Love for Love’s Sake - Chapter 78

Chapter 78

A devastated voice settled into a whisper from Cha Yeowoon’s lips. The air quivered.

He was deeply hurt. When I was sick, he wandered around with a heavy heart.

“Now do you understand how I felt when I carried you to the hospital?”

“I want to wrap you in a blanket and take you to the hospital right now.”

“With what diagnosis? I didn’t even collapse.”

“But you almost did. Do you know how shocked I was yesterday?”

“I just stumbled for a moment.”

Cha Yeowoon didn’t seem very convinced. To him now, I was practically a critical patient.

“Isn’t it because you worked too hard? Working part-time on the weekends, studying, and still worrying about me.”

It was questionable to say that I studied, and my part-time jobs weren’t that difficult. I did worry about Cha Yeowoon, though.

“If it’s difficult, just say so.”

A delicious smell wafted from the opened porridge lid. As if to test whether it was hot, Cha Yeowoon briefly held the porridge spoon to his lips.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?”

As Cha Yeowoon lifted his gaze, our eyes met.

At that moment, I realized. Ever since he came into my life, my gaze hadn’t strayed from him.

“It’s difficult.”

Saying it was surprisingly easy, to the point it felt trivial.

Cha Yeowoon raised his eyebrows as if he had heard me wrong.

[ Calculating Cha Yeowoon’s favorability. ]

[ Favorability: 72 ]

Really, I questioned whether he had heard me wrong.

Despite my almost dying state, a smile escaped my lips.

“If I sign the contract and make money, will you quit your part-time job?”

“…Hey.”

“I hope senior doesn’t find it difficult.”

Cha Yeowoon’s eyes twinkled beneath his eyebrows as he gently lowered them.

“Let’s live together after graduation.”

It was fortunate I had finished eating. If it had been something that required chewing for a long time, I would have spat it out by now.

Cha Yeowoon’s moist and tender pupils swirled with countless lights. His shoulders were firm, and his hands were tightly holding the disposable spoon.

He was agitated right now.

“Yeowoon.”

“Yes.”

“Hit the brakes. If you suddenly step on the accelerator like that, the car will flip.”

“Was it too sudden?”

“Yes. Suddenly talking about living together…You’re only in your 2nd year of high school. You know that, right?”

“But senior is in your 3rd year.”

“That’s even more of a problem. Both of us are young.”

“You’re only 19; there’s no need for you to work and worry alone until you’re sick, is what I’m saying.”

Cha Yeowoon inexplicably wanted to take care of me. To the point where everything he wanted to say came out of context and out of order.

It was the kind of attention I had never received from my parents.

“Has it been your birthday? It hasn’t passed yet, has it?”

“Yes.”

“Then it’s much worse and you’re actually only 16.”

When I said this, Cha Yeowoon looked like a puppy whose eyes were partially open.

“Then senior is only 17 years old.”

“Oh, that’s right. When is your birthday?”

Wanting to change the topic, I smoothly shifted the conversation.

I didn’t want to talk about events that would happen after graduation. I didn’t want to make more promises I couldn’t keep.

“It’s in November.”

Cha Yeowoon’s hesitant answer revealed a subtle embarrassment.

“Senior’s birthday is close to mine. Yours is on October 18th, and mine is on November 8th.”

As if it was an incredibly amusing topic, Cha Yeowoon smiled. I could imagine him counting my birthday in amazement after discovering it himself.

November 8th. I counted the days in my head.

Then I realized.

There were exactly 100 days left until Cha Yeowoon’s birthday.

When I laughed it off, Cha Yeowoon thought it was strange but smiled along with me. It felt like the fever that had dropped was rising again.

“…What do you usually do on your birthday?”

“Well, sometimes I celebrate with my grandmother. Sometimes, both my grandmother and I are too busy, so often we just let it pass without doing anything.”

“Is there anything you want?”

“Birthday present? I’m fine.”

“Tell me. Even if it’s something expensive.”

Maybe I could leave a gift and go. Cha Yeowoon, unaware of my dilemma, was busy clearing the empty porridge bowl.

“I just want to be with senior on that day.”

Cha Yeowoon handed me a glass of water. The fever reliever I had rejected in advance was still in its packaging, inside a bag.

I reached for the glass but fumbled. The glass slammed into my chest, causing the water to spill. Lukewarm water flowed down my chest. My shirt soaked up the water and clung to my chest.

“Where do you put your clothes?”

Cha Yeowoon, who had been wiping away the water with a tissue, stood up. I grabbed the hem of his shirt, trying to stop him.

“It’s fine. Give me the medicine.”

“Fever reliever?”

Although I had changed my words after saying that my fever had gone down, instead of asking questions, Cha Yeowoon took out the box of fever relievers. I put a white pill in my mouth and swallowed it without water.

“I’ll get you some water. I’ll be right back.”

“I’ve already swallowed it.”

“But still.”

Before the conversation could continue, I interrupted.

“Yeowoon, I have a favor to ask you.”

* * *

[ Current favorability: 72 ]

Cha Yeowoon was worried.

“What is it?”

“If you promise to listen, I’ll tell you.”

At the probing, Tae Myeongha paused. His pale complexion from the bout of illness, looked pitiful. The words about how difficult it was seemed to be stuck in the pit of Cha Yeowoon’s stomach.

“If it’s senior’s request, I’ll do anything. Just tell me.”

“Are you saying you’ll do anything without hearing what it is? You might get scammed.”

“I’m only saying that because it’s senior.”

When Cha Yeowoon emphasized his faithfulness, Tae Myeongha smiled and lowered his head. The back of his head, buried in Cha Yeowoon’s knees for a long time, had formed a magpie’s nest.

Cute. Should he pat it? It would be the perfect excuse to say that he was only smoothing his hair. As he was about to move his hand nervously, a murmur reached his ears.

“I can’t…do it…”

It was a small voice that wouldn’t have been heard if the room hadn’t been so quiet.

Cha Yeowoon leaned toward Tae Myeongha. They were close enough for the sounds of their clothes brushing against each other to be heard.

Tae Myeongha lifted his head. Unlike his usual neat appearance, his hair, damp with sweat, was disheveled across his forehead.

Half of his face was obscured by his arms and only his pupils showed properly. His eyes were red. Was he crying? Cha Yeowoon’s heart pounded.

Upon closer look, he wasn’t crying. The moisture disappeared when he blinked.

“Whatever happens, promise me you won’t hate me.”

When Cha Yeowoon heard the words that came out slowly, it felt like his chest was being gently and continuously stabbed by a long knife. Warm blood poured through the gap in his chest and soaked it.

After setting a new record at the national competition, track and field training became more intense. As attention began to gather on him, he heard that the school also received various calls.

There were many annoying requests. But he endured it because he thought Tae Myeongha would say it was a good opportunity.

If it helped Tae Myeongha, he wanted to become famous quickly. He wanted to earn money and make life easier for him so that he wouldn’t have to suffer alone.

Everything he did was in the hope that Tae Myeongha would rely on him.

“Why would I hate senior? I would never.”

Cha Yeowoon said in a hurry.

Although he had always asked Tae Myeongha to rely on him, hearing it directly made him uneasy.

A sweet warmth spread to his forehead, and the tips of his ears warmed.

“Promise me.”

Cha Yeowoon looked at Tae Myeongha, who was holding out his little finger like a child.

He had always thought Tae Myeongha was much more mature, but now, for the first time since he met him, he seemed vulnerable.

Like a wounded and weakened animal, he wanted to protect him.

He wanted to say something that could reassure him.

“No matter what happens, I’ll never hate you.”

Cha Yeowoon carefully separated the sweat-drenched hair from Tae Myeongha’s forehead.

Tae Myeongha must be exhausted from struggling alone. Cha Yeowoon had experienced it, so he could understand. When the mind became tired, the body also ached.

That was probably why Tae Myeongha had asked him to make such a promise. He felt an immature sense of excitement in Tae Myeongha asking him for a favor. There was a sense of relief, at the very least, the joy of becoming someone Tae Myeongha could rely on in difficult moments.

“Thank you.”

Tae Myeongha smiled sadly.

* * *

I lowered the lukewarm towel from my forehead. Perhaps after the long nap and having taken medicine earlier, the fever, which had been boiling like a small fire, had finally subsided.

My stomach that felt like someone was wringing it with both hands now only throbbed.

“Is your body really getting better?”

“It looks fine even at a glance.”

Cha Yeowoon looked at me disapprovingly as I came out to see him off.

“I don’t know, senior. You’re good at hiding it.”

We had left the house and had already walked for several minutes. Now all that remained was for Cha Yeowoon to go down the hill. However, he hesitated, unable to easily take his steps.

“Go. You have training early in the morning.”

“Am I really going?”

Cha Yeowoon stood still for a moment as I waved at him.

“Senior, don’t you want to spend more time with me?”

After Cha Yeowoon said that, he wrinkled his nose as if finding it embarrassing. His expressions were becoming more diverse by the day. The visible changes when I was next to him were refreshing.

[ Countdown: 01:43:41 ]

[ Q. What do you want to do? ]

What would you do, Myeongha?

Senior’s question seemed to overlap with the system message.

If it were me, of course I would give up.

When it was possible to finish without loose ends, I would finish it smoothly without trying.

I answered without hesitation. I thought that was the correct answer.

“I want to be with you a little longer.”

It was a foolish act.

Even as I said that, I didn’t understand. Why choose a path that had no answer to an obvious problem?

“I want to be with you, Yeowoon.”

At all costs. By any means.

Why did I have such dangerous impulses like this?

“Uh…”

Cha Yeowoon’s expression brightened. Meanwhile, the back of my neck became warm.

“Do you want to go back to sleep?”

[ A. Restore the remaining time and reset Cha Yeowoon’s favorability. ]

[ For smooth operation, a manual reset of the relationship as instructed is recommended. ]

I had made a foolish choice. I regretted it immediately, but it was already too late. Furthermore, I would probably make the same mistake in retrospect.

“Do you want to hang out?”

“Now?”

The shock was understandable. It was almost evening now. It wasn’t a good time for the two of us to go out–one had been lying sick all day, and the other had to train in the early morning.

“You don’t want to?”

I thought Cha Yeowoon would at least ask where we were going, but he immediately shook his head.

“No. I’ll go.”

The die was cast. Looking at Cha Yeowoon’s flushed face filled with anticipation, I vowed again.

I had to break up with him tonight.