I woke up. I’d slept pretty fitfully, but my body felt refreshed. I stretched wide, got out of bed, then went into the bathroom and took out my toothbrush. I squeezed a generous amount of toothpaste onto it, put it in my mouth, and brushed my teeth.
Hamin’s door, visible straight from the bathroom, was still firmly shut.
Right now, in there.
My boyfriend is asleep.
...my boyfriend.
With the toothbrush in my mouth, the corners of my lips lifted for no reason. So what happened yesterday? Just thinking about it made me want to laugh; something had happened that was enough to do that.
*
“...You’re on my mind.”
After hearing me, Hamin bit down on his lip. Saliva smeared across it, and as he put more strength into it, his lips grew redder and redder. From where I stood, his lips looked naturally inviting, so I swallowed hard.
“Ha....”
With a low sigh, Hamin lowered his head for a moment. I could only stare at him, unable to say anything. My heart was still pounding like crazy.
Looks like he’s enjoying this too.
Hamin’s ears, with his head bowed, were bright red. That red seemed to pound at my heart once more.
Just as I was looking down at the tips of his ears, Hamin lifted his face again. Then, without a word, he leaned his face toward me. With his eyes half-lidded as he came closer, it really looked like he was about to... about to kiss me.
Startled by his face coming closer so fast, I clapped both hands over my mouth.
“No, not a kiss right away....”
Hamin stopped immediately. He didn’t really answer. He just looked quietly at my lips hidden by my hands, then, as if he understood, pulled my wrists down and called me.
“Noona.”
“Yeah.”
“...Jang Yeju.”
“Yeah.”
Calling my name. I thought he was being rude, but I answered him obediently.
There was unhidden happiness in the voice calling my name. Hamin was really happy with his whole body. His red ears, the corners of his lips that couldn’t stay down. Even his eyes, damp with it. Watching him like that sent a shiver through me, like electricity was running through my whole body.
“Can I hug you?”
“...Sure.”
The moment I answered, Hamin’s arms pulled me in.
A firm arm wrapped around my back and tightened hard. It was enough to make it hard to breathe. I actually liked that suffocating embrace, as if he wasn’t going to leave even a gap for me to slip away. It felt different from that one-sided hug before. I could hear the rough beat of his heart from how close we were. I reached back too and slowly wrapped my arms around Hamin’s back.
“I like you.”
His sweet voice came from right beside my ear.
“I like you more.”
“....”
“Thank you.”
I couldn’t move an inch, and maybe because I was happy too, my throat tightened so I couldn’t answer either. Even so, we stayed like that, holding each other for quite a long time. Standing there, just like that.
Hamin was the one who let go first. He pulled back a little, looked down at my face, then kissed my forehead briefly. His face was full of happiness, though also a little of regret. Yeah, we’re dating now...! From now on, we can do this every day.
“Good night, Noona.”
That was how Hamin walked me all the way to my room.
Even after I lay down in bed, I stared at the ceiling for a long while. My face, with no sign of cooling down, stayed hot. I kept thinking about the feel of his lips on my forehead. I touched my forehead with my hand. That spot felt hot, like I’d been burned.
Listening to the sound of my heart beating fast without any sign of stopping, I closed my eyes without even knowing when I fell asleep.
*
Thinking about yesterday made the corners of my lips lift again. With the toothbrush in my mouth, I grinned goofily.
My boyfriend.
Yu Hamin is my boyfriend.
Then I felt a light impact on top of my head.
Thunk.
“You’re drooling. What are you thinking about?”
“Mmmph!”
Before I knew it, Hamin had come out into the bathroom and lightly tapped my head with a finger before standing beside me. I hurriedly spat out the foam into the sink. No, when did he get here...? Make some noise.
While I finished brushing, I glanced at Hamin reflected in the mirror. Maybe he’d just gotten up; his hair was messy, and his eyes were more closed than usual.
My boyfriend, first thing in the morning. Even looking all scruffy like that, he was handsome and cute. Seriously perfect. My shoulders puffed up for no reason.
As I sat down at the table for breakfast, a very real problem came up. Not getting caught by my parents or school friends. That was the biggest issue. Especially my parents. What would they think if our daughter suddenly said she was living with a sturdy grown man? They’d probably think he was a beast.
Before, I hadn’t thought much about eating with Hamin in the same house or going to school together, but now that we were dating, I couldn’t help being more conscious of it. It felt like I was doing something bad....
Trying to calm down and eat while pretending not to be especially happy, or even to be a little more down than usual,
something touched the tip of my foot. The big foot that had nudged mine then gave my shin another poke, almost like a kiss, and pulled away.
“Yow!”
Startled, my body jerked up on reflex. Dad looked at me, surprised.
“Whoa, what’s wrong?”
“No, it’s just... I thought there might’ve been a bug....”
Trailing off, I glanced down beneath the table. Hamin’s long legs were just stretched out in front of him.
That...
When I lifted my head, Hamin was eating as if nothing had happened. Maybe he felt my gaze, because the corners of his lips lifted a little. When no one was looking, I shot him a glare. Seriously, he’s making my heart drop first thing in the morning!
*
After leaving the house, I got into the elevator with Hamin for the trip to school. We stood side by side as usual. For some reason, it felt like the first time we’d ridden together as lovers. Somehow I was nervous. Just as I was thinking that, something touched the back of my hand.
It was Hamin’s hand.
The brief touch of our fingertips was all it took before Hamin took my hand outright.
Aaaah! Why is this guy so aggressive?!
I didn’t make a sound, but inside I was in chaos.
I sneaked a look to the side, and Hamin had turned his head the other way. He was acting like nothing was wrong, but his ears were red. Ah, so he’s embarrassed and happy too.
My face reflected in the mirror wasn’t doing any better. My cheeks were burning red. This is the first time I’ve ever been this conscious of someone. It feels like my palms are sweating....
A lot of thoughts flashed through my mind, but neither of us said anything, just kept holding hands. My heart was beating so hard I felt like I could even feel the pulse in my hand.
As we went to school, the hand we’d been holding all along was let go at the same time as if we’d agreed on it once the school got close. It seemed like Hamin was thinking of me. I rubbed the empty space, the hand that had just been touching mine, then waved at Hamin. “H-have a good class.” “You too, Noona.” “Y-yeah!” “See you later.” After exchanging those awkward-as-can-be greetings, we headed off to our own classrooms.
*
I hadn’t slept properly last night because my heart wouldn’t calm down. Maybe that was why I got sleepy the moment class started. I somehow held on through the morning, but after lunch I could no longer stay fully awake. In the end, I lay my head on the desk and closed my eyes. Not long after I did, I fell asleep—literally, completely out.
I don’t know how long I slept like that. When I opened my eyes, I felt strangely refreshed. So refreshed, in fact, that it made me feel a little cold and uneasy. The area around me was weirdly quiet. I slowly sat up, rubbing the sleep from my body, and lifted my head.
Someone was sitting in the seat in front of me. When I tilted my head up slightly to check, Hamin, with his arms on the desk and his face resting on them, was staring at me intently.
“Gah!”
“Sleep well?”
Hamin reached a hand toward my face and used his thumb to wipe near the corner of my mouth.
Why is he here?
What time is it?
I just blinked blankly, and Hamin grinned. Then he brought the thumb that had wiped my mouth to his own lips.
Smooch.
He kissed it briefly.
“I was wondering why you weren’t coming out even after waiting.”
“Hey, you’re so gross...!”
“Thanks to you, I got to see something nice.”
“Uwaaah....”
“Couldn’t sleep because of me?”
He wiped my saliva away in such a disgusting way and then kissed right over it.... No, that’s basically an indirect kiss!
I was too embarrassed to get any real words out. Hamin was having an absolutely amazing time watching me like that.
Hamin pulled out his chair and stood up. Then he opened his big hand and held it out in front of me.
“Let’s go.”
“Y-yeah.”
I quickly grabbed my bag too. After hesitating for a moment, I took Hamin’s hand and stood up. I really feel like a princess.
On the way out of school, I looked down at our tightly joined hands.
“Ahem.”
Then, gathering a little courage, I slipped my fingers between his. When I linked them, Hamin’s steps stopped for a moment.
“Why, what.”
I spoke without even looking at Hamin. I heard a dry little snort beside me. Then more strength went into the hand we were holding. On a day when the sunset was slowly sinking, we went to and from school with both hands tightly clasped together.
