CALL ME • MYUNG JAEHYUN - Chapter 6: Chapter 6

I rolled my eyes, but followed him anyway.
I didn’t tell him that, for a second, when I looked at him, his face had seemed just a little out of focus.
Later that day
The optician's office smelled faintly of antiseptic and paper. It was quiet, the only sounds being the soft clicking of equipment and the distant murmur of conversations behind closed doors.
I sat still as the machine in front of me adjusted, the doctor instructing me in a calm voice.
"Just keep looking straight. Tell me when the letters get clearer."
I blinked at the screen, the letters shifting with each adjustment. Some were sharp, others wavered, like ink bleeding into the air.
I told him when they looked fine. He hummed, making a note.
A few more tests followed—lights flashing, numbers read aloud, lenses clicking into place.
Finally, he leaned back slightly. "Alright. Looks like you've got some mild astigmatism. Your prescription isn’t too strong, but it’ll help ease the strain."
I nodded, relieved. "So I just need glasses?"
A pause.
His eyes flickered to the chart, then back to me.
"Yes," he said carefully. "But… I'd also suggest you get a neurological check-up."
I frowned. "A check-up? Why?"
He hesitated for a beat before responding, his voice neutral, but measured. "There's something a little unusual in your results. It’s not necessarily serious, but just to be sure, I’d recommend seeing a neurologist."
Something in my stomach twisted.
Unusual.
I swallowed. "Like what?"
He offered a small, professional smile. "It could be nothing. But it’s always best to rule things out."
The words should've reassured me.
But they didn't.
The words stayed with me longer than they should have.
I left the clinic with a paper bag containing my new glasses, but the weight pressing against my chest had nothing to do with them.
Unusual.
It was just a suggestion—just a precaution. That’s what I told myself as I walked down the street, adjusting the frames on my face. The world sharpened around me, yet somehow, the haze inside my head remained.
I didn't need to overthink it.
I didn't need to overthink it.
But later that night, when the room spun as I stood up too fast, I found myself gripping the edge of my desk, fingers cold.
Just tired, I reasoned.
But I still ended up searching symptoms online.
Bad idea.
The moment the word “tumor” flashed across the screen, I shut my phone off.
Ridiculous. I was just exhausted.
Still, I couldn't shake the thought.
And later, when I lay in bed staring at my phone screen, Jaehyun’s name hovered in my call logs.
I pressed the call button before I could change my mind.
It rang once. Twice.
Then—
"You never call first."
His voice was laced with sleep, but amused. I could almost picture him rubbing his eyes, half-smirking on the other end.
I swallowed. "Are you busy?"
A yawn. "Not really. What's up?"
I hesitated.
Should I tell him?
No. Not yet.
"...Nothing. Just felt like calling."
A pause. Then, a quiet chuckle. "Well, that's a first."
I could hear the faint rustling of sheets, the way he exhaled through his nose.
I let out a small breath, letting the silence stretch.
Jaehyun didn't rush me. He never did.