By Zephyria 
Yi-tae didn’t seem to know I was sick. He blinked slowly. A hazy energy filled his eyes. Perhaps because my hand was colder than his body temperature, he leaned his forehead against it with a thud. It was a gesture as if searching for something cool.
“Your hand is cold.”
His eyes smiled subtly as if it felt refreshing. The way he rubbed against my hand made it seem like his brain had melted from the heat. It meant he couldn’t make proper judgments.
‘Cold, my ass. It’s just hot.’
I was about to press his forehead harder but decided against it. I figured I’d remove my hand once it became as hot as his body temperature. If it wasn’t cool anymore, he’d naturally pull away. I didn’t want to inflict more pain on a sick person.
“Sirius, are you sick?”
Tony, with eyes as hollow as Yi-tae’s, mumbled. His expression clearly showed surprise, but his voice was so quiet it was barely audible.
He said he was busy, and it seemed like he really had an overwhelming amount of work piled up. Tony briefly stopped working and chugged an Energy Drink like water. His eyes temporarily regained clarity.
Mina suddenly raised her head and looked at Yi-tae. Feeling like this wasn’t the right posture with all the attention focused on him, I subtly removed my hand. His head followed, but he didn’t have the strength to keep up until the end.
Anyone could see he looked sick. Did they need to ask?
“I’m okay.”
“I touched him, and I think he’s over 100℉.”
I pressed down on Yi-tae, who was talking nonsense, and spoke first. Mina examined Yi-tae’s face and nodded. If this was a company where people said he wasn’t sick after seeing that, it was right to quit.
“Go inside and rest. The work won’t stop just because you’re not here.”
Yi-tae’s face slowly contorted. He really seemed to think he was okay. Mina sighed deeply and sat down. It was a firm refusal to accept any excuses. Yi-tae just blinked again.
Tony leaned toward Yi-tae. I was horrified to see him bringing his face close to Yi-tae’s forehead. He seemed to be trying to check his temperature with his forehead, but I gently pushed Tony away.
He didn’t have much strength left and was easily pushed. I pretended to be worried about him and said,
“You’ll catch a cold.”
“You have a cold?”
“……I guess so.”
Yi-tae looked at me for a moment and then nodded. It was admirable how well he listened even when he was sick. Strictly speaking, it was probably a body ache, but maintaining a proper distance between colleagues was important.
Tony subtly moved back at the mention of a cold. It was just a lame excuse that they couldn’t afford to have more sick people here with such a small staff. Everyone knew it without having to say it explicitly.
As if lost in thought, Yi-tae stopped moving and stared at the screen. His pace was three times slower than usual.
“That’s right, you shouldn’t spread it.”
Yi-tae’s words after his contemplation were all correct. It was a very wise decision considering he was sick.
Yi-tae backed up the data he was working on, submitted a sick leave request, and turned off his computer. He probably thought he was being a nuisance after seeing Tony’s reaction.
I wanted to take him home and take care of him, but that seemed a bit much. I still had work to do, too.
‘It’s the loneliest thing to be sick alone.’
Seeing him stagger as he packed his things made me uneasy. I should probably finish my work quickly and take a half-day off. Since we’re roommates. There’s no way I wouldn’t be concerned when the person I live with is groaning in pain alone.
I wish I had noticed his condition before coming to work. I had no idea when he started feeling sick.
“Call me if you need anything.”
I whispered to Yi-tae. I still didn’t want to make it obvious that our relationship was this close. I just didn’t want our names to be on other people’s lips. Not because it was a past I wanted to hide.
He thought for a moment after hearing my words and then nodded. Knowing him, he probably wouldn’t even realize he was sick enough to call.
Yi-tae’s steps toward the door were unsteady. How could he say he was okay when he was that sick? He was truly stubborn.
I returned to my seat and started working. I couldn’t concentrate because I kept thinking about his slumped figure. I needed to hurry so I could leave quickly.
“Are you worried about him?”
Ian said. His obvious gaze, which had been watching me for who knows how long, reached me.
The intention behind his words was clear. There was a rough feeling mixed in. Like jealousy. My assumption that they were quite close was completely wrong. I didn’t sense any concern for Yi-tae in Ian’s words. Even I was worried about him.
“I’d be the same even if you were sick.”
“Really?”
Ian asked back. How heartless did he think I was to doubt that? Even if the degree of concern was different, wouldn’t you naturally worry about a friend?
I nodded. There was no lie. Ian replied cheerfully, “Okay.” Something felt ominous, but I turned my head to check my phone. There were no messages. I wondered if he made it home safely. I should have called him a taxi.
I stared anxiously before flipping my phone over and placing it on the desk. There was only one task I needed to finish immediately. If I concentrated, I could definitely finish it within an hour.
I took a deep breath and placed my hands on the keyboard. The empty space was filled with words.
Exactly one hour had passed after writing the document. It was the price of resisting my impulse. As soon as I pressed the submit button, I grabbed the phone that was on my left.
Yi-tae
[I arrived home.]
[Leaving a message because I thought you might worry.]
The neatly written message filled the square screen. I hadn’t even checked it yet. There were no messages after that. Considering his usual pace, he arrived about 10 minutes later.
Idiot.
I figured he was asleep, but I left a message just in case.
[Did you eat lunch? What about medicine?]
If there was no reply, I’d have to buy some on the way. I had a feeling he was sleeping without taking care of himself properly. He was especially stubborn when he was sick.
I got up from my seat and headed to Ian. He looked up at me with a nonchalant expression. This was official business, so I spoke to him in a polite tone.
“Team leader, I’d like to take a half-day off.”
“You’d be upset if I said no, right?”
“Yes.”
I never thought I’d be stopped here. The phone in my pocket was also silent. He probably wasn’t even in the right state of mind to look at his phone.
What if he fainted while sick? Hospital bills are expensive here. Did I tell him where the medicine cabinet was at home? I don’t think so. Did he buy some on the way? I hope so…….
Had I unknowingly revealed my anxiety? I stopped biting my lip in surprise at the warmth that wrapped around my wrist. It was just a bad cold with a high fever. Why was I so worried?
“Okay, go ahead.”
His hand easily fell away. At the same time as his permission, my straying reason quickly found its place. If he could work at the company, he couldn’t be that sick. Could a grown adult not take care of their own body? It was just a groundless worry.
I bowed my head and returned to my seat.
Yes, this was just empathy. Having experienced hardship in a completely foreign land, it was only natural to feel concerned. How lonely and difficult it was back then.
Being alone was worse than being physically ill. I had never experienced the affectionate love of parents, so there was nothing to miss, but the absence of someone who was always there felt even greater.
Even if Tony and Mina were worried, the line was clear. Yi-tae wouldn’t have anyone he was close to here, and he wouldn’t bring anyone else to my house.
So, he only had me.
I bought medicine and some simple ingredients on the way. The phone was still silent. Actually, I wanted to go even faster, but being there without any preparation wouldn’t be helpful. I just hoped he was sleeping comfortably.
When I opened the door and entered the house, I didn’t feel any warmth. The house felt empty. He definitely said he arrived safely.
Fortunately, Yi-tae’s shoes were neatly placed in the shoe rack.
“Yi-tae.”
I called him and opened the door to his room, which was closed. In the small room that didn’t get much sunlight, Yi-tae was lying down, breathing heavily. He was curled up on his side, sweating profusely. I couldn’t see any medicine bags anywhere nearby.
I carefully approached him. It was the first time I had entered his room since Yi-tae had moved into our house.
“Yi-tae, are you asleep?”
I gently shook him. Yi-tae opened his eyes for a moment, looked at me, and then closed them tightly again. His eyes, which I saw briefly, were hazy and seemed to have lost their focus.
I gently placed my hand on his forehead. Perhaps because I was carrying luggage, I couldn’t feel the heat properly.
I leaned down and touched my forehead to his. His breath touched my face. I tried to close my eyes and focus on the sensation on my forehead, but somehow it didn’t work.
“……Gyeoul. Is this a dream?”
A languid voice flowed from below. When I opened my eyes, my gaze met his, which still seemed to be looking far away.
Good. The small sound that escaped reached my ears.