Wrong Meal 137

# Chapter 137

Only then did the large hand covering my eyes fall away.

My dazed mind still hadn’t recovered, and with a feeling of weakness, I hung my head low with unfocused eyes. Moon Seoheon buried his face in the nape of my neck.

“Are you okay?”

Am I okay? How can you ask that now? The words I screamed internally didn’t escape my lips. It was because what had just happened was both shockingly unbelievable and insanely good.

My eyes reddened and my trembling hand rose to rub my face as tears welled up. Moon Seoheon stopped me by grabbing my hand and pulling it down, but my stiffened body was trembling to the point of pain.

When I unconsciously began rubbing my body vigorously with my hands, Moon Seoheon wrapped me in a towel, then lifted me up effortlessly. Holding me as if I weighed nothing, he carried me out of the bathroom.

He must have prepared new clothes for me to wear, as I saw hospital clothes neatly arranged on the bed. Jung Hyoin, who was sitting next to them, frowned at the two of us coming out late, but then returned to his languid expression.

I should have thanked Jung Hyoin or at least acknowledged his efforts out of courtesy, but I was too drained to speak the words that were about to come out.

It was understandable to be physically exhausted after rehabilitation training, examinations, and having my body washed in warm water. And with the unspeakable event that had just occurred, I was mentally tired as well.

Unlike my dazed state, Moon Seoheon seemed perfectly fine as he placed me on the bed and even helped me get dressed.

I wanted to tell him to leave me alone, but I still couldn’t put on clothes or re-wrap the bandages by myself. Without these guys, I would have to spend all day naked, so I had no choice but to let them help me.

Once I was fully dressed, I noticed how disheveled the two of them looked compared to my now presentable state. Normally, I would have told them to dry their wet clothes or take a shower before leaving.

Only then did I realize my mind had cleared, and I lifted my face, which had been bowed or looking elsewhere. But the moment my eyes met Moon Seoheon’s, I lowered my head again.

What should I do? I couldn’t look at him naturally. The memory of what had just happened kept flashing in my mind, making it difficult to maintain my sanity.

“You should go now. Thanks for today.”

In the end, that was all I could say. I wanted to give them drinks to take with them, but lying in bed, all I could do was pull up the blanket to cover myself.

I desperately wanted to cover myself up to my head, but fearing it would look strange, I tried to act naturally.

Silence enveloped the hospital room for a moment. Since I was lying with my back turned, I couldn’t gauge their reactions, but I bit my fingers, hoping they would leave soon.

“I’ll go now.”

As if sensing my wish, Moon Seoheon mumbled in a whisper, and then footsteps gradually faded away. Soon the door opened and closed, and when I finally removed my fingers from my mouth after what felt like an eternity, the hospital room had become eerily quiet.

Even though I heard them leaving, I couldn’t bring myself to turn around and remained lying facing the door for a long time. Finally, I barely managed to turn my head slightly. Even after confirming that the hospital room was empty, I looked around several times before realizing I was alone.

“Haah…”

A hot sigh escaped me. I didn’t even know where these unfamiliar emotions were coming from.

* * *

“Did something happen while I was gone?”

“…No.”

Maeng Moa carefully accepted the grape juice I offered, then scrutinized my haggard face again and gave me a suspicious look. Ignoring his piercing gaze, I took out the drink he had brought for me and opened the can. The sound of the can opening resonated clearly, and the distinctive minty scent of the drink stung my nose.

Like me, Maeng Moa opened his can and gulped down the drink in a way that looked as refreshing as a scene from a commercial. Despite seeing such a cool impression, I couldn’t swallow anything due to the feeling of heaviness in my stomach.

In the end, I secretly sighed and put down the drink without taking a sip. The fresh pine needle scent, far from clearing my head, only reminded me of what happened in the bathroom. I tried to shake off these distracting thoughts.

“Are you really eating properly? You look like someone who couldn’t even finish a bowl of gruel.”

“I’m eating well. What brings you here so early in the morning?”

“Do I need a reason to visit? I finally had some time, and here you are lost in thought…”

Maeng Moa twisted his lips, apparently upset, and mumbled in a pitiful tone. Feeling a bit sorry, I looked directly at him after not seeing him for a long time and asked about his recent activities.

“I heard you’re debuting soon? Are you doing a drama?”

I pointed with my chin at the script book on the desk. It looked well-used, with the end parts quite worn out.

“I already debuted. I briefly worked as a model when I was young and even shot a commercial.”

“Is that so?”

As I placed the unopened can on the drawer and responded nonchalantly, his lips jutted out. Should I have been more surprised? Although I briefly considered consoling Maeng Moa, who seemed sulky, I decided against it.

This wasn’t the first time, and with my heart already in turmoil, I didn’t want to expend any special energy. Instead of discussing Moon Seoheon’s recent behavior that had been troubling me, I brought up a different issue.

“Hey, do you really think I have a split personality?”

Surprised by my question asked without blinking, Maeng Moa, who was drinking juice, choked and coughed. After wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he soon calmed down and furrowed his brow.

“Why are you suddenly asking that?”

His expression completely crumpled, as if recalling a late night a few days ago when he and Kwak Junhee had rushed to the hospital. His face turned grim, as if his earlier complaints had been just a joke, and I pounded my chest in frustration.

No matter how much I denied it, they wouldn’t listen, which was truly troubling. Would they understand if Moon Seoheon told them instead of me? They seemed to listen to him well… As I thought about this, my face wrinkled with a strange feeling.

Come to think of it, not just Maeng Moa but all of The Four seemed particularly close to Moon Seoheon. I had simply thought it was because of the anime, but after hearing Teacher Jaewon mention they had been close since childhood, I had casually dismissed it.

As I steadily watched Maeng Moa, who was now looking through his script as if planning to kill time here, I comfortably leaned back against the backrest. Though he appeared unwilling to even hear my answer, I spoke slowly.

“I was just wondering why everyone is so surprised by how Yu… how I’ve been acting. And I need to know so I can deal with it or at least not mind it in the future.”

I noticed Maeng Moa’s eyebrows trembling, as if he really didn’t want to talk about my condition. Though he was usually playful, he had his own serious atmosphere when needed, and the air became quite heavy.

“Sunbae, you just… don’t worry and do as you like. They say even if you don’t completely disappear, you can lead a normal life if you’re encouraged to communicate with each other.”

His concerned tone seemed intended to reassure me, and while I almost felt comforted, knowing the truth, I could only snort. Still, I appreciated his sentiment.

Even if it wasn’t helpful, I wasn’t angry because I knew his heart was in the right place. Though I had gone through all sorts of difficulties here, I had definitely grown attached. I couldn’t build walls or act harshly as easily as before.

Was that why? Words I hadn’t organized in my mind suddenly popped out.

“Hey, do you… like me?”

“Eh?”

Maeng Moa dropped the script book he was holding and made a dumb sound.

Is that the only way I could ask such a question? Even as I thought how foolish I was, feeling my chest tighten with embarrassment, I hesitated before finally continuing.

“I’m asking if you like me.”

“…”

This time when I asked in a steady voice, Maeng Moa’s lips parted widely. As I calmly gazed at him, he soon regained his composure and picked up the script book with trembling hands.

His gaze remained fixed on the open script, not moving. Though his face was expressionless, his unfocused eyes and pale complexion revealed that his current state was not normal. He looked so pitiful that I almost regretted asking, but I wanted to hear properly.

That was the only way I could resolve this endless controversy. The opinion of The Four, who told me not to do anything for my sake, was of no help to me at all. So I had to cut it off somehow.

Whether it was their feelings or this kind of relationship.

“Well… I do like you…”

His voice, which had difficulty coming out, stopped without finishing. I didn’t rush him and simply nodded calmly. Maeng Moa glanced at me and became even more rigid.

A subtle silence divided us. Feeling uncomfortable no matter what position I took, I shifted my body and then focused on Maeng Moa’s fingers, which were gripping the script so tightly it was getting crumpled.

“What about Moon Seoheon?”

“What?”

“You like Moon Seoheon too, right?”

“Of course.”

This answer came out more easily than when I asked if he liked me. For a brief moment, I suddenly recalled the conversation I had with Kwak Junhee at Ace, and I bit the inside of my mouth as if chewing it.

The reply that it was obvious when I asked Kwak Junhee if he liked Moon Seoheon. The subsequent voice saying that he liked me too echoed in my ears.

It felt like the meaning of words I hadn’t thought deeply about was now becoming clear.

Somehow, the meaning of “like” that Maeng Moa spoke of might have been different, like with Kwak Junhee? After all, the word “like” encompasses various emotions.

Maeng Moa’s face no longer showed surprise, but now confusion, as if he couldn’t understand the intention behind my questions.

As expected, he was either unaware or it was simply a basic fondness. Should I point this out? Or pretend not to know and continue as good seniors and juniors?

The determination I had just moments ago was gone, and I found myself making shallow considerations. It was as complex an emotion as when thoughts I had been suppressing burst forth because of Yoo Wono’s stormy confrontation before.

But I had to do it. It felt unsettling, like doing something inappropriate with a child. So what should I say? “Don’t like me?” Just thinking about it made me shudder.

I needed to say something appropriate that Maeng Moa could understand, neither too bland nor dragging it out unnecessarily. While I was wrapped up in these thoughts, Maeng Moa, who had been looking down, raised his head and spoke, breaking my contemplation.

“What about you, Sunbae?”

“Huh?”

“Do you have someone you like?”