Chapter 40. Blood Doesn’t Make a Family (2)

Translator: Lili

“…”

When Rowoon’s hazy consciousness finally returned, he realized he was lying in bed. His mind was sluggish, as if wrapped in fog, and his body felt heavy, but the unbearable pain from earlier had subsided.

Slowly prying his eyes open, he found himself looking directly at Professor Kim.

“You’re awake.”

“…Professor.”

Rowoon weakly glanced around. There was a gap in his memory, and that unsettled him, but at least he was in his bedroom.

“Ugh…”

He tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness hit him, forcing him to collapse back down. Professor Kim gently pushed him back and checked his IV drip.

“It seems you overworked yourself and caught a fever. This happens around this time every year, doesn’t it? You should have been more careful.”

“…I have no excuse. Thank you for your help, Professor.”

As the professor said, Rowoon’s body was generally strong, but once a year, he would experience a severe burnout. It was like all the stress he had suppressed suddenly erupted at once, leaving him helpless.

It seemed that time of year had come earlier than expected.

Looking back, it wasn’t surprising—several major projects had launched back-to-back, and even having multiple bodies wouldn’t have been enough to keep up. On top of that…

“You don’t even have the slightest intention of getting along with me. Then there’s no reason for me to try to earn your favor.”

As much as he didn’t want to admit it, Shin Sera’s last words kept echoing in his mind, throwing him off balance.

They had spent their entire lives at each other’s throats. In their world, the moment one side seized victory, the other lost everything and was utterly destroyed.

That was just how it was supposed to be.

But now, Sera was suddenly acting as if it wasn’t the natural order of things. She had the audacity to want to fix their relationship, she reacted with disappointment to his coldness, and she even lashed out emotionally, as if she’d actually been hurt—only to end up being the one who felt let down in the end.

Rowoon couldn’t understand her.

He had an almost compulsive need to dissect and make sense of anything he couldn’t comprehend. It wasn’t something he could control—it was just how he was wired.

But what unsettled him even more was the realization that his feelings toward this changed Sera weren’t just annoyance or disgust. No, there was something sharper, something oddly grating beneath the surface—a sensation completely unfamiliar to him.

Confused by his own reactions, Rowoon started avoiding Sera.

It was ridiculous—like he was the one who had done something wrong. But it was still preferable to dealing with these strange, unexplainable emotions every time he saw her.

Maybe all that unnecessary mental strain had contributed to his current condition.

“Professor, how did you get here?”

“Vice President Shin called me.”

At the mention of the very person he had just been thinking about, Rowoon’s pupils twitched slightly. Unaware of his inner turmoil, Professor Kim continued speaking without being asked.

“You collapsed unconscious. Vice President Shin seemed very alarmed. She was quite worried about you.”

“…”

“Blood doesn’t make a family. You live under the same roof—that makes you family in its own way.”

‘What a load of bullshit.’

Rowoon scoffed.

But when Sera suddenly threw open the door and strode in, he wasn’t quick enough to hide his reaction.

“You look better than I expected.”

Her expression was completely devoid of concern as she glanced at him over, then turned to greet Professor Kim with warm politeness.

“Thank you for coming so late, Professor. I’ll make sure to properly compensate you for your help.”

“There’s no need for that. If you send someone to the hospital tomorrow, I’ll provide a prescription. A few days of rest should be enough for him to recover.”

“Well, he’s a grown man. He can take care of his own health. No need to worry too much.”

Rowoon frowned, irritated by how natural Sera’s role as his guardian seemed to feel to both her and Professor Kim. He couldn’t get used to it.

“Then, take care, Professor.”

The moment the door closed behind him, Sera’s polite demeanor vanished. The way she looked at Rowoon now was completely different—gone was the warmth she had shown to Professor Kim. Instead, she stared at him with sheer exasperation and obvious annoyance.

“Are you an idiot?”

Rowoon’s frown deepened at the stark difference in her tone. And now she was insulting him on top of it?

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“What’s so important about work that you run yourself into the ground like this? No matter how high and mighty you act, you still only have one body, you know?”

She sounded blunt, but there was a strange, almost imperceptible trace of concern in her voice. It threw him off enough that he couldn’t think of a retort. Before he could say anything, Sera stepped closer and picked up the ice pack that had been resting on his forehead.

“It’s already melted. Ugh, what a hassle. I’ll get a new one.”

“Forget it. Just get out.”

Rowoon harshly swatted her hand away. But Sera merely let out a long sigh, as if she had expected that reaction. Then, instead of backing off, she grabbed his wrist—firmly. Rowoon froze, caught completely off guard by the unexpected contact.