"I'm sorry... I-I meant... She," she muttered, her voice cracking, as she stared at the ground, her body shaking with sobs. Wonwoo's expression softened, his eyes filled with a deep sadness, as he gazed at Hwayoung, his heart heavy with the weight of her pain.
Hwayoung's words were barely audible, her voice cracking as she whispered, "She must not have asked for it..." Her body shook with sobs, her tears streaming down her face like a torrent. Wonwoo's expression remained impassive, but his eyes betrayed a glimmer of sadness.
"This whole thing just doesn't add up..." she whispered, her voice laced with desperation. "How could she..." Her words trailed off, her eyes locking onto Wonwoo's as she showed him her vulnerability.
Wonwoo's gaze held hers for a moment, before he reached out and gently took the bouquet from her hands. "Go," he said, his voice cold and detached. Hwayoung's eyes widened in confusion, but Wonwoo's expression remained unyielding.
"Go before I change my mind," he repeated, his eyes boring into hers, as if gazing into her very soul. She hesitated for a moment, before taking a few steps back, then turning and fleeing, her hand grasping Haneul's as they disappeared into the distance.
Heejin's voice rang out, her words sharp with dismay. "Wonwoo!!" But Wonwoo ignored her, his gaze still fixed on the spot where Hwayoung had vanished.
"Tell me something..." Wonwoo said, his voice low and even, as he turned to Heejin. "She didn't really ask for the divorce before the accident, did she?" Heejin's eyes dropped, her silence speaking volumes.
Wonwoo's expression twisted into a sad smile. "Thought so..." he muttered. "She must leave him first to ever love me..." His voice trailed off, his eyes gazing out at the sea, his thoughts lost in the depths of his own sorrow.
But then his expression changed, his eyes narrowing as he remembered his brother. "Unnecessarily, they hit him..." he muttered, his voice laced with concern.
He frantically scanned the area, his eyes searching for his brother, but he was nowhere to be found. He immediately left the place in search of him.
Heejin's voice cut through the air, her words sharp with anger. "Is he more important than your family?!" Byunghan's expression remained calm, his voice even as he replied, "Yes, he is more important than my family."
Heejin's eyes widened in outrage, but Byunghan continued, his voice unwavering. "I felt that he and my granddaughter required me more than my own daughter, who had forgotten everything." His gaze locked onto Heejin's, his eyes burning with a deep intensity.
"You know... it won't take a second for him to demolish the glass castles you built around Hwayoung," he said, his voice low and even.
"But he wouldn't do it. You know why? Because somewhere, he loves your daughter a bit more than his own..." Byunghan's words hung in the air, a challenge, a revelation, and a prophecy all rolled into one.
Hwayoung and Haneul burst through the hospital doors, their eyes scanning the area for familiar faces. And then, they saw them - Seokmin and Mingyu, their faces etched with worry and fatigue.
Her heart skipped a beat as she rushed towards Seokmin, who sat slumped in a hospital chair, his eyes red-rimmed from crying.
As she kneeled before him, Seokmin's gaze lifted, his eyes locking onto the vision of Hwayoung in her white wedding dress, her face streaked with tears. His lips trembled as he spoke, his voice cracking with emotion.
"She... she said she would never leave me again. She isn't answering me now..." The words spilled out of him like a dam breaking, his body shaking with sobs.
Hwayoung's heart went out to him, her own tears flowing freely as she listened to his anguish. "Everyone thought... Areum survived because of me," he choked out, his voice barely audible.
"But the fact is... I survived because of Areum." The admission seemed to break him, his body wracked with sobs as he buried his face in his hands.
Hwayoung's arms enveloped him, pulling him close as she held him, her own tears mingling with his.
"I'm scared," he whispered, his voice muffled against her shoulder. Hwayoung's grip tightened, her fingers digging into his back as she tried to convey her support, her presence.
She pulled back, her eyes locking onto his, her voice barely above a whisper. "Look at me..." Her fingers brushed against his chin, lifting his face to meet her gaze.
"I left my marriage and came for you after just seven days of acquaintance," she said, her eyes burning with conviction. "She's your daughter. Do you think she'd leave you that easily?"
Seokmin's eyes searched hers, his gaze desperate for reassurance. Hwayoung's expression softened, her voice filled with determination.
"If you cry... she'll lose. You should fight for her. She will win!" The words seemed to infuse Seokmin with a newfound sense of purpose, his eyes locking onto hers with a fierce intensity.
"Nothing will happen to Areum!" Hwayoung declared, her voice ringing with conviction. Seokmin's eyes searched hers, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Promise...?" Hwayoung's smile was immediate, her pinkie extended in a promise. "Promise," she said, her voice firm, as they interlocked their pinkies in a symbol of their commitment.
Seokmin's forehead attached to hers, their eyes closed as they sat there, their hearts beating as one, their spirits buoyed by their determination to fight for Areum's life.
Mingyu and Haneul stood frozen, their eyes fixed on the poignant scene unfolding before them. Their own fingers intertwined unconsciously, a small smile playing on their lips as they bore witness to the depth of Seokmin and Hwayoung's emotions.
Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed through the hallway, signaling the arrival of Heejin, Byunghan, and the others.
Wonwoo's eyes scanned the area, his gaze finally coming to rest on his brother, Jungkook, who stood by the hospital window, lost in thought.
"I felt like killing him!" Jungkook exclaimed, his voice low and even, as Wonwoo approached him. "But... seeing him crying for his daughter made me stop. She's admitted in the ICU." Jungkook's eyes clouded over, his expression somber.
Wonwoo's eyes narrowed as he took the report from Jungkook's hands, his gaze scanning the contents with a practiced eye. "It's a cystic fibrosis case, Hyung. Survival rate is 0.1 percent," Jungkook explained, his voice laced with concern.
Wonwoo's face set in a determined expression as he examined the report. "Respiratory failure. Her vitals are dropping." His eyes locked onto Dr. Joshua, who stood nearby, his face etched with worry.
"We have a lung, right? What's stopping us?" Wonwoo asked, his voice firm, but laced with a hint of desperation. Dr. Joshua hesitated, his eyes darting towards the ICU.
"If we operate, the child won't survive," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. Wonwoo's eyes flashed with anger, but he kept his tone even.
"Will she survive if we don't?" he asked, his eyebrow raised in challenge. Dr. Joshua's face twisted in a grimace.
"Maybe a few hours," he said, his voice laced with regret. Wonwoo's eyes never left his, his gaze burning with determination.
"Anyhow, she's dying. What's stopping you, sir?" Wonwoo asked, his voice firm, but laced with a hint of pleading. Dr. Joshua sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat.
"This hospital is not equipped with qualified doctors to perform the surgery," he explained, his voice laced with apology. "It had to be done under the critical guidance of a transplant pulmonologist and others."
Wonwoo's face set in a resolute expression as he turned to his friends, his eyes locking onto each of them in turn. "Sir, that's Wen Junhui, senior consultant, pulmonologist," he said, his voice firm. "That's Kwon Soonyoung, senior consultant, critical care." His eyes locked onto another friend.
"And that's Lee Jihoon, one of the best anesthesiologists." His gaze finally came to rest on his brother. "And this is my brother, Jeon Jungkook, general surgeon." Wonwoo's eyes locked onto his own reflection in the window.
"And I'm Jeon Wonwoo, neurosurgeon." His voice rang out, firm and resolute. Dr. Joshua's eyes widened in surprise, his face pale.
"Uh... it was my wedding, sir," Wonwoo explained, a wry smile twisting his lips. "Not just me, all my friends are doctors. If not us, who will save her?" His eyes blazed with determination as he turned to his friends.
Without another word, they sprang into action, changing into hospital scrubs as they prepared for the surgery.
As they wheeled Areum into the operation theater, Seokmin, Hwayoung, Mingyu, and Haneul watched with bated breath, their faces etched with worry.
Hwayoung strode towards Wonwoo, her eyes locking onto his, her voice barely above a whisper. "Wonwoo... you saved me once. Please save my daughter now." Her eyes pleaded with him, her face pale with worry.
Wonwoo's face set in a determined expression as he nodded. "I'll try my best." His voice was firm, but laced with a hint of compassion. As they wheeled Areum away, Hwayoung rushed to her side, her voice filled with reassurance.
As the medical team wheeled Areum away, Hwayoung rushed to her side, her voice filled with desperation.
"Areum... do you want me?" she asked, her eyes pleading for a response. Areum's eyelids fluttered open, her gaze locking onto Hwayoung's as she nodded weakly.
Hwayoung's face twisted in a mixture of sadness and joy as she asked, "C-can I stay with you guys forever?" Areum's nod was almost imperceptible, but Hwayoung's face lit up with a radiant smile.
Seokmin, who had been watching the scene unfold, felt his emotions overwhelm him. He turned away, his body shaking with sobs as he wiped away tears.
"Okay, tell me. What do you want to be when you grow up?" she asked, her face inches from Areum's. Areum's voice was barely audible, but her words sent a surge of joy through Hwayoung's heart.
"A singer like my mother," she whispered. Hwayoung's eyes welled up with tears as she smiled, her voice filled with reassurance.
"Come back smiling. I'll teach you the best song ever," she promised, her eyes locked onto Areum's. "I can sing too," she added, her voice barely above a whisper, as Areum's lips curled into a weak smile.
As the medical team took Areum away, Hwayoung turned to Seokmin, who sat in a nearby chair, his eyes red-rimmed from crying. She sat beside him, her hands intertwining with his as she leaned her head on his shoulder.
"I wish I met you at Yongin," she whispered, her voice laced with regret.
"I wish I fell in love with you." Her tears fell freely as she spoke, her voice cracking with emotion.
"I wish I married you," she continued, her words pouring out like a confession.
"I wish... I wish Areum had been born to Me." Her grip on Seokmin's hand tightened, her body shaking with sobs.
Seokmin's face broke out into a smile, his eyes shining with tears as he wrapped his arms around Hwayoung, holding her close. The world around them melted away, leaving only the two of them, lost in their own little universe of regret and longing.
Bonus chapters ahead~~~
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