The warm aroma of freshly heated milk filled the room, its steam curling into the air. Yuki sat on the edge of the bed, gently feeding Emily spoonfuls of the comforting drink.
Leaning back against the pillow, Emily felt a wave of embarrassment. "It's okay, really. I can drink it myself," she insisted, her face slightly flushed. She wasn't that sick, after all. This kind of care made her feel awkward and out of place.
Yuki, however, swiftly avoided Emily's attempt to grab the spoon. Her eyes were calm and firm. "I promised my aunt I would make sure you drink it all," she replied coolly. Downstairs, Auntie Carolyn had been quite specific: Emily needed to be taken care of properly. When people are ill, they're often fragile and lonely, needing the extra warmth of friendship to see them through. What Auntie Carolyn didn't know was that some overly talkative girl had shared tales of Emily's recent behavior and how the other students had started to distance themselves from her.
"Emily is a good girl," Auntie Carolyn had said. "You must look after her."
Must?
Yuki had stared at her aunt in surprise. Of course, she knew her aunt had a kind heart—it was something she'd grown up with—but never before had she seen her so serious about caring for someone. Her aunt had simply smiled and added, "From the moment I first met Emily, I felt a special connection with her."
"Auntie Carolyn is such a kind person," Emily said gratefully, her voice filled with admiration. She couldn't help but feel a pang of envy towards Yuki.
"Yeah," Yuki replied with a single, indifferent syllable.
Silence fell over the room again, a strange and awkward quietness. Emily scratched her head, racking her brain for something to say, anything to break the tension. But Yuki remained expressionless, steadily feeding Emily spoonful after spoonful of warm milk as if it were a mechanical task.
Time ticked by slowly, each second stretching out. Finally, Yuki returned to her desk, where a cup of instant noodles sat, now completely cold. She began to eat quietly, leaving Emily alone with her thoughts.
Staring blankly at the ceiling, Emily let her mind drift. Her thoughts wandered back to that kiss… the heat, the intensity of it… He always had that aloof, indifferent demeanor, but his lips had been so searingly hot, as if all his passion and fire were condensed right there.
Could a kiss really change depending on the person?
His kisses back then had been so gentle, like a soft spring breeze. When he kissed her, it was as if she were the most cherished, delicate pink petal, cradled with such tenderness. There was always that slow, lingering sweetness in his touch, his eyes filled with a dreamy haze, and even his breath carried the scent of pine…
Emily's fingers lightly traced her own lips, trembling slightly as she recalled those moments. A faint, wistful smile appeared on her pale lips, fragile like the memories she held onto.
"Daydreaming again, are we?"
A cold voice pierced the air near Emily's bed.
Emily froze for a moment, then turned her head toward the sound. Katherine stood there, glaring at her with a look of disdain and icy indifference.
"You should be celebrating, right? Isn't this what you wanted—to finally get a date with Ryan?" Katherine scoffed, looking down at her. "So why are you lying here, playing the sick, fragile girl? I can't stand girls like you, always putting on an act!"
A bitter smile crept onto Emily's face. "Do you really dislike me that much?"
"Hmph."
"If you hate me, then don't talk to me." Emily shut her eyes, feeling dizzy and drained. She had no energy to argue with Katherine.
Katherine's anger flared. "What did you just say?!" She took a few furious steps forward, reaching out to yank away Emily's blanket.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
Yuki had already moved in front of Emily, grabbing Katherine's wrist.
Katherine raised an eyebrow. "Sticking up for her, are you? Yuki, don't you hate her too? After all, Ryan hurt you, and she still pretends to care—"
"Pretending is still better than you," Yuki snapped, shoving Katherine's hand away. "What have you ever done? You like Ryan, right? You want to be his girlfriend, right? But aside from flirting with him whenever you get the chance, have you actually done anything for him? At least Emily ran ten thousand meters for him, stayed up nights writing his paper. Compared to that, your so-called concern looks much more fake."
"Yuki!" Katherine's face turned red, then white, her voice filled with spite. "I know you resent me. Hmph, who could blame you after I accidentally—"
*Knock, knock.*
A sudden rapping on the dorm room door interrupted Katherine.
Emily struggled to sit up. "I'll get it." But Yuki motioned for her to stay put and walked over to the door. She opened it, then froze, staring in surprise.