Chapter 4

             Taemin starts his step to the parking lot then Naeun follows him by walking next to him. He can’t deny that he’s very nervous too. He feels like he has hit the jackpot that he can Naeun to her house this night. Naeun keeps biting her lower lip and looks to the ground. She can feel her legs weakened, thanks to Taemin who made these strange but likeable feelings for her. On the other side, Taemin steals glancing at Naeun frequently, but he can’t say anything, too nervous.

                “Taemin sunbae, I don’t know how I should thank you...” said Naeun suddenly with her low voice.

                “Ah, it’s nothing... I don’t mind at all,” replied Taemin. “Anyway, when are we going to start speaking comfortably?” Hearing Taemin’s question, Naeun just raised an eyebrow.

                “Can you speak casually to me right now?” asked Taemin again. Naeun nods.

                “N-Ne,” answered Naeun, trying to speak comfortably to him. Taemin smiles ear to ear.

                “So...start from now, you’re gonna call me Taemin oppa? I think that’ll be more comfortable,” asked Taemin while scratching the back of his neck because of the embarrassment.

                “Alright, Taemin o-oppa...” said Naeun shyly. Taemin can’t help but smiles wider. He’s too hapy to be called ‘Oppa’ by Naeun.

                As the night getting late, the wind goes wilder as well. Feeling that, Taemin stops walking and turns to ask Naeun, “Naeun-ah, are you cold?”

                “No, I’m okay, Oppa, I can handle it, I’m wearing sweater anyway” Naeun answered and smiled lightly. Taemin knows what he should do. When Naeun wanted to continue walking, Taemin holds her by her wrist, making the girl stops then Taemin says, “Wait a second.” Naeun rises an eyebrow yet Taemin instantly finds a black jacket from his backpack and takes it out. “Naeun, come here,” Taemin is caringly putting the jacket on Naeun.

                ‘Oh my God, what is he doing? Why does he keep making my heart flutter?’ Naeun holds her breath when Taemin encircling his arm on her to put the jacket. ‘Seriously, what should I do if he caught me blushing like this?!’

                “You really don’t bring something like this on your petite bag, don’t you?” teased Taemin after he has done putting the jacket on Naeun. Actually, his heart beating 1000 times faster than before when he did that, he’s feeling like jumping from the peak of the hill. However, as he wants to look good in front of Naeun, he tries so hard to compose himself well and tries so hard not to look very nervous. ‘Come on, Lee Taemin! You mustn’t looked stupid in front of her,’ his thought full of encouraging himself. Naeun didn’t respond anything, and Taemin knows that it’s because of what he did, so, Taemin speaks again while continuing to walk, “You know...your sweater is not thick enough to warm you, Naeun-ah...” he turns his head to Naeun and smiles gently.

                Naeun looks at him and she can feel her world’s spinning by seeing Taemin smiles like that. “Aaah, I see...And...Thank you...Taemin oppa,” replied Naeun. Her lips instantly curve up in a sweet smile as well. Taemin just nods, he has nothing more to say.

                Finally, they arrive at the parking lot then Taemin leads Naeun heading to his car. Like a gentleman, he opens the door for Naeun and lets her in. Naeun feels her heart beating like mad. ‘Crap! I’m in danger. Every little thing he does makes me blushing like a boiled crab.’ On the other side, Taemin just smiled and went to the driver’s seat right away. Before he turns on the engine, he feels like putting the seatbelt for Naeun, but then he thinks that it would be really weird and awkward if he did that. He can imagine the awkward atmosphere when they faces were really close to each other as he’s helping Naeun with her seatbelt, so, Taemin just reminds her by saying, “Naeun-ah, don’t forget to put on the seatbelt. Safety first~” Naeun smiles and puts the seatbelt. Just by hearing that, Naeun thinks that Taemin has a lot of affection on her. And she’s really grateful for that.

                “So, where is your house?” asked Taemin while turning on the engine.

                “My home is on Yonsang City Park Apartments.”

                “Really???” asked Taemin, sounds like he’s so surprised.

                “Yes...but...why?” Naeun has no idea why was he so surprised.

                “I don’t know this is fate or not but mine is on Ichon Hangang Mansion Apartments, is that not far from yours, right?”

                “Yes! Whoa... What a coincidence...” said Naeun, feeling surprised as well.

                Taemin smiles widely, showing that he’s satisfied with the fact that his living place is close to Naeun’s home. “Alright, let’s gooo!!!” said Taemin while pushing the pedal as he starts driving gently. Along the road, there’re only silence moments because two of them are just too shy. There’s a time when Taemin steals glancing at Naeun, who’s looking straight to the road, then she turns to look at Taemin too, and their eyes meet. Although it’s happened just for 2 seconds, it brings undefinable feeling. Then, Naeun looks straight again and Taemin looks to the road, trying to focus on his driving. The lovely gazes they gave to each other have made the two falling deep.

                Taemin and Naeun just remained silence. To ease the awkwardness, Taemin says, “On the cold weather like this, it’d be better if there was a cup of hot chocolate...”

                “Yes, you’re right!!!” replied Naeun enthusiastically, “I think I can have more than a cup.”

                “Oh? You drink chocolate too?” asked Taemin.

                “Of course! Hot chocolate is the best when it comes to winter!” said Naeun proudly.

                ‘Yeah! I did it! I made Naeun feels more comfortable while talking to me! I should keep this up!’ thought Taemin, then, he says to Naeun, “All this time I think that every girl dislikes chocolate, even though they keep receiving chocolates on Valentine’s Day.”

                “Why is that? Where do you get that theory, Oppa? I love chocolate...”

                “Eungg..You know...Girls tend to pick their food very carefully in order to keep their body shapes... Like Soojung. You know her, right?” asked Taemin. He glances at Naeun when she nodded and continues, “She hates both eating chocolate and drinking hot chocolate. To keep her skinny body, she says. But I don’t have any idea why she was getting angry when Jongin forgot to give her chocolate on Valentine’s Day.”

                Naeun laughs. “Soojung’s really weird. I notices that since the first time we met. But she’s so friendly.”

                “Are you close with her?” asked Taemin, knowing that Naeun and Soojung have the same age.

                “Yes, although we’re from different departments, but we’re on the same community which is focus on charity activities until now,” said Naeun.

                “Ah I see...” Taemin nods, “But, are you sure that you love eating chocolate? You really looked skinny!” blurted Taemin.

                Naeun’s shocked. She bits her lips, trying to hide her smile and blushing face. It’s such a law of nature that every girl is always feeling pleasure when boy tells her that she is skinny, no exception for Naeun. When Taemin said that, she feels butterflies are flying around in her stomach. She likes it very much.

                “Not really, I have chubby cheeks anyway!” said Naeun, trying to play hard to get. Taemin smiles, he wonders the chubby checks Naeun has. From the first time they met, Taemin felt like pinching her cheeks because she’s too cute, moreover when she smiled or laughed. ‘Omo, what am I thinking? It seems like I’m a ert’ Taemin snapped. 

                “You’re cute...” said Taemin suddenly. Naeun is very surprised. Her mind goes blank and she doesn’t know how to react in that kind of situation. Surely, she has a lot of experiences to be praised by the boys but she feels Taemin is different. Her heart’s pounding quickly as she heard that. ‘He’s special’, thought Naeun. Naeun smiles and tells, “Just keep focus driving!”

                Taemin laughs then says, “I’m focus already!”

~

                After more than 1 hour, finally they reach Naeun’s apartment building. Naeun insists that she just want to be dropped in front of the main lobby so that Taemin doesn’t need to park his car and just goes to his home right after he drops her. Honestly, Taemin doesn’t agree with Naeun’s idea, he wants to take her to her unit instead. But then, Taemin thinks again, it must be too fast for him and her. So, he stops his car in front of the main door of the building, and pulls the hand break. When Naeun is about to gets down from the car, she says her gratification for the last time as Taemin takes her home tonight, “Taemin oppa, thank you, really... Thank you for taking me home...”

                “You’re very welcome, Naeun-ah... I don’t mind at all, furthermore our home isn’t that far to each other...umm” replied Taemin, seems like he still hasn’t finished.

                Feeling that Taemin still has something to say, Naeun waits him to speak.

                ‘Yah Taemin, you shouldn’t miss the chance again!! Come on!! Just ask her!! Just blurt it out!!!’ there was a slight conflict on Taemin’s mind.

                “By the way, N-Naeun-ah, c-can I ask for your phone number?” finally, Taemin did what he’s supposed to do since the first time they met. Naeun pauses for a second. “You know, I think I’ll need it in case to ask you about the flyers, posters, and stuff...” said Taemin as an excuse, while taking out his iPhone and giving it to Naeun.

                “A-aaah I see...” Naeun nods and grabs Taemin’s phone. Then she types her phone number and gives the phone back to its owner. “Thank you, Naeun-ah,” said Taemin, satisfied. ‘YES! FINALLY!!!’ he is very very happy that he’s about to jump right now.

                “Umm...I guess I should go now,” said Naeun shyly, “Once again, thank you very much...”

                “It’s such a pleasure... Well, I think I should go home soon as well,” said Taemin. Naeun opens the door and gets out of the car. Taemin slides down the car windows, wanting to bid the last good bye.

                “Please drive safely, Oppa.”

                “I will. Good night, Naeun-ah!” He holds the handle, wanting to start driving. Actually, Naeun wants tell him to text her if he has arrived at his home, just to make sure that he’s arrived safely, but she doesn’t have enough courage to say that.

                “You should go in,” said Taemin to Naeun, who’s still standing beside his car.

                “Sure, good night, Taemin oppa!” Naeun shows her sweet smile for the last time that night then waves to him and goes in to the building.

                After he can’t see Naeun’s back anymore, Taemin drives his car, heading home. He is humming to a random song, expressing his mood right now. How can he be just feeling so-so for escorting a girl home? Moreover that girl is Son Naeun, the impenetrable girl at his campus. Taemin knows the rumor that many boys have been hitting her but all of them got nothing except rejection. And now, he feels like his heart is going to explode soon because of the nervous and excited feeling he has along the night.

~

                As she arrives at her house, Naeun goes to the kitchen to get some cold water even though the weather is very cold. Picturing the moments she had with Taemin earlier has made her can’t think straight. She is too nervous. She didn’t know that interacting with a boy can be this fluttering, yet she knows that Taemin isn’t the same. Yes, Taemin has broken her wall. She’s now thinking whether she can trust him or not. She knows that all of his actions earlier were showing that he’s so gentle. He is a nice boy.

                Naeun goes to her bedroom and goes to the bathroom to clean herself not long after that. Then, she realizes that Taemin jacket’s still with her, wrapping her upper body. ‘Gee! Why am I so careless that forgetting to return his jacket?’ She puts the jacket off and puts it into the laundry bucket in her room, along with her clothes.

                After taking a shower, she grabs her phone, going to text her parents that she already has arrived at home safely, reminding that her parent’s on her grandma’s house. The moment she sent the message, she thinks of Taemin again. Naeun lies down on her bed. She’s staring at the ceiling. ‘Is he going to text me now?’ Naeun shakes her head. ‘No way, why am I even thinking about that? He’s surely not going to text me, he needs my number for business stuff after all.’ Naeun puts her phone on the night stand then goes to sleep.

~

                Taemin jumps to his bed. He rolls his body to the right, then to the left. His toes are curling. His wide smile can’t be removed from his handsome face. That’s the way he showing how happy he is. Things that he did earlier to Naeun are such a great improvement for himself. He’s so glad that he can spend more time with Naeun, know more about her. Well, he doesn’t know why he likes Naeun, he can’t find the exact reason for him liking her.

                It happens just like that. When he stared at Naeun, he found that she’s really beautiful. Her face is so pretty. Her round black eyes have become Taemin’s weakness. Not just her figure, but Taemin found out that Naeun is so innocent. She’s not clingy like most of the girls, that’s a big point for Taemin. Above all, only Naeun can make him feeling like this. Taemin bits his lower lip. ‘Should I text her right now?’

-to be continued-

Author's note:

Tadaaaaaa!! Is that too long??? 

btw, THANK GOD IT'S FRIDAY!!!! I'm so happy today so I post this chapter a day faster.

Thank you for reading, please kindly review... I love reading all the comments from you :)

HAVE A GREAT DAY GUYS!!! Have a great weekend too!^^