Chapter 19

After lunch, the friends, including Jiwoon and Nabi, continued to help with the decorations in the Gymnasium. Just a little more push until they were finished with it.

On the way, Katsumi excused herself to use the restroom. She entered an empty stall and went about her business casually. She was pleased with all that had occurred in the last several days.

Their circle of friends has gotten a bit bigger, Subin has received justice, and her secret has not been revealed. Everything was going exactly as she had hoped, and that brightened her day.

A collective chuckle could be heard outside the door behind her as she flushed. She didn't give it much thought because it was a public spot. But seconds later, a bucket of cold water fell down above her as she turned to exit the stall.

She shrieked in surprise when she felt the frigid temperature on her body. Nabi was drenched just a few days ago, and now she has met the same fate as her.

She wasn't just saturated; she was abruptly bathed in an unsanitary environment. Her hoodie and uniform were both fully drenched.

She attempted to leave, but as she pushed the door open, something appeared to be blocking her path. With a shove, the item behind the door toppled down to the floor, allowing Katsumi to flee the stall.

The object in her path was a metal ladder. Someone had planted the "prank" on her, and she had no idea who. She thought, It should be the same people who did the same thing to Nabi.

She crept out of the restroom, checking to see whether the attacker was still nearby. But, of course, no one was near. She shivered as she waited in the restroom and decided to message Kento for assistance.

If she walks all the way to the gym saturated, she will most certainly temper the floor and leave a trail of puddles, which will be a nuisance for the janitor.

When she came back inside, she took her phone from her pocket and noticed the screen was also damp.

"Ah fuck." she exclaims as she first dries her hands before grabbing tissues to wipe the droplets off the screen. It was a relief to discover that her phone was still operational. This way, she can call Kento.

Her brother, on the other hand, was folding sheets of paper to create a flower in the gymnasium, when he suddenly heard his phone ring in his pocket. It piqued his interest, and when he saw the ID of the person who called, he realized it was his twin.

He responded.

"Yes?"

"Hey, uhm... do you have any extra clothes with you that I can borrow?"

Kento's brow furrowed, puzzled. "I do, but why?"

"Someone did a nasty prank while I was in the washroom stall; I'm all soaked and it's freaking cold," she complained.

"Alright, I'll be there in a minute."

However, a minute would turn into ten minutes for him to arrive. And, unfortunately, waiting for him in soaking clothes and wet hair felt like an eternity.

Students who used the restroom were taken aback by her look, but because Katsumi is well-known at school for her friendship with the old bullies, she was made fun of. On the other side of the room, a faint laugh could be heard.

She felt embarrassed by her appearance. As they exited the restroom, the girls continued to giggle. At the very least, the humiliation has been paused for the time being.

Katsumi was shivering from the cold, and her damp garments were making her feel uneasy by the minute. She was growing impatient when she heard her name being called from outside.

She dashed out the door and saw Kento with the change of clothes she asked for.

"Change quickly; you'll catch a cold," he warned, handing out what appeared to be a hoodie and jogging pants.

"Thank you," she says as she snatches the garment, heads inside, and quickly changes. The outfit was a little too big for her, which was weird because Kento's clothes were much smaller than what she remembered wearing.

It may be because Kento had gained weight or muscle, plus that child was still young and still in the stage of growing up. So, she tosses the thought aside and heads out with her drenched uniform and hoodie.

She had to wander about without her socks. Leaving them on when they're wet gives them a mushy feeling, which she found very uncomfortable.

"Do you have any idea who it could be?" Kento inquired as Katsumi exited the restroom.

"I do," she replied, "but I don't want to make such accusations. The attacker escaped before I could see their faces, leaving me with no evidence of them doing it," she added.

"I see," he says, nodding. "There's a CCTV camera nearby, so I can inform Auntie Emi about what happened."

"Thank you," Katsumi said, nodding.

"Oh, and by the way, I borrowed Namgyu's clothing."

"I see!" she says as she nods. "That's why it's larger than the size you normally wear."

"I forgot mine, so he lent his instead."

The others were already aware of what had occurred when they arrived at the gymnasium. Kento had informed the others about what had occurred to Katsumi, which is how he was able to borrow the spare clothes from Namgyu.

Nabi handed her a towel to pat her hair dry, and Katsumi eagerly accepted it.

"Do you have any idea what the attacker's motive was?" Yejoon inquired.

"They were doing this for fun; I just know it!" Nabi shouted irritably.

"In any case," Namgyu remarked, "I'm glad you're not physically hurt."

Everyone agreed. It was heartwarming for Namgyu to say such a thing, and it made Katsumi feel a lot closer to him.

They proceeded with their jobs, and they were getting closer to finishing the work in the gymnasium. After the job, it was time for Katsumi to work and plan her booth.

Despite the fact that they were short on one more person, the principal has allowed them to bring a maximum of three strangers into each booth.

They were given three and a half weeks, which Katsumi wasn't sure was enough time to arrange everything, including the decorations, interior design, and food and drinks for their menu. But with seven of them together, they'll undoubtedly figure it out.

[Bedroom | 09:48 p.m.]

It was late at night, and Katsumi had just emerged from her warm bath. As she walked towards the bed, she let out a tiny sigh and sat down. She takes her notepad from the desk beside her bed and opens it, revealing sketches for the new drinks and snacks on the cafe's menu.

Katsumi sincerely hopes that this booth will be a success and bring in a lot of guests for the Moonbucks Café. She sneezes continuously as she nervously admires the sketches in her notepad.

"Shoot. Am I catching a cold?" she huffs. "I certainly hope not."

She sneezed again and decided to take a nap to recover overnight. Hopefully, she will feel much better the next day. However, things came for the worse.

As Kento stepped outside his unit on a cool morning, he realized he hadn't received a message from Katsumi, as he usually does. The car keys are with her because she was supposed to drive today, and he needed to know if she was prepared.

He won't be able to attend classes without those keys, something he cannot allow to happen.

He enters her apartment after entering the code. She wasn't in the living room, where he expected to find her every morning before school. So he went upstairs to her room, figuring she was there.

As he climbed the steps, he yelled, "Katsumi? It's time to go!" But received no response. When he arrived on the second story, he noticed Majesty (the cat) sitting outside her bedroom door.

Meow

The cat greeted Kento as he approached to pet it. Majesty then enters the bedroom through the small door at the bottom. Kento followed the cat inside, but as soon as he opened the door, a cold breeze blew out, making him shudder.

It was extremely cold inside. Kento was perplexed by this. Normally, Katsumi turns off the air conditioner, but it was still on when he walked in.

"Katsumi?" he called out, and a tiny, hoarse reply came back.

"Kento?" Katsumi was curled up in her bed, looking unwell. She was sweating profusely on her brow and neck, and she was breathing heavily. "I think I might have a fever," she continued.

"You think?" He approaches her and touches her forehead. Even with the air conditioning on full blast, she felt quite hot. "You do have a fever; you're burning up!"

"Curse those attackers; if it hadn't been for them, I wouldn't be in this state," Katsumi sighs, coughing loudly.

"Well, you can't go to school with your condition; you'll have to miss class today. I'll notify Auntie Emi."

"Thanks, bro," she weakly replies.

"Have you eaten breakfast yet?" He said, and her stomach grumbled loudly enough for both of them to hear. He chuckled. "Wait here, and I'll make you something to eat."

"There's no need; just go; you'll be late for school," she remarked.

"Right now, your health is far more important than school, sis; I'll just notify Auntie that I'll be late today so I don't get in trouble."

Katsumi closed her eyes and nodded quietly. Kento had cooked his twin's breakfast in an hour, serving something ideal for the sick. He had also made her lunch so she could eat it quickly.

He did everything he could to make his sister feel at ease before leaving with the car keys while Katsumi was deep asleep.

Kento arrived on the school grounds an hour and a half later. He was now inside the principal's office, notifying Aunt Emi of Katsumi's illness and the cause of his tardiness.

Aunt Emi understood him and his sister's condition and prepared a slip for him to avoid being taken back to her office or getting himself into trouble.

It only took a few moments for him to receive the slip from her.

"Regarding those students who bathed Katsumi in water yesterday afternoon, I've investigated the entire incident and informed their parents; rest assured that they will be punished appropriately for their wrongdoings," she stated as she handed him the paper.

Kento bowed after smiling. "Thank you, Auntie," he said as he walked away.

All eyes were on him when he walked into his classroom. He had predicted something like this would happen because he was late.

"What a calm entrance for someone who's extremely late; can you tell me why?"

He bows and says, "I apologize, sir." He then took the slip to the teacher which instantly explained his predicament to him. He was excused as a result, and he was allowed to sit down without complications.

Time flew by rapidly, and it was already lunch break in the blink of an eye. Kento was instantly asked about what had transpired earlier when they went to get their lunch to eat.

"Why were you late today?" Nabi inquired

"I had to take Katsumi's car keys because she was supposed to drive today, but it appears she is sick with a high fever," he added.

"Oh, so that's why she's been absent," Yejoon remarked.

"It must've been because of what happened yesterday," Namgyu reasoned.

"Principal Lee informed me about the attackers," Kento said. "She said to rest assured; there will be a suitable punishment for their wrongdoings."

"As they should!" Jiwoon retorted.

"Wait. Principal Lee approached you?" Nabi questioned in surprise.

"Yeah, how else could I have gotten the slip? It was from her."

"I had no idea you and Principal Lee were close," Subin said, putting Kento in a bind.

"We aren't," he countered gently, "maybe because I'm a new student? Who knows?"

Kento was a master of deception; even his closest friends believed every single lie he spewed out. He felt awful about it, but it was for a reason. He didn't care whether his identity was revealed, but he knew Katsumi did. This was what she wanted, and he didn't want to destroy it for her just because he didn't feel the same way.

***

Namgyu had just dropped Yejoon off at his residence and was on his way back to his own. They passed Katsumi's apartment building on their way. When he saw that, he got a strange feeling of anxiety in his chest.

Kento had to look after the Moonbucks café for her, leaving the sick girl at her unit alone. He was concerned that she hadn't eaten anything or that she didn't have the stamina to swallow the medicine she was prescribed.

As cold as he had been with her the first time, he had evolved and now genuinely cared for her. He couldn't get the feeling out of his head, no matter how hard he tried.

"Let's go to the supermarket, Mr. Hong, and I might stay overnight at a friend's house," he said.

"Yes, sir," the driver replied as he steered the car toward the supermarket.

He got everything Katsumi needed to recover, including ingredients for her food and medicine in pill form, as well as a fever pack.

It was his first time purchasing these for someone with a fever, so he did as his mother had done whenever he was sick in the past.

He sighed as he remembered those moments. He didn't have time to be sentimental, though.

After paying for everything he got, he was now standing in front of Katsumi's unit, wondering if she was awake or not.

Regardless of his concerns, he knocked and rang the doorbell.

"Katsumi! It's me, Namgyu!" he softly yelled. A middle-aged man opened the door in a matter of seconds.

Namgyu didn't think much of it and assumed he was the girl's butler.

"Hi," he greeted shakily, "I'm here for Katsumi."

"Ah, yes, Mr. Namgyu, was it? Please come in!" the man said politely.

The boy excused himself as he entered the unit and removed his shoes, which he placed on the rack near the entryway.

"I assumed Katsumi was alone, so I brought her some ingredients and medicine."

"Thank you; I was planning on going out to get her groceries; you've saved me some time."

"Glad I could help."

The butler took the groceries from him and delivered them to the kitchen.

Namgyu spotted the man in the process of cooking. Katsumi must not have eaten yet because it is already past 3 p.m.

"Namgyu?" Katsumi weakly called from behind, wrapped in blankets to stay warm.

"Katsumi! You're up!" he exclaimed, startled.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, coughing.

"I came over to see how you're doing."

"Please, Ms. Arioka, return to your bed and rest," urged the butler. "We'll bring the food to you once it's cooked."

"Thank you, Mr. Daehyun."

Katsumi returned to her room, while Namgyu assisted the butler in preparing her meals and medicine. Butler Daehyun decided to make a simple rice porridge for the girl.

It's a simple rice, salt, and water dish. It has a fairly mild flavor that is extremely soothing when one does not have much of an appetite.

They cleaned up their mess and brought the sick girl a dish of delight. They brought the food to her room on a tray with utensils and medicine.

A cool breeze stroked against their skin as they entered. It was colder in the room than it was outside, which is unusual.

"We've brought your food, Ms. Arioka."

Katsumi slowly awoke from her snooze, smiling as she struggled to sit up. Namgyu assisted the butler in placing the tray of food on the tiny table on top of her bed.

"Thank you," she says as she picks up the spoon, scoops it, and blows on it before biting into it. Namgyu felt relieved as he watched her regain her strength.

Butler Daehyun had to go for a few minutes and asked Namgyu to stay, which he gladly did. He didn't have much to do at home, and he'd previously informed his driver of his location. So he's sure he'll reassure his parents.

Katsumi was still hungry after she finished her meal and craved a snack. Namgyu gladly agreed to assist her in alleviating her hunger.

He went to the kitchen to get the ingredients for his recipe, Korean rice cake dumpling soup. And for the beverage, he decided on honey-lemon tea.

For many people, being full while lying in bed is really uncomfortable, therefore tea would be the ideal beverage to accompany the soup.

He cooked roughly three portions, two for himself and one for Katsumi. She could have seconds if she wanted more.

"This is delicious!" Katsumi exclaimed as they ate together.

"I'm glad you like it!" says Namgyu.

"I had no idea you could cook this well."

"Fortunately for you, aside from eggs, sausages, and ramyeon, that's the only difficult thing I can cook," he remarked.

"Where or who taught you?"

"My mother, when I was a kid," he said dejectedly, dropped his head, and grinned.

Katsumi notes the changes in his expression and deduces that something has occurred between him and his mother. He gave the appearance of not wanting to continue with the discussion, so she respected that and changed the subject.

She didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable, no matter how inquisitive she was. It's not something you do to someone who is trying to recuperate from a fever.

"You know, I'm really glad I came here to Seoul," she said, smiling softly. "Because that's how I met you."

A wave of tingling stroked Namgyu's back as he felt his heart palpitate even faster. He was a sucker for compliments, but he'd never felt his body react like this when he got one.

"And Yejoon, Subin, and surprisingly, Nabi and Jiwoon," Katsumi said.

The boy huffed, releasing the tension from his body, and gave out a chuckle. "I feel the same way," he said. "I'll go clean up this mess while you rest."

"T-thanks."

He walks out, carrying the tray of dishes, and smiles as he closes the door. They both huffed as if they were holding their breath and finally got the chance to let it all out once he was out of sight.

They did this while banging their hearts with their palms on their chests.

"I've got to get this checked out at the hospital," he said.