Even after that, Lee Jiwoo kept nagging while crying like sleep-talking, saying it was loud. I hadn’t said anything, and though it was unfair, I didn’t respond.
No matter how drunk he was throwing a fit, it was strange that Lee Jiwoo kept crying like that. Did something really happen?
Wondering if he was just making crying sounds with his mouth, I carefully touched around his eyes. He’d cried so much that not only his face but even the pillow was damp.
“Lou… d…”
“……”
“Huu…”
“……”
Then at some point, even his pronunciation started getting weird. I didn’t know what really happened, but his drunken fit was quite a spectacle. However, seeing him cry even while sleeping, I felt more pitiful than annoyed.
How hard must his life have been, growing up in a house where his cousin gave him drugs without any hesitation? Ugh, of all families to get involved with…
Thinking about drugs made my head throb again. I turned to face Lee Jiwoo and patted his shoulder, saying.
“It’s not loud here, so just sleep. Stop babbling strange things.”
Whether he understood my words in his sleep or it was just coincidence, amazingly Lee Jiwoo became quiet. He occasionally frowned or pursed his lips, but he didn’t make strange sounds anymore or cry.
Will he even remember what he did when he wakes up tomorrow? Thinking about it, maybe it’s fortunate I missed the opportunity. If I’d asked suspicious questions taking advantage of this situation and he thought it was fishy the next day, that would’ve been disastrous.
Bzzzz- Bzzzz-
Just then, vibration suddenly started. Lee Jiwoo, who had already fallen fast asleep, showed no reaction. After hesitating, I searched his pocket and took out his phone.
Lee Sihu Incoming call
“……”
The moment I saw that name, I remembered what I’d forgotten. This is hyungnim’s name. That name I kept forgetting all this time.
“…Lee Jiwoo.”
After hesitating, I shook his shoulder slightly. Naturally, he didn’t wake up. I shouldn’t answer, right?
While I was pondering, the call ended. And immediately a text came. But the phone was locked, so I couldn’t check the content.
“……”
I glanced at sleeping Lee Jiwoo’s face. He didn’t move at all in the darkness. Just from his breathing, it was clear he was already deeply asleep.
While spending time with me, Lee Jiwoo naturally fiddled with his phone too. Checking texts, or searching for something, or checking the time…
I didn’t mean to do it on purpose, but being next to him, the phone screen caught my eye without me realizing. The pattern he drew with his uniquely large and long fingers like someone playing piano, too.
Without even breathing, I carefully drew the pattern from memory. 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 6. Lines connected in order and the lock released.
“……”
Feeling guilty for no reason, I glanced down at Lee Jiwoo once more. Like a painting, Lee Jiwoo’s posture hadn’t changed at all.
I just sat still and only moved my fingers, so why am I so out of breath? Bad deeds really weren’t something just anyone could do. My heart was beating crazily and cold sweat even started forming.
Nevertheless, I didn’t stop and checked the text that came a moment ago. As expected, it was a text from hyungnim, Lee Jiwoo’s cousin, Lee Sihu.
You must be really busy. I don’t know if you’re eating properly. A kid so busy working that he forgets his parents’ death anniversary. Call me when you see this text.
“……”
The moment I saw that, the tension that had been taut enough to make breathing difficult disappeared like smoke. Parents’ death anniversary? When? Today? Or yesterday? Don’t tell me…
Blinking in surprise, my gaze turned to Lee Jiwoo without realizing it. And our eyes met in the darkness.
“Seoun.”
I was so startled I dropped the phone I was holding. The blanket was so thick that there was no sound of the phone dropping. Lee Jiwoo looked at me frozen and whispered in a heavily subdued voice.
“Hold me…”
My fingertips that had grown cold trembled like a spasm. Does he not know I looked at his phone? Did he mistake it for me looking at mine because we have the same model?
My head spun dizzily, and I pushed the phone on the blanket to the bedside and slowly lay down. And without saying anything, I stretched out my arms as Lee Jiwoo instructed and held his body.
Lee Jiwoo wriggled and burrowed into my arms as if he’d been waiting. And he placed his hand near my crazily beating heart. He must have definitely felt the beat and sound vibrating intensely like a drum inside my ribcage.
He went further and entered under the blanket completely, even placing his forehead on my chest. Curled up like a fetus, he tossed and turned like that, then fell asleep again.
If he’d said something, it wouldn’t be this confusing. At this rate, I won’t die a natural death. Just peeking at a phone once is this difficult and makes me break out in cold sweat—can I really uncover Lee Jiwoo’s secret?
Can I steal that black list or whatever it is?
With worries growing like a mountain, I spent the night with my eyes wide open.
***
Rustle…
“……”
Click, slide…
“……”
Wait, I definitely couldn’t sleep at all, so when did I fall asleep? At the faint noise coming to my ear, I came to my senses in bewilderment.
As I tossed and turned and slowly opened my eyes, the noise got louder. I’d slept so deeply that it felt refreshing enough to make it seem like a lie that I was sick until yesterday.
Unable to open my eyes properly, I just barely lifted my head and looked toward where the sound came from. At first I thought it was some thief, but it was Lee Jiwoo. Not wearing clothes properly and almost naked, water dripped from his hair.
“Jiwoo?”
I called his name in a heavily subdued voice, but there was no answer. He was diligently rummaging through a small paper box as if searching for something near the kitchen drawer. This was why I’d mistaken him for a thief at first.
I staggered up and approached Lee Jiwoo with a puzzled feeling. As if he’d just washed up, not only was his hair wet, but moisture he hadn’t wiped properly was soaked all over his body.
“What are you doing?”
“Medicine…”
“What?”
“My head hurts so bad I’m going to die…”
A trembling, feeble voice flowed out sobbing. He rummaged through the miscellaneous items stored in a snack box with trembling hands.
“Why are you looking for medicine there? No, when did you wake up?”
“Because the band-aids were here… Ah, found it.”
He rejoiced like a beggar who discovered a gold mine and took out medicine from the medicine box. There was exactly one individually packaged painkiller left. I blocked Lee Jiwoo’s mouth as he tried to tear it open and put it in his mouth without water.
“Wait a moment.”
As I blocked his mouth and his head shook, Lee Jiwoo’s expression contorted painfully. He clutched his head and crouched down on the spot, making groaning sounds.
“Ah, please… Don’t touch me. My head really feels like it’s going to explode…”
Wait, earlier he was asking me to hold him, touch him… I clicked my tongue and squatted in front of him.
“That’s why, who told you to drink so much? And you can’t take this after drinking. I’ll look for other painkillers, so wait a moment.”
“Just give me that.”
“I said you can’t.”
“Why!”
Ignoring Lee Jiwoo throwing a tantrum, I searched through the drawer. But as expected, there were no painkillers. Even looking closely at the box of medicine Lee Jiwoo had taken out, even this was already 4 months past its expiration date.
“Seoun, please…”
Lee Jiwoo, still crouched in that spot, grabbed my pant leg and sobbed.
“Please, medicine… I really feel like I’m dying.”
That appearance looked like an addict searching for drugs. But I also knew how painful a hangover headache was, so I felt sympathetic. Still, what’s not allowed isn’t allowed.
“This has acetaminophen so you can’t take it after drinking. There’s a pharmacy nearby that opens early, so wait a bit.”
As unnecessary empathy kicked in for no reason, I roughly threw on a padded jacket over my pajamas. And I opened the front door wearing only slippers on my bare feet.
“Just lie down still. Did you throw up? Or do you feel like you might?”
At my question, Lee Jiwoo lay sprawled on the floor, groaned, and shook his head slightly. Then, as if his head spun again, he screamed “Kyaaah.”
I clicked my tongue and went outside. Without even a moment to enjoy the cold, refreshing air, I walked quickly straight to the pharmacy.
