Chapter Seven: Wine Red

Naeun woke up with a start. She found herself lying in the back of a car. A fleece blanket was draped over her. The car’s engine was still on, its heater keeping the inside of the car warm.

“Where am I?” she murmured, rubbing her eyes. The last thing she remembered was that she was sitting in one of SM’s dance rooms.

She silently cursed.  Why did she keep on waking up in random places? First, she woke up to find herself in her bed instead of her chair. Now, in an even odder scenario, she found herself in a place that was obviously not SM’s dance room.

Her apprehension lessened when she realized whose car she was in. The familiar scent of Taemin’s cologne was an obvious clue of its owner. It was as if his cologne was spilled in the car. It smelled just like him.

Her eyes scanned her surroundings, looking for any clues of Taemin’s whereabouts. She spotted him outside, sitting on the hood of the car. He was wearing a long padded coat and a baseball cap.

She flipped the blanket back and slowly sat up. She saw her shoes on the floor of the car, while her coat was neatly folded in the front passenger seat.

After putting on her coat and her shoes, she stepped out of the car. She was instantly greeted by the cold winter air. She shivered. She could feel the cold air blowing against her face.

The sound of the door closing caught Taemin’s attention. He straightened his back and turned to her.

“You’re awake,” he spoke, giving her a small smile.

She nodded and returned his smile. “We’re in Han River?” she asked, staring at the Hannam bridge: one of Seoul’s famous landmarks.

She was guessing they were at a less popular spot judging by the lack of people roaming the area. In addition to that, it was already late so most people were probably in the comfort of their homes.

“Didn’t you always wanted to come here together?”

She blinked, surprised that he still remembered. When they were still doing their WGM stint, she had mentioned about wanting to go there at night. In her mind, she had pictured the two of them holding hands while strolling around the area.

Much to her disappointment, they never got the chance to go.

She stayed quiet. Pulling her coat close to her, she walked towards his direction and stood next to him, leaning back against the front of his car.

They fell into a comfortable silence, watching Seoul’s city lights. Looking ahead, she watched the reflection on the river’s surface. It was mirroring the colorful lights coming from the buildings and establishments. It was picture perfect.  

After a while, Taemin spoke. “I’m thirsty. Can you grab my drink from the trunk?” he asked, handing her the remote key. “It’s inside my gym bag.”

She frowned. Can’t you do it yourself? Her mind protested, but she accepted the key and went anyway. Standing by the trunk, she pressed the release button. On cue, the trunk lid lifted.

She gasped. A sweet floral smell instantaneously invaded her senses. The trunk was filled with baby’s breath as well as pink and white roses. String lights were meticulously inserted between each flower, giving them an ethereal glow. In the middle was a transparent box, inside it was a cake. Next to the box was a