MW 41

Dohae wanted to have the transplant surgery in a completely stable state. But looking at that face, it did not seem like he would back down easily.

Gritting his teeth, Dohae thought of the foolish Seo Yijae and meekly opened his mouth.

“I’ll try talking to Dr. Yang.”

“Then you may leave. It’s hard to look at that face for long, so go stay at a hotel for the time being.”

At the words telling him not to come home, Dohae bit his lip as if humiliated. Chairman Gu, having finished the one-sided conversation, immediately summoned Secretary Oh.

“You called for me, Chairman.”

“Contact Director Jang and arrange a dinner.”

“Honey, does that mean…”

Mrs. Lee, who had been listening quietly beside him, asked in a welcoming voice.

She wanted to get that brat out of her sight as soon as possible. Seo Yijae. Ever since that child was brought into the house, her anxiety had never subsided, and now he had finally harmed her one and only son.

At this long-awaited moment, her eyes sparkled as she looked at Chairman Gu.

“Yes. I was planning to wait until he graduated so we could sell him for a higher price, but I can’t do that now. As soon as the surgery is over, let’s hand him over to Director Jang in Hong Kong.”

“Yes! That’s a great idea! But where do we find him? Shouldn’t we report him to the police?”

For once, she and her husband were in agreement. Mrs. Lee actively offered her opinion. However, Chairman Gu, who was listening to her, clicked his tongue shortly and opened his mouth.

“The police? What if that brat, Seo Yijae, says something strange.”

“Ah, you’re right. It would be troublesome if the story got out.”

“Instead, we have his weakness.”

At those words, as if remembering a forgotten fact, Mrs. Lee raised an eyebrow. Seo Yijae, that child, firmly believed his biological mother would recover, but her body had already missed the window for treatment and was just clinging to life.

Nevertheless, Seo Yijae would never abandon his own blood. That must be why he willingly put on his own leash and entered this house.

Mrs. Lee recalled the hospital room with its blackening, dying skin and the stench of death, and as if the mere thought gave her goosebumps, she adjusted the outerwear she was wearing. Chairman Gu, with a face just as grimaced as Mrs. Lee’s, spoke to Secretary Oh.

“Contact Sejin Hospital and arrange for the guardian to be contacted. When that brat Seo Yijae shows up, throw him in this house, no. The house in Hwangyeon-dong.”

“What about school?”

“Is school that important in this situation? Just catch that brat as fast as possible!”

“I understand.”

After Secretary Oh left the main house, Chairman Gu ordered a servant to bring him alcohol and poured the strong liquor down his throat.

The biting alcohol flowed down his esophagus. The inside of his stomach burned as if on fire, to the point of making it ache.

“I’ve been too kind all this time. A brat like that should have been disciplined with a rod from the start.”

“I told you we should have just put him in a regular ward.”

If he had listened to her, this would not have happened to Dohyeon. Recalling the shock and anger she felt when she found her son collapsed and unconscious, Mrs. Lee dug her nails into her clenched palm and twisted her lips. At that moment, Secretary Oh, who had left the house, reappeared in a hurry and spoke in a trembling voice.

“Chairman! Madam! We’ve received a call from the hospital!”

⁺₊❆₊⋆

“Ugh…”

Waking from a deep sleep, Yijae let out a groan at the pain he felt throughout his body. Jaeha, who had been reading documents by his side, put them down and leaned toward Yijae.

“Yijae, are you awake?”

“Ah… ugh!”

As soon as he tried to speak, his throat stung. Jaeha quickly poured warm water from a thermos into a cup and brought it to the grimacing Yijae’s lips.

“Slowly.”

As Yijae slowly swallowed the water from the gently tilted cup, he felt his dry throat gradually loosen.

His head was groggy, and he blinked his eyes open and shut repeatedly. Feeling that the place he was in was somehow familiar, he looked around. Then, he realized this was Jaeha’s house.

“Ugh!”

“You shouldn’t move yet.”

Jaeha gently held down Yijae, who was trying to get up, and naturally wiped the sweat from his forehead, adding.

“You haven’t woken up for three days.”

Jaeha let out a short sigh inwardly as he recalled the past three days. Yijae, who would have seizures and then become restless from the lingering fever of his heat cycle that wouldn’t easily subside, had only begun to calm down this morning.

“Don’t you remember?”

Perhaps because of the strong medication, Yijae could not remember. Thinking it might be for the best, Jaeha gently stroked his hair, then pulled his hand away as he watched Yijae flinch and stiffen.

“Ah, hngh, ugh…”

Yijae’s pupils, which had been darting around as if he knew nothing, widened, and soon, bead-like tears fell from beneath his large eyes.

His body trembling faintly, he lowered his head to look at his hands and spoke with a frightened expression.

“I, I, sob, I, Do, Dohyeon, ugh…”

Jaeha pulled Yijae into an embrace as he burst into tears, his voice choked as if he found it difficult to speak, letting out small sobs.

Jaeha held him even tighter, as he trembled like a person who found it hard to even breathe, and slowly stroked Yijae’s back as he spoke.

“No.”

As if asking what he meant, Yijae pushed against Jaeha’s shoulder and lifted his head. He gently wiped Yijae’s eyes, which were soaked with tears, met his fear-filled gaze, and parted his lips.

“He’s not dead. Gu Dohyeon is alive.”

“Hooo…”

A murky breath escaped from between Yijae’s tightly shut lips.

“You didn’t kill Gu Dohyeon.”

“I, I… I, thought, sob, I killed, a, a person. I was, scared, so I tried to run away, sob, I, I can’t do it, I, I didn’t want, to…”

Yijae spoke in a trembling voice. Every time he heard his halting, tear-filled story, the events of that day, which he had heard over the phone, came back to Jaeha vividly.

“I, so, that’s why I had no choice…”

As Yijae continued to speak, gasping as if he were about to stop breathing, Jaeha again stroked his back to calm him down.

“Slowly. I’ll listen, so let’s speak slowly, Yijae. You’re going to get yourself in big trouble again if you keep this up.”

Worried something might happen to Yijae, Jaeha watched him with a concerned gaze. He brought the warm water to his trembling lips again and gently tilted the cup as he spoke.

“Let’s drink a little more water. Okay?”

At Jaeha’s earnest words, Yijae managed to swallow the water, his body still trembling with the feeling that he was still dreaming of that nightmarish reality.

Dohyeon’s enraged face, and Mrs. Lee who had ignored him and walked past. And himself, helpless and unable to do anything.