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Chapter 28
Instead, she asked in a voice overflowing with affection.
― What does my daughter want for dinner? Sara, what do you like?
― Mom. I want chicken! Buy me chicken.
― You had that yesterday too, and you want chicken again?
My daughter. My daughter.
I don’t know why I envied that title so much.
To her mother, Sara had always been a pest, a parasite—never once “my daughter.”
I still vividly remember the conversation we had while eating chicken at my friend’s house.
What was ordinary daily life for someone else felt to Sara like experiencing a miracle straight out of a drama.
Sara cried her eyes out on the way home that day.
And from then on, she began to resent and hate her mother.
“Are you awake?”
A familiar voice.
Even in her half-dazed state, the moment she heard that voice, tears welled up.
“Unnie.”
“Your voice is really hoarse. Should I get you some water?”
“Yeah.”
Eunyoung filled a cup on the side table with water and handed it over.
Holding back her overflowing joy, Sara smiled brightly, like a flower just coming into bloom.
Looking around, she realized it was a single hospital room.
“Thank you, unnie. How did you even come here when you’re so busy?”
“Is that really the first thing you’re curious about after opening your eyes?”
“Why? Did something happen?”
Sara widened her eyes, and Eunyoung let out a small laugh.
“Don’t you remember? You fell in the parking lot. You had a mild brain hemorrhage.”
“Oh, really?”
Sara casually ran her hand through her hair, as if it were someone else’s story, without much emotion.
A thick gauze pad was stuck to the top of her forehead.
When she touched it, Eunyoung added,
“‘Oh really’? You also cut your head and needed five stitches. The manager said you hit something sharp and bled quite a lot.”
“Do I need surgery or something?”
“No. Don’t worry too much. The doctor said it’s nothing serious. They’ll do another MRI today, but the bleeding is minimal and will absorb naturally.”
“I see.”
Sara gave a small nod.
Her last memory was bickering with Seyeon in the parking lot, and then—suddenly—she woke up in a hospital.
It all felt surreal.
“Does anything else hurt?”
“No, I’m fine. What time is it now?”
“Now? Two o’clock. Why?”
“Lunchtime’s over. Did you eat, unnie? Should I order something for you?”
“Excuse me, Ms. Seo Sara. You’re the patient here. Do you really think it’s time to worry about me? Aren’t you hungry?”
Eunyoung looked at her in disbelief.
“I don’t know. I just woke up, so I’m not really hungry.”
Sara loved this moment.
Being treated as if nothing had happened made her almost grateful that she was hurt badly enough to be hospitalized—otherwise Eunyoung wouldn’t have rushed over like this.
“You’ve been lying down for a whole day. You must be hungry. Shouldn’t you eat something? Want me to get you porridge?”
Eunyoung clasped Sara’s hand with worried eyes.
“I’m really not hungry. Just stay here with me. Stroke my hair.”
As their warmth met, Sara pulled Eunyoung’s hand closer.
The memory of Eunyoung pulling away from her touch at the restaurant resurfaced, making her cling even tighter.
“Honestly. You’re getting more and more spoiled. Lie down.”
Sara seized the chance.
She nestled close to Eunyoung and, without giving her time to stop her, poured out a confession.
“Unnie, I’ve been reflecting a lot.”
“Hm? Suddenly? About what?”
“Meeting the investors behind your back…”
Sara sneaked a sideways glance at Eunyoung’s face. Seeing that her expression wasn’t too bad, she quickly spilled her apologies and excuses.
“I’ll never do it again. I’ll only do what you tell me to, no more secrets. I’ll tell you everything, no matter what.”
“Sara.”
“So, can’t you forgive me just this once? Please?”
Sara put on the saddest face she could muster and shook Eunyoung’s arm desperately.
Eunyoung looked at her with a complicated, indescribable expression.
“If you only do what I tell you, then what if I told you to jump out the window? Would you do it?”
“How many floors up is this?”
“Seo Sara!”
Eunyoung’s face instantly hardened in anger.
Sara ducked her head and whispered meekly.
“No, I mean… if it’s just this floor, maybe.”
“Is the number of floors the problem? Sara, how many times have I told you? You can’t say things like that so carelessly. Ever.”
“I know. But I only say it to you.”
Her words carried no hesitation, no doubt—just absolute trust.
That trust touched Eunyoung deeply, but also weighed heavily on her and filled her with worry.
“Sara, it’s not like you committed some unforgivable sin against me. You don’t need to talk like that.”
“Then… are you not angry anymore?”
Her words were slightly off the mark, making it hard for Eunyoung to know where to even start correcting her.
Still holding Sara’s hand, Eunyoung took a deep breath.
“I was angry at first, but now I’m okay. I know why you did it. I understand.”
“…Sorry.”
Sara hung her head low.
“But Sara, even if you act with good intentions, sometimes that can hurt the other person.”
“Yeah.”
“So lift your head. I really am fine.”
Eunyoung gently wiped away the tears at the corners of Sara’s eyes.
“And don’t think that I’m giving up on film altogether. Maybe I can’t direct, but there are plenty of other ways to work in film.”
“That’s true. Your editing sense is amazing, and you write great scripts too.”
Sara wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her hospital gown, steadying her trembling voice.
Eunyoung smiled wryly.
“Exactly. I’ll take care of myself, so Ms. Seo Sara, just focus on living your own life. Got it?”
“Mhm.”
“And don’t get into it too much with Kim Seyeon. The manager said this whole mess started with the two of you bickering.”
“But she’s the one who started spreading rumors to reporters, saying I was lobbying investors and stuff.”
“What? I specifically asked her not to say a word, and she leaked to reporters? She’s really useless.”
“What do you mean? Unnie, you’ve met Kim Seyeon before?”
Sara’s tears vanished in an instant. She snapped her head up, eyes wide.
“Yeah. How do you think I found you that day? Seyeon told me. She said she saw you at the restaurant.”
“…What?”
“Guardian—oh! You’re awake, patient!”
Just then, a nurse entered.
She bustled over toward Sara.
Sara wanted to grab Eunyoung’s arm and demand an explanation, but held back.
“How’s your head? Any dizziness?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“The professor will be doing rounds soon, and he’ll explain things in detail. In the meantime, here are some precautions you should follow…”
After rattling off her instructions, the nurse lingered, eyes sparkling.
Sara gave a polished smile that looked effortless.
“Would you like an autograph?”
“Oh my! Really? May I? I’m such a fan, Ms. Seo Sara. I loved your latest movie. Congratulations on winning the Attre Award!”
“Thank you.”
The nurse beamed as she accepted the autograph, thanked her repeatedly, and finally left.
The moment she was gone, Mirae and Jooyoung rushed in.
Jooyoung in particular burst into tears the instant he saw Sara.
“Noona! Huuuhhh… I thought you were going to die!”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re so dramatic.”
Sara grumbled but didn’t push away Jooyoung, who was sobbing loudly at her feet.
“Are you hurt anywhere else? How’s your head? Can you see clearly? Fingers and toes moving okay?”
Meanwhile, Mirae carefully checked Sara’s arms and legs, testing her condition thoroughly.
Only after both of them were reassured did they finally relax enough to talk.
“After you fell, your head was bleeding like crazy, people were screaming to call an ambulance, and Kim Seyeon—ugh, do you know what that woman did when you collapsed?”
