Rendezvous (4)
“Um… is anyone here…?”
Shin So-hye poked her head into the infirmary, speaking in that timid voice of hers.
She had been told a doctor was always on duty to look after the young ladies’ health, yet somehow there was no one who looked remotely like a physician in sight.
Did she just step out to the restroom? So-hye wondered, tilting her head with a puzzled expression.
In truth, a “Temporarily Away” placard had been hung in plain view—but her long bangs had blocked it from her sight as she walked in. She was not nearly sharp enough to notice what she had missed.
So-hye glanced around the spacious infirmary until her eyes landed on the single bed whose curtains were drawn shut.
Is Yu Ha-eun lying in there?
She had never returned after being helped out of class, so she was almost certainly still here. Convinced that Ha-eun must be behind those curtains, So-hye started walking toward them.
I-I came because I was worried, but… what if she finds me annoying…?
Her reason for coming all the way to the infirmary was simple. Ha-eun had looked so unwell during class that she had needed to be escorted here—and So-hye had been worried about her.
Of course, worry was not the only thing that had brought her. After a long, agonizing deliberation, she had also decided this might be a chance to grow a little closer to Ha-eun.
There was that saying, after all: if you nurse someone when they are sick, even a person who once hated you will find it hard to keep hating you completely. By the same logic, it was not pure fantasy to think that she and Ha-eun—who had barely been anything to each other—might become friends because of this.
Normally Yoon Seo-a or her friends are always around, so I can never talk for long… but right now…
Besides, So-hye was the type who fretted endlessly over other people’s opinions. Striking up a conversation in a crowded place was already hard enough; when the other person was one of the two most watched girls in the class, it was nearly impossible.
And So-hye herself had drawn no small amount of attention at the start of the term… though by now she had faded into something as unremarkable as dust in the air. The memory of those days still tightened around her chest.
That was why Yu Ha-eun—who had stepped forward for her sake in the middle of her most painful memory—meant something special.
I-I’m grinning like an idiot again…
The moment the memory surfaced, her lips curled upward of their own accord. So-hye stopped walking and covered her face with both hands. It was not the first or second time this had happened; every time she recalled it, she lost control of her mouth, and it was becoming a real headache. If a member of the Conduct Management Department caught her smiling so freely, she would almost certainly receive a warning—or demerits.
But… she was so cool.
When no one else had stopped Yoon Seo-a—when they had even laughed as if it were entertainment—Ha-eun had deliberately made an unpleasant noise to draw every eye. Then, with an easy smile and carefully chosen words, she had calmly, brightly shut the whole thing down.
Those were things Shin So-hye would never find in herself. If she had not been the one being bullied, she would have stayed silent like the rest of the bystanders, watching it happen while thinking, Thank goodness it isn’t me.
Perhaps that was why she wanted to grow closer to Yu Ha-eun. Because Ha-eun possessed everything So-hye lacked. Because Ha-eun was living out the ideal So-hye longed for.
I want to become like you, Yu Ha-eun.
And to do that, she first had to become her friend. There was a saying about how the company you keep shapes you. If she stayed by someone like Ha-eun, maybe she, too, could become a little more like her.
So-hye forced the foolish smile off her face and approached the curtained bed once more. A pair of shoes peeked out from beneath the hem of the curtain—small enough that they could only belong to Ha-eun. Across the entire year, only a handful of girls wore a size that tiny. It had to be her.
“Ahem. Y-Yu Ha-eun… are you in there…?”
“…That voice—is that Shin So-hye?”
“Yes! It’s me, Shin So-hye! I sit next to you!”
After a soft little cough to clear her throat, So-hye spoke carefully. A late flicker of panic—what if she was wrong, what if Ha-eun was asleep—had made her voice tremble, but the moment she heard Ha-eun answer, the tremor vanished and energy flooded back into her. It certainly did not hurt that Ha-eun had recognized her voice at once.
“What brings you here, So-hye…?”
“I came because I was worried, of course! You looked miserable through the entire class and then had to come all the way to the infirmary—how could I just sit still?”
The words tumbled out in a rush. Then So-hye’s expression softened with sympathy.
“More than that… when that time of the month comes, are you always in this much pain? I know it varies from person to person, but yours seems especially severe.”
“That time of the month—what do you—ah, aah! Y-yes, that’s right! I think mine is on the worse side!”
From behind the curtain, Ha-eun started to ask in a puzzled tone, then seemed to realize something and hurriedly agreed. So-hye noticed nothing odd about the reaction. If anything, her eyes lit up as though this were perfect.
“Then maybe I can help! My mother isn’t quite as bad as you, but she suffers a lot every time it comes around. I’m lucky enough that mine isn’t that severe, but because of her I’ve learned all sorts of ways to ease the pain.”
“Ah… i-is that so.”
“So, um… would it be all right if I opened the curtain and came in to help you?”
“What?! N-no, you really don’t need to—”
“Don’t worry! I’ll take such good care of you that you’ll be completely better!”
With that, So-hye grabbed the closed curtain. Ha-eun tried to stop her, insisting she was fine, but no one could have restrained a girl already blazing with enthusiasm.
“W-wait a second!”
Before the curtain could fully open, Ha-eun’s head alone popped through the gap, her face flushed and urgent. So-hye jumped.
“Y-Yu Ha-eun? Why can’t I see your blouse…? Don’t tell me you’ve taken off your entire uniform?!”
Only one arm and her head were visible outside the curtain, but bare shoulder and bare arm showed clearly, with not even a hint of undergarment. It was not hard to conclude she was wearing nothing at all. And there was no reason she would have removed only the top—so the bottom was almost certainly gone as well.
The realization sent a fierce blush across So-hye’s face. Ha-eun hurried to explain.
“Y-you can see my face, So-hye—I’m running an incredibly high fever right now. The doctor said I need to cool my body down like this.”
“Ah… a-ah, so that’s why the curtain…”
“Yes. It’s embarrassing to say, but right now I’m not wearing anything…”
Ha-eun trailed off and looked away. Only then did So-hye take stock of her own behavior. Even between girls, being seen naked was mortifying enough. And she, carried away by eagerness, had nearly yanked the curtain open and exposed Ha-eun’s private state without a second thought. Even if the infirmary was empty, it was more than rude enough.
The moment that sank in, the color drained from So-hye’s face. She bowed her head.
“I-I’m so sorry, Ha-eun! I-I was being completely selfish…!”
“It’s all right. You didn’t mean anything bad by it. You were only trying to help me, weren’t you? I’m truly grateful for that feeling alone, So-hye.”
“H-Ha-eun…!”
Ha-eun smiled gently through her fever-flushed face and even offered her encouragement. So-hye’s expression crumpled with emotion. How could anyone be this kind? Compared to a demon like Yoon Seo-a, she was the very picture of an angel’s virtue.
“So please don’t worry about me and go have lunch—ngh…!”
“Ha-eun?”
While So-hye was still lost in gratitude, Ha-eun—mid-sentence—suddenly dropped her head and began to tremble.
“Are you all right? Did something suddenly get worse…?”
“N-no, it’s just—ah, nngh…!”
Pain so sharp she could barely speak? So-hye’s face turned grave at once. She scanned the room, spotted something familiar, and hurried back with it, color returning to her cheeks.
“Ha-eun! Hold this against your stomach!”
What she had brought was a heat pack—a large one, big enough to cover a wide area. It would easily wrap the whole lower abdomen. So-hye pressed on.
“They say the first thing you should do when that time comes is warm your stomach—especially around the lower abdomen. O-of course, your fever is so high you’ve had to take everything off, but I still think enduring the pain just to cool down is a waste of effort.”
“Th-thank you—hhn—I-I’ll use it well…!”
“There’s nothing to thank me for. It’s sad that this is all I can do.”
Even as she said it, the corners of her mouth were already soaring. The pure satisfaction of finally being useful to Ha-eun sent her facial muscles into open rebellion. Not wanting to show such an ugly expression, So-hye hastily turned away.
“Th-then I’ll be going! It wouldn’t be polite to keep someone who’s sick any longer! Once you’re feeling better, let’s talk again—properly, without rushing!”
“Yes—ngh—later—hhn—again… aah…!”
Thud! A heavy, jolting sound made So-hye turn back just as she was about to leave the infirmary.
“Ha-eun? What was that noise just now…? Hm? Why is there water…?”
A puddle was spreading beneath the curtain, growing larger by the second. So-hye started to step closer again, voice full of confusion—
“I’m… sorry. Just now I accidentally hit the cabinet with my arm, and the water bottle on top fell.”
“I-is that so? But why are you breathing so hard…?”
“Haha… it… hurts a little…”
Ah—yes, that would hurt. So-hye nodded in understanding. She had often banged into unexpected things herself; empathy came easily.
After a moment to catch her breath, Ha-eun spoke in a steadier voice than before.
“You don’t need to worry about the spilled water. Just go. I’ll… explain everything properly to the doctor…”
“Ah—yes. Then please take care of yourself, Ha-eun!”
So-hye answered brightly and left the infirmary with light steps. But the moment the door closed behind her, all that lightness vanished. Her face filled with self-loathing as she buried it in both hands.
“Ahh… what am I even doing…”
And the face visible between her fingers was every bit as red as Ha-eun’s had been a moment ago.
But… how could I help it?
How was anyone supposed to stay composed after seeing the person they admired looking up at them with such a flushed, vulnerable face? And those occasional soft, melting little breaths only made her already runaway heart pound harder.
They were both girls—this feeling could not be normal. Realizing it while looking at someone who was sick made it even worse.
That’s the worst, isn’t it. So-hye muttered inwardly.
And yet, somewhere inside, she found herself hoping she might see that expression again.
And if possible… that she would be the reason for it.