karaoke machine | p.js

3.10

"Should we tell them?" Jisung asked as he dried his hair with a towel. He had just finished taking a shower and was in the process of changing into some sweats. Naerin sat on his bed, watching as he crossed the room to grab a shirt.

They decided to go hangout after work but Jisung was running late because his practice ran long. Naerin ended up meeting Jisung at his house instead of him going over to hers.

"They'll just make fun of us," Naerin signed, with a shake of her head.

"I can hear it already. It's about time you two got together," Jisung mimicked Renjun's voice poorly. He searched through his dresser to find a t-shirt, but the only thing he could find was his usual pajama shirts.

Naerin chuckled at his imitation of Renjun. Naerin tried to keep her gaze casual but she couldn't help but let her eyes trailed to Jisung's back. In the two years that Naerin knew Jisung, she hadn't seen his soulmate tattoo until recently.

Tattooed on his shoulder blade were delicately printed letters: INR. Her handwriting spelled out her initials across his broad shoulders. But Naerin's eyes trailed away from Jisung's back to the look on his face. He smiled successfully when he found a white t-shirt in the clean laundry he hadn't finished folding before going to work.

"You're so cute," Naerin giggled.

"Noona, I'm twenty now," Jisung sighed, zipping up his sweatshirt, "You can't keep saying those types of things."

It had been a week since the two met at the cafe. During those past few days they had spent as much time together as possible without bringing suspicion to themselves. But the more excuses they gave their friends the more obvious it had become that they had been sneaking away to see one another.

"We can't tell them yet," Jisung suddenly said.

"Why?" Naerin asked.

"Because we aren't official yet," Jisung started simply.

"Then ask me out," Naerin suggested.

"Right now?"

"Yeah,"

"Alright," Jisung sat up in front of Naerin, "Will you be my girlfriend?"

Naerin smiled brightly, "Aww, what happened to the cute little Jisung who used to stutter whenever he confessed to me,"

"I guess he's feeling a lot more confident about his feelings this time around," Jisung smiled back at Naerin, he reached over and held her hand. She looked down at his hand and played with the silver ring that sat on his hand.

"Did you ever take it off?" she asked.

"Since the day I got it, I haven't," Jisung said, "Renjun came to my room after you left and gave it to me," he said the last part softly, "I almost ran after you,"

"Why didn't you?" Naerin asked.

"Because I was scared," Jisung said, "I was scared I wasn't good enough. How could I ask you for a second chance when I messed up so badly?"

"Yet here we are," Naerin replied.

Jisung nodded, "And I don't think I would have done anything differently. I think," he hesitated for a moment, "I think I needed to lose you to realize that I couldn't live without you,"

"Well," Naerin shrugged, "Technically you can't live without me, I'm your soulmate,"

"That's not what I meant," Jisung sighed.

But he was relieved to see Naerin joking around with him like she used to. The endless days of silence and awkward tension were no more and Jisung intended to keep it that way.