By Zephyria “I don’t feel well.”
Yoon Joo-ho, who woke up close to noon, was the first to speak.
Song Hyun-soo, who was sitting on the edge of the bed and picking up the clothes he had shed on the floor last night, turned around in surprise.
“What’s wrong? Where does it hurt?”
“I think I’m coming down with something.”
Song Hyun-soo, who was fumbling to put on his pants, stumbled.
“Crank-in is not far away! Should we go to the hospital first?”
“It’s not that bad. I think I need to rest at home.”
Yoon Joo-ho said, leaning against the headboard and rubbing his bare upper body with his arms. Now that he thought about it, his face did look a little paler than usual. Song Hyun-soo circled the large bed and picked up Yoon Joo-ho’s robe, which had fallen on the carpet.
“You catch a cold because you’re always naked like that. Exhibitionist.”
He draped the robe over Yoon Joo-ho’s bare shoulder and immediately reached for his face. He felt his forehead and cheeks in various spots, trying to gauge his temperature.
“Hmm, you don’t seem to have a fever.”
“I have a headache, my throat is ticklish, and I’m feeling chills.”
“It really sounds like the early stages of a cold! Don’t you need to go to the hospital? Should I call Director Bang?”
“It’s not that serious. I should be fine after a day of rest.”
“Do we have a thermometer at home?”
“First-aid kit in the bathroom cabinet.”
As soon as Yoon Joo-ho finished speaking, Song Hyun-soo headed to the bathroom.
Yesterday, they had spent almost the entire afternoon in bed. Besides sex, even during the lulls, Yoon Joo-ho had been unusually clingy. He would lie with his head on Song Hyun-soo’s chest, holding his waist, or while drinking water, he would embrace Song Hyun-soo from behind, wrapping his limbs around him and kissing him. He was like a melting slime. If Yoon Joo-ho were a slime, he would be a huge, slippery, and sexy one. And then last night, they had fallen asleep together in Yoon Joo-ho’s bedroom.
Song Hyun-soo’s hands were hurried as he searched the bathroom cabinet for the first-aid kit.
Did he get sick because he stayed in bed all day yesterday?
He felt bad thinking he might have harmed the lead actor. Although Yoon Joo-ho was the one who didn’t leave Song Hyun-soo alone, he still felt a sense of guilt as an accomplice.
Yoon Joo-ho’s temperature was 36.7 degrees Celsius, which was normal.
“You don’t have a fever…”
“Take it again.”
Beep.
Even after taking it two or three more times, the result was the same.
“Is it broken?”
“It’s good if you don’t have a fever. Anyway, you need to stay in bed all day today and rest. Got it? And button up your robe properly.”
Song Hyun-soo firmly buttoned up the front of Yoon Joo-ho’s still-open robe.
“And you need to eat something.”
“I don’t feel like it.”
He shook his head with a listless voice, and Song Hyun-soo’s heart sank. Ugh, it’s better when he’s growling and snapping. He sat down next to Yoon Joo-ho and looked at his unusually quiet face with pity. Yoon Joo-ho, leaning his head back against the headboard, met Song Hyun-soo’s gaze with a weak look.
“I have to go to Grandma’s house today.”
“We’ll go another time.”
“She’ll be waiting, though.”
“How can I leave when you’re sick?”
Song Hyun-soo continued, holding and fiddling with the fingertips of Yoon Joo-ho’s hand resting on his thigh.
“Today, I’ll just stay home and organize my things.”
“She’ll be waiting. I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to apologize when you’re sick.”
“Shall we visit her together next time?”
“…Really?”
“It’s not a difficult thing to do.”
“Will you really do that? If the Crown Prince says he’s coming, my grandma will be even happier than me! Ah, but I have to tell her later. Otherwise, she’ll be waiting with bated breath from today.”
Song Hyun-soo, who had been chattering excitedly, lowered his voice with a pleased smile as he met Yoon Joo-ho’s gaze, changing the subject.
“And, please eat something, even if you have to force yourself. If you don’t have an appetite, should I order abalone porridge and salted squid? I don’t know how to cook anything else…”
“…Bibimbap.”
“What? What was that?”
“Kimchi pot rice. If you’re going to eat, that’s what I want.”
Yoon Joo-ho said, gently hooking his index finger with Song Hyun-soo’s and pulling it. What was this? Was he acting childish because he was sick? Song Hyun-soo’s lips twitched at the thought of the big guy acting like a child.
“Even the sexy dynamite can’t help it.”
“What?”
Song Hyun-soo, without fear, reached out and lightly pinched and shook Yoon Joo-ho’s slender cheek.
“Our Senior Yoon is so cute when he’s sick. You should be sick all the time… Ahh!”
Yoon Joo-ho’s other hand, which had been hooked with Song Hyun-soo’s index finger, was suddenly gripped tightly by him. With a force that felt like his bones would crush, Song Hyun-soo lowered his shoulder and twisted his waist.
“You’re being cheeky?”
“Ah, why is someone sick so strong!”
“Am I dying? Can’t I even use this much strength?”
“You’re getting angry even when I praise you for being cute.”
Leaving Yoon Joo-ho, who was growling and snapping, behind, Song Hyun-soo got out of bed and massaged his captured hand.
“I’ll go to Monroe’s room alone, so you just lie down.”
“I can do that much.”
“You’ll get worse if you push yourself like that. Just listen to me for once.”
He forced the person who was trying to get out of bed back down, tucked him in with the blanket, and pulled back the blackout curtain about a third of the way, letting in a warm light. After confirming he was lying quietly under the poster of A Better Tomorrow, he left the bedroom.
With a heavy heart, he first called his grandmother.
When he told her that his senior, whom he was indebted to, was suddenly unwell and he had to stay home today, his grandmother naturally told him he should, which lightened Song Hyun-soo’s heart.
‘It would have been lonely if you were sick and alone, but it’s good that you’re there,’ she said, telling him to take good care of him.
Is that so? Is it good that I’m here?
Until now, Yoon Joo-ho probably couldn’t rest properly even when he was sick. This season, waiting for the crank-in of Dissolve, was the longest break in Yoon Joo-ho’s acting career.
Of course, Director Bang would have taken care of him when his condition was low, but he probably never had the experience of stopping all work and being lovingly cared for by his parents while lying in bed. Today, he resolved to take care of him with utmost devotion, accepting all his fussiness, and headed to Monroe’s room.
The cat was perched on top of the kitten tower by the window, observing the world.
“Monroe, my Marilyn Monroe of unparalleled beauty, did you sleep well?”
Meow.
Upon seeing Song Hyun-soo, the cat leaped down from the cat tower and ran over. Although he didn’t come out of the room much, he was quite affectionate now.
“Do you like these rabbit slippers that much, Monroe? More than me?”
The cat pounced on the rabbit slippers, bit their ears, and rolled on the floor. He petted the cat from head to back several times and tapped its rear. Meow? The cat, who had been gnawing on the rabbit ears for a while, looked towards the open door and meowed loudly three or four times.
“Why isn’t Dad coming?”
Meow.
“Dad is sick today.”
Meow.
As if understanding him, the cat, whose already round eyes suddenly widened, tilted its head and stared intently at Song Hyun-soo.
“Yes, he’s sick. Dad would feel better if Monroe cheered him up.”
While I saw to his meals and water, checked the bathroom, and tidied the room, Monroe, forgoing even his meal, stood the entire time before the open door. Tilting his head, he gazed at the hallway outside the door, letting out a plaintive cry towards the empty air once in a while.
If I showed him a picture of that, Yoon Joo-ho would be secretly delighted while pretending not to be, and I regretted not bringing my phone from the bedroom.
Leaving Monroe’s door open, Song Hyun-soo began preparing the meal. Since Song Hyun-soo had moved in, the refrigerator and kitchen had taken on the appearance of a home where people actually lived. Neither of them was skilled at cooking, but they now had a variety of pre-packaged meals and ready-to-eat foods, and fresh vegetables and fruits were always stocked. Even if it was just simply grilling meat and asparagus in a pan, they found themselves eating proper meals together more often.
Just as the savory scent of sesame oil and the smell of kimchi fermenting began to emanate from the pot, Yoon Joo-ho walked into the living room.
“Oh? Why did you come out? I was going to bring it to your room.”
“I’m not that much of a patient. I don’t like food smells in my room.”
Yoon Joo-ho, hands shoved into his robe pockets, sauntered over and plopped down at the dining table, asking,
“Where’s Monroe?”
“He’s fine. But did Monroe miss you a lot?”
Yoon Joo-ho snorted as if he didn’t believe it.
“How do you know he was looking for me?”
“He didn’t even touch his food and cried so much at the door.”
“…”
“Once you eat and regain some energy, go see Monroe.”
Song Hyun-soo placed the pot in the center of the table and dished out rice into two bowls. Yoon Joo-ho, who had claimed he didn’t want to eat anything, thankfully moved his spoon diligently. After emptying about half his bowl, he looked into Song Hyun-soo’s bowl, where he was picking at his food, unlike his usual self.
“Why aren’t you eating much?”
“I just don’t have an appetite, hearing that you’re sick.”
“There are times when you don’t have an appetite?”
“Haha, I guess so.”
“Why don’t you take out some meat and grill it?”
“Don’t worry about me. A healthy person can find something to eat when they’re hungry.”
Song Hyun-soo put down his spoon entirely and leaned closer to the table, looking at Yoon Joo-ho.
“Is there anything you want to eat? If it’s not deliverable, I’ll go out and get it for you. Is it because of your grandmother? When I’m sick, I really crave canned peaches. Do you know, sunbae? The yellow peaches in a can… Sunbae. Sunbae, sunbae.”
Forcing down his excitement, Song Hyun-soo urgently called out to Yoon Joo-ho in a lowered voice. Yoon Joo-ho looked at Song Hyun-soo, whose body was stiff but whose eyes were darting around, with a puzzled expression.
“What. Did a bug come out?”
“Um. The hallway, the hallway.”
Yoon Joo-ho, who had casually turned his head, froze as well. At the entrance to the hallway leading to the living room stood Monroe. More precisely, like a detective tailing a target, he was hiding against the hallway wall, revealing only his face and front paws, staring intently at them.
Song Hyun-soo lowered his head towards his rice bowl and nudged Yoon Joo-ho with his elbow.
“Act natural. You have to pretend you’re not interested. If you make a fuss, he’ll get scared and run away.”
“You’re the one making a fuss right now.”