“I’ll drive you. Take your time getting ready, Jisu-ya.”
For Jisu, Dad drives her every Monday.
A meow sounded, and Coco, having finished eating her own food, jumped up onto the chair asking what they were eating among themselves.
“Oh no. Coco, you already ate. You can’t have this. You’ve been gaining weight lately, it’s a big problem. I need to make you exercise.”
Perhaps sensing some kind of crisis in Mom’s words, the quick-witted Coco jumped back down and fled to the living room sofa.
Coco, a cheese tabby, had chosen Dad as her butler while he was coming home from work two years ago, followed him inside, and became part of the family. Though she’d run away now, she’d soon return and flop down at their feet.
After finishing the meal, Jiwon saw off Dad and his older sister who left for work first, then sat on the sofa chatting with Mom before standing up to get ready to leave.
What should I wear to school after so long?
Jiwon rummaged through the closet. Spring was coming but it was still the tail end of winter, so it was quite chilly.
Rummaging around here and there, he pulled out a thick white hoodie with fleece lining and put it on. The warm, soft fleece texture felt refreshing. For the bottom, he wore black pants, and over the hoodie, he put on the denim jacket his older sister had bought him.
In fact, not just the denim jacket, but most of the clothes he owned had been bought by his older sister Jisu.
Though he wasn’t tall, Jiwon had good proportions and wore whatever he was dressed in well, so the clothes reflected the taste of Jisu, for whom dressing up Jiwon had become one of life’s pleasures. Now accustomed to this, Jiwon had become someone who didn’t buy clothes well on his own.
The pajama set with the cute animal face hood was also something Jisu had chosen. Though Jiwon had disliked it at first, wearing it was comfortable and the soft material felt nice, so after wearing it a few times, at some point the resistance disappeared and he wore it well.
It’s only worn at home anyway.
Actually, though he didn’t say it, even he thought the animal pajama set suited him well. After that, seeing Jiwon wear the pajamas without complaint, an excited Jisu had even created a collection by type.
“Pack your bag too.”
Today he didn’t particularly need a bag, but for a student, a school bag was essential. Slinging his favorite white book bag on his back, a satisfying college student fashion was complete.
After a final check, he left the room holding his phone in his hand.
“Mom! I’m off to school!”
“Okay. Be careful on the road!”
“Yes.”
Jiwon’s house was located in District 1, which could be called the capital, and Korea University, the number one prestigious university, was also not far away within District 1.
District 1, which occupied the largest area, had national important institutions and companies densely packed, so many high-grade ability users were deployed there, and with good gate defenses, it was safer compared to other districts.
That’s why even with money, having a house in District 1 was quite difficult.
Jiwon’s family had also lived in District 8, but five years ago, his father who worked at a foreign-affiliated conglomerate had his work ability recognized by the company and was given an important position, so with the company’s support they moved to District 1.
Thanks to that, Jiwon could commute from home without entering the dormitory.
After riding the bus for about 30 minutes and arriving at school, Jiwon passed through the main gate and looked around the campus he was seeing after a long time.
He and his family still found it hard to believe that Jiwon had become a college student and was going to school whenever they gathered and talked about it.
He should have been so sickly, after all…
Apparently he was born prematurely for some urgent reason and spent a long time in an incubator. Perhaps because of that, for unknown reasons his body wasn’t good and he was hospitalized for a long time.
Just when it seemed he might get a little better, he’d get sick again, and just when it seemed he might get a little healthier, he’d get sick again. In the end, Jiwon had more days absent from kindergarten and elementary school due to illness or hospitalized than days he attended.
If he overexerted himself even a little, his condition would worsen and he’d collapse as a matter of course. Eventually, living in the hospital, he passed middle school with a qualification exam.
In the boring hospital room, in that limited space, the only thing he could do consistently was study.
Even when looking for things to play with like toys, hide-and-seek, or ball games, doing them alone without friends to play with quickly became boring. Jiwon and his family’s difficult time passed like that, and fortunately, as if by miracle, his body gradually improved bit by bit until he could even be discharged.
After that, he was able to enter high school one year later than others.
Though he worried about what would happen if his body became bad again, he safely left a graduation ceremony commemorative photo, and entered Korea University’s Business Administration department as the top student with a four-year scholarship.
His parents and Jisu sobbed at Jiwon’s high school graduation ceremony, and cried again with emotion on the day he went to the university entrance ceremony. Jiwon himself, with his family crying on his behalf beside him, found his tears completely dried up and was busy patting and comforting the three of them.
As if waking Jiwon who had been lost in thought for a moment, his phone rang. Checking it, it was Hojun.
-Where are you?
“I’m in front of our college building! Hojun, where are you?”
-I’m almost there too. Wait a sec.
“Okay.”
The first friend Jiwon made after entering high school was Hojun. Though Hojun was one year younger since he entered late, they decided to just be friends.
With his meddlesome nature and kind personality, Hojun had taken good care of Jiwon, who was having a proper school life for the first time since high school. To be able to attend university together with his one and only close friend—as soon as the university results were announced, Jiwon had shouted with joy.
Seeing Hojun’s figure in the distance, Jiwon raised both hands and waved.
“Ho-jun!”
At Jiwon’s appearance, Hojun shook his head but quickened his steps. He was tall, handsome, and had a good personality, so he was popular.
“You don’t have to call my name so loud for me to come. Always so loud, Kim Jiwon.”
Going to the department room with the grumbling Hojun, he saw familiar faces from the past year and greeted them warmly.
Sitting on the sofa, they talked for a long time with people they’d met after a while about what they’d done during vacation, how they’d arranged their schedules, and so on, then when it was class time, they moved to the lecture hall. It was a popular liberal arts class, so it was a subject with fierce competition for course registration.
“Hojun, Jiwon oppa, over here!”
Classmates who had succeeded in course registration like Jiwon and Hojun had already taken seats and were sitting down.
“Long time no see!”
“Want to eat lunch together later? Junhyeok and Jaemin are coming too. They got bounced from this one and went to another class.”
“Should we?”
As expected on the first day, class ended with a simple orientation, and joining up with other classmates, they went to a restaurant near school that was famous for teppanyaki fried rice.
“It tastes even better eating it after so long.”
“Right. Did you see the freshmen? You guys went to OT, didn’t you?”
“We just drank and played. With the freshmen coming in, we’re just leftovers now. I can’t believe we’re already second years. Why does time go by so fast?”
Jiwon was also chatting with classmates he was meeting after a long time and eating deliciously when suddenly his stomach churned. He was a little surprised, but pretended nothing was wrong in case it would dampen the mood.
But Hojun, sitting next to him, seemed to sense something was wrong and sent Jiwon an eye signal asking what was wrong. Jiwon smiled and shook his head saying he was fine.
He thought maybe he had indigestion, but it felt different from indigestion. Jiwon held out, matching the mood and pretending to eat little by little until his classmates finished eating. After finishing the meal and coming outside, with the cool breeze his stomach seemed to get a little better.
Among friends who had a lot to say after meeting in a long time, Hojun, seeming worried, put his hand on Jiwon’s forehead to check his temperature.
“Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”
“I don’t know. My stomach churned for a bit, but I think it’s okay now.”
Jiwon, slightly drained of energy, clung to the arm of Hojun standing beside him and leaned his dizzy head against it. He was worried about the sudden strange physical condition, but glossed over it thinking he might cause unnecessary worry.
Hojun placed his hand on Jiwon’s leaning head and gently stroked it. It was behavior reserved for really close people, so Hojun was used to it too.
“Just in case, let’s go home quickly. Rest today.”
“I’m fine. I need to stop by the campus stationery store today. I have things to buy.”
“You’re really okay?”
“Yeah.”
* * *
When they told the classmates they were with, they said they’d go too, so in the end everyone headed together to the campus stationery store next to the central library.
His body had recovered as if asking when it had churned.
Walking around school after a long time, Jiwon felt excited.
Arriving at the campus stationery store, he wandered around the display racks, picking up several new spiral notebooks, the black ballpoint pens of the brand he usually used, and a binder, then impulse-bought a cute sheep picture sticker.
As he was packing the purchased items into his bag, the classmates who came with him all came to the register holding things in both hands full, saying it was a new semester.
After finishing all their business, they parted ways with classmates who had other classes in the afternoon, saying they’d see each other tomorrow.
Jiwon, who had decided to hang out at Hojun’s studio apartment after a long time, headed together toward the main gate to leave school.
“It’s nice coming to school after a while!”
“What’s nice about it. Attending class is annoying. This semester has a lot of major classes too.”
“Are we finally doing group projects?!”
“Ugh, don’t say such terrible things.”
Jiwon giggled at his disgusted face. He adjusted his slightly heavier bag and was walking when suddenly he felt the same unfamiliar churning as before and stopped dead.
“What’s wrong?”
“…It’s churning.”
If I wait like before, it’ll get better soon. He thought, but this time that feeling gradually grew stronger.
Jiwon grabbed Hojun’s arm and looked around for a nearby bench to sit on.
But before that could happen, Jiwon’s body rapidly worsened, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead. Finally, his strength gave out and he plopped down right where he stood.
“Jiwon! Hey, Kim Jiwon!”
Jiwon had difficulty breathing and took in a big breath.
His whole body hurt so much.
“Jiwon. Can you stand up?”
Jiwon couldn’t even speak and just weakly shook his head.
“Wait. Just hold on a little… 119, yes. Someone here is sick. If you come to Korea University’s main gate area… Jiwon! Jiwon, stay conscious! Someone collapsed here. Please come quickly.”
He was barely enduring the feeling like his insides were turning over when his vision went dark.
Hojun’s voice calling from beside him grew faint, and eventually Jiwon lost consciousness.
