I immediately felt sick with dread, the colour drained from my face, in fact it seemed as if all the blood in my body drained away. As if it knew what was coming and wanted to flee. I was in deep . I was literally in such deep . I was bound to get ill, I’d been feeling ill just now and now Ren was ill with a contagious disease that just had to be passed on by ing kissing. And of course he’d had to get infected and get ill because he and I seem to have absolute all when it comes to luck.

“Do you think we could all get it? Baekho said, “We’ve been sharing cups and stuff for ages.”

Minhyun tapped away on his phone.

“Apparently you can only get it once.” He informed us. “So if we’ve had it when we were younger, we won’t get it again.”

“Really?” I croaked, then coughed and said more casually. “Do you think so?”

“Yeah it’s a fact.” Minhyun said. “I’ve had it before.”

“I think I have too,” Baekho said.

“I have, when I was young.” JR said, “Most kids get it when they’re young.”

I couldn’t remember if I’d had glandular fever before; my Mother had never mentioned it, but then again it’s not something you say in passing. “Oh yeah I forgot to tell you, you had glandular fever when you were four.”

“Have you had it Minjae?” HyeSu asked. I could tell from the way she was looking at me that she understood that I could potentially get ill and destroy mine and JR’s relationship forever.

“I don’t know,” I said. She stared at me helplessly.

What are you going to do? Her eyes were shouting.

I don’t know I don’t know oh God help me, My eyes replied desperately.

“Don’t look so worried,” JR put his arm around me and kissed my forehead. “You’ve probably had it.”

“Maybe I should ring my Mom to check,” I said. He nodded.

“Good idea.”

“I’ll come with you,” HyeSu said, grabbing my arm and whisking me out the room.

“We’ll be waiting for you here!” JR smiled, waving.

“Okay!” I waved back, grinning cheerfully. As soon as HyeSu and I turned the corner, the grin dropped off my face so fast it wasn’t even funny.

“What the am I going to do HyeSu.” I dragged my hands down my cheeks.

“I don’t know dude,” She chewed her lip anxiously.

“Maybe we should take a moment to actually pray.” I said seriously. HyeSu, seeing how desperate I was, stopped in the corridor and clapsed her hands together.

“Dear God, please let me have had glandular fever before,” I begged, squeezing my eyes shut with concentration. “I’m sorry for all the bad things I’ve done, I’m sorry sorry but please, things are going so well with JR, if you give me glandular fever everything’s going to just get ed up-”

“I don’t think you’re meant to swear in a prayer.” HyeSu muttered.

“I mean, flipped up,” I corrected. “Everything’s going to get flipped up. Sorry God, didn’t mean to swear. I just…please.”

“Yes God please, do this for her.” HyeSu added. We must have looked crazy praying in the middle of the corridor but I honestly didn’t care. I opened my eyes, half expecting to see Jesus or Gabriel standing there with God’s verdict. They weren’t of course.

“Come on,” HyeSu sighed, tugging me to the payphone.

I slipped in some coins and quickly dialled my Mother’s number. I chewed on my thumb waiting for her to answer.

“Hello?”

“Mom, it’s me Minjae,” I said quickly.

“Oh hi darling I was just going to give you a ring…”

“Whatever,” I interrupted. No you weren’t you liar, you hadn’t rang me for months. “I need you to check something important.”

“I can’t at the moment honey; I’m due to see the stylist for an emergency appointment.”

“It’s really important that you do it now. I need you to ring the doctors to see if I’ve had glandular fever.”

“What?” My Mother said. “Is this some sort of school project?”

“No Mom,” I pinched the bridge of my nose, fighting to stay calm. “How can it be some school project when I’m at a performing arts school. I don’t study biology in case you didn’t know.”

“Okay okay, calm down,” She said, “Anyway I can’t do it today because I just have to see the stylist, my hair is looking horrific it’s a real beauty emergency and then afterwards I said I’d meet my friend in the coffee shop for a couple of hours and then-”

“Mom I don’t care,” I interrupted bluntly. “I really don’t care. I need you to ring the doctors and ask if there is a case of glandular fever on my medical records from when I was young.”

“Darling I just told you I can’t do it right now,” My Mom sighed. “I’m really busy, I didn’t even know you were going to phone, to be honest you’re lucky I picked up. I didn’t know you were going to ask me some sort of joke question.”

And that is when I lost it. I lost my impatience, I lost my respect for her and I lost the plot.

“No it is not a damn joke question!” I shouted. HyeSu physically jumped. “It’s not a joke Mom, in case you haven’t noticed, I’m not laughing! I need you to go to the doctors and ask them if I have had glandular fever in my whole life because this is the only thing that is between me being happy and me being sad as . I don’t know what’s wrong with you; I can’t believe you’re an adult. You’re obsessed with having coffee and beauty treatments. You say you were going to ring me? Like hell you were! And do you know what, I don’t care anymore because I have someone who loves and cares about me. So all I need you to do for me is ring the doctors.”

“Okay I’ll ring them tomorrow,” She began.

“NO! No no no ring them today, ring them now, oh my God what is wrong with you. Just ring them now it will take less than five minutes, probably less. It will not kill you to be late for your hair appointment. Honestly, I couldn’t give two hovercraft flying s if you missed every single hair appointment for the next decade right now. Goddamit woman stop being such an incompetent Mother for once in your life and ring.The.Doctors.NOW!”

A pause.

“Okay, I’ll ring them now and then I’ll ring you back.” She said in a small scared voice.

“Thank you,” I sighed, resting my head on the payphone. “Make sure you do.”

I hung up the phone and just stood there breathing. It felt so good to have finally let out whatever was on my mind to my Mom. No more holding back out of fear of being disrespectful, from now on, she was going to get whatever was on my mind.

“Well done man,” HyeSu patted my shoulder.

“Thanks man.”

Waiting for the phone to ring was agonising I actually had stomach pain from the suspense.

“HyeSu…” I said hesitantly. “Do you think if I do have it, JR will believe that I only kissed Ren once?”

“I thought you had told him about the goodbye kiss.” She said. “But because you didn’t, he may find it hard to believe you.”

“I don’t know why I didn’t tell him,” I said, banging my head on the payphone. “I was so stupid; I thought that it would change something. It was just a quick decision to say no. If I’d have known…”

“If you do have it you’re just going to have to explain everything,” HyeSu said. “And do whatever it takes.”

“I really love him HyeSu,” I said. I was already getting tearful, imagining what was to come.

“And he loves you too!” She gave me a hug. “You’ll both get through this, whatever happens.”

The phone blared into life.

The countdown had ended.

I could barely pick up the phone, I was so nervous at the result of what my Mom had to say my stomach was killing me.

“Hello?” I whispered.

“Hello darling,” My Mom said cautiously. “I just rang the doctor. They said that you haven’t had glandular fever before, it’s not on your medical records.”

I closed my eyes and dropped the phone. It swung against the wall from its cord.

“Oh ,” HyeSu muttered, knowing from my reaction what the answer was.

“It’s over HyeSu,” I said calmly. I opened my eyes, also opening the way for tears to flow down my cheeks. “It’s all over.”

“Hello? Hello?” My mother was saying. “Isn’t this good news? I thought you’d be happy.”

I thought you’d be happy.

The irony just s me over.

Because in any other case, I’d have been happy to have not had a disease. But no I’d wanted to have it, so that it meant I couldn’t get it again. Like the chickenpox or something. Most kids get glandular fever when they were young so why hadn’t I? What kind of luck did I have; what I cursed or something. I just wanted to be happy with JR but now I had ruined everything because of my stupidity.

I sat down on the floor next to the payphone, drew my legs up to my knees, rested my head on my arms and cried.

And he hadn't even broken up with me yet.