Chapter 11
At Suji’s sharp remark, Im Jung-sook bit her lips and lowered her head. President Cha also looked as if he was barely holding back his anger.
Seo-eun didn’t know what to do and kept gauging the atmosphere anxiously.
Only Jaehyun remained composed, as if he were separated from the scene entirely.
“Don’t you agree?”
President Cha, whose pride had clearly been wounded by the way he was treated, wore a furious expression.
Even so, it was clear he was trying hard to suppress his anger, revealing just how fragile his position was at the moment.
“This time, you went too far. What was the point of bringing up that topic all of a sudden?”
“Let’s stop here. We rarely get together like this. Seo-eun, you must’ve been surprised. I’m sorry.”
“Let’s go.”
Already on his feet, Jaehyun spoke without even looking at the startled Sion.
“From now on, please refrain from calling my wife to such gatherings. This isn’t a request—this is a warning. Because next time, I’m not sure I’ll be able to hold back.”
Sion could only look around helplessly. But the firm grip on her arm left her no choice but to stand.
“Y-you’re leaving already? Stay a little longer.”
Ignoring Im Jung-sook’s words, Jaehyun led Seo-eun toward the front door.
“Cha Jaehyun!”
Even the president’s loud voice calling him back didn’t make him turn around.
—
The next day, Seo-eun sighed deeply as she walked down the hospital corridor.
“Phew…”
Last night’s events kept replaying in her head.
Jaehyun’s cold gaze, and the sound of the study door slamming shut after he went inside—both were still vivid in her ears.
Ever since the night she had entered his room wearing only a slip, she had somehow kept upsetting him—now even at a family dinner.
She constantly lived with hesitation and regret, but today, a heavier burden made her footsteps especially slow.
Standing in front of the hospital room, she briefly closed her eyes.
Whatever the situation was, she wanted to appear cheerful in front of Jae-woo. She forced her lips into a smile and opened the door.
“Noona!”
Jae-woo’s excited voice called out upon spotting her.
“How are you feeling, Jae-woo?”
“I’m feeling much better!”
Jae-woo, lying in bed, looked healthier than before. Seo-eun let out a sigh of relief.
“The treatment must be working.”
“I saw you getting treated this morning. It looked painful, but you were so brave. I’m really proud of you.”
Seo-eun had arrived early that morning and watched Jae-woo through the treatment room window. She had clasped her hands and prayed where he couldn’t see her, her heart in turmoil.
“It didn’t hurt at all! I can handle it.”
As Seo-eun quietly watched her little brother speak so confidently, she sat at the edge of the bed and held his small hand. Seeing the bruises and marks from IVs made her heart ache.
“I’m so relieved… I was really worried…”
“Noona, I’m okay. But… you look even sicker than me…”
There was worry in Jae-woo’s eyes. Making her ill brother worry made her feel ashamed as an older sister.
“Did something happen with brother-in-law?”
At his sharp question, Seo-eun’s eyes trembled slightly. She forced her voice to sound normal.
“No, it’s nothing like that. I’ve just been sleeping poorly lately.”
“Does he treat you well?”
“Why do you ask all of a sudden?”
“Remember when we went to Jung-woo’s house? His brother-in-law came too. He bought us tteokbokki and played with us.”
Seo-eun’s lips trembled slightly.
It hurt knowing she could never provide the kind of normal, happy family Jae-woo dreamed of. Hiding her own messy reality in front of her innocent little brother was getting harder.
“Jae-woo, after your treatment’s done, let’s go eat tteokbokki together. Just the two of us.”
“Okay! Like the one we had at Jung-woo’s house.”
“It must’ve been really good if you keep bringing it up like this.”
“Yeah. There were spicy and mild flavors, but Jung-woo’s brother-in-law said the spicy one wasn’t good for kids and picked the mild one for us.”
Jae-woo’s eyes sparkled as he reminisced.
“I hope our brother-in-law can be nice like that too… since he married you…”
As he kept talking, his eyelids began to droop—likely a side effect of the treatment.
“It’d be nice if he came to visit and played with me…”
“He’s busy with work… Maybe I’ll ask him when he has time.”
“Please do.”
Feeling a bitter taste in her mouth, Seo-eun gently stroked Jae-woo’s hair.
Even as he fought off yawns, it was clear he was trying hard to stay awake, wanting to talk more with his sister.
“Jae-woo, you must be tired. You can sleep now.”
“No, I’m not sleepy at all!”
But unlike his words, his eyes were already half-closed.
After rubbing his eyes and struggling to stay awake, he finally said in a small voice,
“Noona… will you still be here when I wake up?”
“Of course.”
“Promise? Pinky swear.”
Jae-woo extended his little finger. Seo-eun smiled warmly and hooked hers around his.
“Promise. I’ll stay long today, so you can sleep peacefully.”
“Good…”
Murmuring softly, Jae-woo soon drifted into deep sleep.
He looked just like he did when he was a child, and that made Seo-eun’s heart ache even more.
Hair lost due to chemotherapy was scattered across the pillow, and the various medical equipment attached to him only highlighted how frail he had become.
If not me, then who else will protect Jae-woo…
Her mother’s last request echoed in her ears.
Even if it meant staining her soul, she would do whatever it took to save her brother.
But afraid Jae-woo might see her tears, Seo-eun quickly wiped her eyes.
—
Jaehyun was in the car, traveling for an external meeting.
While Jang Tae-soo was giving a briefing, Jaehyun noticed a familiar silhouette through the car window.
Seo-eun was entering Daehan General Hospital.
Her posture, usually elegant and neat, now seemed weighed down with exhaustion.
Even from that brief glimpse, Jaehyun could sense the heaviness surrounding her.
Watching her back, he suddenly realized—he had been following this woman relentlessly.
“What about the investigation into Han Sion?”
“Oh, yes. Madam…”
Jang Tae-soo’s report was surprisingly simple.
She had graduated from a prestigious university with a degree in business, but had stayed inactive ever since.
It was odd that someone with such credentials hadn’t done much—until now. Suddenly, it made sense.
Then and now, she had been devoting herself to taking care of her sick brother, sacrificing her own life.
That image of her walking toward the hospital lingered in Jaehyun’s mind all day.
He kept thinking about her trailing behind him in the morning. Normally, he would shut down such emotional disturbances, but today, he couldn’t.
“Sir, shall we head back to the company?”
It was already late afternoon, and the sky outside the window was glowing red.
At the question, Jaehyun clenched his jaw slightly.
“No. Let’s go to Daehan General Hospital.”
Jang Tae-soo glanced in the rearview mirror in surprise at the sudden order, but Jaehyun had already turned his gaze toward the window.
“Yes, sir.”
As the car moved slowly, Jaehyun’s jaw twitched ever so slightly.
It was a completely irrational decision.
Was this proof that Sion was slowly seeping into his daily life? The unfamiliar sway of emotion was unsettling.
His cold rationality warned him to be cautious of her.
But another part of his heart… wanted to know more about her.
Why she had entered such a marriage.
Why she always wore such sad eyes.
—
Soon after, Jaehyun arrived at the hospital hallway. He stood outside the room Jang Tae-soo had mentioned.
“Really? Pinky swear.”
He paused as he heard a conversation from the slightly ajar door.
“Promise. I’ll stay long today, so you can sleep peacefully.”
Then came Seo-eun’s gentle voice.
Jaehyun, almost without realizing it, looked through the glass panel.
Unlike the careful and timid image she always showed in front of him, she was now smiling brightly and sincerely.
It was a soft, affectionate smile—like sunshine on a spring day.
Something in his chest stirred.
So she does know how to smile like that…
Until now, the Seo-eun he had seen was always composed and restrained.
Discovering this radiant side of her made her seem even more mysterious. Was the version she showed him a mask?
“…Noona…”
Jae-woo’s sleepy mumble drifted out from the room.
Then, Jaehyun heard Seo-eun kissing her brother on the forehead. The soft sound made his heart skip oddly.
Hesitating outside the room, he eventually turned away.
For some reason, he felt that if he went in, her pure smile would vanish.
His steps toward the elevator were slower than usual. Seo-eun’s smiling face kept surfacing in his mind.
It felt strange—being shaken so much by just one woman’s smile.
As he rode back in the car, Jaehyun quietly reflected on his unplanned visit to the hospital.
