So Long For Now, Summer

So Long For Now, Summer

Chapter 03

You Won’t Change Even If I Die

………………………………

– Hello.

“Ma’am. Are you busy right now?”

– I’ve been organizing things at home, but I’m not busy. Why, ma’am? Do you need anything?

“I’m sorry about your day off, but I have a quick favor to ask you. I’m in the hospital right now, and I don’t have anything….”

– Hospital? Hospital? Oh, ma’am, what’s going on all of a sudden? What’s the matter? Where the hell did an accident happen…

“…I’ll explain it to you when you come to the hospital. First, go to my house and my wallet… Yes, it’s in the red bag that I often carry. And I need some clothes to change.”

– Even a change of clothes? You didn’t get hurt a lot, did you? Right?

“I managed to call you in one piece, didn’t I?”

She did her best to smile as if the housekeeper was in front of her. It was not completely wrong, after all, besides ‘The Child’ had vanished, she herself was in fact still quite well. A loving voice on the phone sighed as if it were about to cry.

– I’m just going to drive my father’s car to madam’s house right now. Where’s the hospital?

“Ah……”

She thought she didn’t even know where this was, so she looked for someone who was passing by, and in the end, walking back to the counter, she suddenly found the hospital’s name on the medical bill in her hand, and she sighed.  

Stupid…

“Ma’am, go here…  .”

– Madam?

“…….”

– Hello? Madam? Hello?

“It’s okay now that I’m here, Madam.” (MC’s husband)

“…….”

“Okay. Take a rest.” (Husband)

Woo Jin-ha hung up the phone like he owned it, and hid the cell phone so she couldn’t take it back. 

His breathing was slightly hard, but he was as calm and composed as if he had not been in a rush at all. 

She was looking at him quietly, and he didn’t say anything more and just put her phone in his suit pocket.

His eyes were on her face, shoulders, chest, waist… slowly, traveling down as he checked her condition. Then he saw her skirt that was ruined by blood.

As always she was a mess, and Woo Jin-ha was perfectly wonderful.

She looked down at her clothes for a moment and thought again. 

He’s always the same as usual, but I’m actually a bit worse than usual. 

It felt a little more miserable than she thought, similar to the pain of a broken tooth that wouldn’t go away.

She knew that little fault lied with him.. Most of the time he was flawless and could she really blame him for the loss of the child?

Nevertheless, the reason she resented him, is that in the end, he must have hoped for this day. Even though this cold-blooded man hadn’t bothered with saying that much.

In the end it all went the way he wanted.

How do you feel now?

These thoughts felt so sharp as if there was a blade in her mouth instead of a tongue. 

He was standing with a speechless expression. Such a rare occasion.  

The attitude of minimal pretense and masked politeness.

She wanted to laugh, but she didn’t have any energy left.

“Why did you come?”

“The hospital called me saying they found my number in your phone call log.”

“Amazing that you managed to receive their call. So not answering must be a special treatment reserved only for my number.” 

Stunned, Woo Jin-ha shut his mouth for a moment to make sure if he really had heard the sarcastic comment that was so unlike her. 

He didn’t look angry.

“I was in a meeting.”

“I know. I know your schedule.”

“…….”

“I know what Jin-ha does every Thursday at 10 o’clock.”

As much as she knew about him, there were many things she had to be careful of. 

His mother had been afraid that she would interfere with his life, so she tried to be a person that didn’t impose on him more than she could help. Her past career had been quite helpful.

No one had explicitly asked her to do so. But she acted like a dog hungry for their owners’ love.

Shim Hee-joo was that dog.  

There was no one else to blame but herself. She opened her trembling mouth, as if she were about to laugh at herself.

“I know it all. Even during meetings, you answer urgent calls.”

“…….”

“At least to the best of my knowledge, I really tried my best not to bother you. I’ve been living like that.”

“…….”

“I’ve never pestered you at work before. So I thought it would be different today. Since the person who doesn’t call you, phoned you, shouldn’t you have thought it was really urgent…?”

She’d called him several times since the ominous labor pains began. Even after she had called 119 [Korean 911], she gasped as if she were going to suffocate by the  crucifying painful sensation happening between her legs… She had laid there motionless, terrified, just before she lost consciousness at home…

“You won’t change even if I die.” 

In that moment she was about to die, the moment she had been terrified to death, the moment her child ended up dying… Unlike her, who had been busy trying to help and get out of his way. He had every opportunity to help her and didn’t. 

Before their child vanished from the world, he had a chance to pretend to care. 

He also had a chance to hold his wife’s hand, before her miscarraige.

I even gave you a chance to let you hear my voice on the phone.

Even if you don’t love me, at least treat me like a human.

“We will never have a normal, loving relationship like other people.”

But he ignored her call as usual. There was nothing less important to Woo Jin-ha than her.