OMS 60
by Cherry“We were about to contact you, how did you know? We were surprised when she suddenly regained consciousness. She’s able to communicate fully now. Due to the long bed rest, it might take a while before she can start walking again.”
After finishing his conversation with the doctor, Park Dong-sik carefully opened the door and entered the hospital room. Kim Yoon-ah looked at him with her gaunt face. Park Dong-sik studied the face before him intently.
“Is it really you?”
Kim Yoon-ah laughed wearily.
“Yes, it’s me…Surprising, isn’t it?”
Her once clear voice had lost its strength and cracked at the ends. Park Dong-sik brought a chair and sat beside her.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes. I’m fine…”
“Do you remember everything clearly?”
“Well…My heart felt like it was being torn apart, and I couldn’t breathe. I was scared when I felt I was dying. So I prayed desperately. I didn’t want to die like this…Please save me…And they really did save me. When I opened my eyes, I was back in my body.”
Kim Yoon-ah smiled faintly, and Park Dong-sik held her hand.
“Thank goodness. I thought I’d lost you.”
Kim Yoon-ah looked worriedly at the sweat gathering on Park Dong-sik’s forehead.
“Are you okay?”
“Why?”
“You look pale.”
“How can you worry about others when you just came back from death? Geez. My heart’s still pounding from the shock.”
Park Dong-sik rubbed his stomach. Since Chairman Kim collapsed, his lower abdomen had been aching dully. Maybe it was due to stress. But he couldn’t show it in front of Kim Yoon-ah, who had just returned from death’s door, so he deliberately put on a cheerful front.
“What about the Chairman…Could it be…?”
Park Dong-sik snorted at Kim Yoon-ah’s worried question.
“The old man’s back too. Perfectly fine.”
“Ah…That’s good.”
Park Dong-sik cursed quietly. Damn it. In a way, Park Park Dong-sik had saved him. If he’d known the breathing had stopped because their bodies had switched, he wouldn’t have performed CPR. He regretted it looking at his hands now. Should’ve just let him die. As if understanding his thoughts, Kim Yoon-ah smiled faintly.
“You did a good thing.”
“Did I really?”
As he finished speaking and looked out the window, dark clouds had gathered on the horizon, like an omen forecasting his future. He hadn’t expected their bodies to switch back so quickly. While he was happy Kim Yoon-ah was back, he felt anxious not being able to predict what would happen next.
Park Dong-sik arranged her blanket and asked if she wanted anything to eat.
“No. They say I need to eat porridge for a while since I’ve been lying down so long. I need to walk slowly too because I’ve lost a lot of muscle mass…”
Kim Yoon-ah’s sunken cheeks showed no signs of vitality. Her limbs had become skeletal from lying in the hospital for so long. Seeing this, Park Dong-sik sighed sadly. He should ask them to give her the most expensive nutrients when leaving. But Kim Yoon-ah was staring at him. She looked like she had something to say. He thought he knew what it was but deliberately avoided it.
Finally, he had to tell the truth.
“Can you see this on my face? The nail marks.”
“You’re hurt?”
“Got these trying to hold back Madam Song when Chairman Kim collapsed. For all her elegant pretense, she wailed like a child.”
“…”
“It’s good though. She gets to live with her real husband now.”
“…”
“Just forget about it. What’s so good about an old woman? Someone like you can find someone better.”
Kim Yoon-ah laughed silently, her eyes turning slightly red. Then she made an excuse about feeling sleepy. Park Dong-sik didn’t ask any more questions and asked the caregiver to let her rest before leaving. As he left the room, snowflakes were starting to fall. Ah, the urge to smoke was particularly strong today.
Just one cigarette would be perfect.
Looking around, Park Dong-sik bought cigarettes and a lighter from a convenience store, went into an alley, put a cigarette in his mouth, and lit it. As he took a deep breath and inhaled, the harsh smell made him nauseous. It was the same when he tried again.
Park Dong-sik clicked his tongue, stubbed out the cigarette, and muttered, “Well, whoever the father is, this kid’s damn picky.”
Left with no other choice, he bought a candy to put in his mouth and called Driver Oh to head to the main house. Throughout the journey, Park Dong-sik stared out the window with a tired face. He tried to gather his thoughts about the suddenly changed situation. Madam Song had promised money, so he should go with that first.
As he was calculating in his head, his lower abdomen started aching again.
“Ah…”
Driver Oh checked the situation through the rearview mirror as Park Dong-sik grimaced, holding his stomach.
“Are you in pain?”
“I’m fine. Must be from the shock.”
As he was gently rubbing his stomach, the car stopped at the main house entrance. Upon entering, he saw staff members everywhere and Madam Song sitting on the living room sofa. Her face was particularly dark. “I’m back,” he greeted, and Madam Song turned around with a sigh.
“Where have you been at a time like this?”
“I heard Manager Kim woke up, so I went to visit.”
Madam Song looked slightly surprised.
“Today?”
“Yes.”
“How strange. Manager Kim woke up the same day the Chairman collapsed. Well, that’s good. It’ll be nice to have someone to take care of you when you’re not well yourself.”
“How is Father?”
Madam Song pressed her lips together. Her face showed a mix of joy and unidentifiable emotions. Originally, Chairman Kim hadn’t been a generous person to his wife. Rather, he was the type to ignore and look down on her.
“He lived thanks to you.”
“That’s good.”
“But why did you go there? Did you visit your father-in-law’s room every time I went out?”
“As I told you before, there’s nothing between Father and me. Don’t worry about it, he’s not on the list of potential fathers.”
Madam Song stared at him with an incredulous expression on her face, and Park Dong-sik turned toward the annex with a tired face after giving a slight bow. Ah! After just a few steps, his stomach started hurting again. As he doubled over, clutching his stomach from the more intense pain, Madam Song’s voice came from behind.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“My stomach…Ah!”
He could clearly feel warm liquid running down his thighs.
“Your stomach what? Does it hurt? Wait! You…! Oh? Blood…! My goodness!”
Park Dong-sik looked down at his slacks. Bright red blood was seeping through the pants. As he was confused by the incomprehensible situation, Madam Song urgently called for Butler Yoon. At the same time, his stomach twisted and he collapsed forward in unbearable pain. “Aagh!”
“Butler Yoon! Butler Yoon! Call an ambulance quickly! Butler Yoon!”
Madam Song’s sharp voice was the last thing he heard before losing consciousness completely.
***
The black rabbit seemed weak today. Even the gold and silver treasures draped over its body appeared burdensome. Park Dong-sik approached the rabbit and asked, “Are you sick?”
The rabbit nuzzled against Park Dong-sik’s face. When he stroked it with his hand, it curled up and lay close against him.
Though it was as big as a house, his first thought was how cute it was. The rabbit, which he thought was sleeping, quietly opened its eyes. As Park Dong-sik smiled at its jet-black eyes like go stones, the rabbit moved its mouth.
“…Going to?”
Park Dong-sik asked with a surprised expression.
“Did you just speak?”
This time it asked more clearly.
“Are you going to abandon me?”
Looking at its sad expression, Park Dong-sik couldn’t give any answer. Just then, the wind blew, and looking up at the sky, dark clouds were gathering overhead. Boom, crash! Lightning flashed in the sky and struck the ground instantly.
Park Dong-sik screamed “Aack!” as he saw the lightning strike at his feet.
Gasp! Park Dong-sik came to his senses, opened his eyes wide, and looked around. Beep beep. He could hear machine sounds and see a white ceiling. He’d lost count of how many times this had happened. But this time he didn’t bother with the foolish act of checking his hands. Instead, he felt his lower abdomen.
What happened to the baby? Did he miscarry? Though he had wanted it gone so badly, now thinking it might be gone made something well up in his chest. As Park Dong-sik was struggling to get up using the bed for support, he froze. Kim Jun-han was standing there watching him in what he thought was an empty hospital room.
“Ah, you startled me…When did you arrive?”
“Just now.”
“I’d appreciate it if you could call a doctor…”
“Don’t worry. The baby is fine.”
The joy was short-lived as Park Dong-sik became speechless when he saw Kim Jun-han’s cold demeanor.
So, Kim Jun-han knew.
“Are you disappointed that it’s fine?”
“…”
“Given how you’ve hidden it all this time, it seems like you wanted it gone.”
“T-That’s not it…”
“Then what?”
His tone and expression were nothing but cold. Hurt feelings welled up to the surface. Can’t you offer any comfort? Can’t you at least say you were worried, that you were concerned? Sure, I haven’t done anything right…I’m a bastard who thought to use the baby for money…But still…
Just then, the door burst open and Kim Tae-han entered. His hair was drenched in sweat, and his breathing was so rough it made observers anxious. Kim Jun-han didn’t stop him as he strode in.
“Sister-in-law, are you okay? I heard you collapsed. What happened? See? What did I tell you? I told you to eat properly.”
His eyes showed clear worry as he came close to check on him. Meanwhile, Kim Jun-han glared from behind, looking ready to cut them both down. Park Dong-sik’s lips quivered. Shouldn’t Kim Tae-han know too? Just as he thought this, Kim Jun-han beat him to the punch.
“Lee Hee-soo is pregnant.”
Kim Tae-han turned around with a surprised expression, then looked at Lee Hee-soo.
Park Dong-sik shot an annoyed look at Kim Jun-han for revealing such a thing without his permission.
“Why are you telling him that? If anyone should tell him, it should be me.”
“The fact that you’ve hidden it until now means you had no intention of telling.”
“What do you mean hidden? They would’ve found out anyway when I started showing. I just needed time. It was my first time and I was surprised, and to be more honest…”
I really don’t want to say this myself, but…
“I don’t even know which of you is the father…”
His voice trailed off as he watched their reactions.
Kim Jun-han had an ‘I-knew-it’ expression, while Kim Tae-han, who had been dazed, suddenly smiled happily.
“Haha, then it must be mine!”
Kim Jun-han snapped.
“On what grounds?”
“Because I did it with him more times than you. Right, Sister-in-law?”
Park Dong-sik made an awkward expression. In terms of frequency, that was true. Kim Tae-han seemed almost certain.
“Even though it’s unlikely, imagine if it’s my brother’s child. That would mean our family has two creepy people. Would that be okay?”
“You dare say that to me when you pushed Father down the stairs?”
“That was an accident.”
“Accident? Want me to bring out the evidence?”
Sparks flew between the two, and Park Dong-sik looked back and forth between them with an uncomfortable expression on his face.
“Hey, why are you fighting here? Go fight outside if you’re going to be crazy.” While trying to stop them, Kim Tae-han suddenly hugged Park Dong-sik without warning.
“Congratulations! This is wonderful news!”
His sincerity was spine-chillingly evident.
One thing was certain: this guy would insist it was his baby even if it was Kim Jun-han’s.
Meanwhile, Kim Jun-han’s glare from behind was beyond cold, it carried murderous intent.
Suddenly, the shaman’s words came back to him, sending chills up and down his spine.
[When the baby is born, stay as far away as possible from both of them. Especially Kim Jun-han. That’s how Lee Hee-soo will survive.]