Chapter Twelve: Heart and Key

Naeun opened her eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. She frowned. Since when did her room had cove lighting? The indirect light built into the ledges of the tray ceiling was giving the room a soft glow. She was probably dreaming. There was no way her ceiling got an instant renovation.

She closed her eyes and turned to her side. She curled into a fetal position, and was about to drift back to sleep when she sensed a movement. It was followed by the rustling sound of fabric.

Her eyes opened. What was that?

She was now wide-awake.

Her body tensed when she caught sight of a sleeping figure. What is going on?

She abruptly sat up, kicking off her blanket. Was she in some unfamiliar place yet again?

She felt herself relax when she recognized the person. She placed a hand on her chest, and sighed in relief.

“It was just you,” she whispered.

Taemin was sleeping soundly, his face serene and peaceful. He was lying diagonally on the bed, while she was sitting on the foot of the mattress.

She quickly averted her gaze when she discovered that he was not wearing his shirt. Her brows furrowed. Why is he shirtless?

She clearly remembered that he was fully clothed before she fell asleep. He must have taken it off sometime later.

Earlier, after she helped Taemin back to his bed, he finally slept and stopped bothering her. She watched him sleep for a while to make sure that he was okay until she herself fell asleep.

There was a guest room next to the master’s where she could have stayed, or she could have also gone home. However, she was worn out. She ended up staying when sleep and exhaustion finally caught up to her.

Now that her mind was fully awake, she remembered last night’s shenanigans. She shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. “That was one crazy night,” she muttered.

She checked the time on her watch. It was already eleven in the morning. She calculated how much time she had slept. “I slept for five to six hours,” she mused.

She grimaced when she smelled alcohol on herself, particularly her clothes. She was suddenly eager to take a shower. One of the things she disliked was herself smelling like she just bathed in a barrel of margaritas.

Her face lit up when her eyes caught sight of the bathroom. Would it be okay if she uses the bathroom? She looked back and forth between Taemin’s sleeping form and the bathroom door, contemplating.

Her mind pondered for a while before she made a decision and quietly got off the bed. She softly padded towards the bathroom. Taemin would not probably mind if she used it. Besides, he owed her. She did him a favor by making sure he got home safe.

She took her time with her shower, enjoying the feel of warm water cascading down her skin. When she was done, she dressed herself with the white robe hanging against the wall. She would just borrow it for a while. It would not make sense if she were to use her alcohol smelling clothes.

After a while, she stepped out of the bathroom holding a towel. She was intending to use it to dry her hair. Using the hairdryer would create a lot of noise, and she might end up waking Taemin up so she decided to use a towel instead.

He needed to get the most sleep he could get, since she knew that his album promotions would keep him busy. Also, knowing him, he would surely choose work over rest. He was that dedicated and passionate in his craft. As stated by that one SHINee song, he was married to the music.

She sat on the edge of the bed and started using the towel to dry her hair. She could already feel and imagine the tangles she was creating by rubbing the towel against her hair. It was a ‘hair care no no’ but she was doing it anyway.

After a while, she caught a movement from the corner of her eye. She dropped the towel on her lap, and she turned to look to her left.

Taemin was unhurriedly pushing himself up. When got himself into a sitting position, he scrunched his eyes shut and yawned. Then he stretched out his arms towards the ceiling.

“Morning,” she greeted.

His arms froze midair, and his eyes fluttered open. He looked towards her and blinked several times.

“You didn’t leave?” he asked. He was looking at her with awe and disbelief.

A smile played on her lips. Was it that surprising that she stayed? However, if she were to give it a thought, her actions were indeed surprising. Given their current status, there would be no reason for her to stay.

“Do you remember what happened last night?” she asked, changing the topic.

He was quiet for a moment.

After a while, he nodded. Then he shook his head.

She frowned. “Which is it?” she questioned.

She fought to keep her eyes strictly on his face, determined not to look at his bare chest. She did not want to be caught staring.

He gave her a sheepish smile. “I remember some, but forgot some.” He explained.

“Oh, okay.” She nodded and grabbed the towel from her lap.

She continued drying her hair.

From the corner of her eye, she watched Taemin move. She saw him get up from the bed and go to the bathroom. He came back moments later holding a hair dryer. Then he sat on the side of the bed closest to the wall socket and plugged the hair dryer.

“Come here,” he instructed.

She turned to him. “Why?” she asked. She already had an idea on what he intends to do but she remained impassive.

With his head, he motioned for her to come over. “Come here,” he repeated.

She shook her head. “Why?” she also repeated, raising an eyebrow.

A smile played on her lips when she saw irritation flash in his eyes. She fought to hide her amusement. She just loved playing with him someti