Jungwon had never been the warm type. Quiet, composed, and just a little too distant that was how he always carried himself around you. Even after the engagement, he kept his space, treating you like more of a responsibility than a partner.

The truth was, he had loved someone else once. and losing her because of this arranged marriage left a bitterness he never quite let go of.

He didn’t talk to you much. rarely even looked at you when he didn’t have to. but sometimes when he thought you weren’t paying attention—his eyes would linger a second too long. As if he was searching for something he didn’t want to admit.

So when his mother told him you were sick, that it was his duty to check on you, he didn’t exactly jump at the chance.

Still, he came. the door creaked softly as he stepped into your room, his expression unreadable as always. you lay curled under thick blankets, skin pale, brow damp with fever.

Jungwon walked to your bedside, hands in his pockets, and let out a quiet sigh.

“My mother said I need to take care of you,” he muttered, voice flat, eyes flicking away from yours. “So… here I am.”

He didn’t sound thrilled. he barely even looked at you. but he stayed.