Chapter 8

Where exactly is this woman’s limit? Yesterday it was a kiss, today a relationship. Is she going to ask me to marry her tomorrow?

Dumbfounded, Ho Rang stood there with his mouth agape like a frozen video clip, spending a moment "loading" before he finally managed to stammer out a question.

"Wh-what did you say we should do?"

"Dating."

"Are you crazy?"

"I'm perfectly sane."

"Then why are we dating? Do you happen to love me?"

"I’m not the type to fall in love at first sight."

"Then do you like me?"

"You're not exactly my type."

"Then are you interested in me?"

"I hate men with nasty personalities. I like the sweet ones. Those with good manners."

Ho Rang, who had never been rejected anywhere in his life, felt absurd and offended to be shot down once...no, three times in a row...but, he suppressed his irritation and asked.

"If you don't love me, don't like me, and aren't even interested in me, then why on earth are we dating?"

"Who said anything about doing it for real?"

She asked so nonchalantly, her eyes curving into crescent moons, that Ho Rang was left speechless.

"Let’s have a contract relationship. Just for three months, until your revision surgery."

As a massive question mark appeared over Ho Rang's head, showing his lack of comprehension, Bo Bae began to elaborate.

"You need me until your revision surgery, and I need your help to write my story. But, you don't have a girlfriend, Mr. Baek Ho Rang. So, I'll stand in as your girlfriend. In exchange, show me the 'dating flex' of a chaebol heir."

Even after hearing the explanation, Ho Rang couldn't readily process her words. He had encountered contract relationships and contract marriages countless times while reading drama scripts, but to think it would happen in reality...and to him, of all people.

Ho Rang, who had always dismissed such things as impossible in real life between two people who lacked even a shred of mutual attraction, felt as if he had been struck hard on the back of the head.

While he stood there blinking, unable to respond out of sheer absurdity, Bo Bae spoke with a bright smile.

"I’ll give you plenty of time to think about it."

"..."

"Don't worry too much, since we have to be together until you're discharged anyway."

Watching Bo Bae tap her wrist mockingly before stepping out of the hospital room, Ho Rang realized one thing for certain.

That woman didn't just hold his life in her hands. She was holding it and shaking it as she pleased.

~~~~

"Is she really the only way?"

Ho Rang, who had been agonizing over the situation alone, finally sought out Professor Kwak.

He couldn't just be dragged around by a woman whose identity was uncertain. He had to find another way.

"There isn't one."

But, Professor Kwak was firm.

"Don't just say there isn't one, please find another method...."

"I’ve mobilized all available personnel to look into it, and we are still searching with our eyes wide open."

"..."

"As of right now, the only thing that can keep your heart beating is the patient, Na Bo Bae."

It wasn't that Ho Rang didn't know this. He had seen it with his own eyes.

He simply wanted to deny it. He wanted to believe there was a way to survive other than that woman. He didn't want to accept that Na Bo Bae was the only one who could save him.

"Why? Is the persuasion not going well? Did she say she wouldn't help?"

"No. The problem is that she’s being too proactive about helping."

"Then isn't that a good thing?"

At the professor's words, Ho Rang let out a weak, scoffing laugh.

If only he hadn't mentioned things like 'give and take' or 'one good turn deserves another' when they first met, this wouldn't be happening.

Na Bo Bae, a quick learner, was offering her proactive help in exchange for a price. And that price was the absurd demand of a contract relationship.

"So, what exactly is the problem?"

At Professor Kwak’s question, Ho Rang let out a long sigh and answered feebly.

"She says since she’s going to be my 'portable charger,' we should date."

"What?"

Startled, Professor Kwak blinked for a moment before bursting into a hearty laugh.

"Hahaha! I thought patient Na Bo Bae was a timid deer, but she’s a dragon. A dragon! A dragon that’s going to catch Baek Ho Rang."

"Do you find this funny right now?"

"Should I be sad then? Want me to cry?"

Ho Rang glared at the professor, who was laughing to the point of tears, and let out a deep sigh.

A person was on the verge of death, yet the man who called himself a doctor was enjoying it this much.

"Just take this chance to date her."

The professor even went a step further.

"I must have misheard you just now."

"They say if you're a virgin until twenty-five these days, you become a wizard. That makes you a Grand wizard."

"Please tone down your internet slang."

"If you don't want to make a habit of fueling strange rumors, just date her."

Ho Rang was well aware that rumors about him were rampant.

Since he hadn't so much as flirted, let alone dating, until the age of thirty-two, busybodies had concocted terrifying rumors.

Stories like President Baek Ho Rang is actually a regular at gay clubs, or no, he’s actually a total womanizer, an energizer who is powerful and lasts a very long time. Or actually, he has a hidden child. He has a secret wife and kids in every country across the globe.

He had simply worked hard, so he couldn't understand why such vicious rumors were circulating.

However, Ho Rang didn't care about what others said. Unless a rumor affected the company's stock price, he responded with absolute indifference. Though perhaps his silence had only made the rumors grow larger.

“Enough about that. Do you have any other information that could help my heart?"

When Ho Rang asked while touching the left side of his chest, the smile faded from Professor Kwak's face.

"This isn't for certain, but..."

"Tell me anything."

"I think the physical distance between you and patient Na Bo Bae affects the battery charging."

"Distance?"

"It seems that if you're more than a certain distance away from her, it doesn't charge. But in contrary, if you get closer than a certain distance, it seems to charge faster. It feels like there’s some kind of law to it..."

As the professor trailed off, Ho Rang sank into thought.

Ho Rang knew all too well from personal experience that the battery wouldn't charge if they were too far apart. But, to think it would charge faster if they were closer.

Ho Rang instinctively checked his smartwatch. The battery had already reached 40%.

"When did it charge this much?"

It had dropped to 9% earlier, and he had only spent an hour with Na Bo Bae since then. How had it reached 40% in that time?

Filled with doubt, Ho Rang asked.

"How much battery was left when I went up to the ward?"

"It was around 1 or 2%."

"And how long were we together?"

"You were together the whole time until the anesthesia wore off, so about three hours?"

It was strange. When they were together for three hours, it had only charged about 10%, yet in just one hour, it had jumped by 30%.

When could it have charged that much?

"Could it be from then...?"

In an instant, the kiss he shared with Na Bo Bae on the rooftop flashed through his mind.

If the professor’s hypothesis was correct, that distance affected the charging speed, the only thing that could explain the sudden surge in battery life was that kiss. There could be no distance closer than that.

"What is it? Do you have a hunch?"

"I have to go."

"Where?"

"I have something to verify."

Stepping outside, Ho Rang headed straight for the hospital room.

To prove Professor Kwak's hypothesis, he needed Na Bo Bae.

And physical contact with her.

~~~~

The hospital room was empty.

He checked the rooftop, but Bo Bae wasn't there either.

Where on earth could she have gone in this massive hospital?

Ho Rang searched every possible place, the lobby, the walking trails, but she was nowhere to be found.

"Where did she go?"

Fortunately, the battery was sufficient for now, but not knowing her whereabouts made him anxious.

The fear that the battery might suddenly drain or drop below 10% again, just like before, began to overwhelm him.

Driven by unease, Ho Rang quickened his pace. As he was scouring the surroundings, he heard a familiar voice.

"Should I have seolleongtang? Or pasta? No. I should have rice cakes, tempura, and blood sausage since it’s been a while. Dipping a squid fritter into spicy tteokbokki sauce... mmm, that sounds delicious."

It was Na Bo Bae. She was salivating while looking at the food models displayed in front of the food court. Just as she was looking blissfully happy, her expression suddenly darkened, and she began bonking herself on the head.

"Ah, right. I just had appendix surgery, didn't I? You idiot, you’re supposed to be fasting. Why did you come to the food court? They say habits are scary... how did my feet naturally lead me here?"

The moment Ho Hang saw her, he let out a subconscious sigh of relief.

Finding her put his mind at ease. He felt comforted. His heart, which had been racing anxiously, returned to its normal rhythm, and the cold sweat trickling down his spine seemed to stop.

Ho Rang approached her and spoke.

"What are you doing here? I've been looking everywhere for you."

His words came out blunt, but the expression she wore as she turned around was bright and carefree, despite how much she had made him worry.

"You were looking for me? Why?"

"Who said I was looking for you?"

"You just said so. You said you’ve been looking for me. Why were you looking?"

Though he had indeed searched every nook and cranny of the hospital to find her, seeing her "I knew it" expression made him reluctant to give her a straight answer.

"I didn't. Why would I look for you?"

"You really weren't looking for me?"

"I really wasn't."

"Really? Oh well, never mind then."

Bo Bae coolly turned around and started walking away.

Once a bit of distance grew between them, Ho Rang began to secretly follow her while checking his smartwatch.

The current battery level was 40%. The distance between him and Na Bo Bae was about two meters. It seemed this much distance had no significant effect on the charging speed.

To verify Professor Kwak's hypothesis, he needed to close the gap further.

Ho Rang sped up to get closer to her side. Even as he got quite near, the battery remained unchanged. Just as he was about to stick even closer to get a definite answer....

"Do you have something to say to me?"

Bo Bae suddenly stopped in her tracks and whipped around.

"W-what do you mean, something to say?"

As Ho Hang startled and stammered, Bo Bae asked with a smirk.

"Are you going to tell me you'll accept my proposal? That you'll date me?"

"No! Why would I date someone like you?"

"Then why do you keep following me?"

"Who’s following you? I’m just going my own way."

At Ho Rang's confident reply, Bo Bae eyed him with suspicion.

He was trailing right behind her like a puppy that needed to go outside, clearly looking like he had something to say, yet he kept denying it. She couldn't understand why he was acting that way.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You're really not following me, right?"

"I told you, no."

When Ho Rang stuck to his guns, Bo Bae turned around as if she accepted his answer. Then, she suddenly started sprinting away.

"Hey!"

Ho Rang quickly chased after her and followed her into a room. At that moment,

"Good heavens! What is a man doing in here?"

A middle-aged woman was glaring at him with sharp eyes.

Ho Rang looked around and realized he had walked into the women's restroom. He’d been played.

"I-I'm so sorry."

He bowed in apology to the woman and hurried outside.

A moment later, Bo Bae poked her head out and spoke.

"I knew it. You were following me."

Seeing her grinning so mischievously made Ho Rang want to bite her.

Right there, with his sharpest canine teeth!

~~~~

Bo Bae sat on the edge of the bed and spoke as soon as she returned to the room.

"Be honest. Why were you following me?"

"I told you, I wasn't."

"Then why would someone who wasn't following me walk right into a ladies' restroom?"

Ugh, she’s got a silver tongue.

Watching Bo Bae smirk and needle him, Ho Rang felt his blood pressure rise, a sensation he hadn't felt in a while.

"You followed me because you were scared, right?"

"What?"

"You were scared your battery would run out, so you chased after me. Am I right?"

"Scared? Who? Me?"

"Stop being like that and just date me, why don't you?"

"What?"

Ho Rang’s eyebrows twitched.

"If you just say okay, I’ll keep you fully charged so you never have to worry about a discharge. So, stop playing hard to get and let’s do it, this relationship."

In all his life, he had never met a woman this bold.

It wasn't that women hadn't approached him before. But, those were usually shy confessions or subtle, sexy provocations. He had never encountered a woman who pushed so aggressively, so primally.

Looking at Bo Bae, who was charging at him without regard for the consequences, Ho Rang thought to himself.

This woman is serious.

If that was the case, he had to treat her with the same sincerity.

Ho Rang stood up from the sofa and slowly approached Bo Bae.

One step, then another. Very slowly.

"Can you handle it?"

"Han... handle what?"

The playful atmosphere turned sultry in an instant, causing Bo Bae who was tensed to stammer.

"I’m the type of person who sees things through to the very end once I start."

"The... end?"

In Baek Ho Rang's life, there was no such thing as 'moderation.'

Whether it resulted in success or disaster, he was the style to see every endeavor through to its ultimate conclusion.

When Tae Seong Group, which had only dealt in hotels and resorts, opened its first shopping center, everyone opposed it, saying it would fail. Even then, Ho Rang stubbornly saw it through to the end.

To the end that was success.

Since he had never dated anyone despite being over thirty, he didn't know where the 'end' of a relationship might be, but Ho Rang was certain of one thing.

"If we start, I'm not going to end it with something as trivial as just holding hands."

Because Ho Rang had moved so close, his thigh brushed against Bo Bae’s knee.

Startled, Bo Bae scrambled further back onto the bed to avoid him. But Ho Rang didn't stop. He kept closing in on her, growling like a tiger that had found a delicious prey.

"Will you still be okay with that?"

"W-with what?"

Just moments ago, Bo Bae had been the one provoking him, but the situation had flipped 180 degrees. Now, Bo Bae was retreating, and Ho Rang was the one hunting her down.

"You said we should date."

"Y-yes, and?"

Flustered by Ho Rang’s proximity, Bo Bae lost her balance and tumbled backward onto the mattress.

Before she could even register the soft touch of the duvet, Ho Rang’s shadow loomed over her as he crawled over her body.

"It’s not like we’re children."

Bo Bae’s eyes trembled as if an earthquake were hitting her soul, reflecting the face of a hungry predator. Yet, Ho Rang remained indifferent to her panic, leaning in even closer.

Having never been this close to a man, Bo Bae’s heart hammered against her ribs uncontrollably.

As she gripped the duvet with her slender hands, trying to suppress her shaking, his hot breath brushed against her ear.

"Even if it’s a contract relationship..."

When Bo Bae looked up at him with trembling eyes, he flashed a smile and continued.

"Since we’re adults, shouldn't we date like adults? An adult relationship."