* * *
“I took a photo, thinking it might become a memory even if you didn’t wake up. We also chose a souvenir together after discussing it among ourselves. If you don’t need it, then…”
“Did you pick the sheep because of ‘Yang’ in my name? Whose idea was that, I wonder?” I laughed inwardly as I looked at the photos.
I wasn’t sure what exactly had happened that day, but there were four photos in total.
In each one, one of them took turns holding me, and even though they wore slightly disgruntled faces when looking at each other, their eyes were gentle when they looked at me.
These were photos taken just for me.
A small token, a memory, to bring me some comfort, even though I had done nothing but sleep through the outing.
Even though I must have been a burden to them that day.
I pressed their kindness firmly into my heart.
“Thank you so much. This is the best gift.”
This is serious.
I love these people too much.
I don’t know what to do with myself as I fall more for them with each passing day.
Oh, I really… I really want to keep living with these kind people.
I want to live so, so badly.
I felt like it’d be a waste to just say goodbye, and we wouldn’t be seeing each other as often for a while, so when all three Espers unanimously decided I should at least get a meal in me, we agreed to eat out before heading home.
Rex preferred salty, sweet, and spicy food; Elliot preferred mild and subtle flavors; Cha Junseong preferred cooking his own food instead of eating out.
Since their tastes were so polarized, the final decision was left to me.
My recent indigestion limited my options, and I didn’t want to trouble Cha Junseong, so we ended up at a Western restaurant that Elliot, who picked the place, frequented.
“Hmm. Isn’t there anything with a bit more kick? The flavor’s a little bland.”
“Then don’t eat it.”
“But since you took the effort to bring me here, I should at least try.”
“You just said it was bland. Ugh, if it’s ruining your appetite, can’t you just stop eating?”
“Huh? Nope, I don’t wanna. Still, the meat’s not bad. Can I order more? Let’s say three portions.”
“…This damn guy.”
Rex and Elliot clashing was inevitable, considering their completely opposite preferences.
Above all, Rex was the type to eat like a glutton, shoveling food into his mouth without any regard for manners, which naturally didn’t sit well with the more refined Elliot.
They spent the entire meal bickering back and forth.
“There’s a subtle sweetness here, but it doesn’t taste like sugar. I wonder what it is.”
Meanwhile, the only one who might’ve intervened, Cha Junseong, was deep in thought, curious about the secret ingredient in the special sauce.
He could afford to relax, knowing that Rex and Elliot’s arguments were never really serious.
I found myself smiling a lot, because I loved everything about them in that moment, and I was so happy.
Although Cha Junseong escorted me to the front of my house, I didn’t go in right away.
Instead, I went to a nearby shop, bought a picture frame, and carefully placed each Polaroid photo in it.
Then, I decorated the nightstand next to my bed with it.
‘It’s so beautiful.’
I couldn’t take my eyes off it.
Even though all the photos had the same flower field background and the same people, each one gave a slightly different feeling.
I spent so much time examining the subtle differences in each picture and imagining what might have been happening at that exact moment, losing track of time.
“Hey, I’m home!”
Then I heard Eunsoo’s voice, and my eyes snapped open.
“Huh…?”
The last thing I remembered was sitting at my desk, grinning as I looked at the photos.
But now, I was lying on the floor.
‘When did I fall asleep?’
I didn’t remember falling asleep at all. In fact, I didn’t even remember feeling sleepy.
Yet here I was, just waking up in the dark, with two hours gone since my last memory.
A chill ran down my spine. It felt like I’d been possessed or something, but that couldn’t be it…
Did I develop narcolepsy?
My body really keeps surprising me.
“Hey, are you home?”
This wasn’t the time for idle thoughts.
I quickly got up and turned on the light.
Fortunately, this time there was no sudden drop in blood pressure.
“Yes, Eunsoo, I’m here.”
Trying to act as casual as possible, I opened the door as if I hadn’t just fainted in a dark room. Eunsoo shouldn’t worry about me.
“Hey! I missed you!”
As soon as he saw me, Eunsoo’s face lit up with such joy that he practically glowed.
He dashed over and hugged me tightly.
Damn.
He’s like a puppy.
He’s so incredibly cute.
How can my Eunsoo be this adorably precious every time?
But then, a worry crept into my mind.
He’d wanted to go to school so badly; why was he saying he missed me?
Shouldn’t he have been having so much fun that he forgot all about me?
I held his face in both hands and looked him in the eye.
“Was school not that great today?”
“No, it was fun. Everything the teacher was worried about didn’t apply to me at all. I’m totally popular.”
The teacher had had a lot of concerns, but the biggest worry was that, because he was joining so late, the other kids—who’d already formed their groups—wouldn’t accept him, and he’d end up being isolated.
I’d been worried about that too, but looking at his confident face, I realized there was nothing to worry about.
‘Well, he’s my Eunsoo after all. How could they not notice him?’
With his striking looks, endless confidence, and his excellent academic and physical abilities, he was bound to become an idol among his peers.
If he’d had a normal school life, he probably would’ve been flooded with chocolates on Valentine’s Day.
‘But kids, I hate to break it to you, but my boy’s already taken.’
If just one of his three future husbands showed up at his school, it’d be like a scene out of a high school drama.
Just thinking about it makes me giddy.
Of course, his future husbands are all busy prepping for their college exams, so they shouldn’t be stirring up any feelings.
It’s just a fantasy of mine, after all.
“Studying and playing with friends was fun, but I still missed you. If only I could carry you around in my pocket…”
“Wouldn’t it be suffocating in there?”
“I’d let your head poke out. Do you really think I’d let you struggle to breathe? I’d wrap you up all snug with a handkerchief so you’d be comfy.”
“Sure, sure.”
“Oh, but if you’re small enough to fit in my pocket, I might just want to pop you in my mouth. You’d be bite-sized, wouldn’t you?”
“Don’t eat me… I mean, come on…”
It’s not like I could actually shrink, but the sparkle in his eyes made it clear he truly wished I could.
I wasn’t sure what I even was to him sometimes.
“Still, I know you have work to do, so I’ll hold back. Did you do that, uh… guiding today?”
“No, I just attended a meeting and came back.”
“And you still ended up like this? It must be worse than I thought.”
“Huh?”
Eunsoo placed his hand over my chest, muttering under his breath, his brows knitted slightly.
“What’s so bad?”
“Oh… nothing, I was just talking to myself. Don’t mind me. It’s fine. I’ll help manage it.”
Manage… what? My condition?
I doubted it was something Eunsoo could control, but the fact that he’d muttered something so cryptic was unsettling.
He wasn’t the type to talk to himself, especially in front of others.
Why now?
But he’s a teenager, and with the added stress of exams, it made sense.
Even smart kids like Eunsoo go through “that” phase. It’s not weird at all.
“If you have any particularly busy days, let me know. And tell me if you have a lot of guiding work, okay?”
“Oh, by the way, Eunsoo, I’m actually taking a break from work for a while. They said I can just be ‘Eunsoo’s guardian’ for now.”
Eunsoo’s eyes went wide as he stared at me.
“Really?”
“Yeah. Really.”
“Wow. They actually did something nice for once!”
By “they,” was he talking about the three Espers, or the agency?
Though my precious Eunsoo could be a bit sassy, he usually spoke kindly in front of me.
Still, his genuine excitement made me happy.
“Then you can just rest and sleep in for a while.”
“Yeah, they told me to catch up on sleep since I’ve been tired.”
I’d been wanting to take it easy for about three days, and now it’d actually come true.
Of course, I couldn’t keep sleeping while leaving everything to Eunsoo, so maybe I’d go to the hospital they’d recommended and get an IV drip.
That might keep me from dozing off as much.
“Don’t worry about the housework either. I’ll take care of everything. You just focus on sleeping.”
“I can’t put it all on you. You’ve got exams to worry about.”
“Really, it’s okay. Even if you’re a student, focusing only on studying can cloud your mind. And sometimes, brilliant ideas come to you when you’re doing simple tasks, so there’s no need to worry about that. Above all else…”
Eunsoo went up on his tiptoes and pressed his lips softly against my cheek.
Smack.
Making a cute little sound as he pulled back, Eunsoo wrapped his arms tightly around my waist, pulling me close.
His blue eyes softened, crinkling gently as he looked up at me.
“I just like watching you sleep, you know?”
* * *
*Summary page is only available for login users. Non-users can view the chapters on the chapter list.*
Wow
Gracias