The sunlight streamed softly through the white curtains, painting the room in shades of gold.
Kim Aera opened her eyes to another beautiful morning—beautiful, but tiringly repetitive.
She sat up, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. Then a sharp pain twisted in her lower abdomen.
Her hand instinctively clutched her stomach. The familiar ache again.
"Not again…" she muttered under her breath, breathing through the pain.
With trembling fingers, she reached for her phone on the nightstand and dialed her secretary.
"Book an appointment with Dr. Lee. Today, if possible," she said, forcing her voice to sound calm.
After ending the call, she dragged herself out of bed. Pain or not, she had responsibilities.
She took a quick shower, fixed her hair into her usual neat bun, and dressed in a pale blue blouse and skirt—her business armor.
The sound of laughter reached her ears before she even stepped into the dining hall.
Her father, Chairman Kim, was reading the morning paper. Beside him sat his elegant second wife, Mrs. Kim, and their daughter, Kim Minseo, who smiled sweetly as Mrs. Kim was buttering the toast for her.
Aera pulled out a chair and quietly sat down.
Mrs. Kim's sharp eyes lifted immediately.
"Did you forget your manners, Aera? Or do you think inheriting part of your father's business gives you the right to break family rules?"
Aera lowered her head.
"I'm sorry, Mom."
But another wave of pain hit her stomach, forcing her to grip her fork tightly. Her face paled.
It had been a year since these cramps began—she always assumed it was hormonal, or stress. There was never time to rest when she had to prove her worth every day.
She stood up, intending to excuse herself quietly.
Her father's voice cut through the silence, cold and venomous.
"Running away? Like your mother did?"
Aera froze. The sting of that word—mother—never lost its edge.
"I'm sorry, Dad."
"Just seeing your face ruins my morning," he muttered, turning a page of his newspaper.
Mrs. Kim hid a smirk behind her teacup. Minseo giggled softly.
Aera's throat tightened, but she bowed slightly and turned away.
By the time she arrived at her company, she had forced her expression into calm perfection.
The meeting went smoothly; she presented new expansion proposals with quiet confidence.
Her staff respected her—at least in the office, she wasn't just "the unwanted daughter."
During lunch break, she unlocked her phone and typed a message.
Aera: Wanna have lunch together?
A few seconds later, her boyfriend Park Seongmin replied:
Seongmin: I have a lunch meeting, sweetheart. How about dinner tonight instead?
A smile curved on her lips. At least he never changed. In a world that kept pushing her away, he was the only one who stayed.
"Dinner it is," she whispered, putting her phone aside and returning to work.
Meanwhile…
At a luxury hotel across town, Seongmin's shirt lay discarded on the floor.
Minseo's laughter filled the room.
"Oppa, why have dinner with her?" Minseo teased, tracing a finger along his chest. "How can you think of another woman when I'm right here?"
Seongmin pulled her close, his voice low.
"You know I've always thought of you, Minseo. Even when my parents sent me to date your sister."
Their lips met, sealing the betrayal in silence.
By late afternoon, Aera sat nervously in the doctor's office, her hands folded in her lap.
The doctor looked at her scans, frowning slightly.
"You said the pain has been ongoing for about a year?"
"Yes, it used to be mild. I thought it was just cramps, but… lately it's been worse."
The doctor nodded thoughtfully.
Aera knew this hospital well—most of its funding came from her family. Everyone here knew who she was.
"Please wait for a while, Miss Kim," the doctor said with a polite smile. "I'll call the specialist and discuss your results."
Aera nodded, her heart sinking as the door clicked shut.
After waiting for a while, Aera stood up from her seat. The doctor still hadn't returned. Her eyes fell on a small sign near the elevator — Children's Ward.
Maybe a short walk would help her breathe.
The smell of disinfectant grew stronger as she walked down the quiet corridor. Then, all of a sudden, a small figure bumped into her legs.
"Ah—sorry!"
Aera looked down. A little boy, maybe five or six, looked up at her with bright eyes and a gap-toothed smile.
Her heart softened immediately.
"Subin?" she said softly, recognizing the same boy she had met on her previous visit — the one who wouldn't stop asking her questions about ice cream flavors.
The boy's eyes lit up.
"You remember me, noona!"
Before she could respond, he threw his tiny arms around her.
"Thank you for giving me love and warmth that day. I really wish I had a big sister like you."
Aera froze — her hand half-raised, unsure whether to hug him back.
But the boy had already stepped away, smiling brightly before running down the hallway and disappearing around the corner.
She stood there for a moment, her chest strangely tight.Then she smiled faintly.
Such a sweet kid.
Inside the children's ward, laughter echoed through the room — some kids chatting with each other, some painting clumsy rainbows on paper. The sight always filled her with quiet warmth.
But one bed caught her eye. Empty.
She frowned. That was Subin's bed.
A nurse was walking past, so Aera called out gently,
"You should catch Subin, he's running around again. He's not in his bed."
The nurse blinked in confusion.
"Ma'am… what did you say?"
"Subin. The boy which belong to that empty bed—he just ran past me."
The nurse's expression changed subtly — her polite smile faltering.
"Miss Kim, Su-bin passed away during his surgery last week."
Aera's breath hitched.
"W-what?"
The nurse tilted her head in concern.
"Are you alright? You look pale."
Aera forced a nod.
"Yes… maybe I'm just tired."
The nurse gave a sympathetic smile before walking away.
Aera's eyes lingered on the corner of the corridor where Subin had disappeared. Her heart pounded.
Was that… a dream?
Then a voice called softly from behind her.
"Miss Kim."
She turned. It was Dr. Lee.
"Can we talk about your reports?"
Aera nodded silently, following him back to his office. But she couldn't stop glancing back at that hallway — where a little boy had smiled at her, moments before she learned the truth.
Inside the office, Dr. Lee gestured for her to sit. His face was calm, but his eyes carried a weight she had seen only in tragedy.
"Miss Kim… we've reviewed your scans and blood reports. You have colorectal cancer."
The words struck her like a slow echo.
Dr. Lee continued gently,
"When you visited last year, there were minor signs, but now… your body has shown unexplained weight loss, bowel issues, and chronic cramps. It's advanced."
"How advanced?" she asked, barely above a whisper.
He sighed softly.
"It's in the last stage. I'm very sorry… but at this point, your body might only hold on for a week."
Silence.
Aera's handbag slipped from her lap and fell to the floor with a dull thud.
Her mind went blank.
"A week…?" she repeated numbly, as tears welled in her eyes.