Chapter 63: Nursing Care (1)

Having fallen into deep sleep from an untimely summer cold, I opened the door to knocking and found So-yul standing there.

At first I thought I was dreaming. I even lifted my shaking arm to pinch my cheek. But naturally, pain shot through where I’d pinched. Meaning this was reality.

“What are you doing? Dummy.”

Her sweet voice tickling my ears also confirmed this was real.

“Y-you, why are you here…”

I barely managed to stammer out.

So-yul, who’d been smiling gently as if amused, immediately answered in a blunt tone:

“Just happened to pass by and felt bored so I dropped in. There’s quite some time until my evening flight tomorrow.”

“What route were you taking to pass through this remote place?”

“I was going somewhere. Don’t ask unnecessary questions.”

How considerate.

But she had a point. There was no need to ask why So-yul had come to my apartment.

She’d suddenly asked for my address then appeared at my door. Her intentions were obvious.

So-yul must have come to take care of me while I was sick.

I scratched my neck despite it not being itchy while keeping my mouth shut. Taking this as acceptance, So-yul asked with a gentle eye-smile:

“Can I come in?”

“There’s no reason you can’t…”

“There isn’t?”

So-yul asked while tilting her head.

I avoided her gaze and responded:

“…Will you be okay?”

“Why? Planning something weird?”

So-yul questioned as if she’d encountered some perverted man.

This was quite rude. I absolutely had zero ulterior motives. If she thought I asked because of inappropriate thoughts… well, I might have imagined a little, but anyway that wasn’t it.

“No, I don’t have those intentions, but. It’s kind of weird for a girl to enter a guy’s room where he lives alone.”

Though I was happy she trusted me, we were still teenagers in our prime.

We’d been holding back various things even at school. Being alone with So-yul in my room would make it hard to control myself in many ways.

“That’s not it.”

Though I’d asked with this meaning, So-yul stepped inside while making an incomprehensible sound.

She even showed a slight smile toward me as I hesitated in confusion.

Then in a voice full of shyness:

“…A girlfriend entering her boyfriend’s room where he lives alone. Isn’t that naturally okay?”

“…You really.”

“My my. How high must your fever be for your cheeks to be so red?”

So-yul whispered playfully while looking up at me who’d lost words.

I decided not to point out that her own cheeks were bright red too.

◎

The first thing So-yul did after coming inside was prepare dinner.

“You haven’t had dinner yet, right?”

“How did you know?”

When I asked in my nasally voice, So-yul covered her mouth and snickered:

“I can tell from your messy bed head.”

“Ah.”

Come to think of it, I’d forgotten my hair was sticking up everywhere.

After that So-yul said “Go fix your hair. I’ll buy some things from the mart in front” and left the house.

Around when I finished washing my hair, grateful for her kind heart, So-yul returned carrying various ingredients.

When I asked if she needed help, she answered “What could a patient help with?” so I obediently lay down on the bed.

Thanks to the apartment being small enough to be a studio, I could see the kitchen clearly even while lying down.

I just blankly watched So-yul focusing on cooking.

A thin t-shirt and short jeans. An outfit showing quite a bit of skin with her fair thighs exposed. Was it because of the hot summer weather? Or because we were outside school?

Her movements chopping green onions and stirring the ladle seemed somewhat unfamiliar. Well, I wondered if So-yul had ever had chances to cook until now.

So-yul becoming my real girlfriend. Plus coming to my apartment to take care of me. And now preparing dinner.

Even after pinching my cheek it still didn’t feel real. Could this be some hallucination or illusion? I was having ridiculous doubts.

My heart pounded hard at her clumsy attempts to care for me.

I wondered if So-yul knew how each of her actions made my heart flutter.

Soon So-yul walked into the room carrying a tray.

She carefully avoided the scattered books as she approached, set the tray by the bed, and quietly sat beside me. Her sweet scent wafted over and tickled my nose.

So-yul looked around at the randomly piled books and sighed deeply.

“What’s all this? Clean up a bit when you live somewhere.”

“What does it matter? As long as I’m comfortable. It’s not like anyone visits anyway.”

So-yul gently smiled as if hearing something amusing then:

“What are you saying? I came.”

“…Ah.”

Well, I was wrong. Come to think of it, now I had one person who might visit.

Feeling somewhat embarrassed, I just smacked my lips while So-yul smiled and:

“I’ll clean for you this time. Next time I come, I expect a clean room.”

“You’re coming again later?”

“Why? …Don’t you want your girlfriend visiting?”

When I asked back without any particular intent, So-yul deliberately pouted as if about to get upset, no, as if pretending to get upset.

I knew exactly how to answer.

“I like it too much.”

“Tch.”

So-yul just clicked her tongue at my playful response.

That was true. Since she had my address, it wouldn’t be strange if So-yul suddenly dropped by anytime. Better to clean up in advance.

I wanted to show only cool sides to my girlfriend.

Such feelings naturally blooming in a man who just got a girlfriend couldn’t be helped.

I turned my gaze to the tray So-yul had set down.

A large bowl of white porridge. A clear egg soup beside it.

Both steaming dishes looked delicious.

Considering how inexperienced her cooking process had seemed, the results were surprisingly good. Though she’d looked just like a child wanting to copy their mother’s cooking from behind.

“Seems you’re good at cooking?”

When I asked quietly, So-yul made a proud “hmph” sound and puffed out her chest.

“Simple things at least. I learned from watching our housekeeper until middle school.”

“Oh…”

“Why? Surprised?”

So-yul asked while proudly shrugging her shoulders.

Of course it was surprising. Having a housekeeper to help with housework.

But So-yul being good at cooking itself was quite surprising too.

I thought geniuses only focused on one field. Yet So-yul was good at studying, had no rough edges in her personality, and could even cook simple dishes. She truly seemed multitalented.

What an excellent potential bride.

I regretted not having the courage to say such words.

Soon So-yul picked up the neatly placed spoon. Her hand trembled very slightly as she scooped up some porridge.

Then she gently blew on the spoon. Thanks to this, the steam rising from the hot porridge gradually faded.

Though I wouldn’t ask, this was probably…

While I waited holding this strange expectation, So-yul looked straight at me and gently opened her mouth:

“Here, say ah.”

So that’s what it was.

“…My arms move just fine even with a cold.”

“Quiet. Say ah.”

My weakly thrown protest was thoroughly ignored.

Well, what did it matter? We’d done all sorts of things while fake dating. I’d even fed So-yul food myself before. We were long past the point of being shy about such small things.

“…Ah.”

When I opened my mouth slightly, So-yul smiled brightly and put the spoon in.

Though it looked bland, the porridge was properly seasoned when I tasted it.

The flavor that wasn’t too strong yet appealed to my taste quickly revived my completely fallen appetite.

Food that considered my condition while still trying to stimulate my appetite a bit.

So-yul’s love and care seemed to come through even in a spoonful of porridge.

“It’s delicious.”

“Right?”

So-yul showed a loving smile and expressed joy with a soft “hehe.”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

“I should be thanking you. You made and even fed me porridge.”

“Yeah. …Then thank you for thanking me.”

“What are you even saying.”

It was such a silly conversation.

Until just now the atmosphere had been no different from when we were fake dating. But in moments like this when our feelings for each other deepened, awkwardness suddenly filled the air.

It was hard to move my lips to speak. Even my breaths felt heated somehow.

The sound of clothes rustling and two hearts beating loudly rang in my ears.

Perhaps finding the mutually shy situation burdensome, So-yul wiggled her fingers and gave a light eye-smile.

That seemed so cute that my heart pounded heavily.

She was truly such a cute, pretty, and lovely girlfriend.

Coming all the way here and even cooking when her boyfriend was sick.

With such a kind heart too, she had no shortcomings.

Even thinking about it repeatedly, she was too good for me. I still couldn’t believe how I got such a girlfriend.

To the point where I’d believe it was all just an illusion.

Without thinking, I reached out and gently caressed So-yul’s cheek.

So-yul’s shoulders jerked. Her eyes went wide and her mouth formed an O. It was only a matter of time before the pink tinting her cheeks deepened.

“W-what are you doing…”

“Checking if I’m seeing things.”

“Really, what are you saying…”

So-yul trailed off as if my words made no sense.

Yet I was truly grateful she didn’t try to remove my hand.

The soft sensation felt so nice. It was also quite fun how my finger bounced back when I lightly pressed her smooth cheek.

So-yul’s appearance as she scrunched her eyes each time I poked her, as if ticklish, was unfailingly cute.

Finally reaching her limit of patience, So-yul narrowed her eyes and:

“Did the cold make your mind weird too?”

Oh my, nothing’s off limits when talking to your boyfriend.

I chuckled and started playing with her bright red ear.

So-yul took a sharp breath in surprise and let out a soft “hnn” sound.

“It tickles, stop…”

“I’m just checking if you’re real so bear with it a bit.”

“Then I am real. Dummy.”

So-yul retorted as if I was saying something stupid then puffed up her cheeks.

Perhaps deciding she couldn’t just keep taking this, So-yul started mercilessly poking my cheeks in return. Probably her own form of counterattack.

Exchanging touches like this, I finally felt it clearly though belatedly.

The fact that So-yul was sitting here right now. And the fact that So-yul had become my real girlfriend.

I withdrew my hand from playing with her earlobe. At the same time, So-yul’s counterattack gradually came to an end.

So-yul was breathing heavily and seemed quite flustered. Her glaring at me with displeasure through her bright red face proved this.

But that didn’t last long. Soon So-yul snickered and:

“Enough playing around. Hurry up and eat. You need to eat a lot to get better quickly.”

Then So-yul showed a gentle smile.

“…Yeah. Okay.”

I answered gratefully and tried to pick up the spoon.

However, one hand snatched the spoon faster than me.

“Here, now say ah.”

Of course it was So-yul.

“You’re going to keep feeding me?”

“Why? Your girlfriend wants to feed her boyfriend. Don’t like it?”

So-yul asked while tilting her head slightly.

She seems to think everything will work if she mentions being my girlfriend… how did she know?

I wanted to do anything and everything So-yul wished for. The feelings I’d conveyed to her last night would remain valid going forward.

So I chuckled and:

“I like it too much.”

At these words, So-yul’s face bloomed into a bright smile.

And so I ended up finishing all the food So-yul had prepared.

Though I had no appetite due to the cold, suddenly receiving such a delicious meal – it was beyond anything I could have imagined.

The reason So-yul’s cooking tasted especially good must have been because it was filled with care for me.

I really ended up dating a girlfriend way too good for me.

I couldn’t even count how many times I’d felt this emotion today.