Eccedentesiat - Namjin Short Story

1

3:25am
23rd October
Seoul
Korea

The glass doors of the balcony are wide open, the chilling wind causing the transparent curtains to make a fuss, flapping around in the bedroom.

The glow of the moon and streetlamps cast a soft glow in the shape of a door across the room.

Seokjin sits in his boxers and tshirt, staring at his bare feet on the cold wooden ground. Every part of him wants to clamber back under the covers and away from the cold wind.

They say you sleep better in a cold room. But the chill that brushes against your skin only makes the monsters seem more real.

But the tangle of the sheets feels like an inescapable heat. A trap between the waking world and everything that crawls in the corners of your room as you sleep.

Seokjin stares at the pale glow of the moonlight that casts itself on the floor. The shadow of his lover shifts and within moments, they're side by side, Namjoon's hot skin a beautiful contrast against Seokjin's frozen shell.

"How long has it been?"

"I don't know."

"Don't lie to me, Jin; I know you keep track of your sleep."

"5 hours and 14 minutes."

They share a sigh, the clouds of breath mingling in the air like a pale smoke.