넬 - 백야 [白夜]

           She stared at the clock with disbelief for another minute or two as the minute hand passed. Her world was standing still for a moment during that short as she tried to process a few things in her mind. Various things that she so desperately needed to be answered; such as this stranger within her home.

            She dared not to make eye contact with him as he looked at her from over the counter with his elbows propped as he held his milky appearance in his hands. Byulhee could feel his eyes boring into her but strangely enough, she didn’t feel at all threatened by him. She felt at ease with him there. His stares didn’t feel strange. They almost felt so familiar.

            As she made an effort to turn her body to face him, the room got a bit lighter from the sunlight glow that peered through from behind him making the room lighter and warmer. She tried to shield her eyes from the shining light as the shadow before her stayed still and watched her.

            Adjusting her eyes to the brightness, she blinked a few times before she lowered her hand. As the shadows slowly drifted off of his body, she was surprised to find someone within her home. Someone she thought she’d never see again.

            He smiled at her with such pure innocence as he tilted his head a bit to one side. Words got caught in as she slowly dropped the wooden sword to the ground. His eyes on her did not falter nor did they show any signs of looking away.

            “What’s wrong, my little bunny?” he asked as if nothing had happened. She just stared at him unable to say anything from the shock she was receiving. “Say something, love.”

            “J-Jonghyun,” she mustered out. Her entire body was facing him now as her lower lip quivered.

            “Yes, my little bunny?”

            She could not believe it. He was there in flesh and blood and everything about him seemed so real. His hair that hid bits and pieced of sunlight from shining through. His hands that held home to the multiple silver rings he adored and treasured; many of them from Byulhee herself. His beauty mark on his right cheek. His punky stud earrings. Every single detail was alive and well right there in front of her. “J-Jonghyun?”

            “Yes?”

            She couldn’t handle herself as she ran to him around the counter with his brown orbs following her single movements with a gentle smile. Engulfing him with a hug that could’ve taken his breath away, she firmly grasped him with her hands intertwined around his body as her cold cheek touched the warmth of his chest.

            Fearing he would tear her away again, she held on closer just until her knuckles turned white. But Jonghyun didn’t want that moment to end as he let himself melt into her arms. Byulhee welcomed the warmth he offered and tried to suppress her tears that she has been leaving dormant within her for so long.

            Yet when she thought she could speak with a confident voice, her mind faltered her. “D-don’t leave me,” she stuttered as a tear danced down her cheek followed by other that soaked the front of his shirt.

           “P-please?” His warm hand her head as his other gently soothed her back with of comfort.

           “Shhh,” he whispered in her ear. “I won’t leave you.”

           Looking up at him tears in her eyes, she dared to ask. “P-promise?”

           Leading her head back to rest upon his chest, he held her head within his hand as his free arm wrapped itself across her back and held her shoulder. Putting a firm yet gentle grip on them, he laid his chin on her head and took in her scent.

           “I promise you, my little bunny. I won’t leave you. I’ll stay right here until you need me,” he breathed making her heart beat stumble and race again and again.

           “I n-need you,” she whispered with hopes.

           “Then I am here for you.” Happy and content with his answer, she eased herself.

           Slowly and steadily the warmth of the room began to fade as she felt the chills coming to sway around her body. It seemed as the sunlight was being pulled behind the clouds as the room dimmed away to the way it was before he first came. But that didn’t matter to Byulhee as she felt herself being lost in the peace he offered just as her eyelids did.

           Her body slowly began to weigh more on Jonghyun as he supported her with a gentle, caring smile. Relying on his built figure, Byulhee gave in to the fatigue.

           Closing her eyes, she still felt the movements her body made. She felt her legs being lifted as a hand was resting on her back holding her close to his body. The direction he walked swayed her to inform her that she was being delivered to her bedroom.

           When her body met with the chilly familiarity of her bed, she shivered only to be warmed by his touch on her face. Letting a smile reach her features, she was tucked in for a little rest.

           Fearing he would disappear, she turned but to her relief Jonghyun laid beside her as he put his hand on top of her eyes telling her to sleep. Reaching for his hand inside her own darkness, she felt light as his fingers coiled themselves around hers.

           Before she let herself go into the fatigue, she took a small peek to look at the person before her. Content with her actions, she smiled deeply to the warmth of her bed and Jonghyun’s presence.

           *When’d you dye your hair blonde, Jonghyun?*