My eyes opened and I looked around. I was still on the couch leaning on it and Haneul was next to me watching the television. She must’ve felt my movement because she turned her head to my direction. I ignored her.

My stomach didn’t hurt anymore, but my head felt really heavy. All of a sudden I got the chills and I suddenly felt cold. I stood up and walked over to the stairs to head upstairs to go into our room so I could get ready to go to bed, but before I could even reach it everything went black.

“Leo!” I heard someone calling my name. “Leo!” I felt myself being shaken. “Leo.” A warm hand cupped my cheek. “Leo.” Their thumb rubbed my cheek. “Leo.”

My eyes opened and I looked up to see Haneul holding me in her arms.

“Are you okay?”

I lifted my hand and cupped her hand, that was still cupping my cheek, into mine. Her hand was soft and warm. My head was pounding and so was my heart. But I didn’t dare to show her my feelings.

“What happened?”

“You fainted.”

I don’t say anything and pushed myself off of her before I pushed myself up to my feet. But as I got to them, my head felt light and I felt that I was going to fall once more when I felt a pair of arms catching me.

“Be careful.”

“I’m fine.”

I knew I was probably super heavy and I didn’t want to burden her anymore so I tried taking a step only to feel like I was going to fall over again.

“If you’re trying to go somewhere then I’ll take you there. Just lead the way.”

I didn’t want to be a burden, but I couldn’t make it. I needed her help so I lead her up the stairs into our room. Just like earlier today with HakYeon we walked slowly and painfully to our bedroom, but I tried keeping my weight more on me then on her.

As we approached the bed I couldn’t take it anymore so I dropped to the bed and brought her down with me. I didn’t mean to do that. She quickly got up and I went under the covers.

I wanted to apologize, but I was too tired, too cold.

“Are you cold?”

I answered with shivers.

She cups my forehead with her hand before saying, “Wait here okay? I’ll be right back.” And left.

When she came back, which was almost an hour, she had a bowl in her hand with a glass of water. She sets them on the desk and headed out again. When she came back she had pills in her hand and walked over to the desk again before she grabbed the bowl and glass of water before she walked over to the side of the bed and sat down.

“Leo, I made you some porridge.”

“I don’t want any,” I said.

“But you must have some so you can take your pills to subside your fever.”

I did want this fever to go away so I got up and leaned on the wall before reaching for the bowl, but she moved it away from me.

“I’ll feed you. Just sit and eat okay?”

I didn’t want to argue so I did as I was told. I sat and she covered me with the blanket before feeding me the porridge. After I finished the porridge, I ate the pills and drunk the water before lying back again. Haneul once again helped me with the blanket and before I knew it I headed off to dreamland with the words, “get better soon” lingering in my head.

Hot. Hot. That’s all I can feel right now. I opened my eyes and saw Haneul sitting in front of me clasping her hands together.

“Hi,” she said quietly.

I didn’t say anything and kicked the blanket of me and took off my shirt. As I did so Haneul gasped and turned away. This just wasn’t awkward for her, but for me as well. I couldn’t stand the heat anymore though. I was too hot. I threw my shirt somewhere in the room and lied back down heading back to dreamland.

Everything was blurry. My eyes couldn’t adjust to anything. All of a sudden a bright white light shined at me. I lifted my hand and blocked my eyes. The light slowly faded and my eyes opened finally adjusting to the room. Everything was white: the walls and even my clothes were white. I looked around and I was in a unfamiliar room. Where was I? All of a sudden I heard sobbing which sounded like a woman's voice. I looked around and listened for the voice. It was coming from the right of me so I turned and started walking. As I was doing so I turned the corner that approached me and a hallway, still white, came upon my eyes. I continued to walk and the sobs became louder and louder. I could see a figure in front of me; I couldn’t tell who or what it was since it was blurry, but as I got closer and closer to it the image became clearer and clearer. It was a lady, who was in a white dress, sitting down, her back facing me, crying.

“Are you okay.” I asked her.

She continued to cried, her shoulders were trembling.

“Excuse me?” I continued to approach her and stopped when I saw her finally turning to face me.

I was about ten feet away from her.

When I could fully see her face my eyes widen.

“Cho Haneul?”

She doesn’t reply and continued to sob, her shoulders were still trembling.

I wanted to ask her if she was okay, but my mouth couldn’t move. I tried moving towards her, but my feet felt like it was glued to the ground.

What’s happening? Haneul was still crying. She hung her head and cried her heart out while I just stood there. Is something wrong? Is she okay? All of a sudden I felt my eyes getting wet. And then something fell out of my eyes rolling down my cheek. My hand went to wipe it and it turned out to be tears. I was crying. Why? I closed my eyes and felt more tears coming. I wiped my eyes and opened them. I looked around and I was in my room again lying down on the bed. I sat up and felt my head. My fever was going away. I yawned and got out of bed before I went to the closet to look for a shirt, but before I did that I took of my wife beater. As I was in the midst of doing that I heard the door open and then shut. I turned to see who it was and immediately knew it was Haneul even though she was behind the closed door.

“I’m sorry,” I heard her say.

I opened the closet door and looked for one of my black t-shirt, but couldn’t find it. Did she do the laundry today? I put my wife beater back on and walked over to the door to open it.

“Did you do the laundry today.” I asked her who was still standing there.

“Yeah.”

“Where’s my black t-shirt?”

“It should be in the closet.”

“I can’t find it.”

She walked in and went to the closet and immediately found the shirt I was looking for.

“There you go.”

“Thanks.”

I waited for her to walk out so I could change and as she was in the midst of doing that she said, “Dinner has been ready. Come down and eat.” She exited the room and shut the door behind her.

I finally took off my wife beater again and put on my shirt before I headed downstairs to the kitchen.

As I stepped into the kitchen, Haneul was in the midst of reheating everything again so I went to sat down and waited for her to serve me.

“Enjoy,” she said after setting down the bowl of chicken soup in front of me then gave me the spoon. I started to eat and wow this soup was really good. The second best soup I’ve ever tasted; the first goes to my mother's kimchi soup.

Haneul then joined me and we both ate in silence.

After I was done I got up and washed my bowl along with my spoon. As I was about to exit the kitchen she called out my name making me stop in my tracks. I turned around and she was walking towards me. As she got to me her hand immediately shot up to my head and caressed it.

“Your fever went down.”

I was looking into her eyes, they were brown, but she was ignoring mine.

“Just take another pill and you’ll be fine for tonight.”

She backed away and I walked out of the kitchen leaving her behind.

I was just about to go upstairs again when suddenly a gush of guilt came to me.

I should at least thank her for all that she did right?

I turned back and headed to the kitchen once again. As I entered it Haneul was now sitting in her seat still eating the soup looking down.

“Ahem.” She lifted her head and waited for me to go on. “Thanks,” I paused then continued, “for everything that you’ve done today; and every day; and for paying my parents trip”

“It’s nothing. You don’t have to thank me.”

I bit my lips and cleared my throat.

I must thank you somehow.

“You should go out tomorrow.”

“Why?”

“You know,” I paused again.

Think of an excuse.

“For a break.”

“I don’t need a break.”

“I think you do.”

“Then, am I going out with you?”

“No.” I shook my head.

I’m going to give you something tomorrow as a gift.

“Oh, with whom then?”

“HakYeon and the guys.”

They’re the only people I trust you to be with while I prepare for your event.

“Thanks, but I’d rather not go.”

You must.

I don’t say anything else and started to walk away.

No matter what she has to go. If she doesn’t I’ll think of an excuse for her to go.

I headed upstairs and got ready for a shower then got into bed and read a book. As I did that I saw someone walk by the open door and I knew exactly who it was.

“Where are you going,” I asked not looking up. I didn’t hear a response so my head lifted up.

“I said where are you going?”

I saw her shadow coming back so my eyes diverted back to my book.

“Sleep.”

“Where?”

“In that room,” she said pointing to the room she slept in last night.

“Again?”

She nodded.

She knows she can’t and would crawl back to this room in the middle of the night just like last night.

“Yeah.”

Not again.

I shut my book and walked over to the desk before setting the book down then headed back to the bed to gather my pillow and blanket.

“Go bring in your stuff. You’re sleeping in here tonight.”

I dropped the pillow on the ground and spread my blanket out on the ground.

I don’t hear a reply so I turned my head to only see that she was gone. My attention went back to the blanket and continued to spread it out.

When she came back she had her blanket and pillow in her arms.

“What are you doing?”

“You can have the bed. We can sleep like how we use to.” I said lying down.

Sleeping on the bed and going back to the ground felt very uncomfortable, but Haneul needed the bed more than I do.

“But you’re not feeling well.”

I don’t answer and closed my eyes.

When I opened them I was no longer in my room. I was in a dark room sitting on the ground. It felt as if only a bright light was shining down on me.

Where am I? Am I going to die? I’m so cold and my head was pounding so hard I thought I could die. I hugged my knees to my chest and closed my eyes as I continued to shiver in the cold.

“Leo?” I heard someone calling my name. “Leo?”

I opened my eyes and looked up. I was in my room again with Haneul looking down at me worriedly.

I shivered and pulled the blanket up to me hoping I’d feel warmer.

“Can you get up,” she asked me as she hooked her hand into my arm.

I shook my head. I didn’t want to move. I wanted to stay where I was. I felt like I had no energy left to do anything.

“I’ll help you. Come on.” She pulled on my arm, but I pulled back.

“What are you doing?”

“Your fever is back. You have to sleep on the bed.”

Even talking took too much energy for me.

“You have to sleep on the bed.”

“Leo, come on stop being stubborn.”

She tugged on my arm again but I pulled away again.

“Jung TaekWoon.”

What did she just call me? Did I hear her right? Jung Taekwoon. I looked at her and she made a face. She knows she shouldn’t have said that.

“Come on.” She tugged on my arm again and this time I didn’t pull away. I didn’t want to argue anymore and to be honest I liked it when she called me by my name.

She helped me lie on the bed and pulled the covers on top of me while I pulled it even closer to me hoping to warm up.

“I’ll be right back.” Haneul then left me and I continued to shiver. When she came back she had a bowl of soup in her hand and the pills were back.

She helped me up and fed me once again.

As she was doing so I noticed something about her. She was loving, careful, and looked very concerned about me. Her face read: If I could do anything to help you get better I would. Please get better soon you’re making me worried.

My heart beat increased and with the fever that I have I could hear it in my ears.

She gave me the pills and helped me lie down again before she fixed the blanket on me once again.

“Get well soon,” she whispered.

I closed my eyes and headed off to dream land.

Not even ten seconds later I felt someone or something crawled up next to me again, but this time it put its arms around me and I knew exactly who it was.

“What are you doing,” I asked her with my hoarse voice as she looked at me. “If you wanted the bed then you should’ve kept on sleeping here.” I grabbed her arm and was ready to untangle them from me, but that only made her hold me tighter.

“No! I’m not doing this because I want the bed. You look so miserable that I only wanted to help.”

I unhooked my fingers off of her and placed them by my side.

“It’ll be better if you didn’t do this.”

“Why not?”

“Because I said so.”

“Last night was a mistake. I promise you I won’t sleep with you again. I’ll leave after you stop shivering.”

I turned my back to her and without knowing a smile crept across my face.

She cared about me. She really does. She’s the best wife I could ever ask for.

I closed my eyes and finally headed off to dreamland once again as she held me tightly in her embrace.

As I was in the midst of dreaming a dream I felt something moving beside me. The arm that was wrapped around me disappeared and the figure next to me shifted. I opened my eyes and turned my head to see Haneul about to get up so I quickly turned my body and wrapped my arms around her.

Don’t go. Can’t you stay with me?

I felt her body stiffen a little as she turned.

“Leo?” She whispered poking me. “Leo?” She said a little louder this time. “Leo.” She poked me harder.

I pretended to squirm as if I just awoke.

“Stop it.”

I pulled her closer and wrapped my arms around her tighter than before. Never did I open my eyes.

I didn’t want her to leave. I needed her. Her heat was radiating off to me and the way she smelled, it was so nice and she fitted perfectly in my embrace. My heart was in a race and I swear she could feel it. I bet she could hear it as well.