Summer Vacation (1)
When he opened his eyes, it was an unfamiliar world... Thankfully, nothing unfortunate had happened. The ceiling coming into view was not strange to his sight. Kang Sihyun, who had risen from his slumped body, grabbed his throbbing head with a frown as the dizziness rushed terrifyingly upon him, making the surroundings spin.
What happened?
With closed eyes, he retraced the steps before collapsing. He remembered the sinkhole they fell into with Hamin after the evaluation. Seeing the suspicious altar and murals there, descending the stairs once again. And then, encountering a massive door...
"Ugh!"
His head shook abruptly. Sihyun, who moaned in pain as a strong headache hit him, furrowed his brow. The memories after looking at the door seemed to have scattered like seeds. Trying to recall them only resulted in a headache, as if his body insisted on not remembering.
Did I hit my head hard on the ground? He wondered as he felt around, but Sihyun only sensed a round head without any protrusions. After cautiously confirming the absence of any bumps, he looked around. Taking a deep breath, he could smell a faint medicinal scent and clean air. It was the infirmary.
A white hand smoothed the soft bedsheet. He had laid on this bed once before. The only difference now was that there were no people watching over him. As he gazed out the window, a bright sky greeted him.
"...This is strange."
Sihyun's voice echoed in the eerily quiet infirmary. Normally, the school principal or the A-class students would be here, worrying about him or bombarding him with lectures. But this time, no one was around. He couldn't help but consider the possibility of being in a parallel world. Even though he had experienced possession in Insu, it didn't seem far-fetched to think it might be a parallel world. Sihyun briefly doubted it but quickly shook his head to clear his thoughts. Judging hastily seemed inappropriate, and the mana he felt in his body was still present.
After pondering whether to go out or wait, he chose to get up. As his feet touched the ground, dizziness surged, and he leaned against the wall to steady himself. Sihyun waited until the dizziness subsided before slowly moving his steps.
His steps outside the infirmary led directly to the door. As he reached for the cold handle made of iron, the door creaked open. Sihyun, holding the handle, staggered forward as if being pulled. His previously languid body suddenly felt agile, and as he was pulled by someone, he leaned against the wall. Sihyun lifted his head.
"Are you awake?"
Clear, colored eyes looked down at him warmly. It was Yesol.
"...Yesol?"
"Yeah, Sihyun."
A prompt response came as he called her dazedly. Sihyun straightened his tilted body and pushed her away without a word. Despite the lack of strength in his feeble touch, he managed to separate from her, releasing the hand that was holding the handle.
"What about the others?"
"They're still in the cafeteria."
"What time is it now?"
"It's around 6:30. About half a day has passed. Are you feeling better now?"
"Better than last time."
It was better than the last time when the date had changed. When he asked if she was okay, Sihyun stared at Yesol, who had the same puzzled expression as before. He scrutinized her eyes, which were as calm as ever. She seemed determined not to say anything this time.
"Did you get up after the evaluation? You came over with Hamin, hugging him. I was surprised."
It was a misunderstanding.
Despite the soft tone, her eyes were not smiling. The corners of her mouth were drawing an unmistakable arc. Just when he thought it might be another misconception, she smiled, showing a meaningful gaze. In that moment of a carefree smile, it became even more intriguing.
"So, what kind of trouble did you get into this time?"
"Not much. Haven't you eaten?"
"Stop changing the subject, Hyuna."
"..."
Well, it's not working.
What worked with Hamin seemed ineffective with Yesol. Sihyun, who yearned for the simplicity of Hamin, fell silent. Feeling a vague discomfort, he raised his hand to his neck. As he did so, he felt a momentary stinging pain. Unconsciously furrowing his brow, Sihyun noticed that, unlike him, Yesol's cold hand delved beneath his palm. Seowoo's hand swept over the tender skin. Another sharp pain ensued.
"You have a wound."
He whispered in a low voice. Sihyun, who had not noticed any pain until he touched it, raised his hand near the area before pressing it firmly. When he released it, a hint of red appeared on his fingertips. Though the amount was small, it was undeniably blood.
"...Seems like it happened when I collapsed."
Until he touched it, he hadn't felt any significant pain. No, perhaps he hadn't paid attention to minor pain in the rush after waking up. He wiped the blood on his fingers on his clothes. His gaze, which had just looked at him casually, seemed slightly heavier now.
"I don't like getting hurt in places I can't see."
"What are you talking about?"
Don't give me these creepy lines like a protagonist from a romance novel. Disgusted by the unfamiliar and unpleasant words, Sihyun took a step back from Seowoo. As he did, Seowoo, who had been looking over Sihyun's shoulder, walked confidently into the infirmary. Following his gaze, Sihyun watched him approach the teacher's chair without hesitation. Seeing him silently sit down, Sihyun was tapping the chair in front of him. It was a sign to sit.
"...The infirmary teacher isn't here either."
"We can't say she's not here just because she's absent."
Saying so, Seowoo once again tapped the chair. There was no reason to refuse now. With no other choice, Sihyun sat down, and Seowoo took out a bandage and ointment. He tilted his head to the side. Looking at him, Sihyun belatedly realized his intention and followed suit, leaning his head to the side.
As Seowoo's fingers approached his neck, a light touch reached it. Without realizing it until he touched it, a sudden sharp pain made Sihyun wince as Seowoo's cold fingers brushed against his neck. Seowoo gently wiped away the blood on his fingertips. The gaze that fell on me seemed a bit heavier.
"You have wounds."
Seowoo whispered in a low voice. Before he could protest, Seowoo lifted his hand and applied ointment to the area where a bandage had already been placed. The pain made his shoulder twitch. Seowoo let out a subtle laughter at his reaction.
"I can do it myself."
"You can't see it. Plus, I want to do it."
Saying this, Seowoo leaned over, getting close. When his hand touched the area near his throat, an unexpected warmth enveloped him. Sihyun grabbed Seowoo's wrist when his hand reached the vicinity of his neck. Looking directly at him when he opened his eyes, Seowoo moved his hand. His gaze was indifferent. His fingers briefly traced the line from the neck to the shoulder before rising again.
"That's enough now."
Feeling awkward with the intimate contact, Sihyun spoke as he removed Seowoo's fingers that had been lingering around his neck. Seowoo raised his head, seemingly lost in thought.
"I want to see your mark."
"What?"
"I've never seen it up close. I want to see it now."
"Why are you suddenly saying this?"
"I treated it, didn't I? Hmm?"
You wanted to do it.
His sharp retort couldn't escape his lips. The abrupt words had been uttered by Seowoo, who stood up, gripping the table I was leaning on. Trapped between his arms in the chilly air, Sihyun looked at him with a troubled gaze. His platinum-colored eyes glowed persistently. Sihyun knew how persistent Seowoo could be with such eyes through experience.
"Fine, so clear your face."
Just stop with those cheesy lines like the lead in a romance drama. Sihyun, who was becoming increasingly uneasy, turned his back at Seowoo's request. Lifting his head slightly and exposing his neck, he felt Seowoo's gaze scanning it. Before he could react to the somewhat stinging touch, Seowoo smoothly wiped away the mark. It felt strangely embarrassing.
This is odd and uncomfortable.
"Sihyun, do you remember the talk about heart rate appearing in Pairing?"
"Why?"
"Just curious."
A gentle and warm sensation touched the skin where the mark had been pressed, only to withdraw shortly after. The contrast between the cold hand and the warm breath was palpable. Startled, Sihyun lifted his body, causing the chair to topple with a clatter, breaking the subtle silence.
"Just now..."
"Did it speed up a bit?"
This crazy guy.
Sihyun squinted his eyes and stared at Seowoo. Smirking, he seemed satisfied. Faster? In this summer, it felt like the temperature had dropped to minus 10 degrees.
"Just kidding, take it easy."
Angrily muttering, Sihyun protected the mark with his hand and walked towards the door. As he was about to leave, he heard a lively noise beyond the door. A bad feeling crept in. Eventually, the door opened, revealing familiar faces entering one by one.
"What's up, are you awake?"
"Sihyun!"
"...They said you collapsed. Glad you're okay."
Starting from Hamin and even Daun, whom he hadn't properly seen for weeks, everyone from Class A gathered in the infirmary, transforming the once quiet space into a lively one. Eyes met, and the overwhelming day that approached me all at once made me inspect my body. When my gaze fell on the bandage stuck to my neck, Hamin grabbed my wrist.
"Are you hurt?"
"Oh, I'm fine now."
It wasn't a significant injury. Feeling unnecessarily concerned, Haru raised his arm as if to remove it, then dropped it with a sigh. For a moment, his sagging ear seemed visible.
"Are you okay? Any pain? Why did you collapse?"
Various and somewhat annoying questions poured out like a waterfall. It was chaotic. In the midst of the confusion, when Sihyun tried to say he was fine first, Hamin, who saw me facing the infirmary door, tilted his head.
"Hey, where are you going?"
"What do you mean? No, no! Sihyun, sit here and rest!"
Ignoring Hamin's words, Haewoon, who had carried me to the chair a while ago, made me sit down. A strange gaze fell on Haewoon, then turned to the surroundings. The headache that had subsided resumed.
"Where does it hurt? Is your body okay? Why did you collapse again?"
"How did it happen this time?"
A constant and somewhat tedious stream of questions. Dizzy, Sihyun glanced at Hamin, who was looking at me after making me sit down.
"What's the matter with you?"
"Say something! Sit down and take a break, Sihyun!"
Hamin's words brought Sihyun, feeling uneasy, to glance at the paper stuck to the wall in the direction of the nurse's office.
'Silence, absolute stability.'
Two words written in bold letters were visible.
It seemed like these guys had no idea about the meaning of the word 'absolute stability.'
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