Areum couldn’t fall asleep. She’s been staring at the ceiling for the last 10 minutes.

“Sleep. I’m not going to jump on you,” Jongin muttered. Sleep's not visiting him either. His cheeks are still burning from what happened a while ago. He unconsciously put his hand on his chest before pulling his blanket over his head. He couldn’t believe that he’s sleeping in the same room as Areum.

Even if he’s such a straightforward kind of guy, there’s still a part of him that makes him act like a teenager. He couldn’t help but remember how Areum traced his scar and how her face looked like when she stood there in surprise. He turned and his mattress. Huffing, he kicked his blanket and removed it.

Even though it’s raining hard outside, he’s feeling so hot. He usually sleeps without his clothes but it would not be appropriate if he removes his clothing when he’s with Areum.

“Hey,” Areum suddenly called out in a soft voice. “When you said you were diagnosed with Cardiomyopathy, did you mean you also had heart surgery?”

“Yes. I actually had a heart transplant.”

“I see.”

Silence surrounded the two and the only sound that they could hear is that of the rain. “It must’ve been hard on you,” she commented. Jongin turned to her and despite not having no candle lit in the room, he noticed that she’s also looking at his direction. He smiled to himself.

“It was hard. Waiting was so hard.”

“You’re lucky to have a perfect match. I know some people who died after having heart transplant. Their bodies rejected their new hearts.”

“Yes I am. And that is the reason why I need someone to take care of my heart.”

That was a subtle punch line. Areum rolled her eyes and lied on her back. He really couldn’t help but sputter things like that. She suddenly shivered when she felt something touching her foot. If she sees another cockroach in that room, she could really go nuts.

It’s really weird for someone who sees blood almost everyday to be scared of an insect. After a cockroach entered her shirt when she was in elementary, she became afraid of them. She pulled her feet and hid them under her blanket.

“Doctor Lee.”

“Huh?”

“Do you still like Director Stone?”

Areum’s brows bristled. Where did that question just come from? She kept quiet, asking herself the same question. Does she still like Park Bogum? All this time, has she been waiting for him? Is that the reason why she cannot settle down.

“It’s not really of your concern,” she replied, pulling her blanket up to her nose.

“It concerns me, every dimension of it. I hope you’re taking me seriously as a man and not as a little brother kind of thing.”

Jongin has that ability to make her freeze on spot with his words.

“I’m going to sleep,” she muttered.

“Good night.”

Why is my heart pounding so hard? Areum asked herself as she turned her back on him.

Creep.

Creep.

Creep.

Areum shuddered as she kicked her blanket, sitting up with a yelp.

“Why? Is there something wrong?” Jongin asked quickly, sitting up and grabbing his phone from a corner. He turned the flashlight of his phone and directed it to her. She was kicking her blanket with a scared look on her face. He pushed his blanket and got near her.

“What’s wrong?” he asked again.

“I felt something creeping,” she muttered softly.

Jongin pulled her blanket and shook it in a corner.

“Nothing’s in he-”

“AHH-”

BLAG.

Huff.

Huff.

“Shhh, Mrs. Song might wake up,” he hushed, clamping with his hand. Areum started shaking her head as she made some incoherent mumblings. “What?” he asked, while pulling his hand.

“My arm. It’s on my arm,” she replied almost sobbing.

Jongin grabbed his phone which lying on the floor. A big brown cockroach was enjoying the feel of Areum’s arm. He looked at Areum who already shut her eyes. A smile came to his face. He hit the cockroach away and quickly killed it with a book which was lying around.

When Areum opened her eyes, Jongin was cleaning the book with a tissue.

“You used my book to kill it?” she asked in disbelief.

“It’s the first thing that I saw so I just used it. I’m cleaning it right now.”

Areum frowned before looking around. Her night blindness really is very unhelpful in situations like that.

The light coming from Jongin’s phone suddenly died.

“My battery’s dead,” he mumbled. Areum pulled her blanket closer. Enemies are just lurking in the dark. She started patting for her phone around her. When she found it, she quickly turned her flashlight on.

“Doctor Lee.”

“Why?”

“Stay still.”

“W-Why?”

“It’s on your hair.”

Areum shivered. “Get it off,” she pleaded, shutting her eyes once again. Jongin slowly got near her. She was already mumbling things alien. Jongin couldn’t help but chuckle.

“I was just joking,” he muttered. Areum’s brows bristled. “W-What?” she asked, stuttering. “You’re really making me angry and-”

Blink.

She could feel his warmth with them being too close to each other. Areum was staring blankly at him as he did that same. They were just following each other’s eyes.

“Doctor Lee,” he whispered.

“Huh?”

His eyes went down to her lips and stopped there for some seconds before meeting her eyes again. She was so quiet as if waiting for a word from him.

Why is my heart racing? Areum asked herself.

Jongin moved a little closer and like a reflex, Areum closed her eyes before pursing her lips into a thing line.

She’s waiting for the next move.

“Good night.”

Huh? Areum slowly opened her eyes and found Jongin grinning. She felt her cheeks burning.

“Were you expecting something to happen?” he asked and Areum turned away quickly. She pulled her blanket and lied on her mattress with her back on him.

“Good night,” she said before turning her flashlight off.

Jongin smiled before he unconsciously touched his lips.

That was too close.

His heart’s racing crazily. It took him a lot of self-control to not do what his body wanted to do. He does not like to invade her privacy in that way. But the look on her face flashed him a lot of lights. Was she waiting for him to do it?

Is she already falling for him?

If that’s the case, Jongin’s willing to wait a little bit more.

Nudge.

Jongin grunted softly as he moved.

Nudge.

He slowly opened his eyes before looking around. He’s barely covered by his blanket. It’s not raining anymore. The moon’s actually shining bright and it’s bringing light to the whole room through the window.

Nudge.

He pulled his blanket closer but he halted right away when he felt an arm resting and wrapping around his abdomen. The spirit of sleep flew away as he quickly tried to make something out of what’s happening.

His heart started pounding when he came up with a conclusion. There are only two people in that room – Areum and himself. Obviously, that arm is not his so that leaves the option that it must be Areum’s. It’d be really scary if it turns out that a ghost is sleeping near him. He’d really freak out and scream like a madman.

He slowly turned around.

Is there anything faster than a racing car? Because that’s how Jongin’s heart is beating.

Lee Areum.

Sleeping Lee Areum.

Thanks to the bright, shining moon, which God put there in perfect angle, he could stare at her as she’s deeply in sleep.

How the hell could she just roll from her own mattress to his? She’s even pulling his own blanket. Jongin just stared at her face. With his slightly shaking hands, he brushed the hair sticking on her face. He flinched when Areum moved. She was mumbling something but Jongin’s mind was just empty as of the moment.

He softly played with her hair and traced his finger through her cheek and her jaw. Areum groaned softly and moved even closer to him.

Jongin felt like he’d faint there and then. Since his relationship in college, he’s never been that close to a woman. He and his previous girlfriend didn’t even go over the line of kissing on the cheek because Jongin found out that she’s just playing with him which was like after 2 weeks of being together.

He’s never been into a physical contact with a woman before. Despite looking like he’s got every girl in his hands, he has never had his first kiss. Men his age might have kissed hundreds of girls before but he sticks with his own belief – that he’ll only kiss the woman he loves.

Lee Areum’s sleeping soundly and is defenseless.

Jongin’s mind is going spiral and he could feel his body heating up.

He moved near her.

Nearer.

He could smell the faint scent of her shampoo.

Nearer.

He could hear her soft breathing.

Nearer.

He could already feel her skin almost touching his lips.

Nearer.

UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Jongin clutched his head as he made a soundless cry of frustration and agony. He’s starting to lose his mind. While Areum’s sleeping soundly, he’s fighting with his own body and mind.

Areum’s state is inviting.

Sighing, he kicked the blanket and pulled it over Areum’s head – covering her from head to toe to stop himself from his unholy delusions.

He’s one healthy man inside a room with a pretty lady.

If he’s not sane enough, who knows what he already did?

He looked up at the moon.

“It’s only you and me, Mr. Moon,” he sighed.

It looks like sleep’s going to wait or not going to come at all.

“You’re so early. You already got fuel for the car?” Areum asked while making her way towards Jongin who had his back on her. He was busy checking the car and he’s already set to go. When she woke up, the room was neat and his blanket and mattress were already tidied up.

“Mrs. Song said that-”

Areum halted when Jongin turned to her. His eyes were puffy and his dark circles were so visible as if somebody drew them with marker.

“What happened to you? Did you not sleep?” she asked.

In Jongin’s mind, what happened last night was playing. Areum’s face when she was sleeping, how she looked like when she’s sprawled defenselessly, how he thought of doing something unholy and just the whole thing.

He slapped his own cheek before smiling.

Areum was looking at him like he’s an alien from a UFO.

“Mrs. Song’s nephew came early this morning and he happened to have extra supply of fuel so I bought it,” he informed as he came to his senses. Areum’s still looking at him like he’s a weirdo.

“I see. But…are you okay? You look like a zombie,” she commented, staring at him intently. How could a person change overnight? Did something happen last night?

“I’m okay. I’m one healthy man. I even drink eel extracts. I’m very healthy.”

“Huh? E-Eel extracts?”

“Yes. I’m