Chapter 17: You’re my dreaming days.

Shinhye closed her book and took a glance on the watch. It was almost 7 o’clock in the morning. She had been staying up to cover up her studies for the final and had fallen asleep several of times on the working desk of her husband. Shinhye turned around and saw Yonghwa was sleeping soundly on the couch. After several attempts of begging Shinhye to bed, Yonghwa finally listen to Shinhye who wanted to study for the night. But he refused to sleep on the bed alone, so he decided to wait on the couch until Shinhye finished up her study but ended up to fall asleep on the couch.

Shinhye approached her sleeping husband to wake him up to work, but then, her heart raced in anxiety when she felt the unnaturally hot temperature on Yonghwa’s body.

“Yonghwa,” she held his very warm hand. “Yonghwa-yah.”

Yonghwa replied with a hum, still in his eyes closed.

“Gwenchanha?” she asked. But there was no answer from the sleepy Yonghwa. Shinhye rushed to thekitchen downstairs, feeling uneasy with the sudden condition of her husband. He was supposed to be fine after getting enough rest and medication yesterday.

“Good morning Shinhye,” her mother-in-law who was cooking in the kitchen greeted once she entered the kitchen.

Shinhye startled a bit, for not noticing the presence of her mother-in-law at the beginning. “Good morning eommonim,” she said, rushing to the medicine drawer. “Eommonim, you don’t have to trouble yourself with the breakfast. You are our guest; I am the one who supposed to prepare the breakfast for you.”

“Gwenchanhayo,” Mrs Jung smiled. “I am no other than your mother too. Did you have a good sleep last night? Your eyes seem a little puffy,” she smiled cheekily.

“Ani eommonim,” quickly she corrected the misunderstanding of her mother-in-law. “I was staying up last night for my study, so maybe because I didn’t have enough sleep, my eyes seem a little puffy,” explained her as she dig into the medicine drawer.

“Aigoo, agi-ah, you should take some rest too,” nagged Mrs Jung. “Oh what are you doing by the way, such in a rush? Is Yonghwa okay now to go to work?”

Shinhye sighed and took out the medicine from the drawer. “Eommonim, your son didn’t take any of his medicine yesterday and I think his fever is coming back. His body is so hot,” she said with worried. “I’m going to make sure he takes his medicine this time,” she grabbed the glass and filled it with water.

“Yonghwa is always like that. Then eommonim will make some soup and porridge for him. You make sure his temperature cool down first,” said Mrs Jung like a doctor.

Shinhye nodded her head and went quickly to his room. Yonghwa was still sleeping on the couch, didn’t even move for an inch. “Yonghwa-yah, please take your medicine first. Your fever is coming back,” she woke him up.

This time, Yonghwa slowly opened his eyes and looked at his dearest wife with a light smile. “Wae?” asked him with a weak voice.

“You, young man, didn’t even take your medicine last night and went to sleep without any blanket. Now look, the fever and cold are coming back to get you,” nagged Shinhye like a mother. “Here, eat your medicine,” she handed the medicine and a glass of water. Yonghwa took them from her hand and did as what she said. “Do you want to move to your bed? It’s more comfortable.”

“Will you join me if I move to my bed?” asked him.

“Yah, this is not the time for joking,” scolded her.

“But I will feel more comfortable with you in my arms,” he showed his weak grin. “Did you even sleep last night? Why are your eyes look so puffy?”

“I’m okay. Just doing the usual stay up,” answered her.

“Have some rest with me,” he requested.

“Yonghwa, no. You were supposed to eat your medicine yesterday but you didn’t even eat once. You need to get healthy back to go to work,” she scolded him again.