“Why are you opening the door so late?”

“……I opened it as fast as I could. Why did you come here?”

You came because they said I didn’t come to work.

You came because they said I was sick.

If I say this, you’ll say it’s uncomfortable again. You’ll just push me away again.

Tae Wook also had to suppress the words he wanted to say.

“……Aren’t you going to invite me in?”

“Ah, please come in.”

The house Tae Wook entered was still full of Lee Han’s traces.

Was it because they hadn’t cleaned up yet?

Or was it because they had no intention of cleaning up?

There were pictures taken with him everywhere, and everywhere Tae Wook’s eyes could see couple items.

From men’s sized indoor slippers to cups of the same design.

Seeing those traces didn’t make him feel good.

“Are you feeling alright?”

“Yes. I’m fine.”

Ba Ha took just one step following him and her eyes started spinning again.

“I heard you were sick, are you really oka……”

Thud.

Suddenly everything went dark, and the only sound she could hear was Tae Wook’s surprised voice.

“Han Ba Ha!”

[This is the timeline separator]

“Ha…… So why is this person like this?”

“The fever is quite high. I’ve given some antipyretics, so she’ll be fine soon.”

When Ba Ha collapsed, Tae Wook quickly picked her up, laid her on the bed, and immediately contacted Seo Ha.

‘Hey…… Do Seo Ha, come quickly, quickly. This person, no, Han Ba Ha collapsed and her body is too hot.’

He looked so urgent.

Seo Ha happened to be off duty and hurriedly packed various things at Tae Wook’s urgent call and came to her house as Tae Wook had informed.

“Hey, Woo Tae Un, what’s this? What happened?”

Seo Ha asked, looking at Tae Wook who couldn’t take his eyes off Ba Ha.

What had happened.

Seo Ha, who hadn’t heard anything from Tae Wook since that day, found this situation and Tae Wook unfamiliar.

“Later. Let’s talk later. By the way, is that person really okay?”

“Yes. She’s fine, I tell you. First, when she wakes up, we’ll see her condition and maybe get her checked. It seems like a cold, don’t make such a fuss.”

“Ha……”

Tae Wook let out a deep sigh.

Suddenly hearing a dull sound from behind, he turned around to see Ba Ha lying collapsed on the floor.

It felt like his heart had sunk.

His usual coolness was nowhere to be found, and the only thing that came to mind was Seo Ha, the doctor.

“Thank you.”

“Huh? Did I hear that wrong?”

“Don’t make a fuss and just go.”

“I’m leaving.”

After sending Seo Ha away, Tae Wook went to Ba Ha’s side and stared intently at her face with closed eyes.

“You foolish woman. If you’re sick, you should say you’re sick……”

Tae Wook wrapped Ba Ha’s hand in his large one.

He held it knowing she couldn’t say anything.

He held it knowing she wouldn’t pull her hand away.

“I can forgive this much. I was so surprised.”

Tae Wook buried his face in Ba Ha’s hand, calming his startled heart, and closed his eyes.

How much time had passed?

She felt refreshed.

When Ba Ha opened her eyes, she saw Tae Wook lying face down, still holding her hand tightly.

You’ve caused trouble again, Han Ba Ha.

Despite feeling refreshed, seeing Tae Wook hunched over with his large body made her feel bitter and sorry.

“Vice President……”

Hearing the faint voice, Tae Wook opened his eyes and looked at Ba Ha, and Ba Ha smiled faintly.

Seeing Ba Ha looking pale, as if she had been very sick, Tae Wook’s heart ached.

“Are you feeling a bit better? Do you remember?”

“Ah…… I remember until you came, Vice President.”

She doesn’t remember after that.

Except that the whole world suddenly went dark.

“I’m sorry.”

Ba Ha murmured, lowering her head. With the continued feeling of apology, Ba Ha couldn’t lift her head.

“How are you feeling?”

Tae Wook asked, still holding Ba Ha’s hand, and Ba Ha also knew Tae Wook was holding her hand but didn’t pull it away.

It was so warm that maybe, just maybe, she could stay like this a little longer.

Ba Ha didn’t want to let go of this warmth she was feeling after a long time.

“I’m really fine. You must have been very surprised, you can go home and rest now. I’m sorry.”

“Just say thank you. That’s enough for me.”

Tae Wook, who didn’t want to go back, stretched his numb legs, got up, and headed to the kitchen saying,

“Can I use the kitchen?”

He looked around searching for an excuse not to go home.

If there was any excuse to stay by her side even a little longer, he wanted to find it and be next to her.

“Yes……”

Ba Ha gradually smiled faintly at his gruff yet kind manner.

“You haven’t eaten anything today, right?”

Tae Wook said, looking at Ba Ha who was now sitting up leaning against the headboard.

“No……”

“Let’s eat. I’ll make you some porridge.”

Tae Wook opened the refrigerator to see if there were any usable ingredients, but there was nothing.

What had she been eating all this time?

“Han Ba Ha, do you cook meals?”

After some consideration, Tae Wook took out one egg and closed the door.

With these ingredients, it might have been much better to just buy food, but he just wanted to make it for her.

Not porridge bought from outside, but warmth he wanted to give.

“Haha. But Vice President, do you know how to cook?”

“When you live alone, you learn to do all sorts of things.”

Ba Ha chuckled as she watched Tae Wook speak so nonchalantly.

Now she understood.

The meaning hidden in that calm tone.

“Thank you.”

When Ba Ha’s voice was heard, Tae Wook turned his head to look at her and smiled brightly.

That one word was enough.

The woman he was growing to like more and more was sick. She was hurting too much from past wounds. He wanted to say he felt hurt, but couldn’t say it.

Because they weren’t that kind of relationship yet.

Because you and I didn’t have the same feelings yet.

But it’s okay. Tae Wook was okay because it seemed like you opened the door a little for him today too.

“Alright. That’s all I need.”

[This is the timeline separator]

“You’ve arrived, Vice President.”

Woo Jun felt chilled by Tae Wook who appeared with an inexplicable smile on his face.

“Good morning, Director Jang.”

Tae Wook bowed in response to Woo Jun’s greeting and entered his office.

He wrote.

[ Let’s leave work together…… ]

He erased it. He repeated this.

Since that day, although it might have been an illusion, Tae Wook felt that Ba Ha’s resistance had weakened a little, but he was still too cautious.

[ When do you get off work? ]

As soon as he entered his office and hung up the jacket he was wearing, he wrote and erased repeatedly, and finally pressed the send button.

The thirst of not being able to go see her freely even though they were in the same building irritated Tae Wook.

Knock knock knock.

“Come in.”

Woo Jun entered the office with an armful of documents from the morning, but Tae Wook had no intention of putting down his phone whether Woo Jun came in or not. He stared only at his phone without even glancing at Woo Jun who had entered.

[ I don’t know yet. Why? ] [ Want to leave work together? ] [ I don’t know when I’ll finish. I’ll contact you again later. ] [ Okay. ]

Knock knock knock.

Woo Jun knocked on the desk to divert Tae Wook’s attention, which wasn’t even directed at him.

“Is it Han Ba Ha?”

Tae Wook, whom Woo Jun saw when he entered the office, looked like a high school boy who had just fallen in love. He couldn’t take his eyes off his phone, and a smile automatically appeared on his face at every message from her, looking like a boy in such a fresh love.

“How did you know? Come to think of it, Director Jang, you seem to lack tact sometimes, but you’re scary at times like this.”

“I’m quite perceptive.”

Woo Jun said, pouting his lips, but even that looked cute to Tae Wook right now.

“Perceptive Director Jang, so don’t interfere for a while.”

“Don’t interfere with what?”

“Anything.”

Tae Wook chuckled.

“Director Jang, what happened to what I asked you to bring?”

“Ah, here are the final candidates for the advertising model you mentioned before. Why did you suddenly tell me to handle this quietly?”

[ Final candidate for Daehan Motors advertising model. ‘Lee Han’ ]

As soon as he saw the document, Tae Wook’s face, which had been full of happiness, hardened instantly. This is why he had asked for it to be brought up quietly.

If it had been through official channels, she would have been the first to hear this news.

As soon as he saw this document, what came to mind was Ba Ha crying endlessly with bright red eyelids.

“Ha…… Director Jang, I told you not to interfere.”

“What? What did I do!”

Seeing Woo Jun’s indignant expression, Tae Wook let out a deep sigh.

It seemed like this would happen.

He had expected it.

An existence that he wanted to ignore but couldn’t.

Lee Han was an existence that popped up from somewhere now and then, bothering him even when he tried to forget.

Tae Wook was irritated seeing the words “Lee Han” in the final draft.

“Director Jang, how long can we put this final draft on hold?”

“Two weeks, you need to make a decision within a maximum of two weeks.”

“Ha….. Two weeks. Two weeks, huh.”

Tae Wook muttered softly.

If Ba Ha and Lee Han’s love had been an ordinary love, it wouldn’t have bothered him this much or made him feel so twisted inside.

Maybe Ba Ha might have to live her whole life carrying the existence of “Lee Han” in a corner of her heart, unable to erase it.

A love created by extraordinary time and extraordinary people.

Tae Wook wanted to erase those memories from Ba Ha, even if just for a moment. He wished she wouldn’t hurt anymore. He wished she wouldn’t cry anymore.

“Ha……”

His insides were twisted.

The two characters “Lee Han”, which he wouldn’t have cared about before, were now grating on Tae Wook’s nerves one by one.

Tae Wook nervously threw down the final draft on the desk and leaned back in his chair, constantly rubbing his temples with his fingers.

“Is Lee Han the only actor in Korea? Why are you all making such a fuss about not being able to bring anyone else!”