・・・・・
Seo Dohyun still hadn’t checked her message by the following morning.
The typhoon was supposed to hit this evening — what if he was passed out or something?
With a worried expression, Gaeul glanced at her phone. Then she remembered that on the day he gave her his number, he had left a note on a Post-it telling her to call. Would it really be okay to call? He must have meant it if he wrote that down. If he didn’t answer, then there was nothing she could do.
Hesitantly, Gaeul stared at his number on the contact screen, then squeezed her eyes shut and pressed the call button.
The call rang about three times before it stopped. It was faster than she expected, which flustered her and caused her to drop her phone. She quickly picked it up and pressed it to her ear.
[This is Seo Dohyun’s phone. Who’s calling, please?]
The voice that came through the phone wasn’t his.
"Um... Who am I speaking to?"
The other person seemed startled by Gaeul's voice, and a brief silence followed.
[Ah, I'm a friend of Seo Dohyun. He's currently in the shower. If you leave a message, I'll make sure he calls you back.]
“Uh, so…”
[Could you please tell me where you are calling from?]
What should she say?
‘I'm Seo Dohyun's coworker's younger sister. I heard he was sick, so I called to check on him. It's nothing serious, right?’
Rejected.
‘I'm Seo Dohyun’s one-night-stand partner.’
Also rejected.
‘I'm Seo Dohyun’s sex partner, and I was just worried about his health.’
Obviously rejected.
‘We currently have a three-time sex contract, and this is about scheduling the second one…’
Of course, rejected.
“I’m Seo Dohyun’s…”
As Gaeul hesitated, another man’s voice came from the other side of the receiver.
“What’s this? A call?” Hearing Seo Dohyun’s voice faintly, Gaeul’s heart skipped a beat.
“...Situationship.” [1]
Even as she spoke the words aloud, she doubted her own ears.
After a longer silence than before, his laughter could be heard from a closer distance.
[Tell her to come over.]
[Huh?]
[She said she’s my situationship.]
The conversation between the two of them sounded evenly matched in volume. It must be on speakerphone. She was so embarrassed she could die. If there had been a hole nearby, she would have crumpled herself up just to hide in it.
His voice got closer.
[You heard that, right? He’ll send you the address.]
“No, it's fine as long as you’re okay.”
[It hurts. I’m dying. I just got diagnosed with a terminal illness.]
“...”
[I might die soon, so if you’re my ‘situationship,’ shouldn’t you come to see me?]
"It looks like you have a friend over.”
“Hey, hey. I’m heading out. Take care. Even if it feels like you’re dying, don’t actually die.”
An exaggerated, theatrical voice came from the other end of the line.
[Did you hear that? He said he’s leaving.]
“You didn’t kick him out, did you?”
[He’s an office worker. Office workers should be at the office on Fridays. He just stepped out for his lunch break.]
"I heard you’ve got the flu."
[Even in today’s world, people still die from the flu.]
“...Do you need anything?”
[You.]
“Don’t joke around.”
After a brief silence, he continued in a lower voice than before.
[...Stay the night.]
After that, she didn’t know what state of mind she was in as she moved.
Quickly finishing her shower, she grabbed her contact lens case and solution, her laptop, and, of course, her glasses. She also packed her wallet and phone before hurrying out of the apartment. Before catching a taxi, she stopped by a porridge shop and, just in case, popped into a pharmacy to pick up some fever and pain relievers.
Only after getting into the taxi heading to his place did Gaeul send a message to Gajun.
「Brother, I’m staying at Juhee’s tonight.」
「All of a sudden?」
「There’s a typhoon, and she’s afraid to be alone.」
She then sent a message to Juhee.
「Kim Juhee. I’m crashing at your place tonight.」
「Wow. The day has finally come when you’re using me as an excuse to meet your boyfriend.」
Juhee sent an emoji, telling her to trust her and have a good time.
Seo Dohyun wasn’t exactly her boyfriend, but she didn’t dislike the word enough to correct it.
・・・・・
“How do two people live in such a small home?”
Gaeul had thought he was probably half-joking when he said that. But now, having seen his place, she wondered if he might have been serious.
The address Seo Dohyun sent was for a villa in Hannam-dong. Feeling out of place in the unfamiliar neighbourhood, she got out of the taxi, passed the identity check with the security guard, and headed inside. There weren’t many floors, but Seo Dohyun lived on the highest one.
Suddenly, the porridge she had brought felt a bit too simple. She wondered if she should have at least added some abalone.
That thought disappeared the moment the door opened and she saw Seo Dohyun waiting for her. More precisely, her mind went blank when she caught sight of his face and body.
“You’re here.”
With a welcoming smile, he stepped aside to let her in. From the redness around his eyes, face, and body, he looked unmistakably like someone who was sick.
"Do you just wear a robe around the house?"
"After the chills went away, I got warm. But I still put on pants since you were coming over."
Gaeul set down the things she’d brought in the entryway, placed one hand on her forehead, and reached the other out toward him. Sensing her intention, Dohyun leaned down willingly. Gaeul pressed her hand to his forehead and exclaimed in surprise.
"Oh my goodness, I came because you asked, but I didn't realise your fever was this bad."
“You got your flu shot, right?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
Dohyun picked up the bags she’d set down and headed toward the kitchen. When Gaeul moved to grab it herself, he chuckled and placed the bags on the dining table.
"It’s just a few steps. I’m not going to drop dead."
“Have you eaten?”
After getting ready, time had gotten a bit late, and it was already dinnertime. Outside, the weather had already taken a stormy turn, with heavy rain and strong winds raging.
His gaze shifted to the shopping bag with the porridge inside.
“Not yet.”
“Then let’s have this. I brought abalone porridge.”
“What about you?”
"Oh, now that you mention it, I haven’t eaten yet either."
And it was just a single serving of porridge. In preparing something for him, she had completely forgotten about her own meal.
“Do you want some chicken soup?”
"Do you have that at home?"
"I make it sometimes when I’m not feeling well. Don’t worry about helping; just sit down. The kitchen’s small, so if both of us try to fit in, it’ll get chaotic."
Gaeul started to follow him into the kitchen but stopped short.
The kitchen was small? His kitchen alone was bigger than the living room of her entire apartment.
Still, she didn’t want to make things more chaotic for him while he wasn’t feeling well, so she decided not to go in after all.
"Is it okay if I look around your place after we eat?"
"Go ahead and take a look around while I heat this up."
“I’m not the kind of person who would leave a patient alone in the kitchen, no matter what.”
He chuckled again.
His laughter sounded a bit weaker than usual, showing signs of his illness. Maybe she shouldn't have come. Or perhaps, she should have just suggested ordering takeout instead. Oh right, with the typhoon, deliveries probably wouldn't be available. All sorts of thoughts raced through her mind, but she kept them to herself.
Perhaps because he wasn’t feeling well, he seemed more subdued than usual.
“You’re staying the night, right?”
“I did plan to stay, but looking at your condition, it might be better for me to leave. However, with the typhoon, I guess that's not possible. I'll just try to stay out of the way.”
“I’m not trying to hint at anything, but I noticed your bag was small and figured you might not have brought pyjamas.”
“Right, I forgot to pack it in the rush.”
Now that she thought about it, she had completely forgotten to bring pyjamas. How did Seo Dohyun even notice just from briefly holding her bag that she had only brought a few things?
“I’ll find you something to wear from the dressing room later.”
He returned with a steaming bowl of soup, filled to the brim. The delicious aroma of the soup wafted up.
"If it doesn’t taste good, let me know. I’ll make something else."
“Did you make this too?”
“Yeah.”
He responded and then opened the package of porridge that Gaeul had brought.
As he ate the porridge, the corners of his mouth lifted silently. He glanced over at Gaeul, who was sitting across from him eating the chicken soup. When she took her first bite, her eyes widened.
“Why are you even good at cooking?”
“I guess it’s decent enough to eat.”
“This is delicious. Did you take cooking lessons or something?”
"I've been living alone for a long time — I have to take care of the basics myself."
Maybe it was for the best that Seo Dohyun entered their lives as her older brother's boss. If he had been the stereotypical 'golden child,' [2] both Gaeul and Gajun might have grown up enduring endless comparisons — flinching at even the mere mention of his name.
The sizable bowl of chicken soup was emptied in no time. When Gaeul looked up after finishing, she found Seo Dohyun, his chin propped on his hand, quietly watching her.
“Gaeul.”
“What?”
He gazed at her with serene eyes. It was a look she had never seen before, making it impossible to discern his thoughts. His expression was unfamiliar, tinged with a mix of sadness and relief.
“Why didn’t you contact me?”
“...Were you waiting for me?”
“Yes, a lot.”
She dropped her gaze. After hesitating for a moment, she licked her lips and stood up.
"I’ll do the dishes. Once I’m done, please show me around your place."
“It’s fine. You can leave it alone.”
“But we should clean up what we've eaten.”
“Just put the empty dishes over there; the dishwasher will take care of them.”
Gaeul’s gaze followed his fingertips. There, a built-in dishwasher was firmly in place.
She had lost her excuse to escape. As she nervously darted her eyes around, Dohyun let out a short sigh and stood up.
“It looks like you need some time to answer.”
“...”
“Follow me; I’ll give you a tour of my place.”
“Okay.”
She followed Seo Dohyun as he exited the kitchen.
・・・・・
When it came to the measure of success, certain elements were often symbolically mentioned.
Luxury imported cars, designer goods, overseas trips, and an apartment with a Han River view in one’s own name. These were typically accompanied by a well-defined career and educational background as additional markers of success.
“As you can see, there’s nothing particularly special.”
"Do you know that excessive humility can be seen as arrogance?"
Instead of answering, Seo Dohyun raised an eyebrow and looked at Gaeul.
“That phrase really suits you right now, Seo Dohyun.”
He was someone who had it all.
The marble floor felt unfamiliar, and the space was unusually large. Since he lived alone with so many rooms, it seemed he only used a few of them. There were even rooms that were just empty, essentially serving as storage.
Still, signs of life were visible in the rooms he actually used. In the study, a large desk by the window was surrounded by bookshelves packed with books. Aside from the fact that half of them were foreign titles, everything looked relatively ordinary. A separate fitness room was set up as if to confirm his interest in exercise, and all the curtains operated automatically.
The dressing room left a neutral first impression. The overall design of the clothes was clean and understated, with no pieces bearing oversized logos loudly proclaiming their luxury status. While browsing, she noticed a familiar brand for the first time in the accessory cabinet at the centre. There, side by side was a luxury wristwatch — a brand she recognised but had no personal connection to — and another watch that looked expensive at a glance. Thinking back, when she took his suit to the dry cleaner, the owner was surprised and asked if it truly belonged to her.
"I think I can just pick something here for you to wear as pyjamas."
Seo Dohyun took a plain, solid-coloured T-shirt from a rack filled with short-sleeved shirts and handed it to Gaeul.
Gaeul accepted the shirt and began to speak.
"I tend to get things dirty. I hope this isn’t something expensive."
"No need to be careful with it, just wear it."
“No wonder you teased me about my place being small. You’re not secretly some chaebol heir or something, are you?”
Gaeul spoke in a teasing tone. A flicker of surprise crossed Seo Dohyun's face as he looked at her. He replied with a sheepish smile.
“Well, my grandfather is fairly well-off.”
“...”
“My comment about your place being small was just a joke. Most of the things here are either gifts or the result of investments made with my earned income.”
She wasn’t sure which items were gifts and which were the result of investments, but it seemed that Seo Dohyun, Lee Gajun’s boss, was more impressive than she had originally thought.
"Since you're changing clothes, why not take out your contact lenses as well?"
“Don’t you think I look better with them in?”
“Just relax. That’s why I called you over.”
Now that she thought about it, aside from the first day they met, he had never seen her without makeup. In fact, she hadn’t realised her face was bare until after she got out of the taxi, but by then it was already too late, so she just went up.
Afterwards, they changed clothes and brushed their teeth together. Dohyun casually handed her a new toothbrush without even asking about the one she had left behind at home. Standing side by side, both dressed in his clothes and brushing their teeth, it almost felt like they were a couple.
"When you wear it, it's like a one-piece dress."
"It feels a bit empty at the bottom, but I guess shorts like yours would be too big for me, right?"
"I think my boxers might fit. Want to try them on?"
"I'll politely decline."
He chuckled softly.
Aside from a somewhat high fever and occasional coughing, his symptoms didn't seem that severe.
“Speaking of which, aren’t you taking any medicine?”
"I forgot too — just like you did."
"Take it and rest in bed for a bit."
"If you say you'll rest with me, I'll do that."
"Since your home is so spacious, why not make the most of it? Seo Dohyun can rest in the bedroom while I relax on the sofa in the living room."
“If that’s the case, I might as well be alone. Why would I have called you over?”
Now that she thought about it, he had been following her around the spacious house despite his illness. It was one thing during the house tour, but he had also waited by the door while she changed and even brushed his teeth at the same time as her. He had even stood there, watching her wash her face afterwards.
As she stepped out of the bathroom connected to the bedroom, she noticed a large bed, about the same size as the ones she had seen in hotels.
“Um, by the way... about today.”
As Gaeul hesitated to speak, he stood beside her and gazed at her face.
“Is there anything else you want to do?”
“No, I mean—”
She took a deep breath and continued speaking.
"I’m just wondering if we’re going to have sex tonight."
“...”
"I’m worried it might hurt you more, given your condition..."
Dohyun pressed his forehead with a troubled expression and let out a heated sigh.
"I've been trying not to think about that since earlier, but you’re the one who got me worked up."
"I didn’t know you were in so much pain. I thought you invited me to spend the night because you were feeling better. We still have two nights left, you know."
"If we don't do it, won't it stay that way?"
"What are you talking about? Of course, we can’t skip it. This still counts as spending the night together."
"You’re being cruel to a patient."
He removed his hand from his forehead and looked at Gaeul. Despite his eyes being slightly unfocused from the fever, there was a different kind of heat in his gaze.
"What do you want to do?"
“I’ll hold back.”
“Not doing it is one thing, but what’s this about holding back?”
"You're the patient. I'm a rational person who knows how to control my sexual desires, so, just for today, I’m saying I’ll hold back for the patient’s sake.”
He opened his mouth, looking utterly dumbfounded.
“Since we’re here, should we just go all the way? Either way, the pain will be the same."
"No. I don’t want to. I won’t do it."
Gaeul briefly pressed her lips together before continuing.
“...But then, Seo Dohyun, if you weren’t planning on sleeping with me, why did you call me over?”
Upon hearing the question, the smile vanished from Dohyun's face. He opened his mouth with a rigid expression.
“Why are you saying it like that? Am I someone who only calls you for sex?”
“If not, then what is it? You’re the one who suggested we sleep together. It’s completely understandable for me to be confused in this situation.”
“...”
"I’m also curious why you called me, even though it meant letting go of an opportunity."
"...missed you."
"Huh?"
"I called because I was afraid of the typhoon."
Dohyun avoided her gaze with an awkward expression. Whether from the fever or embarrassment, his hand brushing the back of his neck, which was flushed, seemed to reveal his discomfort.
"I can't do it because of the fever. Come to the bed and lie down with me to rest."
"The house is this big, and you want us to stay close together?"
"If you keep complaining, I’ll take it as you wanting our first kiss here today."
“The bed is really soft and nice.”
Gaeul said as she climbed onto the bed. Seeing her like that, a smile returned to Dohyun's face.
Translator's Corner:
[1] The word used in the original was "썸" (sseom) which refers to a stage between friendship and a romantic relationship in Korean, where two people are interested in each other but have not yet officially started dating. The closest English term used to describe this is a "situationship." The terms "썸녀" (some girl) and "썸남" (some guy) are used to refer to the female and male partners in such a relationship, respectively.
[2] Golden child syndrome, or being a “golden child,” is a term typically used by familes to refer to a child in the family that's regarded as exceptional in some way. The golden child is expected to be extraordinary at everything, not make mistakes, and essentially be “perfect.”
⋆｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡ ⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆
If you notice any errors or broken links, please let me know and I will get that fixed~ Additionally, if you would like to support me, I have a Ko-fi ~ Thank you! 💖