* * *
She had seemed so desperate, so full of regret.
It had almost made him believe her.
That she had come to him out of genuine remorse, to ask for his forgiveness.
But of course, that was laughable nonsense.
No one approached Junhee without an ulterior motive—never had, never would.
Not Ki Taeryu, not Baek Seunggyo, and certainly not her.
“Treatment costs are significant.”
“…”
“The process requires up to five rounds of therapy, depending on the progress. Since it’s not covered by insurance, each round costs tens of millions of won. And since there’s only one hospital in the country equipped for the procedure, the waiting list will be extensive.”
Of course. It always came down to money.
Money had been the reason Junhee was abandoned, and now, money was the reason she’d come looking for him again.
Just like his father.
“And yet you think you have the right to judge others?”
She must have been willing to do anything, no matter how shameless, given her dire situation.
With no other options, she’d turned back to the trash she had once discarded, hoping for a lifeline.
Junhee dragged a hand over his face, damp with self-loathing.
He told himself to leave, but his feet wouldn’t move.
The woman before him looked as fragile as a candle about to be extinguished.
When he was younger, he’d sometimes wished she would come back for him.
When the police had asked for his mother’s name.
When he’d ridden in a car from the temporary shelter to Hanbit Orphanage.
Whenever he’d watched other parents arrive at the orphanage, searching for their children.
…On rare occasions, just a handful of times.
And every time, he’d thought of her—not his indifferent father, but the mother who’d briefly shown him something resembling maternal affection.
Junhee looked down at the woman he both resented and longed to see the most.
“If you were going to leave me, you should’ve lived well.”
His hand reached out toward her, trembling, but stopped in midair.
Instead, he turned toward the bedside table, picking up her phone.
“Prepayment?”
Junhee handed over his card at the administration desk, nodding briefly.
Covering the medical expenses wasn’t out of compassion.
Whether she lived or died, he didn’t plan on seeing her again or paying for any major surgeries.
It was just selfishness—a hope that he might feel a little less guilty when he eventually heard of her death.
“Oh, I’m sorry, but the bill’s already been settled.”
Junhee froze, startled by the unexpected news.
“What? I didn’t pay anything…”
The staff member briefly added, “Kim Daeheon took care of it.”
Junhee hesitated outside Daeheon’s office, debating whether to at least thank him.
Instead, he decided to leave a drink on the desk as a gesture of gratitude.
Just as he turned to leave, Daeheon called out.
“Junhee, are you heading out now?”
“Ah… Yes, doctor.”
“I was going to call you back anyway. Do you have a moment to talk?”
Junhee followed Daeheon back into the office, where the doctor immediately offered him a cup of coffee.
“Here, have some. You look exhausted.”
“…Oh, no, I’m fine. You should drink it instead.”
“The patient’s guardian left a ton of coffee earlier. Even after handing some out, there’s still plenty left. Do you not like coffee?”
“It’s not that…”
In the end, Junhee accepted the coffee, feeling awkward.
Daeheon’s tone shifted as he started speaking.
“Junhee, you remember what I said earlier? About the treatment being costly? That’s not the real issue.”
“…What do you mean?”
“As I mentioned, there’s only one hospital in the country equipped for this procedure. The waiting list is long, and unless you have connections, it could take months just to schedule a consultation.”
Daeheon’s expression grew serious as he continued.
“For Seo Jeonghee’s case, the condition has already worsened significantly. She needs treatment as soon as possible. If you’d like, I can write a referral to a colleague of mine who works there.”
Junhee lowered his gaze, blinking slowly, as if weighing the unspoken implications.
It felt as though someone was urgently pressing him to hurry and take the patient to the hospital.
“Oh, that hospital is affiliated with the Dain Medical Foundation, which Junhee might be familiar with.”
Dain. A hospital he knew well, but somehow, it felt slightly different this time.
‘Who’s the new daughter-in-law? From which family did she come?’
‘Our family runs the Dain Medical Foundation, Father.’
The voice of Do Sehee, the daughter of the foundation’s chairman, who had once announced her engagement during a charity event, rang in his mind.
Her tone had been composed and steadfast.
“If the treatment costs are burdensome… Since it’s a government-affiliated foundation, there are conditional cost reduction policies included in their support programs.”
It wasn’t something he should care about, but he couldn’t help but perk up at such a good suggestion.
“As far as I know, influence within the foundation plays a significant role in this area. I’m sorry I can’t be of much help.”
“…No, it’s fine.”
“Oh, and just to be safe, Junhee, how about getting tested as well?”
“What?”
Junhee couldn’t hide his surprise and stared at Daeheon.
“I’m not sure what your relationship with the patient, Seo Jeonghee, is, but since it’s a genetic disease, it can appear suddenly.”
Thump, thump. His heart began to pound unpleasantly in his chest.
However, Junhee slowly shook his head.
“…No, the test won’t be necessary. Thank you.”
“No need to thank me. If anything, I should be the one…”
Before Daeheon could finish, he grabbed his vibrating phone and checked the message.
Then, with an exasperated expression, he ruffled his hair.
“Ugh… That guy’s at it again. I can’t even leave because I’m on duty.”
Judging by his rare show of irritation, Junhee felt like he knew who the culprit might be.
Sensing that he shouldn’t linger, Junhee slid out of the chair.
“Dr. Kim, I’ll leave you to it since you’re busy.”
At the word “leave,” Daeheon immediately looked up and grabbed Junhee’s arm.
“Junhee, I’m really sorry, but can I ask you for a favor?”
Although he asked, “Can I?” his hands were already rummaging noisily through the drawer.
Junhee couldn’t outright refuse, knowing how much Daeheon had always helped him.
He decided to wait and hear what it was about.
A moment later, Daeheon handed him a familiar packet of medicine.
“If you happen to meet Taeryu, could you give this to him? I’m on duty today, and I have surgery schedules until the day after tomorrow, so I can’t leave the hospital. I’m really sorry for asking this again…”
“…”
“It’s way past the time for him to pick up his meds, but he hasn’t come. You and I are probably the only ones who know his circumstances. As you know, he’s stubborn to the point of not showing a shred of vulnerability to others.”
Junhee hesitated, showing a hint of reluctance out of consideration for Daeheon’s pride.
But his answer was already decided.
“I’m sorr—”
As he began to decline, the clinic door suddenly burst open.
“Chief! Emergency call from the ward!”
At the nurse’s urgent tone, Daeheon quickly disappeared, following her.
All that was left was Junhee and the packet of medicine.
“…Ha.”
Junhee reached out, clutching the medicine tightly.
The crinkling sound echoed as the packet was crushed in his hand.
Junhee stepped out into the waiting area, glancing around.
‘Where did he wander off to again?’
He tried calling Siwon, but all he got was a busy tone.
He thought about heading to the patient room, but the possibility of her waking up stopped him.
‘Maybe I’ll just wait after a quick trip to the restroom.’
For some reason, his face felt flushed, as though heat was rising.
He decided to wash his face with cold water and started walking. But at the end of the hallway, he saw a familiar back.
Siwon was loitering near a side door leading to another ward, talking on the phone.
Junhee bypassed the restroom and headed straight for Siwon.
He didn’t even bother to hide his footsteps, but Siwon didn’t notice him at all.
“I told you, not today.”
His voice was a mix of irritation and awkwardness.
“…What? Why is she coming here? I said it’s fine. Please, just don’t!”
Her? Did Siwon have a woman he was close to?
As far as Junhee knew, there was no one at the orphanage Siwon could talk to so casually.
Junhee leaned against the wall, waiting for him to finish.
“…I’ll be fine. What? The dark streets? Please, who’s going to mess with someone my size? Just stop.”
Siwon, pacing back and forth, finally spun halfway around and noticed Junhee.
* * *
