Chapter 4. A Nice Stranger

The night at the hospital wasn't great. Thankfully, I didn't feel any pain or discomfort related to the baby, but the hospital environment has never been my favorite. And sleeping there wasn't easy.

Fortunately, I managed to take a quick nap, just two or three hours, but nothing more than that.

"Excuse me..." I raised my eyes and found the same guy from the previous night standing at the door of the room.

He smiled softly and bowed slightly, greeting me.

"Good morning... JaeMin?"

"Yes," I smiled somewhat awkwardly, responding to him. "Good morning, Lee."

"How was your night?" he asked, coming closer, wearing a big black hoodie, and helping me get out of bed.

I glanced at him quickly, judging his attire. He seemed like a teenager.

"Awake... It's hard to sleep in a bed that's not mine."

He nodded, smiling, and we heard a light knock on the door.

I quickly looked at the door and saw the same doctor who had attended to me the day before, entering.

"Excuse me, good morning," she smiled. "How are you feeling, Mr. Song?"

"Sleepy," I joked, making her smile too. "I can't sleep in a bed that's not mine, it's really difficult."

"You'll have plenty of time to sleep and rest."

She wrote something on a paper and handed it to me.

"This is your discharge. I've already signed it. But don't forget what I asked of you, okay? Complete and immediate rest. We want both this little baby and the father to be in good health, right?" She looked at Lee, catching him off guard with the question, but he nodded, smiling and looking at me too.

"Alright. The hospital bill has also been paid, so you're free to go."

"Wait, what do you mean it's already been paid? Who paid?"

Lee quickly raised his hand, smiling and showing his rabbit teeth again.

"I paid."

"But... No. You couldn't... How much was it? I'll reimburse you!" I reached for my bag, where my wallet was, but he stopped me, shaking his head.

"No need, JaeMin," he smiled, and even though I didn't understand why he did it, I nodded, looking at him.

This guy is the strangest guy I've ever seen. And considering the people I've been surrounded by in my life, being surrounded by strange people is almost common.

"Okay..."

"Well, I'll be going. Hopefully, I won't see you here again," the doctor smiled, bidding farewell.

"Same here," I said, giving her a final wave, and she left.

I looked at the guy standing in front of me, his hands clasped together, looking around.

"So..." I brought his attention back to me. "Shall we?"

He nodded quickly, and still very helpful, he held my wrist so that I could put on the hospital-provided sandals and grabbed all my bags.

I smiled, walking slowly out of the room, followed by him, who was carrying everything alone.

"Sorry to put you through this."

"It's nothing." He adjusted the bags in his hand and hurriedly called the elevator.

"I need to pay you, seriously."

"I've already told you that you don't have to."

"Dude, are you crazy?" I entered the elevator and stopped in front of him, with my hands on my hips. "You can't just go around paying other people's debts like that."

He looked at me seriously, even a little scared, but after 2 seconds, he burst into laughter.

"Sorry, it's just that you looked really cute with your hands on your hips."

I looked at him in disbelief. Is he calling me cute? Me, who is possibly older than him and pregnant? I deserve some respect, for goodness sake.

"I'm not cute. And you're wrong. Tell me the price you paid at the hospital, and I'll pay it."

The elevator opened, and we headed outside.

"Are you really going to pay? It was quite expensive, you know..."

"Are you implying that I can't afford to pay you?" I looked at him, putting my hand on my hip again. It was a habit of mine when I got nervous.

He stopped in front of a car, of which I couldn't say the brand, but I knew for sure it was expensive, and he unlocked it.

"I didn't imply anything."

He put the bags on the back seat of the car and opened the passenger door for me to get in.

I looked him in the eyes, and then looked at the car.

"Okay, but before that, tell me, what are you...? You have a car that's worth more than my house and a face like an 18-year-old boy, so what are you?"

He arched one of his eyebrows, looking at me, and then looked at the car.

"Does that matter?"

"Of course it matters. I'll have to get in there, at least tell me... How old are you?"

"Twenty..."

Oh my, he's almost a teenager.

"And yours?"

"Twenty-six."

"You're my hyung." He smiled, and I didn't find it funny at all.

"Don't call me that... We're not close, and it makes me sound old."

"Then I'll call you 'oppa.' Oppa, do you want to get in, please?"

I burst out laughing, unable to control myself, and shook my head.

"Call me JaeMin."

He smiled and nodded. I got into the car, even though I wasn't entirely sure who the boy was, and gave him my address, so he could drop me off at home.

The trip wasn't silent at all. He loves to talk and sometimes rambles about random things.

I found out that he went to the center to buy canvases, but when I got excited thinking he painted, he just said he drew as a pure hobby.

I also told him a bit about myself, how I was a painter, and even promised to show him some of my finished paintings that would be featured in the upcoming exhibitions in Seoul and Daegu.

As soon as we arrived at my building, I asked him not to worry too much about the bags and that I would ask the doorman for help, but he refused the idea and insisted on carrying them to my apartment.

You must be thinking now, "Oh my god, Song JaeMin is crazy. He's going to his apartment with a total stranger."

But it was the truth. I really am a crazy person who was riding the elevator towards my home with a total stranger. But somehow, he didn't give me the same sense of insecurity that a stranger usually does.

"Where can I leave them?" he asked, pointing to the sofa. He looked at me with a reproachful gaze. "Somewhere, you dare not even lift that bag. You're supposed to be resting, remember? By the way, here you go," he handed me his phone. "Put your number in here, so whenever you need something, just give me a call."

I took the phone from his hands, looking at him strangely.

"But shouldn't I have your number instead?" I entered my number and saved it, handing the device back to him. "For when I 'need' to call you?" I said, emphasizing the word 'need' because it was clear that I wouldn't need to again. Perhaps we wouldn't even see each other anymore.

"And you will." He made a quick call to me. "Now it's saved. You have mine, and I have yours."

He smiled and started walking, looking for a place to leave the baby bags.

"Put them in my room," I said, opening the door to the room and pointing to the closet.

"I still haven't bought a place to store baby stuff."

"Speaking of the baby... Can I ask you something?" he said, already leaving the room.

"I guess so."

"How far along are you? I mean... Your belly isn't very noticeable."

"I just entered the fourth month. It's still small, but it will grow a lot in a few days," I smiled, caressing my belly.

"I hope to see you like that. You'll look really cute," he said, smiling this time, imagining how I would look with a bigger belly.

"Well... I guess everything's fine, right?"

"Are you leaving already?" I asked without thinking, and he looked at me, smiling and nodding.

"Don't you want coffee? Water?"

"A dinner," I said simply.

"What?"

"A dinner. With you."

I blinked several times, trying to understand what he wanted.

"That's the price, don't you want to know? That's the price I charge for the hospital."

"But that's... You can't... It's..."

"I'm kidding, JaeMin, about the payment part, obviously. But I really want you to accept my invitation to dinner."

"Why do you want to have dinner with me?"

"I found you quite interesting, and you seem like a good person."

"You're not hitting on a pregnant guy, are you?"

"Just as friends, Song," he looked at me, smiling, and I narrowed my eyes. Somehow, his words seemed insincere.

"Okay," I extended my palm towards him, and he looked puzzled by my gesture. "It's for shaking hands... You know? You take your hand and shake mine."

Lee smiled, shaking his head, and joined our hands, sealing our "agreement," which I wasn't even sure of myself.

"I'll send you a message, Song," he opened the door, but before leaving completely, he looked at me and smiled. "Don't forget, it's complete rest."

I rolled my eyes and nodded.

"Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Lee."