Love for Love’s Sake - Chapter 17

Chapter 17

I had tried to say it as lighthearted as possible, but Cha Yeowoon only frowned.

“If you don’t want to, I can sleep at your place.”

“Why, senior?”

“That’s…”

“Do you feel sorry for me?”

His question came out sharp. The tone made it clear he wanted to provoke and unsettle me.

“Is it so strange that I want to take care of you?”

When I touched his forehead, which was still moist with sweat, his eyes quivered. I reached out my hand and smoothed his damp and clumped hair.

“It could be that I just want to be nice to you.”

“Just, why?”

“What do you mean why? If there’s a reason, it would just be ‘because’? Giving and expecting nothing in return, that’s why.”

That was why.

My throat tightened and I stopped talking. I couldn’t continue even when I tried to straighten my vocal cords.

I felt somewhat embarrassed. In such situations, I, as the older one, should calmly handle the situation. But I was really getting emotional as if I was only 19 years old.

“That’s just the way it is. Cha Yeowoon. There may be someone who wants to take care of you for no particular reason, just as things can happen for no rhyme or reason.”

I could hardly complete my sentence when he quietly withdrew his head from my reach.

The hair that hadn’t yet been combed fell sloppily down his forehead. I had tried to fix it, but instead, it had become even more disheveled.

How was it possible to give without expecting anything in return? Cha Yeowoon was asking that question sincerely.

Zero favorability.

That meant, really, not even negative, but zero.

I wasn’t anything to Cha Yeowoon yet. That fact didn’t discourage me.

His eyes, looking at me through his disheveled hair, appeared uneasy.

The more I tried to be nice to him, and maybe the more he came to like it, the more afraid he seemed to become.

“Let’s go grab something to eat once the IV is out.”

“…It’s fine. I’ll just go home.”

“I’ll take you.”

“I can go by myself.”

“I’m afraid you might faint on the way.”

Cha Yeowoon remained silent, not offering a smile despite my jesting tone. He simply looked at the dripping IV bag, pursing his lips. Sometimes furrowing his brows or sighing, perhaps because he disliked the hospital’s unique disinfectant smell.

I, too, hadn’t wanted to go in and out of the shantytown after my grandmother passed away. I had preferred living in a location close to the main road, even though I was living in a small single room.

Cha Yeowoon paid his medical bill at the reception. I stayed quiet, afraid that if I said I could pay he would cry. I couldn’t readily offer assistance, either, as my financial situation wasn’t that comfortable.

I needed to be prepared to cover at least the hospital expenses if he got injured. Both my grandmother and him were a source of concern.

Money was needed. My resolution had been further strengthened after this ordeal.

“Do you want me to buy you ice cream?”

I could still afford ice cream, at least. Cha Yeowoon, who was trying to walk ahead, stopped.

“Senior really likes ice cream.”

“It’s not the ice cream I like; it’s you.”

Cha Yeowoon became silent.

Unlike before, his ears were red as he strode quickly with a strangely energetic gait. Anyway, there was a lot of shyness perhaps because he was a child.

“You’re not going to eat ice cream?”

“I won’t.”

Feeding something cold to someone whose stomach had been empty for a while wasn’t a good idea. Should I feed him porridge because he had stomach cramps?

“Let’s take a taxi.”

“It’s not far from here.”

“That’s not a reason not to take a taxi. You just collapsed.”

Cha Yeowoon bit his lips without agreeing or disagreeing. Perhaps due to being in pain, he was unusually quiet today.

I waved down a taxi and pushed him into the back seat. After being pushed inside without any warning, he gave me a resentful look.

Ignoring him, I gave the driver the address, and the taxi started moving. He remained silent until we arrived.

Just as I wondered if we could return home without any incidents, I saw a familiar motorcycle parked under Cha Yeowoon’s apartment building.

Cheon Sangwon’s motorcycle was still there.

“Wow. You’re finally here.”

A voice came from above.

Raising my head, Cheon Sangwon was sitting on the stair railing looking down at us with his back to the sun.

“Brother is late.”

As Cha Yeowoon climbed up the stairs ahead of me and we were right in front of his home, Cheon Sangwon greeted me.

This rude guy. How could I match Cha Yeowoon with him?

Cha Yeowoon slowly alternated between Cheon Sangwon and me. Somehow, I felt like we were being tied together, so I wanted to declare that I had nothing to do with him.

“Why haven’t you left yet?”

“I was waiting.”

What was this again? I didn’t even have to ask to know who he was waiting for. Cha Yeowoon also seemed to understand, shifting his gaze toward Cheon Sangwon.

However, that only lasted a moment. He soon looked back at me.

I was going to ask Cheon Sangwon to go home, but he spoke up first.

“If brother is going home, I’ll take you.”

“What do you mean take me home? You brat without a driver’s license.”

“Then, brother give me a ride.”

“Why would I?”

“I lent you my motorcycle earlier.”

His shamelessness was apparent. But he had a point. Anyway, thanks to him I arrived early.

“Senior.”

Cha Yeowoon called out to me.

“You said you were going to sleep at my place.”

His next words were quite unexpected.

“Huh?”

“Didn’t you say that earlier?”

Did I? Perhaps I did. I had told him he could stay at my home or I could sleep over at his.

I didn’t necessarily mean tonight, though. But if I said that now, it might make things awkward.

It was the weekend, so there was no problem. My grandmother would understand if I contacted her. In fact, she was the kind of person who wouldn’t mind not seeing me for a day or two.

Given that I was an adult, she wasn’t really worried. She was more worried that I would cause trouble outside.

“Are you two dating?”

Cheon Sangwon, who had been eavesdropping on Cha Yeowoon and me, interjected casually. His eyes, which had a mischievous glint, widened with a smile.

“Are you insane?”

“What are you two thinking of doing tonight if you’re not dating?”

“Hey. You better go now. Don’t drive without a license from tomorrow. I’ll report you.”

“Okay.”

Cheon Sangwon chuckled and descended the stairs.

Cha Yeowoon showed a strange expression as he watched Cheon Sangwong’s back.

“Let’s go inside quickly.”

“Cha Yeowoon.”

I was about to take Cha Yeowoon inside, but Cheon Sangwon’s voice rang out again.

“Was the competition that you took from Tak Jungyeong next week?”

How could Cheon Sangwon sound so irritating no matter what he says? Just as I was about to speak up, Cha Yeowoon calmly replied.

“I didn’t take it.”

“Is that so? Get ready for the competition.”

As if the question was just that, Cheon Sangwon waved his hand lightly and went down without giving me a chance to say anything.

“In any case, he’s rude.”

I tried to say a few words of support to Cha Yeowoon, even if it was belatedly, but he indifferently turned his back from the stairwell.

“Senior likes people who are rude.”

“What? What are you talking about? Why would I?”

“You said I’m rude but it’s cute.”

“Hey! Seriously. It’s not because you’re rude that I think you’re cute, it’s because you’re cute but rude. I like well-mannered people. Yeah? Honest and patient, with good manners.”

“Stickler.”

Cha Yeowoon headed for the front door with a snide remark. He was unbelievable.

I never thought of myself as being that old, at least not at the ripe old age of 29, but dealing with a high school student made me inadvertently mimic an old man’s manners.

“Did senior break the door?”

“Ah, right.”

The front door hook rattled as I had broken it. It was a sight to see the broken doorknob added to a home that already appeared to have poor security.

“I’ll pay you for the repair.”

“That’s fine. It’s because of me.”

“Still.”

“It’s fine.”

It seemed insisting any further was pointless. I felt that Cha Yeowoon was stubborn to such an extent. And prideful.

“Cha Yeowoon, am I really going to sleep here tonight?”

“You can go if you’re uncomfortable.”

“No. I’m afraid you’ll be uncomfortable.”

“I wouldn’t have asked in the first place if that was the case.”

A feisty fellow. It was difficult to hear a nice word from him.

The sunset fluttered in the narrow living room. Cha Yeowoon’s back looked thin in the red light, which hung on my mind.

“Let’s eat. I’ll do it for you.”

“What is there to cook? There are only things that senior gave me.”

“You should eat porridge.”

“I don’t want to.”

“You’re sick.”

“I’m not a patient. Anyway, I don’t want to eat porridge.”

“Why are you so stubborn? Then I’ll heat up the instant rice.”

I thought there would be a cold remark from him that he could at least warm it up himself, but he didn’t push back any further.

Anyway, he didn’t say no, so I decided to do it. I had come to my own conclusion while standing in the kitchen.

The electricity didn’t work, so I boiled the water and heated the rice. Three servings of instant rice and 3-minute curry. I questioned whether it was suitable to feed this to a child who had stomach cramps, but I didn’t have many options.

“Why three servings?”

“Will one make you full? Eat two.”

I couldn’t eat two servings after having bought the food for Cha Yeowoon, so I decided to be satisfied with just one serving.

“Senior should eat half of the remaining serving.”

“You can eat it all.”

“I’m giving it to you so eat it.”

Cha Yeowoon scooped up the rice and put it in my bowl.

Curry tasted just like that. I didn’t expect great taste from a 3-minute curry.

“…It’s delicious.”

So, when Cha Yeowoon muttered, I thought I heard wrong.

“Is it good?”

I asked because I was curious, and he hesitated with a troubled look on his face. All the cheekiness from before had disappeared, and he was simply adorable now. A child was a child after all.

“Do you like curry?”

“It’s not like that.”

“You said it was delicious.”

Cha Yeowoon remained silent and simply took a bite of the rice. Still, it was good to see that it was delicious and not eating for the sake of eating.

He occasionally rolled his eyes unsteadily, perhaps because he felt uncomfortable at me looking at him with satisfaction. We quickly emptied the bowls.

“Yeowoon, what qualities do you look for in a friend?”

It was a delicate question to ask an 18-year-old. It sounded like I would go to the store and buy it for him.

“Before you asked me what type of person I liked, now you’re asking me what qualities do I look for in a friend?”

“How about someone you can rely on?”