Shaken, Then Stirred
Title: Shaken, Then Stirred
Pairing: Song Jae Rim/Kim So Eun
Genre: Romance
Rating: pg
Summary: All is revealed at the bottom of the bottle
She’s an accomplished drinker, a well-known fact in the industry that keeps coming up on all her broadcasts. She doesn’t mind since she could have other vices that are much more unflattering than just being the life of the party. Besides, her motto is to always imbibe in moderation.
With her amazingly high tolerance for alcohol, she didn’t give a second thought to the idea of calling him out to drink. She’d already caught a glimpse into her virtual husband’s inebriation after a couple of shots of bellflower alcohol in their WGM apartment and again when they were having dinner and having grapefruit soju at the restaurant. He was much more grabby when he had a few ounces of alcohol in him and he certainly said anything that came to mind. She’s curious if his behavior is true or concocted, so she texts him and within seconds, he is confirming his attendance at a bar close to her house, known for keeping attendance of its patronage discreet and private.
She’s already there when he steps into the private room, all smiles as he unzips his jacket. She places her phone on the table and stands up to greet him.
“You’re here?”
He sits down beside her after draping his coat on the back of his chair. “Did you already order?”
His smirk makes her laugh, “Do you think I’m drinking alone?”
He picks up the menu and peruses the offerings. “I don’t know,” he says playfully, his eyes rising over the menu to smile at her. “What’s your poison?”
“Bokbunja,” she says, leaning over to peering at the back of his menu and is thrilled to see they have her favorite brand on hand. “And you?”
“Beer, but I used to drink soju, since it was much cheaper. Wait, b-b-b-bokbunja… isn’t that supposed to, um, you know, with, umm, guys? Umm.”
Since when did he turn into a complete teenager? It’s so unlike his usual forthcoming self that she giggles at him. “What? You can’t say it?”
He looks down at his lap and she can see his ears and cheek turning rosy pink, which makes her laugh even harder.
Seconds later, as she’s guffawing shamelessly at how cute he’s being, the waitress comes to take their order. She composes herself and adds a few dishes to the order. Their alcohol and food arrive in no time and they crack open the bottles, then pour each other’s drinks.
“To…” She’s so excited to start drinking, she can’t think of a toast, so he cuts in.
“To love, charity, and fame,” they clink glasses and swig down their first sip. “Ahh, I’ve forgotten how good beer tastes.”
She sips her bokbunja and the fruitiness makes her smile. “It’s been awhile,” she says, placing her glass on the table, then reaching for the chopsticks to pick up a piece of meat, lifting it to his mouth, where he happily takes it from her. He does the same, and they seem to relax in their chairs more and more with each bite.
She is quite impressed at how they are outside of filming. They seem to fall into a comfortable “romantic” co-existence that is neither too subtle nor too over the top and she likes it. Every other guy she’s dated ended up being more like a brother to her because of her tomboy ways, but with Jae Rim, he’s a complete gentleman on camera and she’s come to like it, no, expect it. In fact, she never really thought she liked being adored and pampered until he came along and now, she worries she’ll never be able to find someone who would do the same.
They are quiet, guzzling their drinks and before they know it, perhaps because of nerves, they are ordering another round, and then another round, and another, and slowly, the awkwardness of being in each other’s company in real life dissipates. As expected, his arm comes to rest on the back of her chair and at one point, he pulls her chair right next to his.
“Too far,” he says, his hand cradling her shoulder, while she briefly leans against him, laughing.
“Always too much of something with you,” she says, calling him out.
“Only with you,” he says, lowering his head to playfully head bump her.
“Ow!” she laughs, while he brings his hand up to rub the spot his head made contact on her.
“Sorry,” he says seriously, leaning his head down, and she can smell the beer on his breath, before closing her eyes, chin up. She waits, but nothing happens so she opens her eyes and sees him studying her face. She expects him to start teasing her, but he doesn’t. Instead, he lifts his hand up to cradle her face, leans in, and kisses her softly on the mouth.
She doesn’t know if it’s the bokbunja that has her lightheaded or him. She’s guessing the latter. When he pulls away, she looks down to see he’s biting his lip, eyes closed, almost as if he’s trying to store away that feeling in his memory. “We should be more comfortable now, right, oppa?”
He smiles and pecks her lips. “Yup. Very comfortable.”
They continue eating and drinking and she can sense that her aegyo is in full effect because her voice has modulated up a few notes and she’s touching him more. He, on the other hand, has begun to slur and is much more affectionate, shamelessly kissing her shoulder or nibbling her earlobe when she’s talking. The truth is, they are feeling too nice to be worried about perception, not when they are enjoying it as much as they are. Not like they have to worry about what people might think since there’s nobody in the room with them.
More drinks come and she is holding her own. He, on the other hand, is beginning to show signs of wear. “Take me home,” he whispers in her ear, and she just giggles at him.
“I’ll call you a taxi,” she says.
“No, take me to your place,” he says, before kissing her again.
“Now or later?” she asks between pecking his lips.
“The sooner, the better,” he says.
“Maybe after a few more drinks,” she suggests and he obliges.
Two rounds later, she is finally feeling drunk and he’s moved on to sharing her bokbunja.
“Oppa!” she says loudly, laughing at him.
“What?” he looks down and sees what he’s drinking. “For later, for the survivors of the 200 million…” She’s laughing hysterically at him and he’s pulling her close.
They finish their round and he settles their tab by throwing his card on the check, then closes his eyes.
“So Eun-ah, take me home,” she grabs her phone, and he pushes her hand down to her lap. “To your place. Please?”
She really shouldn’t. She’s hammered and she knows better. The problem is that she DOES want to take him home, so she reaches a compromise.
“Okay, but only until you sober up. And then you need to catch a cab and go home, okay?”
He smiles cutely, his eyes closing in the process, and then he leans close to her ear and says in a husky voice, “I’ll make it so you won’t regret it and you won’t want me to leave.”
She fidgets in her seat as his breath tickles her ear and his words still linger in her mind. “Oppa, you’re going to have to…” she says breathlessly.
But he cuts her off. “Wait and see. I’ll make you wish you could stay in bed with me all day tomorrow.”
This liquid courage is making him brazen and she rather likes it, so after he signs the bill and shoves the receipt in his pocket, they get up and stumble out into the cold night and up the road to her apartment. He is leaning on her small frame, shuffling along and she tries to pick up the pace. It’s freezing and she just wants to be home.
When they finally step into her apartment, he strips off his jacket and she takes it from him, hanging it on the coat rack in the foyer while he kicks off his shoes. He finds her sofa and plops down while she straightens up their shoes.
“Jagi-ya,” he says as he pats the empty space on the sofa beside him. “Come here.”
“I need to turn on the heat,” she says, walking by him to turn on the heater.
“You don’t need to. Not after we get started,” he says, grinning at her. Once she’s done, she turns to see him watching her. “Come here.” She doesn’t budge from where she’s at. “Don’t make me ask you again, So Eun-ah…”
She goes to him and he guides her to stand between his legs before wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his head against her tummy. “Jagi-ya, I love you.”
“How can you love me? We barely even know each other.”
“I do. I love you. Do you love me?”
She doesn’t want to hurt his feelings in his fragile state or he might end up a blubbering, emotional wreck, so she decides to engage. What’s saying those three words while they’re drunk anyway? And it’s true, in the broadest sense, she deduces. It’s not like he’ll remember saying it or hearing it in the morning. “Yes, I love you.”
“Good,” he says smugly. “It’s official. The feelings are mutual.” He guides her to sit on his lap, looking up at her face, and brushing the hair off her face. “You’re so beautiful. You slay me everytime I look at you.”
She’s shy by his words and she can see he loves getting that response out of her, so she does what comes naturally, she leans down and kisses his lips, chastely at first, and then deeper with each pass. She would be a liar if she told him they had to stop or that she wanted to stop, so they continue on. He wraps his arm around her waist and brings her to lie on her back on the couch. He is lying between her legs and holding himself up on his elbows, dropping his head to kiss her.
“Oppa, we can’t,” she says as his hands wander the expanse of her torso beneath her sweater.
“I know,” he says, kissing her, “But we can get close.”
She shudders in his arms at his teasing and before long, she’s sitting up and pulling him by the hand to follow her to her room. She closes the door and stands before him in the dimly lit room, pushing his shirt over his head to reveal his naked torso, then running her hands over the hard dips of his muscles, smiling as she does so, then bringing her hands to cradle his firm butt in her hands, then squeezing. He jolts at her touch then laughs.
“ANNGG! So wiley,” to which she laughs into their kiss.
“Let’s have you sleep it off for a little while, oppa, before you have to go home,” she says, pulling away from him and grabbing her usual sleeping attire from the closet and making her way to her bathroom. He pads behind her, leaning against the doorway, watching her wash her face and brush her teeth. When she’s done, she invites him to do the same, sharing her toothbrush, while she changes her clothes in the other room.
When he emerges from the bathroom, she’s on the bed in a pair of shorts and a tank top. He walks toward her, unbuckling his belt, then unbuttoning his jeans and letting them fall to reveal a pair of boxer briefs. He steps out of them and she marvels at his lean, yet muscular body. His figure is exactly as she expected and she can’t wait to run her hands over his skin.
He sits beside her and kisses her gently on the lips, guiding them to lie down after they’ve lifted the covers back. She pulls the comforter over their heads and kisses him, her fingertips running over his arms and chest. She can feel his hands all over her clothed body and it takes all the self-control she can muster to stay quiet, but she surrenders when his hands find their way beneath her shirt, caressing her bare skin in ways she never thought possible. She is moaning in his ear and he takes it as a sign to continue, kissing her neck and then her chest.
“Oppa, we can’t,” she says again, lifting the comforter so their heads are out from under the covers.
“I know, but you’re wishing we could, aren’t you?” he says, playfully, kissing her mouth again.
Her hands are roaming his body and she is falling under his spell. Touching him, kissing him, and feeling the warmth emanating off his body to keep her warm, is so nice. They continue kissing, changing positions frequently, both of them shamelessly aroused, yet all articles of clothing stay on.
He rolls on top of her, her feet planted into the bed while her legs fall open to cradle his torso as they did earlier, but this time, his hips are gently thrusting against her. She can feel his firmness and her hips respond to his movement.
“If only,” he says, kissing her, and continuing at his slow, lazy pace. The truth is, if it were really up to her, at this moment in time, she wouldn’t tell him to stop, but she’s tipsy and needs to exert some control in the situation.
“A few minor adjustments, without taking off our clothes, would achieve the desired outcome, So Eun-ah” he says sexily, and she inhales. He’s right, but they need to wait. Don’t they? “I’d die a happy man if I could go to bed with you every night.”
“Are you just feeding me a line right now, oppa?” she says, looking up at him.
They are suddenly sober of all previous alcohol and he kisses her. “No. It’s the truth. I’d give anything to fall asleep and wake up looking at you.”
He rolls off of her and comes to lie beside her, examining the features of her face, tempering the pace at which they’re moving and she’s grateful, although she already misses him in that position. If he’d pushed her anymore, she might’ve stripped him down of his last article of clothing, and thrown off everything she had on to progress to the next level.
“Don’t go home,” she says, leaning over to kiss his lips. “Stay with me.” She almost sounds like she’s pleading and he smiles.
“See! Didn’t I say you wouldn’t want me to leave?”
She cuddles up to his almost naked body, her face at the crook of his neck, while she revels being so close to him. His arms are wrapped around her and after a few seconds, his breathing has slowed and she knows he’s sleeping.
She resumes her position, cuddling him, before falling fast asleep herself.
--
Rays of sun peek through the shade, softly illuminating her room, and she squints, first at the increasing brightness, and then at the raging headache she has. Jae Rim is sleeping on his stomach, facing away from her while his arm is draped over her tummy. She lies back down and looks at the ceiling, before sitting up with a start, her head pounding in the process.
“Oppa? Oppa!” she says, shaking his shoulder.
“Mmm?” she hears him offer as a sorry excuse for an answer.
“Do you have a schedule today?”
“Not until later. You?”
“No.”
They are quiet again, but this time, he rearranges their positions so he is spooning her, pulling her closer to him, his arm draped around her torso, his face nuzzling her neck, and she holds her breath, trying to keep her stomach flat and tight.
“Breathe normally,” knowing what she’s doing. She exhales a bit, but is still feeling self-conscious. “Or should I tickle you to make that happen?” She does as she’s told and pulls her closer.
“Oppa?”
“Mmm?”
“About last night…”
“What about last night? You want to talk about it now? Can’t we just pick up where we left off?”
“Umm,” His statement makes her blush again and she is getting mildly frustrated that he knows how to draw out reactions like that from her, because if she really wanted to throw care to the wind, she would gladly resume where they left things, but she has a splitting headache. Maybe another drink might make her not feel so hungover… and likely hot and bothered again like she was last night, so maybe not. Her head hurts just thinking about it all.
He pulls her back, toward him, bringing her to face him. His hair is messy and when she scans his face, one wouldn’t think he was a raging drunk hours before. She almost wants to punch him for looking so handsome first thing in the morning and then she realizes, she probably looks horrible and hides her face in her hands.
She feels his hands encircling her wrists, tugging at them down so he can look at her. “Don’t, So Eun-ah.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Didn’t I say I prefer your bare face? Let me see,” he says tenderly. So much so that she relents and lets him pull her hands away. She sees his eyes examining at her face, “That isn’t so bad, right? Besides, what are you worried about? You’re still beautiful in the morning.”
“I am?” she says, feeling happy that he said what he did.
“Your face is only a little bloated from drinking last night,” he says smugly and she shrieks, putting her hands up to her face again, but he pulls her close so she’s against his chest. “But it’s cute. I like it. You’re more real that way.”
They lie side by side, looking at each other, and she’s waiting for him to make some excuse to run off and leave, but he’s not moving. It’s not like she wants him to go, but she’s heard of stories where guys have left girls in the middle of the night, leaving them to wake up alone in their beds and she is suddenly grateful that he’s not one of those men.
“Do you want breakfast?” she asks, trying to turn over, but he holds her in place.
“No, this is perfect right here.” She is suddenly reminded at how cheesy his comments are. Had she grown immune to them? When did that happen? “But I do need to go soon… before my manager starts freaking out that I’m not answering my phone or at my apartment.”
She reaches up to adjust the fringe off his forehead and she knows she’s falling for him. Damned that reality show, throwing her seemingly well-ordered life into disarray, with the entrance of this one man who stands to threaten all that is calm and ordered. She’s heard it said before. He’s perfect for her and looking at him now, it’s true.
He pulls her close and she lets him, holding him in her arms for a moment before letting him go. “I wish we could just stay in bed all day,” he says. “We can be like cats, just napping and playing.” The idea does sound nice, but alas, their lives await them.
She stands up from the bed and he follows suit, overtaking, then walking ahead of her. She doesn’t want to look at him since he’s only in his underwear, but she does sneak a peek and is not disappointed. The man is a finely tuned specimen. She quickly looks away and she hears him chuckling.
“Why are you shy? If you want to look, just look,” he says, over his shoulder.
She feigns huffiness. “Absurd.”
He turns around and faces her. “Then look.”
She looks up at the ceiling, her cheeks flushing red. “Really, oppa. Why do you do this?”
He walks back to her, but she continues to dodge his gaze. “What? You were just looking at me a few seconds ago? Are you saying you didn’t? Because I saw you.”
She looks him in the eye, not wanting her sight to go anywhere else. “Wow. Your life as a model has really made you confident with your body, huh?”
“It’s not like I don’t work out. As you can see, I do and I’m not wanting for anything… except you, of course.” She laughs uncomfortably. “Speaking of which, you really do have curves in all the right places,” he says, leaning back to look at her, his eyes slowly scanning her and she suddenly feels exposed and naked.
“Oppa!” she says, slapping his arm.
“Too much? Okay, I got it, but one of these days, you and I really will see what’s under each others’ clothes and I suspect we are going to like what we see so much, we won’t be able to keep our hands off each other.”
She’s already there, she thinks to herself, blushing the entire time. He turns and walks into the bathroom and closes the door behind him. She leans against her dresser and fans herself. One wouldn’t think it’s winter outside, the way she’s perspiring. The toilet flushes and he opens the door before washing his hands. He’s standing in front of the sink, still in his briefs, and her eyes settle on his butt. Dear God.
He turns around and smiles at her, her toothbrush in her mouth, and he winks at her before turning back around to continue brushing his teeth. She is in so much trouble with him, she doesn’t know what to do, so she does the only thing she can to distract herself from looking at him like a hungry cat ready to pounce on a poor, unsuspecting bird. She picks his clothes off the floor and walks them to the bed. He’s finishing up, after having washed his face and wet his hair in the sink and now using her towel to wipe off excess water.
“Your clothes are on the bed, oppa,” she says, walking into the bathroom. He makes room for her and she grabs her toothbrush. The thought of them sharing the same toothbrush is a bit much for her, so she digs around in the drawer and pulls out a new one, returning the one he just used to the holder.
“Are you bringing out a new toothbrush for you? So the one I just used is mine then?”
Her face is bright red at his words and she wets her toothbrush, puts a dollop of toothpaste on it, then begins brushing her teeth. They are side by side in front of the mirror and they look good next to each other. She could imagine having a life with this man, sharing their most intimate moments together. She snaps to and sees him watching her.
“I’m interested in seeing where this goes,” he says quietly. “I’m not one of those guys who plays the field, So Eun-ah. I like you and from what I can tell, you like me too, so shall we give it a shot?”
It’s not her most glamorous moment, a mouth full of toothpaste, so she nods, then spits out what she has into the sink, finishing up with a quick washing of her face. She turns around, her hand reaching for the towel, then feels him patting her face dry. She opens her eyes and he’s smiling at her. “Thanks, oppa.”
He already has his clothes on and for a brief moment, she regrets that he has to leave. He opens her bedroom door and she follows him out. “Seeing the real me hasn’t spooked you, has it?”
She shakes her head. “Nope. I kind of expected it. I’m glad you didn’t disappoint,” grinning at him.
He puts his jacket on, fishing his phone out of the pocket to check. “See? 20 messages from my manager,” he says, grinning, quickly texting a response. “I’ll tell him to pick me up here, okay?” She nods, not caring what it would appear to look like when the manager finds out that he’s leaving her apartment in the morning.
“Come here.” She does as he asks and he wraps the jacket around her, pulling her close to him, then he leans down to peck her on the lips. “Thank you for a great night. I’m sorry to be running off.”
“It’s okay. I understand.”
“I’ll call you later?”
“Yes, please.”
He kisses her again, but this time, more deeply, their tongues getting into the mix and her arms wrap around his torso, pulling him closer still. “Maybe we should just get married already. I can’t bear not being around you.”
“24 hours?”
He laughs. “Yeah, but seriously, don’t you think we’d be a great couple?”
“We already are.”
“For the program, yes, but in real life?”
“That’s what I was talking about.” It’s his turn to blush and she is trying her best not to curl her fingers at the cheesiness she’s just unleashed on him.
“Really?” to which she nods enthusiastically. He picks her up into a hug and squeezes her tight. “Arrgh. You don’t have a schedule today. Come with me,” he says before letting her down.
“You and I both know that’s not a good idea. By the way, are you going to tell your staff about us?”
“No. Not if I can help it. You?”
“No.” They giggle together at keeping something so intimate a secret from people who are around all the time. “What are you going to tell him when he asks you why you’re leaving my apartment at 9 am?”
“We needed to run over a few things for the show, before your schedule started early this morning.”
“It doesn’t explain why you’ve been ignoring his texts from last night and if they end up talking to my people, it’ll fuel more doubt.”
“I’ll think of something, but I definitely won’t say I spent the night. That’s only for you and me to know.”
“You’d better get going, oppa,” she says, tiptoeing to kiss him, then reaching for the handle of her door. “Stay warm and travel safely.”
He kisses her back. “See? Just like a married couple already. I should just move in.”
“Get going,” she says, slapping his butt. “And call me later.”
He steps into the hallway and turns around to smile at her, before walking down the hallway.
She leans against the door once it’s closed and melts, shrieking as she runs back to her room and throwing herself on her bed, the smell of his shampoo still lingering on her pillow. Her phone vibrates on her nightstand and she reaches for it.
I miss you already, jagi-ya.
Now she knows who he really is, and she likes it. She waits for the butterflies in her stomach to settle down, but they never do, and she’s perfectly happy about it.
Pairing: Song Jae Rim/Kim So Eun
Genre: Romance
Rating: pg
Summary: All is revealed at the bottom of the bottle
She’s an accomplished drinker, a well-known fact in the industry that keeps coming up on all her broadcasts. She doesn’t mind since she could have other vices that are much more unflattering than just being the life of the party. Besides, her motto is to always imbibe in moderation.
With her amazingly high tolerance for alcohol, she didn’t give a second thought to the idea of calling him out to drink. She’d already caught a glimpse into her virtual husband’s inebriation after a couple of shots of bellflower alcohol in their WGM apartment and again when they were having dinner and having grapefruit soju at the restaurant. He was much more grabby when he had a few ounces of alcohol in him and he certainly said anything that came to mind. She’s curious if his behavior is true or concocted, so she texts him and within seconds, he is confirming his attendance at a bar close to her house, known for keeping attendance of its patronage discreet and private.
She’s already there when he steps into the private room, all smiles as he unzips his jacket. She places her phone on the table and stands up to greet him.
“You’re here?”
He sits down beside her after draping his coat on the back of his chair. “Did you already order?”
His smirk makes her laugh, “Do you think I’m drinking alone?”
He picks up the menu and peruses the offerings. “I don’t know,” he says playfully, his eyes rising over the menu to smile at her. “What’s your poison?”
“Bokbunja,” she says, leaning over to peering at the back of his menu and is thrilled to see they have her favorite brand on hand. “And you?”
“Beer, but I used to drink soju, since it was much cheaper. Wait, b-b-b-bokbunja… isn’t that supposed to, um, you know, with, umm, guys? Umm.”
Since when did he turn into a complete teenager? It’s so unlike his usual forthcoming self that she giggles at him. “What? You can’t say it?”
He looks down at his lap and she can see his ears and cheek turning rosy pink, which makes her laugh even harder.
Seconds later, as she’s guffawing shamelessly at how cute he’s being, the waitress comes to take their order. She composes herself and adds a few dishes to the order. Their alcohol and food arrive in no time and they crack open the bottles, then pour each other’s drinks.
“To…” She’s so excited to start drinking, she can’t think of a toast, so he cuts in.
“To love, charity, and fame,” they clink glasses and swig down their first sip. “Ahh, I’ve forgotten how good beer tastes.”
She sips her bokbunja and the fruitiness makes her smile. “It’s been awhile,” she says, placing her glass on the table, then reaching for the chopsticks to pick up a piece of meat, lifting it to his mouth, where he happily takes it from her. He does the same, and they seem to relax in their chairs more and more with each bite.
She is quite impressed at how they are outside of filming. They seem to fall into a comfortable “romantic” co-existence that is neither too subtle nor too over the top and she likes it. Every other guy she’s dated ended up being more like a brother to her because of her tomboy ways, but with Jae Rim, he’s a complete gentleman on camera and she’s come to like it, no, expect it. In fact, she never really thought she liked being adored and pampered until he came along and now, she worries she’ll never be able to find someone who would do the same.
They are quiet, guzzling their drinks and before they know it, perhaps because of nerves, they are ordering another round, and then another round, and another, and slowly, the awkwardness of being in each other’s company in real life dissipates. As expected, his arm comes to rest on the back of her chair and at one point, he pulls her chair right next to his.
“Too far,” he says, his hand cradling her shoulder, while she briefly leans against him, laughing.
“Always too much of something with you,” she says, calling him out.
“Only with you,” he says, lowering his head to playfully head bump her.
“Ow!” she laughs, while he brings his hand up to rub the spot his head made contact on her.
“Sorry,” he says seriously, leaning his head down, and she can smell the beer on his breath, before closing her eyes, chin up. She waits, but nothing happens so she opens her eyes and sees him studying her face. She expects him to start teasing her, but he doesn’t. Instead, he lifts his hand up to cradle her face, leans in, and kisses her softly on the mouth.
She doesn’t know if it’s the bokbunja that has her lightheaded or him. She’s guessing the latter. When he pulls away, she looks down to see he’s biting his lip, eyes closed, almost as if he’s trying to store away that feeling in his memory. “We should be more comfortable now, right, oppa?”
He smiles and pecks her lips. “Yup. Very comfortable.”
They continue eating and drinking and she can sense that her aegyo is in full effect because her voice has modulated up a few notes and she’s touching him more. He, on the other hand, has begun to slur and is much more affectionate, shamelessly kissing her shoulder or nibbling her earlobe when she’s talking. The truth is, they are feeling too nice to be worried about perception, not when they are enjoying it as much as they are. Not like they have to worry about what people might think since there’s nobody in the room with them.
More drinks come and she is holding her own. He, on the other hand, is beginning to show signs of wear. “Take me home,” he whispers in her ear, and she just giggles at him.
“I’ll call you a taxi,” she says.
“No, take me to your place,” he says, before kissing her again.
“Now or later?” she asks between pecking his lips.
“The sooner, the better,” he says.
“Maybe after a few more drinks,” she suggests and he obliges.
Two rounds later, she is finally feeling drunk and he’s moved on to sharing her bokbunja.
“Oppa!” she says loudly, laughing at him.
“What?” he looks down and sees what he’s drinking. “For later, for the survivors of the 200 million…” She’s laughing hysterically at him and he’s pulling her close.
They finish their round and he settles their tab by throwing his card on the check, then closes his eyes.
“So Eun-ah, take me home,” she grabs her phone, and he pushes her hand down to her lap. “To your place. Please?”
She really shouldn’t. She’s hammered and she knows better. The problem is that she DOES want to take him home, so she reaches a compromise.
“Okay, but only until you sober up. And then you need to catch a cab and go home, okay?”
He smiles cutely, his eyes closing in the process, and then he leans close to her ear and says in a husky voice, “I’ll make it so you won’t regret it and you won’t want me to leave.”
She fidgets in her seat as his breath tickles her ear and his words still linger in her mind. “Oppa, you’re going to have to…” she says breathlessly.
But he cuts her off. “Wait and see. I’ll make you wish you could stay in bed with me all day tomorrow.”
This liquid courage is making him brazen and she rather likes it, so after he signs the bill and shoves the receipt in his pocket, they get up and stumble out into the cold night and up the road to her apartment. He is leaning on her small frame, shuffling along and she tries to pick up the pace. It’s freezing and she just wants to be home.
When they finally step into her apartment, he strips off his jacket and she takes it from him, hanging it on the coat rack in the foyer while he kicks off his shoes. He finds her sofa and plops down while she straightens up their shoes.
“Jagi-ya,” he says as he pats the empty space on the sofa beside him. “Come here.”
“I need to turn on the heat,” she says, walking by him to turn on the heater.
“You don’t need to. Not after we get started,” he says, grinning at her. Once she’s done, she turns to see him watching her. “Come here.” She doesn’t budge from where she’s at. “Don’t make me ask you again, So Eun-ah…”
She goes to him and he guides her to stand between his legs before wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his head against her tummy. “Jagi-ya, I love you.”
“How can you love me? We barely even know each other.”
“I do. I love you. Do you love me?”
She doesn’t want to hurt his feelings in his fragile state or he might end up a blubbering, emotional wreck, so she decides to engage. What’s saying those three words while they’re drunk anyway? And it’s true, in the broadest sense, she deduces. It’s not like he’ll remember saying it or hearing it in the morning. “Yes, I love you.”
“Good,” he says smugly. “It’s official. The feelings are mutual.” He guides her to sit on his lap, looking up at her face, and brushing the hair off her face. “You’re so beautiful. You slay me everytime I look at you.”
She’s shy by his words and she can see he loves getting that response out of her, so she does what comes naturally, she leans down and kisses his lips, chastely at first, and then deeper with each pass. She would be a liar if she told him they had to stop or that she wanted to stop, so they continue on. He wraps his arm around her waist and brings her to lie on her back on the couch. He is lying between her legs and holding himself up on his elbows, dropping his head to kiss her.
“Oppa, we can’t,” she says as his hands wander the expanse of her torso beneath her sweater.
“I know,” he says, kissing her, “But we can get close.”
She shudders in his arms at his teasing and before long, she’s sitting up and pulling him by the hand to follow her to her room. She closes the door and stands before him in the dimly lit room, pushing his shirt over his head to reveal his naked torso, then running her hands over the hard dips of his muscles, smiling as she does so, then bringing her hands to cradle his firm butt in her hands, then squeezing. He jolts at her touch then laughs.
“ANNGG! So wiley,” to which she laughs into their kiss.
“Let’s have you sleep it off for a little while, oppa, before you have to go home,” she says, pulling away from him and grabbing her usual sleeping attire from the closet and making her way to her bathroom. He pads behind her, leaning against the doorway, watching her wash her face and brush her teeth. When she’s done, she invites him to do the same, sharing her toothbrush, while she changes her clothes in the other room.
When he emerges from the bathroom, she’s on the bed in a pair of shorts and a tank top. He walks toward her, unbuckling his belt, then unbuttoning his jeans and letting them fall to reveal a pair of boxer briefs. He steps out of them and she marvels at his lean, yet muscular body. His figure is exactly as she expected and she can’t wait to run her hands over his skin.
He sits beside her and kisses her gently on the lips, guiding them to lie down after they’ve lifted the covers back. She pulls the comforter over their heads and kisses him, her fingertips running over his arms and chest. She can feel his hands all over her clothed body and it takes all the self-control she can muster to stay quiet, but she surrenders when his hands find their way beneath her shirt, caressing her bare skin in ways she never thought possible. She is moaning in his ear and he takes it as a sign to continue, kissing her neck and then her chest.
“Oppa, we can’t,” she says again, lifting the comforter so their heads are out from under the covers.
“I know, but you’re wishing we could, aren’t you?” he says, playfully, kissing her mouth again.
Her hands are roaming his body and she is falling under his spell. Touching him, kissing him, and feeling the warmth emanating off his body to keep her warm, is so nice. They continue kissing, changing positions frequently, both of them shamelessly aroused, yet all articles of clothing stay on.
He rolls on top of her, her feet planted into the bed while her legs fall open to cradle his torso as they did earlier, but this time, his hips are gently thrusting against her. She can feel his firmness and her hips respond to his movement.
“If only,” he says, kissing her, and continuing at his slow, lazy pace. The truth is, if it were really up to her, at this moment in time, she wouldn’t tell him to stop, but she’s tipsy and needs to exert some control in the situation.
“A few minor adjustments, without taking off our clothes, would achieve the desired outcome, So Eun-ah” he says sexily, and she inhales. He’s right, but they need to wait. Don’t they? “I’d die a happy man if I could go to bed with you every night.”
“Are you just feeding me a line right now, oppa?” she says, looking up at him.
They are suddenly sober of all previous alcohol and he kisses her. “No. It’s the truth. I’d give anything to fall asleep and wake up looking at you.”
He rolls off of her and comes to lie beside her, examining the features of her face, tempering the pace at which they’re moving and she’s grateful, although she already misses him in that position. If he’d pushed her anymore, she might’ve stripped him down of his last article of clothing, and thrown off everything she had on to progress to the next level.
“Don’t go home,” she says, leaning over to kiss his lips. “Stay with me.” She almost sounds like she’s pleading and he smiles.
“See! Didn’t I say you wouldn’t want me to leave?”
She cuddles up to his almost naked body, her face at the crook of his neck, while she revels being so close to him. His arms are wrapped around her and after a few seconds, his breathing has slowed and she knows he’s sleeping.
She resumes her position, cuddling him, before falling fast asleep herself.
--
Rays of sun peek through the shade, softly illuminating her room, and she squints, first at the increasing brightness, and then at the raging headache she has. Jae Rim is sleeping on his stomach, facing away from her while his arm is draped over her tummy. She lies back down and looks at the ceiling, before sitting up with a start, her head pounding in the process.
“Oppa? Oppa!” she says, shaking his shoulder.
“Mmm?” she hears him offer as a sorry excuse for an answer.
“Do you have a schedule today?”
“Not until later. You?”
“No.”
They are quiet again, but this time, he rearranges their positions so he is spooning her, pulling her closer to him, his arm draped around her torso, his face nuzzling her neck, and she holds her breath, trying to keep her stomach flat and tight.
“Breathe normally,” knowing what she’s doing. She exhales a bit, but is still feeling self-conscious. “Or should I tickle you to make that happen?” She does as she’s told and pulls her closer.
“Oppa?”
“Mmm?”
“About last night…”
“What about last night? You want to talk about it now? Can’t we just pick up where we left off?”
“Umm,” His statement makes her blush again and she is getting mildly frustrated that he knows how to draw out reactions like that from her, because if she really wanted to throw care to the wind, she would gladly resume where they left things, but she has a splitting headache. Maybe another drink might make her not feel so hungover… and likely hot and bothered again like she was last night, so maybe not. Her head hurts just thinking about it all.
He pulls her back, toward him, bringing her to face him. His hair is messy and when she scans his face, one wouldn’t think he was a raging drunk hours before. She almost wants to punch him for looking so handsome first thing in the morning and then she realizes, she probably looks horrible and hides her face in her hands.
She feels his hands encircling her wrists, tugging at them down so he can look at her. “Don’t, So Eun-ah.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Didn’t I say I prefer your bare face? Let me see,” he says tenderly. So much so that she relents and lets him pull her hands away. She sees his eyes examining at her face, “That isn’t so bad, right? Besides, what are you worried about? You’re still beautiful in the morning.”
“I am?” she says, feeling happy that he said what he did.
“Your face is only a little bloated from drinking last night,” he says smugly and she shrieks, putting her hands up to her face again, but he pulls her close so she’s against his chest. “But it’s cute. I like it. You’re more real that way.”
They lie side by side, looking at each other, and she’s waiting for him to make some excuse to run off and leave, but he’s not moving. It’s not like she wants him to go, but she’s heard of stories where guys have left girls in the middle of the night, leaving them to wake up alone in their beds and she is suddenly grateful that he’s not one of those men.
“Do you want breakfast?” she asks, trying to turn over, but he holds her in place.
“No, this is perfect right here.” She is suddenly reminded at how cheesy his comments are. Had she grown immune to them? When did that happen? “But I do need to go soon… before my manager starts freaking out that I’m not answering my phone or at my apartment.”
She reaches up to adjust the fringe off his forehead and she knows she’s falling for him. Damned that reality show, throwing her seemingly well-ordered life into disarray, with the entrance of this one man who stands to threaten all that is calm and ordered. She’s heard it said before. He’s perfect for her and looking at him now, it’s true.
He pulls her close and she lets him, holding him in her arms for a moment before letting him go. “I wish we could just stay in bed all day,” he says. “We can be like cats, just napping and playing.” The idea does sound nice, but alas, their lives await them.
She stands up from the bed and he follows suit, overtaking, then walking ahead of her. She doesn’t want to look at him since he’s only in his underwear, but she does sneak a peek and is not disappointed. The man is a finely tuned specimen. She quickly looks away and she hears him chuckling.
“Why are you shy? If you want to look, just look,” he says, over his shoulder.
She feigns huffiness. “Absurd.”
He turns around and faces her. “Then look.”
She looks up at the ceiling, her cheeks flushing red. “Really, oppa. Why do you do this?”
He walks back to her, but she continues to dodge his gaze. “What? You were just looking at me a few seconds ago? Are you saying you didn’t? Because I saw you.”
She looks him in the eye, not wanting her sight to go anywhere else. “Wow. Your life as a model has really made you confident with your body, huh?”
“It’s not like I don’t work out. As you can see, I do and I’m not wanting for anything… except you, of course.” She laughs uncomfortably. “Speaking of which, you really do have curves in all the right places,” he says, leaning back to look at her, his eyes slowly scanning her and she suddenly feels exposed and naked.
“Oppa!” she says, slapping his arm.
“Too much? Okay, I got it, but one of these days, you and I really will see what’s under each others’ clothes and I suspect we are going to like what we see so much, we won’t be able to keep our hands off each other.”
She’s already there, she thinks to herself, blushing the entire time. He turns and walks into the bathroom and closes the door behind him. She leans against her dresser and fans herself. One wouldn’t think it’s winter outside, the way she’s perspiring. The toilet flushes and he opens the door before washing his hands. He’s standing in front of the sink, still in his briefs, and her eyes settle on his butt. Dear God.
He turns around and smiles at her, her toothbrush in her mouth, and he winks at her before turning back around to continue brushing his teeth. She is in so much trouble with him, she doesn’t know what to do, so she does the only thing she can to distract herself from looking at him like a hungry cat ready to pounce on a poor, unsuspecting bird. She picks his clothes off the floor and walks them to the bed. He’s finishing up, after having washed his face and wet his hair in the sink and now using her towel to wipe off excess water.
“Your clothes are on the bed, oppa,” she says, walking into the bathroom. He makes room for her and she grabs her toothbrush. The thought of them sharing the same toothbrush is a bit much for her, so she digs around in the drawer and pulls out a new one, returning the one he just used to the holder.
“Are you bringing out a new toothbrush for you? So the one I just used is mine then?”
Her face is bright red at his words and she wets her toothbrush, puts a dollop of toothpaste on it, then begins brushing her teeth. They are side by side in front of the mirror and they look good next to each other. She could imagine having a life with this man, sharing their most intimate moments together. She snaps to and sees him watching her.
“I’m interested in seeing where this goes,” he says quietly. “I’m not one of those guys who plays the field, So Eun-ah. I like you and from what I can tell, you like me too, so shall we give it a shot?”
It’s not her most glamorous moment, a mouth full of toothpaste, so she nods, then spits out what she has into the sink, finishing up with a quick washing of her face. She turns around, her hand reaching for the towel, then feels him patting her face dry. She opens her eyes and he’s smiling at her. “Thanks, oppa.”
He already has his clothes on and for a brief moment, she regrets that he has to leave. He opens her bedroom door and she follows him out. “Seeing the real me hasn’t spooked you, has it?”
She shakes her head. “Nope. I kind of expected it. I’m glad you didn’t disappoint,” grinning at him.
He puts his jacket on, fishing his phone out of the pocket to check. “See? 20 messages from my manager,” he says, grinning, quickly texting a response. “I’ll tell him to pick me up here, okay?” She nods, not caring what it would appear to look like when the manager finds out that he’s leaving her apartment in the morning.
“Come here.” She does as he asks and he wraps the jacket around her, pulling her close to him, then he leans down to peck her on the lips. “Thank you for a great night. I’m sorry to be running off.”
“It’s okay. I understand.”
“I’ll call you later?”
“Yes, please.”
He kisses her again, but this time, more deeply, their tongues getting into the mix and her arms wrap around his torso, pulling him closer still. “Maybe we should just get married already. I can’t bear not being around you.”
“24 hours?”
He laughs. “Yeah, but seriously, don’t you think we’d be a great couple?”
“We already are.”
“For the program, yes, but in real life?”
“That’s what I was talking about.” It’s his turn to blush and she is trying her best not to curl her fingers at the cheesiness she’s just unleashed on him.
“Really?” to which she nods enthusiastically. He picks her up into a hug and squeezes her tight. “Arrgh. You don’t have a schedule today. Come with me,” he says before letting her down.
“You and I both know that’s not a good idea. By the way, are you going to tell your staff about us?”
“No. Not if I can help it. You?”
“No.” They giggle together at keeping something so intimate a secret from people who are around all the time. “What are you going to tell him when he asks you why you’re leaving my apartment at 9 am?”
“We needed to run over a few things for the show, before your schedule started early this morning.”
“It doesn’t explain why you’ve been ignoring his texts from last night and if they end up talking to my people, it’ll fuel more doubt.”
“I’ll think of something, but I definitely won’t say I spent the night. That’s only for you and me to know.”
“You’d better get going, oppa,” she says, tiptoeing to kiss him, then reaching for the handle of her door. “Stay warm and travel safely.”
He kisses her back. “See? Just like a married couple already. I should just move in.”
“Get going,” she says, slapping his butt. “And call me later.”
He steps into the hallway and turns around to smile at her, before walking down the hallway.
She leans against the door once it’s closed and melts, shrieking as she runs back to her room and throwing herself on her bed, the smell of his shampoo still lingering on her pillow. Her phone vibrates on her nightstand and she reaches for it.
I miss you already, jagi-ya.
Now she knows who he really is, and she likes it. She waits for the butterflies in her stomach to settle down, but they never do, and she’s perfectly happy about it.