The sunlight slanted gently through the sheer curtains, casting a warm glow across the room.
Yeri stirred with a yawn, her hand reaching out instinctively for her phone. She blinked at the time. 7:12 AM.
Her brows furrowed.
Something was… off.
There was warmth at her back. A solid weight. A rhythmic breath brushing the back of her neck.
She stiffened.
Wait. Warmth? Back? Neck??
Her eyes flew open, darting around as she slowly turned her head. And there it was.
An arm.
A well-toned, very male arm, securely wrapped around her waist.
Her gaze traced upward.
Oh no. Oh no no no.
Shin Keir.
Sleeping. Peacefully. Face relaxed, hair tousled over his forehead like some romance novel model left to marinate in sin and bad decisions.
Why is this scene so familiar?
Her brain idled for a full five seconds. Then she did what any normal girl would do.
Panic.
She started whisper-shouting like a madwoman. "Shin Keir! Hey! Wake up!"
She wriggled violently, trying to dislodge herself from his steel-like hold, but all that got her was a sleepy grumble and a tighter squeeze. His face nuzzled closer into her shoulder like she was his favorite pillow.
She tried to sit up but felt the full weight of his arm holding her down.
"SHIN. KEIR." She gave his chest a firm shove, but he didn't budge. Just frowned and muttered something incoherent.
Yeri's heart was slamming like a drum inside her chest. He was supposed to leave!
"Get up! You're going to get me expelled!" she hissed. "If someone walks in, I'm changing my name and moving to the mountains."
Still no response.
She gritted her teeth and grabbed his face gently, but firmly. That's when she paused.
His skin was warm.
Too warm.
She pressed the back of her hand to his forehead, her annoyance instantly melting into concern.
He's burning up.
Yeri gasped. "You're running a fever?!"
She gave him another nudge, gentler this time. "Shin? Hey. Wake up. Are you okay?"
His eyes fluttered open slightly, unfocused and groggy.
She stared, torn between horror and confusion. "Why is this happening to me?"
Yeri sat up, finally managing to extract herself from his grip. "How long have you been like this? You were fine last night—well, besides trespassing and sleep deprivation."
She touched his forehead again. His fever was real and intense.
Quickly, she slid out of bed, pulled on a hoodie over her sleepwear, and moved to the kitchenette to grab a glass of water, her medicine pouch, and a cool damp towel.
Yeri returned to his side, kneeling beside the bed with trembling hands. Shin was barely conscious now, his breaths shallow and uneven, mumbling incoherent words she couldn't quite make out. The sharpness that usually defined his features had dulled. In sleep, he looked almost… vulnerable. Human.
She gently placed a damp towel over his burning forehead, then tried to coax him into taking the fever medicine she'd managed to find. But his lips barely parted. He'd already slipped into unconsciousness.
"It's over. It's over!" Yeri muttered in rising panic, clutching her hair and pacing in tight circles. "I'm done for. They'll expel me. I'll be on the news."
What sort of past-life crime had she committed to deserve this? To be saddled with a feverish CEO?
If she didn't call an ambulance, she might be in serious trouble. But if she did call one—oh, she'd be in far greater trouble. A public scandal. Police involvement. Parents contacted.
Headlines like: 'Elite Student Caught Harboring Sick CEO in Dorm' flashed through her mind.
Compensation? Ha! There was no such thing as equality in this so-called "mutual benefits" relationship.
If anything, she had already overpaid—emotionally, mentally, physically. She'd been chased through the city like a fugitive, almost went to heaven with him trespassing, and now? Now her academic reputation was about to go down in flames.
Not that she didn't care about him. He was sick, after all. She wasn't heartless. But she had warned him last night about the dorm supervisor's routine inspection.
Did he think she was kidding?
With Shin Keir's broad frame and towering height, sneaking him out was out of the question. He wouldn't fit in her wardrobe. The bathtub was a tight squeeze even for her. And under the bed?
Forget it—unless she dislocated his limbs.
Her mind raced. She needed a miracle. Her thoughts zigzagged until—click! Her eyes widened. "Right. His phone!"
Without hesitation, Yeri pounced on him like a desperate thief. She rummaged through his clothes, shamelessly checking every pocket and crevice, ignoring where her hands ended up. Modesty was a luxury she couldn't afford.
"Come on, come on—gotcha!" She yanked the sleek device from his pocket and held it up like a trophy. After unlocking it with his fingerprint, she scrolled through the contact list and quickly tapped on the name: Tristan.
Didn't he say she could call him anytime she needed help? Sure, showing up at his villa had been a no-go—but this was a phone call. And more importantly, Tristan knew about her strange association with Shin Keir.
The phone rang a few times before someone picked up.
"Hello?" a groggy voice answered.
On the other end, Tristan squinted at the caller ID. Shin Keir's name? That was strange. He double-checked the screen, rubbed his eyes, and then checked again.
"Hello? Is this Brother Tristan?" Yeri's voice came through, urgent and high-pitched.
Tristan's brow furrowed. A girl? He held the phone away, blinking at it again as if the screen would give him answers. Was this a prank?
"Hello? Are you still there? It's Yeri," she said quickly.
Finally, realization dawned on him. He chuckled. "Yo. He stayed at your place?"
There was a weary sigh from her end. "Uhm, do you have time? Are you alone? I need to tell you something important."
Tristan glanced at the sleeping woman beside him and grunted, dragging himself out of bed. He stepped onto the balcony, letting the chilly morning air jolt him awake.
"Alright, shoot."
"He's here—in my dorm," Yeri whispered. "He has a high fever, and he's not waking up. I—I'm seriously freaking out. The dorm supervisor's doing a room check at nine, and if she finds him here, I'm dead. Is there any way you can come get him? Quietly?"
For a moment, there was silence. Then a soft snort from Tristan. He wanted to laugh—but her voice sounded close to tears.
And knowing Shin, he probably barged into her room last night like an entitled noble, uninvited and unannounced. A fever, though—that was new. Shin never got sick.
The man was a machine. He could pull all-nighters, skip meals, close billion-dollar deals, and still had the nerve to verbally decimate an executive team with the flu.
"Alright, alright. Don't worry. I'll come pick up that troublemaker."
Yeri exhaled in relief. "Thank you! The supervisor comes at 9 a.m.—and I think the cleaning staff already started making rounds."
Tristan checked the time. Almost 8 a.m. Not much time left. "Try to stall anyone who comes near your room. I'll be there soon."
After gathering some key details about the school and dorm access, Tristan ended the call and quickly began making arrangements. He changed into casual clothes, barking orders to his people.
As for the sleeping beauty in his bed? His butler knew the drill—she'd be gone before noon.
---
Back at the dorm, Yeri felt marginally calmer. She paced the room, glancing between Shin's unconscious form and his phone.
She checked his temperature again. Still hot. She replaced the towel on his forehead, frowning deeply.
If this sleeping emperor woke up delirious or worse—brain damaged—she would be held accountable. Sure, she wasn't a genius in economics or stock markets, but she wasn't clueless either. Shin Keir's conglomerate practically propped up the national economy. And now the CEO of Keir Group was feverish in her dorm bed.
Just as she finished tucking the blanket around him, a sharp knock made her jump.
Her heart skipped a beat. Slowly, she crept to the door and peered through the peephole. The janitress. She froze.
No movement. Maybe if she pretended she wasn't home, the cleaning lady would go away.
Then came footsteps. Voices. People chatting outside.
And then—Nina's voice.
Of course. Her friend was back. Yeri's stomach dropped.
"She might still be sleeping. Hold on, I'll call her," Nina said cheerfully.
"No, no, no!" Yeri whispered in horror. She cursed under her breath but knew Nina meant no harm.
The school dormitories were top-tier, and weekend cleaning requests were common. She just hadn't expected a surprise houseguest from hell.
Without a choice, she cracked open the door and forced a polite smile. "Oh! Hi. No need for cleaning today. I, uh, did it myself last night."
The janitress blinked. "Oh? That's rare."
Yeri vehemently nodded, taking Shin's cleaning credit without guilt.
The janitress eventually left. Yeri drag Nina in and slammed the door shut—only to see Nina staring at her like she'd grown a second head.
"Something's weird about you," Nina said, arms crossed.
"Have you seen Principal Red downstairs?" Yeri asked, avoiding her gaze.
Principal Red—nickname for the dorm supervisor, infamous for her strict demeanor and legendary punctuality. She was known for scolding students like a drill sergeant and catching rule-breakers before they could even blink.
Nina tilted her head. "I might've seen her? Or maybe not. You know she's always on time."
Yeri grabbed her by the shoulders. "Please, please, distract her if she comes up. Say your goldfish needs to see a vet or —anything!"
Before Nina could protest, Yeri grabbed her arm and yanked her toward the bed.
Nina's eyes nearly popped out of her skull when she saw him. "You—you brought a man to the dorm?! Did you lose your mind?!"