Chapter 134
“What’s wrong with you? Huh?”
Do-heon grabbed Cheong-yeon’s chin to make him look at him. Then he took out a handkerchief from his pocket and immediately wiped the blood from his face.
The action was more hurried and frantic than Cheong-yeon had ever seen before.
“It’s fine. Don’t touch me. I can wipe it myself.”
Cheong-yeon snatched the handkerchief from Do-heon and wiped the blood himself. Perhaps because the handkerchief was white, the blood looked particularly dark.
After the initial shock, Cheong-yeon held the handkerchief to his nose with a tired expression, waiting for the bleeding to stop.
“This won’t do. We’re going to the hospital right now.”
Do-heon, who had been in a daze, finally came to his senses and took out his phone. As he was about to call the hospital, Cheong-yeon urgently raised one hand to prevent him from dialing.
“I’m fine, I tell you. It’s just a nosebleed.”
“How can you say that when you’re bleeding like this?”
When Do-heon raised his voice, it seemed to reverberate in Cheong-yeon’s skull.
Due to the dizziness, Cheong-yeon briefly lowered his head and slowly closed and opened his eyes. Then the blood-soaked handkerchief and his hand appeared very close to him.
Disgusting.
The hair on the back of Cheong-yeon’s neck stood on end.
“My head is already dizzy, so please don’t shout…”
Honestly, he hadn’t had a nosebleed since childhood, so he was confused.
Had he been that tired lately? He hadn’t felt like his schedule was particularly heavy. But his physical condition had definitely been poor.
Is it really because of the medication?
“First, let’s cancel all of today’s schedule and get you examined at the hospital.”
“It’s not that serious.”
Cheong-yeon mumbled with his head lowered.
“You’ve never had a nosebleed before.”
“…”
“Yoo Cheong-yeon. Lift your face. Are you still dizzy?”
Do-heon carefully placed his hand on Cheong-yeon’s shoulder, looking frustrated.
When Cheong-yeon didn’t respond, he exhaled deeply and called someone.
“I’m taking Cheong-yeon to the hospital, so make an appointment for a check-up. The symptoms are…”
“How many times do I have to tell you I’m fine? Whether you make an appointment or not, I’m not going there.”
Cheong-yeon lifted his head abruptly and snapped with a sharp tone.
“Is this the time to be stubborn?”
Do-heon reprimanded him as if he had no patience for such childish behavior.
“You’re the one being stubborn, Director. Even students get nosebleeds during exams, and it happens when you’re overworked too. Just give me my script. I need to go to class.”
“Class? In this state? Are you crazy? Cancel it right now.”
Do-heon ignored Cheong-yeon’s wishes and started the car on his own.
“I said I’ll handle it myself, so leave me alone!”
Cheong-yeon shouted, tightly gripping the handkerchief. This caused the headache, which had momentarily subsided, to creep back up.
“…I’m not going to run away. We have to see each other on Friday anyway.”
“That has nothing to do with the current situation.”
Already feeling disoriented, Cheong-yeon became even more irritable as Do-heon kept pressing him. Before Do-heon could head to the hospital, Cheong-yeon straightened up and turned his head to look behind.
Fortunately, the bag he had left behind yesterday was neatly placed on the back seat.
Grabbing it, Cheong-yeon opened the car door and hurriedly went outside. By then, the nosebleed had almost stopped. His vision, which had seemed to be spinning, quickly returned to normal.
See? I’m fine. Cheong-yeon thought Do-heon was overreacting to something trivial.
“Yoo Cheong-yeon!”
Soon after, Do-heon followed Cheong-yeon out of the car.
“Haah. Don’t follow me.”
“Do you know what your face looks like right now?”
Cheong-yeon stretched out his hand to signal Do-heon to stop, preventing him from approaching.
“If you follow me from here… I’ll disappear and never answer your calls again.”
“…”
“So leave me alone for now. My stomach already feels bad, and my head feels like it’s going to split open the more you push.”
He wasn’t sure if such childish words would work on Do-heon, but the man, who had been about to take a step, actually froze in place as if nailed to the ground.
When Cheong-yeon raised his gaze to check Do-heon’s face, he was wearing an expression Cheong-yeon had never seen before.
He looked angry, frustrated, and in a way, like someone shocked out of their wits.
It was the most human yet foolish expression Cheong-yeon had ever seen on Do-heon. So much so that even Cheong-yeon was taken aback.
“…I’m going.”
After carelessly wiping away the dried blood under his nose, Cheong-yeon turned around and left the parking garage.
*
“Cheong-yeon. You should go home for today. Your face is too pale.”
Cheong-yeon was taking a moment to drink water during a break. At that time, the teacher guiding the acting class spoke in a concerned voice as he closed the script he had been reviewing.
“Ah, I’m not in the best condition… Was my practice that bad?”
Cheong-yeon asked hesitantly after putting down the water bottle he had been holding. They had just finished practicing the ninth scene.
He had made excuses to the teacher about being tired because he went to bed late yesterday, but it seemed his poor physical condition had been obvious throughout. Plus, his mind was filled with complicated matters.
Despite trying to pretend he was fine, the teacher must have noticed his unusual lack of focus.
“On days when your condition is this poor, you should rest, kid. We can always have class tomorrow.”
“I was relatively fine when I got here.”
The teacher gestured for him to come closer. When Cheong-yeon approached with a puzzled expression, the man placed his hand on Cheong-yeon’s forehead.
“You have a fever too. You really should go home and rest.”
Cheong-yeon touched his own forehead and tilted his head in confusion. His head had been aching a bit, but he didn’t think he had a fever.
“Go change your clothes too. There’s blood stained on your t-shirt. A nosebleed, of all things.”
“…You’re right. I guess I should leave early today.”
After contemplating, Cheong-yeon eventually agreed with the teacher.
“Good decision. Stop by the hospital on your way home and get some medicine.”
“Yes.”
Cheong-yeon obediently replied and began gathering his things. He had wanted to stay until the end of the class if possible, but he felt weak, perhaps because he had shouted so much since morning on top of not feeling well. Now that the teacher mentioned it, he did feel like he might have a fever.
“I’ll be going then. See you at the next class.”
“Alright. Just memorize the first part of the script and get plenty of rest when you get home. Ah, make sure to visit the hospital.”
*
“Based on your symptoms, it seems to be due to fatigue. Considering you also have a fever, I’ll prescribe some cold medicine and we’ll monitor your progress.”
An elderly doctor adjusted his glasses before slowly entering the diagnosis into the computer.
While he was typing, Cheong-yeon surveyed the interior of the old clinic.
Instead of the university hospital he used to visit with Do-heon, he had deliberately chosen a small hospital near the acting academy. Since it was mainly frequented by local residents, the doctor didn’t seem to recognize who Cheong-yeon was at all. His indifferent attitude was reassuring.
“Ah, and… what was it again? Did you say you’re taking suppressants and birth control pills together?”
“Yes. Could today’s nosebleed be because of that?”
“Hmm.”
“I’ve never had this happen before, even when I was tired or not feeling well.”
“What was the exact name of the medication you said you’re taking?”
The doctor, who seemed lost in thought for a moment, adjusted his glasses again and asked.
*
‘As a doctor, I can’t recommend this. Taking one for a short period, about two or three months, might be fine… But taking birth control pills and suppressants together causes more side effects than taking just one. Ah, side effects? They’re varied. Chills, nausea, fatigue, loss of appetite. In severe cases, it can even lead to infertility. Pharmaceutical companies may advertise that it’s fine, but it’s definitely not good for your body, so avoid taking them together if possible. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what side effect caused a single nosebleed. If you’ve been feeling consistently fatigued recently, it could be somewhat attributed to the medication.’
Cheong-yeon pondered the doctor’s words as he headed to his officetel. Though it wasn’t surprising since he already knew all this, he hadn’t expected the side effects to appear so quickly.
But he still didn’t feel inclined to stop taking the medication. Without suppressants and birth control pills, it was obvious he would end up pregnant due to heat cycles.
Family issues, acting, and Do-heon—he already had so many challenging matters piling up that it was suffocating. He couldn’t take on the issue of a child as well.
How long could he maintain this?
Cheong-yeon sighed, unable to shake off the gloomy thoughts. Though only half a day had passed, the day felt incredibly exhausting.
When the officetel came into view in the distance, his steps momentarily lightened with the relief that he could finally rest.
Anyway, Do-heon would have already gone back, so they could discuss the medication issue later. Today, he just wanted to lie down in bed and sleep.
“Huh?”
Just as he was about to enter the officetel building, Cheong-yeon froze at the sight of a familiar figure standing at the entrance to the parking garage.
Do-heon, whom he had seen in the morning, was still standing in the same place.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
