BIA Ch. 50

•Day Four

His head was pounding like it would break. His throat hurt, and the area around his eyes was hot. When he closed his eyes, the heat on his eyelids felt even worse, so it was better to keep them open. After staring blankly at the ceiling for a while, Isaiah finally got up when he could no longer bear the thirst.

“Ugh……”

A groan escaped before he could even stop it, the pain far worse than he had expected. His whole body ached as if someone had beaten him all night. He was so consumed by the extreme muscle pain that he didn’t even realize he was only in his underwear. He noticed his embarrassing state only after hearing Bran’s voice.

“You’re awake?”

Bran asked as he entered the bedroom. He was wearing a shirt, with both sleeves rolled up. Isaiah quickly pulled the blanket up to cover himself as much as possible and answered.

“Uh, yeah, but why are you here?”

“You’d know if you saw your condition. Why I’m here.”

Bran said, sitting on the edge of the bed. He was holding water and a wet towel in his hands. He offered the water first. And when Isaiah, who had gulped down the water, handed him the empty cup, he put it on the floor and asked.

“Can you wash yourself?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Isaiah took the towel Bran offered. He had vaguely thought it would be a cold wet towel, but he was a little surprised by the warmth that enveloped his hand. Looking again, he saw steam rising from the towel.

I always think this, but he’s a guy who takes good care of others, unlike his appearance. But he ruins it all with his words. He could just say he’s here because I’m sick and he’s worried. Of course, he’s a hundred times better than Chester, who’s a mess in both actions and words.

No, it’s not right to even compare him to Chester. Yes, that’s right.

Reflecting, Isaiah put the towel on his left shoulder.

“Ugh……, ah……”

He had promised himself not to, but as soon as he moved his body, a groan escaped. In the end, he couldn’t even wash one arm and dropped the towel-holding hand onto the blanket.

“Give it here.”

Bran took the towel from Isaiah’s hand and began to wipe his back. It felt good when the warm wet towel touched his back, which was all sticky with cold sweat. Isaiah closed his eyes, letting Bran’s touch take over.

“But when did I get home?”

“When did you get home?”

“No, I remember getting a call from Manny yesterday and going to Mountain Dog……”

“So you don’t remember what happened after that.”

That’s understandable. Bran said, wiping Isaiah’s side.

“You passed out after taking the drug.”

“What? I……?”

Isaiah asked back, his eyes wide.

“Yeah. Do you remember the guy in the sequin jacket?”

“Sequin jacket?”

Isaiah shouted even louder than when he heard he had taken drugs. It was that unimaginable. A sequin jacket, what kind of sequins were on it, and how? A guy wearing something like that?

“I, I don’t know. I don’t remember at all.”

“I see.”

Bran finished wiping Isaiah’s side and then grabbed his right arm and started wiping from his shoulder.

“He’s the guy you talked to last. He seems to have put something in your ginger ale. Luckily, his face was caught on CCTV, so they’re looking for him now.”

“Oh, I see……”

Isaiah mumbled with a blank face, then belatedly asked.

“But if it’s a drug, what kind of drug is it?”

“Well, probably Rohypnol. It’s the most common date rxpe drug.”

Gasp……. Isaiah gasped without realizing it. Seeing Isaiah turn pale in an instant, Bran chuckled as if to say it was nothing.

“It’s okay for once. You won’t get addicted to it, and according to the CCTV, it wasn’t that much.”

Bran’s tone was so nonchalant that Isaiah couldn’t decide whether to be upset or relieved. As if sensing Isaiah’s feelings, Bran said, wiping his other arm this time.

“It’s originally a drug prescribed in hospitals as a sedative and sleeping pill. The drug isn’t at fault. It’s the humans who misuse it that are the problem.”

Hearing that, he felt a bit more relieved.

“Do you hate drugs?”

“Is there anyone who likes drugs?”

Isaiah asked back with a bewildered face, and Bran frowned as if thinking, is that so?

“Isn’t it the opposite these days?”

“Um……, not me.”

Isaiah said firmly.

“And it didn’t seem like Isaiah Cole either.”

“Based on what?”

“Manny said so. That I don’t do drugs or drink.”

“So, you want to keep that stubbornness?”

Bran asked with a smile.

“Hmm……, I don’t think so. Because I wanted to drink. Manny took it away, so I couldn’t.”

After thinking for a moment, Isaiah eventually gave up and shook his head.

“I don’t know. I can’t explain it, but I just don’t like it.”

“I see.”

Bran had a look that said, that could be the case. He had finished wiping his left arm, and he started wiping Isaiah’s neck and chest.

“Anyway, you were rained on while passed out in front of the club, so you might have caught a cold.”

“Ah, so that’s why……”

That’s why my head hurts so much, and my eyes are hot……. Just as Isaiah was thinking to himself, Bran said, rubbing his chest with the wet towel.

“I think it would be better to go to the hospital if you can move now.”

“No, I’m okay.”

Isaiah said quickly. He could have just said it, but he covered his chest with his hand because Bran’s fingertips had touched his nipple at that moment.

“Are you scared of going to the hospital?”

“No, it’s not that I’m scared……, ah, stop it. Why do you keep touching me?”

When the touch, which he thought was an accident, kept repeating, Isaiah couldn’t help but grab Bran’s wrist.

“That’s why I’m touching you.”

Bran said shamelessly, smiling, and then pulled his wrist out of Isaiah’s grasp. And he folded the wet towel carelessly and asked.

“Then, do you want to take another dose of the drug?”

Another dose……?

“You seemed to have a bit of a fever in the early morning, so I gave you this.”

Bran, noticing the crease on Isaiah’s forehead, held up the Tylenol box that was on the bedside table. Isaiah only felt relieved after confirming that exactly two of the 12-capsule package were empty.

“Um, no. I think I just need to rest.”

“As you wish.”

Bran helped Isaiah lie down on the bed and pulled the blanket up to his neck. Isaiah silently watched the man get up with the wet towel, and just before he left the room, he mustered the courage to call out.

“Bran.”

Bran turned around, holding the towel in his hand. Isaiah asked in a voice that had become small in an instant, almost a whisper.

“How did I take that fever reducer……, I was unconscious……?”

Bran didn’t seem to understand Isaiah’s question at first. He probably thought Isaiah was angry about being forced to take medicine while unconscious. He opened his mouth with an expression that seemed to explain something, but then, in the next moment, he seemed to realize what Isaiah was really curious about and smiled deeply.

“Why, are you wondering if I fed it to you mouth-to-mouth?”

“No, it’s not that.”

Isaiah answered quickly. But his face was already bright red. The heat spread to his neck and both ears in an instant. Isaiah quickly pulled the blanket up to cover his face. But Bran wasn’t going to let it go.

“If you’re curious, do you want to take one more now?”

He came back to the bed, pulled down the blanket, and asked mischievously. Isaiah wanted to beg him not to, but no words came out. In the meantime, Bran picked up the Tylenol from the bedside table and tore open the protective packaging with a skillful hand—or rather, with force—and took out the pill inside. He put it in his mouth and grabbed the back of Isaiah’s head with one hand, pulling him closer, and said.

“Huh? How is it?”

His pronunciation was muffled because he had the pill in his mouth. But that was incredibly sexy and cute.

“No, don’t…….”

Isaiah, who could no longer hide, shook his head weakly. But that was not a proper rejection, but rather a clumsy tantrum that only encouraged the other person. He was aware of it himself, but he couldn’t help it. He had no strength in his body. And maybe because the position of his head had suddenly changed, his vision was spinning.

“Why? Isn’t this what you wanted?”

I’m dizzy, and Bran is too close. His swaying vision was filled with Bran. If this continues, their lips might really touch. If that happens, he’ll have no choice but to take the medicine. Though it won’t happen……

……It’s just a cold medicine, right? It’s not codeine or Vicodin, it’s just Tylenol. What’s wrong with taking 500mg of acetaminophen? No, it’s right to take it now. I need to take it to get better faster.

Just as Isaiah, who had made up his mind, was about to open his mouth, pretending to give in.

— BANG!

A huge noise came from the front door. Someone had kicked the front door with their foot. Isaiah desperately hoped it was a drunk passerby, but that was impossible.

“Hey! Open the door! Isaiah! You’re in there! Open the door!”

Chester was kicking the door and yelling at the top of his lungs.