Chapter Thirty-three: Who Knew

Naeun found herself smiling when she woke up. She had a really good dream last night. She couldn’t remember exactly what it was, but she knew it was wonderful. She wouldn’t be smiling now if it was a bad dream, would she?

She was about to get up when she felt the soreness all over her body. Her back, thighs, and down there were where she felt sore the most. 

At that moment, she was hit by memories of last night. There was her dream, the heavy rain, thunder and lightning, her screaming, and most especially, the passionate love making that followed after. She remembered every little detail like they just happened minutes ago. 

She lifted the sheets and looked under. To her surprise, she found herself clothed. He must have dressed her after she fell asleep in exhaustion. However, the white shirt was not hers. It was Taemin’s. It was the same shirt he was wearing when he came to find her. She was also wearing a black underwear.

She looked beside her and was relieved to find the spot empty. She was not ready to face him yet. How were they supposed to act after what happened? 

However, fate seemed to be playing with her when the double doors opened. By the entrance stood Taemin.

“You’re awake,” he said. He was holding a tray of food.

“Morning,” she greeted and averted her gaze. 

Her cheeks burned. She could not look at him in the eye. Memories of last night were still very fresh in her mind. 

He walked towards her and placed the tray on the bed.

“I brought you something to eat,” he said. 

She mumbled words of gratitude and pulled the tray closer. Keeping her gaze down, she took a sip from the glass of juice. 

After a moment’s silence, he spoke. “How are you feeling?” he asked softly. 

Despite his calm demeanor, she could sense his anxiousness and curiosity. He was probably dying to know what she was thinking. 

She tried to ignore the awkwardness and embarrassment she was feeling and finally met his eyes. 

“I’m fine,” she assured, placing a hand on the side of his face. She gave him a warm smile. 

What happened last night was something they both wanted. She questioned herself if she was feeling any sort of regret, but she found none. She had given him her all, and she was glad she did. He was her first in everything.

He nodded, seemingly satisfied with her answer.

“Finish your food before it gets cold. I’m going to take a shower.”

He leaned in to give her a quick kiss before exiting the room. 

When she was done with her food, she decided to take a warm bath. Ignoring her slight discomfort, she walked to the bathroom. Her eyes widened the moment she faced the mirror by the sink.

He had left marks all over her upper body, her hip bones and her inner thighs. All were evidence of a night of pure and unadulterated passion. 

She was once again reminded that her skin was so sensitive it was easy for her to get bruised. 

‘Damn it!’ she cursed inwardly. She wouldn’t be able to wear her cropped tops and sleeveless shirts for a while. 

She spent about half an hour soaking in the tub, basking in the soothing effects of the warm water. Her tired muscles were beginning to relax. 

When she was done, she dug through her suitcase to find anything appropriate to wear. A sigh of relief escaped from her lips when she found a black short sleeved shirt with a long neck. She frowned thinking why it was mixed with her summer clothes. One of her friends might have put it there by mistake. Nonetheless, she was glad it was there. At least she had something appropriate to hide the hickeys on her neck. She paired it with black pants. 

She was just about to go and find Taemin when her phone rang. It was an unknown number. Thinking it was for the interview Eunji was telling her about, she decided to answer the call.

“Hel-”

“We need to talk. Now.”

Her greeting was cut short by an urgent voice. 

Her brows knitted. “Who is this?” she asked.

“It’s me.”

The second time she heard it, her mind finally recognized the voice. It was her, the girl who had their pictures. One of the very few who knew their secret. 

Her hold on her phone tightened as worry began to rise within her. 

“I thought you won’t bother me?” she replied sarcastically. “And how did you get my number?”

She heard a chuckle from the other line. “I got it from your company. I told them it was for a magazine interview,” the girl said. 

“What?!” She couldn’t contain the surprise in her voice. It turned out to be her whom Eunji was telling her a