 
## Second Wind

### By Jennifer Park

### Edited by Rachel Guerrero

### Smashwords Edition

### Copyright 2017 Jennifer Park

### Smashwords Edition, License Notes

### Thank you for downloading this ebook. This book remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy from their favorite authorized retailer. Thank you for your support.

For my sister
Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29
Chapter 1

"No!" Jeong Hoon slammed his fist down on the table, then reached up to remove his thick glasses. "We cannot take on one more charity patient!" Jeong Hoon rose and paced the room. "I have not been paid in three months. I have no idea the last time you've taken a salary." Jeong Hoon ran his hands through his already messy hair.

"He's eight years old," Su Wan continued to plead, "Eight. Imagine losing a leg at the age of eight. How can I tell the family that we can't help them because we don't have enough money?"

Jeong Hoon looked in frustration at the 30-year-old woman that sat across from him. She was slightly disheveled, as she most often was. He wondered if she had remembered to eat dinner today. As he thought about it, his stomach gave a growl. Su Wan was not the only one who found it hard some days to remember to eat.

"What do we have to eat?" Jeong Hoon asked in a surly voice.

Su Wan smiled. Her foe was weakening. "The grandmother of Jae Min brought in some snacks."

"Bring them here." Jeong Hoon commanded. As Su Wan padded off to bring the food, Jeong Hoon held his tired head in his hands. He couldn't give in this time. He always gave in. Su Wan had a way of making him forget reason and common sense. Actually, Su Wan had the power to make Jeong Hoon agree to just about anything. The 50-year-old Jeong Hoon thought of Su Wan like his own daughter. He found it almost impossible to tell her "no" even when it was obvious that "no" had to be said.

Su Wan presented Jeong Hoon with a package of crackers. He sighed. "I'm too old for you to feed me junk all the time," Jeong Hoon complained.

Su Wan munched thoughtfully on her own cracker. She felt threatened. She could tell that Jeong Hoon was serious this time. How would she talk Jeong Hoon into taking on another charity patient? Jeong Hoon was not uncaring or selfish. If he was saying that they couldn't do it, he was probably right. Still, Su Wan did not have it in her to turn Chin Hae away

Jeong Hoon interrupted her reflections, "You know I get it, don't you? You know that I understand what drives you. I know why you don't have the heart to turn that eight year old away. But Su Wan, for Second Wind to make it, you need more than compassion, or skill with patients. You need money, lots of money. Money comes from patients who can pay their bills."

Su Wan shifted rebelliously in her seat. "I hate money." Su Wan shouted childishly. "Why does everything depend on money? Rich man and poor man are the same if they have a stroke or lose a limb. They both have to work to be able to be able to live in the world again. Why should only rich people get the help they need?"

"Because they are rich," Jeong Hoon slowly stated the obvious.

"It's not fair. I'm not asking for Second Wind to make a lot of money. I just want us to stay afloat. Why is this so hard?"

"Because you won't stick to your own policy. You have to actually work on fundraising. You also have to have at least one paying patient for every charity patient. Sometimes I think you reject the paying patients on purpose." Jeong Hoon voiced a suspicion he had for a while.

"I don't." Su Wan defended herself. "It's just that many of the wealthier applicants don't have the supportive relationships that we require. But most of the charity patients do. It's weird, but it seems if you have the money, you may not have the family and friends that you'll need to successfully overcome your limitation. The last case I turned down was a lady who had insurance and finances but she had no one who would participate with her in rehab. Her parents were too old, her siblings too busy, her significant other was disinterested. The only thing she had going for her was money. Our core premise to bring patients to full potential is to not only rehabilitate the patient, but to work with all the supportive relationships. I couldn't accept her because she didn't fit our profile of a patient we think we can help. I don't want to knowingly go into a situation where I know that the only reason I am taking them on as a patient is because of the money. We said from the beginning that we would help families and communities of friends adjust to their new realities. We are in it for the families, not the money."

Jeong Hoon sighed, "Su Wan, listen, we won't be able to help any families without money. I know it seems distasteful or dishonest or like you are selling out on your values, but money is not a bad thing. It is a very necessary thing. It is okay to accept a patient just for the money. It is okay to say you'll help them even if they don't fit our profile. We need paying patients."

"Even if they won't have the help they'll need after they leave Second Wind? We know how hard it is to recover and maintain functionality, if we send them back into a family and network of relationships that isn't ready or willing to adjust to the new reality and limitations with them, it kills all motivation. How can I just take someone's money, knowing that I can't give them what they really need?"

Jeong Hoon sighed again. He knew he had been too soft for too long on his young partner. He was not going to win this one. "What is the eight year old's name?"

"Chin Hae." Su Wan hoped Jeong Hoon was weakening.

"Su Wan, I am begging you, stop being a purest. I love high ideals as much as any Mother Teresa fan. There are dozens of Chin Hae's you can help, but you can't save everyone. It is not your fault if families and friends can't learn to adjust to the newly handicapped. It's not wrong to take a patient just for the money. That is what most people do. You are still helping them. There is nothing to feel guilty about." Jeong Hoon stood. He hoped he had made his point. Su Wan was slow to change her ideals. He wondered if there was something deeper in her aversion to accepting paying clients.

"Get a paying client and you can bring in Chin Hae," Jeong Hoon stated his conclusion.

"I'm the manager," Su Wan reminded him somewhat rebelliously.

Jeong Hoon made no comment. He simply patted his manager on the head as he left the room.

Chapter 2

Su Wan was meeting with Park Sun Woo, the father of a possible new rehab patient for Second Wind Rehab Center. Su Wan knew she was going to accept this patient even before she fully read his file or interviewed his family. She needed a paying patient. And this patient had money, lots of money. Su Wan felt very unlike herself. She never looked at her patients as a means to an end. But she consoled her aching conscience with the thought that this was for Chin Hae.

Su Wan learned from reading the background sheet on their new patient that Park Tae Joon was a 24-year-old male. Two months ago he had been involved in a motorcycle accident. He had sustained multiple injuries; his pelvis was fractured, both legs fractured, and one arm had been fractured. His eye muscles had been stretched on impact and now his eyes did not align properly and he had double vision. For now, his double vision was being treated with an eye patch. With one eye covered, he did not need to worry about double vision, but when he had more fully recovered from his other injuries, then he would need additional surgery to correct his vision problem.

But by far, the worst of his injures was something invisible. The impact of the collision had damaged his brain. He had been in a coma for 9 days after the accident. During that time where he lay between life and death, the family had been prepared for the worst. If he regained consciousness, they were told, he might not be able to speak, to walk, or even to feed himself. Often brain-injured patients would experience personality changes. Sometimes they could even become violent.

Thankfully, most of the direst possibilities did not happen. When Tae Joon awoke from his coma, he could speak. He couldn't walk, but that was partially due to his fractured limbs and partially due to balance problems brought on by his double vision. His main difficulty from his brain injury was his short-term memory. He remembered all his past, but his short-term memory was almost non-existent.

His mother had gotten her hair cut short while he was in a coma, and every time she entered his hospital room, he would say, "Omah, you got a haircut. It looks terrible." Even if she stayed for several hours, when she returned, he would repeat, "Omah, you got a haircut. It looks terrible."

The family had heard of things like amnesia, or people who forgot who they were, but how could you keep forgetting what happened just moments before?

The family was reassured that this was not uncommon amongst brain-injured patients. It was actually much more common than amnesia, though there are not many movies made about short-term memory problems. The doctors had said that it should get better with time and treatment. But what brought Sun Woo to this meeting with Second Wind was the fact that his son's short-term memory was not improving as quickly the doctors had predicted it would.

Su Wan observed the gentleman seated across from her. He was obviously wealthy and equally obvious was the fact that he was uncomfortable. Su Wan thought that the hardest part of the job of rehabilitating patients was dealing with the family.

Su Wan pasted a professional smile on her face and asked, "Can you tell me how you heard of our center?"

Sun Woo replied, "My son has been in rehab at the hospital since he got out of intensive care. But he is not cooperating with the therapists. They tell me that he could be making progress, but he isn't because he isn't trying. Dr. Kim told me about your center. He said once you take a patient, you won't give up until they have reached their maximum potential. He said that there, they become 'one of the family,' not mere patients. My son has had the best physical therapists and access to the best equipment that money can buy and still there is no improvement. Dr. Kim thinks we need to take a different approach." Sun Woo seemed uncomfortable talking about the problems with his son.

Su Wan set herself to give a speech she had given a number of times before. "Mr. Park, allow me to explain some key philosophies behind our center. Before we take a patient, we want the family and the patient to understand how we have designed our program."

"We think that healing takes place best in a family-like atmosphere. Once we take a patient, we won't give up on them, much like a mother wouldn't give up on her child. But we also ask for that kind of commitment from our patients and their families. Rehab is a long and difficult process and we want assurance that the patient and the patient's family will be committed to the process and will not quit when the process becomes frustrating and difficult."

Sun Woo was already feeling more comfortable. This was sounding more and more like a business negotiation and business negotiations were his strong suit.

"I understand. If Tae Joon starts here, we won't pull him out, no matter how much he complains."

Su Wan was glad to hear that the first point had been understood. "Secondly, we have two kinds of clients, paying and non-paying. It is almost a 50-50 ratio. The fees for Tae Joon will help to cover the cost of clients who are unable to pay for their rehab fees."

"That's commendable. I have no problem helping other families who are going through the same tragedy as we are, and yet don't even have the means to get the help they need."

Su Wan continued, "And as patients become able, they work with other patients to help them with their rehab exercises. We find that when one helps others, they get the most benefit and they heal faster."

"Yes, I understand. Actually, Dr. Kim thinks that is one of this center's unique strengths." Sun Woo was hoping that his agreeableness would make up for his son's contrariness.

"We recommend that the family also learn along with the patient. Many times a patient will continue to have significant deficits even after rehab, and the family needs to learn to adjust to the new reality."

"We will cooperate fully. All I want is what is best for my son." Sun Woo tried to sound committed.

Su Wan had long ago discovered it was best to overstate things rather than to assume that a point was understood. "Recovery is a family process. Patients that recover and live to their full potential have more than the monetary support of friends and their family. They need to know that they are still loved and wanted, that they can still make a contribution to their family."

Once again Sun Woo was feeling uncomfortable. It wasn't as if he didn't love his son. He did. But theirs had been a difficult relationship when he was healthy. At this point, the relationship was basically non-existent. His wife's relationship with her son was even worse than his own. His beautiful wife was more than a little selfish and superficial. She was a very good showpiece to bring to office parties and she had dutifully presented him with two sons. But that was as far as her mothering went. His two sons, Tae Joon and Tae Sung, had been brought up in the care of nannies and tutors. Because of So Min's love of all things beautiful, she had a distant appreciation of her handsome offspring. But the now scared and broken Tae Joon repulsed and terrified her. She found it hard to even visit him in the hospital and found every reason to leave these unpleasant duties to others.

Tae Sung, the youngest son, had always been in Tae Joon's shadow. He lived with no hope of ever being in the coveted position of first-born son. Since Tae Joon's accident, Tae Sung had suddenly enjoyed being propelled into the spotlight that being the only fully-functioning son gave him. Gone was the fear that Tae Joon would always outshine him.

Sun Woo shifted in his seat as he replied, "Nothing is more important to our family than seeing our son well again." Sun Woo knew that, in a way, this was an honest answer. He would have paid any amount of money to see his son well. But Sun Woo hoped that Tae Joon's wellness would not depend on the emotional support that Tae Joon was able to receive from his family. It was money that Tae Joon's family could contribute in large measure to his wellness. The emotional support Su Wan spoke of was sparse and far more costly.

Sun Woo wanted to close the deal. He sensed that Su Wan doubted the existence of the family support that she said was critical to the success of Tae Joon's rehab. "Our family believes strongly in supporting Tae Joon's recovery, but we are very busy with our company. I feel if Tae Joon were a patient here, he would quickly be able to recover. Please, take my son as a patient."

"Have you discussed Second Wind with your son? Patients do better if they participate in the decisions regarding their care and therapy."

Sun Woo shifted in his seat. He paused as if considering how to phrase his answer. Finally he said, "Tae Joon is looking forward to coming to Second Wind." Sun Woo hoped his lie sounded convincing.

Su Wan had a funny feeling that she should pass on this patient. But besides Chin Hae, they had two other patients on the waiting list. Those two also needed financial backers. They were not able to pay for their therapy fees. If she brought in a paying client, then she could bring in Chin Hae. And after the argument she had just had with Jeong Hoon, she hardly dared to pass on a paying client. Maybe this dad was telling the truth. Maybe he would participate in his son's recovery. Su Wan knew she was fooling herself because believing the lie was the easier thing to do in this situation.

"Second Wind would be happy to take Tae Joon as a patient. We will do our best to see he gets the care he needs." Su Wan's heart pounded as she said the words that seemed contrary to what she believed she should do.

After signing some admission papers, Sun Woo was soon walking out to his car. He looked around the grounds of Second Wind. This would be his son's home for the next several months. Sun Woo had been told that his son would need full-time therapy for the next six months and then it may take another six months or more to transition Tae Joon back into his regular lifestyle.

It was hard to imagine that his son who could not even remember that his mother had gotten a hair cut from one minute to the next would someday return to doing all the things he used to do. When he had seen his son's broken body after the accident, he had just hoped that he would live. But now that his son was very much alive, he had much greedier hopes. He hoped his son would regain all the abilities he had before his accident. Sun Woo didn't want to think dark thoughts about his son, but more than once in these past two months, he had wondered if maybe it would have been better for everyone if Tae Joon had never woken up from that coma. What was a young man in his condition supposed to do? Was there any real future for Tae Joon?

Chapter 3

Tae Joon sat in his wheelchair waiting to be moved to the van. The nurse had told him that he should wait there. Someone would come to take him out to the van because he was going...where? Where did she say he was going? Tae Joon's hand went to his head and he tapped the side of his temple gently. It was as if he were trying to loosen the stuck information. It had only been a few minutes ago; he remembered the nurse had said that he was being transported to...where? Where had she said he was going? Tae Joon thought hard for another few seconds, then he banged his arm down on the armrest of his wheelchair.

"Where am I going?" he yelled to the bustling hallway.

Several other patients and nursing staff turned at the sound of his raised voice.

"WHERE AM I GOING?"

His yell became louder and more frantic.

People who were close began to move away, a little frightened of his outburst. A nurse timidly approached him. "Can I help you?" she asked.

"Tell me where I'm going." Tae Joon repeated the question to the obviously clueless lady clad in white.

"Tell me your doctor's name and I'll check for you." The nurse hoped she sounded helpful.

Tae Joon didn't remember his doctor's name. "Stupid lady," he thought, "if I knew my doctor's name, I'd probably know where I was going."

"My name is Tae Joon," he said with confidence. His name was something he knew with certainty. "You check where Tae Joon is supposed to be going." Tae Joon demanded.

"All right, I'll check." The nurse tried a reassuring smile. "Just wait a moment."

Tae Joon hated those condescending smiles. Those pity-filled smiles made him furious.

Just then, the van driver from Second Wind arrived. "I'm looking for Tae Joon," he told the nurse at the information desk.

"I'm right here," Tae Joon looked at the driver. He did not remember meeting him before. But several times a day, when he thought he was seeing a person for the first time, they would say things like, "I've been your nurse all day." Or "We've been introduced 15 times already." It was a horrible feeling. It seemed like the whole world knew something that he didn't. Tae Joon continued to look at the driver with suspicion.

"Hello, my name is Eun Chul. I'm here to take you to Second Wind Rehab Center."

Tae Joon nodded. "I'm Tae Joon. Park Tae Joon. But I don't need rehab. I'm fine."

Tae Joon had not understood exactly what all the fuss had been about these past two months. Some of it he could not remember at all. He had no memory of the accident or the first 3 weeks after the accident. The memories he had since then were mostly confused bits and pieces. He knew his legs and arm had been broken. He knew he had trouble with his vision. But the nurses and doctors didn't seem to fuss about that so much. They were always asking him stupid questions like "What day is it today?" or "What is your name?" or worst of all, "Where is the cafeteria?"

Every day, they would take him out in his wheelchair and he was supposed to direct them to the cafeteria. And every day he couldn't find that hated cafeteria. Tae Joon despised that cafeteria. They took him there 3 times in the morning and 3 times in the afternoon to help train his sense of direction. They had said that Tae Joon could leave the hospital when he could find the cafeteria. But still the cafeteria eluded him.

The hospital staff was always making him do weird stuff. They would list 10 different items and have him repeat back as many as he could remember. "Dog, cat, monkey, snake, bird, fish, bear, chicken, pig, bat," the therapist slowly and clearly pronounced each word. "Now just repeat as many as you can remember."

Tae Joon wanted to answer, but he really didn't remember. "Dog...horse...cow." Tae Joon smiled. This time he got three. Usually he only got one.

"No, I don't want you to list animals, I want you to repeat back the same list of words I said," the therapist corrected.

Frustrated Tae Joon would just sit and sulk. "This is stupid. No one remembers this stuff." Tae Joon thought to himself. To make sure the white-clad people did not ask him impossible questions, Tae Joon began to throw tantrums when he felt threatened.

One therapist showed a tray with 10 different objects on it. "Look carefully. I will remove the tray after one minute. Then you tell me as many of the items as you can."

Tae Joon reached for the tray and threw it across the room. That was his method of dealing with his frustration.

Eun Chul stepped behind Tae Joon's wheelchair, "Let's go," he said as he began to push the chair.

"Where am I going?" Tae Joon asked again.

Chapter 4

Tae Joon arrived at Second Wind in time for dinner. The Second Wind family all ate together. Able-bodied patients helped serve food and even feed other patients that needed help. Staff ate at tables with patients. No one wore hospital gowns or white coats. Everyone was dressed in regular clothes.

Tae Joon was wheeled up to a table. A man with thick glasses introduced himself as Jeong Hoon. Jeong Hoon was Second Wind's physical therapist. Tae Joon had recently given up on trying to remember people's names, so he just nodded and reached for his spoon.

"What is my name?" Jeong Hoon challenged.

Tae Joon had no idea what the four-eyed fellow's name was.

"Four-eyes?" Tae Joon ventured sarcastically.

"Close. It's Jeong Hoon. Try saying it aloud. It will help you remember."

"I don't need to remember your name." Tae Joon said dismissively.

Jeong Hoon smiled sinisterly, "Yes, you do. You will want to curse me every night before you sleep, so you must remember my name. Say it, slowly three times, Jeong Hoon, Jeong Hoon, Jeong Hoon."

"Why will I need to curse you before I sleep?" Tae Joon was curious now.

"Tell me my name and I'll tell you."

"Jeong Hoon," Tae Joon surprise himself by actually remembering it.

"I'm the physical terrorist, oh, I mean, therapist, around here," Jeong Hoon quipped.

"Where's your white coat?" Tae Joon felt he might be being tricked.

"I hate white. White makes me feel sick and a little stupid. Plus, white is altogether not fashionable. I like blue. One time, I met this foreign girl. She had porcelain-white skin and the bluest of blue eyes. They almost didn't seem real. I couldn't stop myself from staring at her eyes. I could hardly understand a word she said, but I just loved those eyes. And now, I wear something blue every day, in memory of my blue-eyed sweetheart." Jeong Hoon sighed dramatically.

Tae Joon smirked. "Was she really your sweetheart?"

Jeong Hoon frowned, "No, but she would have been if I had better English."

Tae Joon took in the odd-looking fellow before him. "I think it was the glasses, not your English. Girls don't like guys with glasses."

"What are you talking about? Girls love guys with glasses, because we look so smart. I'll let you borrow mine if you have a hot date coming up."

"Yeah, I don't think I have any hot dates in my near future." Tae Joon said bitterly, thinking of Si Young. Si Young was his fiancée. Tae Joon had hardly seen her since the accident.

After dinner, Jeong Hoon brought Tae Joon to his room. Tae Joon looked around his room. It looked like a normal bedroom. The walls were a cheery yellow, trimmed in beige. Tae Joon smiled to himself. He had not realized how much he detested white walls and white clothes. The decorator of Second Wind must have wanted to remove that signature hospital feel. He took a deep breath. The room smelled of apples and cinnamon. Missing was that characteristic antiseptic hospital smell.

The homey room contained two regular beds, two desks, and two storage cupboards. Tae Joon concluded that this room was for two people.

"I don't want a roommate," Tae Joon said decisively.

"That's like telling your mother you don't want a sibling," Su Wan commented as she walked in to meet the new patient.

Jeong Hoon turned to greet his boss, "Howdy Boss, allow me to introduce you to our new resident. Tae Joon, this is Su Wan. Su Wan is Second Wind's manager." Jeong Hoon stressed the word manager as he smiled mischievously at Su Wan.

Tae Joon ignored the introduction and repeated, "I won't have a roommate."

"Yes, you will. He arrives tomorrow. Chin Hae is eight years old. He was in a car accident. His leg was crushed and they had to amputate it. I hope you will take care of Chin Hae like a little brother."

"I never took care of my own little brother. I broke his toys and ate his snacks when no one was looking. I always get my own room." Tae Joon was trying hard to remember whom it was he was arguing with.

Su Wan seemed unfazed by Tae Joon's grumpy discourse. "In any and all arguments, the younger person wins, so you can consider Chin Hae the boss of this room."

Tae Joon wanted to appeal to...what was his name? Who was that four-eyed guy that brought him here?

"Four-Eyes, tell this person that wherever I am, I am the boss."

Jeong Hoon laughed.

"Sorry buddy, maybe in your world you are the big boss, but there is only one big boss of Second Wind and that is Su Wan. The sooner you learn that, the better off you'll be."

Tae Joon looked long and hard at the girl before him. She seemed too young and small to be the boss of anything. Tae Joon's head hurt and he was tired as well as confused. He decided he would rest before trying to figure out what was happening to him.

Su Wan was watching the new patient carefully. It seemed like he was contemplating a rebellion. It was not uncommon for new residents to resent not only the terrible circumstances that brought them to Second Wind but also the staff who were there to help them. Su Wan was slightly surprised when Tae Joon gave up.

"Okay, I'll sleep here for tonight and we can work on new rooming arrangements for me tomorrow."

Su Wan knew that the arrangements tomorrow would be the same as today, but she didn't push that point.

"Well, it was nice meeting you. Jeong Hoon will help you get settled. I'll come back tomorrow to go through your schedule with you." Su Wan smiled her professional smile and turned to leave.

"Wait." Tae Joon interrupted her retreat.

"Yes?"

"What is your name?" Tae Joon knew it was pointless to ask. He would forget it as soon as he heard it. But for the first time since the accident he wanted to know and remember something.

"Su Wan. Lee Su Wan."

Tae Joon silently repeated the name to himself. "Su Wan. Lee Su Wan."

Chapter 5

After breakfast, Tae Joon was restlessly wondering what to do with himself. No one had appeared to tell him what to do. He decided he wanted to take a look at his new surroundings. He wheeled himself into the hallway. It was wider than normal to accommodate wheelchairs and there were handrails along the walls. The handrails were wooden. The baseboards and crown molding were all made from the same oak-like wood. The wall was a dark forest green under the handrail and a creamy tan went from the handrail to the ceiling. The handrails weren't an afterthought, but a beautiful, polished part of the décor.

Tae Joon saw a door to the outside. There was no nurse's station. No one stood guard. He smiled to himself. Escape would be easy. He wondered how he would hold open the door and get his wheelchair through the opening, but as he approached the oversized door, it slid open. An automatic door, like one finds at the store, allowed him free access to the outdoors. He rolled himself down the ramp and out into the spacious gardens that surrounded Second Wind.

"Looks like a run away," Jeong Hoon commented to Su Wan as he came into her office. Su Wan was watching the security camera monitors. A camera monitored each door of Second Wind. Su Wan felt locked doors or doors with guards made residents feel like prisoners. Still, one had to keep track of them somehow, so there were cameras at the doors and around the grounds. Tae Joon's escape was brought to her attention as soon as the door opened. When a door opened a quiet buzzer sounded alerting whoever was watching the cameras to notice that someone was either entering or leaving.

"He won't get far. The freedom should do him some good." Su Wan was standing and grabbing some papers off her messy desk. "I have a meeting with Tae Joon's doctor and Chin Hae's doctor this morning. I need to clarify some items on their rehab schedule. So, you're in charge until I get back. There is a family coming in for a consultation."

Su Wan was rifling through her papers. "The family's name is Kim. The dad had a stroke 6 weeks ago. Their insurance would cover about half our fees, so we need to look for a sponsor for them. And Chin Hae arrives at 10:00. Have Eun Chul get him settled."

"Aye, aye, Boss," Jeong Hoon saluted his agreement.

Su Wan smiled. Jeong Hoon was more than capable. He just let her rattle off commands because it helped calm her busy mind. He was aware of each patient and each duty at Second Wind. Jeong Hoon didn't bother to remind his younger boss that he was the more experienced of the two.

"I'll see you later." Su Wan's phone was ringing as she gave a half wave to Jeong Hoon and quickly answered as she strode to her car. Su Wan was still talking to a prospective client when she passed Tae Joon on the way to her car. Tae Joon recognized her from the night before, but he could not recall her name. Tae Joon tensed at the sight of her, as he felt sure his escape would be thwarted now that he was caught. Su Wan smiled and waved and continued on her journey to her car.

"What kind of manager is that? What's-her-name doesn't even care if her patients run away? I will tell Four-eyes on her." Tae Joon was thinking to himself. Su Wan was looking at Tae Joon in her rear-view mirror. "I think he recognized me," she thought to herself. That was a good sign.

Su Wan spent most of the morning going over her two new cases with their respective physicians. Tae Joon's treatment thus far was standard for short-term memory recovery. Dr. Park thought there was no real physical reason that he was not improving faster. The doctor thought it was some type of psychological barrier.

"Tae Joon often does not cooperate with me. It seems to me that Tae Joon doesn't think there is anything wrong with him. He says he doesn't remember people's names because he doesn't need to remember them. People aren't all that important. Or if I ask him to repeat a list of ten words he has just heard, he says he was never a great student. He just isn't trying and I don't think he thinks there is much of a problem."

Su Wan took notes and asked a few more questions about what therapies had been tried and what effect they had. Then she was off to Dr. Ok's office to hear about Chin Hae.

"Chin Hae is a bright boy. Very energetic. All he needs is practice with his prosthetics. He should be able to pick that up fairly quickly." Dr. Ok said, in a slight hurry to get to his other patients.

"Do you have any other concerns for Chin Hae?" Su Wan hoped that Dr. Ok would focus on this patient before he turned his thoughts to other patients.

"Nope. I expect his to be a smooth transition." Dr. Ok replied dismissively.

Su Wan hoped he was right.

Chapter 6

Su Wan returned in time to join the residents for lunch. As she quickly scanned the small crowd, she noticed that Tae Joon was not there. A small boy was seated at a table with Jeong Hoon. "That must be Chin Hae," she thought to herself. She made her way to the small table in the corner and introduced herself. "Hello. You must be Chin Hae?" Su Wan greeted the boy cheerfully.

"Yes." Chin Hae answered even with his mouth full of food. Chin Hae seemed a cheerful sort and it was apparent that he was enjoying the meal before him. Su Wan turned her attention to Jeong Hoon. "Where is Tae Joon?"

"I don't know. He hasn't come back yet." Jeong Hoon had just realized he had no idea where Tae Joon was.

"He has short term memory loss. He can get lost." Su Wan scolded.

"I'll go look for him." Jeong Hoon was beginning to stand.

"No, eat your lunch. I'll look for him. You call Eun Chul and see if he has seen him. Let me know if you find him." Su Wan walked briskly to the roof of Second Wind.

She scanned the grounds. Second Wind was built atop a small hill. Su Wan could see most of the grounds from the rooftop lookout. Close to the pond, she made out what looked like a wheelchair heading for woods. She called Jeong Hoon. "I found him. Don't worry. He is down by the pond."

Tae Joon had gotten pretty far from the main building and it was a ten-minute walk for Su Wan to catch up to him. When Su Wan approached him, she noticed that he seemed relieved when he saw her.

"Have you had a nice morning exploring the grounds?" Su Wan asked cheerfully as she approached. Tae Joon didn't answer.

"Which way is the building?" Tae Joon asked.

"Were you lost?" Su Wan wanted him to admit it. That would help him to face his deficits.

"I wasn't lost. I just got turned around." Tae Joon was apt at making excuses for himself.

"Well, I'll give you a hint. Second Wind is built on a hill, so if you forget where it is, just head "up" and you'll find it."

"I'm hungry."

"Okay, if you tell me my name, I'll help you get back because they are serving lunch now."

Tae Joon had been trying to remember the woman's name since this morning when he saw her leave in the car. But he had not a clue. He hid his forgetfulness behind his insulting reply, "You are not pretty enough for me to remember your name."

Su Wan smiled at his bravado. "My name is Su Wan. Even ugly people have names. You should try and remember them no matter what they look like."

"I can't be bothered. Why would I remember an ugly girl's name?"

"Because that ugly girl knows how to get you some lunch."

Tae Joon was rehearsing her name under his breath, "Su Wan. Su Wan. Su Wan." Four-eyes had told him to try saying names out loud. He hoped it worked.

On the walk up the hill Su Wan was working up an appetite pushing the wheelchair up the incline, and she offered Tae Joon a piece of gum. "Here, chew this and say my name three times while you chew gum."

"Why?"

"Because they say that chewing gum helps your memory. If you think about my name while chewing gum, you won't forget me."

"Did you make that up?"

"No, I'm serious. There is tons of research about the power of chewing gum boosting brain power."

"That sounds stupid." Tae Joon said while chewing the stick of gum he'd been given.

"What's my name?"

"Su Wan," Tae Joon surprised himself by knowing. He smiled and blew a bubble. Maybe he would take up gum chewing.

Chapter 7

Tae Joon nervously stared at the boy that sat on the other bed in the room. He tried hard not to stare at the obviously missing limb. Chin Hae stared back at his older roommate. Neither spoke.

Chin Hae got up and grabbed his crutches. In a few deft movements, he entered the bathroom and closed the door.

Tae Joon was happy for a moment's reprieve. It was awkward sharing a room with anyone. It was awkward sharing a room with some strange kid. But it was more than awkward being in the same room with someone with half his leg gone. It made his skin crawl. Tae Joon liked beautiful things. He liked the best of the best. Everyone he associated with wore the best clothes, drove the best cars, and lived in the nicest homes. He did not personally know one handicapped person.

There were kids at school who wore glasses or had braces on their teeth. That was about as much exposure Tae Joon had with handicapped people. Lying back on his bed, Tae Joon mentally returned to a time when he felt much more comfortable than he did now. Often at night, before he fell asleep, he thought of life before his accident.

Back when Si Young was more than content to show him off as her boyfriend. Si Young's family was nearly as wealthy as his own. But Si Young had more than wealth on her side. She was tall and model pretty. Si Young was the object of most of the other male student's dreams. And that was what Tae Joon liked about her. He liked having what other people wanted but couldn't have. He liked the look of envy on the other guys as Si Young walked by his side.

Si Young and Tae Joon were similar in that sense. Si Young also enjoyed the feeling that the other girls envied her relationship with Tae Joon. And so Tae Joon and Si Young provided each other with the due status that each believed they deserved.

Tae Joon had called Si Young only once since the accident. Their meeting had been short and awkward. It was then Tae Joon realized that Si Young was not the Florence Nightingale type. He hadn't spent much time worrying about that. That wasn't why he had liked her in the first place. Still, there were a number of times in the past two months where Tae Joon had wondered if he actually had any real friends. He knew he had many so-called friends, people who were quite willing to be included in his circle of acquaintances, but he had received noticeably few visitors since the accident, and none who came with regularity.

In the dark, when Tae Joon would allow himself to be honest with himself, he didn't really blame the people in his life for ignoring him. If one of them were in similar circumstances, he would not be spending his free time at their bedside. In his world, people were pretty. They were healthy. They were wealthy. And if they weren't, they just didn't exist. That was normal and, strangely, it had always seemed reasonable.

Tae Joon was shaken out of his contemplation by the sound of Chin Hae struggling to get out of the bathroom. His crutches were slipping on the wet floor. "Careful! You'll fall." Tae Joon admonished the youngster.

Chin Hae grinned a mischievous grin, "Do you want some candy?"

"Do you have candy?" Tae Joon was surprised at the offer. The hospital and Second Wind had an annoying habit of only offering healthy food.

"No, but watch this." Chin Hae deftly "fell" on the bathroom floor and began to cry loudly. A nurse came running into the room as Chin Hae lay on the bathroom floor hugging his half leg to himself and rolling and groaning in pain.

The nurse got him back in bed but Chin Hae continued to writhe in pain. "I tried to get help to go to the bathroom but nobody came." Chin Hae lied in a pitiful voice.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I was at the other end of the hall. I must have not heard you. I'm sorry. Does it hurt a lot? Shall I call the doctor?" the nurse was hoping that no serious damage had been done by the fall.

"No, I'll be fine." Chin Hae whimpered as if he was trying to be brave. "My dad was going to bring me some star candy today, has he come yet?"

"No, no one has left anything for you that I know of." the nurse replied.

Chin Hae slowly lowered his head and silently tears began to roll down his cheeks.

"Don't cry. There's some candy bars in the vending machine. I'll be right back."

As the nurse quickly exited the room Tae Joon gave his little roommate a look of approval. It might be okay having a roommate after all.

Chapter 8

Su Wan and Jeong Hoon sat in the office discussing the therapy priorities of each resident of Second Wind.

"Chin Hae needs to keep up on his schoolwork so that he won't be too far behind when he goes back to school. We need to get him a tutor." Jeong Hoon mentioned.

"Can Tae Joon tutor him?" Su Wan asked.

"No, I don't think so. His therapy schedule will be quite full and his double vision problem would be aggravated by that much reading."

"But the eye doctor said it was okay for him to read." Su Wan wanted to understand why reading would be a problem.

"It would be great if he started to read a bit, but he is not ready to read for long periods of time. At most he should read about an hour a day and he can see how that goes and work up from there. He should start with something light and fun, like a graphic novel. The short sentences and the fact that you have to turn pages often will give him a sense of progress."

Jeong Hoon and Su Wan finished their run-down for the day, and each went out to face their busy schedules.

Tae Joon was working on kicking a ball when Su Wan entered Second Wind's gym. He was in a body brace that was hooked to a wire that was suspended overhead. A handrail was on each side of Tae Joon's body. With both hands he held himself up and the brace attached to the overhead wire ensured that even if he let go, he wouldn't fall. A physical therapy assistant stood in front of him and slowly rolled a ball directly at his feet. By the time Tae Joon lifted his foot to kick the ball, the ball had already rolled past his foot. He had been working on this for some time before Su Wan got there.

"This is stupid! I told you I wasn't the soccer type before the accident. Why do I have to kick this stupid ball?" Tae Joon bellowed, disturbing several other residents who were also working on various therapies that morning.

"What's my name?" Su Wan greeted Tae Joon.

Tae Joon looked over at the woman he vaguely remembered from yesterday. She had found him and gotten him back to the main building. What was her name? "Su Wan" his mind obediently informed him. He smiled to himself.

"Ugly." he said with conviction.

"What?" Su Wan asked.

"Your name is Ugly," Tae Joon smiled.

Su Wan looked at Tae Joon. She was wondering what tactic she should use with him. She noticed a slight trembling in his arms. He must have been standing for some time and he was getting fatigued. Su Wan looked at Ma Ri, the therapist, and thought she also looked fatigued.

Su Wan ducked under the handrails and stood directly in front of Tae Joon facing Ma Ri. "Ma Ri, roll the ball to me."

Ma Ri rolled the ball and Su Wan's solid kick sent it across the room.

"Ugly is better at soccer than you," Su Wan childishly mocked.

"So, you have to make up for being ugly with something," Tae Joon countered.

"What do you have to make up for being," and Su Wan slowly looked Tae Joon up and down, "ugly?"

Tae Joon was taken off guard for a moment. He was not used to being mocked by anyone. In his healthy state, people were afraid to offend him, thinking that they could lose their opportunity to make a friend with lots of money. Since he had become injured, Tae Joon thought people held back with him due to pity. Either way, when Tae Joon dished out insults, no one had had the guts to return them. In a strange way, though it hurt, it also felt good. "What did he have to make up for being ugly?" He wondered to himself.

"Money." Tae Joon smiled. He knew money made up for almost every deficiency. He could be a bad student, a jerk, and bad at sports. He could even be ugly. It didn't really matter all that much. He had in abundance what most people really admire. Still, deep down he knew that his money was not really something he could take credit for. He stood in front of Su Wan, his eyes daring her to challenge his all-powerful asset.

"Well, why don't you use some of that precious money and pay your foot to kick that ball?" Su Wan's reply was instant and severe.

"I don't want to kick the ball," Tae Joon lied, while the significance of her reply hit him hard. Suddenly, kicking that hated ball seemed infinitely important. And that fact that all his money couldn't buy what he wanted made him furious in his already frustrated state.

Su Wan thought she had pushed her point far enough, she unhooked Tae Joon from the overhead wire and, holding firmly to the back of his body brace, she helped him walk to lunch.

"Why am I not using a wheelchair? It is faster and I can manage on my own," Tae Joon's awkward gait was making slow progress.

"You don't need a wheelchair. Your broken bones have healed nicely, now you just need to get strength back into your legs. The hard time you have walking is mostly due to your vision problem. And walking will help your memory. Now that most of your injuries have healed. We can ask your doctor to schedule your eye surgery."

Tae Joon was petrified at the prospect of having his eyes operated on. Even though it had been explained that it was not his eyes that would be cut, but the muscles that make the eyes move that would be cut and sewn back together to help the eyes work together. Those muscles had been stretched on impact and that is why he was having double vision. The surgery was not a guaranteed cure, but since Tae Joon was still young, it was likely that the surgery, with some follow up exercises would cure his double vision.

When Tae Joon sat down at lunch, he noticed an obviously healthy young man eating lunch with an obviously handicapped young lady. The lady looked to be in her late twenties and she wore a large bib that helped to catch the food that dropped as her twisted, unsteady hand tried to bring the rice and fish to her mouth. One spoonful missed her mouth entirely and the contents spilled on her bib. Without a moment's hesitation, the young man carelessly took his own spoon and deftly scooped the spilled food into his own mouth.

Tae Joon heard what sounded to him like garbled grunts coming from the young woman, and heard the young man reply, "Don't even try complaining about afternoon therapy. You know I'll make you go no matter how much you complain. And don't try flirting with the male therapist just to get out of your exercises. I know your tricky ways."

Tae Joon thought he saw the young lady smile, but he wasn't sure as her mouth seemed somewhat twisted like her arm. In fact, it seemed like one side of the girl was slightly twisted. Tae Joon wondered what had happened to her. Su Wan noticed Tae Joon watching the other lunch couple. "That is Baek Hyeon and Jung Ah. They were in a car accident one month before their wedding. Baek Hyeon wasn't hurt very badly, but Jung Ah had swelling in the brain. She has limited use of one side of her body and it is hard for her to talk."

"Did he still marry her?" Tae Joon asked incredulously.

"No. He wanted to, but her family wouldn't let him. Maybe because he was driving or maybe because they know it will be a hard life, but they don't want to give their daughter to him in this condition. He said that it wasn't easy to get their permission the first time, and that he will prove his sincerity until they allow them to marry. He says he knows that Jung Ah still loves him. And that if the accident had happened after the wedding the family could not have said anything."

"He comes here several times a week and helps her with her therapy. He has learned everything about her condition, and Jung Ah responds best to his teasing. If we can't get her to try or to keep going, we just call him and put the phone to her ear. I don't know what he says, but she always tries her best after that."

Tae Joon continued to stare at the odd couple one table away from him. As he watched them he noticed that they seemed happy in each other's company. The girl would sometimes laugh a strange laugh that sounded something like a high-pitched snort. Baek Hyeon seemed extremely pleased whenever he provoked that snort. As Jung Ah finished her lunch, Baek Hyeon gently removed her oversized bib, careful that no crumbs fell on her. After he wiped her face, he gently kissed her cheek and Tae Joon was sure this time that Jung Ah smiled. He saw Baek Hyeon return the smile and lean forward to kiss her again, but his girlfriend's untwisted arm reached out and gently pushed him away. It was as if to say, "We are in the middle of the lunch room, knock it off." Baek Hyeon, fully comprehending that push, looked around at the fellow lunch-eaters and said, "Right. You told me not to make them jealous. You are still a free agent and you want to keep me on my toes. You are a cruel woman. You should marry me and put me out of my uneasy misery." Baek Hyeon was rewarded with two high-pitched snorts and the two left the dining room.

Tae Joon was wondering at the couple he had just watched eating their lunch. It was obvious that this young lady's brain injuries were much more serious than his own. Yet her boyfriend seemed unbothered by her handicaps. No, that wasn't true. Tae Joon didn't know if they bothered him. It must be that they bothered him. But he also seemed to have accepted them. Tae Joon had not blamed his family or friends for ignoring him in these months since his accident. It made sense to him. He would have treated the other people in his life the same way. Tae Joon had never really questioned if he was loved or if he truly loved other people. Tae Joon was not the reflective type. But as he observed the young couple at the table across from him, he had visibly seen a love he could not comprehend. For a brief moment, he felt disappointed in the people that loved him. And to be honest, he felt disappointed in his own affection for others. Tae Joon realized that there was not one person on this earth for whom he would have acted the way he had seen that young man act. Tae Joon would not have done that for his own father, mother, brother, or girlfriend. There was nobody he loved like that. That was a slightly scary feeling, but what frightened Tae Joon even more was that there was no one who felt that way about him either.

Chapter 9

Chin Hae was in the library working with his tutor. His tutor was a patient at Second Wind. The silver-haired Jea Young had just had both knees replaced. In the daytime, he spent a few hours working with the therapists on stretching exercises until he regained his full range of motion. In his free time, he enjoyed his time of one-on-one teaching with Chin Hae.

Chin Hae was a bright boy and Jea Young was an experienced teacher, so although most of the day Chin Hae was working on adjusting to how to move with his new leg, he was also keeping up with his classmates with the one-on-one attention he was getting.

"Can I borrow your student for a moment?" Su Wan interrupted.

"Sure. It is getting late. Let's call it a day." Jae Young stood slowly and reached for his walker. He was able to walk back to his room now with the aid of his walker. Soon he wouldn't even need that.

"Looks like you are moving pretty good these days," Su Wan complimented Jea Young's progress.

"Yeah, slow but sure. Seems to improve a bit each day."

Su Wan turned her attention to Chin Hae, "I need your help. I need to get Tae Joon to try and start reading. But he doesn't want to. So I am going to tell him that he should read to you to cheer you up. So, can you go along with that?"

"Cheer me up about what?" Chin Hae didn't know why he needed cheering up.

"Anything, you could be sad about your leg, or sad you are away from home, or you miss your friends at school. It doesn't matter what. We just need to get him to try to read. And everyone here has to help the others, so this would be your way of helping Tae Joon. You will be the reason he has to read. Even if he reads really slow or mixes things up, you act like you are really interested and beg him to keep reading to you, okay?"

"Can I pick the book?" Chin Hae asked.

"Well, let me pick the first one. I want the letters to be large and not a lot of words on the page. Turning pages gives readers a sense of accomplishment."

"Is Tae Joon retarded?" Chin Hae wondered why an adult would need encouragement to read.

"No, he's been hurt in an accident, just like you were. You hurt your leg, but Tae Joon hurt his brain and his eyes. Mostly his reading is hard because of a vision problem, but if he reads, that will also help his memory problem... and try not to say words like 'retarded'." Su Wan gently scolded.

"Okay, Boss." Chin Hae mimicked what he often heard Jeong Hoon say.

Su Wan smiled. "One down, one to go..." Su Wan thought on her way out.

Tae Joon was not in his room when Su Wan arrived. Su Wan called Eun Chul. "Do you know where Tae Joon is?" Eun Chul checked the security monitors. "Looks like he is on his way to the pond."

"Thanks." Su Wan wasn't looking forward to walking all the way to the pond. Her feet already hurt from a long day. Maybe she should just wait in her office and catch up on paperwork. Eun Chul could let her know when Tae Joon returned.

But maybe he doesn't know how to get back. That thought niggled at her mind. It was more than likely he had forgotten how to get back. Su Wan forced her tired body to look for Tae Joon.

Tae Joon recognized Su Wan long before she reached him. He was relieved at the sight of her. He enjoyed being outdoors, but he could no longer see the main building and he was unsure of which way to go. The feeling of being lost was unsettling. Tae Joon softly whispered, "Su Wan" when he saw her. He remembered her name. He remembered she had told him to chew gum and he would remember her name. Strangely, it had worked.

"Hi Ugly!" he called cheerfully as Su Wan approached.

"Hello yourself. Now what's my real name?" Su Wan questioned.

"Hummm.... Unpleasant?" Tae Joon pretended to guess.

"Try again."

"Is it ... Obnoxious?"

"Nope. Try again."

"Was it ... Dreadful?"

Su Wan leveled her gaze at the young man proudly perched in his wheelchair and turned and abruptly started walking back to Second Wind. It took a moment for Tae Joon to realize she was really leaving him there and he yelled, "Su Wan. Lee Su Wan."

Su Wan stopped. She didn't turn around. She was tired and hungry. Her feet hurt. In that moment, she had little sympathy for the young man that needed her sympathy. Su Wan didn't question her prejudice against wealthy people. They all reminded her of her father. Her father valued money above everything. Su Wan could not even picture her father's face. She had rarely even seen him, yet she knew that she had been left to be raised with her grandmother and uncle largely because it was a good financial choice her father had made. Who would trade a daughter for money? Why did people find money the most important thing in life? Su Wan would never understand.

Su Wan knew there were faults far worse than being poor. Faults like only seeing what a person could do, instead of seeing the person. Faults like believing money was more valuable than people. Su Wan fully believed that with education and the support of loved ones, people with disabilities could learn to live to their full potential. But in her mind, there was no cure, no therapy for what ailed the wealthy. There was no effective treatment for the deadness of soul that only seemed to increase proportionately with one's affluence.

"Su Wan," Tae Joon yelled again. Su Wan thought there was a hint of desperation in his voice. Slowly, Su Wan turned and walked back to Tae Joon.

As Su Wan approached the young man in the wheelchair she mentally chided herself. "See the man, not the money." As she got closer she reminded herself, "You agreed to take him, do your job."

"Where were you going?" She asked Tae Joon.

"Nowhere. I just wanted to be outside."

"How do find your way back?" She said in her teacher voice.

"I don't know. I think it is that way." Tae Joon pointed to the path that went downhill.

"Look at me." Su Wan knew she needed his undivided attention. "Now put your hands up over your head. Clap three times and each time say, 'home is up'."

Normally Tae Joon would argue, but he seemed to sense that now was not a good time to be troublesome.

"Home is up, home is up, home is up," he dutifully chanted while clapping.

"Now which way is home?"

Tae Joon looked at the path he was on and noticed that it sloped upwards as you followed the path to the left. "That way," he said with a smile of confidence.

"You're right. Now you lead the way and I'll push."

Chapter 10

Su Wan was wondering just how to bring up reading to Chin Hae with Tae Joon as she pushed him up the path.

"Chin Hae needs a bit of distracting before he goes to bed. It's hard for him to be away from his family, so I need you to read to him before he goes to bed. I have some cartoon books. His mom told me they are a series that he really likes. I put them on your desk in your room."

"Chin Hae can't read?" Tae Joon was shocked. It had seemed to Tae Joon that Chin Hae was a pretty sharp kid."

"He can read." Su Wan countered.

"Then why doesn't he just read them to himself?" Tae Joon asked.

"He can read. You don't read to kids just when they can't read. You read to them so that you are having a shared adventure. Shared experiences are what bond people together. When you both can't wait to see what happens on the next page, when you both get angry because the main guy likes the wrong girl, when you both have figured out who stole the test before the books reveals it, when you both cry because the dog died, these shared highs and lows only come when you do something like reading with someone." Su Wan wondered if he really didn't know why you read with kids. It was a far more bonding experience than kicking balls or playing board games ever would be.

"My mom never read a book with me, at least not that I can remember. And I never read a book to my own little brother. I don't see why I would do that for some kid I don't even know." Tae Joon didn't realize how self-centered and how pitiful he sounded all at the same time.

"Listen, your father agreed to the terms of Second Wind's treatment policy. All patients help with the treatment of other patients. This is part of Chin Hae's treatment. He needs to feel as safe and comfortable as possible while he is here. You are going to help with that. You are going to be part of making Second Wind seem like a real home and family."

"I get a headache when I try to read. I think it is the double vision." Tae Joon wasn't giving excuses, just stating facts.

"Let's try the eye patch while reading. You won't have any double vision when you cover one eye. If you don't read for too long, patching one eye should be okay. And we should get your surgery scheduled, it is not good to put that surgery off."

"If I read to Chin Hae, who is going to read to me?"

"What do you mean?" the question surprised Su Wan.

"You said that Chin Hae will get better faster if he likes it here. If he is comfortable and enjoying himself, if it is pleasant like a home. So who is going to do that for me?" Tae Joon replied logically.

Su Wan stopped pushing his chair. She was shocked at Tae Joon's depth of understanding. Su Wan hadn't said all those things, but that is what she meant. And Su Wan had been very concerned on how to accomplish that kind of environment for Chin Hae and it was true that she had given Tae Joon's comfort much less consideration. Did she really just see Tae Joon as a means of having Chin Hae here? How would she make this home for Tae Joon? Maybe making this feel like home was not a good idea in Tae Joon's case. His home did not seem one of care and nurture.

"Would you like me to read to you?" Su Wan heard herself offer.

"Sure. If that's what my father is paying for, then I want the whole nine yards. I'm used to VIP treatment." Tae Joon said smugly.

Su Wan was already regretting her offer. But she was not one to back down. Su Wan was the kind of person who stuck to her commitments, even if she shouldn't have made them.

"Well, I'll pick the books. I've wanted to read a book by Jennifer Park for the longest time. It's been on my desk for months but I haven't gotten to it."

"What's it about?" Tae Joon asked.

"Orphans. It is the story of a group of orphans who grow up in the same orphanage and how they struggle through life together. Two of the orphan guys like the same orphan girl, but they are like brothers, so it is hard for them to fight over the same girl. It is quite hard to say which one will get the girl in the end."

Tae Joon began to make choking sounds as if he were going to vomit. Su Wan gently slapped him on the back of the head. "I'll bet you 5000 won that you cry first."

"You must like burning your money." Tae Joon teased.

"We'll see."

That night, Tae Joon was strangely nervous as he thumbed through the comic he was going to read to Chin Hae. He realized he had never read aloud to anyone other than his tutors in his life. Tae Joon had stopped reading aloud to his tutors when he was eight years old.

Tae Joon and Chin Hae sat on the small couch in their room. Chin Hae seemed excited about the book. It was the fifth book in the series, so Chin Hae spent the first 10 minutes explaining what had happened so far in the series.

Tae Joon thought he looked like a pirate with his one eye patched, but he read with much more speed and fluency with one eyed patched, so no matter what he looked like, the patch would remain.

After one chapter Tae Joon put the book down. "Okay, you better get ready for bed." Tae Joon said.

"No, it's still early. Read another chapter." Chin Hae whined.

"No, I only have to read one chapter, and I read one chapter." Tae Joon found the whining Chin Hae ungrateful. Shouldn't he have been thankful instead of asking for another chapter?

Chin Hae reached out to grab the book from Tae Joon, "I'll read it myself!" The independent youngster did not need Tae Joon to read to him.

Tae Joon held the book out of his reach. "Nope. You will only know what happens when I read it to you." Tae Joon was beginning to realize his power over his young roommate. Chin Hae scowled at his roommate. Tae Joon decided to relent.

"Okay, I will read you another chapter if you get us some candy or something sweet." Tae Joon bargained. The two conspirators shared a smile.

"Wait here. I'll be back in a flash!" Chin Hae confidently left the room on his crutches.

"Where will he find candy at this hour?" Tae Joon wondered to himself. But he didn't doubt that he would. Tae Joon had learned that candy and Chin Hae were quite close and they always found ways of being together.

Chapter 11

Su Wan arrived at Tae Joon's room at 6:30 in the morning. She knocked tentatively, but no one answered. She had assumed correctly that both Chin Hae and Tae Joon were still asleep.

"Wake-up." Su Wan whispered into Tae Joon's ear as she gently shook him.

"What? What time is it?" Tae Joon tried to sleepily turn away.

"Storytime, let's go." Su Wan helped Tae Joon into his jacket.

"Where are we going?" The sleepy Tae Joon asked.

"To my secret hideaway, now shhhh, you will wake Chin Hae."

Tae Joon had not done anything interesting in recent memory so the thought of a secret hideaway seemed like a good idea to him.

Su Wan took him to the rooftop garden. After following a short path they came to a small room. It was an odd room with three of its walls made of large panes of glass. From that room, perched on top of Second Wind, you could see for miles. It was a quiet room, with soft couches, fluffy pillows and a whole wall of bookcases filled with books. Amongst the furniture there was a single bed, which Su Wan often used for naps, or for overnight guests.

"This place is a secret?" Tae Joon thought that this place would be hard to keep secret.

"Well, some people know about it, but hardly anybody comes up here, except for me. I designed this room." Su Wan smiled, her pride in her achievement evident.

"Come and sit and I'll read to you. I brought us coffee and cinnamon rolls."

Tae Joon was both pleased and intrigued, but not being one to show such feelings, he merely complained, "You woke me up for this? Why can't we do this at a civil hour?"

"Because I'm a busy lady and if I'm going to be the one that reads to you, it has to fit into my schedule, which today happens to be now, and tomorrow we will just have to wait and see, I'll try and work it in somehow, but unlike some people I know, my day is full."

Tae Joon didn't answer. He just settled himself on the couch and started in on his roll and coffee. Su Wan finished reading chapter one, which ended in a cliffhanger. She looked up to see that Tae Joon was just as wrapped up in the orphans' dilemma as she was. Su Wan wanted to start the next chapter, but responsibility made her want to check her watch first. Tae Joon sensed what she was about to do and reached out and covered her watch with his hand as he held her wrist.

"One more chapter," his voice pleaded, much like Chin Hae had pleaded with him the night before.

"I don't know if I have time. I have to meet with Jeong Hoon before he starts his day. Let me check the time." Su Wan tried to wrestle her wrist away.

"No, just read one more chapter. If you're late you can say you had an emergency to attend to."

"How is this an emergency?" Su Wan wanted to know.

"The kids are trapped in a burning house and we don't know if they escape and you can just go back to work like nothing has happened?" Tae Joon made his plea dramatic.

Su Wan laughed, "Okay, one more chapter, but no matter how this chapter ends, I have to go to work. So don't ask me to read another one."

"I won't," Tae Joon promised.

Su Wan arrived for her morning meeting with Jeong Hoon twenty minutes late. Although she endured a slight berating for her tardiness, she was at peace knowing the orphans had indeed escaped the burning house. What concerned her now was how they were going to get all five of them adopted by the same family. They had always been together; it would be heartless to separate them now. But if the same family adopted them all, they would become real brothers and sisters and then there would be no way for them to grow up and marry each other. Why was life so hard for those orphans?

Su Wan forced her mind away from the imaginary orphans to her real life concerns. Today, she would be meeting with Jung Ah's mother. Her mother needed to start planning for Jung Ah's re-entry into family life. Su Wan would visit the home and see what type of remodeling might be needed and what kind of special equipment might be needed to make the home suitable for Jung Ah's special needs.

Su Wan had already been to Baek Hyeon's apartment. It would not take much to adapt the modern apartment for Jung Ah's needs. But Jung Ah's mother was still unwilling to let them marry. Su Wan wondered if she could bring herself to try and talk her mother into allowing their daughter to move in with her boyfriend. Under normal circumstances, that would not be her recommendation. Su Wan was old-fashioned enough to think one should be married before you lived together. But in this case, Su Wan thought Baek Hyeon could offer Jung Ah a fuller, more normal life than her elderly, troubled mother could. But how could she make Jung Ah's mother see that maybe she was not the best person to care for her daughter?

Chapter 12

Tae Joon felt sick. Today was the long-dreaded day of his eye surgery. He had not eaten anything that morning, as patients are not allowed to eat in case of upset stomachs that might occur from the anesthesia.

Su Wan drove Tae Joon to the hospital for surgery. Eun Chul usually accompanied patients that needed to be transported back to the hospitals for further surgeries or treatments, but Tae Joon had put up quite a fuss and was so uncooperative that Su Wan thought she should handle this one herself.

"Are you ready to go?" She greeted Tae Joon as she entered his room.

"No." Tae Joon answered.

"What did you forget? You'll only be there one night so you don't need a lot."

"I'm packed. I just don't want to go." Tae Joon said with uncharacteristic honesty.

Su Wan went and sat next to Tae Joon on his bed. "Listen, I won't lie to you. Today is going to be rough. It is going to be very uncomfortable for you these next few days as your eye muscles recover from surgery. We will manage your pain and comfort as best we can. I'll be with you the whole time."

Tae Joon was worried about the pain, but what worried him even more was the thought that something could go wrong. His double vision was very annoying, but what would he do if he had lost his sight entirely?

"What if something bad happens?" Tae Joon asked.

Su Wan reached out and took his hand. "I won't tell you bad things can't or don't happen. I live everyday with the reality that bad things can and do happen. But know that Dr. Choi is the best eye surgeon in this country. You are young, and should recover from this type of surgery well. There is every reason to believe that by this time next week your double vision will be greatly improved and with eye exercises over the next 6 months, it should disappear entirely."

"But what if it doesn't, what if it doesn't get better, what if it makes it worse? I have heard that can happen."

"If that happens, the sun will still rise, you will still be Tae Joon, and whatever challenges come to you, you will be able to meet them."

"I've thought, if I go blind, I'll kill myself." Tae Joon said with all seriousness.

Su Wan laughed. "No, some might, but you won't. You are simply not the kill-yourself-kind. You are the brave Tae Joon, and it is a well-known, sad fact of life that the brave do indeed die, but never do they die by giving up. It's not because the brave ones are better than others, it's just that they are more daring."

Tae Joon held his head in his hands and whispered, "I'm scared. I'm so scared I think I'm going to throw up."

"And that's the difference between brave people and cowards, it's not that they don't both face terrifying things, it's that the brave face what they need to. They throw up and keep putting one foot in front of the other. They don't stop no matter how scary life is."

"And you think I can do that?" Tae Joon wondered if he really was the type of person Su Wan thought he was.

"I know you can. Now, let's go. It's best to get to the hospital early."

They arrived at the hospital and checked in. Tae Joon was given a private room to wait in until he would be prepared for surgery. When the nurse came to get him, she told Su Wan that she could wait there and Tae Joon would be brought back as soon as he was released from the recovery room.

Su Wan caught a look of sheer terror in Tae Joon's eyes. "Can I go with him until he is under anesthesia?"

"I'm sorry, that is not allowed." The nurse answered.

Tae Joon knew Su Wan was about to argue. "It's all right. I know you're here. That's enough." Tae Joon could still hear Su Wan saying that he was brave. He found himself wanting to prove her right.

Su Wan hugged Tae Joon and surprisingly he did not resist her embrace, "Don't worry about a thing. I'll be here when you wake up." It was an action very much like what a mother would say to a small child, but somehow, Tae Joon wasn't insulted by the gesture. Though he could not have expressed his need, somehow his body did long for comforting contact with another human being. The simple hug and reassuring words touched him deeply.

It was several hours later that Tae Joon was brought back to the room. He felt awful. Even though Tae Joon had not eaten anything, he was sick to his stomach. Tae Joon's nausea was so intense that he could not even hold down small sips of water. His head was pounding. His body felt like it was determined to punish him for allowing the doctors to invade. Tae Joon felt wretched.

Su Wan kept vigil during that long and miserable night. Between his bouts of vomiting, she read to him their story about the orphans. Periodically, she placed ice chips in his mouth so he could suck on them.

Tae Joon reached his hand up to his bandaged eyes and sighed, "I feel awful," he murmured.

"Shhh, be still and try not to move around or talk. That will just make it worse. I'll just read and you try to fall asleep. You will feel much better if you are able to sleep." Su Wan said as she mopped his forehead with a cool towel.

Tae Joon reached out and held her hand. Su Wan let him hold it for a few minutes. "I need my hand to hold the book and turn the pages." She said gently.

Tae Joon just shook his head.

"Ok. You just hold my hand and try and sleep."

Eventually, the uncomfortable Tae Joon fell into a fitful sleep and Su Wan sleep in a chair at his bedside while holding his hand.

Jeong Hoon found them like that early the next morning. He had gone looking for Su Wan when she did not show up for her morning meeting and had not answered her phone. Eun Chul had known that Su Wan had taken Tae Joon for surgery and deduced that she was still with him.

Jeong Hoon was a bit taken back by the tender scene before him. Neither person stirred as he entered the room. Jeong Hoon approached Su Wan slowly and gently tapped her on the shoulder. "Su Wan...Su Wan...wake up," he loudly whispered in her ear.

Su Wan startled. For a moment she didn't realize where she was. Slowly, it all came back to her. She saw a question in Jeong Hoon's eyes. "Tae Joon had a bad night, so I stayed with him."

"Why aren't you answering your phone? Did you forget the fundraiser today? We need everything ready by 5 pm. You've got to get back to Second Wind."

"I don't want to leave him. Last night was really rough. Can't you handle it?" Su Wan did not see how she could leave Tae Joon in this state.

"No, I can't. And furthermore, we need this money. You are the one that can move people to open their pocketbooks. We've been planning this for months. Now, get back to Second Wind and start getting things ready." Jeong Hoon was adamant.

"How can I leave? There is no one else to be with him." Su Wan argued.

Tae Joon had woken up and overheard their conversation. He didn't want Su Wan to leave and somehow he knew that if she knew that, she wouldn't leave even if that was what she should do for Second Wind.

Tae Joon stirred to announce that he was waking up. His bandage was on, and since he was not able to see, he acted like he did not know anyone was in the room.

To no one he said, "Su Wan finally left. Now, I'll have some freedom. What a mother hen. She thinks I am some kind of baby that needs my hand held."

Tae Joon stood and clumsily made his way to the bathroom, guiding himself by running his hand along the wall.

Jeong Hoon turned to Su Wan. "You heard the man. He doesn't want his mother hen around. Let's go."

Su Wan was unsure. Did Tae Joon really want her to leave? If it weren't for the fundraiser, she would stay whether he wanted her there or not. Su Wan knew she needed to go. Quietly she grabbed her things and headed out the door.

Tae Joon stayed in the bathroom until he was quite sure they were gone. Then he made his way back to his bed. His room was totally silent. Tae Joon lay back on his pillow and for once he was glad of the bandages on his eyes. He noticed that tears don't run down your cheeks when your eyes are bandaged.

Chapter 13

Tae Joon was bored. Really bored. His past few weeks had been filled with plenty of therapy sessions and such, but now that he was feeling better and moving around easier, the formerly active 24-year-old wanted something to do that didn't resemble a child's craft time or an old folk's home bingo game.

Tae Joon dutifully read three chapters to Chin Hae before he fell asleep and then he tried to fall asleep himself, but his restless mind would not allow him to sleep.

Tae Joon decided he needed a walk. He was walking farther these days. He rarely used his wheelchair anymore. He could even walk all the way to the pond. It took him a while, but he was well on his way to moving about normally.

Su Wan had just fallen asleep when she heard the buzzer announcing the opening of the main front door. She checked the monitor and saw that Tae Joon had just gone outside.

"Why is he going out now?" Su Wan pulled her tired body out of bed and slipped on her jacket as she went to get Tae Joon to return to his room.

Tae Joon was on his way to the pond when she caught up with him. "Hey, what ya doing out so late?"

"I couldn't sleep and decided to go for a walk." Tae Joon wondered if he had broken some kind of rule about not walking around outside at night.

"Well, it pretty dark out here, and no one would know if you fell down or if you couldn't find your way back, and it's getting cold, so you might want to let someone know if you are going to take a walk, and better yet, you should ask someone to go with you." Su Wan knew she sounded a little condescending, but Tae Joon really was taking unnecessary risks. This kind of risk taking was quite common. As patient's health improved, they tended to forget their limitations.

Tae Joon was tired of being treated as something between a child and an invalid.

"I'm going for a walk; I'm not climbing Mount Everest. I think I can handle a midnight stroll."

"Why don't you ask me to come along when you get in the mood to stroll?" Su Wan suggested.

"Because I don't stroll with ugly women. It's bad for my reputation."

"So now I'm Ugly again?" Su Wan had not been called that in weeks.

"You've always been ugly, the more I get to know you, the uglier you seem."

Su Wan smiled. Tae Joon was such a child, a bored child begging for attention. Su Wan knew she should get him to go back to bed. Not so much for his sake but because she had a long day ahead of her tomorrow and she needed her sleep.

"Well, even though there is no one out here to see us, I feel like ruining your reputation." And Su Wan went closer to Tae Joon and took his arm. He tried to pull it back, but Su Wan held firm.

"Let me hold your arm, it is dark out here and if you slip, you can hurt your newly healed bones. Plus, I am losing my beauty sleep because of you."

"What do you need beauty sleep for? Does that phone of yours that is always ringing actually have a boyfriend's number in it?" Tae Joon was suddenly curious.

"His number is in there, but he's not my boyfriend anymore." Su Was surprised herself with her honest and direct answer.

The idea that Su Wan had had a significant other had not crossed his mind. "What happened? He got tired of going with an ugly girl or you found out he was a jerk and called it off?" Tae Joon questioned further.

Su Wan stumbled in the semi-darkness and grabbed tighter to Tae Joon's arm. "I wish...I wish I had found out he was a terrible guy." Su Wan sighed and Tae Joon thought that was all she was going to say on the matter.

"Actually, he is a great guy. He is one of the best people I know. In every way, he is a great guy. He is smart, hardworking, kind, and handsome. We dated for four years. He asked me to marry him after we had dated for a year. I said 'yes,' but first I needed to get Second Wind established. You may think I'm busy now, but when I started Second Wind it was an insane time."

"He got tired of waiting. Tired of me being busy. He really wanted a wife, and a family. I wanted that too, but I also wanted Second Wind. I guess I was too greedy. I thought I could have both."

They walked for a while in silence and Tae Joon said, "I can't imagine you without Second Wind, you and Second Wind are like the same thing to me."

Su Wan smiled a sad smile. "I came this close to giving up on Second Wind," Su Wan said as she held her thumb and forefinger millimeters apart. "And most days there is still a time or two when I wondered if I have ruined my life by being so stubborn."

"That guy is a jerk. If he couldn't understand why you had to do this, how great of a guy could he have been?" Tae Joon felt an intense dislike of this unknown past boyfriend.

"Thanks for saying so, but I think you would like him if met him. Sometimes you even remind me of him."

"How? Is he some fantastically hot, young, brain-injured, rich dude?" Tae Joon was trying to lighten the depressing mood their walk had taken.

"No. He is four years older than me. He is handsome, but in the tough manly-man sort of way, not the pretty-boy kind of way. He is completely healthy, no eye patches, wheel chairs, crutches or therapies. He is a police officer from an average family."

"Yeah, I get the similarities, we sounds like twins separated at birth." Tae Joon said sarcastically.

Su Wan laughed. She did sound a little silly. She looked long at Tae Joon, what had it been about him that reminded her of Dae Han?

"For your information, Dae Han is honest about himself and others. He doesn't pretend to be something he isn't just to make others feel better about themselves or to feel better about himself. He wants those closest to him to be the same way. He's brave. He will do what he thinks is right no matter what. And he was really lonely when we met. He had a hard time letting me get close to him."

Tae Joon stopped walking, "Why did he push you away?"

"He didn't. I let him go. I didn't mean to, but I did. He said that he wasn't going to wait any longer and I had to choose between Second Wind and being his wife. I think at first I thought he didn't really mean that. I knew he loved me. I thought it was kind of like a threat and I guess I didn't respond well to being threatened. I told him if that was the choice, then I'd choose Second Wind. And he left and he has never contacted me since."

"Did you try and meet him?"

"Yes. I went to see him once after that. I met him to apologize and see if we could work things out three months after we broke up. He was already seeing another woman. They had been friends since childhood. They are getting married in a few months."

"I knew he was a jerk. He was two-timing you the whole time!" Tae Joon reached a faulty conclusion.

Su Wan laughed at Tae Joon's continued insistence that her ex was a bad guy. "No he wasn't. It was just bad timing. He was ready for family life before I was. He was honest and direct with what he wanted and what he needed and I choose not to be that person for him. I can't blame anybody but myself."

"What a load of hogwash. This guy doesn't deserve the pedestal you've built for him. He is an A-class jerk. How much longer would he have had to wait? Six months? A year? He knew the best way to get rid of you was to ask you to choose when he knew you wouldn't be able to choose him. Trust me, that guy knew you were too much to handle so he sold out for some dimmer version of the woman you are. It seems to me that you saw more in him than was actually there."

Su Wan was embarrassed by the depth and content of their conversation and wished to change the subject. For Su Wan it was an old wound, but it went deep, and was still painful.

"We should get back, it is getting late."

As they walked back together Tae Joon was very aware of Su Wan's closeness. She held firmly to his arm. He knew that for her it was a safety measure. Preventing patients from falling was second nature to her. But for him, he was strolling in the cool night air with a most interesting lady on his arm. He was not in the rush she was in to get back. His days held not nearly the level of responsibility that tired Su Wan.

"I want hot chocolate," Tae Joon broke the silence.

"I have some in my office. I'll give you a cup."

Tae Joon was pleased with successfully extending their outing, but he felt a bit guilty when he saw Su Wan yawn. "She must get so tired taking care of this place," Tae Joon thought.

"Maybe give me the hot chocolate tomorrow night. It is getting a bit late for me." Tae Joon gave a fake yawn to emphasize his newly acquired tiredness.

"Okay, sounds good." Su Wan agreed a little too quickly

Tae Joon and Su Wan parted at the main door of Second Wind and Tae Joon made his way back to his room. As he lay in bed, he contemplated the story Su Wan had shared with him. There were two things that kept bothering him. Tae Joon felt a growing anger towards the guy who had so deeply hurt Su Wan. And he felt a strange sense of satisfaction in the fact that Su Wan had said that he reminded her of the man she had loved so deeply.

Chapter 14

Su Wan and Tae Joon were on the way to the hospital. Tae Joon had a follow up visit with his eye doctor and Su Wan had several consultations with physicians of residents of Second Wind. On the way, they were discussing the current peril the orphans were in.

"Would you rather stay with the girl you loved as her brother and never be able to marry her or be separated from her and maybe lose her, but at least you wouldn't be brothers and sister so you might be able to marry her when you grow up?"

"I'd be her brother when we were young and marry her when I grew up." Tae Joon answered the complicated question simply.

"You can't. You can't do both. You have to choose one. Which one should you choose? Because I think one of the orphan guys is going to choose to be her brother and the other will get adopted by another family just so he can marry her when he grows up."

"I wouldn't do either. I'd be the brother and then the husband. How does that guy know she won't fall for someone else? Or his family could move to America or something and he would never see her again. He shouldn't let her out of his sight. If I loved a girl like that, I don't care what people say, I'd never let her go."

"It's against the law to marry your sister."

"She isn't his real sister." Tae Joon did not see the complication. "Books just try to make relationships seem complicated, but they aren't. If you want to be in someone's life you just do what it takes. And if you don't, you'll just see any obstacle as a reason to let someone go."

"You can't..." The ringing of her phone interrupted Su Wan's reply.

Since Su Wan was driving, she had Tae Joon answer her phone.

"Su Wan's phone, she's driving, can I pass her a message?" Tae Joon spoke into her phone.

There was a long pause on the phone and Tae Joon thought the caller had hung up. "Tell her this is Dae Han. I need to speak to her. Tell her to meet me at the coffee shop by General Hospital."

"She is really busy today. I don't think she has any open appointments."

"Who is this? Tell Su Wan this is Dae Han...Dae Han ...and I want to speak to her now." The voice on the other end of the phone was angry.

"One moment please." Tae Joon turned to Su Wan, "It's Dae Han, and he wants to talk to you."

Su Wan was shocked. Why would Dae Han be calling her? "Ask him what he wants."

"I did. He says he has to talk to you now. He said to meet him at the hospital coffee shop."

"Tell him I'll be there in 15 minutes." Su Wan stumbled on her words.

Tae Joon relayed the message and hung up.

"Are you going to meet him?" Tae Joon asked.

"Yes. I need to find out what he wants."

"Can I go with you?"

"Yes, I think that would be a good idea."

Tae Joon recognized Dae Han as soon as he entered the coffee shop. The oversized detective seemed most out of place at the small tables in the up-scale coffee shop. He rose from his seat as Su Wan entered the coffee shop.

Su Wan stopped as soon as she saw Dae Han. While her feet seem rooted to the floor, her eyes drank in the sight of Dae Han. He was badly in need of a haircut. His clothes looked like they had been slept in, maybe more than once. His eyes were bloodshot. On his best days he was far from a fashionable guy, but today he looked like a giant, worn-out bum. Su Wan's heart sank. What had happened?

Dae Han was surprised that the sight of his Su Wan still took his breath away. She looked good. He had caught sight of her when she was still making her way into the coffee shop. She had let her hair grow longer than he remembered. The new hair style softened her face. She was wearing a yellow sundress. Dae Han could count the number of times he'd seen her in a dress on one hand. She used to be too busy to bother much with what she wore.

The tension between Dae Han and Su Wan was obvious to Tae Joon. They both stayed where they were and eyed each other warily. Tae Joon decided he would have to break the ice. He boldly walked up to Dae Han, with his hand out stretched.

"Hi, you must be Dae Han, I'm Tae Joon."

Dae Han looked at the hand offered to him, seeming to notice Tae Joon for the first time. In seconds Dae Han summed up the young man before him. Eyes still blackened from his recent surgery, slight limp to his walk. This was a patient from Second Wind. Ignoring Tae Joon, Dae Han turned to Su Wan and asked, "Who's this?" Dae Han pointed to the tall young man at Su Wan's side.

Tae Joon was not one to be ignored. "I'm her boyfriend, my name is Tae Joon."

At the word boyfriend, Dae Han turned to take a second look at Tae Joon. The boy before him seemed young and probably wealthy. Tae Joon seemed fashionably dressed. The Rolex on his wrist looked real. Dae Han disliked him immediately. Who was this twerp trying to fool? Su Wan wouldn't have anything to do with a rich pretty-boy, except to maybe schedule his rehab appointments. After his quick onceover, he addressed Tae Joon in a condescending tone.

"Her boyfriend? I doubt it. From the looks of you, you're one of Second Wind's rehab patients."

Being called a rehab patient stung. Still, that was the truth. Tae Joon decided to just add that to his list of credentials.

"I am a patient at Second Wind, and I'm Su Wan's boyfriend." Tae Joon felt a growing dislike of the giant man who had mentally reduced him to nothing more than a patient.

"And from your clothes I'd say you were one of the paying clients. It's nice to see that Su Wan finds a patient who can pay now and then." Dae Han continued with his dismissive tone. "Are you here to visit a doctor? Why don't you go see your doctor and let Su Wan and I have a discussion."

"I have time before my appointment." Tae Joon said as he slipped his arm around Su Wan. Su Wan let his arm rest around her waist and did not contradict any of the outrageous things he had just said.

Dae Han sent a brutal look at Tae Joon. He seemed to be contemplating if he should make a scene and get rid of this guy or just let things slide. He ran a tired hand through his messy hair and said, "Ok, let's sit down."

The three sat in the corner of the shop. Dae Han looked at Su Wan, "It's been awhile."

"Yes, a long while. How have you been?"

Dae Han sighed. He knew this would be difficult. He was struggling to keep his raw emotions under control. Skipping all pleasantries he said, "I need your help. Sang Min was in an accident. He and his friend were joy-riding on a motorcycle. It was bad, he's lucky to be alive." Dae Han paused, trying to keep his voice steady. Su Wan's hand moved of its own accord. Her tiny hand reached out and covered the giant paw in front of her. Dae Han looked at that tiny hand and it gave him courage to continue.

"They couldn't save his leg..." Dae Han choked on the words. "He lost a leg." Dae Han paused again. The powerful man's voice was shaking. Tears were streaming down Su Wan's face. Dae Han continued, "Sang Min loves soccer. You remember how crazy he was about soccer? The doctors say he will be okay, but he isn't even trying."

Dae Han's voice was full of worry and frustration. "I'm all he's got, and I have no idea how to help him, but I know you could help him."

Su Wan was looking down at the table. She was trying to control the cascade of tears that had escaped her eyes. She was remembering a very playful Sang Min. Dae Han had taken care of his nephew since he was born 10 years ago. His older sister had gotten pregnant unexpectedly. His sister had moved to Australia and started life again shortly after Sang Min's birth. When Su Wan had been dating Dae Han, she had imagined that she would be Sang Min's mother-figure. The news of this tragedy to a youngster she cared so much about was overwhelming. And that Dae Han was only telling her now. She felt a surge of anger with her grief. Without looking up she said, "Bring him. I'll do all I can."

Dae Han gave a big sigh of relief. "Thank you, Su Wan, I know I have no right to ask you this. I've been going crazy trying to juggle work and trying to handle Sang Min. This means a lot to me."

Su Wan's anger flared. "You didn't even call me when he got into an accident? You know how much I loved Sang Min. I'm not doing this for you. This is just what I do. This is what Second Wind is for. This has nothing to do with you."

"So, I can't even say thank you?" Dae Han sounded tired and hurt.

"No, you can't." Su Wan rose and walked away. She knew she needed to get away before she disgraced herself further.

Both men watched her walk away. Dae Han seemed to come to his senses first and ran after Su Wan. Tae Joon followed, although he was walking well, he wasn't quite up to running yet. Dae Han caught up to Su Wan, and he reached out and grabbed her arm to stop her departure. As she turned, he saw her tear-streaked faced. Dae Han knew it was more than the shock of Sang Min's injury that caused those tears.

Su Wan tried to pull away, she turned her face to hide her tears and used her free hand to wipe her face. "I'm sorry. I should have called you. I should have told you right away. I thought of calling you a thousand times. I just didn't have the courage. How could I turn to you just because I needed you, when I was the one to walk away?" The large man felt his chest tighten. Though he had grabbed her just to stop her departure, his body reacted to their touch. He wondered if he could ever see her and not respond.

Dae Han was watching the strongest woman he had ever known melting into tears in the middle of a busy sidewalk. He wanted to comfort her and he was about to pull her into his embrace when Tae Joon arrived.

Tae Joon saw his weeping Su Wan and felt an overwhelming rage. Tae Joon pushed himself between the two and held her tightly in his embrace. "Never let him see you cry, stop it now!" He whispered fiercely into her ear.

Su Wan nodded her head in his chest. "Get me out of here." Tae Joon heard her whisper back.

Tae Joon kept Su Wan tightly wrapped in his embrace and turned and walked back towards the hospital.

Once inside the hospital, Su Wan was trying to focus on the tasks at hand. Tae Joon needed to see his doctor and she was late to her first appointment already.

"Can you get to your doctor's office?" Su Wan asked Tae Joon.

"I think so. Don't worry about me. I remember where it is." Tae Joon wasn't quite sure he remembered.

"Okay. Call me if you need anything. I'll meet you back here when I'm done. You'll probably finish first, so just wait here."

"Yes, Mooommmmm," Tae Joon rolled his eyes dramatically. "I'm not a baby, you know."

Su Wan smiled, "I know, but hospital hallways all look alike, it's easy for anybody to get lost in places like this."

Normally, if Su Wan had not been distracted by the news of Sang Min, she would have walked Tae Joon to his appointment. But as late and distracted as she was, she just hoped he was doing as well as he seemed.

Tae Joon walked to the elevators. The scene of Su Wan crying in the street flashed through his mind. "Why did she cry in front of that bastard? I'd like to punch his giant face. I bet underneath all that muscle, he is just a wimpy baby."

Tae Joon heard the evaluator open in front of him. He stepped on with several others who were also waiting for the elevator. Which floor was he going to? He tried to remember. Was it four? Maybe it was seven? He looked at the numbers. Which floor was it? Never mind, he'd get off at four and if it wasn't that floor, he'd try seven.

Tae Joon could feel a slight feeling of panic. His memory had been pretty good lately, but the therapist told him to beware of stressful situations. He'd been told that under stress he could temporarily lose all the ground he'd gained in the last few months.

"Stay calm." Tae Joon was telling himself. "You can do this." He got out of the elevator on the fourth floor. "Do I go right or left?" Tae Joon fought the rising panic. "It doesn't matter dude, first try one way and then the other, and just don't freak out." Tae Joon started to whistle and strolled down the hallway. "I'm not lost. I'm not lost." He was telling himself over and over.

The hospital was a maze of hallways and elevators, and each one looked very much like the last one he'd walked down. With each passing moment Tae Joon was becoming more agitated. Finally, he decided to call Su Wan. He was embarrassed that he would have to call her, but he felt relieved too that soon help would be on its way. He looked at his phone and tried to unlock it.

"Oh no, the password. What the hell is my password?" Tae Joon began to panic for real. Up until now he felt he was choosing to wander around. But now he knew he was lost and he couldn't remember how to unlock his phone.

"I need to call...." Tae Joon closed his eyes to concentrate. What was her name again? "Ugly" was the only word that came to mind. Tae Joon felt his chest tighten and his breathing began to be a bit difficult. He knew he was about to have a full-blown panic attack. He saw a bench and went and sat on it. He closed his eyes and tried and to block out the world around him.

What had she told him to do? "If you ever get lost, sit down right where you are and I'll find you. Don't keep wandering around. You'll just get more lost. Just sit down, close your eyes, and wait for me."

Tae Joon sat for what seemed like forever. Then he felt his phone ring. "Hello?" he answered.

He heard a sigh of relief and then a cheerful "Hi, where are you?"

Tae Joon looked around him. "I'm not sure."

"Can you see any signs around you?" Tae Joon looked around. "I'm in a hallway outside the orthopedic ward."

"Okay, stay there, I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Okay."

Su Wan was mentally kicking herself. She hoped Tae Joon was okay.

She saw him as soon as she got off the elevator. He was sitting by himself with head in his hands. She approached him slowly. He was breathing heavily.

Su Wan stopped in front of him and kneeled down. She put her hand on his knee and patted it slowly. "You're okay. You're okay. You did the right thing. You sat down and waited for me to find you."

Tae Joon breathing continued to be fast. Su Wan thought he was going to hyperventilate at this rate. She moved to sit on the bench next to him and firmly placed her arms around him. She firmly and rhythmically patted him and gently spoke to him, "Stop. Breathe deeply. Hold it. Blow it out slowly." Tae Joon was trying to follow the instructions, but he felt himself suffocating. "Breathe in slowly. Hold it. Blow out slowly....wait....breathe in....hold it.....breathe out..." over and over Su Wan led this rhythmic chant until Tae Joon's breathing slowed to normal.

"Good job, you are doing great." Su Wan gently reassured him.

"I feel sick."

"Can you walk?"

"I think so."

"Okay, there is a bathroom right over there. Let's try to get there."

They made it to the rest room just in time. Tae Joon vomited the contents of his stomach. Su Wan patted his back and washed off his face. Slowly, they made their way back to the bench.

"I'm going to get you some water. Stay here."

But Tae Joon hand shot out. "Stay here."

"Okay, I'll stay. When you're ready, I'll bring you with me."

Tae Joon sat for a few more minutes. He was beginning to feel better after vomiting. He looked over at Su Wan. He tried to remember her name. He knew who she was. Why couldn't he remember her name? Su Wan wondered what he was thinking.

Finally Tae Joon said, "Ugly, I want to go home."

Chapter 15

On the way back to Second Wind, the car ride was silent. Su Wan seemed lost in her thoughts and Tae Joon was equally distracted with his own. Tae Joon closed his eyes and went to sleep. He must have slept for almost an hour. When he awoke he looked over at Su Wan. "Su Wan" he thought to himself. He did know her name.

Tae Joon began to reflect on the events of the day. Last night, when he had learned of this mysterious past love of Su Wan, it had meant little to him.

Everyone has a past love, an old flame that either brings a secret smile or else a secret tear in the middle of the night. Old loves don't mean much, people's circumstances change, they move on. Tae Joon's relationships up to this point in his life had been on the shallow side. He couldn't say that he had ever really loved anyone, though he had had his share of girlfriends. But when he saw Su Wan's tear-streaked face, he was quite certain that Su Wan had truly loved that burly giant. And Tae Joon wondered if she loved him still.

Jeong Hoon met them as they walked into Second Wind. He did not look happy.

"I got a call from General Hospital. They wanted to arrange a transfer of a patient." Su Wan had been thinking about Jeong Hoon's reaction on the way home. Sang Min's mother had left him in the care of her brother, but he had never been officially adopted. Sang Min's mother thought that it would seem like she had abandoned her child if her brother had adopted him. Su Wan was reasonably sure that he was not covered by Dae Han's insurance. Dae Han had probably already been financially drained with the medical expenses that had already occurred.

Su Wan didn't want a witness to what was about to transpire between her and her partner. She turned to Tae Joon, "I'll try and see you later. We'll find out what is going on with those orphans."

Tae Joon wanted to protest. He was very interested in how the conversation with Jeong Hoon would go. But he went off in search of Chin Hae. He felt strangely like eating some candy.

Su Wan made Jeong Hoon a cup of coffee and they sat together in the office. Jeong Hoon sat staring at his cup and Su Wan waited for him to speak. She knew what he was going to say. They could not take another charity patient. She knew what she was going to say. She would say that they had to, that they would find away.

Jeong Hoon continued to stare at his coffee. Su Wan rose slowly from her chair, she went and stood behind Jeong Hoon. She put her one hand on his shoulder. He looked so tired. She knew she was asking too much and she knew she would ask anyways. They both did. She put her other hand gently on his other shoulder and leaned down until her mouth was by his ear, "I'm sorry. I know I'm being unreasonable."

Jeong Hoon sighed. "I'm tired. I am so tired. I don't know if I can keep up with you anymore. I've really tried to, but I don't think I can keep this pace up anymore."

Su Wan looked at the bent head of her partner-in-crime. Jeong Hoon had been with her from the very beginning. Second Wind had been their dream. They had been through every crisis together. There was no one she relied on more.

In a broken whisper Su Wan continued, "It's Sang Min. How could we refuse Sang Min?"

Jeong Hoon closed his eyes. Without looking at Su Wan he said, "I know we have to take Sang Min. I know we can't refuse him. But if you had not said 'yes' to so many others, we would have a little margin. We are stretched to the limit; any little emergency and we are done for. Neither one of us has had a break in I don't know how long, and there is no end in sight. Deep down, I need to know that when I say that this is enough, you are going to listen to me."

"I'll listen. Sang Min is the last one. After this, I'll follow our policy. I won't take on any patients we don't have sponsors for."

"You know you are lying, don't you? You know that next month, or the month after that, you'll be bringing me a cup of coffee and telling me about some poor soul we have to take in. You will proceed to tell me that for sure this is the last time and you'll promise me yet again that you'll be good from now on." Jeong Hoon took a sip of his now cold coffee. It sounded to Jeong Hoon as if he was scolding an alcoholic or drug addict. They promised to change, but they never do.

"No, I won't." Su Wan surprised herself by saying it. Somehow she knew she also meant it.

"It's not fair to you, or to me. I always feel guilty treating you this way and I know it's not right. I'll either find a better way to finance Second Wind's charity patients or I'll stick to our policy. I won't push us to the breaking point anymore."

Jeong Hoon lifted his head and looked hard at his little partner. For years he had tried to talk his young partner into being reasonable. He had yelled, he had cried. He had thrown things. And finally, he had given up and said nothing. And now she seemed to get it. He shook his head. No matter how long he worked with Su Wan, he was never going to understand her.

"You know you won't be able to turn people away, so how are you going to come up with a reliable source of funding?"

"I don't know yet. I'll think of something."

"You hate fundraising."

"I hate doing laundry. I still do it. You don't have to like something to do it."

Jeong Hoon rose from his seat. He smiled. Maybe things would get better. Maybe Su Wan finally understood that there are limitations in life. You can't overcome everything by sheer willpower alone.

"Let me know when you have a plan. I'll help you if I can." Jeong Hoon turned to leave.

Su Wan sat heavily in her chair. She had just made a big promise and she knew she meant it. But she had no idea how she would make good on that promise.

Su Wan looked at a pile of paperwork that cluttered her desk. She had lots of work to catch up on, but she couldn't bring herself to start. She saw the book on orphans half-covered in patient files. She took the book and went to find Tae Joon.

An hour later, the orphans found themselves separated. One of the girls and one of the boys had been sent to live with a family in America. Another set of one boy and one girl had been sent to a family in Australia. And the remaining hero was left in the orphanage, all by himself. Would he ever be reunited with his friends?

The story had provided the distraction Su Wan needed. She wasn't feeling nearly as helpless as those poor orphans. Tae Joon sensed that something was wrong. He wanted to ask about it, but he didn't know if Su Wan would want to share what was bothering her.

"Jeong Hoon didn't look too happy when we got back. Is everything okay?"

Su Wan looked out the window. She was quiet for so long that Tae Joon thought she was not going to answer.

"Second Wind is in trouble financially. Actually, we've always been in trouble. My plans focus more on the therapy and the atmosphere; I'm not very good with the cash flow part. We have some sporadic donors. Usually, they are family or friends of previous patients. But it is never enough, and we can't plan on it. So, Jeong Hoon cannot plan on when we can get new equipment and stuff like that. He has not been paid in months. He's not rich. I need to find a way to pay him."

Tae Joon wanted to promise to help with the needed finances. His family was ridiculously wealthy. He did not know how much she needed. But he was sure he could get his father to donate. Somehow, he knew he needed to be careful. Su Wan was not one to share her struggles easily. He didn't want to say the wrong thing, so he said nothing.

Su Wan continued, "I promised I'd find a reliable stream of funding. But I have no idea of how I'm going to do that."

Tae Joon rose and started pacing the floor. Money was something he knew quite a bit about. He'd been around it all his life.

"Let me think about this for a while, I think I could come up with a plan." Tae Joon ventured.

Su Wan was a little taken back by the offer. For a minute she had forgotten just how wealthy her new friend was. Embarrassed she replied, "I wasn't hinting or anything, you asked me what was wrong and I told you."

"I never thought you were hinting. I've heard that patients are supposed to help other patients with their therapies. But what if some of the patients help to raise funds for other patients? Some might have connections that could really help."

Su Wan was unconvinced. "That's like asking your kids to pay the rent. It's okay when they are grown up, but it's abuse when they are young and depending on you. How can I ask patients to raise funds while they are going through their therapy?"

"It was your idea that investing in your own health is beneficial. No matter how much energy a therapist puts into your recovery, the patient is the one who really has to own the process. Finances are part of the process. Patients should do what they can."

"But some can't do anything. They've lost everything just paying hospital bills. How can I add to their burdens?"

"And some can do a hell of a lot. I'm not saying that every patient can be involved, but some certainly could be. How about we try it with me as a kind of experiment? Along with reading to Chin Hae, I could be assigned to make connections for you to present the needs of Second Wind. I could even present the needs myself, from a patient's point of view. I could beg them for money quite successfully with my sob story."

Su Wan was starting to get excited about the idea. Maybe it would work. Anyway, she didn't have a better idea. "Okay, let's try that."

Chapter 16

The sun had not been up for long when Dae Han arrived with Sang Min. Su Wan did not even try to keep it professional when she saw the youngster. She ran to him and wrapped him in her arms. Sang Min was old enough to be embarrassed by such displays of affection, still he was very happy to see his "aunt." He did not fully understand why his uncle had broken off his relationship with Su Wan. But he was glad to see her again, he had missed her.

"You are going to share a room with Chin Hae. But first I need to get another room for the guy that is already sharing that room. So, I'll send you with Eun Chul on a tour of the place, so you can learn where everything is, and I'll work on sorting out your room arrangements."

Eun Chul arrived and Dae Han pushed a sullen Sang Min's wheelchair along the flower-bordered walkways. Dae Han found himself really looking at Second Wind for the first time. Before, when he had stopped by to pick up Su Wan, everything about Second Wind bothered him. The special bricks on the walkways were slightly rough, so that patients wouldn't slip, even if the bricks were wet. The paths were extra wide to accommodate wheelchairs; there were benches with extra high arm rails to aid patients who needed something to hold on to when rising.

As Dae Han pushed Sang Min's chair and felt the cool breeze in the beautiful atmosphere, he felt his spirits lift. He needed this too. Sang Min wasn't the only one who could use some beauty and peace to lift his spirits.

Eun Chul stopped them as they reached the crest of the hill. "I want to introduce you to Rags." Eun Chul surprised them by cupping his hands to his mouth and shouting, "Rags! Come here, Rags." Out of nowhere, a golden retriever bounded over the flowerbed and ran up to Eun Chul wagging his tail.

Eun Chul bent down on one knee and petted Rags. Then he brought Rags over to Sang Min's chair. "Rags, this is Sang Min." Rags sat back on his hind legs and lifted his paw out to Sang Min. Sang Min did not know what to do. Eun Chul leaned down and whispered to Min Sang, "Don't be rude, Rags gets his feelings hurt pretty easily. He wants you to shake his paw."

Eun Chul told Rags to say 'hello' and again the paw was offered to Sang Min. This time Sang Min heartily shook the offered paw. Dae Han was sure he saw Sang Min crack a smile. "Bless you, Su Wan," he mentally whispered to himself. Second Wind was just as its name promised, "A place to get your wind back, a place to regroup and recharge and turn and face life again."

Rags accompanied the trio for the rest of the tour. Sang Min was impressed when Eun Chul threw a tennis ball and Rags ran and caught it.

"Can I try?" Sang Min asked Eun Chul.

"Sure. Rags loves it if somebody will play with him."

Sang Min threw the ball as best he could from his wheelchair. Rags had not been paying attention and did not catch it in the air, but he ran after the escaping ball and returned it to a delighted Sang Min.

"Are there other pets here?" Dae Han asked curiously.

"So far we have 6. We have Rags, a pony named Rufus, 2 cats named Romeo and Juliet, a Shi tzu named Prince, and a seeing-eye dog named Boss. Romeo, Juliet, and Prince stay mostly at the main building. They make friends with different residents and pretty much wander around as they like. They are pretty spoiled with all the attention they get. Boss is a working dog and helps with our residents who need vision impairment therapy. Rags stays outside most of the time. Rufus lives in that small barn over there. He has special saddles that allow him to give rides to just about anybody. Our residents like to get outside and have some fun with the animals."

Dae Han was impressed. After the last 2 months of Sang Min's hospital stays, he already sensed the difference at Second Wind. The staff walking around in normal clothing added to the feeling of normalcy. The beautiful natural surroundings, and animals like Rags running around brought an involuntary smile to his face. Dae Han had been so worried for Sang Min that he had not realized how the accident had taken its toll on him as well. Just the sight of a normal happy moment of a dog playing catch lifted his overly-tired spirits.

Meanwhile, Su Wan was back at the main building trying to persuade Tae Joon to move to a new room.

"No, I like my room. Why should I move? I was here first." Tae Joon was feeling surly.

"Because I think it would be good for Chin Hae and Sang Min to be together. They are both learning how to walk with prosthetic legs. They are about the same age. So, how about you be a good boy and move to Mr. Lim's room?"

"No. Mr. Lim is a grumpy old man. He'll yell at me for keeping my light on at night or for listening to music. No. I don't want to share a room."

"Well, how about we move you to the roof top room? You can stay up there all by yourself."

Tae Joon thought about the cozy room on top of Second Wind's roof. It had a great view. And he knew that it was a place when Su Wan often sought refuge. It was probably the closest thing to sharing a room with Su Wan as he would ever get.

"Ok, I'll move to the roof." Tae Joon agreed.

Su Wan made all the arrangements for the shifting of rooms. Throughout her busy day, in the back of her mind, she kept wondering how she was going to keep her promise to Jeong Hoon. She couldn't wait any longer. They needed money. They needed quite a bit of money and they needed it now.

Tae Joon called Su Wan just after the afternoon snack break. His father had asked him to attend a dinner function. A company that did a large percentage of business with Tower Industries was having its 35th Anniversary Celebration. Tae Joon told Su Wan to be ready to leave by six-thirty and to wear the best dress she had. He told her to bring lots of business cards.

"Why?" Su Wan didn't understand the urgency to attend this unknown company's anniversary party, nor the need to bring lots of business cards.

"Trust me. This is step one in my plan of sustainable funding for Second Wind."

"Going to parties is your sustainable funding idea?" Su Wan was sure Tae Joon was coming up with an excuse to get out of Second Wind and get some fancy food.

"Look, I don't question your aroma therapy or your fascination with chia seeds and blueberries. I just trust that you know what you're doing. Now, you need to give me the same kind of credit. My family makes money, it's what we do and we are damn good at it, if I do say so myself. So, Miss Doubter, be sure to put on some make-up and brush your hair properly and meet me outside at six-thirty."

Six-thirty found Su Wan rushing to get ready. She had started her preparations too late. She had hoped to wear a dress she had worn to a school reunion five years before only to find that it no longer fit. She mentally cursed her bad eating habits. A few too many times of eating junk food late at night with Jeong Hoon had its consequences. Her next best dress was a classic black sheath. Though it technically still fit, she filled it out well.

"I'm going on a diet." Su Wan told herself and she rushed a brush through her long black hair.

She was hastily applying makeup, most of which was old and barely usable. Su Wan sighed. When was the last time she had dressed up? How do other women have time to shop for clothes that fit or to replace their makeup?

Rebelliously she looked at her unpainted toenails as she slipped on her slightly scuffed black high-heeled sandals. The heel on one shoe wobbled slightly. Su Wan did not own another pair of dress shoes. These shoes must make it through this night. She slipped them off. She decided to wear her flip-flops to the car, she'd put on these shoes right before they went into the party. Maybe that would help them last through the night.

Tae Joon was getting impatient. Su Wan should have been down ten minutes ago. They would be late if she didn't hurry. Just as he was reaching for his phone, the doors of Second Wind slid open. Tae Joon caught his breath. Gone was the make-up less Su Wan with her characteristic pony tails, jeans and t-shirts. The curved figure with flowing black locks was a sight he would long remember. He was beginning to walk towards her when he heard Dae Han call her name.

"Su Wan."

Su Wan turned. The burly giant had been waiting at the entrance lobby for some time. He was taken aback by the appearance of Su Wan. Su Wan nervously ran a hand through her hair. Why did Dae Han need to talk to her right now?

Dae Han closed the distance between them. He had waited for her to ask her some questions about Sang Min's physical therapy, instead he found himself saying, "You look beautiful. Is there a special occasion?"

"She is going on a date with me." Tae Joon said while walking up to the two.

Dae Han looked questioningly at Su Wan, but Su Wan avoided his gaze. "Oh, I see. Well, I wanted to thank you for making room for Sang Min. I think he seems more at peace already. I just wanted to let you know that."

Dae Han continued staring at Su Wan, hoping she would look at him and acknowledge his praise. But Su Wan continued to look at the floor. For some reason she could not articulate even to herself, she felt awkward standing in front of Dae Han in her garb. For some reason, all dressed up like she was, she felt more like a woman, a desirable woman. She had caught Dae Han eyeing her approvingly. And it hurt that his approval still mattered to her, even though she wished it didn't.

Su Wan's silence angered Tae Joon further. He took a step nearer to Su Wan, wrapping a controlling arm around her waist and chided her, "Darling, we will be late. You put too much effort into your dress today. I told you not to make the other girls jealous, remember you are trying to make friends."

Tae Joon gave a half wave to Dae Han as they walked away. Dae Han decided he needed to find out who this Tae Joon really was.

Chapter 17

Su Wan was grateful for the distraction of driving to the party. The roads were full of cars. Su Wan was not often out at night and she found that driving to a new place in heavy traffic mercifully took all of her attention.

Tae Joon was also uncharacteristically quiet on the ride. He was trying to process what he had just witnessed. Just what was it between Dae Han and Su Wan? He got it that they used to be an item. But the cop guy was getting married in three months. It was over. It had been over for two years. So why did giant boy look like he was sucker punched at the sight of Su Wan in a dress? Why did the air seem charged with electricity whenever those two where within a meter of each other? And why did Su Wan seem to go from tower of strength to weakling just at the sight of Dae Han?

Tae Joon's musings were making him cantankerous. He barked at Su Wan for missing a turn. "Now we'll really be late. Can't you just follow the GPS?"

"I couldn't get over in time to make the turn. There are so many cars," replied a flustered Su Wan.

Tae Joon sunk further into his unreasonable irritation. He complained of the temperature in the car, the way Su Wan parked, the speed at which she walked.

"I can't run, slow down." He bellowed as Su Wan was trying to rush towards the elevators.

"You said we were late, I'm just trying to catch that elevator." Su Wan was wondering what was making Tae Joon so touchy today.

They rode the elevator in silence, both lost in their own thoughts. Su Wan gasped as the doors of the elevator opened. The lobby that led to the grand ballroom of the Imperial Hotel was lined with large congratulatory bouquets. The crowd of people was magnificently dressed. Instinctively, Su Wan grabbed Tae Joon's arm.

"Let's go back home." She whispered in his ear.

Tae Joon had been taken aback by Su Wan's sudden affectionate gesture. But when he saw her face, he knew it was terror and not the romance of the scene that made her cling to him. Tae Joon laughed, "Brace yourself my dear, you are going into battle. Imagine yourself a great hunter. Here before you is your bountiful prey. Rise, kill, and eat."

"I can't." Su Wan look of terror almost softened Tae Joon's heart.

"Just talk to people, introduce yourself. Hand out your card if you get a chance, talk about what matters most to you, talk about Second Wind. The money these people spend on their lattes could more than keep Second Wind afloat. It's not easy to meet these people. You have to have connections. So, get out there."

"Where are you going?"

"I need to go greet my father and there are a few others I must give my greetings to. I'll find you later."

Tae Joon mercilessly marched away, leaving Su Wan standing awkwardly by herself. She wanted to turn back towards the elevator and run back to her car. "Get a grip." Su Wan mentally chided herself. She made herself visualize herself promising Jeong Hoon that she would find some way of getting sustainable funding for Second Wind. She looked around at the people milling around. Some had small drinks in their hands. Su Wan decided she would ease into things. Her first step would be to get herself a drink.

As Su Wan began to move towards the refreshments, a young lady clad in a golden shimmering gown asked her if she was from Regent Industries.

"No, I'm with Second Wind." Su Wan replied.

"Second Wind? I don't think I've heard of it." The shimmering girl looked questioningly at Su Wan.

"I'm not surprised, we are a small rehab center. We help patients and families reach their full potential after the challenge of an illness or injury has left a permanent disability."

"Oh, I see. Well, if you'll excuse me, I see an old friend from school I should say hello to. It was nice meeting you." The shimmering gown quickly disappeared.

Over and over, meetings went like that. Su Wan introduced who she was and what she did and as quickly as they could, these sparkling people politely, oh so politely, escaped.

Tae Joon found himself enjoying the evening more than he had imagined he would. He was sincerely happy to see people he had not seen since his accident. Many inquired how he was and asked what he was up to now. Tae Joon enjoyed the splendor that surrounded him. The decorous people, the exquisite food, and the impeccable décor seemed normal. There was not one deformity in this crowd. There were no canes, no wheelchairs, and no fake limbs. Everything and everyone was perfect. It had been so long since he had been in this world of beauty and abundance, he had wondered if his memories were only dreams.

Tae Joon wondered how it was going with Su Wan. He watched from a distance a round of her introducing herself and being politely dismissed. "You can't win them all." Tae Joon tried to calm his rising anger. But as he watched Su Wan try again and again he could help but wonder what was wrong with these people.

Tae Joon decided to try it himself. He could give a pitch for Second Wind just like Su Wan was trying to do. To the next old friend that told Tae Joon that they were glad to see him back in the land of the living, Tae Joon replied, "Well, I wouldn't be here if it weren't for Second Wind, the rehab home that taught me how to live again. I can introduce you to the owner. She is here tonight looking for donors."

"Oh, yeah, I'd like to meet her, but I need to go check on my mom. She wasn't feeling so well a few minutes ago. Anyways, it was nice seeing you." And his friend walked a little too quickly away.

"What a jerk." Tae Joon consoled himself by mentally insulting his old acquaintance. Strangely, it hurt to be rejected. Tae Joon was not really an empathetic fellow, but if it was that uncomfortable for him to get the cold shoulder in this world that was very much his home he thought this had to be really hard on Su Wan. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.

He was standing there, watching Su Wan and contemplating what he should do when his old classmate, Hyun, interrupted his thinking.

"Who's the girl?" Hyun asked while taking a sip of his drink.

"She's going to be my wife." Tae Joon heard himself say. Tae Joon did not know which of the two of them were more shocked at his answer.

"Your wife? So, when's the wedding?" Hyun asked incredulously.

"Well, I need to finish my therapy first. And get back to work, so probably next June. But this is still a secret. The families are still meeting each other. She's the owner of the rehab center where I'm a patient. I'm hoping she'll be welcomed into our world, if you know what I mean. I'm gonna owe my friends that can make her feel at home here big time."

"I'd like to meet her." Hyun was a sharp guy and since he saw a chance to get into Tower Industries' good graces, he was going to take it.

Tae Joon introduced a very attentive and interested Hyun to Su Wan. Hyun was most interested as Su Wan described Second Wind and he asked for her business card. He promised that his finance person would contact her within the week. He told her that his accounting firm was always on the lookout for ways to invest back into the community and to please add his name to any communications that went out periodically updating people on the work that Second Wind was doing.

"And I'd be happy to promote it as an option to my accountants who could offer it as a tax-deductible charity that their clients could consider making donations to. Maybe you could stop by next week and leave some brochures that we could put out in our waiting rooms?"

Su Wan could hardly believe her good fortune. This would be a fantastic opportunity. She thanked Hyun profusely and went nearly skipping off to find the ladies' room.

"Thanks. I owe you." Tae Joon patted Hyun on the shoulder.

"Well, maybe we can have lunch next week. I have a friend that asked me if I could introduce you to him. He's a real estate developer in China. Would you have time to meet him?"

"I would if he came out to Second Wind. My therapy schedule is still pretty full. But if you can bring him by, we can have lunch there."

"Great. See next Wednesday?"

"Wednesday would work fine. Oh, Hyun, remember my relationship with Su Wan is still a secret. We aren't ready to announce it yet."

"Don't worry. No one will hear it from me."

Tae Joon smiled as he walked towards the dessert table. In twenty minutes that whole room would be trying to get on the good side of his "fiancée". Tae Joon was not resentful of the ways of working amongst the wealthy. He understood well that even their good deeds were calculated. Second Wind might not be interesting to this lot as a charity, but if it opened doors to Tower Industries, Su Wan would soon run out of business cards.

Su Wan was amazed at how well each conversation was going. She had numerous conversations much like that one she had with Hyun. Several people said they would be contacting her soon to make a donation. Two people had made large donations right on the spot. She was thinking Tae Joon had a great idea to bring her here when she went into the rest room when she overheard a conversation about Tae Joon.

"Did you hear Tae Joon is getting married to his nurse from his rehab center? I heard that they would be married next year. And Tae Joon is looking for people who will welcome her into our circle. He says he'll owe them big time, if we show her some kindness. My father gave that Rehab center 10,000,000 Won tonight."

Su Wan quietly backed out of the restroom. So that was what was going on.

Tae Joon was quite proud of himself on the way home. He thought Su Wan seemed quiet but that did not dampen his spirits. He had said he would find a way to get funding for Second Wind and he had.

Su Wan got out of the car after parking in her spot under the willow tree in front of Second Wind. She carried her heels in her hand and walked in her flip-flops towards the pond.

"Hey." Tae Joon called after her fleeing form.

Su Wan kept walking. Tae Joon hurried to catch up to her. When he was close enough, he reached out and grabbed her arm to stop her fast pace. He was shocked to see her quickly try and wipe her tears away.

"What? What happened? Why are you crying?"

Su Wan just shook her head. She was so angry she couldn't speak.

Tae Joon felt frightened seeing her like this. What had upset her so?

"Stop crying and tell me what happened." Tae Joon's tone resembled what he had heard Su Wan use on children who were totally beside themselves.

Su Wan raised a shaking arm to her face. She stammered, "They don't care. They don't care about Second Wind at all."

"What are you talking about? I heard them say they'll be contacting you to make donations. I saw them give you their cards and tell you to call them and stop by their offices."

Still shaking in furry Su Wan continued, "They don't care about the patients at Second Wind, they... they..." she was so angry the words would not come.

Tae Joon reached out and pulled her into his arms. He stroked her long hair and held her trying to will in her the courage to keep speaking.

"They want to impress you." Finally, the words rushed out in a wail.

Tae Joon felt he was standing on thin ice. One wrong move on his part would send them both crashing. How would he make Su Wan understand?

He was surprised she made no move to escape his hold, so he continued to hold her gently. In a few minutes he moved back and reached and took her hand. Slowly, he began to move in the direction of the pond. Instinctively he knew she needed to move to help ease her frustration.

"Su Wan, if you had met me seven months ago, before the accident, if you had told me all about Second Wind. About all the needy patients, about the cool cutting-edge therapy techniques, about everything, I could not have been bothered. I wouldn't have listened to you at all. I'm not proud of that; I'm just trying to see things from their point of view. Brain damage has changed me."

At that they both laughed. Tae Joon continued. "It really has. I could never have been able to relate or to care about something like Second Wind if I had not had that experience."

Su Wan stopped and tried to pull her hand away, fiercely she argued, "So what am I supposed to do? Make sure all rich people suffer brain damage? They are human aren't they? I don't have to be blind to know that being blind would be horrible. Can't they feel for people less fortunate than they are?"

Tae Joon sighed, "I know this sounds bad, but no, they can't. I mean not really. Not the way you and Jeong Hoon do. But they can care for the less fortunate if it gets them something they want, like a good reputation or good connections. Good business is about helping people get what they want. You need to ask yourself how can I get for my donors what they want."

"What kind of crap thinking is that? I want to provide a place where a little boy who lost his leg can learn to walk and you're telling me to worry about what the donor can get out of it? Does that not seem twisted to you?"

Tae Joon knew he was pushing her, but he continued. It was about time the idealistic Su Wan rethought the problem of funding.

"You need to understand that Chin Hae and Sang Min and all the other patients that you would live and die for are of no real importance to most donors. Only what they can get from donating matters."

"That's why I hate this so much. I feel dirty. I feel like I'm selling my own children. Why do I have to work so hard? And why do I have to beg for the privilege to work like a slave? And why even when I do, that is not enough to move their purse strings, but one look at you and the wallets open?"

Tae Joon didn't answer and Su Wan didn't expect him to. They finished their stroll under the beautiful night sky in silence.

As they returned to Second Wind, Su Wan said, "I know I should be more thankful for tonight and most likely next week when I can pay bills that I otherwise would not be able to pay, then I will be. I'm sorry that I can't feel that way just yet."

Tae Joon squeezed her hand. "It's okay. This is new to both of us. We'll just have to figure things out as we go."

Chapter 18

Chin Hae was lying in bed contemplating revenge on his new roommate. Last night, he had left his room to watch TV with Pastor Lim. Pastor Lim had suffered a stroke and he had moved into Second Wind three weeks ago. He always had lots of visitors and his visitors always brought the best stuff. Pastor Lim's room held all manner of sweets, drinks, and fresh fruits. It was a favorite hang-out for Chin Hae.

Two days ago, Pastor Lim had told Chin Hae he could have a box of chocolates that one of his elders had brought him if Chin Hae could recite all the books of the New Testament of the Bible. Chin Hae had studied and recited the names of all 27 books. He had taken his prize chocolates back to his room and left them on his dresser.

Then his new roommate Sang Min had moved in. Chin Hae was not happy to see Tae Joon moving out to make room for this new kid. And this morning, his treasured chocolates were missing. Sang Min swore up and down that he didn't take them, but Chin Hae was sure that he did. He couldn't prove it, but he was going to make sure Sang Min knew not to mess with him.

Chin Hae got up when Su Wan came into the room to get Sang Min and bring him to the gym. He coughed three times and sniffled. Su Wan walked over and put a hand on Chin Hae's forehead. He had no fever. "Are you feeling ok?" she asked.

"I'm not feeling so well today and I didn't sleep so well. Maybe because I was so scared."

"Scared? What are you scared of?"

"I keep having nightmares that someone comes into my room and steals all my stuff." Chin Hae said with a slight tremor.

"Chin Hae, that was just a bad dream. You're safe here and no one will take your things."

Chin Hae looked over at Sang Min. "Well, maybe I had that dream because someone took my box of chocolates."

"You lost some chocolates?"

"I didn't lose them. Someone took them. I left them right here and then Tae Joon moved-out and Sang Min moved-in and now they are gone." Chin Hae said in a half-wail.

"Well, maybe Tae Joon took them by mistake when he was packing. I'll check with him when I see him." Su Wan said soothingly.

Chin Hae gave a little pathetic cough. Su Wan wondered if he really was coming down with something.

"How about you go back to bed and get some extra rest. I'll check into the missing chocolates after I bring Sang Min to the gym." Su Wan tucked Chin Hae back in bed. Chin Hae was usually a cheerful little guy. Su Wan wondered if he really was sick or if something else was bothering him.

Su Wan absentmindedly took Sang Min to the gym. She had more important things on her mind than lost chocolates. Today she was meeting with Jung Ah's mother. It was getting close to the time when she should be released to start her life at home. But which home would she be going to? Baek Hyeon really wanted her to come and live with him. His home was larger and could accommodate her wheelchair and other special fixtures that were needed to help Jung Ah be independent in the house.

But Jung Ah's mother was adamant. Jung Ah would be returning to her childhood home and her mother would care for her. Su Wan had observed how Jung Ah responded to her mother. There were no happy snorts or twisted smiles when her mother was around. Her mother constantly called her a poor child whose life had been forever ruined by the careless Baek Hyeon. Her mother was a flaming ball of negative energy. She would arrive at Second Wind bemoaning and cursing her fate. Her extreme negativity affected all she came into contact with.

Jung Ah's mother had been widowed at a young age. Jung Ah was her only child, whom she had raised with obsessive care. If only Jung Ah had never met Baek Hyeon, Jung Ah's mother always lamented. Jung Ah's mother had vowed she would never forgive Baek Hyeon for the accident that had caused her daughter's injuries.

Several times Jung Ah's mother had been counseled that her behavior was having an extremely negative impact on Jung Ah's recovery. Jung Ah's mother was suffering from severe depression and had been in counseling and was also taking the prescribed medication, but nothing seemed to work. Her bitterness at the tragedies of life oozed out with every venomous word she uttered.

Su Wan thought it would be dangerous to both Jung Ah and her mother for them to live together. Jung Ah's care would be physically, emotionally, and financially draining. Her mother just did not have the mental and emotional stamina to cope.

But legally there was nothing Su Wan could do. Jung Ah's mother had been named her guardian after the accident. She had the legal right to make all of the decisions regarding Jung Ah's care. That was the main reason why Jung Ah had been at Second Wind for so long. Baek Hyeon had begged Su Wan to keep her. At least here, he could come and visit. Baek Hyeon was sure that Jung Ah's mother would not let him visit once Jung Ah left Second Wind.

Everyone had been hoping that as Jung Ah's mother would come to terms with things as time passed, but she did not grow better as the months passed, instead her bitterness seemed to grow with each passing day. Su Wan knew that there was nothing else Second Wind could do for Jung Ah. They were a rehab center, preparing their patients to return to their homes. Second Wind was not a long-term care facility.

Su Wan had looked at several long-term care facilities. She had recommended that if Jung Ah did not move-in with Baek Hyeon, then perhaps her mother should put her into such a facility. Jung Ah's mother said she did not have enough money for that. Baek Hyeon offered to pay, because then at least he would have been able to see Jung Ah, but Jung Ah's mother had refused his offer.

Su Wan put a hand to her head. No matter how many times she puzzled over this dilemma, she could not see a way out. Baek Hyeon had decided to sue Jung Ah's mom for guardianship of Jung Ah. He was preparing to claim that her age and her depression made her an unfit guardian of someone with Jung Ah's care needs. But the likelihood of Baek Hyeon winning such a lawsuit was slim. The law usually sided with parents in such cases. Baek Hyeon was not even her husband. Boyfriends have very few rights when it comes to making decisions for patients who are not able to make their own decisions.

Jung Ah's case had made Su Wan contemplate adding a long-term care facility on the grounds of Second Wind. Jung Ah was not the first patient to go home to less than ideal conditions. But Second Wind was still too new and still suffering from growing pains. Su Wan knew she was years away from tackling an addition like that. And that would be too late for Jung Ah.

Su Wan took a moment to daydream. "If I were made of money, I'd start building today. It could be finished by next spring. I'd start hiring staff and train them using our rehab residents."

Su Wan shook herself from her useless daydream. The fact of the matter was, she was not made of money. In fact, she needed to get to her office and start following up on the introductions she got at the party.

Jeong Hoon was in the office when she arrived. Romeo was purring on his lap. Jeong Hoon's large spectacles had slipped to the end of his nose. He was busy filling in therapy schedules in the residents' charts.

"We need to hurry up and put in the swimming pool." He said to Su Wan without looking up from his work.

"We've put it off for a whole year, but we really need one. It is too much trouble transporting patients to use the one at the swimming club."

"We can start as soon as the contractor can get out here." Su Wan replied with a cheeky smile.

"Really?!?" Baek Hyeon was shocked. He jumped up from his seat, spilling disgruntled Romeo to the floor. "How can we?"

"Last night, Tae Joon introduced me to several of his family's business friends. Two made large donations right on the spot and several asked me to follow-up with them and let them know how they can help. And one guy, with an accounting firm, is going to let us advertise our cause to his clients."

Baek Hyeon stared at her speechless. "Are you sure these contacts will come through?"

"Well, I guess you can't ever be 100% sure until the money is in the bank. I'm planning to make some calls and set up some visits, but I really think we'll be able to start on the pool project. Maybe you should give me a couple weeks before you actually call the contractor." Su Wan had been disappointed by potential donors more times than she could count.

Baek Hyeon took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. He slowly paced the office. "I was this close to giving up this time." He showed his thumb and his index finger a millimeter apart. "Last night I was searching hospitals for job openings."

"You did not. You'd never leave me." Su Wan replied with the confidence of the truly loved.

"Well, I thought about it."

"You did not; the only thing you thought about last night was if I'd be able to take you any food home from the party."

Jeong Hoon smiled. He had wondered if there would be any special treats today. "So, did you get me some good food?"

"This did not seem like the kind of party that sent the leftovers home, sorry. No food for you. But the food I had there was really good." Su Wan was having fun rubbing it in.

"Whatever. As long as you can pay me this month, I won't complain that you got to eat the good food."

"After we get the pool built, we will have a big celebration. I'll buy you whatever you want to eat." Su Wan boasted.

"You are all talk and no food. You already promised me dinner after we finished putting in the dock at the pond. That was over a year ago."

Su Wan vaguely remembered that promise. "Are you sure we didn't celebrate the dock?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I remember food. Food is a friend that never disappoints you."

"That's true. Okay. I'm sorry. I owe you two celebrations. There. Happy?"

Jeong Hoon returned his oversized spectacles to their place and smiled. "Happy," he replied, smiling.

Su Wan was just settling in to make some follow-up calls when her cell phone sounded with a call from the gym.

"What? Fighting? I'll be right there." Su Wan was moving before she even hung up the call.

"Fighting? Who's fighting?"

"Chin Hae and Sang Min," Su Wan yelled over her shoulder as she sped off in the direction of the gym.

When Su Wan arrived, one nurse was struggling to keep hold of Chin Hae, while another was doing her best to hold on to Sang Min. Both boys seem bent on escaping so that they could continue beating each other. Su Wan was just about to intervene when Dae Han strolled in.

His deep voice bellowed, "Stop!" and everyone stopped. There was immediate silence. He gave Sang Min a withering look and walked up to Chin Hae.

In his professional, calm, cop voice he asked, "Can you tell me what is going on here?"

"I was just telling my trainer to keep a good eye on her stuff because when this guy shows up stuff goes missing. And then he comes over here and starts hitting me."

Dae Han turned to Sang Min, "Okay, let's hear your version."

Sang Min sat on the floor in stubborn silence. Dae Han was familiar with his nephew's stubbornness. "You have until the count of three to give me your version of the story. If you don't, I'm going to believe this young man's version. Do you have anything to add?" Dae Han offered Sang Min another opportunity to explain, even though he knew that Sang Min was too stubborn to take olive branches when they were offered.

Sang Min crossed his arms and looked at the floor. Dae Han just watched him. Suddenly, Dae Han shouted, "Three!" and turned to Chin Hae.

"I'd like to apologize for the misconduct of my nephew." As Dae Han spoke he gave a slight bow.

Sang Min sent his Uncle a withering look, which Dae Han merely returned with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"You didn't count to three." Sang Min retorted.

"I count in my head." Dae Han retorted back.

Dae Han reached down and lifted his nephew effortlessly off the floor. The boy squirmed at this further humiliation. Dae Han gave him a hard slap on his backside. "Calm down. You've made quite the introduction of yourself here today. I'm taking you back to your room until you learn how to go to the gym without beating people."

Dae Han carried a very angry Sang Min back to his room. The furious Sang Min used his one leg to kick his Uncle on the journey back to his room.

Su Wan watched Dae Han carry the kicking Sang Min from the gym. All her sympathies went to Sang Min. She wondered how Dae Han could be so hard on the kid? But she didn't interfere. She had learned a long time ago to just let parents handle the discipline of their kids. If you step in, both the parent and the child will resent you.

She walked over to Chin Hae. "Chin Hae, why do you keep talking about Sang Min stealing stuff? I've known Sang Min for years. He'd never take anything that wasn't his. I think you are really hurting his feelings."

"Well, where are my chocolates?" demanded the unrepentant Chin Hae.

"I don't know. But that does not mean Sang Min took them. How would you like it if I accused you of stealing everything I lose?"

"I didn't lose it. Somebody took it." Chin Hae stubbornly insisted.

"Okay, but you still don't know who that somebody is. So knock it off. People are considered innocent until proven guilty. Now, stop causing problems, and get back to your exercises." Feeling that she had admonished Chin Hae enough, Su Wan left the gym.

Su Wan had more important matters to attend to but she decided to check and see if Tae Joon knew anything about the box of chocolates. She climbed the stairs to the roof and went into Tae Joon's roof top room.

Tae Joon was lounging on the couch, reading a book and munching on a box of chocolates.

"Are those your chocolates?!?" Su Wan yelled.

A startled Tae Joon dropped his book and looked at the offending chocolates. "Well, I think somebody gave them to Chin Hae, they were on his dresser."

"Then why did you take them?"

"Because I wanted them." Tae Joon replied.

"That kid is the biggest candy hog in this place. I'm doing him a favor. I'm probably saving him from diabetes later in life." Tae Joon was quite proud of his self-justification.

"Did you ask him if you could have these?"

"No, I don't have to ask. He gives me candy all the time. He's like a black market dealer in this stuff. He's got suppliers and a distribution network, the whole works. I'm telling you I'm on the inside with Chin Hae, so if you want any of the goods, I can get some for you too." Tae Joon gave a Su Wan a knowing smile.

Su Wan suddenly felt exhausted. She sank down on the couch and reached her hand out. Tae Joon smiled and put a golden-wrapped chocolate in her hand. She popped the tasty morsel into her mouth. After she finished, she turned to Tae Joon.

"There was a fist fight over these chocolates down in the gym."

"No way."

"Yep. Chin Hae and Sang Min got into a fist fight because Chin Hae thought Sang Min took his candy."

"Man, that kid is crazy about his candy. Maybe he should be weaned off it. Maybe he's hooked on it, like people get hooked on drugs." Tae Joon remarked with feigned concern.

"It's not funny. Chin Hae's got a black eye. If you had told Chin Hae that you took his candy, none of this would have happened."

"Ok, it's all my fault. I was wrong. I'll give the little candy pig back his chocolates." Tae Joon said, but he didn't seem sorry at all.

"Thank you."

"Can you read a chapter with me? I've been kind of worried about those orphans." Tae Joon pleaded.

"I wish I could, but I've got tons of work to do."

"Can I do some of it? Then you'll be done faster."

Su Wan was taken aback by the offer. With Dae Han, whenever she had told him she couldn't do something because she had too much to do, he would get angry and say she never had time for him. Or he would pout and complain and give a speech on misplaced priorities. He never offered to help. Su Wan never expected anything like help from Dae Han. It seemed a given that she was the one who needed to make time for him, and not the other way around.

"Sure, I'd love some help. But even if you help me, I may not have time to read today," Su Wan said realistically.

"That's okay, maybe tomorrow we find out what our little orphans are up to."

"The first thing you are going to help me with is Chin Hae. Please go tell him what happened to his chocolates and then you can meet me at the office."

Chapter 19

Tae Joon almost regretted his offer to help. By the end of the day he'd made twenty phone calls and set up four visits of potential donors to tour the facilities of Second Wind for next week. He'd been pretty successful with his calls. It definitely helped to be the heir of Tower Industries when asking for donations.

Tae Joon had seen little of Su Wan for the rest of the day. She had been in and out of the office. Just before six he had seen her briefly come into the office to get a file. Her eyes were red and it looked like she'd been crying.

"What's wrong?"

"People can be so stubborn and so stupid!" Su Wan was uncharacteristically honest in her reply.

"That's true. Who is being especially stubborn and stupid today?" Tae Joon asked cheerfully.

"Jung Ah's mother. Baek Hyeon is going to sue her for guardianship. We just sat and pleaded with her for over an hour and she simply will not listen to what is best for her daughter.

"And now I have to go and yell at the supplier to our kitchen. The cook just told me they keep sending us wilted vegetables and now they are short-changing us on our meat." Su Wan wondered what else could go wrong today.

"Let me yell at them. I love yelling at people, and I'm really scary." Tea Joon offered.

Su Wan gave him a wondering look. Maybe it would not be a good idea to delegate a job like that. They could lose their supplier. Su Wan would love to pass on the odious chore, but she wasn't sure about how Tae Joon would handle such a conversation. "Don't be too mean. They are the cheapest supplier we could find."

"Don't worry. I'll be just the right level of scary, just give me the number. Whenever you need people yelled at, just come to me, I'm your man."

Su Wan texted him the number. "Remember, we need them to deliver every day, so be polite, but firm."

"Don't worry. I'm an expert negotiator. Just go take care of your patients and leave these wilty vegetable sellers to me." Tae Joon had a slightly wicked gleam in his eye that Su Wan did not entirely trust. But Su Wan hated scolding vendors so she was happy to leave the abhorrent task to someone else.

It was after nine when Su Wan knocked on the door of Tae Joon's rooftop room.

"Hey, you want to check on the orphans? I brought hot chocolate."

Tae Joon was surprised and pleased. He was feeling a little lonely up here without Chin Hae.

An hour later, the orphan that had stayed at the orphanage had found a retired English teacher to come and teach him English. In exchange, he cleaned the old man's house and did yard work. He wanted to learn English because his love had moved to America and he was afraid he wouldn't be able to communicate with her or her new family when she came back. And the poor orphan thought he might even have to move America to find her when he grew up.

"This kid is unbelievable, who would do that for a girl? He's never even kissed her. She's going to forget him anyways." Tae Joon found the hero unbelievable.

"No, it's sweet. That what real love is like. You'd do anything for the person you love, you'd go through any hardship." Su Wan loved the spirit and tenacity of the hero from the tale of orphans.

"Hog wash. Guys are not like that. I know. I'm a guy. Guys are like 'What? Cross the street for a girl, no way, she'd better cross the street and come to me because I won't even bother to cross the street for her."

"You have no soul." Su Wan protested. "A real man holds the woman he loves as a treasure in his heart. He can't stand to see her suffer even the slightest hurt. He thinks of her all the time. No sacrifice is too costly."

Tae Joon started to make vomiting sounds. Su Wan slapped him. "You've been reading too many books. Let me assure you, men are not the self-sacrificing gender. We are an entitled lot. We are rather focused on our appetites and our egos. Girls are only interesting to us as a means to feed our appetites and stroke our egos."

"You say that because you haven't ever really loved a girl. When you find a girl you really love, you won't be as shallow as a spoon."

"Dream on, my dear. All men are shallow. They are as shallow as knives. Spoons are way too deep to be compared to men. Don't be so insulting to cutlery."

"I think you protest too much. You hide your real heart behind a veneer of superficiality."

"Girls always want to believe that there is more to us guys than meets the eye, but in reality, we are even worse than we seem. That is why there are so many books like this, where the hero is a thoughtful, loyal, self-sacrificing, and generous soulmate, and he goes to great lengths for the women he loves. This is why most women are so disappointed in their men. If all of the heroes in books were reasonably dull, selfish, pig-headed and picked their noses more, women wouldn't be so shocked after they get married."

Su Wan laughed. "I can't wait to read that book. Where the heroine falls desperately in love with a first-class jerk, that sounds really inspiring." Su Wan said sarcastically.

"It's realistic." Tae Joon insisted.

"You can keep your realism. If you're right, I'd rather not know. My dream man cares about things other than himself."

"Okay, but you can't say that I didn't warn you."

Chapter 20

Chin Hae and Sang Min spent most of their days learning how to balance and how to use their prosthetic legs. Although the chocolate episode had been solved, they seemed to continue their adversarial relationship.

Dae Han was spending his day off watching Sang Min's progress and he had noticed that time had not brought the boys closer together. As Dae Han watched Su Wan interact with each youngster, an idea came to him.

Later, when Sang Min had a break for lunch, Dae Han stopped Su Wan. "Can we talk?" Dae Han asked.

"Sure."

"Let's walk outside; I'd like to get some fresh air."

Su Wan wondered what Dae Han wanted. She didn't rush him. From experience she knew he would speak when he was ready and not a moment before. After strolling for a few minutes, he began. "I think I know why Chin Hae and Sang Min don't get along."

The subject matter shocked Su Wan. She had not known that the animosity between the two was so noticeable.

She waited for Dae Han to continue.

"I think Chin Hae is jealous."

"Jealous?" the idea shocked Su Wan. "Jealous of what?"

"Well, before Sang Min came, Chin Hae was the only boy here. He got everybody's attention." Dae Han kept walking, wondering if Su Wan got the point. When she didn't say anything he continued, "Mostly, he got your attention."

Su Wan was shocked speechless. Was Chin Hae acting this way out of jealousy?

Dae Han continued. "And I think Sang Min is jealous too. It used to be that Sang Min was the most important little boy in your heart and now you have Chin Hae. He probably is not so happy about that either."

Dae Han continued to walk, looking straight ahead. He didn't say that he could understand how Sang Min felt. He felt the same way when he saw Tae Joon. Dae Han used to be the one that brought a sparkle to Su Wan's eyes. He didn't like it one bit when he saw how Su Wan looked at Tae Joon.

They walked to the dock and stood looking out at the water. Finally Su Wan spoke. "Well, if that's the case, what should I do?"

"You don't have to do anything. Guys fighting over the attention of a girl is as old as time. I just thought I should tell you, because you seemed bothered that they don't get along."

"I thought that since they are so close in age and that they are going through the same thing, that they could be friends who could understand each other in a way most people won't be able to relate to," Su Wan said.

"That was a good idea. You couldn't have known that they'd act like typical guys." Dae Han smiled.

Tae Joon had been looking out from his roof top balcony and he saw Dae Han and Su Wan strolling back to Second Wind. It made him nervous to see them together. "What is it to you?" he scolded himself.

Tae Joon turned and sat down. Why did it matter if Su Wan spent time with Dae Han? At first he thought it was because he knew that Su Wan still admired her first love greatly. What if she fell for him again? Wouldn't she be heartbroken all over again when he married that fiancée of his? But deeper down there was another fear, what if Dae Han realized what he had lost? What if it wasn't Su Wan's love that was rekindled? What if it was Dae Han's?

Up to this point in his life, Tae Joon had really not experienced feelings of envy or jealousy. Tae Joon knew he was a great catch in any normal girl's mind. He was young, handsome, and wealthy. These three things would make him incredibly hard to beat in any love triangle.

But Su Wan wasn't a normal girl. She had a way of making him realize things he had never considered before. In her presence he was acutely aware of their age gap. Tae Joon was six years younger than Su Wan. Dae Han was four years older than Su Wan. In some people's view, the older guy would be the better bet.

Tae Joon was also known as a selfish playboy. His greatest life achievement to this point was getting the highest score on RuneScape. On the other hand, Dae Han was a real life hero. He was a selfless police officer of stellar reputation.

And worst of all, Dae Han had Sang Min. Su Wan was the kind of girl that would fall for guy because he had a stray kid for her to mother. Meanwhile, Tae Joon didn't even have a pet goldfish.

The old Tae Joon was not even the kind of person that Tae Joon would have admired. But for the first time in his life, he wanted to be admired for something unrelated to his looks or wealth. He wanted to be someone that Su Wan would admire, or that even he himself would admire. He wanted to be the kind of man that could give Dae Han a run for his money.

Tae Joon sighed to himself. It took years to build a life like that, and so far he had spent his life avoiding anything that made him mature or accomplished. He had purposely avoided maturing as a form of protest against his parents.

Exactly why he needed to protest against his parents he had never fully articulated. It just seemed to him that he needed to resist. But lately that feeling was lessening. Now he felt impatient to get back to Tower Industries and start proving his abilities.

Still, he wondered if it was already too late. Would someone like Su Wan be willing to wait for him to grow up? With his late start, would he ever be the kind of man that would even make the giant Dae Han take notice?

Tae Joon wanted to spend more time on his reflections, but the subject dampened his normal upbeat mood, so he decided to take a walk. He told himself it was a mere coincidence that he went in the same direction he had seen Su Wan and Dae Han head a few moments before.

Tae Joon met Su Wan and Dae Han as they reached the entrance to Second Wind. He glared at the police officer. He wished this guy would somehow disappear. Su Wan seemed glad to see Tae Joon. Her smile returned, "What have you been up to?" she inquired.

"Oh, nothing much. I was just going for a walk."

"Do you want me to go with you?" Su Wan was quite sure Tae Joon was fine to walk on his own about the grounds of Second Wind, but still she felt better if he was not alone, as he was the sort to try too much, too soon.

"No, I think I'll just make a loop around the pond and try and make it back before lunch." Tae Joon wanted more time to settle his thoughts.

"I'd like a chance to talk with you." Dae Han spoke up. He turned to Su Wan, "I'll see ya later."

Dae Han and Tae Joon went off walking towards the pond. Su Wan watched with trepidation as they walked away. "This can't be a good thing." Su Wan thought to herself as she entered Second Wind with a backward glance at the retreating figures.

Dae Han automatically slowed his normally brisk walk to accommodate Tae Joon's still slow gait. He looked at the young man resolutely walking beside him. Dae Han thought that Tae Joon looked like a kid. He mentally chided himself for being worried that Su Wan might actually be interested in this guy. He was nothing but a spoiled rich kid, merely one of Su Wan's many charity projects. "She must just feel sorry for this guy," the older officer comforted himself with this thought.

Tae Joon was the first to break the silence. "Su Wan tells me that you two used to date."

Dae Han was surprised the Su Wan would have talked with this youngster about their relationship. "Yes, we dated for several years. Su Wan is still very important to me." The giant of a man looked squarely into Tae Joon's eyes as he spoke.

"She also tells me you are getting married soon." Tae Joon countered.

Dae Han dropped his gaze for a moment. He had been questioning his up-coming nuptials, but he was not about to bring that up. He answered, "Yes, I'll be getting married in March."

"March? That's three months from now. I'll be sure to send a gift." Tae Joon said with a wicked smile.

"There's no need."

"Well, any friend of Su Wan's is a friend of mine." Tae Joon pridefully enjoyed rubbing salt into an obvious wound.

Dae Han dropped his friendly demeanor, "You aren't Su Wan's friend. You are a patient. In a few weeks or months you will be replaced with another patient, who will then be the new center of Su Wan's attention."

"Well, that's where you're wrong big guy. I won't be going anywhere. After rehab is over, I plan on being a very big part of Su Wan's world." Tae Joon said, as if daring Dae Han to disagree.

The big man stopped. With difficulty, he reminded himself that this kid was just trying to provoke him. He counted to three before he responded in a voice that sounded calmer than he felt. "There is no room in Su Wan's world for a man, not a healthy man anyways. There is only room for Second Wind and patients. I tried for four years to find a place in that world, trust me, as soon as you are healthy, she won't give you a second thought." Dae Han's voice was full of bitterness.

"Wrong again." Tae Joon contradicted. "You wanted to be Su Wan's world. No one should be so greedy. She is not like other girls. You can't expect that her whole life will revolve around waiting for you to come home or making your dinner. This is Su Wan we are talking about. It is enough for me if she lets me be a part of her world. If I get to be a part of making her dreams happen, that is more than enough for me. I don't need her to sit around and prove she loves me. If she opens her heart and lets me love her, that's more then I need."

Dae Han looked sadly at the young man in front of him. Dae Han felt a sharp rebuke in Tae Joon's words. But Dae Han had several years of experience trying to enter Su Wan's world. "I thought that I could be a part of her dreams, but there was no room for me. She was always busy with somebody else, always." Dae Han countered with a touch of bitterness.

Tae Joon wondered if the giant before him was really as smart as Su Wan thought he was. "Well, what did you do to help her? Scold her for being busy? Berate her for having no time? Did you lift a finger to help? You have a mistaken expectation that you should be the center of Su Wan's world. I don't have to be the center of her world. But I am damn sure that I will do whatever it takes to be a part of her world."

Dae Han sighed. He wondered to himself why this punk seemed to be trying to pick a fight with him. Somewhere deep down, he knew the boy had a point, but Dae Han was far from willing to admit it. "Well, I don't think it will be as easy as you think it is. Loving Su Wan and sharing Su Wan with every other person and never being able to compete isn't as fun as it sounds. How do you compete with a blind man, or a stroke victim? You'll always lose. I guess I just got tired of losing."

"Funny," Tae Joon replied, "Somehow, I think that just being in the game means I'm the one who won the jackpot."

Dae Han stopped walking. He had heard enough criticism from Tae Joon. He had been holding back, knowing that he was the older and stronger of the two. He was a fair man, and did not relish the thought of fighting with a patient. But Tae Joon's remarks had hit a nerve and the normally gentle giant decided to score some points of his own.

Looking Tae Joon full in the face he casually remarked, "Do you know what kind people Su Wan hates most in this world? Spoiled rich kids. I heard you were accepted here so that she could pay some bills. Make no mistake; you are just another patient to Su Wan. As soon as you are better, you will be out of sight and out of mind. Don't even dream of having a girl like her. Su Wan can't be bought, and all you got going for you is your daddy's money."

Chapter 21

"Finally" Su Wan stretched. "I thought I'd never finish." No one was in the office to hear Su Wan celebrate the achievement of filling out the daily therapy charts. Paperwork was not Su Wan's strong suit. She usually avoided the odious duty but this time she had lost a bet to Jeong Hoon. Su Wan wanted to move on to a more enjoyable task. She had been wondering how the fictitious orphans were getting along, so she went in search of Tae Joon.

It was about the time where most of the residents of Second Wind were going to bed. The lights in the hallways were dimmed, allowing those that needed to roam the hallways some light, but not light enough to disturb the residents who were sleeping. Tae Joon was happy to see Su Wan slip quietly into the almost empty lounge. He had been hoping that she would come looking for him when she finished her work for the day.

"You want some hot chocolate?" Su Wan offered as she walked up.

"With marshmallows?" He smiled.

"Sorry, no marshmallows, but I think I have some cookies." Su Wan sweetened her deal.

"Sure, let's go."

On their way to the rooftop, they stopped and got the coveted hot chocolate and cookies. As they made their way across the rooftop, Tae Joon looked out at the beautiful night. It was a night with a full moon, and you could see all the way to the pond. Tae Joon and Su Wan stood a while in silence looking out into the darkness.

"It looks like there are people down on the dock." Tae Joon lazily remarked.

Su Wan peered in the direction of the dock. Who would be there at this time of night? As she was looking, she thought she could make out one figure pushing a wheel chair. "Who is that?" She wondered aloud. Suddenly, the figures disappeared from view.

Su Wan gave a scream. Her cup of cocoa dropped to the floor. Tae Joon was frozen in shock. She grabbed his shoulders.

"Look at me! Someone fell in the pond. Get help. Tell them to get to the pond. Call Jeong Hoon. Call the police. Get help as soon as you can." Tae Joon heard the words, but felt his mind slipping away from him.

Su Wan was already running towards the stairs. "Get help now!" She yelled as she sprinted towards the pond.

"Please God, please, let them be okay." Su Wan silently prayed as she ran. Part of her mind was focused on running as fast as she could, the other part was dreading what she find when she got there. The logical side of her mind told her that she was too late. It would take her too long to get to the pond to be of any help to whomever it was that had fallen in.

As she was nearing the dock she heard Rags' frantic barking. Rags was standing at the end of the dock barking as he looked at the dark waters. Su Wan noticed a pair of shoes placed near the end of the dock. Without hesitation she jumped in. She knew the water was not very deep at the end of the dock, eight feet at most. She dived into the cold blackness, spreading her arms wide. She bumped something and grabbed it. It felt like a limb. She pulled, and it did not move. She needed air. Now that she knew where they were, she would try again to pull them to the surface. She broke the surface and gulped in a breath. This time dived straight for the floor of the pond; blindly she swung her arms until she hit it. She grabbed it. It was a wheelchair. Su Wan wrestled with the safety belt that held the person in place in the chair. Without being able to see, she could not free the person. She knew it was too late for whoever was in that chair, she also knew she needed to return to the surface for air, but she could not force herself to stop trying.

She was still struggling with the belt in the cold blackness when another blackness seemed to engulf her.

Meanwhile, Tae Joon had run down the stairs towards the office. As he reached the hallway, he couldn't remember, was the office to the right or left? No, no, no, he cursed his broken brain. He could feel his mind slipping away. He stood still, took a deep breath and screamed.

"Help! Help me!"

Several people came running. The first to arrive was Dae Han. "What? What happened?"

Tae Joon was breathing hard and all he could say was "Su...Wan..."

Dae Han grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "Su Wan what?!?"

Tae Joon closed his eyes and forced himself to concentrate. What is the word? What do you call that place? Why can't he remember the word?

Dae Han shook him again and yelled, "Where is she?"

"....po..... po...pond"

"Oh my god!" Dae Han left Tae Joon and ran for the pond.

Jeong Hoon arrived shortly after Dae Han left. He and Tae Joon went into the office and called the police. "I'm going to the pond. You can watch what is happening on the security cameras. Tell the police when they arrive where to go."

Tae Joon sank into Su Wan's desk chair. Through the screen, he saw Dae Han arrive at the dock. The big man was faster than he looked. He dived off the end of the dock and disappeared from sight for what seemed a long time. Tae Joon saw him pull a body out of the water. The body wasn't moving. Tae Joon was frozen to his seat. He thought the clothes looked like Su Wan. He could not be sure, it was so dark, it was hard to make out what was happening. He wondered if the limp body Dae Han had pulled from the water was Su Wan.

He saw the giant figure bending over the body. For what seemed an eternity, the only thing he could make out was the giant form of Dae Han bent over a still figure and finally the figure moved. Tae Joon breathed. He had not realized he had been holding his breath. Dae Han carried the figure to the shore just as Jeong Hoon was arriving. Tae Joon put his head in his hands and wished he knew how to pray. Not a praying man, he simply gave thanks to whatever deity had watched over Su Wan.

The sound of the rescue workers drew Tae Joon back to the present. He left the office only to be told to go back to his room by a stressed out nurse. All the patients had to remain in their rooms until the situation was under control. Tae Joon went back to the office to watch the events of this tragic evening unfold on the security monitors.

From there he witnessed two forms retrieved from the dark waters. He witnessed Baek Hyeon's arrival and he saw Dae Han stop the young man from joining his love at the bottom of the pond. He saw Su Wan and Dae Han working together as deftly and courageously as possible under the circumstances.

As the hours passed, and he was unable to do anything but helplessly watch the monitors, he wondered, when this hellish night ended, what would Su Wan need? She would be wet and cold. She would be tired. Maybe she would be hungry or thirsty?

Most of all, Su Wan would be desolate. She would blame herself. How would he encourage her? Tae Joon paced the room. He was not the encouraging kind. He had never supported anyone through a hard time. Tae Joon was a taker, not a giver. Now, when he wanted to give all he had, he wondered did he have anything that mattered to give? Once again his all-powerful money would be of no use in the face of grief.

It was almost morning when Su Wan stumbled into her room. Tae Joon was asleep on her bed. She smiled in spite of her aching heart and body. She took the warm clothing laid out for her into the bathroom. And in the privacy of her shower, she allowed herself the privilege of shedding the tears she had held back all night. When she came back to her room Tae Joon's sleeping form was still in her bed.

"Tae Joon," She whispered. "Wake-up."

With his eyes still closed Tae Joon reached out and pulled Su Wan down on the bed. Su Wan tried to pull away. "Shhh, just sleep. I'll keep you company while you sleep." Tae Joon said while rhythmically patting her back.

"She's dead. Jung Ah's dead." Su Wan sobbed into his chest.

"Shhh, sleep now. No talking." Tae Joon held Su Wan and felt her body shake with sobs. He held her tightly wishing there was something to ease her pain. There was nothing that anyone could do, but still he felt a sickening kind of helplessness. He was lost in his own thoughts when he thought that the sobbing had slowed. Soon it seemed that Su Wan's breathing was even. She was asleep. Maybe that was the best he could do, he could help her get some rest.

Chapter 22

Even though it had been almost morning when Su Wan had gotten to sleep, she was still up early the next day. The tragedy of last night was not over.

Through watching the CCT footage, they were able to see that Jung Ah's mother had arrived shortly before dinner the day before. She had sweetly helped her daughter eat and then brought her outside, which seemed to everyone else that she was just bringing her daughter for a walk.

The mother must have thought that this was the best solution for her and her daughter. Being unable to care for Jung Ah, but being unable to admit that truth, she decided it would be best if they left this world together. The mother had tied herself to Jung Ah's wheelchair and pushed them both into the pond.

Baek Hyeon was devastated. He was beside himself with grief. Su Wan encouraged his friends to not leave him alone for a while. She was afraid he might consider making the same foolish choice Jung Ah's mother had made.

Dae Han stopped into the office to see how Su Wan was doing. "Can we talk?"

"Sure. I could use a walk." Su Wan felt she owed an apology to the man that had saved her life yesterday.

When they left Second Wind Dae Han turned by habit to walk in the direction of the pond. Su Wan reached out and took hold of his arm. "No, let's not go that way."

Dae Han nodded his understanding, and he turned to walk uphill, to the forests that surrounded Second Wind.

They walked for some time in silence. Each lost in their thoughts. Su Wan stumbled and Dae Han reached out and took her arm to steady her. He kept his hold on her tiny arm. He smiled. It amused him that such a small being was such a force to be reckoned with. Su Wan was almost unaware of his closeness. She wanted to express her thoughts carefully. She felt one wrong move at this moment and many lives would be turned upside down.

Dae Han was also searching for the words to say. Last night, when he had pulled Su Wan from the water, when he had held her breathless body in his arms, he knew. He knew with absolute certainty, that he loved her. All this time apart, he had been stubbornly fooling himself. He loved this woman and he wanted this woman and he had been an idiot and let her go. He had greedily worried about Su Wan being too concerned about others, and because of a false need to control her, he had lost her completely. Dae Han had complicated matters even more by getting engaged to a perfectly nice lady. When he contemplated the woman he had asked to marry him, he realized that she would never make him feel the way Su Wan made him feel. His fiancée was a lovely woman, but she would never be a force that pushed him to be a better man. Su Wan was not an easy woman to live with, but Dae Han had found it even more difficult to try and make a life without her.

Last night, after Su Wan had taken her first breaths, when he had known she was going to be all right, Dae Han had kissed her. In his relief that she was alive, he had lost all inhibitions, and he had held her. It was then he realized that he had always loved her. And it was then he realized that he always would.

When the blackness that had engulfed Su Wan began to fade and she felt her senses returning she was in Dae Han's arms. It was such a surreal experience. She heard him frantically calling her name. She tried to say something, but she just coughed. He had said, "Don't talk. You're okay. You'll be okay." She sat there with his arms tightly around her, slowly coming to the realization of what had happened. She had looked up at Dae Han and asked, "Jung Ah?" and he had leaned down and kissed her. He trembled as he moved to hold her face. Too confused to move, Su Wan had tried to speak again. Dae Han had said, "Later. We will talk later. I love you." And then he kissed her again.

The rest of the night, Su Wan and Dae Han had been busy with the rescue workers recovering the bodies of Jung Ah and her mother. Then they had been occupied with Baek Hyeon. And now as they walked in silence, both were wondering what the events of last night meant to their relationship.

Dae Han saw a fallen tree. "Hey, let's go sit over there. It will do for a bench."

Su Wan followed him and sat distractedly on the tree.

The silence had reached the point of awkwardness when Dae Han started to speak, "About last night..."

"I know," Su Wan interrupted. "I know you were just glad I was alive. Don't worry. I won't misunderstand anything you said...or did." Su Wan silently prayed that Dae Han would not say anything more about last night.

Dae Han looked at Su Wan. She had very nearly died last night. How much did she even know or remember of what he said and did last night he was not sure. He thought he would ignore Su Wan's remarks and just say what he had decided to say. He took a deep breath and said, "I love you Su Wan. I've loved you for the past six years. I realized that last night. I thought I'd lost you. I thought you were not going to make it. I was so scared. I know I'm to blame. I know that I'm the one who broke things off. But I made a mistake. And I'm sorry. I want us to start again."

Su Wan forced herself to breathe. He'd said it. The thing she had dreamed he would one day say. She had dreamed of this moment in a thousand different ways. In her saddest moments she would imagine that Dae Han would come to realize his true feeling for her and he would want her back. She had thought all would be well in the world if something like this happened. But now that it was happening, she did not feel the elation she thought she would feel. Instead, she felt confused and frightened.

Dae Han looked expectantly at Su Wan. She sat there looking at her feet, not saying anything. He knew she was considering what he had just said. He could tell by the lines on her forehead and her slight frown that this was not the happy surprise he had prayed it would be. Suddenly he felt afraid of her response. What if she rejected his plea to start over? He suddenly wanted to delay her answer.

Dae Han reached out and took Su Wan's hand. "You don't need to say anything or do anything now. Let's just slowly start being a part of each other's lives again. I won't rush you; I just wanted to be clear. I know you aren't ready to start over yet, but I wanted you to know that is where I'm trying to take us."

Su Wan knew she had to say something. She had to stop this and she had to stop this now.

"You are getting married." She had tried to say it without reproach, but the words came out with more than a touch of bitterness.

Dae Han took the hit like the man he was. "I know I've hurt you. And I know I am going to hurt Su Young." Dae Han seemed to really struggle at this point to express himself. "You can't ask me to marry Su Young when I feel this way about you."

Su Wan decided to feign a firmness she did not feel. This was like diving into cold water. You can't do it a little at a time and think it will soften the blow. You have to dive right in and take the shock in all at once.

"Dae Han, listen to me, last night we all had a shock. You are in shock right now and you are saying things you will soon regret. I am going to pretend you did not say any of this. Just like if you came to me drunk, spouting all kinds of nonsense, I wouldn't listen."

Su Wan continued, "Even if you do love me, it's too late. You made your choice a long time ago and you did not choose me. We cannot hurt Su Young and your family because of our mistake. You've known Su Young and her brothers all your life; could you really stand being a bad guy in their minds?"

Dae Han ran a nervous hand through his hair. "I know I've made a mess of things. But last night..."

Su Wan cut him off, "Last night you saved my life. And today I want to repay you, so listen to what I am saying; you are going to live happily with the choices you have made. In three months you are going to be a happy groom who marries a perfectly wonderful girl. You are not going to screw this up because of one night of being sentimental over an old flame."

Su Wan looked at Dae Han to try and see what affect her words were having. She saw the stubborn set of his chin and knew he had indeed made up his mind. He had not wavered in the slightest. Desperate to stop the train wreck she saw was coming, she surprised herself with the lie that flew with ease from her lips.

"And shortly after you marry Su Young, I'll be getting married myself. We haven't announced it yet. But Tae Joon and I are planning on getting married after he has fully recovered."

"You're lying. You would never get involved with a patient. You are too professional for that." Dae Han instantly dismissed her outlandish tale.

"Who's professional when it comes to relationships? I'll admit I would not have picked us as a couple, but Tae Joon is surprisingly insightful and he gets me. And right now he needs me."

"And after he doesn't need you, he'll drop you like a hot potato. You know that patients develop affection for their caregivers. It's not love. It's desperation. Tae Joon would never even look at you if he wasn't injured."

Su Wan was surprised at how much Dae Han's words stung. What he said was true. She was worlds away from being a girl that Tae Joon would notice. And one day, when Tae Joon recovered, they would be worlds apart again. At most, she would remain a fond memory.

"Well, I can see you don't believe me, so just ask Tae Joon. I think it was a case of opposites attract."

"You want me to believe you decided to marry some pretty boy who struggles to remember your name? You want me to believe that you love a man you just met more than me? If you are going to lie to my face, at least come up with a good one." Dae Han said, his anger rising.

Su Wan met his anger with anger of her own. "I want you to know that you left me. When I loved you with all my heart and would have done anything for you, you threw me away. Do you know what that did to me? I barely survived."

Crying in earnest, Su Wan continued her rant, "How long did I pray for you to come to your senses? How much did I cry when I heard you were getting married? Don't you dare act like a victim now. You made your bed, now lie in it. I don't ever want to feel the way you made me feel again. With you I felt like I was a failure. I never measured up to your expectations. I could never meet your needs. I started to hate who I was when I was with you. I tried to make you more important than anyone, or anything else. Why? Why do you have to be the only thing that matters in my life?"

Dae Han tried to take the weeping woman in his arms but she pushed him away. "No! We are not starting over. We will never start over." Su Wan was shaking with emotion. "I loved you with all I had. I never would have given up on us, but now, now that I've had a chance to know what it feels like to live my life without your condescending judgment of my every move..." Su Wan stopped and took a breath and tried to regain her composure that she had lost. With clear distinction and finality she said, "I want my freedom, I want to be able to be who I am without harassment. I want to have my thoughts without critique. I want Second Wind without feeling that I'm greedy. I want myself more than I want to be with you."

Su Wan stood and hurried back to Second Wind.

Chapter 23

Tae Joon had been waiting for Su Wan's return. He saw her as she exited the woods. He started to walk towards her and noticed her tear-streaked face. He stood rooted to where he was. A fierce anger started to burn deep within him. Why was she crying? Who made her cry? "It was the pin-headed cop," his brain answered his question.

Su Wan wouldn't want anyone to see her cry, so Tae Joon turned and started back to Second Wind. He would wait in her room, so that no one else would be around. Somehow, he did not consider himself someone that Su Wan wouldn't want around.

When Su Wan entered her room, she had already gained control of her tears. Although her face was red and puffy, at least her tears had stopped flowing. She needed to get herself together. She would be meeting with Baek Hyeon later and there was the funeral for Jung Ah and her mother. "Damn Dae Han, I don't need this drama today." She cursed in her mind. Su Wan was so lost in thoughts that she hadn't noticed Tae Joon sitting on her bed watching her. She gave a little start when she saw him.

Meanwhile, Tae Joon had been observing the lady before him, her tear-stained face, her troubled eyes, her rumpled outfit that she had hastily thrown on that morning. He stood and crossed the room, and engulfed Su Wan in his embrace. He stroked her hair and murmured, "It's okay, and it will all be okay."

Su Wan stiffened and then relaxed into his embrace. She had no strength or will to struggle. She leaned her head into his chest. "Don't worry." She heard his soothing voice. "I'm here, don't worry. It will all be okay." The mantra continued. Su Wan let herself be comforted. Like a thirsty man who had been days without water, she drank in his assurances. Tae Joon's assurances changed nothing, Jung Ah was still dead. Dae Han was still out there somewhere licking his wounds. But for now, for these precious few moments, she wanted to believe that she was not alone against the world.

Slowly, she pushed herself sheepishly out of his embrace. "Thanks," Su Wan could barely bring herself to look at Tae Joon.

Tae Joon smiled at her shyness. How could a woman be so bold and so bashful at the same time?

"I have a favor to ask you." Su Wan finally spoke.

"Speak and it will be yours, up to half my kingdom." Tae Joon hoped his inane reply would lighten her spirits.

"I .... I..." Su Wan stuttered.

Tae Joon smiled to show he was listening.

"I lied to Dae Han." Su Wan blurted.

Tae Joon was taken back. He laughed and remarked, "My dear, that was a confession, not a favor. But I'll be a priest and forgive you for your lie. Now, is it all better?"

"No, that's not what I mean. I'm not asking you to forgive me, I... I want you to lie too."

Tae Joon whistled. "Now, this is interesting. You want me to back up your lie? No problem. I am not blessed with a conscience that we need worry about. I love lying. I am sure this will be much more difficult for you to keep up than for me. So my little Pinocchio, just what lie am I supposed to tell?"

"That we are getting married." For a second Tae Joon thought that he had misheard her.

"You told him we were getting married?" he wanted to double check.

Su Wan looked at the floor feeling very ashamed of herself.

"I said we were getting married after your rehab is over."

Tae Joon was instant in his response to this bit of luck the fates had thrown him. "And so we are. It will be the talk of all the media. Tae Joon heir of Tower Industries marries. I can see the headlines now."

Su Wan was feeling quite ridiculous. Tae Joon wanted to put her at ease. "Don't worry, I'll back you all the way to the altar. Dae Han will never know. But why did you lie?"

"Because he said that he loves me." And with that, Su Wan's tears started all over again.

Out in the woods, Dae Han had been thinking over what Su Wan had said. Most of what she had said he didn't understand. What did she mean that she wanted herself? He thought carefully about the days right before he had called things off. The years that had passed made those memories vague.

She had been struggling to get Second Wind off the ground. He had been proud of her, but also irritated at how much she talked about Second Wind. How much she thought about the décor, the design of the gym, the training of the staff, the food for the residents, the grounds. Every detail consumed her every thought, or so it seemed.

He had wanted her to be that interested in him as she was in Second Wind. He had hated being in competition with each new stroke victim. He had told her countless times that it was fine to have a career, but she was going overboard. He had often mocked her, asking if she had a Mother Teresa complex. When her patients had given up on themselves, she made them believe that life still had some meaning for them. Dae Han was envious of how far her heart went out to each of the people under her care.

He had thought that being her boyfriend gave him the right to speak into her life; shouldn't he have some say in how she spent her time? She didn't make boundaries for herself, so he had felt he needed to put his foot down and make some boundaries where she didn't have the heart to. All he had done was for her own good. That was what he had told himself. He simply knew better than Su Wan. She was too compassionate for her own good. She was too easily distracted from real priorities.

Dae Han allowed himself to have a good hard look at how he had treated the woman he loved. He had wanted her attention and compassion for himself. He wanted a woman who was waiting with eagerness for him to come home. He wanted Su Wan to be something she wasn't. And he had told her of all the ways in which she was lacking many times. It hurt to see their relationship through Su Wan's eyes.

Was it too late? Dae Han was a third-generation first-born son. He knew that his mother's life revolved around his father and himself and his siblings. Likewise, his grandmother's life had revolved around his grandfather and her children. Dae Han also knew that Su Young, his current fiancée, was a woman just like his mother. She would gladly and happily live her life content to make her husband and children happy. He should be feeling like a lucky man. And maybe he was. He was engaged to a woman who was just the kind of woman he wanted.

But at this moment he didn't feel himself a lucky man. In his relationship with Su Wan he had always felt the need to "raise" her. He needed to control Su Wan, or she would make rash decisions. He needed to manage Su Wan, or she would waste her time on hopeless situations. Most of all, he had to correct Su Wan, because her heart always went in the wrong direction. Her heart went outwards, in endless circles, pulling more and more people towards her. Dae Han had insisted that a real woman's heart could only go in a straight line, a line that went first towards her husband, and then towards her children. Each person that came close to Su Wan had been a threat to Dae Han. And each time it happened, he had felt his love betrayed.

And so one bad day, he had made an ultimatum. It was either him or Second Wind. He knew he was being greedy when he said it. He knew Su Wan was not the kind of girl to threaten. But he had had enough of being an afterthought to her day. He wanted her to make a decision for them, but she had chosen Second Wind. That had hurt. Before that he had always wondered where he had stood in her life. Then he knew. Second Wind was more important than he ever would be. And that was how their life together had ended. He had gone home angry and determined to wait until she begged him to come back. And she never came. He had been devastated. Here he was broken-hearted and Second Wind was thriving and growing under all her attention. He had hated any news he got of the thriving center. At least he had until the accident with Sang Min.

The days Dae Han had spent at Second Wind with Sang Min let him see Su Wan in a different light. Here she was so much more than some guy's girlfriend. She was hope to the hopeless. She was courage to those that had lost their nerve. Simply put, she was amazing, and it was that amazingness that both drew him and repulsed him at the same time. If she had been just a tad bit less tenacious, a little less zealous with her cause, if she had been more duplicitous in her sincerity, he could feel justified in his attempts towards making her chose a saner lifestyle. But Su Wan was always just herself. She would not change to please him. Dae Han mentally corrected his thought. It was not that she would not change; rather it was that she could not change just to please him.

Dae Han rose. He was a man of action, not reflection. He would push the thoughts of Su Wan away and continue with the activities of the day. He knew, when the day was over, when he needed some much-deserved rest that these thoughts would return and rob him of sleep. No matter how busy he kept himself, he found it almost impossible to keep the lively Su Wan far from his thoughts. If only Sang Min had not gotten hurt, if only last night had not rekindled his smoldering feelings, he thought. Dae Han was feeling ill towards the unfair fates that brought him to this impasse.

"If only you weren't a selfish, narcissistic jerk," Dae Han could almost hear Su Wan's comeback. Yes, he would think more deeply later, but now he blessed the message on his phone that called him back to the station, that allowed him a reprieve from his unpleasant thoughts.

Su Wan was pacing the floors in Second Wind's counseling office. Su Wan had personally designed the room. It had no desks. Overstuffed furniture was arranged around a coffee table, a fireplace was the centerpiece of the cozy room. The room smelled of the fresh flowers placed there weekly. Everything about the room was soft, warm, comforting, and reassuring. She did not allow her counselors to take notes during sessions. The walls were filled with shelves of books. No medical books or self-help books were allowed. Mostly novels, stories of adventures, romances, tragedies, and mysteries lined the shelves. Su Wan felt you could learn a lot from a good story. A story allows you to see the mistakes of others without making those mistakes yourself. It lets you feel all the wonders that are life without the danger of living it yourself. Some told her that novels let people give up on their lives, that they will just live vicariously through what they read, but Su Wan disagreed. When inspired, people feel the courage to live their own lives to the fullest. A good book, a good story, is like a good friend. They give you strength to face your day.

In a few minutes Baek Hyeon would be arriving. Su Wan wanted to give the young man her full, undivided attention. She looked at herself in the mirror that hung above the sofa. "You are here for Baek Hyeon. For now, forget about Dae Han. Focus. Focus." She turned at the knock at the door and hoped the scolding she had given herself would help her focus on the needs at hand.

She need not have worried. When the disheveled Baek Hyeon walked into the room, all other concerns fled her mind. She made him some tea and sat and listened to how the events of yesterday had occurred from Baek Hyeon's perspective.

With tears, Baek Hyeon recounted his phone conversation with Jung Ah's mother. "I wanted to try one last time to change her mind. I knew it wouldn't be good for anyone for her to take Jung Ah home. I pleaded with her to let her come and live with me."

Su Wan reached out a comforting hand and held Baek Hyeon's hand as he continued; "I knew I was making her angry. She yelled all sorts of things at me, and I was so angry I yelled back. I said..." Baek Hyeon stopped talking, unable to continue. Su Wan waited and squeezed his hand reassuringly; "I said Jung Ah would be better off without a mother like her. Jung Ah's life would be better if she were dead. And then she said..." He broke down in sobs again.

"She said maybe they would both be better off dead. And she hung up...I thought she was just angry. I thought she was just talking...I never thought she'd hurt Jung Ah."

Su Wan moved closer to Baek Hyeon and held the sobbing man in her arms. Another oddity of Second Wind is that they taught their staff the power of appropriate touch. A pat on the shoulder, a squeeze of the hand, even a hug now and then worked wonders. Modern medicine frowned on all such gestures, but Su Wan believed that there was healing in sympathetic touch as well as sympathetic listening. When Baek Hyeon had regained his composure, he said, "I want to do something for all the Jung Ah's out there. I don't want our life together to mean nothing."

Su Wan professional training took over, "Baek Hyeon, now is not the time to make important decisions or changes in your life. Let's get through the grief period first. Then we can think through if there are any changes needed."

"No, this isn't because Jung Ah died. I've been thinking about this ever since she got hurt. There was never any good solution for her care. Her mother couldn't have handled it, and to be honest, it would have been really hard on me as well. I think there are many people who need long-term care."

Su Wan wanted to interrupt with the fact that there are long term care facilities, but she kept her thoughts to herself as Baek Hyeon continued. "There was no place for us to have lived as a family and get the help and support we needed. Either I send her away to a long-term care facility, or I take care of her by myself in a regular apartment. There were problems with either option. But what about a long-term care facility for families? Like an apartment building complex, only designed for families that have special needs family members?"

Su Wan instantly caught the brilliance and difficulties of this idea. She wanted to sound encouraging as well as realistic. "Baek Hyeon, that sounds like a dream, but a complex like that would be a huge investment. And even if it got built, how would families afford to live there? The government or business sectors are not interested in investing in old people or the handicapped. They want the cheapest, easiest solution."

Baek Hyeon's thinking the last several months had not been in vain, "No, this could work. With some corporate responsibility funding, insurance, along with what the families can pay for renting units, this complex could fund itself and maybe even make a profit."

Su Wan wondered at the dreamer before her. He seemed even more unrealistic than herself.

"Baek Hyeon, I've been trying to keep Second Wind afloat financially, and that has been no easy task. Just how do you plan to fund this..." Su Wan faltered, not knowing what to call his idea.

"Second Wind Family Complex" Baek Hyeon offered as the name.

"Okay, how do you plan to fund this complex?" At that question, Baek Hyeon pulled a large file from his backpack and began to go over his detailed plan. Apparently, he had been putting a lot of thought into his idea.

Chapter 24

"No!" Jeong Hoon had been mostly quiet when a few days later Baek Hyeon and Su Wan presented the idea of the Second Wind Family Complex.

Tae Joon was there, mostly because he was bored and asked to be able to stay around for the meeting. A few other key staff were present. Most had the same reaction as Jeong Hoon.

Su Wan was not too disturbed by the initial negative reaction. She was used to planting ideas and letting them grow. But she wanted to push for just a little more progress than a flat out no. With that as her goal she asked, "Why no?"

Jeong Hoon gave her a steely look. He was already seeing that if he did not proceed with caution, he was going to lose to this pint-sized tornado. He took a deep breath and began, "We don't know anything about building a complex of that size or complexity. We don't have the staff to even think about it. We are too stretched. We don't have the capital. We don't even have someone to work on raising the capital. I could go on, but I won't because there is really no need for me to explain that this crazy idea has no chance of working. That's why a simple 'no' covers it."

Su Wan and Baek Hyeon were about to begin their protests when Tae Joon spoke up. "Tower Industries can help with the design and we have a construction division to help with the building. Of course, we can put it up for bidding, but we could also consider this part of our corporate responsibility projects. I could have some of my dad's staff work on this, and we could use our PR department to work on the fundraising. I think this is doable, in fact, we could easily be up and running in two years' time if you plan on using some of the acreage of Second Wind for the complex. We will need permits and approvals, but I don't foresee it being an issue for Tower Industries to secure those."

All in the room turned to look at Tae Joon like he had two heads.

"Would Tower Industries really support a project like this?" Baek Hyeon asked pointedly.

"Write a proposal and I will personally present it to my dad. I'll see what he says, but I don't think he would have a problem with it. A few years ago he was instrumental at getting a sports injury complex added to the hospital. It might break even, but he knew it would not be a moneymaker, but it gives Tower Industries plenty of good PR. Not everything we do has to make money."

Baek Hyeon smiled. "Great. I'll prepare a presentation. Do you want me to present it? Or do you want to?"

"Let me try first. I'll let you know what he says."

Su Wan did not know what to think. Could Tower Industries really help them out like Tae Joon thought they could? Was it really that easy to get things done if you had money and connections?

That evening Tae Joon and Su Wan were taking a walk. Tae Joon turned towards the pond.

"No, I don't want to go down there." Su Wan tugged his arm to go the other way.

"Hey, let's just take a walk around the pond. You can't avoid it forever." Tae Joon had learned a lot from Su Wan. Not avoiding difficulties and pain were part of the healing process. It was important to face that pain as soon as possible.

"It's too soon." Su Wan shook her head. "I'm not ready."

"Well, we will go as far as we can today, and then we will try again tomorrow." Tae Joon said in his best imitation of Jeong Hoon. It was the classic Jeong Hoon way of saying, "Just get it over with. If it's not today, it will be tomorrow, but you will have to face it. I won't let you off. "

Su Wan laughed. Tae Joon caught on quickly. She let him turn her in the direction of the pond and slowly they walked in the semi-darkness. Memories of that awful night came unbidden to her mind and silent tears ran down her cheeks. Tae Joon gently patted the hand that held his arm. They walked in silence all the way around the pond and back.

When they returned Tae Joon leaned over and gave a brotherly hug to Su Wan. "Good-job. That's enough for today. You did well. Tomorrow we will do that again."

Su Wan's eyes pleaded with her tormentor for mercy. Tae Joon felt the impact of that look like a blow. He was pushing her, and he knew it. Yet, the pain he knew he was causing her surprisingly also cut him like a knife. Was this how Su Wan had felt with her patients? When she stoically pushed them forward, did her heart ache with each small step forward they took? How did she carry all that pain?

Tae Joon masked the compassion he felt and said, "You need to take your medicine like a good Spartan. You know you can't avoid the pond, and you can't avoid your memories. Don't worry, you are not alone. I'll face them with you."

Su Wan was too raw to bend to the obvious wisdom coming from her younger friend. Su Wan was good at giving care, but not nearly as good at receiving it. Somehow, she felt threatened needing anyone's help or reassurance. She never really questioned why that was. Maybe it was because when she really needed help and encouragement, she knew that Dae Han could not be counted on. Dae Han would have mocked her for biting off more than she could chew. He would have used her problems as an excuse for her to give up. No, in the past, she had carried all her burdens alone, and now carrying her burdens alone was the only safe way she knew how to respond. Su Wan fought all her battles herself. She found it impossible to drop her guard.

"I'm okay." Su Wan tried to reassure Tae Joon.

"Good, I'm glad you're okay and tomorrow you're going to get even more okay." Tae Joon took her small hand in his. "Don't hide. Don't hide from me. If you are overwhelmed, if you are sad, if you are confused, if you are happy, whatever you are, I want to know it all. I don't have a pre-set conclusion of what you must be, I just want to be with you, whatever you are."

This time Su Wan could not even look at her young tormentor. She just shook her head, "No." He laughed. Su Wan was stubborn even when unable to speak. Tae Joon reached out gently and took both sides of her face in his hands. Gently he moved her head into an affirmative nod. "Yes, Tae Joon, I will tell you when I'm sad, angry, frustrated, confused. I will not hide who I am or what I'm going through." Tae Joon's voice pretended to answer for Su Wan.

Su Wan shook her head, "No." again.

Tae Joon sighed. "Okay, it can be 'no' today. Tomorrow, we'll work on turning that 'no' into a yes."

They walked the rest of the way home in companionable silence. Each lost in their own thoughts.

When Su Wan went to bed that night, her thoughts turned to Tae Joon. She smiled and thought to herself, "I've created a monster." Su Wan fell asleep with a smile on her face.

Chapter 25

The weeks passed quickly, Sang Min and Chin Hae were both discharged. On their last day, Second Wind held a small kind of good-bye party, which included the boys competing in relay races using their prosthetic legs. Their friends had been invited to spend part of the day and Rufus, the pony, had given more rides than he had in months. Over the weeks the boys had been together, they had grown closer, though Sang Min was still guarded.

Jeong Hoon had come down with a bad cold, which left him coughing for weeks. Eventually, he was diagnosed with pneumonia and spent the three days before Christmas in the hospital. Su Wan was beside herself with worry. Really, it was the pneumonia that helped Tae Joon solidify his thoughts on his future.

When Jeong Hoon started his coughing, he noticed a change is Su Wan. Su Wan was naturally attentive to sick or injured people, but her style of interacting with Jeong Hoon was different. When Su Wan worked with the families of patients who were sick with worry, her demeanor was always calming and upbeat. "The human body is an amazing invention. Don't worry. He/she will get through this." Phrases like this confidently flowed from her lips as she tried her best to comfort concerned loved ones.

But with Jeong Hoon, she was different. She took his temperature every two hours. She brought in a friend from her days at the hospital to cover his therapy sessions, so that he could rest. She went about her normal, busy days in a kind of distracted automation. Every free minute she had she spent checking on Jeong Hoon.

As the days past and Jeong Hoon's cough continued to worsen, Tae Joon happened to stop by the office as Su Wan was trying to convince the older man to go to the hospital for an x-ray. "It might be pneumonia, you should get admitted." Su Wan pleaded.

Jeong Hoon coughed before replying, "Hospitals are for sick people. Anyways, they can't do anything, it is probably viral. We just need to let time do its job. I'll be on the mend by next week."

"That's what you said last week. It's been five weeks."

"Well, some of that time I was improving and then it got worse again. I probably got better and then caught something else while... cough... cough... my immune system was busy." Jeong Hoon leaned back in his office chair. Speaking seemed to drain him of the little energy he had.

Su Wan knelt down by his chair and laid her head on his knee. The older man did not open his eyes, but reached out his hand and patted her head. Tae Joon had known they were close. They were the partners behind Second Wind. But the tenderness of this exchange made him wonder if there was something even stronger than Second Wind that brought them together.

When Su Wan raised her head, there was characteristic determination and fire in her eyes. "Eun Chul will bring you in. I've already called Dr. Park. He is getting a room ready for you. I know you'll be angry, but I don't want to take any chances. I came in here to talk you into going, but if you won't go on your own good sense, you are still going."

"Su Wan..." Jeong Hoon was trying to argue but a coughing spell ruined his argument.

"I'll come visit you tonight. I've packed your bag. Come on, I'll help you to the van."

Jeong Hoon stood and shook his head. "I'm not dead. I can get to the van by myself." As he walked to door, he was mumbling angrily under his breath, "What a waste of time and money, who knew I had raised such a worrywart."

Su Wan did not follow him out. She knew she had pushed the limits of his manly pride by forcing him to go to the hospital.

Tae Joon looked at Su Wan and noticed her wiping a tear that had rebelliously escaped. He was wondering about what Jeong Hoon had meant by "raised her".

"When did you meet Jeong Hoon?" he asked.

"Oh, that's a long story and I need to get going." Su Wan was already behind on her full schedule.

Tae Joon was slightly hurt at the brush off, but still pushed his cause. "Okay, then tell me on the way to the hospital tonight."

Su Wan did not bother to argue. "Okay, I'll tell you then."

The hours dragged by for Tae Joon. He was so much better that the long days seemed endless. He knew his time at Second Wind was almost over, and in some ways he was looking forward to leaving. Chin Hae was gone and with him the distraction of reading to him was also gone. There were no more secret midnight candy parties.

And ever since Jeong Hoon got sick, he had seen less and less of Su Wan. But even more than this, his active mind was becoming clearer every day. When he had first come to Second Wind, he trembled at the responsibility of remembering a new name, or finding his way to a new location. The effort he had to expend drained him of any real ambition. But now, if he concentrated, if he paid attention, and there were not too many other stimuli, he could remember. Each day he was learning to trust his brain that had betrayed him.

But there was one thing that made him want to delay his departure. How was he going to see Su Wan everyday if he left Second Wind? He had thought about the regular traditional ways that guys use and tried to imagine himself saying, "Su Wan, do you want to date me?" But every time he imagined saying something like that, his imagination also came up with the hundred different ways she would say, "No."

While Sang Min and Dae Han were around, he had enjoyed his role as "boyfriend," but now that Sang Min was gone, Dae Han had not been back and there was no longer any need for him to play that role.

Tae Joon was almost considering developing some other condition that would delay his departure, but he couldn't figure out what that would be.

Tae Joon got out a piece of paper. He wanted to stop his endless spinning thoughts. He was going to use pen and ink to make some conclusions about his future. He scribbled the number one on his paper, "Get a position at Tower Industries". Number two read, "Make Second Wind Family Complex a reality". At number three, he paused for a long time. He knew what he wanted number three to say, but even writing it on a paper that no one would read seemed to take more courage than he had.

He got up from his desk and paced the room. His father had taught him a long time ago about "to-do" lists. His father was a firm believer in to-do lists. Seemingly, like magic, whatever his dad wrote on his list for a day, he accomplished. Everyone commented on how productive and decisive his dad was. Although his dad may have his faults, he was a very successful businessman. What Son Woo had taught his son was that his success had to do with what he put on the list. He said that from the littlest thing, like go to the pharmacy, to the largest thing like buy a hotel in Japan, whatever that list said was like a contract with himself. He never broke the terms of a contract, especially not with a person who trusted him. The person that must be the most trustworthy in your life must be yourself.

Tae Joon went back to his desk to finish his list. Number three read, "Marry Su Wan."
Chapter 26

It was already past eight in the evening when Su Wan and Tae Joon were in the car on their way to visit Jeong Hoon. Tae Joon wasted no time in repeating his earlier question, "When did you meet Jeong Hoon?"

"He's my uncle."

"What? Your uncle? You don't call him uncle. How is he your uncle?" Tae Joon had imagined several different relationship scenarios, but uncle wasn't one of them.

"He's my father's younger brother. Isn't that the normal way to get an uncle? A sibling of your parents?" Su Wan did not see how this sounded far-fetched.

"Okay, so he's your uncle. What's the story? I barely remember my uncles' names. He must be more than an uncle." Tae Joon pushed.

Su Wan had not spoken of her parents in years. Everyone who was close to her already knew the sad story and most of the new people in her life didn't bother to ask about her parents. Softly she began her story.

"My mom was in high school when she got pregnant with me. The guy was much older and already engaged to someone else. The couple told my mom that they would take care of me, so when I was born, I went to live with my dad and his new wife and my mom went back to her life. I don't think she ever saw me after I was born."

Tae Joon was shocked at what he was hearing but he made no remarks. Su Wan continued, "My Dad was 32 and just getting married when I was born. I think I caused a lot of problems to his new marriage, so mostly I stayed with my grandmother. Jeong Hoon was about 20 years old when I came to live with him and my grandmother. I don't remember much about my grandmother; she died when I was four. After she died, I stayed with Jeong Hoon. He had just finished his time in the military and was going to medical school."

"He took me to class with him and I was at the library when he studied. I was like a little mascot of the class. When he was in residency, I was often at the hospital. When I was in school, he's the one who helped me with my homework. When I broke up with Dae Han, he's the one that held me when I cried. He's the one who believed in my dream of Second Wind."

Su Wan seemed to enjoy her recollections, "Once, when Jeong Hoon was in a lab at college, I accidently broke some beakers. I was crying because I was scared I would get in trouble, and another college girl came to see what I was crying about, when I told her that I had knocked over a beaker while preparing a slide from the growth in a petri dish, Jeong Hoon acted like I'd won a science award. He repeated what I had done to everyone who would listen. When I asked him to stop, because I was embarrassed I had broken the beaker, he said, "What five year old even knows what a beaker is? Do you understand? You broke a beaker!"

"Even my mistakes were triumphs in his eyes." Su Wan smiled at the memory.

"But why do you call him by his name? You should call him uncle or dad or something." Tae Joon was still confused.

"I think that started when I was really little. One day I called him 'dad' and he sat me down and said that he wished that he were my dad, but he would not steal his brother's daughter. And he didn't like me to call him uncle either, because he felt more like my dad. So, he said to call him by his name. People thought I was a really rude spoiled kid, but I always saw Jeong Hoon smile when I called his name, so I just kept it up. I think maybe it was his protest against his family that he thought had short -changed me."

"So, what is your relationship with your dad?"

Su Wan sighed. "I don't have one. He moved to America with his family when I was nine. I have not seen him since."

Tae Joon sat for a while in silence. He wondered why he had not asked about Su Wan's family before now. He had assumed that since she talked more about the importance of family supporting family members than anyone he had ever met, that she had come from a loving family.

He looked over at the girl navigating the evening traffic. Her peaceful, confident demeanor masked a lifetime of neglect from those who should have cared. Su Wan was such a contradiction. In many ways she was hard, cold, and calculating in her determination to reach her goals. In other ways, she was warm, compassionate, and loyal to an extent that defied reason. In his days at Second Wind, he had begun to suspect that Su Wan was the kind of person who didn't need anyone. She was close to others, but did not let people get close to her. Now, he thought he may have been mistaken. It was not that she didn't need anyone. No, maybe that steely resolve had come from not having anyone.

What would Su Wan be like if she'd been born to parents that loved and cared for her? What would she be like now if Dae Han had supported her ambitions and dreams? Tae Joon wanted to curse the unfair hardships that just moments before he had had no knowledge of. But the hardships had indeed helped fashion Su Wan into a fine person. Maybe hardships were not to be avoided after all. They didn't have to cripple a person. They might even help a person mature in ways that ease and comfort never could.

He thought of his own parents. They had a totally different way of being indifferent to their offspring. When Tae Joon had first been injured, he didn't even think badly of them for their indifference. He would have reacted the same way. He actually didn't expect a whole lot from his parents and he was slowly realizing that he didn't expect all that much from himself either. It was that thought that scared him the most. What kind of person doesn't even have expectations of himself?

Tae Joon shifted in his seat. His thoughts had taken an uncomfortable turn and he distracted himself by looking out the window. "Hey, let's stop and bring Jeong Hoon some sweet potatoes." He said as they passed a street side vendor of roasted sweet potatoes. Su Wan pulled over and let Tae Joon make his purchase.

"How did you know Jeong Hoon liked sweet potatoes?" Su Wan questioned when he returned with the steaming package.

"I remembered him mentioning that he used to buy them on his way home from the hospital, but now that he is always at Second Wind, there is no one out there selling roasted sweet potatoes."

Su Wan stared at Tae Joon. "You remembered that?" Su Wan also remembered that conversation. It had happened shortly after Jung Ah's passing. That had been a passing remark made weeks ago.

"Tae Joon, that's incredible. Do you realize what this means?"

Tae Joon still didn't see what was so amazing about the sweet potatoes. "No, I don't." he confessed.

"You remembered! You remembered without trying! You did not write that down. You did not say it three times. You did not visualize Jeong Hoon as a sweet potato. You just remembered. Your short-term memory must be coming back!" Su Wan was bursting with pride and joy. Tae Joon felt sheepish.

"Come on, stop it, I think you are being a bit over the top. It's not like I discovered the cure for cancer."

"No, but you've walked a long, hard journey. And it's not over. But this is a great sign that the damage is not permanent." Su Wan's joyful tears flowed freely.

Tae Joon gruffly turned to look out of the window. "We should go before the potatoes get cold."

Su Wan didn't let his gruff reply dampen her spirits. She sang a tune she always sang when she was extra happy and she was still humming that tune when they walked into Jeong Hoon's room.

Jeong Hoon could hear his visitors before he saw them. When Su Wan came waltzing into his room humming her happy song he said, "What happened? Did you win the lottery?"

"Better." Su Wan smiled mischievously and kissed her uncle on the forehead.

"Yuck!" Jeong Hoon wiped his hand across his head at the offended site of the kiss. "Don't slobber your germs on a sick old man."

Su Wan was too happy to take his grumpy response to heart. She read his chart and checked his IV. "How do you feel?"

"Like I should be home, instead of in this bed."

"What did the doctor say?" Su Wan continued her questioning.

"He recommended another two days on intravenous antibiotics. He said I could most likely be treated at home after that."

"Good. Sounds like you will be home in a couple of days, so stop complaining."

Tae Joon passed the still-warm sweet potatoes to Jeong Hoon. He appreciated the gesture, but his appetite was still not good. After a few bites, he placed the rest of the uneaten portion on his tray.

Jeong Hoon saw Su Wan yawn. He wondered how busy this day had been, running Second Wind without him. When Su Wan left to refill his water, Jeong Hoon turned to Tae Joon, "Make her take you back. She needs her rest. She will just worry if she stays here. I'm doing fine."

Tae Joon did his job well and soon Su Wan was wishing Jeong Hoon good night.

Chapter 27

Su Wan was going over the various patient's schedules. The last skill therapy that Tae Joon still needed was driving. After his injury he had had a few seizures. He was given anti-seizure medication. He had not been allowed to drive, both because of his short-term memory loss and also due to the fear that he may have a seizure while driving. He had been weaned off the medication and thankfully he had not had any seizures. But now he needed to be observed while driving to make sure that he could still drive.

Driving was one of the last hurdles for brain-injured patients. Some patients who recover most of their functionality can still struggle with learning to drive again. Driving was a tough one, but it did not require patients to live-in at Second Wind. It was time for Tae Joon to go back to his real life. Usually, this was a pretty exciting prospect for Su Wan. She felt a deep sense of satisfaction when patients were able to leave and return to their previous life. But for some reason, it bothered her more than she cared to admit that Tae Joon would be leaving them soon.

She would need to set up a time to meet with the family and go over what would help Tae Joon make a smooth transition.

Su Wan had to look up Tae Joon's father's contact information in his charts. His parents had not visited once in the months he had been there. Su Wan tried to force her judgmental thoughts aside. No matter what she thought of his family, it was time for Tae Joon to leave.

Su Wan wrote an email to Sun Woo asking for a meeting as soon as possible to make the arrangements.

That evening, Tae Joon and Su Wan stayed up late finishing the story of the orphans. They both shed some tears as the story concluded at the wedding of the two main characters. Tae Joon had liked the other guy better and had been hoping that there would be some last-minute event that allowed the other guy to get the girl, but no such thing happened.

The two sat together, drinking their cocoa, both of them keenly aware that Tae Joon would be leaving soon.

Su Wan was the first to bring the subject up. "I'm meeting with your dad tomorrow. You will be discharged soon. You'll still have some outpatient therapy, but that should be over in about four months. You've done a great job. "

Tae Joon was immediate in his response, "Well it's about time. I was beginning to think I was serving a life sentence. Good to know I'll be getting out with just probation." He was trying to hide the insecurity he felt about leaving.

Su Wan had gone through the departure of many special patients. Each time it was hard. She felt the cliché quite appropriate, the one that said that parting was such sweet sorrow. "You can come back and visit whenever you want." Su Wan always invited her patients to visit, but few ever returned. Once they got back to their normal life, it was easy to forget the people who helped you to get there.

Tae Joon looked at Su Wan. Was she trying to say good-bye? Did she really not know that he was not a passing phase in her life?

Tae Joon wanted to establish himself as a more permanent fixture in Su Wan's thinking. "I've been thinking about what to do after I leave here. I've been talking with Baek Hyeon. I'm going to get my dad to give me a position at Tower, then my first big project will be the Second Wind Family Complex, and then I have a third goal, which I will announce after we begin construction."

Su Wan had not known that Tae Joon was taking the Second Wind Family Complex idea that seriously. "Really? Are you sure? I mean, that would be great, but you don't have to do something like that."

"I want to. I need to learn the ropes at Tower. I need a project to work on. This would be great for our image. I would learn a lot and it would look fantastic to the board. I'd get a "good-guy" image out of it. My dad would think more highly of me. And I'm pretty sure it would be a great step in achieving goal number three."

"So what is this mysterious goal number three?" Su Wan was fully curious now.

"You have to wait."

"But you'll tell me, right?"

"I am quite sure that you will be the first to know." Tae Joon said with a knowing smile.

The following day, Tae Joon left with his dad. Sun Woo had met with Su Wan and was briefed on all the different ways to help Tae Joon adjust to life at home and as he began to return to work.

"He should start with half-days in the office. He will feel like he can do a whole day, but don't let him. It still is more stress on his memory than he realizes. It is very important that at this point, he succeeds in the tasks he undertakes. Since he does not have significant office experience, he can't rely on what he used to know. Everything will be new. New task, new equipment, new people and relationships can all put an extra toll on his system. He needs an excellent, experienced assistant who will slowly show him the ropes."

She saw Sun Woo shift nervously in his chair and look at his watch. Su Wan wondered if he was late for a meeting or something. "Let me reiterate," Su Wan said with growing impatience, "It is very important how these first experiences at home and work go. Tae Joon needs to be surrounded with people determined to help him succeed. He needs good nutrition and more than adequate rest. He needs..."

Su Wan was interrupted by Sun Woo's phone ringing. The older man stepped out of her office for a moment to take the call.

"This is not going to work," Su Wan thought to herself. "I can't get him to focus for five minutes on what Tae Joon's routine should be." Su Wan was irritated that Sun Woo, who would go over a contract with a fine-toothed comb, would not even pay attention to the care needs of his brain-injured eldest son.

But Su Wan had misjudged Sun Woo's inattentive behavior. The quick-witted Sun Woo wasn't ignoring her message; he was several steps ahead of her, trying to figure out the practical details of it. Who was going to make this happen? Who would oversee Tae Joon's reentry with such care and precision? Sun Woo had an idea of who would do the job the well. His five-minute phone call allowed him the time to come up with a re-entry plan of his own.

Sun Woo returned to the office, "Sorry about that."

"That's okay." Su Wan was about to try again and go over what Tae Joon needed when Sun Woo stopped her with the raising of his hand.

"Listen, I understand that Tae Joon is going to need lots of help readjusting to life. I talked with Tae Joon yesterday, and he explained the idea of Family Complex. I think that is something Tower Industries can get behind. How about we try something like this; you can be Tae Joon's assistant on this project. You will be able to know what he can handle and how fast he can handle it. You are the visionary behind the project anyways. You can work alongside him until you are sure that he is ready to be on his own."

Su Wan took a moment to regain her composure. His offer came as quite the shock to her. "Mr. Park, I appreciate the offer. But I am needed here at Second Wind. I have other patients to consider than just Tae Joon."

Sun Woo, the expert negotiator, leaned forward in his seat. "Then you should consider carefully the other patients you speak of. With Tower Industries' backing, you can expand Second Wind Rehab facilities as well as add the Family Complex. You would be doing what is in the best interest of Tae Joon and Second Wind. It's a win-win for all involved."

Su Wan did not look convinced. The conversation he had had with Tae Joon the night before had alerted him not to push the matter.

"You take your time and think about it. But Tower Industries will only be interested in the complex project if you take on the role of assisting Tae Joon. I don't think four to six months of your time is too much to ask for the kind of partnership we can offer. If you are not interested, well," Sun Woo stood for emphasis, "thank you for your hard work." Sun Woo left the office before Su Wan had time to think.

Su Wan sat for several moments too stunned to move. Had he basically offered her the family complex in exchange for personally overseeing Tae Joon's transition? But what about Second Wind? Could it survive for four to six months without her? This deal seemed too good to be true, at the same time; it felt like she was somehow selling her soul.

She needed to talk with Tae Joon. Maybe he knew more about this.

Su Wan ran into Tae Joon just as he was leaving. "Where are you going?" She asked.

"For a walk. You want to join me?" The two headed out. Tae Joon was about to head towards the pond, but decided the woods were a safer bet when he looked at Su Wan's stormy face.

"Is something the matter?" Tae Joon ventured after they had walked for several minutes.

Su Wan was slow in making her reply. She chose her words with care. "Your dad came by today. We were talking about your transition home."

Tae Joon was watching her carefully. He knew the offer his dad was going to make. He knew Towers Industries' support of the Family Complex was dependent on her coming with him as his personal assistant. He was the one who had made this plan with his father. He thought it was the perfect way to accomplish his goals, but he was not sure how Su Wan would respond.

"So, what did he say?" Tae Joon encouraged her to continue.

Su Wan went over the conversation she had had with Tae Joon's father. Tae Joon asked, "What do you think of his offer?"

"What do you think?" Su Wan countered. "Why did he offer that? He doesn't need me to go with you. Why do you think he set up the deal that way, I don't understand?"

"Maybe he thought you'd be the best person to help me get back on my feet." Tae Joon offered a plausible explanation.

"You don't need me anymore. You are well on your way."

"Maybe he thinks you'd be the key to getting the Second Wind Family Complex off and running." Tae Joon tried to sound reasonable.

Su Wan did not look convinced.

"Maybe he feels better putting himself on the line when he knows you've put yourself on the line. You are probably Second Wind's best asset. Maybe if he can watch you give it your all, he'd feel better about committing Tower Industries' resources."

Su Wan sat down beside the path. "How can I leave Second Wind even if it is just for a short time? How can I leave Jeong Hoon alone?"

Tae Joon sat beside her. "We can get Jeong Hoon some help. And you won't really be leaving, you'll be changing focus."

Su Wan seemed unconvinced so Tae Joon continued, "I know how much this place and these people mean to you. I would never ask you to put someone or something before Second Wind. I actually think this would be the best thing for Second Wind."

"I'll need to talk it over with Jeong Hoon."

"If good 'ole four-eyes can pay the bills, I'll think he will be pretty happy with the idea." Tae Joon knew that Jeong Hoon would recognize the genius of the idea once he learned how lucrative the move would be for Second Wind.

Chapter 28

Su Wan could hardly believe her first month at Tower Industries was already over. She sat in the now-familiar break room and watched the people move quickly past the open door. Everybody walked quickly at Tower Industries. It was like the building was always on fire. No one ever meandered through the hallways.

Su Wan wondered, not for first time, what was all the hurry about? Were these people really that behind in their work? Or did it seem more professional if you ran to your next meeting? Su Wan had had quite the culture shock during her first few days at Tower Industries. First of all, no one was handicapped. Every single person there seemed perfectly fit. And they were all well-dressed.

Su Wan was proud of the fact that no one wore hospital gowns at Second Wind, and that they did not wear uniforms. But her pride in her appearance took a sharp downturn after her first day. Baek Hyeon was the first to notice Su Wan's discomfort.

"Let's go shopping after work." Baek Hyeon suggested. Baek Hyeon was well acquainted with the business world. He helped Su Wan pick up a few acceptable outfits.

Su Wan soon discovered Baek Hyeon was a diamond in the rough. She had interacted with him mostly in regards to Jung Ah's care. She had always thought of him as a kind and well-intentioned individual, but he was far more skilled than she had known. He had a detailed proposal of the project and individual meetings set-up with potential donors filling the calendar. Tomorrow they were meeting with the architect.

Tae Joon's re-entry had been smooth so far. He went into the office at about 10:00 am and left by 2:30 pm. Su Wan was very strict about this. So, far he had been able to process and handle each task he'd been given. Su Wan monitored his phone while he was working on email. It was important that he be able to concentrate on whatever he was working on. She made it so that he could work on one thing at a time. Slowly, after that was going well, she would add additional work hours to his day.

Su Wan had mixed feelings about Tae Joon in his new environment. She was happy to see how well he was doing, but it also made her feel distant. Here he was the golden-boy; everyone treated him as the heir of Tower Industries should be treated. Su Wan felt a growing shyness around him. When he had been at Second Wind, their worlds had not seemed all that different. Now she felt the differences acutely.

Baek Hyeon arrived in the break room to bring Su Wan to the conference room. Today they were presenting the idea of Second Wind Family Complex to the state development committee. The presentation went well. Tae Joon was the spokesperson for the presentation. He did the entire presentation without notes. Baek Hyeon was on stand-by in case he needed any help with answering questions, but even during the question and answer time, Tae Joon articulated the answer to each question. It was obvious to all that he had done his homework. Tae Joon had a natural stage presence. He felt at home being the center of attention. Su Wan watched him work his magic with growing appreciation for her young friend.

After the meeting, the three colleagues had agreed to meet-up at the entrance of Tower Industries to celebrate the meeting that had gone so well. Tae Joon was feeling really good. He had done a great job today, and he was looking forward to the praise he knew was coming. He saw Su Wan get off the elevators. He smiled as he began to walk towards her.

Ju Hee, the secretary for the Director of Marketing, intercepted Su Wan. The two women standing together made a sharp contrast. Ju Hee was corporate perfection. Her pencil skirt with matching blazer fit her slim body to a tee. Her make-up was flawless and her shiny locks hung several inches past her shoulders. Ju Hee was just one of the many women at Tower industries whose appearance, along with their MBAs, were key components of their road to success.

Standing next to Ju Hee, Su Wan's lack of attention to her appearance was apparent. Tae Joon remembered what it was like to walk around with Si Young on his arm. Every eye turned wherever they went. Back then, Tae Joon had reveled in the admiring glances young men sent the lady on his arm. Like when a guy admires your car, or your motorcycle, Tae Joon had enjoyed the status that Si Young's beauty had brought him.

Tae Joon had noticed that his colleagues did not respond the same way when Su Wan entered a room. If she was noticed at all, it was with murmured whispers that said Su Wan was his nurse. That Tae Joon still needed medical care after his head injury. Instead of bringing Tae Joon prestige just by being beside him, Su Wan was a constant testimony to his limitations. Tae Joon had tried to suppress the shallow feelings that had disturbed him over the course of this last month, but for a split second, as he watched Su Wan talking with Ju Hee his displeasure showed.

Ju Hee was handing Su Wan the business card of her hairdresser and encouraging Su Wan to get an appointment before a big presentation, when Su Wan looked over at Tae Joon. The look she saw on his face brought her a sharp pain. "He's embarrassed." Her mind concluded. Like stepping on a nail, the pain was immediate and sharp. Su Wan wanted to escape. She had to escape.

Flourishing an exaggerated smile, she took the name card from Ju Hee and promised she would try and make an appointment as soon as she could. She simultaneously reached for her phone as if someone was calling. "I'll be right there." She said into the phone.

She waved a busy hand to Ju Hee and walked quickly to the door. Her tears would be falling soon. She tried hard to concentrate on just getting away before Tae Joon followed.

But Tae Joon was not following her. He had also read the look in her eyes. He wanted to kick himself for hurting her. "What a first-class jerk you are." His mind berated himself. Tae Joon turned and went back to his office. He would not be celebrating tonight as had been planned. He was going to write himself a list.

Back in his office, Tae Joon dropped down into in chair. He cleared his desk of all papers except one. Tae Joon titled his paper, "If I Weren't a Jerk, What Else Would I Be?" He smiled to himself at his clever title. During rehab, in one of his therapy session, Jeong Hoon had taught him how to "reframe" a situation. He had said that it is not so much what happens to us, but how we think of what happens that matters. His example had been, if you get lost you may get overwhelmed and the stress will block your creative energy needed for problem solving. So, try and reframe, "If I weren't lost, what else would I be?" Then you can look around at where you are and notice: I could be enjoying the weather, watching the people around me, or getting extra exercise by figuring out how to get home.

The pained look on Su Wan's face flashed into his mind. "Damn it!" he muttered as his fist hit the desk. He remembered how harshly he had criticized Dae Han. Now he wondered, who was the bigger jerk?

He got out another piece of paper. He could feel his mind clouding. He was too worked up to clarify his thoughts. He needed to slow down his speeding brain and focus. "Perfect looks and clothes don't matter." He looked at the statement on the paper. He remembered Baek Hyeon's look of satisfaction as he had wiped Jung Ah's face. Second Wind had taught him that it's the people, and not their wrappings, that matter. How could he have forgotten so quickly?

Tae Joon shut his eyes. "I want to respect and trust my wife." Of all the people he had ever met, man or woman, Su Wan was the person he trusted and respected the most. Tae Joon knew he could never have loved people the way she did or try so hard for the people she loved. In all the ways that mattered, Su Wan was a remarkable person.

A sick feeling was growing in the pit of his stomach. It was something about how Su Wan had looked at him when she left. It had just been a moment, just a glace, but in that glance, he fancied he saw the slight nod of her head. She had a look behind her smile that scared him. He had already known that he would be a long shot with Su Wan. He was not the kind of guy she was looking for. But lately, as they had been working on the Family Complex together, he knew she had slowly been letting down the steel walls around her heart. Now, he feared he had lost the little ground he had gained.

Tae Joon went back to his original paper. "If I Weren't a Jerk, What Else would I be?" "Someone who looks at the real value of a person. And someone who stays loyal to those they respect and trust, no matter what other people think of them." He looked at the paper feeling dissatisfied. It was one thing to write it down, and quite another to do it. Would he be able to follow his resolve? Would Su Wan give him the chance to try?

Chapter 29

Su Wan stood thankfully on the full subway train counting the stops as they passed by. She had made it away from Tower Industries before shedding a single tear. The hustle and bustle of the busy public transport system had been a blessing as it kept her mind occupied for the moment. She got off at her stop and boarded the bus that would take her to Second Wind.

It was already dark when she arrived. She loved the long walk from the bus stop to the front door. The drive was lined with trees. There was just enough light to allow her to walk safely. She felt at home on this familiar path.

She thought over the past month she had spent at Tower Industries. She had felt like a fish out of water from her very first day. Su Wan had never been a "fashion princess." She wore clothing because you had to. Su Wan didn't even know what made clothing fashionable or not. Her outfits were practical and comfortable. Su Wan was also embarrassingly aware that her curvy shape was not the style that most men admired. Her short, thick stature made it possible to do the heavy lifting her job required, but it didn't allow for form-fitting outfits.

Su Wan slowed her pace. She did not want to reach Second Wind too soon. She wanted to get her emotions settled before she would encounter the residents. She stopped and sat on a bench. This past month she had begun to have a new appreciation for Tae Joon. He had done a great job on the proposal for the Family Complex. It was apparent, the more she worked with him, that Tae Joon was a chip off the 'ole block. He had the same sharp business sense his father had. With a few years of experience added to his natural leadership abilities, he would be a force to reckon with.

Su Wan had noticed the respectful greetings that he took as his due. He was used to being the center of attention. The more she had seen Tae Joon in his natural environment, the more distant she had felt. It was indeed a world she did not understand and one in which she would never belong.

Still, it had been exciting to see Baek Hyeon and Tae Joon move the project one step closer to reality each day. It had been a relief to see Tae Joon adjusting so well. Su Wan had tried to suppress her feelings of inadequacy. She was just imagining things, she had told herself.

Lately, Su Wan had even imagined that Tae Joon might sincerely like her. That maybe all his help with the project was not just because he was grateful to Second Wind. She had let herself believe that he cared for her.

Su Wan sat on the bench and cried. Tomorrow, she would return to her normal self. But for now, just for now, she would allow herself to bemoan the unfairness that that reduces a person to what they look like, rather than who they are. Su Wan had thought that the months at Second Wind had changed Tae Joon's values, but she had been wrong.

The sound of a car broke into Su Wan's troubled thoughts. She looked down the drive to try and see who was coming. It was a taxi. The taxi stopped in front of her. Tae Joon stepped out.

"What are you doing here?" Su Wan asked surprised.

Tae Joon took in the tear-streaked face and mentally cursed himself.

"I missed you. I was worried about you." Tae Joon replied openly.

Su Wan was taken aback by his reply and decided to ignore it.

"Did you eat? Do you want dinner?" Su Wan tried to deflect the conversation. Tae Joon took a step forward.

"Can you correct this for me? And he handed Su Wan the paper he had written at the office."

Su Wan read the short note. She shook her head and looked up at Tae Joon. "I don't understand."

"It's my apology. I'm sorry. I'll do better next time. Don't..." his voice broke, "don't shut me out."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I don't understand what you mean." Su Wan continued to hide behind her confusion.

Tae Joon sighed, and pulled her into a hug. "I mean this," he said as he bent his head and gently kissed her.

2 years later

Su Wan placed her hand on her growing belly. It would not be long now, and she would meet her little daughter. She smiled with anticipation.

"Are you ready?" Jeong Hoon's yell made the soon-to-be mom move as fast as her awkward form allowed.

Jeong Hoon was looking at his watch apprehensively as Su Wan entered the office. "You look beautiful." He smiled at his niece.

"I look like a small whale, but thank you for the thought."

"I want to go over my speech for the grand opening of Second Wind Family Complex, Tae Joon and Baek Hyeon are already there. They want us to arrive early for photos. So we only have a few minutes." Jeong Hoon's normal calm demeanor seemed stressed with the thought of giving a speech.

Su Wan smiled at her uncle and tried to smooth his rebellious hair into place. "Okay, I'm listening. "

There was the usual list of 'Thank-Yous' to everybody involved and well wishes for the future of the families that lived there and then Jeong Hoon's voice gained strength and conviction as he said, "Second Wind Family Complex desires to be a haven for families with special needs family members. A place that reminds us all that we are more than just a combination of working body parts, that in each and every one of us, it is the spark of humanity that marks our value. It's a place where families who are facing health challenges can not only survive, but thrive in community."

Su Wan started clapping. "You didn't let me finish." Jeong Hoon chided.

"You'll do fine. I think we need to get going, I don't move as fast as I used to."

The End

###

Thank you for reading my book. If you enjoyed it, please take a moment to leave me a review?

Thank you,

Jennifer

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