Jasmines In June

Fever

Hoon knew he had made a wrong impression on Jasmine. He had both regretted and owned it at the same time. He knew he needed to be direct to her but also wished the meeting could have played in less eventful ways. Maybe he shouldn't have opened his mouth. He's not a casual conversationalist, Hoon is a good speaker, but his lack of empathy makes it difficult to communicate casually especially with women, this is why he's still single and has dated very few women in his life.

Hoon soon rose to his feet. "Come with me," he motioned to Jasmine with his hand expecting her to follow and strode over by the door.

Jasmine stood up and walked behind him. Hoon led them to the room next door. "This will be your quarter for the next three months." He pushed open the door, sudden air rushed out of the room stirring the floating dusts. "You are to stay with me and tend to my needs twenty four seven."

Jasmine knew that and she read the clause in the contract but it still left the nauseating feeling of being trapped. Especially with the way Hoon said it. The unwavering authority and assurance in his voice made it sound like he owns her for the next three months of her life.

She stared in the room, a queen size bed, dresser and night stand, the room was decorated plainly meant to be cold and uninviting. Jun's more inviting room and uplifting company shoved in her thoughts wishing she's with him instead of Hoon right now. 

"If I could make it more pleasant for you, please let me know. I want you to feel comfortable around me."

She nodded. Comfortable is such a distant feeling right now. "This is fine. This room is bigger and better than what I have in my apartment."

She stepped inside passing Hoon as she walked sensing the rising heat from him. He'd just went through that whole ordeal earlier and more likely overexert himself. She glanced at him, seeing the redness on his cheeks and his heavy lidded eyes, Jasmine couldn't help but pour all her attention on him reaching her hand to his cheek feeling for his alarming temperature. 

Hoon swayed, he'd been under the weather before she even showed up earlier. "Is this how you determine people when they're sick?" He placed his hand over hers. He found it unusual that a simple girl could so easily reach out and touch him when most people around found him difficult, hard to get along and intimidating.

A blush appeared on her cheek, feeling the heat of her embarrassment. "It's instinct. That's how my mother could always tell."

This made him feel comforted, and this is what he'd been needing. A touch of a naturally caring woman to make him feel cared for. All his life he had never truly been closed to anyone, except for Yuan who took him under his wings and taught him all he knew about running a company. His mother died when he was young and the women he dated has always been the ambitious ones.

This is where him and Jun differs. Jun is the more outgoing, easy to get along and easy to get to know, while Hoon is more introverted and private. Always serious, always has his walls.

Hoon allowed this innocent intimacy to happen.

"You're burning up." 

"I know."

"I should call for your nurse."

"She already gave me all my medications. There's nothing else she'll do for me."

Jasmine dropped her bag by door. She now understood why he needed her. She could imagine no one had really cared for Hoon the way a mother or a sister would. Everyone around him is professional and he never really had a chance to loosen up or feel like he's human, no wonder he treated her way he did when she first arrived.

"You should get some rest."

Hoon knew he needed to get back in bed and he had planned for it as soon as he's done showing Jasmine to her room. He could only nod his head at this point feeling the swarm of aches and pains begining to ravage him.

"I will."