12. Instagram Talks

Annyeong Eunji! Just landed at Jakarta airport. IT’S SO HOT HERE!! 2:13pm

Heading to the hotel soon. We have a free night tonight, but no plans yet. Maybe jump into the pool to cool off hehe. 2:56pm

Hope you’re having a good time with practice ^^ 3:08pm

Missing you like crazy TT 3:09pm

Eunji smiled as she read the string of messages from Jaehwan. VIXX started their Southeast-Asian fan meet tour two nights ago, and were currently on their second stop. It was the ‘season’ for idol groups to be making their appearances overseas; Apink would be heading off over the next couple of weeks too. This meant that Eunji and Jaehwan often missed out on chances to meet due to their clashing schedules, but thank God for technology – they texted and Facetimed whenever they could.

“Girls, shall we resume practice again?”

Eunji quickly typed out her updates and wished Jaehwan a good day as well. She added in a “I miss you, too” at the end, knowing that Jaehwan treasured her words of affection very much. They were starkly different in this aspect – Jaehwan had no qalms declaring his love for anything and to anyone, whereas Eunji’s hair stood each time she had to say something cheesy. But being with Jaehwan had slowly opened her to not be afraid to say what she meant, and it was something that she was glad she could do for her boyfriend.

“Eunji? We’re waiting for you!”

“Coming!”

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“The pool looks great,” Jaehwan commented to Taekwoon as they dumped their towels on the deck chairs by the pool.

Jaehwan was rooming with Taekwoon for the weekend, and asked him if he would like to check out the pool. Taekwoon did not need much convincing; he liked swimming, and the heat itself was sweltering. They bumped into Hongbin and Hyuk on their way down, and Hyuk agreed to join them as well.

Taekwoon nodded in agreement, watching Jaehwan as he dipped a toe into the pool. “Is it cold?”

“It’s perfect,” Jaehwan declared, turning around to pull off his t-shirt. “I’m gonna go in!” He went in with a splash.

Taekwoon shook his head, but smiled as he held out Jaehwan’s phone – carelessly left on the poolside table – to snap some pictures of the pool. Jaehwan always amused him. At times he seemed to be like a little boy stuck in a grown man’s body, but other times he displayed maturity beyond his years.

“Hyung, are you just going to sit there?” Jaehwan called out, wading over to the side of the pool nearest to Taekwoon. He squinted. “Are you using my phone?”

“I’m just taking some pictures,” Taekwoon replied, walking over. “This lighting is pretty nice… it gives off the mysterious feel without being scary.” He snapped a shot of Jaehwan and showed it to him. “See?”

Jaehwan’s eyes lit up. “Ooh that’s nice,” he commented, before getting distracted by Hyuk entering the pool deck from the hotel. “Hyukkie!” Jaehwan called out.

Taekwoon snapped a few more photos before setting the phone aside and stripping off to enter the pool too.

-----

Eunji was sprawled on her bed scrolling through her laptop when her phone buzzed, indicating an incoming text message. Eunji swiped her phone to reveal a grainy photo of Jaehwan, topless in the pool.

What do you think? Jaehwan had typed, with an added string of ‘I’m blushing’ smileys.

Wow nosebleed, she teased back.

Well, it’s nothing you haven’t seen before, Jaehwan replied, followed by a string of winky emoticons.

Eunji felt her face heat up. Contrary to what Jaehwan’s VIXX members and her Apink members think, she and Jaehwan had never actually gone “all the way”. In fact, behind the closed doors and privacy of their bedrooms when they occasionally slept over, it was to do precisely and literally that – sleep. Granted, they hugged, cuddled, spooned and slept in a heap of tangled limbs, but they had never made love.

Eunji knew that Jaehwan was willing and ready. His need and desire for her was obvious – she had pressed up on him multiple times while kissing to know that – and he had admitted it to her as much too. But he had never pushed her to go further; in fact, he was often the one to break away first and place himself back in the ‘safe zone’ – nuzzling her neck or burying his face in her hair.

Eunji racked her brains to think of an appropriate response, and finally settled on three ‘wide-eyed’ smileys. But I’m not the only one…, she added.

Eunji would be lying if she said that she was not physically attracted to her boyfriend. She had the privilege of visually appreciating his toned body – the slight curves of his biceps, the gentle slopes on his abdomen, the well-defined calves and thighs – on several occasions; twice when they snuck back to her beach in Busan to enjoy the sun and water, and a couple more when he slept shirtless with her on one too many warm Seoul nights.

And she was definitely attracted.

Don’t be jealous, his reply came immediately. I belong only to you. Even though the Hamlet audience and my fans always ask me to reveal more.

Eunji smiled. They have had conversations about this. In his Hamlet script, Jaehwan was required to bare to his torso in one of the scenes, and since then his fans have been going crazy requesting him to show more outside of the musical. Thus far Jaehwan has been declining, but Eunji knew that he struggled with it – the balance between his commitment to her and pleasing his fans.

I’m not jealous, oppa… I understand. Eunji replied. She suddenly had an idea. Why don’t you post this picture on your SNS? I’m sure you will make a lot of people happy XD

His reply was immediate. Are you serious???

Before Eunji could reply, Jaehwan was calling in to Facetime.

“Are you serious?” He repeated, by a way of a greeting when Eunji answered.

Eunji laughed at his perplexed face. “Annyeong to you too,” she replied. “And yes, I am. Why not?” She countered.

Jaehwan was still frowning. “Because…” he trailed off.

Eunji sat up on her bed to lean against the backrest. “I trust you,” she told him simply.

Jaehwan broke out into a smile.

“Well, I love you.”

-----

Eunji wandered out to the living room after hanging up with Jaehwan. He had to sleep early as VIXX had a packed schedule the next day, and had nagged at her to turn in too. Eunji, being in Seoul and 2 hours ahead in time zone, was technically supposed to be sleeping soon, but she was surprisingly still feeling energetic.

She was surprised to see Bomi and Hayoung in the living room, poured over Bomi’s phone watching a variety show.

“Chorong-unnie and Namjoo are sleeping already and I was bored,” Bomi explained her presence.

“She was going to disturb you, but I told her that you were talking with the love of your life,” Hayoung added.

Eunji blushed as she picked up a cushion to swat at Hayoung gently before settling onto the couch. “Well, I’m bored too. Shall we go do something?”

Both girls looked at her in surprise. “Do what?”

Eunji shrugged. “Go take a walk or something? I’m having all this energy and feel that I need to expand it before I can sleep.”

Bomi’s eyes widened with understanding. “Ohh I know what you mean. I’m feeling that too!” She clasped her hands together. “Let’s go to the food street and find some snacks!”

“Unnie! We can’t eat at this hour! Chorong-unnie will kill us!” Hayoung’s eyes were wide in horror.

Eunji brightened, ignoring Hayoung. “Okay, call!”

Hayoung snapped her head towards Eunji, and upon seeing her face, gave up. “Okay, I’ll come along too then.” She sighed in resignation.

Eunji and Bomi whooped and bounced up from the couch, and in 15 minutes, the three girls were out of the dorm.

We’re still not sleeping; Eunji captioned a photo that Hayoung snapped of her and Bomi on their way to the food street. What to do?

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Eunji awoke to Jaehwan’s text message the next morning:

You went out so late… you didn’t sleep?!

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Inspiration: Jaehwan's topless pool photo on his Instagram (drools) and Eunji's photo of her and Bomi out late that were both posted on the same day.