[Short Story] A Word That Wakes a Vegetative Man

02

After calming my trembling heart, I apologized to him for not bringing a book, and told him about the various books I had read.

His mother talked to him late into the night after he returned home.

I had no intention of going back anymore.

We continued talking late into the night, and he stayed up all night listening to me.

3am.

I felt so comfortable with him that I started telling him things I'd never told anyone before.

A story about always being compared to my brother..

I feel inferior to that brother...

I don't have a boyfriend... I told my story like this.

It was a story I couldn't tell anyone.

In case someone finds out...

I was telling myself a story I had never told anyone before.

Why is that?

Because he's a vegetable?

So, am I free to talk?

I talked to him all night and fell asleep.

When I woke up, there was something warm on my cheek.

It was his hand.

He stayed awake the whole time.

○○○

"Did you put it up?"

I spoke to him with a surprised expression, but he didn't respond.

He just kept lying there and looking at me.

○○○

"Uh..I..I..I must have done something wrong in the middle of the night..I'm really sorry..!!"

Drum-thump-!

I ran out of the hospital room in a hurry.

Ignoring my heart that was beating wildly.

The next day, I came to the hospital room late.

The hospital room always looks the same...

He always looks the same...

As I came in, his mother saw me and greeted me warmly.

아주머니

"Yesterday...you came in early..."

○○○

"Yes...something came up..."

My face was burning, but I pretended nothing happened and continued talking.

○○○

"..Today..is.the.last..day."

아주머니

"Yes. I think that kid really liked it... It's a shame."

I tried to avoid my mother's gaze, my face burning again.

아주머니

"Since you came, that child has been staying awake longer."

아주머니

"This has never happened before... The doctor said it was a good thing."

○○○

"Ah...yes..."

I sat down in the chair next to the bed as usual and spoke to him.

○○○

"Today is my last day. Thank you for everything... and about yesterday... I'm sorry."

He didn't say anything, but I could feel his laughter.

Does that mean you forgive me?

And I smiled at him too.

The next day

I was constantly fidgeting.

All I could ask was if my friends and family were okay.

I feel like I didn't do anything...

I think I missed something...

I couldn't remember.

○○○

"Is your hair okay, Naregi? What are you forgetting again? You idiot of a world. (mumbles)"

After a week of doing that, I found the cause.

I must have left something behind at that nursing home. Was it a book? Or something else?

Dreuk-

아주머니

"Uh..! Hello."

○○○

"Ah..yes. Hello?"

The next day, I went to see him. My mother looked very surprised, but I greeted her and sat down next to her.

And I took his hand in both of my own. Then my face flushed and a cold sweat broke out on my back.

Thump- thump-

○○○

'Ha... stay still... my heart...'

But I took his hand and started talking, forgetting about lunch and dinner.

I wasn't hungry and I wasn't tired.

Because this time is very important to me...

I kept visiting him after that, and his mother welcomed me warmly and was even grateful.

I, too, was grateful to his mother, and I told her anything that came to mind, holding her hand.

If I had any spare time, I would read any book I could find to find something to talk about.

Then one night.

I always held his hand and talked to him, and then suddenly I looked at his face.

I was laughing.

He was always smiling when he talked to me.

My hand tightened as I held his, and after a moment of silence, I finally opened my mouth.

○○○

"Huh..yeah..I..so.."

I fidgeted and stammered, but I had to say it.

My mouth was dry, and my lips were starting to dry out. I spoke in a trembling voice.

○○○

"I..I..really..like you a lot..!"

For the first time in my life, I said I liked you.

Was it so hard to say this..?

But I told him and I meant it.

All I could do for him now was talk, but still... I meant it.

At that moment, I felt his hands tremble faintly.

○○○

"..! It..moved..?"

I called a nurse in a hurry, but she told me not to expect anything and went out to call a doctor.

The doctor came and examined me, but said it wasn't true. It was definitely better than before, but not yet.

So a week later, when I went to the hospital room, I was so shocked that I froze in place.

○○○

"What is this..?! Where did it go..!"

He should be lying in the hospital bed...

I wasn't in the hospital room.