Chapter 37: Making Love, Lovingly, to My Love

Saturday | January 13th, 2024 | 8:14 PM

"Oh, Minjae!" I heard a voice call out as I walked towards the dorm building. Sakura was walking out of her building, dressed casually with her school bag over her shoulders. She noticed me first and greeted me, waving.

"Oh, hey! Where are you headed to?" I asked, slowing my pace a bit as I approached her.

"Just going out to meet with someone," Sakura replied. She was smiling a little and had a small sparkle in her eye. She was a bit flushed but she was still glowing. I could tell she had some light makeup on.

"Oh, is this a date?" I teased, noticing how she was dressed and putting the pieces together. Her top was a loose, off-the-shoulder crop-top, exposing a little bit of her toned stomach. It was a cute and casual top, but also revealed her collarbones and neck, which felt out of character for the more introverted girl I came to know.

"I wouldn't call it that," Sakura pouted, blushing and crossing her arms. I couldn't help but smile at the way she was reacting.

"Well, whatever it is, you look good," I complimented.

"Thank you," Sakura replied, a wide grin growing. Her eyes lit up, and she straightened her back a bit, "Lucky for you though, I'll be out for the entire night so you and Chaewon can have the place to yourselves."

She followed that up with a curious eyebrow raise, but I scoffed. Who does she think I am?

"You're too kind," I joked, laughing. "But, don't let me keep you, please. Have a good night and good luck with your 'date'," I put a lot of emphasis on the word and grinned.

"Ugh, whatever, Minjae, bye," Sakura grumbled, walking away from me.

"Bye, have fun," I chuckled, watching her walk away. As soon as she turned the corner and was out of sight, I made my way inside of their dorm building and headed to their room. Arriving at the door, I knocked and waited for her.

It took a few moments before the door unlocked and opened and she appeared in the doorway. Chaewon was wearing a casual t-shirt with pajama pants and she was standing barefoot. Her face lit up when she saw me and she jumped a bit in place.

"Minjae!" Chaewon exclaimed, jumping forward and wrapping her arms around my neck. Smiling, I held her waist and hugged her back.

"Hey, Chaewon," I breathed out. This week had been long and I really needed this hug. I had even lifted her off the ground for a moment before letting her go and placing her back on the floor. "How are you?"

"Better now that you're here," She replied, grinning. Chaewon pulled back and took my hand, pulling me inside. Her hand was so soft and warm, and it was always a nice feeling. The tugs on my arm were gentle, but she was excited, I could tell.

Once we were inside the room, she turned and wrapped her arms around my neck again. We hugged each other for a bit, and the embrace was a comforting one, her soft hair was against my cheek and her warm body was pressed against mine. I could smell her shampoo and her sweet scent was lingering on her. Her grip was tight, and the hug was passionate.

"You're excited, huh," I teased.

"I haven't seen you in a while, and since the semester is picking up, I don't know when we'll have time again," She complained. I could feel her head rub against mine and her arms tighten around me.

"C'mon Chae, you know I'll come whenever I want to see you," I said, rubbing her back.

"I know," Chaewon murmured. I felt her pull back and the warmth of her body dissipate. Her hands were on my shoulders and she was smiling up at me, "I know you would, but it doesn't make me miss you any less."

Her eyes perked, "Ah, school is always important, though," Chaewon added. Her eyebrows furrowed and lips dropped into a tiny frown, hammering her point.

"Of course, I know that," I agreed, nodding.

"I was gonna say," Chaewon pouted, looking down. I chuckled and sat down at her desk, and she followed, standing next to me.

"I ran into Sakura outside, she looked nice," I remarked, trying to change the subject. Chaewon's frown was quickly replaced with a smile and her eyes grew a bit.

"Yeah, she has a date tonight," She explained, "She was getting all pretty for this guy, but she wouldn't tell me anything else."

"Hmm, that's good for her," I nodded.

"I said the same thing," Chaewon sighed. "She needs a good man that'll take her out of the house."

"Well, if it makes you feel better, you'll have me all night," I offered, and she smiled, and a small blush spread on her face.

"I can live with that," She responded, "Are you hungry?"

"A little," I nodded. A little was a total understatement. I did not eat at all today and I really don't know why. I spent the afternoon just chilling in my dorm until I left for Chaewon's.

"Well, I've got some snacks," She pointed underneath her bed at a bin of chips, candies, and chocolates. "And I might have some leftover food from Eunchae," Chaewon directed her finger towards the mini-fridge.

"From Eunchae?"

"Yeah, the girl spoils us and cooks for us sometimes, she's an angel," She smiled and looked fondly at the fridge.

"That's nice of her to do that," I commented.

"Oh, totally," Chaewon nodded, "She's not bad at cooking either. She said she wants to keep cooking for us so she can keep getting better at it."

"That's sweet," I responded.

"I think she likes having an audience," Chaewon chuckled, "Or maybe it's her love language or something. She's a pretty great person, so I'll watch her cook, no problem."

"So what does she make," I stood up from the desk and approached the small fridge.

"Well, a couple of days ago, she made chicken. It was a whole bunch of grilled chicken breast and thighs with a sweet-spicy glaze," Chaewon recalled, and her voice got a little whiny, "I'm telling you, Minjae, that was some good shit. You've gotta try her cooking when it's not reheated."

"Sounds tasty," I chuckled, squatting down in front of the fridge and opening it. "I could eat a whole chicken right now, damn," I spoke, glancing over at Chaewon and seeing her laugh. I looked inside of her fridge and took note of the Tupperware containers stacked inside. I took one out and saw a sticky note on top, the text reading: Bulgogi.

"You mind if I try this bulgogi," I asked, turning the container in my hand.

"Oh, please," Chaewon urged, waving her hands. "She made plenty, I already had a lot."

"Well, then," I smiled and stood up, opening the lid of the container to a pile of bulgogi and a serving of rice. Chaewon moved past me and opened the microwave.

"Let me warm it up for you," She told me, grabbing the container out of my hands and placing it into the microwave. She set the timer and clicked a button, the appliance humming to life and heating the meat.

"Thanks," I thanked.

"Yeah, no problem," She replied, turning around and smiling. Chaewon crossed her arms and leaned against her bed. I was still squatting in front of the fridge, and our eyes met.

"What," I chuckled.

"Nothing," She smiled. Chaewon shifted, leaning on one leg and propping her head up on her elbow, her fingers playing with her lips.

"You're acting funny," I stated, tilting my head and examining her.