Chapter 17
My eyes opened slowly.
For a moment, everything felt… familiar. The white ceiling. The smell of disinfectant. The quiet hum of machines in the background.
Déjà vu?
I blinked and turned my head slightly.
Wasn't this… the same hospital?
I glanced to my left. A small table. A jug of water. I checked the clock on the wall across the room.
2:03 a.m.
I tried sitting up. A dull ache spread across my ribs, but nothing too serious. I could move.
I let out a slow breath, still trying to remember how I got here again.
That's when I noticed the figure on the couch.
A woman, sat still on the sofa. Arms crossed. Head down. Blonde hair falling naturally over her shoulder. Waiting.
She wore a cap and a black face mask, but I recognized her immediately because of her hair colour.
"…Yuna?"
She looked up in an instant. Her eyes met mine—and within seconds, she rushed toward me.
She pulled down her mask. "Haemin—!" Her voice cracked. Her cap shifted slightly from the sudden movement as she threw herself forward.
Before I could sit up properly, she wrapped her arms around me and buried her face in my chest.
"I'm sorry," she said, her voice trembling. "I'm so sorry. I didn't listen. I should've let you explain first."
She was crying.
Yuna—Seo Yuna—was crying?
I froze for a second. She'd never cried before. Not once in front of me.
And now, her shoulders shook like she couldn't stop.
Part of me wanted to be mad. I had every reason to be. My whole body still ached from everything that happened. Her punches weren't soft—not that I expected them to be. But still.
But watching her like this… clinging to me like I might disappear… crying like she hated herself more than I ever could…
I smiled a little.
Well, I guess this is my revenge.
Seeing her like this? That was enough.
I lifted my hand slowly and placed it on the back of her head.
"It's okay," I said softly. "I'm fine."
She looked up, her eyes red. "No, it's not okay—"
"It is," I cut in, brushing her hair gently behind her ear. "But… next time, before you destroy the house or hit me… at least let me explain first."
I gave her a small smile and leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.
She nodded immediately, her voice still shaking. "I promise. I promise I'll listen."
I let out a quiet sigh and leaned back against the pillow.
Her hand never let go of mine.
And even though we were in a cold, plain hospital room… somehow, this moment felt warm.
_________
Yuna finally stopped crying after what felt like several long minutes. Her breathing slowed down, and her grip on my hospital gown loosened. She pulled back, her eyes red but still sharp underneath the cap and face mask. Her blonde hair spilled out from under the cap, a little messy now, but still somehow elegant.
Then, out of nowhere, she looked at me seriously.
"Who was it?" she asked, voice low and icy. "The woman who hit you. I want her name. I'm going to sue her tonight. I don't care if it's past midnight—I'll make sure she never walks free again."
I blinked at her, surprised.
"No, no. Don't," I said gently, shaking my head. "It's not even her fault. I mean, it kind of is, but it's not like she meant to hit me. I wasn't paying attention, that's all. I crossed the road without looking. It was just a small accident. Nothing serious."
Yuna stared at me, clearly unsatisfied. Her jaw clenched. But she didn't argue—at least not right away.
She stayed silent for a moment before sighing. Then, she looked at me again, "I'm sorry."
I looked at her. "For what?"
"For… for hitting you." Her voice cracked a little.
She sat down again beside my bed, pulling her cap down lower. Her fingers trembled slightly in her lap. "I—I didn't know you were already hurt. If I had known… I wouldn't have done it. I just—" she stopped, swallowing hard, "—I overthink. I panic when I don't see you. My head goes to the worst places. I know it's not fair to you, but that's the only way I know how to stop myself from breaking."
I stayed quiet. I could hear the truth in her voice, even if it was difficult to understand.
"I get irritated easily," she went on, looking down. "If I don't see you, I start thinking of the worst. That maybe you're cheating, maybe you're meeting someone, maybe… maybe you're tired of me."
I opened my mouth, but she quickly added, "That's why I act cold sometimes. That's why I control you. I thought if I could make you fear me… then you wouldn't dare to leave.
Is my wife turning into a psycho? I wondered to myself.
She looked at me again.
"I'm sorry for that. And I'm sorry in advance… because this is who I really am—the woman you agreed to marry. I can't promise I'll change. But I'll try." She paused, letting the silence stretch for a second. "If you're always by my side, maybe… just maybe, I can control myself a bit better."
I didn't know how to respond at first. Her words sat heavy in the air. Somewhere inside, I knew she wasn't lying. She truly thought this was the only way to keep me close. It's not like I ever thought about leaving her, though.
Then she said my name.
"Haemin."
Her voice was softer this time.
"I've been thinking… I want you to drop out of university."
My eyes widened, but before I could speak, she continued. "Come work with me. At my company. You don't need to deal with that campus, with those people. I'll bring you to the office, every day. You'll be beside me, where I can see you, talk to you and reach you."
I tried to sit up a little. "Yuna, what are you talking about?"
"I mean it." She was serious now. "You're already smart, more than anyone I know. You don't need to sit in lectures. I'll bring in the best tutors. I'll teach you everything about the business. Step by step."
Her next words caught me completely off guard.
"Because eventually, I'll give the company to you."
I stared at her. "Wait… what?"
"You're my husband, Haemin," she said firmly. "You should've known this would happen when we got married. I'm not going to run Nara Group forever. I'll grow older. And someday, I want to stay home. I want to cook, decorate, and wait for my husband to come home from work."
She smiled gently at the last part. "And when that door opens, I want to be the first person to greet you with a smile."
I was speechless.
When I agreed to marry Yuna, I didn't expect to be handed an empire. I just wanted to be beside her. The whole company thing? Becoming a CEO? It never even crossed my mind.
"I never wanted to take over your company," I finally said. "That's too big. That's… not me."
But even as I said it, my heart fluttered a little. She wanted to be with me every day. Even in her cold, twisted way—everything she did was to keep me close.
Honestly… I wanted that too.
I wanted to be with her every hour. Every minute, if I could.
But I knew she wasn't in the right mindset now. She was still shaken and emotional.
So I smiled and said gently, "We'll talk about dropping out later, okay? I only have two months left this semester. Let me finish it."
She opened her mouth to argue, but I added quickly, "Please."
Her eyes narrowed for a second… but then she sighed and nodded. "Fine. Two months. But after that, we talk again."
"Deal."
She helped me lay down properly and tucked the blanket around me.
"You should rest now," she said.
"You too," I said softly. "You have work tomorrow."
She gave a small smile. "Sleep. I'll come back and pick you up tomorrow."
I nodded. "Okay."
She leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead. Then she sat beside me, staying quietly until I drifted back to sleep.
When I woke up again, the sunlight was already shining through the window. I glanced at the clock—11 a.m.
"Wow… I really slept like a log," I muttered.
Yuna wasn't in the room anymore. She had probably left for work early. I sat up slowly, feeling refreshed, and stretched my arms.
Not long after, the door opened and the doctor walked in.
"Oh, you're awake. That's good," he said with a smile. "We've checked your condition again. You're stable, and you can be discharged today. Just take it easy for a few days, alright?"
I nodded. "Thank you, doctor."
As soon as he left, I picked up my phone and messaged Yuna. Since my original phone broke, she had given me her extra one to use in the meantime.
Haemin: I can be discharged now
Yuna: Okay. I'll pick you up in an hour. Wait for me.
I sighed and leaned back. Might as well rest a bit more.
But just as I closed my eyes, the door creaked open again.
A sharp female voice cut through the quiet.
"Why did you end up here again?"
I looked up, blinking in surprise.
Standing in the doorway was the same woman who had hit me with her car yesterday.
My eyes widened in shock.
It was her.