A Madman in Love

"Yeah."

Caught red-handed, Suin felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her.

As she tried to pull her fingers free from his grip, Jaehee didn’t let go.

"How’s the fever?"

He sat up and gently pressed a hand to her forehead. The touch was so natural, so unassuming, that Suin didn’t even think to resist.

The back of his hand, warm and soft, rested against her skin.

"It’s gone."

"Yeah, I think so."

"Anywhere else?"

"I’m fine."

"You’ve been through a lot."

His hand moved to brush through her hair, his fingers tender and comforting.

Looking up at his face, which was softened by a relieved smile, Suin couldn’t help but smile back faintly.

Despite being the one who had worked tirelessly all night, he made no fuss, no effort to seek recognition. That made her feel even more grateful.

She didn’t push his hand away.

For once, she didn’t force herself to get up and leave, didn’t try to maintain any artificial distance between them.

"I’m still feeling a bit weak."

"Then sleep some more."

"Alright."

She felt sluggish, heavy. Whether it was the lingering remnants of her fever or simply her body demanding rest, she wasn’t sure.

Or maybe…

Maybe she just wanted to stay like this a little longer.

"What about you?"

"Don’t worry about me."

"How can I not? You were sleeping so uncomfortably earlier…"

Suin suppressed the sudden urge to argue, pushing down the voice inside her that insisted she should do more for him. She tried to sit up, intending to give him the bed.

"Don’t get up. I’ll lie down properly," Jaehee said, gently stopping her by the shoulders.

And then, without warning, he climbed onto the bed.

"Hey! What are you doing?"

Startled, Suin reacted like a fish caught in a net, flailing slightly as his lips curved into an amused smile.

"Why not?"

His eyes glinted mischievously, like a child discovering a new toy. He leaned over her, his arms braced on either side of her shoulders to block any escape.

"Are you scared?"

The sharp intensity in his gaze sent a shiver down her spine.

It was a look filled with hunger, the kind that seemed to whisper that he wanted to devour her whole.

"Scared? Me? Who’s scared?"

Her voice wavered slightly, betraying her unease as his piercing stare bore into her. The shiver that ran through her ribs wasn’t the cold ache of her earlier fever.

No, this was something else entirely.

Heat.

Not from sickness, but something far more potent.

"Then I guess we can just sleep together," Jaehee said.

"Sleep together?"

The words tumbled from her lips, her disbelief clear. Jaehee’s lips curved into a seductive, teasing smile.

Before she could respond, he began leaning closer.

His lips, exuding a sensual allure, inched toward hers, and her heart thudded violently in her chest.

She could have pushed him away, could have stopped him, but instead, her eyes fluttered shut of their own accord, as if waiting for the inevitable touch of his lips.

And then—

"Goodnight."

Jaehee flopped onto the bed beside her with a casual thud.

"Sleep well."

Startled, Suin’s eyes snapped open.

There he was, lying flat on his back, his hands resting neatly on his stomach, eyes closed as though he had never intended anything else.

"I’m not the kind of scoundrel who’d mess with someone who’s unwell."

She couldn’t help but laugh at how ridiculous the moment was.

Why did you even close your eyes? What were you expecting?

Chastising herself for overreacting, Suin turned her back to him, curling up slightly.

Her heart still pounded, the remnants of her anticipation sinking like sediment to the bottom of her chest.

She was acutely aware of Jaehee’s presence behind her.

His breathing was slow and steady, a soft rhythm in the quiet room.

Even his breathing sounds nice.

Her eyelids grew heavy, and despite her protests, her inner self knew the truth.

It wasn’t just nervousness.

It was something much deeper.@@novelbin@@

It was excitement.

***

Suin stirred, feeling an unfamiliar, solid sensation beneath her. Startled, she opened her eyes.

Bright sunlight illuminated her surroundings, and she realized she was pressed closely against another body.

"...!"

She nearly lashed out, instinctively ready to push him away—only to realize it was her who had clung to him.

She was curled up against Seo Jaehee, using his arm as a pillow while he slept deeply.

I can’t believe this.

Suppressing her frustration, Suin carefully lifted her head from his arm, trying not to wake him. Her head felt heavy as she hovered it in midair, but she pushed through the discomfort to slip out of the bed.

Jaehee remained fast asleep, oblivious to everything.

After all, he’d been injured at the construction site and then stayed up nursing her through the night. He must have been utterly exhausted.

Relieved that he hadn’t woken, Suin quietly crept out to the living room.

Did he even eat dinner?

She glanced at the dining table in the suite’s small kitchen area. The room service food they had ordered the previous evening remained untouched, sitting exactly where it had been left.

He hadn’t eaten because she had fallen asleep.

Why didn’t he just eat without me?

Shaking her head, Suin moved the now-stale steak and limp salad to one side.

Even the bag of prescription medication from the hospital looked like it hadn’t been touched.

What if the wound gets infected?

Her frown deepened as her eyes landed on a box of over-the-counter flu medicine. Despite everything, he’d managed to buy her medicine from a convenience store and made sure she took it.

"You should’ve taken care of yourself first."

Muttering to herself, Suin quickly shut her mouth and glanced toward the bedroom. It was still quiet.

It’s rude to ignore someone’s efforts.

With a sigh, she grabbed the flu medicine and tucked it into her bag. Pulling a sticky note from her planner, she scribbled down a message.

Room service is reserved.

She crumpled the note, tossed it aside, and started over.

To Executive Director Seo,

I’ve reserved room service for you. Please make sure to eat when you wake up, and don’t forget to take your medication.

Thank you for everything last night. Get some rest, and I’ll see you on Monday.

It felt like she was covering up her tracks.

Acting so informally and comfortably with him at night, only to revert to her professional demeanor in the morning, seemed hypocritical.

She couldn’t help but laugh at herself, realizing how similar she was to Jaehee, who acted differently around her than he did with others.

Leaving the note on the table, Suin exited the suite.

"...Yes, that menu sounds good. And please clear the room service from last night."

She booked the room service order while stepping into the elevator.

As she reached for the lobby button, a thought struck her.

What will the staff think when they see untouched food from last night?

Would they assume the two of them had spent the night too… preoccupied to eat?

"God, what am I even thinking."

Suin pressed her hands to her burning cheeks, cringing at her own imagination. It felt like her fever was flaring up again.

***

The remnants of her cold lingered, so Suin spent the entire weekend resting.

It had been ages since she’d had such a relaxing weekend, spent eating, sleeping, and recovering. Though thoughts of Jaehee occasionally interrupted her peace, she managed to recharge herself.

On Monday morning, she returned to work feeling refreshed.

Let’s grab a coffee.

She sent Baek Ihyeon a message after finishing her usual morning tasks.

Sure. I’ll head down.

She hadn’t been able to properly talk to him after the incident at the construction site, as everything had been so chaotic.

Ihyeon had even reached out over the weekend, but she hadn’t answered or called him back.

"I was planning to buy this time… You bought it last time, too," Ihyeon said, looking apologetic as he approached the cafeteria table where Suin was waiting with two cups of coffee.

"Who cares who buys it? I said I’d treat you twice, didn’t I?"

Smiling lightly, Suin led them to a table by the window overlooking the break garden. Ihyeon returned her smile and gallantly pulled out her chair for her.

"I couldn’t answer your calls over the weekend. Things were a bit hectic."

"I figured. How’s the Executive Director doing?"

"He got twenty stitches at the ER. His hand was cut by debris, but thankfully, there’s no damage to his bones or tendons."

"It’s a relief that his tendons weren’t injured."

"Yeah."

Ihyeon was genuinely kind.

Even though he and Jaehee often clashed like rivals, he still asked about his condition and seemed relieved to hear it wasn’t serious.

And, of course, he was concerned about Suin, too.

"You must’ve been really shaken up."

"Of course."

"I should’ve protected you. I’m sorry."

"Why are you apologizing? This wasn’t your fault."

"I was too slow… slower than Seo Jaehee."

"What, was it a race? There’s no need to compare yourself like that."

Suin frowned at his unnecessary apology.

"Next time, I’ll definitely be the one to protect you."

"Do whatever you want," she replied with a light laugh, guessing that his words stemmed from his rivalry with Jaehee.

Ihyeon scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, joining her in laughter before steering the conversation back to work.

"Chairwoman Woo’s heading overseas today, right?"

"Yeah, later this afternoon."

"And I guess you’re not going this time?"

"Not this time. I’m Executive Director Seo’s secretary now. The trip’s only four days long, excluding travel, so it’s not a complicated itinerary."

"Well, if it were longer, they’d probably send the chief secretary like you."

Nodding at his words, Suin reached for her coffee just as a tall figure outside the window caught her eye.

There, in the break garden, stood Seo Jaehee, his arm linked with a woman’s.

Suin blinked, her eyelids fluttering like a pedestrian signal urging her thoughts to move faster.

The sight was unfamiliar.

Jaehee with a woman.

And not just with her, but walking closely, their arms entwined.

What…?

She stared at the pair, her mind racing. The woman turned her head, and recognition struck like lightning.

Yoo Ahjin?

A warning light flashed red in Suin’s mind.