LGHTNOVELBOOK Ch86 - To My Beloved
“Yeona!”
The principal, who had just exited the classroom, was startled to see Yeona and rushed over.
“Yeona! Yeona!”
The faces of the two children standing nearby turned pale.
“…Is she dead?”
Suin asked in a trembling voice.
The principal checked Yeona’s breathing and pupils, then slapped her cheek gently. Yeona, who had briefly opened her eyes, soon closed them again. The principal turned to the two children.
“What happened? How did she collapse?”
“We just asked her if she really had a dad, and she kept lying about having one…”
Jaeni replied with a scared expression. The principal looked stern but couldn’t blame them.
“I need to take her to the hospital. Can you tell the vice-principal?”
After instructing the children, the principal hurried away.
Jinseo and Dobin noticed the principal exiting the academy.
“Yeona!”
Jinseo rushed over after confirming that the principal was carrying Yeona.
“What happened? Why is our Yeona like this?”
“Teacher, what’s wrong with Yeona? Is she sick? Is she going to die?”
Dobin asked, his face in shock. The principal answered urgently.
“She collapsed. Her breathing is normal.”
“Have you contacted Yeona’s mom? Should I call?”
“Yes, please.”
While Jinseo contacted Yeona’s mother, the principal quickly hailed a taxi. The principal, Yeona, Jinseo, and Dobin all headed to the hospital together.
.*. *. *. *. *. *.
– Are you doing well?
– Are you having fun?
– You didn’t reply. You must be really busy.
Jeongho chuckled as he read the three text messages sent by Jihun at noon.
It was amusing how Jihun was being unnecessarily grumpy while Jeongho was carrying out an important task.
“Manager, is something good happening?”
“Huh? No, no.”
At Gihoon’s question, Jeongho put his phone away in his bag.
He had been tasked with a significant duty: transporting filming beer from a factory near Seoul to a filming site in Gangneung, Gangwon Province.
It took a long time to check each beer for filming, and given the distance, they arrived at the filming location after 2 PM. It was scorching hot, but the weather was excellent for shooting.
After delivering the products to the staff and having a late lunch, Jeongho found himself lost in admiration of the scenery and the model’s looks while watching the shoot. Before he knew it, it was already 4 PM. Jeongho and Gihoon greeted Miran and Yeonggwang before leaving the filming site.
Even leaving at 4 PM, they would reach Seoul around 7 PM.
After tackling the backlog of work at the company, he would likely be leaving late again tonight.
“Gihoon, it must be tough. I wish I could drive, but I have a learner’s permit.”
“Oh, I thought you didn’t have a license.”
“I do have one. I just don’t have a car.”
A few years ago, Jeongho had decided to get his license, thinking he would need one to raise a child, but since he didn’t have a car, the license became useless.
Although his financial situation wasn’t so dire that he couldn’t afford a car, he started to weigh the cost-effectiveness once he made up his mind.
He used public transport for commuting, and when issues arose, he would take a taxi, so he hadn’t felt a significant need for a personal vehicle.
After buying a cellphone for his child yesterday, he suddenly felt guilty. Jeongho hadn’t purchased a car because he didn’t see the necessity, but his child might feel hurt because of it.
If they had a car, they could have taken more extended trips and enjoyed themselves, but he hadn’t been able to do that for his child in the seven years of their life together.
‘Since we’re planning to go camping in the fall, should I get a car before then?’
No, wait. Wouldn’t my brother go with us then?
Imagining going camping with his child, Jihun, and Guksun and grilling meat made him feel good just thinking about it.
While Jeongho was smiling secretly, Gihoon asked,
“If you have a license, would you like to try driving?”
“You must be tired. If it’s too hard, I can call a designated driver.”
“No, it’s not that I’m tired. I thought it would be good for you to get some experience by taking the wheel, just for practice.”
“If you trust me with the wheel, I can’t guarantee your life.”
“Of course, I can trust my life to you, Manager.”
Gihoon replied cheerfully. Just then, Jeongho’s phone vibrated. The caller was Jinseo.
“Yes, Dobin’s mom?”
[Jeongho, are you at the office? Don’t be surprised, but listen carefully. Yeona collapsed at the academy and is on her way to the hospital.]
“Our Yeona?”
Although Jinseo urged him not to panic, Jeongho’s heart sank.
[Her breathing and pulse are normal. The principal said she briefly opened her eyes but then closed them again. We’re taking her to the hospital for now, so please come.]
Jinseo quickly provided the hospital address and hung up. Jeongho couldn’t even properly respond with a “yes” before the call ended, and his trembling hand held the disconnected phone.
“What’s going on? What happened to the child?”
“Yeah. Gihoon… I think I need to go to the hospital…”
“To the hospital?”
“The child… collapsed.”
“Does she have consciousness?”
“Um, I… I don’t know, I’m not sure…”
“…”
“Gihoon, can you hurry… please?”
Jeongho spoke in a shaky voice, feeling as if all his senses had gone numb. His mind was hazy, and he couldn’t think clearly.
The car was speeding down the highway. Even if they rushed, it would take over an hour to reach the hospital.
“Manager, I’ll get there as quickly as I can. Don’t worry.”
Gihoon pressed down hard on the accelerator, reassuring Jeongho.
.*. *. *. *. *. *.
Max Planning Office Corridor.
Having just returned from a meeting with a client, Jihun stared at his frozen phone and let out a frustrated sigh.
‘So she’s not going to reply?’
He had sent three text messages to Jeongho at noon, but she hadn’t responded.
Is your name Lee Jeongho or Mae Jeongho? How could you be so indifferent?
In any case, since she said she would be back at the office in the evening, he thought he would definitely get his revenge when they met. As he was heading back to his office, he spotted Seungkyu hurrying past.
Thinking he must be busy, Jihun decided not to say anything, but Seungkyu noticed him and ran over.
“Are you okay?”
“Huh? Why?”
“I heard Yeona collapsed?”
“…”
“I just got a call. They said Dobin’s mom and the principal took her to the hospital.”
Jihun felt his heart drop at those words.
.*. *. *. *. *. *.
After the principal transferred Yeona, he left, leaving only Jinseo and Dobin in the hospital emergency room.
“Yeonaaaa! Yeonaaaa!”
Dobin wailed in front of the unconscious Yeona.
“Yeonaaaa, don’t die! I’ll take care of you!”
To my beloved, I couldn’t even say I love you.
Jinseo, who was struggling to hold it together, sighed and tried to calm Dobin.
“Dobin, Yeona isn’t going to die. Please be quiet.”
“Yeonaaaa!”
Despite this, Dobin’s voice remained loud. It was puzzling how he, who usually had to squeeze out tears, was now wailing so dramatically. Jinseo felt awkward because of the noisy child, having to bow his head repeatedly like a sinner to the people whose eyes met his.
Did this kid cry like this when I collapsed? I don’t think so.
The noise was so unbearable that they couldn’t stay in the hospital any longer. Fortunately, Guksun, who had received the call from Jinseo, arrived at the hospital shortly after. There was one advantage to all this wailing.
Guksun quickly found Yeona’s spot and rushed over.
Seeing Guksun, Jinseo stood up.
“Oh dear, our Yeona, what happened to our child? What’s wrong?”
Even Guksun, who had always been polite to Jinseo, prioritized the child over greetings. As Guksun, who had rushed in a panic, asked Jinseo, Dobin’s wailing continued.
“Yeonaaaa! Don’t die! Nooooo!”
“Why is our Yeona dying? Wh-what illness does she have?”
Dobin’s cries startled Guksun, who asked,
“Oh, no. They said Yeona collapsed from shock.”
Jinseo spoke cautiously, relaying what he had heard from the principal.
“It seems she’s under some stress… The kids her age were pressuring her about not having a dad.”
“Oh my goodness! Who would do that to our baby?”
Guksun’s voice grew agitated.
“So, does she still not have consciousness? What should we do?”
“The doctor thinks she’ll be fine. For now, they want to keep her hospitalized to monitor her condition.”
Only after checking the child’s status and calming down did Guksun express his gratitude.
“Oh, thank you. I’m so grateful and sorry, especially since Dobin’s mom isn’t well herself.”
“No, it’s okay. But I think we should go now. It’s about time Doyun got here, and Dobin is being a bit too much…”
“Oh dear, oh dear…”
As soon as he heard his name, Dobin, who had just mimicked Guksun’s previous sound, shouted even louder. Now, Dobin’s wailing felt like a desperate struggle. Reaching his limit, Jinseo gritted his teeth and said,
“Park Dobin, let’s go now.”
“Why?”
“Let’s go home. It’s almost time for Doyun to arrive.”
“Then Mom can go.”
“What? You little brat, come here quickly!”
In the end, Jinseo resorted to force to drag Dobin out. Dobin kept calling for Yeona as he was being pulled away, but she showed no signs of movement.
Guksun called in a staff member to expedite Yeona’s admission process. After transferring her to a hospital room, the doctor returned and reassured them that the child would be fine.
Hearing the doctor’s words eased Guksun’s tension. Once the shock began to fade, new worries suddenly emerged.
Fortunately, Jihun arrived just in time.
“Mother.”
“Oh dear, you’re here! Yeona’s father!”
“How is Yeona? Is she okay?”
“Yeah, they say there’s nothing wrong. She’ll stay overnight for observation and can be discharged tomorrow.”
“Still not awake?”
“They think she’s just sleeping, but we’ll have to keep an eye on her.”
Jihun, having checked on Yeona, knelt beside her bed and let out a deep sigh. It was obvious he had rushed over, eyebrows raised with concern.
“You must have been really worried.”
“Ah, yes. I ran out of the restaurant. I can’t even remember if I closed the door properly or if I turned off the gas.”
“Don’t worry about that. Just go take care of things. Should I go instead?”
“No, I’ll go.”
Guksun waved his hand dismissively.
“I’m just glad that Yeona’s father is here. Thank you for coming so quickly.”
As her father, it was the least I could do.
Guksun’s gratitude made Jihun feel a bit awkward.
After Guksun hurried off, Jihun was left alone in the hospital room with Yeona.
This was the second time he was seeing the sleeping child, but it was the first time in a well-lit room. Even while unwell, she looked angelic.
A heavy energy surrounded her sweet face. Although the doctor had said it was nothing serious, Jihun couldn’t help but worry.
Occasionally, Yeona’s hands twitched as if having a spasm. Jihun placed his fingers gently on her palm. Yeona tightened her grip around his hand.