26. don't die

Han Seojun had a very weird dream.

Everything about that dream was weird, unreal and seemed too far fetched to even happen, that is how he knew that it was a dream. Firstly, he woke up in the morning, on his bed, a place he did not remember laying down. Then as a severe headache made him question the fact on whether or not did he pass out drinking last evening but that was stupid since he was not even of age. Then he rubbed his eyes, which brought his attention to the scrunchie in his hand, neatly rolled around his wrist and Seojun did what anyone in his place would do.

He screamed.

Why in the world did he have a pale yellow scrunchie in his hand? How does he even know that is what a scrunchie is and who would play such a mean joke on him?

His sister?

It all came in bits and pieces to him.

That is not how soup is made!

WHY WHY WHY WOULD YOU BLOW IT WITH YOUR GERMS

Wow, that  would look so good on me

JOH-AHAE

My heart is hurting, Kang Su, my heart... or maybe it is my head? HELP

OKIE DOKEY YO... IS IT TRUEEE YESSS

Han Seojun rubbed his hair, frustrated when his sister and mother rushed in, scared about that hauntingly vivid screaming. "What is the matter?" His mother asked lovingly, and then proceeded to touch Han Seojun's forehead, "the fever is gone, thankfully."

WHAT FEVER? WHAT WAS THIS WITCHCRAFT?

"Omma, what happened?"

"You tell us," Go-woon rolled her eyes, nevertheless she held Seojun's arm to check on his temperature, "you screamed like a madman."

"My head hurts, I feel so numb and what is this?" He showed his family the scrunchie on his wrist, "why is this thing here? Is it yours Woon-iee?" He asked but Go-woon shook her head, and his mother smiled at the boy. "Why are you laughing? Omma?" However, Han Seojun's mother only left with giggles as he looked at his sister for help.

"You don't remember?" She pushed her spectacles back in distaste, "your girlfriend was here last evening. That is hers." With that Go-woon walked away, clearly not liking the turn of events as Seojun frowned even more.

What girlfriend?

What is the matter with his family?

JOH-AHAE

He had no idea what was happening to him, especially with these weird cringey flashbacks. But there was only one person who could give him the right answers.

Kang Soojin

_

Soojin had a headache, the cold which she had very stupidly ignored was now taking a toll on her. She could not see well, the tears blurring her vision, a little excessive sound would make her head ache to accelerate and her throat hurt, even the coffee she had in the morning tasted like a bland liquid to her. But she could not miss school, not because she loved attending boring lectures, rather she did not have the strength to sit back at home.

She would be pestered by her father, the tutors, and herself for being sick and she would have to wallow in guilt throughout. The last time Soojin was sick, was two years back, high fever and running nose and when she asked her father if she could stay at home, he simply asked her to drop out of school if a little cold would make her so weak. 

Although she would be lying if the last evening was not a significant part why her head was not as heavier as her heart. Everything that Seojun did last evening, was something she had never imagined ever. To witness the bad boy to actual be nothing but a goofball was... was... 

Soojin lay her head on the wall, the corner seat of class was the best one as she waited for the class to start, "cute," she said that loud, a little smile on her face and it vanished soon when Suho walked in with Jugyeong in his arms. Could they for once stop being such a PDA couple, the matching scarfs, the hand holding and the smiles... 

It did not help when they were across from her, happy, and here she was, miserable. 

The first class was languages, then they had a written test for history and after a long math class they had homeroom class where Soojin hoped she could rest a bit because she was already tired. Her feet felt numb, her back was killing her, she felt so itchy and the world was rotating faster than it should. 

"This is for you," Suho said, the kids who were not asleep, watched the most popular boy in school give a rose to the most popular girl in school, they awwed and cheered for the couple only making them blush more. "The first flower from the plant you gave me." He said as Jugyeong smiled, taking it and Soojin had the urge to gag.

"You can all stop your cheering, I AM RIGHT HERE!" Han Seojun entered the class, throwing his head back as he walked from the middle of the couple, taking the rose from Jugyeong's hand. "A flower, for me? How thoughtful Jugyeong-ah..." Suho shook his head and Jugyeong chuckled, nevertheless they settled back when the teacher entered and Han Seojun sat besides Soojin again, much to the teacher's surprise.

"Why the sudden change, Han Seojun?" She remarked, fixing her glasses on her nose as he eyed the boy, "are you upto something?" 

Han Seojun sat back, "Ani," He replied, looking at Soojin who was sniffing, her tissues spread out on the table, "you said to take some help from Kang Soojin, so I thought what better way than to sit besides her..." The class oohed at that, Soojin did not have the energy to look at the boy and the teacher let it go, resuming the class. Han Seojun placed the scrunchie he had carried in his pocket and placed it on Soojin's desk, "explain."

Soojin had to blink thrice to see whether or not there were two scrunchies on her desk, but she touched it and it was only one, "I should ask you that..." Soojin, turned to meet the boy's curious gaze, "gwenchana?" She asked, he looked better than last time she saw her, "is your fever down?"

"Wait-" Han Seojun had to stop talking when the teacher turned, she took five minutes to turn at the board and Seojun looked back at Soojin, "how did you know?" Soojin frowned, clearly Seojun was just messing with her. "Why is your-" He stopped when the teacher turned, looking at the duo, but Soojin's clean record made her not call them out. The rest of the class was just the same, Seojun trying to get answers from Soojin and the girl literally not having the energy to even breathe, and she did not even glance at him. 

The bell rang, the first thing Soojin did was rest her head on the table, heavier than ever while Seojun inched even closer to the girl, pulling his chair. "YA, why are you not telling me what happened yesterday? I really do not remember... how did you... why did you... what is this... YA!" 

Kang Soojin could feel the darkness approaching, her head was now competing with the earth's crust in being heavier while her numbness seemed to spread across her self. She thought she could live through the painkillers she had in the morning but now she felt extremely nauseated and sick, sleepy and still so much pain. 

"Soojin?" Seojun asked, the girl was acting too weird than her normal self, the Kang Soojin he knew would have given him ten eye-rolls, three scoffs and one 'you are dead' look, but this one just kept her head down and ignored him in a very different manner. "Kang Soojin?" He was about to touch her arm but the teacher entered, and he sat back.

"Bags down, mobiles switched off else I will sell them," The History teacher was always a no-nonsense guy, "this test might not add to your finals, but it will help you know where you stand in terms of your lessons and a mock for the actuals." Han Seojun was bewildered to know that they had tests, and turned back to Jugyeong who sat on the other row.

"There is a test?" He asked, earning giggles from the girl and everyone around. 

"YA, stop fooling around and start taking exams seriously." Suho spoke from the other corner while Seojun responded with an immature tongue wriggle. 

Seojun sighed sitting back, he felt better but he did have the chills, thankfully the hoodie he wore was warm enough to help him survive. He looked at Soojin, furrowing his eyebrows, the teacher was giving out papers but Soojin was still laying her head on the desk. She should have been at war by this time, Seojun held her arm in the process of waking her up but was taken aback at how warm it was. He edged his chair closer to her, touching her hand, and then her head, for which he had to tuck her hair behind. 

"Ya Han Seojun..." Soojin said, a silent whisper, a off-tone call, "why are you touching me?"

"You are sick," He said, ignoring her snide remarks, "let's go to the nurses-"

"ANI," Soojin sat back, she would not miss writing on this test, it was just a matter of an hour, "I AM FINE." Even though she was anything but that, "I am... fine." She shook her head as if shaking it would somehow manage to get rid of the fever too, "please," She whispered, sideway glancing at the agitated boy, "please let me write this... I cannot miss..." She was near to tears, this time more so because of her cruel mind than her sickness. "jebal," She managed to uncap her pen but Seojun gritted his teeth, upset at the stubborn girl.

Who in their right mind would do something like this?

He grunted, getting out of his hoodie and covering the girl over her coat, clearly she was shivering and needed it more than him even though he felt chilly immediately. The class was astonished at the boy as he lay his hoodie on her shoulders, Suho looked up to see how Soojin was not reacting at Seojun's bold move and Su-ah saw the girl holding the pen while shaking uncontrollably. She hated how she cared so much for the friend who left her without a single thought, she unzipped her hoodie and without a single word, handed it to Seojun who at first was startled as the others. He then thanked her and covered Soojin's lap, that way her exposed feet would be warm enough and once she was covered in the two hoodies, Soojin felt the warmth instantly.

Not from the hoodie, no, she still felt cold, but her heart, it was warm because the mixture of the deodorant and the Dior perfume, the one she had gifted Su-ah made her feel at ease. She held the pen with a tighter grip and tried focusing on the mock exam while all Seojun did was keep stealing glances of the girl next to him. He was afraid she might just fall off, or worse, pass out in the middle of it and he kept attempting the questions only to keep his gaze on Soojin throughout the test. He was cold too, the sneezes coming back to greet him but it was okay since Soojin did not shiver much during the test.

That kept him warm enough.

The bell rang and the time for the test was up, Soojin however wrote the last line until the teacher took her paper and that was when she finally collapsed, of course Han Seojun held her immediately. The class was in echoes of gasps, Su-ah approached Seojun who had the passed out girl in his hold. The teacher asked the class to settle down and offered to take the sick girl to the nurses' room but Seojun beat him to it, as he piggy-backed the girl, heading straight to the medical room two floors up, walking past everyone at the stairs. 

"You are such a stubborn idiot, I hope you know that, Kang Soojin," He said, rushing past the crowd of the kids who were startled at the duo, "but I hope you don't die," He said that with a lump in his throat, "just don't die." 

_