CHAPTER 12
SONG NOEUL

'Song Noeul, I love you.'

It was the last thing I remembered before I collapsed. My eyes remained close despite me being conscious. I felt my entire body weakened and warm. Fever, it was due to the time that I saved Hoseok from the pond. I knew that I would have fallen sick anytime soon, which was the reason why I headed down to FaceNotes that day, to check on Hoseok.

But I learned something more about how the bet came about, and how Hoseok happened to be in my life.

"Noeul?" I heard his voice and turned weakly to him. Opening my eyes and he was the first person that I see. He smiled as his hands intertwined with mine. Even after what he did, his smile never failed to warm my heart. "How are you feeling? You had a fever, so.. we brought you to the sickbay for you to rest."

I wanted to sit up but Hoseok stopped me by the shoulders and asking me to rest. "Let me get you water, stay still," he said as he left.

Seconds later, I heard the door open and my teammates entered with their expressions washed with relief. "UNNIE!", "EUL-IE!" Daeun slumped on top of me as she cried. "I thought you were going to die!"

"She's exaggerating," Eri said.

"How nice of you, wishing me that," I smirked as the rest of them giggled. Daeun comfortably shifted to sit at the side of the bed. Kiran and Sooji stood at the foot of the bed while Eri and Jisoo sat down at the available chairs.

"When did you even got sick?" Kiran asked. "You were perfectly fine days ago."

They looked at me waiting for the answer and sighed, "It just happened. I can't really ask God not to let me fall sick." All the five of them gave a teasing smile to me. I hate those. "What?"
They glanced at each other when Daeun began, "Do you know how worried Hoseok was?" She paused. "He literally put all his strength and carried you to here."

"And all the while he had been saying - it was his fault," Eri quipped in.

"What did Hoseok say to all of you?"

"How you pushed him into the pond and yet feeling guilty, you saved him and all," Eri explained excitedly. "Why are you both so sweet!" She grinned teasingly. "Just get married with him, Eul-ie." So Hoseok seemed like someone who couldn't keep things like this to himself.

"Before you say anything, Unnie. I think Hoseok is really into you. Well, apart from his stupidity for letting into the bet and all, generally he seemed good?" Sooji explained.

"Did you all hit your head or Hoseok put something in the coffee or something? Just because he confessed, you are all melted. Hours ago, all the five of you were ready to kill him," I said.

Kiran sighed. "Stop denying, Unnie. I know what you're thinking. Stop pushing him away. You'll regret, if you do."

Silence.

Kiran always had the best last answer for me to not to retort. She was my assistant to the team but yet, she was one of the closest that I knew when I first came into Flinders.

I couldn't deny how much Hoseok's presence had affected me. Affected them. It all take that one bloody bet to make us all feel affected. Reflecting back, even if it was all planned and such, I doubt that the countless times we had bumped to each other in the streets was even planned. Twice, he brought me up to the safe haven that I always found comfort in, yet I didn't know the reason why or how he knew. There was so much of Hoseok that I still needed to learn. There were time to time, I found myself smiling inwardly in silence towards his idiotic antics, but that was what made him, him. I never lied to his sister when I told them that he knows how to be there for someone. He's reliable and thoughtful.

"Wow, I didn't know that you have guests," His voice sounded so clear in the room. He came in with a bottled water in his hands. "The nearest working vending machine is so far," He panted. He twisted the bottle open and assisted me to drink.

I glanced to the team in my room. They were looking and staring readily. "I'm not thirsty."

"Oh..? Okay," He stammered for a while as the others groaned.

"I guess that's our cue to go," Sooji said as the rest of them bid their wishes and goodbyes leaving me and Hoseok alone.

In the sickbay room. And on top of that, they purposely pulled the curtains closed. Those kids.

I sat up, earning Hoseok's attention as he kept on saying, I wasn't ready to sit up but I did, stubbornly. I took the bottled drink from his hand and drank it. "I thought you weren't thirsty?" He asked, confused.

"You got this for me right?" He nodded. "Then I'm drinking it," I said, keeping myself composed. Then it happened, Hoseok flashed the most beautiful smile that many women would have fallen for.  My heart swelled with full of emotions that I had tried to suppress. It was then, I choked on the drink and Hoseok instantly, put away the bottle from my hand. He stood up, rubbing my back, making sure that I was okay.

"Are you okay?" He asked as I nodded, and my hand rested on his chest unconsciously. "You should be drinking slowly," He said, face filled with concern. I looked at him and realized that our faces were only inches away. His gaze met with mine as he stopped. I blushed and pushed him away, but instead, he held my hand tight.

I looked away as well as pulling back my hand but he didn't let me. "Hoseok," I closed my eyes and sighed. "Please."

I turned back to look at him, he smiled and his dimples showed. It only happened when he smiled. I reached out to it and touched with my finger to his dimple, he smiled even more.

I like it. I like his dimples.

"The blessing part of meeting you is to be loved without asking at all," His voice was loud and clear, to my ears. His sweet words, his deep voice when it was only the two of us. My face grew red. "I know your heart now," his lips looked so soft as I recalled the time when I tried to save him.

He was about to lean in but I stopped him, "You'll fall sick."

"What?"

"What?"

Hoseok took something out from the back of the collar, and showed me, "There's a thread."

I blushed even more in embarassment and pushed him away with all my might. "Get out! Leave me!" I yelled and pulled the sheets, covering my face.

What was I thinking? Oh my god, earlier I swore that I wasn't going to forgive him but really what happened to 'I hate him!'? What is happening to me??