13 His Story

Hyun Bin's POV

(Flashback)

It was a busy day at their office since they are preparing for the upcoming anniversary party of Better Living. The Sacheon Head Manager wearing a semi-formal black long sleeve shirt rested his back on his swivel office chair and crossed his legs while smiling from ear to ear texting someone on his phone. It's already lunchtime, so he finally had the chance to check on his girlfriend's messages while taking a quick break from his multiple paperwork, warehouse approval, and email reports.

"Hello, baby. I'm having a spicy tteokbokki for lunch... What's yours? I miss you so much!" He lied, not wanting to make his girlfriend worry that he hadn't taken his lunch yet.

"Hi, babe. I'm not yet done with my report that needs to be submitted before one pm. Huhu!" She responded to his message.

"If only I could go there and finish it for you, baby... Hmmm... Make sure to have your lunch after that, okay? If you'll skip a meal today, I'll be the one to eat you! I miss you and I love you so much!" He responded with multiple sticking-out-its-tongue yellow emojis and red hearts.

After he sent the message, a familiar number popped up on his phone's screen. His eyebrows curved since that number was deleted on his phone eight months ago, but he can still clearly recognize who it belongs to. Instead of answering the caller, he clicked the lock screen button and put his phone on top of his office table.

He then stood up to go to the pantry area as he decided to take a coffee instead of eating a spicy tteokbokki for lunch. His nervous system needs caffeine today since this is going to be a tough day for him to finish all his unpacked reports.

When he opened the door to go back inside his office with a cup of Americano coffee in his right hand, he felt an arrow passed right through his chest when he saw a not so old woman standing behind the glass window of his office holding a brown envelope in her left hand.

He cleared his throat and walks towards his swivel office chair. After he puts his cup of coffee on top of his table, the woman whose back is facing him turns around and walks towards him. Her eyes are already stuck to him while he is looking down at the envelope that is swaying from her hand.

The woman sits down on the chair in front of him. She looked up to him with tired eyes and put the envelope on top of his table. He puts his left hand on his pants' pocket and took the envelope that the woman brought.

"Make a decision, Bin. You just need to bring yourself there, alone." Said the woman shooting a lamentable gaze to him.

He felt a pang of pain and anger. His heart is beating so fast that his hands are beginning to tremble. After staring at the unopened envelope, he put it inside his drawer beside the table and walks towards the door. Then, he opened the door for the woman to go out without looking back at her stares.

When the woman was about to step outside his office, she looked back at him and holds his right hand tightly...

"We don't have any choice, Bin. Please." The woman hoarsely begged and tears are starting flowing down her cheeks.

Bin slowly pulled the woman's hands away, and still, he didn't let out any response to her. He then closed the door and went back to his chair. When he seated, he rested his arms on the table and brought his right hand to his mouth to stop his lips from quivering.

After he calmed, he took his phone then tapped his girlfriend's number and started typing a message...

"Baby, I love you so much... You know that, right? I can't live without you, Yejin. I love you so much, baby."

—————

[The night before Better Living Anniversary Party]

Bin parked his motorcycle beside the entrance door of an old building far away from the city of Sacheon. After he turns off the engine, he also took off his helmet and hang it beside the holder near the accelerator. He then went inside the building and bowed down his head greeting the attendee in the lobby area.

While walking in the hallway going to his destination, he took something in his right pocket and stares at it. When he arrived and standing at a white door in front of him, he took a deep breath before going inside since his heart felt uneasy. After seconds, he unlocked the doorknob and steps in.

The moment he entered the room, his feet stops from moving. It's been two months since he last visited this room. He keeps avoiding going to this place as it's always crashing his heart into pieces.

He looked at the thing that his right hand is holding and closed his eyes. Then, he mustered up his courage and walks towards the end corner of the room near a glass window.

"Eo-- Eomma... Your son is here." He stammered and sits on the chair beside the hospital bed where his mom is lying. He took her hand tightly, caressed it, and put it beside his face.

Yes, it's his mom who's in deep sleep with medical apparatus attached to her chest, hands, and mouth. She's been in the hospital for three months battling for her Congenital Heart Disease; stage D. She's been lying from that hospital bed that long, and they were informed one week ago that she needs a heart transplant as soon as possible.

Hyun Bin grew up without a father. His dad died when he was two years old due to a car accident. Since then, he only lives with his soft and loving mother along with his aunt— his mother's one and only sister. Even though he grew up without a complete family, it didn't hinder him to grow up as a loving, caring, and jolly son.

Since his mom and aunt are not well-off, and they both grew up in the orphanage until their second and fourth year in high school, his mom worked her ass off as a cook and nanny for a wealthy family for thirty long years. Meanwhile, his aunt got married to a local farmer far away from the city ten years ago. Since his mom started working under the Kang Family, they both lived happily with them. Also, that family helped him to finished his studies.

When he got a settled job during his early thirties, he was slowly able to get the things he wanted. He got a house for his mother that he's been paying for every month. However, even though they can finally live on their own, his mom doesn't want to leave the Kang Family. She wants to return the kindness they provided to her especially to her son by working for them until her last breath.

When Bin started living on his own, renting a flat while waiting for his house to be fully paid in the next two years, his childhood friend whom he treated like a little sister confessed her feelings to him. Yes, it's Kang Sora, the youngest daughter of Mr and Mrs Kang. The child his mother took care of since she was born.

Sora was persistent. She didn't stop until Bin agreed to be in a relationship with her. She's crazy and madly in love with him since she was thirteen. As for Bin, as the years passed by, he also learned to have feelings for her, but he's not really sure if it's out of love or out of respect for the family who helped him and his mom throughout the years.

Sora's mom easily approved their relationship as she knows Bin grew up as a fine and a gentleman, but her dad disallowed it— at first. Bin respects her to the point that he didn't touch her until their relationship reached the three-year mark.

However, as their relationship before was getting longer, the more he realized that he is not happy. The more he wants to find the missing piece in his life. And eight months ago, Bin finally decided to end everything with her.

Going back to Bin, he stared blankly at his mom who's in a deep sleep. He caressed her temple and patted a kiss on her forehead. Then, he puts the rosary with two rings fastened on it on his mother's right wrist. That was the precious thing he's been holding earlier.

"Eomma, please fight for me..." He said with his eyes closed and holding his mother's hands.

After a minute, someone steps inside his mother's room...

"Have you signed the agreement?" A worried voice of his aunt tinkled in his ears.

He actually doesn't want to discuss it with his aunt since he knows her decision was already final. Bin looked up to her and answered...

"Imo... Can't we wait a little longer? Maybe I can still find the needed money for eomma's heart transplant." He suggested while his voice is shaking.

"The longer we waste time, the faster your mother is dying! It's just a wedding, Bin! And it's a big amount of money! Are you going to borrow loads of money from a loan shark or from a bank? We know we can't pay for it even if we work our asses off twenty-four-seven! We are already lucky because the Kang Family will shoulder everything once you marry their daughter!" His aunt frustratingly shouted.

——————

[The night after he went home from spending a whole day and night at Yejin's flat]

After having a three-hour phone call with his girlfriend, his wide smile immediately turned to a weary one. He stood up from his bed and went near the window of his room. He felt like a hard and big stone was stuck inside his heart. He wants to remove it, but he can't. He leaned his left hand behind the glass window and stared at the church in front of his flat's building. His lips are starting to vibrate and tears are slowly drowning on his face.

"I know being strong is the only choice I have right now, but please help me." He murmured, then bowed down his head and started punching his left chest so hard.

His deep growls and sobs are the only audible in his room. He is crying his heart out. Thinking so hard about what he's going to do. His mother's life is at stake, and yes, he's willing to do everything for her. He can offer his life and happiness for his mother, but what about the love of his life? The woman he wants to be his future. The woman he dreamed to live with forever. The woman he wants to have children with. He loves Yejin so much that he can't take seeing her getting hurt. He can't take the possible things she will go through once she will know his marriage to Sora.

Bin didn't have the courage to tell Yejin about his problem with his sick mother. He doesn't want her to be dragged with his own problem. It's enough for him that he's the only one getting hurt.

While he's catching his breath, he took his phone and started typing a message to the unregistered number who called him when his aunt brought the brown envelope to his office and begged him to sign with the wedding agreement paper from Sora's father.

After he sent the message, he went to his kitchen as he decided to take a glass of beer.

His message:

"Sora, I can't do it. Please, talk to your father about this. I will find another way to save my mother's life."

//

Hours have passed, and his vision is getting blurry and his head is starting to spin. He's sitting on the floor while leaning his back on the sofa while rolling the multiple cans of beer on the table in front of him. After a minute, he took his phone checking if Sora responded to his text message earlier, but still, he didn't receive a single one.

He rested his head on the sofa behind him and started staring blankly at the ceiling. When he was about to close his eyes, he heard three knocks on his door.

"Oh... My spicy fried chicken is here! That was fast!" He hoarsely said while trying to get up going to the door. He's really drunk enough to make his legs jelly and he's walking in a zigzag way.

When he finally arrived at the door, he immediately unlocked the doorknob as he's excited to receive the spicy chicken he ordered. However, the moment he opened his main door, he was welcomed with a hard punch on his face making him lost his stand and he instantly fell on the floor. He tried getting up while blinking his eyes for a clearer vision, but the man who just punched him, kicked his chest harshly making him lost his consciousness.

——————

Bin felt suffocated. His neck, his wrists as well as his chest are aching. He tried opening his eyes and moved up his head. He's already sober, but he let out a heavy growl when his head is starting to spin as the hangover is magnifying his whole system. When he finally opened his eyes, he noticed that he's in a dark room that the bulb above his head is the only one turned on. Then, he sees a familiar old man in a black suit wearing a cowboy cap sitting in the chair in front of him. He was smoking while his legs are crossed and his right index finger is tapping on the armchair. After scanning him, Bin realized that he's sitting on a wooden chair and his arms are tangled with a rope at his back.

Bin coughed after the old man released his smoke directly on his face.

"What did you do to my daughter again? I thought we already talked about this, Hyun Bin? Won't you really stop hurting my daughter?" Mr Kang asked with this deep baritone voice.

Bin wasn't able to answer him right away as he felt his throat is very dry.

Since he didn't respond, Mr Kang got impatiently irritated and nodded his head signalling something to the man standing behind him. Bin then felt a hand harshly holding his hair and bent his head backwardly.

The old man stood up from the chair and went closer to Bin. He bowed down and looked directly to his face.

"Sir, please... I will just find a different way to save my mother's life... I can't marry your daughter. I love someone else." Bin said, taking all his courage to let out those words from his mouth.

"After all the things we did to you and your mother? No! The decision was fixed! You will marry my daughter on Sunday. And don't you ever mentioned to Sora about that fucking girlfriend of yours!" Mr Kang stated angrily.

He then motioned to one of his men and started ordering him...

"Get his phone! Make sure he can't take a hold of it until their honeymoon trip is over!"

Bin closed his eyes trying to stop the tears that flowing down his face. He took a deep breath before responding to Mr Kang...

"Sir, please! I can't marry your daughter..." Bin's voice was cracking. But still, he continued...

"And..."

"...Right now, I can't be a father to someone else's child."

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