✓ IF YOU STAY | HEESEUNG

27 - Gnawing Guilt

"Here you go, Danbi," Y/N crouched down in front of her dog while she put his food bowl down on the floor. Danbi wagged his tail enthusiastically and began devouring his food, seemingly uninterested in the feelings Y/N tried so hard to put aside. "You're ignoring me, aren't you?"

After her visit to Heeseung's store, Y/N couldn't help but think about his words and the way he had looked at her. She found herself daydreaming about a future where she wore a wedding dress he had designed. It was a beautiful and romantic thought, but also entirely unrealistic. Heeseung was a single father, and Y/N didn't want to complicate his life any further.

But who was he making the dress for? The question could never leave her mind. It lingered like a persistent itch, and Y/N found herself trying to imagine who the lucky woman might be. She knew she had no right to pry into Heeseung's personal life, but her curiosity got the better of her.

"Come here, let's do some work," She patted the empty space beside her on the couch and watched as Danbi abandoned his food dish and eagerly hopped onto the couch, curling up beside her. Y/N absentmindedly stroked his soft fur as she started organizing her tasks and to-do list for the day. And after a bunch of online meetings and finished tasks, she leaned against the couch, her coffee in hand, and let out a sigh. "Do you think calling Minjae to play with you is a good idea?" At the mention of the boy's name, Danbi perked up, his ears twitching as if he understood.

So, Y/N quickly stood in front of her mirror, putting on subtle lipstick and adjusting her appearance.  After a few moments, she took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and decided to knock on their door. "Minjae, stop getting- oh, good morning, Y/N." Heeseung opened the door and she smiled at the sight of him. It looked like he had just finished breakfast, his apron still tied around his waist. She didn't understand why she found him incredibly hot right then and her heart seemed to race a little faster. She blinked, trying to push those thoughts aside, and greeted him with a friendly smile.

"Good morning, Heeseung." She replied. "Uhm, I was wondering if Minjae would like to play with Danbi for a while. I have a lot of free time today, so I figured you could work freely if he's with us."

"Really? That would be great, actually. He has been looking for something fun to do today," Heeseung said, his smile widening. "Let me grab his toys and call him." Y/N nodded and watched as Heeseung disappeared for a moment before returning with a box of toys and calling for Minjae. The young boy's face lit up when he saw Y/N waiting in the hallway. "You'll stay with Noona and not make any trouble, okay?" Heeseung told Minjae, ruffling his hair affectionately.

Hearing him call her 'Noona' made Y/N's heart flutter once more. She felt a warmth spreading inside her as she watched Minjae and his father. It was a simple scene, yet it felt strangely perfect. "Danbi is so excited to play with you, Minjae. You'll have a great time together," Y/N said, smiling at the young boy.

Minjae nodded enthusiastically, and Heeseung's eyes softened before he stood up, his body towering over Y/N's once again. "You're doing me a huge favor, Y/N. I'm very thankful."

"It's nothing, Danbi gets to play with someone so it's a win-win." She shrugged, avoiding Heeseung's gaze, which seemed to linger on her for a moment longer than usual. "We'll get going now. Good luck with your work, Heeseung." He nodded appreciatively and she left with Minjae who seemed to be over the moon to play with Danbi. When the two stepped inside her place, Danbi rushed to Minjae, licking his hands and wagging his tail enthusiastically. Minjae giggled and knelt down to pet the excited dog.

"Danbi is so cool!" Minjae exclaimed, his eyes shining with delight. "Can we play with my toys, Noona?"

"Of course." She smiled. "Do you want want some chocolate?" 

Minjae's eyes lit up at the mention of chocolate. "Yes, please, Noona!" Y/N chuckled and retrieved some chocolate from her kitchen. She handed a piece to Minjae, who eagerly accepted it with a grin. They sat down together on the living room floor, surrounded by toys and chocolate, enjoying each other's company while the dog watched them with an occasional wag of his tail.

Her heart was full of the joy of spending time with Minjae, a sweet and energetic boy who had quickly become dear to her. But when Y/N got back to work with Minjae playing on the floor beside her, she heard him cough and saw his face scrunch up in discomfort. "Minjae? What's wrong?" She rushed to his side while he held his stomach and cried in pain. She didn't know what was wrong with him so she quickly carried him in her arms and rushed out of her place to go tell Heeseung. 

And upon opening his door, Heeseung's eyes widened in concern as he saw Minjae in Y/N's arms, clearly in distress. "Y/N, what happened?" He asked, rushing forward to take his son from her.

"He was fine, but then he started coughing and clutching his stomach," Y/N explained while fidgeting with her fingers. "I gave him some chocolates and he was playing-"

"Fuck, Y/N, he's allergic to hazelnuts," Heeseung quickly rushed inside to grab his keys and closed the door behind him before running downstairs. "We need to go to the hospital."

"I'll go with you." She gulped, closing her apartment's door before she followed after him and Heeseung drove to the hospital in a hurry, with Y/N sitting in the backseat next to Minjae, who was still in pain and discomfort. The drive to the hospital felt like an eternity, and she couldn't help but blame herself for not being careful. 

When they arrived at the hospital, Heeseung rushed inside with Minjae, and Y/N followed closely behind. The medical staff quickly took charge, and Y/N stood there, feeling helpless while fidgeting with her fingers and biting her lower lip, anxiously waiting for any news about Minjae. "I'm so sorry I didn't-"

"Do you even realize that he can die from this?" His voice was sharp and Y/N flinched for a second, closing her eyes to not hear the anger in Heeseung's tone. She knew he was scared, angry, and worried, and she couldn't blame him.

"I should have been more careful... I never thought to ask about allergies, and I just..." Fists clenched, she looked down. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't know. I'm sorry I didn't think it through properly." She could only stand there with the weight of guilt weighing heavily on her while he sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. Now she knew Heeseung wouldn't let Minjae spend time with her and the thought of being of potential danger to him made her feel even more ashamed.

The minutes dragged on, and Y/N's anxiety only grew as she waited for news about Minjae's condition. And when the doctor stepped out and informed them that he was okay and that his condition wasn't too bad, a wave of relief washed over Y/N. She watched as Heeseung stepped inside the room where Minjae was being checked, but her legs couldn't move. So she walked away, feeling like a failure for letting her lack of awareness put Minjae's life in danger. Her footsteps echoed in the sterile hospital, her guilt growing with every step she took.