ferment.
8 p.m.
000
...ah,
Did you fall? Me...
I slowly opened my eyes.
I can smell the pungent smell of medicine, feel the constant beeping of machines, and feel the IV drip in my wrist.
Suddenly, I looked up at the electronic device, wondering what time it was.
8:30 PM.
I guess he fell down and didn't get up for a long time.
I slowly got up. My back ached. And then there was a boy sitting next to me.
000
...who are you.
박지민
Oh, you're awake.
Park Jimin looks at me with an indifferent face, gets up from the cot he was sitting on, and stretches.
박지민
Did you take sleeping pills and fall asleep? How did you manage to stay up for six hours, not sleep at night?
000
I guess it's a side effect of Tylenol. But why are you here?
박지민
I don't usually listen to what other people say, do I? But Kim Taehyung kept nagging me to just wait until he woke up. Since I had nowhere to go after breaking up the night, I decided to rest here.
박지민
It's a little weird, but I like the smell of medicine. It makes me feel so healthy...
Park Jimin took a deep breath as if to prove something.
박지민
I thought I'd wake up in thirty minutes, why don't you put it down? Aren't you dizzy?
000
I'm okay. I'm really sorry... Did Kim Taehyung ask you to do this?
박지민
It's not a request, it's a threat. In my life... this is the first time I've ever been teased by a class president.
Threatening?
박지민
The kid got really serious and said, "Hey, look at this kid. Min Yoongi's not going to do it either." It was really scary.
000
...Sorry, have I been here long?
박지민
No? I... I had Kim Taehyung there for about an hour before that.
Aaaah, I feel like smashing my head and killing myself. What kind of a sight is this for the class president?
As I was about to get up in a hurry and apologize, Park Jimin abruptly pushed me back down. He just told me to lie down...
박지민
Hey, just stay there. Teasing patients is really fun, but... if you get hurt, I'll lose to Kim Taehyung.
Park Jimin, who pretended to cut his neck with his finger, got up from his seat with a smile.
000
I'm really sorry, go quickly. The kids will be waiting.
박지민
See you at school, stay healthy. Cover yourself well with a blanket and get some rest.
I mustered up all my strength and said thank you. Park Jimin chuckled and waved. My wrist, where the ringer needle had been inserted, ached.
000
Ah... hello.
Ding ding tiriding, tiring riring. Ding ding.
Is your mom calling?
000
Hey,
엄마
Hey! You've been working hard lately because you're taking mock exams!
000
No, that's not it, Mom,
엄마
Mr. Lee, just like that, the class president must have had a hard time carrying you. Now that you're here, why don't you get some rest?
000
Class president...?
엄마
Get some rest! Eat some hospital food!
The phone suddenly disconnected without warning. Then the KakaoTalk notification sound started.
김태형
- are you okay?
000
- Thank you so much... I wasn't heavy? ㅠㅠㅜㅜㅜㅠ
김태형
- Hahaha no, I'm glad you're okay
000
- Tell me what you need to do, I'll really do it all!
김태형
- ah...
Did I go too far? Still, he was a real hero who carried a pig like me and ran... I feel like I should be grateful in some way.
김태형
- Lately, bad seniors keep asking me to date them... I can't push them away...
Besides Ju Si-jin, there must be others, right? These bad people, these good people...
000
- Wow, what do you mean there are seniors like that? You should have told me sooner!!
000
- I'll do whatever I can, what is it??
I was so overcome with emotion at the moment that I couldn't even say that I couldn't do it if it was too difficult.
김태형
- Please pretend to be my girlfriend.
...what?
000
- that
김태형
- I know, I'm sorry, it's a bit of a strange request.
김태형
- This is all I can think of, so I thought I could ask you, 00.
There are some people who are annoying, but it's still 'pretend', so what? It's acting, 000.
Besides, Taehyung is pretending to be her girlfriend.
000
- It's okay, I'll do it.
김태형
- Thank you so much! ㅠㅜㅠㅜㅠㅜ
000
- I'll pay you back!! Is this what it means to be a teacher?
김태형
- of course
I collapsed back into bed, falling asleep quietly to the sound of the machines.