PERFECT (F4 THAILAND)

shoe (45)

Ren crouched in front of her.

his gaze dropping to her bare feet. The faint redness at the heel, the tiny blister forming it was impossible to ignore.

He reached under the window seat, fingers brushing against the edge of a small first-aid kit tucked neatly against the wall. Without hesitation, he popped it open and rummaged through the contents until he found what he needed: blister pads, gauze, antiseptic wipes.

Rose blinked at him. "You-"

"Thyme and MJ get into fights. A lot," Ren cut in, still focused on the kit. He tore open an antiseptic wipe without looking up. "So I keeps these around."

Her gaze fell to her own feet, noticing the care he was taking. The reddened skin at her heel looked almost painful, and for a moment she felt a little exposed.

"...Hold still," he said quietly.

His touch was deliberate, careful, and methodical. First, he cleaned the tender skin with the antiseptic wipe, dabbing gently so as not to hurt her. Then, with surprising precision, he applied the blister pads, adjusting them until they sat perfectly over the spots that needed protection.
He didn't speak again until he finished.

"better? Or does it still hurts?"

Rose flexed her foot slightly, testing the movement. "better" she admitted.

Ren exhaled sharply through his nose, tossing the used wrappers into the small trash bin nearby. "Next time," he said flatly, "wear flats."

She watched him for a long moment. The way his brows were furrowed, the way his fingers had lingered just a fraction too long, the quiet concentration in his eyes it was oddly intimate.

A faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
"Okay," she said softly.

Ren froze at the sound of her voice. The softness caught him off guard. He looked down for a fraction of a second before snapping the first-aid kit shut.

"Wait here," he said, voice clipped but not unkind. "I'll be back."

Before she could respond, he jogged away, weaving back toward the ballroom with a determined pace. Rose stayed seated on the window seat, her hands loosely resting on her lap, watching him disappear into the crowd. The faint pulse of the music from the ballroom reached her ears, but all she could think about was the sudden, unexpected care he had shown her.

The hallway remained quiet for a few moments after Ren left, the distant music from the ballroom softened into a dull rhythm behind the walls. Rose sat on the window seat, her back lightly resting against the frame as she stretched her legs out in front of her. She moved her feet slowly, testing them again. The sharp sting had faded, leaving behind only a dull soreness that was far easier to ignore.

Her thoughts, however, refused to settle.

They kept circling back to him.

She let out a quiet breath and shook her head, almost as if trying to clear it.

"idiot " she muttered softly, though there was no real annoyance in her voice.

A few minutes passed before she heard footsteps approaching again, quick and purposeful. She looked up just as Ren stepped back into the alcove. He seemed slightly out of breath, though he tried to hide it, his posture straightening the moment he stopped in front of her. In his hand was a simple box.

He did not waste time explaining.

"Here," he said, holding it out toward her.

Rose glanced at the box, then at him, her expression shifting into something more curious. "What is that?"