章節 13: Soaked cold in winter
Ai had noticed the change in his behavior the moment Jin showed up. Jun's entire countenance felt as if he had seen a ghost.
She realized they were brothers by the way Jin addressed him and also by their resemblance. But she failed to understand why meeting his brother would be so traumatic for him?
Did they not have a good relationship? But it didn't feel the way Jin so lovingly and respectfully talked to him. So, why?
This was the first time she witnessed this side of his. Jun was a man who feared nothing and always had an unfeeling expression on his face.
But now there was real fear in his eyes. She could see that he wasn't listening to Jin with how he wasn't responding at all. In fact, she was pretty sure he was thinking hard about something which was causing him immense pain.
His complexion was turning paler and paler, and she knew she had to do something or his thoughts would completely eat him up. Plus, the children, parents and teachers were getting anxious too.
Ai calmly walked away, making everybody wonder what she was up to. They thought she left.
But she had actually gone to the cleaner's room where all the buckets and mops were kept to clean the library premises. She found a bucket near one shelf, washed it clean and filled it with cold water from the tap.
She came back holding the bucket, making everybody even more shocked.
What is she doing?
At that point, Jun was on his knees, sweating and breathing raggedly.
Ai stared at his slightly trembling figure. Then without thinking even a second more, she poured all the water onto his head with a loud splash.
Everybody was stunned.
Huuuhhh!???
"Have you calmed down now?"
Jin just kept watching the woman who suddenly popped out of nowhere and splashed water on his brother.
Mrs. Quan Su's jaw dropped in shock. "A-Ai, why did you…"
Ai put the bucket down, walked up to the windows and opened them. Wind blew inside, making Jun shudder who was already wet from his head to his chest.
She went back and bent on her knees on the floor. "Have you calmed down now?" She asked again.
Jun blinked his eyes. He saw his shirt soaked wet. "You…"
"Did you stop what you were thinking about?"
He blankly stared at her.
The splash was so sudden that all his thoughts just disappeared from his mind.
"Look at me," Ai said.
Jun just followed and looked into her eyes.
"Feel the cold water and the cold air against your skin. Don't think about anything and just feel the chill. Breathe in the cold air, and let the drops sink into you."
He kept watching her and nobody else and just stayed silent for a few long minutes until his head slowly cleared up. It was all just a big mess inside, but that fog had suddenly vanished now. Ai's gaze was still and patient as if she would be there beside him as long as it was needed. The stillness in her somehow helped him breathe again.
Jun came back to his senses. "You…you just splashed the whole bucket onto me."
Ai nodded. "You were thinking too hard about something. Your head would have exploded with all that heat."
"You opened the windows too."
"I thought just water wasn't enough to dissipate the heat in your head," Ai calmly stated.
He stared at her. Water droplets slid down his cheek. His wet hair fluttered with the wind blowing.
"Do you know that it's winter outside?"
The other patrons and teachers felt pitiful for him. Mrs. Quan Su coughed. Cold water plus cold wind in such chilly weather was like a death sentence.
Ai didn't faze. "Sacrifices are sometimes necessary."
His face turned as black as a burned pot.
"It worked. That's all that matters."
Mrs. Quan thought that Jun would lash out at her but to her surprise, he didn't.
One of the little girls trotted to Jun's side. She opened his palm with her little fingers and placed a candy on it.
"Big brother, I will give my candy to you," she pursed her lips. "The candy will defeat your sickness! When I am sick, Mama gives me candy. Then I get better again!" She beamed.
Jun blinked his eyes.
Watching her, the other children quickly surrounded him too. Everybody gave their candies to him which Ai had given them in the morning.
"You can keep my candy too, Prince Charming. Get better and we will marry!"
"Mine too!"
"It's not good to be sick. Have my candy too!" A girl chirped.
"Hmph. I won't be happy if I defeat a sick villain," a boy said who claimed Jun eats all the girls. "It should be a fair fight. Eat my candy and become better so we can have a real battle!"
"How can the alien steal the planet if he is sick?" Another boy pushed his candy into his palm even though his heart ached with the great sacrifice he was making.
The boy who Jun threatened to throw out of the window, said, "T-This is not gum this time! It's my candy. I am sorry for doing that before. Get better, big brother!"
Jun didn't know how to respond. He watched the kids cheering him to become healthy again.
Mrs. Quan Su chuckled. "Children are good, right?"
Jun's facial expression didn't change much but he raised his hand, hesitating a lot. Moving and stopping a number of times, he finally patted their heads very awkwardly.
Ai asked, "You haven't done this before, have you?"
"S-Shut up. I have younger siblings."
Jun cleared his throat looking at the kids. "Thank you for the candies. But keep them with you. I am fine."
He returned their candies, and the kids hesitatingly went back to their teachers' side.
Jin, who kept quiet all this time, worriedly asked, "Bro, what happened? I never saw you this sick before."
Jun stiffened. Without looking at him he replied, "Jin. Go back for now…I will give you a call later."
He alternated his gaze between his brother and Ai. The space between his brows slightly creased as he observed Ai.
Jin's smile returned, and he patted his shoulder. "Cool. Oh by the way, Mom has sent some dumplings for you. Don't forget to eat them. I have kept the box over there. Let's catch up sometime later."
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