This Is Our Love Story That You Don't Know (2)
The hospital room was quiet. I stared blankly down at my severed left shoulder. It was wrapped in bandages, but the sensation of emptiness beneath them was painfully clear. 'I've become a one-armed woman.'
In all five hundred lifetimes, I'd had my throat slit and my stomach pierced, but this was the first time I'd survived with a limb completely amputated. Was it even lucky to have survived? An orphan, now a cripple. My life as a mage was over. From now on, I was nothing but dead weight.
The door slid open with a rattle, and Lee Dohyun entered. He was in a wheelchair, his entire body encased in casts. He'd broken several ribs and a leg while saving me, he said. He parked the wheelchair beside my bed and immediately picked up an apple.
"Hey."
"......"
"Want an apple?"
He didn't wait for my answer before starting to peel it with clumsy hands. The way the thick strips of skin came off was almost comical.
"You... why are you here?" I asked in a cracked voice. "I'm a wreck now. I can't even use magic. I have no money to repay you, no ability. So..."
"Shut up."
He shoved a slice of the peeled apple into my mouth.
"Who asked you to repay me? I'm rich. Even if three generations partied and did nothing, it wouldn't put a dent in my fortune."
He chewed noisily on his own piece of apple and continued.
"And you can still use magic."
"What?"
"I looked into it. If we fit you with a prosthetic and reconnect the mana circuits, it'll work. I'll throw every engineering PhD at Daeseong Group at the problem if I have to and get you the absolute best. So stop whining."
His tone was gruff. But I knew. I knew how much effort it must have taken for him to drag his broken body all the way to my room. How many nights he'd stayed up researching to get me that prosthetic arm.
Tears welled up in my eyes. The apple felt stuck in my throat.
"Why... why go this far? For someone like me..."
"I told you. It's because I'm unlucky."
He answered curtly, but his ears had turned bright red.
"You tried to die right in front of me. Even if it's just to spite that, I have to keep you alive. So shut up, get better, and earn your keep with my money."
From that day on, he became my guardian.
Rehabilitation was literal hell. My sense of balance was shattered, making even walking properly difficult. I fell dozens of times, scraping my knees raw. Lee Dohyun would click his tongue, but every time I stumbled, he'd appear like a ghost and catch me.
Whenever his strong arm wrapped around my waist, I felt both relief and utter misery.
"I... I don't think I can do this."
One day, I collapsed onto the training room floor and cried.
"I can't even hold a staff properly. My casting speed has slowed down. I'm useless now."
Then Lee Dohyun grabbed me by the collar and hauled me to my feet.
"Get a grip, Yoo Sia."
His eyes were terrifyingly serious.
"You can't use magic without one arm? Then use your feet. If you lose your feet, bite the staff with your teeth and use it anyway. If you want to live, if there's something you want to protect, then fight like hell for it."
He forced the staff into my hand.
"I'll be your left arm."
He stepped into the empty space on my left side.
"While you're casting, I'll block everything. I'll cover all your blind spots. So you just look forward and fire."
He kept his promise.
We trained together every single day. While I chanted spells, he blocked every attack that came from my left—with his shield, and sometimes with his own body. As I launched magic from behind his sweat-soaked back, I thought to myself:
This man's back is the safest place in the world.
In all five hundred lifetimes, no one has ever protected me like this.
After some time had passed and my body had recovered somewhat, he took me outside.
"Let's go to the market. I want tteokbokki."
"What is a chaebol heir doing at a market..."
"The market is the real deal."
We walked through Namdaemun Market. People kept glancing at my empty sleeve. I shrank into myself and lowered my head. Then Lee Dohyun wrapped his arm around my shoulder as if to show them all and glared at the onlookers with eyes that clearly said, What are you looking at? She's pretty, right? She's my girl.
We sat at a street stall and ate skewers.
"Here, say ah."
He held out a heart skewer. I ate it. It was spicy and salty.
"Is it good?"
"Yeah..."
"Look at you, getting it all over your mouth. You're not a kid."
He grumbled, but carefully wiped my mouth with a napkin. Every time his fingers brushed my skin, my heart fluttered.
"Yoo Sia."
He twirled the skewer stick and tossed the question out casually.
"...Wanna date me?"
"......Cough!"
I choked.
"W-what?"
"Date me. Let's go out."
He looked at me shyly.
"You like me, don't you? Your face turns red every time you see me, and you follow me around like a puppy."
His ears were as red as ripe tomatoes.
"T-that's..."
"I like you too."
His direct confession left my head spinning. Was this a joke? Pity?
"I don't have an arm. I'm an orphan. I have nothing. If your family finds out..."
"So what? I like you. What can they do about it?"
He reached across the table and tightly grasped my only remaining right hand.
"I'll fill in everything you're missing. Money, family, even an arm. I'll give you all of it."
His hand was warm. Solid. I couldn't refuse. No—I didn't want to refuse. If I let this man go, I knew I'd regret it for the rest of my life.
"......Okay."
When I nodded, he broke into a bright smile. It was the most foolish, happiest smile I'd seen in all five hundred lifetimes.
After finishing the discharge procedures, we stood in front of the hospital. A spring breeze blew, making my empty left sleeve flutter. Out of habit, I pressed it down with my right hand. I didn't want to look pathetic. Especially not in front of this man.
"Let's go."
Lee Dohyun came over and naturally took my bag.
"Where to?"
"Where else? My house."
He opened the car door with a gentle smile.
"You said you had nowhere to go. Don't suffer alone in some tiny goshiwon room. I've got more spare bedrooms than I know what to do with."
"......You want me to freeload at a chaebol mansion? I don't have any money."
"You don't need money. Just... having you in front of my eyes is rent enough."
He tucked my hair behind my ear and whispered.
"I'm worried. Just imagining you being alone somewhere makes me hate it."
His gaze was so tender that I couldn't think of a single word to refuse. I pretended to give in and got into his car.
His mansion was enormous, but the room he showed me was cozy. A sunlit window, a plush bed, and the bathroom stocked with everything I'd find convenient to use.
"If you need anything, just say the word. I'll buy it all."
"This is more than enough. Thank you, Dohyun."
"Go shower. I'll dry your hair for you."
He closed the door and left. I looked at my flushed face in the bathroom mirror and tried to cool it down. It was just the two of us in this huge house. (The staff stayed in the annex, he'd said.) My heart pounded like it was broken.
When I came out after showering, he was waiting on the sofa. As I approached with wet hair, he stood up and sat me down in a chair.
"Stay still. Tell me if it's too hot."
With a whirring sound, his fingers gently combed through my hair. His touch was careful. I could feel how worried he was that I might feel uncomfortable, that he might tug even a single strand.
"Dohyun."
"Yeah?"
"Are you... usually good at this kind of thing?"
"No. First time."
He smiled bashfully.
"I practiced. For when you got discharged. I watched YouTube tutorials... is it okay?"
My chest tightened with warmth. A third-generation chaebol heir had practiced drying a woman's hair by watching videos. Just for me.
"Yeah... it feels really good. Nice and cool."
"That's a relief."
He pressed his nose to the crown of my head and inhaled.
"It smells good."
"......What does?"
"Just. The scent coming from you."
Our eyes met in the mirror. He leaned down and kissed the ends of my damp hair with a soft smack. My face burned like it would explode, but I didn't want to pull away. I wanted to stay trapped in this gentle warmth forever.
When evening came, he started getting ready to go out.
"Get dressed. We're going on a date."
"Where?"
"The market. You said you wanted tteokbokki."
He hadn't missed a single careless word I'd let slip.
We went back to Namdaemun Market. The noisy crowd, the savory smell of oil. I'd been worried about getting jostled by so many people, but it was unnecessary. Lee Dohyun guarded my empty left side like a fortress as we walked.
"Come here. It's crowded."
He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me close. His firm chest pressed against my shoulder. We walked through the market alleys stuck together like one person.
"Auntie! One tteokbokki and sundae please. And give us plenty of the oden broth!"
In a corner seat at the stall, steaming tteokbokki arrived.
"Here, say ah~."
He blew on a piece of tteokbokki and fed it to me.
"Is it hot?"
"No, it's delicious."
"You've got some on your mouth."
He dabbed at my lips with a napkin. His eyes were so sweet they looked like they were dripping with honey. I couldn't believe a third-generation chaebol could look this happy eating street food. Or maybe... it wasn't the food. Maybe he was happy just being with me?
Hehe...
"Eat a lot. I want those cheeks to get a little chubbier."
"You'll hate it if I gain weight."
"Who? I like them plump. It feels better when I hug you."
He dropped that bombshell like it was nothing. I choked and coughed, and he laughed while fetching me water. The warmth of his palm patting my back was so comforting I almost cried.
After leaving the market, we drove along the riverside road. When we opened the windows, cool night air rushed in.
"Where are we going?"
"To help with digestion. Let's take a walk."
The place we arrived at was Hangang Park. Since it was night, there weren't many people. We walked along the riverbank holding hands. He interlaced our fingers with my right hand and slipped it into his jacket pocket.
"Your hand's cold. I'll warm it up."
Inside the pocket, his thumb gently rubbed the back of my hand. The streetlamp light sparkled on the river's surface. It was peaceful. The horrible wars and deaths I'd experienced across five hundred lifetimes felt distant, like something from a previous existence.
That was when I saw it.
At the dock by the river, an incredibly large ship was moored. It wasn't an ordinary cruise boat. It was a massive, luxurious white yacht like something out of a movie. Its lights were on, making it sparkle like a jewel beneath the night sky.
"Whoa..."
I couldn't help but gasp.
"Look at that, Dohyun. It's huge."
"It is."
"Does Korea even have boats like that? It looks like a hotel. Who rides something like that?"
I jumped up and down in excitement, pointing at the yacht. Lee Dohyun chuckled and patted my head.
"You like it?"
"Yeah! It's so pretty. I want to ride it just once."
"Really? Then let's go ride it."
"......Huh?"
He took my hand and led me toward the dock. Security guards stood at the entrance. I hesitated, but the moment they saw Lee Dohyun, they bowed at a perfect ninety degrees.
"Welcome, young master!"
"Yeah. Everything ready?"
"Yes! We've set it up perfectly!"
I stared at him in a daze. He winked at me.
"I prepared it. To show you."
"......All of this? For me?"
"Yeah. You like water and night views, don't you? I thought we could do a rehearsal for a proposal."
He kissed the back of my hand and escorted me.
"Board, princess. Tonight, this ship belongs to its master."
The deck was magical. A wide, empty space. Champagne and cake prepared in advance. And the breathtaking night view of Seoul spread out before us. The river breeze tousled my hair. He came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me. A back hug. My back nestled comfortably against his chest.
"Not cold?"
"No... it's warm because you're holding me, Dohyun."
"You really know how to say the prettiest things."
He kissed my cheek with a soft smack. We leaned against the railing and looked up at the night sky.
"Yoo Sia."
"Yeah?"
"Look at the sky."
He pointed upward. At that moment—
Piiiing—!
With a sharp sound, a single firework shot into the night sky.
Bang!
A giant red rose bloomed against the dark heavens. That was only the beginning.
Boom! Bang! Papapapow!
Fireworks exploded one after another. Hearts, stars, even my initials 'Y' and 'S'. The remnants of the fireworks rained down onto the river like stardust. It was so beautiful I forgot to breathe.
"Wow......"
I couldn't close my mouth. My vision blurred. Tears filled my eyes.
"What is... all this...?"
"I had them custom-made. I wanted to show you."
He whispered in my ear.
"I'll set them off for the five-hundredth time, the thousandth time. If it makes you smile, I'll do anything."
He turned me around. The glow of the fireworks lit up his face. He was looking at me with the most serious, most loving eyes in the world.
"Sia."
"Mmm..."
"I like you so much. No—I love you."
He cupped my cheeks in his hands.
"My arms, my legs, my heart... take them all. If you're missing anything, I'll fill it for you."
"Dohyun..."
"So stay by my side forever... don't go anywhere else."
His confession made my heart feel like it would burst. I stood on my tiptoes and wrapped my arms around his neck.
"I won't go... even if I die, I won't. I'll only love you."
He lowered his head. Our lips met. The sound of exploding fireworks, the sound of the river, and the sound of our heartbeats all blended into one. It was a kiss that was sweet, hot, and felt like it could last forever.
That night, we confirmed our feelings for each other on the yacht. We were happier than any lovers in the world, more romantic than any movie.