To my dearest readers,

Finals week is next week for me so I’ll update once it’s over. Kindly wait for the upcoming chapters. I’ll update like the usual (2-3 times per week) once school is done. 

Thank you for understanding. (^_^)v

Chapter Eighteen: She Knew

“You’re not going home?” She looked down to find him with his eyes closed.

“Later,” he drawled, not moving an inch. He was comfortably resting his head on her shoulder.

They had been sitting in that position for almost an hour. After that moment of emotional high, they welcomed silence, allowing their feelings time to settle down.

She gave him a gentle nudge. “Oppa, it’s late.”

He straightened up, lifting his head to gaze at her. “You want me to leave?” he asked, a glint of playfulness dancing in his eyes. His was back to being the jovial Taemin.

She shook her head. “I never said that,” she pouted. She rested her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his arm closest to her.

A chuckle rose from his throat as he let her pull him towards to her. “You’re so cute,” he commented. He raised an index finger to poke her cheek. “Since when did you start doing aegyo?”

“Oppa, stop!” She glared at him, pushing his hand away. They both knew she was awkward when it comes to doing aegyo, even if her life depended on it.

He bit his lower lip to suppress a smile, but his cheeks and eyes betrayed him. For some reason, he found her reactions amusing.

She made a face and pinched his arm.

He let out a cry and instinctively snatched his arm away from her. “That hurts,” he complained.

She looked at the reddening area on his arm and smirked. “It doesn’t look that bad,” she commented.

He rubbed his arm, giving her an accusing look.

It was her turn to laugh as she watched him baby his arm. The redness was noticeable against his pale skin. “Such a baby,” she murmured.

She turned her attention to the ring on his finger. Her eyes were fixed on it as she began to contemplate. Should she tell him or not? It seemed like Taemin would never ask so she decided to open up.

“I heard some really hateful words yesterday,” she conveyed, her words spoken softly as she played with the rosary ring on his finger.

She felt his shoulder muscles tense, and his hands closed tightly, his fingers bent against his palm. From the corner of her eyes, she could see his jaw harden. It was very obvious that he was upset but he said nothing.

She initially wanted to keep the matter to herself. However, she eventually decided to let him know. He should know in order to avoid a misunderstanding in the future. She knew he was keeping quiet so she would not be pressured to tell. However, she did not want to leave him in the dark.

She held his hand and opened his clenched fists. “I’m sorry I acted that way,” she apologized.

He took a deep breath and shook his head. “Don’t be. You’re hurt.”

The small smile played on her lips. He knew. With just a few of her words, he understood right away. She did not have to go into details about what happened. That simple sentence was enough.

He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close to him. “I’m sorry you had to hear that,” he whispered, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.

They were quiet for a moment, allowing him time to cool down. Eventually, she felt him slowly relax. The tension in his muscles gradually subsided, his arm around her loosening its tight embrace.

She felt lucky. To have someone who understood her, who knew exactly when to let go and when to hold her, she was lucky indeed. Not many people were given the chance to meet someone like Taemin.

She tugged on his free hand and continued to play with his ring. “You’re going to be very busy in the next few days, aren’t you” she asked, choosing a lighter topic.

He nodded. “My schedule for the upcoming weeks is full.”

“I see.”

He caught her hand that was playing with his ring, successfully causing her to avert her eyes from his ring to look at him. “I’ll text and call you in between schedules,” he promised, holding her eyes captive with his.

Her eyes softened as she gazed at him, and the corners of tugged to form a smile. “You don’t have to.”

He gave her a look of protest. His lips parted, with the intention to interject. However, she was qu