𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐋𝐘! TXT.

16

Choi Jaewon limped into school, wanting nothing more than to see Beomgyu at the moment. She felt herself becoming exhausted as the days went by, not being able to handle to pressure of a job, taking care of her father, and suddenly needing to catch up on school work. She wanted to be in Beomgyu's arms, rest against him, and just let life go on for a bit.

Catching sight of the boy she longed for, Jaewon stumbled forward, eyes dropping since she hadn't gotten any sleep last night before destroying her cold facade and falling against him.

Choi Beomgyu, startled, wrapped his arms around the girl at once, holding onto her as she closed her eyes and rested against his chest, unable to make herself stand up straight. Frowning, he raised his hand and touched her forehead, upset at once when he realized she was sick.

Concerned for the girl he liked, Beomgyu held onto her shoulder before slowly leading her towards the nurses office, making sure she didn't trip as they walked.

Although Jaewon hated the nurses office, at the moment, she was too weak to protest and let Beomgyu take her, deciding that going there was probably the best option.

❅ ❅ ❅

Apparently, Jaewon had a fever, and it was recommended for her to go home and take a rest.

Choi Jaewon shook her head at once, wincing at the sudden pounding in her head. Having no idea how her father would react if she came home from school, she forced herself to stand up and marched out of the nurses office.

Beomgyu quickly muttered a thanks to the nurse before running after the girl.

"Jaewon, you're sick! You need to rest." he said, not scolding her but not okay either.

"No." she replied, surprised by the amount tiredness laced into her tone.

Choi Beomgyu sighed frustratedly, annoyed at the stubborn girl. He stopped her from walking and turned her around, holding onto her shoulders.

"Jaewon, you might get even more sick if you don't rest." he said to her, as gently as possible.

Jaewon blinked, making sure her eyes were open, as she looked up at Beomgyu's tall figure. His eyes showed different emotions, from caring and concerned to a little bit annoyed.

Jaewon pushed Beomgyu's arms away from her before sighing.

"Fine." she muttered weakly before leaving her boyfriend.

Beomgyu really wanted to follow her and make sure she got home safe but he got the feeling that she didn't want that right now. He knew she preferred to be alone and he knew Jaewon was strong. She would be okay.

Sighing one last time, Beomgyu turned the opposite direction from her before heading to his own classroom, mind refusing to think about anything expect Jaewon and if she was okay.

Choi Jaewon didn't want to go home, knowing she would miss more school work if she did so, but, at the same time needing more rest. She mentally thanked herself for having a friend as smart as Taehyun, who she knew would help her catch up with everything.

Stepping into her house, she was a little surprised to see no bottles or signs of broken glass anywhere. Instead, she could smell something delicious cooking from the kitchen as she walked forward and took off her shoes.

Suspicious, Jaewon dropped her back at the foot of the staircase before walking towards the amazing but oddly familiar smell. As she neared the area, she started to hear the faint humming of a man she knew very well.

Jaewon's eyes widened and her jaw dropped when she saw her father move around the kitchen, mixing a bowl with his left hand while reading a cookbook with his right.

"Dad..." she whispered out loud, tears at the ends of her eyes at the sight of her father moving about healthy.

Startled, the man knocked over a bottle of salt before quickly turning around and facing his shocked daughter.

"Haha, Jaewon!" he awkwardly laughed as she continued to stare at him.

"You're...You're cooking!" Jaewon stated, recovering from her shock and pointing at the pan.

"Huh? O...Oh yeah- NO" her dad started, turning around to face the food but yelled "no!" when he saw the dish burn.

Laughing in disbelief, Jaewon stumbled forward, wrapping her arms around her father and sobbing freely, greatly missing the feeling of his warmth and his clumsiness. Momentary stiff, Jaewon's father returned the hug, holding his daughter close, as he realized she probably needed him all this time.

"I'm so sorry-" he started saying, when she pulled away but, Jaewon shook her head, shushing him.

"At least you're here now." she smiled.

Jaewon's father nodded, a proud smile growing on his own face. He didn't notice it before, but Jaewon had matured a lot, growing up to look a lot like his late wife. Wiping a sudden tear, he took a step back and clapped his hands, enthusiastic and ready to retry cooking.

"Do you want to help me?" he asked before looking at his daughter again.

Jaewon gave a small smile and nodded her head, before her eyes closed and she collapsed.