“Kim Sunggyu! Put me down!”

It was hard to focus when my face was in front of Sunggyu’s . After the beach volleyball game, Min-seok planned to approach me but Sunggyu got to me first, slung me over his shoulder and ran away as fast as I could. Struggling, I demanded him to put me down. I didn’t care if people were watching. I was more embarrassed to be seen over someone’s shoulder.

I couldn’t see where we’re going but I had an idea that he was headed to the suite.

When we reached our suite, he turned to one side to lock the door. He tossed me on the bed, groaning so loudly.

“I’m so tired,” he muttered absentmindedly, lying on the bed with his arms sprawled out. “I can’t believe that kid won. He’s really good but I shouldn’t have agreed on that bet.”

Running my hand through my hair, I let out a groan. “And I can’t believe you threw me over your shoulder!” I exclaimed. “That was dreadful! How could you do that in front of many people? I don’t know how to face them anymore.”

He sits up, looking exhausted and upset. “Why are you so mad about it? Would you rather go out with Min-seok?”

I stood up. “Whatever. Just go back to where you’re supposed to be.”

He grabbed my arm, heaving me towards him. Or that’s what I thought. When I landed on the bed, he hovered atop me, locking me in between his arms. For the past few days, he’s been very forceful, grabbing my arm and twisting me around. I felt like my arm would break.

But what I really don’t understand is my feelings.

There are things that happen whenever he’s around me. I get this flip thing in my stomach whenever I see him. Or when he kisses me, my pulse speeds up and my heart pounds so hard I thought my ribs would break. It was like when I was with Seunghyun, too.

So, does that mean you’re in love with him?

“I’m supposed to be here,” Sunggyu stated gruffly. “With you.”

I rolled my eyes. Liar. “No, you’re not. You’re always with Zinger.”

He smiled. “I was right. You were definitely jealous.”

“And you’re so egoistic,” I snapped. I placed my arms on his chest, attempting to push him away. Just this morning, the same thing happened. The only difference was that we’re on the bed—which is more intimate than the first.

“Babe, I’m only like this when I’m with you,” he teased.

“Don’t call me babe,” I spoke sharply. “I hate it.” Seunghyun used to call me that. I don’t want to be reminded by it. It feels strange to have him say that to me.

“Zinger is just a friend.”

“And Pluto is just a planet.”

He frowned. “Pluto is not a planet anymore!”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re such a kid. Go shower. You stink.”

“Are you still mad at me?”

“Why would I be mad at you?”

He sighed. “I thought about what I did yesterday,” he explained. “I know you don’t get mad for no reason. It was that banana riding thing I promised you, wasn’t it? I know how much you hated promises that are broken. That happened once… but I won’t do it again. I’m sorry. I never forgot about it, I swear. Zinger was just… sometimes, she talks a lot to the point where she gets me all confused and I forget what I’m supposed to do. I’m sorry.”

I tilted my head to the side. “Whatever. What’s done been done. I went banana riding with Min-seok and his family.”

He rolls of me, thinking that he’s finally letting me go. Holding my arm, he pulled me for a hug. My heart was pounding so hard, for a minute I was scared, thinking he could feel it when he’s hugging me. “Stop bringing up his name. I don’t want to hear it. You want to know what I feel? Fine. I’m jealous. I was jealous when I saw you laughing with that guy. I mean, you never do that to me. When we were kids, you used to be so happy when you see me. But now you look like you can’t even stand me.

“I was jealous when that guy acts like he could have you any minute. The way he fought for you back at that tennis game—I felt threatened. The thought of me losing you against him was terrible. And then Zinger showed up. Yes, we had a past but I never loved him like the way I… well, I never really loved her. Trust me.

“And I’m sorry for breaking my promise,” he concluded. “I really am. I was the happiest when you told me you trust me. You told me the exact same words you did when we were kids. I know you don’t remember. We were at the pool. You were determined to learn how to swim and you asked me to teach you. You told me you trust me and at that moment, I never felt happier. Because the way you said it before, I know it’s not just me teaching you how to swim. It’s more than that.”

Burying my face in his chest, I went red in the face. It was embarrassing. I didn’t want him to see me blushing. Heck, I felt butterflies at what he said. And yes, I do remember it. I remembered telling him that I trust him, and not just the swimming thing, but it’s more than that. I trusted him with my life.

I remember everything now. To be honest, I don’t even know why I failed to recall my past with Sunggyu.

He left for Korea when I was about nine years old. I’ve always had a crush on him but I thought, maybe he didn’t feel the same way that I did. Besides, we were kids. When he disappeared, I was sad. He was the only friend I ever had. I sent him letters but he never wrote me back.

“Sunggyu, you should really let go now,” I told him. “You stink.”

But he didn’t respond. Maybe he was trying to trick me.

“Sunggyu,” I called out.

No sound at all. I looked up slowly, preparing myself for whatever tricks he’s playing. To my complete, utter surprise, Sunggyu has fallen into a deep sleep. His arms around me have come loose, too. At a snail’s pace, I tried to get out from his arms.

He let out a small whimper, his lips pressed together. But he didn’t open his eyes. He was probably too tired after that intense game he had against Min-seok. He played too hard, I thought, studying his slumbering, innocent face. Now look what happened to him.

I grasped both of his legs and carried it so it would be lying on the bed. Then I take hold of the nook of his head, carefully veering it on the left so he would be positioned on the bed properly. Groaning, I tugged the rest of his body to the right stance. He was so heavy. Now I’m certain why he can just grab me and throw me too easily.

I scrutinized his face. Grabbing a dry towel nearby, I gently wiped his face.

“Oh, wait,” I murmured. “You need to change.”

Frowning, I realized how stupid I was for even telling him to change. Sunggyu was in a deep sleep and he won’t even hear me. But he can’t sleep with a wet shirt on, I deduced. I sauntered to where his luggage was to look for a dry shirt.

When I opened his bag, the first thing I noticed was a small pouch squished at one corner. I didn’t want to touch but I was too intrigued to not to care. Sunggyu was sleeping anyway. It wouldn’t hurt to take a little peek, would it?

Quietly, I got the pouch and placed it on my lap. When I opened it, I had expected to see letters or undisclosed papers concerning the school. But what I saw were pictures. Not just any pictures. It was pictures of me and Sunggyu when we were toddlers. Me and Sunggyu back in Australia.

He kept it. The small voice was back. But where are yours?

Looking at the pictures, I realized how happy I was with Sunggyu. The Sooyoung before isn’t the Sooyoung now. Look at how blissful and carefree I was before. Merriment was my best friend. But I guess people have to undergo change whether they like it or not.

The only pictures I have were of me and Seunghyun. I’ve had it ever since we met and not once have I ever dared to throw it away. They were too precious. Even though the reality of him being gone was painful, I can’t just throw our memories away.

But then, if I want to move on…

I inhaled deeply. I quickly returned the pictures to the pouch, putting it back to its original position. Then I continued searching for his dry shirts. When I settled on a plain, white top, I immediately put his bag away.

Gently, I tugged the edge of his shirt and pulled it up. He groaned, flailing his arms around. He almost hit my face if it weren’t for my fast reflexes. My cheeks colored when Sunggyu was finally shirtless, exposing his sturdily-built body. I panicked. My hands were trembling as I made an effort to put the shirt on.

“Soo…” he breathed. For a moment, I thought I was caught. I immediately racked my brain for something sarcastic to say in case he asks me what I was doing. But when I glanced at him, he was still snoozing.

Sighing, I caressed his cheeks. His tanned skin felt soft under my fingers. My eyes traced the curve of his lips. Lying next to him, I took the time to analyze his face. Before I even realized it, I had fallen into a deep sleep, too.

What I promised to be an hour of nap turned out to be more than fifteen hours of sleep. I woke up, snuggled to a warm object. I sighed contentedly. I opened my eyes, blinking to get a clearer view of what I was nuzzling on.

“Good morning.”

My eyes flew open at the sound of someone greeting me. Looking up, I realized I wasn’t just hugging a thing. I was hugging Sunggyu and he was smiling back at me, obviously liking the position. His hands were wrapped around my waist and he was looking down at me.

The first thing I did was shoving him hard on the chest. I was surprised.

“Screaming would have been a better option,” Sunggyu teased, burying his face on my hair. “I swear, I’m beginning to think you’re a guy rather than a girl. But that’s okay. If I wake up with this greeting me in the morning, I’m happy.”

I rolled my eyes, placing both of my hands between us. “I didn’t think this would happen.”

“You sneaky girl,” he murmured. He grazed his lips on my hair. “Changing my shirt when I was unconscious. If you wanted to see me , you could’ve told me. It’s not rocket science.”

I blushed. “W-what? That’s impossible! I only changed your shirt because it was wet and you’ll get sick if you sleep with a wet shirt on. You and your erted thoughts. You should keep it to yourself.”

He laughed. “I fell asleep yesterday, didn’t I? Were you saying something?”

“No,” I replied. “But then I heard you say my name.” I glanced up, giving him a mischievous grin. I felt butterflies when he said my name in his sleep. I wondered if he was seeing me in his dreams.

His eyes widened. “Really? . That’s not…”

It was my turn to laugh. “Busted,” I exclaimed. I pulled away from him to get ready. When I looked down to what I was wearing, I let out a wince. I didn’t change my clothes from yesterday. So much for trying to take care of someone that I even forgot about myself.

“Where are you going?” he asked, groaning.

I didn’t bother responding. He was being a kid. Again. Groaning inwardly, I headed straight to the bathroom. It took me ten minutes to carefully swab off the dirt in my body from yesterday’s game. After showering, I grabbed a towel while drying myself up.

When I heard something click behind me, I turned around, securely wrapping myself with the towel. I don’t know why I’m still shocked to see Sunggyu shirtless. I’ve seen him shirtless for a lot of times now but it still gave me butterflies.

I was hoping he’s still in a daze so I could sneak out without him seeing him. Because the only thing separating us is the towel wrapped around me. This calls for trouble. I need to get out of this room right away.

I silently slipped behind him, heading towards the door. I had to escape before Sunggyu sees me. Grasping my towel tightly, I mentally prayed that he won’t even notice me in the room.

“Oh, I wondered where you went to,” Sunggyu says, wide awake. He grabbed a small towel from the counter and wiped his face. He turned around, only to find me covered with a towel.

I saw him gulp nervously, his eyes scrutinizing me from head to toe. We were only few feet away. I gazed at Sunggyu and he gazed back. He looked hesitant. When his eyes flickered downward, I saw his cheeks go red. Looking down, I realized that my towel stopped in mid-thigh, baring my legs. The smell of almond and vanilla floated in the air.

The atmosphere suddenly turned… strange.

My throat went dry all of a sudden. His strong gaze was making me self-conscious.

Sunggyu sauntered towards my direction while I backed away slowly. I bumped my back at the black closet, finding myself trapped and not moving any further. I felt a strange sense of déjà vu. He placed both arms on the closet, cornering me in place.

He was so close. So close. My heart started beating rapidly. His eyes searched my face, leaning closer. I shut my eyes, pressing my lips together. To my utter surprise, he placed a gentle kiss on my forehead and then on my cheeks. His lips found mine, devouring me completely.

He paused, gazing at me with such intensity. My pulse raced. He leaned again, leaving a trail of kisses on my neck. The feel of his hot breathing sent shivers down to my spine. I was too flabbergasted to move. We have kissed before. But not like this. This was rather different. This was… gentler and more passionate.

Why is he kissing me like… this?

He took a deep breath, giving me several light kisses on my cheeks, on my lips and on my jaw. It was gentle, like he was telling me something. He looked like he’s holding himself back. Maybe trying not to scare me.

The next thing I knew, he picked me up and carried me towards the sink counter. My eyes widened at his sudden actions. Inappropriate thoughts come rushing inside my mind, screaming and turning like mad. I gulped nervously. Sunggyu looked so serious that he could kill me with just his gaze.

Setting me on the counter, he resumed kissing me. The kiss was slow, gentle. Somehow, it made me feel so uneasy, considering thoughts of what could happen next are flooding back in my mind. He wrapped his arms around my waist, decreasing the gap between us. I let out a gasp when my body smacked his.

Suddenly, he deepened the kiss. I was beginning to feel uncomfortable that I tried to squirm to let him stop. When I was starting to lose my breath, I unwillingly let out a soft moan.

That caught Sunggyu’s attention.

He smirked, cupping my right cheek with his hand. “That was y,” he muttered hoarsely. My heart started pounding harder. He starts to leave subtle kisses on my jawline. Moving his head down, he gently nibbled on my neck.

“Sunggyu…” I moaned, my hands trembling.

I had expected him to stop. Seconds later, I felt his lips caress down on my neckline. Then he moved on to my shoulder. I closed my eyes and tried to hold back a moan. One of his hands found its way to my thigh and started rubbing it slowly. The other hand was on my back, making circles seductively.

His lips were still nibbling on my shoulder, occasionally grazing it with his tongue.

“S-S-Sunggyu… s-stop… uh, we’re…”

He pulled away slightly, his lips lightly touching mine. “Moving too fast?” he murmured. “No, Sooyoung. We’ve been very slow. I’ve wanted to do this for a while now.”

He kissed my arm. “Now when you’ve been occasionally wearing those shirts where your navel can be seen,” he continued murmuring, blowing hot breaths on my arm.  “Those provoked me. A lot. I’ve been successful in controlling myself for the past few days.”

He wrapped my legs around his waist, lifting me off the counter. His gaze held mine and I couldn’t tear away. I panted heavily for air when he kissed me on the lips again. He held me tightly, not letting my lips part his when he went out of the bathroom.

He laid me gently on the wide sofa bed at the room next door. Leaving a trail of kisses, he nibbled slowly from my arm, on my shoulder, on my neckline and then on my jawline. His lips found mine and for the longest time, he kissed me fervently.

I moaned unexpectedly, causing him to pull away.

He smirked. “Scream my name next time,” he murmured and pecked my lips before leaving.

When I heard the bathroom door close, I let out a deep sigh. I lost count of how many minutes I laid there while I tried to recall what just happened moments ago. We made out. I gasped, my eyes widening. I can’t believe it. I mean… I… Well…

That happened. And I didn’t even run off. 

okay, so this is new, the format for updating chaps i mean. asdfghjkl. do you guys like the make out scene, omfg. hot sunggyu okay.

anyway, sorry for the lack of updates. college is so tiring & hard. but enjoyable when you've got the craziest friends everrrr.

comments would be nice, xoxo.