Love's Signature
By Laura Schiller
Based on: Beating Again, a.k.a. Falling For Innocence
Copyright: JTBC Network
"Soon-jung-ah … "
"Yes, Daepyonim?"
"There's something I forgot to ask you."
Kang Min-ho looked up from his hospital bed, where he lay with his hands laced together under his head. His dyed auburn hair fell over the bandage on his temple. The white hospital scrubs made him look about ten years younger than his business suits, but his dark eyes were ancient.
It really wasn't right, thought Kim Soon-jung, that the sight of him in a hospital was so familiar to her.
"What was it," he said, in a low sleepy voice that should have belonged to a private bedroom, "You were going to say to me when you called me over? Before I got hit, I mean."
"Oh, that." Embarrassment flooded over her as she thought of the events of that morning. "Well … actually, I was planning to give you a piece of my mind."
"God, you're relentless." He pouted like a schoolboy. "What have I done now?"
"You know perfectly well what you did, Daepyonim." Keeping her voice to a private murmur, and wearing a smile she could not repress, rather dampened the effect of her scolding.
"You ambushed me with sunflowers every morning. You hired porters and cab drivers exactly when I needed them. You convinced my realtor to lower the price on the apartment I wanted, and as if that wasn't bad enough, you even found me a job. In the middle of an unemployment crisis, no less."
"What makes you think that was me?" He grinned up at her triumphantly. "Maybe you were just born under a lucky star."
"Oh, that was definitely you. It was devious. It was arrogant. It was Kang Min-ho all over."
"And you liked it." His grin became even wider, if that was possible. "You like me devious and arrogant?"
"Yes. No! I mean - " She covered her face with both hands, sputtering, while he laughed so hard the bed shook.
"I mean," she said, once she had her breath back, "That's when I finally understood what you were saying. You told me you'd express your feelings in your own way … "
She cleared her throat and blinked hard, thinking of that moment outside the office when she'd said goodbye to him, thinking it was final. I didn't fall in love because of my heart transplant, he'd said. I fell in love with you because it was you, Kim Soon-jung.
"I love you, Daepyonim," she said, her heartbeat ringing in her ears. "You yourself, not just the carrier of Dong-wook's heart. You may have inherited some of his feelings, but it was always your choice whether to act on them. You chose to become a new man, the man I love. I don't ever want to lose you."
She put her head down on his chest over the thin hospital blanket, feeling it rise and fall with his breath, listening to his heartbeat. What a miracle he was, really, still alive against all the odds.
His hand came up to stroke her hair, slowly, luxuriously. She'd always admired his hands, elegant and commanding, slicing the air when he spoke in the boardroom. Even when she hated him, she'd found him impossible to ignore.
"I had these dreams," he whispered. "Right after the heart transplant. I dreamed you were right here, crying, grieving for me. I couldn't imagine why anyone would do that. It's not like I deserved it."
"You do," she said, with quiet ferocity, sinking her hands in the folds of his shirt. "Never doubt that. And don't you dare let that dream come true."
She felt the vibrations of his silent laughter all the way through her.
"Ya, Soon-jung-ah, when did you get so controlling? Have you forgotten who's the boss around here?"
She straightened up to give him her most demure secretarial bow.
"Of course not, Daepyonim. Why do you think I'm here? I'm concerned about my paycheck."
He let out an appreciative whistle. "Damn, girl. You have a mean streak. I hate to think what Gold Partners could have made of you, if they got you early enough. You and me together, we could have ruled the world."
"I believe so." They shared a conspiratorial smile.
"Now come back here, Kim-piso." He patted his chest imperiously. "That's an order."
She settled back down and closed her eyes.
Dong-wook-ah, she prayed silently. If you're watching us, I hope you don't mind. You wanted me to be happy, didn't you?
Right now, I am.