ALL BARK NO BITE | SADISTIC BEAUTY SPINOFF

Chapter 84

~ Room 336, Geriatric Unit, Providence Hospital, Pungnap-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul

Wookyung took a strained breath, gulping and composing himself. He told himself that it won't matter in another few seconds as he'd bury his face into his mother's sleeve, inhale her scent deeply and forget where he was. He pushed the door open, a bouquet of white freesias in hand, and walked inside.

"Mama?" he looked around nervously and saw her bed empty. "Mama?!" he panicked, looking around at the faces of other elder ladies, some awake, some sleeping, not seeing hers. A tear sprouted from his eye involuntarily and he backed away, bumping into a nurse.

He turned around, frightened and the nurse raised a brow "You're here for?" she asked and he gulped, unable to speak "Ma... Kang Narae... she's always here..." he pointed to the empty bed and the nurse looked behind him "Oh... Ms. Kang? Well... she's not always here. She went for a walk some minutes ago" she smiled and Wookyung blinked, feeling relief wash over him.

"I see... where can I find her? I'm... her son" he explained and she nodded "Back lawns. Up and down the main fountain." "Thank you so much!" he hurried out of the room and to the lawns.

He walked back out into the sunlight, shading his eyes as he came upon his mother sitting on the concrete stair of the fountain. She wore a yellow sundress, her hair open, lightly getting splashed with the water as she laughed, clutching on the collars of a suited man kneeling at her bare feet.

"Narae, let me... ugh... Don't sway!... You'll fall into the foundation!" he scolded her and she simply flicked some water in his face, making him laugh despite his stern eyes. "Ryeo?" Wookyung uttered, feeling transported back to his childhood.

His giggling mother and the patient butler, taking care of them.

He smiled, walking towards them and Narae looked at him, her face lighting up, even more, beaming like the sun as she leapt up, hugging him "Wookyung!!" she squealed as Ryeo looked up, his face turning slightly red as he stood straight up, pocketing his handkerchief

"Young sir... I wasn't expecting your visit. We were just having breakfast" he smiled courteously and Wookyung smiled back "Had a free Saturday... so I came over" he hugged Narae back, inhaling her milky, flowery smell. "I'm so happy to see you, my baby!" she exclaimed, looking down at the flowers "Freesias?!" she smelt them.

"For me?" she asked and Wookyung nodded "I know you love them" he handed them to her and she looked at them oddly and then back at him "There's... something different about him!" she remarked and Wookyung frowned "Ma... come on... I didn't even get a haircut" he laughed and Narae shook her head

"It's not the hair... it's... everything. Doesn't he look different?" she asked the Butler and he shrugged "The boy is a man now... a happy, successful man" he patted his back proudly and Wookyung looked down "It's nothing..." "You call it nothing?" Ryeo asked disapprovingly.

"His company is doing exceedingly well... I heard he's in the works to open a set of bookstores as well" he recalled and Wookyung brushed it off but Narae rested her head on his head "I'm so happy for you, baby... this is everything I've wanted for you" she stroked his cheek.

"Thank you, Mama... I couldn't have done it without you" he kissed the top of her head and then looked down with worry. "Is your foot okay?" he asked and Narae looked at Ryeo and laughed. "It's never been better... her leg coordination is almost back... I was just... wiping the dirt off her feet because she refuses to wear shoes" he said disapprovingly.

"Can you imagine how fun walking barefoot is after shuffling like a stack of cards for so long!!" Narae protested and Ryeo crossed his arms "And what if you get hurt again? Step on a sharp rock?? A bee?? What if you trip?!" he reasoned and Wookyung mediated, laughing