December 16, 2013: WGM Last Day

Naeun could feel herself going weak as she sniffed, a silent tear streaming down her beautiful face. She promised herself before that she would not cry if this day ever comes. However, no matter how much she tried, she couldn't bring the tears to stop. 

"Shh," came Taemin's gentle voice, patiently soothing her as he used his thumb to wipe her tears. 

"I'm sorry," she sniffed and let out a forced laugh, "my tears won't seem to stop." 

In response, Taemin pulled her close, holding her tightly against him. This made her all the more emotional, causing her tears to continue to flow. Her heart was heavy, and she felt an inexplicable tightness in her chest. 

'Why does it have to be like this?' she asked herself, burying her tear-stricken face on his chest. 

The moment the cameras were off, Taemin had pulled her into a corner, hidden somewhere from the rest of the filming crew. There, they enveloped themselves inside their own little bubble, hoping to steal a little bit more time together.

They stayed in that position for a little more than a minute before Taemin pulled back. Cupping her face gently, his eyes met her teary ones. "My pretty Naeun," he whispered, bending a little to level their gazes before adding, "you still look pretty even when you cry. But please, don't." His face held a look of worry. 

Willing her tears to stop, Naeun looked at him with cheerless eyes. Even Taemin himself could not hide his emotions. She could see the evident sadness and conflict in his eyes. 

"Oppa," she whispered, blinking back her tears. "Is this really the end?"

Instead of answering, Taemin leaned forward and pressed his lips on her forehead. Then his lips traveled down as he placed gentle kisses below her eyes, following the tracks of her tears. "Don't be sad," he murmured, his face just mere inches from hers. 

In the next second, Naeun could feel her breath hitch when she noticed him staring at her lips with a look of longing. "Naeun-ah," he whispered softly, his eyes moving back to hers. Due to their closeness, she saw how his pupils dilated before he inched closer. He then pressed his lips against hers. 

Her heart drummed at the contact, and a quiver ran through her body, followed by a warm flush prickling her skin.

The contact only lasted for merely a second before he pulled away, his eyes carefully searching her face for her reaction. It was like he was asking if it was okay. When she showed no signs of resistance, he leaned closer once more to capture her lips in his. On her part, she tilted her head slightly upwards as she waited with bated breath to welcome the kiss.

Naeun, who had never been kissed before, felt like she had never felt before. As Taemin held her close, she could hear the fast thumping of her heart. With one hand on her waist, Taemin placed his other hand to support the back of her head, his fingers weaving through her hair to feel its softness. 

When the kiss ended, both of them were breathless. Though the moment was bittersweet, they each managed to smile through their eyes. It was ironic, in a way, to end everything with a kiss. 

'What a pity,' she thought. 

When she sensed her tears threatening to spill from her eyes, Taemin pulled her once more, embracing her close. With so many words unsaid, they savored their remaining moments with an embrace. Because as soon as they let go, the spell would be broken, and they would be going back to reality. 

August 2020

Moving her thoughts back to the present, Naeun smiled to herself as she recalled the fond memory of her first kiss. 'Strange,' she thought. Why did she remember that all of a sudden? 

For the past several years, she had tried to keep those memories buried. However, it seemed like her continuous meetings with Taemin had triggered her to remember the moments she thought she had neatly tucked away in the past. 

Trying to be present in the moment, Naeun pushed those memories aside and looked at the time on her phone. It was five minutes past eight. However, Taemin was yet to arrive. Looking around, she noticed that she was the only one without a companion. The people around her were either with a group or a pair. 

"Where is he?" she murmured, staring at her phone. Earlier, she had messaged Taemin about their dinner as she was the one booking the place. 

A look of amusement crossed her face when she realized something. She was finally texting him about something other than wishing him a 'happy birthday.' For the first time in years, they had finally broken their long-standing pattern of messages.

If she were honest, it felt strange. It was like texting him for the first time all over again. The way she felt before sending that text earlier was almost the same feeling she had the first time she contacted him after he gave her his number. 

She opened her messages and contemplated whether to text him or not. For all she knew, he could still be busy film