Sounds Fake, but Okay | ✓

t w e n t y - f i v e

   Jae's eyes fluttered open.

   The room spun around him.

   He fell back asleep.

   What seemed like an hour later, his eyes opened once more. He couldn't process anything, only the flashes of a pink room, frilly pillows and the intense sunlight slipping through a crack in the blinds. He groaned as he turned his back to the window, snuggling into the toasty warmth of the comforter. His eyes closed shut once more.

   It was the third time he woke up.

   The sunlight was still strong. He didn't want to get up. The bed was much too comfy. The soft cotton brushed against his bare shoulders. He caught the faint scent of lavender but he didn't quite understand where it was coming from.

   Jae covered his eyes with his arm and took a deep breath. What time was it? Was it already afternoon?

   Jae stretched as he slowly pushed himself up to sit. The sudden change reminded him of his hangover. The bed seemed softer than he recalled. He slowly opened his eyes, squinting at the single ray of sunlight that conveniently hit his eyes.

   He yawned.

   It was the pile of plushies, staring at him from the corner of the room, that startled him. He shuffled back on the bed, hit his head against the headboard, and winced. He barely remembered what happened after they'd nearly kissed, didn't know when or how they got to her place or how she got him into the bed. Where had his shirt gone?

   Jae rubbed his face and looked around for his phone, but it wasn't anywhere in sight. Instead, his eyes settled on a pale pink sticky note on the bedside lamp.

   The bathroom is the door next to the plushies,
   Your change of clothes is there

   He yawned for a second time, slipping out of the bed and found his shirt thrown on the floor. He'd probably taken it off some time while he slept.

   A chill ran down his spine. The room was considerably cold. He rubbed his arms, feeling the uncomfortable stickiness and grime of his skin against his fingertips.

   Music boomed through the house. He guessed Catalina was blasting it somewhere from the first floor. Jae couldn't hear the music, but he knew it was music from the soft trembling the bass made.

   After he reached the bathroom, Jae noticed the black t-shirt and sweatpants he'd lent her the day they 'broke-up'. Underneath the clothes, there was a towel, neatly folded. Although he was still groggy and bleary-eyed, he managed to take a shower and change into the clothes without any more than a groan. He'd always wondered why she smelt like strawberries in the mornings, and now that he tried her shampoo, his question was answered.

   Catalina had left a packaged toothbrush on the bathroom counter, with a little sticky note.

   He stared at the mirror for a second. Now that water dripped from his hair with the sweet fragrance of strawberries, he felt refreshed. He hated it when his hair got greasy, especially after a long night.

   Come downstairs for food once you're done

   He was able to find his earrings underneath all blankets as he did the bed. The only thing he hadn't found was his phone. Before he left the room, however, he found another sticky note.

   Don't forget to dry your hair a bit

   Don't want you giving me a heart attack

   Jae collected the sticky notes and smiled at them once more before he left them neatly on the dresser.

   As he made it to the stairs, he could finally hear the music properly. He guessed Catalina was doing chores or something, but what brought a smile to his face was the fact that she was playing the song he'd sung to her at the lakeshore. He descended the stairs slowly, careful not to make any sounds so as not to disturb her, but it wasn't like Catalina could even hear him through the music.