When Your Pain Becomes Mine

***

A week later. At the Blue Rose Veterinary hospital.

Eunwoo was getting ready in a hurry to leave the clinic while talking on the phone.

"Yes, I'm about to leave now."

"I'll stop by in the afternoon. We're moving out of the office from the Consencio."

It was Eunyoung on the phone.

"That's all right. I'll stay with her. See you then."

Eunwoo hung up the phone and put his jacket on.

When he finally grabbed the car keys and was ready to leave, Eunwoo saw Labong sitting right in front of the door like a rock.

Labong had stayed in the same spot since the day Sun had attacked.

"Labong…"

"Sun didn't abandon you. She's just sick right now."

"Ruff! Ruff!"

As if Labong had understood Eunwoo, he barked, looking up at him.

"I'll go see if she's doing okay, so wait here. Okay?" Eunwoo said, stroking Labong's head gently.

"Ruff, ruff! Ruff, ruff!"

However, Labong seemingly had something to say to Eunwoo because he kept barking at him. Eunwoo looked at Labong for a moment and started speaking.

"... I know. She'll be fine because she's much stronger than she lets on."

Eunwoo spoke to Labong gently like he was trying to calm Labong down.

"I'll be back soon."

Left alone in the clinic, Labong sat quietly, watching Eunwoo moving away.

***

In the hallway out of the patient room.

Through the small window on the door, people saw Gyeonhui, who was holding the unconscious Sun's hand tightly.

A few nurses talked in whispers, looking into the room through the door. A nurse came to them and asked about Gyeonhui out of curiosity.

"What's going on here?"

"You know that big company, Concensio? He's the CEO of the company. He's been doing that here for a week."

"For a week?"

One of the nurses nodded.

"But isn't the patient in a critical condition? I've heard she's the victim of a kidnapping."

"Right. It wouldn't matter how rich or handsome my boyfriend was if my body were screwed all up like that. I can't even imagine. No."

The nurse shook her head vigorously as if she didn't even want to imagine it.

"Shh!"

One of the nurses gestured while pointing to someone with her eyes.

Ojae, who was wearing a suit, was coming to the room in the distance.

As soon as the nurses saw him, they immediately scattered to their posts as if they had said nothing.

With a serious face, Ojae watched them scattering. He didn't hear exactly what they were talking about, but he was able to guess what that would have been.

'Knock, knock.'

"I'm here."

Although Ojae said that, Gyeonhui, who was holding Sun's hand, didn't say anything.

"How's she doing?"

Gyeonhui still didn't answer either.

"I'll join the board meeting today on behalf of you."

"... Okay."

"It'll be... tough."

"Let me know when the final decision is made. I'll need to remove my stuff from the office."

Ojae nodded with a serious expression.

As Gyeonhui heard the door closing, he quietly moved his gaze to Sun again.

"Please… open your eyes… just once... please…"

His desperate, weak voice laid down in the room.

***

In the board meeting.

"I declare that the proposal for the dismissal of Mr. Woo has passed."

The shareholders did not respond to the expected results.

After confirming the results, the stockholders gave a silent greeting to Mrs. Shin and quietly got up and left the meeting room.

"Hah..."

She frowned while looking at the empty seat where Gyeonhui was supposed to be. His assistant Kwon was taking the papers for him.

"He's been there for a week?" Mrs. Shin asked Ojae, referring to the hospital where Sun was admitted.

"Yes, Ma'am," Ojae answered quickly.

"And now?"

"He's heading to the office to clear up."

Mrs. Shin paused for a moment and said, "Get him right away. Force him to get here if he doesn't listen."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Her assistant bowed his head robotically and led a few guards out of the conference room.

She glanced at Ojae, who was organizing the papers across the conference table.

When Ojae met Mrs. Shin's eyes, he quickly greeted her with a hard look.

Mrs. Shin started speaking. "Shall I see you for a minute?"

***

In the Vice President Shin's office.

On a large TV on the wall of the office, the news of the kidnapping of the third generation son of a rich family resounded.

"The suspect who kidnapped the CEO of one of Korea's biggest companies was arrested."

Hearing the anchor's briefing from the TV, Ojae watched Woochang and Sarah getting out of the van in handcuffs.

They put masks with hats on, but Kwon could see the faces of the two of them with one glance.

Mrs. Shin turned her attention to Ojae while turning off the TV.

"Do you think I hired you next to him for this?"

"... I'm sorry." The frozen Ojae bowed his head without even making excuses.

"I'm tired of hearing that."

Kwon's eyes were shaken after hearing her cold words.

"Come in."

Then, the door was opened, and a young man in a suit entered.

"Greet each other."

Ojae was forced to bow his head to the new man, but she didn't explain who he was, so Ojae looked at her in wonder.

"He's the new assistant who will assist the new representative from today."

She spoke with a smile, but Kwon's face was darker.

It was no different from a dismissal notice.

"Don't be sorry over your discharge because I've got a position for you... Now, get out."

"... Okay…"

Kwon reluctantly replied and left the Vice President's office.

When Gyeonhui was dismissed, Ojae also lost his job as punishment for the trouble.

Soon, Ojae hit his own cheeks several times like he was trying to get his mind together.

"I should stay strong. Gyeonhui's gone through a lot harder."

Ojae took a deep breath and tried to walk intentionally with confidence.

***

In the hallway in front of a patient room.

"Okay. Well done."

Holding the phone, Gyeonhui answered like he was already expecting the result.

He had failed to merge with DNBM, and he was also involved in the kidnapping incident, so his dismissal was something obvious.

Mrs. Shin would have stayed calm over Gyeonhui, who didn't do what he was supposed to do for the company's success.