After safely sending the final manuscript to the main author, Se-ah came to the hospital. The approximately ten minutes it took to reach the VIP ward felt frustratingly distant.

It was around 6 o’clock when she checked Kang-woo’s message about the test results. Curiosity led her to make a call, but only a casual answer came back. [If you’re interested, come and hear it yourself], he said.

No matter how much she asked and pleaded, it was futile. The firm decision remained unchanged. It wasn’t that he seemed upset, though.

She asked if he had eaten, if everything was okay, and if he wanted to see her. After words of encouragement, the call ended without any major awkwardness. However, he didn’t say a word about the test results throughout.

‘Ah… Cha Kang-woo…’

She truly didn’t know what was going on inside, making her sigh from time to time. Even though they had known each other for nine years, she had focused her entire heart on Cha Kang-woo, who had only started looking at himself less than a year ago.

But why did it seem like he understood himself better? How should she express her love for him more, endure her anxiety, and pour out her concern? Sometimes he handled her so well that it was almost frustrating.

Passing by the nurse’s desk and turning the corner, the room was there. Walking a bit faster, she collided with a nurse who was briskly walking and looking at the chart without lifting her eyes.

Se-ah grabbed her, preventing the nurse from tripping over her own steps. The paperwork she failed to catch scattered and fell to the floor.

“Are you okay?”

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

Se-ah sat down with the nurse and picked up the fallen documents. They calmly organized them and stood up together.

“Here.”

“Thank you very much.”

The nurse gestured towards Kang-woo’s room.

“Go in quickly. The patient seems to be waiting for the guardian again today. He wandered around here and there, waiting for you. He did that for a few hours the day before yesterday. I envy him.”

He’s not that kind of guy. Thinking she might have mistaken him for someone else, Se-ah laughed it off.

“I’ve played many games from CI Soft. If there’s anything uncomfortable, please feel free to let me know.”

Smiling kindly, the nurse turned away.

Staring blankly and feeling dazed, Se-ah stood still for a moment before heading to the ward.

“I’m here.”

Perhaps because of what she heard from the nurse, she felt unexpectedly shy. She glanced with a side-eye while tilting her head slightly.

Kang-woo was sitting on the sofa. His intricate black knit, worn over a white T-shirt, looked neat.

His long crossed legs were unwound, and when he stood up, his lips, pressed together, shortened.

“You came early.”

His distinctive voice, with no ups and downs, carried a sense of power. Se-ah, who had been momentarily captivated by his energetic gaze, belatedly noticed the suitcase. It was brought when she brought her belongings, and the zipper was filled and stood upright.

“Why did you pack everything?”

“To leave the hospital.”
“Is it really okay, Teacher?”

“Yeah.”

In the midst of the response, Kang-woo naturally took Se-ah’s hand. In fact, the doctor suggested that it would be better for her to stay in the hospital for a few more days, but with the answer that it was unnecessary, the doctor reluctantly agreed as if giving up.

Seeing Se-ah smiling with relief, it was a good thing that the awkward remarks were omitted.

“Was there nothing else? Nothing unusual?”

“None at all.”

“That’s a relief.”

Due to Se-ah clapping her hands, Kang-woo’s hand was also involved.

However, Se-ah awkwardly laughed as if it wasn’t a big deal. Observing her immediate and honest reaction, he looked at her intently.

Looking at Se-ah’s eyes, it seemed like she was feeling something similar to him. It was interesting to observe her with an expression that suggested curiosity.

As Kang-woo more overtly tangled his gaze, Se-ah rolled her eyes.

“Do I seem like a nerd? Like you’re looking at some strange specimen.”

“…Me? When? No way.”

“Seeing you awkwardly avoiding the subject makes it even more certain. Seen me as a loosened screw.”

Mocking her, he didn’t let go of Se-ah’s hand. Even in the midst of that, he looked around quietly, wondering if there was something to leave in this hospital room. Lo and behold, in the distance, Se-ah’s water cup caught his eye.

“I really didn’t think that way.”

“The honesty that shows in your expression is Se-ah’s charm.”

After letting go of the held hand, Kang-woo brought and packed Se-ah’s water cup among the clothes. Seeing the popular character drawn on the cup, he chuckled.

He immediately opened the trunk and inserted it between the clothes. While Se-ah was awkwardly smiling, watching him pull out the handle of the trunk, he got closer.

“But, what is it? Why do you keep starting to say something and stop?”

While hesitating, her lips slowly opened.

“Sometimes it hurts.”

At this point, he must have completely exposed my feelings. As Se-ah’s eyes, facing each other, gradually widened.

“Why? Why does it hurt?”