Minji reached for the tissue box, the simple effort to lean across her bed feeling like a herculean feat. She raised a fresh tissue to her nose, pausing mid movement to sneeze before blowing into it loudly. A pitiful groan escaped her lips as she slumped back into her pillows, feeling sorry for herself. Some new virus was making its way through campus, it had already taken out a quarter of the art department and she was the latest victim.
Haneul set down her pencil, pushing away from her desk to press a hand against Minji's damp forehead "Aya, Minji, you're burning up!" Her brows furrowed in concern while Minji swatted her hand away in annoyance.
"I'm fine" she mumbled, her words distorted by her stuffy nose. "Don't worry about me, you should focus on your project"
"You don't sound fine Minji" Haneul unfurled a spare blanket over the bed, fussing with the fabric around the edges of her friend's body until she was satisfied.
"I feel suffocated"
Haneul frowned down at her "You need to stay warm"
"Well you should stop hanging out here with me, or you're going to get sick too. Can't you go to Mincheol's place?" Ever since they had patched things up Haneul had been spending most of her nights at his apartment. Despite threatening to murder him on several occasions, Minji was glad things were finally working out between the two stubborn idiots. Only took them 20-some years. A shade of crimson slowly crept up Haneul's cheeks at the mention of Mincheol "See, you're getting sick already, look at your face" she teased.
"W-well it's not like I spend every night over there" she pouted "This is my dorm and...besides, my bed is here" Haneul replied, flustered at the mention of her budding new relationship.
Minji glanced over at the untouched bed across from her, then at her friend incredulously. "You're such a bad liar you know that?"
Haneul deftly switched tactics. "How am I supposed to abandon my best friend for a guy… isn't that against some sort of code or something?" She was crouched on the floor now, her face buried in her arms as she leaned against the edge of Minji's bed.
"I absolve you" Minji joked, miming the mark of the cross over her friend's face. This time it was Haneul who swatted her away.
"I'm serious! Can't I at least get you some porridge? I'll never forgive myself if I leave you like this." Haneul stared up at her, her wide blue eyes glimmering and her mouth puckered into a childish pout. Minji stifled a laugh. She looks like a puppy.
"Fine." she sighed, reluctantly " You can get me porridge—but just leave it outside the door! Don't come back in here, I don't want you catching my cold"
Haneul sprung up excitedly, immediately reaching for her coat and scarf. "Yay! That's perfect, I'll be back in no time Minji, stay put okay?" She tugged on her sneakers, half tripping on the laces before tumbling out the door like a hurricane.
She really is a puppy Minji thought, wiping snot from her nose as she stared in amusement at the shut door. She found herself quickly dozing back to sleep, the exhaustion of her body overwhelming and the warmth of the blankets too comforting to fight back.
It wasn't long before her slumber was interrupted by a loud knock at the door. Minji groaned, propping herself up on an elbow. "Lee Haneul, did you forget your keys again? I told you to just leave it outside the door" She pressed a pillow against her ears but the knocking persisted, the noise intensifying the longer she ignored it. Minji clicked her tongue in annoyance. Tossing the blankets aside she pulled on her slippers and waddled over to the door. She probably forgot something inside and doesn't have her keys… again.
Minji tugged the door open irritably "Really Haneul, what are you going to do when you live by yourse–"
"Porridge delivery service!" Jaehee grinned, shaking a bag in her face. Mini's mouth gaped, opening and shutting like a fish as she searched for the words to respond with. He pushed past her into the room, unfazed and began to unload the bag contents onto her desk.
"What— how— Jaehee, you can't be in here, I'm sick. And Haneul just left to get me some porridge…"
"Uh yeah, that's why I'm here. She asked me to deliver it for her." He lifted a container up, scrutinizing it in the light. "Oh good they packed it well, nothing leaked"
I'm going to murder that little shit. She vowed to never allow Haneul to take care of her again. Her vengeance would be swift, but right now she needed to get Jaehee out of her dorm. Minji ran her palm over her face in frustration as she debated how to handle the situation.
"Well, you delivered it. So you can leave now." She pulled her hoodie over her head, tugging the strings in the hopes that it would hide the worst of her appearance. Minji could have crawled into a cave out of embarrassment. In fact, it probably looked like she had been living in one. Her hair was a greasy mess, there were dirty tissues littering the floor, she was full of snot and sweaty from the fever. If Haneul's goal was to make sure Jaehee never touches me again, she's completely outdone herself.
"Come, sit" he smiled as he patted the seat of her computer chair. Minji walked over hesitantly, the smell of hot porridge enticing her more than she cared to admit.
"I'm going to get you sick."
"Perfect, then I'll be able to kiss you again" he planted a kiss on the top of her head, pushing her chair into the desk as he placed a spoon in her hand. Minji reluctantly began to dig in, the porridge warming her body and clearing some of her sinuses.
"Jaehee, you really don't have to be here, I can–"
"Take care of yourself, yes I know" He plopped down on Haneul's bed. "But you see, I'm actually here on the request of Haneul. She said she needed my help, and you know me, I can't turn down a lady in distress."
Minji scowled, shoveling another spoonful into her mouth. "How selfless of you"
He leaned over the desk, his chin resting in his palm as a mischievous grin spread across his face. "Besides, how could I pass up the opportunity to see you looking this cute"
Minji scoffed "You're an even worse liar than Haneul" Her tone was scathing, but she was unable to suppress the smile that tugged on the corner of her lips.
After finishing the porridge under his watchful eye (he had insisted she finish it all), Minji took a shower while he cleaned up. She figured she may at least wash up a bit if he was going to keep hanging around, if she couldn't look cute then at least she could smell clean. Jaehee immediately frowned as she stepped out of the bathroom "Your hair is wet, you can't go to bed like that"
"It'll dry eventually, don't worry. I'm too tired to take care of it"
"Let me blow dry it for you"
"You're making an awful lot of demands tonight"
"I'm Haneul's Sunbae, do you have any idea how disappointed she will be if I don't take good care of her best friend?"
Minji sat on the bed facing away from him, legs crossed as he gently passed the hair dryer back and forth over her wet hair. The warm air felt nice against her freshly showered skin, and every time his fingers raked down her neck a tingle trickled down her spine. He even blew the hot air down her shirt every once and a while to warm her body, a stream of giggles and empty threats escaping her each time.
"You're actually kinda good at this, do you have a part time job as a hairdresser or something I don't know about?"
Jaehee chuckled, "I'm not that good. But I do have a lot of experience putting my niece to bed. I can do all kinds of voices if you'd like a nighty-night tale, and I happen to be an excellent captain. I've saved many a crew from bathtub octopus invasions." She could sense the swelling pride in his tone despite being unable to see his face.
Minji couldn't help but think back on all the times she had dried and brushed her little sister's hair. She was suddenly struck by how intimate of a gesture it was. In her mind, she had fantasized about all the ways she would be intimate with Jaehee, what their first time would be like, and what it would feel like to have his naked body pressed against hers. It had never occurred to her that something this trivial would be capable of moving her so profoundly. This was uncharted waters, this was a kind of intimacy that poked at the wounds she had buried deep within her. She felt her throat dry up, and in that moment she was thankful to be facing away from him.
Despite her numerous complaints, Jaehee insisted on spending the night, citing his medical training from military service as his qualification. She wasn't exactly sure how learning to tie a tourniquet made him in any way qualified to treat a cold, but she was running out of energy to argue with him any further. He leaned against the wall on her bed, gently brushing her hair with his fingertips as she lay curled up in a pile of blankets beside him.
Minji peeked up at him from his lap, lamenting the fact that such a gorgeous man was caring for her in her rotten state. "I'm sorry you had to spend all day taking care of a sick patient" she started, attempting to assuage her growing guilt and the fear that he would come to his senses and realize he was crazy for ever wanting her.
Jaehee simply grinned down at her, oblivious to the storm brewing inside her head. "It's nothing. Besides," his face contorted as if he was about to discuss something of grave importance. "This is not about you at all, I am simply fulfilling a favor for my dear friend Haneul" Minji breathed out a sigh of relief.
"Good. I don't want you getting the wrong idea and thinking I like you or something" she teased, doing her best to sound menacing despite her stuffy nose.
"I resent that" he chuckled, gently pinching her cheek with his thumb and index finger.
Minji nuzzled closer to him, her eyes fluttering heavily with sleep. Although initially hesitant, she had to admit that spending the evening with Jaehee had significantly improved her mood. His body was now warm and familiar to her, and for some reason she felt like it was easier to fall asleep with him beside her, even if he did take up more than half her bed. When she thought about the way he fretted over her, there was an inexplicable tightness in her chest. She wasn't accustomed to being cared for with such devotion, it was a pleasant and novel feeling that stirred something inside her.
"Jaehee…"
"Hmm?" he paused his hand on her hair, leaning over so as to hear her soft voice more clearly.
"Thank you… for taking care of me…" she mumbled before drifting off to sleep.