After seeing Hye Su off, you turn your attention back to LJoe, whose eyes remain fixed on the road she took. “Omo, have you fallen in love with her already?” you joke, expecting him to play along.

Contrary to your expectation, he refrains from responding a witty comment and silently grabs a hold of your hand, "Let’s go.”

On your way back, LJoe stays quiet, holding onto your hand securely as if not wanting to ever let it go. It’s only when you reach the front gates of the house does he finally release his grip.

You massage your hand to ease the slight numbness and turn to face him. “Are you okay?” you ask, concerned about his sudden change of behavior.

“I'm fine,” he replies softly yet almost blankly.

Not at all convinced with his answer, you stop on your track and stare into his now seemingly troubled eyes, “Are you sure?”

LJoe replies with a weak smile. “Yeah, I’m probably just a little tired,” he lies.

With that, you begin to feel his neck and forehead, checking for a fever. “Your temperature is fine. Does your head—” you begin but stop midway through your sentence when he suddenly takes your hand and places it to the side of his face.

The two of you gaze at each other, frozen on the spot.

Caught in the moment, LJoe pulls you into a gentle hug, nestling his head on the base of your neck. His action quickly sends a pleasant shockwave throughout your body, making your heart beat faster with each passing second.

You stand there in silence, and slowly return his embrace. “What’s wrong?” you begin.

Instead of verbally responding, he tightens his hold before slowly releasing you.

You stare at him, still unsure of what caused him to become so…troubled.

“Slap me,” he orders out of the blue.

“What?” you ask, taken aback by the sudden request.

“Slap me. Right here,” he answers as he points to the left side of his face.

“Huh? Have you lost your mind? Why would I—” you protest, raising your voice and taking a step back away from him.

“Just do it,” he interrupts in a soft tone, “please.”

Hesitant, you let out a sigh and bite your lip. “I really don’t know what’s gotten to you, but…” you tell him before letting your palm and fingers graze his cheek.

LJoe keeps his head tilted to the direction of your slap, remaining there for a few seconds. With strands of hair covering his eyes, he slowly turns and looks at you with this unreadable expression.

“Wh—why did you ask me to do that?” you ask, hoping to finally get some answers.

He keeps his gaze on you and replies with a half-smile, “I figured it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than to get permission.”

Confused, you raise a brow and tilt your head. “Huh? Ya…Lee Byung Hun-ssi, just what in the world—” you start, but before you can finish, your words are cut off by his soft lips. You stay frozen in disbelief as his kiss sends thrills down the back of your spine and butterflies to your stomach.

Without pausing, LJoe grabs your waist and gently pulls you closer to him, deepening