I had just gotten home from the office, and honestly, I was already feeling like crap the entire day.
But I pushed through it.
Meetings stacked back-to-back, calls with investors, endless paperwork... I couldn't afford to slow down.
I needed to impress Grandpa — prove to him that I deserved the position, that I was ready to inherit the company.
And maybe then, maybe, he'd stop nagging me about "processing the baby thing" and just hand over the succession rights already.
But now, standing in the doorway of my own living room, it hit me harder: the pounding headache, the body ache, the chills crawling down my spine.
Next thing I knew, I collapsed onto the couch — something I never did because, one, it ruined my posture, and two, it absolutely murdered my back.
I didn't even realize I'd fallen asleep until—
Soft singing echoed from the staircase.
It was Bo-ra, humming a pop tune as she made her way downstairs, probably thinking she had the whole house to herself.
Then she spotted me sprawled across the couch like a dead man.
"Hmm? Why's this idiot sleeping on the couch?" she mumbled under her breath, tilting her head like a confused puppy.
I heard her shuffle toward the kitchen, opening the fridge.
She must've figured I was just being lazy. I mean, who wouldn't? I looked like a pile of laundry thrown over the sofa.
Grabbing a yogurt cup, she glanced over her shoulder again.
That's when she heard it — a low groan escaping my lips.
Not the kind of groan you're thinking about, okay? I was seriously sick, not... whatever you're imagining.
Bo-ra froze, the yogurt slipping from her hand and thudding onto the table.
"Yul?" she called out, voice rising in panic.
She rushed to my side, her palm pressing against my forehead.
I could barely open my eyes — everything was blurry, like someone smeared my vision with Vaseline.
Through the haze, I could hear her frantically saying my name.
Then... blackness.
I passed out cold.
---
The next thing I knew, it was morning.
I woke up in my own bed, a damp washcloth resting on my forehead.
The room smelled faintly of lavender — Bo-ra must've sprayed something.
As my eyes adjusted, I spotted her curled up on the couch in the corner of my bedroom, fast asleep.
She looked exhausted, still in the clothes from last night, hugging a throw pillow like a makeshift teddy bear.
My chest tightened weirdly at the sight.
She... stayed up taking care of me?
I didn't have the heart to wake her, so I grabbed a blanket and draped it gently over her.
She stirred slightly but didn't wake.
A small smile tugged at my lips.
Turns out she's caring..."
Quietly, I headed downstairs to make breakfast.
---
Earlier That Night – Bo-ra's POV
Dragging a six-foot-tall man up a flight of stairs wasn't exactly part of my cardio plan for the night, but here we were.
And boy — Yul was heavy.
Deadweight kind of heavy.
"Seriously... what the heck do you eat... dumbbell bars?" I huffed between gritted teeth, half-carrying, half-dragging him to his bedroom.
By the time I finally dumped him onto his bed, my arms felt like jelly.
Without wasting a second, I dashed to the bathroom, filled a basin with warm water, and grabbed a clean towel.
I gently wiped the sweat off his forehead, his arms, his neck... careful not to wake him.
"Tsk. This idiot," I muttered under my breath. "Skipping meals, working non-stop... no wonder you crashed like that."
Pausing, I found myself staring at his face.
Up close, without the usual arrogant smirk or teasing glare, he actually looked...
Kind of handsome.
"Aish, you're so annoying..." I whispered, giving his cheek a light pinch.
"Sure, you're handsome... but why do you always have to mess with me, huh?"
Thankfully, he was out cold and couldn't feel my little revenge pinch.
I stifled a giggle, feeling strangely giddy.
---
Back to Morning – Yul's POV
I was flipping pancakes at the stove when I heard footsteps.
Bo-ra appeared at the kitchen entrance, her hair a fluffy mess, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
When she spotted me cooking, her brows knitted into a worried frown.
"Hey! You're still sick. Why are you up already? Sit down, I'll do it—"
I shook my head.
"No, sit down. This is my way of saying thank you."
I flashed her a rare smile, and it must've startled her because she blinked rapidly like a confused kitten before finally plopping down at the dining table.
For once, I decided to be nice.
No teasing. No cold remarks.
Today, I owed her.
"How are you feeling?" she asked gently.
"Better. Thanks to you," I said sincerely, setting a plate of pancakes in front of her.
"It was nothing," she mumbled, poking her fork into a pancake shyly.
We ate in comfortable silence until halfway through breakfast...
I looked down at my clothes — and froze.
Wait. This... isn't what I wore yesterday.
I nearly choked on my orange juice, coughing violently.
Bo-ra looked up, alarmed.
"Hey, are you okay?!" she panicked, handing me a napkin.
I wiped my mouth, heart pounding.
Did she...?
I glanced at her, then at myself, then back at her.
She caught on instantly and smirked.
"Oh, you're wondering about your clothes, huh?" she teased.
My ears turned beet red.
"I... I mean... D-did you...?" I stammered.
"Pssh, relax," she said, waving a hand. "Yeah, I changed your clothes. But don't worry — I kept my eyes closed the whole time. Not interested in seeing your scrawny body anyway."
She grinned wickedly, and I wanted the ground to swallow me whole.
Offended? Maybe a little.
Relieved? Oh, definitely.
Still, I couldn't help feeling a tiny sting at the "scrawny" comment.
(For the record, I have abs. Slight ones. But they exist.)
---
Later, after cleaning up, an idea popped into my head.
Maybe... just maybe...
I could do something more for her today.
Clearing my throat awkwardly, I asked, "Uh, Bo-ra... are you free today?"
She tilted her head, curious.
"Why?"
"Wanna watch a movie?" I said, trying to sound casual.
Her eyes brightened immediately.
"Sure!"
---
At the theater, we ended up watching a comedy.
And honestly? I couldn't remember the last time I laughed that much.
Bo-ra's laughter was contagious.
It was loud and unfiltered, the kind that made other people around us smile too.
At one point, during a scene where the main character got smacked on the head by his five-year-old kid, she was laughing so hard she had tears in her eyes.
I found myself staring.
Not at the screen.
At her.
The way her eyes crinkled when she laughed, the way she threw her head back without caring if she looked weird...
God, it was adorable.
Was my heart... racing?
No way.
This wasn't happening.
I shook my head, trying to snap out of it.
Probably just leftover fever symptoms.
Yeah. That had to be it.
Right?
---
After the movie, we were still chuckling as we walked back to the car.
"Seriously... my stomach hurts from laughing," I said, clutching my side.
"I know, right?! Especially that scene with the dad getting whacked — priceless!" Bo-ra giggled.
As we reached the parking lot, I slowed my steps, suddenly feeling weirdly... sentimental.
"Hey," I said softly.
She turned to me.
"Thanks," I said. "For everything. For taking care of me."
She waved it off casually. "No big deal. You already treated me to a movie — we're even."
But the way she smiled — that soft, genuine smile —
Yeah.
That hit different.
As we walked side by side under the warm afternoon sun, I realized something:
Maybe...
Just maybe...
She wasn't weird at all.
Maybe...
She was the reason the world felt a little lighter when everything else felt heavy.
And I didn't hate it.
Not one bit.
To be continued...