Chapter 4.2

Chapter 4.2

For Yeon-ha, who had to handle everything alone, the entire process, from preparing for hospitalization to the surgery itself, was an ordeal. Although the surgery went well, the situation had been quite severe.

“Even after treatment, you might have chronic walking difficulties or limited range of motion. Continuous monitoring is necessary. You also need to be diligent with rehabilitation.” The doctor’s face was clear in her memory as he warned about potential long-term disabilities.

The word “disability” had terrified her, even though she vaguely understood the context. But the real fear lay elsewhere. Her emergency savings had been halved by the surgery and hospitalization costs. With no insurance, she had no choice.

Many things had contributed to Yeon-ha’s despair. After being discharged from the hospital earlier than recommended, the taxi driver, noticing her crutches, had jokingly asked if no one was coming to pick her up. Pretending it was no big deal, she had said she wasn’t seriously injured. She had asked to be dropped off at an alley a little away from her house and had limped home alone.

Once she was back in her room, she finally cried.

It was a bitter and silent cry, the kind that left her face soaked in tears. At the time, Yeon-ha had just finished her college entrance exams. She had plans to work and save money before starting university.

But with her leg in this condition, Yeon-ha couldn’t go to the part-time job she had finally secured, and all she had were bills to pay. The more she thought about how her legs had given out and she had fallen, the more pathetic she felt. So pathetic she wanted to die.

“That quack doctor scared the kid for no reason.”

She remembered every word of what Min-gyu said, laughing bitterly after hearing the doctor’s prognosis. Min-gyu scoffed, eyes wide, saying there was no way that would happen, and hospitals always exaggerated. He did his best to comfort Yeon-ha, making her feel a little guilty for the doctor who had just stated the facts.

“Aftereffects? You’ll heal perfectly fine. Stop worrying about nonsense.”

At the time, Yeon-ha was too flustered to grasp it fully, but now, she thought Min-gyu was right. Even now, though the recovery was slow, she seemed to be healing well… she hoped.

She wanted to believe that.

“Should we take a detour?”

Lost in thought, staring blankly at the stairs below, Yeon-ha was startled by Min-gyu’s quiet voice. Taking the detour would add at least ten more minutes to their walk.

“…No.”

“Let’s go.” Ignoring the turmoil inside her, she calmly took a step forward. She was surprised when a hand suddenly grabbed her wrist. Min-gyu shrugged.

“Then I’ll carry you.”

As if he could read her mind, Min-gyu bent his large frame right in front of her. Yeon-ha, taken aback by the broad back presented to her, quickly opened her mouth to speak.

“I’m fine. I can go down by myself.”

“Forget it. Just get on.”

With his back still turned, Min-gyu frowned and glanced over his shoulder. “If you don’t, no meat for you,” he said, a threat that didn’t seem very effective. Despite her insistence that she was fine, he wouldn’t budge. In the fading light of dusk, Yeon-ha’s wandering gaze caught the curious glances of passersby.

“Let’s just get down quickly.”

Knowing full well the other’s stubbornness, Yeon-ha hesitated before finally climbing onto Min-gyu’s back. As she carefully wrapped her arms around his neck, Min-gyu secured her with his arms and slowly straightened up. Her perspective suddenly soared.

Min-gyu began descending the stairs, one step at a time. Although his movements were unhurried, being carried down by such a tall man made Yeon-ha feel an odd sense of fear. With no other options, she buried her face into his broad shoulder. He had insisted she wear a jacket, claiming it was cold, while he was in nothing but a T-shirt, his body heat radiating through.

Min-gyu mumbled something, but she couldn’t quite catch it. It dawned on her that this wasn’t the first time he had carried her.

Their figures blended into the dusky landscape.

* * *

The taxi dropped them off at a private room in a beef restaurant. Min-gyu mentioned his name at the counter, implying he had made a reservation. Yeon-ha, who had expected a casual meal nearby, was surprised. It was obviously a high-end place. She felt a twinge of awkwardness as they were courteously led to their room.

Once seated at the pre-set table, Min-gyu placed their order, and soon, a staff member came in to grill the meat. After watching the proficient grilling for a while, Min-gyu dismissed the employee, insisting he would take over. With a polite response, the staff left, closing the door quietly behind them.

“I’ll do it.”

Yeon-ha instinctively reached out, but Min-gyu, holding the tongs, clicked his tongue.

“It’s too heavy for you.”

“What?”

“Don’t even think about doing anything with that wrist. Just eat.”

Saying her wrist would break if she squeezed too hard, he exaggeratedly clicked his tongue again and began grilling the meat with practiced ease. Claiming the tongs were heavy seemed like another one of his jokes, but she didn’t laugh. Sometimes, when Min-gyu spoke like that, she didn’t know how to respond.