Jiho almost carried La Jin, rushing to the bathroom as if being chased by someone. He handed her a toothbrush, and in the blink of an eye, La Jin finished brushing her teeth as if a lightning bolt had passed before her eyes.

“You did well. You look beautiful.”

His endless praise made La Jin’s ears turn red. As she looked up at his vigorously swaying Adam’s apple, La Jin’s body tingled.

“Uh!”

“Now, it’s time to sleep.”

“What?”

It was simply absurd.

Although they had finished eating, they hadn’t cleared the table. There was still dishwashing to be done, and there were plenty of things to say, but it was already time to sleep.

“I’m not sleepy.”

“La Jin is tired now.”

“I’m fine.”

“How exhausting is a long-distance flight? We need to go to the hospital tomorrow morning.”

Although he was originally articulate, he pulled together all sorts of reasons. With the man’s persuasive tenderness, La Jin found herself on the bed without realizing how many times she had nodded.

“What’s this?”

La Jin gestured to herself wrapped in a blanket.

“I washed before eating, and now that I’ve brushed my teeth, I’m going to sleep.”

“All of a sudden?”

“I’ll put you to sleep.”

Whether it was a sincere statement or not, Jiho lay beside La Jin, who had become a “human kimbap.” Then, like putting a child to sleep, he patted her back gently.

“I’m really not tired at all.”

“If you keep opening your eyes, it’ll be a big problem. Go to sleep.”

With a mischievous cough, he covered La Jin’s small face with his hands. La Jin, with only her mouth visible, whimpered.

“Can’t you let me go?”

“Even if it’s stuffy, endure it a bit.”

“Then, at least show Jiho’s face.”

His breath expanded and contracted like the ground collapsing. After a while, he either shook his head, or the bed started to shake slightly.

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because you can’t trust me. Huh… I’m ending the conversation now.”

It wasn’t forced sleep, but Jiho lightly pulled La Jin against him. Then, from head to back, he gently stroked her.

“Don’t touch my hair. I’ll fall asleep right away!”

Even with La Jin’s pouring complaints, Jiho made a soothing sound.

It wasn’t that she didn’t understand why he was so desperate. Right now, La Jin’s chest was also filled with a warm heat.

“A little while ago, she was crying and making a fuss. I’m not in my right mind either.”

If he hadn’t applied a strong brake, something worse could have happened right now. He pushed away the minimum decency of thinking about his sick mother and the overflowing regret.

“Tell me you love me.”

“I love you.”

Without a second’s hesitation, he gave a prompt answer.

“How about a kiss? You can do that much.”

His answer was warm and soft. The moment his lips touched hers, he tightly embraced La Jin.

“Good night.”

The hypnotic words made the tension that enveloped La Jin’s body gradually release.

For a moment, as if entering a cozy nest, the illusion of having entered a warm place persisted, but unconsciously, somewhere, a soft sound opened the door.
Careful rustling sounds, the rain pouring heavily. Then, the refreshing citrus scent brushed La Jin’s nose.

In the moment when her mind became distant, La Jin leaned her forehead towards his faint breath.

How fortunate it was to have brought her things to his place beforehand. Dressed properly, La Jin could head to the hospital.

“If O Jong-hyuk bothers you, contact me immediately.”

She smiled at his determination not to leave things alone. Threats from others had never been so sweet.

“I understand. I won’t endure it anymore.”

They arrived at the hospital’s underground parking lot in no time.

La Jin, holding Jiho’s cheek, touched her nose to his. Her tender shoulders shook like tickling a neck with feathers.

“Haeun will come today.”

“I should treat her to a meal sometime.”

When he expressed gratitude to Haeun, La Jin felt nothing but remorse.

“I have to go to the set today. I can call you at night.”

“Don’t push yourself.”

La Jin nodded as she took his lips.

“I won’t do overnight shoots, but if it gets late, you can contact Haeun starting tomorrow.”

Like checking an emergency contact network, the two detailedly discussed situations where calls might not go through and how to deal with them.

“I’ll go now.”

Parting was always regretful, and their steps still hadn’t separated.

Thinking that she might never get out of his car at this rate, La Jin gathered her courage. Leaving marks here and there with her lips touching everywhere on his face, she got off without looking back.

“We just parted, but I already miss him.”

The man who made seaweed soup early in the morning, wishing her a solid day. With such a man beside her, what was there to be afraid of? To face the harsh reality head-on, La Jin sought out the attending physician.

La Jin’s brief greeting and the long briefing from the doctor began.

For almost an hour, the desperate state of her mother and the horrifying complications were poured out without filter.

“The best I can tell you in the current situation is to prepare yourself mentally.”