Those Called Parents - 4
They were all staring at me like the world itself was just pathetic.
Lee Naye, Eunsol, Yun Jiyeon, Kim Sua—every last one of them.
"You're not a kid, seriously... Haah..."
"Even you...! Augh...!!! Just go practice already...!"
"I am going, you know? I came to see Hayeon unnie, not Oppa, so don't get any ideas~"
"Then why are you hanging around someone else's hospital room...! Augh...!!!!"
Just what the hell was that snack shop owner thinking when he made that tteokbokki?
I'd even tried the famous chain-store kind that went all the way up to level five. It wasn't exactly easy, but whenever the craving hit I'd order it without much trouble. Sure, I washed it down with milk or Coolpis in between, but I always finished the whole thing. I could handle spice pretty well.
But the tteokbokki I'd eaten yesterday had been pure hell.
And the price for that was still being stuck in the hospital.
"Sunwoo."
"Can you please stop nagging already...? I'm a patient..."
"Haaaah... Fine. Take care of yourself. And no more spicy food."
"Yes..."
"Naye, Eunsol—aren't you two supposed to be at work?"
"We've still got a little time."
"I'm not going to my part-time job today! Sunwoo's sick, so I have to take care of him!"
"There's already a nurse here... Just go..."
"But still..."
Yun Jiyeon had already left for work. Naye and Eunsol still had a bit of free time before their shifts, so they decided to stick around a little longer.
"Sunwoo, want Soli to give you a hug??"
"No... I just want to rest quietly right now..."
"Hiiing..."
"You two seem pretty close, though?"
"Huh?"
"With that Lee Hayeon girl. Meeting up outside like that doesn't sound like just a company president and a trainee."
"Wuuung...!!! Closer than with Soli?! You've never even gone out for tteokbokki just the two of us!"
"That's because you can't handle spice! Augh...!!"
"Well... that's true, but..."
"Don't change the subject. Answer me."
That snake of a girl, Lee Naye, never let go of prey once she sank her fangs in.
And it wasn't like I had anything to hide. I couldn't spill every detail of someone else's family situation, but once I gave them a rough outline, those lynx-like eyes of hers softened a little.
"If that's the case, then whatever..."
"Sunwoo! Be even nicer to her! You can be super, super nice!"
"Got it, so can you let go of that hand already?"
"Heheh..."
Eunsol's hand, which had somehow slipped under the blanket and started groping me down there, quietly withdrew.
"You really keep...!"
"What about Soli! If you're jealous, Naye can touch him too!"
"He's a patient who needs rest!"
"That's why Soli's comforting him!"
"Haah... Forget it. We're going to work."
"No! I want to stay with Sunwoo a little longer! Ow!! S-Sunwoo...!!"
"See you later."
"Hiiing..."
Naye grabbed Eunsol by the ear and dragged her out while she stretched both hands toward me in a pitiful plea. At last, peace returned.
But the hospital room was ridiculously oversized. I'd checked into the VIP suite out of curiosity, yet it was so spacious that being alone felt pretty lonely.
Knock knock knock—
Right on cue, a knock came to chase away the emptiness.
But who could it be?
Everyone who might visit had already come.
"Wow~ It's just like a hotel..."
"What brings you here?"
"A hospital visit, of course~"
The visitor wandering in, eyes roaming around the room, was Jeong Hana.
It was a little surprising that someone who would ignore a person getting stabbed right next to her while writing had actually come to visit.
"Don't tell me you already finished writing??"
"Do you think I finished?"
"Tch... Just asking. Thanks for coming even in the middle of writing."
"Someone ate tteokbokki and ended up in the hospital. How could I not come see that? I've never met anyone like you before."
"...Did you come just to make fun of me?"
"Among other things~"
I stared at Jeong Hana, who had sat down beside the bed with eyes sparkling like she was having the time of her life, and asked,
"Why did you do that that day?"
"Do what?"
"Peeking is one thing, but even after you realized it was me, why did you act like you were being forced?"
"I was being forced."
"That's not something the person who was already lying in my bed should say."
"Heheh~ I was just curious what it would feel like to be taken like that. And honestly, you didn't know it was me when you did it. No matter what my intentions were, the fact remains that you mistook me for someone else and forced yourself on me."
"Ahem...!"
"But thanks to that I got a great idea for a story, so I won't report you. I'll keep your secret too."
"Haha... Thank you..."
"But don't tell me even Sua..."
"I'm not that much of a piece of trash, okay?!"
"So you admit you're trash."
"...I can't exactly deny it."
"At least you have a conscience. You're a little better than the male lead I'm planning. He treats women like consumables—takes them when he wants them, dumps them when he gets bored. Then he meets the heroine and changes."
"...I'm not curious."
"Why not?"
Why? Did I need a reason for not being curious?
"Fine. No more story talk."
"Thanks."
"Then what about you, Sunwoo?"
"What about me?"
"A woman who knows your secret. What are you going to do with this dangerous woman?"
"That's for you to decide, Hana."
"Excuse me?"
"Now that you know I'm trash, you can keep your distance. Or you can stay close enough to come visit me in the hospital like this."
"You're overflowing with confidence. The way you talk makes it sound like you're sure I'll keep this secret relationship going."
"I'm not that confident. I just meant I'll support whatever choice you make."
Behind her glasses, Jeong Hana's eyes narrowed slightly as she stood and leaned in.
Her face drew closer; her hand drifted away.
Sliiiide—
Her hand landed precisely on the spot covered by the blanket, and she whispered right in front of my nose.
"Whenever I get that tingly urge, do it for me. You can manage that much in exchange for keeping the secret, right?"
"Right now, if you want."
"We're in a hospital."
"Doesn't mean we can't."
I slipped a hand along her side, caught her waist, and gave a light tug.
Her body, already leaning forward, toppled onto mine, and her lips—hovering just out of reach—brushed the tip of my nose.
"Seriously... such a real man... Nngh...!"
My right arm wrapped around her waist while my left hand kneaded her ass.
I tilted my chin up, ready to steal those lips pressed against my nose, but—
Thud—
Jeong Hana pushed both hands against my chest and shoved herself away.
"It's really too dangerous."
"What is?"
"They're about to arrive."
"Who..."
The knock came the instant the words left my mouth. Jeong Hana shook off the hands still gripping her waist and hips, quickly straightened up, and turned around.
"Mom~ Dad~"
"Mom... Dad...? Ah!"
Both her parents were professors at a university hospital, she'd said.
So this was the university hospital.
S University Hospital—number one for its medical school, but a bit lower in the rankings as an actual hospital.
No wonder they couldn't accept their daughter's dream of becoming a writer.
"I'm Jeong Seong-gil, head of thoracic surgery."
"I'm Jo Gyeong-hwa, head of cardiology. And also Hana's mother."
Sitting up so fast made my stomach twinge, but I couldn't greet them while lying down, so I got out of bed and offered a proper greeting.
"It's an honor. I'm Cha Sunwoo, CEO of Dawon Media."
"Hoo... To be honest, I hold a bit of a grudge against you, CEO."
"Honey...!"
"I still have to say it. If I don't, I'll get sick from holding it in."
"Haha... Please speak freely. Would you like to sit first?"
We settled onto the luxurious sofa provided in the room.
And then I had to listen for quite a while to the complaints of Jeong Seong-gil, head of thoracic surgery and Jeong Hana's father.
His daughter had gotten into S University's medical school, was doing well, and then suddenly took a leave of absence to write stories instead. Even though he'd given permission, it still hurt.
Unlike her father, her mother Jo Gyeong-hwa, head of cardiology, seemed to have come to terms with it by now.
"CEO Cha, how old are you this year?"
"I'm twenty-one."
"Two years younger than our Hana—the gap people say you shouldn't even check compatibility for."
"That's four years..."
"They look good together. The ideal marriage is two people supporting each other inside and out as they walk side by side. Just like me in cardiology and him in thoracic surgery."
"Mom...!!"
"You stay quiet. Heh... What do you think?"
"Ah... I..."
One wrong word here and they'd be scheduling an engagement ceremony on the spot.
But turning them down outright was...
Hot!!
The looks her mother and father were giving me were scorching.
How was I supposed to refuse this gracefully?
"Mom, Sunwoo has a girlfriend."
"Ah... Is that true...?"
"Y-Yes! He really does!"
"I see. What a shame. Well... we still don't know what kind of person Sunwoo is yet... Let's take our time getting to know each other. You're both still young, and neither of you is married."
"......"
"Just leave already...! Stop embarrassing me...!"
"This child...! Parents are supposed to handle these things! Oh my?! Stop pushing!!"
"Ahem!! Then please rest well, CEO."
"Ah... Yes... Take care..."
"I'll be going too. And... sorry..."
"It's fine, haha..."
"CEO, when would you like to have a meal with us..."
"Mom!!!"
"Kyaak!!"
It felt like a typhoon had just blown through.
All the strength drained from my body and I collapsed onto the sofa. The moment I did, a loud gurgle announced the signal.
One hundred percent diarrhea. The kind that felt like my asshole was on fire.
"Ah... But is Hayeon okay...? Ugh...!!!"
After emptying myself thoroughly, I stepped out of the room.
And there, in the middle of the hallway in front of another room, stood several men in black suits.
Curious.
I could have just ignored it as none of my business, but I was too curious.
They hadn't been there last night, or this morning.
Had the president been admitted or something?
Ah, then there would have been way more bodyguards.
I really wanted to know who was in there.
"I'm sorry, but could you please turn back?"
"I'm sorry, but I'm just passing through. My stomach hurts, so I can't walk too far."
"Please, I must insist..."
"Enough. My apologies. Please go ahead."
Unlike the man trying to stop me, a higher-ranking one stepped aside politely.
Of course he did.
This entire floor was a VIP ward used only by VIP patients.
They couldn't block someone without knowing who they were.
But just walking past like this wouldn't tell me who was inside.
If there had been even one window I could have snuck a glance.
Rattle!!
Jesus...!
The door suddenly opened and my eyes met those of the person coming out.
A woman.
Early to mid-forties?
True to someone visiting a VIP room, her clothes and accessories were understated yet luxurious, and her face looked like it had never known hardship.
But her expression and eyes were something else.
She looked ready to devour someone whole.
"Don't block the way. Move."
"There's plenty of space to walk past, isn't there?"
"Ha! What the hell are you people doing?!!"
"We're sorry. We'll escort you."
What a nasty temper.
After yelling at the completely innocent bodyguards, the woman stormed out through the open space behind me and disappeared down the hallway.
My eyes drifted toward the room whose door was slowly closing.
"......"
Damn it...!
That feeling again.
The same goddamn feeling I'd had when I ran into that middle-aged man in the lobby yesterday.
Only this time it hurt more, stung more.
I wanted to fling the closing door open right then and go inside to check.
Who was that woman sitting on the hospital bed, weeping so sorrowfully, that she could make me ache like this?
Click—
In the end I failed to catch the door before it shut.
My head was screaming at me to stop caring, yet my heart kept trying to convince me otherwise.
"What does it matter... Even if it's true, what the hell does that have to do with me..!!"
I already knew instinctively.
That the man I'd crossed paths with in the lobby yesterday was my biological father, and that the woman crying inside right now was my biological mother.
And that only made me angrier.
They lived well enough to use a VIP room, yet they'd thrown me away.
"Fuck...!!"
"CEO..."
"......"
Why did we have to run into each other only at times like this?
Lee Hayeon, clutching the strap of a lunch bag in both hands, walked steadily toward me from in front of my room.
"Why are you crying...?"
"......"
Me?
I slowly raised a hand and wiped my face.
Some liquid—sweat or tears, I couldn't tell—slid across my fingertips.
"I'm not. Why would I be crying."
"......"
I hastily scrubbed my face with both hands, then smiled and asked,
"What's that? Did you bring it for me?"
"It's cabbage porridge... They said it's good for the stomach..."
"Wow~ Looks delicious. I was hungry, so perfect timing. Have you eaten, Hayeon?"
"Not yet..."
"Then let's go to the room and eat togeth—"
"Just a moment."
"Ah..."
A girl of only seventeen was wiping away the tears I hadn't managed to clean off.
And the careful touch of her hand against my cheek was comforting me.
"Want to go eat tteokbokki?"
"What...?"
"When you want to cry, you eat something spicy and cry. Nobody thinks it's weird."
"Ha... So that's why you went out for tteokbokki? Because you wanted to cry?"
"......"
"Next time just cry. I won't ask why, and I won't think it's strange."
"Me too."
"Huh??"
"I won't ask why you're crying, and I won't think it's strange. So... it's okay to cry."
"Ha... Haha..."
I just laughed.
Because the way she was trying to comfort me was so cute and pretty.
Of course I didn't actually cry.
We simply shared the delicious cabbage porridge, and then Lee Hayeon went back to her room.
And I left mine again and stood once more in front of that door.
Why did you abandon me?
I wanted to ask that completely meaningless question.
No matter what answer I heard, I wouldn't understand it.
Even so, I wanted to ask.
My biological mother on the other side of this door.
Rattle—