AOA Chapter 5

 

“Then let’s at least schedule outpatient follow-ups. Psychological trauma can seem fine now, but may lead to unforeseen aftereffects. If you feel unwell after returning home, come back immediately.”

 

“Alright. Thank you.”

 

As Yeonseo stepped out, her mother, who had been waiting in the lounge, sprang up and rushed over. Her mother’s emotions swung wildly, unable to stay still for even a moment. She cried, scolded, got angry, and then was relieved—all in quick succession. 

 

Still, Yeonseo could feel how worried her mother had been during her disappearance, and her expression softened.

 

“Do you know how much I worried, thinking I might never see you again? That’s why I told you to stay with Naeun! Why did you wander off alone? But ABO is really impressive. They mobilized the entire country’s police force just to find you.”

 

“Huh? You’re saying I… went off alone?”

 

“Yes. Naeun said you disappeared while she was trying on clothes. Couldn’t you have waited a little?”

 

“No… Naeun called me, so I went to the fitting room…”

 

Yeonseo shook her head, trying to explain that she hadn’t gone alone. 

 

But when she tried to recall what happened after entering the fitting room, a splitting headache hit her like a hammer. She clutched her head, and her mother fretted beside her. 

 

With her mother’s support, Yeonseo sat down on a waiting chair, forcing herself to steady her shallow breaths.

 

“Hey, what are you talking about? I got tired of waiting and called an employee. When I came out, you were gone. Do you know how embarrassed I was? They looked at me like I was some broke loser trying on clothes I couldn’t afford!”

 

Naeun, who had been busy taking selfies in the hospital’s luxurious lounge-like waiting room, snapped irritably. She ranted about how she should’ve grabbed that employee by the hair, then paused, noticing Yeonseo’s odd reaction.

 

“You really don’t remember anything?”

 

“I remember you calling me to the fitting room.”

 

“And then?”

 

“I don’t know…”

 

Yeonseo was certain she had entered the fitting room, but her memory after that was blank. The confusion made her doubt herself. 

 

As she clutched her head and squeezed her eyes shut, Naeun raised an eyebrow.

 

“You were caught on CCTV walking off alone. Why are you distorting your memory? I’m going back to that store. Just wait. I’ll buy that dress in one go and crush their smugness. Hmph. Hey, what did the doctor say? Can you go home tomorrow?”

 

Memory distortion… 

 

Yeonseo tried hard to recall the situation, but the more she thought, the worse her headache became.

 

“Why are you talking like that to someone who hasn’t even recovered yet!”

 

Her mother scolded Naeun, asking if clothes were more important right now.

 

“Ugh, whatever! She looks fine to me!”

 

“Hwang Naeun!”

 

Naeun dodged her mother’s raised hand and ran to her second sister, Seonah, to take more photos together. 

 

Watching them, Yeonseo bit her lip. Both her second and third sisters looked glamorous, their hair perfectly curled and makeup flawless, making her wonder if they had really been that worried about her. She tried to understand—they loved dressing up—but she couldn’t hide the pang of disappointment.

 

“We’ll take our leave now, Miss Hwang Yeonseo.”

 

“Who are you?”

 

Her mother immediately shot a wary glance at the man who had been silently standing by and now approached. 

 

He was the man Joo Kangwon had assigned as both a guide and a watcher—the same man who had answered her question about their location earlier, saying they were in Namyangju.

 

Despite her pounding headache, Yeonseo had to explain why she needed to meet Joo Kangwon now. 

 

The mention of Cheonsang Group sent her family into a frenzy.

 

“How could you not say a word about something this important!”

 

Her mother, in particular, was beside herself. 

 

ABO hadn’t explicitly mentioned that Joo Kangwon was the one who rescued her, so Yeonseo hadn’t brought it up. But her mother seemed to feel betrayed.

 

“Cheonsang Group? You mean the one with the CS Card? And CS Heavy Industries…?”

 

“Mom, it has nothing to do with Cheonsang Group. I just received personal help, and now I need to go repay the favor.”

 

Yeonseo sighed, knowing this would happen. She hurriedly said she had to leave, but her mother, clearly not ready to let it go, pulled her into a corner of the waiting room and whispered urgently.

 

“How can it have nothing to do with Cheonsang Group when it’s Joo Kangwon himself? Yeonseo, this is an opportunity. Grab it tight!”

 

“Grab what? What do you think Joo Kangwon is?”

 

“He’s a golden rope that can pull you into the upper class! Honestly, what do you have to lose? You’re an A-grade omega!”

 

Yeonseo exhaled deeply but didn’t respond. Her mother’s words kept pouring out. 

 

Thankfully, her mother didn’t know about the heat they had shared. If she had, she would’ve stormed over to Joo Kangwon, demanding he take responsibility for her daughter.

 

“I’ll be back.”

 

“Don’t take my words lightly! When will you ever get a chance like this again? Are you going to live off the meager allowances from ABO forever? No, this isn’t the time. Let’s go together.”

 

“Mom!”

 

“I just want to thank the person who saved my daughter. What’s the problem? Let’s go.”

 

Her mother grabbed Yeonseo’s wrist so tightly it might leave marks and dragged her toward where the man was waiting. 

 

Yeonseo, almost being pulled along, pleaded to be let go, saying it hurt, but her mother ignored her and stood in front of the man.

 

“Miss Hwang Yeonseo.”

 

The man, about to leave once everything was ready, was abruptly interrupted as Yeonseo’s mother stepped in.

 

“Hello, I’m Yeonseo’s mother.”

 

The man raised an eyebrow in surprise, but then bowed politely.

 

“Hello. Shall we go, Miss Hwang Yeonseo?”

 

Her mother blocked his path again, smiling like a refined lady. Her elegant voice was so unfamiliar that Yeonseo felt chills.

 

“Would it be possible for me to come along? I’d like to express my gratitude for saving our Yeonseo.”

 

“No.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

The man’s blunt refusal was so decisive that her mother momentarily lost her composure, frowning. 

 

She looked at him as if to confirm she had heard correctly, but he ignored her gaze and urged Yeonseo to hurry. 

 

Checking his watch, he made it clear they were already running late. 

 

Yeonseo thought of Joo Kangwon, realizing how much time they had already wasted.

 

“Mom, I’ll be back. See you at home.”

 

“But…”

 

Yeonseo’s mother tried to hold onto her, but the man smoothly stepped between them, forcing her to let go. 

 

After another overly polite bow, he led Yeonseo away.

 

“Mom, isn’t that the guy from Cheonsang Group? The one on the list of Korea’s richest people? Joo Kangwon…!”

 

As Seonah’s excited voice echoed, Yeonseo shut her eyes tightly. She was too embarrassed to lift her head. 

 

At least she was facing away from her family, so they couldn’t see her expression.

 

“The Chairman dislikes meeting unannounced guests.”

 

The man, who introduced himself as Oh Myungsoo, explained his actions only after they reached the lobby. 

 

Perhaps feeling uneasy about how coldly he had treated her mother, his expression even showed a hint of apology. 

 

There was no trace of disdain for her family in his demeanor.

 

“I should apologize for my mother’s unreasonable request.”

 

Yeonseo quickly shook her head, cutting off any further explanation and simply labeling her mother’s behavior as an ‘unreasonable request.’ 

 

If he hadn’t intervened, she could only imagine the horror of what her mother might have said to Joo Kangwon. 

 

Whether he understood the underlying meaning or not, Oh Myungsoo didn’t bring it up again.

 

The car glided smoothly as it left the hospital. 

 

Yeonseo felt a sense of liberation, not from the hospital, but from the growing distance between her and her family. 

 

A bitter laugh escaped her. Looking down at her hands, she saw her wrists were red. Her arms, already sore from being bound for two days, ached even more.

 

“…”

 

When she was kidnapped and facing the worst, she had missed her family so much. 

 

But in just a short while, she felt completely drained. The moment Cheonsang Group was mentioned, her mother’s worries about her vanished, replaced by a gleam in her eyes. 

 

And Naeun, upset that she couldn’t buy clothes because of the kidnapping… 

 

It was far from the reunion she had imagined. She wondered if their joy at her safe return was more about regaining their financial security than anything else.

 

“Where are we going?”

 

‘What difference would it make to know where they were headed?’ She asked to shift her thoughts, but it ended up being utterly pointless.

 

“We’re heading to the main house in Seongsu-dong.”

 

It was a bit surprising that their destination was the main house. It didn’t fit the image she had of him living with his family. 

 

Of course, someone of his wealth wouldn’t be crammed into a small house, but still.

 

“…”

 

The grandeur of the mansion that unfolded before her eyes made her speechless. 

 

It was so overwhelming that she felt both ridiculous and pitiful for her earlier assumptions. She had never been so awestruck by a building before.

 

“Let’s go inside.”

 

His voice, gentle and without a hint of mockery at her reaction, made her face burn even hotter. She quickly followed him inside.

 

The interior was as luxurious and beautiful as a famous hotel. 

 

Yeonseo tried not to let her eyes wander, obediently following the man. The house was so large that there were many staff members working inside.

 

“What are you looking at?”

 

Startled by the voice, she turned to see Joo Kangwon staring right at her, as if he had been there all along.