New World | SOOKAI

Chapter 16

We arrived at Soobin's house and I stood within the entranceway. I had goosebumps covering almost my entire body. I wasn't cold, just... nervous. I suddenly felt like I wanted to lie down with how much my head began to spin upon my shoulders. Soobin interrupted the thoughts with a question dressed in the ever deep politeness of his voice.

"Kai, could I please borrow your phone again?"

I looked at him and smiled, pulling it out of my pocket to give it to him. I didn't know who he was trying to call, but it didn't much bother me at the time. What was important to him, was important to me.

"I'm going to get ready for bed."

"Oh? So soon? It's only 7 pm."

I turned away from his prying eyes and gave a casual shrug of my shoulders, trying not to let on that there was anything wrong.

"The past few days have been taxing."

It wasn't a lie. But it wasn't the entire truth I needed to get out, either.

"Of course, Kai. I understand."

I slowly walked away from him down the hallway. It was dark but I had memorized how many doors down I needed to be to find the bedroom. I looked at the two doorways that sat parallel from each other and decided to head into the bathroom instead. I quickly brushed my teeth and stripped myself down to just my underwear and the white t-shirt I had worn underneath my hoodie. I carried my clothes back out into the bedroom across the hall, placing them down upon where I faintly saw the outline of my bag. It was still too dark. This wouldn't do.

I walked around the bed and felt my way around the windowsill until I found the lock of the blinds that were pulled down and released it. The blinds slowly rolled up before me and I was greeted with the bright light of the moon that sat in the sky, filtering into the room through a bare tree in the backyard. Was this a sight I could get used to? Would the moon offer me as much comfort as the sun previously had?

I turned back around, lying upon the bed on the left side closest to my belongings. I reached my hands up behind myself between the back of my head and the soft pillow beneath it. The bed sure was comfortable. Soft but with just the right amount of firmness to it. Not lumpy like mine at home was. I could soon hear Soobin's footsteps approaching the bedroom and felt my nerves kick up again. I saw him out of the corner of my eye, standing within the doorway.

"You want the blinds up as you sleep?"

"Your windows are so massive, they let so much light in. I felt like being bathed in the moonlight tonight."

God, this small talk just wouldn't do. How could I possibly talk about anything casually with that confession of Soobin's sitting at the forefront of my mind and my own impending one that sat alongside with it? I needed an opening, but I just didn't know how to create one at that exact moment. I knew Soobin was too polite to try and pry my mind open for me. He would just want to let me sleep. But that just wasn't an option. I heard him turn on the spot.

"Well... Goodnight, Kai. Sweetest of dreams."

No. Don't go.

"Soobin..." I spoke and I heard him stop as he had taken his first step away from me. He was listening.

"Please stay" I whispered out, wondering if it had been loud enough for him to even hear. But from the sound of his now approaching footsteps, I knew he had.

He walked around to the opposite side of the bed, taking a seat on the edge of it as he looked up out the window at the moon.

"Something on your mind, Kai?" He spoke calmly, quietly, deeply.