(Kim Hanyoung's POV)

“Don’t worry.”  Dr. Jang sounded reassuring over the phone.  “I found sponsors who will pay for surgeries.  I just need to get your story to them as soon as I can.”

I smiled.  “Thank you.  But you don’t have to go out of your way for me.  I know you have other patients too.”

“Araso yo. I’ll call you tomorrow to let you know if I get any responses.”

“Mm. Thanks again.”  I looked at the customer who walked in.  “Bye.”

“Bye, take care.”  He replied as I hung up.

 

~*~

 

(Lee Hyunwoo’s POV)

“Vice-president, we’ve arrived.”  My eyes opened as I yawned.  I stood up and straightened my suit. 

I nodded towards Mr. Kang and walked towards the door of the plane.  As I walked down the stairs of the airplane, I was greeted by my mother who was waiting for me. 

She opened her arms and gave me a hug with a smile on her face. 

“Aigoo, my handsome son, I missed you.”  I could still feel her smiling.

“Me too.”  I answered softly. 

When she let go, I noticed a young lady standing to the side.  She smiled at me when our eyes met.  Without returning the smile, I looked at my mom frustrated.

Umma quickly grabbed my arm and started towards the car.  “You must be tired.  Let’s go home.”

 

---

 

I reached for my tie and wiggled it off.  I sat on the edge of my bed and rubbed my forehead.  Reaching for the cellphone I left at home, I unlocked it.  There were a lot of missed calls; but none from her.  

I sighed. 

Flipping through my phone, I stopped at a picture of us.

*Knock Knock*

I looked up as I pressed the end button.

“Madame wants you to go downstairs after you finish up here.”  Our maid nodded as I did to her.

 

 

---

 

I looked at the young lady Umma sat next to.  Her posture was too proper.  Straight dark hair, pale skin, small face.  Her perfume was too strong.

My eyes traveled back to my mother’s stern expression.

Umma started first, “This is Park Soojin.”

Soojin smiled and bowed.  “Hello, my name is Park Soojin.”

Without returned the bow, I looked at her blankly then back to my mother again.

My mother reached over and placed her hand over Soojin’s hands.  “Her father is the owner of Seoul Bank and her mother’s the Principle of Seoul Elite Academy.”

Ridiculous.

I could feel my blood boiling as I sighed unhappily. 

I folded my hands together and leaned a bit forward as my elbows rested on my knees.  “And so?”

Umma’s expression didn’t change.  “She’s going to be helping you around the company as your secretary, so take care of her.”

“I already have a secretary.”  I knew my mother could sense that I wasn’t in a good mood.

I haven’t been for a while; since the breakup.  I’ve been really off.  I know she didn’t leave me because it was too hard for her.  She’s not like that.  I’m sure someone said something to her.  I’m sure Umma had something to do with it. 

“Well, now you have two.”  My mother’s expression didn’t change. 

“I don’t need two.” My jaw tightened.

Umma turned towards Soojin and smiled.  “Soojin-ah, can you go grab us all drinks?”

“Of course,” Soojin bowed her head and went towards the kitchen.

Umma quickly turned to me as her smile faded.

“Hyunwoo-ah.  You’re going to allow Soojin to stay by your side, whether you want her to or not.”

I sighed again, frustrated. 

“That’s final.”  She finished. 

I stood up.  “I don’t think so.”  And with that I walked towards my room, grabbed my keys, wallet and phone, and headed out.

I’m not usually like this towards my mom.  I try my best to oblige by all my parent’s requests.  I always try to do what they tell me to without complaining or disagreeing.  Well, I did.  It’s not that I want to rebel right now, I just… I want to reach for something I want.  Just once. 

 

At the office I thanked my secretary as she gave me a cup of coffee.  “If you don’t mind me mentioning this, Vice-president, I thought you were supposed to stay home and rest; since you went on a three month long business trip.”

I smiled at her. “I guess I really missed my office.”

She smiled back and with that she headed out and closed the doors. 

 

Looking at my phone, I reached for it and speed dialed number 3.

It ranged for about a minute and then went to voicemail.

“Hanyoung.  I’m back in Korea.  Let’s meet.  As friends, if you feel uncomfortable.  I have some things to ask and tell you.  Call me back okay? I lov- … Bye.”

 

I turned my computer on and went through any new emails and notifications.

 

~*~

One week later

“She’s a single mother of two and has been fighting against cancer for over a year now.”

I nodded as Mr. Kang continued.

“Her husband passed away from a car accident two years prior to her diagnosis.  And she’s been receiving affordable and mild treatments to prolong her life, but not to get rid of the cancer.”

“Okay.”  I looked over to the doctor that was waiting at the door, and nodded towards him.  The doctor opened the door and walked in first. 

He greeted the middle aged woman who smiled weakly in return.  He explained to her who I was and why I was there.  And as he finished, her eyes wandered to me and she smiled sweetly.

I walked towards her arm that reached out for me and held her hand.

“Thank you.” She continued to smile as I returned the smile.

I shook my head, “No need to thank me.  Just recover as soon as possible, so you can provide for your children again.”

Without loosening the grip she nodded.  I noticed a single tear drop escaping from the corner of her eye.

As I wished her luck and said our goodbyes, I headed out the room after the doctor.  Right when the door to her room closed, Mr. Kang took out a piece of paper from his pocket.

“The next sponsor patient is a young woman in her mid-twenties, who has been battling her cancer for almost seven months now.  She was diagnosed two months prior to officially receiving any kind of treatment possible.”  We continued following after the doctor who was showing us to the next patient’s room.  “It seems like her family does not know of her disease.  She must receive surgery before her cancer reaches stage four.”

We stopped in front of a room.

The doctor looked at me again to see if I was ready to go in.  I nodded.

I followed the doctor into the room and as I did, we came across an empty bed.  The doctor looked a bit confused and then concluded that the patient must have gone into her restroom.

As my eyes wandered the room, my entire body stiffened at the sight of the dry erase board on the wall. 

I swallowed hard.

Kim.  Han.  Young.

The letters of that name was boldly written on the board. 

My mouth felt dry.  No.  No, it couldn’t be.  It can’t be. 

It’s just a coincidence.

I swallowed hard on my spit again.

“And... what kind of cancer... did you say... she had?”  I said without looking at Mr. Kang.

I could feel his eyes on me, probably wondering why I was acting the way I was.  “Oh I’m sorry, it’s liver cancer sir.”

Liver cancer...

“Oh, you’re here!  I thought you went to the bathroom.”  I could hear the doctor at the door.  I then heard a similar giggle.

“No, Naeun wanted me to help her fix her doll’s hair in her dad's room.”

My eyes turned to the doorway.  I was waiting.  Waiting to see.  To make sure that it was all just a coincidence.  That some other young woman in her mid-twenties had the same name.  That some people in this world have similar laughs.  I’m just missing her.  That’s all.

“Well come in.  The person who works for the company that’s going to pay for your surgery came to personally visit.” 

My eyes were locked at the doorway.  The doctor turned around and walked in.

Behind him followed a woman with a small frame.  She looked up and automatically, our eyes met.

 

(Kim Hanyoung’s POV)

My legs stopped moving and I stood there still as a statue.

It felt as if something was tugging hard at the center of my chest.  My lips parted as I looked at him in shock.  My eyebrows creased.  The insides of my stomach twisted and turned.

I noticed pain in his eyes.  The betrayal.  The lies.  He didn’t say anything. 

...He didn’t have to. 

I looked down at the ground.

I couldn’t bear to look at him anymore.  Actually, I didn’t dare.  I didn’t even deserved to been in the same room.  I didn’t deserve the sponsoring.

“Ha-hanyoung-ah.”

His voiced called out to me. 

It felt like my legs were growing weaker.

I heavily breathe in and out.

That’s right.  I already knew it.  I shouldn’t have been surprised.  It’s obvious isn’t it?  Everyone in the world knows this.  Even you.  If there’s something you want to hide, you can’t tell anyone… at all.  Because once you do, eventually your secret will leak… to at least one person.

Secrets are just one of those things.  They cannot be hidden forever…