The Allure of the Private Room
Anyway, the process was what it was. For the next week, I'd be stuck eating hospital food. My body and mind felt anything but refreshed, but I especially liked the quiet of the private room where no noise reached me at all.
Nothing in the fridge…
That was how my late-night exploration of the single room began. I opened and closed the fridge, glanced around for no reason, stepped into the shower once, turned on the TV, and even fiddled with the remote that adjusted the bed angle, savoring every bit of the private room's coziness with my whole body.
I could stay hospitalized here for the rest of my life.
With an unconscious smile tugging at my lips, I turned off the lights. I'd save the tour of the wider ward for tomorrow… It was late, so I might as well sleep.
“Huaaah…”
With a long yawn, I flopped onto the fluffy bed. I kicked the neatly folded blanket open with my feet, lay on my side, and savored the feeling of sinking into the mattress. Even if it was an unfamiliar bed, this was far better than sleeping on a mat on the floor.
I lay there for several minutes, consciousness fading, when—
Thud, thud, thud.
The sharp sound made my eyes crack open.
Huh…?
My trembling eyelids lifted, and as I stretched out my curled-up body, an unfamiliar sight filled my vision. An unfamiliar ceiling, an unfamiliar bed. An unfamiliar TV and an unfamiliar fridge, too.
Light suddenly flooded my still-dazed mind.
…Ah, right.
I'd been hospitalized. Why had I thought I was at home?
Sitting up with my legs crossed, I rubbed my eyes and woke up properly. My ears twitched and fluttered on their own in response to the sound, making a racket. I reached up and scratched the slightly folded ears from behind, gently pushing them. Then I brought my palm to my mouth… and stopped.
What had I just been about to do?
My tongue, which had come out to greet it, retreated in embarrassment.
I must really be losing it.
The action was so bizarre that even I thought I'd gone crazy. It seemed like even the strange parts of me were starting to resemble a fox. I never thought I'd do something like that unconsciously.
I went to the bathroom, washed my face, and tried to clear my head.
I am human. I am human. I am human…
Repeating it in my mind was a kind of incantation. A minimal safeguard to keep from forgetting I was human. Of course, that didn't mean I wouldn't do it again right after waking up. The thought made my mood sink instantly.
In many ways, animal instincts were terrifying.
“Haa.”
This wasn't about pride. It was about the dignity I felt as a human being. There were actions I couldn't forgive myself for, even when alone.
“Oh, you're awake, patient?”
“Yes.”
After a quick wash in the bathroom, a nurse I'd never seen before came in and asked.
“Yes, hello. You were admitted last night so I couldn't give you the tour, but our hospital lets you choose your breakfast menu.”
“Ah, really…?”
After a friendly greeting, the nurse explained in detail why she'd come to the room. My ears perked up at the mention of hospital food. So you could even choose your meals at the hospital these days.
“You can also select your meal through the hospital app, and if you have any allergies, it's best to let us know in advance.”
“No allergies.”
The nurse gave a brief explanation about the meal options. Apparently, patients could choose their food through the app. The idea that you could even pick your hospital meals was something that would make Mom faint in shock.
“Ah, yes. For today's breakfast, Option A is rice, mushroom perilla seed soup, grilled yellow croaker, seasoned perilla leaf wraps, quail egg konjac kimchi, and napa cabbage kimchi. Option B is morning bread with soup, tuna salad, and milk…”
“I'll take Option B.”
The nurse was still explaining the differences between the two when I cut in and chose B. For some reason, I was in the mood for bread rather than rice today. The nurse smiled kindly.
“Understood. Please have a seat and wait. I'll bring it right over.”
Once the nurse left, the room fell quiet again. I wondered if she'd been surprised by my appearance. Then again, nurses had probably seen everything. A patient with ears and a tail sprouting out was nothing special by now.
Anyway, at the mention of food, I sat on the bed and set up the table.
Hospital food, huh…
It had a notorious reputation for being bland. Still, since I'd chosen bread for breakfast, it might be decent. Bread and soup were probably pre-made products anyway. They couldn't make those taste bland too, right?
A short while later, an older woman brought my breakfast. She was different from the nurse who'd come earlier.
“Here's your breakfast~”
“Ah, thank you.”
“Oh dear, how did a young student end up hospitalized?”
“Ah, haha… I wasn't feeling well all over.”
While bringing the food, the woman sighed and spoke with concern. Even if it came from a kind place, I didn't have a good answer for why I'd been admitted. She seemed to think the ears on my head were just a headband.
…Does she have narrow vision?
After dropping off the meal, the woman left. I stared blankly at the doorway for a moment before starting to eat. I stuffed bread and salad into my mouth early in the morning. The tuna was fresh from the can, the soup was thick, and washing it down with milk made for a perfect meal. I finished the light but ideal breakfast.
I neatly stacked the empty dishes on the table. To help with digestion, I got up from the bed and left the room to explore the ward. Of course, bringing my phone was essential.
Occasionally, various visitors walking the hallway early in the morning stared at me. Other facilities in the ward were available for patients too. The convenience store and café stood out the most. I could see patients in hospital gowns going in and out of the store or sitting in the café without much trouble.
The problem was that I hadn't brought my wallet from home. I only realized it when I arrived in front of the convenience store. I'd only asked Mom to bring the game console.
Ah, damn.
With the late realization, I pulled out my phone and called Mom. She probably hadn't left home yet, right? The thought of spending a week in the hospital without being able to buy anything from the store was unacceptable.
Ring, ring.
The call tone mixed with the noisy surroundings.
“Yeah.”
A short reply instead of “hello.” This wasn't the time for pointless greetings.
“Hello? Yeah, Mom.”
“Why'd you call?”
When I called her “Mom” right away, she asked why. It was the perfect response for someone like me who never called first without a reason.
“Uh, I wanted to ask if you'd left yet.”
“I was just about to head out. Why?”
At my short question, Mom answered that she'd been about to leave. Luckily, it seemed she'd been right on the verge of going out. I quickly made my request before the opportunity slipped away.
“Can you bring my wallet?”
“Wallet? You didn't bring it?”
“Yeah…”
At my short, simple request, Mom scolded me for not bringing it. Faced with her questioning tone, I answered in a shrinking voice. It was true that I had no excuse from the position of causing her extra trouble.
“You only remembered it in front of the convenience store, didn't you?”
At my weak reply, Mom added her guess. She knew me far too well. I wanted to say no, but it was the truth.
“Yeah…”
“Aigoo, fine.”
When I answered weakly again, Mom sighed like she couldn't help it and said she'd bring it.
I returned to the room after getting my fill of looking around. When 11 o'clock came, Mom arrived at the room after breezing through the visitor registration.
“Here, game console and wallet. Underwear's in here too?”
“Thanks.”
I plugged my phone into the charger near the bed and now had both the game console and wallet. When I showed how excited I was about my perfectly equipped trio of items, Mom couldn't help but laugh.
“You look like you just hit the jackpot.”
“Ehehehe.”
I only let out a sly laugh at Mom's voice. Of course I was thrilled—Tuesday through Friday were all school holidays. It was even sweeter than a four-day weekend. Everyone else was off too, but this time, I was the only one resting. I'd already bragged plenty in the class group chat. I'm in the hospital so I'm off Tue-Wed-Thu-Fri. Of course, I'd also sent photos of the amazing private room.
“Look at this, you can even choose lunch?”
“You can choose meals too? Wow.”
Until Mom left, I showed her a few of the hospital's new wonders. When I demonstrated that you could choose what to eat through the hospital app, Mom immediately expressed her amazement.
Just then, the sound of the room door opening suddenly echoed.
“Ah, your mother's here too. Perfect timing.”
I didn't need to crane my neck to see who it was. A familiar voice reached my ears first. The person who entered the room was none other than the Professor. He said it was fortunate that Mom was here too, and instead of small talk, he got straight to the point.
“I just got a call from an overseas pharmaceutical company.”
The Professor said overseas contact had just come through. My eyes widened at his words. Did that mean…?
“Uh, so then…”
“This is when things are going to get big.”
At my hesitant voice, the Professor answered while rubbing his thumb and index finger together. But was that gesture appropriate for a doctor?