“If you want to go to the bathroom or drink water, wake me up.”
Still, he’d rushed over because he was worried, so he had to at least pretend to nurse him. Eunchan stretched with both arms raised above him and reminded Miro. However, when the answer that should have come right away didn’t come, Eunchan turned his head to the side.
“What are you staring at?”
“Just…”
The sparkling two eyes were gentle. Eunchan didn’t avoid Miro’s gaze. Rather, he turned his body to face him directly. His body was heavy, drowsy with sleep.
“Miro-ssi, and this is really just asking without any particular thought.”
“Mm?”
“Why did you hurt yourself? You know your blood is precious too. Why did you suddenly do that?”
When you have a lot of money and are very good-looking, what are you lacking that makes you live so hard? Eunchan looked up at Miro, who stood at the opposite point from himself.
“To make Eunchan come…”
“What?”
So you deliberately hurt yourself to call someone? At the more serious state than expected, Eunchan frowned. He couldn’t even grasp where to start fixing this. He was so absurd that sleep fled from him, but Miro, on the other hand, kept repeating stroking Eunchan’s forearm with a languid face.
“Miro-ssi, don’t ever call people that way again. If you do, I won’t come.”
“Th-then when I miss you, h-how do I call you?”
As if that was the only method he knew, Miro asked Eunchan with pitiful eyes.
“You can just call me.”
“You didn’t answer…”
“…I’ll answer properly from next time.”
Even now his phone was turned off, but Eunchan made a promise to Miro. At Eunchan’s promise, Miro smiled faintly.
“The stupidest thing in the world is ruining yourself.”
Eunchan, who had always taken care of his meals and sleep properly no matter how hard things were, spoke up. Of course, this was also something his grandmother had asked of him. Even if he rolled in a dog shit field, this life was good, so Eunchan wanted to live no matter what. I wish you felt that way too. Eunchan held Miro’s hand wrapped in bandages.
“Don’t get hurt again. I’ll catch that stalker for you too.”
“Will you stay by my side?”
“Deposit a million won a month. As a friend fee.”
“Okay!”
Even though it was a joke said in jest, Miro answered as if he was rather pleased.
“I can’t even joke around. Never mind, it’s a joke.”
Even without doing that, he could occasionally eat meals and drink alcohol together. Of course, Miro would have to pay. Eunchan caressed the side of Miro’s forehead. This person is a lonely person. Eunchan saw his past self reflected in Miro. He was older than himself, bigger in body, and rich, but he still looked pitiful somewhere, so Eunchan eventually pressed his body closer to Miro.
“Go to sleep quickly.”
“Okay.”
His smile was as innocent as a young boy’s. Eunchan recalled a forest from the corners of Miro’s mouth. In his childhood, my little hyung who suddenly intruded into a space that had only been grandmother and himself…
He didn’t know if he was living well or what he was doing, but he was still a presence that came to mind. If only he hadn’t abandoned me, I would have continued to like him.
Eunchan was sensitive to being abandoned. Just as his father had, just as his mother had. Even his grandmother, who had loved him the most out of everything in the world, ultimately left Eunchan alone.
‘Let him grow up in love.’
The prayer of the pastor he had somewhat respected was not fulfilled. Eunchan resolved not to love anything. Before it could leave traces on him.
In his hazy consciousness, his heavy body quietly settled. While Miro’s even breathing felt sweet, his slowly beating pulse put his mind at ease. Eunchan carefully measured Miro. The line he had drawn alone had already faded and lost its meaning long ago. Now, he just had to doubt whether that man lying in front of him would try to leave deep traces on him.
“Don’t think anymore.”
“…”
“Sleep well.”
Unable to overcome his flickering eyelids, the man he’d thought was sleeping awakened Eunchan with a clear voice. Eunchan stared at Miro’s deep pupils and soon closed his eyes.
Yes, right now he was too tired. Both his heart and his body…
* * *
Thanks to the alarm that didn’t ring and the cozy bedding, Eunchan woke up only when it was almost afternoon. However, he had to be startled and have a fit at the gaze he met as soon as he opened his eyes with Miro, who had been observing him while leaning against the headboard.
“What are you looking at?”
“I wa-watched over Eunchan to see if you s-slept well.”
“…That’s kind of scary.”
It was a question full of provocativeness, but instead Miro gently returned an answer as if he had protected Eunchan by watching over him the entire time he slept. Still, the scary part didn’t change, so Eunchan glared at Miro.
“Did you eat breakfast?”
Checking the time, it was almost 11 AM. Breakfast had long passed, and he needed to eat lunch properly at least, but worried whether the patient had eaten breakfast, Eunchan asked.
“I ju-just woke up…”
“Miro-ssi just woke up too.”
Less embarrassed that he wasn’t the only one who slept in late, Eunchan smiled and got up from his seat. He slept a lot, so on his days off he always woke up only when it was broad daylight.
“Where’s my phone?”
Holding his phone that he’d kept turned off for fear the boss would go crazy, Eunchan pondered for a moment. It was difficult to spend a day without his phone. Yesterday he was tired and had no time to look at his phone because he was busy with what the patient had done, so he could let it pass, but today he needed to listen to music, watch videos, and use the internet.
He graduated high school through a qualification exam, and didn’t even go to college, so he had no friends to meet. When resting alone at home, the things to do were just a few household chores and passing time on his phone while resting.
“Wh-why, why?”
“I’m just debating. Whether to turn it on or not.”
Miro asked from beside him, looking at the turned-off phone. Eunchan roughly threw it back on the nightstand and looked at Miro. Let’s hold out until today. They say it’s better to get hit quickly too, but since he was going to get hit anyway, he wanted to postpone it as much as he could.
“Let’s eat, us.”
“Okay.”
“Is there anything you want to eat?”
Eunchan, who didn’t like his pale complexion, asked Miro. It would be nice if there was a galbitang restaurant nearby. He wanted to make him gulp down a bowl of richly brewed ox bone soup.
“What about Eunchan?”
“Not me, what Miro-ssi wants to eat.”
“What about Eunchan?”
“Never mind. I’ll just decide on my own.”
At the same answer returning like an echo, Eunchan raised both hands first. First, he should wash his face and then go outside to ask what food Miro was allowed to eat. After hearing he had a rare blood type, he was more concerned. No matter how delicious hospital food was, he wasn’t someone who’d been hospitalized for just a day or two, so naturally he must be sick of it. Last time he saw, he ate chicken well too.
Eunchan stretched greatly and got up from his seat, gesturing to Miro with his head.
“I’ll wash up first. Wait a bit for the food, I’ll get you something delicious.”
“Do I wa-wash up to-together too?”
“No.”
Miro’s sparkling eyes were burdensome. Eunchan let Miro’s nonsense pass by while tidying up the messy bedding.
“Just lie down quietly or sit. Got it?”
“But I…”
“I’ll help you after I wash up.”
Still putting himself first, Eunchan soothed Miro and went into the bathroom. He roughly washed his face and brushed his teeth with the disposable toothbrush provided. After finishing washing his face, he wanted to wash his body too, naturally thinking of taking a shower. Maybe he should go to a sauna later and sweat it out. He didn’t know if the patient outside would easily let him go though. Eunchan wiped his wet face and opened the bathroom door again.
“Miro-ssi, come inside.”
“Yees.”
Miro, who had been sitting obediently leaning against the bed headboard as Eunchan had asked, immediately answered and got up from his seat. He’s just like a puppy. Eunchan rubbed his eyes, somehow feeling like he could see a wagging tail.
“Sit here.”
Seating Miro on the toilet with the cover down, Eunchan took out a clean new towel from the shelf. To prevent the patient gown from getting wet, he wrapped the towel around Miro’s neck like a bib and then tied both ends.
“Is this okay? So your clothes don’t get wet.”
“Mm.”
The raised corners of his mouth were pretty, so Eunchan unknowingly stroked Miro’s cheek.
“Stand next to me and bow your head.”
Since Eunchan was smaller, he requested that Miro bend his waist and bow his head. Miro naturally stood next to Eunchan and wrapped both arms around Eunchan’s waist. At the weight leaning on him, Eunchan wavered for a moment but soon found his center.
“Don’t lean on me too much…”
“Mmm,”
Trying to wash his face, but thanks to Miro who kept burying his head toward his nape, Eunchan twisted his body, unable to do this or that.
“Did you hurt your legs too?”
Eunchan clicked his tongue, looking at Miro who wasn’t even trying to stand properly. However, despite Eunchan’s rebuke, Miro smiled and kept burrowing into his embrace. In the end, Eunchan roughly gave Miro just a cat’s wash and then held out the toothbrush.
“You can brush your teeth, right? I’ll go ask something real quick and come back.”
“I can’t…”
“There’s even a cup for rinsing here. Stay here and do it.”
Leaving the whining Miro behind, Eunchan even put his hands on his hips and spoke strongly. Only after seeing him reluctantly pick up the toothbrush did Eunchan go out of the bathroom. At this rate, someday he might even ask me to give him a bath. Eunchan, who roughly wiped his wet hands on his pants, walked out into the corridor. Beyond the corridor window, bright sunlight warmly shone everywhere.
“Still saying it hurts?”
“We’re prohibiting visits for the patient’s stability.”
“The patient, fuck, I’m more of a patient than that bastard!”
The lobby, which would normally be quiet, was noisy with commotion. The man in the wheelchair was frowning and getting very angry, and the nurse and bodyguards in front stood around the man, not knowing what to do. Rich people are the same when they throw tantrums. Eunchan rubbed the back of his neck and watched the man who continued to burst with anger.
“Tell him to come out, I’m not waiting any longer. Does that fucking bastard think there’s nothing left to see now?”
“Please calm down, it’s too much for your body.”
