A Favor Money Couldn't Buy
The moment it occurred to her that I might actually be getting remarried, Mom's face brightened another shade.
The culprit behind that premature excitement was Lee Jayeong.
I hurried her outside and sat her down on a bench off to one side.
"How did you even know to come here?"
"Earlier, while you were on the phone, Assistant Manager, I heard them say you were being transferred to Jinseong Severance Hospital... And when I heard your mother had collapsed too, I got worried and followed. If I was only meddling, I'm sorry..."
She shrank in on herself, head bowed, fingers fidgeting.
It was almost exactly the pose Yeju struck whenever her mom scolded her—a whole little strategy for getting yelled at as little as possible.
Now that I was on the receiving end, I found I couldn't scold her or even raise my voice. If anything, a laugh nearly slipped out.
"Haa— it's fine. They say Mom's much more stable now, so you should head home, Jayeong. From what I saw earlier, you drank quite a lot. You must still be pretty drunk..."
Hm?
The words were barely out of my mouth before something felt off. I distinctly remembered her weaving on her feet right up until we'd talked about going for a second round.
And yet here she stood, every bit as clear-eyed and composed as she looked at the office.
She'd been acting?
"...You weren't drunk?"
"I was, earlier..."
Fooled again.
Lee Jayeong tilted her head, mischief written all over her face. The corner of her mouth lifted, and she stuck her tongue out just a little.
"Hehe. Caught me?"
"...Why pretend to be drunk?"
"Mm. Because the night runs deep when a young man and a young woman are involved?"
"Jayeong..."
"I'm kidding. You looked drunk, Assistant Manager, and I thought it'd be embarrassing if I was the only sober one. I was just trying to match your rhythm."
Honestly. Just when I thought I had her figured out.
"Still, it's far too late tonight. I need to stay by my mother's side at least through today, so please go on home."
"From what I saw, your mother's in a six-person room... If you don't mind, could I pull a few strings? This is a hospital run by one of our Jinseong Group affiliates, after all."
Jinseong Severance Hospital. Right—this place belonged to Jinseong Group too.
Once again, I felt just how far their influence reached.
These people really are something else.
Even so, I wasn't at the point of needing their help.
"It's fine. I have the money to move Mom into a VIP room."
"Hmm... It isn't a money problem. You're going to need my help no matter what."
"I'm fine. Truly."
I walked in on the strength of that bold assurance.
"I'm afraid that's not possible."
The admissions clerk answered without a hint of give.
"Sorry? If you'll just switch the room, I can more than cover the cost..."
"That isn't the issue. There are no beds open in the VIP ward right now. Everyone there is a long-term patient, so a short-term adjustment is difficult. Even the waitlist could take more than a week."
Damn it. There were more things money couldn't buy than I'd thought.
A VIP room was something I couldn't even have dreamed of before, and now there wasn't a single bed. It hit me all over again just how many rich people there were in Korea.
Someone had once told me that if money couldn't solve a problem, it was only because you didn't have enough of it.
Look at this. Was this really happening because I didn't have enough money?
Or were the circumstances simply against me...
A steady tread of footsteps came from behind, and a cluster of people in white coats swept toward us.
At the head of them walked a white-haired man whose presence filled the hall. I didn't need anyone to tell me who he was.
That had to be the hospital director. But where was the whole group headed, this late at night?
He stopped short, right in front of me.
Hm?
And then, without pause, the director looked at me and bowed his head.
"I apologize for the delay in attending to you."
"...Excuse me?"
"Your mother, Kim Yangju, will be transferred to the VIP ward immediately. As soon as morning rounds begin tomorrow, Jinseong Severance's finest medical staff will accompany her and proceed through her examinations in sequence. Should anything prove inconvenient while her treatment is underway, we will see that it is corrected at once."
No way.
I turned to Lee Jayeong, standing beside me.
"I told you I'd be of help, didn't I?"
She gave a little shrug.
So that was it.
If there was a problem money couldn't solve, it really was because you didn't have enough money.
"...I'll skip the preamble. I'll accept this favor, just this once."
"Which means you owe me one, right?"
"...Yes."
It was for my mother. Owing a debt was nothing next to that.
"It's only a few days in the hospital. Why go and get me a ward this nice?"
"Just enjoy it. Think of it as having raised a good son."
"Aigoo. All these years of raising those kids of mine, and I'm only now getting paid back."
The VIP ward seemed to suit her. A quiet smile rested on Mom's face.
She had been moved in a little over ten minutes.
They had been perfectly clear that there were no rooms, so where had this one come from? When I asked Jayeong, she explained that they kept spare beds in the VIP ward for politicians and corporate executives who might be admitted without warning, and that ordinary people weren't even allowed to apply.
It was the moment I resolved, once again, that I would not stop at being some moneyed upstart. I would become a chaebol with real influence.
And then—
Slice. Slice.
I was going to lose my mind.
Lee Jayeong, whom I had told to go home, was now sitting beside Mom, peeling an apple. And when had she even bought apples?
"My, how do you peel an apple as prettily as your own face, dear?"
"Haha, not at all. I used to think I was pretty enough, but seeing your looks today, ma'am, I'm having to reconsider."
Well, well.
"You said this young lady is a junior of our Jinyeong's at the company?"
"Yes. I'm his direct junior."
"If Jinyeong had a junior this pretty, he should have given his mother a hint."
Why would that be my job.
"Ma'am, please try a piece of apple."
Jayeong speared a slice of the peeled apple with a fork and held it out to Mom.
"Mm, how is even the apple this sweet? Tell me, dear, are you married?"
"No. I'm still single."
"Is that so? Then what do you think of our Jinyeong?"
"I like him very much. Does that mean I get to be your daughter-in-law now?"
"Haha, how is this young lady so quick on her feet?"
Oh, for crying out loud.
"Mom, that's enough. Jayeong, you can stop now. Please get up."
"Aigoo, what's the matter? She's so sweet and cheerful. I was enjoying myself."
"She's right. With her here, the mood is warm and lovely."
My sister chimed in from the side.
"Yeju likes Unnie too!!"
Now even Yeju. An apple Jayeong had peeled was already clutched in her hand.
"Oh my, Yeju likes Unnie too?"
"Yeah! Unnie's so pretty!"
"Haha, Yeju has a good eye. But did you know Yeju is much prettier than Unnie?"
"R-really?! I'm prettier than Unnie?"
"Mm-hmm. Yeju's popular with the boys at daycare, isn't she?"
Yeju's face flushed red.
"I-I don't know about that!"
"You don't, huh. Unnie knows everything. This time, our Yeju—shall we try an orange?"
"Yes!! I love oranges! Hehe."
A throb started behind my eyes.
In a matter of moments she had seized the entire mood of the room. With presence like that, even running a company wouldn't be a problem.
No. This was not the time for thoughts like that.
Stay any longer and they'd be setting a date for the families to meet. I dragged Jayeong out by force.
Even on the way out, she bowed to Mom with perfect courtesy.
"Ma'am, I'll come again tomorrow. Please take good care of yourself."
"All right. Go carefully."
"Unnieee, come again!! Or how about Unnie lives with us?!"
"Oh my, would that really be all right?"
"What do you mean, all right. Please come out. Now."
Off to the side, Ju Hayeon watched the scene with a thoroughly pleased expression.
He said he wasn't remarrying... Our Jinyeong had a plan all along!
I could feel it. The situation was slipping out of my hands.
My father, Ju Seongyong, had taken mandatory retirement and gone to work as an apartment security guard.
The moment his night shift ended, he gathered what remained of Kim Yangju's things and came straight to the hospital.
"Honey, are you all right?! I'm sorry. I got here late."
"It happened while I was working, that's all. I'm fine. Anyway, did you bring what I asked you to?"
"Of course. Brought it safe and sound, with the utmost care."
What on earth had she asked him to bring, that he had to talk about it like he was escorting royalty...
Their voices pulled me out of sleep. I rubbed my eyes and looked.
It was the Chanel bag I had given her.
"Mom. Why did you tell him to bring the Chanel bag?"
"What if someone steals it while I'm in the hospital?"
"You worry about the strangest things."
Come to think of it, a Rolex was rattling on my father's wrist as well.
When I turned my gaze his way, he cleared his throat.
"Ahem... A watch can get stolen too, can't it. But why is this ward so nice?"
Dad looked around the room. It had the kind of luxury you only saw in dramas—an inpatient suite I hadn't even known existed in real life, and here it was.
"Well, our son arranged it, that's what."
"Haha... It really is nice, having a son at a big company. Still, aren't you overdoing it?"
"It's money spent on my parents. What's there to be stingy about?"
"...Was our boy this filial all along?"
Fair enough. I hadn't done much in my life that deserved to be called filial. I'd been too busy looking after myself. From now on, I would do it properly.
Knock, knock.
From early morning, the medical staff came in with a knock to check her vitals. It was the hospital director I had seen the night before, and several doctors followed behind him.
"Did you have a comfortable night?"
"Yes, I rested well, thanks to all of you. I think the bed might even be better than the one at home."
"Haha, I'm honored to hear that. Starting this morning, your comprehensive examination will proceed as our first priority."
"Aigoo, if you'll do even that much, we're the ones who should be grateful."
The director's gaze slid toward my father.
"If you don't mind, perhaps your husband might be examined as well?"
"M-me too? I'm fine. I'm getting on in years, but this body of mine is sturdier than anyone's..."
"You needn't worry about the cost. It will all be provided free of charge."
Dad's eyes flew wide.
"Why are you being so good to us..."
"I can only say that you are fortunate in your son."
"Our son...?"
Both of them turned to look at me. A full day wouldn't have been enough to spin the excuses I would need.
And I could hardly announce that Lee Jayeong was the youngest granddaughter of Jinseong Group.
No. It would work out somehow.
I changed the subject.
"Dad, it's been ages since you had a checkup. Hayeon and I had ours not long ago, so take this chance and get one with Mom."
"But why would the checkup be free..."
"I'll explain all of that later, so just take it for now. You worry about everything. They're offering it for free."
"Ahem. Shall I, then?"
"Jinseong Severance will attend to you with the utmost care."
The director bowed deeply once more.
My father, Ju Seongyong, bowed his waist in greeting every day as part of his work as a guard. It had been a long time since anyone had bowed to him.
And the man bowing, after all this time, was a hospital director—the director of Jinseong Severance, no less, one of the finest hospitals in the country.
Ju Seongyong wore a dazed look, as if none of this could quite be real.
What in the world is going on...