#77
“Haa… it hurts.”
Sitting on the bed, Yeoul touched his waist. Every touch made his fingers tremble as if experiencing a spasm. Yesterday, while reading children’s books, they ended up having sex all night long. He seemed to have become one with him until dawn, but he lost consciousness during it, so he couldn’t remember. And Eun Sajun was nowhere to be seen, perhaps having gone to work.
Somehow, Valentine’s Day had ended just like that. It was really disappointing.
“Ah… next year, I must make chocolate for him.”
After muttering this, he suddenly realized what he’d said. Would there even be a next year with him? Yeoul was immersed in bitter feelings. He knew well that he couldn’t stay with Eun Sajun forever.
He was a person from a different world, too grand for Yeoul to handle. So their connection would likely end after the baby was born.
Even though it was a relationship defined by contract, he felt uneasy. For some reason, his eyes grew hot, and tears rolled down his cheeks.
“Why am I crying?”
He wiped the tears with the back of his hand. Was it because of pregnancy hormones? He was confused.
Zing.
Amidst these complicated feelings, his phone vibrated. Following the sound, he raised his head to see his phone on the bedside table. Yeoul picked it up, thinking it might be Eun Sajun. Secretary Kim’s number was displayed.
“Huh?”
Why was he calling suddenly? This was the first time he had called like this. Yeoul answered the phone with curiosity.
“Hello.”
[Ah, is this Geum Yeoul-nim?]
“Yes… yes…”
[The CEO is on a business trip now, but I’ll be at your residence in 30 minutes, so please prepare to go out.]
“What? What’s happening?”
[Geum Yeojin… your brother has woken up.]
Yeoul felt his heart sink.
“Really?”
[But there’s a problem.]
“What kind of problem?”
[You’ll need to see for yourself. I’m leaving now.]
“Ah, I understand.”
Yeoul barely answered, turning pale. What on earth had happened? His heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might burst.
* * *
Dressed in outdoor clothes, Yeoul waited in front of the mansion. Soon, he got into the sedan brought by Secretary Kim and headed to the hospital.
Throughout the journey, Yeoul kept asking what had happened, but Secretary Kim, with a grim expression, couldn’t give a clear answer. He just said Yeoul would need to see for himself. This made him even more anxious.
The hospital where Yeojin was admitted was the same university hospital where Yeoul had been admitted before. Yeojin was there. Once again, the image of Yeojin trying to harm him flickered before his eyes. It felt like his heart was being torn by a knife.
Getting out of the sedan and following Secretary Kim through the hospital corridor, Yeoul found it increasingly difficult to take steps. Finally, he stopped in his tracks. Secretary Kim, who had been following closely, widened his eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
“Ah… no… I…”
He was afraid of what Yeojin might do to him this time. But trying to express this with his own mouth was overwhelming. Secretary Kim seemed to have some idea of why Yeoul was behaving this way.
“Actually, there’s something wrong with your brother’s head.”
“What? Something’s wrong…?”
What was this supposed to mean?
“Yes, after waking up, he jumped out of the window.”
“He jumped out of the window? Is he badly hurt?”
Yeoul’s heart sank even further. He was especially worried because Yeojin had already injured his leg.
“Just minor scratches, that’s all. But his behavior and speech aren’t normal, like he might have injured his head.”
At this shocking claim, Yeoul hurriedly headed to the hospital room. He couldn’t bear the curiosity about what was wrong.
“Which room is he in?”
“Here it is.”
Secretary Kim pointed to a door. Yeoul quickly opened it. Under the dazzling sunlight, he saw Yeojin sitting on the bed. Slowly, he turned his head and their eyes met.
But Yeojin’s eyes were different from what Yeoul knew.
“Yeoul hyuh… hyung?”
“Huh…?”
“Is that really you, Yeoul hyung?”
“Y-yes, it’s me.”
Yeojin looked at Yeoul intently and tilted his head.
“Your face is the same as the hyung I know, but why have you grown so tall?”
“What?”
Why is Yeojin acting like this? What was he saying? In confusion, Yeoul looked at Secretary Kim.
“Um… why is Yeojin like this…?”
Secretary Kim touched the bridge of his nose, took a moment to steady his breath, and then spoke.
“According to the doctor, it’s amnesia.”
“Amnesia?”
His statement made Yeoul’s heart sink.
“The doctor will explain the details when he arrives.”
“Yes… yes… Does the CEO know about this?”
“No. I haven’t informed him yet.”
“I see…”
Yeoul felt dizzy, not understanding the situation. Meanwhile, Yeojin was looking at him with curiosity. Then, he got off the bed and suddenly embraced Yeoul tightly. He sniffed various parts of Yeoul’s body.
“It really is hyung. Our hyung. The smell is our hyung’s…”
Yeoul suddenly felt like he had gone back to the past.
In childhood, their parents were busy with work and often absent. So, they spent a lot of time together, just the two of them. During that time, Yeojin depended a lot on Yeoul.
Yeoul, too, accepted this as natural.
The feeling of time travel was momentary as the doctor soon entered. After examining Yeojin’s condition, they headed to the consultation room. The doctor had a conversation with Yeojin, asking several questions.
“It appears to be continuous amnesia.”
“Continuous amnesia?”
“Yes, it’s a condition where one can’t remember from a certain period to the present. It seems Geum Yeojin-ssi doesn’t remember anything after the age of eight.”
“I see…”
Looking at Yeojin’s expression and behavior, it did seem like he had regressed to that time. He truly had that innocent and cute appearance from back then.
“It’s a condition largely influenced by psychological factors, as nothing can be detected through MRI or CT scans.”
“S-so… will he live like this for the rest of his life?”
“Not necessarily. His memory might return tomorrow, or it might take years.”
“My goodness…”
He hadn’t expected things to turn out this way. With a regretful heart, Yeoul hugged Yeojin tightly.
“There’s no major issue, so he can be discharged immediately if needed.”
“Yes…”
Though he wanted to discharge him, thinking of Eun Sajun made it difficult to make a decision.
“I’ll let you know later about the discharge.”
“Alright, understood.”
After the doctor left, Yeoul looked at Yeojin. He truly looked innocent, as if he had gone back to childhood. He couldn’t just leave Yeojin like this. With a softened heart, Yeoul called Eun Sajun first.
[Why did our baby call?]
He answered immediately, as if he had been waiting.
“Something’s happened…”
Yeoul’s lips trembled as he tried to explain the situation.
[What is it?]
“Yeojin has woken up.”
[What! He’s awake?]
His gentle voice turned sharp in an instant.
“Yes, but there’s a problem.”
Yeoul explained Yeojin’s current condition. After listening attentively, Eun Sajun was silent for a moment. During this silence, Yeoul was tense.
[Is that so? You must be worried.]
“They say he doesn’t need to stay hospitalized.”
[Then, we should bring him to the mansion.]
Eun Sajun suggested this immediately, as if he had read Yeoul’s concerns.
“Really?”
[Yes.]
“Th-thank you… thank you so much.”
He had thought Eun Sajun would definitely refuse, so this was a great relief. Moisture gathered in Yeoul’s eyes. After ending the call, Yeoul conveyed his conversation with Eun Sajun to Secretary Kim. And so, Yeojin was moved to the mansion.
* * *
The sound of a gayageum filled the Korean restaurant. In a private room, a middle-aged man dressed in hanbok looked at Eun Sajun. He was a business client about to contract with Eun Sajun.
“CEO Eun, then we will proceed with the contract with your company.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Please ensure thorough security.”
“Of course.”
“I have a gift of appreciation.”
Eun Sajun tilted his head. Then, a man entered. In his hands was a covered canvas, size 5. As he removed the case, a painting was revealed.
It was a painting of apples in a desolate desert. There were two apples; one had fallen to the ground and was rotting, while the other was still hanging on the tree.
“It conveys the meaning that there is only one absolute existence, like the apple hanging on the tree. I thought of you, CEO.”
“Ah…”
Eun Sajun initially seemed uninterested in the painting, but gradually his eyes sparkled.
“I really like it.”
“I’m glad.”
“That’s right. There’s no need for two identical things in this world.”
He smiled ominously. Then, he picked up a small knife that had been brought out for dessert. He approached the painting and slashed the fallen apple with the knife.
“Gasp.”
The man was taken aback, but Eun Sajun looked satisfied with the torn painting.
“Because there’s only one poisonous apple.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
