Sleeping Beauty Syndrome

4

Juhee broke down and we pulled her to us, the three of us crying. Wooyoung joined us, saw our condition and immediately realized what had happened.

"No..." was all he said before his eyes fell on the repeating messages. Full of horror, he listened to what was being said before cuddling up to us as well.

It wasn't long before the rest of the boys came into our apartment.

"18 KQ employees didn't come to work today, including 2 of our managers... 17 of them are sick, the receptionist only stayed home out of fear," Hongjoong informed us.

"Are any of you feeling ill?" I asked the group, but everyone said no or shook their heads. Suddenly Juhee jumped up, ran into the bathroom and came back with our ear thermometer.

"We'll check it every few hours now. Maybe we can do something if the fever isn't that high yet? From 38.5 we'll go to the hospital. I'm not going to let anyone else die here."

She didn't hesitate for a second before checking our temperatures one by one. Fortunately, everyone's temperature was below 38 degrees, but she eyed Jongho critically as he had 37.4, which she thought was too close to the limit.

"Noona, if you get that close to me, it's no wonder I get hot." he tried to play it off with a grin so that she wouldn't worry so much.

His charm didn't fail to work as Juhee smiled lovingly at him, Jongho was still her little baby to her and skillfully wrapped her around his finger.

As the eldest, at 26, Juhee always tried to play the strict one, but she didn't succeed for long. She was just too soft.

They never softened me up that quickly, I was always the stubborn type. Or they did it so cleverly that I didn't notice, but who knows?

Loud noises could be heard coming from the hallway outside our front door and San went out to see what was going on. Curious, I followed him and saw that the hallway was completely empty. Boxes of food were stacked neatly along the wall.

The janitor, whose apartment he lived in with his wife was also on this floor, was dragging the boxes that had been sent up to us in the elevator to the wall.

"What's all this for?" San wanted to know.

"We're in quarantine because of the death. That's why we get enough food and drink to last for months if necessary," the old man explained.

"How many months is that enough for?" I asked with wide eyes. The 20 boxes of ramen alone would keep us alive for five months, but that wasn't all and the next load was already coming up.

"According to the list, for just under a year... as a precautionary measure. Drinks are also coming, there's no more room for them here, they'll be in the stairwell, just like toiletries. We don't know how long we'll be locked up here, but the CEO wants his idols to be safe."

San helped the man unload.

"Are you locked up with us now because of us?" San asked, visibly guilty, but old Mr. Kim shook his head.

"I had contact, I showed the little girl around the house. That's terrible, the poor thing was still so young... My wife was also hospitalized, I really hope I get the fever too, then at least I can see her." He said this in passing, as if it was nothing. He would rather die with his wife than never see her again. It was beautiful and terrible at the same time and it gave me goose bumps. I wonder if I would ever have a relationship like that.