protect → hwang hyunjin [황 현진]

T H R E E

"In that place, I forgot what it meant to be myself."

***

"You said you wanted to tell me something?" You put down your fork anfd looked up at Hyunjin who sat across the table, the delicate light of the fancy restaurant enhancing his features, making him look like a prince.

"We came here on our first date." Hyunjin's eyes twinkled in the light as he chuckled at the memory. "I was teased a lot about how it was too fancy for two highschool student."

"I like it." You looked around you at the familiar place that hasn't changed a bit since you first came here with Hyunjin. "It feels special."

"I had a huge crush on you back then I guess I was worried something like a first date to the park would be too lame." Hyunjin continued to laugh as he looked at you with soft eyes. "This place always felt like a safe haven to me because it reminded me of our first date. It calms me down."

"It's why I wanted to tell you this here, because it's special to me. I thought about it that night I slept over and I felt like this was the right way to say it."

You froze at Hyunjin's words as you took them in, one thought running through your mind:

Could a change in fate, even if it's something as little as Hyunjin sleeping over, lead to a completely different scenario?

You hummed back in response waiting for what Hyunjin had to say next.

"I'm auditioning to an entertainment tomorrow." Hyunjin took your hand in his excitedly, a big smile evident on his face.

You were right.

Chan was right.

Because last time, Hyunjin never called you out to the restaurant to tell you about the audition; you happened to accidentally find out before Hyunjin got the chance to tell you.

"Are you okay?" Hyunjin's smile disappeared as he looked at you with worried eyes and you realized you've spaced out and forgot to react to Hyunjin's news.

"I'm fine, JinJin." You smiled at him, ignoring the pulsing pain in your head.

Hyunjin paused, not convinced, before placing a hand on your forehead and gasping. "You're hot, and I don't mean sexy hot which you are but right now your forehead is burning."

"I'm fine." Your voice cracked as Hyunjin shook his head and lifted his hand, asking a waiter to bring the bill.

"Let's go." Hyunjin paid for the food and got up, one hand grabbing your purse and the other helping you up. He kept his right arm around your waist as you both walked outsidr and called a taxi.

Your vision blurred, your head clearly not being able to taking in the overwhelming and completely not normal turn of events that were occuring like something out of a fantasy book.

In all the fantasy books, the heroine was always strong and smart in need of no man. She'd recover from whatever shock she was going through after two paragraphs because it's better to accept your situation and move on.

But you were no heroine and this was no fantasy book.

You really needed Hyunjin by your side right now.

And if anything, this was a situation your brain refused to accept as it continued to heat up from the shock.

You slowly felt yourself grow weaker before your eyes fell shut and your mind lost consciousness.

When your eyes fluttered open again, there was a wet cloth on your forehead and a sleeping Hyunjin next to you.

You sat up and pulled the grey sheets off you, scanning what your brain identified as Hyunjin's room.

"You're up?" Hyunjin's husky voice spoke as you turned to him, watching as he removed the already warm cloth on your forehead and soaked it in cold water before placing it on again. "You should get back to sleep. It's late."

Upon hearing his words, you turned to the clock on his bedside table to check thr time.

12:17 AM

"I should get back home." Your body shivered from the cold as you tried to get up, but your body was too weak, causing you to fall back on the bed.

"Don't tire yourself." Hyunjin covered you with his sheets and pulled you close to him before stroking your hair. "You won't be able to get well soon if you do that."

"But I need to get back home." You whined tiredly and he shushed you.

"Your home is right here." Hyunjin pointed his finger to his chest before continuing. "Your home is in my heart."

You chuckled as you watched Hyunjin's sleepy eyes flutter shut. You adjusted your position in his arms so that you were fully facing his sleeping form. "JinJin, I'm scared. I don't want to lose you again."

Hyunjin's sleepy eyes opened a moment later to see you already immersed in deep sleep, his husky, half-awake voice the only thing audible in his quiet room.

"Lose me... again?"