Come Back

Choi Hong-seo cleared her throat and answered the call.

“Hyung.”

[Were you sleeping?]

“No. I was just lying down.”

[You’re not the type to skip practice just because you’re a little sick. I was worried, so I called to check on you.]

Choi Hong-seo let out a weak laugh. Everyone around her thought of her as this tough person, but it was amusing that only Lee Hye-seong saw her as a pitiful little puppy.

She fiddled with the edge of the blanket and glanced at the slightly open door.

[You’re alone at the dorm, right? Should I come over?]

“It’s okay, it’s okay. I went to the hospital. It’s just body aches. I’ll be fine after taking medicine and resting. I don’t need anyone to take care of me.”

She denied it more strongly than necessary, because someone was already there taking care of her. Feeling awkward, Choi Hong-seo felt her already hot body heat up even more. There was no one to see, but she touched her flushed face with her hand and lowered her head.

She wished she had a chance to tell Jeong Ji-in about her relationship with Lee Hye-seong.

Actually, the older guy is here. He brought porridge, and I’m going to eat it and rest… Choi Hong-seo briefly imagined telling Jeong Ji-in. Introducing him as her partner to someone would be a little embarrassing, but it would probably be a very happy moment. She gripped the blanket harder.

[What about your meal and medicine? Should I have porridge delivered?]

“I already took the medicine, and I’m about to eat the porridge.”

She heard the quiet sound of slippers, and Lee Hye-seong returned to the room with a tray and a glass of water. Choi Hong-seo exchanged a glance with him and pointed at her phone with her finger. Lee Hye-seong nodded and set the tray on the nightstand.

[Why is everything backwards, huh?]

Jeong Ji-in chuckled on the other end of the line and added, [Well, it’s better than not eating. Good job.]

Choi Hong-seo smiled faintly, following Jeong Ji-in’s tone, but her eyes were focused on Lee Hye-seong’s movements.

He was sitting at the edge of the bed, within arm’s reach, and was now taking the porridge out of the insulated bag. He carefully opened a stainless-steel bowl with a handle like a mug and smiled at Choi Hong-seo. The savory, slightly salty scent of shrimp porridge gently filled the room.

Choi Hong-seo smiled back at him. Her smile was likely weaker than usual, probably looking more like a grimace due to her pain, but he would likely interpret it as a smile despite the circumstances.

Looking at him, she spoke into the phone.

“Hyung, I’m sorry for not keeping our plans today.”

[It’s because you’re sick. There’s nothing to be sorry about. You’re saying sorry for no reason.]

“Still… it was hard to find a time that worked. I don’t know when we’ll be able to meet again.”

[We can find time later. It’s not like we’ll never see each other again.]

“Yeah.”

[Our Choi Hong-seo’s popularity has gotten so global that it’s hard to see your face, but being busy is a good thing, right? You’re doing well, Hong-seo, right?]

“Yeah, you’re right.”

Choi Hong-seo nodded, continuing to fiddle with the blanket.

[You’ve been hanging on too long. Eat your porridge and rest well. I’ll be supporting your new song and waiting for it. Don’t stress about it. You’ll do great, as you always do.]

After finishing the call with Jeong Ji-in, she felt her body grow heavier. Trying not to show it, she swallowed dryly and focused her mind.

“Jeong Ji-in, the actor?”

“Yeah.”

He took a small case from the pocket of the insulated bag. It was a case containing a set of spoons. With a playful expression, he smiled and spoke.

“Who’s your favorite person in the world?”

“You’re just teasing me, aren’t you?”

“What do you mean?”

“I like you, but you’re not the person I like the most… You’re just saying that on purpose, aren’t you?”

“What kind of porridge should we have? Since it’s not a stomach issue, should we go with shrimp porridge? I think it’ll taste the best.”

She nodded, and he first handed her the glass of water. After Choi Hong-seo drank the water, he slowly stirred the porridge to let it cool. Steam rose from the shrimp porridge, as if it had just been taken from the pot.

He scooped up a spoonful from the surface to make sure it wasn’t too hot and held it up to her lips.

“I can eat it myself.”

“I can feed you, though. How about listening to the healthy person, who doesn’t seem to have the strength to hold a spoon?”

His large hand came closer and gently cupped her cheek. Had he washed his hands when he went to get the water? His hands were cooler now than before. The cool touch felt so pleasant that her eyes instinctively fluttered closed.

Without arguing any longer, she opened her mouth obediently. He smiled with satisfaction and scooped another spoonful of porridge. The feeling of someone feeding her was so foreign, almost like a different world. The sweetness of him feeding her was much stronger than the savory taste of the porridge.

“It’s delicious.”

“There’s some seaweed, should I add that too?”

“It’s fine. It’s already really good.”

The second spoonful approached. He carefully fed her, neither too deep nor too shallow, as though he were feeding himself.

It was the first time someone had looked at her with such a concerned expression, stayed by her side, and even fed her. At least, no one had done that, as far as she remembered. She thought about telling him that, but decided against it. She figured it might make him sad to know that no one had done this for her until now.

Looking at her as she ate the third spoonful, he suddenly asked in a neutral tone, without the playfulness.

“Except for Jeong Ji-in, who’s the person you like the most?”

She thought the conversation had ended, but laughter escaped her lips. She couldn’t help it.

“Uncle… Hye-seong uncle is my favorite person in the world.”

“That’s right. I just wanted to hear that.”

After saying something so cute, he smiled like an adult. And at that moment, Choi Hong-seo understood. He was intentionally saying these things to comfort her, to make her smile.

As the fourth spoonful approached, she obediently opened her mouth to receive it.

“I’m really upset that you’re sick, Hong-seo, but I think I’m a little excited being here with you. It feels like a boyfriend should, right?”

“My boyfriend… don’t make fun of him.”

“……”

The fifth spoonful, which had been coming toward her, stopped midway. Then it moved again, accompanied by a golden smile that seemed to melt everything away.

“Okay, I won’t.”

I never imagined I would meet someone who would stay by my side so devotedly when I was sick. I never thought I would have the chance to lean on someone. But the burden and darkness I carry are so heavy and deep, I felt ashamed to ask anyone to share them. I’ve never had someone precious to me, so I don’t even know how to protect someone important.

So, for now, I just accepted the porridge he gave me and ate it. It was the only thing I could do for him at this moment. Watching his face light up with happiness as he fed me made me forget the heaviness pulling at my body, the warm heat spreading in my head and eyes… and even Lee Seo-kyung.

After finishing more than half of the porridge, he left the room to store the rest in the kitchen. Taking advantage of this moment, Choi Hong-seo headed to the bathroom. She knew it might be a bit foolish to think this, but she wanted to brush her teeth just in case a kiss might happen.

When she saw her face in the bathroom mirror, it was a mess, as if she had cried for a long time, and it made her feel down. But there was no choice but to go back to the room. He hadn’t even sat down yet and was wandering around the room, waiting for her.

“This wall is too bare.”

He pointed to the empty space next to the poster on the wall and smiled. Those were posters of movies they had watched together, and gifts from Lee Hye-seong. Choi Hong-seo had hung them on the wall next to the door, leaving a gap on the right side because she had hung them close together.

It felt like the space was visualizing her heart, eagerly anticipating the time she would spend with him. Even though she hadn’t done anything wrong, she felt shy, as if he had seen through her feelings.

She rubbed the back of her neck and tried to explain nonchalantly.

“I—I did it on purpose. I need space to hang more posters…”

She probably failed to sound casual, but a happy smile lingered on his face. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders from behind.

“We’ll have to watch more movies together from now on.”

“……”

“Until there’s no space left to hang them. Right?”

She nodded in agreement, holding his wrist that crossed over her collarbone. Unlike her usual habit of nodding once, she nodded several times. She was making a silent vow to herself, promising to watch many movies with him until this wall was full, and there was no space left.

When she went back to the bed to lie down, she noticed something unfamiliar. A large bowl from the kitchen was placed on the nightstand.

“It’s lukewarm water. If you wipe your body with a towel soaked in it, your body temperature will go down a bit.”

“You’re… really going to do that?”

“Of course. What else would I do with a boyfriend?”

He lay her down on the bed and turned off the lights to make the room more comfortable for her eyes. Then, sitting next to her, he slowly wiped her face, neck, and arms with the towel, as though he were carefully caring for her. The coolness from the towel made her feel pleasantly refreshed as the heat was drawn away.

“I’ll stay until you fall asleep, so if you feel sleepy, just sleep well.”

Choi Hong-seo tried to keep her eyelids open, which kept growing heavier with drowsiness. Meanwhile, the rain outside was pounding against the window, almost like an ominous prophecy.

She parted her dry lips and looked at him.

“Can’t you stay… just a little longer?”

A smile spread across his face as he wiped her left arm with the damp towel. He lowered his head slightly, raising his eyebrows as he asked her.

“Do you want me to stay by your side?”

She nodded, and he pinched her cheek gently, without causing any pain.

“You must want to stay with me because you’re hurting, huh?”

She nodded.

He looked surprised at how honest her answer was, and his expression quickly became serious as he realized she wasn’t joking. With a hesitant tone, he spoke.

“I want to stay, of course, but don’t you think the members will find it strange? Hong-seo, won’t you be uncomfortable?”

Choi Hong-seo tightened her grip on his sleeve and shook her head.

“I don’t care.”

“Really?”

She nodded again.

She didn’t want him to leave. Anyway, if the manager had been gossiping about her sickness, Lee Hye-seong could live in this dorm if he wanted to. The manager would probably just let him do whatever he wanted. No, even if the manager barged in and scolded them, she didn’t want him to leave. If she sent him away… it just didn’t feel right.