chapter 11.1

Yeonhwa, who was lying in the emergency bed, slowly began to come to her senses. The smell of the disinfectant that she had been in the hospital the other day came into her lungs. When she raised her eyelids, she saw a white ceiling. First, Yeonhwa moved her fingers and toes to see if she was okay. Fortunately, they moved well without any pain. As Yeonhwa raised her upper body, a nurse nearby came over and asked.

“Miss, are you awake?”

“I am ok… ”

Yeonhwa, whose words were blurred, unconsciously touched her forehead with her hand. She felt the constant pain under the thick gauze.

“Your forehead may hurt a little. It was cut, so it got three stitches.”

As soon as YeonHwa hit the steering wheel, it was a big shock, and she lost her consciousness. It wasn’t even nine o’clock, but Yeonhwa felt weak due to a series of accidents.

The nurse said after checking her condition. “I contacted your husband 10 minutes ago. He said he would come right away.”

Her head got blanked in the sudden accident, so Yeonhwa couldn’t even think of contacting Geonwoo.

“Thank you.”

“l will call the doctor, so please wait.”

Yeonhwa nodded and picked up the phone next to her pillow when the nurse turned around. When she opened the cell phone call list, at the top was the number of Geonwoo, which the nurse had contacted. She wanted to let Geonwoo know that she woke up already, but someone spoke when she was about to dial.

“Is your head okay?”

Yeonhwa raised her attention to the voice with confusion. There was a man she saw for the first time in her life. A man with big, round eyes like a puppy and fair skin like a woman’s. She had never seen him anywhere. Yeonhwa only thought that she had lost her memory. Then Yeonhwa blinked her eyes and asked.

“Do you know me?”

“I was the one that hit your car from behind.”

Only then did Yeonhwa learn why this man was so caring about her.

“I’m fine. All my arms and legs are fine except my head.”

A sign of relief passed through the man’s big eyes.

“I’m sorry. Even though I was looking ahead, it was too late to apply the brakes. Since I just came to Korea after living abroad for so long, I caused an accident prematurely. I was waiting at the hospital because I was worried after you lost consciousness.”

The man, with a slightly brighter expression, pleaded. Now Yeonhwa understood how she had ended up in the emergency room. At that time, the room’s door opened, and Geonwoo entered with a crooked tie and messy hair. Yeonhwa was speechless after seeing his appearance. Then Geonwoo scoured the bed and swept his hair roughly with a face stained with worrisome. Yeonhwa’s voice came out of her lips only after Geonwoo walked in front of her.

“Geonwoo”

The name came out and stopped. This was because Geonwoo suddenly embraced her in his arms. Was he surprised at the news of the accident? Yeonhwa wondered. The sound of Geonwoo’s heartbeats seemed to be heard in Yeonhwa’s ears. Then Yeonhwa’s hand, which was awkwardly lifted into the air, landed slightly on Geonwoo’s back.

“I’m fine, Geonwoo.”

“You don’t know how worried I was about you.”

Geonwoo muttered like he was talking to himself and hugged Yeonhwa’s back tightly again. His heavy breath poured over Yeonhwa’s shoulders. The fact that Geonwoo was worried about her made her feel very pleased. For the first time, she was about to bury her face on his broad shoulders, but suddenly the doctor started coughing like he had been standing there watching them for a while. Yeonhwa pushed Geonwoo’s shoulders away, shyly after seeing the doctor’s face. Geonwoo, who was holding Yeonhwa, raised, and the doctor walked to the side of the bed.

“How is your head feeling? Do you feel dizzy?”

Yeonhwa nodded and answered.

“My head feels fine. Although the stitched place hurts.”

“Stitches?”

Suddenly, Geonwoo stepped in as Yeonhwa was answering the doctor. Yeonhwa tried to touch her forehead, but Geonwoo suddenly wrapped his hands around her face. Now, when he found the gauze attached to Yeonhwa’s forehead, his eyebrows were distorted. Immediately, the doctor explained to Geonwoo’s serious look.

“It was cut a little, so I gave her three stitches. The suture went well.”

Geonwoo removed his hands from Yeonhwa’s face and turned to the doctor with an angry look.

“Are three stitches not a serious injury?”

Why is this man like this? Yeonhwa pulled Geonwoo’s sleeve as if telling him not to be angry at the doctor.

“I’m really okay. It’s just three stitches, and I don’t even feel sick now.”

“You said that the stitched place hurts.”

Yeonhwa said that she wasn’t sick because of Geonwoo, who reacted sensitively, but she got caught quickly. The nurse opened her mouth in astonishment, and the doctor quickly poured out formal words to break the serious tension.

“You just have to take your medicine, and if you have symptoms of nausea or dizziness, you can come back to the hospital tomorrow.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Yeonhwa quickly answered because she was afraid that Geonwoo would snap at the doctor again. As the doctor turned around to leave, Geonwoo was immediately asking a question.

“Will it leave a scar?”

Yeonhwa didn’t think about scars. It was only three stitches, so she wondered how big a scar would it make. However, Geonwoo bit his lips and showed anxiety. The doctor shook his head and lifted the tip of his lips.

“You don’t have to worry about it because I stitched it beautifully.”

“Thank you.”

Only after he delivered his tangle words did the doctor and the nurse leave the room.

Geonwoo was belatedly bothered by the man standing next to Yeonhwa. The man opened his mouth when he saw Geonwoo’s sharp eyes.

“I caused an accident due to my carelessness. I am sorry.”

For a short time, the man lowered his head, but Geonwoo only exhaled as if he did not like it. Yeonhwa was busy looking at Geonwoo’s expression, with only her eyes raised. Then the man handed out his cell phone to Yeonhwa.

“If you have any inconvenience after the insurance is processed, please contact me.”

The phone disappeared from the man’s hand before Yeonhwa could even take it. The eyes of the man and Yeonhwa went to Geonwoo, who had the man’s phone in his hand. Geonwoo casually typed his number down on the man’s cell then handed it over.

“You can contact us here.”

Once Geonwoo handed over the cell phone, the man took it.

”I think it would be better to get the number of the person involved in the accident rather than the boyfriend.”

Yeonhwa agreed with the man, but as she was about to raise her hand to get the phone, Geonwoo spoke immediately.

“I am not her boyfriend. I am her husband.”

The word ‘husband’ was spoken out, but Yeonhwa thought she heard it wrong.

“Then, please just contact us with this number.”

Yeonhwa nodded, came down from the bed, and put her shoes on. Even though she could stand alone, Geonwoo grabbed Yeonhwa’s left arm and supported her.

“It’s okay. I can walk properly.”

Yeonhwa gently pulled her arm out of his. It wasn’t because she hated walking while being supported by Geonwoo, but she was still feeling awkward and embarrassed about this kind of touch. Yeonhwa was about to leave the emergency room with Geonwoo. Suddenly, a hand fell over Yeonhwa’s shoulder. As Yeonhwa looked back, there stood a man who she thought the business was over. Then the man asked a question he had been holding for a while, even with Geonwoo’s stinging eyes.

“By any chance, have we met before?”