Yeongjae's POV
My day had already started as a complete disaster with a literal injury to prove it. But apparently, fate wasn't satisfied with just knocking me unconscious in a stranger's kitchen.
Now, this woman seemed determined to finish the job.
Either by car accident… or by heart attack.
"Can you slow down?" I almost begged, white-knuckling the seatbelt with one hand and the grab rail with the other. "I don't want to die yet. I'm still young. I still have places to see. Food to eat. Things to do."
"I-I'm sorry!" Sora said, eyes glued to the road, hands clenched tight on the steering wheel. "I'm just worried your condition might be worse than we think. We should request a CT scan or an MRI, whatever they need to check if your skull has cracked or if you have any brain injury."
"Then," I muttered, unable to stop myself, "you probably shouldn't have hit me in the head with a baseball bat, in the first place."
"I'm really sorry, Mr. Young," she said quickly, panic creeping into her voice. "I don't even know how to compensate you anymore. I just want to get you to the hospital as soon as possible. Are you dizzy? Do you feel nauseous? Headache? Blurry vision?"
She'd been calm when we left her building; she was embarrassed, flustered, apologetic, but calm. That composure shattered the moment I swayed slightly on the stairs and had to grab the railing to prevent myself from falling.
Which, frankly, was unfair.
Yes, my head hurt where she'd struck me. But the dizziness? That was sleep deprivation. Pure and simple.
I hadn't slept at all.
After cleaning up the aftermath of her, Yejin's, and Hanna's vomit party in the bathroom, I'd still done what I came here to do—searching for evidence. Good thing Beongae recognized me. If her dog hadn't, I probably wouldn't be alive right now. Her other dog was scary and would've probably eaten me by now.
And then—
CCTV.
She'd mentioned it so casually earlier, like it was no big deal.
Damn it. Why didn't I check it beforehand?
"I'm fine," I said, forcing my voice steady. "Only the wound itself hurts. And call me Yeongjae."
I pulled out my phone, pretending nonchalance. "Can I give your address to my boss? I told him I didn't have time to grab my things last night, and he offered to bring my bag over."
"Sure," Sora replied without hesitation, rattling off her address.
I typed it immediately and added another message, quickly, discreetly.
[Jiho, she has CCTV all over the house. Can you erase my traces? Beongae is still with her—don't send anyone else. The dogs might attack. She has a huge Belgian Malinois and a very scary chihuahua. That tiny thing showed me all her teeth and gums to say welcome to her house.]
The reply came almost instantly.
[Got it. Did you find anything?]
I exhaled slowly.
[What do you expect to find in a newly renovated house? Whatever was there probably burned down two years ago. If something survived, she's keeping it elsewhere. I'll find out.]
"Do you want to stop by your place first?" Sora asked suddenly. "So you can get your things and don't need to bother your boss anymore."
I locked my phone and looked at her. "No. I'm staying at my boss's apartment for now. I just arrived a few days ago and went straight to work. I'll move into my own place after our contract."
Which was true. Conveniently true. But I don't know where, yet. Another problem added to my list.
"I see," she murmured. "I still don't really understand how this boyfriend-for-hire thing works. Maybe you can explain it later. For now, let's focus on your head."
We pulled into the hospital parking lot.
The ER staff moved fast, and in no time, a doctor pressed his gloved fingers around my wound while I clenched my jaw.
As the stitching began, I focused on breathing.
Then I heard it.
"Sora?"
A man's voice.
I looked up just in time to see a tall, good-looking man approach, concern painted on his face.
Sora's eyes widened, then softened as recognition dawned.
"Logan!" she said, surprised.
He didn't hesitate. He stepped closer and pulled her into a brief hug, hands lingering at her back a second longer than necessary.
Something ugly curled in my chest. Who the hell is he?
"What are you doing here?" he asked, scanning her face, then flicking a glance at me.
"Oh—uh," Sora laughed nervously. "Yejin hired someone to help me fix something in my house. I thought he was a robber and… accidentally hit him."
She gestured toward me, mortified.
I caught every detail.
The way Logan's hand brushed her arm when he laughed it off.
The way his eyes lingered on her face.
The way he stood just a little too close.
"Why are you here?" Sora asked.
Logan sighed. "A large-breed dog came in earlier, scared, and in pain. Bit two of my assistants pretty badly. They needed stitches and shots, so I brought them myself just to make sure everything is ok."
Her face lit up. "That's so kind of you. You're such a good boss, Logan. You accompanied them yourself. You really care about your staff."
I rolled my eyes before I could stop myself.
Of course, she'd look at him like that. But I doubt he is really that kind of person. Just look at him… He looks sinister!
The man looked at me, then placed his hand at the small of her back and pulled Sora to one corner, away from me, preventing me from hearing whatever he was about to say.
I didn't remove my eyes from them, and neither did his hands. Both of his hands touched and rubbed Sora's arms, and that woman giggled like a teenager in love to whatever nonsense he was spouting.
I clenched my fists, utterly irritated with the situation. She left me all by myself here while getting stitched, while she flirted with that man. Great!
Fortunately, it didn't take long before the nurses called for that man called, Logan, then waved him over. He nodded and gave Sora one last reassuring smile before walking away.
The moment he was gone, I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow. "So. Who was that?" I asked Sora as soon as she stood in front of me.
She gasped softly. "Oh my gosh, I'm sorry. I completely forgot to introduce you properly. He's my business partner. We co-own an animal clinic. He's the lead veterinarian."
"I see," I said coolly, averting my gaze. "So that's why you told him I was just there to fix something. Because he's close to you. Are you two together?"
She blinked. "Huh? What are you saying? We're not together… And how should I have introduced you?" A teasing smile tugged at her lips. "Should I have told him you're my boyfriend for the next two days?"
She laughed. "Oh—I'm sorry. I didn't know you were the jealous type."
"I'm not jealous!" I snapped, sharper than intended. "And stop apologizing. You say sorry for everything, even when you don't need to."
I turned away, frustration buzzing under my skin. The way she said it was just so annoying, and add that clingy man to the equation. My day is simply becoming worse.
"Yeongjae, wait," she called. "I still need to pay the bill."
"No need," I said. "It's already taken care of."
Her brows furrowed. "What? Why did you pay for it? This is my fault."
"I charged it to the company," I replied. "Work hazard. Told my boss I slipped in your bathroom while cleaning up your mess."
Which wasn't entirely a lie.
'You're already struggling with money,' I thought bitterly. 'And you still wanted to pay?'
Unbelievable.
As we walked towards the exit, I noticed heads turning. Whispers followed us like shadows.
"Isn't that the cursed auntie from your neighborhood?" someone murmured.
"I heard if a man kisses her, he's doomed… There's no way out, her curse is already upon him..." another whispered.
"Hey, cursed lady, looks like you got another victim!" someone audaciously shouted.
I glanced at Sora, and from the expression on her face, it was obvious that she heard everything, too. She was walking beside me with her head slightly bowed, ignoring everything. As if she wanted to hide her face from everyone. I grabbed her by the wrist and stopped.
Before I even realized what I was doing, my arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her flush against me. My other hand came up to cradle the back of her neck, holding her still.
Her eyes widened.
"It's my turn to apologize. I'm sorry in advance, Sora," I murmured. "I have to do this. Or I might actually kill someone and go to jail."
And before she could react—
I kissed her…
Right there. In front of everyone.
I heard gasps, murmurs, but I didn't care. My only focus was kissing Sora, to show everyone that they are all wrong.
She's not cursed.
And so am I!