Chapter 94
Chapter 94
<193.2 cm, 98.6 kg>
Since I had never seen anyone that large outside of professional baseball players, I had vaguely assumed he was around 190 cm, but I hadn't expected him to actually exceed it.
I remembered how Jae-gyu always complained that everything he bought was too small. It made sense, considering he was that tall... Still, I had expected him to easily weigh over 100 kg with a frame like that, but he weighed less than I thought.
"Please move to the next room."
Next were the vision and hearing tests. Bom had relatively good eyesight, but Jae-gyu’s was far superior. He confidently called out the letters one by one, claiming he could clearly see even the ant-sized text at the very bottom of the chart.
"What’s next?"
Contrary to her worries, Jae-gyu was quite positive about undergoing the health checkup. He boasted that he had experience up to this point, having done the basic screenings provided by the state.
However, a minor commotion occurred when his blood pressure and pulse readings shot out of the normal range because he kept casting smitten, mischievous glances at Bom while she watched him.
Aside from that, the checkup was generally peaceful. After the basic exams, the two separated to undergo various other tests.
Every time they passed each other in the hospital hallway, Jae-gyu would wave with such a pathetic, longing look in his eyes that it kept making her laugh.
Was a health checkup always this kind of atmosphere?
Eventually, after finishing all her other tests and a consultation at the obstetrics and gynecology department, Bom finally went in for her gastroscopy.
"…Bom."
When she woke up from the sedation, the first thing she saw was Jae-gyu.
"…."
Bom closed her eyes again, feeling the lingering grogginess of the anesthesia.
"Bom, Bom… Hey, over here! Why is she like this? She opened her eyes and then fainted again!"
As Jae-gyu frantically questioned a passing nurse, Bom spoke slowly.
"…I’m awake."
"Your speech is all slurred. Try saying our dog’s name."
"Bom-shiki…."
"Ah, damn. This is bad. This is really bad."
She had worked hard to move her stiff tongue and answer, but Jae-gyu only grew more agitated. Unable to take it anymore, he jumped up and brought a nurse over.
"Is she really okay? Please take a closer look. She can’t even speak properly right now…."
"I’m speaking… fine. Speeeaking…."
Struggling to lift her heavy eyelids, Bom tried to meet Jae-gyu’s eyes. But her eyes kept fluttering shut, forcing her to keep trying. As her eyes drifted closed once more, she heard Jae-gyu’s voice, thick with tears.
"Why is she like this! Bom!"
"Patients usually wake up within an hour or two, but she is taking a bit longer. Let me check her vitals."
"I’ve been timing it, and she’s been asleep for three hours and seventeen minutes. Does this happen often?"
"It happens very rarely depending on the individual's constitution. I’ve called the doctor in charge."
Jae-gyu, who had been gripping the bed and raising his voice, finally calmed down at the nurse’s words and moved to the foot of the bed.
"Gosh, this is driving me crazy. When are they coming?"
Craning his neck to look around, Jae-gyu grabbed the soles of Bom’s feet and began to massage them firmly.
"Is it okay if I massage her like this to help her circulation?"
"Of course. Oh, the doctor is here."
The doctor, stating that her breathing, pulse, and temperature were all normal, peeled back Bom’s eyelids, clicked a penlight, and even showed Jae-gyu how her pupils were reacting.
"She’s starting to wake up now."
Perhaps because of the crowd gathering around her, Bom’s hazy consciousness gradually cleared.
"Whew, Jae-gyu…."
"Bom! Are ya okay? How many fingers am I holding up?"
Jae-gyu held up his fingers and shook them quickly. Bom frowned and focused.
"Two?"
"Right, two. Doctor, is it better to let her rest more? What should I do?"
The doctor advised moving her to a recovery room, saying it was dangerous for her to walk around while she wasn't fully awake.
"Don't worry."
Jae-gyu carefully supported Bom and laid her down on a bed in the recovery room.
"Rest for a bit. I’m just going to go talk to them out front."
She could hear him catch the doctor outside and ask something. Based on the rising intonation, he seemed to be asking a flurry of questions. After some time, Jae-gyu stepped back inside and gently closed the door.
"Jae-gyu, I’m okay now. The sedation just hadn't worn off earlier…."
As she spoke slowly and haltingly, Bom sat up in surprise when she saw Jae-gyu’s face approaching.
"Did you cry?"
The question slipped out before she could stop it, and Bom immediately regretted it. Don't men find things like this bruising to their pride? I should have just pretended not to notice….
But contrary to her expectations, Jae-gyu nodded readily and approached the bed. With his eyes red and swollen, he suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace.
"…."
Through their touching bodies, she could feel that Jae-gyu’s breathing was unstable and his muscles were tense. He was trembling.
"I’m really okay…."
She mumbled against his solid chest. She wanted to pat his back, but Jae-gyu was holding her so tightly he wouldn't let go.
"…For the first hour, ha, for the first hour, I was just watching you sleep and even joking around, but then, but then…."
His low voice wavered like a wave. She was usually sensitive to anesthesia and woke up later than others, but even for her, this was a first. She regretted not telling him in advance.
"Two hours passed and you didn't wake up, then three hours passed and you still didn't wake up… I thought I was going to lose my mind."
Still a bit dazed, Bom slowly began to realize the state of mind he must have been in while waiting for her as he spoke through his heavy breathing.
"Are you really, truly okay? Let me see."
The arms that had been trapping Bom in his embrace loosened. Instead, he grabbed her by the shoulders and scrutinized her every feature, his swollen eyes narrowed with intensity.
He put her through several "verifications," such as telling her to hit him with her fist, roll her neck in a circle, and name the place where they had their first kiss. Only after all that did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.
When Bom said they could leave now, Jae-gyu stopped her and dragged a stool over to the side of the bed. He made her lie flat, telling her to rest for just ten more minutes.
"But Jae-gyu, when did you wake up?"
"I did mine without sedation."
"What?"
"That way I could see you sooner. Right? It was super fast. I did it the regular way on purpose because I was afraid something like this might happen."
So he really waited for me the entire time. Bom felt like she might cry and sat up. It had taken a long time to wake up, but now that she was fully conscious, she felt refreshed.
"I think we can go. Let’s see the doctor, get the parking pass, and head out."
"Alright. Let’s get to the hotel and rest."
Jae-gyu looked nervous again as he helped Bom to the consultation room. The two of them listened to the results of the checkup with expressions more serious than ever before. Fortunately, nothing unusual was found in Bom’s uterus this year, and everything else was fine. It was the same for Jae-gyu.
The detailed results were to be sent by mail and mobile in two weeks. The two changed back into their clothes in the locker rooms and left the hospital after receiving the porridge prepared for them.
On the way back to the hotel, Jae-gyu interlaced his fingers with Bom’s.
"Bom. This was on a whole different level from the basic checkup at the health center. Thank you for pushing me to do this."
Even though he was the one who paid for the checkup, Jae-gyu kept thanking her.
"I felt a lot of things today."
Even though it was the middle of the afternoon, the streets were bustling. Bom enjoyed the unique atmosphere—different from both Shinsu-eup and Seoul—as she listened to Jae-gyu.
"Can I ask you a few really important things? Will you answer me truthfully?"
What is this all of a sudden? Bom tilted her head to study Jae-gyu’s mood and realized he was being serious. Standing on the street holding a container of porridge, Jae-gyu began to speak, but unlike his usual direct self, he beat around the bush with abstract questions.
"Bom, what do you think of me?"
Questions like that.
"Um, you’re a good man."
If she were asked to praise Jae-gyu, she was confident she could talk for ages without stopping, but since he asked so vaguely, she had no choice but to give a concise answer.
"Do you think about me and miss me when I’m not around?"
"Pardon? Of course I do."
Lately, it had been even more so. Even during Jae-gyu’s short business trips, her longing for him was deep. It had become a given that they would stay on the phone for a long time before going to bed.
"Do you feel like I’m a guy you can trust?"
"Yes, very much so."
"How much?"
"…."
Why is he asking this? Since she couldn't exactly answer "as much as the sky and the earth," Bom hesitated for a moment.
"Can you continue to trust me and lean on me in the future?"
"Yes."
Jae-gyu nodded. A few more questions followed, like a game of twenty questions.
"How is it sleeping together? Is it comfortable, not awkward?"
"It’s very comfortable."
To be honest, it was more comfortable sleeping with Jae-gyu than sleeping alone. That was because Jae-gyu would give her scalp massages before bed or play "fake ASMR" to help her fall into a deep sleep.
Moreover, being held in his large embrace gave her a sense of emotional stability.
After finishing these few questions, Jae-gyu suddenly took on a determined expression.
He didn't tell her what exactly he had "felt" from the health checkup until they returned to Shinsu-eup.
⋆★⋆
"Ah, damn. That one’s not bad either. Memo!"
Usually, he would lie sideways on the sofa with a movie playing and just snack on dried persimmons, but not today.
Sitting upright with his back straight in front of the coffee table, Jae-gyu moved his pen diligently.
With the TV screen paused, he recorded the scene he had just watched in detail in his notebook.
In front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, at the exact moment the lights start sparkling, the ring…
This wasn't the only note in the book. Above it, the pages were filled with several days' worth of dense research records.