Chapter 66: Nursing Care (4)

Swish swish, rustle rustle.

Half-asleep, I felt hair gently moving around my forehead.

There was no way wind would suddenly blow in the middle of the room. And no one else would visit in the middle of the night.

Only one conclusion remained. So-yul who’d woken up early must be stroking my hair.

Though I noticed this, I deliberately kept my eyes closed.

It was natural to want to stay intoxicated by such a pleasant sensation longer.

I lay still, feeling So-yul’s delicate touch.

Gently so I wouldn’t wake, yet without hesitation as if not wanting to miss this chance.

Her touch like being tickled by a feather was softer than anything I’d felt before. I had no way to stop my lips from curling up.

The fabric occasionally brushing against me must be from wearing my dress shirt.

Due to our size difference, only So-yul’s fingertips showed. She probably had to work hard to stretch her hand out of the shirt to stroke me.

Really such a cute and adorable girlfriend.

To think this So-yul told me she liked me. Plus she couldn’t help herself and was stroking me now.

It still felt unbelievable. I even had the illusion I might still be in a deep dream.

But what could I do? They say people in love become alike – seems it was true.

As much as I liked So-yul, the urge to tease her was rising too.

I suddenly grabbed So-yul’s hand stroking my hair. I also tightened my arm holding her to make sure she couldn’t run away startled.

“…Hnn.”

So-yul’s surprised breath touched my ear.

When I lifted my eyelids, So-yul was looking at me with wide eyes.

The moment our eyes met, red started rising in her snow-white skin. Her eyes wavered back and forth unable to settle. Of course she trembled slightly.

“Good morning.”

When I greeted her with an obviously bright smile, So-yul whispered with a sulky expression:

“Not a good morning.”

Oh my, is that so.

“Why? Waking up to my girlfriend stroking my hair. Seems like a good morning?”

“Ugh!”

When I teased her playfully, So-yul’s cheeks flushed pink as she waved her hands frantically.

I didn’t know for sure, but she probably wanted to counterattack.

However, one hand was caught by me, and her other hand was trapped in my embrace.

In the end So-yul could only show an endlessly embarrassed expression while unable to do anything. As a bonus she shot glares at me full of resentment.

Well. Last night she tempted me saying I could come closer and stirred up my heart. Now she was being this shy?

Well, whatever. Her awkward fidgeting from embarrassment was cute. So-yul looking sulky with her bright red face was lovely.

I slowly stroked So-yul’s hair to show my apology.

“Thanks for making me happy first thing in the morning.”

“…Stop saying cringy things.”

So-yul grumbled needlessly at my praise given while holding back embarrassment.

Fortunately it seemed quite effective.

Soon I felt her nuzzling her face against my chest.

So-yul had said she would take the evening flight to America today.

Meaning our time together here was running out.

Regretful of this, we kept staying close.

While So-yul prepared breakfast, I stood in the kitchen watching her. After eating we talked about trivial things while linking just one finger.

When I had to get back under the blankets due to my lingering cold, So-yul put a wet towel on my forehead.

Despite such desperate wishes, time flowed mercilessly.

Before we knew it the sun was blazing outside. The clock I glanced at already pointed to 2 PM.

She’d need to leave around now to not be late for her evening flight.

“I should go now.”

Having reached a similar thought, So-yul whispered while gripping her suitcase handle.

Her tone clearly conveyed her dejected mood.

“Want me to take you to the airport?”

“How could you take me?”

“Well. Should I carry you on my back?”

“Stop joking around.”

So-yul laughed softly at my silly joke.

I felt relieved that she seemed to have cheered up a little at least.

“Then I’ll walk you as far as I can.”

“What kind of sendoff is that from a sick person? I’m already worried about you collapsing while I’m gone. Use that time to rest properly.”

So-yul answered in a gentle but firm tone.

When she cut it off so clearly, it felt awkward to follow. Though I probably wouldn’t collapse, well, I didn’t want to worry So-yul. She probably didn’t particularly want me following to see her off.

So in the end I just ended up waving at the entrance.

When I opened the door So-yul went out pulling her suitcase. I thought she’d leave right away but she turned back to look up at me intently.

Her gaze overflowed with regret.

“We won’t be able to meet for a long time after today.”

“Yeah. It’ll be hard to see each other until school starts again.”

“…There’s still over a month until school starts.”

So-yul muttered as if complaining.

Now was mid-July and school started late August. It was an endlessly distant schedule. No schedule could be harsher for a couple who’d only started dating two days ago.

“…I’ll be lonely.”

So-yul lowered her gaze and whispered barely audibly.

Wanting to give her strength, I shrugged casually:

“Call me if you’re lonely. Video calls work too. Messages are fine. We couldn’t meet easily at school anyway. Maybe there won’t be much difference actually being apart.”

“True, usually we just exchanged glances in the classroom.”

So-yul’s expression eased somewhat, perhaps moved by my comfort.

Being reassured by words saying it’ll be fine since we couldn’t meet much anyway – I couldn’t tell if this was good or bad.

That’s enough. Let’s wrap up the sad talk. The final goodbye should properly be sent with happy faces.

“Have a healthy break. …Oh, come to think of it, did you catch my cold?”

When I voiced this sudden question, So-yul tilted her head.

“Cold? Why suddenly?”

“Why else? Because we slept pressed together all night.”

“Ah, y-yeah. We did…”

So-yul seemed somewhat embarrassed as she trailed off.

Quite different from last night. After tempting a man all night. Was she possessed by some ghost then?

So-yul’s answer came after quite a long silence had passed.

“The cold’s fine. Nothing particularly uncomfortable. No coughing either.”

“That’s good then.”

Amazing she didn’t catch it despite sleeping pressed together all night. No, it was surprising she was fine after standing in the wind and rain for so long in the first place.

Maybe So-yul was actually much healthier than me despite appearances.

“I wonder if I’ll just keep getting taken care of by you forever.”

When I muttered chuckling at the amusing thought, So-yul’s eyes went round.

“Forever?”

“…Ah.”

A slip of the tongue. The fever must have made my mind hazy.

But by the time I realized my mistake it was already too late. A loose smile gradually drew on So-yul’s lips.

“You want to live with me forever?”

“I misspoke so don’t tease me.”

“But you teased me plenty this morning?”

“This and that are different.”

“They’re not different. I’m going to keep teasing you.”

So-yul who’d arbitrarily concluded this covered her mouth and burst out giggling.

She didn’t forget to let out comments like “I see~ You want to be with me forever~” as if for me to hear.

Though I couldn’t blame anyone since I’d given her the opening… this made me look like I was counting my chickens before they hatched. The embarrassing yet awkward sensation made me feel somewhat annoyed. I was desperate to say something back.

After briefly considering how to counterattack.

Finally I thought of words that would surely fluster So-yul.

“If I said I want to live together forever, would you accept?”

The moment I threw out the question, So-yul’s shoulders jerked.

Soon So-yul asked back with a thoroughly flustered expression.

“W-what?”

“No, literally, I was wondering what you’d do if I said let’s live together forever.”

“L-live together forever, why so suddenly…”

So-yul seemed endlessly flustered by my playfully asked question.

Though this was already a cute and amusing sight, if I laughed now I wouldn’t hear her answer. I had no choice but to hold back by tensing my lips.

After a moment So-yul opened her mouth while wiggling her fingers.

“B-but, it’s still too early, and we haven’t been dating long…”

“We haven’t been dating long.”

“Plus though living together would surely be fun and happy, we both have lots to resolve before doing that already.”

“That’s true too.”

While I nodded thinking she made good points, So-yul soon added:

“…And if we had a child…”

“Pfft.”

I couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Perhaps somewhat unhappy about this, So-yul’s expression immediately turned sulky.

I waved my hands to show I was sorry.

“Sorry for laughing. A word I never expected suddenly came out.”

“…I was talking seriously.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

I patted So-yul’s head as she kept grumbling.

But couldn’t help it, right? Already imagining even having children. I could only wonder how much careful thought she must have given to come up with such things.

Well seems I wasn’t the only one counting chickens before they hatched.

Though we didn’t show it, seems we were both dreaming of a rosy future.

Soon So-yul showed a faint smile.

Then she continued in a thin voice:

“And originally, you took care of me a lot too.”

It was somewhat hard to understand.

“I did?”

“Yeah.”

So-yul nodded slightly with lowered gaze then:

“Like at the arts festival. Thanks to your comfort my mood improved. I even told myself I had to stay strong since there was someone cheering for me this much.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Your comforting words came to mind when changing clothes in the changing room too. My face got red for no reason. Smiling without anything there… If someone had overheard they would’ve thought I was weird.”

“What? It was that much?”

When I asked snickering, So-yul shyly shook her head up and down.

Though I knew she’d gained strength from my comfort, I hadn’t imagined she’d been this happy about it. I thought I was just one of many people So-yul played around with back then.

Then So-yul whispered softly:

“I realized late too but. Looking back now… I think I started liking you bit by bit from then.”

“…Even I didn’t know.”

“It would be weirder if you noticed before I did.”

Then she covered her mouth and giggled. Well that wasn’t wrong either.

Much earlier than I thought, seems we’d been looking at each other.

This truth I only now realized was enough to bring a bitter smile.

“I was so so happy this semester thanks to my boyfriend taking good care of me.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Really, as happy as I could possibly be.”

So-yul took a deep breath then:

“Even more so getting together with the boyfriend I like.”

She said this with a bright smile.

A tender feeling welled up from inside. The desire grew to step forward and pull So-yul into my arms.

If only I hadn’t caught a cold I would’ve hugged her as much as she wanted. It was just frustrating having to hold back.

Instead I conveyed words holding my true feelings:

“When we meet again after break, I’ll try to make things even happier.”

“…Yeah. I’m counting on you.”

At my bold declaration, a gentle smile settled on So-yul’s face.

With that, So-yul turned around waving her hand.

The flight time was tight so there wasn’t time to talk more. Though regretful, it was really time to let So-yul go now.

I just silently watched her back growing distant down the hallway.

So-yul also kept turning back and waving at me repeatedly as she walked.

The cute eye-smiles she occasionally showed were probably to hide her reluctance, I thought.

“Phew.”

Finally when that delicate back disappeared from view.

A hot sigh naturally scattered from deep in my chest.

I closed the front door and leaned against it.

When my body touched the cold metal door, I felt the heat surrounding me gradually cooling.

Not from my cold symptoms, but that heat that had bloomed from So-yul making my heart pound until the end before leaving.

Really such a lovely girlfriend.

Enough to make hot blood course through my whole body just looking at her.

After stirring up my heart and making my emotions boil like that, she left me so suddenly.

Like a playful child, or a stray cat.

“…What am I supposed to do when you make my fever worse and leave after coming to take care of me.”

I muttered softly in the house where the person who could answer had vanished.

Only a faintly lingering sweet scent answered in her place.