~

Getting from one location to the other was a complicated task when coughing fits wracked through your body like they were going to rip it apart. Even though the distance between the locations were a mere five metres it felt like halfway across the world, which is why what normally would take me ten seconds to do, took me ten minutes today. A cup of hot chocolate was essential when it felt like you were going to cough your throat raw.

I rarely get sick, being one of the lucky ones to escape every outburst of illness. However, once infected I’m out for days. The fact that this fate decided to put me through this during this specific week was just cruel as this week was the only one where we could increase our grades. I was already at the top of the student body so I wasn’t worried about failing any courses, but I would rather fail if it meant that a certain person failed worse than I did.

No Sooil, cocky and loud, a combination no human being should possess, was my biggest rival in school, regarding every single aspect. No matter what I did or what hobbies I had, he had to do better, no matter how humble I tried being, he would rub every single one of his accomplishments in my face and if that wasn’t the end of it, he basically hates me. It was obvious from the first day of college, he had scoffed at everything I said and interrupted every time I tried making friends, causing irritation to boil within me from the first second.

He would be on top of his game this week, and of course I manage to get sick, causing me to not be present at all.

With a heavy sigh, I opened the microwave and retrieved my hot chocolate, careful not to burn myself as I made my way back to my room with small, slow steps. As soon as I had placed the hot cup on the nightstand, I curled down beneath my warm cover, already shivering from my short journey to the kitchen. Propping myself up into a sitting position, I grabbed a book and started reading while letting the chocolate run down my throat, filling me with warmth from the inside. Once the cup was empty, I decided to get some sleep and hopefully feel better when I wake up, only before that was possible, my phone lit up with a ding, causing my already bursting headache to get worse.

Squinting at the screen I noticed I had gotten a text from Jinwook, instantly alerting my inner alarms at the first sentence.

Jinwook

11.24 am

I’m sorry

I don’t know what got into him

Confusion filled my mind as I read his texts once again, trying to understand the meaning behind them. Seconds later I received another one.

Jinwook

11.25 am

Don’t kill me pls

Just thinking about these texts made my head throb and so I ignored them and placed my phone back onto the nightstand, making sure it was on silent this time. Then I fell into a dreamless sleep.

~

I woke up to a loud bang, to which I got so surprised I almost fell out of bed. After a moment of disorientation, I managed to gather my thoughts. The first thing I noticed was the damp cloth draped across my forehead, keeping me from growing too hot. The second thing was the continuous noise coming from the kitchen. Curiosity inevitably got the best of me and soon I was struggling out of bed, fighting the headache which still hadn’t disappeared. I found my dressing gown and slippers before slowly making my way out of my room into the brightness of the kitchen.

I should’ve been surprised to see Sooil standing by the stove, stirring what looked to be and smelled like chicken soup but I guess my unconscious had understood the meaning of Jinwook’s messages. Knowing my voice would abandon me if I tried to speak, I shuffled over to him and poked him on his shoulder blade, not expecting him to jump as high as he did. A small giggle escaped my lips as he looked at me, one hand over his heart and the other steadying him against the counter.

“What are you doing here?” My voice was hoarse and low, but he seemed to hear me, nonetheless.

“You’re sick. You never get sick, so I got worried.” He turned back to the soup, continuing to stir for it not to burn.

“No Sooil, worried for me? I find that hard to believe.” I sat down at one of the chairs by the table, watching him as he poured the soup into a bowl, smoke emerging from the dish. He chuckled at my teasing, not taking his eyes of the soup as he placed it in front of me, then sitting himself down.

“You shouldn’t be out of bed.”

“You would be too if you were awoken by strange noises.” I put the spoon in my mouth and felt the soup soothe my throat on the way down, leaving a satisfying feeling behind. As I ate, questions were flying around in my head, causing my curiosity and confusion to grow stronger. Eventually, I just had to ask.

“Sooil, I still don’t understand why you’re here. I was under the impression you hated me.” He looked at me for a while, leaving me to think that he wouldn’t provide an answer.

“Yeah, well. Times change.” I almost laughed out loud at the forced coldness he put in his voice as he refused meeting my eye. I hummed sarcastically, not taking my gaze off him as I kept eating, knowing that soon enough I would get a real answer. He glanced at me carefully, to which he received a teasing smile and he couldn’t help but laugh. It’s the first time we were alone in a room before, without the student body to witness our exchange, maybe the competition increased due to the attention from all the rest, causing us to grow venomous towards each other. Maybe, Sooil wasn’t so bad after all.

“I never hated you,” He finally said. I stopped eating, putting the entirety of my attention on him. “I enjoyed having someone to compete with, someone who was just as talented and competitive as me, I liked the challenge. I guess with  those competitive feelings my true feelings were buried underneath because I don’t hate you, I never did.” He looked quite ashamed of his actions but as he asked the following question, his eyes never left mine.

“Do you hate me?” My heart broke at the tremble of his voice and I reached over to hold his hand.

“No, I never did. I found you annoying, yes, but I never hated you.” The relief in his face was evident and he squeezed my hand, before suddenly shifting his gaze down to our handhold.

“Your hands are freezing.”

“Yeah, I’m sick, remember.”

He stood up before leading me toward my room once again, where he made me lie down before lying down beside me.

“wait, wait, wait. What are you doing?” I asked laughing at his confused face. “Again, I’m sick.”

“Oh, I never get sick and you’ll get warmer with some body heat.” I shook my head and laughed again as he laid down beside me, pressing me against his chest to share some body heat. Not too long after, I started drifting off and as he leaned his head against mine, his following words caused butterflies to erupt in my belly.