Happy imagining :D
It's Empty Here Without You“Hey shorty!”
“Morning, the eighth dwarf.”
“How’s the air down there?”
“Does your neck hurt when you look at other people?”
Those were the first words you told Nako the first moment you saw her at school. Everyday. You enjoyed teasing her because of her very height. She was the shortest student in your class and she always got teased, mostly by none other than you. Everytime you implied that Nako was not as tall as others, she usually pouted, frowned or hit your back or arm or anywhere of you that the girl could reach. There was a time she lectured you with an (almost) serious tone after you told her she was a ‘midget’, which you find funny rather than intimidating.
“Listen up, Y/N Y/LN! First, I have a name, alright? It’s Nako Yabuki, in case you have no idea. Second, I don’t, absolutely, really don’t like being called ‘shorty’ or ‘dwarf’. Last but not least, tall people like you will be killed first if the sky falls, fyi! You got it!?”
Nako ended her ‘lecture’ for you by slamming the table after saying “You got it!?” a little bit louder than usual, causing the rest of the class to fall into complete silence and all eyes to be on you and her. You looked at Nako’s frowning face, then you divert your eyes to Yujin and Wonyoung – the two tallest girls in your class. They were slightly trembling, maybe because they feared what Nako just told you might come true. Then you looked back at the ‘dwarf’ with a wide grin.
“Ooooh, okay, hehe.”
“I’m serious, Y/N Y/LN!” – she loudly repeated your full name.
Before you could reply Nako, your teacher had arrived. While the whole class was getting back to their seats, Nako hit your arm, harder than usual this time. You could totally feel the pain. It was a good thing she hit your left arm, otherwise you wouldn’t be able to take notes of all the lessons.
“Hey, is what Nako said true? That tall people like us will be killed if the sky falls?” - the rabbit, Wonyoung, asked you while you were busy enjoying your lunch at the cafeteria.
“Why don’t you ask this playful golden puppy here?” – you pointed to Yujin. Just like you, she was also busy munching on her sandwich.
That made Wonyoung even more confused (and anxious). Seconds later, Yujin swallowed whatever was in , took a gulp of milk and started to speak.
“Why do you even believe in such nonsense, rabbit?” – Yujin patted Wonyoung’s head. “How in the world could the sky fall? It’s been floating for billions of years and it will be floating till the end of time. Right, Y/N?”
Wonyoung looked back at you, hoping for the answer. You assured the rabbit with a smile and a slight nod. Her facial expressions went from anxious to playful after hearing an unexpected question from Yujin.
“But seriously, Y/N, why do you like teasing Nako so much?”
Wonyoung giggled while Yujin was smiling mischieviously. Perhaps both the rabbit and the puppy had already known the reason why and they were waiting for your answer. Instead of avoiding eye contact with them or trying to change the topic, you calmly countered.
“Why do you think I like teasing her?”
The two girls looked at each other. Then Wonyoung tilted her head and (almost) stared into your soul.
“You know, when you keep teasing a certain girl over and over again, that means you have a crush on her.” – the rabbit said.
“And to have her attention, all you can do is and make her mad. Does that explain everything?” – the puppy added.
Once again, you didn’t even flinch.
“Maybe I do have a crush on her, maybe I really hate her. Who knows?” After picking up the lunch tray, you smirked and exited the cafeteria, leaving Yujin and Wonyoung with giant question marks hovering above their heads.
Friday afternoon. 4 PM. Here came another weekend.
You thought about buying snacks and playing games for the whole weekend, but then you remembered about final exams which were gonna take place next month.
“Alright class, listen up. Important announcement here.” – the teacher suddenly tapped her wooden ruler on the table to have everyone’s attention.
“As you all know, all students are taking final exams next month and the next week is also the last week of this month. That’s why Mr. Principal has decided that…”
Your whole class held their breath to anticipate what was next.
“…the next week will be your week off.”
Your classmates screamed, clapped, hugged each other upon hearing this good news. But the teacher tapped the wooden ruler again to make the noises die down.
“You are gonna use those days off to revise what you have learned and prepare for the final exams. Hanging out is completely not recommended.”
The next thing you knew was cricket sounds and your classmates turning into statues with devastated facial expressions. Your teacher asked if there was any questions from the class but everyone was too shocked to mutter anything.
“Alright, if so, I hope all of you will do well and bring me fantastic scores. Class dismissed.” She smiled and left the classroom. Your classmates had turned back into humans and then the room was full of complaints and whinings. There goes gaming, you thought to yourself and started packing your bag.
As you were walking down the stairs, you heard a familiar voice.
“Hey Y/N!”
You turned around and saw Nako.
“I don’t remember teasing you much for today, miss Yabuki.” – you showed her your poker face, as you had ran out of energy after a long day.
“Can I stay at your place for a few days?”
“Excuse me?”
You gave Nako a questioning look, thinking you misheard her. Why did she want to stay at your place out of the blue?
“You live alone, don’t you? I think you wouldn’t mind taking me in for a few days.” – she calmly replied.
“But how did you know… And most importantly, why?”
“Yujin and Wonyoung told me. I need a quiet place, you know, to do revision for the final exams, because my two older sisters are always making noises at home. We can also help each other with the lessons, don’t you think?”
You remained silent, hesitating. Nako fixed her eyes on you, waiting for your answer.
“I guess…no problem?” – after hesitating for a minute or two, you eventually accepted Nako’s offer. The next thing you knew caused your heart to shake intensely.
“Really!? Thank you thank you thank you!” Nako cheered, showing her crescent eyes and her angelic smile. You had seen Nako smiled and laughed with her girls many times, but this time… It made your heart flutter. How can she be this cute… Wait, what’s this feeling? Darn! – you mentally slapped yourself, refusing to believe you had started to like Nako.
“You okay there? Y/N?” – Nako gave you a confused look.
“I’m not dead yet, as you can see.” – you tried to sound natural to hide your feelings from Nako – “By the way, I don’t think that schoolbag is your luggage to stay somewhere for a few days.”
Nako wasn’t surprised at the situation. “That’s why I need a lift back to my place. And if I remember correctly, you have a car.” – she smiled mischieviously. You didn’t even bother asking her why anymore. Instead, you wondered if Wonyoung and Yujin had told Nako you liked teasing her because you had a crush on her.
“Then let’s go, before it gets dark.” – you turned around once again and started walking to the parking lot.
“Okay. Right after you.”
It turned out Nako’s place wasn’t too far from school. After only fifteen minutes of driving, you arrived at her house. A small house with an equally small yard, located at a peaceful neighborhood.
“I hope you can wait for me. It might take long.” – Nako started.
“How long is long?”
“I don’t know, could be fifteen minutes or…half an hour? But I know you will wait for me.”
Nako smiled at you, showing her pearl white teeth. Once again, your heart beat faster than ever.
“Y…yeah. T…take your time. Tomorrow’s Saturday, anyway.” You stuttered, which you rarely did.
“Alright. Just park here, I’ll be right back. And don’t drive away because I hate pranks too.” – Nako pointed right at your nose before leaving your car. You replied her with a slight nod.
While waiting for Nako to come back, you took out your phone and played with it. After about twenty minutes, you heard the passenger door open. It was (of course) Nako but the girl didn’t get in.
“Could you help me with my suitcase?”
“Sure, is it heavy?”
“Well, not very.”
“I’m coming. You get in first.”
You then exited the car and put Nako’s suitcase inside your trunk. After making sure it’s secure, you closed the trunk and got back to the girl.
“Did you ask for your sisters’ permission?” – you asked Nako after getting inside the car.
“Already. Piece of cake.”
“What? That easy?”
“Yeah. This isn’t my first time staying over at someone else’s place anyway.”
“Guess I have nothing to worry about then.” – you ended the conversation and started the car.
The trip back to your apartment was short but also engulfed with silence. Neither of you said anything, probably because that were the first time you two had sat that near each other.
“Here we are. Let me fetch your suitcase.” – you broke the ice after parking your car in the basement. You proceeded to get Nako’s suitcase and open the passenger door.
You and Nako then headed to the elevator. Both of you were wearing your usual schoolbags but today you were dragging Nako’s suitcase with you.
“Which floor do you live on?” – Nako asked, after you got inside the elevator.
“12th floor.”
“I got it.” – she replied and pressed the number 12 button.
It got silence and awkward once again. You felt that the elevator of your apartment block moved unusually slow today and you wish it could move faster, although when you go home every evening, it moved quite fast.
Then a ‘ting’ signalling you had arrived at the 12th floor came as a relief. Both of you exited the elevator and keep walking for a few meters until you reach your very apartment.
“1248? Nice number right there.” – Nako said as she looked at the brass number plate on the door.
“Yeah, I know. Come on in.”
You inserted the key and opened the door, then you switch on the lights so Nako can get a better view of your home. It was a basic apartment: one kitchen, one bathroom, one bedroom and the rest of the space as the living room.
“Home sweet home.” – you told Nako while she was busy looking around.
“Cozy and comfy.” – she nodded slightly – “I started to like your little world. It’s a pity that there’s only one person in it.” – Nako looked back at you and smiled.
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing.” – she turned away but her smile remained.
“Oh…okay. Anyway, dinner? It’s 6 already.” – you looked at your watch and told Nako.
“Already? Time does fly. What will we have?”
“Let me have a look at the fridge first.”
“Wait, you’re gonna prepare dinner? For us?”
“Yeah, why? I do that everyday.”
“Then let me give you a hand.”
“No, no, no. You’re my guest, remember?”
“Who said guests can’t help owners?”
“But…”
“No buts, Y/N Y/LN.” – Nako insists with her index finger on your lips. The playful Nako you saw minutes ago had gone. You got no other choice but to let the girl help you.
Thanks to Nako’s help, you managed to prepare your dinner more quickly than usual, but most importantly, it tasted significantly better. Not until Nako had decided to enter the kitchen did you realize she was quite good at cooking. With some fruits, some ice and some milk, she brought you the best smoothie you had ever had.
“I don’t like this at all.” – you shook your head, however.
“Huh…why?” – Nako said. You can see sadness in her eyes, so you decided to stop your prank.
“Because I love it!” – You bursted into laughter. – “Aw man, you should have seen your face! Gotcha!”
“You just won’t stop teasing me, right?” – Nako realized you played a pranked on her and started hitting you continuously.
“I’m sorry. Please stop. That hurts.” – you apologized while still laughing at Nako.
“What a waste of ingredients.”
The next thing you knew was Nako pouting and turning away. You then realized you had gone (a little) too far. Nako was mad.
“Hey, what’s wrong?”
She remained silent.
“Are you mad at me?”
Still no answer.
“Look, I’m really sorry, I should have said I liked your smoothie in the first place. I just wanted to tease you a little bit and that’s all. I’m serious. You’re very good at making smoothie, I’m not lying.”
A few seconds after you had finished apologizing, Nako turned around.
“Can I trust you?” – she squinted her eyes.
“Yes, yes you can.”
“Can I really trust you?”
“Of course you can.”
Silence came again. Nako was looking at you with serious eyes while you were looking at her with apologetic eyes.
“Apology accepted.” – she smiled and gave you the OK sign. You released a sigh of relief.
“And don’t do that again. I’ve had more than enough of your teasing at school.”
“Yes, miss Yabuki.” – you saluted like a soldier.
“Good, now move aside. I need to clean myself. There’s at least a shower in your bathroom, right?”
“Um…yeah. Be my guest.”
“I already am.”
After hearing Nako close the bathroom door, you realized you too started to smell after such a long day. Between you and a refreshing shower, however, there were Nako and a bunch of dishes that needed washing. You sighed and started to do the dishes, as there were nothing better to do while waiting.
“Can I have my couch back, miss Yabuki? It’s now my bedtime.”
“Eh? It’s still early!”
“The clock says the opposite.”
“What do you me… Oh. Almost midnight already? I got totally carried away.” - Nako smiled sheepishly after looking at the clock. She had been playing with her phone since she finished taking a shower.
“The bedroom’s right this way.”
You took Nako to your bedroom and showed her the bed that you made.
“Looks comfy. I’m gonna sleep here?” – Nako said.
“Yeah, obviously.”
“But what about you? Where are you gonna sleep?”
“I just told you. The couch.” – you gave Nako a ‘bruh’ look.
“But Y/N…”
“No buts, Nako Yabuki.”
You showed Nako a victorious smile when she realized you just used her own words against her. Just like you earlier, Nako had no choice but to comply with what you said.
“If you say so…” – she pouted.
“Night night.” – you patted her head after grabbing your usual pillow and blanket, as you had prepared an extra pillow and an extra blanket for Nako.
“Goodnight, Y/N.” – Nako said in her husky voice.
You nodded at the girl and closed the bedroom door. Then you headed for the couch. While lying on the couch, you thought about what Nako said back there.
Why did she “but” when I told her I was gonna sleep here?
Was she afraid that I would get a cold
Or…
Did she want me to sleep with her?
Darn! What am I thinking again!?
You shook your head, both mentally and physically, to get rid of inappropriate thoughts. You had been acting weird ever since Nako wanted to stay over. You couldn’t stop thinking about her and not until 2 AM did you fall asleep.
You woke up to the sizzling sound and a great smell coming from the kitchen. Your first thought was (of course) Nako, your new flatmate. Despite the morning hunger, you headed for the bathroom instead of the kitchen, fearing your looks in the morning might make Nako scream.
“Is that egg sandwich I’m smelling?” – after cleaning yourself, you entered the kitchen, where the wonderful smell came from.
“Yes, it is, sleepyhead. Breakfast’s almost ready. Take a seat.” – Nako giggled.
“Whatever you say, early bird.” – you replied sarcastically but deep inside, you thought Nako looked cute in the apron. You didn’t realize you had been fixing your eyes on Nako until she turned around holding a plate of egg sandwiches and gave you a confused look.
“What are you looking at?”
You snapped back to reality after hearing Nako’s question and your mind suddenly went completely blank.
“Er…you?” was all you could utter.
“Very funny.” – Nako replied sarcastically.
After finishing the egg sandwich, you could be a hundred percent sure that Nako was and would always be an excellent cook.
“I’m just gonna say it. Your egg sandwich tastes like heaven. Imagine selling these at school, you might get rich!” – you gave Nako a sincere smile.
“Now you’re exaggerating. I don’t trust you.” – Nako shook her head.
“What? No! I’m telling the truth here!”
“Can’t hear you, won’t listen to you.” – she covered her ears and unintentionally (or intentionally) showed you her white pearl teeth while smiling playfully. You thought your heart stopped beating for a second.
“Ah, you dwarf.” – you frowned.
“I’ll be at the living room. The plate is all yours.” – while still smiling, she pretended to ignore your teasing and left the kitchen.
You saw Nako staring at her laptop screen, which makes you curious.
“Found a great series on Netflix?”
“No and how would I? I’m looking at the final exams schedule.”
“Why the hurry? We got plenty of time.”
“And plenty of subjects.” – Nako rolled her eyes.
“Yyyyyyyep, exactly what I’m about to say.”
Nako ordered you to sit beside her so both of you can come up with a revision plan, which you secretly enjoyed. But it was also at that moment that you realized the exams schedule was more than hectic: 8 subjects in 5 days. You jokingly fell on the floor.
“I’d rather die than take these deadly exams. Goodbye, cruel world. Goodbye, Nako.”
“Why are you discouraged before you even start? Come on, get up. We got a huge load of revision to do!” – Nako shook your arm.
You remained silent. At this point, your day wouldn’t be complete without teasing the girl. Nako felt the same. She grabbed one of her textbooks and whacked you.
“Ouch! What was that for!?”
“Getting rid of your laziness. Any problem?”
Nako’s reply and facial expression showed that she wasn’t in the mood for any of your teasing. You quickly cut it out so she wouldn’t get mad again.
“Alright, I’m listening”.
Nako gave you a deadly glare and switched to serious mode.
“Here’s what I’m thinking. We’re gonna do revision by reviewing both the theory and the exercises. For the theory, I suggest we try to learn by heart as much as we can, then we take turn to ask questions. For the exercises, we should review the ones we have done before and do the ones we haven’t. Yujin told me that you excel at English, so I’m gonna need your help with it. In return, I can help you with Literature, which Wonyoung said that you’re bad at. Agree?”
“Agree.” Is there anything that rabbit and that puppy haven’t told this girl?
“Really really agree?”
Nako showed you her pinky finger and you knew that she wanted you to make a pinky promise. Without hesitation, her pinky finger and yours intertwined.
“Good. Let’s start tomorrow. For now, enjoy our last free day.”
You and Nako had spent almost the whole day watching movies, playing games, browsing SNS and (of course) teasing each other. You also had lunch and dinner delivered to your apartment because you were too lazy to cook anything. That night, after dinner, it rained heavily. You noticed Nako had abandoned both her laptop and her phone to sit by the window and watch the rain.
“You enjoy rainy days too?” – you asked while sitting beside Nako.
“Yeah. They bring back memories and thoughts. They also make me feel peaceful inside. Nothing like sitting at home while listening to the falling rain.” – she replied, fixing her eyes on the rain outside.
“There’s only one thing I like about rainy days.”
“What is it?”
“I can sleep better.”
Nako slowly turned to you while squinting her eyes.
“You truly are a sleepyhead, Y/N.”
“Aaaanyway, it’s gonna be cold tonight.” – you casually said, avoiding Nako’s judging look.
That rang a bell with Nako. She gave you a concerned look.
“Yeah, it’s gonna be cold sleeping out here. Why don’t you…” – the girl hesitated.
“Hmmm?”
“…share the bed with me…I mean the blanket! I mean the bed but not the blanket! Aishh…”
And you could swear that was the cutest moment of Nako that you had ever witnessed. What the girl wanted to tell you was so simple, yet she struggled. While Nako was still trying to find the right word, you patted her head and gave her a warm smile.
“If you say so.”
“You're…okay with it? I…” – she widened her eyes for a moment.
“Anything for you, Nako.”
Just one second later, you realized that your brain and your mouth malfunctioned. You were used to teasing Nako and making her mad, how could you tell her such sweet words that (you think) were only meant for the love of your life?
Nako slightly turned away and didn’t say anything after that. Her side profile showed you that her cheeks turned light pink. She’s…blushing? Because I accidentally said so?
It keeps raining outside. You started to feel colder and wanted your blanket more than ever. “Hey, it’s late. Don’t you wanna go to bed?” - you poked Nako’s arm to remind her of bedtime.
“Huh? Oh…alright, let’s go…” – she snapped back to reality.
You grabbed your pillow and blanket on the couch and headed for the only bedroom.
“Er...there’s a blanket here already, Y/N.” – Nako said when she saw you holding another blanket.
“I know, but two is always better than one. You sure you can stand this cold?” – you gave her a (little) evil smile.
“Um…no.” – she pouted.
You patted Nako’s head again. Then both of you got on the bed with both blankets covering your bodies.
“You’re right. It’s definitely warmer.” – Nako smiled, praising your idea.
“What did I tell you, huh? Night night, Nako.”
“Goodnight, Y/N.”
You switched off the lamp and started to sleep amid the rain sound.
“No, please...”
“Don’t take him away, no…”
“Please, you can’t…”
“Y/N…Y/N…Y/N-ah…”
You suddenly woke up to Nako’s heavy breathing and you heard her sleep talking at the same time. You quickly switched on the lamp and you saw Nako’s forehead sweating a lot. You could immediately tell she was having a nightmare.
“Nako, Nako! Wake up! Nako!” – having no other choice, you grabbed her by the shoulders and shook them. The girl then opened her eyes with a loud gasp.
“Y/N… You’re…you’re still here…”
“Yes, I’m here, I’m still here.”
Nako was still frightened. She must have dreamt about something horrible. Then she looked at you with watery eyes while trembling.
“What’s wrong, Nako? Tell…”
The girl bursted into tears before you could finish saying. It was at that moment, your instinct kicked in. You hugged Nako without thinking twice. You felt that the crying girl was more vulnerable than ever and you needed to protect her with everything you got.
“It’s okay, Nako. It’s just a dream. It’s over.”
Nako clung on to your body and cried louder. Her tears pained you more than you could even imagine.
“I thought…I lost…I lost you…Y/N…” – she sobbed.
“No, you won’t, Nako. I will never let that happen, I promise you. I’m here, I’m always here…”
You patted Nako’s back and kept soothing her for a few minutes. The girl then stopped crying, making you wonder if she had cried herself to sleep.
“Um…Nako?”
“Yeah, Y/N?” – she replied weakly.
“You feel better now?”
“Yeah, I guess…”
“Let’s get back to sleep, alright?”
“Mhmm… But Y/N-ah…”
“I’m here.”
“Can I…sleep in your arms, if you don’t mind?”
“Anything for you, Nako.”
After repeating the very sentence you accidentally said to Nako, you put your arms around her and hugged her, making sure no other nightmare could harm the girl.
You woke up again, but not to the sizzling sound or the great smell off egg sandwiches, but to an angel sleeping peacefully in your arms. Thanks to the sunlight early in the morning, you could see Nako sleeping with a small smile, showing that she felt safe to be hugged by you. For a moment, you just wanted to protect the girl for the rest of your life.
You kept gazing at sleeping Nako for a few minutes until her eyes moved and she awoke. Waking up to you right beside her, she fixed her eyes on you without saying anything. Both of you stay quiet for a few minutes until…
“Morning.”
“Morning.”
Nako and you giggled as both of you spoke at the same time. Her pearl white teeth and crescent eyes just wouldn’t stop teasing your heart.
“Are you gonna get up or what?”
The girl closed her eyes and playfully shook her head, telling you that she just wanted to stay in your arms forever.
“I need some breakfast.”
Nako shooked her head again.
“What about our revision plan?”
And again.
“Final exam tomorrow.”
And again.
“You can’t fool me twice.” - she put her index finger on your lip.
“Then what can I do, huh?”
“Cuddle with me for five more minutes.”
“It’s getting late now, dwarf.” – you rolled your eyes.
“Oh yeah? Someone told me ‘anything for you, Nako’ last night, if I’m not wrong.”
Nako shut you down with a victorious smile. It was at that moment, you started to regret telling her you would do anything for her.
“Ugh. Five minutes?”
“Five minutes.”
Despite saying ‘ugh’, deep inside, you enjoy having Nako in your arms. However, you chose not to tell her too soon. All you cared was that you and Nako had become a little closer, physically and mentally.
“Aish! Why does English even exist!?”
The petite girl whined and collapsed on the desk. Today was your second day of your revision plan. Yesterday, you and Nako planned on revising Math and Physics but the exercises the teacher hadn’t covered seemed countless, making both of you too exhausted for Physics. Nako had had enough of figures and calculating so she suggested studying English and Literature today.
“Come on, shorty. You're better than that.” – you said while patting the girl’s shoulder.
“I caaaaaan’t. Why are there even irregular verbs when there are regular verbs already? Why are there too many tenses? Why are there exceptions that even native speakers can’t explain?”
“How cute of you.” – seeing Nako’s frowning face, you can’t help giggling.
“You would never know how it feels like to hate foreign languages.”
“You’re right. A pity, isn’t it? Now sit up and let me help you one more time.” – you smiled while fixing Nako’s ruffled hair.
“Why does Literature even exist!? Arghhhhh!”
“Otherwise we would have to communicate with numbers instead of letters. Understand?”
Nako hit your arm hard. You knew you deserved to be hit. Though being excel at English, you perform quite poorly in terms of Literature.
“But I’m not capable of and not into making up many words! I like things short and simple!”
“Not all things can be short and simple, stupid! The exam requires you to write a 600-word essay in one and a half hour. And here you are, struggling for 2 hours to produce less than 400 words. Are you kidding me or what, Y/N Y/LN?”
Nako almost shouted at you. You knew you deserved to be shouted at. And you couldn’t snap back because the girl was right and you were wrong. So you grabbed your pen and tried to write a new essay from scratch without saying another word.
“Hmmmm, okay, wow...”
Nako (finally) smiled with satisfaction after reading your new essay. With all your remaining energy, you produced almost 700 words within 1 hour and 26 minutes. The petite girl patted your head as she saw you lying on the floor like a dying soldier.
“I did a good job, didn’t I?” – you said, completely exhausted.
“An excellent job, I say.” – Nako warmly replied.
“Thank god…” – you felt like you had completed a glorious mission and died a hero’s death like protagonists in action movies.
“Wanna go for a walk? We’ll have dinner on the way, if you want to.”
“My heart’s still beating.” – you said as you saw Nako lay her hand on your chest. – “And good idea from you. Let’s get changed first.”
It was good to go outside after a long day staying inside studying. You took Nako to a diner not too far from your apartment. The girl was right to suggest walking, as you had barely enough energy to drive.
On your way back home, you noticed an ice cream truck so you bought Nako a huge cup of mint chocolate ice cream.
“Have some toothpaste, shorty.”
“Huh? What’s this for?” – Nako took the cup with a questioned look.
“For helping me with Literature, of course.”
“And how did you know I like mint chocolate flavor?”
“I randomly picked it.”
“Randomly?”
“Yeah. Now, you don’t want this to melt, right?”
“We’re almost home. No need to hurry.”
“Ice cream timeeeee!” – Nako cheered.
“Toothpaste timeeee!.” - you sarcastically imitated her.
“For the last time, this is not toothpaste, alright?”
“But it tastes like toothpaste, don’t you see?”
“I don’t and I’m having all of this to myself. Go away.”
“I’m just kidding, hehe.”
You were not very fond of this flavor, but you were slowly devouring the cup of ice cream, spoon after spoon. You started to wonder why everything tasted better when you share it with Nako.
“You got some ice cream on your lips.” – Nako interrupted your thoughts.
“What? Oh…” – you quicky wiped the ice cream away with your hand, making Nako giggle.
“You eat ice cream like a child.”
“As if you didn’t. Look, you got ice cream on your lips too.”
“I doubt that.”
“Oh yeah?” – using the tip your spoon, you picked some ice cream and tapped it on Nako’s lips.
“Hey!” – she furrowed her eyebrows.
“Oopsie! Let me wipe it for you, hehe.” – you smiled sheepishly.
You proceeded to wipe the ice cream away with your thumb. At that destined moment, Nako’s soft lips were displayed right in front of you and they gradually became irresistible. Unconsciously, your lips gradually come closer and closer to hers until they were milimeters apart. Nako fixed her eyes on yours, as if she wanted to ask “what are you doing?” but you were out of your right mind.
You tucked Nako’s hair behind her ears.
Her soft lips slightly moved.
She wanted to mutter something to you, but ended up being speechless.
You looked straight into Nako’s eyes. One last time before you made a move.
Here goes nothing.
You thought to yourself.
With your eyes closed.
You moved forward.
Those lips…
How soft they were…
And how sweet they were…
For a moment you thought time just stopped…
And there were only two of you in this whole world…
Because Nako’s lips…
Had touched yours…
In such an innocent kiss…
You snapped back to reality and pulled away, eyes wide open and frightened.
W…what have I done?
Feeling your lips were gone, Nako slowly opened her eyes. She remained speechless but her cheeks had gone bright red. Neither of you could say a word. The deafening silence engulfed the apartment.
The cup of ice cream still hadn’t been finished up.
“I…I gotta go out for a while…” was all you could say after minutes of struggling and awkwardness.
You then stood up and left the apartment, leaving Nako dumbfounded.
You walked slowly on the night street and couldn’t stop thinking about what just happened. Thoughts after thoughts appeared in your mind. It was just a kiss…just a kiss… What’s wrong with people kissing each other? What’s wrong with me and Nako kissing each other? It wasn’t like I harmed her… But did I harm her? Did I hurt her? What would she think of me? Oh man… What did I just get myself into?
You were completely lost in your thoughts and you didn’t realize you had walked quite far away from home. You suddenly remembered Nako. The girl had been home alone the whole time and the worst part was that it was already after 9. It was at that moment that your instinct once again kicked in. You turned around and started to run as fast as possible.
I’m sorry, Nako…
I was wrong...
I shouldn’t have left you alone…
I promised you that I would protect you…
If anything happened to you, I would never forgive myself…
Hold on, Nako. I’m almost home…
The only thing in your mind was Nako and you just kept running. It was a good thing you didn’t hit anyone or anything on the streets.
You finally arrived at home, panting and sweaty. Twisting the knob and opening the door, you saw Nako sitting on the couch and watching TV. You sighed in relief but what she was holding in her arm immediately melted your heart.
Your pillow.
Your very own pillow.
Not the extra pillow you lent her the first night she stayed over.
You couldn’t help but smile. A smile of happiness.
“Oh, you’re back.” – noticing you standing at the door, Nako said.
“Er…yeah…” – you replied while scratching your neck.
“Were you chased by a serial killer or something?” – she asked, her eyebrows furrowed.
“No, no! I was just…er…exercising. Yeah! The reason why I gotta go was my urge to exercise!”
“Uh huh.” – Nako nodded. – “You may wanna take a shower.”
“Yeah but…have you taken a shower?”
“After you.”
“Okay.”
You and Nako still shared the same bed that night, but she didn’t seem to need your hug anymore. After bidding goodnight to each other, she moved a little bit further from you and lied down, creating a distance. The awkwardness just wouldn’t go away, making you unable to sleep well. Your mind and your body became unusually restless. You kept closing your eyes and tried to fall asleep, but to no avail. At some point you wanted to hug Nako and tell her everything going on in your mind so bad, but you chose not to. The situation was unpleasant enough because of the kiss.
Little did you know, Nako was also awake almost all night.
After that night, you noticed that Nako had been trying to act natural, as if nothing had happened but the way she talked to you had changed. The relationship between you two had changed. Forever.
You and Nako continued to revise the remaining subjects, but that just made the atmosphere even more uncomfortable. Both of you still exchanged questions and answers, but you just found everything unsually frustrating at that moment. Even small things about what to eat or taking a break are difficult for you and her to tell each other.
You had finally finished revising all the subjects. After a good hard nap, you wanted to relax for a while with your laptop, so you headed to your bedroom.
And you saw Nako packing her stuff.
You stood there, dumbstruck.
She’s…leaving?
You’re leaving me, Nako?
You weren’t having a sore throat, but somehow it hurt when you raised your voice.
“You’re going home, Nako?”
Nako turned around and saw you standing at the bedroom door.
“Yeah, today’s Sunday and the exams begin tomorrow, remember?”
“Oh… I almost forgot.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem because we’ve revised all the subjects. Anyway, would you mind giving me a lift back home?”
For a moment, you wanted to say “Anything for you, Nako” but you were afraid that not only your throat but also your heart will be in pain.
“No problem” was all you could say.
After making sure Nako didn’t forget any of her stuff and locking the door, you grabbed the handle of Nako’s suitcase and started dragging it.
The suitcase seemed heavier than it was the day Nako came to your home.
The elevator seemed to move more slowly as well.
You two eventually reached the parking lot. You opened the passenger door for Nako and then you headed for the trunk.
When you picked up the suitcase, you felt as if you were holding a giant rock.
The trip back to Nako’s place, once again, was engulfed in silence.
At some point you looked to your right and it pained you to see Nako looking to her right as well. Maybe she’d rather see whatever out there than me.
You eventually stopped looking to your right and kept driving silently.
And there you were. Nako’s house.
As you put your hand on the shifter to park the car,
Nako put her hand on yours.
And you could feel the warmth and softness.
You couldn’t help but to look to your right once again.
But Nako’s eyes were not fixed on you as you expected.
What Nako was gazing at
Was her house.
In the yard, there were two other girls, probably her sisters, Eunbi and Chaeyeon.
It looked like they were having fun together.
You unconsciously looked to your right again. At that very moment, Nako turned to her left.
Your eyes met. Again.
But neither of you could say a word. Again.
You tried to mutter something but before you could raise your voice…
“Could you help me with my suitcase?”
Exactly what Nako said to you that day.
And memories started coming back.
“Sure.” – you interrupted your flashback on purpose.
Just when you thought you could stop the pain, Nako lifted her hand.
And she opened the passenger door herself.
You could feel something cracking inside your chest.
But you couldn’t make Nako wait.
So you open the driver door, then the trunk and handed Nako her suitcase.
She thanked you with her husky voice.
Then your eyes met. Again.
“See you next week, Nako.” – you started.
“See you, Y/N.” – Nako replied.
You wanted to hold her hand again so bad, but you chose not to.
You just nodded and stood there speechless, as she turned away and walked towards her house.
Her two sisters welcomed her with hugs and wide smiles.
You got back into the car and just sat there until Nako and her sisters went inside.
You came back home after sunset.
Your eyes were immediately on the couch, hoping to find Nako holding your pillow, but there was nothing.
You headed to the desk, hoping to find Nako diligently working on exercise after exercise, but there was nothing.
You headed to the kitchen, hoping to find Nako preparing dinner for you two.
But there was nothing.
It was at that moment, you started to realize the bitter truth.
It’s empty here without you, Nako…
“Woo! Finally!”
You said out loud as the hectic exams were finally over. The best part was, you had another week off to actually relax. Upon hearing the great news, your classmates almost cried out of joy. Yujin and Wonyoung invited you to hangout with them, but you turned them down with an apologetic smile.
“What? Games again? What do games have but your friends don’t, huh Y/N? I demand explanation!” – the rabbit pouted.
“Or you’re afraid that you’ll be the third wheel? Oh come on, Wonyoung and I love each other, but as friends, man.” – the puppy added.
Little did they know, you needed time and space for yourself to let her occupy your mind. And so, despite whatever the two girls kept saying, you simply shook your head and told them you had tons of newly downloaded games waiting for you.
As you were walking down those same stairs, you heard a voice that you thought you would never had a chance to hear again.
“Hey Y/N!”
You widened your eyes for a few seconds, then you turned around to see if what you thought was true. And you weren’t wrong.
She was standing right there.
“Yeah?” – you couldn’t hide your happiness, though your reply was very simple.
And the next thing you knew, you almost bursted into tears like a child who had found his long lost toy.
“Can I stay at your place for a few days?"
Fin.
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