Chapter 16.2

Chapter 16.2

“…What?”

“Just speak informally with me.”

Yeon-ha blinked slowly, then cautiously asked, “Are you serious?”

“Yes, I am.”

After exchanging a few more words, Yeon-ha decided to follow his lead and drop the formalities. It felt odd, but if they were the same age, there was no need for formal speech.

Inside the lively restaurant, their conversation lapsed into an awkward silence. As Yeon-ha pondered why he kept staring at her, she noticed Min-gyu’s gaze remained fixed on her even as he poured another cup of water. It was a bit embarrassing how intently he watched her.

Just as she was thinking about heading home, Min-gyu suddenly asked, “Is your grandmother still working?”

The casual question made Yeon-ha’s heart sink. She realized he wouldn’t know about her grandmother’s absence. After finishing her water, she answered as calmly as she could.

“She passed away.”

Min-gyu’s large frame seemed to pause for a moment. When he asked what had happened, Yeon-ha replied, “She was sick. We found out too late that she had terminal cancer… and she passed away.”

Min-gyu didn’t press further. After a brief pause, he simply said it was time to leave. Yeon-ha nodded and stood up to follow him.

To her surprise, instead of heading home, Min-gyu hailed a taxi and told the driver to take them to the nearest internal medicine clinic. Yeon-ha was taken aback. It turned out that the person getting examined was her. Min-gyu explained to the doctor about Yeon-ha’s collapse earlier, and the doctor proceeded to ask her various questions.

Yeon-ha was prescribed medication and an IV. She really didn’t want the IV, but Min-gyu was adamant that it had to be done. It took about an hour to get everything sorted. While she was hooked up, Min-gyu disappeared for a while but came back just in time to pick her up.

“I hate complicated things. Anyway, you live in my house, and it would be more troublesome if you collapsed alone in your room, right? It’s better to take care of everything you need while we’re out.”

There was nothing more to say to his remark as he packed the medicine bag for her. Well, he wasn’t wrong, but she couldn’t understand his intentions in helping her so much. She couldn’t tell if it was pure kindness or if he had some ulterior motive, which made her uneasy.

To be honest, she had subconsciously assumed the latter. Based on her past experiences, it was better to be suspicious of unprovoked kindness. Although, even if she were suspicious, there wasn’t much she could do differently in this situation.

***

By the time they left the hospital, the sky was darkening. They decided to grab a quick dinner at a nearby sandwich shop. Min-gyu insisted on eating out despite Yeon-ha’s lack of appetite, and this was the best compromise she could manage.

“So, with your foot like this, how are you getting to school?” Min-gyu asked as he plopped down on the chair across from her. He made sure Yeon-ha sat by the wall and carefully placed her crutches in the corner. His actions were surprisingly smooth now. Watching him, Yeon-ha responded quietly.

“I’ve taken sick leave.”

It wasn’t as awkward to use informal speech as she had thought. The intimacy was a bit strange, but she decided to go with it. This was already their second meal together. Throughout their conversation, Yeon-ha learned only one new thing about Min-gyu: he had been away for a couple of months and returned about two weeks ago.

“Not tasty, huh?” Min-gyu asked, eyeing the half-eaten sandwich on her tray.

Yeon-ha, who had barely touched her food, replied defensively, “No, it’s just that I’m not really in the mood.”

It was odd how thinking of Min-gyu as her age seemed to lessen the fear she had felt before, even if she still doubted his words.

“Even so, you should eat a few bites if you’re going to take your meds, right?” His words were kind, but his rough tone made it hard to see the genuine concern.

Reluctantly, Yeon-ha set down her sandwich. Min-gyu finished off her half-eaten sandwich without a second thought and said, “Let’s go.”