OMS 30

Park Dong-sik looked down at Kim Yoon-ah intently. Three days after the accident, she remained unconscious and dependent on a respirator. He had wondered why no family hadn’t bothered to visit, only to learn later that she grew up as an orphan with nowhere to go.

She always smiled so brightly that he never noticed. The ideal answer to his regret at Park Dong-sik’s mortuary, what if he had lived uprightly despite hardships, was right here before his eyes…

“Hey, Ms. Kim Yoon-ah. Wake up soon. Without you, I’m a bit lonely.”

After making this needless complaint, he left the room to find Kim Tae-han standing there. It was discharge day, and he had completely ignored Kim Jun-han’s warning to come visit.

“I’ve taken care of the discharge paperwork. Sister-in-law just needs to change clothes.”

Kim Tae-han smiled brightly, but Park Dong-sik walked ahead silently. Back in the room, as he changed his top, Kim Tae-han came close to button it up. His gaze fell on the wound.

“Must have hurt a lot. Will it leave a scar?”

Park Dong-sik brushed his hands away and finished buttoning up himself. Kim Tae-han sat on the bed and stared at Park Dong-sik.

“Are you angry with me?”

“No.”

“Then why are you acting so cold?”

Park Dong-sik opened the closet, took out his coat, and checked his belongings. His phone was smashed but his wallet was intact. Opening the wallet, he found the charm the shaman had given him still there. Kim Tae-han was still watching him.

“How’s your father?”

“Like I said, he’s fine except for the cast on his leg. Just some bruising, they say.”

“The culprit?”

Kim Tae-han shrugged his shoulders.

“He woke up but is keeping his mouth shut. Like someone with aphasia.”

Park Dong-sik wet his lips. No matter how he thought about it, it was strange. Even if the first fall down the stairs was an accident, could it be a coincidence when the same thing happens again? As he stared intently trying to gauge Kim Tae-han’s thoughts, the latter smiled.

“Ah, I’m hungry. Want to get lunch on the way? I made reservations at a good place.”

“I’m going home.”

“Why?”

“Home is more comfortable.”

As he walked to the entrance, Kim Tae-han came up to him and put his arm around his shoulders. Then he brought his face close.

“Since when did that place become comfortable, hm?”

A faint scent of skin and pheromones wafted over. As Park Dong-sik tried to push him away, Kim Tae-han cornered him against the door.

“What are you doing?”

“Oh, I forgot to mention, they caught the person who caused the accident.”

Park Dong-sik’s eyes opened wide. “What? When? You didn’t say anything about that.”

“They turned themselves in this morning. They were drunk driving and ran away because they were scared.”

“That can’t be. I’m telling you it was definitely intentional!”

Kim Tae-han showed him a news article on his phone. It said that a conglomerate’s daughter-in-law miraculously survived a traffic accident and the perpetrator turned themselves in early this morning. It talked about the tragedy caused by drunk driving, but he didn’t believe a word from the news article. Meanwhile, Lee Hee-soo’s photo appeared too. Before, he would have ignored it, but now seeing his face in the media made him uncomfortable.

“You didn’t stop the article from running?”

“Rumors about Father’s accident were already circulating. Brother sacrificed his own wife to defend the company’s stock price.”

“…”

“Well honestly, this is much better than the old man’s face, right? People like it too.”

One of the comments said: “Even the rich can’t escape accidents, didn’t her father die recently too?” 

There were sympathetic comments and endless praise about Lee Hee-soo’s looks. “He’s pretty. He’s handsome. His husband is lucky.” 

But among them, one comment caught his eye,

[Hee-soo had an affair with an older guy I know who died drowning. Hee-soo even came to the funeral.]

As he stared in surprise, the comment was instantly deleted.

Kim Tae-han must have seen it too, as he snorted.

“Who would believe such nonsense?”

Park Dong-sik kept his mouth shut.

It wasn’t nonsense. It must be someone who once knew Park Dong-sik.

‘An older guy I know’…

If Moon Ho-cheol had investigated Lee Hee-soo’s background, it would have been enough to misunderstand their relationship. By now he must be red-eyed trying to profit from this. Wasn’t he the type to smell money like a ghost?

“The articles will all be taken down soon. A big celebrity scandal is about to break. People’s interest fades quickly, so don’t worry about it.”

Kim Tae-han grabbed Park Dong-sik’s chin to make him look at his face.

“Don’t make this kind of face,”

Kim Tae-han raised the corner of his mouth handsomely.

“Smile. Okay?”

Park Dong-sik brushed away Kim Tae-han’s hand and went outside. After glancing once toward Kim Yoon-ah’s hospital room, he turned and walked in the opposite direction. Kim Tae-han stopped pestering him and followed at a distance. Anyone watching would have thought they were a sister-in-law and brother-in-law in a decent relationship.

***

“Honey. Say something. How long will you be like this? Dr. Jung says there’s nothing wrong, so why are you acting this way? Hm?”

Chairman Kim kept his mouth shut tight, his eyes darting around anxiously. His tightly clenched hands and face looked like someone being chased. Madam Song, after pleading desperately, finally gave up and left the bedroom for the reception room.

As she collapsed onto the sofa, Kim Ah-ra quietly approached and lowered her voice.

“Mom. Could Dad have dementia?”

Madam Song jumped up and slapped her daughter’s back.

“What nonsense! Didn’t you hear Dr. Jung? He said there’s nothing wrong!”

“Then why is he like that? Not eating, sitting there with a death face, constantly looking around nervously.”

Madam Song sat in a chair, holding her forehead.

“How should I know? Our house must be cursed this year. Starting with Hee-soo and now your father. I don’t know why they’re all acting like this.”

“What about the CCTV?”

“Completely damaged, they say. Butler Yoon said it can’t even be restored. Oh, my head. Oh.”

“Still, we should be grateful it wasn’t worse. He survived after all.”

“That’s all thanks to me. Good thing I put that charm under his pillow. Whew.”

As Madam Song was clutching her chest, the door opened and Kim Tae-han entered with Lee Hee-soo. Lee Hee-soo’s face had grown gaunt after spending days in the hospital. Madam Song glared at Lee Hee-soo with razor-sharp eyes.

“You’re back. Earlier than expected. You must have had a hard time.”

“Yes…”

“If you’re back, go back to the guest house. Why did you come here?”

“Father was hurt. I should at least pay my respects.”

As Park Dong-sik tried to pass Madam Song to go inside, she grabbed his arm. 

“How impudent. This is all because of who? All this trouble happened because you brought those ominous things into our house. The shaman said so. That you would bring our house to ruin.”

“Do you really believe that?”

Just then, the door to the bedroom opened and Chairman Kim appeared with crutches. Madam Song rushed to him in surprise. 

“Honey, you shouldn’t just get up like this. Why did you come out here?”

 But Chairman Kim’s gaze was fixed on Lee Hee-soo. 

His eyes were red, looking like he had much to say. Fury rose in Madam Song’s chest. This person still hadn’t come to their senses.

As she ground her teeth and swallowed her anger, Chairman Kim’s wrinkled lips moved.

“Hee…Hee-soo…could you…come see me for a moment…?”

Everyone looked back and forth between Chairman Kim and Lee Hee-soo with bewildered expressions on their faces. Lee Hee-soo, or rather Park Dong-sik, was equally dumbfounded. This old man, did he wake up from death just to flirt again? Surely not…

“Just for a moment…co…come in…”

Chairman Kim, uncharacteristically stuttering, turned around.

As Park Dong-sik hesitated and then moved to follow, Kim Tae-han held him back.

“Call if anything happens.”

You bastard. You’re just as dangerous. Unable to say it aloud, he simply glared before entering the bedroom. The door closed, cutting off sound from the reception room. Chairman Kim sat on the bed, but something was off. His back was straighter than before, and his expression was restless like someone being chased by debt.

What’s wrong with the old man? They said he hit his head. Did he t just lose it?

“You said you had something to tell me.”

Chairman Kim jumped up and tried to approach, but Park Dong-sik raised a finger in warning.

“Stop. Talk from there. If you try playing with pheromones like before, I really won’t let it slide.”

At those words, Chairman Kim’s lower lip trembled. Park Dong-sik’s brow furrowed. What was that expression just now? Not only that, but he buried his face in his hands and made a strange sound, “Heuuk,” as he sobbed.

Park Dong-sik was dumbfounded and looked behind him. Fuck. Why is this old man acting so scary? As he considered calling for Madam Song, Chairman Kim lifted his head from his hands and dropped tears, plop, plop.

“Hee, Hee-soo nim…”

“Huh?”

“It’s me… sob…”

“…”

“Don’t you recognize me? sniff…”