chapter 14.2

Sitting in front of the dressing table, Yeonhwa removed the gauze from her forehead. When she swept the bangs to the side and fixed them with the pins, she saw a tightly stitched wound. She opened the first aid kit and took out the disinfectant and cotton inside, just then Geonwoo opened a door and came in.

Perhaps because Geonwoo left work earlier today, Secretary Kim came to the house with the approval board in his arms. Geonwoo went into the library with him for a while and it seemed that the work was over. Yeonhwa looked at Geonwoo in the mirror and asked.

“Is Secretary Kim gone?”

With a nod, Geonwoo closed the door and approached Yeonhwa, who was looking at the mirror and tried to pour the disinfectant on her wound, but Geonwoo took it from her hand.

“I’ll do it.”

“I can do it.”

Yeonhwa insisted on doing it herself but Geonwoo was faster and grabbed the disinfectant bottle. Then he supported the cotton under the injured area and tilted his back.

“I will do it right now.”

With her eyes down, Yeonhwa put her hands on her knees. When Geonwoo carefully poured the disinfectant, the wound ached and sore. Yeonhwa, who bit her lower lip tightly, endured the pain, frowning. Geonwoo poured the disinfectant once more and the white foam formed around the wound, but he couldn’t stand to see Yeonhwa who held her collar tightly with both hands. Geonwoo stopped pouring the disinfectant and asked.

“Are you okay?”

“It hurts. It stings and aches.”

Yeonhwa’s answer came out like a quick fire, how painful it was. She raised her pupils up and looked at Geonwoo, who was gently wiping off the disinfectant.

After Geonwoo had finished, Yeonhwa turned to the first aid.

“I will apply the ointment.”

However before Yeonhwa could reach for a first aid kit, Geonwoo’s hands wrapped around her cheeks. He then blew his breath on Yeonhwa’s forehead. Was it because of his warm breath on her cheeks or his cool breeze on her forehead? Yeonhwa felt as if the sore had disappeared for a while. Unfortunately, Geonwoo’s hand, who was holding her face, quickly fell off.

“Feel better?”

At Geonwoo’s question, Yeonhwa felt happy and satisfied. Then she wondered if he could see her two red cheeks, Yeonhwa turned her face toward the mirror quickly and said.

“I feel better.Thank you.”

“Do you need anything else?”

Yeonhwa hesitated thinking.

“Shall I ask for a hug? If I ask you to hug me, would you do it?”

However Yeonhwa decided to shut her lips and shook her head.

“No, I’ll do the rest.”

After taking a cotton swab out of the first aid kit, Yeonhwa put a white ointment on it and applied it to the wound. Geonwoo stood without leaving his place to see if she had anything else to say. Yeonhwa reached for the bandaid that would attach over the wound, but Geonwoo was a little faster. He grabbed the band aid, removed the wrapper then put it on Yeonhwa’s forehead carefully.

“After the stitches are removed , we will get the scar treated.”

“It’s small, so it’s hard to see.”

Scar treatment with only three needles was unnecessary. Yeonhwa shook her head at Geonwoo. But he was stubborn.

“I can see it well.”

“Who would notice this little wound on the forehead?”

Geonwoo’s hand, who had been tying the band aid, fell down. His deep eyes caught Yeonhwa’s gaze.

“I see.”

Yeonhwa blinked the trembling eyelids rapidly then dropped her head down and cleaned up the first aid kit for no reason.

“If the scar gets very visible, then I will do that.”

“Ok.”

Yeonhwa thought the conversation was over, but Geonwoo was still standing next to her. When Yeonhwa, who had closed the first aid kit, stood up from her seat, Geonwoo spoke.

“I’m sorry about yesterday.”

He was lingering around Yeonhwa to say this. Yeonhwa said calmly and smiled through her lips.

“Didn’t the bouquet you gave me mean you are sorry?”

Geonwoo avoided Yeonhwa’s eyes by rubbing his forehead with his fingers as if he was uncomfortable.

“Still I think I should tell you about it.”

Unfortunately, Yeonhwa wanted to make Geonwoo more embarrassing. She stepped closer to Geonwoo, then turned her head aside and made eye contact with him.

“By the way. What are you sorry about?”

Geonwoo raised his head which had been bowed down and swallowed a handful of breaths first instead of talking.

“You know.”

Yeonhwa slowly shook her head from side to side.

“I can only guess.”

Geonwoo took a deep breath and said.

“I was obsessed with useless stubbornness. I couldn’t control my feelings and raised my voice at you. I’m really sorry. I offended you.”

Because Geonwoo was well aware of his fault. Yeonhwa forgave him since he gave her the flower bouquet. And since he admitted his fault like this, she wanted to praise him and gave him a hug. If they were really a couple, she would have hugged Geonwoo tightly. But all Yeonhwa could do right now was to suppress her mind. Yeonhwa, who was fluttering her fingers, smiled.

“I am sorry too for avoiding you. I should have talked out the problem with you but I didn’t.”

When she looked at Geonwoo with a smile, he raised his eyes as if surprised. Then Yeonhwa put the first aid kit in a drawer and walked to bed. Yesterday she was worried because she could not reconcile with Geonwoo, so she couldn’t sleep much. But today she thought she should be able to sleep better. Geonwoo, who was standing still, moved only after Yeonhwa lay on the bed. The lights in the room went out, and they lay next to each other .

At first, lying down like this was awkward, but now Geonwoo felt a little used to it. He fell asleep quickly and closed his heavy eyelids. Yeonhwa, who was lying on the other side of the bed, rolled and settled to her side. It was warm and cozy enough to melt her cold hands. When she stretched out her hand and touched something hard, it seemed that the more she touched it, the more she felt the heat. Yeonhwa, who narrowed her eyebrows, wanted to get in deeper, but something blocked her and she couldn’t dig into it. When it didn’t go according to her wish, Yeonhwa, who had been frustrated, touched her forehead. As she rubbed her face there, she felt something grabbing her back. It was hotter than what she was touching with her hands. In the heat, Yeonhwa suddenly woke up. Geonwoo’s pajamas appeared in her view when she lifted her eyelids. When she saw the man’s clothes, the sleep that made her mind hazy was blown away. Yeonhwa held her breath and lifted her stiff neck. Then she saw Geonwoo’s sleeping face, and Yeonhwa almost screamed.

Before Geonwoo woke up, she wanted to get out of his arms.

After that, Yeonhwa would pretend to sleep as if nothing happened.

However, it was possible only if Geonwoo didn’t open his eyes.

The eyelids, which she only wished to be tightly closed, opened and Yeonhwa’s surprised face reflected in the man’s eyes as black as night. Yeonhwa couldn’t think straight.

“We have been sleeping in the same bed for a week. But since when did we sleep like this?”