Bright light poured in through the wide-open window. I stared blankly at it, unable to tell whether it was sunlight or moonlight, when suddenly, there was a knock at the door, and someone stepped inside.
“Seo-yul-nim.”
Choi Yeo-min strode over to the bed and called out to me. Only then did I slowly shift my gaze away from the window. In his hands was a tray neatly arranged with porridge and medicine.
“I’m not hungry.”
“But you need to eat something if you’re going to take your medicine.”
Yeo-min placed the tray on my lap and forced the spoon into my weak grip. I truly had no appetite, but as he said, I needed to put something in my stomach before taking the medicine.
I forced myself to eat the bland porridge. Yeo-min sat on the edge of the bed, watching as I slowly and laboriously lifted each spoonful to my mouth.
Ever since I found myself in Han Seo-yul’s body, I had spent so much time sick that I’d grown accustomed to being monitored while I ate. But Yeo-min made it feel burdensome in a different way.
“Ah, you spilled.”
I barely had the strength to lift the spoon, making even the simple act of bringing it to my mouth a struggle. More often than not, it ended up dripping here and there, and each time, Yeo-min would wipe the corners of my lips with his sleeve.
I had tried rejecting his excessive kindness, but he would only nod as if he understood, only to do the exact same thing the next time. By the time the painfully slow meal was over, his sleeve was stained with the porridge I had spilled.
“Take your medicine.”
As soon as I finished eating, he handed me a cup of water, insisting that this was the best way to bring down my fever, no matter how much I told him it was pointless.
Only after swallowing the medicine under Yeo-min’s watchful eyes did the meal truly come to an end. Once he picked up the now-light tray and left the room, I dragged my heavy body up and into the bathroom.
“You filled the tub.”
Yeo-min had prepared a bath with warm water, filling the bathroom with a soothing heat. I swiped at the air, dispersing the white steam before slowly peeling off my sweat-soaked clothes.
Normally, I would shower before getting into the tub, but I didn’t even have the energy for that. My body, as heavy as waterlogged cotton, barely managed to sink into the bath. The moment I did, a deep lethargy spread through me.
“…Feels good.”
The water was hot, but so was my body, making it just right. I cupped my hands together, filling them with water before gently rubbing my face. The heat sharpened my hazy mind.
“Seo-yul-nim.”
Yeo-min returned after putting the tray away and opened the bathroom door. Amid the billowing steam, he found me and pulled a small stool close to the edge of the bathtub.
“I’ll wash your hair for you.”
Normally, I would insist on doing it myself, but my body was so relaxed that I couldn’t even lift a finger.
“Thank you.”
“No need to thank me. This is something I should be doing.”
Yeo-min poured a generous amount of shampoo into his hands and gently massaged it into my hair. The pleasant sensation made a faint smile spread across my lips. I could fall asleep just like this.
“How are you feeling?”
“I think I’m a little better than before.”
“That’s a relief.”
By the time I had finished bathing with Yeo-min’s help, the fever that had tormented me had subsided a little. Since I could move somewhat now, I decided to leave the stifling room and take a walk in the garden.
Of course, Yeo-min tried to stop me, suggesting I stay in bed and rest, but after lying down for over a week, my body felt stiff and locked up. Even back in District 5, my doctor had always recommended taking walks regularly, no matter how sick I was.
Ignoring Yeo-min’s protests, I dressed myself and stepped outside into the garden.
“If you feel dizzy, let me know right away.”
“Yeah, I promise I will.”
“And don’t walk too fast.”
“I’m already walking slowly enough.”
For the first time in a week, I finally escaped my room and felt the pleasant breeze as I walked across the grass. With each step, the crisp sound of crushed blades beneath my feet was oddly satisfying.
“I was feeling so cooped up in that room. This is really nice.”
“…Saying that makes it hard for me to tell you to go back inside.”
Scratching his head as if troubled, Yeo-min eventually held out his arm. I took it and continued walking through the garden at a leisurely pace.
After a short stroll, we sat down beneath a tree to rest. Yeo-min laid out a handkerchief neatly for me to sit on, and I gazed up at the moon floating above the transparent dome.
Following my gaze, Yeo-min lifted his head to look at it as well. We sat in silence, feeling the breeze pass over us, until he suddenly broke the quiet with a question.
“Do you like the moon?”
“I never really thought about it.”
The people of District 1 cared about the moon, but in District 5, it didn’t hold much significance. The only time we paid attention to it was when its instability threatened the electrical supply.
But here, the moon had erased the night entirely, making it impossible to tell the passage of time. With no nightfall, it felt like being trapped in an endless, monotonous day.
“Do you like the moon, Yeo-min?”
“No, I don’t.”
His answer came without the slightest hesitation, sharp and resolute. I glanced at him, only to find his face twisted with emotions—anger, disgust, and other negative feelings boiling just beneath the surface.
Sensing my gaze, Yeo-min quickly smoothed his expression. A kind smile spread across his lips, so gentle that it almost made me doubt what I had just seen.
“Shall we head back now?”
“I want to stay a little longer.”
“I’d like that too, but… you don’t look too well, Seo-yul-nim.”
Just as he said, the fever I thought had subsided was slowly creeping back. I wanted to be stubborn about it, but in the end, I took his offered hand and got up, preparing to leave the garden.
It was frustrating to go back inside without even having a proper walk, but there was no one to blame but my own body. I just wished this fever would go away already—it was getting unbearable.
“If you’re feeling up to it tomorrow, we can come out again.”
“…Tomorrow, yeah.”
Hearing my weak response, Yeo-min tried to lift my spirits by telling stories as we walked back to my room.
Much like how my butler used to tell me tales of the world beyond the mansion when I was young, Yeo-min recounted his experiences traveling through different districts.
I didn’t like being treated like a sulky child, but his stories were actually interesting—so much so that I found myself unconsciously drawn in.
“Is there anywhere you want to go, Seo-yul-nim?”
“…I’ve never really thought about it.”
As a child, I was too sickly to leave the estate in District 5. And now, I was trapped here because of him and his selfishness. I wasn’t sure if Yeo-min was aware of my situation.
“But if I could go anywhere… I’d want to visit somewhere other than Districts 1 and 5.”
“Because you’ve already been to those places?”
“No. Because there wouldn’t be anyone who knows me there.”
If things had gone according to plan, I would have left for a place where no one knew me after watching Se-yul become the district leader.
I wanted to give Han Seo-yul, who had spent his life confined, a taste of freedom. But if I was being honest, my desire to escape this wretched fate was far more selfish than noble.
“You’re not here because you want to be, are you?”
Yeo-min’s voice took on a rare seriousness as he asked.
I was momentarily caught off guard but responded with nothing more than a smile, neither confirming nor denying it.
Seeing my reaction, Yeo-min suddenly stopped walking.
“Seo-yul-nim, about that favor you asked me for.”
“Hm?”
“You know, about District 5—”
I had forgotten all about it because of my illness—how I had asked Yeo-min to find out about District 5 and whether Se-yul was still alive. I had expected time to simply pass without an answer, for the matter to fade into nothing. But it seemed he had actually uncovered something.
“Se-yul… is he alive?”
I grabbed Yeo-min’s arm and asked urgently. But despite bringing it up himself, he suddenly pressed his lips together in silence. His eyes wavered, uncertain—debating whether or not he should even be telling me this.
“You found something, didn’t you?”
“……”
“Please, tell me. Se-yul, he—”
“There he is!”
A sharp shout cut through the air. Startled, I let go of Yeo-min’s arm and turned toward the source of the voice. A commotion had broken out—several people were struggling against the guards.
“Seo-yul-nim, we need to get you back to your room. Now.”
Yeo-min quickly assessed the situation and grabbed my hand, urging me to move. I tried to follow, my legs weak and unsteady, but just then, a strange scent began creeping in from somewhere.
“Ugh…!”
“Seo-yul-nim!”
There were no Shining among the group, yet the scent was unmistakable. I didn’t know where it was coming from, but being exposed to it so suddenly left me defenseless. My fever surged violently, nausea rising with unbearable intensity.
“Are you alright?”
I shook my head, covering my nose and mouth with my hand. The scent grew stronger with each breath, worsening the fever, twisting my insides—everything was spiraling into chaos.
“We’re almost at your room. Just hang on a little longer.”
With Yeo-min’s support, I barely managed to keep my collapsing legs steady. Just as we were about to step into the safety of my room, the group that had pushed past the guards blocked our path.
