It was a swarm of bees.

At first, only two bees began circling around Joonho and Chaerin.

Joonho glanced up.

"Wow. Even the bees like your perfume."

Chaerin nervously laughed.

A few seconds later, four or five more joined them.

Joonho's smile slowly disappeared.

"Okay... I think they really like that perfume."

He glanced over his shoulder.

Then froze.

A trail of bees was steadily growing behind them.

"Uh..."

Chaerin followed his gaze.

"Oh my God!"

Her voice immediately jumped an octave.

"They're following us!"

Joonho didn't waste another second.

"We need to dump this bicycle and run like hell."

"I am not ready for this!" Chaerin cried. "I'm scared!"

Suddenly, she shrieked.

"Oh my God! One is stuck in my hair! My hair!"

She frantically ran her fingers through her hair, trying to get the bee out.

In the process, she pulled out her butterfly clips and shoved them into Joonho's jacket pocket.

"Take care of my butterfly clips! They're my favorite!"

"Stop talking like that," Joonho shouted. "You're not dying!"

Then his expression turned apologetic.

"Chaerin, I'm really sorry for what I'm about to do."

She stared at him.

"What does that even mean?"

"Just trust me."

Before she could ask another question, Joonho turned the bicycle sharply and sped toward the nearby park.

People were peacefully enjoying their afternoon.

Families sat on picnic mats.

Children played.

Couples strolled beneath the trees.

Then came Joonho and Chaerin.

Racing downhill through the grass.

Screaming at the top of their lungs.

"MOVE!"

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

"RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!"

People immediately stood up in alarm.

Some jumped aside.

Others simply stared.

A few curious individuals even started following them to see what was happening.

The bees, however, remained completely focused on their two targets.

By the time they reached the far end of the park, they found themselves near the public library.

Joonho slammed the bicycle to a stop.

Without hesitation, he grabbed Chaerin's hand.

"Jump!"

Together, they leaped straight into the large fountain.

Water exploded around them.

A moment later, the swarm lost interest and dispersed.

Both surfaced, gasping for breath.

Joonho immediately shrugged off his jacket and wrapped it around Chaerin.

Then he climbed out first and looked around.

Spotting two pedestrians nearby wearing jackets, he politely asked if he could borrow them for a moment.

After a brief explanation, both agreed.

Using the jackets, he carefully wrapped them around Chaerin's waist like a makeshift skirt.

Surprisingly, it looked quite fashionable.

Only then did he hold out his hand.

"Come on."

Chaerin accepted it and stepped out of the fountain.

"Thank you," she said.

Then she turned to the two pedestrians.

"And thank you for the skirt."

The two laughed.

"Could I get your addresses?" she asked. "I'll return the jackets."

As they handed her their cards, Joonho quickly stepped in.

"Don't worry. I've got it."

He collected the cards and slipped them into his pocket.

At that moment, a woman from the crowd approached them.

She had been watching the entire incident.

"I'm a nurse," she said.

Then her expression changed.

"Wait."

She stepped closer.

"Are you bleeding?"

Chaerin touched the side of her head.

"Oh. Right."

The nurse frowned.

"How long has that been bleeding?"

"I hit my head at home."

"I put a bandage on it," Chaerin explained. "But it never really stopped bleeding."

"We were actually on our way to the hospital before the bees attacked us."

The nurse immediately nodded.

"Oh, sweetheart. You're probably going to need stitches."

Chaerin instantly grabbed Joonho's hand.

Tightly.

Very tightly.

The nurse smiled.

"The hospital where I work is only five minutes away."

Seeing the panic on Chaerin's face, Joonho immediately stepped forward.

"Not a problem. We'll come with you."

Then he turned toward Chaerin.

"Hey."

She looked at him.

"It's okay."

"I got stitches years ago."

"The worst part is the injection."

"After that, you barely feel anything."

The nurse smiled warmly.

"Your older brother is very sweet."

"I wish I had a brother like him."

Joonho blinked.

"Brother?"

He pointed at himself.

"Me?"

Chaerin bit her lip so hard she nearly burst out laughing.

"Let's go," she said quickly. "Before I faint from blood loss."

The nurse laughed.

The walk to the hospital somehow felt like the longest five minutes of their lives.

Chaerin couldn't stop giggling.

"I am not old," Joonho complained.

"I might look mature, but I'm not old."

That only made her laugh harder.

The nurse eventually turned around.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"I didn't mean to offend you."

Joonho sighed dramatically.

"Thank you."

"I knew you weren't actually her brother."

Joonho stopped walking.

"What?"

The nurse grinned.

"I like messing with people."

Then she pointed between them.

"I know you like her."

Both teenagers immediately froze.

The nurse looked far too pleased with herself.

Joonho cleared his throat.

"We only recently started hanging out."

"We'll see where things go."

Chaerin nodded rapidly.

"Yes. Exactly."

The nurse's smile widened.

"Sure."

A few moments later, they reached the hospital.

"Here we are."

As Chaerin was escorted toward the treatment room, she clung to Joonho's hand so tightly that her nails dug into his skin.

He didn't react.

He knew she was terrified.

"Don't worry," he said softly.

"I'll be right outside."

The nurse asked for her parents' contact information while the doctor prepared to clean the wound.

"You'll be fine," Joonho reassured her.

"Just stay strong."

Chaerin nodded.

"Okay."

The treatment room door closed.

Joonho sat quietly on a nearby bench.

Everything finally seemed calm.

Then—

THUD.

A loud crash echoed through the hallway.

Inside the treatment room, Chaerin immediately turned toward the door.

A commotion had broken out outside.

Through the rectangular glass panel, she could see nurses rushing past.

She craned her neck to get a better look.

The doctor sighed.

"You are far too nosy for someone currently getting stitches."

"Sit still."

"Sorry," she whispered.

Completely unaware that the person causing the commotion was Joonho.

Outside, nurses were gathered around him.

One checked the side of his neck.

"There are bee stings here."

Another noticed several stingers embedded through the front of his shirt.

"Not just one."

She carefully lifted part of the fabric.

The skin across his chest and stomach was visibly swollen.

"Oh no."

The nurses exchanged worried looks.

"I think he got stung by a lot more bees than we realized."