POV: Female Lead (Jung Ha-neul)
The hospital room was quiet except for the steady rhythm of Min-jae's heart monitor. Ha-neul sat beside him, fingers entwined with his.
He was asleep now—his breathing even, his features relaxed. But earlier, when he had broken down in her arms, she had seen all his pain.
The boy who lost his mother.
The man who had spent his whole life believing he wasn't worth love.
Ha-neul had made a silent vow.
She would prove him wrong.
---
A Moment of Hope
The next morning, Min-jae was discharged from the hospital. Ha-neul insisted on staying by his side.
She helped him settle in his penthouse, bringing him tea, fluffing his pillows, making sure he rested.
Min-jae smirked. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Taking care of my stubborn idiot of a boyfriend? Absolutely."
His smirk faded. "Boyfriend?"
Ha-neul's heart skipped a beat.
She hadn't meant to say it out loud. But now that she had…
She wasn't taking it back.
"Yes," she said firmly. "Unless you have objections?"
Min-jae studied her, emotions swirling in his eyes.
Then, to her relief, he sighed and shook his head. "No objections."
Her lips curled into a smile. "Good."
---
An Unexpected Gift
Later that evening, Ha-neul sat beside Min-jae on the couch, their fingers loosely intertwined.
She reached into her bag and pulled out a small velvet box.
Min-jae raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"
She handed it to him. "Open it."
With a curious look, he flipped the box open.
Inside was a silver bracelet, engraved with a single word: Stay.
Min-jae's breath hitched.
Ha-neul swallowed. "You once told me you were afraid of leaving people behind. But you don't have to fight alone anymore. You have me. And I'm not going anywhere."
Min-jae ran his thumb over the engraving, his expression unreadable.
Then, with slow, deliberate movements, he took her hand and placed the bracelet around her wrist instead.
"Then stay with me," he murmured.
Ha-neul's heart swelled.
"Always."
---
Happiness Before the Storm
For the first time, Min-jae let himself hope.
He spent the next few days with Ha-neul, learning what it felt like to be loved.
They cooked together.
They watched movies on the couch, her head resting on his shoulder.
She kissed him when he woke up and whispered goodnight when he fell asleep.
It was ordinary.
It was beautiful.
And it was everything he never thought he'd have.
But deep down, in the quiet corners of his heart, a dark thought lurked.
Happiness never lasted.
And fate wasn't done testing them yet.
---