Chapter 112
Chapter 112
What Did You Find?
Covered in blood, Yu Yeon-seo was brought into the emergency room. It was late, so the room wasn’t very crowded. Im Seung-hyeon and Yu Eun-ho hurried in after him. A quick-witted nurse swiftly drew the curtains, blocking him from view.
“What in the world...”
A doctor rushed over at the arrival of the VVIP. They moved briskly, treating him for something, then wheeled Yu Yeon-seo’s bed away for a detailed examination. As things settled down for a moment, Yu Eun-ho felt the tension leave his body.
(Secretary Kim) Senior Managing Director, I think you need to see this.
The link his secretary sent was to a ‘Sighting of Yu Yeon-seo’s Secretary’. Had someone really taken a picture in that short time?
“Tsk.”
His brother’s hospitalization would have already been reported to the hospital director anyway. Which meant it was a foregone conclusion that his grandfather would hear about it. But a photo like this would be problematic.
“Is something wrong?”
“A photo has surfaced.”
Im Seung-hyeon’s expression hardened as he looked at the screen. Just then, Lee Tae-gyeom also sent a message saying he’d seen the photo and asking where they were.
“So someone recognized me.”
He hadn’t expected this. Im Seung-hyeon sighed.
Yu Eun-ho wearily pressed his fingers to the corners of his eyes. What was done was done.
“For now, let’s keep the fact that Yeon-seo vomited... blood... a secret from the rest of the family.”
“...I’ll go make sure no one talks.”
“Please do. Ah, Mr. Im.”
“Yes?”
“Thank you.”
Thanks to his swift action when he must have been flustered, things hadn’t escalated further.
“I was just doing my job.”
Im Seung-hyeon gave a short nod and stepped out from behind the curtain. Yu Eun-ho also turned to do what he needed to do.
“Are you the attending physician?”
“Yes, Senior Managing Director.”
The doctor assigned as the attending physician was sweating profusely, cautiously watching Yu Eun-ho.
“If any other family members arrive, just tell them it’s complications from the car accident or overwork. Something appropriate.”
“What? But...”
“I’ll take responsibility, so just do as I say.”
The doctor’s eyes darted around, looking troubled. He hadn’t chosen to be Yu Yeon-seo’s physician; he’d been pushed into it. Taking care of one of the owner’s family members came with immense pressure.
He was especially cautious because he had witnessed firsthand how much of a fuss Chairman Yu had made when Yu Yeon-seo was hospitalized for the car accident.
Seeing the doctor hesitate, Yu Eun-ho crossed his arms and stood at a slight angle.
“How old are you?”
“Excuse me? Ah... I’m forty this year.”
“Still young.”
The casual remark was laden with meaning. During your time as a doctor at Juseong Seoul Hospital, who do you think you’ll be seeing more of? Chairman Yu? Or me?
“...I understand.”
The doctor, understanding the implication, turned his head to avoid Yu Eun-ho’s sharp gaze.
“Then, I’ll be counting on you.”
“Yes, Senior Managing Director.”
The attending physician was dealt with. Fortunately, the photo that had surfaced was of such poor quality that it was hard to tell if it was blood or not. He could probably pass it off as a simple nosebleed.
‘His memory has returned...’
And the fact that his brother’s memory had returned was something the rest of the family couldn’t know. Especially if Yu Yeon-seo had seen the culprit, and if the person who ordered the crime was a close relative.
As he closed his eyes, lost in thought, someone burst through the emergency room doors and rushed over.
“You’re here?”
“Yes, hyung-nim. Is it serious? Don’t tell me, again...”
“Shh.”
Again? Yu Eun-ho stopped in his tracks. Come to think of it, Im Seung-hyeon had been strangely calm even when Yu Yeon-seo was vomiting all that blood. And the manager now, for someone supposedly hearing this for the first time... Don’t tell me those two already knew? Is that why he had told him to keep an eye on him?
“Did you bring what I asked for? Let’s wipe the blood off your body first.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And...”
“Should I get rid of... that... at the house?”
“Yes. Go right now.”
Recalling the gruesome scene at the house, Lee Tae-gyeom looked like he had a million questions. But he did as Im Seung-hyeon asked without complaint and quickly left.
‘They’re far too used to this...’
His brother must have strictly ordered them not to tell anyone else. Im Seung-hyeon and Lee Tae-gyeom would have had no choice but to obey.
In truth, Yu Eun-ho had no time to worry about whether those two knew beforehand.
[Because of me.]
[Mom, please save me.]
His head spun with anxiety, wondering what kind of memory could have prompted those words.
“Eun-ho!”
“You’re here?”
Yu Geon-min and Choi Yu-jin rushed into the emergency room.
“What... What happened? How could he have collapsed?”
“I will explain.”
The attending physician glanced at Yu Eun-ho and gave a slight nod. They decided to move Yu Yeon-seo to a VIP room. Breathing a sigh of relief, Yu Eun-ho let out another small sigh as he looked at the text on his phone screen.
“Yes, Grandfather.”
(I heard Yeon-seo was taken to the emergency room. What happened?)
“It’s nothing serious. It’s probably just aftereffects from the car accident...”
Yu Eun-ho feigned composure and managed to deceive his grandfather.
‘What if he doesn’t wake up right away...’
As feared, Yu Yeon-seo didn’t open his eyes for several days. The doctor did his best to package the diagnosis as a combination of aftereffects from the car accident and overwork. The results of the detailed examination were actually clean, so the family accepted it without much suspicion.
‘Which is what makes it an even bigger problem...’
He grew more anxious, wondering if it was some new illness that tests couldn’t detect. Yu Eun-ho forced himself to hide his unease and looked at the bodyguards standing in front of the hospital room.
“Everyone, go get something to eat.”
“Yes, Senior Managing Director. We’ll leave a few men behind.”
“That’s alright. Go together.”
If anything, they would just be in the way. He watched the bodyguards get into the elevator before opening the door to the room.
“Yeon-seo...!”
His brother, who should have been lying in bed, was gone, and the hospital room was a complete mess. As he rushed inside, he heard the sound of water dripping in the bathroom.
“What is this?”
Blood dripped from his nose, and more dripped from his hand, cut by a shard of the mirror. Yu Yeon-seo stared at his brother with a defiant gaze.
“Ah, shit...”
This damn weak body. With those words, he lost consciousness again. Yu Eun-ho barely managed to catch him before he hit the floor and pressed the emergency button.
“Well, the accident was quite severe, wasn’t it? It was a miracle he got up so soon.”
“He started filming an action movie right after being discharged. Gosh, I thought he was fine because of that...”
“We should tell him to get some proper rest this time.”
Seeing all the relatives gathered for the first time in a while, Yu Eun-ho gave a small nod.
“For now, I’ll stay here.”
“Can you handle it alone, Eun-ho?”
“You’re all busy. I can just hire someone... I’ve finished my urgent work, so I’ll be fine.”
Frankly, he hadn’t expected them to linger this long just because their nephew was hospitalized. They were all too busy to be making continuous hospital visits.
“Hyung, I have plenty of time.”
“You go too. Aunt, please take him with you.”
Park Seon-woo, with his downturned eyebrows, was dragged away by his mother, Yu Seon-yeong.
“Father. Mother.”
“Yes?”
“You two should go as well.”
“Sigh... Won’t it be too hard on you?”
“I’m fine. I’ll call you.”
Yu Geon-min and Choi Yu-jin reluctantly left the hospital. With the pests gone, Yu Eun-ho went straight into Yu Yeon-seo’s room and gave a sheepish smile. His brother had pulled the covers all the way over his head and was unresponsive.
He sat on the edge of the bed and spoke softly.
“How’s your hand?”
“...”
“I have something to tell you.”
Yu Yeon-seo lowered the blanket just enough to reveal his eyes. His brow was deeply furrowed, a clear sign that he didn’t want to talk.
“...Spit it out.”
“You came to me back then and said you didn’t think Mom’s death was a suicide.”
“Yeah.”
“To be honest, I didn’t really believe you.”
What, are you trying to pick a fight? Yu Yeon-seo threw off the blanket and shot up. He swayed from a wave of dizziness, and Yu Eun-ho grabbed him, pressing a button on the bed to raise the backrest.
“So?”
“But I didn’t just let it go, either.”
The scowl on Yu Yeon-seo’s face gradually softened.
“What you said kept bothering me, so I’ve been investigating behind the rest of the family’s back.”
“When?”
“Not long. A friend and I have been looking into it quietly.”
“Why a friend?”
“Because he’s a detective.”
A detective... Right, having a contact in that field would make investigating a case easier.
“Let’s go meet him together after you’re discharged. For now, just get some rest.”
Yu Yeon-seo nodded. The memory synchronization and auto-action mode had pushed him to his limit, leaving his energy levels near zero. Yu Eun-ho roughly tousled his quiet brother’s hair.
“I’m sorry. For not believing you.”
“...Whatever. Stop treating me like a kid.”
Yu Yeon-seo slapped his hand away and turned his head.
“You’re high school classmates with my brother? You can speak casually. I will too.”
His tone was subtly defiant. Baek Seo-jun glanced at Yu Eun-ho. Hey, I thought you said he was nice.
Yu Eun-ho met his gaze shamelessly. What? He’s nice to me.
“Alright, little brother. Let’s get straight to the point.”
“Yeah, sounds good.”
Baek Seo-jun sighed, hesitating for a moment before speaking.
The three of them had gathered at Yu Eun-ho’s house to avoid any potential photographers.
“Why did you think her death wasn’t a suicide?”
“Because I saw that bastard.”
“What?”
The blunt statement made Baek Seo-jun flinch. Yu Eun-ho did as well.
“You saw the culprit?”
“Wait, Yeon-seo. Are you sure you should be talking about this?”
Worried that recalling the memory might trigger another episode like before, Yu Eun-ho raised a hand to stop him.
“Why? We’re talking about something important.”
Baek Seo-jun, unaware of the circumstances, was simply frustrated.
“What’s there to hide?”
Yu Yeon-seo leaned his head back against the sofa and closed his eyes. He looked exceptionally tired. Baek Seo-jun opened his mouth, a troubled expression on his face.
“So, th-that was when? You were six?”
“Seven.”
Baek Seo-jun glanced at Yu Eun-ho as his voice trailed off.
“Um... you’re sure you’re not mistaken? You were very young, after all...”
“He has a good memory too.”
“Like you?”
Yu Eun-ho nodded. Baek Seo-jun adjusted his posture. If that was the case, this was a different story.
“So? What did you see that made you suspect him?”
“I...”
Fiddling with his fingernails, Yu Yeon-seo let out a long breath before continuing. Just talking about the incident seemed to be a struggle for him. Yu Eun-ho fidgeted, watching his brother with anxious eyes.
“I was the one who led him to Mom.”
“What?”
“Hang on, Yu Eun-ho. I know how you feel, but stay out of this for a minute.”
Baek Seo-jun used his arm to block Yu Eun-ho, who had shot to his feet in shock. Yu Yeon-seo also waved a hand, signaling that he was fine.
“Keep going.”
“I think he came in disguised as a bodyguard.”
“How did you figure that out?”
“His face was different from the guards who were there before.”
“Are you sure he was a stranger?”
“Park Yong-ho, Choi Sang-yeong, Lee Seok-u, Go Jong-su...”
Yu Yeon-seo looked directly at Baek Seo-jun and recited the names of every guard on duty at the mansion at that time.
“Should I name more? I can describe their faces, too.”
“No, that’s not necessary.”
Baek Seo-jun stroked his chin, lost in thought. Yu Eun-ho, having calmed down, cautiously asked.
“What do you think?”
“It’s possible. Since the case was closed as a suicide, there would have been no reason for the security detail to change.”
After a moment of silence, Baek Seo-jun asked another question.
“Was there anything else that seemed off?”
“He said he was filling in for one of the regular guards, but he wouldn’t say who. He seemed really... awkward about it.”
“And?”
Yu Yeon-seo gritted his teeth. The sound of them grinding together was sharp and clear.
“That bastard... he called me ‘son.’ It was so damn creepy...”
“...”
“I think he was a stalker, following my mom, you know?”
He had said the most important parts. Just recounting the incident was difficult, making illusions flicker before his eyes. Yu Yeon-seo leaned his head back again.
“So, what did you two find out?”