Limits of Paradise

Tae-eun felt stiff and achy after spending so much time with Hyun-ho the previous night. Even washing her face didn’t fully wake her up, and she walked the dog while half-asleep.

At work, even the sight of her handsome boyfriend couldn’t keep her from nodding off like a sleepy chicken. The mop felt especially heavy today, and she paused while cleaning the floor, only to realize she had fallen asleep standing up.

“Are you okay?”

Hyun-ho took the mop from her, looking concerned. Embarrassed, she patted her cheeks to wake herself up.

“I didn’t get much sleep. And I’m on my period.”

After scrutinizing her face, he guided her to the break room and sat her on the sofa, covering her with a thick blanket.

“Get some rest.”

“No, I need to work. I have to earn money.”

She pushed the blanket away and stood up, but he blocked her way.

“I’ll pay you even if you don’t work.”

“No way. I’ll work for my pay. Don’t stop me.”

Getting paid 40,000 won an hour to sleep on the sofa was something her conscience couldn’t handle.

Hyun-ho frowned as she stubbornly grabbed the mop and left the break room. From behind, he called out in a gentle voice.

“Want me to make you some coffee?”

Grateful that he was relenting, she smiled.

“Yeah, add an extra shot.”

“I’ll take care of the mopping. Come have your coffee.”

She massaged her sore arms as she approached the counter, which was filled with the rich aroma of coffee. The dark brew in the mug looked almost like a potion.

Even lifting the mug was a bit of a struggle. She wasn’t in her top form. Trying to shake off the sleepiness, she gulped down the bitter coffee.

As she watched Hyun-ho head to the bathroom with the mop, she suddenly felt nauseous. She barely managed to set the mug down on the counter before running to the bathroom, where she vomited.

“Song Tae-eun!”

The black coffee mixed with stomach acid burned her throat as she retched into the toilet. Hyun-ho, dropping the mop, hurried to her side, holding her hair back and rubbing her trembling back. His face looked ashen.

“Hmph…”

She glanced at him apologetically as she stood up, rinsing her mouth. He held her hair back once more while she cleaned up.

“Are you okay?”

“My throat hurts.”

Avoiding his gaze, her response seemed to irritate him. Though his eyes sharpened, his hand remained gentle as he touched the ends of her hair.

“My nose hurts too.”

Holding her hand, Hyun-ho led her back to the break room. This time, she accepted the blanket he draped over her without protest.

He sat beside her, staring at the cabinet opposite them. She could feel him sensing her gaze, but he didn’t turn to look at her.

“If I weren’t on my period, I’d think I was pregnant. Don’t these symptoms seem similar to pregnancy? In dramas, when the main character feels sleepy and throws up like I did, it usually turns out she’s pregnant, right?”

Tae-eun was probably trying to lighten the mood with her chatter. But he didn’t respond to her attempt.

“I can’t have children.”

“Right…”

Realizing her mistake, she fell silent. He looked at her, now subdued, and gently took her hand. Her large eyes, fringed with thick lashes, met his cautiously.

There was no lingering presence.

The spirits clinging to her had vanished after their kiss the previous night. Now, only the complete, human Tae-eun remained.

Then why did it hurt?

He sensed something was wrong. Had there been a problem with his process? Anxiety crept up his neck like a crawling insect.

“I should clean up the spilled coffee…”

“I’ll handle it. You rest.”

As Ji Hyun-ho stood up and let go of her hand, she grabbed his sleeve.

“I’m sorry, Hyun-ho.”

“For what?”

His voice came out colder than he intended. She flinched and released his sleeve.

“For falling asleep at work, spilling the coffee you made, and for throwing up.”

Tae-eun hung her head, mumbling. His gaze bore down on the top of her head before dropping away. He placed a warm hand on her head.

“Just rest.”

He quietly closed the break room door behind him. He could feel her eyes following him, but he couldn’t face her right now.

Looking directly into Song Tae-eun’s eyes, he feared he’d reveal his true nature and mess with her mind. He might go crazy trying to break through her defenses and end up driving her mad.

The coffee had spilled onto the floor, leaving a dark stain. He stood there, lost in thought for a long time.

***

“Why are you picking at your food?”

Boo Yun-hwa pushed a plate of grilled tilefish toward her daughter, who was eating very slowly. But when Tae-eun just stared at the side dishes, her mother used her chopsticks to place a piece of fish on her rice.

“Eat up. Are you trying to go on a diet?”

“I threw up.”

“What?”

Boo Yun-hwa jumped up from her seat, alarmed. She hurriedly opened the refrigerator, checking the glass jars filling the shelves.

“When did you throw up? Why?”

“Before work, I had some coffee, but then my stomach turned, and I threw up.”

“What could have caused that? Maybe indigestion…”

Finding the plum extract, Boo Yun-hwa started boiling water with the electric kettle, clearly worried. She felt her daughter’s hands to check if they were cold. Tae-eun looked up at her mother, chattering away.

“I threw up after eating at Hyun-ho’s place once before. I thought it was just indigestion then…”

“Stress must have weakened your stomach. Don’t force yourself to eat. Drink the plum extract and go to bed early, okay? I’ll make porridge for you tomorrow. Got it?”

“Okay.”

Tae-eun, having finally vented her worries to her mom, nodded and set her chopsticks down. She took the cup of warm plum tea and headed to her room.

Her gaze naturally fell on the bowl containing the camellia flower. How many days had it been? Even the flowers from the camellia tree in their yard didn’t stay this fresh for this long.

She habitually touched the red flower with her fingertip. The flower, which had been floating on the water, began to spin and suddenly turned yellow from the edges inward, shriveling up.

“What?”

The vibrant red petals seemed to burn away in an instant. The camellia, which had looked so fresh just moments ago, abruptly dried up and died. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing and held her breath.

“What is this…”

A chill ran down her spine as she sat back from the side table. The flower that had exuded a rich fragrance was now a withered, lifeless thing floating on the water. The sudden cold made her shiver.

“Ugh…”

The only thought in Tae-eun’s mind was to get rid of it immediately. She quickly tossed the flower into the trash and brought the bowl to her mom, who was washing dishes.

“What’s this?”

“The flower wilted, so I threw it away.”

“Just leave it here.”

Suddenly, she felt uneasy about letting her mom handle the bowl without knowing what had happened. She reached to take it back, but her mom had already started scrubbing it with detergent.

“That flower lasted a long time.”

“…Yeah.”

Tae-eun retreated quietly and hurried back to her room. Her heart pounded with anxiety, each beat echoing in her ears. Her trembling gaze wandered over the now-empty side table.

It wasn’t unusual for flowers to last a while. But for it to wither the moment she touched it… that was creepy.

She looked at her hand. In Greek mythology, King Midas turned everything he touched into gold. What if her touch brought death? The thought sent a shiver through her.

Thankfully, her phone rang, snapping her out of her unsettling thoughts. She sighed in relief when she saw who was calling and answered.

“Hey, Hyun-ho.”

– Have you had dinner?

Tae-eun looked at the plum tea, wondering if she should tell the truth, but opted for a little white lie.

“Yeah.”

– Liar. You barely ate, right?

As usual, Ji Hyun-ho saw right through her. His intuition was sharp as ever.

– Are you scared you’ll throw up?

“Partly. My stomach feels upset, so I don’t have much appetite. Mom made me some plum tea.”

– Drink that, at least.

His voice was gentle. Despite the chilly mood between them at the café earlier, now he was back to his usual playful and soothing self.

She relaxed, lying on her bed. Though the sudden death of the camellia flower still bothered her, she focused on his warm voice, needing the distraction desperately.

It was just a coincidence. Just like dreaming the same dream with Hyun-ho, the flower wilting was just an inexplicable coincidence. Nothing to be scared of.

– See you in my dreams.

As it neared ten, Hyun-ho ended the call early, concerned about her not feeling well, and gave his usual sign-off.

She fell asleep facing away from the side table. But instead of meeting him in her dreams, she was plagued by a terrible nightmare.

 

 

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