episode_0029

29.

“Kim Ellygance?”

“Yes!”

“Kim Woozmaki?”

“Yes!”

“No Jingu?”

“Yes!”

“Remipasol?”

“Yes!”

The usual attendance check time.

Park Ayoung felt a strange sense of unease and recalled the situation a while ago. There was something poking at her, clearly…

1 second. 2 seconds. Just before Song Mina’s teacher called out another student’s name, Ayoung realized the unfamiliarity.

Without hesitation, she raised her hand.

“Teacher, you didn’t call JInwoo.”

“Oh! Jinwoo is absent today due to catching a cold! He decided to take a day off from school because he won’t be able to attend the sports competition tomorrow! I’m really worried!”

“Ah… it wasn’t tardiness, but he was sick…”

Ayoung muttered, looking towards his seat. Nearby friends chuckled and whispered.

“Seems like your girlfriend doesn’t know if her boyfriend is alive or not~ Are they dating? Oh, maybe it’s that kind of play~?”

“Hey! It was supposed to be a secret! Shh! We should keep it quiet! Even if I wanted to tease her, Ayoung is neglecting her boyfriend, so if we mention it…”

“What! Was that the case? I’m clueless about neglect, didn’t know it was off-limits~ Should I refrain from talking about Jinwoo from now on…?”

Amidst the blatant teasing from her friends, Ayoung’s face turned red.

“Oh, no… And when did I say I was dating Jinwoo…?”

“You’re blushing… How cute…”

“So adorable… Would you rather date me? Who needs a non-committal boyfriend? He’s just a friend of the opposite sex.”

“Don’t tease her… Ayoung and Jinwoo are just ordinary friends for now… I don’t know about the future… Anyway, I will never date Minha.”

Oh my, still early days…

Oh my, who knows about the future…

The friends chattered away innocently. It was pure teasing without malice. Ayoung found herself contemplating how to deal with these friends after a long time.

Just then, amidst the commotion, Teacher Song Mina exclaimed, “You there!” raising her voice.

“How hard I am working on attendance checks! Why are Minha and Yujin making such a fuss!”

“It wasn’t us, it was Ayoung…”

“Lies are bad!”

Teacher Song Mina indeed looked exhausted.

Being short, she stood on tiptoes behind the lectern, trying to balance herself. She placed her weight on her ample chest to stabilize herself.

“…”

Even as a woman, Ayoung was overwhelmed by the size…

She looked down at her own chest sadly.

Certainly, it wasn’t small enough to be embarrassed about. At least it was bigger than Isubin’s, so…

However, compared to Han Hyojin and Teacher Song Mina, it was clearly lacking.

“Jinwoo must prefer larger ones, right…?”

As Mom used to say, this area is important for men…

Tap-tap – Ayoung shook her head, clearing her mind of all those trivial thoughts. After all, a woman’s charm didn’t solely come from her chest.

Right.

After rationalizing to herself, Ayoung’s focus returned to Jinwoo’s cold.

“He said he was sick…”

Living alone, he must be suffering without anyone to care for him.

He probably hasn’t eaten or taken medicine…

In her mind, the simulation of Jinwoo coughing and struggling alone played out, even to the point of losing the will to live when the last leaf fell outside the window.

Feeling drained and dying in the simulation, she resolved to visit him for a courtesy call.

Actually, it was just a perfect opportunity to get closer…

“No, I have no ulterior motives.”

Ayoung tried to convince herself.

***

They say you’re a fool if you catch a summer cold…

*Cough…*

Suffering from a cold, I seemed like a rookie private…

*Sob*

Sniffling, I stared blankly at the ceiling.

My gaze landed on a spot that vaguely resembled a rabbit. The critter diligently nibbled at the wrinkles around it, like a carrot.

…It was cute and healing, but the biggest problem here was not knowing if it was reality or a delusion that seemed painful.

“I’m going crazy….”

Cursing under my breath, as I dried my face after washing, the rabbit on the ceiling had disappeared. It was a delusion that seemed painful, not reality….

“Wow….”

I exclaimed to myself and abruptly got up from bed. If I fell asleep like this, I feared I might never open my eyes again.

With unsteady steps, I made my way to the kitchen. I had stocked emergency medicine in the second cabinet from the top. Surely, there would be cold medicine in there too.

As I rummaged between plates and sugar packets, my fingertips touched something plastic. Without hesitation, I pulled it out.

The box revealed was not a sophisticated or ominously mysterious Pandora’s box; just a cheap plastic container bought from Daiso… Inside, various pills were on display.

Among them was the coveted cold medicine. I opened the lid promptly. As I sniffed the neglected red pill’s musty smell, I picked up the cold medicine.

And then, in an instant—

“…”

I hesitated.

From the hand that picked up the cold medicine, a sensation of ‘Hey, this is empty…?’ was transmitted. Stupidly blinking my eyes, I shook the box. I could hear the sound of empty shells rattling inside.

“…”

Just to be sure, I took out the wrapping paper, but as I suspected from the sensation, all the pills were gone, leaving only the empty shells.

“Damn it….”

I bit my lip.

The number one woe of living alone was falling ill. And when things wouldn’t work out, it only amplified the misery.

And when they came in pairs to slap both cheeks, whether you were a seasoned loner or a novice, you felt the loneliness.

I was no different now.

My head throbbed, coughs came periodically. Was that all? Chills swept over me, and lying down, my nose clogged, making it hard to breathe properly.

In this situation, the hard-found cold medicine was all used up. All that remained was the box with the deeply scented red pills.

If someone said they weren’t saddened by this, one should suspect they were not human but a robot.

“Sigh….”

Exhaling gloomily, I leaned against the kitchen drawer. The floor was hard, and the smell of last night’s dinner filled the air.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t had breakfast or lunch….”

Thanks to realizing this fact belatedly, I didn’t feel like cooking. There was nothing as bothersome as cooking for oneself while feeling unwell.

I shook my head and got up from the floor. I poured myself about three cups of water from the nearby water dispenser and drank it. My stomach felt queasy, and an unpleasant sense of fullness set in.

This should hold me until tomorrow morning.

As I staggered back towards the bed—

Ring~ Ding-dong!

Someone pressed the buzzer at the building’s main entrance.

But there’s no one expected…?

I tilted my head and approached the intercom.

The screen was dark. Someone had deliberately covered the camera hole.

Growing more puzzled, I furrowed my brow and pressed the call button.

“Who is it?”

-It’s a burglar. Open the door quietly.

“…”

-Ack! Ayoung Sunbae! It was a joke! Don’t hit me!

“…”

-Aaah! Just a moment! It’s sensitive there…!

The screams faded away, and the intercom screen lit up.

The sunlight that was shining dimmed quickly, and the figures of three people appeared. In order, a blonde, a blue-haired, and a black-haired combination, a mix familiar to me.

“Could you please open the entrance door?”

“Ah, yes….”

Click-

As I pressed the key button, the communal entrance door slid open silently. Subin and Ayoung entered, while Hyojin faced the camera and pursed her lips.

“It won’t take long.” She seemed to say.

For a moment, I couldn’t take my eyes off the intercom.

Is this a dream or reality…?

Could this also be a painful delusion…?

Confused, I stood still with a dumbfounded expression. The student council members who had arrived knocked on the door before I knew it.

Knock-knock-knock. A playful gesture brimming with mischief belonged to Lee Soo-bin.

It was too detailed to dismiss as a mere delusion. Frankly, it would have been better if it were just a delusion that I could be deceived by.

Thinking so, I opened the door.

Along with the bleak summer breeze, a black-haired beast leaped into my arms.

Whoosh—A beast fitting snugly in my arms. So, Lee Soo-bin subtly nuzzled her nose into my clothes and sniffled.

“You didn’t shower!?”

“I did….”

Engaged in a close conversation, Han Hyo-jin, who had approached from behind, grabbed Soo-bin’s shirt collar and pulled her back.

“Ugh…. Why.”

“You’ll catch a cold.”

Han Hyo-jin replied coldly, turning her gaze towards me.

“It’s been a while.”

“Yes, two days….”

“Hmm. It felt longer.”

“I feel the same way….”

After exchanging brief greetings with Han Hyo-jin, it was Park Ah-young’s turn, her face filled with concern, who asked,

“Are you okay? Are you in a lot of pain…? Your complexion looks pale….”

With determined steps, she closed the distance and reached out her hand to my forehead. Despite having walked in the hot weather, her hand felt cool, which was refreshing.

My nose caught the fresh fabric softener scent from Park Ah-young and a subtle soap fragrance. Absentmindedly focusing on my sense of smell, I almost felt like Soo-bin knew why she liked my scent emanating from my body.

While my expression turned puzzled, Park Ah-young’s expression remained serious and grave.

“…What’s your temperature?”

“Huh?”

“It’s really high! Like a burning coal!?”

“Is that so…?”

I thought it might be a slight fever, but I wasn’t sure it was serious enough to warrant such concern.

“It’s not an exaggeration, it’s really serious!”

“Don’t read my thoughts from my face….”

“That’s not important right now! Jin-woo, did you take your medicine properly?”

“…”

“Did you forget to take it? Or maybe even eat? You should eat something when you’re sick to regain strength….”

“…”

“Why are you silent? Could it be true? Oh my….”

Frustrated, Park Ah-young sighed.

“Ugh…. Go back to bed quickly.”

“Okay….”

Following her guidance, I made my way back to the bed.

“Lie down.”

“…”

“No, wait, sit up.”

“…”

“It’s better to lie down while waiting for food….”

Where should I dance around this issue…?

Unable to make a decision, Park Ah-young hesitated. Soo-bin, who had belatedly escaped from Han Hyo-jin’s grasp, spoke up.

“You should sit to eat!”

“Indeed, there must be holes under us suitable for lying down, like a mattress or a cushion. The entrance hole might not be easy, but it’s possible….”

Swallowing a sigh internally, I interrupted her words.

“Please refrain from suggestive remarks…. My head hurts, making it difficult….”

“Hmm…. I dare guess it’s because of your accumulation, but since you say your head hurts, I’ll let it go for today.”

“Thank you….”

Was there a need for gratitude? I wonder….

As I sat by the bed, Soo-bin rummaged through her bag adorned with numerous keychains and pulled out a black bag.

“A gun…? Are you here to assassinate someone?”

“Do not dare compare it to a gun. This was purchased with Chairman’s money, packaged by Ah-young senior, and then put in my bag! That’s why!”

“…”

“In that sense, I might not even notice the smell in my bag! After all, I suffered the most by putting it in a bag of death…. Praise me a little.”

Soo-bin lifted her head proudly.

I absentmindedly patted her head. She seemed to like it as she clung more tightly to my hand. Today, she felt particularly coquettish.

Perhaps because she felt like I might die soon. Wanting to treat me well…?

I’m not dying, though….

As these pointless thoughts continued,

Park Ah-young sat on the edge of the bed and removed the black bag. Inside, it was double-packaged with a heat pack to keep the warmth in.

“Oh, you don’t have a seafood allergy, right?”

“No….”

“It’s abalone porridge.”

Park Ah-young smiled and opened the porridge.

A white steam rose, revealing a brilliant green abalone porridge.

The abalone porridge was different from the usual abalone porridge that couldn’t be seen even after washing one’s eyes. The packaged abalone porridge was filled with large pieces of abalone.

“Where did you buy this from…? It looks expensive.”

“I got it packaged from a nearby hotel.”

“The price is…”

“Even if you know, compared to what you earn, it’s infinitely expensive. I’ll send the money. It means it’s impossible to say the same thing.”

“…”

“If you like it after eating, tell me. We can go eat together later. Of course, we’ll eat it in the morning after spending the night at the hotel.”

As Han Hyo-jin spoke, she subtly emphasized her chest through the slightly opened collar.

Normally, the tall girl would have nagged about what she was doing, but today, lacking strength, she just stared openly.

“…”

Hyo-jin’s red pupils shook back and forth. Eventually, she tightened her collar more firmly than before without saying a word.

If it was going to end up like this, why did she bother emphasizing it…

Gently pushing Lee Soo-bin, who was trying to cling like a rice cake, away, she reached out towards the porridge –

Smack! Someone slapped the back of my hand.

Following the sound, there was Park Ah-young with a stern expression.

“Did someone say it’s okay to feed a sick person?”

“Uh…?”

“I will feed her. Of course, I’ll also give her the cold medicine I bought after eating. Jin-woo, will you just sit there with your mouth open?”

“Do we really need to go that far…?”

At that question, Han Hyo-jin and Lee Soo-bin interjected.

“That’s right. If we need to go that far, it’s better for me, the eldest, to do it. I’ll show delicacy and an elder’s touch.”

“Oh! If we need to go that far, I’m better! Younger siblings naturally have a good touch, are pretty, and soft, so the recipients prefer it!”

“No! I have fed many younger siblings because I have many younger siblings…!”

Amidst the commotion.

The gloomy atmosphere that filled the house disappeared, and the headache, uneasy heart, and trembling body due to the chills all improved slightly.

…

Families are noisy but comforting. I roughly understood what that meant.

“Yum….”

Still, the porridge is tasteless when cold.

I secretly stirred the spoon.

The abalone porridge was warm, savory, and delicious.