karaoke machine | p.js

2.11

Jisung was acting weird that day and it didn't go unnoticed by Naerin. He seemed fidgety in his seat and wouldn't meet her eyes. There was an odd anxiousness that drifted off of Jisung, Naerin didn't need a soulmate bond to feel it.

"What's got you so worked up today?" Naerin asked.

Jisung flinched at the sound of her voice and Naerin raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Uh nothing," Jisung replied.

"Are you sure?"

When Jisung didn't respond right away, Naerin frowned. Her mind started to race as she took a deep breath.

It had been weighing on Naerin's mind for some time now, but ever since Jisung got injured he had been acting strange around her.

He didn't lean into the physical touches that they usually had, and whenever Naerin would tease him she rarely got a response. His usual responses were lacking and it made Naerin start to worry that maybe he had second thoughts about his feelings for her.

She understood of course. The vigor and demand of his career were taxing and if being emotionally unavailable was the cost of it, she couldn't fight that. She knew that Jisung probably had more on his mind than his romantic feelings for his soulmate.

"Do you want anything to eat?" Jisung asked suddenly pulling the menu closer to him, "You usually get a chocolate cake when we meet at this cafe,"

"I'm fine," Naerin replied, having suddenly lost her appetite due to her overwhelming thoughts.

Jisung glanced at Naerin and despite Naerin saying she didn't want food, he ordered her a slice of chocolate cake anyway.

The two sat in awkward silence waiting for the food, the air between them was thick with tension and neither were willing to be the one to break it.

Jisung had been at war with himself for days now. He had been agonizing over what Chenle said to him during practice. If it was true that Naerin didn't think that the two of them were dating, that meant Jisung had to ask her out.

But if it turned out she already thought they were dating, Jisung risked embarrassing himself in front of her. And he honestly wasn't up for either of those options. He was too anxious and scared to ask Naerin out, but he was equally as worried about being embarrassed.

When the chocolate cake came out, Jisung wasn't surprised to see Naerin dig right in. He knew that even if she said she didn't want dessert, Naerin would never turn down something sweet.

"Naerin, I have a question," Jisung forced himself to ask. His mind was fighting with himself to gain the courage to ask her out.

"Hmm?" Naerin asked, "So something has been on your mind?"

"Yes, I mean no," Jisung stumbled, "I mean, sort of?"

Jisung could die of embarrassment right on the spot.

Naerin looked up from her cake with an expectant expression. Jisung swallowed hard, trying to gain every last ounce of confidence he had.

After all, he was Park Jisung, he had performed in front of thousands of people before. He had been an SM Rookie and trained for years to get to where he was now. And yet, asking the girl he liked out was one of the most nerve wracking things he had come face to face with.

"Will you be my girlfriend?" Jisung felt small at that moment.

He couldn't even meet Naerin's eyes to see her expression and the silence that followed only made him more anxious.

"Is that what you were so worried about the last few days?" Naerin's tone was nothing but warm and teasing.

As expected when Jisung looked up at her, she was smiling brightly at him, a hint of mischievous glint in her eyes like she was thinking of the next teasing comment to make at him.

"Yes," Jisung admitted, "I didn't ask you out when I confessed,"

Naerin hummed gently, "Yeah, I guess you didn't," she nodded in agreement before another smile broke her face, "I'll only be your girlfriend if you'll be my boyfriend,"

Jisung felt like a massive weight had been lifted off his shoulders and he laughed softly at his soulmate. "Doesn't that come with you being my girlfriend?"

Naerin smirked, "I mean, if you want, you can always be my baby,"

Heat rushed up Jisung's face and he had to hide behind his hand. But if his reaction didn't give it away before, Naerin had already caught the blush that had appeared on his face.

"Don't joke like that," Jisung grumbled.

Naerin chuckled and scooched closer to Jisung. She leaned against him gently, relaxing into his side as Jisung rested his head on top of hers. The scent of her shampoo was sweet and clean, and Jisung couldn't get enough of it.

He smiled down gently at her and daringly snuck his hand into Naerin's. Naerin's hand slowly closed out his, intertwining her fingers with Jisung's. Jisung's eyes slowly fluttered closed as he took in the moment that he had with his soulmate.

After a moment of silence sitting like that, Naerin spoke up. "Can I be honest with you?" Naerin asked.

"Hmm," Jisung replied, he had almost drifted off to sleep in the few moments they sat in silence.

"I thought you were going to tell me that you were taking your feelings back," Naerin answered.

Jisung sat straight up at her words, making Naerin sit up as well. He wore an incredulous expression, more shocked than anything that Naerin had thought that.

"Why would you think that?" Jisung asked.

Naerin shrugged, "It's just that you have so much going on in your career, I was worried that you thought that you didn't have enough time for a relationship and would tell me that we should just be friends,"

Jisung understood what Naerin was saying, and he would be lying if he said the thought hadn't crossed his mind. But at the same time, Jisung felt like his relationship with Naerin was something that he couldn't mess up. He was sure that he would never feel this way for someone ever again, soulmate or not.

"I like you," Jisung said, "I'll never not like you."

Naerin shifted in her seat, her stomach swirling gently with butterflies at Jisung's words. He spoke them so directly and matter of factly that it left no space for Naerin to believe that they weren't sincere.

"Good," Naerin smiled, "Because I like you too,"

Jisung smiled back and leaned back in his seat, Naerin finding her spot back up against him like before.

"Thank you for being my girlfriend," Jisung said softly into Naerin's hair.

"Thank you for being my baby," Naerin replied.

"Naerin ," Jisung whined. "Stop,"

Naerin smirked and looked up at Jisung from where her head laid against his side.

"Anything for my baby," she reached up and pinched his cheeks and like always Jisung let her. He only gave his usual pout in return but Naerin didn't miss the look of pure admiration in his eyes that sent a bright blush across her face.