Waking up to a dark room, you felt slight sweat forming around your neck, the air being too hot under the stuffy blankets and a hot body behind you. The fan was , despite the Koreans being scared of it, as it may kill, but screw it. Villagers were fighting for survival, not for comfort and clean conscience.

Carefully untangling from Baekhyun’s body, you quietly slipped out of the bed, your nightgown falling around your thighs that were slightly hurting from the upcoming period. As much as you wished to lie in bed and enjoy Baekhyun’s presence, you wanted to make fresh breakfast to start off both of your days well.

Baekhyun grumbled in his sleep, blindly searching with his hand for your warmth, but fruitlessly. Eventually, he always ended up moving his body on your side of the bed, finding your gentle smell so calming, it would lull him back to sleep.

Smiling to yourself, you closed the door behind you, appearing in the kitchen that was combined with a very small living room. They were all in one room, basically. Thankfully, you could do some nice changes to the flat in a cheap manner and you didn’t mind tightening your belt for a few weeks. You could walk to many places as well, Seoul transportation was pricey anyway.

Starting with the vegetables, you moved swiftly around the little kitchen, preparing the breakfast into cute bowls that you made yourself when you were attending pottery class during your high school years.

It might sound like it had been a long time, but you graduated from high school only a couple of years ago. You spent your first year at home, working at your parents farm, helping out Baekhyun’s parents, and searching for a good enough job until you received the amazing news about Baekhyun’s scholarship at Sungkyungkwan and in your second year after finishing high school, you were in Seoul, living in a tiny flat but a flat that was full of love.

Coffee was done just when you felt a sleepy presence behind you that soon made itself known by giving your exposed neck a gentle, loving kiss. “Good morning.”

His raspy voice and hot breath on your skin sent shivers down your spine. You turned quickly, broad smile on, throwing your arms around his neck and gave him a peck on the lips. “My man, morning.”

Baekhyun chuckled, endearing look on his face as he circled his hands around your waist. His forehead pressed to yours. “I am looking forward to the class today.”

You sighed, satisfied. “I am happy to hear that. You love those kids, I don’t know how you do it.”

“They are playful, like my jokes, like to mess.”

You snorted a laugh, opening your eyes. “Well, I also like to do those things and yet…” you trailed off, playing the victim.

“Yet what?” he exclaimed, shocked.

“Yet you don’t come and play.”

Baekhyun honestly laughed out loud at your sour face expression.

“After everything I do for you,” you added, sighing heavily, eyeing all the food in plates, neatly placed, probably qualified for a food decorating competition.

“Wah! Hold on, hold on, young lady,” he said, grabbing you tighter, bringing you closer. “What is this supposed to mean?” he asked quietly, staring into your eyes. “Why is my lady not happy?”

Pursing your lips, you pretended to think hard. “Well, I do have a hard time at work, sitting, running around my boss,” Baekhyun rolled his eyes at the mention of your boss, “running errands, yet none of them are for me. A massage and a little pampering wouldn’t be bad.”

Baekhyun knew you were teasing him big time.

He knew you in a different way than what you were showing most of the time. You were an extremely tough woman, heart of steel but gentle, soft and completely crazy only for him. He knew it so well. You would never be able to fool him with “this is too hard for me” kind of attitude; you qualified for a man. Thank God he knew hapkido, how else would he protect himself?!

“Exactly, my dear. Those kids don’t want pampering from me, don’t want massages from me. They want to genuinely play,” he said, whispering the last sentence.

“Then, I want to play, too. Genuinely.”

He kissed you slowly but oh, so sensually right then and there.

You did have a point. Both of you have been stuck in a weird stereotype, running and coming from work, eating, having a cozy evening if you managed to get home on time. Otherwise your boyfriend would be swamped with books, researches, cramming English last minute since his final research had to be written in English (screw village high schools for not giving proper attention to English language and screw Baekhyun for not giving a in undergrad and grad school about English classes and missing chances to bond with international students) and you would try to get better at your work by reading various business books from the library or watch some videos about how to become more self-confident and sell yourself.

Gosh, what a competitive world you lived in. It was the exact opposite to the village life where kimchi make-out sessions were a must in autumn, cherry blossom tree picnics with freshly made kimbap a tradition, wild-lake swimming and love-making under the moonlight… The world where only things like those mattered. To have a loved one by your side and deal with difficulties together.

After a fu