* * *

When he tightened his arms with his eyes closed, he heard a groan from above.

Despite the uncomfortable position, Jingyeom didn’t tell him to loosen his grip or let go.

He could guess how hard it must have been for Jinwoo, how anxious he must have felt.

So, he stayed still until Jinwoo’s heart calmed.

Jingyeom lifted his hand and tightly pressed his lips together at the sight of his thin arm.

It looked even thinner, likely from not eating properly for a week.

His arm, which had had a large IV needle in it, was bruised and blue. It didn’t hurt to move it.

That thin hand reached for Jinwoo’s jet-black hair. Whether he had washed during his check-up or counseling, it was still wet.

When he spread his fingers and ran them through his hair, he could feel the dampness more clearly.

He played with Jinwoo’s hair, lifting and lowering his fingers in rhythm.

“…Hyung.”

“Hm?”

“Do you want to stay in the hospital until the surgery?”

“There’s still a month left, isn’t there? You want me to stay in the hospital that whole time?”

His reply was filled with clear reluctance.

“You’re not in as good condition as you were a month ago, so they’ve postponed the surgery… Your body’s been overworked since you were last hospitalized. With everything that’s happened, you’re quite exhausted.”

“But…”

“If we miss the surgery timing, it could be a problem. You need to get healthier so you can recover quickly after the surgery. You hate being in pain too, don’t you?”

Jinwoo tried to persuade him as much as he could.

The situation had changed from when he was confident that everything would be fine as long as he was by Jingyeom’s side.

Both times Jingyeom had collapsed, Jinwoo had been there, but he couldn’t do anything.

He could only stay by his side.

It had always been that way.

Whenever Jingyeom was in pain, all he could do was stay beside him.

He couldn’t suffer in his place or lessen the pain.

He wished he could have been the one in pain instead…

“I’ll stay in the hospital with you. Just think of it as moving from home to the hospital. It might even be better here—cool, clean, and with meals served on time.”

“Our home is cool and clean too. I eat on time there as well.”

Before Jinwoo came home from work, they cooled off with a fan.

Keeping the air conditioner on all the time seemed too costly. But at least they used it at night, hoping Jinwoo would sleep well.

Now, Jingyeom knew how to use the rice cooker. He rinsed the rice properly and soaked it in water.

He even cleaned the house fairly thoroughly, though tidying up wasn’t his strong suit.

He was meticulous with mopping.

Living in the rooftop room, Jingyeom did quite a bit.

He felt he was being helpful to Jinwoo by doing housework.

Housework doesn’t show much even if you do it every day, but if you skip it for a few days, it’s immediately noticeable.

He thought about how dust must have accumulated after being away for a week.

After the check-up, he had a conversation similar to this with Hoonil, who suggested staying in the hospital until the surgery.

Jingyeom’s answer was “no” back then too.

“…”

“If you don’t want to, I won’t force you.”

“…But you want me to stay in the hospital, don’t you?”

“Of course. What if you collapse when you’re alone? That’s my biggest worry. I can’t always be there.”

This time, he was lucky to be there, but what if Jingyeom collapsed when he wasn’t around?

The mere thought made him feel dizzy.

Maybe he was asking Jingyeom to stay in the hospital for his own peace of mind.

Even if it was selfish, he wanted it that way.

Jinwoo, who had been pressing his face into Jingyeom’s chest, slowly straightened up.

Then he pulled Jingyeom’s arm to his side.

It was so comfortable and pleasant to be held like this, but he couldn’t keep Jingyeom standing forever.

Instead, he would lower himself.

He didn’t want to miss this rare opportunity.

After sitting Jingyeom comfortably on the bed, he pulled a chair close and sat between Jingyeom’s legs.

He stretched his arms forward and clasped his hands behind Jingyeom’s back.

“Can I stay like this?”

“You’re asking now, after you’ve already gotten into position?”

“If you say no, I’ll move.”

Jinwoo grinned, and Jingyeom smiled back at him.

“It’s fine.”

Jingyeom pressed his palm gently against Jinwoo’s forehead, and Jinwoo slowly bent forward with a smiling face.

It seemed like he intended to do that from the start; his movements were too natural.

He could feel the weight of Jinwoo’s head resting on one of his thighs.

“I hate being in pain too. It really hurt. I was surprised.”

It felt like someone had opened his chest and squeezed his heart with all their strength.

It was an unbearable pain, twisting his heart as if wringing out a cloth.

The thought of living with this pain for the rest of his life made his shoulders droop.

“…I’ll stay in the hospital. But you should stay at home. No matter how nice it is here, it’s not as comfortable as home.”

“If you’re here, how can I go home?”

Jingyeom leaned in slightly and whispered into Jinwoo’s ear.

“Go home and clean.”

“…Ah.”

Jinwoo couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.

He used to never lift a finger around the house, but once he started cleaning, he became quite obsessive.

He even got scolded once for not rinsing the dishes after eating.

It seemed he also found joy in cooking, often trying his hand at making soups and stews.

Despite following YouTube tutorials, he always struggled with the amount of water, resulting in inconsistent flavors.

These days, Jinwoo eagerly awaited the end of the workday, knowing that Jingyeom would see him off with a smile and welcome him back.

In fact, he didn’t want to go to work at all because he wanted to spend all day with Jingyeom.

Even during work, exchanging messages with Jingyeom made him want to leave early.

His phone gallery now had quite a collection of photos Jingyeom had sent him.

They weren’t of his face, but snapshots of everyday moments—what he had for lunch, a cloud shaped like an animal, wildflowers blooming on the rooftop.

To others, these messages and photos might seem trivial, but to Jinwoo, they were precious.

They had made many memories over the past month.

Jinwoo’s lips curved into a gentle smile. Just as he was about to respond, Jingyeom’s leg twitched, causing Jinwoo’s head to bob up and down.

“Oh right! What happened to my job at the café? I must have been fired, right? Ah… Did you tell them I was in the hospital?”

“Yeah, you can’t go back to the café. You were let go.”

“I figured…”

Jingyeom felt disappointed that things had turned out this way, especially since he thought the café job suited him.

He hoped to work there again if his surgery went well because he enjoyed it so much.

Even as Jingyeom expressed his disappointment, Jinwoo didn’t release the embrace.

He moved his head to the other leg to prevent Jingyeom from getting sore.

They were enjoying this happy moment when, predictably, it was interrupted.

“What are you two doing?”

Without knocking, Soohyuk stood at the open door, looking perplexed.

Wonbeom was behind him, probably having come straight from work.

Soohyuk had planned to visit earlier but was delayed by an executive meeting and issues with overseas branches.

“You’re awake.”

Soohyuk’s long strides quickly brought him to the bedside.

Jinwoo kept his face buried in Jingyeom’s leg, even tightening his embrace.

Jingyeom, who had been grumbling earlier, now greeted the two with a bright smile.

“Hello.”

“Not well. What kind of kid are you…!”

Soohyuk’s mouth twitched, but he swallowed his words. There was no point in scolding someone who had just woken up.

He scrutinized Jingyeom from head to toe. Just yesterday, Jingyeom had looked lifeless, but now he seemed vibrant.

His face was still pale, but his bright expression made him look healthier.

“Is it okay for you to be up? Shouldn’t you be lying down?”

“I’ve been lying down too long, so I wanted to get up for a bit.”

“Do you even understand? My goodness… How long are you two going to stay like that? Get up. You have visitors.”

Soohyuk nudged Jinwoo’s chair with his foot. Although it wobbled slightly, it was heavy enough not to tip over.

“What if I fell?”

Jingyeom scolded him, though Soohyuk hadn’t kicked it hard.

As the chair wobbled, Jingyeom’s hand instinctively reached for Jinwoo’s back.

Though he knew they would both fall if he tried to catch him, it was a reflex.

“You didn’t fall.”

Soohyuk smirked.

“You know we haven’t seen each other in a while? I’ve seen you in that outfit so many times it feels like a uniform now.”

Jingyeom tugged at his hospital gown, which bore the logo of the Korean Hospital.

He had worn it several times already and would have to keep wearing it during his hospital stay and recovery.

He wasn’t overly concerned with fashion, but the thought of wearing the same outfit for over a month dampened his spirits, and he pouted slightly.

Jinwoo, who had been glued to Jingyeom, slowly got up.

“Why are you here again?”

“Secretary Baek, you’re really showing favoritism. Can’t you be a bit friendlier to a guest who visits every day?”

“Keep dreaming.”

“Just asking, knowing it won’t happen.”

Soohyuk shrugged and then sat on the edge of the bed next to Jingyeom.

“You look better. You seemed to be at death’s door….”

Soohyuk fiddled with his fingers on the bed. He wanted to touch Jingyeom’s face like he had the day before, but Jinwoo’s presence made him hesitant.

Jingyeom gave a soft laugh, his eyes crinkling.

‘This is better.’

Seeing Jingyeom smile was indeed better.

Even with the same paleness, it was much nicer to see him smiling than lying with his eyes closed.

* * *