his secret | woosan

seven

"just because i sneezed doesn't mean i'm sick, though!" san retorted with an annoyed expression, all wrapped up in the white duvet i practically forced him to use. ignoring his banter, i stood on the other side of the bed and asked, "are there any medicines in the kitchen?" san groaned, but before he could respond, a knock on the door interrupted us. a woman's voice came from outside, "san, i heard you upstairs. if you're back, you must be hungry. what should i cook for you?" san motioned for me to open the door with a nod.

as i swung the door open, i was greeted by a woman in her forties wearing a black and white uniform. flashing her a friendly smile, i introduced myself, "hi, i'm wooyoung." she returned the gesture with a warm smile and said, "hello, wooyoung! my name is anya. it's my first time meeting you, right?" i nodded, but before i could say anything else, san spoke up from behind me, "thanks, anya, but could you just order a pizza or something for us today?" as the woman's eyes landed on san, all wrapped up in his duvet, her expression turned extremely concerned.

she walked past me, heading straight to san, and held him, gently caressing his head. checking his forehead temperature, she spoke up in a worried voice, "san! what's wrong? are you sick? hold on, let me-" san rolled his eyes and cut her off, saying, "no, anya! i'm not sick!" anya turned to look at me, and i mouthed, "he's sick," which san noticed, prompting him to loudly interrupt once again, "oh my god, wooyoung, i'm going to kill you. i'm not-" before he could finish his sentence, he sneezed once more. both anya and i gave him a disappointed look. "i'll be back with some soup and medicine," anya said.

as anya left the room, i followed behind her, intending to lend a hand in the kitchen. "now, where are you going?" san asked in a raspy, nasally voice, his eyebrows furrowed. "i want to help her out," i replied. anya turned around and gently caressed my cheek, saying, "oh, wooyoung, that's so sweet of you! but it's fine. don't worry, i wouldn't want a guest working in the house!" i shook my head and persisted, "no, please. i would love to help. i have nothing else to do anyway!" ignoring any further protests, i lightly nudged anya from behind and walked out of the room.

i could hear san groaning in the background, his exasperated "oh my god" filling the room, but both anya and i purposefully chose to ignore it. we exchanged amused glances, finding his childlike behaviour rather endearing.

-

in the kitchen, as anya prepared the soup, i assisted her by handing over the ingredients. while the soup simmered on the stove, anya shared stories about her nearly 20 years of working for the choi family and how much she enjoyed it. as she went on about san's family, it hit me hard. it seemed like he grew up in this perfect, loving bubble with everything handed to him. unintentionally, my mind wandered to my own childhood. i grew up with a single mother who worked tirelessly every day just to make ends meet.

while i loved my mother with all my heart, our circumstances meant we barely had time to talk, let alone enjoy any of the luxuries that san seemingly grew up with so casually. the contrast between our upbringings hit me like a ton of bricks, and i couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.

she then mentioned san, saying, "...and though he can be stubborn and rude at times, deep down, he's nothing but a sweetheart. i'm sure you'll get to see that side of him." unsure of how to respond, i simply smiled and listened. anya assumed that san and i were friends, and i didn't correct her because correcting her would only make things awkward. however, it saddened me to think that i could never truly be san's friend, as i would never be accepted by his friends or even by him.

i pushed those thoughts aside and grabbed the tray anya had prepared with a bowl of soup, a glass of water, and a few medications. "thank you so much, anya. i'll take this upstairs with me. you can rest now," i said with a grateful smile. anya returned the smile and said, "oh, you're too sweet, wooyoung. i'm glad san has a friend like you!" i simply smiled back and left the kitchen, making my way up to san's room.

-

san's bedroom door was slightly ajar, so i entered, using my leg to keep the door open. i noticed that he had dozed off. his face still had a rosy hue, and for some reason, his flushed cheeks made him look incredibly adorable. carefully placing the tray on his bedside table, i unintentionally made a noise that startled him awake.

"i'm sorry, san. but you should sit up and have this. it'll make you feel better," i gently urged. he groaned in his deep voice, turning over in bed and rubbing his eyes. "san, come on, sit up," i encouraged, leaning over him to grab a pillow from the other side of the bed to prop it behind his head. however, as i bent down, he unexpectedly caught hold of my wrist and pulled me close into his chest until we were just inches apart. my eyes widened in shock, meeting his dark, sparkling gaze.

"what are you-" i began to stammer, but before i could process anything further, san's lips met mine in a gentle, unexpected kiss.

a rush of emotions flooded through me, leaving me momentarily breathless. the warmth of his touch and the closeness we shared enveloped me, making the world around us fade into the background. in that stolen moment, everything seemed to freeze, and my mind went blank as if we existed in a universe of our own.

an: *screams*