Chapter 9: Bitter Sweetness

As Seohee stared blankly at her, the woman bowed politely and introduced herself.

“Let me introduce myself properly. I am Shin Aram, and I will be assisting you from now on, Madam.”

“Yes, please take care of me, Aram.”

It doesn’t feel strange. Her heart didn’t race with anxiety. Even though this was clearly a woman she was seeing for the first time, she felt at ease.

“Madam, is there anywhere you feel uncomfortable?”

But why am I so dizzy? The moment she tried to lift her upper body, her vision blurred.

Seohee readily surrendered her body to Aram’s supporting touch.

“I’m… okay. More than that…”

Seohee glanced around. The scent that brought her stability remained, but he was nowhere to be seen. Her brown eyes flickered with agitation.

“The CEO is in a meeting.”

Even with Aram’s explanation, her fingertips turned icy cold.

Anxiety kept rising whenever he wasn’t in sight.

Have I been left behind? Surely he wouldn’t leave me abandoned in this hospital room and never return?

Absurd thoughts kept popping up. As she looked around restlessly, Aram spoke carefully.

“Shall I… call for him?”

“It’s okay.”

Seohee shook her head.

If I wait, he will come. He is a busy man, so he cannot always be by my side.

Therefore, she couldn’t keep calling for him just because she felt uneasy or because an unidentifiable anxiety was swallowing her whole.

Her mind stubbornly repeated the facts she already knew.

Her stomach burned, and nausea welled up. As she covered her mouth with one hand, Aram assisted her carefully.

Ugh. She buried her face in the toilet, but nothing came out. After struggling for a while, Seohee went limp, as if drained of strength.

“It wasn’t even this bad when I was in Ganghae…”

Her weak, rambling complaint scattered like smoke.

She couldn’t tell if her morning sickness had started in earnest or if her unsettled heart was manifesting as nausea.

“Madam, are you alright?”

At the call from outside, Seohee grabbed the sink and pulled herself up.

“……Yes.”

As she rinsed her mouth and washed her face, her pale complexion became even more prominent. Her hands, which she used to pat her cheeks, lacked any strength.

When she opened the door, Aram approached closely. As soon as she sat on the bed, Aram offered her a meal.

From over seven side dishes to samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup). It was a meal so luxurious one would believe it came from a hotel, but she didn’t want to reach for it.

Thump, thump. Suddenly, she remembered the sound of the baby’s heartbeat. If I think of the baby, I have to eat something. Seohee brought a spoonful of clear broth to her lips, as if making a resolution.

As soon as she swallowed one mouthful, nausea surged. The clear broth spilled right onto the bed.

“Ah…”

She tried to say something, but Aram jumped up.

Slide. The door opened, and the person who walked in was Leehyun. He walked toward her with heavy, steady footsteps, watching Seohee, who was covering her mouth with one hand.

Leehyun, brow furrowed as he looked at the served meal, pulled out a tissue from nearby and meticulously wiped her mouth.

“Lee-hyun…”

“Clear it away.”

Leehyun ordered Aram to remove the meal without a moment’s hesitation.

Seohee shook her head as if to say she was fine. One hand was still clutching the spoon.

“I… can eat.”

She’s still as stubborn as ever. Even though a soft laugh escaped him at the familiar sight, he couldn’t smooth out his hardened expression.

“This is abuse, Seohee.”

Why force yourself to eat what you can’t keep down? Leehyun, as if coaxing her, opened her hand and took the spoon away.

Then, carrying Seohee, he ordered the bedding to be changed.

“L-Lee-hyun.”

“The bakery you like opened late.”

His tone was clearly filled with dissatisfaction, disregarding hotel policies or whatever else.

As Leehyun walked while carrying Seohee, another space appeared. Unlike the area where he had dried her hair, this space, hidden by wooden partitions, contained a fairly large sofa and a table.

Before long, a secretarial team including Seung-ho arrived, continuously carrying in small boxes before disappearing.

“What is all this?”

As Seohee asked, blinking, Leehyun personally opened the boxes.

“The things you used to like.”

I ordered them just in case, I wonder if she’ll eat any of this. Even while muttering to himself, Leehyun didn’t stop his hands.

Cakes—strawberry, chocolate, mango—as well as cheese, blueberry, and various others revealed themselves. Beside them were macarons and éclairs.

The juices also came in various types. Apple, orange, grapefruit, strawberry, blueberry, and so on. There were countless freshly blended juices.

As Seohee reached out for an éclair studded with blueberries as if bewitched, Leehyun pushed the box toward her as if he had been waiting for just that moment.

Seohee, touching the éclair, picked only the blueberry embedded on top and put it in her mouth. Leehyun furrowed his brow slightly, but that was all.

He lowered his shoulder slightly so Seohee could lean on him comfortably and burned every thing her hand touched into his memory.

“Does it stay down?”

Seohee nodded slowly. The meal, which had started with a blueberry, did not last long. Having eaten half the éclair, Seohee picked up her fork again and let her hand wander.

She couldn’t bring herself to eat the strawberry or chocolate either. The mango and others were the same. Should I try the strawberry juice? She picked up the glass, but ultimately, it didn’t reach her lips.

Her stomach churned. As Seohee bit her lip, Leehyun’s gaze naturally followed.

She stubbornly maneuvered her fork, trying to eat at least one more bite, but nothing actually entered her mouth.

‘It seems she can’t eat it.’

If he left her like this, she would clearly be at it all day, so Leehyun straightened his upper body.

“Seohee.”

Then, he gently pulled Seohee’s chin and lightly bit her lip.

“Let’s stop eating.”

He kissed her once, twice, as if coaxing her, and Seohee nodded slowly.

No sooner had she set down the fork than a knock broke the silence.

“Director Song has arrived.”

As Seung-ho entered and delivered the message, Leehyun brushed back Seohee’s fallen bangs and said:

“Legally, I suppose you could call her your mother-in-law.”

Hmm. Leehyun seemed to be choosing his words over and over, yet unable to find the perfect answer, he spoke vaguely.

“Mo…ther-in-law?”

So, Leehyun’s mother? Seohee asked with wide eyes. As her small shoulders hitched, Leehyun calmly pressed down on her shoulder.

“The person who treated you like a daughter-in-law in such a disgraceful way.”

Leehyun said in a cynical tone, as if there were no more appropriate answer.

To think someone who claims they don’t recognize me as their son would still treat my wife like a daughter-in-law to be ordered around.

You think it’s absurd too, don’t you? Huh? Leehyun gently rubbed Seohee’s cheek.

Her pupils swirled with confusion.

So a mother-in-law is a mother-in-law. As Seohee fidgeted with her fingers, Leehyun leaned his upper body in close and whispered in her ear.

“That woman dislikes me.”

It sounded like he was giving her a heads-up. She hates me so, so much, honey. At his mischievous tone, Seohee burst into a small laugh.

“Do whatever you want.”

Don’t pay her any mind, Seohee. Leehyun buried his face in the nape of her neck and teased her earlobe.

“She is over here.”

Seung-ho’s voice was heard, and soon, the clack-clack sound of heels followed. Seohee pushed Leehyun’s upper body away slightly, and Leehyun obediently pulled back.

With one arm wrapped around Seohee’s shoulder, he crossed his legs while burying his body into the sofa.

“Yes, you’ve been hospitalized for a long time…”

Yoosun, who had rounded the partition and entered, couldn’t finish her sentence. This was because Leehyun was staring at her intently, his body leaned far back into the sofa.

“…have you not?”

Yoosun finished her sentence calmly, without showing any agitation. Her gaze scanned Seohee up and down.

“Ah, yes.”

For a moment, force entered Yoosun’s hand gripping her handbag. Watching Seohee’s face as she answered nonchalantly with a clear expression, Yoosun swallowed a laugh.

Ah, yes? Ha, look at this?

Yoosun didn’t sit on the sofa but looked down at Seohee while standing.

Under normal circumstances, she should have stood up politely and said, “I’m fine, Mother. I’m sorry for making you worry.” She should have been laying out all those pathetic excuses.

Seohee blinked and glanced at Leehyun, then at the person standing before her—the one called her mother-in-law.

She needed to know if she knew she had lost her memory to give a proper answer, but Leehyun didn’t seem to have any intention of letting her know.

Wasn’t he just fiddling with her shoulder as if to reassure her?

As Seohee glanced around, Leehyun patted her shoulder.

“I was so worried searching for you, not even knowing you were admitted to Gayun Hospital.”

Yoosun suppressed her rising irritation and spoke elegantly. She didn’t forget to look at Seohee as if she were worried.

“You were searching for me?”

When Seohee asked with wide eyes, Yoosun was momentarily speechless. It was as if her clear pupils were asking, “Were you really searching for me?”

“Of course. You have no idea how anxiously I searched for you.”

As Yoosun leaned her upper body toward Seohee, Leehyun, who had been buried in the sofa, sat up. With his black pupils flashing, Leehyun faced Yoosun as if asking what business she had.

“I never knew you were so particular about Seohee.”

As Yoosun glanced at Leehyun as if it were surprising, he bit his lower lip.

“You have poor eyesight.”

At Leehyun’s words, Yoosun’s face stiffened.

“Though, you did hear the news that Seohee was admitted to Gayun Hospital quite late. Such a shame.”

Leehyun clicked his tongue in an emotionless voice.

Yoosun gritted her teeth, feeling as if that dry voice was signaling her gradually declining status.

Her fingers, tightly tucking her hair behind her ears, trembled minutely. She forced the corners of her lips upward, pretending to be composed.

“I have some questions to ask Seohee, Leehyun.”

It was a way of saying, “Stop acting like a dog guarding its master and get out of here.” At Yoosun’s gentle tone, Leehyun gave a dry laugh.

“Go ahead, Director Song.”

Just do it, what’s the problem with that? At Leehyun’s flippant reaction, Yoosun clenched and unclenched her fist.

‘What on earth is happening?’

She couldn’t even guess anymore. She could see clearly with her own two eyes that her position at Gayun Hospital was plummeting, yet she had no way to stop it.

Why is she at Gayun Hospital? Why specifically Gayun Hospital? Has she already told Yoon Leehyun about the hidden room? Where on earth is the master key to the special ward?

There were dozens of things she wanted to ask, but Yoon Leehyun, stuck to Jin Seohee’s side like glue, was incredibly irritating.