That night, Yeo Ri ran a high fever, sending Hyuk and Gun into a frenzy.
"Let's go to the hospital, okay, Yeo Ri?" Gun coaxed hurriedly.
Yeo Ri shook her head slowly, "N-no... not the hospital..." she croaked, her voice hoarse. If they went to the hospital, then the things she was trying to hide would be revealed. She was afraid of what would happen to Hyuk and Gun once that man caught wind of the broken secret.
"Stop being so stubborn, you stupid girl!" Hyuk paced back and forth restlessly. It was clear that he was extremely worried.
"No... I'm... fine..."
"The hell you are!" Hyuk growled. He looked like he was ready to just pick her up and drive her off to the hospital.
"Come on, let's go." Hyuk knelt down to help her up, but just as he was about to touch her, she drew back from him, avoiding his hand.
"I'm really... fine..." Yeo Ri insisted. "Just... a little bit of... rest... is... good... enough..." she wheezed. Saying so many words tired her out.
Hyuk took back his hand, frowning. The girl absolutely refused to go to the hospital and it was driving them crazy.
"Fine, suit yourself."
Hyuk finally gave up after trying to force her to go for a few more times. Seeing her pale face, he had no choice but to give up.
"I'll make something for you to eat. Take your meds afterwards."
Hyuk left for the kitchen. He thought to make rice porridge. Though he wasn't good at cooking, simple things like plain porridge were easy enough for him to make. He crashed at In Guk's apartment or Jin Goo's house quite a lot and neither of them knew how to cook so he always ended up cooking something in the kitchen so that they wouldn't die from hunger.
Meanwhile, Gun stayed by her side, constantly replacing the damp cloth on her forehead. Thanks to her high temperature, it warmed up quickly. After only a few seconds, he would dip the cloth in water, squeeze the excess liquid out, and put it back on her forehead to cool her down.
"Oppa... cold..."
"Cold?" Gun heaped another blanket on top of Yeo Ri, "Is this better?"
Half an hour later, Hyuk came back, a bowl of porridge with watered down kimchi and a glass of water in hand.
Seeing the food, Gun helped her sit up.
"Eat," Hyuk insisted, placing a spoonful of porridge close to her mouth. She was too weak to eat by herself so he personally fed her.
Yeo Ri opened her mouth slightly, her eyes closed. She had no strength to even move.
Hyuk carefully pushed the spoon into the narrow opening, tipping it. Unfortunately, most of the contents spilled. He wiped her mouth and chin patiently, and continued feeding her. Seeing her so weak made his heart break.
"Yeo Ri, you have to eat so you can be healthy again. Please, okay?" Gun's voice cracked as he rubbed her back, coaxing her.
After toiling for almost an hour, Yeo Ri finally finished the whole bowl.
Hyuk wordlessly crushed the pills with the spoon, then fed it to her, helping her wash it down with the water. Yeo Ri coughed, swallowing the pills with difficulty.
"Good girl," Hyuk mumbled. Together with Gun, he helped the girl lay down and tucked her in. She became unconscious thanks to medicine, and the boys finally had a chance to relax.
Come morning, Yeo Ri's condition was significantly better. However, her temperature could still be considered high so she was still constricted to bedrest.
Gun reluctantly headed to school, leaving Hyuk to take care of Yeo Ri for a few more hours. He glanced at the clock on his phone.
He was getting late for work but Yeo Ri still needed to be looked after. After debating for a long time, he finally decided to go to work. They were in dire need of money and therefore he couldn't afford to lose another job.
For one last time, he checked her temperature.
"Wait for Oppa, okay?" Hyuk kissed her forehead, then rested his forehead on hers. It felt so hot that it became scalding after a few seconds. Reluctantly, he extracted himself from the girl and placed a cool, damp cloth on her forehead.
Then, he left for work.