I open my eyes and am disoriented. It takes me a minute to realize that I’m not in my room. I look around and see Jung lying on the bed and I’m holding his hand. I remember now. I look at my watch and it says 6:45am. I get up slowly, put the blanket on Jung as he's fast asleep, and I sneak out of his room. I tip-toe upstairs to my bedroom and slide into bed, hoping that my dad didn’t check in with me before he left for work.

A few hours later, I open my eyes. The sun is shining through my window and I can hear the garden workers outside my backyard. My first thoughts are of Jung as I wonder how he is doing. I put on a sweater and run downstairs to his bedroom and the door is closed.

I knock, but he doesn’t open the door. I knock again. Still no answer.

“Jung… open the door.”

I wait a few minutes and he still doesn’t respond. I lean my back against his door and slide down to the floor. Suddenly, I hear the doorknob turn and I quickly get up to see Jung opening the door. He’s still in the same clothes from last night and his face is still a mess. It’s gotten more swollen and the bruises are showing. I cover my mouth to stifle my crying as I lift my hand to touch his face. He dodges my hand and moves his head.

“I just need a day… I’ll feel better by tomorrow.”

“Do you need anything? I can get you something to eat? More medicine? What can I….”

“I’m fine. Please, Seol. Just one day.” He achingly pleads with me.

“Ok…” I reply and he closes the door. My heart feels like it’s being ripped into pieces. I somehow end up back in my room and I before I know it, it’s night time. Jung is downstairs in his room by himself in pain and the fact that I wasn’t doing anything about it was killing me. I couldn’t just let him lie there, helpless without anyone taking care of him. I grabbed some medicine from the cabinet and went downstairs to his bedroom.

His door is closed. I knock lightly and I know he won’t answer the door.

“Hey, It’s me. I’m coming in.” I open the door and it’s pretty dark. There’s only his side lamp on, but it’s dim. I go to his bedside and take a look at his face. He’s drench in sweat. I feel his head and it’s burning up.

“Jung… You’re burning up. Wake up, can you hear me?” I say as I shake him. He doesn’t reply to me.

I shake him a bit more and just as I start to panic, I hear him quietly say, “Seol.. you shouldn’t be here.”

“You have to go to the hospital. You’re sweating and burning up.”

He’s shivering and his sheets are soaked. He barely has the strength to speak.

I go upstairs and go to the medicine cabinet where I see some pain killers. I grab a glass of water and go back downstairs. I help Jung sit up in bed, but he can barely keep himself up. “This will help.” I put the pill in his mouth and bring the glass of water to his mouth as he swallows it. I lie him back down and wait.

Jung falls asleep. He wakes up at around 3:00am. I had been wiping his face and neck down with a col