Hey guys! Thanks for being patient for this update. My week got away from me. Anyway, I am loving writing Ji Hoo when he's a little older and already a doctor. I am writing his character from the perspective that enough time has passed for him to be cautious to fall in love more because he was scared to be hurt again rather than because he was still in love with Geum Jan Di.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy and as always let me know what you think!

Lucy stared at him like he just asked her to jump into the Han River. "Are you crazy?"

"Not that I am aware of," Ji Hoo replied dryly. "Why?"

"I am not going home with you!" She cried hotly. "I don't even know you."

"Yoon Ji Hoo," He held out his hand sarcastically. "I'm a doctor who likes to take random patients home so he can nefariously monitor their condition."

Lucy glared at him. "Don't be a jerk."

Seeing the tight lines of pain around her mouth and tired eyes, Ji Hoo immediately felt guilty for his snappy reply. "I'm sorry."

He sighed with exasperation at himself for being so grumpy towards a woman who probably had every right to be reluctant to go home with someone she barely knew. Hell, he would probably lose his mind if he found out Jan Di, Ga Eul, or god forbid, In Ha ever did this.

"We can't reach your roommate," Ji Hoo explained. "We've tried half a dozen times."

Lucy grumbled something darkly under her breath in English which made him grin. For looking so fresh and innocent, she certainly knew how to curse well.

"And since you can't walk plus with it being confirmed you have a mild concussion, I can't let you leave unattended. So," he spread his hands in apology. "You can either come home with me where I can keep an eye on you or you will have to spend the night here."

Lucy felt torn. Although this man seemed perfectly nice and professional, it still went against her instincts to go home with him. Her brothers would probably fly to Korea and kick her butt all the way back to the states if they found out about this. They were already calling her three times a day to check on her since it made them nervous for her to be traveling alone. She loved them but sometimes their protectiveness over her was suffocating.

Especially Kim Beom Seok who went out of his way to ensure no-one ever teased her or made comments about her obvious adoption. He had threatened to lock her in a closet when she first announced her intention to study a semester in Seoul. It had taken both her parents intervening to halt his disapproval.

Her other brother Chin Hae who was the reason she had been adopted in the first place and the one she was the closest too since they were only a year apart in age had been more agreeable to the idea. However, he still made her swear she would be careful and somehow Lucy didn't think going home with the handsome doctor was the kind of careful he had in mind.

Except she didn't really have a choice, Lucy reluctantly admitted. Her ankle was so swollen she couldn't even touch it and she knew enough about concussions to know she would need to be monitored for at least twenty-four hours. And there was no way she could afford to stay at the hospital overnight. So, with another curse at Lee Soo Jung for her late-night tendencies in the library without her phone, she nodded.

"I will go with you," Lucy said with a sigh. "Damn it."

He grinned. "You know most women don't usually find the idea so disagreeable."

"You must only date women with low taste then." Lucy snapped without thinking and his friend who had been standing in the corner listening gave a snort of laughter. Doctor Yoon clenched his jaw with a dark side-glare. "Woo Bin."

"Oh grow a sense of humor." He pushed himself up and gave Lucy a pleased expression. "You are going to fit in perfectly."

"Fit in where?"

"With the F4."

"F4?" Lucy wrinkled her nose in confusion. "Isn't that a computer program?"

Woo Bin laughed and turned to Ji Hoo who was openly scowling at him. "I like her. Make sure you keep this one."

"All right," Ji Hoo growled and pointed to the door. "Would you stop being an idiot and get the car please."

Woo Bin sighed dramatically before shooting Lucy a wink. "Don't mind him, sweetheart. His charm is not usually so hidden."

"Woo Bin!" Ji Hoo shouted impatiently. "Car. Now!"

"Fine."

As the door clicked shut, Lucy suddenly felt exhausted. It had been a long painful day. Catching the haggard expression, Ji Hoo's eyes softened. "I'm sorry about this. You can take a pain-pill now if you like or you can wait until we get to my place. Since they will probably make you sleepy."

"I will wait," Lucy gingerly slid off the bed making sure not to land on her injured foot. Ji Hoo moved swiftly and grabbed her arm to steady her. "Careful."

As her toes touched the cool tile, a shocking tingle of pain swept up her leg and she gasped. "Are you sure it's not broken?"

He nodded and rubbed her back comfortingly. "You have one of the worst sprains I have ever seen though... I must have stepped on your foot when we collided to cause such a wrench."

"Great." Not even aware of what she was doing, Lucy laid her forehead on his chest. His hand still sweeping up and down slowly over her back.

"Tired?" He murmured; his voice low with sympathy. "You can rest once we get you settled."

"Okay," Lucy agreed weakly and just continued to rest against him. The warmth of him and soothing glide of his hand lulling her into sleep when they heard the awkward clearing of a throat behind them.

"Sorry," Woo Bin called as they both jumped slightly. "But I brought the car."

Ji Hoo ignored his smug grin as he hurriedly stepped away from her. "Thanks."

"Uh-huh."

He gave Woo Bin another warning glare, not in the mood for this when he noticed Lucy was no longer able to function. Her eyes were red and glazed, and the only reason her body was not laid out on the floor was because he was holding her upright.

"What did he say?" She pointed to Woo Bin with a glare, her words fluctuating between English and Korean. "And tell him to quit spinning. It's giving me a headache."

Ji Hoo shook his head and bending down scooped her back into his arms. "Okay, I think you're done for the night."

Lucy didn't protest this time but he figured it was because she was practically unconscious versus anything else.

"You do that really well." She sighed as he began walking down the hall. "I doubt you will drop me like Robert."

Ji Hoo raised his eyebrow in amusement. "Robert dropped you?"

"Mmm-hmm. Three times… His arms were like noodles." She wiggled them drunkenly and he laughed softly. "But he said it was because I was too heavy."

Both Woo Bin and Ji Hoo stopped at that slurred comment. Lucy's frame was similar to Myeon Gi in the sense of them both being small. While Lucy might have more curves than Park Myeon Gi, she was in no way heavy. In fact, her entire waist would probably fit in one hand if he was so inclined to try it.

"Did she say someone called her fat?" Woo Bin whispered. "Because if so, I can fix his eyesight for him."

"Shhh," Ji Hoo said quickly noticing that she was asleep. They approached the car and he carefully lowered into the backseat. He buckled her awkwardly and grabbed the blanket Woo Bin always kept since Myeon Gi was notoriously cold all the time. He carefully studied the slumbering girl and moved a curl off her face. She looked so tired and ill that he felt like crap for being the cause of all this.

"I should probably offer to take a test or something for her." Ji Hoo told Woo Bin as they climbed into the front. "After all the trouble I've caused by running her over."

"Yeah." Woo Bin looked back at Lucy with a wince. "Honestly, I think you would have done less damage if you had just hit her with your motorcycle."

"Thanks."

They were quiet for a while until Ji Hoo couldn't stand it anymore and wrenched open the glove compartment to re-read the file Woo Bin had collected on her.

"What are you looking for?"

"Nothing in particular." Ji Hoo shrugged. "I was just curious to see if there was a mention of this Robert."

"Why?" Woo Bin grinned at him. "Do you want to be the one to fix his eyesight instead?"

"I hate you."

Lucy heard someone call her name but it sounded strange. Like someone was talking to her underwater. She forced herself to open her eyes and was taken back by the strange surroundings. She was in a massive room with the most comfortable bed she had ever felt. The room was open with lots of windows and rich colors which seemed to engulf her with warmth.

Fighting against the desire to snuggle back under the covers, she slowly sat up.

"Sorry to wake you." A deep voice said softly and she rolled her head to see Doctor Yoon sitting next to her with a glass of water. "But you need to take this. Otherwise, your head will hurt more than your ankle in the morning."

"Thanks." She took the pill and winced as the water rushed down her parched throat. He took the glass from her and instructed her to follow his finger. "I hate to do this but I will need to wake you up about every four hours."

"That's okay," Lucy told him with a frown. "Will you be able to sleep though?"

"I'm fine." He assured her. "I am used to only getting a few hours a night. When I was an intern, I learned to survive on coffee and two-hour naps."

Feeling guilty over causing him trouble and how badly she had treated him at the hospital, Lucy grabbed his wrist when he started to leave. "Thank you, Doctor Yoon."

He stopped in surprise at her sudden declaration. "You don't need to thank me. It's my job. Besides," he gestured to the bed. "This is my fault anyway."

"No, it wasn't." Lucy shook her head. "And even if it was, I have more than earned my keep about it." She gave him a sheepish grin. "In case you couldn't tell, I am not the best patient."

"No, but I've had worse."

"You've had worse than a patient call you a son-of-a-bitch in two different languages, hit you, or think you were a serial killer?"

Ji Hoo blinked at her. "You thought I was a serial killer?"

"It crossed my mind," Lucy said thoughtfully. "But in fairness, all women wonder if a man might be a serial killer when they first meet them."

Ji Hoo only continued to blink at owlishly at her. "I have no words for that."

"It's okay…. Besides I've decided that you're probably not one."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

He chuckled and tilted his head to asses her with an amused expression. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Why are you in Korea?"

Lucy thought about it before answering him slowly. "The short answer is to finish my degree in Asian history."

"And the long answer?"

"This may sound silly…" Lucy looked at him wearily. "But I think I wanted roots of my own."

"Roots?" Ji Hoo frowned. "Roots for what?"

"I was adopted when I was eight," Lucy told him. "My parents are from here and did a great job of raising both me and my brothers to appreciate our American life but also never to forget our Korean traditions. Except…" She trailed off with a sigh. "They are not mine. Not really. So, when the opportunity came along to come study here, I realized it was my chance to make my own connection to Korea. To truly be part of my family."

Ji Hoo nodded but didn't say anything. He could appreciate her desire to see the place her parents were from and to connect to the culture she had been raised in. He desperately wanted to ask why she had been adopted in the first place but didn't think it was his right.

Lucy took his chin and forced his gaze back to her, her eyes squinting at him. "You look ready to explode with curiosity. Go ahead and ask me whatever you are chewing on there, Doc."

"All-right," Ji Hoo chuckled. "Tell me to mind my own business if this too personal though…. But I was just curious on why you were adopted?"

He decided not to mention that he had Woo Bin run a background check on her. He really didn't feel like getting popped in the head by her purse again.

She bit her lip and he could see the struggle on her but right when he was about to tell her to forget it, she spoke carefully.

"I had two wonderful birth parents. They were gentle and loving but not the best at… responsibility. They didn't like to work or do adult things like pay bills or go grocery shopping. They liked to travel on a whim, sing, make art on the fly or suddenly become clowns... Street performers is probably the best way to put it." She gave him a smile. "Very good ones actually but the bills were never paid. We were constantly moving because we were about to lose our home or be kicked out of apartments. We lived in my dad's car for almost a year once."

Ji Hoo looked at his hands with a clenched jaw. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Lucy shook her head. "They did the best they could and never once raised a hand or voice to me. I know how lucky I am. Most children have to survive much worse."

"So did they…" Ji Hoo trailed off awkwardly. "Well, you know."

"No."

She stared at the wall, seemingly lost in her memories. "We managed to rent a house in a neighborhood in San Francisco for a while. I became best friends with the boy next door." She shot him a wide smile. "He was a year older than me and for some reason decided to take me under his wing. Then when his parents realized I was home alone while my parents performed late-night shows, they offered to let me stay with them whenever I wanted."

She took a shaky breath. "Then history repeated itself and we lost the house. My dad," She shook her head. "I mean Kim Hyun Lee told them they couldn't keep doing this to me. He asked my birth father to let me stay with them until they were able to get themselves back on their feet. They agreed."

"How old were you?"

"Six," Lucy told him, not seeming bothered by any of it. "After two years, it was clear my parents were never going to be capable of taking care of me. Not really. So they gave up their rights and I was adopted by my true parents. I was thrilled. My dad and mom are the best who never made me feel like I wasn't their daughter. Plus, I gained two amazing big brothers."

Ji Hoo smiled at the idea of her being a little girl running around with two protective brothers who had saved her by becoming friends with the lost girl next door. "And your birth parents?"

"They've become like a distant aunt and uncle," Lucy said happily. "I see them about once a year and they were relieved to live a more nomadic lifestyle without the burden of me. It ended up being the best solution for everyone."

Ji Hoo felt bad about asking but she nudged his leg. "Don't. I am not embarrassed by my past. Nor am I damaged in any way. I know my birth parents are good people but they simply weren't capable of being parents. So they did what was best for me and gave me to two amazing ones. All in all, I count myself incredibly lucky."

Ji Hoo was surprised by how healthy she seemed despite everything and decided it must be a credit for having such a stable and loving adoptive family. "They sound very special."

Lucy nodded. "What about you? Who is your family?"

Ji Hoo smiled at the phrasing. "You've met one of them already."

"Song Woo Bin," Lucy smiled. "I wondered."

"Him and two others. The four of us bonded together when we were little. We protected each other from anything and everything."

"I take it that's what he meant by earlier by the F4?" She said cheekily. "And not some odd computer slogan."

He chuckled. "Yeah. Gu Jun Pyo and So Yi Jeong are the other two members of my family."

"I know So Yi Jeong." Lucy sat up excitedly. "I love his work."

Ji Hoo pointed to a vase standing in the corner. "That was my sixteenth birthday present."

"Damn." She gave him a thumbs up. "Nice present." She turned her attention back to him. "So those three. Anyone else?"

"Their women and her," Ji Hoo pointed proudly to the photo of So In Ha on his nightstand. "She is So Yi Jeong's daughter and my goddaughter."

"She's beautiful." Lucy reached over and took the frame. Her expression melting as she looked at the laughing face of In Ha who was giggling at Ji Hoo while at some sort of park or zoo. "She obviously adores you."

"She is our princess." Ji Hoo said wistfully, full of homesickness over missing her. "Yi Jeong and his wife are spending some time in Sweden right now. So, I haven't been able to physically see her in almost two months."

"Hmm," Lucy set the picture back down. "And what about your parents? Do you have a relationship with them."

"They died when I was a kid. In a car accident."

"I'm sorry."

She said it without hesitation or awkwardness. As though she was not uncomfortable by the idea of him being alone. She said it as someone who also lost parents and knew what it was like to find a family with someone else. Feeling a spark of understanding and connection, Ji Hoo quietly thanked her instead of his normal response of brushing it aside.

"I have my grandfather." Ji Hoo told her with a sad smile. "So, him and the F4. They are my family."

"Well, they sound amazing too."

They locked eyes. His dark brown eyes staring into her emerald green ones. He took in her hair that gleamed almost like champagne in the lamplight and wayward curls that hung limply over her eyes. Unable to stop himself, he gently brushed them aside. "Try to sleep. I will check on you in a couple of hours."

Lucy nodded and being careful not to jar her ankle rolled over to her side. He waited a moment to make sure she was okay before quietly slipping out. Woo Bin was waiting on him in the living room talking to Park Myeon Gi.

"Are you sure?"

Ji Hoo frowned at the worried tone in Woo Bin's voice but he shook his head assuredly. "All right baby. Take it easy and get some sleep. I will talk to you tomorrow." He smiled gently at her reply. "Love you too."

He hung up with a sigh and Ji Hoo looked over curiously. "Is everything all right?"

"Yeah. She just sounded tired. It's been a longer trip than she was expecting. I will be glad when she gets home." He gave a small chuckle. "Plus, I can't really sleep without her so it will be nice to actually get a full night again."

"Aww."

"Shut up." Woo Bin sank into the couch with a groan. "You never did feed me by the way."

"Sorry. Want me to whip something up?"

"No. I will grab something when I get home." His head rolled to the side. "How is she?"

"All right, I think." Ji Hoo sighed and collapsed beside him. "God, I'm tired."

"Want me to stay?"

"No." He rubbed his blearily. "But thanks."

"Are you sure?" Woo Bin looked at him in concern but Ji Hoo nodded. "Yeah. I am going to doze on the couch until I have to wake her again."

"Okay." Woo Bin stood up and clapped his shoulder. "Call me if you need anything."

"Thanks for tonight. Sorry about starving you."

"It's okay." He sent him a satisfied grin. "Watching the two of you battle was worth it."

"She's my patient, Woo Bin." Ji Hoo reminded him firmly. "Nothing more. So, don't go making this a big deal."

"See the fact that you felt the need to clarify that means it's already a big deal." And with an almost apologetic expression, Woo Bin looked at him somberly. "We don't get to choose when someone comes into our life, Ji Hoo. It's rarely when we want it or looks the way we thought it would."

"Woo Bin—"

"Sorry bro. But we've all had our turn." He shrugged with a smile. "Now it looks like it's yours."

"I've had my turn." Ji Hoo pointed out bitterly. "Twice."

"Well, you know what they say… Third times the charm." Woo Bin saluted him with a sigh before leaving and Ji Hoo fell back into the couch irritated.

While he appreciated that Woo Bin was currently in the land of love and bliss, and just wanted the same for him, Ji Hoo was not interested. Falling in love twice only to end up with nothing but regrets and a broken heart was enough for any man to stay away from it. And while Ji Hoo could honestly say that he was no longer in love or pining for either Seo Hyun or Geum Jan Di, it didn't mean he was interested in setting himself up for failure again. Especially to a girl who lived across the world and was only staying in Korea for a limited time.

And he definitely wasn't willing to get involved with anyone that already had an expiration date built-in. He might not be a coward but he also wasn't stupid. So, despite Woo Bin's desire to see him happy in a relationship, Lucy McCourt was not that person. Which is why he would only treat her ankle and concussion. Be friendly but he was not going beyond that. No matter how much his friends wanted otherwise.

With that thought, Ji Hoo turned off his phone so Yi Jeong and Jun Pyo couldn't call him the moment Woo Bin messaged them that Lucy was currently asleep in his guest room. Grateful for the silence, he grabbed a blanket and settled down for an interrupted night of sleep.

Lucy woke up to a haze of dull pain and fog. The sun was barely creeping in through the curtains and she rolled tenderly to her side. She had always enjoyed the soft quiet which came with the early morning. As the dawn broke through and cast its light on the large room, she took in some of the features she had missed last night. The room was large and had an entire wall dedicated to bookshelves lined with an impressive collection.

Art littered the walls and the vase from So Yi Jeong was even more impressive in the daylight. It gleamed in colors of blue and gray. The colors swirling and blending together which reminded Lucy of a storm at sea. She snuggled down in the thick blankets, feeling incredibly warm.

"Money might not make you happy," Lucy giggled to herself. "But it sure can buy a comfortable bed."

She heard the door click open and she gave a sleepy smile to Doctor Yoon who stopped in his hushed approach at seeing her awake. "Did I wake you?"

"No," Lucy grunted and slowly rose up, her body groaning at the idea of leaving the comfort of her current cocoon. "I woke up a few minutes ago."

He grimaced when he noticed the open curtains. "Sorry. I forgot the sun shines in here pretty brightly in the morning. I should have closed them last night."

As he went to draw them close, Lucy observed him closely. He looked exhausted and the vague impressions of him checking on her every four hours, his soft touch as he closely monitored her concussion flooded her with guilt.

"How do you feel?"

"Umm," Lucy took inventory of herself. Her ankle still throbbed violently and her head had the low ache in her temples. "I don't know. About the same, I guess."

"Hmm," His expression was tired but he managed to smile at her. "It will probably be a few days until you feel more normal but your eyes are more focused today."

"Probably because I have not been studying for eight hours straight."

"That might have something to do with it," Ji Hoo laughed before dipping his head to her ankle. "May I see?"

"Oh, sure." Lucy moved back the covers and he gently took her bruised foot. "It's still pretty swollen. I don't think you're going to be walking anytime soon."

"Great." She looked around for her purse. "Can you pass me my phone. I will try Lee Soo Jung again."

"Is she your roommate?"

"Mm-hmm," Lucy sighed as she took in three missed calls from her brothers. "Overprotective idiots."

"Your roommate?"

"No," she laughed and held up her phone. "My brothers. They are not handling my little adventure over here very well."

"Really?" Ji Hoo held out his hand so she could swing her legs over. "How come?"

"They don't always remember that I am currently twenty-four and don't need my big brothers to walk me home from school anymore."

"Ahh," Ji Hoo grinned. "Can't say I blame them. I probably would do the same thing if I had a little sister."

"Drive her crazy?"

"Make sure she's safe." He bent down to exam her injury more closely, his eyes lifting to meet hers. "And that she knows I will always be there for her."

Lucy held his gaze and an odd sense of awareness passed between them. They went still as they stared at each other. Her cheeks turning slightly pink and he couldn't help wonder how pink she would go if he were to lean forward and—

Her phone rang loudly and they both jumped back. The tension from the moment hanging over them as she laughed shakily. "Finally. It's Lee Soo Jung." She cleared her throat as he quickly backed away to the window.

"Hi."

"Where are you? Are you okay?" A high pitch squeal erupted over the line and Ji Hoo raised his eyebrow at the loud yell while Lucy simply rolled her eyes. "Lee Soo Jung—"

"I left my phone at the house! I woke up this morning and saw a dozen calls from the hospital! Lucy—"

"Really, Soo Jung." Lucy finally broke in with a chuckle. "I'm okay. I ran into the doctor who treated me when I fell the other day. He was worried because my ankle was still so swollen so he took me to the hospital. They were just calling for you to come pick me up."

"Oh," Soo Jung let out a relieved gasp. "Thank goodness. Are you still at the hospital then?"

"Uhh, not exactly." She grimaced apologetically in forewarning. "I am at his house."

There was a long silent pause before Soo Jung spoke again in a low voice. "Whose house?"

"Doctor Yoon—"

"You went home with a strange man!" Soo Jung screamed and Lucy held the phone away from her ear in order to spare her eardrums.

"Are you insane? I'm calling Kim Beom Seok!"

Lucy's eyes widened. "Don't you dare."

Ji Hoo leaned against the window seat with an amused expression. Lucy snapped her fingers frantically and he raised his eyebrows. "Did you just snap at me?"

"Help," she mouthed angrily and held out her phone. "Tell her you're not a creep who is holding me hostage against my will."

"Really?" Ji Hoo shook his head. "You have a dark imagination."

"Please!" Lucy cried softly as the woman on the line continued to yell. "If she calls my brother, I will never hear the end of this. Not to mention he will probably fly over here to kill you."

"He could try." Ji Hoo said dryly and grinned at her low growl. "Do you always cuss this much or am I just lucky?"

"Would you just," Lucy gestured violently and he didn't doubt that if she was capable of walking, she would have probably stood up and smacked him already.

"Fine." He took the phone with a laugh. "Hello."

"Who are you? How can you just kidnap a woman you don't even know!"

"I'm not sure since I've never kidnapped someone before," Ji Hoo told her calmly. "But as a doctor, I couldn't let my patient go off alone with a concussion."

"A concussion." Lee Soo Jung paused her rant. "I thought she just had a sprained ankle?"

"That's what we thought but her test results last night shows a mild concussion and frankly her ankle is one of the worst sprains I've seen." Ji Hoo smiled at Lucy whose face was getting darker by the minute. "And do you really think if I was holding her hostage, I would have called you ten times last night or let her call you this morning?"

Soo Jung hesitated before sighing. "I suppose not. But still…"

"Look, I promise you she has been perfectly safe."

"She better." Soo Jung said harshly. "Now let me talk to Lucy."

He handed her back the phone and Lucy growled impatiently before she could start up again. "Quit it. I'm not five and you can tell Beom Seok to knock it off too. Now, are we done being ridiculous?"

Ji Hoo nodded impressed. She might be small and he seriously doubted she was capable of hurting a spider but she knew how to stand up for herself.

"Thank you," Lucy said with a sarcastic edge. "I will be… What?" She closed her eyes in exasperation. "Fine. Just text me when you're done… And if you say one word back home about any of this, I will hide all your shoes."

She hung up and her entire body was tight with annoyance. Seeing the obvious question on him, Lucy rolled her eyes. "She's also my cousin."

"Ahh," Ji Hoo laughed. "Beom Seok is your brother then?"

"Yep. And my biggest pain." She rubbed her head. "All this yelling didn't help my headache."

"I don't doubt it." He handed her a pair of crutches. "Here. Try these."

"Augh." Lucy slipped them under her arms. "I hate these things."

"Too bad." Ji Hoo helped her adjust the height. "Not unless you don't have any plans that require walking in the near future."

"Nmmm," she stuck her tongue out at him. "I officially don't like you."

"I'm heartbroken." He told her somberly and she ignored the amusement dancing in his eyes. "Is your cousin on her way then?"

"I'm supposed to meet her in a few hours," Lucy muttered darkly. "She has to work."

She stood up awkwardly and Ji Hoo fought not to grin at the image of her barely able to reach the ground even with the crutches lowered as far as they would go. She kind of reminded him of a fairy that had a broken wing or something.

"You can laugh." Lucy took a slow step. "I know how ridiculous I look right now. I told you that crutches didn't work for me."

"Well, it's not the perfect solution," Ji Hoo admitted. "But it's better than having you hobble around."

"You don't call this hobbling?"

She had a point. He figured it would probably take her ten years just to reach his living room at this point.

"Here let me help." Ji Hoo moved behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist. He could tell she was tense and her arms were trembling for gripping the crutches so tightly.

"Lucy," he chuckled. "Relax."

"Sorry." She said weakly. "I could write you a paper on numerous times in history. Yell at you in various languages. Or cook you some truly spectacular waffles but apparently crutches are my kryptonite."

Ji Hoo steadied her as they moved slowly down the hall. "Various languages? How many do you speak?"

"Three."

He stopped to stare at her. "Three?"

"Well sorta," Lucy panted. "English and Korean obviously. But I am also trying to learn Chinese but so far I have only managed to learn the cuss words."

"Of course," Ji Hoo shook his head. "Why doesn't that surprise me."

She turned to scowl at him but stopped by how close he appeared. His head was tucked down over her shoulder, his mouth only inches from hers. She opened her mouth to say something but no words seemed to come out. Ji Hoo's eyes darkened slightly and she felt more than saw him lean forward. Lucy's breathing hitched but just when her eyes began to flutter closed, he jerked away so quickly that her balance stumbled and with no traction or leverage, her legs slipped out from under her.

She heard him curse loudly and dive to grab her but it was too late. They both went crashing hard into the floor. He managed to cover her slightly with his body so she hit more of him than the hardwood but pain still reverberated throughout her.

They both moaned simultaneously as they laid on the ground in stunned silence trying to catch their breath.

"Are you all right?" Ji Hoo finally managed to ask.

"Never better."

Rembering her concussion, he quickly rolled to hover over her, his hand cradling her cheek. "No Lucy, stay still. Did you hit your head?"

"I don't think so." Lucy managed to open her eyes. "What—"

"I'm sorry." Ji Hoo mumbled. "I didn't mean to make you fall… again."

"It's okay." Lucy sighed, trying to ignore how delicious it felt to have his body laying over hers. "I'm getting used to you running me over."

He laughed before his expression softened and his thumb began to slowly stroke her cheek. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah."

They stared at one other for a moment and once again Ji Hoo felt himself leaning in but before he could decide on if he was going to help her up or simply pin her down for the rest of the afternoon, he heard his door open and a tall figure stop suddenly at the apparent situation.

"Well this is new." Gu Jun Pyo said in a bored tone while Woo Bin peeked over his shoulder, a huge grin erupting over his face.

"Shit" Ji Hoo mumbled, not even bothering to get up but only grimaced in dread while Lucy stared up at them in confusion.

"What are you two doing here?"

"We wanted to see how the rest of your night went," Jun Pyo leaned against the doorframe with an amused expression. "But I can see for myself."

"Jun Pyo—"

"Wait no, don't move." Woo Bin yelled noticing he was beginning to rise up. "I'm taking a picture for Yi Jeong."

Ji Hoo gave up and just sank fully down on her. His forehead hitting the floor above her shoulder with a thud while Lucy patted his back awkwardly.

"Hello." The tall man waved, not seeming surprised by their current position. "I'm Gu Jun Pyo. Who are you?"

"I'm—" Lucy started to reply but Doctor Yoon let out a long groan. "No. Don't answer him."

"Too late." Jun Pyo smirked "I already heard from Woo Bin. It's Lucy, right? "

"Yes."

"Hmm," Jun Pyo tilted his head and even though he couldn't see him, she felt Ji Hoo tighten in response. "Not a word, Jun Pyo."

"I didn't say anything."

"You were going to," Ji Hoo snapped, never lifting his head and his friend grinned.

"Well, umm," Lucy looked down but since Ji Hoo didn't seem to be getting up anytime soon, she simply continued to pat his back. "It's nice to meet you."

"You too."

"Ji Hoo," Woo Bin called out cheerfully. "Yi Jeong wants to talk to you. He said smothering girls is not the proper way to courtship."

"I'm going to kill them. You will need to be my alibi." Ji Hoo muttered darkly in her ear and she nodded. He collapsed back down with muffled comments about his friends and she decided he was probably going to be there for a while. So she wiggled herself into a more comfortable position and stroked the back of his head.

"I will need coffee at some point before we bury them though."

He laughed quietly and tucked his face into her neck. "I can arrange that."