In a Split Second || BTS

Chapter 20

I emerge from my dreams lazily the next morning. Both unable and unwilling to crawl from the fluffy cocoon around me, I snuggle deeper into bed and exhale deeply. My eyebrows furrow as I remember that I fell asleep on Hoseok's shoulder in the bus. Why am I in bed?

"Are you finally awake?" Eun Jung sighs. "It took you long enough, sleepyhead." I peel my eyes open and groan, pushing myself up into a sitting position only to flop back down on my bed. Sunlight pours from the open curtains, irritating my morning senses.

"C-can you please close the curtains?" I beg, my voice hoarse.

"Nope. It's time for you to rise and shine, sunshine."

My lips are so numb from sleep that I can barely move them. "What t-time is it?"

"9:30."

"Hmm, 9:30," I mumble, pouting my lips as I try to remember what we are doing today. "We went to Manukan Island yesterday, didn't we?"

She giggles. "That's today."

My eyes widen in panic, and I shoot up from the bed, adrenaline pouring through my veins. "Are you serious? W-what am I still doing in bed?"

"You were exhausted, Cherisse-ah. I didn't have the heart to wake you."

"The heart has nothing to do with it. We're going to be late!" I stumble from my bed and snatch up the first matching outfit from my suitcase that I see, which happens to be khaki shorts with a white t-shirt – I have learned my lesson about wearing black clothing in humid weather.

"Relax – the boys are still getting their makeup done."

"Still? But it's 9:30!"

"We're all a bit behind schedule – yesterday was a big day."

I pause only to narrow my eyes suspiciously at her. "Speaking of yesterday, how did I get from the bus to our hotel room?"

She winks slyly at me. "Hoseok-ssi carried you."

I take longer than necessary to pull on my white shirt to hide my flushed cheeks. "Did he?"

"He ordered you dinner, too, in case you woke up hungry, but it's probably cold now."

"I don't suppose I'll be getting breakfast this morning?"

"Like I said, I didn't have the heart to wake you."

"Eun Jung-ah," I groan, uncovering the beautiful meal that Hoseok ordered for me. It appears to be some sort of twist on shrimp scampi in a bed of linguine, and, even though the meal is quite cold, I shovel it into my mouth as quickly as possible.

"Mmm, mnn moo roon to da boys' ooms ernd–"

"I'm sorry – what?" Eun Jung interrupts in confusion.

I sigh and swallow my bite completely. "Can you run to boys' rooms and ask when we should expect to leave for Manukan Island?"

"Yes, just let me finish my makeup. I spent so much time on their makeup this morning that I lost a lot of time to do my own–"

"Eun Jung..."

"Yes, yes, I know, I'm going. Be careful not to choke on that linguini – I tried some, and it is easy to choke on."

I swallow the linguini abruptly and end up coughing. "Y-you what?" I demand after taking a few sips of water, but she has already disappeared down the hall.

As soon as I finish my food, I fish through my suitcase for my two remaining bottles of travel-size sunscreen and begin applying them generously to my exposed skin. A few moments later, a figure appears in the doorway, and I sigh irritably.