His breath fanning my face was a sign that he was getting closer. So, I waited. Eventhough I hated myself for it, I waited. But no kiss came. I opened my eyes and looked at him, wondering what’s wrong. I saw a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

 

Oh! Dang it! He was just playing. AISH! He chuckled low, pulled back and turned around. “Gotcha!” he muttered. I glared at his . With my blood boiling hot against my veins, I went to attack him. I jumped on his back and bit hit shoulder HARD, and started hitting every part of him I could reach with my fist. His towel suddenly dropped to the floor. I stopped and climbed down, about to laugh at his but the laughter died in my throat when I saw that he was wearing boxers.

 

“You’re wearing boxers!” I said, my tone came out in an accusing one.

 

“You’re saying it like it’s a sin,” he said, bent down to pick the towel up and straightened up and faced me. He then showed me his trademark devil smile.

 

“What are you smiling at?!” I snapped.

 

“You look disappointed with the boxers.”

 

“I am certainly not!” I defiantly said. I raised my chin stubbornly. “Since it’s so useless talking to you, I’ll just go to sleep.”

 

“Suit yourself,” he shrugged.

 

I was on the bed for five minutes- I think- when I felt a movement on the other side of the bed. My eyes snapped open. “What do you think are you doing?!” I aghastly asked.

 

“Going to sleep,” he said as if it’s the most normal thing to say.

 

“You can’t sleep here in the same bed with me!”

 

“Why not?”

 

“Because. . . .” I searched for words but my mind failed me. “Because I don’t want to! And it’s so ungentlemanly of you if you do that!”

 

But he ignored me and just lied down.

 

“I don’t want to sleep beside you!”

 

“Then go ahead and sleep on the floor,” he said.

 

“Why don’t you do that? You’re the guy!” I snapped but he just turned his back on me. “Ya! I’m talking to you!”

 

“I want to sleep.”

 

“Gah! We can’t sleep in one bed!” I insisted and started pushing and kicking him off the bed. When he fell off, I quickly lied down, threw my arms and legs all over the bed so he won’t have space to lie in. I suddenly felt a heavy weight on my stomach and realized he was lying across me. I started tossing; trying to throw him off but he suddenly pushed me over the edge, making me fall down on the floor with the sheets.

 

I climbed back to the bed and we started grueling for space again. But of course, he was stronger than me. I growled out in frustration when I realized he would not leave the bed to me alone. “Fine!” I growled. “But I’m drawing a boundary line!”

 

“Whatever,” he shrugged, eyes closed.

 

“You take the right side, mine’s the left side. If one strand of your hair crosses the line, you’re off the bed! Got that?!”

 

“Crystal clear,” he murmured. I fumed and stomped on my position. I lied down, turned my back on him. I positioned myself as far from him as possible. Dang it! Why did I end up in this situation?

 

An hour passed. . .

 

Another hour. . .

 

And another. . . .

 

And another. . . .

 

And another and another. . . .

 

Gah! Why can’t I sleep? Aish! I don’t know what time is it already but I can’t sleep! Dang it! Who can sleep in a situation like this? And my physical awareness of him chose to heighten up at this very crucial moment. I can feel every breath, every movement coming from him. I tossed and turned around. I found out he was also facing me, fast asleep. It’s so unfair! How can he sleep soundly like this while I can’t find sleep no matter what I do?

 

Well, if you look closely, the pest can be really. . . good looking at an angle. My eyes darted to his lips and something exploded inside me. Flashes of those lips against mine came rushing into my mind. I can remember how soft, sweet, gentle, firm, warm and tingly his lips felt on mine. Without wanting to, my hand reached for his lips, my forefinger tracing it. Something’s up inside me. I just can’t point it out yet.

 

A small smile curved his lips as I saw his lips moved and whispered something incoherently. I closed my eyes. After a while, I finally fell asleep, but it wasn’t as soundly as him. I dreamt I was still in the forest and thousand of hands were touching me. Somewhere at the side, warmth was luring me in. I felt safe and. . . warm. I inched closer and finally went to a dreamless sleep.

 

 

Later. . .

 

Something was moving up and down under my hand. It was steady, rhythmic. I frowned, wondering what it could be. Well, there’s only one way to find out, right? So, I opened my eyes and I was greeted by a bare chest. My arm and leg was strewn carelessly across the pest’s body, my head resting between his neck and shoulder. I gasped and looked up. I saw the pest looking down at me with a knowing look in his eyes.

 

“In case you don’t know, you’re on my side of the bed. You deliberately crossed the line you drew yourself and I can see you’re having the time of your life.”

 

“I am not!” I vehemently denied, pulling my arm and leg off him and rolled to the left side.

 

“Ah, finally!” he sighed. “Finally, I can get us breakfast now.”

 

I frowned at him. He usually wakes up earlier than me. Did he find it difficult to sleep, too? “You slept in late?”

 

“No,” he answered. “But I can’t get your arm and leg off me. Everytime I try to pull them off, you only hold on tighter to me, not to mention you start screaming in protest, whimpering and crying.”

 

“I did not do that!”

 

He raised his brows at me. “Oh, yes you did.”

 

I stared at him blankly, not knowing how to fight him.

 

“Looks like you’re going to sleep on the floor tonight,” he smirked. “Remember the agreement we had last night?”

 

“Ya! That’s not fair! And besides, you didn’t REALLY agree to it.”

 

“Nice try, Kitten. But a deal’s a deal,” he said.

 

“I can’t sleep on the floor!!”

 

“Those were your words last night. It’s not my fault.”

 

“You. . . you. . . you pest!”

 

He chuckled. “Be back later,” he waved off after putting casual clothes on and a hooded jacket.

 

I was left behind, of course. As I was sitting alone in the bed, I pondered on some things. I think I finally know what this means. There’s no other explanation to the feeling of contentment in finding him beside me when I woke up; no other explanation to the feeling I felt while I was watching him sleep; no other explanation to the agony I felt when the possibility of him dying because of me overwhelmed me.

 

I want to be with him. That explains everything. It’s more than physical awareness. I WANT TO BE WITH HIM. I don’t know if I should be proud or happy or to even feel anything now that I finally found out what this unexplainable feeling before is. Aish! This will complicate things. I mean, I have a boyfriend. I cringed as I let the word “boyfriend” linger on my mind. So much for having a boyfriend when I haven’t even thought of him for a while now. I actually forget all about him when I’m with the pest. Dang it! This is not good. I promised to be faithful; promised to be a good girlfriend; promised to stay away from the pest. But with the recent events, I don’t think I can fulfill all of them. Maybe. . . maybe I’ll just fulfill them once everything’s over? Aish! That’s really unfair to Wooyoung oppa.

 

This is the pest’s entire fault. If only he’s not so dang impressive, funny, cute, brave, and overly y. Maybe I wouldn’t have felt the want to be with him. The memory of the pest under the shower suddenly flashed into my mind. And despite everything- eventhough I hated myself for it- I giggled. The giggles turned louder and it eventually became fits of delighted laughter.

 

Aigoo! I can’t stop myself from remembering the scene. Dang it! I think it’s tattooed on my mind already. Aigoo!

 

The pest arrived around noon. I’m really hungry. And I mean REALLY hungry that it somehow ruined my mood. “Where the hell have you been? And what the hell took you so long?” I greeted. He didn’t answer and just set the bags on the table. He pulled the contents out, hiding them from me.

 

Then, he faced me, grinning. “Close your eyes,” he said.

 

“Why?” I asked suspiciously.

 

“Just close your eyes.”

 

“No,” I refused.

 

“Aish. You’re so stubborn,” he mumbled darkly and walked up to me and covered my eyes.

 

“What are you-?”

 

“Shhh,” he shushed me and led me towards the table. He then removed his hand off my face and whispered close to my ear, “Happy Birthday.”

 

I looked down at the table and saw a cake, an ice cream and a few foods lay in front of me. I turned to him and looked up, teary-eyed. My lower lip started trembling from the effort of trying not to cry.

 

“Oh, puh-leeze! Don’t pull that trembling lip act on me.”

 

In just a matter of two seconds, I was able to throw myself at him and reached for his lips. Stupid! He’s just so stupid! Who does he think he is for making me all teary up?

 

He sighed, his breath washed over my mouth sweetly. His arms wrapped around me, almost lifting me off the ground. I took a quick breath as our lips separated for a moment, but they quickly touched again. Just like before, I felt the sense of right again even if it’s wrong. It’s just so easy to be like this with him. I sighed, too, letting my breath blew into his mouth. An involuntary shiver then came to me as he teased my lower lip with his teeth, gently grazing. I let out a helpless moan and pulled myself closer to him. But then, he pulled back. “The ice cream’s going to melt.” he whispered huskily causing chills running up and down my spine.

 

“I don’t care,” I whispered back and pulled him back to me. My fingers tightened on his hair as I pulled him much, much, much closer, wanting the kiss to deepen. He didn’t fail me as he deepened the kiss, causing mayhem in my already wild heart. I tiptoed and lifted one leg, hooking it on his hip. He slid his hand inside my shirt, rubbing my back. I slid my hand inside his shirt, too, reaching for his chest.

 

“Jiyong,” I murmured. My lips felt swollen already but the hell I care. I only care about the sensation and havoc he’s causing, stirring something up inside me. This is no ordinary kiss; this is a soul-dragging kiss. And dang it, I love it. I love every movement of his lips, every swirl of his tongue, every nip of his teeth, and every touch of his hands on me. I love everything about it; I savored and gloried in it.

 

“Seriously, the ice cream’s going to melt,” he said.

 

“Oh yes,” I blinked and pulled away from him, fixing my shirt down. Why do I always end up doing stupid things with him and in front of him? Aish! Now what will he think? More importantly, why did I initiate it?

 

“Let’s eat? I bet you’re hungry,” I heard him say. I turned to the table and felt the overwhelming hunger boiled up. But a cute paper bag caught my attention.

 

“What’s in that?” I asked as I reached for the bag. But it was sealed. I pressed my fingers and felt something soft.

 

“That’s a gift to. . . . someone special,” he answered.

 

My heart started beating fast. “Someone special?”

 

“Yes. I plan to give that to the person once this is over,” he said. My face fell. So, it’s not for me?

 

“Oh,” I mumbled and put the bag down.

 

I became unusually quiet as we started eating. I can’t even look at him. I can’t even swallow my food properly, to think that I felt so hungry a while ago.