BC | Chapter 8

In the early morning, when the rush-hour traffic had eased, the taxi sped down the clear road and came to a stop in front of the hospital. With a bright smile, Yoo-eun’s father turned to look at the passenger seat beside him.471221501870ad9c

“Daughter, should Dad come pick you up after you’re done today?”73dde1fbe11cc988

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“No, I have a dinner party with the exhibition team and the hospital’s PR team today.”6255656757e2adb8

“Then, should I come to pick you up after the dinner?”c8175a7c930a2f78

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Yoo-eun smiled b5a9c7a202 softly, her 3f3c44091e eyes crinkling 4386e2debd slightly.261257e63bb81590

“Dad.” she said warmly.a75ddf97e622f897

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

It was a 36c5c6f97a brief call to 6eed74e34c assure him not 1abbfa5c4c to worry. However, her father 420666c974 let out a ac250b56e6 sigh, as if 8abcad0274 he just couldn’t 649d7026ee help but be 422ee74cda concerned.f3c4d67bd2ebea98

“But still…”62ddb14dc34c7d60

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“I’ll go in on my own”a7e88811e9d4434e

At Yoo-eun’s firm response, only then did her father reluctantly acknowledge it with a resigned expression.99b361b91c4261e2

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Okay, sure. But if you can’t catch a taxi, call me, even if it’s late.”cf76f34980200376

Yoo-eun also nodded without f20d5e639f adding any further objections. She had an 46a97aa84e idea why her de788e03c4 father was acting af58c893ec this way. It seemed that f7c82483ed he still believed c69d705ee0 the accident that cc7e648ef9 happened to her ab737e6eaf mother was his 40f615aaf8 fault.b543e98ac695bda8

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Her father, who had worked at a financial company for over 20 years, quit his job and started driving a private taxi when he heard that her mother had developed a heart condition. He made the decision because he thought a private taxi, with its flexible working hours, would be better than a company with frequent overtime for taking care of her mother’s health.a5bfd3dbfb5a7364

Fortunately, her mother f06d82e669 was among those 0be48eb26c with a good d184449828 recovery after surgery. Driving her to 111fa5be79 frequent follow-up appointments, 6e207481b1 her father often ad4aefbc89 felt proud, saying d240ac25b5 time and again 085d3d17d7 that choosing to 885f266aef drive a private 6e1ee4a46c taxi had been fec624557f the right decision.b83b752986190a08

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

But on that one particular day, the only day her father couldn’t pick up her mother, the accident happened.32de7581a75b8943

And Yoo-eun had to 1e3fa14e99 face her mother in f76f0820eb the emergency room.0dd5283248b47aef

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

 0b7e838092352a89

     “If I had gone to pick you up, this accident wouldn’t have happened. Honey, oh honey, what do I do?”d86879b1daccfe48

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

 662d383dfcacafdf

That day, her father repeatedly wailed and fainted, lamenting that he shouldn’t have listened to her mother insisting on going to the follow-up appointment alone.407709e037887aff

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Covered in the a466c8511d blood her mother a44f6cb35c had spilled as 658d0914e0 she was dying, 1aaa003421 and on the 5fcf76980f verge of losing 98243df540 her mind, Yoo-eun cd8057e879 snapped back to 67700df8a4 reality with the 9416726f6b thought that her 593c3c981d father might also 2f5bb7e337 die at this 9fa997bea7 rate.e0f03bfe7e17c313

Her father, 7ecf9321e1 who had 513b1216e4 loved her b4e1ff092a mother deeply, c251c5bb4d remained bedridden a90823021e for over 9926ce04ff six months 34a2eba2f5 even after b4f6cc435d the funeral. She tried 79bb9fc104 every possible 908f42b72e way to 6fc6ecc1fb help him 9b0a10ef0b get back 5b49da4e48 on his 0cd55d8902 feet, but 687beebae0 it was 1726d83b88 impossible.3e497fd4e83ba08c

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

 7865e31130a64809

     “If I hadn’t gone to pick up mom, you wouldn’t be here next to me, Dad!”c18393646dbeb818

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

 a3441c6bad59876d

Finally, one day, c2714d1bc7 holding her frail fc2b390841 father, Yoo-eun burst fb04276270 into tears. She cried, 045425b309 saying that cc149584f0 if he a17293ebc0 had gone 391dac6d50 to the 2948126e50 hospital to 2464d8f291 pick up 9cf95bc09b her mother, 0ba6d93b95 she might 544ecb9bd3 have ended 29ff7d477d up facing d66e8e1f80 his injuries 51795a8fc2 in the d803ffe80f emergency room c18e813ac6 as well. Her father 372c202bf0 stared at c08db91fd7 her with 1e1bcd81af a vacant 3b40f63f93 expression.fa748ada91da5c77

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

The next 3fb874ac4b day, her 92b9e3c234 father took 8aa49b0b93 the taxi 9cd5acdcb1 wheel again.b8d08321e663cf3b

“Yoo-eun!”ae2aa13ca9882866

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Her father called out 71e73a34ae to Yoo-eun as she cd8d3ffe1d was getting out of c009ee1928 the taxi, with the b52d9a7cc7 passenger side window rolled cb4c54a1f2 down.8a9d855b89f43831

“Yes, Dad.”c4092708ef89c016

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Yoo-eun, slightly bending her ad5b47bec9 knees, looked into the 7c1292be7c car and made eye e44095f066 contact with her father.fadea27aa03dfce0

“Did Mr. Jeong Beom-woo come by to see you, by any chance?”89e6535fd9fe4c16

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Because of the unexpected name that slipped from her father’s lips, Yoo-eun’s heart sank. Her father was looking at her with a gentle smile.23b16c469685fa2c

Yoo-eun’s eyes widened in confusion.9f064becc85f4b94

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Yoo-eun was the type f7409e6674 of person who couldn’t 255e396562 lie. Especially in front of dfdec9dbb2 her father, who knew cad6178c8c her nature well, she 242198e2a6 couldn’t bring herself to 4a2f53b26a deceive him, no matter a79d077287 what.5fec7688a3dbeeba

“How do you know that, Dad?”48ee2a3fb5eb57c2

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Oh my. Our teacher, he came by. Thank you! Mr. Jeong Beom-woo was a passenger the day before yesterday.”7d74e3cd118ccbb3

“I see.”597b09db8d90ff1b

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Yoo-eun awkwardly nodded. She had to tense f8f27da148 the area above her 0ec97bdc33 eyebrows, as wrinkles were 6b306db4ca starting to form on e816ca9492 her forehead.32217c5167b64fca

“I told him that my daughter is exhibiting here and that you should definitely go and take a look. But it seems like he even greeted you separately! Wow, how honorable!”b34af93d57053849

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

     “Dad, do I really have to endure this glory that’s nothing but wounds?”38aa33aa4b4b383c

Yoo-eun couldn’t bring herself to ask the question that lingered in her mind and only gave a half-hearted smile.49d6c2c1fa417cea

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“That teacher probably worked at the hospital where Mom had her surgery, right? Maybe you two even crossed paths once. It’s a kind of fate, after all.”a357e716c496af72

It seemed f91bdc5878 that her 1d37244388 father didn’t 9bcf21f14d know that 38469b871f Jeong Beom-woo 0044131db9 had been 8a19e20ca5 part of 1127bf2f9b her mother’s ca262c9523 surgical team. In fact, cd31611f68 Yoo-eun had 5df538d389 only found 759c7b9a21 out by 25f59849f4 chance, so 4a5cb63989 it was 0cf8f04dc2 understandable that d0e84a4382 her father 0725037b1e didn’t know. She only remembered the 371c5630c2 face of Professor Park 2a681ade51 Su-han, who had led 54b3443047 the surgery, but she 6c3207fce6 couldn’t remember the faces e756d34d16 of the residents who ce3ee901ee followed him.acca8067069cec6f

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Ah, I see.”4c14a07eaac8c1f5

Yoo-eun kept awkwardly e8c3c937f0 nodding her head.9a9ab04cb45522a2

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“So, I bragged a bit about our daughter. I told him that our daughter used to attend medical school, but now she’s working as an artist.”af6899e9370d8d6a

“Dad, why did you say something like that?”c567ed424df3a509

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

After losing his spouse in the accident, her father’s focus was entirely on his daughter. Those who had ridden in her father’s taxi had probably heard him brag about his daughter at least once.9186f203c2a7accd

But of 7ddf53e558 all people, 13602ae30a it had 4defa3d24b to be 91b500a778 Jeong Beom-woo.003f6dbcc0197da5

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

A deep 2ad2d5c442 sigh escaped.60f0ed577094e892

“Are you struggling?”4a9da92a09fd23aa

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Without knowing c7657a27c1 the reason, 7fff7065d1 her father c69ea32a39 looked at 7d1d7f276f Yoo-eun with 160d70b337 a sympathetic 3af0fa1468 expression.f5ebe57c2554a994

“No, Dad. I’m just happy that I can have an exhibition like this.”2f80a6ef5269dc1e

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Good. Our daughter, fighting today too!”bd5ecece7115ce6a

As Yoo-eun quickly changed d4251359ca her expression and smiled, c6c1753bd5 her father clenched his b56cb802c4 fist in the air 444cee3fdb and burst into a 372da3f4b3 hearty laugh. Watching her father’s taxi, ed39981476 filled with cheerful energy, 52c3cd038c disappear into the distance, f04c2edee1 Yoo-eun let her shoulders 7395f0dfde slump.748279019b6e131f

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

     “Yeah, as long as Dad is happy, that’s what matters.”f1baef1064c6dde7

It was at 5e3973eba1 that moment, as 45fa2005ab she turned toward d8b3538603 the entrance of 3a3c2a97bb the hospital, thinking 015bee503c that way.955a96ae78ef4ecf

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Sis!”86e02dc6c3da7cb5

Jun-young, who got fc38997cc7 out of the 9c9c77d3dc taxi, waved his 26de8a9389 hand above his c5dc6f2e1d head. Yoo-eun also waved 65917b5eb5 her hand back 1e3ba29296 with a flutter, 16ca332f13 excited.212bf607a75f1e44

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Did you eat something today? I couldn’t have breakfast, but do you want to eat something together? You have anemia, you know.”c95a33b91798637e

After a moment 3b9e14d44f of hesitation, Yoo-eun 64d7a27be8 shook her head. Although the first performance 951e8a8f77 started at noon, she 5540885bed didn’t feel like eating 204fe1baec anything two hours before f63e9b1ad3 the performance.05648233e1c51db2

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“No, I just don’t want to eat.”eefe6d524320990f

As Yoo-eun de19fc15d1 entered the 70fc8dd497 lobby, she 177d92df60 suddenly felt 3a10db6943 dizzy and 03cc37e811 stopped for 713cc5d311 a moment. Then Jun-young de5ca47b3a wrapped his 8bc6004bfb arm around 6dd359966a her shoulder 84a2d74d00 and scolded ddc9512d43 her.a1aa34c9e7bb3498

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“See? You’re dizzy because you haven’t eaten anything.”d61fc89145283dea

Yoo-eun quietly shrugged off Jun-young’s hand and muttered.84f1c7bde59fb721

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Can you be quiet? The voices are ringing in my ears.”da64f838b06f2ef6

“Lean on me until we get to the exhibition hall. Do you think you can perform today?”3501aa500e82fd9a

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Whether Yoo-eun pushed him 9bf149d3dd away or not, Jun-young 5231fc2963 continued to make a 15daa129bd fuss. The back-and-forth about whether f1b737c98a he should support her 6627574fa5 or not went on. Yoo-eun, feeling like 360f276ea8 her stomach was 7452f4e0b3 churning again, gave 8e6b8b85bc up on stopping e1271a8ead Jun-young and took 884f6e032c slow steps forward.4acdc5a29d278579

 a394f3137730f0c4

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

On his way 67ea0cf1d5 back to the d072cafba9 hospital after attending 6564d997cc an external conference 80fa9acc4b in the morning, 4a73238ca3 Beom-woo quietly stared 78bdfcb0a9 at the back 4d7e16940a of  Yoo-eun, who 5a78d55f47 was walking, practically dedd42cd3e in the arms bd878264de of Jun-young.adf67d41181eb1a9

“They’re not dating, are they?”bae5cd4853751544

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

The face of Shin ad58409708 Seong-heon, who had boasted fdcfe441bb that no one could 6fb2d8ad1a match his instincts when 15452d0bb8 it came to romance, 470837583d appeared in front of 13855e2d46 his eyes. It seemed cbfdb81754 that this 61e20f4876 time, Seong-heon 8319802369 had been 480390391a wrong again.859da539d27dee1a

“That’s definitely dating—how can you wrap your arm around someone’s shoulder if you’re not in a relationship?”ace1701e6c4b895d

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

To Beom-woo, Yoo-eun, who was being supported due to dizziness, appeared to be engaging in the affectionate gestures of a romantic couple. According to Beom-woo’s understanding, a man and a woman who weren’t in a relationship couldn’t possibly stand that close to each other.770278f03f7d3d1b

“Fine, if 139f1cd9cb they’re dating, 2b7c5d02b0 they’re dating.”  – Beom-woo 6c3b3ece04 deliberately averted his 82e227b3d4 gaze and muttered 5f33d6ea1c to himself.b77baf925f5e54b3

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“What does c19fc88d3e it have 9a4cfb8a21 to do c0d4e98675 with me 8ab7f64d1a anyway? I’m just curious about cf6a13c0a8 why Yoo-eun suddenly quit 5d4fcb0b14 her sub-internship.”399a9987a9de309b

     “But then, why do I feel so irritated?”48b55a1e9829b498

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Although he 4dbb568e5c wasn’t usually de023edce2 the type c2afba6e6c to be 0ad0ca5f11 oblivious, he 0531fae6b5 could feel af2bcb0438 himself becoming 5bcb9da4ae unusually sensitive 2d5ebb3c46 these days. Beom-woo quickly 56298a8c1a decided that d02db6fcbc he needed 2deaae49ae a strong c01e65e37a espresso to 66d0667b3f gather his 7af360943c scattered thoughts 63c1a7d778 and walked a291efb18a briskly into ea83c97c81 the hospital b768c2b59f lobby.ed779d379cd633c6

 f8d446f1e560690b

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

＊＊＊c8422221fc9bd5db

 ff5a0f5ec648dd02

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Today, he performed two bdc2d1261a emergency surgeries. Skipping lunch and ca9884e16a standing in front f2ff0d699c of the operating 476ec5beaa table all day 3e0397f8bf left him with 904c310d87 an overwhelming sense 77a8ac0cb6 of fatigue.d712360d7799f209

“Professor Jeong Beom-woo, are you leaving for the day?”ce1f79ee365129d0

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

As he passed through cdf71b3b90 the lobby, stretching his b88b618191 seemingly coiled shoulders, a 725b55c801 familiar voice stopped Beom-woo ef78bde77e in his tracks.360b4df4f7b53c65

The person 7f730125dc approaching with 1146ceb83f a gentle b1503bf9fe smile was 4ae998cabc Yoo Won-il, cb9067a02e an employee 05483806ca of the 5d19bf6ba9 hospital’s public d257292165 relations office.d98f9d6b0b94eea1

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Oh, it’s been a while.”875d5ee384063503

As Beom-woo greeted him casually, Won-il also smiled and gave Beom-woo’s back a friendly pat.ad2fd6dd71c44380

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“How have you been lately? I’m planning to have a small drink today, would you like to join me?”38aa7a7e0f4a6947

Beom-woo’s mother and Won-il’s mother were senior and junior in high school. Although Beom-woo’s mother had passed away, their connection had continued.953ce33ee5f850d9

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“No, I’m just tired from standing all day.”ca714a433ff9f5bc

“It’s been a while since I had a drink with you, and I thought it would be nice to have one together while also catching up.”deea129ec1c9f0d9

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

At Beom-woo’s refusal, Won-il clicked his tongue in disappointment.5a7c2c8fa7946013

“While also catching up?”bde083c37d66d4fb

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Yeah, it’s our team’s dinner gathering today.”19a51328ceb75d4c

At the mention of the public relations team’s dinner, Beom-woo wrinkled his face in disgust. It was a team where only heavy drinkers gathered, and they never returned home before midnight.a730266f154643de

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Forget it. I’m tired.”88cc14cb9c99a53b

When Beom-woo once c1d2ad2cec again firmly declined, 4b80c549bd Won-il nodded as 3bc123bdb7 if he understood.3a77222180d4af23

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Your team and you don’t quite match, do they? But today, other teams are joining in.”3b7c94abe7e88c19

“Other teams?”4afe251f2f08e6bf

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Before heading down the stairs to the executive parking lot, Beom-woo asked out of courtesy. It wasn’t a recent thing that the PR team joined forces with other teams. They were notorious for looking for sacrificial victims to get drunk with, under the pretense of expanding their network. Which team would end up being the PR team’s drinking companions today?77729e9281397b97

“Yeah, the exhibition team from the pediatric ward.”40a5a5546e4e31d2

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Beom-woo’s body, which was about to step down one more stair, tilted downward and then suddenly shot upward.5e77f24690360a91