It was half past eleven in the night when Baekhyun dropped Mari off at the hotel. What was supposed to be just a night to try street ramen and instant coffee instantly turned into a food trip when Mari got too excited at all the new (and undeniably unhealthy) flavors. She almost couldn’t believe that there was such a variety of flavors and scents that food could have, and when she dragged Baekhyun into the next food stall that sold bindaetteok or mung bean pancake, he couldn’t really ask her to stop.

Thus, the whole night was spent with them stuffing their mouths full until their stomachs had begged them to stop eating and call it a day.

Mari was so over the moon over their little adventure that it just occurred to her she didn’t think about anything else the whole time, her mind entirely focused on the way Baekhyun’s adorable cheeks puffed out when she shoved tteokbokki inside. She remembered laughing so hard at how the intimidating looking man who looked ten time scarier with eyeliner was tearing up at the spiciness of the cake, suddenly looking younger and much more approachable. She liked that look on him.

Baekhyun seemed to have liked it too because he relented to her wishes and eventually allowed her to take some photos of them, his fingers even raised for a peace sign! He still wasn’t smiling (not that she was surprised) but she learned Baekhyun was really easy to convince. One pinch at his slender waist that surprisingly felt firm underneath her fingertips that had the man scrambling sideways with a playful glare, Baekhyun soon smiled.

His smile was still one of the most beautiful and endearing things she’d ever seen, and she’d seen a lot of endearing things in just a day. She was enamored by how stylish Korean people were, but even more impressed at the way everyone just had their own unique person style that made it look like such clothing was made just for them and their personality.

Baekhyun explained that fashion was a big part of the Korean culture as it was also a form of self expression, making Mari retort that he must’ve been a real dull person if he wore the same thing every day. The red haired man immediately became defensive, claiming it was a uniform and that he wasn’t dull at all. Mari, who was enjoying every bit of their banter, challenged him to show her his more exciting side that led them into spending hours at what Baekhyun called an ‘arcade.’

She was spooked at the thought of holding guns at first, but after being reassured that it was just a game and that it was normal for people to play with it on arcades, Mari let loose. She couldn’t remember the last — or if there even was a first — time she had felt that carefree without worrying about their business or family. Not a single thought about proposals or projects crossed her mind that night as she and Baekhyun explored Seoul to their hearts’ content, or more on hers, since Baekhyun was really just making sure she didn’t do anything stupid.

Still, there was no way she would’ve had this memory or this much fun had it not been for the patient bodyguard who followed her to wherever she pleased. Baekhyun understood that Mari’s curiosity led her to sticking her nose in things that was already normal to him, yet he never made her feel dumb nor looked at her weirdly when she asked something that she supposed she should’ve known already. Instead, he explained everything carefully to her, and he even let her hold his hand when she panicked the moment they reached crowded places. There were just so many people and too much noise Mari ducked her head down in an attempt to focus and get rid of the noise because it was unbearable to her. Baekhyun, on the other hand, didn’t even blink an eye as he laced his fingers through hers and kept her head planted on his chest while leading her away from the crowd into a much quieter place.

Mari hadn’t thanked him properly for it, although Baekhyun’s soft smile was enough to tell her he got the message. She smiled back at him, hoping he could see that she was grateful he was so aware and observant of what her limits were and respected it. He didn’t say another word and looked away instead, his warmth spreading through hers in such a way she’d never felt before.

Before she even knew it, Baekhyun had dropped her off at the hotel. Mari was still buzzing with energy from the excitement and happiness that still hadn’t worn off, while Baekhyun bowed to her, his eyes droopy and tired. He never complained about it though, didn’t even say a word, and he most definitely did not push her away when Mari ran to the other side of the car to shove a bag of cinnamon rolls to his chest.

His mouth opened to say something but Mari knew he was tired and probably exhausted from having to be like a tourist guide, so she just waved at him before darting inside the hotel. Even when she reached her floor and had opened the door, only to be greeted by silence and dim lights lit in the dining room, there was still that hum of energy vibrating through her bones.

Mari felt alive.

Until she saw him.

The first thing that entered her line of sight was a muscular bicep raised to run his hands through his platinum locks, lips pulled into a frown as he walked to the dining room, completely unaware of her presence. Mari watched as Chanyeol drank a glass of water before releasing a sigh and leaning back into the fridge. Although his eyes were closed, she could feel his weariness radiating off of him in waves.

She suddenly felt bad as she realized Baekhyun must also be tired, if not more.

Her fiance stood still in the dining room for a solid minute, so she took the time to appreciate how normal he looked at the moment. Dressed in a plain white shirt and black jogging pants, the man deep in thought just a few feet away from her didn’t even seem like the same man that was airbrushed to perfection in the photos with a smile that made her feel weak in the knees.

At that moment, Mari didn’t see him as the man who was loved by his country and equally adored by the whole world for his kindness and generosity. Neither did she see him as the CEO of a company who had too much power on his shoulders, because now she only saw the weight and pressure that lay above it. Tension was prominent from his shoulders and to the base of his neck, the muscles so stiff that Mari felt the need to relieve him of whatever was bothering him. Mari hadn’t even realized she’d already walked all the way to him, her arm reaching out to touch his neck when a large hand suddenly wrapped itself around her wrist. Chanyeol had now pushed his weight off the fridge until he’d pushed her back and her bum hit the edge of the table, his hand still on her wrist while his other arm was planted beside them on the table.

Mari stopped breathing as Chanyeol towered over her, the hardness of his body pressing into the softer sides of her curves.

His eyes were wide and frantic, his chest heaving up and down as his eyes darted frantically to search something in her face when he relaxed, releasing his grip from her with a sigh before walking away.

Chanyeol wasn’t able to take three steps away when Mari saw his wounded palm and she hastily grabbed his shoulder to turn him around. He frowned at her aggressiveness — although he didn’t feel hurt since she couldn’t hurt a fly — and watched as Mari lifted his palm towards her, her former shocked expression now replaced with worry. Chanyeol frowned in confusion, but then Mari pushed him down to sit, and he kept silent, too confused to argue.

Mari was gone for a few seconds when Chanyeol looked at his palm, his lips forming an ‘ah’ once he realized the cause of her worry. The skin of his palms had been grazed off from when he fell to his knees in the apartment at Busan, the redness of his flesh now visible and coated with a thin layer of what seemed like dust. She soon came back with hurried footsteps, a first-aid kit in her hands. Mari took the seat next to him and pulled his arm towards her, her attention sorely focused on disinfecting the wound first before wrapping a gauze around it. Aside from a small grunt from him that had Mari smiling at him apologetically, Chanyeol remained silent the whole time.

It wasn’t until she closed the first-aid kit that he lowly spoke, “Thank you,”

Mari stilled in her movements, expecting that he’d just ignore her the whole time and retreat back to his room. The fact that he was even acknowledging her had her slowing down her actions as she looked back up at him carefully. She was expecting to be greeted by the typical expressionless face he wore, but this time, Chanyeol looked sad, and almost even… vulnerable.

She smiled at him as genuinely as she could in hopes of easing his worries. “You’re welcome,”

“You won’t ask where I got this from?”

“You would’ve told me already if you wanted to,” she mumbled, keeping to herself that Baekhyun had already told her about what happened on the site. From the wound on his hand and the sullen look he wore, Mari looked at him sympathetically, her hand on top of his, “We should go to sleep now. Another long day of work tomorrow,”

Chanyeol was silent, unmoving. She patted his hand twice then picked up the first aid kit, heading to her bedroom to finally get some sleep. The day had been absolutely long for all of them and she knew if she didn’t rest, the weariness of her overexerted muscles would soon catch up to her. She had finished placing the first-aid kit back in the common restroom and was on her way to her room when she heard his voice resonate in the silence.

“Mari, wait,”

Her hand frozen on the doorknob, Mari turned to his direction. “Yes?”

“Are you tired?”

She shook her head, “Surprisingly, no, not really. You?”

“I feel like hell, but I can’t go to sleep. Do you maybe want to…” he scratched the back of his neck, making him look smaller and a little-child like that Mari’s lips turned up ever so slightly, “learn about my