Vol 4 Ch 1

The end of January. The media kept saying that the real cold was just beginning. I wondered if it could get any colder than this. The bitter cold scoffed and burrowed deeper into the city.

Thump, thump, thump. The wind pounded fiercely against the car window. I rubbed my palm against the fogged-up glass.

With blurred vision, I gazed outside. A fan-shaped glimpse of the desolate scenery came into view. The path where the wind passed through was empty. The air had grown even colder, and the wind scraping the ground was truly terrifying. The few people in sight buried their noses into their thick coats and hurried along. A faint puff of breath floated from their lips.

Scenes so ordinary that they felt almost surreal passed by in succession. Only a thin glass pane separated us, yet it felt like an entirely different world.

“…….”

It had already been two weeks since I left that greenhouse. A lot had happened in that time. I had repeatedly begged CEO Jang not to harm my uncle any further. I promised, over and over, that I would pay back the three thousand, even if not immediately. Whenever I got the chance, I pleaded and clung to him. CEO Jang, who had looked down at me with cold eyes as I clung to his arm, eventually moved my uncle to a nearby hospital. Even after hearing that, I was uneasy, so I followed his staff to the hospital to see for myself.

From a distance, I watched my uncle lying limp in bed before I left.

“…….”

And after that, something changed within me. I no longer had nightmares of CEO Jang. The nightmares of my father and uncle also became far less frequent.

“If you can’t endure it, just forget.”

Perhaps his words had finally taken hold. Forget it if I couldn’t bear it—he had said that. But he had also told me to remember, at the very least, the feeling of being in his arms. When that voice resurfaced in my mind, a flush of heat bloomed on my cheeks.

Even when I did have nightmares now, I was no longer left alone in the darkness. The man sleeping beside me would hold me. His indifferent hand would brush against my cheek, and he would pull me into his embrace.

The reflection in the window—a face tinged with warmth—felt so unfamiliar that I bit down hard on my lower lip.

For no reason, my hand reached for my wristwatch. The second hand ticked forward, its steady sound matching the slightly quickened rhythm of my heartbeat.

Looking out at the frozen world, I suddenly thought that this cold wouldn’t break completely without a few more hardships.

After passing one more alley, the car finally came to a stop. I adjusted the scarf wrapped around my neck once more before preparing to get out. But CEO Jang’s staff quickly stopped me.

“Hey.”

“…Yes?”

“Take this with you.”

He pulled out a fruit basket from the passenger seat. It was enormous. Firm, ripe fruits filled it to the brim, with a few peaches peeking out from the middle. I stared at it for a moment before taking it with both hands.

“…Thank you.”

“We’ll be nearby, having some hot soup while we wait, so take your time. Might as well get paid for doing nothing, right?”

With a grin as big as his frame, the staff member turned away. When I glanced back, he was already lighting a cigarette, waving at me with his free hand. I gave him a small nod and quickly stepped inside the hospital.

The hospital room was as quiet as ever.

Standing at the door, I gazed at my mother’s pale face, tightening my grip on what I held. Moving forward, I sat down beside the bed.

“…Mom.”

I set the fruit basket down in the corner and placed the bankbook I had been carrying onto the bed for a moment. Now that I had retrieved what was lost, I hoped she, too, could find her way back safely from wherever she was wandering.

Just before the clock struck one, someone entered the hospital room. It was the caregiver I had seen before. She looked startled upon seeing me, so I quickly bowed deeply.

“Hello. I’m Im Sunhwa’s nephew.”

“Oh, really!”

Her eyes studied my face closely before she clapped her hands together.

“Now that I see you, I can tell right away.”

I had thought we might run into each other someday, but I hadn’t expected it to be today. I was a little caught off guard. The caregiver patted my shoulder and pulled out another chair, motioning for me to sit. Then, she gestured toward the fruit basket beside me.

“Did you bring that for the patient?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Let me see it.”

She asked where I had gotten such fine fruit, then peeled a pear and handed me a piece.

“Thank you for staying by her side all this time.”

“It’s nothing. I’m just doing my job. It was lonely being in a private room alone, but now that you’re here, it’s nice to have company.”

“……Yes.”

“Come visit often.”

Lowering the fork with the fruit, I hesitated before calling out softly.

“Ma’am.”

She paused and turned to me. I fiddled with my sleeve as I continued.

“I heard a charity organization was sponsoring my mother. Do you know which one it is?”

“…A charity?”

She tilted her head as if hearing this for the first time.

“I just wanted to thank them.”

I had nothing to give in return, but at the very least, I wanted to express my gratitude. Even if it was just through a phone call. A flicker of guilt crossed the caregiver’s face.

“Well, I just take jobs through my agency, so I don’t really know the details.”

“Oh, I see.”

She glanced around the room.

“To be honest, since no one ever visited, I assumed the family was just too busy. I thought they were just paying the hospital and caregiver fees without coming by.”

No one had come. A dull ache settled in my chest. I had suspected as much, but hearing it confirmed by someone else made it feel even more real.

“So it was a charity covering the costs.”

The caregiver murmured to herself, her eyes briefly flickering with curiosity. But soon, she dismissed it with a smile, choosing to see the good in the situation.

“If they’re covering a private room in a hospital like this, they must be incredibly generous.”

I had to agree. The amount of money spent here could have easily supported three more patients. I didn’t know why the organization had chosen quality over quantity, but my gratitude remained unchanged.

The caregiver pulled out another chair and sat down, slicing an apple with a knife.

“Here, have some fruit.”

I hesitated before reaching out to take the fork. The scars on my fingertips had nearly faded. Though my body was still covered in traces of past wounds, their color had significantly lightened. Maybe, soon, they would disappear entirely.

Before the caregiver arrived, I had briefly touched the bankbook in my pocket. Just to make sure it was still there.