204 Gun’s Sick Day (1/2)

”Oppa, come on, you have to take your medicine,” Yeo Ri said, her tone distressed.

”I'll take it later,” Gun mumbled sluggishly.

Yeo Ri let out a sigh, dropping her hands tiredly. ”Oppa...”

”Hm...”

Yeo Ri scrunched her brows before assuming a stern tone, ”You have to eat your medicine if you want to get better.”

”Okay,” Gun obediently nodded, though he made no movements to follow her wish.

After several more attempts of coaxing him into taking the medicine, Gun finally capitulated and swallowed the pills with difficulty. Yeo Ri helped him lie back down on their shared full-size bed, tucking him in properly.

It was only after Gun seemed to have fallen asleep did Yeo Ri relax. She picked up the empty bowl of porridge she had made for him and carried it over to the sink to wash.

Yeo Ri quietly wrapped up her chores, making as little noise as possible so as to not disturb her sick brother who was sleeping.

Yeo Ri let out another sigh as she dried her hands on the kitchen towelette. She glanced at her brother as she thought back to the day before.

After she got home from the Han family's house, Yeo Ri had spent some quiet time thinking alone. It was only when Gun came back that evening did she spur back into motion.

At that time, Gun had looked slightly pallid, and by the time it was night, he started coughing endlessly and his temperature went up. Someone from the school must've infected him with their cold, seeing as Gun had been fine when he left the house that morning.

Luckily, they had stored a bunch of medicines from the time Yeo Ri was hospitalised, so she immediately took out the cold and fever medicines and gave it to Gun. However, his fever still had yet to break the morning after.

Yeo Ri had already called the faculty to inform them of Gun's absence and texted his two friends, Ha Jun and Da Na, about his condition, and if Gun was still sick after taking the second round of medicine, she had planned to take him to the clinic after lunchtime.

Ding dong!

Just as Yeo Ri finished replacing the small basin of water she used to cool Gun down, the doorbell rang.

”Coming!” Yeo Ri whisper-yelled. She glanced at her brother, hoping that the sudden noise did not jolt him out of his rest.

”Yes?” Yeo Ri opened the door slightly, only to see Noh Ha Jun standing directly in front of her, smiling widely.

”Hi, Yeo Ri-ah!”

”Ha Jun-oppa!” Yeo Ri greeted in surprise. She glanced at the vaguely familiar faces of the three companions standing behind the older guy. ”What are you doing here? Don't you have classes, Oppa?”

Ha Jun waved his hand in dismissal, ”It's fine if we miss a class or two. Don't worry about it, Yeo Ri-ah,” he reassured the young girl. ”We're here to visit the patient,” he said, holding up a plastic bag branded with a pharmacy's logo. He'd brought along some medicine, snacks, and anything that could help cure the common cold.

Yeo Ri was not familiar with Ha Jun's schedule, so she did not say anything more. Though, she knew that Gun had two classes before lunch, and one tutorial after a two-hour lunch break today. If Ha Jun was his classmate, then they probably had somewhat similar schedules.

”Come in, Oppa, Oppa's friends,” Yeo Ri smiled at the group, ushering them in. ”Our house is a bit small, but make yourselves at home.”

”Then, we'll be intruding~” Ha Jun unabashedly took off his shoes and stepped into the Lee duo's humble home. He never had the chance to enter it before, so his eyes were glued to every detail in the quaint house before settling on the sickly young man lying on the bed that was positioned on the floor, slightly off-center from the middle of the tiny living-slash-dining area.

Unlike Ha Jun's shameless behaviour, the other three who had accompanied him to Gun's house were more polite. They quietly followed the brazen boy, their gazes loitering at anything and everything. 'So this is where Lee Gun lives,' they seemed to be thinking.

”Sorry, Oppa just went to sleep. Would you like some tea? Coffee?”

”It's fine, Yeo Ri-ah. We don't plan to stay very long,” Ha Jun grinned before glancing at his other schoolmates, ”Right, guys?”

”Oh... yeah... I guess?” One of them mumbled.

”Um... excuse me?” One of the other males in the group raised his hand hesitantly as if he had something he was curious about. ”Are you perhaps... that girl in the commercial? VitaQua?”

”Ah... yes,” Yeo Ri flinched slightly, but kept herself steady and sent a small smile towards the man. ”Nice to meet you, I am Lee Yeo Ri. Thank you for taking care of my brother at school.” Yeo Ri bowed politely towards the group.

The man's eyes brightened. ”I knew it! I thought you looked familiar! Um, if it's not too troublesome, can we take a picture...?” He asked, fidgeting. His friend elbowed him with a tight smile, whispering, ”hey, just what are you doing to someone you just met?”

”What?” The man hissed back at his friend, rubbing the sore area that had been jabbed by his friend's sharp elbow. He turned back to Yeo Ri with a sheepish smile, ”Um, so, can we?” He rummaged his bag for his phone, turning it to the camera app and shyly inviting her into the frame.