I Possessed a Terminally Ill Omega - Episode 188
I Possessed a Terminally Ill Omega – Episode 188
Seo I-kyung realized the meaning of those words a little later. As Han Seung-jae left, he faintly heard Secretary Park telling someone that no one except the attending physician should be allowed to enter.
Although Secretary Park was speaking, it was now unnecessary to ask or confirm where the order came from.
For a while, Seo I-kyung lay still, listening to the fading footsteps. He fiddled with the pocket watch in his hand, then lifted it close to his eyes. The pocket watch gleamed at its edges in the morning sunlight.
Although it had scratches showing traces of time, it didn’t seem to have lost its value. Rather, it drew more attention because of that. When Seo I-kyung pressed the button, the cover opened, revealing the watch face.
Suddenly, Seo I-kyung stared at the fourth finger of his right hand. Instead of his injured left hand, the wedding ring was on that finger. He had clearly left behind the ring on his finger and the bracelet on his wrist when he left that house…
He had thought they were no longer his. But when had they returned to his hand? However hard he tried to recall, he couldn’t remember when Han Seung-jae had put the ring on. Nor could he remove it with his left hand in a cast.
Seo I-kyung opened his mouth and breathed slowly. He was now gradually calming the shock of seeing Han Seung-jae first when he woke up.
When he realized Han Seung-jae was sitting there, relief and anxiety hit him simultaneously. It was hard to tell which emotion was stronger. If he hadn’t been lying down, he might have shown a startled step backward.
Han Seung-jae had said to try running away if he could, but Seo I-kyung could barely raise his upper body. Han Seung-jae must have known this fact.
Seo I-kyung closed the cover of the pocket watch and slowly stroked his bandaged chest. Even just breathing in and out caused pain. Seo I-kyung’s eyes furrowed slightly. The more he did so, the more he recalled the moment he faced Seo Dong-hu.
When he came down the stairs and saw him, he doubted his eyes, but soon remembered several times that this was Jin Seon-yoo’s house. He tried to get Seo Dong-hu out of the house somehow, but the more Seo I-kyung tried to pull him out, the more Seo Dong-hu refused to leave, mentioning Han Seung-jae. In the end, Seo I-kyung asked Butler Do to bring the sword Seo Dong-hu was looking for, but he didn’t expect Seo Dong-hu to swing that sword at a person.
Seo Dong-hu was in such an excited state when they faced each other.
Seo I-kyung stepped back as if to avoid the sword Seo Dong-hu swung, but he couldn’t avoid the blade grazing him. And he sat down on the floor, and Butler Do seemed to step forward as if to block him…
All of this happened in a split second.
‘Is this what it feels like to come back from the brink of death?’
Lost in thought, Seo I-kyung suddenly moved his head. He looked at the window with curtains tied on both sides, then turned his head to the opposite side. However, a screen was drawn, blocking the view of the entrance.
Seo I-kyung looked around and pressed the call button. Shortly after, the door opened, and the attending physician entered. He clearly looked like he had rushed in, thinking something had happened.
“Is there any discomfort?”
“Wasn’t there anyone who came with me?”
At Seo I-kyung’s question, the attending physician blinked.
“Didn’t Butler Do come with you?”
As Seo I-kyung said this, his heart beat a little faster. The pain increased accordingly. When Seo Dong-hu swung the sword, Butler Do had rushed in recklessly. Although he couldn’t remember exactly because it was such a chaotic moment, he was worried that something might have happened to Butler Do.
“Ah, Butler Do? He’s receiving treatment elsewhere.”
“Is he seriously injured? Is his condition critical?”
“No, no, it’s not like that.”
The attending physician hurriedly waved his hands, calming the bewildered Seo I-kyung. He looked like he was about to get up from the bed. It was rather Seo I-kyung who had narrowly escaped death. If the sword’s position had been just slightly off, it could have been dangerous.
“He’s downstairs. He injured his hand a bit.”
“His hand?”
“Yes.”
The attending physician didn’t clearly explain that Butler Do’s fingers had been severed and reattached through surgery.
Seo I-kyung already didn’t look well. He was pregnant and had a weak body. There was no need to add bad news and cause mental stress. Above all, Han Seung-jae’s order to allow only the attending physician to enter and exit this room was no different from saying that the attending physician would be held responsible for everything that happened inside.
“Breakfast will be prepared soon.”
Just then, there was a knock on the door, and the attending physician took a step.
“It seems to have arrived. I’ll go get it.”
The attending physician, who had approached the door leisurely, was surprised. Jin Seok-young was standing at the door, his eyes wide open, his arms held by men on both sides. The attending physician asked, looking at the black object in Jin Seok-young’s hand. A long object was wrapped in black cloth.
“What is that in your hand?”
It didn’t look like a gift brought for a hospital visit from any angle. Jin Seok-young spoke to the attending physician, who was looking at him with concern.
“I came because I heard Director Han was here.”
“Ah, Director Han just left a while ago.”
Strictly speaking, it wasn’t even a while ago. But the attending physician answered like that while looking at the rugged Jin Seok-young. Then Jin Seon-yoo, who seemed to have been holding him from behind all along, poked his head out to the side. Jin Seon-yoo, wearing sunglasses, said:
“Hyung, what if we fight after coming all the way here! Excuse me, is I-kyung awake?”
Seo I-kyung, lying on the bed, turned his head. He was about to open his mouth when he heard Jin Seon-yoo’s familiar voice.
“No. Please go back. You can’t enter the hospital room.”
Along with the attending physician’s firm voice, there was the sound of the door closing. He returned to the bedside and looked at Seo I-kyung, whose eyes met his.
Seo I-kyung parted his dry lips.
“Please bring Seon-yoo.”
The attending physician looked troubled. However, he hesitantly took a step at Seo I-kyung’s unyielding gaze. He opened the door of the hospital room and looked at the two people who had moved a little farther away.
The attending physician reluctantly let only Jin Seon-yoo into the room.
“I-kyung.”
Jin Seon-yoo, still wearing sunglasses, approached Seo I-kyung’s bedside. Seo I-kyung, with the upper part of the bed raised and the hospital gown draped over his shoulders, could instantly sense that Jin Seon-yoo had been crying and his eyes were swollen. A corner of his heart stung.
Jin Seon-yoo looked at the bandages on Seo I-kyung’s chest, visible through the unbuttoned hospital gown. His voice trembled slightly.
“I’m sorry. It’s because of me. I was right beside you when it happened.”
Jin Seon-yoo’s voice got quieter, as if his throat was closing up. He too was so shocked that he was at a loss. Such a horrific incident occurred while he was hesitating, not knowing what to do.
“It’s not because of you.”
It was Seo I-kyung who should have said sorry. He hadn’t thought Seo Dong-hu would come all the way there. No, he had been too complacent. He should have been more careful. Maybe he had forgotten because Seo Dong-hu couldn’t come when he was at Han Seung-jae’s house.
“The wound is not a big deal.”
“Not a big deal? You lost so much blood…”
Jin Seon-yoo couldn’t finish his sentence. He had even followed Jin Seok-young out as soon as morning came, without sleeping all night. Because of that, he came to visit empty-handed.
“I came in such a hurry that I couldn’t buy anything. I’ll go buy something now. Tell me if you need anything.”
“They said breakfast will be served soon anyway.”
Seo I-kyung looked at the attending physician standing blankly. As if coming to his senses belatedly, he turned and went out, returning with a tray with a bowl on it. When he held it out in front of Seo I-kyung, Seo I-kyung asked:
“Why is there only one?”
Although thinking it was obviously because Seo I-kyung was the patient, the attending physician was at a loss for words. Seo I-kyung said:
“Give that to Seon-yoo.”
The attending physician’s hand holding the tray stiffened. What’s more, what was in this bowl was rice porridge even thinner than regular porridge.
“I’m fine. I can eat when I get home.”
“No, no. I just brought one for now.”
The attending physician hurriedly turned around. He broke out in a cold sweat as he heard Seo I-kyung telling Jin Seon-yoo to sit in the chair. Truly, he realized again that becoming a hospital director was no easy task.
***
Myeongjun Financial Group, Director’s Office.
“I heard he just had breakfast.”
Secretary Park reported to Han Seung-jae in a calm tone what the attending physician had relayed. He added the attending physician’s words spoken in a troubled voice. He said he had no choice because you insisted so strongly on bringing him, and asked to convey this well to Director Han. The words that came out of Secretary Park’s mouth were brief.
“It seems he ate with Jin Seon-yoo.”
Han Seung-jae’s hand didn’t stop as he flipped through the approval documents.
“And Director Jin Seok-young is outside now, what should we do? He says he wants to return the sword in person.”
Han Seung-jae closed the approval document he had finished signing. Secretary Park, who took it, opened the door of the director’s office and came out.
“He says to come in.”
Jin Seok-young, who thought he would be standing all day, hesitated for a moment even at the words to come in. He entered with the object wrapped in black cloth. Then he placed it in front of Han Seung-jae, who was sitting in the main seat of the sofa.
Episode 189
I Possessed a Terminally Ill Omega – Episode 189
“I just went to the hospital and heard he woke up. Seon-yoo is there now, so I couldn’t bring-“
Jin Seok-young couldn’t finish his sentence protecting Jin Seon-yoo. Han Seung-jae stretched out his long arm and unwrapped the rolled-up black cloth.
“I’m pretty sure I told you to find Seo Dong-hu, but all you put in front of me is this thing.”
“Ha! He slipped out the back door, so I had no choice but to lose him right before my eyes. We’re still looking, so we should get word soon.”
Jin Seok-young, with a grim expression, gripped his knee tightly. If only he hadn’t lost Seo Dong-hu then, the situation would have been more advantageous than now.
The sword pulled out of its sheath by Han Seung-jae’s hand had been cleaned of blood. But that doesn’t mean the wound on Seo I-kyung’s body would disappear.
Even if Seo I-kyung’s torn flesh healed, a scar would remain.
Han Seung-jae originally wasn’t very interested in damaged items.
“Director Han.”
Jin Seok-young’s face stiffened slightly. The pressure of the sword blade approaching his throat made his hair stand on end. His sharp Adam’s apple moved steeply.
Han Seung-jae parted his lips impassively.
“Then go and find him.”
As he said this, Han Seung-jae still had the sword blade pointed at Jin Seok-young’s throat. There seemed to be no room to pull his hand back.
Jin Seok-young, with a flushed face, tilted back his neck that he had been keeping stiffly straight. He awkwardly ducked under the sword blade and barely escaped. Having suffered this humiliation, he stood up from the sofa and spoke to Han Seung-jae as if making a promise.
“I’ll definitely find Vice President Seo, so until then, don’t lay a hand on Seon-yoo.”
“Well. I’m not known for my patience.”
Han Seung-jae, muttering self-deprecatingly, threw down the sword blade he was holding onto the table. There was a sharp sound of metal hitting the glass surface. Jin Seok-young glared fiercely and turned around.
Han Seung-jae got up and headed to the desk where he was originally sitting. As he sat down, Secretary Park tidied up the table.
Just as Secretary Park was about to neatly put the sword blade back into its sheath and place it on the desk where Han Seung-jae was sitting, Han Seung-jae’s voice leaked out coldly.
“Take it out and break it in half.”
Secretary Park lifted the sword back up. He left the director’s office without any objection to Han Seung-jae’s words.
Han Seung-jae’s hand, which had been flipping through documents, loosened, and he raised his head to look straight ahead.
Recalling his conversation with Jin Seok-young, he remembered the emotion he felt for a moment. Even after recovery, scars would remain on Seo I-kyung’s body.
He recalled the words of the doctors who had been making a fuss at the hospital.
―It was fortunate that he was wearing a cast. Because of that, the sword couldn’t penetrate deeply.
―It’s really fortunate.
The doctors exchanged words back and forth. At that moment, Han Seung-jae reached out without hesitation. The doctors on both sides jumped up, trying to stop him.
―You can’t do that, Director Han. We just finished suturing. If you unwrap the bandages now, the patient’s wound might reopen…
Han Seung-jae’s blood ran cold as he looked down at the long scar etched near Seo I-kyung’s chest. Originally, he didn’t pay attention to damaged things.
His surroundings were always overflowing with everything to an excessive degree. Things were already in his hands before he spoke, or things that Butler Choi, who had practically raised him, had struggled to obtain were broken in his hands.
“If he were an object, it would have been easier to handle.”
He would have put him in a glass display case and not let him take a step out of there.
But Seo I-kyung is not an object. He was different from the things Han Seung-jae had easily obtained so far. Just when he thought he had him firmly in his grasp, at some point he would leave only his scent behind and slip through his fingers.
***
Jin Seok-young, who got into his car after leaving the Myeongjun Financial Group building, fidgeted. He drove the car roughly while relaying to Jin Tae-won over the phone the series of events that had happened with Han Seung-jae.
“It seems Director Han hasn’t found Vice President Seo yet?”
[Are you sure?]
“Yeah. He told me to find him quickly.”
He didn’t mention things like the murderous intent in Han Seung-jae’s eyes as he pointed the sword at his throat. Han Seung-jae might have sincerely wanted to cut Jin Seok-young.
When the car stopped at a signal, Jin Seok-young checked and touched his Adam’s apple in the rearview mirror. Fortunately, it wasn’t bleeding. However, Jin Seok-young could understand Han Seung-jae’s anger to some extent.
He too would have been that furious if Jin Seon-yoo had been stabbed somewhere.
The sound of Jin Tae-won lighting a cigarette came from over the phone. Then, as if exhaling smoke, he spoke mixed with silence.
[…Tell Seon-yoo not to leave the house for a while.]
The fact that Jin Seon-yoo was already at the hospital flashed before his eyes. If Jin Tae-won found out that he had disobeyed his words again, it wouldn’t end with just a slap on the face. Moreover, with Gwon Gi-jun not around to take the hit instead, Jin Seon-yoo would crumple to the floor unable to withstand it, and then some.
Jin Seok-young ended the call saying he understood and immediately called Jin Seon-yoo. He planned to urge him to come out in front of the hospital, put him in the car, and take him home directly. However, Jin Seon-yoo didn’t answer the phone.
“Damn it.”
Nothing was going right.
Jin Seok-young turned his car towards Haseon Hospital for now.
As he was about to get out of the hastily parked car, Jin Seok-young picked up his repeatedly ringing phone. He answered the call from Secretary Ko and put it to his ear.
“How did it go?”
[We found Vice President Seo.]
“What, you found him?”
Jin Seok-young hit the steering wheel. If only they had been a little faster, he wouldn’t have suffered such humiliation from Han Seung-jae. However, he realized that now wasn’t the time to dwell on such trivial matters.
“Where is he?”
He was about to move the car he had just stopped, but looked up at Haseon Hospital through the car window.
“For now, just catch him and bring him in no matter what. No, catch him and just send me the location. I’ll go right away. Don’t lose him while carrying him around unnecessarily.”
Jin Seok-young continued speaking as he hurriedly got out of the car. Although handing over Seo Dong-hu to Han Seung-jae was an extremely urgent matter, he couldn’t watch Jin Seon-yoo get beaten to a pulp by Jin Tae-won.
[But there’s a bit of a problem…]
Secretary Ko’s troubled voice came over the phone, but Jin Seok-young answered while quickly walking.
“What problem? Why isn’t Seon-yoo answering his phone at a time like this!”
[Vice President Seo is dead.]
Jin Seok-young’s hand, about to press the elevator button while pushing through people in the hospital, stopped in mid-air.
“What?”
He asked Secretary Ko back with a dumbfounded face, as if doubting his ears.
“What do you mean?”
Jin Seok-young clearly saw Seo Dong-hu open the back door and run out with his own eyes. And that was just last night. What nonsense is this about Seo Dong-hu being dead?
However, Secretary Ko’s words came back.
[The cause of death is said to be excessive bleeding, but for now… you should come and see the situation.]
Secretary Ko seemed to be refraining from mentioning Seo Dong-hu’s condition. Jin Seok-young watched people getting out of the elevator, then turned on his heel. It seemed better to call Jin Seon-yoo.
For now, it seemed he should go directly to where Secretary Ko was.
“Alright. I’ll come now. Where should I go?”
***
Ring-
Jin Seon-yoo, sitting in a chair next to the hospital bed, looked at the repeatedly ringing phone. Jin Seon-yoo had taken off his sunglasses. His eyes were a bit red, but the swelling had gone down.
Seo I-kyung followed his gaze to the same place.
“Shouldn’t you answer? It keeps ringing.”
“It’s fine.”
“It could be something urgent.”
“He’ll just nag again and again and again.”
“He’s probably worried. You should go back now too.”
Jin Seon-yoo’s face turned slightly gloomy. He put down the phone face down on the bed, then took out another phone and held it out to Seo I-kyung. It was the one Seo I-kyung had dropped while struggling with Seo Dong-hu.
But as he was rushed to the hospital and Jin Seon-yoo was calling out to him in tears, there was no time to gather anything.
Although it had blood on it, the housekeeper had cleaned it thoroughly before handing it to Jin Seon-yoo.
“I’ve charged it. You should be able to use it right away.”
Seo I-kyung looked at the phone placed on his thigh. Jin Seon-yoo put his own phone, which he had placed on the bed, into his back pocket and put on his sunglasses.
“I’ll come again.”
Seo I-kyung nodded. As Jin Seon-yoo left the hospital room, he grumblingly called Jin Seok-young. When the connection tone ended, Jin Seon-yoo spoke first.
“I just left the hospital room. I’ll be down soon.”
Jin Seon-yoo assumed Jin Seok-young had parked the car and was urging him. That’s how it had always been. It wasn’t difficult to predict Jin Seok-young’s actions.
[Okay, go home quickly.]
However, the words that came over the phone didn’t sound like the usual impulsive Jin Seok-young. Jin Seon-yoo thought he would get angry first.
“Aren’t you in the parking lot?”
[I can’t come pick you up, so take a taxi home.]
***
Jin Seok-young lowered the phone he had been holding to his ear. He stared at the gray hoodie stained with dried blood. It was the clothes Seo Dong-hu had been wearing when he escaped last night. But if he hadn’t been told it was Seo Dong-hu, it would have been hard to recognize him as Seo Dong-hu.