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84.61% All That We Held Dear / Chapter 11: Arc II - By a Thread - Part 5

Capítulo 11: Arc II - By a Thread - Part 5

Once again, Xiao Zhan had been tricked. As the pharmacy was on the first floor, Nurse Jang had decided this would be the perfect opportunity to send him to his hotel to get some rest. He had protested at first, using the cold and his lack of jacket as an excuse, but she had been one step ahead of him and had arranged for his things to be brought downstairs while the prescription was being filled. Left with no choice, he'd taken his glasses out of his bag, layered up, and plod up the one block that separated the hospital from his hotel. Despite it being a short walk, his shoes, inadequate for the season, had quickly been drenched by the previous night's melting snow. At least, thanks to Chiyou's diligence, the check-in had been a quick affair, and he was now in the elevator. 

As he stepped onto his floor, he passed a couple in matching red winter coats who stopped to stare at him and whisper. As he was certain that nothing was that special about his appearance, he was convinced they were fans. He hunched a little, raised the collar of his jacket, and he hurried his steps. 

The room Chiyou had gotten for him was spacious and simply furnished. Big windows offering a city view made up half the back wall. The suite had a kitchenette he knew he probably wouldn't touch, but at least he had a decent fridge. The bedroom was its own space and had a door, which would hopefully dampen the noises of the hotel. His manager had understood that he might be going to bed at odd hours. He noticed that his suitcase had been left in the small living room, next to the couch. His quick tour done, he decided to take a shower and try to sleep.

For a long while, he lay in bed, eyes closed. He heard morning traffic wax and wane far below as people made their way to work. After a while, the muffled sounds of hotel patrons leaving followed. Giving up, he opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling in the dim light. The smooth, white surface offered little in terms of distractions. Soon, the faint chatter of the cleaning staff reached his ears. In the distance, vacuum cleaners turned on and off at uneven intervals. Through all this, he tried to empty his mind, to allow it to rest, but it was ultimately a futile effort. Like a bee gathering nectar, his brain disorderly flew from one thought to another. Sometimes, he would stop and try to retrace how he'd gotten from A to B, only to lose the thread and start thinking about something else. By the time he finally flung the covers off, he'd pondered, amongst other things, the faith of that child in the ICU, whether he had truly sensed the accident as it had happened, Yibo's recovery (and potential death) as well as all the possible permutations of Dr. Park and Nurse Jang's relationship. As it were, he'd managed to make himself even more tired than when he'd lain down.

He went to the living room and stood for a while, letting his eyes adjust to the light but also trying to decide what to do. He knew that if he went to the hospital before dark, Nurse Jang would turn him around as soon as he showed his face. She was right, of course. He needed to rest, too. 

A loud rumbling from his stomach made him realize he hadn't had a proper meal since Beijing. He ordered some room service and sat to play with his phone. His heart skipped a beat when he noticed five missed calls from his mother. He called her back immediately. It barely rang once.

"Xiao Zhan, where are you? I waited for you for an hour at the restaurant!"

He internally groaned. While in Thailand, he'd arrange to meet with her for lunch after the press conference. He'd completely forgotten. He would never hear the end of it.

"I'm sorry, mom. Some work came up. I had to leave in a hurry. I'm in Seoul."

"Work? I thought you would be off for a while. You said so yourself!"

In the background, he heard her dog bark. She tried her best to calm him down, but as she had little to no authority over the animal at the best of times, Xiao Zhan had to listen to the cacophony for a while. 

"Kuai has been such a little pest since he's been sick," she explained. "Anyway, you said you were on vacation!"

"I was supposed to be, but this thing came up. I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"What thing? What kind of work is it? You don't usually do work in Korea," she said suspiciously.

Having not prepared an answer, Xiao Zhan fumbled with his words but was thankfully saved by the doorbell.

"My food is here. I'll be right back."

By the time he set the kimchi jjigae on the table and picked up his phone again, he'd come up with a plausible lie. But unfortunately, his mother was a sharp woman, and his efforts were wasted.

"Sorry, I'm back. So this job…"

"It's about that boy, isn't it?" She asked. "Wang Yibo. I saw the news."

There was no point denying it.

"Mom, he's not a boy."

She ignored him.

"I thought you'd told me that you'd broken up your friendship."

He had. Unlike Yibo's mother, his hadn't welcomed his co-star into the family fold. On the contrary, she had often discouraged Xiao Zhan from meeting with him or even talking about him, especially in public. Aside from what it could do to their careers, she was the main reason he was so paranoid about their relationship leaking. After The Untamed had airedshe'd fretted so much, following every online rumour, that he had had to lie to her to give her peace of mind. And, to be fair, to enjoy some himself, too.

"You can't risk people thinking you're a homosexual. How many times have I told you this?"

"Mom…"

"Don't "mom" me. You know I'm right. I understand that you two were close friends, and I'm happy you have good professional relationships, but you know how these things work, don't you? If people think you're some kind of deviant, what hopes will you have of ever finding work again?"

Although he knew she spoke out of love and fear for him, her words still cut him deep. She had grown up in a poor family, and he knew she worried about losing the comfortable life Xiao Zhan could now provide for her and his father. Yet, the fact that no matter what happened, he would never be able to confide in her and tell her who he truly was pained him.

"Does your manager know where you are?"

It was his time to ignore her question.

"Mom… He…"

His throat bobbed up and down as he struggled to voice his biggest fear.

"He might not make it."

His mom was silent for a moment. Even the dog seemed to have gotten the memo and didn't let out a peep.

"I see."

His eyes watered. He closed them and took a long, quiet breath. He couldn't risk betraying the depth of his feelings to his mother.

"I'm here to support Auntie Wang. She's all alone," he explained, having quickly regained control.

It didn't take her a second to get back on the horse.

"Can't her husband do that? Don't the Wangs have other family members? Why does it have to be you?"

Xiao Zhan was blindsided by his mother's callousness. For a moment, he was reminded of Nurse Jang.

"Mom!" He exclaimed, horrified.

This time, finally realizing she might have gone too far, she went into damage control.

"I'm just thinking about you, Xiao Zhan. You've been working so hard. You can't exhaust yourself like this. Promise me you will come home soon. Your father and I miss you a lot. We should go for dinner as a family ."

She couldn't resist emphasizing the last few words. He pinched the bridge of his nose. Usually, he would have tried to placate her, but this clearly was a battle he couldn't win. And even if he did, the amount of energy he would have to expend to come out on top would make it a pyrrhic victory.

"My food is getting cold. I will call you again later. Love you, Mom."

Without waiting for an answer, he terminated the call.

He sat for a moment, looking at the phone in his hands. He expected her to call back, but she didn't. He knew there would be Hell to pay later, but that was a problem for his future self. He grabbed the chopsticks and reached for the rice bowl, only to burn himself on the hot metal container.

You're supposed to use the spoon, you dumb melon, said Yibo's voice in his head.

He couldn't help but smile at the thought. He grabbed the spoon and dug in.

 

For the first time in a long while, Xiao Zhan felt he'd eaten like a normal human being. In fact, he'd probably overeaten; there was no way he would be going back to bed with his stomach this full. Nevertheless, after tidying up, he went back to the bedroom and, building himself a comfortable nest out of pillows and blankets, spent an hour or so playing on his phone. At first, he thought he might text Auntie Wang but decided against it. There was nothing he could do from where he was and had Yibo's condition changed, she would have contacted him. Instead, he updated Chiyou on the situation, texted a few friends, and spent some time on Weibo. He found himself having a hard time focusing on anything. He repeatedly lost track of what he read and couldn't follow videos. He tried to write a message to his fans but couldn't come up with anything good. Levity would simply feel too out of place in the current context. 

At around two in the afternoon, he'd run out of things to do, yet it was still too early to go back to the hospital. He could have tried to nap, but his stomach was acting up again. In all truth, although he felt guilty about it, he was bored. Movies and dramas set in hospitals did little to show how being at a loved one's bedside involved long stretches of idleness. He also feared having to stay alone with his thoughts for longer than he had already.

After a quick peek outside, he decided to go for a walk. Hopefully, it would help his digestion, help pass the time, and occupy his mind enough to keep him from spiralling. He layered up, found a pair of dry shoes, and, equipped with prescription sunglasses and a mask, he stepped out.

The previous night's cold had dissipated, and there was no wind. Aside from the areas in the shadows, most of the snow had now melted. In the sun's light, it was even warm enough to unbutton one's jacket. 

At first, he walked the hospital's neighbourhood. The streets rose and fell with the numerous hills characteristic of Seoul, but the buildings were all similar with their official-looking façades. At random, he chose a smaller street and decided to follow it and see where it led. After a while, the medical buildings disappeared, replaced by condominium towers. Small businesses occupied their first floors, some chains, others mom-and-pop shops. He stopped in front of the window of a real estate agent, perusing the different apartments for lease. After observing the different pictures for a while and weighing the pros and cons of all the units on offer, he set his mind on one. He, of course, had no intention of renting, nor could he imagine he would be staying in Seoul long enough to need a place, but the little game was distracting enough.

He resumed his walk, all the while making mental notes about restaurants that looked interesting and where he might take Yibo and Auntie Wang for a treat. He bought some hotteok from a street vendor and carefully slipped the packet into his jacket pocket for later. 

Eventually, the towers also disappeared, and he found himself in an old residential area with steep, winding streets and narrow alleys. Numerous times, children in uniform passed him, running and shouting as they made their way into the familiar maze. He followed them with his eyes until they disappeared, hoping that a warm home and tasty snacks awaited them. 

Here and there, he came across a few elderly women bent with age, walking with grocery bags in one hand, pulling along toddlers with the other. Once in a while, he spotted a cat lackadaisically lounging in a patch of late afternoon sun. Some were kind enough to allow him a few pets before getting on their way.

Although many people came and went, Xiao Zhan eventually noticed that he appeared to be the only male adult around. Yet, nobody spared him a look. In fact, nobody paid the slightest attention to him. Delighted and emboldened by his unexpected anonymity, he took off his mask and enjoyed the sunshine on his face.

The sun was well on its way toward the horizon when he eventually emerged from the residential area and found himself in front of a tall grass-covered hill that spanned far and wide. Intrigued, he crossed the street to get closer. He quickly discovered a sign that explained that these were the remnants of some ancient earthen fortification. He quickly scaled the mound and walked along the ridge to enjoy the view. As his eyes scanned the city line, only then did he notice that he hadn't brooded about anything for the whole time he'd been walking around hit him. As expected, with this realization, his worries came crashing down on him all at once like a tidal wave. 

He took out his phone, anxious. The device had remained in his pocket the whole time, and he was now worried he might have missed an important call or message. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw that there were no new notifications. Nevertheless, as it was nearing six, he decided it was now safe to go back to the hospital.

As he walked down the hill, his feet hit a patch of half-melted snow, causing him to slip and fall. When he got up, his backside and the major part of his pant legs were wet. Swearing under his breath, he made his way to the side of the road and tried to hail a taxi. But, either because they noticed the state of his trousers or felt the fare would be too low, the first few he stopped refused to take him. When he finally managed to catch a cab, they were stuck in traffic for a while, and Xiao Zhan didn't make it to the hospital until close to seven.

Nurse Jang, who, her jacket on and her hair and make-up done, stood behind the counter of the nurse station chatting with Head Nurse Lee. She spotted him as soon as he set foot in the ICU.

"Mr. Xiao! Where were you?" she asked accusingly. 

He stared at her in disbelief as she walked up to him.

Wasn't it you who sent me away?!

She gave him a once over and clicked her tongue.

"Did you even rest? You look exhausted. Why are your trousers wet?"

She continued before he could reply.

"Auntie Wang needs you. Something's happened."

She grabbed his forearm. Xiao Zhan froze from the shock of her words and the unexpected physical contact.

"To Yibo?"

She shook her head. He remained on his guard.

"I don't know what's wrong, but she is very distressed. Mr. Wang's agent came by, and they had a meeting. She was very upset after he left. Go see her. Quickly. And regardless of what is happening, ensure she gets some rest."

"I will. Thank you for telling me."

She let go of him and waved his words away with a hand gesture. She looked at her phone and sighed.

"I'm going to be late now, thanks to you," she said in a whiny tone he didn't know her.

"Next time, just leave a message for me, then," he said.

She gave him an aggravated look.

"And who, tell me, would be able to relay it?"

Without much thought, he grabbed her phone and started entering his information.

"Hey, give that back! I have to go," she said, peeking at the hallway around him. 

He handed her the device back. She snatched it without looking at the screen and shoved it in her purse.

"You have my phone number. Please use it responsibly," he said, suddenly realizing what he had just done was irresponsible.

"Sure. Whatever. I have to go!"

She hurried around him. Xiao Zhan couldn't help but notice her uncharacteristic agitation. Surely, it couldn't be because of what had happened to Auntie Wang, could it? Her heels had barely click-clacked for a few steps when, suddenly, the answer to Xiao Zhan's question, dressed in a tuxedo, nonchalantly appeared at the end of the corridor and waved with a wide smile. Nurse Jang stopped dead in her tracks.

"Fuck."


PENSAMENTOS DOS CRIADORES
kanmuriwrites kanmuriwrites

*On Seoul Taxis*

Although I was in Seoul last in 2019, the last time I had to take a taxi there was in 2009. Things might have changed but back then, it was really hard to get a taxi if you were going just a short distance. The drivers would stop and ask you where you were going before you could even get in. If they judged your fare would be too small, they would just leave. It was VERY annoying.

Capítulo 12: Arc II - By a Thread - Part 6

"Good evening, Mr. Xiao," said Dr. Park as he closed the distance between them.

Xiao Zhan had barely returned the greeting when, without warning, Nurse Jang grabbed the doctor's upper arm and forced him to turn back around. She met no resistance.

"We have to go. We're already late," she said, dragging him.

"Nice to see you again!" Said Dr. Park over his shoulder as he obediently stumbled forward.

Xiao Zhan stood awkwardly in place as they reached the end of the corridor, neither of them looking back at him. Then, before they turned the corner, he saw her slap his arm as she spat angry words at him. As she'd spoken in Korean, he had no idea what she'd said, but he felt a little better seeing that he wasn't the only one on the receiving end of her temper. He stared at the now-empty hallway, trying to make sense of what he'd just witnessed. Then, he suddenly remembered Auntie Wang and hurried to Yibo's bedside.

He found her sitting by her son, brow furrowed as she chewed on the end of a pen. On her lap was a notepad covered in what looked like figures. From time to time, she looked at her cellphone, which she appeared to use as a calculator and jotted down more numbers. She shook her head and sighed.

"Auntie?"

She jumped, her notes slipping to the floor. She rushed to pick the pad up, but Xiao Zhan was quicker. 

"Xiao Zhan. You're here," she said, holding out her hand to grab the notepad. 

Xiao Zhan couldn't resist looking down at it. It took him only a second to realize that the numbers were tagged with bits of text, each one itemizing the various costs of Yibo's hospitalization. He wasn't quite familiar with the value of wons, but the total seemed to be quite high.

"What is this about?" He asked, finally handing back the notes. 

She clutched the pad tightly and sighed again, looking at her son. Xiao Zhan sat down next to her, thus entering her field of vision.

"Did you get a good rest? Why are your trousers wet?" She asked, still ignoring his question.

"I did. I slipped and fell on wet grass. Auntie, what is going on? Nurse Jang told me Yibo's manager came by."

She turned her head, avoiding his gaze.

"It's nothing you should worry about."

He titled his head.

"Auntie…"

"It's fine, really," she said, turning back to him with a forced smile. "Here, you must be hungry."

She tried to give him a clementine. He put his hand on the offered fruit and pushed it down.

"Auntie. Nurse Jang was worried enough to tell me to make sure you were alright," he said.

She shook her head and sighed before putting the clementine back in her bag.

"That girl has the eyes of a hawk." 

"Is this about the hospital bill?" Xiao Zhan asked.

Her shoulder slumped slightly. She finally nodded.

"BoBo's manager did come by about an hour ago. He told me that because the accident happened while he was riding his motorcycle on personal time, the agency's insurance wouldn't cover the cost of his hospitalization."

Xiao Zhan blinked, his mouth open with shock.

"But… But don't they normally promote his racing activities?"

She nodded.

"Yes, but apparently, his contract clearly stipulates that any injury incurred outside his professional activities will not be covered as such behaviour is considered a liability. The agency can't prevent him from riding on personal time, but the clause is meant to act as a deterrent."

Knowing Yibo, this had probably gone six feet over his head. Nothing could stand between the man and his motorcycles.

"What about the national healthcare coverage?" He asked.

She shook her head again.

"Because he mostly worked home recently, he hasn't lived in Korea long enough to meet the requirements. He's not covered."

Once again, he looked at the large amount at the bottom of her notes.

"I take it this is quite a big sum?" He asked, pointing.

She converted the amount to yuans. He choked on his saliva. Auntie Wang patted his back as he coughed.

"That's what his bill stands at right now ?" He asked when he could finally speak again.

She pointed at a smaller yet still substantial figure on the page.

"That's now. This total is what it'll come up to if he stays here for two weeks. This is a month," she explained as she showed him the different totals.

He opened his mouth to speak but struggled to put his thoughts into words. That was a preposterous amount of money. It made sense, of course. Korea was one of the, if not the most popular medical tourism destination in the world, and the prices reflected that.

"Didn't he get private insurance for this trip?" he asked in a last-ditch effort, already knowing the answer.

"I checked, but it doesn't seem like it. You know how he is; since the agency covers him when he works, he usually doesn't get extra coverage."

Xiao Zhan had pestered him about this in the past, and they had fought over it. Actually, they had argued about it regarding this trip. He now wished he'd been more insistent.

"Can't the hospital transfer him back home?"

She sighed and looked at Yibo again.

"I asked Dr. Park. He says we shouldn't risk it as long as he's unstable."

She looked back at Xiao Zhan.

"I'm not willing to put his life in danger, but…"

He understood her dilemma. Depending on how long Yibo remained in the ICU, and even if they used Yibo's savings, the final bill could well bring the Wangs to the brink of bankruptcy. They both silently stared at the numbers on the page for a moment. Xiao Zhan was wracking his brain, trying to find a solution. This was a lot of money. Yet, he was already doing some math. Going ahead with his idea would create a massive hole in his savings and set him back a few years. However, it was doable. He was in charge of his finances, so he wouldn't need to justify the expense to anyone. Ironically, the main obstacle would probably be Auntie Wang herself. He didn't want to embarrass her, but he was confident he could reason with her. This was an extreme situation. Yibo's life was at stake. He cleared his throat.

"Auntie, do you need me to help you pay?"

She stared at him as if unable to believe she'd heard him correctly. Then her eyes filled with tears, which she quickly blinked away. She took his hand in hers and gave it a soft squeeze.

"Xiao Zhan, I knew you'd say something like this, and that's why I would have preferred you didn't know about this. It's very nice of you, but I would never dream of asking you to pay. This is a family matter."

For the second time that day, "family" had been invoked in a way that made it clear where people drew the line between Yibo and him. A voice in his head piped up, saying that maybe his mother was right after all. He immediately silenced it, but this split second was long enough for a pained expression to flash on his face. Auntie Wang noticed and squeezed his hand again.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. You are family, Xiao Zhan. You're BoBo's GeGe, and nothing can change that. But I don't want you to shoulder this burden. That is my responsibility as a parent. Do you understand?"

He nodded, but his heart still felt heavy. She returned her hand to her lap.

"I've already called my brother and left him a message. He's been managing Yibo's finances since the beginning, so he shouldn't have any issue transferring me some money from his account when the time comes. Plus, BoBo's manager told me we wouldn't have to pay anything for a while and that the hospital would definitely arrange for a payment plan at the very least. In the meantime, he said he would do his best to find a way to get the agency to foot, if not the entirety, at least part of the bill. I just felt a little overwhelmed, that's all. Things will be alright."

"I hope so," he replied.

"Hope is all we have," she said, getting up.

She started gathering her things.

"Since you're here, I should probably get going. Nurse Jang suggested we take turns at his bedside. I hate to ask you this, but are you alright with staying here at night?"

He nodded. She smiled

"Thank you."

"Speaking of Nurse Jang, did you see her before she left?" Xiao Zhan couldn't resist asking.

Auntie Wang's tired face suddenly lit up, and she looked at him with a mischievous smile. She got closer.

"You saw her, too, right? Dressed to the nine?"

He nodded. She chuckled.

"When I was talking to Dr. Park, he told me he was going to some kind of fundraiser tonight but would be on call if anything happened. He said nothing else, but when I saw Nurse Jang, well…" She said conspiratorially.

So they were a couple, after all, he thought. He couldn't help but smile at the idea of anyone having to put up with her strong personality daily. His admiration for Dr. Park grew tenfold. 

"I saw him come to pick her up in front of the nurse station," he whispered in the same tone.

The shock on her face was worth all the grief he would get Nurse Jang in the future.

"I knew it! You see, Mrs. Min and I were talking this afternoon…"

"Who is Mrs. Min?" He interrupted.

"Second bed across," she said, pointing at a woman in her late fifties peeling a tangerine while watching something on a tablet. "Her husband was injured at work."

"Since patient confidentiality rules prevent Nurse Jang from telling us what happened to that little girl across the way yesterday, I asked Mrs. Min if she knew anything."

"Does she also speak Mandarin?" He asked, finding it hard to believe that there were that many Chinese speakers in this Seoul hospital.

"No, no. I used an app!"

Auntie Wang proudly took her phone out of her pocket and showed him how the app recorded her words and then translated them into Korean. Xiao Zhan remembered some of the local staff using something similar while he was on set in Thailand, but he'd forgotten about it since no one had ever tried it on him. He couldn't help but feel his first encounter with Head Nurse Lee might have gone smoother had he thought of it. 

"That's pretty clever, Auntie. And what happened to the little girl?" he asked, ultimately more interested in her fate than in Nurse Jang gossip.

Auntie Wang's expression suddenly turned serious.

"The poor thing. Mrs. Min is quite friendly with Head Nurse Lee, and so she asked her what had happened."

So much for patient confidentiality, he thought.

"She told her that the little girl had been beaten by her father. It wasn't the first time, either, apparently. Can you imagine such a thing?"

He could. He'd had a classmate in fourth grade who'd regularly come to school covered in bruises until, one day, he'd stopped coming altogether. No one had ever explained it, but later — He couldn't quite remember how — he'd learn that the boy hadn't simply "moved to a different town."

"They took her away in the middle of the night," he said, his memories of the past overlapping with his recollection of the previous night's anguished mother.

She nodded.

"Yes. Mrs. Min says they couldn't save her this time... She was ten."

Xiao Zhan felt as if he'd been punched in the gut. 

"How parents can do this to their own children is beyond me," she added.

They both looked at Yibo for a while, lost in their respective thoughts.

"Anything I should know?" he finally asked, hoping to get out of this negative thought spiral. 

She brought a hand to her forehead.

"What a scatterbrain I am. I should have told you this first, sorry."

"It's alright."

He got up to help her put her jacket on.

"For now, all I can tell you is Dr. Park said there was a slight improvement and that he's on his way to being stable. He thinks they might be able to take him off the respirator soon. They also switched one of his medications this morning to see if it'll deal better with the inflammation in his brain. Other than that, he's the same old BoBo."

She walked to the head of his bed and squeezed her son's hand.

"I'm leaving now. Be good, ok? GeGe is going to stay with you."

She then turned around, wished Xiao Zhan goodnight, and was on her way. He watched her say goodbye to Mrs. Min and followed her with his eyes until she was out of the ward. Then, doing his best to avoid looking at the empty bed across the way, he closed the curtain and pulled a chair close to Yibo's bed. He took his hand in his and kissed the palm softly.

"Hey, sleepyhead," he said. "Aren't you bored yet?"

The regular beeping of the machines was his only response. He pressed Yibo's curled fingers against his cheek and stared at his closed eyes.

"If you wanted an expensive gift, you could have just asked, you know. You didn't have to make a scene like this."

He didn't know why he kept making these stupid quips. He realized that if anyone heard him, they would think he was utterly heartless. Yet, he couldn't help it. They'd always enjoyed riling each other up. However, part of him knew that he would spend most of his waking hours crying if he said what really was on his mind. A smaller part of him vainly hoped that teasing Yibo would lead to him waking up and retorting in anger. It was fanciful, but dreaming was free.

He kissed his hand again before gently putting it back down.

"I walked around today. It was really nice and warm outside. You would have liked it."

He then proceeded to tell him about his promenade, the apartment he'd chosen for himself, and the restaurants where he would take him when he got better. When he got to the part about the hotteok vendor, he remembered the treats in his jacket pocket. He took the paper bag out and took a large bite of the cake before showing it to him.

"I got those things you like, see?"

As he shook his hand, some filling fell onto Yibo's hand.

"Shit!"

Xiao Zhan shoved the treat back in the bag and took a quick look around for something to wipe the man's hand. As he did, the thick honey filling began slowly sliding down the side, dangerously at risk of falling on the bedsheet. Without thinking, he dove forward and covered it with his mouth, sucking the syrup off and preventing a mess. At the same exact moment, the curtain slid open. 

As soon as his eyes met the confused gaze of Head Nurse Lee, he straightened himself with an embarrassed laugh. There was no time to download a translation app, so he reached for the bag of hotteok and tried to mimic what had happened. She continued to give him a weird look and left as soon as she'd performed her routine check. He heard her laugh before she exited the ward. He covered his hot face and groaned.

"She's going to think I'm a fucking pervert."

Xiao Zhan finished eating one of the cakes and then washed his hands, bringing a towel back to take care of the sticky mess he'd created. This task done, he took off his glasses and put them on a chair. Then he leaned forward and pillowed his head on his right arm, finger touching the tip of Yibo's. The sleep that had eluded him all morning came instantly.

He had no idea how long he'd been asleep when a slight tremor woke him. He opened his eyes and sat back up just as Yibo's body began convulsing violently on the bed, the medical equipment blaring in warning. 

"YIBO!!"


PENSAMENTOS DOS CRIADORES
kanmuriwrites kanmuriwrites

—Mini-Theatre—

Taxi drivers: Your pants are wet.

Nurse Jang: Mr. Xiao, your pants are wet.

Dr. Park: Are your trousers wet, Mr. Xiao?

Auntie Wang: Xiao Zhan, your trousers are wet.

Mrs. Min: 소씨, 바지가 젖었어요.

XZ: OMG! CAN YOU STOP TALKING ABOUT THIS??

WY *miraculously waking up*: GeGe?

XZ: YIBO?!

WY: GeGe, your pants are wet.

XZ: * Flips table*

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