I close my eyes, and rub my temple. “Are you sure you won’t just let me handle it? You can’t attend class like this anyway. I’ll just present this alone or make Professor Han postpone ours.”

                Jongin shakes his head, his sickly eyes focusing on the laptop screen. “We’re almost there.”

                I watch him cough again, and flinch. “At this rate, you’re going to cough out a lung.”

                He wraps up his body tighter with the blanket, ignoring me. Five seconds later, he covers his face, and lets out a sound that even makes my own throat hurt.

                “This won’t do.” I stand up. “Do you have cough syrup? Or lemons? Anything?”

                Jongin shakes his head, and he falls back to the sofa. “Let me rest for a bit.”

                “I’ll go to the clinic across the street.” I head to the door and wear my shoes.

                “Joo Dana.” Jongin breathes out. “8888.”

                “What?”

                “The password. Let yourself in later.”

                I stop for a while, and continue my movement. “Yeah, you can’t even stand up properly. I’m going.”

                Once I’m outside, the cold breeze brings me back to my senses. I can’t believe I just walked out from Kim Jongin’s house, to buy medicine for him. I shake my head to focus and cross the road, and enter the clinic.

                “Hello. Are you here to change your bandage?” the employee behind the drugstore counter smiles.

                “Ah… Not this time.” I nervously laugh. “I need cough syrup… Which one would you recommend?”

                I describe Jongin’s condition, and the employee packs up one. I come back to the building, and drag myself to go up. I eyed the password pad beside the door when I got there, and bit my lower lip. This is tormenting me.

                I slowly type the numbers—8888—and my heart suddenly beats faster. How unnecessary. The door opens, and I let myself in. Jongin is still lying on the sofa, eyes closed, but as my footsteps get nearer he’s wide awake.

                “I’ll get you some water, then go drink your medicine.” I put the syrup box on the table in front of him. “I got you fever med too, just in case.”

                I go to the kitchen, and look for a glass. As I stand in front of the window,  I look out and the view is displaying the front part of the clinic very clearly. Did Jongin see me from here that time? Or was he going out, and spotted me? Or—

                Why would I be thinking about it? I keep a straight face as I go back to the living room, and Jongin is sitting down. He successfully gulped down the meds, and he’s looking at the air vacantly.

                I tidy up the box package, as something pops out inside my head. “I tried calling when I got here with Soonyoung. Why didn’t you answer?”

                “I don’t answer calls from unknown numbers.”

                I stop moving. “Didn’t I give you my—“

                “I haven’t saved it. You were right, we meet outside anyway. No need to ask for your number.”

                Wow, he manages to be this bitter in that condition. I exhale, and get his laptop back in front of him. I try so hard not to bang it. “Hah, you’re so—whatever.” I grab my own laptop, and try to find where we left off.

                “Wait a moment.” Jongin closes his eyes, and he looks like he’s in pain. He presses his back to the sofa, and I feel uneasy. “Just a moment.”

                “Dude, you’re dying. Let’s stop. Then I’ll—“

                I close my mouth. I was going to say that I would leave, but seeing him on this form, I stopped immediately. Can I really go now? What if something happens? But Soonyoung is going to come back here though… Should I really leave?

                “—I’ll wait until Soonyoung comes.”

                “No need to.” Jongin’s voice is barely a whisper.

                “That’s the least I can do. You should move to your bed. Can you stand up?”

                He struggles to open his eyes, and nods. He drags himself up, and heads to his bedroom on the left side of the front door. I follow him slowly from behind, and decide to just watch him from afar once he enters his room. His room looks messy.

                Near his bed, he trips himself because of the blanket around his body, and I run to him. “God, what are you—focus, can you see your bed?” I take off the blanket and give him some space to move. “Just lie down first.”

                Jongin throws himself down. I cover him with the blanket, and try to exhale inaudibly. Why does it feel so tiring?

                “You…” Jongin starts speaking with eyes closed. “You must think I’m taking revenge on you.”

                I swallow. I fold my arms, and look around his room. “I think I deserve this.”

                “I thought you wouldn’t take me seriously.”

                “If you said all of those things in the ski resort and I didn’t do anything, then I’m the bad guy.”

                “You even bought me meds and all… Wow…”

                “I don’t know if it’s a touched expression or sarcasm.”

                Jongin scoffs, and grins. That’s the first time I saw him smile. “The cough syrup’s flavor is orange… It tasted happy.”

                I furrow my brows. “Now you start to spout nonsense. Just go to sleep.”

                Jongin laughs from his nose, and he gets silent afterwards. I see sweat glistening on his forehead, and after a few minutes, his breathing indicates that he’s now asleep.

                I let myself down to the floor, and crossed my legs. What am I doing now? I should be maintaining distance from him, yet I’m now literally inside his bedroom.

                I walk out, and leave the door of his bedroom open. I sit on the sofa where Jongin sat earlier, and look blankly at our laptops.

                Our task is almost finished anyway, so I’ll just pack up now and wait for Soonyoung to come. I keep the meds on the table, and turn off Jongin’s laptop.

                I spend the next fifteen minutes mainly glancing at the clock every few seconds, and sometimes peek at Jongin’s room. He’s still sound asleep. I’ve been very ready to go in my coat and scarf.

                There’s someone putting in the password from outside, and I immediately get up from my seat. Is that Soonyoung? I stare at the door, and the unlocking sound is heard.

                I freeze when a girl in a beige coat walks inside, and she looks down to the floor as she removes her shoes hurriedly.

                “Jongin? Where are you?”

                I’m still standing still when she looks up, and she also stops her movements. She’s pretty much my age, and I grit my teeth. She looks at me in confusion. Oh no, is she Jongin’s girlfriend?

                “I’m sorry… Who are you?” she asks, her forehead wrinkles deeply.

                My heart races as I try to open my mouth. “H-hello. I’m Jongin’s classmate. I came here to do our group project, but he’s sick so I’m going to leave. He’s in his bedroom. I’m going.”

                My words blurt out like a bullet train, and I hurriedly walk past her and go out without wearing my shoes properly. I race downstairs, and turn to an empty alley next to the building to fix my shoes. Gosh, I hope I don’t make things awkward for them.