#15. The Other (1)
“…Ha.”
Pavel frowned involuntarily.
Even though he now knew why he was weak to Sasha, it didn’t make him feel better. If anything, it only made him more frustrated.
‘How stupid.’
He was annoyed at himself for being soft on her over something so trivial.
Just then, something else caught his eye.
Sasha had tossed and turned in her sleep, and the blanket had slipped off her.
Pavel sat up instinctively.
He gently reached out and pulled the fallen blanket back over her body.
Ssshhk—
Only after carefully tucking it up to her neck did he pull back, satisfied with a faint smile.
“…Ah.”
He frowned as he realized what he had just done.
‘Why the hell did I do that?’
He thought he might know the answer—but chose to ignore it.
Instead, he mumbled to himself, as if justifying it.
‘This is… maintenance.’
He nodded to himself.
‘You have to take good care of what’s yours.’
Even if he didn’t like her much, she was now his.
It still felt awkward, but she was his wife—his bride.
She belonged to him. Entirely.
Not someone else’s, but his alone.
Now that Sasha was his, it meant he had a responsibility to take care of her.
He had only done his duty.
Nothing more, nothing less.
That’s what he told himself. It was nothing. Absolutely nothing.
But deep down, a suspicious voice whispered:
Is it really nothing…?
✦✦✦
The next morning.
“Mmm.”
Sasha woke up with the sunlight piercing through her eyes.
‘Did I forget to close the curtains last night?’
Still dazed, she slowly sat up.
The blanket that had been neatly tucked over her slid down.
Stretching her arms wide, Sasha turned her head to check on Pavel—only to find his side of the bed empty.
“Pavel…?”
The crumpled bedsheet showed signs someone had slept there, but he was gone.
“This is his room… why isn’t he here?”
Worried he might have collapsed somewhere, she leapt out of bed.
Thankfully, she spotted him before leaving the room.
“Why is he sleeping over there?”
On her tiptoes, Sasha quietly walked toward the sofa in front of the wardrobe.
There, curled up tightly, was Pavel.
“Didn’t we fall asleep together in bed last night?”
Why was he over here now? Did he have sleepwalking issues? That could be serious, especially with his fragile health.
But her thoughts were cut short.
“Mmm.”
Still asleep, Pavel mumbled and curled up even tighter.
“He’s so sensitive to the cold…”
Clicking her tongue, Sasha returned to the bed and grabbed the blanket she had used.
She gently laid it over Pavel.
She tried to be thorough, tucking it snugly to keep him warm—but had to stop when he squirmed under the blanket that was covering his face.
“Sleeping so soundly…”
Sasha crouched next to the sofa and rested her chin on her knees, watching his sleeping face quietly.
Parents always said their kids looked the cutest while sleeping—and Sasha could agree.
Pavel’s expression was calm, soothed by the warmth of the blanket.
All the harsh features—the scowls, the gruff tone—were gone from his sleeping face.
One word came to mind:
“Like an angel.”
She slowly raised her hand and gently stroked his cheek.
Thanks to her efforts, his previously rough skin had regained a childlike softness.
Chubby baby fat made it squishy, too.
Sasha, utterly captivated by the sensation, kept rubbing his cheeks absentmindedly.
Time passed.
“……?”
Feeling the tickling on his cheek, Pavel stirred and finally opened his eyes.
“…What are you doing.”
His voice was husky with sleep as he grumbled.
Still touching his cheek, Sasha gave a bright smile.
“Good morning. Did you sleep well?”
“……”
He blinked in disbelief, staring from her sunny face to her fingers on his cheek.
Grimacing, Pavel snapped,
“Get your hand off.”
Sasha sighed.
‘So sweet and cute while sleeping, then cranky the moment he wakes up.’
Still, she lowered her hand without complaint.
Sasha often teased him, but never too much.
If he clearly disliked it, she stopped immediately.
Pushing too far would only hurt his personality in the long run.
‘A good caregiver needs to be mindful and consistent.’
While she patted herself on the back for her restraint…
“……”
Pavel stared at her hand that had moved away without hesitation.
Even though he got what he asked for…
‘…Why do I feel disappointed? I must still be half asleep. What a stupid thought.’
He shook his head to chase the odd feeling away.
“Are you okay? Are you sick?”
“No.”
He answered quickly.
“Good.”
Sasha let it slide and stood, walking over to the window.
Opening it wide, she said,
“Look, Pavel. Isn’t the sky clear? I think it’s going to be a lovely day.”
Under the bright sky, sunlight bathed her figure.
To Pavel, she looked like she was glowing.
He just stared blankly at her, while Sasha, unaware of his gaze, kept looking out the window.
“Maybe it’s the nice weather, but I have a good feeling about today.”
For some reason, Pavel thought her words might actually come true.
Maybe today would be a good day for him too.
“Let’s have another great day, Pavel.”
“…Yeah.”
The same greeting. The same reply.
A peaceful start to another day.
✦✦✦
The weather really was nice.
Winter had ended, and warm spring sun shone through the clouds.
“It’d be a waste to stay inside on a day like this.”
So Sasha took Pavel’s hand and led him outside.
“What do you think, Pavel?”
“…About what.”
“Isn’t it nice?”
Stretching and smiling, she gazed at the pink flower buds between the green leaves.
“It’s warm, the sky’s clear, and the flowers are pretty. A perfect day to feel good. Don’t you think?”
“……”
Pavel didn’t answer—just looked at her.
Not that Sasha seemed to care; she simply smiled and looked around.
“I love how fresh the air is. Some places have gray skies all day and air full of fine dust. Compared to that, this place is paradise.”
Pavel didn’t know what “fine dust” meant, but didn’t ask.
He had learned that Sasha often said strange things.
The first couple of times, he had asked for clarification.
But each time, Sasha had looked flustered.
“Um, well, it’s like… you know…”
He didn’t want to see that troubled look again, so he stopped asking about her odd words.
Instead, he just listened as she continued.
“Let’s go outside more often. Back at the Arban estate, I used to go out a lot. I’d visit the market, watch kids play in the village square…”
She chattered on endlessly.
“It’s even better spending time like this with you.”
Her face glowed as she spoke.
To Pavel, Sasha was… fascinating.
She loved many things. Thought many things were pretty, tasty, or fun.
She said it made life feel flavorful.
Things like that were unknown to Pavel, who had lived just to endure.
When he listened to her, even this bleak world seemed beautiful.
And for the first time… he wanted to live longer.
After being diagnosed with a terminal illness, Pavel had spent every day waiting for death.
Life felt like a burden.
He thought people around him, and the world itself, were blaming him.
If he was going to die anyway, why not just die now?
Why hang on and inconvenience everyone?
He felt like he was a burden just for existing.
So he shut himself in a tiny, dusty, dark room.
Inside, he felt like a stone—unmoving, unfeeling, and bothering no one.
He had never known what “the flavor of life” even meant.
Breathe, eat a little, sleep, suffer in silence—and repeat.
But when he held Sasha’s hand and listened to her talk, the world flipped.
The sky was blue. The air fresh. The trees green.
And someone… smiled at him.
All the little things he never noticed now felt vivid and real.
“Geez. Just a little walk, and I’m already hungry. Let’s go eat. I had them prepare something healthy for you again.”
“……”
But if there was one thing Pavel didn’t look forward to, it was Sasha’s so-called “healthy food.”
He pursed his lips tightly to show his discontent.
