# Chapter 138
Someone I like? Of course, there’s no one… The thought was suddenly cut off. My lips remained tightly closed. As if someone was strangling me, no voice would come out.
“……”
Maeng Moa, who had been watching me with an expressionless face as I failed to answer, seemed to catch onto something and raised the corners of his mouth into a smirk. For some reason, it looked like he was getting ready to act cheeky.
“Why are you so flustered? I just asked if there’s someone you like.”
His casual smile, just like usual, made me the one who became flustered instead. Had I been punished for trying to probe and confirm his feelings? Feeling somehow like the situation had reversed, I awkwardly bit my lip when—
A commotion was heard from outside. The voices sounded familiar. The increasingly secretive tone as they approached seemed strange, but I had no time to pay attention to that.
Before I could ask Maeng Moa what he meant by his question, the door opened and people rushed into the hospital room.
With the arrival of the visitors, I realized Yoon Taean’s time for dropping off side dishes was up.
“Oh? …Hello.”
Yoon Taean, who first noticed Maeng Moa sitting on the sofa, greeted him awkwardly. Maeng Moa also smiled brightly, waved his hand, and returned the greeting. He leaned his body forward and greeted the others standing behind in the same way, then said exaggeratedly:
“Wow, it’s been a while since everyone gathered like this. I’m really happy to see you all since we don’t meet much at school.”
At Maeng Moa’s seemingly sarcastic behavior, Byeon Seungha frowned, glanced at me, muttered something in a low voice, then stepped further inside. I couldn’t hear what he said, but judging by his lip movements, it looked like he swore.
Just as my gaze was about to change to one of disbelief, my eyes met directly with Moon Seoheon, who entered last, causing me to bow my head deeply. Wow, what’s wrong with me? I can’t even meet his eyes.
If the experience of being washed itself was embarrassing, I should have felt the same when my eyes met Jung Hyoin, who had been right there too. But my heart remained calm without any disturbance.
“Didn’t you have a schedule at dawn?”
“Yes. But it ended earlier than expected, so I came straight here.”
“…I was wondering why I couldn’t reach you. So you came early.”
“Well, yes. Though I have to go out again tonight.”
Maeng Moa checked his watch as he dragged out his words and put on a regretful expression. Kwak Junhee remained silent for a moment, then just smiled slightly as if in agreement.
Even then, my heart and mind, which had shown little reaction, behaved erratically only when my eyes settled on one particular place.
Moon Seoheon stood alone by the window, facing outside where sunlight streamed through the curtains. Already possessing bright and warm colors, he seemed to shine even more brilliantly, causing a laugh to escape me. I must be crazy. Otherwise, I must be out of my mind.
After rubbing my strangely pounding chest and shaking off distracting thoughts, I wrinkled my nose at the sight of them all making themselves comfortable on the sofa as if it were their own living room.
Whether he noticed my reaction or not, Kwak Junhee explained why they had come.
“Taean asked us to have dinner together today. Also, we were invited before.”
His words reminded me of my parents’ invitation to visit the restaurant. I understood what he meant, but I raised my eyebrows wondering how that was a reason to come to my hospital room, though I didn’t comment.
Instead, I tried to suppress the excitement that was fluctuating between anguish and enlightenment and blankly stared at Yoon Taean. Are you the Pied Piper? If it was a dinner appointment, you could have called us then. Why did you bring all these people and make things uncomfortable?
I silently grumbled to myself and criticized Yoon Taean, who went straight to check the refrigerator as soon as he entered. I had to do that or I would start having distracting thoughts. It was an instinctive action to prevent unnecessary thoughts.
Unlike me, who was suffering greatly, Yoon Taean looked at the empty side dish container and sat down on the stool next to the bed with a relaxed expression.
“Hyung, let’s go out for dinner too. I got a hospital pass for you.”
I almost blurted out that he’d done something unnecessary when he showed me the paper directly, telling me to check it. I didn’t mind having dinner together, but looking at the time written on the pass, there was still quite a while left, and I wondered what we would do until then.
The hospital room, which had seemed so spacious when I was alone, looked very cramped now that it was filled with guys. I didn’t dislike the noisiness, as being alone in the hospital room all day made all sorts of thoughts come to mind.
But it would have been fine if they had come one by one, or even two at a time, but with them gathered in a group like this, it was overwhelming for me. Memories of them occupying a seat each and staying for hours during lunch periods in the classroom came flooding back, making me suspect they were doing this deliberately.
After briefly looking around at them with narrowed eyes, I gave up and flopped down on the bed. My intention was to lie down quietly while they entertained themselves.
Fortunately, it seemed my intention was communicated, as they didn’t appear inclined to disturb me despite having come all this way. They neither deliberately spoke to me nor bothered me. Like travelers who would rest briefly before moving on rather than visitors who had come to see me, we were like outsiders who didn’t pay attention to each other.
I didn’t say unnecessary things like “why did you come if you’re going to be like this?” Because I didn’t feel like stopping them if they wanted to be here.
After I quietly closed my eyes, there was a brief silence followed by whispers as they chatted. Various voices filled the hospital room, but instead of feeling like noise, they gently surrounded me like background music in a movie.
“Is he sleeping?”
After some time had passed, I naturally shifted my body, startled by Byeon Seungha’s dubious tone. I was actually feeling drowsy, but my mind was clear enough to distinguish whose voice was whose.
Still, I hoped they would let their guard down, thinking I was asleep, and say various things. I wanted to hear what they wanted from me, since they weren’t telling me anything.
Because even if you roughly understand someone’s true feelings, it’s nothing unless properly confirmed.
If the answer to that awkward question I threw at Maeng Moa had been “yes,” then that would have been it. I couldn’t correct or reverse it. In the midst of all this, a self-deprecating laugh escaped me at the thought that my unsettled state wasn’t even worth considering.
Though foolishly disgusted with myself, I had to remain this way for now. So I planned to stay still, pretending nothing was wrong and acting as if I didn’t understand anything.
But despite my wishes, they simply enjoyed casual conversation about what they would do during the break.
* * *
“Taeho.”
“Mmm……”
“Wake up. Yoon Taeho.”
My eyes snapped open at the low voice in my ear. I had a heavy head, not knowing when I had fallen asleep.
I rubbed my bleary eyes to clear the hazy afterimages, then pressed firmly around my brow and bridge of the nose. Being in a dreamy state, thoughts like what I had done before falling asleep and where I was crept up, making it difficult to grasp the current situation.
Just as I removed my hand from my forehead, neat fingers touched my left cheek. Startled by the soft sensation, I looked up to find The Four’s faces right in front of me.
Thinking about it, I should have known from how clearly I heard the gentle voice waking me up, but I was so surprised by the close distance that I inadvertently took a sharp breath. The hand caressing my cheek soon fell away as my upper body retreated.
“It’s time. Let’s get ready to go.”
“…Ah, yes.”
Nodding vacantly, I glanced behind to see Moon Seoheon slowly rising from the sofa, just as he had been before I fell asleep. I saw his hazelnut-colored eyes turning away without lingering after confirming I was awake. His back view as he quickly left the hospital room was nimble.
As I needlessly brushed my face, Kwak Junhee pulled my arm and urged me.
“Aren’t you getting up?”
“Oh, I am.”
Shaking off the drowsiness that hadn’t yet disappeared, I got off the bed. Maeng Moa, who had approached along with Kwak Junhee who was helping me not to fall, assisted me in changing clothes. Byeon Seungha seemed to have the same intention as he strode forward, but when our eyes met, he backed away further than the distance he had approached. The image of a cowed wolf came to mind, giving me an odd feeling.
Of course, others also played a significant role in making me feel complicated. While Kwak Junhee and Maeng Moa were just like always, giving me little to think about, Jung Hyoin was just as serene as the last time I saw him. His seemingly bored appearance made him look like someone who had been dragged along unwillingly. Though seeing him reluctantly staying all day, he didn’t seem to dislike it.
There was no way I could know what was really on his mind, no matter how much I thought about it.
After changing clothes completely, I walked slowly using my crutches. The Four followed me with short strides.
Yoon Taean, who had gone out first, was chatting with Moon Seoheon, but when he saw that we had all come out, he closed the door. Moon Seoheon, who had been leaning against the wall with his arms folded, straightened his body and stepped forward without hesitation.
As I secretly watched his broad shoulders walking alongside Yoon Taean, I realized I hadn’t exchanged a single word with him today.
After leaving the hospital, we got into the car that was already waiting. We headed straight for the restaurant without needing to wait. A wreath of various pinkish flowers, each gathered as a single stem, was in the car. With white roses sparsely inserted in the basket, it was harmonious yet abundant, making it quite pretty.
“Oh my, you didn’t need to. There was no need to prepare something like this.”
“It was difficult to come empty-handed.”
My mother smiled brightly at Kwak Junhee’s words that they had prepared it together, so she shouldn’t feel burdened. Though she said it wasn’t necessary, judging by her expression as she smelled the flowers, she seemed very pleased.
“Please, take a seat.”
This was my first time visiting the restaurant my parents operated, though I had only heard about it before. I looked around, inwardly impressed. I had heard it was a famous restaurant, but seeing it in person, the scale was enormous. I could understand why Yoon Taeho’s family was well-off.
Sitting on a chair with an antique charm, I looked ahead and noticed a sign beyond the transparent glass wall.
Seeing that it had the exact same font as the text on the business card Teacher Jaewon had given me, I blinked and looked at Moon Seoheon, who was seated diagonally from me.
Watching his motionless eyes as he examined the menu, I felt inexplicably irritated.
