Come morning, Hyuk had immediately ran away as soon as Yeo Ri opened her eyes.
Once he came back, he collapsed on top of his bed in exhaustion.
"Oppa, why do you look more tired than me?" Yeo Ri raised an eyebrow.
Hyuk sent an accusing glare at her. "Who's fault do you think it is?" He asked rhetorically.
"Is it because of me?" Yeo Ri pouted guiltily. She didn't remember much about the night before, but she remembered feeling very warm and comfortable. It was thanks to that that she was feeling better now. She bit her lips, "Sorry, Oppa. It must've been tiring to look after me."
Hyuk grunted uneasily, "it's not about that," he mumbled.
"Huh?" Yeo Ri looked at him with confusion.
"Forget it," he curled his lips, clearing his throat awkwardly. There was no way he was going to tell her that he had gotten a boner just from cuddling. What if she felt disgusted by him? The rejected kiss still lingered in his mind. It was like a trauma that wouldn't go away.
"How do you feel?" He changed the subject.
Yeo Ri was quick to forget about Hyuk's previous behaviour, "I feel so much better now," she replied smilingly.
"That's good." He nodded.
The conversation was cut short when a doctor came in to check up on Yeo Ri. After a brief but thorough examination, it was concluded that Yeo Ri was in a stable condition. With just a little bit of care, she would be good enough to be discharged. However, the doctor told them that it was best if she stayed for another night so that they could monitor her condition.
Hyuk agreed readily.
Soon after, a nurse came in, carrying a basin of warm water and a small towel.
"Patient Lee Yeo Ri, it's time to clean up," the nurse says gently.
Yeo Ri greeted the nurse with a bob of her head.
The nurse shot a glance at Hyuk who was standing next to Yeo Ri's bed. Seeing that the nurse was going to help Yeo Ri clean herself, he backed away silently.
The nurse drew up the curtains, hiding the girl from view. Then, she helped Yeo Ri undress and proceeded to clean her body with the towel dipped in warm water.
Although it was incomparable to a hot bath, Yeo Ri still felt grateful. Her body was sticky with cold sweat but the warm water alleviated her discomfort.
"Do you need to go to the bathroom?" The nurse asked once she finished wiping down her body.
Yeo Ri blushed slightly. "Um... yes," Yeo Ri says hesitantly. "It's that time of the month for me..." she whispered in embarrassment to the nurse.
As expected of a fellow woman, the nurse caught on immediately. "Ah, do you want to change your pads?"
Yeo Ri nodded with reddened cheeks. "Yes... I think it's leaking."
The nurse smiled with understanding. She quickly helped Yeo Ri slip into the hospital pyjama top again. "Can you walk?" She asked as she reopened the curtains.
Yeo Ri attempted to walk by herself, but her legs felt like jelly. She stumbled after her first step, but the nurse immediately caught her.
With the nurse's assistance, Yeo Ri was taken to the bathroom to deal with her discomforts and she returned to the ward with a slight smile.
When Yeo Ri got back from the bathroom, Gun was finally awake.
Gun got up and greeted the girl and the nurse. "Yeo Ri-ah, are you feeling better?" He had a relieved look on his face as he watched Yeo Ri get settled back into her bed.
"Mm." Yeo Ri sent him a small smile.
"Patient Lee Yeo Ri, your breakfast will be served soon. If you need anything else, just press that button," the nurse reminded her before leaving.
Yeo Ri gave the woman a grateful smile, "Yes. Thank you for the trouble, Miss Nurse."
The nurse returned her smile. Yeo Ri was such a polite girl that she couldn't help but think well of her.
With both Hyuk and Gun flanking her side, Yeo Ri felt safe and relaxed.
"Ah, that's right. Yeo Ri-ah, take these." Gun got up from his seat and went to search his bag that was placed on top of the bedside table. He took out the taser and pepper spray and passed it to Yeo Ri.
"What's this?" Yeo Ri examined the two items curiously.
"A taser, and a pepper spray," Gun patiently explained how to use them to her. "Just in case," he told her.
Hyuk raised an eyebrow, "How did you even get a hand on these?"
"There was a self-defence seminar at school some time ago and all the students received them as souvenirs. I left them in my locker thinking I didn't need them, but I took them with me yesterday so Yeo Ri has something to protect herself with," he effortlessly lied.
"Rich schools sure are something else," Hyuk tutted. They even have enough budget to do an event like that. "You should've brought those home with you ages ago. Could've just used it to zap that b*stard to death, you sh*thead," he added with a scowl.
"These types of tasers can't kill anyone; at most just make them unconscious," Gun replied with distaste. The tasers were the commercial type that anyone could get their hands on. They weren't strong enough to kill, but it was good enough to stun someone and buy time to get away.
Hyuk clicked his tongue in annoyance. The boy was becoming more and more rude and it was beginning to get on his nerves.
"Thank you, Gun-oppa. I'll use them well," Yeo Ri held the two things close to her, smiling happily towards Gun. These were very useful gifts, she thought.
"Don't mention it, Yeo Ri-ah," Gun ignored Hyuk and returned Yeo Ri's smile.
The three of them spent the rest of the morning leisurely, enjoying the quiet and peaceful atmosphere of the hospital room.