He had been scared shitless when he saw his brave mother, all so vulnerable and unresponsive.
"Hyewon a, has omma eaten anything since she woke up? Did you give her the food we brought?"
"Yes, oppa. She's already eaten it before the woman came."
Doyun felt a slight relief wash over him at the confirmation. He had been worried that his mother, in her fragile state, might have missed a meal. That would have gnawed at him the entire morning.
"Why are you two talking about me like I'm not here?" Lee Baram asks her two older children from her lying position. Her voice was soft, but firm enough to draw their attention.
Doyun and Hyewon shared a brief glance, realizing their mother's awareness had returned more fully than they had initially expected.
"Oemma, would you like to clean up? I can help you with that." Hyeri offered, her small hands clasping in front of her as she looked at her mother with concern.
"I'll do it. Let me go and get some water first." Hye-Won said and left the room, not waiting for her mom's response. She moved with a careful grace, mindful of the quiet beeping of the machines and the soft murmurs of the other patients. Her heart ached slightly seeing her mother so weak.
She reckoned that her mom hasn't washed down this morning since she had been unconscious since yesterday. The nurses would've probably cleaned her mom in her unconscious state, but she still wanted to do it herself. It felt like a duty she owed her mother, to show care beyond the clinical attention of hospital staff.
She believes their mom would prefer that too. It was a quiet, intimate gesture that no machine or medication could replace.
"Then I'll wait outside. I'll come back after." Doyun said and left the room after Hyewon returned to their mom's bedside. He exhaled slowly, trying to push down the lingering anxiety about everything else pressing on him.
He found a quiet corner in the lobby, sitting against the wall, and pulled out his phone. He dialed the number once again, hoping this time the person on the other end would answer.
The seconds stretched long, each one feeling heavier than the last. But as before, there was no answer. His fingers drummed nervously against the wall.
He was still hopeful that at least someone would pick up this time, and luckily, it was answered after his second trial.
"Yeoboseyo?" Doyun said into the phone immediately after the call was picked. He was both anxious and relieved, but the knot in his stomach refused to ease.
"Hello?" Doyun repeated as the other end of the call was silent. His voice wavered slightly with both relief and anticipation.
"Is that you? Are you the person I think?" Doyun paused, waiting for a response, but all he heard was dead silence. He pressed the phone slightly closer to his ear, heart thumping harder.
"If it's really you, I will..." will..." The call ended abruptly before Doyun could finish his sentence. He stared at the phone in disbelief, his chest tightening as disappointment settled in.
"Hm." He sighed, massaging the bridge of his nose as he tried to calm his nerves. 'Let me try again. If he'll even answer it.' He swallowed hard, already feeling the tension in his shoulders.
"Hello? I know it's you. I'm glad to know that you got back safely." Doyun spoke breathlessly, his words tumbling out as fast as his thoughts. He paused to take in a few shaky breaths before continuing, aware of how tense his voice sounded even to himself.
"I understand why you would want to refuse to answer my calls or reply to my texts, but can you please meet with me? To give me a chance to explain myself on what happened?" His hand trembled slightly as he held the phone.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Doyun looked at his phone's screen light dejectedly. He felt a sharp pang of frustration and helplessness. He dialed the number once again, but this time the line was switched off. His shoulders slumped as he shoved the phone back into his pocket.
"Ah. I don't know anymore." He muttered, throwing his hands into the air in exasperation. With a heavy heart, he turned and walked back toward his mom's hospital room, feeling the weight of responsibility settle more heavily on him than before.
Buzzt! Buzzt! Buzzt!
"Who is this person that keeps disturbing my brother's phone all day? Don't they have any tact?!" Kim Areum asked as she realized the vibration of her brother's phone was coming from a particular number. She frowned, annoyed that someone would dare to harass him this way, especially given his current state.
She pressed the sides of the phone to silence it once again before leaving it on the centre table in the living room. Her gaze was sharp, protective of her brother even from a distance.
"How is he doing?" She asked their family doctor, Dr. Cha Junho, who was coming out of her brother's room with his bag in his hand.
"He'll be fine once he wakes up. He's just slightly feverish and needs a good rest. Nothing serious." Dr. Cha Junho replied, his voice calm and reassuring.
"Thank goodness. I thought he had another episode again." Areum let out a long sigh of relief as she slumped onto the sofa. Her shoulders relaxed for the first time that morning.
Stevie, her brother's butler, had told her that her brother collapsed as soon as he got out of his car this morning from wherever he went the previous night. She was still digesting the information, surprised that her brother had spent the night outside his own home.
"No. This is just a normal fever. It may be due to stress. I believe his additional new roles at work are adding to his stress levels. He'll be fine by the time he wakes. But I fear this could trigger his condition to become worse if not checked earlier." Dr. Cha Junho explained before excusing himself to leave.
"Where did he go to spend the night? I thought his friends were out of the country on their holidays." Areum asked the butler, Stevie, who was waiting for her permission to leave.
"Yes. They're all outside the country, with the exception of one, but even he is quite busy at the moment. I don't think he was the one he went to see. Moreover, he spent the night there, which has never happened before." Stevie replied, maintaining his usual composed manner.
Buzzt! Buzzt! Buzzt!
The phone kept vibrating insistently, but both Areum and Stevie ignored it, focusing on the conversation at hand.
"Hmmm... does he have any new friends that you may not know about? Or perhaps a new lover?" Areum mused aloud, her curiosity getting the better of her caution.
"No. I don't think so. But speaking of lovers, one of them was here last night waiting for him, but I had to let her leave when he did not return after midnight." Stevie answered, his voice steady and professional.
"Why?" Areum asked, eyebrows knitting in confusion.
"Pardon?" Stevie asked calmly, though he knew where this line of questioning was heading.
"Why did you send her away? Why didn't you let her wait till he returned or when she herself decided?" Areum pressed.
"I did think about it, especially since it was the young master who asked her to come," Stevie replied, carefully measuring his words.
"Then why didn't you? Isn't it too rude to treat someone's daughter like that? Wasn't she angry when you told her to leave at that time?"
Stevie didn't know how best to answer her question. "Yes, she was quite angry. But the young master does not allow any of his lovers to stay overnight. So I had to be firm."
"Hm. Since Dr. Cha Junho said he would be better once he wakes, then I'll be going back home. It's not even..."
Buzzt! Buzzt! Buzzt!
"Ooh, aahh. Who is this annoying person at all? Why do they keep disturbing oppa like that? Don't they have common sense?" Areum muttered, frustration creeping into her voice. She was about to pick up the call herself, but Stevie stopped her, taking the phone off the table first.
"Stevie, why? Do you know the number? Why have you stopped me from answering the call? Who are they?" Areum asked, her tone a mixture of curiosity and irritation.
Stevie looked at her calmly, his expression unreadable, but protective. "I just don't want unnecessary stress for the young master. Some things are best handled carefully."
Areum pursed her lips but let the phone stay in Stevie's hands, knowing he likely had a reason she couldn't yet understand.