Painted Love | Hwang Hyunjin

4

"And then do it like this," Hyunjin said, demonstrating a dance move that looked way too complicated for my tipsy brain to process. I giggled and tried to mimic him but lost my balance. We were already on our second bottle of wine, and my glass was nearly empty again. Hyunjin caught me before I could fall, but he wasn't completely sober either. He stumbled back onto the couch, pulling me with him.

"Maybe we shouldn't dance," I laughed, not moving away from him. It felt so good to be this close. If I were sober, I would probably blush and quickly distance myself, but in my drunken state, it just made sense to stay on top of him like this. Hyunjin gently stroked my back.

"Yeah. Maybe we should just stay like this," he said.

"And maybe I shouldn't drink any more wine," I mumbled, closing my eyes because the room was spinning.

"But we have only half a bottle left!" Hyunjin exclaimed. "We can spread that between us!"

"No, I can't drink anymore," I insisted. "Your tolerance is way higher! You're like two heads taller than me, and you probably weigh double!"

He laughed. "But you're so tiny, it's cute! I want to put you in my pocket," he teased.

I rolled my eyes and snuggled more into him. "Okay, pour me another glass, but it will be the last one!" I finally conceded.

"But I don't want to stand up," Hyunjin mumbled, giggling as he buried his face in my hair.

"First, you want more wine, now you want to stay like this... What else do you want?" I laughed.

Hyunjin remained silent for a while. "I want to be close to you," he finally whispered.

I lifted my head to look at him. "Well, then I guess you could stay here tonight," I said, something I would never suggest if I were sober. I was too shy for such a bold move.

Hyunjin hummed as he looked into my eyes. "You want me to stay with you?" he asked. I nodded slightly. He bit his lip. "I want you to tell me with that pretty mouth of yours," he said.

I blinked, a bit perplexed. Where did that come from? And why did I like it so much when he talked to me like that? "I-I want you to stay with me tonight," I said, my voice barely a whisper.

Hyunjin smirked. "But I need to call Chan. He's probably waiting for me to get home, and I don't want him to pull an all-nighter again," he said, pulling out his phone.

"What? It's 2 a.m. already?" I asked, surprised as I saw the time on it.

Hyunjin chuckled and continued to stroke my back. "Time flies when you're with someone you like," he said, dialing a number.

"What's up, Hyunjin?" a male voice said as he picked up.

"I need to tell you that I'm actually not coming home tonight because I had a lot of wine," Hyunjin said.

"Wait, are you drunk?" Chan asked, confused.

"Maybe just a little. Mui is worse than me because she's tiny," Hyunjin said.

"Wait, who exactly is Mui?" Chan asked, now even more confused.

"Mui is that artist girl I told you about... the beautiful one," he whispered as if he didn't want me to hear.

I giggled because I could still hear him, and I blushed like crazy.

"Wait, are you at her house?" Chan asked, now amused.

"Yeah, and I'm staying the night, so don't wait up for me, please," Hyunjin said.

Chan laughed. "Okay, have fun and be careful!"

"Careful?" Hyunjin asked, puzzled.

"You know—if you..." Chan started, but Hyunjin quickly interrupted him.

"We won't. I'm too drunk, and I kind of like her," he said as if I wasn't in the room. "I mean, I totally would, but I will hold back."

I hid my face in the crook of his neck, blushing even harder and giggling. This situation was so absurd.

Chan laughed again. "Yeah, sure. Well, sleep well then, I guess," he said, and they both hung up.

"Oh wait, did you hear what I said?" Hyunjin asked, a bit confused.

"Yeah, I'm like laying on top of you," I giggled, tracing circles on his chest with my finger.

"What if I tell you that I really want to do what Chan is thinking we're doing," I whispered, not even thinking about the impact my words would have.

"But we're drunk. We shouldn't rush into this," he mumbled.

I sighed. "Porn never starts like this," I said, a bit disappointed.

Hyunjin chuckled, lifting my chin to look into my eyes. "This isn't porn, Mui. This is real life, and I want to do this right. When it happens, I want us to remember it, every detail."

His words made my heart flutter. I realized how much I appreciated his thoughtfulness and respect for me. I smiled softly and nodded. "You're right. I want to remember it too. God, I can't believe we're having this conversation right now... I'm like completely drunk..."

He laughed, and we settled back into a comfortable silence. I nestled my head against his chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. It was soothing, grounding me amidst the wine-induced haze. I didn't care that we were still on the couch and should probably go to bed.

Hyunjin's hand continued to trace gentle patterns on my back, lulling me into a state of peaceful contentment. "You're really special, Mui," he murmured.

"So are you, Hyunjin," I replied, feeling my eyelids grow heavy. "I'm glad you stayed."

"Me too," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

In that moment, everything felt perfect. The world outside faded away, leaving just the two of us in our own little bubble of warmth and affection. I drifted off to sleep, feeling safe and cherished in his arms, looking forward to whatever the future might hold for us.