Chapter 88
88. The Suffering Anyway 2022.03.02.
The car Gi-hoon was driving arrived at the hospital around 7 PM. They could drive fast on the highway, but the roads were very congested entering Seoul. They experienced traffic jams here and there, coinciding with rush hour. Still, they arrived relatively quickly. Jeong-o, who got out of the car in front of the hospital, greeted Gi-hoon.
“Gi-hoon, thank you so much. You really went through a lot today.”
“It’s nothing. Go to Yena quickly.”
Gi-hoon waved his hand. Jeong-o also waved at Gi-hoon and immediately turned around and ran. Guk-soon and Ji-heon had reassured her not to worry, but as soon as she arrived at the hospital, her heart started racing again. Jeong-o couldn't wait for the frustratingly slow elevator and ran up the emergency stairs. The 6th floor, where the hospital rooms were lined up. Panting, Jeong-o quickly scanned her surroundings to find the room number. Yena's room seemed to be at the very end of the hallway. Jeong-o hurriedly moved her feet and saw Guk-soon at the end of the hallway. Guk-soon was leaning against the wall of the hallway without going inside the room.
“Mom.”
“You’re here?”
Before Jeong-o could ask why she wasn't going inside the room, Guk-soon pointed to the hospital room door with her chin. The door to the room was slightly open. Guk-soon was looking inside the room through the crack. Ji-heon was seen holding Yena. Yena was leaning against Ji-heon's chest. She seemed to be asleep, but occasional soft hiccups could be heard. It seemed she was hiccupping even in her sleep because her breathing was uneven after crying. Dewdrops hung in Jeong-o's eyes as she confirmed the peaceful scene. She had been accepted. The child to her father, the father to his child.
“They’re pretty. Both of them are so pretty.”
Guk-soon whispered quietly, like a part of the air. \ Gi-hoon returned to the office after dropping Jeong-o off at the hospital. Assistant Manager Go Eun-ju, who had been guarding the office alone all day because Mi-ran and Young-gwang were at the filming location, asked.
“Where is Assistant Manager Lee?”
“At the hospital. Her child collapsed.”
“Ah. Is that so?”
Eun-ju had witnessed Director Jeong Ji-heon hastily leaving the company a few hours ago after canceling all subsequent schedules. She thought she had vaguely heard the word 'hospital.' She thought someone must have been hurt, but it turned out that Assistant Manager Lee Jung-o's child had collapsed. Eun-ju guessed that Ji-heon would be at the hospital. The two of them must be very close. Gi-hoon, who noticed Eun-ju's reaction, tilted his head and asked.
“You don’t seem very surprised?”
“No, I was very surprised.”
“Hoo. I felt so suffocated on the road. I was like this, so I can only imagine how Assistant Manager Lee must have felt.”
Gi-hoon recounted the situation as if he was lamenting.
“But it seems Director Jeong Ji-heon called and gave her some work. Given Assistant Manager Lee's personality, I thought she would argue, like, 'Am I in a position to take care of that right now? My child collapsed!' but she was just listening silently. 'Yes, Director, yes, Director,' she kept saying.”
“……”
“She lost all her fighting spirit. I felt so bad.”
Gi-hoon, that's not it... Eun-ju, who was aware of the relationship between Lee Jung-o and Jeong Ji-heon, felt sorry for Gi-hoon but could only watch and say nothing.
“Huh? What's wrong? Is there something on my face?”
“Not really, but it's a little red.”
“Ah, haha……”
At Eun-ju's words, Gi-hoon touched his cheeks, which were slightly flushed. What should she do? Just talking about Assistant Manager Lee Jung-o makes this pure young man blush like that. Eun-ju resolutely turned her head. I don't know. I won't say anything until the end. Assistant Manager Lee Jung-o, you reap what you sow. \ Ji-heon, who laid the sleeping child back on the bed and came out to the hallway in front of the hospital room, told Jeong-o and Guk-soon about the next steps.
“First, we need to do a paternity test.”
“Okay. Can we do it here? It would be good to do it while we're at the hospital.”
“It's difficult at this hospital.”
Ji-heon answered Guk-soon's question.
“No, why?”
“That's……”
Ji-heon hesitated for a moment before honestly revealing.
“I have a friend named Chae Eun-yeop. As you might guess from the name, he's Chae Eun-bi's Oppa, and he's been trying to get me to marry Chae Eun-bi for a long time. I confirmed that he visited the hospital today. I'm worried he might try to mess up the paternity test.”
“Oh my, there are all sorts of strange people in the world.”
“That's right, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. They're quite the siblings.”
As Guk-soon lamented, Jeong-o chimed in. Guk-soon raised her eyebrows as if something was still bothering her and asked Ji-heon.
“But, marriage isn't something you can do alone, is it? It's not like Yena's father and Chae Eun-bi had some kind of affair, is it? Is that why her Oppa is acting like that?”
“Ah, that's not, that's not the case, but there's a bit of a story……”
Ji-heon stuttered, flustered. Guk-soon quickly cut him off and waved her hand.
“That's enough. Well, it could happen. Seven years is no ordinary time. If such a pretty girl is your friend's younger sister, I'd marry her too.”
“No, Mother, that's not it.”
“Only our Jeong-o lived diligently. Raising a child and working faithfully.”
“Mother, I was diligent too……”
“Oh, that's enough, that's enough. Let bygones be bygones, it's okay.”
“No, really, I never, I feel a bit wronged……”
“Oh my, I should go. You two take good care of Yena and make sure she gets discharged well tomorrow.”
Guk-soon, who only poured out her own complaints without listening to Ji-heon until the end, took a step.
“Call me if you need anything.”
“Okay. Mom, thank you. Go in quickly.”
Ji-heon was so wronged, but Jeong-o smiled mischievously as if Ji-heon's appearance was amusing and greeted her. Ji-heon immediately chased after Guk-soon.
“I'll take you home.”
“Just stay here.”
“……”
“You had such a tearful reunion, what if she wakes up again and you're gone? She'll think her dad lied again. Don't worry about me and take good care of the child.”
Guk-soon's words were right. Ji-heon stopped in his tracks at Guk-soon's advice. Guk-soon called out to such Ji-heon with satisfaction.
“Yena's father.”
“Yes.”
“You've worked hard. Thank you.”
Guk-soon left, and only Jeong-o, Ji-heon, and the soundly sleeping Yena remained in the hospital room.
“Yena's friends at the academy apparently said something to her about not having a dad.”
Jeong-o told Ji-heon about what had happened to Yena that afternoon. A long sigh followed the end of her words.
“I was so wrong. I taught Yena that not having a dad isn't something to be ashamed of.”
An unavoidable sense of guilt followed. The words she had instilled in her to survive, to bravely overcome this harsh world, had hurt her child. The world is too big for a seven-year-old to handle.
“I thought I would live like that forever. I never thought I would meet Oppa again.”
Ji-heon stroked Jeong-o's hair, feeling her pain as well. He was reminded of what Jeong-o had said at the MianTalk Competitive Presentation announcement. Mothers painstakingly find what they haven't given enough of, even after giving so much, and feel bad about it. Even though he was in a period of resenting her, he thought those words were really cool. But it wasn't just a cool saying. The guilt of mothers who think they are lacking even after doing their best every moment. Ji-heon hadn't properly understood it. Back then.
“It's not your fault. You were living your best life back then too. You did really well.”
He said as if comforting her. How hard she had worked could be seen just by looking at her family, the child she raised, and her career. It was something Jeong Ji-heon had not been able to do. Lee Jung-o. You deserve more praise and comfort. Drawn by his heart, his shoulder leaned towards her. His lips lingered on the tears hanging from her eyelashes. In the meantime.
“Mommy.”
Whining, Yena woke up.
“Oh, oh! Yena.”
Even though she hadn't done anything, Jeong-o was startled as if she had been caught stealing and rushed over. Because it was a pediatric ward with a floor-seating room, Ji-heon sitting on the floor was not visible from Yena's eye level. Jeong-o rushed over first, and Yena asked.
“Where's Daddy?”
“Daddy's here.”
Ji-heon also quickly came closer and showed his face to Yena.
“I want water.”
“Okay. Our Yena wants water, water.”
“No.”
As Jeong-o was flustered trying to get water for Yena, Yena pointed to Ji-heon.
“Okay. Daddy will give it to you.”
Ji-heon, who was nominated, poured water into the cup that Jeong-o was holding and fed it to Yena. Yena didn't lift a finger until she finished drinking the water. It was understandable that she didn't have any energy. It was past 10 PM and she hadn't had dinner yet. Jeong-o asked Yena, who had emptied the water cup cleanly.
“Isn't our princess hungry?”
“Hungry.”
“What do you want to eat?”
“Cup ramen.”
Ah, is it like mother, like daughter even at times like this? Since she wasn't allowed to eat cup ramen at home, this adorable child cleverly took advantage of her mother's weakened heart and firmly demanded cup ramen. Jeong-o looked at Ji-heon with an expression of resignation at Yena's opportunistic side. * The next morning. Following the attending physician's opinion that Yena had recovered, Jeong-o began the discharge process. Jeong-o took a day off to watch over Yena's condition. Ji-heon also decided to stay by her side, but he wasn't relaxed because of his position. Until the moment they left the hospital with Yena, Ji-heon continued to receive a string of calls. Yena, who saw her father working for the first time, became a little sullen.
“Mom, is Daddy always this busy?”
“Yes. He's busy, but he can still be with us for a long time today.”
Ji-heon, who heard their conversation from the driver's seat, said to Yena.
“Yena. No matter how busy Daddy is, he'll answer Yena's calls, so call Daddy anytime if you miss him.”
Yena smiled brightly at Ji-heon's words. Ji-heon had set up speed dial on Yena's cell phone yesterday and saved his number. Mom was number 1, Grandma was number 2, so Ji-heon became number 0. Although Yena had already memorized Ji-heon's phone number. The car carrying the three of them quickly arrived in front of Jeong-o's house because the road wasn't congested. After Ji-heon parked the car and opened the back seat door, Yena spread her arms wide. She remembered what Do-bin had said. That her father would pick him up in his arms when he went to the hospital. Jeong-o's mouth dropped open at the sight of what Yena was doing, but Ji-heon asked Yena as if it were nothing.
“Should Daddy hold you, or give you a piggyback ride?”
“Piggyback ride. Like a koala.”
Ji-heon turned his back to Yena.
“Lee Yena, you should walk on your own two feet.”
“Ugh, nooo.”
Despite Jeong-o's nagging, Yena climbed onto Ji-heon's back.
My dad also gives me piggyback rides when he comes back from the hospital. I have to brag to Do-bin. Yena's heart swelled with the new history she was writing in her seven-year-old life.
“Yena. Daddy's going to collapse. You have to think about your weight.”
“Mom said I'm as light as a feather.”
“That's just the power of love, where is there a 20kg feather?”
Jeong-o tried to protect Ji-heon, but Ji-heon easily carried Yena on his back and walked ahead, saying.
“No. Our Yena is really as light as a feather.”
Since the father was acting like this, Jeong-o couldn't help it. Jeong-o sighed and followed the two up the stairs. Even after climbing up to the 4th floor and opening the front door, Yena's whining continued. Yena clung tightly to Ji-heon's back and refused to get off, acting spoiled.
“Shoes, shoes. You have to take off my shoes.”
“Ah. Right. Shoes.”
Ji-heon took off Yena's shoes, and Yena pointed to the bathroom.
“Yena bathroom.”
“Okay. Bathroom.”
Only when she got to the bathroom did Yena release her arms from Ji-heon. After Yena went into the bathroom, Ji-heon greeted Guk-soon.
“Mother, I'm here.”
“Oh my. Our Yena's father, you've worked hard, you've suffered, you've suffered.”
But just as Guk-soon was about to hand Ji-heon, who had suffered, a drink, Yena's voice was heard from the bathroom.
“Daddy, Yena hand.”
“Hand? Ah, hand.”
Ji-heon, who had been blinking his eyes, immediately went into the bathroom. Jeong-o and Guk-soon burst into laughter at the sight of the child entrusting even washing her hands to her father. A seven-year-old has become a three-year-old overnight. She's using her father like a servant.
“Yena asking him to do it, and the father doing everything she asks, really…”
“Didn't you say you wanted them to get close quickly?”
Guk-soon pointed out at Jeong-o's grumbling. Jeong-o pouted and retorted.
“When did I say that? I just said Oppa was pitiful.”
“Just said he was pitiful? You said he was too pitiful. Too much.”
Jeong-o snorted as if she couldn't admit it. Guk-soon teased Jeong-o.
“Why? Are you jealous?”
“No, I'm not?”
Jeong-o shook her head and smiled. Jeong Ji-heon, whether Yena accepts him or not, he's going to suffer anyway. If he's going to suffer anyway, it's better to suffer while loving her. Actually, she thought Yena's position was excellent.
