9. Frustrated

He had been scared sh*t when he saw his brave mother, all so vulnerable and unresponsive. 

"Hyewon a, has omma eaten anything since she woke up? Did you give her the food we brought?"

"Yes oppa. She's already eaten it before the woman came." 

"Why are you two talking about me like I'm not here?" Lee Baram asks her two older children from her lying position.

"Oemma, would you like to clean up? I can help you with that." Hyeri offered.

"I'll do it. Let me go and get some water first." Hye-Won said and left the room, not waiting for her mom's response.

She reckoned that her mom hasn't washed down this morning yet since she has been unconscious since yesterday. 

The nurses would've probably cleaned her mom in her unconscious state, but she still wants to do it herself.

She believes their mom would prefer that too.

"Then I'll wait outside. I'll come back after." Doyun said and left the room after Hyewon returned to their mom's bedside.

She carried a small bowl containing water. She then draped the curtains down to create privacy for them, as there were three other patients in the same room as their mom.

Doyun finds a quiet spot once outside the room and tries to call the person he has been trying to reach all morning but with no luck of anyone answering again.

He was still hopeful that at least someone would pick up this time, and luckily, it was answered after his second trial.

"Yeoboseyo?" Doyun said into the phone immediately the call was picked. He was both anxious and happy.

"Hello?" Doyun repeated as the other end of the call was silent. 

"Is that you? Are you the person I think?" Doyun paused , waiting for a response, a response, but all he heard was the dead silence from the other end of the call. 

"If it's really you, I will..." will..." The call ended before Doyun could finish his sentence. 

"Hm." He sighed in disappointment. 'Let me try again. If he'll even answer it.'

"Hello? I know it's you. I'm glad to know that you got back safely." Doyun breathelessly said as soon as the call was answered again.

He paused to take in some breaths before he continued.. 

"I understand why you would want to refuse to answer my calls or reply to my texts, but can you please meet with me? To give me a chance to explain myself on what happened?" 

Beep. Beep. Beep. Doyun looks at his phone's screen light dejectedly.

He decided to call the numbers once again, but this time it was switched off.

"Ah. I don't know anymore." He threw his hands in the air in frustration and turned to go back to his mom's hospital room.

********************************************

Buzzt! Buzzt! Buzzt! 

"Who is this person that keeps disturbing my brother's phone all day? Don't they have any tact?!" 

Kim Areum asked as she realized that the vibration of her brother's phone was because of a particular number. It has been calling and texting all throughout this morning. 

She presses the sides of the phone to silence it once again before leaving it on the center table in the living room.

"How is he doing?" She asked their family doctor, Dr. Cha Junho, who was coming out of her brother's room with his bag in his hand. 

"He'll be fine once he wakes up. He's just slightly feverish and needs a good rest. Nothing serious." 

"Thank goodness. I thought he had another episode again." Areum heavily sighs in relief as she slumps onto the sofa. 

Stevie, her brother's butler, had told her that her brother had collapsed as soon as he got out of his car this morning from wherever he went the previous night.

She was quite surprised that her brother spent the night outside his own home.

"No. This is just a normal fever. It may be due to stress. I believe his additional new roles at work are adding to his stress levels. 

He'll be fine by the time he wakes up. But I fear this could trigger his condition to become worse if not checked earlier." 

Dr. Cha Junho informs her and excuses himself to leave after checking on his patient.

"Where did he go to spend the night? I thought his friends were out of the country on their holidays." Areum asked the butler, Stevie, who was still waiting for her to dismiss him before he can return to what he was doing earlier.

"Yes. They're all outside the country, with the exception of one, but even he is quite busy at the moment. I don't think he was the one he went to see. More over, he spent the night there, which has never happened before."

Buzzt! Buzzt! Buzzt!

The phone kept vibrating, but they both ignored it and continued with their conversation.

"Hmmm... does he have any new friends that you may not know about? Or perhaps a new lover?"

"No. I don't think so. But speaking of lovers, one of them was here last night waiting for him, but I had to let her leave when he did not return after midnight." Stevie answered.

"Why?" Areum asks.

"Pardon?" 

"Why did you send her away? Why didn't you let her wait till he returned or when she herself decided?"

"I did think about it, especially since it was the young master who asked her to come."

"Then why didn't you? Isn't it too rude to treat someone's daughter like that? Wasn't she angry when you told her to leave at that time?"

Stevie didn't know how best to answer her question. "Yes, she was quite angry. But the young master does not allow any of his lovers to stay overnight. So I had to be firm."

"Hm. Since Dr. Cha Junho said he would be better once he wakes, then I'll be going back home. It's not even..."

Buzzt! Buzzt! Buzzt!

"Ooh aahh. Who is this annoying person at all? Why do they keep disturbing oppa like that? Don't they have common sense?" 

Kim Areum was about to pick up the call and give the annoying caller her piece of mind, but she stopped her Stevie stopped her by taking the phone off the table first.

"Stevie, why? Do you know the number? Why have you stopped me from answering the call? Who are they?"