𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: where Y/N gets sick and her crush Hyunjin takes care of her

𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: hyunjin x fem! Reader

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: swearing

𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞: this is a short story for the 2024 Valentine's Day Writing Awards

I opened my eyes and the realization slowly dawned on me that something was terribly wrong. My head pounded even though I went to bed at the right time last night and it felt like there was a lump in my throat every time I swallowed. I groggily sat up, decided to ignore the signs and got ready for work. Summoning every ounce of willpower I begrudgingly got out of the warmth and comfort of my bed. My throat ached as I ate breakfast and I winced every time I took a bite. Sluggishly, I moved towards the door, grabbing my bag and car keys.

On the way to work, I felt my headache worsen and I had to occasionally squint to lessen the pain. When I finally arrived at work I was met with Hyunjin, who had a concerned look on his face.

"Hey, are you alright? You don't look too great."

"Yeah no shit," I murmured before I straightened up and faked a smile. "I'm fine, just didn't get enough sleep last night."

His eyes watched me, not believing what I said but he ended up leaving it alone. Hyunjin was the one person who truly understood me. He always knew when I was not in the mood for questions and when I was up for some teasing. You see, Hyunjin and I have been best friends for a while now. We met when we were both getting interviewed for a job at the company. His first impression of me was rather embarrassing.

I was outside the office having a mental breakdown. I felt defeated. Countless job applications had been met with either rejection or complete silence, leaving this opportunity as my final chance to pursue my passion. The nerves ate at my brain, my thoughts going wild wondering what would happen if I didn't get this position. Despite there being two available jobs, I was determined to secure only one.

So imagine my surprise when I saw the most gorgeous man sitting beside me asking if I was ok clearly having witnessed my freak out. And of course, my dumb brain made me say the first thing that came to mind.

"Holy shit you're hot as fuck."

He got flustered by my comment and I slapped my hand over my mouth, a blush forming. "Sorry," I said, sheepishly.

As the conversation continued, I found myself opening up more and more to this stranger. Eventually, I blurted out my entire life story to him but he didn't seem to mind. I started crying and he moved to hug me. I initially resisted out of fear and reluctance to let someone new into my vulnerable state. However, as his warmth enveloped me and his words of empathy resonated in my ear, I allowed myself to let go and cried in the arms of a stranger I had met 5 minutes ago.

"Just be yourself, answer the questions the way you want to answer them. Be genuine."

That was the advice that he whispered into my ear as I brushed past him to start my interview. I didn't have enough time to say thank you but I hoped he knew how much it meant to me.

The rest is just history. We were pleasantly surprised to see each other on our first day, a moment that sparked a beautiful friendship between us. He never failed to tease me about the first sentence I said to him, a playful banter that quickly became an endearing inside joke shared only between the two of us. Our relationship blossomed, and I couldn't help but have a tiny crush on him. Can you blame me? Have you seen that man?

Today, I felt like shit. Usually, Hyunjin would've made me laugh or smile by now but the pain in my throat and my head completely distracted me from anything that was happening in the office.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Hyunjin asked, for probably the fifth time today.

I nodded, my eyes slowly drooping. I heard a chair scrape against the floor and suddenly a hand was on my forehead.

"You're burning up," Hyunjin gasped, "Why did you even come to work today?!"

I vaguely heard myself mumble something and then heard him say, "Fuck it, I'm taking you home."

"Wait, no no-" but I was cut off by Hyunjin picking me up off my chair and carrying me away. I tried to get out of his grip, but I found that it was useless to fight back. In the end, I let him take me wherever he wanted. Exhausted and drained, I found solace in the comforting support of his shoulder and allowed myself to drift into a deep slumber.

I woke up and found myself in my room. Wait. Wasn't I supposed to be at work?? Gasping, I scrambled out of the covers before getting pushed back down onto the bed. Looking up I saw Hyunjin.

"W-what are you doing here?!!" I exclaimed. My fucking crush was inside my house. He was in my bedroom while I was asleep?!

"Listen you need to calm down," he explained, "I took you home from work because you had a fever and were literally about to drop dead any second."

"But I have a deadline due-"

"I've got it covered ok? Just rest. You need it." He insisted.

I listened and pulled the covers over my shoulders. A hacking cough ripped through the silence, startling me. The violent coughing fit forced me to curl up into a ball as if trying to shield myself from the pain and discomfort wracking my body. It left my throat all sore and scratchy. At that moment I felt a hand on my cheek, providing a small sense of comfort. Raising my gaze, I met Hyunjin's worried eyes, filled with concern. I leaned into his touch, ignoring the flush that was probably creeping up onto my face.

"Can you stay? Please?" I whispered, hoarsely.

"For you, I will stay forever."

|| 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐊 𝐘𝐎𝐔 ||

pls vote and comment if you enjoyed <333

happy valentines day ❤

here's your complimentary hyunjin on the way out!