A Shocking Surprise

The afternoon sun crept gently into the room, brushing the edge of the bed before slowly gliding up to Owen’s sleeping face.
Ailine blinked awake—then her heart stopped.

Owen.
Was.
Sleeping.
Next to her.

Not on the sofa.
Not on the chair.
But in the same bed. Together.

His hand was still resting on her stomach, as if he had spent the entire night making sure she didn’t stop breathing.

Ailine held her breath.

Oh God… she was so not ready for a moment like this.

“Aaahhh, I want to scream! God, what kind of blessing is this? I slept with Owen! If I could be selfish, I’d freeze time right now so this moment lasts forever!”

She held her breath, her voice, and her heart—all at once. She was going to savor every second of this rare, heavenly sight: Owen in his adult version.

“He changed a little over the years. He’s gotten even more handsome… Okay, maybe I’m blinded by my feelings, but seriously—adult Owen is just… damn. Sexy. That sharp jawline… those thin lips… ugh…”

She swallowed, then quickly shook her head.
That was definitely the devil whispering things she shouldn’t think about.

But a moment later, Owen shifted.
Ailine instantly shut her eyes and pretended to sleep.

But his voice came, low and calm:

“You’re pretending.”

Ailine shot up. “No, I’m not!”

Owen sat up, still half-asleep but with that signature cold expression.

“How’s your temperature?”

Again. Completely normal. Calm. Professional.
As if they hadn’t just slept next to each other.
His “doctor mode” was unbeatable, and Ailine hated that.

“…Better,” she muttered.

“Is that so?”
Without warning, Owen placed his hand on her forehead.

Ailine froze, staring at him in disbelief.
Why… why did he do things so suddenly like this?
How was she supposed to control her heartbeat?!

She turned her face away before her chest exploded.
Okay, that was dramatic—but accurate.

Just when the room began to heat up—

The bedroom door swung open.

“MISS AILINE! I bought the bre—”

Emma stopped.

Her eyes widened.
Her mouth hung open.
The bag of bread nearly slipped from her hand.

She saw Owen.
She saw Ailine.
She saw the nonexistent distance between them.

They were both on the… bed?

What kind of scene was this?

“…Oh dear God,” Emma whispered. “Do I need five minutes to pray, or should I quietly disappear?”

“EMMA! It’s not what you think!” Ailine panicked.

“Okay,” Emma nodded, pointing at them with the bread. “Whatever you say. But this looks like a pretty steamy movie scene, Miss Ailine.”

“Hey!!”

Owen gave Emma a brief, stoic glance.
“Don’t disturb the patient.”

Emma gasped.
So the 9-door refrigerator doctor could… talk?

“Oh. You’re defending her now? Wow. Amazing. A medical drama.”

“EMMA!!”

Emma giggled as she backed out.
“I shall leave Miss Patient and Mr. Doctor alone! Please continue your scene!”

The door closed. Emma ran to the kitchen to drop off the bread.

Ailine, meanwhile, wanted to dig a hole and bury herself alive.

Owen stood and adjusted his clothes.

“I’m heading back. I have a surgery in an hour.”

“Eh?! Why so fast?”

Ailine immediately got up, dramatic as always—forgetting she was supposedly sick.

“Because that’s my job.”

“But…”

Ailine bit her lip.
Then—without thinking—she wrapped her arms around Owen’s leg from the side.

Owen froze. His eyes widened for a split second—
a rare reaction from someone usually so unshakably calm.

Was this… childish?
Ailine had a side like this?

And no, it wasn’t her fever.
Her temperature was completely normal.

“…Ailine.”

“I don’t want you to go…” she mumbled into his pants. “I’m dizzy… the room is spinning…”

“You’re lying.”

“I’M NOT!”

“You stood up perfectly fine one second ago.”

“That was… the power of love.”

The power of—
Owen sighed.

“Ailine…”

He crouched, bringing their faces closer.
“Why are you acting like this? I never knew you had this side to you.”

Ailine fell silent. Her eyes softened.

“Because when you leave… it feels weird.”

“Weird how?”

“It just feels weird!”

“I know, but how? You’re already better. I can leave you now.”

“I said it feels weird, so it feels weird!”

Owen exhaled, long and resigned.
Was this what people called “pouting”?

He placed his hands gently on her shoulders.

“I have to go. My patient is waiting. It can’t be delayed—it’s life or death.”

Ailine understood completely.
But her heart was stubborn.

“Then…”
Her voice dropped.
“…come back tonight.”

“Must I?”

“Yes! Mandatory!”

Owen paused, then held her gaze.

“If I finish early, I’ll come.”

“And tomorrow?”

He closed his eyes, defeated.
“…Yes. Tomorrow too.”

A small, warm, embarrassed smile bloomed on Ailine’s face.
Her childish trick worked, after all.

Owen headed for the door, then stopped.
He returned briefly and—

placed his hand on her head in a quick, gentle pat.
Very Owen-like.

Then he left.

The door closed.

The atmosphere shifted instantly.

Ailine stared at nothing for a moment—
then collapsed onto the bed, hugging a pillow.

Mortified. Happy. Panicked.
A chaotic blend of emotions.

She touched the top of her head where Owen had patted her.
A smile spread across her face—borderline insane.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

She screamed in delight.

Emma appeared in the doorway holding a cup of coffee.

“Miss Ailine, what happened?”

“…”
Ailine only shook her head, still smiling like an idiot.

“You scream like that and expect me to believe nothing happened? Doctor Owen already left. Tell me what happened. Now.”

“NO!” Ailine hugged her pillow.

Emma raised an eyebrow.
“Miss Ailine, I’m not stupid. That man is definitely not just some random doctor. The energy between you two… suspicious. Spill. You’re in love with Doctor Owen and trying to trap him, aren’t you?”

Trap him?! What even?!

Ailine hid her face.
A tiny voice slipped out—

“He’s not some guy I’m chasing, Emma… I’m a celebrity with a clean image.”

Emma leaned in, intrigued.
She knew Ailine better than anyone: a top-tier superstar with zero dating scandals.

“So? What’s your relationship with Doctor Owen? I know he’s your doctor, but the atmosphere earlier was very different. Don’t lie to me—I’m extremely perceptive!”

Actually, Ailine felt she had nothing to hide from her personal assistant.
So she chose honesty.

“…he’s my ex.”

Silence.

Emma froze for three seconds—
then—

“WHAT?!?!”

She looked like she’d been smacked by a frying pan.

“T-T-That cold but handsome doctor—your ex? EX?! And you two slept together?! OH GOOD LORD—”

“We didn’t sleep together!! He just… stayed because I passed out!”

She fainted? Important.
But Emma had bigger questions.

Emma pointed at her dramatically.

“I need five minutes to digest this. YOU had an ex like THAT?! DOCTOR OWEN—THE HANDSOME, COLD, HOSPITAL HEARTTHROB?! Why did you break up? HOW ARE YOU STILL FUNCTIONING AS A HUMAN BEING?!”

Ailine covered her ears.

“Emmaaa, keep your voice down…”

Emma stared at the ceiling, dramatically tragic.

“Unbelievable. I’ve gotten nothing but ghosted men, meanwhile YOU—famous superstar, goddess-level beauty, rich—and your ex is literally a Korean drama male lead in real life? The world is unfair!”

“EMMA STOP! You’re being ridiculous!”

“And he clearly still likes you!”

Ailine stiffened.

“H-Huh? O-Owen still likes me? T-That’s impossible… ha-ha-ha…”

Her laugh was questionable.
But her heart hoped hard.

Emma clicked her tongue.

“Miss Ailine, you said you fainted, right? You were sick?”

“Um… yeah…”

“And out of all the numbers in your phone, you called Doctor Owen?”

“He’s a doctor! I just thought of him…”

“And he came IMMEDIATELY?”

“Yes… pretty fast actually.”

“Hmm… if a man comes running to watch you sleep all night, take care of you until noon, gives you those eyes… Those aren’t ‘ex’ eyes. Those are ‘I-still-love-you-and-I-hate-that-I-still-do’ eyes.”

Ailine fell silent.
Her cheeks heated.

Emma was speaking EXACTLY what she had been thinking.

Emma hugged her dramatically.

“I don’t know what happened in your past, but girl… that man is absolutely not done with you.”

Ailine swallowed.

“Emma…”

“Hm?”

“I’m… not done either.”

Emma shrieked, squeezing her tighter.

“OH MY GOD WHY IS THIS STORY SO SWEET?!”

Ailine groaned into her pillow.

“Emmaaa…”

“Miss Ailine, I promise—when your fans protest your relationship someday, I’ll be on the frontline defending you both!”

“Stop jumping ahead! Owen’s still a little closed off!”

“That’s why YOU should make the first move! It’s not the era of waiting for men anymore!”

“Should I really?”

“Of course! Don’t forget—there’s a rumor Doctor Lisa is dating him! Your rival is a beautiful, angelic, genius doctor!”

“Ugh, don’t bring her up! You’re ruining my mood!”

“Then chase him harder! Until the wedding ceremony starts, you still have a chance to win!”

Honestly… Ailine did intend not to let go of Owen this time.
She had spent over ten years searching for him—no way she’d give him up again.

Impossible.

If Owen’s heart was still a frozen glacier,
Ailine would cause global warming herself—
just to melt it.