Thirty-eight
Photograph
Eunjun stares at Junmyeon's bedroom door and it's still closed. Eunjun didn't knock, afraid that she might be disturbing him. He's probably still asleep.
She goes downstairs, looking at the paintings hanging in the living room. She takes out her iPhone and snaps the photos of the painting, together with the contemporary designed walls and decorations.
"Good morning, mam." A voice greets from behind. Eunjun stares at the woman from head to toe. Bu the way she greeted her, she already know that this middle aged woman could be a maid in this house despite her normal clothing. "Good morning. Who are you?"
The woman bows a little with a smile, "I'm one of Mr Kim's maids. Would you like me to prepare your breakfast now?"
"No thanks. Um, can I ask where the other maids are?" Eunjun asks. The woman smiles, "We all live in the next house."
Ah, so they live in the smaller house right beside this house.
"I see. Can I go out for a stroll for a while?" Eunjun asks and the maid nods vigorously, "Of course, you can mam! Go ahead..."
Eunjun smiles, "Thank you."
She walks towards the door, unlocking it and takes a breath of fresh air. She walks on the sandy beach barefooted and she stares at the blue ocean. She realises that she's with Junmyeon now but she's free. She's free to go outside of the house. No more pass codes and no more sneaking out.
She lets the cold salty water to brush her feet. Wind blows on her face and some of her hair hits her face softly. But she doesn't mind about it and she lets the hair stays there as long as it's not blocking her view. She holds her iPhone up, capturing the picture of the blue ocean and the skies. Clouds are marching above her, looking like cotton candies.
Eunjun walks along the beach while admiring the breath taking scenery around her. It's so serene and calming. Eunjun walks past the maids' house, heading towards the deserted area. She keeps walking and walking until her feet feels tired. When she turns around, she almost gasps to how far she had walked away from Junmyeon's house until it looks so small in this distance.
Eunjun decided to sit there for a while before heading back towards the house. Let me catch my breath for a while and relax. She sits on the sands and stares out to the sea, hearing the calming sound of the waves crashing the seaside.
Eunjun smiles as she received a text from her twin sister, asking her how she's doing. Eunjun opens up her front camera, taking a selfie while facing the ocean and sends it to Eunjin.
To: Kim Eunjin
[photo] I've been blessed.
From: Kim Eunjin
Lucky you. Do you think you can bring home some sand to me?
To: Kim Eunjin
Of course. I'll let you eat the sand as much as you want. Just please don't get high blood pressure.
From: Kim Eunjin
Girl, I ain't gonna eat them. I'm gonna stuff them all up in your pillows since they're too soft. Damn, the pillows in your house man!
To: Kim Eunjin
What's wrong with my pillows?
From: Kim Eunjin
They're too soft! I can't even hold them straight for at least 0.00000000000001 second. And , my head hurts.
To: Kim Eunjin
Not my fault that I am more comfy with soft pillows <3
From: Kim Eunjin
I don't give a damn about your comfort. I care about mine. You should at least buy some fluffy or hard pillows in case you have guests.
To: Kim Eunjin
Fine. You help me buy them first. I'll pay you back once I got home.
From: Kim Eunjin
Alrightz. Take care <3
Eunjun taps on the camera icon once again, snapping some photos in different angles. She edits one of the photos and uploads it on the Instagram.
She uploads another photo on her Twitter after doing some editing on it.
Blessing your timeline with this breath taking scenery.
She locks her iPhone and puts in on the sand. She looks forward again, not minding having to watch the ocean for a whole day. She rests her chin on her knee, not realising that her eyes are closing slowly.
After a few minutes, she opens her eye and turns her head to the side when she heard a familiar soft voice, greeting her after a click sound of a flash.
"Strolling quite far away, don't you?" Junmyeon asks while waving the Polaroid picture in the air. Eunjun smiles sheepishly, "Sorry."
"Don't be. There's nothing to be sorry about." He stares out at the ocean, "Admiring the view?"
"Yes." She says. Junmyeon sits beside her and places his black Polaroid camera beside him, near Eunjun's iPhone. Junmyeon glances at her phone before he silently takes it and unlocks it. He taps the 'photos' icon and scrolls through her camera roll.
He smiles to the photos that she took just now. He scrolls up and looks at the saved snapchat photos of her and her sister. He chuckles silently, cute.
"What are you doing with my phone?" Eunjun frowns. Junmyeon grins, "Just looking. I love your photos."
"Stop it!" She whines, trying to get her phone from the professor. Junmyeon's arms are way longer than her reach so she's not able to take it.
"Give it back! God, this is so embarrassing!" She groans. Junmyeon laughs, "Hey... I love them, okay? You take great pictures."
"I don't. Now give it back."
"Hey, listen to me. You do capture great pictures. Remind me whose picture was displayed in an art museum again?" He stares at her. Her cheeks turn red and she stops struggling to take her phone from Junmyeon, "Thanks. But if it wasn't for you, it's impossible."
"You deserved it." He says. Eunjun stares at him for a few seconds before her lips curl into a small smile, "Thank you."
After a few minutes, Eunjun touches her forehead, frowning slightly. She sighs and then shuts her eyes tightly for a few moments. Junmyeon wraps his hand around her waist while staring at her, "Hey... you're alright?"
Eunjun nods slowly, "I'm fine. It's just... My head hurts. I think we should go back."
Junmyeon nods, "Yeah we should."
Jumyeon gets up first before pulling Eunjun's hand to lift her up. Junmyeon wraps his arm around her waist while pushing her head to rest on his shoulder. Both of them walk towards the house. Eunjun wipes her bleeding nose. She sighs tiredly but she keeps on walking, feeling the strong hold of Junmyeon's hands to her body to support her.
"Hang in there, Jun." He whispers and she nods slowly. When they almost reach the house, Junmyeon gives his Polaroid camera to Eunjun for her to hold and then carries her bridal style. Eunjun looks at him, "You don't have to do that."
"You look like you could pass out anytime soon, Jun." He says. Eunjun sighs, "I'm heavy, you know?"
He laughs, "I could throw you into the sea with one hand."
"Gentleman." She rolls her eyes. They finally reach the house and Junmyeon kicks the door open. Eunjun looks up to him, "You can put me down now."
"I'm gonna put you to bed. Rest, okay?" He says, climbing the stairs. He then enters Eunjun's room, laying her on the bed.
"Thanks." She smiles. He nods, "No big deal. Go ahead and have some rest." He caresses her head.
Eunjin speeds up her steps when she feels someone is following her from behind. She glances at her watch and it shows a quarter to twelve midnight. She missed the last bus from the city and now she has to walk home.
Eunjin didn't even bother to look back. She unlocks her iPhone and ready to call 119 when she felt someone grabs her shoulders, pulling her into a dark alley. Eunjin shouts out loud but then she felt a hand covering . She bits the hand and she could hear a man's groan. The man pulls his hand away and she takes the chance to run. Before she could do it, the man punched her face and then her abdomen. Eunjin groans and stares at the man's face with the help of small lightbulb hanging in the alley.
The man looks at her fiercely and she fell to her knees when he swung his fist to her stomach. Eunjin shouts for help and she earns another punch in the face. Eunjin groans when the man is trying to rip her shirt off. She struggles to break away from the man, but then she stops as the man is pushed by someone.
The man falls to the ground and he is beaten by someone Eunjin really knows. Eunjin shuts her eyes tight, hugging her knees while crying silently. She flinched every time she hears the sound of beating and the man's groans. Soon, the sound fades and she feels a pair of strong arms wrapping around her waist while caressing her head.
Eunjin opens her eyes slowly and looks up to the owner of the hands.
"You're fine now."
"Thank you, Sehun." She whispers. Sehun pulls her into a hug, feeling her trembling. Eunjin frowns when she feels Sehun is shivering while caressing her hair. His breath is heavy and he's panting.
"No one hurts my Eunjin."
Eunjin could've sworn that she heard Sehun said 'my Eunjin' but, maybe she's just hearing things. Eunjin touches her abdomen and groans softly, "Please... get me out of here."
Sehun nods and helps her to get up, "Let's get out of here."
Eunjin drinks the hot tea that Sehun made just now. She looks around his enormous house and then changes her gaze to Sehun, "You live alone?"
"For now. My parents are out of town." He says, sitting in the couch next to Eunjin. Eunjin continues to sip on the tea, looking down to the floor; not realising that Sehun has been staring at her. His eyes travels from her recovering bruised forehead, down to her wounded cheek and her wounded lips. Sehun's hands suddenly curl into fists and he clenches his jaw.
As Eunjin puts the cup on the table, Sehun grabs her chin, making her to face him and she gasps a little. Eunjin looks as he scans her face, especially her lips. Eunjin looks up to his eyes, but Sehun doesn't seem to notice since he's busy checking her wounded lips.
"I'll get the first aid kit." Sehun says and leaves the living room. After a few seconds, he comes back with a first aid kit in his hand. Sehun pours the ointment on his fingertips and then gently rubs it on Eunjin's left side of lips. After that he rubs it on her cheek, then her forehead. Once he's done, he places the bottle of ointment down on the table. Eunjin notices that Sehun's knuckles are bruised. Just like reflex, she takes Sehun's hand and stares at it, rubbing the knuckles softly, "You're hurt."
Sehun froze and he could not stop staring at Eunjin in bewilderment. His body couldn't move and his heart is beating fast as if it could come out of his ribs. Eunjin hasn't realise it since she's busy applying the ointment on Sehun's knuckles.
"The other hand?"
Sehun's awake from his thoughts and gives Eunjin his other hand. Eunjin takes his hand and then her eyes widened, "Oh my God! This one's worst! How did you beat him up anyway?"
Sehun hisses when Eunjin touches the bruises. Eunjin apologises and then gently rub the ointment on his knuckles. Sehun stares at her while feeling her soft hands on his hand. Eunjin looks up to him with a smile, "Done."
Eunjin feels her blood rushes to her face as her eyes meet Sehun's. He looks so serious and his stares are piercing into her soul. She looks away and the releases Sehun's hand. "You helped me twice. Thank you."
"You shouldn't be out in the dark by yourself. It's dangerous. You should've taken the cab if you've missed the bus." He says.
Eunjin nods, "I should have."
Then she frowns, "How did you know I missed the bus?" Sehun looks away for a while before he continues to look at her again while cursing mentally, "You did?"
Eunjin frowns more, "A-ah... yeah."
The sound of thunder makes Eunjin flinched a little and then she sighs when the rain starts to pour, thinking how she would go home now.
"Stay here for tonight. I'll drive you home tomorrow." Sehun says, as if he just read her mind. Eunjin glances at him, "Thanks..."
Eunjin follows Sehun upstairs when he told her he would show her room for the night. She looks around the corridor, decorated with modern checkered brown and red wallpapers. Sehun opens up a door and glances at her, "You'll be sleeping here. You can go clean up if you want to. Towel's in the wardrobe. I'll get you something to wear."
Eunjin nods and stares at his back as he turns away and shuts the door tight. Eunjin places her sling bag on the bed and then sits on the bed limply while sighing heavily. She touches her bruise and then hisses, This really hurts.
Eunjin then enters the bathroom, cleans up and wash her hair without a second of not wincing in pain as the water hits the bruises. Why do bad things always happen to me? Eunjin sighs.
Once she's finished, she wraps herself with the white towel she took from the wardrobe and steps out of the bathroom. Eunjin sighs when she realises she got nothing to wear. She glances at her own clothes inside the bathroom, wanting to wear that but then she realised that they're damped and not comfortable to wear.
And then the bedroom door is opened, revealing Sehun. Eunjin panics and lets out a loud gasp while holding on tight to the towel around her body. Sehun's eyes become wide and he quickly turned away, "I-I'm sorry. I bring you... clothes."
Eunjin could feel her face is turning red. She looks at the clothes in Sehun's right hand, "A-ah... just put them on the bed—actually no! I'll get it from you j-just... don't turn around."
Eunjin takes Sehun's silence as an agreement so she walks towards him and takes the clothes from him.
"That's the only shirt I have that I don't wear. It's oversized... I'm sorry." Sehun says. Eunjin shakes her head, "Don't be, it's fine. Thank you but um... do you have any... pants? Or shorts?"
Eunjin stares at Sehun's side profile, which apparently looking like he's thinking, "I don't... but... I have a..."
Eunjin raises her left eyebrow, waiting for him to finish the sentence even though she knows he wouldn't see that.
"...boxer."
Eunjin's face heated up, "Oh... can I?"
She could definitely see that Sehun's face is turning just as red as hers, but he nods anyway, "Sure. Do you want it?"
"Yes?" She says but it sounds like a question. She continues, "It's better than wearing nothing underneath..." Eunjin realised her words and quickly corrects it, "Underneath the clothes! Yeah, that's what I mean..."
Sehun nods slowly, "I'll get you one." He steps out of the room and Eunjin breathes a sigh of relief. But right after she sighed, she panics when she realises that Sehun would come in anytime soon after getting the boxer. Eunjin runs into the bathroom, quickly putting on her undergarments and then Sehun's shirt. Eunjin walks out of the bathroom and looks at herself in the mirror. Damn, this one's really oversized.
The shirt goes right pass until Eunjin's . Sehun knocks on the door and Eunjin opens it. Sehun scans her from head to toe and Eunjin somehow blushes again.
"Why did you even buy an oversized shirt?" Eunjin asks. Sehun shakes his head, "I got it for free. So that's why."
Sehun hands her the black boxer and she takes it, "Thanks..."
"I hope it fits. It's the smallest size I had." He says, rubbing the back of his neck. Eunjin smiles, "I hope so too." She then glances at Sehun's left hand, which is holding a first aid kit. Sehun follows her gaze before looking at her again, "I need to treat your wounds and bruises."
Eunjin nods, "Ah... okay."
Sehun walks into the room and places the first aid kit onto the bed. Eunjin quickly takes the chance to wear the boxer. When Sehun's about to turn around to look at her, she quickly stops him, "Don't turn around just yet! Wait... wait… okay I'm done!"
Sehun finally turns around and Eunjin sits on the bed. Sehun puts in the ointment to Eunjin's wounded cheeks and she winces.
"Sorry." Sehun says. Eunjin smiles, "It's fine."
Both of them are trapped in an awkward silence as Sehun is treating Eunjin's wounds and they aren't talking. Eunjin finally breaks the silence after a few minutes, "How've you been, Sehun?"
"Fine."
Eunjin smiles, "Sehun... you know you can always talk to me if you want to?"
Sehun stares at her right square in the eye, "I know."
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