Chapter 03…
“What did he say?”
On the hospital terrace, Sojeong and Kangchan were talking to each other. Sojeong kept asking anxiously, and Kangchan’s expression darkened.
“It seems he’s completely lost his memory. He perceives himself as being 20 years old.”
“Twenty years old…”
“Yes. I say this because I studied abroad with him at the time… Madam, I don’t think it’s wise to have such a tense conversation with him right now.”
“……”
“He’s the type of person who’s completely unpredictable, reckless, and could lash out at anything… Even now, if I weren’t here, he might have smashed the hospital window and tried to escape—well, that’s the CEO for you.”
Sojeong could imagine that too, having talked with him before. The husband who had lost his memory was truly lawless.
“Ah, and madam…”
“Yes?”
“…Do you know someone named Han Sua?”
Kangchan asked cautiously. Sojeong quietly nodded in response.
“I met her only once, a few years ago.”
“……”
“I happened to run into her at an event for business reasons. Even during our conversation, I had a feeling she was oddly concerned about my husband.”
At that time, the two had left briefly to continue their discussion elsewhere, leaving Sojeong behind. But since then, she had never seen Hyun and Sua meet or talk.
Sojeong hadn’t really paid it much attention anyway. The reason lay mostly in a conversation she had with Hyun on their wedding night:
〈Even though we’re married, I won’t care if you have a lover.〉
It wasn’t something a newlywed husband would normally say, but Sojeong understood. They were tied together in an emotionless arranged marriage, and Hyun was clearly the one at a disadvantage.
That’s why Sojeong assumed Hyun might have had a separate lover. However, surprisingly, he had fulfilled his duties as her husband without incident.
Could it be that what he tried to say in the car that day was related to this Han Sua? No, that wasn’t what mattered now.
Shaking her head lightly to dispel the thoughts that threatened to flood back, Sojeong asked,
“So, Han Sua… they were in a relationship, right?”
“Yes. It was during our time abroad. They were dating, but Han Sua broke up with him, saying she was going to marry someone else. After that, the CEO returned to Korea.”
“……They must have really liked each other.”
“Back then, the CEO liked her immensely.”
Kangchan muttered to himself before quickly adding,
“Of course, that was in the past. Since their marriage, the CEO has never had any improper meetings with Han Sua.”
“Right. That’s in the past. But for my current husband, it’s a present matter.”
“……”
“There’s no need to worry. The people who matter to him now are those he spent his 20s with.”
Right now, she wasn’t in his memories. Sojeong smiled faintly, as if to tell herself not to worry.
Meanwhile, a long, large car slid in below the hospital. Their gazes naturally dropped, watching as a woman stepped out of the vehicle.
“…The matriarch has arrived.”
“Indeed.”
Seeing Miae at the entrance, Sojeong instinctively touched her cheek with her fingers. It had returned to normal, but still felt awkward to face. Kangchan asked cautiously,
“Shall I go in first?”
“No, let’s go together.”
She understood a mother’s feelings, almost losing her child, and also knew Hyun had been hurt more because of her. Sojeong had no choice but to bow her head regarding that.
“Mom’s here, Hyun. How’s your body? No more pain anywhere?”
In the room, Miae’s worried eyes were on Hyun lying in bed. Despite her fussing, Hyun remained indifferent.
“No.”
“Even though it was a big accident, your body can’t be fine. Once discharged, you should rest at the villa instead of the main house for a while. My, you’ve lost weight… I should give you a tonic too.”
By then, Kangchan and Sojeong had entered, but Miae’s focus remained solely on Hyun.
“What’s all this blood? Did it come from your arm?”
“……”
“Call a nurse immediately. How does this hospital treat patients to let this happen?”
The blood from the forcibly removed IV had clotted on Hyun’s arm. Seeing it, Miae got agitated, and her anger turned toward Sojeong.
“You were right next to him. What were you doing not noticing this?”
“……”
“Seriously, nothing pleases you. Are you even awake?”
Since Hyun had lost his memory, Miae’s words toward Sojeong were harsh. Kangchan was ready to intervene if necessary, but it wasn’t him who stopped the confrontation.
“Get out.”
“Huh?”
“I said both of you, out. It’s noisy.”
Hyun, pressing his hand to his forehead, frowned. Miae, surprised, approached him.
“Why, does your head hurt again? Should I call your doctor?”
“Enough. Take that woman out. She’s just annoying me.”
Hyun’s hand pointed directly at Sojeong. Seeing this, Miae grabbed Sojeong’s arm.
“Yes. You need to rest too, and Mom wasn’t paying attention. But if you feel unwell, call the doctor immediately, okay?”
“……”
“What are you waiting for? Get out now.”
Under Miae’s subtle pressure, Sojeong had no choice but to leave the room. Even as the door closed, she looked at Hyun, but all she saw was his back, turned completely away.
“……”
“……”
Outside in the hallway, the silence felt heavier. Miae, glancing at the hospital room door, lowered her voice.
“You shouldn’t come to the room from now on.”
“Excuse me?”
“Look at him. He’s struggling more because you’re there. There’s no need for you to be here, especially when there’s a caretaker.”
Hyun’s sharp attitude toward Sojeong had been noticeable. Miae wanted her out of his sight as well.
“We’ll take care of everything here. You go home. You also have a child to look after, right?”
“Harim visits every day. My brother is also there, and there’s someone else taking care of him.”
“Still, Mom should be around. That accident-prone kid won’t sit quietly. He’s already chaotic enough.”
At Miae’s subtle criticism of Harim, Sojeong’s brow furrowed slightly for the first time. Whether she noticed or not, Miae continued.
“By the way, have you told him about the child?”
“No, not yet. We haven’t had proper time to talk.”
“Good. Don’t mention it for now.”
“Excuse me?”
“You’re telling him now that the kid exists while he’s already so disoriented? That would just overwhelm him.”
〈You say I’m your wife? I can’t accept that.〉
Hyun’s earlier words echoed vividly in her mind. She imagined if he said something similar to Harim.
Nothing could be worse than a father denying his child. Thinking of Harim hearing that made Sojeong’s lips dry.
“……I’ll do that.”
“Of course. Don’t make an already struggling child even more stressed.”
“But we still need to help him recover his memory. I’ll do my best.”
Long-term memory loss was difficult for both of them. Sojeong resolved to do everything to help him regain his memory.
“First, I’ll try to find the people he knew when he was 20 and ask for their help. Once he’s psychologically stable, it might be easier to recover his memories.”
“The person you’re looking for… is it Han Sua?”
“Yes, for now.”
Miae clicked her tongue.
“You’re slow. As his wife, you really want to go ask for help from your husband’s ex?”
“…Well, he’s looking for her, and I promised I’d help.”
“Fine, fine. I’ll meet Han Sua myself. You focus elsewhere.”
“You, personally?”
It was rare for Miae to search for someone herself. Irritated, she replied,
“She’s someone my son is looking for. As his mother, I need to check. Right?”
“……”
“So just stay home for now. There’s no need to crowd the room.”
Blocking the entrance, Miae tried to send Sojeong away. Understanding this, Sojeong nodded slightly.
“I’ll do that. I’ll go in first.”
After visiting for several days, Sojeong was familiar with the hospital. But being in the room with her family—her husband and mother-in-law—was something she couldn’t adapt to.
The looks, the tone, the voices, the attitudes—
Even the nurses’ smiles greeting her felt almost warmer. Smiling wryly to herself, Sojeong quietly walked forward.
“……”
And watching her leave the hospital was Hyun.
“Is it okay to let her go like that?”
“Don’t be so formal.”
“……Then I’ll speak casually when it’s just the two of us. So, you really won’t stop her?”
“Why would I stop her?”
The woman claiming to be his wife didn’t change expression no matter what. Even in the face of her mother’s anger, she simply bowed her head.
“She’s only uncomfortable being here. Besides…”
A woman who passively endured everything with no emotion was definitely not Hyun’s type.
“I don’t know. I’m just annoyed.”
Every time he looked at her, his head seemed to ache more. Hyun pressed his palm to his forehead, watching Sojeong’s retreating figure.
