Picked Up In Winter Chapter 9

Translator: Ranka
Editor/TLC: Miri

Picked Up In Winter – <9>

When we arrived at home, I realized that my feet felt especially heavy. My thinking was also slowed down, and my vision was dimmed. Yes, it felt like I was in a dream. I was thinking so absently, while watching Jun Hyung open the door with a key. But suddenly one of my legs gave out. What, why don't my legs have any power…? Oh… oh my…… my body gradually tilted to the side. I tried to keep my balance but it was not enough.

I caught a glimpse of Jun Hyung looking at me weirdly but this image soon disappeared. Instead I saw a grey, thick parka. These were…… the clothes Jun Hyung was wearing. As I was trying to think with difficulty, somebody caught my arms and held them. I unknowingly frowned in pain.

"Happy? What's wrong?"

"Are you hurt? Happy?! You've got a fever!!"
"……."

…… Is that so? Do I also have a fever?
The large hand touched my forehead and dropped. Well, it was not unexpected. Walking around the town in such a cold night with my body in a bad state, it could much rather be seen as a matter of course. Even keeping my eyes open was hard for me, so I just left them closed.

"Jun Hyung and Happy, you came?!!"
"Did you find Dae Hyung??"

Just then, the door was opened with a loud noise. Because the noise was so loud, I opened my eyes faintly and could see all the three members of the family. What, n.o.body is sleeping yet……. By the time I thought about why they were looking in our direction with wide open eyes, staying concious became too hard and my whole body lost all of its strength.

I opened my eyes to the warm touch on my forehead.

"Ah… Are you up?"

As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw Jun Hyung. Because of a splitting headache, I unknowingly frowned while gazing at him. Apparently, it was his hand that touched my forehead. It looked like compared to other normal people, Jun Hyung had a higher body temperature.

I stared at him for a while and wondered why I was laying here. Yesterday, Dae Hyung lost his temper and left the house… Yes, so we went looking for him. Somehow things went well and we came back…… I think. I lost consciousness during the process.

"Because of the fever, you kept sleeping."

He said, seemingly noticing my curiosity. Only then did I remember that I collapsed in front of the door yesterday.

"What time……"

Wondering why he was now beside me, I asked. Isn't it time for Jun Hyung to go to school? Don't tell me it's already night? If so, how long did I sleep for? Those questions flashed through my head quickly.

"A little after 2."
"……."

I wondered if it was dawn for a moment but seeing how it was very bright even though the lights were not turned on, I concluded it was early in the afternoon. Why was he here at such time? As if he noticed my doubts, Jun Hyung let out small laugh and petted my hair. But that hand was too natural, to the point that I thought if he had only done this action half as well towards Dae Hyung the day before, he would definitely have started wailing.

"Today is Sat.u.r.day so cla.s.s ended early."
"……."

At Jun Hyung's words I realized just how much I lost my sense of time recently. …… Aaah. Right. Was today Sat.u.r.day? Come to think of it, the day I left home was Thursday. It was about time for the weekend to come.

"It seems like the fever went down. How's your throat?"

I coughed a little as a reply. The scratching feeling seemed to have disappeared, the pain also got weaker. Though it seemed like there was still a little inflammation…….

"It got a lot better. Can you get up?"
"… Yeah."
"Ok. So would you go out with me for a while, Happy? Let's go take a walk."
"……."

Walk…….
As I repeated his words inside, I was not even surprised anymore. As expected, building up immunity was great. Walk, he says……. Thinking about it, I felt it would be nice to look around since it had been a while. I did not really like walking around all that much, but I would like to get some cold wind because my head felt heavy. So I nodded my head, then Jun Hyung smiled broadly like a child and started to prepare for going out.

But once we stepped outside, a difficult thought entered my head. It was because there was the chance of meeting people who recognized me. I was not the type to know a lot of people, but even so, there was always a slight possibility. It would be troubling if that happened…… therefore, I had no choice but to walk somewhat crouched. We came to Bupyeong where Jun Hyung and I had first met and because this place was my school's gathering place, the chance of meeting people I knew was higher.

"Happy, you’re hungry, right? What should we go eat?"

…… to think that he would call that name so loudly in such place. I could feel the people pa.s.sing by glancing this way. Ack…… Even I felt a little embarra.s.sed. I could hear the girls who were standing beside me chattering and talking in loud voices. ─Hey, did you hear? His name is Happy. Bwahahah!!!! …… Dammit. Speak a little more quietly.

"What should we eat…."

Even under the pressure of other's watchful eyes, the guy was excessively unperturbed. By nature, he seemed to be completely unconcerned no matter what happened around him. Thanks to this, I was the only one suffering. With his unchanging overbearing att.i.tude, the guy asked me.

"What do you want to eat, Happy?"
"……."

Like I'm saying, don't call that name in such a loud voice. I gave him a look that was slightly filled with resentment. But the guy was still in his own world. If I did not give him an answer now, I thought that 'What do you want to eat, Happy?' 'Tell me what you want to eat, Happy.' 'Yes, Happy?' 'Happy~' …… and so on, might come out continuously, so I urgently raised my finger and pointed anywhere. The place I pointed at turned out to be Lotteria.
Phew…… It was a relief that I chose a place students usually frequented.

"Hmm? You want to eat hamburgers?"
"……."

It was not like I really wanted to eat it, but I did want to just quickly go somewhere. So Jun Hyung seemed to be extremely delighted to take me to a place where I wanted to eat. At times, he really was of similar mental age to Min Hyung.

"Oh? Jun Hyung?"

When we entered the store, I heard somebody call his name by the door. d.a.m.n, there was someone he knew here. I chose wrongly… so I thought, and took a look, luckily it was not our school’s uniform. There was a group of three students wearing the school uniform of a technical high school in the vicinity of our school.

"Han Sang Ryol…."
"Ya, it's been a long time. Have you been well?"
"… Well. Just okay."
"What do you mean, just okay. It's either good or not. Did you come out to play?"

Glance. They spoke and secretly looked at me standing next to Jun Hyung. What's with these guys… I also stared at them. The guys' appearances seemed to be exactly those of delinquents. One look at their att.i.tude and one could tell they were delinquents. Widely spread legs and the exaggerated gestures overflowing with self-importance. Their uncomfortably puffed up hair allowed me to know which position they had in school and how much trouble they caused.

"Who is this? Younger brother?"

With strange gaze, one guy asked. Younger brother……. Did my face look that young? Come to think of it, Jun Hyung's friends that I had met before also thought I was a middle schooler. Jun Hyung faced them and indifferently answered.

"No. My pet animal."
"What?"
"…!"

Pet… animal…….?
I widened my eyes. Because it felt like the words Jun Hyung spat out became a hammer and hit my head. Pet animal, he says… Not even pet human, but pet animal. Well, humans are also a kind of an animal. However, from the connotation, these words were completely different. It was a thoughtless remark that did not respect my character. A remark that completely degraded me in front of his friends. I opened my eyes wide and looked forward, unable to bear the sight of Jun Hyung.

"Pet animal? Who? This guy?"
"He's called Happy."
"……… You still say things I can't understand. Anyway, since you are already here, don't you want to play with us? We also came in just a moment ago."
"…… Uhm. What should we do, Happy?"

Jun Hyung turned to me and asked. But I got such a great shock that I was still in a state where I could not think properly. Right, it was ultimately me who accepted becoming Happy. It was something I accepted…… despite that, it was a shock. I knew that he did not treat me like a human, but he was kind to me so I liked it. But was it not me who wanted to become an animal because it meant I did not have to think about anything? Right, it was me who decided to go with it for the time being. Accept it……. But unlike my head which was thinking rationally, my heart felt differently. I wanted to quickly get away from here. My instinct strongly wanted this.
All of sudden, I found it odd that I was so shocked. Why would I be shocked after being aware of it all this time?

"Happy?"

A worried voice came from beside me. It was Jun Hyung. Only then did I slowly turn my face to look at him. Jun Hyung looked at me with a concerned expression.

"What is it? Are you dizzy again?"

…… Aah…… Aaaah. I see. That was what it was. Looking at his figure, I could see why I received such a shock.
I did not care if he treated me as a human. I also did not care if he saw me as a pet animal. Because I was dimly aware of it. The importance of the name "Happy" to him. I did not know the detailed behind story, but it was apparent that this existence was something "special" to him.
Moreover, when he spoke to me for the first time, my body and soul were in a state of tiredness. I ran away from home, unable to endure living while having to suppress all my emotions. Without any reason, I just ran away. I just thought that something I had suppressed until now had exploded.
But maybe…… this was just what I had been longing for.
Eyes that would look kindly at me. Living every day in front of those eyes. I was hoping someone would stay next to me. I did not need a s.p.a.ce that could separate me from reality, what I really needed was someone to take care of me at my side.
So, from the first time our eyes met, what attracted me was the existence of a guy who looked straight at me. Becoming Happy was also temptation I could not resist. An existence that could unconditionally win other's affection without thinking. Was that not the position of a pet animal?

'No, my pet animal.'

…… But in the moment I heard my designated position, I got hurt.
It was because of the deterioration of the position I had thought was special. To degrade me by using the words in front of others, what kind of existence was I to him?─ It was because my head was filled with this thought only, that I was thrown into confusion.
From the beginning, I could not know why he was so nice to me, yet I fell for the affection that was placed in front of me and quickly came to rely on it.

What do I do, I'm……
Miserable.

"Happy?"

Jun Hyung kept calling me in a concerned voice, but for quite a while, I was unable to answer.

EN:

For those who don’t know, Lotteria is a fast food chain.

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