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"your house is so small. where the hell am i supposed to sleep?" jeongguk commented as he step foot into hyerim's apartment. it had worn wooden floors and pale yellow walls. the tables and counters were filled with clutter. it was messy... but it felt homely. it was filled to the brim with hyerim's presence. her smell. jeongguk felt a rush of heat as he inhaled the fragrance of the apartment.
hyerim put a index to her chin, thinking. jeongguk couldn't help but notice how her long eyelashes fluttered whenever she blinked. "papa wouldn't like it if you sleep in his bed, so i guess you can sleep in mine."
jeongguk's black eyes widened, his heart palpitating loudly upon hearing her words. "you dumbass. i'm a guy and you're a girl!"
"huh?" hyerim blinked her doe eyes, tilting her head. jeongguk shook his head in disbelief.
"...you're like a sheep, hyerim. if you keep being so clueless all the time i'll eat you up before you realise."
hyerim turned beetroot red when she realised the things she said, wobbling backwards. "you're a big pervert, jeongguk!"
jeongguk chuckled coarsily, stalking towards her. she backed up against a wall, hands covering her face. it was cute when she blushed. he enjoyed exploring the various emotions that she had to offer. "so... you still wanna share a bed, sheep?" jeongguk whispered next to her ear. his hot breath sent chills down hyerim's spine.
"no way!" she squealed as she punched jeongguk's nose without thinking. he stumbled backwards and fell onto the couch. sticky blood oozed out of his right nostril, and his eyes were widened with shock. he realised how often he let his guard down around this stupid, tiny girl.
hyerim rushed towards, him, hands cupping his cheeks. "i'm so so sorry!" she cried, her large eyes pooling with worry. jeongguk swatted her hands away, then rubbed away the blood from his nose with his arm. "i'm fine. just go to bed. i'll sleep on the sofa tonight."
she shrunk away, her petite shoulders hunched as she waved goodnight to him. he waved back without realising. "goodnight, little sheep."
that night, jeongguk slept well for the first time in months. even if the orange fibres of the woollen couch scratched against his skin, his body was warm and his heart felt full.
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it was three in the morning when jeongguk awoke, his heart thumping wildly against his ribcage. a nightmare.
you're a disgrace jeongguk, i wished i never gave birth to you, you bring shame to our family.
he steadied himself with a palm to his chest, breathing in, breathing out. he needed a smoke but... concerns of hyerim's health resurfaced in his mind, painstakingly preventing him from reaching for a cigarette.
why the fuck was he so concerned about a girl? it had hardly been a day since they first met. jeongguk brushed off the sounds of her laughter that ringed in his ears and sat up. the sofa squeaked beneath him.
a soft knitted blanket slid off his torso and onto his lap. hyerim must have planted it there.
"what a clueless girl," jeongguk muttered, shaking his head, as a wobbly smile snaked its way to his lips. he got off the sofa and stumbled through the dark to the bathroom.
the darkness was so blinding it made him feel hopelessly small. hopelessly lost. he could only navigate by feeling the walls for direction. upon touching a doorknob, he twisted it open and peered in.
a lamp radiated gentle, amber rays of light that filled the room with a warm glow. jeongguk entered the room, hands in his pockets.
there she was. a sleeping creature, eye shut and framed by long, curled eyelashes. the soft glimmer of light accentuated the curve of her nose and the curve of her cheeks. the curve of her lips.
her arms laid spread out next to her head, her neck exposed. jeongguk's breath was hitched as he reached forward and smoothed the stray lock of hair off her face.
hyerim's quiet breaths could be heard. inhalation. exhalation. jeongguk remembered that she could have died because of him.
he tightened his jaw, then switched off the lamp. darkness reigned once again. he left the room as fast as his legs could bring him.
