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Chapter 15
When Bada woke up, she blinked her blurry eyes.
The first thing she saw was a ceiling fan spinning above her.
“Mm…”
As she slowly raised her body and looked around, warm sunlight filled the unusually high-ceilinged bedroom. Beyond the terrace, she could hear the sound of waves.
Where am I…? It looks like a luxury villa.
Still dazed, Bada felt as though she had returned to that day when she was thirteen—
Like a fragile girl who needed someone’s protection.
Then she felt a weight on her leg and lowered her gaze.
River was asleep, resting his head on his folded arms beside her.
Only then did she remember the moment before she lost consciousness—him running toward her after the accident.
“…River.”
A beam of sunlight danced across his neat forehead and sharp nose.
Looking at him sleeping so peacefully made her heart stir.
Did he take care of me? But… why? To you, I’m just a woman you met once.
Sensing her movement, he slowly lifted his eyelashes.
His gaze gradually focused on her, and he gave her a faint smile.
“You’re awake, darling?”
He reached out and gently held her hand.
“Are you feeling a little better?”
“…Yeah.”
“You hit your head on the board and lost consciousness for a bit. Do you remember?”
When she nodded, he softly stroked the back of her hand with his thumb.
“You got a small cut on your forehead, but nothing serious otherwise. Still, if you feel dizzy or uncomfortable anywhere, you have to tell me right away.”
After speaking, he examined her carefully, his eyes filled with concern.
“….”
When Bada lowered her gaze with a complicated expression, he tightened his grip slightly.
“What is it? Does something hurt?”
The warmth of his hand and the worry in his voice made her eyes grow hot.
Thank you for staying by my side.
Overwhelmed, her lips trembled as she spoke.
“…You know. I’m not exaggerating.”
Even at her sudden words, River did not look surprised. He simply looked at her quietly.
She worried he might think she was strange.
Yet her tears would not stop.
Perhaps because of the medicine, her mind still felt like it was drifting between dream and reality.
River closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again—as if he understood everything.
As if he knew her circumstances.
Wiping the corner of her eye with his thumb, he spoke gently.
“I know.”
His voice carried quiet certainty.
“I know you’re not exaggerating.”
The villa where he stayed was located alone on a cliff in an area called Pererenan, next to Canggu.
Behind the modern two-story building stretched an infinity pool overlooking the Indian Ocean, making it look like a luxury resort.
Breathing in the faint scent of sage drifting somewhere in the air, Bada thought,
Just how rich is he, to rent a villa like this all by himself?
There was even a live-in staff member staying in a separate building.
However, the so-called staff member was a large, middle-aged white man, which felt oddly out of place.
“This is the villa’s manager… Morgan. He drops by occasionally, so if you need anything, just ask him.”
When River introduced him, the man seemed to flinch slightly before giving her a polite bow.
“Good day, Miss Yoo. It is an honor to meet you.”
A question surfaced in Bada’s mind.
…A man who looks like he should be wearing a military uniform and commanding troops on the front line is named Morgan? It doesn’t quite suit him. He looks more like a Rick or Bruce.
The name Morgan could even be used for women and carried a gentle, gentlemanly image.
It didn’t seem to match a muscular man who looked like the lead in a gritty action film.
Well, that’s just my prejudice.
After a thorough examination at the hospital, thankfully nothing serious was found.
Still, the doctor advised her to rest for a few days.
So Bada stayed in the villa all day, receiving care from River and Morgan.
The next day, as she lay in bed after waking up late, she heard a knock.
“You can come in.”
Creak—
The door opened, and River appeared.
“Good morning. You’re awake?”
He seemed to have just finished his morning workout, dressed casually in athletic clothes with his bangs falling naturally over his forehead.
There was something fresh and boyish about him that made her heart flutter for no reason.
“I brought breakfast.”
He placed a tray on the bedside table.
In the bowl was something that looked like white porridge.
He scooped up a spoonful and fed it to her. It tasted similar to chicken porridge.
“It’s exactly my taste. What is it?”
“Bubur ayam. I looked up what Koreans eat when they’re sick. They said this was the closest local dish.”
A small smile appeared on her face.
“…Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.”
She had never received such warm attention—even from her own family.
That made this situation feel unfamiliar, yet secretly comforting.
After she finished eating, he poured some syrup medicine onto a spoon.
“Ugh, I don’t want to.”
She was not usually the type to act spoiled, yet she couldn’t control herself.
River naturally played along.
He circled the spoon in the air like an airplane and said,
“Here comes the airplane.”
When she swallowed the syrup, they looked at each other and laughed like children.
Soon, his warm hand brushed against her cheek.
“You’re eating well.”
“You’re treating me like a baby.”
“So what? It’s because you’re cute like one.”
At that, she playfully rubbed her face against his hand like a child being affectionate.
His Adam’s apple bobbed noticeably.
When River let out a low sigh, she asked,
“What?”
“…Nothing.”
For a moment, she wondered if she had acted too childishly and smiled awkwardly.
He gazed at her intently.
Heat seemed to travel through the hand touching her cheek.
Her cheeks were flushed pink, as if excited.
Her full lips parted slightly as she breathed softly.
Even under the loose T-shirt she wore, her curved silhouette could not be completely hidden.
Did she know that when she rubbed her cheek against his hand like a small animal, she looked as if she were yearning for something?
More than anything, the scent of her body made his lower body tense.
He bit his lower lip.
Since when had he had the tendency to think such inappropriate thoughts about a woman who was injured? She kept making him discover sides of himself he had never known.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
When she asked, blinking her long lashes, he murmured her name in a dangerously low voice.
“Bada.”
“Yeah?”
“When you’re fully better, grant me one wish.”
“What kind of wish?”
“That’s a secret.”
“What? That’s unfair. I need to know what it is before deciding whether to grant it.”
“I saved your life, and you’re saying that? I’ll be hurt.”
He narrowed his eyes and pouted.
A man built like a rugby player, with the cool looks of a noble young master, acting cute like that made her laugh.
“Haha, fine, fine. I don’t know what the wish is, but sure—I’ll grant it.”
Only then did a smile spread across River’s face.
He hooked his pinky firmly with hers and pressed his forehead against hers.
“It’s a promise. Definitely.”
“Yeah. A promise.”
