Chapter 23

AN: (You can skip this if you're sick of notes like this) Before anything else, I just want to say this. Ahaha. I was a bit disappointed of myself. Chapter 1 has almost 600 reads while chapter 2 is approaching 400 reads. Did I really made my first chapter bad? Haha. Kidding. I'm not expecting for this book to receive readers that is as many as this. There are only few readers who comment but me, seeing the amount of reads? That's overwhelming. Thank you very much guys! And because I'm inspired right now (because of you), I posted this. This is kinda... rush? Lol.

160507***

*sniff sniff*

"Aww! Common cold sucks! Ugh!" Star cried out while looking for another tissue to blow on her runny nose. She's standing in front of her study table.

She's alone in their house. When she woke up this morning, she started having colds and fever. She can't go to school because she feel weak and unwell. She is prohibited to watch TV or use her phone to avoid radiation. Seomin even snatched her phone before they left and hid it somewhere she don't know.

"Ugh. I guess staying at the rooftop every night during winter isn't good. *sniff* Hachu! Ugh!" She pinched her nose to stop herself from sneezing.

She laid back to her bed and touched her forehead. "Omo, my fever is still high." She whined. She can feel her warm breath and her nose is clogged. Her voice is also broken and her head feels heavy.

For the first time since she came here, she felt alone. Her mother isn't there to take care of her. Her brother isn't there to buy her medicine. It feels very lonely being alone in her room with a high fever.

She remembered Ten suddenly. She haven't told him her situation yet. She thought he might be worried as soon as he will hear her situation from Seomin or Chayun. Or he might got mad for not telling him that she's sick. That's what she thought because that's what she saw in dramas, books and movies.

She tried to speak but her voice is so small, "Ten, hear me. I'm sick. Can you come here and take care of me?" She hopelessly said.

She turned to the other side of her bed, "Eomma... Chanwoo..." then his ruined father came up to her mind, "Appa..."

Her tears started to fall. She feels very ill. She already took her medicines but the effect is still not coming.

Someone knocked at her door and she thought it was Chahyun's grandfather because he's the only person left in here with her. But he is very quiet that she can only talk to him once in a blue moon.

"Oh, harabeoji?"

"Cheonsa?" Harabeoji answered.

"Ne. Hold on." She slowly get up from her bed and walked towards the door to open it. He immediately smiled to her to lighten her up. He's holding a tray with a bowl of porridge on it.

"I made porridge for you."

"Aw. Gomawoyo." She gratefully reached for the tray and put it on her table. She walked back to face harabeoji.

"And here," he grabbed Star's phone from her pocket, "Someone keeps on calling and texting you. This might be an emergency so you better check it. Seomin told me to never give this to you unless she said. But for now, I'm giving you twenty minutes to use this. I'll be back to get your phone. Ok?"

Star reached for her phone and bowed, "Kamsahamnida!"

Harabeoji just smiled at her and closed her door. She jumped to her bed and opened her phone. She gasped in surprise to see the number of missed calls and messages she received.

43 missed calls15 messages

37 of the missed calls came from Ten. Two from Sejoon and four from her mother.

Meanwhile, 10 messages are from Ten and five from her mother.

"Ten cared more than my mother. Hmp. At least eomma called." She pouted while staring at her inbox.

She one by one opened the messages first from her mother.

Byul-ah? Your friend texted me and told me that you're sick.

Have you taken your medicine? How are you?

Why are you not answering? We're very worried here.

Ok. Just rest. Drink a lot of water and ask them to make you samgyetang. Be well. I'll pray for you.

Noona-yah! Chanwoo-yeyo. Are you ok?

She smiled after reading all their messages. She can feel their love even they are miles away. They live along the mountains of Gangwondo, but she and Chanwoo went to Incheon for their education and their mother is leaving alone.

She started typing of a long reply saying she honestly feel lonely and very sick and she misses them a lot. Her mother called immediately and they had a long talk.

She then opened Ten's messages.

Good morning!

Are you at school?

Hey. I know it's break time in there, text me back.

Have you eaten lunch? Where are you now?

I looked for you here but I can't see you.

Yah Star! Seomin told me you're badly sick! Why didn't you tell me? Are you ok now? Are you taking medicines?

If you really feel bad, ask someone to bring you to a clinic for more effective medications.

Why aren't you replying? You're at home right? Are you ignoring me?

Star? Hey. I'm very worried here. Answer my calls please.

I will visit you later.

She was smiling the whole time while reading his messages but her eyes widened as she read the his last message.

"Ugh! You can't!"

She started typing for a reply but harabeoji already came and went to get back her phone.

She snorted as she closed the door and hurried back to her bed. She leaned on her head board and sighed in disbelief.

"I think my fever just went down. Aish."

**

Ten and the other trainees had just finished their lunch. They're now just resting for a while to let their stomachs digest their foods.

Ten is sitting on a cushiony seat in their practice room. He's between Yuta and Hansol who are loudly chatting like he's not existing there.

He is thinking about Star. He's really worried especially now that she's not replying to his messages and she's not answering his calls. He bit his fingernails. Last night they were just together again on the roof top and then now she's sick.

He faced Yuta and asked, "Hyung, what can be a reason for a high fever?"

"How old are you? How come you don't know?" He answered.

"I have no time for jokes." He seriously said while shaking his head. Yuta was taken aback and just nodded.

"Who's sick?"

"Someone I know."

"He or she?"

He glared at him before answering, "He." He lied.

"Ok. Uhm, where did he last go before he caught his fever?"

"At the roof top. Together with her girlfriend." Then he smiled sweetly but he immediately erased it as he realized he looked stupid.

'He's kinda weird again.' Yuta thought when he saw Ten smiled in that way. He remembered the time when he's smiling at the Sexy Jaehyun and he cringed inside. He just focused on their conversation.

"Hmm, who in Korea has a thick skin to stay at a roof top this winter? And why did her girlfriend let her? What kind of girlfriend is she? And the sick guy, he must be insane! Don't he know that it's winter season? Why would he stay there? Ugh. Stupid." Ten glared at her. Yuta's forehead knotted. "What? Did I say something wrong?" Ten didn't remove his glare to him. "Ah... hehe... maybe..." Yuta is now looking for a word to say to soothe Ten's growling anger, "Have you heard about love sick? You see, they're both together. Maybe they have been so much in love that time. Sometimes it cause sickness."

Ten looked at him. He seems not convinced.

"Yah. Don't look at me like that. I'm serious with my answer. And love sick really happens."

Ten just thanked him bluntly and thought of Star again. He don't know what to feel. Be a bit happy because she's sick because of love or be mad at himself because he's the reason why she's suffering right now?

He shook his head and whispered, "What a thought."

***