"Yes, I'm sorry. I hope you understand. Thank you so much, boss!"
Ending the call, Ahn Hae let her hand drop and exhaled in relief. The doctor had said her leg only suffered a soft tissue injury, but she still needed to avoid sudden movements. That call just now was her pleading with her boss to approve a few days off for recovery. She had to submit a whole stack of documents before he finally gave the green light.
After first aid and getting her prescription, Ahn Hae was discharged from the hospital. She left with a bag of painkillers and one leg in a cast, hobbling out on crutches before catching a taxi home. By now, the sun was slowly rising in the east.
The moment she got home, Ahn Hae crawled straight into bed and collapsed. An entire day without rest had drained her completely, and all she wanted now was to close her eyes and sleep.
As her body relaxed and she began to drift off, she suddenly jolted upright as if remembering something crucial. Her eyes lit up like headlights. Frantically, she searched the pocket of her jacket and pulled out a crumpled pink note with a KakaoTalk ID scribbled on it—Leo's. His words echoed clearly in her memory.
"This is my Kakao account. Let me know how you're doing once you get to the hospital."
He had told her that, but in the chaos of all the paperwork, she had completely forgotten.
It was almost 6 a.m. Would messaging him now be bothering him?
Ahn Hae hesitated, unsure of what to do. Her drowsiness had completely vanished.
"I just think Ahn Hae is a good person and want to be friends with you."
Leo's voice echoed again in her mind. Finally, she gathered her courage and typed his username into the search bar. It came up instantly. His profile picture was an adorable jet-black cat—Aladdin, the one he was raising. Her fingers trembled as she tapped "Add Friend," then squeezed her eyes shut like she was bracing for a rejection.
A notification sound rang out. Ahn Hae cracked one eye open to look.
Friend request accepted.
Leo was awake. Or… had she just woken him up?
Before she could process the situation, a message from him popped up.
"Ahn Hae?"
She took a deep breath, trying to calm down before replying.
"Yes, sorry for disturbing you at this hour."
"I was waiting for you! How are you? Are you home yet?"
The words were just plain text on a screen, but somehow Ahn Hae could picture his worried expression as he said, "I was waiting for you!"
She couldn't help but hug her pillow to stifle the giddy joy swelling in her chest, then composed herself to respond.
"I just got home. It's just a soft tissue injury, nothing serious. But I'll need to stay home and rest for a few days."
"That's a relief."
"Thank you, Leo. I feel bad for making you worry."
"You're my friend, Ahn Hae. Of course I care about you."
Friend? Ahn Hae… is Leo's friend?
Her head spun reading those words. It all felt like a dream she hadn't caught up to yet.
"You must be tired. Get some rest, okay?"
"You too, Leo. You've had a long night."
"Will do. Sleep well, Ahn Hae! 😊"
"Good night! ❤️"
The moment she sent that message, it was like someone flipped a fangirl switch. Ahn Hae squealed, rolling on her bed, hugging her pillow with a giddy grin. She had met her idol, eaten with him, welcomed him into her home, cooked for him, and now—she had a direct line of contact with him. She couldn't believe her luck. Anyone who found out would probably cry from envy.
Maybe that's why, that night, Ahn Hae had a terrifying nightmare—one where she was being hunted down by millions of Secret M fans. She ran desperately, glancing back only to see the mob getting closer and closer. In her panic, she tripped and fell. When she looked back again, they were gone. She sighed in relief.
Suddenly, a hand reached out to help her up. She looked up. It was Leo. He smiled at her warmly, a smile like golden autumn sunshine.
"Don't be afraid. I'll protect you."
A comforting warmth spread through Ahn Hae. She reached out to grab his hand—then suddenly, the ground below her cracked open, revealing a bottomless black void. She fell, panicked and helpless. At the edge of the pit, she saw Leo reaching for her, but the crowd behind him morphed into a swamp of black mud, gripping his entire body like iron chains.
In an instant, the abyss swallowed her whole. The last thing she saw was Leo's eyes filled with desperation. The sight made her heart ache. She tried to scream his name, but her voice dissolved into the chaos above.
"Leo!"
Ahn Hae jolted awake, drenched in sweat. It had all been a dream—a strange, vivid dream.
She took a few deep breaths to calm herself, then glanced at the clock. It was already past 2 p.m.
"I'm late for work!"
She shot up from the bed—only for a sharp pain to shoot through her left leg, forcing her to collapse back onto the mattress. That's when she remembered: she was injured and on leave.
She couldn't even remember the last time she had a proper day off.
Looking down at her wrapped-up leg, Ahn Hae didn't know whether to curse it—or thank it.
* * *