Just before collapsing, my whitened vision returned to normal.
Where am I? Who am I?
A strange ceiling loomed above.
My vision, still mostly white, showed squirming gray worms crawling across the blank backdrop.
It turned out to be the hospital ceiling.
I feel like I’m losing my mind.
“Jiya!”
Startled by the near-screamed call of my name, I turned my head to see the boss’s face on the verge of tears.
“Are you okay? Are you conscious?”
“Just… just a moment. I just woke up, so I’m a bit out of it.”
My body lay on a sheet that was soft but not entirely comfortable. A light, rustling blanket was draped over me.
At least the room itself was warm, so I wasn’t cold.
The sound of carts rolling busily, clinking medical instruments, and people calling for nurses and doctors surrounded me.
Ah, a hospital. This must be the ER.
I must’ve collapsed.
It makes sense—if my body swayed that much, falling was inevitable.
I barely managed to protect my head as I went down, but I must’ve lost consciousness and been brought here afterward.
I moved my left hand slightly and felt the cool sensation of an IV flowing into my veins.
Blinking slowly with half-lidded eyes, I signaled to my boss with a slightly hoarse voice that I had regained my senses.
“I’m okay now. What happened?”
“What do you mean, ‘what happened’? You collapsed!”
“What time is it now?”
“It’s 11 o’clock.”
If I collapsed around 9, that means I was out for two hours.
My boss’s late work hours had been a pattern recently, but 11 p.m. was still time for him to head home.
“You should go ahead and leave. You still have work tomorrow, right? I’ll head home once I feel better.”
“Are you in your right mind? How could I leave when you’re like this?”
“It’s not like I’m deathly ill… I just fainted for a moment.”
“You’re so nonchalant I’m actually getting angry. Seriously, Jiya.”
Suddenly, my boss lunged forward, grabbing both my cheeks tightly.
“Ah! Ow, ow, ow! Doctor! Someone’s attacking a patient! Air raid warning!”
“Do you seriously want to make jokes right now?”
But what could I do when I wasn’t as hurt as he worried I was?
I had no energy, my head throbbed, but that was all.
It felt like the aftermath of a bad flu, lying down after taking some painkillers.
A lingering headache and uncooperative muscles—that summed up my current state.
So why would my boss need to stay?
“If the company president skips work tomorrow because one staff member fainted, it won’t set a good example.”
“…If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll actually leave.”
“Yes, please leave. I’ll just take a taxi home later.”
“Fine, I’ll go. But don’t even think about coming to work tomorrow. I’ll have Team Leader Kang file your leave, and I’ll approve it myself.”
“Ah, but I only have 15 days of leave left.”
“That’s because you haven’t taken a single day off!”
Grumbling, my boss stormed off, disappearing behind the curtain.
…Phew, he finally left.
So much for insisting he wouldn’t go.
Was it around this time last year?
I had collapsed while working, and the boss took me to the hospital.
A few hours later, I started feeling better, so he left to prepare for his broadcast and work the next day.
Back then, I got a full night’s sleep and returned to work the next day as if nothing had happened.
I vaguely thought I could do the same this time, so I closed my eyes… but…
“Thank you for your care, Doctor.”
“No problem. I’m just glad the patient woke up quickly.”
It didn’t take long before the boss returned with a doctor in tow, glaring at me with a huff.
He wasn’t leaving until my condition was fully confirmed.
Maybe it’s because this wasn’t the first time I’d collapsed.
The doctor checked my pulse, measured my temperature, and shone a light into my pupils before explaining.
“It seems you collapsed due to a combination of accumulated fatigue and temporary anemia caused by menstruation. Have you been eating properly?”
“Yes, I make sure to eat two meals a day.”
“Two meals… And your portion sizes? Have they decreased recently?”
My eating habits had always been consistent.
I believed that spending too much time eating was a waste of life, so unless I was watching something while eating, I’d finish even now, with my smaller appetite, in under ten minutes.
“No, they’ve stayed the same.”
“Are you getting enough sleep?”
“I average about five hours a night.”
“You should be getting at least eight hours on average.”
I considered asking him to make my day 48 hours long, but even then, I’d probably still sleep only five hours. So, I kept my mouth shut.
It’s only natural.
How could I give up the rest of my time—after work hours—for anything other than gaming and live streams?
Not pre-recorded highlights, but live broadcasts! How could I resist?
“I’ll try,” I said halfheartedly.
“It’s not about trying. You need to get adequate sleep, at least for a while.”
“You heard that, right?” My boss chimed in. “For this week, you’re using up all your leave. And no more overtime—you’re leaving work on time, no exceptions.”
“But if I leave early, Seungyeon will be left alone at the office late at night…”
“Jiya.”
The boss looked at me with a firm gaze.
If I said one more word, I’d face his wrath.
He was on the verge of exploding his frustration was palpable.
“You get home safely on your own, right? There’s no reason Seungyeon can’t do the same. Plus, the security guard is dedicated to his job and monitors the CCTV around closing time. So, stop worrying and rest.”
At this point, all I could do was quietly comply.
“What now? Worried Seungyeon might run into trouble working late? Don’t. Team Leader Kang and I will handle anything that comes up. So stop thinking about work until the weekend. Got it?”
The mighty Emperor Dohee had granted Minister Jiya the royal permission to slack off.
“Yes, I understand.”
“Doctor, by the way, is it possible for her to be admitted for just one night?”
“Unfortunately, no. We don’t have any vacant rooms right now. Even if she were admitted, she’d have to stay in the ER for a few days until a room opens up.”
Hearing this, my boss muttered under his breath, looking like he’d bitten into something sour.
“If I send you home, you’ll just end up eating poorly and lying around… I can already tell.”
That stung a bit.
For someone living alone, I think I’m doing pretty well.
“I do eat on time, and I keep my place clean.”
“Yeah, but your nutrition’s probably a mess. You’re not actually living off corn powder or something, are you?”
That hit a nerve.
Last year, when I fainted, I was, but I managed to keep it hidden.
In my defense, back then, a ton of anniversary goods were released all at once, and I had no other choice.
Not wanting to go into debt, I decided the easiest way to save money was by cutting food expenses.
“But you’ve raised my salary, so I can at least afford to order proper meals now.”
“…Still ordering delivery, huh.”
“What’s wrong with delivery? These days, there’s nothing you can’t get delivered, and the quality’s solid—”
The doctor cleared his throat loudly, interrupting our back-and-forth.
It seemed he thought this conversation would never end otherwise.
“For now, once the IV finishes, you can call a nurse to have it removed and be discharged. However, make sure to get plenty of rest, eat properly, and sleep well after you leave.”
“Caregiver, please make sure the patient doesn’t overdo it.”
“Yes, of course”
The doctor drew the curtain closed and left, leaving me in the small enclosed space.
As I lay on the bed, my boss, still not leaving, made me uncomfortable, though I couldn’t show it.
Honestly, I felt like a bad fan.
Who keeps their idol from going home out of worry?
It’s ridiculous.
As if reading my thoughts, he asked, “Your parents are still overseas, right?”
I nodded slightly.
“Then until Friday, I’ll pick you up for work. I’ll swing by around 10 a.m., so dress warmly. You don’t need to wear your usual business attire.”
“…Are you telling me to use my leave and still come to work?”
“I can’t monitor you from your house. Resting where I can see you gives me peace of mind.”
“Classic black company behavior.”
“I’m kidding.”
But the rapid-fire instructions that followed weren’t a joke.
“If you stay home, you’ll just eat haphazardly, watch streams, and game. I know you. So, take it easy on the couch in my office. It’s just as comfy as a bed.
Eat properly, get enough sleep—under my watch. That way, I won’t have to worry.”
Most Mongmongs (his fans) would probably dream of this scenario.
Fainting, only for Momo to drag them out, make them eat properly, and nurse them.
Resting on the couch in his office while watching him work that’s practically a fantasy.
But now that it’s reality, it just feels awkward.
He’s already busy enough with broadcasts and running the company, and now he’s taking care of me, too?
…I really need to get better soon.
At this point, all I can do is recover quickly.
I need to get back on my feet and attend the pre-launch event.
I worked hard helping him prepare for it. If I screw things up by being sick, that’d be even worse.
* * *
Thus, from the next day, my life in the CEO’s office began.
“Just lie there without moving.”
“Can I at least watch some TV?”
“TV? What TV?”
“I can’t fall asleep.”
“Should I play a lullaby for you?”
“If you sing it yourself.”
“Wait, I’ll play Maru’s refreshing shouting instead.”
“We’ve socially agreed that it’s not ‘singing’ but ‘letting people hear it.’”
Honestly, lying comfortably on the sofa didn’t feel quite right.
Since I’m short, neither my head nor my feet dangled off the edge.
I laid quietly with a low pillow, covered in two soft blankets on the fluffy sofa, and it was absurdly comfortable.
If I said the advantage of being short is that I can sleep anywhere, would the millions of short people across the nation hate me?
After a while, the CEO set up a phone stand for me, and I began binge-watching the VTuber highlight clips I had missed due to lack of time.
I had saved them all in a folder titled “Watch Later,” and I figured today was as good a day as any to catch up.
Whenever team leaders came to the CEO’s office for work updates, they would inevitably burst into laughter and say something like it was a tradition.
Even Seungyeon, the prickly leader of the planning team, said:
“… What the? Why are you lounging here?”
Oh Seok-jae, the leader of the PR team who had once praised my work, added:
“Haha! Mafat, you’ve practically claimed the CEO’s office as your own private suite!”
Even the finance team leader, who barely interacted with me, laughed and said:
“Jiya, you’re finally getting some proper rest.”
“I’m a section manager now, Director. A full-fledged one.”
“Oh, right, you are. The titles change so fast it’s hard to keep track. Anyway, Manager Jiya, rest up. Don’t push yourself too hard. You’ve been clocking in 52 hours every week like it’s your job. I figured you’d collapse sooner or later.”
Then he leaned in and whispered something in my ear:
“And don’t keep fudging your work hours on the HR hub to make it look shorter, or I might get a call from the labor office. I know you’re busy, but stick to your actual hours. You’ve got a new junior now, remember?”
The eerie shiver that ran down my spine made me instinctively reply, “Yes, sir.”
Still, lying down made it easier to sleep.
Whether it was the comfort of the sofa, the fact that I was lying down, or just the lingering fatigue, I didn’t know.
I watched videos and then dozed off. Ate, then dozed off. Zoned out, then dozed off again.
After cutting out caffeine and spending the entire day sleeping over and over, I even slept soundly when I got home. Recovery came quickly.
By November 10th, I finally managed to leave the CEO’s office after the last member, Aoyagi Reine’s 3D showcase, was over.
“From now on, don’t overdo it. Split the work with Seungyeon properly. That’s what you two were hired for, okay?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Go home and rest. And don’t hover around while Seungyeon is working.”
“I was just going to take a quick look. I can’t help but worry.”
“Seungyeon’s got it covered, so don’t worry and go home, alright?”
Back when I was hanging by a thread, I had no choice but to listen to the CEO.
But now, I was back to full strength.
Which meant it was time to focus on tomorrow’s pre-festival.
“By the way, is there anything I need to prepare? It’s happening tomorrow.”
“…Prepare? For what?”
“The pre-festival tomorrow.”
The CEO smiled brightly and patted my head.
“No, you’re not coming.”