The Donor
All the bad thoughts swirled around me like a tornado. Why wouldn’t my kidney match my mom’s? I had never once doubted it. I had imagined lying beside her in the hospital room after the transplant, only thinking about getting better and planning all the things we wanted to do together. Min Tae-yeon trembled as she sobbed in front of Hyun-seo. I had never seen her like this before. Looking at the broken, disheveled girl who begged for her mom’s life and help, Choi Hyun-seo wrapped his strong arms around her shoulders.
“Let’s go. Nothing will be solved by standing here like this,” he said.
Even though Hyun-seo was leading her, Tae-yeon stood still and shook her head.
“Why won’t my kidney match my mom’s? Is it because I don’t love my mom? Because I’m a bad daughter and my sincerity is lacking?”
Sometimes self-blame creeps in when facing things that are impossible to accept. When someone can’t be blamed for something, the easiest target is oneself. Right now, though, Tae-yeon was blaming herself.
“What kind of nonsense is that? You’ve been like this since the beginning.”
A woman who had kept working her job, neglected her evenings, and still lived on, was now blaming herself because of her mom. How many truly wicked people were there in the world? Watching an herbivore take the blame in a wild world made me feel utterly powerless.
“I was the one who gave birth to our mom. My kidney definitely doesn’t match hers.”
It was the same words, with nothing left to say.
“Want to hear the same obvious answer again? What should I say? You want me to say your sincerity was lacking and your kidney didn’t match? Or that Min Tae-yeon is a bad person?”
With one eyebrow furrowed, Hyun-seo’s words finally snapped Tae-yeon back to her senses. She had nothing to say to him.
“No, I just got upset and said it. Let’s go.”
The sound of shoes echoed down the hallway. They stood together in front of the vending machine. The man said nothing and simply stood beside her. Even so, it felt like comfort. He looked at Tae-yeon in front of the vending machine and asked,
“Coffee?”
“Yes.”
He handed her a warm cup and continued standing silently in front of her.
“Vice President, aren’t you drinking coffee?”
“I’m not drinking that one.”
Of course Hyun-seo only drank the absolute best organic coffee, selected from premium roasters and delivered to the company and home once a week. Even in this situation, would he still say that?
Tae-yeon closed her eyes and slowly sipped the coffee. What should she do now? First, she had to go see her mom. When she saw her mom…
She would probably only be able to cry in front of her mom.
“First, go to the hospital room and calm her down, then live your normal day. I’ll think about the things you asked me to do.”
“Is there a way? Please find a way and help me.”
Tae-yeon’s words kept repeating like a parrot’s beak. There was no one else to ask for help. Hyun-seo nodded.
“I already said I would. I’ll look into it, so just calm down and wait.”
His words sounded indifferent, but with his gentle touch he wiped away the tears on Tae-yeon’s cheeks and brought her to the door of Kyung-ja’s room.
“Thank you.”
Tae-yeon bowed deeply in front of the hospital door as a greeting, and Hyun-seo let out a low sound.
“Are you keeping your distance because you want me to see it?”
Instead of answering, Tae-yeon took a long sigh and stepped into the room. As she crossed the threshold, she braced herself for the pain in her belly. She had to stay calm now. For her mom not to fall apart.
She had tried not to cry, but the moment she sat in front of her mom, the tears wouldn’t stop.
“Tae-yeon, stop crying. Mom is fine with anything.”
“No, Mom can really get better. So…”
Kyung-ja cut her off before Tae-yeon could find the right words.
“That’s enough. Don’t think about anything else. I don’t want to live with my daughter’s kidney. Don’t ever think that. Instead, let’s enjoy the time we have left. After discharge, let’s go on a trip somewhere.”
Tae-yeon replied to Kyung-ja’s words that sounded like she had already accepted death.
“Mom, do you even know what your body is like right now? What discharge are you talking about?”
“Then do I have to stay here until I die?” Kyung-ja smiled as she said it, and Tae-yeon spoke in a choked voice.
“Mom, please don’t say that. Is dying that easy? There are plenty of other ways. I’ll look into them.”
“I’m done. I don’t want anything more.”
“I said I want to, Mom.”
In the end, she had shouted at the mom she loved most. The test results showing the transplant was impossible left Tae-yeon in deeper despair than she had imagined. She didn’t want to do anything. She couldn’t sleep at night, and even when she saw Yun-woo, she couldn’t smile.
Tae-yeon was sinking in the deepest despair.
* * *
Two days later.
“Miss Kyung-ja’s guardian.”
The sudden call from the attending physician brought Tae-yeon into the examination room. The doctor looked at her, pressed his lips together, and smiled.
“Good news. A perfect donor has appeared.”
Even though she understood the doctor’s words, she couldn’t react. Not even her own kidney matched, yet there was someone who did?
The doctor repeated, “There is a donor. The test results match perfectly.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I’ll set the surgery date as soon as possible and coordinate the timing with the donor.”
“Who? Who is it? Such a kind person…”
“I can’t say. That’s usually kept private.”
It finally felt real.
“So… my mom can have the surgery?”
“Yes.”
From the deepest point of despair, a ray of hope appeared. That was true. The fact was too unbelievable, and because of her pounding heart, Tae-yeon couldn’t do anything.
Of course, Tae-yeon told Hyun-seo first. A while later he came to the hospital room. With a confident face, he greeted Kyung-ja and exchanged a few words. Kyung-ja held his hand and said,
“You have been too kind to me. Even though I couldn’t do much for you, I love you too. I hope everything you do turns out well. Please take care of my Tae-yeon and Yun-woo. They are loved more than anything right now, but I ask you to keep doing so in the future.”
Hyun-seo smiled and replied,
“Why would you say such a thing? You will live long and happily with your mother.”
“Yes, Mom. Don’t say that. Don’t ask for anything. Just get healthy. Love Yun-woo more and love me more.”
Tae-yeon joined in from the side. She had been a little excited ever since hearing about the donor.
Had there been a moment when heaven had looked favorably on her during her life? Was this her reward?
Tae-yeon believed all of it was thanks to Hyun-seo. He must have used every route—money, information, connections—to find the donor. Without Miwoo Group’s resources, it would have been impossible. This had to be the result of his wealth and power.
The surgery date was set. After work, Hyun-seo came to Kyung-ja’s room.
“Mother, I have a business trip starting tomorrow, so I won’t be able to come for a while. I believe the surgery will go well. I already spoke with the attending physician.”
“Don’t worry, take care of your work. I’ll be in the hospital and Tae-yeon is here. I’ve also invited a friend.”
“Yes.”
Even with few words, one was enough. Hyun-seo was the most reliable son-in-law. Kyung-ja smiled with her sunken face. Tae-yeon held her mom’s hand from the side.
“Mom, I’ll stay here until after surgery the day after tomorrow.”
“No. Go home with your husband right now.”
She wanted to stay beside her mom, but Kyung-ja was firm.
“I don’t want to. I don’t want you to be separated from Yun-woo because of me. Do your best for Yun-woo and your husband. Understand? That’s all I want.”
“Mom, please, I’m about to have surgery…”
“That’s why I’m grateful just to be able to have the surgery. So go home, show your face to Yun-woo, hug him, and do the same for your husband. Thanks to your husband, I can have this surgery. He is capable and rich, so he can even dream of such things.”
Tae-yeon had no choice but to nod. As she stepped out of the room, Hyun-seo took her hand tightly in the hallway. But the feeling was subtly different from usual. A little bit tender and earnest. There was no way… The words that came from him were the same.
“I want to stay with you today, but can I go home? It will take some time to finish the business trip.”