Chapter 52

Chapter 52

“Just you coming would’ve been enough. Why’d you have to bring her? What’s so great about this?”

You’ll scare the poor girl, you punk…

Chulhyun chuckled beside him as Sungang muttered viciously under his breath. Luckily, the surgery on Sungang’s ear had gone well.

Since the outer ear had been cleanly severed, the eardrum that received sound signals hadn’t suffered major damage. But due to infection, he was experiencing temporary hearing issues. The doctor said he’d need to stay hospitalized for another week for follow-up tests and to monitor the graft site’s recovery.

Which meant Sungang would be spending New Year’s trapped in the hospital. He was so hyped before about his Christmas party plans, but instead of partying on Christmas Eve, he lost part of his ear and got stuck here alone to ring in the new year…

Heeju thought he would be depressed, but surprisingly, he seemed fine. If not for the thick gauze taped around his ear, she would’ve mistaken him for a healthy loafer pretending to be sick.

“I came on my own. Mr. Chulhyun Lee didn’t bring me.”

When Heeju walked up to the bed, Sungang reluctantly pointed to a chair.

“Sit, if you want.”

“Your aunt packed you some side dishes. She said you’d probably complain about hospital food being gross.”

“Doesn’t surprise me. She’s known Sungang for years, she knows exactly how picky he is.”

Sungang scowled, clearly offended at being called out.

“D`@1mn it, do I look like a kid to you?”

Chulhyun set the heavy four-tier lunch container on the table and yanked open the fridge door. True to its VIP status, the spacious fridge was stocked with all kinds of fruit and drinks.

“Judging by your drink choices, yeah, you’re a total kid. Stop chugging chocolate milk, Gang-ah.”

“Don’t touch it, bastard.”

Even at Sungang’s rough-edged threat, Chulhyun just grinned, pulled out a chocolate milk, and turned to Heeju.

“Miss Ko Heeju, you want coffee?”

“Ah, yes. I’ll have coffee.”

Chulhyun popped open the canned coffee and handed it to Heeju, then stuck a straw into the chocolate milk. Heeju had barely taken her first sip when Chulhyun finished the entire chocolate milk in under a minute, sucking through the straw nonstop.

He crushed the empty carton with a loud crunch and tossed it toward the trash can. It arced neatly across the spacious room and slipped straight inside.

“You got all the bandages off? Last time you were wrapped up like a mummy.”

At Chulhyun’s comment, Gang-ah awkwardly touched the gauze stuck to his ear.

“Yeah. Thought I was gonna suffocate. Taking the bandage off feels like I can finally breathe.”

“I thought this last time too…”

Chulhyun smacked his lips and studied Gang-ah’s face closely.

“You look f***ing like Van Gogh right now.”

“…What?”

Gang-ah needed a second to recall who Van Gogh was, then his face twisted sharply.

“You… f***… you trying to die? I’m already pissed off, and you’re throwing sparks into a burning house.”

Annoyed by the joke that crossed the line, Gang-ah grabbed a pillow and hurled it at Chulhyun. Chulhyun twisted away nimbly, dodging it with ease, which only enraged Gang-ah enough to climb out of bed.

“Hey, don’t get worked up. They said you can’t let blood rush to your ear.”

“I’ll beat you till you need another surgery. Come on, let’s get admitted together.”

Heeju couldn’t tell their exact ages, but they both looked well over thirty. Watching them fight like high school boys, she couldn’t even step in.

“Mr. Kang Sungang?”

A nurse opened the door and froze when she saw Gang-ah gripping Chulhyun’s collar.

“Sir! You really mustn’t strain yourself yet…! Please let go of him.”

Gang-ah reluctantly dropped Chulhyun and brushed off his wrinkled hospital gown.

“Sir, it’s time for your test now. This way, please. Will the guardian come too? The doctor will explain the patient’s current condition.”

Chulhyun answered politely, “Yes,” then gave Heeju a small signal.

“I’ll go with him. Miss Heeju, stay here for a moment.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

When the two noisy men stepped out, the room fell quiet as if someone had flipped a switch. Left alone, Heeju sipped her coffee, then noticed the stacked lunchbox containers on the table and stood up.

She separated the side dishes that needed refrigeration from the ones that could stay at room temperature, then neatly organized them in the fridge.

Seeing the drinks inside lined up with almost military precision, not a millimeter out of place, made her laugh faintly. Apparently Sungang had a slightly compulsive streak.

‘He doesn’t look like it at all, but I guess he has.’

Just as she sat back down after finishing, the door slid open without warning. She assumed it was Sungang and Chulhyun returning, but the person who entered was someone she hadn’t expected.

“Oh? Looks like Sungang stepped out.”

Heeju recognized the man immediately. Director Yoon. His name was Yoon Seokchan, if she remembered right.

Instead of reacting with surprise or confusion at seeing her, Seokchan greeted her as if he were pleased.

“We meet again. I came to visit him too.”

“Ah… hello.”

He had brought three large men in black suits behind him. Approaching her, Seokchan smiled in a friendly way.

“I owe you an apology for last time. Giju was too drunk. Still, as his brother-in-law, I should have stopped him more firmly, and it’s been weighing on me that I didn’t. I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. Kang Sungang stepped out for a test.”

Heeju didn’t particularly want to converse with him. Her impression of him from their last encounter wasn’t exactly favorable.

“Then please have a seat and wait. I’ll just….”

She tried to step away, but a soft voice stopped her.

“Since we’re both waiting, why don’t we talk for a bit.”

“I don’t think we have anything to talk about. Or… did someone else get hurt?”

There was an edge to Heeju’s reply. Realizing just how badly his stock had dropped after the pool incident, Seokchan let out an awkward laugh.

“So you were really upset about last time. I get it. Ha… terrible first impression, what can I say. And since we might be seeing each other more often, it’d be uncomfortable for both of us if things stayed tense. Let me apologize properly.”

“No need for an apology, really. I’ll be going now.”

She turned again. Just as her hand tightened on the doorknob to push it open, Seokchan said something unexpected.

“You’re Ko Heejin’s sister, right?”

“….”

Her hand froze. Seeing that reaction, Seokchan’s mouth curled faintly upward.

“What I want to talk about is Ko Heejin. You really don’t want to hear it?”

Slowly, Ko Heeju turned back. Seokchan sat down casually on the edge of the patient’s bed.

“No need for an apology, fine, we’ll skip all that. But if it’s about Ko Heejin, I’m sure we’ll have something to talk about. What do you think?”

“How do you know Ko Heejin?”

“Didn’t I say? I used to live there too. With the kids. Same place where you’re staying now. I only moved out after I got married.”

Now that he mentioned it, he had said something like that in passing. Judging by the conversation she’d overheard between Yoon Seokchan and Gukhyun, the two of them used to be on decent terms until Seokchan became the chairman’s son-in-law… and after that, the relationship seemed to have soured quickly.

“What is it you want to say?”

“Ah, why’re you jumping straight to the main point. Sit down first.”

Seokchan jerked his chin toward the chair Ko Heeju had been sitting in. Then he got up, swung the fridge door open, and muttered as he scanned the contents.

“His taste hasn’t changed at all. How does a man pushing thirty still drink nothing but sweet stuff? Cute little brat.”

He pulled out a coffee from the fridge, then glanced toward the men standing silently by the door.

“Mr. Hwang, you want coffee?”

“We’re fine, sir,” one of them replied.

“They’re my assistants. Don’t mind them. They look like that, but they’re not scary people.”

Seokchan hooked himself back onto the edge of the bed and looked at Heeju.

“Oh, right, you’re Executive Director Kwon’s personal doctor. Maybe guys that size don’t scare you anyway. You work with thugs every day, don’t you?”

“…….”

He opened the coffee lid and took several gulps.

“Sorry. Bit thirsty.”

After draining more than half in one go, Seokchan wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. Then he glanced at Heeju, who was still standing, and let out a small laugh.

“Why aren’t you sitting? I’m not the kind of guy who harms women or anything.”

“I’ll just stand and listen.”

“Suit yourself. If that’s what makes you comfortable. It’s not like I can force you down into a chair.”

Still smiling, Seokchan shrugged lightly.

“But before I tell you what you want to hear about Ko Heejin, I’ve got something I’m really curious about. Been wondering since earlier.”

He studied her face openly.

“What exactly are you to Executive Director Kwon?”

Heeju met his gaze with the same composed expression. Her voice was calm, almost as if she was asking back if he really didn’t know.

“As you already know, I’m his personal doctor.”