Chapter – 09
Cheonga clasped both hands together and covered her face.
Then her eyes landed on the rubber gloves that had been clutching the toilet just moments ago.
“Aaah!”
She screamed again and swatted her hands away before they could touch her face. As a result, she was forced to witness Yushin stuffing something back into his pants.
“W-What are you doing?! Look away!”
“…….”
Yushin shouted angrily, but Cheonga stood frozen, unable to turn her head. Then her head tilted crookedly to the side.
“Wait a second… that… why is it so big?”
At her muttered words, Yushin’s face flushed an even deeper red.
Cheonga swallowed.
Then she had to mobilize every scrap of knowledge she possessed to analyze what she had just seen.
Could it be that the spot she hit with the mop was still that swollen?
‘W-Wait, hold on! This feels like a real problem?’
Seriously? What the hell. This is insane.
What did I actually do?
“Ah!”
Only then did Cheonga finally understand why Min Yushin had been so prickly.
If that thing was still swollen like that…
Yeah, getting hit on the forehead? Deserved.
Anger? Of course he’d be mad.
Kicking? Ten times over, easily.
And on top of that, I stabbed him in the back with a tanghulu skewer. Of course he’d feel rage boiling up every time he saw me.
All the doubt and resentment she’d felt toward Yushin melted away like snow.
“Professor…”
Cheonga lowered her head deeply and spoke softly, her voice even quieter than before.
“I really… um, what do I do? I’m so sorry. I didn’t know it was still… this badly swollen.”
Yushin stared at her blankly for a moment before slapping a hand over his face with a loud smack.
“Ms. Park Bokseon.”
“Yes, uh…?”
“Get out.”
The firmness of his voice made her guilt sink even deeper.
“Waaah… Professor, I’m really sorry. Should I—should I get on my knees or something? What do I do, really…”
“No. Don’t! Don’t do anything—just get out! Please!”
His voice kept rising.
Confusion, anger, and humiliation tangled together, making him shout louder than usual.
“But you haven’t accepted my apology yet! Hic— I mean, I swear I didn’t stab you with the sk— no, what am I saying. I really didn’t mean it! I can’t leave like this. I can’t get fired! I need money!”
Cheonga clasped her hands together and begged desperately. Every time she did, the rubber gloves squeaked and the toilet brush dangled with a clatter.
Seeing that, Yushin recoiled again and turned his head away.
“I said fine, so just—right now—get out. Please get out!”
“R-Really? You’re accepting my apology? You’re not going back on your word, right? Really? Really!”
Yushin shoved Cheonga out of the bathroom, then leaned his head against the door.
‘What the hell was that. Is she actually insane?’
His heart began pounding uncontrollably once again.
Meanwhile, Cheonga, having been pushed out, hurried down the hallway. She chewed on her lip anxiously and muttered to herself.
“This is bad… What do I do? Why hasn’t the swelling gone down yet?”
She overlapped her hands, forming a rough circle as she tried to estimate what she’d seen earlier. A sigh escaped her without thinking.
“Ugh, it looks even worse. This is really bad. That’s not normal, is it?”
No matter how she thought about it, something was definitely wrong.
It was in much worse condition than the last time she’d personally checked.
“That jerk. He’s a doctor, isn’t he? Why did he just leave it like that? …This is driving me crazy!”
After finishing his outpatient clinic and returning to the research building, Yushin stopped in his tracks.
He’d spotted Cheonga approaching, her arms full of items.
“What is it?”
Cheonga hesitated before holding out a paper bag to him. Yushin glanced inside and snorted.
“What is all this—”
“I gathered everything that’s supposed to help reduce swelling.”
She rummaged through the bag and showed him the contents.
Pumpkin tea. Buckwheat tea. Job’s tears tea.
And even a gua sha massage tool and a heated compress.
Yushin stared silently at Cheonga as she beamed and laid everything out, then turned away without a word and started walking briskly.
“Ahhh, Professooor!”
Her troubled voice rang out behind him, but he didn’t respond, instead lengthening his stride toward the elevator.
Cheonga hurried after him.
“You said you’d accept my apology!”
“…….”
Unfortunately, all the elevators were upstairs.
Judging it would take too long for one to come down, Yushin immediately turned toward the stairs and bounded up two or three steps at a time, racing up to the fifth floor where his lab was.
But Cheonga was faster than he expected.
The moment he opened the stairwell door, she emerged right behind him.
“Professor!”
Her voice was right against his back. Reflexively, Yushin turned around—
Thump!
“Ugh?”
Cheonga’s forehead slammed squarely into his solid chest.
She staggered back in surprise, her face flushing as she reached up to touch the bandage on her forehead.
“S-Sorry.”
Yushin shoved both hands into the pockets of his lab coat and looked down at her.
“Do you not have any work to do, Ms. Park?”
His slightly narrowed eyes and mocking tone were clearly ridiculing her, but Cheonga didn’t back down. Instead, she smiled brightly and pulled something out of the paper bag.
“I do, I do. Reducing your swelling, Professor. Hehe.”
In her hand was a gua sha massage tool.
The pale pink stone, smoothly curved, glinted softly.
“I looked it up, and this one had the best reviews.”
As Cheonga mimed rubbing it vigorously against her arm, Yushin squeezed his eyes shut.
‘It’s not swollen. It’s not…!’
His lips twitched several times as he forced himself to swallow the words threatening to burst out. He abruptly turned away.
Cheonga shook the paper bag and chased after him energetically.
“I’m busy. Unlike you, Madam Park, who has nothing better to do.”
His voice was still dripping with sarcasm, but Cheonga remained unfazed.
“I’m busy too! But I came in thirty minutes early today just to give you this!”
“…Is that so?”
Only when they reached his lab did Yushin stop. Seizing the chance, Cheonga hurriedly held the bag out again.
After a brief pause, Yushin pushed the bag back firmly and spoke.
“I don’t need any of this. If you have time to chase me around apologizing, how about paying me back with your body instead?”
“E-Excuse me… my body?”
Cheonga stared up at him blankly. A sly smile curved Yushin’s lips.
“You said you were sorry. You said you wanted to apologize. You can manage that much service, can’t you?”
“What does that even—”
Her head spun with confusion. In that moment, Yushin’s large hand wrapped around her shoulder.
“Ah?”
With a click, the door opened, and Cheonga’s body was shoved inside as if thrown.
“Ah!”
She stumbled and barely managed to regain her footing before snapping her gaze back to him. Biting her lip tightly, she met his eyes.
Her heart pounded violently.
What does this mean? Paying with my body?
No matter how she tried to think it through, only bad ideas came to mind.
Nothing else surfaced.
After taking a sharp breath, Cheonga was just about to punch him square in the face—
Right at that exact moment—
Thankfully, Yushin spoke first.
“Why are you staring at me? Your work is over there.”
Cheonga froze, her fist still clenched, blinking a couple of times.
Meeting her gaze, Yushin pointed lazily past her, his expression indifferent.
Cheonga slowly turned her head to follow his gesture.
