The darkness settled in the room.

Through the window, the soft glow of lights illuminating the apartment complex filtered in against the backdrop of the pitch-black night sky.

Tae Wook lifted his heavy eyelids.

When did he fall asleep?

It seems he had fallen asleep while comforting Gyeo Wool, who couldn’t easily drift off due to her discomfort.

“Ah, I’m still in my suit.”

I should go change clothes.

Just as he was about to quietly get up so as not to wake Gyeo Wool, he felt a weight on his waist.

What’s this? He looked down to see Gyeo Wool’s sleeping arm wrapped around his waist.

A silent chuckle.

She had insisted it wasn’t a sleeping habit.

Any other time, he would have woken her to show her what she was doing.

But he couldn’t bring himself to wake her when she was sick and had fallen into a difficult sleep.

Tae Wook carefully lifted her arm from his waist and set it down.

Then he sat up and gazed at Gyeo Wool for a long while before reaching out his hand.

He gently caressed her cheek with his finger.

The sensation under his fingertips was as soft as cream.

“That’s right. Everything about you was this soft and tender.”

Tae Wook murmured in a voice so quiet it would be hard to hear even if someone were nearby.

Suddenly, he was reminded of that day when he had made love with Gyeo Wool.

Gyeo Wool’s skin had become feverishly hot under Tae Wook’s palm.

He had caressed every inch of her body gently and carefully, as if painting a picture, but he had still worried.

Worried that his rough hands might hurt her delicate, soft skin.

“It’s been so long. I had forgotten.”

It was truly blissful.

The joy of being able to fully possess Gyeo Wool was indescribable.

“But were you never happy by my side?”

Tae Wook gently grasped Gyeo Wool’s wrist that was exposed outside the blanket.

Was she always this thin?

Her wrist and hand visible in the darkness were pale and thin to the point of frailty.

“Haa…”

A sigh escaped unbidden from between Tae Wook’s teeth.

She seemed to have gotten this thin since coming up to Seoul, and it weighed heavily on his heart.

Was his selfish desire to keep Gyeo Wool by his side making her suffer?

It was frustrating.

Tae Wook got up from the bed and walked to the window.

He felt like this frustration might dissipate if he could just feel the cold air.

But his hand stopped midair as he was about to open the window, and moved no further.

Tae Wook turned his head to look back at Gyeo Wool on the bed.

The cold wind might wake her from her sleep.

“I’m worried about you.”

But I don’t feel bad about it.

Strangely enough.

Rather, his heart swelled at the fact that there were things he could do for Gyeo Wool.

“I must be getting influenced by you.”

Tae Wook recalled the moments when he had marveled at Gyeo Wool’s diverse emotions in such short spans of time.

Only a few minutes had passed since he woke up.

Yet his mood had already gone from good to heavy to worried…

Now a gentle smile played on his lips.

He who had been unfeeling was now being tossed about by emotions.

“I suppose I’m becoming more like you.”

[This is the timeline separator]

The next morning.

“Mr. Tae Wook, please try to stop the young lady. How can she go to work in that condition?”

Mrs. Lee, who had followed Tae Wook and Gyeo Wool as they left for work, said with concern.

From the moment Gyeo Wool had come out ready for work, Mrs. Lee had been nagging that she should rest whenever she had the chance.

“Why don’t you reconsider?”

Perhaps because of Mrs. Lee’s words?

At the front door, Tae Wook examined Gyeo Wool’s face with worried eyes.

Though she had applied makeup thicker than usual, it couldn’t completely hide her dry and pale complexion.

Gyeo Wool slightly turned her head diagonally, avoiding Tae Wook’s gaze.

“I’m really fine. I’ve recovered.”

Tae Wook couldn’t believe Gyeo Wool’s claim that she had recovered.

“As Mrs. Lee said, going to work seems too much. I’ll send a car, so go to the hospital later.”

“Why should I go to the hospital when I’m not sick? I don’t want to.”

Gyeo Wool firmly refused to go to the hospital.

“The company runs fine without Secretary Han. So please listen.”

“I feel worse when I rest. So I’ll just go to work.”

Tae Wook didn’t have time to argue with Gyeo Wool anymore.

He had to drop Gyeo Wool off at the resort headquarters and then go to work at J Chemical today.

“Alright. But if you feel even a little unwell, you leave work immediately. Understand?”

“Oh my, if she’s going to leave early, she might as well rest at home. You should say no until the end.”

Mrs. Lee grumbled, still unsatisfied with Tae Wook’s permission.

“Young lady, you’ll get into big trouble that way.”

Mrs. Lee said worriedly to Gyeo Wool as she slipped her feet into her shoes.

“It was like this last time too. You got sick from overexerting yourself.”

“Mrs. Lee…”

Gyeo Wool looked back at Tae Wook with startled eyes.

Fortunately, he seemed not to have heard Mrs. Lee’s words carefully as he was opening the front door to leave.

“Oh my, this mouth of mine.”

Mrs. Lee, startled by her own words that had slipped out unconsciously, patted her lips several times with her palm.

“I’m sorry, young lady.”

“It’s alright. I trust you’ll be more careful next time.”

Gyeo Wool couldn’t blame Mrs. Lee, who seemed even more surprised than herself.

She bowed and pushed open the front door to leave.

.

.

.

Gyeo Wool stood up from her desk.

Once again, dizziness overcame her, causing her to frown and pause before heading to the pantry.

She thought the dizziness was due to lack of energy from not eating lunch properly because of her poor appetite.

She returned from the pantry with a cup of sweet cocoa.

“I need to replenish my calories somehow.”

Gyeo Wool was about to sit down in her chair at her desk when she suddenly cried out in pain.

“Ouch!”

A feeling like being stabbed with a knife deep in her flesh.

The pain was so intense that she couldn’t hold back her cry.

“What’s going on? Did I bump into something?”

Gyeo Wool set down the hot mug on her desk and rubbed her stinging, sore side with her hand.

But she couldn’t remember bumping into anything.

Just then, the door to the executive office opened and a man wearing a helmet entered carrying a paper bag.

“Who is Han Gyeo Wool?”

“I, I am.”

Gyeo Wool raised her hand, straightening her upper body.

The man handed the paper bag to Gyeo Wool.

“What is this?”

“It’s bread.”

Hearing the man’s words, she noticed that the name of a famous bakery was printed on the paper bag.

“Who sent it?”

She asked, even though she had someone in mind.

“I don’t know. I’m just making the delivery. Well then.”

The man, clearly valuing his time as money, ran out of the executive office.

Gyeo Wool took out the plastic-wrapped bread from the paper bag.

It was a Mont Blanc and a croissant.

Only one person could know that these were her favorite breads – Tae Wook.

She took out her mobile phone and sent a message.

[I’ll eat the bread well. Thank you.]

Right after sending the message, she received a reply from Tae Wook.

[Enjoy it, and remember to leave work if you’re not feeling well, okay?]

So it was indeed sent by Tae Wook.

Gyeo Wool broke off a piece of bread and ate it, wearing the happiest smile in the world.

As she was munching happily, she suddenly dropped her head.

Plop! Plop!

Large teardrops fell onto the bread wrapper.

“Don’t be so nice to me… This makes it so… so much harder to leave.”

Gyeo Wool couldn’t eat any more of the bread.

[This is the timeline separator]

The next night.

Gyeo Wool was curled up tightly on the bed, suffering.

Today again, she had not been feeling well and had gone to bed early.

She had woken up due to a stabbing pain from her side to her back, and had been writhing in agony for almost an hour.

She had tried so hard to endure the pain that her body was drenched in sweat.

I think I need to go to the hospital.

Gyeo Wool mustered all the strength left in her body to get up from the bed.

She felt she should call Tae Wook.

He had gone to the study, saying he would sleep comfortably.

“Ugh!”

A groan escaped her lips as the pain intensified with even the slightest movement. She gritted her teeth and stepped out of the bedroom.

With each step she took, her rough breathing scattered into the air.

Today, even Mrs. Lee, feeling tired, had finished her work early and gone to her room.

Gyeo Wool staggered, gritting her teeth as she walked through the hallway to the front of the study.

Just a little more.

The doorknob seemed within reach if she just stretched out her hand.

But suddenly, dizziness overcame her, her vision went dark, and her legs gave out.

Thud!

As soon as she collapsed to the floor, a painful scream burst out.

“Aagh!”

Gyeo Wool tried to get up, but her body wouldn’t listen.

Perhaps hearing her scream.

Bang! The study door opened, and Tae Wook’s face appeared, looking out.

“What’s wrong!”

He sprang out like a coiled spring and quickly approached her, lowering himself beside her.

The moment Gyeo Wool heard Tae Wook’s voice, she burst into tears.

“Sob sob!”

“Why are you sitting here? And what’s with all this sweat?”

He placed his hand on her forehead with a serious look.

“You’re burning up!”

Tae Wook cried out in surprise.

“I… it hurts… sob!”

“Let’s go to the hospital. Wait just a moment.”

Tae Wook dashed into the dressing room and came out with the car keys.

“Can you stand up?”

He took Gyeo Wool’s trembling hand. Her hand was burning hot and soaked with sweat.

“J-just a moment…”

Gyeo Wool tried to stand up with Tae Wook’s support but squeezed her eyes shut in pain.

Her back felt like it was splitting open, and she couldn’t move anymore.

All she could do was breathe roughly.

“To let it get this bad…”

Tae Wook’s face darkened to an ashen color.

Gyeo Wool’s condition seemed worse than he had anticipated.

He let go of her hand. Then he immediately bent down and lifted her up in his arms.

“Sir…”

Even in her pain, she struggled in surprise, trying to get away from him.

“Stay still. I’m barely holding back my anger right now.”

Tae Wook carried Gyeo Wool out of the apartment, running.