Bring It On! - Chapter 71

Chapter 71.

“…..”

A cold sweat dripped from beneath my temple. Why was it so unsettlingly silent? I wanted to peek at Park Jong-hoo’s reaction, but I didn’t have the courage to risk making eye contact.

“Hmm…”

Jay tensed his arm and pulled me toward him. My body, lying upright, twisted sharply like a paper doll. Damn it, stay still! 

When I opened my eyes, I saw Jay’s chest muscles rising and falling comfortably. This bastard had thrown both of us into a whirlwind of confusion, yet he alone was lying there, at ease. 

To make matters worse, his hand slid across my back and finally slipped inside my T-shirt.

No!

A dizzying sense of crisis hit me. If I let Jay go on like this, I’d end up showing a steamy, private bedroom scene meant for no one but him. I stopped pretending to sleep and pushed his solid chest with all my strength.

“Ugh…”

Jay’s arm went limp from the sudden shove. I seized the opportunity to pull myself out of his embrace. I saw the veins on his hand instinctively groping for the bed, but I pretended not to notice. 

After catching my breath for a moment, I hesitated before turning around.

“Uh… hi.”

I perched awkwardly on the bed and greeted him. Park Jong-hoo’s expression was alarming. Half like he had seen a grim reaper, half like he had lost his mind. 

He stood frozen for a moment, then suddenly bolted out of the room, only to rush back in exactly ten seconds later.

“I apologize.”

“Excuse me?”

“We’ll provide appropriate compensation on our side. Our lawyer will contact you tomorrow.”

How had he misunderstood the situation so badly…? He acted like a parent trying to clean up a massive mistake made by their reckless child.

“You don’t need to provide compensation.”

“I understand your feelings. Please calm down first, then let’s talk…”

“I’ll handle it myself.”

“…Handle what?”

Park Jong-hoo’s answer came belatedly, his face frozen in shock.

“Body Pillow.”

***

Even after I explained everything that had happened, Park Jong-hoo was still bewildered. Even though it was clear that Jay hadn’t done anything inappropriate to me, his crumpled expression wouldn’t smooth out. He even muttered to himself that he needed to schedule a brain MRI.

Completely unaware of the turmoil, Jay suddenly reached out and grabbed my arm. I, sitting on the bed, swayed backward. Park Jong-hoo’s eyes nearly popped out of his head, then he covered them with his hands as if he had seen something he shouldn’t.

“That guy… he’s not about to die, right?”

“Excuse me?!”

“No, no abnormal test results or anything. You know how people change when they’re about to die? Our CEO isn’t the type to grab someone and refuse to sleep without them. He actually seems to hate physical contact with others. That guy can’t even sit side by side on the same sofa without discomfort.”

“…Really?”

It was strange. From the very beginning, when Jay had drifted onto the uninhabited island, hadn’t he held me close in a way that almost crushed me? Park Jong-hoo’s expression darkened even further as I failed to fully relate.

“Anyway, good job. Go back to your room..”

Could I go? It was already time for breakfast to be served. I wanted to return to the room before Suho woke up. Ever since helping Jay sleep, my mornings with Suho had been disrupted.

Jay’s late waking hours seemed like he was compensating for all the lost sleep. He always woke around lunchtime, looking perfectly refreshed, as if immune to headaches or fatigue.

I had explained to Suho that it would help take care of Jay. Technically, it wasn’t a lie. Suho accepted it without suspicion, though his habit of bottling things up meant I couldn’t fully relax. 

I had felt guilty letting him eat breakfast alone the past few days. Now, it worked out. Park Jong-hoo would take care of Jay, so I decided to leave a bit earlier today.

“Please take good care of Jay.”

“Go ahead.”

“Who said you could go?” 

At the moment I tried to pull my arm free from his grip, a deep, ominous voice rumbled out. Jay, now awake, was staring at me with slightly dazed eyes.

“…When did you wake up?”

His handsome eyes squinted. This wasn’t the time he was supposed to get up. Jay rose, letting out an annoyed sigh.

“Because of you.”

“Ah.”

“You never do things properly.”

He asked as if blaming me, like he wanted to pick a fight over the few hours less sleep I’d had in the past few days.

“Going to sleep more?”

Please say no. Jay, with his messy just-woken-up face, suddenly let out a ridiculous little laugh.

“Should I?”

“…Why are you asking me that?”

I wanted to tell him to sleep if he wanted, but the words got stuck in my throat.

“Let’s stop bothering her and let her go.”

Park Jong-hoo intervened like a savior. 

“Go on, then.” 

I got up, glancing at Jay, but his gaze burned into my side like it could scorch skin, and I couldn’t bring myself to move. Stuck, unsure what to do, I froze.

“Stop fussing and just let her rest. She must have had a rough night, too. And there’s something I need to tell you…”

“Later.”

“Ha, really, why are you doing things you normally wouldn’t?”

When nothing worked, Park Jong-hoo whispered something in Jay’s ear. I vaguely heard, “…Yoo Ga-young’s body…” 

His gaze finally left me. Seizing the change in atmosphere, I quickly spoke.

“I’ll go.”

“Keep in touch regularly.”

“Okay.”

Thanks to Park Jong-hoo, I managed to escape from Jay’s room early that day. Having the chance to see him every day was nice, but sleeping with him was a whole different matter. Being pinned under his heavy body at night was something I couldn’t adapt to. 

On top of that, he called at the most unpredictable times. Sometimes 8 PM, sometimes late at night, completely ignoring a normal sleep schedule.

Once, after no contact past midnight, I thought he wasn’t going to call and finally fell asleep with Suho. I woke slightly earlier than usual, only to nearly faint in shock. 

Jay was glaring at me with those lethal eyes. And then I had to be dragged back to his hospital room.

***

[2:00 PM]

A text dropped abruptly, almost arrogantly, with no explanation. I gave a wry smile. An enemy would at least send it politely. Somehow, though, I wasn’t even annoyed. I had grown used to his way of “notifying.” I only wondered if, being daytime, he might let me nap.

Knock. Knock.

I opened the door after a short knock, like Park Jong-hoo had done. But today, Jay wasn’t in his usual casual clothes. He wore a black suit over a shirt. Not exactly formal, either, no tie, sitting slouched on the sofa with legs crossed, looking rebelliously sharp.

His hair looked casually styled, but it seemed deliberately done. Even the few strands falling over his forehead looked meticulously arranged. 

His legs, wrapped in black suit pants, seemed unusually long, the prominent ankles above his socks almost like part of the fashion.

As I admired him absentmindedly, I felt his gaze. When I looked up, Jay was resting his chin on his hand, staring at me.

“Done looking?”

“…What? Are you discharged?”

Without explanation, he got up. Normally, I’d have to crane my neck just to meet his face, but today he seemed especially huge.

“Follow me.”

“W-wait. Me too?”

“Yes.”

“What about my opinion?”

“So, you want me to stay here forever? Who the hell sleeps at a hospital every night? If you’re discharged, you should leave. And so should you.”

“Dragging me off without explanation is pretty crazy too. Wait a second—”

“Your stuff can be moved by Park Jong-hoo. And that little kid too.”

“No, it’s not that, it’s just too sudden… hey!”

Jay grabbed my arm impatiently, like he didn’t know the meaning of restraint. Then, as if remembering something, his hand slid down and grabbed mine.

“I don’t have much time.”

“Haah…”

“I’ll deal with your whining later.”

He dragged me out of the room without hesitation. With his striking appearance and long legs striding down the hallway, he naturally drew everyone’s attention. People’s gazes followed us as I was pulled along.

Just as I started wanting to hide, we arrived at the underground parking lot. Jay opened the passenger door of a black sedan and gestured inside.

“Get in.”

“Tell me where we’re going.”

“I will, once you get in.”