𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄

13

A small smirk tugged at the corners of his scarlet lips as he spoke. His voice had a dry but playful tone to it.

"So disrespectful of you to forget my name."

I bit my lower lip hard, swirling my hand on my thigh as I dropped the sandwich back on the plate.

His smirk grew slightly, seeing my reaction. It was clear he was enjoying torturing me like that.

I gave him a half-hearted glare, trying to hide how uncomfortable his words made me feel.

He chuckled quietly, obviously amused by my attempt to glare at him. But to my surprise, he didn't continue to tease me. Instead, he spoke in a softer tone.

"Taehyung, by the way."

I nodded slightly, the name sounding foreign to my ears. Taehyung. I repeated it a few times in my head, trying to commit it to memory.

I picked up the sandwich-like food again, taking a bite. It still tasted unfamiliar, but I did my best to act like it was normal. But I couldn't help but glance at Taehyung every so often, my mind swirling with questions.

What are you thinking?

I got startled by the sudden voice of Jane who laughed afterwards as Taehyung looked at me with his raised eyes.

I could only imagine what it must look like, me sitting here, staring at a piece of food like it held the secrets of the universe, while looking like I was having a silent internal conversation.

I mentally chided Jane for spooking me, but she just continued to laugh in my head. Then Taehyung's deep voice broke through my internal dialogue.

"What are you thinking?"

Same question. I blinked, coming back to my senses trying to recover.

I fumbled for words, searching for a believable response. I couldn't exactly tell him I was having a conversation with a voice in my head. Instead, I just blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Oh, I was just... thinking about this sandwich, actually."

He shot me a confused look I don't know why, his eyes narrowing slightly.

He shook his head and let out a scoff. "It's not a sandwich. It's a wrap."

I looked down at the food in my hand, realizing now how silly I probably sounded. I felt a little sheepish, but tried to play it off as a joke.

"Of course it's a wrap, not a sandwich. Silly me."

I quickly finished the last few bites of the wrap, feeling my hunger satisfied. Taehyung watched me intently before finally speaking up again.

He pointed towards the closet next to the bed.

"There are clothes in there. You can change into something more comfortable and freshen up."

I nodded in response to his suggestion. Taehyung gave me a quick glance before leaving the room, closing the door behind him with a soft click.

The moment he was gone, I let out a sigh, looking down at my thighs. I looked over at the closet he had pointed out, wondering what kind of clothes were stashed inside.

Without wasting any time, I stood up and made my way over to the closet. I opened the door and peeked inside, revealing a small collection of clothes neatly hangered and organized.

I picked up each item, running my hand over the fabric, feeling the unfamiliar textures of the material. The clothes looked to be a mix of what looked like modern, casual wear and traditional articles.

Jane's voice cut through my thoughts as she spoke up.

The royal gowns were definitely better.

I couldn't help but smirk a little at her comment, silently agreeing with her. The traditional robes and dresses were definitely more grand and majestic than the simple modern clothes.

I hummed to myself, still sorting through the clothes. I tried to imagine myself in one of the extravagant dresses, but I knew it wouldn't be practical for the world we were currently in.

So I decided to focus on finding something that would be comfortable yet suitable.

I sifted through the clothes until finally, my eyes landed on a simple yet stylish outfit. It was a pair of comfortable pants and a soft, cotton shirt.

It looked like it would be easy to move around in and didn't look too out of place compared to some of the other clothing in the room.

Finishing up with choosing an outfit, I noticed a door in the corner of the room that seemed to lead to a bathroom. Curious, I pushed the door open and found a simple but clean and functional setup. There was a bathtub, sink, and toilet.

Jane's voice popped into my head again, her tone judgmental.

This bath looks so bare. These humans don't know about rose petals, scented candles, or fluffy robes?

I laughed silently, having the same thought myself. The tub looked stark and utilitarian, not at all relaxing or inviting. I glanced around, but there was no sign of any of the things Jane mentioned.

I shrugged to myself, deciding that the simple setup would have to do. I stepped into the bathroom and turned on the water, waiting for it to reach a comfortable temperature.

Once the water was ready, I stripped down and climbed into the bathtub. The warm water enveloped me, and I felt a sense of relief as the events of the past day washed away physically, literally, and metaphorically.

I leaned back against the tub, closing my eyes and letting the water soothe my muscles and ease my mind.

With a sigh, I finally stepped out of the bathtub, the warm water still clinging to my skin. Grabbing a fluffy, white bathrobe that was hung on a rack near the tub, I wrapped it around myself, feeling the soft, absorbent material against my skin.

With my body enveloped in the warmth of the robe, I tied the sash around my waist and looked in the mirror for a moment. Seeing my reflection, still wet-haired and flushed from the hot water, I smiled at myself.

I pushed open the door and stepped out of the bathroom, now feeling a bit more refreshed and relaxed.

The cool air of the room met my still damp skin, causing me to shiver slightly as I made my way back to the bed, planning to dress into the clothes I had selected earlier.

As I crossed the room, my footsteps were nearly silent on the cool stone floor. I paused in front of the bed, looking at the articles of clothing laid out neatly where I had left them.

I removed the bathrobe and replaced it with the clothes I had chosen, noting how they still felt unfamiliar against my skin, but at the same time, oddly comfortable. After getting dressed, I sat down on the edge of the bed and stretched my arms.

Just then, the sound of the door opening startled me, making me jump slightly as I looked up to see Taehyung reenter the room. His gaze slowly traveled over me, taking in my changed appearance and new outfit.

He made his way over to the bed, his expression remaining stoic. I could feel his eyes on me, studying me intently. I sat there, suddenly feeling self-conscious, my hands fidgeting with the edge of the duvet.