TWELVE 7

[Seoin: My parents called, so I had to head out. I made you a lunchbox, so make sure to eat it. Don’t forget your supplements. You had coffee yesterday, so skip it today. Stay hydrated. Also, there’s a bruise on your left waist. I bought some medicated patches, so put one on. If it’s hard to reach, use the liquid pain reliever first, and I’ll put the patch on for you when I come over tonight. There’s muscle relaxant too, so take one after a meal if it hurts.]

I checked my phone to see if Gi Seoin had left a message, and it wasn’t just a text—it was a massive wall of text.

Seriously, the guy is a professional worrier. I was truly grateful for him looking out for me, but I couldn’t shake the impression that he sometimes treats me like a feather that might blow away in the wind.

If his parents called him on a Sunday morning, it must have been pretty urgent, so I wondered when he even found the time to go to the pharmacy. And when did he see the bruise on my left waist… is it even really there?

I lifted my T-shirt to check, and sure enough, there was a bruise. It wasn’t very big. It was amazing how Gi Seoin discovered a bruise I hadn’t even noticed while showering.

First, I had to reply.

[Just woke up T_T]

[Did you get to your parents’ place? Everything okay?]

[I’ll enjoy the lunchbox hehehe. You’re like my own secret fairy, Seoin.]

[You have to work tomorrow, so rest at home today! I can reach the spot for the patch, so I can do it myself lol.]

As expected, Gi Seoin read the message the moment I sent it. He’s probably with his parents but staring at his phone; honestly, this guy…

[Seoin: I’ll be there tonight.]

His reply came as fast as he read mine. I didn’t quite understand why he insisted on coming over when he had to go to work tomorrow.

Ah, is it because of the nightmares?

I should ask him if he slept well when he arrives later.

For Gi Seoin—a man who looks like he wouldn’t blink if a bomb dropped right in front of him—to have nightmares bad enough to ruin his sleep, I wondered what they could possibly be. I worried that he might be under a huge amount of stress he couldn’t talk about.

[Oh, what time are you coming?]

[Seoin: 8:00.]

[Okay okay. Drive safely, my puppy ♥︎]

After that, Gi Seoin kept messaging me to ask if I’d eaten the lunchbox, if I’d forgotten the supplements, and if I’d applied the patch properly.

Two hours after our last message exchange, Gi Seoin returned a little before 8:00. He was dragging a suitcase.

“What’s with the suitcase? Are you going on a business trip?”

“I thought it would be better to bring it here in advance if I’m going to commute from this house.”

“Oh, I see…”

Wait. What did he just say?

Because he said it so naturally, I almost let it slide with a nod.

“You’re going to commute from here?”

“Yeah.”

Gi Seoin opened the suitcase in the corner of the living room and spoke while checking the items inside.

“I slept soundly for the first time in a while.”

Then he looked at me.

“Do you hate it?”

That’s when my “condition” kicked in.

I have a disease. It’s a chronic, terminal condition where if Gi Seoin looks at me with those doe-like eyes and asks “Do you hate it?”, I can’t say I hate it even if I do.

They say looks can be a weapon, right? Gi Seoin’s face was a virus to me. A virus that infiltrated my system and made sure this wretched disease would never be cured. There is likely no vaccine.

It’s not that I hated Gi Seoin staying at my place, but honestly, it was a bit uncomfortable. I’d get used to it after a few days, but that’s how I felt right now. However, I couldn’t be truthful with him.

“Sure. Deep sleep is important. I learned this watching The Secrets of Life, Death, and Aging with Grandma—she said you can get healthy just by sleeping well.”

Once my strange permission was granted, Gi Seoin busily organized his things. His belongings began to overlay a house that had previously only held traces of me and my great-aunt. It was a surreal feeling.

Tonight, Gi Seoin prepared for bed by pulling me into an embrace like a body pillow. His arm was just as heavy as yesterday, and his body heat was still just as intense.

“…Seoin.”

“…”

Sensing that Gi Seoin wasn’t asleep yet, I brought up the thought that had been floating in my head.

“How about getting a prescription for sleeping pills or something from a hospital?”

The moment I finished speaking, I could clearly see his brow furrowing even in the dark.

“I mean, if it’s too hard for you, that could be an option. That’s all I’m saying.”

“I don’t need that crap.”

Gi Seoin spoke in a low voice and tightened his hold on my waist. It took my breath away. Whether because of that or thanks to it, I was sucked into sleep in an instant.

∞ ∞ ∞

“Gosh, isn’t it almost the Mid-Autumn Festival? It’s hot enough to die.”

Mister Choi grumbled as he approached. I handed him a bottle of water I had just opened.

“I just cracked the seal on this, have some. Whew, it’s really killing me.”

“Yeah. It’s all because the environment is polluted. Global warming, you know what that is?”

The man shared information he’d heard yesterday in a documentary about extreme weather caused by global warming. Most of it was stuff I already knew, but listening to it in his humorous way of speaking made it quite entertaining.

“But Seungkyung, where did you go at lunchtime? I looked everywhere and ended up eating with Kim Sangkyun. My wife packed two lunchboxes today, too.”

“Ah…”

I thought him bringing a lunchbox for me before was a one-time thing. Hearing that his wife had packed two again today made me feel so guilty I couldn’t meet his eyes.

During lunch today, I had gone outside the site alone to grab a quick meal.

‘Promise me you’ll be careful around that guy.’ 

‘Sigh… fine. I’ll be careful.’

It was because the promise I made to Gi Seoin was weighing on me. Whether I made it willingly or was pressured into it, a promise was a promise, and I wanted to keep it.

“The thing is, I had some indigestion, so I went to get some porridge. If I’d known you brought one for me, I would have told you. I’m sorry.”

I felt extremely uncomfortable having to lie to someone else just to keep my promise to Gi Seoin.

“Hey! I didn’t say that to make you feel sorry! What do you mean, indigestion? Did you take medicine?”

“Yes. Medicine usually works fast on me, so I’m better now.”

“Must be because of the heat. Take care of yourself.”

“Yes, you too, Mister. Shall we head out now?”

Now that I’d cooled down my heat-radiating body, it was time to get ready to leave.

“Hey. Let’s go. My wife is waiting.”

“Wow, you really are a romantic.”

“Don’t talk nonsense! I’m only rushing because I’ll get in trouble if I’m late.”

“Haha. Well, get home safely then.”

I stopped by the office to change out of my sweat-soaked clothes. After saying goodbye to the remaining workers, I left the site. I was about to turn on my phone screen to check the bus schedule when…

An aggressive honk of a car horn hit the back of my ears.

What are you doing, right on the road?

I glared at the car that slowed down as it approached me. But the car looked familiar. Once I checked the license plate, my annoyance vanished, replaced by shock.

Before I could even acknowledge him, Gi Seoin jumped out of the driver’s seat.

“Gi Seoin, how did you…”

Without even a greeting, Gi Seoin grabbed my wrist and pulled. His movements were rough. He put so much strength into his grip that my wrist felt numb.

He practically threw me into the passenger seat, slammed the door shut, and got into the driver’s seat. I stared at Gi Seoin as he started the engine immediately. His expression was terrible.

“What’s wrong with you? Did something happen?”

“Did something happen?”

Asking back, Gi Seoin accelerated the car. His sedan shot forward recklessly.

“No, hey, slow down. Seoin.”

“Seungkyung.”

“I said slow down!”

“Think about it before you ask.”

“Slow down! Why are you being like this!”

“Think about why I’m being like this.”

It felt like being struck by lightning while walking under a clear sky.

A guy who should be sitting in a law office showed up at the construction site, then started getting angry out of nowhere and told me to think about why he was acting this way.

“How should I know! Slow down!”

I shouted and hit Gi Seoin, terrified we were going to crash.

“Pull over for a second and talk!”

Before the sound of my voice could even fade, the sedan turned sharply into an alleyway. It was lucky the alley was empty; if there had been a car or a person, an accident would have happened ten times out of ten.

“Talk.”

He drives like that and then says he wants to talk. I let out a hollow laugh, dumbfounded.

“Ha. Hey, what’s with you? You show up out of nowhere with no explanation…”

“Why were you talking to that prick?”

“Huh?”

“You were talking to that prick.”

I immediately realized what Gi Seoin was talking about.

“You’re doing this just because I talked to Mister Choi? Right now?”

“You promised to be careful.”

“Man. Does being careful mean I shouldn’t even talk to the people I work with?”

“Is laughing and joking around being careful?”

That was pure stubbornness.

Gi Seoin was being completely unreasonable right now.

“We just talked for a second after work, that’s it!”

It was so unfair.

“Yeah, the promise. I kept my promise to you and snuck out to eat alone today. I even lied to the man when he asked where I’d gone. But now I have to hear you ask if laughing was being careful?”

“Lie or whatever, don’t say anything at all. Ignore him. Is that so hard?”

I felt like I was going crazy.

“Sigh… Am I not supposed to have a social life? Do you not realize how strange you’re being right now?”

“If your social life is the problem, quit the job. I told you.”

I felt a sense of dread. If only I could plug my ears as easily as I could close my eyes.

“I’ll pay off your debt, too.”

Should I just cover Gi Seoin’s mouth instead?

“Live with me.”

Should I scream at him that he’s tearing a hole in our friendship again?

“…Why on earth would I do that?”

Would Gi Seoin understand then?

“I have my own life, too. Seoin, stop being so ridiculously stubborn. How many times do I have to tell you? What is wrong with you, seriously?”

“Because I’m worried about you.”

“…”

“Because I’m scared.”

“Scared of what…”

“I have dreams where you abandon me, Seungkyung.”

Ah.

“That’s my nightmare.”

With this, another hole was made in the eighteen years between Gi Seoin and me.

‘Seungkyung.’

In the end, I suppose it’s my job to fill that gap.

‘Seoin, Gi Seoin…!’

Because I don’t want to lose Gi Seoin, either.

‘Seungkyung, tell me. You won’t abandon me, right?’

“Seungkyung, I wish I was the only one who could see you.”

Because Gi Seoin is my precious friend.

“So that no one could take you away.”

And so, I desperately hoped that Gi Seoin would stop.