Author's mission: Killing you with fluff, maybe.

Head hurts, body aching and feel so dry. Chaerin pressed on her head and clear . She look around at the empty room, she feels so cold even when the air conditioner is off. She let out groan but her voice sounded coarse.

‘What type of medicine he gave me?’

She tried to get up but it is so hard, she feels her head is spinning. Finally up on her feet, she seeks for balance at the edge of the bed post and glance at the clock on the wall. She sure she slept quite long but surprised when it’s only 10 minutes before 7. She tried calling for Jiyong but her voice sounds like a man who smokes 20packs a day. Gathering her strength, she walks out wobbly with the worst headache. She leans on the wall for support until she reach the living room, but he’s not there.

‘Water…water… I need water’ she never knew walking 15 steps to the kitchen feels like hell. Finally reaching the kitchen, she rest her head for a while on the kitchen counter before pushing herself to pour a glass of water all the while cursing at Jiyong for not being there to help her.

While drinking the water, she took a glimpse of note on the fridge. She knows it’s a note from Jiyong, she find her balance and walk to the fridge, squinting her eyes.

I’m out to buy food, not for long though, I tried cooking you porridge but I burn the pot. Don’t yell.. I’ll be back as soon as possible… Its 6.30 btw when I wrote this.

Ji

Chaerin look at her surrounding and realize a burned pot on the sink and shakes her head. She smile weakly and look at the note. ‘He refers himself as Ji’ she smiles again. Suddenly she felt a cold breeze brushing her and she shivers, she glance at the wide open sliding door and walk groggily towards it. Reaching the door, she tried closing it but she couldn’t. It feels like the door is stuck and having her OCD kicking in, she just have to fix the door. She tried pushing it but it seems like it stuck from the outside.

Pulling the zipper and wearing the hoodie around her head, she contemplates for a moment before stepping out, what feels like Alaska to her. Shivering, head spinning and almost reaching 10% energy level, she tried to seek what cause the sliding door to stuck and saw a pebble from one of the vase was stuck at the door. She lowers herself and tried to remove it. Sneezing and wiping her nose with Jiyong’s sweater, she made a mental note to wash it for him later. Finally, she manages to lever it. She tried closing it and it works, she smile. Happy that now she could get in and feel the heat warming up the place.

She tried to pull the door and she heard a ‘click’. She feels uneasy and tried to pull the door but it won’t budge. Shivering on cold feet, she thought to herself, did she just unlock herself out here in the cold? She desperately tried to open up the door, but it won’t open. Feeling helpless, she looks at her surrounding with her arms wrap around her body. She feels so drain with energy right now to even curse at herself and lean on the door slowly sliding down. She pulls her knees to her chest and buried down her head to absorb all the warmth left and pray Jiyong would come sooner.

************************************

“The best porridge took this long to make?” Jiyong starts to get impatient when he glances at his watch. It’s 7.10pm and he’s been calling out the waitress every 5 minutes to confirm it.

“Sorry sir, but we’re kind of packed for the night, so your orders is still being cook, but don’t worry, it will be done soon” the waitress bow politely. She glances at his feet tapping continuously indicating that he is in a hurry.

He let out a disappointed sigh, going to another place might take up more time and a stupid move, so he decided to wait.

“That what you said 5 minutes ago, can you please hurry up? My… um… my uh…girl- .. no… uh neighbour is sick and she’s waiting alone at home…” he looked around while he mumbles, afraid someone he knows might suddenly be around and heard him.

“Oh…. Oh yes sure… I will tell them to hurry up with your order”

“Please..” he said with pleading eyes and she disappeared immediately to the kitchen.

He doesn’t know why, but he suddenly feel uneasy and keep on thinking about her alone in his apartment and being paranoid whether he switched on any electrical equipment that could possibly cause short circuit. Did he switch off the gas when cooking just now? He’s getting even more anxious as the minutes passed by.

He looks at his phone arguing whether he should call her or not and finally come to his senses to make a hypothesis that she would call him if she woken up. After a lot of tapping and sighing, the order finally arrived after another 10 minutes. Not bothered waiting for the change, he rushes out to the parking lot.

“Ex-excuse me young man” Jiyong heard someone calling and wanted to ignore but it sounded desperate and he turned around to see a lady in her mid-50s is waving across of him. he sigh and put all the stuff in the car before heading towards the lady.

“Yes, mam…?”

“Sorry to bother you…. my tyre… it’s flat, can you help me?”

Jiyong fix his gaze to the tyre and look at the lady, easy task for him. But, then it would make him late. he glances at his watch and contemplates for a bit before finally saying “Of course mam, do you have your tools with you?”

“Tools?”

He sigh “Just open your trunk for me please…”

”Oh, okay…”

Jiyong search for the tools needed when she opened up the trunk, he pull out the spare tyre and roll it out next to the flat tyre. All he is thinking right now is that he needs to be fast to finish it and be home soon at Chaerin’s side. He works diligently and swiftly without making any friendly conversation with the lady to avoid wasting time. On the other hand, she is saying sorry repeatedly and explaining about something that didn’t register into his mind.

“It’s finished” he closed the trunk and bow to the old lady.

“Omo… don’t go first… let me treat you”

“No, no it’s okay, someone waiting for me” he bow politely declining her invitation.

“A girl?” she smiles and Jiyong just nod. He was about to scratch his chin when he saw his dirty hands and stop.

“Sorry, I will be going first, don’t forget to go to the workshop next morning to fix the tyre okay?” he bow again once more and rushes to his car.

He set his hand on the steering wheel and groans at how dirty his hands are. He imagined Chaerin will be nagging at him when she sees his hand.

He glances at the beeping light indicating that it’s almost 7.50pm and sigh.

“Damn it!” he steps on the gas and drive as fast as he could.

He drive along the road, cutting in here and there ignoring his own safety and again he picture her nagging at him if she knows how he behave on the road.

“! Yah!!!! MOVVVVEEEEE!!” he’s been screaming, yelling and cursing. Blaming other people for driving at the speed limit. Just for tonight, he’s not sorry for being a road bully.

Finally arriving below their apartment after two traffic jams, he rushes out and head to the apartment. The usual 2 minutes ride to their floor feels like 2 years for him.

Tidying up before he enters the apartment, he stabilizes his breathing and enters his apartment. He looks around and there’s no sign of Chaerin. He placed everything on the kitchen counter and washes his hand but can’t manage to clean properly. He brings a glass of water to the guest room and knocked twice. Assuming she’s not up yet, he opens the door to discover an empty bed. He studied the area and noticed her cell phone is still on the table.

Wondering where she might have been he called out for her “Yah…?”

“Are you in here?” he knocks on the bathroom door but none.

Stepping out of the room, he inspects all the room and start getting anxious. “Yah! Are you playing games now? Where are you?”

He went back in all the rooms feeling worried. Finally standing in the living room, he notices something odd, his sliding door is closed. the sliding door was broken and it was wide open since morning. He forgot to fix it just now and wondered if it has anything to do with missing Chaerin. He squint his eyes and saw a figure outside leaning on the sliding door.

Puzzled, he slides the door but it stuck. He checks and realized it was locked, he quickly unlocks and slide it open. Cold breeze welcome him and he shivers.

“Why are you here??? God…” he quickly kneeled down beside her and held her hands that are freezing. Still in her position, Jiyong shakes her but she only manages to mumble words that is unclear to him.

“Door..locked…..hurts” she said with her receding voice. “I’m cold….” She said and leans towards Jiyong. He quickly took her in his embrace and rubs her to warm her up.

“Idiot… What are you doing here..” he exclaim.

"Your door...it's broken"

"Leave the fixing to me, pabo..." he feels her cheeks and its freezing.

He tries to lift her on her feet, but her energy was drained. Adjusting his position, he lifts her up and brings her inside. Rushing in, he brings her to his room and placed her on his bed. He can see her trembling lips and he loosen up his sweater so that she could breath properly. He covers her with his comforter and takes her hands in his.

“I’m so sorry… please don’t get worst…please…” he mumbles and caress her head.

“I’m cold~” with her eyes closed and trembling lips, she mumbles those words. Jiyong knows Chaerin is not fully conscious now.

“I’m going to make a call…” he whisper in her ears and releases her hand. He quickly dials his phone.

“Doctor, sorry, I need your help… my, my girlfriend is sick, could you come and have a look please?”

Jiyong ended the conversation after giving the details to the doctor who attend to Chaerin hands the other day and stand up with his hands on his waist pacing back and forth while glancing at the shivering Chaerin on his bed.

“Mom…..” Jiyong rushes to her side and held her hands.

“Mom…. I miss you” visible tears are rolling down her cheeks and Jiyong wanted to wipe her tears but saw his not so clean hands and hesitate.

“Shhh…” he tried to soothes her and caress her head.

“I.. Love you….”

Jiyong stop and releases her hands. He swallows a lump on his throat with his heart beating fast. His breathing getting heavy and he move closer to h