Suhyeon turned her gaze to Seyoung, a smug smirk curling on her lips.
Seyoung caught the look and tilted her head.
"You think I'm gonna get jealous over that?" she said with a soft laugh, then leaned in close to Suhyeon's ear.
"You forget? I'm his girlfriend. We've done much more than you could ever imagine. You're just his friend, Suhyeon." Her whisper was laced with ice, and she leaned back into her chair with a sip from her juice.
Suhyeon's cheeks flushed a deep red.
"You bitch.... you're just spouting nonsense," she snapped, frustration crackling in her voice.
Seyoung smirked at the reaction.
"You wanna see something you can't do, but I can?"
"W-what do you mean by that?" Suhyeon shot back, brows furrowing.
Without answering, Seyoung leaned over Jinhwan and pressed her lips to his.
Suhyeon's eyes flew wide open. She lunged forward and shoved Seyoung away.
"Y-you can't just do that, you bitch!" she shouted, her voice trembling with anger.
"Oh, I can," Seyoung replied smoothly, that same smirk never leaving her face.
"Can't you two just get along for once?" Jinhwan muttered, eyes still closed. His tone was tired, but not surprised. "Seyoung, can you grab me an apple juice? And one chocolate milk for Suhyeon."
Seyoung stood up.
"I'll be back in a minute. One apple juice and one chocolate milk for the child," she teased, throwing a smirk at Suhyeon before strolling out of the nurse's office.
Now alone, Suhyeon looked down at Jinhwan, cheeks still warm, her emotions tangled somewhere between flustered and furious.
"I'll kill her! She always looks down on me!" Suhyeon shouted, her voice filled with rage.
"Calm down," Jinhwan said, eyes still closed. "I'm trying to rest. And you're not exactly innocent either, Suhyeon. I know how you treat her when I'm not around."
"T-that's because.... she doesn't deserve you," Suhyeon whispered, her anger melting into something softer. "She's poor.. and you've only known her for two years. She doesn't understand you the way I do."
Jinhwan let out a quiet breath.
"Yeah, I know. You do know me better than anyone else, but that's because you've had the advantage. You've been my friend since childhood."
He opened his eyes slowly, his tone calm but firm.
"And don't talk like that, about rich or poor. If everyone were born rich, then no one would be rich. That's just how the world works."
He began to sit up, but Suhyeon gently pushed him back down onto her lap.
"Don't get angry," she said softly, her hand resting lightly on his shoulder.
"I'm not angry," Jinhwan replied, letting out a tired sigh. "I just wanted to sit up."
"Just rest... You look exhausted," she murmured.
She brushed the damp strands of hair from his forehead and wiped the sweat from his face with a small handkerchief, her touch gentle, almost tender.
Jinhwan lay on the bed, his head resting gently on Suhyeon's lap. Her fingers moved slowly, wiping the sweat from his forehead with a soft handkerchief. Her gaze lingered on his face, every line, every breath, studying him with a quiet tenderness, as if time itself had frozen just for her.
The cool air of the room hummed softly, but all she could hear was the sound of his breathing. Her brown eyes followed the gentle curve of his jaw, the flicker of his lashes. Then suddenly his blue eyes opened and met hers.
Jinhwan wasn't really looking at her. His gaze was distant, lost in thought, as if caught between this world and another.
Then, slowly, he raised his left arm, just a few inches, until it hovered near her face.
"Suhyeon.. try to burn it," Jinhwan said calmly, his voice low and steady, like he was asking something as simple as passing the salt.
Suhyeon blinked, caught off guard by the request. Still, without a word, she nodded. She lifted her right hand away from the handkerchief, holding it above his arm.
Her palm began to glow faintly, turning red, like heated metal fresh from a forge. A subtle warmth pulsed from it, crackling softly in the cool air.
"Hmm? Wha-what are you saying? Why would you want me to burn it? Are you crazy?" she stammered, snapping back to her senses.
The glow vanished as quickly as it had come. Her palm cooled, returning to normal, her heart still racing with confusion.
"Just do it. I want to check something," he replied, his voice calm, eyes still distant.
Suhyeon stared at him for a few seconds, searching his face for any hint of hesitation. Then she nodded slowly.
"I'll stop if it hurts, okay?"
He gave a slight nod, his arm still held up, steady.
She exhaled quietly, then took a slow breath to calm herself. Raising her right hand, she held it about a foot away from his arm. Her palm began to glow, heating up until it turned a deep red, like metal in a forge.
She hesitated, her brows tightening, lips pressed in doubt, then slowly closed her eyes halfway and focused.
A small flame flickered to life at her palm, no bigger than a wire, dancing gently in the air. It swayed like a flame on a candle wick, then moved forward, lightly touching the space just two inches from Jinhwan's arm.
But the moment it neared, the flame abruptly curved to the side as if deflected by something invisible.
Suhyeon's eyes widened, surprise painting her face.
"What the-" she whispered.
Jinhwan smiled faintly, watching the phenomenon.
"Increase the flame size," he said, almost like a challenge.
She hesitated again but continued. The flame grew thicker, about the size of a charger cable. She directed it toward the same spot, but again, it twisted away in midair, bending unnaturally before vanishing.
"Now… increase the speed," Jinhwan whispered, eyes locked on the movement.
Suhyeon glanced at him, uncertain, but nodded and pushed the flame faster this time. The moment it accelerated, the flame clipped the edge of his hand.
He flinched, but only slightly. Her eyes widened in panic. She immediately stopped the flames and grabbed his hand, pulling it gently toward her. A faint red mark had appeared where the fire had grazed him, nothing serious, just a surface burn.
Still, she leaned in and blew cool air across the burn, her breath soft, fingers trembling slightly.
That was crazy..
That skill Flarefrost, actually worked.
It's hard to release mana like that, but if I keep practising and level it up. I could literally be unaffected by fire and cold.
Jinhwan smiled to himself.
[Episode 17 End]