Wedding Ending Chapter 11

On the TV screen, firefighters and paramedics were crowded together. After using a crowbar to pry open the crushed car door, a scene was shown of them dragging out a completely limp Min Jaeyoon and immediately loading him onto a stretcher. An anchor stood in front of that, delivering the report. Because they kept repeating the past footage over and over, it seemed that was why Kang Seunghyun had been smiling.

Kang Seunghyun looks toward the same spot.

“They say you’re unconscious? Even though you’re standing right next to me in the flesh.”

Min Jaeyoon spoke as if gritting his teeth.

“You’re being carried out too, and you can laugh right now?”

“Yeah. It’s fun. It’s not like we’re dead or anything.”

Min Jaeyoon looked down at his cell phone to calm his agitation. Right now was not the time to be playing word games with an idiot or a dummy like him. He had to keep his wits about him, even if he was the only one.

No sooner had he opened an internet window than the three characters of Kang Seunghyun and Min Jaeyoon’s names popped up on the real-time search terms. On top of that, even Kang Jion was being mentioned. Capturing even a photo showing Kang Jion, who had visited the hospital a moment ago, Min Jaeyoon hurriedly moved his feet. He approached the window where the curtains were firmly drawn.

Min Jaeyoon reached out his hand. He swallowed hard, gulping down the dry saliva that rose on its own. His fingers tremble faintly. It’s fine. I’m just… just going to look. Gathering his courage, he parted the curtain slightly. Min Jaeyoon’s eyes grew wide in shock.

The sight looking down from above was truly a spectacle. An immense crowd of reporters was gathered. Ambulances drove in, pushing back the reporters, and the crowns of the mixed-up people’s heads moved chaotically.

Just then, a flash went off. Feeling a sudden pang of guilt, Min Jaeyoon closed the curtain.

“What’s wrong? Is there something there?”

Kang Seunghyun approached and yanked the curtain wide open. Even though Min Jaeyoon jumped, he couldn’t stop him. Placing both hands on the windowsill, Kang Seunghyun looked down. Since it was a hospital room located on the 9th floor, the possibility of them seeing the two was slim. Nevertheless, Min Jaeyoon’s heart shrank.

In contrast, the corners of Kang Seunghyun’s mouth curved. A piece of gauze was stuck perfectly to his left temple. It was a position where one couldn’t help but see it, even if they didn’t want to take it into their eyes. That was why Min Jaeyoon kept getting needlessly scared.

“Did they come to see me?”

Since he had been watching the news, it seemed he had a rough grasp of the unfolding circumstances. The adaptability of Alphas surpassed that of ordinary people. What usually took years to learn without success, they acquired all too easily. Kang Seunghyun was a Dominant. So what more was there to say.

“Or you?”

He turned his head languidly and met his eyes. Kang Seunghyun’s eyes were a light brown color. When catching the light, they turned even more transparent, to the extent that they looked golden. Min Jaeyoon placed his clenched fist against his chest despite himself. He was poised to strike Kang Seunghyun if worst came to worst.

“Give me your hand.”

Kang Seunghyun spreads his palm as if telling him to place it here.

“…?”

Was he worried that he might swing a fist or something.

“My, you really don’t listen.”

Kang Seunghyun pulled away Min Jaeyoon’s left hand, which had been held against his chest.

He showed the small ring he was holding in his opposite hand. It was the exact same wedding ring that Kang Seunghyun was wearing on his left finger. It was matte and the design was somewhat plain, but the value of the diamond embedded in the front transcended imagination. Because of that, even the temperamental Min Jaeyoon couldn’t just throw it recklessly onto the floor.

Min Jaeyoon’s entire body froze stiff. Is that why? The subtle sensation of the ring traveling up his fingertips felt cold, or perhaps cool. No, or maybe that was the warmth of Kang Seunghyun’s palm.

“Don’t take it off from now on, and make sure to wear it around.”

Staring at the ring that fit perfectly, Kang Seunghyun merely lifted his eyes to look at Min Jaeyoon.

At that moment, a commotion arose outside the window, and flashes went off with a bang. As if they had received a signal, everyone was snapping photos of something with their cameras. It’s impossible to tell what on earth they are photographing. Min Jaeyoon dropped his head down. No, he intended to do so. However, a cool hand wrapping under his chin fixed his gaze upward.

“Where are you looking. You should look at me.”

Just by him coming close, a shadow is cast over Min Jaeyoon’s face. Min Jaeyoon’s height was roughly at the level of Kang Seunghyun’s chest. Kang Seunghyun was well over 190 centimeters. Min Jaeyoon felt a sensation like a massive mountain was looming over him. It was the very instant Min Jaeyoon’s legs were about to take a step back.

The lips of the massive mountain were cold, and the arm supporting his waist was firm. The breath that pierced into his hopelessly parted lips smelled of osmanthus.

The flesh that had been rummaging through his mouth tried to pull along his churning tongue, and then pushed in even more deeply.

“Ngh!”

Min Jaeyoon let out a shallow groan. He was suffocating. Because he was tightening his waist with all his might, there was no place to retreat either. As if trying to push him away, Min Jaeyoon raised his hand wearing the ring and placed it against Kang Seunghyun’s chest. Then, his fingertips tingled as if static electricity were sparking. At the rushing pain, Min Jaeyoon curled his fingers and closed his eyes tightly.

He merely hoped that they wouldn’t be photographed.

💍

It was early morning.

The piled-up snow had also melted quite a bit overnight. Puddles left behind by the vanished snow spread like traces here and there on the ground around the hospital.

“Hey. Reporter Kim, did you snap anything?”

“Snap my foot. I came late yesterday, so I couldn’t even snap CEO Kang! I was waiting over there assuming he would obviously come to his residence, damn it!”

People divided into groups of threes and fours chewed over the events that had taken place over the past few days. Their faces were frantic to catch an exclusive, and their eyes were bloodshot red.

They couldn’t take photos at Yeonjin Group or the hotel. If they weren’t careful, they could be sued for defamation by the visitors, along with obstruction of business. That was why many chose to wait in front of Aram Hospital, which was the easiest target. In any case, it was an undeniable fact that ‘Executive Director Kang Seunghyun’ and ‘Vice President Min Jaeyoon’ were inside here.

Reporter Kim put a cigarette in his mouth. It was the moment he was about to light it.

A black sedan approached behind them and came to a stop. The scattered people moved nimbly. Even the people who had been catching some sleep inside their cars brought out their cameras in perfect order, as if sensing something.

“I knew they would come this way!”

Reporter Kim threw his cigarette onto the ground and whipped his body around. Failing to even spark a flame, the bent cigarette fell into a puddle.

Staring at the car with heavily tinted windows, people thrust their cameras forward. Not a single person pressed the shutter, nor did anyone open their mouth. The surroundings turned as quiet as a dead mouse. Everyone breathlessly waited for the car door to open. Just then, someone shouted.

“Over there, it’s Executive Director Kang Seunghyun!”

The heads of the people who had been staring at the car with heavily tinted windows turned back all at once. Becoming one body as if moving along a wave, they rushed in a crowd toward the front of the hospital.

Click-click-click, flashes erupted incessantly. It was a feast of light pouring from all sides. Dressed in a black suit, Kang Seunghyun, who had walked out of the flung-open glass doors, finally stood still before them.

“Why is Vice President Min Jaeyoon not seen?”

“Was it true that Vice President Min is in a critical condition?”

“Look over here too!”

“Did they say he became a vegetable or something?”

Kang Seunghyun slowly turned his head and stared intently at one spot. Reporter Kim, who had yelled out “vegetable,” shrank the finger that had been pressing the shutter. However, popping out suddenly from behind Kang Seunghyun’s back, Min Jaeyoon grabbed his arm. Kang Seunghyun’s gaze headed downward and then moved to the front.

At Min Jaeyoon’s appearance, an even more violent barrage of flashes poured down. Likewise dressed in a black suit, Min Jaeyoon couldn’t see an inch ahead due to the flying flashes of light.

He adjusts his grip on Min Jaeyoon’s hand, which was holding his wrist. Min Jaeyoon, who couldn’t see well ahead, was bewildered for just a brief moment by the cold body temperature wrapping into their clasped palms. Kang Seunghyun opened his firmly closed mouth.

“We deeply apologize for causing concern to many people due to the unsavory incident that occurred on Christmas. We were unable to express our position quickly because we wished to clarify our stance carefully. We are sorry for seemingly causing worry because of this. It is merely a minor accident where the car slipped on a snowy road while driving. Nevertheless, we deeply regret that it has caused misunderstandings. We plan to take corresponding measures according to the results of the accident investigation. Therefore, we ask that you please refrain from speculative reporting any further.”