Chapter 103
- The Best Prescription
2022.04.23.
Jeong-o put one of Ji-heon's arms around her shoulder and went up the stairs.
She wouldn't even carry her 20kg daughter up the stairs because it was too much, but now she was leading a man several times heavier up the stairs.
But strangely enough, she didn't feel like she couldn't do it. It felt like he was pushing her back, telling her to go up well.
He was whining about being dizzy. Was that all an excuse?
If this is revenge, you're really smart!
Anyway, Jeong-o was deeply regretting the harsh words she had said to him outside, so she moved her feet without complaining.
Huff. Huff.
Jeong-o's rough breathing filled the narrow staircase inside the building where there wasn't a single breeze. There are moments when you realize your feelings through your actions.
This was exactly one of those moments. Jeong-o realized how much she loved Jeong Ji-heon as she struggled to climb up without abandoning him.
"Jeong Ji-heon, we're almost there. Just a little further."
As Jeong-o encouraged him, his body moved a little lighter.
Finally, the 4th floor.
Jeong-o pressed the password on the front door.
Hoo-ah!
Is this what a mountaineer feels like when they reach the summit?
Guk-soon, who came out of the room at the sound of the door opening, was surprised to see Ji-heon leaning on Jeong-o's shoulder and asked.
"What's wrong? Did you drink?"
"No."
"What's going on, really..."
"He said he has a headache and can't go home."
"If he has a headache, you should take him to the hospital..."
Guk-soon muttered anxiously.
"Mother."
Then Ji-heon called Guk-soon. Unlike his slumped body, his voice was quite clear.
"Yes. Yena's father."
"I'll, uh, stay over."
Jeong-o and Guk-soon's mouths opened at the same time.
He was so confident that it sounded like he was demanding a room to the two of them.
"Oh. Okay, okay. Do whatever you want, Yena's father."
But kind-hearted Guk-soon immediately agreed. She thought it was a relief that he said he would stay here first, as she would be even more worried if he drove home in this condition.
Guk-soon opened her door and gestured.
"Come here. Sleep here. I've made up the bed."
"No, I can sleep with Yena in that room."
"Yena rolls around too much, it won't work."
"Then in the living room..."
"What are you saying? Rest comfortably in this room."
"......"
"You can wear these clothes. They're refrigerator pants and a t-shirt. Comfortable."
While Ji-heon, who had inadvertently taken his mother-in-law's bed and even borrowed her clothes, was dazed, Guk-soon rearranged the blanket and went over to Jeong-o's room.
Jeong-o found it a little funny that the man who had confidently announced that he would stay over just a moment ago was now wearing a guilty expression thanks to Guk-soon's generous hospitality. But since his expression outside the building couldn't have been fake, she focused on providing warm care.
"Just rest. Don't think about anything and sleep."
Jeong-o took Ji-heon to Guk-soon's room, put a water bottle by the bed, and closed the door.
'I should sleep in the living room today.'
Jeong-o thought about going to the room where Yena was sleeping, but she spread out a blanket in the living room. She was worried because she didn't know what might happen to Ji-heon during the night.
Panic. If Jeong-o had to put a name to Ji-heon's appearance, that's what she would call it. It was the first time she had seen him like that. He didn't even look like that on the day he found out that Yena was his daughter.
The man who was quite cruel to others and didn't easily show her his weak side was now showing such an anxious face that seemed like he would collapse in a gentle breeze, so she couldn't stop worrying about him and couldn't fall asleep easily.
Even after the lights in the house were turned off, Jeong-o tossed and turned for a long time before falling asleep.
And about an hour later.
Her fingertips woke up in surprise at the rustling sound. Jeong-o jumped up and blinked her eyes. She saw a huge man sitting at her feet like a well-trained large dog. Even in the pitch-darkness, Guk-soon's red and blue pants stood out.
"Ah, sorry."
Jeong-o sighed in relief at Ji-heon's serious appearance as he hesitantly got up. It seemed like he was finally back to his usual self, Jeong Ji-heon. Jeong-o stopped Ji-heon as he was about to go into the room.
"Hey. Jeong Ji-heon."
"......"
"How are you feeling now? Are you okay?"
"......I'm okay."
He answered awkwardly, as if he was a little embarrassed about what had happened a few hours ago.
"What's wrong? Why did you suddenly do that?"
Jeong-o asked, relieved by his answer.
Ji-heon carefully opened his mouth.
"Suddenly, I couldn't see well. My vision became like a pinhole..."
He couldn't honestly say that he couldn't breathe as if he was about to die, that the ground was sinking and the world was disappearing, and that he felt a chilling cold that seemed to cut his skin.
Looking at her expression, he thought it was a good thing he didn't tell the truth. Nevertheless, he felt good that there was someone who worried about him more than he worried about himself.
"I'm okay now. I'm fine."
"Go to the hospital."
Jeong-o said with tears in her eyes.
Ji-heon, who roughly knew what the symptoms were, replied comfortably.
"I'll be fine soon if I rest."
"Has this happened before?"
"Not exactly the same, but I've had similar experiences."
"What was it like? Was it worse than today?"
He couldn't answer easily. If his past experiences were just moments of anxiety, today was closer to a seizure.
When he didn't answer, Jeong-o asked another question first.
"Have you been to the hospital? What did they say at the hospital?"
"They tell me to rest. They also prescribe good medicine."
Even though Ji-heon reassured her, Jeong-o's expression didn't ease.
"Oppa, you weren't like this before. At least you were fine when I met you."
"......"
"Isn't it because of that accident 7 years ago? Like post-traumatic stress?"
Maybe that's it. Ji-heon, who agreed, nodded quietly.
"What about hypnotherapy? Have you ever tried it? Should I look into it?"
"It's okay. You don't have to worry."
"How can I not worry?"
"Someone who worries, huh?"
Ji-heon narrowed his eyes and glared at Jeong-o. Jeong-o's heart stung as if his gaze was a needle.
She knew what he was talking about. She had confidently told his mother that her son was finally happy, and now she was trying to make him anxious again.
If Jeong-o had known that he would be so shocked by the words she said to give him a choice, she wouldn't have said a word from the beginning.
Jeong-o curled her lips and lowered her head.
"Don't say that anymore."
"......"
"You can't abandon me."
No. That's not what she meant by abandoning him.
It seemed like her words sounded so harsh to him.
"I only have you."
He had come closer without her realizing it and reached out to her. Jeong-o couldn't say anything because his quiet confession sounded so desperate and affectionate.
Ji-heon carefully tucked her hair behind her ear as if he was touching a thin glass bowl. She had to hold back her tears again. The pocket of anxiety he had found had more tears hidden than she thought.
I love you. Much more than you think.
I don't want to be anything without you. What should I do now?
"I only need you."
"Why do you think you only need me? There are so many good people around Oppa."
"Still, I only need you."
Ji-heon's mind didn't change despite Jeong-o's rebuttal.
"Then what about our Yena?"
"Yena is yours too."
"How is Yena mine? Yena is Yena's."
"Yeah. Because you're that kind of person..."
Because you're that kind of person, I love you.
It felt like confessing his love wouldn't be enough even if he stayed up all night.
"If you're there, Yena will follow. And your mother will come too because she's your soulmate."
Lee Jung-o was the center for Ji-heon. Like a plant that needs sunlight to bloom, he felt like he could only share the love inside him with anyone if he received a lot of love from her. Ji-heon was relying on Jeong-o even more than Jeong-o was relying on him.
Jeong-o smiled as if she liked Ji-heon's answer. Ji-heon continued the words he couldn't say a few hours ago.
"You must have been very surprised to meet my mother."
"No. I really wasn't surprised at all."
"......"
"I said what I wanted to say. Actually, I think I was waiting for my mother to come."
Jeong-o confessed everything she had talked about with Youngmi to Ji-heon.
*
Early morning.
For once, Yena woke up first. As soon as Yena opened her eyes, she saw her grandmother's face and made a face as if she was about to cry.
"Why are you here, Grandma? Where's Mom?"
She thought her mom had left for work without her. Guk-soon got up groggily and replied.
"Can't Grandma stay for a bit? Are you only going to sleep with your mom forever?"
"I'm going to sleep with Mom forever and ever!"
Yena shouted and opened the door, then found Jeong-o lying in the living room and shook Jeong-o's body.
"Mom. Why did you sleep here? Yena was worried."
Jeong-o, who was melting at Yena's whiny affection, smiled contentedly with her eyes barely open and hugged Yena.
"Dad slept in Grandma's room. So everyone switched rooms today."
"Really?"
She was about to hug her even tighter, but as soon as she heard Jeong-o's answer, Yena jumped up. To go to her dad.
"Dad was sick last night. So don't wake him up. Let him rest a little more."
"Okay. I understand."
Yena, who answered carefully in a whisper, opened Guk-soon's door on tiptoes.
She's not the kind of child who becomes careful just because she tries to be careful.
Jeong-o shook her head, looking at Yena worriedly.
Ji-heon, who had fallen asleep late after talking with Jeong-o, slowly opened his eyes to the feeling of itching on his hand. A fairy-like beautiful child was moving stealthily in front of his eyes.
So there are mornings like this.
It turns out there can be mornings like this.
It was a morning where he was grateful for what had happened overnight.
The child, who had been fidgeting next to Ji-heon, tilted her head greatly, lowered herself to the floor to match Ji-heon's eye level, and asked.
"Dad, does it hurt a lot?"
"No, it doesn't hurt."
Ji-heon responded to the beautiful question with a smile and hugged the little angel tightly. Yena giggled in Ji-heon's arms. The laughter continued for quite a while, and Ji-heon eventually ended up laughing out loud with her.
A little later, Ji-heon came out to the living room and greeted Guk-soon first.
"Mother, did you sleep well?"
"Yes. Is Yena's dad okay now too?"
"Yes. I'm fine thanks to you. I'm really sorry about last night."
"No, it's okay. Go wash up and eat."
Guk-soon seemed to be holding back a big laugh, which made him a little embarrassed. He wondered if he looked too funny in his refrigerator pants or if he had built a bird's nest on his head, so he unconsciously smoothed his hair and headed to the bathroom, but stopped as he was about to open the door.
There was a Tattoo sticker on his right wrist. It was an adorable and cute baby angel, just like Yena.
While Ji-heon was staring blankly at his arm, Jeong-o came out of the bathroom. Jeong-o also saw the sticker on Ji-heon's wrist and chuckled.
"That's Yena's favorite Tattoo sticker."
Jeong-o said to Yena, who was standing behind her.
"Lee Yena! How can you play a prank on your dad?"
"That's a healing fairy. The healing fairy made Dad better."
The giggling Yena fairy answered brightly.
"Dad, you don't hurt at all now, right?"
It was a better prescription than any doctor's.
