delicate | K.TH

23

AMIN

I look up the moment there's a change in his breathing. And Taehyung presses back in his chair, lips opened slightly further.

His flares had definitely been getting less. But it would still be several a day, happening at least two or three times.

Rushing up from the bed, I hurry to find his inhaler. But when I find it, he shakes his head at me.

"It's...out of medicine, Noona. I think."

"Out of medicine?"

And he's right. The moment I check the canister inside the small inhaler, I realize it's completely empty.

Panic freezes my expression to ice.

"It's fine." He coughs, brushing back his hair. "This one isn't too bad. You don't need to worry."

"I'll go buy a new set."

"What? No." He rasps, eyes narrowing in a frown when he sees me pulling down my jacket from the hook. "Noona, I'm fine."

No, no. I could never tell if he was completely alright just by what he'd said, because he always bent the truth to not make me worry.

"You'll still need it later. Please stay still, okay? Don't move if you can help it— it might make the asthma worse."

Then I hurry out the door, before he can say anything else. He was just so stubborn when it came down to his health— when it was really the most important thing.

The skies are dark, even though it's only late afternoon.

Wanting to get back as fast as I can, I cover the short distance between Taehyung's house and the pharmacy in a few minutes. There's barely any people out, and I wonder if it's the weather.

My guess is right.

By the time I come out of the local pharmacy, it's pouring rain out on the streets.

No time, no time.

Cursing softly, I tighten the jacket around my shoulders and start to run back. The medicine canister is dry inside my pocket, under my hand.

In just a minute, my entire body's soaked wet.

But I manage to come back faster than I did when I left, and walk inside Taehyung's door just in time to stop him from leaving. He has his jacket on, surprise in his eyes when I rush in and slam the door shut behind me.

"Noona!"

The rain had soaked through my shirt, to my skin. And I shiver, placing the medicine on the small table.

He seems both angry and worried.

"You're going to catch something." He says, shifting my wet hair behind my shoulders and pressing his hand against my cold cheeks. "How could you just leave like that? You didn't even give me a chance to stop you."

I can't stop my teeth from chattering.

"You're...okay now?"

"It went away by itself." He says, expression unhappy as he turns on the hot water to the shower. His hand wraps around the curve of my shoulder. "You're so cold."

I start to pull away my jacket. And he's closed the door behind him, murmuring that he'd find me some of his clothes to wear.

Even through the shut door, I can still hear his low voice.