Click.The hospital door swung open.
"I brought you some soup. You should eat something." An Phong set the paper bag down on the side table.
The nurse gave a knowing little smile before slipping quietly out of the room. An Phong frowned, puzzled by her expression, but didn't think much of it.
When he turned around, he caught Uy Phong staring at him—eyes bright with an emotion he couldn't quite name.
"What's wrong?" An Phong asked, raising an eyebrow as he pulled a chair beside the bed.
"Ah… nothing." Uy Phong looked away, though a crooked smile curved his lips. "Just thinking… you're kind of impressive, you know."
"Huh? Why?"
"Heh, forget it. Not important."
"???"
"Hey, next time you're the one who gets sick, call me, okay?"
"Why would I do that?"
"So I can take care of you. I owe you—twice, actually. When it's your turn, I'll pay you back properly."
"Oh, please. Don't make a big deal out of it. We're friends. Helping each other's normal."
"Hehe."
"What's that laugh for? You're acting weird. Fever scrambled your brain or something?"
"Hey! I'm perfectly sane now, thank you very much. It's just—"
"Hm?"
Rrring.
The ringtone sliced through the quiet. Uy Phong's phone buzzed on the chair nearby.
An Phong glanced over, reached for it, and handed it to him. Uy Phong nodded in thanks, squinting at the caller ID.
Grandpa.
His brows knit together. Why was Grandpa calling this late?
He picked up, and immediately the familiar gravelly voice thundered through the speaker:
"You little rascal! What the hell did you do to end up hospitalized at ten at night!?"
"Wait, what? How did you even know I'm in the hospital?" Uy Phong blinked.
"I've got friends working the night shift there! Saw your name on the patient list and called me right away! You're a grown man and you still manage to give me a heart attack!"
Uy Phong chuckled softly, guilt and warmth mixing in his chest.
"Sorry, Grandpa… I didn't expect to faint like that. But I'm fine now." He glanced sideways at An Phong, whose face was as unreadable as ever.
"Faint!? What on earth were you doing!? No, that's it—I'm driving there right now!"
"Wait—no, Grandpa! Really, I'm fine! It's late, don't come out. I just need some rest and I'll go home tomorrow. I'm not alone either, I've got a friend with me. Don't worry, okay?"
There was a long pause. Then came a deep sigh from the other end.
"…Alright. Just call me when you're home. Take tomorrow off school. I'll drop by and check on you then."
"Okay~ You should go to bed early too."
"Sleep? After this? You'll be the death of me, boy!"
"Haha, come on, who scolds a patient like that?" Uy Phong laughed. "Anyway, I should rest now. Talk tomorrow."
"Fine," his grandfather's voice softened. "If something's wrong, tell me first. Don't let your parents find out about this yet—they'll only worry."
"Got it. Goodnight, Grandpa."
A quiet hmph and the line clicked off.
"Your grandpa checking in?" An Phong asked.
"Yeah. Nearly had a meltdown when he heard I was hospitalized." Uy Phong grinned. "Guess his network's everywhere. Scary, huh?"
An Phong just smiled faintly and handed him the soup.
Uy Phong accepted it with a nod, blew on a spoonful, and took a sip. Warm, salty, comforting.
After a few bites, he hesitated.
"Hey… when I was out cold, did I, uh… say anything weird? Or… do anything stupid?"
"Huh? What's with that question?"
"Just making sure! I sleep like crap, and I might've, you know… done something awkward. Nothing happened, right?"
An Phong looked over, deadpan.
"Awkward? Hmm… well, you did kiss my hand. Does that count?"
SPFFT!
Uy Phong spewed soup everywhere, coughing so hard he nearly choked. "THE F*CK!?"
An Phong jumped up and started patting his back.
"Are you okay!?"
"Wait—say that again!? I—I did what!?" Uy Phong's face turned crimson.
"Relax," An Phong said calmly. "You just kissed my hand. No big deal."
"No big deal!? I—I kissed your hand!? Oh my god—what the hell is wrong with me!? I'm so sorry! So, so sorry!" He buried his face in the pillow with a loud thud.
An Phong burst out laughing.
"It's fine! You were delirious. You looked like a kid pouting for attention."
That only made Uy Phong wish the ground would open up and swallow him whole. His face burned so hot it could've boiled the soup.
Then suddenly, An Phong stopped laughing. He rubbed his chin, eyes unfocused as if recalling something.
"Ah…" he murmured.
Uy Phong swallowed hard, heart hammering. Oh no. Did I do something worse!?
An Phong turned toward him, and this time there was a spark of mischief in those calm eyes. His lips curled into a sly smile.
"You know…" he drawled, voice teasing but steady, "maybe the one who's got feelings here… isn't me."
"Huh!?" Uy Phong blinked, completely lost.
An Phong tilted his head, the corner of his mouth rising higher. His tone dropped to a low murmur—half-joke, half-truth:
"You like me, don't you?"
And just like that—Uy Phong froze.His mind went blank. His heart?It didn't just skip a beat.It exploded.