Chapter 35: Unexpected Care: A Friend’s Visit

Moonhwa Catches On

Moonhwa must have figured it out.

I thought I kept the tension high enough during the broadcast to mask it, but it seems my effort wasn’t enough.

What should I say? Is it okay to share such personal details?

“It’s nothing like that. Things just didn’t go well today.”

[What didn’t go well? Spill it. Maybe I can help.]

Should I just be honest?

Moonhwa is a successful person with ample experience and a wide network.

Asking for advice wouldn’t hurt.

“I was negotiating a contract with an MCN company today, but things didn’t go smoothly. Trying to handle it on my own felt overwhelming. Honestly, it’s been kind of scary.”

[Really? Which company are you negotiating with?]

“It’s BigStars TV, a subsidiary of BigStars Entertainment. Do you know it?”

[Of course. BigStars Entertainment. Let me contact someone who might be able to help through my connections. Until I get back to you, don’t sign any contracts, okay?]

“Really? You’d do that? I’ll follow your advice. Thank you so much!”

Whew, what a relief.

It feels like I’ve gained a whole army on my side.

With Moonhwa’s help, everything should work out fine.

Until I hear back, I’ll put the MCN deal on hold and focus on streaming for now.

I uploaded new videos to YouCube—collaborative content made with Arin.

• [Haunted House Adventure: Schooling Arin]
• [A Guy Showering at a Girl’s House]
• [Surrendering with the Ultimate Porking Combo]
• [Raising Master Lee with a Parent’s Care]
• [Is This Genuine? Shocking Reactions]

These videos look promising for high viewership.

The content is solid, full of catchy material, and the chemistry with Arin really shines.

Looking at the growing video list fills me with pride.

It’s time to sleep. I’m so exhausted. As soon as I lay down, I drifted off like I’d been knocked out.

+++

“Achoo!”

I woke up sneezing.

As soon as I opened my eyes, I realized my body wasn’t in good shape.

My forehead was burning up, my nose was completely stuffed, and I could only breathe through my mouth.

A tickle in my throat kept triggering coughs.

“Ah… my voice is gone, too.”

It looks like I’ve overworked myself into a cold.

What now? I’m supposed to stream tonight.

Well, I can skip today.

But what about tomorrow?

I have a public broadcast scheduled.

Twika TV’s CEO personally requested it—I can’t miss it.

This is a disaster.

Will a full day of rest help?

That’s my only option.

If I take medicine and sleep all day, I might recover enough.

First, I need to post an announcement.

Streamer Shin Yuseong – Announcement

I’m feeling under the weather. I have a high fever, and my throat is in bad shape, so I’ll skip today’s stream. I’ll rest up and recover. See you tomorrow at 8 PM for the LaniXa 4 public broadcast.

[Don’t get sick, Yuseong!]

[Then just do a sleep stream. Health comes second to content.]

[How can you even say that? Seriously?]

[You just want to see him too, don’t you? LOL]

[A sleep stream sounds legit.]

[LaniXa 4 public broadcast? Nice!]

[Yuseong’s class is unmatched. But can you even pull this off with a fever?]

[Just skip it. Promoting such a game will only bring backlash.]

[If there’s a controversy, you’ll just get caught in the crossfire. Yuseong, take this chance to rest for

two days. Your YouCube uploads show how hard you’ve been working.]

Reading the comments on the announcement gave me strength.

What did I do to deserve such concern from them?

I have to recover quickly and repay their kindness with a great stream.

That said, it seems like public opinion about the LaniXa 4 broadcast is pretty negative.

Well, it’s understandable.

The game focuses more on revenue than quality, like a gambling app.

Promoting it could tarnish my image.

Of course, this doesn’t apply to me.

When it comes to games, I’m an all-knowing god.

I’ve had a plan in mind since the moment I spoke to the Twika TV CEO.

Time to grab some medicine.

The pharmacy isn’t far; just a short walk from my place.

Coughing, I put on my one and only jumper.

“Obisa, I’m leaving early today.”

“Understood, sir. Have a good evening.”

6 PM. It’s been a while since I clocked out on time.

The work isn’t finished—I just postponed it until tomorrow.

Work isn’t important right now.

“Have a good evening, Vice President!”

“Yes, take care, everyone.”

Every step down the hallway, employees bowed deeply and greeted me.

They’re so loud about it.

A quieter approach would be nice, but it’s better than being ignored.

“Driver Kim, did you place the order?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Then let’s pick up the porridge and head to Luxury The Hill.”

“Luxury The Hill? Understood.”

We picked up the porridge and arrived at the next destination.

A barricade blocked the entrance to the complex.

Ah, I didn’t register in advance.

So much for surprising them with an unannounced visit.

After presenting my ID and going through a verification process, the barricade lifted once Yuseong granted access.

I arrived at the underground parking lot.

Before stepping out, I checked my reflection in the mirror.

After touching up my makeup, I thought, This should do. I don’t look bad.

“Driver Kim, hand over the keys and call it a day.”

I stepped out of the car, entered the building, and took the elevator.

Pressing the button for 502, Yuseong’s floor, I ascended.

Ding-dong!

The doorbell rang, and the door opened immediately.

Yuseong stood there, looking utterly worn out.

His face was pale, drenched in cold sweat.

He looked worse than I imagined.

He must have been suffering alone this whole time.

My heart ached at the sight.

+++

“Welcome, Hyejeong. What brings you here without notice?”

Moonhwa had come to my place.

What’s this about?

Could it be good news about what we discussed yesterday?

If so, that’s a relief.

Even though I’m not in the best condition to talk, I need to listen carefully.

This could be a pivotal moment in my life.

“You said you were sick, so I came to check on you. Have you taken your medicine?”

“Huh? Oh, thank you for caring. Yes, I took it and kept sleeping.”

Wait, what?

Moonhwa actually came to visit me because I was sick?

That’s…unexpected. I never imagined someone in this world would care enough to check up on me.

I’m truly touched.

“But why do you look so unwell? Wow, your forehead is burning.”

“My fever won’t go down… Ahchoo! And I keep sneezing.”

“Oh no, what should we do? Have you eaten anything?”

“No, not yet…”

“Sigh, I knew it. Let’s go inside. I brought porridge.”

She followed me into my room and sat on the bed.

I’d been debating whether to eat something, and her timing was perfect.

I was hungry but lacked the energy to move, so I hadn’t eaten anything since the afternoon.

I guess I’ll fill up on the porridge Moonhwa brought.

But wait—what is she doing?

I swallowed my saliva as I prepared to eat, but she didn’t hand me a spoon.

“I need a spoon to eat the porridge. Oh, are you planning to eat with me? It does look tasty. Should I give you some?”

“Just sit still. Why would I eat the porridge I brought for you? Stop saying weird things and open your mouth.”

“What? You don’t have to…”

Moonhwa scooped up some porridge and brought the spoon to my lips.

It felt a bit embarrassing.

I wasn’t that sick—I could eat by myself just fine.

“My arm is getting tired. Come on, say ‘ah.’”

“Okay… Ah.”

“Good. Chew thoroughly before swallowing.”

I couldn’t refuse her kindness.

The more I resisted, the more awkward it would be for her, so I had no choice but to open my mouth wide.

Ugh, I feel like a baby all of a sudden.

A 25-year-old man, being fed like this—it’s embarrassing.

Still, it’s strange.

I don’t feel bad about it.

I feel genuinely cared for.

Ah, this porridge is delicious.

With every spoonful she held out, I opened my mouth for more.

“Cough, cough! Sorry, I think something went down the wrong way.”

“Stay still.”

She pressed my shoulder, stopping me from sitting up, and gently wiped my mouth with a tissue.

She didn’t even seem to think it was gross.

I’m really grateful.

She keeps taking care of me like this.

I don’t know how I’ll ever repay her kindness.

“Stay lying down. I’ll go soak a towel and bring it over.”

After finishing the porridge, I lay back down.

Moonhwa returned with a damp towel, but as she tried to place it on my forehead, she tilted her head in confusion.

“Is this the only pillow you have? It’s so hard.”

“Yes, that’s all.”

“You’re going to strain your neck before you recover from your cold. I told you before—ugh, never mind.”

“Told me what?”

“Nothing. Sit up for a moment.”

What now?

I reluctantly sat up, and Moonhwa climbed onto the bed, inching toward the back.

Leaning against the wall, she stretched out her legs and patted her thighs.

“Rest your head on my lap.”

“What?”

“It’ll be more comfortable than that hard pillow.”

“That’s not the point…”

“Just do it.”

Why is Moonhwa acting like this today?

She doesn’t seem drunk, but she’s unusually persistent.

I don’t have the energy to argue, so I gave in.

I rested my head on her thighs.

It’s surprisingly comfortable.

She better not complain later about her legs going numb.

Turning my head toward her body, I tried to sleep. Sniff, sniff.

My nose is still blocked, making it hard to breathe.

Suddenly, Moonhwa flinched.

“What are you doing, sniffing near my skirt?”

“What? I’m just breathing. My nose is blocked—I can’t smell anything.”

“Hmph. Turn your face upward. I need to put the towel on your forehead.”

“Okay.”

I sniffed again out of habit, but it only led to a misunderstanding.

My runny nose was driving me crazy.

“Didn’t you hear me?”

“Yes, I’ll turn.”

Fine, I’ll just do as she says.

If I hesitate any longer, she’ll scold me again.

I turned my face upward.

It’s a bit uncomfortable.

Should I shift higher so the upper part of my back rests on her thighs?

I moved slightly upward.

My gaze met the ceiling, then shifted to Moonhwa’s face, looking down at me from above.

Her head was tilted, her chest faintly visible.

“You’re not uncomfortable, are you?”

“No, I’m fine.”

It’s really comfortable.

I felt a drowsy calm washing over me, and soon my eyes began to close.

Moonhwa moved slightly, and something soft brushed against my face.

Then, a cool towel was placed on my forehead.

Ah, that feels nice.

I can finally relax a bit.

If I stay like this, maybe my cold will get better quickly.

But that’s just wishful thinking—Moonhwa is a busy person.

I should let her go after a little while.

Before that, though, I have one question.

“Moonhwa, why are you being so nice to me?”

“Well… because you seem pitiful. Someone who lives alone without any friends—someone has to take care of you.”

“How do you know I don’t have friends? Did you see it yourself?”

“Yes, I did. If you had friends, you wouldn’t have invited only me to your housewarming party.”

Ugh, I can’t argue with that.

I’ll just close my eyes and pretend to sleep.

Ten minutes—after that, I’ll get up and tell her she can go.

One…two…three… I started counting, but at some point, I lost consciousness and fell asleep for real.

“Yuseong, are you asleep?”

Maybe I shouldn’t have offered to let him use my lap as a pillow.

His head is heavier than I thought, and my legs are starting to go numb.

Still, I can’t wake him.

He’s sleeping soundly, breathing peacefully.

I should let him rest.

He needs to recover quickly so he can happily return to streaming.

Has his fever gone down?

I moved the towel aside and placed my hand on his forehead.

Still warm.

Of course—it’s only been 20 minutes.

His temperature wouldn’t drop so quickly.

“Yuseong… Are you asleep?”

No response.

Slowly, I reached out and touched his soft lips.

Then I flicked his earlobe with my pinky.

What am I even doing to someone who’s asleep?

I know this is inappropriate, but it’s fun.

I’ve been working hard, after all—I deserve this little reward.

Ding-dong!

Who could that be?

The doorbell rang.

I thought about ignoring it, but that’s not right.

It’s not even my house.

“Yuseong, hold on a second.”

I gently lifted his head and placed it on the pillow before getting off the bed.

As I walked toward the door, the bell rang again.

“Are you there?”

A woman’s voice?

My eyebrow twitched.

Who could be visiting Yuseong at this hour?

I need to find out.

I swung the door open immediately.

“Oh, it’s you?”