Saving the Villain

The familiar discomfort and slight pain that woke Cosette up made her believe she was back to reality. Although it wasn't the same level of pain she had been enduring, her strange yet beautiful dream was over.

'How sad…' she thought, letting out a sigh as she blinked weakly. '… Maxen. My dream feels real…'

Cosette blinked countless times, seeing the familiar ward she was staring at before she fell asleep. Her mind buffered for a while as she tried to match this ward and to the ward she had stayed at in the real world.

"What…" her voice trailed off, wide-eyed, as she suddenly recoiled to sit up. Maxen, who was leaning against the headboard, also flinched as she suddenly sat upright the second she woke up.

He furrowed his brows as he studied the shocked Cosette in silence. She looked possessed as her dilated eyes barely blinked, making him scrunch his nose up.

'What's wrong with her? Didn't she intend to sleep here?' he wondered, as that was the only explanation for her shock.

She must have fallen asleep unintentionally. Although he was surprised that she slept soundlessly despite her uncomfortable position.

"I'm still here," she muttered in a dead tone, shifting her eyes at Maxen and gasped. 'How…"

Maxen clicked his tongue, watching her dramatically cover her mouth with her palm. "You had fallen asleep, that's why you're still here," he explained, which was very unlike him.

Little did he know that wasn't what she meant. Cosette blinked her eyes as hard as she could, pinching her cheeks to wake herself up. But she only winced in pain and made Maxen look at her as if she was a lunatic.

"I'm still…" she trailed off as she set her eyes on Maxen. The latter slightly raised his hand defensively on instinct, drawing back as soon as their eyes met.

"What… why are you looking at me like that?" he asked cautiously.

"Can I…"

"What do you think you're doing?" he queried once again when Cosette lifted a finger to touch him. It reminded him of how she poked his injury. So he assumed that was what she was planning to do.

Cosette bit her lower lip, keeping her finger up while staring at his appalled expression. She neither move nor speak as she just stared and studied his face. Even without touching him, he looked real.

'Did I really transmigrate into my favorite novel? Or am I in a coma?' she asked herself, finding no definite answer. 'Either way, I'm relieved to spend another day in here.'

Her eyes softened as a subtle smile resurfaced on her face. The subtle change of her expression caused his already knitted brows to crease even more, making him drop his arms.

"Just what is wrong with you?" he asked when he couldn't take it anymore, gazing at her cautiously.

Now that he could see her up close, she was clearly someone who grew up being pampered. He could tell with one glance.

So, what was this young lady doing in here? With him? A delinquent whose future was as dark as the void?

"I'm so glad you're still here," she said, making him freeze, wide-eyed. Her soft eyes sent him a sense of warmth.

Cosette patted her chest lightly as she heaved a sigh of relief, happy for a reason he couldn't understand. "Thank God."

Maxen snapped his tongue as he looked away. "Wipe your drool first. It's distracting."

"Ah?" her eyes dilated as she instantly wiped the corner of her lips in embarrassment.

As she did, Maxen cast her a side-eye, surprised that she actually believed his obvious lie. He just wanted to ruin the mood she was unconsciously creating; a mood he was never used to be in.

"Sorry. I'm only human." She pursed her lips after wiping the corner of her lips. "Right! Did you have breakfast? Let me buy you some light breakfast."

Cosette clapped as she suddenly sprung up to her feet, abusing this energy she never had in her 'real-life.' She didn't even wait for him to respond as she already picked up her bag and dash away full of energy.

"…"

He could only watch her sprint away like a bolt of lightning. "What a weird girl. How can she have so much energy early in the morning?"

Maxen stared in the direction she had disappeared to for a long time. He wouldn't be surprised if she didn't come back. He was used to being abandoned, after all. Not that it would matter to him if she ran away or not.

"Actually, it's better if she doesn't come back," he muttered as he peeled his eyes away, gazing down at his hand.

'I'm glad you're still here…'

Her words suddenly hovered over his head, along with the image of her gentle smile. He shook his head to get that memory out of his head. It was because of those words… 'glad he was still there' that gave him these strange feelings.

For a stranger to utter such careless words, he shouldn't think about it too much. It was quite an irony. To think he would hear those words from a stranger, the bitterness in his tainted heart reach his tongue.

All his life, everyone kept telling him he should've just died or questioned his pathetic existence. So, those words… touched a part of his brain he was unaware existed until now.

"I hope she won't come back."

In contrast to Maxen's wishes, Cosette returned with tons of paper bags she carried with both her hands. The bright smile on her face as she returned while holding up the foods she bought almost blinded the patient she was taking care of.

'I want to wipe that smile off of her face.' His expression remained blank, watching her serve it on the over the bed table.

"Dig in!" she announced excitedly, while Maxen gazed at the feast right in front of him.

So much food… he didn't know when was the last time he had faced with food and side dishes and even dessert. Or rather, he didn't have a memory of experiencing such a sumptuous meal.

All he could remember was watching his uncle with the latter's wife and son share a good meal from a distance.

"I'm not hungry," he said coldly, unwilling to touch the food.

"What?! Even if you're not hungry, you should still eat!" Maxen shifted his eyes to her as she stood beside the bed, planting her hands on her hips. "Does your arms hurt? If so, I can feed you!"

For a brief moment, just for a split second, a smug smile appeared on Cosette's lips that sent a shiver down his spine. She wanted to feed him, and he felt something prickle under his skin.

"Are you a psychopath or what?" he inquired in disbelief, staring at her thoroughly in case she would show that brief smile that gave him goosebumps.

Cosette clicked her tongue as she plopped her butt down on the chair, pouting. "I'm just concerned. How can you be so rude as to call me a psychopath?" she crossed her arms, glaring at him.

"The doctor said you can be discharged today. Just take the medicines he prescribed you to and take plenty of rest. How can he send you home like that?" she mumbled with a pout, displeased at the doctor's news when she went out. "Can't he see you're barely alive?"

While she complained to herself, Maxen just glanced at her in silence. He couldn't understand what she was so upset about, but he stopped trying to understand her. For him, it was better to just go on separate ways; the sooner the better. Not that they would see each other again, anyway.

'That's right. It's not like we're neighbors or classmates. She just happened to be around the area yesterday.'

Little did Maxen know this wouldn't be the last time to see her. Because… his devoted fangirl was even more determined than she was yesterday.