The All-Rounder || Karina X Male Reader

11. No Regrets

(note: at chapter 9, I changed the person who was with karina from heeseung to a random name so that this chapter makes more sense hehe enjoy)

Jaeyoung groaned as sunlight filtered through the blinds, hitting his face with an intensity that felt like a personal attack. His head throbbed slightly, the remnants of whiskey from the night before making their presence known. He blinked a few times, rubbing his eyes, and as he sat up, his arm brushed against something warm.

A soft groan followed.

His heart nearly stopped. He turned his head slowly, almost cautiously, to find Jimin lying beside him, her hair tousled, her face half-buried in the pillow. His eyes widened when he realized his state—shirtless, with only his pants on. A million thoughts raced through his head, panic creeping in.

What the hell happened last night?

Jimin stirred, squinting up at him with a dazed expression. Her voice was groggy as she mumbled, “Why are you moving so much? My head’s killing me.” She reached up to rub her temple, clearly not fully awake yet.

Jaeyoung froze, his mind caught between wanting to clarify things and not wanting to make it more awkward. “Uh… good morning?” he said tentatively, his voice cracking slightly.

Her eyes fluttered open fully this time, and she stared at him, her expression unreadable at first. Then, her gaze drifted downward—to his bare chest. Her eyes widened in realization, and she immediately sat up, clutching the blanket around herself.

“Why are you shirtless?!” she exclaimed, her voice louder than she intended, wincing as the sound made her headache worse.

Jaeyoung raised his hands defensively, though his cheeks flushed a deep red. “I-I don’t know! I woke up like this! You were the one who dragged me to your room, remember?”

Jimin’s mouth opened to respond, but then her face scrunched up in concentration as she tried to piece together the events of the night. Bits and pieces came back—dancing, drinking, the balcony, asking Jaeyoung to stay… kissing him.

Her face turned scarlet. Oh my god, I kissed him. I kissed Jaeyoung.

“I…” she started, but no words came out. She fumbled for an explanation, but her gaze kept flickering to his bare torso, and it wasn’t helping her concentration. “Why didn’t you sleep on the couch?” she finally blurted out, deflecting.

Jaeyoung gave her an incredulous look. “You were drunk and wouldn’t let me leave! You said—” He cut himself off, realizing that bringing up her “Keep me close, Jae” plea might not be the best idea. “You insisted,” he finished awkwardly.

Jimin buried her face in her hands, groaning. “I’m so sorry. I don’t usually get like that when I drink. I must’ve been… ugh, embarrassing.”

Jaeyoung, despite the awkwardness, couldn’t help but smile softly. “It’s fine. Nothing happened, okay? I made sure of that.”

Her hands dropped slightly, and she peeked at him through her fingers. “You didn’t… try anything?”

He frowned, offended. “What kind of guy do you think I am? Of course not! I just—” He gestured at himself and the room. “I stayed because I didn’t want to leave you alone like that. And I guess I took my shirt off because it was hot or something?”

Jimin relaxed a little, though her cheeks were still burning. “Oh. Right.” She nodded slowly, though her embarrassment lingered. “Thanks for, um… taking care of me, I guess.”

Jaeyoung leaned back against the headboard, trying to shake off his own nerves. “Yeah, well. It’s not every day you get bossed around by a drunk girl calling the shots.”