That afternoon, after work, Arka stopped by Nara's small apartment as usual, carrying a bag of fruit that clearly wasn't on Nara's shopping list.
“Where have you been? Why did you bring so many oranges?” Nara asked as she opened the door.
“I passed by the market. I remembered you said yesterday that you got tired easily. They say oranges are good for your immune system.” Arka began washing a few of them to eat right away.
“I even looked it up. Apparently, getting tired easily can be a sign of vitamin C deficiency.”
Nara let out a soft laugh, though something inside her felt unsettled. “Wow, you really went all out.”
“Of course I did. You’re the kind of person who won’t say anything even when things get bad, Na. You only complain when you’re already at your limit.” Arka handed her an orange that he had peeled halfway. “That’s why I tend to overthink when it comes to you. I’m afraid I’ll miss something important.”
“Why are you so intense about other people’s health?” Nara asked, trying to sound playful, though she genuinely wanted to know the answer.
Arka fell silent, chewing his orange slowly. “When I was little, Mom got pretty seriously sick. Typhoid, followed by complications. But because she was stubborn—just like you—she wouldn’t tell anyone until she collapsed while cooking for us.”
Nara fell silent, listening closely.
“I was still in elementary school. I remember waiting at the hospital, not understanding what was happening. All I knew was that Mom was sick and had suddenly been taken away in an ambulance.” Arka’s smile faded slightly.
“Thankfully, Mom survived. But after that, I couldn’t relax whenever someone I loved didn’t seem okay. It felt like if I didn’t pay attention from the beginning, I’d end up feeling that same panic all over again.” Arka let out a long sigh.
Nara gripped the orange in her hand, feeling something sharp spread through her chest. She realized how deep the reason behind Arka’s worry had always been.
“That’s why...” Arka continued, reaching for Nara’s hand, “if you ever feel unwell, no matter how minor it is, please tell me. I don’t need you to always be strong in front of me. I just don’t want to feel that same panic without answers again. Worrying feels awful, sweetheart.”
Nara nodded slowly, smiling even as her eyes grew hot. “Yeah. I understand.”
For a moment, Nara almost wanted to tell him everything. About the pain that had come and gone for months. About the follow-up appointments she always kept hidden. About the fear she had kept buried all this time, far from everyone’s eyes.
But then she remembered Arka’s small face waiting at the hospital, frightened and without answers. That image only made Nara more certain about her decision.
I don’t want to make you feel that way again. I don’t want to be the reason you’re afraid like you were back then.
She squeezed Arka’s hand in return, smiling more brightly than she should have.
“I’m fine, Arka,” Nara assured him, hiding the sudden nervousness that had risen inside her.
“You don’t need to worry so much.”
Arka laughed, unaware of anything behind that smile.
“Yeah, yeah. But still, make sure you finish all those oranges, okay?”
That night, before heading back to his own apartment, Arka made sure the bag of oranges was neatly stored in Nara’s refrigerator.
After Arka left, Nara ate the oranges he had given her one by one. Meanwhile, deep inside her, the decision to keep hiding everything only took deeper root—not because she didn’t trust his love, but because she believed that love was too precious to burden with her own fear.
To be continued in Chapter 4