It was hot.

It felt like being in the center of the sun. Something hot was pooling in her stomach, making her skin dry and parched.

“Ugh. Haa.”

Her body twisted in pain. Why was this happening? Why was her body acting like this?

“Don’t move.”

Suddenly, her forehead felt cool.

“Lie still. You’ll feel better soon.”

Seol Ah slowly lifted her eyelids.

In front of her sat a man in a shirt. His face wasn’t clearly visible due to the sunlight. The moment she frowned, his hand brushed her forehead once more.

– If you’re sick, rest instead of being stubborn.

Suddenly, his voice overlapped with an old memory. That had happened before too. Even though she was sick, she had insisted on going to work and collapsed at the office.

He had laid her down in the company infirmary and stroked her forehead just like now.

“Where am I?”

As Seol Ah tried to get up, Seung Jun held her down.

“My house.”

Seol Ah looked at Seung Jun with sharp eyes.

She wanted to say something but had no energy to speak. She exhaled deeply. Her breath was hot.

Was the fever from getting rained on for a long time? Or was the accumulated fatigue and stress from the evaluation finally manifesting now?

Seol Ah closed her hot eyes and opened them once. Feeling dazed, she simply laid her head back down on the bed. It wasn’t because she wanted to. Her body ached to the point she had no choice.

“What were you thinking, standing there like that? Shouldn’t you avoid the rain when it falls? You’re not seven-year-old Yu Min, why are you being so foolish?”

As she lay there, Seung Jun’s nagging flowed into her ears.

Then, if you hadn’t taken Yu Min’s things in the first place, I wouldn’t have done that either.

I thought doing this would make you return it. I thought you wouldn’t carelessly take something precious to Yu Min again.

“Is that something the person who took Yu Min’s things without permission should say?”

Seol Ah spoke, feeling her words break into fragments.

“Don’t talk. Rest for now. Don’t think about anything.”

Seung Jun’s finger lightly tapped Seol Ah’s soft lips. As soon as Seol Ah’s brows furrowed, Seung Jun stood up.

“It’s a cold, and you need plenty of rest. Sleep, and go to work directly from here tomorrow morning.”

However, Seol Ah wriggled and got out of bed. Seeing this, Seung Jun raised his voice.

“What are you doing, now!”

“I need to go. Yu Min is waiting.”

“Yu Min isn’t a little kid either. Where are you going when your body is like this?”

“Even if Yu Min isn’t a little kid, he can’t sleep without me. And I can endure it. I’ll call a taxi and go, so don’t come out.”

Every time she spoke, the heat rose, but Seol Ah really had no time. As she turned to leave, Seung Jun stepped in front of her, blocking her way.

“Move.”

“I told you not to go.”

“And I said I need to go. Forcibly bringing someone like this is kidnapping. If the noble vice president kidnaps someone, what kind of rumors will spread?”

In front of Seol Ah who was glaring at him, Seung Jun let out a small sigh.

Lowering his head, he muttered.

“I was wrong.”

For a moment, Seol Ah doubted her ears.

Is this man telling me he was wrong? This arrogant, self-centered man?

“So please, just stay put. You can do whatever you want to me later.”

Seung Jun’s dark eyes stared at Seol Ah.

Seol Ah avoided his gaze, but his black pupils had already imprinted in her mind.

“Yu Min…”

“I’ll bring him here.”

Seol Ah raised her head and looked at Seung Jun again. Her eyes trembled.

“Bring him here?”

“I’ll tell Jin Cheol to bring him. Don’t worry. Is my house some beast’s castle? I won’t eat you. Nothing will happen, just rest well here today and sleep. You can go to kindergarten and work without any problems.”

“That’s ridiculous…”

She was about to shout.

Suddenly, an unbearable dizziness surged and Seol Ah’s knees buckled. Just as she thought she would collapse on the floor, something firm and cold grabbed her body.

“Let go.”

She tried to push him away, but her body wouldn’t listen. Her vision kept blurring hazily.

Don’t do this. Don’t show me kindness. I’m the one who ran away. So don’t apologize either.

I hope you never enter my heart again.

Never again.

“Ugh…”

Something that was either sweat or tears flowed down her face. Seung Jun blocked her feeble attempt to push him away again. He bent down.

After a moment, Seol Ah realized what was happening to her.

She was being carried in Seung Jun’s arms, heading to the bed.

A cool scent emanated from his firm chest. It was a familiar scent. She still hadn’t forgotten it. Seol Ah closed her eyes. That made the vivid sensations awaken her dazed mind even more.

Soon, a soft and cool sensation enveloped her body. She had been laid back down on the bed.

“Today.”

Arranging the pillow under Seol Ah’s head, Seung Jun spoke.

“Don’t think of yourself as you are now.”

He pulled the blanket up to cover her and wiped her sweaty forehead.

“Think of when nothing had happened yet.”

Before you got pregnant, before you ran away, before you tried so hard to be forgotten by me. When I alone was swelling with anticipation for the future I would share with you.

“When I was your lover.”

Seung Jun’s eyes drew near. Seol Ah blinked unknowingly. Still, the man’s eyes remained in her heart.

As if they had never disappeared.

“Think of that time.”

Seung Jun’s breath touched Seol Ah’s ear. Seol Ah closed her eyes. The man’s voice echoed in her head.

– You said you’re an orphan.
– You said the orphanage is your home. You don’t have a dad or mom either?

Words that used to claw at her in childhood.

The life that was natural for others was not given to her from the start.

It was a life thrown off track.

She was always laughing on the outside, but her heart was constantly bleak. Unable to go to college, she started working as a contract secretary, and that’s where she met Seung Jun.

Seol Ah was twenty, and Seung Jun was a young director in his late twenties at the time. Brimming with enthusiasm, he never backed down even in front of people twice his age.

I thought I was the only one who kept him in my heart.

How excited was I after sharing an unexpected kiss with Seung Jun? How dreamlike was it? The whole world seemed like a flower garden.

I wanted to shout at the parents whose faces I didn’t know. You abandoned me, you never once looked for me, but I don’t need you anymore.

“Seol Ah.”

Seung Jun spoke in a gentle voice. Really as if seven years had flown by in an instant.

It felt like if she slept and woke up, the young him from the past would really be there. It seemed she would throw herself into his arms, bursting into tears, saying she had a terrible nightmare.

“So today. Just for today.”

He found Seol Ah’s hand and held it.

“Leave it to me.”

Yes, I want to do that.

I want to erase the despair I felt by your side, erase the days I ran from you. I also want to walk into the most radiant moment of my life.

Because I’m sick, so dazed I can’t come to my senses, because I’m too tired to endure any longer.

The hand holding hers firmly was cool and soft. She remembered Seung Jun who would scold her fiercely, then pretend nothing happened and casually hold her hand in passing.

Sometimes, that hand would be holding things like candy that weren’t even funny.

While eating that candy, her fellow secretary would go on and on about how scary Director Han Seung Jun was.

Back then, when her stomach would flutter just from sitting still.

“After tonight passes, I’ll let you go without any lingering feelings.”

In her hazy mind, she sees his earnest eyes. Unconsciously reaching out, Seol Ah bent her fingers before that hand could touch him.

Seung Jun took that hand again.

Seol Ah couldn’t avoid the gentle touch tracing her skin. It touched her hand, but felt like it was touching her body. Heat boiled in her body once more.

Can I forget?

Even if it’s just this moment, like you said.

Can I lean my weary body and cry? Putting down all the heavy burdens. Just going back to being myself. Holding onto the one thing I want.

“Rest now.”

The earnest eyes were trembling. Looking at him, Seol Ah lowered her heavy eyelids. I need to lift them again, I shouldn’t follow his words. Then I…

I…

Her body melted. Melting and staggering, it disappeared. Her consciousness, her will, all crumbled in the scorching heat.

*

She regained consciousness at dawn.

Perhaps because the fever had subsided, her body felt lighter than before. She saw the needle inserted in her arm. At some point, an IV drip had been connected.

“Mom!”

As the door opened, the person who entered was surprisingly Yu Min.

“Yu Min.”

Seol Ah tried to sit up but felt a headache again and covered her forehead with one hand.

“Mom, don’t move. They said you’re very sick.”

Yu Min approached Seol Ah’s side, sobbing.

“How did you know I was here?”

As Seol Ah asked, she suddenly froze as if hit on the back of her head.

– I’ll tell Jin Cheol to bring him.

Did Seung Jun tell him to come? He must still have lingering feelings for Seung Jun. I hope he didn’t hurt him.

“Sis.”

Then the door opened again and Jin Cheol entered.

“But why is Mom at Uncle’s friend’s house?”

When Yu Min asked, Jin Cheol scratched the back of his head with one hand and replied.

“Ah, that. That friend said I could freely use this house, so I stopped by occasionally. I got a call that you were unwell, and it happened that the place you were at was near that friend’s house. So I told you to go in and rest.”

Seol Ah furrowed her brows, wondering what kind of situation this was. The person Jin Cheol called his friend must not be a real friend, but Seung Jun. Seung Jun probably told Jin Cheol to say that.

“Oh, right. This.”

Jin Cheol went out for a moment and returned with a storage box containing Yu Min’s drawings and awards.

She knew the contents, of course, but it was the first time seeing the storage box. It was made of a smooth, luxurious material like a jewelry box.

“Uncle, you took this?”

When Yu Min asked in surprise, Jin Cheol touched the back of his head again and said,

“Ah, this, this. I was going to surprise you with this storage box, but your sister said you got really angry. So I brought it right away. I’m sorry.”

Seol Ah lowered her eyes.

Jin Cheol probably didn’t buy the storage box. It must have been Seung Jun’s doing. In the end, if he was going to do this, I don’t know why he made such a fuss before.

She wasn’t exactly comfortable having gotten rained on and ending up indebted to him like this. Moreover, he handed everything over to Jin Cheol and hid himself for the sake of everyone who would be uncomfortable with him.

“Let’s leave quickly. Even if it’s a vacated place, we shouldn’t impose for long.”

Seol Ah spoke in a heavy voice.