“Mmm…”
As Jung Jinhoo stirred slightly and then slowly opened his eyes, Jaeyoon gently smiled and stroked his hair. Blinking his eyes blankly, Jinhoo slowly raised his head and looked at Jaeyoon.
“Jaeyoon…”
“Yes, I’m here.”
When Jinhoo placed his hand on Jaeyoon’s cheek, Jaeyoon tilted his head slightly and leaned into it. At his appearance, like a puppy not fully awake, Jaeyoon smiled with crinkled eyes.
“Sunbae, you can sleep more if you want.”
“…How long have I slept?”
When Jung Jinhoo asked with a voice still slightly heavy with sleep, Jaeyoon quickly rolled his eyes to check the round clock on the hospital wall.
“It hasn’t even been an hour yet.”
“Hmm…”
Jaeyoon was unconsciously giggling at the cute sight of Jinhoo trying to force himself awake while blinking his tired eyes, when he suddenly came to his senses at the sound of someone clearing their throat.
“Ahem!”
“Ah…!”
Jaeyoon scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed expression as Heejun looked at him with a face that said, “I’m still here.”
“I’ll go wash my face for a moment.”
Jaeyoon watched Jung Jinhoo’s back as he got up unsteadily and entered the bathroom, then turned his gaze to Heejun.
“You two are being quite lovey-dovey.”
“No, that’s…”
“It feels like just yesterday you were agonizing over whether to accept his confession or not.”
“…”
Jaeyoon closed his mouth as there was no room for excuses. While deliberately ignoring the stare fixed on him and trying to act nonchalant, Heejun suddenly exclaimed and spoke up.
“Ah, that’s right.”
At the sight of Heejun hitting his palm with his fist, Jaeyoon tilted his head slightly to the side in confusion.
“What is it?”
“I decided to date your brother.”
“Pfft-?!”
Jaeyoon, who had been drinking water from the drawer because his throat felt dry, spurted it out like a fountain at Heejun’s bombshell announcement. As Heejun handed him tissues and patted his back while he was coughing, it felt like he was giving medicine after causing illness.
“Cough, no, what…, huh?!”
‘Since when were they that close?! Dating? So suddenly??’
To the bewildered Jaeyoon, since the two had never shown any signs of attraction, Heejun shrugged his shoulders as if it was nothing and said,
“We’re not really dating, it’s just a three-month contract relationship.”
“Contract relationship?”
“Yeah.”
‘A contract relationship, as a high school student??’
Jaeyoon frowned at the situation, which he couldn’t understand at all despite hearing the answer.
“What about the class president?”
“…”
As Heejun closed his mouth, Jaeyoon’s eyes narrowed. “Come to think of it, I couldn’t reach either of you on Saturday, right? I was worried you might have fought, but did something really happen between you two?” As he quietly looked at Heejun, he slowly opened his mouth.
“I want to stop.”
“…”
“I want to stop liking him and stop being affected by his every action. So I thought I’d take the advice to try dating someone else.”
“Will you be okay?”
“What’s there to not be okay about? It’s just dating.”
‘And yet you’ve never dated until now…’
For Heejun, dating probably isn’t something so light. Even so, the fact that he’s acting this way now means he’s really trying to get over his feelings for the class president. What exactly happened on Saturday? Despite Jaeyoon’s gaze, Heejun just smiled and didn’t seem inclined to provide a detailed explanation. In response, Jaeyoon decided to ask something else instead of trying to hear about what happened on Saturday.
“Why specifically Min…, my brother?”
“60% because we happened to meet by chance that day, and 40% because your brother is also trying to forget an unrequited love.”
“Why is the chance meeting worth 60%?”
“Because some of what I did was in the heat of the moment. I don’t know if I would have done the same if I had met someone other than your brother, but I guess it wouldn’t have been much different.”
“Hmm…”
Heejun chuckled at Jaeyoon, who was looking at him with folded arms.
“What? Do you think your brother is too good for me?”
“No, I think you’re way too good for him.”
“That’s a direct answer?”
“Of course.”
Heejun burst out laughing at the genuinely sincere look in Jaeyoon’s eyes.
“I don’t think anyone but you thinks that way.”
“That’s because no one knows my brother well.”
That’s what people say because they don’t know his indecisive personality. Come to think of it, someone with a clear-cut personality like Heejun would be best alongside someone like Minho. Their compatibility and all.
‘…But still, Heejun is too good for him…’
Heejun smiled brightly at Jaeyoon, who was frowning and biting his lip firmly.
“But it feels good.”
“Huh?”
“That you think I’m too good for him.”
“You are too good, seriously, I mean it.”
“Yeah, I can really feel your sincerity.”
Jaeyoon also relaxed his expression and smiled softly as Heejun giggled. What can I do about what he’s chosen? It’s not just anyone, it’s Heejun, so he must have thought carefully and come to this conclusion… No, didn’t he say he did it in the heat of the moment? Worry suddenly rushed in. But seeing Heejun looking unbothered, Jaeyoon let out a small sigh and said,
“…Well, I’ll support you.”
“Thanks~”
“Are you done talking?”
Jung Jinhoo, who had been watching the two of them while leaning against the doorframe, slowly approached Jaeyoon as the conversation seemed to be ending. Jaeyoon’s lips curled up at Jinhoo’s thoughtfulness in quietly standing by without interrupting their conversation, but then he glanced at Heejun as he remembered they had been having a private conversation.
‘Sunbae might have heard, is that okay?’
Heejun nodded as if it wasn’t a problem. He’s not the type to spread rumors, so I don’t really care. After shaking his head and then shrugging his shoulders, Jaeyoon felt slight relief.
“Then, I’ll be going now. Take care of yourself and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“You don’t have to come every day. You need to study.”
“For a moment, I saw my mom in you.”
“…”
“Don’t worry about my grades, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Okay, get home safely.”
Jaeyoon, who had been waving to Heejun, was startled and jumped when the hospital room door suddenly flung open just as Heejun was about to grab the doorknob.
“Class President…?”
Jaeyoon called out to Sim Jaeha with wide eyes as he saw him panting heavily. Jaeha raised his face, drenched in sweat, looked Jaeyoon up and down, and then stretched out his arms toward him with tears welling up in his eyes.
“Jaeyoooon!”
“Hey, stop.”
“Gak?!”
Heejun grabbed Jaeha by the back of his collar, stopping him as he was about to rush to Jaeyoon.
“What, what… Why…?”
Jaeha awkwardly asked as he made eye contact with Heejun and then glanced away. Jaeyoon’s eyebrow momentarily twitched at their behavior, which clearly suggested something had happened between them. Heejun looked at Jaeha and sighed, then released his grip on the collar and exhaled as if in resignation.
“What kind of idiot runs at full speed toward a patient?”
“Ah-! S-sorry! Jaeyoon!!”
“It’s okay, don’t worry. I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not.”
Everyone except Jaeyoon nodded in agreement with Jaeha’s response. Even Sunbae…!! When Jaeyoon looked at him with a surprised expression, Jung Jinhoo stared at his forehead and legs in turn, and then looked straight at Jaeyoon’s face. Under that intense gaze, Jaeyoon slightly turned his head away.
‘Well, I didn’t know I’d be in this condition either…’
Jaeyoon tried to slightly move his right leg, which was wrapped in bandages, but soon gave up.
“Does it hurt a lot…?”
Jaeyoon slowly shook his head from side to side at the cautious question.
“I’m fine.”
“I wanted to visit you every day too, but there were so many events in the summer like competitions, camps, and events that I couldn’t come because I was in meetings about them. I’m sorry, Jaeyoon…”
“No, don’t worry about it. First, catch your breath and drink some water.”
Jaeyoon handed tissues and a cup of water to Jaeha, who was drenched in sweat. As if he had been waiting for it, Jaeha downed the entire cup in one shot, and Jaeyoon refilled it once more.
“Come to think of it, Sunbae, aren’t you busy preparing for the competition too?”
Since you said you’ve been by my side the whole time, did you not prepare properly for the competition because of me?? Jung Jinhoo gently stroked Jaeyoon’s hair and smiled softly at the corners of his mouth as Jaeyoon looked at him with a worried expression.
“It’s okay, don’t worry.”
“Have you finished the painting…?”
“Hmm…, yes.”
“…You’re lying, right?”
Jaeyoon’s eyes narrowed as Jung Jinhoo rolled his eyes slightly and dragged out his words. Jung Jinhoo chuckled softly and insisted it was really okay, smiling with crinkled eyes.
“There will be other competitions, and you’re much more important than those things. So just focus on getting better quickly.”
Okay? Jaeyoon’s face naturally heated up at the caring voice. Thud, Jaeha dropped the cup he was holding to the floor. Heejun sighed softly as he led out the dazed-looking Jaeha.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
