“Cold?”
Lee Euishin asked while sitting on the edge of the bed. When he shook his head and closed his eyes, a soft touch reached his forehead.
“Sleep.”
It felt like everything pent up inside was melting away.
When he woke up again, it was late at night.
Though his body still had no energy and his tonsils hurt, the headache and chills were minimal. Was he getting better now? When he threw off the blanket and sat up, Lee Euishin’s room, calmly organized in the darkness, entered his eyes unfamiliarly. Even though he said he organized, it was so different from his own room that was always messy. It felt like sleeping for free at an expensive hotel.
“You’re awake?”
When he came out to the living room, Lee Euishin, who’d been making something in the kitchen, quickly approached. The cool fingers touching his forehead felt good. You’re okay. Kwon Yunsu smiled.
“I’m better now.”
There’s nothing more painful than a body that won’t do what you want. With his clumsy personality, he gets sick like this once a season, but it had been truly a long time since he’d suffered this severely in such a short time.
“The fever’s gone down a bit.”
Lee Euishin nodded.
“Yeah.”
“You slept well.”
“Yeah.”
“You were crying in your sleep though.”
“When did I?!”
Though he retorted fiercely, he couldn’t be sure so he was anxious. Fortunately, Lee Euishin didn’t press further. Instead, he said something unexpected.
“Eat.”
“Again?”
“Aren’t you hungry?”
Now that he mentioned it, his stomach felt empty. He’d left more than half of the porridge he ate at lunch, and since he’d thoroughly vomited everything he ate yesterday down to his gastric juices, it made sense. Without complaint, he followed Lee Euishin to the kitchen. It was porridge again but different from before.
“What’s this?”
“Tuna porridge.”
Just hearing it made his mouth water.
“I’ll eat well.”
He immediately sat down and picked up his spoon. My goodness, it was really, really delicious. Grateful for his sense of taste returning after half a day and amazed at Lee Euishin’s ability, he cleaned out the entire bowl. When he finished, Lee Euishin took out a medicine packet.
“Hand.”
“……”
Looking at the pills pouring into his palm, Kwon Yunsu smiled. It’s like mom, mom. When I get better, I should make something delicious as thanks.
As his sense of living returned, his mood improved. When you suffer severely, you become grateful for everything. Now that he thought about it, it was Friday night, the happiest of the week. It was a shame to have absurdly wasted the second day of the festival when famous celebrities were supposed to come, but he could have more fun next year.
“Going to wash up?”
Just as he was thinking about it, Lee Euishin asked first. When he nodded, the guy jerked his chin toward the bathroom and said.
“I filled the tub.”
“…What?”
He was dumbfounded by such radical service. …Is this bastard groveling on his own now? Why? I’m not really that… hmm…… Should I be grateful now? To the bastard who turned my pristine wooden board into that state?
“Go wash up.”
Lee Euishin’s face speaking calmly was truly clean-cut, and there was no way to see through that handsome face. The guy who’d been staring straight at him suddenly reached out and grabbed his t-shirt.
“Should I wash you?”
“No.”
It was a joke he couldn’t hear twice.
But after washing up properly and coming out to see what Lee Euishin was doing, now he became anxious.
First, seeing the wet towel on his head, he immediately frowned, then dragged him to his room and dried his hair with a new towel and hair dryer. The fingers brushing his scalp were excessively gentle, making Kwon Yunsu’s heart flutter anxiously. I’ll do it. I said I’ll do it. I’ll… After being ignored three times, he just stayed still.
After that, he sat him on the sofa and brought out something on a tray.
“Drink.”
“……”
“Lemon tea with honey.”
If he got sick twice, he’d faint from being so overwhelmed. Kwon Yunsu said seriously.
“This is too scary. I won’t get sick again.”
At those very playful words, Lee Euishin frowned. Then after a while, he opened his mouth.
“…It’s not like I desperately tried to stop you knowing this would happen.”
He’s playing around. About to open his mouth, worked up by that shameless talk,
“You won’t believe me if I say that, right?”
Lee Euishin quickly added.
Well, I didn’t know it would turn out like this either… The following words had an uncharacteristically lamenting tone.
……Did he get scared because I was too sick? No way. He’s not someone who’d be scared by something like that. Kwon Yunsu looked down at the steaming mug. The desire to thoroughly scold him for ruining the festival clashed with the desire to just let it slide while casually bantering. And fortunately, he delayed reaching for the tea because of that dilemma. If he’d heard Lee Euishin’s next words, he surely would have spewed out everything in his mouth.
“I’m sorry.”
“……What?!”
Kwon Yunsu opened his mouth in shock.
“I said I’m sorry.”
“Huh.”
Is it time to die? It was something he’d thought he must absolutely get from this bastard once before dying, but wasn’t this timing too early? Could that face he’d shown several times… have really been dejected because of me?
He was dumbfounded. No matter how badly Lee Euishin behaved, he absolutely never bowed his head. What was going on with the haughty Ice Queen, the incarnation of spite, ingratitude, and shamelessness? Afraid he might say “I was wrong so stop now,” Kwon Yunsu turned his gaze away. Then after a moment, gathering his conflicted heart, he retorted sullenly.
“If you’re sorry, don’t do it again.”
If not now, when else would he get to put Lee Euishin down?
“I won’t.”
And Lee Euishin readily nodded. His heart pounded because it seemed sincere. If he embarrassed him again by doing such things, he’d even prepare to transfer schools.
“And, …it’s not like you’re some human healing device, and it’s not like I’m going to freeze to death, so don’t just… stick to me and sleep like that. …Anyway, thanks. I won’t get such devoted nursing even later at a nursing home.”
He remembered while showering. Throughout last night when he was groaning in pain, Lee Euishin had been hugging him. Crazy bastard, no fear… His cheeks felt hot at the memory.
“Next time if I get sick again, just send me to the hospital. Don’t treat me too well.”
Reaching across the table to hand him the cup directly, Lee Euishin asked.
“Why?”
Why? What do you mean why…
“…Because I feel like my heart’s going to shrivel up.”
He lumped together the feelings of awkwardness, being overwhelmed, and fear of the future into that response.
And if he asked what that meant, he picked up the mug ready to clam up completely. It was sweet and refreshing, a taste that seemed like it would clear away both the cold and headache completely. Lee Euishin was silently watching his profile as he slowly drank the tea. …Why had he never once felt that gaze to be burdensome?
When he finished the tea, Lee Euishin snatched the cup away. Then slowly opened his mouth.
“I’m going to treat you well though?”
A cool and leisurely tone. The face smiling slightly was the usual Lee Euishin, neither dejected nor cowed. ‘It’s my choice.’ It was as if he was saying this.
As he just stood there with his mouth open, unable to think of anything to say back, Lee Euishin patted his shoulder, brushed his cheek once, and stood up. Then he took the cup and went to the kitchen.
“I’m going to do the dishes, so watch something.”
TV or whatever, that wasn’t what was important.
He’s going to treat me well? No, well… it’s a grateful thing to say. ……I don’t know why it sounds so unwholesome. Can’t he just live being petty as usual? He’s not even an adolescent son, why can’t I figure out that bastard’s mind?
The headache came rushing back.
<To be continued in Volume 2>
