Midday Guest Chapter 28

“Please lend me some money.”

“Money?”

“I didn’t know I would be coming to the hospital, so I left my phone and wallet and everything behind.”

“You’re unnecessarily setting a serious mood and giving a person a scare.”

Instead of answering, Cha Seokjoo gave orders to a nearby employee with a look.

“Pay.”

“Yes, hyung-nim.”

That was the end of it. When Yiwon tried to follow the employee going to the counter to inquire, Cha Seokjoo grabbed Yiwon’s wrist and stopped him.

“Where are you going?”

“To get the receipt.”

“What are you going to do with a scrap of paper?”

“Because I need to check the amount and send you the money later…?”

“Forget it.”

Not knowing what he meant by forgetting it, Yiwon stared blankly until Cha Seokjoo let go of his wrist and clicked his tongue between his teeth.

“What kind of hospital fees for a baby.”

“… .”

“It’s a corporate card anyway.”

If that were the case, it was even more serious. Wasn’t it a kind of embezzlement? No. If he carries people around in sacks, perhaps this much is nothing. Unlike Yiwon, whose worries were deepening, Cha Seokjoo observed Yiwon with a peaceful expression.

Just then, Cha Seokjoo’s phone rang with a vrr, vrrrr sound. Looking down at the screen, he tilted his head and let out a short sigh.

“I’ll go make a phone call. If your treatment finishes first, wait here.”

“…Ah, yes.”

At the same time Cha Seokjoo stood up, he brought the phone to his ear.

“Yes, Chairman. This is Cha Seokjoo.”

In the space where Cha Seokjoo had moved away, his employees came and stood. The boundary between protection and surveillance was unclear. Whether the patients visiting the hospital or the staff felt the discomfort, a strange tension hung in the waiting room.

“Patient Jung Yiwon.”

At the nurse’s voice, Yiwon stood up abruptly and headed to the examination room. Fortunately, Cha Seokjoo’s employees did not follow him into the examination room. However, they glared and watched Yiwon until the door closed.

Click, as the examination room door closed, an awkward atmosphere set in. It was a situation where he hadn’t committed a wrong to apologize for, but it was too awkward to just pass over. Yiwon laughed awkwardly.

“The test results show no dangerous signs. You have light bruising and lacerations, so I will prescribe some ointment and medicine.”

“…Yes.”

To think he underwent a full health check-up just to get this level of prescription. His heart felt very bitter. He had spent the money, but since he received confirmation that his body was fine, he decided to try and think positively.

“The trauma itself isn’t a major problem, but…”

The doctor glanced toward the closed door and then turned his gaze to Yiwon. To be precise, he stared at the bruise marks rising above the round neck and spoke in a whisper.

“Shall I issue a medical certificate for you?”

“Pardon?”

“I apologize if this is overstepping.”

Yiwon blinked while the doctor hesitated.

“Bruises caused by an accident and bruises caused by violence are different from the start. Given my profession, I can’t help but recognize it even if the patient doesn’t provide a specific explanation.”

“… .”

“I’m sure you’re overwhelmed in many ways, but if you just give your consent, I’ll write the medical certificate right away. There are many people who come to get treatment like this and proceed quietly.”

Flustered, Yiwon swallowed hard. It was true that these were wounds from being hit, but… it seemed the doctor was vastly misunderstanding something. That Cha Seokjoo had caused all these injuries.

Well, since Cha Seokjoo and the employees he kept with him didn’t exactly have an ordinary aura, it was a misunderstanding that could easily happen. The doctor’s misinterpretation continued.

“I will strictly guarantee confidentiality. If you are doing this because you are anxious, I can call the police right now.”

The police. He had lived for ten years without receiving any help from the Yonggung-ri police, who were in league with Kim Sunwoo. A breath he couldn’t hold back leaked out over his knees. it was close to a cynical laugh, but he clamped his mouth shut and endured it.

“There are good programs available these days, so I strongly recommend that you actively receive help. Of course, I will help from the sidelines as well.”

Seeing the doctor’s hand grasp his phone as he finished speaking, Yiwon hurriedly reached out his hand.

“No, doctor. It’s not like that.”

“Everyone says that at first. I’ll give you plenty of time so—”

Yiwon met the doctor’s eyes and said once more.

“It’s really not like that, doctor.”

“…It’s not?”

“Yes, it has nothing to do with the people outside.”

Yiwon added a little explanation so the doctor wouldn’t feel ashamed. He said that although he had come to the hospital because of the thing the doctor suspected, those people had never once treated him poorly. The doctor, who was listening quietly to what Yiwon said, slowly parted his lips.

“Then…”

The doctor, who had hesitated for a while, thought to himself.

Could he be on the same side as those people?

The doctor’s complexion turned white.

“I’m sorry, patient. I overstepped and made an assumption.”

“No. Thank you for asking.”

“Do you have any questions?”

“I have none.”

“Ah, yes. I, if you ever need treatment, please visit anytime.”

His behavior became abruptly stiff. He even started to stutter. Yiwon found the doctor’s behavior strange as he left the examination room.

Just before the door closed, he felt something was odd only after hearing a sigh of relief leak through the narrow gap.

What is it?

While Yiwon hesitated in front of the door, Cha Seokjoo’s employee, who was waiting outside, approached with a glare. With an expression as if he would twist Yiwon’s arm back and slam him to the floor at any moment.

“The Director is waiting.”

Ah.

Only then did he realize he had been subject to a massive misunderstanding by the doctor. Yiwon laughed bitterly.

He shared an awkward eye greeting with the employee and went to get the prescription. The employee who was with him handled the payment instead. When Yiwon said thank you, the employee turned red and waved his hand, saying, “It’s not me, the Director is the one doing it.”

Yiwon received the medicine prescribed by the doctor at the pharmacy on the first floor of the hospital and came out. There was a full plastic bag of ointment and medicine.

When he came outside, the black sedan was waiting for Yiwon. The employee opened the passenger door and said, “Please get in.” Cha Seokjoo was seated in the driver’s seat.

“Baby, did the treatment go well?”

It was like this again just when he was about to forget. Yiwon answered with a reluctant expression.

“Yes.”

“And you didn’t even cry. You’re all grown up.”

“… .”

Cha Seokjoo talked about “baby” without hesitation even outside of Haeundang. He was afraid someone might hear. If it were to be captured on video and float around somewhere… that would be even more horrifying.

Yiwon hurriedly climbed into the passenger seat and slammed the car door shut. Since it was the second time he was getting a ride, he felt a little more comfortable today than before.

Yiwon leaned deep back into the seat. He wouldn’t have any right to complain even if he was misunderstood by the doctor. Thinking that, Yiwon quietly looked out the window.

It was a very beautiful day.

On the way back, they stopped at a grocery mart.

He bought ten bottles each of Coke and Sprite because they gave a discount if you bought them in packs of ten, and he bought ten ice creams too.

He also bought side dishes from the side dish shop operated by the mart. It said four for 10,000 won, so he picked four, but then Cha Seokjoo swept all the soup and side dishes into the basket and paid for them.

It seemed like he bought way too much, but before Yiwon could even try to speak, Cha Seokjoo headed straight for the car. He urged Yiwon to go quickly, saying he was dying of heat.

There was no choice. They had to load the drinks in the trunk and set the side dishes in the back seat.

The smell of side dishes, which didn’t suit the black sedan, drifted inside. The owner of the car didn’t seem to care, but Yiwon, who was getting a ride, worried the smell would linger and opened the window slightly.

They drove straight without a hitch like that and arrived at Haeundang.

“Did you take everything out?”

“Yes. Ah…”

He answered first because he was in a hurry. Then he realized he had left one thing behind.

“I missed the ice cream.”

Since he and Cha Seokjoo already had a box of drinks in each of their arms, a moment of buffering occurred. However, if he set them on the ground, it seemed they would get dirt on them.

After pondering for a moment, just as Yiwon was about to fold his knees up and set the box of Coke on top of them, Cha Seokjoo approached.

The box of Sprite was layered over the box of Coke Yiwon was holding. Just as he was about to topple forward from the suddenly added weight, Cha Seokjoo took all the boxes away from Yiwon. Standing with his body turned at a slant, he spoke.

“Try to lock the door. The key is in my pocket.”

The trouble started when he put his hand into the pocket without much thought. While he grasped the car key with his fingers, the firm thigh muscle brushed against his fingertips.

Is it a stone…? Thinking whatever came to mind, Yiwon hurriedly pulled out the key. Though it wasn’t intentional, it ended up looking like he was groping the man’s thigh with his fingers, making him embarrassed.

Beep, beep-beep, beep-beep-beep. When he pointlessly pressed the lock button several times, Cha Seokjoo furrowed his brow.

“Don’t play around.”

“…I am sorry.”

He apologized quickly and returned the car key to its original place, holding it like a pair of tweezers with his fingers. Cha Seokjoo tilted his head crookedly and narrowed his eyes.

Yiwon avoided his gaze and left the spot. Holding the side dishes in one hand and the bag containing the ice cream in the other, he entered the yard.

The sound of Cha Seokjoo following behind him was heard.

The momentum of summer was so fierce that sweat broke out on the nape of his neck even after moving just a few steps.