Warning: Violence

Semi’s back was incredibly sore when she woke up.  At some point during the night, she’d curled up sideways around Minseok on the sofa, and even though his body was shielding her from the possibility of falling off onto the food trays on the carpet, it definitely wasn’t the most comfortable night’s sleep she’d had.

But it had been one of the most peaceful she’d had in a long time.

Cautiously, so as not to disturb him, she undraped herself from Minseok’s waist and sat up, trying to wriggle her toes.  Her legs had pretty much gone dead from sleeping in such an awkward position, especially with Minseok on her lap.

He gave a sudden shiver and sat up, hugging himself.  “Oh, God, it’s cold.  Ow.”  Semi saw him probing at his back for a couple of moments before he swung his legs around to sit properly.  “Is your back as sore as mine?”

“Were you awake?” she asked him suspiciously.  He nodded and then ducked his head, abruptly shy.  Semi raised her eyebrows and said nothing.

“What time is it?” he asked.

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Semi peered at her watch, and then nearly leapt off the sofa.  “Crap!  I’m going to be late!”

A light touch to her arm had her turning back to Minseok.

“No need to stress.  I can drive you.  Let’s get dinner cleared away first and have breakfast.  And get changed.”  He plucked at the shirt he’d fallen asleep in, which was crumpled all over.  Rather self-consciously, Semi looked down at her own attire.  The jeans she’d been wearing weren’t a problem, but her top was just as crushed as Minseok’s was, especially down the front.  And she wanted a shower.  Taking another glance at her watch, she got stiffly to her feet.  If she was quick and Minseok really did drive her— but was she going to be able to handle a car?

A nice hot shower was enough to work some of the kinks and soreness out of her back, and breakfast rejuvenated her.  She had to force herself to try to relax when they left the apartment, though.  Minseok shot her a concerned glance, but it wasn’t until they were in the lift that he paused, finger hovering halfway between the ground floor button and the one that would take them down into the underground carpark.

“Are you comfortable taking the car?” he asked.  Semi gulped and closed her eyes.

“I have to get used to it again someday.”

The lift doors closed and she opened her eyes, only to see that he hadn’t yet chosen which floor they were going down to.  Minseok searched her face carefully for a few moments before pressing the one for the carpark.  Swallowing, Semi fisted her hands together and gripped at the front of her dark red jacket.

It wasn’t too bad once she was actually in the vehicle.  The knowledge that Minseok was a competent driver – even if he didn’t have a licence – was a huge comfort, as was the hand he lent her for the journey.  Semi was pretty sure she clung too tightly to it for him to still have feeling by the end of the journey, but he didn’t complain at all.  If anything, she was pretty sure he was smiling.  She wanted to ask him what he meant by “comfortable” the previous night, or to somehow nonchalantly mention that she was prepared to give him one last chance and that he’d better not screw it up, but by the time they had arrived at the university, she had lost her nerve.  Minseok walked her as far as the lecture hall, where the last students were filing in for the first bout of being talked at for the day, wished her well, and then left for the police station.  Semi stood there feeling a little guilty and hollow for several moments after he had disappeared, wishing she’d managed to screw up the courage to talk to him.  It was unfair that she still felt flustered and tongue-tied, especially when he didn’t seem to have a problem with it when it came to her.  Come to that, it was actually pretty ridiculous that she could get into a car, but couldn’t make herself talk to him sometimes.  Steeling herself, she took out her phone.

I’m prepared to give you a final chance.  Don’t bust it.

The response was almost immediate.

You’re far too good to me, he’d written back.  Semi blushed.  Tucking her phone into her pocket, she fled into the lecture hall, almost as if he’d been there and she was running from him.  The last thought she had before she was distracted by Tao and Jongin pouncing on her was I think I’m hopelessly attracted to him again.

Both boys wanted to know exactly what had happened with Minseok the previous evening.  Semi could see Wendy and Seulgi cringing through Tao trying to navigate his way through suggesting things had happened in the bedroom via metaphors, which Semi pretended to be absolutely oblivious to (Jongin found it hysterical), and Jongin was just interested in what had gone on.  Tao was hugely disappointed that all they’d really done was watch a movie.  Seulgi and Wendy looked equally horrified that it had been a Christmas one, but Jongin laughed his head off and started quoting lines from it in English.  Semi decided to leave out the fact that they’d both fallen asleep on the sofa.  It felt private.

The day progressed as normal, Tao and Jongin throwing food at each other during lunch and Seulgi whacking them both on the head with her file, and Wendy being her usual fusspot self over Semi until she and Seulgi had to part ways with Semi and the boys because their afternoon schedule was different.

“I am so glad I will never have to run a company,” Jongin said, stretching, as they left their final seminar.  “Requires way too much organisation and responsibility for me, thanks.”

“Wendy says she and Seulgi will meet us by the entrance after we turn our assignments in,” Tao reported without looking up from his phone.  “You were both going to join us for dinner tonight, weren’t you?”

Semi blinked blankly as Jongin began to check his own phone.  “I totally forgot about that.”

“Surely your beloved Minseok will lend you to us for one evening, right?” wheedled Tao.  “He had you for the whole of yesterday night.”

Jongin pretended to gag.  “If that’s supposed to be an innuendo, I’m disowning both of you.”  He tucked his phone away.  “Yeah, I’m definitely coming.  Just need to check something first.  I’ll be back in a bit.”  He backed up a couple of steps and then tur