Chapter Fifteen

Your POV

With that only statement that managed to escape from his mouth, Jongin rushed back into the room as I heard the door slammed as it closed with a loud boom. I couldn’t find what to say as it all made sense now; his expression when he left the studio and why he was acting all uncomfortable. I mentally reprimanded myself for not having figured that out earlier as it was quite obvious. Baekhyun seemed to have sensed what I was thinking as his hand gently gripped on one of my shoulder from behind.

I looked at him and unknowingly, tears had already started to form in my eyes, blurring my view.

The feelings I felt when Jongin told me what happened was too overwhelming for me to handle. It was as if I was on a roller coaster ride, passing through a wave of different emotions. I couldn’t help but feel guilty the most since as their manager, I should had taken better care of them.

“It’s not your fault, stop blaming yourself.” He spoke softly as his hands patted my shoulder a couple of times comfortingly. After he said that sentence, it seemed to hit me right on my sensitive spot as some tears trickled down my cheeks. I bit my lips in guilt before I gave him a hopeless expression, seeking help from him on what I should do.

“You can go and check on him, it can’t be that bad.”

I nodded in agreement despite the tears that were taking the opportunity to escape from my eyes. Since I messed this up, I was going to put everything back in place. I was determined to help Sehun recover as fast as he could. I couldn’t bear to see any of them injured or sick. They were just a bunch of teenagers living their dreams, how could they suffer so much? I quickly wiped the tears with the back of my hands as I then rubbed my palms on my jeans to dry them.

I timidly walked to the door as Baekhyun gave me a firm nod, signalling for me to proceed with my actions. I exhaled before giving the door a few knocks. The door instantly opened before I could knock any other than 3 times. The first person that greeted me was Luhan. He was smiling widely when he saw me as I was too embarrassed to step into the room. I stood rooted to the ground with the door opened as his smile slightly faded away when he realized I wasn’t going in.

Then I felt like escaping instead of going in the room to face Sehun.

“You’re not coming in?” he asked in a bored tone as he waited for me patiently. I turned to look at Baekhyun as he gestured for me to go in and stop hesitating. I directed my gaze back to Luhan who was just staring at me as he waited for me to speak.

“Ah that, I-I am” I was about to slowly take a step in when Luhan beamed upon hearing my answer as he pulled me by the arm into the room. The few things that I saw were the utterly familiar furnitures as I recognized my bed immediately. And my eyes then travelled to the person who was currently laying comfortably on my bed sleeping soundly. It was Sehun. I slightly softened at the sight since his forehead was still sweating as his shirt was drenched with his sweat, sticking to his collarbones visibly. Luhan let go off my arm as he stood beside me while I was busy observing Sehun.

“Is he okay?” I choked on my words as I continued to stare at his exhausted figure that was laying inert on my bed. Which reminds me, why wasn’t he on my bed instead of being on his own one? Luhan nodded without a word as my eyes had also spotted the few others who were in the room except Baekhyun who didn’t enter the room. Jongin was sitting on a stool right next to Sehun as he carefully placed the folded towel onto his forehead.

“This idiot…He didn’t mention anything about not feeling well,” Jongin whispered as he continued to help wipe his sweats and his neck to cool him down. I didn’t speak since I was feeling beyond guilty when I see the other members expression; worried and anxious. “Did he take any medicine?” I decided to ask since I recalled that Baekhyun and I spent a long time outside. If he was sick before we left with Karen, it would be dangerous for having a high fever for hours. “Oh right, we ran out of it. Speaking of which, I can get some now.” Luhan answered as I grew more desperate after hearing that.

“I can go get them,” I hurriedly said as I was going to leave the room when Chanyeol held onto my arm. “It’s dangerous for a girl to go out this late at night, Luhan and the few others can get it.” He reminded me as Luhan nodded. Afterwards, they quickly prepared themselves before Luhan, Lay and Tao left to get medicine from the convenience store nearby. However, Chanyeol also left with the rest of the members as they hadn’t eaten anything ever since they came back from their practice since they were busy taking care of Sehun.

So basically, only Baekhyun, Sehun and I were left alone in the dorm.

I meticulously stepped closer to the bed as I crouched down to gently take off the towel. I placed the back of my hand on his forehead and it was burning hot. I helped to wash the towel once again before twisting it dry and placing it back on his forehead. I took another towel as I wiped his collarbones and neck that were wet from his sweat. My eyes often found their way back to his face as his thick eyebrows were knitted from the discomfort.

“D-don’t” he mumbled some incoherent words before I realized he was having a nightmare. I unconsciously smiled to myself as he looked different from the usual Sehun. It was a soft side that I had never seen before, not after we met as exes.

“He often have such nightmares,”

Baekhyun’s voice made me snapped my head to the door as he stood there, leaning against the door with a grin on his face. I frowned when I realized he was watching me the entire time. He was probably going to tease me for being like this. But instead of telling him to go away, I was curious as to the reasons for the nightmares. “Why?” I asked, partly hoping he would know the answer to the question.

“None of us know the reason as to why, it just happens.” He shrugged before he turned around, about to leave the room when he stopped again. He turned back before giving me a smug grin and a confusing statement and left.

“You know, this is just another plan that the members planned.”

His words left me hanging in confusion. Another plan? They had been carrying out plans? What was he even talking about? I pushed those thoughts to the back of my head as Sehun was the top priority now. I was about to continue and change the towel again when this time, a hand was grasped onto my wrist tightly, preventing me from moving. My eyes bulged as I was startled by the sudden action when his voice calmed me down.

“What are you doing?”

His eyes were now opened as he looked at me with that same cold stare that he had always given me ever since we met for the second time in our lives. His eyebrows were no longer frowning as he has the same heartless and cold expression. His mouth was slightly opened and his pink lips were slightly puffy since he was sick. I didn’t answer him as I just stared at him. Knowing that I wasn’t going to answer too, he pushed my hand away before he sat up with a groan. His voice was husky and I knew that he wasn’t feeling well at all.

He looked and sounded sluggish.

“Where are the other members?” he asked as he took off the towel that was on his forehead and tossed it to the other side of the bed. “They went out to get medicine for you,” I responded as my eyed widened when I saw that he was wearing his jacket. He slipped his arms into the sleeves as he wore it swiftly. He stood up from the bed and was going to leave the room when I grabbed onto his arm.

“Where are you going? You can’t leave, you’re sick!” I tugged onto his arms as he gave me an irritated look before removing my hands from him. “I’m fine,” he forced out a small smile as he pretended he was feeling well. After having removed my arms, he was about to leave again to find the members when I held onto his arm again. He staggered slightly from the impact and I was guessing that he was feeling giddy from the high fever.

“You can’t leave, you’re having a fever,” I warned him as he rolled his eyes. He let out a weak scoff before he tried to remove my hand again since he was getting annoyed. Furthermore, since he languid from the fever and he was too weak to remove my hands. “I need to find the members,” he mentioned before trying to pry my hands off again. My fingers slipped off of his arm afterwards as he turned around.

And before I could find another way to stop him, my arms went around his waist as I embraced him. It sent a tingling sensation around my body. My brain couldn’t function that fast for me to think of another more appropriate way to stop him and I figured out that a hug would work. My heart began to pulsate in frenzy as I stiffened when my body came into contact with him. He seemed to react the same as he didn’t move an inch. Well, and the method worked perfectly fine.

I could hear his heavy breathing since he was uncomfortable.

“Don’t go. Listen to me, you’re sick and you need to rest.” I muttered as he didn’t speak.

His body heat that was extremely high seemed to be transferring onto my body as I felt warmer than usual. I could clearly hear my heartbeat from my ears and I was hoping he couldn’t hear it. It was awkward yet we stayed in that position for a few minutes of silence. And after that few minutes of silence, he broke it. He coughed slightly before talking so softly it almost sounded like a whisper.

“I won’t. You can let me go now,”

Even though I didn’t quite believe his words, I loosened my grip as my arms fell back and losing his touch. He turned around to give me an unreadable look before he left the room and went to the living room. His look was confounding  and I couldn’t understand it. Nonetheless, even though I had a hunch that it was trying to tell me to stay away from him, I decided to tag along to the living room.

I was his manager and I needed to take care of him.

He slumped himself down onto the couch before he slothfully reached for the remote and the television. I rolled my eyes at his action but still settled down onto the area beside him on the couch as I tried to stay as silent as I could. He switched it to some variety show channel before focusing on it. I didn’t make any sound as I just watched it quietly like what he was doing.

After half an hour or so, it was turning strange since the variety show was funny but he wasn’t laughing. I didn’t take a single glance at him since I was worried that he would rage from my presence that was like of a nuisance to him. Instead, I felt his head dropped onto my shoulder all of a sudden. I carefully turned my head to look at his face, just to find him sleeping soundly. He looked really different everytime he slept since he would be more calm and relaxed in his dreams.

I gently brushed his hair away from his eyes before I smiled to myself when I scrutinized his face.

It really is perfect, just like before.

“Hey, are you okay?” Luhan waved a few fingers in front of me when he realized I was just zoning out in the living room. It was in the morning and I was busy contemplating about last night. Sehun was acting so differently and it was just bemusing. Yesterday, soon after he fell asleep on my shoulder, the members came home. They were of course surprised by the sight but after I had explained(not about the hug though), they just shrugged it off before carrying him back to the room. He had his medicine and his fever was gone this morning when I checked.

“Yeah, just thinking of things.” I answered truthfully as he raised a brow upon hearing that. “What things?” he emphasised on the word ‘things’ as I wasn’t being detailed on what. I just gave him a smile as I shook my shoulders. “I don’t know,” I joked as he grinned. “You’re cute like this,” he complimented me out of nowhere as his hands brushed against my cheek. I blushed when I saw that he was staring at me with a smile.

He gave me a bashful smile when he realized what he was doing before retreating his hands to the back of his head. “But you’re cuter than me,” I stated as a matter of fact but he took that as an insult instead. “I’m not! I’m manly,” he smirked as he gave me an obnoxious wink. I smiled before ruffling his hair. And not to my surprise, his hair was super soft. My fingers felt very comfortable in his hair as I continued to touch it.

“Be honoured I let you do this, I don’t allow just anyone to do this.” He said with narrowed eyes on me as I laughed.

“Oh, I need to check on Sehun,” I told him that as  I remembered I need to check whether his fever was still there since they have dance practice later. Luhan nodded before following me to the room. I was quite stunned when I saw that the door was actually opened slightly since it was closed before I left the room when he was still sleeping. I opened it as I stepped in, just to see Sehun looking at his phone as he sat on his bed. I walked towards him as he ignored Luhan and my presence. I frowned before my hands reached for his forehead, about to check him when he harshly pushed my hands away from him before they could come to contact.

“Get your hands off of me,” he said harshly.