"What?"
He spoke so naturally that for a moment, I almost replied, "Sure, why not?" Sihyun, who barely stopped himself from saying that, took a step back and stared at Seowoo. As his body distanced, Seowoo looked at his fingertips, which still retained a faint warmth, with a bewildered expression. His following words were nonchalant.
"Should I come to your place too?"
"Why would you come to our house?"
"Is it not allowed?"
"Do I have to say it out loud for you to understand?"
"Then, can I come?"
Quite presumptuous, indeed.
Even if I objected, he seemed determined to come somehow. Sihyun, seeing Seowoo's indifferent face with a clear expression of annoyance, tousled his hair. I couldn't fathom how the conversation had taken such a turn.
"Aren't you having dinner?"
"I thought maybe we could eat together."
"Why are you like this?"
Whatever I asked, there was no answer that didn't include me. Eventually, Sihyun, unable to contain his curiosity, blurted out his question. He frowned slightly, expressing his confusion at Seowoo's odd expression.
"Have you ever thought about me like that, even when I didn't contact you?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Speaking as if you're considering your partner."
Suddenly, his voice lowered a tone as it flowed out. This time, dissatisfaction with something, evident in the eyes that were now staring directly at me, was apparent. His mouth curved upward, but his eyes didn't smile. It was a facial expression I had seen once before.
"Sometimes, it feels like you're deliberately doing this."
"…?"
"Testing how far I can go, as if you're examining me. If someone else did that, it would be really annoying, but..."
He swallowed the rest of his words and kept his mouth shut. Judging by his expression, it seemed he had no intention of continuing. The calm atmosphere that had been there just moments ago dissipated like cotton soaked in water. Instead of stirring up this tension, going home seemed like a better option. The moment Sihyun made that decision, he looked at the elevator.
"I understand that it's very difficult for me to go to your place."
But I hope it's not just me, Sihyun.
As if asking when they had fought, Seowoo, as usual, laughed off the dispute. After organizing his thoughts and reaching a conclusion alone, Seowoo unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, looking at Sihyun's phone with a cool gaze. His eyes coolly sank.
"It's a bit disheartening if you're so disgusted by a joke."
"Who said the person who made the joke was disgusting?"
"Did you think that way even when I didn't contact you?"
"What are you saying?"
"Like thinking about your partner."
Suddenly, his voice dropped a tone again. This time, there was a hint of displeasure in his eyes, seemingly dissatisfied with something. Although his mouth still curved upward, his eyes didn't smile. It was a facial expression I had seen once before.
"Sometimes, it seems like you're doing this on purpose."
"…?"
"As if testing how far I can go. If someone else did that, it would be really annoying..."
He swallowed the rest of his words and kept his mouth shut. Judging by his expression, it seemed he had no intention of continuing. The calm atmosphere that had been there just moments ago dissipated like cotton soaked in water. Instead of stirring up this tension, going home seemed like a better option. The moment Sihyun made that decision, he looked at the elevator.
"I understand that it's very difficult for me to go to your place."
But I hope it's not just me, Sihyun.
As if asking when they had fought, Seowoo, as usual, laughed off the dispute. After organizing his thoughts and reaching a conclusion alone, Seowoo unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, looking at Sihyun's phone with a cool gaze. His eyes coolly sank.
"Why again?"
"Because I wondered how our house compares to yours."
"…."
Did I eat something strange?
Come to think of it, something seemed off since the shoot. He would laugh loudly when he looked at me, as if mocking me, and say absurd things like I look pretty when we're shooting together. Did he say something ridiculous like I'm cute not too long ago? It seemed like today's seowoo was not in his right mind. If not, there was no other way to explain why he was talking and joking so randomly today.
Wondering if he had a fever, Sihyun raised his hand. He covered Seowoo's forehead. It was hard to tell if it was hot or just right. Thinking it might be a bit warm... Sihyun leaned closer and examined Seowoo's complexion. The skin was pale, as usual, and judging by his expression, he didn't seem to be in pain.
If that's the case, then what's left?
"Are you dizzy?"
Turning, he twirled his finger around his temple a few times. Seowoo, who had been watching him absentmindedly since Sihyun placed his hand on his head, finally burst into laughter. It was the third time. It was clear that something strange was going on. He usually didn't laugh out loud like this.
"If you're in pain, go home and rest."
"Yeah, that's why I suggested we go."
"Go alone."
"But I'm in pain."
"So what?"
"Am I supposed to endure it alone?"
"It's not like you're seriously hurt from the beginning."
Rich guy.
Even with a father who's the CEO of a famous entertainment planning agency, he couldn't even hire a driver. Despite being an obvious heir, he couldn't say it with confidence. Why did he keep his family a secret? Sihyun sighed, feeling frustrated. He tapped his phone as Seowoo approached to see the screen.
"What are you doing?"
"Calling a taxi."
As if he had suddenly adopted Gunwoo's way of speaking, he answered and opened the app to call a taxi. Since he was asking for the address, there was no response. Sihyun, frowning, looked at the app notification indicating that the current location was being tracked.
"Where do you live?"
"...."
"Yoo Seowoo."
He doesn't even answer after making people tired. When Sihyun turned his head to see what was going on, Seowoo's body leaned towards him. To be precise, it was more accurate to say he collapsed. Seowoo, leaning on me as if to put his weight on me, exhaled hot breaths. Awkwardly, Sihyun, who had suddenly embraced him, blinked at the unexpected situation. It took a few seconds for the situation to register.
The guy, who usually provocatively stimulated me with flamboyant language, was now barely standing, unable to say a word. His breathing was faster than usual, and the breath on his neck was not just warm but hot. Sihyun, looking at him closely, held his shoulders. The guy, who had become an impromptu pillow in an instant, was heavy, ridiculously heavy.
"Hey, are you okay?"
After barely separating him from me and asking, Seowoo, who had been closing his eyes like a corpse, slowly raised his eyelids.
"...I said I'm in pain."
Rarely throwing a tantrum, he asked again as he laid his forehead on me. Sihyun, with his shoulder turned into a makeshift pillow in the sudden situation, grabbed Seowoo's shoulder. The limp guy was not only heavy but disgustingly heavy.
"Hey, are you in pain?"
If he's going to make someone tired, at least show signs of being in pain.
He seemed weirder than usual, but was that the sign of a person in pain? If he's in pain, he should go to the hospital. Why did he come out so far and bother people if he's tired?
Various complaints and frustrations swirled in his mind. Then, a half-groaning sound came from Seowoo's mouth. Sihyun, who had been angry until now, thought about how Seowoo would like to be in pain and sighed in resignation.
"...You owe me."
Exhaling a sigh, he said irritably, and Seowoo, in the midst of pain, chuckled lowly. He still had the spirit to laugh despite the pain. When Sihyun asked where to go or taunted him to speak, Seowoo turned his head a few times, and with effort, buried his face in Sihyun's neck to mutter his home address. Holding his shoulders with one hand and setting the destination with the other, Sihyun pressed the button to call the taxi. The estimated time was displayed on the screen: 1 minute.
"Sihyun."
"Why?"
"Sihyun."
"Just rest."
It seemed like he was calling me as if he was trembling. Sihyun, thinking it was too troublesome to deal with, put his hand on the back of Seowoo's head. Somehow, things had turned out like this. Surely, today's self had planned to enjoy the remaining vacation by making plans for the future, studying a bit, and not taking modeling jobs and dealing with sick people.
"Do you know that you really tire people out?"
Sighing, he mumbled a complaint, and Seowoo, who was resting on me, slowly raised his eyelids.
"...Yeah."
"Yeah, it's not 'yeah.' Wake up. We're here."
As if he's a child in pain, he acts like one. Although he's half a child at seventeen, if seowoo is like this, something must be wrong. Folding neatly as Seowoo was on the verge of losing consciousness, Sihyun looked at the phone to enter the password. Seowoo pressed the buttons to enter the password as if he had suddenly regained consciousness. I should tell him to change the password later.
"It would have been nice if you could use your ability."
If he could use his healing ability, he would have treated it right away. However, using abilities outside of an emergency situation, unless you were a nationally recognized Awakened, was considered a crime. The first-year students were still unrecognized Awakened who hadn't undergone the ranking test. Using abilities was only allowed during training, and if you trained during vacations, you had to provide evidence that you only used them during training by recording videos. Previously, such regulations seemed necessary, but in the current situation, they were utterly useless.
Unless it was a critical situation where Yoo Seowoo was dying and needed immediate help, Kang Sihyun hesitated to use his abilities, even if it seemed like just a simple fever.
Entering the house, Kang Sihyun apologized and raised his voice, but there was no response. When he asked if anyone was there, the answer came from an unexpected place.
"...Not here."
"...What?"
"...Gone."
Various things indeed, seriously.
Due to his weakened voice, Kang Sihyun couldn't figure out what to say. Judging by his inability to finish his sentences, it was clear that he was in pain. Kang Sihyun quietly asked for the location of the room, and as directed, he moved him to the bed. It was quite a struggle, given the more than 180cm height and over 10cm difference in my favor.
"If you can walk a bit, do it."
Kang Sihyun, breathing heavily and speaking in fragmented sentences, suggested. It seemed challenging, and I helped him move without complaining, but considering that he hadn't completely lost his ability to walk, it felt unnecessary. He didn't seem unconscious or completely drunk; he just couldn't walk properly.
Lying on the bed, with half-closed eyes, Seowoo stared at Sihyun. If it were a critical situation where Seowoo was dying, it might be understandable, but it seemed like just a simple fever. Kang Sihyun quietly asked about the location of the room, suppressing the complaints he wanted to voice. Seowoo looked at him, feeling the discomfort, and then asked about his own condition.
"Why."
"...Dizzy."
"Right."
"And hungry."
"...Insane."
Seowoo, with a half-wet face, spoke languidly as if exhausted. It was unbelievable, given that he was talking about being dizzy and hungry with a half-wet face. Kang Sihyun, watching the guy who claimed to live alone, inwardly cursed. Anyway, it didn't help.
"Where are you going?"
Sihyun, rummaging through Seowoo's pants, took out his wallet and turned around. Seeing that, Seowoo, who was still in his right mind, blurted out. If he were in his right mind, he wouldn't have asked such a question. It wasn't a situation where you couldn't even guess why I was going out. But now, he simply asked without thinking much. Sihyun briefly looked at him, who seemed unfamiliar, then took a card from Seowoo's wallet.
"I'm using your card to buy food."
Saying that confidently, when Seowoo replied with a weak "Okay," he closed his eyes. Sihyun sighed, looking at the disheveled Seowoo, and headed out of the room. Through the window in the living room, he could see the sky starting to darken. It was getting late, and in the position of running all kinds of errands, Sihyun let out a bitter laugh.
It was a day when luck seemed to be on his side.
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