CH 73

“I couldn’t do it then, so I want to say it now. Thank you,” Muyeol continued, “If it weren’t for you, Yiyoung probably wouldn’t be by my side right now.”

“T-then… y-you were…”

Sangsu held his head in disbelief. ‘Wasn’t he just fourteen years old like Yiyoung back then?’

Sangsu had had absolutely no idea that it was a fourteen year old boy who had hired him to protect Yiyoung; the texts he had received then had seemed so serious and adult-like, not to mention the huge amount of money he had been paid. And Muyeol had reacted swiftly by contacting him back when she was getting attacked, too… It was beyond shocking to find out that Muyeol was the one who had hired him back then.

“I know you don’t think I’m enough, but I need to be with Yiyoung,” Muyeol added.

Sangsu patted Muyeol’s hand, too touched by his concern for Yiyoung to say anything.

Suddenly, a nurse came out of the recovery room. “President, please come in.”

Muyeol jumped to his feet. But when Sangsu and Honghee tried to follow after him, the nurse stopped them. “I’m sorry. Dr. Yoon is not in a good condition right now.”

“W-what do you mean?”

“She’s not stable right now.”

The two backed away. All they could do now was believe in Muyeol. As they sat back down, Honghee asked, “By the way, what were you guys talking about earlier?”

“Remember I told you how Yiyoung and I met?”

“Yes?”

“Muyeol just told me that he was the one who had hired me to protect her.”

Honghee’s eyes widened at the revelation. “So they really were each other’s first love.”

“I think so,” Sangsu added, “I was concerned because he has such a cold gaze… I thought I was good at judging people, but I guess I’m not.”

Honghee gently squeezed her husband’s hand in comfort.

* * *

When he went inside the recovery room, Muyeol pushed the staff away and immediately hugged Yiyoung, who clung to him like a small child.

“I’m scared… so scared…” she cried.

Muyeol pulled her closer, her sweat-soaked clothes pressing against his.

“Shh… Shh…” he murmured, softly stroking her on the back. “It’s okay. I’m here now. It’s okay.”

She lay limp in his arms. She seemed to have no strength left in her body, and her mind didn’t seem to be in the right place either. Muyeol gently laid her back on the bed, careful not to touch the IV needle linked to her hand. Still keeping an arm around her for assurance, Muyeol looked at the staff.

“The surgery went well,” the doctor explained, “She might temporarily experience some hallucinations due to the narcotics we administered in order to control the shock and pain, but she’ll recover normally over time. Dr. Yoon is stronger than others, so….”

But Muyeol didn’t agree. Yiyoung wasn’t stronger than others.

“I’m scared…” she whimpered again.

Everyone was wrong. Yiyoung was independent, sure, but she was not strong. She had to be competitive in order to survive, always challenging herself so she could push forward in life. People just didn’t know her well. Muyeol knew all about her struggles; no one else did.

Eventually, Yiyoung drifted off to sleep in Muyeol’s arms. Sangsu and Honghee had returned home after seeing Yiyoung for a short moment, and now only Muyeol was by her side.

When Mr. Hong dropped by to deliver Muyeol’s laptop and reports on the project, he brought dinner, too. As Yiyoung slept soundly, Muyeol sat next to her and completed his work. But when it was time to eat, he didn’t touch the food; he simply had no appetite. Instead, he chose to sip on a coffee while leafing through the project report.

Yiyoung jerked awake with a gasp, scared witless by the nightmare she had. She trembled harshly, her arms covered in goosebumps. And that was when the pain in her arm sunk in. The lower half of her body felt numb, too. Still awake, she yelled, “Mom! Mom… Mom!”

“Shh…” She heard someone breathe as a hand patted her head. She automatically turned toward the soothing aura. Everything around was so scary; she wanted to hide. Fortunately, the person embracing her was helping her hide. She dug deeper and deeper into the embrace, feeling protected by the arms.

‘Hug me harder,’ she thought.

Muyeol noticed Yiyoung trying to hide like a baby bird seeking shelter in the rain. He immediately lowered himself and hugged her tightly. Her back was covered in sweat. It seemed like she was having a nightmare. He could hear her whimper, her body still quivering.

Muyeol wanted to help her snap out of the bad dream, but didn’t know how. Then, he recalled the day Yiyoung slept curled up in his embrace; she had seemed so dependent on him.

“Hug me…” she had said then.

Muyeol took off his shoes and slowly crawled onto the bed, making sure not to leave any gap between their bodies. Muyeol didn’t even need to pull her close; she immediately snuggled into him, almost as if she had been waiting for him.

Muyeol could vividly feel the warmth of her body against his, her soft breaths tickling his skin as her scent took over his senses. He carefully nudged her head up and slid his arm underneath it, running his hand over the side of her body. Then, he placed a chaste kiss on her forehead.

He wanted her to know that he was right by her side. In hopes that it would calm her down, he continued to caress her. Soon, her breathing became peaceful and consistent, and it relieved him.

Yet, at the same time, he clenched his jaw, brows naturally frowning as he tried to suppress his emotions. It was of no use, the tears still rolled down his cheeks. Perhaps in an attempt to hide his tears, Muyeol placed his lips against her forehead again, pulling her into a tighter embrace.