Inside the taxi heading to Ha Joon’s apartment,

Su Ah was staring blankly out the window, deep in thought.

[How important it is to meet and marry someone of the same level.] The words of Min Chul’s mother kept ringing in her ears.

After the painful breakup with him, Su Ah made a promise to herself.

She would never get involved with people from a different world again.

She would never engage in a love that belittles her again.

That was the reason she had to push Ha Joon away, even if she was called a coward who was ready to run away in fear.

When did her formless heart grow so big?

Losing Min Ha Joon felt as painful and desperate as losing everything in the world, but she felt like she could handle it with effort.

It was the same when she let go of Min Chul.

The time that was so painful that she felt like she was dying eventually became a bit numb with the passage of time, and she thought the same could happen with her love for Ha Joon.

However, her mind was filled with worries about him at Ji Hoon’s single word that he was in pain.

She only realized how arrogant she had been.

Perhaps, she might not be able to.

Avoid meeting him.

Not loving him.

Strength came to Su Ah’s hand that held the bag of medicine.

The taxi had arrived at Ha Joon’s apartment without her realizing it, and Su Ah, who got out of the taxi, couldn’t go in right away.

“Huu…”
She took a deep breath before she could move her feet.

She got on the elevator and pressed the 13th floor with her trembling hand.

The sound of Su Ah’s pounding heart filled the silent elevator.

The elevator door opened, and she hurried her steps, quickly arriving at Ha Joon’s door.

“1, 2, 3, 4.”

Recalling the password from the vivid memories she had with him wasn’t difficult.

As she entered the password, the tightly shut front door opened.

Like the day they had entered together, darkness had settled in the house, and a streak of light seeped onto the living room floor only after the sensor lights, recognizing Su Ah’s movement, turned on.

Without any hesitation, Su Ah moved towards Ha Joon’s bedroom.

“Ha ah. Ha ah.”
She carefully opened the door and headed towards the bed, and as the distance narrowed, his rough breathing sounded clearly.

“What on earth is this…”
Ha Joon’s condition, viewed up close, was more serious than she had thought.

His hair was drenched from the sweat he had shed, and the blue pillow was also soaked with sweat, giving off a deep navy hue.

Moreover, his cheeks were flushed red from the high fever, and from his slightly parted lips, which seemed to be having difficulty breathing, a rough breath and hot heat were spewing out.

[I was abandoned by my father when I was 10.] [I’m extremely afraid of people leaving.] [I’m so scared of being abandoned by you that I’m fretting alone.] Now I understand.

While I was whining about my wound hurting the most, I gave you a wound that was many times more painful.

Su Ah looked at Ha Joon with a face that seemed about to cry at any moment.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
It was a word that came out unknowingly.

For a while, Su Ah, who had been looking at Ha Joon, hurried to the kitchen, thinking she needed to at least get him to take some medicine.

She took out the porridge she had bought with the medicine, put it in a bowl, and was heading back to the room.

A faint voice flowed from Ha Joon’s mouth.

“…Ssi. …Ssi.”
Huh? What did you say?

Wondering what he was saying, she brought her ear close to his lips.

“…Su Ah ssi. Su Ah ssi.”
Ha Joon, who hadn’t fully regained his senses, was calling Su Ah’s name even amidst all this.

What did I do to you? Why are you looking for me even when you’re this sick?

Her heart sank heavily, as if a stone had been placed on it.

She tightly closed her eyes, swallowed the rising tears, and gently shook his body.

“Ha Joon ssi. Try to wake up. Ha Joon ssi.”
“Uhm….”
Perhaps it was because he heard Su Ah’s voice, which he had desperately wanted to hear. Ha Joon’s eyelids slightly opened.

“Ha Joon ssi. Are you conscious? Do you know who I am?”
Su Ah asked as she moved closer to confirm Ha Joon’s face.

Ha Joon’s gaze, which had been blankly staring at the empty air, turned towards the place where the familiar voice was coming from.

“…Su Ah ssi.”
He called her name with a deeply suppressed voice,

“…Su Ah ssi.”
and tried to raise his heavy arm, as if it was weighed down by a sandbag, to reach out to her.

But he hesitated.

The moment his trembling, fragile hand was about to touch Su Ah’s face, he stopped moving.

He couldn’t reach out his hand anymore, afraid that the moment he would try to touch her, try to hold her, he would disappear altogether.

“It must be a dream. It must be a dream….”
Moisture filled Ha Joon’s eyes as he repeated the same words as if he couldn’t believe it.

“Thank you. For coming to me even in a dream. For being by my side like this even in a dream….”
Su Ah hurriedly held onto Ha Joon’s hand that was trying to move away.

“Ha Joon ssi. It’s me, Su Ah. Are you in a lot of pain?”