Once Love Begins - Chapter 19. Part 2

Chapter 19. Part 2

Kiwi, who was under the bed, whimpered and jumped up and down, clearly distressed. When that didn’t work, he began scratching at the bed with his claws, as if he could sense that his owner was unwell. I walked closer to the bed.

As I got closer, I saw that his face and neck were drenched in sweat. I hesitated, unsure of what to do, until Kiwi nudged my leg with his head as if urging me to take action. I gently shook his shoulder.

“Are you okay?”

I asked, but he didn’t even open his eyes. When I touched his forehead with my palm, I was shocked by how hot it was. Panicking, I ran to the housekeeper and asked her to call the doctor immediately.

While waiting for the doctor to arrive, I stayed by his side, occasionally touching him to make sure he was still there. The thought crossed my mind—what if something serious happened to him? Even though I thought I had moved on from him, seeing him like this made it impossible for me to leave. Kiwi, sensing the tension, whimpered and cried softly. I held him in my arms and whispered that everything would be okay, trying to calm both him and myself.

When I heard that the doctor had arrived, I sighed in relief. I stepped out into the living room and saw Dr. Lee entering.

“Dr. Lee, hello?”

I greeted him. He was someone I had known since I was young, a familiar and reassuring presence.

“It’s been a while. The internet’s buzzing with news about you,”

Dr. Lee said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

“…Yeah,”

I replied, feeling a bit awkward.

Photos of the outfit I wore at the airport, the car I had ridden in, and even the moment I was unable to leave the country due to the travel ban while standing beside him, were all circulating online.

“Don’t worry too much, it’s just people being jealous,” he said with a hearty laugh, patting my shoulder.

“He’s in the other room,”

I said, pointing towards his room.

“When I got the call, I thought he had collapsed again. Is he finally agreeing to treatment this time?”

“…What?”

I blinked in confusion, not understanding what he meant. Dr. Lee didn’t say anything more and walked into the room.

I knew from Mrs. Kim that he slept only two or three hours a night and was always working. I also knew that the reason was my grandfather’s company and that he was protecting it for me.

I felt a mixture of gratitude and guilt, but that was all. I had no desire to rekindle anything with him.

“He has the flu. I’ve given him an IV, so he should feel better soon. I’ll have someone send over the medication, so make sure he takes it,” Dr. Lee instructed.

“Okay.”

“Since he’s been sweating a lot, it would be good to wipe him down and change his clothes if you can.”

“Alright.”

“If his fever spikes again or if he doesn’t wake up, call me, even if it’s in the middle of the night.”

“Thank you so much.”

Dr. Lee laughed as he packed up his things, casting a glance at Kiwi.

“Tsk. I told him not to keep a dog,” he muttered.

“……”

“Stubborn as ever,” he said, shaking his head before putting on his coat and heading out.

After watching Dr. Lee leave, I returned to his room. I thought it would be best to wipe off the sweat as the doctor had suggested.

I went to the bathroom, wetting a towel as I noticed how cracked my lips were, moving slightly with each breath. His body was so hot that I could feel the heat radiating toward me. I bit my lip as I gently wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Suddenly, I felt a grip on my wrist, and in the next moment, I was spun around.

“W-What…”

I found myself staring at him, frozen in place as he lay on the bed with me pinned beneath him. His eyes burned with an intensity even hotter than his feverish body. I lay there, barely breathing, looking up at him, my wrist still firmly in his grasp. I tried to hide the small tremors in my eyes, but the heat of his touch made it impossible to move a single finger.

He leaned down, his face suddenly close to mine. Startled, I gasped softly, holding my breath.

“…”

For a moment, neither of us spoke, the air thick with tension as his face hovered just inches from mine.

With every breath he exhaled, a wave of heat washed over my face. The familiar scent of him, one I hadn’t smelled in so long, made my nose tingle. I was afraid I would melt in the intensity of it all. As his chest drew closer, I instinctively put my hand on it and gently pushed him back. The warmth from his body seeped into my palm.

Just as our lips were about to touch, he suddenly froze. The haze in his eyes cleared as his pupils sharpened in focus.

“…!”

His expression instantly hardened, his brows furrowing as he seemed to piece together the situation. He stared into my eyes, his gaze intense, as if he was trying to discern whether this was a dream or reality. Once he realized it was indeed real, his eyes widened in shock.

“Why… are you here…?”

His voice was filled with confusion, unable to hide the bewilderment of finding me pinned beneath him on the bed.

I just looked at him, saying nothing, too caught up in the moment to respond.

“S-Sorry. I must be out of my mind,” he stammered, pulling away from me in an instant.

“Sorry,” he repeated, his voice filled with regret as he quickly distanced himself, clearly flustered by what had just happened.

I watched him, nearly in shock, as I sat up without saying a word. My hands trembled slightly as I tried to smooth down my disheveled hair. I didn’t want to show how flustered I was, so I quickly lowered my hands to hide the shaking.

As he tried to stand, the IV line tugged him back down, forcing him to sit on the bed again. He rubbed his face with his hands, clearly uncomfortable. My eyes were drawn to the metal watch on his left wrist. I knew that the first thing he usually did when he came home was to take off his watch. Seeing him still wearing it despite the discomfort made it clear that he must have been too sick to remember.

I reached out to help him take it off, but he instinctively pulled back, hiding his hand.

My brows furrowed slightly.

“You should get some rest.”

“…Isn’t the watch uncomfortable?” I asked.

“It’s fine. Thanks for worrying,” he replied, brushing off my concern.

“……”

“I’m going to try to get some sleep. Could you play with Kiwi for a bit?” he added, trying to steer the conversation away from his obvious discomfort.

Even though he seemed to be thinking about me, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being pushed away. He said he was going to sleep, so there was no reason for me to stay. I got up from the bed and walked briskly toward the door. Just as I was about to open it, his deep voice sounded from behind me.

“Thank you.”

I didn’t respond, simply stepping out and closing the door behind me.

In the living room, Kiwi was eating and immediately trotted over to me on his short legs. I crouched down and gently stroked the back of his neck. He playfully nibbled on my hand, but it didn’t hurt at all—it was just his way of asking to play.

As I stroked Kiwi, the memory of how close we had been came rushing back, just as our lips were about to touch. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to push the image away. I should have pushed him away more forcefully—why hadn’t I? My face grew hot with embarrassment, and I lowered my head, unable to lift it. Sensing my distress, Kiwi began scratching my calf with his paws.

“Shall we go for a walk?” I suggested.

The garden was spacious, perfect for taking Kiwi on a stroll. I watched him run freely across the grass without a leash, smiling as I did. Tomorrow, I will leave for Jeju. It pained me to think of parting with Kiwi, but I knew I couldn’t continue living with him.

“Kiwi,”

I called, and he came running over, tail wagging excitedly.

“You’re just too cute. What am I going to do with you?”

I sighed, wishing I could take him with me to Jeju. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out to answer.

“Hello?”

“Where are you?”

It was Hana.

“At home. What about you?”

“I’m at home too.”

Hana and I had stayed in touch even while I was abroad, so talking to her felt as natural as if we had seen each other just yesterday.

“Do you want us to come pick you up? It’s still a bit uncomfortable for you to be out in public, isn’t it?” she offered.

“No, it’s okay,”

I replied, touched by her concern.

Since my face had been all over the news, people recognized me more easily, and I appreciated her thoughtfulness. Watching Kiwi chase after a bug, I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, smiling softly at the care of a good friend.

“Alright, we’ll come pick you up. See you in an hour!”

Jae-ho hung up abruptly without even waiting for my answer. They must have been together. Jae-ho and Hana had been dating ever since he came back from his first military leave, and it had been a year now. They were one of those couples that made everyone else a little jealous, always taking care of each other.

Since it had been a while since I last saw my friends, I didn’t want to be late. I grabbed Kiwi, who was busy tussling with the grass swaying in the wind and headed back inside.

* * *

“Look at you, girl. You’re holding your liquor tonight,” Jae-ho teased.

“Yeah, you’ve built up your tolerance,” Hana added, smiling.

I smiled, only to have a puffed rice snack tossed at me.

“You used to complain about not being able to drink,” I shot back.

“When did we ever do that?” Jae-ho feigned innocence.

“Every time I tried to drink, you’d say, ‘If you pass out, we’re leaving you behind. Don’t even think about going over your limit.’ You threatened me plenty,” I retorted.

At my playful complaint, the two exchanged glances before bursting into laughter.

“You remember all that?”

Hana asked, feigning surprise.

“Of course! How could I forget all the times you two bullied and tormented me?”

I joked, pretending to wipe away imaginary tears.

“Oh, look at her now, acting all bold. Anyone listening might believe we were mean to her,” Jae-ho teased back.

I played along, pretending to cry dramatically, which made them both get up and grab my hands, pulling me to my feet.

“Come on, let’s go,” they said, and I couldn’t help but notice how tightly they held hands.

So envious.

“Alright, alright! I was just kidding,”

I admitted and finally sat back down, laughing.

“You’re heading to Jeju?” Hana asked curiosity in her voice.

“Yeah, I’m leaving tomorrow,” I confirmed.

“Wow, that’s quick. You should stay a bit longer before you go.”

“…I know,”

I replied, taking another sip from my glass. I could now drink a whole bottle of soju without flinching, something that would have shocked my past self.

“Is it because it’s uncomfortable living in the same house as your… husband?” Jae-ho asked, hesitating a bit on the last word.

Hana and Jae-ho knew all about why things ended with him and that the divorce wasn’t finalized yet.

“That’s part of it, and I just feel a bit suffocated,” I admitted, letting them pour another glass of soju for me.

“Come visit us,” Hana offered.

“Yeah, I’ll make time to come,” I promised.

As we kept drinking, the conversation flowed, and before I knew it, I had gone over my limit. They walked me home, and after saying goodbye, I sat down at the gate, my knees pulled up to my chest. Despite the cold wind, the alcohol didn’t wear off.

“Whoo—” I sighed, deciding to sit for a little longer before going inside.