swxtched. | jhs

XVI : TIRED AND SICK

❝ HOW COME YOUR parents are always out?"

Green lifts her head slowly from Hoseok's leg. She turns off her phone and stares at her closet. "Work," she says soullessly. "Business trips."

"I've had one dinner with them in the months we've been switching."

"Oh yeah? What was that like?"

"Well, it was—"

"Hell?" she offers.

"I was about to say terrifying, but maybe that's a better word for it," Hoseok mumbles. "Sorry. That sounds really bad when I say it out loud."

"No, no, go ahead. Say what you want. I won't be offended."

"I think you should be."

Green sighs, looking at him. He looks back. Four seconds in and the silence grows awkward.

She looks down, down at the wrinkles on the bedsheets, following the creases and trailing her gaze to stop at Hoseok's body. He's here. Because of one supernatural mistake, he's here. Would he be if that didn't happen?

"Geurin-ssi?"

"Can I..." Green prods her tongue against her inner cheek. "Can I ask you something?"

Hoseok leans closer, peering into her eyes. "Yeah?"

"Would we even look at each other if none of this ever happened?" She sighs, covering her face. The way he's looking at her right now... she can't. "Could we have ever been friends before? Could we have ever had these conversations if we didn't switch? I know I don't have to think about that, that this has already happened, but—"

"Even if we never switched, Geurin, I would still look at you."

She peeks through her fingers. "What?"

"Even if we never switched, you still have that arm. You would've carried yourself so weakly. You wouldn't have had any friends at school. Ack, that sounds harsh— b-but it's true."

She shakes her head. "No, you're right."

"It would've been my personal mission to see that you stop being a loser."

"A loser?" Her head falls back onto the bed, onto Hoseok's lap. She laughs a little. Hoseok freezes for a second, but relaxes when she pats his knee for his thigh muscles to unclench. He looks down and she looks up.

They're looking at each other.

Without her even realizing it, Green lifts a hand to touch his cheek. Hoseok's breathing stutters. He turns his head away instead of leaning into her touch and clears his throat awkwardly.

"Hoseok?"

"Yeah?"

"My throat kind of hurts. I might be sick. Just a heads up."

"You— you should maybe go rest then," he stammers.

She turns her head to face the wall, head still on his lap, and closes her eyes. "Okay. Can you make some tea later, if you're still here?"