I sat beside Hàn Dục Kỳ, watching him finish the lunch box.
For some reason, I was so happy that even I found it strange.
It was just because he was willing to eat...
Yet I felt as if I had accomplished something incredibly important.
When he was almost done, Hàn Dục Kỳ gently pushed the lunch box back toward me.
"I'm full."
I looked at the remaining food and nodded.
"Mm, that's fine."
At least he had eaten much more today than he had yesterday.
Just as I was about to clean up, my eyes fell on the cup of water beside him.
The fever medicine was still untouched.
I paused.
"Dục Kỳ."
He looked up at me.
"What happened to the medicine I left here?"
Hàn Dục Kỳ remained silent for a few seconds before calmly replying,
"I didn't want to take it."
Me: "..."
I knew it.
I let out a helpless sigh.
Good thing I saw this coming.
Then I took out the backup medicine I had tucked into my pocket earlier and held it out to him.
"If you don't take your medicine, how are you supposed to recover?"
Hàn Dục Kỳ frowned at the pills in my hand.
"...It's bitter."
I froze for a moment.
Then I almost laughed.
For some reason, hearing someone as cold and aloof as him seriously say the word "bitter" was unbelievably amusing.
"Medicine is always bitter."
"I said I don't like it."
His voice remained as indifferent as ever, tinged with a hint of impatience.
Yet somehow, I could hear a trace of childishness in it.
I tried so hard not to laugh that my shoulders trembled.
"Dục Kỳ."
He looked up at me in confusion.
"Hm?"
"You really are like a child."
Hàn Dục Kỳ immediately frowned.
"I'm not a child."
"Mm-hm."
Resting my chin on my hand, I smiled at him.
"Then what kind of adult is afraid of taking medicine?"
Hearing that, Hàn Dục Kỳ froze.
Perhaps even he realized how embarrassing his excuse sounded, because his gaze began to drift away.
The tips of his ears also turned a faint shade of red.
Watching him, my heart softened.
He really was...
So adorable.
In the end, after enduring my stare for nearly a full minute, Hàn Dục Kỳ reluctantly picked up the medicine and swallowed it.
The next second, he immediately frowned.
The expression on his face nearly made me burst into laughter.
I quickly handed him the carton of milk I had prepared beforehand.
"Here."
Hàn Dục Kỳ paused.
"...What's this?"
"For you."
"I'm not a child."
"Only children deserve to be comforted?"
The words slipped out before I could think.
The moment I said them, I realized something about that sounded a little off.
Silence suddenly filled the room for a few seconds.
I gave an awkward cough and hurriedly looked away.
"...That's not what I meant."
Hàn Dục Kỳ looked at me for a while.
Then, unexpectedly, he reached out and accepted the milk.
"...Thank you."
I was stunned.
It took me several seconds to react.
"Dục Kỳ."
"Hm?"
"Did you just thank your teacher?"
Hàn Dục Kỳ: "..."
His expression turned cold as he stood up.
"I'm leaving."
I immediately laughed.
"Hey, I was only asking."
Hàn Dục Kỳ didn't answer.
He simply pulled on his jacket and turned to leave.
But as he walked past me, I accidentally noticed that the tips of his ears had turned faintly red again.
I was momentarily stunned.
Then the corners of my lips slowly curved upward.
...It seemed that A Kỳ was in quite a good mood today.