Truly

Chapter 8

Loud banging on the door woke me up.

I held my slightly swelled forehead and got up. Realized that it was Mina who was banging the door loudly while yelling. "M-mina." I called in a hoarse voice. Hearing me calling her, she quickly went to my bed and touched my forehead.

"Are you okay Chaeng? Does this hurt?" She worriedly asked while scanning the bump on my forehead. Her face was so close that I could feel her breath on my cheeks. When she looked down and realized our distance, she immediately withdrew and stood half a meter away.

"S-sorry, I was just-"

"Thank you." I simply told her. A smile escaped from her lips and I caught it. I looked away to hide mine. "By the way, what happened Mina? Why were you banging the door earlier?" I asked remembering her desperate screams in front of the door.

"It's locked." She answered, anxious.

I walked towards the door to check and she's right. "Just when?" I asked. I still remember that masked woman running away from that door before I fainted. The door was still open at that time, that's for sure.

"I don't know." She dejectedly answered and sat on the side of the bed. "When you fainted earlier, I was trying to wake you up for about a minute or two. But when I realized that you're completely unconscious, I decided to go out and look for a cold compress for your forehead but then the door is already like that. Locked." 

I nodded and tried to connect the events that happened tonight. I let out a sigh after coming up with an answer. 

"Sorry Mina." I seriously am losing my face in front of this woman. My family and that butler dared to involve her and I don't know how to explain it. "You ended up here because of me." I decided to tell her the truth.

"What? What are you talking about Chaeng?" She asked. 

Her, calling me that nickname almost made me lose my mind but we are in such a situation that I cannot dare to feel that bliss. 

She continued. "I am here because I received a text message from Sana saying that she's too drunk to go home on her own and she needs me to pick her up. So why are you saying sorry? Don't tell me..." She paused for a moment then scoffed and gave me a face. "You were drinking with her? In this room?" She furiously asked. "Wait! That woman earlier, is that her?"

Mina looked so furious that I couldn't bring myself to answer right away. I'm just suddenly... delighted. 

Is she jealous?

But I quickly snatched that thought away. It's ridiculous. "No, no. That's definitely not her Mina. Calm down. I couldn't dare put my hands on Sana. I'll be beat up to pulp if that happens." 

By two people. I silently added.

She calmed down a bit so I took it as a chance to explain this mess that we are in.

---

"So it's your birthday?" She asked after filling her in with my conclusion on this peculiar situation. 

After dragging her on this mess, that's the only thing that she bothered to ask? "Well, it's already 1am so technically it's no longer my birthday." I told her after checking the time on my watch. 

She was sitting on the bed while I sat on the carpeted floor under. I don't wanna make her feel advantaged on this situation so I decided to take a distance. That's what I was "supposed" to do, if it was not her.

"Happy Birthday." She greeted me still. I smiled and looked up to her only to see her guilty eyes staring at the blanket in front.

"Hey. It's okay. You didn't know. Besides, I owe you instead. Really sorry for dragging you into this, Mina. And thank you. For the greetings." I gave her a warm smile when she finally gave me a glance.

"Sorry Chaeng." She uttered guiltily.  

"No, really it's fi-"

"For that day." I realized that she was talking about that encounter from that ladies room the other day. I smiled and nodded. "Forgiven. Maybe you just had a bad day?" I guessed.

But she looked away with a rosy cheeks. "Y-yeah. Y-you're right." 

Then an awkward silence. We've been alone together before but today seems different. I can't seem to look at her for more than a minute. 

Maybe because I felt guilty about dragging her here on this mess? Jeez! Will surely let that butler work so hard until he's drop dead after! 

"S-say Chaeng... if-if, someone else showed up instead of me. W-would, would you bed her?"

Mina broke the silence with that bombing question. I gulped hard. I honestly don't know what to answer. "N-no, I-I never tried doing it with anyone before. S-so, N-no. No M-mina!" I stuttered so bad that I sound unconvincing.

I heard her sighed so I didn't bother to look at her. She obviously did not believe me. Crap!

The bed moved and I saw her feet placed on my side. She's sitting on the edge paralleling me. "But it is me Chaeng." She spoke softly, enough for me to hear.

The butterflies on my stomach frantically moved around. I tried to calm them down but Mina spoke again. "What would you do then Chaeng? Would you also not bed me?" 

That seductive question automatically made me look at her. And Mina moved her head down at the same time to meet me. Our nose touched while our lips barely touching. 

"You might regret this Mina." I tried to warn her as I warned myself as well. I can't cross the line yet. Not like this. Not that I am still trying to evaluate my feelings for her.

She pulled her head back and looked away. "I'll go to bed. I suddenly felt sleepy." She said with a cracked voice and quickly tucked herself in on the bed with her back on me.

I smacked my head. I shouldn't have said that! 

I rejected her in the jerkiest way possible. I'm a scum, a-hole, son of a bitch! 

And when I heard her soft sobs under that blanket, my world crumbled. I'm doomed as fuck.
____

Been reading Jihyo_19_97's works and each and every one of them is a blast. Well, honestly just finished one but I could say the same thing with the rest. Definitely recommendable. (We're not acquainted but I salute her as a fellow Michaeng fanfics author)

Enjoy this chap ❤️🖤