***

9 pm

Seated on the sofa, Seungwan was engrossed in a movie, enjoying her private time after a long day of fun and also quite hectic activities with the group.

Seungwan has always been like this, needing to take a breather and unwind after being around people. The only person she felt comfortable spending time with every day, without feeling drained, was her best friend, Seulgi.

Sure, she didn't dislike socializing. In fact, she enjoyed it. But that doesn’t mean she'd eagerly join every party at the bar just because it's happening.

Seungwan found more joy in close and meaningful interactions, such as watching a movie together, reading quietly side by side, or cooking a meal together. She leaned more toward the classic and simple ways of spending time - the kind of old-fashioned, analog-style quality time.

And maybe that’s why she felt so comfortable with Seulgi. Because her best friend knows how Seungwan loved to spend her time, and she didn’t mind it at all. Instead, she tries to adjust herself to the young novelist, and in the end, they found their dynamic, where they both managed to enjoy each other's company while having their own kinds of fun.

And it is just like right now, where Seungwan is quietly enjoying the movie while her bear is softly giggling watching something on her phone beside her.

“Sseul, you don’t want to watch the movie?” The young novelist asks

Seulgi shook her head with a grin. “Nah, I've seen this one. Look at this adorable panda, though! Isn't it the cutest thing ever?” She turned her phone toward Seungwan, excitement evident.

“Ah, so now you're into pandas? Are you no longer my bear?”

“Yah! I didn't mean it like that!” Seulgi playfully pouted, “Of course, I’m still your cute bear. But pandas is adorable too, why can’t you love them both?”

Seungwan chuckled. “Of course bear, panda, whatever you are, I’ll always love you and your snack”

Seulgi cooed and lunged forward, enveloping Seungwan in a tight hug. “And you're my puppy, hamster, squirrel, and everything in between. Love you, bestie!”

Returning the affectionate gesture, Seungwan playfully swatted her friend. “Alright, alright, ease up a bit. You're squeezing the life out of me!”

The two best friends dissolved into laughter, the familiar moment wrapping around them like a warm blanket.

All of a sudden, Seungwan felt a shiver run down her spine. The cozy ambiance seemed to dissipate, replaced by an unexpected chill that seemed to pierce through her.

“Sseul, can you turn off the AC?” Seungwan's teeth chattered slightly as she made the request.

The young manager nodded and promptly pressed the remote to turn off the AC unit.

But even after a minute had passed, the cold seemed to creep deeper, wrapping around Seungwan like an icy embrace. The chill felt even more intense than before, seeping into her bones.

“Sseul, I’m… I’m cold” Seungwan's voice quivered.

Seulgi immediately placed her phone aside, her expression showing concern. “Do you want a blanket?” she asked, worry lacing her words.

Seungwan nodded almost frantically, her teeth audibly chattering now. “Yes, please.”

“Okay, wait here,” Seulgi assured her before hurrying off to retrieve a blanket from her bedroom.

However, as Seungwan waited, the cold seemed to escalate. It gripped her mercilessly, intensifying to the point where it felt like she was standing outside in the heart of winter without any protection. The chill was bone-deep, and it filled her with an eerie sense of dread.

Panic began to seep in alongside the cold.

What's happening to me? Is this because of the cancer? Seungwan's mind raced with fear.

She strained her ears for any sound of Seulgi's return, but each passing second felt like an eternity. Tremors wracked her body as the cold seemed to tighten its grip, leaving her feeling helpless in its icy clutches.

Cold, so cold, it’s too much. Could I freeze to death like this? The chilling thought crossed Seungwan's mind as she battled to stay composed in the face of the overwhelming cold.

Finally, Seulgi returned, draped in concern and carrying a blanket. She gently spread the blanket over Seungwan and then pulled her into a warm embrace.

“Still cold?” Seulgi's voice was laced with worry as she checked on her friend.

Seungwan, her trembling hands now wrapped tightly around the blanket, could only manage a feeble nod. As her body continued to shiver uncontrollably, a sudden beep emanated from her smartwatch, prompting a concerned glance from Seulgi.

“Your watch is beeping, there is something wrong with your body,” Seulgi's voice held a tinge of panic. “Wait here! I’ll call Irene unnie.”

With a determined stride, Seulgi hurried off to the other villa, a sense of urgency propelling her as she search for the young professor, leaving Seungwan alone with her thoughts and the piercing cold that seemed to refuse to relent.

A couple of minutes later

Seungwan's consciousness was beginning to waver as fatigue threatened to overcome her when suddenly she can hear the sound of hurried footsteps that drew closer.

“Seungwan-ah? How are you feeling?” Irene's voice was a mix of concern as she quickly places her hand on the young novelist's forehead to check if she had a fever.

“Goodness, she's burning up!” Irene's alarmed as she swiftly assessed the situation. “Sooyoung-ah, get an ice pack ready!” she instructed.

Turning her attention back to Seungwan, Irene gently questioned, “Can you hear me?”

With a considerable effort, the young novelist managed a weak nod.

“Ice pack? But unnie, she just said she's cold. Look, she's shivering,” Seulgi interjected, her voice a blend of confusion and anxiety.

“I understand, but she's not actually freezing. In reality, she's running a high fever,” Irene explained, her focus on monitoring Seungwan's temperature and vital signs via her phone.

“She's dealing with a severe fever, compounded by the fact that her immune system is compromised due to the chemotherapy. As a result, her body's ability to properly sense and manage the fever is impaired, leading to her experiencing chills instead of recognizing the fever's heat.” Irene continues to explain.

“In short, her body failed to regulate her own temperature”

Seulgi nodded, “What should we do? Should we call the ambulance?”

The young professor shook her head, “No, it’ll get worse if we bring her to the hospital, it’s better for us to treat her here”. Irene said as she gently loosens the blanket around Seungwan's body so the young novelist doesn’t get suffocated because of how tight the blanket is wrapping around her body.

“Seungwan-ah, trust me okay? I know you felt cold but we can't let your body temperature rise too quickly or you might lose consciousness. I'm here, and I'll take care of you,” Irene's voice was gentle as she clasped the young novelist's hand firmly.

And again, the young novelist only managed to weakly nod.

It’s cold, very cold, but her hand felt warm Seungwan's mind started to drift. Fatigue was seeping into Seungwan's bones, beckoning her toward the allure of sleep.

“Seungwan-ah, I know you felt tired and want to sleep right now but you can’t sleep yet, I need to lower your body temperature first or you’ll get Hyperthermia and it’ll be dangerous with your condition right now,” Irene told the young novelist

“Listen to my voice okay? Don’t sleep, I’m here, let’s talk” Irene's soothing tone seemed to create a cocoon of warmth and comfort.

Joy returned with an ice pack, her concerned voice breaking through the tension. “Here’s the ice pack, Unnie. Do you need help?” she asked as she handed the ice pack to Irene.

The young professor shook her head, “It’s okay Sooyoung-ah, I can handle it” she replied, focusing on her task at hand. She gently placed the ice pack in the young novelist’s forhead to help cool down Seungwan's body.

Irene turned her attention to Seulgi, “Don’t worry Seulgi-yah, she’s going to be okay. Go with Sooyoung, calm yourself, and take a rest, I’ll stay with Seungwan”

Seulgi hesitated, her worry palpable. “I... I can't, I won't leave Seungwan alone. I—” Seulgi wanted to continue but Joy quickly interjected her,

“Sseul, I know how much you care, but right now, the best thing you can do is calm down,” Joy advised gently.

Joy then continues, “Trust Irene unnie, she’ll make sure Wendy unnie is fine, and the only way you can help them both is to calm yourself and don’t panic. Let’s go okay?”

Seulgi, although reluctant, finally nodded. “Okay Sooyoung-ah, but Irene unnie, tell me if anything happened to her, anything at all okay?” she pleaded, showing her deep concern.

Irene met Seulgi's gaze with an understanding smile as she continued to apply the ice pack, “Of course, Seulgi. You have my word. Now, go and take care of yourself. I'm here with Seungwan.”

As Seulgi and Joy left the room, Irene maintained her focus on cooling down Seungwan's feverish body, her presence a steady anchor in the midst of the young novelist's distress.

*

Irene keeps applying the ice pack gently with her left hand while her right-hand keeps holding the young novelist's hand.

And Seungwan miraculously manage to stay awake despite how tired she felt

“Hey, you’re doing a great job of not sleeping, wanna talk with me?” Irene suggested, her voice soft and comforting.

Seungwan nodded, while she still feel cold but it was better than the freezing sensation before.

“Okay, what should we talk about? How about your novel? How’s your latest novel doing? Do you still have many chapters to write left?” Irene asked the young novelist

Summoning the strength to speak, Seungwan replied, “Yes, I've got quite a bit left to write.”

Irene's smile was warm. “Got it. I've heard it's about your life. Is it like an autobiography?” she asked curiously.

Seungwan nodded, “Kind… Kinda, it’s the reality from the story of the first and second books”

“What do you mean?” Irene asked

“Well, the first and the second book is my imagination, a fiction of my own life if it was perfect, if the world is perfect, if I never lose hope. If I was perfect.” Seungwan explained, her mind starts to be distracted from the cold she was feeling.

“But this book I'm writing now—it's about my actual life. No romanticizing, no embellishments, just my real life.” Seungwan continued.

Irene's laughter was warm and inviting. “If you're depicting your real life, does that mean I'll find myself in your book?” she playfully asked.

The pink hue in Seungwan's cheeks deepened, the sensation almost welcome against the prior cold. Her focus shifted from the lingering chill to the emotional interaction unfolding before her. “I...I don’t know,” she admitted softly.

Irene's tone shifted gently. “Why's that? I'm part of your life too, aren't I?”

A momentary misinterpretation caused Seungwan's words to tumble out hesitantly. “I…I only include someone's name in my book if they hold significance to me.”

“Do you mean that I’m not an important person in your life?” Irene asked playfully but Seungwan took it wrong

Seungwan flustered, sought to clarify. “N-No! It's not that. It's just…I'm unsure if you'd want to be portrayed in my novel.”

Irene's laughter continued, soothing in its genuine reassurance. “Why wouldn't I want to be in your novel, Seungwan-ah? Having my name written by one of South Korea's best novelists, or even internationally known, would be an honor. So, consider it my permission to include me in your story.”

The young novelist's heart warmed at Irene's words, and the previous cold seemed even further away. “And you’ve become an important person to me. So I'd be honored to be a part of your memories,” Irene's last words were soft, almost a whisper, yet Seungwan can hear it loud and clear.

The young novelist becomes flustered and didn’t say anything and just pretends that she didn’t hear what Irene said. Opting instead to let the comment settle within her thoughts.

What does that mean? Why is she talking like that? Her mind buzzed with questions, the uncertainty of the situation causing her heart to race.

“Your temperature is slowly stabilizing. You can sleep if you want, Seungwan-ah. Don’t worry, I’ll be here,” Irene's soothing voice broke through her contemplation.

Seungwan nodded, her cheeks tinged with shyness. She closed her eyes, feeling an odd sense of security settle over her as Irene's words echoed in her mind. The internal struggle continued, the warmth of Irene's hand that had held hers now imprinted on her consciousness.

Am I starting to like her? But I can’t, I can’t get attached to her

“Are you asleep?” The young professor asked but Seungwan stayed still, she need to organize her feeling.

Eventually, tiredness caught with the young novelist, and the soothing embrace of sleep claimed Seungwan, and she succumbed to its pull. At least her thoughts and emotions momentarily quieted in the realm of dreams.

***

Around Midnight

Around midnight, Seungwan's consciousness wavered between wakefulness and drowsiness. The soft murmur of voices reached her ears, but her head still felt heavy and her surroundings seemed to spin.

The aftermath of her earlier fever might be playing tricks on her, or perhaps her body was grappling with another complication entirely. In any case, the prospect of opening her eyes remained far from her mind; the world felt uncertain and her body was too unsteady to brave it.