CH 60

Never before in his life had he worried that someone would read his diary. But halfway through his trip in Istanbul, the thought of her coming across his diary invaded his mind, filling him with embarrassment. It made him worried. ‘If she ever walked into the study and read it…’

He knew Yiyoung wasn’t someone who snooped through others’ belongings, but he worried nonetheless. It finally sunk into him that he wasn’t living alone anymore. He was sharing his space with Yiyoung.

He quickly grabbed the diary and locked it in a drawer. Being extra careful with it wasn’t a bad idea. 

He sat down in front of the laptop again, ready to work on the business report, but his fingers refused to move. He couldn’t bring himself to work. A sudden urge to check up on Yiyoung overwhelmed him, and he stood up, wondering whether she was still sleeping while curled up into a ball. 

He entered her bedroom again, walking past the single ray of light falling on the bed. Yiyoung was now sitting up on the bed, her back facing him, almost as if she was going to get up soon. Muyeol leaned against the wall and asked, “Are you awake?”

She turned her head slowly, her sunken black eyes meeting his. Her hair fell around her face in a mess, almost like a lion’s mane. In the darkness, the two exchanged a glance. Muyeol felt a jerk in his leg; Yiyoung seemed like she was on the verge of fainting, and an inexplicable urge to hug her overwhelmed him.

“Do you want me to bring you water?” Muyeol crossed his arms in an attempt to control himself.

Yiyoung shook her head and lied back down. It was way too early for her to be awake, and the alcohol she had downed wasn’t helping. She ran both her hands through her messy mane, muttering something inaudible.

“I couldn’t hear you,” said Muyeol, “What did you say?” 

Yiyoung turned around to face him, whispering in a low voice, “Hug me…”

Drawn in by her voice, Muyeol moved closer to her almost involuntarily. Without an ounce of hesitation, he lifted the blanket and lay down next to her, one arm moving to hug her. 

Yiyoung snuggled into him, her forehead resting on his chest. She was so close that he could hear her breathe, and he was so hyper-aware of it that it felt like her breath was penetrating his skin and reaching straight to his heart.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered again, “but you could hold me tighter?”

Muyeol moved to wrap the other hand around her neck, pulling her into a closer embrace. Yiyoung reciprocated the hug, her arms wrapping around him to reach his back. They shared the warmth of their skin with each other, their breaths mingling as even their heartbeats fell into sync.

Yiyoung’s eyes fell shut. “Sorry… I’m too tired…”

“Just sleep,” Muyeol commanded as he stroked her back. Soon enough, she started breathing deeply, succumbing to sleep again. 

Muyeol listened to her breathe for a while, then inched close to the crown of her head. Despite looking haggard from exhaustion, Yiyoung still somehow managed to smell like sunshine. He couldn’t resist the urge to kiss her on the crown of her head.

* * * 

Yiyoung squirmed about in her sleep, stretching her body like a cat waking up from a nap. Her arms flung out as she tossed sideways. It was two in the afternoon, and Muyeol was watching her every move. Yiyoung still seemed lost in the dreamworld, but he wondered if she was going to wake up soon.

Suddenly, she turned around to face him, an arm patting the mattress in search of a pillow. Her hand brushed against his pelvis, running up his lean yet strong body, and she immediately hooked her leg over his. Nuzzling her head into his chest, she let out a sigh of satisfaction.

However, just when Muyeol thought she was going to settle down again, she asked, “What are you doing here?”

Her voice sounded less groggier than earlier. 

“I’m lying down,” he answered mechanically.

“I’m asking why you’re next to me. This is my bed.” 

She was treating him like a giant pillow, arms still wrapped around his torso. Muyeol realized that, having just woken up, she was confused and could not comprehend anything; so he decided to inform her in a dry tone, “Because you’re not letting go of me.”

Yiyoung could only blink in response. “What do you mean, I’m not letting you go…”

She lifted her head in confusion. And then it dawned on her. His scent overwhelmed her senses, and his warm, robust body pressing against her seared her skin. Yiyoung sat up with a jolt.

Muyeol sat up, too. “Did you sleep well? You looked really tired.”

Yiyoung blinked repeatedly. Muyeol’s voice sounded so soft and gentle. At first, she assumed it was all an alcohol-induced dream, but then she remembered calling him before she fell asleep.

“Did I make any mistake…” she muttered unconfidently.

“You did make a mistake,” Muyeol spat coldly, “You asked me to hug you.”

That snapped her awake. She patted her body, checking for her clothes. “Did we do it?”

Muyeol could not hold himself back. He launched into hysterics before the meaning of her words even sunk into him, surprising himself with the involuntary reaction. He bent forward, clutching his stomach as loud chuckles spilled forth his lips.

His laughter sobered her up, erasing any leftover influence of the alcohol. Yiyoung frowned as she watched him guffaw. She had asked that question without much thought, but she knew it didn’t make much sense. “Fine, don’t stop laughing. They were empty words, I was just tired. Are you having that much fun?”

Muyeol huffed, out of breath from all the laughing, lungs feeling like they would burst any minute. He had never laughed so freely in his life before. After a while, he finally managed to take a deep breath to calm himself down.

Muyeol got out of bed. “I didn’t lie, though. You told me to hug you.”

Yiyoung scratched her head. “I owe you this time.”

“You do. To think I received a call like that right after my return from a long business trip.”

“Oh, okay.”