HEART STRINGS | 지훈

33

Jinhee stirred faintly, the gentle pull of consciousness dragging her from the depths of sleep. Something hard and warm beneath her shifted slightly, and her brow furrowed, confusion setting in. She inhaled softly, the faint but familiar scent of Jihoon's cologne wrapping around her senses like a blanket. It was comforting in a way that made her hesitate, her mind caught between wakefulness and lingering drowsiness.

Her eyes fluttered open, and the dim morning light filtering through the windows slowly brought clarity to her surroundings. She blinked, taking in the situation piece by piece - the soft rise and fall of the chest beneath her, the warmth cocooning her, and the unmistakable presence of an arm draped securely around her waist.

Her body tensed as the realization hit her like a jolt of lightning. «Oh no, no, no.»

Her head was tucked beneath his chin, their bodies pressed so close that she could feel his steady heartbeat beneath her ear. His other arm was curled protectively around her, his fingers resting lightly against her side. It was almost as though her movement had been unconsciously met with a slight adjustment from him, keeping her in place. She was snuggled up in his arms as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Jinhee's face burned with mortification, her heart racing in tandem with her scattered thoughts. She glanced up cautiously, her breath catching when she saw him. Jihoon's hair was tousled in a way that somehow managed to look effortlessly good, the soft light accentuating his peaceful expression. His lips were slightly parted, his jaw relaxed, yet there was a quiet strength in how he held her, like he wasn't just supporting her weight but shielding her from the world.

Her gaze lingered on his face for a moment longer before panic set in. She needed to move, now. But as she attempted to move, she froze again when she felt his grip tighten ever so slightly around her waist, as though he instinctively knew she was trying to escape.

"Morning, sunshine," Jihoon's voice broke through the quiet, low and rough from sleep, and her head shot up in alarm.

Jinhee's gaze darted up to find Jihoon looking at her, his eyes still heavy with sleep but unmistakably awake. His lips curved in to a lazy smirk, his messy hair only adding to his casual charm that turned her insides upside down.

"You're awake?" she squeaked, heat rushing to her cheeks as she tried to straighten up.

"Been awake for like .. fifteen minutes?" Jihoon said with a yawn, his arms loosening their grip but not fully letting go. "You looked too comfortable, so I didn't want to disturb you. Figured I'd let you wake up on your own."

She stared at him, her embarrassment hitting new heights. "What happened last night?"

Jihoon raised an eyebrow, amused at her flustered state. "Oh, do you really want to know?"

Jinhee rolled her eyes, "I mean, how did I fall asleep?"

"Well," he started, stretching slightly but careful not to dislodge her entirely, "you dozed off during the movie. I thought I'd carry you to the room so you'd sleep on the bed, but I accidentally ended up falling asleep too," he admitted, his tone lighthearted.

Jinhee groaned softly, burying her face in her hands. "This is so embarrassing," she muttered, her voice muffled.

Jihoon tilted his head, watching her with an amused glint in his eyes. "Come on, it's not that bad. Okay-okay, I won't tell anyone how you drooled on me-"

"I didn't! Besides, you should've just woken me up if you were that disgusted."

He smirked again, leaning his head back against the couch with a nonchalant shrug. "Yeah, I could've. But you looked too peaceful to disturb. Plus, you kind of clung to me. What was I supposed to do, shove you off?"