not proof read

eighteen

There was a smile on her lips, tracing weakly as she gazed on the boy in the dark room. “I know you like me.” She tried to sass, but only to breathe out weakly and Jongin frowned deeper at the shakiest breath.

The roar of the thunder didn’t even ease his worry for a moment and he held the girl closer, feeling her weakly pressing her forehead against his shoulders. “Yeoreum…”

“Why you sound so worried?…”

“You need to change your clothes.”

Yeoreum didn’t say anything. She wanted to hold the boy closer, wanting to feel his warmth against her cold body, but when he blindly traced the spot beside his and pushed her to lay slowly, she obeyed.

She wanted to ask what he wanted to do as he suddenly stood up, blindly searching for something to hold onto. “Jongin…” she called.

Her head was spinning again and she squinted, suddenly feeling heavy on her sight. “Where you going?”

“Stay there. I’m calling my mom.”

Faint puff of breathing lingers – hot and bothered.

Yeoreum pressed her eyes shut.

Her body was aching for something and she just pressed herself harder onto the soft bed, lulled herself to rest although it was disturb by a sudden cold feeling on her forehead and she grunted at that, trying to push it away.

“Yeoreum…”

The girl breathed out slowly, hearing someone called her name in a very stern way. She wanted to open her eyes, but decided that it was probably her mother, taking care of her and so she pulled herself to sleep back again.

Until there was a soft touch on her face, blindly tracing her features and she frowned at the warm touch.

“Yeoreum…”

She jerked at the voice, immediately snapping her eyes opened.

The way he sat on the edge of the bed, somehow looking at her although she knew that he can’t see her no matter how hard he try. The way his messy hair looked so perfect to her. The way his hand stood still midair, not knowing what to do before he pulled it back with the look that just broke her heart when she noticed it.

“Jongin…”

“Ah, you’re awake?”

Yeoreum was startled when Mrs.Kim walked into the room, smiling at her. It was a smile that was rare, a purely concern and motherly like and she somehow missed that smile on the older woman.

“Are you feeling okay? I did gave you a mountain of pills last night.”

Last night?

Last night.

A glance at Jongin.

He was standing still, just pressing himself onto the wall of his room, listening silently. But she could see the glum face of his.

“Hmm…”

She shivered a bit when the mother’s cool hand touched her forehead, checking her temperature before the thermometer came resting in for a moment.

“It lowered a bit.”

Yoereum just glance at the thermometer. Suddenly, she felt guilty, remembering the incidents from last night. “I’m sorry.”

Her voice was sore, she realised.

Mrs.Kim just weakly smiled. “You should. I was so worried of you. Your mother was worried of you. Thank God, Jongin came to my room last night, telling about you or else..."

Yeoreum looked down in shame.

She sighed. “When the road is being cleared, your mother is going to pick you up. Okay, honey? But first, you're going to take a warm bath and a healthy breakfast."

Her shoulders slumped back, knowing that she had to go home. Yeoreum managed to glanced at Jongin when the mother said that, noticing that he was also having his shoulder slumped, looking defeated and didn’t say a word about that.

Yeoreum didn’t protested when Mrs.Kim asked her to take a bath, or when the woman tried to help her when she doesn't seemed like she was cooperating well with her body.

Mrs.Kim was very careful at what she was doing, seeming very calculated and pondering about something every moment as she was so slow at doing things that moment and Yeoreum was wondering.

The mother had always been a sharp and fast at whatever she was doing. She had never been so slow and pondering at something for so long.

“Are...everything okay, auntie?

Yeoreum didn’t know whether she could be calling her that or not anymore as she hadn't been working with her and it sounded so awkward to be calling her with that after a few days.

The mother looked at her, smiling. “Yeah.” She pointed at the clothes that she had put in the bathroom, all ready for the girl.

“You can wear that.”

Her eyes lazily looked at the clothes, cracking a weak smile, she thanked the mother but not before she apologized for the nth time. “I shouldn’t have done this, auntie…I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

The mother sighed again, slowly dragging herself to the girl and hold her close. “I should be the one that’s sorry, I shouldn’t have fired you. I know how much you meant for Jongin.”

Is it weird to feel pity for someone who hasn’t done anything wrong to you? Weirdly, it is.

She couldn’t help it, staring at the mother’s low gaze and constant sigh. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Her feverish body shivered when the mother’s cool hand touched her face again. Her breathing came out steady and slow when the mother soothed her cheeks.

“Why didn’t you tell me that Jongin has a panic attack?”

Yeoreum looked at the mother, staring to her eyes.

No.

She wasn’t angry at her.

It wasn’t the look of anger.