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"I've told you countless times to call us if you need a ride," Nanny mutters, drying my wet hair with a fluffy towel. I just had a shower and now I'm in the living room which is dimly lit by the flickering flames of the fireplace. My mind is blank, lost in the flames, while Nanny tends to my hair, skillfully weaving her fingers through the damp strands as she talks. "I was worried sick when I came home earlier, and you weren't here."
"Sorry," I say, my voice sounding a bit nasally. My nose is cold and stuffy, and my arms are covered in goosebumps as I hug my knees.
"Sorry doesn't cut it, Kazu. I even had to call Nana at his workplace about you not being home yet." Thankfully, he was able to calm her down over the phone, sparing him from leaving work to come find me. "It's a dangerous world out there now, and if you don't give me a call, how am I supposed to know that you're safe –" Before she can finish her sentence, I sneeze loudly, cutting her off. She pauses drying my hair to give me a once-over, shaking her head in disapproval. "Look at you. You can't even stay out of the rain, let alone call me for help. You're going to catch a cold."
"I won't catch a cold, Nanny," I say confidently. However, just as the words leave my mouth, I sneeze abruptly. I look at Nanny, my eyes wide with surprise. "I swear, that's a one-off."
I can tell that she isn't convinced by my words. But without a word, she turns my head back around and resumes doing my hair. "Okay, we'll see about that tomorrow," she says, her tone hinting at her scepticism. "You're lucky to have Yunjin walk you home. You should have offered her to stay for dinner. Wait until the rain stops." I did. Multiple times. But Yunjin declined, saying that she needed to get going. "I don't want you to walk home in this weather again."
"I'm sorry," I say again, sneezing once more. "I promise it won't happen again. I didn't want to bother you or Nana, especially in this awful weather."
However, instead of responding, she remains silent. I wait patiently for her to speak up, maybe to offer me some words of reassurance or comfort. But nothing comes.
After a few minutes pass, I try to turn around to face her, but she stops me. She leaves the couch and joins me on the floor, wrapping her arms tightly around me. I feel her body shake with emotion. Warm tears seep through my shirt, and I decide to wait for her to say something. "You're not a bother," she manages to say, her voice choked with emotion. She mentions something about my parents, but I can't quite make out the words. "We ... we love you and just want you to be safe."
I rest my head on my knees as Nanny's tears continue to soak through my shirt. I glance from the fireplace to the red umbrella by the wall, water dripping from its tip, forming a small puddle on the ground.
I close my eyes and curl my head into my knees. Nanny's quiet sobs fill the air. The image of wet blonde hair running away in the distance flashes through my mind.
"Take this." His voice echoes in my ears.
I hope Jaeyun made it home safely.
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