Chapter 78

Even though it's already afternoon, Jas is still here. Since he arrived at my flat yesterday night, he hasn't returned home. I awoke with my eyes immediately drawn to him, who had fallen asleep on the side of my bed while watching me. When he awoke, he told me what had happened when I had fallen asleep in the living room. I can't believe what he did until now, and it makes me feel flustered. He's in the kitchen right now, making juice, and I can't help but smile as I recall what he said earlier.

I was in the room with Jas when there was a sudden knock on the door. I looked at him while my expression was full of astonishment and he immediately smiled at me before standing up.


"Is there anyone in my apartment besides us?" I asked and he nodded as a response.

He gulped and apologized, "I am sorry if I let someone else into your apartment without asking your permission, El. I tried to wake you up to ask permission, but you didn't wake up. I have no choice but to let him in. I'm worried about you too much, however, I can't help you." He averted his gaze as he gulps before he whispered in the air, "I also don't want to ask for help from others because I want to take care of you like you take care of me. But I don't have a choice."


"Jas, what are you whispering? I can't hear, can you repeat?" I asked. His first explanation was clear to me, but I could not understand why his voice weakened when he spoke again.


He gulped again as he looked at my unease. "I"m n-not saying anything," he stuttered. There was another knock on the door so we both looked there. Jas cleared his throat so I was able to return my sight to him. "What I was saying before is I'm going to open the door," he said before he turned his back on me and he headed to the door. I can"t help to smile because I know he"s just making an excuse.


He opened the door and then a man entered. I first looked at him from foot to face and when I recognized who he was, I immediately smiled and bowed slightly in respect to him. He brought a food tray and went straight to the side of my bed. He placed the food on the table lamp and then he focused his gaze on me.


"How are you feeling, El?" he asked with a smile on his face.

I immediately shook my head in response. "I"m fine, B-Bry," I answered, stuttering. I am not comfortable calling him by his name only. He is ahead of me, and he"s a doctor, but he never let me call him formally. He didn't want me to call him Mr, Doc, and even Brother because he preferred me to call him casually.


He placed his palm on my forehead and I couldn"t help but be surprised.


"How's his condition, Bry?" Jas asked the reason for me to look at him. He was standing as he looked at Bry and his arm was crossed to his chest. "She's okay, isn't she?" he added.


As Doctor Bry responded to Jas's query, I cast another glance in his direction. "You're terribly worried, Jas. As I previously stated, El just needs adequate rest, so you do not need to be worried. "You put yourself in the hole, so loosen up," he said, making me feel bad.

Doctor Bry sat on the edge of the bed and took the meal he had brought with him. He took the spoon and stirred the soup he had brought with him. He scooped the soup off the bowl and positioned it in my mouth.



I gulped because of the awkwardness. No one has done this to me in my entire life. Never in my life that someone assists me to take a meal and I felt that I can swallow the food if someone is serving me. I only see such a situation in movies and I never thought it was so awkward in real life.

"Don't you like ramen?" Doctor Bry asked and he put the spoon in the bowl. "What do you want to eat? It's not a good idea if you're not going to eat, so just say what you want and I'll buy it," he explained.

"I like ramen so I'll eat that," I responded with my excitable voice, but when I spoke again, I seemed to hide in my shell. "It's awkward for me to be served by someone while eating," I added, almost in hushed tones, but they both smiled, so I know they heard me.


Doctor Bry nodded his head as he handed the tray he was holding to me. "You can eat, El," he said, smiling.


I also forced myself to smile at him before I took the tray. I put it on my thigh and then started eating. I haven't eaten for a day so I can't help but speed up to eat the noodles using the chop-stick.


"I need to go. We still have surgery," Doctor Bry stated while looking at his wristwatch. He looked at me and then reminded me. "You need to rest. I will come back later to check your temperature," he said before he stood up. He gently taps my head and looks at Jas. "Take care of her. Always check the time when she will take the medicine," he reminded.


"You don't have to say that, Doc," Jas responded, emotionless.


Doctor Bry smirked at him and said, "I'm just reminding you."


Jas nodded and swallowed as he averted his eyes.


"I"ll go ahead," Doctor Bry said.


"Take care, B-Bry. Thank you for the help," I stated, smiling.


He nods and answers, "you don"t have to say that, El. I am ready to help the people who are important to my family." He smiled and then bowed slightly before leaving.


What could he mean by what he said? Important to his family? Who is his family? Is it Jas? But he is just a friend of Baki. Wait, Baki is his family, but how can I be important to Ba-


What I was thinking was cut off when Jas breaks the silence between us. "About last night," he stated.


"What about last night?" I asked.


He took a deep breath before he sat on the edge of my bed as his eyes were focused on me. "I don't know how I can help you so I called Baki," he stated.


I wasn"t sure if he would say anything else, but I couldn"t help myself from being surprised by what he said. "What? Ask Baki for help to help me?" I asked. I want to say a curse, but I manage to control it. I also can't understand myself, but I feel intense tension. I feel like something has broken in my dignity.


He nodded in response to my question and said, "But she refused to help you. I don"t know why she did that so we"re not okay now. I couldn"t stop myself from being annoyed with her. I know she knows I am very worried about your situation, but he refused to help you."

I gulped as I heard what he say. I would also prefer that she didn"t help me because I don"t want to be indebted to her.


"I don't know anyone else so I asked Bry for help," he stated and I nodded. "I already know everything," he added. I am not sure what he's referring to, but I feel like it's about Ivan and me's issue. I couldn"t look at him directly and I bowed my head. "I contacted you so many times, but you didn't answer my call," he said, raising his voice because of concern. "You can't blame me if I worry too much. Who wouldn't worry? I even find you weak. I hope you don't do it again, El. Love yourself, El because it's not just your life that will be lost when something happens to you."



I had to put my thoughts aside because he had returned to the room. He'd already brought the juice he'd made and was holding a pizza in his hand.
"Why are you smiling alone?" he asked as he approach my position. "Who are you thinking about?"
"You," I responded.


He stopped walking as if surprised at what I said. I was also slightly surprised when I realized what I said.
"I m-mean, y-you. I"m t-thinking of you b-because you take so long to c-come back here." I force myself to laugh but deep inside I want to hide under the blanket.