By Zephyria 
Drip. Drip. Water from my wet hair trickled down my temple to my chin. I pulled my sleeve to wipe the moisture from my eyelashes and looked at the person, who offered me a towel.
“Please wipe your face.”
“Ah. Thank you.”
It was quite sudden, but surprisingly… it was a kindness that touched me. As I accepted the towel with a mix of surprise and gratitude, she gestured as if to say, ‘Wipe your face quickly.’ I carefully patted my face to dry it.
Even as I wiped, I could feel her staring at me. I glanced at her. The corners of her eyes sparkled gently. I wondered if I should wash the damp towel and return it, but she spoke first.
“Don’t cry.”
“What?”
“You have a face that looks like you want to cry.”
In the windless hospital corridor, the woman’s jet-black hair fluttered. The corners of her eyes drooped slightly, giving her an air of wistfulness. It felt like flower petals should be scattering behind her…
“It’s truly, truly sad when someone you care about is sick…”
“……”
“But you have to cheer up, for the sake of those around you… because if I’m hurting, there are people who will hurt with me…”
It didn’t seem like something one would say to a stranger, but… unlike before, I didn’t say anything cold like, ‘Why are you telling me this?’ Had I become weaker because of Seong Hae-min? I slowly nodded, matching the mood.
“You can keep the towel. I’ll be going now.”
“Ah, yes. Thank you.”
I bid farewell to the departing person. As I headed towards where Min Si-hu and Lee Beom were, the two who had been bickering moments ago had somehow made up and were staring blankly at me. Jeon Jae-hyung stood leaning against the wall, silent. A total of three pairs of eyes were fixed on me.
Do they all have nothing to do? They’re going to bore holes into my face. I casually brushed off their burdensome gazes.
“Let’s go.”
“Huh? Uh.”
“Mmm, let’s go, let’s go!”
Whatever they were thinking, the ones who answered a beat late led me towards the cafeteria.
We got into the elevator. As the floor button was pressed, Lee Beom asked.
“Just now.”
“Huh?”
“Someone you know?”
“Who?”
“In front of the restroom.”
“Ah, no?”
I didn’t know why he was suddenly bringing this up, but it was the first time Lee Beom had shown interest in someone else. I looked at Lee Beom curiously. Our eyes met as he subtly observed me. His sharp, steady gaze was reflected in his dark pupils. Min Si-hu, standing beside us, perked up his ears and joined the conversation.
“What were you talking about?”
“Just…”
Is Min Si-hu also interested in that person? It wasn’t like I had said much.
All I heard was ‘Don’t cry.’ But I hadn’t been crying. If I said that, they might misunderstand again, so I answered vaguely.
“She gave me a towel to wipe my face.”
Min Si-hu’s eyes, which were already sparkling, widened. Lee Beom suddenly reached out his hand.
“Let me see.”
“What?”
“The towel.”
“Why?”
“I’m curious.”
Why would he suddenly be curious about a towel? There was no reason to refuse, so I casually handed him the towel I had put in my pocket.
Upon examining the towel, Lee Beom’s expression immediately stiffened. Did I do something wrong? When someone with few expressions reacts like that, my body naturally tensed. I felt self-conscious.
“Is there a problem?”
I spoke first. Lee Beom, with a slight frown, fixed his gaze directly on me.
“Hey.”
“Huh?”
“Did you… cry?”
“Ah.”
[You have reached Basement Level 1.]
The towel must not have dried completely yet. I was about to answer ‘no,’ but as the elevator announcement finished and the doors opened, my answer was slightly delayed.
As we got off the elevator, I replied.
“No.”
“……”
“Why?”
“…Liar.”
Lee Beom stopped walking and looked at me.
“I’m not!”
Why is he stopping in front of the elevator like he’s blocking traffic? Glancing around to avoid obstructing passing people, I answered, and Min Si-hu joined Lee Beom’s interrogation.
“Tell us honestly.”
“That’s right, Jjuni. Honestly!”
“I really didn’t cry?”
“…You really.”
“Jjuni, why are you lying……”
Are these guys serious?
“No, I really didn’t cry.”
As I stubbornly denied it, Min Si-hu bit his lower lip slightly. Lee Beom also had a serious expression.
Why don’t they believe me when I say I didn’t cry? Seeing me looking bewildered, Lee Beom’s dark pupils deepened.
“Seong Hae-jun. If you’re going to lie.”
“……”
“Do something about those reddened eyes first.”
At Lee Beom’s words, I unconsciously raised my hand and touched my eyes. They felt slightly sore, and I must have scraped them when I wiped the moisture with my sleeve earlier. I replied normally.
“This is from scraping against my clothes.”
“Seong Hae-jun.”
“Huh?”
“Who would believe that.”
Shit. But it’s true.
I was about to add a pathetic explanation that I had done this while washing my face because I was still sleepy, but Min Si-hu suddenly grabbed my wrist and dragged me into the cafeteria. I followed him, caught off guard.
Min Si-hu looked at me with a wide smile.
“Ah! The food looks delicious! Right, Jjuni-ya?”
“Uh… yeah.”
My answer was lukewarm, but remembering that they wouldn’t believe me even if I explained, I decided to just play along and pretend I didn’t know.
‘Ha…….’
I swallowed a sigh quietly, lest they misunderstand again if I exhaled audibly.
The food was decent, probably because it was a good hospital. Although the soup was a bit watery, there were various side dishes, and the seasoning was appropriate. It was better than school lunch. However, I had no appetite, as I was dragged out to eat right after waking up.
As we finished our meal, barely eating, he then led me to the convenience store.
‘Why here?’
I looked around. The morning hospital convenience store was quiet, but not entirely empty of customers. I quietly watched the people busily working, laughing, and chatting with each other. Watching someone’s ordinary daily life made me feel strange.
Even though it’s just a novel, the fact that characters not appearing in the novel are all living their own lives…
“Joon!”
“…What’s with the candy?”
Min Si-hu returned with his fist full of strawberry milk-flavored Chupa Chups. Without asking my opinion, he pressed the entire handful into my hand. I stared blankly at the pile of candy.
“Joon-ah.”
“Huh?”
“They say that when you’re feeling down, eating something sweet can cheer you up. So if you ever need candy…”
“…”
“Just call Si-hu anytime.”
Min Si-hu clasped my hand tightly. As he lowered his head slightly, we were almost at eye level. His earnest brown eyes brushed past my gaze.
“Uh, um…”
Should I be grateful…?
Honestly, my hands and feet were trembling. I felt like I might curl up if I relaxed even a little. I tried to keep my limbs straight, exerting force on my extremities.
Calm down. I didn’t ask for this attention, but he’s showing concern, so it’s… gratitude, right? I don’t feel grateful, but it’s something to be grateful for, isn’t it?
But just as I thought I’d endured the first round of goosebump-inducing treatment, as soon as Min Si-hu finished speaking, Lee Beom, as if he’d been waiting, handed me strawberry milk and delivered the second round. When did he even buy this!
“Take this too.”
“Why, why are you giving it to me?”
“To drink.”
“Mmm.”
Lee Beom turned his head away with a stoic expression. In one hand, he held a handful of strawberry milk-flavored candy, and in the other, strawberry milk. Anyone would think he was addicted to strawberry milk. It was fortunate that it wasn’t a flavor I disliked, but the problem was that it wasn’t a flavor I particularly enjoyed.
It felt like a strange aura emanated from the sweetness and the overwhelming pink. It must have been my imagination. I reluctantly tore my eyes away from the items in my hands.
“Uh…”
“…”
“…”
“Uh. Thanks.”
Min Si-hu beamed. Lee Beom, still avoiding my gaze, kept his lips tightly shut, his expression unchanged.
As I quietly headed towards Seong Hae-min’s hospital room, I made a renewed resolve. This was not the time for this, and before their friendship with me deepened further, I had to arrange for Ban Pyo-ran to meet them as soon as possible.
When I returned to the room, Seong Hae-min was still asleep. He had regained consciousness in the recovery room yesterday, but… I watched his gentle, sleeping form with concern. Yeon Su-hwan, who had been keeping watch by his side, reassured me that Seong Hae-min was merely sleeping and not to worry. Jeon Jae-hyung sat quietly on a folding chair, holding the Bboongyi doll.
“Did you eat?”
“Yes.”
In response to Yeon Su-hwan’s question, Lee Beom answered curtly in my stead. I poured the candy I was holding onto the bedside table. Seeing this, Yeon Su-hwan raised an eyebrow.
“What’s with the candy?”
“Si-hu bought it for me.”
“Hmm.”
Yeon Su-hwan stroked his chin and muttered quietly.
“I guess I need to step up my game too.”
“Step up?”
There was no answer to my question. I turned my head and met Yeon Su-hwan’s gaze as he observed me intently.
“…Kuk.”
Seeing my bewildered expression, Yeon Su-hwan laughed and ruffled my hair. I didn’t even have time to avoid his touch as I tried to smooth my expression, which was about to contort into a grimace at the sound of his chuckle.
“I’m different from those guys, Hae-jun-ah.”
“Pardon?”
“I figured it out the fastest. I haven’t lived my life carelessly either.”
What on earth did he figure out?