The Siren's Song

Chapter 13- baking buddies

(Y/N) POV:

"I'm fine oppa." I stress for yet another time staring slightly exasperatedly towards Habaek oppa who's fretfully staring at me, having just sat down after wrapping me up into yet another blanket.

I wriggle, trying to move and huff when I realise he's swaddled me into the blankets making it impossible to free myself from.

"Just sit there and let me take care of you." he insists, tugging my blanket-wrapped form into his arms and cradling me there, the warm comfort that he provides is way better than the warmth of a blanket.

"I'm not even shivering anymore." I point out, twisting slightly.

"Thank god that you hadn't been alone. Do you know how terrified I was?" he asks, a small shudder as he holds me closer, rocking me slightly with him, mumbling softly near my ear.

"But I wasn't, I had help and he stopped me from getting panicked or freaked out. He held me through it." I mumble, trying yet again to reassure the fretting male.

He startles.

"He held you? And you didn't freak out?" he asks, eyes wide with confusion and amazement.

I nod slowly.

"He also helped me out of the pool. And for some reason he felt safe, I wasn't scared." I add, mind drifting back to the sensation of his strong warm hand effortlessly hoisting me up and then to the way he'd held me close but still kept a respectful distance- giving me comfort without pushing those boundaries.

Oppa's face is a mixture of proud and happy.

And he squeezes me tighter all of a sudden, eliciting a yelp at the suddenness of the gesture.

"I'm happy for you cherub. I really am." He murmurs, pecking my cheeks repeatedly with a wide smile on his face, that only deepens and brings out his deep laughter when I giggle and twist helplessly in his arms.

Once he's calmed down and relented I speak up again.

"You know I was also thinking to take Hoseok's offer." I say. And he attacks.

And it's like that Mi-sun unnie finds us, with me breathlessly laughing under Habaek oppa's sprawled frame, affected by his infectious laughter and teasing hands and butterfly kisses, twisting and failing to escape.

But what's to say I want to escape from this bubble of happiness?

I'm perfectly content right then in that moment.

----

I'm sitting under a parasol at a small café with Habaek oppa and Mi-sun unnie the next day when I decide to muster the courage, fingers slipping into my bag to withdraw the card Hoseok had given me, phone sitting on the table.

My hand is slightly shaky as I unlock it, type in Hoseok's number first to save it before slowly typing out a message, finger hovering over the send button- deciding whether or not to go through with it. And then I click on it, quickly so I can't back out and change my mind, the delivered sign coming through.

And now it's a waiting game.

A waiting game even as a waitress comes to serve our food and drinks and we begin to tuck into waffles with fruit and cream.

"You did it then?" Mi-sun unnie remarks, her eyes snagging onto the card which still lies next to my phone.

I nod as I chew my mouthful.

She sighs, a long withdrawn exaggerated sound.

"Even if you're ditching me to be moved up the ranks, I can't say I'm disappointed, I'm the one who left you to it." She remarks, voice teasing and feigned hurt.