SELA - 27

“Sister, I’ll take you home now.”

“Aren’t you coming up?”

“I’ll handle it myself. Don’t worry about it.”

“But still…”

“Let’s go home. ‘Can you do that?’“

Ji-young tried to rein Sa-hee in again using her ‘can-do-anything’ mode, which had been triggered by the alcohol. Sa-hee, her eyes softened by the influence of drink, stared blankly at Ji-young.

“Yes, I can do it.”

“Good. Let’s go home now. Driver Park, please take us back to that neighborhood.”

On the way back, Sa-hee fell asleep slumped against the car seat, while Ji-young hummed a tune under her breath. The journey to Ji-hyuk’s officetel had seemed short, but the return trip to Sa-hee’s place felt as long as a thousand-mile road.

“Be careful going inside. See you next time, Sister.”

After dropping Sa-hee off at her house, Ji-young drove away without delay. Sa-hee, swaying unsteadily, managed to wave goodbye to the retreating red taillights.

Once the red glow disappeared completely, leaving her alone in the dim alley, Sa-hee finally approached the entrance to her building. Though drunk, she thankfully remembered the keypad code clearly: 3, 2, 1, 4… Wait.

“Ah, um... He’s sick. Ji-hyuk Oppa is very ill, and someone needs to visit him.”

He’s sick? And he wants someone to come help him? Shouldn’t I be the one to go and assist him?

Beep. After pressing the wrong key, Sa-hee froze in place for a moment. Struggling to steady her swaying body, she hesitated briefly before turning around and staggering toward somewhere. Her destination? A nearby pharmacy.

“Do you want some hangover relief medicine?”

The pharmacist, detecting the strong smell of alcohol on Sa-hee, recommended a product, but Sa-hee shook her head vigorously.

“No. What if something hurts… headache medicine, painkillers, antacids, cold medicine, muscle patches… give me everything.”

“You really want all of that?”

“Yes, give me everything.”

After glancing at Sa-hee once more, the pharmacist began packing the items. Despite her unsteady movements, Sa-hee clung to the counter to avoid falling.

“Huff…”

As she exhaled deeply, even she could smell the alcohol on her breath. She’d drunk too much. Feeling remorseful, she turned her head and caught a glimpse of the clock. It was already nearing midnight.

________________________________________

Ding dong, ding dong.

Ji-hyuk, who had returned late from an evening appointment, had just finished showering. Still damp, he loosely draped a robe around himself and walked leisurely toward the intercom. However, the screen remained blank.

A malfunction? Ji-hyuk furrowed his brows slightly, then turned away. He thought nothing of it and headed back to the living room, drying his hair with a towel. Just then—

Ding dong, ding dong.

The bell rang again.

Turning back, Ji-hyuk noticed something flicker across the screen this time. So it wasn’t a malfunction after all. Without hesitation, he strode toward the door.

“What is it?”

Opening the door abruptly, he found a woman swaying unsteadily in front of him. Her tangled hair obscured her face, making it hard to recognize her immediately.

“...”

“Secretary Yoon?”

Recognizing the familiar figure and scent, he called out her name. At the sound of his voice, she lifted her head abruptly. Her disheveled hair parted, revealing her face—yes, it was indeed Yoon Sa-hee, his secretary.

“Where does it hurt so much?”

Her reddened eyes and dazed expression were unlike the usual composed Secretary Yoon. The strong smell of alcohol and her disheveled demeanor made it clear to anyone that she was heavily intoxicated.

“Did you drink?”

Before Ji-hyuk could finish his question, Sa-hee suddenly pushed herself into the doorway. She cupped his warm cheeks with her hands, which were still damp from his recent shower.

“Look at this! You’re sweating so much. Quickly, quickly, let’s get you to rest!”

Sa-hee, attempting to pull Ji-hyuk—who was standing perfectly fine—stumbled and nearly fell herself. Fortunately, Ji-hyuk caught her just in time to prevent disaster.

“Your body feels hot. Hurry, let’s get you stabilized...”

Even cradled in Ji-hyuk’s arms, Sa-hee continued to mutter incessantly. Watching her, Ji-hyuk calmly interjected.

“...Let’s talk about what happened once you’re sober.”

________________________________________

Ji-hyuk gave up. He surrendered and sat down, simply following Sa-hee’s precarious movements with his gaze.

Here’s what happened: Upon entering the house, Sa-hee suddenly started acting like a superhero, forcefully insisting that she would take care of him. Drunk as she was, her body didn’t cooperate fully, causing her to wobble multiple times—but miraculously, she never fell.

Still, watching her stumble around was nerve-wracking. Ji-hyuk tried to sit her down several times, but each time she popped right back up like a spring-loaded toy. Eventually, Ji-hyuk threw up his hands in defeat.

“First, we need medicine... but what kind? Where does it hurt? Is your head hurting? Or your stomach? I have painkillers and cold medicine.”

Sa-hee, holding a glass of water, moved like a thin sheet of paper fluttering in the wind. The water teetered precariously on the edge of spilling, making Ji-hyuk’s heart race. Yet, he leaned back against the sofa armrest, chin resting on his hand, silently observing her.

“Here, take this!”

Then, disaster struck. As Sa-hee approached Ji-hyuk, she tripped over her own feet.

In the instant she began to fall, Ji-hyuk swiftly caught her. The glass slipped from her hand and shattered on the carpet. Sa-hee’s face crumpled in distress.

“Are you hurt?”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine as long as you’re not hurt, Secretary Yoon.”

“I can’t do anything right, huh?”

Sa-hee crouched down, attempting to pick up the shards of broken glass. Ji-hyuk immediately stopped her.

“...”

“...”

Ji-hyuk gently guided her hands and seated her on the sofa.

With her reddened eyes and flushed cheeks, it was obvious she was thoroughly drunk. The absurdity of the situation—that Secretary Yoon had shown up at his house in the middle of the night, intoxicated—struck Ji-hyuk as laughable.

“Don’t laugh.”

“Why? Does it bother you?”

“It’s not that.”

Sa-hee’s voice suddenly dropped to a whisper. Seeing Ji-hyuk smile reminded her of the bright, cheerful face in the portrait at his funeral. That thought brought tears to her eyes almost instantly. Observing quietly, Ji-hyuk reached out and wiped her tears away with his thumb.

“To cry because you hate my laughter—it’s shocking. I’m hurt.”

Though Ji-hyuk spoke lightly, there was a hint of curiosity in his tone. It was strange how she’d burst into tears after breaking a glass. These weren’t ordinary drunken tears; they carried an unusual weight.

“I’m sorry. Please take your medicine.”

Sa-hee, having regained some composure, rummaged through a bag filled with medications. “This is for digestion, this is for headaches, this is for colds...” Medicines kept appearing endlessly, as if from a magical pouch.

But Ji-hyuk’s attention was fixed on the wound on Sa-hee’s knee.

“It seems the one who needs treatment isn’t me, but Secretary Yoon.”

“Huh?”

“How did you hurt your knee?”

“My knee? Oh, this? Haha... I fell.”

The injury from her scuffle with Cheol-woo still hadn’t healed. How had he noticed?

“Wait here.”

Leaving Sa-hee seated amidst a pile of medicines, Ji-hyuk briefly stepped away.

Alone in the silent living room, Sa-hee became acutely aware of her own breathing. She pressed firmly on her chest, trying to calm her pounding heart. She feared that her nervousness—and the feelings she couldn’t quite hide—would betray her.

Meanwhile, Ji-hyuk returned with a first aid kit.

Positioning himself close to treat her, Ji-hyuk sat near her. For a fleeting moment, his robe parted slightly, revealing a glimpse of his well-toned physique and smooth skin. Sa-hee instinctively lingered on the sight before forcing herself to look away.

But now that her attention had been drawn, she couldn’t help noticing the faint, sweet scent of moisture lingering in the air. She felt dizzy again, perhaps even more so than before. Was the alcohol affecting her even more?

“Ah.”

“I’m being careful not to hurt you.”

“But it still hurts...”

“You’re more of a complainer than I thought.”

Sa-hee frowned. A complainer? Me? If there was one thing she prided herself on, it was her resilience to pain. Ironically, her difficult upbringing—one filled with tears and struggles—had hardened her against it.

Alcohol has a way of intensifying emotions. Suddenly feeling defiant, Sa-hee resolved to show Ji-hyuk her strength.

From that point onward, no matter how much it stung, she clenched her teeth and refrained from making a single sound. It wasn’t long before Ji-hyuk realized she was deliberately enduring the pain. Stubborn, isn’t she? Occasionally, he deliberately prodded her wound to gauge her reaction, but Sa-hee didn’t flinch. Finally, Ji-hyuk burst into laughter.

“Not bad. You have impressive patience, Secretary Yoon.”