What do you mean he doesn’t know? Wasn’t he supposed to come find me on his own and take care of me on his own? How am I supposed to receive…….
“Don’t tell me you want me to contact him?”
How am I supposed to contact him? Tell him I caught a cold? With my own mouth?
“Wait. What’s this about coincidental nursing care?”
Somehow, he had a feeling that phrase also shouldn’t be ignored.
In the end, after contemplating, Wonyoung called out the system.
“Hello, Player-nim!”
At the system’s energetic greeting, Wonyoung clicked his tongue. It was because he remembered the text bomb incident from last time. The system clearly didn’t tell him on purpose that 10 messages would go at once. That shameless, slick sphere.
However, fighting with the system here, he didn’t know what kind of revenge he’d face again. Cursing internally at the sphere that had abandoned its duty as a system, Wonyoung opened his mouth.
“I want to ask about this mission, what is coincidental nursing care?”
“Coincidental nursing care means coincidentally discovering Player-nim’s condition and coincidentally providing nursing care.”
“Coincidentally? Are you kidding me? Then I can’t even contact them?”
“Contact is fine. As long as you don’t say you caught a cold.”
At those words, Wonyoung hesitated. It was because a phone conversation scene between a seme and uke he had recently read in a BL novel flashed through his mind.
―Why does your voice sound like that?
―N-nothing’s wrong…….
―Tell me straight. Are you sick somewhere?
―I’m fi-, hic.
―Where are you right now! Sunwoo, Kim Sunwoo!
After that, the seme came to where the uke was and the two…… omitted.
Having finished his recollection, Wonyoung smiled triumphantly. Of course, that novel was an omega-verse and Kim Sunwoo-ssi was in heat cycle, but anyway, with that kind of development, coincidental nursing care was fully possible.
“Fine. Let’s do it.”
“Good mindset! Then, CUTE LOVE START!”
“Please don’t do that.”
With Wonyoung’s light irritation, the system disappeared and the world moved again. Wonyoung felt dizzy for a moment and flopped down on the bed.
‘This condition seems more severe than I thought.’
Thinking he should at least drink some water, Wonyoung tried to somehow get up but was flustered by a notification window that appeared before his eyes.
[Stamina is insufficient. Movement is restricted. Accessible movement area: On the bed]
“What? This……”
Wonyoung forcibly suppressed the curse that rose to his uvula. Hah, right. It’s a mission. This game would fully do something like that.
Anyway, his vision was really spinning, and it seemed like he’d really be lying down like this all day if he didn’t take medicine. If there was any fortune, it was that today was the weekend.
Wonyoung, feeling somewhat rushed, first called Siyeon. Ring ring, after a few rings, Siyeon answered the phone.
“Rae hyung?!”
“Yeah. I……”
Wonyoung, who was about to say “It’s me,” hesitated at the screaming sounds coming from across the receiver.
“Hyung, sorry. It’s noisy around here.”
“Wh-wh-what’s going on?”
“Ah.”
For a moment, there was a metallic sound like hitting a pipe against the ground, then immediately swoosh, thud. Such sounds continued one after another. Wonyoung was certain. This bastard is beating someone up right now.
“A little. Just a little. Like at an amusement park.”
What kind of amusement park beats people up? Even the world’s tallest roller coaster brings people down safely. Wonyoung retorted internally, but Siyeon continued affectionately.
“Hyung doesn’t need to worry. I silenc-, I mean, I came to a quiet place now.”
Wonyoung shuddered. He was confused whether this chill was because of the cold or because he learned anew about what Ki Siyeon does.
“Why did you call? This is the first time hyung called first. You know I’m really happy right now?”
“Uh yeah, that’s……”
“Hyung, but why does your voice sound like that?”
Wonyoung, who had been answering halfheartedly, snapped to attention at those words.
“No? I’m fine though?”
“No you’re not? You think I can’t recognize hyung’s voice?”
“I’m really okay. I-I just called to ask what you’re doing. You seem busy so I’ll hang up now.”
“What? But……”
At that moment, desperate death throes of “Please spare me!” could be heard from far away. Wonyoung believed his trembling hands were because of the cold. Soon, he heard Siyeon let out a long sigh as if regretful.
“Okay, hyung. It would be better to hang up now.”
“Right?”
Wonyoung had absolutely no desire to receive nursing care covered in blood. He even more declined the possibility of Siyeon getting marked by the organization from forcibly pulling out of organization work.
He immediately gave up on receiving nursing care from Siyeon and said.
“Then see you later.”
However, to Wonyoung’s offhand remark, an extremely bright answer came back.
“……Yes, see you later!”
And before hanging up, Siyeon whispered softly.
“I miss you a lot, hyung.”
“……”
Wonyoung almost unconsciously said “Me too” for a moment but barely kept his mouth shut. Me too, what me too. When he doesn’t even know what that guy is doing right now.
Having hung up, Wonyoung let out a feverish sigh. Isn’t there any way to pull that kid out of the organization? Does he have no intention of leaving on his own? He had many worries.
And at that moment, as if to awaken Wonyoung to reality again, a stamina notification appeared.
[Stamina is insufficient.]
[Stamina: 3]
Siyeon wasn’t the problem right now. He decided to set that matter aside for now, and now only Heegang and Taerim remained as nursing care candidates. If he didn’t receive nursing care from one of them, with this stamina level, it was obvious he wouldn’t be able to get up not just today but even tomorrow, let alone go to the bathroom.
At this rate, he would face the biggest disaster since the pants-removal incident. Wonyoung contemplated who to call with feelings more desperate than before.
Baek Heegang? Kyung Taerim? After contemplating, Wonyoung first called Taerim. It was because he remembered that Taerim had been quite attentive to him when he injured his leg last time. Frankly, he was anxious to call Heegang because he seemed like he’d bring a hatchet to prepare for nursing care.
After the dial tone went for a while.
“The person you are calling cannot answer, so you are being connected to voicemail.”
Unfortunately, Taerim didn’t answer the phone at a time like this. Wonyoung called once more just in case, but the result was the same. Without even time to be disappointed, he felt his fever rising more and more. Strength drained from his arms. Wonyoung barely picked up his phone again.
“To Baek Heegang……”
He had to call Heegang, but his eyes kept closing. Wonyoung went limp with the thought that he couldn’t do this anymore. It seemed better to sleep a little and then make the call. Then his stamina would also be somewhat recovered…….
“Rae.”
Amid his fading vision, he heard a caring voice. Soon, a cold hand came up on his forehead. Wonyoung exhaled, feeling like he could live a little.
“Wait. I’ll make it so you won’t hurt.”
Nursing care? Thank you, whoever you are…….
Really handsome. Could even be an actor.
Like that, Wonyoung’s consciousness sank deeply.
* * *
Wonyoung had a dream. He could tell this was a dream because he was wearing a school uniform. Not even from the school he attended, but a completely unfamiliar uniform.
He slowly raised his eyes and looked around. He saw students chattering around him. They seemed to be friends.
‘Lots of friends.’
With that stupid personality, it would be fortunate if he didn’t just get taken advantage of. Wonyoung had such thoughts as he slowly walked following his friends. Probably lunchtime, their steps headed toward the cafeteria.
‘It’s been a while.’
Holding a tray and standing in line, Wonyoung was briefly immersed in memories. His school days were time devoted only to studying with nothing to call memories, but still, he felt somewhat sentimental.
That’s when it happened.
“?”
With a crashing sound, a commotion arose nearby. Wonyoung stuck his head out to check where the sound came from, when his friends said.
“Ah, again.”
“They never get tired of it.”
“Rae, you really stay still this time. You’ll get marked like that.”
“No, he’s already been marked more than enough, but they’re leaving him alone because you’re such a celebrity.”
Listening to his friends’ incomprehensible talk while looking ahead, he saw a child sitting collapsed while covered in food. And as soon as he saw that child, Wonyoung, no, Rae ran toward him.
“Hey! You guys stop it!”
Rae blocked the child’s front and shouted courageously. Wonyoung was muttering internally, sucker.
The group before his eyes were obviously delinquent students. Narae’s slender body didn’t seem like it would be even a single punch’s worth.
Even so, Rae glared at them with his round eyes doing his best, as if not scared at all.
“Why do you keep bullying this kid? What did this kid do wrong to you!”
“Ah, shit. We really can’t do anything to this one.”
“Be friends!”
“What?”
“I’ll buy you delicious things at the school store. Be friends with this kid!”
You crazy bastard. Wonyoung lamented internally. I went through all that trouble trying to live as a kid like this…….
As expected, ridiculous laughter burst out from the delinquent student group as well.
And the guy who seemed to be the leader among them walked right up to Rae’s front. Wonyoung was worried he might get hit, but unexpectedly, he asked with a playful smile.
“What are you going to buy?”
“What do you want to eat?”
“Me? Well.”
He scanned Rae from head to toe and said.
“Everything?”
‘You crazy bastard! It’s dangerous, Narae! Run away!’
Wonyoung detected the danger signal, but oblivious Narae made a troubled expression.
“I-I can’t buy everything……”
“Then? You said to be friends.”
“……If I buy everything, will you really be friends?”
“Yeah.”
Sucker Narae thought hard with that small head of his, then soon spoke brightly as if a good idea had occurred to him.
“Then what if I buy one thing every day?”
“What?”
At those words, laughter burst out from the delinquent student group again. Of course, Rae was resolute, and all the embarrassment was Wonyoung’s share.
