After a quick refreshing shower, we're sitting in the conference room with Mr. Lee and the other members, enjoying a hearty breakfast and coffee. There are no other staff with us this time, which I'm thankful for. It's less drama that I'm not in the mood for. It's been a few really long days, with a ton of roller coaster emotions and activity, and after the emotionally draining call with my parents I just want to have a few moments of quiet, uninterrupted time with the people I'm starting to view as family.
It's a different perspective actually sitting at the table with all the guys in this room. I pause in bringing a bite of food to my mouth, watching the interactions of the members with each other and Mr. Lee. There's a certain light-hearted feeling between them, as if the weight of the events leading up to the concert are finally leaving their shoulders, but I now feel an underlying sadness permeating the tone of the conversation but can't pinpoint what it is exactly.
There's a nudge at my arm by Jimin's elbow. I find him watching me, so I smile and bring the bite of food to my mouth, slowly chewing it as I continue to watch and listen to the bantering around the table. Setting my chopsticks down, I wipe my mouth with a napkin and lean back in my chair, finding my appetite slowly being replaced by a feeling I haven't felt in a long time. It's mostly peace, yet part of it is a small feeling of melancholy thrown into the mix. I discover I enjoy observing the men in this room, trying to figure out what makes them tick.
"...what do you think about that plan, NaeYeong?"
I blink rapidly as my eyes flick to Mr. Lee, then touch on each member sitting around me.
"I'm sorry? What did you say?"
"Are you alright, Nae?" Jimin asks me, worry in his voice as his fingers find mine. I smile at him again, then rub my forehead with my free hand.
"I think so. I guess I got lost in thought watching all of you. It's been so busy the past few days, so much has happened, but there's a feeling of sadness here and I don't know why, and I suppose it's bothering me a bit...I don't know...maybe I'm just overly emotional coming down from everything," I squint as I say that as if trying to focus on something in the distance.
I see everyone looking at each other, surprise etched on their faces. Most gazes land on either Namjoon or Jin, and I see the look they exchange.
"Is it post-concert blues? Or something else?" I wonder out loud. I rub my forehead again then move to my temples as if trying to relieve a headache. I slowly get to my feet. "I think I need to move or go lay down. Or something... I'm sorry, I need to go. Please excuse me."
I move swiftly to leave the room, but Jimin reaches me before I make it to the door. Stopping me with a hand on my shoulder, then enveloping me in his embrace from behind. I drop my head in defeat about my emotions, feeling the tears escape and flow down my cheeks, dropping from my chin to his bare arms. He buries his face in the crook of my neck, feathering little kisses to the spot in comfort. I grip his arms to me as my shoulders shake in silent sobs. He just holds me to his chest.
I suddenly pull his arms from me, loosening his grip enough so he lifts his head, and I turn to wrap my arms around his waist as his settle back around me, holding me as the sobs start again, no longer silent. Suddenly I feel a press of bodies surrounding us, the presence of all the members comforting like my own brothers. My eyes are pressed closed, the tears flowing, but I feel the peace of familial love flowing through and I sigh.
Soon the tears are slowing, and I start to hiccup. Lifting my head from Jimin's chest, I look at him.
"Is there a large, private room that could be accessed in this hotel where I could dance for a bit?" I whisper. "I need to express this sorrow somehow or else I'm going to get overwhelmed again."
Jimin looks at some of the others, the look on his face asking the question without words as they all heard me plainly. I hear Mr. Lee in the background asking someone about it, then he comes closer.
"Yes, hotel management said there's an older, unused ballroom in the basement that is accessible for your use. Does it matter if it has wood floors or carpet?"
"Wood floors would be preferable, but either would be acceptable. Thank you. Is it available right now? Can I go down?"
"Yes. I'll escort you."
"Thank you, Mr. Lee."
"I'm coming with you, Nae," I hear Jimin say against my hair. I just nod and turn around as the other members move out of the way. I wipe my face with the sleeve of my sweater, pulling it down over my hands, wrapping them around myself and keeping my head lowered. Jimin walks by my side with an arm around my waist so I lean my head on his shoulder.
As we enter the elevator, I'm thankful it's just the three of us as Mr. Lee pushes the button for the basement and we ride the slow car in silence. Eventually it comes to a soft jolting stop. As the doors open, we follow Mr. Lee out to the left, and walk down the large concrete hallway, moving into an older-looking section of the building. Suddenly, we stop in front of a pair of large, heavy wooden double doors, and Mr. Lee pulls one open to darkness and the smell of closed up old space. I stand in the doorway, allowing my eyes to adjust to the darkness within as Mr. Lee finds the light switches, flipping a couple to the ON position. Large crystal chandeliers flicker to life around the edges of the room, the shadow of a large one in the center.
"Would you like some music, Nae?" Jimin asks quietly at my shoulder.
"Yes, please. Some soft classical would be nice. Perhaps Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor to start?" I ask as I step to the side, taking off my sweater and slipping off my flats next to the door. Handing my phone to him to find the music in my opened music list, I move to the center of the room to stretch a little as it takes time to find my request. Once I feel my muscles loosening up a bit, I stand there with my eyes closed and my head bowed, and the music starts slow and quiet. I wait for it to envelope me and my arms start to move, the rest of me following as I glide around the room, my dress flowing around my legs with a whisper of fabric and the spaghetti straps showing off my shoulders and upper back. As I turn gracefully, I feel my hair free itself from its loose bun, floating around my body with each move. The tears slide free from beneath my half-closed eyelids, all sadness felt upstairs being released with each drop of salty wetness clinging to my lashes.
The music moves from Rachmaninoff to Tchaikovsky, then to Beethoven, Bach, Einaudi, Mendelssohn, Shubert, and Chopin. With each successive music piece played, my body pours out the grief welling in my soul, releasing the pain and sorrow, and pulling in the peace and acceptance of whatever caused it. When the last note dies down and my breath echoes the stillness now in my soul, I look up to see all the members, Mr. Lee, a few hotel and company staff members, and a man who looks like Jimin's father with a woman standing quietly next to him, all of them either sitting or standing around the edge of the room, watching me. Some are wiping tears from their cheeks while others have their heads bowed. I see Jimin standing there, his own eyes glistening with unshed tears.
Slowly, the gathered crowd disperses, one or two people at a time, sometimes a few more, until it's just the members, Mr. Lee, Jimin, and the older couple with another younger man who I didn't see earlier standing behind them.
The members move toward me, each giving me a hug, the older ones lingering a little longer than the younger members. Then Mr. Lee comes to give me a brief hug. Jimin is next, my sweater, flats and phone in his hand and tears clinging to his lashes, not spilling over yet as he tries to blink them away. He envelopes me in his arms, kissing my temple as I wrap my arms around his waist and bury my face in his shirt.
"Nae," I hear the pain in his voice as it cracks on my name, "I love you. So very much."
"And I love you more than words can express, Jimin," is my muffled reply into his chest. I shiver slightly as the cooler air touches my damp, bare skin. When he feels that, he lets go of me only to drape my sweater around my shoulders. I slide my arms into the sleeves, pulling it tightly across my chest, then slip my flats on. I reach up to dab at the dampness around his eyes with my sleeve and fingers, smiling sadly at him. He reaches up and places his hand over mine against his cheek. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make such a sad morning happen. Sometimes emotions overwhelm me, and there was just so much sadness in the conference room."
I see the couple and younger man walking up to us from behind Jimin. My eyes get large when I recognize Mr. Park. Jimin half turns to see who it is. I bow to Mr. Park and who I guess would be his mother and younger brother. His mother is beautiful, and she smiles lovingly at me, while his brother has a neutral expression on his face.
"NaeYeong! I didn't realize you were such a wonderful dancer!" Jimin's father says, wrapping me up in a hug just as he did the first time.
"Thank you, Mr. Park. I didn't know we were going to be meeting here...?" I look between Jimin and his parents, confused at seeing them now. "How long have I been dancing?"
"About an hour and a half," Jimin says, and I blush.
"Oh, my. Did I cause us to miss our meeting time?" I ask in a rush.
"No, no, dear. We offered to come earlier so we could help pick up your things from the hotel as well as a few things for lunch," Jimin's mother says with another smile my way. My mouth forms an 'O' when she says that as my brows raise almost to my hairline.
"Yes, it was discussed this morning during breakfast, but you didn't hear that part, I guess," Jimin says, chuckling. I shake my head.
"I'm so sorry, I guess I wasn't paying attention to the conversation." Jimin steps next to me and wraps his arm around my waist again.
"It's alright, Nae, it seemed like you've had a lot on your mind since the phone call with your parents."
I look up at him. "Am I that transparent?" He kind of shrugs a shoulder, then wiggles his hand in a side-to-side motion. "Oh."
"But that's okay, my dear. Sometimes you need to give them many clues, while other times you need to keep them guessing, and on their toes," Jimin's mother says winking before grabbing my hand and placing it in the crook of her arm, leading me away. "Come, let's go upstairs to grab whatever you need before we head over to pick up your things."
I look back at Jimin, his father and brother, who are all still standing in the middle of the room. Jimin's mouth is hanging open, surprise on his face that his mother just stole his girlfriend out from under his nose. His father claps a hand to his shoulder, a wide smile on his face and laughter in his voice as he whispers loud enough for us to hear, "Get used to it now, son...you know your mother has been waiting a long time to have another woman in the family!"
I hear Jimin's mother giggle next to me, then she leans her head close to mine as we walk out into the hall and towards the elevator. "He's right, I have been waiting a long time for another woman to join our family. I hope you won't mind if my excitement shows occasionally!" I smile at her enthusiasm.
"Oh no, I don't mind at all! I've been looking forward to getting to know you. And I'd like to thank you for helping Jimin with picking up the things he ordered for me the other day. Everything is so beautiful, and not expected!"
The men stop behind us just as the elevator arrives and the doors open. The five of us get into the empty car, and as the doors start to close, a hand appears in the crack to stop them, causing them to open back up to reveal Mr. Lee.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Lee, I thought you had already gone up! We would've waited for you had we known you were still down here," I exclaim, a frown turning my lips down as he steps on.
"That's fine, Ms. Cho. I had to speak with some of the hotel staff and it took a few moments longer than planned."
"Since I missed the discussion of the strategy to liberate my things from Leeza's hotel room, can someone please fill me in on them? What do you need me to do?" I ask, looking at everyone in the elevator as it slowly moves up to our floor.
No one speaks when the elevator dings, alerting us we've arrived at our destination. We walk toward our room. Jimin lets us all in, and I have a brief moment of panic as I think how we left the room until I step in and realize housekeeping must have been through here already as the bed is made and the room tidy. Once we're all settled, Mr. Lee and Jimin explain the plan to get my things.
I stand to grab my bag, only to zero in on the blood stains. They look so much different in the light of day, and I start to hyperventilate as my face pales. Jimin stands up quickly, gathering me in his arms and facing me away from it so it's not in my line of sight. He cups my face, forcing me to look him in the eyes, and my breathing slowly starts to match his as he takes in a deep breath of air then lets it out slowly, repeating several times.
Within minutes I'm back under control and I take one more deep breath and let it out slowly, tucking hair behind my ears to get it out of my face.
"I think I need to get rid of the bag sooner rather than later..." I can't keep the sorrow from entering my words.
"Don't make that decision unless you truly think it will be an issue ongoing even if it's able to be cleaned, which I'll try to do while you're gone. If it doesn't work, then we'll get you a new one. But what do you need from it right now to go to the hotel? If you're okay with me getting things for you..." Jimin says, holding my hands in his. I shake my head.
"I think it's best to just get rid of it now. I'll have the same reminder of what happened yesterday no matter if it's clean or not. I don't want to keep having these kinds of reactions. I'm fine with you getting the stuff...I just need my wallet and my passport. Do you still have my phone?"
He pulls my phone from his pocket, handing it to me. Then he moves over to the table, pulling the top open and rummaging through it, lifting out my wallet and passport. Looking over his shoulder, he says, "I'll be right back..." and walks to the bathroom without me seeing the objects in his hand. Then I hear water run. Jimin's parents and brother look from me to where Jimin disappeared, waiting patiently for an explanation. I can't even begin to try and explain at the moment, so will leave it up to Mr. Lee and Jimin to decide what to say.
The water turns off, and another few moments pass before he walks out, holding the wallet and passport out to me. I can see the tell-tale signs of what he tried to clean off them, and I appreciate it immensely. I look up into his eyes as mine fill with tears again, but I refuse to let them fall. He pulls me into his arms again, holding me tight.
"It'll get better, my love. I promise. We'll get through this..." he whispers into my hair as I nod my head into his chest, wiping at my eyes. Kissing me on the head, he leans back to look at me. "Are you okay to do this? If not, we can do something different."
I square my shoulders, drawing myself up. He sees the determination on my face and a smile twists his mouth. "There's my warrior. If you need anything, call me and I'll be there as fast as I can."
I shake my head and give him a small smile back. "I don't feel like one today, but I'm trying my best. I don't expect to have any issues, but one of us will keep you updated. And I'll let you know when we're headed back."
He kisses me softly on the lips and walks his mother, Mr. Lee, and myself to the elevator. Getting on, I stare wistfully at him as the doors close, the feeling of loneliness creeping in. My shoulders sag as I drop my head. I feel Mr. Lee's large, warm hand on my shoulder as Jimin's mother's hand clasps around mine in a comforting hold. I take a deep breath as I place my free hand lightly on top of Mr. Lee's, giving them both a gentle squeeze. I lift my head, squaring my shoulders again.
"Thank you for doing this with me, Mrs. Park," I look at her, a small smile turning the corners of my mouth up.
"Please call me either Mi-Jeong or Mother, NaeYeong. After all, if I understand what I see, you will be our daughter soon," she responds, her own lips turning up in a smile.
"Thank you...Mother." I squeeze her hand once more, then turn my head to look at Mr. Lee. "And thank you, Mr. Lee. You've been steadfast through everything, the first person to accept me outside of the members. I appreciate it."
"I see the members as my own younger brothers, not just as my job. And I see where your heart is when it comes to them, especially Jimin, little sister. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else right now."
I squeeze his hand once more before dropping mine as I feel the elevator stop at the garage level, the ding of the alert drawing our attention back to the doors. Mr. Lee's hand squeezes my shoulder once more before dropping to his side as the doors open onto the empty parking garage. He leaves first, looking both ways then beckoning us out. We walk to one of the company SUVs, Mi-Jeong getting in the front, and after I get in the seat behind them, Mr. Lee slides into the driver's seat and starts the vehicle.
As we pull out onto the street and head in the direction of my old hotel, Mi-Jeong turns in her seat slightly to look back at me, a concerned look on her face. I have a feeling in the pit of my stomach for what she's about to ask, and I'm not mistaken.
"NaeYeong, I was wondering...what happened earlier in the room? What happened to your bag? What was all over it?"
I purse my lips, not really wanting to put it into words. I see Mr. Lee look back at me in the rearview mirror, my eyes misting a little and a lump forming in my throat. I blink rapidly, looking out the window trying to get the emotions under control. As I'm working up the courage to tell her, Mr. Lee speaks up for me.
"There was a situation yesterday with a now former staff member who tried interfering with their relationship by having NaeYeong detained and removed from the premises. Once it was discovered, she confessed to it then attempted to attack NaeYeong several times, and in the process of defending herself, NaeYeong broke the attacker's nose, causing a severe nosebleed. That's what is all over her bag."
"I see..." Mi-Jeong straightens back around in her seat, looking through the windshield. I start to fret that this may affect her impression of me. I drop my eyes to the hands twisting in my lap, teeth worrying my bottom lip as I bunch the material of my dress in agitation. Turning back around, she reaches to place her hand over mine, preventing them from moving. "I'm glad you're unharmed, my daughter. You are truly a warrior, as my son said. But I see it troubles you. If you need to talk to another woman, I would be honored if you would come to me."
My eyes rise to meet hers, the tears threatening to fall again. "Thank you," I whisper.
She gives my hands a gentle squeeze then turns back around. I take a deep breath, trying to get myself under control since we're nearing the hotel. As Mr. Lee finds a place to park the SUV, I look wistfully over at the beach and to the water beyond. I yearn to go there, to allow the water to calm me and wash away the pain from the past few days.
Within minutes we're parked mere feet from the entrance and Mr. Lee gets out to come around to open both of our doors. As soon as I'm standing on the sidewalk, I inhale the salty air, taking it deep into my lungs and holding it there. I feel the calm beginning to invade my cells and close my eyes, letting the sound of waves amplify while tuning out other noises. I stand like that for several moments, clearing my mind of the troubling thoughts.
When I open my eyes I see Mr. Lee and Mi-Jeong watching me, so I give them a smile.
"Thank you for allowing me time to do that. Since I arrived in Busan, I've spent nearly every day at that beach right there...up until Thursday that is. I feel best around water. It has its own rhythm, which I can feel. And it brings a calmness to my soul, much like how dancing does."
Mi-Jeong steps forward and pulls me into a gentle hug. Stepping back, she doesn't say anything, just nods toward me.
"Shall we head to the room?" Mr. Lee asks, breaking the silence.
"Of course. I think I'm ready now."
I lead the way through the hotel lobby to the elevators, followed by a short trip up. Once in front of my former room's door I decide to knock, just in case Leeza is in there. Hearing no movement beyond, I use the key card I had tucked in my wallet to open it and step through. As I look around, it appears as though Leeza hasn't been here much in the last few days either...
Shaking my head, I start gathering my things, handing them to Mi-Jeong to pack away in the luggage laying open on the bed while Mr. Lee settles near the entryway to the room. Going into the bathroom, I close the door partially while I gather my hair, body, and skin care items to drop in the small utility bag they traveled here in. I can see Mr. Lee's reflection in the mirror, watching the room where Mi-Jeong is folding a few things to place in the suitcase. As I turn away to grab the last thing to put in the bag before I zip it up, I hear the outer door open, and then the loud voice of Leeza screeching.
"Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my room! Get out. Get out!!" I hear the sharp smack of flesh on flesh.
I throw the bathroom door open to see Mr. Lee holding Leeza's wrist with one hand, his other covering his cheek.
"LEEZA! What did you do??" I exclaim in English as I step out and put my hand on Mr. Lee's arm letting him know it's alright to let go of her. Leeza drops her other hand that was raised back in a fist when she sees me.
"Nae?!? Where the hell have you been, b*tch?" She yells at me, taking a step away from us. "You've been missing for days, and you haven't been answering my calls or texts!"
Ignoring Leeza's annoyed face, I look up at Mr. Lee, pulling his hand away from his face. I see an angry red palm print there and feel fury welling up from deep inside. I round on Leeza.
"What. Did. You. Do. Leeza?!" I grind out between my clenched teeth as I take a step toward her, my fists clenched at my sides. She stumbles back another step, fear on her face. She's seen me upset before, but never true rage, and never directed at her. Every step I advance toward her, she retreats, until her back is flat against the door. "Tell me, now!" I say lowly.
"Nothing, Nae, I swear! I didn't do anything," she whispers, her eyes wide.
"That's bullsh*t, and you know it," I growl at her. She puts her hands up in supplication.
"Alright, okay, so maybe I slapped him. But...but there's a stranger in my room, our room, and he scared me!" she whines as she looks down at me from her five-foot seven-inch height.
"Most scared people will flee when there's an unknown individual in their room, not go over and slap them unprovoked." I continue to stare at her, breathing steadily as I try to rein in my fury over her treatment of my friend, someone I'm starting to consider part of my chosen family.
I feel Mi-Jeong move up behind me quietly, her calmness reaching me before she does. My shoulders relax and my fists unfurl.
"NaeYeong dear, are you alright?" she asks in Korean, her voice further calming the turbulence in me. I give Leeza one more long look before nodding, replying in Korean as well.
"Yes, Mother, I'm better now, thank you. Mr. Lee, will you survive?"
"I don't know, little sister, your friend packs a punch out of nowhere," he says, a little humor with a dash of sarcasm adding color to his response. I turn my head and look at him over my shoulder, one eyebrow raised.
"Who do you think taught her that?"
He points at me, eyebrows raised in surprise. I nod once with a wink, then turn back to Leeza, all business again. I take one step back, then another. Turning on my heel, I walk back in the bathroom and grab the utility bag I had dropped. Mr. Lee follows me into the main room, moving over to the corner by the window to get as far from Leeza as possible. If it wasn't for what just happened, I would think it laughable knowing who he is and what he does for a living. Mi-Jeong steps close to me as I drop the small bag in my suitcase.
"Have we gotten everything you brought?" she asks in a quiet voice meant only for me.
I look around the room, my gaze landing on the tablet sitting on the desk. I grab it and a few cords I see still plugged into outlets around the room that I know are mine. Then I quickly double check the closet and drawers making sure nothing was missed. Taking one more sweep of the room with my gaze, I close my suitcases and set them on the floor. I see Leeza step forward, her eyes warily watching me.
"Where are you going, Nae? And who are these people?" she rudely gestures toward Jimin's mother and Mr. Lee.
I turn to her, my gaze hardening at her tone.
"These people, as you so rudely put it, are a colleague of mine from the Seoul office and a family member that I just found who lives here in Busan. As for where I'm going...I'll be finishing my vacation elsewhere then heading home."
She takes another step in my direction. I shake my head and she freezes in place.
"As for where I've been? That's no longer any of your concern." I lift my head higher, my gaze piercing. "I'm done...you've shown me a side of yourself that really has me questioning how we ever became friends. I hope you have a nice life, Leeza, I really do, but I will no longer be part of it. Please lose my number as soon as I walk out this door. And delete my family's numbers as well. Enjoy your flight home, and good luck with your life."
I pull the handles of my suitcases up, ready to leave. Looking at both Mr. Lee and Jimin's mother, I nod my head.
"If you're ready...?" They both nod their heads, Mr. Lee walking past all of us to hold the door open. Mi-Jeong takes one of the suitcases from me and I follow her out without looking back at my ex-best friend.
We arrive back in the lobby. I walk up to reception to drop off my key card and explain the reason for leaving, requesting my final bill for the time I spent there. Thanking them, I turn around, grabbing my stuff and following my new family out to the SUV. Stowing the suitcases in the back of the vehicle, we climb in and Mr. Lee pulls out into traffic. I grab my phone to text Jimin that we're on our way back, but I start shaking from the adrenaline spike so bad that I lose the grip on my phone. I watch as it falls to my lap.
"Could one of you please call Jimin to let him know we're on the way back? I can't seem to hold my phone at the moment," I ask, my teeth chattering. They both look back at me, and Mr. Lee swerves to the side of the road as Mi-Jeong climbs into the back seat to fold me into her embrace. Rocking me like a little child, she speaks calmly into my hair. I hear Mr. Lee calling Jimin, the ringing coming loudly over the vehicle speakers.
"Hello? Mr. Lee? Where's Nae?" I hear Jimin's voice, the soothing tone calming me more than anything.
"She's here, but I think she's in shock." He looks back at us, and Mi-Jeong nods her head. He pulls back onto the road. "We're on our way back now. Can you meet us in the parking garage in about ten minutes?"
"Yes, of course! Father, JiHyun and I will be there waiting. Is she okay? What happened?" I hear the slight panic in his voice over the speakers.
"I'm here, Jimin, I'm fine. I had a run in with Leeza, and the adrenaline just caught up to me. We'll explain when we get back..." I say, my voice a little shaky, but better.
"Son?"
"Yes, Mother?"
"This one is a keeper!" I can hear the pride and smile in her voice. "I'm so happy you two found each other!"
She hugs me closer, dropping a quick kiss on the top of my head, as I hear Jimin chuckle.
"Yes, Mother, she is! And so am I! We'll see you when you get here."
Mr. Lee ends the call, looking back at us in the rearview mirror, making sure that I'm truly alright. I smile carefully at him, lifting a shaking hand to tuck the hair behind my ear again.
When we arrive back at the hotel, Jimin, Hyun-soo and JiHyun are waiting for us. Jimin has my door open almost before the vehicle is parked. He climbs in and takes me from his mother's embrace, holding me close. I lean into him, sighing deeply, the shaking finally stopping. As much as I want to stay in his arms longer, I know we need to get up to the room before we talk. Mr. Lee and Mi-Jeong are quickly out of the vehicle, pulling out my suitcases.
"I'm okay, Jimin," I say as I try to sit up, but he won't let go. "Truly, love, I'm fine. We should go up so we can tell you what happened."
Finally, his arms loosen enough for me to sit up, and he puts his hand on my cheek, looking me deep in the eyes. I lean forward and capture his lips in a deep kiss, pouring all my love into it, which he reciprocates passionately.
"Jimin, NaeYeong..." I hear Mi-Jeong call softly from the open door. We break the kiss, but he leans his forehead against mine as we catch our breath. "Come you two, there'll be plenty of time to do that later...when you're alone."
We pull apart, smiles on our faces as I blush furiously. I see his ears have turned red at being call out by his own mother. He winks at me as he gets out, holding his hand up for me to take. When I reach to take one of my suitcases, I'm waved off by the others as they head to the elevator with them.
When we're back in the room and sitting down, Mi-Jeong and Mr. Lee tell the rest about what happened. I see the redness is gone from Mr. Lee's cheek, but there's still a faint outline of Leeza's hand imprinted there. I get a cold cloth, bringing it out to him to hold on his cheek. He starts to put me off saying he's fine, but I give him a look and he quietly complies with my direction. The rest laugh at him as I sit back down next to Jimin.
After a half hour, my stomach growls loud enough for everyone to hear, causing them to look at their clocks. We're surprised to see it's already early afternoon. Mi-Jeong and Hyun-soo stand up.
"I believe it's time for food..." Mi-Jeong states as she picks up her coat and purse, turning to look at Jimin and I. We nod and get up, gathering our own things. Mr. Lee also stands and bows to both of Jimin's parents.
"Mrs. Park, thank you for your help. I hope you have a wonderful meal."
"Thank you, Mr. Lee. I hope you have no ill-effects from that slap you received."
"I'm sure I'll be fine."
Mr. Lee bows one more time before leaving the room. We follow him out, making our way to the garage, getting into Jimin's parents' vehicle to head to their house, stopping along the way to pick up a few things at the market.
By the time we arrive, I'm a little lost on the direction we came, but the views have been beautiful, and I've been cradled next to Jimin the whole time, feeling his heat against my body. When we walk into the house, he gives me a tour of it, ending up in the room he stays in when he's in town. Closing the door, he pulls me to him, his mouth on mine, our tongues dueling. After a few minutes, I pull away, trying to get ahold of myself before I forget where I am.
"I want you so bad," I whisper, "but we can't do this here, Jimin."
He places his hands on my shoulders, leaning forward with his head down. He nods in response.
"You're right, Nae," he whispers back. He straightens up slowly, looking me in the eyes as he tries to adjust himself. I watch as he does, biting my bottom lip and rubbing my thighs together to relieve some of the pressure. Finally, he slowly unzips his jeans to adjust himself properly, and I lick my lips as my gaze lands on what I want to taste. Now it's my turn to bend over panting to make sure I can control myself, which also brings me closer to what I want.
"NaeYeong?" I hear Mi-Jeong calling from the other room. I look up at him with wide eyes, shaking my head as he quickly zips up again.
I straighten up, feeling like I've been doused with ice water. Taking one last look at him with longing, I take a deep breath before opening the door. I walk out to find his mother coming in our direction.
"I'm sorry, Jimin was giving me a tour of your house. It's beautiful!" I say, hoping I don't look like I've just been thoroughly kissed. She gives me a critical eye, then winks.
"Thank you, NaeYeong. Now, would you mind accompanying me in the kitchen? I'd like to talk to you about a few things as I get the food ready."
"Of course! I'm curious to see how you make some things. My mother always told me she was taught the recipes by her mother, who was taught by her mother. I've always wondered if going to America has changed how she's cooked at all..." I follow her back to the kitchen. Pulling the sleeves of my sweater up to my elbows, I don the apron she gestures to that's hanging by the door. "What would you like me to help with?"
As she instructs me with things to do, I carefully watch her and follow instructions while we discuss how my mother makes the same dishes. We figure out there's slight variations, but nothing that will make a huge difference in the outcome. Every time I look up, I see Jimin standing in the doorway, watching and listening to our conversation, smiling and laughing with us.
Putting the finished food on the table, we all sit down and start to eat, talking the whole time as the sun sinks below the horizon. After everything is cleaned up, we move to the living room talking some more. His family reminds me of my own, how close they feel. And even Jimin's brother JiHyun opens up, sharing stories that are sometimes embarrassing. Hours later, my eyes are starting to droop and I'm having difficulty hiding my yawns. We decide it's time to go back to the hotel, and we all walk out to Jimin's car. I get hugs from everyone, even JiHyun, before I get into the passenger seat as they give Jimin a hug. It's already been decided that we'll see them one more time in a couple days when we drop Jimin's car off and they'll bring us to the airport.
As I settle into the comfortable seat, I lean my head back, letting my eyes close as I feel the car speed up. Jimin's hand settles on my upper thigh, and I sigh at his touch, a little smile on my face. He gently starts rubbing in small circles, slowly inching closer to the heat between my legs, and I spread a little to give him better access, my breathing picking up. He starts to pull my dress up, inch by slow inch, so he can reach where I so desperately desire to have his touch.
"Oh Jimin," I breathe out. Opening my eyes, I see him staring straight ahead at the road, the muscle in his jaw tense. I slide my own hand across his thigh, the muscle taut beneath it as he tries to not go too fast.
"Nae," he rasps. "I don't know if I can make it back to the hotel..."
"I know I can't, Jimin...I need to feel you inside me right now. Is there any place we can pull over?" I sit up, wide awake, looking for someplace in the dark landscape just beyond the car's lights. "Is there a back road? A park? Somewhere out of the way??" I cry out as his fingers finally touch the bare flesh of my inner thigh.
He clenches his teeth as my own hand brushes along the hard er*ction straining against his pants.
"Hold on," he says just seconds before he hits the brakes, slowing down quickly before taking a right onto a side road that leads up a hill, no other lights in sight.
As soon as we crest over the small hill, he pulls to the side of the road and throws the vehicle in Park. Turning the engine off, he cuts the lights and turns to look at me.
"God Nae, I want you so bad right now but I don't think I can move from this seat!" he says in a strained voice. I push the button to his seatbelt, then the one to my own. I lift my *ss off the seat and wiggle out of my thong, bunching it up and sliding it into the pocket of my sweater. I feel his fingers graze across my wetness, sliding through the slick folds before rubbing my cl*t while opening the button on his pants.
I start to pant watching as he unzips and pushes his jeans down out of the way, and my hand finds him quickly.
"Can you lay your seat back?" I ask. Quickly his whole body is stretched out, the back of the seat all the way down. Because of this, he's no longer able to touch me where I need, so in a swift move, I'm out of my seat and straddling his lap. I position his heavy, hard c*ck and slide down over him, feeling him fill me and he bucks up, burying himself as deep as he can in me.
"JIMIN!!" I scream as he continues to thrust into me as I ride him, the need to have him hard and rough inside me consuming my every thought. Sooner than I want, I feel him throbbing and getting harder, hitting the spot deep inside me and I throw my head back and scream out my pleasure as it floods through me.
"Nae!!" is the only word from his mouth as he slams hard one last time, his seed filling me deep as my hot body pulses around him, milking him for several minutes. I've lost all energy as I lay limply on him, my head resting on his chest listening to his racing heart as I catch my breath.
"I think...my soul left...my body this time," I pant, and I feel a responding chuckle from deep in his heaving chest.
"Mine did too..." he whispers, his arms circling around me loosely.
As we cuddle in his seat, I start to feel the chill of the evening seeping into the car and I lift my head to look down at him, memorizing his features in the dim moonlight streaming in through the windows. He looks up at me, his forehead furrowing.
"What's wrong, Nae?" He asks I continue to gaze at him, a smile curving my lips.
"Thank you for loving me, Jiminie. You have allowed me to be who I never thought I could be around other people, and you have accepted me...all the broken and battered pieces. Thank you," I say quietly, watching as his own lips curl up in a smile. "I don't know how I got so lucky in this lifetime to be in yours."
He lifts his head to look at me clearly, and seeing my serious expression, his own settles into the same. "No, NaeYeong, you're wrong there." I tip my head to the side. "I'm the lucky one. I get to spend my lifetime showing you how you complete me each and every day."
I drop my lips to his as his hand slides into my hair. We slowly explore each other's mouth, and I can feel him starting to throb but not get fully hard inside me again. Breaking the kiss, I look down at him, that damn smile curving my mouth again. I quirk an eyebrow up at him in question as I say one word.
"Hotel?"
His answering smile causes the dimple to appear, and he kisses the tip of my nose before nodding his head in agreement.
"Hotel."
I slowly move back to my own seat, rearranging my clothing as best I can as he does the same, moving his seat back up into position and starting the engine. Turning on the defrost to clear the windows, we sit for a few moments just holding hands. My eyelids begin to get heavy, but I try to fight the sleep wanting to swamp me so that I can watch him in the dash lights as he turns the vehicle around and drives toward the hotel again.
Suddenly I feel the car slowing then entering the underground garage, the light bright through my closed lids. Cracking them open, I see we're back, and I frown as I realize I fell asleep.
"Hello, Sleeping Beauty," he says next to me as he puts the car in Park. I slowly sit up, stifling a yawn behind my hand. I see his own start out of the corner of my eye.
"I didn't mean to fall asleep." My face heats up.
"But you're so beautiful when you sleep, and with the lights of the night passing over your face, it gives you an ethereal look too. My only complaint is that I couldn't just watch you."
He grabs my hand to give it a squeeze.
"Come on, let's head up." I nod my head in agreement.
When we arrive at the room, we slip our shoes off and I walk over to my suitcases, opening and rummaging through them to make sure I have everything I brought with to Busan. I don't think I forgot anything this morning, but I was in such a mood when we finally got out of there, my mind wasn't clear.
As I do that, Jimin walks into the bathroom, and I hear the shower turn on. Coming back out, he walks up behind me, his arms snaking around my waist.
"Care to join me for a shower before bed?" he asks in my ear, and I feel him getting hard against me again. I turn around in his arms, surprised to feel his bare chest under my hands. Sliding them down and around his waist, I realize he's n*ked as my hands grip his firm *ss.
"I think I have too many clothes on," I purr in his ear. He runs his lips down my neck, nipping flesh as he pushes my sweater off then the strap of my dress follows. He does the same to the other side, peeling it down my body until it falls to the floor to pool at our feet.
Stepping back, his gaze devours me from head to foot and back up again slowly, heating my body up as he does so.
"That's better..." he says, his c*ck standing at attention toward me, like a divining rod finding water.
I follow as he turns and walks back to the bathroom, admiring his fine *ss and legs as he does. Leaning in to check the water temp, I step up behind him, trailing my fingers down the tattoos on his back.
"I love how these turned out..."
He looks over his shoulder at me, a grin lifting a corner of his mouth at my touch.
"I've always wanted a moon tattoo, but could never decide exactly how I wanted it to look or where to place it, especially since my whole back is covered already..."
He turns around and pulls me to him, our bodies flush against each other.
"I'm sure we can figure it out together. I really love the look of ink on your skin..." he says as he walks us into the shower. He turns me around as he closes the door, then places my hands on the wall above my head. Sliding my hair to the side, he starts kissing his way across my shoulders and upper back, his hands reaching around to cup my br*asts and playing.
His knee presses between my legs, getting me to spread my feet further apart before he starts kissing down my spine. His hands follow his body down and then one slides between my legs from behind as he bites my *ss.
"Maybe this would be a good spot for a tattoo..." he nips again, in a different spot. "Or maybe over here..." he murmurs each time he bites and sucks on me in a different spot, his fingers finding my sensitive bud. I drop my head back as his fingers glide into my slick entrance. Suddenly he's standing behind me, guiding his hard length in, his hands cupping my br*asts again, his mouth on my shoulder once more.
He makes slow love to me from behind, suddenly pulling out and turning me around, pushing my back against the wall. Lifting one leg to wrap it around his waist, he slides back in, holding both my hands with one of his above my head and starts moving again, his other hand brushing against my er*ct sensitive n*pple, teasing and cupping my br*ast. Capturing my mouth with his, he begins the slow seduction of my senses yet again as the water rains down on us. Ever so slowly, he's building up the pressure in my core, allowing the pleasure to be released at the same time as his own climax.
Once we've caught our breath, we proceed to clean up and get out, drying each other off without anything said. We finish our nightly routine and crawl into bed, snuggling into each other.