Jaeyoon slowly lifted his heavy eyelids and struggled to move his dry lips. Hot breath escaped between his lips with each exhale. When he swallowed, a sharp pain shot through his throat. His limbs felt weak and tingling—it seemed like he had come down with the flu.
“Ugh…”
A hoarse, raspy voice that he could hardly recognize as his own escaped from Jaeyoon’s throat.
“Jaeyoon, are you okay? How are you feeling?”
Jaeyoon, who had been pressing his temples to ease his headache, was startled by the familiar voice and opened his eyes wide. He had definitely thought he would be alone, so he was surprised to see Jung Jinhoo looking at him with a face full of concern.
“Sunbae…?”
“Yeah.”
Jinhoo nodded gently with a soft smile in response to Jaeyoon’s call. He placed his hand on Jaeyoon’s forehead to check his temperature, then put a cold, wet towel on his burning forehead. Jaeyoon let out a small breath at the cool sensation of the towel. I think I might live…
“Does that feel nice and cool?”
“Yes, but Sunbae, what *cough cough* happened? *cough*…”
Jaeyoon immediately furrowed his brow at the persistent coughing fits that kept interrupting him. Let me speak. Jinhoo watched him with a gentle smile. He carefully moved the hair stuck to Jaeyoon’s cheek and answered his question.
“After the festival ended yesterday…”
“Yesterday…? You mean yesterday?”
‘I was out for a whole day without knowing it??’
When Jaeyoon tried to get up in surprise, Jinhoo held his shoulders to stop him. Your fever is high. Stay down. With this firm attitude, Jaeyoon obediently lay back down on the bed. Smiling at Jaeyoon’s compliance, Jinhoo pulled the blanket, which had slipped down to his legs, up to his shoulders before speaking again.
“I found you being carried by Lee, Lee Hee…”
“Heejun? *cough cough*”
“Ah!”
Jinhoo, who had been frowning as he tried to recall Lee Heejun’s name, nodded brightly with a smile at Jaeyoon’s straightforward answer.
‘He’s like a puppy…’
“I found him and that kid with glasses carrying you, so…”
“Ah.”
Jaeyoon nodded in understanding. Jinhoo had discovered Heejun and the class president carrying sick Jaeyoon, brought him back to the dormitory room, and had been taking care of him all this time. I’ve been a burden to so many people.
“I’m sorry. Was I heavy to carry?”
At his question, Jinhoo shook his head from side to side.
“Not heavy at all. Rather, you were too light…”
‘Really?’
As Jinhoo stared at Jaeyoon’s wrist with furrowed brows, Jaeyoon raised his hand to check his thin wrist. Indeed, Lee Jaeyoon’s body was quite thin. Although he had been eating diligently to survive, despite his desperate efforts, Lee Jaeyoon’s weight remained stubbornly the same.
Jinhoo’s hand wrapped around Jaeyoon’s thin wrist. With a serious expression, he stared at Jaeyoon’s wrist, which fit entirely in one hand, and then turned his gaze to him. Meeting those golden eyes, Jaeyoon blinked rapidly.
“Why, why are you looking at me like that…?”
“…I’ll have to feed you more carefully.”
Jaeyoon bit the inside of his cheek hard because Jinhoo looked so adorable as he mumbled with such a serious face. Jaeyoon watched with a small smile as he nodded to himself, making his own resolution.
“So you’re alive?”
“Eek!”
Startled by the sudden voice, Jaeyoon involuntarily shouted and lifted his head. His eyes met Lee Heejun, who was sitting cross-legged in a chair beside the table, watching them both. Huh, how long have you been there? When he asked in confusion, Heejun’s purple eyes narrowed. How long do you think? For the sake of his mental health, Jaeyoon decided not to hear the answer to that teasing voice.
“Fortunately, you’ve come to your senses. Last night your fever was so high, I was worried we might need to call an ambulance…”
“Was it, that serious…?”
“Yeah, I’m starting to understand why your brother makes such a fuss about your health.”
“Sorry…”
“Being sick isn’t something to apologize for.”
Heejun got up from his chair, took several puddings from the mini-fridge, and asked:
“Want some? These are the best when you have no appetite, you know?”
“Hmm.”
After looking at the pudding for a moment, Jaeyoon nodded. His mouth felt so hot that he wanted something cold.
“We have grape, peach, and tangerine. Which do you want?”
“Peach.”
“What about you, Jinhoo sunbae?”
“I’m fine.”
After taking out peach and grape puddings and closing the refrigerator door, Heejun picked up a plastic spoon he had received from the convenience store. He reached out to hand the pudding and spoon to Jinhoo, then sat back down in the chair.
After removing the lid, Jinhoo scooped up a spoonful of the peach-scented pudding and, out of habit—just as he always did when his younger sister was sick—held the spoon out to Jaeyoon. Jaeyoon’s pupils trembled rapidly. When he remained frozen, Jinhoo tilted his head slightly to the side, then rounded his lips and made an “ah” sound.
‘No no no no!!’
“I-I can eat by myself!”
“You’re sick. Ah.”
“I’m fine! Totally fine! *cough, cough*!!”
“Jaeyoon! Are you okay? Do you want some water??”
“I’m, I’m fi…!”
Watching them from his chair with his chin resting on his hand, Heejun took a bite of pudding and thought: A romantic comedy? I don’t understand why they aren’t dating. With the plastic spoon in his mouth, bobbing it up and down, he suddenly smiled as a good idea came to mind. He picked up his phone from the desk, sent a message somewhere, and then got up from the chair and headed to the bathroom. After filling a small basin with lukewarm water and taking out a dry towel from the drawer, Heejun approached the bed where the two were sitting.
“Heejun? Why are you…”
At Jaeyoon’s puzzled look, Heejun’s purple eyes narrowed. In that moment, Jaeyoon felt a chill run down his spine.
“You sweated a lot yesterday.”
“Yeah, that’s true…”
“It must feel uncomfortable, so you should clean up.”
Right~? Heejun smiled brightly as he dipped the towel into the basin, soaking it thoroughly before wringing out the excess water. Then he put his foot on the bed, leaned forward, and began approaching Jaeyoon. Jaeyoon’s blue eyes trembled with anxiety.
“Come on, take your shirt off.”
“I-I’ll wash myself!”
“What nonsense is a patient talking? What’s there to be embarrassed about between guys? It’s not like I’m asking you to take off your pants.”
“No, but still…”
“Then turn around and lift your t-shirt, that’s fine, right?”
Just the t-shirt… Jaeyoon nodded. A triumphant smile spread across Heejun’s face. As Jaeyoon turned his back and lifted his t-shirt, he was startled by a loud ringing sound and turned around. Heejun exclaimed in an excited voice, “Oh, a phone call~?” and picked up the phone that was on the table. As soon as he pressed the answer button, he quickly turned down the volume and naturally handed the wet towel he was holding to Jinhoo.
“I have to take this call, so please help clean him up.”
“Huh…?”
“W-wait a minute?!”
“You need to clean up after sweating so much.”
Hygiene is the most important thing, you know that, right? After saying this, Heejun opened the dormitory door and went outside. What kind of call requires going outside to answer? Before Jaeyoon could even process his rising suspicion, the gray door slammed shut mercilessly. The two blankly stared at the door before turning to look at each other.
Jinhoo looked alternately at the wet towel in his hand and at Jaeyoon for a moment, then got up from his seat with slightly flushed cheeks and sat on the edge of the bed. The mattress rippled slightly. Flustered, Jaeyoon’s light pink lips moved before closing again. The tips of his ears turned bright red as he turned his head away.
“I’ll do it.”
“Y-yes!”
When the wet towel touched his skin, Jaeyoon’s body jerked. Jinhoo hesitated briefly at this reaction, then carefully began to wipe Jaeyoon’s back with the towel. An awkward atmosphere surrounded them. Jaeyoon bit his lip hard and inwardly called Heejun’s name.
Jinhoo soaked the towel in water once more. Then he started wiping from the shoulders and slowly moved downward. And the moment the wet towel touched Jaeyoon’s side—
“Hyaah?!”
Jaeyoon let out a sound almost like a scream as his body lurched forward. Jinhoo froze in his position of wiping the back. His pupils shook greatly. Blinking rapidly, he rolled his eyes slightly to check on Jaeyoon. With his head bowed down and holding his side, Jaeyoon said in a tiny voice:
“M-my sides are a bit sensitive…”
Staring blankly at Jaeyoon, who had turned red to the tips of his fingers, Jinhoo soon burst into a small laugh. Turning his head quickly at this, Jaeyoon frowned slightly and pouted at Jinhoo, who was laughing as if he couldn’t help it.
“Why, why are you laughing…?”
“I’m sorry, you’re just too cute.”
At the word “cute” coming from Jinhoo’s mouth, Jaeyoon’s face instantly turned as red as an apple.
“C-cute…”
After opening and closing his mouth in embarrassment, he bit his lip and quickly turned his head away. Seeing this, Jinhoo smiled with his large eyes folded in half and moved closer to Jaeyoon’s side, tilting his head. Jaeyoon. At the voice calling his name, he turned his head slightly. Jinhoo, their gazes now meeting, smiled prettily with his eyes curved.
‘So it’s really true that seeing someone’s face can dissolve your anger.’
Blinking slowly, Jaeyoon let out a small sigh. He gently bumped his forehead against Jinhoo’s forehead and, looking into his eyes, said:
“I’m the patient here, and you’re teasing me like this?”
“I’m sorry.”
Jinhoo apologized with a gentle smile, then got up from the bed as he felt the heat from their touching foreheads. He retrieved the cold medicine he had bought yesterday from the table and handed it to Jaeyoon along with water.
“It would be better to take medicine after eating…”
“I ate pudding, so it’s fine.”
“I made porridge, so let me know if you get hungry.”
“Okay.”
After Jaeyoon took the medicine and lay down on the bed, Jinhoo covered him with the blanket up to his shoulders and picked up the wet towel that had fallen beside the pillow. He soaked the slightly lukewarm towel in cold water once more and carefully placed it on Jaeyoon’s forehead. After taking the medicine, drowsiness washed over him. Jinhoo gently stroked Jaeyoon’s head as his eyes blinked slowly.
“It’s okay. I’ll stay by your side, so go to sleep.”
After hesitating briefly at Jinhoo’s kind gaze, Jaeyoon squirmed under the blanket and carefully pulled out his hand to lightly grasp Jinhoo’s hand. Jinhoo’s eyes widened in surprise before softening gently. Smiling, he gently held Jaeyoon’s hand in return. Feeling Jinhoo’s body heat through their hands, Jaeyoon slipped into the swamp of sleep.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
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