episode_0056

“Welcome.”

As the door opened with a creak, Dakota was greeted with a beer in hand as he sat on the bed.

His face showed a mix of slight tension and excitement, but his hair was slightly disheveled due to the discomfort in his arm.

Lager closed the door to the room and approached Dakota, asking in a low voice, “Where should we start?”

His dry attitude conveyed his commitment to his role as a caregiver. Dakota, understanding this, did not beat around the bush and requested what was necessary.

“Shall we start with the meal?”

“Hasn’t it arrived yet?”

“It will be here soon.”

Lager nodded and went to the window to let some fresh air in. The morning view of the academy from the seventh floor was simpler than he had expected. Lager watched the small figures of students moving to have their meals for a while.

Where could Ail be?

As Lager gazed out the window, Dakota quietly observed him.

“You haven’t had your meal, have you?”

“Because it’s not the right time.”

He deliberately said, “I couldn’t even eat because of you,” implying his frustration.

“I thought so, so I also requested a meal for Gordin.”

Unexpectedly, Dakota’s meticulousness surprised Lager. But seeing her looking at him as if asking, “Did I do well?” he hid his expression and coughed lightly before replying, “Of course. Should he starve for a month?”

Despite Lager’s overly cold attitude, Dakota smiled warmly at him.

He wanted to ask what was so good about it, but he had decided not to go beyond the realm of a caregiver, so he swallowed his words.

Then, there was a knock, and the door to the room opened.

“Have your meal.”

The nurse entered with two trays. Dakota tried to lift the tray on the bedside table, but it looked a bit awkward with only one hand.

He could manage with one arm, but it would take the nurse quite a while to hold two trays, so Lager had no choice but to approach Dakota and lift the tray for him.

“Thank you.”

Avoiding Dakota’s smiling gaze, Lager took the tray from the nurse. The nurse handed him the tray and left the room with a dry nod, indicating that her job was done.

The menu for the day was mixed grain rice, seaweed soup, kimchi, bean sprout side dish, and rice cake ribs. Lager placed the tray on Dakota’s bedside table and went to the window.

“You don’t need to be so guarded.”

“Is eating together also part of a caregiver’s role?”

Lager coldly rejected Dakota’s suggestion to sit next to him. Dakota sighed lightly and started his meal with one arm.

He picked at his food, looking out the window or fiddling with his phone. The slightly sticky mixed grain rice didn’t go down well, so Lager drank the soup continuously. It seemed better to have meals on the first floor rather than eating like this at every meal.

Nevertheless, the rice cake ribs tasted quite good. Among the menu items that didn’t seem appetizing, it was the only item that stimulated the taste buds. He savored it as a side dish, sparingly eating the grilled fish.

“What have you been up to?”

Even as Lager finished his meal, Dakota’s progress with his meal was uncertain. It was doubtful if he was actually eating.

“It may sound like an excuse, but I’m left-handed.”

“Ah, I see.”

Lager bit his lip in response.

For no particular reason, the setting was made to be left-handed to emphasize the character’s uniqueness.

Coincidentally, the arm that was lost this time was the left arm.

While most people would find solace in losing their left arm, for Dakota, it was rather unfortunate.

All because of the author who inserted the left-handed setting without any specific reason.

“You don’t have to do this.”

“What?”

“If you could just scoop up some bean sprout salad for me, would that be okay?”

As someone who could never use chopsticks, it was quite uncomfortable for Dakota. While tteokgalbi or kimchi could be eaten with a spoon, bean sprout salad posed a slightly different level of difficulty.

“Is this also not possible?”

Dakota asked with a sly smile.

Lager hesitated for a moment.

This should be fine. It was just picking up side dishes for someone who actually couldn’t use chopsticks, without any ulterior motive.

Of course, that was true, but…

‘What if Ail sees this scene…’

Lager was worried about that.

What would Ail think if they happened to see Lager scooping up side dishes for Dakota without any background understanding?

Although they didn’t have any particular relationship with Ail.

As Dakota’s response at that time, Lager wanted to be a straightforward person in front of Ail from now on.

So, as if fleeing, Lager headed towards the window and blurted out.

“There’s nothing I can’t eat.”

“It’s uncomfortable…”

“Just do things you can’t do alone. Don’t call me even if it’s a little uncomfortable.”

Resentment flickered in Dakota’s eyes. Lager also felt a bit guilty at that sight, but these small details might unexpectedly lead to completely unexpected results in a month.

Even if it seemed a bit harsh, Lager firmly reiterated that they only needed to be kind to Ail Chloe.

“I won’t help you, eat it yourself.”

With a disappointed expression, Dakota averted their gaze and awkwardly started using a spoon to eat the bean sprout salad. The awkward spooning, trying to pick apart the clumped bean sprouts bit by bit, was incredibly awkward.

After managing to pick out about six strands, they tried to bring it to their mouth but ended up spilling it into the seaweed soup.

They scooped up the bean sprout salad mixed with seaweed and put it in their mouth.

Lager watched this scene in silence, then turned their head and looked out the window.

Dakota didn’t call Lager again until they finished their meal.

After a series of twists and turns, Dakota finished their meal and pushed the plate outside the table.

“Can I ask you to clear the plate?”

With a light sigh, Lager picked up the plate and headed outside the room. There were already many empty plates on the cart outside the room. The nurse was sitting on a chair next to the cart, crossing her legs and fiddling with her phone, completely engrossed.

The meal in this room ended particularly late, as if it were unusually boring.

“I’m sorry.”

As Lager put the plate on the cart and apologized, the nurse shook her head apologetically.

“No, it’s fine. I enjoy slacking off legally.”

With a much more lively expression than before, the nurse nodded her head. Lager bid her farewell with a wry smile and returned to the room.

Dakota’s lips were covered in red pepper powder and seasoning. It was evidence of their struggle while eating the bean sprout salad.

“Could you bring me some wet wipes? I need some distance from you.”

It was somehow difficult to face the kind Dakota with a gentle smile.

“Will I really be able to endure like this for a month?”

From the beginning, the plan was to give up on her. But after finishing the first caregiving session, the atmosphere seemed to have changed a bit.

I hope she gives up quickly.

I hope she doesn’t stubbornly keep herself next to me, showing a struggling appearance.

“You want me to feel sympathy for you by watching you suffer? And gradually break down my guard?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’re deliberately showing a difficult eating appearance to evoke sympathy from me, aren’t you?”

Dakota tilted her head with a puzzled expression.

“If you don’t like that, couldn’t you just feed me with chopsticks? Asking for help with chopsticks seems like a performance, and not asking for help seems like evoking sympathy.”

Her words hit the mark so accurately that Lager had no choice but to shut her mouth like a bee that had eaten honey.

“Okay. Since this caregiving started with such a declaration, it’s not unreasonable for you to be cautious.”

Dakota fiddled with her phone with her only arm, then put it down and said to Lager.

“See you in the morning. Let’s meet for lunch later.”

“Are you really going to do this for a month?”

“Yes. Is that not okay?”

Lager let out a faint sigh at Dakota’s natural attitude.

“Why? I mean… is it okay to treat me so coldly for a month? It won’t be helpful at all. It’s worse than nothing.”

Although Lager asked in a tone of not understanding, she knew how Dakota would respond.

As expected, Dakota nodded and smiled brightly.

“Well, just looking at it makes me so happy.”

Because Lager herself felt the same way when she looked at Ail.

Lager reaffirmed once again. Dakota Kale would never give up.

As precious as Ail was to Lager.

“Well then, see you at lunch.”

Dakota waved her only remaining arm lightly with a smile.

Lager was afraid of her blind love, but fearing her too quickly was even more frightening, so she quickly pushed that thought to a corner of her mind.

As for Ail Chloe, who faced Lager’s blind love, Lager couldn’t help but wonder if she was afraid of Lager. It made her feel self-denying.

Then how should she treat her?

With a complex feeling, Lager shrugged her shoulders and left the hospital room.

Suddenly, she thought of cigarettes.