Chapter 57 : One Flower (2)

My week had been reduced to six days.
Thursday had vanished.

After getting drenched in the rain, I had succumbed to a nasty cold, a fever spiking to 39°C (102.2°F). I thought I was going to die.

Thankfully, modern medicine, in the form of over-the-counter fever reducers, saved me. I offered a silent prayer of thanks for being born in this era. Apparently, people used to die from the common cold. Long live modern medicine.

I slowly put on my mask and shoes, my movements sluggish. I sighed.

‘Just one day off, and I already feel like this?’

Humans were creatures of habit. I had longed for this, for a break, for some time off, when I was a working adult. Now that I had it, all I felt was… inertia.

I left for school, my eyes glued to the script. My mother, watching me, said,

“Put that away while you’re walking. You’ll get hurt.”
“Don’t worry, I’m good at multitasking.”

I had to make up for lost time. Especially since today was the day for casting decisions.

I frowned. The letters on the page seemed to be… blurring. I closed my eyes, shook my head, and when I opened them, the letters were clear again.

‘Should I get my eyes checked?’

It was probably just stress. I shrugged it off.

“I’m going to school, Mom. Eat dinner without me.”

I left the house, leaving my lingering fatigue behind.

***

I arrived at school, and Hyelin rushed over, her eyes wide.

“H… Haram!”
“Personal space.”
“O… Oh…”

She took two steps back, her arms dropping to her sides, her face falling. She looked like a puppy that had been abandoned by its owner. I sighed.

“…I don’t want you to catch my cold.”
“Oh… is that… it?”

Her face brightened immediately. She sat down and scooted her chair closer. I glared at her.

“I told you I have a cold.”
“…”

Her smile vanished, replaced by a pout. I thought,

‘Does she have separation anxiety or something?’

I had been gone for *one day*. She was acting like a puppy waiting for its owner to come home. Her constant fidgeting and sidelong glances made me curious.

“Hyelin, look at me.”
“Yes?”
“Do this.”

I pointed at her.

“Stay.”

She blinked, staring at me expectantly. I raised my right hand.

“Paw.”
“P… Paw?”

She hesitantly placed her left hand on mine.

“Good girl.”

I patted her head.

“Heehee, that feels nice,” she giggled.
“Are you… a dog?”
“Of… of course, I’m listening to you.”

She tilted her head, and I reached a conclusion: Lee Hyelin was a loyal canine. I felt a gaze on me and turned to see Dojun quickly averting his eyes. I didn’t feel the need to mend our broken relationship either, so I turned back to Hyelin, who was still smiling dreamily as I patted her head.

“Today’s the day for the casting decisions. Any roles in mind?”
“I want to try for… the Smiling Girl.”
“Really?”

I was surprised. The Smiling Girl was the only main role in the play. Hyelin, despite her newfound confidence, still seemed… too timid for such a demanding role.

“What about you, Haram? Are you aiming for the Smiling Girl too?”
“I’m not sure yet.”

I smiled noncommittally. I hadn’t decided yet, but I didn’t think I would go for the Smiling Girl.

The bell rang, signaling lunchtime. My friends, ignoring my protests about my lingering cold, insisted I sit with them.

“I… I’m fine eating alone. Seriously, you’ll catch my cold.”
“We can’t just abandon you. It’s against our friend code.”
“If I sneeze, we’re all doomed. Have you never seen a zombie movie?”

I sighed, looking at my lunch tray. It was “Multicultural Food Day,” featuring curry, fried chicken, and a tube of yogurt for dessert. With the addition of kimchi, it looked more like a home-cooked meal than an exploration of international cuisine, but I didn’t complain.

“I was hoping for some soup…”
“Heehee, you sound like an old man, Haram. My dad always says the same thing,” Nayeon commented, and I groaned inwardly.

As I was eating, I noticed something and turned to Hyelin.

“Don’t you like fried chicken?”
“I… I do! Why?”

She swallowed her food before answering. I frowned.

“You haven’t touched it. I thought you always ate your favorite foods first.”
“D… Did I?”

She smiled, an awkward, forced smile.

Something was… off. I felt a sudden surge of unease.

***

As we were walking back to the classroom after lunch, I stopped.

“H… Haram? What’s wrong?”

“I need to talk to the instructor. I’ll be right back.”
“Should… should I come with you?”
“No, you go ahead.”

I had asked Instructor Haerin to ask Saeron about his intentions, and I hadn’t heard back from her yet. It was better to ask her now, before the auditions and the inevitable post-school activities. I reached the office door and was about to knock when I heard Hansongi’s voice from inside.

“I’m quitting the drama club.”

My hand froze mid-air. I stood there, listening, my heart pounding.

This didn’t make sense. In my past life, she had never given up on her dream of becoming an actor. She hadn’t achieved the same level of success as Dojun, but she had been content, pursuing her passion.

“This is about Lee Haram, isn’t it?”

The instructor’s words made me flinch. Hansongi laughed, a brittle, hollow sound.

“Hee… I can’t… deny it…”

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut, a wave of guilt washing over me. My breath hitched. My hands clenched into fists, the nails digging into my palms. I took a deep breath and opened the door.

They both looked startled. My voice trembled slightly.

“Is it true… that you’re quitting… because of me?”
“…How much did you hear?”
“Everything.”
“…”

Hansongi frowned and pressed a hand to her head. My voice was barely a whisper.

“You said you weren’t going to… run away. That you’d face your problems head-on. And… this is what you do?”
“I’ve thought about this…”
“Don’t lie.”

I looked her in the eye. The surprise in her gaze quickly hardened into anger. She spat the words out, her voice sharp and cold.

“Just…stop.”
“Stop what?”
“Stop… pretending you understand. You’re…talented. You succeed at everything you do. That’s why you can say these things.”

She took a step closer.

“Yes, I’m quitting because of you. Are you happy now? Does that boost your ego?”

I bit my lip, my gaze falling to the floor. I whispered, my voice thick with shame,

“I’m… sorry.”
“What?”
“I’m sorry. I won’t… say things like that anymore… Please, don’t quit.”

I had been careless, hadn’t I? I hadn’t considered the consequences of my actions, the impact I had on others.

My carelessness had brought me to this… this pathetic display, begging for forgiveness.

But my pleas were futile. Hansongi looked at me with disgust.

“I told you to stop.”

Her face was a mask of conflicting emotions.

“That… that was the cruelest thing you could have said.”

She turned and walked away. Kang Haerin, who had been watching silently, looked at me with concern.

“Haram, are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”

I forced a smile.

The past never changed. The potted plant on my neighbor’s balcony, the scratch on my bedroom door I didn’t even remember making, the taste of my mother’s cooking… Nothing had changed.

But I had.