Chapter thirteen:

Seohyun’s POV:

“OMO!” I yelped, jumping back.

His cheeks were burning.

I pressed my hand on his forehead. It was scorching hot.

He was having a serious fever.

Why did he have to give me his umbrella?

Yoseob was awakened by my shriek. He yawned and slowly opened his eyes.

“So…so…cold…” he chattered. “Wh…who…who are y…you?”

I quickly draped the blankets over him.

“It’s me, Seohyun.” I said gently.

“S…Seohyun?” His face lit up. “It’s…real…really…you?”

I laughed, in spite of myself. “Of course it’s me, silly! Look at you,” I pressed my hand onto his forehead again. “You’re burning up! Give me a second.”

I quickly ran down to the kitchen to get a towel. I grabbed some ice cubes too and returned to his bedroom.

“Close your eyes” I ordered him.

He obediently did as I told him too. I wrapped the ice cubes with the towel and slowly pressed it onto his burning forehead.

“Pabo” I scolded him, pressing the towel onto his forehead.

“Y…yah!” He scolded me back, weakly.

“Why did you give your umbrella to me? Why did you lie and tell me that your parents were sending you back home? Why did you let yourself get drenched? See? Now you’re sick!”

“But I did it so that you wouldn’t get sick! And you still scold me?” He pouted, protesting.

“Aishhh! Don’t try to sweet talk me!” I rolled my eyes playfully, but I couldn’t help smiling at his sweetness.

“Are you hungry?” I asked him, removing the towel from his forehead.

He nodded slowly.

“Here.” I set the thermal flask onto his bedside table. “It’s chicken soup. I made this just now. It’s good for colds. Drink it!” I commanded him to.

He opened his mouth. “Ahhhhh~” He said adorably, like a little baby.

“No, I am NOT feeding you!”

He looked at me with puppy dog eyes.

“No!”

He whimpered.

“Ughhhhhhhhh! You win!” I groaned in frustration, feeding him a mouthful of hot soup slowly, careful not to scald his tongue.

“Is it good?” I asked him.

He beamed and nodded.

And so I fed him, mouthful by mouthful, until there was no more soup left.

I looked at the clock. It was 8pm.

“Are you going to leave now?” Yoseob looked at me, his eyes obviously begging me to stay.

I shook my head. “Ani. From what I can see, you can’t even take care of yourself!” I fake sighed. “Since I got you into this, I guess I’ll have to take care of you.”

He smiled, snuggling into his bed.

“Now go to sleep.” I patted his head.

“I can’t sleep.” He admitted.

“Well, let’s just talk until you fall asleep.” I suggested. I never had a real heart-to-heart talk with Yoseob before.

“Ne. But what should we talk about?”

“I have a few questions to ask you.”

“Ask away.”

“Why were you such a…jerk in school last time, but so…nice at home?” I had always been dying to ask him that question. It just didn’t make sense. He was such a nice guy, yet he chooses to act like an idiot in front of people?

Yoseob sighed.

“I’m sorry, was that the wrong thing to ask?”

He shook his head.

“Ani, it’s about time I told someone anyway. You’re the first person who’s ever asked me though.”

He took a deep breath. “In primary school, I was a…nerd. I studied really hard, and got really good grades. I was a nice boy, who helped all my teachers…things like that.”

I nodded, motioning him to continue.

“But then, there was this group of guys who would always bully me. They called me a ‘teachers’ pet” and an “ugly nerd”. Those guys were really popular, so they managed to get everyone to make fun of me. I was unpopular. I was uncool. I had no friends.”

“So,” he continued. “In secondary school, I decided I wanted to change all of that. I hated life in primary school, and I never wanted to have to experience that kind of torture, ever again. So I got together with the guys, and became the kingkas of the school. I would bully others, and basically act like a major jerk. So that no one would ever dare to bully me, ever again. So that I could be ‘cool’ and ‘popular’, and take revenge at the other students for bullying me in primary school.” 

“So you bully people…because of how you were treated in the past?”

He looked at me, embarrassed.

“I’m really, really sorry, Seohyun.” He said softly. “I should never had bullied you back then in secondary school. You were just a totally innocent girl who had not done anything to me, yet I humiliated you in front of everyone. I really shouldn’t have done that, especially since I knew the feeling of being humiliated and bullied. I just wanted to seem…cool, you know? Do you forgive me?”

“Yes, I do. But only if you promise to stop acting like a jerk in front of everyone else. Show them your true side. Show them the nice, caring, friendly, funny Yang Yoseob I know. Because I like him way better than that jerk from secondary school.” I smiled at him. “And I’m sorry for holding that grudge for so long. I was just…angry. But I shouldn’t have been so mean to you earlier in the year. I’m sorry too.”

“Forgiven.” He smiled, yawning adorably. “Let’s promise to be good friends from now, ne?”

I smiled, nodding. “Promise.”

He yawned again and fell asleep, smiling sweetly as he slept.

“Good night, Yoseob.” I smiled at him, leaving his room.

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Annyeong (: Another chapter down (: How is it? Please comment kekeke (: