It was the same when his first migraine came. While receiving a lesson at school, he couldn’t see in front of him. The afterimage swallowed up the letters, and flustered, he froze throughout the lesson, when suddenly his head started to hurt. If his head had just hurt ordinarily, he at least wouldn’t have cried. But he felt nauseous, and he felt like everything in the world was moving away. He went to the teachers’ office and said he’d go to the hospital. He left school alone, and his parents, who had been contacted, came to pick Joo Seonghan up at the hospital. That day, he cried in front of his parents for the second time.
“Ha…”
He exhaled a tired breath and rubbed and wiped his face. He took a taxi home and held onto the toilet for a long time. After vomiting everything inside, he dragged his excessively hot body and entered under the showerhead. He stayed under lukewarm water for a while. He wanted to fall asleep like that, but it felt like something really bad would happen if he did, so he found and took medicine and lay on the bed. Sleep didn’t come. He couldn’t sleep because his head hurt too much, because the fever was too severe.
He tossed and turned, letting out agonizing groans, and at some point, the doorbell rang. He shook his head thinking he couldn’t possibly go down, but unable to withstand the noise of knocking on the door, he came down rolling down the stairs and opened the door. And he smelled his scent.
He had hazy memories of Yeon Dogyeong saying something and coming up to the bed. But there were no memories after that. Did he bring him down to the first floor? Why, leaving the bed? Even if he was going to leave, it would have been nice if he had brought him back to bed. Looking at the pitch-dark dawn sky visible beyond the terrace, he put strength in his legs. Wiping his damp eye area with the back of his hand as he was standing up, there was the sound of a door.
“Why did you wake up? Need to pee?”
He looked back. He saw Yeon Dogyeong coming out of the bathroom. His hair was wet, as if he had showered, wearing only comfortable pants. Joo Seonghan lowered his body that he had awkwardly raised again. He looked up at him approaching while shaking his hair with a blank face. He, who had sat in front of Joo Seonghan, covered Joo Seonghan’s hair with a towel and shook it roughly. He hadn’t known, but Joo Seonghan’s hair was also wet. Joo Seonghan was naked with only a large bath towel draped over him.
“Feel refreshed?”
He asked with a smile. He wrapped his face with the towel and lifted it slightly. Joo Seonghan slowly closed and opened his eyes while looking at him. The inside of his skull was hot. It felt like someone was continuously punching Joo Seonghan’s soft brain.
“…Bed…”
“It’s too far from the bathroom. It’s annoying to carry you around, so let’s sleep here today. Be good.”
Having thrown the towel that had been wrapped around his face outside the blanket, he pulled together the bath towel that was sliding down from Joo Seonghan’s shoulders. He wrapped his hand around the back of his neck, rubbed it a few times, and slowly laid Joo Seonghan down. Joo Seonghan took his hand out from inside the towel and gripped the wrinkles in his pants. Yeon Dogyeong smiled softly and lay down long beside Joo Seonghan. Supporting his head with his hand, he looked down at Joo Seonghan. His gaze was peaceful.
“How nice would it be if you were this honest normally too?”
“……”
“Hm? Joo Seonghan-ssi. I said it before. That it’s fun when you ask me to do things, so I want to grant them.”
He vaguely remembered. The words that followed were more vivid.
‘I also want to force things you tell me not to do.’
What did I say after hearing that? Someone stirred inside his head, which had hot soup poured into it, with a long stick. His limbs became hot again. Joo Seonghan moved his body and turned to lie toward Yeon Dogyeong. He lowered his head and leaned it on his chest.
“Should I hold you?”
He nodded his head slightly to him who asked against his ear. Yeon Dogyeong’s thick arm wrapped around Joo Seonghan’s body. He didn’t dislike the hand stroking his throbbing head.
“When… when are you leaving?”
“I’m not leaving.”
Answering lightly as if singing, he pulled over a pillow, laid his head on it, and offered his arm to Joo Seonghan. He pulled Joo Seonghan into his arms and found a comfortable position. It was cool yet warm. In the midst of his head throbbing, sleep gently approached. Joo Seonghan closed his eyes. It was the end of summer, when darkness was gradually lengthening.
* * *
Joo Seonghan was sick for a day and a half. Each time he came to his senses, the direction of the light coming in through the window had changed, and from some point on, darkness visited again. Then, when Joo Seonghan opened his eyes with a head that had become much lighter, the morning sun was rising toward midday.
“I took one more day of vacation. The fever has gone down now.”
He moved his head toward the voice. Yeon Dogyeong, standing in front of the large window in the living room, was on a call while looking at the terrace. Inside the shadow created by the light, solid muscles changed shape.
“Yes. There was nothing like that.”
He, who had suddenly looked back, smiled seeing that Joo Seonghan had woken up. Joo Seonghan looked at him without even blinking.
“Understood. I’ll come later.”
Finishing his words, he took the phone from his ear, looked down at the screen, and approached Joo Seonghan. He put the phone down on the table and touched the cheek of Joo Seonghan, who was curled up on his side.
“Does it still hurt?”
Joo Seonghan looked at around Yeon Dogyeong’s thighs and shook his head. Yeon Dogyeong grinned and lifted Joo Seonghan’s body into his arms. Before he could even ask why he was doing this, he was seated on the sofa. He, who had gone to the kitchen, took out an ion drink from the refrigerator and came back.
“I bought a few things that are easy to eat, so if you’re hungry, get something to eat. Drink a lot of water or ion drinks.”
“……”
“A virus entered Joo Seonghan-ssi’s body, and that’s why you were sick. You’re okay now.”
Yeon Dogyeong twisted open the ion drink cap and put it in Joo Seonghan’s hand. Sitting beside him, he put his elbow on the backrest and looked at Joo Seonghan. His folded and laid knee touched Joo Seonghan’s body. When Joo Seonghan stopped, he gestured with his eyes toward the ion drink in Joo Seonghan’s hand.
“Should I feed you like yesterday?”
“…What?”
“Don’t you remember?”
He remembered bits and pieces. Among them, there was no memory of drinking anything. Yeon Dogyeong, who found the answer in Joo Seonghan’s expression, smiled mischievously.
“I shouldn’t tell you.”
His tone was playful. Joo Seonghan avoided his teasing gaze and drank the ion drink. He had only intended to drink a little, but before he knew it, half had disappeared. He belatedly realized he was thirsty.
“From now on, if you’re sick, call me.”
He forcibly pulled away the bottle spout that wouldn’t come off and looked at Yeon Dogyeong. He, smiling gently, pulled up the bath towel Joo Seonghan was wearing and wiped his glistening mouth.
“Medicine sold on the market might not be good for you, Joo Seonghan-ssi, so try not to take it as much as possible, and even while eating food, if your stomach doesn’t feel good, don’t force yourself to swallow.”
“…Can you cure it?”
“Joo Seonghan-ssi’s body? I can’t cure it right now. Doctor Choi is working hard on it, so let’s wait a bit.”
Virus. He must have been infected beyond the Guimun. It wasn’t a common illness, and it couldn’t be cured right away. If it couldn’t be cured, what would happen? Was there a guarantee he wouldn’t get sick again like this time? Even hearing that it was okay now, he was scared. Joo Seonghan never wanted to experience again the feeling of his brain being boiled soft in boiling water.
“…What’s going to happen to me now?”
“Who knows? We’ll have to do a few tests and watch the situation.”
Joo Seonghan blinked his eyes. His chafed eye area stung.
“…I don’t like being sick.”
His mind still didn’t seem to be completely sound. Seeing how his words came out as if complaining to Yeon Dogyeong who had done nothing wrong. Joo Seonghan raised his hand and fidgeted with his lips. As he let time pass with an anxious feeling, Yeon Dogyeong extended his hand. He embraced Joo Seonghan’s head and put his other hand inside the bath towel. His hand that went backward swept down Joo Seonghan’s back.
“Okay.”
“……”
“I’ll take care so you won’t be in pain.”
Goosebumps rose. Yeon Dogyeong continued to sweep Joo Seonghan’s body widely. Joo Seonghan blinked and smelled the scent coming from his smooth skin. He stayed embraced by him in silence for a long time.
“Have you calmed down?”
After a long while, Yeon Dogyeong, who had taken his hand out from the bath towel, lightly massaged Joo Seonghan’s nape and asked. Joo Seonghan straightened his leaning body and looked at him. Yeon Dogyeong, who smiled quietly, cupped Joo Seonghan’s cheeks and rubbed them a few times. His touch was unrestrained.
“Rest today without going anywhere.”
“…Yes.”
“Tomorrow, people from the Semi-Human Department will come to see you, Joo Seonghan-ssi, so if your body is okay, go out once in the afternoon before the sun sets. To show them you’re living well after losing your memory.”
Having released Joo Seonghan’s face, he said while picking up the phone placed on the table. It was about the surveillance days that he said would happen at most once a week. It had been over two weeks since he had been to the research lab. Just as he was about to ask if they were checking later than expected, Yeon Dogyeong provided the answer on his own.
“I went once when Joo Seonghan-ssi was at your parents’ house too. That time, a person who does work carelessly went, so I didn’t mention it separately.”
“Then the person coming tomorrow is…”
