Chapter 13

November 18, 2014 9:54PM

Serri: last one. My absolute worst memory of Yoohwan is when I caught him cheating on me. We were supposed to have a date one day, but he called me and told me he was sick. I went to his apartment with some soup...He wasn’t sick...And he wasn’t alone...i hope this is one we never reenact.

Hakyeon: I’m so sorry, Serri-yah :( He’s cruel.

November 18, 2014 10:17

Hakyeon: Serri-yah?

November 18, 2014 10:49

Hakyeon: Serri-yah, are you okay?

Serri: oppa, I don’t think I can go out to dinner with you tomorrow night. I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve been thinking about him lately...but I feel really sick. I’m pretty sure I caught a bug or something. But my stomach hurts a lot...it’s just twisting and turning nonstop. I think I should go to bed

Hakyeon: Serri-yah...sleep well, ok?

Serri: thank you, Hakyeon-ah :)

*          *          *

            Jiyul stood in the kitchen with a worried frown on her face.  She stirred some soup on the stove and poured a glass of water.  Peeking out into the living room, she saw Serri lying on the couch with a grimace on her pale face.

            “Unnie, here’s some water,” Jiyul said softly, placing the glass on the coffee table next to the couch.  “You should really drink something.  You’re probably dehydrated.”

            Keeping her eyes closed, Serri reached for a large bowl on her stomach.  She pulled it up to her chest and wrapped her arms around it.  “I don’t know if anything that I eat or drink will stay down.”

            “You said your stomach was settling, right?”

           “Yeah, but…I’m just scared,” Serri admitted tensely as her expression contorted into one of pain and disgust.  “I really hate throwing up.”

            Jiyul reluctantly left Serri on the couch to tend to the soup in the kitchen.  As she stirred the boiling liquid, she recalled last night’s unfortunate series of events.  At midnight, when Jiyul had found Serri drinking water in the kitchen, she checked her temperature and found that she had a fever.  A few minutes later, Serri was in the bathroom losing her dinner.  For the rest of the early morning hours, Serri could neither sleep nor eat.  She moaned helplessly, clutching her stomach.  Jiyul stayed up with her, hoping her pain would subside.  But it only got worse, worse enough to even make Serri cry.

            At ten ‘o’ clock this morning, both of them were hopelessly tired.   Jiyul struggled to find strength to care for Serri, and Serri struggled to find strength to keep from vomiting.  Subin was on vacation, while Woohee still stayed with her family to recover.  Ahyoung was at a script reading, and Gaeun had gone to visit her family in the countryside.  Jiyul took a deep breath as she listened to Serri give another pained groan.

            Serri always worked hard to stay healthy, and Jiyul could hardly recall a time when she was ever sick.  But Jiyul remembered a very specific time when Serri’s body failed her like this.  The day Serri had caught Yoohwan cheating on her, Serri seemed to fall ill right away.  Her whole body ached, she had trouble eating for a few days, and she even developed a fever.  As strange as it seemed, Jiyul prayed that Serri’s sickness now was due simply to an actual virus or infection.

            Just as Jiyul thought she could fall asleep right there in the kitchen, she heard a knock on the door.  She dragged her feet to the living room and peeked through the peephole.  Hakyeon’s worried face surprised her, and she immediately opened the door.

            “Hakyeon oppa, how are you?” she greeted, giving a slight bow.

            “Ah, Jiyul-ah, I’m well,” he replied with a weak grin.

            Jiyul observed the small bag he carried with him and wondered if he had some spectacular date planned for Serri.  Though the possibility of their date was surely nonexistent, she smiled and quickly let him into the dorm.

            “Serri-yah,” he called as soon as he entered.  He seemed to glide over to the couch and sit down on the floor nearby.  

            Serri’s eyes opened slowly, and she gave a long sigh when she saw Hakyeon.  “Ah, oppa, what is this?  I told you I was sick.”

            “I brought you some tea,” he informed gently, taking a thermos out of his bag.

            Though Serri still clutched her aching stomach, a small grin etched itself onto her face.  “Ya, oppa…You’re promoting right now.  You can’t afford to get sick.  Don’t get close to me.”

            “I’ll be fine,” he assured, placing the thermos on the coffee table.  “Your stomach is still upsetting you?”

            “Yeah…”  Serri put her big bowl on the coffee table and closed her eyes again.  “I…I couldn’t keep my dinner down last night.”

            “And I think she has a fever,” Jiyul told, tending to the soup again.  “It seems like a really bad bug.”

            “Jiyul took care of me all night,” Serri frowned.  “She needs some sleep.  I called my mom to come over and take care of me for a while.”

            “What?” Jiyul exclaimed.  “Ah, unnie, you didn’t need to do that.”

            “You look exhausted,” Serri insisted, though she didn’t even open her eyes to assess Jiyul.  “Please get some sleep.”

            “I’ll take over for now, Jiyul-ah,” Hakyeon smiled.

            “What?”  Jiyul turned off the stove and gave the soup one last stir.  “Are you sure, oppa?”

            “Of course,” he assured, rising from the floor.  “Get some sleep.  I’ll make sure Serri is okay.”

            “Please listen to him, Jiyul-ah,” Serri begged with a weak voice.

            Jiyul felt like she could pass out right there on the kitchen floor.  She walked over to Serri and placed her hand on her forehead.  “Ah, unnie, your fever…”

            “Go to bed, Jiyul-ah,” Serri pleaded, a feeble grin upon her face.  “I don’t want your body to wear out as well.”

            “Aish…” 

            Jiyul gently patted Serri’s cheek before departing to her room.  A triumphant smirk appeared on Serri’s face.  She looked over at Hakyeon with her tired eyes and gave a small laugh.

            “I wish you were home resting,” she sighed.  “But I’m really glad you’re here to give Jiyul a break.”

            He observed her casual sweatshirt and sweatpants.  The dorm wasn’t freezing, but the heater seemed to be barely working.  He reached for a blanket on the sofa and draped it over her.

            “Once my mom gets here, you can go home and rest,” she assured with a smile.

            “I want to make sure you’re okay,” he told sternly.  He tucked the blanket up to her chin and felt her forehead.  “You really do have a fever.  Are you feeling hot or chilly?”

            “It keeps changing.”

            Her eyes darted to the ceiling.  As he stared at her, she wouldn’t even glance at him.  He looked down at the ground and searched for the right words to say.  This wasn’t any normal fever.

            “Do you want to talk about it?” he asked quietly.

            He watched nervously as her eyes began to glisten.  She took a deep breath and blinked hard.  Her body shivered once, and she finally looked up at him.

            “When I brought the soup to his apartment and found him with that girl, I was so angry,” she began quietly.  “He didn’t seem ashamed or remorseful.  He didn’t even try to deny it.  He probably could have made up some crazy lie about why she was there, and I probably would have believed him, but he didn’t event try.  But at that time, I was mad because he had hurt me so much.  But now…I’m mad because I know he’s hurting you, too.”

            “What?”  Hakyeon took her hand and gave a timid smile.  “Serri-yah, that fight was such a long time ago.  My eye is healed.  See?”

            “I know that,” she continued urgently.  “But…Hakyeon-ah…I…I love you Hakyeon-ah.”

            Hakyeon’s eyes grew wide, and he couldn’t help but suddenly squeeze Serri’s hand.  He felt that sapphire ring pushing into his skin, but nothing could distract him from Serri’s glistening eyes.  A smile erupted onto his face as he finally loosened his grip on Serri’s hand.

            “Do you mean it, Serri-yah?” he asked.

            “I do.  I really do,” she grinned as a tear finally fell down her cheek.

            “I love you too, Serri-yah,” he told with a shaky voice, wiping her tear away.  He felt tears forming in his eyes, and he knew s would scold him for tearing up yet again, but he could only focus on Serri’s face.

            “I know that, Hakyeon-ah,” she laughed.  She took his hand and held it tightly.  “Everything you’ve ever done for me has been so filled with love.  I never doubted it.  That’s why…that’s why it hurts so much.”

            “What’s wrong, Serri-yah?”  Hakyeon’s heart beat hard and fast, not only because of Serri’s confession.  He saw her tormented expression and wanted to help her.

            “I love you, Hakyeon-ah,” she repeated, closing her eyes.  She shivered again and clutched her stomach, unintentionally bringing Hakyeon’s hand with hers.  “But I’m so mad at Yoohwan because I feel like he’s still holding on to my hand even as I tell you I love you.  You shouldn’t have to deal with him.  This isn’t a package deal.  You deserve so much better.”

            “Serri-yah, please stop crying,” he begged, rubbing her aching stomach.  “Serri-ah, I love you.  And now I know that you love me-” 

            Serri opened her eyes and looked at Hakyeon as he choked on his words.  The light through the window revealed his shimmering eyes, and Serri quickly sat up.  She took his face in both her hands and looked at him anxiously.

            “Hakyeon-ah…are you crying?” she questioned swiftly.

            He smiled at her and blushed.  “My members call me a crybaby.”

            “Hakyeon-ah,” Serri called tenderly, wrapping her arms around his neck.  “Ah, Hakyeon-ah, I love you so much.  You deserve better-”

            “No.”  His voice was stern again, and he gently released himself from her embrace.  “Serri-yah, you’re more than I could have ever imagined.  I thought I loved the quiet, bookish type…But it turns out I love the loud, adorable Serri type.  I love you, and I could never deserve you.  Whether Yoohwan is still in your heart or not, I will still love you.”  He took her hand again and gripped it firmly.  “And I’m holding on to your hand now.  I’ll hold it until you and Yoohwan know it.”

            Serri frowned at Hakyeon, knowing he was accepting an unfair deal.  But he didn’t intend to leave it unfair; he wanted to make it right.  More tears fell down her cheeks, but she felt Hakyeon’s hand holding hers so tightly that her sapphire ring felt like it was engraving itself into her finger eternally.  But that tiny sting only made her heart beat violently with gratitude.  She hugged Hakyeon again and finally gave a bright smile.

            The front door creaked open, and Serri and Hakyeon jumped in surprise.  Mrs. Park, Serri’s kind, timid mother, peeked into the living room and looked at the two of them with surprise.  Hakyeon slowly leaned away from Serri and leaped up from the floor.  He bowed sharply as Serri awkwardly retracted back into the couch.

           “Hello,” he greeted, reluctantly walking up to Mrs. Park.  “You must be Serri’s mother.  It’s nice to meet you.  I’m Hakyeon.”

            “Ah, it’s nice to meet you, too,” Mrs. Park smiled shyly, giving a little bow.  “I heard Serri was sick…I hope you won’t get sick as well, Hakyeon-ah.”

            Hakyeon bowed apologetically and quickly retreated into the kitchen.  He looked around frantically as he heard Mrs. Park make her way over to Serri.

            “How are you feeling, Miyeon-yah?” he heard Mrs. Park ask.

            “I’m feeling better now,” Serri replied softly.  “I’m not sure if I’m really sick.  I think…Yoohwan is making me sick again.”

            “Ah, Yoohwan,” Mrs. Park growled.  Hakyeon cringed at the name as well.  “Did he contact you?”

            “No…I was really worried about something.  But Hakyeon has made it better.  Did you know he loves me, Mom?”

            Hakyeon felt his body warm suddenly at Serri’s happy voice.  He looked down at the ground, nervous about Mrs. Park’s response.

            “After all you’ve told me, Miyeon-yah, I have no doubt,” Mrs. Park grinned.  “And for that, I truly appreciate him.”

            Hakyeon’s heart welled up with joy, and he was abruptly filled with excitement.  “Um, Mrs. Park,” he called.  “Jiyul-ah made some soup, if you’re hungry.  Please try some when you feel like it.”

            “That sounds fine, Hakyeon-ah,” Mrs. Park responded gently.  “It’s nice to finally meet you, Cha Hakyeon.  Thank you for loving my daughter.”