The fever came quietly.
Seo Yoon ignored the first signs.
A slight headache.
A chill despite the warm office.
A sting from the injuries she had refused to have treated.
"There isn't time," she whispered to herself, signing another document.
Her assistant looked at her with concern.
"CEO... perhaps you should rest."
"I'm fine."
The answer came automatically.
Just like always.
Hours passed.
The stack of paperwork grew smaller.
Her vision grew blurrier.
The digital clock on her desk read 11:48 P.M.
She finally stood.
The room spun.
She steadied herself against the edge of the desk and inhaled slowly.
Not now.
She still had to get home.
The drive back to her mansion was unusually quiet.
Rain tapped softly against the windows.
Every bump in the road sent pain through her body.
Her forehead burned.
Her breathing felt heavier than before.
She clenched her jaw.
Just a little longer.
The gates of her mansion slowly came into view.
The car stopped.
Seo Yoon stepped out, dismissing her driver despite his worried expression.
"I'll be fine."
The gates opened.
She walked toward the front entrance, each step slower than the last.
Her fingers trembled as she reached for the keypad.
The numbers blurred together.
She blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Nothing became clearer.
"...Come on..."
Her voice was barely a whisper.
She tried again.
The door unlocked.
Before she could reach the handle—
The world tilted.
Her knees gave out.
Strong arms caught her before she hit the marble floor.
"Seo Yoon."
She barely recognized the voice.
Her eyelids felt impossibly heavy.
"...Sang... Hyun...?"
He looked down at her.
For the first time since meeting her...
His calm expression disappeared.
He pressed the back of his hand gently against her forehead.
His eyes darkened.
"You're burning."
She managed the smallest smile.
"...I'm... fine..."
"No."
It was a single word.
Firm.
Absolute.
"You are not."
She tried to protest again.
Nothing came out.
The darkness claimed her.
Without another second of hesitation, Sang-Hyun lifted her into his arms.
She was lighter than he expected.
Far too light.
As though she'd been carrying the weight of the world instead of taking care of herself.
He frowned.
"...How long have you been neglecting yourself?"
There was no answer.
Only the sound of her uneven breathing.
He carried her inside the mansion as if he already knew the way.
The household staff froze in surprise.
"Young Master Kim—"
"Call the family doctor."
His voice was calm.
But everyone in the room could hear the urgency beneath it.
"Immediately."
No one questioned him.
Within minutes, the mansion was filled with quiet footsteps.
Medical equipment.
Whispered conversations.
The doctor finished the examination nearly half an hour later.
Sang-Hyun hadn't left the room once.
"Well?"
The elderly doctor removed his glasses.
"Fortunately, she'll recover."
A small silence followed.
"But..."
Sang-Hyun's gaze sharpened.
"She has a dangerously high fever caused by severe exhaustion and untreated injuries."
"..."
"Her body has been under immense stress for a long time."
The doctor sighed.
"If she continues living like this..."
He looked at the unconscious young woman.
"...her body will eventually stop enduring it."
The room became silent.
After the doctor left, only Sang-Hyun remained.
Seo Yoon slept peacefully for the first time in days.
Without pretending.
Without forcing herself to stay strong.
He sat beside the bed.
Watching.
Not because he needed information.
Not because he was studying her.
Simply...
Watching.
His eyes fell on her hands.
Small scars.
Faint calluses.
Evidence of years spent fighting battles no one had ever seen.
"...Stubborn."
He murmured quietly.
"So stubborn."
Seo Yoon shifted slightly in her sleep.
Almost instinctively...
Her fingers found the sleeve of his coat.
Holding it gently.
She didn't wake.
She didn't even know she had done it.
Sang-Hyun looked down at her hand.
For a long moment...
He didn't move.
Then, almost imperceptibly...
The corner of his lips lifted.
"...I'll let you borrow it."
Outside, the rain continued to fall against the windows.
Inside...
For the first time since their paths had crossed—
Neither of them was fighting.
Only silence remained.
And somehow...
It was enough.