What a stressful day. Everything gets me so mad. In my office, in the bus, in coffee shop and basically, in every place i stepped on. Is it my unlucky day? How could it be. What did i do? Seriously this is the worst day. Ever.

I reached my hand into my pocket. It is not there. Oh gosh, please not again. I've had enough today. Should i give up on entering my own house to get this stress out of my mind and body? No. I shouldn't. And It's raining!! Who says rain could make your sadness go away? With the lightning and the strong blowing wind???? Stupid. Well, so am i. How could i leave my key on my office desk. It's my friend's fault. I blame her for this. Damn all i wanna do now is screaming my throat out. Agains the rain. But doing that just will make me more sick. Sneezing in the middle of your loud scream? Doesn't sound good, really.

I dig in my bag looking for my cellphone. And guess what? It's dead. I feel like throwing it to the floor. I’m standing in front of the door. Looking for something that maybe can help me to get in. Then i find a glimpse of white thing behind the doormat. I grab it. A faded paper . From my brother, Yugyeom.

Nuna, im going out for awhile. I put the key on the top of the door, just in case you need it. See you.

Why would he leave it there??? But at least he left it for me. How pittier could i be if he didn't. And now, I should climb up the ladder to reach it. Its so feaking slippery!! I hold the both side of the ladder. I climb it up slowly. I try to balance my step. I have reached the peak of this ladder. I see something shiny. Finally. That’s the key! The key to get into my lovely house. In which i can get rid of these stressing feeling off my shoulder.

Right when i reach the peak of the ladder, i look Down. ITS SO DAMN HIGH. and slippery. I feel like losing my balance but I try so hard to survive. After grabbing the key, i step down the ladder. One by one. Carefully. It's okay, 5 steps remaining and you'll get your way to get in, i say to myself. But somehow the key fall down. I am startled and spontaneously try to grip it with my hands. My hands that are supposed to hold the ladder thightly. And dang!! I fall down. DAMN DAMN DAMN. I know something like this is gonna happen to complete the chapter of my ‘the story of my worst day’ book. I found my knees bleeding. And the blood is blending with the water puddle. And it is so freakin hurt.

I swear, today can’t be any worse. Who says that there is happiness behind the sorrow??? Whoever said that, you are stupid.

I’m trying to get up and unlocking the door. There is no one. My mom and dad are still in my aunt's house. My brother is not at home either. Oh warmness. I can feel you. Gotta go to the bathroom and drown myself into the warm water. And lit up the relaxing aromatic candle that i bought yesterday. What a beautiful thought i have in my mind. Maybe they are right. This is the happiness i would get after this awfulness. I look up the wardrobe. Looking for the finest bathing suit and lingerie i have.

I put them all in a pink plastic bag. I put it along with the candle and the match. Ah!! And strawberry scented shampoo. My favorite one.  I've never been this excited to take a bath before. It’s kind of embarrassing to see myself in this state.

I head to the bathroom. And my knee still hurts. The blood has stopped flowing but the red stain is still there. But i still can bear it. And my clothes are wet from head to toe. This house is warm but in this state, the shivers can't be fought. I really need to go faster. To my bathroom. My 3nd favorite part in this house, after my bed, obviously, and my kitchen.

Finally. My feet are now on the pink and fluffy doormat with 4 words printed on it.

"Welcome to the palace" yes, this place in front of me resembles the palace. The most comfy place for me.

The door isn't fully closed. I pull it. And.

DAMN IT.

I SEE SOMEONE????

TO BE EXACT.

 A MAN.

IN MY BATHROOM.

"Who the hell are you?????" I cover my eyes with hands right after i see that stranger. That stranger who dare enough to get himself into the warm water in my bathroom. IN MY HOLY PALACE.

"Get out!!!" I scream my throat out. What a bad bad bad day. Are those torment aren’t enough to torture me??? Who sends this bastard to this house??? I mean, this good looking bastard.

"hey calm down!!" he slowly tries to get up. Oh gosh. I should stop him.

"Wait stop!!!!" After seeing that half part of his damn v line, I realize that he doesn’t wear anything. I cover my eyes. But honestly, i still leave the sidelines of my fingers opened. I can still see... his... damn fine.... body.... i gulp. I Hope he doesn't see it. 

He goes back to sitting position.

"Uhm???" He looks confused when I stopped him. "Ahhh. I know. But you cover your eyes, do you?"

"Of course i do!!"

"What's the problem, then? Unless you take a peek of...."

"Are you kidding me?! I was just... uhm ... whatever. Now get out!!!"

For this time, i make sure to make my hands cover my eyes fully. I can see nothing now. Good. But somehow i get this weird feeling to look at him again. Gosh. What kind of ghost get in to my body now?

I want him to get out. But i saw his black hair is still covered with bubble. I can just let him wait outside but.... this soft spot in my heart doesn't want to do it.

"Well, because I’m kind, i will let you to finish your happy bathing, but you need to be hurry"

That boy smiles.

"Do not smile!! Don't move an inch until i get out of here"

I warn him. I don’t want to see any ‘other’ part of his damp body.

I grip the doorknob. And guess what? It can't be opened. I freak out. It’s cold but why am i suddenly sweating??

"! what did you do to my door????!!"

"Uhm... actually your brother broke it. That’s why i didn't close it fully because.. it can't be opened if you do so. And can only be opened from the outside"

" Why didn’t you remind me in the first place??"

"Sorry. You got in so fast. I didn't even realize it until you screamed.. uncontrollably.."

"Why can't i??? this is my bath room. Everything in here is mine. I do whatever i want"

"Ah i know" he smirks. "Everything? Including me? We are fated... to be trapped in here... maybe..." He is teasing me now!!

"Pardon me??? Like why should in my bathroom?? Why god why" i feel like bawling.

"Do you even need to choose the place to meet your.... soulmate?"

I'm mad. I'm so mad but.... 
Why can't these mad words in my mind be spitted out. Why. My heart, mind, and soul are pieces of crap that don't want to cooperate.

I freeze in silence.

And so does he.

After 2 damn minutes (but feel like 2 hours) of silence he finally burst out laughing. Damn.

"Funny?" I'm annoyed

He stop laughing. "But... your face...."

"Talk again and i'll let you shivering and diying outside"

"Wait i thought you're gonna do that without me.... joking like that"

He was joking. Of course. None of his words does make sense.

"If you die in front of my house, do you think it won’t get me into trouble??!"

"That makes sense, nuna"

Wait.... nuna.... this man is freakin younger than me??? Unbelieveable. Unacceptable in so many reasons. For example like.... a woman who is dating a younger man is sometimes considered.... bad? 
What

WHAT

What the hell are you thinking about??? Im so gonna slap my own face. Urgh.

"Ok shut up now what should we do?"

Instead of answering me, he continues rubbing his skin with the foam. I don’t care anymore about covering my eyes. His body can be such an entertainer just by seeing it. I see the bubbles and foam cover up his body. How i wish the wind blows so hard in this room so those bubbles could fly away.

"Excuse me but are you deaf?" I whine with frowning face

"Eung??? I though you told me to shut up"

"Oh gosh. Okay. Now speak up. What should we do?"

"we? I dont know. But i have to finish bathing myself first. Or you want to take turns? You need this warm water too, I guess. You are so wet and.... miserable"

"I know. Don't mention it. And i will only take a bath when there is no one here except myself" even though honestly i need to go in because im shivering here.

"Really?"

"Shut up"

"Okay. Just so you know, you have the best bathtub ever. Can i use this again next time?"

"Hell no. No one has used that before EXCEPT me”

“and me? Waaah. I feel so special!”

“seriously when we finally get out of here, I will stuff your mouth with a handful of chili pepper”

“Even though I hate spicy food but… I’d like to. If you are the one who will do it. Hehehe” He is now laughing. And I swear his laugh is the most annoying laugh ever

“seriously, you are the MOST. ANNOYING. PERSON. EVER.”

He just smiles. Showing off his teeth. Damn damn damn damn damn how can he has such a beautiful smiling face like that. I start hating myself for thinking that way.

I take a sit in a small pink stool next to the mirror. I’m hugging myself because of the coldness. It’s another torment for me, basically. But somehow I enjoy this feeling. Am I crazy??? I don’t know. Still trying to figure it out. And the most unfathomable feeling is when I catch myself staring at him. at his eyes. At his face. At every point in him that could be seen.

He stops rubbing his skin. His damn milky skin. It’s already clean, I can tell. He uses his hands to scoop the bubbles and blows it. You know what? It is. The cutest thing. I’ve ever seen. Still can’t believe that I am here sitting and admiring his cute act. I’m cupping my chin with my hands. And scrutinize him. every details of him that could be caught by my eyes.

He suddenly turns his head to the direction in which I sit. And blows the bubble out to me. I blink my eyes. Hoping he doesn’t realize what was I doing before he do that.

“why were you looking at me?” he smiles. I hate it. How could I be mad if he smiles widely in front of my face like that.

“what hahaha you must be kidding. I didn’t look at you” My mouth can lie. But my eyes can’t. once again, I hope he doesn’t notice it.

“oooh okay. You are shivering”

“am i?” wow I don’t ever realize that.

“yeah.. do you want me to get a tow…”

“no no no I can do it by myself” I get up. And right when I want to grab my towel, the electricity went off. Seriously. What the actual .

I cried. I barely see anything. But what makes it worse, I hate darkness. I cry. I don’t even move. Just standing here and crying. I can hear the sound of rippling water. I guess he gets out of the bathtub. I don’t care, I swear. I feel so lost. I hate darkness. I tell you again. I hate darkness. No one could understand how much I hate it.

I feel 2 warm hands grabbing my shoulders. And wrapping my body with the towel.

“don’t cry. I am here”

I can’t say anything. I’m scared. I can't imagine how worse could it be if i'm not with him now. 

And I feel his one hand pulling the back of my head closer to his chest and the another one pulls my body close to his. Warm. So warm. And I can smell his scent. The most relaxing scent I’ve smelled. Not that relaxing, honestly. But more like….. tempting? His fascinating scent somehow makes my crying stop. I enjoy it more than I enjoy the smell of my favorite coffee in every morning. More than I enjoy the smell of my favorite strawberry scented shampoo. More than I enjoy any other scent In this world. Even stronger than the scent of aromatic candle that usually never fails to relax me. What happen to me. I feel like I am safe in his arms. Stupid, right? I don’t even know him.

“you are shivering”

Yes, I know. I’ve been shivering ever since the first step I got in to this bathroom. But my inside feels warm. Who cares about the shivers.

I can feel he leads me to somewhere. My head is still on his chest and his hands are still wrapped around me.

“get in” he says

“no”

“get in”

“no” I can hear my own voice trembling

He doesn’t say anything. He unwraps his hands from my body. Unwraps my towel. And carries me up. I spontaneously wrap my arms around of his neck. Try to inhale every scent that I could catch as much as I can.

He drops me gently to the warm water. But let me say this. this warm water is not as warm as being in his arms.

“warm, right? I told you”

“yeah. I could’ve been here if you didn’t get in without my permission first”

He laughs. “oh I’m so glad that you are okay now. You can talk cynically again”

Well, this one is funny. I can’t hold it back. I smiled. Fortunately it’s dark. He can’t see me, I hope.

“I saw you bring something like…. Candle?”

“yes. In the pink plastic bag”

Without any words, he walks to get it. i feel the small wind blowing everytime he moves his body. Making me a little bit cold. If only I can say this straightly to him, I would say please don’t move and hug me instead.

He lits up the candles. And leave it on the counter under the mirror.

Good. I can see him now. A silhouette that forms a great figure. I can see every curve of his body. and what’s better, he uses his boxer. Ummmmh, not that I don’t want to see what’s behind it but I just don’t want to cover my face making me can’t see him just to pretend that it is not something that everyone could see. To be honest, as a normal woman, I’d like to.

He sits down on the edge of my bathtub. He stares at my face. I’m pretending that I don’t see it. like the moment when I did this before to him.

After some minutes in silence, he finally speaks. Finally. Some minutes I hold myself from not seeing him while actually I can but…. I just can’t. same like another torment.

“eum…. How was your day?”

That question. A simple question, actually. But gets me so emotional and could spend 10 pages of paper if someone asks me to write it down.

“Bad. bAD. BAD” I raise up my tone.

“mind telling me?”

Without answering no or yes, I tell him everything that I have in my mind

“you know what? I was late to go to my office because of annoying people in the bus station. My office mates blamed me for anything that I didn’t even do. I was so angry and left the office right away. Making me forget to bring my house key. Why would they do that???? So annoying”

He just smiled. Why. Why does he smile. And looking me with that smiling face. And he puts his hand on my head and caress my hair gently. Seriously. I could’ve been so angry and hit his hand to get it off my head. But I look at his eyes, instead. A pair of his beautiful eyes. It’s actually dark. That aromatic candle doesn’t help much. But his existence makes me feel safe.

After that he gets up. I bend my knees and put my chin on it. I was thinking why. Could someone explain this all to me?

“strawberry. Nice” I turn my head to him. he smells it. If he only knows that that strawberry scented shampoo doesn’t even better than his fascinating scent.

“you want to use it?” I ask

“no. for you”

“ah.. yes. That’s my favorite shampoo. The smell is nice, isn’t it?”

He nods his head and pour it on his hand. And sits again on the edge of the bathtub.

“w…what are you doing”

“ssssh”

He rubs my hair gently. He is shampooing me. I could feel his every slender fingers massage my scalp gently. It’s so relaxing. I'm still in my current position. My chin is still on my knees. I love this feeling. Really love it.

“why?” I ask

“why what?”

“why are you shampooing me?”

“your hair is wet and the longer you wash it, the dizzier you can get”

“ah.. why do you even care. Who am i. who are you.”

“do we even need reason to be nice to people?”

To be nice to people. People. So, I just one of those people that will be treated nicely by him.

“you are right. We don’t need it”

He pours water onto my head and clean every foam on it with the clean water that I’ve always prepared in case of something bad like this happen.

“and then?”

“what??”

“how bad your day was”

“oh. Yeah, after I left my office, I went to the coffee shop. Guess what? Someone spilled his black coffee all over my clothes. I know it was an small accident but… still…. It totally ruined my mood and the rain poured on me like a float and when I climbed down the ladder… I fell down and my knee was bleeding” I sigh. Not because the bad things that I just recalled but because I talked too fast.

As I’m telling him my story I feel the water is getting colder. I’m shivering again. He turns around and tries to find the first aid box. He lifts up my feet and tries to find the wound. Even though he barely sees everything because of the dark. He cleans the wound and sheds the antiseptic and blow it so I won’t feel smarting. After that he puts them back into the box.

“take your clothes off”

“are you kidding me”

“no”

He s my shirt. The stain of that black coffee is still there.

“wait what are you doing???”

“gonna wash it now. it’ll be harder to clean if you wait longer. And you are shivering again. That clothes just will make you feel colder ”

He removes my clothes and cleans the stain on it. I could’ve been angry. Angrier than before. But I don’t. I shouldn’t be touched by this but I can’t help it.

“it’s clean now, I guess. Gonna recheck it again later to make sure it’s already clean” He puts my clothes into the basket.

And.

He.

Gets Into.

The bathtub. Where I am in.

 “move aside” he says.

GOSH. I feel something inside me exploding. He and I. share a bathtub. We’re now facing each other’s faces.

I wish he can’t see my face that is reddening as his skin touches mine. And it’s damn warm.

My mouth barely speak. Seriously. But I have to try to break the ice.

“so… why are you here? You are not supposed to”

“why?”

“because….. you are not supposed to”

“but why?”

“because…. You are a stranger to me. And so am I to you”

“so?”

“what. Why are you so weird uh seriously”

I look straight to the front. He is so surprising.

“can a stranger kiss you?”

“…w….what… but…. ”

I haven’t finished my words and…. His lips are already on mine. Damn. How could the taste of his lips be really sweet. This is a really tender kiss. Our lips are interlocked. Fits to each other. Maybe fate? His warm hands are on my face. Caressing it with its warmness. And he is being more aggressive. Next stage of our kiss. A little bit rough? But feels so good. I let his tongue explore every component inside my mouth. I let him do whatever he wants with it. the water is getting colder and colder. But with his body around mine, I’m feeling so warm. I wrap my arms around his neck. And my other hand gripping his hair. His hair is so silky. This bathtub is so small for both of us. But who cares? This holy palace is the silent witness between our….. love?

Love.

Damn it. When was the last time I felt it?

I don’t even remember.

In the middle of our kiss, the electricity goes on. Why. Why now??? Have I told you that I really hate darkness? But in this case is different. There should be him around me then it’s being the only exception. Should I say that I hate the light from now on??

He unconnected our locked lips. I feel a little bit sadness in my heart. I. Want. More.

He lifts up my chin a bit with his fingers.

“let’s get out of here. It’s getting colder”

Colder? You must be kidding me. Or am I the only one who is  sweating even the half part of my body is under the water?

He gets up. My jaw drops and it almost fall down to the ground. I take back my words. The good thing is I can see the curve of his body clearly with the lamp on. His toned arms and chest, his collarbone, his abs, and everything.

“what are you looking at. Hurry up. Before you shivering again”

He helps me to get up. All I wear is just my underwear. Plus this foam is still all over my body. He helps me to clean it. with his gentle touch.

I change the wet underwear to my favorite lingerie. But don’t worry. He still respects me by turning around. Honestly, I don’t mind if he doesn’t do it. I mean, we have kissed. In the bathtub. And all we wear were just the freakin wet underwear.

I am feeling good now. And my body smells like him. My new favorite scent now. I have worn this warm bathing suit and so does he. We sit next to each other. So now I really believe that in every sorrow or hard times, there must be happiness. And God sends him to be the one who makes them fade away. And God gives me a super bad day to be the reason of his existence in my life. I’m so stupid for not believing it before.

“why are you so nice… to me? I mean, you can be nice to other people including strangers but… do you treat them like this?”

“what do you think?”

“I have no idea?? I don’t know you. You don’t know me. “

“so, just let this flows”

He finishes his words and kiss my forehead. And whispers

“OH MY GOD YOUNGJI NUNA I’M SORRY AND JACKSON WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH MY SISTER WHY ARE YOU BOTH USING THAT BATHING SUITS????” Oh that’s Yugyeom. My little brother. And…. okay. That boy’s name is Jackson.

“Calm down, Yugyeom-ah. I’m trapped here. Don’t know that he was here and we take turns to take a bath because I was shivering” I explains

“oh. I’m so relieved. I’m so sorry nuna I brought Jackson here to play video games and he said he needed to take a bath but then I broke your bathroom’s door but I swear I didn’t mean to because the water faucet in my room is broken so I told Jackson to take a bath here and I was trying to get them fixed but the damn rain fell down so hard I couldn’t go home but I sweaaaaaar to God I had told him to take a bath quickly because you might come earlier and I know you don’t like if…”

Oh gosh my little brother speaks too much. I stop him by gently patting his cheek.

“ssssh… I don’t mind. Change your clothes and go to sleep, okay? And.. that’s okay if the door isn’t repaired yet. We can get it fixed tomorrow”

“but… why are you….”

“hurry up before I change my mind”

“o…okay nuna thankyou so much soooo much I love youuuu” Yugyeom kisses my cheek.

“Jackson, let’s go to my room. Let’s  play the video games!” Yugyeom says to the boy whose the name is Jackson. What a cool name. Gonna stuck in head for 35265612 days, or maybe more.

“okay wait for me there. I will get you some snacks”

“good bro!!” Yugyeom pats Jackson’s head. Ah. These kids.

Yugyeom walks to his room while Jackson is still next to me.

“goodnight” he smiles at me

“night..” I smile back. And still adore his face with the remaining time I have before he goes to my brother’s room

He walks to Yugyeom’s room. I stare at his back. And suddenly he turns around and whispers.

“You have the best bathtub ever. Can i use it again next time?”

“I will think about it” I chuckle