Clap - 7

Unfortunately, naive Jaemin was even understanding.

“Thank you.”

The twin had even prepared water thoughtfully. After Jaemin took each pill, drank water, and swallowed, the twin watched him closely. So, Jaemin couldn’t refuse or avoid taking them later.

After taking the pills, a strange energy always took over his body. He wondered why he was getting a fever from some kind of vitamin. Maybe his body, which had never experienced such good things before, was surprised.

After Jaemin finished drinking the water, the twin left. Jaemin stared blankly at the spot where he had disappeared.

There was a scent of perfume.

***

Jaemin didn’t feel well today. His muscles were sore, his forehead was burning with heat, and every joint in his body ached. His throat felt swollen and prickly. Every breath he took was accompanied by a burning heat that was agonizing.

His stomach felt queasy. It churned, and the pulse behind his ears throbbed like thunder.

Leaning his forehead against the cold wall, Jaemin groaned. The mop he clenched felt as heavy as a lump of iron.

Could it be the flu? It couldn’t be. It had been quite a while since he hadn’t gone out to do hard labor after receiving a lot of money at the dental clinic. He had slept well, and while he couldn’t call it a perfect meal, he had managed to eat two meals a day regularly.

“Jaemin, where does it hurt?”

Once again, Ihyun appeared with a drink in hand, tilting his head slightly. Startled by the unexpected gesture, Jaemin trembled and fell from the wall. His vision momentarily spun, but he braced himself by putting pressure on his knees.

“Oh, you’re here.”

“You look very hot.”

Ihyun smiled and offered the drink. Jaemin accepted it with both hands. It was a thoughtless action, forgetting that he was holding the mop handle. Thud! The mop rolled on the floor. Startled, Jaemin bent down to pick it up.

“Uh…”

Jaemin woke up, but couldn’t get up. The tiles on the floor started dancing in circles, changing from squares to circles to triangles and back to squares. He felt like he was going to be sick.

“I’m not feeling well today…”

Jaemin stuttered, but he didn’t plan to slack off on cleaning. He didn’t plan to leave early either. He just had to endure for one more hour. He could do it.

“Oh… Does Jaemin have family to take care of you at home?”

Ihyun asked a strange question. From looking hot earlier to asking about family, it was odd. But Jaemin wasn’t in a relaxed enough state to notice.

“No, no…”

“No family?”

“No… I grew up in an orphanage…”

Jaemin answered slowly. Ihyun clicked his tongue. Then he gently stroked Jaemin’s head. Jaemin’s body twitched. Just a simple touch on his head made shivers run down his spine.

A scent like perfume lingered in his nostrils. Was it Ihyun’s perfume? It was similar to Ichan’s but subtly different.

Jaemin carefully put down the drink. He couldn’t spill the expensive drink even in the midst of all this.

Then, Ichan came out of the examination room.

“What’s wrong? Already?”

He asked. It was probably a question for Ihyun, as Jaemin couldn’t understand.

“We need to do a proper check-up to know for sure, but for now, you seem to be doing fine.”

Ihyun said, pinching Jaemin’s earlobe. Jaemin felt his whole body tense under his cold touch. It felt more painful and irritating than being punched in the face.

Ichan bent down and sniffed, “No smell yet.”