Saturday was usually the one day Junho rarely went to the office. But there was a campus event and guests from overseas were visiting, so he had been forced to leave around noon.
Even so, he had promised Maya he would be home by seven sharp. It was a special evening—the whole family was gathering for dinner to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary.
Junho had just messaged Maya to say he was on his way, but he was stuck in traffic because of road repairs. He asked her to forgive him if he was up to half an hour late.
Maya had been preparing several of her husband's and family's favorite dishes since noon. Everything was perfect, she thought. All that remained was to wait for Junho to arrive.
“Good evening, my grandchildren...” Junho's mother greeted Kris and Luna cheerfully. The two children rushed over to hug their grandparents and kiss their hands.
“Mom?” Maya set down her phone and approached her mother-in-law to greet her.
“Oh my goodness, Mom, Dad, what did you bring? You went to so much trouble...” she said, feeling embarrassed.
“Souvenirs from your father-in-law's trip abroad last week. Try them later. I hope you like them.” Junho's mother smiled happily, pleased that they had accepted the gifts.
Maya thanked both of them and hugged her in-laws. “Junho isn't home yet, May?”
“Not yet, Mom. He's still on the way and should be here soon. There was a campus event today with guests from overseas, so he had to receive them, he said.” She explained while arranging the dishes on the table.
A moment later, Maya's phone rang again. “There it is. Another call.”
“Yeah, Hon—”
“Am I speaking to Mr. Junho's wife?” An unfamiliar voice answered this time. Maya glanced at the screen again. It was definitely her husband's number.
“Yes, this is his wife. This is my husband's number, right?”
“Ma'am, we're currently rushing Mr. Junho to the hospital because he was in an accident. Please come to Syu City Hospital immediately. Thank you.”
Shocked and unable to believe it, as though the sky had come crashing down, Maya's expression made her in-laws anxious.
“Who was that, May?”
“J-Junho was in an accident, Mom.” Her thoughts were in disarray, and she had no idea what to do.
“Junho? Dad, it's Junho!” Junho's mother immediately grew worried as well.
Junho's mother urged Maya to go to the hospital at once with her husband. She would take care of the children, and Maya's parents would be arriving soon too.
“Okay, Mom.” Maya took off her apron and hurried toward the car her father-in-law was driving.
Throughout the drive, Maya tried to stay calm and strong. Her father kept reassuring her and hoping that Junho was all right. Maya also immediately called the hospital ER to ask whether they had a patient named Junho who had been in an accident.
“Doctor, we just received a report from the ambulance medical team. A patient injured in a car accident is seriously hurt and in critical condition—”
“That’s my husband! Please have Dr. Mike examine him thoroughly. I’m on my way to the hospital.”
“Yes, Doctor.”
As Lay was leaving the hospital after his shift, he passed the ER and saw medical personnel rushing outside. It looked as though they were welcoming a special patient. Lay wanted to know what important person was being brought into the ER that night. His curiosity surged, though he hoped it wasn’t an emergency delivery patient.
“Who was brought into the ER?” Lay asked one of the medical team members who had just brought in a patient.
“The husband of one of the doctors here. If I’m not mistaken, it’s Dr. Maya’s husband,” said the ambulance team member, who was preparing to leave. Lay’s eyes sharpened. He knew that patient.
Lay abandoned his plans to go home and ran into the ER as fast as he could. He searched every bed until he found Junho being examined by a large team of senior medical staff.
“Brother! Brother Junho!” Lay cried out worriedly.
“You know the patient?” Dr. Mike asked.
“I’m his friend, Doctor. He’s Dr. Maya’s husband.”
Maya ran into the ER from outside. She used hand sanitizer before entering, and a nurse immediately greeted her by handing her PPE.
She found Dr. Mike and several other doctors treating Junho. Lay was there too. “How is he, Doctor? Huh? Junho? Junho, can you hear me? It’s Maya, Jun. Wake up—”
“Dr. Maya, several nurses are preparing him for surgery. He has an injured internal organ, and it may be swelling. If bleeding occurs, something we absolutely don’t want could happen,” Dr. Mike explained.
“Okay, Doctor. I trust you. Do whatever is necessary according to procedure!”
Lay was in complete shock too. Junho's head was covered in blood, and his consciousness had been fading in and out for some time.
As Maya was about to change into surgical clothes, Junho's hand closed around hers. He had regained consciousness, and his lips moved weakly. Lay, standing beside him, witnessed it too.
“Baby? Baby! Can you see me? Lay, your friend, is beside you too. Your dad, Mom, and the kids are waiting for you at home.”
Junho tried to speak with an oxygen mask covering his mouth. Maya leaned close to her husband's lips, trying to hear what he wanted to say.
Who would have thought that his left hand would reach for Lay's hand too? “May, you’re a good wife,” he stammered.
“Jun, hang in there. You need to get plenty of rest. We can talk later, okay?” his father replied, unable to bear seeing him like this.
“May, take care of the kids.” His words came out brokenly, but Maya understood. With all his remaining strength, Junho brought Lay's hand together with Maya's, while his father watched.
“W-what is this, Jun?”
Junho blinked. “Please do this for me, May. I’ll be happy if I can see you do it.”
And those were the final seconds Junho was able to hold on. The next moment, his hand went limp and slipped from Maya and Lay's grasp.
“Brother! Brother Junho!”
“Junho! Wake up, Junho! Don’t leave us yet, Junho!” Maya went weak at once and couldn’t stand. Her father checked again on Junho’s condition, while Lay shouted for the other medical staff.
Junho and Maya’s fate had come to an end.