# Chapter 18
Drip, drip. Water from my wet hair trickled down my temple and flowed to my chin. As I pulled my sleeve to wipe the moisture from my eyelashes and looked up, someone was holding out a handkerchief to me.
“Wipe your face.”
“Ah. Thank you.”
It was completely unexpected, but surprisingly… there was something touching about this kindness. With a mix of confusion and gratitude, I took the handkerchief, and the person gestured for me to quickly wipe my face. I carefully dabbed my face to remove the moisture.
Even as I wiped, I could feel them staring at me. I briefly met their gaze. The corners of their eyes twinkled gently. While I was wondering if I should wash the damp handkerchief before returning it, the other person spoke first.
“Don’t cry.”
“Pardon?”
“You have an expression like you want to cry.”
In the hospital corridor where not even a breeze was blowing, the woman’s jet-black hair fluttered slightly. The corners of her eyes drooped a little, giving off a somewhat melancholic atmosphere. For some reason, it felt like flower petals should be scattering in the background…
“It’s really, really sad when someone precious to you is sick, but…”
“……”
“For the sake of those around you, you have to keep your spirits up. Because there are people who will suffer if I’m suffering…”
It didn’t seem like something you’d say to someone you just met, but… unlike before, I didn’t respond coldly with something like “Why are you telling me this?” Maybe I’ve become more sensitive because of Seong Haemin. I nodded slowly, matching the mood.
“You can keep the handkerchief. I’ll be going now.”
“Ah, yes. Thank you.”
I bid farewell to the departing person. When I headed toward where Min Sihu and Lee Beom were, the two who had been bickering until just now were now staring blankly at me, apparently having made up. Including Jeon Jehyeong who was silently leaning against the wall. A total of three pairs of eyes were directed at me.
Don’t they have anything better to do? My face is going to get holes from all this staring. I casually ignored their burdensome gazes.
“Let’s go.”
“Huh? Oh.”
“Yeah, let’s go, let’s go!”
Whatever they had been thinking, they responded with a slight delay and led me to the hospital cafeteria.
We took the elevator. While pressing the floor button, Lee Beom asked:
“Earlier.”
“Hmm?”
“Someone you know?”
“Who?”
“In front of the bathroom.”
“Ah. No?”
I don’t know why he suddenly brought this up, but it was the first time Lee Beom had shown interest in someone else. I looked at him curiously. Our eyes met as he glanced at me. His sharp, static gaze sat above his pitch-black pupils. Min Sihu, who was standing next to us, perked up his ears and joined the conversation.
“What did you talk about?”
“Just…”
Is Min Sihu interested in that person too? We didn’t really talk about anything special.
All they said was not to cry. But I hadn’t cried. If I told them exactly what happened, they might misunderstand again, so I gave a vague answer.
“They gave me a handkerchief to wipe my face.”
Min Sihu’s already bright eyes widened. Lee Beom abruptly held out his hand.
“Let me see.”
“What?”
“The handkerchief.”
“Why?”
“I’m curious.”
Why would he suddenly be curious about a handkerchief? Since I had no particular reason to refuse, I casually handed over the handkerchief I had tucked in my pocket.
Lee Beom’s expression immediately hardened after examining the handkerchief. Did I do something wrong? Seeing such a reaction from someone who usually had little expression naturally made my body tense. I felt awkward.
“Is there a problem?”
I struck first. Lee Beom’s slightly furrowed eyes locked directly onto mine.
“Hey.”
“What?”
“Did you… cry?”
“Ah.”
[Basement Floor 1.]
It seems the moisture on the handkerchief hadn’t completely dried. I was about to answer no, but the elevator announcement came just as Lee Beom finished his question, and the doors opened, causing my response to be delayed.
As we stepped out of the elevator, I answered:
“No.”
“……”
“Why?”
“…You’re lying.”
Lee Beom stopped walking and looked at me.
“I’m telling the truth.”
Why did he stop in front of the elevator, blocking people’s way? I glanced around to avoid blocking passing people while answering, and Min Sihu joined Lee Beom’s interrogation.
“Tell us honestly.”
“Yeah, Jjuna. Be honest!”
“I really didn’t cry?”
“…You really.”
“Jjuna, why are you lying…”
What’s wrong with these guys?
“No, I seriously didn’t cry.”
When I firmly denied it, Min Sihu slightly bit his lower lip. Lee Beom also had a serious expression.
Why don’t they believe me when I say I didn’t cry? Lee Beom’s pitch-black eyes sank deeply as he looked at my bewildered face.
“Seong Haejun. If you’re going to lie.”
“……”
“Do something about those reddened eyes first.”
At Lee Beom’s words, I unconsciously raised my hand to touch the corners of my eyes. They felt slightly sore—I must have irritated them earlier when I pulled my sleeve to wipe the moisture. I answered normally:
“This is just from rubbing against my clothes.”
“Seong Haejun.”
“What?”
“Who would believe that.”
Shit. It’s the truth.
I was about to add a pathetic explanation about how this happened because I wasn’t fully awake and was just washing my face, when Min Sihu grabbed my wrist and dragged me into the cafeteria. I followed him reflexively.
Min Sihu looked at me with a broad smile.
“Ah! The food looks delicious! Right, Jjuni?”
“Uh… yeah.”
My response came out half-heartedly, but I remembered they wouldn’t believe my explanation anyway, so I decided to go along with it and pretend nothing happened.
‘Hah…’
I swallowed my sigh silently, afraid they would misunderstand if I sighed out loud.
Maybe because it was a good hospital, the food was fairly tasty. Although the soup was a bit watery, there was a variety of side dishes, and the seasoning was appropriate. It was better than school meals. However, having been dragged out to eat right after waking up, I had no appetite.
After barely finishing my meal, they led me to the hospital convenience store next.
‘Why are we here?’
I looked around. The hospital store was quiet in the morning, but not completely empty. I quietly observed people busily moving around, working, and chatting with those nearby. Watching someone else’s ordinary daily life made me feel strange.
It’s just a novel, yet all these characters who don’t even appear in the story are living their own lives…
“Jjun!”
“…What’s with all the candy?”
Min Sihu returned with his fists full of strawberry milk-flavored Chupa Chups. Without asking for my opinion, he placed all the lollipops in my hands. I stared dumbly at the pile of candy.
“Jjuna.”
“What?”
“They say eating something sweet makes you feel better when you’re depressed. So when you need candy…”
“……”
“Call Sihu anytime.”
Min Sihu wrapped his hands around mine. As he lowered his head slightly, our eye levels were about the same. His earnest brown eyes brushed past the corners of mine.
“Uh…”
Should I… thank him?
To be honest, my hands and feet were trembling a bit. It felt like I would curl up from cringe if I relaxed even a little. I tensed up my extremities to keep them as straight as possible.
Stay calm. Even though it’s unwanted attention, he’s showing concern, so I should be… grateful? I’m not actually grateful, but I should be, right?
But just as I was enduring the first verse of this cringe-inducing scenario, Lee Beom jumped in with the second verse as soon as Min Sihu finished, handing me a strawberry milk. When did he even buy this?!
“Take this too.”
“Why, why are you giving me this?”
“To drink it.”
“Hmm.”
Lee Beom turned his head abruptly with an expressionless face. In one hand, I had a handful of strawberry milk-flavored candy, and in the other, strawberry milk. Anyone seeing this would think I was addicted to strawberry milk. It was fortunate that it wasn’t a flavor I disliked, but the problem was that it wasn’t a flavor I particularly enjoyed either.
It seemed like a strange aura was emanating from the sweet, overwhelmingly pink color. That must be my imagination. I reluctantly looked away from the items in my hands.
“Uh…”
“……”
“……”
“Um. Thank you.”
Min Sihu smiled brightly. Lee Beom, who avoided my gaze, still maintained his expressionless, tight-lipped face.
As I quietly headed toward Seong Haemin’s hospital room, I reaffirmed my commitment. This wasn’t the time for such things, and I needed to meet Ban Pyoran as soon as possible, before these guys’ friendship with me deepened further.
When I returned to the room, Seong Haemin was still asleep. I was told he had regained consciousness in the recovery room yesterday… I watched his peacefully sleeping form with concern. Yeon Suhwan, who was keeping watch beside him, told me not to worry, that Haemin was just sleeping. Jeon Jehyeong was sitting quietly on a folding chair, hugging his Pompompurin doll.
“Did you eat?”
“Yes.”
Lee Beom tersely answered Yeon Suhwan’s question on my behalf. I dumped the candy I had been holding onto the bedside table. Seeing this, Yeon Suhwan raised one eyebrow.
“What’s with all the candy?”
“Sihu bought it for me.”
“Hmm.”
Yeon Suhwan stroked his chin and quietly muttered:
“I should step up my game too.”
“Step up?”
There was no answer to my question. I turned my head and caught Yeon Suhwan staring at me intently.
“…Heh.”
Yeon Suhwan laughed at my confused expression and ruffled my hair. I didn’t have time to avoid his touch as I was busy trying to suppress the automatic grimace from hearing that “heh” sound.
“I’m different from those guys, Haejun.”
“What?”
“I noticed it first. I haven’t lived my life carelessly, you know.”
What exactly did he notice?
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
