---

            "Love", the darkness called.

                                    "I'm here, until you shine." Love replied.

---

I woke up to the sunlight shining directly on my face. Oh, someone has opened the curtains.

"Get up, you'll be late," I felt a hand squeeze my shoulder lightly.

My eyes open slowly and I saw Su Ho already dressed up. I quickly sat and looked at the clock on the table lamp. It's already 6:30 in the morning. And I was informed that we should wake up at 6AM!

Wait a minute... Why is the table located on the left side? Last morning it was on my right- HOLY COW. I AM SLEEPING ON KIM JUNMYEON'S BED?!

I looked at him in horror as he watched me with an eyebrow raised.

"Having dirty thoughts at this morning? I've done nothing, Gaeul. I'm a very conservative person," Su Ho said while putting his perfume on.

"O-Of course not! I was just wondering how I got here..." I muttered, remembering the last thing I did last night...

After hearing Su Ho asking me not to go in his dreamland, I sat back on the floor and watched him sleep, waiting for him to say something more. I wondered what was his dream but I haven't heard anything more from him until I drifted off to sleep.

"You were not sleep walking, right? I just found you beside my bed this morning when I woke up... So I carried you on my bed," Su Ho replied.

"C-Carried me?" My eyes grew wider, feeling conscious of my weight. Aigoo, I've been eating a lot the past few days... AND THE PIZZA LAST NIGHT WITH JB!!! I still haven't digested that... WHY DIDN'T HE JUST WAKE ME UP?!

Or does he even care at all?!

"Gaeul..." He sighed. "You've been a witness of my built body right?"

I felt my cheeks turn pink as I remember him in his towel.

"Will you stop thinking about me on my bedroom towel? I already planned to wake up at 6 so you won't see me half- again," He said and fixed some of the things in his backpack.

GOSH HE THINKS I'M A ERTED WOMAN. PLEASE DON'T, KIM JUNMYEON.

"Wait, then why was I in your bed? I mean, you could have carried me back on my bed right?" I asked, not thinking about him being erted, but I was just really curious. "I thought you don't like sharing bed with someone,"

Su Ho crossed his arms. "As always, good interrogation from Ms. Min Gaeul."

I felt my heart pumped faster when he said my whole name, with a very cheeky yet mocking smile. I remember him being so mad at me after the defense because of that.

"It's unfair that you were watching me sleep. So I watched you sleep too," Su Ho said and got his backpack. "But I found nothing really interesting. So I was quite worried about you watching me sleep. I hope next time you'd sleep on your bed, Gaeul," He then left me as he walked out of the room.

What is he?
Who is he?

Kim Junmyeon's mood swings are not the best thing in the morning, but it's really weird that I'm getting the hang of it. And I don't think that's a good idea. I mean, I shouldn't just let him push me around always like that!

And he shouldn't be thinking that I'm a erted girl!

I sighed as I reached the bathroom's sink and looked at my reflection. I suddenly felt conscious. Did I gain weight? How do I look in my sleep? He just carried me, and watched me sleep! It's like perfection meets imperfection. It's just very disturbing to think about. My confidence is dragging now.

I reached for my toothbrush and toothpaste at the glass on the side of the sink, when I found something silver and shiny beside it...

Our engagement ring? Again?

My knees tremble and this time, I couldn't hold back the tears. I'm still not sure if he's forgetting to wear it or he just doesn't want to wear it but either of the two makes me really sad.

Maybe this whole marriage thing is stupid?

"Gaeul-sshi?" I heard the maid call.

"Y-Yes?" I asked, wiping the tears away from my face.

"Su Ho-sshi said that he forgot something inside the bathroom, so I'm just going to get it," The maid said.

The ring? He remembered it?

I opened the door, a bright smile forming on my lips. "Is it this one?" I asked raising the ring in front of my hand. And then I realized it wasn't just the maid outside the bathroom. Su Ho was also there, arms crossed and staring at me with his eyebrows furrowed.

He got the ring from my hand and put it on his finger. "Aish, this little burdensome thing,"

I couldn't hide the smile on my face. It was so silly of me to cry on that small stupid thing. Surely, it was a 'little burdensome thing'.

"Beautiful, beautiful, your body movement resembles a flower petal..." I listened to my favorite song in my iPod, since I know that the long ride to our school is a very quiet ride.

"Why are you smiling?" Su Ho asked.

I took the earpods off of my ears and remained the smile on my lips. "I'm listening to my favorite song... Here," I put one of the earpods in his ears and one on mine.

"Beautiful, beautiful
Open the door of heaven
Oh you beautiful, beautiful
My eyes are drenched with joy..."

Su Ho's eyes met mine while we listened to the music, but he quickly cut it off by taking the earpod off of his ear and sitting farther from me.

"It's a boring song," Su Ho said while looking outside the window beside him.

"It makes me smile, though," I said and looked at the window beside me too.

I don't know what's really boring - listening to the professor read her PowerPoint presentation to the whole class or watching him lazily teach. Either ways, I might cut this Literature class, if only Su Ho wasn't here. But he's here. Just two columns and two rows away from me And that means I could stare at him for an hour without him getting mad about it...

"Min Gaeul," I heard my professor say a name. "Min Gaeul?" Oops, it was my name. Aish, I thought I'd be able to watch Su Ho for an hour.

"Yes, sir?" I asked with a smile on my face, as if telling him 'I did not do anything wrong'. Did he even see me looking directly at Su Ho?!

"Who wrote Pride and Prejudice?"

"W-Why? I-I mean, Jane Austen," I answered, my stupid mouth almost controlling the words coming out from it again.

"Could you tell us a short summary of this story?"

"A short summary?!" I panicked, not because I don't know but because that story was long. I glanced to my side, at Su Ho's direction and he was staring at me.

He was looking at me and something came into me like: Min Gaeul, impress this beautiful creature looking at you.

I breathed deep and smiled.
Great job, Kim Junmyeon.

After the boring Literature class, I quickly ran towards Su Ho as he fixed his things for the break. I was thinking of inviting him for lunch but...

"Inviting me again to eat together?" Su Ho asked.

"Yeah," I replied with full of hope.

"I can't," Su Ho said and walked out of the classroom.

"How about a lunch with me?" I heard someone behind me. I turned, and of course, I know it was JB.

"Okay," I replied but then I was surprised to see Su Ho back to the classroom.

He suddenly held JB's collar. "Stop flirting with my fiancée will you?! And stop calling her at night!"

"Y-Ya, calm down," I said. I wanted to pull Su Ho away from JB, but I feared I might be hit by one of them. They looked so aggressive; I can't even say any word properly. I am in a panic state, but I couldn't panic.

JB pushed Su Ho away. "Oh... So it was you who kept on rejecting my calls last night, huh?"

My eyebrows furrowed to what JB said. Su Ho was rejecting his calls? On what, on my phone? So Su Ho was awake the whole night?!

"Yes. Because it's waking me up!" Su Ho defended.

JB snickered. "If she's your fiancée, act like you really are!"

I could see a different look on Su Ho's eyes. For the first time, he looked... embarrassed.

"Ya, JB. You don't know anything," I said, but I realized that was harsh.

"I don't know anything? Seriously, Gaeul? I've never seen you as sad as you are ever since you stayed in his house. And you think I never knew anything?" JB asked.

I suddenly felt Su Ho's hand grip my wrist. And before I know it, Su Ho and I were outside the room, running away from the classroom.

We stopped by the school fields. A lot of couples set up a picnic lunch there usually. And today I could see a lot of couples sitting on their blankets eating sandwiches and even doing public display of affection. Yikes.

Su Ho sat on the grass and I followed what he just did. I stared at him look so lifeless. His expression is not something I could read, but for sure, he wasn't feeling good.

"Junmyeon-ah, don't mind JB-"

"Do you like him?" He asked.

"I told you before, I don't," I said.

"That was before," Su Ho said, without even staring at my eyes.

I laughed. "Junmyeon, it was only yesterday when you asked me and I said that. Stop being funny,"

"I'm not being funny," He said, this time, facing me.

My heartbeats were so loud, I could almost hear them. He was looking at me sternly, and I still can't read what he was trying to convey with that eye contact. But I felt melting through that gaze, the stare that you couldn't distinguish if it was angry or if it was just the way he looks at people.

"I swear, I don't," I said.

"Can you stop turning to him when I upset you?" Su Ho asked and I was so surprised that he knew that. "Can you just tell me when I make you sad?"

"S-Su Ho-" I called him, not realizing that I called him by the nickname he only permits his close friends to call him, but he cut me off.

"Yeah, and just please call me Su Ho," Su Ho said without looking at me.

"Okay," I said, looking at him in confusion.

"Yes, I reject his phone calls at night because it's irritating and it woke me up so I found you sleeping on the floor with your head resting on my bed." He said it while pulling some grass from the ground. "And yes, I've watched you sleep beside me last night. And yes, you slept beside me and I lied to you that you've only slept on my bed this morning,"

I felt my cheeks burn. I'm probably as red as a tomato right now. "W-Why not on my bed?"

"I told you I was curious to see what makes you enjoy watching me sleep. I could feel you when you observe me and rest your head on my bed you know. I'm not a deep sleeper, I quickly wake up when something happens around me,"

"I only enjoy watching you sleep because you look like a peaceful angel-" I quickly covered my mouth. My silly mouth, once again, won in controlling the words coming out from it.

He snickered and stood. "I'll see you after school,"

"O-Okay..." I replied. Gosh, did I just embarrass myself in front of that man?!

As we went back home, I quickly looked for the box of cupcakes I've baked last night in the fridge. I guess it's cold enough to be served.

But when I opened the fridge it was gone. Did he see it? Why did I even put that in the fridge?! I should have hid it somewhere!

"Oh, Gaeul-ah! Annyeong!" Someone greeted behind me.

I turned and saw Jongdae. "Hi, Chen,"

"What are you looking for?" He asked.

"Cupcakes... I've baked them for Su Ho last night," I said warily and closed the fridge.

"Oh... I ate them," Chen giggled. "Su Ho shares his food with me all the time,"

"Oh... Did he say he like it?" I asked. "Did he eat at least one of it?"

"No," Chen said without any expression. "I mean no, he didn't say he liked it at all,"

"Oh," was all I could say.

"I'll just get something upstairs, I think I left my slippers here," Chen said and left me.

Did he give it to Chen? Did he not like it?

"Ahjummaaaa-choo!" I heard Su Ho's voice call the maid but it was quickly cut off by a sneeze.

I quickly ran towards his study room, curious if he was sick or it was just a sneeze from a pile of dust somewhere in his room.

But Su Ho's table was piled up with used tissues. He was indeed, sick. I walked to him and held his forehead and it was burning hot!

"Y-Ya, you're hot!" I said in panic.

"Can't you really control that erted mind of-" He wasn't able to finish his sentence because of another sneeze. He got a tissue and wiped his nose.

"YA! I'm serious here! Your 'body temperature' is hotter than the normal! You're sick!" I said in panic. "You should get some rest, Jun... I mean, Su Ho!"

"Shut up, okay? Let me work and leave me alone,"

"Why are you calling the ahjumma? What do you want? Do you want soup? Tea?" I asked.

He looked at me sternly. "You're not our maid. You're my fiancée. Stop getting her role,"

"W-What?" I asked, feeling my cheeks blush in pink. It must be really weird to say, but I'd like to hear him claim that I'm his fiancée over and over again.

"Su Ho-sshi, I'm sorry..." His personal maid came. "I've been ironing some of your clothes. What do you need?"

"Milk," Su Ho said plainly.

"You haven't ate your dinner," I said.

"I don't care, I have to finish my paper so get out," Su Ho coldly said.

Whatever, Kim Junmyeon. You will be eating your dinner whether you like it or not. And with that in mind, I followed the maid to the kitchen and quickly got the ingredients for hot porridge.

"Ahjumma, please serve the milk with this hot porridge, alright?" I whispered.

"Oh, what's that smell?" I heard a familiar voice - it was Su Ho's mom who came home from a meeting in her work. She was a CEO of a cosmetics company which merged with Su Ho's dad's company.

"Eomeoni, annyeong," I greeted. She was a very thoughtful mother and she was so really friendly.

"That's smells delicious... But why are you cooking porridge at this time?" She asked.

"Oh, uhm... Su Ho's upstairs and he's sick. He has got colds," I said worriedly.

"Oh really?" Her mom replied anxiously. "He never tells me when he's sick and I usually don't see him sick,"

"Oh..." I figured out, Su Ho must not be really close to his mom at all. "Eomeoni, do you want to take care of him? I've been telling him to rest but he won't follow... I think if you would give him this soup and milk, he'd be really happy and convinced to take a rest.

"You think so?" Her mom's eyes grew wide at me, like a little child learning from her teacher. Then I noticed, Su Ho got it from her. His childlike innocent eyes that sometimes look scary when he's glaring.

I gave time for Su Ho and his mom to bond together inside our room. My plan about his mother giving the soup to him was a success. He went back to our room and talked with his mother, while I cleaned I waited outside, pondering again on the things that happened today.

All the things he said in the fields were very vague.

"Can you stop turning to him when I upset you?"
"Can you just tell me when I make you sad?"
"Yes, I reject his phone calls at night because it's irritating and it woke me up so I found you sleeping on the floor with your head resting on my bed."
"And yes, I've watched you sleep beside me last night. And yes, you slept beside me and I lied to you that you've only slept on my bed this morning,"
"I told you I was curious to see what makes you enjoy watching me sleep. I could feel you when you observe me and rest your head on my bed you know. I'm not a deep sleeper, I quickly wake up when something happens around me,"

Su Ho's very odd today... I couldn't understand his mood swings around me. Maybe I should ask why is he acting this way?

"Gaeul-ah?" Her mom called as she walked out of the room. She opened her arms, inviting me for an embrace. "Thank you so much, dear. It's been a while since we talked."

"Oh, it was nothing, eomeoni," I chuckled and patted her back.

"I'm sorry for keeping you up at this time," She pulled away and patted my shoulder. "Goodnight, Gaeul-ah,"

"Goodnight eomeoni," I replied and walked back inside the room.

Su Ho had his eyes closed, with a towel resting on his forehead. I dared not to watch him sleep closely again because I might wake him. Instead, I watched him from my bed.

"I'm not asleep," he said. How the heck can he feel me inside the room?! "My eyes are half open. Did you cook the porridge?"

Uh-oh... "I had to,"

"Thanks," He said and I was surprised. It's funny how a simple word could mean so much to me that it made me smile.

"You have to get well soon, our wedding's are two days away from now," I said, and felt myself blush from the thought.

"You're excited, huh?" Su Ho muttered.

"Oh, I... have a question," I cautiously muttered, sitting on my bed.

"What?"

"Haven't you seen the cupcakes?"

His eyes still looks like it was closed but according to him, it was half open. "I saw it, but Chen ate it,"

"But were you going to eat it?" I asked with full of hope.

"You're not getting sentimental over a simple box of cupcakes, aren't you?"

I chuckled. "It means a lot to me because I really tried to bake it nicely,"

"Well with the efforts, it looks really edible,"

"Was that supposed to be a compliment?"

"Goodnight, Gaeul, close the lamp if you're done watching me," He said and I don't know if he really drifted off to sleep.

I smiled and his words saying ‘Goodnight, Gaeul,’ replayed in my head, like how my favorite song plays in my head, making me smile.

And in the middle of the night as I drifted off to sleep, I felt warm air blow softly on my head and then a cotton landing gently on my forehead.

I don't know if I was dreaming...
But maybe he kissed me goodnight.

---
 

MIN GAEUL's favorite song: Beautiful by EXO