The Answer Behinds Everything

“So, how do you feel toward me?” Junghyun asks. They meet near his office on the next day. He’s placed in Seoul area for now and it’s a good chance for him to clear all of the things with Hareum. She doesn’t have any class today and since he asked to meet so she accepted it. Hareum digests her food down and she is suddenly nervous that Junghyun asks this question out of nowhere. Hareum ponders and Junghyun knows what she thinks. “I always care for you, do you know?” he says while smirking, trying to open up her mind. She scoffs and smirks cynically with intimidation and Junghyun expects this, so he smirks back. She folds her arms. He looks at her deeply. “Okay, you were right. I was a coward back then,” they talk about the same thing again like they talked yesterday. She intimidates him by her eyes and Junghyun carefully observes her. He says, “You know how hard I try my best so you can accept me?” of course, she knows. She realizes it and it’s the fact that she can’t ignore him. She can never ignore him. All the things he did, how he cares for her. “So,” he continues. “Why don’t you just... make this work?” right, why do I have to go this far? Hareum thinks.

Despite answering him, she doesn’t have anything to say and Junghyun nods, understands. “Okay, I think that’s all what I want to say,” he says.

“What?” she’s flustered by how fast he is ending the conversation and he just ignores her flustered respond. He wants her response. He wants her to talk. He wants her to at least face this properly. He knew what he did to her was bad--worst, but at least he had a reason and now he’s treated the same as he treated her back then. Come to think of it, she always avoids things and doesn’t fully deliver what she really wants to say to him. Just to him.

He stands up and with his smile, he says, “Let’s go. My break time is over.” Hareum is flustered, she hasn’t even finished her food and he wants to leave. Okay, I’ll go. She still doesn’t believe it how he ended it. He just wanted to say that. But at the same time, she’s in guilt because what he said is right. She hasn’t been facing him properly like she wants to do.

…

Sungwoo went to the hospital. His fever rose again and Chaera had no choice but to inform this to the family. Mrs. Kang called Sungwoo’s parents right away. They got busy by carrying Sungwoo and they went to the hospital quickly. It was this morning and when Chaera woke up because her friend was sick, she checked his temperature. She was shocked and told everybody. They ended up going to the hospital with Haneul stayed in home because he must go to work. Minhyun and Dowoon left the hospital after Sungwoo got a room because they had to go to the campus. So, there left Chaera and the family. Mr. Kang left because he must go to work as well, Hareum left in the afternoon to meet Junghyun. So, there were Chaera and Mrs. Kang.

“Oh, what happened with him?” Mrs. Kang’s voice sounds so worried and Chaera notices that she takes a blame for making other family’s son got sick under her guard. It is worse for Mrs. Kang as well, Chaera thinks and she stands up, faces Sungwoo and looks at him. He sweats a lot and the fever shows very much from how his body reacts. His platelet is below 150.000 per microliter of blood, the result shows the level is in 120.000 for today. He has to stay for two more days. He already ate his lunch and after this he will take his medicine. He said he wanted to close his eyes for minutes.

Mrs. Kang and Chaera are waiting for Sungwoo’s parents to come. His mom will come, Mrs. Kang said. Chaera knew that Sungwoo doesn’t want to make his mom worried and come here, but she will. Who won’t come visit her sick child? Chaera takes a vacant chair. There is another patient beside Sungwoo in the room. She sits down facing him and the women wait in silence.

Later, his mom comes. Mrs. Kang greets her in front of the door and she escorts her inside. Chaera bows politely to her and his mom looks at his condition right away. “Oh, dear,” she says and Sungwoo opens his eyes as soon as he hears his mom’s voice. His mom pets his face and looks at him dearly and worriedly. “You overdid yourself, didn’t you?” his mom takes a guess. Both Mrs. Kang and Chaera are just looking at the mother and son talking. Sungwoo just weakly smiles, it delivers that his mom shouldn’t get worried. “How many times I told you,” she scolds him softly and he just chuckles. 

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Ong,” Mrs. Kang apologizes and bows politely to her. “It’s my fault for not taking care of him properly."

“No, no. It’s okay, Mrs. Kang. It’s his fault,” Mrs. Ong answers softly with a smile and bows back to her. Chaera watches at how they’re interacting, at once she seems to go back to her usual self, observing people. And Mrs. Ong looks at Chaera to which she’s startled and bows politely to her. “Thank you for helping him,” Mrs. Ong says and Chaera just nods once again as her welcome. “What’s your name?”

“Chaera, ma’am. Yoon Chaera,” she introduces herself suddenly and once again, she’s bowing politely to her.

“Chaera-ya,” Mrs. Kang says and Chaera looks at her. “It’s best if we give time for them to talk,” Mrs. Kang says and Chaera nods, understands. Mrs. Ong bows as her thanks for the time, both Mrs. Kang and Chaera leave the room. “I want to go home first,” Mrs. Kang says as soon as she’s outside. Chaera is flustered by the sudden news. “Please take care of Sungwoo for a while,” she gives her task with a smile and Chaera nods. “Thank you, Chaera-ya.”

“It’s okay, ma’am,” and Chaera smiles telling her she’s fine with it. She watches Mrs. Kang disappears from her sight and Chaera sighs because she hasn’t had any rest since morning. Where is Hareum? She wonders and she sends a text to her. She didn’t have any time to take care of herself, so she’s better doing it now when she has a time.

She brushes her teeth, at least that’s what she can do. She asked for a clean toothbrush to the nurse. What’s left now, she’s waiting in front of the room, sitting on the bench there. Right after that, the door is opened and Mrs. Ong is out from the room. “Oh,” she says finding Chaera is sitting there. Chaera stands up right away to Mrs. Ong sudden appearance and she slightly nods her head and gives her smile. “You’re Chaera, right?” Mrs. Ong asks and Chaera confirms it with a nod. “Can I talk to you for a second?” she says without threatening but it still makes her nervous, afraid of what she’s going to say. They stand in front of the room, in the corridor and there’s no one walking around.  The nurse just gets inside to another room. “Thank you for taking care of Sungwoo,” she smiles.

Chaera says back, “It’s okay, ma’am.” She smiles. “Our friend is sick, we couldn’t leave him like that,” and Mrs. Ong smiles because of Chaera’s thoughts.

“Sungwoo is the youngest in the family,” suddenly Mrs. Ong tells her and Chaera can do nothing but nods and listens very well. “He grew up well and he has a strong sense of responsibility within him,” and Chaera nods. “But that makes him does everything all alone and that’s saddening me sometimes,” she smiles sadly and Chaera nods as she remembers at some moment where he wants to do everything by himself even though everyone wants to help him. In the end, when she finds him like that she always meddles in his problems. “Thank you, Chaera-ya, for helping him,” she smiles.

Chaera shakes her head and smiles as her welcome, she bows to Mrs. Ong. “We will take care of him well.” Right then, Hareum goes back to the hospital and finds Chaera and Mrs. Ong there. She smiles and greets them but she’s confused with Mrs. Ong here because she doesn’t know whom she is. It’s also her first time seeing Sungwoo’s mother here. “Oh, ma’am!” Chaera says as she looks to Hareum whom is walking toward them. Hareum stops beside Chaera. “She is Hareum, Mrs. Kang’s daughter,” and Hareum bows politely at her and shakes her hand politely. “Hareum-a, Sungwoo’s mother,” she introduces the older woman to her.

“Nice to meet you, ma’am,” Hareum smiles. “Is Sungwoo getting better?” she asks.

“Oh, right! I’ll check him again before I go back home,” Mrs. Ong excuses herself and they follow her inside. Sungwoo is opening his eyes and watching TV there. Hareum greets him and he just raises his eyebrows as his greetings. Mrs. Ong stands beside his bed and says, “Don’t overwork yourself, Sungwoo-ya.”

That might be the n-th time his mom has said that. “Hm,” he responds shortly with a nod.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she says and his head.

“You’re going already?” Sungwoo asks and the girls notice that he doesn’t want his mother to leave yet. Of course, he misses his family even though he hasn’t seen them in 5 months. It’s almost half a year, then. Wow, time flies so fast. Chaera thinks.

…

Haneul visits the hospital at night. Chaera, Hareum, and Mrs. Kang take a cover for each other. They go home in between to take a shower or take care of house chores. The guys are visiting on the evening. “You can go, Mrs. Kang,” Minhyun says. “We can take care of him here. Anyway, you have a lot of things to do at home.”

“He’s right,” Hareum says. Mrs. Kang is worried and Hareum signs her to just leave. “We’re alright,” she smiles assuring her. “We can take care of him.”

Mrs. Kang sighs but what