#103
“It’s fine. I can ice it when we get home.”
“How is that fine? And I’m not okay.”
I’m not okay, Jaeha muttered as he pressed the accelerator hard enough to make the engine roar.
***
“Throwing a punch requires technique.”
That’s what the doctor said. Apparently, patients like Eunhong were more common than expected. When people get angry and throw a punch without proper technique, they often break their finger bones by hitting the other person’s bones at the wrong angle. Still, the condition wasn’t severe, so a cast would be sufficient, he said with a gentle smile.
Not severe is your opinion. Eunhong, whose right hand had turned into a heavy wooden block in an instant, collapsed onto a chair in the hospital waiting room. The dark, empty corridor made reality feel even more grim.
“Ah… what am I going to do?”
“Does it hurt?”
Jaeha, who had finished talking with the doctor, asked while examining Eunhong’s complexion.
“No. The pain is bearable, but what am I going to do with my hand now?”
“It’ll heal completely in about four weeks. Don’t worry.”
“I know that, but…”
With this hand, he would have to write up a leave of absence for work immediately. On top of that, he would likely lose all the freelance work he had lined up. He bit his lip in dismay. They say only those who get angry suffer the consequences… He felt ridiculous that this had happened because of his own clumsiness.
The doctor called in by Professor Choi gathered his belongings and exited the examination room. Despite being dragged out unexpectedly on a weekend, he maintained a capitalist smile on his face and treated Eunhong with kindness throughout. He bowed his head in greeting and repeatedly advised that if the pain became too much, Eunhong shouldn’t hesitate to take additional painkillers.
He said the cast would need to stay on for four weeks, completely restricting the use of his hand, and even after that, he would need to be careful with his fingers for at least two more weeks. Eunhong kept examining his hand, unable to believe what had happened. Even the simple act of getting into the car to go home was awkward with his right hand bound. He wondered how this had all happened.
“Let’s just eat at home.”
“Okay.”
“I told Mrs. Ham you were injured, and she’s coming back with some eel.”
Eunhong wondered why such a fuss was being made over a broken pinky finger.
“What about my car?”
He suddenly worried about the car he’d left in the neighborhood where the studio apartment was. With his hand like this, he couldn’t go get it tomorrow. Jaeha casually said he would send someone for it and asked for the name of the parking lot.
“Don’t worry about anything.”
Jaeha had been acting like someone who had the phrase “don’t worry” stuck in his mouth lately. Eunhong sat quietly with his eyes closed. The broken finger belatedly began to throb with pain. The fingertip felt frozen and numb, and a sharp pain rose all the way to his elbow. Without realizing it, he cradled his right arm with his left hand.
“Does your arm hurt?”
A warm touch accompanied the worried tone as Jaeha’s hand brushed against his cheek. Eunhong nodded slightly.
“Now that I’m conscious of it, it hurts.”
Jaeha’s expression darkened. He turned up the heater and massaged Eunhong’s shoulder.
“It’s not the left side that hurts.”
“I know. But I can’t reach the other side.”
Jaeha increased his speed without removing his hand from Eunhong’s shoulder. He whispered for Eunhong to endure just a little longer, promising to give him a massage when they got home. The warmth from his fingertips seemed to reach even Eunhong’s injured right hand. Keeping his eyes closed, the stinging pain became more bearable.
Though it was just a pinky finger that was injured, Jaeha treated him like a seriously ill patient. He wouldn’t let Eunhong touch his belongings when moving them from the car to the house, and he even organized everything himself. When Eunhong felt embarrassed for making Jaeha do all the small errands, Jaeha said it reminded him of old times and happily reminisced about the stories attached to each item.
“Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee. Do something about this!”
They were in the middle of an intimate conversation with their foreheads touching when Mrs. Ham suddenly flung the door open. Eunhong was startled and pulled back, but Jaeha’s expression didn’t change at all. He continued to touch Eunhong, unconcerned that Mrs. Ham was watching them. Just then, the fire alarm began to sound.
The kitchen was filled with white smoke. It was an unusual mistake for someone as skilled as her. She made excuses about still being unfamiliar with the kitchen, and Jaeha reassured her that it was okay. While the property managers and security personnel entered the house one by one to check for a fire, Jaeha kept Eunhong in his arms the entire time, his arm wrapped around Eunhong’s shoulders. When Eunhong squirmed to break free, Jaeha gave him a look. A look that asked what the problem was.
“People are watching.”
“They’ve all signed confidentiality agreements.”
“I know, but…”
After the fire inspection was over, Jaeha took on the task of grilling the eel. Mrs. Ham handed Eunhong a fork for his injured right hand. She even tied a bib around his neck, making him look quite ridiculous. Unable to refuse, he quietly sat at the table and diligently ate the grilled eel placed on his plate, while Jaeha smiled tenderly.
“Look at you eating so well. Munch, munch.”
“I injured a finger, not caught a disease.”
He added spiritedly that there was no reason for his appetite to diminish, and Jaeha, as if he’d been waiting for this, pushed a large eel tail toward his mouth. As soon as Eunhong swallowed it, Jaeha offered him some pickled vegetables, followed by a spoonful of rice and soup, only pausing momentarily afterward. Mrs. Ham seemed pleased about something, smiling contentedly the entire time she passed by. She already knows everything, Eunhong thought, rubbing his face in embarrassment. He seemed to be the only one who found this situation awkward and uncomfortable.
“It might sound strange to say ‘since you’re injured,’ but take this opportunity to rest well. Don’t worry about money. I’ll contact your mother in Busan tomorrow.”
Eunhong’s eyes widened at this sudden statement.
“Don’t do that. I have savings, and my mother isn’t completely broke either. Even if it takes a bit longer, I’ll…”
Jaeha cut off Eunhong’s words.
“Even if it takes longer, you’ll handle it all? And meanwhile, you’ll keep clashing with An Woohyun and his mother? Since we’re on the topic, just forget about the security deposit. When the landlord contacts you at the end of the contract, resolve it legally.”
“…”
“What’s so difficult about it? If you find it that burdensome and unpleasant, you can pay me back. Slowly, while living with me.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to…”
“I’ll give you about 50 years, interest-free. Of course, early full repayment isn’t allowed.”
How is that any different from not accepting the money at all? Eunhong squinted his eyes and counted the rice grains. It felt like something heavy was stuck in his chest, making it difficult to readily agree.
But not many freelance contract clients would extend deadlines by six weeks. If anything, he might just accumulate negative reviews… Eunhong knew that what Jaeha proposed was the best solution. He was also anxious that if he continued to cause issues, it might just provide material for gossip.
Jaeha, without changing his expression, attended to his own meal. He wiped the sauce from the corner of his mouth with his thumb and then licked it clean, looking quite shameless.
“I’m sorry… Ouch!”
As Eunhong muttered dejectedly, his forehead stung sharply. Was that a flicking sound against his forehead? Eunhong opened his eyes wide in disbelief. The throbbing in his forehead confirmed that he had indeed been flicked.
“The word ‘sorry’ is confiscated. If you say it one more time, I’ll hit you somewhere else.”
“…”
“…If you cry, I really won’t let you off. You won’t get a wink of sleep tonight, I warn you.”
Jaeha menacingly pointed the tongs he was using to flip the eel at Eunhong.
“…Damn…”
Typically, being told not to cry only makes one more likely to burst. Despite trying his best to hold back until his face turned red, there was no way to stop the tears from flowing. Mrs. Ham, who had been busy organizing the house, quickly approached and wiped his face with a white towel. When he sniffled, she even let him blow his nose.
“Why is Mr. Lee making the baby cry?”
Mrs. Ham’s form of address for Eunhong had been downgraded from “student” to “baby.” Eunhong was so dumbfounded that he was at a loss for words. Jaeha, as if suddenly remembering, proposed additional work to Mrs. Ham.
“Since Eunhong’s hand is inconvenienced, I’d like you to come every day for the time being, ma’am.”
“Of course. I’d be happy to earn more money. I’ve been feeling bored lately since my daughter is away on a business trip abroad.”
“Thank you.”
If the person involved was fine with it, Eunhong couldn’t really refuse by saying it was okay. Jaeha effortlessly resolved the events surrounding Eunhong. All Eunhong had to do was simplify his complicated feelings, but why was that so difficult?
After the long meal was over and they had seen Mrs. Ham off, it was quite late. Jaeha led Eunhong to the bathroom and offered to wash him. Because of the cast on his hand, Eunhong couldn’t refuse, but given what had happened before, he was hesitant to entrust his body to Jaeha.
“I’ll really just wash you, just wash. Simple. Quick. Fast.”
“Just wash. Simple. Quick. Fast.”
Jaeha repeated Eunhong’s words like a parrot and laughed.
“You really can’t do anything else.”
If it was a sin to follow him into the bathroom because his face looked so innocent as he smiled at Eunhong, with his bright white teeth gleaming, then Eunhong was guilty. He should have realized when Jaeha kept kissing him while washing his face, when he bit his earlobe without warning, when he pushed his tongue in as soon as Eunhong spat out the water after rinsing his mouth.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
