed his nephew’s Named partner and had even orchestrated a kidnapping in the past, yet he had sent someone else to prison and covered up the incident. He himself, complicit in his son’s misdeeds through silence, would inevitably be dragged into the mud as well.

“I saw it. Is this what you intend to do?”

“…My power may not be comparable to yours, Chairman, but you’ll find it difficult to stop this.”

“…….”

The Chairman suddenly wished this conversation were happening face-to-face. He wondered what expression his grandson was wearing. It was likely an expression he hadn’t seen in a very long time.

A slightly resentful reply escaped his lips.

“What you call ‘your power’ all comes from me. Does it not matter if, after this incident, I, in my displeasure, take back everything you have?”

It would be something he’d never heard before, not from that pitiful child. Contrary to his expectation of bewilderment, Baekyeon replied calmly,

“…Yes. Take it.”

“…….”

Just as he was about to speak, wondering if Baekyeon understood the implications,

“…If I become penniless, I plan to teach English conversation classes at my husband’s cafe. I was thinking of steering the cafe in that direction anyway, so it works out well.”

After a short pause, Baekyeon continued.

“…I also wanted to spend all my time with Hankyung.”

The Chairman thought he heard a hint of laughter in the speaker. He moved the receiver away from his ear and looked at it. Baekyeon spoke resolutely,

“…Just for about a year.”

“What do you mean?”

“…You spent a long time building me, Chairman. You raised me not to crumble easily.”

The Chairman’s eyes widened slightly.

—After things calm down, I will aggressively reclaim my position. No one will ever touch Hankyung again.

“…….”

“…This is what you taught me, Grandfather.”

He felt as though something that had been solidified within him for a long time was melting away. The term “Grandfather,” which Baekyeon had uttered unconsciously, felt unfamiliar. A warm, unfamiliar feeling.

The call ended with Baekyeon’s stiff farewell. The Chairman remained seated for a long while. Then, gripping the arms of his chair with both hands, he stood up with a groan.

He suddenly noticed his hands, wrinkled and spotted with age. It seemed the time had come to face what he had been avoiding.

There would be much to prepare for. Baekyeon had chosen a slow, arduous battle that would deeply wound the inheritance he was to receive.

But as if he had been waiting for this day, a small opening appeared in the place where something within him had melted away. A gentle breeze passed through it.

💍

“…Wow, this is a disaster.”

Standing in front of the proud sign of “Today is the Day” cafe, I froze in dismay.

The day I chased my uncle and fought him on the mountain.

The day I had surgery for my injuries.

The day I spent the night touching Woo Baekyeon’s face, unable to hide my joy.

The day we went to the police station to witness Woo Jonghun’s downfall.

The day my leg started feeling strange, but I pretended it didn’t hurt until I was caught, and then had to sweat bullets trying to appease Woo Baekyeon, who was sulking because I ignored his nagging.

The day I spent watching news about Woo Jonghun.

The day the Chairman visited the hospital room, leaving me drained.

The day Woo Baekyeon looked so beautiful that I forgot we were in a hospital room and we playfully wrestled a bit.

….

Ten whole days later, I realized my occupation wasn’t “unemployed.” Surprisingly, I was a cafe owner. And that cafe had been abandoned for ten days without notice. And at a time when all my part-timers were unavailable!

As we were leaving the hospital, my belated mumble, “What happened to my cafe, by the way…,” made both Woo Baekyeon, with his pretty lips parted in surprise, and the sharp Secretary Shin flinch. Preoccupied with dealing with the kidnapper, the two meticulous individuals had completely forgotten.

And so, we rushed to the cafe.

Two A4 sheets of paper and a few notes were stuck to the door.

You can’t do this to me after I trusted you, owner~^^; It’s not a good idea to try and run off with the deposit when we know each other’s faces, names, and numbers. Why aren’t you answering your phone???

This is the director of OO English Academy. 010-XXXX-XXXX If I don’t hear from you by March 20th, I will take legal action. Life is not a game.

Honestly, I didn’t think it was true, but I’m disappointed. I was a student who truly respected you, owner. I never thought you would betray my trust like this.

No, I didn’t run off… there were extenuating circumstances….

Who is this student? Please give me a chance to explain….

But they had every reason to misunderstand. The inside of the cafe was a mess as if someone had made a hasty escape (probably the bodyguards rushing in), the electricity was out, the phone was broken and unusable. The image of the diligent young cafe owner, a pillar of the community, had crumbled.

My precious cafe! The precious stepping stone to securing the first floor of Woo Seung Electronics’ Gangnam branch!

Despair overwhelmed me as I leaned my forehead against my hand. Then, I suddenly realized something even worse. With a short cry, I hurriedly unlocked the door. I waved off Woo Baekyeon, who was trying to help me inside with my crutches.

“Hey, hey. Woo Baekyeon, don’t come in!”

“It’s bright outside, and with you here, a dimly lit place like that is fine.”

“That’s not it….”

I stood in front of the refrigerator, no, since the power was out, it wasn’t a refrigerator at all… it was a giant metal box full of food. Steeling myself, I opened the door.

“…Ha…”

I closed it again with a look of despair. What was I supposed to do with the spoiled desserts and dairy products? And the broken tables, and the customers who would surely leave…

“Can we add this to that bastard’s charges…?”

“I’ll file a civil suit.”

“Okay…”

I was overwhelmed by the sudden intrusion of reality. I wanted to at least figure out what to do first, so I hobbled to the cafe entrance and leaned against the wall.

“Sigh…”

The sunlight streamed through the glass door, casting a long beam on the floor. It looked like a wedding aisle. Dust, undisturbed for days, danced in the light like pollen.

“Jung Hankyung.”

Woo Baekyeon crossed the path of white light and approached me. I felt a sense of déjà vu.

“Jung Hankyung, are you alright?”

He had said that his life had changed because of me, when I suddenly approached him at the wedding hall while he was enduring difficult days.

Amidst the despair, I think I now understood the power of a loving presence that comes to you.

Woo Baekyeon stood before me and kissed me.

“We can fix this somehow, so don’t be upset.”

Oh, right. I’d told him to kiss me whenever I seemed upset. I hadn’t expected it to apply in this situation.

But even that uncanny coincidence added to the déjà vu.

It was next to the entrance, at the end of the wedding aisle. The season was different, but the temperature felt similar. A cool breeze blew, just enough to fully feel the other person’s warmth.

When Woo Baekyeon kissed me again and pulled away, I said with a smile, “Take responsibility.”

Woo Baekyeon blinked a few times. He must have had the same thought, as he gave a faint smile and nodded.

“Yes. I will.”

If I take responsibility for your love, and you take responsibility for mine, we will be happy forever.