The house was unnervingly quiet, save for the faint rustle of blankets as you shivered beneath them. A dull, relentless ache pulsed behind your temples, each throb sharper than the last. You curl into yourself, trembling, your strength long since abandoned.

The front door burst open.

“Where are you?” Hwang Hyunjin’s voice cut through the silence, breathless with urgency “In here…” you managed, your voice barely above a whisper.

He appeared in the doorway, eyes wide with concern. “You shouldn’t be alone like this.” Crossing the room in hurried steps, he pressed a gentle hand to your forehead, his expression tightening. “You’re freezing.”

“I’m fine,” you murmur weakly.

“No,” he said softly, brushing a strand of hair from your face, “you’re not, and I’m not leaving you like this.”