ChapterSix

Two weeks later…

Soo-Kyung swiped her staff card through the reader, and automatically tapped it as the light turned green, signaling that she had been granted access. She didn’t know why she did that – it was just an odd habit that she’d picked up. She knew the light tap did nothing to the system, but it made her feel better anyway. She was weird that way.

“Hey Eun-hye,” she greeted the head nurse on duty. “How are things here?”

“Quiet, for now,” replied Eun-hye, smiling back a greeting. She gestured towards the single room at the end of the hallway. “The mayhem is expected to start in about an hour.”

Soo-Kyung sighed. Just another day in the life of the social worker. Not only did her job entail counseling family members, it also included helping sneak prominent patients out of the hospital whenever the situation called for it.

The whole thing was planned like a military exercise, and the secrecy involved could rival that of a country’s war plans. Over the past week, she had attended numerous meetings to strategize over the best and most covert way to get Park Chang Euk home. The team had planned every move carefully, right down to the second.

All this just to get a chaebol out of the hospital, she mused.

Chang Euk was due to be discharged today, after Kang Dae, his primary surgeon, had declared him well enough for home. Soo-Kyung knew, from her conversations with Mr. Park, that he absolutely hated the hospital. He was looking forward to going home, and she had used that to encourage him in recuperation.

Soo-Kyung had become fond of her chaebol patient. In the month he had been hospitalized, she had visited nearly every day, just to check up on him (as was her duty) and have random conversations with him (which she discovered she quite enjoyed). Mr. Park had been a kind, fatherly figure, with none of the airs she had expected from one of the country’s most distinguished.

She went further down the hall, intent on looking for the other members of the Operation Sneak Chaebol Out team when she bumped into someone.

“Ooof!”

Hastily muttering an apology for her clumsiness, Soo-Kyung looked up at the person she’d collided with, only to be met with Choi Siwon’s impish grin.

“I-I’m sorry, Mr Choi,” she repeated, when he didn’t seem to have heard her.

“Mr Choi?” Siwon teased. “That’s awfully formal coming from someone who wet my shirt with her tears.”

Soo-Kyung shifted uncomfortably, horribly aware of Eun-Hye’s curious gaze, as well as the other nurses who were attempting to eavesdrop on their conversation, and who were not being very discreet about it.

“Er, I have to check on a patient,” Soo-Kyung announced, before he could say anything else. Without waiting for a response, she hurried to the nurses’ station. Soo-Kyung figured that some physical distance would do some good to calming her pounding heart.

She could barely meet Siwon’s gaze, feeling a flush cover her cheeks as she was reminded of how intimately she had been pressed against him in the stairwell. Siwon didn’t seem to have any problem with that closeness, she noted bitterly. Probably because he hugs women all the time, so what’s one more to him?

Soo-Kyung made a show of opening and closing files – although in reality, she wasn’t really paying attention to her actions. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Siwon hesitate, as if he debated whether to continue their exchange, before thinking the better of it and walking away.

As soon as he was out of sight, she exhaled, relieved. She survived this round, but she would still have to be in close contact with him later, when Chang Euk was due to be moved.

Soo-Kyung leaned back against the wall, only to see Eun-Hye grinning at her conspiratorially.

“So….” Eun-Hye began. “What was that all about?”

“What?” Soo-Kyung replied, sounding too defensive for her own good.

Eun-Hye picked up on it. “Why are you so defensive?”

“I’m not!” Soo-Kyung retorted, resorting to shuffling her files again. She’d forgotten that no less than four nurses had witnessed her little tète-à-tète with Siwon, and nurses tended to be far too interested in things that didn’t concern them, in her opinion.

“So says the person who won’t meet my gaze and thinks her files are so important right now.”

Soo-Kyung forced herself to look Eun-Hye straight in the eye. “My files are important.”

“Right,” Eun-Hye turned her attention to a sheet of paper on the table. “By the way, you need to sign this.”

Soo-Kyung reached out and read the discharge slip that Kang Dae had prepared. She initialed at the bottom of the paper before handing it back to the nurse.

“I’m still waiting to hear the whole story,” Eun-Hye told her, obviously not willing to let such juicy gossip pass her by.

“There is no ‘story’,” Soo-Kyung replied quickly.

“What’s this about tears and his shirt being wet then?” Eun-Hye probed.

“Nothing,” Soo-Kyung told her. “And that’s all there is to it.”

Sensing that Soo-Kyung wasn’t about to reveal anything more, Eun-Hye let the matter drop. She continued studying the young social worker as she read through the patient files. She genuinely liked Soo-Kyung; the other woman was hardworking and Eun-Hye sensed that she really cared for her patients, unlike others who merely paid them lip service.

Yet, Soo-Kyung remained an enigma to her. She hardly talked about herself, preferring to limit all chitchat to professional matters. According to the other nurses and the occasional gossip from a doctor, Soo-Kyung hardly socialized with any of the staff after hours. It was an open secret that she and Kang Dae were close friends, and if it weren’t for Kang Dae’s frequent dates with other female staff members, Eun-Hye wouldn’t have believed the pair was not dating.

Soo-Kyung was very attractive, and she knew many a male doctor and nurse had expressed interest. But their advances had always been rebuffed with a cool smile and a polite word, and Soo-Kyung had soon earned the nickname “Ice Princess”. No one seemed to be able to break through the barriers she erected around herself.

Eun-Hye sighed. She could only hope that the handsome chaebol Choi Siwon could succeed where no one could.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

“Ms. Park!” Jung-su spied the social worker making her way towards his father’s room.

In stark contrast to Soo-Kyung’s earlier visit, the room and hallway were now filled with security personnel, nurses and other administrative staff who were to help whisk Chang Euk out of the hospital without the press finding out.

She gave Jung-su a little wave, and greeted him as she neared. “Mr. Park.”

Soo-Kyung noticed Siwon standing by the side, conversing with a bodyguard, but she ignored him, turning instead to her patient. “Mr. Park,” she bowed. “How are you feeling today?”

“Terrific!” the old man replied with a grin. “Especially since I’m leaving the hospital!”

Soo-Kyung laughed with him, glad to see that he was in high spirits. “I have to go over some discharge paperwork with you, but after that, you’ll be on your way home.”

Chang Euk struggled to sit up at her words, and Soo-Kyung immediately moved towards his bedside, at the same time Siwon did. Soo-Kyung grasped Chang Euk’s upper arm, and let out a soft gasp when she felt Siwon’s hands over hers.

“Let me do it,” he told her.

Immediately she released her hold, Siwon’s nearness becoming too much for her to bear. Without anything else to do, she looked up and spotted another lady standing on the opposite side, studying her.

The woman smiled upon noticing Soo-Kyung’s interest, offering a hand. “I’m Park In-Young, Jung-su’s sister.”

“Ms. Park,” Soo-Kyung grasped the pro-offered hand and shook it. “Nice to meet you.”

“I’m sorry we didn’t get a chance to meet earlier,” In-Young said.

Soo-Kyung smiled at her statement, but Kang Dae entered before she could reply. “How’s everything?”

“Moving like clockwork,” Soo-Kyung told him.

“Great,” Kang Dae turned to Chang Euk, who had swung his legs over the side of the bed and was about to stand. “Whoa! Mr. Park, we still need to go over some rules with you before you leave.”

“Rules? What rules?” Chang Euk brushed them off.

“Mr. Park,” Soo-Kyung entreated. “You need to ensure that you take all your medication on time.”

“I know that,” the old man replied gruffly. “What else?”

Kang Dae went on, “You have to promise me not to exert yourself too much, and get enough rest. That means,” he paused as the old man looked at him, “That means you stay at home, watch TV, and leave the company in your children’s capable hands.”

Chang Euk gave him a disgruntled look. “Young man, do I look like a coach potato to you?”

“You should start becoming one,” Siwon told his uncle.

“Siwon’s right, it’ll do you some good,” Jung-su added.

“Nonsense!” Chang Euk retorted. “Watching TV is boring.”

“No, it’s not,” Soo-Kyung piped. “Not if you watch these.” She showed him the stack of DVDs she held in her hand – past episodes of the Discovery Channel and several other documentaries she’d managed to get her hands on.

During one of their conversations, Soo-Kyung realized that Chang Euk was a man who was constantly on the move because he didn’t believe in idling, and also because he got bored easily. He preferred non-fiction books to fiction ones, simply because “If I have to waste an hour of my life reading, I might as well learn something useful about the world in that hour.” So when it came to picking out shows that she felt he might enjoy, Soo-Kyung had automatically gravitated towards the documentary section, knowing instinctively that Chang Euk would be more willing to watch those.

In-Young laughed when she saw the DVDs. “See appa, you won’t be bored after all!”

Chang Euk nodded begrudgingly, knowing that he had no other excuse not to follow with the doctor’s orders.

“When you finish watching them, I’ll get more for you,” Soo-Kyung said.

“Oh Ms. Park,” In-Young protested. “You don’t have to do that.”

“No worries,” Soo-Kyung replied. “It will be my pleasure to help.”

“So if that’s settled,” Kang Dae continued. “Then just sign here” – he indicated a spot on the discharge slip, which Chang Euk signed – “and you can leave.”

“The press are gathered in the lobby, as they have been for the past few weeks,” Eun-Hye reported from her position at the door.

“The car is already waiting by the back parking lot,” Siwon announced.

“So this is what’s going to happen.” Soo-Kyung outlined the plan, which entailed the entire party leaving through the service elevator, and then using the emergency exit stairwell that led to the waiting car.

After she was done explaining, Siwon and Jung-su, together with Kang Dae, helped Chang Euk into his wheelchair. He was still too frail to walk long distances on his own, so despite his objections, his son and nephew had decided that having him in a wheelchair would make things easier for everyone.

“Jung-su-ah,” Chang Euk called out as soon as he was settled in the wheelchair.

“Yes appa?”

Chang Euk crooked a finger at his son. “Invite Ms. Park and Dr. Shim to the party later.”

“What party?” Jung-su tried feigning ignorance, but the slight reddening of his cheeks gave him away.

Chang Euk glared at his son. “I know you rascals have been planning something,” he indicated In-Young, Jung-su and Siwon. “And your mother isn’t here.”

Jung-su sighed, knowing that there was no use denying anymore, especially since he had no idea how to explain his mother’s absence. “Yes, appa, we’re throwing a welcome home party for you.”

Chang Euk grinned, obviously elated that he had guessed correctly and had successfully forced a confession out of his son. “Go on, invite them,” he urged. He wanted the social worker and the doctor present at his party; after all, it was due in part to their hard work that he recovered so fast, and he wanted to make sure they enjoyed some Park hospitality as a gesture of his appreciation.

“Ms. Park,” Jung-su began. Soo-Kyung smiled at him, knowing what he was going to ask, since she had heard every word of their father-son exchange. “Would you and Dr. Shim be free to attend the party later?”

Soo-Kyung shared a glance with Kang Dae, who shrugged imperceptibly. He was non-committal, which meant that she was free to reject the invitation for both of them if she didn’t want to attend.

“Thanks for inviting us, but I think we’ll have to decline,” Soo-Kyung told Jung-su, smiling apologetically.

“Come! It’ll be fun, I promise!” In-Young added cheerfully. She wanted to spend some time getting to know the social worker, especially in the light of Siwon’s interest.

“Nah, I don’t think we should intrude,” Soo-Kyung added.

“Samchon wants you to experience the famous Park hospitality as a thank-you,” Siwon piqued up suddenly, catching all of them by surprise. He had been silent all along, an observer of the scene before him.

“I…” Soo-Kyung trailed off, not knowing how else to reject him. Siwon was the main reason why she didn’t want to attend the party. After what had happened earlier, she wasn’t sure if she should be spending so much time in his presence. It would just give rise to more awkwardness between them. In addition, she didn’t want to get too close to Siwon or his family – it was more difficult to remain an objective professional once social lines were crossed.

However, luck was not on her side, as the Park family mistook her hesitation for consent.

“Yay!” In-Young cheered. “Two more people at a party will make it merrier!”

Soo-Kyung tried protesting again, and Kang Dae joined in, but their protests fell on deaf ears as the group prepared to leave the hospital.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

“Ooof!”

Siwon had been looking intently at his phone, replying a text message from his assistant, and hadn’t been watching where he was going. He lifted his head, an apology on his lips, when a familiar whiff of perfume reached his nose.

Soo-Kyung.

He wasn’t sure when he started becoming so aware of her presence, but over the past few weeks, he had known when she visited his uncle before him, as her perfume would linger in the room long after she left.

Siwon inhaled deeply, memorizing the sweet floral scent that he had come to associate with her. It wasn’t an overpowering smell; it was just heavy enough to make an impression. It was a familiar scent though, but Siwon couldn’t remember where he had come across it before.

He reached out a hand to steady Soo-Kyung, who was already hastily apologizing.

“I-I’m sorry, Mr. Choi,” she stammered.

They were standing no more than a foot apart, and Siwon was suddenly struck with the memory of how Soo-Kyung fitted into his arms. He swallowed, feeling a little uncomfortable at the intimate memory.

Instead, he plastered a sheepish grin on his face and opted to tease. “Mr Choi? That’s awfully formal for someone who wet my shirt with her tears.”

Soo-Kyung flushed a deep red at his words. She lowered her eyes, and Siwon was dimly aware of the curious gazes they were attracting from the nurses.

Pabo! He mentally smacked himself. He had only meant to remind Soo-Kyung of that moment between them, not embarrass her in front of her colleagues! Such a statement could be misconstrued and get Soo-Kyung into a lot of trouble for being unprofessional with a patient’s family, and that was the last thing he wanted.

He was about to apologize for the remark when Soo-Kyung spoke. ““Er, I have to check on a patient.” Before he could say anything else, she hurried away to the nurses’ station.

Siwon stood where he was, staring after Soo-Kyung and feeling like an idiot. He couldn’t go after her to apologize without attracting more attention, and it would seem highly improper behavior.

In the end, he opted to walk away. With one last glance at Soo-Kyung, who seemed to be looking for something intently, he took his leave.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

“Ms. Park!”

Siwon heard Jung-su’s cheerful greeting, and knew immediately who had just appeared in the doorway of his uncle’s room. But he forced himself not to turn immediately at his cousin’s words, for fear of looking too eager.

Mentally, he counted to ten before he slowly turned. To his surprise, Soo-Kyung was barely even looking at him, her attention instead focused on his cousin.

“Mr. Park.” She gave Jung-su a friendly wave, and Siwon felt his gut clench. She seemed so at ease with Jung-su, with none of the awkwardness that was between Siwon and Soo-Kyung.

Soo-Kyung then turned to his uncle, inquiring after his health. “How are you feeling today?”

A wide grin broke out on his uncle’s face. “Terrific! Especially since I’m leaving the hospital today!” Siwon suspected that his uncle’s joy wasn’t all due to the fact that he was going home; the social worker’s presence had something to do with it too.

He had visited his uncle enough times in the past few weeks to know that Soo-Kyung had regular visits with his uncle, sometimes spending over an hour just talking to the old man. Chang Euk always seemed happy talking about Soo-Kyung and he always had a ready compliment about her. Siwon was glad that his uncle liked Soo-Kyung; it certainly made his stay in the hospital easier to bear.

Soo-Kyung looked equally happy. “I have to go over some discharge paperwork with you, but after that, you’ll be on your way home,” she told Chang Euk.

The old man immediately tried to sit up, eager to be discharged. Siwon reached out to help him, but he didn’t count on Soo-Kyung doing the same.

His hands landed on top of hers, and he froze.

Soo-Kyung had also tensed. For a moment, none of them spoke, both of them too shocked by their actions to say anything.

Finally, Siwon found his voice. “Let me do it,” he rasped out, the sound sounding foreign to his ears. He’d already embraced Soo-Kyung, so why was this simple touch affecting him so much?

As he propped his uncle up on the bed, he heard Soo-Kyung introducing herself to In-Young, and he nearly groaned. He’d forgotten that his extremely perceptive cousin was also present, and no doubt the little incident between him and Soo-Kyung had already been duly noted.

Kang Dae chose that moment to enter, and after exchanging pleasantries, the doctor went on to give Chang Euk instructions for his home care. Siwon kept quiet throughout the conversation, his mind focused on the wide smile Soo-Kyung had bestowed on the surgeon.

He wondered if there was anything between them. She had certainly been very familiar with Kang Dae when he first met her, calling the doctor “K”. She had confessed that she didn’t have a boyfriend, so was Kang Dae a crush, an admirer? Where did Seung-heon fit in? He was sure that Seung-heon didn’t feel platonically towards the social worker.

Siwon gave his head a little shake, trying to rid himself of the direction his thoughts had taken. What Soo-Kyung did in her personal life was none of his business. He saw In-Young give him a puzzled look, but he merely smiled at her, not wanting to explain his actions.

He heard his uncle protesting against bed rest, so he casually commented: “You should start becoming one.”

Siwon chuckled as his uncle shot him an annoyed look. He enjoyed baiting his uncle, if only to continue the easy banter they’d always shared. Vaguely, he heard the others discussing the plan to sneak his uncle out of the hospital. His mind was elsewhere, observing Soo-Kyung and how naturally she seemed to fit in with In-Young, Jung-su and Kang Dae.

She was wearing a light gray suit today, and the color brought out the intensity of her eyes even more. Siwon noticed that her eyes sparkled as she smiled at Chang Euk, and he felt a little pang when he realized that she had never bestowed that same smile on him.

Belatedly, he realized that the group had fallen silent, and were looking at him. Hastily, his mind scrambled to recall bits of the conversation he had kept one ear on.

“The car is already waiting by the back parking lot,” he finally told them, after remembering that it was his responsibility to ensure that his uncle’s chauffeur was prepared.

Siwon moved to help his uncle into his wheelchair, and as he gripped the older man’s forearms, he realized how much weight Chang Euk had lost over the past few weeks. Chang Euk now seemed frail and fragile, a shadow of his usual commanding self.

Or so he thought.

Siwon had to stifle a bark of laughter when Chang Euk skillfully browbeat Jung-su into admitting that a surprise party was being thrown in his honor. He was a trifle relieved then; although Chang Euk was physically weak, his mind was still strong. His uncle still had the will of a bull, and for that, Siwon was glad.

He feigned disinterest when Jung-su extended an invitation to the party to Soo-Kyung and Kang Dae, not wanting to seem too eager. On the inside, however, he was anticipating the chance to converse and get to know Soo-Kyung outside the hospital walls. Within its compound, Soo-Kyung always managed to successfully retreat behind her mask of professional indifference.

Siwon hoped that a different social setting would shed more light on the woman underneath the social worker, so he was extremely disappointed when he heard her decline Jung-su invitation.

“Thanks for inviting us, but I think we’ll have to decline,” her tone was light and breezy, and Siwon detected no genuine regret that she was missing the party, which took him aback. He would have thought that a social worker would rush at the chance to be invited to a chaebol party; after all, it wasn’t often that such an invitation was extended. Those in his social circle usually didn’t like to mix with others who weren’t a part of it.

To his surprise, it was In-Young who was first to urge Soo-Kyung to reconsider. Siwon stared at his cousin, aghast. In-Young was usually more reticent in allowing new people in her life; she chose her friends very carefully and she didn’t often take an instant liking to other people. As she evidently did to Soo-Kyung.

“Samchon wants you to experience the famous Park hospitality as a thank-you,” Siwon told Soo-Kyung, determined to add his voice to the fray. He couldn’t let her go without a fight; this was probably his only chance to start forming a sort of friendship with her.

Again, Soo-Kyung hesitated. He saw the apprehension in the glance she exchanged with Kang Dae, and he was about to soothe it when In-Young piped up: “Yay! Two more people at a party will make it merrier!”

Siwon stared at his cousin, positive that she could not have failed to notice how reluctant Soo-Kyung was.

But as In-Young returned his gaze, and a small smile crept over her lips, he realized that In-Young had merely ignored the hesitation and deliberately given Soo-Kyung and Kang Dae no other way with which to decline politely. In one carefully worded exclamation, In-Young had ensured Soo-Kyung and Kang Dae’s appearance at the party later, and Siwon mentally made a note to thank her.

It was going to be a very interesting party, of that he was sure.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *