Chapter 3.3

I furrowed my eyebrows and grew tense. Behind him, his manager noticed that I was awake and spoke.

“Oh you’re awake writer-nim. Don’t overstrain yourself by talking. We came here as soon as we finished filming. Tomorrow, he has an important interview to prepare for, and we will be-”

“I didn’t expect you to come,” I interrupted the manager midway.

I glanced down to my wrinkled hospital gown and briefly thought about the difference between fantasies and reality. Within the dreams, Jung Hwanwoo would’ve pressed me down and stripped me immediately. Instead, the real him stood near the door as still as a pole and stared at me quietly. 

His eyes scanned my body, searching for any wounds or discomfort on my body. Noticing his gaze, I explained to him my current state. 

“You don’t need to worry, my condition has been slightly unwell since the beginning of filming. Although there was a lot of stress stemming from the revisions of the script, it is not the only factor.  Of course, I still need time to recuperate from the ulcers. I will need to take a break from the drama set until I’ve recovered.

Hearing my explanation, w.a.n.g Ho mindlessly nodded. The writing profession is filled with stress, one could easily get ill. As a field that is always exploited, most writers expect to visit the hospital at least once while working . 

“Oh, I see. Thank G.o.d that you’re fine. Then your condition should not cause any major disruptions to the filming. I’m happy to hear that it’s not too serious. Let’s go then Hwanwoo.”

a.s.sured of my condition, the manager turned around and began to leave. Suddenly, Jung Hwanwoo opened his mouth and spoke.

“Does anybody live with you?”

‘....Who, me?’

Caught off guard, I looked up towards him and made eye contact. Embarra.s.sed from his gaze, I pretended to be annoyed and frowned at his question. 

“n.o.body lives with me.”

w.a.n.g Ho glanced towards me, tilted his head in confusion, and replied to me. 

“Now that Jung Hwanwoo mentions it, you might get the stomach cramps again after being discharged. I guess I’ll be watching over you all night, to make sure that you’re ok.”

“But will my stomach cramps return? If not, then I don’t mind sleeping alone.”

“I will watch over you, come over to my house.”
...What? 

Shocked by his statement, w.a.n.g Ho, the manager, and I glanced at Jung Hwanwoo in surprise. Under the pressure of our gazes, he exposed no signs of shame or embarra.s.sment. We continued to stare at him in wonder, as if he was illuminating a golden halo. 

“... What do you mean?”

“I am not lying, come to my house. I feel slightly guilty about your condition, and want to help you.”

He replied in a serious manner. As an individual typically uncaring of others’ well-being, he acted as if his offer wasn’t abnormal for his character.Continually surprised by Jung Hwanwoo, the manager widened his eyes further and interjected into the conversation. 

“Jung Hwanwoo! You have an interview at CINE at 6AM tomorrow and your schedule is packed to the brim with drama and commercial shootings. What do you mean you’ll take care of-”

“Should I get you a doctor?”

He ignored the words of the manager and walked over to my bed. Pressing the call b.u.t.ton, he helped request for a nurse or doctor to come into the room. His every action continued to shock me, I couldn’t correlate the person in front of me with Jung Hwanwoo. I continued to watch his actions in a stupor, nothing was making sense to me. He replied to the manager’s concerns with an uninterested tone, stating that he would fulfill the tight schedule without a problem. A few minutes later, a doctor entered the room and discussed my discharge with Jung Hwanwoo. Similar to a minor’s guardian, Jung Hwanwoo filled out the necessary papers and I was discharged from the hospital.

Still in shock, I shook my head and wondered if the stomach ulcers had created hallucinations. I sat in his car and watched as he sped off towards his house. From the back, his manager and w.a.n.g Ho watched dazedly at the abnormal combination of Jung Hwanwoo and me.

Within the car, silence stilled the air and the wind battered the vehicle’s windows. I ma.s.saged my temples and reflected over what had happened a few minutes before. At my side, Jung Hwanwoo did not express any emotions, and concentrated at driving. 

“Where… where are we going?”

“If you’re not feeling well, take a nap. It’ll take about 20 minutes to reach my house.”

His response was blunt, but the tone was not irritable, nor nervous sounding. Instead, he sounded a tad worried. Similar to an anxious, yet stern father, Jung Hwanwoo expressed some concern to me. For him to be worried, he did not seem like the Jung Hwanwoo I knew in real life. Instead, he was like the dream version of Jung Hwanwoo; was it possible that I’m dreaming?

“... that… are you doing this because of what I said prior to fainting?”

“Let’s talk more once I reach the house. I wonder what a baboon looks like, especially since you view me as one.”

He turned his head towards me and replied emotionlessly. His simple gaze intimidated me, silencing any retorts in my mouth. I couldn’t understand why I was so subdued from a mere look After starring in multiple steamy love scenes at least a dozen times, I should be used to him by now. I’ve seen his nude body, sucked his sensitive areas, and many other explicit actions that can’t be repeated. Of course, this all occurred in my dreams, so I am not sure if the imagined physique is similar to his real one. The large scar on his left shoulder that I often traced in the dreams remained in my memories
“I didn’t mean anything when I said that, I was just being emotional. Ever since the beginning of the drama, I’ve been nervously interacting with the others on the set. This is especially true with you, Jung Hwanwoo-ssi. You’re a particularly strict actor, thus conversing with you always put me on the edge.”

Although he was the main factor for my condition, I had to edit my words. Without the context of the dreams, it was illogical for me to blame him entirely. I watched his facial expressions and noticed his furrowed eyebrows and concentrated look. Silence floated within the air, frightening me slightly. I felt the need to escape the car, to get away from this tense atmosphere. Sadly, before I could flee, the lull of sleep pulled me into a deep slumber. 

Translator’s Note:

So, do y’all think MC will be dreaming of JHW while sitting in his car? How embarra.s.sing would it be if MC moaned out JHW’s name mid-sleep. Although I would love for them to just get together in real life already…. I can already imagine the second-hand cringe waiting in the next chapter if he has a s.e.x dream of JHW! xD