37

Wearing a mask, Seola rushed to the hospital. Her hair was slightly stained with sweat. She anxiously searching for Eunseo in the emergency room.

From a distance, she found the tall girl, sitting on the bed, looking at the infusion tube on the back of her hand in bored. Seola was relieved to see Eunseo looked much spirited than she expected.

She slowly walked towards Eunseo and planned to greet in a friendly tone. "Eunseo, how are you?" She was smiling stiffly and her voice was trembling due to excessive tension, Seola herself could tell she sounded very awkward now.

Eunseo was a little panicked. "Why are you here?" She frowned.

Seola has cut her hair short, to a shoulder-length style and looked refreshing. Eunseo remembered Seola has been wanting to cut short hair before. But she did not because she was afraid the clients will not think she looks mature enough and the confidence for her will be lesser with short hair. So why did she cut her hair, and even dyed it black?

"Exy couldn't make it, so she informed me." Seola took out a new mask from her bag. "Hospital is full of virus and bacteria, wear this."

Seola reached her hands out, trying to put on the mask for Eunseo. But Eunseo turned her face away, leaving Seola's hands hanging in the air, awkwardly.

Eunseo pursed her lips, took the mask and put it on. "I'm sorry to bother you. I feel much better now. You..."

"I'll leave once you finish the infusion and... After I send you home." Seola did not want Eunseo to reject her kindness.

Seola's eyes were a little swollen, she looked exhausted too. Her voice was a little hoarse and the worst part, her face complexion was even paler than Eunseo who was lying in the hospital bed. Eunseo, the one who knows Seola the most, clearly knows what did that imply, so she wanted Seola to go back as soon as possible.

"The nurse said that I need another two hours. You don't really have to wait for me."

"I promised Exy." Seola pulled the chair and sat down, not showing any sign of leaving early.

Eunseo shook her head helplessly. Since when Seola will listen to Exy, it is more common to see Seola fools Exy.

Eunseo watched the IV dripping drop by drop, like a never-ending silence.

Eunseo lay down and pretended to fall asleep. Seola just kept her head down and watched quietly, saying nothing.

After a silent wait for almost two hours, Seola looked at her watch and the IV bag. She estimated the time for extubation and bill payment, then she took out her phone.

"Hello, I want to make a taxi appointment. About half an hour from now, I'm at..."

"What… What's wrong?" Before Seola could tell the location, her phone was taken away by Eunseo. Everything happened too fast, Seola widened her eyes and looked at Eunseo cluelessly.

"Didn't you drive? The fare must be very expensive at this hour." Eunseo furrowed.

"I sent it for a regular maintenance."

"I can go back on my own. Don't bother about me."

"No." Seola finally understood the reason Eunseo stopped her. Eunseo has been a frugal person, or perhaps she did not want to owe anything to Seola. In short, she did not want Seola to spend any penny on her. "It doesn't cost much, don't keep in mind."

Eunseo wanted to say something, but a firm glance was blazingly casted on her, she swallowed her words back.

Seola occasionally acts sternly and aloof, but most of the time occurs only in working place. Strictly speaking, it was the first time she behaved so in front of Eunseo.

Eunseo listened to Seola and they left the hospital by taxi. She could only blame herself for being sick and weak that time. She pouted, acting unhappy.

Seola noticed Eunseo's changed expression. She took something out from her bag. "Eat this when you feel dizzy." Seola stuffed a few sweets into Eunseo's hand.

Dizziness due to low blood sugar, Seola is very experienced. She often overworks and ignores her meals, which eventually leads her passing out. There were several times when Eunseo was right beside her, gave her sweets on time before things became worse.

Ever since then, Eunseo puts candies time to time in Seola's handbags, backpacks and even the pocket of her clothes in case of emergency.

The candies she was holding in hand, she remembered, they are exactly those she has prepared for Seola before that. Can this be called as "back to the original owner"?

38

"I'm back. You may go now."

Eunseo turned her back to Seola, took off her mask and threw it right away into the trash can. Her actions were obviously indicated to make Seola leave.

"I'll leave once you sleep." Seola insisted.

"Why are you acting so clinging?" Eunseo turned around, looked angry.

"Exy told me to do so." Actually, Exy did not say anything, but if there is a ready shield, why not make full use of that.

Eunseo sighed. "You don't have to bother about me..." They were no longer lovers; they have no obligation to care of each other anymore.

"Mrs. Ahn told me I'm living in my own world, being cold-hearted. But now, I care for others. I've been wondering what she told me for a long time. One fact I conclude, she's only right about one thing. Now, I care for people, but not other people in this world, the only I really want to take care of, is you...”

Eunseo stayed silent. She told herself not to look at Seola and fallen into her sincere and truthful eyes. She strode to the wardrobe and took her clothes. Before she walked into the bathroom, Seola grabbed her arm and she finally looked directly into Seola's eyes.

"Eunseo... I.."

"I'll go to bed after taking shower. Please leave once I sleep."

Seola looked deeply into Eunseo's eyes and saw that scarred figure. That silhouette was so dark, just like her heart.

A complete severance? Every sentence of Eunseo denoted rejection, on the other hand, every sentence connotated another type of compromise.

Seola was depleted, her head ached a lot. No one could tell her what to do. She was afraid if she did wrongly, she would only push Eunseo further and further.

Seola did not know what to do, and so did Eunseo.

In the bathroom, she was completely out of her mind. She never thought that she would meet Seola in such helpless situation.

Showing her weak side once again in front of Seola, Eunseo felt really upset.

She hates that it was Seola who decides everything, every time. Decides whether to love or not, decides to take it back or put it down, and even decides her next steps.

Eunseo told herself to be stronger, to stay unflinching, to not fall into the prison named Seola anymore.

But when Eunseo stepped out of the bathroom with a towel and saw Seola has fallen asleep, her mind wavered again.

Seola was leaning on the sofa, her mask has been pulled down under her chin. The unfinished water on the table and her briefcase next to her was half opened. The edge of a small box was exposed.

Eunseo walked nearer and took it out. It was a pillbox with a word “flu” on it.

Why is she taking this? Didn't she consult the doctor? Eunseo wrinkled her brows unconsciously. She caught a cold recently? Or she didn't even recover from her previous cold yet?

Always a soft-hearted person, Eunseo could not bear to wake Seola up. Hence, she the heater and covered Seola with a blanket.

Planning just to leave Seola alone, she felt uneasy again. So, she took out the ear thermometer from the drawer and checked Seola's body temperature carefully.

"Um..." When the ear thermometer touched Seola 's ears, Seola twisted his head and frowned, Eunseo was so scared that she would wake her up. But fortunately, she did not.

No fever, luckily. It should not be too serious. It might be because she dragged the sickness for too long and that was why she has been so weak.

Eunseo stared at Seola. She has not looked at this face precisely for such a long time. She looked paler than before.

You did it on purpose, didn't you? Kim Seola. You made yourself sick, you did not take care of yourself properly. You want me to feel bad and go back to you, right? Eunseo turned her head and stopped looking at Seola. She would fall into the whirlpool if she did not stop now. This woman in front of her right now, is too dangerous.

To be continued...