When Your Pain Becomes Mine

Chapter 24 - 24.

"Um."

The sunlight at noon that came through the curtains illuminated Gyeonhui's face. Then, his cell phone rang at his bedside.

It was his assistant Ojae.

"... Why?"

"Where are you? Did you not even come home yesterday?"

"Should I report it to you?"

He slowly woke himself up while holding his cell phone in his hand. His body felt much better after the long slumber.

"Why are you so mean? I'm just asking because I care about you."

"What's going on?"

He slowly stepped out of the room.

Her studio flat was too small. He noticed the paintings scattered throughout the room. He could see boxes in different places, indicating that she had not unpacked her luggage.

"Mrs. Shin has asked to meet you in the afternoon."

"Why?"

"I'm only assuming because of the DNBM acquisition..."

After listening to Ojae, Gyeonhui clenched his teeth tightly.

Since the last earnings announcement, there had been an unusual movement among shareholders. If he didn't show them something right away, they might cause an uproar as a group again.

He didn't want to meet her, but he couldn't refuse her either. If Mrs. Shin turned against him, then Gyeonhui would be in a highly vulnerable position in the future.

"I'll talk to you soon in my office."

"Would you like me to pick you up? Where are you now?"

"Sun's place."

"What?"

Ojae's voice popped through the phone.

"Then, did you stay with her last night?"

"... Sort of."

He didn't remember staying with her last night, but he wasn't wrong either. He turned his face to the puppy, who was growling at him.

Labong hid in the cage but showed his teeth to him.

"You bit my foot the other day."

"What? Did Sun bite your feet?"

"Hah. Why would she bit me!?"

He shouted angrily.

"Ruff! Ruff!"

As he approached, Labong remained afraid but kept barking at him while he was stepping back to the corner of the cage.

"Stop it. Why would I fight such an animal?"

He tried to himself around as if he were outraged.

"It is good for you, though. I found it hard to learn more about the doctor at the veterinary hospital."

"Why are you suddenly talking about him?"

"Huh? Oh, because it looks like you're seeing her again, so I don't need to find out about him anymore, right?"

"Never mind. Just hang up the phone! Please!"

Gyeohui hung up his phone roughly.

"Oh, I hate everything."

He scowled as if he were dissatisfied.

The director of the veterinary hospital disgusted Gyeonhui whenever he heard his name.

"Hmm."

After a while, Gyeonhui glanced at the cage containing Labong. Suddenly, a good idea came to his mind, and a smile appeared on his face.

***

"What? Is he in your house now?"

When Ari heard Sun's story, she couldn't believe it.

However, Ari noticed that something was strange about her, so Sun had to tell her everything after Ari's persistent questions,

"… It just happened somehow."

Sun ambiguously tried to explain while answering weakly.

"Didn't you say that you would take care of a personal matter?"

Eunyoung was still listening to them talk from the side when he spoke.

"He was so drunk…."

"You just had to kick him out. It doesn't matter even if he freezes to death on the road. It's over."

Eunyoung could not hide her frustration.

"Sun is not a person who could do that to a drunken person. Sun already said he was very drunk."

Ari stepped out to defend Sun, but Ari's expression was not happy about it either.

"Hey, Sun. Come back to earth. You've traveled to put it all together."

Ari tried to calm herself down.

"... I know."

Sun nodded slowly, seemingly agreeing.

"Just forget it. It just hurts us the more we talk about him."

Eunyoung sighed and turned around.

"But who is this Labong? Is it the nickname of your new boyfriend?"

Ari looked at Eunyoung and asked Sun.

"It's not someone's nickname. It's the name of my dog."

Sun's eyes widened from embarrassment and couldn't say anything because she just recalled that she had left Labong alone at home.

"Why? What else is going on? Is there something worse happening?"

Ari looked more surprised and asked.

"I left Labong alone at home. I was supposed to dress his wound…"

She couldn't take care of him because she had been putting her mind back together since last night.

She bit her lower lip, feeling sorry for Labong.

"Go home and return quickly. You can't leave an injured puppy alone at home."

Eunyoung said.

"Thank you."

Sun rose up and frantically ran out of the office.

"Hah. What do we have to do with her?"

Ari sighed out of sympathy. Eunyoung also looked at her back.

***

When Sun returned home, she tried to find Labong in a hurry.

"Labong! Labong!"

She realized that Labong's cage was empty.

"... Where did you go, Labong?"

Sun searched through the whole house in a hurry to find Labong, but the dog was nowhere to be found.

She didn't want to check if Gyeonhui had already returned.

Since all her senses were focused on Labong, she didn't realize that Gyeonhui was gone until just then.

"No way, Gyeonhui, did he took Labong with him when he left?"

She couldn't have imagined that he would have taken him.

However, she thought that Labong had escaped since the door was when Gyeonhui left the place.

Sun pulled out her phone and called Gyeonhui. However, even after a few beeps, the man didn't answer the phone.

"Hah..."

Sun was turning red; she bit her lower lip and hung up the phone.

It was an ominous sign; she ran out of the house like an insane person.

***

Labong, who was in his bag, was still growling at Gyeonhui.

"Look at this bastard. Don't you know that I'm helping you out now?"

He said as if he were offended.

The bandage that covered Labong's wounds had fallen off overnight, revealing the scar that Gyeonhui saw.

That was why Gyeonhui took Labong from her place.

'Of course, that's not the only reason.'

He looked up at the blue rose veterinary hospital sign across the street. With a crooked smile, Gyeonhui walked into the hospital while carrying the bag containing Labong.

"Welcome, oh?"

Eunwoo greeted Gyeonhui with a friendly smile, recognizing Gyeonhui. His eyes widened, seemingly suspicious.

"What is going on today?"

"Oh, I'm here to leave him here."

Gyonehui smiled wryly and placed the bag on top of the medical table.

"Hey, Labong?"

Eunwoo looked a little surprised while alternating glances between the two.

It was just a moment, but it seemed clear that Eunwoo had many thoughts about Gyeonhui and Sun. Gyeonhui smiled with satisfaction and looked at Eunwoo with his arms crossed. Eunwoo nodded slowly and started checking on Labong's wounds.

"Oh, the bandage has been released."

Eunwoo spoke with Labong as if he was really in a conversation with the dog before disinfecting the wound again.

"It's done. You've done a good job, Labong."

Eun-woo finished off with a bandage, gave him a piece of jerky snack, and stroked him.

Then Gyeonhui's cell phone rang.

The name of the person calling him was Number# 16 on his phone's contacts.

Now wasn't the right time to answer his phone, so he silenced it.

"Are you done already? How much is it for the treatment?"

Gyeonhui pulled his credit card out of his wallet as if he would pay for the treatment. It was a premium black credit card for VIPs that had no limit.

Eunwoo was looking at the card, smiled, and started talking.

"There's no reason to charge you for his treatment."

"Is it some sort of charity? Do you attract women that way?"

Gyeonhui asked in a sarcastic tone.

"Neither would be worse than being a dog thief."

"A dog thief?"

Gyoenhui scowled.

"Did you get permission from Miss Sun to bring Labong here today?"

Gyeonhui didn't answer Eunwoo's question.

"Of course not. I know Sun wouldn't do that to Labong."

"You talk as if you know her."

"I might know more than you know. There are a lot more important things than time when it comes to knowing someone else."

"Hah."

Gyeonhui laughed at Eunwoo's words.

"Yes. I brought the dog in because he was injured. What's wrong with that?"

"You should have gotten permission from her."

"Doesn't he just needs to get treatment?"

Gyeonhui asked in a sinking voice.

Eunwoo answered by stroking Labong, who was eating his snacks.

"Do you even know where this puppy really got injured?"

"It's his leg. Anyone could see if they had eyes."

However, Eunwoo shook his head slowly.

"... It's his heart."

"What?"

Eunwoo covered Labong's ears with his hands.

Then Eunwoo spoke in a solemn voice.

"The biggest wound is in his heart because his owner abandoned him, not because of this small cut."

Gyeonhui scowled.

"Labong was probably afraid and worried because you're a stranger, and you were dragging him away. He probably thought that he would be thrown away again. You've heard his pain the whole way while you were coming here."

Eunwoo's words reminded him of Labong, who was snarling and growling throughout the whole time. However, Gyeonhui didn't want to admit it.

No, Gyeonhui didn't like Eunwoo, who had only said the right words.

"... Do you also read the animal's minds? Stop being so pretentious."

"Animals are just like humans. A scar lasts longer in their minds than in their bodies."

Eunwoo stopped for a moment and looked up at Gyeonhui.

"Just like how the scar you gave her continues to last and hurt her."

Eunwoo's words seemed like a raging fire in Gyeonhui's heart. Eunwoo's face looked calm, but Gyeonhui unwittingly clenched his fists while looking at it.

25. His Scent

Gyeonhui glared at Eunwoo and suddenly smiled.

"If she's still sick in her mind, then it's proof that she hasn't forgotten about me. It's not bad news."

Gyeonhui stretched out his fists and put them in the pocket of his pants. Eunwoo, who was still staring at him, nodded with a bitter smile.

"Now I see why she had broken up with you."

Gyeonhui's face froze.

"... I have warned you not to get in my way."

"I'm warning you too. Do not hurt her anymore."

Eunwoo's eyes also became severe.

"As you said, she hasn't forgotten you yet, not completely, but understand that she is in the process of forgetting about you."

Eunwoo's words that indicated how Sun was removing Gyeonhui away from her mind had hit him hard.

Sun's gaze recently had grown stronger before, and sometimes, he was surprised by her unimaginably honest words. It was hard to pass on to him that he had already experienced them a few times.

"So, I'm going to help her heal the wounds that you gave her."

Eunwoo's composed tone struck Gyeonhui's nerve.

"... It's funny. I'm looking forward to it."

However, he tried to turn around with a relaxed smile.

"Ugh…"

At that moment, Gyeonhui suddenly buckled his knees and winced.

Eunwoo didn't know what was going on with him as he watched his actions in surprise.

"... What the hell are you doing?"

Gyeonhui sat down and mumbled to himself before standing up again.

"... I'll see you again soon."

Gyeonhui left the veterinary office after his tirade.

He limped like an old man with a sports injury.