TKFT 07

Chapter 07

Jian had prepared a separate blanket today.
No matter how much she thought about it, being treated like the other woman upset her, and she didn’t want to share a blanket with him.

Lying on the bed under her own blanket with her eyes closed, Jian soon felt Yugeon’s presence.
She pretended to keep sleeping without showing any reaction.
“We’re not even close enough to exchange a sweet goodnight.”

In truth, every time her heart raced while lying under the same blanket with him, she had imagined it.
If they were truly married, she wouldn’t have had to hide this excitement.
She could have kissed him goodnight and exchanged sweet words…
Jian felt foolish for imagining such things.

“I won’t do that anymore. We can’t help sharing a bed, but I’ll never let myself get excited under the same blanket. Never.”

She steeled her resolve once again.
Part of her wanted to place a pillow between them to draw a line, but she held back.
“Hah… maybe I should’ve put the pillow there after all? Yeah, I should’ve.”
Jian felt a twinge of regret.

“Ha…”

Meanwhile, seeing Jian lying under a separate blanket, Yugeon felt completely drained.
It hit him like a strong blow to the head.
A married couple should sleep under the same blanket, shouldn’t they?
Yet she had her own! Could it be that she meant to divorce him?
It was probably her silent protest because she was upset that he had snooped through her diary.
Thinking that way, he had no one to blame but himself.
“All my careful charm plans are useless now.”

Unlike his tense, flexing muscles, Yugeon trudged to the bed in a sulky mood.
Even after getting onto the bed, Jian remained still, eyes closed.
She must have already fallen asleep.
“She sleeps so beautifully… separate blankets and deep in sleep, huh?”

Tch… Yugeon grumbled inwardly but kept staring at her face.
“Darling… you’re like porcelain, really.”
Her skin was flawless, smooth like the surface of porcelain.
If a skilled artist made a porcelain doll, it would look just like her—delicately colored peachy cheeks and all.

“She must be alive, right? Maybe it’s just because it’s my first time seeing Eun Jian sleep up close. It doesn’t feel real.”

Yugeon lightly touched the tip of her nose.
Her soft breath tickled his fingers, oddly comforting him.

He couldn’t take his eyes off her face.
“Did that weird list of preferences include eyelashes too? They’re so long… Look at the shadow under her eyes. What a baby… even peach fuzz on her cheeks. Cute.”

She was ridiculously adorable.
No wonder she would look beautiful even in dreams.
“I wonder if she’s playing happily in her dream with the man she loves.”

Just as he was lost in thought, Yugeon tensed suddenly.

“Mm…”

At that moment, Jian shifted her body and turned her back to Yugeon.
Her face felt unbearably warm.
He didn’t know exactly why—maybe because he had been staring at her so obviously.

As she moved, the blanket covering her shoulders slipped slightly.
“Her shoulders are so tiny. If someone like me grabbed them tightly, she’d get hurt.”

Tsk. Yugeon clicked his tongue and pulled the blanket back up to her neck.
“Why am I even covering the blanket for a woman who’s probably dreaming about another man…”

He sulked a little, lips pouting.
So, he leaned toward her ear and whispered a curse.

“…Dream of me. Cha Yugeon’s dream.”

Not his dream, my dream.
Would it be a nightmare for her?
Hmph. Good. Have a nightmare, insolent Eun Jian.

Yugeon turned over and switched off the lights with the room remote, trying to sleep.
He didn’t notice the blush that spread across Jian’s face as her eyes flickered open in the dark.

The next day, at CERA Seoul headquarters, a colleague asked Jian during a meeting.
“Jian, you don’t look well. Are you feeling sick? You didn’t look great yesterday either.”
She was organizing papers on the table after the meeting.

“Yeah… it’s more than just being tired. Are you sure you’re not ill?”
Sejun asked with concern.

“Oh, no. I’m fine. Thank you for asking.”
Jian forced a smile.

In fact, they were right to notice.
Jian felt worse than yesterday.
She had slept poorly over the weekend and last night.
Because of Yugeon.

“…Dream of me. Cha Yugeon’s dream.”

Even thinking about it now made her heart skip.
“Why did he say that?”
It was strange enough that he had covered her with the blanket, but his whispered words were even more confusing.
“Was it an auditory hallucination?”
No, she had definitely heard it—his breath had tickled her ear.
Why would he give her such a goodnight, when they weren’t even married or lovers?

Jian spent the whole night tormented by unanswered questions, her heart racing so much she couldn’t sleep.
No wonder she was so exhausted today.
Her anemia seemed worse than yesterday, and her vision blurred intermittently.

“Thank you for the meeting…”
Jian finished tidying up the table and greeted her colleagues. She stood up, but suddenly…

“Ah…”
“O-oh… Jian!”

Her vision spun, her body wobbled, and she collapsed.

Earlier that morning, Yugeon had gone on a site visit and was returning to the office.
“…Haa.”
Sitting in the back of the sedan and looking out the window, he sighed.
Last night, Jian’s separate blankets had left an unnoticed wound on him.

“She was so upset… how am I supposed to win her over now?”

He pondered seriously.
But even his brilliant work-focused mind seemed rusty when it came to Jian.
“First… maybe I should eat with her. Even a journey of a thousand miles starts with a meal.”

Lunch was near, and Yugeon changed his mind about grabbing a quick meal at the cafeteria.
“Driver Shim, please take me to my wife’s company.”

Yugeon changed the destination.
While the driver steered toward CERA, Yugeon tried calling Jian, but she didn’t answer.
“Maybe she’s busy with work?”
He didn’t know much about her office life, but like most office workers, she must be busy.

“Or… maybe she’s deliberately ignoring me?”

The thought seemed plausible.
By the time the car reached CERA, Yugeon grew anxious and got out.
He called Jian again, pacing like a nervous dog near the entrance.

“Uh?”

Suddenly, people rushed out. One man carried Jian on his back.
“Step aside for a moment…”
“What’s going on?”

Yugeon quickly blocked them.
“Um… yes?”
Sejun, who had been carrying the unconscious Jian, looked flustered.
A well-built, handsome man with a stern expression was blocking him.

“Why is Eun Jian like this? Where are you taking her?”
Yugeon asked, his expression harsher.

The situation seemed odd.
Looking closely, the man carrying Jian was the same one who had given her an umbrella yesterday. Could he be the “you” Jian loved?

“W-who are you…”
“He’s her husband. I asked what’s going on!”

Yugeon shouted.
Sejun’s eyes widened at the mention of “husband.”
He had been invited to Jian’s wedding before joining the company but couldn’t attend due to a family funeral.
That was why he didn’t recognize Yugeon.

Flustered, Sejun began explaining.
“Jian suddenly collapsed during work. We’ve called 119.”

Collapsed? Yugeon’s brows furrowed.
“Ah, the ambulance is here.”

The ambulance arrived in front of the company.
Jian was placed on a stretcher.
Seeing her pale and thin face, Yugeon’s breath caught.
She looked almost like a corpse—like his mother had when she was taken to the hospital.

“No, I’m going.”
Yugeon urgently stopped Sejun from accompanying her.
“Sorry, but I can’t trust the identity you’ve revealed. There’s no way to confirm if you’re really Jian’s husband. Jian is the company’s CEO, so I need to go.”

Sejun calmly explained his position.
Yugeon’s gaze grew even fiercer.
But he also realized Sejun’s handling wasn’t wrong.

Instead of accompanying her, Yugeon made a phone call somewhere.