You lie in bed and wince each time as the pain shoots up your stomach. Each cough racks your body to the bones. It's only a little flu but you feel like you're falling apart! The phone beeps, an arm shoots out from under the blanket and pulls it back in.

1 new message from "Oppa"

Aegi yah, gwenchhanni? Is your temperature gone? I'm worried.

 

Before you can answer it beeps again.

1 new message from "Oppa"

Did you eat? And take your medicine?

 

Another beep.

1 new message from "Oppa"

When are Eomonim and Abunim coming back from work? Are you okay alone?

 

Yet another beep. And another. And another.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

5 new messages from "Oppa"

 

You smile. He really cares. You're about to reply when a bout of coughs rack your body again. You run to the medicine cabinet, deciding you've had enough and take the sleeping pills that you should have hours ago. You sink back into bed, pull on the covers haphazardly and let sleep envelope you. The phone lies forgotten. The beeping continues.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep......

 

You're awakened by the delicate aroma of Jjajangmyeon assaulting your nostrils. You wonder if your mother came home early from work for you. You stumble out of bed noticing you'd been tucked in well and your pillows fluffed... you think that eomma really loves you.

You walk to the living room without your glasses calling out for your mother. Then, because you can barely see, you trip on a stray tea coaster on the floor. You screw your eyes shut and brace yourself for the impact but it doesn't come. Instead, two strong pairs of arms encircle you and you're pulled back into a firm chest. This is not eomma, you think and slowly open your eyes to the hazy face of Kim Ryeowook, who is looking at you with an ever so soft gaze.

He seats your blushing self onto the couch while you try to process his presence in your house. He smiles at you brightly and for a moment your mind goes blank.

"I knew you'd forget these," he puts your spectacles in your hands, "and have you any idea how many messages I left?" He is not angry. There is only worry colouring his every word. You look at the man in front of you, full of care and worry, to the spectacles in your hands to the bowl of steaming noodles, on the coffee table next to you. Tears well up in your eyes.

"O-oppa," is almost all you can manage to say before your eyes are overflowing. He's beside you almost in an instant. He cups your cheeks and wipes away your tears with the pads of his thumbs. Your cheeks flush under the touch and you can almost feel his breath against your face. His gaze is soft and caring and your noses are almost touching but then- another bout of coughs take over you and you mentally curse the heavens and all the gods in it. Not for long though because a strong arm is pulling you closer and rubbing comforting cirlcles on your back, while the other arm is offering you a glass of warm water. He prepared that too?!

The coughing ceases. You look at him with a pained expression. "Mianhae oppa," you whisper. There's a quick peck on your forehead (that gets your temperature to a hundred) and he smiles at you.

"Ani. Gwenchana."

He pushes the bowl towards you and keeps talking softly while you eat, filling you in on meaningless details of everybody else, but details that make you smile.

The food is magically over. The medicines are incredibly taken (it's not something even your mother can do). You are wrapped tightly in a blanket, on the couch, and in the arms, against the chest, of the man who was the cause of the aforementioned miracles. As you lie wrapped in your blanket of security, comfort and (you hope) love, listening to his heaven-sent voice hum you to sleep, you wonder what country you saved in your previous life to be so blessed.

When your parents return, they find you both asleep in that position but, somehow, they don't mind at all.