âMaybe I shouldnât have told you this,â said Jaehee.
âNo, itâs fine,â replied Yiyoung, âI would have found out about it anyway.â
Dr. Kang and Yiyoung used to be rivals in an unfair competition for the position of professor, and Yiyoung didnât like him, but she didnât want to judge his knowledge. Though she was better than him, he was still a skilled doctor.
Jaehee ate the piece of cake sheâd just cut. âI think the president made the right decision. Although you have a strong mind, it could have taken longer for you to heal if he hadnât stayed next to you. It was about three weeks, right?â
âYeah.â
âWho would make sacrifices like that and take care of you? The entire hospital staff is saying that the president is a great husband.â
Yiyoungâs lips lifted into an unnoticeable smile as she remembered how Muyeol had stayed next to her while she was in the hospital. Later, sheâd realized what Muyeol had given up in order to take care of her. There was no she wouldnât have, since Muyeol had held his meetings right next to her. Heâd given up the important Istanbul project to be with her.
Even prior to her hospitalization, Yiyoung had started seeing Muyeol in a different light. She enjoyed spending time with him, and time seemed to pass by quickly whenever she was with him. Sheâd even called Muyeol when she was drunk, something sheâd never done before. And after living with him, she learned what loneliness felt like, and realized that, sometimes, she couldnât control her desires.
She learned that it was love, and it took her a long time to recognize the change in herself. And after the incident, she fell deeply in love, and only had more thoughts about him since then.
Suddenly, an idea popped up in Yiyoungâs mind, and she paused. âWhat if Muyeol didnât understand what I meant? Does he think Iâm relying on him because I became weak? Is he thinking that Iâm mistaking love and reliance? So thatâs whyâ¦â
âItâs a good thing you know exactly what the turning point in your life is,â Muyeol had said.
âIâm clearly right. He definitely thinks Iâm confused. He doesnât believe what Iâve been telling him. Oh my, what do I do with this guy? How could he tell me not to say I love him like that?â Yiyoung thought.
Yiyoungâs realizations were like a chain reaction. She remembered how Muyeol addressed his parents: Mister and Madam. Yiyoung hummed. âThereâs no way he hasnât heard anyone say they love him. Thereâs no way⦠His grandmother was always there for him, so heâs probably heard itâ¦â
âYouâre crazy,â Muyeol had said with a wavering voice.
Yiyoung was now confident that her assumption was correct. She was sure that Muyeol had not had anyone say they loved him before.
She then felt relief wash over her, all doubts erased from her mind. Despite the shameless appeal for her feelings yesterday, Yiyoung had been hurt by his words. But now she felt completely healed.
âWhat are you thinking about so deeply? Your face showed so many expressions. It went dark, then turned blue, and then turned rosy,â asked Jaehee.
Yiyoung suddenly realized that she wasnât alone. She beamed at Jaehee. âSorry. I wanted to know about something, but I figured it out now.â
âYeah? Thatâs good.â
âYeah.â
âAnyway, because of your gracious husband, the security system of the ER has been strengthened. There are two doors at the entrances now, and whenever thereâs an intoxicated person in the ER, the security guards automatically come to the scene. Some patientsâ guardians complained that it was a bit too much, but the staff likes it because we feel protected. More than that, itâs comforting to know that thereâs someone who cares about our health and safety.â
âThe hospital would have done that even if I wasnât involved in the incident. Muyeolâs good at separating his work from personal life,â explained Yiyoung, âBy the way, I registered for classes at the culture center like you suggested.â