02. A visitor from the future (4)

Baek Ji-soo was breathing heavily in a cold sweat just like when he saw him in the morning.

He put his hand on his forehead, but there was no fever.

Then what the hell is the problem, why are you struggling so much?

“Um….”

The amount of cold sweat he was sweating was unusual, so I took out his handkerchief and wiped even the visible part.

I don’t know if that’s why you catch a cold.

First of all, I covered her with a blanket down to her neck and leaned the cane and stick, which I assumed were hers, against the wall.

“Huh?”

At first, she thought it was a dull stick, but upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a set of sword and scabbard.

I couldn’t bear to think that it was a sword because the rust was so thick that it stuck together and obscured its original shape.

I tried to take it out of the scabbard, but there was a scratching sound from the inside and it got stuck.

I thought the rattling shape would come off if I did well, but the sword could break if I applied too much force, so I stopped.

‘The rusty sword breaks easily.’

This is because when the metal component of a sword changes to iron oxide, it becomes structurally very fragile.

I don’t think I’ll be able to use it as a blunt weapon if I have to carry such a rusty sword. Was there a reason why I had to carry it around?

Although it’s a bit annoying, it’s someone else’s. I can’t even pay too much attention to it.

I slipped out of her room quietly so as not to wake her up, and her grandfather greeted me in her hallway.

“Lee Jin-ah. The ambulance explained it well and sent it back.”

“Thank you, Grandpa.”

“Heh heh… I’m not sure if this is right.”

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Grandpa looked at the door of the guest room with a look of deep concern.

“I think I need to contact my family, do you know their contact number?”

“No. I’m a kid who only knows faces.”

“I see. So, should I contact the school? Huh, but the time is already….”

My grandfather, who was trying to find a way to contact me, shook his head.

“For now, can you prepare porridge and medicine for the patient? You’ll need something to eat when you wake up.”

“Yes, I will. Meanwhile, I prepare dinner.”

In the kitchen, I prepared kimchi stew and braised flounder, which I bought for dinner tonight, and cooked vegetable porridge for Baek Ji-soo.

The vegetables were finely chopped and the grains of rice were overcooked so that they could easily pass over. Since it was a patient meal, the seasoning was minimal with only a little salt. I added a tablespoon of sesame oil to whet the appetite.

“Grandpa, eat!”

“Come. Are you Lee Jin?”

“Eat first. I want to come and see the state of the blank count.”

I take a bowl of porridge, a cup of water, and painkillers on a tray and go into the room.

Now it’s completely dark outside.

In the moonlight outside the window, Baek Ji-soo was sleeping calmly, breathing quietly.

I put a tray of porridge on the desk next to the bed, pulled a chair, and sat down.

And then I quietly looked at Baek Ji-soo’s face.

“… ….”

Come to think of it, I think I’ve only seen his face when he passed out like this.

He always had a frown on his face, giving him the impression of being sick.

‘It looks like a doll.’

If Yoon Seo-hee is a healthy and energetic beauty, Baek Ji-soo has a mysterious atmosphere that seems to be out of this world.

Pure white hair down to the nape of the neck and skin as white as drawing paper.

I thought Yoon Seo-hee was also white, but Baek Ji-soo’s skin was particularly pale, like someone who hadn’t seen sunlight.

“Ugh….”

She seems to have come to her senses just as she turns over and opens her eyes faintly.

Only her pupils slowly roll and look around, then their eyes meet mine.

“You….”

“Are you awake?”

“Why am I here….”

“He collapsed in front of my house. I remember?”

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Jisoo Baek shook his head slowly.

Suddenly, Baek Ji-soo’s expressionless eyebrows curled thinly.

The way he pricked up the tip of his nose seemed to smell porridge.

“What is this smell… ?”

“I cooked some porridge in case I was hungry. Want some?”

Her expression sinks into deep worry. Is it something she should worry about so much?

But the silence didn’t last long, and Baek Ji-soo quietly nodded his head.

“… Want some.”

“It’s still hot, so eat slowly.”

She slowly raises her body and places a tray of porridge on her lap.

After staring at the still steaming bowl for a long time, she picks up her spoon and slowly takes a spoonful of it.

“hahahaha… !”

Baek Ji-su trembles with his fists clenched as he puts porridge in his mouth and doesn’t know what to do.

I gulped down my porridge, frowning in pain.

No, I spit it out when it’s hot. He’s swallowing it again.

“I told you to eat slowly. Here, water.”

When I handed her water cup to her restless woman, she hurriedly drinks her water as if she had waited.

“Paha.”

Baek Ji-soo seems to be getting better after drinking water.

He hesitates for a moment as if looking at me, then opens his mouth a little and then blows the porridge to cool it down.

Then he picks up the spoon again and eats it with a spoonful.

“… ….”

It was difficult to read his emotions because his face was so expressionless, but he knew one thing.

It was like a person who had starved for months and finally had food worthy of food. His eyes were wet with emotion.

The hand that eats the porridge gets faster and faster. By the time the bowl was almost empty, it was closer to filling the stomach rather than savoring the taste.

Dalgrak. She puts the freshly emptied bowl on her tray.

‘… He must have been very hungry.’

I feel like I enjoyed a very satisfying meal, so I feel proud.

Baek Ji-soo looks at the empty bowl with an expression of enjoyment as if feeling the afterglow.

No, maybe you don’t feel the lingering aftertaste, but rather regret it?

Unfortunately, that was all the porridge I had made.

“I brought some painkillers, would you like some?”

“Yes, I will eat.”

As if her vigilance had faded, Baek Ji-soo swallowed the medicine along with the water.

Only after that does he look at me with a much better appearance.

“I ate porridge well. Thanks.”

“Thank you. Are you feeling better now?”

“Much. Thanks to you.”

Puts the empty bowl on her lap on the table.

I decided to wash the dishes later, and I thought I was finally in the mood to talk, so I spoke about what I was curious about.

“Can you tell me now? Why did you collapse in front of our house?”

“That….”

At those words, Baek Ji-soo hardened his expression startled. Her complexion was becoming earthy as if she recalled some bad memory.

She quietly closed her eyes and shook her head.

“Sorry, I can’t give you more details.”

“Even though it was in front of my house, not anywhere else?”

“… Intentionally, it wasn’t It wasn’t that I collapsed knowing it was your house….”

Baek Ji-soo looked around the room as if he had noticed something belatedly after saying that.

I lowered my eyes slightly and narrowed my forehead as if I was curious, then slowly opened my mouth.

“Who installed the anti-magic barrier in this house?”

“Anti… What?”

A word came out that I had never heard before.

I can understand the meaning of the words, but I can’t understand the context at all.

She stared at my expression and nodded her head as if she had given up on something.

“… It’s okay if you don’t know. Anyway, I’m indebted. I will pay this debt one way or another.”

Baek Ji-soo strained her legs to get up from the bed, but it was clear that she was overdoing it with her body that had just recovered from exhaustion.

Unsurprisingly, I hurriedly grabbed onto his staggering body, unable to take a single step.

“Hey! You haven’t recovered yet, so where are you going?”

“I don’t have time to be like this. I have to go let go.”

A voice that can’t contain its nervousness.

“Where are you going?”

“… There is someone to find.”

Only the expression on his face was very resolute at the subject whose stable breathing was disturbed just because it moved a little.

I gave more strength to the hand that was holding my shoulder. I couldn’t let a sick person go outside like this.

I also opened my mouth in a firm tone.

“Do you know that magical exhaustion is so easy? As you can see, that’s not the only problem. I don’t know what’s going on, but if you leave now, it’s obvious that you’ll collapse.”

“Ugh….”

She can’t argue if she’s been hit hard.

I pushed hard because I wanted it to be this time.

“Please rest here until your body recovers. Because my grandfather said it was okay.”

“… ….”

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Jisoo Baek kept his mouth shut with a hesitant look on his face.

I also waited patiently to see what she said. Eventually, Baek Ji-soo let out a short sigh and opened her mouth as if surrendering.

“Okay. Then I’ll owe you a little more. And… Let go now.”

“Oh, sorry!”

It was only then that I relaxed the hand that was holding Baek Ji-soo’s shoulder. Baek Ji-soo avoids my gaze and wraps his arms around his shoulders.

“Next time… Please don’t touch me carelessly.”

“Okay. Sorry.”

Afraid that it would go away if I loosened up, I held onto it tightly without realizing it. It might have been a little rude to act like this to someone you see for the first time.

Tiriling♪

As if breaking the awkward silence, a bell rings from your pocket.

Someone took out her smartphone and checked it, and it was a call from Yoon Seo-hee.

“I’ll call you in a minute.”

I left the room for a while and answered the phone.

“Oh, it’s Seohee.”

[Lee Jin-ah! Is it okay to talk for a second? Something really crazy happened today…

“I’m sorry, but can I call you back later?”

[Ah! Are you busy now?]

“A girl collapsed in front of my house, so I brought her to my house first.”

[…] What? Who??]

“Blank number in class 2. You look very sick, but I think it would be better to rest at my house. Actually, I’m still taking care of her, so I’ll call you back later.”

[Wait, Lee Jin-ah!? What is that-]

Beep.

I’m sorry Seohee Yoon, but she couldn’t afford to talk on the phone for a long time.

I hung up the phone and went back to the room with Baek Ji-soo.