My Ex-Girlfriend Regrets Dumping Me

14 – Terminal Patient (4)

“Hayeon…you…you…have cancer?”

When she first revealed the truth to her aunt in the emergency room, her aunt’s reaction was shocking.

She lost strength in her legs and hesitantly sat down.

“Yes. And they said if I undergo cancer treatment, it will be a year, at best six months.”

And when Hayeon calmly told her aunt about being a terminal patient, her aunt broke down once again.

At first, her aunt didn’t want to believe Hayeon’s words.

But Hayeon showed her the test results and told her what she had heard from the doctor.

In the end, her aunt had no choice but to accept it.

Her aunt trembled and pulled Hayeon close on the emergency room bed.

“Oh…God…why would you give this kind of trial to our poor Hayeon…sniff…sob.”

“…”

While her aunt wept in her embrace, Hayeon remained surprisingly composed.

I had already come to accept it to some extent, and when there was someone in front of me grieving more than myself, I became cold-hearted instead.

Hayeon simply tightly hugged her trembling aunt’s shoulders.

.

.

.

.

The sobbing ceased, and the once cold-hearted aunt began to discuss Hayeon’s treatment in earnest.

Honestly, Hayeon had no intention of undergoing cancer treatment.

But her aunt’s thoughts were completely different from hers.

“Hayeon, let’s do it. Cancer treatment. No, just do it. I will do whatever it takes.”

“…What? It’s only a year anyway. I’m fine.”

She knew it wasn’t because of a lack of financial resources.

Her aunt held quite a high position in a large company.

Moreover, since she hadn’t gotten married, she had accumulated a substantial amount of money.

But Hayeon didn’t want to burden her aunt any further.

Her aunt had already fulfilled that role just by raising her like this.

If not for her, Hayeon wouldn’t have come to university and lived on her own, not needing to work part-time.

Even after more than ten years, her aunt was still not her parent in Hayeon’s eyes.

“Hayeon… please… at least for me, please… receive treatment. For us.”

“…”

“They say there’s still a possibility of recovery even if it’s not completely hopeless, and there are cases of full recovery even in advanced stages.”

“…What are the chances of that happening to me? I don’t want to waste my aunt’s hard-earned money for nothing.”

“Seo Hayeon!”

The aunt showed a strict expression that she usually didn’t when faced with Hayeon’s pessimistic words.

Hayeon was slightly surprised by her aunt’s firm attitude and huddled up.

“You… isn’t it too early to say something like that before the results come out? No one knows what will happen, Hayeon.”

“…”

“And is that measly money so important? It’s about your life. What meaning does money hold when it comes to matters of life and death?”

Hayeon wasn’t typically this pessimistic, but receiving a terminal diagnosis had greatly shaken her mental state.

She couldn’t gauge what the right decision was.

However, seeing Aunt’s solemn face, Ha-yeon couldn’t help but feel despondent.

“…I’m sorry, Aunt.”

When Ha-yeon apologized with a heavy heart, Aunt gently stroked the back of her hand and spoke.

Her face seemed slightly less angry than before.

“No, I should be the one to apologize. Ha-yeon. But please, don’t say you won’t undergo cancer treatment.”

“…”

“Let’s not give up before even starting. Us, okay? Even if there’s only a 1% chance, Aunt will never let you give up, alright?”

Aunt gazed at her with eyes that had turned red, almost imploringly.

Even though Ha-yeon had resolved to give up, she couldn’t ignore her words in this situation.

Honestly, she didn’t believe there was any chance of survival, but what about Aunt?

If Aunt didn’t make any effort and just let her go as Ha-yeon suggested…

Aunt’s remaining life would be filled with regret for not even trying at that moment.

“…I understand. I’ll undergo the cancer treatment.”

Seeing Aunt’s brightened face after those words.

Ha-yeon thought it was acceptable to make a little effort, not just for herself, but also for Aunt.

*

A month later, after starting cancer treatment, Ha-yeon’s time passed frenetically.

Not just her, Aunt’s time must have passed just as hectically.

Aunt worked during the day and headed straight to the hospital in the evening.

On days when Ha-yeon was in pain, she didn’t hesitate to take time off and wholeheartedly took care of her.

“Ahhh! Ahhhhh! It hurts… It really hurts…”

The pain that came after taking the medication was beyond imagination.

All sorts of pain engulfed her.

It felt like a giant needle was piercing through her entire body internally.

Like having a fit, Ha-yeon tore at the curtain in her room, creating chaos.

Because it was the first time Ha-yeon had experienced this level of pain in her life.

The pain from the cancer treatment was so severe that it resembled the occasional abdominal pain she had.

“It’s fine… It’s fine… Ha-yeon…”

“Aunt… I want to die… I’d rather just die.”

“No, Ha-yeon. Hold on a bit longer. Please, just a bit.”

Whenever Hae-yeon suffered through the pain of her cancer treatment, her aunt was always there to comfort her, holding her tightly even as tears streamed down her face, determined not to let her give up.

They endured those painful times together, but there was no sign of the cancer cells disappearing.

“Your condition isn’t worsening… it’s just about the same for now. It hasn’t been long since we started the treatment. Let’s give it a little more time,” the doctor reassured Hae-yeon, though deep down, she wondered if it was all worth it.

The agony of the treatment was too much, and she couldn’t help but think that maybe dying would be better.

The noble intention she had initially felt, that she should undergo treatment for her aunt’s sake, had long since faded away.

But a few months later, a different result emerged during a follow-up examination.

From the moment she entered the consultation room, Hae-yeon could sense the excitement in the doctor’s eyes.

“If you take a look at the results of this MRI, you’ll be truly astonished. Can you see this? This is a picture from three months ago.”

“Oh my, oh my!”

Hae-yeon’s aunt exclaimed like a teenager.

Even to Hae-yeon’s eyes, there was a clear difference.

The sizes of the tumors that the doctor had previously pointed out had significantly decreased.

“Your condition has improved a lot in a short period. Being a young patient might contribute to a faster recovery. In any case, it’s really great given your current state.”

However, even then, she hadn’t crossed the threshold of death.

Hae-yeon still believed that the doctor was painting an optimistic picture.

After all, that was what was necessary for her aunt to keep pouring money into the cancer treatment.

But after six months of undergoing cancer treatment, when she returned to the consultation room with her aunt, a completely different situation unfolded before Hae-yeon.

The doctor compared the MRI images with great interest and explained to her and her aunt, “So… this is almost like a miracle. I think it’s the efforts of both you, Aunt, and the patient Hae-yeon that have truly paid off.”

The size of the tumor had become so small that it was almost impossible to consider it a tumor anymore.

Hae-yeon was astonished at how much it had shrunk compared to the initial diagnosis.

Lately, she had been feeling like her overall health was improving, and now she had the evidence to support it.

“Oh my…Teacher, thank you so much. It’s all thanks to you.”

“No, it’s not. I’ve seen how hard both the patient and the caregiver have been working.”

“No, it’s not. It’s all thanks to you.”

The aunt bows her head continuously with gratitude.

The doctor, momentarily adjusting his collar in unease, continued his explanation.

“To be honest, it’s still a bit early to say this. Aunt, if the patient continues to recover at this rate, there is a possibility of complete healing.”

“Really?”

“The tumor size is decreasing faster than expected. If it continues to shrink a little more, we can even consider surgery, and then a cure would be very possible. Let’s gather our strength a little longer.”

Upon hearing the doctor’s words, Ha-yeon unintentionally blurted out.

Life appeared in her previously dull eyes.

“Teacher…can I really live? Is it true?”

Did all the painful times she endured have meaning?

Ha-yeon had resolved not to hope deep down, but she couldn’t help but harbor some expectations.

No matter how much she appeared pessimistic and resigned on the surface, she never completely let go of the thread of life.

And who could blame her? Who in this world wants to die?

The doctor exchanged a firm gaze with Ha-yeon and responded.

“Yes, of course. But to make that happen, we need to do our best.”

The fact that she could end this pain made Ha-yeon happy.

If she could only put an end to this tiresome hospital life, she felt she could do anything.

“Thank you, teacher. Truly, thank you!”

At that moment, Ha-yeon sincerely expressed her gratitude to the doctor.

*

On the way back to the ward after leaving the aunt in the consultation room.

As the momentary excitement faded away and returned to a solemn state, Ha-yeon couldn’t shake off an uneasy feeling.

“Ha-yeon…this is truly great…it’s really great!”

“…Yes.”

While holding hands with her aunt and walking towards the ward, Ha-yeon glanced at her surroundings discreetly.

Then, as if she couldn’t understand the reason, her aunt asked her,

“Aren’t you happy that you’re getting better? Or maybe you’re feeling unwell right now?”

“No, I’m happy. It’s just…not that.”

“However, why does your expression look so happy? Aunt wants to scream for joy. Really.”

“…My expression?”

…What does my expression look like right now?

Ha-yeon wanted to see her own face, so she faced the glass on the hospital room door.

A somewhat uncomfortable-looking Ha-yeon was reflected there.

“…Why do I have such a rotten expression? Just being happy is not enough.”

Is it because treatment will still take a long time? Is it because I’m scared of tomorrow’s chemotherapy?

Of course, those could be reasons, but that wasn’t all.

And only when she returned to her hospital room could she understand the nature of this suffocating feeling.

“…Ah.”

A small frame with a picture placed on her personal desk.

The photo showed Ha-yeon and Gun-yul taken together.

It was a photo taken during one of their dates.

Looking at that picture where Ha-yeon was giving Gun-yul a peck on the cheek.

…That’s the reason.

Perhaps, the essence of this damp and uncomfortable emotion was regret over her foolish choice.