009

Donghae found Sooyeon sitting on one of those chairs in the hallway of the hospital, patiently waiting for him. He wasn’t really feeling well and his head was feeling heavy. He sat beside her and rested his head on her shoulder. Sooyeon was quite surprised when she felt a weight on her shoulder. She was surprised to see Donghae. His eyes were closed and he looked so peaceful ─ except for the fact that he’s growing paler than the usual.

Sooyeon doesn’t know why but she felt something inside her stomach. She can’t quite figure out if she’s hungry or not but the feeling’s different from being hungry. She has no idea what the heck is that tingling feeling growing inside her. But one thing that she knows is that she feels electricity whenever her skin is against his.

For the past few months, she had grew fond of him knowing he’s the only one she’s got and the only one who’s there for her. They are always together from day and night so apparently, it is an enough reason for them to get close to each other. She was the first one to break down his walls and he was the one who helped her pick up the pieces of her broken heart. He was the one who helped her mend her broken heart and somehow that goes the same for him. She was so thankful that she couldn’t thank him enough.

Sooyeon hesitantly ran her fingers through his hair. He didn’t even move a finger. “A-Are you o-okay?” she cursed herself for stuttering for an unknown reason. She just found her voice shaking. Why was she stuttering? After recalling what happened earlier before they got in the hospital, she felt embarrassed once again. She knew to herself that she shouldn’t have done that and even though she knows that it’s wrong, something somehow felt right. Her cheeks felt hot and turned rosy pink when she remembered how his lips felt on hers.

Donghae didn’t even respond to her question. Sooyeon knew he wasn’t really feeling well. She just wanted to make sure. They stayed like that for a while until Sooyeon fell asleep with her head resting on his. Well, that was their position when she woke up an hour after. She checked the time that reads 10:08 in the evening and maybe they could go home for a while since Donghae really needed to rest to feel better. Much to her disagreement, she woke him up,

“Do you want to go home first?” she asked him when he woke up. He looked a little bit disoriented that made him look like a lost kid. He looked so cute while looking so confused on what’s happening around him.

He checked the time and looked around. He excused himself first to Sooyeon to check on his father. He went there and saw Dongwoo with their mother. Mrs. Lee was sleeping on her son’s shoulder. He checked on his father first before telling Dongwoo that they’re going home first. Dongwoo let them and reminded him about the board meeting tomorrow.

Donghae came back to Sooyeon, head still feeling heavy. He made a mental note to himself to take some aspirin later when he comes home. He wasn’t really sure if he still can drive but then he told himself that he’ll manage. He fished out his car keys from his pocket and went to where his car is with Sooyeon.

“I can drive if you can’t, Donghae. You seemed like you needed some rest,” Sooyeon worriedly insisted.

He shook his head and managed to give her a smile. “I can manage, don’t worry.” He replied.

Sooyeon pouted and stood still. She was giving him that questioning look. She knew she can’t and there’s no way she’s letting him drive. He was obviously not feeling very well and yet he’s insisting on driving them home?

“Don’t force yourself, whoever you are. I’ll drive us home,” Sooyeon stated and snatched his car keys from him. He was left standing frozen there, dazed. What she just said left him dumbfounded.

I’ll drive us home.

Us home.

Home.

She called his place her home and even though he was clearly not feeling well, he some felt better hearing those words coming from her and he doesn’t even have a slightest idea why. Sooyeon started the ignition and called out for him to get in the car or else she’ll leave him there. He went back to his senses and went inside his car.

He felt happy. Sooyeon’s going to drive them home.

The first thing that he did when they got home was to lie on the couch. He felt so tired and all that all he has in mind was to sleep and Sooyeon. Why was he thinking about Sooyeon? He doesn’t know. Sooyeon’s making him feel things and it all started with that kiss. At some point, he missed the touch of her lips. Her lips tasted like strawberry, so sweet. He missed the feeling of her lips on his lips. Heaven knows how many times he mentally hit himself for thinking such things.

On the other hand, Sooyeon didn’t mind even if they just got home or what. She decided to make dinner for them. But before everything else, she prepared some soup for Donghae because he wasn’t feeling well since earlier. She prepared a chicken soup for him and didn’t forget to give him some meds. Sooyeon went to where he was and she saw him sleeping on the couch. He looked so cute while sleeping like a kid and hugging a pillow.

After preparing dinner, she went to him with a tray of food. What do you do when someone’s feeling sick? Take care of them. That’s the least thing Sooyeon could do for him. She touched his forehead and another electric shock was felt. But the thing that made her worry was he was hot. Well, yeah she admits that Donghae’s hot but what she meant by hot is that he has a fever. Probably because of the rain earlier that he got drenched. Sooyeon somehow felt sorry because he gave her his coat earlier just so she wouldn’t be drenched by the rain.

Sooyeon apparently has no choice but to wake him up for him to eat and take his meds. He wasn’t really that hard to wake up since he could be a light-sleeper at times. After a few pokes, he woke up seeing Sooyeon with food for him. Donghae sat up and grabbed the bowl of soup to eat but then Sooyeon snatched it away from him and sat beside him.

She was giving her that sweet smile of hers. “I’m going to feed you and you can’t stop from doing so,” she stated like a boss and started feeding him. “Say ah!”

He chuckled at her cuteness as she looked like a little girl. “Don’t baby me, I’m no kid.” He told her with a small laugh.

“But you look like one!” Sooyeon as she feeds the “kid” beside her.

“Do I?”

She nodded.

The both of them teased and told each other some jokes that they ended up laughing together. Donghae somehow felt better but then the headache never left his head. But seeing Sooyeon laugh like that, it makes him feel something different. The way she laughs seemed like a precious moment to treasure.

“Now you’re done eating, you go and take your meds now.” Sooyeon told him and handed him some medicine for him to take and a glass of water. He was just staring at her as she bossed around and treated him like he’s her son.

“Yes, eomma.” He politely took the meds from her hand and also the glass of water. Despite of the pain he’s feeling in his head, he could still manage to and play around.

“I’m no one’s eomma!” she protested and pouted like a little girl. “And please stop fooling around. I thought you’re not feeling well?”

He took his meds and drank the glass of water. “Don’t pout like that, makes me wanna kiss you.” He teased and he saw how her cheeks instantly turned red like a tomato. parted a bit, trying to say something but then her mind couldn’t process everything in one go.

“Y-Y-YAH!” she screamed and walked out to the kitchen.

He was laughing at her and how she reacted upon what he had said. She can’t take a joke, can she? But then for Donghae, jokes are half-meant and in his case, he meant what he had told her. He stood up despite the pain he’s feeling in his head and headed towards his room.

Sooyeon prepared some grilled cheese for herself. She was munching it while thinking about what Donghae had told her. She really felt embarrassed and her cheeks felt hot. She could just imagine her face turning into a tomato because of embarrassment. How could Donghae crank a joke like that? Wait, was it even a joke? She shook her head in hopes that those kind of thoughts will fade and leave her mind but it didn’t.

Donghae surely knows how to get to someone’s mind.

It was 1 o’ clock in the morning and Sooyeon was still wide awake. She was again checking through her emails and her SNS accounts. She was busy looking through the photos of the people she follows in Instagram when she saw a photo of a friend who’s with Jisook and there’s Minho beside them.

“So they’re still together after all? Tch,” she rolled her eyes and exited the app. She suddenly remembered Donghae. Out of curiosity, she tiptoed towards his room to check on him. She opened the door slowly and quietly and she saw him covered with blanket. She immediately went to him and checked on him. He was burning hot and kind of chilling. He was snuggling the pillow he’s hugging while the comforter covers his freezing body. Sooyeon checked the air conditioner and it was on its maximum level. She went to the bathroom to get some basin with lukewarm water in it and clean cloth. She didn’t bother checking his temperature. She got back and soaked the clean cloth with the water and gave it a squeeze. She folded the cloth and put it on his forehead.

Sooyeon noticed he hasn’t changed his clothes yet. She shook her head and unwillingly woke him up. She was calling his name repeatedly and continuously tapping him.

“Yah, why didn’t you change your clothes?” she talked.

After a few minutes of tapping, poking and slightly hitting, she succeeded on waking him up. He sat up once again with his eyes half-closed and asked her the problem is. Sooyeon told him to change his clothes but he’s feeling too weak to do so. He told her that he can’t and that made her sigh like three times before barging in to his closet to get him some clothes.

Apparently, she was left with no choice but to help him change his clothes. She helped him to lift up his shirt and heaven knows how much awkwardness she felt while helping him do that. It’s not like she haven’t seen a guy topless before. She already did but that was only in the movies she’d watched before. But this is different. She tried looking away but then her traitor eyes made its way down to his perfect toned body. After seeing that six pack chiseled-like abs, she looked away and helped him wear his shirt this time.

Sooyeon sighed and puffed some air after helping him change his clothes. She fixed his pillow so that he feels more comfortable and got herself a chair to sit beside his bed. This time, she bothered checking his temperature. He was still hot so she decided to get another cloth and soaked it again to wipe it onto his arms and face to somehow lessen his fever. She couldn’t just leave him because she needed to check Donghae every time.

She was getting and getting sleepy as she checked the digital clock. That’s when she realized it’s already quarter to three. No wonder her eyes were feeling heavy. She just remained sitting there as she checks him from time to time until she really can’t take it anymore. For a sleepyhead like her, sleeping has always been a big deal that she could spend three-fourths of the day by just sleeping. She stood up from the chair she’s sitting on for quite some time and transferred to the couch near the other side of Donghae’s bed.

A few minutes had passed and she’s already in her dreamland. However, a couple of minutes after she fell asleep, Donghae suddenly woke up. He could still feel the throbbing pain in his head like there’s someone slowly tearing his head apart but the pain lessened than before. He was about to go back to sleep as he faced to the other side of his bed and saw Sleeping Beauty ─ Sooyeon he meant, sleeping on the couch.

He smiled at the thought of her being her with him and taking good care of him. If Sooyeon was his girlfriend, there’s no way he’s letting her go and it’s such a shame that her ex-boyfriend just treated her as his second option. If he was Minho, he would treat Sooyeon like a princess because that’s what she should be and that’s what she deserves to be. She doesn’t deserve some kind of crappy treatment from her jerk ex-boyfriend. But then, reality is such a moment-breaker that snapped him out. He asked himself a couple of times why was he thinking of being her boyfriend? He really must be going crazy.

Despite of the headache and feeling weak, he managed to stand up and got some blanket for her. He covered her with it and tucked her hair which is covering her beautiful face. He whispered her thank you and kissed her temple.

“Good night, beautiful stranger.” He wished her goodnight as she stirred a bit. He smiled and went back to bed.

Even though his head was throbbing like crazy and his body feeling weak, he managed to have a good night’s sleep that night all because of the beautiful stranger he’s with.

The next morning, Sooyeon unusually woke up at exactly six-thirty in the morning. However, waking up early seemed like a good thing because she has a patient to take care of. The first thing she did was to check on him. She touched his forehead and he’s still a bit hot. Sooyeon noticed that the cloth on his forehead was no longer there that made her conclude that he probably woke up in the middle of the dawn. Well, that pretty explains the blanket that made her feel comfy and warm.

She made her way out of his room and went towards the kitchen. This is her routine ─ she would always make food for the two of them. Back then, she really has no idea how to cook but after living independently for years, she learned how to that’s why she’s in-charge to the kitchen. Sooyeon decided to make some porridge for him and cooked bacons and eggs as well. She thanked the heavens above that the fridge is full of something to eat and to prepare.

It was already seven o’ clock in the morning and Sooyeon was still busy in the kitchen. She’s done frying the eggs and bacons and now she’s busy making porridge. She was humming Selena Gomez’s song The Heart Wants What It Wants while cooking but then a ringing phone was suddenly heard that interrupted her. Sooyeon went to look for the phone and found it right on top of the table just beside the couch in the living room. She realized it was Donghae’s phone and his brother was the one who’s calling.

Sooyeon was debating to herself if she would answer the call or just let it be. But the thought that maybe it’s something about their father made her pick the call up.

“Hey bro,” Dongwoo called.

Sooyeon bit her lip before she answered. “Dongwoo-ssi, it’s Sooyeon.”

“Oh, Sooyeon-ssi? Hi. Where’s Donghae, by the way?” Dongwoo was quite surprised to hear Sooyeon’s voice instead of his brother’s and it made him think for a while that could it be they’re living in together?

“Donghae’s still asleep and… he’s actually sick right now.” Sooyeon answered as she informed Dongwoo about his brother’s condition as of the moment.

“Enough explanation why he seemed odd yesterday,” she heard him mutter. “If that’s the case, I probably should just move the board meeting’s schedule that’s supposedly to be held today. Please do tell him that, is that okay? If you wouldn’t mind?” he asked a favor.

Sooyeon nodded as if he could see her doing that. “Sure, I’ll tell him.”

“Alright,” Dongwoo said. “Tell him to get some rest and can you also tell him to inform me once he’s okay?” he asked again.

“Sure,” Sooyeon replied and made a mental note to tell Donghae all of those.

“Please do take care of him well, Sooyeon.”

“I will, don’t worry.” She smiled.

“Thank you, Sooyeon,” He thanked. “I’m hanging up.”

Sooyeon waited for him to end the call before going back to the kitchen. The porridge is ready and when got back, the only thing she needed to do was to wake him up so that he could eat and take his medicine again. She finished preparing his food and setting the table. She removed the apron before deciding to go to his room to wake him up. Just as she was walking towards that direction, she realized that she doesn’t have to bother waking him up anymore because he’s already awake.

She gave him a smile. “I was just about to wake you up. Good, breakfast’s ready.” She told him and turned her back to go to the dining area.

He obediently followed her to where she went. Before he could even sit down, Sooyeon went to him and touched his forehead. The only thing he did was to stare at her beautiful face. He realized how beautiful and sparkly her eyes are and her pink thin lips that seemed like calling out for him.

God knows how much he wanted to kiss those lips.

I really, really want to see your comments so please send it down below so I could see them! Please do, okay? Thanks for reading by the way.