Chapter 12
Jaekyung opened her eyes as though waking from unconsciousness.
“Huh? What time is it?”
She felt as though she had only closed her eyes for a moment.
But the nurse's office was already dark.
Maybe she had finally caught up on all the sleep she had missed over the past few days.
The school nurse was gone.
She had probably already left work.
Jaekyung stepped outside the building.
The athletic events were over, and the students were moving used equipment back into the gym.
“Teacher Seo, is your ankle okay?”
Teacher Choi from the neighboring class approached her kindly.
“The icing helped. The swelling went down quickly.”
Jaekyung smiled.
“It's a shame I couldn't join the relay.”
Then she looked at the equipment.
“I'll handle the cleanup. The evening performance is about to start, so you should head to the auditorium.”
“Would that be okay?”
Teacher Choi nodded.
“We've already moved the large things. Could you just put away the balls, bats, and smaller equipment?”
“Yes. Don't worry. Go ahead.”
Jaekyung entered the gym.
She messaged Chief Kwon to tell him where she was, but he didn't respond.
He was probably busy.
Her phone battery was down to two percent, so she turned it off.
Badminton rackets.
Jump ropes.
Balls.
The task was simple.
Wipe away the dust, disinfect everything, and return each item to its proper storage area.
Bang.
The gym door closed.
“Teacher Choi, are you back?”
Jaekyung had been humming happily, enjoying the rare moment alone and away from watchful eyes.
Then she heard approaching footsteps.
“I'm over here.”
Silence.
“Teacher Choi?”
A low voice answered.
“Another man this time?”
Jaekyung froze.
“They change quickly.”
Another man?
The owner of that deep voice was Yugam, who had spent the entire day following her around.
“...Chairman.”
Jaekyung looked at him in surprise.
As always, Yugam stared down at her with cold, persistent eyes.
“What are you doing here?”
The chairman should have been with the principal, vice principal, or Chief Kwon.
Why would he come all the way to the gym storage room?
“How's your ankle?”
Then he lifted a bag.
“No one's outside.”
He placed it down.
“Here's your meal.”
“Oh...”
“You skipped lunch.”
Yugam's voice was colder than usual.
“We don't have much time. Eat and finish cleaning.”
“Thank you.”
A delicious smell came from the white shopping bag on the table.
Only then did Jaekyung remember she had eaten nothing all day.
Still, Yugam seemed to be in a bad mood again.
His voice was unusually cold.
His eyes looked angry.
Jaekyung moved quickly under his gaze.
Her palms were sweaty.
The plastic box in her hand slipped and fell.
Thud.
The dull noise echoed through the silent gym.
“Ah, sorry.”
“Do you make mistakes often?”
“I get hot easily.”
Jaekyung wiped her palm.
“My hands get sweaty.”
It was already April.
Maybe the heating was still too strong.
Or maybe she was simply nervous because Yugam was nearby.
Heat spread through her body, and cold sweat appeared on her forehead.
“Seo Jaekyung does sweat a lot.”
Yugam frowned.
“Are you sick?”
“Not at all. I'm perfectly healthy.”
Jaekyung didn't want to tell him about the strange fever she had inherited from her mother and lived with for over twenty years.
Yugam's cold hand touched her forehead.
Jaekyung flinched.
Maybe because she loved cool temperatures, the chill from his hand felt strangely refreshing.
She found herself drawn toward it.
Beep.
The storage-room door closed.
A short automatic locking sound followed.
Suddenly, every light went out.
The gym beyond the glass windows also became completely dark.
“Huh? The lights...”
Jaekyung looked around.
“Maybe there's a blackout.”
Yugam only scanned the room once.
He already seemed to understand.
“Emergency lock.”
Jaekyung turned toward him.
“...What?”
“They'll unlock it from outside after the event ends.”
Jaekyung stared at him.
“...So we're trapped?”
“Yes.”
Yugam sounded completely calm.
Flustered by his lack of concern, Jaekyung turned her phone back on and activated the flashlight.
Through the glass windows, she could barely see the center of the gym.
A few basketballs were still rolling around.
Mats were stacked in folded piles.
Cheering flags had not yet been put away.
“We need to clean this up and get out quickly.”
A ball rolled into Jaekyung's foot.
Moonlight entered through the windows, making it faintly visible.
“I should put this away too.”
Jaekyung tossed the ball toward the basket.
It bounced harder than expected and rolled toward Yugam.
He instinctively reached for it.
The ball brushed his fingers and bounced back toward Jaekyung.
“Ah...”
It struck her knee and rolled away.
Yugam looked at her.
“You aren't particularly athletic.”
Jaekyung frowned.
“Are you making fun of me?”
“I only stated a fact.”
She pouted.
“I'll have you know I was good at dodgeball.”
“Ah.”
Yugam's voice turned dry.
“That explains why you fell before even running today and got hit by this ball too.”
“Haa...”
After nearly two weeks around him, Jaekyung had learned something.
This man had a talent for annoying people.
Yugam saw her glaring through the darkness and gave a short snort.
The corner of his lips lifted.
Jaekyung narrowed her eyes.
“Did you just laugh at me?”
“Of course not.”
“I saw you.”
“You can see well in the dark?”
Silence followed.
The dark.
It was almost a forbidden word between them, because it brought back their marriage.
A strange tension spread through the room.
Jaekyung swallowed dryly.
Wanting to clean at least one more thing, she stepped sideways.
Then she accidentally moved too close to Yugam's solid body.
Startled, she stepped backward.
“Ah.”
Pain shot through her sprained ankle again.
Under the moonlit window, Yugam noticed her trembling wrist.
He grabbed her hand.
Jaekyung tried to pull away.
Her wrist tensed.
Yugam's large hand suddenly pulled her whole body toward him.
“Stop moving before you hurt yourself again.”
His voice filled the silent gym, where only hours earlier students had been shouting.
Jaekyung forced herself to calm her pounding heart.
“Chairman, you're too close.”
“Wouldn't moving apart during an emergency be more dangerous?”
The moment Yugam finished speaking, Jaekyung's phone died.
The flashlight disappeared.
“My phone battery is dead.”
Jaekyung placed both hands against his broad chest and tried to push him away.
He didn't move.
“Do you have your phone? Please turn on the flashlight.”
Yugam said calmly,
“Shouldn't a secretary take care of her boss's phone?”
Jaekyung frowned.
“And you should know my phone number by heart too.”
He added,
“Find it.”
Jaekyung blinked.
“Where am I supposed to look?”
Her voice rose.
“Your pockets?”
Yugam didn't answer.
Their bodies were pressed close.
“Chairman?”
“Don't have it.”
His voice sounded completely unconcerned.
Jaekyung could feel his breath far too clearly.
Yugam's hand moved from her arm to her shoulder.
Memories of the nights she had spent with her ex-husband returned.
Jaekyung became so still that even breathing felt difficult.
The hand resting on her small shoulder slowly moved downward.
It traced the curve of her waist.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Enough to make Jaekyung forget the pain in her ankle.
“What are we supposed to do if neither of us has a phone?”
Jaekyung's voice trembled.
“S-Stop.”
Yugam's arm tightened around her waist.
His voice brushed against her ear.
“If you're not planning to stay in my arms, sit down.”
Jaekyung was suddenly grateful for the darkness.
At least he couldn't see her red face.
No.
If there hadn't been a blackout, they wouldn't have been trapped together in the first place.
Jaekyung couldn't believe the thoughts running through her own head.
They sat side by side on a mat.
Jaekyung rubbed her aching ankle.
The silence was uncomfortable.
Even the sound of her own breathing embarrassed her.
She cleared her throat and spoke first.
“Do you... like sports festivals?”
“Not particularly.”
“As expected...”
He didn't seem like a man who enjoyed anything.
Yugam paused.
“Except...”
Jaekyung looked at him.
“Except what?”
Talking was much better than sitting in silence and listening to her heartbeat.
Yugam answered quietly,
“I don't dislike watching children become excited and completely focused on something.”
Jaekyung's eyes widened.
“...That's surprising.”
“What is?”
“I thought you disliked children.”
She hesitated.
“You always seem cold.”
Yugam was quiet for a moment.
“I am cold.”
Jaekyung looked down.
“I don't think you are.”
If Yugam wasn't really the ex-husband who had shared her bed for ten months...
If they had no connection at all...
She would probably find it much easier to deal with him.
If Yugam wasn't the person who threw her away five years ago, maybe she could even say he wasn't a bad person.
Pointless thoughts wandered through her mind.
Suddenly, Yugam took her hand.
His skin was so cold that it almost froze Jaekyung's burning heat.
“I'm cold, and Seo Jaekyung is hot.”
His voice was quiet.
“Isn't that why we met?”
Jaekyung immediately pulled her hand free.
She didn't answer.
Director Jin had come directly to her house and arranged the contract marriage because of the feverish condition Jaekyung had inherited from her mother since childhood.
Instead of speaking, Jaekyung silently began folding the cheering flags lying nearby.
“Achoo!”
Her sneeze echoed through the storage room.
“...Sorry.”
Jaekyung always suffered from minor illnesses, including colds and the flu, despite her naturally high body temperature.
Maybe it was because she always dressed too lightly whenever she felt hot.
“I told you not to wear short sleeves.”
Yugam bluntly removed his jacket and pushed it toward her.
“Put it on.”
“I'm fine.”
Jaekyung shook her head.
“You know I run hot.”
Yugam looked at her.
“I know perfectly well that Seo Jaekyung's body is like fire.”
He continued without hesitation.
“I've held you in bed too many times not to know.”
Jaekyung fell silent.
Embarrassed that he had exposed something so intimate as though they were still close, she pressed her lips together.
Yugam added,
“I'm tired enough without getting complaints that I overworked an employee.”
Then he looked at her.
“And since we live in the same house, what if you give me your cold?”
