<b>Chapter </b><b>186 </b>
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Thinking about what I had just said, my breath hitched. Just as I was about to exin, Josh, who had been half- kneeling by the couch, stood up and said, “The food is ready. Get up and eat something.”
As he spoke, he pulled his hand away. Only then did I realize how tightly I had been gripping him.
Turns out, I had not been holding onto my parents in my dream, I had been holding onto Josh and I had evenshed out at him.
Embarrassment made me let go, but the moment he lifted his hand, I saw deep marks on the back of it, left by my
grip.
Josh turned and walked away. I got up from the couch as well, only to feel a sticky dampness <i>on </i>my skin.
It seemed I had sweated out the fever, and I must have recovered.
“Put this on. Do not catch another cold,” Josh said, bringing over a nket.
I reached out to take it, but my fever had left my hands weak, and I failed to catch it. In the end, Josh draped it over me himself and handed me a warm, damp towel to wipe my hands.
At that moment, I truly felt like a little girl again–like when I was sick as a child and my parents took care of me.
“Can you drink this on your own?” Josh asked as he ced a steaming bowl of oatmeal in front of me.
‘If I say no, is he nning to feed me?
‘If he were really my boyfriend, I would not hold back. But he is not. And the awkwardness fromst night, when I drunkenly insulted him, has not even faded yet, I thought.
1 hummed softly in response, picked up the spoon, and attempted to scoop up a spoonful to prove I could do it. But my hand trembled from weakness.
He gently pressed down on my hand and said, “Take your time.”
“<i>I </i>want some water first,” I said. Perhaps I had sweated too much and my body felt utterly drained.
He handed me a cup of water as if he had already anticipated this, I took a sip and realized it was warm, of just the right temperature, and had a subtle sweetness from honey.
It would be a lie to say I was not touched. And yet, despite the warmth in my chest, I could not even bring myself to say thank you.
Josh’s dinner was light yet nutritious. It included vegetables and prawns, stir–fried mushrooms, marinated pork ribs, and a hand–tossed cucumber sd.
Every single dish was my favorite.
13:03 Thu, 21 Aug 97
“Josh, did you investigate me?” I asked, unable to hold back as I enjoyed the food.
Josh nced at me and asked, “What should I investigate? What are your favorite foods?”
I felt a bit awkward, but I still defended my reasoning. “But everything you have given me–whether it is food, drinks, or even dates–these are all things only my closest family would know.”
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Josh paused slightly as he picked up some food with his utensils. After a moment, he simply said, “That is what a good boyfriend should do.”
‘Boyfriend?
‘But I already said it was over.
‘Did he not take it seriously?‘ I wondered.
Still, with all this delicious food in front of me, I did not want to ruin my appetite by bringing up a tense topic.
Besides, after all the effort he put into taking care of me…
So I said nothing and quietly focused on eating.
“Did something happen to you?” Josh asked just as I was about to finish my meal.
Thinking about everything that had happened today, I bit down on my chopsticks, unsure of where to begin.
He saw that I was not answering and did not press me for details. Instead, he simply said, “Next time you are sick, just say something. You cannot handle it alone. A fever can lead to serious problems–you should know that.”
“I did not know I had a fever,” I replied truthfully.
After returning home, I had only felt exhausted and had gone straight to sleep. I had been drifting in and out of a heavy slumber, unable to fully wake up. It never even crossed my mind that I was running a fever.
Thinking about it now, it was lucky he had opened the door, made some noise, and ultimately saved my life.
“Next time you feel unwell, call me,” Josh said. His tone was not a suggestion but amand.