Chapter Text
After some time of ranting to my cousin, I left the room first to get some snacks. I walk through the corridors silently, and saw the elevator that'll take me to this hospital's cafeteria. However, like the god's far from kind to me today, the elevator seems to be under maintenance.
I look at the stairs near me and contemplate. Am I going to take this long ass stair or use the elevator that's roughly 100 steps from here? Neither those sounds easy for me, so I decided to just make a call and order some food.
I dialed the phone while I leisurely walk towards Dokja's quarter. There are no other patient in the wards around this area so I won't need to worry running into someone. However, as the gods hates me today as always, I immediately got bumped onto someone.
The impact is not that hard but for someone like me, who's breathing is already a work, fall flat onto the cold floor and hit my bottom hard enough that I groan in pain. My phone didn't get saved fell out of my gasp and slide the floor to the wall.
It wasn't that hard of a fall but I shouldn't overestimate this era's mobile phones. Unlike my old phone that was gifted to me last time, this phone is one of the latest and improved type of phone that looks thin enough to be break by even the weakest person like me.
I hurriedly grabbed my phone, not caring to the person who bumped me or the position I'm in now. Unfortunately, my guess is right and the screen has a large, visible crack from the front camera to the other side. The screen has already showing different colors inside so it means that it's totally broken.
I've already told mom not to trust that phone case vendor who said that the phone case she had bought is enough to protect this phone from any type of damage. In the end, the phone case just protected itself as I saw that it has no scratch visible on it.
I gather my thoughts and looked at the person who bumped me earlier with a glare, "Hey, watch where you are looking, goddammit!" I grumbled as I look to the man's eyes who's just still in place. It may be shameless but I'm never to be someone who care about shame or indignity ever since what happened in the past.
I heard a slight chuckle above me and narrowed my eyes further. Sneering in someone else's misery? What a human this person can be. It seems like he realize the situation, he pursed his lips to stop the chuckle and gave me a hand.
Really? After laughing at me then you ought to help me? As much as I want to say that, I can't really get myself leave this floor by myself so I just took the hand of that guy. I looked at him in much clearer view now.
He looks like at my age. Black hair, Black eyes, and a soft clear skin that's whiter than the mochi I've eaten earlier. There's not much to describe this person in front of me except for his physique that almost similar to mine that contradicts the previous back that's harder than the floor I've felt earlier.
"Are you alright? You look pale." The boy asked as he looked at me in worry and confusion. I shrugged it off and patted my back to remove the invisible dusts that may have caught up on it.
"I'm always pale." I retort.
"Ah" He let out a sigh but I didn't care as I'm busy removing dust from my back.
"Are you sure you're alright? I can ask the nurse to help you." The boy insist and this time, I let out a sigh.
"I'm fine, okay? I'm not the one who needed treatment, it's my phone." I shove the phone right in front of his face for him to know the damage he had just caused.
"Ah. Sorry. I promise to have it repair immediately. Are you sure you don't need some help? You don't need to hesitate." He said in concerned.
'This stubborn brat!'
Are children these days really are that stubborn? He couldn't say much cause he's also one of those children but he really can't handle stubborn people especially the one who damaged something from him.
"I said I'm fine. If you really-" Before I say anything more, my thin legs suddenly weakened and I stumbled and immediately used the person's arms to support myself which they let me do.
This situation reminds me of a cliche scenes of different novels I've read but immediately shove it out of my mind. I already have problems on my own and I don't need another one.
"Hey! Can you move your legs? Your legs might have weakened from earlier. Sorry, please let me help you."
A voice full of sincerity came out from his mouth. It might sound angelic for the first time but I immediately get the thought out of my head. I just nodded in response and pointed a room, with a light's on, to him.
"Help me go there." I said. Although sounds demanding, he seems didn't mind the tone and obey it with glee.
After a few steps, we arrived to the door where my cousin's room is. I let go of the guy's shoulder which I subconsciously gasped harder than I thought. I muttered a 'thank you' which I expect him to return by leaving quietly.
"Um.. Can I ask your name?" The innocent-looking guy looks at me in an expecting gaze which I returned in sigh. I really can't ignore things like this cause it's rude. So I decided to tell it.
"Chae Rok Soo. Yours?" I introduced myself with my old last name as I extended my hand. It might be trivial but I trust my instinct well and that instinct is telling me that if I told this guy my name, I would get in different trouble. Sigh, I shouldn't have read novels that much.
The guy looks a little disappointed after I introduced my name but I don't care and wait for him to response. "I'm Choi Han. Nice to meet you, Roksoo-ah." He then ready to grab my hand in return but I avoided it and furrow my brows.
"Payment." I once again showed my completely damaged phone as he chuckled once more and gave me a contact card in return. Really, is this guy a masochist who loves to get rejected?
"What do you want me to do with this? Contact you with my broken phone?" I asked as he shook is head aggressively.
"No, I mean, I'll give you money to repair that immediately. That card, that's my manager's contact number. I'll tell him the details and just ask him what you want. There might go wrong later so tell him if you need anything" He said that changed my viewpoint of him from normal kid to an angel who's currently handing me money.
Wow, this guy is one hell of a rich bastard. I wonder how much I can get from him before he block my number.
"Really? Oh, thanks. Bye then." I take a short farewell that meant that we'll never meet again.
"Yes. See you when we meet again." He said as he turn his back to me as I saw a wooden sword-like on his back. He may be a martial art student given to his strong physique are.
"Hm.. He looks familiar somehow." I thought and just shrugged the thought off.
After his leave, I opened the door and saw Dokja, peeling an apple by himself while watching the TV. He looked at me searching for something. "Where's the food?" He asked as I remembered the whole purpose of me leaving this room.
"I forgot." I answered briefly as I sat next to him.
"Forgot? You, who remember what did you ate years ago, forgot something?" Dokja said in disbelief.
"Don't be cheeky now, kid." I said as I snatch the haft-peeled apple on his hand and continued it. I heard a familiar voice coming from the TV as I turned my gaze to it and to my grimace, it is the same person who broke my phone and gave his manager's number earlier.
Choi Han.
A let out a dry laugh and touch my forehead in defeat.
"Haaa. I should just have taken the stairs."