Chapter 40
A chilling shiver ran down Jin Hyun-sook’s entire body at Kang Moon’s sinister smile.
“W-What did you say?”
“Oh, Mother mustn’t pass away. In a situation like this, you need to remain the center holding everything together, right?”
“Kang Moon….”
“Even if I’m not really your son—ah, well, that doesn’t matter. Grandfather probably doesn’t have long to live either, so shouldn’t we make our interests clear? And above all…”
Kang Moon slowly straightened his bent back and looked down at Jin Hyun-sook’s pale face.
“You should keep watching.”
“W-Watching what?”
“What else? How I, the child you raised so preciously—someone else’s child—bring down your biological son.”
“Kang Moon!”
“You always thought I was inferior to Han Kang Yoon, didn’t you? Maybe you never said it out loud, but you thought it. ‘If only Kang Yoon had been my son instead of Kang Moon.’”
At his words, Jin Hyun-sook felt her breath catch.
It would have been a lie to say she had never thought that.
In truth, she had imagined it many times.
Had that angered heaven?
Had that become an obstacle in Kang Yoon’s life?
“Kang Moon, listen to me.”
“Mother. Please listen to me first.”
He cut her off and rolled his stiff shoulders once or twice.
“I won’t give up anything. Not the inheritance of Kangsan Group, not the CEO position, not the status of being your son. Not a single thing.”
As he emphasized each syllable, red veins burst visibly in his bloodshot eyes. Jin Hyun-sook struggled to breathe.
“So choose. Will you continue like this… as if nothing has happened? Or will you walk a difficult, exhausting road—like going to war?”
After finishing, Kang Moon slowly took her hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it.
“My beloved mother, you are the only one I have. That’s how I’ve lived until now, and that’s how I’ll continue to live. So… don’t make your son too angry.”
His gentle voice tore at her heart.
“Eat well. Take your medicine. And don’t ever think of doing something like that again. You know me. When I snap, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do.”
After fiddling with the back of her hand for a while, Kang Moon opened the door, his shoes echoing against the floor.
“I’ll come again. Get some rest.”
As the door shut with a thud, Jin Hyun-sook’s breath finally broke free.
“Ha… haa… really….”
She had lived with him for thirty-six years, yet she had never known this unfamiliar side of Kang Moon.
Gasping for breath, she closed her eyes.
“Kang Yoon, how does it taste?”
Instead of the hospital meals, Bora fed him food she had personally prepared.
Kang Yoon, who had gradually regained his strength, was now well enough to hold conversations.
“It’s delicious. Did you make it?”
“Yes. I went grocery shopping myself and started cooking at dawn!”
“That’s nice. Bora cooking for me, feeding me like this.”
“I can do it for the rest of my life, so just focus on getting healthy.”
“For the rest of your life? Really?”
“Of course.”
“While I was lying here… I had a lot of dreams.”
“Dreams? Well… you were lying down for a long time….”
“I even high-fived the Grim Reaper at one point.”
“What? Don’t joke about that!”
Startled, Bora glared at him.
“But I kept hearing someone calling me. ‘Kang Yoon, Kang Yoon.’ Crying and calling my name. That voice weighed on my heart so much that I couldn’t cross the River of the Dead.”
He chewed the food she fed him and looked at her tenderly.
“That’s right. I prayed so desperately every single day. I prayed for you to wake up quickly.”
“Dying itself didn’t scare me. But thinking about how hard it would be for you after I was gone… that’s when I knew I couldn’t die.”
“What are you saying? Why would dying be okay? Don’t ever say that again. I’ll really hit you.”
At her fierce glare, Kang Yoon pretended to flinch and smiled.
“What about your work? Because of me, you couldn’t work.”
“Is that what matters right now? Your health comes first. I’ve temporarily left the Silver Town project to the vice president. He’s capable, so he’ll manage it well.”
“That’s a relief. Ah, and Kangsan Construction…?”
“Grandfather gathered the board and executives once. I don’t know the details, but since he’s taking care of it, don’t worry too much. A few weeks ago, Executive Director Kang came to Dubai and has been working here.”
“That’s good.”
Only then did Kang Yoon let out a deep breath and nod.
“Bora.”
“Yes?”
“This isn’t really something to say while lying in a hospital bed like this, but…”
With a small smile, Kang Yoon reached out his hand. When Bora took it, he pulled her closer with surprising strength.
“Oh! Looks like you’ve regained some strength.”
She laughed playfully, but his expression was serious.
“There’s something I really wanted to say to you once I woke up.”
“What is it? I have something to say to you too.”
Their shining eyes met.
The brief silence felt eternal before Kang Yoon spoke first.
“I think we need to revise our contract.”
“I was thinking the same.”
“How about adding a new clause?”
“Good idea. For example… if we fall in love, we go all the way. Something like that.”
Her cheeks flushed bright red as she said it.
Kang Yoon gazed at her lovingly and nodded.
“That’s a good clause.”
“While you were fighting for your life… I was in so much pain. I kept thinking—if something happened to you, could I go on living properly? No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t. If you’re not beside me… holding my hand warmly like this, looking at me, and….”
She swallowed her tears and continued.
“I wanted you to love me. Then, even if you could never walk again… even if you had to stay in bed for the rest of your life… I would stay by your side forever. Kang Yoon, I like you. No… I love you enough to stake my entire life on it.”
Her small body trembled as she poured out the confession she had held in her heart for so long.
Kang Yoon looked at her silently for a long moment before whispering,
“Bora.”
“…Yes?”
She opened her eyes and met his smiling gaze.
“Come here.”
After hesitating briefly at his gesture patting the space beside him, Bora climbed carefully onto the bed next to him.
“I understand how you feel.”
His smile seemed positive, but his calm tone made it impossible to guess his answer.
“My response is…”
Thump. Thump.
Bora felt as if he could hear her racing heartbeat.
It was her first love confession.
She couldn’t take it back now—a shy but heartfelt confession.
“Can you close your eyes?”
As his face drew closer, Bora squeezed her eyes shut.
Soon, his warm lips gently pressed against hers, and a tear slipped down her cheek.
“I was one step too late. I wanted to confess first.”
“Then… you feel the same way?”
Trying to sound calm, but her trembling voice was adorable. Kang Yoon pulled her into his arms.
“Maybe from the first day I met you, I had already fallen in love.”
“Really?”
“You said you were looking for an investor to invest in your life. I’ll bet on your life. Whatever it is—money, time, love—I’ll invest everything.”
Could there be a sweeter confession?
Bora buried her face in his shoulder and rubbed her cheek against him like a puppy.
“But let me say this again—I’ll multiply that investment several times over. You trust me, right?”
“I do. And I love you.”
At her words, she leaned forward and kissed his lips this time.
It was truly the season of love.
