When Your Pain Becomes Mine

"I will drive you. What if you get hurt again on the way?"

"... I'm really fine…"

"Don't feel guilty. I'm doing it for myself."

She blinked and looked at him, seemingly not understanding what he meant.

"It's my personality that I worry about people. Just like you always say that you're okay."

"Oh..."

She could no longer refuse him after hearing his heartfelt thoughts.

Eunwoo drank the remaining drink and slowly rose from his seat. She, reading his slightly sunken expression, silently followed behind him.

***

The next morning, Gangnam Boulevard.

Waiting for the traffic signal, Gyeonhui was locked in his thoughts while holding the steering wheel.

'Why the hell did I started thinking about that memory all of a sudden?'

Although a day had passed, he still couldn't find the reason why he had those thoughts in mind.

Did he want to shake off his painful memories? He shook his head vigorously, and when the signal changed, he stepped on the gas pedal.

The car departed with a heavy roar of the engine and drove through the intersection toward the Consencio building.

'Because she is so afraid, she is afraid to get hurt again...'

Ojae's comment quickly and forcefully appeared on Gyeonhui's memory, overlapping with the few memories he had from twenty years ago.

Not only the memories but also the feelings and wounds of that time came back, making him feel like it happened yesterday.

"Hah..."

He sighed while resting his head on the one hand, but he could not snap out of his mood.

As soon as he turned the steering wheel, he could see that she was arriving to work.

'Ereeek.'

He stepped on the brakes and pulled the car over like a natural reflex.

With a sigh accompanied by a sinking expression, she passed through the revolving door and entered the building.

"What's so scary, what the hell..."

He started running toward her, feeling frustrated.

***

When she got off the elevator, she arrived at the office door.

When she saw that the lights were on, she thought that Eunyoung and Ari were already at work.

"Hah..."

With a shallow sigh, she opened the office door. Eunyoung and Ari looked at her at the same time.

"Can you not sleep because you both are getting old? Why did you come to work so early?" Sun asked as if nothing had happened.

"Are you okay?" Ari approached and asked.

"What?"

"Yesterday, you abruptly said that you're going to Mr. Woo. What's going on?"

"Oh... I had something to discuss regarding the meeting that we had." Sun smiled awkwardly and made up a story.

"... Are you sure?"

"Sure."

"What was it about?"

"... It's no big deal."

"It's no big deal, so let's talk about it," Eunyoung asked, frustrated.

"It's not that serious. Really. I'll let you know once I organized some stuff about the meeting."

"... Sun..." Ari called Sun without concealing her concerns for her.

"Well, didn't you say that you're going to go do market research today? I'm going to sort out some meeting materials."

"Hey, Sun." Eunyoung watched her, and also called her name.

"You don't need to call my name like that. I won't forget my name. Why don't you guys get back to work? It's better to work when the office is quiet."

When she struggled, Eunyoung gave up asking any more.

"I got it, but if you have something going on, you have to talk to us, okay?" Eunyoung affirmed again.

"I will." Sun smiled and pushed Ari and Eunyoung back out of the office.

'Bang.'

She closed the door to be alone and exhaled a long sigh.

Her expression sank endlessly, and what truly was inside her head was revealed when she was alone.

"Hah..."

Her long sigh swelled into the air.

"What the hell is going on with her?" While waiting for the elevator, Ari asked Eunyoung.

"She said that she had to discuss something about the meeting."

"Do you believe that?"

"Would you believe it if it were you? I just pretended that I know nothing." Eunyoung was frustrated and raised her voice.

"Why are you so mean to me? I'm worried about her too..."

Ari said in a sad, dead tone timidly.

"Hah... Should we move out of this building..."

"Move out? You mean this office?"

Eunyoung nodded slowly as if she were distressed.

"What if the business we got in exchange for contracting with Consencio cancels again?"

"We will figure it out. We'll manage it somehow."

"We are almost bankrupt already. Don't you remember what happened last time? We've lost all of our customers."

Hearing Ari, Eunyoung recalled what happened in the past three months. They would seldom find new accounts, and if existing ones stopped doing business with them at once, they would be able to feel the power of Consencio's retail industry domination.

"I've never regretted starting a business, but I regret it these days whenever I see Sun struggle all by herself." Eunyoung exhaled a sigh of frustration.

"It's not your fault. I don't know why Mr. Woo is so mean to her, especially since they broke up. Why is he sticking around her like a tick?" Ari narrowed her eyes and made a noise.

"Ehem." Then they heard someone clearing their throat from behind.

"Eek!" Ari acted hastily and screamed.

When they quickly looked back, they saw Gyeonhui with sinking eyes, not knowing how long he had been standing there.

Ari had been gossiping about him until a short time ago and hid behind Eunyoung's back as if feeling guilty.

"He didn't hear me, did he?"

When Ari asked in a tiny voice, Eunyoung urged her to be quiet. Eunyoung opened her mouth again while looking at Gyeonhui.

"Do you have anything to discuss with us?" Eunyoung asked in a hard tone.

"Where is Sun?"

"She hasn't come to work yet."

"I've seen her going into the building a while ago."

"Then why are you asking me?"

"Why are you lying to me?" He seemed dissatisfied.

"Are you really asking because you don't know?" Eunyoung continued inquiring as Gyeonhui looked at her silently. "You hurt Sun all the time."

"You sound like it's all my fault."

Eunyoung's heart wretched after hearing his word, but she tried to keep her mind calm and opened her mouth again,

"She already has a lot of wounds in her mind, so you don't have to hurt her more. Mr. Woo."

"This is none of your business. I will manage this the way I want, so stop caring about what's happening between us."

"It's not just your problem. Because of you, Mr. Woo, everyone around you gets hurt."

"Hurt?"

"Kids Fans, Ojae, and Dr. Park…"

Each name made Gyeonhui furrowed his eyebrows. He was lost in thought for a moment and looked back at Eunyoung before asking.

"Do you not see that I have changed?"

"Sorry?"

On his question, Eunyoung furrowed her eyebrows, and that was like a clear answer to him.

"I've had wasted my time."

He passed by the two of them with a firm expression.

"Huh, I guess he didn't hear anything." Ari let out a long sigh as she watched him anxiously.

"Change? Him? What does that even mean?'

Eunyoung looked back at him while reflecting on what he had just said.