"Morning, Teddy…" Hauen said softly, ruffling his hair.
Suho lay on the bed, groaning, "Aigo… Aigo… my legs... my legs are dead…" like an old grandpa.
Hauen couldn't help but laugh. "They're not dead, they're just sore because they're alive again," she teased.
He looked up at her, messy hair, sleepy eyes, pouty lips. he looked so cute that her heart skipped a beat. Damn, he still makes me feel things, she thought.
She smiled. "What? Why are you glaring at me like that?"
"I'm literally dying here, and you're laughing at my pain," he whined.
"You're being dramatic, like grandpa," she teased again.
He gave her a deadpan look.
"Now stop threatening me with that look," she said, smiling. "Get up now."
"Help me," he sulked.
She chuckled, took his hands, and helped him sit up.
He groaned again.
"Is it that sore?" she asked gently.
He nodded with a pout.
"Wait a minute, let me bring a tub of hot water," Hauen said, heading to the bathroom.
A few minutes later, she returned with the tub and gently placed Suho's legs in it. She rolled up his pants and sprayed the painkiller from his thighs down to his feet.
He watched her quietly, the care in her movements, the patience in her touch. A small smile curved on his lips. How can she be so selfless? So kind? She's been doing this for months without ever making me feel like a burden, he thought, his chest warming with gratitude.
"Is it feeling good?" she asked, glancing up at him.
He nodded. "Better."
She smiled softly. "How are you planning to practice today, with this soreness?" she asked, gently massaging his legs.
He smirked. "No worries. I have a personal nurse… who also happens to be my cheerleader."
She looked up at him, squinting her eyes. "Do I look like a nurse to you?"
He chuckled. "An expensive one," he teased, grin tugging at his lips.
"Keep teasing me, and I'll add chili oil to your protein shake," she warned, narrowing her eyes.
"That's rude. You shouldn't do that to a patient," he said dramatically.
"That's the punishment if you tease me again," she said, smirking.
He laughed. "You know what? You used to be sweet before, my therapist, my cheerleader, my best friend… now you've turned into a brat."
She looked up at him. "Because you became a brat first. Brats deserve bratty treatment. Remember? You literally choked me to death yesterday."
"I was gentle! Don't falsely accuse me," he said, looking scandalized.
"Oh really?" she raised a brow, trying to hold back her laughter. "You call that gentle? Do you even know how it felt being trapped under your elephant-leg-sized hands?"
His eyes widened. "Elephant legs? Did you just call me an elephant? Am I that fat? Teddy bear was still better."
She controlled her laugh. "So you agree you're a teddy bear?"
He sighed with a pout. "Better than being called an elephant."
Still giggling, she gave his leg a playful squeeze.
"Ouch! That hurts!" he complained instantly, making her laugh harder.
"Good, that means they're alive," she grinned.
"And you're squeezing them to death," he muttered under his breath.
She laughed, the sound filling the room. Just like that, they kept bickering until she finished massaging his legs.
"Feeling better now?" she asked, looking up at him.
He nodded with a small smile. "Hmm… much better. Thanks, Hauen," he said softly.
She smiled back. "Mention not, husband."
He chuckled, but something about that word husband warmed his chest. These days, he couldn't tell why, but he liked hearing it from her, maybe because it felt real, comforting.
She wiped her hands and reached for her phone to call Mr. Lee, so he could help Suho to the bathroom for a wash-up.
Suho just sat there, quietly watching her. The way she moved, the way her hair fell over her shoulder, the calmness in her face, he admired everything about her. Without realizing it, a gentle smile formed on his lips, just from watching her exist.
Kim Mansion – Evening
Kim Mansion, evening. Mrs. Kim was sitting on the backyard, sipping her evening tea, lost in her thoughts.
Daehyun came and sat beside her.
"Unnie," Mrs. Kim greeted, offering a small smile.
"Why are you sitting out here alone?" Daehyun asked softly.
"Just felt like it… it was suffocating inside. Needed some fresh air," Mrs. Kim replied.
"Is everything okay, Yejina?" Daehyun pressed gently.
Mrs. Kim sighed, her fingers tightening around the cup. "Not really… I'm worried about Suho."
Daehyun placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. He'll get better soon."
Mrs. Kim shook her head slightly, a sad smile touching her lips. "I don't know, unnie… When will he get better? In the last few months, he's been through so much: the accident, losing the baby, his legs paralyzing… It's just… I haven't really spoken to him for months. He avoids talking to anyone. And Hauen said he is healing slowly. Even Aboji said not to disturb him, that his wife is there to take care of him, and that they're doing fine…" She paused, letting her worry spill out, her voice trembling slightly as she expressed her fears.
"Don't worry, Yejina… Appa must have had his reasons for saying that. Maybe they needed some space, so he went back to the penthouse. Let's not disturb them. Let them heal together," Daehyun said softly.
Mrs. Kim nodded, her eyes reflecting concern. "I just hope they're doing well, unnie," she murmured, exhaling deeply.
From a distance, Yuna overheard their conversation. She smirked quietly to herself and walked away, fading into the shadows.
Penthouse - Night
Back in the penthouse, Suho sat in his wheelchair, wincing as soreness from today's session returned. Hauen approached with a small bottle of soju in hand.
"Let's have a little soju. It'll help ease the pain and let you sleep peacefully," she said, grinning.
He raised an eyebrow. "You have one solution for almost every problem."
She smiled. "And it works perfectly for you, teddy bear." She pushed his wheelchair toward the couch and sat down beside him.
He smiled. "Unfortunately…"
"Fortunately," she corrected, nudging him playfully.
Handing him the bottle, she added, "Gulp it down."
He chuckled and took it. "I need at least three to get drunk. You brought only one."
"This is to forget soreness, not yourself," she replied, sipping her own bottle.
He leaned back, teasing. "How do I look when I forget myself?"
She hesitated, memories of nights he had spent drunk, talking endlessly about Yerin, flashing through her mind. "Terrible," she said, brushing off the memory.
He laughed. "Really? Don't lie. I'm not that bad."
"You are… You used to literally eat my brain, blabbering about Yerin," she said in the flow, then froze as she realized the impact of her words as his face fell slightly.
"I'm sorry… I didn't mean that," she added quickly, her voice soft.
"That's okay. It doesn't hurt as much now. I just think sometimes about how madly I was in love with her… like a fool," he chuckled bitterly.
She looked at him, concern softening her features.
"You know what? If I hadn't overheard you guys that night, you wouldn't have told me the truth, and I'd have been waiting for her, like lovesick," he said, shaking his head and laughing at the thought.
She gently held his hands. "Forget it. It's past. Everything happens for a reason… a good reason," she said softly.
He stared at her, his eyes gleaming with doubt. "Maybe… but I still don't understand what that good reason was that made me go through all of this."
She looked into his eyes, calm and certain. "There are many good reasons."
He raised an eyebrow. "And what are those?"
"You've got to see the side of Yerin, the one you couldn't understand for the last nine years. That's a huge gift in your life. This accident… surely it knocked on death's door for you, but it made you stronger than ever. Just imagine… what could scare you worse after this?"
He studied her silently.
"Nothing. Nothing can scare you now," she said with a gentle smile. "You've been through the worst, and you survived it. That's one of the greatest achievements anyone could ever have. You have become stronger emotionally; you have no fear left. You got the guts to face anything now."
She paused, letting her words sink in, then added softly, "And now, you're recovering physically too…"
He looked at her, his voice low and sincere. "And I survived it… because you were there with me through every worst moment."
She froze, stunned, caught off guard by the weight and honesty in his words.
"You never left me alone," he continued quietly. "From the accident… to now. You were there, like a guardian angel."
Her heart skipped a beat. She blinked, unsure what to say, her fingers tightening around the bottle.
He smiled faintly. "That's how I survived, Hauen. Otherwise, I wouldn't have. You're that angel who taught me to hold on and never let me give up."
She quickly looked away, breaking their gaze before her emotions could show. "Don't say things like that," she murmured, trying to sound casual.
"Why not?" he said with a soft chuckle. "You are an angel… in my life, my lucky charm."
"Enough, Suho. Do you want me to cry now?" she said with a shaky laugh.
He laughed, the heaviness between them fading a little. lifting his bottle. "Then let's toast to my angel."
"Just finish your drink and go to sleep," she said, "And please, no more blabbering about your ex."
He laughed louder this time, raising his bottle. "Deal."
And just like that, they both sat back, sipping their soju, talking about random little things, letting the warmth of the drink and each other's company fill the quiet night.
Hauen helped Suho to his bedroom and tucked him into bed. Both of them were a little drunk.
"Good night, teddy bear," she said, her voice sleepy, drunk, and soft.
He smiled back, his words slightly slurred. "Good night, my angel."
She chuckled and left the room.
As she flopped onto her own bed, her phone buzzed. Frowning, she muttered, "Who's texting at this hour?"
She squinted at the screen. The message read:"The accident wasn't an accident. It was planned. Be careful."
Half-asleep and tipsy, Hauen mumbled, "Who's pulling a prank now…" before her phone slipped from her hand and she drifted off to sleep.
Neither of them knew, someone had been watching, waiting, and planning to harm them for a long time.