We were staring at each other for quite a while, and I was just waiting to see the shy Bada, who couldn't seem to have long eye contact with me these past two days, but to my dismay... or not, it didn't go to what I wanted because she just raised her eyebrow at me with a tilted head.
That's cheating.
I remove my gaze from her before clearing my throat. "Well, I'm thinking of just a chill night. Is that okay with you?" I said before adding the address to the navigation of the car and hitting the road.
"Just right, my alley," she said before adjusting the seat to make more room for her legs.
We have approximately 25 minutes before arriving at the location, and we just settle into a comfortable, silent drive with soft background music playing from the radio.
As I drive, I take a glance at Bada from time to time, and I can't believe that she's with me. I know that she notices my glances at her because, at some point, I see her lips form a little smile.
And by just that action of hers, I know that I am blushing. Hoping that she will not notice it.
"So, did you do something earlier or did you just take a rest?" I ask, wanting to have a conversation with her and also hear her voice.
"I got a 2-hour class earlier today. That's all, then go straight to my apartment to rest. How about you?" she said, giving her attention to me.
While I wanted to look back at her, I couldn't really because I was still driving in the middle of the highway. "Me? I was sooo productive earlier before picking you up. Like I have been traveling abroad, then I sight-see dinosaurs, then go to an arcade to ride a roller coaster, then eat an ice cream cone in a pasta restaurant," I said, finishing with a chuckle as I took her reaction, which was full of curiosity and bewilderment. I let out a laugh, seeing that adorable face.
"You know that you don't make any sense, right?" she said as she gave me a smile while shaking her head.
"You can blame my dreams for that," I said, giving her a glance.
"So, are you saying that you have been sleeping all this time before picking me up?"
"Erm, yes?"
"Ooh, so you've slept for around 12 hours? I wish I also got that much sleep."
"Well, we have been busy with filming and dancing, and that drained me a lot. Well, I know that all of us are. But you sleep well after we end the call, right?"
"Yeah, the best sleep I have gotten these past few months, I can say."
"Aww, I'm flattered and honored knowing that my presence was needed for you to have a very good night's sleep~" I said in a sing-song voice, earning me a soft laugh from Bada, and I now confirm that her laugh is now going to be my favorite sound.
"But in all seriousness, thank you, Y/N," she said, making me look at her, wanting to know for what reason.
"For?"
"Well, for befriending me? I mean, we're friends, right?"
"Of course we are. I am not going to be with you right now if we are not," I said, giving her a sincere smile.
"Thanks a lot for earlier. Like, really, I am not joking when I say that earlier was the most comfortable and best sleep I got these past few months, and I believe that is thanks to you. And for this," she said, and I noticed that she was playing with the rings on her fingers.
"You are very welcome, and like what I have said, feel free to use my number. Call me whenever; I will answer it," I said, smiling at her, reaching for her hand, and giving it a squeeze.
We settle again with a comfortable silence surrounding us. I know that she also enjoys the silence, so I just let the soft sound coming from the radio be our background noise.
I focus on driving because I don't want to miss where I need to turn to arrive where we are going the first time I drive us around because, based on the GPS, we only have 4 minutes before we arrive. I can actually see where we are going now, and I know that Bada notices where we are.
I didn't notice that I still had my right hand on Bada until I felt her start playing with the rings on my fingers. I look at where our hands are, and this makes my heart feel light, in a most heart-fluttering way, and I can't help but smile at that.
I'm a mess.
I feel my cheeks reddened so I focus in front of me and let her do what she is doing and continue driving. I just need to find a parking spot, and we can already go outside and walk around to find a place where we can just relax and people watching.
It didn't take long for me to find a spot where we could see a convenience store from where I parked my car.
"We are here," I said as I looked at her.
She's still fidgeting with the rings I have on my right-hand fingers. "I notice. And I can say that great job. You can't go wrong going to Hangang Park," she said as she seemed to notice what she's doing as she looked at me with her slowly reddening cheeks.
"Enjoying what you are doing?" I said with a smirk playing with my lips, teasing her.
She seemed to collect herself as she stopped playing with my hand and straightened her posture before clearing her throat. "Let's go," she said, changing the subject before collecting her bag and putting her phone inside.
"Stay here," I said before going outside and opening her door for her.
"What a gentlewoman you are, Y/N," she said, making me chuckle.
"Well, this is me," I said after closing the door and puffing my chest in a playful manner, seeing her shake her head with a small smile on her lips.
I remember that I still have the mat, blanket, and an outdoor pillow in my trunk and walk back to get those things.
Okay, I need to thank Eun and Bora for not doing what I said to put away those things after they used my car.
I close the trunk before making my way to where Bada is standing to see her looking around and just admiring the people who were doing their own thing.
"Hey," I said, earning her attention.
"Seems like someone already planned this," she said as she gestured to what I was holding.
"Well, I need to be ready more than not," I said, shrugging my shoulders before gesturing to her to start walking.
We walk side by side while making small talk about anything that comes to our minds as we make our way to the convenience store to buy snacks and something to drink.
"Should we split and pick what we wanted to buy?" said Bada.
"Should we?" I said, making her nod and making her way to the aisle at the very far end, away from the door we just entered to.
I look to where she is, seeing the top of her head poking out from the top of the shelves, making me let out a chuckle.
I scan everything before going to where the ramyeon are and pick whatever I see first, which is the Nongshim one. I add a hot bar, peel sausages, and to my luck, they have honey butter chips, which I also get, and some other chips I see, and I get two chocolate milk drinks and water.
Glad that I got a basket before doing everything, seeing that I somehow bought a lot more than intended and that we still need to eat dinner later, but I can't say no to snacks, especially instant noodles.
I finish my little grocery shopping to find where Bada is, seeing that she is already waiting for me near the counter with a few snacks and drinks of her choice.
"That's all you need?" I said while putting the food I bought in front of the store employee to scan it.
"Yeah, already enough for me."
We just wait for the store employee to finish scanning what we buy. I see the amount it reaches, and I pull out a 50,000 won bill to pay for it, seeing that the things we bought were only around 47,000 won.
I didn't let Bada even get her wallet to pay and just get the things before going to the section where we can heat and have hot water for the ramyeon we buy and other food that needs to be heated.
It didn't take us that long, and we are now walking towards the part of the park where we can lay the mat and still see the view of the river with people walking and biking around.
I am doing my best to hold everything together and not spill the ramyeon I am holding to the bag that has the blanket, mat, and pillows, and make sure that the plastic that holds the things we buy will not snap.
"You sure you don't need any help with that? You know I also have functioning arms and hands," she said with amusement present in her tone while looking at me.
"Yup, I am a strong, independent woman of this century, so I can do this. And for the help you are talking about, can you find a place where we can settle?" I said as I carefully walked, not wanting to trip on air.
She scans the area before walking in front of me and leading me to a part where we can have privacy but still see everything around us.
I sigh in relief when I get everything in their places without spilling our ramyeon and take a seat on the now spread-out mat.
"Go ahead and start eating; the ramyeon will not be warm enough any minute now," I said as I gave hers, waiting for her to take a bite first before doing the same with mine.
As we take a bite of our food, we just watch our surroundings, and from time to time I sneak a glance at her, but at some point she caught me, making her chuckle.
"You really have the tendency to stare at someone," said Bada, making me put down what I was eating and look straight back at her. Blushing seems to be our thing now, for her cheeks are slowly reddening, and I know mine too. I didn't even think of the chance that it was because of the slightly chilly wind breezing us in our spot, but rather assumed that it was because of how we always find ourselves staring right straight through each other's eyes. She mirrors what I have done and squints her eyes in a questioning way.
Fishing my phone out of my pocket, I go to the camera before letting her face the screen of my phone. "See what I see everytime?" I said with a cheesy grin projecting to my face.
Something must be really wrong with me, but if I'm being honest, I don't want whatever it is I'm feeling to stop. As scary as it is for me, I don't want them to stop. That I know is for sure.
I grab the chance to take a picture of her before pulling my phone back and letting it sit beside me.
I look back at her to see her shaking her head, trying to stop her smile from coming out. "Did you just take a picture of me?"
"Huh? What do you mean? Did you see me doing that?" I said, clearly knowing that she saw it with her two eyes, but I just shrugged it off and continued eating the remaining ramyeon I have, still looking at her with a grin that just can't seem to leave my lips.
We just sat there, finding it relaxing, just watching everything around us. After we ate most of the food we bought, we are now snacking on the chips I bought.
I notice how she's also a few words kind of person because, so far from the days we have known each other, I'm hoping that she really is and not because she finds me boring to not even start a conversation with me.
I fall into the little voices in my mind and get lost in my thoughts, for I don't know how long.
Getting lost in my own thoughts without a sense of what is happening around me.
I know for a fact that I am doing it, but most of the time, I can't seem to bring myself back to reality until someone drags me back.
I see a hand in front of my eyes. A gold ring on their index finger and a silver ring on their pinky finger are what I noticed possesses their hand that now stops waving.
I snapped out of my trance. I took a deep breath and looked around me.
I see Bada looking like a lost puppy wanting to find their owner, and I meant it in the most positive and cutest way possible.
I remember where I am, what I am doing here, and who I am with.
"Hey, are you okay? I lost you there," she said, now giving me her full attention. Well, that's what I am assuming, for she faces me and looks directly at me as she asks me her question.
"Hmm? Sorry, I just thought of something, and yeah, I am okay tho. Thank you for asking," I said, giving her a reassuring smile. Even though I know that I didn't even think of something, I just got so lost in thoughts that I now don't remember what it is about.
"So, as I was saying, what makes you guys confirm about joining SWF2?"
"Ohh... if I'm being honest, I just want the public to know us, you know? Like I know that lots of dancers know us. The agencies we work with and the idols and artists, but the public can't seem to know us," I said, looking at the huge peaceful water of the river in front of us.
"For me, it's okay because I am not doing what I love to seek others' approval and satisfaction, I know you know what I mean, but as I keep doing what I love, I seem to forget that it is not just me now. I have my younger members and friends with me, and I know that they steel themselves about it. I am their leader, and they look up to me, so at some point they tend to do and mirror what I am showing them.
But I know that they want that kind of attention to push them to do more and be better versions of themselves, so I think that's my primary reason for bringing it up with my friends, and yeah. I'm sorry, I'm rambling, aren't I?" I said sheepishly, not looking at her, for I know that I just embarrassed myself in front of her for even rolling out my reason at her.
Great, you dumbass. What a nice way to ramble about something!
"Hey, it's okay. I don't mind listening, and I kind of agree with you. We dancers are always the "back-up" dancers the public knows. That's just how most of them see us, but still, we now have this chance given to us, so we just really need to bring ourselves out there and let them wonder about who we were and see that slowly they will see us in the way we wanted for them to see us," she said. She said that makes me breathe out a relief sigh for whatever reason.
We give each other the sincerest smile we can gather and show to each other before falling into the comfortable silence that seems to always be with us.
There is no awkwardness between us after we just fall into silence, which I really love, for it is not always that I find myself having someone beside me to do just that, especially for someone that I didn't know for that long.
The silence was not suffocating me, and I can see that it is the same for Bada.
Instead of getting lost in my thoughts, I just observe everything that is happening around me.
How many bikers passed by where the bike track is. How the Han River cruise glides on the surface of the peaceful water of the river. Couples riding the tandem bike. The mother and father with their children. The smiles of everyone I land my eyes on.
Most of them have smiles on their faces, and I know that I am mirroring what they are wearing on their faces.
I know to myself that I am getting stressed with everything that is happening in my life especially about business, and I can say that this is a nice breath of fresh air, even for just a few hours.
I look at Bada to see her also enjoying what we are doing. She was just looking around, also observing everything, and at some point I saw her take a picture of something that caught her eye.
We just stay there for-I don't know-how long. I was glad that the weather was with us, for it is not that chilly with us just sitting here.
I lay down to close my eyes, having a feeling that Bada still wants to stay, and I am not complaining at all, for I really enjoy just doing nothing.
I feel Bada tap my thigh, getting my attention.
I open my eyes to look at her, but I see her just looking at the sky in some kind of awe.
I appreciate what I am looking at right now. She's taking pictures of the sky with the sun setting, and I do really love sunsets and sunrises, but I can't seem to look away from her.
The radiant colors of the sunset that hit Bada's face were stunning.
And just from that sight, I feel my cheeks feel hot.
You are really gay, self.
I see her mouth move; she is talking, but I can't seem to process what she is saying. I'm still lost in the collaboration sight of the sunset and Bada's beautiful face.
"You really have the tendency to stare," said Bada in a matter-of-fact tone. Just by that, I know my cheeks are now full-blown blushing.
I averted my eyes from her and looked at the sky. "Well, that I can't deny," I said, not finding the courage to look back at her.
"It's been months since I felt this calm and just free," she said, and now that piques my interest. I took a deep breath before looking at her in curiosity.
I just waited for her to continue, and didn't interrupt her. "I have been doing repetitive schedules and routines that I didn't think I needed this time to take a deep breath without thinking of anything but to enjoy this day," she continued, and I just let her.
She looks back at me in an almost alarmed way. "Don't get me wrong. I really love what we are doing. Dancing is like my everything, but it just sometimes gets overwhelming in the way that I didn't expect it to be," she said, now looking down while fidgeting with her hands.
I understand what she is feeling. Because I myself feel that way sometimes, and I'm just glad that I am aware of the time when I need to relax and be free of everything.
The urge to take her hands in mine was big, but I feel like I will overstep if I ever do it, so I just opt to move closer to her. "You have every right to feel that way. What you felt was normal. We need even just one day to just be free of everything and enjoy it without overthinking things we normally do," I said, hoping that what I am saying would make sense to her as it does to me.
I just look at her, waiting for her to respond to what I have said, but she didn't, so I continue. "Did you have something you enjoy doing except for dancing?" I asked her, and now that gets her attention because she looks up at me.
She pondered, and I saw how the gears in her mind started to move to crack and find an answer to my question. "Well, I do like listening to music, reading, and watching dramas. Maybe also traveling but that's it," she said, making me note that in my mind.
"Well, it's nice to know that you know what you like besides dancing. Did you ever do those when you felt like everything was feeling like a lot?"
"I can just count them in one hand. When I listen to music on the days I am free and not dancing, at some point, I find myself thinking of choreography for that song. Same with reading and watching. All of them tend to connect me to dancing. So that's that," she said. The corner of her lips started to turn up just from thinking about dancing in general, and I can't help but be amazed with her love and passion for dancing.
"You really love dancing."
She looks at me as if I just said something outrageous. "And you don't?"
"I didn't say anything that I don't. I will not do something I don't enjoy and love."
"Same," she lowly said before silence took over us again. A comfortable silence that now grows on me, in a good way.
The position where the sun was hours ago is now gone and replaced with the beautiful phase of the moon, and though we are in the city, the stars are visible, helping the moon light the sky.
The air was now more chilly than earlier, as I noticed Bada was now feeling it.
I put our trash in one bag before facing Bada, who was now looking back at me. "Should we go now? It's getting chilly here, and I don't want us to catch a cold or what," I said before standing up to stretch my limbs.
As I do so, I hear a soft laugh from Bada. I stop what I am doing and look at her. "You laughing at me for stretching, really?" I said with a serious expression on my face, but you can hear the playful, disbelieving tone in my voice.
"No, no. I'm sorry, I just, you are really long, just like what Cheche said." She looks at me, up and down, before looking straight at my eyes with a straight face, but I know she's fighting hard not to laugh out loud looking straight at me.
We just looked into each other's eyes for what felt like an eternity, but in reality it was just a minute or two before I let out a snort and I heard Bada laugh her heart out.
That makes my heart soar like a freaking eagle. Swooning with the pleasing sound that comes from Bada.
I know I am smiling like an idiot just watching her collect herself, and it didn't take her that long to do just that.
She now stands up as I collect our things and put them in their respective places.
"So, it was now around the time we should get dinner," I said, as if she didn't know any better.
She nods and starts walking towards where my car is making me walk beside her. "Pizza."
I look at her to see her stopping in her tracks to look back at me and ask, "Is pizza okay?" she asked, looking at me like I can save the world.
Don't fucking look at me like that, Bada.
I cleared my throat before nodding. "Y-yeah, of course," I said, continuing with my walk, flustered by what I just saw.
The 10-minute ride from the place Bada put in the GPS was silent. Like always, I am not complaining because I can notice and see that she very much enjoys the silence between us, plus I can feel her eyes on me a few times, so... who am I to complain.
I park my car before looking at Bada beside me. "Let's go?"
She gives me a smile and a nod before pulling the door open, making me do the same.
"I don't know if it is really okay with you, but this is the first place that comes to my mind when I say pizza, and hopefully you will enjoy it as much as I always do," she said as we stopped in front of the shop.
I look at it in appreciation, seeing that there's a lot of people inside, and I can see how comfortable the customers inside were.
"Well, pizza and craft beer can't go wrong," I said, shrugging my shoulders, before walking inside, knowing that she was following me.
We find a space in the right corner of the place, beside the I assume group of friends who's around in their early twenties.
It seems like Bada was a regular customer here because of the staff that seems to know her.
"You're here again, Bada-nim," the girl said before giving us ample time to pick what we wanted to order.
"Well, what can I say," said Bada, giving the girl a smile before turning at me and looking at me as if asking if I already had something I wanted.
"I will get two slices of pepperoni pizza and an American brown ale that is available," I said before looking at Bada and seeing her nod at what I just ordered.
"I will get my usual," said Bada before looking at me.
"I will give it to you, Y/N. You know your pairing," she said, nodding her head in approval, making me smile.
"Credits to my friends, who will probably smack me till I get the right pair of alcohol drinks for my food."
Our conversation flowed smoothly and didn't have any awkward pauses, which is a normal occurrence with me and someone most of the time, especially when I don't know them that long.
I am an awkward person and can't express her feelings openly, but with Bada, that is not the memo, for I can see myself as the best that I have been for years, and that makes me think of everything, and felt a little bit scared because of it.
Our orders came in not that long, and we settled on eating our preferred pizza while sipping on the beer we paired it with.
I feel my phone vibrate inside my pocket. I took it out to see a notification from Siwoo.
<Text me if you guys are going to leave.>
The moment I see the message, I process everything. I almost forgot that I drove here, and now I have alcohol in my system.
I sigh in relief. Thanking Siwoo, big time, on my mind.
We finished everything that we ordered with Bada smiling big, content, and thankful for this day, as she said to me as we left the shop and to my car, where I now see Siwoo standing beside it.
Bada noticed him and grabbed my wrist, making us stop in our tracks.
"That's your car, right?" She said as she looked at me, the seriousness evident on her face as I looked at her.
"Yeah," I simply replied and started walking towards my car, but that's not what Bada wanted to do, for she again tugs at my wrist that she is still holding.
I look at her just for her to shake her head and take a step back. I wonder why she is doing it, and I am now concerned about why she looks off.
"Hey, what's wrong?" I ask her, now following her as she brings us to the side of the main road where a lot of people are walking, whether going home or going wherever. I look back to see that Siwoo follows us, making me nod, for I don't want anything to happen to us, especially since we have alcohol in our system even though we just consumed a couple of glasses of beer. I don't want to risk anything.
She just continued to walk a few times, look at our backs, and walk faster.
I just observe her and see that she still looks at our back, alarmed. I do the same and see that Siwoo is still following us, but from a distance.
Bada was still holding my hand, and I can now feel the sweat that was not present earlier. Her hands become clammy, and I grow concerned with how she is acting.
I tug at her hand to stop her from walking-brisk walking, rather. "Bada."
She looks around us as we stop before looking at me and sighs in relief, for I don't know why. "Someone was following us, and now they are not here," She said, taking a deep breath. I looked at her back to see that Siwoo was there standing, waiting for what I was going to say.
I look at Bada. I just stare at her and see that she is shaken up by what just occurred, making me feel bad. I squeezed her hand, taking her attention and making her look at me. "I know."
"I know?" She asked, looking at me like a lost puppy. Confusion is what I am seeing on her face.
"I know that someone was following us, Bada...' I see that she wanted to cut me off, but I just shake my head at her and continue talking, '...that someone was the one who will drive us back to your apartment, Bada." I said and gave her a reassuring smile.
"Huh? What do you mean?" she asked, not clearly processing what I just said.
"We drank alcohol; I drove us around for this day; we need someone to drive us back, and he is the one I called," I said, trying my best not to laugh at the expression on her face that was sooo cute and just adorable, before pointing at her back, making her look to where I pointed at.
I just watch her take everything before she flops down on the ground, making me alarm and catch her arms to keep her standing up and not hurt herself in the way. She put her head on my shoulder, making me look at Siwoo in question about what was happening, and he just shrugged his shoulders.
I feel Bada take a shaky breath and punch me on my other shoulder, the one she's not leaning on. It doesn't hurt, for she does it not to hurt me, just to at least express her relief and frustration. That's what I assume she's feeling based on the actions and expressions she shows me.
"I hate you," she said, and now that makes my brain fucking malfunction. My heart dropped as I processed what she just said, and my mind thought of every negative thought that I could about what she just said, but I was glad that before my mind brought me to the deepest part of my own mind, Bada continued talking.
"I thought something bad was going to happen to us as he kept following us, and it didn't help that he stood beside your car like a freaking loan shark," she said, now already collected as I do the same with myself as I heard what she said.
In other circumstances, I am probably laughing at what she said about Siwoo, but this is not the time for that, so I took a fucking deep breath before bringing my arms around Bada. I felt her stiffen in my hold, but that didn't last long as she hugged me back.
I don't fucking know how we arrived in this kind of situation, but I wanted to cherish this moment.
Siwoo seemed to notice what I wanted, for I hear footsteps now walking away from us, assuming that he will wait for us in my car.
"I'm sorry, I didn't say anything about it. I didn't know that you would react like this," I said. You can hear the sincerity in my voice, because I am. I pull away from her to look at her, but we are still close enough to feel each other's body temperature.
"You don't need to. It's just my mind thought of the worst when I see a freaking bulk man standing beside your car and start following us,' she stops before completely separating herself from me and collects herself. 'I'm sorry also. I didn't know what came to me to think that maybe it's the alcohol, but I am really sorry. I feel bad for him because I think like that about him."
I gave her a smile and said, "Don't worry about it. I know that he will understand. Should we go? It's getting late now," I said before gesturing for her to walk beside me.
We walk in silence, but I feel Bada walk closer beside me, and I really feel light about that, for she finds comfort in me, but also what I felt earlier when she said she hates me; I don't like that. I don't really like that.
We are now seated in the back seat of the car, with Siwoo driving us to where I picked up Bada earlier.
We clear the misunderstanding once we see him waiting for us, and as I said to Bada, Siwoo understands where she is coming, and though there is a little awkwardness inside the car because of what happened, what happened before that defeats that.
It took us longer than expected because I didn't know that Bada would feel asleep as we were inside the car, so I informed Siwoo to go around three more times, not finding the courage to wake Bada up seeing that she's comfortably sleeping.
I was having a conversation with Siwoo about anything that came to mind before I heard a little groan beside me, making me look at Bada.
I smile, seeing the cute confusion on Bada's face. "Got a good nap, Lee?" I said as I saw the embarrassment appear to Bada, making her look around outside the window to see that we are now parked in front of the apartment building she is staying in.
"Why didn't you wake me up to the fact that we are already here?" She said, still not looking at me but rather collecting her stuff, which was not that much.
I just shrugged my shoulders as she shook her head, looking straight at me. "Thank you for this day, Y/N. I really enjoy this one," she said, smiling at me and making me do the same to her.
"I do too. Thank you for even suggesting this. I know that you are still tired from yesterday and what you just did earlier today."
I remove my seatbelt, and she mirrors what I did before we look at each other and get the memo. We stepped out of the car.
"I will see you?" she said as she adjusted her bag.
"Yeah, see you when I see you," I said and gave her a smile before opening my arms, wanting another hug from her and praying that she would not leave me hanging.
She gave me a big smile before she fell into my arms, hugging me as I did the same to her, making me really happy, like a schoolgirl.
She steps back before looking back at me, where my car was. "Please, say my apology to Siwoo-nim for what happened earlier."
"I will; don't worry. Go ahead and take a rest. See you, Bada."
"Thank you again for this day, Y/N. See you soon," she said as she walked back inside the apartment building while waving at me, making me do the same for her. I waited until I didn't see her figure before entering my car again.
I flop in the backseat before exhaling a deep breath. "Bada says she's sorry for what happened earlier, oppa," I said as I closed my eyes to let it rest.
Siwoo oppa just gives me a hum of recognition as I feel his eyes on me through the rearview mirror.
"That looks good on you," he said as he pulled out of the parking lot and now drove his way to where Nyx's building was.
"What looks good on me?" I ask in confusion, making me open my eyes to look back at him.
"That smile and aura that radiates on you," he said, giving me a meaningful smile that makes my cheeks heat up, and I feel it getting warmer and can see the red reflection of them in the window.
I just let it go and didn't reply to what he said because I don't know what to say and I can't really say anything that contradicts him, for I know that he is right.
The drive didn't take that long, seeing that Bada's place and Nyx's building were in the same area.
Siwoo parked the car and left, waiting for me outside as I collected my stuff.
"Thank you for driving me, oppa," I said as we walked inside the building.
"No need to thank me. And if you forget, that's kind of my job except for being your bodyguard," he said, following me inside the elevator.
Siwoo oppa is three years older than me and has been with me and my siblings since we were children, for his father was a former military person who turned into the bodyguard of my father, and now that he is retired with everything, Siwoo kind of picked up from it to what he says: "Continue the legacy of my father and also a thank you for the Noe family with everything that you have done with us."
We part ways after we arrive at the fourth floor of the building where the gym is, knowing that he will get his nightly "pumping, pumping his muscles," as what I call it.
I arrived at our floor. My room was at the very far end across from the elevator, so I will walk in front of every room, and just to my luck, I know that everyone was inside their own room and not in mine.
Entering my room, I do my things, like everything I do at night before flopping to my bed.
I don't know what time it is and just close my eyes, wanting to get an eye shut and hoping that once I open them, the sun is already gracing us with its sunlight, but to my dismay, or not, my phone dinged.
I click on the new notification, which brings me to Instagram, and what I see makes me smile.
(this is the picture Bada posted on ig but minus the person)
The picture was simple and just like any picture that everyone takes, but it feels different to me. I know where that exact spot is.
I know what kind of food she ate during that time. I know who she is with, me. I know and see the expressions she makes as she looks around her, especially that sunset in her post.
The caption was neutral-neutral in a way that no one will know who she's with and everything along those lines. Well, it's not like anything happened or whatnot; I don't know.
I liked the picture, and not long enough, I got a message from Bada.
<Y/N, I know you are still up, but I just wanted to say thank you again for this day>
I smile at that.
<you do know that you don't need to thank me, right? I really enjoy hanging out with you. well, just for you to sleep tonight, you are very much welcome, Bada>
<speaking of sleep, you should sleep now and take a rest, as I will also do the same. it's been a long day, and tomorrow will also be>
<yeah, I know. sleep well, Bada. goodnight>
<good night, Y/N>
After I read that, I closed my phone and let it charge on the bedside table before making myself comfortable under the sheets of my bed, surrounded by lots of pillows.
This day has been an escape that I have been wanting to have for a few months now, and I'm glad I already got it, plus with the presence of someone I know will have a role in my life even without knowing them that long.
Familiar. The feelings were familiar. She is familiar.
It didn't take long for me to let the sleep overtake my consciousness as I became really comfortable laying down and snuggling close to the pillow I was hugging.
What an amazing day this one is!
~
okay, i'm really sorry for again late update. tho it's already our Christmas break, i'm still kind of busy and as much as i wanted to do more for this book, my time can't. i'm really sorry for the late updates and i'm speeding up with the school works that i need to do but until then i can't promise a consistent update.
i don't know when will i update again, maybe three days from now, a week, two weeks, i don't really know so please bear with me but this chapter is longer than my normal one so i hope u guys will enjoy this and not find this boring.
with that being said, i just wanted to say my early Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to those who celebrate them just like me. wishing u all the best.
sending some good vibes and a warm hug with consent to u all.
have a good day/night<33
〰✧☽
-C.
(11/14/23)