Chapter 86
86. To My Beloved You 2022.02.23.
“Yena!”
The director, coming out of the classroom, spotted Yena and rushed over in surprise.
“Yena! Yena!”
The color drained from the faces of the two children standing beside her, watching.
“……Is she dead?”
Suin asked in a trembling voice. The director checked Yena's breathing and pupils, then patted Yena's cheek. Yena briefly opened her eyes, but soon closed them again. The director turned to the two children and asked.
“What happened? How did she collapse?”
“We just, we just asked if she really had a dad, but she kept lying about having one……”
Jaein answered with a frightened expression. The director wore a stern face but had no time to scold them. The director scooped up Yena and said.
“I need to take her to the hospital. Can you tell the assistant director?”
The director instructed the children and left immediately. Jin-seo and Do-bin spotted the director leaving the academy.
“Yena!”
Jin-seo was the first to recognize Yena in the director's arms and ran over.
“What happened! What's wrong with our Yena?”
“Teacher, what's wrong with Yena? Is Yena sick? Is Yena going to die?”
Do-bin also asked with a shocked expression. The director answered urgently.
“She collapsed. Her breathing is normal, though.”
“Did you contact Yena's mom? Should I call her?”
“Yes. Please do.”
While Jin-seo contacted Lee Jung-oh, the director quickly hailed a taxi. The director, Yena, Jin-seo, and Do-bin headed to the hospital together. \
- Are you doing well?
- Are you having fun?
- You're not even replying. You must be really busy.
Lee Jung-oh checked the three text messages Ji-heon had sent in a row at 12 PM and chuckled. She found it amusing that Ji-heon was acting sulky for no reason while she was carrying out an important mission.
“Deputy Manager, is something good happening?”
“Huh? No, no.”
At Gi-hoon's question, Lee Jung-oh put her phone in her bag. She had been entrusted with the important task of receiving beer for filming from a factory near Seoul and transporting it to the filming location in Gangneung, Gangwon Province. It took a long time to check and load each beer for filming, and the distance was considerable, so she arrived at the filming location after 2 PM. It was terribly hot, but the weather was perfect for filming. After delivering the products to the staff, eating a late lunch, and admiring the scenery of the filming location and the visuals of the model, it was already 4 PM. Lee Jung-oh and Gi-hoon greeted Mi-ran and Young-gwang first and left the filming location. Even if they left at 4 PM, they would arrive in Seoul around 7 PM. After going to the company to take care of the pending work, she would be leaving work late again today.
“Gi-hoon, you must be tired. I wish I could drive, but I have a dormant license.”
“Oh, I didn't know you had a license, Deputy Manager.”
“I got it. I just don't have a car.”
She thought she should have a driver's license to raise a child, so she took the plunge and got one a few years ago, but without a car, the license became useless. It wasn't that she couldn't afford to buy a car, but when she actually tried to, she kept considering cost-effectiveness. She used public transportation to commute, and when problems arose, she could take a taxi, so she didn't feel the need for a car. Only after buying her child a cell phone yesterday did she suddenly feel sorry. Lee Jung-oh didn't feel the need to buy a car, but her child might have felt resentful about it. If she had a car, they could have gone on fun trips to more distant places, but she hadn't been able to do that for her child's entire seven years.
‘Since we're going camping in the fall, should I get a car before then?’
No. Would Oppa go with us then? Just imagining going camping with her child, Ji-heon, and Guk-soon and grilling meat made her feel good. While Lee Jung-oh was secretly smiling, Gi-hoon asked.
“Since you have a license, would you like to try driving?”
“Are you very tired? If you're tired, I'll call a designated driver.”
“No. It's not because I'm tired, but I thought it would be good experience for you to get behind the wheel. For practice.”
“If you entrust the driving to me, I can't guarantee your life.”
“I can entrust my life to you, Deputy Manager.”
Gi-hoon replied good-naturedly. While the two were laughing amicably, Lee Jung-oh's phone vibrated. The caller was Jin-seo.
“Yes. Do-bin's mother.”
[Lee Jung-oh, are you at the company now? Don't be alarmed, but Yena collapsed at the academy and is on her way to the hospital now.]
“Our Yena?”
Jin-seo had told her not to be alarmed, but Lee Jung-oh's heart sank.
[Her breathing and pulse are normal, and the director said she saw Yena open her eyes briefly. But she closed them again. I'll go to the hospital first and take care of things, so come to the hospital.]
Jin-seo gave her the hospital address and hung up immediately. Lee Jung-oh couldn't even say "yes" properly in the meantime. The hand holding the disconnected phone trembled.
“What's wrong? Did something happen to your child?”
“Yes. Gi-hoon…… I think I need to go to the hospital……”
“The hospital?”
“My child…… collapsed……”
“Is she conscious?”
“Uh, uh…… I don't know, I don't know……”
“……”
“Gi-hoon, can you…… can you take me quickly?”
Lee Jung-oh spoke haltingly in a trembling voice. She felt like all her senses were paralyzed. Her head was also blank and not functioning properly. The car was driving on the highway. Even if they went quickly, it was still more than an hour away.
“Deputy Manager, I'll get there as quickly as possible. Don't worry.”
Gi-hoon reassured Lee Jung-oh reassuringly and stepped hard on the accelerator. \ Max Planning hallway. Ji-heon, who had attended a meeting with the planning team due to a client's visit, stared at his frozen phone and sighed bitterly.
‘She's not even sending a reply, huh?’
He had sent Lee Jung-oh three text messages at 12 PM, but she hadn't replied. Is your name Lee Jung-oh or Mean Jung-oh? How can you be so heartless? Anyway, she said she would be back at the company in the evening, so he would have to get revenge for sure when he met her, he thought as he returned to his office. On the way, he saw Seung-gyu running busily. He thought he must be busy and didn't greet him separately, but Seung-gyu, who spotted Ji-heon, ran over first.
“Are you okay?”
“Huh? Why?”
“I heard Yena collapsed?”
“……”
“I just got a call too. Do-bin's mom and the director of the Go academy took her to the hospital, I heard.”
Ji-heon also felt his heart sink. * The hospital emergency room, where the director had left after dropping off Yena, and only Jin-seo and Do-bin remained.
“Yenaaaaa. Yenaaaaa.”
Do-bin sobbed continuously in front of the lying Yena.
“Yenaaaaa, don't dieeeeee. I'll be good to youuuuuu.”
To my beloved you, I couldn't even say I love you.
Jin-seo, finding it hard to listen, sighed and comforted Do-bin.
“Do-bin. Yena's not going to die. Please be quiet.”
“Yenaaaaa.”
Nevertheless, Do-bin's voice was loud. He was the type to squeeze out tears, so why was he wailing so much? Jin-seo was constantly embarrassed by her noisy son. She had to bow her head repeatedly like a criminal to the people she made eye contact with. Did this kid cry so sadly when I collapsed too? I don't think so. She couldn't stay in the hospital any longer because the child was being too loud. Fortunately, Guk-soon, who had been contacted by Jin-seo, arrived at the hospital quickly. There was one advantage to this wailing. Guk-soon found Yena's location faster than anyone else and rushed over quickly. Jin-seo, who spotted Guk-soon, got up from her seat.
“Oh my, our Yena, what's wrong with our child? What's wrong with her?”
Guk-soon, who had always been polite to Jin-seo, prioritized the child over greetings. Even when Guk-soon, who had rushed over in a panic, asked Jin-seo, Do-bin's wailing continued.
“Yenaaaaa. Don't dieeee. Noooooooo.”
“What's wrong with our Yena! Is she, is she dying? What, what disease does she have!”
Guk-soon asked in surprise at Do-bin's crying.
“Ah, no. Yena just collapsed from shock.”
Jin-seo told her what she had heard from the director in a careful voice.
“It seems like she was a bit stressed…… Kids around Yena's age, they ganged up on her because she doesn't have a dad.”
“Oh my goodness, oh my, oh my goodness! Who, who did that to our baby, to our baby!”
Guk-soon's voice became agitated.
“So, she's still unconscious? What should we do?”
“The doctor says it looks like she'll be okay. They want to admit her today and monitor her condition.”
Only after confirming the child's condition and feeling reassured did Guk-soon express her gratitude.
“Oh, thank you. Do-bin’s mother isn’t well herself, so I’m so grateful and sorry.”
“It’s nothing. But I think we should get going now. It’s almost time for Do-yoon to come home, and Do-bin is being too much of a nuisance…”
“Aigoo, aigoo…”
Hearing his name, Do-bin, who had just copied Guk-soon’s cries, shouted even louder. Now, Do-bin’s wails seemed like a desperate struggle. Reaching his limit, Jin-seo clenched his teeth and said,
“Park Do-bin, let’s go now.”
“Why?”
“We have to go home. It’s almost time for Do-yoon to come home.”
“Then Mom can go.”
“What? You little rascal, come here!”
Jin-seo eventually used force to drag Do-bin out. Do-bin cried out for Yena as he was dragged away, but Yena didn't move. Guk-soon called a staff member and quickly completed the admission procedures. After moving Yena to the hospital room, the doctor came again and reassured them that the child was fine. Hearing the doctor's words directly, Guk-soon felt like she could breathe again. Once the shock wore off, a new worry suddenly arose. Fortunately, Ji-heon arrived not too late.
“Mother.”
“Oh, aigoo, you came just in time. Yena’s father!”
“How’s Yena? Is she okay?”
“Yes. They said there’s nothing seriously wrong. She’ll be admitted today, monitored, and discharged tomorrow.”
“She hasn’t woken up yet?”
“They said we can think of it as her being asleep, but we need to watch her a bit longer.”
Ji-heon looked at Yena and checked her condition before kneeling in front of the bed, letting out a rough sigh. It was obvious that he had rushed over as quickly as he could after hearing the news about the child.
“You must have been very surprised, Mother.”
“Oh, yes. I ran out of the restaurant. I don’t even remember if I closed the door properly or turned off the gas.”
“Don’t worry about things here and go back quickly. Or should I go?”
“No. I’ll go.”
Guk-soon said, waving her hand.
“Still, it’s a relief that Yena’s father is here. Thank you for rushing over.”
He’s her father, it’s the obvious thing to do. Ji-heon felt awkward at Guk-soon’s words. Guk-soon hurriedly left, and Ji-heon was left alone with Yena in the hospital room. This was the second time he was seeing his sleeping child. It was the first time in a not-so-dark light. The child was as lovely as an angel even while sick. A heavy energy brushed across that lovely face. The doctor had said it was nothing serious, but Ji-heon couldn't help but worry. The child occasionally twitched her fingertips as if her hand was spasming. Ji-heon placed his finger on Yena's palm. Yena gripped Ji-heon's hand tightly.
