Jiae loathed being sick - whether it was the suffering from throbbing headaches, her constantly stuffed nose, or an irritating sore throat - and she always tried to stay as healthy as possible to avoid it. There were some moments that did allow her to look on the bright side of it, however; sometimes, she could catch up on her much needed sleep, while other times, she could finish watching the latest dramas or movies. Nearly anything that distracted her from being sick would have been wonderful, but this time, she could only hope that falling asleep will help her recover. 

Things never do happen according to plan, however, as the moment she closed her eyes, the alarm started to blare, elicting groans all around the dorm. Jiae’s roommate, Mijoo, mumbled a few words before sitting up and stretching to overcome the urge to return back to sleep. She noticed the weirdness within the room, however, and turned to see a very sick-looking Jiae. “Wow… you look horrible” was the first thing that Mijoo said, which brought up a weak laugh from Jiae.

“Thanks,”  Jiae tried to speak, but could only whisper as still ached, “can you tell Soul-unnie that I’m in no shape to come to practice?”

“Alright,” Mijoo said as she stood up and headed out of the room, before popping her head through the doorway again, “Get some rest first though, we’ll miss you at practice, Jiae-unnie.”

“Good morning ev-” Yein yelled out loud while walking out of the other bedroom, but froze midway as she saw Babysoul and Jisoo rushing around the kitchen. “What are Babysoul-unnie and Jisoo-unnie doing?” she asked Sujeong who was busy sitting down and eating toast.

Sujeong looked at the two girls, tilting her head in confusion at their movements before replying: “I’m not sure… Maybe they’re making food for our lunch?” 

“It would be nice if that was the case, but nope. Jiae-unnie is sick, and Jisoo wanted to take care of her, so Soul-unnie is helping her prepare everything.” Mijoo sat down beside the two, and started to eat her own breakfast while watching the girl slowly carry a bowl of water and towels into the smaller bedroom.

“Wait, Jisoo-unnie is taking care of Jiae-unnie?” Jin popped up from behind the door and asked while washing her face. “Doesn’t Jiae-unnie have a crush on Jisoo-unnie though?”

“She does, so this is going to be hilarious.” Mijoo smiled evily, before getting pulled up and scolded by Babysoul for planning this out. 

A cold and wet sensation on her forehead woke Jiae up from her slumber, but it felt comfortable as it soothed the pain in her head. She could faintly tell that someone was taking care of her, but she couldn’t exactly tell who it was. "Soul-unnie?” Her voice, still raspy and dry, sounded weak and fragile as she struggled to speak.

“Nope, you have to guess again.” The voice teased, and an arm slowly made its way between Jiae and the mattress, wrapping around her back and lifted her gently into an upright position. “Here, drink some water before you speak again” The cold sensation of water filled Jiae’s throat, and eased the dryness that held back her natural voice. It made her feel much better, though she could hardly savour the sensation with her heartbeat seemingly speeding up.

“Eh, J-Jisoo?” Jiae asked as she tried to keep her flustered emotions in check. It was one thing to have someone other than their leader to take care of her, but it’s a whole different story if Jisoo was there. “I-isn’t Soul-unnie supposed to be the caretaker instead?”

“Well, I heard that you were sick, so I volunteered to come and help you recover instead.” Jisoo spoke while flashing Jiae a smile. “I also made some porridge, but I’m not sure if it’s good." 

Jiae was speechless; it was these very gestures that Jisoo does which made Jiae fall for her. Her eyes shift downwards, and she breathes deeply to calm her nerves. 

"You didn’t have to do that…”

“Aish, it’s fine; you can return the favour next time when I’m sick.” Jisoo flashed a toothy grin, which instantly brought a smile to Jiae’s face.

“… Thanks Jisoo.” Jiae answered, not knowing about the other members who were watching and smiling from outside the room.