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Chapter 57

"...What do you mean?"

"That man. The one who carried you home before."

Si-hyun wondered if she was still dreaming. There was no way he'd come here in the middle of a workday.

"He's here right now?"

Her body, which moments ago she could barely move, shot upright.

"Just a while ago, you wouldn't wake up no matter what—but mention that man and you're up in a flash."

Suk-kyung giggled, covering her mouth with her hand, clearly amused.

"Do you like him that much?"

Si-hyun didn't have time to entertain her mother's teasing. She was a mess. She smoothed down her hair, checked for sleep in her eyes. Even her stretched-out pajama collar bothered her.

"Oh my... looks like you want to look your best even in this state."

Si-hyun wondered why she even cared, but she kept fussing with her appearance.

"So, he's here right now?"

Suk-kyung let out a small laugh, mimicking Si-hyun's hushed tone.

"No. He came and went."

"Came and went?"

Si-hyun's voice returned to full volume.

"Then why didn't you say so earlier? Why'd you make it sound like he was still here!"

It was almost surprising how such a loud voice could come from a body that moments ago seemed barely alive. Her frustration was clear in the tone.

"You'll burst my eardrums! Why, are you disappointed he already left?"

"Mom, stop saying weird things...!"

She trailed off, her energy spent, and flopped back down onto the bed. It felt like she'd used up what little strength she had left. She'd been so startled at the thought of Hae-joon being here that she'd forgotten her illness for a moment.

But he'd just come and gone?

"When did he come?"

"About thirty minutes ago? He just dropped off some medicine and left. I told him to wait until you woke up, but he said he'd go so he wouldn't disturb you. What a thoughtful man."

At her mother's words, Si-hyun's mind grew complicated again. Was it really Hae-joon? Her prickly boss, described as thoughtful? There was a clear gap between the Hae-joon her mother talked about and the one she knew. What on earth did he do to make her mother talk like that?

"He's really a catch, a total catch! He's so elegant. Your father told me he's well-off, but he looks like a real chaebol. Has an aura, you know? Not a new-money type, but someone who was born with a silver spoon. Mom has a good instinct for these things. Of course, he's probably not actually a chaebol, but he carries himself like one. That comes from a good upbringing."

Si-hyun didn't have the energy to argue about the connection between elegance and upbringing, so she just listened. Even though her daughter was sick and lying down, Suk-kyung kept chattering, as if she'd made a fascinating discovery.

"And his looks are amazing. I almost asked to take a photo with him! Great looks, good family, composed, polite. There's nothing lacking. And today, he was thoughtful enough to bring medicine and leave without disturbing you. Isn't that a thousand out of a hundred?"

Suk-kyung spoke with a smile that wouldn't fade, like someone who'd won the lottery.

Si-hyun could agree with the looks and the family background, but the rest didn't fit Hae-joon at all. Hearing her mother talk like this made her doubt if there was a side to Hae-joon she didn't know. But the Hae-joon she'd seen for three years was the polar opposite of words like 'composed' and 'thoughtful.'

Suk-kyung quickly got up and returned with her hands full.

"Such big hands! And he bought so much."

The luxurious boxes seemed to contain herbal medicine—enough to last a month.

"He said this is great for building up energy. And he told me to make sure you take it every day, to take good care of yourself."

He knew she was sick without her saying anything. And he'd taken time off work to buy medicine and bring it here? Nothing made sense. Ever since the kiss yesterday, reality felt off. Everything seemed like a lie. She wished someone would tell her this was all a dream.

"By the way... did he say who he is?"

Si-hyun had been curious about this. If Hae-joon had revealed he was the president, her mother would have been in a frenzy. But she hadn't said anything like that.

"He didn't say. I just greeted him at the door, and he came in, handed me the medicine, and left."

She couldn't quite figure out the situation. So her mother still didn't know who Hae-joon really was. Why was this unexpected drama unfolding? She wanted to explain, but knew that if she brought it up now, her mother would start a whole new round of chatter. She just wanted to go back to sleep.

"Okay. I'll sleep a bit more."

Suk-kyung told her to take the medicine later and left, carrying the boxes like treasure.

Once her mother was gone, Si-hyun fiddled with her phone in the quiet room. She couldn't just stay silent after he'd come all the way here.

She thought of calling, but couldn't bring herself to talk to him yet, so she sent a text instead.

[I heard you came to my house earlier, President. You didn't have to go to all that trouble. Thank you for the medicine.]

After sending it, her heart raced strangely. She could hear the thumping in her ears. The few minutes of waiting for his reply felt like an eternity. After five minutes, her phone buzzed.

[Since when is it okay to miss work without notice?]

Even in text, his dry tone came through. Si-hyun realized she should apologize for that first.

[I'm really sorry. I'm not feeling well today, would it be okay if I take the day off? I'm sorry I didn't let you know sooner.]

[That's why I told you to take my car yesterday. But you just had to get soaked.]

He was referring to her running for a taxi in the rain. Si-hyun was thinking about how to respond when more messages came in.

[Take the medicine.]

[It's good for you.]

[One a day. Every day. Until it's gone.]

Three messages in a row. Hae-joon had never sent so many texts at once, and Si-hyun was surprised.

[Take as many days off as you need. Don't come in and force yourself.]

[Don't reply. Sleep.]

Reading these, she let out a small laugh. He was full of surprises. She'd been surprised all day.

Had something happened? Had he been shocked? Why was he acting like this?

Si-hyun tried to understand his behavior, but it was beyond her. She stopped thinking and set her phone aside. She'd overdone it lately, with so much on her mind. She wasn't usually the type to get sick from a little rain—she must have been exhausted. She didn't want to think about anything right now. She just closed her eyes and sank deeper into the blankets.

---

[I heard you came to my house earlier, President. You didn't have to go to all that trouble. Thank you for the medicine.]

Hae-joon had been fiddling with his phone, like someone waiting for a message. When it finally came, he checked it immediately. It was from Si-hyun.

He swallowed dryly and placed his thumb over the keyboard. But the words wouldn't come easily. He usually typed without hesitation, but today was different.

[If you're sick, you should say something. Are you feeling a bit better...]

No. That was too soft for an employee who'd missed work without notice. He deleted it.

[How can you just not show up without a word? You caught a cold because you got drenched yesterday...]

No. His fingers moved fast, erasing it. He wrote and deleted several more times. Nothing felt right.

[Since when is it okay to miss work without notice?]

He typed as he normally would, hesitated, then hit send. A simple text had never been so hard. He'd never erased so many drafts before—especially not for a secretary.

[That's why I told you to take my car yesterday. But you just had to get soaked.]

Even after sending it, he felt uneasy. Normally, he wouldn't care about how the recipient felt. But now, he wondered what Si-hyun might be thinking. Was that too cold for someone who's sick? He quickly sent another.

[Take the medicine.]

Then regretted it. Maybe he shouldn't have sent it without getting a reply. Would Si-hyun find it strange? Think he'd lost his mind?

[It's good for you.]

He sent another, feeling anxious.

[One a day. Every day. Until it's gone.]

Still not satisfied, he sent more.

[Take as many days off as you need. Don't come in and force yourself.]

Should he just end it? He hesitated, then sent one last message.

[Don't reply. Sleep.]

The wait for her response was agonizing, so he threw the phone onto the seat beside him. But he kept glancing at it, hoping she'd reply.

Driver Choi watched silently through the rearview mirror as Hae-joon hunched over, typing with both hands. Hae-joon preferred calls over texts. He rarely typed so intently, let alone for this long. Since he wasn't gaming, he must have been texting someone.

Earlier, after the meeting, it was time to head to an external appointment. But Hae-joon had suddenly made a call and canceled it. Driver Choi, taken aback, watched him through the mirror.

'If someone has body aches or low energy, what kind of medicine should they take?'

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Driver Choi quickly found an answer.

'Maybe herbal medicine? There's a good pharmacy nearby. People say it has no side effects and it's quite popular. Are you feeling unwell?'

'Head there.'

Without further explanation, Hae-joon told him to go. Driver Choi drove to the pharmacy, where they bought the most expensive ready-made herbal medicine available.

The address Hae-joon gave was a hilly neighborhood in Seoul. He told Driver Choi to stop in front of a house, said to wait, and went inside. Driver Choi looked around, unsure where they were. Maybe he had a sick friend? But did he have a friend in a place like this?

He was still mulling it over when Hae-joon returned—within just a few minutes. If a friend was sick, he'd at least check in and talk briefly, but he came out as quickly as he'd gone in.

'Back to the office.'

Driver Choi drove without a word, but kept glancing at Hae-joon.

"Cancel all my afternoon appointments. I'm tired."

He sank deep into the seat and closed his eyes. He'd barely done anything today, yet he was exhausted. Si-hyun was turning his entire world upside down.

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