Kai’s POV

“Thank you for coming. Please do come again.”

I smiled as the couple handed me a large tip for my service. My eyes followed them as they left the store. I kept the tip in the pocket of pants and turned back towards the table to clean up the mugs and bowls. Humming to myself as I cleaned, I found myself to be rather calm and relaxed despite the all the events that happened during the past months.

Gathering the bowls into a stack, I balanced them skilfully on my arms as I made my way towards the back of the restaurant, towards the kitchen. Upon entering, Kyungsoo hyung immediately turned around and snatched the bowls from my arms before smiling at me.

“I got it. Go ahead and take a break with the others. You look quite pale. Are you okay?” He pressed the back of his hand on my forehead to check my temperature.

“Hyung, I’m fine. Thanks hyung!” I gave him a reassuring smile.

Kyungsoo hyung nodded, placing the bowls into the sink and the faucet to wash them. He pulled on the rubber gloves, pausing to look over his shoulder at me. His smile faded into a soft frown as her turned fully to observe me.

“Are you really okay, JongIn ah?”

I nodded and forced myself to give him my brightest smile.  I walked lethargically towards the locker room where there was a sofa.  Luckily, nobody was there. I leaned against the wall, and breathed deeply.  My head spun as a spell of dizziness ran through me.  I laid on the sofa, feeling like I was on a rollercoaster. The walls seemed to shift up and down. I had an extremely painful stomach. Just as I rolled off the couch, I grabbed a trash can that was inside the room and projected my vomit in it.

Kyungsoo hyung came at the wrong time as I braced myself and vomited a second time. He rushed over to me and patted me on my back.

“Yah, you’re sick! You should rest at home,” Kyungsoo hyung glanced at me, his eyes tight and worried.

“Hyung, I can’t! I took too much medical leave these past few weeks. I can’t take another day off. My pay will be cut!” I tried to persuade Kyungsoo hyung.

“You want to talk about it?”

I stayed silent. Kyungsoo hyung was staring me down with his strong gaze. I didn’t need to say anything. Shaking his head, Kyungsoo hyung placed both of his hands on my shoulders. He squeezed my shoulders gently.

“Hyung, I can handle this on my own.”

He went silent, taking in my words slowly. His hand dropped to his side as neither of us said a word for the next few minutes. I staggered towards the door. My head began to throb uncontrollably. I bit my lip, urging myself not to show the pain. In this situation, it was better for me not to hear Kyungsoo hyung’s reply. My presence would only make it harder for him to convince himself that I could handle my own problems.

“You’re not even going to give me a chance to help you?”

I paused in the doorway; my heart sank slightly at the disappointed tone in his voice. Shaking my head, I didn’t even turn back to look at him.

“Remember, I’m just a phone call away.”

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“You expected to be sad in the fall. Part of you died each year when the leaves fell from the trees and their branches were bare against the wind and the cold, wintery light. But you knew there would always be the spring, as you knew the river would flow again after it was frozen. When the cold rains kept on and killed the spring, it was as though a young person died for no reason,” I was able to hear omma’s velvety voice in my ear, repeating the quote by Ernest Hemingway over and ov