While Hajun sat on the edge of the bed, his small voice recounting the night's frantic events to a dazed Jin-woo, Eun-soo stepped out of the bedroom.
She found Han Soo-jin waiting anxiously in the living area of the suite, her hands clasped professionally but her eyes searching Eun-soo's for a sign.
Eun-soo didn't hesitate; her voice was clipped, shifting into the decisive tone of someone managing a crisis.
"Soo-jin, I need you to gather a few things immediately," Eun-soo requested, her mind running through a mental checklist of first aid.
"Please get me a reliable digital thermometer, high-strength fever medication, and a basin of lukewarm water with several soft towels."
Soo-jin, listening to the urgency in the Director's voice, realized that Jin-woo's condition was more than just simple exhaustion.
"I will fetch the medical kit and the supplies from the front office station right away, Director," Soo-jin replied with a respectful nod.
Eun-soo turned back and re-entered the bedroom, the soft fabric of her bear-patterned pajamas swishing against her legs.
She pulled a heavy, velvet-cushioned chair from the vanity set and dragged it across the carpet to the side of the bed.
She sat down beside Jin-woo, her presence a silent, steady anchor in the dim room as she waited for the supplies to arrive.
After several minutes, a soft knock announced Soo-jin's return with a tray containing the medicine, a thermometer, and the wet towels.
Eun-soo took the tray and immediately began the systematic process of stabilizing the man who had worked himself into a collapse.
She first reached for the thermometer, gently placing it to his temple to get an accurate reading of the heat radiating from his skin.
The device beeped: 39.2°C — a moderate to high fever that explained his delirium and the shivering in his limbs.
"Your temperature is far too high, Jin-woo," she murmured, more to herself than to him, as she noted the severity.
She then focused on hydration, knowing that a fever of this intensity would rapidly deplete his body's fluids.
She poured a glass of room-temperature water, adding a packet of electrolytes that Soo-jin had thoughtfully included on the tray.
"Drink this. Small sips," she commanded softly, supporting the back of his head as he leaned forward to drink.
Jin-woo tried to reach for his tablet on the nightstand.
"I need to check some emails..." he muttered, his voice raspy and weak.
Eun-soo's hand firmly blocked his reach, her eyes flashing with a rare, stern authority that brooked no argument.
"No screens. No work. No stress," she said, her voice a low, steady command that seemed to cut through his fever-fog.
"Everything is fine. Right now, your only job is to exist in this bed and recover."
She checked the room's temperature, ensuring it wasn't too cold, and adjusted the light clothing he was wearing.
Following the protocol for lukewarm sponging, she dipped a towel into the basin and wrung it out until it was just damp.
She applied the cloth to his forehead, then gently to his neck and wrists, helping his body shed the excess heat.
Finally, she administered the paracetamol, ensuring he swallowed it with enough water to avoid upsetting his stomach.
Once the immediate care was finished, Eun-soo sat back in the chair, her gaze never leaving his flushed face.
She looked toward Soo-jin and whispered, "Soo-jin, please take Hajun back to his grandparents' room. He needs to sleep."
Soo-jin nodded and gently guided the reluctant boy toward the door, leaving Eun-soo alone with the sleeping Jin-woo.
Eun-soo then picked up her phone and dialed Young-sook, her voice softening as the mother picked up on the first ring.
"Aunty, it's Eun-soo. He has a fever, but it's manageable now. I've given him medicine and I'm going to stay with him for a while."
"I've sent Hajun back to you with the manager. Please don't worry too much; I won't leave his side," she promised.
On the other side of the hotel, Young-sook let out a long sigh of relief as she ended the call and placed her phone down.
Jin-ho, who had been pacing the floor of their suite, turned to his wife with a look of confusion and slight frustration.
"Why didn't you allow me to go and check on him?" the retired professor asked, his fatherly instincts still flaring.
"Usually, you would be the first one to run to check his temperature and bring the medicine box. Why stay here?"
Young-sook looked at her husband, shook her head with a weary smile, and let out another long, meaningful sigh.
"All of you Jin-woo, his older brother, and you are exactly the same," she said, her voice tinged with a mother's wisdom.
"You understand physics and mathematics perfectly, but you do not understand the heart of a girl at all."
She paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts as she looked out at the moonlit Jeju landscape from their window.
"Did you not see how afraid Eun-soo was when she came to our door?" Young-sook asked her husband softly.
"I can see in one look that she has deep feelings for Jin-woo. I've seen that look in a woman's eyes before."
"She is from the Cha family, yes, but if she truly loves our son, it may not be impossible for them to be together."
"I did not want to be a third person in their time together right now. They need this silence to understand each other."
"Hajun is coming back now. Let us get ready for sleep. Jin-woo is in the best hands he could possibly be in."
As they discussed this, a soft knock sounded at their door; Young-sook opened it to find Hajun standing there with Soo-jin.
The grandmother thanked the manager warmly before bringing the tired, emotional boy into the safety of the suite.
"How is your uncle, Hajun?" Jin-ho asked, kneeling down to the boy's level as they prepared for bed.
"Teacher has already taken his temperature and given him the medicine," Hajun replied, his voice sleepy but relieved.
"She said he will be alright. She's staying with him to make sure the fever goes away," he added with a yawn.
Young-sook and Jin-ho nodded to each other, finally feeling the tension leave their own bodies as they turned off the lights.
Back in the North Wing, the room was draped in a peaceful, heavy silence, broken only by Jin-woo's steadier breathing.
Eun-soo sat perfectly still, her chin resting on her hand as she watched the rise and fall of his chest.
The wet towel rested on his forehead, a small, white contrast to his dark hair and the fever-flush of his cheeks.
Jin-woo, feeling the intensity of her gaze even through his closed lids, slowly opened his eyes and looked at her.
"Why are you looking at my face so intently?" he asked, his voice still a bit rough but much clearer than before.
Eun-soo, caught off guard and feeling a flush of her own, quickly looked away toward the far corner of the room.
"Nothing. I was just checking if the towel had slipped. You should go back to sleep and rest," she said defensively.
Jin-woo looked at her, his dark eyes searching hers with a clarity that made her heart skip a rhythmic beat.
"Miss Eun-soo, you can go back to your room now. I have already taken the medicine. I will be fine by tomorrow."
Hearing him call her "Miss Eun-soo" again that cold, professional barrier made a spark of genuine anger flare in her chest.
She stood up slightly, her hands gripping the edge of the chair as she glared down at him.
"Why are you calling me 'Miss' again and again?" she demanded, her voice rising just enough to show her irritation.
"After everything we've been through today... are we not friends? Do you still see me just as Hajun's teacher?"
Jin-woo, even while weakened by the fever, held his serious expression, his old-world values clashing with his current feelings.
"Yes, we are friends," he admitted slowly. "But there should still be proper conduct between us, given who you are."
Eun-soo looked at his stubborn, serious face and felt a wave of frustration wash over her.
She wondered if he was truly that dense, or if he was simply pretending not to notice the way she looked at him.
She let out a long, defeated sigh and sat back down, the anger fading into a soft, weary acceptance.
"Fine. You are a very difficult man, Seo Jin-woo," she whispered, reaching out to adjust the towel one more time.
"Call me whatever you like. Just get some sleep. I'm not going anywhere until the sun comes up."
Jin-woo didn't argue this time; he simply closed his eyes, the sound of her voice acting as the final, perfect sedative.