My Ex-Girlfriend Regrets Dumping Me

27 – Opportunity (4)

Hae-yeon agonized over it countless times.

Should I reveal my identity here, or should I keep quiet?

But there was no way to hide it by hiding it.

Even if it comes out somehow now, I would have no choice but to hear the patient’s name when I go to the emergency room.

Her sense of responsibility was strong.

So, there was a high possibility that she would follow me to the emergency room here.

She would not just leave herself ignored like this.

Then it was only a matter of time. It was more comfortable to reveal it now.

Hae-yeon eventually decided so and took off her mask.

“Why, why are you…”

Gyonyul’s eyes were shaking.

Hae-yeon had nothing to say, so she just told the truth.

“I’m working part-time here. It’s been about a month.”

At her words, Gyonyul fell silent for a moment.

The sound of water flowing filled the bathroom.

And soon after grasping the situation, Gyonyul shook his head.

He muttered to himself.

“No. That’s not the important thing right now.”

Hae-yeon asked him, looking at the pouring water.

“…So when are you going to turn off the water?”

“Sorry. But hang in there a little longer. I have to do it for at least 10-15 minutes. I’ll turn it down a little colder.”

Saying so, he turned the faucet a little to the side.

The slightly less cold water soaked her clothes more than before.

The pain still didn’t subside.

It was a feeling like the large fabric of a sack rubbing against her thigh.

But despite the pain, Hayeoun said to Gunyul calmly,

“Yura. If an ambulance comes, don’t bother following me. I’ll go alone. I’m okay.”

“What are you talking about? Why?”

Gunyul asked Hayeoun as if he couldn’t understand.

“You’re uncomfortable with me…I don’t want to make you worry. It probably isn’t that serious anyway.”

“Since when have you been worried about me like this?”

Gunyul’s tone became chilly for a moment.

Hayeoun was momentarily speechless at his words.

She always only thought of Gunyul, but now that he spoke like that, it hurt.

But soon, though, Gunyul let out a sigh and continued his words.

“It’s my fault, too, so I can’t do that. It’s true that you’re annoying, but this is different.”

“…”

Why does it hurt so much to hear him say he’s annoying?

It felt like her heart was hurting more than the pain in her burnt thigh.

“It costs money to go to the emergency room, and we need to know what happened to plan the next treatment. And you can’t walk properly on your own right now.”

“…Okay.”

When she responded like that, Hayeoun had nothing else to say.

She just worried he might be inconvenienced.

Honestly, though, Hayeoun was also anxious.

It would have made her feel safer if someone was just there next to her.

Did she say something unnecessary?

After realizing that, she couldn’t continue talking.

Hayeoun furrowed her brow in pain from her throbbing thigh.

“… Does it hurt a lot?”

“Oh, no. I’m fine.”

Gunyul could easily respond even to her small gestures.

This aspect of him wasn’t too different from when they were lovers or now.

Hayeoun was pleased to see his delicate and affectionate side even if they were not together.

“It just hurts enough to be stinging. Just that much.”

“…I see.”

The bathroom fell silent.

Hayeon quietly repeated her thoughts to Geon-yul.

“…Geon-yul, you haven’t changed a bit.”

The way he treated himself so harshly made him seem like a completely different person.

But he couldn’t erase his inherent warmth at all.

He was still worrying about her like this.

“What are you talking about-“

Before Geon-yul could respond, they heard someone running outside, and the door burst open.

Familiar paramedics carrying medical supplies looked at Hayeon.

“This is 119! Is this the patient?”

Geon-yul was about to say something, but he stopped.

An ambulance seemed to have arrived in the meantime.

*

Thankfully, there was a specialized burn hospital nearby.

We headed to the emergency room of the burn hospital following the paramedics’ guidance.

The emergency room was loud and chaotic.

People were running around everywhere.

The room was filled with the screams of pain.

As Hayeon’s guardian, I went into the treatment room with her.

“She spilled hot ramen broth on herself, and the wound is on her thigh and…”

With a brief report, Hayeon was immediately treated.

The nurses cut off her clothes with medical scissors and the doctor started disinfecting the wound.

Seeing Hayeon’s skin red and swollen, my heart ached.

I felt guilty for causing her such pain.

“Ahh! It hurts. It’s so hot…”

As the disinfection and dressing continued, Hayeon kept screaming in pain.

Tears streamed down her cheeks.

I couldn’t know just how painful that stinging pain was. Even by just looking at it, I could feel that pain transmitting to me.

It was difficult for me to witness the scene in front of me, so I tightly closed my eyes.

After the treatment, Ha-yeon lay briefly on the emergency room bed.

The doctor’s diagnosis was not so severe that Ha-yeon could immediately be discharged once the prescription was given.

Since they said a few outpatient treatments would be enough, it should get better.

I glanced at Ha-yeon uncomfortably sitting with dressing wrapped around her thigh.

The circular cut on her jeans reminded me of the recent treatment.

I still felt sorry only when I saw Ha-yeon’s pained face.

“…Yul, I’m fine. Don’t worry too much. It’s a superficial burn because the affected area is wide.”

“I know. Me too.”

I blurted out those words impolitely.

I wondered who was worrying about whom now.

Seeing myself being cautious even though it wouldn’t be enough to take care of myself irritated me for no reason.

Superficial burn refers to a burn that only affects the outer layer of the skin.

So it meant it wasn’t a severe burn.

But they said that if the treatment was done well, there wouldn’t be many scars left from the burn.

Those words gave me some reassurance as well.

“So can you walk alone? Can’t walk?”

“I can walk, but it’s a bit challenging to walk alone…”

“So you can’t walk alone.”

There was no other choice.

I didn’t really want to spend more time with her.

But if I just let her go like this, I knew I would feel too uncomfortable.

I decided to just take her home.

“I’ll take you home today. Let’s take a taxi.”

After leaving the hospital, I got into a taxi with Hayeon supporting me. We were silent for a while after Hayeon gave the driver our address.

“… ”

I stared blankly into space, feeling both uncomfortable and guilty. It wasn’t entirely my fault, but I couldn’t help feeling sorry for Hayeon. The sight of her suffering and swollen skin, and her tightly bandaged legs, brought up feelings of guilt that I didn’t deserve.

“Hey, Yula.”

“What?”

I didn’t try to speak kindly to her. My emotions were still pent up and unresolved. But I guess the one good thing was that I decided to answer her question.

“You’re making that face you always make when you’re sorry to me. Relax your face.”

“… ”

“Your lips are all puffed up like before. Nothing’s changed even after two years.”

I didn’t respond to her words. I was intentionally avoiding anything related to the past. I didn’t want to talk about anything I didn’t want to. I just automatically withdrew my lips.

“It’s not all your fault. I wanted to hold on to some things and I didn’t communicate with you properly.”

“I understand. Just stop, please.”

I didn’t really understand her effort to ease my guilt. She could have just ignored me, but it seemed like she was trying to make me feel better. It was a completely different image from when she left me coldly.

I wanted to ask her what she was doing this all for now.

“Yula, I still like you.”

Her words from the day we spoke while drinking alcohol pass through my mind.

Honestly, I didn’t believe that those words were true.

Somehow, I suddenly thought that it might not be entirely impossible.

However, even if that were the case, nothing would change.

“…So, it’s been a month since you started working part-time?”

“Oh, that. Yeah. Now, that’s about to end, too.”

In fact, that’s why I asked her.

It would be impossible for her to work for a while in that condition.

As she smiled bleakly as if everything was fine, a bitter feeling overwhelmed me.

Starting from the cost of clothes to medical expenses, and now the part-time job.

I felt like I was being a burden to her, and my conscience pricked uncomfortably.

“When you get home, send me your account information. If you haven’t changed it yet, don’t send it.”

“Why? Are you sending money?”

“For the cost of clothes and emergency room treatment. Things like that need to be settled.”

“Oh…okay.”

And inside the taxi, only such casual conversation continued.

We didn’t ask each other about personal matters at all.

There was no exchange about how we had been all this time.

Nevertheless, when our conversation came to an end, Hayeon said to me like that.

“…Okay.”

“What?”

I was surprised.

What could be good about being so severely injured?

I was worried that she might have suffered some brain damage from the burns.

“Just being able to talk to you like this, even if I’m hurt.”

“…”

Was she sincere about it?

I couldn’t possibly understand her inner thoughts.

And I couldn’t figure out how to respond to her words.