Once More, Love 3

18. Appetizers

Jeongyeon's POV

"Wow. Always a great view." I let my eyes roam as far as it can to the side of the sea shore. I stretch my arms out and try to channel out the stress from my homework that Dr. Park gave me and the tiredness from the four hour drive from the city to our beach front vacation house.

I smile and inhale a generous amount of salty air. Who would've thought I'd be this happy to be here? I wonder if Nayeon always knew I needed this break.

We just arrived at the beach house literally just minutes ago. After unloading our stuff, I told Chaeyoung that he, her ex-wife, and his kid could stay in the master bedroom on the second floor. There are three other single rooms on the first floor so those are where I told the bunny woman I was with that she could put her stuff. Doesn't matter which one she picks. I can always take any of the remaining rooms.

I prolong an exhale as I lean against the railing of this terrace. I close my eyes and focus my ears on the sound of the repetitive waves running to the shore like sizzles on a pan disappearing slowly into thin air.

I smile at the peacefulness it brought to my soul. I'm so glad I'm here.

"What are you doing here?"

Nayeon. I didn't even have the need to turn around to check on her. I could recognize her voice even from a mile away.

I exhaled sharply and continued to stare at the line drawn in between the sky and the ocean. "Me time."

I hear the wooden floorboard creak as she walks towards me. "You wanted to be alone?"

I waited for her to be right beside me before I answered. "Not anymore."

She giggles and leans to my side. "Now, it's flirt time."

I just chuckle with her as I slightly shake her head. This girl is impossible. Like our brains are wired to each other, we both prolong an exhale at the same time and stare at the shoreline. As soon as we realized how we did everything at the same time, we looked and blinked at each other, then burst into laughter.

As we giggled at each other, I did not know my right hand had already found its way on her waist, securing her glued to my side. I feel my cheeks slightly burn at the thought that I am keeping her this close to me in broad daylight.

I never wanted this kind of affection before. Especially when there are people around. Other people knowing I'm attracted to another person means there are people expecting something from me. I don't like that kind of pressure. I don't like commitments and expectations.

"Jeong."

"Hmm?" I smile and hum to her.

She chuckles at me. "You've been staring dreamily at me."

"A— Ah. J— jinjja?"

"Ya. Am I that beautiful?"

Of course. I playfully smirk at her. "Are you sure you want to hear the answer to that?"

Nayeon simply rolls her eyes, then leans again on my shoulder, focusing back on the sea in front of us. "How did the session go? I was itching to ask that since you got out of Dr. Jin Young's office but held myself as much as possible since I didn't want to stress you out or something. So, it's fine if you say you can't tell me anything."

"It's fine." I feel like I can tell you everything now. You don't know how comfortable I feel around you. "We just had a good talk after you stepped out. I think him being a psychologist on top of his doctorate degree is amazing and he just proved it to me with how good he was at communicating with me in that first session."