Chapter 31: MEETING BEHIND THE PAIN

"Ugh..."

A sudden headache struck Kai’s head that morning. A throbbing pain pulsed at his temples, like a small hammer pounding from inside his skull. He frowned, his hand automatically rising to press his left temple, which hurt the most. Dizziness accompanied every movement of his head, making the world feel like it was spinning even though he was just lying still.

Unusual. Kai woke up later than usual. The morning sunlight was already quite high, penetrating through the gaps in the worn-out curtains and illuminating the room with light that was too bright for his still-sensitive eyes. The irregularly ticking wall clock showed that he’d already missed his morning routine—missed his wake-up time, missed his shower time, missed his time to leave for school. This was the first time in the past few weeks he hadn’t woken up on time.

"What really happened?" Kai murmured softly, his voice hoarse from just waking up. "I’m sure I didn’t eat anything poisonous. But this headache is quite annoying."

He tried to sit up, but dizziness immediately attacked. The world spun around him, and he had to brace himself with his hand on the sofa to keep from falling back down. After a few seconds, when the dizziness started to subside slightly, he slowly stood up and walked toward the cabinet in the corner of the room with still-unsteady steps.

Kai opened the cabinet, his eyes searching for the medicine box he usually kept on the top shelf. His hand fumbled around, searching for the familiar object among the piles of dirty clothes and other scattered items. Finally, his fingers touched a small white plastic box that was starting to look dull.

"Ah, here it is..." he whispered, taking out the box and opening it with slightly hurried movements.

He looked inside the medicine box. Only two capsules were left. Two small red-and-white capsules that wouldn’t be enough to relieve the headache he was feeling right now. Kai let out a long sigh, frustration starting to creep into his chest.

"Huh... turns out there are only 2 capsules left. Not nearly enough."

He noticed the other medicines in the box—some bandages that had started to yellow with age, nearly empty pain-relief ointment, and a few other capsules for different types of pain. And Kai realized something that made him a little embarrassed: it had been a long time since he’d restocked that box. Months, maybe more, since the last time he’d bought medicine supplies.

"Hah..." Kai sighed again, this time with a heavier tone. "Seems like I need to restock my medicine supplies. Can’t keep going like this."

With movements that were still a little dizzy, he closed the medicine box and put it back on the cabinet shelf. He walked toward the bathroom with careful steps, his hand occasionally touching the wall to maintain his balance.

Cold water flowed from the rusted faucet, and Kai let the water wash over his face, hoping the cold would ease his headache a little. But the pain at his temples was still there, still throbbing with an irritating rhythm. He looked at the mirror—his face looked pale, his eyes a little tired, and fine creases on his forehead showed he wasn’t in his best condition.

After a quick shower, Kai put on gray training pants and a black t-shirt that was a little worn at the collar. Comfortable clothes for a casual walk, not for going to school. Today, school would have to wait. His health was more important.

He stepped out of his apartment and immediately, the bright morning sunlight greeted him. The light stabbed directly into his eyes, making him blink rapidly and raise his hand to shield his vision.

"Ugh... it’s so bright outside."

The dizziness that had subsided slightly now returned. Kai paused for a moment in front of his apartment door, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. Slowly, the dizziness began to fade, and he started walking along the sidewalk.

The morning air felt fresh and cool, very different from the stuffy air inside his apartment. A thin layer of dew still clung to the wild grass by the roadside, sparkling under the morning sunlight like diamonds scattered across the green. Birds chirped in the trees, creating a soothing natural melody. A few people had already started their activities—a woman walking with a shopping basket, a small child running after a cat by the roadside, and an old man sitting on his porch enjoying a cup of coffee. Everything looked normal, everything looked peaceful. But Kai’s head was still throbbing, disrupting his concentration on the morning beauty he should have been enjoying.

Kai walked along the sidewalk at a not-too-fast pace. He passed the bakery that emitted a fragrant aroma, passed the small garden with flowers starting to bloom, and passed a group of children playing cheerfully. Usually, sights like this would make him smile. But this morning, that smile was hard to come by because of the headache that kept bothering him.

He stopped in front of a small shop he usually visited to buy daily necessities. The shop was simple, with a glass display case showing various items—snacks, canned drinks, and some household supplies. Kai had been here many times, already familiar with the layout of the items inside, already familiar with the face of the cashier who always served him. But this morning, he came with a different purpose.

Kai pushed the shop door open and stepped inside. A small bell above the door chimed a melodious ting, announcing his arrival. A female cashier, who was facing away from the door, busy arranging items on the back shelf, heard the sound and automatically turned around.

"Good morning, welcome to—"

The cashier stopped mid-sentence. Her eyes widened, and instantly her face changed. She recognized that voice. She recognized the man standing in front of her. The same person who had once saved her shop from a robbery some time ago. The same person who calmly and fearlessly subdued two robbers who had threatened her safety.

Kai, still holding his head with one hand, didn’t notice the change in the cashier’s expression. He was only focused on his goal.

"Do you have any medicine for headaches?" Kai asked, his voice a little hoarse and soft, still affected by the throbbing pain in his head.

The cashier—the same woman he’d saved that night, the woman who worked in this shop and had almost become a victim of cruelty—felt her heart beat faster. Her hands trembled slightly as she tried to answer calmly. She tried to control her voice so it wouldn’t shake, but a slight tremor could still be heard at the end of her words.

"Sorry, Sir," she said softly, trying to hide her nervousness. "Unfortunately, the medicine is out of stock. We haven’t had a chance to restock yet. Maybe it’ll come tomorrow."

Hearing that, Kai, who was trying to hold back the pain in his head, started losing his balance. The dizziness that had been held back now attacked more strongly, making the world around him feel like it was spinning. His body lurched forward, and without realizing it, he started to fall right in front of the cashier. But with still-sharp reflexes, his hand caught himself before he fully collapsed onto her. He braced himself against the counter, one hand still holding his head, and his face was now very close to the cashier’s. So close that Kai could hear the woman’s breath starting to quicken, and the woman could also feel Kai’s warm breath on her face.

"Sorry," Kai said in a soft voice, trying to smile despite the pain still throbbing at his temples. "My head is a little dizzy, so I’m having trouble keeping my balance."

He tried to smile—a small smile trying to soothe, trying to show he was okay, trying to hide the pain he was actually feeling. But that smile, even though small and forced, had an effect he didn’t expect.

Seeing Kai’s smile so close, the cashier’s face immediately flushed red. Red that crept from her cheeks to the tips of her ears, making her look like a ripe tomato. Her heart beat faster, and she couldn’t control her reaction. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out for a few seconds. She could only stare at Kai with eyes sparkling with a nervousness she couldn’t hide.

"O-okay, Sir," she finally answered, her voice still trembling. "Th-that’s fine. If you need anything, just tell me. I’ll prepare it."

Kai let out a soft sigh, trying to calm himself. His hand was still holding his head, and the dizziness was still there, though not as bad as before. "No need," he said in a soft tone. "If there’s no medicine, I’ll go look for it somewhere else. No point forcing myself."

The cashier nodded quickly, still with a red face and a racing heart. "O-okay, Sir. Take care on your way."

Kai smiled slightly again—the same smile, the same smile that captivated the cashier—then turned and walked out of the shop. The glass door closed behind him with a soft ting.

The cashier was still standing in place, staring at the now-closed door. Her eyes didn’t blink, her mind still filled with the image of Kai’s face so close to hers, with Kai’s smile so warm and sincere. Slowly, she stepped out of the shop and stood in front of the door, her eyes following Kai’s retreating back. And for the first time, she noticed something different.

Before this, every time she served Kai buying that strange-tasting canned drink, she always felt that Kai’s body was in front of her eyes, but his soul wasn’t. As if there was nothing left in this world that mattered to him. As if he was just a walking corpse moving without purpose. But this morning, when Kai smiled at her, there was something different. The look radiating from Kai was truly very different—an aura that felt more alive, a smile so sweet it captivated her. There was warmth there, there was life there, there was something that made her want to keep seeing that smile.

"Hmm..." the cashier murmured softly, her voice barely audible in the quiet morning. "So he can smile that sweetly, huh..."

When she remembered the moment Kai fell in front of her—Kai’s face so close, his warm breath, his sweet smile—her face immediately flushed again. Quickly, she turned around and grabbed a broom lying by the door, starting to sweep the shop’s front yard with hasty movements. Her hands were still trembling slightly, and her face was still bright red, but she tried to keep herself busy so she wouldn’t keep thinking about that man. But in her heart, Kai’s image couldn’t be erased. And she wasn’t sure if she wanted to erase it.