episode_0217

.

– “I think the student council president has come down with a bad cold.”

Late morning, just one step away from noon.

Still in my pajamas, sandwiched between the two sisters, I lazily woke up and checked my KakaoTalk to find that message waiting for me.

Thanks to that, my head started aching the moment I got up.

A bad cold is a common enough illness, so I wasn’t particularly concerned.

But if the “student council president” mentioned at the beginning was who I thought it was, then it had to be Baek Seo-yeon…

And the fact that Han Soo-ah—of all people—had brought up that woman’s name didn’t sit right with me.

Of course, I knew full well that Soo-ah wasn’t doing it on purpose.

She probably didn’t even have the slightest clue about what Baek Seo-yeon really was.

She must’ve been genuinely worried.

So, my irritation quickly redirected itself toward Yozora.

The one who had orchestrated this tangled mess, making sure we’d all get dragged into each other’s business.

No one else came to mind but Yozora.

Come to think of it, she had been unusually quiet lately, keeping a low profile.

“Sigh…”

I could dismiss Baek Seo-yeon falling ill at such a coincidental time as mere chance, but Yozora’s petty scheming was something I couldn’t stand.

Especially since I knew Yozora well enough to understand that she’d seek revenge over the smallest things.

Maybe she was using Soo-ah and Seo-yeon as excuses to keep forcing herself into my line of sight.

Maybe she was enjoying the fact that I was racking my brain in irritation.

Maybe she was doing this because she wanted to be violated by me again, using that irritation as an excuse.

Maybe…

Maybe…

As my thoughts spiraled, I let out a light sigh into the air and replied to Soo-ah.

I told her I could spare some time and asked her to arrange a place to meet Baek Seo-yeon.

No matter what Yozora’s scheme was, fulfilling Soo-ah’s request would only help build a positive image of me in her eyes.

There was no reason to refuse—other than the fact that it pissed me off to play right into Yozora’s hands.

While I stared at the clock on my phone, debating whether I should wake the two of them up, a reply soon came back: Yozora asked me to come to her place.

She quickly added that she’d handle directions since I’d apparently broken up with her, and that Baek Seo-yeon’s house just happened to be nearby.

“……”

Again, I didn’t like it.

Irritated, I rubbed my eyes and carefully pushed Lee Ha-yoon—who had been squirming on top of me like she was hibernating—to the side.

“Nngh…”

“Ugh…”

Early this morning.

So that she could sleep where she had first dozed off.

On her younger sister’s bed.

Right beside her sister.

Holding onto something else instead of me.

217

I had already sent Ha-yoon a message saying I’d be back as soon as possible, so she’d probably be fine.

Yozora’s footsteps were annoyingly light, as if she didn’t have a care in the world.

Keeping a reasonable distance behind her, I walked alongside Soo-ah, our hands occasionally brushing.

After meeting up with the two of them, we walked for about ten minutes.

I had expected it to some extent ever since I learned Baek Seo-yeon was part of Most Wanted, but…

Yozora, who had been leading the way, stopped in front of an expensive-looking building in an affluent neighborhood.

Guess those Most Wanted bastards really did rake in a lot of cash.

Ten years ago, now, and probably even after this—their reputation as bottomless psychos never changed.

When I came face-to-face with Baek Seo-yeon, still in her pajamas, I stepped into the foyer with the frivolous thought, “Shouldn’t a villain alliance like this be more low-key?”

In the entryway, where only a single pair of light-blue slippers (presumably hers) had been, our shoes now lined up one by one.

“Huh. Your place is clean today? Last time, it was practically a pigsty…”

“…Don’t say weird things. That never happened.”

“S-sorry…”

“……”

Yozora grinned mischievously, while Soo-ah stiffly stepped inside.

Following them in and closing the door behind me, I took a quick look around the house.

Contrary to Yozora’s teasing remark, the place was immaculate.

Not in the sense that it had been thoroughly cleaned, but more like… minimalism? There just wasn’t much stuff to begin with.

A single cushion on a beige three-seater sofa.

A pristine white coffee table that matched the sofa.

A single black remote carelessly placed on top.

A mysterious potted plant on a shelf in the corner of the living room.

It was hard to call this “messy” when it looked like someone had just moved in less than a week ago.

Unless, like Yozora, she had bottles of alcohol and sex toys strewn everywhere—then sure.

But even though she must’ve lived here for about two years, the place was still like this…

Guess she wasn’t the type to like clutter.

Yozora, chattering away beside me, probably found it all incredibly tedious too.

Staring at the two of them, I spoke up, my voice pressing down on Yozora’s noisy chatter like a hand stifling it.

I just wanted to get this annoying business over with quickly so I could go back and laze around with the two of them.

“I heard you came down with a bad cold earlier.”

At that, Baek Seo-yeon—who had been avoiding eye contact until now—glanced at me.

Literally, just a glance.

It was a stark contrast to the confident (if slightly clumsy) demeanor I’d seen from her at the academy.

“What are your symptoms?”

“…A slight fever.”

“Anything else?”

“…Some sneezing…”

Why was she acting like this?

Was she… nervous?

That was the first thought that came to mind, but I wasn’t sure.

What reason would she have to be nervous around me?

It wasn’t like I’d say anything risky—we both held mutually assured destruction over each other’s heads.

Or was she just embarrassed to be seen in pajamas?

I could understand feeling awkward in front of me and Soo-ah, since we weren’t exactly close, but… she didn’t need to overthink it.

Besides, if she was really that embarrassed, she could’ve just excused herself to change.

No one would’ve minded something like that.

As I pondered her strange behavior, a soft “Hup!” reached my ears.

“Hey. This isn’t a ‘slight fever.’”

“…Don’t touch me…”

It was Yozora, stretching out her arm to press her hand against Seo-yeon’s forehead.

Normally, anything she did would’ve made me scowl on principle, but now wasn’t the time for personal grudges.

Reminding myself several times that Soo-ah—completely unaware of everything—was watching, I stepped closer to the two of them.

“…Let me see.”

“Ah, wait…”

Even just getting near her, I could feel the heat radiating off her.

The same when I lightly lifted her bangs with my fingertips. This was way beyond a “slight fever.”

Finally, I rested my fingers and palm against her forehead—and it was unmistakable.

“…This is a ‘slight fever’ to you?”

“……”

Even being conservative, it was easily over 38 degrees.

Only after I said that did Seo-yeon’s arm, which had been twitching as if to swat my hand away, slump down to her chest.

“Do you have a thermometer at home? …How is this a ‘slight fever’?”

“…Don’t… have one…”

“Do you usually get colds? Is this your first time ever having one?”

“……”

Even among the cold patients I’d dealt with recently as a health teacher, this was a seriously high fever.

At this point, just standing still must’ve been exhausting for her.

Not that I had any medical expertise—this was just from experience.

So, instead of treating her right away, it’d be better to have her lie down somewhere first.

Normally, I’d just massage her neck and she’d recover quickly, but…

Given her state, even standing still and waiting seemed like it’d be too much for her.

“I’ll ask first since you might not like it, but is it okay if I go into your bedroom with you? Unless there’s something you don’t want others to see.”

“……”

“…Hello?”

“……”

But Seo-yeon’s reaction was a little odd.

If she didn’t like it, she could’ve said no.

If it was fine, she could’ve said yes.

If even speaking was too much, she could’ve just nodded or shaken her head.

But she just… stayed still.

Letting me check her temperature, motionless.

Only breathing in and out.

“Senpai.”

“…? ……Ah…”

Had she fallen asleep standing up because she was so out of it?

After pulling my hand away from her burning forehead, I hesitated before calling her “senpai.” Between her half-lidded eyes, her blue irises slowly turned toward my face.

“Is it okay if we go into your bedroom together?”

“…Bed…room? Together…?”

“Yes. It’ll take about a minute at best, three at worst. With a fever this high, standing must be hard for you.”

“……”

Again, no voice came.

But she wasn’t completely unresponsive.

As I brushed aside her slightly messy bangs with my fingertips—

“……”

Nod.

Slowly.

She gave a small, sluggish nod.

…Something’s

off.

“Touching your neck is easiest for me—is that okay?”

“……”

The fever.

It wasn’t this bad earlier.

At first, it was just a slight fever—only noticeable if I pressed the back of my hand to her forehead.

Even after waking up, having pulled the blanket up to my chin…

Sure, the fever had gotten worse, but…

It wasn’t this high.

So why is it that the moment this man’s hand touches my forehead,

it gets

worse?

“It might feel a little cold. The neck is naturally warm since blood circulates there, and you have a fever right now.”

“……”

“I’ll go as slowly as I can, but if anything feels off, you have to tell me. Understood?”

“……”

Seo Woo-jin had brought over a chair from the vanity and sat beside me.

Staring blankly at his face, I nodded. Then, his firm fingers gently touched my neck, one by one.

“…Ngh……”

…Cold.

If it had been freezing—like ice pressed against my skin—I could’ve endured it.

But this was just cold enough that I could feel it gradually warming from my body heat.

Not enough to tell Woo-jin something was wrong… but just slightly unbearable.

At this rate, I’d just have to let my body heat warm him up.

“……”

Woo-jin’s thumb pressed against my neck.

I could almost sense him carefully deciding where to place his hands before finally settling and lightly gripping my neck…

…It’s eerie.

I don’t know why, but it feels like I’m doing something bad—something I shouldn’t.

Objectively, there’s nothing wrong.

All that’s happening is a man is in my room,

the bedroom door is closed,

I’m lying on my bed,

motionless,

just letting him hold my neck.

There’s nothing

strange about it.

“…Hah……. …”

And yet, that eeriness made my fingers fidget under the blanket, tangling with each other.

Then, an inexplicable warmth began spreading from my neck and shoulders, slowly coursing through my body.

It felt almost exactly like when he treated me after I cut my finger last time.

…So this is what it feels like to have Seo Woo-jin inside me.

As I lay there, quietly breathing, my hand twitching where it rested above my navel, the soreness in my throat completely vanished.

“……”

The fever, too.

The chills, the mild headache, even the muscle aches around my lower abdomen—all of them faded away one by one.

…Is it really okay for my body to recover this easily when it was in so much pain?

Is this just how healing-types are?

So fast.

So fast.

“Hah. I think that’s about it.”

“……”

“How do you feel now?”

“……”

But strangely,

despite Woo-jin saying it was “about it,”

my body

was still burning up.

It was as if he had only cleared away the flames raging around me,

but left the embers at the source untouched.

Sure, my mind—which had been hazy just moments ago—was now perfectly clear.

The chills that made movement difficult were completely gone.

Even the slight soreness in my throat had vanished.

But this strange, lingering heat from deep inside me…

And something…

Something still feels

a little off…

“……”

…I don’t even know what it is.

Woo-jin thinks he’s finished healing me.

It’d be rude

to trouble him further.

“…I’m fine.”

Pretending I’m okay.

Pretending the fever

is completely gone.

I lied.

“That’s good. I was worried since it was just a mild cold but the fever was so severe…”

“……”

“Maybe something got tangled up inside. I’m not sure.”

“……”

Hearing Woo-jin—the one who had healed me—say that the cause of my raging fever

wasn’t something sudden like the flu,

but just

a mild cold…

In my heart,

a huge question mark

floated

up.