* * *
The sincerity in his voice washed away my long-held worries.
A smile spread across my lips before I even realized it.
“…That’s a relief.”
“Well, what about you? Am I bothering you by coming over all the time? If you want me to stop, I can at least cut down on the visits…”
“No, no! I like being with you. I really do!”
“…!”
Taehwan suddenly sucked in a sharp breath.
His hands, which had been gripping my cheeks so tightly, trembled before going slack.
It felt like he was putting some distance between us.
What? Did I say something wrong?
I was frustrated that I couldn’t see his face.
Could I touch it?
As I hesitated and reached toward him, he spoke.
“Jaehee.”
“Yeah?”
“Say that again.”
“Huh? Say what?”
“Tell me again… How you feel about being with me.”
Why was he stammering?
And why was his voice shaking?
I tilted my head in confusion but soon understood.
Maybe… Maybe Taehwan had been worrying, too.
Wondering if I found him burdensome.
After everything we’d been through together, after what happened to me afterward, I could see why he’d have doubts.
I had to reassure him.
So I put all my sincerity into my words, smiled brightly, and said:
“I like it!”
Just like he had, short and strong, with all my heart.
And the moment I said it, something soft and warm brushed against my lower lip.
“Huh?”
“…….”
What… was that?
Instinctively, I reached up to touch my lips, but there was nothing there.
What was that just now?
A bug?
But it was warm…
Was I imagining things?
“Ah… I can’t believe it…”
As I puzzled over the strange sensation, Taehwan muttered something under his breath.
“Taehwan, just now—mmph.”
I was about to ask if something had touched my lips, but before I could finish, there was a rustling sound—
And once again, something soft pressed against my lips.
This time, I caught it before it could escape.
And when I grabbed it with my hand—
…It was bread.
Smooth on the outside, soft and fluffy overall, round and the size of a fist, with a rich buttery scent wafting from it.
Freshly baked and still warm—Taehwan must have just bought it.
Was he telling me to eat it?
I took a big bite.
“Ugh… I thought it was impossible, but…”
“What’s impossible?”
“Nothing… Never mind…”
“Huh. But this bread is really good. You wanna try? It’s super buttery.”
Taehwan always brought good food, but this was on another level.
It looked like a regular butter roll, but the taste was extraordinary—full of rich flavor, with a delightfully chewy texture.
I even wanted to share it with my siblings.
But I couldn’t do that right now.
I didn’t want to eat it alone, though, so I offered it to Taehwan.
“Here, try it.”
“Nah, I’m good.”
“Just one bite! It’s really good!”
“I said I—wait. Never mind. I’ll eat it.”
“Here! Say ah!”
Because good food tastes even better when shared.
I grinned and held out the bread to him.
“It is good.”
“Right? You really ate some?”
“Yeah. Look, I’m eating.”
He even exaggerated his chewing sounds to prove it.
But something was strange.
There was only one bite mark on the bread.
Both of us had eaten it, but there was just one bite mark.
“You… Did you just bite where I bit?”
“So what? Is that a problem?”
“Why would you do something so gross?!”
“My choice. What are you gonna do about it?”
“…….”
Was that normal for round bread?
Taking a bite exactly where someone else had bitten?
That meant barely anything even made it into his mouth…
I had only asked because I was bewildered, but Taehwan was acting completely unfazed.
His shamelessness left me speechless, but this wasn’t the first time he’d been stubborn about something ridiculous.
Since the bread was delicious, I decided to let it slide.
It wasn’t like we’d never shared food before.
Maybe I was overreacting.
But… something about Taehwan today felt different.
Normally, once we finished hanging out, he’d focus on his own tasks with military-like precision, as if he had a switch for concentration.
But today, he was completely unfocused.
He kept pacing around me, mumbling things to himself, opening and closing books, then suddenly standing by the window as if trying to cool his head.
It was so unusual that I found myself watching him cautiously.
As I chewed on my butter roll and tried to focus on the Braille picture book in front of me, Taehwan approached me again.
“Um… Jaehee.”
“Yeah?”
“Can I… just once… h-hug you?”
As expected, something was off about Taehwan today.
Had he gone through some sudden change of heart?
A wave of unease swept over me, and before I could think, I hugged him first.
But then, I heard it—Taehwan’s heartbeat.
It was deafening, pounding so hard I thought thunder was crashing down around us.
Why was it like this?
Was something wrong with him?
Just as I was about to ask out of concern—
Taehwan spoke first.
“I… I’ll take responsibility for you. So…”
His voice was unsteady, words tumbling out as if he hadn’t planned them.
It reminded me of when we first talked after leaving the gate.
But this time, it was different.
He couldn’t finish his sentence.
His arms tightened around me, his grip firm, and gradually, his frantic heartbeat slowed.
His ragged breathing, his feverish body heat—everything slowly returned to normal.
Like a wildfire suddenly doused by a cold rain.
“…No. It’s nothing.”
I still didn’t understand why Taehwan was acting so strangely, but one thing was clear—his voice lacked strength.
And for some reason, that made my chest ache.
I kept asking him what was wrong, over and over, but in the end, Taehwan never told me what he had been trying to say.
Not that day. And not after that.
I had a dream—a happy one.
Vivid, joyful.
One was a dream where I achieved something I had always wished for.
The other was a memory of a happy moment from the past.
I woke up with a grin.
Today, I’d finally write the letter I’d been meaning to give Taehwan.
“…Huh?”
Then, a jolt of shock hit me, like I’d been struck.
I could see.
Sunlight seeped into my vision.
The pristine white of a hospital room came into view.
Through the window, I saw the vast blue sky and the cityscape beyond.
My mouth hung open, my breathing unsteady in disbelief.
Was I still dreaming?
Was this a dream within a dream?
But something was strange.
The texture of the bed, the scent of the air, the layout of the room, the distant noises from outside—everything was different.
Unfamiliar.
I knew for certain—this was not the hospital room I had been staying in.
“What… Why am I…”
I wasn’t supposed to be in another hospital.
My medical records had been used to waive part of my hospital fees.
This didn’t make sense.
Even without that fee waiver, the Im family would still cover my expenses, but… I didn’t want to be any more of a burden than necessary.
More than anything, this felt like breaking a promise.
And I would never allow that.
Was I still dreaming?
Maybe if I went back to sleep, I’d wake up in reality.
As I struggled to make sense of the situation—
—Click.
The door to the hospital room opened.
“…Ah.”
A man stepped inside, as if he belonged there.
I stared at him, too startled to say anything.
Our eyes met.
Soft, wavy light brown hair.
Flawless, fair skin. Brown eyes, so clear they shimmered in the sunlight.
Despite his gentle colors, his face was strikingly masculine—sharp features, broad shoulders, and a solid frame that not even his loose clothes could hide.
He was breathtaking, unreal enough to make my head spin.
But why… Why did he seem so familiar?
He wasn’t a stranger.
“…You…”
That soft curly hair, the distinct T-zone, the strong jawline.
His towering height—so tall he had to bend down just to meet my eyes.
A physique strong enough to support my weight with ease.
Even after years of change and growth, there was only one person in the world who matched all of these traits.
* * *
