I could hear the rustling of fabric as his arm moved. Was he going to hit me...? But unexpectedly, a warm, slightly damp palm landed on my head.
Seo Jaehoon, uncharacteristically, carefully stroked my hair with a trembling hand.
"Why are you so weak?"
His voice was full of concern. What the hell? This is creepy.
A shiver ran up my spine from my toes. It was then that I belatedly regretted pretending to be asleep.
Kiss
...What...?
Oh, shit... Something soft and squishy... touched my cheek and quickly pulled away.
He... kissed my cheek... Ha...
Seo Jaehoon, or rather, that crazy bastard, stopped moving, as if he was surprised himself.
I wondered if now was the time to open my eyes, so I shifted slightly. To wake up as naturally as possible, I cleared my throat and opened my eyes groggily.
"Wh-What the— Ah, shit, you scared me! Why are you opening your eyes whenever you want!"
Talk about a guilty conscience. The crazy bastard, I mean Seo Jaehoon, seemed startled and quickly backed away. The bed bounced again.
"...Seo Jaehoon...?"
"This, this punk is still sleeping at this hour. How are you going to sleep at night!"
He was yelling like he had swallowed a train whistle, making my ears ring. And he was the one who kissed me, but he's the one who's more surprised and making a fuss.
"Noisy..."
I blinked slowly and turned my gaze towards Seo Jaehoon's face. Seo Jaehoon, who had just done something crazy to me, had flushed cheeks. Like he was wearing blush. His white skin seemed to be dyed red.
"Did you drink?"
"Drink? What drink! From early evening. Are you crazy? I came to wake you up for dinner, but... suddenly you opened your eyes, bam! You scared the shit out of me!"
Does this guy not know how to talk without yelling?
I moved my arm and casually swept back my disheveled hair. Seo Jaehoon watched my slow movements, looking like he was about to die of frustration, and roughly pulled my arm.
"Ah!"
I screamed without realizing it, and Seo Jaehoon seemed even more surprised than I was, letting go of my arm in a fluster. Ah... seriously.
I collapsed back onto the bed like a paper doll as Seo Jaehoon released my hand. Humiliating. This damn body was too weak for its own good.
"How can you suddenly pull and then let go like that? You scared me, and it hurts."
I couldn't hide my annoyance as I snapped at Seo Jaehoon.
"Ho-How would I know that you'd, uh? That you'd just collapse like that? ...A guy being so weak. You should get some tonic made. Shit, I'm so nervous that you'll pass out on the street with that pale face."
Seo Jaehoon grumbled about tonics and turned around. He didn't forget to tell me not to dawdle and to come out quickly before quickly leaving my room.
Ah... dizzy. That guy is always so chaotic. I felt drained even though I barely said a few words.
Anyway, the soft, moist, and foreign sensation that had touched my cheek was still so vivid that I rubbed my cheek roughly. Why the hell would a crazy bastard... I'm a guy, why would he kiss me?
Seriously... Now that I think about it, it's not just Mo Taehee who's weird, Seo Jaehoon is weird too. I wonder if Nam Kangwoo is okay. Worry led to worry, stretching out endlessly.
Of all people… why did I have to possess Ha Yeo-ul?
I wanted to tear my hair out and scream silently. After a long time of sniffling on the bed, I staggered to my feet at the sound of Seo Jaehoon calling my name from outside, loud enough to shake the house. That crazy bastard, really...
I threw back the blanket and put my feet down from the bed. My mind was perfectly healthy, but my damn weak body staggered as soon as I took a step, regardless of my will. My head spun.
Ha... If I were a girl, I'd be delicate and frail, and it would evoke a protective instinct. But I'm... embarrassingly... as Seo Jaehoon said, a grown-up guy.
I hesitated for a moment as my head spun, and as my distorted vision cleared, I walked towards the door. I turned the doorknob and pulled the door open without thinking. And...
"Ah—you… you scared me.”
Nam Kangwoo's chest was right in front of me.
I barely avoided bumping into his chest and took a step back, raising my head.
"Why...?"
"Jaehoon told me to wake you up."
"Ah..."
"Are you sick?”
Nam Kangwoo quickly scanned my face and reached out his hand. I closed my eyes without realizing it as his cool palm covered my forehead, as if I had a fever.
"I'm not sick.”
"...Okay. That's a relief then."
As soon as I opened my eyes, Nam Kangwoo took his hand off my forehead and turned around. I followed him with slow steps as he headed towards the dining table.
Is Nam Kangwoo okay? Mo Taehee and Seo Jaehoon seem out of their minds.
Nam Kangwoo likes Park Min-ah, right?
I stared at the back of Nam Kangwoo's neat head for no reason and unconsciously muttered, "Please, just be normal."
"What?"
"Huh?"
It was really quiet. Did he hear me...?
I stopped walking and met Nam Kangwoo's eyes. Nam Kangwoo stared at my face intently and shook his head slightly.
Why is he doing that? I awkwardly smiled at his gaze, which clung to me subtly as if searching for something.
Because I was anxious. Mo Taehee and Seo Jaehoon were both weird today, so I just hoped that Nam Kangwoo wasn't weird.
Nam Kangwoo frowned at my awkward smile and turned around, walking towards the dining table.
A table for four. With Nam Kangwoo sitting down at the table with two empty seats, there was only one seat left. It was as if everyone had their own assigned seat, and it was rare for anyone to change seats. I remembered struggling to find my seat when I first opened my eyes here, not knowing Ha Yeoul's seat and playing a game of guessing.
"...Uh..."
I was briefly lost in past memories, then I scanned the six pairs of eyes that were staring at me as if I had frozen.
Mo Taehee, Seo Jaehoon, and Nam Kangwoo.
The three of them were waiting for me with gazes that seemed like they were going to devour me, as if they had made a promise.
I hesitated a little. The eyes on me were a bit overwhelming, and I wasn't really hungry because I didn't feel hungry when my body was weak, so I didn't really have an appetite.
"Um... I..."
"Yeoul-ah, come and sit down quickly. The soup will get cold."
I was stammering, trying to say that I wouldn't eat dinner, but Mo Taehee interrupted me.
I met the gazes of the three guys who looked like they were about to devour me, scanned their faces one by one, and then moved my feet. I was a bit tired of the heightened sensitivity. The sound of my slippers rubbing against the floor was particularly loud.
As I walked to the table and sat down next to Mo Taehee, the gazes that had been fixed on me finally fell away.
"Eat a lot, Yeoul-ah."
"...Yeah. You too."
I scanned the rice and soup that were neatly placed in front of me and then raised my head to greet Nam Kangwoo and Seo Jaehoon as well.
"Enjoy your meal. Thank you for the food.”
My voice, hoarse from frequent coughing, sounded somehow pathetic. I didn't know who had prepared it, but I gave my thanks anyway.
As soon as I picked up my spoon, Seo Jaehoon and Mo Taehee's chopsticks flew to the empty plate in front of me, picking up side dishes.
...You guys eat it, please.
"Ah... I... I, cough— cough! Cough!"
I was about to say, "Don't give me any!" but a cough, as oblivious as their chopsticks, burst out. I wondered why I hadn't coughed yet.
I quickly covered my mouth and coughed dryly. The faces of the three people sitting around the table turned pale because of this damn cough that wouldn't subside.
Yeah, at this point, I might as well cough up blood. It's ridiculous that my throat is okay when I'm coughing like this.
Is it because it's in a book? I cough, but I'm not sick, is that it?
Anyway, I was heaving my chest severely, unable to calm down. Mo Taehee dropped the chopsticks he was holding, and Seo Jaehoon jumped up from the table and ran to the water purifier.
And Nam Kangwoo quickly came to my side and pulled me into his arms. A little below the chest. The place where my face was buried seemed to be between his navel and sternum. Judging by how it wasn't soft, he must have abs or something hidden under his clothes. Lucky bastard.
I once again reminded myself of Ha Yeoul's dry body. A useless body with not a single muscle. I felt depressed as I thought of Ha Yeoul, who was set up to be too insignificant as a supporting character. Damn it... I let out a sigh mixed with a cough without making it obvious.
But why was Nam Kang-woo hugging me? Feeling his stomach rise and fall with his breath, I lifted my head. Why?
As I coughed out small coughs and raised my head, his dark and glossy eyes were shaking helplessly. His hands, which I had felt were cold and heartless, were surprisingly kind, stroking my back, which had been heaving all along.
"Cough—cough, let... let me go..."
I gasped for breath and wiped the cold sweat that always formed on my forehead when I coughed with the back of my hand. This sweat seemed to prove my weakness.
I moved my body slightly as if to push away Nam Kangwoo, who had hugged me tightly, but the arm that wrapped around my body didn't fall away. Why is this guy doing this again...?
"Kangwoo-ya...?"
As I called Nam Kangwoo in a voice that had become completely hoarse, Mo Taehee, who had come to her senses even before Nam Kangwoo, pulled away the arm that wrapped around my body.
"Nam Kangwoo."
Following that, Mo Taehee called Nam Kangwoo's name in a low voice. No, why are these guys doing this? Is there something that only they know?
"Why?"
"Yeoul is telling you to let go."
"So?"
"Unless you’re deaf, I said let go.”
Mo Taehee, who had been sitting in his chair, jumped up, and the atmosphere became even more fierce. I didn't really understand what was going on right now, so I was just rolling my eyes. What the hell...?
As I coughed, still coughing, and looked at the two of them, Seo Jaehoon intervened like a savior.
"Ah, you crazy bastards. Get out of the way. Hey, Ha Yeoul. Come over here. What's with you coughing whenever you want like that? Eat this."
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