"It's Yuri," Keifer muttered, and without thinking, he picked up.
"Hey, man. Yeah, Y/N's with me—"
He barely got the words out when one of the Hawl gang members suddenly stepped forward with a sharp, unexpected motion.
CRACK!
A fist connected with Keifer's jaw.
"KEIFER!" Y/N cried out.
His phone flew from his hand, skidding across the pavement and landing near the sidewalk.
Keifer stumbled back, clutching his face as the gang started to surround them.
"You got some nerve answering calls from him," one of the guys sneered.
"Tell your little sick friend he's next."
Y/N's heart pounded in her ears. Rage mixed with fear. She moved to check on Keifer, but one of the gang members stepped in front of her, blocking the way.
Yuri… he heard that. He heard everything…
Her eyes darted toward the fallen phone, the screen still faintly lit with the call.
Yuri was still on the line.
Yuri's POV
He stirred slowly, blinking against the dim light of his room. A slight dampness on his forehead made him reach up—his fingers brushing against a cool towel.
He exhaled softly.
The heaviness in his head was still there, but dulled. The fever had started to ease, leaving behind only the aftertaste of exhaustion.
With slow, careful steps, he got out of bed and made his way down to the kitchen. The warmth of the sun filtering through the windows made the space feel unusually quiet.
He poured himself a cup of warm water, the steam curling upward as he took a slow sip.
The maid turned around just then, surprised to see him.
"Young Master! Are you alright?"
He gave her a weak smile.
"I'm okay now. Just needed to get out of bed for a bit."
The maid nodded gently, then hesitated.
"Miss Y/N… she was really worried about you. But she said she had to go to class. Something about an assignment that couldn't wait."
He froze mid-sip.
She was here… all along…
His mind flicked back to fragments of his fevered dreams—someone holding his hand, soft words… her voice?
He lowered the cup slowly.
"Did she… say anything else?"
The maid shook her head. "Only that she'd come back soon. She didn't want to leave you."
Something tightened in his chest. He turned his eyes toward the window, frowning faintly.
He reached for his phone on the counter and dialed her number.
No answer.
A strange feeling gripped him.
Immediately, he called Keifer.
The line connected.
"Hey, man. Yeah, Y/N's with me—"
Suddenly, Yuri heard it—a loud crash, a scuffle, and her voice screaming his name.
His blood ran cold.
"Keifer? KEIFER?" he shouted into the phone, but it was no use—the line went dead.
Yuri's jaw clenched as his heart pounded with fury and panic.
He didn't care if he was still recovering.
He grabbed his coat and stormed out the door.
"Young Master, wait—you're not recovering yet!" the maid called after him, panic rising in her voice.
But Yuri didn't stop.
He didn't even hear her.
His mind was a blur, his heart pounding louder than her words. All he could see, all he could feel, was Y/N's voice echoing in his ears—frantic, scared.
Her scream.
His name.
Someone hurt her.
The fever still lingered in his body, his legs not as steady as usual, but he forced them to move faster. Down the hallway. Out the door. Into the car.
He didn't care about the dizziness creeping in.
He didn't care about the cold sweat sliding down his spine.
His only focus was her.
Hang in there, Y/N. I'm coming.
Yuri's phone buzzed again and again in his hand, each call unanswered. His frustration grew with every ring, the growing panic gnawing at him.
He pressed his thumb down on the screen one more time, dialing her number.
This time, after several rings, she finally picked up.
"Y/N?" His voice was sharp, laced with worry. "Are you deaf? Why aren't you answering?"
There was a slight pause on the other end, before Y/N's calm voice came through. "Don't worry, Yuri. The Hawl gang left."
He blinked, his grip tightening around the wheel. "What?!! The Hawl gang?"
The words hit him like a punch to the gut. Every instinct in him screamed to get to her, to make sure she was alright. The thought of those thugs getting too close made his blood run cold.
"Y/N, stay where you are. I'm coming." He slammed his foot on the gas pedal, speeding through the streets with one goal in mind—her safety.
When Yuri finally pulled up, the scene in front of him was chaotic—but not as bad as he feared. Keifer was standing tall, though clearly battered, throwing a punch at one of the remaining Hawl gang members. David and Felix had already joined in, holding their own against the thugs.
Yuri didn't waste another second.
He parked the car in the middle of the street, the tires screeching as he slammed the door open and rushed toward her.
"Y/N!" His voice cut through the chaos, eyes searching her face for any sign of injury.
She looked up at him, her expression a mix of relief and concern. "Are you hurt?"
She shook her head quickly. "No, I'm fine. But Keif…" She gestured to where Keifer was catching his breath, bruised but still standing. "He got hurt, but thanks to David and Felix… they really helped."
Yuri's gaze flicked over to David and Felix, both of them already exchanging a few quick words with the last of the gang members, keeping them from causing any more trouble.
His hands balled into fists. "Shit," he muttered under his breath, running a hand through his hair in frustration. He wanted to say more, wanted to make sure everyone was okay, but the feeling of relief that she was safe was the only thing that mattered now.
Keifer hobbled over, wiping blood from his lip with a grimace. "Well, looks like you made it just in time," he said with a smirk, even as he winced at the pain.
Yuri nodded curtly but didn't look away from Y/N. "Next time, don't let them get this close," he said quietly, his voice softer now.
Y/N stepped closer, her voice calming. "We'll be okay. Just… please, let's just go home."
Without another word, Yuri reached out, taking her wrist gently but firmly, guiding her toward the car. His eyes flickered briefly to Keifer, David, and Felix as they finished dealing with the remaining gang members.
"Be careful, all of you," Yuri said sharply, his voice carrying a weight of concern. His gaze then shifted back to Y/N, his expression softening only slightly. "Come on, let's go."
He didn't wait for anyone to respond, pulling open the car door and helping her inside. As soon as the door was shut, he slammed his foot down on the gas pedal, speeding away from the scene.
The city blurred outside the window as the car raced toward home. The only sound in the car was the heavy breathing of both of them, the tension still hanging in the air.
Yuri kept his eyes fixed ahead, his grip tightening on the wheel. He wasn't angry—not at her, not at Keifer—but the feeling of helplessness from earlier still gnawed at him. He hated that she'd been caught up in this mess.
"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked after a long silence, his voice softer now.
Y/N gave him a small, tired smile. "I'm fine. I told you, don't worry. But… thank you."
He glanced at her for a moment, his expression unreadable. "Don't ever do that again."
Her gaze softened, and she nodded quietly.
Yuri's jaw clenched. "Next time, I'll be the one protecting you, got it?"
Y/N glanced at Yuri, her brow furrowed slightly. The question slipped out before she could stop it. "Are you worried about me?"
Yuri's grip on the steering wheel tightened for a brief moment before he answered, his voice calm, but with a hint of something deeper lurking underneath.
"I'm not worried about you. I'm worried that my dad will ground me if I don't protect you well enough."
A silence settled over them, neither of them saying anything more. It wasn't awkward, but it was one of those quiet moments that felt heavy with unspoken things. The hum of the engine and the passing scenery filled the void as they both seemed lost in their thoughts.
Yuri pulled into the driveway and parked the car with a soft sigh, cutting the engine.
They both got out and walked toward the front door. Yuri opened it first, stepping inside, but Y/N hesitated for a moment at the threshold.
Her hand lingered on the doorknob. What had just happened out there?
As Y/N walked beside Yuri into the house, she noticed the maid rushing toward them, her face filled with worry.
"What happened, Young Master? Why did you rush out even though you have a high fever?" the maid asked, breathless from running to meet them.
Yuri opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say anything, he staggered slightly, his face pale and his eyes unfocused.
"Nothing…" he muttered, brushing it off with a weak wave.
But before either of them could react, his legs buckled, and he collapsed forward
"Yuri!" she shouted, catching him just in time, her heart racing.
The maid gasped in shock and rushed to their side. "Young Master!"
Y/N struggled to keep him upright, her eyes wide with panic. "He's burning up… he can't… this isn't nothing!" Her voice trembled as she carefully helped ease him to the floor.
The maid knelt down beside her. "We need to get him to his room. Quickly."
Y/N nodded, but the weight of the situation hit her like a ton of bricks. Yuri was clearly in no condition to be dealing with anything, let alone a fight with the gang.
"Please, help me," Y/N said, her voice strained.
Together, they lifted him carefully and rushed him toward his room, the urgency growing with every step.
The family doctor arrived quickly, his steps brisk as he entered the room. He immediately got to work, checking Yuri's vitals, his hands moving expertly as he assessed the situation.
Y/N stood off to the side, her nerves on edge, watching the doctor carefully.
The doctor examined Yuri's body, and his face tightened as he moved his hands along Yuri's left side. There, just under his shirt, was a faint, but visible knife cut. It wasn't deep, but it was enough to cause some concern.
"There's a cut here… on his left side. A knife wound." The doctor spoke with a calm but serious tone, clearly concerned. He quickly disinfected the area and applied pressure to stop any potential bleeding. Then, he hooked up an IV drip to Yuri's arm to help stabilize his condition.
Y/N felt her chest tighten, her hands clenched into fists. She hadn't seen the wound before, too focused on his fever and exhaustion, but now it was clear that the situation was far worse than she had thought.
After a few moments, she couldn't hold it in any longer. "How is he doing, Doc?" Her voice was filled with worry, her eyes searching the doctor's face for any sign of reassurance.
The doctor didn't sugarcoat it. "He'll be alright for now, but he needs rest and proper care. The fever's likely a result of the injury. It's not life-threatening, but the knife wound needs more attention once he stabilizes."
Y/N let out a shaky breath, relieved, but still anxious. "He needs to take care right?"
The doctor gave her a soft nod. "He'll need someone close by. It's important for him to have company while he recovers, especially after the stress of today."
Thankyou doc