Chapter Nine:

The morning sun peaked through the curtains and woke Chanmi up from her sleep. Laying on her side, she gazed at Gray's face, which was facing her. He still had the earplug on his left ear while the other one was attached to her right ear. They had spent most of the night listening to all his favorite songs, not saying much, just looking at each other and exchanging shy smiles. 

His sharp eyes that melts me whenever they looked my way, his straight and tall nose that looks like a sculptor spent hours on perfecting, his soft lips that forms the most beautiful smile, and his perfect chiseled jaw line that is so attractive. Are they all mine? Chanmi questioned as her eyes traced his outline, landing on his Adam's apple.   Can I touch them when I want to and kiss those lips when I want to? Chanmi smiled to herself like a little mischievous kid at those thoughts while she propped her head up with her arm and continued to gawk at him. 

Gray, to Chanmi, was a mysterious and complex being who attracted her endlessly. At first, he was just a cute and admirable guy, but then he slowly unveiled himself to be something way more and it was eye-opening to her. Instead of wanting to run away, she wanted to stay and be by his side. 

"What? Haven't seen someone this handsome before?" Gray suddenly spoke, starling Chanmi. His eyes remained closed, but he could feel her eyes examining him the entire time. Finally opening his eyes, he looked into her round surprised eyes and smirked. Whenever he laid eyes on her, Gray would smile ear to ear, wanting to hold her close forever and cure his broken self. I fell too deep this time.

"I was just wondering if you were asleep or not," Chanmi made an excuse and got up out of the bed. 

"I have class in an hour," Gray yawned after glancing at the clock on the wall that called him back to reality from his fantasy as it striked eight thirty exactly. "But you can go back to sleep," he softly tapped her nose.  

"Nah, I'm awake now," Chanmi replied and stretched out her arms, feeling energized and pleasant. So this is what they meant when they say being in love makes you feel like you're on top of the world. 

Ring~ Ring~ Ring~ 

Gray's phone started to ring. He had chose a very generic ringtone, instead of some of his favorite beats or songs because he was afraid his phone would go off in front of important figures that he had to meet occasionally. After years, he had learned to hide a part of himself from his professional life by now. Actually, come to think of it, he always had to hide a part of himself to everyone-be it friends, family, workers, or peers. 

"Hello?" Gray picked up the phone while Chanmi made her way to the bathroom to wash up. Gray quickly followed behind and pointed at the new toothbrush he kept in his drawer to her before continuing his call in his room.

"Sunghwa," Gray immediately recognized his mother's voice. "Let's meet up. Your father just got back from his business trip and we're in town today."

"Meet up?" 

"Yeah, why do you sound so surprised?" His mother gave him a light chuckle. "I reserved lunch at your father's favorite restaurant. Be there at twelve, okay?" 

"Ah, neh." Gray politely responded, taken aback by his parents unexpected invitation. It felt so cold... Even just having lunch together with my parents, I have to have an invitation, Gray looked at his phone with a melancholy smile before putting it away and go wash up after Chanmi had finished.

After brushing his teeth, washing up, and changing his clothes, Gray walked out in the kitchen to see the sight of Chanmi stumbling around in his little kitchen, trying to fry some eggs. He just stood there, leaning  on the wall with his hands on his pants' pockets, watching quietly as she bit her lips and concentrated on the eggs that sizzled on the pan. With both hands tightly gripping on a spatula that Gray had never used before, Chanmi waited for the right moment to flip them. It was easy to see that she was not much of a cook, but it was cute to know she was trying.

It was the first time Gray let someone sleep over at his apartment, nevertheless, cook for him. It was a scene he could not even dream of. It was a  scene that made him feel more like he was at home. 

I thought having you here in my apartment, which always seemed like a prison, made it feel more like a home, but now it is becoming clearer that my home is just where you are.

Sneakily, he took out his cellphone and snapped a picture to keep a memory of the sweet moment.

The first time you stayed over and the first time you cooked for me.

"What are you up to now?" He pretended as if he did not know and slowly walked over to the concentrated Chanmi. 

"I am cooking you breakfast," Chanmi reported the obvious while keeping her eyes on the eggs that were slowly becoming solid. 

"It's like you're cooking them with your eyes," Gray joked and walked over to the cabinet to get some bread to put them into the toaster. 

"It's harder than it looks, okay. My brother and dad are usually the people who cook at home," 

"Really?" 

"My family is a bit different," Chanmi turned to him and smiled. "My mom left home when I was young."

"Ah," Gray stared at her casual demeanor while talking about the topic. 

"It's nothing important," Chanmi felt his unsettling eyes. It was a topic she rarely shared with anyone-even Yerim did not know about it yet. 

"It's okay, you can tell me anything," Gray replied in a serious manner and started to set the table with cups of water and napkins. "I'm here to listen whenever you're ready to talk."

"Thanks," Chanmi gave him a grateful smile before attempting to carefully flip the eggs. 

"Great," she mumbled in disappointment, pouting her lips as she watched the eggs failed to cooperate with her spatula and slipped through. 

"It's okay, I like scrambled eggs anyway," Gray chuckled and went over to massage her shoulders to comfort her.

"Stay with me," Gray suddenly found himself saying as he stood behind Chanmi. How great would it be to have you here like this everyday?

"Huh?" Chanmi turned around, unsure if she heard that correctly.

"Move in," he said in it in clearer terms. "Be here everyday."

"Move in?" Chanmi gasped. "Live here with you?" She blankly stared at him.

Although the idea was nice, it was definitely not something that crossed her mind before. Why? Because first off, they were only college students; second, they were not married (in conservative countries like Korea, it was taboo for couples to live with each other if they were not married), and third, he was Gray. How were they supposed to do something like living together without the whole school blowing it up?

It was no doubt that Chanmi liked Gray a lot, but she liked him-as in his being, presence, and personality, not his fame nor popularity and she honestly did not want either of those things. If it would be known that she was "Gray's girlfriend," Chanmi could only imagine how much attention she would get; and not the good kind. However, even with those kind of things, she was willing to go through for him because who cares if others point fingers in vain and jealousy or mere interest if she was able to call the one she