Chapter 19

Clang, a pot was placed on the bedside table. There was nothing else available to fetch water with, so she had no choice.

Haji dipped a towel into the pot and then lifted it, causing water to splash around. Just like her current state of mind.

Haji glanced at Seojin.

“Sigh…”

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Haji looked over the lying Seojin.

“I’ll start by wiping your face.”

I’ll do the body slowly. Somehow.

After wringing out the towel soaked in cold water, she carefully placed it on Seojin’s forehead.

As the cold touch hit, Seojin’s eyebrows twitched, causing Haji to freeze in her tracks. However, when he didn’t open his eyes, she felt relieved and clenched her fists resolutely.

“This is necessary for the fever.”

Explaining to Seojin, who couldn’t hear her, Haji used her thumb and index finger to pinch the bottom of Seojin’s T-shirt.

Gulp, the sound of her swallowing echoed at her fingertips.

Haji glanced at Seojin’s face again and then strengthened her grip. As the T-shirt slid up through the air, the line of his firm abdomen came into view.

The sight of the solid abs tightly packed above his slender waist made her dizzy. She could feel her pupils dilating.

“Ugh.”

Trying to hold her breath and avert her gaze, she was already breaking out in a cold sweat down her back.

The T-shirt, which had been going up smoothly, got stuck at a certain point. It wouldn’t go any higher unless Seojin lifted his back.

“For now… I’ll just wipe here.”

She requested his permission in a low voice, even though she knew there would be no answer.

She still wasn’t sure if touching his body was the right thing to do.

“Sigh…”

Picking up another towel she had brought, she took a deep breath. The cold water-soaked towel in her palm felt like it was sweating.

Have I ever seen a man’s body this close before?

Of course not. Never.

She had never seen a typical man’s body, but she was sure that the body in front of her was not ordinary. Each muscle was sculpted as if by a famous artist.

“Hmm.”

She cleared her throat unnecessarily and bit her lip. The thought of wiping down such a sculpted body made her feel faint.

“What should I do?”

She couldn’t easily lower the towel onto Seojin’s abdomen. Turning away from him, Haji clenched the towel with both hands.

What if I don’t do anything?

That’s not an option.

She couldn’t leave someone who was burning with fever and in pain. Moreover, it was her fault that Seojin was in this state.

Haji, regaining her composure, nodded and steeled herself.

“This is just a stone. Stone. Stone. Stone.”

Swallowing hard several times, she convinced herself that the man lying there was a stone sculpture.

“I’m just wiping a stone.”

Yes, the stone is too hot, so I’m just wiping it.

With that self-assurance, Haji finally turned her body towards the lying man.

“A stone could have the character ‘王’ engraved on it. The sculptor must be very meticulous.”

Muttering to herself, Haji slowly extended her hand. As the cold towel touched Seojin’s stomach, Haji let out a sigh of relief.

“Gasp…”

A strange sound escaped Haji’s mouth.

It was the first time she realized that people make such strange sounds when surprised.

Facing Seojin’s eyes in mid-air, Haji’s body tilted in shock.

“Sunbae?”

“Are you trying to kill me?”

“No, that’s not it.”

I was trying to save you!

That aggrieved thought never made it out of her mouth. She realized that she was unknowingly pressing down on Seojin’s stomach with both hands.

“Oh! I didn’t do it on purpose!”

Haji raised both hands high, looking aggrieved. Kneeling on the bed, she looked as if she was being punished.

Seojin, glancing at Haji, looked over his own disheveled state. His T-shirt was rolled up to his chest, and his abdomen was wet.

“What is this…?”

“Oh, that. Uh. Yes?”

Already flustered, Haji followed his gaze to his disheveled state, becoming even more incoherent. She felt guilty despite having done nothing wrong.

“Did you undress me?”

“No way!”

“Were you trying to undress me?”

“No!”

“Did you fail to undress me?”

“No!”

Thinking that any delay in answering would cause a serious misunderstanding, Haji quickly responded, waving her hands.

“What were you going to do after undressing me…?”

“I was going to cool you down because you had a fever!”

Determined not to show any weakness, she even interrupted Seojin.

“So you lifted my shirt with your own hands?”

Judge, I’m innocent!

Her expression seemed to say that as she shook her head. Her eyes drooped, looking pitiful.

“What else could I do when you were burning with fever…?”

Haji’s lips pouted. She knew it was her fault that he was lying there, but she was doing her best to take care of him.

She felt both guilty and wronged.

“Huh? Is the perpetrator acting like the victim?”

Seojin let out a hollow laugh and sat up. He couldn’t lie there with his stomach exposed forever, so he pulled down his T-shirt.

“Oh, oh?”

Thanks to the movement, the mattress shook, causing Haji to flail. She waved her arms as if swimming and eventually fell to the floor.

As she fell, she hit something with her head, but it didn’t hurt much.

Thump, thump, the sound of her heartbeat echoed in her ears. It was so loud she couldn’t tell if it was hers or someone else’s.

“This keeps happening, and it’s troublesome.”

Haji’s body twitched at the voice coming from above her head. Feeling warmth from her head to her stomach, she realized she was lying on top of someone. That someone was Seojin.

“I doubt you’re doing this on purpose.”

His murmuring voice sent chills from her fingertips. It felt like a hot fever was spreading through her body.

But she couldn’t move a muscle. Haji stretched out her hand, trying to tap Seojin’s shoulder.

“Sunbae…?”

“Why?”

“Let me go.”

You need to let go so I can get up.

Seojin had to move his hand pressing down on her head so she could get up. He had been holding her since she fell.

And she couldn’t stay like this any longer. His body heat and the heartbeat echoing in her head were making her dizzy.

“I don’t want to.”

“What do you mean…?”

“You said I was a stone.”

“That was… huh?”

Surprised, Haji tried to lift her head, but it was also restrained. The force pressing her down was too strong.

Haji’s head was firmly pressed against Seojin’s chest. Naturally, her hands ended up on his body, and they were now in an embrace.

“Can you let go, Sunbae?”

Feeling awkward, Haji wiggled her body.

“Don’t move. It’s hard.”

“You heard everything?”

“Just think of me as a stone. Like you said.”

He had heard everything. He definitely had.

Haji’s face turned red. She couldn’t lift her head, embarrassed that he had witnessed her foolish actions.

When Haji’s wriggling on top of him stopped, Seojin closed his eyes gently.

“Why did you pretend not to know?”

A mumbling voice came from his chest. It was small and cautious, only loud enough for him to hear.

“I was curious.”

“About what?”

Seojin looked at Haji’s head, turning towards him. He gently patted her hair with the hand resting on her head.

“How you would react.”

“Were you teasing me?”

“Maybe?”

Seojin’s lips curled into a smile. He was pleased with the small woman who clung to him despite her complaints.

“Why did you pretend to be asleep?”

“I wasn’t pretending.”

“But you heard everything?”

Haji, finding a comfortable position on top of Seojin, wiggled again. It seemed she didn’t expect him to let go.

“My body was too heavy to get up.”

“Oh, right. You were sick…!”

Haji’s face was very close to Seojin’s as she lifted herself. Close enough to feel each other’s breath.

“Yes, I’m a sick person.”

But what should I do about the rising heat in my body?

Seojin’s hand wrapped around Haji’s shoulder. He could pull her close if he wanted to.

“Ahn Haji.”

“…Yes?”

If I pull you close, will you come to me? Can you come?

Haji’s wavering pupils showed no certainty. She looked like a scared, fragile animal, unable to find its way.

The strength in Seojin’s hand holding Haji loosened, and he brought her back to her previous position on his chest.

“Aren’t you tired?”

“I’m fine.”

“Then stay like this, thinking of me as a stone. Like before.”

If that would make you feel at ease.

Seojin gently closed his heavy eyelids and covered his eyes with his arm. As if forcing himself to suppress something.

“Sunbae.”

“…”

“I’m sorry. It’s because of me.”

“For what?”

“For being sick. If I hadn’t insisted on doing the laundry.”

“That’s not it.”

Seojin cut off Haji’s words firmly. Her voice sounded as if she had committed a great sin.

His hand gently stroked Haji’s hair.

“If I had known the washing machine was broken…”

“No, I wasn’t feeling well.”

“You weren’t feeling well?”

“My condition would have been the same even without the incident.”

It wasn’t entirely untrue. He was unwell because he had pushed himself too hard with his business trip schedule.

“So don’t blame yourself.”

“Okay.”

She had always lived blaming herself.

“Thanks to you thinking of me as a stone, I feel better, so don’t worry.”

“That’s a relief.”

Haji chuckled. Thinking about it now, she found her own actions absurd.

“…”

“…”

The sound of their breathing cut through the silence. Less than five minutes had passed since their conversation ended.

Seojin lifted his head, searching for the source of the sound.

“Ha, you really…”

Can you really sleep now? I can’t sleep anymore.

Seojin removed his arm from his face and quietly looked at the white ceiling. He didn’t want to wake the woman who had fallen asleep using his chest as a pillow.

With one hand, he continued to stroke Haji’s hair. When his hand slowly fell away,

“Mm.”

Haji murmured as if wanting him to continue.

“Do you want me to keep stroking your hair?”

“Mm.”

Then I have no choice.

He knew that the only time Ahn Haji was completely honest was when she was half-asleep.

Seojin’s large hand carefully covered Haji’s head. As he stroked her warmly, Haji fell into a deeper sleep.

Until the sun rose.