“…So, we’re admitting Sesame for now to monitor the progress.”
“Okay.”
Shin-jae, who had been wearing an expression as if he’d just been personally insulted, eventually blurted out the cute name “Sesame.”
When asked why he was naming a cat after food, Shin-jae rattled off a list: “Tofu, Rice Cake, Bean Cake, Barley, Chestnut.” All common names for pets.
Hearing them out, it did seem like a cute and whimsical name suited the kitten better than something plain like “Nureongi” (Yellow).
And so, the little cheese-colored kitten’s name swiftly changed from Nureongi to Sesame.
“Phew.”
Stepping out of the examination room, Sa-yoon let out a long sigh. The moment he arrived at the hospital, he’d been bombarded with various tests, and he had just received the results.
“Ah.”
Out of habit, he ran a hand over his face—only to feel something catch and lift along with it. That’s when he realized that Shin-jae’s cardigan was still in his grasp.
“Wow, this is…”
Sa-yoon spread the cardigan out with both hands, unable to contain his dismay. Since Sesame was still a tiny kitten, the unfamiliar environment had frightened it, causing it to squirm frantically. Naturally, the clothing wrapped around it had borne the brunt of the damage.
As a result, the expensive-looking cardigan was now a tattered mess, with frayed threads sticking out in all directions. To make matters worse, cat fur was embedded throughout the fabric, clinging like colorful sprinkles on a cake.
He tried brushing off the fur as a temporary fix, but instead of coming loose, the stray fibers only swayed precariously, making the damage look even worse.
It’d be better to just buy a new one rather than attempting to clean it.
Without thinking, Sa-yoon checked the label—then immediately swallowed hard.
The simple beige cardigan, which bore no visible brand logos, turned out to be designer.
For a brief moment, he saw a hallucination—a random loot box from the next season’s release, guaranteed to have a 100% drop rate, floating away into the abyss. His hands, still clutching the cardigan, trembled.
Thanks to parents who had instilled a solid sense of financial responsibility in him from a young age, he had taken an early interest in investments compared to his peers. But at best, that interest had only extended to moderate in-game spending—nowhere near the level of casually dropping cash on luxury clothing.
Still, there was no way around it.
He was the one who had decided to take in Sesame. He had also knowingly accepted the cardigan, fully aware that it could get ruined.
He had to pay for it. If worse came to worst, he could always pick up a part-time job on the weekends.
Resolving himself, Sa-yoon draped the cardigan over his arm and headed toward the reception desk.
“I’m here to pay for Sesame’s hospital stay.”
“Sesame? One moment… Oh, the payment has already been settled.”
“…What?”
“The person you came with took care of it earlier.”
Sa-yoon’s eyes flickered with surprise as he instinctively extended his card. He quickly turned his head toward the waiting area, but among the few people lingering there, Shin-jae was nowhere to be seen.
The nurse, noticing his reaction, added, “Are you looking for that person? They left right after settling the payment.”
“Ah… I see. Thank you.”
Shin-jae had already been keeping his distance outside because of the cat fur—he must have really hated staying indoors. Still, leaving without saying a word felt a little… disappointing.
At the same time, for someone who disliked it this much, he had still lent his cardigan and even given him a ride. Maybe he was the kind of person who cared more than he let on.
“…Huh?”
Sa-yoon stepped outside, phone in hand, intending to at least send a thank-you message. But before he could, he spotted a familiar figure standing just outside.
‘So he didn’t leave—he was just waiting outside?’
Well, that made more sense than disappearing without a word after coming all the way here.
Sa-yoon glanced down at the tattered cardigan still in his hands. Even though he wasn’t the one who had ruined it, he suddenly found it hard to face its owner.
“…Shin-jae.”
He hesitated before speaking, gripping the ruined cardigan. “Uh, about the cardigan… I’m sorry. I didn’t take good care of it, so it kind of got… frayed. I’ll buy you a new one. The same one.”
Even as he spoke, his voice shook. Because no matter how you looked at it, replacing a cardigan worth hundreds of dollars wasn’t exactly an easy promise to make.
Shin-jae didn’t say anything.
Considering how particular and meticulous he was, he was probably pissed that his cardigan had been ruined.
“…How’s Sesame?”
His voice came out small, quiet—his tone only reinforcing Sa-yoon’s assumption.
“Oh, Sesame’s fine. He’s weak because of malnutrition, so they decided to keep him overnight and give him some IV fluids.” Sa-yoon scratched his cheek. “You even covered the bill, huh? If you send me the hospital fee and the cost of the cardigan, I’ll wire you the money.”
“You don’t have to. It’s fine. If you really feel bad, just buy me a meal or something.”
“What? There’s no way I can just—”
Before he could finish, Shin-jae turned on his heel.
“I’m heading out.”
Sa-yoon blinked. “Wait, what? Hey, you can’t just—”
He reached out, grabbing Shin-jae’s arm as he spoke—but the moment he did, he froze.
Because he heard a sniffle.
“…Are you crying?”
He’d asked this question earlier too. And just like before—
“I’m not.”
Shin-jae turned his head away and gave the same answer.
“…Ah.”
Sa-yoon ruffled his bangs with his free hand. No matter how kind hearted and empathetic someone was, sniffling this much wasn’t normal.
“…Hey.”
Hearing that sound again had sent a pang through his chest, but once he realized what was happening, frustration took over.
“We’re going to the hospital.”
Sa-yoon’s voice came out naturally low, sinking into the quiet between them. At the sound, the expensive-looking face finally turned back toward him.
The moment he saw Shin-jae’s face, Sa-yoon furrowed his brows.
“…Are you mad?”
“What? What are you talking about? No.”
He was mad.
If this dumbass had a cat allergy, he should’ve said so from the start. Why the hell did he follow him all the way here like an idiot…?
Shin-jae’s droopy eyes were misted with tears, and his flushed cheeks suggested he was running a fever. When Sa-yoon pressed a hand to his face, it was burning up.
“You’re allergic to cats, aren’t you? Why didn’t you say something earlier? Let me see—how bad is it? Is it itchy here?”
Shin-jae, who had been biting down on his lower lip, shook his head slightly.
“I don’t need to go to the hospital. I’ll be fine if I just take some meds.”
“There’s an internal medicine clinic on the fifth floor. Come on.”
Without waiting for a response, Sa-yoon turned on his heel and headed back into the building. He could hear footsteps following behind him.
The hospital was packed. Whether it was because it was a weekend or due to the changing seasons, the waiting room was filled with patients sniffing and coughing. In this setting, Shin-jae blended right in.
“Stop rubbing your eyes.”
His already-reddened eyes must have been unbearably itchy, as his hands kept moving up to his face. Eventually, he started rubbing them with his fingertips.
“…I swear, I’ll be fine after I take some meds.”
Even he sounded awkward giving that excuse. And every time he tried, Sa-yoon’s chest tightened.
The moment Shin-jae reached up to rub his eyes again, Sa-yoon grabbed his hand and pulled it down.
Shin-jae’s hands were warm, hotter than usual. In Sa-yoon’s grip, his fingers twitched slightly. Sa-yoon swallowed a sigh.
“…Shin-jae.”
Instead of answering, another quiet sniffle slipped through.
That sound—somehow, it made him feel hot inside too.
Shin-jae was only twenty. Six years younger than him. He should’ve been the one looking after the kid properly.
“You don’t have to take responsibility for me just because I got hurt in your place.”
At first, he’d thought, What the hell is wrong with this guy?
“I’m completely healed now. You saw it yourself, didn’t you?”
He’d met plenty of odd people, but Shin-jae stood out even among them.
Even after they’d cleared up their misunderstanding, he hadn’t exactly seemed like someone Sa-yoon wanted to keep in touch with. Sa-yoon was too easygoing and indifferent, while Shin-jae was too meticulous and high-strung.
He’d assumed that once filming was over, they’d naturally drift apart. That Shin-jae would just become another nameless contact in his phone—someone he’d respond to politely if they reached out, but nothing more.
Sa-yoon had hundreds of numbers like that. And Shin-jae was supposed to be one of them.
“If it’s about me covering the meal, you don’t need to treat that like some kind of debt either.”
But Shin-jae…
Kept making him care.
“…You already refused to take the appearance fee. If it bothers you that much, just think of it as payment for starring in my crappy film.”
He’d felt bad and had wanted to repay him with an expensive meal.
But since that hadn’t worked, Shin-jae had rejected the fee outright and agreed to act in his amateur film instead.
Shin-jae, who didn’t know what kind of coffee Sa-yoon liked, had bought every item on the café menu.
Shin-jae, who was allergic to cats, but still couldn’t ignore an abandoned kitten.
Shin-jae, who was so conscious of Sa-yoon’s feelings that he’d hidden his own allergy just to avoid making things difficult.
To Sa-yoon, Shin-jae was no longer just “Contact #1” in his phone.
“So stop feeling guilty. You don’t have to push yourself like this just to help me.”
Shin-jae, who had been sniffling softly, lifted his gaze. His eyes were damp, and his nose—flushed red from the occasional sniffling—stood out.
Somehow, it felt like he had just made a delicate beauty cry. The thought made Sa-yoon bite the inside of his cheek.
“It’s not guilt—”
“Patient Shin-jae! Please proceed to Exam Room 1.”
Just as Shin-jae opened his mouth, his turn finally came up.
“Go on.”
Sa-yoon watched as those long legs carried Shin-jae toward the exam room. Letting out a small sigh, he realized that the person who had flipped his first impression entirely wasn’t just Shin-jae.
***
[Harvest Season Burning Time Event Announcement]
Posted by: GM Nymph
Hello, Heroes!
To celebrate the season of harvest, Demeter’s Blessing has descended upon the lands of Divine!
Visit the Demeter Priest located in the capital’s central plaza to exchange bountiful rewards!
Event Period: From October 1st (before maintenance) to October 10th (after maintenance)
Earn one **”Exquisite Seed”** for every hour of login time.
Demeter’s Blessing Buff will activate every hour, on the hour.
Exchange collected rewards at the Demeter Temple Priest in the capital.
▶ Check Rewards Here!
