Chapter 18
"Why did you end up here again?"
I blinked, confused for a second. That voice… familiar, but still unexpected.
Turns out, it was the woman from yesterday.
She stood there, casually dressed in a simple white blouse tucked into light beige slacks, her long brunette hair flowed in soft waves. Even without makeup, her skin looked flawless and glowing under the fluorescent hospital light. She gave off a vibe of elegance and power, just like Yuna. Her presence filled the entire room.
For a second, I forgot to breathe.
She stepped forward and stopped beside my bed, crossing her arms lightly.
"You again," she said, shaking her head. "Seriously, why are you back in the hospital?"
I quickly sat up a little, forcing a smile. "Ah… I just… passed out yesterday while running. I think someone called an ambulance. A bystander, maybe."
It was a lie, of course. It's not like I could go around saying I got beaten to a pulp by my own wife and passed out like a fainting goat.
She raised an eyebrow, not looking completely convinced, but she didn't question me further.
"You're really careless," she muttered, clicking her tongue as she sat down on the chair beside my bed.
I tilted my head slightly and asked, "By the way… I was in a rush last time, but could I ask for your name?"
She looked at me and smiled faintly. "Hwang Sera."
Sera.
It suited her somehow. Strong, classy, and clean.
"So… should I call you Miss Sera? Or maybe Sera-noona?" I asked with a small smile.
"Either is fine," she replied casually. "I'm not too picky about formality."
She continued, "sorry again… for hitting you. I mean, the car did. Not me personally."
I chuckled a little. "It's fine, really. It wasn't serious."
She narrowed her eyes. "Not serious? You collapsed yesterday. If you passed out again while running, doesn't that mean something's wrong?"
"Maybe… I didn't eat enough?" I shrugged lightly, trying to brush it off. "Anyway, I'm okay now."
There was a short pause.
I scratched the back of my head awkwardly. "I should introduce myself properly too. I'm—"
"Kim Haemin," she interrupted with a smirk. "Nineteen years old. Economics major at XXX University."
I stared at her, confused. "…How did you know?"
"I checked your wallet when you were unconscious the first time," she said casually. "I didn't take anything. Just needed to tell the hospital who you were."
"Oh…" I nodded slowly, still surprised. "Makes sense."
She leaned back in the chair, crossing one leg over the other. "I was just visiting a friend today. She got admitted here a few days ago. Thought I'd check on her before heading to the office. Didn't expect to run into you again."
Her voice was calm but steady. Every word felt deliberate, like someone used to being in control of situations. Not bossy, just confident.
Before I could ask more, someone knocked lightly and opened the door.
A woman in a sleek black suit peeked in. "Miss Sera, we should leave now. Your next meeting is in less than an hour."
"Got it," she replied without turning her head.
I glanced at the woman—clearly an assistant. And from the way she spoke, it was obvious: Sera wasn't just some ordinary office worker.
Someone powerful?
I didn't dare to ask.
Sera stood up from the chair. "Oh, right. I almost forgot."
She pulled something from her bag and placed it on my bedside table. A small clear case — inside it, my old SIM card.
I stared at it, blinking in surprise. "Is that…"
"Your SIM card," she said before I could finish. "My security team found it on the road near where you passed out yesterday. It must've popped out when your phone got crushed."
"Oh… right. Thank you."
"I was planning to stop by your university today to return it," she added, brushing invisible dust from her sleeve. "But then I found you here instead. Lucky coincidence, I supposed."
I nodded slowly, still trying to process it. "You really didn't have to go out of your way like this."
She smiled a little. "But I wanted to. Besides, you looked like someone who probably wouldn't go out of your way to replace something that small for at least another week."
That made me laugh softly. She wasn't wrong.
As she reached for the handle, she turned slightly over her shoulder and gave me a brief wave.
"Take care, Haemin. Don't end up here again," she said with a half-smile, then left.
The room was quiet again.
_________
About thirty minutes later, I stepped out of the hospital entrance, feeling much better than I had in days. The late morning sun was warm on my face, and the fresh air helped clear the fog still lingering in my head.
Parked right in front was a sleek black sedan. Tinted windows. I didn't even need to check the license plate.
Yuna was here.
I walked toward the car, and as I got closer, I saw her sitting in the driver's seat. Her posture was straight, her expression unreadable behind a pair of sunglasses. She wore her signature office suit—crisp, sharp, and expensive-looking. Her long legs crossed elegantly, one hand resting on the wheel.
Even after everything, she still looked beautiful. Like always.
I let out a small chuckle under my breath.
All of Korea would be in shock if they discovered that the Chairwoman of Nara Group was personally driving to a hospital just to bring home her husband.
I opened the passenger door and slid into the seat.
Just as I was about to buckle up, she spoke in that cold, flat tone that made my stomach twist.
"Wait."
I paused, my hand still on the seatbelt.
Before I could react, she leaned toward me. Her fingers grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled me close—too close. She buried her face into my chest for a second, then slowly pulled back, her brows furrowed, eyes sharp like ice.
Her tone was even colder now.
"Why does your shirt smell like perfume?"
I froze.
"…What?"
Her eyes didn't blink. "A woman's perfume. Who was it?"
My brain scrambled for an answer. I honestly hadn't noticed anything. But then it hit me—Hwang Sera. She'd been sitting close. She even leaned toward me to talk. She was wearing something light and floral… was that what Yuna smelled?
I didn't dare tell her the truth. That would lead to a disaster. Not only would I have to admit Sera was the one who hit me, but also that we were alone in a hospital room—again. Yuna might actually lose her mind this time and go hunt Sera down herself after killing me.
So I swallowed and lied.
"Maybe… maybe it's from one of the nurses. Before I left, they came in to check on me one last time. Maybe one of them got too close, or something."
Yuna said nothing. Her eyes narrowed slightly, as if weighing every syllable.
"Is that the truth?"
"Yeah," I nodded quickly, keeping my expression as calm as possible. "I didn't even notice until you said it."
She didn't move. Then slowly, she reached forward and grabbed my chin, turning my face toward her.
Her fingers were cold.
She stared straight into my eyes. Her gaze didn't waver for even a second.
"You know what will happen," she said quietly, "if you lie to me."
I nodded, holding her gaze. My heart thudded nervously.
A few long seconds passed in silence. Then, finally, she let go of my chin and turned back to the wheel.
"…Let's go home," she said, voice softer now. "You need to rest."
I let out a small sigh of relief and leaned back into my seat, trying not to show it. "Okay."
As she pulled the car out of the parking lot, I glanced at her from the corner of my eye.
Just like that, I thought, she's back to her usual self. Like last night never happened.
All those tears, saying she was sorry.
None of it showed on her face now.
It was like… it was all fake.
I couldn't help but chuckle softly to myself.
Her eyes didn't leave the road. "I already informed your university. You won't need to attend classes today."
I blinked. "Oh. You didn't have to go that far."
"I wanted to," she replied simply.
I looked down at my hands for a second, then leaned slightly toward her. "How about you? How are you feeling today?"
She didn't answer right away, but then she said, "Fine."
I raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"
Her eyes stayed on the road as she replied calmly, "What do you expect me to say?"
I smiled a little. "Did you eat breakfast?"
"Yes. Toast and coffee."
"That doesn't sound like enough."
"It was enough for me."
Her voice was flat again, but not cold this time.
I leaned back in my seat. "Are you going back to work after dropping me off?"
"Yes. I have to."
I nodded slowly. "Busy day?"
"There's a meeting with the board this afternoon. We're reviewing a new emerging project. Nothing's confirmed yet, but it could lead to a major expansion."
"Sounds important."
She didn't respond, just pressed lightly on the accelerator as the traffic light turned green.
As the car moved steadily along the highway, I shifted in my seat and glanced at Yuna.
"…What did you think about my classmates?" I asked casually. "From the university visit yesterday. Were they okay?"
She kept her eyes on the road for a moment before replying in a calm, indifferent voice. "They were just alright."
I chuckled lightly. "Just alright?"
"They're young," she added. "Too excited. A little noisy."
"That's normal, though," I said, smiling. "It's probably their first time entering a company that big."
She didn't respond to that.
I hesitated, then glanced at her again. "By the way… are you close to Director Baek?"
Her expression didn't change. "Not particularly. He's been working at Nara Group since before I took over. Even back when my father was still CEO."
"So… he's one of the long-time people?"
"Yes. He has some influence among the older board members, but he knows his place."
I slowly nodded. "I see…"
I paused for a few seconds before bringing up what was really on my mind.
"…Do you know Dahyun's father?"
"I do," she said flatly.
"Is he… someone important?"
"Not to me," she said with a faint smirk. "His company's involved in government projects," she said plainly. "And he has ties to a few high-ranking people. His influence is decent—but not on my level."
I looked down at my lap. "…I just feel uneasy."
"About what?"
"About people finding out," I admitted. "About us. I mean… if someone like Dahyun or her father finds out we're married… I just don't want to cause trouble for you."
The silence hung between us for a second.
Then, her voice came out cold but firm. "You've never been a burden to me, Haemin."
I looked up at her.
She didn't turn to me, but her grip on the steering wheel tightened.
"I've told you many times already didn't I?" she continued. "I don't care. You're my husband—and you're the one I chose. That's all they need to know"
I swallowed, unsure what to say.
I wanted to argue—to say it wasn't that simple, that things could get complicated if people started talking—but before I could open my mouth, she cut me off with a firmer tone.
"Enough."
I immediately shut up.
The car became quiet. Only the sound of the engine and the road beneath us filled the space between us.
I turned my face toward the window and rested my elbow on the door, fingers brushing against my lips.
Sometimes it was so hard to tell what she was really thinking.
A few more minutes passed in silence, and finally, the car slowed as we entered the basement of the penthouse.
She parked the car smoothly in her usual spot.
"Go upstairs and get some rest," she said simply.
I reached for the door handle. "Okay. Will you… be back early tonight?"
"Maybe," she replied, unbuckling her seatbelt. "There's still work to do."
"Alright."
Just as I opened the door to step out, I heard her voice again.
"Where do you think you're going?"
I paused and turned around. "…Upstairs?"
She narrowed her eyes and tilted her chin slightly, lifting one hand to point at her lips.
My cheeks instantly felt warm.
"…Really?"
She didn't say anything, just kept pointing.
I leaned over slowly, my face flushed, and pressed a quick kiss to her lips.
She saw my reaction and smile slightly. "Now go."
I nodded and opened the door again. "Bye… drive safe."
Without another word, she pulled the car out of the parking lot and drove off, leaving me standing in the quiet garage with my heart thumping a little harder than before.
She drove off without looking back.
And yet, for some reason, I smiled all the way to the elevator.