TAF Ch 24

Yeonwoo entered the hospital the secretary had told him about. As he headed towards the familiar lobby of Juseok University Hospital, a staff member approached him and stopped him, saying he wasn’t allowed to run in here.

“I’m sorry.”

Panting, Yeonwoo bowed his head. Then he looked around for Sanggyun, whom he had arranged to meet in the lobby.

‘An accident? Wh-what kind of accident? If he’s hospitalized, is he badly hurt? When, where did he get hurt?!’

—Please calm down. It was a car accident, but fortunately, he only sustained minor bruises. He’s hospitalized for tests in case of any aftereffects. Director Baek’s phone was broken in the accident, so he probably couldn’t contact you.

If the secretary said that much, it must be a really minor injury. Hearing the secretary’s calm explanation, the shock gradually subsided, but he was still worried that Chahyun had been in an accident.

‘He seemed really out of his mind. When I got his call, I really thought he’d gone crazy.’

Especially since Sanggyun had said those things before, it bothered him even more.

What if the accident was caused by side effects of the sleeping pills? Moreover, Chahyun wouldn’t have been sleeping properly to look for Yeonwoo, who had run away, so his condition must have been terrible.

In the end, it all felt like his fault.

Yeonwoo was surprised by his blurring vision and touched his eyes. Tears welled up, which hadn’t happened even when he found out Chahyun was going to marry someone else, or even when he’d suggested they break up.

“Yeonwoo! Here, over here!”

Sanggyun, who had received Yeonwoo’s call, approached as Yeonwoo wiped his tears with the back of his hand. To hide the fact that he’d been crying, Yeonwoo pulled his cap down lower.

“Hyung, how is Chahyun? Is he awake now?”

“What’s with the mask? Do you have a cold? I almost didn’t recognize you.”

“It’s… complicated. How is Baek Chahyun?”

“Goodness, you’re impatient. His whole family has been in and out constantly, fussing over him, but now he’s finally getting some rest alone.”

“Oh.”

“He’ll be happy to see you. But why are you only coming now? He’s been hospitalized for several days.”

Sanggyun gestured for Yeonwoo to follow him and led him to the floor where the patient rooms were.

“…I only found out today. That Chahyun was hurt.”

“What? Baek Chahyun didn’t tell you?”

“…….”

“Huh. Did he not tell you because he was worried you’d be concerned? That’s not like him….”

Yeonwoo lowered his head as he and Sanggyun got into the elevator. It was true that he’d brought this on himself. Since he’d suggested breaking up, there was no reason for Chahyun to contact him about being injured.

Even so, it was shocking that he hadn’t known about the hospitalization until now. It weighed heavily on him that, despite acting firm, he hadn’t yet let go of his feelings for Chahyun.

“Or maybe he didn’t contact you because you told him you wanted to break up? Knowing his usual personality, he must have really wanted to contact you.”

“How did the accident happen?”

“He said he didn’t see a car coming out of an alley and swerved, hitting a telephone pole. But it was a really light impact, so he’s fine.”

“Ha, that’s a relief. Really….”

“His family is making a big fuss, that’s why he’s been hospitalized for a few days. This kind of thing is usually a one-day hospitalization.”

Sanggyun and Yeonwoo walked down the hallway and stopped in front of a sign that read “VIP Patient Room.” Sanggyun gestured for Yeonwoo to wait a moment and entered the room first.

“Baek Chahyun. I’m coming in, okay? Quickly, look who’s here, you… Hey! What are you doing?”

Yeonwoo, who had been standing outside the door, was startled and peeked inside, thinking something had happened.

However, Sanggyun was completely blocking his view, so he couldn’t see Chahyun’s face properly.

“Why are you getting dressed? I told you you’re being discharged tomorrow, so why bother…”

“It’s fine. I haven’t even hurt myself, so what’s the point of staying until tomorrow? I want to leave today.”

Fortunately, his voice sounded normal. Yeonwoo felt relieved and forced himself not to cry.

“Are you a doctor, you punk?”

“I’m annoyed by all the unnecessary visitors.”

“Perfect timing. Yeonwoo is outside.”

“Yeonwoo?”

At those words, Yeonwoo flinched before cautiously entering the room.

Chahyun, with a small bandage on his forehead, was just putting on his shirt and jacket.

Yeonwoo made eye contact with Chahyun as he entered. His face looked a little pale.

Although they said it was a minor accident, seeing the blood on the bandage made his heart sink.

“You should have told me you were hurt, regardless.”

As soon as he saw Chahyun’s face, a mixture of worry, resentment, and relief welled up inside him.

Even as Yeonwoo approached and stood in front of him, Chahyun simply continued buttoning his jacket and looked down at him. Unaware of Chahyun’s indifferent gaze, Yeonwoo reached out to touch his bandaged forehead.

“I kept trying to contact you, but you didn’t answer, so I was so worried….”

But before his hand could reach him, Chahyun pulled his head back and looked at Sanggyun.

“Hyung.”

“Yeah?”

“Your friend?”

Chahyun pointed at Yeonwoo with a frown. Sanggyun, who had been watching the two, asked back with a confused expression.

“…Huh?”

“Is he your friend, this guy?”

He was pointing at Yeonwoo but kept his gaze fixed on Sanggyun.

The atmosphere in the room instantly froze.

“What… are you talking about? It’s Yeonwoo, Hong Yeonwoo. You don’t recognize him because of the mask?”

Thinking it was a joke, Sanggyun chuckled and lightly patted Chahyun’s shoulder. But Chahyun remained cold, without a trace of humor.

“Who’s that?”

“…What’s wrong with you?”

Yeonwoo was taken aback by Chahyun’s unexpected reaction. Was he joking? Or was he angry at him?

Despite his various guesses, Chahyun simply stared at Sanggyun with a blank expression, as if prompting an explanation.

“Who’s Yeonwoo? …Well, he’s the one you were dating…”

Sanggyun was just as confused. He too looked back and forth between Chahyun and Yeonwoo, unsure whether it was a joke or not.

“My boyfriend?”

“Well, no. We broke up, but… Are you serious?”

“I’ve never heard of him.”

Chahyun tilted his head slightly, lost in thought for a moment. Then he shifted his gaze back to Yeonwoo.

With his cap pulled low and a mask covering his face, only his eyebrows and the shape of his eyes were visible, which Chahyun scanned intently.

A flicker of interest appeared in Chahyun’s eyes for a fleeting moment, but it quickly faded into indifference. He then gestured towards Sanggyun with his chin, as if prompting him to explain the situation.

“You’re saying I dated this guy?”

His brow furrowed, as if he couldn’t recall anything even after saying it.

“If this is a joke, it’s not funny.”

✧✧✧

“The tests showed no problems with his brain. But amnesia? How is that possible?”

“He remembered the time of the accident clearly, and he had no trouble conversing when his family and acquaintances visited. He had concussion symptoms, but he recovered quickly.”

“But how can he not remember only me?”

Yeonwoo pressed Sanggyun for any explanation of this phenomenon. Sanggyun hesitated for a few seconds before speaking.

“Perhaps the impact on his hippocampus or temporal lobe during the accident….”

“But you said the impact was minor!”

“We’ll have to run more tests. But this is so unexpected, I don’t know what to tell you.”

Yeonwoo lowered his head, holding his forehead with both hands. Sanggyun sighed deeply, equally frustrated.

“…Sometimes, when a person experiences something extremely traumatic, a small physical impact can erase memories. It’s a kind of defense mechanism, a way of coping with excessive stress.”

Yeonwoo anxiously rubbed his face.

He still couldn’t believe it.

That Chahyun had amnesia after a car accident. And that, of all people, he couldn’t remember Hong Yeonwoo.

Despite witnessing Chahyun’s reaction just now, he wanted to deny it. It would be more believable if Chahyun and Sanggyun had been playing a prank.

“Even if it’s not serious, if the brain is partially damaged, the symptoms can manifest in various ways… This must be an aftereffect.”

“His memory… When will his memory return?”

“That also varies from person to person. I can’t say for sure.”

Sitting across from each other at the desk in the doctor’s office, Sanggyun and Yeonwoo were at a loss for words, staring at each other.

After a long silence, Yeonwoo finally spoke, his voice heavy.

“What if… what if this amnesia is a side effect of overdosing on sleeping pills?”

He was terrified that this might be his fault.