“Haah…”
Jaeyoon massaged his stiff neck. Talking with someone who wouldn’t listen was too energy-consuming.
“Good job.”
Jung Jinhoo handed him a cool glass of water with a gentle smile. Jaeyoon drank it in one go. It felt like his thirst was finally quenched. Dragging out Kim Doha who stubbornly refused to leave had been quite a noisy affair. Jaeyoon had to apologize to other patients because of Doha shouting at the top of his lungs in the hospital corridor.
‘At least I won’t have to see those two again.’
That alone made him feel truly pleased. Being possessed had caused him no small amount of stress, but thanks to this resolution, his stress had been reduced by half. The other half was Han Doyoon, whom he couldn’t drive away, but Jinhoo was by his side, and not just him—there were other friends he could rely on. It was much better than when he was first possessed.
The door carefully opened with a click. Jaeyoon turned his head and his eyes met with Sim Hajun, who was poking his head in to check the situation inside.
“Come in…”
Ever since Hajun had witnessed Jaeyoon and Jinhoo being close in the hospital room, he always opened the door carefully to check the situation inside whenever he visited. Because of this, Jaeyoon repeatedly blushed with embarrassment.
“From your expression, it seems things didn’t end as cleanly as you’d hoped?”
Lee Heejun, who entered the hospital room following Hajun, roughly understood the situation from Jaeyoon’s expression. Jaeyoon nodded slightly in response.
“People like them wouldn’t apologize or reflect in the first place, right? Especially not in such a short time. Don’t waste your emotions and just let them go.”
Jaeyoon smiled slightly at Heejun’s choice of words and nodded his head as he leaned back against the bed.
“That’s right. I won’t have to face them anymore.”
“That’s good.”
“If only our school had CCTVs, we could have caught them right away!”
“Didn’t that get rejected because of student privacy protection?”
“What privacy would students need to protect at school…”
Hajun’s gaze shifted toward Jinhoo and Jaeyoon. He blinked slowly and then muttered, “I guess there are things worth protecting.” Jaeyoon clenched his molars.
“Oh, right. The art teacher asked you to stop by the school for a moment.”
“Why?”
“She said she has something to ask about the drawing.”
“…Couldn’t she just call?”
“Teachers always prefer talking face-to-face, you know~ Let’s see…”
Hajun checked his wristwatch and then raised his head to look at Jinhoo.
“If we go to school right now, that would work.”
Jinhoo’s brows furrowed. Since Jaeyoon fell down the stairs, Jinhoo had been extremely reluctant to leave Jaeyoon alone. Knowing this, Jaeyoon placed his hand on Heejun’s shoulder and said:
“Heejun will be with me, so don’t worry too much.”
“Well, I can’t fight, but if something happens, I’ll at least crack their skull.”
Hajun closed his lips tightly as Heejun spoke while gripping the top part of a vase placed on the drawer. He knew it. That Heejun was serious about this… In case something happened, Heejun would really crack someone’s skull with that vase. Excessive force? Who cares? I need to survive first. That was Heejun’s usual mindset.
“Can we trust him?”
Jinhoo nodded at Hajun’s muttering beside him. Honestly, the VIP room of a hospital wasn’t a place where just anyone could come and go easily, but he couldn’t help worrying regardless.
“I’ll be back soon.”
“Take your time, don’t rush.”
Jaeyoon smiled and waved his hand at Jinhoo, who was looking at him with a worried expression. In response, Jinhoo left the hospital room with very slow steps.
***
“Yes, it’s fine.”
“Really? There aren’t any problems with your classmate relationships or anything like that?”
“No.”
“That’s a relief then…”
The art teacher awkwardly licked her lips and touched the back of her neck. Jinhoo, who had been staring at the teacher with an expressionless face, soon shifted his gaze to stare at the desk. His brows naturally furrowed at the sight of the drawing that had been messily slashed with a knife. He didn’t like seeing the smiling Jaeyoon defaced. Moreover, he felt displeased because Jaeyoon’s expression had been so sad when he heard about what happened to the drawing.
-Sunbae, the drawing… Your drawing…!!
-It’s okay, Jaeyoon. I can always draw another!
Seeing Jaeyoon more angry about something related to Jinhoo than about his own issues tickled his heart, but separate from that, he didn’t want to make Jaeyoon make such an expression. There’s not enough time to make him smile as it is…!
“Teacher, I need to go back to the hospital.”
“Huh? Oh, okay.”
Before the teacher, who seemed to have more to say, could stop him, Jinhoo bowed his head in greeting, picked up the drawing from the desk, and left the staff room. Haah, a small sigh escaped his lips. He looked at the drawing in his hand. What should I do with this…? It was awkward to throw it away, but also awkward to keep it. It was a special drawing not just for Jaeyoon, but for him too. It was what had given him the opportunity to confess to Jaeyoon…
“But I can’t restore it either.”
“How about trying to replicate it?”
Jinhoo’s shoulders jerked in surprise at Hajun, who suddenly appeared behind him. Jinhoo looked at Hajun with furrowed brows and asked in a sulky voice:
“Replicate it?”
“Well, since it’s your drawing, maybe ‘replicate’ isn’t the right word? Anyway! How about drawing it again?”
“Draw it again…”
“It won’t have the same feelings as that drawing, but you can put your current feelings for Jaeyoon into a new drawing, right!”
‘Put my current feelings for Jaeyoon into it…’
Jinhoo glanced at Hajun and then nodded. Hajun formed a satisfied smile with his lips curving upward, and Jinhoo casually said to him:
“Thanks.”
“Huh, huh?? What did you say?”
“…”
“Wait, I think I just missed something really important?!”
What did you say? Say it once more!! No. Encore~!! Ignoring Hajun’s desperate plea, Jinhoo strode toward the art room.
“Ah, just once~”
“Key.”
When Jinhoo held out his hand, Hajun took the key out of his pocket and handed it to him. All the while, he continued to ramble about wanting Jinhoo to repeat what he’d said.
“Just once…”
Ring, ring.
Hajun’s brow furrowed at the vibration of his phone. I’m busy, who is it?! After checking his phone screen with a rough touch, Hajun bit his lip tightly at the word ‘Vice President’ displayed on the screen.
“What is he calling for now?”
Please, don’t cause any more trouble… Hajun muttered as he answered the phone, and his expression immediately darkened. No, why did you… Argh!! Jinhoo shook his head at the sight of Hajun finally exploding and shouting.
“I’ll go to the second-year classroom for a moment…”
His hair was a mess from pulling at it while on the phone. Jinhoo considered telling him for a moment, but eventually just nodded briefly. After watching Hajun’s back as he walked away, grumbling, Jinhoo went into the art room. Click, when he turned on the light, the previously dark art room instantly brightened. He strode to his seat and placed the drawing on the desk. As he carefully touched the surface of the drawing, his fingers met the parts cut by the knife. Jinhoo slowly brushed the sharpened parts with his hand, then opened his drawer at the back of the art room, placed the drawing inside, and closed it.
When the art room door opened with a click, Jinhoo turned his head.
“Did you resolve the issue with Inhoo well?”
Assuming it was Hajun, Jinhoo addressed him, but frowned at the sight of the person standing at the art room door.
“What brings you here?”
Kim Yeonwoo’s body trembled at the cold voice. After pressing his trembling hands together and moving his lips nervously, Yeonwoo finally gathered the courage to speak.
“I have something to tell you.”
“Not needed.”
“It’s important!”
“Not interested.”
Yeonwoo bit his lip hard, becoming anxious at the voice that cut him off sharply.
“If you’re done, leave.”
“It’s about Lee Jaeyoon!!”
When Jaeyoon’s name was mentioned, Jinhoo’s expression darkened. Seeing this, Yeonwoo faintly smiled at the corners of his lips, as if he’d gained an opportunity.
“You’re being deceived by Lee Jaeyoon!”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
