Her little kisses

It was late at night, lonely in the streets, but waiting for someone. Your shoes stepped on the wet leaves, glistening a wiggly pattern of lights on the cement, and guiding you back home. The wind was cold, you forgot your coat, bad decision, but the thought of her was enough to warm you, at least enough to walk. The front of your building was gray and dull, but a small pot of orange poppies decorated the door frame, beside the welcome mat. You didn’t need to water them today, they were already relaxed with nature’s gift. 

After cleaning your shoes, you entered the front door and walked up the stairs to your apartment. You opened the door. 

The room was quiet, only the sound of the cars bleaching through the walls could be heard. You remained still for a moment, waiting for a voice, instead you heard soft snores far away. You walked down the hallway to see Jiheon sleeping calmly in her bed, your bed. She was wrapped around your pillow, small and vulnerable like a little bear. Her face was serene, the corners of her mouth ever so slightly curved up. You softly brushed her hair and went back outside.

She had already eaten, and there were piles of dishes and pans in the sink. You told her before you would’ve come late. But she wasn’t much of a foodie, she ate very little and was probably hungry right now. There were a couple of packs of instant noodles in the kitchen cupboards, they would be fine.

Jiheon was rolling around, lost in her dreams. She went from one side of the bed to the other, losing the pillow. Her hands instinctively went around, searching for something but finding nothing, they curled to her body. Feeling empty, she slowly opened her eyes and looked around. Where is he? Was it already morning? The window lit the bedroom and the room. She was expecting the sun but the light came from the moon. 

Rolling down from her bed, Jiheon raised her ears and heard some rustling in the kitchen and the sound of boiling water. She grinned and slid to the floor, before standing up and sneaking out the hallway.

There she saw you, the sun she was expecting. Jiheon smiled and walked to you and wrapped her arms around your waist and pressed her chest to your back. You felt her touch and caressed her arms, letting her hold you. 

“I missed you,” you said. She squeezed your body, far snugglier than your sweater.

“You say that but I had to wait for you all day,” Jiheon mumbled into your back, gripping it with a firm hold.

“I’m sorry. I really wanted to see you too.” You turned around and saw a small Jiheon still wrapped under you. She slightly loosened her hold, taking a small step back, and went on her toes trying to reach something on your head. Jiheon perked her lips and extended all her height, only to come back down, sulking at you.

You giggled, “What were you doing?”

“It’s not my fault you’re so tall,” she groaned, pouting. “I can’t give you a forehead kiss.”

You laughed and quickly pecked her head. 

“What are you doing?” Jiheon hissed. “I have to do it. Come down! I have to kiss you!” Her hand went over your neck and she pulled your head toward her, dragging you down - If I can’t go up, you’re going down with me. Your knees bent until you were looking straight at her. Then she kissed your forehead, and again, and another time. Jiheon grinned widely, finally satisfied. That damn smile.

“See? It wasn’t that hard,” she said, beaming, you couldn’t see her eyes anymore from her large grin. 

“Yeah, right,” you mumbled and turned around to the counter. You were blushing. There was something with her, usually, she was pretty quiet, but now she got very flirty. Or maybe it was you that was too weak for her. You finally cooled down, focusing on the stove, and said, “Let me serve these noodles.”

“Okay,” Jiheon said and waddled away to the table. You got the bowls out and poured the broth. It wasn’t much, a college student’s best friend. But what matters is who you eat it with. 

“So how is the most beautiful person in the world doing?” you asked her while putting the bowls on the table.

Jiheon was looking at her phone and she continued scrolling. “I don’t know. How are you?” she said nonchalantly. 

You stopped for a moment, the bowl still in your hand. Your voice cracked. “I’m fine. Thank you.”

Jiheon laughed and put her phone down, welcoming you to the table. “Come on, I’m not the only one who thinks that.”

“Oh, I can assure you, you are.” You handed her the noodles and sat in front of her. 

“Are you tired? Was it stressful today?” you asked and slurped the food.

“Not particularly,” Jiheon responded. “We didn’t practice very hard today, just went over the same choreo.”

You and Jiheon ate the noodles and chatted, slurping, laughing. You would tell her whatever interesting things happened with the coworkers of your office where you have an internship, and she would tell you stories of her friends, old or new. A lot of interesting things happen around her as she’s obviously in the entertainment industry. Jiheon would tell you about Jiwon and Hayoung’s silly sexy competition, Chaeyoung’s disses, and Jisun's sudden sparks of energy. In your turn, you would tell her about your breaks - how one guy couldn’t stop talking about cute girls, another putting sport into everything, a glass guy sharing pictures and pictures of girls. But you made sure to precisely how you didn’t care about the pictures, feeling the danger in the air, instead only looking at hers.

“Who carried the show last time?” you asked.

“Chaeyoung and Jiwon, obviously, they can’t stay quiet.”

“Does that come naturally to them?” you asked.

Jiheon sighed. “Jiwon starves for cameras and Chaeyoung likes to tease everyone. You can’t have a single dull moment with them or be at peace, they are always behind the corner ready to do something.”

“What about the rest of the members?”

“The quiet unit,” she explained. “When Jisun, Nakyung, Saerom, and Gyuri are together nothing happens and the room becomes extremely quiet, and they randomly laugh or say something. Seoyeon and Hayoung just go with the flow.”

Jiheon put down the bowl and stretched her arms out and got up. “Let me get something to drink,” said Jiheon walking to the kitchen. “What do you want?” “Something as dark as my avenging soul," you responded. Jiheon rustled something in the fridge and came out.

Milk.

“I feel insulted,” you said.

“You should be,” she chuckled. “How long are you going to keep this act up? You’re a soft teddy bear.”

“Whatever,” you scoffed and drank the milk. 

“Tasty.”

“Yeah, I thought so.” 

After finishing the drinks, you got up and went to the kitchen with the dirty dishes and cleaned them. Jiheon waited for you in your room, scrolling her phone on the bed. There were a lot of her friends posting, dance challenges, funny videos, and study tips but not you. Jiheon rolled around trying to make time pass but got bored. She blew her bangs out from her eyes and got out. She peeked again in the kitchen, seeing you still cleaning the dishes. 

She looked at your back, your neck, your nape… she wanted to kiss. It was pretty much asking for it. Jiheon sneaked behind you, leaned forward, and plopped her small head on your shoulder. Her eyes glowed. You turned around, “What are you doing?” you asked. “I’m waiting,” she said and smooched your neck.

You stopped for a moment. “What was that?”

“Affection.”

“Disgusting.” You remained quiet, but a tentative smile built up as surprise sank in, she noticed it. And then you said, “Do it again.” 

Jiheon gladly did so, smooching you again, coming down to your collarbone too. You didn’t want to make her wait too much, so when you were finished, you went to the bathroom to quickly clean yourself and came back to snuggle into the covers with her. 

When you hit the bed, she wrapped you immediately and immobilized you, better than a wrestler. She smiled at you, with that angelic grin, now covered in the blankets and her arms, it seemed like it was her wings wrapping you and she was your guardian angel. 

“Finally together,” said Jiheon. “Are you tired?”

“Well, not anymore,” you answered and patted her hair, her cheeks glowed. She felt safe close to you, as she moved to feel more of you, she felt pleasure and tingling at every touch. You continued to stroke her smooth glowy hair. Her smile slowly weakened, but her eyes still couldn’t be seen, that’s when she gets sleepy. 

Jiheon yawned. You knew it.

“Must be tiring being pretty all day,” you commented. She turned her head around with a smug.

“Then you must be exhausted.”