The Reason for the Rush
No matter how good the medicine was, it was impossible to cure a cold in just one day.
Of course, it hadn't gotten worse, but my nose was still running, causing me to sniffle constantly, and occasionally, an uncontrollable cough would burst out.
I couldn't exactly say my physical condition was good.
I had been lying in bed when my eyes snapped open.
It wasn't because of a loud alarm, but because one nostril was completely blocked, forcing me to wake up.
If I checked my smartphone now, it was surely five minutes before my alarm.
I picked up my phone and checked the time immediately.
Sure enough, five minutes before the alarm.
It was an awkward amount of time to try and fall back asleep.
"Haa..."
A sigh escaped me naturally.
I had no choice but to kick off the blanket with my feet and get up. Then, like a zombie, I shuffled to the bathroom to wash my face.
Ah, I didn't skip my skincare routine, either.
Today was a day I had a part-time shift.
Even if I'm sick, I have to go to work. It’s unthinkable to skip a part-time job just because of a cold.
If I start skipping work because I'm feeling a bit under the weather with something like a cold, it’ll be awkward to ask for time off when I’m actually, seriously ill later.
On my way, I stopped by a convenience store to buy a mask before heading to the cafe.
I didn't want to pass my cold on to anyone else.
Areum was at the cafe. When she saw me, her eyes went wide.
"A mask? Why are you suddenly wearing a mask?"
"I caught a co-ld..."
My nose was so congested that I couldn't pronounce the words properly.
I sniffled once, pulled the mask down slightly, and spoke again.
This time, the pronunciation came out clearly.
"I caught a cold, that's why..."
"It has been a bit chilly lately, hasn't it? I heard colds are going around."
Areum nodded vaguely. Then, she looked at me with a thoughtful expression.
"But, unnie, this is a bit out of the blue, but can I ask you something?"
"What is it...?"
"Do you only have those clothes? It feels like you wear the same thing every day. I’d love to see you in something else for once."
To think I’d hear this from Areum, too.
I looked down at my outfit.
A white hoodie and black sweatpants.
Well, it was indeed the same outfit I always wore.
"It's, it's not the same thing! It’s just the same design, but they’re different clothes!"
Between Sia and Siu, why does everyone ask me this? I wanted to argue further, but I clamped my mouth shut.
It’s not like I’m wearing a red t-shirt and yellow shorts every day.
Why are they so observant?
Is it really that strange?
Maybe I should increase the variety of my wardrobe.
I might need to seriously consider it.
Because other people will probably ask me, too.
It was the peak time for the part-time job. The surroundings were so noisy that even if I muttered to myself, no one could hear me.
So, I worked while muttering to my heart's content. Today, because I was wearing a mask, even my lip movements were hidden.
I could speak freely without worrying about anyone watching.
"I'm dying..."
Orders were piling up, people were moving irregularly in front of the counter, and the numbers on the printed waiting tickets kept getting higher.
When working with Areum, we didn't have specific roles like "beverage specialist" or "customer service specialist"; we decided that whoever was free would naturally handle whatever needed to be done at that moment.
That’s probably the standard way to do it, anyway.
But when I'm busy as hell, why are there so many people who write their phone numbers on pieces of paper and hand them to me?
Especially today, since I’m wearing a mask, half my face isn't even visible.
I have no idea what they’re looking at to decide to give me their numbers.
I collect these little scraps of paper that come in and throw them away before my shift ends.
As soon as the busiest time passed, the people disappeared as if by magic.
Like a tide, they rushed in all at once and then vanished in an instant.
It must be because lunch hour was over and classes had started.
It might be a quirk of being near a university, but this aspect wasn't actually that bad.
I can work hard when I need to, and rest properly when I can.
Waiting for the evening peak time, I ended up chatting a bit with Areum.
Then, Areum dropped her head and muttered.
"Why is it so busy lately..."
"Didn't you say it was always this busy...?"
"It was busy, sure. But, but. It wasn't like this. Isn't it way busier than last week? No, this is the first time I've seen this many people since I started working here."
"I, is that so...?"
Honestly, I didn't really know. It was my first time experiencing this, and I had nothing to compare it to.
Well, if Areum, who had been working here for a long time, said so, it must definitely be different.
"Especially this week, it's just too busy!"
"I guess so..."
Comparing this week to last week, it certainly did seem busier.
Areum let out a scream, then picked up her smartphone and started tapping away, enjoying her break.
I followed suit and fiddled with my smartphone.
Adjusting the angle so Areum couldn't see my screen, I opened a subculture mobile game.
"Ah."
A small sound escaped Areum, who had been looking at her phone.
Did she see my screen?
"I figured out why it's so busy."
Thankfully, it wasn't that.
Areum turned her smartphone screen and shoved it toward me.
'EveryTime'
An app that every university student has probably installed at least once.
Many people use it for their class schedules, but it’s frequently used because its anonymous community feature is quite well-made.
Many of the memes I’d seen on the internet originated from the anonymous boards on EveryTime.
I had only used it for my schedule and deleted it without hesitation as soon as I graduated, though.
On the screen Areum showed me, there was a post that seemed to be about me.
The post she showed me was already on the popular list. That’s impossible without a significant number of upvotes.
There were quite a lot of comments, too.
Areum snapped her smartphone screen away.
"It's because of you, unnie!"
"I, I'm sorry..."
For a moment, Areum's expression stiffened. She looked quite flustered.
"Why don't you take a joke as a joke?"
Her voice dropped slightly. It was a tone that sounded like she might be a little hurt.
"I, I feel so awkward now. Seriously. I can't even joke around."
"Sorry..."
I repeated the same word again.
I’m still a bit awkward being alone with a girl.
If it had been Siu or someone else, I would have been able to handle it better.
Time passed, and Areum and Do-ha swapped shifts.
"Hello."
"Hi..."
Do-ha saw me wearing the mask and tilted his head slightly. His lips twitched as if he were thinking about something.
"Noona, are you sick?"
"I caught a cold..."
"If you caught a cold, you should tell the boss and rest. You could have just made Areum do it all day. I did that last time, too."
"I, I can't do that..."
Do-ha watched me carefully. He wasn't staring openly, but I could feel his eyes darting back and forth.
"Are you not very close with Areum?"
"Oh, no. That's not it. We're close, but..."
Do-ha wore an expression that suggested he didn't believe me. Then, he scanned me from head to toe.
"...Do you only have those clothes?"
After Areum, even Do-ha was saying this to me.
That’s the second time today. The fourth time in my life.
"These are just the same design, but they're all different clothes!"
I don't know how many times I've had to say this.
Nobody had noticed before, but since it’s happening in succession, is it that obvious?
Do-ha crossed his arms and nodded vaguely.
"I understand. Wearing the same clothes multiple times."
No, he clearly doesn't believe me at all.
Of course, they are similar colors—no, the exact same color, the same brand, and the same clothes.
But it was a bit unfair to be perceived as someone who wears the same clothes repeatedly when they were freshly washed and taken out of the closet.
"Hey, smell it. I just washed this today, okay? It's the truth...!"
I pulled my sleeve down until my hands were hidden and shoved it toward Do-ha.
Do-ha took a step back, pretended to sniff it briefly, and immediately turned his head away.
"A-alright, I get it. I said I get it. It doesn't smell. It doesn't."
He said that, but his tone didn't sound like he believed me at all. I pulled my sleeve back to its original position.
After the evening peak time, there was a short lull. Do-ha suddenly brought up something strange.
"Noona, do you know you're popular lately?"
Then, he fumbled to take out his smartphone and showed me the screen.
"It wasn't this busy before, but it turns out..."
Wait, this sounds like the story I heard from Areum earlier today.
"I, I know. My story was on EveryTime..."
"Oh? You know?"
"Areum..."
Do-ha cut me off.
"Areum? You're still not close with Areum, are you? Am I right?"
I realized my mistake. It was a bit late, but I hurriedly changed my words.
"Oh, Areum... she showed me earlier."
"Is that so?"
Thankfully, Do-ha didn't dig any deeper into the relationship between me and Areum.
If he had asked, I would have been caught not being close to her.
Though, maybe I’ve already been caught.
Does medicine from a large hospital have different efficacy?
I took my medicine religiously—morning, lunch, and dinner—and my physical condition improved quickly.
Even just waking up this morning, I couldn't say I was feeling good.
I had only taken two days' worth of the prescribed medicine, but I already felt like I was fully recovered.
A slight, unpleasant chill remained. However, my coughing had subsided significantly, and my runny nose had decreased a lot.
After my part-time shift ended, I was finally heading home.
As soon as I stepped out of the cafe door, I ripped off the stifling mask that had been covering my face all day.
I breathed in the fresh air coming in without a filter and headed home.
My nose was still a bit blocked, so it didn't feel completely clear.
When I arrived home and came out after a shower, there was a text from Siu.
I read Siu's text before even drying my hair.
I tilted my head in confusion.
I hadn't really done anything with Siu, so how could I have given him a cold?
We were together, but we slept in separate rooms, so could it have been passed on in that time?
Isn't he just passing the blame onto me after catching it somewhere else?
I could have caught it while passing by many people on my way to work, so why is he insisting that I gave him the cold?
I thought about that for a moment, but.
I was the one who showed up at Siu's place without notice that day and slept there, so it wasn't my place to argue.
I suppose I probably did give it to him.
It felt awkward to do anything about a cold between friends, so I was just going to send a message telling him to take care of himself.
But remembering the time I received a pizza gift certificate from him, I sent him some Vitamin C instead.
After sending the gift certificate, my smartphone felt heavy in my hand, so I scrolled through my other messages.
The '1' on the message I had sent to my brother had disappeared.
There was no reply.
I don't know why my brother always leaves me on read.