(Eep. Post four already on the lovely but possibly twisted Mr. Han
and this is only wrapping up Day 7.
I need a life. Anyway. This is the night of Day 7, when Jumin reads to her.)
and this is only wrapping up Day 7.
I need a life. Anyway. This is the night of Day 7, when Jumin reads to her.)
Seong followed Jumin into his bedroom. It was a large room with another wall of windows overlooking the city. Did he spend all his time looking out? Every room she had seen so far had a view better than the last. Jumin set down the glass of water and the book and pushed a button on the wall near the bedside table. Filmy grey curtains swished out from some hidden recess along the edge of the wall, covering the windows, and the room dimmed. You could still see the city lights, but they were indistinct and glimmering now, like looking at the stars through a haze of clouds.
She tried not to look at the bed but it drew her eye like a magnet.
 |
| Oh no, Seong, you apparently have no eyes. Good thing you have Jumin to read to you. Seriously, Cheritz, the no eye thing is weird as all hell. I get why you thought you had to do it -- so people could self insert. But you've already given the MC a particular hair style and skin colour. I think we could have handled eyes as well. |
"Oh! Thank you, Jumin." She scurried into the bathroom. What had he meant by that? Did he want her to stay longer? She brushed her teeth. Twice. She debated for a moment and then washed the makeup off her face as well. She couldn't get eyeliner all over his pillows. It made her feel a bit naked and plain, though she hadn't worn much makeup anyway. Still, what would it matter? He was around women like Glam Choi and Sarah all the time. Beautiful women. It wasn't as if she could compete with that. She wasn't like them. And besides, she wasn't here for that! She was here to help him. That was all. She just hadn't imagined being exactly where she was at this moment in time.
He'd left out a deep plum coloured purple shirt for her to wear. It was a t-shirt, but soft as silk against her skin. One of his. She'd never seen him in casual clothes, not in any of the pictures that had been shared in the Messenger. He was always in a suit. The t-shirt came down to her fingertips. It didn't feel long enough, not quite, though technically it covered everything. But her legs felt exposed. She combed her fingers through her hair and steeled her shoulders. It would have to do. He was probably starting to wonder if she had fallen in.
When she came out, she found he had pulled a chair up to the edge of the bed and had turned down the covers. Only the small bedside lamp was on, creating a small pool of light like a puddle.
"Where will you sleep?" Seong asked and immediately regretted the impulse.
"I'll be fine. I don't think I'll sleep." He had taken off his jacket and tie, but still had on his collared shirt, though he had undone a couple of buttons. He gave her a small smile. "I have some things to think about...but nothing for you to worry about. Just rest up on my bed."
Oh, of course he did. He must have a lot on his mind. But, really, he should sleep too. He needed to take care of himself. Perhaps she could convince him in a while.
He patted the bed. Was he staring at her? Her fingers found the edge of the shirt and tugged at it. It really wasn't quite long enough. She got into the bed carefully and slid her legs under the covers and lay back, pulling them up across her chest. She wished she hadn't taken off her bra now. She never slept in it, but then, she'd never slept in a man's bed before either. The little experience she had in that matter had all been in the safety of her own apartment. He was too close, sitting there and the bed smelled like him. She already knew the smell of his cologne.
"If you feel uncomfortable at the change of scenery...do you mind if I read for you?"
"Please do. I'll feel more comfortable if I hear your voice." On the phone, his voice had rumbled in her ear; in person, she could practically feel it in her chest, vibrating inside her, plucking her heart like a guitar string. Especially when he was so close. And he leaned closer yet, putting his elbow on the bed, pinning the duvet down, his arm against her side. She could feel the warmth of him through the fabric and snuggled a bit closer without thinking about it.
He began to read. It seemed to be a fairy tale of some kind, definitely not something she would have imagined him reading. What kind of story was it? Were there princesses? Knights? Damsels in distress?
"What is the book about?" she whispered. He was so close that it would have felt strange to speak in a normal tone of voice.
"Oh...Are you curious? I haven't finished it yet, so I can't tell you everything. This book...I know it's funny...but it's one of the books that I don't ever want to finish." He put a finger in between the pages and half shut it. He was whispering too. He was so close. "I was supposed to finish this book and tell the story to a friend...but that friend is no longer here in this world."
Rika. Was he talking about Rika?
(Jesus. Between Yoosung and Jumin and V and Zen, boy am I sick to death of Rika. I suspect she isn't even dead. I think she's just an asshole that tore a hole in everyone and left. "Not in this world" my ass.)
Seong turned her head into the pillow. "Don't talk about someone else. I'm getting jealous." Oh no, had she really said that? After the things she had found in the apartment, she wasn't sure she could stand the thought of him with Rika, even if they had only been friends.
"I didn't mean to make you jealous." Jumin drew a finger along her chin and traced the edge of her jaw, drawing her back out of the pillow despite herself. "I was supposed to tell this book's story to Rika. But she's no longer in this world. So...there's no point in getting jealous. But it's quite surprising. Rika's no longer here...but I feel just as curious about you as I was with her." He let his hand fall, deep in thought. "Amazing that I feel this way."
"You want to know more about me?"
(Finally someone in the RFA does. What, did all you idiot guys think girls just drop out of the sky and fall in your lap? Girls have lives too, you know.)
"Yes, I do." He set the book down completely, losing the page but not even noticing. "I didn't realize when we were just talking on the messenger. But now that you're right beside me, I want to know you."
She held her breath. She wanted to know him too. She wanted to know everything about him.
 |
| Girl. You have no idea what's coming tomorrow. Eep. |
"Amazing." Now he was looking at her again. Truly at her. "You made me turn all my focus on you...Thanks to that, I'll be able to stop thinking about all those troubles. Thank you so much for coming. I feel so good that you're here. I...never want to let you go."
She wanted to tell him she would stay. That she wanted that too. In this moment, she couldn't imagine leaving. But he wasn't finished. He rambled a bit more, about tangled threads. She wasn't sure what he meant. Was it something she could help him with?
"But...it seems I've just kept you up, when I meant to let you sleep. Go to sleep now, young lady."
Young lady. She was the same age he was! Did he think of her like a child? She hoped not. But she was tired. Too many nights without enough sleep and it was late now. She rolled over onto her side and put her hand on his, the one that had touched her face. She gave it a small squeeze and then let go reluctantly, tucking her hand away under the pillow so she could hold on to that brief moment of warmth.
"Goodnight, Jumin. You'll get some rest, won't you?"
"I'll be fine. I feel...better. Much better." He stood up, pushing the chair back. "I just have...a few emails to send. I'll check on you in a little bit. Sleep now."
She nodded and closed her eyes.
(I'm actually at the end of Day 8 in real time now and I'm looking at this and thinking about the visual novel sections to come and GAH. There is no way I can keep this up or I'll have a freaking book by the end of it. Well, a novella at least. Am going to have to just do some of the good bits. Or the bits inbetween the good bits or something. I am definitely not typing out all that dialogue like some of the stuff above that's directly from the visual novel section. And, oh man, I'm gonna have to add in some foreshadowing in here...Kinda wishing I'd gone with 3rd person omniscient instead of 3rd person close but I'm not gonna go back and change it now. Anyway. Moving on. Let's hear from Jumin, the naughty boy.)
###
Jumin softly shut the door behind him and leaned against it. He put a hand to his chest, the one she had touched. He could feel his heart pounding. Thud. Thud. Thud. It hadn't been her touch that had started that, though. His heart had been beating fast ever since she had stepped foot out of the bathroom wearing his shirt.
No, if he was honest with himself, it had started the moment she had arrived. It was just worse...was worse the right word? Better? It was just...more....since she had put on his shirt.
She wasn't too tall or too short and he'd thought logically that the shirt would be suitable attire for her to wear to bed. She obviously couldn't wear her street clothes to sleep in. And it had been, barely. But seeing her wearing his shirt, her slim legs showing underneath, her fingers trying to pull it a little longer but only serving to stretch the neck down low...! It was almost too much.
(hahaha Jumin gotcha with the boyfriend shirt!)
He had wondered before what she looked like. Of course he had wondered. All the members of the RFA had. Seven had even called him to talk about that very thing and he was the only one that had seen a picture of Seong Yi. And now he knew what she looked like in person. In the flesh. He knew. Just him. Not Zen. Not Seven. Him.
Her eyes, warm and brown, looking up at him. He liked the crinkles she got at the corners of them when she really smiled. Her hair, long and brown and natural, not hair sprayed and perfumed. He wanted to run his fingers through her hair. She had washed off her makeup before bed and it hadn't mattered a bit. She didn't need it.
And not just what she looked like. Even the smell of her, a faint dash of rose water and a hint of jasmine. He wanted to bury his face in that spot on her neck behind her ear and just breathe her in.
Before she had come, some part of him had thought, yes, he rather liked this girl. This woman. Just from talking with her on the phone and her gentle encouragement in their chats. Her disembodied voice had seemed heaven-sent the last couple of nights. Like an angel, so gentle and soft. Had she even noticed that she tended to whisper at night when she was on the phone, even though they both lived alone? He'd had to hold it so close to his ear to hear her that it had it feel like she was right there whispering to him.
And now she was lying there in his bed. It would have made more sense to put her in the guest room. Wasn't that what guest rooms were for? He'd had an excuse ready if she asked about it--that it hadn't been cleaned or was being remodelled or something-- but she hadn't asked. He was glad because he'd wanted to see her in his bed. Wanted the smell of her on his sheets, on his pillow.
He did have a lot to think about. So many things were running through his head. The way she sometimes nibbled on her lower lip when she was thinking hard about something. Or the way she let her hair fall in front of her face when she was trying to hide. Oh, he'd noticed that. All of it. He wanted to kiss those lips, that face.
He went to Elizabeth the 3rd's cage. She was sitting primly by the door and staring at him. "What do you think of Seong?" he asked. That cat let out a long meeoooww that might have meant anything. He'd often imagined that he knew what she meant, what she wanted, but now he wasn't sure. Then she turned her back on him and stretched out on a cushion. She was ignoring him. "I can't let you out yet," he said to her back. "It's not safe."
It wasn't safe for Seong either. What if the hacker was after her? If the hacker was the one who had sent her to Rika's apartment...Jumin frowned. For a moment he looked at the cage keeping Elizabeth safe and imagined Seong safe inside it as well. Then he closed his eyes, willing the image away. That wasn't suitable, was it?
He went to his office and answered some of the emails that had piled up, but really what he was doing was waiting. He was waiting for her to go to sleep. He didn't know why...but he desperately wanted to see her when she was asleep. To be able to look at her without any interference, with nothing in the way. Without worrying about what he was saying, what she was thinking. To see her sleeping face when she was her most true self. People couldn't hide who they were when they were asleep. He didn't think Seong was hiding anything but he wanted --no, needed--to see her at her most vulnerable. For himself. He needed to see it for himself.
(I was originally thinking I'd write all this bit more cuddly romantic but after stuff that happens on Day 8, I thought it ought to go a slight bit on the creepy side because, let's be honest, Jumin is walking a mighty fine line in his route. It's like that Kiss the Girl song from the Little Mermaid. When it's all up tempo and sung by that cute little crab, everyone's like awww! how sweet! But take it down to a minor key and it is creepy as all hell. Same song. Totally different feel. And, at this point, Jumin is very close to losing his coconuts. Only time will tell if Seong Yi can talk him back from the cliff of insanity.)
After he judged enough time had passed--she had, after all, looked exhausted--he crept back to his room and carefully cracked the door open. Was she asleep? He'd turned the lamp to it's lowest setting before he had left so that it wouldn't disturb her. She'd left it on. Maybe because she was in an unfamiliar place. He listened for a moment before going in. Her breaths were deep and steady. He tiptoed in and softly, so softly, walked over to the bed where she lay.
She had kicked off the duvet at some point and her legs were completely uncovered. The shirt--his shirt--had pulled up nearly to her waist and Jumin stopped short where he was, his breath catching in his throat and his heartbeat suddenly loud in his ears. Lilac. Her underwear. Lilac, with a lace edge. He sat down in the chair, still where he had left it, thank goodness, because he didn't think he could stand and if he sat on the bed right there next to her he didn't think he'd be just sitting for long. She was impossibly beautiful to him, like some delicate flower had drifted in through the window and landed on his bed.
He sat and watched her sleep. He wasn't sure how long. He could have sat there all night but she made a noise in her sleep, just a soft sound, and hugged the pillow to her. Could she be any more precious? He took out his phone and tiptoed to the bed, remembering to make sure the flash was off. She'd said earlier it was okay to take a picture. He knew in his head that she certainly hadn't meant he could take one when she was asleep, but he would explain it later. She would understand. It was a picture he needed to have. He zoomed in on her sleeping face. So peaceful. He wanted to protect that face. Forever.
(Go on to Part V, which covers Day 8 when Jumin loses his marbles)
(That is all I'm gonna write about Day 7 because it's me that's effing tired this time. It's late. MM is going to be the death of me. The last bit I was planning on writing up for Day 7 is that Seong wakes up later sometime after Jumin has left the room...probably to go stare at the picture(s) he's taken, I dunno--and actually chats with Yoosung or Jaehee or maybe Zen--and then calls Jumin even though she's in the next room. She's not even sure why. He picks up and it's actually quite a sweet phone call and a bit romantic. But I'm tired. Tomorrow I'll be on Day 9 in real time and will try and figure out what all of the crazy mess of Day 8 I'm going to actually write up. I guess the bad thing about being behind with the write up now is that I know what's going to happen the next day and it kinda changes things a bit. Otherwise I would've gone sweeter in the Jumin bit above instead of sweet + borderline creepy. Borderline? Did I say borderline? He is straddling that line like a boss. In Day 8...if it were real life...I would smack Seong Yi's ultra-patient, super-understanding face and tell her to freaking run. But it's not real life. It's otome. I'm trusting that somehow he'll turn the corner and they'll get their happily ever after. At least it's pretty easy to tell which responses are for the good end and which are for the bad...)
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