Let Me Protect You (Sahyo)

Chapter 10.1

'Morningggggg. Been awake for a while now. I'm okay, Sana, you don't have to come over.' The reply came in minutes after Sana woke up. She read the message, rolling her eyes when a picture attachment came through after that text. It was a photo of a thermometer with a '36.8' reading, and Jihyo's peace sign next to it.

'I'm coming over anyways. You were literally non-functioning yesterday.' She sent her reply, dropping her phone on the bathroom counter as she brushed her teeth. It would take her ten minutes to get ready, and another ten to walk to Jihyo's apartment. She quickly dropped a text to Chae, letting her know that her best friend was going to be taken care of and she didn't need to worry.

'Just let yourself in when you reach, yeah? Keycard's back in the same place.'

Jihyo's text chimed in at the same time. Sana considered how safe it was exactly if she was going to return that keycard to the same questionably secure place each time. When she reached the flat, she didn't ring the doorbell, just assuming that the girl was asleep. Sure enough, the keycard was under that same flower pot, and she looked over both shoulders before crouching down and retrieving it.

It was still in the flat, with just a single fan blowing and its owner in a curled up position on the couch, snoring lightly in her sleep. She laid her bags down as silently as she could by the dining table, gingerly plucking out her phone from the inner pocket of her purse when a sharp message tone rang out.

"Unnie?

Sana sighed as Chaeyoung's name flashed on her phone screen, turning to see Jihyo now awake and staring at her with lidded eyes.

"Sorry I forgot to silence my phone." She walked over to the couch, plopping down on the space that Jihyo made for her. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I said, I'm all better, you didn't have to come over." She pouted wilfully when Sana plastered a hand onto her forehead anyway. Their faces were all of a sudden bare inches away, Sana's warm breath hitting the tip of Jihyo's nose. Part of Jihyo wanted to back away, feeling her cheeks rapidly warming up at the realisation, but she was rooted in that position, not daring to move until the hand fell away from her forehead.

"And like I said, I was going to come over anyway because you were half-dead the last time I saw you. And besides-" She paused, punching in her passcode before showing the other girl her phone screen. "Your friend made me promise I won't let you die."

"You two are both equally dramatic, I just had a fever, not a traumatic brain injury, I'm not dying yet." She caught the cushion as it flew at her, sticking her tongue out at Sana in vindication. Sana just glared at her in mock-offense, taking the other cushion she was leaning against and whacked it against the giggling girl's arm. The giggles became uncontrollable laughter when Jihyo struck back, sending Sana sliding off the couch and onto the ground.

Somehow their impromptu pillow fight ended in a charged staredown, both girls on the floor and armed with a cushion each. But Sana was too distracted to attack, because the way Jihyo had her lower lip between her teeth shouldn't affect her that much, but it was. Her eyes flickered down to the lip bite on their own accord, and she could register the unconscious way her tongue came between her own teeth.

The air between them was quiet all of a sudden, no obnoxious giggling and playful swipes of their weapons, and they both forgot how to breathe. Jihyo was the first to break out of that moment, gripping her cushion tighter in her grasp before delivering one last swing at Sana. She hopped onto her feet, making sure her back was turned fully before she let the horror of whatever the fuck that moment was show on her face.

"Uh. Lunch. We should check what we have to cook for lunch." Sana piped up from her place on the floor, arranging the hems of her dress around her into a more decent look before getting up. She followed Jihyo with her eyes as the younger girl dragged herself to her kitchen and opened her fridge, sticking her head in before sighing loudly at the bare shelves.