Small and Fragile Things - Chapter 44

She glanced over at the sound of murmuring, her eyes narrowing as she looked a little longer this time.

There. The lighting’s bright here—she’d definitely recognize me.

“Um…”

Just as Irang opened her mouth to speak, the woman leaned in to whisper something to the man beside her.

Her gaze naturally followed, landing on the man’s face—and the moment she saw him, her heart dropped to the floor.

The second their eyes met, her whole body froze. Her chest caved in like her heart had shriveled into nothing. Her legs stiffened. Her fingertips began to tremble violently.

“Honey, I can’t take it anymore. Every time I see that child… I feel like a monster.”

“Think about Illy. You’ve done nothing wrong. That thing’s just a tool. A spare.”

“What did I do…? I’m so scared. I never want to see it again…”

“Exactly. Do that. It’s nothing.”

Memories she didn’t even know existed surfaced out of nowhere.
Conversations—she had no idea when or how she heard them—came echoing right by her ears.

“Prosecutor, the donor isn’t doing well. If we proceed like this, recovery might not be possible.”

“As long as the organ itself is viable, that’s all that matters. Don’t worry about the rest.”

“Excuse me? Still, shouldn’t we—”

“Would it be possible to remove the organ ahead of time and store it? Or is that not feasible yet?”

He was different. He looked at her—and it was like he knew immediately.

His expression didn’t change much, but there was something unmistakable in his eyes.
The way he scanned her from head to toe was eerily similar to how Chairman Choi had looked at her earlier—cold, calculating.

Like he was assessing. Is it still intact? Can it still be used?

And then she saw her mother’s face, twisted in horror.

Her expression turned ghostly pale, like she’d just seen something out of a nightmare.
There wasn’t a single trace of joy or recognition.

Am I… disgusting?

It was the look someone might have if a grotesque monster from their dreams showed up in real life. Like she was something foul—reeking, repulsive—something no one would ever want to go near.

That was all Irang needed to see. She spun around quickly, unable to bear what she’d just witnessed.

She had to get out of there. That was the only thought in her head.

She needed to escape this nightmare.

She bit her lip hard enough to draw bl00d, forcing down the scream that was clawing its way up her throat, pushing through the crowd.

How could you… look at me like that?

Was this what it felt like to have someone rip through your chest and tear out your heart?

Even needles shoved into every vein of her body wouldn’t have hurt this much.

“Ugh…”

She should’ve just died. Why did she bother living through all those days?

It wasn’t to end up like this. It wasn’t so she could spend every second aching for her. How stupid. What was she expecting?

“Hey, are you okay?”

The world tilted around her. The floor felt like it was caving in beneath her feet.

Her vision turned hazy, which—honestly—was a blessing. She didn’t want to see anything right now.

“Where were you just now? Here, drink this. It’s champagne, but… Whoa, you’re really downing it. Wanna go out for some air? Some fresh air might help, yeah?”

She just wanted to hide. She couldn’t stay in the same space as those people.

She wanted to disappear—go somewhere no one could find her and cry for a very, very long time.

“I want to leave… this place…”

***

The reason Muk-hyun left his spot was to lure Kim Deok-gyu and Moon Heesook toward Irang. He wanted to see what they’d say to her, what orders they’d try to give, when she was alone.

But things went completely off script. Some random sleaze approached Irang instead, and even though Kim Deok-gyu and Moon Heesook clearly saw her, they didn’t react at all.
They just kept mingling naturally, greeting others as if nothing was happening.

To his surprise, Irang moved first.

He’d told her to stay put—but she ignored him completely and started walking. When her eyes landed on Heesook, Muk-hyun felt his bl00d boil.

So she does know her.

His phone was still on the table, so he couldn’t hear the conversation. He cursed himself for not thinking ahead and tried to come up with a new plan.

Then something odd happened.

Irang bumped into a woman—hard enough to turn her halfway around—but didn’t even flinch.

She was walking like she was in a trance, eyes locked on Heesook. Like nothing else in the world existed.

What the hell…?

The chandelier overhead cast shimmering light across Irang’s face, and in that moment, Muk-hyun saw her clearly.

“…!”

And it hit him—like a sledgehammer of realization.

Sh1t.

Irang was Moon Heesook’s daughter. Her daughter.

It’s true.

That was the look someone gives their mother. He could tell even more clearly by the way her lips silently moved.

His heart sank to the floor, his head turning cold.

So this was the play.

If Irang ran into Heesook’s arms right now, Kim Deok-gyu would use it immediately.

If Heesook even pretended to have reunited with her long-lost daughter, Jeona and Chairman Choi would be backed into a corner for keeping Irang hidden.

It was a perfect trap.

No. No way.

The distance between them had closed too much already.

Even if he had to cause a scene, Muk-hyun decided he had to stop this. He moved urgently—

—and someone stepped in front of him.

“Let it be.”

Chairman Choi.

“Chairman, you don’t understand—!”

“Just watch.”

He looked completely unbothered, like he had no idea how serious this was.

“It’s a trap. Can’t you see that?”

“There’s no trap. Come on, don’t want to miss the good part.”

What the hell was he talking about? “Good part?”

There was no time to explain. Muk-hyun turned back, determined to get to Irang before it was too late—but was hit with another surprise.

Irang, who just moments ago had looked like she might run into Heesook’s arms, had stopped.

She just stood there. She, Heesook, and Kim Deok-gyu made eye contact.

And then… nothing happened.

After a long pause, Irang simply turned around and walked away. Fast. Firm. Like nothing had happened.

“Why?”

Muk-hyun stood there, trying to make sense of it, when he heard laughter beside him.

“Chairman.”

Chairman Choi was laughing like he’d just seen the best show of his life.

“The world’s a real circus. Turns out, I’m not even the worst of the bunch. Ha!”

He chuckled uncontrollably, muttering nonsense like he’d completely forgotten how to act with dignity. It was rare for him to show emotion so openly—and Muk-hyun felt deeply unsettled watching it.

“You said she wasn’t an illegitimate child.”

“She’s not. I told you, didn’t I?”

“Then why did Kim Deok-gyu let her go? He could’ve used that situation to take everything from us.”

“His brain probably short-circuited. I told him earlier—I know everything. You should’ve seen the look on his face. Priceless.”

“What are you even—?”

“That’s enough. It’s almost over.”

That was all Chairman Choi said before walking away, telling Muk-hyun to keep Irang safe.

Muk-hyun stood there, trying to make sense of it all, thoughts tangled like wires—until he suddenly whipped his head around and cursed out loud.

Where Irang had been, only her phone and an empty champagne glass remained.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me…”

***

How long had she been out?

Irang’s consciousness slowly floated back up from the deep, dark bottom it had sunk to. Before even opening her eyes, she felt that familiar, dreadful fear.

Was she back at the beginning? Was it all just a vivid dream?

A soft dripping sound echoed somewhere nearby, and her anxiety spiked.

She knew that sound all too well. The needle in her arm—it was far too familiar.

After a long moment of bracing herself, she slowly opened her eyes. Above her, sunlight danced across the ceiling, reflecting like shattered glass—appearing and disappearing like broken stars.

She stared blankly at the flat shards of light, then finally let out a ragged breath.

A painful kind of relief.

“You slept well?”

She turned toward the voice, finding him leaning against the wall.

Choi Muk-hyun. A man who blurred the line between dream and reality. He stood there with his arms crossed, lips unsmiling, but called her name gently.

“Irang.”

Her throat tightened. She couldn’t answer.

Just seeing him there eased something inside her—enough to make her smile, if only for a second. But then the memories came rushing back.

The smile disappeared. He came closer, as usual, and sat gently on the edge of the bed, looking at her steadily.

“You’re home.”